good morning. divided states of america. the nation weighs in on donald trump's proposal to ban muslims from the u.s. are new polls showing where things stand and one thing for certain trump's numbers remain strong. >> i no longer think he's funny. >> as hillary clinton appears on "late night" to say it's no laughing matter. >> what he's saying now is not only shameful and wrong, it's dangerous. >> deadly crash, a medical helicopter goes down in california overnight killing three crew members and a patient on board. dense fogg and heavy rain hampering search efforts.

grounded. after a string of hover board fires, the country's three largest airlines now banning them from all flights. the new rule that could keep one of the most coveted holiday gifts from making it under the tree. and what was he thinking? a cyclist blows through a closed crossing gate and slams right into a speeding train. how he walked away with just a few bumps and bruises and hopefully a new respect for the rules of the road today, friday, december 11, 2015. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with matt lauer and savannah guthrie live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> and good morning, everyone. welcome to "today" on a friday morning. nice warm friday morning here in new york. got to roll that photos again of a guy on a bicycle. when those gates are down, you're supposed to stop and he hits that train or that train hits him, one way or the other. it's amazing.

more disturbing. what's amazing is that he walked away from that hopefully a lot wiser. >> we'll tell you where that happened and show you more of that in a little while. let's start on a friday morning with our top story. it's ow new nbc news/"wall street journal" poll shows the majority of americans disagree with krump's call to ban muslims from the country and it is a different story when you focus just on republican voters. nbc's national correspondent peter alexander takes a closer look at the numbers this morning. peter, good morning to you. >> reporter: hi, matt, good morning. hard to believe it was this week that donald trump rolled out that explosive plan to bar muslims from entering the u.s. and the party is grappling with its unmistakable and unapologetic front-runner and as the new polls show trump's tough talk is resonating with a lot of republicans who simply aren't going to abandon him. donald trump in new hampshire snapping up an endorsement from a major police group. >> the first people i see, you know, even when i come in

people i see are the police and feel good. >> reporter: it comes just hours after an audio recording of ted cruz from a private fund-raising event was made public obtained by the "new york times." cruz can be heard dismissing trump and ben carson, questioning their readiness to serve. >> the who aim comfortable having their finger on the button? well, that is a question of strength, but it's also a question of judgment, and i think that is a question that is a challenging question for both of them. >> reporter: later revealing his strategy behind not publicly criticizing the two outsiders. >> so my approach, much to the frustration. media, has been to bear-hug both of them and smother them with love, because -- because i think, people run as who they are. i believe that gravity will bring both of those campaigns down. >> reporter: mean whishlg the firestorm over trump's proposed muslim ban keeps raging. our new nbc news/"wall street

10 americans oppose trump's proposal, but republicans are divided, 42% in favor and 36% against. trump's latest critics, the family of franklin delano roosevelt after trump compared his plan to roosevelt's internment of japanese-americans during world war ii. fdr's granddaughter blasting trump's idea as reprehensible add willing internment was wrong then and any effort to discriminate against a group of people based on their race or religion is wrong today. overnight ben carson released an op-ed in the uk's "telegraph" newspaper calling for the u.s. to engage the muslim world, writing we should not seek to suppress the instincts of fear that donald trump and so many others feel when seeing a person who appears to be a muslim. as we know, fear can often be a gift, but we have to acknowledge our biasses and create safe spaces to speak about them openly. lindsey graham, barely registering in the polls, warns trump's incendiary rhetoric could sink the gop.

he's doing, he's destroying the party. it will be a generation before we can overcome this, maybe never. >> reporter: but marco rubio insists trump won't be the republican standard bearer. >> i'm going to support the republican nominee and i believe the republican nominee is someone that can win the general election and i don't believe donald can. >> reporter: in addition to trump that cruz/rubio rivalry will really be one to watch and ted cruz just picked up another big iowa endorsement from a man described as the state's evangelical king-maker as he works to consolidate the support of influential social conservatives nationwide. matt and savannah. >> peter, thanks. i think i misspoke a little earlier. nbc news/"wall street journal" poll is what we were talking about. >> meantime, democratic front-runner hill shill letting her opinion be known as all of this saying donald trump's act is no longer funny stopping by "late night" with seth myers and says trump's proposal to bar muslims from entering the u.s. has crossed the line and is dangerous.

only shameful and wrong, it's dangerous. this latest demand that we not let muslims into our country really plays right into the hands of the terrorists, and i don't say that lightly, but it does. >> the on the issue of gun control, clinton says advocates of her side of the issue need to do a better job of winning over responsible gun owners. let's go out to california where the fbi is searching a lake neither scene of that san bernardino shooting. they are looking for new clues. nbc national sworpt mig correspondent miguel almaguer joins us with the late on that. miguel, good morning to you. >> reporter: when the sun rises the investigators will be back at lake, fbi tight-lipped on what they are looking for as they expand their investigation. the search at this lake could take days. dive teams three miles from where the massacre took place looking for leads. investigators say the shooter syed farook and tashfeen malik

dumped evidence in the lake. >> the specific evidence we're looking for, we're not going to discuss. we're simply saying we're seeking evidence of anything that had to do with this particular crime. >> reporter: with investigators saying teams may also canvas neighborhoods, the feds are still pressing enrique marquez, the gunman's friend. officials say he's talking to the fbi after going on a drinking binge following the massacre and now feels remorse. police say he bought the assault rifles used in the shooting. he's not been charged with a crime. >> enrique is the one who had purchased the rifles for syed and his wife, and i -- i've never seen him with a gun. >> reporter: many who knew marquez, even his own mother, says she didn't know he was married. that wife, a ukrainian national, is related to syed farook's brother by marriage. officials tell nbc news they are looking at whether that marriage was a sham, a favor marquez did

investigators say marquez told them farook discuss the staging an attack in the l.a. area back in 2012, but when four local men were arrested for plotting to kill u.s. soldiers in afghanistan he got cold feet. authorities are looking at whether farook knew those men. >> i'm not going to address anything to do with mr. marquez at this point. >> reporter: with investigators chasing new leads, the funerals in san bernardino have begun. yvette volasco laid to rest, the first of more ceremonies to come today, celebrating more life after death. this morning the fbi won't say if they believe shooters were here before or after the massacre. one thing is certain. investigators are being methodical searching for every piece of potential valuable evidence. matt and savannah? >> all right, miguel. thank you very much. individual states are now taking action in the wake of the

connecticut governor dana malloy will sign an executive order banning gun sales to people on the terror watch list. he's working with the federal government to get access to those lists. connecticut has some of the strictest gun laws in the country following the 2012 shooting at sandy hook elementary schools. those laws banned assault weapons in the state. now to the late on the attacks in paris. a tip from the cia is leading to a new manhunt in switzerland. nbc's kell el cobiella is keeping an eye on that. what can you tell us. >> reporter: savannah, good morning. geneva is now the city on focus on a heightened threat level this morning the u.s. embassy is advising americans in the city to maintain a high level of vigilance and take steps to enhance that are personal security, this as geneva police are searching for at least four suspects because of a possible terrorist threat. a senior u.s. counterterrorism official tells nbc news that the

that several suspects were likely in or around geneva. this morning there are signs of increased security in parts of the city, a rare sight at the united nations complex, heavily armed security guards with automatic weapons there. talks on syria were scheduled to take place there today between senior u.s. and russian officials. that meeting has now been moved to a secret location. security has also been beefed up at border crossings from france into geneva. one paris suspect is still on the run, savannah, and now a fresh manhunt in switzerland. >> all right. kelly cobiella, thank you very much. tell you more about a story we told you about in the open. a deadly crash of a medical helicopter out in california. it happened overnight, and tamron's got the story. >> good morning, everyone. all four people on that helicopter, a patient, pilot, nurse and paramedic died. now federal investigators are looking into what caused the accident. what began as an emergency

tragedy overnight when an air ambulance carrying a critical patient crashed en route to the hospital killing everyone on board. officials say it was supposed to be a ten-minute flight. the skylife medical helicopter took off at about 6:52 p.m. less than 15 minutes later ems dispatch failed to make contact with the aircraft during a routine safety check. half an hour later police launched a search. >> unable to confirm the tail number, but it is recognizable as a skylife medevac . >> search teams found the helicopter 15 miles north of bakersfield, california, the medical team's final destination. all four people on board, the pilot, paramedic, a nurse and a patient were killed. their names have not been released, but the ceo of american ambulance says they were an experienced team. the company's staff was celebrating at its holiday party when they got the news. >> we're rallying together,

another and telling stories and grieving. >> officials say bad weather made the search efforts difficult, but it's not yet known if those same conditions caused the crash. >> we ran into fog and heavy rain trying to get in by foot, and it took us quite some time to get there. >> this morning the ntsb will begin its investigation. >> at this time the we have no idea of what the cause was or what may have met with this tragedy. >> officials are still working to contact the family of those victims. horrifying accident. >> the tamron, thanks. imagine this. were you riding a train and suddenly realized the operator was not on board. that terrifying situation happened in boston on thursday morning, and there were initial concerns that someone may have intentionally tampered with that train. nbc's ron mott is on this investigation. ron, good morning. >> reporter: hey, savannah, good morning. officials said operator brought the train into the station behind me yesterday and got off

that's when the train surged forward without him, brushing him as it left. the red line "t" train left the station south of boston on thursday as usual. only approximate as about 50 passengers later found, their operator wasn't where he should have been, at controls. the six cars blowing past several stations. the stations. >> and if we had kept going at that rate of speed, we either would have derailed or began over the bridge. for nine long minutes the spain sped along the tracks mile after mile with terrified passengers. the mbta realized the problem immediately and cut the power and brought the train to a a runaway halt. only then did the passengers discover why and none of them were hurt. >> the people on the first car were knocking on the door of the conductor and discovereded there was no conductor there. >> governor charlie baker discussed skepticism about the cause.

it's pretty clear it was set in forward motion which is why it moved in the first place when the signal was manipulated. >> officials said 28-year veteran operator david felix vazquez was placed on administrative leave while investigators probe whether human error is to blame and that he received minor injuries after being trushd by the train as it moved out of the station where vazquez got off. this morning passengers schedule the 609 train out of braintree station where thursday's event began. >> i'm praying to god someone is in the driver's seat to be honest with you. that's all i care about. >> a new years ago the mbta cut a second worker from its trains and a union leader said that extra set of hands could have come in handy yesterday to get this train stopped much sooner. a spokesperson for the mbta told nbc news the incident had nothing to do with that. guys, back to you. >> thanks, ron.

comment made by supreme court justice antonin scalia. during oral arguments scalia said some back students do better at, quote, less advanced schools, end quote that the are on slower tracks and on thursdayled white house rebuked scalia and spokesman josh earnest said, quote, the comments reflect quite a different view than the priorities and values that the president, president obama, has spent his career talking about. scalia is a known skeptic of systems that consider an applicant's race as part of college entry decisions. now to a big story out of oklahoma city where a former police officer accused of raining more than a dozen women was convicted thursday on numerous counts. 29-year-old daniel holtzclaw began to sob when the first of 18 victims began. they say he targeted victims in the low-income neighborhood he patrolled. the women testified and said the assaults took place inside his

custody. the jury has recommended a prison sentence of 263 years. in other news, they may be one of the year's most popular christmas gifts but do not plan bringing them on board an airplane. the three largest u.s. airlines are now banning hoverboards because of the potential fire danger from the lithium ion batteries that power the devices. delta, american and united say hoverboards will not be allowed in checked or carry-on luggage. jetblue airways has already prohibited them. the news comes on the heels of several recent incidents, including one in the seattle area mall where a hoverboard burst into flames. let's go back to that stunning video we showed you at top of the show and want to say right at to the cyclist you're about to see is okay, but here it is. surveillance video at a train crossing this, happened in poland. the 26-year-old cyclist ignores the crossing gate and blows right past it and then slams

sent tumbling through the air. you can see it even better from that vantage point. had the cyclist arrived at tracks a second or two earlier this may have been a different story, rusheded to the hospital and had non-life-threatening injuries. >> talking about this when you saw it the first time. wonder if he was wearing earbuds or whatever that was, listening to music because how do you not hear that train coming. >> and wouldn't you see the crossing gate as well? >> jeff rossen did that story. you can't hear that train until you. >> he's lucky, very lucky guy. let's bring in mr. roker with a check of the weather. >> and jeff rossen will send me a check for another story. this is battle ground washington and certainly looks like it. a reported tornado touching down causing big damage, lots of trees and power lines down. the fences, you can see the trampoline in between homes. we can see more of this again today on into the weekend.

we've got another major storm that's offshore that comes in later on during the weekend. we're going to watch this push through. we're watching the rain or we're looking at inland snow and waves 30 to 40 feet along the california-oregon coastline and saturday the next storm comes in. another round of heavy rain. we could be looking at another 8 inches of rain along the california-oregon coast. mutt slides and debris flow going to be a big problem. if there is good news, again, it's the snow pack, the sierra going to be getting upwards of two feet or more, but look at this, into the rockies we're seeing a decent amount of snow as well.

>> jeremy: good morning. dense fog will eventually lift to a bunch of clouds by mid-day. some sun this afternoon. a mild day. temperatures move out of the 40s this morning. mid-50s this afternoon. for your weekend, clouds tomorrow morning. sun throughout the afternoon hours. upper 50s tomorrow. much cooler on sunday. sunday is a tricky forecast because there will be a front dropping out of maine and new hampshire sunday morning. right now i think it will be south of the pike meaning boston north it's cool and raw with a lot of clouds. southeastern m >> that's your latest weather. matt. >> all right, al. thanks so much. coming up, why did he abandon

bebergdahl captured by the taliban tells his story for the first time.

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>> this is 7news now. >> christa: good morning, everybody. we have made it to friday. it's official.

you can't even tell that the zakim bunker hill bridge is behind all of that fog. so you may want to leave a little extra travel time out there. here's jeremy reiner with your forecast. >> jeremy: yes, or get a reindeer with a red nose. we have that fog through the morning commute. dense fog until about 9:00 a.m. the city at 47. plymouth at 52. morning fog, a lot of clouds this afternoon. temps this afternoon 52 to 57. mild again tomorrow, but much cooler on sunday. metro boston only near 50. >> christa: let's if to our top stories now. transportation officials are meeting to investigate the runaway red lain train that took off without a driver during the morning commute yesterday, blowing through "t" stations with passengers on board. right now investigators are looking into operator error. police in revere are searching for a suspect in a deadly shooting that happened late last night in an apartment building on waite street. two people were killed, another person was shot in the face. police so far have not released the names of the victims. we'll keep you posted.

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37:30 on this friday morning, december 11th, 2015. shopping. sleeves. >> i know. >> new concept. >> anyway, let's take a look at headlines. a mid kale helicopter crashed in central california overnight killing three crew members and a patient on board. the ntsb is investigating the cause, but there was dense fog and heavy rain in that area at the time of the crash. >> a sad end to tell but in the

reality star kristin cavallari. 30-year-old michael cavallari's body was found in an isolated part of utah two weeks after his car was discovered in that same area, and authorities do not suspect foul play. fbi agents are resuming their search of a lake near the attack. investigators believe shooter syed farook and tashfeen malik that lake. let's start this half more with former prisoner of war bowe bergdahl speaking out for the first time, mounting his defense in unexpected place. "today" national correspondent craig melvin is here with that. craig, good morning. >> good morning, guys. another crackly voice, another voice rather than a crackly phone line. his side of the story and this serial. one of the most controversial figures in the american military sergeant bowe bergdahl waiting to hear whether he'll face court-martial and already using this unusual form to offer up his defense. >> i'm going, good grief, i'm in over my head.

america's last prisoner of war. >> suddenly, you know, it really starts to sink in that i really did something serious. >> bowe bergdahl in, 25 hours of taped conversations with a screenwriter behind "zero dark 30" and "the foot locker" cast himself from an action film from a different film. >> i was trying to prove to the world that i was, i don't know, jason bourne. >> saying he walked off a remote army out"the new york post" 2009 as part of a plot to expose his leaders and track taliban fighters who instead captured him. >> the next morning was, you know, where i got myself screwed. >> surrounded, bergdahl admits he did not fight back. >> i'm not stupid enough to try to knife off a bunch of guys with ak-47s. >> how are those two things going on in the same rational mind? just doesn't make any sense >> bergdahl's platoon mate was interviewed for the podcast. >> sees himself as a super

his intentions are to save us, but he went and did the exact opposite that have. >> released in a 2014 trade for five taliban prisoners held at gaunt o'bay. >> wasn't forgotten business hi country. >> bergdahl stayed quiet, not even speaking to his parents. >> i was fully confident that when somebody actually took a look at the situation and when people started investigating the situation that people would understand that i was right. >> and with pressure mounting on the obama administration to try bergdahl as a deserter -- >> we're tired of sergeant bergdahl, a no good trader who should have been executed. >> this sargeant now making serial his public defense. >> the more people knew about sergeant bergdahl's case, the facts and circumstances, the better, and i feel that way about the podcast. >> the serial set records with more than 5 million downloads and streams in its first season earning a new look for the

now it appears bergdahl has turned to the platform to try to sway public opinion. in this case i listened to the first episode. it's compelling. it's compelling. >> and there's a lot more of those interviews and we may hear more of those. >> eight and ten episodes are promised, and there could be more. >> craig melvin, thank you. here's a story that will get a lot of attention dealing with the raging debate over guns in this country. supporters claim allowing guns in places like college campuses will actually help to thwart attacks and they plan to demonstrate their point during a mock masz shooting in austin, texas tomorrow. nbc's kerry sanders is there. kerry, tell us about this. >> reporter: well, good morning, matt. will organizers say they planned their mock mass shooting right here on the campus of the university of texas but still officials say like all outside groups that just won't be allowed so it will be slightly off campus so their theatrical performance they say hats exact same message, that gun-free

it has a lot of people up in arms, plan for a mock mass shooting even though it's cardboard guns, gunfire. >> bang, bang. >> reporter: that real isn't, and supporters playing the role of victims with ketchup for blood. >> using visual aid, overdramatized, very realistic. not something that people are going to happen upon and think is a real situation >> reporter: theatrics are meant to dramatize their opposition to gun-free zones on college campuses, but even some gun rights supporters say the rally is a bad idea. >> i think it's irresponsible. i think it's just bad timing, and it's childish. >> reporter: in 1966 this same austin campus was the site of the nation's first mass shooting at a college, a student named charles whitman climbed to the top of the school's tower and systematically picked off people below. 13 died. the group had planned on holding the mock mass shooting on the school campus, but school officials said no.

on twitter, on what plan set a mock mass shooting a good idea? on facebook, fully support this event. time to end the sitting duck zones. organizers point to the umpqua community college shooting that killed nine and the rampage at virginia tech that killed 32 and said those events might have had a different outcome if people been armed. >> needs to be a national conversation about this and have people understand the common thread to all these tragedies are these gun-free zones. >> reporter: and that conversation about gun violence is likely to heat up this weekend. monday is the third anniversary of the shooting at sandy hook that left 20 children and six adults dead, the second deadliest mass shooting in this country following virginia tech. guys, back to you. >> kerry sanders on the story down in texas for us. thanks very much. >> and the weekend forecast. >> very severe weather will be firing up in the mid-section of the country.

this warm air and behind it we'll be looking at heavier snow through the rockies, missouri to texas, seeing some strong storms firing up. sunday, those storms shift into arkansas, louisiana and all the way down to houston. heavy rain will be involved as well and, in fact, we've got right now 25 million people at risk for severe weather on saturday. damaging wind, hail, isolated tornadoes and heavy rain. look at this, from houston, text yeah, up into little rock. we've got at bullseye of about three inches and locally we could be looking at upwards of 5 to 6 inches of rain and a very wide swath of 1 to 2 inches stretching from texas all the >> jeremy: good morning. dense fog will eventually lift to a bunch of clouds by mid-day. some sun this afternoon. a mild day. temperatures move out of the 40s this morning. mid-50s this afternoon. for your weekend, clouds tomorrow morning. sun throughout the afternoon hours. upper 50s tomorrow. much cooler on sunday.

because there will be a front dropping out of maine and new hampshire sunday morning. right now i think it will be south of the pike meaning boston north it's cool and raw with a lot of clouds. southeaste >> get your weekend weather when you need, to go to weather channel on cable and weather.com online. >> al, thank you very much. coming up, tattoos all the rage from bieber to ben to engaged couples. why ink is in. >> that tattoo is the real deal. and can you hang on for just one more week? "the force awakening" with "star wars" fans all across the galaxy, but, first, on a friday if you have moderate to severe plaque psoriasis... ...isn't it time to let the... ...real you shine... ...through? introducing otezla, apremilast. otezla is not an injection, or a cream. it's a pill that treats plaque psoriasis differently. some people who took otezla saw 75% clearer skin after 4 months. and otezla's prescribing

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>> we already know it is going to shatter just about every box office record in existence. willie is here. we are so excite. willie, what can you tell us? >> i'm not sure the country can wait another week. bursting at the seems and still one week away and, yes, the force is truly awake. jedi fans rejoice. we've nearly reached that galaxy far, far away. in just one week "star wars" super fans finally will get to catch up with the heros of the original trilogy, luke, leia, han solo and chewie for the first time in 32 years, joined by new characters destined to become icon take a new generation of fans. >> i don't know your name.

>> amrie. >> the excitement is reaching empire-sized proportions with fans camping out for full two weeks for the first screening. >> you get inside and sit down and your life changeses. >> a once in a lifetime experience. >> reminiscent of the original anticipation in the '80s. and in the late '90s for the prequel. with this new trilogy and spinoff films already in the works, a massive money haul is expected from the box office and product tie-ins. >> i need this. >> "star wars" merchandise coming from charm bracelets. >> inspired from the dark side and the light side. >> to coffee creamer and that's just the letter "c." >> dear oh, dear. >> hollywood insiders say the movie is about to break records for breaking records. more than $50 million in advances sales alone and on course to be the first movie ever to rake in 100 million on its opening day.

seven days it will be with us for a long, long time to come. >> we're home. >> yes, we are home. you still have time to binge watch the earlier films ahead of the opening if you haven't seen them. a lot of debate how to do that, released chronologically do, it that way or in episode order with the prequayles first. >> old ones first. >> old ones first. >> but that goes out of line with the story. >> don't worry about the new first three, don't worry about it. >> watch the ones from the '70s 509s. >> no, you don't. >> you don't. >> it's better to forget that that happened and just -- >> see what happens when we're too into pop culture? >> "porky's 1" or "porky's 2." >> i didn't see that one coming.

whole story, so is chewbacca good? >> we're going to seat movie tuesday night. >> you'll see the episode. >> i will watch 5 this weekend in preparation for my big -- >> are we going in costume? >> i am. >> we're going to go over to the original room and dill jan in for carson. >> you know, you should never actually admit to the original room folks that i own this stuff because they will make you bring it from home. >> that's your outfit. >> and i kind of just rolled out of bed this morning and wearing my pjs right now. not just me. the website, how many days until starwars.com until you're confused. counting down every single second until this movie hits theaters and i know what you're thinking how can you, too, get an outfit like mine. don't worry. a lot of online shots that will get you into the "star wars" and the holiday spirit. can't go wrong with these two amazing sweaters if you don't have a costume.

exactly like chewbacca this. went viral several years ago and it's now coming back now that the "star wars" movie is coming out. you can also bring the force home with the salt and pepper shakers and keeping with the whole kitchen theme, a waffle maker and a toaster, and if you want to take more food into this, we've got light and dark side ice cream which i don't like chocolate ice cream so i'm going to go for the light side. >> bring the chocolate over here, dylan. >> i'll bring you chocolate. >> the we have room for it. >> is that -- >> that's really add. >> are those leggings? >> "star wars" leggings. >> two ice dreams and you still own the leggings. >> yes. >> oh, i forgot the spoon. >> sorry. >> there's an extra spoon. >> dylan, thank you very much. >> the things i do for this show. coming up, we've got very big news to share about our dear friend will yard scott, but, first, on a friday morning, these messages. antlers on reindeer, gifts tied with laces polar bear noses, colorful faces

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coming up, what has amy schumer saying her friendship with jennifer lawrence is obviously over? >> that's not good. >> and how to dress for success if you're headed to a holiday party this weekend. got much more ahead on a friday morning, but, first, your local news and weather. chronic plaque psoriasis made a simple trip to the grocery store anything but simple. so finally, i had an with my dermatologist he explained that humira works inside my body to target and help block a specific source of inflammation that contributes to my symptoms. in clinical trials, most adults saw 75% skin clearance. and the majority were clear or almost clear in just 4 months. humira can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal infections and cancers, including lymphoma, have happened; as have blood, liver, and nervous system problems, serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure. before treatment,

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>> this is 7 news now. >> sarah: good friday morn, everybody. it's 7:57 as you take a live look outside. we've had a foggy morning, but it looks like it's lifted a bit, j.r. >> jeremy: yes, we still have the clouds and the fog across the region, and then we'll slowly lift as we work through the morning hours. temperatures mild. boston right now at 48. plymouth at 52. what about the sun? i think we'll see some sun mid-day and this afternoon, but even this afternoon clouds linger. 52 to 57. your weekend mild. sunday much cooler around metro boston. >> sarah: investigators are

operator of a red line train that blew through several stations without a driver. david vasquez, a 28-year veteran of the mbta, is on paid administrative leave. this is what the controls look like on a red line train. officials are looking at the steps vasquez took before he left the train to look at a signal problem he was having. investigators won't say whether the brakes were deployed. passengers saw a cord wrapped around a lever. the dot is looking into that claim. we're back in 25 anncr: when the attacks come here... ...the person behind this desk will have to protect your family. will he be impulsive and reckless, like donald trump? will he have voted to dramatically weaken counter-terrorism surveillance, like ted cruz? will he have skipped crucial national security hearings and votes just to campaign, like marco rubio? 27 generals and admirals support jeb bush. because jeb has the experience and knowledge to protect your family. right to rise usa is responsible for the content

it's 8:00 on "today," and coming up, clear and present danger? this picture of a christmas tree stacked with gifts sets off a huge debate when it comes to the holidays, how much is too much? plus, 'tis the season for holiday parties, so want to dress up without breaking the bank? we'll show you how. and best friend battle. what amy schumer's now saying about her friendly golden globe showdown with bff jennifer lawrence. today, friday, december 11th,

>> from the 904 in jacksonville to the 212 in new york, happy holidays! >> from fort worth, texas. >> from maryland. >> living stone, tennessee. go, hawk wise! >> best friends from alabama, whoo! >> we're back now at 8:00 on a friday morning. it's the 11th day of december, 2015. we have got one of these like city. we're out on the plaza. it's like 50 something degrees. it's unbelievable. >> beautiful. >> and what about this crowd. >> it's huge. not only is it big but it's loud. said. >> take a look. we're on 49th street here. al, where are you?

dylan is in the other corner. >> huge! >> unbelievable. >> can't even hear, and we're probably about, i don't know, eight people deep throughout entire plaza. >> this is amazing. i love this crowd. [ cheers and applause ] >> this may seem -- >> you know, by the way, look at you, you're in a dress. >> so warm. >> it's beautiful. >> i wonder if that's why people are here, because of the weather, it's nice. >> exactly. >> it ain't us. >> something about willard scott, a great one, a legend, an institution here at "today." coming up, we've got a big announcement about our very good friend. >> that's right. and first though we're going to get a check of the top stories of the morning. tamron is in for natalie this morning. tamron, take it away. >> good morning, everyone. donald trump is finding out how

proposal to bar muslims from entering the country, and he's facing new criticism from a key rival. nbc national correspondent peter alexander is in washington, peter, good morning. >> tamron, good morning. it's increasingly clear that donald trump's strongest challenger may be ted cruz. cruz just picked up a coveted endorsement in iowa from the state's top evangelical power broker and it comes after cruz at a private fund-raiser questioned trump and ben carson's readiness to serve. >> who am i comfortable having their finger on the button? well, that is a question of strength, but it's also a question of judgment, and i think that is a question that is a challenging question for both of them. >> now, it looks like trump maybe itching for a fight. just tweeted cruz shouldn't make statements behind closed door and should bring them out in the open, more fun that way. as for trump's controversial proposed muslim ban, our new nbc

shows 6 in 10 americans oppose and republicans are divided, 36% against and now rivals are hesitant to the say whether they would support him as the nominee. investigators are searching a lake three miles from the terrorist attack in san bernardino looking for more evidence and pressing for more information from enrique marquez marquez, the friend of syed farook who purchased the rifles use in the mass dear. police say marquez went on a drinking binge after the shootings and now feels remorse. a medevac chopper and their crew and patient were killed overnight when the copter crashed near bakersfield, investigate. there was fogg in the area and the pilot, nurse and paramedic on board were a safe and experienced team. protesters tied up downtown

thursday night rush and demanded the resignation of mayor rahm emanuel a day after he publicly apologized for the 2014 police shooting of a black teenager laquan mcdonald. critics accuse emanuel and the state's attorney of covering up alleged police misconduct. at one point demonstrators stage a so-called die-in by lying down in the streets. the search for the brother of tv reality star kristin cavallari has ended. michael car livy was found dead thursday in southern utah nearly two weeks after his car was discovered there with its air bag deployed. officials say there was no sign of foul play. cavallari had been arrested last month for allegedly making threats against a woman he knew. kristin cavallari issued a statement thanking fans for privacy. more than a million bottles of sweet leaf ice tea are being recalled because the company fromments. it has received four complaints about glass but no word on any

the recall covers six different flavors of sweet leaf in six-ounce glass bottles. plastic bottles are not affected by this. and in this season of "the nutcracker" a california ballet company found a novel way to kill time at airport. look, during a five-hour layover in denver, members of the state street ballet struck ballet poses on the moving walkway the hello, travelers. enjoyed the graceful visit. >> wow. >> and youtube viewers had a time with it, clicking on this video now. wow. >> seen more than 3 million times. can you do that, matt and savannah? >> no. i like the passengers that aren't even looking. just walking by. >> tamron, thank you. >> thank you. with santa claus coming to town, soon your child's holiday wish list can seem endless. >> it's a approximate okay. you want them to be happy, but when it comes to gifts, how much is too much? hoda is here with more on that. >> oh, this is a biggie. there's a lot of debate raging online after this one.

presents under her family's tree. take a look. >> gift-giving gone overboard? this picture going vifrmt gesture of a loving parent or portrait of excess debate on social media? some called it materialistic or disgusting. gifts designed for, quote, spoiled brats, putting mom on defensive saying you can buy your children two presents or 200, but it is the way you bring them up. others love the gesture calling it blessed saying you're the mom that every child wishes for. >> it's not for us to judge what's normal for another family. this is clearly their tradition. >> it's not all that unique. restraint is not in season during the holidays. a recent survey says americans are expected to spend $630 billion this year. that's about $800 per person. while another person found nearly 1 in 3 americans takes

holiday purchases. it's easy to get caught up in the spirit of giving. >> number of gifts, i feel like we usually get around 20 and that's always a good amount. >> for christmas it's nice to have a lot of presents. >> if i see anything more than really ten gifts, it's like, objection you spent a lot of money, and you know what i mean, at beginning of the year we're going to start broke. >> experts say it's all about managing expectations. >> i think you tell your own kids that's how they do christmas, here's how we do christmas christmas. give kids credit for being excited what are happens in their own household. >> as many families celebration their traditions most agree the great gift of all is time spent together. >> she says she's got three children and each kid gets 15 gifts. you wonder if they will remember them. what gifts do you remember? 58 kids? >> the motorrific. >> big wheels. >> baby alive.

>> remember baby alive? >> i wanted a trumpet. sounds we are. it was plastic. and i remember i was looking for it because i knew it was oddly shamptd i found it. here's what people online had to say about this. how many gifts is enough? we took a poll. 46% went with seven or more. >> wow. >> 35% said four to six and 19 boston said one to three. >> wow. >> i mean. >> it's very personal. what you do at christmas in our family growing up, christmas was our thing and we went a little overboard but then the rest of the year we were not a present-giving family necessarily so it was like this is a very special time. >> and i think it is what it is. i give my nieces a sweater, maybe treat them to boots and those kind of things add up but things that they would use, not just a toy. >> but so many gift, you know what happens with kids, they rip one over, haven't even looked tat yet and rips the next one en. there's an impact. much.

that might blow your mind. you've never going to guess what's real on that table? >> and then is this real? the scoop on the massive new phoenix tattoo that ben affleck appears to be sporting. and use the internet to bring back community. the woman behind the new social site that's being called the

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[ laughter ] [ male announcer ] for tim and richard smucker, giving a gift of their family's delicious jam always made the holidays just a little bit sweeter. on them! richard, i think they'll know who it's from. thank you boys. you're welcome. you're welcome. [ male announcer ] happy holidays from our family to yours. i love christmas! hey. we're back at 8:13. trending time. >> want to do this? >> doesn't the season give you such joy? >> puts me in a good mood, okay. how about this. this is a brand new wedding trend that came up in an online headline that caught our eye.

the new diamond rings. check it out. couples flooding social media with some examples. some people this is just a cost issue. diamond rings are expense ive expensive. i think couples spend on average about $4,000 for diamond engagement rings. that back in 2012. that doesn't even count the cost of wedding bands. well, tattoos are more cost effective, that is, unless you add in the cost of the laser treatment to take off that name and that ring if things don't go well. >> going to a real dark place. >> you can take a ring off, but a tattoo is a different story. >> my brother and his wife have the tattoos, and my cousin and her husband have the tattoos. >> i think they are really pretty, but i must say, not very practical. >> like that never happens. >> you are right. >> you sound so surprised that that might be a paint. >> as much as it pains me to say. >> you still have a design.

>> you have a matching design with somebody else. >> the design is in the form of a band. >> you can cover this. i had an engagement and the person put the date and something about me on their sglarm what did he say? >> i'm not telling you what he said. i hope he's covered it up by now. life goes on. >> we're so mean. >> dark natalie. natalie. >> this is a good time to chae sglubts yeah. >> let's play some mind games because i think that's a good thing to do. take a look at image, see it on the screen. looks like a punch of boring objects on the table. the rubik's cube. >> look at the red solo cup, it's a flat piece of paper and now the camera. >> that is cool. >> and dylan's rubik's cube,

this is called besides a super good time anamorovick illusion, how our brains can be tricked into something that's not there. >> cool. >> you have vertigo? you might want to hold on for this one. this video shows a stunt cyclist throwing caution to the wind and riding the roof tops in spain. this guy's name is danny mccaskill, captures the action from every death-defying angles and spent weeks looking for the perfect location to soot this and he likes this location because of the beautiful architecture and the colors. >> and he goes right up. >> look at the corner thing. >> looks like an optical illusion. >> ever try to do that on the white line on the road and to keep your tire ton, it just to work. >> look at this guy. >> amiding. >> beautiful footage. >> did you say where it was? ? that's in spain.

>> oh, okay. >> and being forced to take some -- >> best wishes to ed sheeran. next month he's having surgery to fix a damaged ear drum. it happened while jumping off a boat while vacationing in spain earlier this year. that is in spain. he landed wrong in the water and ended up busting his ear drum. ed said it was painful and will take a break from performing. i wonder if that would affect singing at all. >> oh, my gosh. >> next, amy schumer, you talked to her minutes after learning about her nomination for best actor in a category and guess who sells in that come category,

earlier tonight she was asked about the competition. >> you are in the same categories as jennifer lawrence. will the friendship be able to sufficient vive? >> the friendship is completely over. i blocked her number. >> aim obviously kidding, we hope and on instagram she posted this photo of herself saying congrats to my other sis. a pair of stars are sporting new ink this morning. justin bieber showed off a set of angel wings and had the caption new tattoo and ben affleck on his new movie "live by night" and photographers got business back tattoo, covers his entire back and shows a multi-colored phoenix rights. reached out to confirm that it is real. so far no comments but sources tell e news it is real and not for a movie. i don't know. >> ladies, what do you think? what do you think of bieber's

>> i don't like when it goes up the next. >> we telling the truth? >> be honest. >> okay. >> truthfully i'm not a fan of that neck tattoo. what if you have to go for a job interview. >> he's okay in the job market. >> going with hike what everyone's parents say. >> in for marketing job. >> i think bieber's is hot. i think ben's is really big. a lot of tattoo. >> bieber's is high. >> sees if ben's come off. finally to will ferrell, among many things star of the modern christmas classic "elf" and so many love that movie and will, of course, does as well. and when when bill hit the streets, one lady -- >> who is the best in the movie in "elf." >> the who is the elf? >> what's his name?

>> no, what's his real name. >> i haven't seen the movie. >> she's never seen "elf. ". >> spreading christmas cheer in a way only he knows how, and that's your pops the yrtd. >> i like that. >> dylan, thank you so much. al, you got a check of the weather? >> can't get enough of billy. the all this warmth, talking record high temperatures and jet stream way up. cool out west but eastern two-third of the country, alpena, michigan, set a report, ashville, ft. smith and lincoln, nebraska, expands. cleveland will probably set a report, philly, new york city, macon, jackson, memphis, tennessee, even st. louis and sunday, new york city, may set a second day record, cleveland, green bay, elkins and the heat >> jeremy: good morning. dense fog will eventually lift to a bunch of clouds by mid-day.

a mild day. temperatures move out of the 40s this morning. mid-50s this afternoon. for your weekend, clouds tomorrow morning. sun throughout the afternoon hours. upper 50s tomorrow. much cooler on sunday. sunday is a tricky forecast because there will be a front dropping out of maine and new hampshire sunday morning. right now i think it will be south of the pike meaning boston north it's cool and raw with a lot of clouds. southeaste >> that's your late weather. >> thanks very much, al. this morning we're wrapping up our series "the women of silicon valley". >> and natalie talks to a rising star interested in making community important game. >> actually grew up in a great town outside of boston on 'street where everyone knew each other. >> that memory is the inspiration behind next door, the company co-founded in 2010 and what some industry insiders are calling the next big thing. >> what's happened in the last

touch with their community. >> yeah. >> and we're trying to bring some of that back with next boor. >> the new england native who played competitive lacrosse in college is now playing what she calls the ultimate team sport. >> you learn how to set goals, how to overcome adversity and how to be resilient, and that has obviously served me well in terms of building a company where you're faced with adversity every single day. >> a tech veteran leary grew up in silicon valley. >> i certainly remember the days of sitting in a room where i was typically the only woman in a meeting, and you might be looking around and saying, well, that allows you to stand out, but sometimes it would make you think should i be here? do i belong? >> have you faced any roadblocks in your career along the way as a woman? >> i feel like i've been in a unique position where i've been able to surround myself with people who have supported my ambitions and my desire to build a great company.

gone from 176 neighborhoods to >> when my husband and i moved here to the bay area, we didn't know anybody in san francisco. >> linda hawkins connected through nextdoor. >> very important in bringing people together. >> and a daily necessity for wood. >> like an ice breaker almost neighborhood. you can get referrals for babysitters or contractors or anything. >> i posted a request and five or ten minute i got responses. a neighbor who didn't know, come to my house, i'll leave the dolly in my driveway and i came and picked it up. an amazing experience. >> leary sits side by side with her team encouraging them to take on the hard job and be someone she can depend on, inspiration she learned from her grandmother, an entrepreneur in the 1930s. >> she was someone who i saw every single day doing an amazing job of building a great

respected her, and that was something that really shaped me, and i just knew from the do it. >> why do you think it is important to have female leaders? >> you know, if you can see it, you can be it and if you can see someone who has already blazed the trail, then you can have a little bit more confidence that you can do it. >> i think up the great things about this series so far this week it proves we're all >> at this table. >> those people come up with such simple it seems but great ideas. >> i love the entrepreneurial spirit. i hope it's inspiring for people. >> me, too. really cool. >> tamron, let's send it over to you. what are you up to in. >> coming up, your hassle-free holiday check list, where to find last-minute travel deals

>> this is 7 news now. >> sarah: good friday morn, everyone. 8:27 as you take a live look over boston. hard to see the zakim bridge out there. it's foggy, j.r. >> jeremy: it is. sound the foghorn. we'll have that through the morning hours and then fog. that slowly lifts through the morning. mild, temperatures 30s, 40s and 50s. some sun this afternoon, but even with limited sun, a mild day. 52 to 57. and for your weekend, clouds and sun tomorrow. upper 50s. check out sunday. much cooler around metro boston. only upper 40s. >> sarah: now to our top stories. transportation officials are meeting to investigate the runaway red line train that took off without a driver, blowing through "t" stations with passengers on board.

looking into operator error. police in revere are searching for a suspect in a deadly shooting. it happened late last night in an apartment building on waite street. two people were killed. another person was shot in the face. police have not released the names of the victims. closing arguments in the philip chism murder trial have been delayed until monday. both sides were set to wrap up their cases today, but chism's lead attorney went homesick on thursday. the defense claims chism was not insane or wasn't sane when he killed his math teacher colleen ritzer back in 2013. prosecutors have argued he's faking his mental illness. today in new england returns at 9:00.

>> good morning, everyone. it's 8:30 on friday, december 11, 2015. beautiful morning out higher on our plaza.

the lord of the rings. >> "lord of the dance." >> you got me on that one. >> good one. >> well, he's precious. >> we've got the minions. did we see them there? >> and those are ewoks, matt. >> the lord of the dance is here michael flatly and the minions. >> look at "the lord of the rings" and someone is reminding him of text mail, the sign over there. >> and the minions is out and it's on blu-ray and hd. >> and you're going to get for that one. >> coming up, if you just decide d decided you want to take a holiday getaway we'll show you ways to very much your money so your wallet gets a little bit of a break. >> i can't stop laughing at you. and we're helping you get dolled

the secrets to tie the perfect scarf and full disclosure. i think i've googled how to tie a scarf a dozen times. >> i have to learn how to tie a tie because my husband can't understand the directions. >> i can if i watch the video. >> cool. >> the we want to tell you we've got some very big news to share from our friend will yard scott to. that in a second, but first al, a check of the weather. >> all right y y. very impressive. your weekend outlook. here we go. saturday, looking at sunshine the eastern third of the country and big snow moving into the cascades and the sierras and rockies and now we look at sunday, sunday, sunday. we're looking at a warm day in the eastern third of the u.s. and really into the ohio river valley. going to be wet and heavy thunderstorms down through the lower gulf and look for the snows to expand out west and we're looking at icy conditions in the central plains. that's what's going on

dense fog will eventually lift to a bunch of clouds by mid-day. some sun this afternoon. a mild day. temperatures move out of the 40s this morning. mid-50s this afternoon. for your weekend, clouds tomorrow morning. sun throughout the afternoon hours. upper 50s tomorrow. much cooler on sunday. sunday is a tricky forecast because there will be a front dropping out of maine and new hampshire sunday morning. right now i think it will be south of the pike meaning boston north it's cool and raw with a lot of clouds. southeaste >> one, two, three, four. >>. [ cheers and applause ]

>> one more time, lovely, lovely, lovely. >> i did not see that coming. >> they are irish, al. >> the this is what's on tap on broadway. "lord of the rings," "lord of the dance, dangerous games" and flatly. merry christmas. >> merry christmas. >> good to see you. with all your performances it is amazing that "lord of the dance" was never on broadway. been touring the world the last 20 years, all over the world. just sold out a big arena tour of europe. always dreamed of coming here to broadway and it's happy time. just love broadway. >> new york city celebrating naming part of 42nd street michael flatly way. that's got to be a pretty great thrill. >> such an honor. my dear father passed away in march. this is for you, dad. love you, and he would have been so proud if he would have been here for that.

>> here to the 3rd of january, and tickets are flying, and audiences are going crazy and we're blessed. >> then you're going on tour. you're taking this on tour and after that is it true that you're retireing? >> yeah. it looks that way. got to make room for king james and fabulous fergo here and for them to take the lead. >> michael flatly, been an honor watching. you've been a good friend of the show and appreciate all that you've done. "lord of the dance, dangerous games" lyric theater here in new york city. merry christmas. >> great to see you. god bless. >> matt, back to you. >> want to see you do the shirt trick. >> not going to happen, thank you, al. more on the series hassle-free holiday and here with money-saving strategies is misty bell from the travel network virtuoso and good morning. happy holidays. >> thank you. >> not too late to get a good deal or availability? >> absolutely not toot late so

>> you've got some great strategies that people can use, and you say the day you make your reservation when it comes to an airline really does matter. >> the it absolutely matters. try to book your air on weekend mornings because that's when you'll find the best fares if. book on a sunday morning versus friday morning save up to 13%. >> and people should think about this by now that you've got to fly. >> most certainly. kind of change the way you by it your weekend and right now if you fly out early saturday morning and return early on tuesday morning you've got to get great fares? >> by the way, another thing to do and i've got friends who do this all the time. a lot of people don't like the way this sounds but fly on the actual holiday as opposed to getting there early. go on the day that everybody else is already there. >> exactly, exactly. >> find much better fares if you travel on christmas and new years and travel in the morning or evening because that will still be better than flying today. >> if you're booking for several

family do this using multiple transactions. why is that important? >> so what you want to do is buy tickets. if you're buying for a family, four, five seats or so, book them separately because what happens is you're going to go online and you're going see this great fare but that's all inventory-controlled so if you're trying to book four, five, six seats you'll be pushed up into the higher rate category. buy them individually you'll get at least some of the seats if not all of them at this lower fare, and if you're savvy enough you can to that on your own but if you work with a travel adviser who has direct access into the airline's distribution system, they can book those for you individually and link them together and save you hundreds, maybe thousands. >> let's go on to hotels and this sounds counterintuitive. pay extra for a club floor. >> yes. look for hotels that cater to business travelers. you may pay $50 more to stay on the club floor but you'll get complementary breakfast, snacks and beverages throughout the day and you'll really recoup that,

>> there are extra night free deals. >> a lot of hotels are offering third and fourth nights free so they are not publishing or advertising so if you're staying for multiple nice, go ahead and ask for it. >> if you're choosing a destination important to do the math. >> might get a good deal on travel or the hotel but what will it cost you once you get there. >> look at entire trip, look at transportation and costs and look at food and activities and budget from that standpoint. >> good ideas. misty bell, always nice to see you. >> thank you so much. >> happy holidays to you. >> thank you. just ahead, the knotty list, just before the holidays we're

we're back at 8:40. when it comes to fashion it's not only about what you wear and how you wear it. >> that's right. >> before your next holiday celebration we'll show you how

let us start with dan trepanier, creative director of articles of dan, good morning. good to see you. >> thanks for having me, guys. >> when it comes to ties, you have to really take into consideration the thickness and texture of the tie, don't you? >> right, right. you want them not to be in proportion with the overall size so if you're a larger guy you want a wider tie and thicker fabric as well. >> we'll show you a couple of different knots and very traditional. one is called the foreign hand. i'm going to try that. knot. >> i'll walk you through it. simplest knot. easy to wear and most guys are wearing, it over the front like that. i know you wear this every day. >> right. >> and then you're going behind and lay it flat and leave a little space when you cross over. that will create the front of the knot. behind and over and down through the loop you created there. >> does the shirt collar have anything to do with the kind of tie. >> if you're wearing a larger tie, want a more spread collar. shirt lapels and the tie all in

different knot. >> this one is trick yes, windsor knot, similar to that but an extra couple of steps, wide side over narrow side and up this way, just like that. >> and then over there, there you go, and speak is behind this piece, first part of your triangle that's the base of the knot and over this way. >> this is more complicated. >> a little more complicated. >> james bond, by the way, never trusted a guy in a windsor not. >> i don't blame him. >> what about half one? >> you're getting somewhere. >> that's your pace and it will make the knot thicker and bigger, make a loop. >> look at that. >> and when you're done, it looks something like -- >> don't try this at home. >> i don't feel so bad.

>> very nice, guys. >> okay. we're going to do the scarves. we've got three kinds. >> take it length-wise and then you're going to halve is length-wise. >> okay, okay. you mockett guys. >> karma. and then you have it again length-wise. keep your hand through the loop and pop is over your neck. take one. loose ends, does it matter top or bottom. >> and pop it through the loop. >> i'm doing, it i'm good, i'm good. >> i see the loop. >> and then the second tie you tie through this way. >> over and understand. >> i may not be able to read after this.

>> this is cute. >> it only takes a mirror. perfect. >> great. >> tamron. we are going to do the western shawl so you're taking your oblong scarf and making it into a square. >> got it the. >> and then make it into a triangle. there you go. okay. then you've got this almost peaked triangle there. doesn't matter if it's not even and throw over the shoulders almost like a blanket and tie back. it's cute and a unique way of doing it. this one i like for an evening and wear it in a lightweight scarf. >> what if you're eating.

>> you said mine is very easy. this is the most fashion forward one i would say. halving it length-wise. you don't even. let's leave it wide because then you can make almost like a jacket out of it. over the shoulder, something we're seeing a lot on the runways. >> okay. >> thin scarf, thick scarf. perfect in the weather. >> belt it to bring your waist in. >> belt on backwards, sorry. >> there you go. >> and then you wear it almost like a vest. >> really cute. >> we got one right. >> thank you so much. >> you're welcome. >> that's great. by the way, this segment didn't help you, and it probably didn't, there are step-by-step directions online.

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friday morning. it's 8:47. good time for our special sires with the nfl "together we make football." willie, what's cooking this week? >> well, still reeling from your knotted tie. i'm going to change the subject. over the course of the season we asked for stories from our viewers. this week we have the second our five finalists vying for a trip to super bowl 50. it's the story of a new jersey man using football to reach kids on the fringes of athletics and to get closer to his own son. >> it's hard to put into words what keeps him going. at end of the day, like nobody leaves feeling as if they didn't accomplish something and that's something that has gone away from sports. ed with the pressure of travel teams and rejection of the kids that can't really play, we're

when it comes to reaching someone who is not athletically gifted. difference. >> felix agosta, a retired air force master sergeant is making a difference by giving kids a chance to shine. >> a couple years ago i started an nfl flag football program that specifically would cater to kids in the inner city. there. >> come on, green. let's go. >> about 80% of the kids in our flag football program are latt nose. we're creating a whole new generation of football fans in the latino community. >> rush the quarterback. >> it's something that i wanted to do for the kids. >> this league doesn't care about winning or losing. they care about growth and development of the children. he's 8. a lot of other coaches never wanted to play him because they was either they would say too

terms and he actually brung out something that no one has seen before. >> instead of taking kids who know sports and all that, he takes kids who don't know sports and he encourages them that way. >> i have a son and i refer to him a lot as a miracle baby. he was born at 24 weeks and had a breathing tube and kept pulling the breathing tube out and they finally said he's telling us something and he started breathing on his own and they said that's symbolic of what kind of kid this would be, a kid that would overcome all these obstacles. >> felix junior's passion is photography and his eye for football has brought him and his father closer together. >> this is kind of the base for our relationship, you know. kind of started a new age of understanding with each other. >> if he didn't have this league, i don't know if they would be as close as they are right now. >> i'm definitely proud of him, you know, like seeing how he

lives. >> hall of famer anthony munoz and his son also run football camps that make a difference in kids' lives. >> we want these young men and women to leave this camp learning a lot of football, but we want them talking about the character values that they learn. >> they are the perfect duo to honor felix and his son. >> wow, these are some great shots here. i love this. >> wow. >> felix, anthony munoz. >> this is my son michael. good to see you. >> nice to meet you. >> we were inspired by your story. you're a finalist with the chance to go to super bowl 50. congratulations, felix. >> i don't even know what to say. thank you very much. that's awesome. >> it happens to other people, but you never really think it's going to happen to you. >> that's a cool movement one rule of felix' football league

by that he means he asks parents to stay and to be involved, and now moms and dads have become an integral part of the league. i love this idea because sports have become so competitive. they can be discouraging if you're not one of the stars on the travel team. this the kind of makes the umbrella bigger for all kids. >> and so much to get out of sports. >> how many super bowl tickets you got to give away? the. >> we've got three more amazing stories to go. >> awesome. >> thank you so much. a reminder, watch the houston texans take on trade and the patriots sunday night on nbc. up next, the big news about our great friend willard scott. we've been promising that all day long. we'll get to it, but, first,

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it's's thank you, willard, is brought to you by smucker's. thanking will yard for 20 great years of friendship. >> and we are back on a friday morning with some by the ittersweet news. our beloved friend willard scott is retiring. >> we plan to honor his on tuesday, his official last day and today we look back at one of our favorite willard moments. >> mr. president, bless your heart. do we love you. >> i remember one of the happiest days of our lives, the inauguration parade.

>> 100,000 people on the parade route. >> he got barbara bush to come over and kiss him. >> i think people are so drawn to willard that they want to be part of his orbit and that includes first ladies. >> i see his face and race over and give that face a kiss. >> how about that, i've been kissed by the best. >> and he said i didn't know you knew willard scott, and i said i don't know willard scott. i just love that face. >> i'll tell you, that's nicest kiss i've had in a long time and i appreciate that. >> the list is long of those willard scott have kissed over the years. >> barbara bush and willard were kind of made for each other, i'm not surprised that she gravitated towards him. >> barbara bush singled him out, a member of the first family chose to single out america's weatherman, and i remember smiling from ear to ear for willard at that moment. >> we love that man.

>> and we're going to honor willard and say a big thank you to him next tuesday morning right here on "today." >> looking forward to that. going to be so fun to look at some of that old footage and reminisce, and willard is like the inspiration of your life. >> he's like my second dad, really, is and he was in the control room in weese et morning this show first went on the air as a page. >> that's amazing. >> we can't wait to do that. a lot coming up next hour. >> that's right. >> the we're making bacon waffles. >> stick around.

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car crashes into a home and a driver is killed. also federal and mbta authorities are investigating the red line run away train. all on the conductor who was supposed to be onboard. for the first time publicly an army soldier is telling his side of the story. the patriots look to bounce losses. and they are hoping to have a key player back on the field come game time. england. mild day. weekend forecast on the way. >> thank you. all that and a lot more.