good morning. snow-m-g. the nation's capital gets ready for what could be one of its worst storms ever. this as an inch in washington last night brings the city to a stop. commuters stuck for hours. even the president delayed. how will they deal with the two feet that could becoming? another day, another drop. the dow plunged again, losing 550 points. will it rebound today? taking no prisoners. donald trump unloads on his rivals, from fellow republican ted cruz. >> he's two-faced. >> and bernie sanders. >> he's a wacko. he's beating hillary clinton.

is the one-two punch helping or hurting? mountain of trouble. a snowborder causes an avalanche. he makes it out alive but will he dip g himself out of the legal trouble he could be facing today, thursday, january 21st, 2016. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with matt lauer and savannah guthrie live from studio 1a. >> good morning, everybody. when we played that video, with the sound up, it would have sounded like, beep, beep. preparations underway for what could be a historic storm. the nation's capital got a small taste of what's to come last night. if this was a trial run, its did not go well.

i-270, outside d.c. this morning. our weather team, al and dylan, have it all covered. dylan, let's start with you. good morning. >> good morning, matt. you know, it's been 94 years since washington, d.c. has had a two foot snowstorm and we're waiting for it to come this weekend. the salt depot here says they're ready for it. this is what 22,000 tons of salt looks like. add that to dozens of trucks and more on standby, you think we're good to go as we await the weekend's potentially historic blizzard. last night, just one inch, shows d.c. has more preparing to do. >> reporter: call it the storm before the storm. a small taste of what's to come. people stuck on d.c. high highways s highways for hours. >> cars are abandoned and everything. >> reporter: the traffic report

sounding like rush hour into overnight. >> many drivers still caught up in the volume, which has come to a stop. >> reporter: not even president obama's motorcade could avoid the wintry mess. slipping and sliding with everyone else on the roads. hundreds of crashes reported in virginia. navigation systems showing a travel nightmare after an inch of snow. a historic storm is less than 48 hours away. >> could have top two, three of all time. >> if this is what a single inch does, how can we handle a blizzard? the mayor of d.c. asking drivers to stay off the roads. 2,000 volunteers ready to help those in need. >> we haven't had a forecast that stormed 24 inches in my memory. >> reporter: last time d.c. saw something this bad, 2010, shutting down the city for days. bad memories for taylor of this

>> people were grabbing shovels. >> reporter: preparations already underway. >> home depot is out of everything. >> reporter: at a costco, shelves empty. lines ominously long. >> i need the eggs. >> we're picking up extra wine and beer. >> reporter: at reagan airport, travelers trying to escape early. several airplanes waving fees for passengers to switch flights. >> even the uber driver was like, get ready, man. >> reporter: residents along the east coast are bracing for the winter storm. >> get ready, everybody. >> yesterday at reagan national, it wasn't much better. we landed fine. we were delayed more than an hour for a gate. there's only one deicer, and it's at the gate. there was nowhere to go. people are happy this is hitting on a saturday. maybe everybody stays home. >> thank you very much. >> al, what do you expect? >> we brought some accumulations

down as you get north, but we still feel like it'll be a major deal for our friends in the washington area, virginia. 80 million people plus affected by some sort of winter storm watch, warning, blizzard watch. we have blizzard watches in the new york city area, washington and baltimore area. a blizzard basically means for three hours or more, you have sustained winds of 35 miles per hour or greater. falling snow and dropping the visibility to less than 1/4 mile. here's where we have the system now. it'll cause severe weather for florida, possibility of tornadoes, but snow from memphis all the way to washington, d.c. starting later today. as we get into early saturday, we're looking for blizzard conditioning dropping in the mid-atlantic. costal low will form. off the carolina, it'll move off the coast. saturday, it starts to strengthen. heavy snow from philadelphia to washington, d.c. winds increase here in new york city. costal threats, we're looking at wind gusts of 60 miles per hour. that's going to cause costal

augmented by the fact there is an astronomical high tide. flooding from long island to new jersey. as far as accumulations, the big number is going to be somewhere in west virginia or western virginia. for example, harrisonburg, snow through saturday, 24 inches or more. we go to our nation's capital. we expect the snow to start sometime friday afternoon. there's blizzard watches that begin friday during the evening rush hour. 18 to 24 inches. philadelphia, city of brotherly love, the snow will begin sometime late friday through early saturday morning. heavy, wet snow. look for power lines coming down. there's going to be stress on roofs. the snowfall forecast, 10 to 16 inches. here in new york city, look for about 5 to 8 inches of snow. wind gusts of 50 miles per hour, costal flooding. that'll also bring problems.

blizzard watch saturday and sunday. then move to boston. boston, you lucked out. you're going to only see, maybe, two inches of snow through saturday afternoon into sunday morning. by sunday afternoon, it is out of here. but there's a lot of moving parts to this system, which we will continue to cover. >> after last year, the folks in boston could use a break. >> exactly. >> al, thanks very much. let's talk about the rough ride on wall street. the worst a start to a year in history. at one point in on wednesday, the dow dropped more than 550 points before a late rally to close down about 249 points. driving it all? plunge ing oil prices, at the lowest level since 2003. s is at the new york stock exchange. low oil prices are a good thing, generally speaking, but they're falling so fast, they're stocks. good morning. this is because it's not just

about chevron and exron xonexxon, it's because the energy industry overall is a big piece of the american economy. when these big energy companies have to slash their plans for spending and they have to lay off thousands of people, all the companies and communities that support these big oil majors suffer. that's exactly what we've seen already happening in places like north dakota and oklahoma. a few years ago, these boom towns on the back of shale oil, they're now hurting, matt. >> after what starts in the day, we go down 500 something points, were we seeing panic selling? >> indeed. wall street is a herd mentality, so momentum is in and of itself. in a selloff and a rally. the force of the selling seems to be stronger. people down here joke that wall street predicted nine of the last five recessions. the truth is, we did go an unusually long period without a correction in the market.

that's unusual. now, the fed raised rates and they don't come out every time the stock market starts to wobble and say, don't worry, we'll keep rates lower for longer. the truth is, matt, this is an economy that has been producing 200,000 jobs now for four straight years. we're still growing at about 2.5%. that is not an economy on the brink of recession. >> olivia stearns, thanks very much. i like that joke. >> me, too. little wall street humor for your day. let's talk politics. the presidential race, 11 days left before the iowa caucuses. the feud between republican rivals donald trump and ted cruz is really escalating. the candidates trying out new jabs as new trump backer sarah palin hits the campaign trail with jabs of her own. we have complete coverage, beginning with peter alexander. good morning. >> good morning to you. with that friendship now giving way to a feud, it is the head to head matchup that could decide the next republican nominee.

donald trump still on the offensive. ted cruz aggressively trying to unify conservatives, arguing that supporting trump means siding with the washington establishment. >> reporter: donald trump zeroing in on his number one target, ted cruz. >> he's two-faced. >> reporter: railing at his rival with the ultimate insult for any republican. >> worse than hillary. >> reporter: cruz casting himself as the true conservative. >> we're seeing the washington establishment abandoning marco rubio and unifying behind donald trump. mr. trump's pitch to the washington establishment is he's a deal maker. >> reporter: that rebuttal after bob dole told the "new york times" the gop would suffer losses if cruz becomes its nominee. sarah palin talking for trump got personal. >> it's the elephant in the room. >> reporter: the former vice presidential pick addressing headlines about her son,

>> my son, like so many others, they come back a bit different. they come back hardened. it starts from the top. the question though, it comes from our own president, where they have to look at him and wonder, do you know what we go through? do you know what we're trained to do? to secure america. >> reporter: cruz securing his own reality tv star power, with an endorsement from "duck dynasty." >> they kill a duck and make a good duck gumbo. >> reporter: with trump and cruz slugging it out, the establishment candidates eyeing an opening. >> new this morning, jfk's grandson is diving into the debate. ted cruz is no jack kennedy. pouncing on cruz's claim that kennedy would be a republican today. he wriets, tes, i find this suggestion that cruz is taking up my grandfather's mantle absurd absurd. >> peter, thank you. let's look at the democrats now with bernie sanders surging.

hillary clinton's campaign is pulling out all the stops to try to slow his growing momentum. nbc's andrea mitchell is in iowa with more on that. hi, andrea. good morning. >> good morning, matt. hillary clinton is crisscrossing iowa today, trying to prevent bernie sanders from sweeping both iowa and his neighboring new hampshire. >> thank you. >> reporter: hillary clinton in iowa, fighting off a bernie sanders surge. >> it's not whether you get knocked down, it's whether you get back up. i've gotten back up time and time and time again. >> reporter: touting her experience in a new ad, invoking 9/11. >> the senator who helped a city rise again. the secretary of state who stood up for america. >> reporter: sanders unleashed his own ad, showcasing his vote against the iraq war, which she supported. >> i voted against the war in iraq, and that was the right vote. >> reporter: clinton is relying on her husband to make her case. >> this has turned into an interesting election. >> reporter: for the first time,

>> her opponent says, hillary's opponent says, the one place she disagrees with her opponent is -- are the clin >> reporter: the clinton campaign says they want to run against a socialist. >> they want to use the term socialist to frighten people away from bernie sanders. i'm not saying it would be fair. i'm saying it would be a reality. >> reporter: clinton's fear, losing iowa and new hampshire, where one poll shows sanders 27 points ahead. even sanders' aides think it's closer than that. 14,000 volunteers. a new bus to get to rural areas. enough money to go the distance. >> bernie sanders understands how to win build build winning campaigns. he'll bring people in who wouldn't be there unless he's the nominee of the party. >> sanders is in new hampshire today, and clinton heads there tomorrow before both come back

to iowa, where the critical caucuses are a week from monday. matt and savannah? >> andrea, thanks. chuck todd is here, "mod moderator of "meet the press." i wonder why it took so long for the socialism argument to take so long to be front and center. you can imagine republicans running a hammer ad. is this a winning strategy for clinton's campaign? >> right now, i don't know. i think in the long run, when you start getting more states involved, yes, it's possible, when you focus the electorate on that. the iowa democratic caucus, a poll asked democrats whether the word "socialist" or "capitalist" described them. 43% said they're identified as socialist. 38% identified as capitalist. this isn't a winning argument in iowa right now. >> let's go to the republican side. ted cruz is trying outs ing ing out a new strategy. after months of running against donald trump as the outsiders,

wait a minute, the establishment of the republican party is starting to come around to donald trump. he's now the establishment candidate. is it effective? >> i don't know yet. i think it's hard to sit there and say that donald trump, and his new pal sarah palin, are part of the establishment. ted cruz is partially right. the establishment is going, if you're going to make us pick between trump and cruz, we'll take trump over cruz. but i think that to sit here and say he can somehow make the connection to voters to say, donald trump is part of the establishment, i don't know if the average voter is going to believe that. >> meanwhile, one of the polls i saw in new hampshire had cruz coming in second. usually, new hampshire is the place where moderates and mainstream candidates have their chance to do well. what do you make of cruz making a run in new hampshire? >> cruz is on his own. we talk about the lanes. the trump lane, the establishment lane. no one is fighting for the cruz

it's not the dominant electorate in new hampshire, but if he's the only guy going for it -- look, if cruz wins iowa, i think he will be second. we're looking at trump-cruz. i don't know how the establishment breaks through, if they don't take cruz down in iowa. >> chuck todd, thank you very much. in other news, the obama administration could announce today new visa requirements for some european travelers. federal officials want to make it harder for europns who have fought for isis to enter the united states. the new rules would affect europeans who are dual nationals of iran, iraq, sudan or syria, who visited those countries in the last five years. on capitol hill, senate democrats blocked a bill that would crack down on syrian refugees coming to the country. the flint water crisis in michigan, rick snyder is asking

president obama to reconsider the federal aid. he says it's an imminent and long-term threat to residents there. $28 million be pay for more bottled bottled water, nurses and testing. the buffalo bills made history on wednesday, hiring the league's first full-time female assistant coach. catherine smith was named quality control special teams coached. previously served as an administration assistant to rex ryan during his days at the jets. ryan said smith has proven she's ready for the next step. back to the video we showed you, the california snowborder who could be facing criminal charges for his alleged role in triggering an avalanche last year. 29-year-old christian was wearing a body camera when he boarded down a steep run in

the video shows him buried under do the cascading snow. he was in an active avalanche area, closed to the public. they say he put himself, friends, ski patrol and skiing public at risk. >> good news is, you survived. bad news, you may have committed a criminal offense. >> you know why there are so many expletives on the tape. mr. roker, you're busy these days. >> in the pacific northwest, heavy rain, strong winds from the pacific northwest into california. look for an icy mix in the central part of the country. memphis may see a blizzard warning for them out of the storm. severe risk of strong storms through the southern gulf.

we'll get to your local >> chris: good thursday morning, everyone. we'll hold the mainly clear skies throughout the day. lighter winds today versus yesterday. temperatures close to 30 degrees this afternoon. saturday afternoon, saturday night into early sunday morning, we're watching for the potential for snow to work on in as well as a gusty wind and some minor to moderate coastal flooding along the coastline, especially that high tide on sunday morning coming in at 11:00 a.m. highest snow totals, the furthest south you go, sharp gradient. long island 8 to 12 inches of snow. >> that's your latest weather. savannah? >> al, thanks. just ahead, was it approved by vladimir putin? the bombshell report out this morning on the death of a former russian spy, poisoned with a cup

the navy seal who helped kill osama bin laden is under investigation. did he take an unauthorized souvenir from the raid? first, this is "today" on nbc. the person who lives here... has to solve problems as big as the world... and as small as your kitchen table. that's the job. everyday. and now, the first lady who helped get healthcare for eight million kids... the senator who helped a city rise again... the secretary of state who stood up for america, and stared down hostile leaders around the world. is the one candidate for president who has everything it takes to do every part of the job she'll never let anyone privatize

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the day at milford high school because of a bomb threat. right now police are investigating. they only say the high school and the shining star early childhood center are closed. all other schools in the town are open. right now it's unclear if this is related to a string of bomb threats in our area at some of the schools in the past few days that the f.b.i. is investigating. we do have a crew headed to that high school. we'll bring you updates throughout the morning. once again here on this thursday, we want to check the forecast. we have a storm headed this way for the weekend. here's chris lambert. >> chris: good morning, everyone. quiet. it's cold. winds not as much as a factor. winds running about a 5 to 10mph. not as bitter of a breeze this morning. wind-chill factors down into the single digits if not the lower teens out here. we have mostly sunny skies throughout the day. light winds, temperatures close to 30 degrees. saturday afternoon, saturday evening, several inches of snow likely down through southeastern mass. >> christa: have a great morning. we're back to the "today show" after thi marco rubio thinks it's unfair to criticize him for missing votes. "but i am going to miss votes,

i'm running for president." but he's been missing votes for a long time. "one third of all of his missed votes in 2015 were missed before he announced he was running for president." over the last three years, marco rubio has missed more votes... than any other senator. washington politician marco rubio. doesn't show up for work, but wants a promotion? right to rise usa is responsible

congress doesn't regulate wall street... wall street regulates congress. it's a rigged economy that sends most new wealth to the top 1%. and it's held in place by a corrupt political system where wall street banks and billionaires buy elections. my campaign is funded by over two and a half million small contributions. people who know you can't level the playing field by taking more money from wall street. i'm bernie sanders, and i approve this message. join the fight

7:30 on a thursday. it's the 21st day of january, 2016. chilly morning here in new york city. lots of parts of the country, especially here in the east coast, getting ready for some nasty ready over the next couple days. >> good morning to you. >> on that happy note, let's look at the headlines. the weather is the story. up and down the east coast, people getting ready for the monster storm that's expected to hammer this region in the coming days. the nation's capital is in the cross hairs with up to two feet of snow expected there. last night, d.c. got a little taste of what's to come, a thin coating.

president obama's motorcade got caught up in the gridlock. the affluenza teen could return to texas. ethan couch has been fighting deportation from mexico, where he fled after missing a meeting with his parol officer. couch's u.s. attorneys say paperwork has been filed to end the ongoing immigration proceeding. oregon's governor calling on federal authorities to stop the ongoing siege by armed protesters at a wildlife refuge. the tense situation that began on january 2nd is causing fear among local residents and must end. let's start with explosive new allegations tied to the fatal poisoning of a former russian spy. nbc's chief global correspondent bill neely has the story. good morning. >> good morning, matt. vladimir putin, as we know, is a former spy himself, and a man with a grudge. that's according to a british judge, who accused him of

another former russian spy, a defector here in london. it's a report and allegation that threatens to sour relations even more between russia and the west. >> reporter: alexander lit litvinenko's tea has been poisoned by two russians he met at a hotel. today's report named the men as the likely killers, accused a russian state of ordering the hit, and accused russia's president. >> the operation to kill mr. litvinenko was probably approved by head of the fsb, and also by president putin. >> reporter: litvinenko was a former russian spy with explosive allegations about putin's links to the russian

he switched sides to work for ligence made enemies. two russians, the report says, were sent to london to kill him. they met litvinenko at this hotel and poured him tea, which he drank. it contained a radioactive liquid that likely came from a nuclear reactor in russia. he took three weeks to die. they left a trail of clues but again, today, denied they were the killers. litvinenko accused putin of ordering his murder. the kremlin denies involvement. his wife calls his killing an act of nuclear terrorism. britain wants the suspects extradited to face trial. putin already refused. one of the men is now a lawmaker. the killing may be involved. the culprits are still free. >> russia this morning called

rejected its conclusions. the british government said this was a state sponsored murder. this won't help the already strained relations between russia and the west over syria and other issues. but the murder case itself almost certainly ends here. with no one ever likely to face trial for litvinenko's death. >> bill on this bizarre story. thanks very much. now to two investigations connected to the killing of osama bin laden and one of the former navy seals who played a key role in the raid. story. >> good morning. best-selling book, former navy seal matthew bissonnte claims he not only shot bin laden, but he also took pictures of the body. a new report alleges bissonnette kept one of the photos for himself. >> reporter: not long after the infamous raid that left osama bin laden dead, a top pentagon official ordered all photos of the body destroyed or turned

over, amid concerns the images might be used as anti-u.s. propaganda. a new report says there might have been one photo still out there until recently. according to an article that sites who unnamed sources close to the probe, matthew bissonnette kept an image of bin laden's remains. >> the idea that there are no photos of bin laden running outside of government control is a silly notion. >> reporter: following the release of his best-selling account of the raid "no easy day," and this interview on "60 minutes," while in disguise, bissonnette was under investigation for revealing classified information. investigate ors suspected he may have a photo on his hard drive and struck a deal, guaranteeing they wouldn't arrest bissonnette if he voluntarily turned it over. according to the article. >> what we don't know is whether this was a particular one of a close up of his head or body.

we do know it was unauthorized. >> reporter: that hard drive may have stirred up more trouble for the former seal. the report said information on the drive triggered a separate investigation, saying bissonnette may have been using his position as a navy seal to illegally steer business to his privately owned companies. >> though those businesses in theory were okayed by the command, it's not clear that the command had a full understanding of what he was doing on his side businesses. >> nbc news did not independently verify the details of the report, but bissonnette's lawyer did tell nbc the investigation into the alleged release of classified information ended last august. he would not comment on the existence of a photo. >> so many stories coming out of that raid. stephanie, thank you very much. let's turn to mr. roker for a check of the weather. >> we have weather to talk about as far as the west coast. they are seeing more el nino fueled storms coming in to the

pacific northwest and northern california. going to get hit hard over the next several days. today, another system stretching from seattle all the way into san francisco. heavy rain and costal gale. a lot of wind coming on in there. saturday morning you'll get a short break and the next system adds to the total. the snow in the sierra will increase, great news for the snow pack. four to five inches of snow. locally, could be six inches in the olympics. the snowfall, we're looking to the sierra, two >> chris: good thursday morning, everyone. we'll hold the mainly clear skies throughout the day. yesterday. temperatures close to 30 degrees this afternoon. saturday afternoon, saturday night into early sunday morning, we're watching for the potential for snow to work on in as well as a gusty wind and some minor to moderate coastal flooding along the coastline, especially that high tide on sunday morning coming in at 11:00 a.m.

highest snow totals, the gradient. long island 8 to 12 inches of snow. >> the latest on the forecast including the storm head to the weather channel and weather.com, guys. coming up, not so funny. amy schumer under fire for allegedly stealing jokes. what she is saying about the controversy. coming up next, a spotlight

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more than seven years, yet she remains a political force. someone with loyal follow toe ers and an ability to fundraise. also, no shortage of drama. >> are you ready to make america great again? >> reporter: as sarah palin endorses donald trump, a personal problem surfaces in the shadow of her political life. her son track, an iraq war veteran, charged with misdemeanors after arrested on domestic violence charges. >> my son like others come back a bit different. they come back hardened. >> reporter: it's nothing new for palin, blending the personal and the political. palin resigned as alaska's governor, eventually signing on as a fox news commentator. >> they look at our president as one who wears mom jeans. >> reporter: me has books and started reality shows like "sarah palin's alaska" on tlc. >> pull. >> good shot.

>> reporter: yet, she remains a conservative fire brand, funding like-minded candidates through her political action committee, and lending her voice to the tea party movement. >> these are the front lines in the battle for the future of our country. >> reporter: during the health care debate, palin coined the term, death panel, which was 2009's lie of the year. her reach is great, with millions of followers on facebook and twitter. >> hello and welcome to a new project. >> reporter: palin had to pull the plug on her online channel. >> next question, yes, tina? >> no, it's sarah palin. >> sorry. >> reporter: through it all, she doable doppelganger. >> looks like i went through >> reporter: the timeline follows her family. in 2014, they attended a party brawl. no one was arrested. >> what would he be doing pushing girls around though? >> reporter: her daughter, a

finalist on "dancing with the stars," called off her wedding last year, then gave birth to her second child last month. >> now, sarah palin is back in the spotlight. it's unclear how much she's going to stump for trump in the coming days. wednesday, she appeared at one rally in oklahoma with trump, but not at one in iowa. >> joe fryer, thank you very much. just ahead, a rare reunion for all four members of savannah's favorite group. >> abba. >> what they're saying about the again. >> you say abba, i say abba. hands. carson has the photo. weight watchers has changed. weight watchers all-new beyond the scale program and not just the number lose weight while eating healthier, and move more by including fitness in ways that work for you.

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we are back. 7:49. carson is in the orange room with a sweet moment, and it's going viral this morning. >> it is. these twins were born in australia earlier this month. they were born premature, under 29 weeks. they weighed about 2 pounds. they did require immediate medical attention. when their father was finally able to hold them for the first time, that bond was quite clear. take a look at this video here. see in the center, they're holding hands. heartwarming video. the twins latched on to each other. the couple shared this moment on their facebook page, and the video has been viewed 10 million times. their bond didn't break there. when mom held the babies, as well. they were still holding hands there. >> adorable. >> she hesitated to share the video at first because she was worried people might be disturbed, with the babies,

but she thought it might be helpful. she said, i googled like crazy looking for hope when we were told we might be premature. her story is touching many this morning and both babies are doing very, very well. >> you don't notice the breathing tubes. you just see the little hands. >> really cute. >> so tiny. >> thank you. coming up, is it the death of department stores? major retailers closing dozens of locations. some popular chains are trying to win back your business. on consumer confidential, the inside secrets of hotels. thousands of people came out today to run the race for retirement. so we asked them... are you completely prepared for retirement? okay, mostly prepared? could you save 1% more of your income? it doesn't sound like much, but saving an additional 1% now, could make a big difference over time. i'm going to be even better

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>> this is 7news now. ism good thursday morn, everybody. it's 7:57 as you take a live lack over boston. let's send it to chris lambert with a live look at your forecast. >> chris: good morning, sarah. 17 in boston. 15 in worcester. winds 5 to 10mph. not as strong as the last couple days. still a cool day. close to 30 this afternoon. mostly sunny skies. okay. saturday afternoon, early afternoon may start snowing down through far southeastern mass. probably taking until the end of the day on saturday before flakes fly in the city of boston. looks like we're just on the northern fringes of the storm. sarah? >> sarah: classes have been canceled for the day at milford

high school and the shining star center due to another bomb threat. police are investigating and it's unclear whether this is related to a string of bomb threats at other schools in the last two days that the f.b.i. is now investigating. the state senate will debate a new bill requiring you to put down your cell phones while you're on the road. it would ban all hand-held devices behind the wheel and propose fines between $100 and $500. we're back in 25 minutes with another update. hope t today in america, the top 1/10 of 1% owns almost as much wealth

as the bottom 90% this great country and our government belong to all of us. wall street, corporate america, wealthy campaign donors have so much influence that the only way they are defeated is when millions of people begin to stand up and say loudly and clearly, "enough is enough." i'm bernie sanders, and i approve this message. look, i know you're a cow and all. and you may not know what i'm talking about, but, uh. the yogurt made from your milk, is delicious.

it's 8:00 on "today." coming up, death of the department store. how some major retailers are shifting strategy to win back your business. hotel tell-all. an insider reveals secrets of the hotel industry. everything you need to know before you check in. viva j.lo. jenny is on the strip, and hoda is live in las vegas after her spectacular new show. >> it's a fantasy, to have a show in vegas. today, thursday, january

21st, 2016. >> we came from alaska to see al. >> celebrating my sweet 16 at the today show. >> hello to friends and family. >> georgia. >> and alabama. >> good morning. >> mother-daughter trip from oklahoma. good morning, everybody. it's thursday, january 21st, 2016. nice day out on our plaza. this is the calm before the storm. the snow is coming to the east, and we're getting ready. we have everybody out on the plaza, present and accounted for. natalie, good job on the throwback thursday song. another win for natalie. blondie, "one way or another." >> finally. >> after that glee selection. >> i was the glee selection. coming up, as we said, we're going to check in with hoda, who was partying it up in las vegas.

>> jennifer lopez. >> she was auditioning to be a backup dancer. how did it go, hoda? >> oh, my gosh. it was like a dream. hurry up and get to the spot! it's so fun. >> did you go to sleep, hoda? >> i had an hour, and that's all you need. one hour. >> you wear it well, sister. we'll talk to you soon. also coming up on today's food, we're making lasagna the lighter and easier way, thanks to our slow cooker. >> that's the lighter way? sign me up. first, let's go to natalie for the top stories. we're talking about the east coast bracing for the massive snowstorm expected this weekend. the washington, d.c. area already dealing with an early taste of what's to come. dylan dreyer is there. good morning. >> good morning, natalie. yes, we are awaiting a potentially historic blizzard that will arrive this weekend. it's been 94 years since washington, d.c. has been hit by two feet of snow. are they ready?

yesterday, we had 0.7 inches of snow in washington, d.c. and it wasn't the most successful test run. cars were spinning out. hundreds of accidents were reported. even the president's motorcade was slipping and sliding along with everyone else. this morning, we are still dealing with the residual effects of that. cars are still stuck on the side of the road. there are backups more than five miles long into and out of the city. several school districts are closed this morning. it's a good thing this weekend storm arrives late friday and lasts through saturday. most folks will be home. they are preparing, clearing out the shelves, stocking up. we have thousands of tons of salt here, ready to go. new trucks on standby. we'll see how it plays out when the main event starts tomorrow. >> fingers crossed. dylan dreyer, thanks. al will have the complete forecast in a little bit. all eyes on the stock market today after another turbulent day. at one point on wednesday, the

dow was down 550 points before it closed with a drop of half that much. the dow is down about 9.5% this year. analysts blame falling oil china. republican donald trump is holding a rally today in las vegas after doubling down on all of his opponents. on wednesday, he called democrat bernie sanders a wacko and called ted cruz two-faced. sarah palin, speaking for trump, spoke about her son, accused of domestic violence. >> my son, like so many others, they come back a bit different. they come back hardened. it starts from the top. the question though, it comes from our own president, where they have to look at him and wonder, do you know what we go through? >> jfk's grandson is jumping into the debate, responding the ted cruz's claim that kennedy would be a republican today. jack kennedy called that absurd.

clinton is crisscrossing iowa today, hoping to fight off a surge by bernie sanders. she holds a slim lead in iowa polls and is hoping to prevent sanders from sweeping iowa and new hampshire. where sanders has a big lead in the polls. she criticized sanders, saying he wants to start over again on health care. the iowa caucuses take place in 11 days. two people are recovering after a frightening crash on wednesday when a fire truck smashed into a dairy queen northeast of dallas. the fire truck had been in a repair truck and was being driven back by a repair worker when it slammed into the building. one person inside the dairy queen was hurt, along with the driver. the world of high school basketball. take a look. the pass goes into the player under the basket. the ball hits and we see it, on the temple. yes, it's good for two points.

try when playing a game. it can hurt the temple. >> didn't drill for the head shot, huh in. >> no. do you loathe a trip to the mall? >> yeah. >> sometimes. >> parking is an issue. >> with the rise of online shopping, we're witnessing the death of department stores as we know them. sheinelle jones has more on that story. good morning. >> good morning. since the start of 2016, a number of major retailers have announced plans to close hundreds of stores. experts say traditional department stores aren't about to go away entirely, but they are changing. >> reporter: this is the way more and more of us shop now. we click up more than $300 billion in sales every year, and that number is growing. for many shoppers, driving to the mall and fighting the crowds just isn't necessary anymore. >> i no longer find department store shopping satisfying. >> online shopping is the way of the future.

>> reporter: two traditional department stores already struggling with declining sales, the attitudes are chilling. >> the past 10 to 15 years, we've seen fewer department stores. >> reporter: macy's plans to close 40 stores this year. c. jcpenney closed the doors of 31 and plan on 7 more this year. >> we have to make it more productive. >> reporter: macy's plans to put some of the backstage discount stores in locations to compete with tj max. penney is hoping customers who buy their clothes will think about washing and drying them. >> department stores reinvented themselves multiple times and that's what we're seeing. >> reporter: critics on social media may not be easy to convince. >> it takes 47 seconds in a department store for me to remember why i don't often go to department stores.

another, i still hate malls and large department stores. #2 items took 2 hours. on cnbc, macy's cea o says, don't count out the big guys yet. >> has the death of the department store been exaggerated at this point? >> i sure do. grossly exaggerated. >> reporter: experts agree, traditional department stores are not going away. >> i think we will still have department stores, and i think they're going to get better over time. because as the millenials age, they're learning how to service that new demographic. >> it's no longer just about shopping. it's now about the experience. they're offering restaurants, fashion shows, concerts, even massages, things you can't get online. all designed to bring you and your money back into the store. >> we were reminisce ing. what would junior high have been without the mall? >> my mom would drop me off, and i'd be there all day. >> getting ourselves in trouble at the arcade.

>> like still like walking into a great department store. >> they're fighting back. how amy schumer is reacting to allegations she's stealing jokes from other comedians. plus, the force delayed? why you'll wait longer than you thought for the next "star wars" movie. on consumer account shl confidential, what you need to know from booking a hotel room to the bedding in the room. first, these message resolve to turn heads roc retinol. it's up to two times stronger than imitators try roc retinol correxion night cream... after one week,

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into serious issues. so we created the vaseline a partnership with direct to help millions in need heal their skin. so they can go back to work. or school. and that ordinary jar can make an extraordinary difference. 8:12. we're back with what's trending today. this first story is a little bit more proof that pluto is the rodney dangerfield of the solar system. several years ago, it was downgraded, no longer a planet. >> right. >> now, we get this news. scientists say they have evidence of a ninth planet at the edge of our solar system. no, it is not pluto. it's nicknamed planet nine. it's believed to be ten times bigger than earth.

it's closest point is about 20 billion miles away from us. get this, one orbit around the sun would take somewhere from 10,000 to 20,000 years. which is, as natalie pointed out, a wide span of time. you might want to narrow that down. on twitter, someone wrote, quote, breaking. pluto spotted driving slowly past planet nine's home, still unable to get over the past. >> bad sci-fi movie. >> exactly. >> i love it. people are posting pictures of the death star, calling that planet nine. hilarious. what is the strangest thing you buy? i'm going to suggest the "washington post" did a new article and said perhaps it is the q-tip. >> why? >> the article points out, the strange life of q-tips, it is the one thing that you buy where it clearly states that the thing you buy it for is prohibited. use it for makeup, household

don't you use it to clean your ears? >> it says, don't insert it in your ear canal. in other words, isn't that deep? >> isn't that what most of us do? that's where the wax is. >> the near part of the ear. >> then you use it to polish. >> i use it for arts and crafts all the time. >> do you use q-tips? >> yes. >> every day? >> i dive right in there. i know you're not supposed to, but i'm like, get in there. >> i'll modify my answer. i use it more after i get out of the shower to soak up the water with it, as opposed to diving in there. >> why not a towel? >> the terry cloth towel in your ear. >> i put it in like this. >> exactly. >> doesn't run into anything, so it's fine. have you ever had this happen to you? you feel your phone vibrating in your pocket, go to pick it up ask you realize it's not vibrating at all. >> yes. all the time. >> or you don't even have your

if you felt that, you're not alone. scientists call this -- there's a name -- phantom vibration syndrome. it happens because phones become so integrated in our lives. you can read more about this at today.com. yes, sometimes -- i thought it was like an electrical thing with my heart. i got nervous. is that a rhythm? >> do you have a heart? >> oh, man! >> first the brain, now the heart. >> he started it! >> new you. >> you're right. >> oh, not inserted in your ear canal. >> this is a tough room, man. >> i think for parents, i hear my -- i hear london crying sometimes but she's not at all. it's a phantom baby cry. >> sometimes savannah hears a wine bottle open.

news fans of "star wars" will dread hearing and why amy schumer is ready to take a lie detecter test. fans have to wait longer for the next installment of "star wars" wars". episode episode episode viii will come out on december 15th of 2017. it'll set up an epic battle at the box office. "avatar 2" will be released the following week. this might be having to do with the script rewrite. many argue that episode vii has done so well in the holiday release, they want to push the next one to that window. >> everything was on schedule. >> what date, december of what? >> 2017. >> i have to see "star wars" i by then.

>> start with four. amy schumer is accused of stealing jokes from other comedians. she set the record straight with jim norton. >> i would never do that, and i never have. i'm literally going to take a polygraph test and put it on my show this season. i promise, whatever the results are, i won't let them cut. >> there you go. amy said this happens when you find success. people tend to try to tear you down. >> she's so funny. i can't imagine she stole it. >> i agree. rare reunion of a beloved band. abba hasn't been together in the same room in seven years. that changed wednesday night. all four members of the swedish pop group turned up to celebrate the opening of a dinner theater event called mama me ma mia the party. they rejected pleas from fans to perform together.

>> can't do that to me. >> abba. >> abba. >> i used to say abba, but i don't know. carson is my guru on music and he went with abba. >> mr. roker? >> let's show you what's going on. again, we're talking about this monster storm. over 80 million people under some sort of winter weather advisory. stretches from arkansas to new york. we're going to be watching this. we, in fact, have a blizzard watch in effect for the washington area, up into baltimore. we also have one for the new york city area, as well. blizzard defined as a sustained winds of over 35 miles or greater for three hours or more. visibility less than 1/4 mile. boston to nashville into saturday night. harrisonburg, virginia, you'll see snowfall 24 inches plus. could be three feet. heaviest snow, friday through saturday. then we move to washington, d.c. this is the biggest city that

will see the most amount of snow. up to two feet of snow. snow begins friday during your afternoon rush hour. city of brotherly love, we're looking for philadelphia seeing snow late friday through early sunday morning. 10 to 16 inches of snow. new york city and new jersey, all going to be looking, basically, at about five to eight inches of snow. with wind gusts of 50 miles per hour, plus costal flooding along the jersey shoreline. boston, you deserve a break and you get one. you may see two inches of snow but you'll have strong winds >> chris: good thursday morning, everyone. we'll hold the mainly clear skies throughout the day. lighter winds today versus yesterday. temperatures close to 30 degrees this afternoon. saturday afternoon, saturday night into early sunday morning, we're watching for the potential for snow to work on in as well as a gusty wind and some minor to moderate coastal flooding along the coastline, especially that high tide on sunday morning coming in at 11:00 a.m.

highest snow totals, the furthest south you go, sharp gradient. long island 8 to 12 inches of snow. >> top three snowstorms for washington, d.c. january 27th, in 1922, 28 inches of snow. we will come very, very close to that, guys. back to you. >> al, thanks so much. we are wrapping up our consumer confidential series this morning. with an inside look at hotels. >> jacob is the man who is the author of "heads and beds." good morning to you. >> good morning. >> separate rooms, please. >> no problem. >> separate floors, if you can. >> ends of the hotel. >> what are some of the weirdest things you've seen in the industry? >> takes a lot to explain it. everything happens in hotels. newlyweds, recent divorcees, death, kids running around, celebrities.

things people do in rooms, a study found there is a lot of bacteria, germs in hotels. >> absolutely. >> even four and five-star hotels. >> certainly. >> what are the dirtiest places? >> one of the things i point out immediately is the remote control. they're difficult to clean. you can't spray it. it's difficult to clean, those things. one thing i'd recommend, usually there is a shower cap. you can wrap it in that. be a little safer. avoid the drinking glasses. if it's wrapped in plastic, it's fine. if it's one of the solid glasses, housekeepers don't have the tools to clean it so they use what is available, shampoo or sometimes furniture polish. it takes the spots off. >> we're checking out. >> bye. peace out. >> please, stay. >> my wife gets to a hotel, she grabs the bedspread and takes it off and puts it in the corner of the room. smart? >> absolutely.

it goes on the floor and housekeeping picks it up. >> you know it's a fancy hotel when you're in the bathroom and the toilet paper is arranged in a triangle. >> watch out. that's usually one of the last things the housekeeper does before they leave the room. they're today lg fondling the tissue paper. it's been touched, compromised. get rid of that. >> if it looks like it's been arranged, pull that out and throw it away. start fresh. >> speaking of the bathroom, they have the lovely products in there. >> do you steal them? >> am i supposed to steal them? >> absolutely. these are for you. it's a memory. you remember your stay, use them later. there's a lot of things you can get at hotels people don't know. slippers. if they don't put it in the room, the shoe shine kits. >> people try to steal it though, right? >> it's for the guests. >> what if you are walking down the hall and see the cart with

>> if a housekeeper catches you, you're ruining her supply. just call and ask for what you want and they'll bring it up. >> does the way i book my room impact the way i'll be treated by the hotel? >> absolutely. almost everything does. i book third party, like a lot of people, you save. if you book at the hotel, they'll take more priority with your suite. call two or three days before, speak to the front desk and say, i booked my reservation. is my room ready? now there's a connection between two human beings. when you're checking in, it's a busy job, offer a gratuity sometimes. >> you feel like the front desk agent is kind of the key to the city. be nice to him or her, and your stay could change for the better. tip them or what? >> just courteous is good. >> tip good, too? >> yeah. we check in 250 people a day. this is for you, whatever you can do for me, i appreciate it. it's an underrated job.

all the typing means something. they know every room in the hotel. maybe we're not upgrading you but i can give you a late checkup. >> the housekeeper, you say it's appropriate to tip the housekeeper. how much? >> i usually do $5 a night or $20 for the stay. it's a difficult job, as a housekeeping manager. it's thankless. you never see them. it's a magic trip. you always put it in a envelope. there are a lot of people that come in and out of the room and, sadly, the money doesn't always go to them. put it in an envelope, write housekeeping on it, and even bring it to the front desk. >> how not to get the cancellation fee if you call. >> not if it's prepaid but if it is a regular reservation, say i want to move the reservation until next week. call the next day to cancel and you're within the bounds. >> sneaky. >> thank you very much. >> freesht it appreciate it.

las vegas residency and hoda has the backstage pass. first, your local news.

>> this is 7news now. >> sarah: good morning, everybody. it's 8:27. as you take a live look over boston on this thursday morning, let's send it over the chris lambert with more on your forecast. >> chris: plenty of sunshine, sarah, in the city of boston. good morning, everyone. 16 in worcester. 23 in boston. wind 5 to 10mph. so the wind not as strong as what we've seen the last couple days. not a bad afternoon. still cool outside. temperatures close to 30 degrees. here is the storm that we're tracking for the weekend. much of saturday dry in the city of boston. 1:00, 2:00 p.m., snow approaching the south coast. could get some snow into the city of boston as early as maybe 4:00, 5:00 p.m. accumulating snow, best chance of 6 inches down through southeastern mass.

classs have been canceled for the day at milford high due the a bomb threat. it's not clear whether or not this case is connected to the string of threats called into schools over the past several days. the woman accused of hiding the remains of three babies in a blackstone home is back in court. lawyers for erika murray are looking to have murder charges dropped. the blockstone mother is charged with killing two infants and concealing the death of her newborn. the state senate will debit a bill requiring drivers to put down their cell phones while driving. it would ban all handheld devices behind the wheel. typing an address into a gps while driving would also be illegal.

here's the truth -- some have proposed to cut social security for the elderly and disabled vets. i disagree. in fact, not only should we not cut benefits -- we shoulexpand them. my plan for social security increases benefits and cost of living adjustments and raises minimum payments for low-income seniors. it will ensure that all seniors can retire with dignity and respect. i'm bernie sanders,

back now, 8:30 on this thursday morning. it's the 21st day of january, 2016. say hi to some of the people who have come on down to rockefeller plaza on a chilly morning. actually, not too bad. not a lot of wind, blue sky. welcome back, everybody. >> hear a little j.lo?

>> she had a big night in las vegas last night. her show -- hoda is lucky -- she went behind the scenes. saw how it came together and did some numbers with hoda's backup dancers -- sorry, i mean j.lo's dancers. hoda thinks it's her dancers. we'll help you find the beauty underneath it all. the fashions you wear beneath your clothes, including what is a one size fits off bra. >> i'm wearing one right now. it's fantastic. on our today food week, we're cooking up a classic. a luscious and lazy lasagna. first, let's get a check of the weather. >> let's look at your weekend outlook. tomorrow, we've got a mess in the southeast. mid-atlantic states, snow, ice, heavy thunderstorms in florida. sunshine, middle of the country. saturday, the storm system makes its way up the mid-atlantic and

the northwest and the rockies. sunshine in the plains and gulf coast. sunday, the system is out in the east. we have sunshine for the eastern two thirds of the country. look for snow in the plains down to the rockies. more wet weather moves into the pacific north >> chris: good thursday morning, everyone. we'll hold the mainly clear skies throughout the day. lighter winds today versus yesterday. temperatures close to 30 degrees this afternoon. saturday afternoon, saturday night into early sunday morning, we're watching for the potential for snow to work on in as well as a gusty wind and some minor to moderate coastal flooding along the coastline, especially that high tide on sunday morning coming in at 11:00 a.m. highest snow totals, the furthest south you go, sharp gradient. long island 8 to 12 inches of snow. >> that's your latest weather. when you need your weather, go to the weather channel on cable and weather.com online. we have these kids from tuscan, arizona.

what school are you from? >> junior high. >> did you wear the hats in tuscan or the trips? >> trip. >> going home tomorrow? >> beat the snowstorm. >> let's head back inside to everybody. >> yay, tuscan. >> al, thanks very much. huge event in las vegas. >> jennifer lopez premiered her show on the strip last night. hoda was on the red carpet. got to meet the stars turning out. hoda, was it the night of your life? >> oh, my gosh, you guys, it was so much fun. i'm losing my voice. i slept for an hour. all i can think of is -- i'm still, i'm still jenny from the block you know her from "american idol" and "shades of blue." somehow, she managed to find time to channel old hollywood and bring new life to her greatest hits. it was a spectacular night. guess what?

the scenes look. >> reporter: viva miss lopez. jenny from the block has moved to the stock. don't stop, keep it moving >> reporter: all bets on j.lo as the pop star tries her luck in las vegas. with her first residency show called "all i have." a 90 minute, high-energy sceptical, sizzling on stage and planet hollywood's theater. jennifer says she spent her entire life waiting for tonight. >> it's like a fantasy, to have a show in vegas. you know, the name of the show is "all i have." i wanted to give everything that people know about me. >> reporter: the show is packed with an intimate display of masterful set design, along with dazzling costumes and electrifying choreography. on opening night, a surprise

himself, pitbull, unleashing even more excitement on the crowd. >> got flowers. i want to leave her a note. >> reporter: hours before the show, a much quieter scene, when jennifer granted us an all access backstage pass. >> check it out. look right here. matt lauer. i'm still jenny from the block used to have a little, now i have a lot i know where i came from >> j.lo's dressing room, i heard a rumor, is that one there. let me touch everything because she's been in here. i'm still jenny from the block >> reporter: you never know who you'll run into backstage. enter j.lo's vocal coach. la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la >> reporter: it could be worse, right? the answer is yes. they want me to learn the moves, too.

how hard could it be? after all, i have experience. >> get over here. bring it back. dance the night away >> reporter: time to get on the floor. a quick lesson before giving it all i have on center stage. la, la, la, la tonight we gonna be hit on the floor >> reporter: not bad, but i guess what happens in vegas will have to stay in vegas. i think i'll leave this to the pros. the 46-year-old age-defi ying beauty, perhaps finding the fountain of youth by balancing her personal life with a career that shows no signs of slowing down. >> when the confetti was falling, the end of the show, what were you feeling inside? >> so good. amazing. i feel like i've been doing an hour and a half of cardio.

it's a high. it's a great moment. >> it was a great moment. by the way, jennifer is going to perform 40 shows a year for the next three years. get your tickets because i have a feeling they're going to sell back. >> i'm coming back. >> we're doing the 10:00 show from here. i'll show you one picture that was weird from last night. kelly osborne was there and rebel wilson and justin bieber. look at the photo. >> somebody else. >> look at the photo bomb. >> i see you. >> wait, you guys. i can do one better. this is a little taste of what jenna and i have coming up in our show. >> nice. >> you lost a tooth in vegas? >> that's great. >> remember the "hangover"? >> the tattoo. >> lucky, i went to an emergency dental appointment, but everything is fine. there was a moment of panic. >> where's the tiger? in the bathroom. >> you'll see. don't you worry.

>> i love the dance moves, hoda. >> yeah. >> inside, i felt like j.lo. >> if j.lo needs the night off, they're lucky to have you. >> you add the enthusiasm, hoda. >> it was a blast. >> can you do that? >> i've forgotten it now. it's gone away. >> we'll see you in a little bit. >> all right. bye, guys. up next, investing the right way. how to put your hard earned money to work for your future. first, this is "today" on

we're back at 8:40 with more start today's solutions, to help you achieve your goals in 2016. last week, today financial editor told us how to spend less. this morning, it's all about investing for tomorrow. we're taking the money we're saving. >> that's right. >> by spending less and

investing it for our future. before we go any further, does anything you're going to recommend today get impacted by what's been happening on the markets over the last two weeks? >> absolutely not. >> no? >> this is your long-term investment strategy. long-term, not short-term. we'll talk about the difference. >> let's talk about 401(k)s. most people sign on to their company plan. >> other way. >> there you go. sign on to their company plan. if your employer doesn't offer a company plan, what do you do? >> if your employer doesn't offer it -- we like 401(k)s because they have watching dollars. but iras are available to everybody. or the new myra. it's a starter roth ira. you can put up to $15,000 into it. no minimums, no fees. you're not going to lose money because the money is in treasury. >> how do you figure out what money should go into savings and what money should be invested? >> any money you're going to need in the next three years to live on in retirement that's not

make a down payment on a house, pay for college tuition, does not belong in the market. it never did. >> let's say i want to rebalance. maybe i have too much in the market and i should be saving more. given what's happening in the markets, should i sell some stocks now, even if i'm going to take a loss? >> yeah. if you need that money in the next three years, you want to get it out of there. things could get worse before they get better. you don't want to put your living expenses, the money you need, at risk. >> what's the best way to do theal the al theal allocation? >> it should get less riskier as goal. if we're talking about retirement, take 100, subtract your age, that's act the percentage you should have in stocks. year. >> you look at this and you make it look real simple, with these graphics. but it can feel complicated for a lot of people. how do you get help? if i don't have you sitting

across from me, how do i get help? >> so many solutions to help you. you can basically put your money fund. every 401(k) and ira has one. it will keep you focused on the retirement date. a managed account is another these days. you're paying somebody to do the managing for you. people who have these save more. robo advisers is new. it's a computerized solution. >> do you like these? >> they put together your portfolio. i like them. a lot of millenials love them. they're less expensive than hiring a financial adviser on your own. >> when people are going to start making investments, they're going to find there are fees involved with those investments. how do you keep the fee down, so it's your money not going to someone else? >> in a general way, there's a difference between a passive investment and an active investment. a passive investment is an index

fund, or etf. where a computer is tracking an index. it's less expensive than paying a fund mass jer to do nager to do it for you. passive investments beat ak ty in -- active investments consistently because the fees are lower. any money not going to fees goes to your pocket. >> that's what you want. >> and you want to save, save, save. >> 15% of everything you earn. hard for a lot of people but it's your target. >> it's your target. if you're not there, ratchet it up by 1% or 2% a year. >> thank you very much. as always, more start today's strategies on our website. today.com. up next, beauty underneath. how to make your clothes fit and feel better from the inside out.

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my campaign is funded by over two and a half million small contributions. people who know you can't level the playing field by taking more money from wall street. i'm bernie sanders, and i approve this message. join the fight to take back our government. we're back. it's 8:46.

underneath it all. the latest bras, underwear and robes. we have a beauty and lifestyle expert with us. a whole segment about unmentionables. >> yes. >> how do you care for you bra? i throw mine into the washing machine. is that a no-no? >> it is. especially if it's made from a delicate material like lace. hand wash with a mild detergent and let it hang dry, air dry. don't put it in the washing machine. >> we'll talk about the trends in bra. the first is getting rid of the back bulge and the side fat. ho do you do that? >> there are bras that combat back bulge and side fat. one is from playtex. if you look at the side, they have panelling. it's from the inside. this panelling is really going to help, again, to smooth out the underarm area and to smooth out your back so your clothes fit nicely. >> you don't want it to tight, your skin is hanging over it. what about this one?

>> no side effects, so there's an elastic band. it gets rid of under armpit bulge. it helps you not feel paranoid. >> this next bra is a one size fits off, which we're going to demonstrate in a minute. anybody can wear this? >> yes. it's one size fits most. 32a to 36d can wear this. it's seamless, no clasps. we have models demonstrating. >> we do. on the right, we have an a. on the left, we have a d. they're wearing the exact same bra over in the orange room. >> isn't that fabulous? >> it is. i notice carson is in the orange room, too. >> he has a good view. >> yeah. >> models, thank you so much. what about this one over here? >> this is from gap. this has moisture wicked properties, meaning it'll keep you cool and dry if you sweat. it's great for the active girl who is on the go.

>> let us talk about underwear. this sh a this, apparently, is all the rage. the brand is called commando. >> it almost feels like you're going commando. look at the lace. it's airy, breathable, sexy. what's wonderful is it gives you good coverage but a little bit of glamour, too. >> spanx has a version of this. >> it gets rid of muffin tops and makes you look more slender. >> is it all the same? >> what's fun is you're not getting the visible panty lines, which is a no-no. >> out here, we have the shaper outside the brief. how does this work? >> this is basically a thong, but it has median compression shape wear built in. if you want your waist to look smooth, or your tummy to look more flat, this is the thong for you. >> okay. over here, you call this the woman on the go panty. >> yes.

>> not that kind of on the go. this is made for moisture wicking. it's for people who are athletic, keeping you nice and dry. it has a built-in panty liner, which you know what it helps you. it keeps you dry in the active moments, as well. >> men in the control room having a heart attack right now. let's talk about robes. >> these are my favorite robes at the moment. the one i'm wearing is from eberjey. it's soft. >> very light, too, in case you get hot when you're blow drying your hair. >> yours is from splendid. >> cozy, perfect for the cold, winter mornings and nights. mine, i think, is versatile and perfect for day time and nighttime. >> looks good with your outfit now. you can wear that as a cardigan. if you want to check out more options, go to today.com/style. coming up next, we're calling it lazy lasagna. how to use your slow cooker to

first, this is here in vineland, home of progresso, we figured out how to get rich ingredients like bacon into 22 light soups, so if you want 100 calories or less per serving without giving up rich flavor do what we do...make it progresso. look at this sweet face. so sweet. ok, we're going to need a napkin gooey, flaky, happy. toaster strudel. there's a voice of a daredevil in all of us. at urges us to shake things up, to turn up the h d take bigger risks. why should damaged hair silence that voice? dove regenerative

nourishment th red algae complex a formula that nourishes enerate extremely damaged hair. th, strong and healthy looking hair as if damaged never happened. dove regenerative nourishment. we're back at 8:52 with more of our slow cooker week on "today food." knew nutritionist wendy is here. >> good to be with you. >> we're making it lasagna in a slow cooker. we're using a traditional recipe or something different?

i call it lazy lasagna. mostly because it's easy. but it's significantly lighter. >> how do you get some of the calories out? >> well, we use classic ingredients. we have all our classics. we have the noodles, the cheese, the sauce. then we add layers with the nutrient rich veggies and lighten it up. >> get me started. by the way, we have our tasters downstairs. who i think have been lining up for 40 minutes to get their say on this one. >> very good. >> how is it going? >> delicious. >> right on. >> wendy, let's go. >> this recipe is upwards of 50% less calories than a traditional lasagna. you'll make a tomato mixture and cheese mixture. >> canned totomatoes? >> yes. tomato sauce, as well. you can add the garlic. >> into the tomatoes? >> yes.

thyme, oregano, salt and pepper. if you remember your science classes, we learned about enzymes and substraits. if you chop the garlic and let it sit at room temperature, it boosts the nutrient levels and the heart healthy properties. >> i mix this around. that's done. >> you can make that in advance. here's the this is ricotta, a lighter cheese, and has protein. we had parmesan, parsley and pepper. this is very cheesy. it's lighter but we're not going to miss anything here. then we use our noodles, which are traditional la sanaa sagna noodles. >> don't cook them first. >> it's last century, to cook our noodles. >> thanks for that. >> we'll be building the slow

i butter the dish at the bottom so it doesn't -- it's a little bit so it doesn't stick. >> perfect. >> then we add a little of the sauce there. bring that over. >> you can put it? >> little bit of the sauce. we're going to start the layering. the layers, there's 11 layers plus the sauce. >> guys, how is it tasting? >> good. >> enjoying it? >> yes! >> wonderful. then we add spinach. you use raw spinach. you can use frozen if you want. >> great. >> easy. let's add one single layer of noodles. >> cross ways? >> yeah. you can break it to fit. one layer of noodles. if you make the -- here's the cheese mixture we made with the parmesan parmesan, pepper and rah cot tee kot ricotta. >> pastry bag. >> we use half of it, pipe it along. >> that simple. back to the sauce now? >> back to the sauce. then we add some other layers here.

>> then finish it off here. >> great. let's swing over here and look at what it looks like after. how long does it cook? >> it cooks on high for two and a half hours or low for four hours. you keep building the lawyers. you get the savory yuma umami from the mushrooms and the protein. >> what should i do? >> hold this and i'll dump what is left. >> let's look at what it looks like when it's done. i'll taste it in a second.

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the nation's capital dealing with the blast of winter and a storm possibly headed our way. so what can we expect? >> here's that storm. this is going to turn into 1-2-foot event for washington, d.c. lower amounts further to the north. forecast coming up. why one player is now being hailed a hero as the pats prepare for the play-offs. and it's video you need to see to believe. a man survives after being thrown from this pickup truck. we have all that and a lot more. coming up next a the person who lives here... has to solve problems as big as the world... and as small as your kitchen table. that's the job. everyday. and now, the first lady who helped get healthcare for eight million kids... the senator who helped a city rise again... the secretary of state who stood up for america, and stared down hostile leaders around the world. is the one candidate for president who has everything it takes to do every part of the job she'll never let anyone privatize social security and medicare... or shut down planned parenthood...

she'll take on the gun lobby... finally get equal pay for women... and stop the republicans from ripping all our progress away. so on february ninth, stand up for hillary. because if you want a president who knows how to keep america safe... and build a stronger economy... hillary's the choice. "i'm listening to you, i'm fighting for you, and with your support, i'm going to deliver." i'm hillary clinton and i