good morning. doubling down. jeb bush and donald trump go at it on the las vegas strip. >> you're never going to be president of the united states. >> you're real tough, jeb. >> insulting your way to the presidency. >> you're at 3 and i'm at 42. so far i'm doing better. >> doesn't matter. >> i'm doing better. you started off over here, you're moving further and further. pretty soon you'll be off the end. >> how trump's proposed muslim ban along with a new one. how he wants to shut off the internet. the highs and lows of the most heated debate yet. flight of fear. a southwest airlines plane suddenly skids off the runway after landing in nashville. 100 passengers evacuated and at least eight of them taken to the hospital. the terrifying moments as we head into one of the busiest travel weeks of the year. peaking interest. all eyes on the federal reserve today. the historic meeting likely to

the first in nearly a decade. what does that mean for you? and eyewitness news. a local news reporter covering a bank robbery gets the surprise of a lifetime when the suspect strikes again. >> reporter: tyler, just 24 hours ago this bank -- what? oh, that's the robber. this is live tv, folks. that's the robber just went by. i got to go here and call 911. i'll talk to you later. >> the alleged robber now behind bars. that reporter adding new meaning to the phrase "live on the scene," today, wednesday, december 16th, 2015. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with matt lauer and savannah guthrie live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. and good morning, welcome to "today" on a wednesday morning. so you're a television reporter on live tv describing a bank

robbery, probably about to say and here's a description of the robber. he looks a lot like the guy back over there. >> just ran by. isn't that a fun job sometimes? >> really is. we're going to show you more about that. we'll show you how that story unfolded coming up. let's start with our top story this morning, fifth and final republican presidential debate this year. the issues of national security and isis dominated the showdown. it took place in las vegas, and while everyone expected the new rivalry between donald trump and ted cruz to take center stage, they spent most of the night clashing with other candidates. we have it all covered and we'll talk to the head of the rnc in a moment, but let's start with nbc national correspondent peter alexander. peter? >> reporter: hey, matt, good morning to you. significantly this was the first republican debate since both paris and san bernardino with all the republican contenders trying to show strength. jeb bush finally found his voice against donald trump, but was it too little too late, and for the

first real time we saw marco rubio and ted cruz battle back and forth. fight night in vegas. jeb bush flailing in the polls taking the gloves off against donald trump. >> so, donald, you know is great at the one-liners, but he's a chaos candidate. and he'd be a chaos president. >> he has failed in this campaign. it's been a total disaster. nobody cares. >> reporter: trump's reactions alone priceless. bush argued trump isn't a serious candidate. >> i won't get my information from the shows. i don't know if that's saturday morning or sunday morning. i don't know which one. this is a tough business. >> oh, i know. you're a tough guy, jeb, i know. >> and we need to have a leader. >> you're tough. >> you're never going to be president of the united states. >> i'm at 42 and you're at 1 and so far i'm doing better. >> doesn't matter. >> you started off over here jeb, you're moving over further and further and pretty soon you'll be off the end. >> reporter: trump earned points reaffirming he won't run as an independent.

>> i'm totally committed to the republican party. i feel very honored to be the front-runner, and i think i'll do very well. >> reporter: ted cruz and marco rubio, a pair of ambitious freshmen senators, exchanged blows on a series of hot button issues from defense spending. >> you can't carpet bomb isis if you don't have planes and bombs to attack them with. >> reporter: to immigration. >> he was fighting to grant amnesty and not to secure the border. i was fighting to secure the border >> reporter: anticipated fireworks between trump and his chief challenger, ted cruz, never materialized. >> gotten to know him over the last three or four days. he has a wonderful temperament the. he's just fine. don't worry about him. >> we will build a wall that works, and i'll get donald trump to pay for it. >> reporter: rand paul jabbed chris christie over the bridgegate scandal. >> i mean, when we think about the judgment of someone who might want world war iii, we might think about someone who

they don't like the friends. >> reporter: christie directed his sharpest attacks at president obama's foreign policy. >> and yes, we would shoot down the planes of russian pilots if in fact they were think that this president was the same feckless weakling that the president we have in the oval office is right now. >> reporter: and ben carson battling to resurrect his struggling campaign wouldn't even answer when asked to pick sides in a spat between paul and rubio over surveillance. >> i think you have to ask them about that. i don't want to get in between them. let them fight. >> reporter: bottom line, analysts agree nothing happened last night shifting the status quo meaning the temperature in las vegas. the race, the field will remain frozen with trump at one and ted cruz at two and two more republican debates in january before the iowa caucuses. >> thank you.

the republican national committee is also out in las vegas. good morning. thanks for getting up early. appreciate it. >> hey, good morning, savannah. >> let's do some housekeeping. donald trump seemed to be flirting again with the idea this week of mounting an independent run. last night he seemed again to closed door on that and say he'll run as a republican, no matter what. can you now sleep at night? ed is the issue closed in your mind? >> savannah, it's been closed for months for me. i was never losing any sleep about it to begin with. i think that the media enjoys this little narrative about independent runs, but the truth is that there isn't going to be any independent in the white house. they are either going to be a republican or a democrat. i was never concerned about it. donald trump signed the pledge when i went to his office months ago, and he's never indicated to me any reason why he wouldn't honor the pledge, and i never doubted it. so it's never been anything i've been concerned about. >> let's talk about another issue. there's open discussion among some republicans of a notion of

trump were to be the nominee, that republicans would get together at the convention and come up with an alternative and have a floor fight. let me ask you directly. will you rule out this notion of a brokered convention? >> well, savannah, i don't know where that narrative comes from other than a fictional narrative that's spun up last week that never happened. >> will you rule it out? can you rule it out? >> first of all, well no one can rule it out. if a candidate doesn't get to a majority of delegates by the time you get to the convention, then you could have a contested convention, but my belief is that we'll have a presumptive nominee by the end of march or middle of april. i've said that for over a year. i still believe that. the odds of a contested convention are almost nothing, but, you know, look, is it possible? it's possible, but it's possible the democrats would have a contested convention. is it likely? of course not and it's something that -- go ahead.

>> sorry to interrupt. the discussion comes up because there's this feeling that if donald trump emerges as the nominee that some republicans will not be happy with that and they fear that it will essentially hand election to hillary clinton. a lot of the candidates, if you ask them, say they will ultimately support whoever the republican nominee is, but they can not bring themselves to say i will support donald trump. where are you on that? will you support donald trump if he is the republican nominee? >> of course. i mean, the point is the republican national committee is being built and is built for whoever the nominee, is so it doesn't matter whether it's him or someone else. one of the other 13 candidates who are on the stage last night. the republican national committee is built to be plugged into whoever the nominee is, and so we're going to support whoever the nominee is, and that -- that means that whatever nominee can get a majority of delegates is the nominee of our party and that's where we're going to be. >> trump is getting a lot of attention and certainly setting

on muslims that he has proposed. you've been critical of it. you said that it would come at the expense of our values. other candidates have criticized it in varying degrees, and yet republicans support that idea. the poll i saw was 59 to 61% approve of that idea and trump is getting a bump out of it and there's 41%. where's the disconnect? is he more accurately reflecting where the republican voters are right now? >> well, you know, look. i think the reality is that we all have the same goal, right, and so you have 13 people on the stage that have different ways of getting to that goal of keeping america more safe. do i think that people are afraid. we're afraid. i'm afraid. i'm sure that you're all concerned about where we're at in the this country in fighting isis and terrorism and what happened a couple weeks ago in california frightens everybody. look -- >> but you said it comes at the expense of our values and yet

and i'm just trying to put those two concepts together. >> well, look, here's the thing. the concept is that everyone has or at least many. candidates have a different pathway of getting to the same goal, savannah, and the reality is that this president and hillary clinton haven't done a good job, and the american people don't believe that barack obama and hillary clinton have done a good job in fighting terrorism. now, look, when you have 13 candidates running, many cases you're going to have 13 different ways of tackling the problem. at least at the very least, republicans are offering solutions to the problems that i know that americans don't believe are being tackled properly, and so for that i'm excited about the fact that we're offering the american people solutions to these problems. and we may not agree with each other on everything the goal is still the same and that's the point i'm trying to make. >> all right. republican national committee chairman, reince priebus, good to talk to us. appreciate it so much. thank you.

with the first votes just seven weeks away, where does the race go to here, chuck todd is nbc political director and moderator of meets and nicolle wallace is former communications director for president george w. bush and analyst for msnbc. i want going to ask you both about the debate. i want to ask is reince priebus being forthcoming about the possible idea of a brokered convention and his support of donald trump? >> i think he is and a lot of people that believe he's whistling past the graveyard, the criticism has been he's got his head in the sand and he will argue. no, no, no, we've got a thing in place here to handle all this. everybody thinks it's going to be contested, it's not, but there's others that thing he wouldn't. >> who won last night? >> i thought marco rubio took a stand for what is really a more traditional republican foreign policy, and i think it was very important to see that the party had someone in the field that could articulately could defend when under attack a world view that has us more aggressive on the intelligence front and more aggressive in the middle east,

and i thought he did a good job defending that. >> never saw the cruz/trump argument really materializes. who wins in your book? >> i thought the cruz and rubio together in some ways because they really do represent some divides inside -- inside the party, sort of ted cruz, sort of want of taking a different direction on national security, as nicole just pointed out, rubio a more traditional sort of post-9/11 view of foreign policy, and they are very good at articulating their own points of view. they are very good at going after each other. look, rubio i thought took some incoming on immigration, and i was reminded as much as i agree i thought he handled himself well, i was reminded why i think he'll have a hard time winning this nomination. immigration, just out of touch with the republican party. >> if he's a little bit out of step with the republican base it's why a lot of republicans and democrats will argue that he's the best one to go against hillary clinton. >> touche.

>> jeb bush never gets good reviews after debates. he's admitted. >> last night was different though. >> there's no debate that jeb bush had his best performance job, on the offense against donald trump. really seemed to get under his skin and annoy him. i think the unfortunate piece of it is that many wonder and suspect that it may be too late but we'll see. >> but he found his role. >> his role is to go after trump, and i think if that's all he does now he thinks he's done a service to the party. >> chuck, nicole, good to see you. >> thank you. tennessee that happened overnight. a southwest airlines plane skidded off the taxiway after landing at airport in nashville. nbc's tom costello is covering aviation for us and has the story. tom, what can you tell us about it. >> reporter: good morning, more than 100 passengers on board and evacuated all safely after the plane suddenly veered off the runway on landing and then running into a ditch. that triggered a full emergency response on the ground. this morning the faa investigating why this passenger plane rolled off a taxiway in tennessee tuesday night.

southwest flight 31 originating in houston was taxying to the gate and then became stuck in a ditch after landing in nashville. >> everything is normal and we hear a big pop. >> reporter: photos posted on social media show one of the plane's emergency slides deployed. a spokesman for southwest tells nbc news the 133 passengers and 5 crew members were safely transported into the airport. the safety of our customers and employees remains our primary focus. eight passengers on board the 737 were transported to a local hospital after suffering minor injuries, mostly bumps and bruises, according to the nashville fire department. >> it was scary, real scary. we were on the ground so it could have been worse. >> reporter: tuesday's incident coming days after another southwest flight made an emergency landing in san antonio -- that aircraft landed safely after part of the wing appears to be what the airline calls at an irregular angle. all of this with christmas just a week away and the rush beginning, millions of americans expected to fly for the

holidays. recovery crews arrived on the scene overnight and began moving the plane out of the ditch. the nashville airport says despite the emergency all runways remained opened and operational through the evening, no delays. both the faa and southwest looking into what happened. back to you. >> tom costello, thank you. now to the harsh criticism aimed at the school officials in the second largest school district in the country. hundreds of thousands of students returning to class after an unprecedented decision to the close many schools. many calling that a knee jerk reaction. let's go to nbc correspondent miguel almaguer in los angeles. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. this is one of hundreds of schools set to reopen acting out of an abundance of caution the superintendent says he was acting responsibly but this morning many are being critical of him. 700,000 students will be back in school today, just 24 hours

after the unprecedented decision to shut down the nation's second largest school district just before classes were set to begin. >> we can now announce fbi has determined this is not a credible threat, something we couldn't have announced earlier in the day. >> reporter: the abrupt decision came after an e-mail threat. someone claiming to be a high school senior said they were bullied and ready with an army to attack schools with guns and bombs. l.a. is just 65 miles from san bernardino where 14 were killed in a terror attack two weeks ago today. >> decision was made and information we have now was not available. >> reporter: while the police chief stood by the superintendent's decision, privately law enforcement officials say they advised against the closure calling it a bad move. in new york where a similar e-mail was received, classes went on as scheduled. former lapd police chief bill bratton, now the police commissioner in new york, says

l.a. overreacted. >> we do not see that as a credible terrorist threat, and we are investigating it as a hoax. >> reporter: after sweeping 1,500 los angeles schools for bombs the all clear came late tuesday, well after parents scrambled to pick up stranded students. >> i'm happy that they took precautions. i'm sad, you know, for the kids that they can't be in school today. >> reporter: this morning l.a. usd is back in business but only after heavy criticism. as students across this 710 square mile school district get set to return, a 17-year-old student was struck and killed by a truck yesterday as he was crossing the street. it's unclear if he was headed to or from school after the school closure. savannah and matt, back to you. >> all right, miguel almaguer, thank you. want to turn now to the historic meeting by the federal reserve that's being watched very closely from wall street to main street. a little later today the fed is expected to raise interest rates

it's a move that will impact everything from your mortgage to your savings. nbc's olivia sterns covers financial issues for us. olivia, good morning to us now. why now. >> reporter: this is a good news. consider this a vote of confidence in the american economy and the central bank saying we're back, don't need emergency measures anymore. they brought the zero rates in order to bring us back from the crisis to stoke borrowing and lending in the economy and the good news it worked. the economy is growing at a pretty steady clip at 2.5% and unemployment is half of what it was during the crisis. it's 5% and, yes, some people are starting to get away so all of this is good news and we don't need the crutch anymore. >> good news for the economy but it can be tough for people on main street. it's going to impact our bottom line. how fast and how will it affect us? >> reporter: not soon. first rate hike is going to be miniscule, a quarter of 1%.

the question is the pace at which the fed continues to raise rates over the next year or two that. -- that said, if you have any kind of variable rate debts or credit card loans or student loans or an adjustable rate mortgage you'll see an increase in your monthly payment and if you're a saver you'll see a little bit more interest on any savings or cds, but, again, we're talking 18, 24 months. if you're thinking about making a big purchase, don't do anything rash but do start to get your finances in order now. >> olivia is a glass half full. no question about it. >> i like it. >> never thought this day would come. >> it's good news for the economy that we don't need that crutch anymore. >> olivia, thank you so much. we'll get a check of the weather. mr. roker is over at the weather wall. >> you guys ready to play the game we love to play, who's colder? >> yes. >> these are some of the temperature lows, los angeles or new york city, who is colder? >> los angeles. >> let's find out. are you absolutely corrected. los angeles 43 for a low, and 48 in new york city. >> what do we win? >> nothing.

>> las vegas. >> let's see if you are right. hey, johnny, tell them what they've won. 38 degrees in boston and 35 in las vegas, and our final, who is colder, phoenix or washington, d.c., ladies and gentlemen? >> phoenix. >> okay. let's see if you're right. boom, yes. 43 in d.c. and a low of 33 in phoenix. >> let the record show we were 3 for 3. >> you were amazing. that's what's going on and we'll get to what's happening in your neck of the woods right after this in 30 seconds. look at me all together now all together now everything techie for everyone. kohl's.

>> and these your >> and that's your latest weather. miss winter. >> i just love when you do these games. that's really fun. a thank you so much. better than the old weather map. coming up, does a popular -- is a popular celebrity-endorsed hair care product making women lose their hair, a massive class action lawsuit. and on "rossen reports," is it time for new christmas lights? a dangerous concern of damaged and frayed cords that could be in your home today. but, first, this is "today" on

damminged and frayed c coming up, natalie helps a woman dedicated to helping children in need. >> first your local news. i sure had a lot on my mind when i got out of the hospital after a dvt blood clot. what about my family? my li'l buddy? and what if this happened again? i was given warfarin in the hospital but i wondered if this was the right treatment for me. then my doctor told me about eliquis. eliquis treats dvt and pe blood clots and reduces the risk of them happening again. not only does eliquis treat dvt and pe blood clots, but eliquis also had significantly less major bleeding than the standard treatment. knowing eliquis had both... turned around my thinking. don't stop eliquis unless your doctor tells you to. eliquis can cause serious and in rare cases fatal bleeding. don't take eliquis if you have an artificial heart valve or abnormal bleeding. if you had a spinal injection while on eliquis

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there's a happy crowd. 7:30. it's wednesday morning, december 16, 2015. another pretty day here in manhattan. festive holiday crowd out on the plaza and no complaints about the weather. almost a headline in itself. >> none whatsoever. students are returning to classes in los angeles today following a threat that shut down all 900 schools in the nation's second largest school system. that threat turned out to be a hoax, but the superintendent says he couldn't take any chances. defense secretary ash carter is in iraq meeting with u.s. commanders and iraqi leaders. the goal of the trip, to find new ways to fight isis and speed up its eventual destruction in the region. and the reporter covering a

during his live report. >> reporter: what? oh, that's the robber. this is live tv, folks. that's the robber, just went by. >> apparently a bank employee ran by that reporter that the bandit had just struck again. the suspect was captured about an hour later. not what you expect when you're covering a day-old bank robbery. >> no. >> we'll have more on that in a little while. meanwhile, the biggest talker of the morning, the fireworks on display in las vegas last night during the final republican presidential debate of the year, especially fireworks between donald trump and jeb bush who declared the front-runner to be a chaos candidate. nbc's national correspondent peter alexander was there. peter, good morning, again. >> reporter: hey, matt, good morning to you once again. the night's biggest headline very likely was the fact that donald trump again reaffirmed his pledge not to run as a third-party candidate, as an independent, the commander in chief debate with national security now a top priority for americans.

no one was able to knock out donald trump, jeb bush tried and marco rubio didn't. rubio and ted cruz exchanging most of the blows. trump at center stage appeared more comfortable and in control than in some past debates, and he turned some heads with his comments about how to combat isis' online propaganda machine. >> isis is recruiting through the internet. isis is using the internet better than we are using the internet. i would certainly be open to closing areas where we are at war with somebody. i sure as hell don't want to let people that want to kill us and kill our nation use our internet. >> reporter: a lot of people were interested in his choice of words, our internet. as to what happened last night as to what didn't. no fight between donald trump and the number two man ted cruz. a lot of analysts believe that this race is locked in place through the holidays. two more debates in january

before those iowa caucuses february 1st. matt? >> peter alexander, thanks so much. shifting gears. popular line of hair care products endorsed by some celebrities has now been hit with a massive lawsuit. a growing number of women claiming a cleansing shampoo has actually caused their hair to fall out. natalie is following this one for us. >> right. this lawsuit, guys, more than 200 women in 40 states say they used wen products and ended up with rashes, scalp irritation, hair breakage, discoloration and even in some cases baldness. now some of the women are speaking out. hair care products are an enormous $83 billion industry in the united states. >> if you're having a bad hair day, it's a bad day. >> reporter: something that can make that day even worse, losing your hair. hundreds of people on social media say it happened to them after using wen hair care products. >> the hair started coming out. >> reporter: in florida amy freedman said she used wen products for two weeks. >> absolutely outrageous that a

out. >> reporter: nbc news cannot independently verify amy's claim. she filed a lawsuit against wen and now 200 women have joined a class action lawsuit against the company. it alleges one or more wen products contain an ingredient or combination of ingredients that cause significant hair loss, damage and other injuries upon proper application. >> hi. i'm chaz dean, creator of wen hair care and body care. >> reporter: and named in the lawsuit celebrity hairstylist chaz dean and guthy renker which mass markets using celebrity spokeswoman including alyssa milano milano, brooke shields, and angie harmon. >> literally a miracle. >> reporter: wen and guthy renker said there is no scientific evidence whatsoever to support any claim that our hair care products caused anyone to lose their hair. there are many reasons why individuals may lose their hair, all unrelated to wen hair care

products. and they promised to vigorously contest allegations made against our products. but even allegations can be devastating for the company. >> there is the court of law and there's the court of public opinion, and when hundreds of people are claiming that your hair product is causing scalp damage and making their hair fall out, they have already lost in the court of public opinion. >> both sides say they are working towards a settlement in the lawsuit but it's a company that's been very popular, two years that they have been in business, grossed over $100 million in their product sales. >> tough headlines for them, for sure. thank you. we'll get a check of the weather now from al. a pretty vigorous snow storm coming out of rockies and making its way into the upper midwest. you can see in denver yesterday, a lot of snow there. some places picking up up to 8 inches of snow. kids enjoying, of course, a good old game of touch -- well, maybe

boom! i guess it's tackle. the storm system going now. well, we're watching it make its way its way knew the upper midwest, another 5 to 8 inches of snow in minnesota. wind gusts, could be blizzard-like conditions. also watching another significant storm coming into the pacific northwest wednesday through friday over the next several days. some area, 4 to 8 inches of rain and 2 to 4 inches as you get closer to coast and look at this. snowfall amounts anywhere from

we've got winter storm >> get your latest weather when you need it, weather.com online and the weather channel. >> good advice, al. ahead, before the new year, we'll look at the stories that impacted our world and touched our lives in 2015. >> but first, coming up -- >> good morning, i'm jeff rossen. coming up, the christmas season danger in your home right now. we'll show you the one item that caused this massive fire in just a matter of seconds and how to protect your family. it's so hot i have to actually back up right now. it's save a life coming right up. it's that night of the year you come here. looking for gifts so there won't be tears. eleventh hour shopper...that's you. it's ok because they know you. they're loaded up with gear. an xbox for the children.

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it was serious. fortunately, my doctor had a game plan. treatment with xarelto . hey guys! hey, finally, somebody i can look up to... ...besides arnie. xarelto is proven to treat and help reduce the risk of dvt and pe blood clots. xarelto is also proven to reduce the risk of stroke in people with afib, not caused by a heart valve problem. for people with afib currently well managed on warfarin, there's limited information on how xarelto and warfarin compare in reducing the risk of stroke. i tried warfarin, but the blood testing restrictions... don't get me started on that. i didn't have to. we started on xarelto . nice pass. safety first. like all blood thinners, don't stop taking xarelto without talking to your doctor, as this may increase your risk of a blood clot or stroke. while taking, you may bruise more easily and it may take longer for bleeding to stop. xarelto may increase your risk of bleeding if you take certain medicines. xarelto can cause serious, and in rare cases, fatal bleeding. get help right away for unexpected bleeding, unusual bruising, or tingling. if you have had spinal anesthesia while on xarelto , watch for back pain

or any nerve or muscle related signs or symptoms. do not take xarelto if you have an artificial heart valve or abnormal bleeding. tell your doctor before all planned medical or dental procedures. before starting xarelto , tell your doctor about any kidney, liver, or bleeding problems. you know xarelto is the #1 prescribed blood thinner in its class. that's a big win. it is for me. with xarelto there is no regular blood monitoring and no known dietary restrictions. treatment with xarelto ... ...was the right move for us. ask your doctor about xarelto . 7:42. we're back with more of our rossen reports series "saved my life." >> today national correspondent jeff rossen is here with a very timely warning. jeff? >> reporter: really is. supposed to be the happiest time of the year, but did you know most house fires happen right now, during the holidays. one of the biggest causes, yes, your christmas tree. turns out many people are making

the difference between life and death. just days ago a christmas tree catching fire in missouri, erupting in flames, setting this whole house on fire. the family barely made it out alive. in california, this house up in flames, too. again, all starting with their christmas tree. >> everything happened right away, so quickly, so i was just trying to hurry everybody up and get everybody out. >> reporter: turns out it's common, and if you're caught inside deadly. >> christmastime, these happen all over the country. they are tragedies, not only one or two kids, can be entire family. >> reporter: because when these trees burn they explode in flames in seconds. why? your tree is too dry, not getting enough water. we are testing it out with a sacramento fire department. this is the kind of christmas tree you probably have in your home right now. as you can see, it's decorated, full of ornaments and it's not been watered in days. the way these fires normally

somewhere in your house, and we're going to do is set a spark here and set this tree on fire and see how fast it burns. we'll get out so we're safe. >> reporter: within seconds it's an inferno. the tree, fully engulfed. whoa, that smoke. within seconds. look how that just overpowers >> definitely. what happens in your home when you don't water your tree. literally every minute it will double in sides like having a huge piece of kindling. >> reporter: and watch, it's already spreading to the table and chair. the entire room is on fire. >> if i'm in my house, should i get a fire extinger? >> that's the biggest mistake people make, try to stay in the home and fight the fire. get out of home immediately and call 911. we've cleared all the smoke out of the room and have a new christmas tree here and this one has been watered. let's spark the flare and spark. it look, the firefighter can't

even get to light up and he's trying t.finely gets going. burning a lot slower with the dry tree. with the wet tree takes tries as long to ignite. >> dry tree on the left and wet tree on the right. huge difference. >> reporter: what are the tips here? >> water your tree every day or every other day and keep it away from any heating element, portable space heater, radiator and check your christmas tree lights, any frayed or damaged light keep that off your christmas tree because every year that can be the emission source. >> every year people use the same lights, put it in the attic and bring it back. check for this before you put it back up. >> reporter: simple advice to keep your family safe. savannah, one of the people that use the same lights every single year. >> i do, and it's cheap. >> reporter: fine to do that and make sure they are not frayed and there's other things at home that could spark this time of the year. never leave candles unattended and if you're cooking on a stovetop keep a pan nearby in

case that catch eds fire and make an escape fire case something like that happens. >> what do we have tomorrow? learned a lot. >> reporter: tomorrow in our series "saved my life." what to do when you get trapped in your car in a snow storm. it's happened with drivers getting stuck on major freeways. how to survive until help survives 24 to 48 hours later tomorrow on "today." >> jeffry, thank you very much. coming up, the biggest stories of 2015 and how we covered them on "today, grandma is so happy to be here for your very first christmas. i hear you're quite the expert at waking people up in the morning. let me show you how grandma does it. your daddy made this when he was a little boy. this is your dad at my house, where he had his first christmas. thanks for making the coffee. well look who's up.

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des moines police say they are ready to take a threat like the headlines yesterday. los angeles schools let 600-thousand students out of school early after a bomb threat came into the district's email. here in des moines, police have two bomb squads ready round the clock. they're only sent out if a threat is validated... that means someone has either found a device... or knows of a suspect. we'll have to wait until next bakken oil pipeline in iowa... the "utilities board" gave an update on the pipeline.. that would run through 18 counties. the board says transcripts from multiple hearings on the proposal are still being compiled. they don't expect that process to be completed until at least christmas. hundreds of peoe spoke in favor and against the pipeline

it's 8:00 on today. coming up, from the pope's historic visit to the race for the white house. >> every poll said i'm the best leader by far. >> to moments of terror and kindness. a look back at the year that was. the events, people and stories that shaped our world. then paying it forward. >> i'm a city of foster kid. >> i live in foster care. >> i grew up in foster care. >> a shining the light on foster care and finding children a forever home. >> plus, double the star power. fresh off two golden globe nominations, hollywood's new it girl, alyssa vikander and honey, he's good.

2015. >> merry christmas, from cali to >> good morning. >> go clemson tigers. >> celebrating 40 years of marriage. >> and 60 years old, yay! >> here in new york to celebrate my birthday here on the "today" show. >> 8:00 on a wednesday morning, 16th day of december, 2015. >> there's a noticeable change in the air today even though we've got the same huge holiday crowd and winds blowing, temperatures have dropped and a more seasonal feel right now. >> i forgot how to dress for winter. >> it will warm up again this weekend. >> okay. >> let's head inside and check

the top stories of the morning. hey, nat. >> guys, good morning. republicans traded stinging personal insults during their final debate of the year tuesday night. nbc national correspondent peter alexander was in las vegas for us. peter, good morning. >> natalie, good morning to you. this was in effect a commander in chief debate all the republicans trying to convince voters that they are best qualified to keep americans safe. there was no outright winner last night except perhaps the republican party demonstrating, that well, donald trump is going to stay in the tent. he said he would not monday a third-party bid. some real infighting between donald trump and jeb bush. bush taking aim at trump, insisting that he is the chaos candidate and then you had trump attacking bush for his poor poll numbers and marco rubio announced real divisions such as domestic surveillance and immigration. chris christie was strong as well but most analysts agree this race is locked in place during the holidays with donald

trump a strong number one and ted cruz in second. natalie. >> peter alexander in las vegas, thanks. we have breaking news from europe. officials in austria say they have arrested two men with possible connections to the attacks in paris last month. meantime, hillary clinton is providing new details about her plan to prevent future attacks here in the u.s. she wants silicon valley to help block isis recruitment online. she also called on american muslim communities to intervene and help stop radicals, calling them our best defense. two people were killed overnight when a medical helicopter crashed in the mountains about 55 miles east of phoenix. search teams found one crew member alive. >> just be advise that had we have dps on the ground. they have possibly located the crash side. last update was someone was waving a light at them. >> that survivor was flown to a

carried a doctor, a nurse and paramedics. no crew on board. the mana woman who revolutionized the mail order, lillian vernon went small and offered unique gifts and home goods that could be monogrammed for free. lillian vernon was 88 years old. for the first time a woman has been chosen toer is as commandant of cadets at west point. brigadier general diana holland graduated from the academy in 1990. she served in both iraq and afghanistan. general holland will be in charge of training west point's more than 4,000 cadets. congratulations to her. a homeowner in south georgia was doing some yard work when he heard a loud crash and take a look. it was that. a small plane that landed right on his rooftop. the two people on board were able to climb out with just a few cuts and bruises. the pilot had reported engine trouble and was trying to reach

an airport about half a mile away. good thing he is okay. let's get a check of the weather right now. mr. roker. today's weather is brought to you by kay jewellers, the number one jewelner america. every kiss begins with kay. >> around the country today, sunshine, a little cooler along the east coast and more wet weather making its way from the great lakes all the way down to the gulf coast. snow across the northern plains

>> that's your latest weather. savannah. >> all right, al, thank you. coming up, what will you remember the most. we look back at the most talked about news stories of 2015. >> plus, natalie pays it forward to a selfless woman she's known for years but has never met. >> and honey, he's good. andy grammer performs his [makes siren noise] i'm watching that. eew. every christmas is memorable. but a gift from kay jewelers... makes it unforgettable. because it's more than a gift. it's a memory she'll wear forever. save 25% on any citizen watch. powered by light - any light. never needs a battery. at kay, the number-one memory-maker in america. every kiss begins with kay. this holiday i can count on someone's kid mistaking me for santa. i'm so sorry. come on sweetie. it's okay. and knowing right when my packages arrive.

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during our share the love event, get a new subaru, and we'll donate $250 to those in need. bringing our total donations to over sixty-five million dollars. and bringing love where it's needed most. love. it's what makes a subaru, a subaru. from the crowded raced to the white house and the pope's visit and terror here at home and abroad, 2015 has been filled with triumph and tragedy. >> here is a look back at moments that shaped your world as we reported them here on "today".." breaking news. masked men opened fire at offices of a controversial newspaper in paris. >> two armed men entered the building and began opening fire. >> there's been a hostage-taking at a kosher deli and meanwhile the two brothers suspected of the attack are holed up and

cornered. >> terrorists who traumatize this region for three days are dead but not before leaving 17 innocent lives ended. >> the kayla mueller, an aide worker who died being held by isis. >> i really feel we had a chance to get her out. >> do you feel like our government did enough? >> the major new offensive launched by isis. >> the u.s.-led coalition is striking back. are we winning right now? >> we're still building the forces. i'm confident we will win. >> russian passenger plane with 224 people on board crashes in egypt. >> isis claimed it had brought down the plane. >> vladimir putin is vowing to take revenge. >> and attack on a paris-bound train thwarted by three americans. >> seemed like he was ready to fighted to the end. so were we. >> we remember spencer leaning over you and helping you. >> spencer, i would just like to take you thanks for saving my life. >> today marksled promise of a new day for the united states and cuba.

>> for the first time in 54 years an american flag will be raise the at the u.s. embassy in havana. >> devastating earthquake in nepal. >> this is the race against time. brick by brick the desperate dig to find survivors. >> growing crisis overseas. migrants trying to escape their war-torn homeland attempting to get to europe >> president obama is strongly defending that controversial deal to halt iran's nuclear program. >> it is a good deal. >> you guys have been bamboozled and the american people are going to pay for that. >> bamboozled, outmaneuvered, outnegotiate the. were you fleeced? >> there's a lot of politics going on, matt. >> breaking news. >> this comes out of france where a germanwings passenger plane has crashed. >> disturbing new details. co-pilot intentionally crashed the plane into the mountains. >> the terror group isis claims responsibility for unprecedented attacks in ris, in six separate but coordinate bombings

and shootings. >> the scene of the worst carnage at bataclan theser. >> witnesses say they saw these shooters arrive inside and beginning firing indiscriminately. >> an international manhunt is now under way. >> the suspected ringleader is in in fact dead. >> the soul of the city is intact. they have heavy hearts but they will not succumb to fear. >> seems another week, another tragic mass shooting. >> nine people killed in an unthinkable crime in charleston, south carolina. >> what does it say about us, that in 2015 somebody walks into a church and then shoots them one by one? >> he said should up, i'm going to shoot you. he said i'm not going to shoot you. i'm going to leave you here to tell the story. >> in laugh yet, louisiana, a gunman opened fire inside a crowded movie theser.

chose this movie to end these two people's live. >> a reporter and another killed lived on television. it takes my breath away. >> a gunman opened fire carrying out the vicious attack. >> exchanging swhots him. he's in a classroom >>. >> >> why does this keep happening? >> we've become numb to this. >> a 57-year-old man behind bars after a deadly shootout at a planned parenthood clinic. >> breaking overnight, a young couple opening fire at a holiday party. what did she describe? >> bullets flying all over the place. >> the female shooter pledged her allegiance on line to the leader of the islamic state. >> the this was an act of terrorism designed to kill innocent people. >> the u.s. has already seen more mass shootings than days in the year. >> get off me.

violence, lawlessness in baltimore over the death of freddie gray. >> areas of the city that literally look like battle fields. >> this is the scene of a deadly amtrak derailment in philadelphia. >> just down the road behind me you can see the tangled mess of cars, tracks, power lines. >> there were people screaming and bleeding. >> the white house awash in a full rainbow in celebration of the supreme court's historic ruling on same-sex marriage. >> we've made our union a little more perfect. >> a defiant county clerk in kentucky is behind bars this morning after refusing to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. >> i'm not. >> under whose authority? >> under god's authority. >> pope francis waking up for the first time in the u.s. this morning after being greeted by the president, the vice president and an adoring crowd. >> unique and historic moment. the first opportunity for so many americans to see this pope

>> pray for me, don't forget. >> where are they in the desperate search to find and capture two inmates involved in a brazen prison break. >> this prison break right out of a hollywood script. >> new questions swirl around joyce mitchell and whether she helped them hatch their plan. >> i knew i was in way over my head. >> there have been reports that your wife fell in love with one of these inmates. >> she didn't know if i loved her anymore, she said. >> the nightmare is finally over. >> i'm not the monster that everybody thinks i am. >> the notorious mexican drug lord el chapo. >> i saw that prison break in upstate new york was impressive. >> wow. >> el chapo had a mile-long tunnel. >> the death of cecil the lion

has ignited controversy behind the world and the doctor behind it now in hiding. >> tens of millions of e-mail addresses belonging to ashley madison customers available for all to see now oint net. >> millions of marriages and reputations could be very much at stake this morning. >> are you african-american? >> i don't understand the question. >> the a prominent ncaa leader under fire accused by her own family of lying about being black. >> are you an african-american woman? >> i identify as black. >> new england patriots are at the center of a controversially. >> they are calling this deflategate. did the new england patriots dock tort footballs their team used in the big win over the colts here over the weekend? >> is trade' cheater? >> i don't believe so. i mean, i feel like i've always played within the rules. >> he did it! >> american pharoah in that run into history, the first triple crown winner in 37 years. >> american pharoah is finally the one!

heard a roar that was louder than what i heard on saturday afternoon. >> believe. >> the u.s. women win the world cup. >> it was thrilling, it was stunning, it was amazing. >> usa! >> we're world cup champions! >> bruce jenner's transition to life as a would. the former olympian revealed a look and name on the cover of ""vanity fair." ". >> was there an adjustment? >> we all support him, was there an adjustment, yes. >> nothing better than to look in the meror and feel comfortable with yourself and who you are. hello from the other side >> so the song what, is it about? >> i like to start reconnecting with everyone else and myself, you know. it's in general just hello, everyone. hello. >> hello. >> nice to meet you. >> gwen and blake, does it good

to be out in the open now? >> i like your suit. >> thank you. >> i like your movie. >> oh, my god. thank you. >> so funny. >> stop. what was your favorite part in the. >> all of it. >> yes, yes, yes. >> i'll have what he had. >> on a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being happy and 10 being over the mood. how happy are you not being to run willing for everything? >> not as happy as michelle. >> i just constantly think of how proud i am that he's able to carry the weight of the world but still, you know, find time to be my husband. >> and all of the spotlight gets to be on those ladies you love. >> there's just nothing like sharing the spotlight or anything else with your sisters and your mom. >> i knew during the surgery that he was on my side and this wasn't something that i felt less of a woman because my husband wasn't going to let that happen. >> you know there are a lot of rumors. >> sure.

>> out there right now, and would you like to address them head on. >> i'm here to admit that i am in fact hiv-positive. it's a hard three let efforts to absorb. >> so are we talking about lawsuits filed against you, charlie? are we talking about shakedowns? >> we're talking about shakedowns. >> are you still paying some of these people? >> not after today i'm not. >> the let me know we can't wait for you to come back. we can't wait for to you come back and i can't wait to make them laugh again. >> you know what would be a nice way to thank them, one day walking down those stairs again on "saturday night live." >> i promise you, i promise you. >> i'm back. it the feels so good to be here. >> glad you're with us.

>> yolky's blast sails over the left field fence and the yanks are off and running. >> we're grateful for it. >> we can't late criminal extort his own freedom. >> many in the hills say they need the crease fire. >> i never dreamed it could possibly have grown to where it is today. >> half the united nations --

>> live long and prosper. >> let the race begin. >> i am announcing. >> i am proud to announce. >> i am officially running. >> i'm a candidate. >> i announce my candidacy. >> for president. >> of the united states. >> the question being raised about why hillary clinton used a personal e-mail account only during her tenure as secretary of state? >> secretary clinton said she did this for convenience. >> i don't think convenience should trump national security. >> it's a story that just won't go away. >> did you wipe the server? >> what, like with a cloth or something? >> do you get how bad it looks? >> it was allowed, and i've said it wasn't the best choice. >> the american people are sick and tired of hearing about your damn e-mails. >> thank you.

me, too. >> front-runner hillary clinton does have one less thing to worry about. >> i believe we're out of time, the time necessary to mount a winning campaign. >> we've put together a benghazi special committee. >> you're scheduled to testify before that committee. >> that's right. >> do you think it should be disbanded? >> they have admitted it's a political partisan committee for the soul purpose of going after me. >> high stakes at benghazi hearing. >> i thought more about what happened than all of you put together. >> nbc news has learned that house speaker john boehner will resign from congress. >> this isn't about me. it's about the people. it's about the institution. >> the speakership is a powerful job, and yet you don't have people following all over themselves to fill it. >> the place is impossible to run right now. >> paul ryan era sunday way on capitol hill. >> now more than ever we must work together. >> donald trump is riding the

>> when mexico sends its people, they are bringing crime, they are rapists and some i assume are good people. >> i don't mean to be fun bethis. you're losing in the polls to the host of "celebrity apprentice." >> target trump. the republican candidates for president take on the front-runner and pull no punches. >> mr. trump doesn't have a proven conservative record. >> you call women you don't like fat pigs and disgusting animals. >> only rosie o'donnell. >> look at that face, trump is quoted as saying. would anyone vote for that? >> i think women all over the country heard very clearly what mr. trump said. >> do you think you're setting the right example as someone who is running for the highest office in the land? >> every poll said that i'm the best leader by far. >> we've got to the wake up. we cannot elect somebody that doesn't know how to do the job. >> another day, another new poll with donald trump in the lead. >> seems so hard for anyone to >> it's a marathon.

calling for a total and complete shutdown of muslims entering the united states. >> he's a chaos candidate and he'd be a chaos president. >> you can't deny his impact on politics whether you like it or don't like t. >> so a little bit happened the last year. >> we're exhausted. >> quite a year. >> we should thank everyone who worked on that piece. takes a long time, producers katie buckley and yale federbush, mike sadowski and the graphic artist pauly shirokis. >> i'm glad we showed the shot of the control room. it makes the point this show is a reflection of hard work from people you don't see. >> always amaze when we sit and watch that piece how much we forget that happened over the course of 12 months. >> and how much of that is going to extend into 2016, whether it's politics or the

these are ongoing stories. >> we look forward to what we goat cover in 2016. meanwhile. >> we are back in just a moment

weather. paris: there's a lot to do on a dairy farm. nobody's gonna do it for you. you have to get out there and do it yourself. bernie sanders is a well-known friend of family farms. bernie cannot be bought out by big money. bernie's opinion cannot be purchased. it's time for our next president to get in there, roll up his sleeves, take off the gloves, and take on wall street, take on big business, take on big money, and get the working class back to where they should be. he's a rock.

8:30 now. it's wednesday morning, 16th of december, 2015. christmas is getting closer every day. great crowd out on our plaza. a little chilly out here, but we won't complain. starting to feel like the holidays. andy grammer coming up. he's going to sing his new song and also out here collecting toys for us. >> also coming up, we've got a young lady here. she is a very talented young actress, a couple of golden globe nominations, alicia vikander and "vogue" magazine says this will be her here. >> we'll talk to her. >> al, a check of the weather. >> for today snow in the plains. going to be a windy day and really a little messy.

look for wet weather from the u.p, of michigan all the way down to the gulf coast. sunny but a little cooler along the eastern seaboard and the sunshine through the southwest and on holiday is the perfect time -- jumping through my shot. chuck schofield is with us from

no kid hungry. good morning, thanks for being here. >> thanks for having she. >> tell me about your truck and your partnership with city. >> absolutely. i'm here with the no kid hungry campaign and no kid hungry is focuses on surrounding children in need who struggle with hunger with nutritious food where they live and learn and play. we have one in five kids in this country who struggle with hunger and that doesn't need tonight case. it's a solvable problem and that's why we have teamed up with childhood hungry. no kid hundred rig has been an incredible partner and we have been able to provide 10 million meals to children in need and the food truck shows we just launched this new initiative with the food truck that's driving awareness and driving donations to no kid hungry throughout the city during this holiday season. >> that's tobin bride. chuck schofield, thanks for the work you do. >> appreciate it. >> merry christmas.

>> now back inside to you guys. >> well, this morning on our series make your today it's natalie's turn to pay it forward. >> that's right. back in 2008 when i was pregnant i mentioned on air i craved cheeseburgers. a woman named sarah bartos e-mailed with the world cheeseburger to congratulate me on my pregnancy and we've kept in touch over the years and sarah is the lead council for children's rights, an organization that advocates for children in foster care, and i decided that that was the perfect reason to finally meet face to face. >> i'm so excited. i've been waiting seven years for this moment. sara. >> i feel like i've learned so much from you. you're that person on the front lines really in the courts

sure that the states are taking care of those kids in the system. >> the government can do magical things for children and for families, but without accountability there's broken lives, kids who grow up in foster care and turn 18 without a home, without a mom, a dad and so we're in the courts trying to make sure that happens as infrequently as possible. >> my second home. i consider it kind of hell on earth. my foster mom started telling me things like you are ugly. you're worthless. no one could ever love you. your mother doesn't love you. that's why you're in foster care and then her husband soon began to abuse me as well. he had his way with me and i remember so clearly i'm 15. i have never kissed a boy. >> wow. >> god has been incredible in my life.

>> you finally had a positive experience and found your family. >> i am very, very, very fortunate to have ended up in a family like this one that has so much love, so much kindness. >> what do you wanted people to take away from your life? >> while things can be difficult, almost pitch black, in the most despair, there is hope. >> my parents, they just weren't there. they couldn't take care of me. my older brothers -- sorry. >> i know, it's a hard thing to do to talk about what you went through. >> i moved in with my foster mother who would a year later adopt me. i ended up living with her from 5 to 13, and i suffered from physical abuse. >> so how many foster homes did you end up living in? >> i've lived in anywhere between 25 to 30 different fosters homes. you question where's my family?

>> how did you go from that dark place to overcoming it and becoming who you are now? >> you know, they say it takes a village to raise a child. that is true, but it takes one person to change a child, and my social worker was that one person who changed my life. i'm currently in my second year at st. john's university. my goal is to really inspire my brothers and sisters in the foster care system. i never gave up, even though it is hard. i am who i am today because of everybody who invested in my future, and i can be the president, too. >> i'm voting for you some day. >> i had a really actually great experience in foster care. i wasas in my home, in my foster home for a couple months. i thrived in it at first. eventually i started to feel a little caged in and acted out in some of my old ways and i ran away when i was 16 actually. >> and then when you turned 19 you became pregnant.

>> that changed everything in my life. >> i got my g.e.d. while i was pregnant with elijah and right after he was born i began college and i became a foster mom at 24 and if you look at a kid for their trauma, you're not looking at kid, you look at what's happened to them and my daughter has had a lot of trauma in her life but if you look at her and you see her, she's amazing. >> and the woman who inspired it all and inspired me and still inspires me, sara bartos who is so -- i'm so thrilled i finally got to meet you and we got to tell these stories. we have a little surprise for you though, beyond that, we created another video for you to help children's rights that you guys can use on your website. take a look. >> oh, my gosh. >> over 650,000 children spend time in the foster care system every year. >> nearly 108,000 of them are waiting to be adopted. >> just 58 of those who grow up

in foster care graduate from the high school. >> and only around 3% graduate from the a four-year college. >> i used to be a foster kid. >> spent two years with the stat as my parents. >> i spent 18 years in foster care. >> i lived in over 25 dfere foster homes. and now i he a forer family. >> i was supported in foster care and now i'm supporting others. >> i hope to inspire the world with my story. >> children's rights shines a spotlight on failing foster care systems. >> and used the law to protect tens of thousands of kids. >> hi, my name is victoria rowell. by working together we can reach the children who need our help most. >> and i'm natalie morales, and please help give tens of thousands of kids in foster care the productive and the happy lives they deserve! so, what do you think, zahra?

>> that's fantastic. what a thrill. what a holiday joy. what a blessing, thank you so much. >> we know the organization, you don't have a lot in a media budget so we figured creating that video will help raise awareness. do you think that will help to accomplish that? >> i sure hope so and if it makes a few families think about adopting. if they think bus and help us do our work, we're going to make these systems work for kid and there can be thousands upon thousands of new permanent families. >> you are -- >> your help is amazing. >> you are a super hero. >> you know why we keep talking over cheeseburgers. >> exactly. >> see more of that video on our wednesday i'd. up next, one of hollywood's rising stars. double golden globes nominee alicia vikander but first this is "today" on nbc. heart disease. asthma. diabetes. 7 out of 10 americans

take prescription drugs. but in the last 7 years drugs prices have doubled. hillary's going to take on the drug companies. require medicare to negotiate lower drug prices. let people buy their prescription drugs from countries like canada at half the price. and cap monthly prescription costs for every american. the drug companies have been over charging long enough. it's time to fight back. i'm hillary clinton

>> there's more to be congratulating her about. great to have you here, welcome. >> thank you so much. >> eddie redmayne was here and this is an embarrassment of riches meaning the roles he's had in the last year or so and same thing for you. >> it's been quite a whirlwind this year. yeah, i've -- i've -- it's been just first of all been able to be working on some of the films that i've done. some of them that came out that i did almost two and a half years ago up until now it's been quite surreal getting to meet not only people but to work with some of them. >> you're nominated for best actress in "the danish girl" and also best supporting actress and

what was it like on the morning that the nominations were announced? >> i was in berlin doing press for "danish girl" and we were going to head off straight after we finished this table junket that i had with journalists and i came out and my publicist just looked at me and screamed and said you got nominated and i jumped out and freaked out really and then she said and another thing -- >> wait, there's more. >> i just blanked out then and had a very hard time to get my head around. called my parent, the first thing. >> "the danish girl" will get a lot of attention because it deals with the issue of transgender which is in the news, but when eddie was here he made a very strong point and said let's remember that first and foremost this is a love story. is that the way you see it? >> definitely. >> it is the heart of this in a way and think it's also why i think it's extremely relatable in that sense that it's a couple that you get a very tight insight into their relationship

tackle and handle a big change and how the relationship can go through very different stages and i was kind of just touched and very moved by -- by the amount of love. >> i was moved by the whole movie. it's a wonderful f. you're on the cover of "vogue" magazine basically saying that this coming year is going to be your year. that's a compliment and can also be nerve-racking. >> well, there's been a lot of nerve-racking moment and i think it's been, but, i mean, it's such an honor. i was 13 when i was in sweden when i went to -- to the strain straight in gottenburg was the only place you could buy international magazines, and i got to tell them how big -- it was a looking glass to another world so to be invited in and be part of that was pretty extraordinary. >> it's deserved. alici ya, great to meet you. congratulations on everything.

>> thank you so much. >> and "danish girl" from our sister company focus features opens on christmas day. >> still ahead, a live performance from andy grammer downstairs, but, first, on a wednesday morning, this is "today" on nbc. 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

we're back now with a rare condition that can develop in women pregnant with identical twins. >> two mothers are leading the charge to bring attention to it. here's "today's" erica hill. >> so this is the photo of them at the 20 weeks. they said you're fine. go home, like things are looking good, and then three days later is when we, you know, we found out that we lost our first baby. >> two weeks later, jamie delivered her twin daughters, ela and stella. neither survived. >> sometimes things look stone cold normal and within a very

few days it can accelerate. >> it is tttf or twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome, a disease many expectant mothers of identical twins have never even heard of. during pregnancy most identical twins share a single placenta in the womb. sharing the placenta also means the twins share blood vessels. in at least 10% of cases where the twins share the placenta tttf develops and the blood flow between the babies about, unbalanceled putting both twins in jeopardy. >> so the smaller donor twin is losing blood volume and the baby is basically losing nutrients to the other twin. the other baby gets an excess amount of blood volume and basically each baby is in jeopardy but from polar opposite reasons. >> in some pregnancies, like jamie's, tttf developed so quickly the damage so severe nothing can be done to save the babies.

recognizing the early signs is key to a positive outcome. odeh snider was also pregnant with identical twins that shared one placenta. >> i didn't know anything could go wrong. >> she had never heard of tttf until she was diagnosed. after doctors noticed a sides discrepancy during her 16-week ultrasound. >> very interesting. >> within days she was in the office of a one of a few neo-natal surgeons in the country by treat tttf by operating arthroscopically to laser blood vessels that share blood vessel and restore normal flow. >> we quote a 90% chance or higher that at least one baby will survive and about a 70% chance or higher that both will survive. >> griffin and zachery beat the odds.

to amazing and healthy children. >> experts say women carrying twins with a shared placenta should have an ultsound every one to two weeks and watch for any physical warning signs like a rapid growth of the womb, abdominal tightness and cramping. >> i think all moms shouldn't be afraid to ask questions just to get more information for a sense of peace. >> for "today," erica hill, new york. >> i've never heard of that. important information. >> and that's the whole point, to raise awareness. put a lot more information on tttf including the questions that expectant mothers should be asking their doctors. it's on our website, today.com. we're back in a movement this is "today" on nbc. praised as one of america's best mayors who governed as a pragmatist. bernie sanders

than any other member. cracked the gridlock with john mccain to strengthen veterans' healthcare. bernie sanders. a consistent, principled, and effective leader. building a future to believe in.

>> we're so happy to have andy grammer here to perform his latest single. >> ladies and gentlemen, andy grammer. i've been grinding so long,

and i got nothing to show, just climbing this rope right here and if there's a man upstairs, he kept bringing me rain but i've sending up prayers and something's changed i think i finally found my hallelujah i've been waiting for this moment all my life now all my dreams are coming true, yeah i've been waiting for this moment good to be alive right about now good, good, good, good to be alive right about now good, good, good, good to be alive right about now hallelujah, let that bass line move ya, say ya and it's good to be alive right "now" i was dead in the water, nobody wanted me i was old news, i went cold as cold could be

trying to make that fire burn sometimes you got ace aa get scars to get what you deserve i kept moving on and now i'm moving up damn, i'm feeling blessed with all this love i think i finally found my hallelujah i've been waiting for this moment all my life now all my dreams are coming true, yeah i've been waiting for this moment feels good to be alive right about now good, good, good, good to be alive right about now good, good, good, good to be to be alive right about now hallelujah, let that bass line move ya, sayyaf and it's good to be alive right about now i almost can, cannot handle i could get you, could get used to this

i could get you, could get used to this i think i final found my hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah good to be alive right about now good, good, good, good to be alive right about now good, good, good, good to be alive right about now hallelujah, let that bass line move ya, sayyaf and it's good to be alive right about now good, good, good, good to be alive right about now good, good, good, good to be alive right about now good, good, good, good to be alive right about now good, good, good, good to be

all right >> awesome. andy grammer and his band. thank you so much. we're back with much more of

first, a check your take" best of 2015. as the year comes to a close we'll take a look back at year that was. then find out what we think about the new "star wars" films. we promise, no spoilers. >> and wait until you see what beyonce did that's got everybody talking today. all that and more coming up next. >> from nbc news, this is "today's" take with al roker, natalie morales, willie geist and tamron hall. live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. welcome a "today" on this wednesday morning. a look at the beautiful tree outside and the crowd on wednesday, december 16th. along with al, natalie and tamron. tell me about your morning jam. >> this is conrad zel. "hold me up."

>> feels like old school. >> a little retro. >> a lot of young kids are doing old school '7 as and '880s kind of soul jams, i love it. >> speaking of retro, i thought you were going to speak -- as your theme this morning. >> i could have. >> that's old school. >> yeah. >> that's a classic. >> we all were lucky enough last night, we went to go see "star wars, the force awakens." >> had dinner and a movie. >> so fantastic. >> i cried leaving the theater. i couldn't sleep last night. watched the gop debate tries. >> unfortunately. >> that was my palette cleanser. it was beyond. it was great. >> not giving anything away. >> no, we're not. >> i do have a slight confession. >> yes. >> here it comes. >> like i said we had dinner and a movie.

some of us got a little sleepy. >> some of us. >> i don't know. >> i was seated next to lance bass and his husband michael and the whole time they saw me going like this. >> first of all, the sense of humor. >> it was good. the parts i was awake for it was great. >> and everyone knows that han is back and the lines, the writing. j.j. abrams, that cast. >> yeah. >> we bow at your altar. it was so good to me. >> i thought they did such a good job of bringing new characters and plots and keeping the nostalgia there but not in a corny way. >> didn't you love the reaction of everybody in the thesers. >> oh, yeah. >> the applause. >> yeah. >> when you saw han solo popping up first, harrison ford and carrie fisher. >> and don't say anything else. >> but immediately like everybody broke out in applause and cheers.

woke up at one point. >> you woke up and found yourself. >> i wasn't asleep the whole time. >> i grabbed lance bass' hand. >> this is the first movie that -- i saw nick and leila, nick was like, yeah, yeah. >> i could hear him on the side. >> i can't wait for my kids to see it. >> that's the thing. it's a shared experience and i said to someone, it feels like, brace for it, 1978, you know, '77 and then suddenly, and it's just perfect. modernizes but keeps it true and then we woke up with bitmojis on my brain, myself and al. we have our bitmojis. >> willie, why you need that app. >> i have it. >> i did it as well. >> there you are. the force is strong it my family. >> someone helped me out. the young woman the star of the movie. >> daisy. >> daisy ridley.

>> on her way. >> for sure. >> reporter: she is so good. >> fantastic. >> it will make $300 million. >> first weekend. >> first weekend. >> they have already sold $100 million in advanced tickets. >> this is -- this is the first movie i've said i want to see again, i want to, and i want to buy the dvd. i don't know the last time i actually bought a dvd. i've rented but i want to own it in my home. >> i'm going to get a laserdisc. >> yes, yes. >> getting a laserdisc. >> i'm getting a layers. i'm bringing lasers. >> half you are our audience is googling right now. >> there was a time. >> there was a time. >> it was a platter the size of this table, and you -- you get two people to walk it in and put it in the stand and then you closed draw. keep the kids away in case they get closed in. >> can't scratch it. >> in keeping with the "star wars" theme. jimmy fallon and the roots did

the an amazing a capella version with some of the stars from the film. take a look. >> that was so good. >> everybody want a pb8. >> so cute.

doesn't have a face but his eyes. his eyes with the expressions. >> we better stop. we've got to the stop. >> j.j. had a big job and he delivered. the cast is the awesome. >> daisy ridley. >> amazing. >> about to become a huge star. let's talk about the other thing, the thing it a tamron watched twice last night. many of us only watched it once. fifth and final republican debate, another one next month. last one this year. dominated by national security and terrorism. not a lot of talk about the economy and other things. they did talk a lot of policy which was nice to heart. former in governor jeb bush confronted donald trump inary sees of exchanges. >> donald, you know, is great at one-liners, but he's a chaos candidate, and he'd be a chaos president. he would not be the commander in chief we need to keep our country safe. >> jeb doesn't really believe i'm unhingeled. he said that very simple police because he has failed in this campaign. it's been a total disaster. nobody cares.

>> you won't be able to insult your way to the presidency. that's not going to happen. and i do have the strength. the simple fact is the if you think this is tough and you're not being treated fairly. >> this isn't tough. i wish it was always as easy us a, jeb. >> or dealing with islamic terrorism that exists. this is a tough business to run for president. >> you're a tough guy, jerks i know, and we need to have a leader. >> real tough. >> you'll never be president of the united states by insulting your way. >> let's see, i'm at 42 and you're at 3 and so far i'm doing better. >> doesn't matter. >> so far i'm doing better. you started off over here, jeb. you're moving over further and further. pretty soon you're going to be off the end. >> oh, my gosh. >> there you have it. >> wow. >> you know what's interesting watching the debate jeb bush is the only one who really went after trump in a meaningful way. >> has to. >> the front-runner gets heat from all sides and especially ted cruz in second place, all but hugged donald trump. >> you know what we should get as an analyst, don rickles. >> i would love rickles to weigh in.

>> what would rickles think? >> at end of the day nothing really changes because trump and cruz still are going to be leading. >> it's an interesting "morning joe," joe scarborough talked about this alliance with an alliance that's formed, "star wars" force, between donald trump and ted cruz and jeb bush, even though he's polling at 3% in some%, he may have found his lane to at least be discussed at the top of the newscast and the past it's been cruz, trump, of course or carson and now he's at least in the headline going into this holiday break. >> i think chris christie actually -- >> very good. >> was pretty strong. >> on the small table lindy graham. >> was incredible. >> lindsey graham was very, very strong and many people are saying he needs to now be on that main stage, polls aside because he is willing to confront and bring some of the heat to donald trump to challenge whether or not, you know, he should be president.

>> i love the facial expressions on the attacks the split screen, that is always like the trump faces and even linds e graham had a lot of great faces, too. >> can we talk about ted cruz not really going after donald trump but did go after his fellow senator marco rubio. the two had a number of exchanges, this one on immigration. >> he was fighting to grant am nest and not to secure the border. i was fighting to secure the border. >> does ted cruz ever rule out legalizeding people in this country illegally now? do you rule it out? >> i've never supported legalization and i do not intend to support legalization. >> do not intend to. gave himself a little wiggle room. >> that's an interesting dynamic. >> interesting one. >> two youngish senate, for the senate they are young, 44 years old. >> a month apart. >> so that's a nice dynamic. >> one to watch. >> al, how about a look at weather. i love our produce, adam miller. all right. where's go. >> where is he? >> in my ear.

a fun little game here. everybody ready to play. who wants to play who's colder? >> we all do. >> here's a question, overnight low, who is colder, los angeles or new york city? >> los angeles. >> all right. going with l.a. let's see, 43, los angeles, 48 new york. you're correct. >> oh, wow. >> l.a. is colder. how about boston versus las vegas. who do you think? >> las vegas. >> oh, you're catching on. >> 38 in boston, only 5 in vegas. >> 35 in vegas. >> yes. you didn't see that coming, did you? >> and how about difference between phoenix and d.c.? who is colder? >> phoenix is colder. >> oh, you didn't go for the bait. look at that. 33 in phoenix for a low. >> you should do this for a living. >> 43 in washington, d.c. >> that's right.

>> and that is your late weather. >> thank you very much, al. up next, got rave reviews as they eased on done the road with the nbc "wiz the snow is starting to fall... and all the decorations are just right. the presents have all been opened... and our loved ones are gathered all around. so share that extra joy in your heart... and make this christmas even more special than the last. walmart has everything you'll need for a christmas meal they'll never forget. share wonder every day.

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the critics choice award nominates for their perform be a and in case you missed it there will be an encore airing of the musical this saturday night. >> good morning. congratulations. we were all over social media with everyone else. excitement. few things live up to the hype. this and "star wars" have lived up to the hype for me. i'll put them in the same category. >> how did it feel for you. >> just anays maidsing being the first thing i've ever done i couldn't have asked for a better experience. >> what does the live aspect, all of a sudden you're on live tv and tens of millions of people watching? >> it's definite pressure but it's the kind of pressure that pushes you forward, okay, back from commercial in five, four, three and then it's at that the point it's do or die. we were well prepared.

it speaks to the importance of reparation, you know, two, two and a half months of rehearsal of what we got up there and i can't speak for anybody else but i wasn't as nervous as i thought i would be because we were so prepared, so 'n sync with each other. >> you can see the chemistry and the flow between all of you when you saw the reaction, and again, the encore saturday. when you saw the reaction, what did you think? >> the just so excited. like, whoa, we did that. >> i field like i shouldn't have even had the opportunity to watch you guys. >> it's one of the things that as you can do, can you sense you're doing it well. technically do you know that when it's going on? >> it's crazy. i was so into the role and like we were doing everything for the first time and it's so fresh and

that's why i think it had such a good time. >> and that costume. >> oh, that costume. one of the things i do not miss putting on that costume, man t.definitely adds a whole other element to -- to just regular singing and dancing. very, very happy and not so much. not supposed to be able to move too freely and i feel like -- >> you were rocking it there. considering i did already. >> trying to keep that helmet up. one hand up. >> issue of the hat. >> yeah. got to ask you, neo, about the accent. i was talking to jay farrell who said he was in the mirror trying to nail the neo accent. >> i'm originally from camden, arkansas, and all of my uncles talk like that. the character is from kansas which is not incredibly far from arkansas, and i just wanted it

know, went back to some of those old conversations and the way they speak and the twang and the way they incorporated it into the character. >> know a aot of great things are next and one of the tweets i red from jonathan capehart from "washington post" tweeted out he had not seen a rights star come to life other than you and jennifer hudson. watched a star being born. >> that's amazing. >> in fantastic company. >> thank you. >> "the wiz live" gather the entire family. neo will be watching for the first time with us at 8:00, 7:00 central here on nbc and up next, she's known for taking fashion risks, but this time beyonce pulled out all the stops. someone wrote it's one of the reasons beyonce is better than the rest of us. >> another reason. >> we will show you what beyonce wore rig proud of you, son. ge! a manufacturer. well that's why i dug this out for you. it's your grandpappy's hammer and he would have wanted you to have it.

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before starting xarelto , tell your doctor about any kidney, liver, or bleeding problems. you know xarelto is the #1 prescribed blood thinner in its class. that's a big win. it is for me. with xarelto there is no regular blood monitoring and no known dietary restrictions. treatment with xarelto ... ...was the right move for us. ask your doctor about xarelto . all right. lift your mugs, my friends. it's hump day and "pop fix" and let's get it popping. call her treeonce? she was spotted in new york festooned in a coat with christmas tree ornament and the back featured stockings, perhaps this was the work of blue ivy the singer reportedly chose the look for the office holiday party in midtown manhattan and can't wait to see what she butts out for christmas or new year's eve. also getting into the holiday spirit. tom brady and his beautiful wife gisele.

the patriots quarterback shared this photo of his wife topping off the tree with the caption now we are ready for christmas thanks to the love of my life gisele. and it's been nearly 20 years sinned goldie hawn and bette midler teamed up for one of the movies "the first wives club" and it looked like the reunion might be in line and the leading ladies are back for netflix film with "diva nation" about a once popular singing group who reunite after 30 years and let's hope we get another musical number like this one. i'm free and i love to be free to live my life the way i want to say and do whatever i want >> that movie is so good. no word on "diva nation" and when it will premiere and one direction maybe going on hiatus but last night the boys belted out their song "one more time"

another car karaoke including a choreographed routine to their hit "no control" and things got really interesting when james asked niles to play a game of sleep with me, mary cruz. okay, so -- >> nice. >> that's mary gomez. >> selena gomez. >> i'm going to -- i'm going to -- going on a cruise with d mi lovato. >> great fun. >> the pair rumored to be dating. neither confirmed that as a fact so there you have it. once again my fun nightclub is empty. i can never get anybody to ease on into the club. >> here? >> okay. >> are we the first ones here? >> where's the yellow brick road? >> we don't need the yellow brick road. >> come on, ease on down the road saturday. coming up after your local news.

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des moines police are trying to determine who's at fault in a deadly crash... police say a man was hit by a vehicle when he was crossing hubbell avenue... at east 42nd street. it occurred yesterday evening.... so it was dark.... and there aren't stoplights at the intersection. the man was pronounced dead at the scene... but his name is currently being withheld. more information is expected to be released sometime this morning. 15 iowa cities are getting some help to improve their water quality... each received more than 9 million dollars in interest free loans. the money... from the state government... will pay for improvements to water treatment plants and storm runoff system. it will also help fund stream restoration. we should note that none of this is taking place in buena vista, calhoun, or sac counties... "des moines waterworks" is suing all three... claiming they violated the "clean water act." the lawsuit will go before a

announcer: a horrific terror attack in paris. then, a brutal act of terror here at home. it's time for a tested and proven leader who won't try to contain isis.

to destroy them. and keep america safe. jeb bush: the united states should not delay in leading a global coalition to take out isis with overwhelming force. announcer: tested and proven leadership matters. jeb bush. right to rise usa is responsible

taking a look at the headlines. people who borrow money and those who save it have a lot riding on the federal reserve today. of meetings and is widely expected to raise interest rates for the first time since 2006. an increase would affect mortgage rates, car loans and credit card rates and the amount paid on cds. more than 200 women have joined a class action lawsuit against wen hair products and their creator and marketer. in the suit the women claimed the products are dangerous and unsafe, and in some cases made their hair fall out. the company says there is no scientific evidence whatsoever to support any claims that our hair care products caused anyone to lose their hair, and it promises to vigorously contest the allegations made against their products. older adults who get shingles may also have a higher short-term risk for strokes and heart attacks. a new study from britain found that shingles patients over 65 have two and a half times the

usual risk for stroke in the first week after their diagnosis. their risk for a heart attack was nearly doubled. some good news though. those elevated rates gradually decreased over the following six months. combining chemo with electromagnetic field therapy can extend the lives of people with a fast growing type of brain tumor. researchers tested the dual treatment on patient who had already been going through chemo alone and those who received the combined therapy survived about three months longer than those who only got another round of chemo. and a new study finds that using antibiotics alone to treat children with uncomplicated acute appendicitis may be a good alternate to surgery. researchers found that 3 out of 4 children with uncomplicated appendicitis could be successfully treated with antibiotics and were okay a year later. the study was led by researchers at nationwide children's hospital. well, the national zoo getting ready for its newest

stars public debut. giant panda bebe is almost four months old and, boy, has he grown from 5 ounces to more than 17 pounds. today reporters had a photo shoot with him and earlier this week we even got a closer look. bebe will have his public coming out party on january 16th. look at that face. just want to pinch those cheeks. right? let's get a check of the weather with al. i'll pinch al's cheeks. >> i'll leave that alone. anyway, a frontal system push through the south and back behind it we'll see maybe 5 to 8 inches of snow in the northern u.p, of michigan and on into northern minnesota. this wet weather spread into the east later tonight and on into

late in the day tomorrow. >> and that is your latest weather. >> thank you very much, al. ike barinholtz is one of the funniest guys in comedy right now and has been as it since he was a busboy at the improv theater when tina fey and amy poehler were big stars there. >> fast forward to today, co-starring with them in "sisters" we'll talk to ike in a minute but first more about his rise to stardom. >> you know how hard it is to write and perform jokes. >> funny guy ike likes to make folks laugh. getting his acting start on mad-tv he was part of the sketch

comedy group for five years. he continued acting on the small screen, becoming the lovable goof ball nurse tucker on "the mindy project." >> at all the times i've been abandoned at a celebrity pet grave this is the most hurtful. >> where he also served as writer and producer and he landed a role in the movie "neighbors." >> you know what brings people to party more than anything, celebrities. >> soon he even joins the star-studded cast in the upcoming film "suicide squad," but first ike is teaming up with the queens of comedy, tina fey and amy poehler. he's amy's love interest in the much-anticipated comedy "sisters." >> hi. >> hi. >> i'm maura. >> i'm james. >> i just wanted to say hi. so that's done. >> oh. >> ike, good morning. >> good morning. another like hour and a half that i would like to keep rolling. >> just keep going. >> that would be great. i need al to like narrate my

life always. >> isn't it great? >> he's at mcdonald's right now, got a fillet of fish and eating it in the bathroom. >> that's filet-o-fish. "sisters." here's the great part. you've known amy and tina for years but the first time you get to work with them professionally. >> yes. this is -- i was a busboy like you explained and they were very nice. they made me cut in my tips and that was acceptable but here we are. >> it's worked out well. >> worked out well, yes, yes. >> you get to be a leading man, not just a leading man but hunky leading man. i heard you had to lean down a bit. >> it was just a simple matter of diet, some extensive plastic surgeries and then they redid -- this is all woven-in hair. >> they gave you a weave? >> this is cat hair, but this is mine right here, so it was just a combination of those three things. >> so realistic. >> fantastic. >> you can't tell, willie. >> tell me about your character.

>> good girl and bad girl. i'm kind of the -- of the boy next door, kind of a sweet guy, normally all my characters are desperate perverts. this guy is just like a nice man. >> and broken out, on my back. >> on your back. >> yeah. i'm just kind of a guy whose job it is to show amy's character that she can have fun and be a good person, and i think the word around my house is i'm the glue of the film. >> oh. >> that's what everyone says. >> that's what tina said this week? >> that's what she said? >> she called you -- >> no. >> she knows the movie. congratulations at premier and asked me for a drink. >> you steal a scene. i won't give anything away but i'll never look at one of those little ballerina jewelry boxes the same. >> neither will i because i can't. >> you can actually see it. open my mouth wide enough you can hear beethoven. >> and now you'll in "neighbors 2."

if you thought the first "neighbors" was full of stupid morons, just you wait. we found a way to make them all dumber. >> i think we have a photo of you in a clown outfit. >> yeah, that's possible. where am i -- >> what were you doing in the clown outfit? >> right there. there we go. yes. >> why the clown outfit? >> nice hair. >> that was right before i got to the set and then i got into makeup. >> that's my son zach ephron. >> that's your i woke up like this look. >> i woke up like this. after a couple hours -- >> sound like you're channeling heath legend. >> little bit. very creepy. >> we've got seconds, "suicide squad." >> starring my best friend will smith. meeting him for lunch later. ever heard of him? i'm not. >> gave him a jewelry box. >> that was my rap gift to him. he's a wonderful person and it's very exciting. >> thank you so much. "sisters" from universal opens up friday. >> come back any time. >> starring ike. >> thank you. >> that's right, that's right. >> coming next, a little song, a

little dance, a little snowball down your pants. we did it all this year. take a lack back at all the fun we've had this year. >> with the breakouts on your back. just fifteen minutes and a little imagination are all you need to make holiday magic. (microwave) ding! chex party mix. it's what the holidays are made of. i have asthma... ...one of many pieces in my life. so when my asthma symptoms kept coming back on my long-term control medicine, i talked to my doctor and found a missing piece

in my asthma treatment. once-daily breo prevents asthma symptoms. breo is for adults with asthma not well controlled on a long-term asthma control medicine, like an inhaled corticosteroid. breo won't replace a rescue inhaler for sudden breathing problems. breo opens up airways to help improve breathing for a full 24 hours. breo contains a type of medicine that increases the risk of death from asthma problems and may increase the risk of hospitalization in children and adolescents. breo is not for people whose asthma is well controlled on a long-term asthma control medicine, like an inhaled corticosteroid. once your asthma is well controlled, your doctor will decide if you can stop breo and prescribe a different asthma control medicine, like an inhaled corticosteroid. do not take breo more than prescribed. see your doctor if your asthma does not improve or gets worse. ask your doctor if 24-hour breo could be a missing piece for you. see if you're eligible for

at applebee's, when you give a gift card... you get a mystery bonus card up to $25 of your own. which is a nice surprise since most gifts don't give the gift-giver a gift just for gift giving. it's a little gift from us, at applebee's. come on duck! (puppy barks) you can do it duck. hurry up duck! you can do it duck.

iams. helps keep your dog healthy at every stage. so you can always look forward to what's next. wow! this toilet paper reminds me of a washcloth! new charmin ultra strong, dude. cleans so well it keeps your underwear cleaner. (secretly) so clean you could wear them a second day. tell me i did not just hear that! (sheepishly) i said you could not that you would! new charmin ultra strong with its washcloth-like texture, helps clean better than the leading flat-textured bargain brand. it's 4 times stronger, and you can use up to 4 times less. it cleans better. you should try it, "skidz." we all go. why not enjoy the go with charmin? all right. raise your hands if you guys had fun this year. >> all right. >> okay. so how about we take a trip down memory lane. >> oh, wait. is it going to be embarrassing? >> absolutely. >> yes. >> let's hope so. >> a look back at our year that

>> you're driving! >> happy birthday. >> the trump wig. >> wow. >> hold on. >> we made it. look like we've made it >> it was a lot of fun. >> chaos. >> sweet, wonderful chaos. >> uncertainty was the buzzword. >> here we go. >> every day something epic happens. >> holy moly. >> i've got my two sisters, tamron, natalie hand my brother al. >> this year we really got our groove on. where do we even begin? >> tamron likes to think that she's a good dancer. >> we call this the choo-choo train. >> as does natalie. >> and willie and i know know we're not good dancers and we don't pretend to be. >> you love to dance. >> you have to be willing to laugh at yourself and make fun yourself. >> she's good at the salsa. >> and there's other kinds of dancing comes out and you're

>> fudge brownies. >> this is wow me week with three cool experiments. >> i inhaled the cass. and my voice dropped down sub james earl jones as darth vader. >> that's unbelievable. >> yes. >> it was as though i were out of my own body, and if you watch the clip, i was genuinely scared of my level. >> when you hear the worth weather howl at moon. >> weather. >> i want you to imagine and believe that it's possible to take the dents out of the can. you'll tap on it. it's reseal the. it becomes -- >> oh, wait a minute. >> come on! >> what is crazy. >> i'm a sucker for a magic trick and clearly the viewer saw it that day. >> i swam with sharks, well, sort of, from behind a wall. they swam, i watched. >> the rokerthon this year was daunting, 50 states in a week's time. it was as exhausting as it was exhilarating.

every place we went -- >> i got the goat! >> people are goats. >> goats magoats. it was like, really? >> got a little chill in the air. there's only one thing to do and that is have an ice dancing competition. >> how did that happen? whoa! >> baby. >> you're mean. >> there you go. >> the first time in my life. >> willie goes urban. >> tweeted a little audition for john cena. what it takes to be a wwe star. taking a look at headlines, you're all about to be in a world of pain because natalie is coming for you you. >> i was born to brawl, i've got the guts and the gal. >> the forecast for today, pain, i feel a cold front coming in from the east. >> i'll take tough piledriver to the canvas and get on the top rope and splash down to finish the job, brother. >> i can't get down. >> help me. >> i'm sorry you had to see this.

>> spitting image. >> oh, my gosh. >> were you a little scary. >> wow. >> the feet. >> i love my life! >> the "today" show has evolve the. you can't do the same show that we do from 7:00 to 9:00, so at 9:00 it's a more conversational problem. >> put my weather to the test. good try. >> the what usually happens at end of an hour is that you get something delicious. and something that's hopefully fun. maybe you'll learn a little something. >> majority of our job is to reported news, so if we can smile and laugh together it means a lot. >> egg crack challenge.

>> i think i learned our team dunk crew is that we were all that much better when we work together as a team. the take team. mwah! >> the wow, what a year. >> forgot all that happened this year. >> felt like that was three years ago. all happened in the last week. thanks to everyone for putting that piece together. >> really great job. >> tomorrow we'll check out some of the stars who come through studio 1a. >> they don't stay. >> pass on through. >> shovel on pass us. >> always come to play and we always have fun with them. >> up next, sick of being asked about being single at holiday parties, i know i am. >> i know i am. >> nobody asks me. >> i'm going to pay attention to

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ooooohhhhhhhh it's that night of the year you come here. looking for gifts so there won't be tears. eleventh hour shopper... that's you. see you next year, buddy! get low prices on all your last-minute gifts. walmart. i'm home. hey, it's dinner. a lot happens on your wooden surfaces. luckily, no one cleans and kills germs better than clorox disinfecting wipes. olive garden's all-new flavorfilled pastas, with raviolis so nice we filled them twice. bursting with indulgent flavors like chicken marsala ravioli, an irresistible twist on an old favorite. plus unlimited salad and breadsticks. for a limited time.

i'm phil mickelson, pro golfer. my psoriatic arthritis caused joint pain. just like my moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis. and i was worried about joint damage. my doctor said joint pain from ra can be a sign of existing joint damage that could only get worse. he prescribed enbrel to help relieve pain and help stop further damage. enbrel may lower your ability to fight infections. serious, sometimes fatal, events including infections, tuberculosis, lymphoma, other cancers, nervous system and blood disorders and allergic reactions have occurred. tell your doctor if you've been someplace where fungal infections are common, or if you're prone to infections, have cuts or sores, have had hepatitis b, have been treated for heart failure, or if you have persistent fever, bruising, bleeding, or paleness.

joint pain and damage... can go side by side. ask how enbrel can help relieve joint pain and help stop joint damage. enbrel, the number one rheumatologist-prescribed biologic. it is mid-december which means, of course, holiday stress in full effect. last-minute travel, the office parties, dinner with the in-laws, all that have can take its toll as you know and we called in an expert for help. laurie levy is ought aror of "life in life." and she offered us a little holiday help. >> you're at a fever pitch of stress to begin with trying to get the card out, the decorating, the presents. it's crazy, and then on top of it a lot of things can go wrong. >> from "bridget jones diary." >> the why is it there are so

these days, bridget? >> people dread being asked being asked dating questions. take a breath, stand solid who you and give them a smile. >> to the family stone. >> you have a lovely home. >> all to better to entertain you, my dear you. >> look street in their eyes and give them the best of you and know that you are enough. >> to rachel's recipe disaster in "friends." >> monica, i want you to have the first taste. >> really? >> well? >> mmm. >> take a beat, breathe, know that whatever pressures you're putting on yourself you're losing sight of the holiday. your joy, your light was contagious to others. if you're feeling good, they are feeling good and that's what the

>> and in the blind side. >> hey. >> whoa. >> mom. >> technology is great around the holidays because certain loved ones can't be reached any other way but if your nose is buried deep into that cell phone you may not look up and see that you're standing underneath the mistletoe and miss that kiss. >> so breathe, relax and enjoy the holidays.

this is "today" on nbc. for lynn's family, the big stress is paying four hundred dollars a month in medical and drug costs for aidan. for other families it's higher deductibles, premiums and co-pays that keep adding up. that's why we've got to crack down on price gouging, cap out-of-pocket costs, and fast track approval of less expensive generic drugs. because we've got to get health care costs under control for lynn's family and for yours.

good morning, ladies. >> good morning to you. >> you know what we have coming up take a look at that guy. >> take a look in the kitchen. with us. >> he's here? what's going on? >> nothing is happening over here.

>> can't have enough andy grammer. >> a give that actually gives back which is good and hoda is going to tell us what she thought about the new "star wars" movie because she went with you guys. >> i, of course, was watching the debate. >> whatever. >> you know what hoda said, gave me half of her twizzlers, i'll never forget that. >> unbelievable dinner and then -- and then i was throwing twizzlers at willie. >> she was.

>> tonsdes moines police say they are ready to take a threat like the one that made headlines yesterday. los angeles schools let 600-thousand students out of school early after a bomb threat came into the district's email. here in des moines, police have two bomb squads ready round the clock. they're only sent out if a

talk to a nurse, find a doctor, or coordinate appointments with bewell 24/7. one of the many services provided exclusively to wellmark members. call 844-84-bewell. paris: there's a lot to do on a dairy farm. nobody's gonna do it for you. you have to get out there and do it yourself. bernie sanders is a well-known friend of family farms. bernie cannot be bought out by big money. bernie's opinion cannot be purchased. it's time for our next president to get in there, roll up his sleeves, take off the gloves, and take on wall street, take on big business, take on big money, and get the working class back to where they should be. he's a rock.