at least 23 people killed, 126 others just rescued. we are live with the overnight developments. heating up. tempers flair on the campaign trail. donald trump and ted cruz not backing down from the insults against each other as hillary clinton and bernie sanders prepare for the debate in their neck and neck race. murder mystery. an american woman killed on vacation in belize. the yoga mat left behind as one of a few clues. this morning, a search for her killer. it is official. the tennessee couple who told us they won the powerball take us along for the ride to the lottery headquarters. >> finally say yes. >> as a behind the scenes look at the big day and what they plan to do with all that money. today, saturday, january 16th,

>> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> welcome to "today" on saturday. i'm erica hill. >> i'm craig melvin alongside dylan dreyer and sheinelle jones. let's get to the top story. the islamic militant attack in the west african hotel. it happened in burkina faso south of mali and north of ghana. the terror lasted for hours. nbc's kelly cobiella has been following it all morning long. kelly what do we know? >> reporter: craig, a hotel and cafe known to be used by westerners and united nations staff. it was the target. government forces with the help of the french are still looking for militants. the siege at the hotel is over. the french ambassador saying 150

been rescued after a night of terror. outside this splendid hotel cars in flames and sound of gunfire, militants held hostages and militant forces tried to break the siege. the assault started friday evening with four attackers opening fire at the hotel and cafe. this woman was in the cafe meeting friends from the u.s. we dropped to the ground she said. as soon as anyone raised their heads, they fired at them. we had to play dead. they shook people by the foot to see if they were alive or not. if they were alive, they shot them. this man says the first police and government forces on the scene turned around and left. french special forces were sent in from mali and by morning, the

126 hostages freed and four militants dead. this morning, government forces are still searching for attackers in the area and the death toll is rising. and this morning, the government is saying the fourth militant was killed at a nearby hotel just this morning. burkina faso's president saying two of the attackers were women. al qaeda in abu graib claimed responsibility for the paris attacks in november. 20 were killed in that siege and this time the number of dead is now up to 27. that number keeps changing craig. we are still trying to find out if americans were injured or killed. craig and erica. >> kelly, thank you. turning to politics and the battle with donald trump and senator ted cruz which shows no sign of letting up. we have nbc's kasie hunt live from myrtle beach, south

>> reporter: good morning, erica. ted cruz and donald trump fighting this morning over what cruz calls new york values that doesn't line up with iowa conservatives. trump is hitting back but with the caucuses fast approaching, he is trading in the trademark big rallies in favor of retail politicking politicking. donald trump is still topping the polls, but now bending to iowa tradition. >> we have to get out. we have to win. >> reporter: making his first ever stop at a pizza chain and showing his human side. comforting a family who lost a child to heroin overdose. >> i know what you went through. your son is proud of you. >> reporter: the national frontrunner showing no sympathy for his rival ted cruz. >> how are you going to be president if you don't know about a $1 million loan from goldman sachs. now he doesn't know he was a canadian citizen?

officials about the loans from goldman sachs and citibank to help fund his campaign. on friday, he refused to answer questions about it. polls show cruz and trump far ahead of the establishment candidates battling for third. in new hampshire, marco rubio appealing to gun owners. >> i scored a rifle. thank you. >> reporter: hitting chris christie as a liberal. >> there are people running, republicans running, not supporters of the second amendment. >> reporter: and lindsey graham endorsing jeb bush and calling marco rubio inexperienced. >> i can say at 44, i wasn't ready to be president. >> reporter: as many in the gop establishment are finally beginning to accept that trump could win the nomination. the next question, can trump forgive an establishment that is trying to find anyone who can beat him. >> i love people who treat me fairly.

are starting to wonder if trump couldn't lock up the nomination quickly if he is able to win in iowa. you know what? he seems to be trying harder than ever after that rally in iowa yesterday. he is in new hampshire this morning and then on to a rally here in south carolina on a saturday afternoon. erica. >> kasie hunt, thanks. on the democratic side, hillary clinton and bernie sanders are getting ready for a crucial debate tomorrow night right here on nbc. while clinton once looked unbeatable, she is facing a stiff challenge from the vermont challenger. nbc's kristen welker has more. >> reporter: craig, good morning. the stakes could not be higher for the debate in charleston. it comes as the democratic race is in an unexpected dead heat. it is also the final face-off for the candidates before the iowa caucuses.

in new hampshire, bernie sanders leads secretary clinton by four points. then in iowa, her huge lead has narrowed to just two points. 42 42% to 40%. what is going on? a lot of people think sanders is tapping into the anti-establishment candidate. secretary clinton's strategy is ramping up attacks against senator sanders on issues like guns and health care. she is sending out her surrogates like chelsea clinton and her husband, bill clinton. >> you have to decide what is best for america. it is not close who is best commander in chief or the best change agent with economic and social progress. >> reporter: now chelsea and bill clinton will hold their first joint event in iowa later today. meanwhile, all of the democratic candidates will face-off at the

it will be a prelude of some of the fireworks we will see here tomorrow night. craig. >> thank you, kristen. >> joining us is the political analyst and recently served as senior policy advisor for rand paul's campaign. good to have you with us. >> thanks for having me. >> let's start with the republican side. the wall street journal poll shows nationally, i want to get the numbers correct. cruz stands at 20%. donald trump is at 33%. looking at these numbers, and as we hear about the republican party preparing for donald trump as the potential nominee, what does that mean behind the scenes? >> for so long, i think everyone thought the donald trump phenomena was going away. two weeks until iowa, he is here to stay and people are adjusting to is it better to have trump or better to have cruz? who is the lesser of two evils

that is what is going through the minds of establishment republicans. trump feels threatened by cruz and does not want the lead to go away. at 7:00 a.m., he has been tweeting about cruz's canadian citizenship and the bank loans. >> it was revealed he had taken the first loan from his wife's employer, goldman sachs. now the times reporting this morning there was apparently a second loan. this from citibank. what does this mean for the narrative he has been weaving that he risked it all the and did not take out loans, but used all of his family savings. >> it does not help his authenticity. that is something he is pushing. he is going up against the establishment and he was up against a wealthy opponent in texas. now that doesn't seem to match up. also, it quite frankly was never that believable. he is a princeton grad and

it is not a hard background and struggling when he ran for the senate in the first place. >> that's on the republican side. we turn to the democratic side. for the clinton campaign, this is clearly not, we can say what was expected with the race. bernie sanders really making gains here. how are things changing for the clinton campaign? are they responding well enough? >> they are clearly very concerned. her lead is eroding way more quickly than it did back in 2008. you look at just this week. chelsea clinton makes an entrance on the campaign trail and goes the attack in a huge way. so much so that the clinton campaign tries to talk down what she's saying. the clintons are personally threatened and frankly, it is going to make for interesting television if bill clinton gets going the way he did back in 2008. so far, he's been subdued. how long can that last? i don't really count on it. >> it will be interesting. bernie sanders wins in new hampshire, they can write that

if he wins in iowa, it is '08 all over again. elie elise, good to see you. >> you can catch the action. we are going to see it in the democratic debate here on nbc tomorrow night at 9:00 p.m. eastern. if you are worried about your 401(k) this morning, you are not alone. it has been the worst two-week start of the dow in history. stocks closed down more than 2% on friday alone with the dow down nearly 400 points. why is this happening? what does it mean for you? cnbc's courteney reagan here on a saturday morning. >> good to see you. >> this has people harking back to 2008. is this 2008? >> i understand the fear, but this is not 2008. in 2008, the economy was on verge of total collapse. financial institutions were disappearing overnight. the stock slide we are seeing is

the fundamental companies of the united states are stronger now than in 2008. >> perhaps the companies were overvalued. >> very much so. that's where you hear the talk of correction. a correction typically is when stocks fall 10% from the more recent highs. that is what we see right now. that is a reset of stock prices. they become more expensive. >> we hear a lot about oil and china. how much of all of this is tied to those two? >> very much. china and oil are the two factors that are driving stock prices lower. you think about china. the world's second largest economy. it is a very big buyer of industrial products and consumer goods. steel, copper, handbags and cars. if china is buying less of those things, that is a direct impact to the united states. oil prices are sitting at 12-year lows. oil is indicative of economic strength. supply right now is way overshooting demand.

energy sector is down and jobs lost. >> simple question. what should people be doing with money right now and perhaps what should they not be doing? >> the first thing, don't panic. don't go out and sell blindly. have a gut check. talk to your financial adviser. if you don't have one, get one. make sure are you comfortable with your investments. if a day like yesterday makes your risk. if you are younger, maybe you can afford more risk. more risk, more reward. >> thank you, courtney. the cdc is warning about the virus which causes birth defects. the centers for disease control and prevention issued a travel warning for pregnant women. the zika virus is spreading through the caribbean and latin america.

been reported in the united states. police in belize are hunting for the killer of the abc producer on vacation there. 39-year-old ann sweeney worked in chicago. she was last seen on thursday exercises. search dogs found her body in a nearby river. she was strangled after putting up a fight. police say so far they have no suspects. actor sean penn is speaking out about his interview with drug kingpin el chapo. he wrote about the interview why "rolling stone." he now says he regrets the article for the conversation it started. nbc's jacob rascon has more. >> reporter: they were at top of the their game. two actors with a scoop nobody saw coming. cartel leader on the run ready

the celebration is over. el chapo guzman is behind bars. kate del castillo and sean penn's article el chapo starting the wrong conversation as he tells cbs's charlie rose. >> i have regret that the entire discussion about the article ignores its purpose. >> reporter: in his article, penn writes, there is little dispute that the war on drugs has failed. as many as 27,000 drug-related homicides in mexico a year and opiate addictions on the rise in the united states. having. >> not much dialogue. >> my article failed. let me be clear. my article has failed. >> reporter: instead of drug policy. the world wonders if el chapo can escape for a third time.

wanted, except the mexican and american governments. president obama and nieto congratulating each other yesterday over the recapture and the possibility of the leader of the world's most powerful cartel may finally face justice. jacob rascon, nbc news, mexico. we have folks on the plaza with umbrellas and ponchos. >> we have no cold air. we have no cold air to produce a lot of snow. most of the snow we are seeing in the higher elevations back through upstate new york and ski resorts in vermont and new hampshire. it is not a lot of snow. a couple of inches. it is fast moving. the rain is almost gone from new york city. the area of low pressure will pull away. snow on the back side of it mainly through maine.

once the colder air moves over the great lakes. we are looking to 4 to 6 inches and in the great lakes, we could see a foot of snow in dunkirk, new york and off lake erie and off northern michigan. we could have 1 foot of snow in traverse city. out west, moisture streaming off the pacific. it is rain in seattle and snow in the higher elevations. this will shift into northern california. especially as we go into tomorrow. we could see several inches of rain and also up to a foot or

elevations back near the sierra and that's your latest forecast. >> dylan dreyer, thanks, as always. no matter the weather, the skies are sunny for the tennessee couple who revealed on "today" that they won the enormous powerball jackpot. lisa and john robinson made it official getting the ticket validated at the headquarters. sheinelle is here. >> the robinsons picked up the giant check. it will be about ten business days before they get the full amount. we have exclusive access to their big day. >> we won the powerball! >> the moment of truth. confirming what the robinsons already knew. >> we knew it was the ticket. have them say yes.

making the family instant millionaires. >> we're common people. we're just like you. >> the robinsons started their day with us with the behind the scenes look of the "today" show before sharing their story. >> mom, dad! >> john revealing he didn't want to stop for the ticket. >> i was on my way home from work. she called me and said do you want to stop and get a couple lottery tickets. i said i didn't real like stopping that night. i said yeah, i'll stop and get them. >> it was lisa who discovered it wassing was worth millions. the couple has no plans to let the money change them. >> talk about your life before you won. how was life? >> work, work, come home. take care of business. and now it's going to be work, come home, take care of business. >> are you staying with your job?

>> back in the city of munford, expressing well wishes. >> it is the biggest thing to happen. >> this is exciting as winning. >> the robinsons immediate plans paying off their daughter's student loans and staying in the home in munford. >> the big houses are nice, but you also have to clean them. >> the sum is just under $328 million. they ask for privacy as they get settled in with the new found fortune fortune. the million dollar question is will they really get privacy? can they go back to normal? >> that's a small town. >> we will see what happens. >> you can call us to come down and clean it if you want. >> they were so excited to be here yesterday. they really enjoyed it.

>> they will never been back. we'll never see them again. >> maybe they will do something good with the money. we can follow them. >> i like your thinking, dylan dreyer. okay, mr. sunshine. meantime, it's a big day for football fans as the nfl divisional playoffs get under way. the chiefs facing off against the new england patriots. >> go pats. >> it is a home game for the patriots defending super bowl champs. the chiefs crushed the patriots, 41-14. >> calm down. >> then it is the green bay packers against the cardinals. you can see that game tonight here on nbc. coverage starts at 7:30 eastern. >> packers -- i won't say it. still to come here, the must-see moment of the week from the history making broadcast of the white house and major lawsuit over a popular lip balm.

performance you do not want to but first this is "today" on nbc. there are two democratic visions for regulating wall street. one says it's okay to take millions from big banks and then tell them what to do. my plan -- break up the big banks, close the tax loopholes, and make them pay their fair share. then we can expand health care to all,

will they like me? no. will they begin to play by the rules if i'm president? you better believe it.

still to come on "today," a backlash against parents selling their children's girl scout cookies. how this is not helping their kids out. and can you tell me how to get to "sesame street." the season kicking off with a new tv address. we have some very special guests in the studio this morning to

we will get to them just two hours ago, allied air forces began attack on iraq and kuwait. these attacks continue as i speak. ground forces are not engaged. >> we are back on a saturday morning.

tough to believe, but operation desert storm takes you back to saddam hussein and iraqi forces began 25 years ago today. >> my goodness. hard to believe. here is what is making headlines today. at least 27 people are dead after a terror attack in the west african country of burkina faso. islamic militants with ties to al qaeda held more than 100 hostages for hours in a hotel. several attackers are dead, but special forces are still searching for more. walmart is closing 262 stores around the world this year. 154 of them right here in the united states. walmart will close mostly express stores and focus on the super centers. 10,000 employees will be affected. and one of the stars of the '90s show "saved by the bell" is now behind bars. convicted of a stabbing in 2014.

screech on the show is stabbed someone in the bar with non-life threatening injuries. we now get to "the download." >> a time to look back at the stories that had us talking. >> a morning show first. >> a "today" exclusive. broadcasting the entire show from the white house. >> particularly in times of stress, the american people need to hear from the president. >> i made the right decision. i'm positive. >> the historic show, the same day president obama delivered his final state of the union address. >> if you doubt america's commitment or mine to see if justice is done, just ask osama bin laden. >> the gloves were off with the republican debate stage. >> not a lot of conservatives come out of manhattan. >> when the world trade center came down, i saw something that no placen earth could have

humanely than new york. >> the night's biggest target is the democrats. >> ten american sailors captured and released after the boats entered iranian waters accidentally. >> it was a mistake. it was our fault. >> military officials call the video pure propaganda. >> with drug kingpin el chapo behind bars again, newly released text messages show he had a crush on kate del castillo. the actress that brought sean penn. >> you are the best in the world. he wants to dance and drink tequilla with her. >> i have blisters all over. >> a class action lawsuit over eos lip balm. >> eos tells nbc news, we firmly

merit. >> one thing that is a bit of a misnomer, something labeled organic is harmless. >> a world record jackpot. >> lucky news for a winner in china china hills, california. >> winning tickets in melbourne, florida and munford, tennessee. >> john, john, you have to check the numbers. >> they will divide the $1.6 billion jackpot evenly. >> and one year ago this week, we met wrangler for the first time. >> in 260 shows, he made more friends. after the show each day, he heads home for a full day of training. it is all to prepare him for the formal guide dog training for the blind. >> you might all have solo

it never gets as epic as when adele takes on nicki minaj. given with flair i'm sitting big hair and this is what you live for yeah >> that is the greatest 15 minutes. if you have time to watch the whole car pool karaoke thing. >> we all love her. >> it is amazing to remember that these music superstars also listen to music. >> i thought the same thing. she said she turns on the radio in the car. >> nicki minaj chimed in on twitter and said she is dumbfounded by all this.

memorandum or memorize. >> if the singing thing doesn't work for her, she is a job in british rap. dylan is back. we love dylan. it is getting cold. >> it is getting cold in the northeast. it is starting to work its way into the northern plains and upper midwest. the arctic high pressure system will drag down the colder air. highs in fargo, 7 degrees below zero for a high temperature. 22 degrees below average. minneapolis should top out at 3. madison, wisconsin, is 20. as we go to sunday, minneapolis, it will feel 22 below zero with the wind. and chicago is going to feel like 4 degrees below zero sunday morning. then highs during sunday afternoon, only getting up to 12 below in fargo. 1 in green bay. 30 in pittsburgh. it will cooldown in the northeast. it is monday afternoon where you feel the chill.

and a wintry mix through central vermont and new hampshire. that will move up into maine. we will see lake-effect snow kick in. on the west coast, rain up and down the west coast. it moves into nor and that's your latest forecast. >> dylan, thanks. still ahead, have you felt your

buzzing when it wasn't? and i got this my second month here. you should have quit while you were ahead. 32 years at this place and i've got 9 days left before retirement. look jim, we've been planning for this for a long time. and we'll keep evolving things. so don't worry. knowing what's on your mind and acting accordingly. multiplied by 13,000 financial advisors. it's a big deal. and it's how edward jones makes sense of investing. wait... wait... perfect. at del monte, corn is packed at the peak of freshness with just water and a dash of sea salt. nothing else. so it's all-natural and delicious. this winter you have the power to heal. because your purchase of vaseline intensive care lotion supports the vaseline healing project.

terry bradshaw? what a surprise! you know what else is a surprise? shingles. and how it can hit you out of nowhere. i know. i had it. that's why i'm here. c'mon let's sit down and talk about it. and did you know that one in three people will get shingles? i didn't know that. i did. he's on tv saying it. but have you done anything? (all) no. that's why i'm reminding people like you

about your risk of getting shingles. because if you had chickenpox then the shingles virus is already inside you. (all) oooh. who's had chickenpox? scoot over. me too! when i got shingles i had this ugly band of blisters and look that nasty rash can pop up anywhere and the pain can be even worse than it looks. so talk to your doctor or pharmacist. we all in? (all) yes! good, 'cause if not we're gonna watch highlights of my career 12 hours straight. i know, talk about pain. seriously now, talk to your doctor or pharmacist today about a vaccine that can help prevent shingles. this portion of "today" is brought to you by merck. visit shingles.com to learn more. let's get you to trending.

it is stirring up a sour debate this morning. remember kids would go door-to-door selling cookies. now you may be approached at the office. that is nothing new. what is new is social media. some people are pushing back against what they are calling the practice of parents selling cookies for their kids. the point of the sales is to teach kids valuable life lessons. the question now is are parents short changing their kids by doing all the selling for them. >> i think so. the only thing is when i was a kid, we did jump rope. i would go door-to-door and canvas. can you let your kids go door-to-door? >> a girl scout knocked on the door. her mom was 20 feet back. we bought our obligatory three boxes.

some to work and sold them for me, that would be amazing. i sold six boxes a year. >> you could take the form in with him. you could do it that way. you are supposed to do the talking. you have to make them do the work. a belated happy birthday to wikipedia this morning. the web site celebrated 15 years. did you guys know that 28% of people alive today, 28%, have grown up never knowing a world without wikipedia. >> that's crazy. >> the site receives about 18 billion page views every month. it is the most linked to web site on the planet. there are now 35 million articles across all languages on wikipedia. there are middle school students who would not be in college today without it.

the door selling encyclopedia. >> we have the whole collection across the shelves. >> oh, the days. have you ever thought you felt your cell phone buzzing in your pocket or handbag and it was nothing at all? it is a common thing and there's a name for it. phantom vibration syndrome. a research at indiana university says it affects a whopping 89% of college under grads. why does this happen? researchers say it shows how dependent we are on our phones. it is so common for us to experience that without the phone, he get a mistake with a nerve or an itch. i was just having this conversation the other day who

ringing. i said oh, it happens to me all the time to. and a feud with gervais and caitlyn jenner and jimmy fallon with the photo bombs sheinelle. >> one of his targets, of ricky gervais, was caitlyn jenner. this all started with the monologue. >> what a role model. showing great bravery in breaking down barriers and destroying stereotypes. she didn't do a lot for women drivers. >> the joke referring to a fatal car crash she was involved in last february. now jenner is saying i will call the globes and see if they need a new host next year. gervais responded with this tweet. at last, she always breaks too late. ouch. the lesson here, never get into

dear internet, anne hathaway, stop hating on jennifer lawrence. this is the experience with j-law and the reporter. >> you cannot live your life behind the phone. you have to live in the now. >> sorry, sorry. how do you see yourself for the oscar night? >> we're at the golden globes. if you put your phone down, you'd know that. >> after that exchange, lawrence took heat online. anne is not having it. the actress and j-law fan took to her facebook page and said it was taken out of context. jennifer is a beautiful and talented and widely successful and popular oscar nominated young woman. please let us not punish her for these things. and what is better than being photo bombed than by jimmy fallon?

him and the cast of "sesame street." that is what happened to the parents and their children in the tonight show celebrity photo bomb. of course, being quiet is not what the muppets excel at. check out the kids reactions when they realized what was happening. >> hello! >> how are you? >> welcome. >> look at this. >> look who it is. >> that is so cute. we will be joined by ernie and abby cadabby later in the show. when was the last time you were so excited you were jumping up and down? >> when i got to work this morning. up next, we are putting ourselves in the hands of our fans. before i had the shooting, burning, pins-and-needles of diabetic nerve pain, these feet

raised active twin girls, and trained as a nurse. but i couldn't bear my diabetic nerve pain any longer. so i talked to my doctor and he prescribed lyrica. nerve damage from diabetes causes diabetic nerve pain. lyrica is fda approved to treat this pain. lyrica may cause serious allergic reactions or suicidal thoughts or actions. tell your doctor right away if you have these, new or worsening depression, or unusual changes in mood or behavior. or swelling, trouble breathing, rash, hives, blisters, muscle pain with fever, tired feeling or blurry vision. common side effects are dizziness, sleepiness, weight gain and swelling of hands, legs, and feet. don't drink alcohol while taking lyrica. don't drive or use machinery until you know how lyrica affects you. those who have had a drug or alcohol problem may be more likely to misuse lyrica. now i have less diabetic nerve pain. and i love helping little ones get off on the right foot.

to the woman in the mid-90's showstopper... you're right. it's time to set this bird free. hot blooded, check it and see... got a fever of 103... feelin' hungry? how 'bout a donut? i'm hot blooded..i'm hot blooded! whether it's 30-years old or 30-days old,

in as little as 30 minutes. and then your only concern will be how to spend the cash. rad. we're back on a saturday morning. one of our producers went outside to see what questions the fans have for us. we have 60 seconds to know the questions. ready, set, go. the first question is how early do you have to get ready? for good morning, 3:30. i live an hour out. >> i get up at 3:15. >> this is a good one.

town to visit your thing to do? >> i got the same one. what is your favorite place to visit in new york city. >> off broadway dance center. i can dance when i get a chance. >> we need video of that. >> people ask me places to go. the high line. >> what product could you not live without? stelladora breakfast treats. >> who is your favorite coworker? that's a good one. >> oh, who is that? >> oh, okay. >> and who did you look up to most as a kid. i thought it was who did you look like most as a kid. is melvin married? >> happily married man. >> we're out of time. >> very happily. still to come here, several things you can do today that will help you get a head start on your week.

if i could blush, i would. but first this is "today" on nbc. (phone ringing) (phone ringing) you can't deal with something by ignoring it . but that's how some presidential candidates seem to be dealing with social security. americans work hard and pay into it, so our next president needs a real plan to keep it strong.

(donkey noise) hey candidates!

still to come here on "today" new digs for the fame of "sesame street." >> and guess who is here to tell us about what's in store? ernie and abby cadabby. yeah! >> hi, there. >> we're very excited to talk to them. but first these messages. this is a body of proof. proof of less joint pain. and clearer skin. this is my body of proof that i can fight psoriatic arthritis with humira. humira works by targeting and helping to block a specific source of inflammation that contributes to both joint and skin symptoms. it's proven to help relieve pain, stop further joint damage

doctors have been prescribing humira for 10 years. humira can lower your ability to fight iections, including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal infections and cancers, including lymphoma, have happened, as have blood, liver and nervous system problems, serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure. before treatment, get tested for tb. tell your doctor if you've been to areas where certain fungal infections are common, and if you've had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections, or have flu-like symptoms or sores. don't start humira if you have an infection. want more proof? ask your rheumatologist about humira. humira.

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there are two democratic visions for regulating wall street. one says it's okay to take millions from big banks and then tell them what to do. my plan -- break up the big banks, close the tax loopholes, and make them pay their fair share. then we can expand health care to all, and provide universal college education. will they like me? no. will they begin to play by the rules if i'm president? you better believe it.

good morning. terror attack. overnight al qaeda linked militants sieged a hotel popular with western tourists. flames erupted.

this morning, the search is under way for those responsible. and bad timing. the new movie about the deadly 2012 attack on the u.s. embassy in benghazi opens this weekend as hillary clinton goes neck and neck with bernie sanders. and brought to you by the letters h-b-o. "sesame street" starting a new chapter as millions of kids wake up to a new season on a new channel and there are lots of changes on the streets. ernie and abby cadabby will join us to tell us all about it. it's "today," saturday, january 16th, 2016. it might seem crazy what i'm about to say sometimes she's here you can take a break good morning. >> parents to be in nyc.

>> i'm here at "today." >> we turn 16 in nyc. >> hey. this is an extra special crowd. >> yeah. it is nice to come out when the weather is nice, erica hill, but it takes special people to brave the rainy weather we have in the big apple on saturday morning. big thanks to all of you. >> thank you. >> thank you for being with us. >> there's a craig melvin crowd behind us. >> it's a cousin. we have a lot to get to. sheinelle is inside following the development in the story of the iran nuclear deal this morning. sheinelle. >> within hours, crippling u.s. sanctions could be lifted. we have foreign correspondent richard engel with the latest for us. richard, good morning. >> reporter: good morning. this is the culmination of over two and a half years of often

we are expected in a short time to hear the u.n. announce that iran has met its obligations paving the way for an immediate lifting of almost all of the economic sanctions that have been put on iran freeing up tens of billions of dollars allowing iran to trade on the international oil market, allowing it access to international finance. this means according to the u.n. that it has put certain checks in place that were required since last july that would make it more difficult for it to pursue any nuclear weapons. there will be an inspections regime, but this is u.s. diplomats say, historic day that could potentially pave the way for much better relations with iran. >> richard engel, thank you. this morning, al qaeda linked terror group is claiming responsibility for the siege on the luxury hotel in burkina faso.

the survivors say the attackers were shooting people point blank. two dozen were reported killed. security forces from the west african nation stormed the hotel and freed hostages. and an investigation is under way in belize into the murder of the american television producer. the woman's body was found in a river. she had been strangled. she was the 39-year-old executive producer for abc's chicago sdagstation. he is known as the scream robber. myloh jaqory mason was on the most wanted list for two bank heists. the thieves wore costumes and masks like those in the movie "scream." the 25-year-old suspect was picked up without incident in a motel outside denver. and president obama on youtube answering questions you

the social media teens were invited to interview the president after the state of the union address and along with policy questions, he was asked more personal questions. >> if you had to pick a pair of pants for your dog. a or b? >> you have to go with this. this, i think. >> this is your final answer? you don't want to phone a friend? >> this is too conservative. too much. too much fabric. >> the last monthone. >> the president said he hasn't seen the last "star wars" movie, but the character he wants to be, han solo. >> dylan stayed outside with another check on the forecast. good morning, guys. we have a great crowd on the plaza. a lot of birthdays. who is celebrating a birthday? 18. you're turning 40. a 10-year-old down there. so many celebrations.

go figure. the snow is located up across new england. we have snow back through oklahoma and mountain snow out west. that snow in oklahoma is going turn into more of a rain event through the gulf coast. we could see strong storms today especially across florida later tonight. and that's your latest forecast. erica. >> dylan, thanks. a new movie out this weekend could become an issue on the campaign trail.

attack in benghazi. with the iowa caucuses near, could the renewed attention cause problems for hillary clinton who of course was secretary of state at the time of that attack. nbc's national correspondent peter alexander has more. >> we need immediate assistance. we are overrun. >> reporter: benghazi on the big screen. >> under attack. >> reporter: the trailer for "13 hours" touting the true story we were never told. about six cia contributeactors and their efforts to defend the compound from terrorists. a tragedy hillary clinton has had to answer for on multiple occasions. >> what difference at this point does it make? >> i lost more sleep than all of you put together. >> reporter: most recently grilled for hours by a house committee last year. clinton relatively unscathed. >> i want to reach for statesmanship.

before iowa and clinton now neck and neck with bernie sanders with a recent poll of likely caucus goers. the film's release is at a critical time. >> we knew secretary clinton knew better at the time. >> it is an out and out indictment. this is one of the first movies i have seen that i believe every american should have to watch. >> reporter: donald trump even hosting a free screening of the movie in iowa. in the film, the rescuers tried to help, but were stopped by a cia chief. >> you are not the first responders. you're the last resort. you will wait. >> reporter: a report concluded that standdown order did not happen. former officials also flatly deny it. >> there was never any order to standdown. on the contrary. the effort was to do everything possible to try to save lives. >> reporter: while filmmakers never name clinton in movie and

choosing the home of the dallas cowboys for the movie's premiere. >> paramount pictures hopes people see the movie in red states. the one thing that matters the most to anyone in hollywood is money. >> reporter: what happens beyond the box office is in the hands of the voters. for "today," peter alexander, nbc news, washington. >> the clinton campaign had no comment on the film. let's send it to dylan in the orange room with the special plaza fans of the day. >> i have my favorite buddies here. we have the best. ernie and abby cadabby from "sesame street." how are you? >> wonderful. we're happy to be here. >> are you nice and warm now? >> when you keep rubbing my arm, that makes me feel so much better. thanks for warming me up. it is rainy outside. >> it sure is. >> you will talk to us in a bit, but we will let you toss to break.

>> sure. still to come on "today," we will tell you all about the new changes and lots of new friends on "sesame street." >> we will tell you about it in a few minutes after these across america, people like basketball hall of famer dominique wilkins... ...are taking charge of their type 2 diabetes... ...with non-insulin victoza . for a while, i took a pill to lower my blood sugar. but it didn't get me to my goal. so i asked my doctor about victoza . he said victoza works differently than pills. and comes in a pen. victoza is proven to lower blood sugar and a1c. it's taken once a day, any time. victoza is not for weight loss, but it may help you lose some weight. victoza is an injectable prescription medicine that may improve blood sugar in adults with type 2 diabetes when used with diet and exercise. it is not recommended as the first medication to treat diabetes... ...and should not be used in people with type 1 diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis. victoza has not been studied with mealtime insulin.

do not take victoza if you have a personal or family history of medullary thyroid cancer... ...multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2, or if you are allergic to... ...victoza or any of its ingredients. symptoms of a serious allergic reaction... ...may include itching, rash, or difficulty breathing. tell your doctor... ... ...including inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis). stop taking victoza ... ...and call your doctor right away if you have signs of pancreatitis such as severe pain that will not go away in your abdomen or from your abdomen to your back... ...with or without vomiting. tell your doctor about all the medicines you take... ...and if you have any medical conditions. taking victoza with a sulfonylurea or... ...insulin may cause low blood sugar. the most common side effects are headache, nausea... ...diarrhea, and vomiting. side effects can lead to dehydration... ...which may cause kidney problems.

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abby cadabby and ernie have popped in to tell us about it. >> hi, erica. >> good morning. >> we're going to get to our new friends in a moment. here, for the first time in nearly 50 years, the popular children's show will not air new episodes on pbs. that's because the "sesame street" crew is headed to hbo. some might say there goes the neighborhood. >> you have something you want to say to me? >> the former home of tony soprano and the show of "game of thrones" and "veep" is making room for a new neighbor. >> thank goodness you arrived. >> starting this morning, "sesame street" will be brought to you by the letters h-b-o. the beloved children's show begins its 46th season today with new episodes airing on the cable giant. >> the hbo deal allows us to

audience and potentially reach a new audience. >> while "sesame street" was a public television staple, it has been a rough show with a $18 million revenue loss. why hbo? of thrones." hbo has a great reputation for quality. that attracted them to "sesame street" which is the long history of quality. >> with the new address comes a lot of new changes. elmo makes a move from his brownstone. oscar the grouch upgraded his bins. after the departure of maria, we neighbor. >> a new community filled with friendly people who want to be

>> ah-ha-ha. >> the revamped show will put a greater emphasis on social skills. if you don't have hbo, you can see the old episodes on pbs and the new episodes nine months after they air on hbo. >> as you saw earlier, ernie and abby cadabby are here with us this morning. hi, guys. >> hi, everybody. >> nice to be here on the nice cozy couch. >> it is a good day for cozy because it is rainy outside. you have a bit of a change on "sesame street." abby, you have a new garden. what are you learning this season? >> it is magical in the garden. it is right next to the community center. you never know who will stop by like alan cumming. yes, he was so awesome. we have all kinds of things. we are learning about nature and learning how to be kinder and stronger and smarter. >> yup. yup.

>> who else is stopping by? you always have great stars that swing by "sesame street." who else can we expect this season? >> go ahead, ernie. >> we have gwen stefani. >> is she singing? >> my friendship with sara barellis. >> that is so true. >> we have taken more selfies with you guys than any other celebrities. what is that like everywhere you go around the world. people love you so much. >> i love it because it makes us feel like we're part of everybody's big family. >> yes. >> our family got bigger because we have a new neighbor named nina. >> yes. >> she's so nice. >> we're out of time. will you come back? come back. i want to hear more about bert. >> i'm sorry. >> thank you guys for stopping by. >> well, thank you for having us. it is wonderful to be here this weekend.

>> come back again. >> will do. >> coming up, how to organize dinner and organize your closet better and give you a better head start to the week ahead.

nbc. on a saturday morning. with our "start today" series. >> there are a lot of little things you can do today to help come. our experts have you covered. >> get a head start. >> get a head start. >> get a head start. >> today. >> today. >> today. >> today. >> we all know how overwhelming it can be to figure out what to serve for dinner. then we tend to make the same thing over and over again. here's the plan.

theme night for each designated day during the week. for example, meatless monday. taco tuesday. whatever wednesday. pasta thursday. fish friday. stir fry saturday. healthy takeout for sunday. your family has simple and delicious and fun and healthy meals for every day of the week. >> find your own support group of other mothers. as a mom of two, i feel so thankful for my mom friends. we go for long walks with our babies and workout together and keep each other accountable and spend time venting about frustration. you can find friends online or around your neighborhood. >> the average american changes jobs over the course of a career about 12 different times. as a result, you may wind up with retirement accounts all over the place. you need to know where you are starting from.

your iras and 401(k)s. any other accounts you left behind, we can help you put a plan together that makes some sense. >> well, i live in manhattan so i don't have huge closets. the shelves i was given i use to house my shoe collection because i wear every pair. the first step for you is to go into the closet and take out anything you have not worn in a year. i have a trick that will make your closets look like a celebrities. get containers and take a picture with your iphone or polaroid camera and print them out and put them on the contain container and stack the shoes. if you don't see it, you are not going to wear it. >> those are our tips. >> those are our tips. >> those are our tips. >> start today. >> today. >> today. >> today.

helpful hints for you all week long right here on "today." >> that does it for this saturday morning. thanks to you. and thanks to you, 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.

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[narrator] - ah, the planet earth. busy being busy in doing what it does. with all its successes, great and small, and not to mention, the odd mistake. as we travel across space, let's take in its peaceful stillness. the planets and the stars in perfect harmony. and one little planet in particular. the clangers planet.

[major whistling]