share it with us on twitter or instagram @openhousetv. and you can also join our facebook family. and if you want to see more of the amazing homes we featured on today's show, head to openhousetv.com. we'll be back next week. thanks for watching. [music playing] good morning. breaking overnight, airplane bomb alert. an air france flight headed for paris diverted to kenya, after suspicious devices were found in the bathroom. nearly 500 people on board that flight, at least six now being interrogated. we're live with the latest. he's sorry. bernie sanders kicking off last night's democratic debate by admitting his campaign staffers messed up by looking at hillary clinton's voter data.

>> from there, it was on to the issues. it continues to heat up on the republican side. >> donald trump is a jerk. procrastinators' delight. millions of shoppers packing the stores with five days until christmas. this morning, why those of you who like to wait until the last minute might be in luck. double trouble. >> hillary from 2008. >> hillary, hi. >> hello, hillary. hello. >> oh, geez, looks like i went through time and space again. >> tina fey and amy poehler teaming up on "saturday night live" with some musical help from the boss. santa claus is coming to town santa claus is coming to town >> all the highlights from a special holiday edition of "snl," today, sunday, december 20th, 2015. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> we welcome you to "today" on this sunday morning with one of our favorite songs. i'm erica hill. >> i'm harry smith, along with

jones. good morning. >> how you doing? >> how is everybody? >> like this? >> totally planned it. >> didn't you do it last weekend, too? >> we did. it was the opposite. i had on the red. we were in the mood. >> "snl," i watched the first half hour. i'm never going to make it -- especially if you're on this shift -- make it to the end of the show. look at this. sir paul mccartney. >> just popped out. no announcement. hey, i'll join in on that one. >> so much fun. we'll talk more about that. >> for sure. let's get to the top story. that bomb, or suspected bomb, on an air france flight overnight. nbc's kelly cobiella is in london with more. >> good morning. air france says the bomb squad investigators are still working to confirm whether this device found in an airplane bathroom actually contained explosives. a kenyan official says six passengers are being questioned in connection with this threat. the air france 777 was flying

mauritius to paris overnight, when the device was found. the pilots requested an emergency landing in kenya, and the flight was diverted to mombasa. the emergency slides were used to evacuate more than 400 passengers and crew on to the tarmac. the passengers and crew were bused to local hotels. some questioned by the kenyans. one passenger said everyone was calm during all of this. people on board, he said, thought it was a technical problem. >> the plane just went down, slowly, slowly, slowly, so realized something was probably problem. but the person of air france, which was wonderful, kept everybody calm and quiet. we didn't know what was happening, actually. >> this, of course, comes after the downing of the russian passenger jet full of tourists over egypt october 31st. moscow said a bomb brought that plane down. islamic state claimed responsibility. this is the fourth air france flight to be diverted now in a

harry and erica, the other three cases all turned out to be hoaxes. >> kelly cobiella, thank you so much. the democratic debate was last night. the night began with an apology and quickly moved on to the issues. we have coverage from kristen welker in new hampshire. good morning. >> reporter: erica, good morning. it was a night largely dominated by foreign policy and the fight against isis, but the controversy over the sanders' campaign inappropriately accessing the clinton campaign's voter files also loomed large. we learned late last night in addition to firing one staffer, the caraign now suspended two more. >> i apologize. >> reporter: eager to put the data breach issue to rest, bernie sanders quickly apologized.

apologize to secretary clint i want to apologize to my supporters. >> reporter: clinton agreeing, it was time to move on. >> i don't think the american people are all that interested in this. >> reporter: the debate pivoted to an issue many voters are interested in. foreign policy. with clinton slamming trump's controversy rhetoric. >> he is becoming isis' best recruiter. they are going to people, showing videos of donald trump insulting islam and muslims in order to recruit more radical jihadists. >> reporter: but clinton came under fire for sounding an optimistic note on isis. >> we now finally are where we need to be. >> reporter: republicans pounced. jeb bush said, we're not where we need to do. bernie sanders arguing she's weak on national security. >> secretary clinton is too much into regime change and a little bit too aggressive without knowing what the unintended consequences might be. >> reporter: sanders and clinton clashing at almost every turn.

hillary clinton? >> everybody should. >> will corporate america love a president sanders? >> no, i think they won't. >> reporter: there were heated moments. martin o'malley hitting his opponents on guns. >> the flip-flopping, political approach of washington, we need common sense. >> let's calm down, martin. >> let's tell the truth, martin. >> reporter: and some levity. clinton, at one point, a few seconds late, after a commercial break. >> sorry. >> reporter: the democratic front runner surging in the polls, showing swagger with a memorable closing like. >> thank you, good night and may the force be with you. >> secretary clinton went into the debate with a 31 point lead nationally over bernie sanders. by all accounts, there was no major shakeup last night. >> kristen, thank you.

another big day of campaigning today for the presidential candidates. on saturday, jeb bush had his harshest words yet for donald trump. nbc's kasie hunt is covering that story. >> reporter: donald trump bringing his family here to iowa but not letting up on his attacks less than a week before christmas. 'tis the season for family and good cheer. >> merry christmas, right? >> reporter: in iowa yesterday, donald trump offering praise for vladimir putin, who called trump bright and talented. >> actually, he's right. i am brilliant, you know that. >> reporter: trump didn't have kind words for some of his republican rivals. >> bush, no, it's just sad. he's tough, right, he's tough. >> reporter: jeb bush in new

>> i have to get this off my chest. donald trump is a jerk. >> reporter: the rest of the republican field keeping in that same holiday spirit. chris christie taking marco rubio to task for missing another big vote. this time, on the bill that funds the government. >> senator rubio, listen, if you're going to say you're opposed to something, how about showing up to work and voting no? right? that's the minimum you should have to do. >> reporter: rubio in south carolina, again, defended his absence. >> i'm running for president and, unfortunately, that means that sometimes, i won't be able to get there in time to vote on things. >> reporter: even with all that feuding, the candidates still found a way to remind voters of what's really important. especially this time of year. >> thank you for supporting my grandpa, and thank you for being here on this beautiful day. have a very good christmas. >> the crowd loved trump's

this to be the last word before the holiday. chris christie is still on the trail this weekend, and donald trump campaigns in michigan on monday. harry? >> thank you so much. chuck today is moderator of "meet the press" and joins us this morning. good morning to you. >> good morning. >> last night, we heard a little bit of this in kristen's piece. who comments that stood out that hillary clinton made about isis, this one talking about video of donald trump's speaking being used and, also, we're getting where we need to be on isis. how much can those two comments haunt her moving forward? >> the first is, there's no proof of this yet. there have been plenty of security folks that have warned. there have been plenty of intelligence officials that have been concerned that donald trump's comments, that donald trump's proposal, would be used as propaganda. but the propaganda doesn't exist yet. it's not there. there's no -- so she said it so declaratively. it's just not true. here's something that could have

she'd used the words "could be," and she didn't. it leads to the idea she's being untruthful or going over the top. i think what she's basically saying is, i support p sident obama's strategy on isis. what he's doing now is the strategy i support. okay. guess what? president obama's job approval rating on foreign policy is about the same place right now as george w. bush's was in december 2007. the public rejected george w. bush, largely because of the foreign policy. that has to be something she's concerned about. if she's attached to the hip on president obama with national security and people don't like where we're going, it's a problem. >> chuck, last night during the debate, bernie sanders is behind nationally to clinton. has a tiny lead in new hampshire. was there a moment last night

he'll get traction, he's off like a rocket ship? >> i didn't see it. look, it goes back to the issue we were just talking about. bernie sanders' problem now is this is turning into a national security election. yes, the jobs and the economy are still number one but, boy, national security is a close number two. that is in hillary clinton's wheel house. she has been hugging him on domestic policy, not going as far to the left as bernie sanders proposed, but not trying to create as little space as possible. he was certainly comfortable on the anti-wall street rhetoric, but because of the national security change, i didn't see it. >> jeb bush said donald trump was a jerk. fought with him during the debate earlier this week. is there any oxygen in jeb bush's campaign? >> look, i think this is the last best hope he has. if i were him, i'd be doing this, too. getting in fights with donald trump hasn't been good for other scandidates, but you know, i think there's an odd bit of freedom. what did janice joplin once

freedom is when you have nothing left to lose. cue a little janice. harry, we have lost the audience now. he has nothing left to lose. >> they'll be watching you in a little while. >> appreciate it. >> chuck todd, "meet the press," with an exclusive interview with house speaker paul ryan. sheinelle following a developing story. a plane vanishing off the radar in california. >> investigators are heading to california after the small plane disappeared overnight. the single engine plane was en route from san jose to las vegas when the pilot issued a may day call. search teams have located possible debris from the plane near bakersfield, but no sign of survivors. in los angeles, one man is dead after a police shooting

overnight, the 26-year-old was being evaluated after an earlier altercation with police. authorities say he was initially cooperative but turned violent after he was released to police. er staff said police tried to subdue the man with a stun gun, but he was fatally shot after reaching for an officer's gun. "the l.a. times" says he's the 20th person shot and killed by on-duty police officers in l.a. this year. a shooting sent shoppers running for their lives on saturday. a 19-year-old was injured in the leg as shots rang out. some shoppers were trampled and others hid under garment racks. police are looking for a suspect. the family of the gunmen in the san bernardino massacre returned to home, the first time they were seen in public since the attack. they removed baby gear that belonged to farook's daughter. the chair of the house judiciary

visa was sloppily approved. it was not clear whether tashfeen and farook met in person, which is mandatory. a school broke the guinness world record for the largest gathering of people wearing holiday sweaters. more than 3,400 fans showed up in holiday sweaters, beating the record just shy of 1,200 held by a university in england. they tell me, no surprise here, the holiday sweaters sold out in the town. >> amazing. >> couldn't find a holiday sweater. >> thanks. dylan dreyer has a look at the weather. >> it finally snowed in buffalo. this is the longest buffalo had

the city itself, just about a trace. you go just outside the city, we had 3 to 6 inches, enough to make the roads slippery, especially when you're not used to it. some parts of western new york picked up three feet of snow. the famous tug hill plateau gets slammed when you have the lake-effect snow. it won't last long. the warm air will replace the cold this week. 21 in pittsburgh. 33 in chicago. as we go into the end of next week, we're looking at record warmth, especially for christmas eve and christmas day. thursday, 46 in chicago, which is really 12 degrees above average. 70s in new york and d.c. on christmas day, we'll be in the 50s and 60s. that's a look at the weather across the country. now, here's a peek out your window. >> good morning, everyone.

now but not as chilly and not as windy as yesterday. a high temperature of 43 degrees. right about where we should be this time of year. lots of sunshine and blue skies to enjoy. great day for some last-minute holiday shopping. time is ticking. overnight tonight, mostly clear. low of 37 degrees in the city. then the warming trend begins starting tomorrow. up to 52 for your high on monday. we don't stop there. into the 60s by the middle of the week. chance of rain tuesday night, wednesday, and into thursday. >> that's your latest forecast. >> i couldn't help but notice in the video, buffalo, it snows a lot there, rtght? >> yes. >> this much snow and there is a car in the median. >> the first snowfall throws everybody offer, no matter where you live. i don't know where i'm going. >> good observation. if you are a procrastinator this is obably your favorite time of year. only five days left. get all the presidents --

who is thinking about debates? presents under the tree. if you've waited to get started, you're not alone. nbc's ron mott is down in herald square with tips for you last-minute shoppers. ron, good morning. >> reporter: hey, harry. good morning to you. the type as are long gone. it's time for the rest of us now. more elbow room. i should tell you, a lot of the top-selling gifts are probably gone by now, as well. keep that in mind as you go in so you get the most out of these frenzied final days. with super saturday in the rear view, the drive is on to get last-minute shoppers into stores. an estimated 17% of tamericans, nearly 1 in 5, hadn't even started to check off their lists a week before christmas. but don't fret. there's plenty of time left if you get going now, like these folks at new york's herald square in weekend. >> it's hectic, definitely hectic. lines are long. but the selection, there's a lot of selections. >> it's awesome.

>> typical new york crowd. didn't expect anything less than this. >> reporter: why wait so late? good deals, that's why. as much as 40% of the season's sales come ten days before christmas. retailers extending store hours, offering free shipping and discounting prices on less popular items. >> most of the steepest discounts can be on apparel. not just the winter coats and scarves and hats. electronics, of course. even some home goods. >> reporter: here are a few tips to relieve your crunch time shopping stress. order online and pick up at the store. you'll save time standing in lines. take advantage of free gift wrapping. let the pros handle that. be on the lookout for stackable coupons, allowing multiple discounts on a single purchase. if overwhelmed, stop and pamper yourself with a relaxing massage. shopping doesn't feel good unless you do. >> be patient and enjoy being here in new york city and shopping. is be kind.

>> roporter: whatever your mood or strategy or whatever ends up in your bags, remember, it's the thought that counts. >> all right. now, here's another silver lining to all this madness going on now. it's the weather. dylan talked about it. it's spectacular in a lot of the country that's used to bitter cold and snow. even though you'll have to fight the crowds, you'll have a good time getting there. harry? >> ron mott in front of macy's, thank you very much. two of "snl"'s most successful and well-loved alums. tina fey and amy poehler returning to host "saturday night live." when you pair them with the boss, there's no way this cannot be a fantastic show. show. it's now on break for a month. but it ended on a high note. >> reporter: amy poehler and tina fey have been getting laughs and making each other >> we have been friends fo like -- 20 years.

>> plenty of new material. >> second life. >> say water. >> reporter: make sure to bring back some old favorites. >> tina fey glasses. >> reporter: in a dream sequence, hillary clinton meets up with yourself from 2008. >> hello, hillary. >> in 2008, i got closer to the white house than this gal did. >> no, no, no. >> yes, i need to get back to 2008 and send a bunch of e-mails. >> no! >> reporter: there was a return to the weekend update desk and musical numbers. let it snow, let it snow, let it snow i really can't stay >> reporter: including a video parody celebrating their friendship. with a guest appearance from amy schumer. >> is this not a charity thing? >> reporter: their appearance is timed with the release of their new movie "sisters." >> i like the story it tells

>> reporter: "sisters" is up against an unstoppable force. there were gags throughout the show. >> in our new movie, "star wars." >> reporter: "star wars" may rule the weekend, but the boss owns saturday night. springsteen sang two songs but came back to close out the show with santa claus is coming to town. with no hint or announcement, paul mccartney dashed on stage to join the celebration. santa claus is coming to town >> i think of all the guys who were sleeping outside, waiting. the other day, the line was wrapped around the buildings. what are you waiting for? tina fey! amy poehler! >> worth the wait. >> absolutely. >> so good. still to come, a special story for the holiday season. about how one of santa's helpers was saved by a group of dedicated doctors. back after this.

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good morning. it's 9:26 and 36 degrees this sunday morning, december 20th. i'm gus rosendale. the nypd is honoring the memory of two officers killed in the line of duty one year ago today. news 4's lori bordonaro is live with how the fallen officers will be remembered. >> reporter: a prayer vigil will be held here later this afternoon, but you can see already the street here is closed off and the barricades are up. the police commissioner will join in with the mayor. they'll join the officers' families and they'll remember those officers who were killed here one year ago today. rafael ramos and wenjian liu were executed while in their patrol car. the shooter killed himself shortly after the murders. officers from all over the country came out to pay tribute here at the spot where liu and ramos were killed. tens of thousands attended their funerals. both were posthumously promoted

today, plaques will be dedicated in their honor at the 84th precinct where they both worked. >> lori bordonaro reporting. shoppers hit the malls and stores in huge numbers this weekend, scooping up bargains on super saturday. one retailer cut the price of hats, gloves and sweaters sitting too long on the shelves because of warm weather. last year this weekend brought in a record $23 billion. this year could top that. let's check the weather. today, sunny with a high of 43. tonight, a low of 37. it gets warmer and warmer as we go forward. monday, milder to start the workweek. tuesday, keep the umbrella handy. look at christmas eve. 70 degrees. that could be a record breaker. now stay tuned for more of "weekend today." see you with local news at 10:00. this just in. the final countdown to christmas is here. wait what? gary, is this teleprompter right? sweet molasses! i need to start

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unleash the power of dough. give it a pop. i got ahold of jeb's birth certificate and, full disclosure, his real name is jebra. >> that's not true. >> that is true. yes, it is. jebra, jebra. >> that's not my name. >> hey, jebra, loser say what. >> what? >> oh! >> amazing moments. >> the whole show. >> good stuff. >> losers say what? >> are you calling me a loser, harry smith? >> no, no, no, no. we're back on this sunday morning, december 20th, 2015,

moments from last night's "snl" with darrell hammond playing donald trump. meanwhile, we have an amazing crowd on the plaza. >> we do. i feel a lot of christmas spirit out here. >> who is undefeated? carolina panthers, right? wow. want to catch you up on the headlines at half past the hour. six people are being interrogated after a possible bomb was found on a air france flight headed to paris. it was diverted to kenya. investigators now trying to determine whether the device that was found on the plane does, in fact, contain explosives. bernie sanders extended an apology to clinton during the debate. clinton was trying to put the data breech issue to rest when one of his staffers copied data lists.

looking for a gunman after ting rang out shot ings shots rang out in a crowded holiday mall. the mall was shut down for a short time. one person was shot in the leg. we begin this half hour with a debate over freedom of speech, as a university professor faces possible termination for controversial comments he made about the sandy hook massacre and other shootings. we're hearing from the professor himself. here's kerry sanders. >> reporter: this morning, james tracy says he stands by his controversial claims, even though it may cost him his tenure. the florida university professor's theory is shocking. that the shooting deaths at sandy hook elementary school was a hoax. the family of one victim, 6-year-old noah, said the professor sent them a certified letter. the letter made public when published online, demands the parents provide proof of their

at tracy's home, no apologizes. >> do you accept the fact that the little boy died at sandy hook? >> i don't. >> you do not? >> no. >> because? >> we have a whole book on it. nobody died at sandy hook. >> nobody died at sandy hook? >> that's the name f the book. >> reporter: on wednesday, administrators announced tracy faces termination but wouldn't comment on why. that coming a week after noah's parents wrote an op-ed, saying tracy personally sought to bring us anguish. >> you suggested this little boy never existed, did you not? >> i asked for verification of the party, the family, their relationship to the boy. >> and you don't think that was inconsiderate, obnoxious, uncalled for? >> no, i don't. >> reporter: legal expert kendall coffey.

doesn't guarantee a job when somebody's gone too far, and here he crossed the line. >> tenure is no protection. >> tenure is no immunity. >> reporter: because the school is on winter break, the decision on what's next won't be official until january 4th. for "today," kerry sanders, nbc news, florida. time to take a little look at the weather. finally started snowing some places. it's going to be 67, though, on christmas eve here. >> record-breaking heat across the eastern half of the country as we get into christmas time. today, it's still snowing in the sierra mountains, also up through the olympics and cascades. we're also looking for as much as another 5 to 7 inches along the coast. especially northwestern california. there, you see where we could end up with our highest rainfall totals. it's been day after day of the storms making their way off the pacific. for mountain snow, could see

for all you folks heading out on a ski vacation for your holiday, i mean, it is just ideal out near park city, utah. we're seeing the snow pile up. across the eastern half of the country, still chilly. below average for this time of year. the warmup moves back in wednesday. thursday and even christmas day itself. tomorrow, we will start to see temperatures ever so slightly begin to warm back to the 50s. that's a look at the weather across the country. now, here's a peek out your window. >> good morning, everyone. a little chilly out there right now but not as chilly and not as windy as yesterday. a high temperature of 43 degrees, right around where we should be this time of year. lots of sunshine and blue skies to enjoy. great day for last-minute holiday shopping. overnight tonight, mostly clear, down to a low of 37 degrees in the city. another chilly night ahead. then the warming trend beginning starting tomorrow. up to 52 for your high on monday. we don't stop there. into the 60s by the middl of the week. chance of rain tuesday night, wednesday, and into thursday. >> that's your latest forecast.

on to an up close and personal look at what is going to be a star attraction at the smithsonian national zoo. be ae bae bae was born over the summer. he's crucial to the species survival. there's only 1,600 left in the wild. >> reporter: bae bae has had a busy week. meeting some members of the washington press and to the whirling clicks of cameras. carried by the animal keeper to a special early morning appearance. >> let's see how much you weigh. >> reporter: 17.5 pounds and eager to get out of the basket. >> try nd see how many teeth he's got. will you let me do it? lno? >> reporter: it doesn't get much cuter than this. born last august to mom mei xiang, bae bae is now almost 4 months old.

little wobbly on those back legs. >> you'll see him doing splits, trying to get the muscles to work. >> reporter: big sister bao bao can now easily scale a rock wall at the zoo. bae bae has some catching up to do. having played a lot before we saw him, he was tuckered out when we got a glimpse in person. >> he likes that position. >> reporter: with help, he did give us a panda paw high five, showing off his impressive claws. and with a flick of a pink tongue, a lazy yawn. >> bae bae is rough and tumble. he's all boy. he's a little tank. >> reporter: a final big yawn and a final stretch and tanked or not, awfully sweet. >> and the good news is, as cute as that dose is, you can see bae bae soon in person. he'll make his debut january 16th at the national zoo in washington. >> that would be fun. wouldn't that be a fun trip?

i'm game. >> we'll do a weekend "today" field trip. >> done and done. >> to visit the panda. up next, our sunday stories from a bracelet changing the way people communicate to a group of doctors who helped save santa, and the story behind bells making spirits bright in minneapolis. that's after these messages. every christmas is memorable. but a gift from kay jewelers... makes it unforgettable. save 25% on any citizen watch. at kay, the number-one memory-maker in america.

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would read "the night before christmas." >> reporter: last year, alan lost his beloved wife. she had cancer and passed away the 28th of december. >> i was thinking of not doing santa claus last year, and she said, no, don't upset the kids. to her, it was all about the kids. >> reporter: keeping it all about the kids wouldn't be easy. >> he neglected himself to take care of his wife, and his leg looked bad. that's when i told him, amputation is a real risk. >> reporter: a risk alan couldn't imagine. >> he said, i can do it with a prosthesis, but i nt kids on my leg. >> santa claus can't have one leg. >> reporter: a sentiment that hit close to his doctor. >> he told me i'd get coal if i didn't save his leg, so it became personal. >> reporter: as fate would have it, the kansas city hospital on 39th street came up with a miracle of its own. a miracle on 39th street, they

>> the doctor called me up and says, how would you like a knee for christmas? i said, it would make my day. >> reporter: so this month, alan got to suit up again. >> being santa claus is one of the most important things for me. to see the smiles on children's faces. >> do you drink water or hot chocolate more? >> probably hot chocolate. >> it's a tough journey, and this is what you told me you wanted to do. >> really appreciated when you told me the first time we met, that you would do everything you could to keep my leg. >> are you ready for a visit? >> reporter: that day, alan young walked to every child's room, honoring a promise he made to his wife, in keeping their family tradition alive. >> merry christmas. >> reporter: for "today," rehema

>> so sweet. >> nice story for the season. ahead, what's your word? how that question is shaping conversations and also creating meaningful jewelry, after these messages. you forgot the milk! that's lactaid . right. 100% real milk, just without the lactose. so, no discomfort? exactly. try some... mmm, it is real milk. lactaid . 100% real milk.

we are back on a sunday morning with the story behind a bracelet that has a lot of people talking. sheinelle has that for us. >> i have three of them. i love them. the man who created these bracelets wanted to find a way for people to communicate in a meaningful way. he had no idea when he started his jewelry, it'd be snatched up so quickly and by so many celebrities. >> reporter: beyonce, surrender. michael bolton, compassion. larry king, why. these bracelets, a celebrity favorite. the man who invented them says he's not running a jewelry company. >> i don't want this to become a gimmick or a fad. >> reporter: he's talking about my intent project, a project he started two years ago with the sole mission of spreading positive energy into the world. >> we're all hungry for something deeper, meaningful,

>> reporter: he started my intent as a side project to encourage people to think about the purpose of their life. it's simple. just a string and a circle engraved with a word of your choosing. whether it's your dream for the future or something special to you. >> for the first ear, it was just a passion. it was just a gift i gave -- i've made and given away thousands of peoplan. >> reporter: that all changed one night when he saw jay-z in the corner of a club and made him one with the word bl >> i said, i have a gift for you. >> reporter: jay-z was so taken by the project, he invited him to a brunch. he made a bracelet for kanye west. >> i open my instagram and see the time.com account with a photo of kanye wearing the bracelet on the cover. i thought somebody photoshoped it.

moment he realized it was more than a passion project. >> how has instagram and social media changed what you do? >> we wanted to encourage people to share their word. social media has been powerful for us. >> reporter: today, his bracelets have been sold in more than 50 countries, and that's without any advertising at all. >> i love it. >> reporter: i'm a proud owner of one, as well. my word? purpose. >> i feel like what i do for a living is bigger than me. if the day is long, i miss taking my 5-year-old to school that one day, if i remind myself i'm living my purpose, they'll be better and i'll be better and it keeps me going. thank you so much. it is such an honor to meet you. >> i said it was an honor to meet you, and i really meant it. every once in a while, you'll do a story when you're touched by the person you interview. he has a wonderful spirit. he was working on facebook,

i put ha ids' initials on there. i picked grateful. i got carried away. >> i thought those were for us, but they're yours. >> what would your word be? >> grateful. >> harry? >> peace. >> i thought family. >> family. >> i would encourage you at home to think about your word. >> it's hard to come up with one word that encompasses everything you feel and believe. >> i tell kids, what you think about you bring about. if you're looking at a word, purpose or grateful or peace, i feel like you channel that. i think 's a win. >> say it again. >> what you think about you bring about. believe it. >> great. just ahead, you know where we're going? >> where? >> minneapolis. >> let's do it. >> sounds of the season when we come back.

janice! should. shouldn't. yes. no. should. no way. should. no. definitely not. ha ha, nay. you shouldn't give underwear to everybody. but for those you do, give them fruit of the loom. i decided to tell the story of our life together... spoiler alert: we live happily ever after. at jared, we only sell one piece of jewelry... ...the pandora bracelet you had created just for her. and ackg's waiting for you... ...at jared. start the interview with a firm handshake. ay,no! don't do that! try head & shoulders instant relief. it cools on contact, and also keeps you 100% flake free. try head & shoulders instant relief. for cooling relief in a snap.

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we are back this morning with sundays with harry, one of our favorite parts of the week. this time of year, it's easy to get wrapped up in the hustle and bustle of the lidays. sometimes the season feels like it's going by in a blur. >> sometimes amidst the din, you hear a sound that gets your attention. reassuring, beautiful, a sound from above. >> reporter: a city can be a lonesome place. even one as minnesota nice as minneapolis. on a cold wi ter's night, some comfort and even maybe joy can be found in the sound of bells. [ bells tolling ].

stipulations. >> reporter: she was on staff at central lutheran church ten years ago, when the church built a seven-story tower, a plan that had been abandoned during the depression. way up top, they put a keyboard that plays bells. 47 of them. as soon as the bells started ringing, so did rebecca's phone. >> people would call us and say, we love to hear the bells. i'm driving home from work and i hear the bells. >> reporter: it got rebecca to thinking. >> i realized there are these wonderful bell installations all over town, and some were silent. they needed repaired. i thought, if we organize and coordinate, we can do great things in our cities, with all these bells. >> reporter: so city of bells was formed. >> are there a lot of churches in town where the bells just weren't ringing anymore? >> absolutely. in fact, our first project was st. mark's cathedral.

1998 and 2000, beautiful bells, but they were dormant. >> reporter: until this fall when the bells began ringing again. [ applause ] >> for centuries, bells were the heralds of society. they announced the time of day and entertained with song. >>haeporter: rebecca hopes that one day, all the bells in the city can ring in unison. to mark special holidays and days of remembrance. >> it's the wonderful tone and then the pause. the reminder that we are part of a community, that we are in this together. >> reporter: up in the tower -- >> the biggest one. it weighs as much as a toyota rav 5. >> reporter: we were shown how it is played. >> you're hired. >> reporter: the gorgeous bells cast in france, ringing out sounds of the season. sounds for all to hear. >> they reach out and touch us deep in our heart. it's like god is saying, i am with you.

>> beautiful. >> it was neat to go up there, right? >> so cool to be up there. there's something about the sound. >> all these churches now around the minneapolis area saying, we're going to get our bells fixed. we'll get them going again. >> was it loud up there, close to the bells? >> oh, yes! >> what? what'd you say? >> i used to hear in this ear. >> we were talking earlier about our favorite christmas songs. harry smith's favorite may surprise you. cue it up. >> we're all fans. >> i was so excited when you said that. >> so many dimensions to harry smith. this is the perfect sound track for a stroll to the orange room.

we love a good toast on the "today" show. >> i don't like being in front. >> you don't like being in front? >> how beautiful is this? >> oh, my goodness. >> this is gorgeous. >> a toast, as everybody is -- so many people heading off for their holidays. >> thank you. >> there you go. >> we can do it again in the new year. we have more to toast for. to a wonderful 2015. >> cheers. >> to our incredible staff. you see some of us but not all the hard working folks behind the scenes. thanks to our good friends who we are lucky to work with every weekend. >> tune into "meet the press" this morning for chuck's exclusive interview with house speaker paul ryan. they've been getting a lot done. thank you for joining us. have a wonderful, merry christmas, and we'll see you after your holiday. have a great day. >> kathie lee, eat your heart