>> and good morning. the main events. >> let's address the elephant not in the room tonight. >> no-show donald trump in the cross hairs at the republican presidential debate. >> i'm a maniac. and everyone on this stage is stupid, fat and ugly.d, ben, you're a terrible surgeon. >> the republican front runner digging in at a rally of his own. >> when you're treated badly, you have to stick up for your rights. >> this morning, what trump was asking fox to do to show up. the confrontation. the fbi releases video of that deadly shooting of an anti-government protester in oregon.

the accomplice. >> investigators made significant arrests in relation to the investigation. >> a female teacher accused of helping the inmates escape from a maximum security jail. a twist similar to the new york prison break. making a splash. michael phelps shows up at a college basketball game to try and distract a free throw shooter. did the speedo do the trick? today, friday, january 29th, 2016. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with matt lauer and savannah guthrie, live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. good morning, everyone. welcome to "today" on a friday morning. i'm savannah guthrie alongside willie geist, in for matt this morning. my last button on the tv was used a lot last night.

for donald trump. >> donald trump going through on his promise to skip last night's presidential debate, but his presence was felt early and often. at his own to ventevent, trump admitted he wasn't sure how it would play over with voters. we have peter alexander. good morning. >> good morning. i think you hit it on the head right there. it was compelling counterpro counter-programming. it was also a big risk for donald trump. on stage, he said he didn't want to be at his own event, that he likes debates. but without him, the republican debate took on a decidedly different tone. think of me >> reporter: as fox put it, he was the elephant not in the room. trump boycotting the fox news debate. >> when you're treated badly, you have to stick up for your rights. and we have to stick up for our country when we're being

>> reporter: defying critics who called his move a mistake. inviteing two underdog candidates to speak. comparing his fundraiser to the academy awards. touting $6 million raised. across town, trump's absence gave opponents an opening to deliver their best one-liners. >> i'm a maniac and everyone on this stage is stupid, fat and ugly. and, ben, you're a terrible surgeon surgeon. now that we've gotten the donald trump portion out of the way. >> donald trump was a teddy bear to me. >> reporter: the debate offered a glimpse into what the campaign may have looked like without the unpredictable front runner. ted cruz, number two on the polls, became number one target on the stage. >> you've been willing to say and do anything to get votes. >> everybody he knows is not as perfect as him.

been, rand, attack ted. marco, attack ted. chris, attack ted. jeb, attack ted. gosh, if you ask one more mean question, i may have to leave the stage. >> reporter: after jeb bush announced he won't even be in iowa for caucus night. >> couldn't run because it wasn't popular. >> reporter: he explained spars with marco rubio over immigration. >> you changed your position on immigration immigration. you used to support a path to citizenship. >> so did you. >> well -- >> so did you, marco. >> reporter: while chris christie lashed out at the senators on stage. >> i feel like i need a washington to english dictionary converter. stop the bull. >> reporter: ben carson highlighted his unique credentials. >> i've had more 2:00 a.m. phone calls than everybody here put together, making life and death decisions. >> reporter: even as the challengers kept talking, donald trump was already on his way back to new hampshire.

pregnant daughter could be his secret weapon. >> it would be so great if you had your baby in iowa. i'd definitely win. stand up, honey. say hello. >> how will it play for trump? iowa caucus goers, will they be offended or stick with trump? they have the final say monday night. willie and savannah? >> peter alexander, thank you. let's bring in chuck todd, good morning. >> good morning. >> normally at this time in the debate. night? did trump's big gamble pay off? >> you know, i think it did. the reason i think it paid off, because nobody on that debate stage was able to take advantage of the moment. i was surprised at how little stage. that was an opportunity for a couple of the front runners to

he wasn't there to respond. they chose not to do it. other than the stuff at the top, it was a light touch. if you're trump, you're sitting here going, well, this was great. ted cruz and marco rubio, the two guys chasing me, ended upbeating each other up, and were the targets of everybody else. one thing i noticed is without trump there, three people who trump has just obliterated over the last six months in attacks, ben carson, jeb bush and rand paul, all three of them had their best debate. >> chuck, people thought ted cruz specifically, because he's running close with trump in iowa, would have a target on his back. how did he handle the pressure last night? >> i think he struggled with it early, in particular. he was the one getting a lot of incoming. i think you could tell he liked sharing that with donald trump, without trump there. i thought he looked a little testy at times. his jokes fell a little flat. his little tweaking of the moderators didn't seem to go over well.

that is the number two guy here, but he didn't do anything, i think, to go and grab trump. maybe even come out on top. if anything, rubio may be nipping at his heels a bit. this may be a closer three-way race than we thought. >> chuck todd, we'll be watching. you'll have more from iowa this sunday on "meezt the press," including a conversation with ted cruz. hillary clinton and bernie sanders are making their final pushes ahead of iowa's caucuses. andrea mitchell is also in des moines for us this morning. good morning. >> good morning, willie. the democratic side is also heating up. bernie sanders goes after hillary clinton for her fundraising and what he calls her ties to wall street. >> reporter: bernie sanders is on the attack. speaking to another roaring crowd in iowa thursday night. >> change is not easy, and the opposition will be strong. >> reporter: he's targeting wall street? a new ad.

millions in campaign contributions and speaking fees. >> reporter: ads seen as an attack on hillary clinton. >> wall street spends huge amounts on campaign contributions. >> is she bought by wall street? >> i'm not suggesting anything. >> reporter: clinton is trying to close the deal, winning over a former trump supporter. >> you have my vote. >> i cannot tell you what that means to me. >> reporter: connecting with one voter who is having trouble paying her bills. >> we have got to do more to help people. it's just not right. >> reporter: in iowa, one new poll shows she has a five point lead, with women and older voters throwing their support behind her. sanders is hoping young people and a growing organization will help him win on monday. >> we have 15,000 people in this state that have volunteered at least one shift a day. >> reporter: clinton's people say their ground game is secure. >> we've seen strong support across the state.

would be the oldest elected president if he wins. on thursday, he released a medical report, asserting he is in very good health. >> you know what i'm thinking to do? >> not with me. >> do i get involved in senior boxing, light heavyweight championship, or run for president? i decided to run for president. >> the one thing our new poll shows is that hillary clinton has one advantage. her supporters tend to be more experienced caucus goers and more committed. bernie sanders has to hope that these first-time voters do show up at the polls. only three days to go. savannah and willie? >> senator sanders has to watch out if he's going to box you. >> she has the hands up. nice technique, andrea. >> thank you, willie. >> thanks so much. as we mentioned, we are taking the show to iowa on monday. we will be live in des moines for the important caucuses.

sarah palin, will be joining us during that special edition of "today." moving on to the ongoing occupation of a federal wildlife refuge in oregon. the fbi has just released video of this week's fatal shooting of the group's spokesperson. joe fryer son thisis on this story. good morning. >> good morning. the occupation is still not over. four people remain at the refuge. the fbi already releasing video from tuesday's deadly confrontation with the occupation's leaders, saying it wants to lay out an unfiltered view of what happened. >> reporter: when authorities decided to pull over and arrest members of the occupation as they drove two vehicles down a remote highway, an fbi plane was up above, recording it all. the video shows a white truck driven by lavoy finicum sitting idle for nearly four minutes. during that time, the fbi says agent and state troopers were telling the occupants to surrender. instead, the truck drove on. one minute later, it veered left

hitting an agent. finicum exited, hands in the air at first. the fbi says on at least two occasions, he reached his right hand toward a jacket pocket. that's when finicum was shot and killed. authorities say he had a loaded semiautomatic handgun in the pocket. >> as the video shows, it was a reckless action that resulted in the consequences. >> reporter: finicum's supporters think he was not reaching for his gun. three weeks earlier, the arizona rancher said he'd rather die than go to jail. >> i have no intention of send spending any of my days in a concrete box. >> reporter: during the confrontation, five occupiers werecludeing the leader, bundy, whose lawyer is calling for the rest to turn themselves? >> the message has been made. >> reporter: the armed occupation is dwindling with

in videos posted online, they're sitting next to a fire, even dancing, saying they'll only leave if they're not arrested. >> tells us, it's stieffafe to leave, but it's not. >> roadblocks have moved closer to the refuge. the fbi says negotiators are working around the clock to try to bring this to a peaceful resolution. >> joe fryer, thank you. now to a major development overnight in the man hunt for three fugitives who escaped from a maximum security jail in california. a woman who worked as a teacher at the facility arrested and accused of helping them. here's miguel almaguer very the inmates cut through steel, and repelled off the roof using bed sheets as rope. a jailbreak out of hollywood. now, this twist. >> this woman has been arrested.

that aided in their preparation for the escape. >> reporter: the sheriff's department said the english teacher had a relationship with nayer, nayeri. providing him with google maps that may have shown him the roof. a case similar to the upstate new york prison break. >> i did wrong. i deserve to be punished. >> reporter: where prison employee joyce mitchell admitted to having a, quote, friendship with two murderers before helping them bust out of prison. >> we know there was a relationship that developed. how far it went, whether it was physical or not, we're trying to confirm that. >> reporter: gone a week ago today, according to the sheriff, duong was last spotted sunday, test driving this van before speeding away. investigators believed duong, nayeri and tieu may be living in the van together. >> we don't believe they're

includeing gang members, investigators say they are one step closer to arresting the three inmates. men wanted for murder, attempted murder, kidnapping and torture, may have pulled off a jailbreak few could have imagined. for "today," miguel almaguer, nbc news, santa ana, california. there are new fears here in the u.s. and around the world over the zika virus. health officials predicting up to 4 million people could be infected in brazil this year alone alone. as we told you on thursday, the world health organization plans to hold an emergency meeting to discuss the spread. tom costello has been talking to the experts about it. it's scary. good morning. >> good morning. the meeting is all about deciding whether to declare this outbreak a global emergency but on the ground, that is exactly what they're already dealing with. >> reporter: world health experts call it a rapidly exploding crisis, south of the

carrying the zika virus is thought to be responsible. 4,200 babies born in brazil with microcephaly, abnormally small head and brains. we were with a mom as she took her two month old to the doctor. >> the level of concern is high. it's a level of uncertainty. >> reporter: the travel advisories in effect, the uncertainty extends to the u.s. experts believe the risk of a large-scale outbreak here is low. largely because very few americans live in the kind of mosquito breeding grounds we see in brazil. surrounded by trash and stagnant water. >> people typically have air-conditioning and good screens that limit their exposure. >> reporter: so far, the cdc is aware of 31 cases of zika infection in the u.s., and 19 in puerto rico and 1 in the u.s. virgin islands. all victims contracted the virus while aboard.

health departments across the country are under order to report any cases to the cdc. women are urged to avoid traveling to zika hot zones. >> it was going to be our last hoorah before we had the baby in june. >> reporter: gina and her husband had their tickets to mexico last month. now, they've cancelled. >> we probably couldn't live with ourselves if somebodything did happen. >> here in the u.s., the mosquitos that can carry zika are most common in gulf states. they're not carrying it yet, by the way. they're only active in daylight hours. we have another layer of protection in this country. the seasonal cold that keeps mosquitos in check. back to you. >> tom costello with the latest, thank you. a stretch of oregon highway closed this morning after a massive sink hole opened up in the road. look at this video. it happened on highway 101 in the costal town.

southbound lanes. nobody was hurt. transportation officials sets ss set up a detour that will be in place until at least next week. next to the video we showed you. 18-time olympic gold medalist, michael phelps. at an arizona sun devils game. the infamous curtain of distraction. the idea is to distract players on the opposing team during free throws. well, he sported a swim cabp, bow ties, medals and speedos. the player missed both foul shots. he has been training for the olympics in rio. by the way, the sun devils won the game by 18 points. >> that's a running gag at arizona state. there's been a study done. it's good for 1.7 points of an advantage at that arena. >> it's worth it. >> with michael phelps, it probably goes up. >> the speedo factor might increase it a little bit.

michael phelps? unbelievable. >> how many medals does he have? >> that's what they're looking at. al, what's going on in the weather? >> i would have been looking at the medals. we're watching a groundhog day storm that's already out west. we're going to be watching it closely. we've got a lot of showers and snow in the pacific northwest. the second storm out here, we're going to be looking at a strong piece of energy pushing in the moisture. it'll be enhance bidd by the jet stream. sunday, rain for southern california. a wintry mix across the southwest. then monday, it makes a beeline for the midwest and the plains. heavy snow from colorado across the plains. iowa may start to see some snow monday night, before the caucuses are done. then during the day on tuesday, heavy snow stretching from kansas all the way to wisconsin and northern michigan. strong thunderstorms from the ohio valley all the way down into the gulf states.

one very, very closely. that's what's going on. eric's gotten used to the lingering odors in his bathroom yep, he's gone noseblind he think it smells fine, but his guests smell this... sfx: ding, toilet flushing sfx: music begins febreze air effects heavy duty has up to two times the odor-eliminating power to remove bathroom odors you've gone noseblind to and try febreze small spaces heavy duty... ...to continuously eliminate up to two times the odors for 30 days febreze small spaces and air effects' [inhale + exhale mnemonic] two more ways to breathe happy. . good morning to you. 31 degrees. pretty cold here in the capitol city. look at this. a beautiful sunrise taking place.

glare. >> that's your latest weather. savannah? >> al, thanks. coming up, the much-anticipated mini series, "the people versus o.j. simpson." why the goldman family isn't happy about putting the trial of the century back in the spotlight spotlight. the bombshell investigation revealing the real reason you get shutout when you try to buy concert tickets.

nbc. coming up, mcdonald's being called out this morning. the key ingredient a lot of customers say is missing in the cheese sticks. could you live there? we'll take you to the quietest town in america. cell phones and wireless devices

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. good morning. it's 7:27. i'm stefan chase. the search is on for a bank robber thanks to a quick think thinking manager. may be driving a small black vehicle with dark rims. if you have any information, call police. >> the dss building is set to reopen after a bedbug scare. shout down after one found in the lobby area. no active infestation determined.

. welcome back and good friday morning. 31 degrees and this is a life look at the raleigh-durham airport. clear as we speak. 35 in henderson. and lewis burg. 45 at noon.

cooler for the drive home. we're back now at 7:30. it's friday, january 29th, 2016. that's a happy crowd out there. i dare say it's a happy crowd at this table. friday is good. here's a look at the headlines. an english teacher working at a county jail is arrested for allegedly helping inmates escape. the 44-year-old woman is believed to have given maps after having been involved with one of the men. >> it was a student-teacher relationship initially and developed into a closer relationship, where she began provideing him information. >> the escapees remain on the

be living out of a stolen van. >> reporter:. the nhl suspended this player indefinitely for a cross check of an official. the length of the suspension will be released after he meets with league officials. donald trump's absence dominated last night's republican presidential debate. his rivals mocking the front runner for not talking part in the debate. >> i kind of miss trump. he was a teddy bear the too me. we always had a loving relationship in the debates. >> debate is a policy issue, but, gosh, if you guys say -- if one more mean question, i may have to leave the stage. >> as that played out, trump was holding a rally for veterans a few miles away. he told the crowd he skipped the debate because he was, quote, treated badly and had to stick up for his rights. >> for me personally, is it a good thing, a bad thing, will it get more votes, less votes? nobody knows.

it's for our vets and you're going to like it because we raised over $5 million in one day. over $5 million. >> reminding you once again, the show will be in iowa for the caucuses monday morning. special edition of "today." now to the hype surrounding the star-studded mini series set to retell the 1995 trial of o.j. simpson. natalie has more. >> o.j. simpson was an icon on the football field but was charged in the murder of his wife. players are speaking out as they prepare for the emotional journey back in time. >> your ex-wife, nicole simpson, has been killed. i'm so sorry, mr. simpson. >> reporter: the"the people versus o.j. simpson," revisiting the trial of the century. from the slow-speed bronco chase

acquit. >> reporter: and the verdict that divided a nation. >> we the jury in the involved entitled action find the defendant o.j. simpson not guilty of the crime of murder, a felony on goldman, a human being. >> reporter: the case had the makings of a hollywood drama. more than two decades later, it's made its way to the screen with a cast set to recreate history. >> we had the best intentions to bring our artistry to the light in the events surrounding that trial and personalities. >> reporter: however, along with the buzz comes criticism from those closest to the crime. >> who knows how much is fact or fiction. we have all the history, the facts, we have all of the documentaries. why are we doing this? >> reporter: exclusive first look as family members of nicole brown simpson and ron goldman tell dr. phil they fear the series takes attention away from the victims. adding the film makers never

>> we have a whole new generation who never saw this take place and is now going to see this series and assume that everything in this series is fact. and that's very troubling to me. >> reporter: another player in the real-life drama, nicole's best friend, kris jenner. the kardashian family matriarch opening up to "people" magazine about watching her late ex-husband, robert, serve on o.j.'s defense team. she deserves the trial as a very stressful time. telling the magazine, i couldn't wrap my head around the fact that she'd been killed in such a horrific, violent way. adding that she's never gotten over the loss of nicole. >> situation is very worrisome. >> reporter: despite the concern, audiences are once again expected to tune in to watch o.j. maybe even the man itself. >> i don't know exactly how he feels about it or whether he would do an interview afterwards or want to talk about it.

his head when people talk about it. >> the renowned doctor who discovered the brain disease in nfl players says he believes simpson is suffering from the disease. during his 2008 trial for armed robbery and kidnapping charges, simpson considered using the defense, that concussions from football led him to committing the crimes. he's serving a sentence in nebraska currently. you can hear from the family members monday on "dr. phil." it'll be interesting to see reaction when it goes on the air. >> interesting about the claim he's suffering from cte. >> one of the stories where you think you know everything there is to know about the o.j. story, and it draws you back? >> sure does, always. >> natalie, thank you. turn to al now for a check of the weather. >> announcer: today's weather is brought to you by kay jewelers.

>> ready for a weekend warmup? i know i am. jet stream up to the north, so we're going to see warmer temperatures today. minneapolis will be 12 degrees above average. little rock, 67. houston, up to 76 degrees. even atlanta, three degrees above normal. saturday, it starts to slide to the east. boston will see above normal temperatures. tallahassee, 70. kansas city, 18 degrees above average. sunday, we watch those temperatures continue to warm. 50 in new york city on sunday. jackson, 73. as the system we told you about earlier makes its way in, it's going to be a clash of the air masses and that's going to lead to some severe weather in the plains into the gulf coast. that's what's going . good morning to you. not a cloud in sight at the high school in raleigh. the sun is up and temperatures are going to climb as we head into the afternoon.

throughout the day. now, the patients are chilly. >> that's your latest weather. >> al, thanks. now to the presidential race. as we said, we're heading to iowa for monday's caucuses. peter alexander is already there. he's made his way to the unique place we'll call home for that show. good morning. >> savannah, you'll love your new home. this is the west end architect architectural salvage. t-o-d-a-y. 50,000 square feet. they reclaim, repurpose, restore. this table, you're going to love the bench. this was the hood of a ford.

good plate to sit.amel waiting for you, savannah. special elision ofdition of "today" monday morning at 7:00 a.m. we'll have a live caucus of iowa voters here. the first tv interview with the former vice president candidate sarah palin. first time speaking out on television since endorsing donald trump for president. >> don't kid yourself, willie wants a latte as much as the rest of us. >> he has me pegged well. >> thank you so much. coming up, how do you make these beauties even better? on trending, we'll take you from how to how to pair your favorite girl scout cookies with wine. how many times have you tried to get tickets to a concert? investig behind every open heart... is a story. a story about finishing the race...

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we're back at 7:43 with a nice crowd on our plaza. this morning on rossen reports, inside the concert ticket sales. >> jeff rossen is here and will explain why the tickets seem to sell out quickly. officials are cracking down, right? >> yes. this happened to a lot of us, probably, in this room and a lot of you at home. you want to see your favorite artist in concert. why wouldn't you? maybe your kids are begging you to buy them tickets to their favorite show. the minute those tickets go on sale, you go online and, guess what? you're shut out of the entire arena. sold out like that. my team began investigating the problem nearly three years ago. this morning, officials are taking action.

wait until you see what we found. >> reporter: they've been the hottest shows around, from bieber to pink. raise your glass >> reporter: to one direction. nobody can drag me down >> reporter: but good luck getting tickets. >> will be releasing today a report. >> reporter: new york attorney general speaking out thursday. sitting down with us. >> it's a fixed game. ordinary ticket purchasers don't have a fair shot attic et tickets to most shows. >> you say it's music, sports events, like showany show. >> on average, 54% of the tickets never make it to the public. >> the result, girls like jaden left in the dust. she wanted to see one direction. her mom waited by the computer. >> 10:00 came, it was available, sorry, no tickets available. it's impossible for the average

>> reporter: what's going on here? president of a fan's rights group funded by stub hub. >> who is getting them? >> the high-end credit card holders who get the e-mail three days before they go on sale. the fan club. many go to the artists or the venue. >> reporter: he says the numbers for many concerts are staggering. for a one direction show in new jersey, box office records show at least 64% of tickets were held back or sold to special groups. even higher for pink. i'm gonna start a fight >> reporter: for one concert in new jersey, at least 77% of tickets were reserved for those special groups. the rest of the public had to fight for what's left. but the most dramatic example is justin geebbieber. at a concert in fresno, california, 92% of tickets went to special groups or were held

more than 12,000 seats, only 940 tickets were set for the public. one direction didn't comment. ticketmaster said, we've cooperated with the attorney general's office and ensure artists can get tickets into the hands of their fans. the attorney general is calling for an overhaul. >> we want to keep prices low for fans, but they can't control it. >> how do you fix it? >> we have to have a transparent system. there should be tabs on how much you can mark up tickets. nobody can drag me down >> this morning, the new york attorney general also going after illegal ticket brokers. they have special software that can buy up tick it es in seconds and resell them online to you for more money.

the ag said the bots scooped up more than 1,000 tickets in the first minute of sales. >> oh, my gosh. >> you don't stand a chance. >> if you're a fan, you waited how long for your band to come to town, hit refresh and you get nothing. >> yeah. >> it's tough. >> this is a good way for you to follow one direction on the road. >> exactly. >> jeff, thank you so much. coming up, pop start. leonardo dicaprio's big day at the vatican. what happened during his meeting with the pope. the nfl star taking heat for the beautiful things he said thousands of people came out today to run the race for retirement. so we asked them... are you completely prepared for retirement? okay, mostly prepared? could you save 1% more of your income? it doesn't sound like much, but saving an additional 1% now, could make a big difference over time. i'm going to be even better about saving.

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he took to social media to profess his addoration for his girlfriend. he wrote, her hair was midnight black. i kissed her and she had honey sweet lips that were lilac soft with a loving and affectional personality. >> it's like a romance novel. >> it's hot, right? it seemed a little too beautiful to believe. an appropriate editor at "billboard" magazine shared a link to what happens if you search "how to describe a beautiful woman." she wrote, oh, no. sure enough, if you go to this link, you'll see wilson's smooth words. hair was midnight black. honey sweet lips. this lit up the twitter verse. wilson responds, ends with describing, this beauty, i'd

for 6,000 plus languages in the world. #my words. this. >> me, too. >> true romantic. why d she need to search his words? don't you believe in love, associate editor at "billboard?" >> are we going to pick on him for that, because he wanted to say he loved his girl? >> what made her search that. why? >> nobody is writing that about her. >> he's a good guy and she's ibs-d. you know the symptoms when they start. abdominal pain. urgent diarrhea. now there's prescription xifaxan. xifaxan is a new ibs-d treatment that helps relieve your diarrhea and abdominal pain symptoms. and xifaxan works differently. it's a prescription antibiotic that acts mainly in the digestive tract. do not use xifaxan if you have a history of sensitivity to rifaximin,

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. good morning to you. it's 7:57. a super bowl send off party is in charlotte today for the panthers. kicks off at noon. fans are welcome to take part. aleve for santa clara on sunday and taking on the denver bron crows on -- broncos on the 7th. all at the stadium for the job fair. organizers believe 150 people that were there at the fair will be offered a job soon.

look live ou . welcome back. good friday morning. just about 8. eight. she's a look outside. plenty of glare. remember the sunglasses and the jacket. freezing in roks bro.

and high of 51 and breezy. it's 8:00 on "today." coming up, the tiger cubs roar. five years after the tiger mom took the world by storm with her controversial parenting style, her children are speaking out about their strict upbringing. did all the demands for perfection pay off? then can you hear me now? not if you're in green bank, west virginia. we'll take you to the town where cell phones are banned. >> when you want to make plans with a friend, how do you get ahold of them? >> what the residents have to say about living in the quietest town in america. and brain games. >> so far, i'm already lost. >> how good is your memory? we'll take you inside the show that puts it to the test and unlocks some surprising secrets

today, friday, january 29th, 2016. just keep your eyes on me >> hello from santa fe. >> from alabama, florida, we're on "today." >> we're getting married! >> big city. >> 30 seconds of fame for my 30th birthday. this woman is my destiny shut up and dance with me welcome back to "today." it's 8:00, the 29th of january, 2016. what a great crowd out on our plaza. i have to say, they are just extra cute today. everybody is looking so adorable. >> i know. >> look at al signing autographs as we go down the line. >> signing a book.

>> thank you. >> we got a lot of carolina panthers fans getting ready for the super bowl. you know what they want to do, right? there it is. there's our panthers fans. coming up this half hour, the four js will wrap up your start today campaign. if you're having trouble with the resolutions, fit, organized or get your financial page in order, send us your question on our facebook page. >> remember the game battleship? >> it's like they're playing it. >> i sunk your battleship. >> let's go to natalie for the top stories of the morning. >> good morning. donaldrump made good on his threat to skip the republican debate thursday night in iowa because of his feud with fox news. he held his own event, attracting hundreds of people. trump said there were so many cameras there, he said it was

across town at the debate, the other candidates joked about trump's absence. with the front runner away, his nearest rival, ted cruz, became the main target. >> you've been willing to say and do anything in order to get votes. >> it's an authenticity problem. everybody he knows isn't as perfect as him. >> if you guys ask one more mean question, i may have to leave the stage. >> trump boasted that his rally raised $6 million for veterans. the fbi has released graphic video of tuesday's deadly confrontation with the oregon occupation leaders. authorities decided to pull over and arrest the protesters who were driving in two cars. the men were told to surrender but a white truck driven by lavoy finicum took off. nearly hitting an agent at a roadblock. finicum eventually got out with his hands up. the fbi says he appeared to be reaching his hand toward his jacket pocket at least twice. that is when finicum was shot

they say he had a loaded semiautomatic handgun in that pocket. now to texas where the so-called affluenza teen appears in the court today after a deportation thursday from mexico. the question, will 18-year-old ethan couch will treated as a jew nil juvenile or adult? gabe gutierrez has more. >> at a detention hearing later today, a judge is expected to decide whether ethan couch will remain behind bars and, if so, whether he'll stay at the juvenile detention facility or be moved to an adult jail. the 18-year-old was brought back to the u.s. on thursday, weeks after sparking international man hunt, whisked away from an immigration facility in mexico city and brought back here to ft. worth. now, he and his mother were captured edd edd in a resort town last month. they had been on the run after he skipped a probation meeting. of course, couch's case grew international attention after he was given no jail time for killing four people during a

his lawyers argued he had affluenza. essentially, he was too rich and spoiled to know right from wrong. while his mother is out on bail and faces a felony charge for allegedly helping him run from police, couch could face a few months in jail. his lawyers say that they don't expect any more problems and they're optimistic there will be no further probation issues. but if his case is moved to an adult court, and there is another probation violation, prosecutors could put him behind bars for up to 40 years, natalie. >> gabe gutierrez in ft. worth for us. thanks. a would-be bank robber left empty handed after losing a door tug of war. he asked the manager of the pnc branch in north carolina that just opened for business, and a gunman shows up and lungs for the door. the manager held it shut and the frustrated gunman ran away.

a programming note, the documentary "making a murderer" may have everyone binge watching on netflix, but "dateline" covered the story in 2005. tonight, a brand-new story. the state of wisconsin versus steven a. avery. >> right where he is. >> do you believe that there's no way he committed this crime? >> from evidence i looked at, i think he is innocent. i think he certainly was not guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. under the evidence that was presented. >> the full report tonight on "dateline" at 10:00 p.m. eastern, 9:00 central. crews getting levi stadium ready for super bowl corrected what would have been an embarrassing mistake. they accidentally painted the broncos logo in the wrong end zone. it was supposed to be the panthers name and logo. they painted it on the correct end of the field.

the broncos logo. they painted it over with the panthers colors. >> trying to make it a home game for the broncos. >> yeah, i think somebody was rooting for the broncos. amy chua in 2011 was known as the tiger mom, when she shared her strict parenting methods. >> five years later, her kids are speaking out. >> you remember critics chastised her, saying the tactic tactics would be damaging to her daughters. as time went on and they grew up, things have gone, by their mom's standards, according to plan. >> reporter: the tiger mom's cubs are all grown up and speaking out. >> it's a memoir. >> reporter: five years since the release of amy chua's memoir memoir, oldest daughter sophia is a graduate from harvard and second lieutenant in the army.

youngest, lulu, is an art history major at harvard. the parenting style was a questionphenomenon when their chinese mother and yale law professor introduced it in 2011. >> maybe we can learn a littlesomelittle something, too. little more on building the basic skills early on. not being afraid our kids are going to crack if we're a little hard on them. >> reporter: in an interview, the daughters are standing by their tiger mom, saying they wouldn't raise their own children any other way. 23-year-old sophia says everyone talks about my mother threatening to throw my toys on the fire, but the funny thing is, that was not a major memory. i remember my childhood as happy, she says. i'm not scared of my mom and never has been. it was my dad who i was much more afraid of disappointing. adding, they had high expectations but because they had the confidence i will do amazing things.

fire ball by her mother, admits it was a tough childhood but happy one. i was playing up to six hours of violin a day and it was too much. when i rebelled because it was putting too much on a strain on me, my mom could easily have given up on me. adding that she pushed me when i needed it. while amy chua admits she made mistakes, she told nbc news she learned a lot of lessons and says, i still deeply believe in high expectations combined with unconditional love. it's a great formula. >> what's a tiger mom like these days? lulu told the "telegraph" her mom feels she's done, quote, her job and now doesn't have to hover over my life the way my friends' parents do. she said her mom set the groundwork early instead of being one of the so-called helicopter college parents, where universities are banning some parents because they can't stop showing up, overseeing their young adults. >> different things work for different families. looks like she turned out two

>> two hard working girls. >> unconditional love is the key ingredient. >> yeah. >> tamron, thank you. coming up, the perfect pair. how to select the ideal wine to go with your girl scout cookie. good news for jamie-lynn sigler. days after opening about her battle with ms on today. how do they function? the town in the u.s. where all cell phones are banned.moms know their family's mouths often need a helping hand. after brushing, listerine total care helps prevent cavities, strengthens teeth and restores tooth enamel. it's an easy way to give listerine total care to the total family. listerine total care. one bottle, six benefits. power to your mouth . and for kids starting at age six, listerine smart rinse delivers

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8:14, time for trending. let's share some wine. girl scout cookie season is upon us and, apparently, there is an app that will show you how to cookies. >> why not? >> you say why, and i say why not, al. i pair my wine with more wine. >> exactly. amorone. we decided to do pairing here. >> please do. >> can you dunk the -- >> no, al! >> i would think so. >> little nibble. >> oh, disgusting. >> this is supposed to -- what do you do first? sip and then taste, or taste and sip? >> what's the difference, whether you dip it or not then? >> we're being classy, al. >> i'm out. >> both light and sweet, right? it goes together. >> yeah.

>> too sweet. >> next, do you know what goes well with the raisin? a bordeaux. >> rah rah raisin, never heard of it before. >> sip it, swirl it. >> i like the rah rah raisin. >> it's good. >> excuse to drink on the set. >> early friday drinking. >> this is a winner. >> i like the cookie the best of the three so far. >> give the dunk a try. >> no. >> willie, come on. >> does it work? >> this is great. >> little crumbs floating around there. finally, savannah smiles is the cookie. >> this is yours. >> it does make me smile. >> it's like they made the cookie and wine pairing for you. >> seriously. >> i like this, savannah. >> i love them. >> i sat here patiently, waiting for my thin mint. where are they?

>> where are the thin mints? >> that's the after tarparty. mozzarella sticks. mcdonald's brought back their version, you may have heard. they're getting criticism. people are criticizing mozzarella sticks. customers are sharing photos of their mozzarella sticks that have no cheese in them. >> that's egregious. >> one tweeted, i came in with extremely low expectations for mcdonald's mozzarella sticks, but i was still disappointed. >> mcdonald's said what? >> we believe the cheese melted out during the baking process in the kitchen and shouldn't have been served. we apologize to any customers affected. we're working to fix it in the restaurants. they say it was isolated incidents. >> always good. >> end of mozzarella stick gate. >> if you're lactose intolerant, that's good.

one grandmother wrote to her grandchild. haden, you are special to me. i love you and your personality. i'm proud of you. i talk about you all of the time. i love you with all of my heart. grandma. >> so sweet. >> really nice. >> show you what grandpa added. >> same here, grandpa. >> yes! >> that is my man. >> gotta love that guy. >> what she said. >> you can picture what he must look like. sitting on the lazey boy. big news for jamie-lynn sigler. >> it's the wine. sober up, lady. happy news about jamie-lynn sigler sigler. matt interviewed her on

the actress said she hoped to continue working and that the disease would not affect her career. well, csi cyber has offered sigler a guest role on the show. she will play a director of content for social media company. her episode, by the way, will air in march on cbs. we're going to be watching in support of you, jamie lynn. leo dicaprio met with the pope and greeted him in italian. another thing to love about him. they discussed a concern they share, the environment. leo gave a book to the pope. it contained paintings by a favorite artist of leo. he also gave the pope a check to use on charities close to his heart. coldplay will release their 2016 u.s. tour schedule. they will be performing in seven cities across the country. they have not toured, by the

the tour actually begins overseas after the super bowl appearance. they'll kick off the u.s. leg at metlife stadium in new jersey in july. use the tips that jeff rossen taught us, hopefully about getting tickets. >> was the tip, know somebody? >> find a vip. >> there you have it. >> tamron, thank you so much. . and a good morning to you. we are looking at sunshine and a few clouds at the airport. 32 as we start out this friday morning. 30s in rocky mount. fayetteville, 37 degrees. >> that's your latest weather.

>> al, thank you very much. now to our special series, today's digital divide. this week, we looked at how we're impacted by constantly being connected. >> the one place in the country where people have no choice but to disconnect. here's nbc's kerry sanders. >> reporter: green bank, west virginia, population, 143. known as the quietest town in america. cell phones and wireless devices are banned. the town is located in the national radio quiet zone, a 13,000 square mile area that limits radio transmission. that's because green bank is home to the national radio atros astronomy observatory, with the largest telescope. >> this is the study of the radio emissions coming from bodies in space. >> reporter: the telescope

it's so big, a college football stadium would fit inside the dish. >> how slight of a signal can this pick up? >> sensitivity of this telescope is equivalent to the energy given off by a single snowflake hitting the ground. >> that slight? >> a billionth of a millionth of a millionth of a watt. it can pick it up from 13 million light years away. >> reporter: there are no tv stations stowers or cell phone towers in the region. >> what can't i use? >> cell phone, ipad, remote control toy, remote control garage door opener, wireless headphones, bluetooth head kwoen s -- phones, microwave oven, the

>> they all send out a signal that interferes? >> that's right. they would all completely wipe out the astronomical signal. >> when we broadcast, we use a wireless microphone. because the signal from this with interfere with this technology, we're having to do it old school. with a boom microphone and a cable to the camera. >> reporter: there's even a surveillance truck to monitor radio frequencies. >> like the radio police? >> exactly. >> reporter: residents here have landlines, and they do have internet with dial up for ethernet cable. but day to day life is missing many of the devices and lifestyles we're accustomed to. >> you don't have instant access to the social media. >> right. >> your friends can't text you. >> no. >> are you deprived? >> no. because i could just -- at school, you can talk to them most of the time. >> talk? >> yeah, you can talk to them. >> when you want to make plans with a friend, how do you get

here at this time? >> you go see them. >> what's that? >> you go see them. >> you don't make a phone call, just show up? >> yup. >> if they're not home. >> go around until you find them. it's not that big a town. >> reporter: folks are happy with life as it is. quiet. >> i'll pose a question to you, if you've never tasted ice cream, would you miss it? >> i thought my cell phone was saving me time. >> i'm glad you think that but, you know what? your cell phone isn't looking at a person eye to eye, or you know, going to their house and speaking and shaking their hand, giving them a hug and saying, how are you today? >> well, thank you. >> thank you. >> reporter: kerry sanders, nbc news, green bank, west virginia. >> could you live there? could you visit there for a couple hours? >> maybe for a minute or two. >> drive through. i can drive through. >> i like the idea of the face-to-face interaction,

>> they're richer than most of us, probably. >> definitely true. we have tips from our mit professor that we interviewed yesterday. she said, you don't have to immediately respond to messages. if you have to apologize, do it in person. >> yeah. >> sorry on the text doesn't work. you can start doing eating meals cell phone free. don't put it on the table. >> that's a good one. last night, i had the debate on, son was reading a book and i was answering e-mails. 6-year-old son said, dad, can you stop texting and watching the tv? i went, oh, my gosh. sometimes your kids remind you. >> true.

>> you feel . i'm stefan chase. time is 8:27. teachers are renewing the calling for pay raises. heard from across north carolina. talking about how difficult it is to get and keep good teachers without a competitive salary. the superintendent said the raise would be a commitment to teachers. a 10% pay raise would cost the

keep it here on wncn. . welcome back. and a good friday morning. just about 8:30. take a look at this, the shot from the high school. a lot of sunshine and a few clouds. if you're heading out, remember you're running into the sun glare. 33 right now in stanford. breezy and warmer on the

60s on sunday afternoon. one accident at capitol 8:30 now, the 29th of january, 2016. great morning out on our plaza. happy crowd. not too cold, but we might get a couple snow showers tonight, huh?

few quick showers, a clipper moving across. >> also coming up, one last meeting of the four js before we say good-bye to january. head to "today's" facebook page and get in your questions. could you escape this maze? we're going to catch up with the guys behind grainendnd brain games to reveal the inner workings of your mind. i'd be lost for days. >> let's get a check of the weather. >> for your weekend, starting off with tomorrow, big snow area out west. we're looking at the rockies, inner mountain region, cascades, wet along the pacific northwest. east two thirds of the country, pretty good. sunday, sunday, sunshine along the east coast. storm system coming to california. it'll mean a lot of snow for the plains to the midwest. by monday and tuesday, more rain in the pacific northwest. showers aro . good morning to you.

shot at the airport. seeing a few clouds. those are going to be expected from time to time today. 36 in south hill and henderson and lewisburg is 57. >> that's your latest weather. willie? >> al, thank you very much. now to our special series, start today 2016 off to a great start, thanks to our experts who have been offering advice all month long and want you to keep it up. the four js, all here answering your questions live on "today's" facebook page. quick tips for people this year? >> first tip, you can always save more than you think you can.

first, then the medium ones, then the large ones. just trim it. second, when it comes to the market, a lot of people are in a panic now because it's been so volatile. stick to your plan. stick to your plan for the long-term and you'll be fine. >> we'll let you get back to the questions. joy? >> plan your meals ahead of time because you're giving yourself a road map. when it comes to dinner, give each day during the week a special category. example, monday is meatless mondays. taco tuesdays. whatever wednesdays. pasta thursdays. then you have an organization and you can fill it in with a yummy, healthy and fun meal. the second thing, make weekly mini goals. while the long-term goals are amazing. for example, i want to lose 40 pounds. it's the weekly, short-term goals that helps us give ourselves a pat on the back. then it fuels your motivation to keep going so you get to the finish line.

tuesday, by the way. >> what do you have, jenna? >> the first is get outdoors. in the winter, you can bundle up. it burns more calories and improves your mood. like joy, schedule it out. make it a meeting. schedule your workouts. i write them in my nerdy planner my mom gives me each year. write it down and stick to it like it's a meeting. award yourself if you do it. sometimes i'll give myself a frozen yogurt or glass of wine. keep to it. consistency is key, they say. i'm not the expert, but so they say. >> you've been working hard. jill, what can you tell us? >> i think it's really about taking a chance in fashion and organization. we painted one wall in savannah's guest room and it made a difference. if you're scared, i don't know if i want -- just go for it. if you want to get the blazer you haven't worn that you want, go for it. fashion is poupsupposed to be fun. organization starts off your day well. we did steals and deals this

we'll have one lady -- we asked you to send in the oldest thing in your closet and hash tag it, start today concert. whoever wins gets these deals. the jeans, necklace, bag. who is the winner? oldest thing in your closet, right here. she won a local fashion faux pas concert. she's not sure why it's still around. we reward you. you can upgrade this look with our steals and deals style makeover. congratulations and thank you, everyone, for hanging with us. we're going to keep it going. >> repurposing an old quilt, too. resourceful. >> few old quilts. with an extra material, making an accessory. >> exactly. ladies, thank you so much. this was to fun. you, too, can get advise on everything from fashion to final, "today's ees"today's"

let's keep up the good work through 2016. savannah? >> willie, thank you so much. now to help dealing with uncomfortable situations. every parent has been there. somebody asks you an inappropriate question, right in front of your kid. should you blow it off, use it as a teachable moment? a family physician, mother of four, has some thoughts on that. dr. g., good morning. >> good morning. >> do you know what to do when we get weird questions? i know what i want to say and i know it's better to be gracious anyway. the >> the first one, i hear it all the time, are you pregnant? >> which is really lovely, except when you're not. >> exactly. one of our parenting team members had a response. >> my faf ritvorite question to be asked is, are you pregnant? i say, this is a food baby, and if you want to throw me a shower, i'm registered at subway. >> i like her. >> brilliant.

is it okay to ask someone, are you pregnant? >> when the baby is crowning. if you can handle it with humor and let the person know it wasn't a great q qstion without making them feel ashamed and embarrassed, that's lovely. you can be honest and say, i'm not. but you can also be sweet and say, you know, we're hoping in the next couple of years. >> resist the urge to say, that's belly fat. >> usually, resist the urge for snark. if you can, be like, mom, is that you? >> another one people get, you're a perfect example, you have four boys, oh, do you wish you have a girl? are you trying for the girl? we have a viewer who went through this. let's see what she says. >> when someone says to me, oh, you have a boy and a girl. good for you. you can be done having kids. >> okay. the whole idea of people kind of weighing in on your family, gender gender. >> absolutely. the gracious answer is, of

we're really blessed. whatever makes sense to you to say. it is okay, i think, i sometimes give the honest answer, which is, we just didn't get the recipe for girls. i think you have to add more flower. i'm -- flour. >> it's awkward if your other kids are there. are you going to have another baby? >> my younger son had been asked if we were hoping he'd be a girl. >> a lot of us say to the kids, that person has a baby in their belly. how do you talk to kids about pregnancy? >> it's better to say, will have a baby or is having a baby, instead of, having a baby in their belly. i had a kid ask me, did you eat the baby, which is terrifying for them. i said, no. >> leave it at that. >> i left it at that. >> is that always the tip with kids, give the bare minimum? >> answer the question they answer as simply as you can. if they have a follow-up questions, they'll come to you. >> if you have a friend who has

disability, some people don't know what to say. it's simple, right? >> i want you to say the same thing you'd say to someone who had a new baby. congratulations. how can i help? >> if it's a close friend, is it okay to say, how do you feel about that? how are you handling that? >> or how are you feeling? that gives them the opening but not the necessity of bearing their soul. >> what if you have a non-traditional family. a lot of times in the store -- >> i'm not sure there is a traditional family anymore. >> you'll hear the cashier saying, is your mommy and daddy around? how do you handle that, if you have a different family? >> i think the answer is, just say, you know what, our family looks a little different than that, but thank you for asking. >> dr. g., thank you so much. we have a lot more tips to handle the awkward parenting questions on our pebwebsite. coming up, secrets to unlock the potential of your mind.

nbc. we're back at 8:42. the new season of "national geographic"'s show "brain games" will test your mind in a cool way. >> they're taking it on the road. joe fryer caught up with them in london and put his own brainpower to the test. >> reporter: what better place to unlock the labyrinth of the brain than inside a maze, especially this classic one tucked in the shadows of an english castle? >> what's going on, guys? welcome to "brain games." >> reporter: jason is meeting the latest contestantsen for "brain games." >> illusion and reality. >> reporter: a popular tv show that airs on nat gio. >> we're trying to gameify neuroscience. >> reporter: this 100-year-old

a game of memory. me against the child champion. >> child look on the world with wonder and inquisitiveness. my vote is on her, man. sorry. >> you think you'll beat me? >> yeah. >> pretty confident. >> reporter: first, we're guided through this life sized puzzle and shown the locations of five flags. >> so far, i'm already lost. >> reporter: in a few minutes, we'll each have to do it again without making a mistake. >> why don't you go first, superstar? >> reporter: cool, calm and collected, she takes off. it's tough to see amid the 8 foot hedges. she emerges in minutes, a flawless run. >> superstar! >> look at you. >> reporter: clearly, this is amazinge inging mazy's maze. >> she was perfect. i have to be perfect. >> reporter: i remember the u-turn, the long walk, turns, finally.

successful run, throw my competitor was faster. it? >> mindfulness. attention. the importance of engaging with the world around you. to be like a child. >> reporter: next, we travel to london along the river for a new >> action. >> reporter: jason asks folks to stand up when they hear a horn and when he waves a flag. horn. flag. yes, there is a point to the reflex test. >> when do you think you reacted faster? when i made sound or when i moved a flag? >> i would say probably the sound. >> you are actually correct. typically, our auditory cortex which processes information will be faster than our visual cortex. >> light travels faster than sound. >> reporter: another way jason is using games to unlock the secrets insides the 3 pound

navigating the mazes of our minds. for "today," joe fryer, nbc news, london. >> joe did well there. >> we'd all be lost. >> yeah. >> those corn mazes freak me out. >> we all had the same thought, "the shining." the maze. the new season of "brain games" premieres sunday, february 14th on the "national geographic" channel. a live performance from pop superstar charlie puth coming up.

on nbc. >> announcer: the citi concert series on "today" is presented to you by citi. >> it is a big day for grammy nominated singer, song writer and producer, charlie puth. >> his debut album is officially out. good morning and welcome back. congrats on the new record. >> thank you.

do you have nine things going on at any time? >> probably than nine things. i have like a thousand musical thoughts going constantly in my head. >> ours would be half track mind. nothing focused. >> doesn't ring as nicely. >> exactly. >> you've had a big year in 2015. a lot of people would say, wait, this is his debut album? i've been listening to him for a year now. how excited are you on this day? >> i was nominated with wiz for three grammys before my album came out. i don't know if it's supposed to work like that, but i produced all this album with a couple great friends of mine. not in the studio. in my bedroom and hotel rooms, car ride and airplanes. it's a personal album. >> you're going on tour in march, right? >> yeah, and it sold out quickly. >> this has been a crazy journey for you. not more than a year ago or so, you were at home in new jersey. >> that's right. >> now, you have your own album. you're going to be on stage at the grammys.

>> can you process it all? >> i'm excited about all that, but i get to go home to new jersey tomorrow for a second. two hours. then i get to go back on tour and everything like that. >> what are you going to sing for us now? >> my new single "one call away" for you. >> charlie puth, take it away. >> thanks. i'm only one call away, i'll be there to save the day superman got nothing on me, i'm only one call away call me, baby, if you need a friend i just wanna give you love, come on, come on, come on

no matter where you go, you know you're not alone i'm only one call away, i'll be there to save the day superman got nothing on me, i'm only one call away come along with me and don't be scared i just wanna set you free, come on, come on, come on anywhere for now, we can stay here for a while cause you know, i just want to see you smile no matter where you go, you know you're not alone

be there to save the day superman got nothing on me, i'm only one call away and when you're weak, i'll be strong i'm gonna keep holding on now don't you worry, it won't be long darling, and when you feel like hope is gone, just run into my arms i'm only one call away, i'll be there to save the day

i'm only one call away i'll be there to save the day superman got nothing on me, i'm only one call away i'm only one call away [ applause ] >> charlie puth, his album, out today, "nine track mind." >> congrats again, man. so hop payappy for you. you'll come back our next hour and chat? >> that's right. >> do that again, i like that. >> that's right. >> okay. we're back in a moment.

>> that's right. coming up on the next hour, we have a shepherd's pie. al, we're making shepherd's pie. >> one of my favs. it's a perfect day for it. >> and it's lamb shepherd pie, right? >> that's right. >> charlie puth and politics. >> and pie. >> you're showing us something new with facebook. >> facebook, live portion will be for everybody. used to be for certain folks. it'll be cool, doing live stuff.

our facebook page. facebook.com/today's take. >> what does it do? facebook live? >> periscope. it's the facebook version. >> okay. also, we know who is going to be in the board room during "celebrity apprentice." >> good job teasing next hour. >> we have a lot.

>> back after your local news. . good friday morning to you. i'm maggie newland. here's a look at breaking news. >> shoppers nationwide are losing access to their store. wal-mart is shutting down 150 stores including this one here. opened up a year and a half ago, putting a smaller family owned grocery store out of business. committed to opening 300 stores

alyssa corfont will be b . welcome back. and a good morning to you. just about 9:00 on friday. looking outside, the sun and cloud out there. some in the 40s. durham apt 40. and high of 50s and the wind gusts and the catch, the warm up continues.

early next week. this morning on "tote'sday's take," trump holds a rally during the debate. who is the real winner? we span the world in sports. one of the biggest stars in music, charlie puth, is in the building. all that and more is coming up now. >> announcer: from ws, this is "today's take," with al roker, natalie morales, willie geist and tamron hall, live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. welcome to "today." it's friday morning, january 29th, 2016. that's all the important data so far. great crowd outside. i'm willie inside with tamron, al and natalie. you, my friend, have chosen our jam this morning. >> i have.

>> favorite. >> workout song. i got my son hooked on it before games. one shot, one opportunity. >> not too much pressure. >> the clean version, i should say. >> i was wondering. >> mom of the year. >> tiger mom. >> i'm like picturing your child spitting eminem. mom's spaghetti on his shirt already >> little eminem. >> also made me think of the debate with the song. one opportunity. >> i see, spinning yourself out of that one. sure. >> passing the baton. >> donald trump, as expected, did not show up at last night's fox news republican debate in des moines, iowa. still, he was the story. we'll start with the debate and then talk about his event last night. the debate opened with a

>> let's address the elephant not in the room tonight. donald trump has chosen not to attend this evening's presidential debate. what message do you think that sends to the voters of iowa? >> let me say, i'm a maniac, and everyone on this stage is stupid, fat and ugly. ben, you're a terrible surgeon. now that we've gotten the donald trump portion out of the way -- [ applause ] -- i want to thank everyone here for showing the men and women of iowa the respect to show up and make the case to the people of this state and the people of the country, why each of us believe we would make the best commander in chief. [ applause ] >> without trump there and cruz running pretty close, though behind donald trump in iowa, cruz became the number one target on the stage. senator marco rubio accusing cruz of doing and saying anything to get votes.

an authenticity problem. just up the road, trump holding a competing event, said he raised about $6 million for military veterans. continued to mock fox and talked about using his daughter ivanka as a secret weapon on the campaign trail. >> fox has been extremely nice the last couple of hours, actually. they've wanted me there and said, how about now? they called a few minutes ago. hasn't it already started? ivanka, it would be so great if you had your baby in iowa. i'd definitely win. >> at the end of the night though, who wins? >> donald trump. donald trump wins. >> what's the measure? >> google maps showed across the country who was the most talked about of the debate or the night, and trump was -- it was bright red all across the map. >> that was the traffic. it doesn't mean that people were

>> no, no, no. >> what's the measure of who won? >> for him, it's what he measures. >> the attention. >> one of the great moments in the debate was when they pulled out the competing video, showing both rude owe andbio and cruz on immigration, the stances. >> that was an important moment, actually, and it could be pivotal, not in iowa but later on in new hampshire. what's interesting, a lot of the pundits on "morning joe" had an array of guests, and experts as well, who said this was the most substantive debate. the early ratings are in. won't be the most watched. early numbers say it's the secondest lowest rated. but this is like, what, the seventh or eighth debate that they've had their shot. nevertheless, there are some who believe it was actually won, where the candidates, while boring maybe, were able to

>> i think they all came alive a little more. jeb bush, i think, had the best night he had, you know, of all the debates we've seen. he came to life. marco rubio and ted cruz, they were debating real, substantive issues. >> i was expecting more from chris chris christie. >> we won't have to speculate much longer. people go to vote in iowa on monday. we can't wait. >> the "today" show will be there. >> yeah. >> with trump out of the board room -- talking about "celebrity aparen dis apprentice," the chairman of the board room will be arnold schwartz schwarzenegger. snooki will be there, carly wilson. warren buffet will be an adviser. jessica alba, fantastic entrepreneur.

business people in the board room. it's going to be very interesting. >> a lot of star power. schwarzenegger, buffet. >> warren buffet? >> yeah. >> wow. >> they're doing the show this time in the area outside of los angeles, which is sillicon beach. innovation. >> snooki is going to invent an app that will be great. >> silicon beach, seven blocks from our home. it's why we picked it. so this is the image of the day. i'm going to vote for it as the image of the day. there is a running gag at arnold state university. i didn't know this until you mentioned it. they try to fluster the opponent at the foul line. it's called the curtain of distraction. the opponent goes up, gets ready and you distract. they upped the ante this time around. they added a special guest to the distraction or curtain of

michael phelps. take a look. >> oh, wow! >> that's a distraction. >> it gets better. they up it even more. take the wide shot. let's see. >> wait for it. >> where is the other picture? >> where's the good part? >> that's not the good part. >> it's got to be coming. >> there it is. >> what are we waiting for? there! it was originally, he had the black pants on, and i kept thinking about chris farrelly and -- >> chip and dale. >> swazyzeswayze. >> it's the same look. >> currently, phelps is training for the 2016 olympics because he's going to coach later in life. he wants to retire and coach in arizona. nevertheless, what was the record? there was a record -- hold on. you said it earlier, willie. >> the points? >> yeah. >> arizona state does this. even when he's not there.

their games for free throw shooting. >> the distraction. >> it works. >> with phelps there, it's ten points. >> thaw woney won the game, which is on my notes. 86-68. >> complete distraction. >> we talked about the hockey body check. we showed you wideman bumping into a linesman during a team's home loss, and into the referee, as you'll see in a couple seconds. here for the check. right? we were talking about this yesterday. like what did it look like? >> i'm glad i was right about this one. >> i said it was intentional. >> we try to give people the benefit of the doubt. >> when it's on tape -- >> it's more than a shove. that was a check. >> now we know the nhl suspended him indefinitely, pending a hearing next week. wideman did say after the game that he said he was distracted. he had just been hit.

the liceman the time. >> the league didn't believe it. >> when your arms go like this -- >> with a stick in it. >> trying to help him out. what about this part? >> with the helmet on. >> helped the guy up. >> anyway, i love this. facebook now, you have an iphone, this will be available for android users, but it is a cool thing called facebook live. you go to your status, you put live, and then you go live. it's like periscope. >> you're live streaming. >> we're going to check this out. >> you're on now? >> yeah. >> is this on our new page? hey! >> it's from the phone. >> exciting. >> you can walk over. let's go over -- >> this is on our facebook page. >> well, it's on the phone right now, right? >> you can watch it on a desktop. >> speaking of which, let's find

we've got on our facebook page. 77,000. go to facebook.com/today's take. help us get the numbers up. let's get over 100,000 today. let's do 100,000. facebook.com. let's hit it again to see. boom. come on, folks. we can do it. we're going to check it at the end of weather. i want to see it over 80,000. >> tell people about the prizes. >> they didn't tell me that. we have 25 days -- now a few less -- how many more days? >> 22. >> 23 days. a prize a day. go to facebook.com/today's take. check the sweepstakes out. it'll be fabulous. you have a chance to win those so it'll be fantastic. groundhog's day storm coming in. low pressure making its way toward us. what happens is, it causes rain in los angeles.

southwest sunday. on monday, it stretches, snow from the rockies all the way south of iowa. heavy showers and thunderstorms. then on tuesday, groundhog's day, we have the risk of severe weather from indiana yap lispolis to -- they said to cut the live stream. oh, don't cut it. if you are in iowa, still on tuesday, willie, you aren't going anywhere. >> where is he going? >> i'm spending the week in iowa. >> fab you loisu >> i'm spending time in iowa. let's check the numbers one more time, still live. so close! that's what's going . good morning to you. 38 degrees and we are looking at a decent amount of cloud cover at the arment. going to -- at the airport.

sun. >> facebook, fan xs, let's see what you did for us. boo-yah boo-yah, i love it. over 80,000. we're breaking 100,000 before the show ends. >> amazing. >> mention the prizes. that will get people there. >> lots of stuff. >> go to the facebook page. >> not hand-me-down stuff, it's good stuff. >> good stuff. >> like the guests we have on this show. nothing but the best. like -- >> charlie puth. >> boom. >> the man's career is on fire. his debut album is out today. he'll be back with us after

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bursting with rich creamy awesomeness and 12 grams of protein. all for 80 calories. no settling here. what else does jane love? that you could win a fitbit flex from light & fit. learn more on specially marked packs. light & fit. feel free to enjoy. 2016 already shaping up to be a huge year for singer/songwriter/producer charlie puth. his debut album is "nine track mind," out today. in a couple weeks, he'll be at the grammys, where he's nominated for song of the year for "see you again." that's his smash hit with wiz khalifa, featured in "furious 7." he co-wrote that song. the video has more than a billion views on youtube. charlie is kicki a north american tour in march, but

on album release day. good morning again, mr. puth. >> what's going on? >> i have cold hands. >> he pete beat boxed on our facebook page. >> go ahead. >> he's good. >> go ahead. >> michael jackson. >> oh, cool. totally cool. >> on fire this morning. >> wow. >> where does that come from? you talked about sitting in your room, working stuff out on computers. you're like a one-man operation it feels like. >> i don't know. i started -- like i always made weird noises when i was a youngin. i still am but -- >> how old were you? >> i was 8. in my own mind, i was doing all this stuff.

courts, not playing the sport. teachers would be like, charlie, stop making noises. it was like music in my head. that's why i called my album "nine track mind." i've always had music in my head. >> you wrote tracks? >> yeah, and now vocal tracks. >> i don't want to delete this. >> no, no. keep that there. >> not only have you had this amazing year and all this success, but the other thing is, people want all these amazing people want to collaborate with you. >> amazing. >> that's the mark, when your peers want to work with you. >> when -- all these artists that i grew up listening to, like fergie and so many people, they're like, now you're going to go in the studio with them. i used to listen to -- i

on spotify, and now i'm writing for them. it's absolutely insane. >> meghan trainor. >> 'yeah. >> selena gomez. >> i don't look at them as famous people. they're in my work force. we go on tour, and we all do the same stuff. why not make music together? >> who do you want to add to the work force? >> bruno mars. >> you two would be great together. >> spectacular. >> that'd be cool. we're label mates. >> bruno, pilk upck up the phone and give him a call. >> i'd love that. people with powerful voices. ariana grande. >> that'd be hot. >> this has been a crazy year for you. craziest moment, craziest person who came up to you and said, i'm a huge fan, that blew your mind? >> i was at the american music awards in my trailer.

i'll do a bad british accent -- "hello there." it was horrible. sorry. it was harry styles. he was like, you produced "slow motion," didn't you, and i was like, number one, how do you know that? it was an r&b song. i was like, wow, yeah, i did. you like that song? he was like, good work. nice to meet you. i'm like, cool. >> maybe a one direction collaboration. >> that could be kind of cool. but they've broken up though. >> just lost one guy. >> down a man. >> fill it in. >> there you go. >> i think you'll have more people knocking on your door. >> i'd love that. >> album is "nine track mind." catch him on tour soon, as well. he'll have one more man in the next hour. great to see you. >> congrats.

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it's fridays,, everyone. how about pop fix to get your weekend started. could we love gina rodriguez more than we do? jane jane, "jane the virgin" star is donating her dress to a fan. tweeted, would love to wear your golden globes dress to prom. she said she didn't own the dress but would send her dress from last year. jessica told the star, it would be an honor to wear the dress. looks like jessica is going to have a prom to remember. this might be my favorite story of the day. kim basinger is starting to get shady.

cast in the sequel to fifty shades of grey. she will play the business partner and former love of christian grey. remember, that's the character who turns him out. anyway, looks like the franchise got a little steamier. i wasn't into it before, but i am now. is zayn malik heading in his own direction? the former one directioner dropped a single, his first since leaving one direction last year. he released a music video. it's going to steam up your sunglasses. take a look and listen. it's a paradise and it's a war zone >> so the song will be featured on his album, "mind of mine," which is set to be released.

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only at olive garden. . good morning. i'm maggie newland. your time is 9:267. the news.

thanks to a quick thinking manage. the suspect may be driving a small dark vehicle with black rims. if you know anything, call seb zebulon police. a motel shut down with a bedbug found. no evidence of infestation. teachers looking for a pay raise. how difficult it is to get and keep good teachers without a competitive sally. the superintendent said it would be a commitment to teachers. the department of instruction said a 10% pay raise would cost about $540 million. going to break, a live look

alyssa corfont . welcome back. and good morning to you. a live picture at the high school in raleigh. a little bit of a breeze. you can see the flags waving. the wind gusts could be 25

also in the upper 30s in taking a look at the headlines. nissan is recalling 846,000 altima midsize cars for the third time to fix the same problem. it covers the 2013 through 2015 model years. nissan says the main hood latch can rust, allowing the hood to pop up while the cars are moving. in the two earlier recalls, dealers adjusted the latches and applied a lubricant, but if it wasn't applied evenly, the problem apparently can persist. a harvard study finds that women with sleeping problems may have a higher risk for type 2 diabetes. researchers analyzed health data or more than 130,000 women. they found a diabetes risk up to four times greater for women who had trouble falling or staying

apnea or got less than six hours a night. federal trade commission is launching an effort to help victims of identity theft. its website will allow you to create a recovery plan. victims can describe their case in detail and they'll offer steps to take to get back your identity and limit the damage. the web address is identity theft.gov. a hazard prompted the recall of 1.5 million shower rugs. the recall involves aqua rugs with four plastic suction cups, sold in beige and clear. they received 60 reports of consumers falling in the shower or the bathtub while on the rugs. consumers should stop using the rugs and contact tristar products to obtain a free replacement. they were sold at bed bath and beyond, dollar general and other stores, as well as akmazonamazon.com.

cereal with the trix rabbit. now, a real bunny is going to be on the cereal box, to show a switch to natural ingredients. cute bunny. a cold snap left car brakes useless. the wheels were spinning as drivers tried to navigate the hill. it was an ice risk. amazingly, no accidents at the junction, despite the ice, according to local news sites. crazy stuff. let's get a check of the weather from al. >> that bus was unbelievable. >> unreal. >> wow. thanks, nat. here's what we have for your weekend outlook. beautiful weather along the eastern seaboard. temperatures getting a little more mild. look for more snow making its way into the inner mountain region. we have showers in central california. sunday, sunday, big storm coming on shore will bring a lot of wet weather to southern californiaia into the southwest. icy mix through the southwest.

midsection of the country. rain around the great lakes. sunny skies and warmer conditions. above normal temperatures for new england to the gulf coast and central plai . good morning to you. plenty of sunshine as we look towards downtown raleigh. this from our studios. current temperature, 38 degrees. some in the 40s. 43 in pinehurst. >> that's your latest weather. willie, i should mention if you go to facebook.com/today's take, go to the sweepstakes page. our prize for today, a $500

>> go to facebook.com/today's take. >> like us. >> register to win. >> i'm going to like us right now for $500 at kmart, al. final installment in our series, chill out. today, we have gadgets to keep you warm. >> there's something for your dog. we have the host of a podcast, here with your favorites. let's start off with this awesome scarf. go ahead and pull it out. >> already warmed snup heated it up for a minute. >> it's great for relaxation, tension. >> feels good. >> it has herbs in here. peppermint and rose mary. there are spots for your hands. >> it was so cold in the studio. i'm going to keep this on the whole segment. next is a hat.

this beanie is from tenenrgy. it has bluetooth headphones inside. six to eight hours of battery life. for you and i, we love those on the run. awesome. you can wash it after you take the headphones out. nice option for anybody outside. >> i like this, keep the pjs warm. >> anything better than heated with a pajamas? >> this is a pajama warmer. one temperature setting getting to 118 degrees. you can put towels in there, socks. of course, you can put pajamas in the pajama warmer. >> technology is always hard with your gloves to navigate. >> i feel like we've all been there. we're texting and like, why can't we text? you have to have compatible gloves. this is called any glove. $15 for a bottle. what i've done, you put two coats on here. what it does is make any glove

the whole family can be on their ipad ipads. >> it'll warm up your gloves a little. >> it'll worth it. >> what are the magic insoles? >> these are remote controlled wireless heated insoles, again, from hammacher. 110 degrees. you can control it wirelessly. even trim them if they're big. great for all sizes and, yes, great for staying outside for tailgating, keeping warm or people who work outside. >> these days, we have a crew. they're very hot. also a great game, i light his feet on fire during a segment. hates it. >> remote controlled. >> you control the level of heat. cool. >> exactly. >> charger. >> three-in-one. inexpensive option. what's nice, it's a flashlight, hand warmer and a phone charger. turn the dial and there it is. under $21.

>> this is actually going to fit in your glove box. this is a nice option for anybody in their vehicle. this will charge your battery. takes a little time, but nice to have and conveniently located in your car. also, power to go from home depot. with your smartphone or tablet, as well. >> i'm not taking this off. you're not getting it back. >> rest of the great ideas are on today.com. let's send it off to al. something is cooking. >> nothing says comfort food like this meat and potatoes dish. shepherd's pie. show you how to make it from scratch.

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give extra. get extra. ah, lilly. she pretty much lives in her favorite princess dress. and she's not exactly tidy. even if she gets a stain she'll wear it for a week straight. so i use tide to get out those week old stains and downy to get it fresh and soft. and since i'm the one who has to do the laundry, i do what any expert dad would do. i let her play sheriff. i got 20 minutes to life. you are free to go. tide and downy. great on their own even better together. all week on today food, we have been showing you casseroles and comfort food. today, i'll show you shepherd's pie. the great thing about it, it's

use a lot of different things in it. you'll be fine. we're doing it you can do ground turkey or chicken or beef, whatever you'd like. you have potatoes, sharp cheese. here's the grid. eggs. so you basically make your mashed potatoes. whatever you do to make your favorite potatoes, that's great. i'll take some cheese. the bill geist mashed potatoes is my go-to. >> four sticks of butter. >> yeah. >> pound of cream. >> quart of heavy cream. cream cheese, egg yolk, chives, salt and pepper. you're going to mash it all up. you make it and, boom, it'll be done. great. now you're going to brown up some -- whatever your protein is going to be. you do that. frozen vegetables. whatever you've got, you'll put those in. all right? throw that in. can of -- >> this is easy, al.

can of crushed tomatoes and saute that. while this is cooking down, you're going to make your -- kind of a gravy. take a nice, dark beer, like a guinness, and throw it in. then you're going to take a cube of bouillon. put that in. in the meantime, take a little water and cornstarch and make a slurry, to thicken this up. all right? then you're going to mix, of course, the bouillon, which will be dissolved. put it all together. eventually, that'll cook down. you put it into a casserole, any casserole. then you're going to take your mashed potatoes. you're going to spoon them on top. >> so good. >> so delicious. >> i could scoop it out like that. >> and add the cheese, right? >> cheese on top. everything is already cooked. >> right.

what you're going to do, i put a little smoked paprika on there. >> cool. >> i put it on everything. >> little spice. >> spread on more cheese. i told our kitchen folk i'd like a lot more cheese. >> kitchen folk. >> they're like the woodland creatures. our kitchen folk. you're going to take this, put it in the oven, brown it up. for the last minute, you're going to put it on the broiler, just to brown it up a bit. there you have it. >> this is the perfect winter food. >> it is. >> right? >> comfort food at best. >> cheese, potatoes, protein, all the food groups in there. >> this is like, you should be at home with this. we should pack it up and go home. >> there you go. >> leftovers are good, too. >> exactly. >> patron state of food. >> thank you very much. >> you can find this recipe at today.com/food. also, a shoutout to andrea, one of our standout food club

thank you for sharing so much. coming up next, let's get ready to laugh. we have a good buddy, len, the world of hilarious sports, spanning the world after the see me. see me. don't stare at me. see me. see me. see me to know that psoriasis is just something that i have. i'm not contagious. see me to know that i won't stop. until i find what works. discover cosentyx, a different kind of medicine for moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. proven to help the majority of people find clear or almost clear skin. 8 out of 10 people saw 75% skin clearance at 3 months. while the majority saw 90% clearance. do not use if you are allergic to cosentyx. before starting, you should be tested for tuberculosis. an increased risk of infections and lowered ability to fight them may occur. tell your doctor if you have an infection or symptoms... ...such as fever, sweats, chills, muscle aches or cough. or if you have received a vaccine or plan to. if you have crohn's disease,

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what's gonna hurt my teeth, if it's gonna be too hot, or too cold, if it's gonna have ice in it. life without sensitivity is easier. done. now to the sport moments you have to see to believe with ben berman. >> you, bet. >> careful. >> al roker, don't waste good popcorn. good morning. >> they don't give us popcorn on the radio. this is great. big-time show. i should take it out of my mouth and read this. >> what do you got? >> i don't know what i got. last couple of months, eastern alabama winning the national title in college football. but what were definitely the highlights of the last couple months? we'll go spanning the world. >> let's do it.

>> unbelievable. >> al, pay attention and stop throwing popcorn. >> how about mike tyson? on your hoverboard, and down goes tyson. play ball, but who is this guy? i don't have a scorecard. i have to play against him. i'll check the name on his back. who are you? that's who you are. college football, who gets it? you can always count on the cop to make the pass. >> good grab. >> two warriors tying their shoes at the same time. get it to another guy, three on five. scores anyway. oops of the month. here's a pass from out of bounds. crowder of boston. doesn't count. you have to gauge the wind because it's against you. doesn't work out well. favorite fans. never try to come between a new yorker and a free hockey stick. >> oh, boy. >> there are some solid new york values right there.

>> in minnesota, from the wedding ceremony to the hockey game. and have a delicious burger for your wedding reception. he's not even paying attention to the bride. unbelievable. best play by play. talk about exciting soccer. the chinese announcer falls asleep. he's snoring. in the middle of the game. costa rica, the commentator called the ref terrible, so they stopped the game, talked it over and threw the announcer out of the game. >> all right! >> good-bye, charlie. talk about rabbit ears. >> oh, my. >> ready for your closeup? look out for the tv drone camera. oh, my goodness. the guy skiing right into the camera. terrible. sideline stunts of the month. helicopter, little dancing, power lifting.

sistine chapel celebration. maybe man wasn't meant to squat 855 pounds. >> it's going to hurt. >> no, it won't hurt. >> oh! >> but nobody got hurt. done. [ screaming ]. >> yeah! >> oh, my gosh. i love it. >> that's al after a good >> yeah! >> i love that. >> nicely done, len. >> len berman, good one. always good to have you. >> thanks, guys.

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hey. >> we had to run up here. >> hey, ladies. >> thanks for showing up. >> nice to be here. >> how long of a run is it from downstairs?

>> with kcan you breathe? >> we ran into the karate kid. it's like the italian festival here. >> it is. we'll have fun with those two. we are going to have a blast. >> we're going to play some games. will you play with us? >> what? >> yes. >> how old these two are -- >> 974 years old. four months and three days. >> i bet. >> it'll be fun. >> they're coming up. i want to check in with al, see where our facebook likes are. >> that's right. let's find out right now. we check it out. boom. 88,000. this is great. go to facebook.com/today's take. check out our sweepstakes. you could win today. just today. a $500 kmart gift card. check it out. go to today's take page on facebook.com. have a glenwood. good morning and happy

i'm maggie newland. the time is coming up on 9:56. here's what is making news. a sendoff party for the panthers. thousands of fans expected to take part. leaving sunday and facing the broncos february 7th. a chance to show off skills. companies were at vaughan towers for a job fair. organizers say 150 people who attend the fair will be offered a job. >> shoppers nationwide are losing their go-to grocery store. stores nationwide, including one in raleigh. opened 13 years ago. and put a family owned grocery store out of business.

stores in food desert areas. a live okay birth plan. top of the brown box. alright got it! aromatherapy. lotion. woo. grey basket bottom right. you are so organized. and the selfie stick. yeah don't give me that look... life is packing for an early delivery, and an ikea closet

okay birth plan. top of the brown box. alright got it! aromatherapy. lotion. woo. grey basket bottom right. you are so organized. and the selfie stick. yeah don't give me that look... life is packing for an early delivery, and an ikea closet that's always ready. .

and good morning to you and a happy friday. skies is clearing but the wind is picking up. look at the flags in the breeze at the high school in raleigh. temperatures, 46 in durham and sanford is still at 42 degrees. two breezy conditions are going to continue.