good morning. former senator rick santorum vaults past newt gingrich into third place in the gop presidential race out in iowa. that according to a new poll. what's behind his sudden momentum? this morning he'll talk to us exclusively. where is ayla? the father of a missing 20-month-old in maine who vanished from her bed nearly two weeks ago denies once again he had anything to do with his daughter's disappearance. we'll get reaction from the girl's mom in a live interview. and 285 million hits and counting, the biggest internet sensations of 2011. from the baby who cracked us up

to the dog who redefined man's best friend. , to the seniors who got a little frisky trying to figure out their web cam. the every day americans who found stardom online live in our studio today, thursday, december found stardom online live in our studio today, thursday, december 29th, 2011. captions paid for by nbc-universal television >> i'm going to be humming that song all day. welcome to "today" on this thursday morning. >> thursday not friday yet. good morning everyone. i'm savannah guthrie in for ann. with the caucuses on tuesday you would think we may have a clear picture by now of the republican presidential contest in iowa. but with just five days to go, things are as unsettled as ever this morning.

they were six months ago even. >> that's right. as we've mentioned, dark horse rick santorum has suddenly surged into contention according to one new poll and there was another surprising development in the race last night. the head of michele bachmann's campaign out there suddenly defected to ron paul's side. we'll get the latest from iowa and talk to senator santorum straight ahead. also ahead a key figure in the casey anthony trial speaks out for the first time since anthony was acquitted of murdering her 2-year-old daughter. this morning the medical examiner who ruled caylee anthony's death a homicide opens up about the case in an exclusive live interview. all right. ahead, today is thursday, so tomorrow is -- >> your birthday. you keep reminding us. but it's also friday. >> it's not exactly friday. we'll take you to a place where today is thursday but tomorrow is saturday. because they are canceling friday. we'll explain a little later in the program. we begin with yet another wild turn in the gop presidential race out in iowa.

nbc's political director and chief white house correspondent chuck todd is in des moines. chuck, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, matt. in the republican race that had been defined by who does best at the debates and that had been where surging happened, there is one candidate who is doing retail campaigning in iowa the old fashioned way, one county at a time, pennsylvania senator rick santorum. his efforts might finally be paying off. a new poll of iowa republicans shows rick san tore surging into third place, behind mitt romney and ron paul and ahead of former front-runner newt gingrich. >> we figure the bigger numbers, we feel very good about how things have gone. we have a lot of work to do. >> reporter: gingrich is trying to spin his declining support telling nbc news he'd settle for third or fourth place in iowa and saying he has his sights set on another key early state.

>> yeah. everyone who has won in south carolina -- >> reporter: gingrich aiming to be the lone alternative to mitt romney compared that matchup to ronald reagan's old battles with moderate republicans like george h.w. bush. >> exactly the fight that reagan was in with the establishment. none of the fault lines have changed. >> reporter: gingrich also used reagan to defend his own rhetoric. >> you seem to use a lot of charged words that only seem to throw gasoline on the heart of the fire. as president are you going to tone that back? >> reagan wanted to communicate clearly and vividly to the american people. i want to communicate clearly and vividly to the american people. >> the former speaker then had more combative comments against president obama likening him to saul olinsky. >> i believe he is a saul radical, he taught olinsky in

chicago. he lives it in his mind and believes in him in his world. >> reporter: pivotal in iowa with gingrich is his marital history. asked about his relationship with his two ex-wives. >> with my first wife we have a relationship because we share two daughters and two grandchildren. very respectful on both sides. >> your second? >> we don't have a relationship. >> reporter: if gingrich doesn't get the republican nomination he isn't expecting a call to be the number two. >> i can't imagine you'd be asked. >> i can't imagine i'd be asked. too strong a personality. would you want to abpresidential nominee with me as your vice presidential nominee? >> reporter: mitt romney, sensing an opening, is now redoubling his efforts in iowa blitzing the state with his electability argument. >> this is a critical race. i think to beat president obama we have to have someone who has a vision of what america can be, and we'll make it stronger and more prosperous and create jobs. >> reporter: and a little drama last night. michele bachmann one of those

former conservative candidates that had surnlged and seeing he campaign sort of deflate out here lost her state campaign cochair to ron paul. the bachmann campaign is hinting that somehow money was involved and paul somehow was able to buy the support of kent sorenson, matt. >> before i let you go a rumor we talked about a couple months ago is resurfacing. robert rice who is the secretary of labor under bill clinton and a political commentator wrote a column wednesday saying in his opinion a swap is in the works, that in the coming months barack obama is going to trade out joe biden for hillary clinton. joe biden becomes secretary of state. the current secretary of state hillary clinton becomes the running mate in 2012. is this making any waves in washington? >> reporter: it is not. what's interesting about this story is every time the rumor pops up i get reminded by folks inside the white house and those close to the president about how loyal both the vice president joe biden and the president are to each other. that is a very close bond.

with all of the turmoil and shuffle inside that west wing the last person i'm told president obama would like to see leave the west wing, remember, joe biden has an office right there a couple doors down from the oval office, the last person he would want to lose is joe biden there and that is one reason why i'm told that switch is just so unlikely to happen savannah talked to secretary clinton a couple months ago and she said she does not believe it's in the realm of possibilities. so stay tuned. chuck todd in des moines this morning. thanks very much. here's savannah. thanks. rick santorum is campaigning in coralville, iowa this morning and he is with us exclusively this morning. senator, good morning to you. >> good morning, savannah. >> we've seen this surge in the latest poll. you are now in third place. there is really just one person who predicted this all along -- you. i guess the question now is -- >> my wife. hold on. my wife did, too. >> fair enough. >> not just me. >> outside of the santorums how can you be sure you're not just the latest front-runner du jour?

there have been five or six of them. >> well, i've been through this grind before. i've run several tough, statewide elections and really with national implications, and have had the national media crawling all over my record for years and years and years. so this has been different than everybody else that's riz nesen this race. people know they can trust me that what i say i'll do is what i've done in the past and we've got a good, strong record and great vision for the future of shrinking, dramatically shrinking the size of government. i've put out a plan and i've voted toughly over the years to cut spending and rein in entitlements. we've got the record to back it up. >> at the same time you have campaigned in iowa tirelessly really tailoring your message to social conservatives in iowa. does your campaign have viability outside of iowa in new

hampshire with main stream voters? >> yeah, i think we do. without question. i mean, if you go and as you -- by the way, i'll give you a little shoutout here, nbc has done a great job in following our campaign, frankly longer and more consistently than anybody else with the embeds and if you go back and look at the tape for the past several months we talk about all of the issues, talk about the importance of having strong national security and my experience in that area. nobody has more experience in this field. i served eight years on the armed services committee, was very active and involved in national security matters in the middle east in particular with iran and syria, major pieces of legislation. i authored it through the united states senate. >> you, yourself, have said you will not make these social issues back burner issues. you want them front and center. your views on abortion are well known. you make no exception for abortion in the case of rape or incest. other republican candidates have now adopted that view. but somewhat lesser known are your views on contraception. you said it is not okay, that

it's dangerous. you said you're the only presidential candidate willing to talk about your views against contraception for voters not familiar with you what are they? >> well, my views on contraception are consistent with my catholic faith but as a person who was involved in the united states senate for 12 years i mean i voted to allow that contraception funding. that is to me a personal decision. i do believe and have publicly stated i don't believe it's helpful. i think it is -- it leads to a lot of sexually transmitted diseases and unplanned pregnancies and it's not a healthy thing for people to engage in, you know, sex outside of marriage. >> you wouldn't seek to outlaw it. >> no. of course not. i mean, that's a fundamentally different thing than taking a human life. something i don't believe is right but there are a lot of things i don't believe are right that the government shouldn't be outlawing. those are moral decisions that

fall outside of the law. >> you know as well as anybody else, having run in pennsylvania, won a couple times, but also lost, that the general election will come down to those middle of the road voters -- moderate, persuadable, independent voters. many of them are women. should republicans sizing up your candidate today be concerned about this issue of electability should you be the nominee against barack obama? >> absolutely should be concerned about the electability. i'm the only one in this race that has any track record of winning elections. in tough states i had a million more registered democrats than republicans and in two statewide elections, you know, running against very strong candidates, i was able to win the state of pennsylvania, something a republican hasn't done for president since 1988. and so if you look at everybody else in the field, no one has ever run as a conservative and been able to attract independents and democrats to win. i have and i think that's one of the reasons the people in iowa are looking at it and saying, wow, this guy is defeated straight up two democratic incumbents to win his house seat and senate seat in very tough

districts and in a very tough state. >> we're out of time. senator santorum we appreciate your time with us this morning. thank you, sir. >> thanks, savannah. >> by the way, we should mention i'll be live in iowa starting monday along with our entire political team including david gregory and chuck todd. >> he's going to make it interesting, no question about it. >> it is going to be interesting the way it feels like anything could happen tuesday night. we'll see. >> all right. let's get over to the news desk. tamron hall is filling in for natalie this morning. good morning to you. >> good morning, savannah and matt. good morning, everyone. u.s. tensions with iran are flaring up this morning. tehran has alarmed american officials and the world by declaring it would close the main artery for oil exports from the persian gulf if the west imposes sanctions over its nuclear program. andrea mitchell has the latest. there are several questions, but first, what is iran up to and what do you think the consequences could be for us? >> reporter: those are good questions, tamron. it could be serious. iran has made threats to shut down the strait of hormuz before but this time it could be more than bluster as tehran has

military exercises near the strait and is issuing angry response to the toughest sanctions from both europe and the united states against iran's banking system and oil trade. today china weighed in, a key ally of iran, urging calm. any oil interrupted of course in the state of hormuz, the key passageway for 50 million barrels of oil a day, would shut down or severely delay 1/6 of the world's oil supply and it would be catastrophic for the u.s. and the global economy. oil prices would likely go up $25 a barrel, at least a dollar more at the pump right away. though the obama administration has ratcheted up its pressure on iran over the years it argues against the latest sanctions just to prove by the senate unanimously 100-0. the obama administration says it would drive energy prices up for our allies and hurt the economy here at home. now the president is boxed in. if he tries to go around the sanctions to waive them he'll be accused of being soft on iran and if he doesn't he risks higher oil prices in an election

year. now he faces the potential of a military showdown to keep the oil passageway open. >> all right. andrea, thank you. and it's a question of reliability for the "new york times" in an effort to lure back a few hundred people who canceled their subscriptions to the paper "the times" sent out an e-mail offering a special discount to return. that offer went out to nearly 9 million e-mail addresses instead. virtually every person that had given an e-mail address to the paper. the real mistake came in the form of a tweet from "the times" saying, quote, if you received an e-mail today about canceling your subscription, ignore it. it's not from us. the company spokesman says that's not true. the e-mail did in fact come from "the times" and was not a spam attack as they had claimed. this morning's memorial service for kim jong-il in pyongyang marked the official start of his son's rule. kim jong un has now been named supreme leader of the ruling party, the military, and the people of north korea. he inherits the absolute rule his father and grandfather held

before him. new studies are finding that blockbuster drug avastin does not improve survival for patients of ovarian cancer but only keeps the disease from getting worse for a few months. in november the drug was order d ed that it could be prescribed but insurers do not have to pay for treatment. jim sack is a disabled former chicago police officer and a vietnam vet. he relies on his service dog, snickers to walk, balance, and call for help in the event of emergency. when he moved to iowa to help his ailing mother-in-law, the city took away his service dog because of a local ban on pit bulls. but now the pit mix has been reunited with sack after a federal judge ordered it. the order is temporary but sack is suing the city to keep snickers with him permanently. you can follow the latest right here on our website today.com.

i know a lot of you are interested in that story. it is now 7:15. back to matt, savannah, and stephanie. hopefully this will all work out. it's the right thing. >> good to hear. tamron, abrams in for al this morning. >> the action continues to be in the west and northwest. here is a look at the parade of storms that will continue into friday night. we could see up to two to three inches in some locations and we could see over a fooft snow, otherwise it's dry along the rest of the country. now here's a look at what is happening outside your door. >> we're a couple minutes away from sunrise. cold when you start out of the door. we are starting from the 20s to just freezing now. 27 degrees now. and still sitting at 23 degrees in manassas, virginia. your high today is 46, and under partly sunny to mostly cloudy sky. a brief sprinkl

matt over to you. >> thanks. while we're on the subject of weather a lot of weather watchers are asking where's the snow? in fact, records are being set for just how little snow there's been so far this year. nbc's mike taibbi is in lake tahoe, california. good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, matt. how are you? last year was unbelievable for a lot of resorts in ski country across the u.s. here in squaw valley in fact the season began in november and extended through the spring and into july. it was a year of record snowfalls and revenues. this year the other side of the coin. at california's squaw valley resort it's been a brutal start. only 5 of 170 trails have any snow at all. >> we're making the best of it with the two runs we've got. >> reporter: while there is skating and dining, as much man made snow as they can produce for the kids and the die hards, the ceo says a large part of his work force isn't working yet. >> a thousand people aren't working right now. >> yeah.

they're seasonal and part-time employees. >> reporter: it's the weather or lack of it. from california and the pacific northwest, across the great lakes region and to the northeast, there's less than half the snow on the ground than last year. >> the jet stream from this winter is completely different than last year. most of what's falling is rain and not snow. >> reporter: temperatures have been so unseasonably warm that more snow machines are sitting idle than grooming the slopes. in places like usually snow bound boise, the cabin feverish are heading to the tee instead of planning to ski. in fact, the records, unlike the snow, are piling up. reno will have its first snowless december since the late 19th century. new york only its third. on this day last year in fact new york was paralyzed by a blizzard. today hardly. in minneapolis last year the metrodome collapsed beneath a mountain of snow. today sun. squaw valley last december?

spectacular. this time last year on this very spot the snow pack was so thick about twice my height that if you were on one of those chair lifts your feet might have been grazing the snow. but girls and boys just want to have fun so it was shirtless and swim suits for the steamboat springs ski vacation photo. skiers adapting in rochester, new york, and snow lover in snowless idaho who's been making his own so his friends and neighbors can get into the winter spirit. >> you can see that big mountain right there. that's what we made last night. >> reporter: where they're still waiting? hope and history. >> all it takes is one four-foot snowfall and everybody's memories will be erased. >> reporter: as you just heard from sfef nigh a cotephanie the good news for the last week of the year. friday, cold temperatures about 18 degrees, good for snow making, and a 20% chance of actual snow. matt? >> mike taibbi in lake tahoe for us this morning. thank you very much. it's 19 after the hour. once again, here's savannah.

the weekend is arriving a day sooner for people on the south pacific island of samoa. officials have decided to jump forward in time by literally removing tomorrow, friday from the calendar. nbc's stephanie gosk is in london this morning to explain. good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, savannah. well, 120 years ago american traders convinced samoans to shift the date line west so they could trade more easily with california. it took a while but they now realize that wasn't such a good idea. tomorrow will be like any other day in samoa. the sun will rise, the tides will change, the warm seabreeze will blow. normal except for one thing. tomorrow will be the day after. at the stroke of midnight this small island nation in the pacific will shift the date line east. there will be no friday, december 30th. >> this week we're going to be losing a day. we are going to move the date

line so we'll be in line with new zealand and australia. >> reporter: the date line runs more or less north to south in the pacific ocean. on one side they see the first sunset of the day. on the other side they see the last. confused yet? put more simply if it's friday in samoa it's saturday in australia and new zealand making business deals with samoa's largest trading partners a nightmare. >> it is really urgent, we have to come in on sunday. otherwise we have to wait and come in on monday. >> reporter: at least she has it figured out. the prime minister says enough is enough. time for a time warp. there won't be any births or deaths on the 30th, no car accidents, no school, no work day although employees have been promised to be paid for their lost time. there will be church services held to acknowledge the lost day and bells will ring at midnight. >> i think it's a good thing.

one, because i'm a day less older. >> i think it's a great thing for the island. >> reporter: for those who don't like it? >> people are unhappy about samoa being the last place, samoa not being the last place to see the sunset. this changes our attitudes. samoa will be the first place to see the sunrise. >> reporter: which also means even better they will be the first nation to celebrate the new year. so if you haven't made your plans yet for new year's this could be the place to go. no doubt there will be a very large party and once you've recovered from that one, get on a plane, fly an hour east and celebrate again a day later. savannah? >> stephanie, we're so confused. thank you so much. that would be terrible for you. your birthday is friday, december 30th. >> i get there right now i stay 53 for the next year. >> very clever. >> i'm on my way. >> okay. samoa, here he comes. speaking of friday it was the most watched video of the year on youtube and this morning

we'll catch up with its star and some of the other internet sensations of 2011. first this is "today" on thursday on nbc.

just ahead the father of a missing 20-month-old in maine breaks his silence. what he is saying about the reaction from the little girl's mother. >> are some car dealerships charging you for unnecessary repairs? our hidden camera investigation after your local news and weather. let's go to vegas. vegas baby! maybe we should head back to the dealership first? vegas! no, this is a test drive. vegas! [ male announcer ] it's practically yours. but we still need your signature. volkswagen sign then drive is back. and it's never been easier to get a jetta. that's the power of german engineering. get zero first month's payment, zero down, zero security deposit and zero due at signing on any new volkswagen. visit vwdealer.com.

good morning. it's 7:26 on this thursday, december 29th. i am angie goff. it's a very busy morning on the roads. let's go to carol parker with a look at traffic. >> a fatal accident overnight, and westbound university boulevard is now open. if you are traveling eastbound you might want to try new hampshire as an alternate. expect on and off delays. and traveling on the rails this morni

here we are at sunrise. the temperature sits at 25 degrees, ft. washington and glendale where it's 30 degrees in rockville and around gaitersburg. your high today is 46. early sunshine. 54 for friday, and 53 for

saturday, your new year's eve is looking dry with a few clouds and 56 for the first day of the new year. we'll have another update in 25 minutes. for now, we will send it back to

[ laughing ] thursday morning, december 29th, 2011. we dare you to watch that video without smiling. that is micah mcarthur the baby who could not stop laughing at the sound of ripping paper. i know what you're wondering. how is he doing now nearly a year after that video was first shot? we'll catch up with him and some of the other internet sensations from this past year, coming up a little later this morning. it should be fun. i'm matt lauer with savannah guthrie who ness for ann. also ahead we'll revice et a

surprising investigation. >> are you being charged too much when you go to the dealership for car repairs? we'll show you what our hidden camera investigation revealed. also ahead the medical examiner who ruled caylee anthony's death a homicide speaks out for the first time since casey anthony's trial. we'll be talking to her exclusively. we begin with a search for a missing 20-month-old girl in maine. ayla reynolds's father issued a new statement. we'll get a reaction from ayla's mother in a moment. first nbc's ron mott has the latest. good morning to you. >> reporter: i hear nothing. >> ron, can you hear me now? >> reporter: good morning. yes, i can hear you. police have combed the area looking for this missing 20-month-old and in some cases have gone back and searched again to make sure no evidence is missed. for the 12th consecutive day police searched in and around the home of missing 20-month-old

ayla reynolds and they're not giving up. the reward for information in the case is now $30,000. police say they've received nearly 400 tips and investigators are looking into every one of them. since ayla disappeared, her father justin dipietro has not spoken to the media. on wednesday he released a statement saying it's important that the public hear it from me personally that i have no idea what happened to ayla and that i'm not in hiding. dipietro told police he put his daughter to bed on december 16th. when he checked on her the next morning he says she was gone. at the time investigators say ayla was wearing a soft cast for a broken arm. police describe her injury as an accidental fall. but her mother was suspicious. the day before ayla disappeared trista reynolds filed for sole custody. >> since she's been there she's got a broken arm. she ended up missing. i wasn't trying to be secretive by going to the courts. i just didn't want to fight with him anymore. >> reporter: justin dipietro responded to those accusations saying i would never do anything

to hurt my child. the questions of ayla's arm or bruises or anything else being said are simply ludicrous. i have to believe ayla is with somebody and i just want that person to find the courage to do the right thing and find a way to return her safely. justin dipietro is not a suspect in this case. he tells us that he's pleased with how authorities have conducted the investigation so far. he is hopeful that someone will return ayla safely. matt? >> ron mott up in waterville, maine this morning. thank you very much. ayla's mother trista reynolds is with us now exclusively. good morning to you. i know it's difficult for you to even watch that videotape. 13 days now. police are conducting an exhaustive investigation following up on nearly 400 tips. they were back at your daughter's father's house yesterday looking for evidence. what are the police telling you? >> the same thing i hear on the news. they kind of -- they'll call me now first before i hear it on the news. but it's the same thing, that

they're still investigating, that they're still where we were 13 days ago. >> ayla was with her father when she was last seen. now he has not spoken publicly but he did release a statement through the police. first of all, let me ask you. do you think justin dipietro has anything to do with your daughter's disappearance? >> i don't know. part of me feels yes and part of me feels no. it's just -- >> explain the part of you that feels yes. >> just, you know, like he said he's not in hiding but why won't he come out? why won't he talk to me? why is he staying away? you know, like just, what is he so afraid of to not come out or talk to me? >> we should mention in a lot of these situations in the past parents do come forward and go on television but it is everyone's right not to do that. >> right. >> and in his statement he says it's important the public hear it from me personally. i have no idea what happened to ayla. i am not hiding. i've been in full cooperation with everyone in this effort including not adding additional media hype.

your response to that? >> i am still in shock with what he wrote, what he put out in his statement. >> what really got my attention on this trista last night was that you and he have not spoken since your daughter disappeared. you've tried to call him. he has not responded to your calls. have you tried to get the police to act as intermediaries to create some sort of dialogue between you two? >> yep. i've asked that question and they tell me that it's between me and him. like it's on me and him to contact one another. >> i would think as a police officer investigating this you'd want to see the parents interacting at least maybe to observe it. >> right. >> but they've offered no opportunity for you to be in contact with your daughter's father. >> none. >> a little background on your relationship with dustin. according to you, you and justin had an agreement that he would take care of ayla while you were in rehab back in october. other reports suggest that child protective services gave justin

temporary custody of ayla. i don't think you agree with that. but after you got out of rehab a month went by where you never saw ayla. why? >> i had went like two and a half weeks without seeing her when i first got out of rehab. and then after like the first week of november i didn't see her again until the 21st of november and then after the 21st of november i did not see her again. >> have you been critical of justin's parenting? do you worry she was not safe in his care? >> yeah. >> for what reason? >> just, you know, for the reasons like he would never let me see her. i would call to talk to her and he'd get mad about it. i mean, like if i did see her and i would notice something on her like a bruise or just something he instead of reacting in a calm manner he would lash out about it or kind of like go into defense. >> i have to ask you at the end here. you filed for sole custody of ayla the day before she disappeared. did you have anything to do with

her disappearance or send anyone up to that house to take your baby back? >> no. and i didn't file for sole custody. all i filed for was parental rights and responsibilities. it wasn't sole custody. >> if you could speak to justin dipietro right now what would you say to him? >> just come talk to me. like just talk to me. you know? like he's the only one that can answer some of my questions. you know? like we have a daughter that is missing. we used to be able to get along all the time. just talk to me. that's all i want. just -- he was the last one to see her alive. talk to me. that's all i want. just talk to me. >> we will obviously follow this story. trista reynolds i appreciate you coming in this morning. our thoughts are with you and your family. let's check the weather now with stephanie abrams filling in for al. >> it is a little chilly in the northeast. we have wind chills this morning that have been down into windch morning that have been down into the single digits for some. water town, it feels like 1 degrees out there. and on the other side of the spectrum, it's above average.

some temperatures 20 degrees above average right through the plains and throughout portions of the midwest, and otherwise sunshine along the gulf coast. we have a light wind this morning, but, boy, it's sure cold. we are at freezing right now inside the beltway. reagan national airport, the wind at 3 miles per hour, and that's out of the north. we will see a switch to the south with the wined later today. 26 around waldorf. and then 23 in martinsburg, and 27 in germantown. your high temperature today is 46 degrees, and clouds on the matt, over to you. >> thank you. up next, do you really get what you pay for when you take your car to the dealership for repairs? our hidden camera investigation right after this. when bp made a commitment to the gulf, we knew it would take time, but we were determined to see it through. today, while our work continues, i want to update you on the progress: bp has set aside 20 billion dollars to fund economic and environmental recovery.

we're paying for all spill- related clean-up costs. and we've established a 500 million dollar fund so independent scientists can study the gulf's wildlife and environment for ten years. thousands of environmental samples from across the gulf have been analyzed by independent labs under the direction of the us coast guard. i'm glad to report all beaches and waters are open for everyone to enjoy. and the economy is showing progress with many areas on the gulf coast having their best tourism seasons in years. i was born here, i'm still here and so is bp. we're committed to the gulf for everyone who loves it, and everyone who calls it home. yeah, our low prices are even lower. we need to teach her how to walk. she is taking up valuable cart space. aren't you, honey? [ male announcer ] it's our biggest clearance event of the year where our prices are even lower. save money. live better. walmart.

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back now at 7:42 with "today investigates" and this morning a look back at our hidden camera investigations into pricey auto repairs. when you take your car to the dealer are the service bills legit? nbc's jeff rossen is here with details. >> good morning. we've all heard the horror stories. maybe you've actually been through it yourself. your car breaks. you take it to a local garage, and you feel taken advantage of. that's why so many of us only trust the dealership to fix our cars. after all, they are the experts, right? we went under cover putting dealers to the test. one suv, six hidden cameras, and five different dealerships about to get a visit. >> an appointment at 7:30. >> what would we find? when we dropped off our car for

service? >> $2,000 to fix this? >> reporter: we set up the experiment using this 2007 jeep grand cherokee. under 40,000 miles but out of warranty. we took it to a mechanic certified by two top auto repair groups. he inspected every system of our jeep. >> everything looks fine. everything is good. >> reporter: then we asked him to rig a simple problem. he used this small part in the air conditioner called the relay switch. what are you doing here? >> i'm going to take your ac relay out and replace it with a defective one. >> reporter: that makes the air conditioning blow warm air. >> yes. >> reporter: quick and easy fix. >> yes. replace the relay and that's it. >> reporter: this independent mechanic says he charged $100 to fix our bad relay. but what would the dealers do? by the end experts say at least one dealer lied right to our face. >> so the ac compressor kind of, almost i want to say --

>> my compressor exploded? >> pretty much. >> reporter: we installed hidden cameras inside our car and under the hood. then we sent this female nbc producer in to five jeep dealers. a random mix of city and suburban locations. >> my air conditioning doesn't seem to be working. it's blowing hot air. >> reporter: with hidden cameras rolling our producer dropped our car at manhattan jeep in new york. within minutes great news. they find our problem. the bad relay switch. but fixing it here would cost $325. ramsey jeep in new jersey also found the bad relay, but to fix our problem they wanted to give our ac a system recharge for an extra fee of course. total bill at ramsey jeep? $270. >> he doesn't think it's as cold and he recommended charging it. >> reporter: but this mechanic says we didn't need that. we had him check our ac pressure before every dealer and it was

always fine. the dealer later told us their extra recommendation was based on the age and mileage of our car but experts say that's wrong, too. how would you rate this dealer from what you've seen? >> poor. poor. >> reporter: we showed our undercover video to two experts. one of the nation's top ac repair mechanics and phil reed, senior editor with a leading auto website. while reed can't speak to these dealers' practices he says many advisers may be pushing services for the wrong reasons. >> the dealership is the big picture. when they're not selling cars they need to make it up someplace else so they may go to their guys in the service department and say, look. you guys need to turn it up a bit. >> reporter: to keep the dealership afloat. >> absolutely. they're basically trying to feed a bigger system that's trying to make money. >> reporter: experts say they could be profiting from it personally. many service advisers are not mechanics but actually salesmen.

>> is there a personal stake? >> most people don't realize they're paid on commission. whenever they recommend a part or service for you they'll get a percentage of that. >> reporter: at westbury jeep in long island not only did they diagnose our bad relay, they also gave our car a free world class vehicle inspection and found several more services we needed. a brake flush. >> it's recommended every 30,000 miles. >> fuel induction and emission services. >> that will help make sure it runs with good gas mileage. >> reporter: and transmission service. >> the service is $229. i think the problems can cost a couple thousand dollars. >> reporter: total cost $792 but for those services, were they really necessary? we bought the actual dealer service manual for our car and found no specific recommendations for them from jeep at our mileage. >> i think they were trying to sell you some things that you didn't necessarily need. >> reporter: in a statement w t

westbury jeep strongly disagreed saying we advise. our customers choose to use our advice as they see fit. they say their inspection is designed to find problems before they cause systems to fail. jeep's own manual recommends service any time a malfunctions suspected. experts who reviewed our case say our car showed no signs of malfunction. >> the service adviser said, look. pay a couple hundred dollars now and it is going to save you thousands later. sounds like a good deal. >> the strategy is essentially to get you to over maintain your car. in some cases you may be doubling the service that is required. >> reporter: but of all the dealers we visited, no one charged as much as this one. bayside jeep in new york. our hidden cameras show they do find our relay problem. >> you got to change this because this thing got fried. >> reporter: but then -- >> you need a compressor. >> what a bunch of lies.

this is basically fraud. >> reporter: then the service adviser spelled it out for our producer. >> so the ac compressor kind of i almost want to say -- >> my compressor exploded? >> pretty much. it's kind of like blew up internally. >> how much is it going to cost to fix? >> with everything we're talking $1,999. >> so $2,000 to fix this? >> reporter: with tax over $2100. when experts say the real problem could be fixed for just $100 bucks. bayside jeep told us their service department is honest and they must have misdiagnosed our car. in the end, four out of five dealers charged us for repairs experts say we did not need. >> i'm always sorry to see that things like this give all of us in the repair business a bad name. >> reporter: now in response to our story bayside jeep says it fired the service adviser and technicians who worked on our car. jeep corporate says it made

changes two years ago that actually improved dealer service. and dealerships make repair recommendations based on the age and condition of the vehicle, savannah, to maximize performance. the way to protect yourself here, when they come out and give you an estimate when you bring your car in they haven't done anything yet. that is just an estimate. take your car back. bring it to a second place if you think the bill is too high and get a second opinion. >> that is a good piece of advice. jeff rossen, thanks so much. we'll see you tomorrow. just ahead the biggest internet stars of the year. remember the dog who can say i love you? we'll catch up with that dog and some other people who made it big on the web in 2011. but first, these messages. aahhh!

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is going on now! good morning, everybody. i am angie goff. we'll have the sunshine to start things off, but you will still need to layer up. >> temperatures are in the mid-20s to low 30s. meanwhile, at least it is calm. a light wind across the area. and 27 in gaitersberg, and the high today, 46 with sunshine fading. it will be mostly cloudy later on. angie? this is an rc robotic claw. my high school science teacher made me what i am today. our science teacher helped us build it. ♪ now i'm a geologist at chevron, and i get to help science teachers. it has four servo motors and a wireless microcontroller.

over the last three years we've put nearly 100 million dollars into american education. that's thousands of kids learning to love science. ♪ isn't that cool? and that's pretty cool. ♪

good morning. you are looking at our cameras. the accident scene, university boulevard westbound open and eastbound still closed with police investigation. expect on and off delays. on the mark rails, a 20 minute delay. and now back to you, angie. >> another news update in 25 minutes, but for now we'll send it back to the "today" show in new york city following this

look at the monkey. >> did you put it on capture? ♪ hello my baby >> we are back, 8:00 on a thursday morning, the 29th day of december, 2011. we love these people. that is esther and bruce hoffman. who can forget this adorable couple as they tried to set up a brand new web cam on their computer not realizing everything they were doing was being recorded by that web cam? it became one of the hot videos of 2011 and the reason we're showing you this video is because we're catching up with some of the other internet stars. >> they are here. and the stars of the youtube videos that really made it big

in 2011 including that adorable laughing baby micah. rebecca black, star of her own video "friday" and who can forget this little talking dog who says i love you? they're all here live in our studio. we'll talk to them coming up next. we are look foing forward t that. next year on the program we're celebrating our 60th anniversary of "today" and we'd like to know how and where you have watched the show over the years. the more exotic the locale the better. keep it clean. and if you send us that information, you could be part of our 60th -- you shrieked when you saw the hair too, right? it does it to me every time. you could be part of our 60th anniversary telecast coming up in january. >> and your anniversary is tomorrow. >> exactly. over to tamron hall whose filling in for natalie on the news desk. good morning. iowa's presidential contest is still unsettled five days before the january 3rd caucus.

the latest polls show mitt romney is poised to finish first with 25% support. ron paul is close behind at 22%. they are trailed by rick santorum and newt gingrich who led the pack but lost 20 points in the last 20 days. the new september 11 memorial in new york city has already reached a mile stone. officials will announce today the memorial plaza and its two huge fountains have been visited by 1 million people since opening to the public on september 12th of this year. americans are feeling optimistic as 2012 rolls in according to a new associated press poll that finds that 62% of respondents say they're optimistic about what 2012 will bring for the nation and 78% are hopeful for their own families in the coming year. now to wall street. cnbc's mandy drury is at the new york stock exchange. mandy, good morning. it was a rough day for the s&p 500 on wednesday. what's on tap for today? >> that's right. now the s&p 500 stock index is teetering on ending the year unchanged from where it was at the start of the year. gold prices on the other hand

are up nearly 10% so far this year. if you take in the recent sharp plunge at the start of the month they could have been a lot higher. as for what's happening with yahoo, very interesting story here. yahoo might become owned by a chinese company. the commerceman has hired a washington lobbying firm a sign they might be willing to pay for all of yahoo. one to watch. now for a look the what's trending today. this video has people flocking to youtube to get a suitcase's view of what happens to your bags after they're taken on the conveyor belt. it is an ad for delta airlines. they let passengers track their bags in real time. and a nearly 50-year-old alfred hitchcock mystery may now be solved. it's on twitter. the 1963 classic "the birds" is

based on furious birds launching themselves from the skies. now scientists say it's caused by birds eating poisonous food. this video is surging on the philadelphia inquirer website. that is former pennsylvania senator arlen sector zinging his capitol hill colleagues at a philly comedy club this week. >> so i've been in comedy now for 30 -- [ laughter ] -- for 30 years. the only difference is it's not stand up. we all have comfortable chairs. >> and we'd love to show you more of his routine but most of it was too much for morning tv. the 81-year-old ended his 30-year career in january. coming up we'll have the stars of the top viral videos of 2011 right here on "today." it is now 8:04. now back to stephanie with a check of the weather.

tamron, we have two fans. why don't you want to go? >> the crowd. you get locked in. >> you get locked in. what time are you going to show snup. >> they say 3:00 but i'll give them until 3:30. >> you're going to push it a little bit and really go crazy. let's have a look at our weather in vegas. they have a phenomenal new year's celebration with tons of fireworks of all sorts of hotels down the strip. temperatures will be mild. 66 degrees today. thd temperatures will be mild at 66 degrees today. the rest of the country, it's a northern tier where all the action is located. well, our action is just plain cold. make sure you layer up when you step out the door this morning. and then late morning, about 10:00 or 11:00 a.m., we are freezing in many neighbors with the exception of outside the beltway. it's cloudy and sunny today, and might see a

back over to you, savannah. >> all right. thank you. from a laughing baby to a talking dog we'll talk to the internet stars of 2011. they're all live in our studio this morning. most of them are awake. that's coming up right after this. tony, pick it up. you know i'm just not feeling the wood cutting thing today. tony, eat a snickers. why? 'cause you get a little bit whiny when you're hungry. better? better. [ male announcer ] you're not you when you're hungry™. hey! my back hurts. [ grunts ] [ male announcer ] snickers satisfies. [ roseanne ] now my front hurts.

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♪ it's friday friday got to get down on friday ♪ back now at 8:09 with 2011's internet sen investigations sations. this morning we're catching up with the stars of the year's hottest viral videos. >> we'll begin with the tiny tot and the ripping pape they're brought out this unforgettable laugh. take a look and listen.

[ laughing ]unforgettable laugh. take a look and listen. [ laughingbrought out this unfo laugh. take a look and listen. [ laughing ] baby micah macarthur is with us at least in body this morning along with his parents marcus and amanda. nice to see you this morning. you were back here in march and 5.5 million people had viewed this online. now it is 33 million people. what do you make of that? >> it's still as surreal as when we hit a thousand views. it' aeunbelievable. >> it's impossible for 33 million people to watch something that is part of your life and have it not change your lives. what's t most bizarre thing that's happened as a result of this? >> there's been a lot of great things. probably the most bizarre thing is we received some fan mail or micah has received some fan

mail. everything from home made bibs to pictures of people with their child laughing. >> letters on how to get a job. >> he's older now. he is 20 months old. does he watch the video and does he recognize himself? >> i don't know if he recognizes himself but he definitely gets a smirk out of it and really any baby laughing or any child laughing. >> as television luck would have it micah was wide awake for an hour and a half this morning and just passed out a few minutes ago. let's do an update here. obviously what started micah laughing was the sound of you ripping up rejection letters for jobs you had applied to so bring us up to date. >> that's right. after several job rejection letters i can now happily report that i have a wonderful job at an educational publishing company called creative materials in california. so moved from the midwest back home to southern california. >> where our family is. >> any connection to that in this video or was it simply something that happened on the side? >> on the side. didn't even know about it until

later. >> fantastic. listen, micah, enjoy -- i hope he enjoys his nap. we've enjoyed laughing with you guys over the last nine months or so. >> it's been great. >> thanks for coming back and joining us. we really appreciate it. >> thank you. >> over to savannah. thanks. 2011 was a record-breaking year for rebecca black, the teenager took the country by storm with a catchy song that became youtu youtube's most watched video of the year. here's a look. ♪ it's friday friday got to get down on friday everybody's looking for the way to the weekend weekend ♪ ♪ friday friday getting down on friday everybody's looking forward to the weekend ♪ ♪ partying partying >> we all have it in our heads. rebecca black, good morning to you. >> good morning. >> you still like hearing that song? >> i actually have not listened to the whole song in a long

time. >> well, you started 2011 like any other normal 13-year-old girl and here we are at the end of the year. you have the most watched youtube video, a camo video and lady gaga has said she thinks you are a genius. >> yes. >> how does that feel? >> i mean, it hasn't all sunk in yet. i mean, it's just like looking back, what a year. >> would you ever have predicted this video would become so popular? >> no, never. i mean, if you would have went back to the beginning of last year, this last year, and told me, you know, this video, my little video i made at my house is -- would amount to this, i would have never believed you. >> for those who don't know the back story, because that video looks very professional, explain how it came to be. >> i had went to school -- i was at school and one of my friends had actually done a video with this company and so, you know,

everyone loves it and he was so cute. so i asked him, how do you do this? we were both big drama kids, so i asked and she gave me the name of the company. i went to the company. >> your parents paid to have this video made. >> yes. >> that led to kind of an unfortunate flip side to this. >> yes. >> there was a back lash on the web. >> yes. >> i know you received even death threats and have left school and you're being home schooled for a variety of reasons. why do you think people reacted that way? how have you been handling it? >> i honestly don't know. i mean, i could understand not liking the video because everyone has their own opinions but, i mean, some people have just gotten to such crazy extremes with -- i don't understa understand. it's just -- i don't know what goes on. >> well, i guess there's the good side and the bad side to everything. you certainly have had the good side this year. rebecca black, it's great to meet you in person. good luck to you. >> thank you.

coming up next two more internet sensations in 2011. the talking dog and the grandparents who got a little frisky as they struggled to use their new web cam all coming up right after this.

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back at 8:18 more of 2011's internet sensations. the regular people and pets who made it big this year thanks to youtube. this next video was an instant favorite around our office. take a look at how man's best friend caught the world's attention. >> i love you. >> hi. >> i love you. >> i love you. >> good girl. >> i love you. >> i love you. >> i love you. >> i love you. >> i love you. >> well, the talking dog is here with her family, matt, alina, and trevor. good morning to all of you. >> hi. >> good morning.

>> when we last met, this video had been seen 55 million times. now there have been 10 million additional views. could you ever have dreamed that this little clip would take off the way it has? >> no. we really didn't imagine. >> tell us the back story. as i understand it, alina, she's been talking for years. you only recently put the clip up. >> yes. she's been talking since she was a little puppy and it's always sounded like "i love you" to us. so my husband decided to put it on youtube and it just became really popular. >> now, other than "i love you" she can say some other things, right? >> yes. >> what other things does she say? >> hello. i'm hungry. i want dinner. it sounds a little like that. >> okay. she is not your only pet and she's not your only talking pet. i understand some of the other animals are starting to talk a little bit or trying. >> yes. we have a siberian husky puppy that's a year old and mischka is teaching her to talk too. >> is she getting anything out so far? >> she says hello. >> i don't know if she does this

on demand. is there a trick here? do you love us? >> you want to talk? you want to say something? >> mischka, i love you. >> i love you. >> we could go all day like this. now for pet owners who think they would like to try to teach their pets to talk how do you do it? >> i guess when they're howling or talking just say things to them and see if you can get them to say something back to you. >> okay. >> mischka, i love you. no. she doesn't love me. >> she loves me. >> alina, tell me what's next for mischka. >> we're in talks with a movie theater in l.a. to make some movies and an animated series this year, too, with her and her sister. >> trevor, can you make mischka talk? >> trevor, can you tell her you

love her? >> no. >> okay. >> we get it. fine. not everyone wants to perform on command. thank you so much. great to see you again. good luck with everything in 2012. >> all right. it's 8:21. here's matt. finally the couple who stole america's hearts in 2011 when they couldn't quite figure out how to work their web cam. they didn't realize it was working just fine and it was capturing everything. take a look. >> look at the monkey. >> did it capture it? i put it on capture ♪ hello my darling hello my baby ♪ >> i'm so sad. i'm so sad. >> why won't it take a picture? take photo. >> i don't know, dear. pardon me. see how pretty your hair is? did you notice that? >> no. >> how pretty your hair is? >> no. i don't know what i'm recording.

shucks. >> maybe it's recording us. drop your dress a little bit. see your -- >> stop it. stop. >> ooh, ooh. >> good morning. >> good morning. >> you have your hands full. you really do. does this change your lives? you have 16 grandchildren. what was their reaction when they saw this video? >> well, actually my granddaughter put it on youtube because i didn't know anything about youtube and, yeah. they're pretty excited about it. we never dreamed this would happen. >> bruce, had you ever heard of a viral video before this? >> i am a viral 87-year-old. >> but did you even know what a viral video was before this? >> no, no i didn't. i didn't know what youtube was either. >> you didn't use the internet or anything like that? and so now with 9 million people having watched this over the

last year or so, what's the best thing that's come out of it, bruce? what's the worst thing? >> the best thing is the fact we've got to do this with a lot of people, shake hands with a lot of people and visit some shows like in san francisco, for example, and people are so warm. that's it. >> you get to meet people because of this. >> oh, yes. >> what made you save the booby part? >> well -- >> because it's just the way he is? >> i don't even remember saying that. >> that's one of the nice things about being 87, right? >> that's right. >> i got to admit if i had to do it again i might not say that. >> all right. this is a reunion by the way. you used to be a page? >> i was many years ago. >> for nbc. and you worked at cbs, which is nice. what people need to know about you, not only are you not so good -- by the way, have you figured out the web cam now? you got that working? >> not too well.

>> can i tell the people, the retirement community hi? >> sure. >> in oregon. home of the spruce goose. >> whereby the way you are a pingpong champion. >> well, i play a pretty good game. >> come on. let's go over here. esther, we'll be back. bruce? >> i don't know. >> come over here if you are indeed a champion and just to intimidate you a little bit, i'm going to wear a web cam while we do this. all right? because i know those things freak you out a little bit. so i got the web cam. >> this is my bucket list. >> this is, playing pingpong with me? hold on one second. >> go, babe. >> i'm focusing on you. >> i'm ready. ♪ ♪ ♪ >> ah! tried to get aggressive on me. >> wait. here we go. >> good. >> hold on. >> you are good. >> whoa.

that was good. bruce and -- go ahead. a spinner. >> ah! >> all right. hang on. you have a ball over there? ♪ mm-hmm. >> ah. >> you see? under estimated the young guy here, didn't you? >> well, yes. where is it? >> it's behind you. bruce and esther hoffman, thank you very much. thanks to all of our 2011 internet stars. we really enjoyed catching up with you guys. and happy new year. way to go, pal. nice job. >> thank you, matt. >> we're back after this. all right. you got it.

♪ 8:26 is your time now on this thursday, december 29th, 2011. good morning to you. i am eun yang. and it's a cold start to your day and getting colder. what is going on? >> cold this morning, and we warm up a little bit and then back to cold. at 33 degrees right now we sit with a partly cloudy sky and calm wind with the numbers at 28 degrees in gaitersberg. we warmed up a degree or two in some neighborhoods. the high today is 46, and so by noontime we'll be doing better, 54 tomorrow and in the 50s as we

roll into the new year, 2012. >> we will take a quick break

the scene of an earlier accident this morning involving a fattaly at university boulevard. we still have eastbound

university boulevard blocked and westbound all the lanes are open. expect delays. mark camdon 42, late.

it is 8:30 now on a thursday morning, the 29th day of december, 2011. our big crowd this morning, all wrapped up in chilly temperatures, only 24 degrees outside. i imagine a lot of these people are standing out in the cold on times square to watch the ball drop. i'm matt lauer with savannah

guthrie and tamron hall who is here while ann is off today. al is off today. natalie is off. we'll tell you more about that. >> why are you here? >> got the shortened end of th straw. here you go. meanwhile, coming up we'll catch up with -- >> everybody remembers this is the trial that transfixed the country this year the young mother found not guilty of murdering her 2-year-old daughter. coming up we'll talk to the medical examiner who ruled caylee's death a homicide. she is speaking out for the first time since the verdict. she wants to set the record straight about her findings and what really happened during the trial. >> and on a much lighter note we're looking ahead. you mentioned the revelers out here. we're looking ahead to 2012 and some of the hottest trends we've been looking at in the coming year including food, desserts, all things that are hot in the new year. we'll show you so that you can be cool before it's cool. >> we have a programming note.

>> oh, yes. >> tomorrow here on "today" we'll catch up with juliana ransex. we followed her battle with breast cancer since she revealed her diagnosis here on our program. she underwent a double mastectomy and will be here with her husband and share the latest on her recovery tomorrow morning. that is just weeks after surgery. tomorrow morning on "today." >> we look forward to that. now we are ready for stephanie abrams with the weather. >> we are celebrating a birthday here. on the search for tory birch. did you find it? >> we were successful. >> daddy are you watching? is daddy going to be okay? >> i hope so. >> we hope so. we hope he's not watching. i'm watching the weather for you. here is a look at what we will see through the day today. basically the southern half of the country is going to be sunny. the northern tier, where the action will be located, otherwise as we head into the day tomorrow, again, it stays pretty active in the n day tomorrow, it stays active in the northern tier. not a whole lot changes.

now here's a look at what is happening outside your door. >> and everywhere across the area right now, we're looking at very low temperatures. below freezing, and most all neighborhoods, but it's 33 in d.c. and today's high, 46 degrees, so pushing into the mid-40s today, and then low and mid-50s for your friday, saturday and sunday, with a few clouds around the area. and saturday will be breezy, and we will lose the wind by we've got the iowa state cheerleaders back here. is your weather something to cheer about? go to weather.com to find out. spear figures everyone! matt, do you have spear figures? >> i will get those in a short time. thanks very much. coming up next on a more serious note the medical examiner in the casey anthony murder trial speaks out for the first time since that trial to set the record straight. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

the kraes casey anthony case was one of the most searched news items of 2011. the florida mother charged with murdering her daughter after the medical examiner in orlando concluded 2-year-old caylee was the victim of homicide. in a moment we'll talk exclusively to the woman who made that ruling setting the stage for that sensational trial. but first nbc's kerry sanders has more. good morning. >> reporter: well, good morning, savannah. if the medical examiner had not concluded that caylee was the victim of homicide, then prosecutors never would have been able to charge her mother, casey, with murder. in the end, the jurors did not buy it. some experts say that may be a result of the so-called csi effect, an expectation among jurors today that a medical examiner will present high tech, flashy, convincing forensic

evidence. from the moment caylee's remains were found in the woods the pressure was on the medical examiner. dr. g as she is known, already a high profile personality because of her cable tv show, was now under a different spotlight. she had the challenge of determining how little caylee died almost six months after her disappearance and with scant evidence. all dr. g had to work with were weathered, skeletonized remains, hair, clothes, a laundry bag, and duct tape. still, dr. g concluded -- >> the cause of death will be listed as homicide bai yun determined means. >> reporter: at trial she told the jury, it was murder. >> scientifically defensible to say it is a homicide but die not believe we have enough scientific information to say the means of how that homicide occurred. >> reporter: casey's defense team said caylee had accidently drowned in the back yard swimming pool, her body dumped in the woods in a panic. but dr. g disagreed.

>> a hundred percent of the time when the person finds the child they call 911 because there is a chance that child might live. >> we the jury find the defendant not guilty. >> reporter: in the end the jury didn't buy it. casey was acquitted. now dr. g in her cable tv show tries to explain what happened. why the jury dismissed three pieces of duct tape found with caylee's skeleton. >> the duct tape told us that it was put there before she started to decompose. >> reporter: and she responds to the defense expert who testified dr. g did a shoddy autopsy. >> when the head is not opened that tells me about a shoddy autopsy. >> there is no reason to open it. we were able to look inside that skull with a light. >> reporter: a high profile case that has the prosecutor and now the medical examiner on the defensive. >> i think this is reputation repair. it's not necessarily a crisis but there is some reputation

concern. >> reporter: casey anthony, who is free, remains in florida. she is serving a one-year probation for passing bad checks. savannah? >> kerry sanders in orlando this morning, thanks. dr. g is with us this morning. good morning to you. >> good morning. >> you were a passionate witness on the stand. i think we all remember your testimony. in terms of the science can you say that casey anthony killed her daughter? >> my job is not to determine who did it. my job is to determine what happened. so i feel very strongly that we could say this was a homicide, death by the hands of another. my job is not to point the finger at one person or another. >> we are not in a court of law anymore. do you have a theory about how this little girl died? >> well, obviously we have to always look at the last person that was seen with the child, the person who is legally, morally, ethically responsible for the child, what stories do

they give as to what happened. we never did get anything from her of what happened. yet we found her with duct tape discarded in the woods. that tells a lot. >> some five months later and in fact five months after she disappeared is it the passage of time that ultimately makes this unresolvable from a scientific perspective? >> exactly. a lot of people don't understand these were very dry bones. a lot of information that's coming out makes it seem like we could do this test or that test or they would expect dna. you wouldn't expect that. these are bones that don't have anything left on them. >> i remember your testimony. you basically cited three reasons why you think this is a homicide. the fact that she wasn't reported missing, the fact that her body was hidden, and the presence of that duct tape on her face. these seem like common sense reasons. they don't seem like scientific reasons. i know you've heard that criticism. >> right. certainly the manner of death is an opinion based on all the

information. that is an opinion based on the scientific information and the scene and the circumstances. always an opinion. the cause of death is what we couldn't come up with. now, there's a lot of still science behind that duct tape. that's why we're doing this special is because after the fact all of a sudden it's like they're rewriting history, rewriting what we found, which isn't true. >> i think this is, this concept may be hard for some viewers to get their hands around because the idea that you can say, well we know it was a homicide, but we don't know how she died, for some people those two concepts seem paradoxical. >> no. it's a common problem when you hide the body that evidence goes away. and we occasionally will have a case like that. every medical examiner's office has cases where there's highly suspicious circumstances, found in a shallow grave with your hands tied behind your back?

you know, how did you get there? >> you've got the television special coming up this weekend six months after the verdict. i know you wanted to set the record straight. but respond to those who say, well here we go again. here is another person looking to profit or gain more notoriety from this infamous case. >> well first of all, i'm not making a penny off of it. i never wanted to. anything i make from that show because it is part of my regular series will go to children's charities. i really just did it to get away from the hype and be able to explain why we could say that that duct tape was there in less than just little sound bites. >> i know you know the defense theory of the case which was that the baby drowned and there was some criticism that you didn't do a particular test that would perhaps have determined whether there was a drowning. your response to that? >> anybody that mentions that brings up that test must have the csi effect because that test, they're little one-celled

organisms, plants, and the theory is when you drowned they get sucked into your lungs and your vascular system. these were dry bones. there is no way, a, that is not a very specific or sensitive test and we couldn't test for them in the dry bones. >> you think this case will ever be solved? >> not unless -- we'll never know what happened until the perpetrator states what happened. >> thank you so much. you can catch dr. g inside the caylee anthony case sunday night on tlc. her show, "dr. g medical examiner" returns tomorrow night on discovery fit and health. coming up next we'll switch gears and preview the hot food trends we'll be talking about in 2012. but first, this is "today" on nbc. ♪

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♪ ♪ ♪ we're back at 8:45. meatballs, regional italian. what food trends will we be chewing on in 2012? here is a look ahead with the

editor of "saveur" magazine and a chef. nice to see you. almost happy new year. how do you spot trends a year out or half a year out? >> you just sniff around and you get a gut feeling. i think the amazing thing about 2012 is going to be a return to trends. real feel good foods. >> comfort foods? >> yes. absolutely comfort foods. >> we had a little comfort food in 2011. i mean meatballs were very popular. but you say meat loaf is going to be the dish for 2012. why? >> meat loaf is absolutely going to be the year that the meatball grew up in 2012. but what we're going to be looking at are international versions of meat loaf like the beautiful ones from denmark that are wrapped in bacon or this one from south africa flavored with curry and has beautiful, dried fruits in it. this one from the philippines with a whole hard boiled egg in it. >> so not just your mom's meat

loaf. >> not just your mom's meat loaf anymore. >> anybody who is into food, the real foodies are always looking for great knives and you're here to talk about some of the knives that are going to be great in 2012. what were the ones hot in 2011? >> 2011's must have knife was a japanese knife. they're usually made of ceramic but also stainless steel. as you can see they're really gorgeous to look at but to my mind frankly they're not that durable. 2012's knives to have, much more durable. a carbon steel knife, so powerful, so wonderful, a real work horse of the kitchen. >> if you buy a really quality set of knives how long should they last you? >> honestly a good set of carbon steel knives would last you a lifetime. >> all right. in 2011 people were talking about regional italian. and you think this year it's going to be italian american or american italian? >> that's absolutely right. 2011 was the year where we were becoming even more comfortable with things like cicilian

olives. 2012 a celebration of italian american classics like lasagna, broccoli-rab, egg plant parmesan, all those beautiful foods we love so much in america. >> speaking of beautiful take a look at how gorgeous these are. they were popular in 2011. there is a store here in new york that sells them and the lines are out to the street. what's going to be the dessert food of 2012? >> layer cakes. >> why? >> return to layer cakes. because they are so delicious. and you can see, so beautiful. and no more are we going to have to deal with little cupcakes. cakes are going to return to their beautiful, full, rightful -- >> that would say you expect the economy to recover because this is decadence where this is more conservative. >> i don't care if the economy recovers. i just want to put my face here. >> what was popular in 2011 with wines? >> california wines that were made in a really classic,

european style. like this beautiful chardonnay, which tastes really more like a french chardonnay. oaky like a california chardonnay. 2012 we're looking at regional american wines made outside of california in places like texas and virginia. this comes from upstate new york. it's $15 a bottle and crisp and beautiful. >> all right. let's talk before we let you go here about some cities that you think are going to set trends for food in 2012. what was hot in 2011? 2011 was the year of portland, oregon with the amazing street food carts and high end restaurants like vitale's place which brought this beautiful shrimp dish. 2012, kansas city. we've long thought of kansas city as a great barbecue town. >> kind of a steak town. >> absolutely. but it's high end dining. it's really on the rise, including chef debby gold the

american where this fantastic cauliflower dish came from. >> you have me looking forward to the new year. thanks very much and happy holidays. great to have you here. still ahead do it yourself styles for your hair for your new year's eve party. they'll save you an expensive trip to the salon. first, this is "today" on nbc.

back at 8:51 with a look back at the wonderfully wacky world of sports in 2011. len is here to do the honors. good morning. >> happy new year, guys. great to see you. birthday kid. 2011 featured the green bay packers and in baseball the st. louis cardinals. what were truly the top sports stories? let's go spanning the year. >> unbelievable! >> oh, my goodness. on your mark, get set, and -- first let's have the invocation to start things off from pastor joe at the nascar race. >> lord, i want to thank you for my smoking hot wife today. >> play ball. the catch of the year. evan longoria, tampa bay. you know, maybe it wasn't real. maybe it was just a tv

commercial. but nice grab. the professional golf putt of the year. out of a helicopter. really? and --? >> it's in the hole! >> unreal. >> our oochps of the year in soccer, the ball hits the crossbar. let's go nuts. we win the game. except for one slight problem. the ball then bounces in for a goal. it was another case of premature exhileration. then there was the drag racing. the steering wheel in drag racing? what is the deal with that one? our rule book question of the year. is this a legal defensive maneuver in soccer the old shorts pulled down? the three stooges i think. what about australian rules football? an over-the-shoulder grab. that's what that is. our performers of the year. the british crew team practicing on the moving walkway at the munich airport. hey, he's heading upstream.

how about mike tyson on a brazilian tv show singing "the girl from ipanema?" ♪ >> want to dance? okay. our sportsmanship of the year award goes to peewees in kazakhstan. first a nice handshake and then you fight. you see that? that's the way they teach the kids over there. lots of fans of the year. the newest golf yell. >> mashed potato! >> you know, girls, i think we have a slight problem with this one. >> oh, there. >> they don't need to be smart. >> then there is the running of the bulls. i think i'll go naked. yeah. >> ooh. >> that's a swell idea. and arena football and the kickoff, the fan in the end zone makes the stop. nicely done.

in taiwan the guy drops his daughter to catch a foul ball. my goodness. he doesn't hold on to either one. you know, in any language, you're a moron. and our athlete of the year? well he is david smith. he is the human home run. he loads himself up and he proceeds to blast himself out of the ballpark. >> and he's gone! >> you know, we would give him his award but we don't know where he is. >> thanks. that was good stuff. great to have you here. >> appreciate it. >> fun to have you during the year as well. happy new year. >> my favorite part is the look on that wife's face, like are you serious, buddy? thank you. just ahead the whakiest and tackiest celeb moments of 2011. >> first a look at your local news and the all important holiday weather forecast. yes you need a steering wheel.

8:56 is yourtime now on this thursday, december 29th, 2011. i am eun yang. veronica johnson is in the storm center with your look at the forecast today. >> i like that we are warming up. we are now at a whopping 34

degrees. that's at reagan national. the air is dry, and can you tell by the dew point temperature at 23 degrees. and 28 in culpepper, and 30 degrees currently in germantown. the high today is 46. you will notice more clouds by late afternoon. we

the fatal accident overnight in silver springs still has eastbound university shut down. on the marc rails, camden north and south you have delays. make sure and plan for that.

we're back now with more of "today" on this thursday morning the 29th day of december, 2011. it is bright, beautiful, sunny in new york city. it's also a little chilly. it's 24 degrees. so our thanks to these nice people for sticking around and spending part of their morning with us. i'm matt lauer with savannah guthrie. savannah has been here while ann was taking some holiday time off. al is off as well. meanwhile, coming up, a bit of a change in the iowa gop presidential race. we have just five days to go until the primary. new polling showing that newt gingrich the former front-runner has now fallen to fourth place behind that man right there in

third place now the former senator rick santorum. so what's causing the shakeup? we'll talk to rick santorum and have the latest from the campaign trail coming up. >> pretty exciting race right now. also ahead have you already eaten and drank too much over the holidays? guess what? there's still one more night to get through. we'll help you enjoy your new year's without overdoing it and start 2012 off on the right foot. >> also ahead the question, what were the biggest celebrity moments of 2011? the ups and the downs? we'll take a look back at some of those. but before we do all that, let's go inside to natalie's office. tamron hall is at the news desk. >> hey, matt and savannah. good morning, everyone. it's a wild ride on the january 3rd iowa caucus where the gop presidential race is certainly heating up. nbc's political director and chief white house correspondent chuck todd is in des moines. chuck, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, tamron. in this volatile republican race there's only been one candidate who has tried to campaign the old fashioned way in iowa one

county at a time, former senator rick santorum. he might finally see his efforts paying off. a new poll of iowa republicans shows rick santorum surging into third place behind mitt romney and ron paul and ahead of former front-runner newt gingrich. >> we feel the bigger numbers and feel very, very good about how everything is going and nice to see that reflected in some of the polls but we have a lot of work to do, a lot of work. >> reporter: gingrich is trying to spin his declining support telling nbc news he'd settle for a third or fourth place finish in iowa in saying he has his sights set on another key early state. >> south carolina. everyone who has won in south carolina has been the nominee. >> reporter: gingrich aiming to be the lone alternative to mitt romney compared that matchup to ronald reagan's old battles with moderate republicans like george h.w. bush. >> it's exactly the fight that reagan was in with the

establishment. it's amazing how none of the fault lines have changed. >> reporter: gingrich also used reagan to defend his own rhetoric. >> you seem to use a lot of charged words that only seem to throw gasoline on a partisan fire. as president are you going to tone that back? >> reagan wanted to communicate clearly and vividly to the american people. i want to communicate clearly and vividly to the american people. >> reporter: the former speaker then doubled down with even more combative rhetoric against president obama. >> i do believe he is a saul olinsky radical and i believe he taught that stuff in chicago and lives it in his mind. he believes in olinsky's world. >> reporter: one obstacle with christian conservatives pivotal in iowa is his marital history. asked about his relationship with his two ex-wives -- >> with my first wife we had a relationship because we share two daughters and two grandchildren and i think it is very respectful on both sides. >> your second wife? >> we don't have a relationship. >> reporter: if gingrich doesn't get the republican nomination he isn't expecting a call to be the number two. >> can't imagine you'd be asked?

>> i can't imagine i'd be asked. >> why? >> too strong a personality. would you want to be a presidential nominee with me as your vice presidential nominee? >> reporter: mitt romney, sensing an opening, is now redoubling his efforts here in iowa, blitzing the state with his electability argument. >> this is a critical race. i think to beat president obama we have to have someone who has a vision of what america can be and will make it stronger and more prosperous and create jobs. >> a little drama out here in iowa last night. the campaign cochair for michele bachmann left her campaign and announced his support for ron paul. kent sorensen said it had nothing to do with money as the michele bachmann campaign is alleging, but, clearly, bachmann doesn't have the resources to do a get out the vote effort a lot of her supporters would like to have happen. tamron? >> thank you, chuck. as he gains traction ahead of the january 3rd caucus gop

presidential hopeful and former senator rick santorum told us this morning his campaign has viability outside of iowa. >> this has been different than anybody else that's risen in this race. they haven't been tested and we have. people know there is authenticity here. they can trust me. what i say i'm going to do is what i've done in the past and we've got a good, strong record and a great vision for the future of shrinking the size of government dramatically. i've put out a plan to balance the budget in five years. i voted touly over the years to cut spending and rein in entitlements. i've led on those things. we've got the record to back it up. >> santorum is projected to finish third in the iowa caucus next week. the u.s. navy is warning that it won't tolerate iran closing the strait of hormuz, a strategic oil route iran is threatening to close if the u.s. imposes sanctions against it. 1/6 of the world oil passes through the strait of hormuz. and this morning's memorial service for kim jong-il in pyongyang marked the official start of his son's rule.

kim jong un has been named supreme leader of the ruling party. the military and the people of north korea. he inherits the absolute rule of his father and grandfather before him. you might expect men to behave badly but what about holy men? police had to storm the church of nativity in bethlehem this week after rival groups of clerics clashed with broom sticks over the jurisdiction inside the church. the end of the year is a time to make a fresh start for some. that's why wednesday was good wednesday in times square. from bad relationships to bad vacations people wrote down their worst memories of 2011 and tossed them in a huge paper shredder except for one woman who needed a sledge hammer. she wanted to get rid of her ex's motorcycle helmet. he wore a pink helmet. there you have it. it is six past the hour. now back to stephanie with a check of the weather. sledge hammer included in that one. >> i like that one. tamron, we have a family

visiting from miami. the rest of the family is dressed properly with the scarf and the jackets. now he has the idea right with three shirts but just t-shirts. dad, why isn't he dressed properly? >> he is a teenager. >> good answer. he is starting to shiver. how about a family hug to warm up? that feels nice and good. all right. here is a look at where else you need to do a family hug through the great will need to be doing a family hug, and that's threw the great lakes. the sunshine into the south and down into texas, and look at miami, 73 degrees. and otherwise through the northern tier, that's where the action will below indicated. right here, teenager, adults, little kids, you want to dress for cold weather outside this morning. we're below freezing, something we have not felt in a couple days. and just up to 32 right at freezing now in fredericksburg, virginia. we will see a warmup today and get to a high of frex degrees.

we have a partly cloudy sky, and in a lot of savannah, i'm going to hook the family from florida up with these two from wisconsin. they know how to dress. no messing around in the midwest. >> thanks. this morning on "today's health" avoiding pit falls as you ring in the new year. if you're not careful you could wind up feeling lousy when 2012 arrives. our guest is the author of the book "what the yuk?" good morning to you. >> good morning. >> really is there a way to party smart? if you want to have fun on new year's eve? >> yeah. a little more time on damage control here. things can get a little out of control but we want to make it a healthy end of this year and healthy start to 2012. >> okay. let's just take this piece by piece. let's start with food. >> first of all, you go to the holiday party, new year's eve party. my first piece of advice is step away from the buffet table. so of course we'll all want to eat a little something there but there is a way to strategize and

kind of minimize the damage going on. number one, instead of using a full dinner plate try to use a salad plate. it's smaller. you won't pile on as much food. the other thing is before you start loading up with the plate, take a look at all of the options there so you can pick the ones you actually want rather than going from dish to dish taking a little bit of each thing you might not even end up really liking but eating because it's on your plate. >> right. >> the other thing definitely have a no seconds rule. whatever is on your plate you can eat but you're not going to go back. >> some of these parties are dinner parties. you can't eat before hand. >> i think it makes sense to have at least a snack before hand. often you're eating a little later than normal so you are very hungry and by the time you get there you'll have too much to eat. so get at least a snack in before you get to the dinner party. >> and appetizers can add up. i just think they're little and won't count often they're pretty high calorie so just watch what you're doing. >> let's not avoid it any longer. you say pace the drinking. >> i know new year's eve is

coming but yes. there is a way to drink a little more responsibly. so number one, do not drink on an empty stomach. we all kind of know this but you have to make sure that something is in your stomach to help absorb the alcohol so it doesn't get to your blood stream quite so quickly. the other thing that is a good trick is drink a glass of water in between every alcoholic drink you have. it's going to make you a little more full, less dehydrated and definitely help pace yourself. >> if you drink a lot of water maybe your hangover won't be as bad. >> exactly. you don't have to drink at every single party you go to. you get three parties in a row, pick one. >> what about sleep? this is important on any night but in particular on new year's. >> yeah. well the holiday times we're going out a lot, often sleep deprived. catch up the next day with a brief cat nap, just 30 or 40 minutes. a lot longer than that can often make you feel even more tired but a brief nap can really help energize. sleep deprivation is a problem. it can lead to depression. other things even short term. you want to try to get as much sleep as you can even if you're going to a lot of parties. you don't have to be the last man standing. get home early.

>> you can choose the events you really want to go to. you don't have to go to everything. >> exactly. >> let's talk about exercise. a lot of people fall off the exercise wagon during the holidays. >> yeah. unfortunately many people sort of take december off from their routine and this is not a good idea because this is a time when you're eating more, packing on pounds, and it's much easier to gain weight than to lose weight afterwards. so try to stick to your routine as much as you can even if it's a shorter workout. try to maintain it as often as you can and there are other ways to get exercise. if you're at the party get on the dance floor and boogie away. >> i love that tip. >> i love it too. you're not at the bar or the food table but having fun with your friends and burning calories. >> burn off all the little pigs in a blanket you couldn't pass up. >> exactly. >> this is a hard one. don't stress. >> this is supposed to be a happy time but it is very stressful. it is the end of the year. a lot of people thinking what did they accomplish? what more do they need to do? give yourself a break. don't over commit to too many things or too many people. if there are new year's eve parties don't spend your time in a car. pick one or two.

be kind to yourself. have some reasonable expectations for the new year. don't set really huge goals for 2012 but realistic, achievable ones. you don't want to be beating yourself up the whole time. >> thank you so much. i'll see you on the dance floor. >> yes. still ahead hot hair styles for your new year's party. create them at home. coming up next, from alec baldwin getting the boot from a flight to charlie sheen and his shenanigans we'll look back at the most memorable celebrity moments of 2011 right after this. you shouldn't just get it fast, you should also get it for free. that's why at h&r block... you could get money that's both fast and free on an emerald card. just bring in your tax information and get a refund anticipation check... in 7-14 days, for up to $9,999. you pay nothing out of pocket. hurry. this offer ends february 4th. why pay for fast money when you can get it for free? call 1-800-hrblock to make an appointment. h&r block. never settle for less.

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moments you're looking forward to... what if they were stolen from you? by alzheimer's. this cruel disease costs americans more than $180 billion a year, and could cripple medicare in the near future. the alzheimer's association is taking action, and has been a part of every major advancement. but we won't rest until we have a cure. you have plans... help the alzheimer's association protect them. act now, go to alz.org. from xufgs in the sky to hollywood heart break there was no shortage of entertainment news in 2011. many are calling it the year of the celebrity. we have the global entertainment

editor for the associated press with a look back at the highs and lows. good morning. >> good morning. >> we look like twins. good company. >> some of these celebrities may not make good company when you look at their behavior over the past year. >> this is our annual wacky and tacky list. we have the top five moments for your today show viewers. >> number five. >> celebrities blaehaving badlyn planes. you have alec baldwin booted off because he wouldn't stop playing a game. armstrong from green day was booted off a flight. celebrities run from the plane. >> i can forgive maybe on your little tablet but your name on the plane, unforgivable. >> alec was cute about it. he tweeted after. forget american airlines. just said, hey. i was wrong. i'm sorry this happened. >> all right. at number four on your list? >> number four, arnold and

maria. you know, maria doesn't make the list. arnold schwarzenegger does. he hit us with a triple whammy. we found out maria was filing for divorce and then found out why. arnold had been cheating with the housekeeper. had a child with the housekeeper. and the child is the same age as one of his children with maria. he just hit us with it. >> and i think he's been keeping a low profile. does that help him with the tackiness factor? >> i don't know if you can take away from that. this is a woman who was in their house every day. he was having an affair. in this case there is nothing arnold could say to defend it. he better keep a low profile. >> i think a lot of people would agree. let's move on to number three, certainly a wacky one. >> okay. so justin bieber who looks like a baby was accused of having a baby. >> he looks like a baby but it could be possible but in this case it is not. >> this woman comes out and says i have a young son and justin bieber is the father. justin came on the "today" show and told matt, the closest you'll ever get to a maury

povich moment that he is not the father. he took a paternity test. the lady later withdrew his claims. wasn't true. >> he handled it really well. he tried to at first keep a lightness about it but then handled the nature of it in a serious manner. >> he did. he got on top of the rumors. he didn't do a tiger woods where you stay back before releasing a statement. he said no. this isn't true. i'm not the father of this child. i'll take a paternity test. it's not mine. >> on our list as number two or your list as number two i believe it's actually should be called number 72. >> that's good. >> i didn't write it. >> i like that. kim kardashian's 72-day marriage. okay. so this -- >> is that wacky or tacky? >> both. just because of the fact that they cashed in on this and made an estimated $250,000 a day for every day they were married. so they had the e special we're seeing right now. they had the limited edition perfume. they sold the photo rights to the marriage. it was absolutely everywhere. her mother says it was not about the money. kim thought she was in love and, you know? >> who are we to judge?

we're not inside a marriage. >> but we will. when you put it out there, every time i watched it, i want those hours in my life back. is nothing sacred? >> no chance they'll reconcile? >> i don't think so. if you look back a year ago they are exactly where they were before they met each other. he is playing for the nets and she is doing well with reality tv. >> he got booed. >> big time. >> by the fans of the knicks. >> there was a reents poll saying he is the most disliked athlete. he has taken a hit because of it. but we americans have short memories. we'll forgive soon. >> we'll see. coming in at number one i think i hear a drum roll. >> winning. >> duh. i've got my tiger blood and i'm ready to roll. >> we have not seen a breakdown like this since britney spears shaved her head. charlie sheen this year, he introduced us to his goddesses. >> they are no longer his goddesses. >> they're gone. he went on a standup tour. he talked about having tiger blood. he went completely off the deep

end but also was in on the joke. he started to cash in on it on the comedy tour. >> i love your up side. but he was in on it. >> eventually. i think he lost it and then said wait a minute. this is my short little bit of fame. he has a new show in development. he got a big pay day from "two and a half men" and he is winning. >> will his career recover? this is considered the recovery? >> it is definitely going to recover. he got roasted this year. he is laughing all the way to the bank. you have to admit charlie sheen is the bad boy. we like to see charlie sheen act a little bit naughty. >> i think there needs to be another level past bad. >> he crossed over this year. >> interesting and entertaining. thank you very much. merry christmas. >> happy new year. still ahead speaking of new year want to celebrate the new year with an intimate night at home? we'll have the recipe for the ultimate romantic dinner for 2009. jamie lee curtis?? oh, hi, yes...wow, you really went all out on the decorations, huh?! yeah, but i'm so slow taking them down after all the fatty holiday food. but that's normal.

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and don't get heartburn in the first place. available at walmart. 9:25 is your time now. i am eun yang. let's check in with storm 4 meteorologist, veronica johnson. a cold start to the day, veronica. >> yes, the last time we had low temperatures across the area for a start was more than a week ago. so 10 and 18 degrees lower than yesterday. we're in the mid-20s to low 30s across the area. 34 in d.c., and 27 degrees over in martinsberg. more clouds later today. and then 54 for a high for friday. 53 for saturday, and 56 for

sunday. looking dry for new year's eve and day, and cold most of next week. we

good morning. inner loop of the beltway slow coming up to arlington boulevard. it's off and on bridge construction work until 4:00. outside the beltway, 66 is wide open. keep in mind, eastbound university boulevard still blocked. only the westbound lanes open from an earlier fatality this morning.

270 wide open. back to you. >> thank you. more news, weather and traffic for you in 25 minutes. but for now back to the "today"

charlie sheen, his first morning show interview. >> a lot to remember about 2011 and tomorrow we will do just that looking at some of the biggest stories of the year. we'll look back at how we covered them here on today." should be a good one. meanwhile, coming up in this half hour a new twist in the disappearance of a 20-month-old girl in maine. >> her father, who says he was last to see his little girl asleep in her bed nearly two weeks ago is now breaking his silence. we'll tell you what he is now saying about his missing daughter and get reaction from the girl's mother in an exclusive interview. >> all right. also ahead we'll lighten things up considerably with a look ahead to a new year's

celebration. we have easy, do it yourself hair styles so you can look your best on the big night. there's one of them. >> very glamorous. we'll see what the trick is for that do. then we'll head to the kitchen and learn to create the perfect, romantic dinner for two. if you want to skip the crowds and celebrate with a special someone this year. i love this. >> filet mignon, a little chocolate. first a check of the forecast. >> let's look at your forecast for new year's eve. already got shut down yesterday by carl and savannah on any resolutions. they were like no we don't have any. i'm scared to ask. see? nobody does. your forecast at midnight, quite nice across the country and then as we focus in on what's happening here -- >> that is a baby crying? >> a horn. >> oh, the new year's horn. hopefully you'll get a better

horn. temperatures, the 40-degree range when the ball is dropping. now here's a look at what is happening outside your door. >> grab the coat and gloves, because it's a cold one out there this morning. temperatures in the 20s and low 30s throughout the area. hagerstown, 27 degrees, and still 30 around waldorf. and today we will see a high of 46 degrees, so temperatures will at least rise, and there are clouds around the area, and right all that mild hair is going to give way to seasonal temperatures next week. >> thank you, stephanie. up next, where is little ayla? the missing toddler's mother speaks out in an exclusive interview right after this. is this your normal? jamie lee curtis?? oh, hi, yes...wow, you really went all out on the decorations, huh?! yeah, but i'm so slow taking them down

after all the fatty holiday food. but that's normal. what do you mean that's normal? it doesn't have to be. to me, normal, means feeling good inside. not slow. try some activia. activia helps with occasional irregularity, when eaten 3 times a day. keep a video diary and let me know about your new normal. love your new normal or it's free.

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i got that wrong didn't i? [ male announcer ] want great taste and whole grain oats that can help lower cholesterol? honey nut cheerios. today investigators are still looking high and low for a missing toddler in maine who disappeared nearly two weeks ago. we'll have an exclusive interview with ayla reynolds' mother in just a moment. but first let's get the latest from nbc's ron mott outside the house in waterville, maine where the little girl was last seen. ron, good morning to you. >> reporter: hey, savannah. good morning to you. it's been 13 days since ayla reynolds disappeared from her dad's house here behind me. in that time authorities have searched the neighborhood and surrounding areas looking for the missing 20-month-old toddler but have not found her yet and will not give up.

for the 12th consecutive day police searched in and around the home of missing 20-month-old ayla reynolds and they're not giving up. the reward for information is now $30,000. police say they've received nearly 400 tips and investigators are looking into every one of them. since ayla disappeared, her father justin dipietro has not spoken to the media. on wednesday he released a statement saying, it's important that the public hear it from me personally that i have no idea what happened to ayla and that i'm not in hiding. dipietro told police he put his daughter to bed on december 16th. when he checked on her the next morning he says she was gone. at the time, investigators say ayla was wearing a soft cast for a broken arm. police describe her injury as an accidental fall. but her mother was suspicious. the day before ayla disappeared, trista reynolds filed for sole custody. >> since she's been there she's had a broken arm. she's ended up missing. you know what i mean? i wasn't trying to be secretive by going to the court.

i just didn't want to fight with him anymore. >> reporter: justin dipietro responded to the accusations, saying i would never do anything to hurt my child. the questions of ayla's arm or bruises or anything else being said are simply ludicrous. i have to believe that ayla is with somebody and i just want that person to find the courage to do the right thing and find a way to return her safely. the father has not been named a suspect in his daughter's disappearance. he says he is pleased with how police have conducted this investigation so far and he remains hopeful that someone will bring ayla back safe and sound. >> all right. ron mott, thanks. earlier this morning matt spoke to ayla's mother trista reynolds in an exclusive interview. he started by asking her what police have told her so far about the investigation. >> the same thing i hear on the news. they'll call me now first before i hear it on the news but it's the same thing, that they're still investigating, they're

still where we were 13 days ago. >> ayla was with her father when she was last seen. now he has not spoken publicly but he did release a statement through the police. first of all, let me ask you, do you think that justin dipietro has anything to do with your daughter's disappearance? >> i don't know. part of me feels yes and part of me feels no. it's just -- >> explain the part of you that feels yes. >> just, you know, hehe's not in hiding but why won't comb out and talk to me? why is he staying away? you know, like just what is he so afraid of to not come out or to talk to me? >> we should mention that in a lot of these situations in the past parents do come forward and go on television but it is everyone's right not to do that. >> right. >> in his statement he says it's important the public hear it from me personally. i have no idea what happened to ayla. i am not hiding. i've been in full cooperation with everyone in this effort including not adding additional media hype. so your response to that?

>> i am still in shock with what he wrote, like what he put out in his statement. >> a little background on your relationship with dustin. according to you, you and dustin had an agreement he would take care of ayla while you were in rehab back in october. other reports suggest that child protective services gave justin temporary custody of ayla. i don't think you afwree wigree that. after you got out of rehab a month went by where you never saw ayla. why? >> i had went like two and a half weeks without seeing her when i first got out of rehab and then after the first week of november i didn't see her again until the 21st of november and then after the 21st of november i did not see her again. >> have you been critical of justin's parenting? do you worry she was not safe in his care? >> yeah. >> for what reason? >> just, you know, for the reasons like he would never let me see her. i would call to talk to her and he'd get mad about it. i mean, like if i did see her and i would notice something on her like a bruise or just

something instead of reacting in a calm manner he would lash out about it or kind of like go into defense. >> i have to ask you at the end here. you filed for sole custody of ayla the day before she disappeared. did you have anything to do with her disappearance or did you send anyone up to that house to take your baby back? >> no. and i didn't file for sole custody. all i filed for was parental rights and responsibilities. it wasn't sole custody. >> if you could speak to justin dipietro right now what would you say to him? >> just come talk to me. just talk to me. you know? like he is the only one that can answer some of my questions. you know? like we have a daughter that is missing. we used to be able to get along all the time. just talk to me. that's all i want. just -- he was the last one to see her alive. >> that was matt with trista reynolds, ayla's mother, earlier this morning. just ahead we'll make a turn with the new year fast approaching lewis bicardi is

here and will share some money saving do it yourself hair styles for your big night out. i see glitter there. right after this.

. . . .

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countdown to the new year holiday hair tips. you don't have to head to the salon to spend a fortune to stand out. to ring in 2012, we have some simple, do it yourself ideas. louis, good morning and good to see you. >> good morning. >> i'm very excited about this because i am just not good with my hair. hence the reason i keep it short. these ideas are easy. >> the simplest ideas plus they're cheap, cheerful, but they look like you spent a fortune at the salon. >> i love it. let's get to it. we have a couple things we're starting out with hair extensions. you brought a model to demonstrate. >> right. here is marian. new year's eve is meant to be special so why not add a different color? show us how easy it is to put in. here she is. >> this is a clip? >> this is a clip-on extension. easiest way to change your hair dramatically in seconds. it's done. we can play with it of course. >> right. i love the contrast.

this looks elegant. >> if she chose to she could go to a paler blonde or even a strawberry. it all works. >> i like it. lus ha you also have little head bands. >> remember this is new year's eve. your one chance to go over the top and add sparkle is new year's eve. >> i like this. >> i usually say less is more but more is more here. >> all right. you look beautiful with it. and next up? >> here's my favorite. >> the glitter. all over. >> okay. diamonds are a girl's best friend. >> indeed. >> we love to light up like the windows of tiffany's. >> mission accomplished. >> basically why don't you show us how we do this. >>. >> five, four, three, two, one. you already have it on. >> it just stays in your hair.

>> yes. >> do you want to try one? >> i would love to. >> okay. >> here. >> okay. here we go. let's go. >> you're going to do it. okay. >> just to be safe. >> okay. one -- five, four, three, two, one. >> perfect. >> there it goes. >> beautiful. >> oh, nice. >> genius. okay. >> you can put it all over. >> you can put as many or as few as you want. >> and how do you wash them out? >> you can just brush them out. they can last a night or a week. >> i need more, louis. >> come see me afterwards. >> you look beautiful. i love this. again, we're looking at adding a little hair but especially in the bangs area. >> bangs are sultry because it's that peek a boo look.

you can cut bangs but, you know, she was a little nervous about cutting her bangs and wanted to try them on. sometimes you see a cute guy and want to go but don't want to necessarily bring him home to your parents. >> for the rest of my life i will think of men and bangs. >> okay. take them off and show. look. there she is. watch this. say she wants to change into a chiccer hair-do and wear it up in seconds she can literally just throw her hair up. >> right. >> she can do this. she does it all the time. this is great for during the year when you're rushing off to work and you have five minutes and didn't wash your hair. your lip stick is not even on and you have to leave in two minutes. one, two, three. >> don't mind the bump here. >> i dream of genie. wow. amazing. >> first of all -- >> that matches her hair perfectly. >> when you match the hair and

pick a ponytail pick a shade lighter than your color because as your hair grows long it becomes lighter from the sun and elements. >> my gosh. >> if you want to pick the bang color, also pick that a little lighter but it'll brighten your face. >> you look beautiful. louis, thank you so much. >> thank you. >> can i have another one? i have to set up my hair here. >> okay. >> in the meantime that is all we need to know. thank you very much. what do i do? >> okay. here you go. let's do it one more time. >> also coming up, up next as git my hair spruced up everything you need to pull together a romantic dinner for two for new year's eve. bling included. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

this morning on "today's holiday kitchen" a romantic new year's eve dinner for two. if you're looking to skip the crowds and celebrate the new year at home we have some ideas.

eric is the chef and owner of restaurant north here in new york. good morning to you. >> good morning to you. >> you ready for our romantic dinner? >> i am indeed. >> some people don't think cooking in dishes are romantic but you say this is a really stress free way to do it. >> yeah. i mean, if you keep it simple, keep simple ingredients, and you limit the amount of time that you're spending doing dishes and cooking on the stove tops, what better way than to sit on the couch and watch new year's at home? >> i'm all about that. first tell me about the souf you've got. it looks beautiful. >> a really simple soup with a few ingredients. >> it's a hubbard squash soup. hubbard squash is a winter squash that is really delicious, a little less sweet. has more of a savory component to it. >> nice. what do you have on top? >> a little whipped cream we finished with maple syrup and black pepper to garnish but five ingredients total in the entire dish. delicious. >> here's our main course. >> how did you season those up? >> just salt and pepper really pretty much the go-to on any steak. >> okay. >> the important thing is to

sear it, bring out the sugars. not necessarily to seal in the juices but bring out the sugars and it makes for a flavorful steak. >> how long do you cook it? >> about two minutes on each side will get you to medium rare. maybe medium. >> i know letting it rest is a key thing. >> so important. letting it rest is so important because you kind of, all the juices kind of go crazy and you want to let them settle down so that it, you know -- >> how long do you want to let it rest? >> five minutes. a thin piece like that five minutes tops. >> this is really cool. this goes with the filet. this is hash. >> a fun take on hash, a little more healthy. it's sweet potatoes and brussel sprouts. >> how do you do it? >> boil the sweet potatoes ahead of time and dice them. then we roast them in a pan in olive oil, add the brussel sprouts and a little bit of thinly sliced garlic. kind of bring this all together. >> what's that juice? just a little olive oil.

>> okay. got it. >> bring this all together. and then what we do is a little bit of bruju, a little bit of grape juice from unripened wine grapes. you can get it in a gourmet store, direct from the wineries. this is from a winery in long island which we love. >> okay. how long do you satta utee it t? about three minutes to glaze the vegetables and sweet potatoes. >> smells fantastic. >> that's the end product. >> now you've got the hash, the meat. this looks like that sauce -- >> it's a greek yogurt sauce. it's finished with a little herb and olive oil. it's just -- for me it's how can i limit that long process so we think about a flavorful, wonderful way to again keep it healthy a little bit with just a greek yogurt and whip in some herbs and olive oil. >> it looks delicious. let us go to dessert. shall we? now, how are we making this? this looks absolutely beautiful.

what do you call this? >> our chocolate fudge cookie skillet. we bake a lot of fresh cookies and cakes in skillets and serve them and if you ever want to see a grown man turn into a child, serve them a freshly baked cookie. just turn it on. we have it almost all the way done. >> where the on button? >> forward to two or three. right there. and all we're doing from this point is just a basic cookie dough recipe which we've already made. cream the sugar, add the ingredients. now we'll just fold in some beautiful chocolate which you're welcome to drop in. >> just putting it in there. >> put it in. >> look at me. i'm baking. >> my gosh. >> okay. okay. you put that chocolate -- that's it. really fine, dark chocolate. 73% coco butter. we'll incorporate it all together. >> yes. then let's get to the skillet part with about 30 seconds left. >> awesome. cool. so we'll take this off and -- >> you put it in the skillet and then what? >> when we press it down into a skillet -- >> we heat it up.

>> 13 minutes in a 350-degree oven. >> i'm in love. thank you for our romantic dinner. again, restaurant north in new york outside of new york city. thank you. >> kathie lee and hoda have a look at some of the new movies in 2012. first your local news and weather. [ female announcer ] help i need a holiday party idea.

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9:57 is your time now. good morning to you. i am eun yang. let's check with veronica johnson with a look at the forecast. >> we're warming up slowly, very slowly. let's take a trip around the area where you can see what the temperatures are. we have 34 in poolsville. your high is 46 degrees.

so it will be chilly, and more clouds later on today, and mostly cloudy. for friday, saturday and sunday, partly sunny with highs in the low to mid-50s. and on the beltway now just past 29, an accident blocking the left lane, and police and firefighter are at the scene. >> thanks so much, carol. it's now 9:58. coming up, we will tell you where the hottest parties are for this new year's eve at 11:00. 11:00. hope to see you then, and

captions paid for by nbc-universal television hey, everybody, it's thirst day thursday december 29th. we are with just three days away from the big ball. >> are we really? should we toast the big ball? >> sure. it's never too soon. there you go. this begs the question, what celeb, if you could, would you want to have that strike of midnight kiss with? >> that's a good one. yahoo did this survey. the number one man women would love to kiss at midnight is not surprising, is it?

>> no. >> george clooney. he's number one. johnny depp comes in second. >> you either go for one type or the other. i am going to kiss a celeb at midnight, frank gifford. if he weren't there? got to be hugh jackman. >> can i tell you? >> yeah. >> now that you -- after we saw that show. >> his show on broadway i think is closing right around now. >> there is something both sexy and funny and real. >> and sweet. >> i might have to share that. >> might have to change your vote? >> i was going to do clooney. >> you didn't think it through. >> is there a woman on our web page who posted this funny thing. she keeps going, what does mommy always tell daddy? to think things through. the kid just bursts out laughing. i love it.

>> somebody is listening. men would like to kiss jennifer aniston. she is having a big year. she was chosen the sexiest woman of all time. a woman who didn't make that list that surprised so many people does come in second -- >> what is that? that's like slurping? >> that's my mother eating a steak. halle berry came in second place. i'm sorry. i've been interviewing halle berry the last 20 years. up close and personal, i don't think i've ever seen a more beautiful woman. she is unbelievable. >> the people we want to never bring home for the holidays. >> definitely not kissing, just don't want to bring them home. >> snooki is the female. and charlie sheen is the man. >> they're a lot of fun. you know who we would like to party with? seth rogen. i think he's funny.

i like the guy "forgetting sara marshall." jason segal. who do you want to kiss? >> bradley cooper. >> that's a good one. she didn't even have to think about it. barely got the question out. >> let's talk about driving while stressed out. that is something women have and men have. if you're driving in the car and your husband/boyfriend is next to you, does that elevate your stress level? >> the woman is driving and the man is in the passenger seat? >> women say that makes them stressed. >> they rarely let you do it. they have to common tate on it. >> they have to be bossy. >> what is that? >> we need sound effects? >> frank hurt his leg the other day. we were running to a movie and he hurt it really. i rushed to get the car and met him. i'm telling you, all the way home the man told me everything

i was doing wrong. you're going too fast. watch out around this corner. i'm going, would you stop it? somehow i got him home safely. >> it's the opposite. if we're in the passenger seat and the man is driving, it doesn't raise their level. >> of course not. they are a man in control. they are not going to stop for directions. they are screaming at their gps thing. not frank. >> those gps things, i don't like them. >> they're often wrong. >> turn left in 1/4 mile and there is one left right there you think do they mean a 1/4? you go further and there is nothing. it's gone. >> you're supposed to listen for the little sound then go. >> i like to have more lead time. >> who is sirius really? who is that person in the gps? it's over. >> i'm breaking up with siri.

i ask her all kinds of things. is where city bank? i cannot understand. >> like you need one more thing in your life to get upset about. >> i'm lathered about it. >> this latest survey surprised me a little bit. the world's most visited tourist attractions from "travel and leisure" magazine. >> the world's most visited. the top five. niagara falls is number five. >> both sides. >> las vegas, nevada, is the fourth most visited tourist attraction. >> i wonder why. >> this is interesting. number three is union station in washingt washington, d.c. >> that makes no sense to me though it's a beautiful facility. it's gorgeous. >> getting on the train at union station in d.c. is a real treat. >> you feel like you're in a time warp. it's just so glorious.

>> and it's like a little mall. you can go shopping. there are stores. >> yes, hodi. >> number two? >> central park. not the empire state building, not the statue of liberty, but central park. >> and the number one world's most visited tourist attraction is -- >> times square. >> go figure. it's thursday. you know what that means? >> oy. >> i get to have fun. this guy in front is going to play along with us. i picked a song i enjoy a lot. >> who is this? >> this is called my keepon. he is going to stance with us. this is called "tight rope" by a woman named janelle monet. you know how i like sweaty dance songs. think of this like "dream girls" but like now. it's hip "dream girls." ready? >> i'm feeling stress.

♪ some people talk about ya >> it's about tipping on a tight rope. >> he didn't like it either. >> ready? jumping on the tight rope. >> you always say am i ready? ready for what? ♪ whether it goes high or low ♪ you've got to tip on the tight rope ♪ >> do you see "dream girls?" ready? can you picture the "dream girls" now? does it feel like it? >> no. does jay have the same taste in music that you do? >> jay likes what i like. >> you found the perfect man.

>> this is crazy. it's never over. here is what's great about this. >> this is terrible. she must be a lovely person. i liked "dream girls." they had a fabulous score. okay, hoda. >> it does remind me of that air yachl. >> is it okay or not okay to have overly optimistic new year's resolutions? >> kathie lee says probably not. you're only human. >> i learned not to make them any more. that's part of wisdom. that's getting old, what's the point? i'm not going to keep them and i'll feel worse about myself than i feel now. hoda says, yes, it is okay. new year's resolutions are meant to be made and broken. you make up the rules? personally, he made the same resolutions since the early '90s. to clean her purse. lose ten pounds and get

organized. >> same ones every year. >> you don't need to lose 10 pounds, but you do need to get organized. >> i do get organized every now and then. >> enough to show up here every morning. up next -- >> "time" magazine's photos of the year. great moments in history. right after this. oh it's clearance time! yeah, our low prices are even lower. we need to teach her how to walk. she is taking up valuable cart space. aren't you, honey? [ male announcer ] it's our biggest clearance event of the year where our prices are even lower.

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a picture is worth a thousand words. we know that. the past year left us with no shortage of stories. the folks at "time" magazine pored through countless photos. >> director of photography and the magazine's editor at large. >> it's not easy. how many images would you say? >> thousands of pictures. >> let's get started with some of the greatest hits here. the first is a volcano in chile. >> tell us about this image. beautiful.

>> this is an extraordinary image of the volcano erupting in june. look at this picture, the sky, the drama. the power. >> wow. >> although it's sort of a dramatic and dangerous activity, it is so beautiful. it's such a beautiful thing. nature is terrible and wonderful at the same time. >> the next photo is in vancouver where there were the huge riots and a picture of this couple smooching. >> this is after the canucks lost the stanley cup and people went to the street this couple is over it. they are no longer upset. they've got other things on their mind as the riot police move through. >> it almost looks like it could be a scene from a movie. >> it turns out she had been hurt and he was comforting her is what they later told us on the "today" show.

>> mouth-to-mouth. >> next up we call this the flying rhino because that's what it is. tell us about this image. >> this is a rescue picture of a black rhino being rescued out of a poaching area in south africa. it's so surreal. it's so surprising. >> what i love about this picture, it's such an unnatural thing to happen to this poor rhino to be preserved and in order for nature to keep going the way it needs to. >> it doesn't look like he is putting up a stink though. bungee jumping. >> next up, usually you don't get to see these shots but this is inside the situation room. hillary clinton was singled out a lot in this picture. >> this is an amazing picture. what i love is we are not seeing what they are looking at. we are just seeing their expressions, especially hillary clinton. this is when they are monitoring the mission with osama bin laden. >> they didn't know at that time how it was going to end up.

>> exactly. >> that is a great picture. >> joplin, missouri, was such a heartbreaking scene. this stood out to you. why is that? >> i love this picture personally because you can see the devastation there, but you can also see right there, right in the center of the picture fireworks going off. do you see that? >> is that what that is? >> it's a july picture. it's july 2nd. i think that is a celebration that shows, to me, no matter how bad things get, the human spirit comes through. >> how do you comb through thousands of pictures. >> there are so many, but i think the combination of hope and inspiration and devastation is great. >> on a lighter note. >> a sweet note. >> prince william and kate. there are so many iconic images. this one stands out for so many reasons. >> the little girl on the left is adorable. >> the little girl on the left

grace makes this photo. you can see the pomp and the circumstance, billions of people watching. it's a global event and there is just one kid who's had enough. she is done. >> it's so honest. >> there are people who felt that way about the wedding, i think. >> very noisy, right? >> very noisy. >> she is adorable. the next image we have is an image, this was iconic, just recently, too. these guys getting pepper sprayed by a police officer and lots of cameras around. >> he must have known it. >> this is a picture last month of one of the occupy protestors. what is stunning is the posture of the policeman and the casualness almost. >> it's like he is watering the lawn. >> interesting. that caused a lot of controversy that picture. the last one you have is a boy playing with a tennis boy. but this isn't any ordinary boy. >> for those who don't recognize

that, that is downtown aubadoban and that is the house where osama bin laden was captured in the picture earlier. as you see, life goes on. this little boy, obviously, he does not know the most wanted criminal in the world is living next door. he is more focused on that ball he has to catch. >> great pictures, you guys. >> thank you so, so much. >> our pleasure. they never fail to make us laugh. >> webtastic videos. [ mom ] scooter? your father loves

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♪ we are back with sara's special series we call webtastic. >> as we get ready to ring in 2012 we are looking back at our favorite webtastic videos from the past year. >> we saw a lot of laughing baby videos this year. one of the most memorable baby mica who got a real chuckle out of his dad's job rejection

letter. >> by the way, his dad marcus has gotten a job since then. he is an editor for an educational publishing company. >> of course he is. you want to follow that kid the rest of his life. wouldn't you love to know what he's going to become? >> you have another video with a dad. >> we fell in love with tom whose son found him dancing to britney spears. take a look.

♪ ♪ >> look at that move. >> bless his heart. it's probably motivation to lose a little weight. good for him. >> next you remember the katy perry loving college students who got snowed in. did i mention they're all guys? ♪ do you ever feel like a plastic bag ♪ ♪ drifting through the wind ♪ wanting to start again ♪ do you ever feel just so paper thin ♪ like a house of cards ♪ one blow and you're caving in ♪ cause there's a spark in you ♪ you just got to ignite

♪ the light ♪ and let it shine >> very sexy. we have a lot of dancing videos out there, didn't we? >> the dancing ones made it big. check out zola the break dancing gorilla. ♪ >> i love it. they added the music later, i guess? >> how funny is that? >> i love it. >> sara, thanks. these are some gems. still to come, the movies you'll be look being forward to in 2012. >> the right wine or bubbly. jane fonda is back. ♪

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we are back with more on "today." it's hard to believe 2012 is days away. a whole new year of blockbuster films and movie madness. >> we have a sneak peek at the hottest flicks. >> it's going to be a good year for movie. a lot of good buzz. stuff i've seen a little bit of. it looks promising. >> let's talk about fairy tales, shall we? >> fairy tales are very hot. >> the same fairy tale. >> exactly. there is a "jack in the beanstalk" movie and a "hansel and gretel." and two big snow white movies.

the first one is "mirror mirror" with julia roberts as the evil queen, lilly collins and your friend army hammer. >> they made this movie in montreal. he said it was the most unbelievable experience. >> it looks funny. the other snow white is called "snow white and the huntsman." it's probably more action-packed. that has charlize theron in it. and "spiderman." they are starting all over with andrew garfield, this fantastic british actor. >> he was also in "social network." >> and great stuff on british television. they have emma stone in this one. she is playing a different character from the comic books.

>> staying on the superheroes, you have "the avengers." >> that goes way back. >> it goes round and round. this is the ultimate fan boy superhero movie. it's got ironman, thor, black widow and the hulk. >> who directed that? >> it was josh wieden. they are all six giant superheroes in this movie together. >> another action film is "john carter." >> it it a fascinating property that started out in 1912. it was about a guy who is a civil war soldier and he gets transported to mars. on mars he discovered that he has superhero strength. he meets, as you do, a hot marsh princess in a bikini. right? >> i would expect nothing less.

>> the interesting thing about this is that andrew stanton who directed wall-e and "finding nemo," this is his first action movie from pixar. >> i'm excited about this one, "rock of ages." >> the broadway musical is fun. it's big '80s, big hair music. adam shekman is doing the movie. it has tom cruise as an aging rocker with hair down to his bottom. >> it's a little tongue and cheek. >> it's very campy looking. >> the next pick is a remake of sorts, "dark shadows." >> it was from the tv show, barnabus collins.

remember the house would shake every time they closed the door? it was a crazy tv show. >> it had such a cult following. >> tim burton and johnny dependent, both would go whom and watch that every day and now they made a movie version of it. michelle pheiffer is in it. >> here is a big one, "the " -- "the hunger game." >> it takes place in the future. there are kids taken from the provinces. they are taken to the capital and they have to fight to the death for the entertainment of the people in power. it's a young adult novel, but fairly dark and sophisticated. the novels are fantastic. they are great. this movie, the first one comes out this year. it's already just such a big deal. >> when we came over to your offices, you were talking about "hunger games." we went, what? >> you saw it on the cover,

that's going 2 tank. >> we just said what is it? >> we would have been better. >> we've got to run. your last pick "the dark knight rises." >> the new batman movie. >> have a great 0 holiday. >> thank you. the holiday season ain't over next. dad, why are you getting that? is there a prize in there?

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from wanting to ask for a

receipt for a horrible gift to not being invited to a co-worker's new year's party we have to deal with awkward situations, but help is here. >> he writes the advice column for "the new york times" and writes the book "social q's." and "today" contributor harriet cole is etiquette expert and president of harriet cole media. >> every year my sister gives me the ugliest christmas present imaginable. this year was no exception, but she removes all the tags and store info so i can't return them. i don't think she is regifting, but can i ask her where she got them to try for an exchange? sandy, is her name. >> shout out to your kindergarten teacher. we get what we get and we don't get upset. you open the box, you smile, you give your sister a hug and you put it wherever you're going to put it.

>> give it to goodwill. >> thank you. >> but it's your sister. stop giving the adults gifts. give gifts to the children. >> that worked in our family. >> it works. >> risking hurting someone's feelings? >> you can't tell your own sister? that speaks to other issues. >> i love awkward stuff. >> my best friend is giving a fancy new year's eve dinner. i accepted weeks ago, but i just found out that the man of my dreams, who i had a crush on forever, is going to be at another party. can i dump the dinner and switch to the other party instead? >> no. you cannot. what you could do -- >> why? >> it's rude. you can attend both. at holiday time, we often go from one party to the next. call the host in advance and say i won't be able to stay the whole time. this is how long because i'm dividing my evening. >> but the man of your dreams? she doesn't even know him.

he's not going to be the man of her dreams, i promise you. to really bum out your best friend for her big fancy party? not good. >> chasing the dream. if they were your best friend you could say, look, look. >> that's true. >> i feel i could say, hoda, do you mind? >> i would say go. then we wouldn't speak again. >> do you have to send a thank you note if you go to a friend's house for dinner? >> they call it the bread and butter note the next day? it's very nice to send a handwritten note, but at least call. >> a co-worker is throwing a new year's eve party i learned about on facebook, but she didn't invite me. i thought we were pretty close. >> apparently not. >> can i tell her she hurt my feelings. >> what is her name, carole? guess what? i didn't get invited to

bradjalina's christmas party. >> if you're the only one not going, that says something about your relationship. i don't think saying you hurt my feeling is is the thing to do. >> maybe her 2012 resolution could be to work on the friendship if she wants to be invited next year. >> or say hope you have a great party. >> or spike the punch with something nasty. >> all right, kids, thank you, thank you. >> next, choosing the right wine to ring in the new year. why settle for plain bread?a]

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it's time for "today's" countdown to the new year.

he said/she said. there is no better way to ring in the new year than with bubbly. >> we put our experts to the challenge to find splurge and easy wine. >> two of our favorite people. >> they are duking it out today. >> we are. >> you get to go first. >> basically, we are doing a couple of series of bubblies. we have under $20 and under $40 bubblies. we want you to taste and see which one you would like better. take a little peek on the pink bubbles. >> that's nice. >> i tend to like less expensive champagnes. >> these are both under $20 and really good. >> they are really good. >> you still have to choose. >> you wouldn't go wrong on them. >> this is much more full bodied. this is fruitier. >> i'm going to go with that

one. >> it's a split. >> that was a cava from spain. >> this is from the south of france. that's mine. this is $20. >> i didn't mean it wasn't great. >> two wines at about $40. one is california sparkling wine, rose, as well. one is piper heisack champagne from france. >> we don't get to drink. >> that is good. i like that. >> it's a stunning wine to look at. >> it's too fruity for me. >> taste this one. champagne from the champagne region of prance. >> i like this one. >> this one is mine. you like mine. >> we don't have a winner yet. >> girly. >> the question is one of these

wines comes from a big old honking bottle and another comes from a little tiny box. >> we want to know which comes from the big container and the box. take a sip. >> a lot of wanes come in alternative packages these days are great. they're high quality. >> here is the red. >> then a nice fruity red wine, a cabernet. these are good party wines. >> i know exactly which one came from the box. it was the champagne. what do you think? >> i'm going to go with the red wine just to have fun. >> the answer is -- >> the red came from the box? these are both affordable wines. that is only 25 bucks. >> this is black box, $5 for one of these. that's three glasses in there. >> that's three glasses? >> only one for you.

>> get down here some lovely lamb. lamb leg. >> we have 30 seconds. >> let's just drink. >> cheers, you guys. >> is there a winner here? we love both of them and we have a crown and some shades. >> let's give one the crown and one the shades. >> coming up next, oscar-winning actress jane fonda. it's the perfect time to find great deals

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leotards and leggings, jane fonda does it all. with more than 20 workouts, she revolutionized the fitness industry in 1982 with "jane fonda's workout." it's still the top home grossing

video of all time. >> unbelievable. jane is back with two fitness dvds for baby boomers. they are called "trim, tone and flex" and "firm and burn." she is here to teach us how to burn it. your outfit looks oddly familiar. >> do you believe this? >> i went into storage and quite by accident i discovered the original. it's on the cover of my first book. in those days it was dvd. >> it's big on you. >> it's getting roomy. >> that bothers us. >> it still works. >> i can't believe it. how do you maintain this body. i know it's working out, obviously, and eating, too. >> i eat well. i have good jeans. my dad was long and lanky, my brother is really long and lanky. i work out regularly. i can't run any more. >> you've got a titanium something, don't you? >> all the bells and whistles go off in the airports.

so you can't do what you used to do, so you do what you can do. >> your workout videos from the '80s are different than the ones coming out now. >> as you can see in the old days it was a lot of jumping up and down. i can't do it any more. a lot of people who are older can't do it any more. so there is no impact. you've got to maintain your muscle mass. you've got to be flexible and all those good things. i just do things that don't have impact that are easier, but allow you to continue to function independently. you want to be able to get in and out of chairs without help, in and out of cars without help. >> weight training is a big deal. >> weight training, no matter how old you are is good. we tend to lose muscle mass. you can increase your muscle mass no matter how old you are. >> you're going to show us right now. >> we want to know how to do this working out. >> sara is going to join us even though she is 2 years old. >> let's start with a lat

workout. that's the back. >> leg closest to the chair is forward. lunge back with the other leg. i'm going to use both weights with one hand. >> they are each three-pointers. >> right. then you lift and down. back is flat. >> is my back flat? >> that's good. lift and down. >> for a novice, how heavy should the weights be? >> i'd start with three pounds. i'm using two three pound weights. >> how many times would you do this? >> i would do this for about 15 times and then i do it twice. one set of 15 then another set of 15. >> you can do a half hour every day, would you say, of exercise? >> i do about 40 minutes of aerobics. if the weather is like outside today, ten minutes on a bike, ten minutes on a treadmill, ten minutes on an elliptical.

i get bored. no jumping up and down. here is another one. you don't have to lean over. this is for the shoulder. lift one arm up and one arm out and lower. then the other side. so we are working our shoulders, the deltoid muscles. at the same time because we are thinking one goes up, one goes to the side, we are working our brain. we are exercising our brain. >> i likey. >> this seems simple till you keep doing it a few times. >> you're not even doing what i'm doing. >> i'm doing it my way. i don't want to knock you down. >> jane, all of it is in your dvd. we wish you good luck with everything and the future which is a long, long run. >> thank you. >> all the best to you. >> thank you. >> what's happening tomorrow? >> look back at some of the crazy fun stuff we've done over the year. >> plus a special new year's

ambush makeover edition. see you tomorrow. have a good one, everybody. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com