good morning. wicked weather. that massive storm moving across the country now responsible for at least two deaths. a bizarre mix of tornadoes, snow, ice and wind, as unseasonably warm temperatures make like a spring-like first full day of winter in the east.

dylan is tracking it all. mission postponed. critical repairs to the international space station now pushed back after one of the astronauts accidentally compromised his space suit. late night bromance. ♪ bag down tissue up, that's the way we wrap it up ♪ >> jimmy fallon and justin timberlake on a christmas episode of "saturday night live." it's sunday, december 22nd, 2013. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with lester holt and erica hill live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> welcome to "today" on this sunday morning. i'm erica hill. >> i'm lester holt alongside jenna wolfe and dylan dreyer. folks, it is in the 60s right

now in new york. >> did i hear you say this morning we've already broken the record today? >> the record in central park is 63 degrees. we're already on the plaza 67. we've already annihilated the record. >> there are other people in other parts of the country saying no, no, not where we are. three days until christmas. the wild weather, the last thing people traveling all over, here in new york and in the northeast it's warm. the central plains have been slammed with ice and snow. two killed in mississippi where wild weather also damaged several homes, knocked down trees and left tens of thousands without power. >> that, of course, is creating chaos for holiday travellers from the gulf coast into eastern canada. more than 90 million people are expected to be traveling this weekend. >> dylan, you've been keeping a close eye on this and what it means for travel plans. >> unfortunately it is such a huge travel weekend. we are seeing the storm system moving out of the middle of the country slowly making its way eastward. that will continue to do so through the remainder of this

weekend as two different air masses collide, affecting 68 million people in 35 states. on this first full day of winter, severe weather is wreaking havoc over much of the country. >> this weather system will have a massive expanse of weather of one kind or another. >> reporter: overnight in mississippi, storms are being blamed for the deaths of two people. near oak ona, kentucky, winds gusting 70 miles per hour downed power lines setting fire to nine cars saturday night. in arkansas, a tornado caused accidents, damaged three homes and injured three people near the small town of hues. throughout the midwest, roads in kansas coated with ice. >> there's thick ice. i just seen a car drive off earlier. the front end was covered in ice. >> reporter: thousands were without power in oklahoma as ice and winds snarled power lines. residents in indiana and ohio had been gearing up for

potential flooding, all of this while an estimated 95 million americans tried to travel over this weekend. on saturday alone more than 400 flights were canceled, another 6,200 delayed. >> we were going to see family, but we'll have to reschedule. >> reporter: then this sight, kids sledding in arizona. on the east coast, spring-like weather, temperatures reaching the 60s in albany, new york, have closed ice skating rinks while temperatures nearing 80 in south carolina saw others at the beach. so this storm system is continuing do move east right now. you can see back across the western great lakes, that's where we still have the snow, but we have really heavy rain approaching atlanta right now as this storm system continues to move eastward. we even have some ice across parts of northern new england at this time. that's going to make roads very, very challenging up that way. we coupled still see some stronger storms today down through the southeast, not as strong as yesterday, but we

could still see very gusty winds and the snow is all the way through the northern plains through the great lakes where we will see steadier snow in the chicago area as we go through the day today. airports, we are going to see delays from minneapolis to chicago because of heavy rain down in atlanta even into charlotte. washington, d.c. could even see a few delays today because of the rain that will move in there. new york into boston, again, mostly rain with these heavier downpours that will move through. for those of you driving again, it will be a little slippery, especially in nips, through wisconsin into chicago. heavy rain will slow you down across the southeast. northern new england will see the ice that makes things slippery. christmas eve and christmas day all this rain is going to move eastward through the day today. watch what happens. by tomorrow we'll see things clear out. that will stick around through tuesday and into krs mass day as well. but it's going to be much, much colder. temperatures more seasonal with highs in the teens, 20s and 30s

which is certainly what you expect. we have sad news to report this morning. the 17-year-old girl shot in the head by a class made when he went on a rampage at their colorado high school earlier this month has died. this morning her friends and family are celebrating her life. and here is more from leanne gregg. >> reporter: an outpouring of love and grief as word spread. after eight days on life support, 17-year-old claire davis died saturday with her family by her side. students and friends gathered at their school to mourn. >> i really felt like i needed to be here. >> it's really not fair that it happened to her. just speechless. >> reporter: claire's doctor said she had a fighting spirit but her injuries were too severe. the davis family posted a statement saying "although we have lost our precious daughter, we will always be grateful for the indelible journey she took us on over the last 17 years." >> i have a student down in the athletic hall.

>> reporter: police say she was shot in the head at point-blank range at arapahoe high school by carl pearson who 80 seconds after his arrival turned the gun on himself. authorities believe claire was a random victim, the intended target was likely the gunman's debate coach. since the shooting friends and well wishers have held vigils, hosted prayers and raised funds to help with claire's medical expenses. one of her favorite medical groups, one direction, upload add get well video on youtube. >> we heard you're a great fan. >> reporter: so much hope for her survival and now vows that she will be remembered. >> claire will never be forgotten. >> reporter: leanne gregg, nbc news, near denver, colorado. let's turn to the daring space walk outside the international space station we watched yesterday to fix a crucial cooling system. the second planned walk will take place on tuesday, this after one of the space walkers accidentally turned on a water switch when he got back in the

space station, apparently compromising his suit. as kerry sanders reports for nasa, it's so far so good. >> reporter: today, a day to shore up the details for the next space walk on christmas eve. two astronauts will again spend several hours tethered to the space station, orbiting earth at 17,000 miles per hour as they try to replace the pump on a malfunctioning cooling system. >> good news from both crew members. everything is still dry. >> reporter: a problematic suit almost drown an italian astronaut last july. now there are absorbant bad inside the helmet, even a type of snorkel in the event a suit fills with water again. >> flying in space has everything to do with the unknown and doing things people have never done before. so you expect things to go wrong. you expect to be surprised. so what you do is you plan extremely carefully. >> reporter: on saturday the space walk went better than

anyone expect sgld i don't know if you guys believe in miracles, but i got the hitch pin on the first try. >> that's awesome rick. >> reporter: the astronauts are working urgently to repair the pump because as things currently stand tlrks's only one working cooling pump and the space station has turned off many non-essential systems. on tuesday if all goes well, it will slip into position. it's 7200 pounds, maneuvering it into place will take patience. >> we'll do a challenge and response and go through slowly and methodically through the timeline. >> reporter: depending on how things go christmas eve, the astronauts may again be floating back out into the blackness of space on christmas day. for "today," kerry sanders, nbc news, miami. turning now to the latest on the baemcare rollout, if you haven't signed up for your insurance yet, tomorrow is the deadline to do so if you want coverage by january 1st.

more people are enrolling, but could a last-minute change throw some people for a loop. david gregory is moderator of "meet the press" and joins us from d.c. good morning. >> good morning, erica. >> there is this big deadline. but also a tweak that's been made that we learned about at the end of the week. what does this do in terms of the rollout and what we're going to see. are there further changes coming? >> well, that's the question. i think where the administration has undermined some of these efforts is they keep changing it based on problems that arise and it leads you to ask the question about whether there will be more changes ahead. particularly the individual mandate which says everybody has to buy insurance. the reason that's there is so the younger, healthier people will buy insurance to pay for older sicker people. that model hasn't balanced out that health care really can't work. there seems to be pushes for more exceptions before you lock in to getting everybody signed up. also a question about insurance rates. are they going to go up because of the volatility allowing

people whose policies were canceled to buy different policies? a lot of confusion. more political opposition that's allowed to crop up because of these changes. >> what about in terms of the numbers that we're seeing? >> well, you got better numbers, more people enrolling, that's positive. whether they can meet their numbers for march is still a question. and along the way, there's all these other tests that the obama rollout will face for the affordable care act. it will be skrut nized, more sticker shock, how businesses respond. these are big issues politically. >> i do know you recently spoke with republican senator james inhop talking about the tragic death of his son perry. i want to talk to you a little about that. >> something like this happens and saul of a sudden the old barriers, those differences that keep us apart disappear because it's not just a recognition that i know how much more important that is, but they do, too.

and they look out and they realize that you lost someone, and that brings us closer together. >> is it in some ways a sign of the times that he was almost a little surprised by that simple act of kindness? >> his son died and he's talking about how many democrats in the senate, his colleagues reached out to him and comforted him and, yeah, he had a level of surprise. i do think it's how sad things have gotten here in washington that there is any level of surprise. the reason i was interested in the story and talking to the senator is not just because it's so compelling to have to go into the holidays carrying this kind of pain, his 52-year-old son, nearly 52, died last month. but at a time when personal relations have soured, there's a glimmer of hope that comes from this story and how he interacted with his democratic and republican colleagues and how his own attitude changed as a result. it's a little personal humanity

that frankly has been missing from a lot of official want wash. and i think people will be relieved to hear it coming back. >> david gregory, we'll check back with you for more on what you have on "meet the press." time now for the rest of the morning's top headlines with jenna. >> good morning a. special u.s. envoy is heading to south sudan as a bloody conflict is threatening to spill over into a humanitarian crisis. american civilians are caught in the middle of the fighting. four american troops were injured in a rescue mission on saturday. hundreds are dead and the conflict is threatening to spread to neighboring country. 2 million people who shopped at target will have their debit card limit cut nearly in half. jpmorgan chase will only allow them to withdraw $100 a day in cash or make $300 a day in purchases. chase is taking the precaution for its customers who were exposed to credit card hackers at target. a story to warm and break

your heart a little from west redding, pennsylvania, 8-year-old brown has a rare form of leukemia. delaney wished for a huge holiday sing-along outside her house. last night her wish came true. thousands of carollers showed up to sing to her. she posted that picture saying she heard them and loved them. finally, in the category of be careful what you wish for this christmas, also in the category of omg did that just happen, this. >> what do you want for christmas? >> i would like a new pair of running shoes. >> how about a wedding? >> that would be nice, too. >> will you marry me. >> holy -- >> that actually happened, and that is actually wonderful. she actually said yes. no wedding date has been planned, but nothing makes me happier than those full-on spontaneous surprises. >> that is fantastic. >> santa is off the hook.

>> my job is done here. >> exactly. >> maybe they can have the reception at the north pole. >> okay. >> maybe not. >> possibility. >> anyway, jenna, thanks. we've got an update to a story that got a lot of buzz we told you about yesterday. the public relations executive that sent a controversial tweet has been fired from her job. justine sacco sent this tweet joking about aids. the hash tag started lending to see what action her company would take against her. on saturday the company interactive corp said why she was let go saying her offensive comment does not reflect htheir views and values. >> not much to say to that. your jaw draws open. >> you're curious what her reaction would be. did she not feel that would be

the result? >> it's about an 11-hour flight between thereon done and capetown. this thing took off while she took off. imagine when she landed and saw -- >> the firestorm she was facing. >> not exactly what she was expecting. and the fact that she's a public relations -- was a public relations executive makes it even more mind-boggling. dylan is outside enjoying these record breaking temperatures. 67. does it feel nice out there? >> it's warmer out here than it is inside right now. >> where is everybody's jacket. >> do you expect this kind of weather in new york city? it doesn't feel like christmas, but it will. by the time we get to christmas, it's going to cool down across most of the country. take a look at sheboygan, wisconsin right now. that's where it's cold and it looks like christmas. temperature is 21 degrees, feels like 4 degrees with thend chill. the total opposite of what we're seeing here. but it is going to cool down. we have a really cold air mass through the northern plains into

areas like wisconsin and that is going to move into our area in the northeast. as we go through the next couple of days. it's three below in bismarck right now and 23 degrees below average. already breaking a record in new york city today. 24 degrees above average. not too bad. that's a look at the weather across the country, now, here's a peek out your window. >> good morning, everybody. temperatures already 25 to 30 degrees above our average highs. in fact, 72 at national airport as of 8:00. that's already tying our record high temperature for the day. rain cooled 60s back out to the north and west at this point in time and it's windy. wind out of the south right now between 20 and 30 miles per hour. so, hold on to your hats and hair pieces. you're going to need to. showers pushing into the area for now and kind of wet off and on through this morning and two or three opportunities for rain throughout the course of the day erica? >> all right, dylan, thanks. champion skier lindsay vonn is back home in colorado this morning and speaking out about the knee injury that forced her off the course at the world cup

competition in france on saturday. the big question now, will she be able to compete at the winter olympics in sochi? mike taibbi has the latest. >> reporter: olympic champ lindsay vonn is back in colorado this morning after another setback on her path to sochi. deep into a downhill run saturday, the 29-year-old raised her left leg to hold her balance when her surgically repaired left knee buckled. her her boyfriend tiger woods looking on, she was in obvious pain. >> i have no acl. yes, i guess i'm suffering a little bit. >> no acl, not just a partial tear as had been reported ten months ago in austria. the acl, anterior cruciate ligament is one of the four main cables to stabilize the knee, especially traveling down icy slopes at world class speed. >> you can imagine what she's

going through, not just the physical pain, but the psychological impact of having a knee that may at some point at 75 miles an hour give out on you. very vonn says she and woods have talked about how champions play through pain. he himself last tasted glory when he won the 2008 u.s. open on a broken leg, something reported afterwards saying you may have just seen the best of me. though vonn has made progress on her march towards sochi, her own stubborn confidence has been shaken. >> it's just hard because i'm skiing well. i'm trying to make it through the season and get to the olympics and do the best i can there. it's definitely tough. >> reporter: now she awaits a new diagnosis just six weeks before the olympics. a past champion who may be on the verge of collapse. for "today" mike taibbi, nbc

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>> of course not. >> stop, stop. that's not the song. why would you do that to paul mccartney. >> the two went on to sing "have yourself a merry little christmas." if you told me ten years ago jimmy and sir paul would be singing together i would have tried to sell you a bridge. singing together i would have life with crohn's diseasee. or ulcerative colitis is a daily game of "what if's". what if my abdominal pain and cramps come back? what if the plane gets delayed? what if i can't hide my symptoms? what if? but what if the most important question is the one you're not asking? what if the underlying cause of your symptoms is damaging inflammation? for help getting the answers you need, talk to your doctor and visit crohnsandcolitisinfo.com to get your complimentary q&a book, with information from experts on your condition.

[ male announcer ] when you feel good, no one is immune. emergen-c has more vitamin c than 10 oranges plus other antioxidants and electrolytes to help you come down with a serious case of healthy. emergen-c. making healthy contagious. ♪ [ male announcer ] give them a gift they'll love. get this 16 gallon shop-vac for only $49 at lowe's. we all have been passing the tissues today. have you seen the apple ad circulating on the web? >> so great. it's the harris family holiday ad. >> basically this young man is going along taking pictures on his iphone, but it looks like he's sulking around, he's kind

of excluded. in fact, he reveals this tape they made for their family christmas. just a heartwarming moment. >> gives you chills. it really does. >> especially when the grandmother cries. she has a tear in her eye, sort of encapsulates everything that the holiday is. >> the first 45 seconds, you think this kid is tuning out, not part of the action, he's

good morning sunday december 22nd. i'm adam tuss. here's what's making news this morning. police arrested in connection with a shooting that killed one man and injured another in prince george's county. it happened yesterday morning in marlboro pike. police identified the victim, the second victim remains in the hospital in critical condition. take a look, police need your help identifying this man suspected in a bank robbery in laurel. surveillance cameras show a man wearing what looks like a santa claus beard. he walk under to the pnc bank on main street yesterday morning and fired a gunshot into the ceiling and demanded money. no one was hurt. this morning, family and

friends are mourning the loss of the son of president dwight eisenhower. john s.d. eisenhower lived on the eastern shore. he was retired brigadier general and military historian and ambassador to belgium under president nixon. eisenhower is survived by his wife and four children. no word on the cause of his death. he was 91 years old. a wild weather day out there.

good morn, everybody.

i'm chuck bell. temperatures believe it or not in the low 70s this morning across the metro area. already the first round of rain has come through in northern maryland out towards the shenandoah valley. low to mid-60s still. our average high now 45 degrees. winds are strong out of the south this morning. 15 to 30 miles per hour. plenty of rain from points north and west and keep your umbrellas handy today as rain chances remain high. a break in the action late this morning but off and on rain chances linger for the remainder of your sunday, everyone. 90 minutes of news and weather coming ♪ happy holidays. >> we came all the way from

rome. >> georgia, to see the "today" show. >> it's my birthday. >> mine, too. >> don't forget about me. >> happy birthday! we're back on this sunday morning, december 22nd, 2013, some great chats with the crowd on the plaza enjoying the mild morning -- a warm morning this morning on this first full day of winter youch. you figure it. >> should we mention lester is wearing shorts. he's embarrassed to come out. >> lester is actually wearing very short shorts. >> that's a tease if you ever heard one. >> flip-flops. >> can we give a shout-out to joelle gargiulo. joelle, we love them. >> we did it a wrong way on our merry christmas signs. we have a lot coming up in this half hour. here is a quick look at the morning's top headlines. at least two people are dead from the wicked weather stretching across the nation this morning.

some folks dealing with ice storms, others feeling the record setting warmth like we are in new york. awful news out of colorado overnight. the 17-year-old girl who was shot at point-blank range by her classmate at arapahoe high school earlier this month has died. the second critical mission to repair the international space station now delayed until tuesday after one astronaut accidentally compromised his space suit. still to come in this half hour, a heartwarming story, one of a couple's long an disappointing journey to have a child and how facebook brought them to another couple that left with a bond much bigger than your ordinary friendship. is it ever okay to regift? if you'd like to pass along presents you were given to other people, we have the proper regifting etiquette. i didn't know there was one. >> we're about to learn it all. >> she's the regifting expert here. >> you are? >> i just some strong opinions on regifting. >> for or against it? >> we'll find out. >> this is going to take a while. trust me.

>> jenna, you got what i got last year. >> i guess i know which way you fall on that. meantime this morning, also christmas eve dinner with the scottos italian style. a little feast of the seven fishes. it smelled fantastic up there before we had to come down and do our jobs on the set. we will be racing up there. but let's begin with an up lifting update to a story we told you about in october when 15-year-old foster child davion stood up in front of a packed church in florida and made an emotional plea for a family to adopt him. people around the country heard his story and offered to help him including a new york jet who brought him to new york for a special weekend. nbc's ron allen is here to tell us more about the story. ron, good morning. >> good morning to you, lester. ever since the new york jet david nelson heard davion's story, he's been determined to try and help him.

he's trying to up lift his spirits with a whirlwind trip christmas holiday here in new york city. it's all pretty over will ing for a teenager born to a mother in prison who spent his life in foster care. this weekend davion only is on the trip of a lifetime with an nfl rising star who knows his way around town enjoying everything the big apple has t . >> when he stepped out the first time and said why are there so many people here? this whole street is packed with people. >> reporter: times square. shopping for video games, a holiday lunch and, of course, the rockefeller center tree. >> a great day. trying to give him a crash course of christmas in the city. he's never been to the city before. his opportunity to take in the beauty of the season. >> all nfl. all nfl. >> reporter: how did you learn about him? >> i was actually getting ready to go to practice. i got a text message from a

friend of mine who knows my heart. a link to an article that said orphan kid appeals to church looking for family. >> reporter: the story was about davion's emotional visit to a florida church last fall in search of a family willing to adopt him, he made many plea to the congregation. i'll take anyone, old or young, dad or mom, black, white, purple. i don't care, and i would be really appreciative, the best i could be. >> just to have a family. he doesn't want money, doesn't want material things. he wants to be loved and be connected with somebody is going to support him. for me that was extremely powerful. >> reporter: it's not the first time this 6'5", 215-pound athlete has been boled over by a child. it happened two years ago on a trip to haiti. nelson and his brothers now run a non-profit called i'm me. they soon hope to be legal guardians of 22 haitian children. now he's trying to figure out the best way to help davion.

>> i told him today, even if he doesn't go through the legalities of being adopted, he still has a family, people who care about him, will support him, who will be there for him. >> of all things, what's your favorite? >> everything. >> david nelson's foundation i am me paid for davion's trip to new york and the fun continues this afternoon with a trip to a new york jets game. davion remains hopeful that very soon he'll find his friend family. >> such a great story. ron, thanks very much. now outside to dylan for a final check of the forecast. dylan? >> good morning, guys. we have a very special guest, commander richard rodriguez home for the holidays. how long are you home for? >> i'll be home for a little while. just been back from afghanistan, back for a couple days. decided to take the family to new york city to see the christmas tree and all the wonderful people out here celebrating christmas. it's been great so far. >> what do you guys think of the christmas trees?

>> a lot bigger than any tree i've ever seen. >> could you imagine decorating that whole thing? >> no, no. >> your oldest son is in basic training right now. >> yes. he just completed basic training. he's now in san antonio, texas, going through master arms training. richard, if you're seeing ou're please be good in training and do it well. but he's down there conducting his training and will be finished here in mid-january. >> and thank you so much for your service. and who's the birthday boy? >> i am. >> happy birthday. >> in two days. well, happy birthday and it is a gorgeous way to celebrate the holidays, birthdays, whatever you got going on in new york city where temperatures have already broken records, but it is going to really cool off behind that cold front. that's a look at the weather across the country, now, here's a peek out your window. >> good morning, everybody. i'm storm team 4 meteorologist chuck bell. a ban of heavy rain on route 50 headed out towards the chesapeake bay bridge and light rain across parts of montgomery

county and another stout line of showers here and moving into northern prince william county. on i-95 here in the next hour and a half or so. mild and temperatures are already in the low 70s. we'll have highs in the mid-70s later on today. the colder air starts to arrive tomorrow. the music says it all. let's go to kauai, hawaii for today's top spot, home to our after fill aed knhl and the 17th achbl festival of lights. it includes trash to treasure displays a tree made of 7500 green toothpicks and wreaths made with egg cartons. you can catch santa catching waves. so aloha santa riding the waves. i love it. >> santa chose well for that trip. for couples trying to get pregnant, infertility can be

frustrating, heartbreaking and very isolating. often people don't understand what it's like unless they've been through it themselves. that's when the importance of true friendship comes in. kyle michael miller has the story of two couples sharing a lot more than friendship these days. good morning. >> good morning. good to see you. this is such a great, great story. sandy and phillip went through years of badding infertility and it looked like all hope was lost until they found new friends on facebook. now their family of two is about to grow to four. from the day sandy and phillip met, they always knew they wanted to have kids. but their road to getting pregnant took a detour. >> it definitely didn't turn out like we thought it would. >> quickly things were going nowhere. negative test after negative test. another couple, andrea and mark were just as eager to start a family. >> i ended up getting pregnant one time. we had an early loss. a few months after that we decided to seek help. >> reporter: did you ever think this journey was going to be so

difficult? >> never. >> reporter: both couples started ivf treatments at a fertility center near washington, d.c. called shady grove. >> within the first two weeks they were already talking to me about a gestational carrier. >> reporter: feeling frustrated and alone they each turned to facebook. that's where they found each other online. >> once i started talking with her, itches like oh, my gosh. here is somebody going through the same thing. we had the same doctor at shady grove fertility. >> we just connected immediately with them, both of them. >> reporter: as their friend ship grew, they finally got good news. >> i see one. i see two heartbeats. twins? we're going to have twins? it was so surreal. >> reporter: in february 2012, andrea gave birth to twins, connor and avery. they named sandy and phillip the god parents. but they weren't as successful

conceiving. after four failed ivf cycles sandy and phillip started considering another option. >> i just kind of blurted out, i'll carry for you. i can do it. >> i couldn't believe that was actually coming out of their mouth. >> eight months later she was pregnant again. this time for sandy and phillip. >> you're at the highest point you can ever be in your life, and at about 8 1/2 weeks we lost the pregnancy. and you go to the lowest point. >> reporter: they tried a second treatment. failed. >> our ultimate goal was for them to have kids. we never gave up. >> reporter: and then they tried a third. >> i can remember seeing the images come up on the ultrasound, and i could see the two sacks, and then there were two heartbeats. >> reporter: andrea is in the eighth month of a healthy pregnancy. in the meantime, they've gotten a taste of what life will be like with little kids running around the house.

those are cute kids. sandy and phillip had a unique way to announce they were expecting. their birth announcement said, "their buns, my oven." the twins, emily and grayson will arrive in the beginning of february. >> they seem like two wonderful couples. what a great start to their new year. up next, reduce, reuse, regift or not? should you bass on those unwanted presents? there are actual rules to regifting. there are actual rules to regiftfrom the big screen

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it's not the "fumbling around with rotating categories" card. it's not the "getting blindsided by limits" card. it's the no-game-playing, no-earning-limit-having, deep-bomb-throwing, give-me-the-ball-and-i'll-take- it-to-the-house, cash back card. this is the quicksilver cash card from capital one. unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase, everywhere, every single day. so let me ask you... what's in your wallet? this is one of those discussions that comes around every year. i'm always on the fence. let's go through it again. regifting, is it okay to give a gift you were given in the past because you didn't really think

much of it? >> to answer the question, joelle gargiulo has dos and don'ts from the experts that are sure to come in handy this year. >> regifting, the act of taking a gift that you received and giving it to sboid else. >> he recycled this gift. he's a regifter. >> reporter: yes, bints around for decades, but it was seinfeld who took the term mainstream. >> i just got one of those for tim wattly for christmas. >> tim wattly? >> who sent you that one? >> tim wattly. >> reporter: to regift or not to regift. that is the question. >> i'll do it. >> i'll totally for it. >> i love it. >> i think it's very tacky. >> reporter: some call it tasteless, some call it rude. saturday wrong? >> regifting is controversial. really it shouldn't be because regifting is okay under certain circumstances. >> reporter: which ones? >> when you have a gift that you find in perfect condition and you think it's fabulous, but you might have multiple of it or you

can't eat it, you're allergic to it or you simply can't use it and you want somebody to have it that's going to appreciate it. >> reporter: when isn't it okay? >> you absolutely do not regift anything that has sentimental value. >> reporter: keep in mind, if it's a present you don't like, chances are nobody else will either. >> the people that you don't regift are to your clients, to your boss, you're just walking on murky water by doing it. >> reporter: if you're going to give it a go, there are ground rules. it should be in its original packaging, the present should be new. there should be no signs it's been given to you. be sure to check for notes, monograms or other personalizations. check the expiration date. last but not least, regift to a separate circle of friends. >> a little house warming to new beginnings. >> actually i gave this to you for your wedding? >> this model? >> reporter: what to do if you get busted. >> you have to own it.

>> reporter: remember, recycle or not, it's the thought that counts. for "today," joelle gargiulo, nbc news, new york. >> so you were away, so we didn't give you a chance to give you what we wanted to give you. we decided to do it. you are the patriarch of our team and we love you so much. >> which means this was given -- wait a minute. >> that looks familiar. >> i gave this to you last year. >> i think tafs different shade. it was a different shade. >> i gave you all cashmere last year. >> give it back, give it back. >> how do you feel? >> i love it. it's warm and cozy. >> on a 67-degree day, you need a cashmere blanket. i regift the cheerios ornament last year. >> i'm going to regift a gift to

you that was regifted by someone else's gift. >> we'll be back in a minute. ♪ [ male announcer ] this holiday, don't get stuck at the corner of "oh! you got me something" and "oh...this is awkward." remember, walgreens has a great assortment of little somethings, and we're always nearby, so it's easy to get in and out. see you on your lunch break. swing by walgreens for lindt lindor truffles, hallmark cards, and more. plus most stores are open 'til midnight. here at the corner of happy and healthy. no, i'm good. ♪ [ male announcer ] every time you say no to a cigarette, you celebrate a little win. nicorette mini delivers fast craving relief in just 3 minutes. double your chances of quitting with nicorette mini.

. this morning in today's holiday kitchen, a traditional italian christmas eve dinner. the scottos are here sharing their menus. to say it smells amazing would be a gross understatement. i'm happy you're all here. >> thank you. >> before there was a restaurant, this has always been your family's christmas eve dinner. >> all these foods we're making today i made in my home. and when we opened the restaurant, i took it all with meo the restaurant. >> i love that. >> they're all traditional dishes. this is the fish salad, and this is our rock shrimp with taglini. i have in here some charlottes and garlic. i'm putting some zucchini. >> a little squash. >> yes. and then i want some shrimp.

>> a and this is lobster here, too. >> this is crab meat. >> sorry. >> it's okay. clearly i need another lesson with you. erica, can i have -- i now have to put in some wine. >> as you're doing this, what is it about the feast of the seven fishes on christmas eve? >> seven with the italians or in the catholic ith, it's very important. there's seven days, seven apostles, everything is a seven. so it's a very important number. why there's only seven fish, i don't know. >> let's talk about the sooum pech chie. >> we're going to add italianwise, a little fennel and shallots on top of that. we'll add tomatoes.

>> tomatoes, wine. >> i'll add oregano, red pepper for a little spice. we'll add a little shell stock and white wine. let that reduce, probably 15, 20 minutes. then we'll add our vegetables in. >> calamari, mussels, shrimp. >> let's not overlook dessert you guys. >> so here we are making cannoli. this is a classic sicilian dessert. >> what's the cheese? i've always wondered that? >> we have ricotta in the pot. we'll add mascarpone. these are two classic italian cheeses. >> i knew i shouldn't use swiss. >> no. >> some sugar.

orange and lemon zest. of course, the trick with anything in baking is the vanilla. i'm going to ask you girls to stuff -- you can buy your shells. >> just start stuffing. and this is going to mix. pistachios, chocolate. >> mary, anthony, thank you so much. you can find the recipes on today.com. we're back after this. ♪ this holiday season, our priority is you ♪ ♪ through 12 ice storms brewing ♪ ♪ 10 straight days raining ♪ 9 hailstorms pounding ♪ 5 mysteriously heavy holiday fruitcakes ♪ ♪ 4 actual tree houses ♪ 3 blackouts ♪ 2 weird to mention ♪ and a roaming horde of carolers ♪ ♪ with my exact same route [ female announcer ] no one delivers the holidays like the u.s. postal service. priority mail flat rate is more reliable than ever. and with improved tracking up to 11 scans you can even watch us get it there. and look for our limited edition holiday stamps.

tell me you can't wait for christmas. and you appreciate the things i do. because we'll always be a family. tell me i bring out the best in you. ♪ that you're thankful. ♪ that it won't be the same without me. tell me you love me. even if you say it every day. just tell me. [ female announcer ] everyone you love has something they need to hear this holiday. tell them with a hallmark card. [ female announcer ] everyone you love has something they need to hear this holiday. from the big screen to small screens near and far twizzlerize your entertainment every day with twizzlers. the twist you can't resist. [ coughing ] [ crying ] sorry. [ male announcer ] new robitussin dm max nighttime. fast, powerful cough relief that helps you sleep like a baby. robitussin nighttime. don't suffer the coughequences.

let's go back to david gregory to find out what's coming up on "meet the press." >> good morning. coming up on the program, the

president's defense of obamacare and the crisis over the government's spying program. plus we'll talk about the economy, signs of improvement. i'll speak with the head of the international monetary fund christine lagarde for her perspective and prospects for the next year ahead in the economy, political hurdles as well. all that coming up on "meet the press." >> have a great holiday. we'll send you a cannoli. thanks for watching. do have a merry christmas. >> all thesees on today.com and you can find lester back here tonight. >> that's right. "nightly news" be there. right now on "news 4 today" brand-new information about a double shooting that left one man dead. new this morn, the details that came into our newsroom overnight. >> we saw the sides of the wall falling and then i saw the transformer over there blew