conditions getting worse. incoming storm further hampering efforts to get to that russian strip strand inside a sea of ice

at the bottom of the world. another attempt to reach it as they reassure family and friends they are pok. safe and sound. four u.s. personnel in libya okay. a&e makes an about-face that phil robertson will return to the tv show after he was suspended for making anti-gay comments. from nbc news, this is "today." with lester holt and erica hill live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. good morning. welcome to "today" on a saturday morning. i'm lester holt. >> i'm erica hill.

alongside jenna wolf and dylan dreyer. good morning, everyone. we have been watching the stalled ship at the bottom of the world and fascinating to see what is happening. we are learning the latest on the slow recovery efforts in the south pole and really the efforts focused right now in getting everyone safely out of there. martin fletcher has been following this for us from london. martin, good morning. >> good morning top. >> reporter: so near, yet so far. now the chinese eyebreaker six northern miles from the trapped ship is all but stuck itself and can't move forward in ice. australian icebreaker is on its way but shirts are said to be high. the people on board are a research team from the australian yuveuniversity of so wales and telling their families not to worry and save they have enough fresh food on board for another two weeks and dehydration too for two weeks.

if worse comes to worse the chinese ship has a helicopter right now. the chopper can't take off because of snow and cloud. they say the modern equipment systems you can't beat antarctica. all they can do now is wait for the weather to improve. >> wait and watch, martin, thank you. dire news for many americans. their long-term unemployment benefits are gone. part of benefits package from 2008 that is no longer being funded. joe fryer is in los angeles to tell us more. >> reporter: good morning. at one point, unemployment aid lasted nearly two year, and most recently over a year but as of this morning, benefits are back to prerecession level and maxing out at six months with average payment 300 a week. starting today 1.3 million americans lose their long-term

unemployment aid and 9.8 will lose their benefits in first first half of 2014. in california, nearly 215 thousand will lose benefits and in new york 125,000 and in new jersey it's about 90 thousands which is 1% of the state's population. we spoke with a couple of job hunters who have been out of work now more than six months. >> i thought it would be easy. i thought i would be employed within a month. didn't think for a minute i would be sitting here today, a year later, no job. >> there seems to be the impression that the people of unemployment benefits are just kind of sitting around enjoying the money and nothing could be further from the truth use with the ends of the these long-term benefits, many economists say the unemployment rate could drop but not for desired reasons and some will stop working for work and won't be counted and others might take lower paying jobs.

>> joe, thanks very much. there is more severe weather in the forecast which is the last thing the tens of thousand of people across the northeast and middle east still in the da dark. the latest numbers in michigan 29,000 customers without power and in maine the number tops 4,000. the good news is those numbers are actually an improvement. kevin tibbles has more now on the progress being made. >> reporter: in freezing cold temperatures, crews are working around the clock. >> we got hit at about sunday at about 3:00 in the morning and we have been working 16 hours straig since. >> reporter: in charlotte, michigan, they have come from as far away as north carolina, ohio, and maryland. missing christmas with their own families. >> kind of tough being away from home? >> it is, but they understand. they got a better christmas because of it. >> reporter: how appreciative are the people?

>> we have so many christmas cookies i don't think we care to have another one. >> reporter: residents are left without electricity nearly a week but the crews work fast. much to the relief of homeowner tom nicket. >> my christmas tree lights are on, so that's a good sign. >> reporter: but not the case 12 miles away in lansing. frustrated residents david benji has been without power since last weekend. >> we could consider ourselves in the forgotten zone and monday morning will hit the fan if i don't have power. >> reporter: in maine, crews are working hard and keeping spirits high. >> they are getting ready to energize the fuse that will actually allow the customers to have electricity. i would suspect in the next few minutes, these customers will be re happy. >> reporter: liar kara rollee whose power turned on late friday afternoon. >> when the power came o i called my mom. i know she is excited to come on home and take a hot shower and eat some food.

>> reporter: the good news power is expected to be restored throughout the day. the bad news, more frigid temperatures are on the way. for "today," kevin tibbles, nbc news, charlotte, michigan. >> another arctic blast could be along the way to hit the new year and dylan is here with more that. >> unfortunately, it's coming in time for the new year. hopefully, the power can get on before then. by tomorrow, it will be 4 below in minneapolis and that is the cold air that is going to move right back through michigan by monday, it's 20 degrees in detroit and tuesday 23 in syracuse and caribou, maine, 9 below by we get to the new year and th areas without power. unfortunately, we are going to see more snow before that cold air gets here. you can see by sunday evening, there's a big storm that is going to make its way into the northeast from the southeast. now it is going to be mostly rain through southern new england but in the areas hardest hit is where we are going to see the snow overspread parts of

bangor maine, up into caribou and 3 to 6 inches of snow and maybe icing across southern maine so that is not going to help the crews out there trying to get the power back on. as soon as we get into early next week, that cold air surges back in. >> dylan, thanks. the petition hundreds of thousands of signatures on it just may have paid off. the hit reality show "duck dynasty" will not go off the air after all. aerks&e had originally suspended one of the show's stars phil robertson after comments he made surfac surfaced earlier this month. this is getting a lot of attention. >> i guess no big surprise a show worth 400 million in merchandising is back on the air. "duck dynasty" is not going anywhere. this is about-face for a&e who suspended phil robertson last month after comments in "gq"

magazine. it was announced the duck dynasty would be back in the pring spring and a move follows a bit of a stand offgroup and fans of the hugely popular show mounted protests of their own insisting that a&e bring the rest of the show out and the cast would not proceed without robertson and a&e final blinked and then expressed the disappointment with his statements and said his views are not the views they hold. robertson said his views are based on religious views and later if -- aerso a lot of peop on both sides talking about this. expect that to go on for some time. >> just a little while longer. update and new information about that massive security breach that affected millions of customers. the retail giant target says some encrypted pin numbers were

in some cases stolen and reassuring customers that hackers can't use the information. gabe gutierrez is in atlanta to explain more about this. gabe, good morning. >> reporter: lester, good morning. the nation's third largest retailer says the encrypted pin data can no longer be unlocked. some security experts worry it's possible. this morning, the investigation into one of the largest data breaches in u.s. history is deepening and customers remain nervous. >> just makes me very leery about going there. >> reporter: at first, target had said up to 40 million of its customers credit and gat credit card numbers had been stolen around the start of the shopping season. now the retailer confirms that encrypted personal identification numbers were also taken in the massive security breach. but it says that hackers can't crack the codes. we remain confident, target says, that pin numbers are safe

and secure. >> when you go in and make a purchase with your debit card, target never sees your pin number in the clear. it's immediately encrypted and all they possess is the encrypted number. >> reporter: it unlocks a pin with a digital key. target says since that digital key is not within its sim, the hackers didn't steal it. >> that would take decades for them to crack each pin independently. it's just not worth their time to go after that those encrypted pins. >> reporter: but other cybersecurity experts aren't so sure. >> target may be understating the significant because, in the past, the past the criminals have decrypted the pins and used it to steal cash from consumers use some feel target's offering of free credit monitoring isn't enough. >> we weren't aware that target wasn't protecting this information and as a consequence we have to flip the bill for all

of this extra effort. >> reporter: all this has come at a crucial time for target. the holiday shopping season, its shares have dropped 2.3% since news of the cyberattack broke. >> gabe gutierrez, thanks very much. time for a look at the rest of the morning's top headlines. >> jenna is here with those. good morning. >> good morning, everyone. four americans service members are free today after being detained in libya. the state department says the personnel were surveying evacuation routes on friday when they became involved in some sort of incident and security checkpoint west of triply and held there until early this morning. new details paint a picture of exactly what happened during the sandy hook school tragedy last year, but they still can't answer why it happened. police relieved thousands of documents, pictures, videos, and eyewitness accounts on friday. chilling videos as police respond to the elementary school where 20 children and six adults were killed just over one year ago.

there was also a view of the home where adam lanza, the gunman, killed his mother. a new judge has ruled on the nsa's intelligence program in a legal victory for the obama administration. a federal judge in new york says that it is constitutional for the national security agency to collect information on virtually every phone call in the united states and opposite of a ruling two weeks ago by a federal judge in washington. how about this? unbearable conditions continue with one of the world's biggest cities. a searing heat wave and no power and buenos aires has extreme conditions that people there say it's unablivable. if you're able to brave times square on new year's eve,

you're better than i am. everything is in place for the big night. workers installed the thousands of waterford crystal panels that make up this year's ball including one very special panel designed by 12-year-old coreless, martinez, a cancer patient and a single rose meant to represent the single gift of imagination. i have lived in new york many years and i have never braved times square. >> i did it a number of years working in the crowd. great people, so excited to be there. >> but? >> so cold. you get home and you can't unclench your muscles. you're so cold. >> my thing is the bathroom situation. these people are there from the morning! >> i know. >> what is it? >> the way to do is it with a press pass. when you're in the pen, you can't get out. you can't drink something warm to keep you warm because then you have to go to the bathroom. >> if you have a press pass, you don't get to go? >> they let you in. the hotels let you use the

bathroom. >> i've heard people use diapers. >> adult diapers? >> that's what i've heard. i've never done it. >> doesn't that make for a great night? >> look for extra bulk when you watch it on tv. >> warm and cozy everywhere! on that night, we will look at rain moving into the southeast. heavier rain through new orleans and slowly spread into the southeast today and eventually into the northeast by tomorrow. this is going to be a rain event, despite the i'm storm team 4 meteorologist amelia segal in for chuck bell this morning. right now a temperature of 33 degrees with clear skies across

the area. a nice day today. plenty of sunshine. temperatures 10 degrees above average. by noon, we're around 50. our high today of 56 degrees. we'll hit that at 3:00 this afternoon. it is a rainy day tomorrow. we'll see around an inch of rain. cooler as well. a high of 45. breezy and c that is your latest forecast. as president obama wraps up 2013 with his family in hawaii he is likely to move forward after this year which will be remembered by a government shutdown and a health care debacle. >> reporter: it was a year that started with great expectations but a few months later, a trio of controversy quickly threatened to detail president obama's second term agenda. revelations the irs was targeti targeting conservative groups.

plus the ongoing fallout from the attacks on the u.s. consulate in ben gansghazbengha >> we had -- what difference at this point does it make? >> reporter: one of president obama's biggest policy goals enacting stiffer gun laws in the newtown tragedy failed to go nowhere after a bipartisan bill was defeated in washington. >> it was a shameful day in washington. >> reporter: but it was the president's significant achievement health care reform that ended up becoming his biggest headache. the president forced to apologize over and over. >> i am sorry. i don't write codes. we did fumble the ball on it. >> reporter: and for telling americans. >> if you like your plan, you can keep your plan. >> reporter: we now know that not true and that infamous comment along with the revelations of the nsa's massive

surveillance program eroded the public's trust in the president. meanwhile, republicans didn't fare any better in between. the gop watched their poll numbers plummet after the public blamed them for shutting down the government. it was a failed effort in defunding the president's health care law led by tea party reasons like ted cruz who faithed a filibuster that will go down in history. >> i do not like green eggs and ham. >> reporter: a deal struck a few weeks ago, could it be a sign 2014 could be better for washington and the american people? the president almost sounded hopeful at his year-end news conference. >> i firmly believe that in 2014 can be a bright year for america. >> reporter: as the president has learned the hard way, achieving breakthroughs in washington is easier said than done. for "today," kristen welker, nbc news, new york. >> john har wood is cnbc chief washington correspondent and

made his way here this morning. good to see you. >> good to be here. >> the president thinks 2014 will be a big year. health care was a big part of this new term. can he turn it around? is there hope that once they get past the computer issues and some of these other snafus that things will actually turn around for him? >> sure. there is three months left in the sign-up period and that is critical for figuring out whether these new exchanges, both on the federal and state level can work and provide health care at good quality, affordable prices. so that is the most important thing for his long-term legacy. but you've also got an economy that is strengthening and a stronger economy, economic growth can improve -- >> he made a better narrative as we move on, in other words? >> no question about it. his persuasive power is diminished and his credibility took a big hit because of the problems with the affordable care act but he's at a point in his presidency he doesn't need that much.

he is not transacting a whole lot of business with congress going forward. what he has really god to do is to work on the things within his power to do within his executive authority and implement what he has already done. >> you don't want to become a lame duck too soon. but you look at immigration reform and gun control and two issues that fell short in between. does he need another significant issue? >> i think the one that he has the greatest possibility of achieving is immigration reform and the reason is that republicans have a very strong self-interest for making that happen politically speaking. it is not certain that that is going to happen. the senate has passed it. the house has sort of slow walked this debate but still a chance that they are going to look at what they need to thrive as a political party in the long term and make this happen in 2014. if not, democrats are pretty happy to run on that as an election issue. this election is important for the president. he needs to hold on to the senate to have a beach head in the congress and not have republicans controlling the

entire legislative aejgenda. >> how might it affect the republicans what we see in the white house and congress playing nicely together in the coming year? >> that is one of the hopeful things for the president. you just had a budget deal whose principle effect was not to change the long-term trajectory on the budget but call a budget wars on the economy. if you can have calm waters and let the underlying economic growth assert itself and let the americans feel a little bit better off without government getting in a way is a positive for the president and may lift him a little bit after the low points of 2013. >> john harwood, thank you very much. still to come, you know the phrase google it? you use google to search everything from nelson mandela to miley cyrus. we will look at the top internet searches of 2013 when we come back. first, this is "today" on nbc.

♪ it's been a year of memorable moments like that song that i still don't get. >> you too? >> you don't get it either? i don't know what the fox says. is a fox supposed to say anything? >> i agree with you a hundred percent. >> what does the dog say? ruff? what does a fox say? >> is there that and then a government shutdown and a royal baby and another baby and kinney and lester doesn't get that. >> kanye. >> jenna is in the orange room. >> you just spent 15 seconds talking about that, what the fox says? we have so little time and let's get started.

according to yahoo! website, dah, dah, dah! miley cyrus was their number one search in 2013 and probably because of the haircut and thinking about doing something like that but i felt in many ways it would fail. she is number one search in yahoo!. off to facebook. rounding out the top three. number three, boston marathon bombings. number two, the government shutdown. number one, most buzzed about event on facebook was the super bowl. believe it or not. how about the top tweet of 2013? unfortunately, it came from "glee" star lea michelle who made her first public comment about the loss of her boyfriend cory monteith. this tweet was shared over 408,000 times. let's switch gears and talking youtube. the top trending video was, be careful, guys. ♪ no one knows what does the fox say ♪ >> i get it now! >> just like my mom. i have no idea what they are

talking about either. however, "what the fox said" was the top trending video. how about the most searched for girls name? number one, fallon, chloe, jaden and what to the what? harper, if you're up right now, quit googling your name and go back to your baby feeding. that was it. when it comes to entertainment, we want to know what you think. what was the biggest entertainment story of 2013? was it miley, paula, beyonce, kim and kanye or that lester didn't work over christmas in an unprecedented event? i just threw that in there. vote today and you will a part good morning. it is saturday, december 28th. i'm angie goff. in the news today, we have breaking news, in fact. police are trying to find who

shot a man outside a taco bell. this was in falls church, virginia. the shooting happened before 4:30 this morning near southwest street and west broad street. police found the man with four gunshot wounds. crews rushed him to the hospital. still no word on his condition just yet. a fire hurt at least three young adults in montgomery county. the fire broke out around 5:30 this morning at a home in silver spring. the fire is now out. crews rushed the victims with minor injuries to the hospital. investigators are trying to figure out what caused that fire. montgomery county police are looking into a deadly crash on columbia pike in silver spring. the head on collision shutdown part of the roadway overnight. the two car crash happened before 3:00 this morning. officers believed that speed was a factor. we're going to get a check on your forecast with amelia next. stay with us.

i'm storm team 4 meteorologist amelia segal. right now 33 degrees with clear skies across the area. it feels, though, about 29 degrees. a really pleasant day in store. temperatures will warm to the mid 50s today. a high in washington of 56 degrees. more clouds around during the afternoon hours but today is the better of the two weekend days. we are looking at rain tomorrow. pretty much from start to finish and it will be heavy at times. cooler as well. a high of 45. breezy and chilly for monday with a temperature around 40 degrees. new years eve day and new years day are looking dry but chilly. >> thanks. more news in 25. now back to today. we are back on a saturday morning, december 28th, 2013. we have some friends on the plaza looking forward to say hello to them a little bit

later. this is apparently called a weekend between christmas and new year's and i've never heard that have term before. >> this is a group not looking at that camera, they are looking at us. >> they are hanging out back there painfully. 2013 is quite the year. this is the weekend we always like to take a look back as we head into the new year's so we will take a look at the year's most memorable moments ahead. it's hard not to get drawn in out of this world demos of products seen on late night infomercials. we are getting behind the scenes access to see how they are made. >> wait, there is more! just kidding. then he has an i.q. that puts him in the same league as albert ion steeinstein and bill. you'll meet the 4-year-old who has this incredible i.q. and dylan is going to give us a quiz

to see how we all do. >> she has been doing this math to explain one of the answers. >> you can't follow the formula. >> should be a simple question for the rest of us. carry the tune. plus, the secret to getting some money back affiliate holiday gifts are unwrapped maybe sitting in your wallet and we will explain that coming up. a busy year for the royal farmer for the birth of baby george to prince harry's adventure to antarctica and his love life. we take a look back. >> reporter: a year of new beginnings as one generation of royal stepped up and another slowed down. the defining moments of 2013 kate and william introducing their little prince to the world. >> very emotional. >> very emotional. such a special time. i think any parent would know what this feeling is like. >> very special.

>> reporter: as one future king put another on the back seat and drove his family away, it was clear we were seeing the new modern royal family. the queen reflected on the birth of prince george during her traditional christmas day message. >> here at home, my own family is a little larger this christmas. >> reporter: as part of the broadcast, we saw new footage of the prince's christening. kate encouraging george as he had his photo taken. it was a reminder of how the year began, mom gets in her first official portrait. the reviews weren't kind. >> she definitely looks older and a little bit more mature. >> reporter: but the duchess herself has won nothing but praise for her charity work and growing confidence on the public stage. of course, all eyes have been on her fashion sense as well for which she has received high marks. her husband prince william left behind his job as a rescue helicopter pilot, carrying out

more public engagements and pursuing his own courses in conservation and nature. the queen celebrated the 60th anniversary of her coronation this year is making concessions to her age. fewer foreign trips now. >> because more will be made of prince william and the dutchess of cambridge. i think prince charles will step up to a more, if you like, almost a shadow queen role and the queen answer principles philip will do less in their role. >> reporter: 2013 ended with prince harry leading wounded veterans to an exhibition to the south pole. a reminder this was the year he left behind embarrassing escapades and once again served his country in afghanistan. safely back home, his romance seems to be going well so who knows what 2014 might bring. for "today," duncan gostani,

london. dylan is out on the plaza with another check of the broadcast. >> what is bunko? >> a fabulous dice game! my friends, i love you from west virginia and virginia! >> are you missing a bunko game tonight? >> no. tomorrow! >> okay, good. so you we got to get you back in town so you can play bunko. i know it has to be so much fun. we are looking at a big storm system moving into the west virginia area. it's going to pick up this area of low pressure that grabs all of this gulf moisture and moves it up to the northeast by the time we get into tomorrow. but for right now, we have got real heavy rain falling across parts of new orleans. that will stay through the gulf coast states through the day today and then eventually make its way into atlanta and then up through the carolinas, into virginia and eventually into the northeast. but it takes with it all of that warmer air so this is not a major snowstorm, except for areas in central and northern new england where we could have 3 to 6 inches of snow. but the rain is going to be a big issue. we could see minor flooding in the southeast with rainfall

totals up to around 4 to 5 inches, most of the mid-atlantic should see 2 to 3 inches of and that storm system will be impacting us tomorrow. today, a nice day. 33 degrees right now. clear skies across the area and temperatures are going to warm into the mid 50s. a good 10 degrees above average. 56 for a high in washington. and manassas. 55 in leesburg. more cloudiness during the afternoon hours. tomorrow a rainy day from start to finish with around an inch of that is your latest forecast. >> dylan, thanks. ahead, the power of persuasion and extreme some companies will go to to get you to buy their products. first, these messages. to buy their products. first, these messages. ♪ [ grunts ] you really seem to be dragging your a-- [ donkey brays ]

mid morning slump. [ donkey snorts ] that's why i started drinking this new lipton natural energy tea. come on! it's naturally has more caffeine and theanine than regular lipton. here. you'll thank me. mmmm... tastes amazing, right? i feel better already. [ donkey brays ] [ man ] two minutes! tea time. [ female announcer ] for a little oomph, try new lipton natural energy tea. [ donkey brays ] smoke? nah, i'm good. [ male announcer ] celebrate every win with nicoderm cq, e sartc trol technology that helps prevent the urge to smoke all day long. help prevent your cravings with nicoderm cq.

so i should probably get the last roll... yeah but i practiced my bassoon. [ mom ] and i listened. [ brother ] i can do this. [ imitates robot ] everyone deserves ooey, gooey, pillsbury cinnamon rolls. make the weekend pop. [ female announcer ] we eased your back pain... ♪ ready or not. [ female announcer ] ...so you can be up there. here i come! [ female announcer ] ...down there, around there... and under there for him. tylenol® provides strong pain relief and won't irritate your stomach the way aleve® or even advil® can. but for everything we do, we know you do so much more. tylenol®.

♪ wake me up when it's all over ♪ >> the secrets of late night infomercials. are those products really worth more than entertainment value? consumer correspondent janice lieberman got a behind the scenes extreme. >> i know they get you. over the top extreme selling infomercials seem unreal and even rigged. we were given filming access to one commercial right in the

heart of mohave desert. >> it's amazing mixing the power of air and water can do! >> sthey sure do get your attention. >> it has the strength to pull this 80,000 opinion hound tractor-trailer. >> reporter: companies are pouring millions of dollars into the making of a spot that will hopefully make them millions. >> and action. >> the way we look at it. we need to sell a million units to break even. we sold 27 million sticks before. this product is much better and stronger. i love the purple. kind of pops on tv. >> reporter: so how do you make an info smer halls about putty interesting and how do you prove its sticking powers are powerful? nationally, you have to pull a 747 in the middle of the mohave desert. >> high production, information, is definitely not the future. the reality is we need tos plain stops and simple stops to believe it. >> reporter: it's a

40,000-dollar gamble for a 30-second commercial. >> if you can't do it in the parking lot of the federal trade commission you don't do the demo. >> reporter: is it just entertainment or do people real believe it and buy it? >> it has entertainment value but the entertainment value has to be real and the product has to really work and that translates into sales for us. >> reporter: is this demo real? >> what we did we hooked up the hook to the tow bar. two plates of the putty. what we do now is lift this up to look -- we want to see the line of the chain, is it straight? >> come on! >> come on, baby. can you move it? >> reporter: no. >> this happens to be a product that has strength. one of the things we want to do to tell people if it's strong enough to pull 300-ton pound 737 you can use it in your home. >> reporter: just eight seconds of this video, but will it fly with consumers? they are banking on it. it's do or die!

how mighty is mighty putty. >> it has the strength to pull this! >> reporter: the makers hoping this proof will "stick" with the consumer bringing in mighty bucks for mighty putty. experts say that only go so far when it comes to selling a product. the product has to perform but this was something to see. putty pulling a plane in the most javy desert. this was really an -- usually. >> but it was real, you saw it? >> it was not rigged. it was real. >> that is cool. sometimes the commercials aren't what they appear to be. >> according to the ftc, if they can't do it, then it can't be done. up next he just turned 4 and he knows more than people know at 40. wait until you find out what his i.q. is. first, these messages. [ male announcer ] this duracell truck has some very special power. ♪

[ toys chattering ] it's filled with new duracell quantum batteries. [ toy meows ] [ dog whines ] [ toy meows ] these red batteries are so powerful... that this year they'll power all the hasbro toys donated to toys for tots. want to help power some smiles? duracell. trusted everywhere. it's all your favorites and a whole lot more, like a 20-piece chicken mcnuggets -- just 5 bucks. more choices than ever before. that's the dollar menu and more. ♪ she should be braiding her hair. not losing it. he should be battling video villains. not cancer cells. they should be living life. not fighting for it. at st. jude children's research hospital, we're fighting for kids who aren't as lucky as yours.

st. jude's research labs may not be in your community. but our discoveries are. our research has changed how the world treats leukemia, brain tumors and sickle cell disease. and no family ever pays st. jude. for anything. our discoveries today could save a child you know, tomorrow. so if you have healthy children, give thanks. give thanks. da las gracias. give thanks. give thanks. give thanks for the healthy kids in your life. and give to those who are not. go to st. jude dot org or shop wherever you see the st. jude logo. [ bell rings ] [ man ] take five! you really seem to be dragging your a-- [ donkey brays, snorts ] mid morning slump. that's why i started drinking this new lipton natural energy tea. it naturally has more caffeine and theanine. mmmm... i feel better already. [ female announcer ] new lipton natural energy tea. ♪ maybe i'm wrong

♪ ♪ and nobody ever says goodbye ♪ ♪ ♪ back now with -- we are all back. >> oh, okay. >> a whiz kid from england might make you question your own intelligence. at 3, he became the youngest person ever to become a member

of the high i.q. society. we have more on the little boy who is stunning psychologists. >> that one is kazakhstan. that a africa. that is the democratic republic of congo. >> reporter: he just turned 4 but is certainly not your normal 4-year-old. he has an i.q. 160, that puts him in the same league as albert einstein and bill gates and steven hawking. >> he could even be more than that. >> reporter: sherwin's mother first realized how gifted he is when she was teaching him to count. >> he was only about 18 months old and in one day, he could count from 1 to 50 and he wanted more. what was the first man that went to the moon? >> neil armstrong. >> reporter: the biggest challenge is keeping up with his

appetite for learning. >> he is never satisfied with simple answer. he is asking me why some clouds are white and some are gray. i just said when they are gray, is there more chances of rain. he said, well, i know that! >> what about that? that is an i. >> what do you think that is? >> reporter: no surprise what he plans to be when he grows up. >> a scientist. >> the aim is basically for him to be a successful person in the future, somebody useful for the society and help mankind with his gift. >> reporter: he may only be 4, but this little fellow had some great advice for me. >> good for older brains. >> reporter: chocolate is good for your brain? that is the secret? >> yes. >> reporter: who taught you that? >> my mom. >> reporter: realizing already mom is never wrong, this is one very smart little boy, indeed. for "today," anna bell roberts,

nbc news. >> at just 3-year-old what he says is unheard of. that got us to thinking what is on these tests. mensa had some simple questions on its website and i have some. are you ready? >> ready. >> which vowel comes midway between j and t? you can choose from a, i, e, o, u. >> between j and t? >> high staff? >> you're killing me! >> i'm not using my life line yet. >> here is the thing. o is the answer because it's the only vowel that comes between j and t so just go through the al ba f alphabet. >> if two typists can type two pages in two minutes how many typists will it take to type 18 pages in six minutes.

>> two typists, two minutes, right? in how many? >> two typists, two pages, two minutes. how many typists will it take to type 18 pages in six minutes? it takes longer to read the question than we have time for. >>? six minutes they can type 12, i would go with three but i know i'm wrong. >> one typist can type two pages in two minutes. >> none. >> six. >> six? >> i'm not sure how i came to my math equation over there. this is a word question. which word of four letters can be added to the front of the following words to create other english words? >> that was easy. >> you guys! >> am i supposed to write it? >> cheaters! >> in the interest for full disclosure, we all got the

questions on our desk first and none of us could figure out the math question. >> the last one, i got right away. >> you mean right away by 20 minutes? >> oh, no, right away. >> two typists, two pages in two minutes. you need 18 pages in six minutes. so this is times 9. that is times 3. 3 divided by 9 is three and times two is six. >> dylan is a meteorologist. she is really smart and she is a scientist and has a degree in the weather stuff. she is not just pointing to the map, right? >> it took me five minutes to figure out what this thing was! what do i do with this? >> that is the next segment. >> it makes sense in my head somehow some way. >> i think a cold front is on the way. >> it's going to be cold. >> it means that still ahead, we are letting you in on a little known secret that could save you big bucks on something you've already bought. just have dylan figure out the price of it and you'll be set.

>> if four anchors read three stories at the same time in nine minutes.

still to come on "today," the ongoing efforts to a rescue, a stranded research ship and the dozens of people on board. will today be day that help finally arrives? >> first, this is "today" on nbc. libya.

>> du"duck dynasty" is staying the air and we will have m

7:56 right now on this saturday, december 28th. i'm richard jordan. police are trying to figure out who shot a man outside a taco bell in falls church. it happened near southwest street and west broad street. police found the victim with four gunshot wounds. he was rushed to the hospital. we're working to learn his condition. a man is dead after a head on crash near silver spring. the two-car crashed before 3:00 this morning. the crash shutdown part of the roadway overnight. officers believed speed was a factor here. a man is in custody accused of abducting and robbing a metro

passenger. timothy williams turned himself in. he kidnapped the man from the naylor road station attemptel hills at gun point and forced him to ride five stops to the waterfront station in d.c. once there williams forced that man to with draw money from an atm. the victim w

the temperature right now is

33 degrees with sunny skies across the area. the wind chill, though, making it feel about 28 outside. overall, though, today is going to be a really nice saturday. mostly sunny skies. temperatures running above average. highs in the mid 50s. 56 for a high today in washington. 55 in frederick, 57 degrees. today the better of the two weekend days. tomorrow it's a rainy day from start to finish and cooler as well. a high of 45. new years eve day is looking partly sunny and chilly. a high of 36. cold as we start the new year with mostly cloudy skies. temperature of 33 degrees and the chance of some snow next thursday and frid good morning. it's saturday, the 28th of december, 2013. here is a look at today's top stories. safe and sound.

four u.s. service members are free this morning after held for hours overnighty the libyan government. a tengs coming at a high during high tension more than a year after the benghazi attack. on ice. to pull a trapped ship in the frozen sea of the antarctica is stalled. the dramatic effort to free them all this morning. ducking out. cable network a&e makes about-face saying phil robertson can go back to work had his hit relate show less than a week after he was suspended for making controversial comments about homosexuality. good morning. i'm lester holt. >> i'm erica hill alongside jenna wolf and dylan dreyer. did you have a nice christmas? >> we did. you? >> i did. i was off. i grew a beard. >> where is it? >> that was in november. >> i know. i didn't do it then. i had five days off during the

week. >> it was hideous. >> no documentation whatsoever? no one took a picture? >> i said no one needs to see that. >> did you scare your family? >> no. it's all a little gray stubble there. it wasn't happening for me. >> tmi! >> but harper had a nice first christmas? >> she did. she doesn't know it's christmas other than tuesday. >> hold up a picture of her smiling. do you have it? >> it's pretty sweet. >> it's a great little shot. >> i do. we have to go quickly? here we go. >> come on, come on! come on! >> it's not a commercial. >> i know. this is embarrassing. >> no, it's not. >> it's cute. there she is! >> look at that! >> that looks like a tuesday. >> exactly. we all love our kids. thank you. we begin this morning, this hour with that capture and release of four american military members in elaboraliby. they were captured this morning and we have more for you this

morning. what can you tell us? >> reporter: good morning. we have now confirmed from u.s. official that these four american military personnel have been relieved after they were taken into custody by libyan government forces. it occurred 40 miles west of the capital tripoli. it's not clear what the four american military personnel were doing at that time that they were taken into custody an, more importantly, not yet clear whether there was any type of altercation between these four individuals and the security forces that were manning that checkpoint. now according to u.s. officials, it seems that the american military personnel were perhaps engaged in some type of security preparedness mission and that is perhaps considered planning out evacuation roots for diplomatic officials in case they had to get american officials out of the capital tripoli at an accelerated rate, so it

underscores the tension between the two countries as you mentioned earlier that this does come a year after the benghazi attacks in which four american diplomats were killed. the relationship between the two countries and following the yesterday's capture of these four american personnel will somewhat be intense. >> thank you. we want to get the latest on that russian ship stuck in the ice near the south pole. another icebreaker is on the way this morning to help free it. this after a chinese rescue vessel that was on the way to save the 74 people on board could move no further. it could stuck in the ice as well. martin fletcher is in london now with the latest. martin, good morning. >> reporter: lester, good morning. if anything, the weather there is getting worse meaning no early rescue for the research ship and not only that, the chinese icebreaker, the snow dragon is all but stuck and it may need help. >> as you can see, the weather is closedin!

>> reporter: the latest youtube report from the leader stuck in ice since christmas eve acknowledges they may be stuck for a few more days yet. imts-of- -- >> it's our fourth day now trapped. to let family and friends know everyone is okay. >> reporter: they could see the snow dragon about six nautical miles away but snow has closed in. after a french icebreaker gave up, an australian one is now heading in to help and it sent these stills from its web cam showing frigid waters as it moves toward the coldest and windest spot on earth. >> the two were hoping to break in. >> reporter: if not the snow dragon, a helicopter that could ferry the passengers off the research ship but even that could be a problem. right now, the chopper can't take off because of the snow. and the longer it takes, the more the wind pushes ice against the trapped ship. they say the ice gripping his

ship is ten feet thick but they are become the intimate two. >> stuck here and any passing ships, please pay us a visit! >> brilliant! >> they have enough food and water for two weeks but nobody thinks it will come to that. while stuck, they are continuing with their scientific experiments and apparently having fun with the internet. >> it's nice they still have a sense of humor about this and it will be a story to tell at some point. martin fletcher, thanks. this morning more than a million americans are facing the prospect of a lot less money coming in because of unemployment benefits benefits. >> up until this morning, unemployment benefits could last more than a year but congress decided not to extend those benefits one more time. as of today, they are back to prerecession levels maxing out

after the six months. >> reporter: when dale lost his job after 36 years of gainful employment he thought it would only take a few weeks to find a new one. that was june. this married father calls unemployment insurance 300 dollars a week before taxes a life saver but that money will now disappear next month because benefits for anyone out of work within six months are going away. leaving sexton with some tough choice. >> i'm going to have to either look for a temporary part-time job or i'm going to have to seriously consider giving up the house. >> starting today unemployment benefits will vanish for 1.3 million americans who have been out of work longer than six months. in the first half of 2014, another 1.9 million americans will lose their benefits. some in congress want to extend the long-term help but opponents question if it's even helping. >> i am worried about the workers. not that i think they become bad people by becoming unemployed

but the longer they are unemployed the less likely they will ever find a job again. >> reporter: it could be hard to find a job within six months. >> three unemployed workers for every single job opening, so the odds are against unemployed workers in the labor market. >> why dale sexton would like to see an extension of benefits noting he would still prefer employment pay over unemployment pay. >> it's a fraction of what the majority of people make, so i would not want to stay on these benefits long term, no way. >> reporter: a bipartisan group is working on a plan to extend the long-term benefits whether congress returns next year, but to get enough support, they will need to find a way to pay the annual cost which is about $25 billion. >> large price tag. joe fryer, thanks. time for a look at the rest of the top stories and jenna wolf is here with the latest. >> good morning. new details from target about that massive data a breach today. the retail giant now says pin numbers were stolen but

customers are safe from hackers. the company says the pin numbers are heavily encrypted and the information cannot be unlocked but some experts are stilling suggesting that pin numbers should be changed. hackers stole credit and debit card information from million target customers in the weeks before christmas. the power outages that have left people in the dark in michigan and maine and 29 million customers are waiting for the lights to come on this morning. crews worked through christmas to fix the downed lines and in maine less than 5,000 customers still need their electric service. for the first time in over three decades, couples in china can have more than one child. leaders made the new policy formal today. they say in one fahrenheit is an only child, then that couple can have two children. do that math. the one child policy was instituted in 1979 to curb overpopulation but has been extremely unpopular ever since. china's population, you ask?

1.3 billion people. to the cabbie whose cab i left my iphone in last year and who chose not to return it to me even though hi a thousand pictures on it and i called it no less than 700 times, this story is for you. we told you about girardeau jimboa who found $300,000 in his car and returned it without hesitating. the gambler who left the money in that cab has decided to cut him in on his winnings and giving him a 10,000 dollar reward. >> i love it. >> let me be clear about something. it's not like i would have given you $10,000 but i was going to compensate you in some way and maybe like take you out for dinner or whatever it was, i know this is not about me but i'm just saying, let's all return phones. fantastic story out in vegas and makes you feel so good when people do things like that. >> jenna, thanks. dylan dreyer is out on the

plaza are wa check of the forecasts. >> temperatures are going to be above average across the country but a bigger storm system moving in from the south and that will produce rain but bring with it warmer temperatures. watch what happens on sunday. we still be about 5 to 10 degrees above average but look at this cold air waiting in the wings and moves through the upper midwest on monday and spreads eastward to the last day of the year and we start off the new year with temperatures across the northern half of the country about 15 to nearly 25 degr i'm storm team 4 meteorologist amelia segal in for chuck bell this morning. 33 degrees is our temperature right now. sunny skies across the area. we're in for a pleasant saturday. mostly sunny skies. a little bit more clouds during the afternoon and temperatures today, a good 10 degrees above average. a high of 56. a rainy sunday. rain pretty much from start to

finish. cooler too. a high of 45 and then our temperatures continue to cool. new years e now let's head on down for florida for our top spot of the day. this comes to us from wptv news channel 5 in del ray beach. it is a craft festival. they work of local crafters is on display all weekend long. so head on over there. big news for fans of a hit reality show "duck dynasty." a little more than a week after the a&e suspended phil robertson about his comments for ho homosexuality, the network said now they will include robertson in future tapings. kristen dahlgren has the latest on this. >> we are hearing a huge reaction from this this morning.

from the time of robertson's comments about gays people on both sides of the issue have been outspoken. in the end a short-lived suspension for the star as a&e announced the show will go on. >> reporter: for the hugely popular relate show. >> don't ever do! >> reporter: now controversial comeback. >> well, i guess we know what bradshaw means. >> reporter: a&e announcing it will renew "duck dynasty" this spring and launching a public service campaign promoting unity and tolerance they say are core values of the company. the move is a reversal from last week's suspension of star phil robertson following his good enough with gq magazine in which he compared gays to drunks and terrorists and said african-americans were perfectly happy before civil rights. the interview had outrage but the suspension also triggered duck dynasty fans to organize

protests of their own. standing up for the beloved family patriarch by mailing rub ber du -- rubber duckies to a&e. >> everybody seemed to be talking about this. >> reporter: robertson did say last week, i would never treat anyone with disrespect just because they are different from me. i love all of humanity and in a statement he and his family regret the coarse language he said and a&e saying the following. overnight, twitter lit up with comments. fans thrilled the colorful family will be back. but opponents worry that robertson may have "ducked" any punishment. "duck dynasty" is the most popular reality show on cable

with hundreds of millions of dollars in merchandise. a&e said they [ male announcer ] mcdonald's dollar menu & more is all about getting more.

it's all your favorites and a whole lot more, like a 20-piece chicken mcnuggets -- just 5 bucks. more choices than ever before. that's the dollar menu and more. ♪

♪ one of the frustrating things about that holiday shopping is that just the day after you hand out most of your gifts, everything goes on sale. well, how about a little late christmas present for you, the buyer? turns out you might be able to get some of that money back. regina lewis is a personal financial expert and contributor to "usa today." you have fantastic tips. this is not about a price match guarantee or something you see at the store and you bring in your flyer. this is your credit card giving you a price difference back? >> yes. they have up the ante. normally, stores offer price protection and the window is short and you have to go back to that store.

the credit card companies are saying it can go down at any store or online and they will reimburse you the difference. >> there has to be a catch on two here. it sounds too good to be true. which cards are offering them? >> not all of them. discover hat most liberal policy. you see the list here. they will give you 500 dollars back. let's say you buy a 200 dollar television and goes down 70 and you get money back. sometimes you have to ask your bank. whoever you're banking with say do i have price protection? and if you're in the market for a card, this is the number one thing i would ask for. >> you have a limited window as we just said. amex cards are no comrepgs. is there a limit on eligible items? >> yes, there are pr fine jewelry or pets or one of a kind items and that may mean something that is extreme close-out or limited quantity. when i talked to the companies they said the items that people

are taking advantage of this on are clearly electronics. designer jeans. shoes. the things we buy all time! >> i know! >> i'm so into this. i need to look this up. in terms of the process is it a real pain? >> it takes a little doing. so the program is great because you buy the items and enter them and they will track it for you and they will send you an e-mail if the price goes down. to put this in perspective, they told me for items over a hundred dollars, 1 out of 4 of them will end up qualifying and the average refund people get back, 80 bucks. not chump change. >> this all sounds so great. but i don't see -- if it's so great for us, why would any credit card company want to do this? what is it it for them? >> we think loalike. i asked that question. people have multiple credit cards and they have choices to make and if it's a big ticket item they want you to pick their card and if you're buying a washer and dryer, why wouldn't you pick a card with price

protection knowing they could drop a thousand dollars? >> in their own mind they hope you won't pay to have and still make some money. >> they assure against people filing these claims so they have that in place. plus have you together website and call them and you'll run into other things. the next thing you know you're taking out a college savings plan. >> you're getting money back. >> i got off the phone with discover and i got transferred six or seven times but i got there and they are sending me a form. >> a little perseverance goes a long way. >> in this case, a long way. we will be back. first, this is "today" on nbc.

♪ we have a great energized crowd out here today. >> i know. >> we don't want to fall down. tomorrow on "today," everything you need to know to

start off four-three on the right foot and everything from your health to your money. >> plus a fun look back over the times we have had over the past year, maybe including our math problem. year, maybe including our math problem. i'll see you back turn to roc® retinol correxion®. one week, fine lines appear to fade. one month, deep wrinkles look smoother. after one year, skin looks ageless. high performance skincare™ only from roc®. take skincare to the next level with new roc® multi correxion® 5 in 1, proven to hydrate dryness, illuminate dullness, lift sagging, diminish the look of dark spots, and smooth the appearance of wrinkles. high performance skincare™ only from roc®. [ ding ] cheese plate? cheese plate. no, i made something better. you used the oven? boom. [ male announcer ] pillsbury crescents. make the holidays pop. ♪

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so cold sores heal fast. as fast as 2 1/2 days when used at the first sign. ♪ learn more at abreva.com. don't tough it out. knock it out! fast. [ female announcer ] only with abreva. she should be braiding her hair. not losing it. he should be battling video villains. not cancer cells. they should be living life. not fighting for it. at st. jude children's research hospital, we're fighting for kids who aren't as lucky as yours. st. jude's research labs may not be in your community. but our discoveries are. our research has changed how the world treats leukemia, brain tumors and sickle cell disease. and no family ever pays st. jude. for anything. our discoveries today could save a child you know, tomorrow. so if you have healthy children, give thanks. give thanks. da las gracias.

give thanks. give thanks. give thanks for the healthy kids in your life. and give to those who are not. go to st. jude dot org or shop wherever you see the st. jude logo. good morning. i'm angie goff. >> i'm richard jordan. straight ahead today, breaking

news in northern virginia, shots fired at a taco bell. one man is in the hospital. derrick ward is on the scene talking to police. a live report is coming up. now to amelia. >> it's a beautiful start to the day. we're looking at plenty of sunshine right now. temperatures around 33 degrees. i'll be talking about how warm it will get for your saturday. >> also reaction coming in after a cable network's controversial duck call. the backlash for bringing back the star. >> president obama's library, will it be hawaii or chicago? which site maybe in the lead right now. >> and there's a new spin to light up the crystal ball in times square. >> all of that when you join us for news 4 today in 60 seconds.

police are still on the