good morning. trump versus the cia. the president-elect taking on the intelligence agency overnight after a new report about a secret cia meeting in september claiming the russians did intervene in the 2016 election to help him win. trump completely dismissing those claims. what happens when a president-elect goes to war with his own spies? we're live. chilling confession. for the first time, we're hearing shocking words from the gunman who killed nine people inside a historic church in charleston. >> i went to that church in charleston and i did it. >> that videotape shown for the first time to jurors inside a south carolina courtroom. what we're learning this morning about

motivation for the shooting. bitter blast. most of the country stuck in a deep freeze. 42 states with colder than normal temperatures, from the dakotas all the way to the northeast. the winter storm wreaking havoc on the highways. pileups in ohio, michigan and pennsylvania. and with 25 million in the path of a winter storm today, it could go from bad to worse. dylan is tracking it all. and a charlie brown christmas. a small tree might be in your future as those lush, green, full christmas trees might be harder to come by this year. >> they're all kind of short and not very full, so we had to really look hard to find a good one. >> the reason behind the tiny trees today, saturday, december 10th, 2016. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today," live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> good morning. welcome to "today" on this saturday mo

i'm sheinelle jones. >> glad to have you with us, i'm craig melvin. dylan dreyer still here! >> still plugging along, but this -- i have been saying good-bye for the last week. this is my final show. >> here's the thing, because you're two days behind savannah. she and mike gave birth to baby charlie yesterday, of course. >> he's so adorable. >> since you're two days behind her, we decided to park an ambulance outside. just in case. >> so make sure you watch every moment just in case. >> should i stand in a kiddie pool or something? >> no, we hope it doesn't come to that. a developing story overnight as donald trump takes aim at the cia dismissing the intelligence agency's conclusion that the russians hacked the democrats, not just to cause confusion but to help him win the election. nbc's kasie hunt is in d.c. this morning with more. kasie, good morning. >> reporter: sheinelle, good morning. the election has been over for weeks, but this new report is raising questions about how the

interfered not just in general, but specifically to help trump win this election. trump is fighting back overnight, but members of his own party are promising that they're going to keep digging into it. >> by the way, i don't need the hat either, right? who wants a hat. >> reporter: after victory laps in louisiana and michigan friday night, even calling off anti-hillary clinton protesters who chanted "lock her up" -- >> that plays great before the election. now we don't care. >> reporter: this morning president-elect donald trump is at war with the intelligence community. "the washington post" reported late friday the cia thinks the russian government interfered with the u.s. election to help trump win, by hacking e-mails from the democratic party and hillary clinton's campaign chairman. the trump campaign reacting within minutes, dismissing the claims saying, quote, these are the same people that said saddam hussein had weapons of mass destruction. the election ended a long time ago in one of the biggest electoral college victories in

but members of trump's own party believe russia did interfere. >> there's no doubt in my mind that they hacked into the dnc and podesta's e-mail, that the russians were behind that. every republican needs to understand this is not about the democratic party, this is about america as a whole. >> reporter: senator lindsey graham wants to impose personal sanctions against russian president vladimir putin next year, and the obama administration has demanded to know more about what happened before the inauguration. >> the president has directed the intelligence community to conduct a full review of what happened during the 2016 election. >> reporter: trump has praised putin. incoming national security advisor michael flynn once had denner with the former kgb officer but there's december sent among other contenders. mitt romney is still a potential pick of secretary of state and he once labeled russia america's number one geopolitical foe.

in the mix and rudy giuliani has taken himself out of the running. president-elect trump promising he'll make a decision for that critical post by the end of next week. more new details out this morning. "the new york times" is reporting the russian government also hacked the republican national committee, but that none of that information was released during the election season. you'll remember we heard a lot about democratic e-mails leaking out, hillary clinton campaign chairman john podesta's hacked e-mails leaking just in the weeks leading up to election day, sheinelle. >> kasie, we're used to the trump team going on the attack, but they're attacking an intelligence agency that will be explicitly serving the president for the next four years. how unusual is this? >> reporter: it's extraordinarily unusual, sheinelle. this is in many ways

trump will be relying on the intelligence community to tell him how to interact with the many threats around the world. we do know that trump had an intelligence briefing on wednesday, but he's getting fewer than many presidents-elect have in the past and fewer than his vice president-elect mike pence who is getting near daily briefings from this community that donald trump is now seeming to go to war with. sheinelle. >> kasie hunt, thank you. meanwhile a crisis was averted in washington overnight when the senate approved a spending bill at the last minute to keep the government from shutting down. that vote came less than an hour wheth before the midnight deadline. democrats had been holding out over long-term health benefits for coal miners. tens of millions of people are waking up this saturday morning with one thought on their mind. it is cold out there, a blist blistering chill blanketing much of the country leaving snow, icy roads and aee

kristen dahlgren is braving it all in erie, pennsylvania. good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you, sheinelle. yeah, a little break in the know right here right now. it's beautiful out here until you try driving in on it. a lot of the roads here aren't plowed in erie. interstate 90 going about 5 miles an hour right now. couple that with these cold, cold temperatures and it could be a rough weekend ahead for millions. bitter cold is the story this morning with much of the country seeing temperatures well below average. >> it's like alaska. >> reporter: even bringing a rare snow event to places like texas, where it wreaked havoc on the roads. in seattle some football fans had a bit of fun. but for others in the northwest, it meant headaches when that snow soon froze over. >> it's a sheet of ice with a thin layer of water. >> it's pretty much impossible to get out. >> reporter: from slippery sidewalks in utah to

but for snow removal workers in iowa, there's an upside. >> as far as the snow removal goes, it's 50% of our business. >> reporter: the great lakes region saw some of the worst of the storm, turning deadly on the roads in new york friday. one man died after losing control of his suv in whiteout conditions. earlier the same system caused a series of massive and deadly highway crashes in ohio, michigan and pennsylvania. >> we have a reported 10 to 15-car pileup. >> reporter: snow will continue to be a threat across the great lakes region this weekend. so around here they could see another 5 to 8 inches today before all is said and done. some places could see up to another foot of snow. guys, can i just say as excited as i am about dylan's baby, i have a feeling we are really going to miss her out here over the winter. >> what are you trying to say, kristen? >> kristen dahlgren. >> i should

reporters and correspondents who will get stuck in the snow because i'm not out there. >> how much worse is this going to get? >> the lake-effect snow is going to continue throughout the day today because the air is so cold and the lakes are frozen at this point. these bands of snow will continue through the day today

widespread 6 inches of snow through the great lakes and where those heavier bands of lake-effect snow set up, like where kristen is, we could see an additional 5 to 10, 12, 15 inches of snow. >> we'll get your national forecast in just a bit. it was an emotional day in a south carolina courtroom on friday as jurors and witnesses heard for the very first time the chilling confession from the gunman who shot nine people to death at a historic african-american church there, hoping to start a race war. here's nbc's gabe gutierrez. >> i do consider myself a white supremacist. >> reporter: dylann roof chuckled as he recalled the horror at charleston's emanuel

ame church last year. >> well i killed him, i guess. >> reporter: now for the first time a look at what prosecutors show jurors on the third day of roof's federal trial where he's accused of 33 counts, including hate crimes. >> i think we all know i'm guilty. >> reporter: he told agents the trayvon martin case woke him up and prompted him to research black on white crime. >> what i did is so minuscule to what they're doing to white people every day. >> reporter: this is security tape of roof entering. minutes before the massacre, prosecutors said roof could be seen in this snapchat video. when the bloodshed was over, he quietly walked out, gun in hand. >> i was in absolute awe that there was nobody out there. >> reporter: adding that if officers had been waiting for him, he would have shot himself. police arrested him during a traffic stop the next day, and he seemed surprised when he was told nine church

died. >> you were under the assumption you killed four or five people? >> right. yes, that's true. >> but your numbers were doubled. it was nine. >> reporter: investigators found a journal in his car with a swastika scrawled inside and this entry. i would love for there to be a race war. the fbi agents asked him what he would tell the families of the victims. >> i probably couldn't even look at them. >> reporter: roof's defense team is not disputing the facts of the case. their goal is to avoid the death penalty. on the witness stand an investigator said after roof's confession he told the then 21-year-old that his plan to start a race war did not work, and the people of charleston were coming together. his last words to roof, you failed. for "today," gabe gutierrez, nbc news. turning overseas now, a humanitarian disaster is looming today in syria where the city of aleppo is close to falling to government forces. this as u.s. diplomats try desperately today

to stop the bloodshed. matt bradley is in london with more. matt, good morning to you. >> good morning, craig. russian officials saying today that 50,000 civilians have fled eastern aleppo in just the past two days. it's not enclosure clear if thas true but many of those civilians will be jumping from the pan into the fire. take a look. syria's largest city is about to fall. government forces say they have retaken more than 90% of aleppo. an ancient city now nearly levelled by years of war. just this week tens of thousands of civilians fled the rebel-held east to the relatively calm of the government-held west. their nightmare isn't over. the united nations has reported claims that hundreds of men and boys disappeared once they crossed into west aleppo. human rights workers warn that the harsh treatment of civilians

>> what is the worry among human rights workers once aleppo falls completely? >> you would have a huge number of people who may be exposed to reprisals of different kinds, including being picked up and held in detention centers, interrogated and tortured. >> reporter: far from syria's horror, negotiations continue. they're struggling to save the estimated 100,000 civilians still trapped in the city's east. >> what is happening in aleppo is the worst catastrophe, what's happening in syria is the worst catastrophe since world war ii itself. it's unacceptable. it's horrible. >> reporter: so far talking has accomplished little. syria's government and its russian allies say they're determined to see a full military victory in aleppo. that victory will come at an even greater human cost. aleppo is a problem that donald trump will inherit when he takes office next month and it's one in which u.s.op

the outgoing secretary of defense announced today that he's nearly doubling the number of american soldiers fighting isis on the ground near the syrian city of raqqah to 500 special operations troops. >> matt bradley for us this morning in london. matt, thanks. breaking overnight, at least five people were killed today when a tanker train derailed and exploded. it happened in bulgaria. 150 firefighters raced to the scene to search for survivors. 20 buildings have also been destroyed. police say the train was carrying propane and butane. the pilot of a hot air balloon that crashed in texas last july was taking medications that should have disqualified him from flying. that's according to federal investigators. the balloon crashed into power lines near lockhart, texas, killing the pilot and 15 passengers. the ntsb that pilot, alfred "skip" nichols had at least a half dozen prescription drugs, including oxycodone, in his system at the time of the cr

he also had four convictions for drunk driving and served time in prison twice. high drama is playing out in a florida courtroom in the retrial of a woman who was accused of hiring a hit man to kill her husband. at the center of it all, this hidden camera video of an undercover officer trying to catch her setting up the hit. but was she the victim of a police department looking to make a big splash on tv? nbc's scott cohen has more. >> all right, counsel, you may be seated. >> reporter: it's a case that's testing the line between reality and reality tv. >> how soon could you do it? >> i could do it wednesday morning. wednesday morning at the house. >> reporter: police have dahlia dippolito on video seemingly casually taking out a hit on her new husband with an undercover cop. >> i was going to get $3,000 from you today. >> reporter: so juicy, boynton beach, florida, police shared the story with the tv show "cops" and stage

scene to make her think her husband really was killed. her lawyers say the police department's quest for publicity, including posting the videos on youtube compromised her rights. the department's public information officer grilled on the stand friday. >> do you believe that is good police practices, yes or no? >> i can't answer that. >> reporter: the defense says the police set dippolito up to make the department famous and that she never really intended to have her husband killed. >> i'm positive. >> reporter: they accused the police department of corruption. >> this case is bigger than dahlia dippolito. it's about holding law enforcement nationwide accountable for following the rules. >> reporter: but prosecutors say the undercover video speaks for itself. >> what's great about this case is it is based 100% on miss dippolito's words, her actions and her intent. >> reporter: this is dahlia

to 20 years, the verdict thrown out on appeal. as soon as monday she'll have to decide whether to take the witness stand or leave the jury to decide the tale of the tapes. for "today," scott cohn, nbc news, miami. at this hour nobel prizes are being awarded in oslo, norway. the peace prize is going to colombian president for his efforts to end that country's civil war. the prize for literature, you might remember it's being awarded to bob dylan, a songwriter, but dylan won't be there. he says he has, quote, pre-existing commitments. >> what would that be? >> it's bob dylan. it's bob dylan. i would have been stunned if you

it's a freezing cold start on this saturday morning. we're in the 20s and larter tody in the 30s. tomorrow's highs in the low 40s and rain likely on monday morning ending mid day. highs around 50. partly sunny tuesday. might get snow wednesday afternoon into afternoon. perhaps a light >> and that's your latest forecast. >> dylan, thank you. still to

on the week's most talked-about stories, including one dad's ingenious idea to make sure he never loses his daughter in a crowd. >> that's really creative. and up next, why so many comes trees look like they should be in a charlie brown holiday special. but first, this is "today" on nbc. believe there is a place where holiday magic is real. believe there are still more amazing sights to this season.

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♪ back now on a saturday morning with the towering rockefeller center christmas tree, that's beautiful behind us. if your weekend plans including a trip to pick up your family's tree, be forewarned. >> a lot of them look smaller this season. jolene kent is here with more on why this season's crop doesn't appear to be as nice. >> we've got in beautiful tree behind us but you they may look a little like a charlie brown st

those drought conditions plaguing tree farmers everywhere, killing off a centerpiece of the holiday season. it's a family tradition for millions of americans, buying the perfect christmas tree. >> i want this one. >> reporter: but a punishing drought across the country is making it a lot more difficult to find one that will look good for santa. >> they're all kind of short and not very full, so we had to really look hard to find a good one. >> there's quite a few trees out there that look like charlie brown christmas trees. >> what kind of a tree is that? >> you were supposed to get a good tree. >> can't you even tell a good tree from a poor tree? >> reporter: it's no joke at miracle acres tree farm in milford, new hampshire. owner dave wheeler is bracing for a ten-year impact on his 65-acre f farm. >> we planted 1,000 trees this spring and 1,000 trees are dead. >> what's the financial impact for your family? >> we're talking from the baby trees and losing years of growth here and there, we're talking

>> reporter: tree farms across the country are suffering too. in california, prices are going up. in maine and north carolina, a shortage. in louisiana and alabama, dry weather slowing growth. and in new york, connecticut, massachusetts and florida, there's concerns about trees planted this year making it to next. >> i haven't seen a drought this bad in my lifetime. we've had some droughts, but not this extreme. >> reporter: so you just think even though you hit this rough patch, it's still worth it financially to go forward? >> yeah. i mean we have to. this is our retirement plan. >> reporter: as you go shopping for your tree, no matter how scrubby it might look -- >> it's not bad at all really. maybe it just needs a little love. >> reporter: the beauty is in the eye of the beholder. >> now, if you already purchased your christmas tree, the tree may be drier than usual and tree farmers say make sure you water itnd

heating vents. if you're about to go get your tree this weekend, experts recommend buying a more mature ever grown that has been less vulnerable to those drought conditions in its early days, so a lot to think about as you head out to go tree shopping. >> it's all about how you love the tree and how you take care of it. >> exactly. >> do you have a tree yet? >> we're doing it today. >> did you just lie on television? >> mine is in the basement, prelit, i just have to set it up. still ahead here on "today," holiday gifts and decorations that won't break the bank. they're all 50 bucks or less. plus it's one of the hottest toys of the hall days, the hatchimal. how can you get your hands on one? stay tuned to find out, but first these messages.

7:26 is your time now on this saturday. good morning. let's get a check of your headlines. we'll start in prince george's county where police rearrest a man who escaped on the way to jail. he was picked up at a traffic stop, but he got out of his handcuffs and ran away. police found him about 30 minutes later. safe track under way on the orange and silver lines, but this weekend additional safety work is impacting the red line as well. trains will single track on areas on the

line respect crews are installing a radio cable there. we're gonna get a check of that saturday morng weekend ni

tom, brrr. that's all i've got. >> freezing cold start, but beautiful view. cold sun rise on this saturday morning. temperatures are in the 20s but climbing into the upper 30s to 40s. we'll have lots of sunshine. temperatures will hover near 40 and this evening at 7:30 is the tracking winter special. it's going to be on tonight telling you all about what our thoughts are about this upcoming winter and tips on how to stay safe and warm. ay

through mid day and partly sunny tuesday. next chance of snow late wednesday into wednesday night, ♪ >> we are back on a saturday morning, december 10th, 2016. you've got to love shaq finding his inner beyonce. a little lip sync action there. much more coming up in popstart. meanwhile, check out this fantastic crowd. a lot of folks came to town just to see the tree and to see if dylan was going to give birth during the actual broadcast. let's give you a look at what's making headlines today. donald trump is taking on the intelligence

to a "washington post" report about a secret cia meeting back in september claiming the russians were working to help trump win the election. trump's campaign completely dismissing those claims, even though other members of the republican party believe that russia was involved. in tennessee, some welcome news to visitors of the resort town of gatlinburg. they're just now being allowed in two weeks after those devastating wildfires in the area. most of this resort area was spared from the fires, but 14 people died, about 2500 homes and structures were destroyed nearby. and how's this for an early christmas present. an anonymous secret santa paid off $46,000 worth of layaway items for walmart shoppers at a pennsylvania store. shoppers were shocked to learn they could just pick up what they had on layaway without having to pay for it. in all 194 people had their gifts paid for. it has been a busy week since the

warehouse fire and the battle regarding sofia vergara's kbree yoes. those are just some of the stories in this week's download. the city of oakland still grappling with the aftermath of the fire that ripped through what's known as the ghost ship. >> i looked over and could see an orange glow coming through the window. >> the death toll now stands at 36. >> the man who leased the warehouse and has been blamed by some to allowing it to become a fire trap speaks out exclusively on "today." >> i'm only here to say one thing, i am incredibly sorry. i didn't do anything ever in my life that would lead me up to this moment. >> meanwhile survivors in a devastated community try to cope. >> hundreds paying their respects. unlit candles and flashlights. >> its man who shot former nfl player joe mcknight to death in an alleged case o

arrested this week. >> ronald gasser now charged with manslaughter after initially being released this week. >> he was somebody's son. >> a decision that sparked public outcry. >> shame on these folks. >> as the sheriff of louisiana's jefferson parish lashes out on those criticizing his handling of the case. >> i can't believe it. >> mcknight's family spoke to nbc over the weekend. >> my child is gone. president-elect donald trump struggling to walk the line of real estate mogul and soon-to-be president. >> he's promised to put a wall between his business interests and the country's interests, but this morning "the new york times" reporting donald trump may not fully divest. >> meanwhile the transition picks keep coming, scott pruitt for epa. >> trump's choice to lead the epa is currently suing that agency. general john kelly for homeland security. >> i think he's got a real knowledge of the issues. >> and linda mcmahon for the small business administration. t'

billionaire. >> she's the former wwe head behind wrestle mania. a bizarre legal twist. sofia vergara's own embryos are suing her as part of an ongoing battle with nick lobe. >> the suit sasks for lobe to receive full custody. a trust was created for the fertilized eggs in louisiana which has laws that allow an embryo to sue a person. >> a louisiana judge could very well say i'm going to protect the lives of these two embryos. one dad shared his holiday parent hat for keeping track of his daughter at the mall. >> he ties a red balloon to her belt loop so when she wanders off, he knows exactly where she's going. he's posting all kinds of parenting solutions. >> an nbc production of "hairspray live" had viewers everywhere shaking and shimmying along with the star-studded cast. >> ery

hudson and arianna grande. ♪ >> i loved it. >> they are so talented. are you going to -- when you have junior here, are you going to put a balloon on him to keep track of him? >> i do think the balloon idea, it's genius. but his thumbs up were the best. >> one of our producers said what if everybody starts doing that? >> i parents used to use one of those little kid leashes for my brother, my younger brother. >> really? i don't know how i feel about those. it makes sense to me -- >> are you saying my mom is a bad mom. >> not at all. you are a wonderful person. >> he turned out okay. >> well, the jury is still out. let's get another check on that forecast, please, ma'am. >> let's talk about the cold because it is going to get so cold as

clear sky, temperatures in the 20s. later today we'll be climbing into the 30s here by late morning and then mid and upper 30s during the middle part of the afternoon, lots of sun, light wind. by dawn on sunday upper 20s and increasing clouds tomorrow into the low 40s. rain likely monday morning and a high around 50. partly sunny tuesday in the 40s and then we could get snow late wednesday afternoon into the and that's your latest forecast. >> the siberian express is officially my favorite map. >> there were swirls and dips. wait until you're freezing on thursday. >> i don't want to feel it, i just want to look at the map. when we come back, do you have trouble saying no? this is something you both struggle with. >> true. >> well, we've got some help for you. and up next, holiday gifts i have asthma... ...one of many pieces in my life.

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♪ this morning in "today's takeaway" christmas and hannukah are just a few days away. if you don't want to overspend, we have some great gifts for under $50. dana johnson, good morning for you. >> good morning. >> we have some good stuff. let's squeeze this in. i like this, a personalized rolling pin. >> that's one of the great things about working with independent makers is that you can customize as much or as little as you need. >> this is cute. >> this seller here, the humble elephant made this especially for you guys here at the "today" show. >> it says the "today" show. >> so it's a great way to personalize your pie crust and your cookies. >> and you'll see it, obviously. >> that's right. >> and then this mobile mug. look at this. when you put your cookies on it. >>

lover, you can put crackers on the side or it's great for cookies and milk. i think it's a great option to leave out for santa christmas eve with the cookies and milk. >> this is cute for adult beverages. mixology, a dice set. >> this is made my two sisters with a shop named two tumble weeds. this is great for holiday interviente entertaini entertaining. you shake it up and figure out what the cocktail will be. it's 1.5 million different cocktail combinations that can come from this. >> this is rum and thyme. >> yes. >> this is awe huge trend right now, decorate your bottles. this is just one example to make your bottle a little more festive while you're holiday entertaining with your guests. >> when i think of personalized gifts, let's talk about this. >> this is from wood life prints. this is super special because you're able to send the seller your picture and also a

customized message like shown here on the bottom. >> oh, that's cute. >> and i think it's a great way to elevate that old school family portrait. >> and you can print whatever you want? >> print whatever and it's ready to hang. >> another good one that's popular, the customized ornament. >> this is from paper case studios. really, really fabulous because, again, you can work directly with the seller and figure out how to personalize it. i think this is great for newlyweds. you can get mr. and mrs. smith, 2016, or even a new baby. >> dylan, are you listening? you can get a personal i sized ornament. >> so tell me about this chalk. >> this is the great alternative for apartment dwellers in case you don't have extra space. >> what do you do? >> you shade in the christmas tree. you can color in the bulbs. great way to get the kids involved. >> where do you put

and what are we, 15 days until christmas? >> is it 15? i haven't started. >> so you can have the kids involved to do the countdown. if you're celebrating hannukah, you can ask the kids to shade in the flame each day for hannukah. >> that's nice. dana, thank you so much. coming up next, the crowd has spoken. we'll answer their questions. you'll have to see this, that's coming up after these me well this here's a load-bearing wall. we'll go ahead and rip that out. that'll cause a lot of problems. hmm. totally unnecessary and it triples the budget. we'll be totally behind schedule, right? (laughschedules. schedules. great, okay. wouldn't it be great if everyone said what they meant? the citi® double cash card does. it lets you earn double cash back: 1% when you buy, and 1% as you pay. the citi double cash card. double means double.

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ght now at lowe's. like up to 30% off select holiday items. plus get fresh cut christmas trees starting at only $29.98. save big on everything you need to make your home happy, right now at lowe's. impressive linda. it seems age isn't slowing you down. but your immune system weakens as you get older increasing the risk for me, the shingles virus. i've been lurking inside you since you had chickenpox. i could surface anytime as a painful, blistering rash. one in three people get me in their lifetime, linda. will it be you? and that's why linda got me zostavax, a single shot vaccine. i'm working to boost linda's immune system to help protect her against you, shingles. zostavax is a vaccine used to prevent shingles in adults fifty years of age and older. zostavax does not protect everyone and cannot be used to treat shingles or the nerve pain that may follow it. you should not get zostavax if you are allergic to gelatin or neomycin, have a weakened immune system or take high doses of steroids

an to become pregnant. the most common side effects include redness, pain, itching, swelling, hard lump warmth or bruising at the injection site and headache. it's important to talk to your doctor about what situations you may need to avoid since zostavax contains a weakened chickenpox virus. remember one in three people get shingles in their lifetime, will it be you? talk you to your doctor or pharmacist about me, single shot zostavax. you've got a shot against shingles. ♪ back now with one of our favorite parts of the show, he says with

we have a fish bowl here, we have questions from the plaza, we have 90 seconds on the clock. ladies, you ready? >> these are giant note cards. >> let's see, my question here is what is the strangest thing that has happened to you since you started at "today"? i hear from people who claim that we're friends. that i've never known before. >> they want to visit. >> how late will you sleep in on your time off, more sleep or less? >> i would i deally like more sleep, but i have a feeling it's going to be less. >> a lot less. >> who was your idol when you were a kid? two people probably. janet jackson, i used to have the key on my ear and then a news anchor in chicago named allison payne. never met her but if you're watching, i love you. >> janet jackson, huh? >> oh, my gosh. >> miss nasty. >> i have the whole thing. >> if you could be any animal, what animal would you be and why? >> i've always loved

giraffe. which make that face. >> i niefind that so random. >> you have a great view. >> i'd want to fly. what is the worst thing you were ever dared to do? >> keep it clean, network television. >> probably skydiving. >> did you do it? >> i did it twice. >> oh, this is hard. name one thing that you cannot live without. my kids? >> don't make that face when you say it. >> that's such a cheesy answer. i don't know what else to say. >> what is your pet peeve? oh, we're out of time. >> what is it? >> oh, i hope it's not something we do. >> i have a list. still ahead on this saturday morning, a hot gift this holiday season y these backpacks are becoming so popular these days. first, this is "today" on nbc. >> no, really what's your pet peeve?

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still to come on "today," donald trump taking on the cia. why he says he doesn't believe a report that the russians tried to help him win. also ahead this morning, this will be their last white house christmas. our first look at the obamas' final christmas card. we'll get that and sheinelle jones will probably give us a little bit more on janet jackson walgreens presents, a holiday mini miracle. hey! hey! ♪ this is for you. did you really? didn't have too! ♪ getting the gift you almost kept for yourself? now that's a holiday mini miracle. and it's easy to create your own at walgreens... with 40 percent off canvas prints, just around the corner. walgreens. at the corner of happy and healthy.

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at t.j.maxx, marshalls and homegoods, we've always believed the holidays should be about joy. where days are filled with magic, not madness. it's why we have amazing prices on thoughtful gifts, everyday. let's bring back the holidays. your time now is 7:56. good morning everyone. if you're lplanning to head on o

harbor officials say try a different weekend. they're asking people with dinner or hotel reservations this weekend to make the trip to that part of maryland. the casino reached capacity on opening night in 45 minutes. you can run into traffic troubles in roseland this morning. the great chocolate race five miler is under way right now. there are several closures from route 110 to 395. it will be a sweet race for those running through though. everyone who crosses the finish line gets a

good morning. a freezing cold start this saturday morning in the 20s. bright sunshine and highs in the upper 30s with a light wind. tomorrow low 40s with increasing clouds. rain likely on monday morning and mid day and drying out with a high around 50. partly sunny on tuesday in the 40s. could get some accumulating snow wednesday afternoon and evening mainly on grassy areas drying out on thursday andfr

could get more snow changing over to rain. back to you. >> thank you. we're back good morning. donald trump versus the cia. the president-elect taking on his own spies after a new report about a secret cia meeting in september claiming the russians did interfere in this year's election to help him win. but this morning, trump is dismissing those claims and taking a shot at the spy agency. plus, bitter blast. another morning of freezing temperatures shocking millions from the dakotas into the northeast. and with the cold comes snow. 25 million people in the midwest under a winter storm watch this weekend. dylan has the latest forecast. and hatchimals for sale. some great news this morning for parents who have yet to find the elusive toy. the hottest

on store shelves this weekend, but be prepared to wait in line with every other parent still trying to get their hands on a hatchimal. today, saturday december 10th, 2016. ♪ >> i'm 50 and fabulous. >> and we're 60! >> the kindest person i know is my mom. >> roll tide! >> it's our sweet 16. >> it's my bucket list and i'm on the "today" show! >> i love it. good morning, welcome back to "today" on this saturday morning. we have to thank our crowd this morning for braving the cold here in new york city. hopefully everybody is staying warm, some pocket warmers. >> they're all squeezed together so that keeps you warm. >> they're a lively bunch out there too. >> and it's an experience.

>> let's begin this hour with the overnight reaction from donald trump after a new report about a secret cia meeting in september. the cia apparently saying that the russians interfered with the election, helping donald trump win the election. nbc's kasie hunt is in washington with more. kasie, good morning. >> reporter: sheinelle, good morning. donald trump today is at war it seems with the intelligence community after "the washington post" put up a story overnight saying that not just -- the russians didn't just interfere in the u.s. election to try and sew chaos or affect it, but they did it specifically to help donald trump win the election. now trump's team fired back within minutes of this story going up online. they said in part, quote, of the intelligence community, these are the same people who said saddam hussein had weapons of mass destruction. the election ended a long time ago in one of the biggest elecl

history. now, there are some new additional details this morning. "the new york times" reporting that part of this assessment is based on an analysis that the russians also hacked into the republican national committee, but that none of that information was released. you'll remember we saw plenty of e-mails from hillary clinton campaign chairman john podesta as well as e-mails from a hack into the democratic national committee. so while this is going on, trump is still trying to pick his own national security team. rudy giuliani, we've learned, has taken his name out of consideration for secretary of state. still in the mix, rex tillerson, the ceo of exxonmobil, and also mitt romney, the 2012 republican presidential nominee. but you may remember, guys, that mitt romney called russia at one point america's number one geopolitical foe.

some other headlines this morning, as the united states steps up the war on isis, 200 additional u.s. troops will join the fight in syria. defense secretary ash carter announced this morning that special operations forces, trainers, advisers, and bomb squads will help local troops try to push isis out of its stronghold in raqqah. 300 u.s. troops are already in syria. now to some chilling evidence at the trial of self-proclaimed white supremacist dylann roof. the jury heard a videotaped confession where he said he had to do it as he confessed to police how he shot nine worshippers to death at a south carolina church last year. roof said his aim was to start a race war. the defense doesn't dispute the facts in the case. they're trying to avoid the death penalty. the trial resumes monday. samsung is virtually pulling the plug on its recalled galaxy note 7 phones. they are going to release an update that will prevent the phones from charging. the galaxy note 7 w

were bursting into flames. the company has most of them now, but they say more than 100,000 of the dangerous note 7s are still out there. kirk douglas is proving just how tough he is. the acting legend turned 100 years old friday and celebrated with a bash in beverly hills. his son michael and michael's wife, catherine zeta-jones, were by his side. douglas won an oscar for his 50 years of work in film. dylan dreyer out on the plaza with another check of the forecast. >> good morning, guys.

sunny and cold. still in the 20s and later today upper 30s and 40s with bright sun and light wind. sunday into the low 40s.

storm team 4 tracking winter weather special at 7:30 on n nbc 4. monday we could get rain that could linger through mid day and sun back in the afternoon with a high around 50. might get some >> and that's your latest forecast. sheinelle and craig. >> come on back inside. >> thank you. coming up, get them while you can. the hottest toy of the season will be back on store shelves this weekend. where you can get your hands on them. then a plea from uncle jesse, as the new season of "fuller house" drops on netflix. first, these messages. oh, life-sized dragon hand back scratcher. if only it came in a luffa. it does! oh, a raisin re-hydrator. it turns them back into grapes. wow, what an exhausting journey. that's a good wedding present. good call. thank you... and thank you, lady blue. with the blue cash everyday card from american express, you get cash back on purchases with no annual fee. oh, look at this. disposable microphone for my uncle bob's 75th! a one and done.

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just fyi, a button popped on dylan's shirt. he's kicking. >> live birth? >> the show's not over yet. >> 20 minutes. parents, good news this morning. if you're still looking for the hottest toy this christmas, we're here to help. the hatchimal, that interactive toy that starts out as an egg and eventually hatches will be back on store shelves this weekend. target sent out a tweet this week that starting tomorrow, stores across the country will reshock their shelves. now, there is a limit of two per person and walmart also said it would be restocking 1700 select stores across the country with hatchimals so check and see if your local store is carrying them. if they are, good luck. >> at one point it was $49.99 and that last sign said $69.99. >> it's a hot commodity. >> you hatched one, didn't you? >> i did, i gave it a lot of love and it hatched. >> her belly is hatching in a

doesn't happen. while we all want the holiday season to be fun, it can be stressful. countless parties, endless treats, a lot of time with the relatives. sometimes you just have to say no, right? well, how do you do that and still be effective? there's no research that shows apparently there is a right way to say no, depending on how you frame your statement. for example, if you're invited to a holiday party, instead of saying i can't make it that night, you can say i'm sorry, i won't make your party because i don't stay out past 9:00 on a school night. i just don't do it. research shows that a simple word change can make people feel more psychologically empowered. so instead of saying i can't do that, i don't. >> there's a reason why. >> so i can't go to your party, i don't hang out with you. >> no, that's probably not -- >> and finally, your mailbox is probably filling up with holiday cards so what would you do if you got one of these from the first family? this is

obamas are sending one out. in 2009 they went simple here for the first card. then in 2012, you remember this one, bo was at the center of attention. in 2013 they came up with a 3-d pop-up design. here it is, the 2016 christmas card, the entire family, of course -- >> all grown up. >> stunning. malia and sasha have grown up so much so here they are in 2008. let's look at this. such a difference, right? >> it's remarkable. >> they're almost taller than the parents now. >> dylan dreyer with -- this is your last popstart for a few months. >> it is my last popstart but i'll be watching. first up, you asked for it and now you got it, dude. the second season of "fuller house" is now streaming on netflix. d.j., stephanie, danny, uncle jesse, uncle joey and the rest of the gang are all back to season

everyone except the olsen twins. that hasn't stopped the shows writers from joking about it. >> we miss michelle, we hope that she'll be with us next year. >> come, it'll be fun. >> that's funny. >> next, it's time to start your engines as we get our first look at the latest "fast and furious" film. check out this teaser. it was for the eighth show in the franchise. but that's not all, the eighth movie will be called, any guesses? >> fast and furious 8. >> no, it's more creative than that. the fate of the furious. it's expected to pull into theaters in april, 2017. did you watch them all? >> no. i saw like the first two, though. >> you can watch eight now. and finally, after it was announced this week that beyonce racked up nine grammy nominations, one man who you could say is a beyonce

check out shaq. ♪ >> shaq took on beyonce's "all night" tweeting this video saying that song and "halo" are, quote, his jam. one of my favorite moments last year was when he happened to walk by the studio and popped in. sheinelle took off her shoes and took a picture with shaq. it's my favorite thing of all time. you hardly come up to his waist. >> it doesn't even seem real. look at that. >> oh, my goodness. >> i feel like i could sit in his shoe. >> doesn't he have the softest hands? >> i don't remember. >> he has the softest hands. >> he's the nicest guy, he really is. >> you still have that picture? >> i remember he was walking past and somebody was like that looks l

we were like ha ha, no, it is. why is he just walking around on a random saturday morning. >> and nobody kinda looks like shaq. you're either shaq or you're not. >> when you're 7'2", you don't get mistaken from a lot of folks. coming up, from humble beginnings to a meteoric rise, we've got the story behind these wildly popular backpacks. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

back on a saturday morning. if you've ever taken a look at some of the backpacks people are wearing lately, you'll notice many of them have the same logo. >> the brain child of two brothers who are taking over a market once dominated by big companies. miguel almaguer has more. >> we can see if it's going to fit someone's back how it's going to look. >> reporter: it's the bag and the brand that seems to be everywhere, from the streets of new york to the beaches

that clean bag with a simple logo, a global company with humble canadian roots and a home base in vancouver. a family business, no doubt. jamie and lindon cormick founded he herschel. they named their company after an early town their grandparents settled, herschel, canada, population 30. >> we had some of our best childhood memories in this little town. >> with roots in retail, the brothers left their jobs in marketing and sales to create what they say was missing in the market. >> we saw a hole in the market. we didn't know how big the hole was. we saw that there was this opportunity to take utility items, weave into the design dna to them, have some creative features on the products, have this look and

available on shelves in the market. >> reporter: turns out that hole in the market was the size of a crater. from 2010 to 2011, sales spiked 900%. the next year, a more modest rise, 350%. >> are you guys a disrupter or outlier? are you -- is that what you want to become? >> i think early on, you know, a lot of people didn't carry bags 12 months of the year, and they are now. >> the little america is a clatic take on a vintage bag. >> reporter: their first bags were basic. a modern classic, simple, affordable and refined. >> we really wanted to take nostalgic items and modernize them. modern classics is really what we want to do. >> reporter: their like bags, their headquarters are cool. a modern space that thrives on inspiration and collaboration. >> so this is ahoy. >> reporter: the brothers take pride in their products. everything from wallets to

>> we talk about it all the time. we never stop. every single day there's a new idea. >> we planned on being global and it's something we talked about the whole time. really being scaleable, acting like a global brand. >> reporter: a global brand that's always been a family business. for "today," miguel almaguer, vancouver, canada. before we go, we have to say good luck and congratulations just one more time. >> my good-bye tour is finally wrapping up. >> it's real now. >> and when i saw savannah's baby, charlie, it's like oh, wow, there really is a baby at the end of this whole journey so it made it more real. >> and that's a 9 pound 8 ounce baby. >> please don't benign pounds. but i'm going to miss you guys. i feel like it's the last day of school and i'm not going to see you for a few months. >> i was just telling dylan, i think we're having a little bit of a moment because we recognize that this is the end

come back and are sitting on this couch, to me it's a great chapter. >> it's the best chapter. >> everyone says that and i can't wait to see what it's all about. i'm so excited. >> you'll see. >> i used to wonder what their face would look like. >> oh, i'm dying to know what his face looks like. >> we're so happy for you and we're just as happy that you didn't do it during the broadcast today. >> me too. >> not me. >> that would have been embarrassing. >> sheinelle woman wantihas bee wanting it the last woke. >> that's going to do it. tomorrow morning willie sitting down with jessica chastain. how the actress got her start in the business and the movie that put her into the spotlight. that's coming up tomorrow morning on "sunday today." enjoy your saturday. have a great weekend. dylan, we'll miss you. >> i'll miss you guys too. please visit. >> can we come over? right when you feel a cold sore, abreva can heal it >> can we come over? in as few as two and a half days when used at the first sign. without it the virus spreads from cell to cell.

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good saturday morning. >> straight ahead on news 4 today. >> reporter: unseasonably cold weather in our area. i'll tell you why coming up. a look at our first chances for accumulating snow. developing now, escaping custody on the way to jail. how police tracked down a man who broke out of his handcuffs and run away. potential airbnb controversy, the battle happening over short-term rentals that could impact

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right now on news 4 today we're talking bitter cold and a frigid weekend. we've got tom tracking these chilly temperatures that you'll feel the second you step outside. friday night slight, the unplanned landing on a high school football field and why the pilot had to make a quick decision. crisis averted, the new government spending plan headed to president obama with less than an hour before deadline, but first on this saturday morning we welcome you in. we're trying to figure out how many rs in brrr. did we figure it out. >> anywhere from three

dozen. it's cold outside. layer up is the key. we've got tom in the weather center. good morning. hoping to get a little bit warmer here. >> it's very cold this morning. all be chattering as you step out the door. we have bright sunshine. there's a live view from our tower camera. the sun is up and a blue sky and temperatures hovering below much of the region here below freezing for a couple of hours. you'll need a warm coat and hat and sunglasses here for the daylight hours. we are in the 20s to around 30 degrees. reagan nation is at 31 degrees. we'll get above freezing by 11:00 and then mid 30s to upper 30s by mid afternoon with bright sun and lighter wind. a look at our first chance for accumulating snow for the season