breaking news. police in riot gear carrying out raids in germany overnight, officials desperate to find a tunisian man named as a suspect in that truck attack on a christmas market. the 24-year-old known to authorities before the massacre. so how did he elude the police? christmas blizzard. heavy snow and ice set to make a mess of the holiday weekend for millions. this morning the storm's potential impact on your travel plans. health scare. 90-year-old queen elizabeth and her husband, 95-year-old prince philip, battling heavy colds. their holiday plans on hold. we're live at buckingham palace. and burst of flames.

an ecigarette explodes in the pocket of a california man who's riding a bus. once again calling the safety of those devices into question "today," thursday, december 22nd, 2016. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with matt lauer and savannah guthrie live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. and good morning, everyone. welcome to "today" on a thursday morning. i'm matt lauer, alongside hoda kotb here while savannah continues on maternity leave. if i were an ecigarette user, i might be considering a new year's resolution. >> no kidding. those are the ones that are caught on tape. we were talking about how many happened that have not been captured on tape. >> el wwe'll tell you more aboue circumstances surrounding that little bit. but breaking news, overnight raids tied to the international manhunt for a suspect in that

truck attack in berlin. nbc's anne thompson has been covering this story. anne, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, matt. german authorities find themselves playing offense and defense this morning, aggressively pursuing the suspect while explaining how he eluded their grasp after they identified him as a potential threat earlier this year. he is the most wanted man in europe. 24 years old, now the focus of a manhunt for the murderous attack on a christmas market in berlin. german police executing raids in berlin and across the country looking for him. his papers found in the cab of the semi truck that barreled through this holiday spot at 40 miles per hour killing 12 people. amri is a tunisian national and reportedly of italy as well. described as armed and dangerous, amri is

german authorities. after arriving he was put under surveillance for six months suspected of plotting an attack. this past august he was arrested on suspicion of having fake documents but was later released. he applied for sigh lem, but was rejected. his deportation set for july did not happen because he did not have a salad. tunisian pass report. all adding to the controversy here or chancellor merkel's promise to allow over 1 million ref refugees into germany. this morning the christmas market re-opened. >> did you worry here about coming here today? >> not too much. because life must going on. >> i'm a little worried. >> reporter: now surrounded by concrete blocks, memorials filled with candles and flowers stand next to stalls selling gifts and sausages. prayers for the victims offered at the neighboring church. as berliners begin their holiday celebrations under

suspicion and fear. more than one person today told me that life must go on to help catch amri. the german authorities are offering a reward of up to 100,000 eurozone. . president-elect trump weighed in on the attack in berlin after meeting with executives from the nation's largest defense contractors. boeing and lockheed martin. nbc's kristen welker has more on that story. kristen, good morning. >> reporter: hoda, good morning to you. a senior transition official tells me president-elect donald trump's day is again stacked with meetings and it comes after that rare and quick press availability that he held yesterday. he covered a range of topics and even raised a few eyebrows. president-elect donald trump trying to show he's hard at work even at mar-a-lago. meeting wednesday with the heads of two major defense contractors, lockheed martin and boeing. trump previously threatened to cancel boeing's order for two

claiming it would cost more than $4 billion. after the meeting, boeing's ceo now says -- >> we're going to get it done for less than that. >> reporter: trump also called the cost of lockheed martin's f-35 fighter jet out of control. he insists that price will also come down. >> it is a dance. you know? it is a little bit of a dance. but we're going to get the costs down and we're going to get it done beautifully. >> reporter: earlier mr. trump taking a tough tone on the terror attacks in europe after emerging from a series of national security meetings. >> that's an attack on humanitarian. that's what it is. it is an attack on humanity and it's got to be stopped. >> reporter: mr. trump also revisiting his controversial campaign promise. >> a total and complete shutdown of muslims entering the united states yl ountil our country's representatives can figure out what the hell is going on. >> reporter: seeming to insist he now stands by that proposed ban and a possible muslim st

have tried to walk back. >> my plans haul along. i've proven to be right. 100% correct. >> reporter: after it was confirmed more americans voted for hillary clinton than any other losing candidate in u.s. history, she tops mr. trump by nearly 3 million in the popular vote. trump tweeting, i would have trump tweeting i would have done even better in the election, if that was possible, but we campaign differently. and just moments ago, mr. trump announced he is appointing kellyanne conway as counselor to the president, and she has been a frequent presence on television show and has indicated he plans to move her family to washington, d.c. >> thank you so much. and the death toll is expected to rise higher from the massive explosion as a market near mexico city. two days later crews are

searching for a cause of the blast. kerry sanders is at one of the hospitals where victims are being treated. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, matt. so many people injured in the explosions that the ambulances took them to various hospitals. of the 53 people still hospitalized, five of the victims are still literally clinging to life. this morning the smell of gun powder and smoke still hangs in the air, and dogs brought in to search through the debris help with the grim task of looking for more bodies. some of the most severe burns are children. this boy was flown 700 miles to galveston, texas, for special care.

just three days ago, the bus bustle market looked similar to this. now a dozen people unaccounted for them, and among them 8-year-old oscar, and two 15-year-olds. >>-year is clinging to hope. >> translator: have the hope and have the most we can do, hold on to hope. >> reporter: when asked who does he blame, this man says -- it's as if a plane fell from the sky or a factory blew up. it is the same. it is an accident. this . >> reporter: this morning the focus remains on looking for the missing, and desperate family members want news. >> a lot of people wondering if they are going to

a lot of finger-pointing going on in north carolina this morning after the failed controversial bathroom bill. the laws best known provision requires transgender people to use rest rooms in buildings according to the sex on their birth certificate. >> i am disappointed that we have yet to remove the stain of the representation on our great state around this country and around the world. >> it's not a hate bill. it's protecting women and children. >> the republican-controlled legislature has been under pressure to repeal the job because of lost jobs and the loss of entertaining

nicholas sphaur, and jodi smith were responding to a domestic dispute when a man inside an apartment ran out the backdoor, and they yelled for him to stop, and then the suspecting turns and opens fire and the video ends abruptly. the cause of actor alan thicke's death has been confirmed. he died of a ruptured aor thea. he was playing hockey with his youngest son when he complained of chest pains. the death reveals thicke died minutes after a hospital took him to

the rideshare company has been locked in a state dispute over permits. now uber has been arguing it doesn't need an autonomous car permit like other self driving contest. now we will go to the video we showed you at the top of the show of a e cigarette exploiting. as very little warni the ecigarette sparking into what looked like a firework that the man in this video could not escape. >> reporter: two people talking on the bus. the one on right has an ecigarette in his pocket that is about to explode. in slow motion, you can see the ecigarette shooting out flames so

through his pants. the man taken to a fresno, california hospital to be treated for burns. earlier this week investigators in england releasing similar video, an ecigarette exploding near a baby stroller at a store. since 20, there have been nearly 100 cases of exploding ecigarettes in the u.s. experts say in many of these incidents the ecigarettes shoot flames like a small rocket when the lithium ion battery that powers them overheats exploding through a metal case. accidents have reportedly sent dozens of people to hospitals suffering with second and third degree burns. ecigarette retailers say many of the explosions are caused by modifications to videotaping devices and the incorrect usage of lithium ion batteries. >> i always tell people make sure you research and know what you're doing when you get into this because it can be dangerous. >> reporter: it is this same kind of battery linked to recalls in exploding hoverboards earlier this year. now new york senator chuck

certain ecigarette parts should be considered. >> ecigarettes have become ticking time bombs. when we see several car accidents that might lead to trouble, we see recalls. why not ecigarettes? >> reporter: earlier this year, the american videotaaping assoc told nbc news when charged and used under proper conditions, vapor products cause no more problems that use lithium ion batteries like cell phones and laptops. cases are still being reviewed of the explosions. this morning in a just released statement, the tobacco vapor electronic association calls these incidents 100% avoidable, saying it appears to be the battery that charg these are high-powered rechargeable batteries that when not stored properly could cause harm.

obviously it's something to consider go into this travel weekend. >> thanks. let's look at shocking dashcam video from minnesota. it shows a walmart truck swerving all over the road as police tried to pull the over, and when he stopped the truck he couldn't get out of the cab without falling to the ground and his blood alcohol level was more than three times the legal limit inside that truck. they found two large bottles of vodka, one of them open and the driver was charged with two counts of driving while intoxicated, and the third party trucking company has informed walmart that he has been fired. >> thank god nobody got hurt on that. >> dave price is in for mr. al roker. >> we could not get through this week without some trouble. this is the next storm brewing at this point, and can you see it, a cold front right there and an area of low pressure

to develop around it and as that happens it's going to bring heavy rains to sections of seattle and portland, and san francisco and l.a., that's where we could see travel delays today, and we could see mountain snow in the sierra, and sections of the western u.s. as the system continues to advance eastward, as we head to christmas eve day, the problems move to phoenix and salt lake city, and phoenix for rain and salt lake for snow, and snow moves into the rockies and great basin. watch billings to bismarck, and we will advance the motions of the maps right here and this is where we are cncerned for very heavy snow as we head into sunday, blizzard conditions for the high, and travel delays in minnesota and kansas city, and in chicago, and rain as we head to the south, and we are keeping an eye on all of that. it's going to be a very busy few days weather-wise as we watch the system work its way across the united states. as far as what we can expect today, unseasonably mild f

and we could see snow showers stretching through the capital district through new york and up through new england and mild in the northern plains and up by the canadian border. that's a quick look at our national maps. we'll have your local forecast in just about 30 seconds. y! hey! ♪ this is for you. did you really? didn't have too! ♪ good morning. i am chuck bell. we are off to a chilly start this morning, but not as cold as the last couple mornings. and even

fredericksburg, so as you plan out your day today we have cloudiness this morning, and skies will clear out late morning into early afternoon, and breezy, and northwest winds this afternoon, 15 to 20 miles per hour, and you will need a warm coat, hat and scarf and otherwise no weather issues. >> coming up, what we are now learning about the health scare that forced 90-year-old queen elizabeth and her husband to delay their travel plans for christmas. bad for business, how stepped up security is impacting stores around trump tower. p sec for the president-elect is affecting stores inside trump tower.

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>> announcer: this is a news4 today news break. >> 7:26 is your time on this thursday, december 22nd, 2016. i am eun yang. i am aaron gilchrist. and cotton was found shot and burned earlier this week. two teenagers were charged in the case, one with murder and robbery was a possible motive. and the transit center opening, and 60 buses are scheduled to go through the station per rush hour and that will provide bus service to 12,000 people every day and the center is the largest non-metro

a couple problems we want to mention, gb parkway southbound, the ramp to the key bridge still has a two-car crash hanging around, and northbound has a crash there, too. and northbound route 1 after furnace road, all lanes are open, and the right lane now things getting by. and bw parkway, now the crash is on the shoulder. >> your forecast is next. stay with us.

good morning, everybody. we have clouds out there in the skies this morning, and it's not terribly cold. mostly in the 30s to 40s right now, and sunshine coming back this afternoon, and a bit of a breezy and gusty northwest wind, and afternoon highs should make it into the upper 40s and low 50s today, and mostly in the 40s tomorrow with sunshine giving way to

and on, and next week looks milder. >> another local update in 25 minutes. >> for now back to the "today" show after a quick break. have a great day.

7:30 now on this thursday morning, the 22nd day of december, 2016. we love that tree. we love these people down on our plaza as well. we're going to go outside in just a little while, say hi to them on a chilly morning, but not too bad. back inside studio 1a, let's get right to a check of today's headlines. and international manhunt is under way for the tunisian man. raids were carried out across germany looking for the 24-year-old while the market re-opened for the first time. at least 33 people have now died after powerful explosion at a fireworks market in mexico city. officials are expecting the number

higher. the cause of the blast still unknown but investigators believe that some safety measures were ignored adding to that tragedy. a scary situation in montana. a school bus carrying 35 kids rolled over last flight. police say the driver was being cautious going slow but the back wheel slipped into a snow-covered ditch. fortunately, no serious injuries reported. there is some concern this morning over the health of queen elizabeth and her husband, philip, after the couple decided to delay their travel plans. lucy cavanaugh is at bucki ingi palace. >> reporter: it is the royal health care causing people to talk, a concern for the queen and her husband. a place steeped in timeless tradition, but behind wallace doors, change is in the air. for years, the queen and her husband, the duke of

country estate where the royal family always celebrates christmas. but this year, the annual trip delayed. the queen and duke coming down with heavy colds and britain is on edge. >> i think we should always be concerned when people who are in their 90s fall ill. obviously the concern at buckingham palace's case is they didn't want this heavy cold to turn into some more sinister, like moin. >> at 95 where the duke has been in and out of emergency rooms several times but still going strong with more than 350 royal events a year, queen elizabeth may have opened more hospitals than been a patient at them. but the 90-year-old monarch is lightening her load. this week handing responsibility for 25 charities to prince charles. and the younger royals. though still overseeing some 600 others. the extended family together this week for their annual chma

harry, will, kate, and little george, seen arriving here. but the big question today -- how many will make it to sandingham? this christmas custom in doubt this year. the duke and duchess of cambridge taking their little ones to their in-laws this year. meghan markle will not be there. the queen's popularity skoy-hig, despite tweaks in tradition, thanks, in part, to the netflix series, "the crown." but also -- >> she provides that steady and constant figure which is why when she becomes ill or suddenly plans change, people do start to get worried. >> reporter: now the royal standard is flying above the palace. that means the queen is still inside. but she is certainly not one to break with tradition. no doubt, looking forward to

traveling soon. matt? ho hoda. >> thanks very much. victoria arbitter has covered the royal family for years. good morning. we don't want to make too much of this but you said the queen as the constitution of an ox. she is a really healthy person. so when she and prince philip do change plans abruptly without a lot of warning, it makes things jittery. >> in november prince philip was at an occasion and boasted that he hadn't had the flu in 40 years. they're very stoke and very fit and well. but as you say, the minute she does something ever so slightly out of the ordinary, it does give cause for concern. the fa fact that buckingham palace waited three hours before giving any word. we were thinking is it security related or a health concern. >>

charities. she still has most of it on her plate. but is there something symbolic in her handing off those charity things to her son? >> we're dempfinitely seeing a transition in progress. the royal family doesn't leave anything to chance. the queen assumed the throne in 1952. her father was 56. he was certainly ill for a while but wasn't expected to die. with charles it won't be such a sudden throwing-in to the role. he's the longest serving heir apparent in history. the family's taking on investures. charles does the long haul travel for his mother. it doesn't mean she is any less committed to the role. >> charles is the longest heir apparent in history. have the people of great britain begun to think about the monarchy in the next generation? >> in the in the next generation, that's interesting, isn't it? charles is going to be

prepared sovereign, and i think they all assume the queen is going to live forever, and she's like the energizer bunny. >> i would like to listen to talk all day. let's head over to mr. dave price who has a check of the weather. >> let's see who is happening. people here keeping warm and carrying on. that's for sure. look at the growing area of warmth in the lower 48 right now, and temperatures in washington getting up to 55 degrees, and that's 12 degrees above our normal high, and chicago, 34, and seems cold but that's four degrees warmer than normal. and tomorrow many people heading out on the road, and midland texas, 62 degrees, and up by six where you should be typically, and into this weekend we will see high temperatures 15 to 30 degrees above normal in many rt

monday you will get up to 63, in atlanta, 82 in miami. as we talk about the rest of the weather all across the country, keep in mind we are watching stormy weather in the four corners where you may see snow, and we have heavy rains potentially for the north and south of i-10 around yummaya yu arizona. we have cloudiness out in the eastern and southern skies, and we should have a fair amount of sunshine for the remainder of your thursday. it's seasonably chilly outside, and up in the mid and upper 30s across the area right now, and a little breezy at times and winds becoming northwest at 15 to 20 miles per hour later this afternoon, and the next couple days,

dry for christmas day and after. >> thank you, dave. up next, is increased security for the president-elect around trump tower bankrupting nearby businesses. achoo! snap

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streets and some small businesses in the area say they are paying the price. nbc's hallie jackson is there this morning. hey, hallie. >> reporter: hey there, hoda. good morning to you. you know that trump tower has become its own kind of tourist attraction. but look at what's right nearby. you have a big police presence. that's a security checkpoint. then barricades like this one blocking not just the sidewalk, but the street behind me, too. that's where those business owners say tourism here simply isn't translating to them. towering over fifth avenue, home base for the president-elect. plenty of people checking it out. and plenty of protection keeping it safe. all of it coming with a cost for some local businesses. >> it's a disaster. for these little shops, little restaurants, it's a disaster. >> just look at carlos' salon. hardly any foot traffic outside, with even some regulars staying away. >> a lot of my clients that are loyal, they're here. they're not

don't come, say too hard to go there. >> reporter: business is down 45% from last year. she and others blame the barricades blocking public traffic. the heaven police presence. the nearby command post. all of it making it trickier to get around an already-congested area. >> i cannot survive it that doesn't change. i cannot do this. >> reporter: traffic headaches part of what it takes to protect the president-elect. an estimated cost of $750,000 a day. the cost to some businesses near trump tower -- big bucks. derek walsh owns the bar judge roy bean. >> i don't see tourists wanting to walk by the bomb squad and the command post and the 30 heavily armed police officers and the barricades. would you want to walk down that street? >> reporter: it is not just high-profile places like tiffany's predicting a bit of a sales slowdown at its flagship store due to election-related activity. plenty of smaller spots are

dozens signing a petition in protest, like carlos roman. >> we have sweet plantains here. >> reporter: his cuban deli is just around the corner from trump tower. >> because business is dropping, all my employees have been cut hours. i feel bad for them but it is nothing we can do. >> you would think trump tower is kind of a tourist attraction for some folks though. you would think with so much foot traffic you would get more folks popping in. >> we have some kind of tourists walking in but it is very difficult to find this spot once the street is closed. >> reporter: the strayed-off -- he is getting another kind of customer. police patrolling nearby. the secret service tells nbc it works to plan in advance and evaluate the impact of its operations, adding, it makes every effort to minimize disruptions to businesses and the community while simultaneously maintaining the highest level of security for the individuals we are mandated to protect and the general public. less than

inauguration day and a move to the white house for donald trump, many in midtown hope 2017 brings better business. until then, bracing begrudgingly for more red ink. remember, even after the inauguration, the building of course stays here and so do melania trump and son, barron. at least through the end of the school year. that means that there will still be protection here in 2017 and beyond. that presence, by the way, isn't just on the ground. it is also in the air. remember last week when those military helicopters and that plane was circling midtown? turns out law enforcement sources are now telling wnbc that was part of an evacuation drill in order to see where those choppers could land and how long it two take to get president-elect trump out in case of some type of emergency. >> hallie jackson, thanks for that. coming up next, we'll talk about the envy of their neighborhoods. carson will show off some remarkable holiday light displa

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there are people who decorate for the holidays, then there are people who "decorate" for the holidays. >> with christmas just three days away, we've seen some pretty spectacular displays. look at that. has anybody here been to that guy's in brooklyn? this neighborhood apparently goes all out. it is very well known. thanks for that photo. this is in england somewhere underneath all these lights is a house. residents of kadee, texas. this is in illinois. a resident is playing tribute to the late, great prince. the light show is synchronized to the hit song "kiss." now that is

if you haven't decked out your house like that, you still have three days to pull out your ladder, pull a clark griswald. get on the tonight, staple some lights up there. last night we watched "national lampoon's christmas vacation." it is so funny. this movie came out in like '89. it is hilarious. be careful if you light up your house like clark there, you'll suck up the energy of the entire town. >> do you consider "diehard" a christmas movie? >> one of the best ever. >> there you go. just ahead, we will look back at the stories of 2016 and how we covered them here on "today," but first your local news. 2016. but first your local news. ...one store is the store... to get your romantic on. kay jewelers. right now, save up to 30%

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b. i would like to smell like this every day. but what was body wash a? ohhhh i love bath and bodyworks. i have this in my bathroom. and what was the one they preferred? ohhhh. this is suave. really? that's quite a bit of smelling good. suave three fragrances preferred over bath and body works.

>> announcer: this is a "news4 today" news break. >> 7:56 is your time on this thursday, december 22nd. going to be a busy day out on the roads and at the airports today. we want to check in with melissa mollet and your traffic. >> right now at least it's pretty light, and expecting lots of folks to leave town today and perhaps tomorrow. outer loop university, a disabled vehicle there. and gw parkway, ramp to the key bridge, still a crash. eastbound 100, a crash on the shoulder there. we will take a quick break and check your forecast next. stay with us.

good morning, everybody. mostly in the mid to upper 30s across the area right now, and a nice day today. i am forecasting 52 for a high today. we will start with sunshine tomorrow and increasing clouds friday afternoon, and cloudy skies all day saturday with a chance for passing showers from time to time, and no rain, but christmas eve maybe a little on the wet side. another local update for you in 25 minutes, but now back to the "today" show after this short break.

it's 8:00 "today." coming up, unpredictable and unforgettable. >> it is time for us to come together as one united people. >> from politics to pop culture, violence to victory. >> a gold medal in the final olympic race of his career! >> we look back at the people and events that shaped our lives in 2016. >> and love is love is love. it cannot be killed or swept aside. and big bang to the big screen. >> it requires the highest clearance. >> emmy award winning actor jim parsons swings by studio 1a to talk about his latest genius role and

sitcom, "today," december 22nd, 2016. hi to grandma and all our friends and family in alabama! >> merry christmas from new york city! >> hello, san antonio. happy holidays! ♪ >> we came all the way from fargo, north dakota to see the "today" show. >> celebrating sweet 16. >> celebrating on "today." woo! we're back now, 8:00 on a thursday morning. it is the 22nd day of december, 2016. actually, pretty nice out here. lovely. >> feels good! hi, guys! >> on this thursday morning -- by the way, if you can hear through the yelling for a second, there is some music

playing. that is carson's holiday song, "christmas in hollis." >> run dmc! love it! >> you guys, we have some news happening. i want all you guys to be aware of this. this is big. we are going to be celebrating some big things in 2017. first up, you know what? it is matt's 20th year as a host. [ cheers and applause ]. >> 20. >> i know what you're saying. thank you. i know you're saying it can't be true because he looks so young. >> tell us about the olden days, papa. >> as you know, savannah is enjoying maternity leave. for the week of january 2nd, do you know who matt is going to be co-hosting with? it is a throwback. guess who matt's going to co-host with? i don't know. i will tell you -- it is katie couric is coming back. >> katie'sur

1a for the first time since she left the show in 2006. she's been here as a guest. how do you feel about that? >> it is going to be fun. it will be a real walk down memory lane. we'll be counting down to the 65th anniversary of the "today" show. we'll get some help from another great guest -- >> who? >> meredith vieira. >> our friend are returning to studio 1a. >> this is crazy. >> we have a lot to look forward to at the start of 2017. but right now it is time for today's headlines. let's go to the "news at 8." >> reporter: even with 100,000 euro reward, the suspect in the christmas market attack remains at large this morning. i'm anne thompson in berlin where overnight heavily armored police raided apartments here and at locations throughout germany searching for 24-year-old

his papers were found in the cab of the truck that. he quickly got on police radar. he was under surveillance identified as a he came to this country with a criminal record in his home nation of tunisia and reportedly in italy as well. amri was scheduled to be deported this summer but that was held up because of paperwork issues. this morning the christmas market across the street has re-opened under increased security and surrounded by new concrete blocks as berliners try to find some kind of holiday spirit. >> thank you very much. in other news, the death toll has risen to 33 in tuesday's devastating fireworks explosion in mexico. investigators still don't know what sparked that massive chain

reaction blast. search teams are looking for more bodies in the rubble of the market. at least one dozen people remain unaccounted for, and some of the burn victims have been brought to the united states for treatment, and they suspect safety measures may have been ignored at the site. let's get a check of the weather. >> let's talk about moisture in different forms. first let's head to the southwest, and blythe in southern california, a and yuma arizona, we see a little moisture, and as we see the storm push its way towards the east we will see mountain snow bringing in that probably some snow showers to sections of aspen and taos, good stuff there. tropical moisture continues to advance, and it loses its source of energy, and we see

regenerating and push through sections of the northeast, and we could see showers and flow flakes into the northeast as we head into christmas day. that's a quick look at our national maps and here's what's going on right where you are. >> temperatures in the 30s in the suburbs, and 30 in gaithersburg. getting more and more sunshine as we go through the morning, and a nice afternoon to be outside. highs today up around 50 degrees, and back in the 40s around 5:00, and then for tomorrow a colder start than today and cooler, and staying dry today and tomorrow and a chance for showers especially on saturday. >> and that's a quick look at your weather picture. remember, you can find us every day on our sirius xm channel 108. as we get ready to ring in the new year, we're going to take a look at stories that impacted and touches our lives in 2016.

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from one of the most contentious elections in u.s. history, to the drama of the rio olympics, 2016 certainly has been quite the year to remember, hasn't it. >> it really has been. here is a look back at the moments that shaped your world as we reported them here on "today." ♪ >> the presidential race being dominated by the so-called stop trump movement. >> some of the things you've said about women and mexicans and muslims, you can't unsay those things. >> i've said some things in fun. i've said it as an entertainer. >> we're going to start winning again. >> have you ever caucused before? >> nope. >> but you will for trump this time? >> i will. >> we are suspended our campaign. >> donald trump is now the presumptive nominee and no one saw it coming. >> look at the victories that i had over 16

one by one, they've gone. >> you are asking the people of iowa here to start you off on nothing short of a political revolution. >> is that right? [ cheers ] >> i guess everybody is feeling the "bern" today. >> did you ever imagine this would be anything other than a finish line? >> i said from the very beginning this is going to be a ta tough contest all the way through. >> what a super tuesday! >> as clinton marches forward, sanders' path is growing increasingly narrow. >> for the first time in our nation's history that a woman will be a major party's nominee. >> the next -- >> vice president -- >> governor mike pence. >> senator tim kaine. ♪ >> did you practice it on the plane? >> i glanced once over it. that's all. because i

little help as possible. >> we are talking about the speech that melania trump delivered to this convention last night. >> that your words -- >> that your word -- >> is your bond. >> and you do what you say. >> when they go low, we go high. >> donald trump, you have sacrificed nothing! >> i humbly. >> accept your nomination. >> for the presidency -- >> of the united states! >> clinton facing her own troubles this morning, more stolen e-mails. just released by wikileaks. >> the fbi is investigating whether russia is lined the hacks. >> do you think this drip, drip, drip is having an effect? >> yes. the polls are all over the place. >> crooked hillary clinton. she's as crooked as they come. >> for somebody who claims he's worth $10 billion, he ought to pay some federal income taxes. >> putin says very nice things about me. >> you could

supporters in what i call the basket of deplorables. >> donald trump and hillary clinton go after each other in a spirited first debate. >> hillary has experience, but it's bad experience. she doesn't have the look. she doesn't have the stamina. >> i think donald just criticized me for preparing for this debate. and you know what else i prepared for? i prepared to be president. >> donald trump facing questions about the vulgar audio that's thrown his campaign into crisis. >> grab them by the [ bleep ]. >> this was locker room talk. >> it represents exactly who he is. >> it looks to me like a rigged -- >> a rigged system, folks. >> donald trump throwing yet another wrinkle into an already chaotic election. >> he's not sure he'll accept the result of the november votes. >> i will tell you at the time. i'll keep you in suspense. >> horrifying. >> such a nasty woman. >> the fbi set to begin searching through a reported 650,000 e-mails found on anthony weiner

going to say thank you to anthony weiner. >> if they want to look at some more e-mails of one of my staffers, by all means, go ahead. >> hillary clinton's campaign now in full damage control mode after this october surprise that could upend the entire race. >> we will make america great again. >> love trumps hate! >> polls now open. voters casting their ballots after the most contentious and controversial presidential campaign in history. >> state after state turning the election map into a sea of red. >> ohio will go to donald trump. >> i think there's some real jitters setting in this clinton headquarters right now. >> he just blew through every single vote total that democrats had and, frankly, even republicans. >> the nation is waking up to a stunning upset. >> president-elect of the united states, donald trump. >> an astonishing victory and a massive

opponent, president obama, the washington establishment and the media. >> it is time for us to come together as one united people. >> this loss hurts. but please, never stop believing that fighting for what's right is worth it. >> we reject the president-elect! >> new protests erupting against donald trump in cities coast to coast. >> we're actually all on one team. we're not democrats first, we're not republicans first. we are americans first. that's how democracy works. ♪ >> terror in orlando. >> oh, my god. >> the pulse nightclub. that is where the worst mass shooting in u.s. history took place. >> no one can tell me where my son is. >> a community that is just in shock. it is almost too m

>> this was an act of terror. >> in a series of calls with police, mateen pledged his allegiance to isis. >> thousands come together to remember the 49 victims. >> and love is love is love! it cannot be killed or swept aside! >> five explosive devices discovered near a commuter train station in new jersey just a day after a device exploded here in new york city. >> everybody, get off of the street! >> people were scared out of their wits. >> the chilling attack that injured 11 people at ohio state university. >> the suspect plowed his car into a crowd, then attacked several people with a butcher knife. >> devastating warehouse fire in oakland, california. >> the deadliest fire in oakland's history. >> we all watched our home burn. >> 36 lives were lost in that building over the weekends. are you man who should be held accountable? >> no, i'm not going to answer these questions on this level! i would remember get on the floor and be trampled by the parents! >> deadly police-involved shooting in

shootings in minnesota. >> told him not to reach for it! >> a daed deadly police shootinn in north carolina setting off a wave of angry protests. >> tragedy in dallas. five officers killed, six others wounded. >> police across america feel this loss to their core. >> three police officers were killed down in baton rouge, louisiana, when they were am bushl ambushed. >> we have arrested the bus driver. >> what started out as a family vacation quickly turned into horror. >> the 2-year-old boy was wading from shallow water near disney world when he was grabbed by that alligator. >> lane, we love you up to heaven and down to the grass. >> authorities in cincinnati used letha

>> zika. >> zika. >> first evidence that zika has spread to mosquitos here in the continental u.s. >> a public firestorm over the skyrocketing price of epipens. >> you virtually have a monopoly at the expense of people who need it. >> the water contamination crisis in flint, michigan. >> samsung is discontinuing the galaxy note 7. >> that unexpectedly catch fire. >> controversial transgender law in north carolina. >> that law would require transgender people to use the restroom that matches the gender on their birth certificates. >> consumer alert for anybody that banks with wells fargo. >> thousands of employees were caught setting up fake accounts and credit cards. >> have you returned one nickel of the money you earned while this scam was going on. >> hurricane matthew inching closer to the mainland after wreaking havoc in cuba and haiti. >> major developments in syria. >> despite a cease-fire deal,

ravaged aleppo. >> an exodus of misery. tens of thousands fleeing an onslaught. >> russia's ambassador to turkey assassinated by a gunman as an art exhibition. >> breaking news. terror in brussels. powerful explosions rocking the airport and the city's subway systems. >> the horror and that is what people here are feeling. >> urgent manhunt to find killers who struck in the name of isis. >> terror in turkey. chilling video of the suicide bombings that rocked istanbul's main airport. >> three suicide bombers blew themselves up. >> passengers ran for their lives. >> terror in france. >> a truck plow odded through a crowd of a fireworks display. >> a driver on a killing spree. the truck was finally stopped by police bullets. >> apparent terror attack in berlin. a driver rammed a truck into a crowded christmas market. >> the driver barreling through e

with deadly force. >> it is striking the similarities between this attack in berlin and what we saw in nice, france. >> i'm voting in. >> i think i'll vote out. >> voters in britain have decided to leave the european union. >> take back control. >> david cameron has said he will resign. >> wall street is reacting to that historic brexit vote. outcome has thrown the markets into turmoil. >> cuba's long-time former leader, fidel castro, has died. >> miami's little havana erupting in joy, a celebration nearly six decades in the making. ♪ >> the hollywood breakup shocking fans. angelina jolie and brad pitt announce they are calling it quits. >> kim car daesh ikardashian, t star, robbed in gunpoint in paris. >>

>> ha"hamilton" has taken the whole country by storm. >> everyone's chasing pokemon. al is busy right now. >> don't bother me. >> this one is lost on us old people. >> san francisco 49ers quarterback colin kaepernick is standing firm. >> boo! >> by refusing to stand during national anthem. >> i know whthat i'm doing what right. >> final seconds. it's over. the cavaliers are nba champions. >> lebron james brings that title to cleveland. >> cubs win the world series! >> the game of the century. what a night. >> this was one of the greatest world series games i've ever seen. >> it's raining in here champagne! ♪ >> games are under way.

>> michael phelps, a gold medal in the final olympic race of his career. >> thank you for giving us a front row seat to a great run. >> we are the final five! >> the most successful women's team in olympics history. >> usain bolt still invincible! >> that is allyson felix, the most decorated u.s. woman in olympic track and field history. >> it is a u.s. sweep. >> she was clipped from behind. >> a simple act of kindness just resonates with people. >> katie ledecky wins another olympic gold. >> hopefully it inspires other african-americans to get involved in sport. >> that's why we love covering the olympics. >> you

>> the world's greatest athlete. >> the united states has won the bronze! >> to win the gold! >> oh! ♪ >> what are you going to say to your 25 million instagram followers about your experience here this morning? >> i loved the show. i am so excited. i love it! >> i must say i am a little intimidated. >> you look perfect. >> oh, good. >> don't you ever want to turn and say, why don't you find out what the weather is? >> let's talk about what you guys have already done to promote this movie. you've driven with a student driver and smoked marijuana with her. >> allegedly. >> allegedly. allegedly. >> how are you? ♪ >>

you thought, why did i do this? >> i as a parent of a child who has autism, i'm concerned and i want to know the truth. >> i was immature and made a stupid mistake. i'm human. i definitely learned from this. >> the vice president of the united states. >> if you could finish this sentence -- on saturday, january 21st, 2017, i will be -- >> somewhere warm. >> if 54-year-old barack obama could go back and talk to 47-year-old barack obama, what would you tell him? >> that your hair's going to go greyer a lot faster than you anticipated. >> smile and wave, boys. smile and wave. >> that's a postcard right there. ♪

>> yeah, it sure did. made you realize why we needed the olympics so much, didn't it? when you looked at the sea of bad news that happened throughout the year. >> that's a huge effort that goes into putting a piece like that together. our thank yous to katie buckley, researcher charlotte gardener, editors mike sadowski, jacqueline spire and our graphic artist, paul macarone. that's a huge undertaking to go back through all those tapes. coming up in our next half-hour, we will remember some of the notable names we lost in 2016. and we are going to catch up with four-time emmy winner jim parsons. talk to him about his new movie and his sitcom and lots more right after your local news and weather.

>> announcer: this is a "news4 today" news break. it's 8:26 on this thursday, december 22nd. let's take a look at the roads with melissa mollet. >> taking a look at a new problem westbound 175 at waterloo, we have a crash not letting the right lane get by. and then norbeck westbound, a crash blocking lanes there as well. nice and light volume, and love seeing that on a workday. we will have a check on your forecast when we come back. stay with us.

mymy cookie exchangeripled. is super competitive. mine too. i want to go really big with my appetizers. we can do it without blowing our budget. oh yeah, this is great! my family really needs to be wowed this year! standing rib roast! wow. everything for the holidays. that's my giant.

good morning, everybody. after cloudiness early this morning, we are getting more and more sunshine here in washington. colder in the suburbs, 30 in gaithersburg and 35 in warrenton. highs mostly in the 40s tomorrow, and showers off a

sunday and most of early next week looks dry and milder. >> chuck, thank you. of course you can get the latest news and weather anytime, just open the nbc washington app.

8:30 now on this thursday morning, it is the 22nd day of december, 2016. we've got a big crowd out here on rockefeller plaza. taking selfies. we've got charlie out here. dave price is here while al is off today. hoda's here for savannah while she continues on maternity leave. and look who that is. that is the

danica keller collecting toys for our toy drive. it is awfully nice to have her here. she'll be back in our next hour to co-host "today's take." >> to the boys up here, she will always be winnie. >> from "the wonder years." emmy winner jim parsons plays a critical role in a new movie, "hidden figures." jim will tell us about that and find out what's next for his hit show "the big bang theory." then stuff your stockings with style. elizabeth mayhew has some great ideas you may not have thought of with only three days to go until christmas. what is a down-low burger? i'm about to find out. we cook one up and chow down on perfect game day feast. look at that. >> you can't put your mouth on that! that looks delicious. impl what's happening all around the country at this hour, and we have a lot to talk about as we head into the holiday weekend. as we take

holiday weekend, heavy rain in california, and mountain snow in the pacific northwest, and in the plains things look quiet, and we have rain working its way east, unseasonably mild as you head to the gulf states, and new york and new england, you are talking about snow showers christmas day. it's going to be warm up and down the corridor, and watch through blizzards in minnesota and out in the pacific northwest, and on the west coast, things look really, really nice. here's a look at what is going on right where you are. >> chilly outside but plenty of sunshine in northwest d.c. extra cloud cover to the south and east, and 41 in winchester. afternoon temperatures today should get in the upper 40s and low 50s, and breezy at times, and northwest winds, 15 to 20

for today, and dry tomorrow as well. cooler tomorrow with temperatures staying in the 40s. saturday's showers look more likely, and it should be dry by christmas morning. >> great crowd out on the plaza, everyone. listen, i want to tell you, don't forget, you can watch the giants and eagles right here on nbc. we should see a relatively clear skies and temperatures in the 30s, and don't forget, coverage begins at 7:30 eastern. that's a good look at your weather. matt? >> all right, dave, thank you very much. emmy and golden globe winner jim parsons is most recognized for his work on "the bitg bang theory." now in the new movie, "hidden figures," he plays a engineer working for nasa during the great space rights and the civil rights movement. he struggles to join the quest for equal rights. >> if we don't

figured out yet. >> she doesn't have clearance, al. >> i cannot do my work effectively if i do not have all of the information and data as soon as it is available. i need to be in that room hearing for you hear. >> pentagon briefingings are not for civilians. it requires the highest clearance. >> and she is a woman. there is no protocol for a woman. >> okay, i get that part, paul. >> jim, good morning. welcome back. >> thank you for having me. >> if i were the casting director of this movie, i would say, obviously we're going to cast jim parsons as one of the engineers. then who are we going to cast after that? you're perfect at this. >> thank you. >> did you feel that way when you saw the script? >> when i first read the script, i was first shocked that i had never heard this story before and that i didn't know who these three women were. so i went to wikipedia. then it took me a few reads to kind of accept the part of my part that was a little difficult, which was i'm kind of a pain in the butt. that puts a kindn

>> ayour character is hard to like. >> he represents the personification of major hurd recahurdles and and attitude of the time. but once i got through that, it was a honor to be involved in it. >> going back to the casting part of this, when i was a kid i was obsessed with the space program. >> you were? >> i watched all the documentaries be with i read all the articles on it. when i saw you in your suit with that look, you just looked like every one of those clean-cut conservative engineers that i remember from nasa. >> it was important i looked like it because i certainly don't think like it. thank god for a costumer. >> did you have a period in your live when you were younger, kind of the space phase? >> i grew up in houston. we felt it was a part of our lives in that way.

launch on tv. but, no, i never thought i wanted to be an astronaut. i think part of it is, it really does require a level of bravery or at least blinders on about something to risk doing something like that. >> i would imagine there is a little bit of checking an ego at the door when you make a movie like this because you are out there with people like kevin costner and you're an award winner and octavia spencer. what was it like? >> heaven. it really was. because this was one of those projects -- i've been lucky enough to be involved with them. "normal heart" was another one where everyone bought into this story and wanted so badly to tell it correctly and entertainingly that it was truly all in the service of the story. you felt that from everyone. >> so this was a great ensemble. talk about your own great ensemble, the cast of "big bang theory." are you guys coming back to that other network? >> i'm certainly not legalized to make a

that being said, i suspect so. i intend on to. >> in our control room they're always going, "please don't come back!" >> oh, no. >> you think everybody will be there? >> i certainly hope so. i think there is a couple of things. number one, it's been such a fortunate joyride to get to do something that so many people watch and are entertained by. but we are staffed with some of the best writers who remain so invested in this. you know, i could see how certain things a decade in like we are could become a real slog at times. at least artistically speaking. because of the way they write these stories, it is truly a joy every week to be there. >> i kid about the competitive thing because when a show is great, we all are fans of it. it's a great show. >> that's true. well, thank you, but you are right. it is fun to watch anything good. >> jim, congratulations. >> thank you very much. >> "hidden figures" is in select theaters

goes nationwide january 6th. and last-minute stocking stuffers to make your loved ones' holidays bright. but first, thiis "today" on s

back now at 8:40 this morning. a stress-free holiday. it is stocking stuffer times to help you cross those final items off your contributor and lifestyle expert. these are all cute things to get to put in a stocking before christmas. >> some can be failed to you. you can go to the sites i'm going to give you and find retailers near you. a lot of these things are available at targets, walmarts, all of those places. >> what shouldby get for our teen? >> emoji is huge. this is emoji nail polish. it has emoji shaped sparkles in it. >> it is so cute! >> from color club and it is $8.50

this is like the beanie baby of today, called sticker beans. they are $4.99. >> for the women in your life? >> you know how you get to the bottom of your foundation and it makes you so angry because there's so much in there? this is like a little beauty spatula so you get it all out. >> that could work for lip gloss, stuff in the corners. >> $3.99 from the container store. these are fun little gummy bears. they're hand creams and hand sanitizers. we're going to give matt one of these in his stocking. those are $8 from skinfood.u.s. >> a fancy way to open up a bottle. >> these are coasters but they also double as an opener. you just flip it underneath there. you're maybe better than i am. >> hey, hey,

those are from originalboss.com. >> this one a friend of mine has. it is genius. if you are always looking for your readers and don't know where they are. >> these are called thin optics. you get two in whatever strength you need. they come in a little case. you can stick it on to your phone. then you can wear them -- they don't look great on but you can still read at the restaurant. then you put them back in the little case. >> if you have a pen you love, you never want it to run out of ink. >> these are extra large cartridges in there. called the seven-year pen. they're $8.95. they last forever. super cool. coloring is huge right now. >> everybody's doing it. grown-ups. >> everybody. they find it relax. these are sticker rolls and they come off in square sheets so they make great placemats for kids. those are from michael's. also washy tape you can

packages but you can also color it. that's from land of nod. >> this one i think people are going to go flocking to. if you are tired of saran wrap not wrapping the bowls correctly -- >> these are -- >> watch in slow motion. >> it goes on the bowl. it works on pots, on everything. >> let's see. maybe it won't. >> they start at about $8. also in silicone. these are from fred and friends. they are -- again, we're reusing but these are cupcake liners. when you get done with each one it has a fortune in the bottom. this is so cool. been around since the '50s. super popular. $1.99 chocolate covered marshmallows from target. smallest rubik's cube

ever seen from my favorite stocking stuffer site called perpetualkid.com. and old-fashioned fun, balloon animals. >> all of this is on our website since we had to go a little quickly. but wait, there's more. we have bonus ideas. check out today.com/shop. up next, the recipe for a must-have burger for watching tonight's big game. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

you might call patricia washington lucky.

not only did she play a dc lottery game once and win. she played another game and won that three times. and then she tried a different dc lottery game and won that, too. so, how is patricia doing with her bowling? well, let's just say she does better with the lottery. ♪ we're back now with "today food loves football." there is a big game on nbc tonight, the new york giants and philadelphia eagles. here with a burger that you're going to want on your plate as you watch that game is executive chef and partner of love and salt in los angeles. michael, good morning. good to see you. >> morning. >> you're in los angeles now. where were you born zp. >> long island. right here. >> you are a -- >> giants fan. >> okay. good. just wanted to make

could keep going with this. i just wanted to make sure. >> not when i look at the scoreboard though. oh, i'm sorry. >> he's tough. >> i got to watch my back. >> there is a little bit of old home week when you and carson saw each other. >> michael is one of my favorite chefs. i frequent his restaurant quite a lot. >> it's funny. i think i live where you grew up and you live where i grew up. >> we are both having the holidays on long island. >> cool. >> making a down low burger. take a look at the ingredients. >> short risb. you could use whatever you want. i like short rib because it is a little fattier so it gives us you a little more moisture to your burger. an aioli so it's got a little zinc. caramelized conyons. >> start with a big heavy skillet. >> salt and pepper. that's going to get them cooking. >> how long is that going to take? >> a coupl

the slower, the deeper. >> they've gotten caramelized. that's the consistency you want right there. talk to me about the aioli. why do you like this sauce? >> it has to add balance. the burger is so rich, you want to add a little zing to it. aioli or fancy mayonnaise. chili sauce so you got a little bit of heat. tomato paste. garlic. a little salt and pepper. real simple. the best part about a lot of this stuff is you can make it ahead of time. you're going to have a lot more than the recipe. it is that easy. you'll have a lot more than to take to the burgers. it is a good dip, a good dressing. >> we've got the burgers. winter, football season, so people aren't grilling outside anymore. >> i like to do them in a pan because i know the grill marks

them nice and caramelized all over. then you keep your juices. you are not losing the juices to the grill. >> it is a gourmet burger. it is elevated but it is not snobby. >> it's so good. >> delicious. it makes you forget about the game. >> i mean if you're a raiders fan, you probably want to. >> no, we're doing good this year. >> that's true. >> one thing you never want to do, take the spatula and start pressing down on the burgers. >> right. leave them alone. that will push the juices out of them. exactly where you don't want the juices to go. they're caramelized on one side. give them a little flip. that's when you can put the cheese on top. >> what kind of cheese you using? >> i like a sharp cheddar. sharper the better for me. i like the balance against the richness of the burger. >> carson comes in your restaurant often? >> he does. yes. carson and siri. hoda, too. >> joel and i went. yeah. manhattan beach. >>

all the food needs, a little love and a a little salt. >> that's right. >> how long we cooking? >> just until the cheese melts. we'll put -- i got the caramelized onions then. aioli on the bread. i like to put -- i guess we both have it. i like to put it on the top and the bottom because i like a lot of it. if you put it in one spot it is going to get all over you. >> they sell these buns? >> first thing i said, when i got leer, where does the "today" though get their buns. >> put that right on there. >> you got to double-deck it. onions, pickles, onions right on top of the burger. >> is that too much? >> as much as you like. >> then pickles with beiand ano patty. >> oh, that's why. >> that's great. >> i'm not as much a pickle guy

right over here. michael, thank you. again, go -- >> giants. >> there you go. michael, nice see you. >> you want to do this so i can take a bite? >> for the recipe, logon to today.com/food. watch the giants and the eagles on nbc. coverage begins at 7:30 eastern tonight. we are back in a moment. >> go raiders! >> this is "today" on nbc.

stronger is blasting without risking her bones. stronger is less pain, new hope, more fight. it's doing everything in your power, and everything in ours. because we don't just want kids to grow up. we want them to grow up stronger. and with your support, they will. make a gift today at childrensnational.org/givenow the holidays don't officialy begin, until it's time to make: flaky, delicious, piping hot things. golden brown and sticky things. fresh out of the oven, why can't they cool things? new things, old things. and blink and they're gone, those went fast things. make the oven one of the things they're most excited to open. it's baking season. warm up the holidays with pillsbury.

welcome back. from iconic actors and musicians to politicians and athletes who changed the world, we said good-bye to many legends this 2016. >> so we're going to leave you this morning with a tribute to some of those people. ♪ >> i'm the king of the world. >> hold it, hold it, hold it. >> float like a butterfly and sting like a bee. >> we've had a great life. a great life. >> i like thinking about the law. i like figuring out the right answer to legal problems. >> calling the president, the first lady and their political

>> this is joe gargiola in the baltimore clubhouse. ♪ it's the story of a lovely lady ♪ ♪ ooh show me that smile >> my friend said i talk about my hair too much. he said can't you talk about current events? i said, sure. how does it look right now? >> hello, darling. i'm zsa zsa. >> winner is patty duke. >> what are you doing wandering the corridors at night? ♪ hallelujah

♪ take it easy take it easy ♪ do you remember when it was high september ♪ >> third strikeout for jose hernandez. >> appreciate it. please, don't ever send us food again. >> this is what the war in vietnam is all about. >> i will support and defend the constitution of the united states. >> three, two, one, zero. >> godspeed, john glenn. >> don't forget what happened to the man who suddenly got everything he always wanted. he lived happily ever after ♪ ♪ ground

♪ this is what it sounds like when doves cry ♪ it ♪ purple rain purple rain ♪ purple rain purple rain >> announcer: this is a "news4 today" news break. 8:56 is your time on this thursday, december 22nd, 2016. good morning to you. i am eun yang. we want to take a look at the roads with melissa mollet. >> still blocked after bell pro road because of crash that happened a time ago. police are directingks

southbound bw parkway, 32, disabled vehicle, and then also this, northbound wisconsin atwood phaupbt, work zone in the right lane. we will take a break and check your forecast when we come back. stay with us.

overnight cloud cover kept temperatures from being as cold as the last few days. we will pick up a brisk northwest wind later today. but temperatures, not too bad. hometown highs today, mid-40s and 50s. and clouds increasing later in the day, and straying dry all the way through your friday, and showers likely on saturday, though. get the latest news and weather anytime in the nbc washington app. we will see you in 25 minutes.

good morning, and welcome to "today" on this thursday morning, december 22nd, 2016. the whole gang is on vacation. i am here with our guest st

are we ready to do this? >> yes. >> i feel like the elephant in the room, okay, so i will try not to be a fan girl for the next few minutes. a lot of us remember you from "the wonder years." >> i loved being on that show. 6 ng on that show. such a wonderful experience. it's afforded me so many opportunities now obviously. >> right. it was a safe place. my mom would allow me to watch it. my aunt would watch it. we all watched it. >> i know. i loved being a part of it. >> i didn't realize over the last -- over the years you've been in more than 80 different films and television series. >> that's what this says here which is amazing to me. >> that's a lot of lines to memorize but you are a mathematician. >> that's right. >> this latest project is going to be on lifetime. >> it's called "mommy i didn't do it," the sequel to a movie we did three years ago called "the wrong woman" that was a big hit on lifetime and they decided to do a sequel. the last movie i

housewife accused of attempted murder who finds herself having to defend herself in court because my lawyer was doing a terrible job. i go from looking this meek housewife into a warrior who has to fight for her own life. >> "mommy i didn't do it." is this the child of the same character? >> yes. now it is my daughter. terrible luck in this family when it comes to the law. but she's now accused of murder. at this point in the story i am a defense story. >> murdering who? >> her high schoolteacher. i know, i know. but it's really heart wrenching because of course my character remembers what it was like to be thrown in jail. you can imagine if you're like -- you're a mom. imagine if one of your kids is in trouble. how do you resist defending them yourself? i defend my child in court. >> i think we have a clip. >> yes. from when she first goes to jail. >> when were you going to tell me about this? >> can you bail me out or

>> i'm going to try. it's a lot of money. >> what are you saying? i have to spend the night here? >> i'm so sorry. >> spend the night is probably more than a night. >> yeah. >> "mommy i didn't do it" airs on january 1st. >> everyone's hung over and tired. right? you hang out on your couch and relax and turn on "mommy i didn't do it" on lifetime. i'll be live tweeting. bring your phone to your couch. >> i mentioned this the a the top of the hour. i think this is fascinating because you are an artist. you are creative, you are an actress but you also use the other side offy you are brain because you are a math whiz. if you write a textbook on math, are you a math whiz. >> four. five. >> you encourage girls to succeed in

these books are for ages 9 through 15. it runs from middle school math through high school and geometry. mckellermath.com is the website. you figure out which book is right for what age. i'll be writing more next year. >> you have to make it fun. 9 to 15 i felt like it was hard. >> middle school was the time when math gets confusing, it is the time when life gets confusing. that's why "the wonder years" was written for that time because there are so many emotions an hormone oz going on. everything is changing. you don't want to be a nerd, right? you are worried about what other people think. just at that time when you are worried about your image and yourself image, math gets harder. >> i don't want to be a math nerd! this is about breaking stereotypes an telling girls, being smart, being good at math is more than just the math. it is about being in control of your life. >> let's talk about real life for a moment. talk about christmas traditions. yesterday we were talking with al and jenna. i realized i need to start some new traditions. you've done that pretty well. have you a 6-year-old? >> ye

guys do to celebrate the holidays? >> we love going skiing. that's something we usually do during the holidays. not on christmas but before and afterwards we love that. cookies out for santa. he's 6 years old so we have to make sure santa is happy. we like to make decorations. literally pipe cleaners and beads. so easy. that's a personalized ornament with his little face, too. that's our tree. that's our tree this year. it is a big tree. it is a living tree. notice it is actually in a container. it is alive. we water it, then it goes back to the farm. >> it goes back to the farm. >> exactly. we rent the tree. we rent a living tree. that's one of our traditions. >> i realized that since today is thursday, throwback thursday, all of my pictures from the holidays are from the past when i was a kid. i notice all the pictures i take these days are on my phone. we have to start printing out these pictures. my mom and grandma were able to go to

don't ask we why i'm making that face. there is another one with something on my head. but that was fun. festive. >> what is this? >> i have no idea. i tried to tweak the color. you can tell that was in the late '70s, early '80s. >> they're all orange for some reason. >> if you are at home, you remember those old-school rockers? >> they squeaked. >> yes. i bought them for my kids. springs. i bought with the little fancy wooden thing, it is not the same as the one that's a hazard. >> reporter: you can cut off your pinky. >> let's see your pictures. >> that's me and my sister, crystal. >> so crystal was also a child actress, right? >> yes, she was. there we're painting the windows. she played becky slater. she was a child actress but now i

she is the blonde. >> it was a family affair. >> exactly. speaking of family affairs, if you are at home, facebook and tweet us. do you remember if you're marry the first time you spent a holiday away from your own family, perhaps with your in-laws? >> yeah. >> remember that? >> it's funny, we've managed somehow to see my mom every year on christmas. even if it doesn't start off that way. i know i'm still clinging on to that. >> when i have kids it becomes a little bit better but when you are away from your folks, it is sad at first but you get used to it. liam hemsworth and miley cyrus a are together for the holidays. >> he doesn't like like he is part of the group. i bess t he's thinking, is this going to get posted? >> he's kind of off to the side. >> they're a hot couple. she was with all her siblings. i guess they probably -- they're used to each other. >> totally. >> that's a fun conversation. you ready for the news now?

where is the weather report? i thought i was co-hosting. >> no. stick around, because we have more to talk about. it is being called the most festive cubicle ever. i bought f you... for when you stretch out. i want you to stay this bright blue forever... that's why you will stay in this drawer... forever. i can't live without you. and that's why i will never, ever wash you. protect your clothes from the damage of the wash with downy fabric conditioner. it not only softens and freshens... it helps protect clothes... from stretching, fading and fuzz... so your favorite clothes stay your favorite clothes. downy fabric conditioner wash in the wow. it's just a cough.our cough, sfx: woman coughing you'd see how often you cough all day. and so would everyone else. robitussin 12 hour delivers fast, powerful cough relief that lasts up 12 hours. robitussin 12 hour cough relief, because it's never just a cough.

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courage. just one reason more of us are surviving cancer than dying from it. give now to the american cancer society. back with more of "today's take" and our zbeguest co-host, danica mckeller. i was looking at a new study, and board games are making a comeback. i guess i shouldn't be surprised. >> sales have actually soared 20% for games. this isn't like video games. this is actually physical old-school games. ye

i told you, i have two 4 year-olds, a 7-year-old and a 6-year-old. i am so guilty of allowing my kids -- they're traveling right now to go see their grandmother. they each have a tablet. so i think it is good that we're pulling back and playing games together again as a family. >> something you can touch and feel. >> yes. there are all sorts of board games. it is not just for kids, too. i can't remember the name -- something with humanity in it. >> that's not for kids. >> no, no. >> humanity for the children. >> i have a 6-year-old and a stepson who is 12-year-old. we thought it would be so funny to have my son read some of these cards. no, it is hrisque. some of it is poopy jokes the kids will like. but it is

>> connect four used to be my favorite. >> monopoly? >> you know i've never gotten to the end of monopoly. ever. >> what? >> have you ever gotten to the end of risk? >> everybody's salt laking their head. >> do you remember risk? my dad used to love that and i hated it. it took so long to play. >> do you remember the game hungry hungry hippo? anybody remember that game? >> yes! >> those are the kind of games i remember. my son's into scrabble. >> i used to love pictionary and taboo. >> those are all coming back. >> and my son loves charades. you don't need anything to plasia raids. >> what's the one where you put it on your head. >> heads up. >> yes! love that. those are all things for the holidays. good for your family, bond. speaking of bonding and annoying people -- i just added that in -- apparently the word is out.

you want to hear the most annoying sound in the world. that probably is still a higher percentage, i am guessing, because i have a 6-year-old and i know that sound. whatever is especially annoying i think with the hand gesture, right? whatever. >> there's another one. >> 20%, no offense but -- >> that means you are about to offend. >> and the other one is, i can't even. >> the kids, right? kids these days. >> i can't even. >> 43% said "whatever" was the most annoying.

good. >> whatever, dismissive. no worries is a nice thing. >> can you keep saying that one. take a look at this, and apparently some officers and maybe your office at home gets into the holiday spirit. they had a contest -- >> yeah, melissa o'neal. she won $50 in an office cubicle christmas contest. cardboard tubes seems to make it accessible. >> she made it with our boyfriend and they made it at home. i am trying to think about when i was dating, that's the last thing we would have thought about. >> it's ambitious. >> i remember at high school for homecomi homecoming, we used to decorate our hallways and i would cut out

>> i love decoratindecorating. at home, there's never too much garland. you put it with the lights and the lights reflect off the garland. >> you guys should end us your pictures, facebook and twitter and all that stuff. >> throwback thursday pictures and holiday pictures. >> decorations, sparkly. >> you are filling this in morning and you wanted to do the weather. al is not here. you can do this part. >> now time to check the weather, and it's the weather in your neck of the woods. >> nicely done. temperatures in the upper 30s and low 40s now, and as you are planning out the next couple of days, dry weather for today and tomorrow as well, and clouds come back late friday and there's a chance for showers you on r on and off through most of your saturday, and showers up and down the i-95 corridor could slow christmas eve travel. on christmas day, sunshine is back.

>> do news people lean in? >> and that eyebrow thing, too. >> and another thing, stack your papers out. ing apps to heavy sa christmas right after this. i way dentist was explaining to me the acidity of foods and what they can do to your teeth. thinning of the teeth and leading to being extremely yellow would probably gross me out! my dentist recommended pronamel. it can help protect enamel from acid erosion. my mouth feels really fresh and clean and i stuck with it. i really like it. it gives me a lot of confidence. pronamel is all about your enamel. helping to protect your enamel. come on r2! we gotta go! ♪

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but for those you do, give them fruit of the loom. . we have our cookies, icing, syringes, because we're performing some cookie surgery to help you save that burnt batch. you know when you get a big batch of cookies and they're all black on bottom? our contributor at cafemom.com has some clever hacks to help you in the kitchen this christmas season. there he a nothing worse. i've done it with my kids. they're so excited but you just want to eat the top off of them because bottoms are gross. >> we have a simple hack to get rid of that. don't tell our kids but

fine grader, just grate the bottom. >> like you did burnt toast. >> yes. and we can get rid of that you'll burned stuff that the kids complain about. >> does this really work? >> it does. and it doesn't kill the cookie. i'm being kwingerly about it. >> put your whole hand under it. hold it. you can save any batch of cookies that way. >> talk about decorating for a moment. >> icing is fun but it is messy. the kids have their hands in each container, piping bags they can't quite hold. this is a really super solution. >> this is brilliant. >> use a little kid's syringe from like medicine packaging. you can just pipe right on to the cookie. you can be really precise with your decorating. >> how did you think of this? >> you

about what you have working with what you got. >> you know what? if you're not a baker -- >> i still give my son medicine in this. he's 6 years old. >> it is a simple way to decorate and make it really festive. >> doilies? this looks beautiful, by the way. >> this looks master full. right? >> professional. >> yes. you don't have to be professional. take one of these paper doilies, use an actual old grandma style doily if you want to but these paper doilies work just as well. take the doily and you can test it out. when you sprinkle it over when it is finely pressed, it will make the shape that you use. >> do you have to put it right on the cookie? >> make sure the that cookie is not hot because it will melt right in to it. just hold it over the cookie. you can kind of test it out on like a cutting board. this is just so beautiful. it makes the pattern. >> you can put it directly on top of the cake

shape that you've got. >> you've got some hacks here for if people don't eat all of their cookies right away. maybe some people don't eat all the cookies. >> cookies last about two seconds in my house. but if you are a family that wants to save and preserve cookies or kind of pace yourself, use apple slices to save your cookies. place your cookies in a tupperware container, air-tight. place your apple slices right on top. apple slices basically give the moisture off that keep the cookies moist. the apples will shrink and shrivel up but the cookies will be delicious and perfect to eat. >> you throw away the apples. >> it doesn't affect the taste. you just have to get rid of it. coming up, the one and only denzel washington. opens up with the all-star cast for his new film "fences." but first, your local news.

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>> announcer: this is a "news4 today" news break. >> it's 9:26 on this thursday, december 22nd. i am aaron gilchrist. a vigil is planned in the park with cotton's body was found. a woman found his body on monday morning. police say robbery was a possible motive here, and two teens were found inside the victim's car and they have been charged in this car. you will not see donald trump's picture on the metro card, and instead they have the white house and the flag. metra released a statement saying they requested permission to use a photo but did not receive a response from the campaign. we will have a look at your forect

30s to near 40 right now, and sunshine coming through. we will be in and out of the sunshine for most of the afternoon, and a nice day coming, near 52, and showe

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he is one of the most acclaimed actors of all time, starring in award winning movies like "philadelphia" and "training day" and portraying iconic real-life figures like mall conx. now oscar and golden globe winner denzel washington is directing and starring in the new film "fences" playing a former baseball turned sanitation worker in 1967 pittsburgh who missed out on turning pro and he is trying to keep his son corey from facing a similar fate. >> you want to play football, you keep up with your chores, hold that job down at the a&p. that was the conditions. >> i can't work after school during the football season. i tried to tell you.

to nobody. then i go and done this to me. >> you done it to yourself. just because you didn't get a chance. you just scared i'm going to be better than you. >> i was talking back to my computer at that back. denzel and giovanni, good morning. take me back to the journey on the big screen. it was seven years in the making. were you tapped to either direct or act in the film adaptation by this screen play? did you want to take it to broadway first. >> scott ruden, one of the producers, sent me a script. he said what do you want to do? i said let me read it. i had not read the play but i had seen the play in the '80s with james earl jones but i saw it more of the perspective from corey's character because i was younger. i called scott, i said i want to do the play. let's do the play. he said yout

we did it and had great success with you. >> that play was 2010. i remember i was living in philadelphia at the time and i am a part of all these women groups. there were bus loads of folks. i remember church groups, my church, we were coming to new york city and some people were coming two and three times. >> good! >> they were putting it all over facebook. it was powerful to watch and so many people got different things out of it for different reasons. did you feel that when you were on stage? did you say, let's do this, take it to the screen? >> people ask me what do i want people to get from this film. i said it depends upon what you bring to it. that's the brilliance of august wilson. it's about gaerthfathers, sons, relationships, deception. we had a screening in l.a. a week or so ago and we had a q&a with the audience. a guy said i didn't know august wilson was polish. i said what? he said that's

family. >> you got the band back together then. then you added this rock star, jovan here. viola davis. was it an easy sell to get everybody together? >> i'm still on "rock star." >> talk about this rock star. this is the man, the myth, the legend. talk to me about how you were pulled in to this here. shouldn't say pulled in, but your audition. did you just hear his voice, oh, it's denzel. don't know if you went like this. >> something very similar. it was an opportunity any young actor would want to work with somebody you admire in your craft and an opportunity to get access to such rich material. i was really excited to get the opportunity just to audition. but actually earning the part, that's where it is. that's the best. >> he was fantastic. he was fantastic. talk to me about the dynamic between the two of you for people who don't know. i kind of set it up at the beginning. you could have gone pro. you were a baseball star in the negro league. then you come along and want to play football.

were just -- >> you got to understand the times. >> it was a generational shift. >> it was a generational shift. my character thinks he could have made it but he was a bit old and he was frustrated about that. he's like -- what was his name from "all in the family"? >> archie. >> he's equal opportunity hater. jackie robinson, he ain't nobody. hank aaron, i'm better than him. so his frustration about him not making it, he visits on his son. >> did you when you were playing that role see him in -- there were times where you seem so nervous and agitated. did it -- the fact that it was denzel, did that play into it or were you truly in the character? >> a little bit definitely played into that because this is -- when i first auditioned and i was standing outside of the office and i heard his voice, i had to pump myself up to get ready to go in there. he opens the door and he had his baseball cap on.

i was like, denzel, what's up, plan? i walked in all stuttering and everything. even when it came all the way to filming and after rehearsals, i still had a little bit of nerves because this is my first feature film and i wanted to keep my collector happy with the work i was doing. >> to have denzel here and talk about this powerful film, it is an honor. jovan, best of luck to you. "fences" opens christmas day. back with more of "toda 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 most stores open till midnight, and till 10 p.m. on christmas day. walgreens. at the corner of happy and healthy.

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all those oddly shaped gifts. >> did you just put math in there? >> i did. i couldn't help it. >> amy goodman is the lifestyle editor for zulily.com. no bumpy or lumpy president is too big of a a challenge for her wrapping skills and now she is going to share her secrets. >> good morning. i have ten solutions for oddly shaped gifts. >> ten. >> i am the worse www.wro wrapp the planet. jewelry, earrings, delicate necklaces. take your paper towel roles, take a dinner knife with a little serration. first flatten it and make a little half-moon on the side to both the top and bottom. what's going to happen is it is going to make this cute little cylindrical box. you can make these cute little jewelry boxes. you can stash some cash in there if you want. my

kate that up. >> something the kids can do. >> now wine bottles. cle clean them, empty then, take off the labels. >> how would you empty them? >> this was easy for me to do. pop open the cork there. you, too. what's inside but a beautiful necklace, a delicate necklace. >> that's a cute idea! >> if you have the metallic markers you can also decorate the outsides. we have happy hanukah for our saturday start of hanukah and kwanzaa starts monday as well. for your jars that you have in your cabinets, decorate them with cotton balls. these are all just hot-glued in. branches from the tree, hot-glue them on with some pine cones from the yard. you could do the whole jar but just fill the rest up with tissue.

next year even for gifting in the future. >> then to the largest equipment like tennis rackets and golf club, take the butcher paper from your kids' painting station -- >> that'st

roll -- never thought about it. >> yeah, sandwich the equipment inside, and staple it and decorate it with tape, and you can make monta grams if you want, so cute. so odd and difficult, and you don't have the paper for that. >> yeah, and for the very large boxes, you have the belly button that shows, the box belly button, and flip it over -- >> this is an idea, here you will take your paper and eight inches on either side, and fold it up to the side and make a crease, and you bring that back down and you are going to make a fold along that crease, and then you bring it up to the edge, right, and then you just make a triangle on either side skpurbgs take that down with double stick tape. beautiful. absolutely. >> last one. >> if you don't have

paper, wrap up the luggage, and make your own paper. for the bike, use a table cloth and wrap it up. >> thank you so much. >> we have a lot done. >> happy rapping. >> now gets get the forecast in your neck of the woods. >> a good morning, everybody. kind of a chilly start this morning. temperatures in the 30s and 40s now, and a pleasant enough day coming your way, and temperatures will get in the upper 40s and low 50s today, and a bit of a northwestly breeze, and cooler air is coming in and we will be cooler tomorrow, not a whole lot but just a little cooler. highs in the 40s tomorrow and a chance for showers on christmas eve, and christmas day, and the beginning of hanukkah, near 50 and then milder next week. coming up, if your kids want to get in on the gifting action, we

can make with odds and ends from around the house. sure, you could sit around all night waiting for a pizza to be delivered. but wouldn't making it yourself be a lot more fun? it's baking season. warm up with pillsbury.

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you're probably wondering why thai've just carvedng! a giant wooden tiger. well, the answer is that a real one would maul me. i've crafted dr. whiskers here as a visual aid to show you that should you visit the lot, carmax associates will not pounce like tigers because people don't like that. come here to buy a car. dr. whiskers won't pounce. nobody will. ♪ that tugging on your sweater is your adorable child deciding last-minute that they want to give a gift. >> the good news is that those little hands can craft simple, easy gifts straight from the heart. here with some creative ideas this morning, good housekeeping executive editor megan murphy. good morning. we have your little munchkins here.

>> they're occupied. some of the most meaningful special gifts don't cost a penny. these diy gifts are truly priceless. my kids made this with their fingerprint. fixer print necklac-- fingerpri necklaces with no-bake clay. >> they've been sitting quietly over here. >> not only is it an amazing gift but it keeps them really busy. we made these angels for our d godmother's with the kids' thu p thumbprints. a snowflake for our college baby-sitter. >> i think anything with a thumbprint is instantly more special. captures that moment in time. these are ornaments we made with cookie cutters. this was our christmasd

it's one of those things you save year after year. you could hang it on your tree. i'm going to make them. we also did them with excess wrapping paper. this was an aingeal christmas card. this was a little bit of card stock. look what piper's doing. take the cookie cutter, trace it and cut it out. use glitter glue because if you make a mess it is just more glitter. we're doing with some of our friends' christmas cards, too. it is a great hostess gift. bring the ornament as a last-minute gift. >> i get so many christmas cards from my friends. >> and it gives you something to do with them. we're making chocolate strawberry santa brownie bites. moms, if you don't even want to make brownies, you can do these with store-bought brownies and nobody knows the difference. take a little icing, squeeze it there, put your strawberry on

>> he's 9 and he's taller than me if i take my heels off. that's fine. >> these are the things i like to have on hand. the neighbor gives you a gift. you go in there and bust out a tray. >> they look so hard but we did them in a hot second. >> this makes me happy. these are flower sack dish towels that we made. this was my grandmother's pound cake recipe and i transferred it on to here. my 8-year-old nephew made this for my mom. merry christmas. look how busy. he's making a letter to santa. >> kid's handwriting is priceless. you can write out anything. you'll have it forever. >> you can use sharpies. you can write on a plain dishtowel you already have around the house. flower sacks, so sim tal. secret -- i did what i wanted to do on the computer, then traced it out because i can't do a bundt cake. look how busy he is. t

artbooks or photo albums. you can really create them with anything. i took a handle from a bag and a bottle cap, glued some buttons. i made a little photo album. you can use computer paper and a keychain. >> megan, this is all really great. >> it is so personal. >> you can use stamps. all of your craft supplies. raid the craft supplies. >> good stuff. we're back in a moment. this is "today" on nbc.

we want to thank our amazing crowd on the plaza this morning. danica, you were out there collecting toys and gifts for children in need. thank you to all of companies that have doe flat

million in gifts to children all over this country. we have kelly from microsoft and ben from dick's sporting goods. a couple of our generous contributors. good morning. kelly, start with what you guys are donating from microsoft. >> microsoft is pleased to be doe naturing $2 million in technology grants to youth-based non-profit organizations. in addition, microsoft is donating 200 laptops for kids at the toy drive. it is a great laptop, ultra light. runs windows 10. it is great for students. >> the idea of giving software grants is unique. we haven't had any donations like this one. >> yes, it is unique. it is something at microsoft we've been doing for over 30 years. it is real important that we give back to the communities where we operate. in addition to the software we are donating, every day in our microsoft stores we offer free workshops for kids. >> my kid actually did -- my kid. my kid! went to a coding class. from dick's sporting goods, ben? >> at dick's sporting goods we truly believe that sports matter and giving the gift of sport

memories that will live well beyond just the holiday season. we are so excitesed to d to be g $40,000 to the toy drive, giving kids a first baseball or softball glove or a basketball if they are very young. >> happy holidays to all of you. and thank you! a fun morning. tomorrow is your last chance to donate gifts to our celebrity elf on the plaza. you can also donate at amazon.com/today. check all our website for all of the details. thanks some to the fabulous danica mckeller. watch her in "momnymy i didn't it." >> kathie lee and hoda are next after your local news.

>> announcer: this is a "news4 today" news break. >> it's thursday, december 22nd, 2016. i am eun yang. we are following breaking news out of prince georges county, and police are on the scene of a police-involved shooting. police say one person was injured in that shooting, and the officer was not injured. news4's megan mcgrath is on her way and we will have

at 11:00. nice morning outside, and warming up comfortably in the 40s. most neighborhoods will be in the 50s for highs today, and friday highs near 47, and cloudy skies likely on saturday with periods of rain for most of the daylight hours on saturday and should be tapering off saturday evening, and christmas day and the start of hanukkah will be dry and mild. we will look at how air travel is going so far, and that's at 11:00.

from nbc news, this is "today" with kathie lee gifford and hoda kotb, live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. hey, everybody, welcome. we're so happy you spend your thirsty thursday with us. it's thursday, december 22 n. that is "walking in my sleep" by andrew mcmahon and the wilderness. >> we have a fantastic ambush makeover. these two are drop jaw. they want to celebrate the holidays in style. they're going to have brand-new looks for christmas. >> also with 2016 winding