good morning. breaking overnight, way too fast. officials confirm the amtrak train that derailed off an overpass south of seattle, was going 80 miles per hour, nearly three-times the speed limit. >> we got cars everywhere. and down on to the highway. >> three people killed. dozens injured. and sharing their harrowing stories. >> a lot of squealing, rattling of the train. >> investigators now trying to determine why that train was going at such a high rate of speed. we're on the scene, live. the ayes have it? all eyes on the hill, as the house is expected to pass the republicans' controversial tax plan today.

a major milestone. meryl streep responding after rose mcgowan slams her over the harvey weinstein scandal. what the actress is saying about mcgowan's claims she knew about weinstein's behavior and did nothing. those stories, plus, was a rat responsible for the massive blackout at the atlanta airport? jesus was here. rare access to some of jerusalem's holiest sites, as the world gets ready to celebrate his birth. and -- >> you know the grinch is stealing christmas. >> the little boy who called 911 because he thought the grinch was stealing his christmas. a story that will make your heart grow three sizes today, tuesday, december 19th, 2017. >> from nbc news, this is "today," live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. and good morning, everybody. that's a pretty shot. a tuesday morning. getting close to christmas. boy, what a scene outside seattle, that train that

could have been even worse. >> it's hard to believe that is the first time it had been on the tracks there and that happened on day one. >> our top story. and the new information we have on the train derailment in washington state. we now know, it was going 80 miles per hour at the time, in a 30-mile-per-hour zone. gadi schwartz has the latest for us from the scene. gadi, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, savannah. there were 80 passengers onboard, along with 5 crew members, when this train derailed. three people were killed, dozens more hurt, some of them critically. and now, we know that the train was traveling at 80 miles per hour, on a stretch of track when it should have been going only 30. >> oh, my god. that train is derailed over the freeway. >> reporter: this morning, new questions as to what caused the catastrophic crash of amtrak train 501. >> oh, my god. >> yo. >> reporter:

the recorders from the rear of the train. the train was going 80 miles per hour in a 30-mile-per-hour zone, as it tack took a curve and threw off the rails. >> our mission is to understand why it happened and to recommend changes to prevent another tragedy from happening again. >> emergency. emergency. we are on the ground. >> reporter: amtrak 501, which runs from seattle to portland, left its first stop at 6:00 a.m. it was nearly halfway through its trip, passing through populated areas, when it derailed south of dupont at 7:33 a.m. >> everything was fine. and then, suddenly -- out of the clear blue, there was no warning of any kind. next thing you know, part of my body was underneath the car, on the gravel. >> reporter: some cars crashing down on busy

hour. >> i've never seen this many injured people outal once. >> reporter: the priority, question the crew about the track's condition and any obstructions and take a closer look at the train's black boxes, which could reveal if the engineer ever hit the brakes. the train was riding on newly upgraded tracks, part of a $180 million amtrak project, designed to provide faster service for commuters. this stretch of track had not been equipped with positive train control, a system that keeps trains from crashing. in 2013, local mayor don anderson sued to halt the project over safety concerns, issuing this warning just two weeks ago. >> come back when there is an accident and try to justify not putting in those safety enhancements. >> reporter: now, the worst fears realized as the train's maiden run turns into tragedy. as you can see back out here live this morning, this crash has still shut down the southbound lanes of

seattle to portland. as for that critical safety feature, the positive train control. we're told that is supposed to be installed next year. >> gadi, thank you very much. for more on the investigation, let's turn to tom costello. you covered so many of the train crashes. give us the priorities for investigators right now. >> reporter: the first priority is going to be interviewing the engineer. that will happen within a few days. and investigators will want to know if he was fully in control of that train. why did the train fail to slow from 80 down to 30 miles per hour into the curve. did he see the posted signs? were the brakes working? or was he distracted in some way? they'll be looking at his phone to see if he was using it just before the crash. amtrak prohibits engineers from looking at their phones when they're running the train. they will be taking blood and urine samples to see if there was any drug or

train and the condition of the track. did he notice anything unusual about the track on this inaugural run. they have the train's black boxes. that will give them a full readout on the speed, on the braking, how the train was reform performing. they are moving fast to preserve what they call perishable evidence. anything on the scene that could be damaged by the weather or others out there, as well. they need to document every inch of the crash scene, the cars, the track, the signals, all of that. they'll be interviewing other crew members, passengers and witnesses, and looking at the train's onboard cameras, outward facing and inward facing. after the philadelphia crash that killed eight and injured more than 200, amtrak moved fast to put the inward facing cameras in the locomotives. and lastly, you mentioned positive train control. ntsb has been adamant on this.

lives. they'll look at the reasons why it was not yet active on this stretch of track, which is, by the way, run by sound transit. why was it delayed? and of course, it may be at another example of where ptc could have made the difference. >> all right, tom. a lot to unpack there. we move to politics and what could be a monumental day for the president. after days of talk and debate, lawmakers are set to vote on the republicans' tax bill. this is the most dramatic overhaul of the tax code in decades. kasie hunt has the latest. kasie, good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you. president trump and his republican party are expecting a triumphant day here on capitol hill. the president said he wanted a tax bill before christmas. and this morning, it looks like he will be getting what he asked for. this morning, republicans are on the brink of their first major legislative victory under president trump. with the house expected to pass a sweeping

code later today. the senate, soon to follow. >> we will get it on the president's desk, for him to sign into law before christmas, as we pledged. >> reporter: republicans have the votes they need, even without senator john mccain, who is recovering in arizona from complications in cancer treatment. what does the plan mean for your taxes? most americans will receive a tax cut. with lower individual rates for each income level. for families, a bigger child tax credit. the corporate rate slashed from 35% to 21%. the republican bill has major political risks the it repeals the obamacare mandate, requiring people to buy health insurance, which can cause premiums to spike. and the bill caps the amount of state, local and pratt toperty that you can deduct at $10,000. and republicans could be paying a political price, with a new poll showing nearly half

plan. >> vote no on this bill. >> reporter: on capitol hill, last-minute protests outside congressional offices and from democrats. >> the bill, in short, is a cynical one-two gut punch to the middle class. >> reporter: all this as congress faces another deadline. lawmakers must pass a spending bill by friday or risk a government shutdown. lawmakers on both sides say that won't happen. but with house republicans demanding a full year of higher defense spending and senate democrats insisting on higher domestic spending to match, it's risky brinksmanship, with less than a week until christmas. republicans are now talking about also including as much as $80 billion in this funding bill for disaster relief funding for those hurricanes. but that could complicate everything further. and there are some on capitol hill who are increasingly nervous about how they're going to avoid a shutdown right before christmas. >>

who are the winners and who are the losers? stephanie ruehl is here to make sense of all this. good morning. >> good morning. >> everyone says the big winner in this whole thing, you put corporations on top. >> without a doubt. this is a bet on trickingdown economics. republicans are betting, if you give corporations a break, they will hire more people, give them higher wages and build factories. by lowering corporations' tax rates, in the high 30s and down to 21%, that's a huge break. who else is going to benefit from that? wall street. wall street is getting a break because all along we heard, carried interest, which is another hookup. trump said all along the trail -- >> he will get rid of the loophole that pads the pockets of hedge fund managers. that's going to be in there. and a third tax preparers. this was supposed to simplify everything. those tax preparers, those accountants are going to be working overtime because this

it's a tax cut. if it was tax reform, you would be closing the loopholes and simplifying it. without simplifying it, those loopholes exist. when they do, that will benefit the rich. the rich guy in the company can afford to have someone scratch this, change that and hook them up. if you have to do your own taxes, it's harder. and the third, i would say, really gets hooked up, he doesn't like to say it. is president trump and his family. that's because they're in the real estate business. if you're in the commercial real estate business, you get to consider that pass-through business a partnership. you pay only 29% in taxes. it is somewhat disinjennous to say this is not going to help me. his son-in-law and 13 republican senators in real estate, it's a big win for them. >> let's talk about the losers. every tax bracket is getting a tax cut. you put individuals on your losers. >>

individual es are getting a cut. but it's a temporary cut. if you're going to increase the deficit, which we are, by $1.5 trillion, you have to pay for that somewhere. individual cuts expire in 2025. come 2026, we hope that gets renewed. but it might not. >> a lot matters what state you live in. you can make one income in one state and another state gets hammered. >> high tax states, high-income states, new york, new jersey, california, you're out of luck. your property tax, you cannot deduct it. that's a negative. but that's meant to subsidize some of the lower earning states. >> it's complicated. glad to have you break it down. >> hope trickle-down works. a lot more to get to. lingering problems for holiday travelers. the atlanta airport is getting

power outage that paralyzed the biggest airport on sunday. kerry sanders is there for us. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. the lines are slightly longer than normal because of that residual backup. for those who got caught up in this delay, it has been a miserable two days. this morning, a third day of headaches for fliers across the country, after an epic ten-hour blackout after atlanta's hartsfield airport, leaving passengers in a dark holiday mood. >> i feel like we're in the third world. >> i don't want anymore delta cookies or pretzels. >> i was starving. i didn't eat for six hours. >> reporter: the world's busiest airport back in business. but it's not quite business as usual. monday, 559 delays and 408 cancellations. >> are the problems over with? >> we feel comfortable that they are. but we're taking measures to make sure that things like this don't happen ag

meltdown of the air traffic system was sparked by an electrical spark, deep underground, causing a fire that burned through primary and backup power lines in atlanta. >> network service is probably our most reliable service. we have rarely does it actually have a fault like this. >> reporter: but some have a gnawing feeling they know what caused it. was this a rat chewing through some cables? >> i don't want to rule that out. but that's the next step for us, to get to the root of what caused it. >> reporter: what they have not found, at least not yet, that dirty rat. savannah? >> hoda may be giving some of the delta cookies and leave the wires alone. kerry, thank you very much. meantime, the winter olympics are less than two months away. and this morning, south korea's president is opening up to nbc news about what he is willing to do to ease tensions with north korea. richard engel is in seoul this

morning. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. they will be here before they know it. the winter olympics. this time, in south korea. this morning, i spoke with the south korean president. he said, the venues are all ready. and he hopes, perhaps the games could ease tension with north korea. for months, north korean missile tests and threats of nuclear war have spread fear across the korean peninsula and beyond. but this morning, while inaugurating a new bullet train that will take visitors to olympic venues this february, south korea's president said he wants the upcoming olympic games to reflect their ancient spirit. what message are you sending through these games? through the pyeongchang olympics, the korean people will be able to spread a message of peace. even though on moay

the computer virus earlier this year, infecting 350 computers in 150 countries, president moon extended an open hand to the nation's athletes. but no answer yet. given the track record, north korea is likely to make the decision to participate in the olympics at the very last minute, he said. north koreans are generally banned from traveling to the south, when a soldier tried to defect, running over the border last month. he was shot. president moon said he's willing to consider dramatic steps to reduce tensions ahead of the olympics. even curtailing frequent military exercises with the united states, which infuriate the north korean regime. it is possible for south korea and the u.s. to review the possibility of postponing the exercises. i have made a suggestion to the u.s. and the u.s. is reviewing it. however, all this depends on how north korea behaves, he said.

the south korean president said that foreign visitors should not have security concerns. and he does not believe north korea will try to disrupt the games. back to you. >> all right, richard. thank you very much. al is here. go al is here with a first check of the weather including some storms that could affect holiday travel. say it ain't so. >> i'd like to. unfortunately, not going to. we're looking at more rain in the pacific northwest. this is the storm system that is going to traverse the country, cause big problems. looking at rain and mountain snows there. so as we move on into today, the pacific northwest has the storms going on. heavy rain. mountain snow. then we move into thursday. the storm emerges on the east side of the rockies. snow for denver on thursday. minneapolis going to be affecting. i-94 and 80 as well. we make our way into friday. it's a mess for the midwest. along i-70, i-40, memphis, also in nashville, cincinnati, chicago's airport, detroit

we're going to be watching down to dallas and then as we move into saturday, the east gets into the act. boston, jfk, laguardia, charlotte on into atlanta, heavy rain, strong winds all along this front. so we'll see big, big delays on saturday as we move into sunday as well. we're going to get to your local forecast coming up in the next 30 seconds. good morning. i'm storm team 4 meteorologist chuck bell.

washington. a pleasant way to get the day going. 41 degrees in town. actually warmer the further north you go. temperatures near 50 up close to the pennsylvania border where the clouds have been thicker. with the skies have been clear overnight. temperatures across the central virginia or down below freezing this morning. but everybody gets a sunny day to day. temperatures will gradually get near 60 degrees. cloudy and cooler for tomorrow and rain on saturday. and that's is your latest weather. >> al, thanks so much. coming up, oscar winner meryl streep responds to criticism she's facing from rose mcgown in the wake of the harvey weinstein scandal. >> then as millions of christians prepare for christmas, we'll take you inside some of the bible's holiest sites. first, this is "today" on nbc.

coming up, an nbc news exclusive. coming up, three womenh

misconduct. plus, on a new rosen report, the dangerous flaw with the new amazon key service. why you may not be able to see everything after all. i'll tell the world, i'll sing a song it's a better place since you came along since you came along your touch is sunlight through the trees your kisses are the ocean breeze everything's alright when you're with me and i hold my favorite thing i hold the love that you bring but it feels like i've opened my eyes again and the colors are golden and bright again there's a song in my heart, i feel like i belong

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apply simply. understand fully. mortgage confidently. rocket mortgage by quicken loans. 7:26 is your time on this tuesday, december 19th 2017. good morning to you. d.c. police are searching for the gunman that killed a teenager at a community center basketball court. the shooting happened last night on roose place at the frederick douglas community center. people said the teen was on the court when someone rob and shot him. he died at the scene. the victim's name has not been released. in other news this morning, school ceo dr. kevin maxwell will unveil his plans to fix grade tampering in prince george's county. he sits down with tracy wilkins later. be sure to follow her on twitter for updates. now we want to check on your commut

how is it looking? >> big delays bottom of the beltway. there is inner loop at eisenhower after. the delays remain. a five mile backup. inner loop as you approach woodrow wilson bridge. taking a look at the rest of the best way, slow spot is outer loop. northbound, fairfax county parkway at 123, lanes blocked there by a crash. all right. melissa, thank you. we'll take a quick break now and check your forecast next. ♪ this is our town. these are our neighborhoods.

and we love this place as much as you do. ♪ off to a chilly start this morning. it will be a very pleasant afternoon to be outside. plenty of sunshine today. hourly temperatures well up into the mid 50s. afternoon highs today close to 60 degrees. from washington and points south towards manassas and fredericksburg. tomorrow, clouds come back in and cooler. temperatures staying in the 40s all day tomorrow. >> all right.

we have another local news update for new 25 minutes. >> for now, back to the "today" show after this short break. have a great day.

♪ we need a little christmas right this very minute ♪ we need christmas. we got christmas. we got the rockefeller christmas tree. it's tuesday morning, the 19th of december, 2017. as awesome as views go, we don't have it too bad. >> we got this on one side. and behind us -- >> adorable, smiling people. >> this is a cool way to wake up every morning. >> it is. good morning. and we're glad you're with us. we're going to start with the headlines and the train tragedy in washington state. >> catastrophic crash. >> amtrak 501. energy. >> three killed and dozens injured when an amtrak train derailed at an overpass monday near seattle. >> all of a sudden, ended up

dark. >> overnight, officials confirming the train was traveling nearly three-times the speed limit at the time of the crash. >> the 85 people aboard the train, only 10 escaped unhurt. key tax vote. lawmakers are set to vote on the final version of the controversial republican tax bill. the largest overhaul in decades. >> we will get it on the president's desk for him to sign into law before christmas. >> the bill is a cynical one-two gut punch to the middle class. we're engaged in a new era of competition. >> forging a new path. president trump unveils his america first national security plan, while blasting previous presidents. >> to many of our leaders, who forgot whose voices they were to respect. and whose interests they were supposed to defend. honoring a legend. >> no one will ever wear 8 or 24 again. >>

immortalize kobe bryant, making him the first player to have two jerseys retired at the same time. and welcome mr. president. >> i, donald john trump, do -- >> disney world's hall of presidents opens with a animatronic president trump today. tuesday, december 19th, 2017. >> how is that likeness? >> was lloyd bridges our president? it looks like lloyd bridges. >> a little jon voight going on, too. we turn to the latest on the harassment scandals that are shaking hollywood. meryl streep is speaking out about criticism she's facing from rose mcgowan over her response to what's been happening in the industry. and stephanie gosk is here with the back and forth. steph, good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you guys. since the harvey weinstein story broke, unleashing a cascade of

the tension spilling over this week between the most high-profile women in the #metoo movement and the most critically acclaimed actress the industry has ever known. meryl streep is the unofficial matriarch of hollywood. nominated for 20 academy awards and winning 3. >> i want to thank my manager, and god, harvey weinstein. >> reporter: rose mcgowan is the de facto leader of the #metoo movement, one of the first to accuse harvey weinstein of sexual assault. >> it cannot stand and will not stand. >> reporter: weinstein has denied allegations of sexual assault. now, these two hollywood influencers are squaring off against each other. it started when streep said she would wear black to the golden globes, along with other actresses, to protest sexual harassment in the industry. on twitter,

accusing streep of hypocrisying. saying she remained silent. maybe you should wear marchesa to the golden globes, a reference to the fashion line of harvey weinstein's wife, who left him in october. in a statement, streep responded to mcgowan, writing in part, i want to let her know i did not know about harvey weinstein's crimes. wasn't deliberately sigh lensil. i didn't know. i don't approve of rape. streep goes on to say she was never personally propositions by weinstein. and she had friends pass her number to mcgowan so they could talk. no call came. i'm sorry she sees me as an adversary because we're both, together with all of the women in our business, standing in defiance of the same implacable foe. a status quo that wants so badly to return to the bad old days, the old ways when women were used, abused and refused entry into the

mcgowan did not directly respond. but in a tweet on monday, she wrote, the marchesa line was beneath me. i'm sorry for that. adding, there is no map for this road i'm on. other voices in the #metoo movement are speaking out. >> said, wow, you look great. >> reporter: addie zinone talked about matt lauer. in 2000, she was a 20-year-old production assistant for the "today" show when the two had a consensual relationship. >> it was an abuse of power. i want to put a face and a story to these women's accusations because i'm seeing they're being doubted. >> reporter: matt lauer's representatives say they are not commenting on zinone's story. he was fired for sexual misconduct in the workplace after a different woman came forward and told her st

next half hour, we have an exclusive interview with some of the women leveling disturbing allegations against dustin hoffman. let's switch gears and head to mr. roker and a check of t we're looking at a lot of fog again today. second day in a row. this time almost double the number of people. 62 million people impacted from texas up into kansas and all the way to florida. quarter mile visibility for tampa. eight miles in atlanta. that sbis better. houston and dallas, quarter mile visibility. stle to extend out those take offs and landings. for today, a big storm system coming in. that will move through texas and then into the carolinas by wednesday. stays dry thursday. more rain by the end of the week. and actually parts of arkansas in the severe drought. this he could use this rain. we're looking for a wide swath of two to three inches of rain from texas into western kentucky. that's what's going on around the country. here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. good tuesday morning. beautiful weather here.

district. plenty of sunshine. and that sun will be warming us up as we go through the day to day. we have some spots like frederick in the low 50s. quantico, 34 degrees. manassas, 28 degrees. 33 in clinton. so by lunch time today, sunny, 55 degrees. by the afternoon, 60 for a day time high. that's about 15 degrees above normal. then we're cooler tomorrow and rain into the weekend. >> don't forget. you can get that weather anytime you need it. check out our pals at the weather channel on cable. >> thank you, al. coming up, rare access inside of jerusalem's holiest sites, as christians prepare to celebrate christmas. also ahead, a terrifying moment. a stage collapses at a popular music festival. then, a new "rossen reports" warning. how hackers can take advantage of the new in-home delivery service. and we'll spread some cheer to families devastated by california's historic

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we're back. 7:42. we have a new series we're calling holidays in the holy land. >> with christians prepared to celebrate ye jesus' birth, we go with kieir simmons to jerusalem where he was given access to some of the holiest sites. >> we're jealous. >> merry christmas. every christmas, thousands of pilgrims travel here to the holy land to be closer to jesus' story. if you're sitting at home thinking you would like to come here at christmastime, thinking you never will, come with us, as we take you to some of the holiest sites in this city. come with us, as we walk in jesus' footsteps. pilgrims from all over the world, walking in the places where jesus walked 2000 years

♪ i once was lost >> reporter: getting baptized in the river jordan. >> the same river as jesus. it's overwhelming. >> reporter: in jerusalem, i meet father david grainier, at the house where jesus is thought to have held the last supper. >> take this. and divide it among yourselves. >> when the romans came, they destroyed the temple and destroyed this place, also. but they rebuilt it on the same place. >> reporter: the proof, said father david, is in the ancient stones outside. >> this size of rock could have come from the temple of jerusalem. this became the most important place spiritually for the first christians. >> reporter: here, the very stones on which jesus would have walked down to the gordon of gueethsemane on his last night. normally, only the pope is allowed in here. first thing tst

and the torture that jesus was going through when he was said to be here. >> he knew what was coming. the whip. and the crown of thorns and the nails. he knew everything. but he stayed here. >> reporter: this, is place where judas kissed and betrayed him, according to the bible. and this church, built on what's thought to be the palace of the high priest, where they say jesus was interrogated. this is where he would have spent his last night, the night before his crucifixion, in the dungeon. he takes me to the old city, where jesus was crucified by pontius pilate. >> the roman fortress antonio. that's where pilate would have been. >> reporter: the first station of the cross. >> ts

the footsteps of jesus. following along the 14 stations of the cross. we've reached the fourth station. >> yes. that's a place where jesus met his mother. >> this is the fifth station. >> that's where simon of siren helped jesus carry his cross. important footsteps over here. >> reporter: the church of the holy sepulcher. >> underneath the altar, we can touch the rock in the place where the cross of jesus was. >> reporter: and the iviculae, thought to house jesus' tomb, the holiest christian shrine of all. the expert on the tomb takes me inside. to come here for the first time and to imagine this is where jesus was resurrected, is awe-inspiring. a journey to the

christian faith. amazing. and tomorrow, we will dive right into the christmas story. we go to bethlehem, guys. and we'll have new twists. savannah and hoda, we have young children around the same age. this is one of the assignments, i know you'll know what i mean, when you're thinking, i can't wait to bring my children here at christmastime. >> so important to root this season in the history there. >> that's right. >> thank you, keir. we're going to switch gears. we have sheinelle jones in the orange room. >> good morning. we're going to introduce you to the adorable boy who went to great lengths to make sure the grinch didn't steal his christmas. ohn's disease. you're more than just a bathroom disease. you're a life of unpredictable symptoms. crohn's, you've tried to own us. but now it's our turn to take control with stelara® stelara® works differently for adults with moderately to severely active crohn's disease. studies showed relief and remission,

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online when he learned of the grinch's plan to steal christmas. he took matters into his own hands and called 911. listen. >> this is the byran police department, we have a 911 hang-up on this number. >> i just want to tell you something. the grinch is going to steal christmas. my dad is going to talk to you. this is 911. >> i'm sorry. this is my son playing on the phone. >> it's fine. it's been the most interesting thing that's happened as far as 911 hang-ups for me. >> oh, my goodness. clearly, the 911 operator was amused. so was the officer, who heard about the call and decided to stop by the boy's house. the officer reassured him that the grinch wasn't going to steal christmas. look at this. didn't stop there. he was invited down to the byran police department, where he was put in charge of officially locking the grinch up. he and the grinch shared some words and ended up on good

facebook writing, i can not make this up. thank you so much. you made his night. >> one day, he wants to be a police officer. by saving christmas, he's off to a pretty good start. >> that's awesome. >> that was great. thank you,

and carmax will hold it for you up to seven days, for free. you come in when it's convenient i know this because i'm from seven days in the future. now don't be frightened, seven days in the future is a glorious place. after all you had two good hair days in a row... perfect. right out of bed. and this car you reserved on carmax.com is still being held for you, for free. pretty sweet. or as we like to say from seven days in the future... ah...we still say pretty sweet. it's basically the same. but on the inside, i feel chronic, widespread pain.like most people. fibromyalgia may be invisible to others, but my pain is real.

lyrica is believed to calm these nerves. i'm glad my doctor prescribed lyrica. for some, lyrica delivers effective relief for moderate to even severe fibromyalgia pain. and improves function. lyrica may cause serious allergic reactions, suicidal thoughts or actions. tell your doctor right away if you have these, new or worse depression, unusual changes in mood or behavior, swelling, trouble breathing, rash, hives, blisters, muscle pain with fever, tired feeling, or blurry vision. common side effects: dizziness, sleepiness, weight gain, swelling of hands, legs and feet. don't drink alcohol while taking lyrica. don't drive or use machinery until you know how lyrica affects you. those who've had a drug or alcohol problem may be more likely to misuse lyrica. with less pain, i can do more with my family. talk to your doctor today. see if lyrica can help. whoo! testis this thing on?! huh? c'mon! your turn! mmmm... where do pencils go on vacation? (loud speaker) pencil-vania! pencilvania! (laughing)

kellogg's frosted mini-wheats. take an extra 20% off when you spend $100 or more! and get kohl's cash for you! short on time? buy online and pick up free in store! and - starting thursday, stores are open 24 hours! give joy, get joy - at kohl's. this holiday, the best gift you can give, is your time. volunteer at neighbhorhoodofgood.com. state farm. no family pays st. jude fbecause all a family, should worry aboutd. is helping their child live. and play. and definitely play. visit stjude.org or shop where you see the st. jude logo. coming up, the style squad

7:56 on this tuesday, december 19th, 2017. i'm eun yang. we start with that breaking news in prince george's county. there was tweeted from the chief spokesperson of prince george's county fire mark brady. firefighters on the scene of a fire at an apartment building in the 3300 block of curtis drive. this is in hill crest heights. firefighters say when they arrived on the scene, you can see the heavy flames shooting from the top of that building. fire officials say they are aware some of wire issues at that complex and they dispatched additional units to handle and help with that water supply. we'll continue to follow this story right here on news 4 and check the nbc washington app for updates. now let's check into your first 4 traffic. >> good morning. inner loop of the beltway at eisenhower avenue connector, crash cleared. delays are hanging around. and 95 exp

blocks the left side. weather in a minute.

good morning. quite a difference in the area temperatures. 30 degrees in manassas. in the district right now, 40 degrees is the temperature. we'll be around 60 this afternoon. nice and dry. upper 40s tomorrow. low 50s friday. rain into the weekend. this time of year is all about family. and we'd like you to be part of ours. so our chevy employee discount is now available to everyone. you pay what we pay. and not a cent more. we're so happy to share this with you. it's our way of saying happy holidays. and welcome to the family... the chevy family. use your employee discount for everyone to get forty-five

find new roads at your local chevy dealer. it's 8:00 on "today." coming up, breaking overnight, ntsb investigators now saying the train that flew off the tracks near seattle was traveling nearly three-times the speed limit. >> grabbed the seat in front of me and held on for dear life. >> with three people killed and dozens more injured, officials and passengers are looking for answers. we're live on the scene. ♪ plus, holiday hacked. >> you're saying right now, she can't see a thing? >> right. she's totally blind to this whole thing. >> jeff rossen puts amazon's new delivery service to the test. a potential flaw have some people thinking twice. >> we can walnt

>> exactly. from jewelry to clothes and makeup, all of the hot trends for these cold months and all under $100, today, tuesday, december 19th, 2017. ♪ who do we have here today? >> this is pierce johnson. >> what are we celebrating? >> his third birthday. >> graduated from high school. survived semester at texas a&m. what's the last one? >> be on the "today" show. >> her students think she's grading their midterm. >> in the plaza instead. >> bonjour from -- >> montreal, canada. >> i hear you're prepping for a pageant. >> the miss kentucky pageant. >> what are you doing today? >> celebrating my 21st birthday. >> six days until christmas. >> i love it. that was a public service announcement. six more days for christmas. nice to ha y

there. we're coming out. >> we are. let's get right to the news at 8:00. federal investigators on the scene of the deadly train derailment in washington state. and overnight, they confirmed that the train was traveling 50 miles per hour over the speed limit at the time of the crash. nbc's gadi schwartz is in dupont, washington, with the latest. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, savannah. this train didn't just jump its tracks. it flew off a bridge. let me show you what i'm talking about, live here. those are crews right there. they're working to take this train apart, piece-by-piece. and it's incredible to think that there were 85 people onboard that train when it derailed. three people have been confirmed killed. we know that dozens more were injured. and several of them are still in critical condition. >> amtrak 501. ener emergency, emergency, emergency. >> reporter: a high-speed train was making its

coming around a curve. data collected from the rear black box confirming the train may have been going too fast. it was going 80 miles per hour in a 30-mile-per-hour stretch of track. >> our mission is to not just understand what happened but why it happened. >> a train car crashing down on the i-5 highway blow, hitting a semi truck and other vehicles. other cars dangling from above, nearly the entire train jumping the tracks. the amtrak 501 left his first stop at 6:00 a.m. the train derailing halfway through its trip at 7:33 in the morning. >> initially, i thought it was an explosion. it was so dramatic. and loud. and totally disorienting. >> it felt like another car had hit us. people were screaming. at this point, i just grabbed the seat in front of me and held on for dear life. >> reporter: another woman, writing about her husband's

he was pinned under train car parts. the people in the seat behind him did not make it. it feels like a horror movie. state transportation officials had plans to activate positive train control on the lain next year, a safety measure that could have prevented this accident. >> positive train control can prevent collisions with other trains or overspeed events, where the train is going too fast. >> reporter: lakewood mayor, don anderson, has been voicing safety concerns about the train line from the start, again as recently as two weeks ago. >> when somebody's killed and somebody from wash d.o.t. tells me why they didn't put in the enhancements. >> reporter: the fastest train from portland to seattle is at the center of an investigation into a deadly derailment. as for the critical safety feature, the positive train control, we're told by state transportation officials it was supposed to be installed and activated on these tracks

savannah? back to you. >> gadi, thank you. officials are trying to determine if weather was a factor in a deadly stage collapse that was caught on camera. a metal structure over the stage came crashing down, killing a deejay and hurting several other people. it happened during an electronic music festival in brazil. the winds were kicking up. the storm clouds were looming at the time. the show was held despite severe weather warnings of hail and heavy rain there. 8:05. and time for "hoda's morning boost." >> you know how dads like to embarrass their children. this dad went prehistoric. he wanted to embarrass his daughter. that's tad as an inflatable t-rex. waiting for his little girl. there she is on the bus. got a little extra bounce in his step. hey, honey. his daughter steps off the bus and goes, oh, no, dad. no, no. he tried to give her a hug with the t-rex

viral. more than 4 million times on facebook. tad's wife says, we love our dino dad. happy to spread joy and happiness. i don't think that's the first time dad dressed up. >> no, dad. >> not again. >> love it. much more to get to on a tuesday morning, including a little drama that "pitch perfect 3" star anna kendrick ran into after leaving our studio on monday. and helping the families impacted by the devastating wildfires. first, a look at what's coming up on "megyn kelly today." >> the first woman to accuse russell simmons of sexual misconduct was on our show about a month ago. he called her a liar. now, the number is up to 12 and two of them join us today in a megyn kelly exclusive. >> megyn, thanks. all that and a new "rozz "r reports" warning. >> the new amazon service where delivery

packages into your home. but hackers have discovered a major security flaw. when someone is inside, you're seeing this on your amazon nick is a logistical mastermind. when it comes to moving packages on a global scale, nobody does it better.

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years. it's based on an art deco design. over 50 diamonds all hand-set. that's my philosophy - design it to be beautiful... then make it perfect. neil lane bridal. at kay... the number-one jewelry store for... yes. ♪ every kiss begins with kay. we're back with a new "rossen report" series, "hacking your holiday." a dangerous flaw in amazon's new technology that may leave your home vulnerable to thieves. jeff rossen is here to show us about this. >> we talked about this right here on "today." this is a peak time for amazon, as well, of course. the busy holiday shopping season. now, hackers have figured out a op

system that could allow the delivery person full access to your home and you would have no idea. amazon knows about it and says they've issued a software update. but cyber security experts say the vulnerability is still there. and this morning, you're about to see it in action. >> did you know that now, we deliver here? >> reporter: it's the new service for amazon prime members that has everyone talking. >> free in-home delivery from amazon key. >> reporter: an amazon delivery person able to drop off your package at home. amazon gives you this special lock and this camera. when the delivery person comes, you can watch it live on your phone, to make sure everything is okay. or you can watch a recording of it later. but almost immediately after the launch, a cyber security company hacked the system. exposing a flaw. the delivery person could have full access

undetected. okay. we're going to show you this hack in action. we've taken over this house today with the permission of the homeowner. in fact, the homeowner, rochelle, is at a nearby cafe, watching everything on her amazon key app, watching the delivery in real-time as you normally would. helping us is ben, playing the delivery guy today. you installed the amazon key system at this house this morning. >> the lock itself and the cloud cam, as well. >> reporter: the door is locked. >> we come up to the house. we have our package. we're unlocking the door itself with the app. >> reporter: that's the way it's supposed to happen. deliver the package. and -- >> we close the door and that's it. >> they were in and oen ound ou. all good. >> reporter: now, the hack. he's able to disable the wi-fi and freeze the camera feed so it

we're not showing you at home. but you have it set up. you hit the button. and you're saying just that fast -- >> almost instantly. >> reporter: the camera is disabled inside. we can walk into the house and she won't see us. >> exactly. >> reporter: that's incredible. the amazon camera. that's our nbc camera. that's the amazon camera. you're saying she can't see a thing. >> right. she's blind to this whole thing. in fact, look at the side-by-side. that's our nbc camera on the left. the amazon camera is on the right. on our camera, you can clearly see us inside. but on the amazon camera, it looks like the house is secure and no one is there. rochelle has no idea what's really going on. >> everything looks as i left it. >> reporter: amazon was made aware of this vulnerability week ago and issued a software update, saying customers would be notified more quickly if the camera goes offline. for

a minute that she got a noti notification that the camera was unavailable. but no clear indication someone hacked it or was inside her home. while the software update may help, experts say it doesn't fix the problem itself. the camera can still be hacked. >> and the attack still works and the camera is still frozen. >> reporter: amazon telling nbc news, safety and security are built into every aspect of the service. and this poses little risk to custom customers. and the issue is with both wi-fi systems not with amazon software. the company saying it receives an alert if the door is unlocked for more than several minutes. adding, each driver must pass a comprehensive background check before they can make in-home deliveries. what needs to happen here? >> amazon needs to fix this. this is a design flaw in the whole system and puts users at risk. >> reporter: al screamed the question across the studio. what if you have an alarm system? the

your home security system is activated. so, the company tells its customers to shut off their alarms during the four-hour delivery window. but our expert told us that could be dangerous, too, leaving your house vulnerable. >> that's a great system. >> jeff, i know you have a plan for tomorrow. >> more of our special "rossen reports" series. and this time, we talk about gift cards. now, a security expert says he's found a major flaw with that card system at a popular retailer. potentially allowing hackers to drain the money on your card down to zero before you even use it. we're going to tell you which store it's happening at and how do you protect yourself? that's tomorrow, right here on "today." merry christmas. >> aren't you giving away toys? when is that happening? >> he giveth and taketh away. >> like a nightmare beginning part of the week and then, the toys later.

he's right there. thank you, jeff. let's look at what's "trending" today. this is the annual maris college poll of the most annoying words and phrases. we're going to agree with the one top of the list. coming in is the phrase -- no offense, but -- in second place, a new one. fake news. >> that's annoying. >> the second-most annoying phrase of the year. and coming in at number one, for the ninth year in a row, a contender, whatever. it is the worst. 33% of americans agree. worst word of 2017. we know it means -- you know what it means. >> yes. >> if you could nominate a word that you hated and houlove. i'm supposed to go first. adulting. i don't like when millennials turn nouns into verbs. >> whaoe

boring stuff. >> doing grown-up stuff. >> mine is -- i think i hate it but i want to use it. she's so extra. the class is so extra. wesley in our control room uses that. when he says it, i like it. >> it's cool when he says it. >> i hate super. super exciting. super terrific. it's -- unless you have an "s" on your chest and a cape, stop. >> i might say super like that. >> mine is whatever. this is compliments of brittany in the orange room. for reals? no. >> for realsys? >> much better. >> she said that. that's enough. >> we want to end on a high note. favorite words from 2017. i like abriefs. i like to abbreviate my boards. ovi. totes like to abbrev. >> mine is simple.

ready? what? >> that's my favorite, too. i love it. >> do the head thing, too? >> all-in. what? >> seriously? i feel like seriously? number two would be dilly dilly. >> it's coming on strong. what about you? >> it's more of a phrase that makes me happy. and that's arm party. you have fun arm parties. love your little arm party. it makes them happy. you don't have to worry what you're wearing. an arm party is -- >> the bracelets is your arm party. that's a good one. want to take us to "pop start"? >> we have exciting, casting news to announce this morning. "jesus christ superstar" the musical event, nbc has broadcast, has cast the lead. any guesses? milo, no. john legend. >> wow. >> golden globe, tony winning artist.

>> well. >> legend is thrilled to be joining the production. the hit back in 1971. andrew lloyd webber and tim price will executively produce the event. "jesus christ superstar" april 1st, easter sunday on nbc. >> that voice. >> it will be hard to top. anna kendrick, the actress was here yesterday. she went back to her hotel for a pit stop before heading to jimmy fallon. she hit one little snag. her hotel caught fire. take a look. >> super. >> thank you for saving us. >> thank you for saving us. thank you, thank you. so real. yep. we are walking to fallon because

we're walking to fallon. we managed to catch a cab. and we're not on fire. the cab missed its turn. we're back to walking. >> i need to start following her. that was pretty good. it was super on fire, by the way. you're welcome, al. did make it to "the tonight show" just in time to sing christmas tunes with fallon. finally, john stamos. the actor has been walking down memory lane. yesterday, we shared this photo he posted with his dad. now, it appears he has reunited with some of his former "e.r." cast members. we took a pic behind our general county doors. stamos starred on the hit series from 2005-2009. that's your "pop start" ladies and gentlemen. >> let's get a check of the forecast.

to you by kay jewelers. every kiss begins with kay. all right. we're tracking christmas and the chance of a white christmas which means an inch or more of snow on the ground. from spokane to bend, boise, casper, pierre, minneapolis, chicago, you're on the line of possible and likely. pittsburgh, same for you. boston, you're probably going to see rain. but we will be looking at rain all along the eastern seaboard. g again, we're waiting for the rain-snow line to start setting up. that's what's going on across the country. >> christmas is looking on the mild and rainy side around here. the very next day, the day after christmas could be bitterly cold and windy. right now we have sun shining. temperatures mostly in the 30s and 40s. headed into the upper 50s to around 60 degrees for afternoon highs today. so a very nice day to be outside. mostly cloudy. turning colder for tomorrow. highs in the 40s the next couple of days. back to about 50 on friday.

[001:21:59;00] chance. >> that's your latest weather. if you're heading out, check us out on sirius/xm 108. in the meantime, we have new developments in the sexual harassment scandal surrounding oscar winner dustin hoffman. >> cynthia mcfadden is here with the latest on this. >> reporter: good morning. two-time academy award winner dustin hoffman is considered one of the greatest actors of his generation. now, five women have come forward, accusing hoffman of sexual harassment. this morning, three are sharing their stories exclusively with nbc news. >> look, mrs. robinson, i drove you home. >> reporter: known for iconic roles in "the graduate," "tootsie" and "rain man," dustin hoffman is a hollywood legend. now, five women are accusing the icon of sexual misconduct.

three sat down with us. >> people go, how with dustin? and i tell the half-truth. as an actor working with him, i owe him everything. i learned so much. and then, i would stop. and there would be a knot in my stomach about what the real truth was. he was abusive and he was a bully. >> reporter: katherine ross co-starred in the 1980 stage run of "death of a salesman." backstage, he repeatedly groped her during the show. >> one day, i felt his hand go up my thigh. and started to continue. he would get more and more aggressive. and try to go higher and higher and higher. i was, like -- he was the most famous actor in the world. at the top of his career. i was a nobody. nobody was going to believe me. >> i think there's a message. >> reporter: in 1985, she appeared with him in the tv version of "salesman."

that is when anna hunter, 17-year-old intern at the time, claimed he harassed her. at one point, giving her a crude and sexually suggestive breakfast order. >> he stared at me. and everyone burst out laughing. and i backed out. i went to the bathroom and cried. >> reporter: she claims the actor humiliated her on set, demanding foot rubs and grabbing her bottom. >> he was suggestive in all of the conversations. when we were hanging out in his dressing room, he was talking about sex to other people. asking me if i had sex. >> reporter: but hoffman's alleged behavior went beyond who he worked with. >> he dropped the towel. >> reporter: cory thomas was 16 years old and a friend of one of hoffman's daughters, when she says the actor came on to her, after the three spent a day together in new york. >> i had never seen a man naked in my life, at this point.

it was an awkward, young girl. i had neveris and he said, i want you to give me a foot massage. >> reporter: thomas says, she was left alone with him while waiting for her parents to pick her up. choosing to speak out now. >> as hard as it is, i think i wanted to choose truth over shame. >> no comment from mr. hoffman's representatives. but hoffman apologized after anna hunter came forward saying, he feels, quote, terrible, that anything i might have put her through in an uncomfortable situation. it is not reflective of who i am. hoffman's attorney previously called cory thomas' allegations defamatory falsehoods. >> interesting to hear those stories all these years later. >> painful. and all of them worshiped him. >> i can see that. >> you can tell. >> cynthia, thank you. coming up, we brought in an expert to show you easy ways to wrap all those oddly shaped holiday gifts. plus, our style squad is here.

we need them to look fashionable weather. we're following breaking news at 8:26. we know five people were hurt in a fire at an apartment building in hill crest heights this morning including a firefighter. two of the people had to go to the hospital. the fire is still burning right now. you can see from the picture here, matter of fact, it has been marked under control, we should say. more in the nbc washington app. now let's turn to melissa and a look at your traffic. good morning. inner loop of the beltway, take a look. some lanes are blocked because of a crash in the roadway. elsewhere, northbound suitland parkway, malfunctioning traffic light causing delays there. >> thank you.

a look at your forecast next. ♪ ♪

♪ it all starts with a wish. the final days of wish list are here. hurry in and sign and drive off in a new lincoln with zero down and a complimentary first month's payment. sun is out in washington. temperature is near 40 degrees

in town. don't get used to it. cold eastern cloudy tomorrow. temperatures in the 40s. it will be rainy by the time we get to the weekend. well it's a perfect nespresso morning here, george. hold on a second. mmm. ♪ [mel torme sings "comin' home baby"] hey there. want a lift? ♪ where are we going? no don't tell me. let me guess. ♪ have a nice ride. ♪

how far would you go resso. nespresso. what else? ♪ 8:30 now. it is tuesday morning, the 19th of december, 2017. isn't that a beautiful tree? that's the famous rockefeller center christmas tree. and now, we have to show you something a little different. and that is the tree at rhode island statehouse. >> oh, my. >> something happened. charlie brown would be proud. the poor rhode island statehouse tree got so dried up, it had to

be reve >> like christmas vacation. >> it's so sweet. the tree expert thinks it was cut down during a cold snap and went into shock. they will get another one. >> they should go fake. >> come on. you wouldn't make it five more days? >> all right, you guys. we have an awesome crowd on our plaza today. are we missing charlie? we're missing charlie. we're missing charlie so much. and look who showed up. who puppies. we have bosley and bogart. are you jimmy? >> i'm jimmy, yes. >> are you friends of theirs? >> we're from north carolina. >> okay. do you travel with these big dogs everywhere? >> we take these guys with us everywhere we go, yes. >> how did they get here? >> we came by car from north carolina. >> thank you for blessing us with these dogs today. >> i thought you would train them. you did a good job with charlie.

>> he wants >> thank you. merry christmas. >> i love the santa suits. >> so cute, right? coming up, our style squad is busy collecting gifts for our annual toy drive. they will show you how to pull off the most popular fashion. we're going to keep that holiday theme going with help. how on earth am i getting the presents all wrapped nicely. >> especially the oblong shape. >> exactly. >> that's what the bag is for. we're going to talk about etiquette in the holidays, what not to do. and healthy choices when you sit down for your holiday meal. and speaking of health, i've taken one sudafed and one ben drill. >> this will be a fun one to watch.

>> instead of megyn's month of merry, it's pharmacological adventure. what's coming up with the weather? >> let's see what's going on. as far as today is concerned, wet we're looking at wintry weather up into the northeast. heavy snow in the mountains of the pacific northwest. for tomorrow that, snow moves into the plains. windy conditions through the rockies. heavy rain into the southeast. and lower mississippi. and ohio river valleys and snow flurries aren't great lakes. that's what's going on around the country. here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. good morning. we're looking at plenty of sunshine right now. we have a lot of clear skies out there. 40 degrees in the district. some spots in the 30s right now. mostly in virginia. 34 dulles. 30 manassas. clinton is coming in at 35 degrees. 50 in frederick where we had a little more cloud cover this morning. later today, 60 for a high temperature. unseasonably mild. tomorrow, a little cooler. upper 40s. we go into the weekend. the rain does return. not good for travel. until then, things look nice and

dry. >> all righty. it's time to go around the horn. you know, we got a lot of weather coming up. a big week of travel. you want to get that weather? you have to check out our friends at the weather channel on cable. just a few more people to get to. hold on. we're coming around. back to all you guys. ♪ >> getting to the heart of christmas is created with our sponsor, walmart. rock this christmas with walm t walmart. now, to our series "getting to the heart of christmas." we're heading to california where it's been historic and devastating wild fires. >> those are killed 40 and left thousands homeless. through the efforts of a nurse and walmart, some of the families are getting a reason to smile this holiday. the wildfires that ripped through northern california this october, were historically

devastating. hardest hit communities. haley's husband, fletcher, is a sheriff's deputy. he was helping to evacuate endangered neighborhoods, when he realized he had to rush home to get haley and two sons out, just minutes before the fires reached it. >> the frame of his dirt bike. >> reporter: something you lost that was the hardest thing, you think? >> just the space of our home that we're comfortable in. we were proud of. >> reporter: adriana lived in a house with her parents, husband and four children. now, all eight are in a two-bedroom apartment. >> i looked outside the window. and you wouldn't see across the street. >> reporter: it was that much smoke? >> really thick smoke. >> reporter: her stepfather became a home owner in january, just nine months later, the firfire s took everything. >> you work hard. you do everything you can. and then, everything disappears from the fire.

>> reporter: both families were helped bth nurse, payton walton. she was working in the only santa rosa hospital that wasn't evacuated. payton decided she wanted to do more for those who lost everything. she posted for help on the social app next door. and within the first five minutes, we had 50 responses. >> reporter: her post went viral throughout other counties in northern california. with payton's work, eventually linking nearly 1,000 people in need with about 7,000 people willing to help. inspired by payton's efforts, walmart stepped in to help. they gathered the wish lists for ten santa rosa families who lost everything and went to work. shopping. wrapping. and delivering everything to throw a huge holiday surprise. a tree with plenty of presents underneath. here they come.

carts fille we teamed up with walmart. we want to make sure you and your families have a wonderful holiday season. just in case we missed anything, walmart is giving you and your family $500 each, a gift card, to get whatever you like. and one more very special person we want to honor. that's payton walton. as you all know, payton facilitated a lot of this. we wanted to make sure you have a wonderful holiday with your family. so, walmart is giving you a $5,000 gift card. and they are also going to work with you to give you a $10,000 check for the charity of your choice. >> thank you. >> all right, kids.

the worst part is seeing the gifts and not being able to open them. so, kids, you can have at it. >> amazing. >> legos. >> you made my girls' christmas. >> i saw the presents and was like, that's not for us. >> you didn't think it was for you? >> i thought, it's for us. >> for the families and so many of the neighbors, presents for the holidays and a message to last throughout the year. >> lets everyone know, that everybody loves you. strangers love you. families love you. and you have a bigger family now. >> so sweet. lots of hugs. and payton is just getting started. she's turning that post into a full fledged charity, family matching. people around the world can assist families in future disasters. you can learn about that on today.com. >> how about the power of one person. >> she made that happen. >> that's incredible.

>> and the power of an app. now, neighbors get together. way and around the world. >> how fun to be playing santa there. >> a lot of sweet hugs. when the little hands wrap around your neck and hold on, it's priceless. >> thank you. coming up next, you have presents. now, the hard part, wrapping some of them. some clever tricks to save you time and hassle.

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with a 2-year price guarantee with a 2-year agreement. with twice the crispy caramelized peppered bacon. dunkin' sweet black pepper bacon sandwich is back. experience a breakfast sandwich made for bacon lovers. america runs on dunkin' we're back with "today's hassle-free holiday." at this point, hopefully you're done shopping and you need to get the presents wrapped. lori bergamotto is the editor at "good housekeeping" magazine. >> now you have your presents. the wrapping can be stressful. we wanted to think about common pitfalls of wrapping, right? and one of them is buying the wrong wrapping paper. >> too thin? >> yes. it happens to you.

and you can see through it. >> and you think you're getting a thick roll and it's that long. >> exactly. we found sugar paper from target. this starts at $2. you said when you came over, it's thick. and i hope you can see. but it has this little graph. >> so you don't have to cut straight. >> you can cut straight. but you can measure out. and one of the tips that we want to show you is when you're doing this fold -- is this what stymies you? you want this part to go up about halfway. >> oh. >> and if you can do that -- i've been doing it wrong. and you want really good tools. you have the scissors. >> why are they so great? >> it gives you an even edge. really easy. fun things. we use double-stick tape because

it looks neater. >> you're not making a little ringlet. >> there you go. you wait until the last minute, i'm not saying you do. but you can -- stores are sold out of holiday paper, you can use craft paper. people are like, that looks a little boring. >> we did yarn can pom-poms here. you can go to the container store, michaels, places that are for crafting and get affordable little adornments. and you can use this all year long. >> that's smart. >> it's fun and easy. >> when you have odd-shaped presents. >> we're inspired by a japanese fabric wrapping practice. >> you take a piece of fabric. and you can get this from anywhere. we got this from minted. and you lay it out in a rhombus. and you tuck this fold under here.

and you wrap it bow. like a little sack. >> and you put a little bell on it. >> you do an adornment. >> somebody did it for my daughter, and she uses the fabric as the blankie for her stuffed animal. if you need a hostess gift. you show up with the bread. flip this way. the bread, the wooden spoon. the little jelly. you tie it up in a bow. >> adorable gift. >> you can use it here with a cookbook. >> and the tea towel becomes your wrapping. >> this one, i had never thought of but you're using wrapping paper and making a bag. >> out of the wrapping paper. we were trying to wrap this. what we did was we took wrapping

paper. we folded it on you fold this up. and you do it in stages. you fold it again. and you wind up with, a little baggy. >> and what do you do -- >> with your scissors, you poke a hole. is that a wow? >> just how awesome she is. she gives everybody a lottery ticket. such a great gift. all right. thanks so much. for more fun holiday ideas, check out facebook.com/todayhome. up next, sequins and glitter.

our style squad shows y how toou for dramatic effect. they also know you need to get your annual check-up. now prepare for your check-up with one touch using the mycigna app, where you can find a doctor in your plan's network to save money, manage your health, and more. need to be thorough... cigna. together all the way. we're back. 8:47.

"the style squad season, from clothes to jewelry and makeup. all this $100 or less. let's kick it off with bobby thomas. >> it's all about holiday shine this year, amplified. >> and more is more. >> you're going to see sequins everywhere. there's a great cosey sweater with a pencil skirt. and you're going to see sequins on everything, from sweat pants to sweatshirts. >> i took this off of the rack. >> you can wear this as an overcoat, to turn your work dress into a party look. >> great. and the accessories. >> accessories. but sequins socks, ala michael jackson. this is what the kids are doing. and slippers. what a great gift. $29 from macy's, anthropology. and you're going to see all over social media, if you type in

glitter mask, glam gravity mud mask. long gone are green monster looking days. you have a peel-off glitter mask. and other brands, like disco kitten. >> i love this. >> brand-new when it comes to eyes. this is peel off glitter liner. i don't want to hurt her. but look. it's a no-mess liner. you get that? >> i love that. >> it just fepeels off. a great glass and romney has two in one mascara glitter. when it comes to lips, you see it on me. pucker up for holiday or new year's eve, rihanna's brand is on fire. and pat mcgrath, my idol. she has the great kits that show you how to get three dimensional lips. >> i love it. >> everything online.

>> thank you, bobb jill martin is here with the hottest fabrics. velvet is the thing? >> '60s and '70s, superhot. >> this is adorable. >> i love a pantsuit. this is from h&m, starting at $12.99. you asked a question, is velvet uncomfortable to wear? and everything is lined. it's not like you have the velvet on your skin. >> or that you'll feel hot. this puffy jacket is cute. >> it's a puffy jacket without being too puffy. all of these are a different way to bring out the holiday cheer. these are from zahra, starting with $39. you see the high boots here. and i love it in a sneaker. >> where would you wear these? >> it's so unexpected. >> i love wearing flats all the

time. i would wear it with a suit or i think that's a way to wear flats. >> are these velvet bags, jill? >> under $100 for all of them. and velvet bags. if you're not into wearing it or on your feet, this is a great way to use an accessory. >> i'm wearing a choker. >> you are wearing a choker. >> i would never normally do. these are all velvet chokers. >> a beautiful gift because you have the little rocks on it or detail whatever you want to go with your dress. >> do the boys like it? >> this is a thing right now. velvet bow ties. $40, available at men's warehouse. over to sheinelle jones. >> i'll see your velvet and raise you pearls and rhinestones. i love the pearl accent. not too much. >> just a hint of pearl. that's the way pearls are becoming more modern.

i love the bell great top. and you add the pearls and it livens you up. >> can you wash it? >> i would dry clean. we have pearl accessories. i love these for a new year's eve or christmas eve party. these are available at nine west. how cute is this? little pearl headband. >> and we turn up the volume. >> i love rhinestone. how beautiful are these boots? these are $90, available at lieu lieu lulu's.com. >> those are talking. >> these are amazing. this is strands by closet gold. what they are are detachable rhinestone magnets. you can attach them to your boots or your hat.

this is from betsey johnson. i love late slipper action. cozy, comfy. i love a beanie. if you add a little sparkle, a little ann taylor action here, it's a more feminine way to add rhinestones into your beanie. >> head to today.com/style right now to shop the full list.

we're back in a moment. first, this is "today" on nbc. you know, there's a show coming up at 10:00. >> kathie lee gifford is going to be in the house. we sit down with anna kendrick. >> she's so fun. >> and we're going to talk about ways you can make your house -- spruce it up for the holidays. a beautiful centerpiece and beautiful table. you're off to the rockettes. >> i am, yeah. i'm going to take my little ones to see the rockettes. >> you're going to perform with them. >> they have higher standards

than that. they're like, you can t i don't think you'll be a very good rockette. 8:56 on tuesday, december 19th, 2017. good morning you to. i'm eun yang. we want to check on your commute with melissa and your first 4 traffic. how it is looking? >> a big problem on the inner loop. woodrow wilson bridge, you can see we're barely slow from an

earlier crash. we had a crash at 6:00 morning cause deeg laing delays. >> all right. thank you. we'll take a quick break now. we'll check your forecast when we come back.

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college inn, delicious is in the details. good morning. it's going to be a beautiful day to get outside if you can. 43 in the district. some temperatures are now starting to rise. many areas north of the district at least in the mid 50s right now. 60 degrees for an afternoon high today. unseasonably mild. normal highs in the mid 40s. 46 degrees. tomorrow and friday through friday we cool back down to around normal. rain for the weekend.

>> latest news and weather any time on our nbc washington app. this morning on "megyn kelly today," a music mogul under fire. two women accusing russell simmons of sexual misconduct. they tell their story to us in a live exclusive. then, she has faith. an uncommon friendship of women from two different religions. ho they're bringing communities together under one roof. and our month of merry rolls on with a gift that is right on time. two, three. find out what's onboard. all that and more on "megyn kelly today" right now. [ applause ] good morning. good morning, everybody. good morning. good to see you.