good morning. will you get there? the powerful, new storm set to cause serious problems for christmas travelers, witthe end of the week in the crosshairs. al is crunching the numbers and has the forecast you need to see. twitter tear. president trump consumed over the russia invesgation with repeated posts. and his lawyer, rudy giuliani, pushing backard. >> that is completely wrong. it's harassment. w and hington, the countdown is on. will the president shut down the government over his border wall? >> if it comes to it, absolutely. "today" exclusive -- the tsa rolling out new technology to get you through airport security faster than ever. is this an early holiday gift for travelers?

those stories, plus, cause for concern. the outpouring of support for pete davidson in the wake of his troubling ins ge inosing instag. an unprecedented in teen vaping. the new numbers that will shock parents. and the odd coup. the unique and unlikely bond between nba legend charles barkley and a scientist he met at a bar. >> let yourself be surprised by what can happen. that's what they both did, right? >> a valuable lesson on the power of friendship, today, monday, december 17th,018. from nbc news, this is "today," with savannah guthrie and hoda kotb, live from studio 1a irockefeller plaza. good morning, everybody. weome to "today." nice to have you with us on a monday morning. one week from today, christmas eve. just in time for the, holida

storm. >> i think you should confess -- the moments before ai you were on with american airlines, trying to arrange your travel. a lot of people might be doing that. >> i think they will, when al tells us. y people traveling for the holiday and he is watching a new storm system that could impact all of us and our travelplans. >> just call me mr. grinch. we start in the west. we have storm after storm, th's coming inne today, going to bring heavy rain and mountain snows. second storm out west tonight and tomorrow. and backed up, there's another storm, three on thursday. th weekend,four. and there's another one back by russia. look at this. we're looking at heavy rain. some places could pick up ten inches of rain in the pacific northwest. another system develops, comes out of the rockies. urd by ay, heavy rain through florida into atlanta. we're looking at airport delays from miami to atlanta on thursday. friday, it moves into new and the northeast and new england. we're talking heavy rain, strong

winds, gusty winds, airport delays from boston, new york, washington, philadelphia.ks on the be of the system, we look at a wintry mix of snow, rain and wnice. n florida, 3 to 4 inches of rain possible. as you move up the post and into the appalachians, we're at heavy rain from 1 to 3 inches or more, especially if a secondary low develops like it did yesterday here in the northeast and created aooess. we're lng at that both models are hting atit. we'll continue to track it and continue to bring you the latest. guys? >> al thank you so much. also this morning, the president finds himselnconsumed andefense over the russia ve instigation, while the clock is racing towards the next potential government shutdown. we have two reports from the white house. w we'll starth nbc's kristen welker. kristen, good morning. >> reporter: good morning to u. president trump is starting the week swinging, launching a new barrage of attacks on the russia investigation, and his former attorney, michael cohen. it comes amid new signs he may have a serious credibili problem with the american

people. presidt trump, looking ahead to 2019 in public. >> we're going to have an incredible new year for our country, most importantly. >> in private, increasingly consumed by the russia t investigatioeting about it nine times over the weekend, blasting robb ining robert muel inquiry as a witch hunt hoax. and dispatching his personal lawyer, rudy giuliani, on the sund. shows and on the attack >> that is completely wrong.'s it harassment. >> reporter: the strategy -- to discredit t president's former fixer, michael cohen, now, a convicted felon and cooperating witness, who sayr.trump directed him to make illegal hush money payments to two women. mr. trump calli ining his forme lawyer, a rat, while accusin prosecutors of intimidating cohen to make false accusations against thepr ident. giuliani insisting cohen isn't

credible. >> the man is a pathological liar. >> reporter: argui the illegal hush money payments to stormy daniels and karen mcdouga were personal expenses, not a campaign finance violation. >> paying $130,000 to ormy whatever and the other one, is not a crime. >> reporter: despite the latest attacks, the new nbc news/"wall street journal" poll reveals a growing credibility gap for president trump. 62% of americans say he has not been honest or a truthfulbout the russia investigation, with republicans making u nearly one-quarter of that group. all this amid new relations about the scope of russia's disinformation campaign in .20 according to a draft report prepared for the senate, and obtained by t"the washington pos post", and not revineed by nbc ws, russia used every social media platform to help elect mr. trump. it comes as giuliani seemed to all but rule out an in-person presidentialh interview w mueller's team. >> they're a joke.

over my dead body. but i could be dead. >> kristen, on another subject, this artial government shutdown. the clock is ticking. what's the latest? >> reporter: well, savannah, the chances for a partial shutdown, it would happen on friday, seem to be increasing by the day, with no plan in sight for a deal. presidentrump threatening the shutdown if he doesn't get $5 billion for his border wall. his top aides doubling down on that threat over the weekend. the top democrat in thescenate, chucmer, digging in. >> we democrats, leader pelosi and i, offered the president two options as to how to avoid the shutdown. we should not let a temper tantrum, threats, push usn the direction of doing something that everybody, even our republican collgues, know is wrong. >> reporter: now, the president's core supporters see his shutdown teat as showing strength on a key issue. but many republican lawmakers say, political this is the

wrong tactic. frankly, they say, they don't want to own a shutdown over the christmas holiday. and remember this, the president promised mexico would pay for the ll. mr. trump insists that will still happen. bottom line, he's asking american taxpayers to foot the bill first. >> kristen welker at the white house. thank you. now, to shakeups inside the trump administration. an old comment about t president from his pick to be acting chief of staff, is getting new atention. and member of the president's cabinet is stepping down amid federal investigations. hol hallie jackson has more n that. gorning. >> reporter: good morning to you. mick mulvaney calls it a tremendous honor nowo be able to work with the president as his acting chief of staff. but two years ago, he sounded quite different discussing p, calling him a terribl human being. in a matter of days, he'll be donald trump's right-hand man. but in the days beforehe president was elected, it

apared that mulvaney could pairly stand him. >> he's a terrible han being. the choice on the other side is just as bad. >> reporter: thoomments from a south carolina debate in 2016, now resurfacing. first reported by "the daily beast," after the infamous "access hollywood"tory broke. quote, what he said in the audiotape is disgusting and indefensible, mulvaney wrote at that time. my guess ise has probably said even worse, calling donald trump not a very goors . trump allies, brushing it off. >> i think he's going to jump into this job enthusiastically. he's actually a perfect fit in many ways.r: >> repor mulvaney spokesperson calls the comments old news. pointing out, he hadn't met the president at the time. now, his sport for president trump has never wavered while serve within the administration. he both ande likes working

mulvaney will stay on as director of the office of management and budget, as he takes on the acting chief of staff role in the west wing, capping weeks of speculation about who would replace john kelly. with that opening filled for now, another administration job is up for xwrgrabs, interior ryan zinke is stepping down, after two years aanthe agency 17 separate investigations into his conduct. president trump asked about that last month. >> i think he's doing an excellent job. but we will take a look at that. and we'll probably have an idea abhat in about a week. >> reporter: a house democratic source says zinke was facing the prospect of aggressive oversight fromemocrats once the take over the house next year. hours before zinke's appeance at a holiday reception, president trump announced he will leavet the end ofhe year. his legacy at the interior department, as much defined by the ethics questions as the agency's rollbacks of obama-era environmental protections.

>> there was a federal judge in texas who declaredca oba unconstitutional. a lot of people who have it nondering what's going to hap to them. what's the latest? >> reporter: the short answer is for those fodas, nothing happens to them for now. the law remains in place because it is expected to be appealed to higher courts. the expectation is this will go all the way to the supreme court. thyou're king, didn't the supreme court already rule on dbamacare? yes. it upheld the law twice. there's a new legal argument being made now after congress changed part of thlahealth care last year. right now, some republicans, though, think this case doesn't have legs t stand on. predicting that that texas rule willing be overturned. it's a ruling that president trump celebrated ove the weekend and that former president obama reminded folks about, saying, you can still enroll since this law is still in place. now, if the ruling does stand by that texas judge and obamacare is overturned, this would affect

practically every part of health care coverage in this country and affect millions of americans. but we really won't know for years if that will be the case, while this makes this way through t appeals process. the bottom line for millions of americans for now, is it's basically business as usual. >> i have a law degree and i'm t sure i caught all that thank you, hallie. a new study breaking overnight reveals a jump in t use of e-cigarettes among teens. this is the largest single-year increase for any substance in this survey's hi44-year ory. the study is conducted by the university of michigan researchers. experts are attributing the jump to the newer, sleeker versions of e-sgarettes, such those made by juul. the survey indicates 25% of users may not realize that the e e- e-cigarettes do contain

nicotine. use of opioids are down by students. a confast to the rest o the population. there's new calls for a ful guatemalan girl who died in the custody of u.s. border patrol officials. her family is speaking out now. gabe gutierrez is near the border in el paso. gabe, good morning. >> reporter: hoda, good morning. the girl's father is here in el paso. throughn attorney, he say he is grateful for the first responders who tried to save his daughter's life, initial reports was she had not been fed or given water for days are not accurate. this morning, there's growing outrage over the death of a 7-year-old guatemalan girl in u.s. custody. she's the new face of what some are calling a humanitarian crisis. >> jacqueline, just five days past her 7th birthday was a beautiful loving child.

>> reporter: jakelin and her father were part o the migrants that crossed the border this month. she had a fever and was taken to a border control station 95 miles away. by the time she arrived andot medical intervention, there were reports she was not breathing. the homeland security says she died the nexinmotg. arnording t her father, jakelin had not been able to consume wooer or for days. advocates and an attorney for the fher dispute that. >> hadhefere nfromot lack of water or food prior to approaching the border. >> reporter: in guatemala, her mother says that she was taken on the trip to avoid extreme above poverty. she was filled with joy because she wanted to go to the t u.s.

loss of that precious life is horrifying. it is a painful reminder of the ongoing humanitarian tragedy that is illegal immigration and the misery that it spreads. >> reporter: the cbp mmissioner did not mention jakelin's death before he testified before congressast week b said the system is flawed. >> ourpa bordeol stations and ports of entry were built to handle males in custo not families and children. >> reporter: they said agents di everything to help the young girl. the dhs has lauhed an investigation. and congressional docrats are promising one, as well. >> gabe, thank you. h another joins us w story we've been following closely. >> good morning to you. a lot of developments over t weekend in the search for that young colorado mother who vanished mysteriously more than three weeks ago now. olice expanding their search, focusing on her fiance's home. joe fryer has the latest on

this. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. kelsey bareth has been missing since shpp dired on thanksgiving day. police have announced a $25,000 reward for information about her whereabouts, as they try to find out what happened to the 29-year-old mother. kelsey's disappearance remains a mystery, after there was a search warrant on this colorado ranch where her fiance lives. authorities toed away a pickup truck and brought in a backhoe to help with the search. h berret not been found. police say they consider her s disappearancpicion but have not named suspects in this case. >> we are considering every possibility. >> repter: the police chief said as of friday, he hadke s to investigators through his attorney. >> we're asking patrick to sit down with investigatoth since he walast person to talk to kelsey face-to-face.

>> patrick has done everything that he aas beened for by law enforcement. >> reporter: his attorney issued a statement fday saying his client was never asked to voluntarily participate in this . adding, we encourage law enforcement to take whatever steps iteems necessary to find kelsey berreth and to exclude patrick as a possible suspect. >> he's soft-spoken, quiet. a gentle giant. >> reporter: sonia oliver is a friend of his. h she says he helped take care of her horses for more than five years. >> patrick has integrity. and judging from my experiences with him i would find i hard to think of patrick doing anything that would harm anybody. >> reporter: berseth was last in public on thanksgiving during a shopping trip with her 1-year-old daughter. patrick last saw berreth at her home later that day when stopped by to pick up their baby. sheas not reported missing

until ten day later by her mother, who is holding out hope. >> i still know somebody knows where she is at. we need to get h face out there. people need to be able to recognize her. >> reporter: police have not revealed what information led them to seek the warrant, which is sealed. authorities say about 75 people took part in the search. they did not indicate what i evidence any, was found at frazee's ranch. >> the little girl, the couple's daughter, what's her >> reporter: the girl remains in her father's care. statement out a saying the department of human services does not have any evidence that the girl's safety is at risk while in frazee's custody. there's no suspects in this se. >> joe, thank you. let's bring in al. well, well, well. m well, well, well. you're a mean one,r. roker. well, let's focus on t good news right now. it's beautiful and sunny in the

rockies, up into the plains. tore's the next coming into the pacific northwest. rain in southern california. . well, we've got some beautiful sunshine out there

today. and a gorgeous sunrise. the sun coming up in just about four minutes from anow. we looking at clearing skies throughout the day. and much dryer conditions throughout the day as well. the stoha system passed through over the weekend, still spinstng off the c of cape cod right now. temperatures as we head through th day today will ben the low 50s. next chance of rain not returning until thursday and fr. >> just to put you in a holiday mood,ooe're going to at your best shot at a white christmas this year. >> okay. >> se focus on that. >> we're with you, al. coming up, the outpring of support for "snl's" pete davidson, after a troubling post was on his instagram page after the show. dreading the long security lines? nwe have exclusive first look t something new, hero speed up the process of holiday travel. first, this is "today" on nbc.

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the most common side effects are pain, redness or swelling at the injection site and constipation. talk to your doctor about aimovig. and be there more. . >>7:26 is your time now on 2018.monday, december 17, good morning to you. >> i'm aaron lcist. heavy rain caused problems in prince george's county. there were sanitary sewer overflows in ft. washington and tyci a.fftifa the wsse's drinking >>water. holiday visitors to the national mall last night didn't get to see muc because of a power outage. they sayhe problem was a faulty underground table. the lights came back on around

10:30 last night. now let's check your first 4 traffic. >> weir sll dealing with a crash closing ashton west of tucker lane.ol sounds like a across the roadway. northbound near crestwood boulevard. only the left lane is getting by. beachrive is still closed in a couple spots neerp stoneybroo drive and chevy chase south of 0, everything is floodut there. back to you. tonight on news 4 at 5:00, local middle schoolers learning ho to pay bills, raise a family and even drive a car. >> susan hogan u shows how these kids are getting a jump start on adulting.n that's tonightws 4 at 5:00.

we have a beautiful looking morning out there. the sun came up at about7:21 and we'll have plenty of sunshine out there today.

it's going to be absolutely gorgeous as temperatures rise into the 50s. no rain out there today. we're looking good for that. 40 a little breezy today. nexts chance of rain comes thursday into friday.

oh, thisone. they're playing our song. >> 7:30 on a monday morn7g, decemberth, 2018. one week until christmas eve. check out the gardens. our tree, shining so bright. >> i've been singing like we did all weekend at home. >> a check oftoday's headlines. aseries of powerful storms could force airport delays and cancellations on thursday. the storm moves north and is likely to cause proems in the northeast on friday. heavy rains, gusty winds in places like new york city and

boston. if you're traveli this week, check with your airline before heading for the airport.il all be back with the forecast in a few. 40 people were hurt at a restaurant in northern japan. it happened in sappor the blast caused a nearby apartment building and houses to shake. people were rushed to theho spital with nonlife-threatening injuries. an investigation is still under way there. e > a patient on his way to the hospital broke fom his restraints and managed to steal the ambulance he was riding in.h is sunday in southern california. the man led police on a hi-speed chase that lasted about an hour and a half. at onepe point the s jumps out of the ambulance and runs away on food. he srendered and was taken into custody. now, to thet lat on a disturbing post that appeared on

"snl's" pete davidson's instagram over the weeken morgan radford has more this morning. good morning. >> reporter: pete davidson has made no secret that he faced online bullying during and after hins relatp with pop star ariana grande. now, a new deleted post on davidson's post, chillingly said, i don't want to be on this earth thymore. troubling statement posted just hoursefore "saturday night live" went on air. this morning, an outpouring of support for pete davidson. the 25-year-old "saturdaytaight live" known for his deadpan comedy. >> my sketches sucause they're all written by a depressed person. >> reporter: but also, his w struggith borderlineit persy disorder and addicti addiction. a post, appearing on the comedian's instagram account over the weekend, said i don't want to be on this earth anymore. i'oing my best to stay here for you. but i actually don't know how much longer i canlast. all i've ever tried to do was help people. just rememb, i told you so.

the cryptic post, only hours before "snl" went live, brought to the attention of the nypd, which conducted a wellness check on davidson in person to ensure his safety. fans and cebrities alike offering their prayers, support and love. amg them, nicki minaj, rapper kid cuddy and jada pinkett smith. ariana grande, davidson's former fiancee, wrote, i'm downstairs and i'm not going anywhere if you need anyone o. anything i know you have everyone you need and thai's not me. bum here, too. their engagement ended in october, after a short-lived romance. hours after the disturbing post, davidson, appearing live on "snl" only briefly. once again, leycyrus. >> reporter: to introce the musical guest.

it's been a tumultuous year for davidson. >> i apologize. >> reporter: he issued an apologize last mon after a controversial joke about a veteran created an roar. >> the man is a war hero and deserves all of the respect in the world. >> reporter: davidson is no no stranger toragedy in his life. he lost his father, scott, a firefighter, on 9/11. today, support for the comedian grows after anpparent cry for help that's no laughing matter. neither davidson nor grande responded to our request f comment. these are items we have to discs. in you know anyone that is feeling suicid, call the suicidal provengs hot line. we see these come up at the end of the year. ee sad to him struggling like that. >> morgan, thank you. let's get a check of the weather, now, from mr. >> no surpri.

it has been very wet in the northeast, mid-atlantic states. for example, washington, d.c. now, wettest year on record. they'll add to that. er 63 inches of rain. they're not alone. look at this. baltimore, roanoke, wilmington, lexington. wilmington, er 100 inches of rain. wettest year on record. for you doubting folks who think there won't be a white christmas out there. we krumpked the numbers. we're looking at the forecast. we're looking at the possibility -- this is an inch of snow the ground on christmas day. unlikely you'll be sleepless in seattle. denver, unlikely, surprisingly. we move into the mid-atlantic states, minneapolis,possible. detroit, possible. chicago, the bears, but unlikely. pittsburgh,ss le. new york city and boston, possible. washington, d.c., unlily.

and you'll get coal. that's what's going on aroundth country and here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> al is right. right before we get into your christmas day and christmas eve, we are talking about -- of course my computer is not working. ofourse we're talking about chances for temperatures to be in the 40s as we head io christmas eve and christmas day but no white christmas around our noea. now or precipitation or rain out there. temperatures in the 30s and 40s right now as we go over the next 12 pehours, ttures warming intlu the low 50s. going to be a gorgeous but breezy day. >> and that's your latest weather. guys? >> thank you, al. just ahead, a really heart-warming story on the power friendship. we're learning about the unalkely bond between nba h of famer charles barkley and this scientist fromiowa. creative sto ing stuffers oo the shipping dead lines you need know. meghan markle's father opens

up about his rift with his daughter. why he wants the queen to get involved. first, a potentialstew fix for airport delays. good mornin i'm jeff rossen. the holiday season is here. you know what that mean annoying long tsa lines. new technology by the tsa to get ough faster. are the days of the machines o you standing like this coming to an end? exclusive first look next. when you've crossed fruit of the loom off your list, you know your holiday shopping is complete. it's time to celebrate. [♪ ]

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and around. a it'sost unbearable. and one of the reasons for that is these tsa screening machinesv you something in your pocket, that stops the entire line just to, you kn, do additional screening. eeninghere's new tsa s technology that could be a game-changer, promises to get you through the lines faster. you're about to see it in action r the first time. if you think this is bad, get ready. new numbers out. and they are staggering. according to an airline industry group, 45.7 million people will pass through airports over the next few weeks. airports across the country now warning passengers to arrive three hour early. frustrate ed fliers on social media, with the #ihatethewait.pl one- hour wait and these tsa lines are insane. one in seven passengers missed a flight because of tsa lines last

year alone. consider me one of them. waiting. i timed it once. it's been more than 20 minutes and we're still in line. finally. okay. just got through. let me stop the mer. 2 26:38. one of the biggest bottlenecks, those full-body scanners, where you have to stop, raise your arms and wai to be scanned, holding up the entire line. now, i want to show you the new way to do it. come through here. we're going to run through cause they have a demo here iner denvhat's set up. again, they want to bring this national. th're seeing how it works. let me show you the new technology. i'm sorry, sir. thank you very much. here it is, straight through there. it's much better if you have claustrophobia, too. this is the new technology.k you w in. it's open. and look how fast it is. you stand ere, you hold your hands like that and it's done. you walk right through. and here'he best part -- come

on through this way -- come this way, scott. pele can continue coming through if you get pulled over for additional screening. haveeason for that is they multiple stations here. three different screens and stations for additional scheening versus only one screen they have on the old-school machine over there. so, people atill coming through, even as other people and passengers are getting that additional screening. it's launched here in denver in time for the holidays. you may see this nationwide soon. back to you guys. >> wow. >> howco ? >> how long will it take for them to get it in all the airports? if they can do anything about the forecast, that would be even better. >> enough. still ahead, do you have more holiday shopping and shipping to do? the deadlines you need to know tor guarantee you

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we're back with everything you need to know about last-mine holiday shopping and shipping. >> that's right, with christmas eve one week away, time is running out to wrap things um, e get it? tom costello is joining us with the deadlines l toe by this weekend. >> reporter: good morning. they cleared this whole floor 6: out at a.m. so all of the packages that are here have come in the last 1:40 for the next wave but 53% of people wait until the saturday before christmas to send their boxes. and they're going to be processing 3 billion pieces of mail through the postal service. if y want your package to be delivered on time, you better act fast. yep, those holiday shipping d

license pla e snuck up on us again. if you hope to get the holiday gifts to the destination by christmas, there is still time. but you better act here is the lowdown. for online shoppers, popular retailers like walmart,esarget and buy, ty guarantee delivery by christmas day. but pou have toce your address by thursday, december 20th. meanwhile, amazon is offering free shipping on all made by tomorrow. amazon prime members have the luxury of waiting ntil christmas eve to place orders on select last-minute gifts with free next-day delivery. >> last-minute shopping, like always. >> reporter: for those shopping at brick and mortar stores, it may take extra time and money, but you can get the packages shipped and delivered by christmas. >> i still need to ship some, actually. >> reporter: while the u.s. postal service, u.p.s. and fedex are recovering from a record-breaking cyber-month-old, the big three say they are ready for theiv christmas dy crush. they recommend sending packages

by friday, december 21st. need more time? >> i need help from santa. >> reporter: you can ship as late as december 22nd with priority mail express from the postal service. but it will y likely costou mife than the gt ooitself. and believe it or not, fedex same-day their delivery service, they will pick up and deliver your packages cross-country on christmas day. >> i think it's very importantr that t something underneath the tree on december 25th. >> reporter: bottom line, get those packages out as soon as possible because any unforeseen dela, like bad weather, will leave you hoping for a christmas miracle. didn't al talk abouythe possibilf bad weather this coming week? a couplther tips for you as you prepare to send off the packages, try to put it all in one box, if you can. t the entire gift in one package. that way, it doesn't arrive i a bunch of pieces. make sure the address i correct zip code and everything else. you'll be surprised how often that doesn't happen.

and listen to this -- if you forget until the last minute and you realize you're never going to make one of the shipping deadlines, you can buy theif online cards -- it doesn't matter if the person is on the other side of the co itry. bu online, send it online and they should receive it on time. how about at, guys? lots of tips for you. >> all right, tom. >> thank you. >> he said gift cards -- >> put stamps on them, too. >> yes. bo we heard that story. >> deborah. >> you are just -- 40 years. >> we'll be right back.

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7:56 is yr time now on this monday, december 17, 2018. good morning to you. right now we have a check on your commute with jack taylor in your first 4 traffic. what are you seeing? >> we have a crash and i adowned pole in montgomery between tucker lane and mk hollow road. you'll be turned around at the scene. we have flooding. beach drive is closed between kentucky avenue and stoney brooke and beach to b410ause of flooding. l check your forecast when we co here's to the stair takers, breakfast makers, step counters, outdoor explorers, faith restorers, appointment keepers, fantastic creatures.

farmer's market goers, cholesterol lowerers cell phone silencers. the new lease on lifers, and the positive thinkers. here's to you all that see every day as an opportunity to thrive your way.

we're timely lookingt sunshine out there today. it will be on the breezy side, especially by it afternoon with wind gusts up to 25 miles an hour. next chae on thursday. could have rain by thursday night, friday. we're in the 30s and 40s with no rain. that's how it will look over the next three days. plenty ofin sun up until wednesday, increasing clouds on thursday. and then we do have som rain for friday, saturday, christmas eve, christmas day looking good. >> thank you. another local news update in 25 minutes. back to the "today

it's 8:00 on "today." owming up, holiday headache. the pful new storm set to hit on one of the busiest travel days of the year. will it make a mess of your christma commute? al is tracking it all. plus, ghosted by meghan? what thomas markel is revealing in a new interview about his royal daughter and why he's calling on the queen for help. >> i would think that she would want to resolve family pr>lems. plus, the odd couple. the unique and unlikely bond between nba legend charles barkley and a scientist he met at a bar. >> i feel like, oh, you know, my dad's friends wh charles barkley and see how people would react. >> whatteis dau is

revealing about their v relationship and the remarkable value of friendship. oday, monday, december 17th, 2018. >> merry christmas, y'all, from the hudson family. >> from atlanta. >> happy birthday, da. xas.rom waco, >> we love "today." >> roommates from -- >> scharleston,th carolina. >> from mississippi. >> first time on "today." making mother/daughter memori f. >>m frankfurt, kentucky. ♪ good morning, everybody. welcome back to "today." nice to he you on a monday morning. >> that holiday crowd. >> let's get to the news at 8:00. holiday travel is the story. travelers may be facing the kind of c istmas surprise tha nobody wants. al has been tracking a series of nasty stms. yes, they're hitting at not an

opportune time. right, al? >> unfortunately, we start off on the west coast. this is where folks are going to be getting hitfirst. a series of storms will come across, over five storms in the next week, ending up with heavy rain some places up to ten inches of rain in the pacific northwest. as we get to the latter partf theweek, low pressure diving out of the rockies on thursday, brings heavy rain from miami to atlanta. airport delays will be a factor. friday into saturday, gusty winds, heavy raintrching from washington, d.c. on into boston. airport delays on friday, stretching from boston all along the i-95 corridor. back around it, the ohio valley, a rain and sno x, causing treacherous roads. heavy rain down in florida through saturday, anywhere from 2 to 3 inches ofrain. it comes up along the coast, using airport delays and probably with all of the rain we've had, stretching from the carolinas into the no pheast. we'rebably talking about flooding, as well.ng this is goi to be a developing system and a developing situation as we get toward the end of the week. guys? >> al, thank you.

president trump has launched a new attack on the special d n counsel's russia investigation and on the integrity of his former attorney, michael cohen. kristen welker joins us with the latest on this. good morning. >> eporter: good morning t you. president trump is starting the week on defense, over the russit ination, after tweeting about it nine times over the ek d, blasting special counsel robert mueller's inquiry as at witch hun hoax and nothing to do with collusion, a democrat scam. iad dispatching his personal lawyer, rudy gi, on the sunday shows. giuliani aimed to discredit michael cohen, who says mr. trump directed him to make payments to money two women. mr. trump calling his former lawyer a rat. giuliani insisting the hush money pments to storm y daniels and karen mcdougal were expenses. >> paying $130,000 to stormy whatever is not a crime. >> reporter: this comes as washington is ceening towards

a potential government shutdown at midnightid . the president demanding $5 million for his border wall. democrats saying they will only give him a little over $1 billion. a standoff with no deal in sight. >> kristen, thank you. three construction workers hired to clear debris fromfo caia's deadliest wildfire have been fired over social media postings.ot that appeared on the town of paradise facebook page showed workers relaxing or clowning around with damaged property. one is sitng on a toy truck with the caption, i got to ride on a fire truck today. the town of paradise cled the behavior unacceptable and reprolensible. thee department is looking into possible criminal charges. a free money stunt may have entrepreneur in hong kong. he caused a frenzy this weekend, by having bundles of cashfr thrn the top of an apartment building. there wassh sipushing and shovis the paper bills floated down.

he was handing out money on street. but a short time after his arrival, police took him away and bccused him ofeing a threat to public safety. how about "boost"? >> when big brothers and little sisters get along, fabulous things can happen. big brother, quinn, agrees to style his sister's hair. and he fashions a nic pair of pig tails. he's just getting started. quinn clips on a couple of bows. if two bows look good, why not add three or four. the little ster doesn't stop him from overdoing it but the final result ispe ect. >> i love it. more is more sometimes. >> i love that she's playing along, too. she's going along with it. >> she likes it. much morehead this morning, including the highlights from matt damon's big weekend hting "snl." first, a loving daughter revealing herdad's unique friendship with nba star charlea

ley. why their story is share the love event, we've shown just how far love can gove (grandma vo)r one hundred national parks protected. (mom vo) more than fifty thousand animals rescued. (old man vo) nearly two million meals delivered. v (m over eighteen hundred wishes granted. (vo) that's one hundred and forty million dollars donated to charity by subaru and its retailers over eleven years. (girl) thank you. (boy) thank you. (old man) thank you. (granddaughter) thank you. ♪ kids [laughing] mm! full of possibilities!

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♪ ♪ ♪ this morning on "today's talker a heartwarming story of the power of friendship. >> it all started with a chance encounter between an nb star and a man in a different walk of life. miguel almaguer has that today. >> reporter: one was on nba erperstar, and the o was a scientist that worked with cat litter. charles barkley met lin wang in

a bar and shared a friendship that few knew about. but when lin died, his daughter shared their story. an nba legend and an accomplished scientist, may seem like an odd pair. two men from different walks of life who became fast friends. >> he was so proud of that frr:ndship. >> r shirley's father, lin lin, was a humble chemist that speciazed in cat litter. >> he was a good story teller. >> reporter: a few years ago, li met charles barkley at a bar. they formed a lasting bond. >> people would react with surprise. that's awesome. >> reporter: the two hung out for years whenhe t cross paths for work. >> shaq was hill lair use. >> reporter: but the pact ran deep. when barkley's mother died, lin

traveled to california to pay his respect. >> everybody was like, w is the asian dude? i started laughing. i said, that's my bo lin. they said, how do you know him? >> reporter: in 2016, lin was diagnosed with cancer. but he didn't tell his iiend. ot mad at him when i found out. dude, we're friends. you can tell me. you're notothering me. you know me well enough if you were bothering me, i would tell ou were bothering me. >> reporter: whelin passed away in june 2018, barkley boarded a plane to iowa straight from the nba finals. >> whene showed up we threw him into the program. we were c allious about what he would say. >> the world is a little less happy because otlin's here. but, hey, we are always going to have great memories. >> reporter: their story of friendship qckly going viral, where many saw differences, these men found what made them the same.

>> it all started with that chance counter at a bar? >> it did. they became friends. they had a drink andtarted talking for hours. they had another drink. and they met three nights in a row. and they became best friends. >> they were there for each other. that's cool. miguel, thank you. hello, mr. roker. hello. a scientist and all the way down into texas. gorgeous day today along the gulf coast. look for mid-atlantic looking good. lake-effect snowantillng around s after thattorm developed along the northeast coast. that's what's going on around the country. here's what's haening in your

>> and that's your that's your -- what happened to miguel? it's magic. >> unbelievable. has a lot to do with special effects. >> i'm sorry. i'm sorry. a digress. sheinelle is here wi start." >> i get to look at harry. first up, the duchess of sussex. her family has putsp her back i otlight. in an interview with "good morning britain," thomas markel has spoken t t press again. this time he commented on the recent tabloids that claim there's a feud between meghan and kate middleton. >> what haven they b like for you to read, these stories about her being difficult? >> i don't reallyelieve them. i think they're gossip.

i think they're gossip and i don't really believe them. meghan has always been a polite girl. she's never been rude to anyone, to my knowledge. she's been a controlling person and that's part of hernature. but she's never been rude. and to my knowledge, she's -- the ghosting, i don't completely understand. but todg my know like i n id, she's always been charge. that's her nature. but she's always been polite >> mr. markel said he hopes to reconcile with his daughter and hopes to meet his fut se grandchie day. matt damon hosted "saturday for the second time over the weekend. in the special holiday episode, damon performed a sketch that encompasse the beauty and horror of christmas day. here'slim. s >> a dre y>>ou kidding me? that was the best christmas ever. >> really? >> babe, i had a smile on my

face from the moment i woke up. >> mom. it's christmas. it's christmas, wake wake up. wake up. >> you have to [ bleep ] kidding me. >> i think i was more excited than the ki. >> i know. i was the same way. >> yeah. [ screaming ] >> yay. >>hey lik their presents, right? house.a loves her play you weren't up too late building it, were you? >> oh, that's good. isn't that good? oh, my goodness. okay. on a more sentimental not -- >> you can't make the turn. >> i know. it's hard. we can all >> that's a documentary. >> it was damon's monologue that garnered lot of buzz, when the actor used the moment as a tribute to his dad. take a listen. >> growing up, my brother and i

were going to my dad's house every other weekend. he told us, if we could stay up until 1:00 a.m., we could watch "saturday night live." week after week, i tried to stay up. it wasn't until i wasea 8 old that i made it all the way the end. and i probably didn't get all of the jokes, but i laughed at everything that my dad laughed at. so, my fathe passed away a year ago yesterday. and tonight, my big brother is in boston, right now, watching with his two boys. and all my kid are here, including my youngest, who happens to be 8 yearsold. so, my wife and i told her that she can stay up all the way until .00 a and she can watch "saturday night live." and she said, who is hosting? [ laughter ] and i said, me. >> that's everything. damon gave a toast to all of tha mo dads who let their kids stay up late for all the right reasons. finally, breaking this morning, jeff bridges, the actor you know and love from films like "the big lebowski" and "true egrit" will honored at the golden globes after six

decades of work in the entertainment industry. he is set to receive the cecil b. demille award. his first role was otis in "crazy you can catch the 76th golden globe awards j sunday,uary 6th, right here on nbc. >> all u right. t time for a "daly click"? >>ost animals don't like going tohe vet. this dog let his feelings known. his owner asked if he was mad. look at that glare. he will be happier when that cone comes off. you asked how i felt about my vet visit, this is how i feel. >> that's amazing. >> he never b it, either. >> maybe that's just his face. >> his resting fa. >> exactly. angry resting face. all right. i know. you love that. >> something like that. for generationsaid after

the first world war, it's hard to imagine what it was like for the men and women who fought in that war to end all >> but a film by peter jackson ll s to make sure we remember and harry smith is here with more on this. >> good to be with you. we think about the old images. that's 100-plus years ago. peter jackson has taken a magic wand to the whole thing. take a look. he images of world war i are hades of iritless, gray from a time beyond memory. perhaps in the right hands, someone could change that. >> they said, well, it cane anything you want it to be. the only proviso is you have to use original footage and we'd ve you o use it in a fresh kind of way. >> reporter: they are britain's imperial museum and he is peter jackson. >> i wondered what we could do

with the fowtage and well we could restore it. i didn't know the answei because ad never done it before. but we do have computers in speciaepeffects. >> rter: and you've used them a bit. >> occasionally, from time to time. >> reporter: his films have won arm loads of bloscars, no for special effects. now, in that new jackson and his crew have, again, used technology with remarkable results. >> whaps jum out on the faces of these men, the humanity of these men that were alive 100 years ago. their t characteir personalities, the nuances and settlesubtleties come to r:fe. >> reporhere's no narrati narration. only the voices of soldiers recorded by thec 50 years ago. their memories then, still vivid. >> you knew your lives were in one another' hands. it united you closely. you didn't let anybody interfere

with that. >> reporte forensic lip readers providing text for the sile parts of t film. now voiced by actors. >> that is exactly what they're saying. it actually matches.fe it's a p fit. >> reporter: not out of sync. >> no. >> reporter: this is the first world war as seen byughose who in the trenches. gruesome and terrifying. >> i didn't want to sanitize it. sanitizing war and making it turn into a video game is n helpful. >> reporter: of the millions of brits who served, 750,000 would die in combat, men who took upm or crown and country. >> they killed each other in hugenumbers. but nonetheless, there was no hate involved. someone says, y s know, it a german, i didn't have hate in my heart. i just shot him because he would shoot me. tiat surprised me is them saying it was the bes of my life.

t opinions of the survivors of the war. if we had interviews with the men that were killed, the millions ofre men tha killed, i think their story would be a different one. >> reporter: indeed, jackson took the title, "ty shall not grow old" from the poem "for the fallen," by lawrence binion, who wrote, they went with sgs to the battle. they were young, straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow. they were staunch to the end, againstdds uncounted. they fell with their faces to the foe.an what a project. to use the voices of thoseorld war i vets, 600 hours of b collected when these guys were still fairly young.

so, that's what all the narration is through it. it's only the voices of the old soldiers. this is on very limited release. there's something i actually have to say here. you can see this tonight and december 27thit in l release. so, google, google, google, find it in your ighborhood. online? >> no, in a theater. and a limited release in los angeles, new york, andgt wash, d.c., over the next week or two. >> on january 11th. >> for him to put in all that work and to put it in color, to service. like a public >> by the way, so, toletolkien, wrote "the hobbit," was a world war i veteran. so was peter jackson's grandfather. he was horriblyled by the war. someone did the homework and say they may have brushed shoulders as they wentor back and on the battlefield. >> that's using his celebrity and influ for good to do a project like this. >> very powerful. >> the only person who could get it done. >> no question.

>> peter jackson has another film in theaters right now, "mortal engines" from our ster company, nbc universal in theaters right now. >> thank you for that. you know who i right over there? >> allen black. he's going town bring his brand of christmas funk to our studio. you have a christmas album, right? i the name of it. "i got your christmas right here." e something to h that was really fun, something the family can sing along to, as well. i'm a fan of the crooners. but i want something i can dance to. >> what's christmas like in your house? >> so much family and food. my wife have from sydney, australia, so, sometimes we have a simp on the barbie. >> if you go to australia for the holidays, it will be summertime. >> we go there every other year. but this year, we're doing it in >> that's tough. >> was it hard to pick which arristmas songs you wanted to do? they original? >> i wrote eight original songs. i had newdeas and themes i

wanted to share. today, i willing "the misus saves christmas." >> yeah. >> what's your favorite holiday song? >> you can't get better than donny hathaway. >> "this christmas"? >> that's mine. >> me, too. >> can you hum a few bars. we' share it together. ♪ this christmas fireside blazing bright ♪ >> maybe the words would help.♪ ♪ we'll be caroling t night ♪e ♪ and this christmas will be y a v special christmas for me ♪ ♪ da, da, da, da, da >> you're going to sing -- you got the whole band, everybody's here? >> i'm going to do tracks by myself. it will be fun.ll >> a

good morning, everybody 8:26. d.c. water reporting water outage in dupont park southeast. let's check traffic. >> new crash on 66 eastbound after 123 before you get to nutley. one left lane is getting by. tthey hope get this cleared over to the shoulder. beach drive remainsed blo due to flooding between stonebrook drive and connecticut a points south of 410. we'll have a check of your forecast when we come back.

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tomorrow, low 40s. next chance of rain thursdaygh night thrsaturday. thank you. you can get the latest news and weather in the nbc washington app. thanks. it's like a smart thing. what's the weather? [cowza device] sunny, perfect chicken eating weather. how'd you get in here? [cowza device] it's time for chicken. what's the traffic like? [cowza device] rerouting you to chicken. okay. hey cowza, order pizza. [cowza device] ordering chicken. no, pizza. [cowza device] chicken. moooo okay, chicken it is. it's chick-fil-a catering season. [cowza device] now that's smart.

here ♪ it's 8:30, now, on this monday morning, december 17th. it's the final week of our annual holiday toy drive. there is music superst aloe blacc. he performed one song and we're going tno haveer one just ahead. we have a spectacular crowd. i am looking for a speacular couple. where a t.j. and amanda?

t.j. >> here we go. >> t.j. andamanda. something happened last night. what happened,exactly? >> i got engaged in rockefeller center icekating rink. >> they were on the rink. he dropped to one knee. look at the picture, y'all. oh. were you surprised? >> i was shocked. i started crying, rht away. >> did you have nerves when you were proposing? >> i was more initially scared about falling down while ice skating. i had never been skating before. sh. drug me do i used that opportunity to get down on one knee. we made it. >> we're so happy for you. every anniversary, you have to come back and celebrate with . that a deal? >> yes. >> t.j. and amanda from nor. dakota >> he put a ring on it. >> good stuff. coming up, we're going to be cooking up an elegant holiday meal with one of my favorites

d you favorites, liydia past yen. >> we have great ideas for stocking stuffers for your family. all under 20 bucks. we'll keep the holiday theme rolling with the third hour of a with "merry christmas, y'all." k thingslatts will k off today. let's get a check of the weather from this guy. >> "today's" weather is brought , you by kay jewelers. for all the momr love, forever. >> all right. aheas check out your week see what we've got going on for you. starting off with toda big storm coming in, first no lake-effect in the northeast. as we get into the mid-week period develops, goes into the rockies, dives down to the gfl

coast. as we get to the weekend, a flood threat in the northeast of england. sunshine along the west coast. sunny skies, texas into the mid-ms. ms. river valley. that's what's going on athund country. .ere's what's happening >> we finally have se sunshin out there today, however, a little breezy right now. windy by this afxtrnoon. ig change comes on thursday afternoon through thursday night. temperndures are in the 30s 40s right now and we're on our way to low 50s today. 'll have plenty of sunshine, so nothing to worry about there. buts going to be a gorgeou breezy day. lighter winds on this monday morning but it's going to turn windy as we head through the afternoon and still breezy as we head through your tuesday. to rain until thursday nig. >> that's your latest . weather. melvin? >> mr. roker. thank you, sir. this morning on "today's hassle-free holidays" some last-minute stocking stuffers. in the busy season, it can with

b easy to forget about the st k stocking stuffers. she has all of the gts for our families. the best part, all of tse are under 20 bucks. >> they will get there by christmas. there's ideas, craig. let's start with sweet treats. >> these are from sugar wish. they'reike a modern-day candy gram. you can send them by e-mail and the recipient c choose their candy. or send a little box with candies that you selected. or a little sweet-tificate, which is something you can pop in their stocking. get ready for some of the most elicious toffee. this isnotti toffee. a little bit naught di ay and ae lot of nice. they have delicioustm assorents of toffee, white chocolate andr

chocolate and erppermint, buotch and more, starting at $10 for each of the stacks. >> what a these? >> breaking news, craig. hese are the world's smallest vacuum cleaner and leaf blower. this little leaf b-wer >> that has power. >> equally ashe annoying as larger size. these are from paper source, just $14.95. and they plug into your computer. how fun isrithat, t? >> what would be the practical application for this? >>ut absy no practical use. >> just in the office. >> i like >> so, i don't know if you remember the my little pony. >> i >> this is the reprise. this is the reissue of the 83 classic. so, little girls in 2018 can enjoy brushing the hair and the mane of these ponies. alwaysfits.com $16.

tweens are hard to shop for. a thes bath bombs. you pop them in the bath. they look like little pastie >> you don't want to eat these. >> you pop them in the pabath a they creat a luxurious experience. these are called soap rocks. theyook like gem stones and minerals, from bloomingdale's,3 hese are gorgeous. >> what are these? >> okay. so, these are really pl croweasers. these are light-up gloves. they have lots of different lighting features. >> i love it. >> they can change colors. they're a real party trick, right? everybody needs these. and they're from paper source. >> how much? >> $17.ay. >> >> speaking of party tricks or should i say pottyks tr craig? >> i like what you did there. >> how about that? this is a toilet bowl night ligh >> that's genius.

>> it is motion-sensorac vated. >> i don't know why we need different colors. >> right? it has 16 color options. motion sensor-activated l.e.d. lights on amazon for $14.95. and this is for the perso who has everything. >> and for the person who in thn middle of thht might miss the mark. >> exactly. these are really fun. these are personalized. >> personalized playing ycards. can have a photograph, a monogram. zazzlee from they're $10.40. why give one photo when you can give . for the new englander in all of us, thesere pot pinchers. and they are silicone lobster holders. not only do they work really well, but they're hysterical mnd theye holding pots a lot more fun. this is from world market. this is really fun. the teens and tweens are going to love is.

why send a card when you can send a look at what these do, craig. they're supposed to make aun noise when they kiss. and they give you a little kiss. >> we have to put batteries in them. >> really fun. they're bswak by wowee. you can get them at walmart for $5.99. these are for your favorite chocoholic and beauty-obsessed gal. these are hand-paintedti lis. >> you eat them? >> you don't use them. if there's lipstick on your teeth, it will be chocolate. >> oh. >> they're just $15 from neiman marc marc,. and lasthis is a great one for kathie lee and hoda. this is the winer dog and wine lives kitty wine glass marker. >> that's cute. >> it's never a good thing to lose your wine glass at a party. you can pu athese winer dog

kitties around yours. and you never have to worry about someone taking it again. >> thank you for all of this. >> happy holidays. >> to get these and more last-minute gift ideas, check out our website, today.com/shop. up xt, looking for an easy and el gotten holiday meal? how about som food. lydia bastian niche is her with favorite recipes. first, this is "today" on nbc. hey, batter, batter, batter, batter. [ crowd cheers ] like everyone, i lead a busy life. but i know the importance of having time to do what you love. at comcast we know our customers' time is valuable. that's why we have 2-hour appointment windows, including nights and weekends.

so you can do more of what you love. my name is tito, and i'm a tech ops manager at comcast. we're working to make things simple, easy and awesome.

"today food" is brought to you by walmart. light up christmas at walmart. >> we're back with a special edition of "today od" in a deliciously elegant holiday meal that your tamily is going love. >> we're so thrilled to have renowned chef, cookbook author and one of our favorites, lidia bastianich. and she has a new show, "lidia

celebrates amerna." that's pbs tomorrow. good morning. >> the queen is here. >> you've beenss ac america. >> "lidia celebrates america" is a great collaboration. it's all about rural america and understanding what america -- you know, i'm an immigrant. >> yeah. >> and i want to know america evermore. america is a patchwork of different immigrants. >> you learned a >>t. id you go ice fishing? >> i did. up north in minnesota, i went ice fishing withche nor community. >> look at that ba. >> that's my grandson. >> oh, my gosh. >> craig and i went ice fishing. >> we did. >> what are we going to whip up, lidia? >> we're going to whip up a roasted loin of pork. pork is always flavorful. and a loin is so easy. , lo some cabbage. >> craig's eaten half of his. >> and some fennel powder.

lots of onions. you mix it in, lots of onions. and here, we have, you know some salt. i have some fennel powder. you know fennel powder? you know the fennel seeds, you just put them in the -- >> food processor? >> food processor and yet g the seeds. garlic and onion, add the cabbage. thin-sliced cabbage. all right. c here, al. >> you use red cabbage? >> you could. you could. >> that's ano. >> hoda. >> you know -- cooking is all about that you can, you know, oubstitute. ifon't have one thing -- let me do that. a little salt. >> you're going to cook this down? >> just cook this down. you know how television is. we're going to ovequickly. >> we are. >> we're going to add some wine. we are doing it on top of the stove. you can roast it in the oven, too. a little bit of water. you give it five minutes to cook and u add the dry cherries and give it five minutes to cook and mix it well. >> get it in there.

>> here, i have the loin of pork, whi i have seasoned salt with fennel seeds. >> did you sear ts off first? >> i seared it, and you give it flavor. >> you cover it. >> what kind of pot is that? >>ut that's a oven. >> very good. >> wow. >> i just -- >> hoda, listen good. >> i'm listening. >> ha. >> we're going to make the sauce now. we have the stock and we can add some wine. >> more wine. >> if you don't like wine, you can substitute stock. >> all of the cherries? >> yeah. >> wow. >> you can mix. this is great. all i do is look. balsamic vinegar. >> yes. >> butter. goes right ysin. al butter. that's it. the thyme anbay leaves, right in there. and salt. and you l that reduce to this. >> ah. >> put the lid on. >> let it cool. you put that on.

go ahead. all right. that's it. you keep on working at it. until it gets to this consistency. that's the sauce. here, you have the inbbage. to th you have the pork. you let it rest for a little while. >> isig there a way to cut it? >> there is a right way. a nice, sharp knife. and you cut roast against theo grain that it becomes softer. here we are. let's see. >> oh. >> nice and easy. >> look at that fat on top. oh. >> yes. >> and you put a little on top? t just like that. >> and by way, you always have some shells there you can ahead? >> bake that. you put that in the oven. that's always ready. >> lidia, that's yummy. >> you like it? >> look how tender this is. >> can you make this for christmas? >> maybe. >> sure, you can. >> take one of our food team's

version of it and take it home. >> just ait le sauce on top. then, you add the sauce on the side, so you have everybody adding sauce if they want. that's fantastic. >> enjoying it? >> yeah. >> merry ristmas. >> we love you. >> great to see you guys. >> head to today.com/food to give these recipes a try. again, her newshow, "lidia celebrates america" premieres tomorrow night on pbs. just ahead, aloe blacc about oto add funk your holiday with a live peormance. rst, this is "today" on nbc. hey, batter, batter, batter, batter.

[ crowd cheers ] like everyone, i lead a busy life. but i know the importance of having time to do what you love. at comcast we know our customers' time is valuable. that's why we have 2-hour appointment windows, including nights and weekends. so you can do more of what you love. my name is tito, and i'm a tech ops manager at comcast. we're working to make things simple, easy and awesome.

the citi concert series on "today" isse proudly ped to you by citi. >> grammy-nomined singer/song writer, aloe blacc, hit the charts with his single ake me up." and he's just released his first-ever holiday album called

"christmas funk." it's filled with cla new songs for the season, as well. >> good morning. >> you made our morning wit a little rendition. you picked some of your favorite holiday songs and you wrote a few new ones. is it hard to come upew with a song when it comes to the holidays? >> it's kind of hard. i wted tohemes and ideas to the christmas legacy. i thought about what christmas was like for my family and how we lt. i put it together in a funky package. >> well, we're going to like that funky package. we have a little audience in here. what are you going to sing? >> "i got your christmas right here." aloe blacc.away. ♪ hey, yeah let me tell you about christmas ♪ ♪ i wrapped your gift today tied a pretty ribbon all around ♪ ♪ wrote a f words down read it to myself to see how they sound ♪ ♪ i put it under the tree

on christmasay you'll see ♪ ♪ just how much you mea to me ♪ i've got your christmas right here ♪ and it's clear what i've got is full of love and cheer ♪ ♪ i got your christmas right here ♪ r have no f i'm all you need for christmas my deare♪ ♪ i'vot your christmas right here ♪ ♪ been spending the whole day thinking how special you are ♪ ♪ you're the angelt the top of my free ♪ ♪ you're a shining star you make me feel ♪ ♪ like it's christmas every day of the year ♪ ♪ and if you didn't know by now let me make it real clear ♪ ♪ i got your christmas right here ♪ ♪ have n fear what i've got is full of love and cheer ♪ ♪ i've got you christmas right

here ♪ ♪ and it's clear you're a f i need christmas, my dear ♪ ♪ i've got your christmas right here ♪ ♪ do you know wha s yourle does to me ♪ ♪ your grace and your beauty ♪ oh, it touches me ♪ you giveh so muc love to me ♪ ♪ all year, all year all year ♪ i got your christmas right here ♪ ♪ and it's clear what i got is o ful love ♪ ♪ and cheer i got your christmas right here ♪ ♪ have no fear ll you're i need for christmas ♪ ♪ my dear, i got your christmas right here ♪ ♪ i wrapped your gift today ♪ tied a pretty ribbon all around ♪ ♪ wrote few words down read it to myself to see how it

sounds ♪ ♪ i put it under the tree on christmas day, you'll see ♪ ♪ just how muchou mean to me i got your christmas right here ♪ ♪ and it's clear what i got o is full love and cheer ♪ ♪ i got your christmas right here ♪ ♪ have no fear you're all i need for christmas, my dear ♪ ♪ i have your christmas right here ♪ ♪ have no fear what i got is fullf love and cheer ♪ ♪ i got your christmas rht here ♪ ♪ and it's clear you're all i need for christmas, my dear ♪ ♪ i got youras chrisight here ♪ >> yes. yes.as aloe, that awesome.

thank you. >> thank you so much. >> and thank for therowd for coming in. that was cool you came in to visit us. the album is called "christmas funk. funk." you're going to be back in the fourth hour. i hear you have another one for us. >> absoluly. >> we'te ll you know when you're at ross and you find a deal on cookware that makes you say. yes! ...oh, yeah! bring on the holidays! that's yes for less. everything you need to prep, cook and serve up the season. it feels even better when you find it for less-at ross. yes for less.

and you realize you are the the hostess with the mostest. you know when you're at ross yes! yeah! that's yes for less. entertain in style all season long. it feels even better when you find it for less-at ross. yes for less.

♪ i got your christmas right here ♪ >> that was swee very oswf "today" we're putting a country spin on the hour with rascal flats flats. aloe blacc is coming back in the fourth hour. we got more coming up. first, a look at your local news and weather.

. d.c. water is reporting an emergency water outag near the t. dupont park area in southeast. water should be restored by noon. let's check on your commute in your first 4 traffic. he. ja >> the george washington parkway

northbound, only one left lane is getting by causing a slowdown already. 66, delayedccident after 23. the line is gigantic. you'll find the slowdown becse you have left lane getting by on 66 east after 123. back to you. we'll take a break now and checme your forecast when we back. stay with . ♪ introducing fresh step clean paws,

with low-tracking litter, your vacuum becomes a cat toy. let's make litter less of a mess. let's start fresh. let's make litter less of a mess. hey, batter, batter, [ crowd cheers ] like everyone, i lead a busy life. but i know the importance of having time to do what you love. at comcast we know our customers' time is valuable. that's why we have 2-hour appointment windows, including nights and weekends. so you can do more of what you love. my name is tito, and i'm a tech ops manager at comcast. we're working to make things simple, easy and awesome.

we're timefim finally getti sunshine. the breeze is picking up and getting a little windy. the nexthange is thursday, thursday night. plenty of sunshine through wednesday. now back to the "tod

live, from studio 6a, this is "today." >> good monday morning to you. hope you had a fantastic weekend. craig melvin with al roker, sheinelle jones, savannah guthri guthrie. what did you do this weekend? >> it was intentionally laidback for me. my grandmother celebrated her 89th birthday this weekd. s. and so sh, she's a very good musician. i can't sing for anything. i call and sing and she lets me get through the entire song. i did a