winter wallop. powerful winter wall up. a powerfuep storm sg across the country. blizzard conditions in the midwest, severe weather across the south and dylanays tens of millions mor in the path of roh weather. president trump meets with more u.s. troops after that surpriserip to iraq. his first to an active war zone as president. >> we are no longer the suckers, folks. we are respectedgain as a nation. >> this morning it's back to work in washington. with the government shutdown now entering the sixth day with no end in sight. wall street's wild ride. the dow enjoys its biggest single day jump ever. up more than 1,000 points after

tstring of historic losses. so what doess end of year roller coaster mean for your wallet? those b storieut boiling over. protests erupted an emergency school board meeting after a gh school wrestler is forced to cut his hair. >> it broke m t hearto see that man humiliated like that. mpossible first. an american mises hry with an epic 54 day journey across antarctica alone. and let the bargains begin. your guide to the biggest post-christmas sales ever now being rolled out in stores and onliem today thursday, decber 27, 2018. >> announcer: from nbc news this istoday" with savannah guthrie and hoda kotb live fromdi s 1a in rockefeller plaza.

>> and welcome to "today" and oank you for joining us this thursday morning. craig melvin alongside sheinelle jones while a savannah hoda enjoy some time off. toboy it's all going out and buying more stuff. >> more stuff and braving theat r. a lot of weather to talk about today. >> that is our top story this morning. severe weathercr rollings the country. snow, ice, rain, high winds, all throwing a wrench into the travel plans of millions. dylan's forecast in just a moment. let's start with nbc's ron mott. ron is in snowy saint cloud, minnesota near minneapolis. ron, good morning to you. >> reporter: hey, craig, good morning to you. the snow came down last night in aint clouda pretty good clip. we moved to a wintry mix rightw in 13 states there are winter weather advisories or storm warnings that is affecting tens of millions of people. theovernor of kansas declared a disaster emergency because of

this system. if you are traveling today through the storm zone you can expect snow and/or rain. youan expect strong winds. ln some places some hail. overnight a power winter storm making its way across the u.s. affectingillions from new mexico. >> skis and snowshoes required at high point tennis tonight. >> reporter: all theay to minnesota. travelers heading home from the holidays facing dangerous conditions on the road. >> we have been in forever. we would start to move a little bit and then it stopped again. >> reporter: and in thein air. for s, a flight headi dallas was diverted to austin after severe turb rens injured two people on board. >> safety is the top priority whenhe tre is severe weather. >> officials canceling a college bowl game inlu ist dallas dlla >> theecision was made for the right reasons and that's the welfare of both teams' players. i have totally understood that,

even though we were bitterly disappointed. >> reporter: more severe storms expected. if you are flying today through the storm zone always a good id to check you flight. check with the airline to see if your flight is on time because we anticipate that delays and cancellations wi stack up. guys, back to you. >> ron mott ininnesota there. thank you. >> let's check in with dylan dreyer. .ood morning, dylan. >> good morni this is a huge storm. look at all the weather alerts we have. we have thelood warnings in the south, the flood watches. we also have winter storm avwarnings. we blizzard warnings in effect as well. now, the swath of snow not only is it producing snowfall rates of one to two inches per hour but winds a gusting 35 to 45 miles per hour. we are seeinged red visibility across northern minnesota, northern wisconsin stretching back through the plains. on the southern side of this storm a huge threat of tornados and dangerousloud-to-ground

lightning. this squall line is moving across southeastern tex and approaching alexandria, louisiana. this will produce severe weather through the day today. so we are going to see several delays andn cancellations major airports from chicago because of the rain, st. louis because of the rain, atlanta especially later tod of the rain, but also minneapolis, st. paul and omaus be of the snow and rain mix in that area. tomorrow it all shifts eastward and up and down the entire east coast from new england to b floridk into atlanta. we will likely see several deys including major airports. also i-95 delays because of the torrential downpours and heavy rain. we are looking at a widesprea two to three inches of rain in ais area, but we could see isolatedunts up around six inches. that will looely lead to ng as well. as for snow across parts of the higher elevations we will see six to nine inches of snow. through the central and northern plains in the upper midwest we could end up with an additional

six t nine inches of snow. blowing snow will be an issue. the roads will be very danger frours qte some time. >> thank you. president trump's surprise visit to iraq and germany. the president and first lad t travelin meet with u.s. troops in a combat zone forhe first time. nbc's chief white house correspondent hallie jackson has more this morning. hallie, good morning. >> reporter: good morning. the president and first lady are back here at the white house after that tripe to middle east. 30 hours door to door. the president is tweetin this morning about the incredible people he met representing our countr abroad. overseas the president defended his decision to withdraw troops from syria, but said he would not do the same in iq. his message? the u.s. cannot be the policemen of the world. the president and first lady in washington this morning after an overnight stop innd germany

another thank you to trips. >> merry christmas and aappy and prosperous new year. >> rorter: after that surprise trip to al asad air base in iraq where the president took pictures and talked policy, on devileding hisoversial decision to withdraw u.s. troops from syria, even though thinks generals, as he put it, recommended otherwise in the fight ainst isis. >> they said recently thcould w have more time? i said, nope, you have had enough time. we have knocked them out. h e knocked them silly. >> reporter: despite a drawdown in syria and potentially afghanistan, the president says he has nlans to pull troops from iraq. >> if you take isis and if w see something happening with isis that we don't like, w can hit them so fast and so hard, ey really don't know what the hell happened. >> reporter: president trump's first visit to a combat zone after criticism he waited too long for what isal typ a holiday tradition for the commander-in-chief. >> i have had an unbelievable

busy schedule. >> reporter: president trump's trip kept secret to the last minute for security reasons as he, himself, acknowledged the safe i concerns. you would have seen what we had to go throughith the darkened planes, all windows closed, no lights on whatsoever anywhere, pitch black. i have never seen that. >> reporte while he mostly focused on the military abroad, the president waded politics at home. >> we want to have strong borders in the united states. the democrats don't want to let us have strong eprders. >> rorter: digging in on his demand forillions of dollars for a border barrier with washington shut down for a fifth straight day. >>ow long doou think the shutdown will last, mr. president? >> whatever it takes. i mean, we are going to have a wall. we are going to he safety. >> what are the chances this partial shuorown wraps up b the new year? >> reporter: not good. it sounds like the senate back in session today, but there are no veeotes planned. the house isd not to expect any action on capitol hill at least until tomorr, and people

we have talked to on both sides of the aisle think this thing is going t go into 2019 with negotiations still stalled over this border wall. the president clearly has h thi mind this morning. he is tweeting about it again, pushing democrats to try to get on board. democrats in the new year say th that they wi make a move to reopen the government once they take control of the house. if that does not include the provisions the president wants, it's not clear he will sign it >> hallie, thank you. to the roller coaster ride on wall street after days of historic clhi oric declines. the dow closed up nearly 1,100 points yesterday. what do the ups and downs mean for your bottom line? ryan, good morning to you. >> i hope i have so answers. now i'm nervous. >> all t.see major indexes finished down 2% or more on christmas eve and rose from 3% to 5%.

what changed from monday to wednesday for such a surge to happen? >> aside from the calendar? that's whatt comes down to. it was the worst pre-christmas trade for the stock market ever. we come back and get an 1,100 point gain yesterday. nothing really changed. that's the point. itu thought it was the stock market. as actually universal because it feels like that roller coister. people to a few things. it was quiet politically. we didn't have any tweet unexpected eems from the s treas treasu treasury secretary. >> any time you have a day jump like what we saw yesterday, you look back historically, the last time we w a two-day swing like this, if i'm not nmistaken, 2008-2009 the financial crisis. how nervous should we be? >> we wereod feeling so ntil you brought up the financial

crisis. >> it's a legitimate question. >> that'srue. the stock market has grown. we see the numbers go up. you're exactly right. the two previous biggest points gains were during the financial crecause wild swings. a lot of the bears, negative on the market, have come out of hibernation. they are saying, uh-huh, this is imbolic of a slowing economy.pl some p believe the economy is doing well now, we could go in recession in late 2019, early 2020 and the market is reflecimng that. only will tell. >> the take away then, millions of people have 401(k)s, invested in stocks. what is your best advice at this point? i already know what you're going to say. you will your money out, wait, take a breath? give us theha advice i know you are going to say. >> don't do that. buy low, sell high. don't sell high, buy low, whatever it is, right? t don't sell o bottom. here is the thing. i don't want to throw a bunch of math on you at 7:11 eastern

time. if you put ten grand in the equity market, you have about 40,000 now. 40 trading d just days in that 20-year period, the best 40 days, you would have zero dollars. >> how does thatou work? >>ant to be invested because you never know when aythoiz biglike yesterday are going to come. >> i think you >> brian feldman. thank you. also new this morning, detailsre emerging in another major story front and center in washington. death of a second migrant child. jacob soboroff has the latest on thatrn jacob, good g. >> good morning. the trump administration says it had been a full decade since one child died in border patrol stody. now two this month alone. felipeon l gomez this week. this morning a timeline is

emergive of thes leading mp to the death of the 8-year-old boy f guatemala. december 18 the boy and his father were apprehended. christmas eve before moynight theas pronounced dead. after showing flew-like symptoms, including vomiting and fever earlier in the day. this just 17 days after another chd, 7-year-old jakelin caal, died in cp custody. walk people cast wae. even castro says it's d >> conditions are subhuman. people are having to step all over each other to go to the restroom or move around. >> reporter:ohourt orders it customs and border protection from holding children more than 72 hours. he was in custody for 130. the cbp commissioner called it a tragic t eventling cbs it's being investigated. >> our stations are not built

eyr that group is that crossing today. ere built 30, 40 years ago for single adult males and we need a different approach. >> reporter: aeording to law enforcement agency after the boy and father were arrested they were provided food and water and transported betweenre different border patrol stations from el paso, to alamogordo, new mexico. 17 welfare checks were carried out from december 20 to 22. onecember 24 when an agent noticed the boy's illness he was transported to the hospital, given antibiotics and tylenol and returned to the detentionli fa. later that night the child appeared lethargic and nauseous again but no emt was on duty so he was transported back to the hospital losing consciousness en route. e boy's father is still being held in custody and there are ome important unknowns this morning. why were this young boy and father held in those ilike border patrol stations twice as long as rules called for? why did the trump administratio wait until two young children

died before it implemented what it isli now c a medical surge at the border? answers to those questions,gu , might bring some clarity to the second death of a child at the border this month. >> all right. troubling,ndeed. jacob soboroff from los angeles. thanks. get ready to check your powerball tickets because we have a winner. ticket matching all six numbers was sold somewhere in new york state. the jackpot $298 million. here are the numbers. 5, 25, 38, 52, 67 and the powerball number is 24. now, even if you didn't hit the g prize, you may still be a winner. tickets worth $1 million sold in florida, illinois, and wisconsin. and if you struck out on powerball, there is mega millions. tomorrow night's jackpot is worth $348 million. >> we know who did not win. dyla dreyer. i am thinking maybe there is a chance? i didn't buy caone. you t win if you don't play. >> there you go.

rnlt a >> all right. we have severe storms down south. those are currently happening at this moment. we have got very snowy conditions across the high plains and the upper midwest across central and northern minnesota. behind it we hair cold temperatures only in the 20s with snow showers, spotty snow showers across parts of the rockies. the coast out west is finally enjoying a break from storm aftertorm moving on. enjoy that today. here on the east coast we will noticelouds increasing in advance of this storm. temperatures will start warming up tomorrow. so it is a rainstorm up a down the east coast. we will see a lot of rain and that could create someif siant delays for those of you traveling. that's a look at the weather across the country. we will get to your local forecast in the next 30 seconds.

good morning. skies have been cle overnight d as a result it is a cold start this morning. waiting on the sun. just about ready to come up, another five or sinutes. 20s in the suburbs this morning. you need the warm coat. 25 in gaiersburg this morning, 28 in stafford, virginia. your planner for today, plenty of sunshine here for the first half or three quarters of the day. clouds thickening later in the afternoon and showers likely after 8:00 this evening. rain likely tomorrow. >> that's yr latest forecast. coming up, the backlash intensifies against the who forced a high school wrestler to cut his dreadlocks. what happened overnight during a heated emergency school board meeting. also ahead, how vulnerable are we?a startling firsthand look at what happens when hackers attack

a small business here in the united states. rst, this is "today" on nbc.

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this is a news4 today newsbreak. >> good morning. 7:26 on this thursday, december 27th. i'm erika gonzalez. >> i'm aaron gilchrist. this morning d.c mayor muriel bowser is putting the pressure on president trump. in a lette she said a government shutdown has no winners and she asked him to end the impasse. she went on to explain t people who live, work, and own businesses in d.c. suffer when the government clos. she pointed out that d.c. government is picking up the tab for federalerces during this shutdown while being, quote, the only citizens within the continental united states without a v iecongress. a local nonprofit hopes the community can get it back on i feet after a christmas day burglary. this is what employees found yesterday when they showed up

for work. the burglars took computers, a tablet, cash, blank checks, credit cards. suorters are trying to raise money to repair the january. let's get a check of your traffic with dave dildine. >> it's a lighterus morning hour. with lighter traffic comes a higher tendency for one on the outer loop jamtrng affic past braddock road towards the springfield interchange. one rigng lane get by. fire rescue response on the outer loop of the bndtway. southb 270 is looking better through gaithersburg. back to you. we will get a cf your forecast coming up next.

♪ not long ago, ronda started here. and then, more jobs began to appear. these techs in a lab. this builder in a hardhat... ...the welders and electricians who do all of that. the diner staffed up 'cause they all needed lunch. teachers... doctors... jobs grew a bunch. what started with one job spread all around. because each job in energy creates many more in this town. energy lives here. >>d morning. sun just starting to come up on your thursday morning. temperaturesosn the 20s for locations this morning, especially if you are outside the city.t

34 national airport but 25 at dulles, 25 in montgomery county. highs near 50 wite sunshine, rainy and mild tomorrow.

back at 7:30 on thisur ay morning, december 27st, 2018. look at this. with spectacular new video from drones over the ruins of pompeii. the city fron in time after a volcanic eruption nearly 2,000 years ago. just ahead, a fascinating look at how modern technology is being used to lock pompeii's ancient history goes high-tech. but first, a check of today's headlines. severe wther sweeping across the country could throw a wrench into holiday travel. winder weath advisories and storm warnings in effect for millions ofmericans from new mexico toan michigan. mewhile, in south dakota road conditions absolutely treacherous in dallas officials were forced to cancel a college bowl game as

extrghe lightning rolled thr that area. more severe storms expected along thes central gulf coast parts of the southwest brace for more snow. alan will be back with the forecast in few minutes. the president and first lady are back at the white house this morning after a sppprise t to western iraq. the president spent three hours on the grod. took pictures with service members and talked poli, defending his controversial decision to withdraw troops in syria. an oregon man made history wednesdayecoming the first person to travel across antarctica alone without any assistance. colin o'brady finished that 932-mile, 54-day journey yesterday. in an emotional phone call to his family gathered in portland, o'brady said, quote, i did it. the 33-year-old documented his ip which healled the impossible first on instagram. he used a sled t pull supplies across the ice and snow.

o'bradyyiill be s there for a few more days waiting for an english adventurer to finish the trip and then fly to chili to meet up with family. asc higol wrestler in new jersey was forced to cut his drtedlocks. krdahlgren with the latest. >> good morning. yeah, dozens of people showed up at a meeng voicing their outrage and telling the board it needse to make s something like this never happens. aga this morning a community wrestling with controversy. >> it broke my heart to watch that young man stand there and be humiliated like that. >> no way should he have been degraded like that. >> i couldn't believe that this pig would humiliate that kid on the mat. >> reporter: a week after 16-year-ol andrew johnson was forced to cut his dreadlocks before a match, emotions ran high at an emergency board of education meeting. >> we have viewed the video

footage that has gonar viral an deeply troubled by the embarrassmentnd humiliation the young student athlete endured. >> reporter: referee alan maloney gave johnson two choices moments before his match last week. d cut hisadlocks or forfeit. >> he had tears coming down his eyes. >> reporter: the ref saying johnson's hair violated the rules. the teen h wrestled the week before without issue. video going viral, leading to allegations of racism. the family's attorney defending johnson's coaches and athletic trainer saying the blame should the ref. >> the burden that andrew had to carry was caused by the referee and caused by the entities that allowed h be in that position. >> reporter: in a statement earlier this week the family's attorney pointed to the fact that maloney was late to the meet and missed weigh ins.

new jersey sports officials and the state attorney general's office have opened a civil rights investigation, benching maloney, who has had previhes brus with controversy. a new jersey paper reported that maloney called a fello ref a racial slur in c016. >> nld should be faced with such a situation. >> reporter: education officials nowng to make their final call on what action, if any, they make on the matter. >> i guess the big question is what about andrew? atat's next for him? >> his team has a today. his attorney says he won't be competing because of all of the intense spotlight. he is practicing with his team. he will most likely compete again soon, probably next week. >> a lot of eyes on yohim. than >> you bet. back to the weather now. dylan dreyer in for al roker this thursday morning. >> we are going to see above above-average temperatures. that's why this storm moving through the midwest and the will bring now mostly rain to the eastern third

of the country. temperatures today areouunning 15 to 25 degrees above average. des moines 55 degrees for a high today. chicago 50. that's why it' not really a snowstorm for that area. then on friday look how warm it is up and down the east coast. 68 in raleigh. 62 in d.c. w york gets up to 57. even back through erie, pennsylvania, tempera running 20 degrees above average. this storm brings the rain up and down east coast friday and behind it temperatures start to cool off saturda and sunday. detroit low-to-mid 30s. rochester 30 on sunday. philly 39 on sunday. boston isre right arounding on sunday as well. that's when we will reallyetart to feel cooler. a lot of snow. winds in kansas have r gortedly beting up to 60 miles per hour. combine that with snow, it reduces visibility on the roads. down south severe storms apprching louisiana. that's a look at the weather across the country. we will be under the gun for that heavy rain coming up tomorrow. today though we are starting out with a clear sky and plenty of

sunshine. t much of a breeze either. cold, seasonably cold, in the a20s tound 30 degrees most areas. your planner for today is for there to be plenty of sunshine for especially through the morning hours. clouds a little bit later on in the afternoon and showers arriving arounth8:00 or later evening. -rain likely any time tomorrow and severe weather across texas. this will be a mild rain event for us. drier on saturday. still ahead, from beauty products to electronics, your bide to the best post-holiday sales. history goes hiro-tech. hows are being used to lock the ancient mysteries ofpo eii. then miley's married. inside the music superstar's surprise weddi to liam hemsworth. our businesses big and small are vulnerable to hackers. a horror sry that bankrupted a woman's small business. that's right after this. share the love event,

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can we get a round of jalapeño poppers for me and the boys, please? i've been saving a lot of mon with progressive lately, so... progressive can't protect you from becoming your parents. ct but we can pro your home and auto when you bundle with us. we're us. good morning to you. with "inthepth today." threat of an impact of cyberattacks. >> 500 million starwood hotel companies recently had their personal information stolen. you don't have to be a global chain to be targeted b hackers. nbc's tom costello has been looking into this for us. good m>>ning to you. ood morning. this latest marriott hackup ran there with the equifax and

the yahoo hacks. rriott has the deep pockets to run cybersecurity programs. but you are if small siness, even just a mom and pop operation, a cyberattack can threaten everythin.that you ha it's taken two years for liz ross to come back from the cyber hack teaty killed her startup business. what's it feel like to have somebody come in andry to take all of this from you? >> it's very painful. was the worst week of my life. >> reporter: just before cyber monday 2016 as her southern fried chicks clothing business was explong with internet orders, hackers locked her out offensiveposting material. >> a lot of pornography, even cartoon pornography, child pornography. very sually, you know, sexual content. >> reporter: as she struggled, he customers, mostly women who didn't know she had been hacked,

were outrage and offended. >> we literally laid there, sat there crying and justin respo to people for days and days and days. it felt likan eternity. >> she was in a panic. she, i could barely understand her. >> reporter: liz called cybersecurity expert teresa peyton. >> she was looking at losing her reputaon, losin her business, losi sales, thinking about her family, her employees. >> reporter: it started when an unsuspecting employee opened ack email and c on a bad link, opening the door to hackers who quickly locked liz out, then smothered her page with bad web links. >> this cyber criminal syndicate promotes click through ads and every time people click through, they get paid pennies on the dollar. >> reporter: teresa's priority, facebook trol of the page and ensure liz's bank accounts weren't hacked. it's not just a click that can open the door to hackers. mcafee cybersecurity warns every

single device connected to your home or office.n iinternvulnera >> your network is only as strong as its weakest point. >> reporter: once hackers are in your wi-fi, they can unlock anything on the network. >> at that wkest point, a eeting toaster or as complex as maybe a smart television or another device in your network, th are all sus septemberable to attacks -- susceptible to tacks. >> reporter: hackers spent four years inside the hotel's computers stealing personal information on half a billion customers,ssncluding paports and encrypted credi cards. one of the worst hacks ever. parent company marriott has apologized and promised to do better. after years of similar headlines, many customers assume their information is no longer theirs. >> another day. what are you going to do? >> you can only do your own due

diligence and hope that they would do their part as a coteany. >> rep while the full scope of a marriott hack isn't yet known, liz ross is still dealing with the hack against he a you think y going to be fighting to regain your reputation? for what? how much longer? >> probably forever. i felt like i went tough a hurricane or some kind of crazy tornado or something, a i am looking for someone to help me. i have no insurance for that. there is no cops for that. >> reporter: you are on your own? >> right, there is no fema for that. >> reporter: right. experts again remind us the bt defenses include robust complicated passwords on your email, your bank accounts, your computer, your wi-fi router. every connected device in the home. of course, don't click on suspicious emails and links. these days you should always opt for the multifact authentication. back to you. >> my goodness. for the secondn day a row

-- >> put the cash under the mattress. >> my alodness. >> . >> terrifying. >> i feel bad for her. you imagine how helpless she felt. thernothing she could do as this hacker is ruining her reputation. o >> every coupl years your network becomes -- it's everything. it's your oven, your lights. criminals can run wild. >> and we don't realize how reliant we are. >> something to think about. just ahead, ready, set, shop. everything you need to know to take advantage of the biggest post-christmas sales ever. first, these messages. that's a great question. if you'd stop in a monsoon to help someone change a tire, save a whale that had beached itself... you're gonna be ok big guy. push! lend a hand in an old-timey barn raising... you got it, jebediah! and if the middle school dance group was down one member and you'd step in and lead them all the way to glory... yes! then carmax is for you, because helping people is what our people are all about.

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this is a news4 today newsbreak. >> 7:56 is your time on this thursday, december 27. good morningo you. i'm erika gonzalez. let's get right to wtop's dave dildine for your first4 traffic. >> heavier on the routes through annandale because of the beltway traffic. braddock road, theleanup continues. a couple lanes to the right are getting by. ner loop rubbernecking. you see the lights in the distance. that's the latest. back to you. >> thanks. another nice day. rain is moving in. we will check your forecast next. look. it's over.

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good morning everybody. clear zblooinchtsd in the 20s to around 30. certainly a cold t startthe day. sunshine expected to last most of the afternoon. clouds coming in this evening and rain after 8:00 or 9:00 this evening. rain likely at any time of the could be heavy at times as well. another chance for showers sunday into new year's eve. >> thank you. ee will have another upd in 25 minutes. for now back to "the today show."

it's 8:00 on "today." cong up, winter weather warning.to powerfulrms rolling across the countryutching heavy snow in the midwest and heavy rain acrosshe south. millss of holiday travelers facing dangerous conditions on the roads. dylan has your latest> orecast. >>plus, shop till you drop, e frlectronicshe or cl og or whatever is on your list, a complete look at holiday discounts and deals happening right now. and tying the knot. music superstar miley cyrus revealing she and actor liam hemsworth are married. we will have all the details on their funky ceremony. today is thursday, december 27, 2018.

♪ >> from waco, texas. >> girls trip in nypd. >> from west palm beach,fl ida. hi to our friends back home. >> good morning charlottesville, virginia. woo! >> celebrating my 50th birthday on "today." >> hi to our friends and family in virginia. >> happy new year! >> happy birthday, uncle andy. >> and welcome back to "today" on this lasda thurs morning of 2018. can you believe tt? sheinelle jones is here while savannah and hoda hav the day off. >> look at this crowd. >> we will get outside in a moment. a busy thursday morning. let's get to your news at 8:00. a storm sweeping across the

country. winter weather advisories and storm warnings f millions of americans from new mexico to michigan. dylan dreyer with a look ahe latest forecast. >> craig, there is a lot going on with this storm. we haveernow on the nor side of it. mostly across northern parts of central minnesota extending into easterngh south dakota, thr nebraska, through western kansas. where it is snowing winds he be gusting up to about 50 to 60ou miles per it's blowing snow greatly reducing visibility. we have tornado watches and some tornado warnings popping up across louisiana and eastern texas. this is aery intense line of storms that's going to continue to mov eastward through the d producing large hail, damaging winds, and isolated tornados. the threat through the day is mostly acriss louna and also into mississippi. that's going to be a big concern with this cold front moving eastward. the snow becomes less and less of a factor goingnto morrow, even -- or tonight, rather. even chicago will see all rain until friday with just some

colder airroducing a little bit of light snow. up and down the east coast friday it's all about the rain. the storms themselves will weaken a bit moving eastward, but we will see torrential downpours and we have the threat of isolated severe storms. three inches of rain on averagef across the goast. we could see some isolated amounts upwards of six inches.ou that lead to some flooding. as for snow, we will still see an additional six to nine inches of snow across parts of new mexico, but extending up into nebraska and the dotas and minnesota we could see an additional six to nine inches there >> thank you, dylan. president trump is back at the white house this morning following a surprise trip to visit troops in iraq and germany. back home no end in sight for the partial government shutdown. nbc's garrett haake is in washington with the very latest. garrett, good morning. >> reporter: good morning. yeah, the president returns to stalled negotiations to t endt partial government shutdown that we have been in since friday night after a whirlwind trip abroad. he spent 29 hours on what

started as at sec trip to visit u.s. service members on the front lines in iraq and germany. this was the president's firsto trip visit service members on the frontin lines. raq he touted his decision syrial u.s. forces out o against the advice of his generals saying it was time to come home and the u.s. won't be suckers anymore. in washington we remain in that partial shutdown and impasse over border wall funding. about 400,000 federal employees won't go to work today.il they be furloughed. another 400,000 or so will go to work but theai won't get for now. now, the president has been tweeting about this this irning, writi part, back at the white house saying we desperately need border security and are asking do dems not realize most of the people not getting paid are democrats? w, some lawmakers will be returning to washington today, but with no signs of a breakthrough in negotiations it's looking increasingly likely we will stay in this partial shutdown to january. >> thank you.

a 5-year-old child and five adults w je savedt in the nick of time after their boat went up in flames. it happened off the coast of austslia. officialay the fire started in the engine room and spread quickly. passengers say they had little time to call for help, so they jumped into the water without their life jackets. fortunately, passing boats pulled the family to safety. the boat sank after it became fully engulfed in flames. no one was seriously injured. an ohio man went above and beyond to spend time with his daughter over christmas. look at this. she is a flight attendant scheduled oo work christmas eve and christmas day. what did her father do? he booked tickets on every single flight pierce was working on so he could spend time with her. this picture was shared by a fellow passenger who was very impressed by how his love and dedication was. he was on six flights over two days, all over the country, so he could be with his girl. >> that's a father's love.

>> that's so sweet. >> that was actually a morning boost. >> another one this morning. the christmas gift that will last a lifetime. opened ar-old ohio boy his last present on christian mccaffrey morning. inside the box a family photo showing his aunt, uncles, cousins, and a note addressed to rter that he read out loud. >> this is the most recent picture o our family. all of us would love for you to be in the next picture and to be a part of our family. carter, would y like to be in brother? >> what do you think, buddy? >> yes! >> we are going to adopt you, carter. >> well, turns out another family started the process of adopting carter, but his aunt and uncle couldn't bear the thought of not having himround

anymore and they said it was important to keep him in themi . >> that was the boost of the year for me. >> yeah. >> that> was good. uch more ahead, including the performances from kelly clarkson and lin-manuel miranda that brought the house down at the kennedy center honors. also, didn't get everything you wanted for christmas? fear not. we have got the 411 on navigating the best post-holiday sales. that's right after this. u look . and you look amazingly comfortable. when your v-neck looks more like a u-neck... that's when you know, it's half-washed. add downy to keep your collars from stretching. unlike detergent alone, downy conditions to smooth and strengthen fibers. so, next time don't half-wash it. downy and it's done. save on thousands of clearance itemsave 50% on apparel.et. up to 50% on home.

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great bargains right now. >> let's start with some of the items you are eagseeing discound right now. >> winter clothes. the bulkier the better. stores want to clear out for spring. jackets, big sweaters, holiday decor. of course, things that are timeless. also, jewelry is a great thing this time of year. toys. the it toys may be sold out. other toys will be in stock and discounted. electio electronics, you can get similar deals to black friday. >> let's talk about beauty for a second. where should we go to get the biggest deals on some of these beauty items? >> so many great dealsno right sephora has 20% off everything. great gift sets on sale. also made well for fashion items. 40% off sale. ite insane deals. great jewelry, too. i love their high waisted jeans.

nordstrom kicks off their half yearly sale now, up to 50% c of you take them back and get a discount? >> i have worn them a hundred times. probiotically could. >> home goods. furnite, small appliances. where should we go? >> kohl's has great small appliances on sale. things to get your house in order. a hugemba, which was gift over the holidays, that's marked down. also tech accessories. if you got new phone and you want a fun case, that's a great place to go., cbl their furniture, home accessories up to 60% off. and williams sonoma is having a sale on vitamix. >> they never go on sale. >> right. now you can get for $150 off. >> i can't take mine back and get the discount? >> no. >> bigger items. electronics. >> electronics, you can getea similar to what you got on black friday. if you didn't get the big screen tv you iwanted, there still time.

i think best buy has great deals on open box items. so you can get reay amazing markdowns on that. up to $500 off big screen tvs. kohl's great deals on electronics. i love amazon has this one at home mesh system. it's not only discounted but bundled with an exodot. you. >> you have done scoutkig for items as well? >> both my girls have january birthdays. i am ion finding the toys and discounts. petite blooms -- you can seey girls right there. we got our christm pajamas from this company. they are classic. nget them for next christmas or just for everyday wear. also walmart. great deals on like barbie dam house. another gift we got our girls. that's marked down. people don't think about this. wayfair.com has great deals of pretend play large items. kid craft kitchen, i mean, my girls love.

it's a hot gift. $126. it's normally well over $200. >> you have got some tips for lks who might be shopping for items that have been returned? >> yeah. so if you go into a store and bu what they call an open b item, don't be shy. open the iox. you can there, check and make sure the accessories are there. if it's been opened and tried once or twice, plug it in. ask the sales associate to let you do it. don't be shy. embarrassed. if you return in store, i did this yesterday, return something at dick's, they gave me on my return receipt a 15% off coupon to use within the next three hours in the store. >> the next three hours? >> yeah, they want you to shop. if you bought something online, return it in store. i gotike sea goingles for my kids for 15% off. >> thank you. ppy new year to you. for more on these post-holiday deals check out today.com/shop. >> okay. it's time forps "rt." carson.

>> the good deals are after the holidays. >> right? >> all right. let's get to it. we are going to start with congratulations that are ide to miley cyrus and liam hemsworth after rumors that the couple tied the kt over the weekend. they began to swirl. it appears that miley confirmed posting these intimate images. it's clevela believed they got married at their tennessee home. ten years later as well as marking the bedate, decr 23, 2018, in other photographs. the couple met a decade ago on the set of "the last song." it took to twitter toel wish the couple saying this makes me so happy. congratulations miley and liam. up next, last night the kennedy center honors recognized some iconic artists, includinghe creators of "hamilton," chair, and reba mcintire.

kelly clarkson paying an incredible tribute toa. r have a look. ♪ and the i got me a georgia mansion and an elegant new york townhouse ♪ >> a family matter there. that's her mother-in-law, rebam cintire. >> that's right. >> it looks like reba approved. lin-manuel miranda and christopher jackson'slt "ha" performance in a lot of the audience members emotional. here is a look at that. ♪ ♪ we are going to teach them how to staygood-bye ♪ ♪ say good-bye ♪ say good-bye one last time ♪ yeah

>> wow! >> that was aoo g moment. don't forget, lin will be reprising the roles alexander hamilton next month in puerto rico. congratulations to last night's eenorees. entertainmenty featuring images of some of 2019's most anticated movies and shows. let's go through a few of them. aladdin. will smith is dresseds a genie as he sits across from aladdin. we also get a glimpse of princess jasmine. this is a live-action film set to be in theaters on may 24th. "downton abbey." they are all returning includine ma smith. the story picks up 18 months later and the characters rurn to downton abbey for a big event.

also season 3 of netflix the clo crown. and then in another image we get a glimpse ofelena bonham carter as princess margaret. another show that we are excited to see, catch-22. this is the hulu mini series basednhe classic joseph heller novel. that series expected to be released sometime in the springi for morormation pick up the latest issue of ew out on newsstands now. that is your "popstart." >> what it? >> 100 pounds in a 50 pound bag. here we go. clelk kids, they perfected the art of drinking games. come on, dylan. beer pong? >> i do. them all. >> christmas eve one family quickly learned a very important lesson. never underestimate your elders.

ooh! >> yes, got that right. this grandmother shoved her beers and flipped her cup with such fine s point precision, didn't mess up once. >> goodness. >> took ts young guyo school. look at this. >> man. >> looks like this family has a lot to learn interefrom grandma >> she dn't spill any. not at all. grandma has been you, sir. nrz. can you top that? >> i wish i could. i am good at flip cup. i will stick to the weather right now. we have severe storms moving through louisiana, large il, damaging winds, isolated tornados. out ahead of this cold front that's moving eastward, on the

back side it's snow especially thehe high plains we could end up with a foot of snow and winds have been gusting up to 60 miles per hour. that will create blowing snow as well. clouds increase up and down the east coast. that means a very rainy day on friday up and down the east coast. that means 95 will b affected and most likely we will see airport delays as well. now here is a peek out your window. good morning everybody. tanshine here. a cold to your thursday morning. temperatures in the mid-to-upper 20s in most of the suburbs. low 30s around town. yo forecasted high today 49 degrees. enty of sunshine here early. rain likely after 8:00 this evening. you can see the leading edge of the cloud virginia.outhwestern raindrops back across parts of kentucky and tennessee. so we have a number of dry hours left. tomorrow will not be dry at all. rain could be heavy at times tomorrow, maybe a rumble or two of thunder tomorrow afternoon. if you are heading out take us with .irius ouxm y 108. el thank you, dylan.

coming up, our ongoing series history goes high-tech. ountenduring mysteries of vis you'vious and the destruction of pomii. >> now scientists are turning to modern devices to try to unl the ancient secrets. international correspondent k tr simmons h story. good morning to you. >> reporter: hey, sheinelle, good morning. it reallys stunning. they are finding things in pompeii that have lane undiscovered for 2,000 years, including this amazing mural. they even found h ase saddled up as if it was ready to help its owner escape tr try rescue people. listen to this. they are uncovering thisry his using 21st century technology. the volcano was a roman time bomb when it detonated. it brought horror to the i city its shadow. at 12 noon disaster struck.

a massive explosion of molten rock flying into the air like a tree. history was written. many questions leftno unanswere. modern science making amazing new hinds iselping to explain what happened when that volcano fire, imagined her in ei the movie pompi, fell from the sky. it fell spupon the horrified people of pompeii. n rning ash raining down ois city. it must have seemed like the end of the world. pompeii was destroyed. its streets, its grand houses, and itspl p buried beneath an avalanche of ash. >> everything was cash covered withhis ash. >> reporter: 2,000 years ler they areigging out a vast and previously unexplored section of the city. archeology used to be about patience and painstaking diggi

by hand. it still is, but now scientists are also using 21 century he n technology tos. solve secr >> we are in the age of digitalization. of course, the is a drone. >> reporter: the excavated city offers a snapshot of roman existence. >> different way to touch the past and the daily lives ofi pompn the first century a.d. >> reporter: >> reporrom luxurious villas to the basics of life and evenie a political graffiti. >> a campaign sign. >> reporter: they are discovering more. here write being a date october 17th. important because itte indica-- multiple bodies. but who were they? now the professor and his team using the latest techniques to find out more about the of the volcano like this man

ound buried beneath a block of sonry. >> he tried to escape with the coins. not a huge amount of money. we understand the status o this person. now we started also the dna analysis and we will know everything about his biography. >> reporter: and here in rome another skull and more csi. scientists comparing isotopes in the teeth. >> according to tradition, the skull belongs to -- >> reporter: could this be a great roman hero, the admiral who died trying to rescue people from the disaster zone? wehould soon have the answer and perhaps the answer to pompeii's greatest mystery. in total, 1,000 bodies have been recovered. what happened to everyone else? >> the population of an shent pompeii was 20,000. 30,000 people?

>> reporter: they are out there somewhere, says the professor, buried beneath the ash, waiting to be found. and get this, guys. mount vicisuvuos is still active. they are hoping that history itselft repeat >> thank you so much. >> is that a series on nat geo or something like that? >> i am sure someone is working on that. just ahead, the defining moments and unforgettable images of 2018. af world-class cs here with the how to on momehome mad treats. wait for it. for your doggy. that's after your local news. .

8:26 on this thursday, december 27. i'm aaron gilchrist. let's start with a check on the roads with wtop's dave dildine. he has your firsttr # fic. >> a-okay in maryland. in virginia sluggish on the outer loop with one broken down in the left center lane and the crash before springfield on the left side. noigns of a rush hour on 95 or 395. heavier traffic this afternoon in tas district,ound on the freeway near main avenue a crash on the left side. back to tyou. nk you. we will have a check on your forecast when we come back.

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good morning. i hope you are enjoying your thursday morning. the sun is shining brightly outside right now. a typically cold december morning. 28 in leesburg, 3arlington, 27 in columbia, maryland. highs close to with plenty of sunshine now, but showers likely after 8:00 or 9:00 as this rain to the deep south of us moves in.

rain likely, 100% chance coming our way talorrow. rain with temperatures near 60. >> thank you, chuck. get the latest news and weather in t nbc washington app. 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.

♪ we are back at 8:30 on this thursday morning, 27th of december, 2018. christmas may be over, but our crowd is still clearly in a festive mood. >> this is a heck of a crowd!y >> m goodness! [ cheers ] >> look at all these people who showed up afteras chris how about that? >> i'm blownay aw. >> ready for a crowd moment? >> yeah. >> i'm looking for shelby from sugar land. shelby from sugar land, texas. there is shelby! shelby, how old are you? >> 16. >> is that tenth or 11th grade? >> 11th. >> what brings you to the city? >> just a mother/daughter trip.

i have never been. >> how nice. >> now, mom, she has a sign that says, oh, i'm coming for your jobs, dylan and al. pretty bold. you want to be a meteorologist? >> yeah. >> we have got one here. have you ever met dylan dreyer? >> no. >> she is as good of a person as she is awoeteorologist. d you like to meet her? >> yes. a dylan dreyer, there is woman named shelby. >> so nice to meet you. how is it going? ou i'm coming, too. >> why do like the weather? >> i have always been a fan. >> it'scool, huh? you are from texas? >> well, it's pouring in texas right now. >>yeah. >> can you give us the forecast for here? >> sunny, cold. >> that about sums >> just as accurate as dylan dreyer. >> so nice to meet you. >> happy new year, shelby. r i love that. allht. just ahead -- >> you g an "a" plus.

me yeah. >> as 2018 to a close we have a special look back at the year that was. we will reveal some of "time" magazine's most powerful images captured this year. on today food this morning, recipes for healthy treats that your dog.ip up for >> savannah and hoda have the morning off, but a special shout out this it's a big day. sa ana, yo savannah guthrie, you are sleeping in, but happy birthday! >> happy birthday! >> we wish you were here to celebrate with us. she is spending the day with dale, little charlie there. >> she would have it no other way. >> happy birthday, savannah. >> yes. >> take it away. >> we know it's sunny and cold in new york, but going into the weekend -- >> she is going to take your job >> a lot of pressure here. new year's weekend it is going to be fairlyow mild up and the east coast. a little bitf lake-effect snow in new york and pennsylvania. cold air starts to work into the midwest andountain snow on

sunday is expected acrosshe northern rockies. we are going to see more rain along the goalkeeper. not that we need it. heavy rain eastward on monday affecting areas through the ohio ivand tennessee valley. then on new year's eve we are going to see very, very cold temperatures. highs only in the single digits. that moves through the chicago area. highs in the 20s. warm for one more day up and down the east coast and then the cold air arrives after theew ar for the east coast as well. that's a look at the weather across the united arcountry. now here is a peek out your window. a cold start this morning. the sun is out. that's half the battle there.27 n montgomery county. 25 in winchester, virginia. highs today will be in the upper 40s to near 50 degrees. clouds will be on the increase later on in the day today as that rain way out to our west for now arrives here probably after 8:00 niis e. tomorrow will be on the mild and rainy side with temperatures near 6 b rain could briefly heavy at times. there is our ten day

showeryeather new year's eve and new yea as day. ig birthday out here. who is turning 50? >> that would be me. >> this is your mom? >> yes. >> awesome. celebrating in new york. happy birthday. >> thank you so much. >> they could be cousins. all right. thank you. 2018 has been filled wi celebration, tragedy, and inspiration. many of those powerful momen were captured on camera. the photo editors at "time" magazine looked through counselless images to select the top photos of the year. paul, good morning to you. >> thank you. >> i have to tell you i talked with you this latime last year. feels like time has flown by. here we are again. the first one pretty dramatic. a california fire resident. >> this is an image from thousand oaks, california. a man just fleeing h house in the middle of the night. there were so many images of

heroism and destruction from these fires. but this image is s and intimate. he has no shoes on. it's just where my eyes go. >> that's whatrabbed my attention, too. >> it was taken by stuart paley to trained with the national fire service. >> we remember thisne christine blasey ford. a thousand image words right there, doesn't it? >> yes, this was symbolic of this brave woman. dr. ford coming forward to stand up to hercu r. it was taken by a photographer aaron shav for "the new york times." she was one of the women photographing in the pool that day. her images ended up on the front cover of "the new york times" for two days after this happened. >> there are so manyou images could have selected from that day. why do you think this one? >> i thi dr. ford is so stoic and i think that came through in her testimony. >> let's talk about the next one. immigrant children. >> sure. i think this is one of the most

incredible images from this year. at a time when we were just beginning to talk abouthe child separation and the policy being enforcedhese camps were growing and they became overwhnmed. this was tore kneel owe, texas, 30 miles from the texas border. it was built for 400 people and it expanded to t 2,300 at time. the image here is pretty grim. you are seeing these teenagers and children in this boring looking dry camp with porta-potties. yok know, this w it was announced that these, ctis camp waslly supposed to close and it's going to remain open into the spring. >> this next one a historic summit we talkedhibout year. president trump appearing friendly with north korea's kim jong-un. lo. at th president trump in north korea or -- yeah. >> this is a bit ofn unusual picture of a historic moment from this year. and the photoapher actually is a singaporean photographer who was late getting int the event.

he couldn't find a spot so he jumped up on the tv risers took this photo. it jumped out on the wires. >> wow. this next one, i was there. i wasn't inside. i was outsi o with the mass the people. the royal wedding. this moment, talkbo aowwhy this h one? >> well, i think it's just meghan markle's face, her smile. it's so intimate. in a momentohat's choreographed and to perfection, you see a real authentic smile coming through. it was taken by photographer peter mclean, regular with the royals. >> magical. next one, aretha franklin. this was her casket during a viewing. >> it's just an incredible image and how in this crimson dress she pops in this fie of roses. and it just shows you in li and death she knew the value o a costume outfit change. >> i remember her shoes. >> yes. they are just these sparkling louboutin shoes. andach day her wardrobe was

actually changed during the viewing until the funeral with a matching manicure. >> she went out in style, dn't she? the next is aly raisman, obviously saking at the sentencing hearing for larry nassar. quite a year for her. >> definitely. like dr. ford one of the bravest women of this year. she is standingp to her abuser. the haunting thing about this hoto is this is taken from the perspective -- this is the back of her head. the expression is just unbelievable. and in this moment she said that we are here where we're going to stand up to you and larry, you are going to listen to me know. >> no surprise, harvey weinstein on your list. a harvey weinstein, this i scene out of almost like a marvel movie of the villain being taken out. e thing that i love about this image, you are seeing this female detective perfectly captured by todd highsler, ther photer, and she is stepping forward, leading him away. and it just, i think it's a real symbolic moment for the #metoo

movement that powerful men, no matter what they do, they will be punished for ts kind of abuse. >> one more. is one grabbed the attention in our newsroom. i was trying to remember this day. this is a raccoon? >> it certainly captured our attention. we were -- this picture makes me iugh every time i see y minnesota broke b public record and it became npr twitter. over the course of 24 hours, there were crowds outside, people werwatching. it was lured up to the roof with cat food. it was humanely captured and released in an undisclosed location. >> she is safe. paul, thank you so much. >> thank you. >> all right. coming up, we will introduce you to u remarkable man who helps families heal. first, this is "today" on nbc. r at havertys we know it's hard to get a good night's sleep...

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back at 8:41 with our series on the power of nato. >> thisorning a man's unspierg mission to help families impacted by gun violence. savannah sat down with him to talk about his unexpected calling. >> reporter: it is a sight that has become alloo heartbreakingly familiar. a white cross. a photo. a name. simple symbols with deep meanings for the families of gun violence across t country. greg knows because for 20 years he has painstakingly built each cross by hand, cutting,g, nail and painting them one by one, adding the names and ptos of each life lost. >> that means so mu tcho strangers do this. >> reporter: before loading them into his truck and delivering

them to griegrief stricken fami >> it's something tangible they can have that means this i daughter, this is my son. >> reporter: he says he understands the family's need for a place to grieve their tremendous loss because it is a pain he knows all too well. tell me how you first began making these crosses. >> my wife's dad was murdered in 1996. >> reporter: at a support group that same year, greg met a woman who asked him to build a cross for her 6-year-old son i kille a drive-by shooting. greg, then a full-time carpenter, agreed. >> when put theross in it brought so much comforty to everybcause somebody cares and it got in the paper. greg would build a cross fory anybnywhere anytime and deliver it. i didn't realize what that would do. s> reporter: from there crosses for losse were born and now greg makes them every da in his

garage. >> it was the best thing that happened during my grief to have something to do. >> reporter: stopping to hug families that come by. >> thanks. this would be parkland, florida, and vegas. >> reporter: more than 25,000 crosses later, greg has traveled around the country visiting the sites of almost every mass shooting over the last two decades. just lt month he went to pittsburgh and placed stars of david at the treef life synagogue, hoping to make it clear his message is not about religion but about kindness. what is the reaction you get when people see the crosses? >> just immediate. i don't even have them set up. people are writing on them immediately. it's an immediate change. >> reporter: change he wishes to see in therequency of gun violence. until then, greg says he will continue his work as long as it is needed. >> we have to be strong for the victims. we can't be weak, you know. and i put on a good front until i get back in my truck again.

>> reporter: building crosses anay communities of hope one at a time. >> my gdness. more than 25,000 of those crosses. sd i have been to a number of those massoting scenes and seen those crosses. i wondered at one point, who -- >> right. seeing something that was, you know, needed in hisw opinion. ook at it. it's taken on the power of one person. >> too many tcrosses. many. too bad his business is doing so well, unfortunately. i knou from grieving, want to do things. stay busy. it helps. >> yes. he h logged more than a half million miles delivering those crosses. he saidwi h keep going as long as he can. we are back. first, this is "today" onbc.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ we're b with an we are back with an interesting twist on today's food. a lot of dog owner tdeciding wh feed the family spet pet is

taken lightly. this is tol help you f better about the treats that you give your dog. mark is executive chef at the ritz-carlton in lake that show. you have your dog, blue? >> i do. >> we have seen blue in the teases. we wil get to blue in a second. i like to get my dumb questions out of the way first. so you a an amazing chef. does every great chef have this ability to m oe dog treats is this your super power? >> it's a small superpower. it's really easy. basic ingredits. people are concerned with what they are feeding their dogs and making sure it's grain-free and dogs are the new children. so they are making sure that everything that they eat is absolutely perfeor the dog and their health. >> are these dog ingredients? is everything here human? of urprisingly enough, o these dishes i am doing, the first is actually the base of a

gnocchi recipe. i do a sweet potato gluten-free gnocchi that has everything you would do in a traditional gnocchi, but there is no gluten in it. it's actually a dish we serve i the restaurant. but if we adjust it a little bit, we can actually make a dog treat. >> let's do it. >> that's what we are going to do today. >> wha can i do? >> basic ingredients here are eggs, sweet potato that we turn into a puree. we have almond flour, tapioca flour, cinnamon and salt. a we are going t all of the eggs, almond flour, the tapioca, d then aittle bit of sweet potato puree. >> and this is the dough? >> yes. we work that together and it turns into the dough. all you do is just add a little dose of the tapioca flour here. we roll it out. you end up here with a nice dough tt you can purge --

punch out. this is them punched out. >> this will make them crispier? >> shiny. you cany see how tve a shine on them here. so we're detail oriented even with the dog treats here. once you bake these off, 350 for about 15 tonu 20 s until they are crisp, they come out looking just like this. >> and this is edible? >> it's completely edible. are you ready to try it? >> yeah, i think so. >> it's -- >> it's a dog treat! >> delicious, right? >> it's good. >> it doesn't taste like much. yeah, yeah, it's all healthy for them. that's the important pa. >> that's great. >> we actually have another one, a different version of it that we'reng. we actually sell it for the dogs at the hotel at the ritz-carlton in lake tahoe. we have squash right here, which is a form of essentially aol

squash or pem. y pumpkin. eggs, almond butter and almond flour. ain really easy. essentially, simple basic recipe of the eggs, the almond butter, ka buch a squash and al mum flour. it turns into this dough here. we can punch that out again and you end up with a dog trhet. >> is a source for people to go? we know dogs can't have chocolate. but as far as ingredients in your house, if you want t get adventurous with this stuff, make sure that- you are >> well, you know, i avoid grain. most dog food diets are grain free. an then beyonthat, the internet is a great source to make sure that you are feeding your dog great quality stuff. just as importanthas making sure we are eating the right stuff. >> is it posble to overfeed them? craig won't stop. >> he is >> we keep feeding him. >> blue is good. we are eating healthy food, so

it's all right u can see the -- >> what is this? >> that's the gnocchi i make at the hotel. the human food. >> yeah. >> it's modified a little bit. it's got a little bit of seasoning. and this has kale pomegranate. so it's easy yuf to make that twist to connect the dots there betwee making something edible -- >> you have the luckiest dog in the world. you're an awesom ychef. >> tha. blue, thank you very much. if you want the recipes they are at today.com/food. we are back in a moment. first, this is "today" on nbc. happy new year to you.

zblanchts> we told you, it's savannah's birthday. who else is celotrating? >>s of folks. t's spi around those delicious jars of smucker's and

i will tell you. happy 100th birthday to francis saw hill of des moines, iowa. if s is not shopping, she will be whipping up a sweet treat. she lov to bake. milton is celebrating 100 years. this traveler is fm brooklyn, new york. he says the secret to longevity is eating dark chocolate. i like that. happy 100th birthday to mary of massachusetts. she likes to play a round of golf or go bowling. good for her. miss alex gonzales of santa clara,california, is 100. she never learned to drive and believes walking everywhere is her sect to from tucson, arizona. she has exciting news to share. she isbout to become a great grandma. congratulations. and last but certainly not least, happy 102nd birthday to dean bennett, a i world w veteran from ins we are, illinois. he was married to the love of his life for 70 years.

we thank you for injuyour servi. tell us about your loved one celebrating. >> no one on the jar crets exercise and fruit. >> and alcohol. >> always. >> just ahead in the third hour of"t ay," a look at men's health, including the foods to eat to -- to eat that boost you brain and shrink your belly. this is a news4 today newsbreak. >> good morning. onjust about 9:0 this thursday, december 27. i'm erika gonzalez. we start with a check of the roads ith wtop's dave dildine in your first4 traffic. >> better on the beltway headed foringfield on the outer loop. traffic is moving fine south of braddock road. everything is cleared out of the way. it was in the lef center lane.

aig traffic jam d.c. 10. cck to you. we will getck of your forecast when we come back. it was in the left center lane.

sun still shining brightly. temperatures are finally climbing above the freezing mark. mid-to-upper 30s now. headed for high temperatures today up close to 50 degrees. clouds thickening thisrn afn. rain 100% chance of it coming our way tomorrow. rain could be briefly heavy a times. mild, near 60. breezy and in the 50s on sarday. more chances for raindrops late sunday and could interfereurith new year's eve and your new year's day. thank you. remember you can get the latest news and weather anytime with our nbc washington app.

year's day. from studio 6 a, this is "today." >> well, that's very kind of eru. thank you much. welcome. i'm carson here with al, dylan, sheinelle and craig. the new year is appreching. if you trying to be healthier in 2019, you do not want to miss the next hour. >> as we eat popcorn. >> what's your slogan? >> eat clean in 2019. >> i like that. >> what about >>2020? i've been saying it since 2017. this is my last year because eat clean in2020 doesn't work. >> mine is drink more tonight. we're