good morning. breaking news. a charter plane crashes in colombia. 81 people on board, including a professional soccer team. this morning, five survivors pulled from the wreckage. tennessee burns. wildfires raging out of control in the great smokey mountains. mandatory evacuations ordered in two resort towns. flames now at the edge of the famous dollywood resort, and this nearby hotel where guests appear to be trapped inside. officials believe arson is to blame. we're live with the latest. is he a terrorist? new images emerge of the man behind the attack at ohio state university. >> there's a guy crashed his car

he charged at people with a knife. >> 11 people injured, the suspect shot and killed by police. this morning, the chilling message he left on facebook as investigators search for a motive. and palace intrigue. is today the day trump ends the very public deliberation over who will be his secretary of state? is it disgraced former general david petraeus, rudy giuliani still in the mix? mitt romney, in or out? and has this top aide to trump gone rogue with her criticisms or is it all smis tower "today," tuesday, november 29th, 2016. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with matt lauer and savannah guthrie live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. good morning, everybody. welcome to "today." it is a tuesday morning and it is a busy one. we've got some breaking news to get to. a plane carrying a brazilian

officials reporting 5 of the 81 people on board survived but any further rescue operations have been suspended because of torrential rains in the area. let's get to nbc's tom costello. >> reporter: the plane is a british aerospace 146. it went down on approach to mooed medellin carrying brazilian soccer team that had been living in a dream this soccer season. this morning authorities say it may have run out of foul or had been experiencing an electrical problem of some sort just before it crashed. >> reporter: the mayor of medellin calls it a tragedy of huge proportions. a plane crashed just before 10:00 p.m. on approach to medellin, colombia. authorities say a handful of people appear to have survived. that includes one soccer player rushed to the hospital with severe injuries. pictures show twisted metal wreckage, rescue operations

they were temporarily suspended. flightradar.com shows the plane circling medellin repeatedly before going down. one ambulance driver told a colombia journalist was to drive a four by four backwards in a muddy track. the charter plane flying from bolivia circled the airport many times. pilot told the control tower of electrical problems onboard. a facebook video on the team's site shows an excited team play in the first leg of a final match in an important south american club competition. but play has now been suspended. at least 15 journalists also reportedly traveling on the charter plane. chappaqua is a fairy tale success story. they reached the top flight of

they made the big te after quite a few years in the wilderness. in that facebook page the team has released a statement saying, may god accompany our athletes, officials, journalists and other guests traveling with our delegation. savannah, back to you. >> tom costello, thank you. we are following another major story this morning. multiple wildfires sweeping through the smokey mountains in tennessee. thousands were ordered to leave their homes overnight. flames are now threatening the famous dollywood resort. brandon bates from wbir is in gatlinburg with the very latest. >> reporter: thank you. communities in pigeon forge and gatlinburg under a mandatory evacuation order this morning because 30 homes and businesses have been burned to the ground by this fire. officials are believing this may be a case of arson. >> oh, my god, it's so hot. >> reporter: overnight, desperate attempts to escape a massive wildfire sweeping across the communities of gatlinburg in

motorists driving along smoke-filled roads fleeing for their lives. >> they let me go back in just for a few minutes to get my animals out, to get them safe. we are all safe now. and my son. so we're fine. >> reporter: while terrified guests were trapped inside of a hilton hotel surrounded by flames, the fire too close and too dangerous for them to leave. these pictures taken by an employee of the hotel showing the fire burning right outside. local officials say 30 structures were devoured by the flames, including an apartment complex. more than 500 acres burning in the small town, several roads through great smokey mountains national park have been closed. officials say 70-mile-an-hour wind gusts fueled the out-of-control fires near several popular tourist destinations. including dollywood, the area's

dolly parton releasing this public service announcement. >> please help firefighters avoid wildfires. >> reporter: parton asking fans to help protect the great smokey mountains by observing burn bans and reporting fires whenever they see them. a spokesperson for dollywood says so far no structures inside the theme park have been damaged but staff and dozens of guests were evacuated from the resort as a precaution. national park employees were evacuated from the area, too. >> i've been in federal service for 25 years and nothing we've the last 24 hours. an unbelievable event. >> brandon bates reporting. al, what's the condition going to look like down there? >> well, it's double-edged sword. they've gotten rain. the first appreciable rain for some areas in two months. as you see on the radar, showers and thunderstorms push through. the bad news is ahead of this front, we've got some pretty strong winds that are firing up and they're going to continue.

quickly, the bad news is behind this we've got showers and understorms. but the big problem, southwesterly winds sustained 10 to 20 miles per hour. but they'll be gusting at 25 to 30, and so that's going to fan those flames. unfortunately, some over 50,000 acres are still on fire and no relief in sight from this. they're really not going to get much help from that rain. we are learning more this morning, by the way, about the man behind the chilling attack state university. the question facing investigators this morning -- was this an act of terrorism? nbc's stephanie gosk has the latest for us. steph, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, savannah. classes are set to resume here, but it is going to be a struggle for this campus to get back to normal. students have just returned from the thanksgiving holiday ready for that final push of the semester when some found themselves running for their lives. their attacker, police say, a

car and a butcher knife as weapons. abdul razak ali artan. at his graduation last pun from community state college. on monday nearing the end of his first semester at ohio state, police say he launched a deliberate attack on his classmates. calls poured in to 911. >> i think it is some type of terror attack. he did it purposely. there was a guy doing it consciously. >> reporter: shortly before the cameras captured the suspect alone driving a relative's car. moments later, authorities say, artan jumped a curb crashing into unsuspecting faculty and students. that's when police say he got out of the car with a butcher knife. osu police officer, alan horujko, shot and killed artan at the scene. 11 faculty, student and staff

then the campus went into lockdown. >> it's not real. you go numb. >> reporter: law enforcement officials say they are still far from determining a motive but have not ruled out terrorism. authorities say artan allegedly left behind a message on his facebook page, attacks on muslims around the world led to a boiling point, it read. "i can't take it anymore." the post also mentions the controversial american cleric anwar al awlaki killed by a u.s. drone in yemen in 2011. law enforcement officials say artan was born in somalia, fled 2007. he came to the u.s. through jfk airport in 2014. he was a lawful, permanent u.s. resident. the osu student newspaper interviewed artan on his first day of classes, quoting him, "if people look at me, a muslim praying, i don't know what they're going to thi, what's going to happen. but i don't blame them. it is the media that puts the picture in their heads." overnight, law enforcement searched artan's last known

a bomb squad on hand. the investigation only just beginning. investigators will be looking to see if there was anyone who gave him any help or perhaps direction from overseas. but they also emphasize that they are looking at his personal life to see if there was any kind of trigger that led him to do this. savannah? >> stephanie gosk, thank you. >> nbc news analyst juan zarati served as national deputy security advisor for combating terrorism during the george w. bush administration. juan, good to see you. good morning. >> good morning, matt. >> people are asking, was this terrorism. let me just go through some of the boxes this guy checks off. he goes on facebook, expresses his anger over the way muslims are treated around the world, vows revenge. he mentions anwar al awlaki, the controversial american-born cleric with close ties to al qaeda. then he carries out an attack following what seems to be the playbook of isis. is it terrorism? >> well, it starts tchl the boxes, as you say, matt.

the nse of grievance and the narrative that al qaeda and isis has tried to inspire in. lone wolf attackers and those atthr movement. the reference to anwar awlaki is significt becae we've seen in awlaki's digital afterlife and influence over many of those who have been radicalized in the west. certainly the methodology here tracks with what isis and al qaeda have been caing for, which are simple attacks, the use of cars, the use of weaps like butcher knives, and, frankly, it looks like the attack in 2013 of the killing of a soldier in london where he was run over, then decapitated with a butcher knife. and so this begins to look like the hallmarks a qaeda/isis inspired attack, at least an investigator is going to look to see if there are any connections to overseas direction. >> that was my question, juan. because just because it does have the look of a lone wolf

ways it is qte a crude a that doesn't mean there wasn't direction from syria or from somewhere else. is that correct? >> that's right, savannah. i think one of the things that investigators not just in the united states but in europe have seen in recent cases is that even these apparent lone wolf attacks -- that's a bit of a misnomer -- are not only inspired by isis or al qaeda, but often have a handler or direction coming out of places like raqqa in syria or even mosul in iraq. some cases where individuals are actually perpetrating the attack and gettg from these foreign handlers. so authorities are going to be looking very carefully to his communications, his network and are going to be very careful to draw any assumptions about whether or not he was acting alone or was being directed by isis. >> juan, thank you very much. >> my pleasure. thank you. meantime, we'll talk politics. this could be a big day at trump tower. the president-elect expected to may more cabinet announcements. also on his agenda today, a

secretary of state. nbc's hallie jackson is over at trump tower following developments. hallie, good morning. >> reporter: hey there, savannah, good morning to you. already it's been a busy morning for the president-elect making official a new top post in his administration. he is setting up a business day at trump tower with more interviews, including one for mitt romney for other big cabinet positions. all of it follows a busy night for him, at least on twitter, where he took aim at those debunking his unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud. today, a new name for the new cabinet. the person picked to head health & human services, congress tom price. the georgia republican who literally wrote the bill to roll back the affordable care act. >> repealing and replacing >>eporter: price, an orthopedic surgeon from the atlanta suburbs, the latest trump pick, according to a high level source familiar with the decision. with drama now building over

high-profile position of secretary of state. mitt romney's seto visit new york today for a second round talks with the president-elect. after meeting donald trump bere thanksgiving, despite months of railing against him and his nomination. >> do you still think is he a conartist, sir? >> reporter: romney never answering that question. >> donald trump is a phony, a fraud. >> reporter: his attacks earlier this year had one of trump's top aides publicly putting romney down. >> we don't even know if he voted for donald trump. overnight posting this photo with the president-elect, a clear rebuke to reports suggesting trump was upset with her remarks about romney. also expected at trump tower today -- tennessee senator bob corker who has not openly campaigned for the top state department job, unlike long-time loyalist rudy giuliani, considered by some in trump's inner circle a front-runner for the post. a new contender also interviewing with the president-elect -- retired general david petraeus. >> very good conversation.

>> reporter: the appearance of the former cia chief raising eyebrows given he pled guilty to mishandling classified information. trump, who repeatedly attacked hillary clinton after the fbi's investigation into her handling of the classified info, tweeted, he's impressed by petraeus. also overnight, tweeting new hits on the media for pointing to scant evidence of the voter fraud he claims, allegations debunked by fact checkers and denied by election officials in >> if you have evidence, if you have proof, bring it forward. and if you don't, then to allege it is very, very irresponsible. >> reporter: the president-elect and his team have also been speaking out against a recount initiated by the green party in wisconsin with today being the deadline for that party to pay the $3.5 million expense for the recount in that state.

jill stein, backs a recount effort in pennsylvania now, too. and may back another in michigan with the deadline there tomorrow. matt? savannah? >> hallie jackson at trump tower, thank you. schools and government offices in cuba will be closed for a second day as the country honors former president fidel castro who died friday at the age of 90. hundreds of thousands of cubans gathered monday at revolution square in havana to pay respects to the late revolutionary leader. following castro's death, cuba declared nine days of national mourning. there is a memorial servin havana tonight and tomorrow. castro's ashes will begin a three-day procession across that country. back here at home, the fbi is investigating a bizarre incident that happened at houston's airport. a passenger jumped out of a plane that had just landed. the united airlines flight from new orleans was on the tarmac waiting to taxi to a gate when a woman opened the emergency exit door and jumped out. in this surveillance video, you can actually see her. yeah. there she is. running away from the plane toward the terminal.

questioned by the fbi. authorities boarded the plane with a bomb-sniffing dog as a precaution and just this morning nbc news has learned she will not be charged. she's at a psychiatric hospital for evaluation. >> imagine being on that plane when that happened? >> some scary moments. >> let's bring back al for another look at the weather. >> we had an area yesterday down through the gulf coast where some severe weather. that area's a little juiced up, a strong line of storms moving from atlanta down into the panhandle of florida. so we have another enhanced risk from tupelo all the way down into central louisiana. 14 million people under risk for severe weather. a few tornadoes possible with this storm. rainfall amounts, beneficial rain. though it won't get rid of the drought but we are talking about anywhere from one to three inches of rain stretching from new orleans almost all the way up to washington, d.c. by the next 72 hours. we're going to get to your local forecast coming up in the next

>> and that's your latest

thank you. coming up -- the california mother found badly beaten three weeks after she was abducted. she was set to speak with investigators today. we're live with some new developments in that case. and america's chernobyl. is this the most toxic place in america?

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?? it is 7:30 now on a tuesday morning, november 29th, 2016. in the foreground, that is the world famous rockefeller center christmas 94 feet tall. a norway spruce. getting ready for her big moment. is it a her? >> she looks like a her. >> big moment tomorrow. we will light that tree in a great show that will include performances from tony bennett, neil diamond, josh groban. wash is all live right here on nbc, 8:00 eastern, 7:00 central.

we do have breaking news. the cause of an overnight plane crash in colombia is under investigation. it went down on approach to the international airport in medellin, colombia, killing 76 of the 81 people on board. officials are trying to determine a motive for monday's attack at ohio state university that injured 11 people. the suspect plowed his a crowd, then stabbed several people with a butcher knife before he was shot and killed by campus police. he was a somali refugee who came to the u.s. in 2014. shortly before the attack he referenced lone wolf attacks as he was reaching a boiling point. signcyber monday will go dos

narrowly topping black friday sales. top sellers included lego sets, video game consoles, and televisions. also this morning, there are new developments in that mysterious abduction of a california mother who was found alive but badly beaten more than three weeks after she vanished. the victim now set to speak to investigators as they search for suspects. nbc's gadi schwartz is in redding, california with more. >> reporter: good morning. detectives spent several hours yesterday papini. investigators are convinced more than ever that she was kidnapped. >> it is important we determine why they chose mrs. papini. >> reporter: in redding, california, the hunt for two kidnappers is priority number one. >> we don't know what their motive was to abduct her. so it is rather scary.

recovering and reuniting with family. now she is expected to begin the long process of telling detectives everything she remembers about her abductors. so far they have only been described by investigators as hispanic women with a gun. detectives have been working non-stop following up on hundreds of tips. >> it's been a full-court press from day one, including a ground search, being looking at phone records, looking at her phone that was recovered the of the reported as a missing persons event. >> reporter: the mother of two was chained, beaten and left on the side of a california highway 150 miles from her home after going missing for more than three weeks. we learned that she was released by her captor. she was bound with restraints but was able to summon from a passing -- help from a passing motorist. >> reporter: now that papini is

ie the mayor says papini called her to thank him for her support. >> they were both very thankful. i'm sure feeling relieved it was over. now the healing begins. >> reporter: but the mayor is one of the few to have personally spoken to papini since her return. >> we are overwhelmed with joy of how supportive everyone has been to help bring us together as a family again. >> reporter: her sister has asked for privacy for the family offering no details. while authorities knocking down online rumor i questioning what really happened. >> people are entitled to their opinion. but they don't know the facts of the case and what we know within our investigation. so other than that, it's just pure speculation and their opinion. >> reporter: in the meantime, the sheriff is encouraging people to be patient and be vigilant. they are planning to interview sherri papini again a ltle bit later today. matt and savannah. >> gadi schwartz, thank you. we will shift gears and head over to al.

forecast. >> yes, there is. maybe on into wednesday for the tree lighting. but we will look at that in just a moment. we do have showers and thunderstorms now firing up from west virginia all the way into the northeast. some snow as you get into northern new england. this front pushing through. some of this rain is going to be heavy at times. could be looking at some flooding stretching from new england all the way down to washington, d.c. rainfall amounts, t three inches. we could be looking from boston all the way down to d.c. two to four inches of rain in spots. if you can take the train, do it. flights may be a bit of a problem. look at this, also. we've got some heavy snow and wind back through the plains.

>> don't forget, check out your forecast when you need it, go to the weather channel on cable. >> all right, al, thank you very much. coming up next, ronan farrow's eye-opening investigation exposing what could be the most toxic place in ? ? ? i want a hippopotamus for christmas ? ? only a hippopotamus will do ? at the united states postal service, we deliver more online purchases to homes than anyone else in the country. and more hippopotamuses, too. ? ?

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7:40 now. we're back wit our special series "undercovered" which exposes issues you don't always see in the headlines. >> nbc correspondent ronan farrow is here with a closer look at containing america's nuclear waste.

facility experts have called the most toxic place in america, an underground chernobyl waiting to happen. american government is spending $2 billion taxpayer dollars a year but a lot of lives are in the balance. >> i wake up. >> reporter: seth says he's never smoked but has severe lung disease usually caused by smoking. an of four win hours began to experience symptoms. >> i started having breathing problems and it hasn't gone away since. >> reporter: 70 years ago the site produced plutonium for america's nuclear arsenal. today it is run by the department of energy through its contractor, washington river protection solutions, operating a $110 billion clean-up set to last the next 50 years. 56 million gallons of chemical

tanks like the ones behind me. they're underground but they are leaking. there is a vapor leak just today not far from here. vapors containing toxic and radioactive chemicals known to cause cancer, brain and lung damage. this year alone, 61 workers have been exposed. >> i've evaluated 29 people at hanford. symptoms range from respiratory to cognitive. some of the worst cases of dementia that i've seen in young people, more likely they had at hanford. >> reporter: we put out a call for current and former workers who believe they were exposed. we could only fit 11 in our interview. diana' story is all too common. >> i have shaking on the right side of my body and dementia. >> i've been diagnosed with some pretty bad nerve damage. sometimes the pain gets so great i just pass out.

can't breathe. can't do stuff with my family. ly.can't do stuff with your >> nope. the part was showing up for work out there ting paid because they didn't tell us with be they weren't forthright if sharing what they know. >> reporter: what the department of energy knows is 24 years' worth of expert studies, 19 of them commissioned by the department itself, documenting safety problems a the site. including this one from finding a causal link between vapor exposure and lung and brain damage and criticizing safety practicest gave workers no warning. did the department of energy or the contractor tell you the readings for harmful materials were safe? >> yes. >> over and over. we were told daily that it is safe. there's nothing to worry about. >> how does it make you feel that they told you it was safe? >> they're a bunch of liars. >> reporter: many of the reports recommend workers wear air tanks

decide whether you were wearing full protective gear? >> almost never. they wouldn't let you have it. >> reporter: the hanford challenge, a local watchdog group, says that at least three deaths have a documented link to exposure at hanford. some washington state officials are now intervening. >> the federal government has known about it. the fact that they've not doing anything so far is an absolute scandal. >> reporter: the lieutenant governor has pledged to investigate. >> you consider the risk not only to our workers stephen king novel. this is something everyone in the country should be thinking about. >> they've known for decades, year after year, report after report. >> reporter: attorney general bob ferguson is taking an even more unusual step, suing the federal government. why haven't they acted? >> to me it is unfunforgivable. they have to live with themselvesbout that. how many more workers have to be sick before they do something? that's my question. i really want to know. >> reporter: we headed to

department of energy granted us rare access and an interview with the senior official, mark whitney. >> all the workers to date referred for medical evaluation have been returned to work. >> we have spoken to workers that have not returned to work that are seriously, even terminally ill. is it the department of energy's position that these illnesses are not related to the exposures? >> i wish we had a more complete understanding of those circumstances. but a lot of effort has gone in to the last couple years to strengthening our efforts to deal with the vapor potential vapor exposure issue. >> this is a medical assessment of a woman named diana. when they say that her serious possibly even terminal illnesses are a direct result of exposure here at hanford, what do you say to that? >> well, again, i am not a medical professional and can't provide a qualified medical opinion. >> reporter: whitney says this year the department of energy invested $50 million in air monitoring. i asked one subcontractor

tanks what readings he was getting. >> i'm sorry, but i'm not allowed to say. >> you're not allowed to say what's in the air? >> no. >> you can't tell me how is the air here different from the air outside? >> not really. >> reporter: whitney told me the department's measurements have always been within occupational exposure limits. we have documents showing internal readings by the department of energy 2009, mercury 473% above occupational limits. ammonia, 1,800% above occupational limits. why wereor >> i'm not aware of what workers were told or not or those readings. potentially those measurements were taken at the top of a 20 or 40-foot stack where workers would not be. >> reporter: but the department's own study found workers at that distance are at risk. >> it is about money! it costs money to keep them safer. >> reporter:ingive chief investigatororteep susanna frame says the danger goes beyond the workerse thik risk a tk could xloed and contaminate a large area. >> if you care about people that

country, that is needed so that we don't have a nuclear disaster. you should care about hanford. >> nobody wants to hear us. they just want to scoop it uer the rug. >> our lives don't matter. our health does not matter. we are simply a business decision. >> the thing that bothers me is that there are still people out there that are walking around taking these exposures. >> so the contractor running this site did reach an agreement with the unions to provide air tanks to all workers for no solve the broader problems. it is impossible to know exactly how many people have gotten sick or died as a result of exposure at hanford, but we know the department of labor has put that number at about 11,000. 11,000, you guys. >> she said it is all about money. what kind of money is it going to take to make that place safe as they continue to try to clean it up? >> it slows down work to have them wearing heavy protective gear and expert after expert tells me that's something that the contractor just doesn't want to do here. the hope is that as a result of

today, there will be some perm p permanent fixes. a lot of pple are asking what is the threat to the rest of us? >> ronan, good story. we willhift gears and ask the question. is a one direction reunion in the works? had what one member is saying about the chances of that this morning. >> i'm crossing my fingers! and the "gilmore girls" fans have been waiting for this for nearly a decade. the stars pay a visit to studio 1a. why do some cash back cards make earning bonus cash back so complicated? they limit where you can earn bonus cash back to a few places... ...and those places keep changing every few months. the quicksilver card from capital one doesn't do any of that. with quicksilver you earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase, everywhere.

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coming up -- growing threat. fast-moving wildfires sweep across tennessee scorching dozens of buildings forcing mandatory leaving thousands of tourists at the nearby dolly resort in danger. plus, becoming jackie. >> i will walk with jack tomorrow. but only if necessary. >> academy award winner natalie portman is here t talk about her new film and the oscar buzz surrounding her emotional performance. and the girls are back. >> did we order chinese, greek and italian food last night? >> and hot dogs. >> last night is a blur.

girls" stop by to talk about what they're up to after all these years, "today," tuesday, november 29th, 2016. happy tuesday! >> all the way from lubbock, texas to make her dream come true! woo! >> girls trip from arkansas! >> and colorado! woo! >> good morning to our kids back in indianapolis! >> hi, dallas, texas! >> celebrating our 50th anniversary on "today"! woo! good morning, everybody. it is 8:00 on "today." it is tuesday, november 29th. and we are seeing a little bit

rockefeller plaza. smiles are big. we're going to light that tree behind us tomorrow night. and it is going to rain hard. >> if it would only stay warm like this because it is really nice out. >> i have a feeling there may be a window of us to be able to get the tree lit. >> really! that's what i'm going with. as we mentioned, natalie portman is here. we are excited about this. she is going to talk about starring as one of the most iconic women of the last century, jackie in the movie "jackie." >> incredible performance. it was ladies first, but this morning it is all about the guys. our pal, jill martin, is back with a new batch of "steals and deals" to help you find the perfect affordable holiday gift. we have a lot to get to this morning. let's start with "the news at 8." i'm stephanie gosk live at ohio state university where you can see students returning to class nearly 24 hours after this

lockdown. authorities say a student plowed into fellow students, faculty and staff. this morning we have new details about the suspect's past, as well as a post that law enforcement officials say he left on his facebook page just before the attack. >> reporter: overnight, shock and sadness on the campus of ohio state. a pastor breaking down as he led an emotional prayer vigil. late monday, police and federal abdul razak ali artan, investigators also poring through posts of what appear to be the suspect's facebook page. law enforcement tells nbc news artan posted a rant that attacks on muslims worldwide "led to a boiling point. i can't take it anymore." the post ends on a chilling note. "by allah, i am willing to kill a billion infidels for a single disabled muslim." a law enforcement source says

before the chaos unfolded on the ohio state campus. >> i'm thinking it is some type of terror attack. >> why. >> because the guy ran a car through a crowd of students. >> reporter: 11 people were hospitalized. only artan was killed. shot by university policeman alan this morning a clear picture is emerging of artan. graduating in honors in may with an associate's degree. he went on to ohio state to continue his studies telling a campus publication -- i wanted to pray in the open but i was kind of scared with everything that's going on in the media. going on to say, "if people look at me, a muslim praying, i don't know what they're going to think, what's going to happen."

homeland in 2007, living in pakistan until 2014, then becoming a permanent resident of the u.s. living temporarily in a shelter in dallas before settling in ohio according to records maintained by catholic charities. but authorities are still a long way from knowing what motivated artan to attack his fellow students at ohio state. investigators are looking in to see if artan was given any assistance or any direction. but they areot possibility that he acted on his own and was motivated by something personal in his life. a bit of good news out of here this morning. we are told that of the six injured people admitted at the university hospital, four have been released. two remain there in stable condition. matt? >> stephanie gosk, thank you very much. officials in eastern tennessee hope that the weather is going to help firefighters there as they battle wildfires raging near gatlinburg.

>> reporter: well, matt, i want to talk a little bit about what i saw coming in to gatlinburg this morning. trees were down, debris was scattered throughout the road, so this wind really made firefighters and authorities' jobs much more difficult. in gatlinburg the rain has begun to fall and it might be giving some relief for those houses and structures that may still be surrounded by some fires. wind speeds were up to 80 miles per hour overnight making this a very hard fight for those responders. right now, 1,300 people are in shelters. officials from the smoky mountain national park say they've never seen anything like this in their entire career. they're definitely not prepared. for now in gatlinburg, brandon bates, back to you. >> thank you very much. now on the latest on the deadly charter plane crash in colombia overnight. 76 people were killed, five survived. . plane was carrying members of a

investigators say the plane may have run out of fuel or perhaps had an electrical problem just before the crash. recovery operations were suspended, hampered by torrential rains and fierce storms in the area. still to come, what is it like to play jacki kennedy in a movie? well, we've got natalie portman here. she's going to open up about taking on that challenge. and next, what's in that box we're going to show off and test out nike's new self-tying shoes. that's what's in the box. >> a jessica simpson revisiting one of the most talked about moments of her career. > but fi our mission is to produce programs and online content for african women as they try to build their businesses and careers. my name is yasmin belo-osagie and i'm a co-founder at she leads africa. i definitely could not do my job without technology. this windows 10 device, the touchscreen allows you to kind of pinpoint what you're talking about. which makes communication much easier and faster than the old mac that i used to use. you can configure it in so many different ways,

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who likes to go out and eat alone at restaurants? >> occasionally. >> sometimes. >> what if you could go to a restaurant and actually never speak to anyone? not a host, not a waiter, no one? there is a restaurant in brooklyn that's bringing that idea to life. it is a ramen shop designed to limit your interactions with others. a seating chart lets you know what table is available. you sit down and fill out a menu. a button lets you call for the it with aer. when your food is ready, a server brings it. you don't actually s her face. their hands come out and bring you your food. that's hid behind a partition. it is part of a popular chain in japan. it is the first american location of that chain. buzzfeed calling it a place for in >> i like to see the person who

chef who makes my food. >> you want to do a medical scan of the people serving your food. it is a little weird. i like the idea of eating alone. but a little chitchat is nice. i know we've all had these moments. you are being looking for something or you walk into a room and forget why you went there, like have you seen my -- cup? this can happen to anyone. i mean anyone. you think it is a senior moment? take a look at this. >> what is it. >> i need my goggles. >> say that again. >> i need my goggles. >> what do you need? >> i need my goggles. >> where are they? >> um, somewhere. >> do like this. what are you looking for?

>> where are they? >> aden, we feel you. we feel you. >> this happens to me every day! >> i'm talking to somebody on my cell phone, i can't find my phone. what are you talking to me on? >> like who is this? >> that's the worst! >> aden, you're my man! >> aden, by the way, when you grow up and do that, don't feel bad. it happens to all of us. >> >> first to ellen and what she calls her best thanksgiving ever. last week of course she got emotional as she received the presidential medal of freedom from president obama. but before ellen actually made it in to the white house, she panicked when a white house handler asked an important question a little too late. >> we're like midway, almost there, and she just turns to me and she goes, you have your i.d., right? i was like, no, i don't.

passing and they're like how do you not bring an i.d. to the white house? i'm like, this is my i.d., bruce. this is my i.d. someone came out and went, you could come in now. i was causing a fuss. then i'm inside, and it's amazing because everybody's in there and robert de niro and kareem abdul-jabbar are standing there. this is me with robert de niro, kareem abdul-jabbar. another challenge why she had to explain to robert de niro and tom hanks what the manikin challenge is. the full episode airs today. super cool there. next to one direction and the one question all of their fans want answered -- will the guys ever get back together? right now they are on a break and off doing solo projects. one of the members recently told a british newspaper the guys are doing the break. but is a reunion on the horizon?

will be back. we would be silly not to. ridiculous. he also added, i don't think anyone needs to worry about us. we are fine. there you have. finally jessica simpson proving she's not afraid to laugh at herself. way back in 2003 jessica starred in a reality tv show with then hub nick lachey. we got this classic moment when jessica wasn't quite sure what she was eating. >> is this chicken what i have or is this fish? i know it's tuna, but it says chicken. by the sea. is that stupid? why is it called chicken by the sea or in the sea? >> chicken of the sea is the brand. >> oh. >> jessica didn't understand that chicken of the sea is just the name of the tuna brand. it's actually not chicken. now years later she's been able to poke fun of herself reposting

adding #chickenofthesea. that was viral before we used the term "viral." >> tamron, come on over here. now we got a bonus "trending" topic. who says dreams don't come true? anyone who's ever watched michael j. fox in the "back to the future" movies only wanted one thing. those shoes. just in time for the holiday season, nike selling a version of those futuristic shoes. here to tell us how they work, nike's senior innovator, tiffany beers. we've all tried to slip them on. we have a couple of problems over here. >> some people have swollen feet. >> here is a size 11 for you.

what do we do? >> you slip them on and as soon as your heel hits the bottom, stand up. >> oh, man, listen. >> i think mine was already -- no wonder it was hard to get on. mine was already prelaced. >> there are two buttons on the side. >> you press your heel back, you can tighten it. >> i can't reach my feet. could you? >> it feels like a massage. >> describe. they're black. just for you. you're going to love them. in january. >> have you seen my car keys anywhere? >> can we ask a price? >> they're $720. >> whoa! >> why don't you just hire somebody to lace them for you? >> wow. >> could you -- other than just being -- actually they are really cute. could you go running in them? are they normal nikes? >> absolutely. we've tested this in running, training and basketball. we want you to use them and abuse them and tell us what you think of them.

make. >> are they in every store? how do you get tm? >> the nike plus app. they'll be available on thursday december 1st available in our soho store and also atur nike plus clubhouse. >> how tough are these going to be to get? come on. >> how tough are they going to be to get off? >> they're in limited quantities. >> do they come in women's 12? >> whoa! >> you know, you're in trouble. your next guest is pregnant, too. >> thank you so much. me with that? >> i'm going to go -- they float! feel like the jetsons! oh, this is fantastic! well, if you are in the plains, we've got some snowy travel to talk about. you can see a low pressure system. it is just spinning and bringing that colder air in. snow, we are talking -- this is

snowfall amounts to anywhere from six to eight inches, some places in the upper elevations more than a foot. rest of the day today around the country. you've got enhanced risk of strong storms through the south. high suffer advisories along the pacific northwest. a lot of wet weather in the northeast, travel delays from boston down to washington, d.c. and maybe even atlanta. that's what's going on around the country. here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. atlanta. >> and that's your latest

stars in the highly anticipated movie, "jackie," focusing on the days following the assassination of president john f. kennedy a time when his wife was protecting both her husband's legacy and her own. >> mr. valente, would you mind getting a message to all of our funeral guests when they arrive? >> of course. >> inform them that i will walk with jack tomorrow, alone if necessary. and wishes to ride in an armored car or tank, for that matter, i won't blame him. i'm sure the tens of millions of people watching won't mind either. >> why are you doing this, mrs. kennedy? >> i'm just doing my job. >> natalie portman, welcome back. >> thank you for having me. >> we all went to see this movie. we loved it. i want to know before i go et to the specifics of it, what was it like when you were approached to

women of the 20th century? >> yeah. i was terrified because everyone knows what she looks like and particularly and what she sounded like, probably more how she looked even than she sounded. i don't particularly look like her art from coloring. i'm not a -- i've never thought of myself as a sort of mimic or anything. so it was scary. >> what came first? what did you tackle first? did you tackle the accent and the way she spoke? did you look in a mirror? how do you go about it? >> well, it all kind ofquickly. it had sort of been gestating for a long time. we did the hair and makeup, costume tests, worked on the accent and the dialect and the voice and also was just reading everything i could find. >> to get the accent, was there a word? you had a lot of tapes you could

>> yes. >> there was that television tour that she gave of the white house back in 1962. was there a word and the way she said it that helped you grasp the accent? >> well, there was one sentence in the white house tour that my dialect coach and i would always laugh about because she would say, she says, "i rather love this wall." she british, then "hall" like super long island where i'm from. >> so many books and articles have been written about jackie kennedy through the course of her public experience. but this movie focuses on seven days really. >> yeah. >> immediately following the assassination of jfk -- and one of the things that struck me is for a large part of the movie you are wearing the wardrobe. you are wearing the outfit. not the real one obviously but the outfit that she wore in

blood-soaked outfit. what does that do to you as an actress in terms of staying in the character? >> we, think it was really smart of noah oppenheimer, our writer, to focus the film on these days just after the assassination because it sort of gives you microsome of what -- who she was as a person, to see her in this incredibly pressured situation and to see that at that moment that her husband is killed in her lap and how terrifying and awful and traumatic that is and she had the presence of mind to say i'm going to say in this dress because my image is important right now. it is important for people to see what this looks like. so they were offering to take off this bloody dress, bloody suit, and she said, no, everyone should see what this is. >> i talked to noah about the movie. one thing surprised me -- i almost challenged him on it. i had always thought that the image of camelot h been

learn in this movie -- and i'm assuming it sticks close to the facts -- he tells me it does -- is that really she is the one who cemented that image in those seven days. >> not only that she cented but she came up with the term herself, which is so wild to name yourself as the king and queen of this nation that's not a royal government, not a monarchy. so she was the one who came up with camelot and it that's part of what the film is about. >> the good news is that coming out of your performance, there is talk of another oscar. you've been down that road before. you know about expectations. your own, and others. how do you keep everything in perspective? >> well, it's so flattering. it's such a nice response that people are moved by the movie and of course when you make a movie, all you want is for people to connect to it.

>> a lot of attention will be paid to you at the beginning of the year. by the way, i mentioned -- you are pregnant. >> yes. >> you are expecting -- >> in spring. >> in spring. >> yes. >> you do have tiny fit. can i just say that? >> well -- >> no offense to savannah. >> that doesn't mean they're not swollen. it's not mutually exclusive. >> always good to see you. congratulations. you're incredible in this movie. >> thank you. >> thanks very much. "jackie" opens in select cities on friday. >> matt, thank you so much. look who's here? the gang from "gilmore girls." and a guy.

november, 2016. remember how a few minutes ago we were saying, man, it's beautiful out? it is not cold, it is not raining? still not cold -- >> exactly. >> -- but it's raining. >> a little drizzle before the soak. >> it's all -- the good news is we don't have to pour water in

>> the tree is getting a little sprinkle. >> we're going to light that tree tomorrow night here in rockefeller center. was that a truck or lightning? >> guys, coming up, fans fell in love with the "gilmore girls." they are doing it again. we have a revival, "gilmore girls", a year in the life. we'll catch up with the cast. and let's hear it for the boys. jill's ready to roll out a batch of holiday "steals and deals" covering all the fellas that you but first, mr. roker. >> let's show you. it is not a big deal. come on! for today we've got that wet weather from the gulf coast up into the northeast with some of the rain heavier at times. enhanced risk of strong storms down in the south. for tomorrow, snow continues in the plains, moves into the pacific northwest and cascades. look for heavy rain from new york all the way down into the gulf. tree lighting tomorrow night, 9:00. 60 degrees. some occasional rain so we'll continue to track that for you

the real inventor of the reuben sandwich may be debatable, but its great taste is not. at subway, this authentic classic is stacked with lean corned beef, bavarian-style sauerkraut, swiss cheese and thousand island dressing on new freshly-baked rye bread. only at subway. >> announcer: "giving tuesday on today" is sponsored by the salvation army. doing the most good. that's right. today is #givingtuesday. lot of great charities out there. we'll kick off the season of giving with our good friend, mr. nick cannon from america's got talent. he is also a red kettle reason ambassador.

>> good to see you, too, sir, always a pleasure. >> what's one of the reasons as you pass that kettle to put something in there? >> it is all about the community, honestly. i was a kid that benefited from the salvation army growing up. i believe to whom much is given much is required. it feels so good to give. giving tuesday, it is the holiday season. you want to get out there. feels like we're making the world a better place one good deed at a time. >> what does it mean for the holidays? for me it is not the until i hear that bell. >> right. right. it has become such a tradition. people know that the holidays are all about community, family and giving. when you see someone out there, whether it is weather like this or whatever, those cold nights, you can drop a donation in or use that #redkettlereason, it makes us feel better about humanity. >> are you going to give anybody lesson? >> on how to ring that bell! yeah. ring it.

>> for more on the salvation army's red kettle campaign, head to today.com. and jill martin has "steals and deals" for the men on your holiday list. at t.j.maxx, marshalls and homegoods, we've always believed the holidays should be about joy. where days are filled with magic, not madness.

8:36 now. we're back with more of our week of "steals and deals" to help you with a sfres-free holiday, if that's possible. has you covered this morning when it comes to shopping for the men in your life. jill, good morning. >> good morning. >> i've been perusing and i like these items. these are great. >> thank you. stress-free for the whole week. all week, then an hour on friday so nobody ever has to go shopping. >> friday is the biggest "steals and deals" ever. >> ever. >> okay. great. start with something that al and i are going to use in about three days, probably, when we get done with no shave november. >> thursday is december 1st.

>> i do. . i use the brush and i use the cream that you put water in and a really good razor. >> this is e-shave. retail is $158. they are calling it all a man needs set. you get preshave oil, shave cream, after shave cream, after shave soother and the cream brush. the deal is $47.50, 70% off. >> this is a great gift because men don't often go to the trouble of buying this kind of them for themselves. that'sng >> it is not something you would normally splurge on. >> let's move on to clothing. what do you have? >> these are shirts retail $80 to $118. you can go on today.com to see all the different. cotton, knit, sweaters, jackets, all different colors and patterns. something for everybody. all machine washable. retail $80 to $118. the deal -- $24. up to 80% off. that includes the jacket, the sweater, it is one or the other. >> we should mention now, there's no problem with delivery

the holidays. >> no. everything will be delivered before the holidays. >> let's move over to this cutlery. it is another one of those item a lot of guys won't go out and buy for themselves. >> this is great for the whole family. retail, $265. it is a 16-piece set. seven-piece knife block set, eight-piece steak knives and a nice sharpener. it comes if black, blonde wood or white. dishwasher safe. the deal $79. 70% off. >> do you cook? >> not much. no. no. but i have great knives should the occasion ever come up. >> al is kind of the real chef. he's the real deal. this caught my attention when i was reading about it last night. an organizer but with great functionality. >> this is right up your alley. very organized. the charging valet.

three-prong power strip. the cords are included. it organizes all your electronics. >> where is the power part of this? >> it goes right through here. >> oh, yeah. okay. >> it organizes everything. then there are drawers you can put your jewelry in. there is really a home for everyone, as my mom would say. it is faux leather. it comes in two colors. retail, with $95. the deal $26. 73% off. >> this would look great on a guy's desk or end table or dressing area. this is really, really nice. i love that. and little bit of glassware. >> little bit of scotch at 8:39? >> there's lipstick on tlo. >> i had a sip. it is a five-piece he decanter glassware set. the deal is $30 for this entire set. it is 70% off. retail is $100.

glasses. >> and there are different decan'ters. >> these are all great ideas. again, the products are the shave sets from eshave. men's ware from cutter and buck. knife set from j.a. henckels, and the decanter set from fits and floidz. jill martin has the biggest up next, the stars of the new "gilmore girls" revival.

welcome back to "today." if you love "gilmore girls," i know exactly what you did this weekend. nine years after the beloved series signed off, its revival, "gilmore girls," a year in the life, begins streaming on

fans flocked back to the fast-talking girls. with love lost and of course friday night dinner. >> luke? >> yes. >> what do you think about rory's living situation? her traipsinound frone couc another? >> oh, it's fine. well, i mean she's grown and she's -- did you read her new yorker piece that she wrote? i put it on the menu. >> why is everyone treating this like it is a normal passage? rory is a 32-year-old college educated woman with no permanent address. that's not normal. >> i'm distracted. let me tell you why -- alexis. where is she? stuck in traffic, i hear. we'll have a little suspense. we'll see if she shows during the interview. >> all right. >> there was so much secrecy about this. there's so much anticipation.

netflix, did it feel like giving birth at all? >> you would flow. it just felt like a relief to finally be able to talk about it and share it with people. we were so excited when we did it and we've been asked about it for so many years that finally to have it out there is really fun. >> it is four 90-minute episodes. it follows the four seasons of a year. there is a lot of closure and finding out where are they now. what's the reaction been? >> i've gotten som e-mails, some nice texting. i'm not a social media person so i don't know what's going on with them but i'm sure -- >> delighted. >> yeah. everybody's liking it. i've only seen two, so i'm waiting to see the other two. >> you didn't binge watch over the weekend? >> to me, binge watching is one each night. that is huge! okay? that's it. >> take me back, first day. it's been nine years. you g backthe set. who cried?

>> i cried a little bit. i cried because i didn't feel like the guy. so i had to take a little walk around to get the character back. >> that's interesting. it wasn't like slipping on an fit.pair of jeans that still >> ,no >> you get into it? >> i sathe gazebo and relived some of our most tender moments. >> by yourself? >> no. i imagined that we were there and were having our kisses and our picnics and our nice little situations. i went back in the diner and i >> you're like, i'm him, i'm back. >> this is as good as it is going to get right here. >> at the heart of this, it is a moms and daughters story. when we see this as the actual passage of time. so, does that mean the dynamic changes? is everybody healed and involved? >> not at the beginning. but i do think the part of the journey in these four episodes is a journey of healing. we've lost our dad and husband respectively. and so that gives the show kind

think is appropriate for ten years later. >> you guys really felt that. he was your tv husband for all those seasons. >> my set buddy. occasionally a drinking buddy. i absolutely loved him and i knew he loved the show and he would have been absolutely thrilled to do this. so that was -- >> we're missing him and we're missing alexis. but i'm told that she's on the phone. alexis, are >> i am here! i'm so sorry! we had the worst traffic! >> we know. we know. well, okay, let me talk to you. everybody was following rory's love life. there's team team. #teamjess and team logan. i won't ask ask you to spoil it but do you think people are going to be happy with whatever resolution comes to pass? >> i really hope people are happy. i hope they enjoy the journey that rory takes with these episodes.

you get some sort of closure. it is not the type closure you might crave. it is a question answered, so that's something. >> question answered but i wonder question posed. one of the most interesting things about this series, as i turn back to the cast here in the studio, the creator knew at the beginning when she wrote the first episode she knew the last four words she wanted in the last episode. we get those four words. and they are -- just kidding. but i heard some of the gilmore girl fanatics on our show felt like the four words introduced new questions. >> i did not know the four words until half-way through filming this iteration of the series and i, too, was like, huh. really? huh. so it makes sense in terms of the journey of the show. but i can understand it does

>> i did ask alexis. i thought somebody's got to tell me. i asked her, and my reaction was -- huh. >> well, it is intriguing. >> yeah. >> what do you think? >> i had submitted some ideas which were summarily rejected. >> weren't they all kind of luke oriented? >> no. not at all. i had no agenda. on the top of might have list waki and we didn't get that. >> someone cpared it to the end of the "sopranos" which left a little bit of a question if the air. which was similarly controversial, yet perhaps artistically satisfying. i don't know. >> well, i'm on the edge of my seat. if you haven't binge watched by now and you really want to know, how does it end. one of the things people love about the show, the pop culture references and also the zippy dialogue. what was it like to slip back flu that?

tongue exercises? >> i felt like i had just been waiting to get back there. it was always such a fun match for me, this language and playing this character. i kind of craved it and felt energized to get to do it again. >> kelly, you seem to always recognize that there was something special about this show. why do you think it has resonated and people still feel so tied to it? >> i've given that a great deal of thought over the years and my position has it is there is a basic sweetness to this show. there's a goodgoodness. i think so many men didn't watch it at first because it is "gilmore girls." but the men on the show are drawn as sympathetic, working hard, there's no bad guys, there's no jerks. you know. they're all just trying to make their way and there is just a basic sweetness.

diner through the window with carol king singing and seeing that. i go -- nice. that's nice. >> real relationships. >> feels good. >> by the way, alexis, i know that traffic on the west side highway so we'll see you for hoda and kathie lee tomorrow. thank so much for being here. thank you so much. we're so glad to talk to you again. "gilmore girls," a year in the life, is now streaming on netflix. >> the ending is a bit of a cliffhanger. don't you think? >> that's what i'metting at. sounds like there is an appetite for it. by the way, lauren is sticking around co-hosting our next hour. >> perhaps with alexis. >> we're back in a moment. thanks, everybody.

?? ?? all right. turmeric. it's called the golden spice and the gingerbreads taking over. >> it's been used for thousands of years in religious ceremonies, but as the saying goes what is old is new again. >> turmeric. of years old. and today from coast to coast, >> it's being used in everything from ice cream to iced lattes.

became cool. people eat with their eyes first and it's this beautiful, vivid, orange yellow color and that connotates health a lot of times. >> gwyneth paltrow and beyonce embracing the spice. making it one of the top-trending foods on the internet. >> it comes from the california lifestyle and the boom in juice bars and tonics. >> two years ago you could only buy powdered turmeric and now it's right next to the ginger and lemongrass. >> it's not only in indian curries, but in carrot slaw. >> there's such an interest in new ingredients that are not so new, but are functional to the

pulleded into drinking vinegars and shaking in cocktails. >> brews it in teas and down the street at shakedown the earthy ginger-tasting spice can be seen topping treats in sprinkles to marshmallow fluff. >> the reaction is a bit of surprise followed by a big smile. >> turmeric's history dates back as early as 500 b.c. where to this day it's a central part hindu religious medicines, and an ancient medical practice thought to alleviate congestion and heal wounds and alleviate the body. >> i think turmeric is probable the new kale. it's going to be a buzz word that will be used across the food industry. >> turmeric is the new kale. >> i didn't know you were such a spiceologist. >> i knew a herbiologist. >> there's a lot you don't know.

tomorrow. >> meantime, birthdays, fire up the smuckers jars! who is on them today? >> 100th birthday to virginia haas sxsz the secret to longevity, a gin and tonic with turmeric every night at 6:00 p.m. >> it's the new kale. >> carrie parrish, 100 years old. one of her favorite memories watching the rockettes perform n she's got to watch and see them again. happy 100th birthday, and this talented guy is from philadelphia, pa. an amazing dancer and spent time performing in his community theater. >> ada, 101, she makes an eggplant parmesan. >> elizabeth roberts, and looks

planning church events and readin >> oroville is from chaplain, new york, owned and operated a dairy farm for 50 years. if you know anyone celebrating a 100th birthday or a 75th anniversary, we want to hear about them. >> there you go. >> al, thank you so much. >> lauren graham co-hosting the

i'm...vince vitrano alongside

green party presidential candidate jill stein is using the wisconsin recount to push for more donations. she's asking supporters for nearly 2 and a half million more a statement issued by stein this morning. wisconsin elections officials told stein recounting wisconsin's three million ballots will cost about 3.5 million dollars... ...and she needs to foot the bill... by 4-30 this afternoon. in her statement... stein called the cost exorbitant, extraordinary, and even unconscionable. if stein is able to put up the money... clerks in wisconsin's 72 counties will likely begin

good morning today the special reason why one family adopted two young boys who are brothers. details about a free musical christmas celebration. a 2-year-old boy who knew he wanted to be a girl. >> how his family accepted and supported him next on the mo ? ? [ music ] ? ?