good morning. trump versus the cia. the president-elect taking on the intelligence agency overnight after a new report about a secret cia meeting in september claiming the russians election to help him win. trump completely dismissing those claims. what happens when a president-elect goes to war with his own spies? we're live. chilling confession. for the first time, we're hearing shocking words from the gunman who killed nine people inside a historic church in charleston. >> i went to that church in charleston and i did it. >> that videotape shown for the first time to jurors inside a

about dylann roof's hateful motivation for the shooting. bitter blast. most of the country stuck in a deep freeze. 42 states with colder than normal temperatures, from the dakotas all the way to the northeast. the winter storm wreaking havoc on the highways. pileups in ohio, michigan and pennsylvania. and with 25 million in the path of a winter storm today, it could go from bad to worse. dylan is tracking it all. and a charlie brown future as those lush, green, full christmas trees might be harder to come by this year. >> they're all kind of short and not very full, so we had to really look hard to find a good one. >> the reason behind the tiny trees today, saturday, december 10th, 2016. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today," live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> good morning.

saturday morning. i'm sheinelle jones. >> glad to have you with us, i'm craig melvin. dylan dreyer still here! >> still plugging along, but this -- i have been saying good-bye for the last week. this is my final show. >> here's the thing, because you're two days behind savannah. she and mike gave birth to baby charlie yesterday, of course. >> he's so adorable. >> since you're two days behind her, we decided to park an ambulance outside. just in case moment just in case. >> should i stand in a kiddie pool or something? >> no, we hope it doesn't come to that. a developing story overnight as donald trump takes aim at the cia dismissing the intelligence agency's conclusion that the russians hacked the democrats, not just to cause confusion but to help him win t election. rnintesheineoo ection has bn eror

russnovernment mayave er day night, even calling off anti-hillary clinton protesters who chanted "lock her up" -- >> that plays great bef election. now we don't care. >> reporter: this morning president-elect donald trump is at war with the intelligence community. "the washington post" reported late friday the cia thinks the russian government interfered with the u.s. election to help trump win, by hacking e-mails from the democratic party and hillary clinton's campaign chairman. the trump campaign reacting within minutes, dismissing the claims saying, quote, these are the same people that said saddam hussein had weapons of mass destruction. the election ended a long time

history. it's now time to move on. but members of trump's own party believe russia did interfere. >> there's no doubt in my mind that they hacked into the dnc and podesta's e-mail, that the russians were behind that. every republican needs to understand this is not about the democratic party, this is about america as a whole. >> reporter: senator lindsey graham wants to impose personal sanctions against russian president vladimir putin next year, and the obama administration has demanded to know more about what happened >> the president has directed the intelligence community to conduct a full review of what happened during the 2016 election. >> reporter: trump has praised putin. incoming national security advisor michael flynn once had denner with the former kgb officer but there's december sent among other contenders. mitt romney is still a potential pick of secretary of state and he once labeled russia america's

exxon ceo rex tillerson is also in the mix and rudy giuliani has taken himself out of the running. president-elect trump promising he'll make a decision for that critical post by the end of next week. more new details out this morning. "the new york times" is reporting the russian government also hacked the republican national committee, but that none of that information was season. you'll remember we heard a lot about democratic e-mails leaking out, hillary clinton campaign chairman john podesta's hacked e-mails leaking just in the weeks leading up to election day, sheinelle. >> kasie, we're used to the trump team going on the attack, but they're attacking an intelligence agency that will be explicitly serving the president for the next four years. how unusual is this? >> reporter: it's extraordinarily unusual,

unprecedented. trump will be relying on the intelligence community to tell him how to interact with the many threats around the world. we do know that trump had an intelligence briefing on wednesday, but he's getting fewer than many presidents-elect have in the past and fewer than his vice president-elect mike pence who is getting near daily briefings from this community that donald trump is now seeming to go to war with. sheinelle. >> kasie hunt, thank you. meanwhile a crisis was averted i when the senate approved a spending bill at the last minute to keep the government from shutting down. that vote came less than an hour before the midnight deadline. democrats had been holding out over long-term health benefits for coal miners. tens of millions of people are waking up this saturday morning with one thought on their mind. it is cold out there, a blistering chill blanketing much

roads and a deep freeze. kristen dahlgren is braving it all in erie, pennsylvania. good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you, sheinelle. yeah, a little break in the know right here right now. it's beautiful out here until you try driving in on it. a lot of the roads here aren't plowed in erie. interstate 90 going about 5 miles an hour right now. couple that with these cold, cold temperatures and it could be a rough weekend ahead for morning with much of the country seeing temperatures well below average. >> it's like alaska. >> reporter: even bringing a rare snow event to places like texas, where it wreaked havoc on the roads. in seattle some football fans had a bit of fun. but for others in the northwest, it meant headaches when that snow soon froze over. >> it's a sheet of ice with a thin layer of water. >> it's pretty much impossible

sidewalks in utah to whiteout conditions in north dakota. but for snow removal workers in iowa, there's an upside. >> as far as the snow removal goes, it's 50% of our business. >> reporter: the great lakes region saw some of the worst of the storm, turning deadly on the roads in new york friday. one man died after losing control of his suv in whiteout conditions. earlier the same system caused a series of massive and deadly highway crashes in ohio, michigan and pennsylvania. >> we ve 15-car pileup. >> reporter: snow will continue to be a threat across the great lakes region this weekend. so around here they could see another 5 to 8 inches today before all is said and done. some places could see up to another foot of snow. guys, can i just say as excited as i am about dylan's baby, i have a feeling we are really going to miss her out here over the winter. >> what are you trying to say,

>> i should apologize to all the reporters and correspons who will get stuck in the snow because i'm not out there. >> how much worse is this going to get? >> the lake-effect snow is going to continue throughout the day today because the air is so cold and the lakes are frozen at this point. these bands of snow will continue through the day today with an additional perhaps 2 to 4, 4 to 6 inches of snow possible, but you get into those heavier bands and you can see now, we also have another storm system that's already made its way onshore in the pacific northwest. it's going to bring most of the snow to the higher elevations which is where we have our winter storm warnings. the grand tetons could see up to 2 feet of snow possible. then it makes its way to the midwest. as we go through later today and throughout the day on sunday, we're looking for that to reinforce some of the lake-effect snow off of lake ontario and lake erie. here's this front moving

to fill in across the midwest. then we'll get lake ens chancement and that will reinforce the heaviest of the snow. then it will make it to the northeast and transition into rain. we could see up to 2 feet of snow in some of the highest elevations but we'll see a widespread 6 inches of snow through the great lakes and where those heavier bands of lake-effect snow set up, like where ken an additional 5 to 10, 12, 15 inches of snow. >> we'll get your national forecast in just a bit. it was an emotional day in a south carolina courtroom on friday as jurors and witnesses heard for the very first time the chilling confession from the gunman who shot nine people to death at a historic african-american church there, hoping to start a race war. here's nbc's gabe gutierrez. >> i do consider myself a white supremacist. >> reporter: dylann roof

ame church last year. >> well i killed him, i guess. >> reporter: now for the first time a look at what prosecutors show jurors on the third day of roof's federal trial where he's accused of 33 counts, including hate crimes. >> i think we all know i'm guilty. >> reporter: he told agents the trayvon martin case woke him up and prompted him to research black on white crime. >> what i did is so minuscule what they're doing to white people every day. >> reporter: this is security tape of roof entering. minutes before the massacre, prosecutors said roof could be seen in this snapchat video. when the bloodshed was over, he quietly walked out, gun in hand. >> i was in absolute awe that there was nobody out there. >> reporter: adding that if officers had been waiting for him, he would have shot himself. police arrested him during a traffic stop the next day, and

told nine church members had died. >> you were under the assumption you killed four or five people? >> right. yes, that's true. >> but your numbers were doubled. it was nine. >> reporter: investigators found a journal in his car with a swastika scrawled inside and this entry. i would love for there to be a race war. the fbi agents asked him what he would tell the families of the victims. >> i probably couldn't even look at them. >> reporter: roof's defense team is not disputing the facts of the case. their goal is to penalty. on the witness stand an investigator said after roof's confession he told the then 21-year-old that his plan to start a race war did not work, and the people of charleston were coming together. his last words to roof, you failed. for "today," gabe gutierrez, nbc news. turning overseas now, a humanitarian disaster is looming today in syria where the city of aleppo is close to falling to government forces.

desperately today to find a way to stop the bloodshed. matt bradley is in london with more. matt, good morning to you. >> good morning, craig. russian officials saying today that 50,000 civilians have fled eastern aleppo in just the past two days. it's not clear if that number is true but many of those civilians will be jumping from the pan into the fire. take a look. syria's largest city is about fall. government forces say they have retaken more than 90% of aleppo. an ancient city now nearly levelled by years of war. just this week tens of thousands of civilians fled the rebel-held east to the relatively calm of the government-held west. their nightmare isn't over. the united nations has reported claims that hundreds of men and boys disappeared once they crossed into west aleppo.

could get worse. >> what is the worry among human rights workers once aleppo falls completely? >> you would have a huge number of people who may be exposed to reprisals of different kinds, including being picked up and held in detention centers, interrogated and tortured. >> reporter: far from syria's horror, negotiations continue. they're struggling to save the estimated 100,000 civilians st t east. >> what is happening in aleppo is the worst catastrophe, what's happening in syria is the worst catastrophe since world war ii itself. it's unacceptable. it's horrible. >> reporter: so far talking has accomplished little. syria's government and its russian allies say they're determined to see a full military victory in aleppo. that victory will come at an even greater human cost. aleppo is a problem that donald trump will inherit when he takes

in which u.s. troops have been increasingly involved. the outgoing secretary of defense announced today that he's nearly doubling the number of american soldiers fighting isis on the ground near the syrian city of raqqah to 500 special operations troops. >> matt bradley for us this morning in london. matt, thanks. breaking overnight, at least five people were killed today when a tanker train derailed and exploded. it happened in bulgaria. 150 firefighters raced to the scene to sea scene to search for survivors. destroyed. police say the train was carrying propane and butane. the pilot of a hot air balloon that crashed in texas last july was taking medications that should have disqualified him from flying. that's according to federal investigators. the balloon crashed into power lines near lockhart, texas, killing the pilot and 15 passengers. the ntsb says that pilot, alfred skip nichols, had at least a half dozen prescription drugs including oxycodone in his

nichols also had at least four convictions for drunk driving and served time in prison twice. high drama playing out in a florida courtroom in the retrial of a woman accused of hiring a hit man to kill her husband. at the center of it all, this hidden camera video of an undercover officer trying to catch her setting up the hit. but was she the victim of a police department looking to make a big splash on tv? nbc's scott coen has more. >> reporter: a case that's testing it the line between reality and reality tv. >> i could do it wednesday morning. wednesday morning at the house. >> reporter: police have dahlia dippolito on video seemingly casually taking out a hit on her new husband with an undercover cop. >> i'll get $3,000 from you today. >> right. >> reporter: so juicy, boynton beach, florida, police shared

staing this scene to make dippolito think her husband was killed. her lawyers say the police department's quest for publicity including posting the videos on youtube compromised her rights. the department's public information officer grilled on the stand friday. >> do you believe that was good police practices? yes or no? >> i can't answer that. >> reporter: the defense says the police set dippolito up to make the department famous and that she never really intended to have her husband >> i'm positive. like 5,000% sure. >> reporter: they accuse the police department of corruption. >> this case is bigger than dahlia dippolito. it's about holding law enforcement nationwide accountable for following the rules. >> reporter: but prosecutors say the undercover video speaks for itself. >> what's right about this case is it is based 100% on miss dippolito's words, her actions, and her intent.

dippolito's second trial. convicted in 2011 and sentenced to 20 years, the verdict thrown out on appeal. as soon as monday, she'll have to decide when to take the witness stand or leave the jury to decide the tale of the tapes. for "today," nbc news, miami. at this hour, nobel prizes are being awarded in oslo, norway. the peace prize going to colombian president juan mauel santos for his ets the prize for literature, you might remember, awarded to bob dylan, the first for a songwriter. but he won't be there. he says he has "pre-existing commitments." >> what would that be? >> it's bob dylan. >> what commitment would it be? >> a concert that's good for the fans. let's talk about the forecast. >> yes. it's the northern half of the country dealing with the snow and miserable weather. heavy rain falling through northern california. you can see the dividing line,

we are enjoying lots of sunshine. temperatures, though are going to continue to cool off over the next couple of days. this morning, it is bitterly cold with windchills down around 25 to 30 degrees below zero across the dakotas. it's 13 for a high in minneapolis, st. paul. 20s across parts of chicago. the coldest is still yet to come next week. the siberian express is moving in. that's going to bring us the coldest temperatures we've seen in

still to come, our look back on the week's most talked-about stories, including one dad's ingenious idea to make sure he never loses his daughter in a crowd. >> that's really creative. and up next, why so many comes trees look like they should be in a charlie brown holiday special.

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back now on a morning with the towering rockefeller center christmas tree, that's beautiful behind us. if your weekend plans including a trip to pick up your family's tree, be forewarned. >> a lot of them look smaller this season. jolene kent is here with more on why this season's crop doesn't appear to be as nice. >> we've got in beautiful tree

christmas tree. those drought conditions plaguing tree farmers everywhere, killing off a centerpiece of the holiday season. it's a family tradition for millions of americans, buying the perfect christmas tree. >> i want this one. >> reporter: but a punishing drought across the country is making it a lot more difficult to find one that will look good for santa. >> they're all kind of short and not very full, so we had to really look hard to find a good one. >> there's quite a few trees out there that brown christmas trees. >> what kind of a tree is that? >> you were supposed to get a good tree. >> can't you even tell a good tree from a poor tree? >> reporter: it's no joke at miracle acres tree farm in milford, new hampshire. owner dave wheeler is bracing for a ten-year impact on his 65-acre f farm. >> we planted 1,000 trees this spring and 1,000 trees are dead. >> what's the financial impact for your family? >> we're talking from the baby trees and losing years of growth

$60,000, $70,000 loss of crop. >> reporter: tree farms across the country are suffering too. in california, prices are going up. in maine and north carolina, a shortage. in louisiana and alabama, dry weather slowing growth. and in new york, connecticut, massachusetts and florida, there's concerns about trees planted this year making it to next. >> i haven't seen a drought this bad in my lifetime. we've had some droughts, but not this extreme. >> rte even though you hit this rough patch, it's still worth it financially to go forward? >> yeah. i mean we have to. this is our retirement plan. >> reporter: as you go shopping for your tree, no matter how scrubby it might look -- >> it's not bad at all really. maybe it just needs a little love. >> reporter: the beauty is in the eye of the beholder. >> now, if you already purchased your christmas tree, the tree

it and keep it away from those heating vents. if you're about to go get your tree this weekend, experts recommend buying a more mature ever grown that has been less vulnerable to those drought conditions in its early days, so a lot to think about as you head out to go tree shopping. >> it's all about how you love the tree and how you take care of it. >> exactly. >> do you have a tree yet? >> we're doing it today. >> did you just lie on television? >> mine is in the prelit, i just have to set it up. still ahead here on "today," holiday gifts and decorations that won't break the bank. they're all 50 bucks or less. plus it's one of the hottest toys of the hall days, the hatchimal. how can you get your hands on one? stay tuned to find out, but

when you find something worth waiting for, we'll help you invest to protect it for the future. financial guidance while you're mastering life. from chase, so you can. good saturday morning. i'm ann sterling. it's 7:27-- milwaukee d-p- ahead of the game -- when it comes to tonight's snow storm. main streets and bridges have already been pre-treated with a salt-mix.... and crews will begin salting and pre-treating again this afternoon.175 garbage and recycling trucks -- mounted with ?plow blades are ready to go -- when the snow starts falling. here's meteorologist brian

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la vie est belle. the eau de parfum, lanc?me. available at boston store. ?? >> we are back on a sur morning, december 10th, 2016. you've got to love shaq finding his inner beyonce. a little lip sync action there. much more coming up in popstart. meanwhile, check out this fantastic crowd. a lot of folks came to town just to see the tree and to see if dylan was going to give birth during the actual broadcast. let's give you a look at what's making headlines today.

intelligence communities. the president-elect responding to a "washington post" report about a secret cia meeting back in september claiming the russians were working to help trump win the election. trump's campaign completely dismissing those claims, even though other members of the republican party believe that russia was involved. in tennessee, some welcome news to visitors of the resort town of gatlinburg. they're just now being allowed in two weeks after those devastating wildfires in the area. most of this resort spared from the fires, but 14 people died, about 2500 homes and structures were destroyed nearby. and how's this for an early christmas present. an anonymous secret santa paid off $46,000 worth of layaway items for walmart shoppers at a pennsylvania store. shoppers were shocked to learn they could just pick up what they had on layaway without having to pay for it. in all 194 people had their gifts paid for.

since the aftermath have the warehouse fire and the battle regarding sofia vergara's kbree yoes. those are just some of the stories in this week's download. the city of oakland still grappling with the aftermath of the fire that ripped through what's known as the ghost ship. >> i looked over and could see an orange glow coming through the window. >> the death toll now stands at 36. >> the man warehouse and has been blamed by some to allowing it to become a fire trap speaks out exclusively on "today." >> i'm only here to say one thing, i am incredibly sorry. i didn't do anything ever in my life that would lead me up to this moment. >> meanwhile survivors in a devastated community try to cope. >> hundreds paying their respects. unlit candles and flashlights. >> its man who shot former nfl

an alleged case of road rage was arrested this week. >> ronald gasser now charged with manslaughter after initially being released this week. >> he was somebody's son. >> a decision that sparked public outcry. >> shame on these folks. >> as the sheriff of louisiana's jefferson parish lashes out on those criticizing his handling of the case. >> i can't believe it. >> mcknight's family spoke to nbc over the weekend. >> my child is gone. president-elect donald trump struggling to walk the line of real est m president. >> he's promised to put a wall between his business interests and the country's interests, but this morning "the new york times" reporting donald trump may not fully divest. >> meanwhile the transition picks keep coming, scott pruitt for epa. >> trump's choice to lead the epa is currently suing that agency. general john kelly for homeland security. >> i think he's got a real

small business administration. >> it's the battle of the billionaire. >> she's the former wwe head behind wrestle mania. a bizarre legal twist. sofia vergara's own embryos are suing her as part of an ongoing battle with nick lobe. >> the suit asks for lobe to receive full custody. a trust was created for the fertilized eggs in louisiana which has laws that allow an embryo to sue a person. well say i'm going to protect the lives of these two embryos. one dad shared his holiday parent hat for keeping track of his daughter at the mall. >> he ties a red balloon to her belt loop so when she wanders off, he knows exactly where she's going. he's posting all kinds of parenting solutions. >> an nbc production of "hairspray live" had viewers everywhere shaking and shimmying

cast. >> everyone is talking about the powerhouse duet between jennifer hudson and arianna grande. ?? >> i loved it. >> they are so talented. are you going to -- when you have junior here, are you going to put a balloon on him to keep track of him? >> i do think the balloon idea, it's genius. but his thumbs up were the best. >> one of our producers said what if eve that? >> i parents used to use one of those little kid leashes for my brother, my younger brother. >> really? i don't know how i feel about those. it makes sense to me -- >> are you saying my mom is a bad mom. >> not at all. you are a wonderful person. >> he turned out okay. >> well, the jury is still out. let's get another check on that forecast, please, ma'am. >> let's talk about the cold because it is going to get so cold as we go into next week. this morning we're starting off

but look at our highs. windchill in bismarck later today, 12 below zero. chicago only hits 25 but that wind will make it feel like it's 19 degrees. tomorrow morning it's going to be chilly, but again the coldest is still yet to come. tomorrow morning we're bottoming out in the single digits and 20s. it's all about the siberian express. why is it called that? well, the cold air originates from siberia and settles in across the northeast and even back through the midwest. so watch as it turns around and pours into the continental uned it pumping in here and thursday will be the coldest day we'll see next week. bismarck a high of only 3 degrees below zero. chicago makes it up to 5 degrees. nashville only hits 35 by thursday. even in new york temperatures won't get above freezing so it certainly is some of the coldest air this season. dallas will only hit a high of 50 degrees. today we're looking at another storm system making its way into the pacific northwest.

with more snow and the lake-effect snow will continue with some areas picking i... i... i wanted those... no you didn't... hefty slider bags cost less than ziploc. you'll thank me later. oh... and that's your latest forecast. >> the siberian express is officially my favorite map. >> there were swirls and dips. wait until you're freezing on thursday. >> i don't want to feel it, i just want to look at the map. when we come back, do you have trouble saying no? this is something you both struggle with. >> true. >> well, we've got some help for you.

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?? this morning in "today's takeaway" christmas and hannukah are just a few days away. if you don't want to overspend, we have some great gifts for under $50. dana johnson, good morning for you. >> good morning. >> we have some goo let's squeeze this in. i like this, a personalized rolling pin. >> that's one of the great things about working with independent makers is that you can customize as much or as little as you need. >> this is cute. >> this seller here, the humble elephant made this especially for you guys here at the "today" show. >> it says the "today" show. >> so it's a great way to personalize your pie crust and your cookies. >> and you'll see it, obviously. >> that's right. >> and then this mobile mug.

>> this is great for the soup lover, you can put crackers on the side or it's great for cookies and milk. i think it's a great option to leave out for santa christmas eve with the cookies and milk. >> this is cute for adult beverages. mixology, a dice set. >> this is made my two sisters with a shop named two tumble weeds. this is great for holiday enterta entertaining. you shake it up and figure out what the cocktail will be. it's 1.5 million different cocktail combinations that can come from this. >> this is rum and thyme. >> yes. >> this is awe huge trend right now, decorate your bottles. this is just one example to make your bottle a little more festive while you're holiday entertaining with your guests. >> when i think of personalized gifts, let's talk about this. >> this is from wood life prints. this is super special because

your picture and also a customized message like shown here on the bottom. >> oh, that's cute. >> and i think it's a great way to elevate that old school family portrait. >> and you can print whatever you want? >> print whatever and it's ready to hang. >> another good one that's popular, the customized ornament. >> this is from paper case studios. really, really fabulous because, again, you can work directly with the seller and figure out how to personalize it. i think this is great for newlyweds. you can get mr. and mrs. smith, 2016, or even a new baby. >> dylan, are you listening? you can get a personalized ornament. >> so tell me about this chalk. >> this is the great alternative for apartment dwellers in case you don't have extra space. >> what do you do? >> you shade in the christmas tree. you can color in the bulbs.

>> you can hang it on the wall. and what are we, 15 days until christmas? >> is it 15? i haven't started. >> so you can have the kids involved to dohe countdown. if you're celebrating hannukah, you can ask the kids to shade in the flame each day for hannukah. >> that's nice. dana, thank you so much. coming up next, the crowd has spoken. we'll answer their questions. you'll have to s coming up after these me well this here's a load-bearing wall. we'll go ahead and rip that out. that'll cause a lot of problems. hmm. totally unnecessary and it triples the budget. we'll be totally behind schedule, right? (laughs) schedules. schedules. great, okay. wouldn't it be great if everyone said what they meant? the citi? double cash card does. it lets you earn double cash back: 1% when you buy, and 1% as you pay. the citi double cash card.

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give your home the gift of huge holiday deals right now at lowe's. like up to 30% off select holiday items. plus get fresh cut christmas trees starting at only $29.98. save big on everything you need to make your home happy, right now at lowe's. impressive linda. it seems age isn't slowing you down. but your immune system weakens as you get older increasing the risk for me, the shines virus. i've been lurking inside you since you had chickenpox. i could surface anytime as a painful, blistering rash. one in three people get me in their lifetime, linda. will it be you? and that's why linda got me zostavax, a single shot vaccine. i'm working to boost linda's immune system to help protect her against you, shingles. zostavax is a vaccine used to prevenshes in adults fifty years of age and older. zostavax does not protect everyone and cannot be used to treat shingles yoshouldotetostavaain that may folit

ne system or take high doses of steroids are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. the most common side effects include redness, pain, itching, swelling, hard lump warmth or bruising at the injection site and headache. it's important to talk to your doctor about what situations you may need to avoid since zostavax contains a weakened chickenpox virus. remember one in three people get shingles in their lifetime, will it be you? talk you to your doctor or pharmacist about me, single shot zostavax. you've got a shot against shingles. ?? back now with one of our

ask an anchor. we have a fish bowl here, we have questions from the plaza, we have 90 seconds on the clock. ladies, you ready? >> these are giant note cards. >> let's see, my question here is what is the strangest thing that has happened to you since you started at "today"? i hear from people who claim that we're friends. that i've never known before. >> they want to visit. >> how late will you sleep in on your time off, more sleep >> i would i deally like more sleep, but i have a feeling it's going to be less. >> a lot less. >> who was your idol when you were a kid? two people probably. janet jackson, i used to have the key on my ear and then a news anchor in chicago named allison payne. never met her but if you're watching, i love you. >> janet jackson, huh? >> oh, my gosh. >> miss nasty. >> i have the whole thing. >> if you could be any animal,

why? >> i've always loved the giraffe. which make that face. >> i find that so random. >> you have a great view. >> i'd want to fly. what is the worst thing you were ever dared to do? >> keep it clean, network television. >> probably skydiving. >> did you do it? >> i did it twice. >> oh, this is hard. name one thing that you cannot live without. my kids? >> don't make that face when you say it. >> that's such a cheesy answer. i don't know what else to say. >> what is your pet peeve? oh, we're out of time. >> what is it? >> oh, i hope it's not something we do. >> i have a list. still ahead on this saturday morning, a hot gift this holiday season y these backpacks are

still to come on "today," donald trump taking on the cia. why he says he doesn't believe a report that the russians tried to help him win. also ahead this morning, this will be their last white house christmas. our first look at the obamas' final christmas card. we'll get that and sheinelle jones will probably give us a little bit more on janet jackson walgreens presents, a holiday mini miracle. hey! ?? this is for you. did you really? didn't have too! ?? getting the gift you almost kept for yourself? now that's a holiday mini miracle. and it's easy to create your own at walgreens... with 40 percent off canvas prints, just around the corner.

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good morning. donald trump versus the cia. the president-elect taking on his own spies after a new report about a secret cia meeting in september claiming the russians election to help him win. but this morning, trump is dismissing those claims and taking a shot at the spy agency. plus, bitter blast. another morning of freezing temperatures shocking millions from the dakotas into the northeast. and with the cold comes snow. 25 million people in the midwest under a winter storm watch this weekend. dylan has the latest forecast. and hatchimals for sale. some great news this morning for

elusive toy. the hottest holiday item will be on store shelves this weekend, but be prepared to wait in line with every other parent still trying to get their hands on a hatchimal. today, saturday december 10th, 2016. ?? >> i'm 50 and fabulous. >> and we're 60! >> the kindest person i know my mom. >> roll tide! >> it's our sweet 16. >> it's my bucket list and i'm on the "today" show! >> i love it. good morning, welcome back to "today" on this saturday morning. we have to thank our crowd this morning for braving the cold here in new york city. hopefully everybody is staying warm, some pocket warmers. >> they're all squeezed together so that keeps you warm.

>> and it's an experience. >> let's begin this hour with the overnight reaction from donald trump after a new report about a secret cia meeting in september. the cia apparently saying that the russians interfered with the election, helping donald trump win the election.

new york times reporting based on an analysis that the russians also hacked into the republican national committee, but that none of that information was released. you'll remember, we saw plenty of e-mails from hillary clinton campaign chairman, john podesta, as well as e-mails from a hack into the democratic nationa committee. so while this is going on, trump is still trying to pick his own national security team, rudy giuliani, we've learned, has taken his name out of consideration for secretary of state. still, in the mix, rex tillerson, the ceo of exxon mobile and also mitt romney, the 2012 presidential nominee, which you may remember, mitt romney called russia at one point,

geopolitical foe." >> eakasie, thank you. the war on isis, 200 additional troops will join the fight in syria. ash a carter announced this morning the special operations forces,on trainers, advisors an bomb squads will help locals to help in raqqah, 300 u.s. troops already inn syria. nowdy to some chilling evidence that theri trial of self-proclaimedof white supremacist. he said i had to do eoit, as he confessed to police, as he shot nine worshippers last year. roof said hisna aim was to stara race war. the defense doesn't dispute the facts in the case. they're trying to avoid the death penalty. the trialey resumes monday. samsung is virtually pulling the plig on its recall galaxy note 7 phones, on december 19th, the condition is going to release an update that will

in september because the phones were bursting into flames. they have most of them now, but they say more than 100,000 phones areot still out there. kirk douglas proving just how tough he is. the acting legend turned 100 years old and celebrated with a bash. his son michael, katherine zeta jones were by his side. he won an oscar i work in film. dylan dryer with another look at the forecast. >> good morning. we have a lot of people in new york for the first time, so this is your first trip to new york? >> yes. >>ir where are you from. >> virginia. >> you guys are from virginia and close by in maryland. you saw the rock kets? how did that go?

let's look a across the country the northern half dealing with snow, pacific northwest, more snow east ward into the midwest as we go into tomorrow. sunday into l monday, great lak. high temperatures, look at the zeros and below zeros and teens and 20tes. it will be very chilli and very much below average as we go through the day today. so bitterly cold with brutal wind chills up through the upper am i had plains, feeling below zero this morning.g. tomorrow, snow across minneapolis, most of wisconsin, into michigan too. we'll see another round of perhaps intense lake-effect snow

that's yourr latest forecas, sheinelle and craig. get them while you can, the hottest toys of the season, them. then a plea from y uncle jesse. the new season of "full house" drops on netflix, but first, these messages. in ? ? ? ? oh, a raisin re-hydrator. it turns them back into grapes. wow, what an exhausting journey. that's a good wedding present. good call. thank you... and thank you, lady blue. with the blue cash everyday card from american express, you get cash back on purchases with no annual fee. oh, look at this.

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we're back on saturday morning, and time to -- fyi, a button popped on dylan's shirt. he is kicking. >> live birth? >> show's not over yet. >> 20 minutes. >> parents, good news this morning, if you're still looking for the hottest toy this christmas, we're here to help. the hatchmal will be back on store shelves this weekend. target sent out a tweet that starting tomorrow, stores across shelves. now, there is a limit of two per person. and walmart also said it will be restocking 1,700 select stores across the country, with hatchimals, you'll have to check to see if your store is carrying them. if they are, gd luck. >> at one point it was $49. >> for on

won't make your party, because i don't stay out past 9:00 on a school night. i just don't do it. that a simple word change can make people feel more psychologically empowered. >> a reason, i don't hang out with you. >> no, that's probably not -- >> right. >> finally, your mailbox is probably filling up with holiday cards. what would you do if you got one

obamas are sending one. so before we show you, let's look back at some of the others. in 2009, they went simple. in 2012, you remember this one, bo was at the center of attention. in 2013, they came up with a 3d pop-up design. and here it is, the entire family, of course, stunning. malia and sasha have grown-up so much. here they are, back in 2008. such a difference. >> gosh. >> right? >> it is remarkable. >> right in front of our eyes. this is your last "pop start" for a few months. >> i'll be informed. first up, you asked for it and now you've got it, dude. the second house of "fuller house" is on netflix. the whole team are all back for season 2.

tanner, mary kate and ashley olson. they were absent from season one as well, but that hasn't stopped the writers from joking about it. >> we miss michelle, we hope she'll be with us next year. >> come, it will be fun. >> next, it is time to start your engines, as we get our first look at the latest fast and furious film. check out the teaser. released for the eighth installment, diesel, and the movie will be called -- >> fast and furious 8. >> no, more creative. the fate of the furious. expected to pull into theaters in april 2017. did you want them all? >> no. i saw like the first two, though. >> you can watch eight now. finally, after it was announced this week that beyonce racked up nine gramny nominations, one man who you

some fun celebrating. check out shaq. ? ? ? ? >> shaq took it on, showing this video, that song and "halo" are quote, his jam. we love shaq. one of our favorite moments, he happened to w studio and popped in. sheinelle took off her shoes, and took a picture with shaq. my favorite of all time. you hardly come up to his waist. >> oh, my goodness. >> it doesn't seem real. look at that. >> oh, my goodness. >> i could sit in his shoes. >> doesn't he have the softest hand as soon as. >> i don't remember his hands. >> he is the nicest guy. he really is. he is the nicest guy. >> you still have that picture? >> i do. i remember he was walking past

like shaq. oh, it is. why he is just walking around on a random saturday morning. nobody kind of looks like shaq. you're either shaq or not. >> when you're 7'2", you don't get mistaken for a lot of folks. coming up, humble beginnings, we've got the story behind these wildly popular back

back on a saturday morning. if you've ever taken a look at some of the backpacks people are wearing lately, you'll notice many of them have the same logo. >> the brain child of two brothers who are taking over a market once dominated by big companies. miguel almaguer has more. >> we can see if it's going to fit someone's back how it's going to look. >> reporter: it's the bag and

new york to the beaches of l.a. that clean bag with a simple logo, a global company with humble canadian roots and a home base in vancouver. a family business, no doubt. jamie and lindon cormick founded herschel. they named their company an early town their grandparents settled, herschel, canada, population 30. >> we had some of our best childhood memories in this little town. >> with roots in retail, the brothers left their jobs in marketing and sales to create what they say was missing in the market. >> we saw a hole in the market. we didn't know how big the hole was. we saw that there was this opportunity to take utility items, weave into the design dna to them, have some creative

this look and feel that wasn't available on shelves in the market. >> reporter: turns out that hole in the market was the size of a crater. from 2010 to 2011, sales spiked 900%. the next year, a more modest rise, 350%. >> are you guys a disrupter or outlier? are you -- is that what you want to become? >> i think early on, you know, a lot of people didn't carry bags 12 months of the year, are now. >> the little america is a clatic take on a vintage bag. >> reporter: their first bags were basic. a modern classic, simple, affordable and refined. >> we really wanted to take nostalgic items and modernize them. modern classics is really what we want to do. >> reporter: their like bags, their headquarters are cool. a modern space that thrives on inspiration and collaboration. >> so this is ahoy. >> reporter: the brothers take

apparel and outerwear. >> we talk about it all the time. we never stop. every single day there's a new idea. >> we planned on being global and it's something we talked about the whole time. really being scaleable, acting like a global brand. >> reporter: a global brand that's always been a family business. for "today," miguel almaguer, vancouver, canada. before we go, we have to say good luck and congratio just one more time. >> my good-bye tour is finally wrapping up. >> it's real now. >> and when i saw savannah's baby, charlie, it's like oh, wow, there really is a baby at the end of this whole journey so it made it more real. >> and that's a 9 pound 8 ounce baby. >> please don't benign pounds. but i'm going to miss you guys. i feel like it's the last day of school and i'm not going to see you for a few months. >> i was just telling dylan, i think we're having a little bit

that this is the end of a chapter and the next time you come back and are sitting on this couch, to me it's a great chapter. >> it's the best chapter. >> everyone says that and i can't wait to see what it's all about. i'm so excited. >> you'll see. >> i used to wonder what their face would look like. >> oh, i'm dying to know what his face looks like. >> we're so happy for you and we're just as happy that you didn't do it during the broadcast today. >> me too. >> not me. >> that would have been embarrassing. >> sheinelle woman wanting it the last woke. >> that's going to do it. tomorrow morning willie sitting down with jessica chastain. how the actress got her start in the business and the movie that put her into the spotlight. that's coming up tomorrow morning on "sunday today." enjoy your saturday. have a great weekend. dylan, we'll miss you. >> i'll miss you guys too. please visit. >> can we come over? >> can we come over? right when you feel a cold sore, abreva can heal it >> can we come over? in as few as two and a half days when used at the first sign.

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plus, save on all battery-operated ride-ons! toys"r"us. awwwesome! ? i want a hippopotamus for christmas ? ? only a hippopotamus will do ? at the united states postal service, ses to homes than anyone else in the country. and more hippopotamuses, too. nighty night. when are they leaving? grilled cheese and campbell's tomato soup go together like grandchildren and chaos.

give your home the gift of huge holiday deals right now at lowe's. like this kobalt 175-piece mechanics tool set for only $99. plus get this dewalt 20-volt max brushless drill with soft case for only $119. save on everything you need to make your home happy, at lowe's. we asked woman to smell two body washes and pick their favorite. they both smell good. i like b better. i prefer b. b. ohhhh i love bath and bodyworks. i have this in my bathroom. and what was the one they preferred? ohhhh. this is suave. really? that's quite a bit of smelling good. suave three fragrances preferred over bath and body works. thank you for dining with us. hope to see you again soon. whoa, whoa, i got this.

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annoucner: when you see this symbol you know you're watching television that is educational and informational the more you know. on nbc. lauren: hi, i'm lauren thompson, and this is heart of a champion." today, learn how one of the elite pit crews in nascar keeps its team in a position to win from start to finish. d that trust between one another, knowing where guys are going to be when the right call is made is huge. lauren: and find out why panthers tight end greg olsen is making an even greater impact off the field. greg: we said, how amazing would it be if we could provide that level of in-home care to every family who's born with a congenital heart defect?' lauren: then, the fascinating story of lpga