good morning. historic and dangerous. widespread flooding across the midwest. evacuations ordered in parts of missouri. a state of emergency now in effect and the national guard called in. we're there live. breaking overnight. a second new year's eve terror plot foiled in as many days in europe. two suspectsinked to isis arrested. while here at home new york city officials vow security will be more extensive than ever for the world's largest celebration. facing justice, the so-called affluenza teen and his mother expected to be brought back from mexico as early as today as we learn more about the phone call that led to their capture. this morning why some fear the 18-year-old who got probation for a drunk driving crash that killed four people could get off

and ko'd. former boxing champ mike tyson adds his name to the list of growing hoverboard victims today, wednesday, december 30th, 2015 >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with matt lauer and savannah guthrie live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. good morning, everybody. it's wednesday morning. welcome to "today." i'm savannah guthrie alongside carson daly in for matt once again, the birthday boy i might add. >> happy birthday. >> you watched that mike tyson video. >> 30, 40 times, hard to not chuckle at the former champ. like so many this holiday season who got the hoverboards. >> and then fell off it. >> a mean fall. right on the back. >> posted it to instam gram. a good sport. top story, torrential rains and flooding from the storm that

it now has more than 18 million americans bracing for potentially historic flooding. we've got all of this covered, andy with want to start with nbc's morgan radford in missouri where the rivers are rising this morning. morgan, good morning two. >> reporter: good morning, savannah. a state of emergency here in missouri where 13 people have already died over the weekend and the governor has called in the national guard. a city submerged. >> it's very clear that missouri is the in the midst of a very historic and dangerous flooding event. >> reporter: 16 counties are under flood warnings, including the area where the missouri and mississippi rivers meet. >> this one came up a little quick. >> reporter: volunteers turned out on tuesday in the blistering cold to fill sandbags in st. louis, where a flooded waterway threatened hundreds of homes. >> just grab everything and walked out the door, pretty much. >> reporter: rachel chambliss and her family are trying to prepare for what's to come. torrential rains over the past

swollen rivers and streams to virtually unheard of heights, forcing water over levees and rivers at all-time highs and in certain areas some 20 to 30 feet above flood stage. floods forced scattered evacuations and the closure of interstates and hundreds of roads. a wastewater treatment plant shut down after it sent sewage directly into nearby rivers and streams. it's a frightening thrashback for those who went through the devastating 1993 flood that destroyed over 10,000 homes and impacted hundred of towns. experts predict the mississippi river will reach 15 feet above flood stage, becoming the first flood on record, second only to 1993. >> we've got a lot of water that we have to get out of the state, so to speak. we have countless roads that are going to stay under water for several days. again, everybody get their message out. this is not done yet.

situations out there. >> reporter: savannah and carson, you can see that the rain has stopped, but the river here is continuing to rise. in fact, the water is expected to come up eight more feet, and that's before thursday. back to you. >> scary times there. morgan radford, thank you. >> al is keeping an eye on the flooding situation in pasadena, california, getting red for friday's big rose parade. al, good morning. >> good morning, guys. this is a major problem, not just in missouri but across the country. we've got major flooding. let's show you what's going on. we've got 400 river gauges that are nationally above flood stage. major flooding at 47 locations. look at what's going on along the mississippi river. cape girardeau looking at a record crest of 48.5, will tie that on saturday and chester, illinois close to a record and st. louis, missouri, coming close, not quite a record but it will still call for major problems. look for the crest sometime

major flood stage is at 40 feet, and one of the problems is all the rain that's been falling. for example, st. louis seeing their wettest year on record. 2008 was the record. 57.9. they are at 61 inches of rain. the good news is no more rain in sight for the next few days. that will give a chance for all the rivers to start lowering on their own, but it's going to be a while until the weekend when people will get some sort of relief. guys, back to you. >> all right, al. thank you so much. now to the alarming new terror arrests overnight. for the second day in a row authorities in europe say they have foiled had a plot to attack new year's celebrations there. nbc's chief global correspondent bill neely has his eye on this from london this morning. bill, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, savannah, yes, two attacks planned on two capital cities this new year. in turkey police have arrested two men believed to be isis bombers who came from syria and planned attacks on bars near the main square in ankara where

celebrate new year. police found suicide vests and explosive devices at what prosecutors describe as an isis safe house. they are on alert in ankara because two months ago isis suicide bombers killed more than 100 people at a peace rally there. meanwhile further north in belgium, two men were arrested on suspicion of planning to attack new year crowds in the main square of its capital brussels. belgian media say they were members of a motor bike gang called the kamikaze riders. in french the word kamikaze means suicide bomber. no weapons or explosives were found though, and brussels is going ahead with its new year's celebrations and fireworks. no repeat of the lockdown there a few weeks ago after the paris attacks, but belgian militants, of course, have been at the center of a number of attacks, including paris. across europe, including here in london, police are on high alert after one intelligence agency warned of possible terror

crowds between christmas and new year's, but so far, of course, fingers crossed, nothing yet. savannah, back to you. >> thanks so much. here at home measures are being taken to keep revelers safe in the wakes of the terror attacks in san bernardino. shawn henry served as assistant director of the fbi. good morning to you. >> good morning. >> heard of the arrests in brussels and ankara, turkey this morning is this something isis is directing? are you seeing that in the social media and the propaganda, doing is on the new year's eve celebrations. >> that's right, savannah. there are freedom fighters, people that are looking and directed by isis and then there from a law enforcement largest concern. those that might be flying under the radar, undetected who are inspired because they are online, social media, et cetera and then get this call to arms to fight where you stand. >> shawn, let's zoom in here, of course, times square, mayor de blasio said on tuesday they are taking more extensive

is law enforcement specifically changing the way that they are going to keep us safe on thursday night in lieu of the recent attacks? >> there certainly will be a lot more resources deployed here. new york city police department greatest most prepared police department anywhere in the world. there will be thousands and thousands of law enforcement officers, controlled access into the area, multiple stages of security where you've got to be checked, radiologic devices to test for detection, looking at bomb dogs, et cetera, so there will be a lot of folks here. this is a safe city. >> we talk about this all the time, but the trouble is how difficult it is to detect some of these. you look at san bernardino, nobody saw those red flags, and there really weren't that many red flags for anyone to see. >> that's right. you're only as good as your intelligence, and you don't know what you don't know. director comey from the fbi said there are investigations in all 50 states for jihadi-inspired rad cams, and when you are looking to detect these things you've got to turn to the

>> at certain points after the paris attacks the european officials were telling people to avoid large gatherings. you're not saying that? >> look, i think you've got to take the direction of law enforcement and the intelligence agencies. they know best, and they have the most up-to-date intelligence. the mayor here in new york city, the police chief have said that they are going on. this is going to be a big event, and they have got adequate resources deployed to make the city safe. >> all right. shawn henry, thank you very much. another big story tied to national security this morning. the nsa reportedly caught spying on israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu despite promises from the president to curb eavesdropping on our allies. next's kristen welker is following this story this morning. kristen, good morning. what can you tell us? >> reporter: savannah, good morning to you. well, the allegations could further complicate the relationship between the u.s. and israel. now, according to twournl despite president obama's pledge two years ago he would restrict eavesdropping on the heads of states of u.s. friends and

the report indicates that in some cases the spying tracked communications between members of congress and israeli leaders, including prime minister benjamin netanyahu. now, this all came as the u.s. was negotiatinging that nuclear dole with iran and some communications reportedly showed israeli officials trying to turn u.s. lawmakers against the iran deal. in a statement a white house official tells nbc news that while it won't comment on any specific intelligence activities, quote, as a general matter we do not conduct any foreign intelligence surveillance activities unless there is a specific and purpose. now, in an interview this morning, the israeli intelligence minister said he was not aware of the report and insisted that israel is not spying on the u.s. you may recall nsa contractor edward snowden first exposed his agency's spying operations back in 2013 and created tensions between the u.s. and its allies. this revelation yet another potential embarrassment for the u.s. savannah. >> feel like it's not going to

kristen welker, thanks so much. in the presidential race get ready to see more of donald trump on the campaign trail. the republican front-runner is planning to launch a massive ad blitz in several key battleground states. nbc's hallie jackson is in hilton head, south carolina, where trump is holding a rally this morning. hallie, good morning. >> reporter: hey there, carson, good morning. donald trump, the unconventional candidate plans to turn to a more conventional method of politicking saying he feels an obligation to the country to spend money, trump announced he starts to plan shelling out at least 2 million a week on tv ads hoping to convince voters in key early states like south carolina here that he should be the republican nominee. the candidate constantly talking money. >> i'm really rich. >> i've made billions and billions of dollars. >> i'm much richer than anybody dreamed. >> reporter: now ready to spend it. >> no reason to spend but i feel i should spend and honestly i don't want to take any chances. >> reporter: donald trump telling reporters on his plane

new hampshire and south carolina with ads on issues like the border wall, trade and fighting isis. while other candidates have been running tv spots for months -- >> the person behind this desk will have to protect your family. will he be impulsive and reckless like donald trump? >> reporter: the front-runner has held off, shelling out less than a quarter million dollars so far, least of any candidate, spending the most, jeb bush and his allies, $41.1 million. >> he hasn't spent 40 million. he's wasted 40 million. there's a big difference. >> reporter: and while trump is blasting bush and every other politician. >> they know the politicians are all talk, no action. it's just all [ bleep ], okay. all [ bleep ]. >> reporter: some rivals refusing to respond. >> i'm not going to get in a tit-for-tat with him. i'm bigger and better than that. not going to do it. >> reporter: hillary clinton ignoring trump at her final rally of 2015. >> i will go anywhere to find common ground with anybody.

>> if it's got to be a woman, which i'm all in favor of some day, it shouldn't be hillary. >> reporter: clinton in new hampshire, trump on the iowa border drawing thousands and raising the question can he turn his crowds into caucus goers or are folks showing up for the spectacle. >> who is from nebraska, real quick. wow! >> reporter: you have a lot of friends in iowa, right? you call every one of them on february 1st and you make sheer they get out and vote. >> trump has a little less competition this morning former new york governor george pataki announcing he'll drop out of the race, guys. the republican field getting a bit smallary month before the iowa caucuses. >> hallie jackson, thanks very much. this mornlgt faa is launching an investigate into a dangerous incident at seattle's airport. a passenger jet accidentally landing on the taxiway. natalie is following that story this morning. good morning.

this happened earlier this month, and officials say the weather was clear that day, so they are trying to figure out how an experienced pilot ended up in the wrong area. this morning faa officials tell nbc station king they are investigating why an alaska airlines passenger jet land on the central taxiway, not the runway, at seattle-tacoma international airport on december 19th. just a few minutes before landing, the air traffic control tower opened up the runway to alaska flight 27. >> 27 roger, thank you. we'll take 1-6 center. >> actually 27, change to runway 1-6 center. >> reporter: instead the crew did not make it over to the center runway. the pilot mistakenly land on the taxiway. the unmarked strip ever concrete in between the runways. using a flight simulator instructor sean pratt points out the runways are marked but a mix-up is still possible.

and 1-6 and here's the taxiway that goes down the center. >> while no one was hurt in the incident and experts say had another plane been parked on the taxiway the result could have been catastrophic. >> though there was a dangerous condition, a condition that should be avoided, it's something that can be learned from. >> alaska airlines says this wasn't that pilot's first time landing at c-tech so they are trying to figure out why the mistake was made and other planes have landed on the taxiway as well. the other incident happened back in 2004. i mean, we're not experienced. but if he's land there had before, interesting to see how they determine what happens next. >> yeah, exactly. all right, natalie, thank you. there are new tensions between the u.s. and iran after a close call involving a u.s. aircraft carrier and an iranian rocket. u.s. military officials say iran's navy began conducting a live fire exercise last week while the "uss harry s. truman" was traveling through the

a rocket came within 1,500 yards of the aircraft carrier and an official from iran said they were not targeting the ship but the action was unnecessarily provocative and unsafe. iran said it was planned training exercises and all the vessels in the area had been warned. now to chicago where today mayor rahm emanuel is expected to announce a major overhaul on how city police officers are trained and equipped. among changes, every officer responding to a call will now be required to carry a taser. mayor emanuel facing mounting pressure to resign following the release of a video showing a black man being shot by a while police officer perand then last weekend's accidental shooting death of a woman during a domestic disturbance call. rescuers in eastern china have found eight surviving miners who were trapped for five days in a collapsed mine. they used infrared cameras to look inside the darkness and find the survivors. at least one worker was killed in the christmas day disaster. nine remain missing and 11 other miners made it to safety shortly after the collapse.

it was this year's hottest christmas gift and perhaps the most dangerous one, too. all week we've been showing you these videos of people falling off their new hoverboards. well, now you can add heavyweight champ mike tyson to that list. take a look. >> oh. >> yes, the hoverboard gets the knockout. tyson shared that video on instagram on tuesday with the #i'mtooold for this fill in the blank. >> down goes tyson. >> the floor looked very shiny and slippery. >> it looked like the hoverboard everhoverboard hit the carpet and put him over the edge. >> good news, he posted that. >> exactly. >> let's head back out to al in pasadena for the rose parade, al? >> hey, guys, it's going to be the 127th tournament of roses parade at the rosemont pavilion. we'll show you around in a little bit. let's show you what's happening

we only have a little bit of snow left over in northern new england, but, still, our first taste of winter. more snow coming across the great lakes. look for fog in the central mid-atlantic states and wet weather all the way down to the gulf coast and that's going to cause some airport delays down through atlanta. plenty of sunshine in the pacific northwest and chilly here in southern california. that's what's going on. we'll get to your local forecast to the woman in the mid-90's showstopper... you're right. it's time to set this bird free. hot blooded, check it and see... got a fever of 103... feelin' hungry? how 'bout a donut? i'm hot blooded..i'm hot blooded! whether it's 30-years old or 30-days old, carmax will appraise it in as little as 30 minutes. and then your only concern will be how to spend the cash. rad. greenville, spartanburg, anderson will be mostly cloudy and mild, high of 65, with scattered showers and

5-8+. already saturated ground and full creeks could lead to localized flooding in the region, so flood watches are out >> that's your latest weather. guys, we're going to show you around a little bit late, and we're also going to show you how the drought is affecting what they are doing here at the rose parade, the 127th rose parade friday live at 11:00 a.m. eastern, 8:00 a.m. pacific right here on nbc. hoda kotb joins me. this will be the third year in a row the hodster and i get to do it. >> except when hoda does it she calls it the ros-e parade.

the affluenza teen in mexico and where the case goes from here. could he possibly get off easy. >> and allegations that human growth hormone was shipped to peyton manning home, we asked the question what is hgh? are there any reasons for someone to take this? we'll take a closer look at

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good morning... i'm mike mccormick. it's 7:27. right now.. the greenville county coroner and the highway patrol are investigating an accident that killed a pedestrian. officials say a car hit and killed the man on white horse road. the accident hapned around 1:30 this morning. this was near west blue ridge drive. the victim's identity has not been released. here's dale. mike starting on 85 or rain is beginning to slow traffic down broaching pelham road as you can see here on the sc dot camera accidents to watch out for in greenville an accident whitehorse road is still slowing things down that area. and in spartanburg county in the boiling springs area of highway 90 or 85 ems on the scene of an accident there. our travel time starting to slow down as the rain moves into the area along with the rain last? dale gilbert

greenville, spartanburg, anderson will be mostly cloudy and mild, high of 65, with scattered showers and thunderstorms likely this afternoon. southwest breezes 5-8+. already saturated ground and full creeks could lead to localized flooding in the region, so flood watches are out for most of the area until early thursday. the mountains will be mostly cloudy, high of 63. showers and thunderstorms are likely as well through the evening. southwest breezes at 5-9. asheville, hendersonville will drop to 48 overnight, the upstate will drop to 55. highs on thursday of 54 to 63 in the region. cooler, dryer weather moves in for new years through the first of next week. good morning.. it's 7:57. in about a half hour... dabo will be mostly cloudy, high of 63. showers and thunderstorms are likely as well through the

will drop to 4 one of my favorite songs. back now at 7:30 on a wednesday morning. you don't know this song. >> one of my favorite songs. i love this. >> good morning, everybody. it's a chilly morning. what a great, great song. >> it's our solo song. wear our pink songs. >> matt asked us to say happy birthday to him every half hour. it's a new half hour so happy birthday, matt. >> absolutely. >> stories making news, days of rain across the midwest have rivers rights and the national weather service says flooding could reach historic levels. the republican presidential field is shrinking.

pataki announced the end of his white house bid and called on someone to elect someone that can bring us together. and after moderate aftershocks rattled people in california, the 4.4 quake was most strongly felt in san bernardino county and cause nod major damage or injuries. and more on what led to the capture and arrest of the so-called affluenza teen and his mother in mexico. we'll talk to the texas sheriff who is overseeing that case in just a moment, but first nbc's gabe gutierrez with the latest. gabe, good morning to you. >> reporter: savannah, good morning. ethan couch and his mother are expected to be brought back to texas as early as today. investigators are now looking into who may have helped them during their time on the run. the local sheriff says that the pair may have thrown what was described as a going away party before they went missing. this morning the so-called affluenza teen is in custody, but ethan couch may only face a few months of jail time for nailing to check in with his probation officer. the tarrant county district

his 19th birthday this coming april due to texas law. the case could be transferred from juvenile to adult court, but even then a judge can only sentence him to 120 days in jail. based on what he allegedly did running from police for about two weeks, should he face more time in jail? >> you know, he should face more time in jail because he killed four people. >> reporter: as for his mother tonya couch, she faces a charge of aiding and abetting a felon. if convicted she could spend up to ten years behind bars. >> her entire focus has been on protecting ethan. her entire focus has been on making sure he didn't see any justice done, making sure he was not accountable >> reporter: two-week international search for the couple ended here. this image captured the moment of the arrest. this butcher told nbc's kerry sanders that ethan couch had come into his shop.

black and said the teen looked nervous and suspicious. couch's case drew worldwide attention after he killed four people near fort worth while driving drunk in 2013. during sentencing couch's attorney argued that the then 16-year-old did not fully understand the difference between right and wrong due to his affluent upbringing. a judge gave him ten years probation. families of the crash victims are now releast search is over. >> my clients are glad because it moves it to the next chapter of what's going to happen to him as opposed to it hanging over their head for months on end where's ethan? >> reporter: the associated press citing mexican authority reports saying the couches ordered pizza from one of their phones and that may have helped authorities track them down. ethan couch's attorney say they have not spoken to their client yet and would not comment further until he's back in the country. savannah? >> all right, gabe gutierrez, thank you so much. dee anderson, the sheriff of

thanks for being with us. >> my pleasure. >> we've heard this report that it was actually a call to the domino's pizza that tipped off authorities to the location of ethan couch and his mom. can you confirm that? can you tell us anymore? >> that's a very oversimplify oversimplification what have happened. we had a lot of work going on, a lot of old-fashioned police work going on. there wasn't one phone call that actually turned the case. we actually on christmas eve had gotten information on the part of puerto vallarta that we thought they had been in and were working on it ever since. wasn't ascisms as a single phone call. we had to do a lot of work to pinpoint the location of where they were. >> based on ethan couch's change in appearance the fact that they were found in mexico, is it your assumption that they had planned to stay on the run for some time? >> i believe so. i believe that they were planning on a long-term disappearance. i don't think there was any intent for them to come back because they knew as soon as they returned to this country

would both be arrested, so i think it was a long-term intention. i don't know how far out in advance they planned. >> hand here you have ethan couch's mother now presumably going to be charged. i think the d.a. said that the charge could carry up to ten years in prison so there's a certain irony that she ultimately might face more time in jail than her own son. >> yeah, that's true. she's facing a felony charge in adult courts, and, unfortunately, ethan's case is still under the jurisdiction of the juvenile court and because of the way texas law, is it's very -- they are very limited in their options to do what they can do with him. what we hope to happen is that he will also get his case transferred into an adult court here very shortly, and then at least he can do some jail time and then he'll hopefully be placed on a very, very intense probation with much more supervision than he had when he was on probation as a juvenile. >> before i let you go, i know you've been on this case since the beginning investigating the

killed four people and really injured another person. here's a young man who was given a second chance essentially and just kind of had to stay on the straight and narrow. are you surprise that had this is how it turned out? >> not at all. i said two years ago when he didn't receive any significant sentence, i said two years ago that we weren't through with him and we'd see him back in the criminal justice system and as i said many times i told you so but i told you this was going to happen and i'm just surprised he lasted two years, to be honest with you. i expected him to make a mistake long before the two-year mark. it wasn't a surprise to me at all that he couldn't follow the rules. he's never had to follow rules. he doesn't believe in the rules, and it didn't surprise me at all when -- when this occurred. i just was surprised it didn't happen sooner to be honest with you. >> tarrant county sheriff anderson, there's been a lot of work on your part to bring these two to justice. thank you for your time this

>> you're very welcome. >> let's get a check. weather from al out in pasadena, california, ahead of the rose parade. mr. roker. >> hey, guys, thanks so much. the theme this year, find your adventure. the 127th tournament of roses parade. of course what, makes this so unique is that every inch of every float has to be covered with some sort of organic plant material. for example, it will take these flower buds. they then clip them all off and then they put them in blenders to make this powder. that's amazing. that's amazing stuff and then look, even seeds, little poppy seeds, popoies. poppies. all right. let's show you what we've got going on right now as we get this stuff out of the air. we're basically looking at a lot of rain through the southeast from new orleans, louisiana all the way into the mid-atlantic states. this is all part of f system that's pushing forward. as it does, another round of heavy rain. repeat storms continue, and this is going to go right on into

some areas looking at anywhere from 3 to 5 inches of rain, and the ground is already saturated so we've got 17 million to 18 million people under some sort of flood watch or advisory for all this rain. that's what's going on around ng on around ng on around ng onanderson will be mostly cloudy and mild, high of 65, with scattered showers and thunderstorms likely this afternoon. southwest breezes 5-8+. already saturated ground and full creeks could lead to localized flooding in the region, so flood watches are out ? that's your latest weather. guys, i wonder what they are going to do with in. >> wow. >> brussel sprouts? >> yeah. >> brussel sprouts. this is how theycome.

>> make some bruce el dust. >> get some bacon in there and call it a meal. al, thank you so much. we showed you mike tyson a little bit earlier on "trending." another, hoverboard video is going viral. a priest riding a around hoverboard during mass and what the church thought about his unusual sermon. >> next, a warning before you plan your next getaway. why you shouldn't always trust those travel reviews that you read online. we'll i am never getting married. never. psssssh. guaranteed. you picked a beautiful ring. thank you. we're never having kids. mmm-mmm. breathe. i love it here. we are never moving to the suburbs. we are never getting one of those (minivan). we are never having another kid. i'm pregnant. i am never letting go.

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we are back at 67:43. if you're planning a last-minute trip on the long holiday weekend or looking ahead to your spring vacation check out the online reviews before you book. >> the question is can they be trusted? here's nbc's joe fryer. >> reporter: thanks to the internet these days everyone really is a critic, able to post their own reviews on websites like trip adviser and yelp. >> kind of teetering on five star or one star. >> reporter: a trend recently mocked by "south park."

applebees was sublime and the street parking wasn't that great, 2 1/2 stars. >> reporter: such sites are popular with travelers planning last-minute vacations or seeking a hotel getaway in the spring. >> when i'm looking at these sisis and looking at anything that's four stars or higher. >> reporter: a survey finds 65% of consumers trust such revows, but should they? no one notes exact number of fake online reviews. the company reputation communications estimates anywhere from one-third to one-half are not real. posted to either unfairly hurt a competitor or give a company a boost. >> sometimes when you look at them and you get the feeling like, no, that's just -- they had to write that themselves. there's no way. >> reporter: despite the skepticism trip adviser says 93% of its consumers found hotel reviews to be accurate of their actual experience. most will read at least 6 to 12 reviews before making a decision where to stay. yelp advises focusing on its recommended reviews designed to

raves. experts also suggest looking at a reviewer's other critiques. fake reviews tend to be posted by accounts with little or no history. a few more tips. look for reviews with photos which are harder to fake and be wary of reviews that are glowingly positive or negative but lack details. like them or not, online critics have power, something recognized by the redberry hotel. on trip advisers it's ranked as one of the top ten hotels in los angeles and makes a point of replying to every single review, good or bad, sending a message to potential guests. >> they like to see that the management is informed and that they are interactive with the guests and they are responsive to people's feedback. >> reporter: because in a world where everyone is a critic, every star can make a difference. for "today," joe fryer, nbc news, los angeles. >> you read the reviews? prefer a human touch. if i have a friend who visited the place that's a perfect

>> ordering something online, i'll check forfeit for clothing, if it's usually the right fit. i've checked them out, but i also use it as a barometer. >> do you? >> i check them all the time. best chinese food ever, worst chinese food ever so what do i do? >> no, i get the egg roll obviously. >> wise woman. >> he gets my joke. >> coming up, why jennifer lawrence absolutely hates new year's eve. >> ant internet's newest raging debate. how would a dog wear pants? >> wow. >> you can spend a lot of time thinking about this.

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ask your doctor if it's right for you. this is the one place we're not afraid to fail. some of these experiments may not work. but a few might shape the future. like turning algae into biofuel... ...new technology for capturing co2 emissions... ...and cars twice as efficient as the average car today. ideas exxonmobil scientists are working on to make energy go further... ...no matter how many tries it takes. energy lives here. well, dylan is over in the original room with one of the great fillphilosophical debates of our time. >> dylan, go ahead. >> i'm here to ask the tough hard-hitting questions. that's my role here this. all started when "maxim" editor

question, if a dog wore pants, would he wear them like this or like this? mind blown. and if this has kept you up at night you're not alone. 3 million have entered opinions and they are strong. well, duh, the second way. how else would they tuck in their shirts? >> that's from al roker. >> how can so many people be so wrong? youear pants on your legs no matter how many of them you have, period. sk posts, well, either way the belt loops seem a bit againstless. and people even presented real life operations this. poor guy here with the overalls, and the only logical wear to figure out this whole dog/pants debate is with a good twitter poll. over 25,000 people weighed in, and here are the results. 81% said two legs and hi to bring this home with me and ask my own dog bosco what do you prefer? he's cowering.

i could usually use those belt loops because those shorts are falling off her, poor guy. >> i never thought about this. the four legs because they cover the legs. >> and the dog's waist. >> like what is the essence of the pants, to cover the bits and parts which for that talk is on the two legs. >> can we go back to the real debate, the black/blue dress. >> natalie, how dare you. >> that one is definitely black/blue. >> two legs, four legs? >> two. the citi double cash card comes in very handy with cash back twice on purchases. earn once when you buy, and again as you pay. that's cash back now, and cash back again later. it's cash back d\j vu. the citi double cash card. the only card that lets you earn cash back twice on every purchase with 1% when you buy and 1% as you pay.

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good morning.. it's 7:57. in about a half hour... dabo sweeney is expected to tell us more about three players who were sent home from miami.. reports out of south florida say clemson is making them skip the orange bowl for failing a drug test. here's what we know so far... wide receiver deon cain... placekicker am-mon la- kip... and tightend jay jay m mullough were sent home before practice tuesday. ammon lakip missed the first part of the year due to a suspension from another drug infraction... again... the head coaches have their final press conference before the orange bowl this morning at 8-30. our sports team will have the latest from miami on our wyff 4 mobile app and wyff 4 dot com. here's richard. mike good morning we are watching an accident interstate 85 northbound near highway 178 in anderson county you can see the emergency lights off to the side of the road traffic is forecast

and mild, high of 65, with scattered showers andthunrstorms lely this afternoon. southst breezes5-8+. alreadsaturated grod and full creeks could lead to localized flooding in the region, so flood watches are out for most of the area until early thursday. the mountains will be get to your destination dale has her forecast greenville, spartanburg, anderson will be mostly cloudy and mild, high of 65, with scattered showers and thunderstorms likely this afternoon. southwest breezes 5-8+. already saturated ground and full creeks could ad to localizeflooding in theregion, so flo watches are oufor most of the area until early thursday. the mountains will be mostly cloudy, high of 63. showers and thunderstorms are likely as well through the evening. southwest breezes at 5-9. asheville, hendersonville will drop to 48 overnight, the

it's 8:00 on "today." coming up, hgh in the spotlight. a lot of people talking about human growth hormone after allegations surfaced it was shipped to the home of star quarterback peyton manning so what exactly is hgh? is it a medical miracle or medical mistake. and then new year, new wish list. didn't get everything you wanted for christmas. don't sweat it. we'll have the big-ticket items can you sghor january at even deeper discounts and the new breakfast blend. your morning coffee not doing it for you anymore? the surprise ingredient people will say will give you an extra jolt in your cup of joe, today, wednesday, december 30th, 2015.

my "today" show to-do list. >> shout-out to you and steve from the "today" show. >> happy new year to union, georgia! >> we're here on the "today" show. >> good morning. and welcome back to "today." it's 8:00. it's wednesday, december 30th, 2015. beautiful morning out here in our plaza, feeling a little wintry but not too bad. as we say hello to all the folks getting ready for perhaps new year's eve celebrations. >> awesome. carson, new year's is like your super bowl. >> let's do it. i think it's like my 17th year in times square presiding over the ball drop. >> so exciting. >> yeah, it's great. >> matt has the morning off. it's his birthday. >> happy birthday. >> new half house, new birthday wish. >> meredith vieira's wish, they

is out in california gearing up for the rose parade. good morning to you, wherever you may be. al? >> he's there. trust us, he's there. >> coming up, how to prepare your car for the worst of winter so you don't get left how the in the cold. >> plus, more of our "today food" last hurrah series and can't beat the name of the sweet treat we're preparing today. this morning junk in the trunk cookies. a little bit of everything. >> i love the sound of that. first let's head inside to natalie with the top stories of the morning. nat, good morning. >> hey, guys. once again, starting off with weather and unprecedented flooding shows no signs of easing in parts of the midwest. the national weather service is calling the flooding historic. nbc's morgan radford is in missouri where a state of emergency is in effect. morgan, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, natalie. as you said, a state of emergency here in missouri after 13 people died over the weekend and the governor has already called in the national guard. you can see that these floodwaters are rising so rapidly.

created in the water behind me. you can also see here the sandbags that have been placed alllong homes and businesses. they are actually being boarded up so that water can't enter the crevices of these homes and buildings around the windows and around the doors, but something else i want to point out, natalie, is that the national weather service estimates that 50% of flood fatalities are actually vehicle-related. that's why the governor said that 12 of the 13 people who died this weekend were swept away while in their cars. that's also why the governor and authorities, natalie, are urging people to avoid travel -- and to avoid traveling on flooded roadways just like this. back to you. >> good advise. morgan radford in missouri. in new hampshire four secret service agents were seriously injured while on duty. according to the secret service director joseph clancy the four were involved in a motor vehicle accident when they were struck head on by another car that crossed the double yellow line.

was killed. the agents' injuries are said to be non-life-threatening. officials in turkey say they have foiled a plot to carry out eve. they are holding two suspected members of isis after raiding a house in turkey's capital and seizing suicide vests armed with bombs. police think the two were planning an attack in an area the new year. the faa is investigating a dangerous mistake at seattle's tacoma international airport. alaska airlines flight 27 was coming in from chicago earlier this month when the pilot landed on a taxiway instead of a runway. no one was hurt, but if another plane had been on that taxiway the results could have been catastrophic. police in florida are trying to find a brazen thief, and they hope this security video will help. it shows the man walking in the back of a north lauderdale church as people were praying. then grabs an 84-year-old woman's purse when she wasn't

the purse was found a few days later with her money and valuables all gone. some heavy lifting in chile which beach-goers and local fishermen teamed up to rescue a blue whale more than 60 feet long that got stranded in shallow water. they were able to use a very big net, as you see, and pushed and pulled and used a boat to eventually get the whale back into the deep water. be free, whale, be free. >> natalie, thank you. >> thanks, nat. this week's bombshell allegations against peyton manning have a lot of people talking about human growth hormoefnlt the star quarterback said he did not take it. the nfl bans it for players, and it's tightly controlled by the fda. well, nbc's stephanie gosk has been taking a closer look at all of this as well. stephanie, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, savannah. there's been a lot of talk about it. the al jazeera report claims manning's wife received shipments of hgh, but what is hgh exactly, and are there

>> it's completely fabricated, complete trash, garbage. >> reporter: nfl's beloved quarterback peyton manning vehemently denies ever taking the performance enhancing drug hgh, and he did not discuss details of any medications prescribed to his wife. >> nothing has ever been sent to her or my wife has used that i've ever taken, absolutely not. i have my treatments that i do. she may have hers and that's her business. >> reporter: al jazeera documentary alleges his wife ashley manning received multiple shipments. >> all the time we'll be sending ashley manning drugs. >> reporter: the only source of former pharmacy intern recanted the story, but al jazeera stands by the reporting. hgh is naturally produced by the body's pituitary gland to regulate growth in children. adults need the hormone as well but in much smaller amounts.

banned in the nfl because it produces and stimulates muscle growth. an intestinal problem called short bowel syndrome, a sudden weight loss condition caused by hiv or aids, and a deficiency of naturally occurring hgh. >> the fda has found that there's no support for the use of growth hormone for any purpose other than these three uses. >> reporter: but there is still an off-label market for hgh. clinics around the country illegally prescribe the hormone to reverse the aging process.s. >> it's quite likely that an anti-aging clinic would prescribe to a woman in her 40s. that's the business that they are in. >> reporter: there's one problem. experts we spokeke to say there is no science to back up the claims. in 2011 a study showed more than twice the quantity o hgh was prescribed than with americans with legitimate illnesses would

prescribed illegally. the guyer institute where manning received treatment in 2011 and where al jazeera alleges the drugs came from promises to help patients live longer and more vibrantly. nbc news reached out to them for comment but we didn't receive a reply. savannah? >> all right, stef, thank you so much. a lot of questions about this. we want to turn to nbc news medical contributor dr. natalie azar. natalie, good morning to you. so we saw in stephanie's piece the legitimate reasons for hgh to be prescribed. what are the reasons it's appealing? what do people think they are going to get out of it? >> i think, savannah, the three main reasons thaha experts are saying that people are using it is really to improve athletic performance. people who use it for body building purposes and also this anti-aging idea. there is a natural decline in growth hormone as we get older, and i think some people think that if there's a deterioration in your body because of reducing levels of certain hormones, perhaps if we give those hormones back we can, you know,

that, and i think here the idea is this -- t tt growth hormone does regulate body composition so it is involved in muscle mass and bone strength and -- and other functions, and the idea that you're going to gain muscle mass and reduce body fat i think is the main appeal for most people in this anti-aging idea. >> doc, any drug that works you know, prevent aging and help with weight loss would be considered a miracle drug. >> right. >> so the question is does hgh actually work? >> the expert we contacted and an extensive review of the literature would not suggest that using synthetic hormone like this, hgh, actually does achieve what people are using it for, that is both in improving athletic performance and achieving any anti-aging effect, and i would also like to add that, as stephanie pained out in her piece, it's only been around for about 20 years so whether or not it truly has an advantageous effect we may not see for several more years and to point out, yes, there are risks.

actually have growth hormone in excess, a condition called acromegaly, they actually die sooner than normal people for cardio vascular reasons so the side effects of illicit use of this do include potentially high blood pressure, diabetes and cardio vascular risks including to soft tissue and muscle issues. >> not so cut and dried. >> a reason why the fda has required legal prescribing for those conditions. >> thanks so much. just ahead, a life-change considering experience. one toddler's priceless reaction. >> bacon. >> plus, "star wars" may have taken the movie world by storm and one thing j.j. abrams regrets and we'll talk about that on "pop start." >> and proof that good things really do come to those who wa mmmm mmmmm

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97%? helped by geico's fast and friendly claims service. huh... oh yeah, baby. geico's as fast and friendly as it gets. woo! geico. expect great savings and a whole lot more. all right. we're back at 8:14. time for what's trending. everybody feel like that double latte is not getting it done anymore? there's an old world fad having a bit of a resurgence. have you tried adding butter to your coffee? >> trying to stay away from butter. >> no, i know, but apparently it's the thing. butterfat, they say, helps boost your energy and increases cognitive function. now, yes, there are more calories in butter than cream, but there are more nutrients if you guess the grass-fed butter.

>> and unsalted butter, of course. >> just black coffee with a tablespoon. >> it's actually called bulletproof coffee, and a lot of athletes. >> really, really creamy. >> you like it? >> you like it. >> you don't like it? >> what don't you like about it, describe. >> it's not like the coffee mate that i usually use. >> it does leave a weird film on your lips. >> a creamy film. >> but it's supposed to give you -- the butter gives you energy? >> i don't care for just straight black coffee and the butter really takes that bite away. >> when i was training for the boston marathon i did drink my coffee like this because they say it gives you more energy and also it's more satiating so you're not as hungry. did that work? >> i was still hungry after running a long way. >> i don't think it's bad. let's move on to videos with people struggling to stand on their hoverboard. this video involves trouble with a hoverboard but for a different reasons. this is a prost who rode a hoverboard during mass, that's right, during mass.

and clapping. singing a christmtm song. however, the diocese did not find it as funny. they found that the antic took away from the service and put all of the focus on the priest. that priest is reportedly suspended after the church released a statement saying he'll be out of the parish and will spend some time to reflect on this past event. >> oh. wow. >> i think that's kind of haar. >> going to church, the homily isn't always the most lively part of the whole mass, and as child especially if the priest did something funun i was that much more interested in listening to what he was saying. >> it kind of goes with the flow, with the song. >> pro hoverboard during homilies. >> as long as he doesn't fall. >> okay. >> now for something a lot of things laid kiss relate to. do you ever say i'm sorry, i juju stink, all the time. now there's an app there's a just not sorry extension.

e-mails to point out when you have the weak words in them so here we'll show you a graphic t.underlines in red the problem words or phrases. see how it says. i'm sorry to bug and i'm no expert but i think we should fix that typo on the home page. not a big deal at all. >> you could have written that. that could have come from savannah. >> i feel like that is an e-mail that i wrote. it's stupid and i probably shouldn't say this but dah, dah, dah. >> you pre-qualify everything you're writing and ultimately you're maybe worried about what people will think. >> is this an intervention, carson? >> i'm going to put the app on your phone. >> are you prone to saying sorry? >> no, no, not at all. >> not without the qualifiers. >> you would be more direct. >> don't judge me but here it comes. don't take this the wrong way, but i'm sorry. i'm sorry.

that e-mail would i have put a smiley face at the end and also love you. >> and here's my latest picture ofvale because we're halfway through the week and we've got the bacon here to celebrate. there's a point guard. did you see this making the rounds? >> bacon and coffee. >> a great video, young boy enjoying his very first piece of bacon. this is memorable. enjoy. >> while we eat. . >> look at him. >> bacon. >> bacon. >> bacon. >> yeah. >> bake onl. >> bacon. >> he's got his eyes on. >> it goes on and on. like euphoria on his eyes and the look on his face like it's

>> good every time. >> now to the stars of "star wars" and the reason why jennifer lawrence hates tomorrow night, but carson, that's your night. new year's eve. >> it is my night. let me put my bacon aside. the internet began buzzing back with the black and white photo started circulating. this photo was posted by sergio mendez, an oscar-nominated actor and if you look to the right a young carpenter harrison ford. this was taken seven years before he became han solo in "star wars." pretty good? >> is he wearing much there? >> more "star wars" news, explore that on your own time co-star carrie fisher fired back at critics who commented about her weight and how she's aged. please stop debating about whether or not i've aged well. unfortunately it hurts all of three feelings and said ended

accomplishments. >> she looks great. next up, russell crowe is very upset with virgin airlines. the actor and his kids were stopped from boarding after trying to bring on hoverboards. it was the hottest gift this christmas and banned at all major memos and he tweeted, ridiculous, virginaustralia. no segue boards as luggage. too late to tell us at airport. kids and i offloaded. good-bye, virgin. never again. and i'm assuming by seg ways he means hoverboards. we feel bad for him and the kids but feel worse for mike tyson. there's the former champ on the hoverboard. >> whoa. >> it hurts every time. >> right on the sglak if we didn't have the word hoverboard in this show today it would be 15 minutes long. >> absolutely. and finally jennifer lawrence has not set new year's eve plans yet.

graham norton to tape his new year's eve show and revealed she actually hates new year's eve saying everyone is chasing a good time and it's always a disappointment. i plan on doing nothing and then if something lands in my lap, but i always end up drunk and disappointed. well, there you go. >> she's had some good years, so -- >> i mean, i get it. i get it. if you think new years is going to be epic or something. >> don't want to overhype it because you'll be underwhelmed. >> have some bacon. >> or you can watch nbc. >> absolutely. >> the ball drop show. andy cohen. tomorrow. we'll explain, but it will be a great couple of hours. >> jennifer lawrence. >> and then after that is the roese parade with mr. roker in pasadena. hey, al. >> that's right, jennifer, afterwards, come on down here to pasadena, 127th roese parade. we're right now hon the 30th anniversary edition. union bank float. this is the union of hearts. it's awfully nice. it is actually the largest

it's unbelievable. we've got all these volunteers putting stuff on it and it's a really nice float. let's show you what's going on. chilly here about, 40 degrees here but look at this in the northeast. all those cities, it's the warmest december so far, albany, buffalo, boston, new york city, d.c. and philadelphia as well. more heat will be coming in for the next day or two. that's what's going on around theoing on around theoing on around theoing on around theoinganderson will be mostly cloudy and mild, high of 65, with scattered showers and thunderstorms likely this afternoon. southwest breezes 5-8+. already saturated ground and full creeks could lead to localized flooding in the

>> carson, hoda and i will be up late watching you as you get ready for new year's eve. >> thank you for that, al, appreciate it. we're wrapping up our winter tune-up series this morning with ways to get your car cold weather ready. lawrence is from-- lauren is from the car care council, good morning. let's start with things that people can do at home. >> a lot of things you can do yourself and there's basic things you can do and save up to $1,200 a year if you're proactive, and one of the things that you can see is adding winter de-icer washer fluid. buy that at any gas station. >> yeah. >> keeping the wiper blids. >> swap them out and get something heavy duety. >> 80% of your driving decisions are based on visibility. that doesn't mean you leave the winter blades on all year round. that's a problem. that's going to definitely impact your visibility. >> is this changing difficult for somebody who doesn't know about it. >> aautoparts store will do for

just buy them and ask. and the next thing is fluids. change your oil. there's clean and dirty oil. same as dirty and clean brake fluld. >> right. >> do with synthetic oil, your best choice, especially if you're in really cold climates. >> filters, swap them out. >> headlights, 80% of your driving decisions are based on visibility. winter tires are critical. make sure that you check your tire pressure once a month. >> take some air out if you are driving in snowy conditions. >> that's a great condition actually. always check the number inside the driver's door and get a quarter, take washington's head and put it right into the tread. we want to kick, we want to kick. no kick tires. you could break a toe. >> coin toss. >> you'll break a toe but the winter tie, think of the 45-degree rule. temperatures below 45 degrees go with a winter tire. i use these on my car. every vehicle i have, including my suv. >> do you have to have tires on?

soft and you get better grip. what should you take to the me can snick. >> a mechanic should do things you can't do, brakes, exhaust system, check engine lines, use an asa certified mechanic. number one thing. >> lots of people take cross-country trips, see family, the weather is bad. >> an emergency kit should be your base, in the winter add a snow brush, ice scraper, food, boots, jacket, gloves. why? put it behind your seat pand in the trunk. you get stuck you can't see it in the trunk. >> see it all the time. the traffic jams and storms come out of nowhere. >> i live in buffalo and this happens all the time. i'm prepared year round. have everything you need, tire inflation product and glass cleaner and paper towels. hand warmers. >> blankets for everybody, all the passengers. there. >> especially if you've got little kids. want to be presumed. if you need medications, carry those with you as well because you don't want to be stuck out

>> over to savannah. >> coming, a sweet end of the year.

cookiegood morning.. it's 8:27. the south carolina highway patrol is reporting several accidents on wet roads across the area. giving you a live look from our woodruff road sky cam. troopers working accidents on idents on pickens.. and on u-s 25 in greenville. and live video from miami.. where dabo sweeney is set to talk about the three clemson players sent home before the orange bowl.. reports say.. the players failed a drug test. you can watch live on wyff four dot com. here's dale. greenville, spartanburg, anderson will be mostly cloudy and mild, high of 65, with scattered showers and thunderstorms likely this afternoon. southwest breezes 5-8+. already saturated ground and full creeks could lead to localized flooding in the region, so flood watches are out

good morning, everybody. welcome back to "today." it's 8:30 on a wednesday morning. taking selfies out here on the plaza, yeah. don't you love that song? let me take a selfie. yeah. got how many more days, two if you count the day tomorrow of this year. >> yeah. got the crowd getting ready to party and coming up the must-v.first we'll help you pick the right champagne, the bubbly. sparkling wine. >> plus we've got to keep eating ridiculous amounts of food before the diets kick in. >> and the alcohol, yeah. >> head into the kitchen for

talking unbelievably delicious cookies and some pecan pie bites as well. >> resolutions that a lot of parents are making for their new year when it comes to the kids and how to stick with the resolutions. >> good food for thought there and first a check. weather with al who is in pasadena for the rose parade. >> hey, guys, and we are here. i mean, look at this bear. this is unbelievable. this is actually coconut bark. this is purple straw flower we use to fish and everything has to be covered with some sort of organic plant material, amazing stuff. this is for the rowes prayed on new year's day. year's eve forecast. wet weather down through the southeast. some snow around the great lakes. all in all not too bad, but then as we make our way into new year's eve night, much of the country fair skies. it will be good weather for much of the country as far as the new year's eve celebrations, including new york city, and then as we make our way to new

darn nice. again, some showers and still hanging around the southeast and the weather for the pasadena roese parade, 127th roese parade, looking pretty good. temperatures eventually will get up into the low 60s but to start the parade it's going to be in the upper 30s and low 40s under fair skies. that's what's going on around the on around the on around the on around the on around the onanderson will be mostly cloudy and mild, high of 65, with scattered showers and thunderstorms likely this afternoon. southwest breezes 5-8+. already saturated ground and full creeks could lead to localized flooding in the region, so flood watches are out for most of the area until early thursday. the mountains will be momoly cloudy, high of 63. showers and thunderst hey, you know, they are using these mushrooms up there.

>> al, good one. >> thank you so much. it's new year's eve eve so it's time to make sure you'ree stocked with bubbly. >> here to walk us through some of the best options for your midnight toast is patrick, would indirector and wine columnist for "playboy" magazine. good to have you. where do we want to begin with the real deal? >> talk about champagne, traditionally to celebrate newyear's, a wine that comes from one particular region in france, sham chain region, that's the only way it can wear that name on it which means it's -- >> are we tasting? >> the champagne from the northeast. >> just outside of paris, a little bit east of there you'll fine the champagne region. that's where it has to be from. >> that's one you recommend. >> what's the price? >> about 42 bucks. this is from one of my small growers. >> love that whatever you said, yes, very nice. okay. next, if you wanted to do

>> this is the pink champagne, a rose. >> this actually comes from california. ultra marine is a wine made by a young man in sonoma, entirely made f fm pinot noir and rose champagne gets that color because it's made from a red grape and that makes it more fun and festive. >> more expensive because it's red? >> not necessarily. >> most of these wines are made from pinot noir and don't give it contact with the skin. >> do you call it would inas well? >> everything is wine and then there's sparkling wine. >> oh, okay. >> this is a little bit of a better budget item here. >> most wines c ct between 40 and 50 bucs. to esare two selections around the $20 mark. >> a lot of people for new year's eve and within theed a big toast, you know, want to buy eight bottles, this is a good one. >> get a case of it for sure.

finger lakes region upstate. that's weimer, a small grower that makes sparkling wine, chardonnay and pint noir blend. >> just like shopping in a liquor store and looking for $20 to $30. i usually go by the label, if i happen to like it. >> me, too. >> there are certain areas that make good wines, prosecco and there's other areas, new york. >> that tastes good. >> and france and south of france. >> did you tell us about this one? >> this is a sparkling wine made in france but made in burgundy which is further south, an area more known for their still wines but they do make sparkling wines and as a result they are not as famous for their sparkling wines. >> don't mind if we do. >> a better value. >> you can taste the difference between the southern region and the northern region. >> you really can. >> and can you please tell us about this. >> got to get to the opening. >> can we give them the punch. >> great opportunity to make

and this is a french 75 which is a traditional cocktail. make it in a restaurant or bar but make it for a party. big batch. >> fun for a party. >> how do you tone. >> give us a tip on opening it. >> for sure, for sure. >> you're going to move that, remove the foil. it could pop right out. >> they can come out for sure, and get the cage off and put your hand on the cork, okay. >> this way. >> twist slowly and pull a little bit, exactly perfect. i've done that before. >> that's one way of opening. >> a veritable pro. >> and there is another option. >> oh, lord. >> don't try this at home. patrick is a professional. >> okay. here we go. >> pretty easy. >> oh, my gosh. do it again. sometimes you try not to get it on the floor. >> just for fun. >> you have to be careful. the glass blows out after you pop it off so there's no glass left on bottle.

unless you've taken some practice, a lesson. come and get a lesson and it doesn't always work either. >> oh. >> you shouldn't try tat home but if you are an expert, how cool would that be? >> don't do if if you've had too many glasses of champagne. >> exactly. >> patrick, thank you so much. for more tips and new year's eve ideas head to today.com/food. coming up next, how to make and keep your parenting resolutions in the new year,

got to try the punch on nbc. . we are back at 8:39. tomorrow negotiate's arrival. new year means you're likely to declare a few resolutions so we asked our parenting team to

>> my parenting resolution for 2016 is to spend more time around the dinner table and have a lot less of this. >> i'm going to do a better job of getting my kids to their school activities on time, and by on time, i mean within 15 minutes of when they are supposed to be there. >> mom, we're going to be late! >> 2016 i'm going to stand by no more of this for my 2-year-old's hair. >> we're starting a new program we are done speaking naftly to each other. guys, which words are we done saying? >> i hate you. >> dumb. >> and other fun swear words. >> and what happens if you screw up, you lose your device for the rest of the day. good luck, gentlemen. >> my resolution for my middle school daughter is that i want age-appropriate apps and i don't want her being introduced to things before she's ready.

to drive and today is our first lesson, and i think it's going great. >> yu. >> can i get this app, mom? >> no, that's for sectioning. >> what's sexting? >> two of the things we're committed to are -- >> no electronics at the table. >> no electronics at the dinner table and aliya? >> a bed time for our electronics. >> our new year's resolution is to watch less television because we really love tv in our house, don't we, cassidy? >> yes. >> yeah. >> hurry up. we're really, really, really late for soccer. move, move, move, move. >> sometimes in the craziness of life with three kids i forget that it's supposed to be fun so this year my resolution is that i want to laugh more. >> we're going to call our resolution a revolution, and it's going to be playing together and b bng outside and having fun. >> our new year's resolution is more joy, less stress, and we

all these toys! >> can you say resolution. >> resolution. >> good job. >> my resolution is to replace a negative thought with a positive one. >> i'm going to take care of me in 2016. it's always about the kids first. i can't remember the last time i had a warm me. i'm going to take care of me and in doing so it's going to make me a better father to my kids and then everybody wins so, boom. >> so boom. betsy brown braun is a parent educator. good morning. fun watching that with you, but you make a really good point about resolutions. >> yeah. >> they are supposed to be parenting resolutions, something that you are promising to do, not something that you want your kids to do. >> can't make somebody to do anything. you have to make a resolution for yourself to decide to make a change. that's hard to do, but you have to be the one to make that decision. >> a lot of people want to do this. you've got some tips. the first thing you say is to focus on self-discipline. explain. >> self-discipline, otherwise known as self-control is

change and resolving to make a change means it has to be focused and deliberate. can't just be a whim or an impulse impulse, but the thing about self discipline is anybody can have it. people think oh, no, i don't have self-discipline. there's no self-discipline gene. you have to make a concerted effort, decide you're going to do it and stick to it. >> i love your tip. find the motivation. the thing that will keep you going when it's hard. >> the best motivation is to go public. when you go public, tell your kids, tell your family, you're going to be embarrassed if you blow it. your kids are watching you. they are your accountability, and you don't want to model something for your kids that they are not going to be able to do. >> and kind of feeding off of that you say we should create a means of self-inspection. >> oh, yeah. so many ways. you have to be accountable and check in, so you can check in positively or negatively, and negative self-inspection would be a swear jar, maybe the old-fashioned days when you throw a dollar in the swear jar and a positive one would be a marble in the marble jar. have reminders.

rear view mirror so every time you look at you remember you won't swear. write it on toothpaste in the mirror of your bathroom. keep it at the front of your head. >> and finally be persistent, like new fall off the wagon just keep going. >> absolutely. be aware of what your plan is, if you fall off, aware of what the saboteurs are, lousy local conditions, what's going to make you trip up and state it out loud if you're going on the dark side, if you're leaning that way. someone will help you or remind you where you want to be. >> good for parenting resolutions horany resolutions. >> i think so. >> thank, betsy, thank you very much. coming up next, did you not get everything on your christmas list? we'll tell you what to buy when

first, this is "today" on nbc. and welcome back. if you missed out on all the big pre-christmas sales, don't worry.

financial expert is here to walk us through all the deals you can expect to find in stores next month. she was also on "total request live" 15 years ago as a teeny bopper screaming. >> totally. >> gave a shout-out. >> i forget the band. >> look at you now. >> i know, right. >> mom, will be at me. the first thing is flat screen tvs. january is the month, and shall we move down. flat screen tvs. we're seeing discounts of about 35%. this is the month to do it. >> why is this the month? >> the consumer electronics show is every time in january. that's when the new products come into the market, so best buy, stores like that. >> get the inventory out to make way for new stuff. >> everyone from vizio to samsung, deals, $200 markdowns. >> what else? >>the next one is gym memberships. >> of course. >> and fitness equipment. everybody wanan to look good in the new year so gyms go to your local gym and ask for a discount. >> get a deal on a membership. >> sometimes they will waive the

and fitness stores. seeing deals in the 25% to 50%, dumbbells, tread mills and yoga pants. >> a good time to buy for the home gym. >> yes, yes. >> all righty. >> what other sorts of deals can you get in january on goods in general? >> linens, january is the famous linen sale. >> why? >> stems back to the 1800s. source like wanamakers inn philly, they wanted to offload linens during the slow months. >> do you need to know what stores to go to. >> west elm, target, costco and ziera home. >> kitchen appliances. >> if you want to maybe get new pots and pans, cutlery, go to macy's, if you want to renovate your kitchen go and get new cabinets, lowe's, seeing a 20% off deal. >> remodeling the kitchen, january is the month to do it. >> and getting someone to help you out, painters, they are cheaper this time of year. >> even doing it later in the new year, buy the appliances now and store them in the garage.

>> video games. this is the month to do it because we have the toy fair next year and also comic-con later this year so we're expecting new announcements in the video game world so get some deals. microsoft right now and xbox 1 and xbox 360, a sale about 40% to 60%, sometimes even more than 60% on those games. >> this is hard for parents to see because they just spent money on some of these gaming devices. >> gift cards, this time of year, the time to go and spend them. >> the game is similar to the tvs all have new inventory coming in, new technology. >> right. >> a good time to get this. >> january in general is good because either historically there's inventory going on. >> do you remember who was on trl? >> p. diddy and vince vaughn and you, you were there. >> you're the best. we posted these other great january deals at today.com. coming up next, the recipe you've been red for.

cookies, but, we're back now at 8:51, "today's food," our last hurrah before we start watching what we eat again. >> that's right. we've about busy waiting for moment right here. hedy goldsmith is here with an indulgent cooky that she's going to make for us. walk us through the ingredients. >> salty, sweet, carmely

baking soda, vanilla bean paste, very important, butter, everything is better with butter. >> i'm like in love. >> junk in the trunk cookies. >> absolutely. >> let's do it. >> got to do that. >> junk in thth trunk, yeah. salty sweet. we've got butter that's screaming. keep it at room temperature because it's going to really air ate and incorporate. so we're doing white suger and brown sugar to keep it nice and soft. brown sugar is going to keep it soft. once that dreams, we're going to add the vanilla bean paste and i love that because you see all the little speckles of vanilla. >> the vanilla bean paste is a special ingredient. your wife sy ri loves vanilla bean paste. >> absolutely. what it does it gives you a little bit more for your money, a little bang for your buck. >> what are you mixing it. >> an egg, and that's going right into the cream. >> the whole egg, vanilla bean paste and you want to keep all

never mix cold butter and warm egg and like little fish form kind of things. this way it all incorporates perfectly well. >> okay. >> then you'll get your flour sifted with baking soda and that will go in, goes in very slow and very low. don't want to create like a little white issue all over your walls. >> yeah, that's happened to me. >> you can kind of do it all together in a matter of a few minutes. >> oh, absolutely. >> all right. >> don't want to overmix your cookies because that will make a tough cookie. >> they had a tough cookie. >> okay. >> tell me about this tray of delightfulness of candy. >> this is obsessive compulsive because that's the way i rocks, all kinds of deliciousness. the candy-coated everything. it's whatever you have in the house. it's leftover >> this is the junk of the junk in the trunk. >> this is the junk in the trunk. >> look at this. >> really a super bowl when i

>> kettle cooked, nice and crunchy and stay -- >> you're doing this. this is happening. >> so you've got caramel and salt and sweet and you've got everything, and it's -- if al were here it would probably have bacon. >> not a bad call. >> i'm feeling a little bit of love right now. >> i am, too. >> it does my heart good. >> and that you'll mix by hand. >> we'll add this right into that base. >> any candy you have lying around that's good. >> halloween, my favorite. >> throw in some m & ms for the heck of it. >> because it's festive. >> whatever you have in the house. it changes all the time. >> okay. >> so it will never be the same. >> i love cookie dough. >> and then i take this and we're going to scoop. now you're using an ice cream scoop. that's a pretty big cookie. >> it is a big cookie because you've got to get all that junk in the bowl. >> how do you knowful cookie

will become flat and big. >> is there enough real estate. >> this is. >> and why does it do that because i feel like my cookies would flatten out and be one big cookie. >> you know what the key is chill your dough first. >> very important so it doesn't flatten out. >> i didn't know that. >> and how long are you going to cook these for? >> well, it depends on your oven but usualal about 10 to 11 minutes. >> got about a minuteest. >> what do you do when you pull them out. >> shall i grab them. >> you do a little -- >> put a little sea salt. >> a little bit of salt in there. >> all right. >> all right. >> oh, my gosh, looks so good. that's the junk in the trunk. >> that's the emergency junk in the trunk just in case you're between sglets what are these little doodads. these are pecan pie bites with a little bit of salt on to. got a little bit of bacon fat in the there. >> of course you do.

>> i like the whole way y y're rolling this morning. >> very sweet kind ofning. >> people will be making these before the new year kicks in. >> yeah. >> try it. >> or they can order from sweet hedy. >> that's even better. >> hedy goldsmith, thank you so much. all the recipes on anderson will be mostly cloudy

thunderstorms likely this afternoon. southwest breezes 5-8+. already saturated ground and full creeks could lead to localized flooding in the region, so flood watches are out for most of the area until early thursday. the mountains will be mostly cloudy, high of 63. showers and thunderstorms are likely as well through the evening. southwest breezes at 5-9. asheville, hendersonville will drop to 48 overnight, the upstate will drop to 55. highs on thursday of 54 to 63 in the region. cooler, dryer weather moves in for new years through the first of next week. greenville, spartanburg, anderson will be mostly cloudy and mild, high of 65, with scattered showers and thunderstorms likely this afternoon. southwest breezes 5-8+. already saturated ground and full creeks could lead to

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