good morning. the defendant bill cosby accused of a sexual assault more than a decade ago. >> how do you feel, sir? >> a frail looking cosby post bail. the first criminal case against the once beloved star, after a slew of accusations. this morning, cosby's attorney speaks out live. from bad to worse. historic flooding intensifies in the midwest. new rescues and evacuations in missouri. highways shut down as the mississippi and other major rivers get set to crest at record heights later today. back in the u.s. the mother of the so-called affluenza teen arrives in los angeles overnight in the custody of u.s. marshals. >> people want to know, what were you thinking? >> this as her son fights his own extradition. why he could remain in mexico for months. and prepping for a party. with an increased eye on security, the world gets set to celebrate the arrival of a new

today, thursday, december 31st, 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 new year's eve morning. i'm savannah guthrie alongside craig melvin, alongside matt. this is the night we fear the most. we have to stay up until midnight. >> i'm going try. >> i can't believe that 2015 flew by like that. >> later in the show, we'll tell you how to say good-bye to 2015 in style. our top story is a breaking one. the criminal case against bill cosby after the legendary actor and comedian was arraigned on a sex assault charge. his attorney calls the charge unjustifies. we'll talk to her and the attorney who represents a dozen cosby accusers. first, let's get the latest from

>> good morning, savannah. the prosecutor was racing against the clock to beat an expiring statute of limitations. he said it was cosby's own words from a 2005 deposition that triggered the re-opening of this case and led to a stunning announcement. >> reporter: 78-year-old bill cosby cosby, carrying a cane and stumbling his way into a small pennsylvania courthouse, to face felony charges of aggravated assault. clearing a bail to return to his nearby home where the came began in 2004. prosecutors say that's where former temple university andrea constand agreed to take pills and drink wine, and became paralyzed as cosby performed sexual acts against her wishes. while no charges were filed at the time, constand filed a civil suit in 2005, settled a year later. it was excerpts from a

triggered the new criminal case. constand's attorney asking cosby about his purchase of quaaludes in the '70s, a now banned drug. was it in your mind that you were going to use these drugs with young women you wanted to have sex with? cosby answered, yes. >> opening thereopening the case was not a question. >> a former d.a. who refused to prosecutor bill cosby. >> we examined all the evidence that we had available to us. made this determination because it was the right thing to do. >> reporter: in a statement to nbc news, cosby's attorney suggested the charges were motivated by local politics, and came as no surprise. we intend to mount a vigorous defense against this unjustified charge, and we expect mr. cosby will be exonerated by a court of law. one of the 12 woman who came forward in the 2005 civil suit

will admit any wrongdoing at trial. >> i have not ever known him to be a person who tells the truth. so, no, i don't have a particular desire to hear him testify. >> cosby's legal team has denied these allegations from the very beginning. in fact, filing nine defamamion lawsuits in recent weeks against accusers. cosby is expected back in court on january 14th. if he's found guilty, he could face up to ten years in prison. >> stephanie gosk, thank you. mo monique pressley represents mr. cosby. thank you for being here. >> good morning. >> what is his state of mind? how is he viewing the charges? >> i can't testify really about his state of mind personally. he's been accused unjustly of a crime so, certainly, that's upsetting, but he's in good spirits and he knows he has a

defending him until he is exonerated. >> as we mentioned, this is a charge, a set of charges, that could carry up to ten years in prison. does he fear jail? >> well, it's a charge, and any person who is charged with a crime, the threat of little bit bitter -- liberty interests being lost is there. we're going to get to the facts of this old case that was once decided, such that the former d.a. said there was no need to go further and it belonged in the civil courts. now, through a game of political football, at which my client's life is the center, we're back again. >> given your dealings so far with this prosecution, do you think there will be discussions about a plea agreement? would you be open to that, or will this case go to trial? >> i have no idea what the prosecutor's office is going to do and what the inner workings are of their system but --

>> my client is not guilty, and there will be no consideration on our part of any sort of arrangement. >> you said in your statement yesterday that you are expecting he will be exonerated. what is the source of that confidence? do you think that this is a weak set of allegations? >> well, it's that, but it's also the fact that a court of law doesn't run like the media does, for example. in that, any person who has a picture or a story or something that they'd like to say, if they're saying it about the right person, and bill cosby is the right person to say something about, then they can air that grievance and have been doing so for the past year. in a court of law, there's a system of laws and rules that judges follow. and i have confidence in that system of justice. as i've said in any number of interviews on this network and elsewhere, i believe when you separate what happens in the court of law from what has been

fictional court of public opinion, you will get an outcome to justice requires. >> one possibility is if a judge were to allow it in a pretrial hearing, that other accusers could come forward. it's not certain they would be permitted to testify, but is that a key consideration in your mind, that you could see a set of other accusers be allowed to testify, to try to establish some kind of pattern? >> we expect the d.a., who is highly motivated, fulfilling a campaign promise, not necessarily interested in e getting justice, but in the ad you played, it was the promise itself. where he said, bruce castor doesn't care about the victims, isn't tough on crime. these are the things that campaigns are made of. now, backed into a corner, it seems like the almost new d.a. has had to fulfill that promise. i'm sure that they will do whatever it is they can to try to convince the judge to

that doesn't belong in a court. again, we will defend against it, and i have confidence in the judicial system. >> pardon -- >> and judges will make the right decision. >> part of the reason this case was brought was because of a look at the deposition taken in connection with the civil litigation in this case. is this a situation where mr. cosby's own words have come back and come back to bite him? >> no. i think this is a situation where the district attorney's office has come back to bite it, and that's what we will see happen. it was that d.a.'s office that chose to end the investigation, publicly saying there was not sufficient evidence to go forward. it was that d.a.'s office who had my client participate in a civil process. now, it's the same d.a.'s office who is trying to use the communicating and

never happened and, frankly, was illegally released through a court reporter -- they're trying to use that and say it was a basis for these charges. also, if you look at the deposition itself, which now is out there, wasn't supposed to be, but is, then you'll see there is no admission of criminal wrongdoing with respect to mr. cosby. there is detailed testimony about this incident and others. >> a lot of people will say, if he's not guilty, why would he have settled a case with her? obviously, there's a difference between a civil case and a criminal case, but a person just watching at home thinks, if you think someone is lying, why do you pay them money? why do you settle? >> i don't really think that that's what people at home think. i think the people at home are much more savvy than that, and they have to deal with situations in their own lives where they have people who are threatening them. who are threatening to come after their homes or their lifestyle or their work or their reputation or their career, decades of whatever it is

capacities. they know there are times it's wise to settle claims rather than fight themem especially if it's something where you believe everything you're working for will be lost. this may have been one of those times. i'm bound right now, o oly enough, i can't even believe it myself, my client is still bound by a confidentiality agreement in this case. even though the direct attorney's office pressed charges. even the person who brought the civil suit is apparently voluntarily cooperating. we have to toe the line until a court tells us we're free to speak. i'm sure in the court documents for this case, once we are allowed to say what needs to be said, everything will be made clear. >> monique pressley, good to have you. it's a long road just beginning. hope to speak to you again. >> thank you for having me. >> also speaking out is gloria allred, representing 29 people who claim they suffered at the

>> good morning, craig. >> what has been the reaction by your clients to the news of the suit filed yesterday? >> very happy. andrea constand, the alleged victim, is going to have her day in court. that the justice system is going to permit her to be able to testify and have a jury decide on the allegations that she has made. that's so important. for most of the many, many alleged victims that i represent, if not all, they are barred by the statute of limitations, by the arbitrary time limit set by law, from having their cases prosecuted, even if there were a district attorney who believed that case could be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. but andrea is within that statute of limitations in pennsylvania and, therefore, a prosecution is going to go rward. very, very happy about that. >> i want to pick up on

a lot of what ms. constand alleges, the details are early lyeerily similar to what dozens of other women said happened to them. how real of a possibility is it that these other women could be called to testify? >> montgomery county indicated in the press release if there are other alleged victims, they should contact detectives. law enforcement is well aware of the many clients that i have represented and i do represent and what they allege, that mr. cosby did to them. it's all on my website. gloria allred.com. we've done news conferences. they're aware of it. if, in fact, the prosecutor feels that some of the descriptions by my clients are of same or similar acts, as

mr. cosby, many of my clients have already indicated that t ty will be prepared to testify in the criminal case if their testimony would be considered rel vabtevant and admissible. >> are there women that have contacted you who have not come forward yet, who have made % similar accusations against bill cosby? >> the answer is yes, yes and yes. even before the charges yesterday, some off whom said they would be prepared to testify, but didn't want to go public before that time. since yesterday, i've had even more contacts from even more women. >> gloria allred, thank you so much for your time. >> thank you. another story we're following, this historic flooding wreaking havoc in several states. the waters rising across missouri, illinois and other parts of the south, as officials

breech ing breaching. miguel almaguer has more. >> the river has risen to 30 feet above flood stage. there is good news. it appears this river crested a few hours ago. the bad news, there are several levies that are in jeopardy here, and the threat is far from over. >> reporter: this morning, the mississippi, the missouri and the marimack rivers are raging. homes have washed away. neighborhoods have been torn apart. at least 21 in the area are dead. a death toll many fear will rise with the water. >> i've never seen that before, and it's a historic flood. parts of i-44 shut down. the coast guard and the national guard have been dpeeployed. all hands on deck ready for rescue. outside st. louis, flood records have been shattered. in eureka, they've never been hit this hard. >> four feet high here, because i'm six feet tall.

homes now islands, thousands more are in danger. nearly two dozen levyies are at risk. power plants, water facileityies are down. rising river cresting around valley park, where nearly 900 have been forced to pack up and get out. >> it's devastating to think about everything. our own home going under with everything in it. >> reporter: with the missouri river in st. louis expecting to crest today, the flood stage sits at 30 feet. the water here expected to reach 13 feet above that. they're packing tens of thousands of sandbags to fortify cities big and small. the next 24 hours, critical, as the water rises. any sense of comfort vanishes. >> i pray everything goes good and we're safe. >> overnight, another major freeway, i-55, has also been shut down.

the u.s. army core of engineers is worried. the question now, will the riverbanks hold back all the water? savannah and craig, back to you. >> thank you. believe it or not, we are hours away from the start of a new year, and people are getting ready to celebrate at home and around the world. police are tightening security in the wake of recent terror attacks and foiled plots. nbc's ron mott is a few blocks away in times square. good morning to you, sir. >> hey, craig, good morning to you. the big day, finally here. officials in new york city say they are ready to stop any threats that might emerge tonight. around the world, as you mentioned, even more severe security precautions go into place. one city is going so far as to cancel its new year's eve celebration. >> h hpy new year! >> reporter: this morning, americans are getting ready to ring in the new year. law enforcement is preparing, too.

suspicious activity in cities throughout the country. in new york, police are deploying up to 6,000 officers in times square. nearly 1 million people will gather to watch the ball drop at midnight tonight. >> we strategically deploy our offices to areas where there will be large crowds. >> reporter: earlier this month, the nypd conducted a demonstration of its new strategic response group, a unit designed for critical incidents and major events like new year's eve. in los angeles, officials are dpeer gearing up for tomorrow's rose parade. in chicago, security preparations are underway for their new year's eve preparations. officials say there is no credible terror threat. major events are scheduled to go on as planned. overseas, authorities are taking more extreme precautions. in paris, there will be no fireworks show.

november's terror attack, is mobilizing 11,000 police and military officers, 2,000 more than last year. and belgium officials cancelled festivityies over fear of a terror threat. >> three, two, one, happy new year! >> reporter: at home, spirits remain high. law enforcement, training for weeks, hoping to ensure that americans have a safe and happy start to 2016. >> considering the high level of security that will be in place tonight, one nypd official said, new york city and times square in particular, might be the safest place in the world today. back to you. >> ron mott in times square. thanks. new developments in the san bernardino terror attack. a federal grand jury on wednesday indicted a friend of one of the shooters. enrique marquez is accused of conspireing with farook to commit terror attacks in 2011 and 2012.

statements when buying the guns used in the shootings. 14 people were killed when farook and his wife opened fire at the conference center december 2nd. the rain has stopped in missouri, but awful situation. >> the rain has been stopped for a couple days, but it takes a while for all of the water to work its way from the tributaries and the smaller rivers to fill into the mississippi. we've had a lot of the flooding near st. louis. over the course of the next couple days, we are going to see this threat go farther to the south, once the water reaching areas like arkansas, where we'll see flooding through the weekend. there are 46 locations still seeing major flooding right now. we'll see that threat through arkansas all weekend long. we do also have rain across the southeast. we've had pockets of heavier rain that's produced flooding across the southeast. with this moisture streaming in from the gulf of mexico, northern florida could see flooding with the heavier downpours today and into tomorrow. that's a look at the weather

your local weight watchers has changed. our all-new beyond the scale program puts the focus on you and not just the number on the scale. lose weight while eating healthier, with all new smartpoints. and move more by including fitness in ways that work for you. see how good you'll feel with the new weight watchers beyond the scale program! join for free now and lose 10 pounds on us. anderson will be mostly cloudy with just a few showers left, high of 65. north winds at 5. the mountains will be mostly cloudy, patchy fog until 11 am,

>> that's your latest forecast. >> dylan, thank you. coming up, the mother of the so-called affluenza teen, brought back to the u.s. overnight as her son fights extradition from mexico. the decision that could drag out this case for weeks or months. also ahead, a year in the life of the president through the lens of his official photographer.

nbc. coming up, which ones were your favorites?

commer to the couple wondering what a good deal looks like... no. seriously? we'll give it a 6 for composition. scary. wow, what about just putting a fair, no haggle price on the window? not zany enough? sometimes the best deals are pretty plain to see. feel a cold coming on?

nasal swabs shorten colds with a snap, and reduce symptom severity by 45%. shorten your cold with a snap, with zicam. why let someone else have all the fun? the sometimes haphazard, never boring fun. the why can't it smell like this all the time fun. the learning the virtue of sharing fun. why let someone else have all the fun? that's no fun. unleash the power of dough.

happy new year's eve. law enforcement agencies are stepping up security all across the country for the big celebrations. this is a live look at times square in new york city.. at least a million people expected to crowd that area tonight.. for the famous ball drop. the other big event today.. the orange bowl in south florida. we're counting you down to the game between clemson and oklahoma... we'll have complete coverage today. our live wire on wyff 4 dot com and our wyff 4 app... brings you a collection of the latest tweets about the tigers.. including posts from o spts team down there for the game. let's go back to the upstate and a check on traffic with allyson. accident with injuries in woodruff on hwy 146 at walker road. and in spartanburg an accident blocking a lane on business 85

greenville, spartanburg, anderson will be mostly cloudy with just a few showers left, high of 65. north winds at 5. the mountains will be mostly cloudy, patchy fog until 11 am, high of 55. cooler temperatures will be felt tonight. asheville, hendersonville will drop to 38 overnight, the upstate will drop to 47. highs on friday of 46 to 55 in the region under mostly cloudy skies. cooler, dryer weather moves in for the weekend, saturday morning lows in the upper 20s to mid

on saturday. dry, who's the rebel now? no way. yes way! savor a bacon egg cheese biscuit any time you like. eggs, bacon, and melty cheese all on a biscuit with real butter. mcdonald's all day breakfast menu. yeah!

7:30 now, thursday morning, the last day of 2015. good-bye, 2015. >> can't believe it. >> there's times square getting ready, all dolled up. one million people will come to ring in the new year later tonight. back in studio 1a, let's look at some of the news that's happening right now. bill cosby's free on a $1 million bond following his arrest on a sex assault charge in pennsylvania. it involves a former temple university employee who cosby invited to his home in 2004. in our last half hour, cosby's attorney told savannah that she's confident her client will be exonerated. the midwest dealing with historic flooding today. the mississippi is expected to flood in st. louis. later today, it'll be 13 feet above flood stage. heavy turbulence is blamed for injuries to 21 passengers on an air canada flight. it was going from toronto to shanghai.

the mother of so-called affluenza teen ethan couch is back in the u.s. she was flown from mexico to the u.s. overnight where she was handed over to u.s. marshals. her son won a temporary delay in his extradition. let's get to gabe gutierrez for the latest. >> good morning. there were a lot of fast moving developments overnight. ethan couch's mother is expected back here in texas to face a judge at some point. the question is when. her son is still in mexico. for how long? >> reporter: this morning, tonya couch, the mother of the so-called affluenza teen, is back in the u.s. deported from mexico, she arrived in los angeles overnight. >> people want to know, what were you thinking? >> reporter: prosecutors in texas planning to charge her with hindering an arrest for allegedly helping her son run from authorities. a felony that could put her behind bars for up to ten years if she's convicted.

rushed from this immigration facility to memeco city. earlier, his fully retained mexican authorities filed paperwork to block his deportation. now, a judge must decide. >> it's on their time schedule. we've seen these happen as quickly as two weeks to two months. it depends on the court system down there. >> reporter: jason mills is an export in deportation law. >> does this indicate that ethan couch wants to stay in mexico for the long haul? >> i think it does. or at least ethan wants to stay anywhere besides the united states. >> reporter: this gritty apartment in puerto vallarta is where the couches were found. the pair didn't register when they crossed into the country in this pickup truck. a cell phone call they made to domino's pizza helped investigators pinpoint their location. couch had been on the run since failing to check in with his probation officer.

people when he drove drunk. the prosecution argued he flew up -- grew up too after affluent and didn't know right fromm wrong. the pair flew a going away party before they went missing. >> in his first public comments since the appearance, couch's father released a statement through the attorney saying, he's fully cooperating with the investigation. investigators don't believe he helped them run from the law. >> thank you very much. let's get a check of the weather for dylan in for al. again, another unseasonably warm day is coming to an end. >> it's not going to be too cold, it'll be regular. >> for january. >> exactly. so much above average up and down the east coast, that we've been getting used to the warmer temperatures. it'll feel like a shock to the

through today, the last day of the year, new york city will still be above average with a temperature of 48 degrees. roanoke, 54. charleston, 16 degrees above average, high of 75 degrees. through the weekend, we'll get back into the 30s up in cleveland. raleigh will sink to the lower 50s by the time we get to saturday. new york will be in the low to mid 40s, which is more typical for this time of year, if not a touch above average. atlanta will sink to the mid 50s, too. even florida, we're looking at 50s. as yes plan for the day today, there's not a lot going on. we'll see lake-effect snow around the great lakes. for tonight for the new year's eve celebration, we're looking at mostly clearly skies. on new year's day, showers along the gulf coast, but most of the country lookinggreenville, spartanburg, anderson will be mostly cloudy with just a few showers left, high of 65. north winds at 5. the mountains will be mostly cloudy, patchy fog until 11 am,

will be felt tonight. asheville, >> that's your latest forecast. >> thank you. what's the deal with that? president obama was trading some one liners with jerry seinfeld. they made us laugh, made us cry, the top commercials of 2015. welcome. we have three chevy's here. alright. i want you to place this awararon the podium next to the vehicle that you think was ranked highest in initial quality by j.d. power. hmm. can i look around at them? sure. highest ranking in initial quality. it's gotta be this one. this is it. you are wrong. really? actually it's all three. you tricked me. j.d. power ranked the chevy malibu, silverado half-ton and equinox highest in initial quality in their segments.

i am. i'm very surprised. chevy hit three home runs. [ julie ] the inkle cream graveyard. if it doesn't work fast... you're on to the next thing. clinically proven neutrogena rapid wrinkle repair. it targets fine lines and wrinkles with the fastest retinol formula available. you'll see younger looking skin in just one week. one week? this one's a keeper. rapid wrinkle repair. and for dark spots rapid tone repair. from neutrogena . after trying brookside crunchy clusters, @carlybeyar tweeted: at this point, i should just be a brookside chocolate ambassador. well, i am sorry, carly...

brookside. talk about deliciousus i recommend nature made vitamins. because i trust their quality. they were the first to have a vitamin verified by usp. an independent organization that sets strict quality and purity standards. nature made. the number one pharmacist recommended letter vitamin brand. [ laughter ] [ male announcer ] for tim and richard smucker, giving a gift of their family's delicious jam always made the holidays just a little bit sweeter. we forgot to put our names on them! richard, i think they'll know who it's from. thank you boys. you're welcome. you're welcome.

from our family to yours. i love christmas! it takes a lot of work... to run this business. but i really love it. i'm on the move all day long... and sometimes, i just don't eat the way i should. so i drink boost to get the nutrition that i#m missing. boost complete nutritional drink has 26 essential vitamins and minerals, including calclcm and vitamin d to support strong bones and 10 grams of proteinto help maintain muscle. all with a great taste. i don't plan on slowing down any time soon.

jane didn't like restrictions. not in life. and not when it came to watching her calories. why settle on taste? jane thought. that's why jane loves light & fit greek nonfat yogurt. bursting with rich crea awesomeness and 12 grams of protein. all for 80 calories. no settling here. what else does jane love? that you could win a fitbit flex from light & fit. learn more on specially marked packs. light & fit. feel free to enjoy. we are back at 7:40 with the

>> the digital age made it harder on advertisers to get our attention, but the right spot can keep you from reaching for the remote or looking for the skip button online. barbara is an editor at media post pnts post.com. we all hate the online ads. >> we want to swawa it away. >> look what geico did. i think they got it right. >> don't thank me. thank the savings. >> you can't skip this geico ad because it's already over. geico, 15 minutes could save you 15% or more on car insurance. >> then the dog, it's this corny old ad. you can't believe it. the geico label is there the whole me. then the dog rampages over the table and eats everything. it could go on for three minutes.

it, it's -- >> they move their eyes a tiny bit. the people are frozen. >> this next one from amazon tugs at theheheart strings. >> it was a twist. >> look at this one here. little man when you stand by my side then i know i don't have to hide from anyone >> then you have this miniature horse that's going to come through the doggy dog, right about now. >> yeah, just poking through the door. the point is, you can order anything overnight on your mobile phone. thth use the "little man" music, and it's little horse movement,

there's like this ruedolph scenario. >> humor words in ads. as it does in the next one. i remember this from the soup bowl. -- super bowl. >> what happened? >> peter hit me in the nose. >> i'm sure it was an accident. >> eye for an eye. it's what dad always said. >> i never said that, honey. >> shut up! >> marsha, eat a snickers. >> this has been a formula for snickers five years. no one expected these two. then steve buscemi for the win. they're acting like marsha and jan. they always redid the mouth of the mother and father to say those things. >> marsha, marsha, marsha. this next one played at the emmys for apple music. it was a modern day take on the mix tape. >> you have a boyfriend that makes you a mix tape in your laptop.

>> come on! >> one of the things i liked about this ad is you got to think that this is something that could actually happen with these three wom. >> yes. they had such chemistry. that's a party you want to be at. 90% cooler than most ads just because of the star power, but it's relatable. when women get together to watch the emmys, it stole the show because it was interesting. it was another story. people wanted to go there. >> if they ever get together, i'd like to be invited. >> thehe are two more parts of the commercial. they try to cook dinner, try to eat it. >> doesn't go as well. >> thank you so much. coming up, a change coming to the menu at chick-fil-a and while customers are not happy about it. from the serious to the

a unique look at big news! the new sprint lte plus network is faster than verizon and at&t... based on data from the world's foremost authority on independent measurement. to celebrate, we're gonna cut some prices in half. switch to sprint and save 50% on verizon, at&t or t-mobile rates. no gimmicks. no tricks. it's the biggest offer in u.s. wireless history! what about verizon? 50% off. at&t too? 50% off. even t-mobile? 50% off. plus, we'll even pay your switching fees, up to $650 per line. so switch today. [elf] here's one of our best elves, hard at work... [kid] what's back there? [elf] nothing... [santa] touchdown. come on... [elf] santa, the davidson's are here to see our workshop... [santa] oh... well...hello! uh, this is my sleigh! it's how i deliver all the presents by myself! [team member] santa, you got anything else going to albany? [santa] by myself! [santa](muffled noises)

it's how the holidays arrive. we are in the age of ageless. age neutral. age defiant. age agnostic. olay is a purveyor of ageless.

make it into our products. for transformed skin without expensive brands or procedures. it's the ultimate beauty victory. nobody has any idea how old you are. with olay, you age less. so you can be ageless. olay. ageless. red 97! set! red 97! did you say 97? yes. you know, that reminds me of geico's 97% customer satisfaction rating. 97%? helped by geico's fast and friendly claims service. huh... oh yeah, baby. geico's as fast and friendly as it gets.

geico. expect great savings and a whole lot more. we're back. 7:48. sheinelle is in the orange room for carson. you have the president's year in photos sbl s photos. >> white house photographer turns out two million words a day, if a picture is worth a thousand words. here's nbc's ron allen. >> reporter: they are unique behind the scenes, close-up images of a president. many never have seen publicly until now. serious matters inside the white house. a first daughter drops by the oefl office oval office to see her dad. the president with a mom's twin sons. the first lady wiping a tear. nbc news lot an exclusive first look.

and 2,000 a day. probably about 250,000 a year, somewhere in that -- >> over seven years? >> over seven years. >> we're talking -- >> a lot of pictures. >> reporter: part of his mission, to document history. president obama and the first family greeting pope francis. a handshake with cuba's castro. a big smile after the iran nuclear deal. mr. president there for vice president biden at his son's funeral. >> he is the president of the united states, but he's also a human being. i try to show hisersonality as best i can. there's obviously a lot of pictures with little kids in my year end gallery. he loves babies. >> reporter: that's deputy national security adviser ben rhodes daughter ella before the party. >> have you ever seen a president lying on the floor with a baby in an elephant suit? >> definitely not. >> reporter: the obama

policy door for staff children. >> a lot of them are children of working moms, and he knows what a sacrifice they make, in terms of being at work a lot. >> reporter: this gallery has 111 pictures. what's his favorite? >> it'll hopefully be the one i make later today or tomorrow. that's what keeps you going. you're trying to get a good picture tomorrow. >> reporter: ron allen, nbc news, with the president in honolulu. >> 2,000 pictures a day. pete is active on instagram, giving a behind the scenes look of the white house all year. one of the most favorited the president with a baby in a mini pope mobile. the number one picture of the year, the president with ella in the white house. year in photos at today.com.

>> what a fantastic job. >> it's amazing. he's so be professional. he comes in, takes the picture and is out. can you imagine the stories he has to tell, not that he'd tell them. he's seen it all. >> thank you, sheinelle. everything you need to know about tonight's celebration. mr. manners will help us dodge those embarrassing situations. >> i thought you were talking about these two. carson and and i sure had a lot on my mind when i got out of the hospital after a dvt blood clot. what about my family? my li'l buddy? and what if this happened again? i was given warfarin in the hospital but i wondered if this was the right treatment for me. then my doctor told me about eliquis. eliquis treats dvt and pe blood clots and reduces the risk of them happening again. not only does eliquis treat dvt and pe blood clots, but eliquis also had significantly less major bleeding than the standard treatment. knowing eliquis had both...

don't stop eliquis unless your doctor tells you to. eliquis can cause serious and in rare cases fatal bleeding. don't take eliquis if you have an artificial heart valve or abnormal bleeding. if you had a spinal injection while on eliquis call your doctor right away if you have tingling, numbness, or muscle weakness. while taking eliquis, you may bruise more easily... and it may take longer than usual for bleeding to stop. seek immediate medical care for sudden signs of bleeding, like unusual bruising. eliquis may ininease your bleeding risk if you take certain medicines. tell your doctor about all planned medical or dental procedures. eliquis treats dvt & pe blood clots. plus had less major bleeding. both made switching to eliquis right for me. ask your doctor if it's right for you. after trying brookside chocolate, people talk about it online. love at first taste. i would liquefy it and bathe in it. curse you, brookside! your nefarious plans have succeeded. nefarious? are we still talking about chocolate? brookside.

just like they forgot conductor randy, who sees all and forgets nothing. at least he's not constable bob. i don't have like a pair of jeans i'm trying to get into; i've been down that road honey child. and i don't have like a dress or some big red carpet thing i have to do. im really just looking at 2016, as the year of my best body; that's what i want for you too. lets let 2016 be the year of our best bodies.

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.

we want to show you live video from sydney... at 8 a-m.. they will officially celebrate

fireworks from barges.. the sydney opera house and the harbour bridge. back to our area now.. more rain this morning.. on the heels of flooding. the national weather service reporting almost three inches of rain in greenwood countfromyesterday's storm. water from wilson creek to flowed into yards..at wilson creek mobile home park. 18 people took shelter for the afternoon with the red cross. the water had gone down enough by last night for people to return to their homes. here's allyson with a look at traffic. accident in spartanburg on business 85 north still blocking a lane. and in spartanburg accident on i-26 east bound near new cut road.

anderson will be mostly cloudy with just a few showers left, high of 65. north winds at 5. the mountains will be mostly cloudy, patchy fog until 11 am, high of 55. cooler temperatures will be felt tonight. asheville, hendersonville will drop to 38 overnight, the upstate will drop to 47. highs on friday of 46 to 55 in the region under mostly cloudy skies. cooler, dryer weather moves in for the weekend, saturday morning lows in the upper 20s to mid 30s, highs in the 44 to 50 range on saturday. dry, cool weather

nobodydy it's 8:00 on "today." coming up, your one-stop shot to bring in 2016. a preview of the crowd in times square. we'll kick off a preview with hosts carson and andy cohen. today, thursday, december 31st, 2015. >> happy new year! >> we're here to see the ball drop. >> happy new year from the "today" show. we're having twins! >> from mississippi, happy new year. >> may your new year's sparkle and shine. bring it on, 2016. >> happy new year. welcome back to "today."

it is december 31st, 2015. in sydney, australia, it is 2016 already. that's a live picture. they know how to ring in the new year. >> happy new year to the plaza, as well. large crowd. >> we are not far behind sydney. we'll celebrate the new year in a few hours from now. thanks for having you with us. we have craig in for matt. dylan in for al. sheinelle in for carson. why am i working today? >> you got the short straw. today, the attorney for bill cosby says her client has been unjustly accused in a game of political football. cosby is free on $1 million bail after being charged with aggravated indecent assault. stephanie gosk has more. good morning. >> good morning, natalie. i'm outside o o bill cosby's home, the scene of the alleged crime from over a decade ago.

racing against the clock to beat an expiring statute of limitations. he says, in part, this case was reopened because of cosby's own words from a 2005 deposition. that led to the stunning announcement. now, cosby's legal team suggests that it was motivated, the decision in part, by local politic politics, and the d.a. used this case as political football in a recent election. cosby's defense attorney spoke with savannah this morning. she was asked if her client would consider a plea deal. this is what she had to say. >> my client iss not guilty, and there will be no consideration on our part of any sort of arrangement. >> cosby's defense team has denied these allegations from the very beginning. in recent weeks, they've filed nine defamation lawsuits against the accusers. cosby is expected back in the

if he's found guilty onhese charges, natalie, he faces up to ten years in prison. >> stephanie, thanks. the mother of the so-called affluenza teen, ethan couch, is back in the u.s. after she was deported from mexico. tonya couch arrived in los angeles early this morning on her way back to texas, where prosecutors plan to charge her with hingering an arrest. her son is still in mexico after a judge blocked his deportation. he's been held in mexico city. today, the mississippi river is expected to crest in st. louis, 13 feet above flood stage. in valley park, missouri, some neighborhoods are surrounded by water. hundreds of homes are flooded. thousands more are threatened. the flooding is blamed for more than 20 deaths. in the presidential race, jeb bush is shaking up his campaign with a few weeks to go before the first votes are cast. hallie jackson is in hilton head, south carolina. good morning. >> good morning, natalie. jeb bush says his new year's

to have a shot at that, his campaign says they're changing up their strategy. in a sudden move, pulling money off the airwaves in iowa and south carolina. >> reporter: jeb bush, now insisting his latest move is not a desperate one. >> because it's not. having the best organization on the ground is how you win. >> reporter: it's why bush says he's shifting staffers out of his miami headquarters to key early states, like new hampshire, where he's betting it all, and cancelling $3 million worth of tv ads. the latest shakeup in a campaign struggling to find its footing, slowly sliding since the summer when bush led the gop race. even p psidential star power support from his father and brother hasn't lifted him out of single digits in recent national polls. >> i'm tough, and i'm tough. >> reporter: call it the donald trump effect.

bush is calling trump a creature of barack obama. >> but for barack obama, donald trump's effect would not be nearly as strong as it is. we're living in a divided country right now, and we need political leaders rather than continuing to divide us, as both president obama and donald trump do, to unite us. >> reporter: trump, sounding frustrated with bush's attack. >> i shouldn't even talk about him. he's down to two or three. it bothers me, when i see a guy spending $60 million on ads against me, a lot@of it. >> reporter: suggesting a new move for his republican rival in the new year. >> why is he doing this? doesn't he have something better? he should go home, relax. >> as we look ahead to the start of 2016, on this new year's eve, a deadline for candidates, how much money they've raised over the last three months. overnight, ben carson's campaign pulled in about $23 million, more than last quarter. and a bit more than ted cruz, who is coming in at nearly $20

a cruz campaign aid telling me, they're releasing the figure to show what they call cruz's strength heading into the iowa caucus a month away. >> a lot of money all around. thank you. if you thought baseball fans in the u.s. went all out to catch home runs and fly balls, take a look at this. this happened at a cricket match in australia. a ball was hit into the stands, and one fan throws caution to the wind as he lungs and catches it upside down. the women he landed on thouou, probably not as excited about it. as our friend len would say, nobody got hurt. right, guys? >> i hope one of the women wasn't his girlfriend or wife. >> those balls hurt, too. >> yeah. >> they're like lead. >> didn't know that about cricket balls. >> thank you. >> the more you know. it's new year's eve, and we, of course, know all about that. sometimes you have a party and

personalities. >> awkwardness. we called in mr. manners himself. he's here to help us politely mix and mingle as we ring in the new year. always good to see you. >> good morning, everyone. >> this is one of my favorite games. >> i know. we'll role play. you'll talk about the different personalities you might encounter and how to deal with them. you're starting with her friend -- >> slubby sam. >> here's the thing, on new year's eve, we have the opportunity to be our best selves. perhaps, some of us, if we're lucky, are going to multiple parties. you have a chance to make a good impression at each one. if your party wardrobe is a polo and khakis, maybe throw on a jacket, tie. >> sequence. >> that's right, exactly. >> step it up. >> even if i'm dressed to the nines and i show up, i certainly don't want to be wallflower walter. who is that?

speak with anybody, a little shy, hangs around the host, the only person you'll know. there's a chance you'll be at a lot of parties you don't know people. starters? resolutions? what was your favorite moment of 2015? favorite movie of 2015. >> easy starters. >> you make it easy. i'm always like, what's going >> hey. >> what's up? okay. i am unannounced ursula. not only do i come to the party, i may bring my friends. >> we don't want to do that. there are a few hours left before the new year's parties begin. get in your rsvps now. it's a little late but better than minutes before the party. if you're the host, the more the merrier. don't show the angry face when somebody shows up with unannounced guests. but don't be that person. >> that brings them. >> i'm kissed on the lips kendra.

what do i do? >> it was not typecasting, natalie. >> thank god. >> at midnight, you want to keep it playful but not passionate, unless this is someone you're involved with or there's been obvious chemistry throughout the night. >> the midnight kiss, the girl thatat comes along and is like, let's mooch. >> kissing everyone. >> exactly. you'll get a reputation going into 2016 you probably don't want. >> it would seem like kiss on the lips kendra and guzzling gabby are the same person. >> i thought we weren't typecasting. >> how do you stop me? >> you're going to keep the campaign glass in the left hand, keeping the right hand free for handshakes. grab it by the shemtem, not the bowl.

it'll warm it up quicker. you also get the clink. >> i heard you weren't supposed to clink, you were supposed to approach. like approach, not clink. how do you feel about that? >> drinking champagne, wine, is all about engaging every sense, which is why you smell the wine when you drink it. the clinking is part of engaging the senses. >> we always learn something when you're here, thomas. >> let's clink. >> you need champagne. >> make eye contact when you clink. >> exactly. >> happy new year. >> happy new year. when we come back, how to get out of any awkward situation. worlds colliding. jerry seinfeld goes one on one with the president. two guys ready to help you count down to the new year. carson and andy cohen, filling us in on what they have for nbc look, i know you're a cow and all. and you may not know what i'm talking about,

mmmm, yoplait. when you've got a house full of guests on the way and a cold with sinus pressure, you need fast relief. alka-seltzer plus severe sinus congestion and cough liquid gels rush relief to your tough symptoms. to put you back in control. [doorbell]

alka-seltzer plus sinus. [music] no, no, no, no, people are both soft and strong... yey! which is why our products are too.

fact. advil pain relievers are used by more households than any other leading brand. to treat their aches and pains more people reach for advil. relief doesn't get any better than this.

how else do you think he gets around so fast? take the reins this holiday and get the mercedes-benz you've always wanted during the winter event. hurry, offers end january 4th! we're back. 8:14. time for what's trepiding today ingtrending today. the last trending of 2015. >> we'll trend next year. >> we will. >> we're not stopping. >> have you heard this disturbing story? chick-fil-a discontinuing the coleslaw. >> i love their coleslaw. >> you're not the only one. they were swapping it out for something more healthy. salad and things like this. a lot of people are upset. chick-fil-a has given the makeup gift for the change. i'll show it to you. what you are about to see is chick-fil-a's 70-year-old secret coleslaw recipe. >> wow!

>> they said because this recipe holds a special place in our hearts and history, we're excited to give it to you to enjoy at home. the coleslaw is going to be off the menu as of january 11th. >> they're going to replace it with healthy options. >> yeah. >> broccoli, salad. >> i don't understanan it. if people love it, leave it on. if people don't order it, it's their business. >> don't remove it completely. >> let the people decide. >> it's paying for itself. >> now, you can get the recipe. >> the coleslaw may come back. >> it may. >> is that your prediction for 2016? >> like the mcrib. phase it out and it comes back. >> never completely goes away. >> it's on demand. >> a lot of folks upset with old navy over shirts they designed for toddlers. check these out. old navy selling these shirts that said, aspiring young artist. as you can see, the word artist is crossed out and replaced with

people, naturally, took their outrage to twitter. have you seen this? old navy clearly ignorant to the value of young artists in our world. you lost me, old navy. another made a comment about who likely designed the shirt. old navy doesn't employ artists. oh, wait, they do. old navy said, we take our responsibility to customers seriously. we would never intentionally offend anyone, and we are sorry if that has been the case. this particular tee, we've decided to discontinue the design and we'll work to remove the item from our stores. >> i can see why people were irritated. >> they maybe thought it was funny but they were ditching artists. >> president obama could wear it. he did not become an artist. >> way to find the silver lining, dylan. rebecca of sunny brook farms over here.

pretty much every day on this show. we're told when a situation violates the social norms, of course, we don't know how to react, so it's basically awkward because we make it awkward. so we have tips. we're here for you. >> this is good. >> how to recognize and manage a case of awkwardness. one, reckognize that has happening is normal and everybody experiences it. two, call it out. acknowledge the weirdness. maybe do a joke, lighten the mode. don't run away, is take three. that would be even more awkward. like, bye. most importantly, be kind. you can always bring up something else. mutual topic. >> situations are awkward, and sometimes running away is justified. in an elevator, there was a woman not pregnant, and i -- >> oh, no! >> rule number one. >> you know what? it was a l lg time ago. >> never ask if someone is pregnant. >> i got off on a floor not mine.

floor, you do not ask. >> nobody is pregnant here. >> i know. >> craig may be a little pregnant. now to jerry seinfeld and the president, and taylor swift's tease. >> i love this. jerry seinfeld's web series kicked off last night and featured a special guest, president barack obama. take a look. >> don't you think every american child is a president, and a grow up loving the president? >> i do well with the 0 to 8 demographic. >> really? >> they love me. partly, they think my ears are big, and i look a little like a cartoon character. >> right. can you adjust the temperature in here? have you touch add thermostat? >> no, i make a call. >> if i slid open your underwear drawer, one brand or a number of brands? >> you have to go with one brand.

this is a critical concept. >> more work you don't need. you have to go off at some point with food. what's your thing? >> nachos. it's one of those where i have to have it taken away. i'll have the guacamole coming out of my eyeballs. >> what sport is politics? is it chess? is it liar's poker? >> probably most like football. you have to punt a lot. but every once in a while, you'll see a hole, and then there's open field. >> i love it. i can't wait to see the whole thing. jerry seinfeld tweeted about the episode. me, the most powerful man in the world. results 19 minutes of nonsense. said as only jerry can. the sequel to "finding nemo" is set to come out in june. the first look at two new characters.

bailey the whale. voiced by ty burrel. finally, 2015 has been a good year for taylor swift. the singer released her fifth album, 1989, and went on a world tour. taylor isn't done yet. she tweeted a screen grab, teasing her new video for "out of the woods." the singer appears to be covered in dirt as she looks into the camera with a fierce gaze. the video will premiere tonight. >> looks like something out of the hung er"hunger games"." >> her videos are involved. >> she perfected the fierce gaze. i'll perfect mine in 2016. >> mine is awkward. >> very cute. >> let's run away. away. away. anderson will be mostly cloudy with just a few showers left, high of 65. north winds at 5. the mountains will be mostly cloudy, patchy fog until 11 am, high of 55. cooler temperatures

>> that's your latest forecast. savannah and craig? >> thank you so much. times square is one of the top destinations in the world to ring in the new year. if you can't be there in person, you can count on carson to bring the festivities to you. >> in about a minute, you're going to get the baptism of a brand-new year. another chance to get it right. >> 20 seconds! >> where's my wife? >> feels good. >> four, three, two, one! happy new year! >> very impressive. >> we're singing. >> happy new year, everybody. >> i'm here with my man, carson, taking over.

man b to,oobs. look who is with carson. >> andy cohen. >> i'm taking my shirt off at midnight. >> and your pants, you promised. >> both. >> this is a broadcast network. keep it family. >> right. >> you have a special edition of hollywood game night. >> it's live. >> is that a good idea? >> that's a good question, craig. >> live with celebrities playing games on new year's eve? >> with alcohol, yes, it's a fantastic idea. >> andy doesn't do anything not live. >> it's true. >> i can appreciate that. >> then i can't get in trouble if something goes wrong. it was lifeve. >> we have you on a 15-second delay. >> as always. >> last year, i turned away when the shirt started coming off. >> yes. >> you look like you may have been the only sober person there on the stage. >> i've been doing this almost 20 years in times square, and it's really changed throughout the years. i used to get up and it was a serious broadcasting night, you give the information.

away to really just doing what everybody else at home is doing, and that's having fun. we have andy, great friends that are really funny. we have great music. gwen stefani. more importantly, we have the right crew. we're going to be drinking and looking back on the year. we'll have a party in times square. >> what's your drink of choice? >> makers gingera ale. >> that's mine. >> if you want makers market anything in times square, every bottle, andy collected it. >> who are your celebrities for game night? >> we have a bunch. john stamos, bob saget, whitney cummings. >> bob saget live? i hope you have a delay. >> serious delay, yeah. >> what are the resolutions this year, 2016? >> for me, it's to try and drink and eat a little more. i go the other way.

>> more cardio. work on my friendship with carson. >> it seems like it's solid. >> it's rock solid. >> it's been fast. >> what else can you tell us about tonight? >> what else do you want to know? >> it'll be great. >> game night for an hour, and that's live. it'll be a disaster. let's be honest. >> yeah. then we're walking to you. >> he's like, no, we have to do it live. >> then we're walking over to you. >> they'll come to me. >> a live walk? >> to you. that's the only way to get to you, allegedly. yes, we'll cover the walk with all the roof cams in new york. make your way to me, sit by a fake fire, drink real alcohol and it'll be like donald trump, no. all these witty, cool, funny people will go off. >> folks are already starting to packpee? >> where are you? >> should i have to go at 30 rock before i go?

>> go right now, before you leave. i don't know what's going to happen. >> oh, my gosh. >> don't mix anything. it's more. >> oh, my gosh. >> carson daly, andy cohen, looking forward to tonight. >> thanks, guys. >> happy new year. >> so excited. >> love you guys. >> drink lots of water. >> 10:00/9:00 central with nbc's new year's eve game night with andy cohen. andy walks to carson in times square to bring in 2016. >> you have to get out of here. >> that's true. i'm going on vacation. peace out. >> happy new year's to you. >> right now. >> literally. >> yes, they said to go. >> you have everything? >> yeah, sort of. >> don't forget to take your mike off. >> we're not done yet. coming up, last-minute recipes to make your party pop as you

>> do you haveflooding all over the upstate.

and the swamp rabbit trail was closed, but the park re-opened this morning. the swamp rabbit trail and the zoo remains closed until further notice. barricades were put up for most of the day to keep people from driving in potentially dangerousas. breaks in thrain though...allowed people to ventu o to the reedy river at falls park. the water rose to about seven feet during the day there. that's not flood stage... but it is higher than usual... greenville, spartanburg, anderson will be mostly cloudy with just a few showers left, high of 65. north winds at 5. the mountains will be mostly cloudy, patchy fog until 11 am, high of 55. cooler temperatures will be felt tonight. asheville, hendersonville will drop to 38 overnight, the upstate will drop to 47. highs on friday of 46 to 55 in the region under mostly cloudy skies. cooler, dryer weather moves in for the weekend, saturday morning lows

highs in the 44 to 50 range welcome back. it's a thursday morning, the 31st of december, 2015, the last day of the year. we have a huge crowd here on the plaza. getting a jump start on their new year's celebration. hello, folks. some of the folks are probably going to -- >> who is going to see the ball drop tonight? a loud crowd. they have to save the voice to ring in 2016. >> some folks don't care about their folks. good looking crowd. as we mentioned, savannah really did have to leave early. she was going on vacation. >> had to get out of here.

the airport. a procrastinateors guide to throw a party at home. easy things you can do. mindy kaling's project for 2016, read a book. she'll walk you through her favorites. bob harper is here to fill us in on a twist coming to his show, and tips to get the year off to a good start. first, get a check of the weather from dylan. >> times square, it is going to be nice in the northeast. temperatures near 50 degrees today. the great lakes, we have lake-effect snow. across the southeast, we'll see storms, especially through southern georgia. temperatures are cool through the northern plains. tonight at midnight, temperatures still in the '40s in new york city. we're in the teens and 20s through the upper midwest. temperatures only in the upper 20s for areas like seattle. 32 in oregon.

of 2016, little showery along the gulf coast, but the northeast in the 40s. it is a little chilly but sunny greenville, spartanburg, anderson will be mostly cloudy with just a few showers left, high of 65. north winds at 5. the mountains will be mostly cloudy, patchy fog until 11 am, high of 55. cooler temperatures will be felt tonight. asheville, >> that's your latest forecast. >> dylan, thank you. what's a new year's eve party without kathie lee and hoda, especially when new year's eve is on a thirsty thursday. >> they're kicking off the celebrations on nbc with a toast to 2015.

buzziest stories and events of the year. they invited their celebrity friends to the party. >> 2016, non-resolution, i am not willing to drink less. >> one thing i won't be doing in 2016 is diving further into technology. i'm going to try to keep it simple this year, and just be in the moment. >> i will not be giving up cheese. i know that for certain. >> to not look back at this past year. instead, i look forward to the future. >> next year, i will not be wearing culottes. >> i won't be getting an iphone. no, i might. i probably will. >> i'm not going to wear culottes. >> i'm not weaning myself off social media and i'm not weaning myself off my phone. >> i will not stop eating chunky peanut butter out of the jar in the middle of the night. >> i will not start dressing like a proper gentleman. >> fantastic. >> it's going to be a fun night. >> what are you not going to be doing next year?

i'm going to seize the day. >> i love the energy. >> i enjoyed it so much, i wanted you to say it again. you're passionate about that. >> getting on my case. once again, the two-hour special, a toast to 2015, airs tonight at 8:00/7:00 central, on nbc. up next, we're watching up with mindy kaling. she'll reveal her list of

first, this is "today" on nbc. >> announcer: year in review on "today" is brought to you by mercedes-benz mercedes-benz. the best or nothing. back now at 8:36 with help for a new year's resolution that might be on our list. reading more in 2016. actress and author mindy kaling took us to skylight books in los angeles and shared some of her faf rit favorite books with us.

it's called "inside chef's at europe." it has amazing photographs, great recipes, and simple recipe recipes. you also see these beautiful pictures. man, that guy's fridge is awesome. if my fridge looked like this, i would be stoked. look at the fruit. my fridge has never seen fruit. here are two of my favorite books. one is a classic, "bridget jones dairy," which was also one of my favorite movies. >> the greatest book of all time. >> the other is called "the love affairs of nathaniel p. it's realistic and kind of cringe-worthy, in how well detailed it is. i think they actually make a good pair of books to give to somebody.

this is the "best american mystery stories." it was edited by one of my favorite mystery authors. sometimes a big book seems like a big assignment. with these, read one before you go to sleep, then have terrible nightmares and want to read another one the next day. "we should all be feminists," a famous essay sampled in the beyonce song "flawless." >> believes in the social, political and economic equality. >> she's the writer where when she says something, you're like, i wish i said that. that's my opinion instantly. i think a lot of people feel reluctant to say they're feminists which, to me, is a pity. i think if you read this, more people would be like, yeah, i'm a human. i'm a feminist. you wouldn't be scared of the term. huh, "why not be" by mindy kaling.

i think it should be in the classic section. i'm going to buy it. "this was this was my favorite book as a kid, "harriett the spy." i, too, kind of look like a little boy with the round face and glasses. it's not a book about her being cute or fashionable or starting a makeup company. it's about her being smart and using her brain, which i love. my dad used to read this book to me when i was growing up, and he'd read one chapter a night. it's the thing i looked forward to the most. thank you. well, i hope you like my picks. i just bought a bag full of more books to read. yeah, that's it. i think they're good. i think you're going to like them. >> nice, i love it. huge thanks to mindy. you should add her latest book "why not me" to your list. >> great book. >> really good.

our website, today.com. we they asked us to come up with our favorite book. i love "organrphan train." it's about two generations of women who were orphans, but completely different decades, but how they come together and finding family and survival. >> how about you? >> i shook it up. the question was the highlight or the books that marked your 2015. here's the deal when you have three kids, these two books we read every single night. i kept it real with you. " "pete the cat" at the end, he says, i have different shoes. do you cry? goodness no. i say to my kids, do you cry? goodness no! >> every pete the kid, i sing the song. i love my white shoes >> absolutely.

ken follett trilogy series. it's the first one happens around world war i. the second is around world war ii. this happens around vietnam era. all of these lives intertwine. it's so good. i did travel with this one. >> yours? >> it's if the the"the world and me." it is absolutely fantastic. beautifully written. >> let's do an exchange. >> dylan, you talk about this on the weekends. >> it's a letter he wrote to his 15-year-old son in the wake of what we've seen in this country over the past year. the violence we've seen. anyway, it's a fascinating read. >> cheers, guys. >> thank you. >> we should do a book club more often. >> we should. up next, bob harper has the skinny on beginning the new year

first, this is "today" on nbc. back now at 8:44. nbc's "the biggest loser" returns monday night. the theme of the season, temptation. there will be new twists to keep the challenges fresh. >> we've changed the house. >> whoa. >> we've changed that gym. >> oh. >> we've even changed me. >> really? >> because this season, i'm not just training you, i'm your new host. >> yay! >> the crowd goes wild. bob harper is here with us on this new year's eve. >> they were excited. >> you've been with the show from the beginning. from training and, as you mentioned, the host. how has it been? >> really exciting this year. i have been on the show since season one.

really wanted to bring my passion, my flavor into this show, and it was a lot of work and a lot of fun. >> temptation is the theme this year. >> that's right. we are facing every single temptation you would face in the real world. money, food, luxury, time restraints, which i'm sure you know. you have a busy schedule. >> how do you respond to one of the criticisms of the show, that it is too extreme? >> i would just say that our show is meant to wake you up and to inspire you. of course, it's extreme. we're doing a reality show. but what i have found is that people get something from our audience, from our contestants, and that's what we want. we want you to be inspired. get up off the sofa and move around a little bit. >> you are not a fan of folks who make the new year's resolutions to lose weight. >> i hate new year's resolutions because no one ever -- it never lasts. it sets people up for failure.

january 1st, i'm going to change everything. i'll go to the gym every day. the gyms will be packed. after a couple weeks, all those people will go back to their old ways. i want you to focus on 30 days. don't think -- >> not 365? >> give me 30 days. >> 30 days of what? >> i would say, cut out all sugary drinks. that means when you go to the soft fee coffee shops, don't get the frozen mocha lattes, whatever they are, energy drinks, stay away from sugary drinks. >> for 30 days. what else? >> i think what's going to happen is you'll feel better because you have all the crap out of your body. and you're going to be more likely to sustain that because you're going to reap the benefits. >> what about exercise? >> i'm a big cross fitter. i do it all the time. >> i know. >> i recommend it all the time. i tell people, for this month, find some sort of exercise program that you would like to do.

the case may be, three times a week. >> group exercise? >> it brings you with like minded people. it's like, you're more likely to keep going with it because you're going to make friends, you're going to be with people doing the same thing. misery loves company. >> one of the things i found is it helps with the accountability, when you have somebody on the bike next to you, where were you today? i didn't see you. >> exactly. that's a good benefit. >> and you also say folks should consider changing their diet, as well. >> always. when it comes to changing your body, it's all about diet. >> what should we be doing? >> i want people to eat more vegetables. in the 30 days, why don't you make sure that for six days a week, you incorporate some sort of vegetable to every meal you're eating? you're going to fill up on good, fibrous foods. you'll feel better, and i mean, it's naturally going to be low in calories. no one is going to get fat eating broccoli. >> true.

they make the new year's resolutions. >> they try to change too many things. they set themselves up for failure. give yourself a break. find one thing to focus on the month of january. stick with it. it's 30 days out of your life. you're going to feel so much better. >> bob harper, good to see you. >> you, too. >> the season premiere of "the biggest loser," next monday, 9:00/8:00 central. if you're planning to have folks over tonight, some tips.

nbc. back at 8:50. you don't have to hit the town tonight to have a good time. last-minute ideas to add sparkle to your stay at home celebration. i love what you've done. happy new year already. >> happy new year. >> we have the countdown clocks going throughout here. that's the theme. >> we'll have a drop the ball party at home. >> perfect. >> wonderful ideas if you are staying home with family and friends. >> that's what i'm doing tonight. this is perfect timing. >> so am i. >> i love this. this is the flower centerpiece at your table, but also the ball theme. >> exactly. all this is is a floral foam sphere.

easy and anyone can don't. party. >> fantastic statement. >> the cocktails, i love to serve a signature drink to the adults who come over. tonight, we're having clock tails. >> i like that. i'll show you how i made it. you have a number here, and all decals. stickers from a craft store. >> peel them off. >> you peel it off. i'm going to do the 7, and you do the 3. >> right. >> they're stickers. you stick them on the champagne glass. >> meanwhile, you have on the tray -- mine is crooked. >> it's good. it's a great way for guests to know what drink is theirs the entire evening. >> you have the clock configuration. i love it. fantastic. >> and a great dessert to bring, this is wonderful. we've done clock cakes. you can pick up a store bought

craft store numbers imitating the clock. if you want, you can do the ice k number -- icing numbers yourself. >> even i can do that. >> we can't forget about champagne. do it yoyoself. so easy. i used a craft glue, modje-pod modje-podge. >> you can use the bloom of your choice. also a hostess gift if you're going somewhere, glitter it, go to the party with it. it'll be a hit. >> perfect. >> look at these cup cakes. they're amazing. i'll take some home. >> we can send them home with you. >> how do we do this? >> we can't forget about the kids. it's great to give your kids an activity. white cupcakes. this is edible silver glitter. you sprinkle it on.

it was the key to the sparkle. an oreo truffle ball. >> to create the ball dropping look there. >> it imitates the ball. we'll paint this on, all edible. >> you can find this glittery int. >> in the craft store. pick it up for the evening. then we'll put the lollipop stick in here and pop it on the cupcake. >> kids love oreo. so festive. hors d'oeuvres, appetizers. this is adorable. tuxedo cheese slices. >> if you don't want to dress up, you can dress up your cheese and crackers for the season. >> right. >> so you take a round cracker, any thinly sliced cheese. for the buttons and the bow tie, black olive. easy. go ahead if you want to help me,

>> you're assuming i'm crafty. >> you can tie the bow tie. three olive buttons. >> very cute. great. >> now he's all dressed up. >> last but not least, you have to leave our guests, dylan, craig and sheinelle, favors. >> the black-eyed peas for good luck. >> i love sending guests home with black-eyed peace. also a great opportunity for leftover holiday ribbon. we can all use a little good luck in the new year. a great parting gift. >> great idea. >> happy new year. >> cheers. >> happy new year. >> great job. >> thank you. >> by the way, the rescipes and ideas are on our website, today.com/food. we're back after your local

we're not suregreenville, spartanburg, anderson will be mostly cloudy with just a few showers left, high of 65. north winds at 5. the mountains will be mostly cloudy, patchy fog until 11 am,

will be felt tonight. asheville, hendersonville will drop to 38 overnight, the upstate will drop to 47. highs on friday of 46 to 55 in the region under mostly cloudy skies. cooler, dryer weather moves in for the weekend, saturday morning lows in the upper 20s to mid 30s, highs in the 44 to 50 range on saturday. dry, cool weather will last through wednesday next

announcer: it's "live with kelly and michael.l.today, mega movie star tom hanks and from