nbc's stephanie gosk has more. >> reporter: the former star anchor released a statement saying in part, to the people i have hurt, i am truly sorry. some of what is being said about me is untrue or mischaracterized, but there is enough truth in these stories to make me feel embarrassed and ashamed. lauer's first public comments come on the heels of new accusations. at least three women have come forward to nbc. among them one accuser who alleges she was sexually assaulted in lauer's office in 2001. according to a report in "the new york times." she told the paper she passed out during the incident and woke up on the floor of his office. she says lauer had his assistant take her to a nurse. an nbc spokesperson would not comment on the details, citing privacy issues. altogether there may be as many as six accusers. questions have been raised about whether nbc news executives knew of the complaints prior to monday. several former nbc news executives we spoke with told us they didn't know of any complaints. and the network responded saying unequivocally no current management knew about any

stephanie gosk, nbc news, new york. >>> firefighters are in a desperate battle with one of the largest fires in california history. the thomas fire is now potentially threatening 18,000 homes in the santa barbara area after burning through ventura. authorities now say that a separate inferno, the fire which torched multi-million-dollar homes in bel air was caused by an illegal cooking fire. >>> in the eastern part of the country, a very different story with a winter weather alert for 16 million people from maine to michigan. low temperatures tonight will be in the single digits and teens across the great lakes and interior northeast. and look out. 6 to 10 inches of snow is expected across new england through wednesday morning with wind gusts of up to 40 miles an hour. >>> now to a wakeup call for parents as we reported an estimated one in five children of teens has emotional behavior or mental health disorder. tonight we're diving into a question so many parents ask themselves. is there a link between our kids' use of smartphones and other electronic screens and their mental health? he

asked stephanie gosk to take a closer look. >> tax -- >> reporter: the phone at tax collectors office in montclair, new jersey, doesn't normally ring much this time of year. >> time to file away and get ready for upcoming year but today has been crazy. revolving door. >> reporter: property owners in something of a panic. a know-it-all relative at holiday table probably told them to prepay the property taxes to save money before the new tax law kicks in. >> accountant told us to do it if you can. do it before the end of the year. >> can't hurt to do it, as long as you have the cash and don't need it. >> reporter: limits property tax deduction to $10,000 in 2018, but homeowners in high tax states and cities who prepay next year's bill before the end of 2017 may save money. may because it depends on a number of factors. accountant matt meyer has had to explain to chicago area clients in deluge of tax calls. >> it's ridiculous. tax season started a month early. usually in month of december we're going on vacation, taking it easy. >> reporter: not this year. meyer and his team spending tim

nbc's stephanie gosk why and has more on the latest woman who is speaking out. >> reporter: the backlashgainst addie zinone has been blistering and vulgar. >> what is happening to me on social media is exactly why we don't speak out. i'm being labeled a home wrecker and a whore and attention seeker. >> reporter: zinone was a 24-year-old production assistant when she began a sexual relationship with lauer, the high-profile anchor. she tells us it was consensual, but she felt enormous pressure. >> i was so naive, and the most important, infleuential man at nbc news, who i idolized, came to me to prey and i fell for it. >> reporter: a different woman came forward to the company last month, prompting lauer to be fired. little is known aboute details or identity. >> my client is terrified and lives in constant fear that people are going to, you know, track her down and figure out who she is. >> reporter: the woman's lawyer, ari wilkenfeld, says nbc hasn't done enough to protect her. >> can you be more specific on where they've fallen short? >> nbc has a duty to maintain confidentiality. they'

>> stephanie gosk not far from here there in times square. steph, thank you. >>> another big concern this weekend here in new york and far beyond, the brutal cold wave that's going to continue right into the new year, apparently. meteorologist dylan dreyer is here. how frigid are folks going to have to deal with here? >> in new york city it is going to be extremely cold. we're forecasting 11 degrees by midnight on new year's eve. the wind chill down around zero. if that pans out, that will be tied for the second coldest new year's eve on record. the only colder year was 1917 when it was only 1 degree. the cold air will continue to settle in in the meantime, that arctic air pouring in from the north. tomorrow morning we're not looking a whole lot of wind. so temperatures will be similar to the actual air temperatures. so 11 in omaha, wind chill about 2 degrees. cleveland 11, tomorrow morning, the wind chill about 4. boston is one of those areas where it will be windier and feel like 12 below tomorrow morning. now, we are going to see some of t

stephanie gosk is at the scene with late details. stephanie? >> reporter: good evening, lester. this intersection pretty much looks like it does on any other night with the exception of a few extra law enforcement. but earlier this morning basically right under my feet a man tried to blow himself up in a crowded subway tunnel. a suicide bomber at rush hour in the new york city subway. >> we have a report of an explosion and some sort of suspicious device. >> reporter: a nightmare scenario. >> it was just a big explosion. the impact of the explosion just pushed everybody around. >> reporter: 7:20 a.m. in a crowded subway tunnel. police say this surveillance video shows 27-year-old akayed ullah detonating explosives strapped to his body. >> the device is based on a pipe bomb. it was affixed to his person with a combination of velcro and zip ties. >> reporter: moments after the blast the would-be suicide bomber could be seen on the ground burns to his body. commuters scattered for cover between times square and the bustling port authority bus station. one of the busiest underground

nbc's stephanie gosk is here with details on this story. what do we know tonight? >> reporter: good evening, craig. the department of justice has, in the words of its inspector general, potential systemic issues with how it handles sexual harassment allegations. in a memo from may, first revealed by "the washington post" and later obtained by nbc news, the ig says that among the problems uncovered, inconsistent reporting of allegations as well as inconsistent and sometimes lenient punishment. "the washington post" describes multiple incidents including a veteran u.s. marshal who had sex with nine women in his office. initially lied about it and told the women to lie as well. he was eventually transferred. tonight, a doj spokesperson says in part the department was disappointed with the issues that occurred in the obama administration, has implemented additional safeguards and systems and has convened a working group to look at the issues. another example, craig, of how every corner of our society is grappling with sexual harassment in the workplace. >> indeed. step

stephanie gosk as more. in the 2012 games, mckayla marrone was one of the brightest stars. on that helped get her to the podium, usa gymnastics paid her to keep from going public with a painful secret. starting at 13, team doctor larry nasser sexually abused her. according to a lawsuit filed in california, the gold medal winner signed a nondisclosure agreement. she went to usa gymnastics looking for financial help with psychological treatments. >> you don't help someone by putting a gag on them. we know you were molested, but you can't talk about it. >> she went public in october saying i had a dream to go to the olympics and the things i endured to get there were unnecessary and disgusting. at the time usa gymnastics publicly commended marrone and others for their courage, writing in part because of their strength in coming forward, predators can be held accountable for their academieses. >> they would try to look good by acting like they wanted her to come forward. that hypocrisy. >> usa gymnastics said that's not true. writing the concept of confidentiality was initiated

stephanie gosk, nbc news, new york. >>> now to a texas first grade teacher who is helping one student's wishes come true. she started assigning the class to writer letters to santa. well, one student asked for very simple gifts like food, a blanket and a ball. the teacher posted the letter on social media where it quickly went viral. hundreds of donations poured into the school. so much so that now there is enough for each student to receive a blanket, not just the girl. plus plenty of extras for neighboring schools in need. we see that time and time again. somebody just mentions something in need, and then the help is just overwhelming. >> but what strikes is they weren't asking for ipads or anything. >> right. >> it was basic necessities. thanks for watching. ipm phill a commute nightmare this morning. two big rig crashes on both sides of the bay. we have team coverage. commute nightmare this morning. two big rig crashes on both sides of the bay. we've got team coverage for you. good morning, thanks for joining us, i'm laura garcia. >> and i'm marcus washington. first we want to get t

stephanie gosk is out in the middle as the big moment approaches, hi stephanie. >> reporter: hi there, kate, this is the most recognizable new year's eve party in the world. and it brings people from all over the world who to want see it in person. unprecedented security and some cold temperatures aren't enough to keep them away. a major security screening operation in place as crowds pile in to see the shimmering waterford crystal ball ring in 2018. frigid temperatures inspiring some interesting wardrobe choices. >> i've got layers on, i've got hot warmers, and just all the excitement, it's just keeping us warm. >> reporter: this cold is no joke. more ems workers on tonight to keep an eye on revelers panned up for hours in the dangerous weather. >> looking for people who are experiencing signs of hypothermia. >> reporter: what does that look like? >> slurring your speech a little bit. get clammy. little disoriented. >> reporter: sometimes people will sneak a little bit of brandy or something to warm themselves up, does that really work? >> it's actually opposite of what you should be

nbc's stephanie gosk has more. >> reporter: the backlash against addie zinone has been blistering and at times vulgar. >> what is happening to me right now on social media and some of the comments is exactly why we don't speak out because i'm being labeled a home wrecker and i'm being labeled a whore and an attention seeker. >> reporter: zinone was a production assistant when she began a sexual relationship with lauer, the high profile anchor. she tells us it was consensual, but she felt enormous pressure. >> i was so naive and the most important influential man at nbc news who i idolized was flattering me and he knew i was good prey and i fell for it. >> reporter: nbc news fired matt lauer for inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace after a different woman came forward to the company last month. few details are known including her relationship with lauer or her identity. >> my client is terrified. she does live in constant fear that people are going to, you know, track her down and figure out who she is. >> reporter: the woman's lawyer ari wilkenfeld says nbc hasn't done enoug

we start tonight with stephanie gosk at the site of america's biggest new year's eve party. >> reporter: tonight as the risers and barricades go up in times square, the new york police department announced it is taking new steps to protect the estimated 2 million people expected on new year's eve. >> as a result of the events of december 11th, we have prepared a tactical bulletin, a ponce to suicide bombers. >> reporter: the attempted suicide bombing on december 11th took place just steps away from times square in an underground walkway. in response to that failed attack, the nypd says training officers for duty on new year's eve will include identifying would-be bombers, clearing crowds if they detect a threat, stopping the bomber with lethal force and treating the wounded in a bomb goes off. there will also be detectives in the many hotels surrounding times square after the october shooting in las vegas when a gunman fired rifles from a hotel window into a concert crowd below killing 58 people. the worst mass shooting in modern u.s. history. >> so in previous years we had spotters in

the accuser has maintained her silence, but nbc's stephanie gosk sat down with her attorney who has been working on cases of sexual misconduct for 20 years. to those searching for his client, he says please stop. he also said she's terrified. >> reporter: in his 20 years at the "today" show, matt lauer had become one of the biggest names in the media world, but it took one woman coming forward with her story, according to nbc news and roughly 24 hours he was gone. her attorney, ari spoke with us exclusively. >> she showed her face, gave her name and told her story. at the conclusion of the interview was asked, what do you want? and she said, i want you guys to dot right thing. and also i'd like you to maintain my confidentiality. >> what was it like emotionally for her? >> i think it was difficult like it is for all victims of sexual harassment. it's scary. that's why many women want to have those meetings and go home, close their door and never be heard from again. >> does she live with this fear that she's going to be found out? >> my client is terrified. and she does live in constant

stephanie gosk braving the elements for us. times square with traffic just for a couple more hours before they shut it down. stephanie gosk, thank you. >>> coming up, the u.s. and its allies have made big gains against isis over the past year, but has the cost been too high? that's next. i am totally blind. and non-24 can throw my days and nights out of sync, keeping me from the things i love to do. talk to your doctor, and call 844-214-2424. your bbut as you get older,ing. it naturally begins to change, causing a lack of sharpness, or even trouble with recall. thankfully, the breakthrough in prevagen helps your brain and actually improves memory. the secret is an ingredient originally discovered... in jellyfish. in clinical trials, prevagen has been shown to improve short-term memory. prevagen. the name to remember. >>> welcome back, everyone. time for your morning primer. we begin in washington, d.c. where two romanians have been charged for hacking 123 of the city's outdoor security cameras. this happened just days before pr

nbc's stephanie gosk now with the latest. >> reporter: the first images of matt lauer after being fired from his job at the "today" show, taken near his home on long island. early this morning the former star anchor released a statement saying in part, to the people i have hurt, i am truly sorry. some of what is being said about me is untrue or mischaracterized, but there is enough truth in these stories to make me feel embarrassed and ashamed. lauer's first public comments come on the heels of new accusations. at least three women have come forward to nbc. among them one accuser who alleges she was sexually assaulted in lauer's office in 2001 according to a report in "the new york times." she told the paper she passed out during the incident and woke up on the floor of his office. she says lauer had his assistant take her to a nurse. an nbc spokesperson would not comment on the details citing privacy issues. altogether there may be as many as six accusers. questions have been raised about whether nbc news executives knew of the complaints prior to monday. several former nbc news execut

matt lauer has been terminated. >> that was nbc's stephanie gosk reporting.'s bring in gabe sherman, special correspondent for "vanity fair" and nbc contributor and rebecca weir, an attorney who handles sexual harassment claims, and also a former congressional staffer. let's start with the stephanie gosk report and also an opinion column in "the washington post." i have received more questions about my client's identity than i can count. i understand the desire to learn her name but it is unfair to expect all women to face the spotlight when they report sexual harassment, especially because it is men. yes, all men who should be facing the mirror. all men should be facing the mirror. do you agree with that point, that nothing can change until men have changed their attitudes towards women? >> yes, i do. you know, we are not in a post-sexist society in america yet. we've obviously made great strides over the past 50-plus years but we're not there yet as this epidemic is showing us. so, yes, all men should be reflecting on their behavior and recognizing that som

nbc's stephanie gosk explains why and has more with the latest woman to speak out. >> reporter: the backlashn blistering and, at times, vulgar. >> what is happening to me on social media, some of the comments, is exactly why we don't speak out. i'm being labeled a home wrecker and a whore and an attention seeker. >> reporter: zinone was 24 when she was an production assistant. she said it was consensual. >> he was flattering me and knew i was good prey. i fell for it. fired plat lawyfire ed matt lauer for inappropriate sexual misconduct in the workplace after a different woman came forward to the company last month. little details are known, including the relationship with lauer or her identity. >> my client is terrified and does live in constant fear that people are going to, you know, track her down and figure out who she is. >> reporter: the woman's lawyer says nbc hasn't done enough to protect her. can you be more specific on where they've fallen short? >> nbc has a duty to maintain confidentiali confidentiality. they haven't done that. >> reporter: he wouldn't elaborate or provide detai

stephanie gosk reports. >> reporter: this weekend as the countdown to 2018 begins, the nypd will be outafe and should feel safe, too. the nypd and our partners are well prepared. >> reporter: police are upping security in the wake of two high profile terror attacks. in response to last october's truck attack that claimed the lives of eight people, 125 garages near times square will be closed and sealed. sand filled trucks will be used to block off streets. after an attempted suicide bombing two weeks ago, they are adding new training for officers. >> we have prepared a tactical bulletin, a response to suicide bombers. you will see an increase in weapons, 1,000 cameras. >> reporter: on the street, the increased police presence appears to put many at ease. >> definitely. >> we came here worrying a little bit about it. >> reporter: sunday night, an estimated 2 million people are expected to watch the ball drop in times square. police banning backpacks and other large containers. all garbage cans in the area will be removed. to rule out explosives, k-9 units will be deployed. >> more dogs a

we turn to stephanie gosk. stephanie, good morning. >> reporter: hey there, philip. so, the new york city police department has shown just how nimble they are in the past, responding to a whole spectrum of threats. this year it will be no different and in particular, two attacks in the last year, both of them very different, have changed the way new york city is going to be protecting times square this new year's eve. as the risers and barricades go up in times square, the new york police department announced it is taking new steps to protect the estimated 2 million people expected on new year's eve. >> as a result of the events of december 11th, we have prepared a tactical bulletin, a response to suicide bombers. >> reporter: the attempted suicide bombing on december 11th took place just steps away from times square in an underground walkway. in response to that failed attack, the n.y.p.d. says training for officers on duty new year's eve will include identifying would-be bombers, clearing crowds if they detect a threat, stopping the bomber with lethal force, and tr

. >> nbc's stephanie gosk heads to microsoft's headquarters in washington to see what the tech giant of them. >> reporter: our computers are under attack. all across the world, 1 million victims a day. >> there are a lot of attacks. >> yeah, there are. >> reporter: outside of seattle, tech giant microsoft keeps track of cyber crime at its own internal lab, and they've noticed something alarming. >> 81% of the data theft that we saw was related to user name and password. that gives you a pretty good idea of the magnitude of the problem. >> reporter: brett arsenal is their chief information security officer. >> did you get any bad guys? without going into specifics? >> the hacking community has grown in both size and sophistication and the techniques they use which, again, goes back to why it was so important we solve this problem. >> reporter: microsoft is one of a handful of companies pushing hard to scrap passwords. the most vulnerable aspect of everyday digital life. >> people use very simple passwords that are easy to guess or using sophisticated computers are very easy to crack.

nbc's stephanie gosk has more. >> reporter: in the 2012 london games, mckayla maroney was one of therightest stars. tonight, she says the organization that helped get her to the podium, usa gymnastics paid her to keep from going public with a painful secret. maroney said the team doctor sexually abused her. according to a lawsuit filed today in california, she signed a nondisclosure agreement in december 2016. she said she went to usa gymnastics looking for help. >> you don't help somebody by putting a gag on them and saying, oh, yeah, we know you were molested. but you never can talk about it. >> reporter: she went public with her story in october. writing in part, i had a dream to go to the olympics and the things that i had to endure to get there were unnecessary and disgusting. writing in part, because of their strength in coming forward, predators can be held accountable for their actions. >> they would try to look good by acting like they wanted her to come forward. that statement is the height of hypocrisy. it's despicabldespicable. >> reporter: usa gymnastics says that's not

nbc's stephanie gosk recently traveled to redmond, washington, she went to microsoft headquarters, and this is my favorite story of the day, because again, every week i cannot recall one or two passwords and we may be approaching the point where we don't have to. >> what is the most demanding thing you do on the computer is when you go to a website, could be anything, you could be trying to buy a shirpt t at the gap, er your user name and password and it's not recognized. was that the password i used? you end up having to get a new password, write it down. here is the problem. people are using the same password across 20, 25, 30 different accounts, or using a password that's easily guessed, the most popular password in 2016 was still 123456. i mean, this is like a hacker's delight. they can get in, if they figure out how you buy a shirt on the gap, they can probably get into your bank account, et cetera, et cetera. there is this big push to move beyond user name and passwords. how do you do that? b b biometrics. most likely you get into your phone using a fingerprint. the new iphone ha

for "sunday today," stephanie gosk, new york. >>> next up on "sunday today" a story of redemption fordent. >> why is this so different? this is not what we expect? >> no, it's not what we expect. i'm still mad at that 19-year-old. that's a different person. i'm no longer that guy. >> the twist of fate that brought him to a relative of his victims in hopes of preventing a similar tragedy. >>> and later, a live well lived. the astronaut who went out in looking for balance in your digestive system? try align probiotic. for a non-stop, sweet treat goodness, hold on to your tiara kind of day. get 24/7 digestive support, with align. the #1 doctor recommended probiotic brand. also in kids chewables. you're so cold, come in! what's wrong? it's dry... your scalp? mine gets dry in the winter too. try head and shoulders' dry scalp care it nourishes the scalp and... ...keeps you up to 100% flake free head and shoulders' dry scalp care >>> new year's is usually the deadliest day on roads across the country because of crashes related to alcohol, and in 2002 two families lives were changed forever.

nbc's stephanie gosk has the latest on the increased security measures the city is taking this year. >> reporter: this weekend as the countdown to 2018 begins, nypd will be out in force. >> people will be safe and should feel safe. the nypd were upping security in the wake of high-profile terror attacks. in response to last october's truck attack that claimed the lives of eight people, 125 g garages near time's square were closed and sealed. and sand-filled trucks were used to block off streets. and after an attempted suicide bombing just two weeks ago, police say they are adding new training for officers. >> we have prepared a tactical bulletin, a response to suicide bombers. you'll see an increase in heavy weapons, bomb squad personnel, 1,000 cameras. >>> on the street, the increased police presence appears to put many at ease. >> definitely. we came here worrying a little bit about it. >> reporter: sunday night an estimated 2 million people are expected to watch the ball drop in times square. police now banning backpacks and other large containers. all garbage cans in the area wil

nbc's stephanie gosk is a few blocks south at the port authority bus terminal. traffic is back to normal. we have information to share with you. the nypd says it's questioning the wife of the 27-year-old suspect, akayed ullah. a bangladeshi citizen who had been in this country for a number of years. he had held different jobs. but he was not on the nypd or the fbi's radar. and now, senior law enforcement officials who are familiar with the investigation tell us he was inspired by isis. and threats to carry out attacks during the christmas season. he detonated explosives right in front of a christmas display. in that crowded subway tunnel. the detonation actually failed. and the pipe bomb, which was attached to him with velcro and zip ties, didn't fully explode. had it fully exploded, the casualties could have been worse. even so, it created mayhem in this city. this is one of the busiest transit areas in new york. buses came to a stop. trains came to a stop. people fled the exits. now, governor andrew cuomo has announced enhanced security around the state. at br

here's nbc's stephanie gosk. >> reporter: the nationwide emergency is as urgent as the 911 calls often coming from the children. parents passed out or worse. >> but you're unable to wake them up? >> no. i tried, and they won't wake up. >> reporter: not nearly enough lives are being saved. a government report out today says more than 63,000 people died from drug overdoses in 2016. up 21% from 2015. cheap readily available and dangerous opioids cause more deaths than breast cancer last year. no corner of the country is spared. >> good morning. >> reporter: an elementary school principal in cape cod, massachusetts, becomes a grief counseling. >> having to enter a first grade classroom and tell students that their classmate has lost a parent, and then to have to do that again and to do it again. >> hi, gorgeous. >> reporter: a young mother in dayton, ohio, lost her first baby because of drugs. her second was born with symptoms of withdrawal. >> right away i was like, i can't -- i can't live through that again. >> sorry, little sister. >> reporter: in florida, grandparents are raising grand

nbc's stephanie gosk has the details. >> reporter: not long before akayed ullah tried and failed to blow up commuters in a crowded tunnel near times square, fros prosecutors said he posted a message online to the president. trump, you failed to protect your nation. they announced five charges against the 27-year-old. among them, material support for a terrorist organization. >> he allegedly started to gather materials for his bomb two to three weeks ago. >> reporter: the government's complaint says ullah's radicalization began three years ago online while living in the u.s. ullah told investigators he deliberately chose rush hour and packed the bomb with metal screws to maximize casualties. all in support of isis. new york officials say the bomb only partially exploded and you can imagine how in a tunnel like this, crowded during rush hour, that if it had exploded entirely, it would have been devastating. >>> president trump used this week's attack and the deadly halloween attack in lower manhattan as an argument for immigration reform. >> the first attacker came through the visa lottery