can you -- >> good afternoon, my name is al curry, al curry trucking. mr. kelly, you -- yes, ma'am. mr. kelly, you sort of hit on it a few minutes ago. my question to all the different agencies up here, i want to thank all of you for coming. i have been in the trucking business for about 35 or 40 years. i have been right here in this area. one problem is the payment and you are just beginning to hit on that. years ago, when it was set up, we were being paid a 30-45 days after we submitted the invoice. there is a rule in the payment of saying that we would get unpaid as small businesses whether the contractor got paid or not. my question to you, why hasn't that been forced for all of the different agencies? i have worked for the department of public works, the puc, i haven't been paid for july on crystal springs. i just got paid for june and up on the hunters point project. that is happening all the way around. i have a line of credit, but the line of credit only goes so far. so what are you guys going to do to make sure that we as a small businesses can take in order to stay in busi

i'm matt lauer along with ann curry, al roker and tamron hall who's here. natalie is on assignment. savannah is inside. >> coming up, we've got a story about country music star mindy mccready. she is free this morning after appearing in front of a judge on monday after allegedly running off with her 5-year-old son. we'll catch you up on that case. >>> and if you're struggling to lose weight, we all know it's a real battle once you get into the holidays, we'll help you with the help of joy bauer to help you avoid the fat traps. >> what? the fat traps? that looks like a salad. >> i don't know if he's a fat trap but joy bauer has some healthy and filling snack options if you're always on the go or traveling. all that coming up in our diet sos. >> and how would you like some luxury items at 80% off? >> who wouldn't? >> here you go, i've got them in my jacket. jill is back with her popular steals and deals. today she's got some great gift ideas. everything from cute leather clutches, some luxury spa packages and even a deluxe knife set. all discounted. i have the knives in my pocket. no,

i'm matt lauer along with ann curry, al roker and tamron hall. meanwhile, coming up we'll be talking about something near and dear to at least our hearts and that is avoiding germs during the holiday sgleeceason. >> just in time for the holidays, we go on germ patrol. we take a look at what's happening in the malls. do you put your hand on the escalator? >> i don't. >> i know you don't. a lot of people do. we'll look at the most, i guess, germ-prone places as you do your shopping so we can try to keep you safe. >> thank you. with all the money you're going to spend on shopping, it might be nice to save a little cash. we'll show you how you can save up to $1500 by trimming your medical bills. everything from the medicine you take to where you get treated, all without compromising your health. >> very nice. and if you still need some ideas for the perfect present for the special someone in your life, well, jill is coming to your rescue. jill martin has some of the hottest gifts that all the celebrities are buying. i don't know what that is, but we'

. >> i'm matt lauer along with ann curry, al roker and willie geist joins us this morning. >> they brought me in to hold the umbrella. >> anyway, coming up we'll talk more about alec baldwin, what happened. he apparently got kicked off a flight. willie, you've gotten kicked off a lot of flights, what happened? >> not for this, though, matt. not such a funny situation for the "30 rock" actor. it's all because he wouldn't turn off his ipad. other passengers witnessed the whole thing. we'll hear what they are saying happened in a live report. >> they didn't care what was in his wallet. >>> it's time for us, of course, to check in with our today's money 911 folks. they are going to be helping us with everything from why closing a credit card might be a bad idea even if it has an annual advice and also advice on how much homeowners insurance you really need and whether it's better to buy your car or to lease it. >>> also coming up, the stress of the holidays. number one we'll talk about how stress sparks some arguments in your marriage, from everything on how much to spend on presents to sort o

i'm matt lauer, along with ann curry, al roker and savannah guthrie. so we have black friday, we have cyber monday, and apparently today is green monday, the second monday -- second monday in the month of december is green monday. to be followed by taupe tuesday tomorrow. this is apparently a big day for shipping packages and online shopping. we'll tell you more about -- actually fedex planning to ship 17 million packages today. 17 million. >>> all that shipping, of course, means people are spending and we are going to have some good tips for all those holiday gotchas, whether it is the extended warrantees that the stores are offering or some stores use certain scents that make you want to buy. there is a new one on me. >> really. a lot of times i've noticed that. that and the music, i think. >> they turn the air conditioning up so you'll buy heavy coats. >> do they do that in restaurants so you eat more? >> well that also would work. >> i don't know. >> just trying to get a word in here. you're like in a bad tennis match here. >> i'm telling you. >> w

i'm matt lauer along with ann curry, al roker -- universe! >> and savannah guthrie as well.lo, folks. good to have you here. what do we have coming up in this half hour? oh, we have big news, actually. we had expected this morning we'd be talking about that preliminary hearing involving jerry sandusky, the former assistant football coach at penn state. he was expected to actually get to face his accusers in a courtroom, but right before the hearing began, he waived his right to that preliminary hearing. we're going to get the latest on that coming up. >> it really begs the question why wait until this morning to make that announcement, because he could have done this, obviously, earlier. and certainly, for all those young kids who are now grown men who are now accusing him, you know, a very emotional morning for them as well as for sandusky and his family. >> we'll learn more. >> we'll get to that. also, there's another story we'll be talking about which we've been telling you all about, this beautiful, young woman, a blogger, an aspiring model, who walked accidentally into

i'm ann curry along with matt lauer and al roker.f hour you'll be having a date. >> donny, star and dr. nancy are in our studio. did you know scientists have come up with a pill that they say will alleviate the symptoms of a hangover. >> i don't believe it, really? >> why are you smiling so much? >> it's not your birthday. >>> also a 9-year-old boy suspended from school because he was overheard calling his teacher cute. >> huh. there must be a back story to that. >>> we're going to meet a photographer who transforms kids into some of hollywood's most famous celebrities and great motion picture moments. we gave her a challenge. find mini versions of us. wow, that could turn out really bad. >> okay. apparently some of these pictures are very, very funny so we'll take a look at some of that. also, we want to remind everyone that tomorrow, this is an interesting note, we'll have in our studio some of the things that were in michael jackson's house, where he spent his final days. we'll bring those into our studio and give you a preview of

i'm matt lauer, with a big group today along with ann curry, al roker, savannah guthrie. >> a big groupthere to there. >> a couple of chilly ones over there, hoda and kathie lee. >> we were told it was warmer than it is. >> oh! you're going to shame me into this? >> no, i'll just snuggle in. >> the reason we have the big group out here is because we're going to take a look back at some of the fun we've had in 2011. >> brace ourselves because we're going to be showing you all of the clips they put together. we've not seen what they put together, this is the first glimpse of it. >> i've seen that. >> yes, but what i mean is the complete compendium we have not seen and we shall see the choreography. oh, boy. >> natalie has got a check of the headlines. let's get in and get warm. >> thank you, matt. good morning, everyone, once again. after one of the most negative weeks on the campaign the republican presidential candidates kept things civil last night abefore the iowa caucuses. newt gingrich and mitt romney directed their attacks at president obama instead. >>> president obama is standing

i'm ann curry along with al roker and savannah guthrie. matt had to leave early on friday morning. coming up we'll have help with house hunting. >> that's right, we'll be shown how far your money can go from a charming lakefront property in georgia to a hip pad in downtown new york. >> i think of barbara cork ran i think of that. >>> jill martin is here with her patented steals and deals, up to 80% off on a host of products, drinks are free but she's also got great lotion there from bliss and beautiful products. >> don't get those confused. >> we'll check in with jill in a little bit. >> we also have some flirty dresses. you'll be paying a lot of attention to bring in the new year on a budget. >>> claire dane, star of a wonderful show on showtime. >> you are so great. >> claire, good morning to you. i am such a huge fan of the show, you've been nominated for a golden globe, co-star damien lewis, the show has been nominated. you've won two already. are you goingor the three-peat? >> i'm happy to be invited to the party. it's a great thrill and honor and we just basically finished fi

i'm ann curry on the plaza along with matt lauer and al roker.big hug because it's one of those mornings. >> let's also ask al to say -- >> you rascally rabbit, you! >> i was trying to avoid that, but you do look like elmer fudd. it is a cozy and cute hat. speaking of cozy and cute, we're talking about "today's professionals." >> they are in the studio right now. we have an interesting set of topics for them to discuss this morning, including the tim tebow phenomenon, also a new survey that asked americans what they'd be willing to give up to lose 10 pounds. so, how about this? would you turn your cell phone off for a day to lose 10 pounds? >> sure. >> how about giving up sex for a month? >> no. >> i'm happy heavier. >> we're going to be asking donnie, star and nancy about that survey and other things. >> okay, what else? >> oh, we've got "jill's steals and deals" coming up. she is going to be bringing us some really nifty stuff for up to 80% off just in time for the holidays. >> you must be exhausted. she just keeps doing all this shopping, find

al will have a forecast as well. meanwhile, inside the studio i'm matt lauer alongside ann curry.ing up, alec baldwin issues an apology to his fellow passengers after getting kicked off that flight in los angeles. he says it was because he was using his ipad. now american airlines is out with its version of what they say really led to baldwin's bouncing. we'll have details on that coming up. >>> also this morning you might have heard about this really renowned family piano group called the five browns. five kids who all got into julliard. they're incredibly talented and play classical music. coming up they'll be talking about a very deeply personal family secret in an exclusive live interview. >>> on a much lighter note, on "where in the world" we had a little fun doing our version of the old spice commercials. apparently the old spice guy was watching and this morning he will share his response. >> i cannot wait for that. >>> let's begin this half hour with a major new development in the disappearance of florida mom michelle parker. her family says that a key piece of evidence in

al is going to talk more about that in a couple minutes. inside the studio i'm matt lauer with ann curry, savannah guthrie, and al roker. who is going to be leading our today's panel of professionals? you. >> i will be. we have a lot to tackle including the golden globe nominations just announced this morning. a lot of great films and actors were nominated but there were a few surprises. we'll talk about that. then a young woman who claims to have used match.com to date for food. basically she acknowledged using these guys for free meals. is this par for the course when it comes to online dating? >> i think more par for the course in the economy these days. >> a sign of the times. a provocative question. is it okay to schedule sex? >> you mean among men? >> well, star jones, donny deutsch and dr. nancy will weigh in on that. >> and it's probably happened to a lot of you. your outspoken uncle maybe has a little bit too much to drink at the family get together. co-worker gives you a gift. you don't have anything in return. coming up, we'll help you navigate some awkward holiday situations.

meantime, i'm ann curry with matt lauer and al roker.alking about an oscar winner's return to the big screen. >> she is in the studio right now. we're talking about sandra bullock. she took a short break from acting and is back with a new movie called "extremely loud and incredibly close." i saw it the other day. it is extremely well done and powerful. we'll talk to sandra about that and other things in a couple minutes. always good to have her here. >>> and as we bring this year to an end oftentimes it gives us great perspective to look back on some of the trends. one of the questions we'd be addressing this morning is what do we use the internet to search for? what were our google searches? and you can see some of the people who were searched on google. we talked about major stories. we'll find out what were the top trends of 2011? >> and then another question. what were the top movies and tv shows of 2011? we'll have complete coverage. the golden globe nominations are coming up. and we'll have all of that for you. big coverage. >> i'm

al medio tiempo... y con 26 en el partido... stephen currylente primera mitad y termino con 21 puntos.. 10 asistencias y siete rebotes ademas de 6 robos de balon... 99 a 91 ganaron los warriors.. --- estos son los siguientes cuatro partidos de los warriors.. maÑana reciben a los knicks de nueva york.. el sabado a los 76 de filadelfia... el lunes visitan a los soles de phoenix y lugo a los spurs en san antonio... ---la seleccion mexicana de futbol fue reconocida por la revista france football... como la mejor de la concacaf en el 2011 sobre las seleccion de los estados unidos y de panama.. mexico se corono campeon de la copa oro tras vencer a la combinado de las barras y las estrellas... esta es la decima vez que el tricolor termina en primer lugar de la region.. ---aqui las elecciones de la revista france football.. de la concacaf mexico.. de sudamerica uruguay.. de europa y en primer lugar alemania sobre espaÑa.. ghana en africa.. japon en asia y nueva caledonia de oceana... ---y para terminar.. anoche el mariscal de campo de los santos de n

m ann curry along with al roker and savannah guthrie. matt had to leave early on friday morning.lso got great lotion there from bliss and beautiful products. >> don't get those confused. >> we'll check in with jill in a little bit. >> we also have some flirty dresses. you'll be paying a lot of attention to bring in the new year on a budget. >>> claire dane, star of a wonderful show on showtime. >> you are so great. >> claire, good morning to you. i am such a huge fan of the show, you've been nominated for a golden globe, co-star damien lewis, the show has been nominated. you've won two already. are you goingor the three-peat? >> i'm happy to be invited to the party. it's a great thrill and honor and we just basically finished filming so it's wonderful to have this immediate response and appreciation, so no, i couldn't be happier. >> i love how i guess to some degree how your character is and the storyline is one that gets a lot of sort of notes. did you know it is one of president barack obama's favorite shows on television? >> i heard that. >> what is your reaction to that? >> t

curry. with arms folded. check out al roker. come on. al looking good. there is nat mo. so cute.h. >> savannah's is almost uncanny. >> that was fun. 82 kids showed up. it was a cool thing. there's us. >> that's sad. got milk? got wine? thank you very, very much. that was fun. do you know how tough times are? so tough queen elizabeth got a pay cut. now her salary has been frozen. up through 2015. the woman is going to have to survive on $50 million a year. i don't know how she is going to do it. >> what does she spend money on? >> presents? i don't know. i always wanted to know what she has in her purse. she doesn't need keys. she wears a little lipstick. glasses. >> apparently she's been walking around buckingham palace turning off lights to save a little energy. turning down the heat some make it a little bit, yep, and doing without staff as much as she can. >> okay. okay. the people who mess with the heat, here's the thing. i have a few things i love. i love a warm apartment, warm apartment, warm house. i like the heat. >> i know you do. jay doesn't. >> i know, but he does what

meantime i'm ann curry with matt lauer. and al roker. this is a windy day.ing any parent with a teenager. >> teens and drinking. it's a major, controversial topic. what if your child wants to have a party. that child is under the age of drinking consent. you say okay. we'll have it at my house, our house, but no alcohol allowed. one father did that. however, someone snuck alcohol into the party. now the father has been arrested, charged with 44 counts of child endangerment, faces a year in jail. we'll talk to that couple in just a couple minutes. it's a cautionary tale. >> okay. >> a little bit later on we'll try to lighten things up a bit. we've got some great last-minute deals for holiday vacations that the whole family can enjoy. >> all right. but first let's get inside. >> natalie is on assignment. savannah is standing by at the news desk. >>> good morning guys. in the news today former penn state assistant football coach jerry sandusky woke up in jail this morning after his arrest wednesday on new child sexual abuse charges. sandusky was charged with mo

i'm matt lauer, along with ann curry and al roker. it is a little chilly out here but seasonal.p in this half-hour, we're going to talk about one family's tragedy. >> it is a pretty sad story, matt. it is about a young man who had just come out to his family to say he was gay. he was 18 years old, his name was tyler clemente. he committed suicide 15 months ago just days after his roommate in college allegedly used a webcam to spy on him and broadcast it over the internet of him kissing another man. so tyler's parents are now joining us this morning to speak out about this for the first time. they want some good to come out of their family tragedy. we'll talk to them exclusively. >>> on a much, much lighter note, if you look in our studio now as well, i believe the lovely and talented scarlett johansson. she's starring in a brand-new movie called "we bought a zoo" opposite matt damon. always fun to talk to. >>> people trying to figure out how to get something for that hard-to-find person, the person who -- >> you're hard-to-find person. >> elizabeth -- i don't know what that thin

out on the plaza, i'm matt lauer along with ann curry and al roker.going to spend a lot of time getting to hear the latest on giuliana rancic. >> she announced on our broadcast that she has breast cancer and since that time in october when she was here, she's undergone a double lumpectomy. well, this morning there is a significant new stage in her treatment and we're going to find out what that is. >> that's her husband, bill, obviously. >> absolutely. >>> then a little bit later on jane fonda, we know her as author, actress and fitness guru. she is out with a new fitness video, the first one in more than 15 years, aimed at the boomer generation. jane is in fantastic shape. we'll be talking with her and getting tips for exercising smart, as you get a little bit older. >> that's pretty cool. >> she looks so great! >> she does. she looks fantastic. we also have a little bit of good news for you. on friday we had our latest installment of from bow to wow with jill rappaport. one of the dogs was walked out by olympic great michael phelps. well, apparently

. >> i'm matt lauer along with ann curry and mr. al roker.ving on less. even in this holiday season. >> that's right. everybody is trying to save money. well, would you believe that there is a family that actually can find happiness living on $20,000 a year in that lovely home? we're going to find out more about how they do it and see if there are some take-away lessons for all of us. >> all right. also ahead, the one and only matt damon. we like this guy a lot, a very talented actor, has done all kinds of movies from action adventures to comedies, tackling a family movie called "we bought a zoo" and was recently named the sexiest family man alive. >> i would not dispute that. and matt, when they heard your name -- it's true, matt. how much do we love matt damon? [ cheers and applause ] >> exactly. we feel the love, matt. coming into you. >> we're going to go talk to the sexiest family man alive in a little while. >> and both matts sporting the same haircut. >> in a tribute to me. >> very nice. a little bit later on, mark bitman will be here

i'm ann curry alongside carl quintanilla and al roker who is saying hello to everybody in the audienceide. matt's got the morning off, it's nice to have you here. just ahead we'll help you, if you have not shopped yet for everyone on your list, we have some gifts for everyone in the family, including for your children, for under $20. so we'll get to those coming up. >> that's right. >>> we are also going to show you a young woman who beat out some of hollywood's top actresses for one of the most coveted roles of the season, the role of "the girl with the dragon tattoo." we're going to talk with rooney mara's performance. >> rooney mara is really talented. >>> ernest hemingway called cuba home for 20 years. natalie recently took a tour of his house near havana, with his granddaughter, marial hemingway. we'll show you a little bit more a little bit later. >> because cuba is frozen in time that house is frozen in time. some parts of it are still as he left it. let's go inside and talk to the aforementioned natalie with the news. >> good morning, everyone. >>> breaking news from north kore

al in just a moment. inside studio 1a, i'm ann curry along with matt lauer staying warm inside. >> trying to. >>> just aheadthinking about buying your kids a puppy for the holidays? >> apparently where you shop could make all the difference. in fact it could be just as important as the dog you actually pick. coming up "today" investigates one of the largest sellers of puppies online and you may not be pleased with what we found. >>> meantime, how do you cope with a stressful day? you're not going to believe this, matt, but according to a new study, a growing number of women are turning now to prescription drugs. should popping a pill ever be as comfortable as taking a warm bath? of course not. we'll talk about this and perhaps try to explain this phenomenon. >>> also an auction that could make some michael jackson fans a little uncomfortable. it's prompted some discussion here in the studio. items from the home where the singer spent his final days are going up for auction, including a mirror with a personal message the singer wrote to himself. we'll tell you more about that coming up in a little while. >>

i'm ann curry alongside carl quintanilla and al roker who is saying hello to everybody in the audienceatt's got the morning off, it's nice to have you here. just ahead we'll help you, if you have not shopped yet for everyone on your list, we have some gifts for everyone in the family, including for your children, for under $20. so we'll get to those coming up. >> that's right. >>> we are also going to show you a young woman who beat out some of hollywood's top actresses for one of the most coveted roles of the season, the role of "the girl with the dragon tattoo." we're going to talk with rooney mara's performance. >> rooney mara is really talented. >>> ernest hemingway called cuba home for 20 years. natalie recently took a tour of his house near havana, with his granddaughter, marial hemingway. we'll show you a little bit more a little bit later. >> because cuba is frozen in time that house is frozen in time. some parts of it are still as he left it. let's go inside and talk to the aforementioned natalie with the news. >> good morning, everyone. >>> breaking news from north korea, rep

curry with what's coming up this morning. >> coming up on a tuesday morning ark powerful blizzard creates dangerous conditions on the the roads from colorado to texas. major highways turned too sheets of ice. albe live in colorado with complete coverage. also this morning trk mother of the reality producer accuse of killing his wife speaks out for the first time. we'll talk to her exclusively. also, young parents diagnosed with cancer within days of each other. they'll be here to share the encouraging news they just received. we'll also unveil the top youtube videos. all that and bill clinton and carol king as we get started on a tuesday morning here on "today." >> a little bit of everything. thank you vur mch. 6:55. palo alto wants california to ditch plans to build a high speed rail system. the reasons include what they call a faulty, flawed business plan. the county says the project contradicts what have presented to voters in 2008. skiers and snowboarders headed to the slopes for christmas may be disappointed this year. the sierra ski resorts are waiting for major snowfall. the national weather service says the snow shortage is due to la nina weather pattern. some lake resorts had seen as

curry along with natalie morales this morning. we're excited about the holidays. >> i know, and matt and al and savannah have the day off. >>> cominge when you get to where you're heading. we'll tell you all about that coming up this morning. >> maybe you're thinking of relocating in the new year. if you are, barbara corcoran is here. she's checked out homes across the country and boy has she found some deals, some great homes for $200,000 or less. >> uh-huh. also if you want to give, if you have the money to give someone a trip for christmas, neisome of best hotels in the world. >>> tamron is in for you at the news desk, what is going on at the news? good morning. >>> congress is voting today on a two-month extension of the payroll tax cut in unemployment benefits. house republican leaders dropped their opposition to the stop gap measure thursday, following heavy criticism from the president and democrats. >>> the 92 million americans traveling over the holidays can expect to pay more this year whether they are flying or driving. nbc's tom costello is in north potomac, maryland, to explain exactly why. good morning, tom. >> report

curry in for i guess nobody this morning. me, myself and i. oh your birthday wish to meet me. oh my goodness you have a sign. >> hi, i'm matt. >> hi, al:00 hour, so if you would like to host the 9:00 hour -- >> oh, no! i'm savannah guthrie. >> from the white house in washington up to new york city to join us on the 9:00. >> ann curry this lady came from a thousand oaks just for a hug from you. >> because you no he what i give a good hug baby, come on. oh, group hug. >> woman after my own heart, "matt i've purelled a cheek for you to kiss." >> wrong cheek. it was the other cheek. ♪ ♪ i get a good feeling, yeah ♪ oh e sometimes i get a good feeling ♪ ♪ yeah >> i just shook a few hands outside, i'm not sure i should do that. >> don't put those on our beautiful table. >> sorry. >> pb&j, peanut butter and blueber blueberries. >> i'm tasting a dog biscuit. i learned that trick from matt lauer. >> let me tell you a great way to keep your potatoes hot while you're waiting. >> i know all about keeping my potatoes hot. >> i make you nervous, don't i? >> he why, yyes, you do. oh look there's chocolate cake. >> no, you're not changing the subject