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lee cowan, nbc news, los angeles. >> well, that settles it.dcast for this thursday night. thank you for being here with us. i'm brian williams. as always, we hope to see you right back here tomorrow evening. good night. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com >>> i think i'm mother more tree i go to get kids to drink it than adults. >> this is not a nap time drink. >>> a shocking assault at a bay area store. how a registered sex offender got his hands

lee cowan, nbc news, los angeles. >>> it is 7:21 now. as we mentioned, the senate is discussing two very big votes coming up. senator dianne feinstein speaking right now. let's listen in for just a few moments. >> and pay any back taxes. this is a multi-step process. it is not a free pass. additionally, according to cbo, the dream act would actually increase federal revenues by $2.3 billion over the ten years and increase net direct spending by $912 million between 2011 and 2020. in addition, the congressional budget office and the joint committee on taxation -- >> that's senator dianne feinstein talking about the dream act, which is conditional citizenship for undocumented immigrants brought to you u.s. as children. they would be given conditional citizenship so long as they complete two years of college or they serve in the u.s. military. today's vote is meant to head off a republican filibuster. we are watching that for you. >>> still ahead on "today in the bay," lawyers for barry bonds wants to make sure the witness list is not an al

lee cowan reports. >> oh, my goodness gracious!porter: you can probably guess how this turns out. a gun-toting sarah palin. >> that feels good. >> reporter: giving suburban mom kate gosselin a lesson in alaskan wild life. >> there's a bear on the floor. was the tongue removable before? it is now. >> reporter: the plot is predictable. >> i'm freezing to the bone. i'm hungry. >> come on. it wasn't that bad. >> reporter: they're not exactly the odd couple because as much as tonight's show tries to make them appear to be polar opposites, in some ways they are very much alike. >> you could not be any more ex-ploy tif of the media than these women. they understand the media. they use the media. >> reporter: for sarah palin, the media is actually what emphasizes her brand. >> how's that hope-y, change-y stuff working out for you? >> this is her way of reinforcing the message that she's part of regular america, part of the real america. >> reporter: kate gosselin is about as real as reality tv gets. >> i don't think you would see her bring

here's nbc's lee cowan. >> reporter: perhaps the best compliment actress charlize theron ever got was do you look awful. >> circumstance is exactly it. >> apparently nothing something oscar like a gorgeous actress packing on 30 pounds and uglying herself up for the camera. >> the fact she looked so remarkably different in that role helped people disassociate away from the glamorous charlize they knew. >> reporter: there could be more oscar glory for those this year that take embodying the role? notice something missing from natalie portman and black swan? how about 20 pounds. it took a year and bar training eight hours a day sometimes. then there's christian bale who went from badman buff to strong-out skinny in the fighter. but that's nowhere near the skeleton he played in the machinist. >> if you were any thinner, you wouldn't exist. >> reporter: he lived off an apple, water, and a can of tuna every day and nothing else. >> believe me, i don't go looking for things. if it does happen, i'm like, damn, i got to do that again. i tend to do it for the movie and character. >> reporter: t

for today, lee cowan, nbc news, los angeles. >> so that wedding is in the spring.hem? ♪ it's the most wonderful time >> anyway, we have got a holiday play list to sing along with. take a look. ♪ jingle bells jingle bell rock ♪ ♪ >> wonderful classic pianist. my favorite things. whitney houston does a rendition of joy to the world. ♪ it's not just -- ♪ joy to the world ♪ it's the gospel version. i mean it's a get up and clap and, you know, praise the lord in church kind of song. ♪ are you listening always ring are you glistening ♪ ♪ >> i'm jewish. i love the hanukkah song. i could sing that 50 different ways. >> i like those old school holiday songs that new age artists have recreated. like bruce springsteen when he went crazy. that one. i really enjoy the mariah car carey -- ♪ all i want for christmas is you ♪ i can't sing, but she can. ♪ all i want for christmas is you ♪ ♪ jingle bells jingle bells jingle all the way ♪ ♪ oh, what fun it is to ride in a one horse open sleigh ♪ ♪ hey! >> any time i hear the alvin and the chipmunks, because i remember as a kid, that

lee cowan, nbc news, los angeles. >>> looking ahead to the next year in washington, we'll talk about the big political issues that will dominate 2011. also, the new reports that say al qaeda may be planning suicide attacks right here in the u.s. over the holidays. >>> hitting the road nin the lat week before christmas. will we see drunken drivers? wii we'll check it out for you here on "msnbc saturday." ♪ ah, it's stinging a little bit more than usual! yeah, you'll get used to it. the longer you keep your high mileage car, the more it pays you back. get castrol gtx high mileage. it helps engines last longer by fighting the main causes of engine failure. i think a dime went up my nose. yeah, it happens. don't change your car. change your oil to castrol gtx high mileage. its more than just oil. it's liquid engineering. you don't love me anymore do you billy? what? i didn't buy this cereal to sweet talk your taste buds it's for my heart health. good speech dad. [ whimper ] [ male announcer ] honey nut cheerios tastes great and its whole grain oats can help lower cholesterol. bee happy.

lee cowan is live in los angeles with more. lee, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, meredith. it was the drama about a stuttering king george vi that earned the most nominations this morning but up against pretty stiff competition from both a swan and a fighter. >> qualifications. >> reporter: "the king's speech" already one of the critics' choices led the golden globes with seven nominations including a best drama and for its cast, including colin firth as the stuttering monarch, king george vi. >> destroyed the happiness for my family. >> reporter: just behind it with six nominations, it was a tie between the boxing drama "the fighter" with four acting nods including christian bale and mark wahlberg up against the tale of the founding of facebook "the social network" the director and cast, including jesse aisenberg, also scored big. right now? >> reporter: nicole kidman earned a nod for her role as a grieving mother in "the rabbit hole." >> he's god after all. why didn't he just make another angel? hmm? >> reporte

lee cowan, nbc news. >>> and coming up, what is elizabeth smart planning to do now?etails from her .erth >>> still coming up, prince william and kate middleton release their engagement paragraphs. >>> good monday morning and time is 7:26. here's a look at morning commute. here's a look at the east bay. >> southbound direction, an accident gist after the show ended at the 7:00 hour. this has been affecting lanes for about a half hour now. as you head towards the bridge, the overturned vehicle causing a distraction. you are jamming up towards the san mateo bridge. you can use mission boulevard with some alternate and southbound 680 through the sunol grade with an accident around highway 84 as well. >> clouding spilling across the bay area and misty skies with drizzle in a few spots with patchy fog. the rain is off on the north coast towards ukiah and into parts of the north bay. highs in the upper 50s and low 60s and rain for tomorrow. brief clearing and more rain as we wrap up the week into the weekend. time right n i7:27. more news after the break. . >>> border brew

lee cowan, nbc news, hollywood. >>> still to come, some good gifts to keep your family and iends healthroymale announcer ] maxwell house gives you a rich full flavored cup of coffee so you can be good to the last drop. try maxwell house coffee and cappuccinos in the tassimo single cup home brewing system. so i mix together a packet of hidden valley ranch, 1 box of spinach, and 16 ounces of sour cream, and tonight everyone gets a taste of something special... ranch spinach dip. [ male announcer ] hidden valley ranch. mix it up. >>> good morning. it is 9:26 right now. >> we'll take you to the lower freeway. highway 101, we have typical slowings south, but extending down towards highway 85. that's a little longer than typical for a friday. but further north we get a little treat. 101, close to 50 miles per hour. in both directions toward 52. across the bridge it's all right. oakland and hayward looking nice. no backup really. gray skies still. >> grey skies and still drizzle and light rain over the bay area. you can see the cloe of the clouds spilling in north an west now. more sunshine and m

for "today," lee cowan, nbc news, los angeles. >>> as an american working in london, ashley pierson hasning. >> so why is there a great divide between the way americans feel about the royal wedding and the way the brits feel about it? is it just that the brits are more cynical as they pointed out in this piece? >> they definitely are more cynical, but there's also an element where familiarity breeds a certain amount of contempt. they're very aware of all the foibles and the problems an all the headaches that have gone on over the years, i think there's a certain concern over how much tax money goes towards this already wealthy family in terms of security and ore things. but you know, meredith, despite what they say, i think there's a reluctance to appear too excited or giddy about anything over here. and i think there is a bit of excitement underneath the surface. >> but they just don't want to admit to it? >> i think as americans we see william and kate as a very modern day fairy tale. they have been together for an awful long time. i think the fairly tale ending we were treated out of