i have a fear of flying with rossen. >> i have a fear of driving with rozze rossen. >>> we have a "rossenout. last week, we went on the hunt for toys every kid wants this year. the lol big surprise. the fingerlings, the nintendo. but most stores are sold out because computer programs are going online and buying up the hottest toys in bulk and reselling them online for sky-high prices. seems unfair. my team scoured the country and found those toys. then, we asked you to tweet us for a chance to win them for free. we got thousands and thousands of tweets, touching stories of tight budgets, children who were sick, families who can't afford presents this year. we went out and surprised some of them. showing up on the doorsteps. you see how happy the families were. handed them out for free. and the reactions were overwhelming. how a small toy can make a big difference for a child, knowing someone cares. we care a lot. we care so much, i'm here to announce that back by popular demand, we're doing it again. but this time, we're going even bigger. we bought more toys, six-times more toys than las

jeff rossen from the "today" show. how are you? good. >> reporter: we're here with the fire department checking people's smoke alarms to make sure you're safe. can we come in? right away, a problem. >> we're going to push the button on it to test the battery and the audible portion of the alarm. >> reporter: not working. the one in your bedroom isn't working. >> no. >> reporter: what's that like to see? >> it's upsetting. that's the first place we're going to hear it if it's going to go off. >> reporter: we're not just finding problems. firefighters are fixing them. installing brand-new alarms for free. i'm glad we came. >> i'm glad you guys came, too. >> reporter: next door, we meet peggy. her detector's not working, either. >> i don't do ladders anymore. i'm afraid of falling. >> reporter: you can't check the detectors? >> right. and i always forget when someone else is here to get them to check it for me. >> reporter: that's why we're here for you today. >> good. >> reporter: then, an even bigger problem. >> we're in the kitchen

jeff rossen from the "today" show. how are you? >> good. >> we're here with the fire department.e're checking with people's smoke alarms to make sure you're safe. can we come in? >> sure. >> reporter: right away, a problem. >> the first thing we want to do is push the button on it just to test the battery and the audible portion of the alarm. >> not working. >> this detector does not work. >> so the one in your bedroom is not working. >> no. >> what's that like to see? >> it's upsetting because that's the first place we're going to hear it if it's going to go off. >> but we're not just finding problems, firefighters are fixing them. installing brand-new alarms for free. >> i'm glad we came. >> i'm glad you guys came, too. >> reporter: next door, we meet peggy. her detectors not working either. >> i don't do ladders anymore because i'm afraid of falling. >> so you can't check those detectors. >> right. i always forget when someone else is here to get them to check it for me. >> that's why we're here for you today. >> good. >> reporter: but then, an even bigger problem. >> here we

jeff rossen is here.n "today." this is a peek time for amazon as well, the busy holiday season. hackers have figured out a loophole in the new amazon key system that could allow the delivery person full access to your home and you would have no idea. amazon knows about it and says they've issued a software update. cyber security experts say the vulnerability is still there and this morning you're about to see it in action. did you know that now we deliver here? >> it's the new service for amazon prime members that has everyone talking. >> free in home delivery from amazon key. amazon will authorize the delivery and unlock your doors. >> an amazon delivery person able to drop off your package inside your home. when you get the service amazon gives you this special lock and this camera. when the delivery person comes, you can watch it live on your phone to make sure everything is okay. or you can watch a recording of it later. but almost immediately after the launch, a cyber security company hacked the syst

today jeff rossen has more. >> good morning to you.ter has arrived and this right here is prime-time for all the pipes all over your home to freeze and burst. when they do, the gushing water can wreak havoc fast. good news. there are simple things you do right now to prevent it from happening. you don't have to be bob vila. this morning i'm actually flooding a home to show you. pipes bursting, hoses leaking. this home flooding with water damaging almost everything in sight. experts say this could happen to your house. according to the insurance company, homeowners are 40% more likely to experience water damage during the winter than any other time of the year to show you what we're talking about, we've set up an experiment inside this house. this is actually a flood house. it's a house that's been built to be flooded to replicate what it looks like if your pipes burst or leak. it has all the trappings of home. come into the kitchen. we have jim here who is a risk and flood expert. why does it happen in the winter? why do we have to wor

a stage collapses at a popular music festival. >>> then, a new "rossen reports" warning.ntage of the new in-home delivery service. >>> and we'll spread some cheer to families devastated by california's historic ♪ i'm singing in the rain, just singing in the rain ♪ ♪ what glorious feeling i'm happy again, ♪ ♪ just singing, singing in the rain. ♪ (amanda von a fluke.d scrappy and he totally has a super-power. didn't know i was allergic to ibuprofen. and i had fallen asleep... (scrappy barks) (amanda) he was totally freaked out, digging and pawing at me. and when i woke up i realized that i was in anaphylaxis and went to the emergency room. i don't know what i would do if he wasn't there. he's the best boy. (vo) through the subaru share the love event, we've helped the aspca save nearly forty thousand animals so far. get zero percent financing for 63 months on select models, plus we'll donate two hundred and fifty dollars to charity. whoo! testis this thing on?! huh? c'mon! your turn! mmmm... where do pencils go on vacation? (loud speaker) pencil-vania! pencilvania! (laughin

this is jeff rossen calling from nbc news. a security expert came to us and says he found a flaw, where he's able to hack into the system and literally drain all the gift cards down. he wants to show you how he did this so you guys can fix the problem. nordstrom declined to meet us with in person, so we connected them by phone. he walked, nordstrom telling nbc news, our customers are always our top priority. if we learn they were negatively impacted by an sure with our gift card systems, we would work quickly to take care of this, adding -- we have a number of gift card security controls in place and a team of experts that regular lay test, review and enhance those controls. securing gift cards to protect your money this holiday season. >> that was jeff rossen reporting, sips jeff and his team connected nordstrom with the expert, they have fixed the problems. still experts say you couldn't buy gift cards from the public racks, they say only buy gird cart at stores where they keep them behind the counter and are secure, our buy

the name to remember. >>> this morning on rossen reports, a winter fire warning for millions of us.y use space heaters to stay warm, but they can be dangerous if not used correctly. >> jeff rossen has more, including a dramatic demonstration. >> hey, guys. good morning. space heaters are popular for good reason. they're small. they're cost efficient. they can keep your family warm. but turns out, so many of us are using them wrong. in an instant, tragedy can strike. this morning, before you turn yours on, we need to show you video. how fast things can go wrong and what you can do right now to protect yourself. it happens in an instant. >> oh, my gosh. i think the house is on fire. >> deadly flames, raging infernos. all these homes on fire. >> i got out. the flames were above the trees. >> already this season, several tragic incidents. in texas during thanksgiving weekend, four killed in this fire. days ago, this lone puppy survived a fire in oklahoma city. five other puppies did not survive. in all these cases, space heaters are to blame. according to the national fire protection as

i'm jeff rossen. coming up, hidden winter danger. everywhere. we have the simple tips, the things you can do right now to protect your home, next. discover card. i justis this for real?match, yep. we match all the cash back new cardmembers earn at the end of their first year, automatically. whoo! i got my money! hard to contain yourself, isn't it? uh huh! whoo! get a dollar-for-dollar match at the end of your first year. only from discover. in this home... we count our blessings. uh, this one. both when there's a little and a lot. there you go. what matters most is made at home. now with more icing. even if you don't buy one at carmax,from us.uy your car because maybe you're already buying a car somewhere else. or maybe you want to shop around. or, maybe you don't want to drive a car at all anymore... like, maybe you want to ride a camel into the dessert and take a deep hard look within. just figure some stuff out for awhile. that's cool. whatever your plans for bu

jeff rossen reporting there. since jeff and his team connected nordstrom with the expert in that piece, they now have fixed the problem. experts say you shouldn't buy the gift cards from the public reaction you see at many of the drugstores and supermarkets. buy them at the stores where they keep them behind the counter and secure. >> who does that? >> some places do. but, oh well. that way they can't copy down those numbers. better yet, buy the gift cards online. >> i just bought one at the post office. i thought i was safe. maybe not. >> better check. >> if you have a scarred that's been drained, consumers can call the number on the back of the card rather than searching online. scammers can create very realistic customer service pages that could fool you once again. >> they'll get you. all right. we'll be right back. ♪ this little home of mine, ♪ i'm gonna let it shine. ♪ it's energy saving time, ♪ i'm gonna reduce mine. ♪ californians all align ♪ to let our great state shine. ♪ let it shine, ♪ the power's our

hi, this is jeff rossen calling from nbc news.ack into the system and literally drain all the gift cards down. he wants to show you how he did this so you guys can fix the problem. >> reporter: nordstrom declined to meet with us in person. so, we connected the retailer with the security expert by phone. he walked them through the problem and how to fix the flaw. nordstrom telling nbc news, our customers are always our top priority. if we learn they were negatively impacted by an issue with our gift card systems, we'd work quickly to take care of them. adding, we have a number of gift card security controls in place. and a team of experts that regularly test, review and enhance those controls. securing gift cards to protect your money this holiday season. and i have some good news to report. since we connected nordstrom with our expert in the piece, they have now fixed the problem. so, some good news there. okay. what can you do to protect yourself and your gift cards no matter what the company? we've seen racks like this grocery s

nbc's jeff rossen investigates. >> reporter: watch this woman putting on lipstick like she's in her own bathroom. but that's not her lipstick. it's a makeup sample in the store. other women use it, too. in fact, we watch woman after woman trying on samples. testing everything from mascara to eye shadow to concealer on their faces. we're blurring them. no need to embarrass them. it may seem harmless, but one woman is suing sephora, claiming she got the herpes virus from sampling lipstick, showing no warning of the risk of getting diseases from trying on makeup samples at the store. >> is that possible? >> it is possible. you can catch the herpes virus that virus can survive on the surface of a lipstick tube for up to a week. >> reporter: a week? >> a week. >> reporter: she says it is not just herpes either. makeup samples can make you sick any number of ways. but is it really happening? to find out, my producer, lindsey, is undercover in some of the most popular stores, taking samples of those makeup testers. first up, the target of the new lawsuit, sephora. she's using sterile swabs to

jeff rossen reporting there.you're curious about your background, you can buy all the kits online for under $100 each. not just people as well. you can get these kits for your dog or cat to find out their ancestry and what kind of breed they actually are. >> it's pretty cool. i just pulled mine up. it's 82% from african descent. 16% european. and it's nigeria ran, ganain, mali, mostly. i know a little bit more about myself now. >> i haven't done it yet. >> we'll get you done. we'll be back. -officer-involved shooting in san francisco - >>> and we continue to follow breaking news out of san francisco this morning where police are very active the scene in bay view district near first gerald and grifth. some incident of an officer-involved shooting. the window shot out. somehow the white van at the top of your screen is connected as well. nbc bay area skyranger overhead, thom jensen on the scene. of course follow nbcbayarea.com for the very latest on this developing story. >> all right. thanks for joining us. our ne

jeff rossen is putting three popular brands to the test with a set of triplets to find out.news ge4 tting bread delivered is y easier than hiring real bakers... ...who work all night and morning to bake fresh brioche buns. you deserve a breakfast made with respect. try the new bacon, egg, and cheese on brioche. panera. food as it should be. $1that's like a big yummy hug.? so hug it up! hug more. hug large. hug medium? hug that. live it a hug life with $1.99 medium or larger hot chocolate. america runs on dunkin'. we're pretty sure no one's everg asked howsaid microwaved. eggs, you deserve a breakfast made with respect. try the new bacon, egg, and cheese on brioche. panera. food as it should be. >>> well, maybe if you're headed to brunch on this sunday morning, temperatures are going to be in the 50s. the rain is out of here. we'll be dry for the remainder of the day, but we are looking at temperatures responding to finally some sunshine out there. 50s

jeff rossen, nbc news, seattle. >> we had so many questions when we first announced what they were go here we go. this is what we see. >> we always knew hacking was going to be a possibility, it's a mat of are you willing to compromise your security for having the convenience of them having the keys to your home possibly. >>> that can you for joining us this morning. >> thanks for you can see rain d o >>> 4:30 for you this wednesday morning. taking a live look outside in san francisco. a beautiful thing there. what you can see is the rain and wind out there. our radar shows that storm sitting right on top of the bay area. all the wet roads coming in this morning. get ready for that as you head out. thank you for joining us this morning, i'm marcus washington. >> i'm kris sanchez in for laura garcia today. we have busy roadways already. how long are we going deal with these conditions? >> a couple hours. it started in the north bay and has been moving south. as we look at the radar, it is filling in as it moves across the peninsula and the east bay and now the south bay. we will have s

toy, national investigative correspondent jeff rossen has importect.ens. a cold snap is hitting the midwest right now, and you know we're all in for it. temperatures are dropping coast to coast. experts say this is prime time for the pipes in your home to freeze and then burst. when they do, you know that water can gush everywhere and wreak havoc fast, there are simple things you can do right now to prevent it from happening. here's the better news, anyone can do it. this morning, i'm flooding a home on purpose to show you. pipes bursting, hoses leaking. this home flooding with water, damaging almost everything in sight. experts say this could happen to your house. according to the insurance company chubb, homeowners are 40% more likely to experience water damage during the winter than any other time of the year. to show you the kind of damage we're talking about here, we've set up an experiment inside this house. come on inside. this is actually a flood house. it is a house that's been built to be flooded, to replicate what it pipes burst or if they l

i'm jeff rossen.up, we've all seen the the commercials for those popular dna tests, but how accurate are they? we have a group of identity triplets to test it out. the results, next. to te what are you asking santa for? i want a rabbit! (train whistle blowing) hey, thomas. that's not how you get a rabbit. if you want a rabbit, you ask for a pony and then let them work you back down. mm-hmm. you're up! what if aunt joy wants the new iphone? you make this your final offer: ask for it on verizon. it's the most awarded network ever. that's why more people count on it. i'd like a giant singing rabbit in a rocket ship, please. she's a shrewd businesswoman. (vo) give the gift of any iphone and get up to $300 off. only on the best network. but he hasoke up wwork to do.in. so he took aleve. if he'd taken tylenol, he'd be stopping for more pills right now. only aleve has the strength to stop tough pain for up to 12 hours with just one pill. aleve. all day strong. when food is good and clean and real, it's ok to

jeff rossen reports on a potentially dangerous flaw in amazon's new delivery technology jay th that couldour home vulnerable to thieves. >> a wave of accusations of sexual conduct against powerful men from hollywood to sports to media. one of the biggest names ensnared in the me too movement is oscar winner dustin hoffman accused by several women of inappropriate behavior. we haven't heard them tell their stories on television until now. three women speak out for the first time to nbc's cynthia mcfadden. >> reporter: he is one of the greatest actors of his generation. >> mrs. robinson, you're trying to seduce me. >> reporter: they are three of five women who say dustin hoffman behaved in sexually inappropriate ways. >> as hard as it is, i think that i wanted to choose truth over shame. >> r a friend of one of hoffman's daughters when the three spent a day together in new york. >> and it was probably one of the greatest days of my life because -- >> reporter: until she says she was left alone with hoffman to wait for her parents. >> and he came out of the bathroom, you know, after a few mo

the dangerous discoveries jeff rossen made when he went door-to-door surprising families. first, this is "today" on nbc. michael: i'm thankful that i'm alive and have a second chance. james: i'm thankful for the help and the opportunity that i received. darlene: i'm thankful to be able to help people in crisis. vanessa: i'm thankful that addiction is treatable, and that help is available. christie: new jersey is experiencing a heroin epidemic fueled by opioid painkillers. but if you or someone you love is struggling with addiction i want you to know: we are here for you. this holiday season, choose help. call 844 reach nj or visit reachnj.gov. >>> coming up one of the storie us. it's what this country is made of. but right now, our bond is fraying. how do we get back to "us"? the y fills the gaps. and bridges our divides. donate to your local y today. because where there's a y, there's an us. in this home we make breakfast. sometimes messes! but always masterpieces ...together. what matters most is made at home. [♪ ♪] that's the new rockstar. hurry in to old navy for up to

this morning on "rossen reports," popular dna tests that claim to tell you where you're from.hose? >> i want to know the answer to those. and investigative correspondent jeff rossen is here to answer that. >> reporter: we tested them out. the dna tests are incredibly popular. around the holidays, people are buying them as gifts. a fast and easy way to find out where you came from. are they really accurate. this morning, before you buy them, we are putting three popular brands to the test. >> a simple test will your ethnic origins. >> reporter: the claims are bold. >> you'll learn about your ancestry -- >> reporter: unlock your family history. trace your roots. all from a do-it-yourself kit that gets sent to your home. to see if they work, we're trying them out, using identical triplets from california, kaley, kelsey and cory. unlike remember siblings, they share the exact dna. we're going to test ancestry. we're going to start with ancest ancestry. 23 and me. and my heritage dna. you're identical triplets. within each company, they should be the same. and between the companies

does ea >>> also this morning, if you're planning on flying this holiday season, don't miss our "rossenation about exploding batteries. the dangers batteries can pose and how you can be safe when flying with them. >>> and we'll share our favorite holiday traditions and fondest memories this christmas season. >> i want to make sure we get to yours. you have good childhood pictures. >> working on it. >> sheinelle. you should see her when she was a little girl. >> sure. >> those stories and more when we get started in a bit on this saturday morning. >> opening up the photo album. >> see you then. >>> if you love holiday music, not too late to take in opening night this weekend at the new duke ellington theater. it's a performance by 29 young singers who you're likely to see performing one day on broadway. >> no question about it. nothing like a performance this time of year especially. their upcoming show includes everything from classic motown and classic opera all with a christmas theme. barbara harrison, of course, is here with a ellington school of the arts. >> reporter: at washington'

jeff rossen reporting there. if you are serious about your background, buy all the kits for under $100 each. it's not just for people. you can get it for your dog or cat, too, to find out their ancestry and what kind of breed they are. you are watching "today in the bay." coming up, facing the music. a famous conductor facing serious accusations as another sexual misconduct investigation emerges. >>> plus -- >> they would be far ahead of the game if they just left the foundation. >> wildfire survives thought their clean up was free. will the government plan lead to delays and higher costs to the homeowner and you, the tax pay sner we investigate, next. my name is valerie decker and i'm a troubleman for pg&e. i am a first responder to emergencies 24 hours a day, everyday of the year. my children and my family are on my mind when i'm working all the time. my neighbors are here, my friends and family live here, so it's important for me to respond as quickly as possible and get the power back on. it's an amazing feel

with me now hillary rossen and rick santorum, former senator from pennsylvania.see both you. welcome, welcome. >> great to be here. >> on a day we thought we would be talking taxes. >> notice the little box there on there. >> it's great new. >> mitch mcconnell says we have votes for tax reform. >> good try senator. >> we do a little pivot here. >> the white house is downplaying this whole thing. >> yes, they are. >> we know the photo op was canceled. we know that the white house has been sort of saying all along this is a low level investigation. wrapping soon. i mean, you are seeing the news here. michael flynn is no coffee boy, senator. >> no, look, this is serious move not in the right direction for the trump folks. i don't think any question about that. the question is, i was listening to some of the earlier parts of the show, and i just think we have to be very careful about how much speculation is fueled on top of this fire. >> there is a lot we don't know. >> yeah. it could be this and that. >> sure. >> and the answer is even from the all the documents rel

jeff rossen is going to have some simple fixes that we can all make to keep that from happening. >> and we'll take a look back at all of the fun we've had here on saturday "today" from the surprises to the group trips and the pranks, of course. our producers pulled on us. >> we've had some fun, rosemary. those stories and more when we get started in just a bit here on "today." happy new year by the way. >> happy new year to you guys too. have a good 2018. we'll see you -- i'll see you tomorrora bit. >> yeah. bye, guys. >>> 6:40 on your saturday morning. a snowy saturday morning across much of the area. already that snow has moved in that's why we have the first alert for the two-part series. first part will be a little bit of snow and then the second part will definitely be the cold. the entire viewing area under that first alert here from now all the way through tuesday at 8:00 in the morning. e expecting that one-two punch. the first punch being that coating to two inches of snow which doesn't seem like a lot but with the ground b instantly that's a problem out here. so especially as

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we'll put them to the test on a new "rossen reports" with the help of identical triplets. >>> then, princemaking their first joint royal visit just this morning. we're there live when we get started on a friday morning here on "today." back to you guys, and go, eagles! >> go, eagles! >> we love hearing it. thank you, savannah and hoda. >> thanks. >> savannah has the whole family, her husband's a big fan. all got the jerseys on. >> totally on the wentz wagon. >>> let's get on the zamboni. >> zamboni wagon? >> tonight at the river rink. >> yeah. looks wet out there. bill, we'll check in with bill henley to find out what the forecast is for today and the weekend. bill? >> jessica announced that she's going to hijack the zamboni. i've called to warn them. they're going to lock it up. it will be locked up tight. we want you to join us. a great evening. going to be a nice day, too. getting closer to the sunrise. seeing the skies brighten up. look how nice and clear it is in philadelphia and wilmington. a few clouds moving through the lehigh valley right now. no sign of wet weather. sunshine take