i can't believe we're going to be saying 2012. i'll be writing my checks. practice 2012. 2012. we'll be back. enjoy your day. we'll be back with updates. >> thanks for being wus. we'll be back for the 11:00 a.m. news. be safe this weekend. happy new year. good morning. toss-up, mitt romney leading the gop presidential field in iowa, according to our new poll but ron paul isn't far behind and with so many voters undecided it's neighbor's race with the caucuses four days away. chilling radio transmissions from firefighters trying to save the victims of that deadly christmas morning house fire in connecticut. >> we have victims trapped on the second floor. we're going to rescue mode on the ladder. >> the heroic effort to save lives. and the year it was.

we'll look back at the stories that inspired us from 2011, the stories that inspired us, shocked us. captions paid for by nbc-universal television >> and good morning, welcome to "today" on a friday morning. i'm matt lauer. >> good morning, everyone, i'm savannah guthrie in for ann. it's the last friday of 2011. happy 54th birthday. >> you didn't have to say the 54. i was going to say isn't it great we celebrated our 40th in the same week. verizon is payicharging a

convenience fee if you want to pay your bill online. didn't the people at verizon pay attention with what happened with bank of america a few months ago with the debit card fee? >> people are outraged at being nickelled and dimes. you got to pay extra to pay your bill so we'll get into that. a marine who made it through tours in iraq and afghanistan uninjured, forced into a fight for his life after being shot in florida. wait until you hear how he used his military training to survive. we'll talk to him live from the hospital straight ahead. >> a texas teenager's last message inspiring people online. we'll tell you more about that. we begin this friday morning with the gop presidential candidates in iowa. peter alexander, good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you and happy birthday. the front-runner mitt romney is showing new confidence he's now beginning this aggressive and ambitious final sprint. he begins today in iowa, heads

to new hampshire, then returns here tomorrow to iowa. his camp is really hopeful this field will pretty much freeze in place with things neck and neck between he and ron paul and a jumble of everybody else. with four days to go until the iowa caucuses, front-runner mitt romney before another large crowd wednesday night aimed to nail down his support, focusing his closing argument on patriotic values. >> we want to instill in our kids a confidence in the future. if i become your president, i will do everything in my power to restore those principles, not to transform america into something new. >> reporter: romney was defeated in iowa four years ago by former arkansas governor mike huckabee who united conservatives behind his campaign but romney is benefiting from a sharply divided conservative field. the latest republican to emerge, rick santorum, who spent more time in iowa than anyone else believes his success here can

make up for the lack of resources. >> i will provide the spark. there's plenty of detinder on t ground in other states. >> trying to stop santorum, texas governor rick perry. >> i'm wink taxandspend. which republican running for president voted for the bridge to nowhere earmark? >> rick santorum? >> correct. >> reporter: newt gingrich whose support plummeted in iowa is struggling to keep his campaign alive. >> do you really want to be president? >> i think it's my duty to be citizen and as a grandfather to help serve my country at a time where i think we're in trouble. >> reporter: gingrich is promoting his wife kacalista as

campaign asset, drawing on her own experience in music. >> music is a vital part of today's education. today many schools are threatening to cut or eliminate envir music programs. >> reporter: michele bachmann's political director left her campaign late thursday, just after her state chairman defected to ron paul. last night mitt romney took another jab at the president, comparing him to marie antoinette who once said "let them eat cake." new jersey governor chris christie is joining him on the campaign today. >> nbc's political director and chief white house correspondent chuck todd is also out in iowa. good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, sir. >> if you live in iowa and you don't see one of the candidates face-to-face over the current

weekend that means you'll be staying indoors. according to our new poll it's mitt romney in front. >> it is. let's go through the latest horse race numbers, barely ahead at 23, ron paul behind him at 21, look at the jumbled mess, three, four and five, 15% for santorum, and rick perry sitting at 14 and newt gingrich at 13. michele bachmann at 6, and frankly if she gets in a now, she'll get half that come caucus night. you see santorum coming from single digits to sitting technically in third place in our poll and the gingrich where the bottom is falling out and on this one -- >> that's been a drop of 15 points in a couple of weeks, chuck. when we asked people in the polling what's the reason for that decline in support, what are they saying?

>> reporter: look, it's his negative ratings, went from three weeks ago we had him at a favorable rating of 51-14, he's now among republicans 35 favorable, 35% negative. i have to emphasize that's among republicans only here in iowa. that is why is he in freefall, and the fear, if you're gingrich, did our poll simply capture him as he's falling down the cliff and he's got farther to go. if he's in single digits come caucus night it quoowouldn't surprise our pollsters. >> 46% identify with the tea party but when you ask them who their front-runner is, there's no choice. >> reporter: none, and this is the secret to mitt romney's success out here. among tea partiers, six candidates get double digits. santorum got 20% of the tea party vote, the sixth candidate gets 10 and everybody is in

between them. that's your floor and the ceiling, 20 and 10. the conservative vote has not coalesced. mitt romney sitting at 23%, he got 25% four years ago, that was a losing number. this time, 23%, 24%, 25% is a winning number if this stays that way. >> when you ask people about the intensity of their support, how strongly do they feel about the candidate, they say they're probably going to vote for, what did we find there? >> reporter: we found it's rick santorum and ron paul who have the highest levels of intensity of support at 59 ps% and 54%. rick perry has more than mitt romney. a woman said i love michele bachmann but i don't think she can win. i guess i'll be for romney because he might win. how many people say "i guess

i'll be for somebody" actually show up on caucus night. that's the unknown factor. by the way, no margin of error for you on your birthday. no plus or minus on this one. >> plus or minus five ten years. thank you very much. "meet the press" will be live from iowa this coming sunday where guests include gop hopeful rick santorum. it's now nine minutes after the hour. here's savannah. for the first time we hear the tape recordings of what transpired at that fire in connecticut christmas morning. tom, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, savannah. of the give you an idea of how big the tragedy is buried beneath the ashes and rubble behind me, firefighters who responded to this house fire have had to go through counseling. some of them reportedly can't stop thinking about what they saw, experienced, and the screaming coming from the mother who knew her children were trapped. and now for the first time,

we're hearing exactly what those firefighters were up against. >> we got victims trapped on the second floor. we're going to rescue mode with the ladder. >> radio transmissions from the inferno christmas morning show from the moment stamford, connecticut, firefighters arrived on the scene the fire already had the upper hand. >> heavy fire in the back of the building. >> reporter: investigators believe in the back of the home discarded embers and hot ash from a fire sparked the blaze. >> we got a report from one of the victims there's people in that window. >> reporter: fire officials say the homeowner, madonna badger was reportedly trying to get back into the home after escaping, trying to rescue her three daughters along with her own parents, who were trapped inside. >> all right, but we're gonna need some protection up here, we got to get this line here. we can't stay here. >> i hear ya, but we got to get in there though. >> okay, we're going. >> reporter: the fire department entered the home on the second and third floors where the victims were trapped, but as

firefighters tried advancing by crawling in, the fire became unsafe even for them. >> unit four be advised number one floor looking up the two floors are compromised right through. >> be advised, heavy fire above your head. back out, back out. >> reporter: with the ceiling and floors collapsing around firefighters the deputy on scene called off the search for the victims. >> all units inside, back out, back out. >> reporter: when firefighters eventually reentered the home after fighting down the flames they found badger's daughters, 10-year-old lily and twin 7-year-olds sarah and grace, along with pauline johnson all dead from smoke inhalation, their grandfather, lomer johnson who played santa claus at saks fifth avenue fell through the roof trying to save the girls.

it's still unclear if the victorian home that was more than 100 years old had working smoke detectors. city officials say after initial investigation think they were not activated. funeral services will take place next week on manhattan's upper east side. savannah? >> tom llamas in stamford, connecticut, thank you. it's now 7:12, here's matt. there's outrage over customer fees over the nation's largest wireless phone and internet provider. starting next month, verizon will charge you extra if you pay your bill online. nbc's pete williams has details. it's not going to go over well. >> matt, good morning. verizon is actually calling this a convenience fee. $2 for the convenience of paying wireless phone and internet bills directly to verizon online, on the company's website or by phone. but the company says there are many ways to avoid the fee. the new fee goes into effect in two weeks for verizon wireless,

the nation's largest wireless service provider. january 15th they'll be charged $2 each month extra if they go to the company's website or pay by phone, that's $2 each time the bill is paid. >> it's annoying, one doesn't like to be pushed and i'm sure it sucks. >> everybody's doing it, and i don't know what you can do about it but we don't like it. >> it's a little bit unfair so it's going to affect how i think about verizon. >> reporter: verizon wireless says there are many ways to avoid paying the $2 charge and says most customers already take advantage of them. the company will not charge the fee to customers who enroll in automatic billing to a credit, debit, atm, or checking account, or who pay by mailing in a check. going to the verizon wireless store or kiosk to pay in person, logging onto their own online banks to pay the bill, using the company's gift or rebate cards or pay by electronic checking. word of the fee comes over a

battle of the plan to raise fees for debit cards. three card issuers backed down from their proposed new charges in the face of customer protest. verizon wireless may be trying to push more customers into using the automatic billing option because the company getse the company gets its payments on time that way. verizon wireless says the fee is intended to offset what the company describes as the cost of handling monthly payments sent in online or by phone and the word of the new fee is just coming out now. the company says customers will be notified directly. matt? >> pete williams in washington, pete, thank you very much. let's get a check of the rest of the morning's top stories. tamron mall is in for natalie over at the news desk. good morning. >> good morning, everyone. iran's threat to close the world's most important oil route may be easier said than done. according to analysts, one-sixth of the world's oil passes through the strait of hormuz. while iran could disrupt traffic for some time it's unlikely

tehran would be able to close it down. an attempt could turn its few remaining allies against it. a russian nuclear sub ma reap caught fire burning through the night with an unknown number of crew members still on board. officials say there has been no radiation leak from the fire which began on the wooden scaffolding when the sub was this dry dock. president obama paid his respect at the memorial for the victims of the 1941 attacks on pearl harbor in hawaii. the president and the first lady laid a wreath at the "uss arizona" memorial and scattered flower petals in the water after a moment of silence. this year marks the 70th anniversary of the japanese attacks that brought the united states into the second world war. the biggest moon mission since neil armstrong's giant leap for mankind back in 1969 is set for this new year's eve. a pair of probes are headed to the moon to investigate the long-held theory that our planet may have had two moons long ago. it's believed they collided

causing the peaks and valleys we see today on our single moon. the probes have been on their way in september and expect to reach orbit of the moon this weekend. now to wall street. cnbc's courtney regan at the new york stock exchange. last market day of the year. hope it's going to be a good one. >> i hope so, too. we have to wait and see. there's going to be pretty light volume today as we've seen most of the week not totally unexpected in a holiday week. it's going to be the battle for break even when it comes down to the wire. the s&p 500 is about where we started the year and that's the benchmark index for traders. the dow is up 6%, the tech heavy nasdaq down 1.5% going into year end. looking ahead, concern about the oour zone and the possible trickle effect to markets. happy new year. >> thank you. as north korea hands over power to kim jong-il's son, pyongyang is declaring other nations should not expect any change. one thing that has changed is this image from kim jong-il's funeral. this is the picture sent from

north korea to the world. bright, snowy day with mourners lined up in a row to see the hearse pass by. but this is the actual photograph. this camera crew suddenly appears and another image causing head scratching is what appears to be a giant soldier. look very closely in the ranks. another example of creative imaging some are asking or some speculate it could be 7'9" north korean celebrity. back to matt, savannah. those are big mysteries, but i want to know, matt, on your birthday, how have you managed to stay so young looking? mystery? >> perhaps a photo shop situation? >> that is a shameless effort. thank you very much. i appreciate it. ms. abrams is here while mr. roker's enjoying some time off. >> i'm sticking with a straight up happy birthday with you, matt. let's stick with your weather. it has been very mild, our jet stream has been so far to the north. but as we head toward the

beginning of the week, our jet stream's going to dip down. that means some colder air is finally coming in. some of the coldest of the season, all the way down into florida. as we head through the day today, the midwest will see some showers and into the northwest. good friday morning to you. temperatures are nice and mild. slick conditions. travel cautiously on the roadways. 62 degrees in redwood city. 65 degrees in gilroy. we keep the 60s inland. upper 60s for the coast. we get another better chance of rain next thursday. stephanie, thanks. a message from a texas teen who suffered from a dangerous heart condition. tamron is back with the story. >> dan breezelove wanted to

share his deepest thoughts and struggled with the entire world. he made online videos. sadly he died christmas night but his final post left behind a legacy of warmth and hope. >> thanks for weeching breedlove tv on casual wednesday. >> reporter: ben breedlove had a loyal fan base. giving advice on life. >> i'm here to give you the information back. >> reporter: to love. >> the older you are, the more mature you can be about it. >> reporter: a lively 18-year-old from austin, texas faced a battle of his own. >> i have a pacemaker. >> reporter: hcm, he had fought the disease his entire life. >> he was always happy and always smiling and he never complained about his heart condition. >> reporter: his energy and endurance rivalled that of any high school teenager. >> i'm not limited on anything but i may have -- i have to go

in for checkups but other than that it's not a big problem. >> reporter: doctors knew his heart couldn't keep up. on christmas day his heart stopped. but his message did it. it turned out that ben had secretly recorded a silent video one week before he died. it's a powerful message set to music and told on flash cards, a lifelong struggle with a failing heart. he cheated death not once but three times, the first time at age 4. he recently collapsed at school. his heart just stopped beating. ben was taken to the emergency room, where he wrote that he saw a white light and his favorite rapper, kid cuddy. >> i'm not sure why steven didn't show but cuddy, i'll go with that. >> telling the world of his near death experience, ben still smiles, a brave young man at peace with his destiny. >> i think a lot of people think

about something they've never thought about before and that is to me is a wonderful gift. >> reporter: at the funeral friends and family honored his life and silent message. >> it seems more mere coincidence the timing of everything and how ben's message is going literally to millions of people. >> reporter: a flash card worth a thousand words and a wisdom way beyond his years. more than 1 million people have already reviewed it. kid cuddy wrote ben's vision of him warmed his heart. >> amazing story. we're back in a moment. this is "today" on nbc.

just ahead the marine who survived tours in afghanistan and iraq, recovering after being shot in florida last week. he'll explain how his military training saved his life.

plus a look back at the big stories of the year of 2011, after your local news and weather. ♪ [ male announcer ] they've been tested, built and driven like no other. and now they're being offered like no other. come to the winter event and get an exceptional offer on the mercedes-benz of your dreams. it's our way of showing a little holiday spirit. but hurry -- the offer ends january 3rd. ♪

good morning. i'm marla tellez. we have breaking news to report out of san francisco. we're just getting this in from muni. 5:45 this morning. the muni light rail car hit a police car. this is at 3rd and 22nd street. this is in san francisco. the operator was transported to the hospital. along with two cops, all said to be suffering from minor injuries. muni is investigating the cause of this accident at 3rd and 22nd street in san francisco. no injuries to any passengers. this morning we'll get you the

latest on this breaking news as soon as we learn more information. in other news this morning, it's a case of an alleged fan violence. a 16-year-old bay area girl says she was hit in the head at a sharks game. the discovery bay girl was watching the game friday night. maggie is a native canadian, a student at independence high school in brentwood. she also has a benign brain tumor. she says a drunken sharks fan began harassing her and hit her in the back of the head, giving her a concussion. police are investigating the attack but have yet to make any arrests. the sharks issued the statement, quote, arena staff along with san jose police interviewed the person who made contact with the injured fan who stated that the contact was accidental during the celebration of a sharks goal. it is drizzly out there on this friday. let's check the forecast with

christina loren. good morning to you at home. there's a lot of drizzle out there. you have to use the windshield wiper this is morning. plenty of 50s. the only on the temperature map is santa cruz. weal see enough sunshine to warm us up to the mid-60s. 63 in san jose. 58 in santa rosa. the seven-day outlook tells the story. more rain on the way at the end of next week. we need the rain. so it's looking good for us. thursday and friday, better rain chances. back to you, marla. for the latest traffic and news updates, check us out on facebook. search nbc bay area. [ female announcer ] they've been off limits to dieters

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♪ on top of the world, i feel on top of the world ♪ 7:30 now on a friday morning, it's the 30th day of december, 2011. there is the view of new york city's times square. tomorrow night savannah and a million of her closest friends will be packing that street to watch the ball drop to ring in 2012. >> and the weather is not going to be bad. >> the crowd will be huge. inside studio 1a, matt lauer, alongside savannah guthrie, ann is taking time off. when it comes to car repairs do you get what you pay for?

we brought you our camera investigation in dealerships. when we took the same cor to popular chain store fixers. giuliana rancic went to work two weeks after a double mastectomy. we'll catch up with giuliana and her husband, bill. and facing trial to massive protest overseas, how we covered the events and people of 2011. we'll begin with a remarkable story a marine who survived in some of the most dangerous spots in the world only to find his most life-threatening danger here at home. first kerry sanders has his story. kerry, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, savannah. lieutenant colonel karl trenker has been on tour in iraq and

afghanistan, only to be shot at at home. one bullet grazed the top of his head, the other his shoulder, one into his chest and the other in his stomach. it happened shortly before christmas when the lieutenant colonel helped sell his fiance's gold chain on craigslist. >> the one invasive was the one that hit me in the center of the abdomen. >> reporter: marine lieutenant colonel karl trenker made it out of the war zones and never thought he'd be in a war zone in florida. >> i come here and i'm full of holes. >> reporter: trenker's fiance advertised a gold chain on craigslist. the marine piled his four boys into his suv and went to meet two men who said they wanted to buy it. >> it was 3:00 in the afternoon. the families were out, women pushing strollers with babies. >> reporter: suddenly trenker says one of the men took off with the necklace. no surprise the 48-year-old marine gave chase. >> just as he turned the corner

he turned around and pulled out a gun and started shooting at me. >> 911, what is your emergency? >> hey there's a shooter. >> first it didn't register, is he shooting at me? it was when i got hit, i was like yes. there were a couple of holes, i put my fingers in them, got up. >> reporter: trenker used his bleeding from the battlefield to stop the bleeding. as he waited for help to arrive he managed to reach his boys, a few feet away from the gunfire. >> i told them dad was shot, i'm okay. >> reporter: then he called his fiance. >> i can't believe he's calm at the other end, giving description to the police. he's, you know -- i fell to the floor. >> reporter: trenker says he's grateful his fiance was not the one who went to meet the suspect. >> he's a hero, my hero and a hero to the country and i love him. i love him so much. >> reporter: the marine artillery expert still has a bullet lodged in his pelvis.

>> the bullet went straight to the bone. that's why you felt that pain. >> reporter: jeff steele and james flownery are charged. >> he wants them put to jail but if not he has other plans. >> let me in a room with them without any weapons, mano e mano. >> reporter: doctors say the lieutenant colonel should make a full recovery. >> marine lieutenant colonel karl trenker is here along with his fiance by his side. >> good morning. >> it's good to see you looking so good considering what happened to you. how are you today? >> i'm feeling very good thanks to the great care at north broward medical center. >> have the doctors told you to expect a full recovery?

>> yes, they do. it's been great. obviously the experience wasn't that fantastic but the care i've had has helped me to recuperate quickly. >> this is an astonishing story. take me back to that moment. you realized this guy was shooting at you, what was going through your mind? >> i was actually a little pissed off about it quite frankly. >> i think everyone can relate to that. did you just go into shock? >> no, like i said i was angry. i can't believe this guy is shooting at me, and i really wanted to make him stop, obviously i couldn't and once i received the second hit i realized i needed to back away, and reevaluate what i was doing. >> tanya, you were out with one of your real estate clients showing a house and you received this call from karl, telling you he had been shot. i mean, what did you think when he said that?

? initially, honestly i was waiting for the punch line, like ha ha, ha, and he told me again, i fell to the floor, started shaking, i couldn't lock up the house to put the key back in the lock box my clients had to help me with it. i was just devastated. you just really never expect anything like that to happen to you and then when it does, it's just, it blows you away. there's no words to express. >> lieutenant colonel, is there any doubt that your own training helped save your own life? >> there's no doubt. if not the direct training it self, just the experiences that i've had abled me to maintain my wherewithal and apply direct pressure to my wounds, to go back to my children, they were about 50 yards away so quite a

distance i had to cover to go back to them and i told the man that called 911, "i know the ambulance is coming but i have to go take care of my children first" and i ran. >> very quickly, one of the things that's so striking about this the fact here you are, a marine who served in iraq and afghanistan and yet in your hometown that you faced this life-threatening danger. have you thought about that? >> i have thought about it quite a bit. i mean it's just, there's no words for it. it's unfathomable that we have this kind of situation here where you go into a combat zone and come back out of that unscathed and come back home where it's not, but there's a lot more dangers here and for me, one of the dangers is craigslist, and i think that's something people need to be aware of. >> we're so glad to see you're okay. it's an amazing story. marine lieutenant colonel karl

trenker and his fiance, tanya saiz, thanks. let's get the weather from stephanie abrams. >> we have a big and rowdy crowd today. it's going to be a fun morning on the plaza and a dry one through the west and upper quite the contrary when you take a look at the picture of the golden gate bridge. no sunshine here just yet. but we'll see the sunshine through the low clouds by noon today. watch out the. fog is so thick up through san jose, san francisco and santa rosa. lowest visibilities in the north bay. we'll hit the 6 #s. 63 in los gatos. a little cool in the north bay. good news is we stay dry for 2012. hoy about sunday night football, romo versus manning and the temperature also be

quite mild, not too bad for tailgating before the game, temperatures in the mid to upper 40s. savannah it's all yours. >> stephanie, thank you. coming up, "today investigates" auto repair shops, what's the truth behind the pricey bills? ou our hidden camera investigation, right after this. ranklin st. ♪ sea bass... ♪ ooohhh! ♪ i like it. yeah, i love the kitchen. [ male announcer ] the epa-estimated 42 mpg highway chevy cruze eco. from looking for your perfect home to finding it. chevy runs deep. yeah, our low prices are even lower. we need to teach her how to walk. she is taking up valuable cart space. aren't you, honey? [ male announcer ] it's our biggest clearance event of the year where our prices are even lower. save money. live better. walmart.

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a stevia leaf erased my fears. it made my willpower a super hero. as for calories, it has zero. twinkle twinkle truvia® star, natural sweetness, i love just what you are. truvia®. honestly sweet. we're back now at 7:42. this morning on "today investigations" we're looking back at our top investigations of the year. when you take your car to popular auto repair stores do you get what you pay for? jeff rossen is here with details. good morning again. >> good morning once again. sitting here yesterday we showed you what our hidden cameras recovered at auto dealerships. four out of five billed us for repairs we didn't need. we decided to take the same car for the same experiment to national chain stores, midas, meineke, and our hidden cameras

are rolling again. name-brand mechanics under our hood, charging us big money for repairs. what do you make of this? >> terrible. >> reporter: we set up services at some of the most trusted names in the business, our car this 2007 jeep grand cherokee, under 47,000 miles and out of warranty. first we took it to a mechanic certified by two top auto repair groups. he inspected every system of our jeep and gave it a clean score. >> everything looks fine, everything looks good. >> reporter: then we asked him to rig a simple problem. he used this small part in the air conditioner called a relay switch. what are you doing? >> i'm going to take your ac relay out and i'm going to replace it with a defective one. >> reporter: makes the air conditioning blow warm air. >> yes. >> reporter: quick and easy fix? >> yes. >> reporter: this independent mechanic would charge only $100

to fix our program. what would the name brand shops do? to find out we installed hidden cameras inside our car and under the hood. >> almost $100,000 to fix this? >> reporter: in october we showed you when we took our car to auto dealerships. four out of five tried to charge us hundreds, up to $2,000 in what experts say were unnecessary repairs. so would these chain stores be any better? that same month we sent this female nbc producer with the same jeep to five stores, a random mix of city and suburban locations. >> it's blowing warm air. >> reporter: our hidden cameras were rolling as she drops the car off at this midas in new york. within minutes the mechanic diagnoses our bad relay as the only problem. >> this is the part that was bad in my car? >> yep. >> it was pretty simple. >> reporter: and pretty cheap. the charge only $91.

same great result at this meineke in new jersey, the bill only $90 to fix our ac and if you think that's impressive, this pep boys in new york is more helpful. they find our bad relay, then the manager confides "we don't need them to fix it." we can buy the relay and do it ourselves for just 25 bucks. >> that's something i can buy at an auto parts store. >> yes, you can buy it at an auto parts store and ask for an a/c clutch relay. >> reporter: but our good results before to take a turn. at this midas in long island they quickly find our bad relay but then say fixing our ac requires some extra services, ac recharge system. >> the charging is $19. >> reporter: and brand new air filter. >> your cabin air filter is dirty, to get that done it would

be $59.99. >> reporter: our hidden cameras showed they never checked and the ac recharge, we this mechanic check our ac pressure before every shop and it was always fine. total charge at this midas? $464, up to five times as expensive as the previous shops. the franchise owner later told us, though his technician didn't follow company standards in documenting the inspection process, he believes the tech correctly diagnosed and fixed the problem, based on our car's mileage and his knowledge and experience. >> looks to me what he's doing right there is using the little bit of knowledge he has to try to convince you, you need some things you don't need. >> reporter: we showed our undercover video to two experts, paul digiuseppe and phil reid. while they can't comment on these shop's practices, they say many may push new fluids or

filters, cheap fixes, even when you don't need them. >> this is the easiest go to place to make money. >> reporter: when i hear fluids and filters, ah, $50, but that adds up. >> it does and over the course of the lifetime of the car it adds up to thousands of dollars. >> reporter: but it was at this meineke in new york where we got the biggest surprise of all, our hidden cameras show the mechanic never even checked our relay, instead, he comes up with a much more serious problem. >> this valve is leaking. this [ bleep ]'s been leaking for a while. >> reporter: he breaks the bad news to our producer. >> so i detect a leak immediately. >> i have a leak. >> right. >> reporter: how would you rate his work? >> horrible, terrible, sorry to see this. >> reporter: that mechanic is not done. >> we have to replace and then we recharge the system again. >> how much is this going to cost me? >> the total down here is $393. >> $393 to fix my air

conditioning. >> reporter: nearly $400 for repairs experts say were completely unnecessary. >> it's people like that that give us a bad name. there are really a lot of good people out there. >> reporter: the franchise owner told us this mechanic misdiagnosed the problem. in fact he told us he's received other customer complaints about his shop and as a result has now hired all new managers and mechanics. in the end, good practices seem to prevail. experts say three out of five shops charged us to fix the real problem. nothing more. as for the others -- >> they're abusing our trust because in many cases, they appeal to us as the trusted adviser, and yet they're actually picking our pockets. >> reporter: in a statement, midas corporate told us it does not tolerate what happened at that store, that billed us too much and it required additional training at that specific store. both midas and meineke say most

stores do a great job but each store is independently owned. >> hats off to the guys who did the right thing in that story. thanks for the series this week. >> matt, appreciate it, happy p birthday. >> thank you very much. how is giuliana rancic doing, two weeks after a double mastectomy? we'll talk to her and her husband after these messages. fresher less processed foods introducing freshpet recipes so fresh the only preservative we use

is the fridge freshpet fresh food for fido when bp made a commitment to the gulf, we knew it would take time, but we were determined to see it through. today, while our work continues, i want to update you on the progress: bp has set aside 20 billion dollars to fund economic and environmental recovery. we're paying for all spill- related clean-up costs. and we've established a 500 million dollar fund so independent scientists can study the gulf's wildlife and environment for ten years. thousands of environmental samples from across the gulf have been analyzed by independent labs under the direction of the us coast guard. i'm glad to report all beaches and waters are open for everyone to enjoy. and the economy is showing progress with many areas on the gulf coast having their best tourism seasons in years. i was born here, i'm still here and so is bp. ' rewemi ' tttome o ed

th'was born here, i'm still here and so is bp. for everyone who loves it, and everyone who calls it home. it attends wrap parties... with the crew. there's nothing like the taste of the big mac snack wrap. but hurry. it has places to be. ♪ covergirl trublend has skin twin technology. other makeup can sit on your skin, so it looks like...makeup. but trublend has skin twin technology to actually merge with your skin. how easy breezy beautiful is that? trublend...from covergirl. ♪ we are back with a look at some of the celebrations all around the world heralding a very special day in history today. it is matt lauer's 54th, i'll say it again, 54th birthday. happy birthday, matt.

>> thanks to the people in australia and all of the other places for chiming in on the celebration. can i mention something to our dear friend meredith vieira, lebron james, tiger woods. >> someone from hawaii felt like he had to send his own special message so let's roll it. ♪ happy birthday to you, matt ♪ happy birthday to you matt, what do you think about that ♪ ♪ happy birthday to matthew ♪ happy birthday to oo oooo you ♪ >> thank you, steven. >> happy birthday matt. >> i felt bad the other day and when i saw what you had in your office --

>> that was probably 48 years ago. >> yeah. >> 47 years ago. >> you didn't really catch a big one. >> but back when i was that little that was a big fish. it's not so great today. >> well, happy birthday. ♪ happy birthday to you >> thanks so steven tyler, i really appreciate that. >> beautiful. >> i got candles. >> network cut back, we couldn't afford all the candles that needed to be on my cake. >> thank you, everybody, and meredith if you're watching, happy birthday, sweetheart. love you. reunion in austin. but this year, i can only afford one trip and i've always wanted to learn how to surf. austin's great -- just not for surfing. so i checked out hotwire. and by booking with them, i saved enough to swing both trips. see, hotwire checks the competition's rates every day so they can guarantee their low prices. that's how i got a 4-star hotel on the beach in san diego for half price. ♪ h-o-t-w-i-r-e

♪ hotwire.com to have their close-ups taken by a fashion photographer. then we asked them to try dove visible care. a revolutionary line of body wash with the highest concentration of nutrium moisture. visible care makes skin visibly more beautiful in just 1 week. ♪ when they saw how much more beautiful and radiant their skin looked with dove visible care... there was only one question. dove visible care creme body wash. when did you start that project? every new year comes with a few stories waiting to be built. it's when our brand-new to-do lists become "you did that yourself?" so when we can save more on the projects that let us build, make, and even store more, well, that just makes the stories even better. more saving. more doing. that's the power of the home depot. make room for savings with these sterilite totes for a new lower price of just $5.88.

make the best vehicles in america... and once a year offer them with special savings. today, it's a phenomenon. toyotathon is back. see the reinvented camry, named a 2012 "best resale value" by kelley blue book's kbb.com. and with amazing deals, now's the time to get the toyota you've been waiting for. others have tried to copy it. but in the end, there's only one...toyotathon. the biggest and best sales event of the year is going on now! what's going on? we ordered a gift online and we really need to do something with it... i'm just not sure what... what is it? oh just return it. returning gifts is easier than ever with priority mail flat rate boxes from the postal service. if it fits, it ships anywhere in the country for a low flat rate. plus i can pick it up for free. perfect because we have to get that outta this house. c'mon, it's not that... gahh, oh yeah that's gotta go... priority mail flat rate shipping starts at just $4.95. only from the postal service.

a simpler way to ship and return. good morning. it's 7:56. i'm marla tellez. chp is working a crash on northbound 280. this is in san francisco. we're told two to three lanes of interstate 80 are closed near monterey boulevard and it's backed up to 19th avenue. the alternates are 101 and 18th street. police have caught the man responsible for a brutal 1999 cold case murder. 40-year-old raymond wong was arraigned yesterday. prosecutors say the registered sex offender kidnapped 21-year-old alice sin and shot

her. he was an ex-boyfriend of hers. her father has waited 12 years for the arrest. >> does it give you any sense of relief? >> yes. >> he is very cocky. somebody i would consider arrogant individual. and i believe that for years he has thought he's gotten away with this. >> well, she vanished from her home in november of 1999. her body was found two months later in a nevada desert. meteorologist christina loren joins us with a look at the forecast. good morning. >> good morning. we have significant changes out there. really, really thick fog and generating a really steady mist. you'll probably have to use the windshield wipers on the way to work. the showers are pushing into sacramento. we expect the first showers in tr north bay through the next hour, maybe two. so we'll continue to track those for you. heavy fog and drizzle. breaks of sunshine later. temperatures in the 60s by

sunday, the first day of 2012, staying nice and comfortable. right now, back to you, marla. >> christina, thank you so much. for the latest traffic and news updates find us on facebook. -dad, why are you getting that? -that's my cereal. is there a prize in there?

oh, there's a prize, all right. is it a robot? no. is it a jet plane? nope. is it a dinosaur?] [ male announcer ] inside every box of heart healthy cheerios are those great tasting little o's made from carefully selected oats that c help lower cholesterol. stickers? uh-uh. a superhero? ♪ kinda. [ male announcer ] and we think that's the best prize of all. ♪

58 now on a friday morning. it's the 30th day of december, 2011, 40 degrees in new york city and a massive crowd has gathered, all of these people in town to celebrate the new year and we thank them for stopping by. out on the plaza i'm matt lauer along with savannah guthrie. as we get ready to ring in the new year we'll look back to the year it was in 2011 from the t y triumphs and the tragedies to some of the natural disasters and other headlines that made our news. >> we are going to check in with

giuliana rancic, just had a double mastectomy two and a half weeks ago, we'll check in with her and her husband. tamron hall is in while natalie is on vacation. tamron has the headlines, good morning. >> good morning, everyone. the republican presidential candidates are crisscrossing iowa making a final push for votes, the first in the nation's caucuses just four days away. mitt romney is the front according to the latest polls there. he's campaigning in iowa today with new jersey governor chris christie. rick santorum enjoyed a late surge while newt gingrich has seen his support plummet. verizon wireless is facing a huge public backlash today. the company just announced that his plans to charge customers $2 for paying their bills on the company's website or by phone but verizon says there are many options to avoid the fees such as automatic billing or use electronic checking.

now for a look at what's trending today our quick roundup of what has you talking online. a top search on google, a story we brought you earlier, ben breedlove, an 18-year-old from texas who lost his battle from a rare heart condition on christmas day. he inspired millions with videos about life and love that have gone viral around the world. animal lovers are flocking to learn about kenzie the chimp who enjoys nothing more than a good old cookout. he starts the fire himself. i'm not sure if that's safe, he has a lighter and good roasted marshmallow there as well. aren't they sweet together? zee woe and joseph co-starred in "500 days of summer" check out their version of "what are you doing new year's eve" seen by 1.6 million people on youtube. ♪ what are you doing new year's, new year's eve ♪

>> maybe they'll take their adorable act on the road. i'd love to see that. 8:02, back to stephanie with a check of the weather. >> hey there, tamron. i have some people who are going to be at times square for new year's eve. you're from alabama and getting down there at what time? >> 12:00 or 1:00. >> what are you going to do all day? >> stand there and take it all in. >> it will be a great time. let's have a look at our forecast, if you are in little rock, arkansas, our pick city today, 64 degrees for our high, and as we head through the afternoon hours, it's going to stay dry in the south and wet 8:03. good morning to you. a live look at the bay bridge toll plaza. traffic here very slight. slick conditions as we have fog overhead and slight delays out of sfo. as we head throughout the morning hours, maybe you've turned your heater off, 53 degrees in san jose. a comfortable afternoon. 63 later here. 65 in gilroy and about 60

degrees in the city. tomorrow, dry new year's eve makes way to comfortable conditions for the first day of 2012. >> congratulations on your engagement, proud and nerdy. savannah i'm proud and nerdy. >> me, too, stephanie. coming up next a look back at the people and events that made headlines in 2011, coming up right after this. slip-on's the way to go. more people do that, security would be like -- there's no charge for the bag. thanks. i know a quiet little place where we can get some work done. there's a three-prong plug. i have club passes. [ male announcer ] now there's a mileage card that offers special perks on united, like a free checked bag, united club passes, and priority boarding. thanks. ♪ okay. what's your secret? ♪ [ male announcer ] the new united mileageplus explorer card. get it and you're in. yeah, our low prices are even lower. we need to teach her how to walk. she is taking up valuable cart space. aren't you, honey?

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you can put a force field on him and be invisible! [ child 2 ] i call first player. no. i already called it. [ dad ] nobody's playing anything until after we get our homework done. thank you. hello? test drive's not over yet. [ male announcer ] it's practically yours. [ louder ] hello? but we still need your signature. right now during sign then drive, it's never been easier to get the all-new passat, the 2012 motor trend car of the year, for practically just your signature. that's the power of german engineering. visit vwdealer.com. your final wish has been granted. wait, wait, wait-- where's the peanut one? [ yellow ] wheeee! oh, hey red. [ male announcer ] m&m's® can't resist m. gives you a 50 percent annual bonus. so you earn 50 percent more cash. if you're not satisfied with 50% more cash, send it back!

i'll be right here, waiting for it. who wouldn't want more cash? [ insects chirping ] i'll take it. i'll make it rain up in here. [ male announcer ] the new capital one cash rewards card. the card for people who want 50% more cash. what's in your wallet? sorry i'll clean this up. shouldn't have made it rain. from the devastating tsunami in japan to sweeping change in the middle east and the wedding of the century, 2011 has been a year of extremes. >> this morning a look back at the memorable moments as we reported to you, right here on "today."

♪ >> we begin on this friday morning with the latest on the crisis in japan. ann curry is in abu dhabi -- >> a major 8.9 magnitude earthquake rocks japan. it was a very powerful earthquake. the images are stunning. >> and then came the tsunami. the waves as high as 33 feet swallowed everything in their path. >> thousands without water, food, electricity. >> the death toll is estimated at 10,000. that is expected to clim >> japan's nuclear crisis takes a dire turn. >> there have now been two explosions at the fukushima daiichi plant and a desperate attempt to avoid a meltdown. >> a woman said to me today "we will be strong. we will rebuild." >> an american woman tweeted ann curry because she had not heard

from her sister. >> you have my sister? >> i found your sister, here she is. >> oh my god. >> hi, sis. two devastating atacks in norway, police have one man in custody. >> after setting off the car bomb in oslo's center square another pulled out an automatic weapon and started killing. >> he killed people like it was no big deal. >> mourners trying to understand. >> the african nations of somalia, kenya and ethiopia are plagued by an unrelenting drought and famine. >> this young boy died sunday, his family carrying him home for burial. this is your child? the powerful 6.3 magnitude earthquake rocked new zealand's second largest city. >> survivors pulled from the rubble after a powerful earthquake rocks eastern turkey. >> britain burning, violence

spreading across great britain. >> in is criminality, pure and simple. kidnapped israeli soldier was released after five years of catch activity in gaza. rupert murdoch said to testify in front of parliament about the tabloid's phone hacking scandal. >> ultimately we are responsible for the whole fiasco? >> no. >> silvio berlusconi is out of a job today. north korea's dictator kim jong-il has died. >> potential economic catastrophe in greece. >> they are so angry. the austerity is coming one way or the other. >> we have the unrest in egypt, president hosni mubarak addressed his nation and said he would not step down. >> riots are sweeping tunisia and at least 40 civilians have been killed. a night of violent new clashes in cairo's tahrir square. >> protesters have more

demonstrations. >> they shouted requesting the people want to topple the regime." >> riot police clashed with protesters in bahrain. >> after the fall of hosni mubarak, hundreds of thousands of egyptians flood the streets of cairo. >> witnesses say nowhere feels safe. >> anwar al awlaki has been killed in yemen. >> armed rebels celebrated what they called a victory over the libyan military. >> once incl rebel rebel hands, was shown no mercy. >> looking forward to this day, congratulations. >> finally here, two hours ago before the wedding. >> and good morning, matt. >> you are cordially invited to the wedding of the century. >> folks are already gathering, detected out with the beautiful hats.

♪ >> they used to call her waity katey and whee is waiting no more. >> i william arthur flil imlouie take thee catherine. >> i catherine elizabeth take the arthur philip louis. >> first chance for the crowd to see the prince and now the princess. >> here we go, here we go! oh! >> that was cute. >> that was cute. >> wouldn't that be impressive to have a second kiss? yep! >> oh, yeah, that's it! >> news that osama bin laden had been killed after a nearly

ten-year search for him. >> irene strengthens in the atlantic. >> the occupy wall street -- >> where is the recovery? unemployment highs, stocks down. >> wild scenes on wall street rage on. >> we are spending more money than we are taking in. >> the heated showdown over raising the debt ceiling. >> the first ever downgrade of the u.s. credit rating. >> shown terrible judgment. >> the american people are dissatisfied. >> we are the 99%. >> the occupy wall street movement is heating up. >> this morning at mark. hundreds of thousands have joined. tensions are rising between occupy wall street protesters. >> police caught using pepper spray. protesters dig in for the long haul. >> congresswoman gabrielle giffords in intensive care after a gunman shot her in the head. >> six people were killed. >> just this beautiful, young, vibrant girl. >> the remarkable recovery of

congresswoman gabrielle giffords. >> 30% of the town has been wiped out. >> go right to weather. >> breaking news, a massive tornado nearly a mile wide levels huge sections of joplin, missouri. >> as far as the eye can see, there is nothing but devastation. >> get the hell off the beach. you're done. maximize your tan. >> hurricane irene is here, it is deadly and it's dangerous. >> whoa, look at that. we just watched the building wash off of its foundation. >> record flooding in the wake of irene. >> the impact of this storm will be felt for a long time. space shuttle "atlantis" touched down today for the final time. the united states conducted an operation that killed osama bin laden. people will stop and remember where they were when they heard the news. how could pakistan not find someone right in front of them? >> casualties of war, most of the victims of navy's elite

field team six. what do you want the kids to know about him? >> his love for this country and amazing man he was. >> he ended the nine-year military campaign in iraq. >> remembering 9/11 years later. >> they tried to take away our freedoms and we didn't let them. >> breaking news, penn state university -- >> publicity stunt? charlie sheen in his first morning show interview. >> tired of pretending i'm not a rock star. duh, winning, tiger blood. tiger blood, people took it so seriously. >> schwarzenegger admits he fathered a child with a woman who worked in their home. >> what is your reaction to the idea this may have all been a sham? >> it's over.

demi moore is ending her six-year marriage to ashton kutcher. detectives reopen the investigation into the death of actress natalie wood. bonlgshell verdict. >> we find the defendant not guilty. >> casey anthony acquitted of killing daughter caylee. jury in perugia deliberating the fate of aman da knox. why is it going to be hard for you to hear? >> she's fighting for her life. >> the jury said amanda knox did not commit the crime. >> thank you to everyone who has believed int me. >> the manslaughter of michael jackson's doctor. >>. >> i didn't do anything wrong. >> the jury finds him guilty of involuntary man slaught per. >> my son's gone. i'll never see him again. >> one of the world's most powerful bankers accused of sexually assaulting a housekeeper. >> dominique strauss-kahn now a free man. >> i was hacked. >> kont me anthocongressman ant

weiner sent inappropriate photos to women online. >> if it were me i would resign. >> today i announce my resignation from congress. >> joe paterno is no longer the head football coach effective immediately. >> the sex abuse scandal that rocked penn state at the center is former defensive coordinator jerry sandusky. >> are you sexually attracted to underaged boys. >> am i sexually attracted to underaged boys? >> yes. >> i enjoy young people, but no. ♪ >> 4,000 americans lost their lives, maybe 100,000 iraqis lost their lives, cost about $1 trillion, was it worth it? did you give the right advice? >> i think i did. >> what is the evidence against them? >> they illegally crossed our

borders but i think they'll be freed in a couple of days. >> when you look in your son's face, a young man who served in this country, what do you say? >> i say i'm so daned proud of you. >> most economists say that would send the economy back into recession. >> most of them are not very smart. >> 14 million americans, why are you not angrier? >> i spend all of my time think being this stuff because i'm talking to these folks every single day. >> we're seeing sweeping changes in school lunches. >> that's not going to affect my kid's tater tots though? >> do you want them to have the tater to thes? >> i want them. >> hair and makeup team on board? >> that should be obvious. when i get off the plane in the middle of the night i'm always afraid i'll scare the children. >> did you say to bernie, with he should kill ourselves? did bernie say it to you? >> i think it was my idea more than his. i just wanted to get it over

with. >> i think it's a shame that i can't say something nice without jen being drug in. >> let me read -- >> please don't read it. >> i think if jesus were alive today there would be polls in "us weekly." >> should he cut his hair. that's the sew we live in. >> what is the noise in your head? ♪ sit a spell it will take about an hour, i'll tell you all a story about me and matt lauer ♪ ♪ >> three, four, in, out, one, two. >> vice president has such a nice ring to it. >> first problem most of us face every morning is the news. ♪

♪ i go back to black >> we appeal to those volunteering to do something for your country. ♪ bye, bye w my baby >> i am as mad as hell and i'm not going to take this anymore! ♪ >> have the currentourage to fo your heart and intuition. you somehow already know what you truly want to become. >> five, four, three, two, one --

>> a new day in washington, republicans officially taking control of the house. >> united they sit. >> come to this moment will be to determine not whether we can sit together tonight but whether we can work together tomorrow. >> blame game, frustration grows in washington. >> this debt limit increase is his problem. >> if they bring this economy down they've broken it and they own it. >> americans are fed up with the stalemate. >> let's get it done. >> the ayes are 74 and the nays are 26. >> the debt showdown is over. >> neither side got as much as it wanted. that is the essence of compromise. >> the approval ratings of president obama and congress are sinking. >> the president still is struggling to sell this jobs bill. >> i will not support any plan that puts all the burden on ordinary americans. >> i had to check my calendar this week to see if it was 2011 or 2012. >> now is not my time. >> contentious gop presidential debate. >> this is a ponzi scheme.

>> 9-9-9. >> i'm offended for the little girls and parents who didn't have a choice. >> edation, and -- i'm sorry. >> what happened last night? >> i stepped it in last night. >> i am suspending my presidential campaign. >> whoever the nominee is, we are all for defeating barack obama. >> by the president's own admission he has a tough re-election battle. >> stop complaining. we've got work to do! ♪ >> wow. and there's still one day left in the year. that's a lot of events. >> we see the politics, just a preview of coming attractions for the coming year as well. >> exactly right. we've been busy. we thank yal fedderbush, kate

i-buckley, and jason krilovich putting that together, eight a gargantuan task to go through all of those tapes and events and come up with something as beautiful as that. >> when you see it in one piece of tape you realize how much seismic change we've seen just in the last year going back. >> it seems to go so fast. >> it does. >> it's amazing. >> that was 2011. we get ready for 2012. we'll take a break. we're back right after this. [ woman ] weighing myself in times squar >> there we go, there we go! [ woman ] oh, i don't want to look. ♪ [ woman ] let's gewiit or thve. ♪ satisfaction! satisfaction! pizzazz! pizzazz! confidence. i like it! just what i've always wanted! joy! ♪

we've done a good job caring for our mouths. that's why there's a rinse like crest pro-health multi-protection. it helps you get a better dental check-up. so be ready for your next dental check-up. try any crest pro-health rinse. it attends wrap parties... with the crew. there's nothing like the taste of the big mac snack wrap. but hurry. it has places to be. ♪

♪ [ engine revs ] ♪ [ male announcer ] oh what fun it is to ride. get the mercedes-benz on your wish list at the winter event going on now. but hurry -- the offer ends january 3rd. [ santa ] ho, ho, ho! be. coming up, ooex news host giuliana rancic opens up about ago.double mastectomy two weeks

good morning. it's 8:26. i'm marla tellez. fremont's popular mayor died. bob wasserman was 77 when he passed away at kaiser hospital in fremont. he served the city for more than 35 years, first as its police chief. then in 1992 wasserman was elected to the city council. he had been mayor since 2004. cause of death has not been made public, but wasserman was hospitalized recently for a respiratory ailment. he's survived by his wife of 53

years and their son and daughter. a memorial service will be held tomorrow for a devoted citizen watch dog who died at the young age of 55. for more than 20 years he published an opinionated newsletter kauft "east bay news service." he was found dead inside his home in piedmont on tuesday. tomorrow's memorial will be held at 11:00 a.m. in fremont. it's going to be at the chapel of the angels. again, that is in fremont. for the latest traffic and news updates, search nbc bay area on facebook. we'll be back at 8:56. ♪

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honey nut cheerios. want whole grain oats that can help lower cholesterol? honey nut cheerios. it's a win win. good? [ crunching, sipping ] be happy. be healthy. can i try yours? happy birthday! >> we're back now 8:30 on a friday morning, the 30th day of december, 2011, last day of friday of the year, and we have a big festive crowd celebrating with us before they head over to celebrate in times square

tomorrow night. more on that celebration coming up in just a couple of minutes. meanwhile out on the plaza i'm matt lauer along with savannah guthrie who is here while ann is taking time off and tom ran hall is with us as well. ann and al are uoff. a difficult couple of months for giuliana rancic, a couple of weeks ago underwent a double mastectomy. amazingly already back at work. also ahead are you not sure what to serve at your new year's party? ming sai will be here to dazzle your guests. that looks tasty. 2012, promising to be a big and busy year with the summer olympic games, as well as some huge highly anticipated hollywood blockbusters, get a look ahead at what's coming up and of course you can't miss that big moment around the

corner. >> let's bring carson daley in, host of nbc's new year's celebration. good morning, eight years in a row. thank you very much. >> yes. >> there are some of us who go to bed at 10:30. >> i'm normally one of those people. >> i love it. tomorrow our big day, been a great tradition at nbc. we have tony bennett this year which is nice and the whole family is helping out, ce lo green, my friends from "the voice" jesse jay, drake live at times square. >> a big cup of coffee, ready to ring in the new year and a social media aspect of it. >> we're asking people to tweet us their resolutions, or what they're doing in their communities to celebrate the ball drop and donning of a new use, #nbcnye. >> we have to ask what is your new year's resolution? >> i have a beautiful son who is

almost 3 now and so for me it's always about balance professionally and personally and so the new year being a good dad is still hard work. >> it's a great show. what time do you end up getting out of there? >> actually nypd has this down. >> they clear the roads for you? >> 12:15 they're ready for the commute the next morning so 12:35 we're out thereof. >> happy new year. >> i hope so. >> carson new year's eve right here on nbc, 10:00 to 11:00 p.m., continuing 11:30 p.m. eastern time. good luck >> thank you. mpb l let's get the official forecast for new year's eve. stephanie, good morning. >> we have people from missouri. what are you doing for new year's? >> going on a plane ride back to our lovely kids. >> the party is happening right here in the plaza right here right now. happy new year. let's go forecasting and here is a look at our new year's eve

forecast at midnight. we'll see nice weather for carson and all of the folks into the northeast. here is for the 1 million plus people in times square, partly cloudy, looking good. the winds will be light as well and on new year's day a little bit of snow and good morning to you. the time now 8:34. we have a lot of thick fog out there, and it's generating a steady mist. you can actually see the highway nice and slyke through the sunol grade. throughout the day we'll see the mist for the next few hours, showers subsiding by 3:00 p.m. dry new year's eve. we'll make way to a comfy start to 2012. 54 inland. 60 at the coast. >> this one was dressed up by her daughter and granddaughter. doesn't she look great at 70? if you want your birthday or new year's eve forecast go to weather.com 24 hours a day

>> thank you, stephanie. we love that feather boa. coming up, giuliana rancic, two and a half weeks after her breast cancer surgery. first this is "today" on nbc. ♪ when life gets busy... there are days where you want to give your immune system some support. try airborne. each serving contains 14 vitamins, minerals and herbs including zinc, echinacea, ginger, and a blast of vitamin c. it's the easy, great-tasting way to help support your immune system. try airborne. in fast-acting effervescent formula, and new super-convenient chewable tablets!

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back now at 8:36, this morning on "today's update" giuliana rancic's bat well breast cancer. we've been following her progress since she first announced her diagnosis on this program. we'll catch up with ghoul ya-ya and husband bill but first a little bit more of that irstory. for years she's been a familiar face to fans who followed her on television as a co-anchor on e! news. >> they save their biggest secrets for us. >> and gracing the red carpets for major hollywood events. giuliana rancic's infectious smiles caught the attention of season one inwinner of

"apprenti "apprentice" bill rancic. >> you're hired. >> the two were married and chronicled their lives together on the style network reality show "giuliana and bill." on the show the couple shared their struggle to have a family while undergoing fertility treatments, giuliana learned something stunning about her health, something she revealed here on "today" in october. >> i have early stages of breast cancer. >> reporter: giuliana underwent a double lumpectomy but earlier this month came the news more treatment was needed. >> i'm going to go ahead and move forward with a double mastectomy. all it came down to was just choosing to live and not looking over my shoulder. >> reporter: two weeks after undergoing a double mastectomy, giuliana and bill were out greeting fans at an event in santa monica, california, and on tuesday, giuliana returned to her post on e! news. >>ed so go to be back. thank you for your love, your support, your prayers, means the

world to me so thank you so much. >> giuliana and bill rancic, easiest question how do you feel? >> great. i got to be honest, i feel great considering it has only been about two and a half weeks but i still have a ways to go as far as the recovery. >> i think people have really appreciated your openness, your honesty through this process, especially in interviews here. i'm curious the morning of the surgery, the day of the surgery what was your emotional state? what was the question, the last question you wanted to ask the surgeon before you went in for the procedure. >> oh, gosh, when i was going into the procedure i was acting so crazy. >> they had given her something to relax her so she was cracking jokes with them as they're wheeling her away. i've never seen anything like it so she was in pretty good spirits. >> i was but went in i said are we having a party? i was trying to have a good attitude. >> surgery is over, i know the first day where from what i've

read was tough. >> oh, yeah. >> and again since you've been so open and honest, take me through a little bit of that. >> it was definitely hard. i knew this was going to be a tough surgery but i in no way want to minimize it. i'm two and a half weeks out but up until a week and a half ago it was hell. it was horrible. >> you were on morphine. you were sick to your stomach >> absolutely. >> pain still even though you were on morphine. >> sure. >> and you were afraid not to get too graphic you were afraid to throw up because you felt it would hurt. >> absolutely. and it did. you know, what happened was i went into surgery at about 4:00 p.m. i got out about 9:30 p.m., and by 4:00 a.m., i had to get off the morphine because i was so sick, and i thought to myself, either i have to deal with the pain from the surgery, or i'm going to have to throw up, and the last thing i wanted to do was throw up, considering i had just had my chest operated on and you have to engage all your

chest muscles. >> exactly. >> so it was not good. >> you have been there physically and emotionally. you are cheerleader number one, but there's no faster way to become the worst husband in the world trying to force your wife to get up and walk on the first few days after surgery which is what the doctors require. what was she like? >> the doctors gave me strict orders and said at 3:00 you have to have her walking around and up out of bed. she was not happy with me. as soon as she took the first couple of steps she was walking around the hallways of the hospital and wanted to set the record, she went up to one of the nurses, what's the record for the most laps around the ward in the hospital. >> it was two and i did two and a half. >> i was watching the tape of you back on e! news, gesturing with your arms. how much mobility and flexibility, how much soreness? >> i realized on our flight i can't turn much to put my seat belt on for instance. bill still has to help me.

he has to help me get in and out of bed and i can't put my arms above my head. people have to help me get dressed so it's limited mobility, a lot of pain but. >> back to work in two weeks and maybe i should ask you this question, not giuliana. are you ever worried in her effort to be so strong and to set such a good example for other people, other women across the country, that she's pushing this too hard? >> well we don't do anything without the doctor's approval, and i think this is something that she was, you know, intent on doing. she wanted to turn the negative into a positive and i think the response and the number of people who said i went in and got my first mammogram or my wife got her first mammogram, it's worth it. if you can save one life through this process you turn the negative into an incredible positive >> to be honest, matt, i had a goal to go back towork this week. if i couldn't have made it -- >> you wouldn't have forced yourself. >> no, i would have gone the next week or the week after but it is a goal and helps you

recover quicker. it was having that light at the end of the tunnel, the date i wanted to get back to work helped me heal quicker. >> you'll be in times square tomorrow night for new year's eve, something you wanted to do as well. >> yeah, uh-huh. >> first of all let's get rid of 2011 for your family and look forward to 2012. >> we are excited, hosting the nivia kiss stage at times square and not looking back. as soon as 2012 comes in we're moving full steam ahead. >> we need a good year, matt. >> thanks for coming in. from technology to entertainment a look at what's in store for 2012 but first this is "today" on nbc. ♪ time, i don't underst it's the perfect time to find great deals

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"time" magazine's newest issue is all about what's in store for 2012. and radika jones is "time's" executive editor. good morning to you. >> good morning. >> we're going to be talking about politics in 2012. >> we're talking about it already, all eyes on iowa. there are a couple of things to keep in mind as the primaries unfold. one is that they may go on longer this year than usual, that's because the republicans, a lot of states have switched over to a proportional delegation system so even if mitt romney emerges as a definitive front-runner it may take him longer to accrue the delegates which also means a longer period of negative attack ads. >> used to be states would do winner take all. if you won the primary, you won all that state's delegates but now proportionately it to coprolong the race. >> it could. >> and we'll see more money. >> because of the rise of the super pac, which after a supreme court decision in 2010 it became

legal for these organizations to accept huge donations on behalf of candidates who themselves have a cap on how much money they can accept so with super pac money coming in and funding a lot of advertising and general campaigning you're just seeing a lot more money being thrown around in a campaign and some insiders say all the negativity of it may damage the candidate going forward. >> we already see this going on in iowa. let's talk about medicine. what are some of the new drugs you're talking about that are coming onto the market in 2012? >> the takeaway for medicine this year and going forward is that drug companies and doctors are trying hard to target exactly what the problem is, and how to solve it with fewer side effects and fewer negative by-products and drugs. there are a couple of things in the pipeline, two drugs related to breast cancer, one of them is a test that targets a type of cancer that's usually treated with radiation and surgery.

this test may make it able for patients to decide, toe know whether they'll need the radiation and if you can take that out of your treatment plan, that's a great thing. radiation is no fun for anyone. there's also an anti-obesity drug that is in application with the fda that's been shown to decrease body weight by about 14%. >> this is a combo drug but they don't recommend it for women in child wearing years. >> because it does have a risk of birth defects. >> let's talk about sports rivalries, and of course we're going to have the olympics this summer in london. >> it's a great year for sports rivalries. >> tell us about it. >> you of course remember michael phelps and his eight wins in beijing. well he will be swimming again in london and he's got some competition from a teammate, best kind of competition to have, swimmer named ryan lochte.

there's a rematch between the u.s. and chinese gymnast which there is controversy. >> some people are saying are the chinese gymnasts really, did they cheat on the age rules. >> right, so we'll see those teams match up again and look for the americans to excel on the floor and on the vault. >> and on the track you've got a rivalry. >> on the tracks the rivalry comes from jamaica. you remember usain bolt, he also has a teammate hard at his heels so there may be a new fastest man in the world come summer. >> talk about hollywood, i love this one, battle of the beef cake with two names i got it be honest with you i never heard of channing tatum and chris hemsworth? >> they're not george clooney or brad pitt but they're two young attractives, and did i mention they are very attractive? channing tatum was g.i. joe and chris hensworth played thor. they have five films coming out this year so an equal matchup.

>> if we don't know them yet we will know them by this time next year. happy new year to you. >> "time's" 2012 user's guide issue is on news stands now. coming up, creative additions that will truly impr

♪ we gonna party like, like it's

the end of the world ♪ this morning on "today's holiday kitchen" new year's eve and party foods to get you ready for tomorrow night's celebration with noted chef ming sai, from boston, massachusetts, always glad to have you here. >> happy to be back. >> these are impressive recipes. looks like you've spent a lot of time doing these things. >> it's real easy. the whole idea of new year's eve you want to party with your friends and not be in the kitchen the whole time. this is my mom's version of shrimp toast. you take fresh shrimp or frozen shrimp. eggs, a dash of truffle oil. that was a third of a teaspoon barely. a little white pepper. white pepper is nice because it keeps it white and a pinch of

salt. this we do in advance and puree it so it's nice and smooth. >> can you pop that in the fridge a couple of hours before? >> absolutely. so the mousse gets firm like this. we'll take some hijicama. >> what is that? >> like water chestnut, really crunchy and mexican cuisine it's awesome, got a great sweetness to it. so in chinese shrimp toast we use water chestnuts but water chestnuts are expensive and kind of a pain to peel. so jicama once you peel a big one like that you're done. help me put sesame seeds on, sprinkle it on. >> we're going to make toast but the bread is steaale or you wan it to be? >> it is not stale but it is dry. >> especially moldy. >> budget cuts. no, it's dried so that it doesn't absorb as much oil. so that you put into oil like this. >> the whole thing, right on top

of the toast. >> down first and it doesn't fall off. >> you didn't do both sides. >> only one side. >> why doesn't it fall off? >> chinese gravity. >> obviously. >> not the first time we've heard that. >> literally 30 seconds a side. you end up with shrimp toast which is so easy. you can have the toast made and fry them when the guests arrive. >> you layer it just like this. >> this is just a better row. i want to you taste one, please. >> thank you. >> and simple, easy, you can do scallops if you don't like shrimp. >> now my favorite, slider station. >> this is a slider station. you get a plate and a bun and this is a surf n turf smoked slider station. we have beef tenderloin here, and all of the condiments. as a slider, you want beef or

salmon? >> i'm going to go beef. >> okay, and the idea is then we have a horse radish cream made with non-fat greek yogurt which i love. i'm going to make myself a surf one. people some people don't like meat, right, so have something for everyone. >> the idea is you set all this up and people do their own thing. >> set it up, we have crispy onions. that is the tea rub on the beef that you cook and this is really spicy, the sambau has plums in it. >> is that only for the salmon? >> no, the idea is everything works. people can mix and match. i don't know if you want to put smoked salmon, probably not, have a salmon and then have a beef. >> this is goat cheese, crusted with apricot chutney. >> i'll save one of those for later. >> it's his birthday. >> you're supposed to eat noodles on your birthday. >> later tonight.

>> chicken with an almond kind of pesto. >> oh, it's pesto. i thought it was avocado. >> no, just almond taste, high basil. >> delicious, i'm making a pile. >> what are we drinking? >> pomegranate ginger ale. >> happy new year. >> thank you so much. the recipes are on today.com. just ahead, tips for putting more cash in your pocket where the holiday debt hangover. first your local news and weather. good morning to you. it is 8:56. i'm marla tellez nancy pelosi's office is down playing talks she wants to retire. a conservative website quotes her daughter alexandra as,

quote, her mother is 71. she wants to have a life. she's done. it's obligation. that's all i'm saying. pelosi's office says she doesn't speak for her mother and that she's not considering retirement. christina loren joins us with a look at the forecast. >> good morning, marla. thick fog and drizzle across the bay area. you'll probably have to use your windshield wipers. 62 inland, 59 at the coast. hope you have a fantastic day and a safe new year. -dad, why are you getting that? -that's my cereal.

is there a prize in there? oh, there's a prize, all right. is it a robot? no. is it a jet plane? nope. is it a dinosaur?] [ male announcer ] inside every box of heart healthy cheerios are those great tasting little o's made from carefully selected oats that c help lower cholesterol. stickers? uh-uh. a superhero? ♪ kinda. [ male announcer ] and we think that's the best prize of all. ♪

hey, we are back now more of "today" on a friday morning. it's the 30th day of december, 2011. live look at times square. that place will be jumping around, i don't know, 28 hours from now, people starting to line up for the big ball drop at midnight, ushering in 2012, about 1 million people expected. in the plaza we have a big crowd as well, lots of early revelers, we thank them for stopping by. most of them here to see savannah guthrie who has been filling in this week while ann is taking time off. thanks for your hard work.

>> thank you. we have a lot of birthdays on the plaza. >> a lot of signs no question. we have a big event coming up early next week, the iowa caucuses, they are being held on tuesday, and according to a new nbc news/marris poll we have a tight race at the top. mitt romney leading ron paul followed by a fraction rick santorum and newt gingrich and jon huntsman so we'll take a look at the latest from iowa coming up in a moment. >> genuine suspense about what might happen tuesday night at the caucuses. if you had a hackie holiday season now the debts are piling up, great tips how to get over your debt hangover coming up. a lot of people will resolve to lose weight in the coming year and unfortunately a lot of people will fail at that effort. we'll try to make it easier this year. we'll get some tips to kickstart your diet in 2012. >> but before we get to all that let's get to tamron hall over at the news desk filling in for natalie. good morning. >> good morning, savannah and

matt. good morning, everyone. the gop presidential hopefuls are making a mad dash to the finish line with the iowa caucuses four days away. nbc's peter alexander is in des moines. good morning. >> reporter: tamron good morning to you. we want to put up the latest nbc news/"wall street journal" poll shows mitt romney and ron paul basically neck in neck, followed by rick santorum and a jumble of everybody else. with four days to go until the iowa caucuses, front-runner mitt romney before another large crowd wednesday night, aimed to nail down his support. focusing his closing argument on patriotic values. >> we want to instill in our kids a confidence in the future. if i become your president, i will do everything in my power to restore those principles, not to transform america into something new. >> reporter: romney was defeated in iowa four years ago by former

arkansas governor mike huckabee, who united conservatives behind his campaign, but romney is benefiting from a sharply divided conservative field. the latest republican to emerge, rick santorum, who spent more time in iowa than anyone else, believes his success here can make up for the lack of resources. >> i will provide the spark. there's plenty of tinder on the ground that will start burning in these other states. >> reporter: analysts question whether santorum has the political organization for the long haul. trying to stop santorum's momentum, texas governor rick perry who launched a new attack ad wednesday. >> i'm wink taxandspend. which republican running for president voted for the bridge to nowhere earmark? yes, suzie from des moines? >> rick santorum? >> correct. >> reporter: newt gingrich whose support plummeted in iowa is struggling to keep his campaign alive. symbolized by this blunt exchange with a voter thursday. >> do you really want to be president? >> i think it's my duty as a

citizen and as a grandfather to help serve my country at a time when i think we're in real trouble. >> reporter: gingrich is promoting his wife calista as a key campaign asset. mrs. gingrich appears in this new campaign video, promoting music, education and schools, drawing on her own experience as a musician. >> music is a vital part of a complete education. today unfortunately, many schools are threatening to cut or eliminate entire music programs. >> reporter: michele bachmann's political director left her campaign late thursday, just after her state chairman defected to ron paul. again that latest poll was kuked by nbc news and marist and mitt romney's campaign hoped things stay just the way they are, and mitt romney heads to new hampshire before coming back to iowa, in time for the caucuses tuesday. tamron? >> peter, thank you. the uncle of three little girls killed along with their grandparents in the tragic fire in stamford, connecticut,sation

the family has been touched by the outpouring of public support. newly released recordings from the fire department reveal what firefighters were up against on christmas morning. >> we got victims trapped on the second floor. we're going to rescue mode with the ladder. we have heavy fire in the back of the building. >> funeral services for the little girls will be held next week in new york city. iran's threat to close the world's most important oil route may be easier said than done. according to military analysts, one-sixth of the world's oil passes through the strait of hormuz. it's unlikely tehran would be able to completely shut it down. even an attempt to close the strait could turn iran's few remaining allies against it. president obama paid his respects at a memorial for victims of the 1941 attack on pearl harbor in hawaii. the president and the first lady laid a wreath at the memorial and scattered flower petals in the water after a moment of silence.

this year marks the 70th anniversary of the japanese attacks that brought the united states into the second world war. siku the popular polar bear in denmark sparked worldwide frenzy but now serious cute computation. twin polar bear cubs are making their grand debut. this is the second set of twins that their mother birthed this year. that's one busy mama, and preparation for the last night of 2011 are in full swing and every city has its own special way of bringing in the new year. here in new york city of course all eyes are on times square on thursday, planners tested the confetti to make sure it has the right flutter and flap. key west the other shoe is about to literally drop. every year the city puts a local drag queen in a giant red high heel and lowers it that night. if you're looking for something meatier, head to lebanon, pennsylvania, a 200-pound

12-foot-long bologna will be lowered at midnight. i always say bow-loe-na but i said boe-boloe-knee. >> mom how long did it take to you find the warm clothes? >> six weeks. >> just came out just before christmas, oh a week before christmas is when they got the warm clothes into houston. let's show you what it's looking like around the country today. we are seeing a system move through the midwest and through the pacific northwest unsettled as we head through the day today. sun, it will be shining from the we're going to get a few breaks of sun today, but mostly cloudy overall. we have some really thick fog out there, generating a mist, probably have to use your windshield wipers. showers still north of ukiah.

those showers drop into the north baby noon. meanwhile, enough sunshine in the south bay to h 63 in san jose, 65 in gilroy, a dry new year's eve making way to a comfy start to 2012. 64 inland, 60 on the coast on sunday. s is how to ring in your 50th birthday. you're due in times square, when are you going to get there? >> about 4:00. >> what are you going to do all that time before? >> we don't know. >> heading back into the studio now tamron. >> thank you. this morning on "today's money" surviving a holiday debt hangover, if you're left with a mountain of debt, there are ways to get cash in your pocket apparently fast. vera gibbons, good to see you. >> good morning. >> pretty in pink, i'm assuming that's a christmas gift. >> yes and a lot of people bought gifts and wanted to share the love but reality sets in soon. >> you need to put cash back in your pocket. give yourself a raise,

specifically i'm talking about change the number of allowances you take on your w-4. three out of four taxpayers got a refund and the average was $3,000 which tells us we're having too much withheld from our paycheck so you can figure this out by using some of the withholding calculators on the web. turbo tax and irs.gov has one. if you're single, got a $1,000 refund, if you claimed two allowances that puts $90 back in your pocket every single month. it's better than to give the government an interest-free loan. >> you headline give yourself a raise. next stop, what some consider a no-brainer, nibbling away the at the mortgage. >> the reason i mention this, we have 12 million credit worthy americans who have yet to refinance and probably should because they're overpaying their mortgages by $436 a month. >> wow! >> collectively, tamron, if this group were to refinance they'd save about $52,000 over ten years so significant amount of

money, to see how much you would save, some of the others have the refi calculators, zillo you can comparison shop to find which offer you the best rate. >> a little spring cleaning puts money in your pocket. >> do it early, clean out the drawers. we have the stale potpourri. $16 billion in unredeemed bonds, bonds that expired, no longer earning interest. you need to cash the out and go to treasury.gov to find out what they're worth. gift cards we got a lot over the holidays. on average we have about $300 worth of gift cards on hand at any time so that's an awful lot of money sitting out there. if you're not going to use the gift cards sell them. there are plastic jungle or card hub. >> better than having them sit in the drawer. you talk about redeeming some of your reward points and miles. why is that significant?

>> we earn $48 billion in points and miles every single year and we leave $16 billion on the table, a third of it on the table. what's that, a waste of money. you earned the points, redeem them. the average household earns for example $6 2 and leaving $205 on the table. i mean that's enough for a week's worth of groceries, airline ticket, smartphone. >> you say no more impulse buys. all of the good sales start after january 1st. >> a lot of this over the holidays, retailers entice us any number of ways. they offered really good deals and reconfigured the stores to encourage us to brows, tempting items by the checkout. we spent a lot, holiday sales are up about 3.5% and even though i think there's buyers remorse going on we're still out there making the impulse purchases, 60% of purchases, tamron, are unplanned purchases and the average impulse buy is about $100. that adds up. >> keep that in mind going

shopping, if you're going in, get in, get out. >> 52% of americans lose $3,000 a year to mystery spending. >> what is mystery spending? >> they don't know where it went. you spent it on something, food, entertainment, money you can't account for. you need to be more accountable. even if you take a couple dollars out of your wallet and stash it aside you can have over $700 saved at the end of the year. >> retail rip-offs. >> everything seems like it is on sale but there are rip-offs out there. for example, this is probably the biggest example, movie theater popcorn marked up as much as 1,300%. wine you boo i at restaurants marked up 100% to 200% on the bottles, 300% to 400% if you buy it on the glass and the cheapest stuff has the most significant markup, precut fruits and vegetables, you get the idea.

so avoid the retail rip-offs. >> bargain, haggle. >> continue haggling because it works. those who negotiate for a better price tend to get it, over 50%. >> learn to haggle because you get intimidated and say you're going to do it and don't. >> just do it. >> happy new year, vera. great advice. recipes for your new year's bash. are you resolved to losing weight in 2012? we have tips on kick starting your new year's diet right after this. her as "that woman with the great gums." because great gums are a foundation of a healthy smile. so she uses crest pro-health clinical gum protection toothpaste. it helps eliminate plaque at the gum line, helping prevent gingivitis. it's even clinically proven to help reverse it in just 4 weeks. and it protects these other areas dentists check most. crest pro-health clinical gum protection. because healthy smiles are built on healthy gums. life opens up when you do. is this your normal? jamie lee curtis?? oh, hi, yes...wow,

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yeah, our low prices are even lower. we need to teach her how to walk. she is taking up valuable cart space. aren't you, honey? [ male announcer ] it's our biggest clearance event of the year where our prices are even lower. save money. live better. walmart. >> announcer: "today's daily dose" is brought to you by multigrain cheerios. lightly sweetened whole grain and 110 calories. >> this morning on "today's

daily dose" kickstarting your diet. there's a good chance you'll resolve to lose weight in 2012 but if you're like a lot of folks you've tried before and failed. madelyn fernstrom is here to help us succeed this time. madelyn, good morning to you. >> good morning to you. >> this is the season, even if you don't do it as a resolution, everybody at the beginning of the year says i'm going to eat better, i'm going to exercise more and it's so hard to keep it up, so we're anxious to hear your tips. >> people say i want to lose weight and do better but there's really no plan. if you start now there are some specific things that are going to give you some results so you'll stay engaged. >> that's our first tip create a plan. >> you want to create a plan now and not wake up january 1st, what am i going to do? you want to follow some instructions so first, empty out your fridge, get rid of the holiday foods, all of the stuff you're not going to eat around it. you're just going to eat it. give it away or throw it out. get foods that are easy, frozen

vegetables, fruits, low-fat dairy. it may not sound appetizing but when you're grazing in your refrigerator you'll have low calorie items. also keep a structured plan. stop grazing all day long. we don't need to do that. breakfast, lunch and dinner and all of your emergencies are set. what am i going to have for lunch? people think to kickstart i better not think about food. in the beginning think about food all the time and here's news that may surprise you. >> we should buy a scale and monitor your weight. >> get a new scale if you have the one from college, one foot in the bathroom, one eye open. >> it's broken but i like that. >> take the plunge and get a new one but also use that as one index because you also want to get something like a belt and see how the notches change or a pair of jeans that are too tight and you can see the difference because the scale is one index but it's important and you need to do it regularly. >> but not obsessively and finally get enough sleep. >> you have to get enough sleep,

the number one barrier. people get tired. >> revamping your eating. tell us about it. >> first thing is eat breakfast. people think that's the easiest to skip because i can save the calories later on. it sets you up for success for the day. i'm talking about 200 calories, breakfast could be as easy as a skim milk latte, or something that gets you going. you also then want to think about meal replacements. this is the no brainer approach that makes it easy. it's not saying i should be cooking, i should do this. the easiest thing is to get a bar or a shake or a calorie controlled frozen meal. you're not a bad person because you use them but if you use that once or twice a day you know the calories. that's the most important thing. >> veggies and fruits instead of carbs, cut out or limit alcohol. you're killing me now. >> when you think about the calories per ounce, alcohol has almost as much as fat so when you think well, alcohol, red wine, it's all good for me, good for your heart, a lot of things are good for your heart so chuck the alcohol. >> eat at home. don't go out if you don't have

to. talk about exercise, the other piece of it. we can boost our efficiency. >> efficiency really counts. it's hard enough to make some time to exercise soet will etel you have 30 minutes. if you have interval training boost a little bit more oomph during that activity so you may be more out of breath. crank up the resistance on the bike, jog a little bit when walking, these work for any activity. >> spot exercise. >> spot exercising, makes you feel better whether it's your belly or your arm, it's something that if you do some spot exercising you goet that mental perception that you're toning and feeling better. >> okay, a couple more tips you have there. >> there's a new study that came out saying if you're playing fast music you move faster and more no matter what you're doing, whether you're exercising or in your house. >> i know that is true, britney spears. establish a support network. >> learn what's best for you. a face-to-face group can be good, online can work. you need to have someone with

similar interests. get a diet buddy and you need this for when you're struggling, not when you're doing great. >> if you're interested in losing weight head to ivillage.com for a free six-week motivation program for strategies to kickstart your effort this year. just ahead a look back at how we covered the biggest events and newsmakers of 2011 b. single miles credit card. t nice ring. knock it off. ignore him. with the capital one venture card you earn... double miles on every purchase. [ sharon ] 3d is so real larry. i'm right here larry. if you're not earning double miles... you're settling for half. really? a plaid tie? what, are we in prep school? [ male announcer ] get the venture card at capitalone.com and earn double miles on every purchase every day. what's in your wallet? i was gonna say that. uh huh... oh, there's a prize, all right. [ male announcer ] inside every box of cheerios are those great-tasting little o's made from carefully selected oats

that can help lower cholesterol. is it a superhero? kinda. ♪ goals for the future... what if they were stolen from you? by alzheimer's. this cruel disease is the sixth leading cause of death, and affects more than 5 million americans. the alzheimer's association is taking action, and has been a part of every major advancement. but we won't rest until we have a cure. you have dreams...

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mcdonald's introduces a cup of holiday cheer. ♪ it's mccafe's new peppermint mocha and peppermint hot chocolate. holiday cheer with chocolate on top. ♪ the simple joy of unwinding. ♪ just ahead, quick and easy do-it-yourself appetizers that will give you time to enjoy your new year's eve party. plus olympic gold medalist tara lipinski and i here and wi join us live on the rockefeller center.

♪ [ female announcer ] kleenex brand tissues are america's softest... no wonder people want to share them on and on. send a kleenex brand share package for free today at kleenex.com and start your own chain of sharing. in return, you'll receive a sample of new kleenex cool touch tissues... the only tissue that actively releases a cool sensation to soothe a sore nose on contact. kleenex. softness worth sharing. can i have the definition? swapportunity: the opportunity to swap a higher calorie snack for a yoplait light. can you use it in a sentence? mmm. swapping a 300 calorie donut for this 110 calorie strawberry shortcake is a good swapportunity.

that's not a real word. oh haha it's real. [ female announcer ] delicious, creamy, yoplait light. over 30 flavors each around 100 calories. do the swap today. good morning. the time is 9:26. i'm jon kelley. a 16-year-old bay area girl is claiming a san jose shark fan hit her in the head during the game. she was hit at hp pavilion on wednesday night watching the sharks take on the vancouver canucks. she is a native canadian and a hard core canucks fan. the 16-year-old also has a benign brain tumor. wednesday's game, she says she suffered a concussion after a drunk sharks fan started harassing her and hit her in the

back of the head. >> it was with both hands right on the back of my head. it still hurts. feels like a big bruise. >> she says doctors did tell her the assume more was not affected. san jose police investigating the alleged attack. as of this morning, no one has been arrested. the sharks did release this statement. arena staff, along with san jose police interviewed the person who made contact with the injured fan who state thad the contact was accidental during the celebration of a sharks goal. we know it's always illegal to talk and text on a cell phone while driving. during the next 24 hours, it's more likely you'll get caught if you're actually breaking the law. chp says officers will will before out in force today cracking down on drivers using cell phones. remember you can use the hands-free devices, but don't hold your phone up to your ear. since california's cell phone ban did take place in 2008, more

than half a million tickets have been issued by the chp. time is 9:27. we'll have a look at weather right after this break.

welcome back. the time is 9:28. a live look over 880 in oakland. the highway nice and slick. we've got a really steady drizzle out there this morning, even puddles. make sure you take caution. 53 in san mateo. easily hit the 60s later today. more rain in the forecast. we'll have to wait for it. looks like the end of next week better rain chances, jon. back to you. >> christina, thank you very much. thank you all for joining us. we'll be back in another half hour with another local update. the "today" show continues. enjoy it. we'll see you then.

♪ in just four days, the republican presidential contest gets under way for real, when iowa caucusgoers will become the first in the nation to vote for their favorite candidate, and things are still very much up in the air. and i'll be live in iowa starting monday on "today" along with nbc's david gregory and chuck todd and we'll bring you the latest developments in this fluctuating republican race, and it's a lot to look forward to. i think anything could happen on tuesday night. >> absolutely. last-minute help for your new year's bash. >> it is fun to host a party,

isn't it? >> uh-huh. as long as i don't have to cook. >> you don't want to spend the entire time in the kitchen. just ahead recipes for delicious and simple apps to please your guests and give you time to enjoy the night. lovely dress. >> you can cook in that kind of a dress, come on. we got to get our party outfits on. also ahead look back at how we cover the big events and newsmakers from 2011 from the trials that captivated us to the shockers in the world of politics and world events, an interesting look back so stay with us for that. we've got the youngest woman to ever win an olympic gold medal in figure skating on our rock center rirng. ta rink. tara lipinski. she's got her dog with her, it's not skating but she's got the dog with her. first a check of the weather from stephanie abrams in for al. >> these days you never know if you're going to get that. let's look at your new year's forecast. we'll look around the country and then look a little bit

closer to home here, new year's eve. one of my favorite things that drops is a giant peep in bethlehem, pennsylvania. they dropped pickles and bologna. here is a look at the million people, what they will be feeling in times square, temperatures into the mid to lower 40s, the winds not that bad. new year's day looking good with the exception of the great lakes we're looking toward a pretty comfortable midnight as well as we take off your new year's eve, 50 degrees at midnight inland. as we head throughout if day today, we'll continuously see the drizzly effects from the low clouds that are pushing over the bay area. rain hasn't yet arrived in the north bay. you're about two hours away from your first rainfall in santa rosa. 53 there. 63 in san jose. limited sunshine throughout the day today but enough breaks of sunshine to break us into the mid 60s in places like gilroy. dry new year's eve.

63 inland. versus romo. he's apparently going to be playing. he's healing up from what i have been reading on the internet, and it's going to be a little bit on the chilly side but really not all that bad. we're talking mid to upper 40s. tamr tamron? >> dallas cowboys. >> is that your favorite? >> of course it s come on. thank you, stephanie. ic gol medalist tara rformance lipinski on the rock center rink, right after this. now, i use all my vacation days. i can afford to visit my folks for the holidays. and reconnect with my girlfriends in vegas. because i get ridiculously low prices on all my trips. you see, when hotels have unsold rooms, they use hotwire to fill them, so i get 4-star hotels for up to half off. now i can afford a romantic trip to new orleans. hi honey! ♪ h-o-t-w-i-r-e... ♪ hotwire.com i make sure i've got the right guidance. turbotax has a unique gps feature that guides me to every deduction and credit i deserve,

so i get my maximum refund, guaranteed. man: try turbotax now. get free, one-on-one, expert tax advice live, by phone or chat. creme body wash with nutrium moisture. after 1 week we took their close-ups. when they saw how much more beautiful their skin looked they had only one question... ♪ d ove visible care creme body wash. mmm... pillsbury crescent wrapped brie just unroll, wrap the brie and bake. it's so easy. now this might even impress aunt martha. pillsbury crescent wrapped brie. holiday ideas made easy.

pillsbury crescent wrapped brie. "today at the rink" is brought to you by smucker's. with a name like smucker's, it has to be good. ♪ i like the way you move this morning on "today at the rink" the youngest olympic gold medalist in figure skating history. we remember when she won gold in in a ga know, japan in 1998 and this weekend tara lipinski is headlining pandora's skating series. ta camera, good morning to you. >> good morning. >> this is all about the ladies this weekend. >> all the girls. it was awesome. there was a tribute to peggy fleming so i looked up to as a young skate per >> tell us about the skaters. >> nancy kerrigan, niki ando, sasha cohen, so many. >> you were just 15 when you won

gold and you'll always be the youngest olympian to get gold because they changed the rules. >> yes, i like that. >> do you still love skating? >> i love it. it's part of my life and always will be. i don't know what i'd do without it. >> you're also doing come tating, between the commentating and the skating, which is harder? ? there's less pressure when you sit down behind the camera but skating i'm used to so it's a learning process. >> what else are you working on these days? >> working on a camp this summer finally it's been a long process but i'm excited about it. >> tara lipinski we're excited to see you skate and as you get yourself ready we're going to hear tara's going to be going to beyonce's "i was here." ♪

♪ i wanna leave my footprints on the sands of time ♪ ♪ know there was something that and something that i left behind ♪ ♪ when i leave this world, i'll leave no regrets ♪ ♪ leave something to remember so they won't forget ♪ ♪ i was here ♪ i lived, i loved ♪ i was here ♪ i did, i've done everything that i wanted ♪ ♪ and it was more than i thought it would be ♪ ♪ i will leave my mark so everyone will know i was here ♪

♪ i want to say i lived each day until i die ♪ ♪ and know that i meant something in somebody's life ♪ ♪ the hearts i have touched will be the proof that i leave ♪ ♪ that i made a difference, and this world will see ♪ ♪ i was here ♪ i lived, i loved ♪ i was here ♪ i did, i've done everything that i wanted ♪ ♪ and it was more than i thought it would be ♪ ♪ i will leave my mark so everyone will know ♪ i was here ♪ ♪ i lived, i loved

♪ i was here ♪ i did, i've done ♪ i was here ♪ i did, i've done ♪ here ♪ i did, i've done ♪ i was here [ cheers and applause ] >> tara lipinski thank you so much. catch aat that rah on the pandora unforgettable moments skating series this sunday at 4:00 eastern on nbc. coming up next, quick and easy appetizers for your new year's eve party, but first these messages. [ female announcer ] they've been off limits to dieters

since time began. not anymore. fiber one is bringing brownies back. at 90 calories, the only thing between you and chocolaty brownies... ♪ ...is a nicely designed package. ♪ you can have brownies again. fiber one 90 calorie brownies. in the granola bar aisle. caramel...pretzel 90 calorie bar. ♪ yeah, our low prices are even lower. we need to teach her how to walk. she is taking up valuable cart space. aren't you, honey? [ male announcer ] it's our biggest clearance event of the year where our prices are even lower. save money. live better. walmart.

you could spend as much as $200. olay says challenge that with an instrument that cleanses as effectively as what's sold by skin professionals for a whole lot less. new olay pro x advanced cleaning system. is this your normal? jamie lee curtis?? oh, hi, yes...wow, you really went all out on the decorations, huh?! yeah, but i'm so slow taking them down after all the fatty holiday food. but that's normal. what do you mean that's normal? it doesn't have to be. to me, normal, means feeling good inside. not slow.

try some activia. activia helps with occasional irregularity, when eaten 3 times a day. keep a video diary and let me know about your new normal. love your new normal or it's free. ♪ i'll be ringing in a brand new year ♪ this morning on "today's holiday kitchen" easy entertaining with do-it-yourself appetizers, if you're hosting and katley fiorio is executive chef for sara lee. good morning to you. you look lovely. >> you can cook in a dress this beautiful that means it is easy to do. >> exactly very easy. >> we're going to split up,

savannah is on that station, i'm starting off with the hearty stuff, paninis. >> you can make them totally ahead of time like this and leave these out on nice trays and just let your guests as they want them eat them or put the beautiful spreads out, different kinds of lunch meats, cheeses, everything you love to see. >> since this is do it yourself i better do it myself. this is one of my favorites. so we'll do this, tuscan bread. >> hearty bread. savannah would call this stale but it isn't. hearty bread. >> this gets nice and crispy and doesn't absorb too much oil. actually we'll start with fontiana cheese and a mushroom medley. saute it up ahead with olive oil and thyme. if you want to put white wine

that's fine. >> drizle that on there. your party won't go well with me because i'm asking too many questions. >> i'll hide when you had ed to the panini. and a little prosciutto. if you have someone who doesn't want meat, that way they can add. you add a touch of truffle oil. who doesn't love truffle. >> new year's, go all out. >> exactly. put a little bit of that on each side. >> okay. wow. more truffle oil. nice, okay. >> so it's really easy and then obviously you can use butter as well. >> okay. >> i like the smell of the oil. >> and i'll let you do the honors. >> thank you. >> signage so people know what to do?

>> exactly. >> keep it moving savannah and tamron. keep it moving. >> how long do you hold this down? >> we'll leave this here and get to dessert. >> keep pressing tamron. >> golden brown, two to three minutes until the cheese starts to melt and you get the golden brown. >> i'll stay here. >> you do that. roasted fruit poundcake. when i first read this i thought we were having fruit cake and i was sad but this looks good. >> this is pears and apples, a little brown sugar and lemon and cinnamon, a little bit of salt so it's nice, makes your house smell great, you can do it again ahead of time and then you just take your favorite pound cake. i like to serve them in a balloon glass, have the pound cake already in there. >> pound cake you feel works the best? >> i do, it's hearty and stays up over time, a great thing for enjoying your party. >> what is this? >> my take on a tiramisu filling. mascarpone cheese, whipped cream, salt, vanilla extract and

coffee, espresso. >> put the fruit over that? >> yes. >> i can do this. >> perfect. it's easy to carry and eat, no worry about balancing your dessert on a plate. >> can you use any other fruit? >> absoluteilabsolutely. strawberries aren't in season but anything seasonal you can take and roast up. way to go, savannah. >> my gosh i broke the glass. >> you are uninvited to the party. >> someone will be suing you at the party. >> there's really nothing i can do in the kitchen. >> take her to the kiddie station. >> oh my gosh. >> this is all kinds of fun toppings, it's really easy, if you want to make it fun. >> because that was really hard. >> this is savannah easy. what are you making? >> i'm not sure after witnessing that. >> we'll sprinkle it on. >> ice cream, put some ice cream in here and just have all of the

toppings. you can make a beautiful display. >> and the kids love it, too. thank you so much. i'm sorry, did you like that glass? >> i guess i have to give it up. >> a look back at how we covered the biggest news events of 2011. >> what are you thinking? [ male announcer ] southwest makes the call.

[ tape rewinding ] wait, wait, wait! play that back. keep going. right there! i knew it.

she charged him a $150 change fee! yeah, you see where his feet are? if they were inbounds at the southwest counter, he could have avoided that fee. i'm going to love making this call. [ static ] i've got airfare interference! [ male announcer ] no change fees. southwest airlines. it's the right call. i'm still sighing over that broken glass. from trials that trnz fixed the nation, 2011 was a big year. >> here's how we covered some of the biggest newsmakers of the year. ♪ >> breaking news. >> penn state university. >> i can't process. >> charlie sheen in his first

morning show interview. >> tired of pretending i'm not a rock star from mars. tiger blood, madonna's dna, winning, duh. >> what would you have done differently? >> on, tiger blood. it was silly and people took is so eariously. >> arnold schwarzenegger admits he fathered a child from the woman who worked in his home. >> kim kardashian filing for divorce. >> it's over, demi moore announces she's ending her marriage to ashton kutcher. detectives reopen the investigation into the death of actress natalie wood. bombshell verdict. >> we find the defendant not guilty. >> casey anthony acquitted of killing daughter caylee. jury in perugia deliberating the fate of amanda knox. why is it going to be hard for be you to hear? >> she's fighting for her life. >> the jury said amanda knox did not commit the crime.

>> thank you to everyone who has believed in me. >> the manslaughter of michael jackson's doctor. >> weigh tonight so to seeious. >> do you feel guilty that he died? >> i didn't do anything wrong. >> the jury finds the defendant guilt of involuntary mansligh y manslaughter. >> my son's gone. i'll never see him again. >> one of the world's most powerful bankers accused of sexually assaulting a housekeeper. >> dominique strauss-kahn now a free man. >> i was pranked, i was hacked. >> from blame to shame. congressman anthony weiner says he sent inappropriate photos to at least six women online. >> i have not been honest to myself, my family. >> if it were me i would resign. >> today i announce my resignation from congress. >> joe paterno is no longer the head football coach effective immediately. >> the sex abuse scandal that rocked penn state at the center is former defensive coordinator jerry sandusky. >> are you sexually attracted to underaged boys? >> am i sexually attracted to underaged boys? >> yes. >> i enjoy young people, but no.

♪ >> 4,000 americans lost their lives, maybe 100,000 iraqis lost their lives, cost about $1 trillion, was it worth it? did you give the right advice? >> i think i did. >> what is the evidence against them? >> translator: they illegally crossed our borders, but i think they'll be freed in a couple of days. >> when you look in your son's face, a young man who served in this country, what do you say? >> i say i'm so damned proud of you. >> the debt ceiling vote? >> i wouldn't raise it. >> most economists say that would send the economy back into recession. >> most of them are not very smart. >> 14 million americans, why are you not angrier? >> i spend all my time thinking about this stuff because i'm talking to these folks every single day. >> we're seeing sweeping changes

in school lunches that we've seen in generation, the quality -- >> that's not going to affect my kid's tater tots though? >> do you want them to have the tater tots? >> i juan the tater tots. >> there's not a hair and makeup team on board? >> that should be obvious. when i get off the plane in the middle of the night i'm always afraid i'll scare the children. >> did you say to bernie, we should kill ourselves? did bernie say it to you? >> i think it was my idea more than his. i just wanted to get it over with. >> i think it's a shame that i can't say something nice about angie without jen being drug in. >> let me read -- >> please don't read it. >> i think if jesus were alive today there would be polls in "us weekly." >> there would for sure be polls. should he cut his hair? that's the life we live in. >> what is the noise in your head? ♪ sit a spell it will take about an hour, i'll tell you all a story about me and matt lauer ♪ ♪

>> wow, great effort by our team that put that together. we fit a lot into 2011. >> wait until we see what we fit in in 2012. just ahead kathie and hoe ta look back at the biggest celeb brit stories of the year. >> we'll see you back here on monday next year in 2012. have a happy and safe new year. happey birthday, matt lauer and we'll be back after your local news.

good morning everyone. i'm jon kelley. the time is 9:26.

a 16-year-old -- actually, let me move to this story. police say they have caught the man responsible for a brutal 1999 cold case murder. 40-year-old raymond wong was arrested yesterday. prosecutors say the registered sex offender kidnapped sin. sin's father says it's been a long 12 years he's been waiting for this arrest. the nationwide closure of sears and kmart stores won't hit the bay area, at least not for now. they've posted 41 sears and 38 kmart stores slated foreclosure. three in california, two in san diego and one in l.a. now this is just the first wave of closures for the company. sears also expected to announce the closure of 41 more stores in the very near future. the raiders right now not just playing for a spot in the play-offs. they're playing for a couple

dubious records. silver and black need four more penalties and penalty yards to take the all time title for the most penalties and most penalties yards. currently held by if 1986 kansas city chiefs. the raiders play a final game of the season at home against the chargers. the good news is if oakland wins, they have a shot in making the play-offs. i know one woman a big fan of the black and silver, she'll be cheering, meteorologist christina loren. >> a lot riding on that game. we're pulling for the raiders. showers are dropping in the south past ukiah, about a half hour away from our first showers in sonoma coty. right now we still have a lot of drizzle, thick clouds and fog delays out of sfo. 62 degrees later today in redwood city. your full seven-day in just minutes. back to you, jon. >> for the latest traffic and news updates, check out nbc bay

area on facebook. we'll be back with another local news update for you in one-half hour from right now. ♪ [ female announcer ] during the holidays, there's a lot to get done. and safeway select appetizers help you rise to every occasion. ♪ from delectable to amazing. there are over 20 affordable safeway select appetizers ♪ to make all of your gatherings just as merry as can be. ♪ only at safeway. ingredients for life.

captions paid for by nbc-universal television well, well, well, everybody. can you believe it? it's try day friday, december 30th. i just got used to writing 2011. >> no, no. now it's going to be 2012. >> we've got all the goodies for new year's eve. i can't believe it's a couple of days away or a day away, whatever it is. however you to the math. tomorrow. >> yeah. she's already celebrating, you

can tell. >> when you look back on the year past, sometimes you think did i miss something? did i miss the best book, best song, best movie? >> do you worry about things like that? >> i don't. >> look forward. >> what does that say? >> forward. but if you weren't that kind of person, what would you do? >> the movie that was the biggest box office smash was "harry potter and the deathly hallows part 2." >> we don't know how much it made. jaimeless. >> if you want to get the best-selling book of the year go to amazon and get steve jobs' book. if you want to listen to the most downloaded song of the year it is -- adele "rolling in the deep." >> that one i agree with. she is a huge talent. and the most downloaded and biggest-selling album was "adell

21." >> google's most searched person of the whole year 2011 it was justin bieber. he also had the most searched haircut. >> isn't that crazy? >> the top trending topic on twitter was bieber. he was stopped by three cops this past year. the kid's got to go to driving school. get off the road, stop touring and go to driving school. >> if you want to know what google's most searched recipe in the united states for 2011 it was chicken. >> what kind of chicken? >> people don't remember how to cook it, how long, do you turn it over. >> are you kidding? >> no. >> there is a do-it-yourself deal that was the most searched and that was how to glitter your own shoes. >> we don't know what that means. >> and globally it's 13-year-old singer rebecca black. remember her "friday" video? >> amazing. i like it.

>> 167 million views on youtube. does she get that money? who gets that money? >> i don't know. >> how does that work? >> you know what i think is better than rebecca black? maddie b. look how cute he is. he is a little rap singer. i like singing rap. it doesn't always have to be nasty. he's nice and clean. >> yes, ma'am. >> he said yes, ma'am. don't look at the alcohol. >> look at his hair cut. did justin bieber influence you a little bit? >> yeah. >> what are you going to sing for us? >> ice ice baby. >> take it away matty b. do your thing. ♪ oh yeah ♪ yov.i.p.

♪ let's kick it ♪ ice it ice it ♪ stop ♪ holding my tightly ♪ giving it nightly ♪ hot enough ♪ turn off the lights ♪ ♪ when i play your melody ♪ anything less is a felony ♪ if it's a problem ♪ yo i solve it ♪ ice ice baby >> matty b., you've got other groupies who are shaking their money. >> yeah, matty b., woo!

>> happy new year, sweetheart. >> matty b. >> so funny. so sweet, so very gracious, beautiful little manners and then does that. >> by the way, his mom -- you're his mom, right? she was mouthing every single word. every single word. >> you guys are heading to new year's parties and you get in a situation where you get cornered by somebody who never stops talking. >> we would say, and you know who you are, but the trouble is you don't know who you are. >> jezebel came up with ways to get out of conversation. >> jezebel.com. >> how do you do that? >> i can only stay for 20 minutes. how you doing? >> it's so insincere. >> you got to go. >> the trouble is if you want to

stay at, you're having a wonderful time, you just want to get away from that one person. >> i'm so sorry. i need to go to the ladies room. i always need to go anyway so go. >> i do that sometimes. >> they find you again. got a little problem. got to go again. >> now i need a drink. this is what i do. when the person is going on and on and another person comes up. i'm like, oh, my god, do you know bill? then leave the blabber to bill and you are out. >> that's the way to do it, too. when they go, hi. they're in your face, in general. >> that can be annoying. also they say the line, let me let you go. >> like they are being gracious. really, get me out of here. >> there was a girl who used to work at nbc. >> who was it, hodi? >> i can't say her name. i used to think everyone was always walking backwards away from her and she was walking

forward. i don't think she caught the cues, the nonverbal. like bye. >> that's sad. >> is it time for your friday funny? >> we missed it. i don't think i've ever gotten that good a laugh in all the years i've been doing this. a man laid sprawled across three entire seats in a posh new york city theater when an usher noticed and approached the man. sorry, sir, you're only allowed one seat. the man growned, but didn't budge. the usher said, sir, if you don't get up i have to call my manager. getting only grown in response. usher got the manager and together they tried repeatedly to move the man but with no success. finally, they summoned the police. the policeman said, all right, buddy, what's your name? brad, the man moaned. where you from, fred?

without moving a muscle and with a loud grown, fred replied, the balcony. >> i want to thank the general, general carter. general sends me these. you guys at home, if you have great ones, they have to be clean. that's why they are not very funny. >> i think it's time for bobbie's buzz. >> hey, bobbie girl, what have you got cooking? >> happy new year. cheers. i have something for everyone. new year's eve, if you're going to hang out with family and friends this game is a blast. photo-opoly. i personally cut out and printed these fun pictures of us, this fun team here and put them around the board. you can pass jail with a picture of you in the jail card. this is great and will last into the night. if you're going to go out and enjoy bubbly or too much bubbly,

there is a brand-new pill or drug that is fda approved called blowfish. they can get it to you within an hour. all those people that may be by themselves, i'm sorry, happy new year. there is an app called the "don't dial app." christine says we should sign other people up for this. for 24 hours, it will block a contact and may save you that emotional call if you had too much to drink or feeling alone. >> people really do that? >> yes. >> you start dialling -- >> have you ever done it? >> yeah. >> i've done it. >> i would borrow someone else's phone, if mine was blocked. >> you don't know anybody's number. >> i know. >> bobbie, love, love, love you. how cute is she?

>> how about these? this is how you can eat your way through the new year. these are all the big events that happened over the course of the year. that's -- what do you have? >> they have ryan gosling. >> sexiest man of the year. >> he wasn't named it, but people thought he was. >> here is alec baldwin's "words with friends." they made cookies. and it's try day friday. >> we'll try something that sounds repulsive. >> what? >> pizza beer. mama mia pizza beer started with tomatoes, a bag of garlic and a goal, a dream. a beer that would pair with a wide variety of foods. >> does it taste like garlic? >> that's okay. >> matty b. -- no, just kidding. little joke. come have a cookie. >> you want a cookie? >> come on over.

>> how about your glasses? >> what do they say? 2012. matty b., who is cooler than he? let's give you a cookie. >> which one? >> you're the sexiest guy alive under 10. >> matty, thank you. >> that was the one i ate. >> sorry. >> all right. what are we doing now? >> we are geg to talk about our favorite celebrity moments from our show. we just had one. >> the dazzling results of today's ambush makeovers. first these messages. let's do it matty b. when you need money, you shouldn't just get it fast, you should also get it for free. that's why at h&r block... you could get money that's both fast and free on an emerald card. just bring in your tax information and get a refund anticipation check... in 7-14 days, for up to $9,999. you pay nothing out of pocket. hurry. this offer ends february 4th. why pay for fast money when you can get it for free?

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yeah, but i'm so slow taking them down after all the fatty holiday food. but that's normal. what do you mean that's normal? it doesn't have to be. to me, normal, means feeling good inside. not slow. try some activia. activia helps with occasional irregularity, when eaten 3 times a day. keep a video diary and let me know about your new normal. love your new normal or it's free. gives us the most nutritious of gifts. but only when they are ready to be given. that's why green giant picks vegetables at their peak. ...and freezes them fast, locking in nutrients ...for you to unwrap. ♪ ho, ho, ho. green giant

really hard to believe this is our last show of 2011. time flies when you're having as much fun as we are. >> we had our fair share around here. it is time to sit back, relax and take a look how much fun we did have this year.

>> the only thing i watch is your program. >> right, of course. >> and any other press i'm doing today. >> i never said no to anything. luckily no one offered me anything like porno. i would have done it in a second. >> you complete me, hoda. >> you give him confidence. >> confidence. ♪ party in the house tonight >> shake that. ♪ i'm magnificent >> it sucks a little bit. i'm too pretty for that. >> what? >> one of the most unexpected voices in the history of music. ♪ my little town -- hold on to that -- blues ♪ >> oh, wow.

kathie lee, get it, girl. get it. ♪ i'm in love with this feeling now ♪ >> i'll give you some of my cds. >> please. >>. ♪ never alone ♪ you're never disconnected >> i've got the moves like gaga ♪ ♪ like gaga >> i didn't have a drink two weeks knowing i was going to be on this show. i haven't had a drink two minutes. >> normally i'm drunk. >> you came to the right place. >> i am hammered. oh, my god. >> there she goes. >> you know what? >> spring break, everybody! who is that? hi! hi!

>> that's the one where they get drunk every morning. >> what? >> you often drink wine on the show. >> we have a sip occasionally. >> the occasional sip. ♪ raise your glasses ♪ we know the right way >> i showed up in case you need a designated driver. ♪ raise your glass >> now you're in a relationship with a child. >> well, we have a child. i'm not in a relationship with a child. >> i think that's illegal and you should probably call a lawyer. >> we need to send a message, especially young people. you've got to do this kind of thing. >> you do every day. ♪ it's sexy and i know it ♪ sexy and i know it >> i'm not a great actress. ask anyone. >> booga-booga.

>> i wish we were in the windy city. ♪ i'm shouting your name all over town ♪ >> what are you doing here? >> well, i found this little lady backstage and she seemed starving, so i'm doing my duty. >> no time for a juicy personal life. >> no. i live alone. thank you for reminding me. >> you're lying! >> i'm not lying. >> no! ♪ >> that's what we're talking about. >> i know! >> why are you yelling when you were wrong? >> that's what i do when i'm wrong. i yell a lot. >> a private screening? >> yes, i said that. >> i didn't come here to be yelled at. i could be home in bed. trust me. >> we are trying to do something

for you. >> thank you. >> no better place than with hoda and kathie lee. >> that's sweet. >> thanks, everybody. a big, big thank you to vivian fell. my name is robin. i'm a wife, i'm a mom... and chantix worked for me. it's a medication i could take and still smoke, while it built up in my system. [ male announcer ] along with support, chantix is proven to help people quit smoking. it reduces the urge to smoke. some people had changes in behavior, thinking or mood, hostility, agitation, depressed mood and suicidal thoughts or actions while taking or after stopping chantix. if you notice any of these, stop taking chantix and call your doctor right away. tell your doctor about any history of depression or other mental health problems, which could get worse while taking chantix. don't take chantix if you've had a serious allergic or skin reaction to it. if you develop these, stop taking chantix and see your doctor right away as some can be life-threatening.

if you have a history of heart or blood vessel problems, tell your doctor if you have new or worse symptoms. get medical help right away if you have symptoms of a heart attack. use caution when driving or operating machinery. common side effects include nausea, trouble sleeping and unusual dreams. my inspiration for quitting were my sons. they were my little cheering squad. [ laughs ] [ male announcer ] ask your doctor if chantix is right for you. [ younger brother ] oh, do you want it? yeah. ok, we'll split it. [ female announcer ] made fresh, so light... ...buttery and flaky... this is half. that is not half. guys i have more. [ female announcer ] do you have enough crescents?

yeah, our low prices are even lower. we need to teach her how to walk. she is taking up valuable cart space. aren't you, honey? [ male announcer ] it's our biggest clearance event of the year where our prices are even lower. save money. live better. walmart.

it is time for three, two, one live with sara haines when she rounds up the crowd at the nbc experience store with their pressing questions. >> that's right. we have no answers. what you got? >> first up, nora from connecticut with a new year's question. >> i was wondering what your new year's resolution was for 2012? >> i had the same one since the '90s. i'm going to lose ten pounds and get organized. my apartment, purse, office,

drawers, everything. one day it will happen. i keep the same ones, it's consistent. what's yours? >> i'm so old now i learned it's stupid to make new year's resolutions. you're not going to keep them. no, no, keep on keeping on and keep realizing every moment you have is a gift. every moment you have. especially when you get as old as i. you look back and see how many people you lost in your life that you loved. make every moment count. >> that is a good one. julie from florida has a question about tradition. >> do you have any new year traditions with your family and friends? >> mine varies, depending on whom i'm with. >> a variety of things. >> last year jay and i went to just a restaurant in new york and just saw the fireworks out of this big window over central park. it was pretty. this year we'll be chasing the sun for any warm spot. do you have something? >> we have friends who come down usually to stay new year's eve

night with us. then the next morning when everybody is up we go to alabama jacks down there in monroe county in the keys. we just kick it. we have so much fun. we eat every greasy, disgusting thing, conch chowder, everything. we have a good old time. long as you're spending it with people you lofve, doesn't matte what you're doing. >> lois from canada. >> what is your favorite thing to do at the stroke of midnight? >> you know what? before the last year, i was asleep. i was always asleep. >> that was before jay. >> i really was. >> b.j., before jay, right? >> or something like that. okay. >> what did i say? >> nothing. nothing. >> someone has to clue me in on that. >> it will be on the commercial break. you know. what is your favorite thing to

do? >> kiss frank. >> that's it? >> he's always there. it's the thing to do. >> still to come, plaza ambush makeovers. >> the funniest moments from this year's shows. ♪ ♪ ♪ [ female announcer ] take the special k challenge. lose up to six pounds in two weeks. get your free, delicious personalized plan at specialk.com. what will you gain when you lose? you bet. wow. man: do your simple return with the turbotax federal free edition, and now get our free, one-on-one, expert tax advice, live by phone or chat. get the federal free edition, at turbotax.com.

fantastic! [ man ] pro-gresso they fit! okay-y... okay??? i've been eating progresso and now my favorite old jeans...fit. okay is there a woman i can talk to? [ male announcer ] progresso. 40 soups 100 calories or less. good morning everyone. the time is 10:26. i'm jon kelley.

nothing short of a very sad morning in fremont as the city's very popular mayor has died. bob wasserman was 77 when he passed away yesterday at kaiser hospital in fremont. he served the city for more than 35 years, first as a police chief. then in 1992, wasserman was elected to the city council. he had been mayor since back in 2004. the cause of death at this point has not been made public. he was hospitalized recently for a respiratory ailment. he's survived by his wife of 53 years and their son and daughter. a memorial service will be held tomorrow for a devoted citizen watch dog who died at the young age of 55. sanjiv handa dedicated his life to keeping an eye on oakland city officials. for more than 20 years he published "east bay news service." he was found dead in his home in piedmont on tuesday. tomorrow's memorial will be held at 11:00 at the chapel of the

angels i ll w have'eemon we'll have a look at your weather coming up right after this break. w

welcome back. the time is 10:29. we have thick clouds and drizzle taking place over the bay area. back by about 11:00 a.m. we'll be tracking showers on your is 1:00 broadcast. 63 in los gatos today. coming up in the news at 11:00 at the top of the hour we'll hear from the san jose fan

who said she was attacked at a recent sharks game. what police also have to say about that. the 49ers head to the play-offs for the first time in almost ten years. you know those tickets are not going to be cheap to come by. marla tellez and i will have all that and more coming up at 11:00. hope to see you then. a we are back on this try day friday with our last plaza ambush makeover for 2011. we picked two lucky ladies to surprise them with a brand-new look for the new year. >> here is our crack makeover team today, contributor and stylist to the stars luis lacari and "today" and "us weekly" contributor jill martin. >> who is not ready for a makeover just before the new year? this is the time to add the glitter, add the shine, add the glam. >> let's go with kerry from

blacksburg, virginia. when we asked about her beauty routine, she responded, if i remember to wash my face, i'm having a good day. listen to her story. >> well, i think we are still in a state of shock, is that fair to say? >> slightly, yes. >> that's accurate. >> we are not going to shave off your beard, but why do you want this for your wife? >> i think she deserves a treat. >> what are you hoping for today? >> anything. i've been saving my hair for locks for love. so some hair change will be good. >> what a beautiful gift you're giving. we'll give you the best present. ready to go? >> kerry is here with her husband and her parents. here is kerry before. let's see the new you. >> oh, my god! >> wow! >> stay right there. ready to take off your blind

folds. take them off. get ready. call the emts. >> look how beautiful you look. you luke awesome. >> who is that? >> look right there. tell us about the hair. that's crazy. >> isn't that great? she started the new year with a good deed. she gave her hair to locks of love. second this great hair cut. layered. you look so glamorous. >> daddy needs a kleenex. >> i know the hair cut is important. >> you love it? >> i love it. >> what's not to love? >> she looks great. >> we softened the highlights around the face. >> her inlaws. >> do you like? >> i think she is a

beautiful-looking woman. >> adrienne arpel with the little black and white dress. they didn't have plan for new year's eve. >> your anniversary? how many years. >> she said four, he said a handful. >> a big round of applause. you look great. our second lady is jessica from morristown, tennessee. she is usually too busy taking care of her own children. let's listen to her. >> this is a big day because you're going to american girl. you're getting a makeover and you're getting a gift for your daughter. why do you want this for her? >> she has three jobs, a student in a doctorate program and has two children and is busy all the time. >> and you're gorgeous. you are going to be one of our best glam makeovers ever. >> thank you. >> are you nervous? >> yes, i'm nervous.

>> are you ready? >> yes, but i'm ready. >> she is here with her daughter haley ray and stepmother priscilla. let's look at jessica before. gorgeous as she was, let's look now. >> oh, my gosh -- are you kidding me? >> movie star. take off your blind fold. >> wow! you are a super model. >> wait till she sees yourself. >> oh, yeah, looks great. i love it, thank you! >> you look beautiful. wow! >> her hair, she wanted to keep it long, we left it long. shaped around the face. it lifts her face. lightened it. made it softer. added natural-looking highlights, cut by dana, make-up with a little glitter for the new year. >> gorgeous. gorgeous.

>> what do you think? >> tell us about the dress. >> i love this dress. i had it in the closet for so long. when i saw her body, here we go. michael kors available at macy's. everyone should wear open-toe shoes for new year's eve. especially with those legs. >> up next, the very best of "today's" talk. oh it's clearance time!

yeah, our low prices are even lower. we need to teach her how to walk. she is taking up valuable cart space. aren't you, honey? [ male announcer ] it's our biggest clearance event of the year where our prices are even lower. save money. live better. walmart.

and who ordered the yummy cereal? yummy. [ woman ] lower cholesterol. [ man 2 ] yummy. i got that wrong didn't i? [ male announcer ] want great taste and whole grain oats that can help lower cholesterol? honey nut cheerios.

every day kathie lee and i kick off the show with the latest buzz, pop culture, headlines and lots of study. >> there is the occasional cocktail and lots of information, but what is too information with friends? what was all the talk about this year? i can't remember so take a look. >> it is fun day monday. >> booze day tuesday. >> wines day wednesday, thirst day thursday, try day friday. >> most people think you and i are highly inappropriate on a daily basis. every single day. >> you know what we are into? >> don't say it. >> weiners. >> all the girls know they sexy. >> you can't. i'm telling you. >> all the girls know they sexy. >> that feels so good. >> who loves you, baby?

>> i knew it when it was happening. someone is going to get hurt. >> this is what i heard from everyone in the news room. all the women were going, kath stop running and the guys were going, keep running, keep running. >> you're going to florida for a totally different purpose. i'm going for spiritual reasons. hoda is going for nooky. am i wrong? if you do this that many times a day, you're going to point the rack. stuff can get lost in my bazooms, it's unbelievable. ♪ where the girls are ♪ girls are ♪ where the girls are ♪ girls are >> get the shot of kathie lee. look at the people. get the shot of me for one second. the iphone does everything. text kathie lee. >> i don't have a phone number or e-mail address. >> yes you do.

text kathie gifford. >> sorry. >> no! no! no! >> hey! >> bacon? >> lying. >> red rover? >> shh. ♪ spring anything >> this one has a little for you and a little bit for me. ♪ dirty bit >> mazel tov. >> you're on the dance floor at a frat party. ♪ dirty bit ♪ dirty bit >> i want to hear you say yeah yeah yeah yeah ♪ ♪ i like it that way ♪ baby i like it ♪ baby you like it ♪ oh yes i like it

♪ like never before ♪ baby i like it ♪ i like it >> what just happened? >> there is a new study out. >> apparently according to the study. >> another new study. >> i'm exhausted. >> we don't need fried kool-aid. >> hurray for hollywood. ♪ it's suddenly clear in that moment ♪ >> i have a song for everything. >> that is a great story. >> i wish it were true. >> it is! >> it is. it's a true story. >> we have had some fun. vivian is over there.

just say hi real quick. just say hey. you're responsible. we love you, we love you, viv. >> thank you. >> she's just mad. viv, have a cookie. oh, well. >> nice try. >> up next, get ready to pop that cork. is this your normal? jamie lee curtis?? oh, hi, yes...wow, you really went all out on the decorations, huh?! yeah, but i'm so slow taking them down after all the fatty holiday food. but that's normal. what do you mean that's normal? it doesn't have to be. to me, normal, means feeling good inside. not slow. try some activia. activia helps with occasional irregularity, when eaten 3 times a day. keep a video diary and let me know about your new normal. love your new normal or it's free. prego?! but i've been buying ragu for years.

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swapportunity: the opportunity to swap a higher calorie snack for a yoplait light. can you use it in a sentence? mmm. swapping a 300 calorie donut for this 110 calorie strawberry shortcake is a good swapportunity. that's not a real word. oh haha it's real. [ female announcer ] delicious, creamy, yoplait light. over 30 flavors each around 100 calories. do the swap today. now's a great time to get at&t u-verse tv. make the switch! [ female announcer ] call to get u-verse -- now with free hd -- only 25 a month for six months -- our lowest price ever. plus get up to 182 channels with hbo and cinemax free for three months. [ male announcer ] u-verse tv lets you record up to four shows at once on a single dvr. and you can record and play back your shows from any room. plus get an hd-ready dvr included at no extra charge. [ female announcer ] call to get u-verse -- now with free hd --

only 25 a month for six months -- our lowest price ever. plus get up to 182 channels with hbo and cinemax free for three months. [ male announcer ] and u-verse tv is "highest in residential television service satisfaction" by j.d. power and associates. that's four years in a row! even upgrade to over 170 hd channels. that's more than cable. [ female announcer ] at&t u-verse: tv like you've never seen before. ♪ tomorrow is the big day, new year's eve. if you're planning on having a few friends over, why not go to extra mile and make it a night to remember? >> we are here with fun and easy ideas, editor at large at "southern living." >> you look gorgeous. >> so do you, two.

>> it's not too late to whip up something for the party? >> absolutely not. the key for great entertaining is a theme. they can all be done at the last minute, very simple and can be done on a budget. first thing to do is look around your house and kind of repurpose something. we have a fresh, white brown and pear idea. this is a holiday wreath. this is one we had from halloween that was orange and black. we painted it white to greet our friends at the door with something fresh and new. we want to repurpose the holiday things we have around the house. to go with our pear theme we added pears to our floral arrangement. it fills up an arrangement, takes space and doesn't cost as much money as big flowers. every great party deserves a signature drink. i can't come here without bringing you a drink. >> you would never be invited back. >> this is a pear basil sipper. >> that is a darling glass. >> thank you. it has pear vodka, pear nectar

and basil in there. >> it's refreshing. i never think of using basil in a drink, but that's good. >> everybody anticipates that midnight kiss, right? we've been eating and drinking and maybe our breath isn't so great. i fill little votive cups up with tic-tacs. to keep the buffet simple, i put out big chunks of chocolate with cheese knives. this is a wishing tree. i have some for you. you can write down your wishes for the new year and guests can hang them on the tree. >> you didn't have to think at all, hoda. >> it's the same one every year. clean your purse. >> we only have a couple of minutes left for the rest. >> besides world peace, that's what i want. >> aimee to broadway, baby. >> this is a sweet theme.

here we just have dessert and champagne. this is great because you don't have to spend time at the party or getting ready for it. we've taken a broken candlestick and glued it to the bottom of a plate to make cake stands. we filled them up with macaroons, cupcakes, things that are pink and red. just put a self-serve champagne bar out. simple. put out pretty garnishes and your guests will be good to go. i used corks to mark down the garnishes. >> take us to the end, please. >> we want to greet our guests at the door ant set the mood there guests would hang their coats and take off what's on here. you can take the mask. >> there you go. >> thank you. >> setting the tone when they arrive. this is a metallic masquerade. little touches make a difference. we use drawer knobs in metallic color for the place cards. you make a grand central piece with big flowers.

with hydrangea you get big bang for your buck. >> thank you. that's beautiful. get ready to laugh. a look back at our funniest moments of the year. first this is "today" on nbc.

tomorrow we officially say good-bye to 2011. we need to bid it a proper farewell. >> we want to thank the tireless efforts of our great staff, our terrific crew who you're looking at. thank you, guys. >> we love you. >> we love you so much. >> so much. >> so here is a look and ed is behind the camera. here is a look back at our funny and yeah, crazy moments.

god bless, everybody. >> my dad told me. >> find something you love to do and then figure out a way to get paid for it. paid for it. ♪ you mean everything tonight >> can i touch your sweet spot? there it is. did you get yours? >> you know i can't find mine. >> good way to make sure that you get a second date is to have sex on the first date. >> no! >> why have you and i ever gone out? >> are you seriously hitting on me on national television? >> good idea. >> on your mark, set, go! >> hello! >> what's going on? >> thank you, lord. >> just having fun backstage.

what's the problem? >> i want to try it! ♪ how you like me now >> oh, jerry! yeah baby. ♪ kumbaya my lord >> it's hoda. >> before keratin. >> what's that feel like? >> hoda's hair. >> i'm over this. >> what do you do when you're in public and your crack starts to sting? >> wiggle your backside to separate your cheeks. >> one of the worst segments ever. >> i'm not going over there. i don't feel like it today. my crack itches. ♪ i like big butts and i cannot lie ♪ >>. ♪ i want to get witcha and take

your picha ♪ >> to our early workouts and even a wild tear, i am a fan. >> nice! >> ridiculous. ♪ >> look at that. >> with all the fun around here, i'm coming back tomorrow. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com

okay, so who ordered the cereal that can help lower cholesterol and who ordered the yummy cereal? yummy. that's yours. lower cholesterol. lower cholesterol. i'm yummy. lower cholesterol. i got that wrong didn't i?