i'm too scared. >> think how many people drive in this area at 85 with their eyes closed. >> he needed a backseat driver. >> that's it for news 4 today. we'll be b good morning. explosive testimony. penn state assistant coach mike mcqueary describes in great detail what he says was jerry sandusky sexually molesting a boy in a shower in 2002. now two top officials at the university will face trial for lie to go a grand jury abo the allegations. hazing homicide. autopsy shows that a drum major at florida a&m university died of blunt force trauma. now his parents are demanding justice and suing the university. and super saturday. it's the last full weekend before christmas and retailers are pulling out all the stops

hoping to cash in by luring you in with great details today, hoping to cash in by luring you in with great details today, saturday, december 17th, 2011. captions paid for by nbc-universal television good morning, everyone. welcome to "today" on a saturday morning. i'm lester holt. >> and i'm amy robach. lester, did i hear you say you're just now going to start shopping? >> i'm thinking about it. they keep hitting us with black friday and super monday and what is this? >> super saturday. >> i'm waiting for procrastinator's saturday. >> that's christmas eve. >> oh, that's what they call it. that will be my big day. >> for those of you waiting for the deep discounts, today they say could be your lucky day. there are deals to be had, but are you buying? we'll take a look at why

consumers may be holding back. >> then we're going to head to washington state where the so-called barefoot bandit has been sentenced to more than seven years in prison for an infamous inter national crime spree. he was charged with 80 crimes and he's just 20 years old. >> and call him constant the survivor. this little pup was hit by a car. his heart actually stopped beating. he stopped breathing. he was believed to be dead by his owners until they woke up the next morning to find him sitting up. so was it a miracle? we're going to ask him. >> eight more accidents like that and they'll call him cat. and he was a trailblazer in more ways than one. roy rogers would have turned 100 this year. now his son and grandson are keeping his legacy alive, blazing trails of their own. we're going to tell you more about that coming up. it's a great story. we want to begin with the explosive testimony in the child sexual abuse investigation

involving former penn state assistant football coach jerry sandusky. nbc news national investigative correspondent michael isakoff is in hairrrisburg with more on th. >> reporter: good morning, lester. a judge ruled that the case against those two former penn state officials can now proceed to trial. once the starting penn state quarterback, now a star witness for the government. mike mcqueary took the witness stand and graphically described seeing a naked jerry sandusky engaged in what he called extreme sexual activity with a young boy. the boy was up against the wall, mcqueary testified. jerry was directly behind him in a very, very close position. i believe jerry was sexually molesting him. mcqueary slammed his locker door shut causing msandusky and the boy to stop looking him directly in the eyes.

both penn state officials are charged with lying and failing to report it to authorities. mcqueary acknowledge he never saw any sexual intercourse and never intervened. i was shocked and horrified, to be said, and to be frank with you, i was probably not thinking straight. >> mcqueary was a great witness. very articulate, very sincere and very respectable. >> prosecutors read from joe paterno's testimony. mcqueary told the panel he saw jerry doing something with a youngster doing something of a sexual nature. he later passed along the information and never took any steps to investigate. defense lawyers hammered mcqueary over why he never told police. noting schultz's position overseeing the campus police, mcqueary shot back, i thought i was talking to the police.

now, lester, defense lawyers were frustrated yesterday because the judge limited their ability to question mcqueary about inconsistent statements that they thought might impeach his credibility. but they fully intend to do that when this case goes to trial and they say they're confident they can win a dismissal of the charges. lester. >> mike, thanks very much. now here is amy. lester, thank you. now to last-minute deal making on capitol hill. the senate is expected to vote on a deal regarding tax cuts. lawmakers agree on a $1 trillion spending bill avoiding that shutdown. mike viqueira is at the white house with more on this. >> reporter: good morning. it was yet another trip to avoid a government shutdown. the government was set to run out of money as of midnight last night, but democrats and republicans came together. was a rare bipartisan deal to

fund government operations well into next year. as you said, amy, there's extending a deal on those tax cuts, but everybody is not going to be happy about it. first, it's good for only two months and congress will be back at it again early next year. and after the president said he would reject it, republicans were successful in attaching a controversial provision that would require the president to make a decision on that pipeline. remember, environmentalists are against it and would run from canada to the gulf of texas. it said that the president would have to decide within 60 days or recall if the administration had put off that decision for as long as a year until after the election to further study the environmental impact. even so, the white house says they're going to accept a deal. the senate is going to vote on it today. the house expected to take it up early next week and everyone should be home for the holidays. amy. >> mike viqueira, thanks so much. mark helprin is an nbc analyst and cnbc's political analyst. good morning. >> good morning, amy. >> let's talk about that deal on

the payroll tax cuts. forces the obama administration, of course, to make a decision on the keystone xl pipeline within 60 days. how is this going to play out? >> well, you can see why a lot of americans hate washington and you can see why all the republican presidential candidates are running against washington. this is not the way to make policies approximately p. the white house wanted to do this -- claimed they wanted to do this in a way that was in the public interest, not being political. republicans are suspicious of that. this puts a timetable on the president where he has to make a decision. and the worst thing is, it's in all likelihood the president could kill this deal, could kill something that would create a lot of jobs because he's being forced to make a decision quickly. it's a horrible outcome for the public, and policy, as well. >> okay, fine, they avoided a government shutdown on friday, but it's only good for two

months. why can't washington come to a long-term plan? >> if you look at the history of congress, the general rule is they never do anything until the absolute last minute when they have to. and in the partisan period in which we're living right now, that rule is magnified 20 times. so they wanted to go home for christmas. neither side wanted to do a short-term extension, but because they wanted to get home for christmas, they decided to punt it into next year. that means the fight will take place on a lot of these issues all over again. both sides think they get the upper hand going into february negotiations instead of december. the president has to make it work or he's going to lose to somebody who can tell the american people i can make it work. >> and let's talk about 2012. that election cycle hoot heating up right now. nicki haley endorsing mitt romney. this is, of course, the first southern state to hold a primary election. what does this mean for the romney campaign? >> well, ironically, it probably

means more for romney nationally than it does in south carolina. nikki haley's popularity is down within the tea party, but it sends a signal to the establishment of the party. mitt romney is the front-runner. we went through a period where some day we might think newt gingerich is steaming towards the nomination. he still may do it. but mitt romney, make no mistake, is the established favor right now. people like nikki haley are saying, we're going to make our choice now. >> quickly, i want to talk about thursday's debate, the final one before the iowa caucuses. we saw romney and gingerich playing iowa nice, the other candidates taking shots at gingerich. how did romney and gingerich fare with all of that? >> this is shaping up nicely for mitt romney. he's getting what he wants for christmas which is all the other

candidates, michele bachmann, rick perry, ron paul are focusing on trying to take doubt newt gingerich. that could help romney wrap this up quickly if romney is able to hold the center establishment. he could win this quickly. newt gingerich needs a second act starting today, starting this weekend to get a strong finish or you may, before he knows it, be eliminated with everybody else by mitt romney. >> it was interesting. he didn't really fight back. >> well, it's ironic. gingerich rose to power by being one of the best negative campaigners and attack politicians in the country. he's now basically saying, come hit me all you want. i'm not going to hit back. he hit mitt romney last week and now says he regrets it. it's an interesting strategy for any politician, particularly someone like newt gingerich with his history. >> mark, as always, thank you. once again, here is lester.

now to the war in iraq which the u.s. declared officially over this past thursday after nearly nine years, $800 billion, and some 4,500 american lives lost. now, with the last of the u.s. troops are heading home to their families just in time for the holidays. we'll get more now from nbc's chief foreign correspondent, richard engle. >> a last roll call before going home. the u.s. military command closed last week in baghdad, but troops are still leaving iraq, crossing the border and coming here to kuwait. >> this was, you know, so nice to be able to leave the country. >> kuwait is the official outprocessing center where the war began nine years ago is where it is ending. kuwait's lob 58 is now being described as the world's biggest parking lot. it's packed with $8 billion worth of vehicles. >> it's coming all here. it's getting put on the property book and making sure we can account for all the equipment.

>> but not quite everything is going back. the military estimates about $220 billion worth of equipment is staying in iraq. transferred to the iraqi government. for the troops in kuwait, the procedure is all relatively simple, but can seem boring and slow. most of the troops spend about five days in kuwait, turning in gear, filling out paperwork, packing and loading. until, finally, a preflight inspection. then, as they pass a sign that reads freedom, the troops move to a holding pen, ironically called lockdown. with home so close and a war at their backs, kuwait can feel like the worst five-day layover. but the flights do eventually come. and after a war that tested and at times tore our nation, the army is going home. richard engle, nbc news, kuwait. >> a welcome sight, i'm sure, for many families of this holiday season. let's head over now to the news

desk for the rest of the morning's top stories. >> good morning, amy. good morning, lester and good morning, everyone. we begin with a tragedy just a week before christmas. authorities in eastern illinois say a five of five, including a baby and two other children have been found shot to death. it's not certain if the shooter is among them. this happened on friday in emmington. the family had just moved there in the last six months. an autopsy shows a florida a&m drum major was beaten to death in a hazing incident. 26-year-old robert champion died november the 19th following a football game in orlando. the medical examiner has ruled his death a homicide. the board of trustee's publicly reprimanded the school president but chose not to fire or suspend him. we'll have more on this story in our next half hour. country singer mindy mccready is still fighting for custody of her son. mccready was in an arkansas

courtroom on friday a little more after a week she was fleeing with the 5-year-old. the judge made no decision in the case which pits mccready against her mother. nfl wide receiver sam herd has been thrown for a big loss. the popular player has been let go by the chicago bears and released from a federal lockup on $ 00,000 bail. hurd was rested in a sting operation wednesday nice for trying to set up a drug distribution network in the chicago area. four new york high school students have been flagged for organizing kneel downs for tim tebow, a very vout christian known for kneeling on the field. some say tebowing in school poses a hazard for blocking the highways. tebow said while he precious their boldness, they have to respect their elders.

at the chinese zoo, sweetie and sunlight arrived from china a few weeks ago, the first pandas at the british squeak in years. who doesn't love a panda? >> we really ooh and ahh over baby pandas. we'll have to wait for that. >> thanks very much. bill karins is here with our first check of the forecast. >> every weekend, i keep telling you guys, where is winter? >> we're good. >> you guys aren't skiers, though. good morning, everyone. we are watching cool temperatures this weekend. we haven't had any big stor snowstorms this winter and we with aren't going to see any for now. and a very good saturday morning to you.

i'm news 4 meteorologist chuck bell. we're off to a partly to mostly cloudy start on your weekend. temperatures are in the mid to upper 30 ooz. near 40 in town. mid 30s out towards the valley and the blue ridge. the forecast for your saturday, a mix of clouds and sunshine. clouds a little bit on the increase by late in the day. today's highs only fl the upper 30s and lowy unusual winter up to this point. that's a look at your start forecast. lester. >> bill, thanks. two former ceos of mortgage giants fannie mae and freddie mac are being accused of misleading the public. the s.e.c. says they misled the public about the mortgage crisis that continues today. lisa myers has more. >> reporter: three years ago, the former ceos of fannie mae and freddie mac infuriated a congressional committee by denying any blame for the financial crisis. >> we thought we made the right decision at the time. >> you have exhibited no sense

of accountability for your actions here. none. >> reporter: but on friday, both former ceos, daniel mudd and richard siren of freddie mac were accused of civil fraud. the securities and exchange commission, or s.e.c., alleged that they and four other executives made false and misleading statements to conceal the extent of risky subprime mortgages. >> today's action is about holding individuals accountable for their role in misleading the public. >> who got hurt here? >> a lot of hard working americans saving for requirements. >> fannie and freddie were two of the most common companies that the average guy on the street invested their retirement in. their retirement accounts took a real hit. >> when the companies imploded, taxpayers had to bail them out. these are the highest profile

individuals facing charges in the biggest meltdown. no one on wall street has even been looked at. >> the former ceos emphatically deny any wrongdoing and say the allegations are without merit. they insist they fully disclosed all risks to investors. mudd says he looks forward to his day in court where the standard is not politics. the millionaire developer convicted in september of second degree murder in the shooting death of his wife in their florida mansion has been sentenced to 30 years in prison. no more now from nbc's mark potter. >> all rise. court is in order. >> reporter: on sentencing day on the advise of his attorney,

63-year-old bob ward had nothing to say in court. the clanking of chains could be heard. ward was convicted nearly three months ago of second degree murder in the shooting death of his wife, diane, inside their mansion in an exclusive neighborhood in orlando. ward claimed the shooting was accidental and called 911 to alert police. but prosecutors say it occurred during a fight over money. >> mr. ward picked up the gun, pointed it at hits wife and shot her directly in the face. >> reporter: in a plea for mercy, ward's daughter described him as a loving father. >> i beg you to look at my dad as a man seriously loved by family and friends. >> reporter: ward's youngest daughter, sara, also spoke arguing that the killing of her mother was a horrible accident.

>> my father is on heest, caring, kind, loving, but most of all, he's heart broken. his soul mate is gone and he's been taken away from his children. >> reporter: but the state argued, someone needs to speak for the victim saying she deserved justice. in imposing her sentence, judge jennifer davis xooet exceeded the minimum 25 years required by law for second degree murder. >> at this time -- >> reporter: ward's lawyers are appealing his conviction. if he serves his full sentence, ward will be 93 years old. for "today" mark potter, nbc news, miami. still to come in this season of giving, some of the many people working hard to make sure every child has a christmas gift, that's coming up. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

at bank of america, we're lending and investing in communities across the country, from helping to revitalize a neighborhood in brooklyn to financing industries that are creating jobs in boston or providing funding for the expansion of a local business serving a diverse seattle community and supporting training programs for tomorrow's workforce in los angeles. because the more we can do in local neighborhoods and communities, the more we can help make opportunity possible. it's that time of year when a lot of worthy charities are asking for your support, including toys for tots, a

long-running toy drive founded by the u.s. marine corps. with just one week before christmas, marines and scores of volunteers across the country are scrambling to fill a spike in requests for toys for children in need. ron mott is in boston to tell us more. >> reporter: last christmas, marine sergeant was surrounded on the battlefield in afghanistan. this year, he's surrounded by dolls and footballs. as coordinator for boston's toys for tots drive. >> this year's christmas and last year's christmas were very different. i was deployed to southern afghanistan, didn't even really know it was christmas, to be honest, except for the care packages that i got from the loving kids. >> reporter: with eight days to go before kids rip into all this fun, the mad rush is on to get toys to them. in new york, anxious youngsters were thrilled to see a mountain of toys, reaching first in one case, at least, for the arms of

a marine. back in boston, volunteers haul donations in, sort it, baghdad before sending them back out with big smiles, opening even bigger ones are to come. >> i know it's the thought that com counts, but it's always nice to have something to open on christmas. >> while they just might reach that number this year, they're worried they won't be able to meet the surge in demand. across the country, a million and a half more kids are on the list for toys. officials here say the increase is about 30%. >> demand right now is very big. with the unemployment out this -- >> reporter: and though the economy is clearly sour, this soldier says there is clearly something sweet about returning the favor from all the care packages they received during war. >> now i get a chance to give back to the kids. >> reporter: giving as good as they got. for "today," nbc news, boston. still to come, it's the last full weekend before christmas.

>> plus, 60 years after his tv debut, rogers is still entertaining fans young and old. we'll find out how.

this is a news 4 news break. >> you're look live at our sunrise and what will be a partly sunny days with highs about 43. good morning, everyone. it is 7:26 on this saturday, december 17th. i'm chris gordon. today prosecutors will begin presenting their case many the court-martial against the soldier accused of passing classified information to wee key leaks. the court-martial will determine in he'll stand trial. virginia drivers are getting some relief this weekend at the

intersection from i-66 to the beltway. starting this weekend eastbound drivers will take a new flyover ramp that will put you on the right side of the inner loop. those trying to get off route 7 in tyson's corner will no longer have to go across all lains of the beltway to the exit. v dot closed all exits from eastbound 66 to the inner loop overnight so crews could prepare that new ramp should be open about 9:00 this morning. [ female announcer ] more people are using wireless devices...

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with more than thirty billion dollars paid by america's wireless companies. it's simple -- more spectrum means more freedom. for everyone. storm 4 meteorologist chuck bell. we're off to a cloudy start in washington this morning. we're going to be in and out of the clouds all weekend. start off temperatures in the mid to upper 30s in most neighborhoods. temperatures won't move much today. highs in the low to mid 40s, a

gusty northwesterly breeze will keep windchills in the 30s today and for most of tomorrow. chris, back to you. thank you, we're back with another check on news and wertz we are back now on this saturday morning, december 17th, 2011. we have an exciting crowd filling rockefeller plaza, taking time to check out the christmas tree and all the sights and sounds. we want to thank them for sending part of their morning with us back inside studio 1a. i'm amy robach along with lester holt. coming up in this half hour, it's a hazing scandal that has rocked the campus of florida a&m. >> it was the death of robert champion, a member of one of the college's top. his death was deemed a homicide and now his parents are suing

the university. we'll hear what they have to say coming up. also ahead, on friday, a judge sentenced barry bonds to 30 days of house arrest and two years of probation. the issue of doping in baseball doesn't end here. we're going to take a closer look. and then, it's not only about shopping for gifts this time of year. what about shopping for a home? the holiday season can be a pretty good time to buy or sell some real estate. barbara corcoran will be along to tell us why. >> reporter: but we begin with the tragic hazing death now ruled a homicide at florida a&m university. nbc's tom trung has the story. >> reporter: hazing was first suspected in the death of drum major robert champion. and now, autopsy results confirmed that suspicion. the official can all cause of death, mrunt force trauma sustained during a hagz incident. >> it hurt because it -- i found out that my son had to suffer. and he must have gone through a lot of pain.

>> reporter: last month in orlando, he was with the band and hours later was found unresponsive on the band's bus. this is part of the frantic 911 call. >> eyes are open. he's not responding. >> reporter: according to the medical examiner, he died from internal bleeding. he had multiple bruises on his chest, arms, shoulder and back. >> no kid should go to school, trying to learn, trying to better themselves and come back the way my son come back. >> reporter: following champion's death, a fellow band member filed a police report claiming that she, too, was hazed. berea hunter says she was hit repeatedly and suffered a broken leg as a result. this week, three band members were charged with hazing for the attack on hunter. two denied the allegations while a third is reportedly cooperating with police. >> some people characterize it

as hazing. i say it's a beating because you beat her. >> the university president has been suspended as the state conducts a criminal investigation. >> the band itself is sudden suspended indefinitely, its long time director on administrative leave. so far, no arrests have been made in connection with champion's death. >> everybody needs to pay for what they've done. >> reporter: champion's parents are suing the university for what they call a culture of hazing. it's part of the justice they're demanding for the son they had to lay to rest. for "today" i'm tom trung, nbc news, atlanta. time now for a check of the weather. bill karins is out on the plaza with a look at your forecast. good morning. >> good morning. we would like to start with an engagement here. >> when did you get engaged? >> last night in rockefeller center. >> did you hesitate at all? >> no, not at all. >> good luck to you guys. and your mom loves lester, too. mine, too. let's talk about this forecast out there. we are watching for the most

part a simple, quiet forecast. there's not a lot of troublesome weather out there today. we have showers in texas and florida. this is about as simple and a good saturday morning to you, i'm storm 4 meteorologist chuck bell. we're off to a bit of a cloudy and cold start here in washington this morning. our current temp 40 degrees. mid 30s across most of suburban maryland and northern virginia. it is going to stay a very chilly day today a mix of clouds and sunshine, breezy and chilly. highings today in the upper 30s to low to mid 40s. windchills in the mid 30s. could see a few light snow showers and flurries upnd in florida, 80 degrees in miami. that's a look at your weekend forecast. lester. >> okay, bill, thanks. lawyers for barry bonds say they are going to appeal after a

judge sentenced home run king to house arrest and probation. bonds could have spend 15 months in prison for obstructing justice at his doping trial. mike taibbi has the latest. he looked trim enough for a comeback in his well cut suit. but for barry bonds, it was a day of reckoning. prosecutors wanted 15 months in prison for his conviction of a single count of object structing justice. but judge susan illson ruled otherwise. 30 days of house arrest, two years probation, 250 hours of community service and the sentence suspended pending an appeal the slugger's legal team says will be pursued. >> we absolutely believe that barry was wrongly convicted of a felony offense. we intend to fight it on appeal and overcome that judge. >> but bonds' journey from mythic sports hero to convicted felon isn't the end of the story of baseball and performance enhancing drugs. roger clemens faces a second

trial next spring for alleged steroidses use. mark mcguire, who admitted he took steroids for years on the way to his record number continues to be often ignored by hall of fame voters. and this year's national league mvp ryan brawn reportedly tested positive for a banned substance a and. and now after four years in and out of court, the tainted 47 years-year-old baseball icon. >> i know that barry's legal team plans to appeal the case and that may take a year longer. but i feel that i can personally move on with my life now. >> there was a time when bonds was routinely described as the best mrabl player ever. his legacy now, forever

different. for "today" mike taibbi, nbc news, los angeles. there is more to come on "today." still ahead, he's known as the barefoot bandit. now colton harris moore will spend the next seven years behind bars. and up next, is the holiday season the right time to buy orrer sell your home? we'll have the answers. but first, these messages. so you earn 50% more cash. according to research, everybody likes more cash. well, almost everybody... ♪ would you like 50% more cash? no! but it's more money. [ male announcer ] the new capital one cash rewards card. the card for people who want 50% more cash. what's in your wallet? woah! [ giggles ]

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this morning in today's real estate, buying examine selling your home during the holidays. december is typically a slow month for the housing market. there are some advantages you may want to take advantage of this season. barbara, good morning. >> good morning, amy. >> the conventional wisdom was, it's not a great time to buy or sell a home during the holidays. but with record low interest rates, this may be a really great time to do just that, correct? >> there's really been a rush on interest rates in the last month. they've gone up by 40%, the applications. so people are out in the market. this is an exceptional year, driven by the large part by the cheap money out there. >> and i actually bought my house on the week, or we put in an offer between krems and new year's and mainly because you can get a pretty good deal this time of year. >> and i hope you got a good deal. >> i think i did. >> good. because i don't want to make you feel badly here. you know why you get a great deal? every homeowner out there is

trying to sell their home and is at their lowest point of discouragement. they'll often entertain their very low offer. they won't do that other times of year quite like they do in december. >> on the flip side, if you're trying to sell your house, is this the a good time to try and sell insist it sounds like no, but are there reasons why it might be better? >> yeah. one, you have less competition. lots of people pull their homes off the market. you've gotten rid of the competition. what you also have as a homeowner, is you have very serious buyer out there. they don't shop during the holidays unless they're serious. >> that's true. in terms of staging your home for the holidays, what do you want to try and do? you probably don't want to overdo it, i'm getting. >> you put up a lot of decorations. you put the big santa claus in your front yard. to the buyer's eyes, that's nothing more than clutter. it doesn't look good to them and it gets them away from seeing

the house. that's a very important thing to keep out of the way. >> and what about putting your home -- you can make it look pretty, as well. >> you can make it look pretty. and there's one thing true anytime of the year. that is that after location, the number two reason people cite for picking any particular home is light. so in the wintertime, the light st flat, it's rather depressing. you have to be very careful to make sure that you light up your house. >> all right. and january, we should mention, only a few weeks away and think the real estate market will start heating up again. so anything we can do right now to prepare if you're planning on putting your house on the market or you know you're going to be in the market for a house. >> it's a very important time. you have a halfway mark where you can sit and reassess. the number one thing you should reassess is the price of the home. if you ask your real estate broker for the last five sales that happened in the fall of the year and base your price on beating out those sales, you'll have that right price for that particular house to be sold.

>> barbara corcoran, as always, thanks so much. coming up next, he was born leonard sly, but we all know him by roy rogers. we'll find out why so many celebrate his life and his music. [ male announcer ] it has a famous song.

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six decades ago, the roy rogers show premiered on tv. he would have turned is 00 last month. now his legacy of being a straight shooting good guy are being carried on by his son and grandson who are still blazing his trail. to millions, he was the king of the cowboys. but to dustin rogers, he was a grandpa. >> people ask me all the time, what was it like having a famous grandfather? and it was very normal. he was as down to either as they come. >> the 35-year-old is the youngest grandchild of roy rogers. >> you look like your grandpa. >> now this father and son are carrying on roy rogers legacy by performing some of that classic cowboy music in grand brapson, missouri. >> my job as his son is not to stand in his shadow. my job is to lengthen his

shadow. >> roy roj everies would have turned 100 years old this year. the cincinnati native emerged out of the national spotlight as a singer with the sons of the pioneers back in the 30s. from there, rogers would cement his place in history, becoming one of the biggest stars of his era, making more than 80 movies and starring in his own tv show. >> if you look at any one of the 100 episodes, every one of them had a message. >> the roy rogers show made its debut on nbc 60 years ago this month. along with roy, it starred his wife, bullet, the family dog and trigger, his palamino. >> when his wholesome good looks and enduring charm -- >> you know you're kind of cute. >> rogers was the ultimate good guy. >> he felt that the kids of america needed him to be what he was on screen.

>> reporter: and that image extended towards his family. >> i'd like you to meet the two newest members of our family. >> he adopted four kids and had one foster child. he gathered us all in one day and said, guys, look, we do things in public appearances and you're going to have a lot of people around you and you're going to have to get used to it. so we all said, well, okay. >> reporter: but he wasn't just a hero on the big and small screen. he was a hero in real life. >> every time we would go out on the road and do a stare fair rodeo, my dad would leave the front 15 rows of his shows open for the kids. >> a champion for children that his son says is roy rogers' greatest legacy. >> it's a very humble legacy, also. he remained true to himself, to his audience and to his family and that he hopes that he influenced the young people of this country in a positive way. >> reporter: a legacy that still lives on today through roy rogers son and grabbed son. >> he's taught me a lot of things. the bottom line is to be true to yourself and what you do and if

you don't believe in it, don't do it. >> and now this father and son are blazing the trails happily for generations to come. >> we all hope that we can influence our own children in a positive way. that's all i want to do. i'm just like my dad. >> merry christmas, everybody. god bless you. merry christmas. >> reporter: and we can tell you that in honor of roy rogers' 100th birthday, there will be a roy rogers float in which his son and grandson will be performing on in the parade, the float will be drawn by palaminos. >> there's no really great family shows on television like that any more. but it's nice to see that his life did have such an impact. we'll be right back. but first, this is

still to come on "today," star witness for the first time the assistant coach from penn state tells his story on the stand. plus, he is one lucky puppy. we will meet this little guy who gave his owners a christmas miracle. but first, these messages. laces? really? 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.

this is a news 4 news break. >> good morning it is 7:46 on this saturday, december 17th. topping your news 4 today, be sure to add some extra time to your metro ride this weekend as four of the five lines will see declays. on the red line every other train from shady grove will end at dupont and every other train from glenmont will end at union station. blue line trains will share one track between stadium armory and addison road. on the yellow line trains will only go between huntsington and mount vernon square. you can transfer to the green

line to finish up your trip. everything should be wrapped up for your monday morning commute. meteorologist chuck bell has a meteo[ male announcer ]l has a this...is the network -- a living, breathing intelligence that's helping people rethink how they live. ♪ in here, video games are not confined to screens. ♪ excuse me, hi. my grandfather lived in this village. [ woman speaking italian ] [ male announcer ] in here, everyone speaks the same language. ♪ in here, cars call mechanics before you do. ♪ [ radio chatter, siren wails ] pass me to the patient, please. [ male announcer ] in here, doctors see you before you get to the hospital. no, we didn't pass it. yeah, pull up the map. [ male announcer ] in here, friends leave you messages written in the air. that's it right there. ♪

[ male announcer ] it's the at&t network... a network of possibilities... and what's possible in here is almost impossible to say. ♪ if you're headed out to participate in super saturday and do that holiday shopping, you'd better bundle up. meteorologist chuck bell is in the storm center with more. >> feeling an awful lot like december. no doubt about it, an extra

layer of warmth may be required for today because-o'of a bit of a northwesterly breeze that will keep windchills in the 30s through the course of the afternoon. actual air temperatures are in the id many upper 30 toz in the suburbans. no rain anywhere all that close to us. a little alberta clipper moving out of chicagoland early this morning could bring a few passing snowflakes to the mountains of west virginia. locations west of the blue ridge out towards i-81 might get just enough snow late tonight to coat the ground. nothing major in and around washington. for today partly sunny, cold and breezy. highs in the low to mid 40s. tomorrow plenty of clouds early on. a few breaks of sunshine late in the day. it's going to stay chilly today and tomorrow. with highs in the low to mid 40s. back near 50 tomorrow and tuesday. some more chances for rain not snow coming in wednesday and friday. back to you. >> thank you, chuck. and we'll have another news and weather update in 25 minutes. before we go back to kwlt today"

show, we want to remind you to download our new nbc washington welcome back to "today" on a saturday morning, the 17th day of december, 2011. i'm lester holt. >> and there was dramatic testimony this week by assistant penn state football coach mike mcqueary. he testified on friday that he saw jerry sandusky allegedly molesting a young boy in the shower. where does the case go from here? we're going to have a live report coming up. then we're going to switch gears. if you're going out shopping today, make sure you are wearing comfy shoes. they call this super saturday. it seems like every show around

the holidays has a special to help you shop. are you buying what they're selling? we'll take a closer look. >> and if you're hosting a dinner party for the holidays, putting out that big feast can get quite expensive. but sandra lee is here to show you how to create a family feast on a budget. >> and i just decided what i wanted for christmas. >> what? >> gloves. wow. >> what are you thinking? >> i don't know. then we're going to have the story about one incredible pooch. he was hit by a car, left for dead, no signs of life. guess what? he came back to life. how it happened has a lot of tongues b s wagging, if you wil. he's such a chuteky. but first, let's get the rest of the morning's headlines with mandy drury. >> good morning, everyone. the senators in the spotlight today. a deal to extend payroll tax cuts and jobless benefits is expected to pass the senate today and move on to the house. the senate is also expected to send president obama a $1

trillion spending bill to keep the government running. there has been a dedzly shooting in a southern california office park. two managers and the shooter are dead. two other people are in critical condition. all worked for southern california edison in urbandale. the shooter was allegedly upset about not receiving a christmas bonus and days off. aymann, have there been any more casualties? >> good morning. egyptian health officials have increased the number of those that have been killed as a result of the fighting to nine. but protesters in tahrir square say that number could go up to as many as 14 people injured. the number injured stands close to 1300 people. an occupy protest outside the government office here was interrupted and disrupted by the military in an attempt to break in. that led to at least 24 hours of

fighting that continued the on saturday with the military attacking protesters and burning the tents in which they were encamped. back to you. >> thank you very much. flash floods triggered by a tropical storm what killed near 200 people in the southern philippines. more than 150 others are missing. many may have drown in a rain swollen river. defense secretary leon panetta is in tripoli to meet with members of the transitional government. he is the first pentagon chief to ever set foot on libyan soil. and dekobe bryant's wife is breaking things off for good. she cited irreconcilable differences. both want joint custody of their two daughters. the bryants have been married for ten years. brittany spear sess reportedly engaged to marry jason, her former beau and manager since 2009. he popped the question in

november. finally, first lady michelle obama received an unexpected surprise. a 20-year-old marine asked the first lady if she would accompany him to next year's marine corps ball. mrs. obama said she would love to attend, but that she would have to check with her husband, first. and that is the news. now back to amy outside on the plaza. >> amy, thanks so much. let's get another check on the weather from from bill karins. bill, it's cold. >> 36 degrees, you're complaining. it's the middle of december. >> all right. >> it is cold. the windchill is making it a little cold. i like your sign. this is very creative. one of the stories of the year, of course, is the animals escaping from the sanctuary in zanesville, ohio. you're embracing it from zanesville. i like that. so first the "today" show. i had to look in here. how far along are you? >> six months.

>> good luck on that. >> thank you. let's talk about the forecast. a lot of people are complaining about the lack of snow and the lack of cold trying to get into the mood and the spirit. these are typically the chances of you having a white christmas. minneapolis, has an 80% chance. much of northern new england. let's take a look at what the map looks like right mow. this is who has snow on the ground. much of northern new england, the ski resorts aren't even open yet. the rockies have the snow on the ground and even minnesota northward, they don't have a large snowpack. in other w good saturday morning. i'm storm 4 meteorologist chuck bell. i agree i think our chances of having anything many the way of a white christmas around here are extremely low. meanwhile outside today a gray sky out there right now. temperatures are holding in the

upper 30s to near 40 degrees and aren't going to move much. daytime highs in the low to mid 40s. northwest wind so to 25 miles per hour. windchills in the 30s today. cloudy skies and when high school students wake up this early in the morning, we like to reward them. where are you guys from? >> kie hoecuyahoga heights high. good morning. now to the compiled abuse allegations regarding former penn state coach jerry sandusky. mike isakoff is in harrisburg, pennsylvania, with more. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, lester. after some dramatic courtroom testimony, a judge has ruled that the case against those two former penn state officials accused of lying in the school's sex abuse scandal can now proceed to trial. >> once the starting penn state quarterback, now a star witness for the government. mike mcqueary took the witness

stand and graphically described seeing a naked jerry sandusky engaged in what he called extreme sexual activity with a young boy. the boy was up against the wall, mcqueary testified. jerry was directly behind him in a very, very close position. i believe jerry was sexually molesting him. mcqueary slammed his locker door shut, causing sandusky and the boy to separate and look him directly in the eye. mcqueary's testimony is key in the case against ath let ek director tim curley and senior vice president gary schultz. both charged with lying about what mcqueary told them about the incident and failing to reporting it to authorities. mcqueary acknowledged he never saw any sexual intercourse and never intervened. i was shocked and horrified, he said. and to be frank with you, i was probably not thinking straight. >> mcqueary was a great witness. very clear, articulate, very sincere and very respectful. >> prosecutors read from former

coach joe paterno's testimony. paterno said he saw sandusky with a youngster doing something of a sexual nature. paterno says said he didn't push for details. he passed along the concerns but never took any steps to investigate. defense lawyers hammered mcqueary over why he never told police. noting schultz's position overseeing the campus police, mcqueary shot back, i thought i was talking to the police. >> now, lester, defense lawyers were frustrated yesterday that the judge wouldn't let them raise questions about inconsistent statements mcqueary might have made that could challenge his credibility. but they say they fully intend to do that when the case goes to trial and they're confident that they can get at least the perjury trial charges dismissed. lester. >> mike isakoff, thanks. ricky clineman is a defense attorney and dr. gayle salt is a

prrg koesht. this is a key witness we heard from. he's now locked into that testimony. this will be what he'll have to say in the actual trials, correct? >> yes, indeed. it is a low standard. it's just to get through the preliminary hearing to say there's enough evidence to proceed with the trial. but the trial, lester, is really about words. the jury in an ultimate trial has to believe mccreery beyond a reasonable doubt or else there is an acquittal in the case. >> but i was struck by the way he phrased things. did you describe for mr. curley and mr. schultz the way he was in the shower? >> i would have, i would have, he didn't say i saw this and this is what i said. >> he really soft pelddals it a probably did at the time, which may make him more credible to a

jury rather than less. it's that he saw something of a extremely disturbing sexual nature, so disturbing that he didn't want to use the real words.that's going to be his sorry. >> and let me ask gayle about that. this is trauma advertising to see what he saw. he was disturbed, he called his father. is that a natural response? and does that tend to make him more credible? >> i think it is. i think when you are overwhelmingly horrified or anxious about something, you throw up a defense. you know, is that really what i saw? i don't want to say those words. those words make it more real to me. and i think that he's -- what he describes is so identifiable to us, the public, to a jury, that we would feel that way, that this person was his mentor. this person was his superior. and when you see, essentially, a father figure of yours doing something that you consider to be heinous and, you know, it's so disturbing that this is a natural reaction, i think we can

relate to that. >> and one of the things being brought up by the defense is whether he described this differently to other people. is there a tendency when you see something like that to almost begin to rationalize it? well, maybe it wasn't what i thought i saw or maybe it was this and maybe it was that? >> i think you could say he's trying to introduce that. he's saying, i saw them close proximity. i saw hands up on a wall. i saw arms up around somebody. he's saying, i didn't see penetration. he's saying that, so that leaves a little bit of room which probably his mind needed, if you will, to not be horrified. but at the same time, he paints us a picture that even if that didn't happen, it doesn't matter because it's a picture that's totally inappropriate. it's sexual abuse, nonetheless. >> ricky, the defense now knows what he's going to say. was there anything he said or anything he might have been weak on that they may seize on? >> well, i think there is the question of precisely what he told curley and schultz. that's the case.

curley and schultz say they never were told by mcqueary or anyone else that these were acts of a sexual nature. this is a perjury case. it's a very different case than the case against sandusky himself for the alleged sexual molestation. >> they claim he said there was horsing around but that there was no sex. >> horsing around in the shower, perhaps he shouldn't have been in the shower, but they have a defensible case, curley and schultz. mr. sandusky stands on quite a different ground. >> we'll have to end there. thanks so much. >> thank you. up next, super saturday sales begin with only one week until christmas. what he need to know before you head out to the mall this weekend coming up after these messages.

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hershey's drops. a lot of hershey's happiness in a little drop of chocolate. pure hershey's. this morning on today's countdown to the holidays, there are only eight days until christmas. on this super saturday, retailers want you to spend,

spend, spend. store sales have taken a dramatic tumble in the weeks since black friday. now retailers are slashing prices. no more now from nbc's tom costello. >> if you thought the stores were packed over the thanksgiving weekend, and they were, then prepare yourself for today. on this last weekend before christmas, some of the biggest retailers are slashing prices. from the promenad in san monica -- >> i haven't bought anything for anyone yet. >> i don't have a strategy yet. i think when i get to the stores, i'll figure it out. >> to the magnificent mile in chicago. >> anything over 50%, i think it's a good deal. >> while store sales soared at the weekend after thanksgiving, they have since suffered the biggest drop in 11 years with americans struggling through a rough economy while still carrying high levels of debt. retail analysts dana telsey is on a ten-city tour gauging holiday sales.

>> what we found is that promotions drive traffic. on average, the average promotion is around 40% off. >> still, despite lower than expected sales since black friday, the national retail if he federation has raised its holiday shopping forecast. now expecting an increase in sales over last year. but for that to happen, this weekend is critical. since the saturday before christmas falls on christmas eve this year, many retailers are calling today super saturday. in salt lake city, overstock.com was itself overstocked and just auctioned off an entire warehouse for pennies on the dollar. and with consumer spending accounting for 70% of the economy, what happens in the next week is critical. >> the stages are huge, not only for retailers, but all businesses. it sets the tone for activity as we make our way into 2012, whether businesses broadly are going to go out, invest and rehire. that's vital for the economic recovery. so just how super will these

deals be? and are consumers willing to spend in this tough economy? here with some insight are janis liborman and robbie. janet, we just heard tom mention this is a critical weekend for retailers. let's talk about for those of us who may need to buy a few gifts, how big of a day is today and what kind of deals are we going to find? >> we're a week out. they have to get the push out right now. basically every retailers, macy aes, target, jcpenney, they want you in the stores and they want you spending. so the deals are out there today and may remain for the rest of the week, but today is a big push. >> and farnush, there are still people, lester, who think that maybe if they wait a few more days, say midweek, they'll get an even better deal. is that true? >> certainly you can maybe get the better deal and a lot of stores are extending their hours. but i'm shopping today and

tomorrow because the fact is, i want to have the selection. and studies show that the longer we wait to buy gifts around the holidays, the more we procrastinate, the more guilty we feel because we're like, why did we wait until the last minute? and we overcompensate and buy things that were probably out of our budget. keep in mind, some stores may price match. walmart is having a christmas price guarantee. if you buy something at walmart and you go hope and you're out shopping still and you find it for less, a local retailer or competing retailer, they will refund you the difference in the walmart gift card. >> and, janice, what about online retailers? are you going to see great deals from them? and when is the last day the gift arrives before christmas? >> amazon is giving you free shipping until monday. most of them will expire. my advice is ask for an operator

and bag. >> they have that lenient at thissy? >> i would ask. say, please, can you give me the cheaper price? it's worth asking. >> you gave us one tip for buying early so you don't buy and spend too much. but any other tips in terms of not overspending and getting that big credit card bill. >> january? >> yeah. i think one smart thing to do is you have an iphone or any smart mobile phone, download a free application like red laser or shop savvy so you can scan prices while you're shopping and stay informed on the go. if you find it for less elsewhere, maybe you can get that price match. shop locally. these independent retailers, there's more room to negotiate. and you're helping small business, which is always great. and think of alternative gifts. you don't have to buy something off a shelf. give something to a charity. choose to save -- sorry, changethepresent.org is one site. and wrap a skill or give the

gift of time. i'll baby-sit your kids one night for free. >> and the day after christmas, great sales, right? >> slim pickings, but apparel and electronics will go up in january, so buy them now fult if you want to get the cheap electronics. >> overstock had some things there, too. >> if we were only in salt lake city. >> thank you both and happy holidays. >> you, too. >> we're back after a moment.

still to come, a story straight out of a hollywood movie. the adventures of the barefoot bandit has come to an end. >> and meet the dog that has nine lives.

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this is a news 4 news break. we're looking at the white house on our live city cam on a partly cloudy day. good morning, everybody. 8:26 on this saturday, december 17th, 2011. i'm chris gordon. topping your news for today, five virginia college students will avoid prison time in the death of a radford university student. last year samuel harrison mason was found dead of alcohol poisoning. investigators say mason was forced to drink large amounts of alcohol to get into the fraternity. five members of the fraternity pleaded guilty to providing alcohol to a minor.

a judge ordered of of them to pay a $1,000 fine. storm 4's chuck bell has a look at your chilly w

♪ [ female announcer ] this time of year you have a lot of festive meals. and safeway helps make every holiday meal a special occasion. so you can make all of your gatherings, just as merry as can be. get a boneless beef loin ny strip roast for just $5.99 a pound. plus save on gift card multipacks. right now get 15% off of $40 itunes multipack. safeway. ingredients for life. let's go to storm 4 ease chuck bell. hey there, chris gordon. good morning to you and a good saturday morning, everybody. your weekend finally here.

cloudy skies for now. we will see a little bit of sunshine today and tomorrow. there will be plenty of clouds in your weekend forecast. chilly weather for your weekend as well. current temperatures in the upper 30s to near 40 degrees under a mostly cloudy sky. we will get a few breaks of sunshine during the course of the day. we'll call it partly sunny, cold and breezy. windchills will stay in the 30z, air temperatures will climb in the mid to low 40s. clouds tonight and maybe a few snow showers in the mountains of west virginia. a few flurries tomorrow well to the west of washington. no accumulations expected even out west of i-81 only a little bit of white on the ground. no major snowstorm here in washington this weekend. cloudy, breezy and chilly. temperatures up in the low 40s today and tomorrow. a limit more sunshine tomorrow. our next chance for rainshowers returns on wednesday. chris, back to you. >> thank you very much. be sure to tune in at k9d.

we'll have a full hour of news and wertz on news 4 today. plus some cheap and easy hair styles for theith. it's a beautiful start here to rockefeller plaza. we're happy to see these folks who have stopped to say hello. look at that cutie in there. >> santa claus came. >> yeah. actually, i think these are loaners, so you might see matt or al or somebody wearing those. >> i might have worn those. i'm kidding. still to come on this half hour of "today" the so-called barefoot bandit has been sentenced to more than seven years in prison for an infamous crime spree.

he's just 20 years old. we'll have the latest on his sentencing. >> he was out there a long time pulling off those crimes. we'll have one of our favorite people in the house cooking for us. sandra lee is taking us on a shopping excursion. of course, she's throwing in a few of her signature cocktail recipes, as well. >> we'll be eating and drinking. looking forward to that. and it's the best gift one family could have received for christmas. their beloved puppy, scam, was hit by a car. he stopped breathing. the family assumed he was dead. but guess what? he was alive and kicking. we'll tell you all about it, with coming up. bill has a final check off our weather. >> do you guys ever wonder if you're on the naughty or nice list? i know you were here trying to get a firsthand knowledge. did lester make the naughty or nice left? >> he plead the fifth. >> still undecided on you two.

i would have brought my list, too, if i had known you were here. but i'm not going to sit on your lap, but we'll discuss that later. good morning, everyone. let's talk about what's going on out there this weekend. we are looking at beautiful weather conditions out there for all of your holiday traveling or errands or whatever you have to do. i know if you're a skier or snowmobilers, this isn't a great condition for anyone here is wht you see is what you get. good saturday morning. i'm storm 4 meteorologist chuck bell. outside our window in washington we have a mostly cloudy sky in place. that's going to be the case for most of your weekend. we will get a few breaks of sunshine from time to time. that is good news to keep your holiday spirits brightened. out there temperatures in the upper 30 to near 40. temperatures not going to move

much today only up into the low 40s for high temperatures. a gusty northwesterly breeze will keep it's going to be tough to top last sunday's game with the cowboys and the giants. we're heading all the way to qualcomm stadium in san diego. we have the ravens coming to san diego. san diego the trying to hold on to a feint hope of the playoffs. 54 to 58 degrees, no problems at all weather wise. back to you, lester. >> bill, thanks. now to washington state where colton harris moore, the so-called barefoot bandit was sentaned to more than seven years in state prison after an international crime spree. >> anxious for his day in court to come to an end, colton harris moore said little to the judge, at one point whispering to his attorney. >> as to count two through count

16, what is your plea? >> guilty. >> sentenced to more than seven years in prison, harris moore, better known as the barefoot bandit pled guilty to an international infamous crime spree that began in puget sound. >> mr. harris-moore was a menace. charged with more than 80 crimes in eight states, the barefoot bandit stole cars, boats, and after he taught himself to fly, planes. during two years on the run, harris-moore burglarized homes and businesses, taunting police and his victims with footprints after committing his crimes without shoes. harris moore was finally arrested barefoot in the bahamas. >> as a victim, i felt and still feel the unrest on our islands, which colton brought. >> but in court, some victims and the judge showed compassion for the now 20-year-old. though his mother denies the

claims, court documents show colton was an abused youth, exposed to alcohol prenatally and suffered psychological harm. the judge did not impose the maximum sentence. >> this is not a -- to come before me and any other judge and say, i had a bad childhood. i am staying within the standard range. but i do have discretion within that and i will impose the lower end of the standards. i wish him well. >> the barefoot bandit's story is scheduled to soon become a movie. proceeds will go to the victims as the real live star sits in prison. >> up next, we'll meet the dog who certainly is a christmas miracle. his story in a moment. [ female announcer ] holiday cards are not for sending. ♪ [ laughs ]

[ laughs ] [ woman ] i want to see that. careful. careful. careful. good. ♪ [ female announcer ] they're for bringing us together. ♪ this holiday, select hallmark cards come postage-paid.

♪ the best approach to food is to keep it whole for better nutrition. that's what they do with great grains cereal. they steam and bake the actual whole grain while the other guy's flake is more processed. mmm. great grains. the whole whole grain cereal. i can't breathe... so i can't sleep... and the next day i pay for it. i tried decongestants... i tossed & turned... i even vaporized! and then i fought back: with drug-free breathe right advanced. these nasal strips instantly opened my nose, like a breath of fresh air. i was breathing and sleeping better! [ female announcer ] exercise your right to breathe right... get two free strips at breatheright.com. hey, it's your right to breathe right! [ knock on door ] cool. you found it. wow. nice place. yeah. [ chuckles ] the family thinks i'm out shipping these. smooth move. you used priority mail flat rate boxes.

if it fits, it ships for a low, flat rate. paid for postage online and arranged a free pickup. and i'm gonna track them online, too. nice. between those boxes and this place, i'm totally staying sane this year. do i smell snickerdoodles? maybe. [ timer dings ] got to go. priority mail flat rate shipping at usps.com. a simpler way to ship. earlier this month, paul mckinley was outside with his

dog, scam, when he got loose and was struck by a car. scam wasn't bleeding and paul couldn't find a heartbeat, so he assumed the worst. he wrapped him in a blanket and placed him under the wheelbarrow. the next morning, to his surprise, camp was alive and sitting up. scam looks so adorable, sleeping peacefully. good morning, everyone. >> good morning. >> and, paul, i want to ask how scam is doing, but he looks likes he's doing great. >> he is doing great. >> oh, you were outside with scam when he got out of the yard. he was struck by a car. tell me what happens when you reached him. what did you notice? and i know you were checking for vitals. >> yeah. i checked for vieltss. it seemed like to me he was dead. i had picked him up off the road and i wasn't getting much response. at that point, i wrapped him up

in a blanket and put him under the wheelbarrow. >> it was cool that night and the vet told you that keeping him outside overnight, you were just putting him there so that you can bury him the next morning actually saved his life. tell me about that. >> what the vet said is that usually when little dogs get hit, their brain has a tendency to swell up. they said the cold weather kept the brain from swelling but the towel around him kept his body warm enough to keep him alive. >> the next morning, when you lifted the wheelbarrow, thinking you were going to have to bury your dog, what was your reaction when you saw scam? >> surprise and disbelief. i wasn't sure if it was just some type of reaction, if he had passed away and he had a reaction, was -- that's what happened. but relief, happiness, joy. >> and i know, rita, scam spent several days at the vet. he had quite a few injuries, correct? >> yes, he did.

>> tell me about that. >> he had severe head trauma. they believe he possibly had a hairline fracture of his jaw. he was bruised all over and he just -- it was the head trauma that was the big problem for him. >> does he face any long-term health issues, rita? >> at this point, every day he's getting a lot better. and he seems to be interacting more. but we still have to watch him because -- and he's on medicine. and we just have to wait and see if everything comes back the way he was. >> he is sleeping right now, correct? >> yeah. he's -- he's having a big day today, so he's just resting right now. he's supposed to stay resting and kind of quiet, so this is actually pretty good for him. >> well, we wish the best for

him. we're so happy for you to share your story with us. thank you, scam, and thank you for joining us. >> thank you so much. coming up next, holiday entertaining made easy with sandra lee. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

good company at dinner parties, and also tight budgets in this tough economy. >> but not to worry. one of the people who always brings great meals and great tips on stretching your money is sandra lee. sandra, good morning. >> good morning, you guys. how are you? happy holiday peps. >> hal happy holidays. >> thank you. now, i've got some delicious recipes and cocktails to share with you. before we get to that, saving in the kitchen starts at the grocery store. so i went on a shopping trip just to show you how easy it can

be. welcome to my grocery store. this is where i shop for groceries in my neighborhood. i'm going to show you today how i shop for groceries. come on. first up on my menu is a ginger brown sugar gladz ham. we're going to pick up some ham, but if you have guests that like ham and turkey for christmas, buy smaller amounts of both of them and pull them both off and make everybody happy. here is a great money saving tip for you. of course you're going to use coupons because you're smart. you're going to take care of all of the sales and make them work for you, right? i need apple jelly. store private label. goes on sale at the end of the month. all of the name brand products go on the sale at the beginning of the month. check out your sales because that's a great way to make a difference in your bottom line. another money saving tip is use what they have in your pantry. stock your pantry with things

like light brown sugar that you can use for all sorts of recipes. i've been baking all season so i need more brown sugar. another thing i have to get is apple cider vinegar. my sister puts this in absolutely everything. again, look for what is on sale, name brand, store name brand. then, i need some spicy brown mustard. i haven't even talked to you about the the wonderful ham that i'm going to put to the side. i'm going to make a ham skillette casserole. need bisquick for that. spices, i normally buy spices in my club stores because it's a membership and you get a huge reduction on things like this. why do you put pumpkin pie spice in everything? because this is the all in one spice. whether it calls for all spice, nutmeg, whatever it is, pumpkin pie spice can substitute for any of those.

use your pantry and know how to shop your store. thank you. merry christmas. >> a power shopper. >> and i have to tell you, it smells so good, ginger and brown sugar glazed ham. it's also affordable, correct? >> preheat your oven to 350 degrees. this is a seven pound ham. it's going to go fat side up and it is just over $13 for this entire thing. >> that's incredible. >> that's under $2 a pound. so you get a lot of bang for your buck. what's the inspiration for the meal? >> i wanted to do something that was a little bit sweet but had some zing to it. in here is a sauce made from brown sugar, apple jelly, apple cider vinegar, ginger and garlic. all this is in here. an hour and 15 minutes in the oven, 350 degrees, you pour your glaze over the top. this has been tinted until this point. pour your glaze, take the tinting off. put it back in there for about

20 minutes. >> what makes this affordable is there is a round two. >> there is a round two recipe with this. that's not a leftover. a round two is a planned meal. so breakfast or brunch the next day is a ham skillet casserole. cut off ham, chop it up, bisquick goes in here. you've got your egg, ham, it's absolutely delicious. >> and we know we've bought enough that we're going to have some ham left over. >> i premade you a lovely martini. that's what this is called, just for you, miss amy. now, in here, i have some things that you like. some chocolate godiva liquor, bailey's had lf & half. and for you, i have a country christmas cocktail. in here, this is your country christmas cocktail. >> actually, i'm the designated anchor. >> merry christmas. captain morgan's spice rum.

in there is vanilla vodka. in there is a sweetened condensed milk. >> you're going to have to designate an anchor, by the whie. >> and chi tea. >> i love chi tea. >> it's very zen this christmas. >> what are you doing for christmas? >> i am going to sleep. i don't know how you guys do this. >> i always wonder if people like you actually cook on the holidays. >> yeah, yeah, we normally do. >> but the bar is set so high, how do you meet all those expectations? >> i get my rear-end in that kitchen and i go power shopping. >> you serve these to everyone and then they're always happening. >> you did say signature cocktails are important for every meal, correct? people like to know that they're going to come in and get something special. >> yeah. so if this is the cocktail you were serving, you would call this amy's lovely martini or lester's country christmas. >> sandra, always a pleasure. thanks for coming on. good to see you. >> merry christmas. >> we're back in a moment. but first, these messages.

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♪ ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] big mac and mac snack wrap. the simple joy of one-of-a-kind flavor.

ltsdz. the holidays are often the time to owner men and women who serve our country. tonight, nbc joins forces with wwe and the fourth annual wwe tribute to the troops special. >> and this morning, wwe superstar mick foley and wwe diva kelly kelly are here to tell us all about it. good morning and happy holidays. >> thank you for being here. >> it's nice to be here. thank you for having us. >> this event has been going on

for years. a special bond has developed with military personnel and the wwe personnel. >> it's almost insxlixble. the woman shrugged her shoulders and said, slim jims and wrestlers. i don't understand either one of them. but that's what our troops like. >> and you're doing a diva's match in front of some of these troops. is that different than a typical match? >> actually, we had maria menudo from extra come. so it was us four against four other girls. it was really, really fun because the troops were so excited and so into it. they were excited to see the girls out there kicking some butt. we were all in our army gear, too. so it was a really fun match. >> kelly, kil kelly and nick foley, thank you so much. >> can i give a quick shout out

to mrs. gallagher. >> we can watch you guys tonight at 9:00 p.m. here on nbc. that does it for us on this saturday morning. tomorrow on "today" surviving the holiday season stress. >> so long, everybody. have a great saturday.

good morning. i'm angie goff. and i'm chris gordon. straight ahead on news 4 today, shutdown averted.

details of the spending package that will keep the federal government up and running and why some local leaders are furious with the details. ride on. the new flyover ramp that opens this morning that will make your commute a whole lot easier. >> reporter: supersaturday and malls are already crowded in our area. i'll have details coming up on news 4. you can definitely tell there are cloudy skies in northern virginia. it looks like clouds may be a big part of your weekend. i'll have your forecast coming up. all that and more when you join us for

you're watching nbc 4 washington's news leader. now live in hd this is news 4 today. good morning, everybody. i'm angie goff. i'm chris gordon, welcome to news 4 today this is saturday, december 17th. on a budget that will run through september of next year. >> the last minute agreement helped avoid a government shutdown. the proposed plan is a trillion dollar bill nicknamed the megabus. it increases pentagon spending and health research by 1%, but cuts homeland security spending by 5%. lawmakers expressed relief and gratitude that they were able to agree on an important is