. >>> from nbc news world headquarters in new york, this is "nbc nightly news" with lester holt. >>> good evening. with midterm elections behind them and christmas less than a week away, this outgoing congress is certainly not acting like a lame duck. as we come on the air, the senate is still at work in a rare sunday session having handed the president two important votes in the last week on taxes and gays in the military, they now seem poised to possibly grant one more big item on barack obama's wish list, ratification of the nuclear arms treaty with the russians. this sudden flurry of bipartisan good cheer has caused the president to delay his christmas trip to hawaii as he remains in washington hoping to end the year on a political high note. mike, good evening. >> reporter: good evening. after the two big victories on domestic issues he's pushing for a one on one more thing in congress on what he calls a priority. today on "meet the press" confidence from the vice president that s.t.a.r.t. will ab proved by christmas. >> do you have the votes to get that ratified? >> i believe w

. >> announcer: from nbc news world headquarters in new york, this is "nbc nightly news" with lester holt. >>> good evening. it won't be just the christmas credit card deals come due next month. uncle sam in january will be taking a bigger chunk of your paycut. that's because the tax cuts we've all known in the past ten years are about to expire. but after ekes of political pob turing over whether to extend those tax cuts to just certain americans both sides tonight appear to be on the verge of compromise, determined to reach a deal perhaps as soon as this week. as to what that means for your bottom line, let's turn to nbc's mike viqueira following all of this at the white house. >> reporter: now hope tonight that the president, republicans and congressional democrats can come together and agree in time for all americans to avoid a tax hike at the end of this month. today signs from both sides that a deal on taxes is taking shape. >> bottom line on the extension of the tax rates, unemployment benefits being extended, you see a compromise here in short order. >> i think the american p

from all of us at nbc news, happy holidays. captions by vitac www.vitac.com >>> a wet and windy blast for christmas day in the bay area. good evening, i'm

kerry sanders, nbc news, miami. >>> that's "nbc nightly news" for this saturday. i'm lester holt reporting from new york. i'll see you tomorrow morning on "today" then right back here tomorrow evening. good night. captions by vitac www.vitac.com >>> a blast of winter weather strikes the bay area packing rain and lots of wind. good evening, i'm gavin thomas. we

news. >>> and that's "nbc nightly news" for this saturday. i'm lester holt reporting from new york. i'll see you tomorrow morning on "today" and then back here tomorrow evening. for all of us at nbc news, good night. >>> good evening, i'm diane dwyer. friends of t

for all of us at nbc news, merry christmas. good night. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com . >>> from last-minute donations to last-minute shopping, thousands of people are still out at bay area malls and storms. time is running out. good evening on this christmas eve. tom is off tonight celebrating with his family. shoppers came back in force this year, spending more than expected on family, friends and b

austan goolsbee. >>> when "nbc nightly news" continues this saturday, they are in the game. but are very young children being exposed to sports too soon? >>> celebrating a wonderful life. why a museum dedicated to jimmy stewart needs a miracle of its own. st >>> we're back with a story sure to have a lot of parents asking how soon is too soon when it comes to giving children an added edge. we all heard of the early reading and music courses. now the focus is on the playing field. getting toddlers trained sometimes even before they're out of diapers. northbound's rehema ellis has our story. >> reporter: this looks like a typical mommy and me class with kids who are barely walking, but already they're goal oriented. >> he learns definitely specific soccer skills. >> reporter: from soccer to gymnastics. tee ball, even ice skating more and more toddlers are getting an early edge in sports instruction, as early as 18 months. >> my man. >> reporter: parents are convinced it's good for their child's development and no age is too young to start. >> the earlier you start anything, wh

>>> on the broadcast tonight, an nbc news exclusive. the wikileaks founder, a hunted man, facing accusations of rape. and tonight, we've spoken to the lawyer for the two women while the state secrets continue pouring out. >>> your money and the art of the deal. we may be on the brink tonight of a tax deal that will affect every american. and did john boehner really just say at? >>> weighing in, who's heavy enough to qualify for weight loss surgery? it's mostly women who get it. should more of them qualify for it? >>> the meaning of life. a fascinating experiment opening new frontiers of what life may be and where it is. >>> and why even the president is worried about what might happen in cleveland tonight. "nightly news" begins now. captions paid for by nbc-universal television >>> good evening. there are now people looking for him all over the world. julian assange, the man behind wikileaks is wanted by the police agency interpol and reviled by many. last night, the internet rumor was that he was spotted in a bar here in new york with

nbc news, hollywood. >>> that's "nbc nightly news" for in sunday. up next, "football night in america" followed by nbc's "sunday night football." the eagles versus the cowboys tonight. brian williams will be here tomorrow. i'm lester holt reporting from new york. from all us here at nbc news, new york. from all us here at nbc news, good night. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com

richard engel, nbc news, the serengeti. >>> and that is our broadcast for this thursday night. thank you for being with us. i'm lester holt in for brian williams. hope to see you right back here tomorrow evening. good night. 5 -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com >>> i almost go inside, you know. the fire is so bad i can't go. >> a neighbor pulls a girl to safety from a burning building as her family is trapped inside. tonight we're finding out just who is responsible for the family living in a home with power rigged by extension cords. and without working smoke detectors. good evening, everyone, i'm

"nbc nightly news" begins now. >>> from nbc news world headquarters in new york, this is "nbc nightly news." with brian williams. >>> good evening. tonight millions of americans are in the grip of some downright dangerous weather, and not all of it makes sense. for example, for a good part of this day, it was colder in northern maine than it was in southern florida. this cold weather stretch is way down to the south, and way out to the east. records were set today for cold temperatures in the eastern half of the country. tomorrow, it could get worse in some areas, shall even far to the south. tonight we're concentrating on a genuine drama with families in the middle of it. traffic headed into the united states from canada, caught and cut off by a snowstorm. and now rescues are under way. nbc's john yang leads off our coverage tonight in michigan city, indiana. john, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, brian. here in northwestern indiana along lake michigan, it snowed for the third straight day. folks here are digging out from under 2 feet of snow, and drifts as high as 4 feet. bu

janet shamlian, nbc news, ft. leonardwood, missouri. >>> and that's our broadcast for this monday night. thank you for being here with us as we start off a new week together. i'm brian williams. we hope to see you right back here tomorrow evening. good night. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com >>> a border war is brewing over some of the most congested commutes in the bay area and you may be the one picking up the tab. good evening, everyone. welcome. i'm tom sinkovitz. >>> there is a fight brewing on the peninsula and everybody who drives a car is going to get hit. san mateo county says if san francisco starts charging a toll to enter the city during peak hours, then san mateo county is going to do the same

tom costello, nbc news, washington. >>> to something a bit more basic. the weather, especially we go to southern california now, day six of the torrential rain that's turned huge areas into a flooded dangerous mess. our own miguel almaguer is in l.a. for us. good evening. >> reporter: brian, good evening. river banks across california are on the rise and here in los angeles the l.a. river which snakes through so much of the city is also on the rise. earlier today, water threatened lives. now it's threatening homeless. raging waters and flash flooding in orange county four hikers were rescued after being trapped and in orange county, four hikers were rescued after they were trapped by a swollen creek overnight. >> they're cold, they're wet. >> near san diego, three men were pulled to safety from rising rapids below a bridge. but in northern california, a 62-year-old woman died after she drove into the rushing river. >> stay on high grounds. stay in a safe place and have communications available if possible. >> reporter: few areas are safe. heavy rain poun

john yang, nbc news, st. louis. >>> on wall street today, stocks continued to drift higher in very light holiday week trading. the dow finished the day up just under ten points. >>> up next, saying goodbye to one of the greats in american music. >>> 2011 could get off to a very good start for a lucky lottery ticket buyer. the multistate mega millions jackpot is up to $237 million, and the drawing happens new year's eve, this friday night at 11:00 eastern. so here's the deal. the winner buys the midnight champagne, okay? >>> the british media are reporting that prince william and his fiance, kate middleton, will depart from tradition in at least one respect, they will not have any butlers or servants living with them, at least for now. this is in stark contrast to william's father, prince charles, who reportedly employs 149 people on his staff. including butlers, chauffeurs, valets and chefs. the daily telegraph says the couple believe that sharing their home with servants would ruin the intimacy of their marr

"nightly news" begins now. captions paid for by nbc-universal television >>> good evening. california is getting pounded tonight by the most massive and relentless storm, coming in off the pacific and just pouring water on the west coast. it has caused a genuine emergency and for now it shows no signs of stopping. meaning a lot of people are now heading into another nervous night. hundreds of homes are threatened, thousands of people have been evacuated. it's been going on for days already. and a lot of records have already fallen. in some places, lives and property are in danger tonight, and we begin with nbc's miguel olmagare. he's in flintridge, california tonight. good evening. >> reporter: heavy rain has been pounding this area for five consecutive days and residents are trying to push flood waters from coming into their homes. in fact, right now they are still filling sandbags and more wet weather isn't over. the foothill communities outside los angeles are beginning to look like a war zone. streets lined with sandbags, homes fortified with retaining walls. 12 inches

tracy grant, nbc bay area news. >>> the holidays always mean stepped up enforcement on the roads and dela again day found that out himself last night when he was arrested on suspicion of dui. he was on 508 weaving between lanes going at least 80 miles an hour p. police say they pulled him over and he failed a sobriety test.council member wall taken to the station and booked on dui. he was later released to his wife. so far there has been no comment frh their camp. >>> more than three times in the il5l, 10 gallons of that has be recovered so far. chunks of asphalt and even hard hats were found at the scene leading some to think that sabotage may be involved. the company is cooperating with the investigation. >>> more than just body scans being exposed. a pilot tonight under investigation for posting videos of security procedures at sfo. federal authorities are looking into if the material was too sensitive to be put on the net. the pilot posted the videos late last month on youtube showing airport personnel without screening. the videos have been taken down. an attorney for the pilot

mark potter, nbc news, miami. we learned today johnson &johnson has recalled 13 million packages of rolaids soft chews after receiving pieces of wood and metal shards in the products. the problem may have stemmed from a third party manufacturer and cautioned consumers. if you have some at home don't use them. >>> up next, newly released tapes of richard nixon and what he really thought about a man who became one of the most popular presidents in the modern era, ronald reagan. >>> we are learning more tonight about what went on behind closed doors at the nixon white house during two very busy months, february and march of 1973. there has been a new release of white house audiotapes and documents just out tonight from the nixon library in california. what you're about to hear is president nixon talking to then aide chuck colson about the possibility that ronald reagan might make a run for the white house in 1976. >> remember those words, "anybody but reagan." a year and a half later, nixon was gone, gerald ford beca

"nightly news" begins now. captions paid for by nbc-universal television >>> good evening. it's a fair question. for a while now, americans have been wondering how lawmakers in washington could possibly extend tax breaks for wealthy americans while allowing benefits for jobless americans to be cut off. it's all part of the fight between the parties. the president, the republicans, the fight over what the midterm elections meant. they've been talking tonight at the white house where word arrived late in the day of the makings of a deal, and then the president stepped before the cameras. we have it covered with our chief white house correspondent chuck todd. good evening. >> reporter: it's not quite a done deal, but one is close enough that the president himself has talked about the frame work of the deal. take a listen. >> i have no doubt there are things that not everybody will like, but it's the right thing to do for jobs, for middle class, and it's the right thing to do for our economy. it offers us an opportunity that we need to seize. it's not perfect. but this compromi

"nightly news" begins now. captions paid for by nbc-universal television >>> good evening. this morning a reporter spotted something and thought it was strange that there was no marine guard standing guard at the door at the northwest portico of the white house, because there normally is when the president is in residence. then we learned he wasn't home. he was in fact landing in afghanistan. he made a secret overnight flight to visit the troops and meet with the president of that country. the problem for president obama, even while flying halfway around the world, he still could not escape some very bad news in the form of a very big number back home. today, we learned the unemployment rate has gone up, right on top of the holiday season. it's grown to 9.8% from 9.6%. bad economic news in an already bad economy. we have tonight asked both of our white house correspondents to join us. first, to the economy and nbc's savannah guthrie. savannah, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, brian. this jobs report came out while the president was still in the air. there had been a

lisa myers, nbc news, washington. >>> we turn now to today's news about health. surprising, especially for women, who have had it hammered into their heads that they need more calcium to keep their bones healthy. a new report from the institute of medicine says that that's not always true. and it says -- much of what especially women have been told about vitamin d is a myth as well. our chief science correspondent robert bazell has more on the new findings. >> reporter: when it comes to bone health, there is no debate. calcium and vitamin d are critical. but today's report holds surprises. in a world where there's calcium in dairy products and it is added to everything from tums to orange juice, many people including older women, don't need calcium supplements. >> many individuals will be able to obtain these recommended dietary allowances from diet. >> reporter: the other big news? vitamin d, we get it from exposure to the sun, certain food and from supplements. in recent years, research has suggested vitamin d might lower the risk for all sorts of conditions. i

kurt gregory, nbc news. >>> now here's a look at other stories making news early today in america. a new jersey store clerk came out swinging his machete against three armed men. the suspects stormed in. one managed to clean out the register, but the power struggle quickly shifted. the clerk took the upper hand and beat the men out of the store. police are still looking for the men. >>> there's a lot of banter in one alaska barber shop after an suv plowed through the store, stopping dangerously close to seated customers. police say the driver of the suv was pulling into a parking space when his foot slipped off the brake pedal and on to the gas. fortunately no one was hurt. the driver has been cited. >>> in ohio, a collapsed metal silo spilled tons of corn on to a nearby home, rocking it off its foundation. the avalanche buried the area with up to 12 feet of corn. fortunately, the family made it out safely. in the meantime, bulldozing crews continue to clean up the mess while an investigation gets under way. >>> and in california, governor arnold schwarzenegger joined in on the fes

kurt gregory, nbc news. >> now here's a look at other stories making news early today in america. new hampshire police say they may have prevented a suicide by cop by debilitating a man with a stun gun. police say the suspected, impaired driver approached the man in an aggressive manner yelling at them to shoot him. but police stunned him instead preventing a situation they say could have escalated. >>> police in new mexico just released video of a wild chase on halloween. the driver of a brand new camaro led police on an hour-long high speed chase after refusing to pull over. police made several attempts to blow out the suspect's tires and break out his windows. the man has been charged with dwi and aggravated fleeing. >>> if fll after the flawless launch of the rocket, space x became the first commercial company to re-enter spacecraft from low earth orbit after completing two trips around atlantic. after a flawless launch, the they could be hauling astronauts to the space station in two to three years. >>> and a georgia man created a winter wonderland in his backyard. the full-t

chris jansing, nbc news, trenton, michigan. >> told you that was a great story. and because we know how charitable and generous so many of you are, if you would like to join in the work of little dresses for africa or would just like to learn more about the organization, find it on our website, nightly.msnbc.com. for now, that's our broadcast for a wednesday night. thank you for being here with us. and as we take another look at the tree out back, all lit up for the holidays, i'm brian williams. we hope to see you right back here tomorrow evening. good night from new york. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com >>> a big what humbug as home owners fight to keep thieves are stealing their christmas decorations. >> a grinch with a grudge. a south bay neighborhood is banding together tonight to help catch a thief who

peter alexander, nbc news, brookfield, connecticut. >>> there you go. that's our broadcast for this friday night and this week. thank you for being here with us. i'm brian williams. lester holt will be here with you this weekend. we hope to see you right back here on monday. in the meantime, have a good weekend. good night. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com . >>> a week long cross-country search for a missing 12-year-old girl ends in the bay area tonight. good evening, everyone. i'm jessica aguirre. >> i'm tom sinkovitz. police say the girl disappeared from her roanoke, virginia home last week the tonight britney may smith is safe here in the

"nightly news" begins now. captions paid for by nbc-universal television >>> good evening. you may think of congress as a do-nothing, paralyzed gridlocked legislative body unable to agree on anything. and yet, thanks to a final day frenzy of activity before leaving town for the christmas break, when it's all said and done, this congress passed more laws affecting more americans than any congress perhaps going as far back as the great society era of president johnson. and as for president obama, he seemed to be saying today, while he got shellacked in november, he came back in december. nobody got exactly what they wanted, everybody gave something. but then suddenly a torrent of legislation, for 9/11 first responders, don't ask, don't tell for the military, and the s.t.a.r.t. nuclear arms treaty. our team is in place and ready to go tonight. we'll begin in new york with savannah guthrie. savannah, at least they leave town in dramatic fashion. >> reporter: we had some cliffhangers. this ended better than the president probably expected out of the ashes of those midterm losses

"nightly news" begins now. captions paid for by nbc-universal television >>> good evening. for 85 million americans, the temperature did not go above freezing today, and it won't tonight. this nasty and relentless winter weather system now stretches so far to the south, the florida keys set a record for cold today. 15 american cities broke records today, 11 of them in florida. close to 40% of the land mass in the continental u.s. remains snow covered. last night people had to be rescued from their vehicles in the snow. the fact is, it is early yet in the season for quite this much hunkering down and digging out. nbc's john yang has our coverage from the windy city. john, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, brian. the cold has settled in like a bad holiday house guest. it's made itself right at home and shows no signs of leaving any time soon. a major trucking route into michigan from canada reopened today as crews cleared abandoned cars and trucks stopped by whiteout conditions and buried by drifting snow. stranded travelers resumed their trips, leaving schools and chu

nbc news. >>> that's news4 at 4:00. news4 at 5:00 starts now. >>> first at 5:00, a winter weather advisoryn parts of our area. that means some of us could see several inches of snow tomorrow, creating trouble for the morning commut there's good news. good afternoon. welce to news4 at 5:00. i'm wendy rieger. >> jim handly is off tonight. cold air and guy winds across the region. we have live team coverage of the weather conditions and begin with chief meteorologist doug kammerer with a look at what we can expect over the next 2 hours. >> we're going to be dealing with first what we've been dealing with toe past 48 hours. that's the extremely cold temperature. the temperatures today struggled toeach 32 degrees. they've struggled to

jay gray, nbc news. >>> six people including three young children are dea after a wind driven fire in baltimore, maryland. it happened just before 5:00 this morning in the 2300 block of home wood avenue firefighters say they were inside, but forc to evacuate when high wind gusts intensified that fire. it spread to three other homes before firefighters were able to put it out. that's when they searched and discovered the bodies of the six victims. they haven't been identified but a relative says they include a couple, theigranddaughter and her three children who are aged 9, 3 and 1. the cause of the fire is still under investigation. >>> former white house chief of staff rahm emmanuel testified on his own behalf today in chicago. he left washington in october to n for mayor of his hometown. just last saturday he opened the campaign office in hyde park. critics are trying to boot him from the ballot. th say he doest need the cisi meet the city's one-year residency requirent. they lists chicago as their part time residence on their tax return. emmanuel continued to pay property taxes on

meanwhile, according to a new nbc news/"wall street journal" poll says 53% leaving some u.s. troops in afghanistan until 2014. 45% disapprove. that report due out today again. >>> staggering midterm losses and an unemployment rate still hovering around 10% results from the latest nbc news/"wall street journal" poll give president obama despite all that a even to be optimistic. first the negatives. according to the survey the president's job approval rating has once again hit its lowest level coming in at 45%. that's down a couple of points from last month but all things considered, not so bad and 63% think the country is headed in the wrong direction. that's the most since president obama took office. however, the poll shows that the president has a comfortable lead against a generic candidate by 3 points and looking at specific matchups which mean nothing now but why not he would top mitt romney, 47-40 and in the hypothetical with sarah palin, look at this new margin, the president would win by 22 points. >>> president obama and business leaders are pledging to work together

kurt gregory, nbc news. >>> and we are now just hours away from ringing in the new year. it is already 2011 in new zealand where stunning fireworks lit up the sky earlier this morning. but the sight of the biggest celebration of all will be new york's times square, where nearly 1 million revelers are expected to watch the iconic now crystal ball drop, and nbc's wendy jillette joins us now from times square with more. quiet now. that's going to change in a few hours. >> reporter: oh, yes. that's definitely true, lynn. it is very quiet right now, but in a few hours people from all over the world will be in the streets, all saying good-bye to 2010. here can you see the line of security barricades. they pretty much go all the way back here and aim the way back on all the avenues and streets. with probably a couple dozen blocks in this area and they are here, of course, to barricade everyone who's coming in. there's going to be close to 1 million people here in times square, if you can believe that. all of these people in. they have then all over the city in pens. once you get

nbc's john yang has our coverage from the windy city. which itself has taken on new meaning. john, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, brian. the cold has settled in like a bad holiday house guest. it's made itself right at home and shows no signs of leaving any time soon. a major trucking route into michigan from canada reopened today asrews cleared abandoned cars and trucks stopped by whiteout conditions and buried by drifting snow. stranded travelers resumed their trips, leaving schools and churches where they had found shelter from the storm. >> this was where i was sleeping every night. so it was a home away from home i guess. >> reporter: brandon justin spent 24 hours in his truck, shivering as his vehicle shook with the high winds. >> i ran out of fuel close to dnight. it got so cold, like by 1:00 a.m. it s really cold, it was starting to hurt. >> reporter: in alabama today, icy conditions proved deadly as weather related crashes killed at least three people. in kentucky, crews raced to restore power to nearly 11,000 customers in single digit temperatures. produce

nbc bay area news. >> from christmas shopping to christmas crooks. they struck when bandits hijacked a fedex truck. it happened yesterday when the fedex driver stopped to deliver a package and when the driver returned, he made off with the delivery vehicle. after a brief search, they found the truck in the 1800 block of east 25th avenue. >> the driver said that somebody ended up pulling them out and bringing it and stripped it pretty much. everything is gone. no trace of anything. >> some 60 packages are missing. if you are worried yours might be among them, call fedex with the tracking number. >> the dog abuser shot and almost killed a pet schnauzer. the canine is still recovering, there is no sign of the family's other dog. the dog owners are both relieved and anxious. >> reporter: for a lot of people animals are like family. oakland police are oat look out for someone who tried to kill a canine family member. >> he was cold and wet. >> bret and brad say they didn't think their 4-year-old schnauzer kevin would make it. he is recovering like a champ

nbc news has confirmed that richard holbrooke, the u.s. special representative to afghanistan and pakistan has died. on friday, holbrooke was rushed to a hospital with a torn aorta. he went through more than 20 hours of surgery. he served in the obama administration as the u.s. special representative for afghanistan. and was putting the finishing touches on a major report on american military and diplomatic efforts in afghanistan that was due to be released on thursday. richard holbrooke was 69 years old. >>> a virginia judge today struck down part of president obama's health care reform legislation as unconstitutional. ruling that the government cannot force people to buy insurance. nbc bay area's elis kirshner has more. >> reporter: while not invalidating the entire health care law, a judge took issue with one of the provisions, by requiring that individuals buy health insurance. virginia's republican attorney general filed the challenge and today applauded the ruling. >> this case is not about health insurance, it is not about health ca

nightly news at 4:00. nbc news at 4:30. the minnesota vikings at 5:00. then it's sports sunday primetime, even though we know it's tuesday, followed by more local news at 9:00. >>> well, oakland police say it could be weeks before they know how a 40-year-old waitress was killed. jill marie abbott's body was found at the entrance of a bike trail off of skyline boulevard in oakland on friday. the autopsy tests were inconclusive. abbott was the second woman found slain in oakland last week. they don't believe the death is connected to the stabbing of fresno resident jasmine jordan. her body was found three hours away on a jetty near harbor bay parkway. a house fire explains they life of an eltd lderly man. the fire department was called to the house. it took 15 minutes to extinguish the blaise. firefighters then found the body inside. there's no word on what caused the fire. the man lived alone in that house. >>> well, he sent nearly two full seasons as the 49ers head coach. a half season more before that as the interim head coach. but mike singletary's day

um >>> tonight at 11:00 on nbc bay area news, extreme science. helping cops catch criminals like never before. >> there's a lot of potential forensic evidence that hasn't been used in the past because there hasn't been the science behind it. >> you're not going to believe it. we're talking about cat fur helping put bad guys behind bars. see how it's done tonight at 11:00 after "the office." >>> the family tonight, no matter how hard you tried to have the best light display in your neighborhood, and perhaps you do, but you'll feel inferior when you see this. every year, about 100,000 people travel to san rafael in france to see the spectacular light show there. isn't that something. buildings and monuments across town colorfully illuminated for the light festival. they certainly go all-out for the cathedral with a beautiful light show projected onto the facade. that's neat. >> tres magnifique.

frances kuo, nbc news. >> elsewhere flooding remains a serious concern in the pacific northwest where homes were swamped along washington rivers. it sent several rushing to get sandbags in place yesterday while hundreds of others were told to consider evacuating. no injuries were reported but scores of homes were flooded as rivers rose. the national weather service says the water in some places could go as high as 22 feet before it starts to fall later today. >>> and here's your "first look" at some of the other news going on in america today. in washington, d.c., the president and his family spent the evening spreading the holiday spirit. they were greeted by a group of tiny elves at a fund-raiser. one got a little mischief and it was nothing that the first lady couldn't handle. the family was there helping to raise money for the children's national hospital. >>> in connecticut about 500 kids in grades 5 through 8 took part in a lego building competition. they were robot legos. the theme was biomedical engineering so they creates robots that did things like dispense medicine. teacher

nbc news. >> we are about to embark on a milestone and hopes to take the first human life robot. they will be on board the space shuttle discovery when it launches on february 3rd. fingers, thumbs and grips a pen and even write. they plan to use the robot to do jobs that are dangerous for people with certain risky space walks. they are based on technology that comes out of the research center here in mountain view. coming up, we continue to follow our two developing stories in the east bay including a massive fire that sent a number of people in the hospital. just because the rain is cleared out, doesn't mean the bay area is not feeling the results. what people plan to do with the apartments that are dangling on the edge of the sea. >> i promise you love you every moment forever. >> as 2010 closes, we look at the tope grossing films. which one is nuone. laura is coming up on the back side of the break. you can do something extraordinary. join your neighbors and the american red cross and help save the day when the next disaster strikes, when a neighbor's house burns down, if some

savannah guthrie is nbc news correspondent. you have had a lot of briefings, what is the prognosis for afghanistan? >> look, i think this review was portrayed as something exhaustive looking how this counterinsurgency strategy is working and executed ed id in t possible way. it is whether the strategy we have is working. the ultimate conclusion from the administration is progress is being made. they identify areas they need to improve, getting insurgents out of the tribal areas. there was a lot of emphasis on how far pakistan has come and how much it has done. the administration is highlighting the way the al qaeda senior leadership in pakistan has been degraded by some of the counterterrorism measures the administration has undertaken. the real bottom line issue for so many people is when can the troops begin to come home. they are talking about the july 2011 date as the beginning of the draw down as the surged troops, the extra 30,000 troops the president has sent. it has been clear for a matter of weeks since the summit of n

latest nbc news/"wall street journal" poll says about president obama's prospects for 2012 and out of his would-be republican challengers. >>> plus, what was the worst moment on capitol hill? so many low lives to choose one. only one receives the coveted chuvannah award. it's thursday, december 16th, 2010. i'm savannah guthrie. >> and i'm chuck todd. we're going to get to the rundown's in a moment. first what we're watching. we'll going to begin with the war progress. how long can the president hold off discontent with the war from his democratic base? trust me. it's already there. just how many troops can begin to withdraw next summer, also watching s.t.a.r.t. will the white house and senate democrats round up enough republicans to ratify the treaty now before christmas, or will senator kyl and his allies succeed in delaying it until next year. >> looks like they might. >>> plus, the decade is ending. how happy are americans to leave it behind? apparently very. more than half called the first ten years of the 21st century one of the worst in a very long time. we need to remind oursel

and tonight be sure to watch brian williams with nbc "nightly news." >>> and, finally, here's a look at what's coming up later this morning on the "today" show. find out the forecast for parts of california under a state of emergency in the wake of epic flooding. >>> and meet a woman on a controversial new reality show, giving brides-to-were plastic surgery. >>> now keep it on this channel for continuing local news, weather, sports and more. i'm lynn berry. thanks for watching "early today," just your first stop of the day today on your nbc station. have a good one. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com how's it going in there, hon? um, almost ready. [ car alarm blaring ] [ blaring echoes, fades ] oh! [ male announcer ] relax. pam helps you pull it off. [[ female anpride.r ] what will you gain when you lose?™ pizzazz. sass! [ laughter ] [ woman ] i'm feeling that! [ female announcer ] the special k challenge™ begins january 1st. free personalized plans at specialk.com. what will you gain when you lose?™

nbc news. >> coming up on today in the bay, a possible sign of life on other planets. we will take a look. relive the giants world series run. we will tell you where and how. >>> taking green to a new level. a group of countries talk talking about doing away with the light bulb. marla is coming up on the back side of this break. [ female announcer ] what will you gain when you lose?™ pride. pizzazz. sass! [ laughter ] [ woman ] i'm feeling that! [ female announcer ] the special k challenge™ begins january 1st. free personalized plans at specialk.com. what will you gain when you lose?™ ["stir it up" playing] stir up a smile with hershey's syrup. announcer: in this season of hope, you can do something extraordinary. join your neighbors and the american red cross and help save the day. visit redcross.org. >> new this morning, if you are traveling this holiday season, have a lot of company. travel is up. we will show you a live look from oakland international airport. >> taking action, what the epa said it's going to do about reports of a cancer-as you causing chemic

tavis: tom brokaw of nbc news. up next, filmmaker darren aronofsky on his latest project, "black swan." [captioning made possible by kcet public television] >> darren aronofsky is a talented director, writer and producer who's previous projects including "the wrestler," "requiem for a dream" and "pi." his latest movie, "black swan," opens friday. here now, scenes from "black swan." >> feel my touch, respond to it. >> i don't want to talk about that. >> you really need to relax. >> it's the role, isn't it? it's all this pressure. i knew it would be too much. i knew it. >> what she's doing here? >> you made me your ultimate. >> the only person standing in your way is you. >> i have my ways. >> nobody's after you. >> please believe me. >> what happened to my sweet girl? she's gone! >> there's buzz on this film but also a lot of buzz on natalie. >> absolutely. >> deserved? >> i think so, yeah. she worked really hard for this, spent a year training, 365 days, five hours a day becoming a ballerina, which is a tall order

kurt gregory, nbc news. >>> on capitol hill you might call it the tax step two-step. political maneuvering continued on both sides of the aisle yesterday as democrats and republicans tried to come to terms over those soon to expire bush era tax cuts. here to sort it out, tracie potts. >> reporter: lynn, good morning. democrats and republicans in the senate thought they had a deal to focus on tax cuts and just that until one unknown senator, and now the votes that were happening tonight have been pushed to saturday and they will only focus on the democrats' plan. on the other side of the hill, the house already passed what they say is an extension only for the middle class. something that republicans firmly and candidly oppose. >> trying to catch my breath so i don't refer to this -- this maneuver going on today as chicken crap, all right? but this is nonsense. >> reporter: now, congress did get something done. they pass add temporary extension of the big government spending bills that were behind and after the closed door meetings on tax reforms, progress, looking at

nbc's jenny wivel has our report on assange's new-found freedom. >> reporter: julian assange emerged from the royal courts of justice in london at the end of a very long day, he looked extremely pleased with himself, however, as he brandished his release documents and gave a short statement to the hundreds of journalists who gathered from all around the world on the steps saying, first of all, that he was very grateful for all of the support that he's received, but he remains defiant. >> i hope to continue my work and continue to profess my independence. >> reporter: he then had to head off to his lodge where he'll be staying over the coming weeks as he fights his extradition to sweden. he has, of course, been living in solitary confinement inside britain's largest prison. where he's going next, he's going to be in a ten-bedroom mansion on a 600-acre country estate. jenny wivel, nbc news, london. >>> the head of security at panama city schools in florida is being called a hero this morning thanks to his bravery saving lives in tuesday's school board shooting. we should warn you some

nbc news. >>> let's get a look at what's heading up today in the bay. that's laura garcia cannon. >> good morning, everyone. 14 shopping days until christmas. while you check off the list, we hope you remember the families and children who are not as fortunate. we will show you the easy way you can help and be guaranteed the gift you give gets where you want it to go. >> botox is for more than just wrinkles, but there is growing concern it's doing more harm than good. why shipping out this holiday gift will save you time and headaches. scott? >> let's go over to rob with another check of the forecast. >> good friday morning to you. this morning looks like yesterday. we have the patchy fog and drizzle and we will track a chance of showers. the weekend looks outstanding for your plans out to the coast. some of that light rain spilling into the east bay hilltops and you will find drizzle around oakland and berkeley. the clouds filling in and our temperatures will stay down. it's not a cold start by any stretch of the imagination. 50s to near 60s this morni

kirk gregory, nbc news. >> there you go. a poison eating being found in a lake. i have seen movies and i know what happens. >> over here in the other dark room. let's look out the roadways. we are over here on southbound 680 and another accident. sounds like a minor issue. it's after the junction. southbound as you head down towards the benicia bridge. both bridges are moving smoothly and watch the speeds. it might be slick throughout portions of the north bay and out of the east bay and the richmond bridge. the golden gate, i will give you a shot. the overnight rain and low clouds left sheen on the road. it might be a little slick. watch it as you come off of the highway. >> let's turn to rob and a mixed message in the forecast. >> you did see patchy fog around the golden gate bridge. all this moisture is acting like a blanket and kept the temperatures in the 40s and 50s. we are down to two to three miles visibility around santa rosa and livermore. that's enough to notice the haze on the roadways. drop off locally to a quarter mile or less. right now towards val

this hour we will reveal the first results just in from our nbc news/"wall street journal" poll. >>> what does the white house call a new low in putting politics ahead of national security. demint isn't delovely today. >>> can't we all just get along. president obama tries to start over with top business leaders. can he get them to start hiring again. >>> a day ahead of the administration's rosey scenario paints a darker picture of the war. the daily show comes to our show. aasif mandvi will face off about who is bringing it. >> what is this wikileaks? >> well, jon, it is the 21st century, what i have coined the information age. a glorious -- thank you. >>> i'm andrea mitchell. breaking news. we are watching the senate where at any moment we are expecting a vote on the tax cut compromise. once that passes it moves to the house where approval is less certain. kelly o'donnell is live on the hill. where do we stand. you have gone through the procedural votes. the final vote is coming up. >> three attempts to make changes failed. the final vote is coming up. this would be a victory for r

jay gray, nbc news. >>> lawmakers are set to vote on a compromise president obama made with republicans. this extends cuts to every american, not justhose who make $250,000 a year or less. many senate democrats say they're willing to accept the deal but those in the house are not willing to make a compromise. >> i believe we still fighfor the things we care about. >> if passed, thetaxcut legislation would renew long-term unemployment benefits and provide a one-year cut in social security taxes. >>> a big day in virginia tay after a ruling is expected to the state's challenge to president obama's health care overhaul. attorney general cucinelli said americans should not b penalized if they don't buy health insurance. other states have filed similar lawsuitsgainst president obama's health care plan. >>> also today, republican national committee chair michael steele has been criticized for his leadership and inability to manage the party's fun. many believe he willnot seek reelection. he was elected in january of 2009. the 168 member republican national committee will elect a chairman in a

tonight only on nbc bay area news we go behind close doors. doors some say are protecting pedophiles. >> it's a crime story with a back