we'll be right back for an update. come back at 9:00 for the latest in news, sports and weather. until then, have a good morning. >> announcer: closed good morning. terror attempt. a nigerian man tries to blow up a dealty northwest airliner in detroit sending passengers scrambling to subdue him. how did he bring explosives on board? >> a deadly storm caused record owfall in places and blizzard-like conditions in seven states. where is the storm heading next? >> reunited. a father and son at home in the u.s. after an international custody battle that lasted for

years has finally come to an end. total is saturday, december 26th, 2009. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with lester holt and amy robach live from studio 1 a in rockefeller plaza. >> welcome to "today" on this saturday morning. i'm amy robach. >> i'm peter alexander. plenty of zhu zhu pets. did you get presents for the i cans? >> sta did. i was off the hook. did you have a nice holiday? >> dinner with the family and a little bit of work. >> a little bit of work. we have a very busy morning starting with the last 20 minutes on a delta airliner as it approached detroit after a flight to amsterdam. a nigerian man tried to blow up the plane with 289 people including crew on board.

passengers surrounding the incident were able to subdue the man and the plane did land safe. we will brick you the latest and talk to a passenger on the flight and sat a few seats away from him. >> also a huge winter storm is churning through the middle of the country. it is blamed for more than 20 deaths and bringing blizzard conditions in the midwest. where that is head and what it means for holiday travel. >> we have been following the story for over a year and there is a happy ending. david goldman and his son sean were reunite and spent their first christmas together in five years. how they are doing and what's next for them. >> also like you, many people at home got great presents for christmas, but the question is, what do you do with it? >> forget reading the instructions. >> toss that out. try to get the right plug in the right spot. from a wii to a camcorder. we have advice this morning. >> first the very latest on the

terror attempt on the delta northwest airlines flight. john yang isovering that story. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, amy. as we speak right now, scotland yard said they are carrying out raids in central london looking for evidence in this case. the suspect in this case is believed to have gone to school in london so we don't know exactly what they are looking for, but they are looking for any connection that links evidence about his background and ties in london. now at the university of michigan in ann arbor, he tried to set off a device as the plane was northwest flight 253 here in detroit from amsterdam. the passengers on board tell a

harrowing tale of seeing flame, smelling smoke, hearing what one described as the sound of firecrackers and a muffled sound of firecrackers in a pillow case going off and seeing this man stand up and shouting something about afghanistan. he was burned on his legs and being handcuffed and jumped by other passengers. now, there a lot of questions right now about this. one is how he was able to get this material on board the airplane. it is through security in amsterdam. officials tell us his name was on an investigative list, but he was not on a no-fly list. he was not subct to being blocked from getting on board an aircraft. a lot of questions to be determined. that's what they are looking for in london and here in detroit. amy? >> john yang, thanks so much.

for more on what we know about the suspect and what this christmas day terror attempt means for air travelers, we are joined by roge good morning. >> good morning. >> what you have heard and what we learned so far, do you believe he acted alone or do you think it's a possibility he acted in concert with the terror organization? >> i think it's a possibility he acted with others. was he part of the al qaeda conspiracy, it's way to early to conclude that. he has been very forth coming in how he has been talking to investigators. that is not typical of al qaeda. a lot of basic questions need to be answered. >> we just heard john say this man was not on a no-fly list, but he was on a terror watch list. should authorities have been looking at him more closely? why or how does someone get on the no-fly list? >> there is a basic database,

the counter terrorism center has a database and if there is an initial piece of information, that would put them on the database and until you have secondary information you won't be elevated. that doesn't mean you trigger a no-fly or secondary screening. looks like in this case that's what happened. >> how would you get a flammable material on the airplane? i just got back from the airport and know the screening i went through. how does someone get that on a plane? >> did he have somebody on the inside that helped him and is this a substance that was not screened or something that the technology does not look for? an incendiary device and a trigger is something different than we have seen in the past. the investigation will have two components. how did he get it in and is this technology downloaded from the

internet or somebody affiliated provided it to him? >> any reason air traffic should be concerned. a lot of people on planes over the next couple of days. >> no, they should ton fly, but we will see a lot more security. maybe more canine dogs and armed security personnel and additional screening measures. bottom line is they need to put more time into the schedule and get to the airport early. it's very safe. >> thanks so much. here's peter. >> thank you. now to that slow-moving sto that paralyzed parts of the country's mid-section and brought record snow. mike slidell is live from minneapolis. good morning to you. >> good morning, peter. the storm is finally going to wind down and so will the snow and the wind. right now the blizzard races through the dakotas and nebraska and one lasted with 50 mile an

hour wind gusts and zero visibility and subzero wind chill. around the plains, if you didn't get the wind, you had the snowfall and travel was tough. this morning just checking the airport, so far 30 more flights have been canceled and several more on christm eve and christmas day. it was tough the past couple of days. you have to get out and dig out and clean up whether you try to catch up to the snowfall yesterday or trying to get the snow off the sidewalk before it froze up. sioux falls with 15 inches and we dropped from 37 to 18 degrees so everything out here that was slushy last night is a skating rink. another insult to try to get to the holiday shopping sales. >> that's for sure. digging in for the last several days on the weather. we want to get a sense of where it's heading. we will go for a look at that.

good morning. >> good morning to you, peter. oklahoma city, 14 inches of snow. this is one of the storms that therandkids will be telling their grandkids. 23 inches in duluth and dallas texas had a white christmas. winds were blowing and areas of snow and people were told to stay off the road. it was snowing so badly, let them get this morning out of the way. people can get to the destinations. there is snow and even a little bit of snow in illinois heading for the chicago area. windy and gusty, but the storm is just about over. we will continue to watch what's next. amy? >> thanks so much. now to a story we have been following for over a year. this week there is finally a happy ending. david goldman brought his son home after a five-year custody battle. from brazil to florida with david and shawn with the latest.

i know you had a whirl wind. those two had to have this reunion and they have been apart for so long. what was that like? >> when the doors closed on the airplane, a lot of us were expecting a possible melt down. we were warned of that. this could be sensitive. this boy for better or worse has lived with this brazilian family for more than half his life. we were wondering how he would react to his father taking him away back to the u.s. in an unknown situation. it was an emotional moment. sean was tired. we saw the video of that morning. he went right to sleep. david just stared at sean. i just watched him. he was trying to hold back tears. he was just staring. when sean woke up, he came to life. there was a familiarity with his father. the pictures we snapped about midwayhrough the flight, they were horsing around.

sean started a food fight with me and he was throwing grips at me. david was knocking the grips to protect his son and said don't mess with the goldmans. she a normal 9-year-old boy and didn't mention his brazilian family, but certainly that is something david expects to happen. this video shot on christmas day from orlando. shawn's grandparents are there. that's grandpa with the hoop and sean's american cousin who is flew down to be together. this is the time to bring the familying to and sean is doing well so far. >> do we know what's next for? will he be enrolled in school soon? >> i talked to him about that. how do you plan on doing that. he speaks portuguese and broken english. he is noteady to ma trick ult into school. he feels socially getting him out there with other children and brings a tutor in at home

and move on. this will be a long, long road. they are seeing a psychologist. >> i'm sure you will continue to follow us. we appreciate it. what a great story. let's go to lynn berry for some of this morning's other top stories. >> peter and amy, good morning to you and good morning to you at home. it is a busy holiday weekend for president obama while he vacations in hawaii after dealing with the security briefings with the delta northwest incident. the president and first lady visited the troops and families at the marine base on friday. it caught many by surprise as the obamas thanked troops for the service. tragic news in maryland where police found the body of a missing 11-year-old girl. sarah fox well was missing since tuesday and as many as 3,000 volunteers gathered to search for her. her abductor is a registered sex offender who is now in custody. meanwhile police in phoenix

call it a christmas miracle. natalie flores was abducted as she played with her sisters. they spotted the pickup truck and found a little girl safe inside. the suspect is now in custody. charlie sheen spent much of christmas day behind bars. the 44-year-old was arrested on domestic violence charged with second dg assault. his attorney had no comment. finally, snow in florida. yes, it is true, sort of. there was almost 20 tons of ice crushed on friday and sprinkled all over one man's ocean-front home. they won the weather channel's guaranteed white christmas contest. family and friends were out in shorts and flip flops to sled with temperatures in the upper 70s. that is the snowball fight i could get involved in. back to amy and peter. >> thanks so much.

not nice to see that after what people are experiencing in the midwest. the 70s? >> they walk into the oan and go surf the rest of the afternoon. a lot of people looking at the real thing. >> i'm sure the people in the dakotas would put it on the 18 wheeler. >> as part of the storm goes, this will go down in the record books. this is the 3rd storm we have dealt with in the month of december. it could be another one on the east coast on the middle of next and a good saturday morning, everybody. certainly off to a wet start here in the washington area this morning. here's a check of live doppler. rain all over the capital beltway. the back end of the rain is getting ready to move into manassas and fredericksberg moving slowly's wet most of the morning. by later on this afternoon rains taper off and eventually end. temperatures in the mid-40s around town. and turning cloudy this

burlington and new hampshire and vermont. much of the central plains, the clouds will be at work and the road will clear out. the storm winds down. that's a look at the weekend forecast. peter? >> the rey lease of a tape by the taliban showed a captive american soldier underscores the danger of the in addition afghanistan. he appears healthy, they said it appears the video was filmed months ago and cannot be considered proof that he is alive. with president obama ordering another 30,000 troops sent to afghanistan, we are joined by jack jacobs. jack, good to see you and happy holidays. early on in the weekend, this video was released on friday and showed the taliban with the captured soldier. we know he disappeared around five months ago and has been held captive. what do we know about his status? >> we are working hard to find

him. it is extremely difficult to find anything or anybody in that region. the terrain is terrible. it's winter time and there is snow everywhere in the passes and finding anybody will be extremely difficult even though we have been working hard to find him. the report was he walked off his post. he allows how he lagged mind on a patrol. it's difficult to see how that could possibly happen. i have been on lots of patrols myself. >> the family released a statement through the idaho national guard saying the family pleads with the captors to let our only son come home. to bowe, we love and you believe in you. stay strong. it's not clear if he is in afghanistan or pakistan. >> no way of telling. even when you are there, where the border is. it's arbitrary and drawn in 1898 by the british foreign minster to separate the masses into area

where is they can be easily managed. you can't if you are in afghanistan or pakistan without a gps. >> earlier this month president obama made a speech saying he was going to send 30,000 more troops to afghanistan over the next period of time. when will they hit the ground and the first goal? what's their first objective? >> some of them are already there. when the president was delivering his speech in west point, he allowed some of them to be en route. out of the 30,000 who are going, ultimately being there, more than half are combat engineers, aviation types and people that build infrastructure. roads, bridges, air fields and so on. we are going to support the effort and that of the afghans. they are not going to be lots and lots of combat troops. a lost them will be building for the afghans and a lot of them

will be there. >> the president already saying he pledges to drawdown in 2011. good to see you. >> good to see you too. >> here's amy. >> the day after christmas is another big shopping day with many people heading back with returns and to take advantage of post christmas sales. bertha is here with tips on holiday shopping. the national retail fedation estimated that sales would decline out 1% this year. is that about right? >> it's going to be interesting. we will not get the numbers until next week and people were expecting they might be weaker because a week ago saturday with the east coast storm, sites were down about 13% and going into christmas, you have the horrible storms out west and midwest cut back on shopping as well. you saw the likes of wal-mart and all the other stores coming up before christmas saying we have huge sales after christmas. come on back. >> the after christmas sales are

going to be huge in terms of the numbers next week. >> that's what they are hoping. they are pulling out all the stops and the international council said it's increasingly important right now. they estimate when the look at the christmas sales of november and december together, they are projecting $435 billion. a lot of people come back with gift cards and to buy through the sales. it's over $600. they hope january will be all out to make up for it. >> today is a big day for returns. are retailers making it easier or more difficult? >> generally easier. hopefuy they gave you a gift receipt. that makes it a lot easier. generally at least through january the best time to bring it back. not necessarily today. you can wait until next week, but try to get them back before

january. if you have a receipt that's helpful and if they don't give you cash back, they give you a credit for the score. gift cards are great. the average is about $25. a lot of people say i can't find what i'm looking for, i will get gift card and it will be about 14 to 15%. >> we appreciate it. >> it has been 2 1/2 years since madeline can disappeared. this christmas has been especially heart breaking. >> the last time madeline opened christmas presents at home is three decembers ago. this was at a family vacation in portugal. she disappeared. her parentsosted new

photographs on the website. they are sending a christmastime message to whoever who may know anything. >> if you know who was involved and keeping a secret, remember it's never too late to do the right thing. >> they triedlmost everything since madeline disappeared. abducted nearly 200 yards away while vacationing. they organized search parties and publicized rewards and kept the case in the headlines for a growing international press. interview after interview. >> i think there is a good chance she is out there. >> even the first visit back, praying at a local church for this challenge with the book about e case they say is

defamatory. >> people believe that and that's what they are asking people to do. >> a few words with her on the website. they even a rachblgrranged to m pope who asked for her safe return. now they rely on a rendition to see what madeline may look like at the age of 6, maybe with darker hair. >> [inaudible]. . >> two parents at christm awaiting for a gift they want may still be out there. for today, nbc news, london.

>> still to come, it began with a pop and a puff of smoke. >> the attempted terror attack on the delta flight. first these messages.

44 degrees a rainy start to your weekend. take a live look at the white house, the morning after christmas. good morning, everyone. here 7 a look at what's making news this morning. the man accused of trying to blow up a northwest airlines flight yesterday remains in custody. omar farouk tried to detonate an explosive device on the 278 passenger flight as it was landing in detroit. the 23-year-old nigerian set himself on fire and he was quickly restrained by fellow travelers and flight attendants. at least two other passengers were injured.

the search for a missing girl along maryland's eastern shore has come to a tragic d. the body of 11-year-old sarah foxwell was discovered by volunteer search crews late afternoon found found lying in ♪ about an hour before it got dirt. the location was not far from the home of a young sex offender, thomas leggs jr., an ex-boyfriend the girl's aunt who was her legal guardian. leggs is being charged with kidnapping and burglary. more than 1,000 volunteers from different states and background were out in force to help those in immediate. the 25th day of service at the community center in northwest, members of the jewish community were on hand to serve lunch to the homeless and deliver about 600 meals to the elderly. many organizations are short staffed because of the holidays and are grateful because all of the help. we'll take a break and details on the forecast when we come back. stay

and a good saturday morning, everybody. also a wet start here in the nation's capital. temperatures in the mid-40s. a check of doper radar shows rain across the met tra paul tan area this morning.

so expect a wet start to your saturday gradually coming to an end this afternoon. eun? chuck, thank you. coming up at nine, full details on the rainy forecast we are back on this satday morning, the day after christmas, december 26th, 2009. we look at the crowds together outside. we are joining them later on. inside studio 1 a, i'm amy robach with peter alexander who is taking the day off. you are entitled too. you have been working straight for quite a few days. >> for has been a long stretch. we will call it the christmas month. we have been talking about the flip phone. the big fancy gift. >> i was excite and playing with it yesterday. you will show us how to make it

smooth and the transition of getting the new gadgets. >> the first hour you know more than i do. >> i had the day off yesterday, you didn't. coming up, we will get you the latest on the huge winter storm creating blizzardonditions in the midwest and the plains. it has been a dangerous storm being blamed for more than 20 deaths. we have the latest and how this will affect your holiday travel plans. >> ahead, a first happened account of what it was like for david goldman and his son, sean as they left brazil after a five-year custody battle and what their first minutes were like together back to the u.s. on the plane. we were on the private jet coming back. what was noticed was remarkable. >> a son who hasn't seen his father in so long. twice in five years. >> we saw both of them smiling. >> great pictures. we will look at the biggest stories of 2009 from the historic to the truly bizarre. all of them unforgettable in

their own way. >> first the latest on the terror attack on a northwest airlines flight from amsterdam to detroit. a ji jeerian man tried to blow up the plane with explosives he brought on board. the plane landed safely. for more on this we have our terror analyst. roger, good morning to you. we had a chance to speak by phone. e of the things you brought up is that the man boarded that flight in nigeria. can you give us a sense about the differences between our security measures here and those that exist in other parts of the world? >> since 9/11, the united states is working closely with other countries to ensure there is a consistent level of security across a airports. certainly in places like western europe and parts of asia, there is strong cooperation and sillular protocols. a number of third world

countries, it's a challenge. the transportation security administration found their security to be in better shape, but the question is, did he put these devices on his when he left or is that something he did in amsterdam some. >> another question being asked, was this 23-year-old nigerian working alone or in concert with an al qaeda-type organization or a group that was sort? he is cooperating with authories at the burn center at the university of michigan right now. what does that indicate to you? >> the more he talks, the better for the fbi. what we have heard from john yang is there raids going on in london at what his dormitory or apartment looked like. they will go to his computer roars and cell pho records and try to identify, was he working with anybody else and was there a network vofl involved in the plot or was he a self starter and radicalize and had goals of being part of the broader

movement and decided to undertake this plot. a key question. >> the white house is calling yesterday's incident an attempted act of trochl. a lot of people are attempting to head back and have enough trouble getting shampoo on the plane. what precautions are they facing? >> the best advice i can give is check as much as you can. the less you bring on the plane, the shorter delays will be. you will see screening measures and maybe people pulled up for secondary screening more randomly. you may see canine units and random checks by behavior profile experts to see if people are acting out of the ordinary. the level of security may be higher, but it's to fly in the united states. >> packing gifts and patience. thank you very much. >> now for a check of the weather and the winter storm that is pounding the mid-section of the country. here's bill. good morning. >> good morning to you, guys.

this was an incredible event. the snow was amazing and the roads in some cases untravelable. we dn't see many of the highways open in nebraska, south and north dakota. it will improve during the day today. that's the key. a lot of peoplen the east coast saying when is the storm heading our way? this will stall out and die in the middle. it's bringing warm temperatures today. enjoy it while it lasts. by monday it will get a lot coer in the eas and a good saturday morning, everybody. happy weekend. hopefully you enjoyed your christmas holiday yesterday and now everybody is getting ready to go back to the stores and malls for the after-christmas shopping. a wet start on your weekend. rain across the capital region lifting up into parts of suburban maryland. be ready for a soggy start. this rain gradually come comes to an end late morning, early afternoon. temperatures in the 40s today but sunshine returning for tomorrow and into early next week. e and only 55 for a

high in houston. the only bitter, bitter cold is up in the dakotas. if you are unable to travel and you are wondering what the hour by hour forecast is, you can get that at weather.com. peter? >> thank you very much. money-saving tips as we help you now with 2010 tax laws. we can use the help. we will tell you, but first, these messages. ♪ tylenol arthritis works with your body to block the pain, without interfering with certain high blood pressure medicines like aleve sometimes can. ♪ so you don't just feel better, you feel better knowing doctors recommend tylenol more than any other brand of pain reliever. ♪ so warm, flaky; it might be the last time chips and dip

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♪ the weather outside is frightful ♪ ♪ but the fire is so delightful ♪ announcer: nothing melts away the cold like a delicious, hot bowl of campbell's chicken noodle soup. ♪ let it snow, let it snow ♪ this morning, finances in 2010. with the new year days away, changes in tax laws coming your

way. did you ducks and benefits will be eliminated and others will be expanded. here to sort through them all is carmen. good morning. >> good morning, amy. >> let's talk about the roth ira conversions. >> this is a big for 2010. anyone who has a traditional ira can convert to a roth. roth iras are for incomes below $100,000 for singles. this is for people who have been pushed out. why would you want to convert to eye roth? roth in retirement, you don't pay taxes. if you have a 401(k), you pay taxes or traditional ira. this is an opportunity to convert and get income that is not taxed in retirement. you have to watch out. they have a lot of money in the ira and with the conversion you have to pay taxes. you have to talk and see how much you will have to pay. >> what about the benefits and deducks going away starting with

unemployment benefits? >> unemployment benefits are taxed. this check you get in 2009, the first $2400 was tax-free. not the same for 2010. also sales and excise tax for new vehicles. you have a couple days left under the price of $49,500 you get a tax deduction. in new york that can be a lot of money. >> there tax credits that will stay the same including home buyer's credit. >> that was set to expire and that is extended. first time home buyers until april of 2010, it is opened up to existing home buyers. if you owned your home for the past five out of eight years, you get $6500. you have to make sure you have a contract in place by april of 2010. >> what are about making energy-efficient improvements to your home. do you get any help on that?

>> this may be extended bigger. 30% of the price of the energy-efficient things you buy. for example, whether it's a washer or drier and up to $1500 is a tax credit. that's a big one. >> the american opportunity tax. what is it and can you still get a tax credit? >> this is the hope credit for education. this has been very much expanded. if you are a student or a parent of a student, this is a good one. up to $20,000 of your tuition with books and those types and 25% of the next. this is a great tax credit. even if youar a student and you don't have to pay taxes, you still get this. this is a refund. >> worry all of the changes coming in 2010, where can you go to sort out where you benefit and where you need to be careful and make decisions?

>> go right to the source. go to irs.goff and look for it and for the roth conversion, if you want a quick estimate, go for a free cal greater. >> thanks for joining us today. we'll be right back after these messages. same sun. and now for the first time, in new sun crystals ® . the only 100% natural sweetener made with pure cane sugar and stevia. finally, all the sweetness of nature and just 5 calories a packet. nature gave us the recipe; we just gave it a name. new sun crystals ® all natural sweetener. two natural wonders. one sweet taste™. - is she awake? - just fell asleep. why are you up? it's 2:00 a.m. - it's not just 2:00 a.m. it's 2:00 a.m. christmas morning. it's our first christmas as a family. i couldn't wait. male announcer: levian jewelry, featuring levian chocolate diamonds.

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>> oscar winner penelope cruz is back on the screen in nines. a filmmaker who is desperately trying to write a script for his 9th film. you were nominated for a golden globe. does it get old? >> it never does.

i always feel surprise and so excited and also for all the nominations that the movie goes, including best picture and best song and all the other nominations and also for broken embraces and the nomination too. i am very excited about it. >> this is a movie with a bigger cast. daniel day lewis and nicole kidman and sophia loren. what was it like working day in and day out with such amazing talent? >> it was amazing. i feel very lucky to be with such amazing company. we were like a theater company. the work ethic brought into the set was really an experience that i think all of us will remember. for months we were training and we had a building where we had a singing and acting room and another to pass the scene.

we would find them in theall ways. where are you doing? i did two hours and now i'm going dancing. that created a beautiful bond between all of us. we were there and we were a group of students getting to do something, all working in the same direction. to serve that story and to serve our director. it was really beautiful. >> for three months, you mentioned months of training. i know you prepared for one number, one of the most incredib incredible. a call from the vatican. let's look at a piece of that. ♪ ♪

>> you mentioned you had ballet training. that didn't look like ballet to me. >> not exactly. when i was 4, i was not doing that type of dance for sure. >> what was it like getting through a piece? were you uncomfortable? you were very sexy and provocative, but that's your character. karla is a mistress. >> she also needed to have a very peculiar sense of humor. i had a lot of things to worry about there. the number begins on a slide that is like 40 meters high. you don't see here how high it was. then i got into a crystal platform and dancing in the dark because the light was so strong. i couldn't see anything else around me. >> i know when you auditioned, you auditioned for several roles. were you happy when you ended up with karla and did you feel like that was the one you would get? >> i loved karla and i would

have been happy with any of them. i know how important it was to audition for rob or harvey or the producers or for us to know if we really were going to be able to do that. i never saying before. >> you can't tell. you sounded fantastic. >> i never did it before. it was important to go through the process of auditioning. even then i had fun. he is such a gentlemen. you wanted to be around him and you are already working with him. he is there with you 100%. i like rob marshall. i would love to do another move we him. he's an angel. >> the movie is spectacular and thank you for joining us. nine is inheoriers

>> still to come this day after christmas, we will hear from a passenger about what it was like on the delta northwest flight when a man allegedly tried to blow it up. >> the first christmasing to n years. what was it like as they headed back home from brazil? first these messages. it's nature's ultimate guilt-free indulgence. we promise it won't end up on your conscience or your thighs. try the first great-tasting, zero-calorie natural sweetener born from nature. truvia. honestly sweet. find it at your grocery store. by any measure, you'll love them. look for bigger biscuits, cinnamon rolls and crescents from pillsbury. what are you looking for? the hairbrush for a rapunzel barbie doll.

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7:56 is your time now. 44 degrees. look at the skies over washington as rain falls in parts of the region. the forecast after the news. good morning, everyone, i'm eun yang, december 26, 2009. what's making news, a man accused trifing to blow up a northwest airlines is in custody. umar farouk abdul mutallab, the 23-year-old nigerian set himself on fire and was quickly restrained by fellow travelers and flight attendants. the search for a missing girl along maryland's eastern shore has come to a tragic end.

the body of 11-year-old sarah foxwell was discovered by wa volunteer search group late yesterday afternoon, found lying in the snow about an hour before it would have become too dark to search. thomas leggs jr., a registered sex offender charged with kidnapping and burglary. and out in force helping those in need, 23rd annual 25th day of service at the community center of members of the jewish community were on hand to cook and search lerch to the homeless delivering 600 peoples to the elderly. we'll take a break and be back with your forecast.

a rainy start to the weekend, chuck mr. president we ever see the sun? >> yes, indeed. we will see the sunshine, not so much today but tomorrow is looking nicer than this afternoon is. outside right now we have a lot of rain right around washington and points north of the city as well. here's a trek check of ray draw. rain showers developing across maryland, fairfax county, moving through the district in northern parts of maryland. low 50s in southern maryland. still in upper 0s across hagerstown and martinsburg, temperatures staying in the 40s all day long.

rain tapers off and sunshine returns tomorrow temperatures mostly in the 40s. >> thank you, chuck. coming up on news 4 good morning. terror attempt. a nigerian man tries to blow up a delta northwest airliner as it approaches detroit, sending passengers scrambling to subdue him. how did he manage to bring explosives on board? >> white out. residents are digging out this morning after a deadly winter storm that caused record snowfall in places and blizzard-like conditions in at least seven states. where is the storm heading now? >> reunited, a father and son together again at home in the u.s. after an international custody battle that lasted for years has come to an end.

today is saturday, december 26th, 2009. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today." here again are lester holt and amy robach. >> welcome back to "today." i'm amy robach. >> i'm peter alexander and lester is taking the weekend off. good thing she a 16, 35. >> they had your name on t. >> i can't see too good. he is with his family enjoying. >> we're are happy to have you with us, peter. airport security has been tightened as authorities investigate how a passenger was able to smuggle explosives on a delta northwest airliner and tried to detonate them. this is the first picture of the suspect in police custody being taken off the plane. we will get an account of what happened on the plane from a passenger who was on the flight. >> we will bring you the latest on the huge winter storm.

it already crippled parts of the miest on the day after christmas. it is being blamed for at least 20 deaths. we will have the latest on where the storm is heading. >> then the story we have been following for over a year, the homecoming of david goldman and his son, sean. what their christmas reunion was like. >> nice to see them smiling. we will tell you the stories of 2009 that made everybody go hmm. from the dancing wedding to sarah palin to jon and to oprah and the balloon boy. we will bring the stories of 2009 that nobody will soon forget. >> the latest on the attempted terror attack on a jetliner. john yang joins us with the latest from detroit. good morning. >> reporter: this morning investigators on three continents are looking into this. questioning e suspect in the hospital and a nigerian and in

london, scotland yard raided his central london flat, trying to figure out the connection and background and possible motive of the 23-year-old. federal authorities in a bomb squad scoured the jet after it lands at detroit metropolitan airport. one of northwest flight's passengers, a nigerian national tried to blow up the plane by trying to light explosive devices in his lap. he injured himself and two others. some of the passengers said the incident took place in the plane's approach to detroit. the pilot made a landing before noon after a smoke indicator went off. an airline official said they noticed smoke and a third restrained the suspect. >> he stood up and he was belligerent and he was yelling and swearing and put hats on and screaming about afghanistan.

>> it was like a balloon being popped and later the lady was shouting back saying things like what are you doing? what are you doing? >> we were at the point when we saw the fear in the flight attendant's eyes. it was terrifying. i think we all thought we weren't going to land. we weren't going to make it. >> the stretcher and the ambulance guys were pulling out a bed and a young african-american's hands were wrapped in bandages and he was handcuffed to the railing of the bed. >> he was taken to the university of michigan burn unit. he flew on klm flight 588 from nigeria to amsterdam where he changed planes boarding the flight todetroit. richard reid, the so-called shoe bomber was convicted of terrorism after trying to light

explosives in his shoe on board an american airlines flight from paris to miami eight years ago this week. president obama who is on cation in hawaii consulted with national security advisors by telephone. they decided not to raise the security threat level right now, but they are imposing new security. it's going to vary from airport to airport depending on conditions. i can tell you this morning, the security line is snaking through the lobby and out the door. amy? >> john yang, thanks so much. among the passengers on flight 253 was melinda dennis sitting in first class when he was placed in a seat across the aisle from her. melinda dennis, good morning. >> good morning, amy. >> you were sitting in the front of the plane and you didn't see the incident directly, but when did you realize something was wrong? >> you could tell immediately because people started shouting. it was obvious that something

was happening. it wasn't clear what because the flight attendants were yelling for everybody to sit down. i assumed there was an unruly passenger and they started yelling for water and we were running up the aisle. you realized something more serious was taking place. i knew we had an issue, but not until we brought the gentlemen up front that we gone to understand that an individual had caused this commotion and it wasn't just a problem with the plane. >> at any point were you fearful? >> honestly i wasn't because i couldn't see what was going on. from my standpoint, i was waiting to identify how serious was the situation? was there anything where those of us needed to get involved? by the time they brought him up, it happened so quickly and they had him restrained and you were watching and wondering what was he thinking and making sure he doesn't make sudden movements. >> when they brought him up and

sat him across the aisle, what did you see? was he doing anything? i know he was restrained. was he saying anything? >> he wasn't restrained when they brought him up. there were two passengers that helped bring him up as well as a male flight attendant and what was surprising was how quick their action was. they were so concerned about him having hidden items they pulled off his pants. from the bottom half of his body, he was exposed and the first thing that caught my eye was the severity of his wounds. there were large patches where it looks like it was melted away. once they did get him restrain and sat him down in the seat, it was only a few feet from me and he was so calm. he didn't show any pain or indication that he was nervous or anything had happened. it was as if he was another passenger sitting there. it seemed quite strange. i was focusing on that.

>> lastly, did the captain or anyone explain to the passengers what happened or what was going on? >> it happened so quickly, the captain on board just said there was an incident and we were landing. from the moment they got the fire out and started bringing him forward, the flight attendants were trying to get everybody to sit down because the landing gear was down and we were down within minutes. they didn't waste time from the moment it happened to getting us on the ground. we were escorted by all types of security and they took us straight to the gate and got him off as quickly as possible. >> it's a christmas you will never forget. we are so glad everyone landed safely. we appreciate it. >> you're welcome, amy. have a wonderful holiday. >> same to you. >> thank you very much. the other big story we are following is the huge storm moving across the center part of this country. the weather channel's mike slidell is in minneapolis,

minnesota with more on the storm. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, peter. the day after christmas and day three of the storm is the final day. it the lie down, but this morning rapid city with 53 mile an hour wind gusts. snow and blowing snow. this is paralyzed travel and interstates and parts of four states have been shut down and travel has been a hassell. oklahoma city to kansas city to sioux city, iowa. cars are running off the road getting stuck in snow drifts. a lot of the people went to dig out and in sioux city, iowa, 30 inches of snow, six times the average. jaw-dropping totals plowing and shoveling and this morning, the big problem is ice overnight. temperatures fell from 37 to 18 turning all the slush yesterday in and standing water into a skating rink. good luck with that today.

>> drive safely and thank you very much. we want to get the latest on the path of this storm. we will turn to nbc's bill who is keeping an eye on it. >> a lot of highways still closed. today will be the day that people try to celebrate christmas. millions could not get to the locations because of one to two feet of snow. it's still snowing now, but let the plows do the work and hopefully later you can get to the travel destination. bands of snow from rapid city towards chicago. we are not calling for additional snow. 3 to six inches and 1-3 in wisconsin. we are wining down and calling it the great blizzard of 2009 christmas. back to you. >> thanks so much. now the latest on the reunion of david and goldman separated for five years and spending christmas together in orlando, florida. we traveled with the goldmans from brazil to the u.s. and here

with more. jeff, good morning. >> just days ago, david goldman didn't know where he would be or his son would be over christmas. the healing would begin the second he got his son back. we have been watching that firsthand. father and son starting all over again. first stop? orlando. christmas day with the goldmans. that's grandpa barry as the public hoop. this father-son reunion is a family reunion. 's grandparents flew in and so did the cousins to spend christmas together. nbc news had exclusive access behind closed doors. as sean played in florida, his brazilian family called a conference in rio and wept. he had made a drawing saying he wanted to stay in brazil his grandmother said. >> it's a christmas miracle. >> we were with them after the hand over and the goldmans were

invited on a jet to fly back to the u.s. >> my little boy is five feet away sound asleep, peaceful. we are on our way. my heart is just melting. i love him. >> on the nine-hour flight, we got to know sean. after sleeping for the first few hours, he came to life, horsing around and playing with toys and even starting a playful foot fit. sean speaks portuguese and broken english, but his face, his father's face spoke volumes. >> it's a big adjustment for a 9-year-old going fro brazilian to american life. >> i guess he never had an american life it would be a big adjustment, but he spent over four years here. primary years. >> within the next month, this will be a very difficult time for sean. adjusting to a new home, a new

parent, a new school. it will be difficult. >> he's got a family and a father who know no boundaries and will go to the ends of the earth to shower him with our love. >> he's not bad at basketball either. the child psychologists say kids are resilient especially young kids like sean. then the tricky issue of visitation. he lived with his brazilian family for half of his life. will they get to see him again? david says yes, overtime. for now, they will have no communication at all. this is a long road ahead for him and his son. they are trying to do this the right way. >> understandable how he called it a christmas miracle after such a long fight. we appreciate it. let's head to the desk for the rest of the morning's top stories. >> good morning once again, everyone. the family of a soldier captured is appealing for his release

today. he is seen in this video released by the taliban on christmas day. in it, the soldier being held hostage criticizes the mission in afghanistan. he disappeared june 30th. nbc news learned the five u.s. nationals detained in pakistan were allegedly going to carry out an attack on a nuclear facility. he appeared in court and were hearded held until january. the vatican said they are reviewing security procedures after a woman tried to attack the pope during christmas eve mass. pope benedict is okay and the woman with a history of problems is in custody. authorities say she tried a similar stunt last year. finally talk about an amazing prank. his friends thought it would be hilaous to wrap everything he owns. his bath mat, the beer in the bridge, the clock on his wall.

they wrapped his apartment and posted the video on you tube. he got much more holiday cheer than he could bargain for. that was a studio apartment and not a house. that's the news. back to amy. >> how does that toilet paper feel, really? i'm sorry. >> the ultimate in regifting. still here with a look at the forecast again. >> you know what i felt bad for is the snow plowers and they couldn't spend christmas with their families because of the blizzard. i mentioned a lot of people will be trying to get to their destinations. the storm is there and not as strong. we got bands of snow to deal with on and off in the middle of the and about good saturday morning, everybody. lots of rain across the area. since late yesterday afternoon into the early hours of this morning. as result, localized flooding. there is a flood warning for prince georges county,

montgomery, all in the great state of maryland. no flood warnings in virginia for the district at this time. still with all the heavy rain coming down we could see a little quick stream rise there's in the flood affected areas. be on the lookout for that. temperatures sta out to see what's next. we get a break and a potential storm towards new year's eve. that's a look at the weekend forecast. amy? >> still to come, from the seeruous to the sensational. the biggest stories of 2009 and what a year it was. up next, you have that gadget you wanted for christmas, but now how do you make it work sfwh we will get expert advice after these messages. their vitamin c in a week.reen f that's why green giant freezes them within 8 hours to lock in nutrients. ho ho ho green giant sister?

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this year is this film camera. >> they are wonderful. >>his is the flip ultra hd. >> you slide the cover off and put in the batteries. the second step, there is a button on the upper right. point it at me. there is a big red button and that is start and stopped. >> do something. >> press stop. >> everybody in? >> we got it. >> i'm having fun alrey. there you go. >> the next step is you go like this and shoot it out. that's a usb plug. >> none of the wires and that sort of stuff. >> you plug it in like that.

here you go and it will load in about 30 seconds. >> we talked about battery life. the flip system is perfect. >> it's wonderful. one of the best improvements for the device. it takes two things. a rechargeable battery pack that goes from the beginning and takes aa batteries. if it runs out, you can go to cbs and take the batteries and stick them in. it's wonderful to have both options. >> it uploaded already. >> you see the footage of me on full screen. here's my mouse here on the net book. this is a nokia. we have ftage from the back of the "today" show set. >> that are makes the segment possible. talk to us about the net book in general. a lot of people are getting computers like this. it's amazing how small it is. >> what is surprising is how little you need to know. they operate like your laptops

or desk top securities. the key bores are intuitive. it has a web browser and everything you need and there is a battery live that lasts 12 hours which is convenient. >> let's move over to the e reader. the kindle was the most popular seller on amazon. a lot of people are trying to figure out how to use it. >> there is a silver button on top. you enter your amazon account. it's a simple process. you click menu and there is a square thing that is hard to know how to operate. you press down and up and you press it in and you shop at kindle store and press it and off we go. you don't have to plug it in. it works like the cell phone. >> you set up an account and these are good for subscriptions. >> i read the "wall street journal" on this on the subway. it comes to me. i don't have to buy the paper or stick it in my brief case. you don't have to bring 10

books. >> no ink on the fingers. you will tell us about the playstation. a lot of kids are saying dad, make it work. >> it's a wonderful device for playing games. you can do all sorts of things and watch dvds. it's got great stuff. i set mine up without the instruction manual. the most surprising thing i learned, the thing that got me stuck is on this controller, i thought x meant stop. x means go. you select the setting and x means go. you can play the game and you have this thing called the playstation button that takes you between the game and the menu. you can run around with the joy stick with the controller and move the guy and jump and spin and swirl and do all the things you need to do. >> thank you. we'll be right back, but first, this is "today" on nbc.

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the toys of 2009 you won't forget. >> left overs and who has great ideas for you. first, these messages. the hairbrush for a rapunzel barbie doll. ohh! [ female announcer ] holiday savings are still happening at walmart. starting this saturday, come to walmart's garden center and get 50% off christmas items. save money. live better. walmart. when you can actually party at your party? with homemade chex party mix. five great recipes that wow the crowd. and you can make them in only 15 minutes. get out of the kitchen, get into the party. homemade chex party mix. we've got a way for you to check the status of your loan online... securely, any time, anywhere. our e signature technology makes it really easy... for you to sign your documents from home. we've helped over three-quarters of a million families... refinance or purchase their home. it's how we've done things at quicken loans for 25 years now.

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8:26 is your time now. 44 degrees. hard to see out there with all the rain falling through the region. will we see sunshine today? the forecast after the news. it's saturday december 26, 2009. a look what's making news this morning. the man accused of trying to blow up a northwest airlines flights remains in custody. umar farouk abdul mutallab tried to detonate a device as it was landing in detroit. the 23-year-old nigerian set himself on fire and was quickly restrained by fellow travelers and flight attendants. the search for a missing girl along maryland's eastern

shore has coupe to a tragic end. the body of 11-year-old sarah moxwell discovered by a search crew late yesterday afternoon, found lying in the snow about an hour before it would have become too dark to search. thomas leggs jr. a registered sex offender charged with kidnapping and murd herring her. and more than a dozen disin backgrounds out to help. the 25th day of service. at the community center members of the jewish community were on hand to serve lunch to the homeless and deliver food to the

let's check in with chuck bell to see about our rainy day forecast. good morning, chuck. >> good morning, eun, and good morning, everybody. welcome to your weekend. ined also a very foggy and soggy start across the area this morning. a check of doppler shows rain continuing to lift from south to north all across the region this morning. light to moderate rain showers across much of northern virginia and we have a flood warning now across much of suburban maryland. it does include montgomery county, prince georges, frederick and howard, all in maryland. no virginia counties under the flood warning at this time. temperatures are mostly in the upper 40s to near 50, and holding in the 40s for high temperatures today. rain coming to an end around noontime today and sunshine is back tomorrow. >> thank you very much, chuck.

good news. coming up today on news 4 at 9:00, a full hour of your news, weather and sports. weope you'll join us then. until then vashgs good morning. we are back on this saturday morning with a look at our spirited crowd here on an overcast day after christmas in rockefeller plaza in new york. i'm amy roch. >> i'm peter alexander. a lost these people are doing holiday returns and we have other things to tk about like what happened in the course of the last year. the most important and fascinating moments and bizarre stories of 2009. we will check in on all of those. remember the miracle on the hudson and president obama being inaugurated. so many moments. >> octomom. >> and balloon boy.

>> the phrases that developed. the coined phrases based on the events of the year. i don't know about you, but christmas leftovers are not the first thing that come to mind as i think about food. this may change all of that. tom is cooked up a left over for us and we are all getting hungry. >> you won't want to miss the holiday on ice. it feels like i want rain. we have a special performance by our skater, todd eld ridge. >> let's get a check of the weather from bill. it is starting to rain a little. >> it will rain here in the east. better than the blizzard conditions. who is alicia and of a ra? >> alicia is my daughter and avery is my other daughter. lives in austria and lives in denver. >> that's your husband? >> this is my husband. >> i came over thinking -- we will see to your husband, bill. let's talk about the weekend

forecast and the storm existing out there in the middle of the country. the conditions will continue and it will improve throughout the afternoon. we are watching the new england area. new york to boston and on the jersey shore with icy conditions to the north. sunday looks better and snow w and a good saturday morning, everybody. once again i mention to everybody we have a flood warning now for much of our suburban maryland counties. be on the lookout. could be ponding on roadways and some of the smaller streams and creeks may be very well coming out of their banks. a lot of snow clocking up the drains. a check of live doppler. most of the rain in the district to points north. the flood warning goes until 2:00 this afternoon. temperatures in the mid-40s around town. will stay in the 40s today.

of course sunday football here in america. last week of the regular season and the playoffs trying to figure their way out watching this closely. the dallas cowboys and washington redskins. mostly clear and temperatures cold with 36 to 38 degrees. here's dallas behind me. we will see how it goes. we will go inside to amy. >> thank you. on this last saturday of 2009, we look back at the biggest stories of the year, stories we won't or perhaps can't forget. >> i barack hussein obama do solemnly swear -- >> surviving flight 1549. a us airways flight lands in the hudson river in new york city. >> pop superstar michael jack is dead at the age of 50.

>> the work begins anew! the hope rises again! and the dream lives on. ♪ >> i'm really happy for you and i'm going to let you finish, but beyonce had one of the best videos of all time. >> this year, you, our viewers have enriched my beyond all measure. >> and here to discuss the year's top stories, we are joined by brian, comedian and editor of pop goes the week. nbc contributor and our own lynn berry. good morning to all of you. let's begin with the

inauguration of our 44th president. it was a historic moment and so much enthusiasm surrounding barack obama's presidency. it didn't take long to fizzle. what are we going remember most about this year and barack obama? >> the downward slope of the public image, we started with such love and excitement and a black man is becoming president and it's a new nation. we are beyond racism, which we're not, but that was the feeling. slowly things went downward quickly and not able to get things done as quickly as we thought. you knew the balloon would come off the road, but not this fast. >> how would you sum up the first year of barack obama's presidency? >> obviously there the points you made, but also what's interesting is these unprecedented times. the president has had to do this in the first time that a president has been exposed to 24-hour news and the blogs. it's added to the problems that

he's had to face. >> ryan, another big polital story, the rise and fall of sarah palin and she continues to grab headlines. her book came out. will she ever just go away? >> i think she say big force. i think sarah palin is like the madonna of the gop. people love her and hate her and she has an accent we can't identify. her book is a huge bestseller on the "new york times" bestseller list. when she opens her mouth, people pay attention. often she doesn't stop. there is so much to work with. she is not going away. >> do we want her to go away? probably not. >> there is a group of america that loves her and feel she represent us and another group that feels like this is disgusting what this represents. she is not going anywhere until 2012. >> michael jackson's death shocked the world. what will we remember most about this year and michael jackson?

>> the first album that you ever bought. the thing that was wonderful about it is each generation had one. there was an older generation with the jackson five. my generation is thriller was the first record i had. it bridged the gap between everyone. everyone was mourning. >> his death was a big moment where you will remember where you were. i remember when i did the next hour after that. the music you played to try to get over it. it was a chair being pulled out from under us. >> true. >> probably another big scandal that you will remember where you were when you hear the news of tiger woods. >> i hope he has unlimited texting. this guy keeps busy. >> he has the money to pay the bill. >> i wish my husband spent more time on the golf course. i think there times in your when you do something wrong and your parents are not so much angry as

disappointed. i think the country is disappointed. >> how do you think he handled it? we haven't heard a lot from him. >> i don't want him to cry on oprah's shoulder about this, but the wall of silence is not good. the real problem was what happened before the scandal broke. you have been living foul for years and had multiple, double-digit affairs while your wife is pregnant and raising small children. that is the most immoral time of a woman's life. >> letterman handled his scandal completely differently and came out and admitted it and spoke to the american public about it. brian, a much different response from the american people because of it. >> absolutely. he approached it with humor, probably the kind his wife didn't appreciate, but tiger is the best thing that happened to david letterman. every guy who had this looks great compared to tiger woods. he is the most watched late night show and has the most total viewers.

>> i don't know what christmas was like at the letterman house, but in the world we love him. >> thanks. we appreciate it and nice to looka the events with humor and perspective. up next, serving up a holiday left over feast. first, these messages. i've been a long-time smoker. i'm a guy who had given up quitting. what caused me to be interested was, chantix is not a nicotine product and that intrigued me. the doctor said while you're taking it you can continue to smoke during the first week. (announcer) chantix is proven to reduce the urge to smoke. in studies, 44% of chantix users were quit during weeks 9 to 12 of treatment, compared to 18% on sugar pill. today i see myself as a jolly old man,

(laughing) who doesn't have to smoke. (announcer) herb quit smoking with chantix and support. talk to your doctor about chantix and a support plan that's right for you. some people have had changes in behavior, hostility, agitation, depressed mood and suicidal thoughts or actions while taking or after stopping chantix. if you notice agitation, hostility, depression or changes in behavior, thinking or mood that are not typical for you, or if you develop suicidal thoughts or actions, stop taking chantix and call your doctor right away. talk to your doctor about any history of depression or other mental health problems, which can get worse while taking chantix. some people can have allergic or serious skin reactions to chantix, somof which can be life threatening. if you notice swelling of face, mouth, throat or a rash stop taking chantix and see your doctor right away. tell your doctor which medicines you are taking as they may work differently when you quit smoking. chantix dosing may be different if you have kidney problems. the most common side effect is nausea. patients also reported trouble sleeping and vivid, unusual or strange dreams. until you know how chantix may affect you, use caution when driving or operating machinery. chantix should not be taken with other quit smoking products.

the urges weren't like they used to be, and that help me quit. (announcer) talk to your doctor to find out if prescription chantix is right for you. some people will stick with their old way of getting vitamins and minerals. others will try total raisin bran. with 100% of the daily value of 11 essential vitamins and minerals and the luscious taste of plump, juicy raisins and crunchy whole grain flakes. ... ... guess it's all about what kind of crunch you like. how are you getting 100%? visit totalcereal.com and get a coupon.

what are you looking for? the hairbrush for a rapunzel barbie doll. ohh! [ female announcer ] holiday savings are still happening at walmart. starting this saturday, come to walmart's garden center and get 50% off christmas items. save money. live bter. walmart. and get 50% off christmas items. . this morning on today's holiday kitchen, bringing new live to leftovers. if you find your way with half a

turkey, there can be sandwiches from left over recipes. you don't have to be dibet toik own this cookbook. here's the chef and owner of west. did you have a good holiday? >> i did. >> we will have a better through the weekend. you have inside for us. the theme here is diabetic-friendly recipes. why is does that matter so much to you some. >> if you look at diabetes and heart disease, it's epidemic. leftovers, i love a sandwich with lots of mayonnaise, but alternative and healthier. >> one of the options, we have several here. this is with an asian spin. >> a little bit. it's simple chicken broth with low sodium orf you want to make your own. we have lemon grass which is that. very aromatic. fresh ginger and lime zest. >> lime zest. >> a little more familiar,

garlic. and bay leaf. you let that steep with coconut milk. >> this is the broth only. you don't need the turkey. >> what we will do is make this base and add the chicken or turkey after it's done. a little bit of fish asian style. that is going to simmer for 15 or 20 minutes. what we do is have the strained version here. >> this is 15 or 20 minutes later. >> right. >> i like how we do that always. >> here's the turkey. >> one of the things we were talk talking about is you prefer the dark meat. that is better for reheating. >> it's more resilient to the heat. reserve the white meat for a sandwich or salad. what we do is have all of this

garnish which is cilantro, scallion and cumber. >> do you care if i do this? >> you must. a little fresh lime juice. >> that's good and a kick too. from that chili in there. >> sorry. time for two tastes. let's talk about turkey chili as my mouth is full and i speak inappropriately. >> another application for the dark meat along the lines of a beef or ground meat-based chili. >> what are did you put in? >> tomato, jalapeno and the dark turkey meat and it has a kick. >> since our time is limited, show me the salad. >> here's the white meat application where it doesn't need to be reheated. spinach salad. we have grips as an example here. we whisked a little goat cheese

in as well. >> diabetic friendly and tasty too. thanks very much. we will be back after this. you are watching -- a holiday performance on ice with figure skater todd

this morning on "today" at the rink, six-time champion todd eldridge who retire friday competitive skating, but has not lost his passion for the ice. todd joins us this morning. good morning. six-time national champion and you have been inducted into the u.s. figure skating hall of fame. do you get the rush of adrenaline on the ice? >> absolutely. it's fun to skate for the audiences and enjoy it. i like to go out there and do good skating myself. >> you are retired from

professional or competitive skating. what do you have coming up? >> i'm part of the progressive skating and gymnastics spectacular. i have a few things going on and a few shows and looking forward to doing coaching in florida which is where i'm living now. warmer down there than here. >> we will let you enjoy and let folks at home know he will be performing to "surround me." ladies and gentlemen, todd eldridge. ♪

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♪ ♪ >> todd eldridge, thank you. we'll be right back, but first, these messages. the millers prepared for the long drive ahead. uncle doug arrived in topeka, unlike his luggage. but, as the crescent moon rose, so rose the ones in the oven.

she welcomed them home eagerly. and they ate and talked and laughed and ate. mrs. brooks smiled. this was a most perfect holiday. what are you looking for? the hairbrush for a rapunzel barbie doll. ohh! [ female announcer ] holiday savings are still happening at walmart. starting this saturday, come to walmart's garden center and get 50% off christmas items. save money. live better. walmart. and get 50% off christmas items. ♪ the weather outside is frightful ♪ ♪ but the fire is so delightful ♪ announcer: nothing melts away the cold like a delicious, hot bowl of campbell's chicken noodle soup. ♪ let it snow, let it snow ♪

>> that's going to do it for us on this saturday morning.

not a second too soon if it starts to rain. tomorrow on "today," more on the delta northwest airlines flight. >>or a lighter note, we will look at one of the best002009. until then, have a great day, everybody.

good morning. i'm eun yang. straight ahead on news 4 today a tragic end in christmas, after police find the body of a missing girl. every traveler's worst nightmare become as reality as authorities say a man tried to blow up a plane. this morning, firsthand accounts of exactly what happened. christmas may be over. that doesn't mean the holiday shopping season is. why today may be one of the busiest shoing days of the year at your local mall. and we have a lot of rain out in this morning. how long will it last? a complete check of today's forecast and a look on into the new year, coming up. join us for news 4 today, we are ahead in less than two

minutes.

good morning and welcome to news4 today for this saturday, december 26, 2009. i'm eun yang. let's get right to our forecast right now with chuck bell in center 4. >> good morning. hope you enjoyed your christmas holiday yesterday. now it's one of the big shopping days of the year, making returni returns. the ground is saturated thanksz to the deep snow pack and heavy rains overnight into early this morning. as a result, t