Linked him to performance enhancing drugs. Its completely fabricated, complete trash, garbage. This morning mannings possible plans to sue over the controversial report. And hoverboards and hospitals. No, no. Oh. The holidays hottest gift leading to numerous injuries across the country and social media is lighting up slips and spills today, monday, december 28th, 2015. Announcer from nbc news, this is today with matt lauer and Savannah Guthrie live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. And good morning, everybody. Welcome to today on a monday morning. Im Savannah Guthrie alongside carson daley who is in for matt and off the markets. Sorry, ladies. Good hot day weekend for me. I got married. Not such a hohum holiday for theres the beautiful bride. Were so excited. I did. I wanted a hoverboard and i got a wife. Our families were visiting and we surprised our moms and our parents and had a very small ceremony church and a little dinner with some friends after and it was just wonderful. Absolutely beautiful. Thank you so much. And the kids look great and i know it was an awesome experience. The kids were older and knew what was going on. A really, really special night and happy belated birthday to you. Thank you very much. Congratulations. Look at that. There we go. It wasnt as exciting as getting married. Close. 44. Carson, to our top story, the powerful storm system moving across the country producing tornadoes, blizzards and flooding along the way and having a big impact on holiday travelers. Well goat that and als forecast in a moment as well but first lets go right to nbcs Gabe Gutierrez in texas. Gabe, good morning to you. Reporter savannah, good morning. The temperature dropped here weekend. The official death toll from the texas tornadoes now stands at 11 and hundreds of homes like these are destroyed, and across the country the dangerous conditions are far from over. This morning weather whiplash from tornadoes to floods to blizzards, devastating the southwest and midwest. I dont know what else to say, im sorry. Reporter at least nine confirmed tornadoes touching down in texas, destruction spanning nearly 40 miles near dallas. Theres houses torn up everywhere. Reporter an ef4 twister tore through garland with howling winds of up to 200 miles per hour. Among the dead, a threedayold infant killed when a tornado swept through this home. Please, baby, be okay, baby, and i was holding her little fing sneers Texas Governor declaring four counties disaster areas as thousands are still without power. Overnight this family salvaging event in my life. Reporter further north, flash floods turned deadly. Five People Killed in illinois, another eight dead in missouri. And today new mexico sunday a state of emergency. The massive storm system has already dumped two feet of snow in parts of the state. Wind gusts of up to 82 miles per hour. The treacherous driving conditions extending all the way handles. People need to slow down. The roads are slick. Reporter these tourists from miami visiting amarillo are on ice. Trying to put the chains on the tire. For the first time in my life. Reporter as others in the same stayed struggle through the deadliest december for tornadoes on record. This is absolutely unreal. Reporter since wednesday there have been 29 tornadorelated deaths across five states. Before that there had been just ten all year. Assessment crews will be out in force as residents struggle to clean up. All right, gabe. Thank you very much. Lets bring in mr. Roker who is tracking it all for us now. Its really bald out there, and it will continue at least the next 24 hours. Missouri. Please, if you see how water, turn around. Its rough. Dont drown. Severe weather. Tornado watches and severe thunderstorm warnings from memphis to new orleans, snow back behind t. 8 Million People at risk for damaging weather, damaging winds and risk of isolated tornadoes continues again today as the front moves through tonight and tomorrow. Severe storms possible through the south, and flooding rain as that front moves in. Look at rainfall amounts, upwards of 3 to 5 inches as you get from alabama all the way into parts of northern georgia, and then the cold side of this storm. 33 Million People in the path of wintry weather. Chicago, detroit, oklahoma city, kansas city and boston all possible as this system lift up wintry mix, low pressure, snow developing heavy at times and reducing visibility. Look at some of the snowfall were talking. Upwards of a foot or more through iowa on into wisconsin and parts of southern minnesota, and this is what im really concerned about ice, Power Outages, dangerous travel, guys, from kirksville, chicago, detroit on into buffalo. We could be looking apt anywhere from half an inch to an inch of ice. It only takes a tenth of an inch of ice to lose traction so this swath stretches all the way into new england so were going to be watching this very carefully. Scary stuff, al. Thanks very much. All the frightful weather is leading to major problems at airports stranding many travelers trying to make it back home after the holiday. Nbcs Kevin Tibbles is at Chicagos Ohare International airport. Kevin, good morning. Reporter hey, carson. Well, on the third day after christmas Mother Nature has given us heavy rains, blowing snow, freezing rain and high winds, and behind me here its faces standing in lineups trying to get through security, hopefully to make their flights. Already today, carson, more than 600 flights nationwide have been cancelled. There are thousands of dev lays. Interesting enough just last week everyone here in the chicago area was talking about how we hadnt really had any winter yet. People were bemoaning the fact that the temperatures were up in the 60s. Well, that as al just said is all about to change. More than 100 Million People have traveled more than ever over this holiday season. I think a lot of them are going to be taking a lot longer to get home than they did heading out on their trips to grandmas house. Carson. Kevin tickets at a packed Ohare Airport this morning. Thank you. Another big story breaking overnight. A key victory against isis. The iraqi city of ramadi fully liberated from the terror groups grasp, even as its leader releases a new message. Nbcs keir simmons has the latest on all these development. Keir, good morning. Reporter hey, savannah, good morning. Losing control of this major iraqi city. There has been confusion this morning with suggestions that some isis fighters remained there, but this morning a u. S. Military official has confirmed Iraqi Army Forces have retaken the provincial capital ramadi. As the battle raised the leader of isis put out a defiant message, a rare statement being pored over by analysts, and it may not be what Abu Bakr Al Baghdadi says thats really impactful but what he didnt say. It is a blow to isis. Its fighters defeated in a key city of ramadi, according to a statement from iraq. Iraqi forces have been raiding buildings, hunting the remaining isis jahvidists before making todays television announcement hailing ramadis liberation from the terrorism of isis. The elusive leader of isis, his last video released in 2014, was mind the audio recording. Abaghdad el mocking the u. S. Led coalition against isis, taunting saudi arabia and threatening israel. Unverified by nbc news, baghdadis statement says isis will defeat the entire world, a war crime and perhaps a cry for help. Isis needs more recruits, baghdadis statement apparently admits. While a string of isis attacks on the west are not mentioned, raising questions about when it was recorded. This past weekend armed police were on the streets of europe again as austrian authorities warn of another plot. In october it was claimed baghdadi had been wounded. Im still alive, he declared, while warning his followers many of you will face death. A showdown with the west is coming, baghdadi says, a final apocalypse. Released by isis main media arm by official channels online and thats why we think it is him savannah. But what is fascinating is does his statement indicate a lack of confidence just as isis loses this major iraqi city . A lot going on in that thats for sure. Keir, thank you very much. Now to the president ial race where there was anything but peace on earth over the christmas break. Donald trump relentlessly attacking Hillary Clinton and attacking her husband on the campaign trail calling him fair game. Hallie jackson has that story for us this morning. Reporter donald trump is set to kick off a threeday threestate, New Hampshire here, iowa and south carolina, and as he gets ready for new year he also seems to have a new target, not just Hillary Clinton but bill, too. For donald trump not quite a quiet christmas break. Shes playing the womans break. Women are more upset about it than anybody else, including most men. Keeping up his attacks on husband. Bill clinton is not going to be the endall in the campaign, and hell come under attack, not just from me. He will eebl coming under attack from many other people. Reporter trump tweeting Hillary Clinton has announced that she is letting her husband out to campaign, but hes demonstrated a penchant for sexism, so inappropriate. His words, echoing clintons about trump. Hes demonstrated a person chant for sexism. I think that donald trump or any candidate on the other side of the aisle would raise bill clinton as somehow a negative to their peril. Reporter bill clintons approval rating, higher right now than president obamas and pen george w. Bush but trump sees an opening. I think he is fair game because his presidency was really considered to be very troubled, to put it mildly, because of all of the things that shes talking to me about. Reporter and while its the party frontrunners feuding for now, Bernie Sanders is taking would be better for trumps supporters. Look, the real issues are not Donald Trumps vulgarity, and he is vulgar. It is the fact that donald trump thinks we should not be raising the minimum wage. He believes that wages in america are too high. Reporter trump taking offense to that on twitter where hes also attacking his republican rivals, several on the campaign trail today, as 2015 comes to a close, all ice on 2016. Trumps frustrated with a new rule in virginia that asks primary voters to pledge they are republicans, worried that could dampen turnout among independents who might vote for him, but its two other states guys. Just five weeks to go in the Iowa Caucuses where ted cruz leads. The week after, that of course, the New Hampshire primary right here in this state where donald trump is still solidly on top. All right. Hallie jackson, thanks. Steve kornacki and an msnbc host and host of mpp daily. Good morning. Truffle going after hillary and vice versa for about a week now. The conventional wisdom i guess is this is good for boast them. Makes both of their supporters happy. Yeah, in a lot of ways thats true. Donald trump, if you want to fire up Republican Voters you can do a lot worse things than go after Hillary Clinton and get into a public fight with her and from Hillary Clintons standpoint shes got democrats rallying around her to go against donald trump, make sure she has a primary with Bernie Sanders. The flip side of all of this the way donald trump is going about this, republicans may not disagree with the idea of going after clintons but it could tock so coors and aggresstive could say to Republican Voters, this is a reminder do we want this guy as a canned gate on that stage in the debates next fall maybe that plays into the hands of somebody like ted cruz who wants to still donald trump with kindness and on the flip side for Hillary Clinton a lot of sympathy from people for her on the democratic side and that otherwise wouldnt be out there. We wouldnt be talking about bill clinton in the 1990s and Monica Lewinsky and all these things if it werent for donald trump bringing it up. How long before trumps competitors start to really go after him for acting like he already hats partys nomination . It depends who the competitor is. Like we say with cruz, the cruz strategy here is dont say anything negative at all. Tell everyone who will ask you, donald trump is a great friend of mine. I like him and let what he stands for and let republicans come to the conclusion on their own. Hey, we like donald trump, we like ted cruz. Alternative. See. But what youre talking about, seeing it with jeb bush, marco rubio, john kasich, chris establishment candidates. They are fighting for their political lives and at a certain point they will really have to go after them. What changes the trajectory of this race right now because here we are five weeks away from voting. Cruz is looking good in iowa, but youve got donald trump leading in most of these polls, and that hasnt changed. Iowa and New Hampshire, the onetwo punch and its cruz and punch, onetwo in iowa and cruz really is one so look to New Hampshire. If youre a republican and you dont want donald trump as your candidate and dont think ted cruz is electable, want one of the establishment candidates, got to put a win on the board or seen to be putting win, a closer than expected second or Something Like that, and the problem that the republican establishment has the four candidates, christie, kasich, rubio and bush, all bunched together in New Hampshire, 8, , 89 , 10 and thats allowing trump to lead and one them has to break out in the next six weeks. Splitting that vote for sure. Steve, thank you very much. Now we move to chicago where family and friends of two People Killed by police, one of them accidentally, are demanding answers today. On saturday an officer responding to a domestic disturbance call fatally shot 19yearold quinto yeo yeo le grier. A 55yearold neighbor betty during that encounter. On sunday le griers mother said, quote, the police are supposed to service and protect us yet they take the lives. Chicago mayor rahm emanuel is now calling on the Police Department and the police overside agency to review crisis intervention training in the wake of those shootings. And we turn now to al, and, boy, as Kevin Tibbles was saying, we were all saying wheres winter . Now its here. This is kind what have happened last year, too. An early start and then, boy, did things get going and we have a feeling that will happen again today as well. Wide swath of snowy weather, icy conditions that. Lex tend all the way up into new england later today. A slight strisk of strong storms making their way through the gulf coast and out west things fairly quiet. Bri good morning, temperatures today staying in the 30s for us, but we do have quiet weather, a light breeze out of the northwest will make it feel like its in the mid20s. Winter finally here for us. Youll notice a difference today with those temperatures just really stuck. Not moving a whole lot. Here is that winter storm system that were in for to move in overnight tonight. And it does start as snow, taking over to a wintry mix. Winter weather advisory posted 1 00 p. M. Tomorrow. When we see it change ove weather. All right. A thank you. Now to the stellar Box Office Success of star wars every turn. Natalie is here with more. We predicted this. Not only did star wars just have the highest grossing second weekend ever. It also balanced Budget Amendment fastest move toe break the 1 billion mark, reaching that milestone in just 12 days. The force is stronger than ever. Star wars episode 7 storming its way to the 1 billion mark this weekend. Becoming the feast movie ever to do so and breaking just about every Box Office Record in existence on its way there. Are we really doing this . The force awakens now holds the Box Office Record for fastest movie ever to hit 1 billion. Biggest Opening Weekend and biggest Christmas Day and biggest opening day ever. In less than two weeks its already the fifth highest grossing movie in u. S. History with its sights set on number one. Nothing will stand in our good. The critically acclaimed movie has jedi fans returning again and again for the thrills and the series about the franchises newest characters. Who are you. No one. Meaning star wars could be just weeks away from its new spot as highest grossing film of all time in any galaxy. Chewie, were home. Right now avatared is the top grossing movie of all time with over 2. 7 billion, but keep this in mind. The force awakens hasnt even opened in china yet, the worlds second largest movie market. You can imagine. Byebye avatar. Disney paid 4 billion for lucas film and they will pay for itself right out of this movie. It again. My brother and i are going to see it in 3d imax. Saw it for a second time last night and futd over the top in han solo still a babe the second time . This time i kept my eyes open the whole time. Still have to go for the first time. So good. Thanks, nat. Coming up, nfl star Peyton Manning firing back what he says about a report that suggests he received performance enhancing drugs. And hoverboard wipeouts, why the years must vsh have holiday gift is keeping doctors very busy, but first on a monday morning this is today on nbc. Announcer one candidate tough enough to take on the bully. Jeb bush donald, youre not going to be able to insult your way to the presidency. Thats not going to