Smiley over Sexual Misconduct allegations. Documentary filmmaker, Morgan Spurlock confesses to his own inappropriate behavior. And salma hayek calls Harvey Weinstein a monster. The new statement from weinstein just ahead. Those stories plus a dramatic Armed Robbery at a donut shop. A worker shot in the neck. The suspect is on the run. The email that had these students exploding with joy. Bravo, charlie. After 15 incredible months, were saying goodbye to our puppy with a purpose, today, thursday, december 14th, 2017. Announcer from nbc news, this is today. Live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. Morning, everybody. Welcome to today. Thank you for joining us on a thursday morning. We have to say goodbye to charlie. Are you going to be all right . Charlie, come here. Come here. Come on you mean we cant do that anymore . You know what . What . Charlie is going somewhere for a good cause. Yes, he is. Stacy, his veteran he is going to be with. We cant wait to send him off in the style he deserves. Itll be a tearjerker day here. Yes. Well check in with charlie in a moment. First, lets talk taxes. Charlie, your taxes arent going up. Heres the news out of washington. Including a new deal between republicans that could land their controversial tax bill on the president s desk next week. There is also growing fallout this morning over roy moores stinging defeat in alabama and his refusal, so far, to concede the race. Well talk about that and more with senatorelect doug jones in a moment. Well begin with nbc National Correspondent peter alexander. Hi, peter. Good morning. Reporter good morning to you. President trump vowing the u. S. Is on the verge of an economic miracle. If Congress Passes the bill next week, as expected, he says there will be more money in peoples paychecks beginning in february. Republicans reaching an agreement on this tax overall plan in principle. Democrats are blasting the entire process as a charade that disproportionally benefits the wealthiest americans. Americans will see lower taxes and bigger paychecks beginning in february. Reporter pivoting from a political defeat in alabama, President Trump taking an early victory lap on taxes. We want to give you, the american people, a giant tax cut for christmas. Reporter multiple gop sources familiar with the negotiations tell nbc news the highest earners will pay less. Their tax rate knocked down from nearly 40 to 37 . Up to 10,000 of state and property taxes can be deducted. The cap for mortgage interest deductions lowered to 750,000 from 1 million right now. The bill also repeals a key component of obamacare, the individual mandate. No longer penalizing people for not having health insurance. Potentially jeopardizing already fragile marketplaces. For businesses, a significant Corporate Tax cut, currently 35 . Dropping to 21 beginning next year. Democrats are calling on Senate Majority leader Mitch Mcconnell to hit the brakes on his tax bill until alabamas new senator is seated. Delay until doug jones gets here and can cast a vote. Jones, calling for his opponent, roy moore, to concede. Do the right thing, roy. It is time that we heal. Reporter moore still defiant, releasing this statement on youtube overnight. The battle rages on. In this race, we have not received the final count to include military and provisional ballots. This has been a very close race, and we are awaiting certification by the secretary of state. Reporter his stunning loss still reverberating. Alabamians didnt want somebody who dated 14yearold girls. Reporter some republicans relieved the democrat won the race. It was a great night for america. So i couldnt be more happy. Reporter but not for President Trump. Not happy with the way it turned out. As the leader of the party, i would have liked the seat. Now moderate republicans are trashing steve bannon, who campaigned for moore. Looked like a dishevelled drunk off the street. Reporter he wants to step up his fight against the establishment while crediting the democrats. You have to give the devil his due. There is no magic wand. You have to outwork people. If you get outworked, youre going to lose. Reporter here in washington, back on the russia investigation, the president s son, donald trump jr. , spending another nine hours behind closed doors wednesday. This time with senate investigators. His third interview on the hill. As he left, reporters asked whether he would be back or if he was done. Trump junior replied, you never know. Cold one out here. Tough to talk. Back to you. Thank you very much, peter. Senatorelect jones is with us this morning exclusively. Senator, good morning to you. I should say, senatorelect, you have not been sworn in yet and well get to that in a moment. Let me start with your opponent, roy moore, who has we just saw, hasnt yet conceded. I presume he hasnt called you this morning. He said they need to count provisional ballots, military ballots. If you could talk to him right now, what would you say . Well, i understand the frustration a little bit. It is a close race. Id say, look, it is time to move on. Every race is tough. Its bitter sometimes. I think this one was one that people of alabama have now spoken a little bit, and they decided to heal. I think our campaign has been about that. Its been about trying to find Common Ground and heal. I think hed do well to go ahead and lets get this behind us, so the people of alabama can get someone in there and start working for them. To be clear, you say it is close but there is no doubt in your mind what the result was tuesday night. No, theres no doubt in my mind. Okay. We looked at the numbers and weve had folks we feel confident in the outcome of this race. I dont need to tell you how extraordinary this victory was. You come from alabama, about as republican a state as there is. Forgive me for being so direct. Do you think the voters there voted for you or against roy moore . I think it was a combination. I think every election is a combination of your message as well as your opponents. In this race, theres no question, we had the wind at our back. We felt like our message was getting across. People were really responding to what we called the Kitchen Table issues. Obviously, roy moore has his issues, with his record and all of the disturbing allegations. But thats okay. Im fine with that because if people in the state reject that kind of politics, i think it is a very good thing. I know that the president called you and you said he congratulated you. Again, you come from a republican state, a state that still has 48 approval for President Trump, which is higher than the national average. Right. Are there areas you could work with President Trump . What would those be . I think we have to find any number of areas. I mean, im not going to rattle off right now, but ive told and ive consistently said this, even in the primary, that if the president has things on his agenda i think are good for the people of alabama, im absolutely going to work with there him. We have a great Defense Industry in alabama. Id like to see those federal dollars coming into the state. I can work with him on those issues. I can work with our delegation, all of whom i know, and especially senator shelby, who i have known for decades, ever since hes been a public servant. Real quickly because im out of time, you heard senator schumer, the democratic leader in the senate wants republicans to not vote on tax reform until you get there and can cast a vote. Quickly, do you agree with that . Do you think theyll wait . Ill let that play out. I really dont have a position on that. You know, with the holidays and everything going on, this is a big deal. I want it to be done right. Well see how it plays out. Alabama senatorelect doug jones, thank you for your time. Appreciate it. My pleasure. Thank you. Also this morning, there are new concerns over the health of arizona senator john mccain. Hes back in the hospital being treated for side effects related to his ongoing cancer therapy. Kasie hunt is on capitol hill with the latest. Good morning. Reporter hoda, good morning to you. Senator john mccain has not voted here in the senate all week, as his battle with brain cancer is intensifying. Both he and his family are struggling with this devastating disease. Senator john mccain battling brain cancer. Doing just fine. Reporter hospitalized at walter reed this morning. His office saying in a statement, the treatment is for, quote, normal side effects of his ongoing cancer therapy. Adding, senator mccain looks forward to returning to work as soon as possible. The treatment is very difficult. John has kept his senatorial duties at a level that blows my mind. Reporter mccain a war hero, held prisoner in vietnam. The 2008 republican nominee for president , now battling the same deadly brain cancer that killed joe bidens son, beau. I think about beau almost every day. I was told im sorry that this doesnt get easier. Look, one of the things that gave beau courage, my word, was john. Beau talked about your dads courage. Not about illness but about his courage. Reporter megan mccain accelerating her recent wedding after her dads diagnosis. We were at mayo clinic and my father had his scan. We got engaged because we decided to sort of celebrate life and celebrate being alive and all these things. Reporter her father walking her down the aisle last month, even with his injured foot in a boot. After his diagnosis, making an emotional tribute to the senate he served for three decades. Whether or not we are of the same party, we are not the president s subordinates. We are his equal. Reporter calling out his president , once again putting country over himself. Mccain is a critical vote in the senate. He killed efforts to rid of obamacare. At this point, no word on when mccain might be returning to work. Hoda . Kasie hunt, thanks. Now to a headline shake up with the trump administration. A former apprentice contestant on her way out. It was a dramatic departure from the white house. Hallie jackson has that story this morning. Good morning. Reporter good morning. You got that right. The drama is now continuing this morning as am arosa shares her side of the story, and talks about being the only africanamerican top adviser working here in the west wing and making explosive claims. The former reality tv star on her way out throwing some verbal grenades. This morning one of the administrations most famous faces explains her exit. I resigned. I didnt do that in the residence as being reported. Reporter pushing back on words she was escorted from the white house after trying to enter the residence to discuss the terms of her departure. I wanted to make the oneyear mark. That was one of the goals i set out. I like to hear all of these interesting tales, but i have to tell you that they are 100 false. Omarosa, who worked with the president on the apprentice to the administration, in what she describes as difficult moments, though she is not getting specific yet. As a senior staff and assistant to the president , i have seen things that have made me uncomfortable and have upset me and affected me deeply and emotionally, and it has affected my community and people. She was the most prommant in africanamerican woman in the administration. But she struggled to shake her reputation as a villain. She took her husbands last name when she married this spring. The secret service says am arosas pass has been deactivated but she is still able to access parts of the residents, and the president wishes her continued success. Thank you. Breaking news now, disney with a mega merger that will create an entertainment powerhouse, and disney acquires foxes movie and tv studios and their 30 stake in hulu. Also breaking overnight, russian president Vladimir Putin is sounding off on a number of issues including scandals in his country and here in the u. S. , this as he prepares to face an unlikely challenger in his next election. Keir simmons is in moscow for us. Reporter good morning. President putin is still in the building here, into the fourth hour of answering questions from journalists. Dismissively describing the controversy over the american elections as spy fever. While in the audience, a woman who says she plans to take on putin in the russian elections. President putin weeks after announcing he will run for reelection, facing more questions about russias intervention in americas democratic process. All of this has been invented, made up by people who are in a position to President Trump, he told journalists. With hopes of shedding a negative light on trump. He praised the u. S. President. Look at the markets, how theyve grown, putin said. I do still hope he wants to improve relations with russia. Listening in the audience, could this woman be russias next president . A former reality tv star, once called russias paris hilton, now a 36yearold mother who says shes ready to take on the controversial and powerful russian leader. Russian people are not stupid. They know that the system were living is undemocratic. My dream is to see this kremlin wall opened for all the people. Reporter she already has supporters. What do you think of the idea of a woman becoming president of russia . Yes. Reporter and detractors, who allege shes running with putins blessing to make the election look legitimate. A putin family friend, her father, was one of putins mentors. Are you president putins goddaughter . No, i am not. Reporter you can see why people would be suspicious. Some people say you are a kremlin stooge. They can say, and they will say whatever they like. I think they should judge actions. Reporter her Election Office run by young stars, using social media. She has 5. 4 million instagram followers. Her account mixing fashion with politics. Politics is not something boring. It is not only old men sitting in suits and discussing inflation. It is fashionable. Reporter this morning, putin denying russia used social media to influence americas election. They see our media as a threat, he said. Where did freedom of the press go . She had the opportunity to ask president putin a tough question. She said to the president in this country if you are in opposition, it means you will either be jailed or killed. What do you say to that . She is unlikely to win the election next year. President putin expected to win, and if he does he will be president until 2024. Itd mean he serves a term almost as long as joseph stalin. Wow. Keir, thank you very much. Were seeing snow out there, al. Its beginning to look a lot like christmas. Lets take a look where it looks even more like christmas. Its smartville, new york. Right there off of lake ontario. The video shows lots of snow, folks trying to get through. Some of them said, the heck with it and we will leave the car and stay home. We have lakeeffect snow and light snow out here in new york city and parts of new jersey and pennsylvania. This system pushing off quickly. Maybe some slick roads and then another clipper coming across and the windchills are going to be fairly brutal in Single Digits to teens from cleveland, buffalo, down to buffalo and boston and burlington and right on into the weekend. Not a lot more snow coming, but we are looking for one to two inches especially on the eastern side of the great lakes. We will get to your forecast coming up in the next 30 seconds. Holla back holla hey. Hurry in to old navy get up to 60 off the entire store with sleepwear from seven dollars and sweaters from ten dollars. At old navy. Good thursday morning, im meteorologist kari hall. Beautiful sunrise under way right now from palo alto as we speak, sun coming over the hills, but still some really cold temperatures. We are down to 37 degrees now in the trivalley, 32 in the north bay and the east bay at 37 degrees. Now, as we go through the day it warms up quickly, making it into the low to mid 60s, even some upper 60s for the south bay, san jose expect a high of 67 degrees and 65 today in napa. Thats your latest weather. Guys . Al, thanks. Coming up, the avalanche of new Sexual Misconduct allegations against powerful men in television and music. Plus, how Harvey Weinstein is responding this morning to disturbing accusations from oscar nominee salma hayek. And better than black friday . Why waiting to do your Holiday Shopping could actually pay off, and in a big way this year. First, this is today on nbc. Coming up, the post on facebook that led a couple who always wanted kids to adopt seven siblings. Well share their heartwarming story. Charlies dogs cant see color like we do. But they see you like its the first time, every time. They see a tough day a mile away. And things they cant unsee. They see life. And they see love. Every time they see you. Maybe dogs cant see color. 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