captions paid for by nbc-univsal television >>and goomorning. welcom to "today" on a monday morning, i'm matt lauer. >> and i'm erin burnett filling in for merith via. it's the holiday week so we wanted to come out in front of the absotely gorgeous rockefeller tree. >> w almost turned the lights out on that rockefellerree in protest over what happened yesterday. can you feel it in e air? that is depressi here in new york. the giantseading by 21 points with seven minutes to go allowed ur touchdown in the last seven minutes. the eagles scoredn the last play of the game to win. theyere pling for first place. you have beenunable to get over this all morning. is is e first thing, did you see the gnts game yesterda oh, it was terrible. >> iwas the worsthing i have seen in years and yes. they're calling it the crumble here in new york. meanwle it'the weather that's causing miser in lot of parts othe country. you've got incredible rns out west causing flooding and mudslides. you also have some parts of the country expecting a coup of feet of snow. >> the pictures are incrible, and if you thinkt'sad here, it's even worse in europe. take a look at buckingham palace. sort of an idyllic picture there, but it's aeal mess in airports and roads, across the entire continentf europe not ju in ndon. >> we'll start with the mike seidel. goodorning to you. >> reporter:ere ts morning up in minneapolis, at the university of minneso campus, the brs wil battle it without withhe minnesota vikings. ju one of my places aroun the world being crushed by weather. weather hi califora hard, ys of downpours in the hollywood hills caused flash floodi and fear ofmudslides. it m be the wettest weather system the region has seen in more than a decade. but it's not over yet. they say it' going to go on for days anddays. reporter: t weather has been kinder to california ski resorts and the mwest is bracing for more snow. the game wilow be playe at theniversity of minnesota after last week'slizzard damaged the metrode. across europe, freezg temperatures an snow caud travel chaoslondon was blanted by snow overhe weekendorcing heathrow airport to shu down. roads across europe have been paralyzed blizzards. many motorists were trapped in their vehiclesor hours and carsere abandoned in german anitaly. northern ireland h seen thr first snowfall in 27 years and in pas, there wererushed lady gaga fans after her concert was canceled because her equipment couldn'take it through snow covered ros. behi me at the stadium where they'll play tonight's me, they trucked, they blew, they shovel 3,400 tons of snow out of the stadium ahead othe game tonight. and by the way, several more inches of snon theay tay before kickof it will warmup, it's 13 no ckoff temperate a balmy 25 degrees. back to y. >> i getst's all relative. what's really next aoss the country with the weather situation? stepnie abrams is in for al >> unfortunate we're going to see more of the same, recor rain los geles, san gabriel and it's not stopping. thereforwe do have advisories posted here. weave already seen over a ft of rain. here how it's looking right now in the ard piure, we do ha rain and sno in the higher elevations, several moreeet will be falling into the sierras anhere's aook as we head throughout the day today. er 18 inches into the s good morning. it is mostly cloudy and co around our region here on this monday orning i'm meteorologist t ierein. right now wee in the mid-20 to upper 20s in washingtand near the bay a we have quite a bit of cloudiss that's bee coming in from a weak distuance pasng to our north. a few flurries in pennsylvania. later today we'll have increasing sunshe and highs reacng the mid and upp 30s. and then tomorrow, cloy. maybe a few flurries, into >> matt, over toyou. >>still ahead, what ppened to baby gabrielho vanished arly a year ag police have now leased a chling phone call made by the boy'mother. we'll have the latest and we'll talk to that woman's grandfathe but rst, this is "day" on nbc. up nerksz, prince willi and kate make their fir public appearance. . plusome of the mos unforgettable images of the year. but first, your local newsnd weather. venture rd we get double miles on every purche. so we earned a holiday trip the b apple twice as fast! dinner! 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[ male announcer ] it's azing what you can do with a pen. si then drive is back. r a lited time get any 2011 volkswagen for practically st your signature. good morning. it's 7:26 on this monday, the 20th of december. i'm joe krs. in the news for today, investigors are sti trying to figure out what used a gas ak that triggered a home exosion in antilly, virgini nobody was home at t time but two ults and t children have be displad. some major delays if you take mark trains to wor we'll haveetails as we as look at the forecast whewe come back. good morning. right now we've got quite bit of cloudiness around the regn. it's cold today. we're just in the 20s. 29 at international airport and we'll have this cloud cover with us from time to time this morninbut then by is afternoon we'll ve the sunshine back with highs reachg the mid and upper 30s. wednesday, thursday near 40. how's traffi >> on the inner loop in virginia you head from route 50 arlington boulevard, up toward i-66, h an accident police are wrappg it up along theright side of he roadway. early delays. on more stop, top side of the capital beltway, a little volume bothirections but the travel las are open. tis the season for slick roads and sool delays. news 4 today hasouovered all winter ng. tune in ever 7:30 on a monday morning, it's dember 20, 2010 it's frosty here in new york,6 grees. the windchill is probabl ithe mid teens. but take a look, we ha got a huge crowd gatheri on rockefeller plaza. inside studio 1 da i'm matt lau. wheris baby gabriel? the baby disappeared last year on the day aft christmas. w a new disturbing phone call made by his ther has been released. we'll haveetails on this stor prince william and kate middleton ve attended their first event together in snowy london. and a first look at tir roy china to commemorate t wedding, whichs one of those neat traditional things th do the? >> where are you on your hiday shopping? >> almost finished. just i case you have some last-mine items to get, we're gog tohow you some affordab lt-minute gift ideas for ery age group. > let's start with the serious news, the recordingf a phone call from a missithe mother of miing infant. >> reporter: goomornin to you, erin for the first time er, arizona authorities are releasing a telephone convsation that wa taped at a yea ago, theyay on that call y can hear baby gabriel's mother admit to killing her own son. they also claim she recanted the aim just a feways later. it been nearly year and ill no sign of this blue eyed babygabriel, eight months old in this piure. now police areeleasing a chilling phone cversation record aut theame timee dippeared. >> i suffocated hiand he turned blue. >> reporr: pole say that's the voice of gabries mother, elizabeth johnn, her disturng words, police believe were recded during a phone call johnson had with the boy's father, logan mcquer according toolice on the call, johnson says she kled her son out of revenge from mcquery relationships with other women. >> i killed him this morning. >> no, you didn't. >> reporter: police say jnson and her son were last seen togeer in a san antonio motel december 26th. she then traveled to florida and s arreed. babyabriel nowhere to be found. police say oe incustody, johnson cnged her story, saying at this texas park she gave the baby to an unentifi couple. johnson's attorne says his client may suffer from emotional problems, but s is n a killer. >> she was very upset about their relationship,ndhe me some statements th certainly she didn't mean. my client has maintained all along at the baby is alive. >> reporter: investigators say itould not be the fst time johnson tried to give gabriel away. acrding to deteives, she met jack and tammy smith at an airport weeks earlier when the couple says they agreed to adopt him. the couple onlyook care of gabriel for a short time,ut continued to have coact with his mother. tammy smith has since been charged wi intervening in the case. she has pleaded not guiynd is o o bail. meantime, an attorney for the boy's faer says heust wants to see his s again. >> we are and will always be committed to the beliefhat gabe is still out there. one has shown us otherwe. >> reporter:s a father hos on, detectives search for swers, hoping disturbing phone ll can provide some clues. >>ou pushed mend made me kill my baby. >> reporte now johnson is being held here at t county jail forwomen, she faces a number of charges including abuse and kidnapng. she has plead not guilty. her next court date is set for the end of january. erin? >> all rit,kristen, thank you very much and now let's go to bob johnson, elizath joson's andfather. good morning to you, sir. whenou heard heronfession which of course was on a phone conversation nearly a year ago, just released no wt did y think? >> wl, i w are of that conversation a yeaago. and i was aware of elizabeth recanting the incident. i have talked to my granddaughter two days ago and she stillproclaims her incence. i believe she's innocen shdid not harm that child. >> her attorney as you may have ard in the piece that we all just watched,ays that she could be bipolar which cou be why she confessed and then ended up taking that back. did e suffer from bipolar? >> she is definitely bipolar, hover she did not harm the child, i firmly believe that. it's not within h nature, she waa good mother, she loved the child. e just felt that her and logan could not give it a life better than wt she had. so she wanted to ado it. logan agre to the adoption one daynd the next day he was off of the adoion idea. but elizabeth proceed on the basis that he was going to sign the adoption papers andave th baby to tammy smith. then log found out abo it, took her to court, got a custody visitation, and that's h that went together. >> if elizabeth didn't kill gabriel as you believes the case, where doou think he is? for so many people, it's hard to imine aaby ju disappearing and there being noord of him. >>erin, that's a gre question. i'm ad you asked i i talked to my -- i taed ed te elizabeth two days agsaturd and she told me somethi she had never td me before and that was that tmy smith orchestrat that eire trip from phoenix to san antonio. when they got to saantoni she talked to tammy, tammy arrangedhis meeting in the park. thiss a neighborhood park. this was a 20-minute ride from e hotel. izabeth arrives with the baby. gives the baby to these two people and leaves. i asked her very specifically i she could describe the people and she said no. she s -- i'm sure very overwrought. this was t end of the joney. >> yes. >> and she lt and that was that. i think the best person to be asng where theaby is, based on what i just heard from out of her own lips two ds ago tammy smith. why they have not been ae to focus that, just wonder why there hn't been som more effort in that direction. >> hopefuy, they will, sir. i do want t a you this,s her grandfather, if it does tur outhat she was involved, tha elizabeth d kill thisaby in a moment where she lt control, willou still support her? >> of course. of course. i le elizabeth and she's a good peon. she was a goodstudent, she was a 4.0 gradeveragetudent in high scho, she got a four-year full ticket scholarsh to northeasternniversity in boston, she's a vy capable person. half the people in the world or the unid stat is bipola and ere's a way toanage against at. she'll be okay when we get this behind us. i very strongly feel -- >> thank you so much, sir, we appreciate it. an she's certainly veryucky to have grandfather le you behind her. good morning. it is cloy now and our temperatures are in the 20s. now 2 at national airpt. later today should makeit in the mid and upper 30s an the morni cloud cover should begin to bak upby noon tim wit the sunshine returning this afternoon. then ernight tonight, w'll have a partly cloudy sky so we should be able to see total lunar eclipse after dnight. and then during the day tuesy, cloudy, mht ha a flurry, mid-30s. sun wednesday an thursday with aigh near 40. might get snow christmas day. >> and forour forecast 24 hours a day, all you have to do is go to weather.com. cing up a boy near death on numerous occasis,is doors totallybaffd. but he's getting a second chance at life but up next, a first look at prince william and kate' official royal china. - just fell asleep. whare you up? 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(anuncer) some use hydrogenated oil. reddi-wip's uses real dairy cream. nothing's more real than rei-wip. vo: it's time for a phone... to save us from our phones. new windows phone. designedo get you in, and out, and back to life. get yours at at&t. we're back now at 7:42. stepping out together for their first appearance as an engageded couple. >> reporter: wliam and indicatekate are very busy withedding preparations. as youknow, pnceilliam is a helicopterilot withhe royal air force and there's lots of events befe christmas. willm andate made their first public appeance togethe since thengagement at a fund-raiser for cance patients. the bre-to-be, exptly navigating an i walkway in towering els. while preparatis f the weddincontinue at a vered pitch. the china commemorating the event is on sale. >> this has be commissiod by the royal household and it has been approved by theoyal couple themselves. >> reporte three pieces of handmade engli fine bone china trimmed with 22 caret gold and embossed with the initials for william and c for kaerine. every pieces - they have been using the sam methods to make pottery or 250 ars. >> the china itsf has been hand poed, it's been guilded using 22 cet gold again by hand. and allhe sign has been done with a view to the royal couple. >> reporter: thehina is on sale on the royal collection website as well as trist locatis and it i't cheap. a pill box for $3 something thdesigners call a tankard f $55 andhe platesor $62. the proceeds go to maintaining thqueen's vast art collection. ore than $50 each, mos people probably won't drink out of these cups. th should because rht after thfirst dip, still on the edge, two lite doves sitting on a weddi ring. theakers here in london seem to like the design even if they're not running out placing orders. >> i love the dove >> reporter: thedoves, it's clear, are a real crowd pleaser. bannin images of the couple being used on tea towels, scuit tins and t-shirts. the palace spokeswom says for enthusias willing topend the money, tt's exactly what th'll get. he was in germany being honored for his own charity work. he told the germanewspaper said she was absolutely thrille with the engagement, saying he always wanted aister. >> cistopher, welcome back. i have to know what you tnk of the royal china. >> i love t doves. >> when the engagement was annound a month ago, you sat down andpent foureeks sling away at a bo, since this has been in the wor for a whil so has the book. >> i he been working on this story for about 30 years, coveri the royals,hree bi bicks, - books. my sources tol me a year ago that they would be mared in the spring of2011, ancount on it, even though the palace was saying it won't haen any time soon. so got to cracking on this book and ie been working ont now for about a year. >> 64 in a recent poll, 64% of people in the uk said the would ke prince water var imagy and kate to be next i line to the thrown. and what you basically suggest in theook i that there is a possibility at the queen is considers abdictating in der to get williams and catheri to the throne sooner. >> forhe first time, the queen is consideri stepping aside. >> what would theeasonbe? >>ecause of theituation she's in. she's aeady t oldes monarch. victoriaas three years younger en she died. if the queen lives as long as her mother, she'll be 101. charles will be almost 80 years old when he tak over. afr at, willi will be 60 years old. >> on acale to one to te where is this? >> i my opinion, is aen and they have to dl with it. the men in gray, as diana cls it, the peoe who really r buckingham palace, everyo assumed that she thoughthe would stay there until she died but she can because the monarchy wouldn't benefit. >>hen would she make some kind of dision like this? >> the money would be on her 90th birthday, certainly after her diamo jubilee in 20. not any time reall soon. >> you spe of william and ke in scotland where ty met in college, as someoneho has covered this for 30 years, this type of situation, do u think that kate is going to be subjectsubject ed oraslready been subject to the same lev of scruty that pncess diana had? >> you got to remember that this recurring nightmare thatilliam has had that frankly kate would me the se fate as his mother. he's had to dl with that kind of media attenon. the british say, you know, kate middleton has never put a ft wrong, s has done evething ght. there's been no embarrassing intercepted telepho cal there,'seen no hint of her cheating on william. she's never even frowned at the paparazzi, when they havbeen hounding her. she really is a pro at this already. so i tnk she's goi to do very, ry well. >> this is a modn uple, they announced their engagement using twter. where do you think they'll take the royalfamily. >> inthe 21st century. th take about this bng the first wedding of the 21st century, buthis is t epic love storyf the 21 t century. diay diana made sure tha her kids wen to the movies a t the park it kate is descended from coal miners, her motheras a stewardess so she kno what it's likeo deal with the rea world inay that no other queen ofngland as known. >> it's 4 after the hour,till ahead, affordable last-minute holiday gift ideas f a lot of us. but first, tse massages. eas