fall from grace for the man known as south africa golden boy. this morning, major sponsors like oakley and nike are cutting ties with pistorius say they go will no longer use him in future advertisements. turning now to gas prices. and the surprising pace which they've been climbing. regular unleaded has gone up for the past 32 days, 43 cents in a month. nbc's tom costello tells us what's behind this recent rise. >> reporter: at gas stations across the country, customers are asking same question, what could possibly send gas prices up 43 cents in a month. that's an extra $8.60 on a 20-gallon car. in chicago, it's more than that, up 70 cents a month to $4.22 a gallon. at this station, $4.29. for taxi driver ray hubert, that's real money. >> it digs into my pockets. i pay for my own gas. nobody else pays for it. >> reporter: in los angeles, up 50 cents a month to $4.28.

some stations charging more than $5 a gallon. >> it doesn't make sense, we went to las vegas, gas prices were $1.50 ls. >> reporter: from coast to coast, gas prices have risen every day for the last month. >> the gasoline prices are extraordinary for this time of year. usually see this happen as we go into the summer driving season. >> reporter: what's going on? analysts say the reasons are many. china is demanding more oil every day to power its growing economy just as opec cut some of its output. international sanctions are reducing the amount of uranium oil on the world market while here at home, refineries are shutting down for maintenance as they prepare to switch to a summer blend. then market speculation and a weaker dollar play a role. >> we have to work. so we keep coming to work every day. but you have to put gas in your car to come to work. >> reporter: 43 cents in a month. >> that was nbc's tom costello. after the long holiday weekend you the president and congressional staffers will be

back at work this morning but with only ten days to prevent $85 billion in automatic spending cuts. the white house says president obama will hold a news conference to address the issue this morning. nbc's danielle lee has the details. danielle, good morning. >> reporter: mara, good morning. the president will urge congress to agree on a deal that balances those pending cuts with new revenue to avoid hurting the economy and the middle class. mane while, congress is away on recess all week. when they get back, they'll have just four days to reach a deal. in their absence, strategists say staffers are making calls negotiating, trying to come up with alternative savings. lawmakers are not entirely on vacation. many of them are back in their districts highlighting the impacts of these cuts.

in san diego, up to 30,000 military jobs are in jeopardy. they agreed to the sequester in 2011, hoping it would force them to come up with a better compromise. so far that hasn't happened. reporting live from capitol hill, i'm danielle leigh. back to you. one and done, first term republican senator mike johanns said he won't run for a second term. he said he's not seeking re-election in 2014 because he wants to spend more time with his family. the 62-year-old former governor and secretary of agriculture added after 32 years in public service it's time to go. johanns has denied he's leaving washington because of partisan politics. passengers aboard the ill-fated carnival cruise stranded at sea for five days are beginning to get answers. u.s. coast guard said diesel fuel leaked from one of the engine return linesn n ton to

surface, sparking a fire that knocked out the system. coast guard estimates that a full investigation will take about six months. well, it's time now for the weather. bill karins joins us with the forecast. good morning. >> good morning. storm moving through the west. it's going to be a quick mover. cold temperatures with it. the snow elevations are going to significantly drop. if you look at that spin off the oregon coastline, that's the culprit as it dives now to the south. it's already bringing snow to some elevations and areas of northern california. rain showers elsewhere. here's the pattern. high pressure has protected the west for a while. it's now retreating and moving out as we get a trough moving down from the gulf of alaska. it has cold air with it. it also has enough moisture to produce rain and snow. a little here towards the medford area, especially the higher elevations. eureka, just rain showers for you. this is trying to push its way towards interstate 5 near the redding area. it will eventually get there in a couple hours.

let me give you the timing of this. as we go throughout the early morning commute today, it's mostly northern california, i-5 area that will have to deal with the rain. as we go throughout the day, it moves to the south. notice the enhancement around san francisco. if you get any thunderstorms, it will be more or less during the middle portion of the day today, not for your morning commute. later on this evening, if dives all the way to the south. this will be about 7:00 p.m. we'll have to watch the evening rush hour home around los angeles. that's your best chance of having the rain and heavier downpours. the good news is by wednesday, completely clears out. it will be arizona and new mexico's problem throughout the day wednesday. again, the snow not a block buster event, but the higher elevations you will be driving in it. the big story is how low fast

moving. storm is in and out. then it will be a little chillier tomorrow but a little calmer. >> all right. good to know. thanks so much, bill. well, just ahead, first lady michelle obama talks about what reaching middle age made her do. plus, details on a whopper of a hacking as burger king's twitter account gets targeted. "early today" returns in two minutes.

welcome back to "early today." here are some other stories making news this morning. well, almost 150 years late, but mississippi has officially ratified the 13th amendment to abolish slavery. the move comes after two men saw the oscar nominated film "lincoln." and learned that the lone state was the holdout on the amendment. lawmakers in colorado have taken the first step towards enacting a package of gun control measures. the state house approved measures calling for universal background check et cetera and ban on the magazine clips of

more than 15 rounds. no republican supported any of the four billings, which are a response to last year's aurora movie theater shooting. scientists are warning that future weather patterns could bring less snow, but more blizzards. too soon to be published, studies found global warming holding more moisture. i'm sure you've seen michelle obama's new bangs. she said the new look was inspired by a mid-life crisis. on an interview on "rachael ray" the first lady joked about her new 'do. >> this is my mid-life crisis. the bangs. i couldn't get a sports car. they won't let me bungee jump so i went for the bangs. >> so you went for the bangs? you're the boss of your hair? >> i can do this. this is all mine. and that meteor that fell last week in russia is sparking a modern-day gold rush. pieces of the rock are popping up online for thousands of dollars. some say the chunks could be worth $2200 per gram. that's more than 40 times the

current cost of gold. speaking of money, now over to wall street. the dow opened at 13,981 after adding 8 points before the holiday weekend. the s&p is down a point and the nasdaq lost 6. overseas, the nikkei fell 35 points while the hang seng dropped 238. investors have returned from the holidays to another corporate marriage in the works. office max and office depot are close to announcing a deal to join forces as early as this week. on the earnings front, analysts expect lower profits from dell's fourth quarter results after the bell today. however, bad news could be far for advocates of a looming buyout between michael dell and silver lake private equity. a 75-year-old indiana farmer and agri giant monsanto. the company is suing over patent infridge -- infringement

over soybeans he bought from a secondary source. somebody hacked burger king's twitter account posting profane messages. no word on who hacked the account. the burger chain replied later in the day tweeting interesting day here at burger king but we're back. welcome to our new followers. this afternoon, boeing's engineers expected to reject an offer from company management. it could result in the strike of 4,000 workers. the plane maker is already under the gun to resolve battery problems that grounded its new dreamliner fleet. and it's that time of year again, the girl scout's annual assault on your new year's diet resolutions is in full force. and now the group is making it even easier to get your thin mint fix with the new cookie app to help you find the nearest cookie sale location. thanks a lot, girl scouts. coming up, whale watchers in southern california are treated to a rare site. and saying good-bye to an l.a. lakers legend. plus, seeing is believing when nine golfers pull off an amazing trick shot. sports straight ahead.

welcome back. now to some other stories that caught our eye this morning. we begin in florida where firefighters battled raging flames at a gas station. there were a few vehicles in close proximity when fire mysteriously erupted from two pumps. the jacksonville fire department arrived on scene and doused the blaze before anyone got hurt. next to north dakota where a

severe storm system produced blizzard-like weather shutting down roads in fargo. work crews braved 45-mile-an hour winds. and keeping drivers off the stretchers freeways. now to colorado where the ski patrol raced to save skiers swept up in an avalanche. a group of 15 skiers needed to be dug out after a 300-foot wall of snow buried them. each skier was accounted for and thankfully, none suffered major injuries. finally, to waters off the coast of san diego where a spectacular sight played out for whale watchers. thousands of dolphins. thousands, swam alongside giving tourists an amazing show. some biologists believe the mammals swim in areas where there's an abundance of food. turning now to sports, an upset in college basketball, number 25 notre dame got 13 points from jack cooley. and came back to knock off number 20 pittsburgh 61-52. >> jerry buss has died at the age of 80. buss put together a team of superstars that won ten championships.

in the nfl, daquan bowers was arrested after allegedly trying to board a plane in new york with a loaded handgun in his carry-on. not a good idea. and a special day for the mascot for the washington nationals visited mt. rushmore and the giant carvings of presidents. drag racer antron brown got a lot of excitement at the winternationals when his engine exploded and sent the vehicles spinning. luckily, no injuries. and in campbell university, nine seniors lined up and sank nine putts one right after another. an amazing hole in one. "early today" sports, a is brought to you by a touch of gray. get rid of some gray, never all.

just ahead, alec baldwin versus "the new york post." and the hollywood baby boom continues. plus, we'll have your daily dose of adorable baby animals. you can never get enough of those. you're watching "early today."

welcome back. as far as the rain goes with the upcoming storm, notice it's really isolated along the coastal area. of course, the higher elevations will get some of the snow. again, we're not talking any huge amounts. no yellow colors at all.

we're talking an inch or less. thunderstorms could form later today. as far as the forecast goes, again, the timing, it's raining now in northern california coastal areas. san jose to san francisco. sacramento, your best chance will be during the middle of the day today from the evening or morning rush hour on. later for the evening rush hour towards los angeles. as i mentioned, it's pretty fast. it's a hit-and-run. then it pushes out tomorrow. some instability showers behind it. for the most part, the brunt of it will be during the day today into tonight. >> all right. >> not high-impact, but it's a big deal to get rain in the west. >> yes, it is. thanks so much, bill. the saga of alec baldwin's problems with the paparazzi continued. "the new york post" accused baldwin of assaulting a reporter and staff photographer. while walking the a dog, baldwin reportedly grabbed her by the arm and said i hope you choke to death. and then the photographer, who is african-american, allegedly

calling him a crack head, baldwin claims none of this is true. and he spent the day on twitter. >> he's never done anything like this. never. fergie announced she's expecting her first child. she tweeted the news with the hash tag, my lovely baby bump. yesterday we told you about brad and angelina's wine label, and "access hollywood" asked the question, do you ever buy a bottle? surprisingly, 32% of respondents said yes. although, the yet to be revealed price of that wine may change a bit. if you buy it, i'm drinking. producer are reportedly asking mario lopez to come back to the "x factor." and finally, paul mccartney always said how his grandkids beat him at the beatles game. he said you may beat with rock games, but i made the ultimate

record. that's the trump card, right? >> i want to play him in rock band and beat him. that would be cool to say who you beat. >> we'll buy a bottle of brad and angelina's wine and play rock band. >> well, him and i are buddies. >> we'll play at your house then. the next one comes from kbeo news center in brownsville, texas. officials are hoping the change of address can save the life of a baby gorilla. little cindy is is heading to ohio. the 17-day gorilla has been kept alive by volunteers after being rejected by her mother. she's being moved to a zoo in cincinnati. what i love about these stories is they always end up nursing with another species of animal like a tiger or hippo. >> we get the gorilla with the hippo, we're going to make a lot of money. >> i'm mara schiavocampo, and

this is "early today," just your first stop of the day today on your nbc station.

in jerusalem, one frosty festival packed some flare. the historic city has opened its doors to the second international ice festival. sculptors from across the globe came to produce larger than life, bright pieces and amazing detail. modeled after the ice festival in china. in france, some collectors are taking a wake down memory lane. paris set the stage for the first ever toy auction. while there was plenty of "star

wars" gear prices were truly out of this world with some listed for up to $24,000. they got to want those toys pretty bad. the water skiing squirrel is back with an interesting new message. twiggy has entertained for more than three decades, but when his owner died in a boating accident the show was shut down. well, requests for twiggy's return inspired the widowed owner to start up again with a safety twist. twiggy rides behind a toy motor boat, but it's part of an act to encourage kids to learn to swim safely. did we say three decades? do squirrels live that long? >> it's one of those deals. it's the same squirrel. >> i don't know what you're talking about, bill. time for an early look at stories making news on nbc. vice president joe biden will take his message on reducing gun violence to social media today with a facebook town hall. former illinois police sergeant drew peterson will be in a chicago courtroom today. peterson's current attorneys will argue that he deserves a

new trial for the 2004 murder of his third wife. if the motion is rejected the judge could sentence peterson immediately to a maximum of 60 years in prison. and england's four-month pregnant duchess catherine is back to make an appearance. she will visit a women's rehab clinic. it's her first engagement after being hospitalized with severe morning sickness. all day long you can stay on top of the very latest developments on those stories and the best political analysis on msnbc. and tonight, be sure to watch "nbc nightly news" with brian williams. and, finally, here's a look at what's coming up later this morning on the "today" show. in a "today" exclusive, savannah goes one-on-one with former south carolina governor mark sanford. he'll talk about running for office again and making a political comeback after a very public scandal. and a look at new video of newtown shooter adam lanza as a young boy. now keep it on this channel for continuing local news, weather, sports and more. i'm mara schiavocampo. thanks for watching "early today." just your first stop of the day today on your nbc station. have a good one.

[ female announcer ] now get high speed internet at home on our newly expanded advanced digital network, a connection you can count on. at&t u-verse high speed internet offers more speed options, reliability and wi-fi hotspots than ever. go to our website below to get u-verse high speed internet for just $14.95 a month for 12 months with a one-year price guarantee. it's all the speed you need all at a great price. our newly expanded advanced digital network gives you more of what you enjoy online. and with at&t, our wireless gateway turns your home into a private wi-fi hotspot that connects your wi-fi devices and can even save on your smart phone data usage at home. go to our website below to get at&t u-verse high speed internet

for just $14.95 a month for 12 months with a one-year price guarantee. that includes access on-the-go to our entire national wi-fi hotspot network, with over 30,000 hotspots. at&t u-verse high speed internet. now on our newly expanded advanced digital network, a connection your whole house can count on. ♪ breaking news overnight in south africa. the man known as the blade runner appears in court as the prosecution lays out new details in the case against him. >> it's just another big building. you go there hoping to see good theater. >>, pl> plus a curtain call. why a theater may not be back for an encore. major announcements today in developing the area around at&t

park. >> and right now let's take a live look over san francisco. i always appreciate these shots early in the morning just for the lights making you feel good out there and looking gorgeous on this tuesday, february 19th. this is "today in the bay." it is just about 4:31. good morning to one and all. thanks for joining us. i'm jon kelley. >> i'm laura garcia-cannon. lots to get to this morning. first, we are on storm watch. let's check the forecast with meteorologist christina loren. >> good morning to you. it has begun. we have showers on the radar this morning. at this point they are centralized over the north bay so we'll see the bulk of the moisture move south as we progress throughout the morning hours. that means a rough drive to work on the way. even on my drive here i had to use my windshield wipers almost the entire way because we had a steady mist out there. conditions are going to get worse as we head throughout the