hold me up on the ice. >> go, polina. >> have a great day, everybody. good morning. city under siege. new violence between police and protesters in the ukrainian capital. at least 25 people killed, more than 240 injured. and nbc's richard engel is there in the middle of it all. it's happened again. another nine people injured by severe turbulence overnight. this time, on a plane from san francisco to hong kong. solid gold, ted ligety dominates on the slopes this morning to win the giant slalom while david wise celebrates victory in the olympic debut of halfpipe skiing along with his number one fan back home. >> yay!

>> yay! >> he's with us live. and ladies' night, the glamour event of the game. figure skaters from the u.s. and around the world begin their quest to become queen of the olympic ice today, wednesday, february 19th, 2014. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is a special edition "today at the olympic winter games" with matt lauer and savannah guthrie live from olympic park in sochi, russia. >> and good morning. welcome to "today" on a wednesday morning here in sochi's olympic park. i'm matt lauer. >> i'm savannah guthrie along with al roker and natalie morales. now ted "shred" ligety with a great history-making performance. >> that's right.

a lot of expectations on him coming into these games he might leave with a gold medal. check that box. it's happened first time an american male has won the giant slalom. congratulations to him. >> we have a lot to celebrate. a lot of medal winners live here this morning. we'll get to all the action here in sochi in a moment. but we want to start with our top story. the deteriorating situation in the ukraine fuelled by the violent clashes between anti-government protesters and police. nbc's richard engel is in kiev this morning. good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, savannah. medical officials say of those 25 people killed here since yesterday, the majority of them are demonstrators. the situation here is still unfolding. the protesters have been using loud speakers this morning to call for reinforcements, call for more men, and these clashes are wreaking havoc on downtown kiev. >> reporter: central kiev this morning was smoldering and burning. riot police reinforce their positions around independent square.

but the police have left a few roads open. if the protesters decide they want to leave. but they don't want to leave. in fact, the demonstrators, several thousand, are making independent square their alamo. their place to stand against the government's pro-moscow policies. >> last chance for us. >> reporter: and they're streaming it all live on the internet. >> reporter: this is the dividing line between the two sides. over here, you have the riot police. they are well-equipped and numerically probably have the upper hand. just behind them, you see the barricades that the demonstrators have set up and then set on fire. it's a fire line that the protesters are using to keep these riot police away from them. and behind that still smoking fire line are the protesters themselves. last night, central kiev looked nothing less than apacolypic. the government had its losses

when it tried to move away and then set things on fire. the protesters fighting with bricks and molotov cocktails dragged away one of their own who had been shot. the embattled president gave a national address saying he's trying to bring law and order after demonstrators resorted to violence. these were once peaceful demonstrations, but they're not that anymore. >> reporter: it is now clearly a battle of wills. today the ukrainian president viktor yanukovych spoke with his close russian ally putin, both russia and the ukrainian government describe the demonstrations as a coup attempt. back to you. >> all right, richard engel in this unfolding situation in kiev. thank you. we'll take a turn now and get the latest on a busy day here in sochi as the winter olympic games head into the home stretch. natalie. >> an impressive day already. another big day for men of team usa.

skiing as they took to the slopes for the giant slalom. all eyes, as we mentioned, were on ted ligety who became the first american male to win the gold in the giant slalom. >> ted ligety gets his first gold medal at these games taking a huge lead propelling into the top of the podium for the slalom. a favorite coming into sochi with a dominant season in the world cup circuit. he'll now look to saturday's final slalom event for another shot at gold. a pipe dream comes true for american david wise. >> these tricks are so dialed in. >> gold in the first ever olympic halfpipe skiing competition. an incredible performance cheered on by his wife who held up a picture of their daughter. >> david wise has won gold! >> american women at the front of the pack in the bobsled going into today's final. the team with lauryn williams raced to the top of the position on tuesday.

williams won gold in london as a sprinter in the 4x100-meter relay. jamie gruebel and her team are in third. >> wow, sideways. >> a disappointing performance by jasmine, and olympic crossover lolo jones who finished 11th. >> here we go! >> in a thriller in the fog, american alex deibold took bronze. he worked waxing snowboard for team usa four years ago in vancouver, now he's on the medal stand. with a wink of the camera, 18-year-old skiing prodigy mikaela shiffrin started her olympic career. >> shiffrin is truly a once-in-a-lifetime talent. >> she placed fifth. has another shot at gold at the slalom on friday. >> women's figure skating begins today and the stars got some

practice in tuesday. south korea's yuna kim is defending gold, but will americans gracie gold or ashley wagner stand atop the winner's podium? or could 15-year-old russian yulia lipnitskaya shock the world? now back to the slopes in the giant slalom event, bode miller finished 20th in that event. he did announce he's not going to be competing this weekend. he leaves here with that bronze medal only. bronze in the super-g, which is a great finish for him. you can catch the women's short program, bobsledding and the giant slalom tonight on nbc prime time. >> yeah, natalie, thank you so much. the medal count this morning. the u.s. and russia have 21, 7 gold, 4 silver, and 10 bronze for team usa followed by the netherlands and norway. >> all right, natalie. let's swing back over to you right now. a look at the headlines back home. >> a happy crowd liking those results so far. for a second day in a row, severe turbulence sent several

airplane passengers to the hospital. this time it happened from san francisco to hong kong. nine people were injured tuesday night when the plane hit turbulence over japan. one passenger said the rough air lasted about two minutes and felt like a roller coaster. said some passengers were thrown out of their seats and hit overhead bins. the incident comes after five people were hurt when a united airlines flight hit severe turbulence over montana on monday. one of the u.s. navy ships that was supposed to be on standby nearby here in sochi has been out of commission for nearly a week. a senior u.s. military official tells nbc news the "uss taylor" ran aground in the black sea as it was pulling into port in turkey last week. the vessel's prop was damaged in the incident. inspectors are assessing the damage. no word on how long that ship will be out of commission. president obama traveled south of the border today for a one-day meeting with mexico's president and canada's prime

minister. the three leaders have a lot to talk about like when or if president obama will approve the keystone xl pipeline sending oil from canada to the gulf coast. canada says it'll create thousands of jobs, but president obama has delayed a decision citing environmental concerns. immigration and border security are also on the agenda. the motorcycle rider who challenged police to catch me if you can has been caught. san antonio police say 27-year-old alberto rodriguez posted this video on facebook and it was titled "catch me if you can." it shows rodriguez reaching speeds of over 100 miles per hour dangerously weaving through traffic. police caught him after following up on a tip of a stolen motorcycle. police say he was wanted on two outstanding warrants. more proof this morning on the lengths some people will go to get a cold one. check out this surveillance video from houston, texas. and watch as the car comes smashing through the convenience store doors.

two people with partially covered faces get out of the car, run into the store, didn't steal any cash. the only thing they did take was an 18-pack of beer valued at less than $20. that's a lot of damage for that and pretty crazy. guys, you're up to date. >> you leave us speechless, natalie. thank you. mr. roker, did you say the bad "p" word? polar vortex for next week? >> i did. let's not dwell on that right now. >> i hope it's here in sochi when we're gone? >> i don't think so. let's look at what we've got coming up. it's not a lot of great news, either. as you can see, up to the north along that front, we've got a lot of pink that's freezing rain. we have freezing rain advisories throughout much of pennsylvania, southern new york state on into the virginias. we're looking at dangerous weather there. ahead of this front, we've got warm air moving up along this front, deepening low pressure, and the low level and upper level jets coming in. we're looking at severe weather

that's going to be firing up today into tonight, we're looking at from joplin, missouri, to wichita, kansas, parts of kansas city, hail, a few supercell thunderstorms. tomorrow from alexandria to indianapolis to lexington, we can't rule out tornadoes as far east as atlanta. and then on friday, from southern new jersey into the panhandle of florida, more severe weather. when we come back, we're going to tell you about possible blizzard conditions coming up. that'll be coming up after your local weather in 30 seconds. what if you didn't know that home insurance can keep your stuff covered,even when it's not at home? or that collisions with wildlife on the road may not be covered. and what if you didn't know that you could be liable for any accidents on your property? the more you know,the better you can plan for what's ahead. talk to farmers and get smarter about your insurance. ♪ we are farmers bum - pa - dum, bum - bum - bum - bum♪

good wednesday morning. 7:12. i'm meteorologist christina loren. showers clear out of the bay area. we still have clouds lingering especially over the south bay. those should be out of here by 10:00 a.m. we'll see the same blue sky into the san francisco area and north bay in san jose in a compauple hours. otherwise a building breeze today as the system pulls out of here. 63 in san francisco. 65 in san jose. 66 degrees today in livermore. >> and that's your latest weather. matt? >> all right, al, thanks very much. we told you he was a skier to watch on tuesday in the olympic debut of the men's ski halfpipe, and guess what? american david wise certainly delivered, flipping and twisting his way to a gold medal. david, good morning. congratulations. how are you? >> thanks a lot, man. i'm amazing. >> how are you feeling? >> oh, it's been crazy, you know? you win a gold medal, and all of a sudden, you go through this

whirlwind of just interview after interview, so, it's been fun, though. >> let's talk about what happened. the snow. there was everything up on that mountain. the first run was amazing. you nailed it. >> yeah, it was a really tough night, you know. the conditions not only were bad, they were inconsistent, you know. it was raining, it was snowying, there was fog. and when it was raining, actually, the pipe was a lot faster and i was getting really excited right at the beginning of practice for finals. i was actually going to put down, you know, kind of my top, my best run. and then it started dumping snow again, got slower and slower, so i was taking -- >> when it's snowing, people think that affects visibility. that just cuts down on the speed. you can't do the tricks you want to do. >> yeah, exactly. and i had this crazy olympics run that i've been trying to put together for, you know, all year. so, to have that kind of taken away, and you know, you just have to adjust, you have to -- the conditions are going to be bad, so you have to adjust and do the best you can in what you have. >> you got a 92 in the first run. you landed the double cork 1260. what does that mean to mere

mortals? explain it. >> it's two flips and 3 1/2 spins. so, yeah, it's just a lot of flipping and spinning, and i was able to do it to the left on my first hit and to the right on the last hit, and that was kind of the way of capping off my run. there were guys do both double corks in the competition. i think free skiing really rose to the occasion and put on a good show in spite of the bad conditions. >> your wife was here, gave you a little good luck charm before the event, a heart-shaped rock we know something about from yesterday, also held up a great picture of your 2-year-old daughter, nayeli, who's back home. what did that mean to you? >> yeah, almost the first thing i thought when i finished my first run was, this little face smiling back at me, you know? and i could just feel her spirit cheering for me, and my family there supporting me. so, it was just an amazing feeling. >> she's back home, nayeli, but some of your family members -- there's your wife right there -- some of your family members had a video camera and they actually caught her reaction to you winning this gold medal, and

it's priceless. take a look here. >> all right. >> yeah! >> whoo! >> go give him a kiss! go give him a kiss! >> what a moment, really. that's all i have to say. >> yay! >> kiss, kiss, kiss. >> yay. >> and then a big kiss for daddy on the screen. >> aww. >> she thinks all boarders are you, or all skiers are you, right? >> yeah, all skiers. she's getting to where she can tell the difference between the guys, lyman and torin and me. it's really fun. >> we want to mention, your wife is over here. it's been great to have your family here. >> amazing, yeah. >> you're going home with a gold medal. >> yeah, after the whirlwind of the interviews, my wife and i finally got to spend a moment together and just look at each other and be like, wow. >> you can come over and give him a hug. that's okay. congratulations to you as well. >> that's my girl. >> david, congratulations. >> thanks a lot. >> all right? you made us all proud.

let's go back over to savannah. >> all right, matt. thank you so much. now to a bit of a surprise on the slopes. american snowboarder alex deibold can call himself an olympic medal winner. he navigated a crash-riddled, rain-soaked course to grab the bronze in snowboard cross and he's with us now. alex, good morning. congratulations. >> thanks very much. >> to me, you personify what is best about the olympics. don't take this the wrong way. no one expected you to medal, and you came in here and you shocked them all. that's got to feel great. >> yeah, it puts me in a position where i can really focus on my own game. i don't have to worry about the pressure of the media and friends and all these people looking at me, and it's always been about focusing on my own game and coming here without those expectations has really allowed me to do that. >> to realize that you can put together a huge race at a huge moment, did you always know that you had that in you? >> yeah, i've always believed in myself. you have to believe in yourself if you want to succeed. and i've put in so much hard work and made so many sacrifices over the years that i knew i could do it.

and you know, the day rolled around, we got pushed back one day, got postponed because of the weather, but i just went up there and focused on my own game. i just made sure that i worried about my own snowboarding, and it worked out pretty well. >> you mentioned hard work. i want to make this clear, the good news is, you were in vancouver in 2010. the bad news is, you were not on the team. you were actually waxing the snowboards of other olympians. was that a motivating experience? >> it was a pretty incredible experience. i was vying for the olympic team in 2010. my result didn't quite get me there. they brought me along to vancouver to support my teammates. i was prepping their boards for training and race day, and i got a little view behind the olympic curtain, and that really helped me this time around. i kind of knew what to expect. and yeah, in the last four years, i've used it as a motivating factor, watching my teammates get to participate in something that was such an incredible experience that i wanted, when it was hard when i was struggling through injuries and comebacks and stuff like that i used that as motivation to get me to where i am today. >> you had not just a great final race, you had this crazy

semifinal race against once of your teammates, trevor jacobs. you both were landing across the finish line at the same time. and then afterwards, that wonderful celebration. how did that feel, when your teammates gathered around you? >> the race with trevor was always tough. i hugged him afterwards. it's hard when you're racing against your own teammates, but at the end, when all my teammates ran out and jumped on me, i can't even begin to explain, we're like brothers and we fight like brothers and we love like brothers. and when they lefted me up it was an incredible experience. >> well, you had your family there. they got to watch you win. they're on their way home, but we wanted to give you a little slice of home this morning. and actually, we mean that rather literally. your aunt and uncle own a very famous pizzeria in new haven, connecticut. if you look at that monitor, there they are live, up early in the morning, aunt alison and uncle tony, good morning to you. i think they have a special pizza for you. >> alex! >> hi, guys!

>> alison, can you hear us? [ chanting "usa" ] well, there they are. i don't know if you can see, if the camera pans over you, but they have actually made olympic rings pizza for you. so, guys, can you -- you want to say anything to your nephew here? >> oh, alex, we are so proud of you! from your 8-year-old flip off of the jump, scaring the daylights out of your mother, this is just an incredible, incredible experience. >> alex, we're waiting for you. >> well, we're so happy to have you here. well, there's all your fans up early in new haven. >> i appreciate it. i haven't seen those guys, and that's a pretty incredible experience. >> yeah, well, we are very proud of you. thank you for being here and congratulations again. >> thank you guys so much. coming up, the toughest ticket in town, women's figure skating, gets under way tonight.

who is ready to become the darling of sochi and the world? we're going to ask our experts, johnny weir and tara lipinski. plus, i get a lesson from some of the youngest skaters here in sochi. and willie? >> savannah, you know how you strong-armed the great charlie white into playing the violin on national television yesterday? >> yeah. >> he tweeted about it. he's got a few words for you. we'll show you right after this. but first, this is "today" on nbc. [ male announcer ] start engine. accelerate. shift. shift. ♪ and shift again.

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♪ coming up on trending, shape up on "the voice", the coach who just announced he's leaving the show. and figure skater ashley wagner on the long and difficult road to her first olympics. she calls herself the almost it girl. we'll hear from ashley. first your local news and bl. the secret is out. hydration is in.

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download the free lowe's creative ideas planner to get started. bring your style to life with this allen + roth marble top vanity for only $375. very good morning to you. 9:26. i'm laura garcia-cannon. this morning, nine people recovering after a flight from sfo to hong kong experienced severe turbulence over japan. passengers on board say it was so strong it knocked some of them out of their seats and tossed luggage around. photos show the aftermath. 747 managed to land safely in hong kong. investigators are calling an early morning house fire in free month suspicious. it happened at a vacant home on mission boulevard near the sullivan underpass. it took crews about 45 minutes to knock down flames. no one was hurt. big day at the olympics women's figure skating competition kicks off with three americans hope to get gold. among them, san jose's polina

edmunds. 15-year-old from archbishop midi high school expected to hit the ice in an hour. watch on nbc bay area during prime time olympic coverage. it's exciting. let's check the forecast now. meteorologist christina loren. >> excitement in the weather department as well. good morning. showers on the radar. give yourself extra time in the south bay, showers are moving in. everything's going to clear out of here by 10:00 a.m. today. you can see the clear sky in san francisco and the north bay versus the south bay, where we're cloudy. throughout the day today, temperatures are going to warm nicely. we're going to enend up into the mid-60s. breeze building all afternoon long. 63 on the way to san francisco. 64 in oakland. 62 degrees in redwood city. of 4 here in san jose. here's mike inouye. >> toward the san mateo bridge, last break i told you -- last hour i told you about westbound

92, slow roller off the high-rise. now we see that slowdown that started o. over on the foster city side ripple toward the hayward approach. off of 880 in the overcrossing, it should sort itself out. fender bender but nothing dramatic approaching the san mateo bridge. consider the dumbarton bridge to the south still not slowly at capacity. smooth drive on the peninsula, typical slow there, as well as 880. i'll be back with another local news update.

♪ 7:30 now on this wednesday morning, the 19th of february, 2014. the mountains of sochi, rosa khutor, but tonight all eyes down here at the iceberg skating palace because that's where the ladies' figure skating competition gets underway. and it is a fierce competition tonight. >> looking forward to that. back in olympic park, i'm matt lauer along with savannah guthrie, natalie morales and al roker. and coming up, mikaela shiffrin. >> she joined the world cup at 15 years old, now three years later, competing at her first olympics. we'll get her take on sochi and the pressure she feels on the slopes.

meantime, some of the stories making headlines back home. nine people were injured on a cafe pacific flight from san francisco to hong kong. that plane hit severe turbulence just a day after five people were hurt when a united flight heading to billings, montana, encountered rough skies, as well. after weeks of snow and bitter cold, officials are facing a new concern, warmer temperatures and rain could mean major flooding in the coming days and weeks. and buying milk could cost you more next month. prices could go up as much as 60 cents a gallon. being blamed in part for the drought in california. we're going to begin this half hour with the women taking center stage tonight as ladies' figure skating begins. we'll get a preview in a moment. but first, the skaters to watch. >> gracie gold is team usa's best chance for an individual medal in ladies' figure skating.

gold came in second in the ladies' team free skate in sochi helping lead the u.s. to a team bronze medal. t gold clinched first place in nationals with the highest score in the history of that event. ashley wagner came in fourth at nationals. but still landed a spot on the olympic team after a strong showing in the ladies' short program in the team event. >> good speed coming out of that. >> she'll need to be at her best. but will a perfect skate secure her at a shot at the podium? and keep your eye on up and comer polina edmunds, the youngest skater to be named to the women's u.s. figure skating team since 1998. but hometown favorite and russian phenom lipnitskaya could give them all a run for the money. >> one of the best spinners in the competition. >> south korea's yuna kim is the

reigning gold medalist and heavily favored. and don't count out italy's carolina costner, the three-time olympian. and here to give us an insider's look at the competition, johnny weir and 1998 gold medal winner tara lipinski. good morning to both of you. >> this is an incredibly fierce competition. wouldn't you say there are several girls who could contend for the podium? >> there's six to seven girls all fighting for the podium. gracie gold and ashley wagner, plus the russian phenom as well as the russian teammate. you know, that's seven girls who could win a medal. >> it is really exciting. let's go one by one and gracie

gold had a great short program in the team skate. do you like her chances, tara? >> i think she has a fantastic chance. it was interesting. her season didn't start off that strong. ashley wagner was by far the favorite. then at nationals, obviously things change and gracie's looking good to get up on that podium. but that really sets the tone for what's to come in the free skate. >> and what about ashley? she felt she skated well here in the team event. she didn't love her score. we remember her face. but do you think she's got momentum? >> she has momentum. but i think more than that, ashley has pressure at this olympic games. she's coming in with the entire united states behind her. but also, she's in that position where she needs to prove something to the country, that she deserves to be on this team, deserve to be at the olympics and most importantly, she has to prove it to herself. >> polina edmunds just 15 years old, the other u.s. skater. is this about the olympic experience for her? does she have any chance at getting on the podium?

>> i don't know if she has a chance to get on the podium at this olympics, but it is about the experience. she's the type of athlete coming here to do her very best to prove to everyone how good she is. she had a practice yesterday, did not go well, she was in tears, upset and everyone's saying it's the 15-year-old coming out of her. i don't know, i think we'll see a good skate from her tonight. >> we have to talk about yulia lipnitskaya, she is just 15, but i think you know something about competing at 15. you won gold in 1998. she has done so well because it seems like the olympic pressure hadn't gotten to her at all. do you think in the last ten days or so that might have changed? >> it's going to be interesting because in the team event she was so strong. and now everybody is talking about her, talking about her. but she is in her own little bubble. she walks around as if she doesn't see anyone. it'll be interesting to see if she can keep that consistency. >> yuna kim, absolutely fierce. and a lot of people think this

is who we'll see at the top of the podium. >> right. coming off an amazing performance last year where she kind of came out of not nowhere, but just won, smoked everybody. and then she's won everything this season, looking strong and elegant and doing her thing so well. but it's going to come down to if the judges want to give it to her or prefer kim. >> what's interesting, it's hard enough for people to defend their national title. could you imagine defending your olympic gold medal title? no pressure at all. easy. >> she's such a massive star in south korea, this would almost feel like a vacation. you don't have the easiest accessibility to your house, training, anything. you're at the olympics, you're guarded off this little village, and you would think that would be a nice break from being such a superstar in south korea. >> we'll see if she feels that way. it's always great to have you guys here. >> thank you.

>> thank you. >> we'll hear from ashley wagner coming up. you can watch the ladies' program that starts at 8:00/7:00 central. and now let's get a check of the weather from al. >> all right, thanks, savannah. got all our friends out here. all right. let's see, team blizzard is getting ready to get started, yeah. let's show you what we have. low pressure developing. this upper midwest blizzard tomorrow morning, it makes its way up into the great lakes, visibility zero at times, wind gusts to 55 miles per hour, blowing and drifting snow as the system continues to pull away into early friday morning, we'll be looking at windy conditions, bitterly cold air. we've got blizzard warnings from des moines, iowa, to south of minneapolis. and winter storm watches, as well. look at the snowfall amounts. generally talking about 1 to 3 inches. but as you get into the u.p. of michigan, we're looking at up to 15 inches of snow.

yeah. wi 7:38 on a wednesday morning. we still have light showers, mostly in the south buy at this point. watch out for slick conditions. look how clear is it already in san francisco, 53 grease. throughout the day today, temperatures climb nicely as though showers continue to clear out of here. mostly sunny conditions by 10:00 a.m. nice day. 63 degrees in san francisco. oakland, 64. 62 redwood city. 64 san jose. and 65 in livermore. >> and that's your latest weather. >> all right, al, thank you. coming up on "trending" not ready to retire? you may see plyushchenko in 2018 after all. but up next, a phenom on the mountain with high expectations in sochi. we'll talk to 18-year-old mikaela shiffrin live after this. ♪

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"today's athlete to watch" is brought to you by citi. >> and we're back now in sochi with today's athlete to watch. mikaela shiffrin won a world championship at the tender age of 17, now she's 18 and the colorado native is at her first olympic games. and shiffrin is considered a strong contender for gold in friday's slalom. and with us now up in the mountains of rosa khutor. good morning. nice to see you. >> good morning to you, too. or evening? >> i mentioned -- yeah, kind of afternoon, but we're playing the game. you know how that goes. i mentioned these are your first olympic games so much in terms of pressure and expectations. so far, getting into that first race, was it what you expected?

>> yeah, i expected a lot of things. i was quoted earlier saying i envisioned this 1,000 times. it was a little bit of what i expected and a little bit of nothing. and i'm excited to have that first race out of the way. >> yeah. you know what, a lot of people talk about pressure and expectations. was it fun, mikaela? did you get on the course and think, wow, this is a blast, i'm skiing in the olympics? >> yeah. it was really fun. i mean, that's why i'm here, that's why i'm skiing because it's one of the most fun things i could imagine myself doing. and gives me such a rush. i'm here and i'm doing it and i did live up to my expectations in that way yesterday. >> mother nature through just about everything she can throw at you and your competitors, little rain, little snow, little sleet, little fog. did the conditions impact you? >> well, not any more than they impacted anyone else. i think it was a fair race and

as i said, i was so excited to be a part of it and to see some of the best competitors on the world cup tour win olympic medals. and it's inspiring and it was a really great race. >> yeah, you know, you want to mention that. everybody talks about how young you are. you are no novice, you are a force on the world cup circuit, four victories the slalom title. does that help here? or is it a different ball game when you get to the olympics? >> i think every bit of experience helps. i think people are starting to realize i'm not like this little girl. they keep saying, oh, she's just young, she'll stop skiing fast. no way, i'm just getting started. it is a little bit of a different scene at the olympics. everything's bigger and test. test. test.

test. test. twitter, of course. willie's in the orange room with what charlie white is now saying about that impromptu performance on our show right after this. ready? check! ready, dad! alright, slope-style! and go! (air-horn) go, go, go, go, go, go, go! (laughter) left! right! we're going to win. (laughter) we're gonna win! yeah! oooh... owww! (laughter) epic fail! samsung galaxy, official smartphone partner of the u.s. olympic team. for a limited time, get a samsung smartphone

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on the "today" show in sochi. #greatstories. and yes, he wrote out the word hashtag. we love him more for that. it worked. >> i know. >> he said bullied in any part there? >> no bullied. just strong armed. here's my favorite headline. comes to us from norwegian television, headline trouser crisis. curling pant we've all worn, made a lot of news here in sochi. well, the deal is they brought nine different pairs of the curling pants because they thought they had nine round robin matches. turns out, there was a tie-breaker, they didn't have a pair of pants. they had to repeat one pair. they went with the paint splattered look is one they went with. and guys, didn't work. this is it right here, they lost the tie-breaker, 6-5 and did not advance. so they thought they had it all

gamed out and figured out with the pants, didn't work out for them. they don't move on to the elimination round. norway and the beautiful pants will have to wait for south korea to see them at the olympic games. >> no, because i have a pair back in the hotel. i can break those things out tomorrow. >> exactly, yeah. >> all right, willie. thank you. coming up, u.s. skiing legend julia mancuso, we'll be seeing her again in 2018. we'll catch up with julia live. also, figure skater ashley wagner opens up about her difficult road to sochi and the wagner opens up about her [ girl ] what if i race so fast, the world stopped for a minute? [ girl #2 ] what if i had a sled and all my friends got in it? [ boy ] what if i took a shot and scored the winning goal? [ boy #2 ] what if i cut through the winter air and didn't feel the cold? [ boy #3 ] what if i could fly and soared like i had wings? [ girl #3 ] what if i stood up on the winner's stand and heard my country sing?

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good morning, everyone. 7:56. i'm scott mcgrew. 29-year-old man faces an attempted murder charge accused of attacking an elderly woman while she was in her hospital bed. 93-year-old mary perez went to san francisco general with breathing problems last friday. she was resting in her room as staff members were wheeling orin zebest to the psych ward. he jumped off the gurney, ran into her room, and beat her. perez is in intense everybody care. the hospital apologized for the incident and promising an investigation. doctors see 4,000 patients on psych holds every year and they're all evaluated in the e.r. well, let's get a check of weather with christina. >> good morning. well, the bay bridge is a dividing line between where the clouds are, where you're getting

a clearer sky. north of the bay bridge and golden gate, completely blue. stout of the bridge, still getting shower activity. here in the south bay, we have mostly cloudy conditions over san jose, shower activity will clear out throughout the afternoon. highs comfortable as a result. warming trend headed our way. notice that on the seven day right there at the bomb tomorrow of the screen. 50s to start. temperatures in the mid-60s to finish off the drive. here's mike. >> we have the slowing trend which is kicking in for southbound 880 through fremont approaching mission boulevard. now, no incidents in the area. no crashes. but we have mission boulevard with construction crews remaining. overnight you'll see the closure toward 880 for four nights, keep that in mine. northbound through the southbound continues to build. cupertino, the latest crash. watch for that slow. slow drive developing for south 101 along the peninsula. and north 880 through oakland.

back to you. >> more local news coming up in a half hour. ♪

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♪ it's 8:00 on "today." coming up, all eyes on the ice as women's figure skating gets underway. so is u.s. hopeful ashley wagner ready for the spotlight? >> i've worked the past four years and i'm ready to have my moment. >> we'll find out "today." plus we to the rescue. we take you inside the efforts of some olympians to get stray dogs off the streets in sochi and into good homes in america. and poetry in motion. savannah laces up with some young russian girls. giving her a firsthand lesson in gracefulness on the ice. can she stay on her feet, "today," wednesday, february

19th, 2014? >> hi, boston. >> hi, san diego. >> go usa! >> hey, brooklyn, with love from russia. >> hi to my daughter. hey, baby, daddy misses you. i'll see you soon. >> thank you to everybody who supported me. i wish you could be here, i'll be home soon, i can't wait to see you. >> buffalo, new york, we're so proud of our cousins and our daughter. go usa hockey! >> and we welcome you back to "today" in sochi, russia. matt lauer along with savannah guthrie, al roker, natalie morales, willie geist and, oh, yeah, julia mancuso is here sporting the bronze medal around her neck. >> also known as the most

decorated female alpinist ever. congratulations to you. >> thank you. >> you're wrapping up your time here in sochi. is there a favorite moment besides the one hanging around your neck? >> well, i got to go surfing this morning. so that was pretty cool. >> out here in the black sea? >> in the black sea. >> wasn't that cold? >> i never thought i would do that. it was a little cold, but it was awesome. >> did you wear a wet suit? >> i did. i wore a wet suit. >> i was going to say -- >> wow. all right. how many other people went surfing this morning? nobody. okay. >> braver than all of us. all right. already people are not only congratulating you on the bronze medal, we're looking forward. four years from now, the winter olympics head to south korea and you will or will not be there. >> i've been saying i will. i'll do my best to be there. >> all right! >> go team usa! >> we've learned not to doubt her in the past. what happens -- go ahead. >> i was going to say, where do you go from here, julia? you'll join us in new york a little bit. what's after?

>> we still have three more weeks of racing, i'm looking forward to that. and the u.s. nationals in squaw valley which will be a lot of fun. and that's home. >> not a lot of rest. get right back on the circuit, huh? >> we're always wanting to go fast. go right back out there. >> one of the cool things about you, you were so supportive on twitter of every other athlete that's been here. what was your reaction today when ted ligety won the gold? >> i was lucky enough to be in the media center watching him. and i knew he could do it. he's a master on those skis. we were crossing our fingers and cheering and it was kind of like this. >> which is also what you did when you jumped in the black sea today. >> just jumping everywhere. >> nice to have you here. congratulations. >> thank you. >> well done. >> julia mancuso, everybody. >> let's get you up to date on olympic action and for that we turn to keir simmons. >> if you look at the medal count, these games are really close now.

every single medal counts, and team usa has been delivering again today. >> just in, men's giant slalom, ted ligety brings home the gold, the first american to win this event securing his spot as the bode miller misses the podium but remains the most decorated american alpine skier of all time. skiing through sleet and snow, david wise taking home the gold in the newly added ski halfpipe contest. >> and he gets it! >> reporter: earned both the highest and lowest scores of the night after falling on his second run. wise talked to matt earlier this morning. >> i had this crazy olympics run i've been trying to put together for all year. and so to have that kind of taken away and you have to adjust it. the conditions are going to be bad, so you have to adjust and do the best you can in what you have. >> and in the snowboard cross,

alex deibold taking home a medal. adding to the medals that the u.s. is winning. >> it's been a long hard road and every moment is worth it. >> today the women return to the track for the final two runs in the bobsled event. usa's elana meyers and lauryn williams setting a track record on tuesday. >> usa off to a great start. >> a win for williams would make her the second olympian with a gold in both summer and winter games. this morning, men's hockey, and finland beats host country russia. later today, usa men's hockey back in action taking on the czech republic in the quarterfinals. all eyes back on the iceberg skating palace where the women will take to the ice in the figure skating short program. can american gracie gold live up to her name? or will russian darling 15-year-old yulia lipnitskaya

take top honors? bode miller tweaked his knee in the first run of the giant slalom and says he won't compete on saturday. meaning for him, these olympics are over. but for team usa, there's a battle to be won, matt. >> keir, thank you very much. we appreciate it. now the other top stories of the day. natalie's got that. good morning to you. >> good morning, everyone. tensions between russia and the west is escalating this morning because of growing political violence in ukraine. at least 25 people were killed tuesday in clashes between anti-government protesters and riot police in the ukrainian capital of kiev. more than 240 others were injured. demonstrators are refusing to leave the city's central square making a stand behind barricades and bonfires. the protest began three months ago when ukraine's government rejected closer ties to the west in favor of russia. at least nine people were

injured overnight when a cafe pacific airways from san francisco to japan hit severe turbulence over japan. most of the victims were taken to the hospital when the boeing 747 landed in hong kong. one witness said the turbulence felt like a roller coaster throwing passengers from their seats. on monday, five people were injured by turbulence aboard a united airlines flight from denver to billings, montana. the castaway who says he drifted at sea for 14 months said tuesday that he doesn't care if skeptics doubt his story. jose salvador alvarenga left his hospital in his native el salvador, he washed up on a pacific island several weeks ago. he also said that his fishing partners died after four months adrift because of the hot sun and because he couldn't stomach the raw food he had to eat. the ongoing drought in california is going to mean sharp hikes in milk prices. you can expect to pay as much as 60 cents more for each gallon by next month. the drought has made it more expensive to feed dairy cows. worldwide demand for dairy products has also been

increasing. and a mini avalanche caught by a camera is a reminder that what comes down eventually come down all the way. fortunately, nobody was standing near this building in indiana when that snow build-up on the roof suddenly just came cascading down to the ground. you can expect a little bit more of this as temperatures rise before the next round of winter weather. 8:08 right now, let's get a check of the weather. speaking of weather, with mr. roker. >> thanks so much, natalie. we're going to see some warm weather coming up. i like this hat. that's very sharp. what are you from? >> colorado. >> colorado, very nice. all right. let's see what we've got. we have been talking about one heck of a winter. and it is going to continue. let's start off in boston. normally for this time of year, they would have about 30 inches of snow. they're 3 feet above that, 56 inches. as you take a look, new york city, our seasonal snowfall should be normally about 25 are inches.

we're at 57 inches. and we go to the city of brotherly love. look at this, you're not going to believe this. we have had 50, almost 60 inches of snow almost three times the normal. and look at these other cities. detroit, 76 inches, chicago, 67, philadelphia, 58, indianapolis, 52. it is the third snowiest in chicago, 7th in new york and the third snowiest in indianapolis. guess what, there's more coming! >> no. >> boo! boo! >> it's a crowd that becomes a 8:09 on a wednesday morning. good morning i'm christina loren looking like at a cloudy sky over san jose. meanwhile we're clearing out nicely from north to south. north bay, san francisco, nice and clear right now. 15 to 20 minutes away from full sunshine. in the peninsula you will have to wait until about 9:30.

by about 10:00 a.m., highs today will be comfortable, a warming trend coming our way. a beautiful beach trend for thursday and friday. >> all right. and that's your latest weather. well, once again, are you all ready? it's time for al's russian class! oh, the excitement has built. our contestant today alex deibold and david wise. guys, we're going to test you with some russian trivia. are you ready? >> we've been studying up. we're ready. >> are you all ready? okay. when you say polka in russian, are you saying, a, good-bye, b, more vodka, or c, it's cold. >> good-bye. >> i'm going to go with "c." >> it's cold. no, good-bye. the crowd is correct. all right. you guys aren't on the board

yet. question number two. what is russia's national sport? a, hockey, b, soccer, c bowling? >> a? >> what do you think? >> hockey. >> it's a trick question, they have no national sport. >> boo! >> you think this is easy? number three, russian men often try to woo women -- >> what? >> they try to woo women. they try to woo women by saying ripka macha. what does this mean? it means, a, my little fish, b, you are my sweet berry, or c wanna play hockey? >> they're conferring. what do you think? >> a? >> we're going to go with "a." final answer. >> that is correct! my little fish. you guys finished strong. ladies and gentlemen, and that's al's russian class!

thank you. >> all right, al. thank you very much. take a look at the medal count and how it stands this morning, 21 apiece for the u.s. and russia followed by the netherlands, dutch strong here and norway. coming up in "trending," not so fast, the olympian who started to celebrate before crossing the finish line and nearly lost the gold because of it. and then, can she shock the world? ashley wagner on the pain of missing vancouver and finally achieving her olympic dream here in sochi. and speaking of skating, savannah gets a lesson on the ice from sochi's flower girl. >> technically skating? but first, these messages.

how are you feeling? >> it's been crazy. >> tomorrow, catch all the highlights from one of the hottest events in sochi. "today," the official morning show of the olympic games. anyr with the latest amazing creation from mccafe: the new chocolate covered strawberry frappé. with real chocolate bits in every sip, it tastes like you're biting into a luscious chocolate covered strawberry. ♪ let someone at mcdonald's make your day, with a chocolate covered strawberry frappé. ♪ enjoy. [ female announcer ] another way to love mccafé. ♪ [ female announcer ] another way to love mccafé. ♪ see what's new atncer ] anothprojectluna.commccafé. and instead of getting stressed about it,fect. you can just perfect it. new revlon age defying cc cream

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yet somehow, they still find time to dream. [ timer beeping ] ♪ now it's our time to show our support. ♪ ♪ we are back in sochi with what is trending today. all right, here's a question, could yevgeny plyushchenko prove to be the comeback kid. he helped russia win gold in the team event, but then so many russians were heartbroken and surprised when he retired last week because of a chronic back injury and didn't skate in the guys' individual. sounded like he was ready to hang up his skates. >> injured or not, yevgeny is

apparently not done yet. he's becoming the brett favre of figure skating telling russian tv if he needs to, he'll have another ten operations to fix his back and he made it clear he intends to try for what would be his fifth olympic games in 2018. he will be 35 years old. >> well, i wouldn't count him out. he's a champion for sure. >> wish him luck. hope he makes it. we do have big news outside of the olympics coming from cee lo green. appears on a taped episode of "ellen" to announce a new tour but then unexpectedly breaks news about "the voice" that shocked ellen. >> i'm not coming back, guys. >> oh, you're not coming back at all? >> i'm not coming back at all. >> i did not know that. >> yeah, but i just want to -- i don't want to wear out my welcome there. i have so many other things i want to do. >> the next season of "the voice," he's not going too far. he says he's got projects in the

works at nbc. that full interview airs today. meanwhile, "the voice" hosted by carson daly returns this monday at 8:00/7:00 central. sad to see him go. >> yeah. well, here's the question, this almost happened to you and i. what happens when you take your sister to a hockey game on valentine's day? you've got to watch out for that pesky kiss cam. that's what happened to a guy named adam. the kiss cam starts roving around, adam and his sister each give each other a look like, oh, boy. adam is ready, he pulls out a note from his pocket. so when the kiss cam lands on him, he pulls out that detail. >> just a coincidence. >> exactly. >> you've got to be prepared. >> luckily matt also had a sign that said my sister. >> no, i was going -- >> you were ready.

>> all right. that is "what's trending" today. "today's" olympic moment is brought to you by coca-cola. open a coke and enjoy the games. >> all right. now to today's olympic moment. a photo finish because one athlete got a little bit ahead of himself. 15 kilometers and a fraction of an inch. >> closing here at the end, coming up behind him in! >> in what could be the tightest race of the sochi games, the frenchman brought the men's 15k down to a photo finish. with the norwegian beginning his celebration a tad too early and he lunged to snatch away the gold. >> like spiking the ball before he gets to the end zone. what a finish. >> the two skiers breathless

with both exhaustion and anticipation of the judges' ruling. >> he gets the gold -- >> he came up short by the smallest of margins. >> the kind of finish you want to see. >> he managed to claim his third career olympic gold, first at sochi in the most unforgettable way possible. >> all right. note to self, you do this after -- >> after you cross the finish line. >> don't celebrate early. >> all right. well, from the slopes to the ice now, the glamour event of the games, ladies' figure skating and the pressure on ashley wagner, the 22-year-old two-time u.s. champion who almost didn't get here at all. >> reporter: the journey that began for ashley wagner on a small ice rink in eagle river, alaska, is about to culminate in sochi, russia. >> ashley wagner, two times u.s. champion. double axle, beautifully done.

>> so what did you love about skating? and was it right away the minute you hit the ice? >> i think that i just got addicted to the speed of it and the feeling of the flow. as soon as you stepped on the ice, you could push off and it's super human. >> and sometimes it takes not just super human strength but super human strength of mind to persevere. four years ago at the age of 18, ashley wagner came as close to achieving her olympic dream as anyone possibly could. >> and then watched it vanish before her eyes. >> devastating mistake. >> at the 2010 national championships, only the top two finishers would go on to vancouver, ashley finished third. >> what was that like to get that close to going to the olympics and ultimately not get your chance? >> my whole career is being built up to potentially go to the olympics and for it to not

work out on that day was really devastating. >> was there ever a part of you that thought i'm going to give up on this dream? i'm done? >> i went through a solid year after missing that olympic team was doubting what i wanted to do in skating and if it was all worth it. you have to give up so much for this sport. and finally i decided i was going to really need to push myself. give up a lot and do everything i could possibly do to get on to the sochi team. >> but the journey to sochi has not been easy either. weeks ago at u.s. nationals, history almost repeated itself. 22-year-old wagner went into the competition favored to win as the reigning two-time champion. >> triple toe! she is fighting for this program. >> she went out in fourth place. >> ashley wagner in tears. >> yet again on the eve of the olympics, someone else was standing at the top of the

podium. this time 18-year-old gracie gold. despite her disappointing performance, wagner was still selected for the u.s. olympic team and now has a chance to redeem herself in front of the world. >> what do you tell yourself before you step out on the ice for a big competition? >> well, for me, i'm an army brat. you're on a teacher's salary and army man salary. so we didn't have money, so my dad told me don't be a wimp. we can't afford anything else, don't be a wimp. and i think that kind of worked out for me. >> it's this fortitude that keeps ashley coming back for more after a career of near misses. she even calls herself the almost it girl. >> do you feel this is potentially your moment? >> i think i've worked hard the past four years and i'm ready to have my moment and i'm ready to totally shed that almost girl image. >> almost it girl to it girl. >> yeah. hopefully.

>> been such an interesting road. so ashley's in it, gracie gold is in it. this is, you know, the big event that we've been waiting for all these olympics. it's exciting. >> do you think because she was put on the team over the third place finisher that there's even more pressure on her now? >> i think there is. and she had a great skate here on the team event, but she didn't like her scores. we remember her expression when she got the score. >> not an impressed look. >> hopefully she's able to perform at her best tonight and tomorrow night. by the way, she is having fun here. this tweet she put up. she takes a picture of herself but she's also focused on this athlete behind her. oh, you know, just hanging out hard core on ashton kutcher's olympic twin. so ashley's having fun. and as we mentioned, you can see her tonight during nbc's prime time olympic coverage. >> who's going? >> great. coming up, savannah has a

shining moment at that building behind us. the iceberg skating palace. >> not exactly. >> where she meets up with some of the youngest stars of the olympic games and shows them a thing or two about what americans can do. but first, some remarkable images of these games courtesy of our friends at getty images. ♪ ♪

a very good morning to you, it's 8:26, i'm laura garcia-cannon. it's a big day at the olympics. the women's figure skating competition kicks off with three americans hoping to get gold. among them is polina edmunds. you can watch here on nbc bay area in our primetime olympic cove ray. pretty exciting. let's check in with mike on traffic. >> we have a lot happening. we expected a lighter throw in the south bay, but a slow drive for north 101 but 280 really bogs down because of an earlier crash. highway 85 was your alternate

and that's backed up now too. the upper east bay shore, san pablo, the chp has closed the off ramp due to a crash or something, someone has died, that's all i know and the coroner has to arrive. that's causing a big slow down. slow drive for the east shore freeway. back to you, laura. >> another update in half an hour. see you then.

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♪ we are back now at 8:30 on this wednesday morning, the 19th of february, 2014. we have a great crowd here. and you know what i like about them, matt? we have an opinionated crowd. >> we do. >> in fact, this young lady right here said what? >> you're not crazy about matt's beard? >> no. >> wait, wait -- but you like it? who likes the beard?

you are outnumbered, lady. >> he should shave it off. >> i'm right here. i'm right here. i can hear this. all right. coming up, forget about the athletes, how about the pressure their parents are under here in sochi. well, coming up, we'll show you a place where they can go to actually relieve some of the stress. also, a little puppy love from some athletes and moguls coming together to help save stray dogs here in sochi. and we've got a live performance from one of russia's best-known pop stars. he actually went to high school in jersey. this morning, he will sing for us before he heads out on a worldwide tour. first, a lot of us have been lucky enough to go to the figure skating events, and we love seeing these olympic champions. but we couldn't help but notice the adorable little girls skating around in between picking up the flowers thrown on the ice. they are so cute. not to mention great skaters, graceful and elegant. i decided to meet up with them.

>> hello. you look great. i have one thing to tell you, i don't know how to skate. i know. do you think you could show me? okay. thank you. let's go slowly. careful, you don't want me to fall on you. oh, thank you. she's pushing me. oh, my gosh. how do i stop? okay. that was so scary. after my first go round, i was ready to trade the skates back in for sneakers. >> uh-oh, we came a long way, should we go back? >> but my little friends had other plans.

first, a lesson in quick cleanup. then a demonstration on how to make even the most amateur skater feel like a champ. >> thank you. oh, my goodness. okay. thanks. >> or chump. >> i think i got it. >> they are adorable. >> they are so cute. they're actually at figure skating camp right now here in sochi and getting obviously the experience of a lifetime. maybe those are future little olympians there. >> my favorite is the reaction to you not knowing how to skate. >> i know. >> nicely done. let's get a check of the weather. >> all right. let's see what we've got for you. again, we've got a lot going on today. we've got our friends out west. we've got a strong jet stream. a lot of moisture coming in from the northwest. and it is going to be bringing in fast-moving fronts.

rain and snow, avalanche warnings, winter weather advisories, winter storm watches, high wind warnings, as well. rainfall amounts. we're talking especially up in the pacific northwest about 2 to 3 inches of rain, cascades looking up to a foot and a half to 2 feet of snow. that's 8:34 on a wednesday morning. good morning, i'm christina loren. look at this beautiful clear sky over the golden gate bridge. we have good air quality. showers came through earlier, and you see what was left over from those showers. storm clouds from over the south bay. 63 in san francisco. oakland at 64, 64 in the south bay. 65 in livermore this afternoon. have a fantastic day. >> and that's your latest weather. >> all right, al. thanks very much. when you walk around sochi, it's hard not to notice, there are a lot of stray dogs here. and actually, their story has been getting a lot of attention. there's some efforts to save

them. >> that's right. well, helping all of them, of course, is an impossible task. but looks like the olympic spotlight and worldwide attention is starting to pay off thanks in part to one american athlete. >> will we see the triple? >> he may have won silver for his daring skill in slopestyle skiing, but american gus kenworthy is developing as big of a reputation for his heart. >> you're not allowed to do that, so they've had to stay here, but i've come and seen them every day and been feeding them. when this tent goes, i don't know, they don't have anywhere else to sleep. >> they are a few of sochi's many stray dogs living under the security tent outside the media center in the mountain village and made famous in part by kenworthy on social media. >> i posted these and said, yeah, i want to bring these home with me. and it was insane the amount of outreach i got. >> one person who reached out was a russian billionaire and

fellow dog lover. they're now working together to get the pups on a plane to the u.s. the first flight could leave as soon as thursday. >> kenworthy is not the only olympian who wants to help. lindsey jacob ellis and some of the men's hockey team members are trying to adopt. >> he's so cute. >> local residents do what they can. in the foothills above sochi, down a dirt road, she runs this shelter. >> the dogs were saved by us. >> reporter: she's a dentist, but she and other volunteers built this safe haven with their own money. >> dogs are fed by local people. and three times a week we go to the shelter just to have proper sterilization for all dogs. >> is she getting help at all from the government to help with

this? >> no. nothing. >> reporter: they're hoping to make room for more dogs through the generosity of strangers. set up a web page for donations and help people navigate a complex adoption process. as for gus kenworthy, he's already looking forward to a reunion with his pups in the u.s. where he says he and his family will take care as many as they can. >> have you thought about names? >> i think sochi's a really cute name. and rosa or khutor, something like that. i might have to leave them a little bit, but they'll be on their way for sure. >> that'll be hard. >> i know. >> you fell in love here in russia. >> i did. absolutely. >> that russian billionaire has also a new shelter opening up this friday. it's going to house about 250 dogs. hopefully we will have some good news to report. gus and his pups getting back to

the u.s. it is an important reminder. while there are a lot here in sochi, there are a lot at home in the u.s., as well, in the kennel who need homes. you can help in that way, as well. and if you want to find out how to help, go to today.com. >> and natalie, such a dog lover. this is a labor of love for you, as well. >> i love them. thank you so much. up next, some souvenirs, the five must-haves to grab before we leave russia. also, the place where the athletes go to unwind after the nerve-wracking moments of watching competition.

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♪ it is hard to believe but we only have a few more days left here in sochi. and we can't leave without checking out some of the area's finest goods. and to help us do that, we've

got mark ellwood. mark, good morning to you. >> good morning. >> we're going to go through the five must-haves here in sochi. you're wearing one of them. >> part of one of them. part of a sweat suit. it's like a juicy couture suit. because bosco. >> everywhere. >> it's basically the russian nike. a little bit here and there. what do you think? >> looks great. and aren't we wearing the must-have gloves? >> we've got the gloves here. you say it's like a nike. it's a little over the top, though. you know, the styles, the patterns, it's not subtle. >> i think it draws from the russian heritage more than nike would do. but i think it's a great souvenir. i actually love these sneakers. i would totally wear these sneakers. >> would they be size 10? >> they are. >> what a shock. >> but we've also got -- you can't leave russia without having a little bit of caviar and russian champagne. >> okay. twist our arm. i'll try the champagne. >> i will try the caviar, okay.

>> it's basically russian peanut butter. >> add $1,000 a jar. >> but not in russia, because the red caviar leak this is super cheap and you can have it on bread with butter. >> how is it with jelly? >> i think we'll try that. we'll try that. the champagne is fascinating. the russians were big fans of champagne in the 19th century. the czars had a champagne created for them. they made home grown champagne. >> are we going to try that, too? all right. >> that's delicious. and -- >> it is really good. >> you're not supposed to call it champagne because it's not from france. but we'll call it champagne. >> let's talk about these dolls. everybody loves these. >> these are basically -- they are quite modern. they were only invented around 1900, but they use traditional

russian techniques. and they're based on an old russian lady babushka, the old lady we see. but i love the modern ones that have -- >> very nice. >> i think they're the best souvenir. >> that's a good souvenir. >> are they expensive here? >> quite affordable, about 20, 30 bucks. but i love the one -- we saw the one on the slopes, with her ski goggles on. >> really quickly, we've got candies here. >> i volunteer for the candies. >> it's essentially the tony the tiger for russia, she's been around for about 40 years. they said she was stalin's daughter, but she's an amazing souvenir. and i love those, made in the mountains. just like regular vodka and special honey vodka. >> i'm going to go with the

regular. >> yeah. >> am i allowed to do that? >> mark ellwood, thank you so much. this is fun. >> thank you. coming up next -- very good -- very nervous mothers of olympians do to relax here in sochi. and a live performance. but first this is "today" on nbc. okay. let's train like it's race day. what's up ted?

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♪ all right. we're back now here in olympic park, a place that gives athletes and their families somewhere to relax during the games. and you got a chance to spend time there. >> it's a great place. the third time the house has been created, what they call a temporary home away from home. the amenities range from meals and internet access to beauty

treatments. where i actually got this really snazzy team usa manicure and i had a chance to chat with a few athletes and their moms. >> reporter: here at the p & g house, they get rock star treatment at the games. >> here we are at the salon at the p & g house. have you been spending time here? >> i have been. it's fantastic. look at this picture. if i don't actually get to see ashley, i get to glance at this. >> for melissa james, it's the first ever manicure for ashley wagner. >> you must also be glammed up and ready. >> never. never. that's why it's a treat. moms, we take care of all of the behind the scenes, but we never get the make-up, the glam, the makeover. >> we'll give you a little red, white and blue flair. >> for linda goepper, mother of slopestyle bronze medalist nick

goepper, not only getting make-up, but a trendy biathlon braid. >> i've been covering the olympics. we're ready for our close-up. >> you want to get that, huh? >> how has the p & g house been for you? >> we couldn't do it without it. that's for sure. it's a nice place to come and relax and meet other families and feel safe. >> whether it's rest, rejuvenation or celebration, during that u.s. versus russia hockey game, families gathered to cheer team usa on to victory. the p & g house creates an environment where athletes can spend quality time with their loved ones. >> i competed in vancouver in 2010, i had all these memories and, yeah, p & g house was awesome. >> and for noelle pikus-pace, that means creating new memories with both her children and her parents. >> to come back here and be part of this is awesome.

>> had a lot of fun there. and i asked noelle's mom if she cried when her daughter won the silver medal. and she said, we wanted to let her have her moment. and she piped up, it's not my moment without you. it's a great place for all of them to have. >> that's very cool. well, up next, a live performance from emin. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

♪ back here in sochi. our next guest is known all throughout russia. and he's making his u.s. television debut right here. >> that's right. emin is a pop star who has been called among other things a cross between rickey martin and julio iglesias. guess where he went to high school? jersey. emin, good morning, great to have you here. >> thank you for having me. >> you are a successful businessman among other things. where did the music come into that? >> who doesn't want to be a rock star? >> tell me how you ended up doing this, though. how did you make the transfer? >> it was a lifetime passion. i wanted to sing, but i had to create work for myself, create a business, become successful and then earn the right and privilege to pursue my dream. it's a dream come true. >> you were born here, you lived in moscow, went to school in

jersey. do you sing in english or russian, as well? >> i started my first four or five albums were all in english. but then becoming more popular in my home country in russia, i decided it's time to start singing in the language i speak, obviously. so i do have an album in russian. but currently my biggest deal is the album the released worldwide and it's available on itunes and amazon. >> okay. emin. >> sing for us now, make your u.s. television debut. >> from sochi with love. >> take it away. ♪ ♪ oh oh look into my eyes ♪ ♪ now you swing your hips bite your lips ♪ ♪ you're in paradise ♪ when the lights are low

and you whisper to me sending shivers through me i can't say no ♪ ♪ let your body go look into my eyes ♪ ♪ don't you want to come to me ♪ let the music set you free let it go ♪ ♪ let your body go ♪ whoa whoa-ohh-oh

♪ see it in your face you're my paradise ♪ ♪ you're my paradise let me ♪ ♪ it's so amazing it's intoxicating how could i resist ♪ ♪ on a night like this look into my eyes won't you come to me amor don't you want to dance with me ♪ ♪ let the music set you free let the rhythm in your soul ♪ ♪ i want to let it go

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♪ letting go [ cheers and applause ] >> thank you! >> making his u.s. television debut, that's emin. thank you so much. and we're back with a lot more " making his u.s. television debut. good morning, everyone, 8:56, i'm scott mcgrew. a big disruption in traffic to talk to you about. >> this is the off ramp from the off shore freeway. it is closed right now because of a police investigation. apparently there was a dead body found just off the shoulder of

the off ramp. their investigating the circumstances. there is a closure with flashing lights, and a slow down from el sobrante. another crash south. the south bay itself looking tough.

♪ from nbc news this is a special edition of "today's take." with al roker, natalie morales and willie geist live from the olympic winter games in sochi, russia. >> welcome to "today" on this wednesday morning, it's february the 19th, 2014. i'm willie geist along with al roker and natalie morales. live again today from olympic park in sochi, russia. these are a little more like -- >> my teeth are chattering. >> granted, it's still in the 40s. it's not exactly cold. >> there's a nice stiff breeze, it's a little moist. >> moist? that's the worst word. >> that's a bad word.

>> that's the worst word? moist is the worst word? >> i'm with natalie. >> we've already had this discussion once. >> if i put pound cake after it, that's pretty good. >> true. very true. >> see? >> what do you have? >> we're not talking pound cake. >> moisture, okay. >> the moist. >> ew. >> the moist? >> the moist. the moist. >> you're with me, right? that's an awful word. >> you know everybody's getting excited about back home? >> moisture? >> no, not that. we're hoping our folks back home are taking care of it, power ball. big power ball jackpot tonight. >> this thing's big. >> $400 million. >> yep. >> take the lump sum, $227.8 million. >> not a bad deal. >> it's going to get bigger, too. >> although they're saying, unlikely to climb much further because of the bad weather throughout so much of the country. >> oh, really?

>> yeah. people hear $400 million. >> you'll go through moist just to -- >> not through moist. moisture. >> you'll go through a big curtain of moist just to -- >> everybody's cringing at home right now. this will be the sixth highest ever. >> it has to stop. on behalf of the grateful nation. >> too bad. >> your odds of winning this, by the way are 1 in 175 million. if no one matches all six numbers, we do it again on saturday. and god knows what it'll be at that point. >> then we hope we'd be home by then and buy a ticket for ourselves. you can count on the crew not getting us anything. >> i don't trust them. member, they were taunting us with the tickets yesterday? not cool. well, last night was the second night of the "tonight show" with jimmy fallon and keeping it big. seinfeld was on with him, kristen wiig, lady gaga.

and jimmy for a long time on "snl" has done a seinfeld impersonation. and he calls it the best jerry seinfeld impersonation. so here they were doing seinfeld together. >> i think you do the best impression of me. you really do. >> i don't think i go up that high. >> i don't. >> you're doing me from the '80s. >> but then you rise to the occasion and i come talk to you and i am you. you start doing that. and you start raising your voice higher. >> okay. >> i'm following you. >> that was a good one, too. >> the voice really high. >> jerry says he raises the voice around jimmy because he hears jimmy doing it. you also, again, two days of the jokes about al and matt. we have luging on monday.

on tuesday night, they went to your segment where you went to the bathhouse with matt in the pros and cons segment. >> let's look at the pros and cons of competing in olympics. pro al roker took a naked russian steam bath with matt lauer on the "today" show. con, his forecast was cloudy with a chance of meatballs. >> cloudy with a chance of meatballs. >> it was moist. >> knock it off. >> here's the story about daylight savings in tennessee. it might be done that state turning its clocks back. a state subcommittee has approved a bill that would end the practice of adjusting clocks. no more daylight savings. effective this summer, giving the state permanent daylight saving time. daylight would be longer, tennessee can make the change under federal law because it currently stretches across two different time zones. and arizona and hawaii have already done away with it.

>> good for farmers, good for school kids. it extends the day later, more sunlight at the end of the day rather than early in the morning. sounds good to me. >> i always like it. >> i like that. >> i think it would be great if they did it randomly. you don't know. all of a sudden, boom. >> that's very confusing. >> i kind of like it. makes life interesting. >> you never know what time it is. >> you want to just have things happen. >> you do. you do want to have things happen. >> don't ever vote for that, guys. that's what that comes down to. >> a lot of things happening in sochi. ted ligety, the alpine ski racer, the american won gold in the giant slalom. >> we like that. >> absolutely killed it up in the mountains. on the slalom you get two and combine. so the first one he had, he was so good, almost a lead of a second. >> doesn't sound like a huge lead to you and me, but it was huge. the rest of the field didn't have to finish before we knew

that ligety had won gold. >> for the second run he had to keep it through the line. gold medal for ted ligety. unfortunately, bode miller says he's finished at sochi. miller pulled out of the alpine skiing men's slalom competition that had been set for saturday. he says he tweaked his surgically repaired left knee during the first run of today's giant slalom. >> i have trouble walking downstairs with a bum knee. i don't understand how these folks -- >> yeah, many surgeries. >> these surgeries and go out and go full -- >> and quickly. >> it's pretty crazy what they do. >> and the speeds. making the turn and quickly to the other. >> i don't go 85 miles in a car let alone -- >> it's crazy. >> he's going to continue on to world championships and try to keep going for that. >> he's, of course, won six olympic medals at 36 years old. he's the oldest alpine medalist. >> goes home with a bronze.

great. good for him. >> you can't complain about that. figure skating, i can't wait for this, figure skating, short program tonight. talking about ashley wagner, gracie gold, polina edmunds. but i think a lot of people looking for the russian 15-year-old yulia lipnitskaya. we saw her in the team program and she was unbelievable. >> the one that bends her legs behind her head. >> who are you pulling for tonight? >> i'm pulling for ashley or gracie gold. i'd love to see one of them take it home, you know. we don't get medals tonight. it's two nights of this. i'm going for the americans. but i will say it will be an honor and privilege to watch perhaps one of the greatest of all time, won gold in vancouver, and she's the one, gracie gold said she saw her in the cafeteria and freaked out. they're all fans of yuna kim. >> all great competitors. now to the first gold medal awarded to the men's free skiing

halfpipe and went to david wise. >> that's right. after scoring a 92 out of 100 on his first run, no one could touch, the 23-year-old nevada native. >> david wise is here along with his wife. congratulations. >> hi. >> this is so exciting. saw you guys this morning in our hotel cafeteria. >> yeah. >> hey, look, it's al roker. >> oh, look it's a gold medalist. >> and you still seem -- when i saw you this morning, you seemed a little stunned. has it settled in a little? >> i still feel stunned. yeah. it's been a whirlwind, but it's just been amazing. it's so cool. >> david, i've got to ask you about your life. you have a beautiful wife, beautiful daughter. you're a christian. it doesn't fit the stereotype of the ski bum guy. you're not that kind of guy, are you? >> yeah, you know. i -- personality wise, i fit in

with those guys pretty well, i like to go fast and fly high, but for me, family's important. and having them there supporting me makes me ski better. it is different maybe because of culture, but what i'm out there showing it's totally cool, it's acceptable in its own right. >> good for you. >> absolutely. >> lexi, you are holding up the adorable picture of your daughter at the finish there, as well. but she, on the other hand, was busy kissing the screen seeing her daddy compete. what do you think of that video? >> i haven't seen it yet. >> here it is right here. take a look. i bet you're missing her. >> yay! >> oh, there's the kiss. >> oh, yeah. >> how old is she, guys? >> she's 2 1/2. >> and she gets what you do? >> yeah. she's actually starting to get so good with the team now she can tell the difference between

me and the other guys. oh, look it's aaron. hey, daddy, what's liman doing. she likes the younger boys, it's hilarious. >> you going to get her on skis soon? >> yeah. we've taken her out a couple times this year. we took her out last year and i think we jumped the gun a little bit. we got those ski boots on her feet and she was like, not cool. but we took her out this year and she actually slid down and was making turns by herself. >> cool. >> 2 1/2 years old already. >> mostly pizza and a little bit -- she's getting there. >> how fun has this been for you? today and this whole run. >> it's super exciting, it's a journey, we started the dew tour which was exciting and went to all the grand prix and breckenridge and, of course, x games. just building on top of each other and at the olympics has

been an honor and such a blessing. >> well, we're so proud of you and so glad you took some time with us. i hope you get home soon to see your beautiful little girl. >> we've got to go see her. >> congratulations. >> love that. love that. >> all right, al. how about a look at the weather? >> we've got a lot to talk about. we start off with some severe weather today. ahead of this front, you can see that pink. that's frozen precip that's going to be causing problems for central new york, eastern pennsylvania on into the alleghenies. we have freezing rain advisories there, slick roads. ahead of this system, we've got warm air coming up, a deepening low pressure system, a cold front and a vigorous jet stream going to make for severe weather over the next 72 hours. tonight, we look for the risk of strong storms, kansas city, joplin, out to wichita with large hail and a few super cells. tomorrow, look at how this area widens out. from south of detroit, down to alexandria, louisiana, out to atlanta, we got the risk of strong storms and maybe some

tornadoes. and then on friday, from southern new jersey down into the panhandle of florida. again, the risk of strong storms, dangerous lightning, hail and the possibility of tornadoes, as well. backside to the system, blizzard conditions. we'll have that coming up in the next half hour. what was that? >> more blizzards? >> okay. anyw we're not talking about blizzard conditions. the little shower activity we had is clearing out. it is mostly cloudy in the south bay. if you want that rain and snow in tahoe, we have a juicy system as of next week where we will be tracking showers. between now and then a warm up on the way. oakland at 64, 64 in san jose. five to eight degrees warmer for your highs tomorrow. >> okay. when we get back, no moist.

but -- but the polar vortex returns. >> oh, no. >> it's back? >> it's back! >> wow. when is spring finally coming? >> don't hold your breath. coming up next, fresh off the bronze medal finish in the snowboard cross, we'll catch up with alex deibold from wax technician to olympic medalist. he's with us after this. [ ambient street noise ] ♪ ♪ ♪ abe! get in! punch it! [ male announcer ] let quicken loans help you save your money with a mortgage that's engineered to amaze. thanks, "g." wow! ♪

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that? and, b, how did that prepare you four years later when you go out on the course? >> wax technicians, what they do is prepare our snowboards. they have to put wax on each snowboard the night before a race or couple days before. that helps repel the water. there's a little bit of water underneath the snow. and they're constantly putting on layers, scraping it off, brushing them, cleaning them, getting ready to race. and there's a unique experience in vancouver, allowed me to see behind the olympic curtain and come out and realize what the athletes are going for before i had the pressure of performing. and it gave me a little bit of perspective. i knew what to look for and what to expect. it helped me focus on my snowboarding instead of getting caught up on other stuff that can distract you. >> despite what anyone said about who was favored going into this event. when you got out there, did you have a strong feeling like this

is my dad? i'm going to medal today? >> i had a great feeling. i went out with a smile on my face. and i love snowboarding, i'm passionate about it. and i was really having a good time. and usually when i'm having fun, that's what i do well. my goal for the day was just to focus on my own game, worry about my own snowboarding and let everything else fall into place. >> we were talking about you yesterday on the show and al called your sport roller derby in the snow. there's elbows flying, people in the lead suddenly get thrown out of the race. how tough issport? it looks really hard. >> it's really challenging because unlike other sports, you can be on your game and another competitor can take you out and there's a lot of unexpected things you can't account for. it makes it exciting, the fastest guy doesn't always win. and i think that keeps it interesting. i focused on my own game plan and i was fortunate no one hit me. my own teammate and me ended up

bumping quite a bit with each other and we stayed on our feet and made it through. this is footage from our semifinals heat. and i love it. you never know what's going to happen. you can prepare yourself as much as you want. but you go out there and the adrenaline you get in the gate is undescribable. >> there's a lot of bumping and grinding on our show, too. that's a whole other thing. you had some of the most challenging weather conditions, too, yesterday. >> yeah, when we got up there in the morning, it was snowing at the start and it was raining at the finish line. which is a weird thing to prepare for. you're used to the cold and snow at the top, but as it rains, you get lower, your goggles get wet, go back up in the snow, stuff starts to freeze. the fog rolled in, and by finals, it was pouring rain up there. it's something you have to prepare for. >> i love, though, at the end you dedicated your win to bode miller's younger brother who passed away last year. why was that important for you to do?

>> snowboarding's a really close-knit community. and he was a friend of mine. we battled in the trenches together, came up through the lower ranks. he was the embodiment of snowboarding. he was always out there early, stayed out late. he always had a smile on his face. and that's why we're all here. and in such a small community like that, it really hits home and affected all of us. and i know that, you know, he's out there watching out for us. and i'm sure he's got a smile on his face yelling at us to make sure we're having a good time. >> that was so cool of you in your moment to stop and think of him. good for you. >> alex, congratulations. >> yeah. thanks for having me on. >> we'll see you in new york when you come back. >> absolutely. coming up next, i'll get you caught up on the news you need to know before you head out the door this morning. why those well visits for your kids may be making them sick. i do it every day.

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[ male announcer ] the forecast says it's too cold. this? ♪ the mountain says it's too steep. ♪ just as long as the clock doesn't say you're too slow. ♪ now it's our time to show our support. [ chanting ] usa! usa! usa! usa! taking a look at the headlines. milk prices are heading back up. analysts expect milk prices to jump as much as 60 cents a gallon by next month to their highest level yet. and they blame the ongoing drought in california which has made feeding cows a lot more expensive. and worldwide demand for dairy products has been growing. mixed results in a new congressional budget office study on raising the minimum

wage. raising it from $7.25 to $10.10 would mean more pay for more than 16 million people. but the report said it would also cut about 500,000 jobs. next month, the senate starts debating a plan to raise the minimum wage in three steps. important warning about a new and growing computer scam. the federal trade commission and the fbi say malware can hold your computer and everything on it hostage encrypting your entire hard drive and blocking access until you pay a ransom. experts say you can help guard against it by making sure your security setting is high enough to prevent unauthorized down loads. if you are getting a tax refund this year, the irs has advice for you. officials are encouraging taxpayers to have refunds direct deposited into their bank accounts to make sure that checks are not stolen or lost in the mail. this year, more than 27 million have been filed so far and almost all of them have been filed electronically.

and a minnesota man ice cold when it comes to showing a little affection toward his sister. the two were at a minnesota golden gophers hockey game. and when they popped up on the kiss cam on the jumbo tron, well, the fan was well-prepared. he held up the sign that read my sister with an arrow clearly pointing to his left. but his sister, i don't think she was not that offended by the move. she did get a good chuckle out of it in the end. good way to go when you have your sister with you. have the sign ready. we're back after your local news and weather. trying to stay fit but miss real pleasure?

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very good morning to you. it is 9:26, i'm laura garcia-cannon. nine people this morning are recovering after a flight from sfo to japan hit turbulence. these photos show the aftermath. they managed to land safely in hong kong. a early morning house fire. took crews about 45 minutes to knock down the flames. luckily no one was hurt. and a big day at the olympics, the women's figure skating competition kicks off with three americans hoping to get gold, among them san jose's

polina edmunds. she took to the ice about an hour ago, you can watch right here on nbc bay area in our prime time olympic coverage. weather and traffic after this.

welcome back, 9:28. blue sky and a building breeze. showers are clearing out of the area. temperatures on the mild side and we'll head into the mid 60s. clouds decrease subtlely throughout the afternoon. >> we have a lot of slow traffic right now christina. this is a love shot right now at 680. you see the slow drive here on the 101 by 680. very jammed up here. the red on our sensors shows you where that slow down continues. it rippled into downtown san jose and for 280 it starts at

the 680 interchange. we had four lanes blocked, now just one blocked at 238. they cleared most of the lanes very quickly. there is the slow drive out of oakland toward 238 from downtown as well. that morning commute continues to eke down. and 580 with issues past harrison has cleared. just the morning commute remaining. thank you for joining us. another local news update coming up in half an hour. have a great wednesday morning. .

♪ welcome back to "today" on this wednesday morning, february 19th, 2014. i'm willie geist along with al roker and natalie morales. we are live once again this morning olympic park in sochi, russia. do you guys check your online doctor reviews if you go on yelp and see how people think about your doctors? >> i usually go by word of mouth, though. i ask people, do you have a good doctor for such and such? >> because you don't know who is reviewing them. >> right. i feel like if i get a good recommendation from somebody i respect, like dr. nancy snyderman who we'll be talking to shortly, right there off to the side. >> the survey finds most adults are like us, they have not checked online reviews.

>> let's face it, you want to see a movie, you know. >> you gotta know. $15 these days. but those who check reviews are, in fact, influenced by them. about a third of patients sought out or avoided doctors based on ratings. this is from the journal of the american medical association. >> might be worth looking into more. >> maybe not. >> mr. roker, you've got the weather forecast. >> there you go. 9 out of 10 americans go online to get their weather. >> 10 out of 10 watch roker. >> well, there you go. we've got a blizzard to talk about. this is the backseatsiide of th storm system. we've got blizzard warnings in effect. that system will bring wind gusts of over 50 miles per hour, heavy snow and bitterly cold air. in fact, as you look, we've got a blizzard warning now from la c

crosse. as well, here's what we look for as far as accumulations, generally about 3 to 6 inches, but you get up into the u.p. of michigan and parts of northern wisconsin, and we are talking about a foot and a half of snow. and you're going to have a keep an eye on that because we are 9:32, now, taking a live look at the golden gate bridge. crystal clear and what a nice drive. not a lot of commuters out there. blue sky and building breeze today. 65 on the way to livermore. 65 in san jose. a breeze picking up this afternoon. a warming trend heading our way. we're into the 70s tomorrow afternoon looking pretty good. have a great day. >> and that's your latest weather. >> all right. let's turn now to your health. we're going to answer some

questions this morning, like how does loneliness affect your well being? >> and nbc's chief medical editor dr. nancy snyderman. we were talking about this review and what people are talking about online. >> you can get a ticked off patient that writes a scathing review. i've always said to people, i recommend it sometimes doctors with not great personality because they're the best and smartest in their field. bottom line, you want to find a good doctor, ask a nurse. they're the most observant. >> see? >> hello nurse. >> that's your take home message for the day. >> the nurses know. >> let's start with some health headlines. first one, a little bit surprising, these well check visits, which parents always take their kids to and should continue to do so, but sometimes it could exposing your kids to illnesses. >> this is an interesting one. we do take our kids in under the age of 6 for their well baby visits and i want parents to do it because you know i believe in

immunizations and normal vaccinations. but parents haven't taught their kids about washing their hands and how to sneeze in their elbow. and doctors don't do a good job of segregating the waiting room. and now it all stratranslates i almost 800,000 influenza illnesses a year. bottom line is, the providers need to do a better job and parents, if your kids are really sick, sometimes that's just a phone call to the nurse and doesn't require going into the office. >> but don't stop going to see your doctor. >> definitely don't. and don't stop getting your baby shots. >> don't let the kids play with the toys. >> sometimes, it's a 7 to 10-day incubation process. >> concussions, youth concussions in football. turns out not all helmets created equal. >> football is football. at some point we're going to have to talk about this is a contact sport, 4 million of our

kids play football, looking for the helmets that will prevent everything bad from happening. helmets have cut down on concussions and brain bleeding -- i'm sorry, on skull fractures and brain bleeding. they've not made a difference on concussions. so this new study looked at not just the linear force of running into somebody, but that torquing of your neck. and this side of your head, you know, the bone isn't as strong there as it is in the back. so there are companies that have sort of put warnings out there, we're the safest, we're the best, don't believe it. there's no one great helmet that trumps all of them. we need to put more helmets through crash dummy tests like we do automobiles. >> how about this one, university of chicago study found that loneliness may actually be bad for your health. >> especially when you get older. and we know that older people who are lonely die six years younger than those who aren't. it's a responsibility for physicians to say to elderly

people, you know, are you seeing someone? it's a responsibility for neighbors to get people out. and remember this whole idea of social. we need each other. that doesn't stop later in life. you might need it more. better for your brain, better for your heart and absolutely prolongs your life. >> great advice. dr. nancy snyderman, thank you so much. >> thank you. coming up next, what millions of fans have been waiting for. team usa taking to the ice today in women's figure skating. aiming for olympic glory. that's right. gold medalist kristi yamaguchi what does that first spoonful taste like?

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how you doing? good. automatic discounts the moment you sign up. ♪ welcome back to sochi. it is a big night. perhaps the most anticipated event at any winter olympic games, the women's figure skating competition. >> action starts today in the iceberg skating palace with some young american skaters taking aim at the podium against some stiff competition. >> and here with your preview is "today" olympic correspondent 1992 gold medalist kristi yamaguchi. good morning. >> i'm so excited for this. i'm going over there shortly. a lot of people anticipating. set the scene for us. what are the chances one of the american girls could be up there on the podium? >> there's absolutely a chance one of the americans can get on to the podium. i think gracie gold has the best shot coming in as reigning united states champion. she's been skating really strong her whole time here.

and we'll see, she'll put up a good fight, i think, against some of the other top skaters that are ranked a little bit above her. >> as somebody who has been there, kristi, and performed at the high level winning the gold medal. how different is it than the other things you've done? is there a moment when you get out there? >> i think that moment is backstage while you're waiting. and i think you're trying to calm yourself down and say, okay, don't think of it as the olympics, think of it -- go out like you do in practice every day and go for it. it's big. and i think once you step on to the ice and that music comes on, a lot of times you get into that comfort zone and it's something familiar. and you kind of try to put your body on automatic pilot. >> the american team, polina edmunds, 15, youngest skater since tara lipinski back in 1998. >> yes. polina had a wow performance at the u.s. national championships. where did she come from?

well, she won the junior national last year and came back with such a strong -- that triple lutz triple toe combination made a statement. if she can do that here and skate fairly clean. i think she has a chance at top five here. >> gracie gold as you were talking about the reigning u.s. champ. what does she have to do to out skate the others? >> well, gracie, as we saw her skate in boston, skated very strong. a lot of confidence also here in the team competition. and if she skates like that and perhaps mistakes in the other girls she can get on the podium. she's really grown through the last few months, leading up to the olympics and i think she's really peaked at this moment. >> this is an incredible deep field. once we get beyond the americans. the defending gold medalist. how good is she? and what makes her so great? >> she is the ultimate competitor.

i think she has the confidence, the experience that obviously she's bringing from vancouver. but she has the power and speed and the command on the ice. and i think she's here on a mission and she wants to defend her title and she's been skating like that all week long, like she looks pretty solid. >> i saw yulia lipnitskaya skate at the team skate and was blown away, the 15-year-old here from russia on her home turf. i mean, she could very much have a shot at that podium, as well, right? >> absolutely. she has the momentum with the audience, the hometown crowd, and she's got the wow factor. she's the shiny new toy. this incredible 15-year-old that has such poise and the emotion she brings outs. it's like where does that come from from a 15-year-old? her spins also a wow factor. i was telling willie, i kind of say ouch when i watch her skate. but she has really special qualities to her. >> and lastly from japan, what

do you think her chances are? >> she is going to be fighting for that top spot, as well. she has worked really hard the last four years since vancouver and her silver medal performance there and changed coaches, refined her skating. she's here with a triple axle. we might not see it in the short program tonight. but it's one of the weapons in her -- >> arsenal. >> arsenal. >> technically strong. so you cannot count her out either. >> all right. kristi yamaguchi, thank you so much. and you can catch the ladies in action tonight starts at 8:00/7:00 central here on nbc. the olympic gold medalist turn swimsuit model. behind the scenes of her "sports illustrated" photo shoot. amazing willie wasn't on that. illustrated" photo shoot. amazing willie wasn't on that. >> how do you know i wasn't? life could be hectic. as a working mom of two young boys angie's list saves me a lot of time.

after reading all the reviews i know i'm making the right choice. online or on the phone, we help you hire right the first time. with honest reviews on over 720 local services. keeping up with these two is more than a full time job, and i don't have time for unreliable companies. angie's list definitely saves me time and money. for over 18 years we've helped people take care of the things that matter most. join today. [ male announcer ] can't take a sick day tomorrow. [ coughs ] [ male announcer ] so he can't let a cold keep him up tonight. vicks nyquil. powerful nighttime 6 symptom cold and flu relief. ♪ eat right. not less. this looks interesting. [ female announcer ] special k nourish hot cereal. made with superfoods. special k? yum. i can definitely taste the quinoa. i can't believe that's less than 200 calories. [ female announcer ] nurturing yourself. what will you gain when you lose?

but just not all at once.] nurturing yourself. >>celebrate every tiny win like delicious zero calorie crystal light liquid. a sip in the right direction. [ female announcer ] neutrogena® pore refining cleanser. alpha-hydroxy and exfoliating beads work to clean and tighten pores so they can look half their size. pores...shrink 'em down to size! [ female announcer ] pore refining cleanser. neutrogena®. [ angelic music plays ] ♪ toaster strudel! best morning ever! [ hans ] warm, flaky, gooey. toaster strudel! [ female announcer ] try new pillsbury heat-n-go mini pancakes.

♪ wow. breaking news. >> russia eliminated by finland in hockey. >> got a quiet crowd leaving right now. finland knocked russia out of the men's hockey tournament.

>> 3-1. look at them leaving. >> wow, that's incredible. let's go to a gold medal olympian being celebrated back home. >> alex morgan in the "sports illustrated" swimsuit issue, the issue out this week. i think willie knows this issue very well. >> she gave "today" a peek behind the scenes of her photo shoot. thank you. >> all right. 5:00 a.m., time for hair and make-up. >> so sprained my ankle a couple of weeks ago, foot in the ice bucket, professional athlete. hair and make-up, model. >> the first time i did the swimsuit issue, it was body paint. i was in the studio. >> stunning. >> and now i'm here on a private island in the british virgin islands. enjoying myself so much. >> really beautiful.

>> different shades of blue. we brought 300 suits. >> light blue, dark blue, checkered blue, like every type of blue you could imagine. >> i'm in the circular suit, lifted up to about head height and that's my changing for the day. totally works. it's brilliant. >> i've wanted to be a professional athlete my entire life. so going into modelling, i wanted to challenge myself. when adam was like stand on this slippery rock and try to go on your toes and cross your feet and put your arms in the air. i was like, okay, i could do this. >> she gets a gold medal in modelling, too. >> you can't beat it. >> all right. time to get wet. here we go. >> last bit of light.

gorgeous. >> i had to do 15 changes at different locations. and it was just such a fun experience. >> we're done. it's a wrap. >> thank you, "today" show for joining me on this amazing day and for letting me be a part of your family today. i hope you had as much fun as i did. see you later. >> great. >> and up next, russian singing sensation emin. but first this is "today" on nbc.

♪ may have gone to high school in new jersey, but he's a huge star here in russia. >> he goes by one name emin. emin, good to see you again. >> good to see you. >> we mentioned elvis, you say he's your biggest musical inspiration. >> he's amazing. i started on his songs open mike

night. >> okay. >> you got it. >> every singer has a bit of elvis in them. i'm going to sing a brand new song called "run." >> and you'll be backed up by our "today" show runner dancers. >> take it away. ♪ >> ready guys? ♪ run run run run run run run run ♪ ♪ run run run run run run run run run run run ♪ ♪ thousand miles away feel so far away just to go away ♪ ♪ i'll be on my way when you press play ♪ ♪ music takes control

of your soul got me running to you ♪ ♪ what you wanna do tonight tell me baby what you like ♪ ♪ anywhere you want to go what you wanna do tonight ♪ ♪ tell me what you like yeah ♪ ♪ run run run run run run run run run run run run ♪ ♪ running to you run run run run run run run run run run ♪ ♪ got me running to you ♪ ♪ i'll be on the way ain't no other way ten thousand miles away ♪ ♪ just to see your face

let the beat control free your soul ♪ ♪ got me running to you what you wanna do tonight tell me baby what you like ♪ ♪ anywhere you want to go what you wanna do tonight tell me baby what you like ♪ ♪ run run run run run run run run run run ♪ ♪ you got me running to you run run run run run run run run run run ♪ ♪ got me running to you >> doing a great job, guys. ♪ ♪ gonna take you away the sun the breeze the sand the

waves ♪ ♪ gonna take you away the moon the stars ♪ run run run run run run run run ♪ ♪ you've got me running to you ♪ run run run run run run run run got me running to you ♪ ♪ you've got me running to you got me running to you ♪ ♪ run run run got me running to you ♪ [ cheers and applause ] >> yeah! >> fantastic. kathie lee and hoda coming up next. somebody get me an oxygen tank

well good morning, everyone. i'm scott mcgrew. a 29-year-old man faces an attempted murder charge. accused of attacking an elderly woman has she lay in her

hospital bed. she was at san francisco general with breathing problems. staff members were wheeling him to a psych ward, and he jumped off the gurny and went into her room and beat her. hospital officials say doctors see 4,000 patients on psych holds every year and they're evaluated right there in the hospital. good morning to you, scott mcgrew. we have interesting weather out there for today. we'll see a mix of sun and clouds and obviously temperatures will be on the school side. the good news is as we head through your thursday, that warming trend begins. your seven-day forecast is at the bottom of your screen. we're into the 70s today. as we look across the golden gate bridge, it's nice aclear, a

little lighter than normal. let's talk to mike inouye. >> a little lighter there, christ tee in a, you know it. this is a slow drive north 880. look on our maps farther north on 880, there was a crash and it is starting to recover. we have that slower drive developing. the earlier crash has four lanes and now now lanes blocked. haying down toward hayward and the san mateo it is slow. >> thanks. we'll have another local news update in half an hour. okay. let's train like it's race day. what's up ted?

i think i forgot to pay a bill. yep, paid that one. what about your mortgage? yep, paid that too. alright we're good then. man i feel like i'm forgetting something. eh, it's probably nothing. you worry too much ted. alright, hammer down! bank from almost anywhere with the citi mobile app. citi, with you every step of the way.

rockefeller plaza. it's a dingy kind of winesday wednesday. we're so over this weather. we have a great crowd. >> yes, we do. >> because we're the only people in town, they come and wait for us. we're glad. that's so nice. we have got gold medal

skater sarah hews playing who knew. >> and mob wives are downstairs. little bit scary. >> we have a couple of breaking news item, two items, three items. first one is cee lo green is leaving the the voice. he announced it on ellen. this season, he's not really in this season. this is usher in his place. >> right. he announced he will not return "the voice." he's been a couch four seasons. here's i statement. there are numerous reasons that led to this decision with nbc. it's been an enjoyable experience for me. i hope i have enriched the lives of viewers and con ttestants there. >> nbc president and late night

promo. >> he's a big deal. he says cee lo green has been an instrumental part "the voice." we look forward to working with him on other things. second big piece of news. >> i don't know if this is a spoiler or not. who cares? >> people are streaming it live. russians are out of contention. they lost. we won't play the russians. we're playing the canadians. so there. the third piece of breaking news and the most important to me. >> i'm waiting. >> candy crush is going on the stock exchange. it's huge. >> it's an ipo right? >> it's a thing. i don't think i own stock or how do you even buy it? e trade or whatever. i decided if you're going to buy stock, buy candy crush.

>> i've never seen hoda so excited except the day blake shelton was here. i said if you're excited, buy it. she said how do i do that? i said call your money guy, your manager. she doesn't know the name of her money guy. in her phone he's under matt money. that is totally hoda. >> totally. totally. >> all right. well vh 1 was going to come to this. ordered naked dating series. what has the world come to? >> you have you to be naked. i don't know how they're going to shoot it. >> carefully i suppose. let's hope they don't go to ben benny hana or something. >> they have to go on dates

naked. >> i would know in the first or second. i don't think it would take me two dates. >> i would be so self-conscious. i'd be with the menus. i'd spend the whole time being uncomfortable. >> i love what they put out as their statement. basically said the show will explore the art of romance. preconceived notions, stereotypes and clothes. the end of each episode the two decides if they want to continue dating one of their matches. >> they also said in the statement this isn't really about being naked. extraordinary locale where the wind is blowing through their hands. >> what if you had implants you had just taken out?

that's a segway about the next one, victoria beckham. >> she's revealed she's getting rid of her -- >> she already did. >> this is hoda before a shot of vodka. >> any way, she said to a lure magazine i don't have them anywhere. i think i may have purchased them. she was trying to be funny. women get implants when they get younger and when they're older they realize they get in the way, hard to go jogging. sometimes they make you look top heavy. if you want to look thin -- >> are you you the same person today you were ten years ago, much less five? >> no. i've seen your taste change in over the last six we'years hoda. i ain't kidding. you're a different person. >> i think so. let's move on. hoda said the russian team was eliminated by canada. >> i never said canada.

>> we didn't say that. somebody else, probably al roker. he's dead to me by the way. >> they keep putting corrections. >> we're tired of making statements for cee lo. if he wants to say something, come on and say it. we're not his press people. who was the guy from nbc alternative programming? >> he's the president. >> i don't know the man. i can't speak for you. this is what a you're really waiting for hoda to go for this. seven gold. seven of the babies, four silver 10 bronze for a total of 21. >> after stepping in it twice yesterday -- i mean the day before yesterday when they were all vodka, i'm hearing i should try again. i'm not like lucy can the footba -- lucy with the football.

i'm not doing it again. it's your turn to get involved. >> i'm part russian. my grandfather came from russia. yes, he did. it's all ice water. so there hoda. >> i'm going to confirm. >> get a fresh one. >> that is not ice water. oh my -- >> all of them are ice water. >> i don't -- i'm telling you it's not. >> stop it. like you haven't done it. i'll drink the whole dog gone tray. it's water. i'm going to get brain freeze because it's cold. >> oh that one -- no it was. stop being silly. it was a big night. big afternoon for the half pipe free style ski. great day for the americans. look at that. >> bad day there. >> look at weather conditions by

the way. icy, snow coming down. >> looks like new york the last two weeks. >> they did ask the skiers when they wiped out if they would raise their hand if they were okay. there were lots of crashes. good news for david who took home gold for team usa. what was great, his wife was there cheering. she had a blow up of their 2-year-old daughter there which was so great. one of the cutest things about the events is i love to see the family react. it almost matters more than the athlete. back at home their child was watching daddy on tv. >> are we going to see? >> i think we might. >> he has a binky. >> he takes it out. >> she, it's a daughter. >> she gives a you kiss for daddy. how precious is that?

>> so sweet. coming up in a little bit, jenna will give the inside scoop on the olympics. there was one more thing. there was a dramatic finish in the biathlon. this looked like a photo finish. the guy is first is like hey, i won. the guy in second is like i don't think so. look at me. that's norway in the front and then there's france. it was a photo finish time. this is the kind of support they have to shoot at targets and ski and shoot and ski. the guy on the right, the guy out front actually hit one more target than the guy that came in second. it was very close. >> he was celebrating too soon you think. >> that happens. they don't like people to celebrate in track or football. they think they've got it and then muff it. we wonder if the coach could be unbiassed. >> the same coach coached the

u.s. and canadians. we talked about it like how could the coach be so fair? they said she didn't play favorites. the canadian team thinks she did this time around. scott moyer said, quote, we felt the coach wasn't in our corner. we had odd things happen this year that didn't happen before. for the first time she wasn't there. the coach went to the u.s. national finals and not the canadian finals held on the same weekend. >> i wonder if she wasn't at the u.s. finals the year before? who knows. they won by five points and set a new world record. i think the best team won, don't you? >> i do too. we have a lot coming up. jenna bush hager will talk to us about the olympics which will be fun. >> we love her. mark mcgraph is here for crazy karaoke stuff.

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if you love hitting the wrong notes singing karaoke in front of people you've never met, we've got the show for you. >> mark mcgrath put people to the test. contestants are subjected to crazy challenges. take a look. ♪ fast at lightning >> oh dear. they've got to keep singing no matter what? >> i love that. are you kidding me? >> some of them are gross. i saw a girl step in like fish guts while she's singing. >> the grossest thing i saw was some of the deviant minds are

like we've got maggot, mayonnaise in this tub. we need more. some psycho said how about cigarette butts from around the studio. it was so gross, i gagged a little. the girl pulled the thing and it fell all over her. >> she was trying to win $10,000? >> that's a lot of dough. >> tell us about the contesta s contestants. they're really good singers. these people can really sing. they want careers. they're not going to have them after killer karaoke. >> oh my gosh. >> super talented. we mess with them with electricity. one of my favorite is leader of the packs where rabbit dogs attack the contestant as. >> is this a joke? >> it's not a joke. they have a protective suit on. you have five of them on trying

to sing marvin gaye. >> he's holding the the microphone while he's got his other mic. >> i told you it was a bad idea. >> he's going to be in shark nato two. the movie i want to be in. what is your goal? >> daniel day lewis dropped out. they gave me the call. look at that. i'm playing martin. i'm playing the lead character's brother-in-law. we used to have a friendship growing up. it's been tainted because i married his little sister. >> do you get eaten? >> stay tuned. i want to make it to the third. >> we want to play killer karaoke. what are we doing? >> it's time for you to sing islands in the stream. behind you are hula hoops.

you've only had two or three shots of vodka this morning. >> it was water. >> hoda and kathie lee. hit it. >> there we go ladies. nice. ♪ islands in the stream ♪ to another world and we will -- ♪ >> do it right now. give me your mic. give it to me. go. >> i'm out of here. >> cathy lee. >> hey? hey? you don't leave me here. >> yes, i do. >> don't leave me here with mark mcgrath. come on back. >> ladies, killer karaoke, imagine the hula hoops were on fire and maggots were raining

down on you? >> it would be more fun. >> you did well. you had the hula part and singing down. >> now you're judging us? >> i am judging you. i'm a judgemental person. >> i hope you get eaten in one bite. >> that was the 90s. >> big show ahead of us. >> we have no idea. mob wives are here. killer karaoke premieres tomorrow night on true tv. killer karaoke premieres tomorrow night on true tv. sarah hues is going to help tortteased, traumatized... this is damage overload! and this is the new fructis damage eraser from garnier. the breakthrough? with phyto-keratin complex, fructis damage eraser has the power to reconstruct strength by 90% root-to-tip. see the proof! your hair will be healthier, stronger... repaired! go ahead...do your thing. new fructis damage eraser.

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[ female announcer ] secret clinical strength. it is that time we take you to sochi for today's olympic action. jenna has been rubbing elbows with the dancers. how are you? >> hi. how are you guys? >> it must be so cool to be there. you get to sit and chat with athletes. you had the chance to talk to david and the baby. >> y'all showed the video of the cutest baby in the world. i spent time with him in his home back here in nevada, back in the u.s. he's such an amazing guy. they call him the undude. he's married with a little baby, very religious. he's a family man that

contradicts this idea of adventure sports and what he says is a selfish sport. you're throwing yourself in the air. he's a really, really great guy. it was so fun to be with him. i saw he and his wife here earlier. they were in tears over how excited they were. >> he looks like he's 12 years old. it's amazing. looks like a baby. >> thank goodness he has the facial hair going, or you think so you know? >> exactly. he gave up race skiing to pursue this sport before it was an olympic sport. that's one of the reasons he got so emotional. this was a dream he never dared to dream. >> you also had a chance to talk to the women's u.s. hockey team. we're hoping these ladies get the gold. >> i was just there. i just interviewed them. that's julie in the middle. those are the twins. they did twin power unite.

they say they can connect on the ice together. they're playing canada tomorrow night, a huge rivalry. canada took it in vancouver. they're out for blood. u.s. won silver. they said even silver is kind of a disappointment. not to seem ungrateful. these are the two best in the world. we're hoping usa wins tomorrow night. >> by the way doesn't jenna look great? >> you look great. you are getting younger everyday. we're tired of it. >> russia has done great things for my skin. or the vodka. >> who plays tennis in russia? evident lisa van that and i do versus johnny. that was a great shot. thanks a lot guys. johnny weir and carol, very fun game.

>> are we going to be seeing that? you're going to air that on prime time? >> is that shocking? a little shocking to me too. you'll see who wins. let's say it ain't pretty. >> are are your mom and dad loving you? i'm sure they are watching. we'll be back after this. you feel totally knocked out. eat activia. loving you? i'm sure they are watching. we'll be back after this. your mg you? i'm sure they are watching. we'll be back after this. your m you? i'm sure they are watching. we'll be back after this. your m you? i'm sure they are watching. we'll be back after this. of minor digestive issues like bloating, gas, discomfort and rumbling. and when your tummy is smiling, it shows. activia, feeling good starts from the inside. ♪ dannon. to support families in getting back to the table. one day we get this incredible call from cheerios

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had severe turbulence over japan. these photos showing the aftermath. they managed to land safely in hong kong. a big day in the olympics, the women's figure skating kicks off. there is three americans hoping for cold inclueing san jose' polina edmunds. watch her performance on nbc bay area in our primetime olympic coverage but i'm sure we'll talk about it in the 11:00 a.m. as well. [ male announcer ] we could say a lot

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. welcome back now. a good looking day shaping up. we had showers earlier, hard to tell from this nice picture. a little lingering activity in the south bay that will clear up by noontime. 63 in san francisco, oakland at 64 today. it will be mostly windy at the end of the day at the coast and to the higher elevations. those winds will taper off tomorrow. you'll see that on the bottom of your screen in the seven-day forecast. >> this shot of the 101 looks nice right now at 680, a pleasant drive. we'll still see slowing north of 880. another crash on the shoulder, more distraction, and north 280 has been a sticking point as well as you come up past the

park. and there is the rest of the east bay, scott, back to you. >> all right, a big newscast at 11:00. see you then. welcome back to more of today on this winesday wednesday. if looking for a more exciting reality show, forget about it. >> cast members keep viewers coming back for more. here's a sneak peek of what's instore for fans on tomorrow's season finale. >> buckle up. >> let me take you for a walk. >> don't grab me. >> let me take you for a walk. >> really? let me take you for a walk. >> don't grab me. >> oh renee. you were up there in the face. that's how you go? what caused it?

>> yes. what caused it? >> was wine involved? >> yeah. a lot of wine involved, a little johnny walker black, tequila. i'm not proud of that moment. >> she's not proud of that hoda. >> you look back and see it. >> can i tell you something, guy, we have had lots of housewives on from the other reality show. they have dust ups. they have some fights. how would you compare what goes on on your program to what goes on in the housewives arguments? >> their fights are not fights to me. that's not a fight. that's not a fight. to me that's the way we talk on the phone. >> there are no knives involved? >> nobody is bleeding. there's no lens broken. it's kind of like that's not a a

fight. it's weird. >> yours is different -- am i right -- you air when you're actually taking them? that's very different. >> that's key. see what you just said? they air it while we're filming. then they'relike what is wrong with her? last night i watched what she said about me. >> it's a problem. >> you were angry at renee. i can't remember when it was. you had legal issues that you ended up pleading guilty didn't you? >> yes. >> what did you plead guilty to? >> embezzlement. >> when is your sentencing -- coming up? >> yes. >> i'm sure the cameras will be there? >> not really sure. >> you didn't think renee was supporting you, talking behind you're back? >> i felt like there was here say going on. renee mentioned she heard things i said on wiretap. nobody should be listening. >> did you listen renee?

>> no. we spoke afterwards. it was a miscommunication. someone did speak openly in front of me. i was not against her. i was actually for her. i was saying in her defense. >> aren't some of your families very concerned all of this is so publicly displayed everyday? there's all kinds of things. >> my mother doesn't know me. she's like in the doctor's office everybody said they thought it was mine? i said no i feel bad for their mothers. >> my daughter is not allowed to watch the show. >> i watch my own edited version. >> they're six and 13. they'll watch it one day. i'm trying to be good. >> my son honestly is my biggest supporter. he is my blossom.

he's the best. >> alicia you surprised us by the popularity of the program. it's crazy when you think of somebody such as bob wives with such a following. >> it is crazy. it was a big thing for me to come on the show. as much as my story is my story, i learned how strong i am and i've become inspiration to other women. my boys now see how really strong i am in everything we're going you through. >> renee has a cookbook. it's on our website. oh my god. stay safe. >> always a bridesmaid never a bride. from dress, gifts, party as, you need to know your responsibilities. we're going to tell you how to dress. that's bobby thomas and jennifer miller after this. oom! your mattress a battleground of thwarted desire. enter the sleep number bed. an innovative design that lets couples sleep together in individualized comfort. he's the softy: his sleep number setting is 35. you're the rock, at 60.

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whether heading to the office or night out with the girls, there's an easy way to add to your outfit without spending a lot of money. >> statement necklaces are the best accessory of the season. here to show us how to wear them well, bobby thomas and jennifer miller of jennifer miller jewelry. hi kids. >> hi guys. >> one of the things i think about a necklace, when you're looking to a necklace, it draws your eye to a certain part of a body. >> as ladies get older, the neck say problem area.

>> i've got necklace recipes i'm going to share with you. follow me. i'm going to show you a couple of shorter close to the face chunky monkey styles that hit and hug the collarbone. when you hit and hug the collarbo collarbone, the eyes go straight to the neck. >> looks like part of the sweater. keep the earring simple. she has on a diamond stud. >> if you have a drop earring, it boxes in your face. the high neck shirts like a t-shirt with a crew neck or sweater, this will instantly -- everyone has a basic sweatshirt and pair of jeans in the closet. without the necklace and heels you can hang out and watch football, go to lunch. this is a way to use the collar necklace. if you have girlfriends, this

lifts the neckline up. >> what girlfriends are you talking about? >> let's move on down. we have chasity down here. we have bib necklaces. these bib tiered style necklaces made a statement during fashion week. they screamed confidence and elegance. >> large and in charge. they're a big focal point. the neckline is important when looking at wardrobe. this is a v neck. mimic the neckline. when jennifer and i were putting the look together, look how this goes into a v. if you put a square here, it will compete and distracts from your face. you want to draw attention up. >> it has to mimic the neckline. as you can see, the piece we chose here is see-through. you can see the skin. >> and not a peach pit.

that's what it looks like after 50. >> sometimes you can fudge the rules. the green necklace was great because it covered the v. you can fake a neckline. you don't always have to match. >> big or little earrings is this. >> small. you want the focal point to be the necklace. >> barbara is down here. this is making a comeback this trend. long layered necklaces, pendants, very sexy come back. >> pretty. >> even if you have a long strand of pearls, i'll show you a trick to the trade. if you have a long strand like most of us have. most of us do somewhere in our jewelry box. repurpose and turn it into a fresher more modern type look. this is definitely a fun way to take a dress that's really casual. this is a maxi dress.

i love what jenn did making the v higher instead of here. it's flattering to bring it up. it's fun to pull pieces together. >> ladies. an energy crisis. ♪ take a chance... [ male announcer ] power up with the good energy of quaker real medleys. ♪ sweet fruit, crunchy nuts and multigrains. it's how we help keep go-getters like you going...and getting. real fruit, real nuts, real medleys. try our apple nut harvest bars. quaker up. fruit, with a cool finish. try our apple nut harvest bars.

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four hours on the slopes.hours on weights.earance items, and two hours doing this stuff. which leaves me approximately two minutes to get my banking done. so i use the citi mobile app to quickly check my accounts and pay my bills. which leaves me about five seconds to kick back. that was nice. bank from almost anywhere with the citi mobile app. citi, with you every step of the way. so you can ask to be part of your friend's bridal party. now what? >> ladies from the movies

bridesmaid show whatnot to do. take a look. >> you know what, this was supposed to be about my time. you have managed to ruin every event in my wedding. >> no. no. she does not get a party favor. she does not get a dog. >> love that movie. all right. here with what you need to know whether in a wedding planning mode or whether you are going to be a bridesmaid. we have a cofounder of "the knot" and seven times bridesmaid christina. hello ladies. >> hello. >> i deserve a medal. >> the bridesmaids parties can get big. you're supposed to take a breath before you invite. >> two is better to manage than ten. the average is five people in a bridal party. that's a lot of personalities as

a bride managing those details. >> people say yes right away before they think about how much it might cost. how much have you spent over the years? >> what's seven time $1500. with the travel, dresses, jewelry. you end up coming out about $1500. >> it's hard to say no if someone is asking you to be in their wedding. it's an honor. it's one of the things difficult to turn down. >> saying no to someone seems like offense. they're asking you to be part of one of the most important days of their lives. really at "the knot" we say it's an honor. be a part. you can also be honest with the bride and say there's no way your wedding is in california. i wish i could be with you. i'll be with you in spirit or things like that. >> can you say i just can't afford it? >> you can say i can't afford it or i want to be a part, be at the wedding but may not be in

the other things. can i have a role to play and be there. you can't be like sorry i'm not into it. >> what if your fiance says i want my sister in it. >> i've been part of the experience the sister-in-law was in charge of the bachelor et party. get her busy. get her to do something. that way if you have to turn her down. if she's in it, you have to be inclusive. >> were you maid of honor too? >> twice. >> is that more work than being maid of honor? >> it totally is. you make sure everything is calm, collected, cool running, drama low and lots of fun and lots of excitement. >> did you ever have a bridezilla experience? >> i have great friends. honestly no. >> we always say to bridesmaids, don't worry, she'll return to

her former self after the wedding is over. it's part worker bee, part cheer leader and part therapist. >> are all those marriages good and happy? >> all but one. >> that's pretty good. >> that's a darn good track record. much better than the national average. thank you so much. >> thank you ladies. >> good luck girls. carly, cofounder of "the knot" and

time now for a weekly trivia game you called "who knew?" cathy lee is across the street ready to hand out $100 to those that get the questions right. to those that don't, they get a

kathie lee cd. every player gets a pair of go usa mittens. here to help me out, 2002 gold medallist, i'll say it again, gold medallist, sarah hughes. hi. >> thanks for having me on. >> ready to play? >> let's go. >> true or false, figure skating is the winter sport with the longest history at the olympics games? >> true. [ applause ] >> it is. >> figure skating first made the debut at the 1908 games in london. it was the summer games actually. we changed seasons, but originally summer olympics. >> interesting. >> back across to kat. >> back from the lady from detroit. which two figure skating champions are making their debut as commentators for nbc during the winter olympics in sochi?

>> tara and johnny. >> you've been watching. >> of course those two have been quite the duo. >> i thought we were going to get to wear some of their crazy o outfits. he's fun to be around. i'm sure they're having a great time. >> he has been terrific on the air. >> which of the following figure skating moves is allowed in ice dancing? full revolution jumps, throw jumps, overhead twists or none of the above? >> overhead twists. >> i told you not to go to your friends. >> the correct answer is none of the above. >> none of these are allowed. ice dancing is restrictive in

what you've been allowed to do. i've been doing a daily skater show. we join zimmerman come on and talk about how he created a lift for meryl davis and charlie white. they just won the gold. it took them two years to learn how to do the lift. you have to figure out what's the hardest thing i can do within these guidelines. >> interesting. back across to kat. >> which olympic figure skater inspired a popular hair cut? >> dorothy hammel. >> the hammel camel was -- i had that too. >> that's me. that's as close to the dorothy hammel hair cut. that was a pound of gel and a hammer. >> you made it work.

>> that was mean. >> which of the follow as good not the name of a figure skating spin? >> which one is not? >> yeah. >> the doughnut. >> oh. wait. the doughnut is really a move? >> one of the researchers on the figure skating show i've been doing was saying questions. we had a hard time figuring what's the one we should. we have crazy moves in skating. >> what is it, flying eagle? >> yes. >> tune in to her show on the web. thanks so much sarah. tomorrow we'll have the players that swept the podium. the boy band group next after this. good-bye.

well good morning to you, 11:00 here on this wednesday morning. thank you for joining us. we have a very busy news day. >> the ukraine, at least 26 people have been killed, mostly protestors in the worst violence in the capital there since ain't government demonstrations erupted last november. let's go to richard engel from kiev. >> reporter: central kiev this morning is smoking and smoldering. police reinforce positions around independent square, but