good morning. on the brink of disaster. ukraine's leader calls on the international community for help. this as hundreds of russian troops are on the move there this morning. president obama once again warning vladimir putin to stand down. we are live on the ground in ukraine. y it isn't snow. yet another powerful storm now making its mark on millions across the country with big traffic accidents and carrying with it heavy snow and dangerous ice threatening mass power outages. dylan is tracking it all. and all eyes on oscar. we are live on the red carpet where final preparations are underway for hollywood's biggest night. from the favorites to take home gold to the all-important fashions.

we've got it all for you today sunday, march 2nd, 2014. and welcome to this special split edition of "today" on a sunday morning. i'm erica hill in hollywood. lester holt and dylan dreyer back home in study owe 1-a. good morning, first after all. we know we have a lot of serious news to get to and we will be carrying all of that for you today. we'll have a little fun here as we look ahead to the oscars as well. >> i feel a little underdressed right now. you got into town late yesterday. what's the mood in l.a. on the eve of the oscars? >> first of all, there are a lot of people.

l.a. is known for its traffic. that has nothing on an awards show weekend. so many people here when we left our hotel just after 3:00 a.m. in the hotel. the bar was packed. everybody's festive and excited. they're happy because the rain seems to have stopped. it had been raining nonstop here. a lot of people yesterday said they felt they were in the middle of a monsoon. organizers have covered up the red carpet. when we woke up this morning, the consent covering it has been gone. at this point it is dry. it's a little cool, but we'll take it. so we think it's going to be dry today. what's your red carpet forecast? >> actually, you guys lucked out. it's fine. you might see a spotty shower or two. with all the gowns out there, you don't want the deluge we've been seeing for so long. a spotty shower before 3:00. then by later this evening, everything clears out. by 5:00 p.m., 61 degrees. while it's cool outhe jealous o.

>> i'll try to bring back the warm for you. the downside to being dry here is that is moving across the country. i know you'll have more on that coming up later in the show as we look at that system that is now leaving california. we do want to begin this half hour with today's top story. that is the increasingly tense situation in ukraine. russia is moving in there despite stern warnings from president obama and other world leaders. those warnings to stand down. bill neeley is in ukraine this morning with the latest. bill, good morning. >> reporter: good morning. there has been a quiet but complete russian takeover here in crimea. one that threatens ukraine's existence as a united country and one that puts russia and the west on a collision course. russia tightening its grip here. hundreds of russian troops on the move in crimea heading for a

ukrainian military base. there's been no confrontation. not yet anyway. they haven't fired a shot. they don't need to. russian troops, rocket propelled grenades at the ready, have taken over crimea without resistance and with the full backing of most of this region's people. >> in crimea most the population are russian people. >> reporter: these men have hardly said a word since they arrived but the message they're sending is very clear. and it's gone across the world. local militias informed no one pulls down the statue of lenin. these protesters tried that were running and pro-western demonstrators trying to attack a lenin statue. the majority here in the east are pro-russian. they had the upper hand. and that's the problem for

ukraine's new leaders. they're powerless to stop the loss of crimea. they called up military reservists, put the army on cam bat alert, and appealed to the west. but the east of their country is nonmutinous. tension in the air as the future hangs in the balance. and there is now a standoff between russian troops and ukrainian troops at the ukrainian military base. that's not happened before. the russians demanding the ukrainians lay down their weapons and they're threatening force. >> dangerous times. bill, thank you. now here's lester. >> thanks. david gregory is moderator of "meet the press." david, good morning. >> good morning, lester. >> the president spent 90 minutes on the phone with russia's vladimir putin. is the president planning to go to the mat over this issue? what is he going to do? >> i think he is prepared to go

to the mat. he warned of consequences for stepping over the line. he said it would be a grave mistake to invade. and just friday the president said there would be costs to intervention. so what is the cost? what's the u.s. going to do? i think there will be an attempt to isolate russia economically. is there a role for nato in protecting a line? i think some attempt to restore a balance of power that is now a vacuum that putin is now filling, i think that's what the president will probably like to see. >> and if we step back, this all began because ukraine looked like it was going to start leaning more towards europe and the west and the prime minister decided to go another direction. beyond that, does the u.s. have a national security stake here? why is this so important to this country? >> well, i think that's a tough question to answer as well. because the united states is not about to send military might into this part of the world. in 2008 when the soviets invaded

breakaway parts of georgia, the bush administration did not do that. and that's not going to happen here. look, i think there's concerns about russia trying to restore something of the might. which is something putin seems to want to do. i think there's a question of standing up on the side of democracy. and in wanting to see stability, economic and political stability in this part of the world which is important ultimately to europe. >> obviously it will take a lot more than this to get us back to the cold war days. nonetheless, we're looking at a russian occupation of at least part of ukraine. could this be one of the biggest foreign policy challenges to this mvgs? >> i don't think there's any question about it. whether the president says he doesn't think this is part of the cold war chess board, the issue is that putin does view it that way. he views the united states and he fought this under bush as well. meddling in russia's affairs and

that part of the world. he thinks the same of president obama. let's talk about areas that the united states has a keener interest in. that's in syria. the secretary of state has been blunt blaming russian support for assad allowing him to double down in his killing campaign against rebels in syria. so wherever you turn, whether it's syria or these countries on russia's doorstep or iran, russia plays a very large role here. how we confront it becomes important. >> i know this is on your plate this morning. we'll check back later to get a preview of "meet the press." for now back to erica in hollywood. turning now to the winter that just won't quit. that same storm system that dropped a deluge of rain here in california is now headed east and bringing with it bitter cold, ice, and of course plenty of snow. the weather channel's mike seidel is in st. charles, missouri, this morning. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. out here metro st. louis overnight we had freezing rain,

freezing drizzle move in. leading to black ice on the aerohighways. what you see right now is half an inch of sleet on top of the thin layer of ice. it's 17. temperatures are still falling. windchills dropping below zero. it's all part of this coast-to-coast storm. what came down as torrential rain in california causing massive floods and damaging mudslides. >> look at that. >> reporter: it's now a fast-moving cross-country destructive force of snow, sleet, and freezing rain. in all more than 139 million people will be impacted by this latest round of winter. in denver, one person was killed and 30 injured in a giant pileup on i-25 involving more than 100 vehicles. >> this is a chain reaction of cars hitting and hitting and hitting and hitting. >> reporter: now it's all heading east bringing snow to the midwest including indianapolis where storms have dumped more than five feet of

snow. in chicago an outdoor nhl game at soldier field. crews had to shovel heavy snow off the rink. parts of tennessee and kentucky who've seen several ice storms this year could see up to an inch of ice. and in the mid-atlantic, look for the most snow. up to 10 inches in d.c. and in philly where storms this season have broken a 130-year-old record. it's not so much the snow that's getting some people, it's the extreme cold that continues. in kansas city today, they may not get above 10 degrees. that would be the coldest high in march on record going back to 1888. right now it's 4. the windchill 25 below zero. 40 degrees below average. all i can say is make it stop. back to you. >> make it stop and stay inside. those are not the kind of records anyone wants to set.

thanks so much. over to you. >> thanks. and dylan, let's turn to you. walk us through this. who's going to get hammered? >> this doesn't look like it's going to be as big of a storm for the mid-atlantic as initially thought. it's traveled further south and petered out a bit. but that being said, this is a huge storm with a lot of different situations involved with it. we are seeing it extend from parts of new mexico all the way up into maine right now where we do have some snow coming down. for today, the biggest concern is the ice. especially through parts of kentucky through tennessee even into little rock, arkansas. just to the north of that from wichita, kansas, into new york city. that's where we're going to see snow. but the bullseye for heaviest snow should be pushing further south into areas like baltimore and washington, d.c. and we also have the potential for strong wind gusts across eastern texas and parts of louisiana. look at the ice accumulation. this is what takes down power

lines. we could end up with a quarter inch to half an inch or more of ice through the midwest. but here's the snowfall totals. we are going to see a big stretch of 8 to 10 inches. southern indiana, southern ohio, and we could see as much as 10 inches in washington, d.c. right now new york city should end up with 4 inches. >> thanks. we'll get your full forecast in a minute. now a check of other top stories. authorities in china are vowing a harsh crackdown a day after a men with knives ambushed a train. we have the latest from beijing. >> reporter: security is tight around a major train station in the southwestern part of china after what the government has labeled a planned terror attack. authorities say a group of 11 men and women dressed in black and wielding knives ran through the station in city killing at least 29 people and injuring

more than 140. the police shot dead four assailants and have detained one and are pursuing the rest. officials believe the culprits are separatists which is understood to mean members of a muslim minority known as the uighurs. many people have expressed anger over what they feel is unfair treatment by the government here. and some have been blamed in the past for other attacks including one recently at tiananmen square. >> thank you very much. an update to a story we first told you about on saturday, that terrifying avalanche in montana. we're now learning it was triggered by a snow border riding a mountain slope that was closed for recreational use. the avalanche flattened a house burying the couple that lived inside as well as an 8-year-old boy in a nearby yard. the husband is in critical condition as well as the wife. the boy is in fair condition and is expected to recover. if you look up brunch in the

dictionary you should see a lazy meal with no stress. in santa barbara at the brunch, the carefree, lazy and the wave barrelling through the window. flooding the entire dining room sending people running for cover. look at that. luckily despite the screams and broken glass, nobody was hurt. now onto dinner. and finally, the boss turns royal during his concert in new zealand. he decides to do lorde's hit song "royals." ♪ >> "royals" is just one of the songs he has been covering on his current concert. he's also done "highway to hell" and "staying alive." i love itn they turn from

pop stars for generations and do a young person's son. >> i'd like to hear him do the falsetto in "staying alive." >> of course you would. dylan is outside for a check on the rest of the country's forecast. >> not bad out here. i love this. i am tired of snow. i think that sums up how everyone is feeling. we're tired of the cold too. we'll still see more of that. out in california finally getting a break in southern california. we are looking for temperatures in the upper midwest to feel like about 20 to 40 below zero. enough with the cold already. and we're seeing mostly cloudy skies and a chance at least of seeing some sprinkles or some light showers. seeing some of that in the santa cruz mountains and a few sprinkles around san jose. mostly cloudy skies to start the morning and then some clearing towards the late afternoon and evening. but you can see another relatively weak system coming in that will bring at least the chance of some light rain at times, especially around the

hilltops. we'll see highs in the low 60s around san jose, upper 50s closer to san francisco and near 60 in napa today and 63. >> and that's your latest forecast. thanks. now to a much anticipated trial that starts tomorrow in south africa. double amputee oscar pistorius who wowed the world as a sprinter now getting attention for a much different reason. he shot his girlfriend to death, model reeva steenkamp, last year on valentine's day. he says it was an accident. prosecutors call it murder. here's a preview for us. prosecutors call it murder. amin is in johannesburg with a preview. >> reporter: it's being called the trial of the century, shaping up to be a media circus. more than 2,000 journalists have applied for accreditation as we understand it. also drawing a lot of comparisons to another superstar also accused of killing his

wife, that is o.j. simpson. from national sports hero to criminal defendant. on monday, oscar pistorius will have his day in court and a chance to explain and answer a central question, why did oscar pistorius fire four shots through his bathroom girl killing his beautiful model girlfriend reeva steenkamp? was it a tragic mistake or cold blooded murder as this attorney from the national prosecuting authority told nbc's keith morrison. >> whatever bodily be watching for is whether or not you can prove he intended to kill her. >> absolutely. >> you sound like you're pretty confident the prosecution has enough to be able to prove that. >> we would not have charged him if we didn't believe so. >> reporter: the prosecution believes there's a strong case based on witness's testimony, messages on cell phones, forensics, all that paint oscar as an angry man and extremely

jealous. others suggest the prosecution's case seemed to stumble. there were allegations of police mismanaging evidence and the defense will delve into oscar's fear of crime that propelled him to shoot at what he said he thought was an intruder who broke into his house in the middle of the night. as an olympian, oscar pistorius made south africa proud on the world stage. tomorrow his life and his actions will take center stage in a courtroom here. that, too, will be watched just as closely by his countrymen and many around the world. lester, the trial gets under way tomorrow with opening statements by the prosecution, and in a first for this country, a south african judge has allowed cameras in the courtroom. it's going to be televised. a lot of people will be watching it. the trial is expected to last from three to five weeks and a verdict possibly weeks after that. you can imagine it is going to grip the nation and a lot of media attention from around the

world. >> thanks. we're going to switch gears and talked about the red carpet. for many people, the only question that matters is who are you wearing? we'll take a closer look at your fidelity green line and you'll see just how much it has to offer, especially if you're thinking of moving an old 401(k) to a fidelity ira. it gives you a wide range of investment options... and the free help you need to make sure your investments fit your goals -- and what you're really investing for. tap into the full power of your fidelity green line. call today and we'll make it easy to move that old 401(k) to a fidelity rollover ira. starts with freshly-made pasta, and 100% real cheddar cheese. but what makes stouffer's mac n' cheese best of all. that moment you enjoy it at home. stouffer's. made with care for you or your family. worst morning ever. [ angelic music plays ]

♪ toaster strudel! best morning ever! [ hans ] warm, flaky, gooey. toaster strudel! we are back on a sunday morning coming to you live from hollywood. one of the best parts, of course, of the oscars is seeing the celebrities all decked out. quarrels is here with more on the fashion of the red carpet. >> you look beautiful and stunning. i like how you say fashions. from the runway to the red carpet, this night can be one of hollywood's biggest for the stars but also pour the designers. it can translate into millions of dollars, erica. that's why on this red carpet, it's no game. >> who are you wearing? >> prada. >> reporter: from the dress to the shoes to the jewels, hollywood's biggest night is also faio most important

stage. a red carpet hit or miss can make headlines around the world. >> if a star hit the red carpet of the academy awards in that right gown, it would catapult a young designer into the stratosphere for sure. >> reporter: david meister is no strange tore dressing hollywood's elite. he sums up the oscar process in one word. >> madness. it's madness! >> it's a big night, not just for the stars but designers as well. if they say your name ton red carpet 14 times, it's like $40 million in advertising. it's huge. >> reporter: when working with a-liss centers it's about communication. >> you get their likes, dislikes, things they want to show off, whether a plunging neckline or what they want to cover, you collaborate on what it is they're looking for. >> while he's candid, when it comes to his clients --

>> who are you dressing? >> if i would tell you, i would never eat lunch in this town again. >> he would gichbt away his secrets, but gave us a sneak peek of some looks we might see tonight. one thing he would admit is who he would most like to dress. best supporting actress nominee lupe peta nyongo. >> i think we'll seat zee her in something crazy metallic. >> we're seeing stars step up their a game. >> it's the designers who will be on the edge of their seats. >> i always say you never know if they're wearing you until you see that leg come out of the limo and hit the red carpet and you see the hem of the gown. then you know. >> you guys can be sure that tomorrow besides talking about the winners, everyone will be talking about the best and the worst dressed people of the night. >> and we will be looking for

it. lisa, great to have you here. there are other contend still to come on "today" helping residents of a struggling city improve their health. we'll shine a light on better lifestyle habits. just how many steps a day do ♪

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good sunday morning to you. looking live at alcatraz, good thick there's a beacon there in the distance, otherwise we might not be able to see it, it's so gray out there. also gray at the golden gate bridge this morning, where there is scattered rain. just like around the bay area. thanks for joining us, i'm kris sanchez along with meteorologist rob mayeda who has a forecast that's a little soggy. >> it is. san jose, it's not black and white tv but it looks like that. you've got light rain around the mountains off to the east and to the south around the santa cruz mountains, moisture raising up from the south, bringing us a new sprinkles here and there around the santa clara valley. we'll see more of this this

afternoon. moisture out of the system from the south meeting up with a weak frontal boundary coming through the bay area today. bottom line, mostly cloudy skies was we start your day off. we will see rain totals probably less than 0.1 of an inch so heavy drizzle as times throughout the afternoon. thank you very much, rob. the massive waves literally swallowed up the beach in santa cruz putting a high surf advisory in place until the afternoon. it came quite up to the boardwalk, but some people showed up to see this sinkhole that opened up right on the bluff and went all the way down to the ocean below. >> it's almost impossible to stay from it today. it's been such a powerful surf. at times frightening, at times just breath taking. >> some santa cruz residents say that is an old sinkhole that the city filled in about ten years ago but it appears the storm

washed out huge rocks, causing it to be created again. in san luis obispo two piers are closed because of the storm and they shut down the pier because of safety concerns. the pier at avila beach was closed after a high tide and large swell knocked some of the boardwalk boards out. governor jerry brown is taking action to help those affected by the drought. it seems ironic after the storms that we've had, but we're still in it. this weekend he signed two bills that provide nearly $700 million in drought relief funding. that is voter-approved bond money and the bill pays for projects that will help communities manage water resources an even provides cash for farm workers impacted boy the drought. and $1 million will go to a public awareness campaign to inform residents how we can all save water. back in january the governor declared a state drought

emergency. some breaking news that we're following for you out of the east bay. firefighters are on the scene of a two-alarm fire in san leandro this morning. you can see it there to the right-hand side of your screen. according to the alameda county fire department, the fire was reported in a home in the 200 -- rather 2000 block of altamont road just before 5:00 this morning. there were no evacuations because of the fire and no injuries reported but we do have a crew on the way and will bring you the details coming up at 7:00. we have the rest of the days news at 7:00 so we'll see you in a half hour.

♪ >> good morning to our kids in wilmington, delaware. get ready to shovel, guys. >> hi michigan. >> hi, michigan. we're on the "today" show! >> we want to say hi to our friends and family in norma, illinois. we're on the "today" show! >> we're back on a sunday morning, march 2nd, 2014. great crowd out there on rockefeller plaza, their pictures as they enjoy morning. we're always happy to have a crowd here. i'm lester holt with jenna wolfe and dylan dreyer. erica is in hollywood along the red carpet. we'll check with her in a >irst a look at this

morning's top headlines. russian troops are on the move in ukraine prompting calls for help. winter won't back down, that powerful storm system hid california in the midwest and it won't be long before it takes a swipe at the east coast. officials in montana say that avalanche that crushed a neighborhood on friday appears to have been caused by a snowboarder who was riding in a closed-off area. coming up, the wait is almost over. we'll be announcing the city we're partnering with this year to shine a light to help get everyone healthy. speaking of getting healthy, it's day two of our 30 days to a better you challenge. i'm all about starting small. while my advice may sound big, it's not as difficult as it sounds. it's 100% doable. >> that's why we love your advice, jenna. it's always doable. we begin with the high stakes action that's going to get under

way in just a matter of hours here in hollywood. there's been so much talk over the last few weeks about oscar, and not only who should take it home tonight, but who actually will. oscar is turning 86. tonight hollywood will line up to celebrate. the academy awards, the most prestigious of the award shows and a life changer for nominees and winners. this year tin sisel town has mo to brag about, $10 point billion brought in, a record to date. among the top ten grossing films, "gravity" a big hit with the academy and tied with "american hustle" with ten nominations. >> you got no choice. you work for me. >> reporter: when it comes to the ladies, front-runners amy adams and cate blanchett, both winners at the golden globes, face off in the same category. in the supporting actress category hollywood darling

jennifer lawrence and newcomer lupita nyongo are the ones to beat. looking toward that road to goal, matthew mcconaughey and leonardo dicaprio have both won other awards for their respective roles in "dollars buyers club" and "wolf of wall street." for them and the other nominees, a lot more than just a trophy at stake. a trail of prestige, bigger paychecks and coveted roles follow a win in oscar legacy that the nominees hope to capture tonight. we know there's going to be stiff combination tonight. that's the nature of this beast. dave carter is the host of front-runners on fandango and he's with us. >> great to see you. welcome to the west coast. >> you walk in and you're walking on the real red carpet for the oscars. we thought we would have a little fun and think of this as a boxing match. we'll have our two main contenders as we go through the

categories. let's start with best actor, the two names we're hearing the most, matthew mcconaughey and leonardo dicaprio. >> there is a sense that dicaprio is due for a win. he was great. i think it's going to be matthew mcconaughey for "dallas buyers club." a great run he's had. >> it's about the performance, not about whether or not it's your time. >> some voters have many reasons for the votes. >> when it comes to best actress, cate blanchett and amy adams. >> amy is gaining ground. she's the only best actress nominee who has never won. the other four have all won. if this were happening a month from now, "american hustle's" momentum would be stronger and she would have a better shot. kate blanket, what an amazing

performance. >> speaking of supporting categories, when it comes to actor, jared letto, talk about his transformation. >> everyone is impress thad bradley cooper was able to get back-to-back nominations. jared leto has this one. his performance in "dallas buyers club" is so moving. this is a character you take into your heart. he's changed a lot of hearts and minds. >> we talk about best supporting actress. lupita nyongo. jennifer lawrence, a great couple years for her. >> i will tell you this is the tightest of the four acting races. if jennifer lawrence wins, she becomes only the sixth person to win back-to-back acting oscars which would be impressive.

i think the edge has to go with lupita nyongo. what a moving performance, a powerful role. she's become the real breakout star of the oscars. >> you have two seconds for this. it seems it's coming down to "gravity" and "12 years a slave." >> gravity will win the most oscars, i think "12 years a slave" for best picture. back to new york for a final check of the weather with dylan. >> good morning, erica. looking lovely out there in california. we're not that cold. you're from canada. how cold was it when you left? >> minus 23. >> how warm was it in hawaii when you left? >> i don't know exactly. >> much warmer than here, right. tale of two parts of the world here. we're looking at a big storm system that's going to move through the middle of the country and eventually into the mid atlantic.

all those winter storm warnings and even ice storm warnings in western kentucky. we're looking for the snow to move out of kansas city. the ice will accumulate perhaps as much as a quarter of an inch. we're looking at snow especially monday from philadelphia into washington, d.c. that's where it's going to be heaviest. d.c. could end up with about and we're watching mostly cloudy skies, a little bit of drizzle or some light showers at times as that moisture comes up from the south and a frontal system off to the west adds a little extra lift to the moisture during the day. so mostly cloudy, light showers at times. heavy drizzle for most places off and on today with some sun a little later on into the afternoon. not a lot of rain out of the system. that will be the case again as we head into monday. highs close to 60 in san jose, upper 50s in san francisco into the north bay. showers continuing and warming up friday and saturday. blatche >> that is your latest recast.

lester? >> dylan, thanks very much. you asked and we answered. we'll reveal the city where we'll help shine a light to get residents fit and healthy. we'll tell you more about it [ male announcer ] the founder of mercedes-benz

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us why we should come to your city or your hometown and boy, did you respond. we were overwhelmed. we were so touched by your comments. and they made our decision making process very difficult. but we were able to finally narrow it down to one. drum roll, please. here it is. >> reporter: baltimore. home to a bustling water front, championship sports teams, and a mean crab cake. a big city with a smalltown feel. >> it's a tight knit community and it's also one that comes together. >> reporter: and a city that's struggling. nearly a quarter of baltimore's 620,000 residents live below the poverty line. in many areas that means health has taken a back seat. a major concern for the mayor stephanie rawlings lake. >> what are your biggest hurdles at this point? >> there's so many. when you look at the rate we have for asthma, cancer, diabetes, obesity.

these are challenges where baltimore is above the national average. >> reporter: 10% of the residents are diabetic. 25% of the population smokes and nearly a third are obese. >> i'm hoping we're able to motivate for people to get fit. >> reporter: it's a hope people across the country share. when we announced our plan to shine a light on health and fitness, we were overwhelmed by the response and by the passion. so many people want to see a positive change in their community. people like baltimore nay tifr shaday. >> baltimore is a gym at heart. though it may not look like much, there is definitely a lot of heart here and pride here. >> reporter: she grew up in one of the city's poorest areas. but after college she came home determined to make a difference. that's why she wrote in and asked us to help her city get healthy. >> baltimore needs all the help that it can get. >> reporter: the solutions are

universal, and baltimore is hoping to lead the way. with the help and determination of its residents. when you found out that it was thanks to you and some of your fellow baltimoreans that we were going to embark on this partnership, what'd you say? >> i was too excited. i was, like, are you serious? >> reporter: change here is already underway. and it agains at the top. >> i fought with weight my whole life. one day my mother looked at me and said why is everyone in our family fat. i had to have a heart to heart and ask is this the example i want to set for my daughter. >> reporter: now she hopes to set an example for her city and for the country. >> with the eyes of the country on us, baltimore shines. >> i had such a great introduction to baltimore when i was down there this week. over the next year we will all be spending a lot of time in baltimore which we're excited about where we hope to get people moving more, sleeping

more, and better. and making healthier choices. we're all working on this too. >> i think we're in this together. one of our partners in this project is our baltimore affiliate wval. jennifer is a morning anchor with the station. thanks for being with us. >> hi. thanks for having us. >> we're thrilled to be doing this. you worked in baltimore for a long time. you've seen the problems that were noted in erica's story there. what would you like to see changed and improved? >> i'd like to see greater access to better food choices. baltimore has a number of communities that are considered in food deserts. these are places they don't have access to a grocery store. so they can't get readily available fresh fruits and vegetables and a good source of protein. exercise is also an issue. baltimore is a beautiful city. we have great hiking and biking trails and access to waterways. but violent crime is a real reality here. in many neighborhoods it's not safe to go out for a run or send your children outside to play. and something i think a lot of

people can relate to is lack of time. so many people are working extra jobs, extra shifts, afterschool activities. so between work and everything that's going ton with the children, people are tired. they are too exhausted to come home and then make good choices. they're even letting things slide like making and keeping doctor's appointments. are you getting enough sleep? i'm not. >> i'm not. this is a great. it sounds like a city that's ready to embrace this. thanks so much. look forward to meeting you in person. >> we look forward to it too. thank you. >> you're welcome. erica, i think what's key about this, we've chosen baltimore but i think all of us are going to be listening and sharing in this and it's not just a matter of, you know, heavy or thin. it's a matter of being healthy. and i think that's what our goal is. >> that's exactly what it is. and being healthy and being good role models, too, for the next generation. we're spending our time in baltimore. one of the things that's so

important and we can't say enough is that these are changes and efforts that really people across the country are going to be able to apply in their own communities. so we're really excited to be able to do this and to start kicking things off and to shine a light. >> we're going to be busy. let's send it over to dylan now. she's in the orange room for our "today" plaza fan of the day. >> hey, lester. good morning. i am joined this morning by heather ben from normal, illinois. you've been out on the plaza the last three mornings. you've made it inside. take it away. >> still to come on "today," 30 days to a better you. jenna will show us how to walk your way to better health. but first these messages. ter he. but first, these messages. [announcer] welcome to the all-new intuit quickbooks. do more than ever before with quickbooks. make any place your place of business with it. get paid faster with it. run payroll with it. o o

we're back with the second day of our 30 days to a better you challenge where jenna is taking us on a journey to better health and wellness over the next month. >> i want to say thank you to the 65,000 people who have already signed up. let's do this together. by now you should have received your first newsletter in your e-mail. if you have it, do what i did, check your junk folder.

that's where it was. that's where it sometimes go. a mass e-mail to 65,000 people. yesterday we told you what you needed to get started. this morning on day two it's all about how every a can make a big difference. as far as hobbies go, consider the gym my sanctuary. the truth is, the only thing you really need are your own two feet. >> most people will walk between 5,000 and 7,000 steps a day just over the course of their normal daily activities. all those steps, they add up. the health benefits are a mile long. reduced risk of hypertension. cholesterol, diabetes and heart disease. those are just a few. so it makes perfect fitness sense to add a step or two or three or four. >> 10,000 steps is a good number to aim for. it's a little more than you would normally do. so it means you have to push

yourself a little more. >> you burn about 375 calories while doing it. if you figure the average step is 2.5 feet, it takes just over 2,000 steps to walk a mile. if a mile seems overwhelming. >> take a walk or two around the mall, an easy place to get your steps in. walk the length of the las vegas strip, that's 8,000 steps right there. hike up to the hollywood sign, that's almost 7,000 steps right there. the washington monument, nearly 1,000. running errands? skip the spot in front and walk. >> i've walked 5700 already today. let's see where we are after a quick shopping trip. ♪ one time around the store with minimal shopping and i have over

300 steps. they say a journey of 1,000 miles begins with one step. so go take that one step and see where the journey takes you. >> i love that kid. oh, my gosh. >> those little feet. >> i can't stand it. tip two is aim for 10,000 steps. you don't need anything fancy. a simple pedometer is just fine. if you can't make 10,000, whatever number you get to, try into crease by 100 steps a day. keep adding more and more each day. if you want, tweet me your number. i'll help you find a way to increase it. go to today.com and sign up. we'll send you a different tip.

>> harper gets a half a credit for crawling. "suits" is coming back after a big cliff-hanger. >[ male announcer ] it'sck after surprising what your mouth goes through in a day. but what's even more surprising is that brushing alone isn't enough to keep it clean. fortunately, you've got listerine®. unlike brushing which misses 75% of your mouth, listerine® cleans virtually your entire mouth. so what are you waiting for? it's time to take your mouth to a whole new level of health. listerine®... power to your mouth™. and take the listerine® 21 day challenge. feel the difference, or your money back. ♪ feel the difference, or your money back. what does that first spoonful taste likok.

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welcome back on sunday morning with megan markal who plays rachel on "suits." good morning. >> good morning. >> coming back after a brief break, your love interest mike ross, we've learned he's in a law firm but not really a lawyer. what's going to happen here? >> the stake haves gotten so high because basically everyone at the firm is starting to

discover the secret. mike and rachel, they joke that mike and rachel are like the new ross and rachel. it could change their whole lives together. it gets exciting. >> give us something, a little nugget we can look forward to. we're such fans. >> thank you. we watch mike and rachel start to build a life together, moving in, playing house and i will say in all of that the romance and the cute stuff that can happen at the office. they have this secret office relationship, it's very different when you go into the normalcy of living together. obviously the pirm is getting very shaken up by all of this. it's exciting. it's pretty cool. >> you're so busy with other things, too. what other projects are you working on? >> we've been on the "suits" college tour which has been fantastic. i leave here, get on a plane and do a film for hallmark channel, great romantic comedy sort of like "my best friend's wedding."

>> oscar pick best picture is? >> oh, man. "12 years a slave." >> meghan markle, great to have you here. >> the premier for "suits" is march 6 at 9:00 p.m. eastern. i'll speak to secretary of state john kerry and also senator marco rubio as well on what the u.s. options are now, what will the president do. we'll talk about it coming up. >> david gregory, thanks. erica? >> lester, thanks. it's been such a fun morning here. the good news is we are not done. tune in tomorrow for the after party. that will do it for us this sunday morning. thanks for watching. >> i'll see you back here tonight for "nbc nightly news." until then, have a great sunday. take care.

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good morning. i'm kris sanchez. coming up, breaking news where fire crews are fighting a blaze in the hills of san leandro. smoke and flames can be seen for miles. and the worst of it may be over but there is still rain in your weekend forecast. we'll let you know when and where to expect the showers. plus the crisis in ukraine. the international community on alert after russian troops invade the country. how people here in the bay area are reacting to this developing story. this is "today in the bay." and we are looking live at a pretty picture from emeryville. lots of gray there in the distance. the clouds squishing d