breaking news on "early today." new raids carried out this morning in france. arrests are made. and this on the heels of a shoot-out in belgium with would-be terrorists. here at home did the government wiretapping program save the capitol? pope francis speaks out on striking out at others. it's friday january 16th. "early today" starts right now. good morning. breaking news overnight out of paris. police are questioning 12 new suspects in connection with last week's terror attacks. they were arrested following a raid early this morning. it happened just hours before secretary of state john kerry laid a wreath at the offices of "charlie hebdo" market after he met with french president

francois hollande. what did suts about these latest raids? >> reporter: well there was an even bigger raid in belgium than the raids that happened in paris, particularly targeting one home that authorities obviously had under surveillance for some time. the suspects are believed to be fighters who returned to belgium after fighting with jihadis in syria and iraq. a big gunfight erupted when authorities say they attempted to serve a search warrant. gunfire returned at them. two suspects killed another seriously wounded. here's some of what the belgian authorities had to say about what they found inside. >> we found several weapons. among them were four ak-47s kalashnikovs several small fire weapons, firearms munition and explosives. moreover we found several police uniforms material for

communication, walkie-talkies and radios, cell phones false documents, and an important amount of money. >> reporter: authorities believe they broke up an imminent plot that could have been launched within hours, they believe the target was going to be police officers on the streets. they found police uniforms there. belgium has been a center of militant activity a place where there's weaponry money, organized crime activity. it's believed the gunmen who pulled off the terrorist attacks in paris last week may have gotten their weaponry in belgium as well. in france paris, about 12 people rounded up in connection with those attacks last week believed to be accomplices. authorities think they may have provided logistical support to the gunmen who attacked "charlie hebdo" and the jewish market. a major train station was closed down and evacuated because of a bomb threat. it gives you an indication how

on edge authorities are here and the public as this country remains on its highest state of alert one week after those deadly attacks. >> a lot of new developments there. ron allen reporting live from paris, thank you so much. as mentioned in belgium the country on high alert. raids uncovering a sinister plot to target police. take a listen. >> all i can confirm to you that there were plans to assassinate policemen in the street or at the police buildings. >> right now police are holding more than a dozen suspects after 12 anti-terror raids. this is video of one of the raids during -- during one of the raids two islamic extremeists were killed. new details on how an ohio jihadist was nabbed speaker john boehner crediting the nsa's spy powers to stop the alleged plot to bomb the capitol.

tracie potts is live in washington. the speaker's comments could open debate over the nsa's reach. >> reporter: it could, especially in the climate we're dealing with now. there's a lot more happening in aurp as they try to crack down on jihadists. and here in the united states speaker boehner says the only reason we knew there was a plot to attack the u.s. capitol was because of government surveillance. >> we would have never known about this had it not been for the fisa program and our ability to collect information on people who pose an imminent threat. >> fisa foreign intelligence surveillance act that allowed the government to for lack of a better word snoop on americans and their conversations, e-mails and phone calls when the government believed it's warranted to find out about possible attacks on the united states. now also today, president obama is meeting with british prime minister david cameron.

we believe they're going to be talking about cyber war games between the two countries to see how, for example, wall street would react to a cyber attack. cameron wants to lean on the u.s. and more government surveillance he wants on places like facebook and google to try to root out jihadists and terrorists before attacks on his country or ours. >> tracie potts live in washington. new this morning, dramatic travel and trade changes between the u.s. and cuba. while the embargo on general tourists still exists more americans will be able to visit cuba as long as they are part of educational or cultural groups. journalists, medical, religious organizations or family visits. americans will be able to use credit cards use the internet and bring up to $100 in cigars. the changes come days after cuba released 53 political prisoners. duke university is going

back on a plan to provide a weekly islamic call to prayer for muslims. the intent was to put an amplifier in the school's chapel. the university says they wanted to promote unity. there are more than 700 muslim undergrads there. they say it ended up causing too much controversy. evangelist grarm urged supporters to withdraw support. days after the attack on "charlie hebdo" the pope is sending a message saying if you insult people you'll pay for it. after some backlash the vatican is clarifying saying those comments are in no way justification for the violence in paris, but they stand by the expression that there are limits to humor and free speech when it comes to religion. this morning problems for republican presidential prospect dr. ben carson. he compared isis to american patriots who fought in the revolutionary war and sacrificed their lives for freedom. "they were willing to die for what they believed in. fast forward to today. what do we have?

we've got isis. they've got the wrong philosophy but they're willing to die for it while we're giving away every belief and have you for the sake of political correctness." he made the remark at the rnc meeting yesterday. the chairman told nbc news carson was making a point about standing up for one's beliefs. now it's time for a look ahead at our weekend weather. here's nbc meteorologist bill karins. >> northwest got rain overnight. it's clearing out in time for a pretty nice commute on your friday morning. we're wondering how much rain will make it into san francisco. didn't quite get down there. it's mostly northern california. a closer view of the radar shows san francisco here. there may be a chance this afternoon of a little bit towards the northern bay area. for the most part it will stay to your north as that frontal system weakens. around seattle and portland between .5 to 1 inch. coastal areas a little more than

that. expected rainfall there's another system coming in. this one is going to be on saturday. it looks like a warm front first with rain in the morning and heavier rain in the afternoon. we're really targeting northern california. notice the yellows up through oregon that's 2 to 3 inches of rain possible. it misses mostly san francisco. we're not getting any of the benefit there. the storm itself is now in british columbia. it is snowing in higher elevations of the northern rockies. that's where it will stay during the day today. as we watch the maps there's friday friday afternoon, and here comes that next slug of moisture and the next storm as we go into saturday. look at this heavier rains here. looks like showers remaining into sunday. of course there's an important football game going on in seattle on sunday too. should be looking at okay afternoon in much of coastal oregon.

weekend forecast it's interesting with that next big storm. >> a little rainy. you know the rain is not going to stop seahawks fans. >> oh no. the roof's only a little open too. well want to live longer? start walking. yep, it is that simple. a 12-year european study of some 330,000 men and women found that a brisk 20-minute walk every day reduced a person's risk of early death by 30%. boxing champion muhammad ali is back in the hospital undergoing what's described as follow-up care. ali turns 73 tomorrow. you're watching "early today." y. look, jamie, maybe we weren't the lowest rate this time. but when you show people their progressive direct rate and our competitors' rates you can't win them all. the important part is, you helped them save. thanks, flo. okay, let's go get you an ice cream cone, champ.

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noticed it when she and her fellow national guardsmen entered the gun range for a session. her brother's outraged over the use of his mug shot which was taken years ago when he was 18. the police chief says the officers won't be disciplined since they didn't violate any police department policies. he also denies charges of racial profiling. >> we utilize an array of pictures. and we'll have six pictures of people who look very similar. we have an array for black males, we have an array of white and hispanic males. >> i'm being used as a target and i'm not even living that life according to how they portrayed me as. i'm a father. i'm a husband. i'm a career man. i work a 9 to 5. more legal problems for chris brown. this time he could end up in prison. a los angeles judge revoked his probation in the rihanna physical assault case. the judge says he violated the terms of his probation when he left los angeles without permission to perform at a san

jose nightclub this past weekend. the judge says he poses a threat to public safety since this was the second nightclub where a shooting took place. a formal hearing will be held in march when a judge de-da side to put him behind bars for these violations. 13 more cases of the measles linked to california's disney theme parks bringing the total to 39 spanning four states. the cdc says the flu vaccine is only 23% effective this year. and it does not include the most common strain circulating across the u.s. nevertheless doctors are still encouraging everyone to get the vaccine because it protects against other strains that could pop up. we're only about halfway through flu season. "early today" brought to you by vagisil, experts in intimate health. let's get down to business with landon dowdy. >> good morning to you. a federal judge ruled bp is liable for spilling oil into the

gulf of mexico in the 2010 deepwater horizon disaster less than prosecutors had oornl nally claimed. that means bp faces a maximum fine of $13.7 billion under the clean water act. southwest airlines has been fined $1.6 million for runway delays. the u.s. government says southwest violated rules last january when 16 planes were stuck on the tarmac at chicago's midway airport and passengers didn't have a chance to get off the plane after three hours. you can now make a beer run without ever leaving your couch. anheuser-busch has launched the bud light button that offers one-hour delivery of a case of beer. for now it's only available in washington, d.c. >> thanks so much. i guess that will be catching on. just ahead rhinos on the loose. plus a golfer celebration you have to see. you're watching "early today." vagisil odor block wash

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yaah! oh oh! >> this morning "snl" is getting ready to turn 40. a look back at some of today's favorite sketches plus original cast member chevy chase stops by. now let's get to the latest in sports. and it's a family reunion in l.a. austin rivers is joining the clippers to play for his dad doc rivers first time in nba history a son has played for his

father. the clippers acquired austin from the celtics in a three-team trade that included the suns. the nba has fined hornets guard j.p. harrison $5,000 for his over the top slip against the spurs. the mlb announced that the 2016 all-star game will be held in san diego's petco park. the nfl will hold a scouting combine for veteran, roughly 100 veteran free agents will be chosen to work out in front of representatives from all 32 teams on march 22nd in phoenix, about a month after the rookies combine in indy. sports rivalries in full effect ahead of sunday's nfc playoff game against the seahawks and packers. the manager of a city near seattle has banned the consumption of cheese in city hall. the executive order reads, "due to the relationship between green bay packers, their fans and cheese the possession of and/or consumption of cheese or cheese-flavored products shall

be banned in bainbridge island city hall on friday january 16th 2015." but it's not a one-sided battle. a milwaukee radio station has banned all music from seattle bands until after the game. 94.5 the lake won't be playing nirvana, sound garden pearl jam, or jimmy hendricks among others. the station's calling the stunt "say no to seattle." golfer miguel jiminez hits an ace in the first round of the abu dhabi championship and he is not holding back, check out those moves, go. you don't often see that on the golf course. the las vegas odds on oscar favorites, plus we don't know the price of that treadmill but the game show image is priceless. you're watching "early today." you fifteen percent or more on car insurance. yeah, everybody knows that. well, did you know that playing cards with kenny rogers gets old pretty fast? ♪ you got to know when to hold'em. ♪ ♪ know when to fold 'em. ♪

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we love this country with a passion. you can see the pride in our eyes. read the joy on our faces. hear the love on our lips. we create products that deliver an effortless beauty look. genuine and glowing with confidence. almay. simply american. weekend forecast much of the country's going to get a january thaw. we'll get a january soaking in the northwest. it look like saturday's going to be the wettest day. we keep showers in the forecast at least it won't be really cold for the football game 51 in seattle and showers around on sunday. look at l.a. too bad we're not playing football here 76 degrees as we go through the weekend. it cools off to 75. so there is some nice weather to be had mostly in southern cal. moving on to entertainment news. it's a big weekend at the box office. clint eastwood's "american

sniper" gets its wide release today expecting to earn $57 million. "the wedding ringer" starring kevin hart is looking to gross $29 million. and "padding ton" is expected to come in third earning $25 million. chris hemsworth is looking to earn $11 million in "blackhat." the cast and crew of "selma" will be at the white house for a special screening of the film hosted by president obama himself. a new range and a new treadmill! >> ouch! you can't get enough of watching that. yesterday "the price is right" announced they tried to get fancy announcing the price of a treadmill. like a pro he continued from the floor. you know that hurt though ouch. more pride. ivan hearing and tara reid will experience another "sharknado." the stars announced they'll

return for the third installment. last night the critics' choice movie awards gave "boyhood "boyhood" the knock. michael keaton walked away with best actor. michael strahan wanted to give everybody a preview of his role in "magic mike 2." >> why don't we give you something right now? hit it! ♪ >> okay. and with the oscar nominations out vegas is placing odds on who but win. "boyhood" 2-5 to win best picture, michael keaton 5-6 odds for "birdman." and julianne moore 1-9 to win best actress for "still alice." i'm dara brown, this is "early today." we hope it's just your first stop of the day on nbc. our eyes they have a 200-degree range of sight. which is good for me. hey! and bad for the barkley twins. your brain can send information to

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"leading the news." from reuters, worried about russia? lit wane that says keep calm and read the war manual. according to this manual if invasion occurs lithuanians should organize through social media and attempt cyber attacks against the enemy. it explains "gunshots just outside your window are not the end of the world." from az central, arizona first to pass a law requiring high school civics tests starting with the class of 2017 students will have to pass 60 of the 100 questions on the u.s. immigration and naturalization civics test in order to receive their diploma. in paris, police are questioning 12 new suspects in connection with last week's terrorist attacks. they were arrested following a raid early this morning.

this following a terror raid in belgium and last week's "charlie hebdo" attacks in france. what was supposed to be an anti-terrorism raid turned into a gun battle in belgium yesterday. two suspects died and a third is in police custody right now. investigators say the suspects just returned from syria and were planning to launch large-scale terrorist attacks on police facilities. officials say there may be links to the paris attacks. an arms dealer from belgium reportedly sold weapons to the "charlie hebdo" gunmen. following these incidents europe is tightening its defenses. the top cyber defense official says an unprecedented 19,000 cyber attacks have taken place in recent days some carried out by well-known islamic hacker groups. when you hear of rhinos escaping a zoo, this is not exactly what you picture. three white rhinos managed to escape through a side gate yesterday. i love this. look at them out for a romp.

a guard fell asleep. the trio leisurely took a stroll through the park. they made it to the parking lot outside. but police and zookeepers -- >> they're so happy, look at them. >> i'm free i'm free! they had to escort the animals back to their pens so their field trip didn't last long. but look at him. >> i want to see how they escorted these rhinos. how do you escort a rhino? >> you can't say, turn around go back. i'm sure they had to do herding. he went running after them. >> what's he supposed to do? i don't know. >> i don't think i'd go running after a rhino. today nasa and noaa will release data on 2014 global temperatures. even though it's winter scientists are expected to reveal that 2014 may have been the hottest year since 1880. all of the ten hottest years on record have come since 1998. happy birthday to baseball great albert pujols who turns 35 roy jones jr. is 46 sade turns 56. keep it here for more news

wetter and sports. i'm darebrown.

we have a commute alert for you this morning. some protesters the stint are planning could bring your ride to work in a stabstill. terror threats in belgium carried out and terror plots planned. their feat is accomplished but the work is not done yet. why the two men who climbed their way into the history books earlier this week will now hike back up el capitan. >> who needs rest? the bay bridge is all clear to start this friday january 16th. this is "today in the bay." >> and a very good friday morning to you. it's