coming up on early today, the blizzard of 2015 is putting the finishing touches on new england. record snowfall in some places but over inflated forecasts for others. days ahead of super bowl xlix, they have a person of interest in deflate-gate. and president obama returns with new security questions and the white house drone. it's wednesday, january 28th. early today starts right now. good morning. i'm francis rivera. 30 inches and not finished yet. the coast is not clear for snow slammed, new england. some areas will get more snow.

in massachusetts the sound of snowblowers was everywhere. people digging out from three feet of blinding snow. the travel ban was lifted but more than 21,000 are still without power. 30 miles outside of boston, this is the problem. in marshfield the seawall collapsed, the atlantic ocean roaring and coming ags shore. it looks like an ice town homes and vehicles covered in a thick layer of ice. >> my roof caved in, the roof collapsed, side wall. >> this is the worst i've ever seen. >> and new york city and new jersey dodged the bullet. the bad news is they lost 2ds 00 million in economic activity. one model said new york would see 22 inches a european model said 15. a new u.s. model had it right,

just under ten. >> we've always heard so much about the superiority of the european model as opposed to the american model. in this case the american mod 'em actually handled it a little bit better. >> what we learned from the storm is we all need to learn how to communicate forecast uncertainty. in new jersey an apology from a meteorologist says quote, he made a lot of tough decisions expecting us to get it right and we didn't. once again, i'm sorry. how much will the blizzard of 2015 cost? it could top $1 billion. the reason here the cost of snow removal and the screeching halt of business after shutting down cities. with just days to the super bowl new video evidence of a so-called person of interest in the deflate-gate football scandal. nbc's ron mott shows us why a bathroom break is taking center stage. >> reporter: nbc sports is

reporting the deflate-gate is centered on a 90 second bathroom blake taken by a patriots locker room at ten dachbt before the game. the attendant is seen on surveillance video with the balls after they were certified by officials. >> this is the first piece of evidence beyond the footballs were inflated. this is the first thing that could be pounted to as an opportunity with someone from the patriots organization to have the footballs behind closed doors for any period of time and potentially do something with them. that's why it's caught the nfl's attention. >> reporter: super bowl media day, a supersized frenzy of reporters and cameras questions flying. >> it's all about seattle and getting us ready to play sunday. that's where all of our attention is. >> upon arriving in arizona monday patriots owner robert kraft demanded an apology from the nfl if its investigation

can't prove the team did anything wrong. >> i would expect and hope that the legal would apologize to our entire team and in particular coach belichick and tom brady for what they have had to endure this week. a busy day ahead in the nation's capital. loretta lynch, the president's nominee for the next attorney general begins her senate confirmation hearing. a formal farewell for former press secretary chuck hagel. this all comes on the heels of the president's trip to india and saudi arabia. the president and first lady returned to d.c. this morning. the first lady got a lot of attention on social media for not wearing a head scarf or veil. in saudi arabia women are expected to cover their heads. according to "the washington post" more than 1500 tweets

related to. tracie what's on the president's agenda today? >> reporter: he's got those remarks to say good-bye to chuck hagel today, but now dealing with a number of issues on capitol hill. we understand the president heard quite a bit from his own party before he even got off that plane. >> reporter: before president obama arrived at the white house early this morning, sources tell us top democrat nancy pell lows zi was on air force one convincing him not to tax college savings plans. the white house now con dpirms he's dropping that idea. key democrats and republicans agree it would hurt the middle class. >> we need opportunities to empower and reward folks for preparing for the future, but the president's plan does just the opposite. >> another example of the outdated top-down approach. >> reporter: in private house speaker john boehner told republicans he's close to

finalizing a plan to sue president obama over immigration. the senate is planning to deal with immigration and homeland security funding after they approve the keystone oil pipeline. >> the keystone pipeline vote is about jobs it's about opportunity -- >> reporter: and it's going nowhere. the president already promised a veto. >> i think we should do everything we can to persuade at least half a dozen democrats that they should join us to get this done. >> reporter: but insiders say there weren't enough republicans behind it. next obama care first vote by this new congress to repeal the health law is expected next week. but that and keystone aren't likely to go anywhere fast because the president has already said he's going to veto it. >> tracie potts in washington, d.c. thank you. new questions about security at the white house. how could a small drone land on

the white house lawn evading radar detection? it happened early monday morning. a source confirms to nbc news the man had been drinking beforehand and it was apparently an accident. the unnamed man works pour the national gio spatial intelligence agency and was actually credited with helping to take down osama bin laden by pinpointing his compound in pakistan. "the washington post" says the secret service still hasn't found a way to easily detect and stop the relatively small drones. in this next story, the video is disturbing. a florida woman, seven months pregnant is run over by her boyfriend after an argument. the boyfriend called and said quote, are you ready for you abortion date. shocked witnesses. >> i ran outside and he was running out and he's like i know

i'm going to jail. i know i'm going to jail. >> the boyfriend fled on a motorcycle. he was arrested last night for attempted murder. he has previous charges for assault and battery. the woman is being treated at a nearby hospital for minor injuries and the baby is said to be okay. >> time to get more on the winter storm still hitting parts of the northeast from nbc meteorologist bill karins. talk about kicking them when they're down. >> all the winter weather in country is isolated in new england. these are snowfall totals we get typically in dass kaeds or the sierras when the big winter storms come in. we had four different states report 2 1/2 feet of snow. three different spots that reported three feet of snow in massachusetts. these areas aren't in the mountains, plain old cities with very little elevation. here is how we're looking in the west. i was hoping for couple raindrops in the san francisco bay area yesterday, but it

didn't happen. the moisture moved through and is all the way up into minnesota and into wyoming. stim a fact that we have yet to get any rain in one of the wettest month typically of the year in san francisco. that's bad news all the way around. the forecast for rainfall doesn't show l.a. not bad, sun and clouds 76 degrees and arizona is looking beautiful as normal. >> winter nor the east and more warmth and dry for the west. same old, same old. >> we're ready, bill. thank you very much. with all the snow, you may have missed it. the biggest profit in corporate history. can you guess who made $18 billion? temptation... ...is toast... ...with special k protein cereal. each hearty bowl is packed with protein

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welcome back. a national jury found two former vanderbilt football players guilty of raping a former student back in 2013. the victim was in the courtroom. she was heard crying each time the guilty verdict was announced. the men will be sentenced on march 6th. two others involved in the case have pleaded not guilty and are awaiting trial. senior defense officials tell nbc news that army sergeant bowe bergdahl will likely face a lesser charge of desertion and could end up serving no time in prison. they say the army is considering crediting bergdahl for the five years he spent in captivity after he walked away from his post in afghanistan and was captured by terrorists. bergdahl might be demoted, lose backpay and be given the opportunity to leave the army with a less than honorable charge. pentagon and army officials stress that no final decision has been made. three gunmen stormed a

luxury hotel in libya. five other americans were evacuated after the attack. amateur video shows the fire that began when a car bomb was detonated right before the gunmen entered the hotel. three guard were killed and several others wounded. a group linked to isis has claimed responsibility for that attack. in houston, nightmare security video here, a u.p.s. driver hurls a package over a gate damaging hundreds in items. he then zips down his pants and starts to relieve himself right there. he was a seasonal worker and has since been fired. the company provided a statement to our affiliate in houston saying in part u.p.s. was dismayed by actions that violated decency and delivery car. u.p.s. sincerely apologizes to our customer. no behavior like this is acceptable. apple posted the largest profit in corporate history with a record $18 billion surpassing

an earlier record set by exxon, sold 75 million iphone 6 units. ceo tim cook characterized the sales as staggering. starting in april, you can get your hands on the apple watch. time to get down to business with cnbc's lana downey. >> unemployment fell in 42 states last month. another sign strong hiring is creating job opportunities. unemployment rose in four states and was unchanged in four others. job gains were healthy in states with big oil and gas industries, suggesting the drop in oil prices hasn't led to significant lay-offs just yet. amazon prime members are spending more than non-members, spending an average of $1500 a year versus just $625 for non-members. amazon prime costs $99 a year and offers unlimited free shipping. americans are rediscovering their love for burgers, 9

billion served last year, up 3% the first gain in five years. that means every person in america ordered a burger every two weeks. >> my family definitely contributed to that. just ahead, it might seem funnier than the original. the all female ghost busters cast is revealed. plus it got a little weird. bill belichick revealed why he loves puppets so much. sports is up next. it's written on my face ♪ ♪ we're singin', we're singin' ♪ ♪ i found a happy place ♪ ♪ a rather happy place ♪ ♪ i'm singin', i'm singin' ♪ ♪ ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh ♪ ♪ i found a happy place ♪ [ female announcer ] with ingredients like roasted hazelnuts, skim milk, and cocoa there's a whole lot of happy in every jar of nutella. spread the happy.

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this morning on "today," ever wonder what the inside of a sinkhole looks like? nbc's kerry sanders takes a unique look at one of nature's most dangerous phenomenons. time to bring you sports and the australian open. serena williams cruises into the semifinals. she out lasted sister venus who fell to 19-year-old madison keyes. on the men's side, sore wren ka won in straight sets to advance to friday's semifinal play. boxers floyd mayweather and manny pacquiao finally agreed on something, at a heat game. they met at half-time and spoke briefly, maybe about the potential bout or maybe not. it is progress. pacquiao says the two had never spoken in person before. super bowl media day in arizona was a frenzy of fans players, all kinds of wacky

stuff, reporters in their getups. pats coach bill belichick wouldn't address the deflate-gate controversy, but he did answer this. >> what stuffed animals do i like? >> i like like a little puppet where you can put your fingers in he can talk and move his fingers, so he can kind of talk back to you. >> seahawks omar shawn lynch wupz in repeat mode answering reporters with his phrase of the day. >> i'm here so i won't get fined. i'm here so i won't get fined. i'm here so i won't get fine. >> last night sidney crosby look closely, read sindey crosby. acting skills in this app

promoting group tickets for pelicans games. i don't think hollywood will be calling soon. it is kind of entertaining. >> announcer: early today is brought to you by just for men, just you and the look you want. the super bowl ad starring puppies that was just yanked. plus it has indy fans buzzing, the hollywood celeb picked to be the next indiana jones. woman: for soft beautiful feet i have a professional secret: amopé and its premium foot care line. the new amopé pedi perfect foot file gives you soft beautiful feet effortlessly. its microlumina rotating head buffs away hard skin even on those hard-to-reach spots. it's amazing. you can see it and feel it. my new must-have

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now for some highly anticipated entertainment news. could this be the cast of "ghostbusters 3." melissa mccarthy is officially signed while kristen wiig kate mckinnon. actor james kahn is getting a divorce for the third time from the same woman. kahn is going for the divorce hat trick with his wife linda. it will be the actor's sixth divorce overall. not that travel presents the only danger. the weather channel showed us that the wily snow can attack you even in your own home. >> two feet of snow up there, the equivalent of nine heavy-duty pickup trucks on top of the roof. when that amount of snow starts to slide, it can easily damage or destroy anything in its path. >> why do they park on the roof?

when did the weather channel get michael bay to direct its videos. >> jon stewart had fun reporting on the 2015 blizzard. prince harry is continuing his work with injured servicemen helping them after they return from the service as they make individual recovery plans. after starring in guardians of the galaxy and jurassic world, could chris pat be the next indiana jones? he's rumored to be disney's favorite star as the archaeology professor. >> he obviously has the humor part. he was huge being a superhero. >> and it will bring people in like us who grew up with and all the young -- >> i'm always -- >> i'm francis rivera this is "early today," we hope it's your first stop of the day on nbc.i'm jerry bell the second. and i'm jerry bell the third. i'm like a big bear and he's my little cub. this little guy is non-stop. he's always hanging out with his friends. you've got to be prepared to sit at the edge of your seat and be ready

to get up. there's no "deep couch sitting." definitely not good for my back. this is the part i really don't like right here. (doorbell) what's that? a package! it's a swiffer wetjet. it almost feels like it's moving itself. this is kind of fun. that comes from my floor? eww! this is deep couch sitting. [jerry bell iii] deep couch sitting!

leading the news in "the l.a. times," mormon church tries to balance gay rights protection religious freedom. the search is supporting public housing for gays and lesbian is while calling for the same laws to protect religious freedoms. it comes seven years after they mobilized members on prop 8 which outlined same-sex marriage. an ad shows a cute and cuddly puppy falling off a truck and its long journey home only to be greeted by overjoyed owners because they had just sold it online. the ad grew outrage from animal activists some saying it promoted puppy mills.

some 300 survivors returned to auschwitz to mark 70 years since the camp was liberated near the end of world war ii. nbc's bill neely was there. >> reporter: at the end of the auschwitz railway line on the ground where the ashes of a million jews are buried survivors marked the camp's liberation but it's clear they are not free of memories. >> how can i ever forget the smell of burning flesh. >> reporter: pope francis says auschwitz cries out with pain and pleads for a future of respect. amid the pain here fears for the future are very real. bill neely, nbc news, auschwitz. it was a storm for the record books, a blizzard pounding new england and the numbers and images unbelievable. massachusetts got over 30 inchs of snow and coastal flooding.

in portland, maine folks are digging out from over 20 inches. the hardest hit area is massachusetts, over 21,000 people without electricity. at airports the push is on to get stranded travellers back on planes the storm canceling over 7,000 flights. today just over 600 have been scrubbed. so still reeling from it, especially in new england and here in the northeast -- new york i should say. >> setting up just like last winter. last winter very warm and dry in the west and in the east snow and wet. we're hoping to change it have it wet in the west and warm in the east. >> deja vu. homeland security secretary jeh johnson heads to phoenix in glendale arizona. i'm francis rivera we thank you for watching "early today." hope you have a great wednesday and a great rest of your week.

saying goodbye. friends and family of a jogger killed by alleged street racers prepare to light candles in her honor, while those men under arrest get ready to facing a judge. and it's official. what they have to say about when police officers should be turning on their body cameras. plus the goo is gone and these guys are ready to fly. sea birds rescued from that mysterious goop in the bay prepared to spread their wings again. a look at downtown san jose. very clear right now. perhaps fairly warm, in the 50s as you get out of bed. it's wednesday, january 28th and you are watching "today in the bay."