prepare now. that's the warning for millions bracing for a ferocious march nor'easter that could bring the season's highest snowfall totals. as blizzard warnings go into effect. health care dominated the weekend's political shows. today all eyes on donald trump as lawmakers demand the president produce wiretapping evidence. new details on the white house fence jumper and just what he told police when he was captured. tempers flare as nascar's joey logano punches kyle busch right in the mouth, we'll tell you why. the pooch that stole the show at the world's biggest dog show. "early today" starts right now. >> good morning. >> i'm frances rivera. good to have you with me this

morning as we are bracing for the storm coming our way. take a look at this one. it is the calm before the sun. this is a look of the sunrising in the state's capital. beautiful now. the northeast is bracing for a massive blizzard that could wallop the region with over a foot of snow. the storm is blowing in from the midwest where millions are under winter weather watches and warnings. strong winds and heavy snow creating dangerous road conditions, causing some drivers to slide in the ditches. the snow didn't stop this game in minneapolis. at some points the play was paused until the ground crew could blow snow off the field lines. despite the cold players wore shorts while dedicated fans cheered in all that snow. nbc meteorologist bill karins is tracking the storm for us. what is the latest? where is it now? what can we expect? >> a little night snow for illinois and indiana. as the two storms merge, that's when we are going to deal with

the nor'easter and could get stranded on the road, power outages, trees down. one to three inches in the lower great lakes. not until areas in the northeast, say a tuesday morning into tuesday afternoon is the peak of the storm in this area. it's not often you see this huge of an area with a foot of snow. it's easier to say who won't get it than who will. new york is the bulling eye. d.c., a march storm for you. the totals may get a mix coming in. new york city to hartford looks to be all snow. up to 20 inches. some will have a chance of getting two feet of snow. the timing is d.c. around midnight and as i mentioned, all tuesday. i don't think many airports will be open in the northeast come tuesday morning. >> get your dvr loaded up. >> thank you, bill. president trump holds his first-ever cabinet meeting.

republicans could see a setback in their attempts to repeal and replace obamacare. the congressional budget office is set to release its assessment the gop's health care plan with one outside group saying the estimate could show up to 15 million people losing their coverage. it's already getting pushback by white house officials. >> cbo has been very adept in not providing appropriate coverage statistics. >> i love the folks at cbo, they work really hard. but sometimes we ask them to do stuff they're not capable of doing. and estimating the impact of a bill of this size probably isn't the best use of their time. >> the pushback as anxiety regarding health care permeates in town halls across the country. both democratic and republican. the white house made a sunday show blitz to defend the gop's bill that has its share of detractors. >> i firmly believe that nobody will be worse off financially in the process that we're going through. >> we're offering coverage to everyone.

if you're on medicaid today, you're going to stay on medicaid. if you're covered under an employee-sponsored plan you're going to continue to be covered under an employee-sponsored plan. >> obamacare's been a disaster for many people. it's helped some americans. the president has committed no one will lose access to coverage that there will be a smooth transition for those who curtly rely on the exchanges. >> what we are trying to achieve is bringing down the cost of care, bringing down the cost of insurance, not through government mandates and monopolies but having more choice in competition. >> republicans' unity behind repeal and replace continues to hit roadblocks. conservatives' concerns with the plan reach a fever pitch. >> as it's written today, this bill in the house of representatives cannot pass the senate. i would say to my friends in the house of representatives, with whom i serve, do not walk the plank and vote for a bill that cannot pass the senate and then have to face the consequences of that vote. >> i'm not for this plan.

i think there's lots of opposition to this plan in the house and the senate. >> i think it's basically obamacare-lite. keeps the subsidies, keeps the taxes for a year. >> if you're drug addicted, if you're mentally ill, you have to consistently see the doctor. from what i see in this house bill, the resources are not there. if you're chronically ill, you're going to have to have consistent coverage. under this bill, you don't have it. >> this morning the clock is ticking as the department of justice nears its deadline. top democratic and republican lawmakers on the house intel committee demanded the doj turn over any evidence to substantiate president donald trump's explosive accusations that former president obama wiretapped his offices during the election. it is a claim mr. obama has rejected and one the white house has yet to offer any proof on. we're joined by nbc's tracie potts. good morning to you. what do we need to look out for as far as this evidence, if anything? >> reporter: look out for the paper trail. not a lot of people here on

capitol hill think we are going to see the spoking gun today with president trump under pressure to either prove what he's alleged or take it back. >> the president has one or two choices, retract or provide the information that the american people deserve. >> reporter: pressure coming from both side to prove president obama tapped phones at trump tower. they are supposed to produce a paper trail by today but lawmakers doubt they will reveal anything. >> it could show what we know or don't know. >> reporter: democrats insist, it's important for the president to be credible if there's an international crisis. >> the question is, would people believe and would american people believe him. that has real world consequences. >> reporter: if we don't get anything definitive today from the fbi and justice department,

there's another chance next week james comby is expected to testify. >> thank you. incredibly tragic story, a pennsylvania toddler dead after a house fire caused by a hoverboard. it's the first-ever death linked to the toy. firefighters say the hoverboard caught on fire while it was charging. the the blaze spread through the home, trapping three children inside. 2-year-old ashanti hughes was killed, the other two children taken to the hospital in critical condition. to add to the tragedy, firefighter dennis devoe died on his way to the the blaze in a car accident with an allegedly intoxicated driver. the consumer products safety commission says it will help open a federal investigation into this incident. 500,000 hoverboards were recalled last summer because of overheating and fire concerns. intense new cell phone video shows a vallejo, california, police officer repeatedly hitting a man on the ground during a violent takedown. here's that video. what it does not show is what

led up to the confrontation. but witnesses say the man was acting erratically and threatening people inside a gas station. a clerk called the police. in the video some witnesses can be heard voicing their concerns over the violence. one person yelling "police brutality." officials say the officer is on paid leave until they complete a full investigation. the other man in the video was facing charges of being under the influence and resisting arrest. the man who breached the white house security fence friday night is set to appear before federal court today. 26-year-old jonathan tran was arrested after scaling a fence near the treasury department and almost reaching the white house portico entrance. court documents show the california man was carrying two cans of mace, his passport, a book by mr. trump, a letter addressed to him about russian hacking. officials say tran had no criminal history and told the secret service he had been called schizophrenic. he's charged with unlawful entry. a lot of us making plans,

travel plans, delays, all kinds of at least trying to figure out what we are going to do when it comes to the storm. here is nbc's meteorologist, bill karins. >> everybody on the west coast is saying it's about time you had to deal with with with them. we dealt with them all winter long. one thing is the wind. that's what makes it the blizzard. we have to get three hours with winds greater than 45 miles per hour in new york city, 48. we are easily going to meet the criteria. in the boston area and maine through tuesday evening, we are going to continue with blizzard conditions. it will be an epic storm with one to two feet ofto central ca.

that's where we have a great weekend and continues into today. that's how it is this time of year. warm in one spot, cold in another. real cold, how about siberia. fitness lovers brave below temperatures to race on a frozen lake over the weekend. to make it more challenging, why not. bikinis and swim trunks. it's hard of an event that brings sports enthusiasts around the region. francis you were scheduled to appear. what happened? >> no, if you fall and scrape something, it's not so pretty. >> i love that they have bikinis and swim trunks on, but their heads covered. they were still warm somewhere. still ahead, joe biden's plea at south by southwest and donald trump's campaign promise. has he made good on it?

we'll tell you on "early today" next. ors who know best. cosmopolitan best daily treatment... regenerist spf 30. marie claire, 10 best editor-approved night creams... regenerist night cream. refinery29, best beauty products under $25... regenerist serum. beauty editors know what you've always known... allure reader's choice award winning brand, 12 years running... olay regenerist. ageless. it can seem like triggers pop up everywhere. luckily there's powerful, 24-hour, non-drowsy claritin. it provides relief of symptoms that can be triggered by over 200 different allergens. live claritin clear. quilted northern works their bathroom experience. but these birds see all and forget nothing. except this one, who has an outlet for a face.

tomorrow's the day besides video games. every day is a gift. especially for people with heart failure. but today there's entresto... a breakthrough medicine that can help make more tomorrows possible. tomorrow, i want to see teddy bait his first hook. in the largest heart failure study ever, entresto was proven to help more people stay alive and out of the hospital than a leading heart failure medicine. women who are pregnant must not take entresto. it can cause harm or death to an unborn baby. don't take entresto with an ace inhibitor or aliskiren. if you've had angioedema while taking an ace or arb medicine, don't take entresto. the most serious side effects are angioedema, low blood pressure, kidney problems, or high potassium in your blood. tomorrow, i'm gonna step out with my favorite girl. ask your doctor about entresto. and help make the gift of tomorrow possible.

welcome back. an american cocker spaniel named miami won the top prize at crufts dog show sunday beating out 22,000 dogs from 56 countries to win best in show. it was this little guy who stole the show. a jack russell terrier, ollie, gave a terrible yet super-funny performance during an obstacle course. he never gave up despite face-planting and running in circles. he should get a title for doing his own thing and happy with it. president trump's second payday is fast approaching. after pledging to forego his salary on the campaign trail, mr. trump and the white house declined proof that any donations have been made. law requires the president get a salary of $400,000 each year.

they said they would donate it to a charity. now, no signs those donations are taking place. at least 34 are dead in haiti after bus rammed into an early morning street festival. police say the bus was fleeing the scene of another fatal collision when it ran into a parade sunday. 17 people were injured and take ton a nearby hospital. a civil defense spokesman said the crowd threw stones at the bus and tried to burn it before police arrived. the driver and passengers were taken to the police station and released. but the driver later fled. authorities don't yet know what caused the accident. joe biden hopes the country can remain unified on at least one issue. the former vice president spoke at south by southwest. he said the fight against cancer was the only bipartisan thing left in america. biden even said he is eager to work with president trump on a cancer moonshot program. the technology, music and film festival might seem an unusual venue to talk about cancer, but

some of the most creative minds attend and synergy is vital to better understand how to fight this disease. he's really pushing this. >> no matter what side of the aisle you are on, you have to love the crew said he is on. the list of the best cities to celebrate st. patrick's day. just in case you were wondering. why employers both love and hate march madness. you are watching "early today." (baby fussing) they say glory awaits at the finish. but what about the start? the effort it takes just to begin. if running your first race is a life-changing event... how about your first race afta life-changing event? not your first run, but your first run as dad. get your start with under armour, now at kohl's. dobecause you've got ams lot of cheering to do! get fast sinus relief...with vicks sinex. and get your head back in the game.

sinex. the congestion, pressure, pain to clear your head, medicine. choose to make a statement. revlon super lustrous the world's most iconic lipstick. with micro-fine pigments for high-impact color. revlon super lustrous lipstick. in 82 on-trend shades. you hold the power. choose love. revlon. hershey's miniatures. we pour 'em! we pass 'em! we pick 'em! delicious fun for everyone. hershey's miniatures are mine, yours, our chocolate. new pantene doesn't just wash i wiyour hair, it fuels it.gain. making every strand stronger. so tangles don't stand a chance. because strong is beautiful.

take delsym, the #1 12-hour uncontrolcough medicine. it helps control the impulse to cough for 12 hours. which means, you're controlling your cough on your morning commute. and later when you're joking with beth... even when most cough medicines stop, delsym is still working. ♪ and when your days' over, your cough is still under control. thanks to the #1 12-hour cough medicine. delsym. the cough controller.

in today's quick hits, congress skull island stomped to the top of the box office with a strong $61 million debut. amazingly jordan peel's "get out" with less than a $5 million budget crossed the $100 million threshold in its third weekend. winter is coming for ed sheeran, headed to westros to guest star in the upcoming season of "game of thrones." still no details on his role or when he will appear. >> they want details, people. the person who bought the winning ticket in last month's $435 million powerball drawing is expected to claim the prize today. the ticket was sold at a gas station in indiana, lump sum cash value $263 million. but that's before taxes. >> now all the relatives know and know how much they will get from all of it. the expected interest rate

hike and oil prices are moving markets. cnbcs landon dowdy is watching it all. good morning to you. >> good morning to you both. u.s. gasoline prices on the rise. the average cost of a gallon of unledded gas up two sends in the past two weeks to $2.35 a gallon according to the industry. prices up 51 cents from this time last year. this, as crude oil falls to the lowest point in three months. meanwhile, tens of millions of americans fill out their ncaa brackets, loss of activity could cost employers up to $2 billion. it shows participating in the tournament could boost moral and barring employees could dampen spirits in the office. a list of the best cities for st. patrick's day celebrations. it's based on cost, safety,

accessibility and tradition surrounding the holiday. at the top of the list, buffalo, new york, followed by madison, wisconsin and boston, massachusetts coming in third. back to you. >> st. paddy's day is on a friday this year. all cities will be over the top. >> unless the snowstorm stops you. >> there you go. hopefully they can clear that out. just ahead, will smith just did something he wanted to do over 20 years. nascar's kyle bush bloody and restrained after a brawl. we have the tape for you. you are watching "early today." where's the car? it'll be here in three...uh, four minutes. are you kidding me? no, looks like he took a wrong turn. don't worry, this guy's got like a four-star rating, we're good. his name is randy. that's like one of the most trustworthy names! ordering a getaway car with an app? are you randy? that's me! awesome! surprising.

what's not surprising? how much money erin saved by switching to geico. everybody comfortable with the air temp? i could go a little cooler. ok. fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more. i'm about to pop a cap of "mmm fresh" in that washer with unstopables in-wash scent boosters by downy. because this scent lasts up to 12 weeks, which is longer than any relationship i've ever been in. freshness for weeks! ♪ [one is the loneliest number that you'll ever do] ♪ nobody likes a dog with bad breath. that's why there's oravet dental hygiene chews. oravet's dual action approach cleans teeth and gets to the underlying cause of bad breath by blocking bacteria to help prevent plaque and tartar. for a cleaner mouth everyone can love. ask your vet about oravet chews. serious oral care made simple lergies with nasal congestion? find fast relief behind the counter with claritin-d. [ upbeat music ] strut past that aisle for the allergy relief

that starts working in as little as 30 minutes and contains the best oral decongestant. live claritin clear, with claritin-d. choose to make a statement. revlon super lustrous the world's most iconic lipstick. with micro-fine pigments for high-impact color. revlon super lustrous lipstick. in 82 on-trend shades. you hold the power. choose love. revlon. quilted northern works their bathroom experience. but these birds see all and forget nothing. except this one, who has an outlet for a face. ...better than a manual, and my hygienist says it does. but... ...they're not all the same. turns out, they're really... ...different. who knew? i had no idea. so, she said look for... ...one that's shaped like a dental tool with a round... ...brush head. go pro with oral-b. oral-b's rounded brush head surrounds each tooth to... ...gently remove more plaque and... ...oral-b crossaction is clinically proven to... ...remove more plaque than sonicare diamondclean.

my mouth feels so clean. i'll only use an oral-b! the #1 brand used by dentists worldwide. oral-b. brush like a pro. the white house is officially calling the bill the american health care act. many are calling it trump care or should be calling it don't care. are you old, poor, losing your coverage? don't care. how bad does something have to be for trump not to want to put his name on it? he once put his name on a ponzi scheme. for this, he doesn't want to take all the credit. it's like if kanye's next album was called, "but enough about me". >> he doesn't put his name on it or tweets about it, then definitely not interested when it comes to trump. big news here at nbc, tyra banks is joining nbc. the supermodel, talk show host,

and creator of "america's top model" is joining "america's got talent." banks will be taking over the show's host from nick cannon. he left earlier this year. yesterday she tweeted the announcement saying she can't wait to work with the new family and wait for it, season 12 will come this summer. >> i may be behind in the news, but that haircut looks amazing on her. >> anything on her head or anywhere else looks good on her. will smith crossed a big one off his bucket list. over the weekend the "men in black" star became a real-life daredevil when he bungeed off a bridge at after's famous victoria falls. he seemed composed as he took the 360-foot plunge. smith says he's been wanting to do this for 20 years, calling it fantastic. >> you are an action star, now something you haven't done it go ahead and do it. keep it here, this is "early today" on a monday morning. per roll

more "doing chores for dad" per roll more "earning something you love" per roll bounty is more absorbent, so the roll can last 50% longer than the leading ordinary brand. so you get more "life" per roll. bounty, the quicker picker upper jimmy dean delights frittatas. a delicious, savory egg breakfast, without all the bread and carbs. made with real ingredients. an excellent source of protein to help power through your morning. jimmy dean delights frittatas. hey team, i know we're tight on time, but i really need a... ...sick day tomorrow. moms don't take sick days. moms take nyquil severe: the... ...nighttime sniffling,sneezing, coughing, aching, fever best... ...sleep with a cold, medicine.

it's a nice shot. tomorrow morning, not so pretty at this time. d.c. is gorgeous this morning. cold air is in place. washington d.c. is under a winter storm warning for 4-7 inches of snow by tomorrow afternoon. the forecast in the west is definitely been the west all weekend and continues today. the middle of the country is unseasonable and cool. l.a., 88. temperatures above average. salt lake city, gorgeous. boise, 66 degrees. more clouds than we like in the pacific northwest. wait for the sunshine seattle. today and tomorrow is around 55-56. back to you. >> they have sunshine, but not a snow day like our kids will. >> all of our kids. >> bill, thank you. marine scientists say global

warming is killing off half the world's reefs. scientists say even if we can stop global warming, they will still die by 2050. they support a quarter of all marine life. it's not just them at risk. a half billion people around the world depend on reefs as well. temperatures were hot as the cobalt 400. joey logano steaming mad that kurt busch's car caused him to lose control of his car, he walked up and punched busch in the face. the two tangoed onto the concrete where officials and pit crew members had to step in. busch got up with a bloody face lots of anger as he was being restrained by an official. logano finished in fourth place. busch, 22nd. to los angeles, fire crews battle to get a massive commercial building under control. there you see one of the nearly 200 brave firefighters on the scene. see at the top, there on top of the ladder, trying to put out

the growing flames after a mexican party supply warehouse burst. adding to the battle, a large quantity of red chili peppers. they were in the building, unleashing an additional irritant within the smoke. luckily no injuries were reported. >> chile peppers really do work. some people from colorado, they are dead tired after the annual frozen dead guy days festival. attendees wear halloween costumes and race coffins through the streets of this small rocky mountain town. the three-day festival honors a dead norwegian man who was cryogenically froze anyone the hope he can be brought back to life sometime in the future. his body has been in a shed near the town since 1993. in recent years, 20,000 people have been joining in on this morbid thing. three days, 30 bands, the dead guy on dry ice in the shed. there you go. >> makings for a festival.

fo thanks r watching "early at the marine mammal center, the environment is everything. we want to do our very best for each and every animal, and we want to operate a sustainable facility. and pg&e has been a partner helping us to achieve that. we've helped the marine mammal center go solar, install electric vehicle charging stations, and become more energy efficient. pg&e has allowed us to be the most sustainable organization we can be. any time you help a customer, it's a really good feeling. it's especially so when it's a customer that's doing such good and important work for the environment.

together, we're building a better california. . after a particular large one- work to quickly repair hot pole problems in pal to alto. that's notice a fun way to start your monday morning. good morning. thank you for joining us. >> it is good to see you. >> good to see you too. >> we're going to start out with mike because of the potholes. >> this looks like -- we'll start with this video. they discovered