blizzard warnings in eight states, over 70 million people impacted. thousands of flights canceled along with schools up and down the east coast. the storm expected to drop a foot or two of snow in some areas with wind gusts of up to 55 miles per hour. the numbers are in. 24 million more without health insurance under the p plan. is president trump about to break his campaign promises? plus u.s. authorities seizing cell phones, from american citizens all without a warrant and it's legal. and the boys are back, spotting a message beyond their friendship. "early today" starts right now. good morning, everybody. i'm jasmine. >> and frances rivera. good to have you with us as we are smack-dab in it.

hopefully you have been spared. the northeast is getting walloped by a snowstorm right now. 60-miles-per-hour winds could slam the region with up to two feet of snow. boston, philadelphia, and new york city have already shut down schools for the day. governors are advising adults to stay home, too. in new york a state of emergency has been declared and 2000 national guard personnel are activated. want to turn now to nbc jay gray who is live in the city in the snowstorm. do you feel like it's intensifying you, jay? >> reporter: it is beautiful when it's covered in snow. we are also getting a mix of sleet now that's come as part of the storm. it moved in overnight as you know, frances and it's going to continue and intensify. we'll see snow until this evening according to forecasters. that's where we are going get accumulations. at its peak, we could see four

inches of snow an hour for several hours. this is something that is going to be with us for quite some time. what we have seen out here today is normally a lot of joggers and people commuting to work, people walking their dogs. you see that at times here. we have a dog walking through now, seeing joggers. for the most part, things are empty here. the streets definitely not crowded, nothing like you would see during the rush. authorities asked people to stay out if they don't have to be out. we are under a state of emergency, a blizzard warning in effect as well. a lot of people just hunkered down, ride this thing out as it moves through the area and up the east coast. it's going cause problems for a couple days. that's the latest here in central park. back to you. >> a lot of time and inchs to go in this snowstorm. perfect for snow angeling.

>> we want to turn to meteorologist bill karins. >> a storm from d.c., phil li, new york and boston. they have been warmer getting the sleet. 68 million people impacted. still have blizzard warnings that go from new york city up to burlington, vermont and much of the southern half of new england. as far as the radar goes, the storm is located over maryland and delaware. that's sending the warmer air northwards and snowfall totals are less on i-95. the interior sections, a blockbuster event. the cat skills, berkshire, this is 18 plus inches of snow. someone has a chance of getting two feet of snow. this would be a big one for them. lower totals in philadelphia,

d.c. and new york where the kids did get the day off. it is nasty with the sleet, but they are not seeing one to two feet of snow. >> bill, thank you very much. president trump gave the cia the power to carry out drone strikes citing u.s. officials they focus mainly on syria. it reverses an obama era policy to carry out drone strikes and limited the cia to drone surveillance already. they have carried out strikes on the new policy, including one that killed a senior al qaeda leader last month. neither the pentagon or cia comments. headlines across the country saying millions of americans could be on the cusp of losing health care coverage after a health agency plan to repeal and replace obamacare. 24 million uninsured over the

next decade. supporters of the plan are scoffing at the estimate. democrats and republicans have ammunition over the fight over health care, endangering the bill all together. decide to drop the coverage they're required to have now. the report also predicts individual premiums would spike about 15% before dropping in 2020. the analysis, worse than early estimates by health experts giving ammunition to democrats. >> trumpcare means higher costs for less coverage. >> reporter: the numbers may make it harder for the president to pitch the plan after his promises on the campaign trail. >> so inexpensive for the people, so inexpensive for the country.

i am going to take care of everybody. >> reporter: but the administration's already dismissing these numbers from the congressional budget office, a nonpartisan agency whose job is to figure out what any new piece of legislation would cost. health secretary tom price? >> we disagree strenuously with the report that was put out. >> reporter: the white house argues the budget office was wrong on obamacare originally. >> the last time they did this they were wildly off. >> reporter: that enrollment estimate ended up off by 30%, partly because the supreme court changed the expectation for expanding medicaid coverage. still, independent analysts found of all the estimates out there, the budget office came the closest. >> the congressional budget office is only job in life is to get the numbers as close to accurate as they possibly can be. >> reporter: the numbers that matter most to 62-year-old kim, the ones on her insurance bill. >> after obamacare really started to set in, my insurance premium doubled. >> reporter: under the gop proposal right now, the lifelong republican would pay even more since she'd get less help from the government.

>> that was nbc's halle jackson reporting. this morning the trump white house is also playing defense when it comes to mr. trump's explosive claims of wiretapping against former president obama. the justice department is now under congressional pressure to supply any evidence to substantiate the accusation that the president's trump tower offices were wiretapped during the election. white house press secretary sean spicer is presenting a different story. he insists to nbc's peter alexander that americans can really trust what they hear from the president. >> when should americans trust the president? should they trust the president, is it phony or real when he says president obama was wiretapping? >> again, let's get back. i think there are two things here important about what he said. i think recognizing that it's the -- he doesn't really think president obama went up and tapped his phone personally. >> what does he think? >> i think there is no question that the obama administration, that there were actions about surveillance and other activities that occurred in the 2016 election. >> so on the same topic on the cbo report did the president

think it was real then and is phony now? >> what cbo report? >> on the expectation the cbo report is coming out about which you said if you look at the cbo for accuracy you're looking in the wrong place. three years ago you said the cbo report confirms obamacare is bad for the economy. the question is -- >> it was bad for the economy. >> the bottom line is -- >> but -- >> you said it's -- can you say affirmatively whenever the president says something we can trust it to be real? >> if he's not joking, of course. but in the case -- hold on. no, no, you're asking -- hold on. >> start over again. >> no, but your point is -- i mean, every time that he speaks authoritatively that he speaks -- he's speaking as president of the united states. >> more than 3 million americans voted illegally. >> he still believes that. >> was he joking or does he believe that? >> he believes it. thank you. >> the president was scheduled to meet with german chancellor angela merkel today. that meeting has been postponed to friday due to weather.

we have been talking about the east coast blizzard. i want to turn to bill karins for west coast weather. what do you have? >> the east is dealing with the cold and storms. it's the opposite in the west. today, the frigid high is throughout all areas of the east. temperature in the 20s and 40s, atlanta, 42 degrees. to the west, temperatures are 20 degrees above normal. boise, 71. salt lake city, 73. a lot of extreme across the nation. 91 in phoenix. th'sattoo. san francisco was nice, cooler today. showers in the northwest. >> it's not quite fair when you have temperatures that spread apart. >> should we buy tickets to the

west coast? >> one way. >> if we can get out with all the delays. we have to walk to the airport. just ahead, an update on massive flight delays and find out why today is a dessert loving nerd's favorite day of the year. why sweaters on chickens is a good idea. "early today" is back in two. lysol max cover kills 99.9% of bacteria, even on soft surfaces. one more way you've got what it takes to protect. two kids barfed in class today. it was so gross. lysol disinfectant spray kills 99.9% of bacteria, even those that cause stomach bugs. one more way you've got what it takes to protect. 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. 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. 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. everyone wants to be (cthe cadbury bunny because only he brings delicious cadbury creme eggs. while others may keep trying, nobunny knows easter better than cadbury. 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 welcome back, everybody. we're watching that blizzard. not only here on the ground wreaking havoc, but also in the air so far over 5,000 flights have been canceled. and over another thousand have been delayed. fortunately for travelers, united, delta and american airlines have all waived rebooking fees but it's not just domestic flights being disrupted today. spacex planned on launching a falcon 9 rocket down in florida. but has now delayed the launch till thursday due to heavy winds. leading the news on this tuesday, a congressman was handcuffed refusing to leave an i.c.e. office in chicago.

he was leading a sit-in with advocates and community leaders. his spokesman said they asked about specific immigration cases, deportations and also the conduct of i.c.e. officers. and they refused to leave until they received satisfactory answers. security officers say they placed plastic restraints on some members of the group for about two minutes, but quickly removed them after i.c.e. officials said the group could stay. >> and today is the day for math and dessert lovers everywhere. i want to explain, it is pi day, march 14 which represents the first three digits of the mathematical constant pi which equals 3.14 if you remember your fifth grade math which i actually don't as well. >> i don't. >> if you all get kinds of deals on edible pies today, whole foods giving customers $3.14 off its large bakery and pizza pies. you have to be fast because it's only while supplies last. >> and if you are dealing with a storm, you have to be able to brave the storm to get those pies that it may be worth it on pi day. >> that's storm food. >> exactly right. there are enough out there for you.

just ahead u.s. authorities seizing cell phones demanding passports from american citizens all without a warrant and it's legal. you're watching "early today." to feel this special... ...you need to eat this special. kellogg's special k... ...made with whole grains and fiber to help a body thrive... folic acid and vitamin d... ...to make a body feel this good. start your day with 150 nourishing calories... ...in a bowl of special k. ♪ eat special, feel special. introducing special k nourish bites. a new way to snack special. only tylenol® rapid release gels have laser drilled holes. they release medicine fast, for fast pain relief. tylenol® quilted northern works their bathroom experience. but these birds see all and forget nothing.

except this one, who has an outlet for a face. [ ominou[ sniffs ] little girl: daddy! trapped by your unrelenting nasal allergies? [ meow ] [ sneezes ] try clarispray clarispray provides unsurpassed relief. it's 24 hour, non-drowsy and prescription strength. free yourself with clarispray, from the makers of claritin. what's the best way to get two servings of veggies? v8 or a powdered drink? ready, go. ahhhhhhhh! shake! shake! shake! shake! shake! done! you gotta shake it! i shake it! glad i had a v8. the original way to fuel your day.

today's quick hit, we'll never know the winner of the $435 million jackpot winner because they decided to remain anonymous.

the indiana man took a lump sum of 189 million after taxes. it is the tenth largest lottery jackpot in u.s. history. >> and disney unfolded release of its live action beauty and the beast film from malaysia indefinitely after sensors edited out a gay moment. that's in quotes. emma watson who played bell looked stunning on the red carpet at last night's new york city premiere. >> and just in time, a group of boston area retirees are knitting. not for their grand kids, not for relatives. for the chickens. those are chickens of a neighboring estate and they're helping keep them warm. an estate spokesperson said egg production has jumped noticeably since the birds began wearing them. so, i guess their sexy outfits, read between the lines, if egg production has jumped and things are getting steamy with the chickens -- >> turn it up with some sweaters. >> there you go. want to turn now to an exclusive report from nbc news. it is about a controversial practice involving american citizens being stopped at the

u.s. border and told to turnover their cell phones and their passwords, nbc senior investigative correspondent cynthia mcfadden has more on this. >> reporter: the law at the u.s. border including at international airports allows the government to inspect your phone or your computer. no warrant needed. just like they can look into your luggage. not only that, whether you give them your pass word or not, they can make a clone of what's on your device. until recently it was a power rarely used. over the past months, nbc news has spoken with 25 american citizens stopped at the border. eight since president trump took office, all ordered to turnover their phones and passwords, or unlock them. many threatened with arrest if they didn't comply. all but two of them american muslims. we spot checked others on the list. among them a nasa scientist. intelligence officials told nbc news that none of those we

checked were on any u.s. watch list, nor were they suspected of any crime. one did have a speeding ticket. homeland security officials tell nbc news electronic searches began late in the bush administration, but they were very limited. but by the last year of the obama administration, the number of cell phone searches increased five fold. according to data obtained by nbc news, 2017 is gearing up to be a block buster year. more people stopped in february than the entire year of 2015. homeland security won't say how many are americans. so, what's going on? two intelligence officials tell nbc news the increase is driven by two factors. frustration that law enforcement failed to detect a string of domestic terrorism attacks, and intensified rhetoric by donald trump about radical islamic terrorism.

>> and homeland security did point out electronic searches apply to less than 1% of travelers. legal experts say the fourth amendment ban on unlawful searches and seizures does not historically apply to the border. still ahead on "early today," remember the boys with the matching haircuts that tried to trick their preschool teachers? they are back as their amazing story of color blind friendship grows. tomorrow's the day we'll play something 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. 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. they have to be great on the inside and outside. my hygienist said to think of my teeth like an apple. yours, to strengthen both, she said to go pro. go pro with crest pro-health advanced. it strengthens...

...teeth inside, and is better at strengthening the... ...outside than colgate total. best check-up ever. only tylenol® rapid release gels have laser drilled holes. they release medicine fast, for fast pain relief. tylenol® they say glory awaits (playersat the finish.houting) but what about the start? that moment you suck up all that doubt, that fear, all those reasons "why not" and decide to begin. get your start with under armour, now at kohl's. the bbc was interviewing a

professor from his home. he was distracted by members of his family. check this out. >> for the wider region, i think one of your children walked in. shifting in the region, do you think relations in the north may change? >> i would be surprised if they did. [ laughter ] >> my apologies. my apologies. [ laughter ] [ applause ] >> that does not get old. i would love it if jimmy fall lon booked the professor, two kids and the mom on his show for the next guest. >> and maybe re-enacted it?

>> that would be great. you remember those two preschool boys from louisville, kentucky, one white, one black, earlier this month they decided to trick their teacher by getting matching hair cuts so she wouldn't be able to tell them apart? on monday they were recognized by the louisville police department, given matching t-shirts and noted for being role models. take a look. >> everything going on in the world today, you have these two kids that say their hair is the only thing making them different. what they don't know, at the moment right here, they're my heroes. to be able to come in and meet them. >> they said it all. they are our heroes, for other kids and adults, you can take something away. >> you can learn so much from kids. still ahead, bill karins will have the latest on the blizzard of 2017. 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 you may be muddling through allergies.oned with... try zyrtec® for powerful allergy relief. and zyrtec® is different than claritin®. because it starts working faster on the first day you take it. try zyrtec®. muddle no more®.

check this out. this is in georgia yesterday. boom! that's a lightning strike on the church there. unfortunately, they did have a lot of damage to electronics in the church, the pastor said $30,000 worth. not too much damage was done to the building and structure itself. we are split. the storm in the northeast and the sleet and dealing with the warmth in the west. how beautiful, los angeles at 83 degrees. as far as possible delays at the airports, the worst is going to be boston, new york, philadelphia, doesn't matter if

it's sleet or snow. a lot of delays possible. boston, new york and chicago had lake-effect snow. portland, rain and san francisco, some fog for the evening. >> make sure to check the status of your flight before you head to the airport. bill karins, thanks so much keeping an eye on the weather for us. new developments in the jerry sandusky child case. the first former athletic director, tim curley, pleaded guilty to child endangerment charge. the light haired man seen here also pleaded guilty to the same charge. the two men, along with the former president handled a 2001 complaint from a graduate assistant who saw sandusky abuse a young boy in the team's showers. they failed to report the information to the police or child services.

sandusky was arrested more than ten years later and convicted in 2012. show you this woman in texas who took drastic measures to save a tree. this is 67-year-old jerry. he climbed that tree and refused to leave to stop the electric company from cutting it down. it's not the first time she did that. she did the same thing six years ago but that time she has a b.b. gun. she climbed down when they said they would be back with a restraining order. >> let's check out this dog story. caruso dresses as a goalie. he could fool someone. he does a great job staying in front of the goal. and he makes a save. look at that. >> impressive. quick eye. quick moves is all you need to be a saver like that. >> thanks for being with us.

>> have a great one. see you back here tomorrow. right now at 4:30an overnig cha

bay...after a driv elud neighborhood. more on the pursu ended with a man in ndcfs. right how at 4:30, an overnight chase. more on the pursuit that ended with a man in handcuffs. good morning and that you can for joining us on this tuesday morning. i'm glad to have you. i'm sam brock. i'm laura garcia-cannon. i slept in this morning. it makes you feel a little funny. >> plus, we lost the hour as well. for morning people that is painful. >> we are getting used to the extra daylight during the evening and not in the morning. with we are settling into that. and this warm wea