fires to the end zone. touchdown! alabama wins! >> an overtime thriller, the crimson tide national champions the 5th time under nick saban. >> is president trump about to face mueller mano a mano? is this a good idea? >> he will go off script. he is very hard to control, and control is the key element when you have a client facing a potential investigation. >> the robots are coming. today we'll give you a glimpse

at what you may soon have right in your very home. >> and in these frigid times, alligators poking through the ice to stay comfortably numb. "early today" starts right now. >> good pto be with you on a tuesday. i'm frances rivera. >> and i'm phillip mena. if you're just waking up you missed one championship game after alabama rallied to get a win against georgia dramatically in overtime to claim their 5th national title in nine years. >> make out for it, fires to the end zone. touchdown! alabama wins! >> the crimson tide ending the game with that 41-yard touchdown after the field goal seen missed around the world. alabama could have won it here. the kicker could have won the game with a 36 yard field goal. snap, kick, wide left. i shanked it. not even close. he sent it into overtime. >> they simply could not be

denied their dynasty place in history. in georgia's own backyard no less. ushering coach nick saban into the record books. he is tied with bear bryant for the most championships for a coaching college football history. each coach nabbing six rings apiece. overnight new york city's empire state building lit up in bright crimson to celebrate the tide's win. before the game, however, it was the president everyone was talking about. the commander in chief took to the field to a mix of cheers and boos, stand ag long side members of the rotc singing the national anthem. he did leave during halftime, however, arriving in washington just as the game went into overtime. >> later this morning we could see some fireworks out of the white house on immigration and the president's border wall. when mr. trump hosts a bipartisan meeting on daca, what to do with those thousands of dreamers across the country and that much promised border wall. the meeting with legislators coming just one day after the trump white house terminated a protective status program shielding some 200,000

salvadorans from deportation. a move several of the democratic lawmakers attending today's white house meeting quickly derided on twitter shortly after it was announced for more on this we go to nbc's tracie potts in washington. tracie, good morning. is there a possibility both sides can come together today? >> reporter: we'll find out. democrats will focus on daca protections for immigrants brought to this country illegally when they were children and the timing here is critical because democrats' votes are needed to pass a budget in two weeks, two weeks from today. expect the president to talk about the wall. he wants to build that wall, and now we know based on the spending plan he submitted a week ago, he wants to spend $18 billion over the next decade to build a wall that will cover 900 miles. and according to "the new york times," is willing to sacrifice other types of border security. surveillance, radar technology, patrol boats, customs agents in

order to help pay for that wall. now, democrats, like nancy pelosi, already saying that the wall is a symbol of hate. and, again, the timing is critical here. the number two democrat in the senate dick durbin says they are willing to sacrifice a government shutdown as a result of not being able to come to some agreement on immigration. we'll see if they can come to any sort of agreement at that meeting today. phillip? >> we'll be watching. tracie, thank you. >> the months' long russia investigation could be in its final stages with special counsel robert mueller on the cusp of interviewing the man who may serve as his principal witness, president trump himself. sources exclusively tell nbc news that lawyers for the president have been talking to fbi investigators about a possible interview by the special counsel. the washington post adds that talks of an interview have triggered a discussion among the president's attorneys about how to avoid a sit-down encounter or set limits on such a session. the interview, while not yet

set, could come in a matter of weeks according to a source. but this morning the question is what will that interview look like? and will it be mueller himself questioning the president? nbc's kristen kewelker has more from the white house. >> reporter: nbc news has learned president trump could meet face to face with special counsel robert mueller within a matter of weeks as a part of the ongoing russia probe. the president's legal team and federal investigators met in december to discuss a range of options, according to three sources familiar with the matter, those options include whether the president would be interviewed directly by the special counselor his investigators, or provide written responses, the location, duration, and topics. legal experts say it's unlikely investigators would agree to anything other than an in-person interview. >> prosecutors want a live body in front of them for lots of reasons, including they want to be able to assess tone and inflection. they want to ask follow-up questions. they want to be able to prone. >> reporter: when asked over the weekend if he's still commit

today speaking with mueller in person, mr. trump deflected. >> just so you understand, just so you understand, there's been no collusion. >> reporter: but defense attorneys say there are a range of pitfalls to the president testifying in person, pointing former president bill clinton who seemed uncomfortable at times when he appeared before a grand jury in 1998 about the lewinsky scandal. >> it depends upon what the meaning of the word is is. >> reporter: president trump may be a unique legal challenge. >> he will go off script. he is very hard to control. and control is the key element when you have a client facing a potential investigation. >> reporter: meanwhile, the white house is blasting a report from axios that the president's private schedule has been dialed back significantly, cutting his time in the oval office in favor of time watching tv and tweeting. a spokesman calling questions about his schedule and work ethic ludicrous. a lawyer for the president says they are cooperating with

investigators and want the russia probe resolved quickly. among other key questions we'll be watching if the president is interviewed, will it be under oath. frances? >> kristen welker, thank you. >> from the current president to a possible presidential contender, yes she can, that is what was on the daily news splashed right there on the front page this morning, calling a potential donald trump/oprah winfrey presidential head to head, a, quote, made for tv showdown. it follows speculation that the talks show host turned actress and billionaire business woman could seek the white house in 2020. on sunday she delivered a golden globes speech that brought down the house and it also brought out everyone's favorite presidential parlor game, will she or won't she. even first daughter ivanka trump jump jumped on board to add her support. just saw oprah's empowering and inspiring speech. let's all come together women and men saying time's up. nbc's cynthia mcfadden reports. >> speaking your truth is the

most powerful tool we all have. >> reporter: at the golden globes, oprah winfrey did what she is perhaps uniquely qualified to do. captured this raw, complicated moment in history in a breath taking televised speech. >> so, i want all the girls watching here and now to know that a new day is on the horizon! >> reporter: she made the case for women standing up against abuse, suggesting a new and united way forward. >> and when that new day finally dawns, it will be because of a lot of magnificent women, many of whom are right here in this room tonight, and some pretty phenomenal men fighting hard to make sure that nobody ever has to say "me, too" again. >> reporter: rousing words, optimistic words, perhaps a candidate's words?

the #oprah2020 trending, some tweeting how oprah's words gave them hope for the future, a sense of inclusiveness, which they feel is sorely lacking from the white house. there have been polls done over the years that suggest she would be a formidable candidate if she wants. but does she want? in an interview on bloomberg last march, it came up. >> i never considered the question even a possibility. oh, gee, i don't have the experience, i don't know enough, i don't -- now i'm thinking, oh! >> reporter: after her speech her long-time partner stedman graham fueled the speculation, telling the l.a. times, it's up to the people. she would absolutely do it. no word today from oprah. cynthia mcfadden, nbc news, new york. >> this morning we have word from a person in the know that says oprah has no intention of running for president in 2020, but we're betting that denial has slim chances of quieting down the rumor mill. >> a massachusetts woman was hurt when a massive blaze ripped

through an apartment complex north of boston. neighbors say the fire started as black smoke and quickly grew to 4 alarms with flames erupting from the roof. high winds made it difficult for firefighters to battle the blaze. fire officials say all 28 residents were able to get out of the building. one woman was hurt and taken to the hospital. the red cross said it has a team on scene. >> icy road conditions led to a fiery crash in pittsburgh early monday. this car right here burst into flames on a highway sending massive plumes of smoke into the sky. officials say the blaze erupted after the driver slid on ice and crashed into a barrier. firefighters were able to extinguish the flames. one person was transported to a hospital by ambulance. that victim's condition is unknown. >> all right. let's get a check of some of the warm up that a lot of us are getting but also a storm in southern california that they're worried about. bill, good morning. >> it was only a month ago talking about all those fires. they have been extremely dry through the wet season which begins october 1st. los angeles almost 5 inches below normal. so, i mean, pretty incredible

stuff. normally they have almost 5 inches of rain. now they only have 12/100. this is an important storm to give them the moisture they haven't had. the problem is they don't want it all at the same time because of the burn scars. if we have too heavy of a rain event you could get a lot of flash flooding. we already saw over 3 inches of rain in san francisco yesterday. now these thunderstorms are going to be threatening los angeles here and the burn scars located right by the s here as we go throughout the morning hour. we'll wait and see. so far los angeles has just had showers. the heavier rain has missed them up to this point. as frances mentioned the big warm up has begun, d.c. today 45 and new york at 41, boston enjoy that 38. that's a look the big weather atfternoon in florida. they'll be hit and miss. it shouldn't ruin anyone's afternoon. we also just found out how many billion dollar weather

disasters we had last year. just wait. i'll give you the details coming up. it's a big number. >> i'd imagine. all right, bill, thank you. >> fast forwarding on tuesday, the 2018 consumer electronics show opens to the public in las vegas. more than 4,000 companies are displaying hundreds of thousands of products and gadgets featuring the latest in technology. nearly 200,000 people are expected to attend. >> today is national law enforcement appreciation day. it's a chance to say thank you to local law enforcement officers and first responders. >> prince harry and meghan markle will visit the south london neighborhood for their second official event as an engaged couple. the pair will visit a youth-led radio station there. we'll be right back here on "early today." the great emperor penguin migration. trekking a hundred miles inland to their breeding grounds. except for these two fellows. this time next year, we're gonna be sitting on an egg. i think we're getting close! make a u-turn... u-turn? recalculating... man, we are never gonna breed. just give it a second. you will arrive in 92 days. nah, nuh-uh. nope, nope, nope. you know who i'm gonna follow? my instincts.

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but nothing to worry about. this is a form of hydrogen bomber nation. it's when gators simply lower their body temperature and metabolism to survive. >> a brave person petting that gator. it could snap back. a spy satellite launched by spacex rocket may have been destroyed. according to "wall street journal," u.s. officials briefed on the matter said it never reached orbit. it is believed it may have burned up in the atmosphere after it failed to separate from the face exfalcon rocket that launched. spacex said we do not comment on missions of this nature. reviews of the data indicated falcon 9 performed nominally. the maker northrop grumman also declined to comment. >> police officers across the island are calling in sick. countless hours of unpaid overtime in the wake of

hurricane irma and may maery a. they are foesed to close because of absenteeism. half of the island without power, residents are worried the crime rate could get even worse. the governor said all absences will be investigated and if unjustified, the offending officers will be reprimanded. >> if all you're going to do is sit on your couch watching tv, "early today" doing nothing, you're a couch potato, you may want to make exercising a regular habit. a new study says exercise can reverse years of damage from laziness. it's never too late. researchers at the western medical center found after two years of exercising at least four times a week, middle aged couch potatoes had healthier hearts and arteries. they're also fitter as measured by oxygen up take. most saw these positive results who ran, walked or cycled. those who did yoga or weight training did not become fitter. >> that is interesting. >> you think getting yoga with the dog will help, too, and weights, not so much.

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tonight's grain alcohol edition of drunk donald trump. >> thank you, pat. oh, does he love the farmers.

does he love those farmers, right, pat? stand up, pat. do you love the farmers, pat? yes. >> the repetition is so much funnier when it's drunk donald trump. >> every single time. all right. lavar ball, you remember him, right? lavar ball, he has a big baller brand but he's getting a big fat f from the better business bureau. the nonprofit organization says ball's brand has a pattern of complaints customers waiting weeks or even months to have their orders fulfilled. the better business bureau also says customers have a difficult time reaching ball's company. according to espn, ball responded to that f grade via text saying, better business bureau is as outdated as the yellow pages. who cares about them? yeah. >> all right. >> you know, he reminds me a lot like trump. as far as discrediting the people who are hating on him. >> customers will be the ones to decide when they choose not to go back and buy his stuff. we'll see. >> true. >> justin timberlake just announced his new 2018 man of

the woods tour complete with extravagant v.i.p. speernexperi. it will kickoff in march and the promise to bring the outside in. hard core fans can purchase v.i.p. packages like the stage bar experience where concert goers can sit on a personal bar stool on center stage and have lots of souvenirs to take home. no word yet on the prices for the packages or general tickets which both go on sale later this movement i can imagine with j.t. they're going to be up there but a lot of fans out there won't even blink an eye, bat an eye. >> spoil alert, it's going to be a lot of money. >> still ahead, tech nerds around the globe wait all day for a preview of the world's biggest gadgets tech show. that's next. olay regenerist

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in today's quick hits, health officials in utah say about 2000 recent customers of a 7-eleven could be at risk of contracting hepatitis a. salt lake county officials say an employee who was ill with the virus recently worked at the west jordan location. >> sources close to mitt romney say he was successfully treated for prostate cancer last summer. the news comes as romney is widely expected to mount a run for senate from utah where republican orrin hatch is retiring. >> and nba legend julius irving says he is fully recovered after falling ill at a 76ers game in philadelphia on friday. he had to be hospitalized. last night dr. jay tweeted this photo with his wife and son. >> it is one of the most anticipated events of the year for techies everywhere.

the consumer electronics show kicks off in vegas today where next generation innovations will be introduced to the market place. this year's show is expected to draw 175,000 people and 2018 is already shaping up to be the year of the robot. nbc's business correspondent jo ling kent explains. >> reporter: the robots are coming. equipped with artificial intelligence and personality. >> say cheese. >> reporter: the renaissance hotel employs elvis and priscilla to check on guest wi-fi and deliver room service. >> oh, hello. all right. towels, bath products. everything you could need. thanks, priscilla. nice to meet you. >> i think it brings guests into the hotel for that wow factor, especially here in vegas. >> reporter: can you project on the ceiling? it could be a television and security guard rolled into one. projecting streaming content and monitoring your home. >> this is the yumly platform.

>> reporter: and in the kip tch. a new app. >> beautiful potatoes. >> reporter: it suggests recipes that are sent directly to a new smart whirlpool oven that preheats on its own and tells you exactly what to do. >> we want people to enjoy cooking again and feel like they can do it. >> reporter: the stuff of science fiction now rolling into reality. jo ling kent, nbc news las vegas. >> phones, tablets and robot. >> all done, future. here we are. all right. with the winter olympics one month away, one skater is already gliding into the history books. erin jackson is the first black woman to make a u.s. olympic long track speed skating team. she finished third in the women's 500 meters at the u.s. speed skating trials in milwaukee. on friday, but if that's not impressive enough, the 25-year-old has only been training on ice for four months. yeah, the florida native was an in line speed skater for 15

years before switching to ice. >> you can do anything. >> impressive. >> i'm frances rivera. >> i'm phillip mena.

right now at 4:30, we continue to be under a micro climate weather alert. a live look outside san francisco and fremont. the roads are going to be slick. they will be dong rouse. good morning, i'm scott mcgrew. marcus washington has the day off. >> i'm laura garcia. let's get straight to the forecast with kari. >> it's going to let up a little bit and hit or miss activity expected for today with that rain still possible at any point today. we are seeing a bulk of the heavy rain roll to the east. as we get closer looks at the radar, right now, we are seeing the rain holding on toil