>> join us for nbc bay area news at 11:00. it's hump day. good morning. winter mess -- nearly 60 million americans from florida to maine waking up to a dangerous commute this morning. as a nasty storm dumps snow, sleet and ice up and down the east coast. nearly 1,000 flights already canceled. accidents piling up on the roads. and al's got the very latest. playing ball? nbc news learns steve bannon will cooperate with the russia probe. after the special counsel subpoenas him. just what does bannon have to tell investigators? we're live in washington. double crossed -- a former c.i.a. officer arrested. suspected of giving highly classified information to the chinese government. his betrayal believed to have

led to at least ten deaths after years on the hunt, how authorities finally got their man. though stos railrories, pluo face, an emotional day as some of america's top gymnasts con front their accusers. >> little girls don't stay little forever. they grow into strong women who return to destroy your world. why some former insiders are calling facebook a living, breathing crime scene. and boom goes the meteorite. a surprise in michigan as a meteor lights up the night sky and cause as small earthquake. and leaves residents literally shaken. today, wednesday, january 17th. 2018. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with savannah guthrie and hoda kotb. live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. and good morning, everybody, welcome to "today" on a wednesday morning. so nice to have you with us.

and if you want to know what it looks like outside. we got a shot. here's the commute right now. northern new jersey. >> new jersey is getting pounded. the south is really getting pounded. weather is a huge story today. >> our top story. wicked with winter storm that's going to wallop states from the deep south to the upper midwest. now making a beeline for the east coast with millions in for it. a dangerous commute. we're going to check in with al in a moment and see if it's headed your direction. but first, nbc's kristen dahlgren is in new jersey with the latest. good morning. >> reporter: it's crazy. we're talking about wind chills down into florida this morning. here in hackettstown. take a look at this beautiful, light, fluffy snow. the roads are dangerous. even in areas where it's rain, it's coming down and freezing on the roads. for millions it's setting up to be a treacherous commute. this morning, winter weather pummelling a massive chunk of the united states. and creating a messy commute.

the bitter conditions reached into deep south tuesday. from a.l. to mississippi, to texas. where snow, sleet and freezing rain have blanketed grazing lands and created havoc for drivers. >> unless you just have to be on the road, help us all out by staying off the roads. >> in louisiana, nervous drivers slowed to a crawl as the ice caused fender-benders. >> we have to ice skate. >> and forced this this police to slide his way across the street. in kentucky, slippery roads caused major accidents. with traffic on this highway backed up for miles after this tractor-trailer lost control. the dangerous conditions extending north, into minnesota and wisconsin. with residents there now digging out. but the snow is still making roads slick in ohio. this car had to be pulled out of a frozen lake. while the great lakes are looking more like the arctic

with parts of lake erie in a mountain of ice. new england has seen rivers freeze, causing ice jams and flooding. >> we're looking at every option because we haven't dealt with this before. >> forcing the coast guard to use ships to break through the connecticut river. and while some are taking time to have fun -- others are hunkering down as the snow keeps coming. and we've got a convoy of plows going by right now. they're out here working hard. tens of thousands of people waking up without power this morning. more than 900 flights have been canceled. more than 5,000 delays. and as you guys know, that has a ripple effect that we could see for days. >> unfortunately, that is true. kristen, thank you. >> a lot of people want to know which way it's going, how long it's going to hang around. al, you've got the latest? >> we'll see this thing split into two different effects. it's almost 1400 miles from the panhandle of florida, where we've got snow and ice, all the

way up into new england. snow starting to make its way just into new york. we've got winter storm warnings for 57 million people. take a look down into the carolinas and virginia, six inches of snow, reduced visibility. northeast, especially interior sections, three to five inches of snow, making for slick roads. the system breaks into two chunks. we start off this morning, we're going to have snow and sleet from the gulf coast to maine starting in the southeast. that's where the heaviest snow is going to be. across the carolinas, ice and sleet across the florida panhandle. in the northeast, rain for long island and cape cod. but we'll start to see snow fill in in new york up to hartford, providence, back into albany, new york. as the system pulls away, it will continue for eastern maine. cold air behind it we look into the carolinas, snow will taper off in north carolina this evening. icy travel will continue with temperatures below freezing. look at this. there's more snow down in the southeast with six to eight inches of snow in the carolinas, we get up into the northeast,

the heaviest snow will be up into parts of down east maine. but it's still going to cause a lot of commuting problems this afternoon into this evening as well. >> all right, al, you'll give us the rest of your forecast in a bit. now to politics, and the battle over immigration reform. the president and congress have just three days to side-step a government shutdown. both sides are trying to use that looming deadline as political leverage. in the meantime, the president's former chief strategist, steve bannon, has found himself in the middle of the russia investigation. we've got it all covered and we start with nbc white house correspondent kristen welker. gomplt. >> reporter: good morning to you. and this morning, nbc news has learned exclusively that fbi agents visited the home of the president's former top adviser, steve bannon, last week. days before he would appear on capitol hill. and now it's expected he will cooperate with the special counsel. it's yet another sign investigators are zeroing in on the president's inner circle. those dramatic developments come with just three days until the

government is set to shut down. this morning, steve bannon back in the spotlight. after a marathon 11-hour meeting with house investigators looking into russian election meddling tuesday. now new details about the days leading up to the testimony. according to a source familiar with the matter, fbi agents showed up at bannon's home last week. hoping to serve him a subpoena. from the office of special counsel, robert mueller. bannon directed the fbi to contact his new attorney, according to two sources. teeing up what could be a face-to-face encounter between the former white house chief strategist and mueller's team. meanwhile, two sources familiar with tuesday's hearing on capitol hill tells nbc news bannon told the house intelligence committee the white house told him not to answer questions about his time working alongside the president. that prompting the committee to issue a subpoena of its own. demanding more information. >> this is the broadest effort

to effectively gag a witness that we have seen. >> press secretary sarah sanders on defense. >> no one is encouraged him to be anything but transparent. >> it all comes amid a fierce fight on capitol hill. with republicans scrambling to avoid a government shutdown. pushing for a short-term spending deal. that would fund the government for four weeks. while extending health care for low-income children for six years. but it would punt on the most divisive issue of daca. the program which protects d.r.e.a.m.ers, the nearly 800,000 undocumented immigrants brought to the u.s. illegally as children is set to expire this spring. overnight, republicans daring democrats to vote against it. >> it will be pretty obvious if the government does shut down, who is responsible. >> overnight the senate's top democrat sending this message to the president, after mr. trump reportedly expressed a preference for european immigrants over those from africa during an immigration meeting with lawmakers last thursday. >> if you want to begin the long

road back to prove you're not prejudiced or bigoted, support the bipartisan compromise that three democrats and three republicans have put forth before you. >> and it's that he said/she said over whether president trump called african nations s-hole countries that initially derailed budget talks. >> this has turned into a s-show. >> those sharp words during a capitol hill hearing with homeland security secretary kjierst nempb nielson who was pressed about details of that oval office meeting. >> what was that strong language? >> strong language, there was -- i apologies, i don't remember specific word. >> new jersey senator cory booker wasn't buying it. >> your silence and your amnesia is complicity. >> reporter: now as for the plan to keep the government open, it's being floated by house republicans and this morning, it's not clear they have enough votes to get the bill passed. for his part, president trump will be on capitol hill to pay tribute to former senator bob

dole later today. a chance to apply pressure to lawmakers who may be on the sidelines. savannah and hoda? >> we'll be watching it kristen, thank you. from president trump's agenda to his health. the highly anticipated and highly scrutinized results of president trump's first physical exam as commander-in-chief are in. and nbc national correspondent peter alexander has details on all this. good morning. >> reporter: hey, hoda, good morning to you. this was an extraordinary briefing here at this podium by the white house physician. dr. ronnie jackson detailing far more information about a presidential patient than he ever has before. the president, the doctor says, is in excellent health. this morning, president trump with a couple more items on his 2018 to-do list, diet, subtracting fat and a routine adding exercise. >> on a day-to-day basis, he doesn't have a dedicated, defined exercise program. we can build on that pretty easily. >> that's navy doctor, dr. ronnie jackson, a white house

physician who treated president obama as well. reporting president trump as 6'3", 239 pounds. >> i think a reasonable goal is to lose 10 to 15 pounds. >> reporter: but overall dr. jackson says the president is healthy. >> the president's overall health is excellent. >> reporter: so how is mr. trump in such good health, despite his fondness for fast food and his aversion to exercise? >> he has good genes. >> reporter: and with critics questioning the president's mental fitness, the doctor says he has no concerns about his cognitive abilities. adding that the president requested the test. receiving a perfect score on the montreal assessment. >> if he had some type of mental cognitive issue, that this test is sensitive enough it would pick up on it. he would not have gotten 30 out of 30 on the test. >> reporter: among the test questions, identify the animals and name the maximum number of words in one minute that begin with the letter "f." as for that episode where the

president appeared to slur his words last month? >> god bless the united states. >> reporter: no cause for concern and no dentures. >> i had given the president some medication, specifically some sudafed over the days previous and i think i had dried up his secretion as little bit more than i intended to. >> reporter: the president doesn't get much sleep. four to five hours a night but the doctor says that's okay. >> he has a lot, a lot of energy. a lot of energy and a lot of stamina. >> reporter: among his medications, ambien, only during trips overseas. propecia, for hair loss and crestor. bottom line. the president is fit for duty. >> he'll remain fit for duty for this term and for another term if he's elected. >> reporter: donald trump is the oldest president ever to enter the white house and the doctor says he remains in remarkably good shape probably because he's avoided smoking tobacco and drinking alcohol over the years. as for the diet and exercise, the doctor says on occasion he's

had to reach out to the first lady to make sure that the president is following doctor's orders. back to you. >> peter, thanks so much. to the stock market where for a short time on tuesday morning, the dow jones industrial average hit another milestone -- 26,000 points. but the rally faded as investors weighed earnings and economic data against growing concerns of a government shutdown. it was biggest one-day reversal for the index in two years. it comes less than two weeks after the dow hit a once-unthinkable 25,000 mark. a former c.i.a. officer is in jail this morning, and charged with illegally possessing classified information. but some officials are telling nbc news there's a lot more to this case. justice correspondent pete williams has the latest. pete, good morning, what can you tell us about who was charged and what this is all about? >> reporter: he's 53-year-old jerry chung shing lee, he was arrested monday night when he arrived on a flight from hong kong. and he's charged with possessing

two handwritten notebooks containing highly classified information, that the fbi says names of c.i.a. covert employees and other informants. some of the government's most closely guarded secrets. the books were found when the fbi searched hotel rooms that he used while traveling six years ago. but several federal officials say lee is suspected of giving the chinese information about c.i.a. sources and at least ten of them ended up getting killed by the chinese. savannah? >> pete this is hoda, they ended up finding those books six years ago. it seems like a long time ago. why did take so long for them to finally charge this guy? >> reporter: we're told it took all that time to build a case against lee during a long hunt for a suspected mole that began after the c.i.a. sources in china began to disappear. court documents say the fbi actually interviewed lee several times during the past four or five years. >> but, pete, the fbi thinks that he actually gave this classified information to the chinese, but he's not charged with that. >> reporter: no. they won't say why not.

but here's one possibility. in cases like this, that involve very sensitive secrets, the government often chooses not to present the full case in court. because that would require disclosing classified information. as for what happens next, lee appeared briefly in a new york courtroom tuesday, he'll be brought to federal court in virginia. just outside washington here to face these charges. >> i guess they could always add charges later if they wanted. pete, thank you very much. big developments in the story we've been following for several months. the announced tuesday the navy announced that two former commanding officers will face criminal charges in last year's deadly ship collisions. in august, ten sailors were killed after the "uss john s. mccain accumulation collided with a merchant ship near sing more. the commander sanchez faces several charges, including negligent homicide. two months earlier the "uss fitzgerald accumulation collided with a filipino container ship leaving seven sailors dead. the commander and three officers also face court-martial proceedings.

to california now and the horrific story we've been following. 13 children held captive in their home by their own parents. police now calling it torture. well this morning we have the first interview with the mother's family. nbc national correspondent miguel air lmaguer is in perris california with more. >> reporter: investigators say they're learning more every day about what happened inside this home. say one of the suspects, the mother in this case, when she was arrested, was taken aback as to why she was being taken into custody. as for the victims, they're being treated by doctors, their parents are in jail. and will be in court thursday. the alleged torture inside this home where 13 children were found, some shackled and chained to furniture, was carried out for years by their own parents, say authorities. it's unfathomable to even the suspects' own family.

>> we are as hurt and shocked and angry and disappointed as everybody else. >> louise turpin's brother and sister, distraught over allegations that their 13 nieces and nephews were living in squall or, physically and psychologically tortured. >> i always made comments to louise when i did talk to her about, gosh, they're so skinny, they're so -- she would laugh it off, well david is so tall and lanky, they're going to be like him. >> robin says her sister left home and was married at 16. to a man eight years her senior. >> they weren't allowed to date or they didn't have a social life. they weren't allowed to watch tv. they weren't allowed to talk on the phone. have friends over. stuff like that the normal things that kids do. >> today we have a symbol of love to exchange again. >> reporter: the couple renewed their vows often surrounded by their children.

but the reality was far from picture-perfect. authorities say it was their 17-year-old daughter who escaped through a window and made a desperate call to 911. police discovering that seven of their children were actually adults. the oldest, 29. all so mall nourished they looked like minors. nbc news now showing the faces of the adults. >> if you can imagine, being 17 years old and appearing to be a 10-year-old? being chained to a bed. being mall nourished and injuries associated with that? i would call that torture. >> reporter: seen here on surveillance video, the turpins were arrested for torture and child endangerment. innocent children, allegedly tormented by the very parents who were supposed to protect them. according to state records, david turpin ran a private school inside this home here. but state officials say they never came to the home and never inspected it.

because that's not part of their oversight. those suspects will be in court on thursday, savannah, back to you. >> there are a lot of questions that need to be answered there, miguel, thanks for your report. we switch gears and bring back mr. roker to check out our weather forecast. a quick look country. we see some more wet weather, windy weather moving into the pacific northwest. it will be turning milder in the midsection of the country, that's going to make its way east. we get to your local forecast coming up in the next 30 seconds. good wednesday morning.

i'm kari hall. it is a cloudy start as we get a live look outside in san jose. we've seen the patchy dense fog in parts of the bay area and also cooler temperatures in the tri-valley as well as the north bay. fairly mild in the south bay, 57 degrees as you head out the door. we've had very low advise avisin con cacord and tri-valley. and our continues make it into the mid-60s with some sunshine in the south bay and cloudy and cooler in the east bay. and that's your latest weather. guys? >> al, thank you. coming up, top gymnasts coming face to face with former team usa doctor who who they say abused them. how super model chrissy teigen is backing them up in a major way. and why nbc news in a major exclusive, you'll be seeing major changes to your facebook feed as the tech giant responds to allegations. there's only one place where you can get... ...more adventure,

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miralax is different. it works with the water in your body to hydrate and soften. unblocking your system naturally. miralax. later this morning .. u-c good morning. it is 7:26. later this morning, uc president napolitano will appear on the steps of the state capitol along with state attorney general becerra. they are expected to address recent reports about a massive sweep being organized by i.c.e. to arrest undocumented bay area workers over the coming week. the raid is being planned to send a mess achblg to saage to cities. napolitano is expected to advise immigrant students about how essential it is for them to renew their daca applications. let's check the forecast. >> and we're tracking some patchy dense fog for parts of the bay area, but then as we go into the afternoon, there will be some clearing in the south bay and where we have the warmest temperatures, that is where we will see the sunshine. 59 degrees in san francisco, 60

on in oakland. and upper 50s for napa. and by tomorrow, the rain will be moving in, starts out in the morning and continues to move to the south with some scattered showers throughout the afternoon and evening. and it lingers into friday. but by saturday, we will get drying conditions and another storm system moving in by sunday afternoon into monday. so we do have two more storm systems moving in over the next several days. let's head over to mike for an update on the commute. we have a pretty smooth drive. the fog was the biggest factor out of the at month pass. south bay, just the volume. but a crash affecting the hamilton on ramp just cleared. so we're tracking it with local pd and sheriff to see if we can get more detail. but the ramps are all open there. 680, 80, ftypical pattern there.

back to you. and i'll be back with another local update in half an hour.

welcome back, everybody. 7:30 on this wednesday morning. it is the 17th day of january, 2018. happy wednesday to you. >> happy wednesday, middle of the week, middle of the month. and a big winter storm coming. nasty. nearly 60 million americans waking up to a messy commute, as a massive winter storm dumps snow and ice and sleet all the way from florida to maine. >> it's so cold. cooperating. nbc news learned that steve bannon plans to talk to robert mueller and the russia probe, after the trump former strategist refused to answer

questions during a marathon session on capitol hill. >> who ask you to evoke executive privilege? >> no one has encouraged him to be anything but transparent. shocking death. tyler holinsky found dead in an apparent suicide. officials search for answers as to why the athlete took his life. helping hand. walmart unveils a new policy, offering free opioid disposal at its pharmacy locations. and sleeping on it. >> in the case of retained e.u. rights. >> reporte >> a brexit debate in the british house of commons lulls one member into a deep sleep. >> i remember doing that a time or two. it was an emotional day in court in the sentencing of former team usa gymnastics and michigan

state university doctor larry nassar. many of his victims stepping up to face the doctor they once trusted and whose actions brought them lasting pain and torment. craig melvin is here with us. >> it was shocking to see so many women get up to that podium, tear-filled eyes and talking about what happened to them. young women lining up to face their doctor in this high-profile case that is rocking the world of gymnastics. larry nassar sat with his head in his hands, eyes closed and shoulders visibly shaking. >> he is a predator. he cannot be stopped unless he is behind bars for the rest of his life. >> reporter: he faced his accusers one after another. kyle stephens was abused, starting at the age of 6. >> i had edngaged in my first sexual experience by kindergarten. >> reporter: larry nassar was a

family friend. >> you convinced my parents i was a liar. >> reporter: his fame made him untouchable. >> he hurt me. >> reporter: donna markum's daughter committed suicide after suffering from depression. >> every day i miss her and it all started with him. it all started with him. >> reporter: olivia cowen told the court she suffers from ptsd. >> i've cried more nights than that and i have experienced flashback trauma of the abuse. my deepest pain and fear was the thought of my two, young daughters ever being hurt like this. >> reporter: altogether, roughly 150 women accused nassar of sexual abuse, including olympic medal winners, aly raisman, gabby douglas and simone biles that went public monday.

the olympians have not scheduled appearances in court. but 98 women will be giving statements. some pointing the finger at former employers, usa gymnastics. as part of a settlement, maroni was unable to face nassar. she was facing a fine if she gave a victim impact statement. that news causing chrissy teigen to tweet. the entire principle of this should be fought. a nondisclosure agreement to stay quiet about this monster with 140 accusers. i would be honored to pay this fine for you. usa gymnastics said it will not secrek retribution if she speak out. usa gymnastics says it did reach out to the fbi after a complaint was made, while michigan state university says, any suggestion that the university covered up

nassar's horrific conduct is simply false. in court, nassars accusers looked their abuser in the eye. >> the little girls don't stay little forever. they grow into strong women that return to destroy your world. >> reporter: and this courtroom in michigan is giving all of them a chance to be heard. the hearing continues today. it is expected to last through friday. meanwhile, usa gymnastics says it encourages anyone who has been abused by nassar to speak out saying it remains focused on the safety,culture to support them. nassar will spend the rest of his life in prison because he was sentenced to 60 years. it should be noted he's pled guilty to molesting ten women. scores of others are accusing him of doing the same. >> those girls are so brave. >> they are. everything they withstood to go

in there and face an accuser, i hope he was listening. >> you made a good point, though. this idea, you look at many of the women who were abused, olympians, who managed to go on and shock the world, despite what happened. >> that's incredible. as if it's not hard enough to get on the olympic team. that makes my stomach turn. thank you. mr. roker, what you got? >> we got temperatures that have been a little on the chilly side. they're going to continue that way for one more day this morning. temperatures through the gulf coast, 10 to 15 degrees below normal. 20 to 30 degrees. as you get into the thursday hours, we're looking at colder temperatures in the florida panhandle. 46 million people under some windchill advisory, as temperatures drop windchills to

10 below. another frigid morning. feels like 6 below in chicago. pittsburgh, 13 below. 6 in new orleans and 5 in dallas. can you believe that? today, we have temperatures that go anywhere from 10 to 30 degrees below average, from tallahassee to houston, up to louisville. but warming weather is making its way in by tomorrow. by saturday, new york city 52. 70 in new orleans by sunday. 63 in oklahoma city. good morning. i'm kari hall. we have one more dry day in the forecast with temperatures reaching into the mid-60s in san jose. upper 60s for morgan hill, but only on mid-50s in antioch with all the low clouds and fog, that may not clear today. oakland expect a high of 60 on, also 60 in sand rchb safrnnta r.

tomorrow we'll see the rain moving in. >> get that weather anytime you need it. check out our pals at the weather channel. coming up, table for one. valerie bertinelli touches off a twitter debate, about the pros and cons of dining out alone. and dr. oz on the flu season and what you can do to fight it. and the scott probrothers a stopping by. facebook under fire, what silicone valley insiders want silicone valley insiders want you to know abo for you, it's always leap over look. silicone valley insiders want you to know abo now over later. and pause. not even in your vocabulary. so when a cold sore tingle strikes you act on it. only abreva can heal a cold sore in as little as two and a half days when used at the first sign. it starts to work immediately to block the virus and protect healthy cells. nothing heals a cold sore faster. and because abreva acts on it...

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jo ling kent has this for us this morning. >> reporter: facebook has 2 billion users every month. but this morning, three silicon valley insiders are leveling new charges against the powerful social network in an exclusive interview. >> what the russians did in 2016 was to use facebook the way it was designed to be used. but they used it for a really awful purpose. >> reporter: roger is an early facebook investor and former mentor to ceo mark szuckerberg. together, these silicon valley insiders are accusing facebook of damaging american democracy. >> facebook is a crime scene for what happened in the 2016 election. only they have full access to what happened. >> reporter: they're pointing to russia's 2016 misinformation campaign against american

voters, carried out, through targeted ads on facebook and beyond. worked for facebook in 2011 and 2012, is speaking on camera for the first time. >> there were a lot of people who were trying to take some kind of malicious activity using facebook's platform. >> reporter: he says he warned executives that the social network could be misused by foreign governments to target individuals. >> it makes me terrified that something i had a small part in helping to build is being used by people with bad intent against america. >> reporter: he e-mailed a warning directly to zuckerberg and chersheryl sandberg about activity on facebook in a detailed memo. >> they would treat it like a public relations problem, rather than a substantive issue for the business. >> reporter: another major concern, the addictive nature of

facebook, combined with massive data collection. >> it's way beyond their control because there's 2 billion people who are jacked into this experience. >> reporter: facebook tracks your name, age, whereabouts and personal preferences. >> i can know your word choices. and i can run ads mirroring back your own adjectives and language to perfectly resonate with your psychology. and those people would have no idea this is going on. >> reporter: the group says they're concerned. the company's tactics are not in the best interest of facebook users. >> what people don't see about facebook is that polarization is built into the business model. polarization is profitable. >> reporter: who is responsible here? >> i think zuckerberg needs to feel this on his shoulders. >> reporter: we asked facebook for a response to the specific charges from this group. they said in a statement, facebook is a vastly different company than when it was first founded. we are taking many steps to

improve people's experience on the platform. we destroyed the business model for false news and reduce its spread, stopped bad actors from meddling in elections and bringing a new level of transparency to advertising. these members are also calling for more oversight of facebook and other social media giants. what's the solution ? >> we need them to be incredibly transparent, much more so than they have been thus far. we need them to accept liability and accountability for the societal harm that's going on. >> why should this industry be free to do whatever it feels like when all the other industries in america are, in one way or another, responsible for the outcomes produced by what they do? why do these guys get a free pass? >> reporter: as we reported, facebook has admitted that russians bought ads on the platform to sway the 2016 election.

mark zuckerberg has made fixing facebook his personal challenge. facebook is also telling us today in a statement, we have more work to do and we're heads-down on getting it done. >> keep following. it's fascinating. carson is with us. he's in the orange room. what's shaking? >> it's a bird, it's a plane, it's a meteor. the surprising sight that had the surprising sight that had michigan residents in a jardiance is the only type 2 diabetes pill proven to both significantly reduce the chance of dying from a cardiovascular event in adults who have type 2 diabetes and heart disease... ...and lower your a1c. wow. jardiance can cause serious side effects including dehydration. this may cause you to feel dizzy, faint, or lightheaded, or weak upon standing. ketoacidosis is a serious side effect that may be fatal. symptoms include nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, tiredness, and trouble breathing. stop taking jardiance and call your doctor right away if you have symptoms of ketoacidosis or an allergic reaction.

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keeping you very busy in the o.r. >> a meteor, an astroid is getting pretty crazy. people in southeast michigan were left a bit shaken on tuesday after a big flash of light lit up the sky followed by some loud booms. residents flooded social media with questions about this bizarre event. mike shared his view of the flash while he was driving down

the highway. pretty crazy. this was the scene in allen park michigan. you can see that all of the flashes register on david's security camera and this one all at once. look at that. national weather service eventually clarified the bright light. with this tweet. the united states geological service meteor occurred causing a 2.0 earth quick. the meteor site tracked all. it was viewable in six states. nasa still tracking where the pieces landed. so far no damage has been reported. >> pretty spectacular. >> when a meteorologist falls out of bad, the same thing happens. >> thank you. coming up, looking for love. how to make the right first impression. our sear res continues. first a check of your local news. took aleve this morning.

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good wednesday morning. we still have low clouds and patchy dense fog especially for the east bay and our highs are heading into the upper 50s there with some mid-60s in the south bay. and san jose expect a high of 66. 63 in palo alto. san francisco will be up to 59. and by tomorrow starting in the morning, the rain will be moving into the north bay from north to south. south bay seeing the showers during the afternoon and off and on rain from thursday into friday, but this first system moving out will be giving us a clear and cool weekend, but then more rain returns on sunday especially during the evening with some heavy snow and gusty winds. we could see another round by next wednesday, so it will be very unsettled over the next few days. mike, what is happening on the roads? >> we see that the tow truck

there is loading up one vehicle involved in this crash west 80 at powell. you see the on ramp there. and east shore freeway is jamming up things through berkeley. and the fog over in concord still a big problem. highway 4 very slow. and of course chicago highway. rest of the bay moves well, but crash north of 87 by the airport, that will dog thiwill down. and happening now, campus police at stanford looking to reports students may have been drugged at a fraternity party last week. and when it comes to affordable housing, the bay area is getting low grades when it comes to one new study. on the twitter feed, results. and burger lovers are rejoicin rejoicing. shake shack chain is expanding into the bay area. on our facebook page, full details on some of the planned locations. another update in just half an hour. hope you have a great morning. slow start to the rainy season

á while you )re sleeping, the next storm system starts moving in. overnight: kari tracks the timing of the rain all day long. plus - changing your social security number. when you really need to. join us - from 4:30 to 7.

it's 8:00 on "today." coming up, wintery mess. snow, sleet and freezing rain p pummel major parts of the country. >> unless you just have to be on the road, help us all out by staying off the roads. >> hundreds of flights already canceled and more on the way. just how much snow can we expect? al's got the latest forecast. flu fighters with three times as many cases this year, is it even possible to stay flu free? dr. oz is here with what we need to know to protect our families. and spotlight on surrogates as kim and kanye welcome a baby

girl. how the couple is now inspiring others to consider surrogacy as an option. today, wednesday, january 17th, 2018. we've been in line since 4:30 this morning. >> to be on "the today show." >> even the rain can't stop me from celebrating my birthday on "the today show." >> we came to new york to see hoda and savannah. >> from the bay area to the plaza. >> hi to our friends. >> today is my 21st birthday. >> and good morning, everybody. welcome back to "today" on this wednesday morning. see all those folks out there? those are the true believers. those are the super fans. >> we are saying why don't they come inside. they're going to be coming in soon. kevin is going to escort them

in. they're going to get toasty warm and dry. we'll take good care of you. >> exactly. let's get to the top stories. by the way, the weather tops it. we'll start with this dangerous winter storm. tens of millions of americans dealing with the hazardous commute. >> the interesting thing is the folks down in the south are looking at more trouble, especially the southeastern atlantic states. 54 million people impacted. we're looking at up to 6 inches of snow in the carolinas and virginia. we're talking about reduced visibility. then in the northeast interior sections we'll see 3 to 5 inches of snow with slick roads. this system will kind of break into two systems. we're going to see snow from maine down to the carolinas. the heaviest snow will be down to the carolinas, coastal north carolina and parts of virginia. there you have it, the big areas of snow down from charlotte up into ruichmond. we've got heavier snow in parts

of eastern maine with about 4 to 6 inches. a quick mover and then we'll get some cold air but finally a warmup as we head to the weekend. nbc news has learned that president trump's former top adviser steve bannon has agreed to cooperate with the special counsel's russia probe. hallie jackson joins us for the la latest on bannon and the president's health. >> reporter: good morning. nbc news has learned fbi agents showed up to steve bannon's home last week intent to serving him a subpoena related to the office of special counsel investigation. bannon instead directed the fbi to his newly retained lawyer according to two sources teeing up what could be a face-to-face between the former white house chief strategist and muller's investigators possibly by the end of the month. i'm told by a source close to bannon he intends to answer all the questions and he will fully cooperate. that's a big headline.

there's another one coming out of the white house. that one relates to donald trump's health. the navy doctor who conducted that physical friday says the president is in excellent health although told reporters he could stand to lose a little weight, maybe 10 to 15 pounds. at 6'3", 239 pounds the president is considered clinically overweight but the doctor has no concerns about the president's cognitive abilities. he credits what he calls the president's incredibly good genes for his good health and he says while the president only sleeps maybe four to five hours a night, that's okay because he has a lot of energy. >> thank you so much. now to some new developments in the california murder case of blaze bernstein who is the ivy league college student who disappeared home on winter break. >> they've now arrested a former classmate of bernstein. he is expected to be formally charged today. natalie, good morning.

>> reporter: good morning. blaze bernstein's disappearance had attracted national attention. now bernstein's family is publicly expressing their grief. this morning there's a new twist in the murder of blaze bernstein, the university of pennsylvania premed student f n found stabbed to death in california's orange county. >> blaze shined light on all the lives and communities that he touched. >> reporter: in a newly released statements the parents say there is still much discovery to be done. if it is determined this is a hate crime, we will cry not only for our son but for people everywhere who live in fear of hate crimes. the body was found in a park in lake forest after a frantic week long search. officials say he had been stabbed more than 20 times. three days later sheriffs deputy

arrested 20-year-old samuel woodward. he and bernstein knew each other from high school. officials have not publicly stated a motive but according to a search warrant affidavit obtained by the orange county register there may have been sexual overtones to the crime. that affidavit is now sealed but according to "the register" woodward told investigators bernstein kissed him on the lips and he pushed him away. back in june bernstein texted friends a different story, that woodward was about to hit on me and he made me promise not to tell anyone. woodward told investigators he and bernstein met the nine of january 2nd, drove to the park where bernstein got out. woodward reportedly said he waited for an hour before leaving to meet a girlfriend. but the affidavit says woodward could not remember his girlfriend's last name or where she lived. the paper reported woodward was arrested after a sleeping bag

was found in his possession with bernstein's blood. >> we were able through the crime lab to confirm dna. >> now for the first time samuel woodward's mother michelle is speaking out. >> i would like it very much if everyone could respect our privacy and the privacy of the bernstein family. this is a time of great suffering and we would ask that you would respect that. >> reporter: woodward has not formally been charged and has not yet entered a plea. i'll be sitting down for an interview with blaze bernstein's par parents and we'll be showing that to you tomorrow. >> what a sad story. now we will shift gears. >> when we flip a light switch on or turn on the tv we assume the power will be there n. puerto rico it's been more than three months since hurricane maria knocked out electricity. watch what happened on one school when the lights finally

came on again. [ cheers and applause ] >> it's a facebook posting at a school? san juan. the kids by the way went 112 days without power. a lot of puerto rico still waiting for its turn. your help, your prayers and more are still needed. >> i like that. i love to see their joy but i like everyone remembering there's still so much more work. much more ahead including a another kardashian to keep up with. how the high profile pregnancy is putting surrogacy in the spotlight. >> around -- >> let's see what meghyn is working on. >> a young mom puts her baby up for adoption and her video message for him before he went

to his new family has captured a million hearts and tears. she is here and so is he. top of the hour. >> thanks. plus fighting the flu. dr. oz is here with important health tips in the middle of the rough season. first these messages. in the mid season, but first, these messages. around.♪ multi grain cheerios® five whole grains a hint of sweatness and a lot of good. ♪good goes around and around. ♪ ifwhat would it say?ash tag 80% glowing 50% freckles no matter your skin type, all skin deserves gentleness. that's why dove is sulfate free. the #1 body wash recommended by dermatologists.

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boot! great. smokey or natural eye? ugh, natural. good choice. how about calling or texting? definitely calling. puppies or kitties? sorry, cats. dry eyes or artificial tears? wait, that's a trick question. because they can both get in your way. that's why it is super-important to chat with your eye doctor if you're using artificial tears a lot and your eyes still feel dry. next question. guys, it's time for some eyelove! good morning wife. good morning husband. [ sultry music playing ] ana grey's office. i'll pick you up at 5. i might not be done by then. ♪ hold on you insist on defying me. [ deep gasp ] what should i do about that? [ chuckles ] learn to live with it. i bought it, for us. i am going to build you a fabulous house. i suggest you keep your hands to yourself. ana. you may call me mrs. grey. ♪ hold on rated r.

back, now, 8:13. and then, there were five. kim kardashian west and kanye have announced the birth of their third child. it's a baby girl. and sheinelle jones is on this story. >> reporter: kim says the little girl who was born with the help of a surrogate is doing fine. but the couple's high-profile pregnancy is raising questions about the surrogacy process. this morning, the world has one more kardashian to keep up with. kim kardashian-west and her husband, kanye, welcoming in a baby girl, weighing 7 pounds, 6 ounces. simil kim announcing the birth on her website. we are incredibly grateful that our dreams come true. >> we're having a baby. >> reporter: in june of last

year, kim and kanye hired a surrogate to help them expand their family. the decision after kim had life-threatening complications during both of her previous pregnancies, with north and saint. her struggles well-documented on "keeping up with the kardashians." >> doctors don't feel like it's safe for me to conceive myself. >> reporter: the couple's choice is shining a light on surrogacy as an option for those facing similar challenges. surrogacy can cost up to $100,000. the number of surrogacy cases has increased in recent years. from around 700 in 1999 to more than 3,400 in 2013, according to the cdc. experts advise those considering surrogacy to speak to doctors independently and to consult with lawyers who understand the process. >> know the laws in your state. in rare cases, sur grogates hav been known to not give the baby to the intended parents.

in rare cases, the intended parents have decided not to accept the baby. >> hey, kanye. >> reporter: as for kim and kanye, the birth of baby number three, seems to have gone according to plan. >> what did you name your princess? >> reporter: new dad, kanye, flashing a smile, just one day after the famous family of four suddenly became five. no word on north and saint's little sister's name. we haven't seen a picture yet, either. everybody is wondering. you have saint, north, what's the third one? >> angel or something. >> west. >> west west. >> north by northwest. >> we'll learn in time. >> only kim and kanye know. >> exactly. you're going to stick around for "trending." craig melvin is around for "trendin "trending," too.

#thoughtswhenscrolling. >> something to love, valley bertinelli's tweets. she sparked an interesting discussion. i'm doing something right now that i haven't done. and i like it. she continued, i'm eating in a restaurant alone by myself and it's quite a lovely experience. now, chrissy teigen chimed in. drink when we say chrissy teigen. best feeling ever. i do it all the time. my next big wish is to go to the movies alone. dining solo. i like it. i don't think there's a stigma anymore. >> it is one of my most favorite things. >> most favorite? >> my wife is watching and she's nodding her head in agreement. i say to her, sitting in a bar, watching a game, glass of wine, i love my children. love her. not having the sound of my children and my son not grabbing food off my plate, it's peaceful. >> the movie alone is the

easiest. who cares? you're in a dark theater. i go to the movies by myself. i don't mind that. >> i've done it once. and i thought, i could do this again. >> you think about watching the movie is not really social. you're staring at the screen. once you get in there. i was like, can i have some twizzlers. and popcorn. >> i don't like to go into the restaurant without a phone or something. >> that's good. >> naked. >> that's good, though. >> have you ever seen anybody vacation alone? go on a trip. >> have you done that? >> i have a girlfriend who did it. i thought it was awesome. she went to russia. >> by herself? >> yes. really cool, i thought. at this point with kids, i want to go to the bathroom alone. sometimes vale follows me alone. and i say, i need privacy. >> okay, privacy. >> we surveyed our viewers. this is what they had to say. 61% said they don't like dining

alone. 39% say they're fine with it. "pop start" we never do alone. >> we're going to start with maroon 5. it appeared on spotify's top hit play list. we have a look at the video. the video was shot using an iphone and snapchat. take a look. ♪ ♪ begging you wait, can you turn around ♪ ♪ can you turn around just wait ♪ ♪ can we work this out >> the video cost $1.29. you can see adam's wife and the dog, too. speaking of music, e renriq iglesias and anna kournikova released picture of their baby. someone who did not have a baby was anna kendrick.

it's her photo announcing enrique and anna kournikova's baby. she wrote a post, dear yahoo! how do i get this timeline where i have slept and had a baby with enrique iglesias. brian wilson went back to high school to get a grade changed. his music teacher gave him an "f" on his original song competition. let me play the song. ♪ we're going surfing >> that's the song he submitted. it would go on to be the beach boys' first single, which catapulted their fame. the teacher said the competition earned him an "f" but also a million dollar. >> there you go. >> here's brian, proudly holding up his new grade.

it's an "a." he did it. that's your "pop start." >> perseverance. this one is making the rounds today, in "the daly click." senator orrin hatch caught attention for this move right here. you see that, hoda? that's the senator reaching to take off his glasses but he's not wearing glasses. instincts just took over. he went for it. now, there's nothing there. i mean, social media users were quick to help him out. some found some glasses for him to take off. various styles, too. a good look in there, senator. his team had a little fun with it, too. they put up a funny tweet. this is a mock ad. oh, the invisible glasses. they're new. you probably never heard of them. >> the senator is retiring. >> there you go. >> we've been there. >> i can't find my phone.

been there. al, what's going on? >> the forecast where chrissy teigen is good morning, i'm meteorologist kari hall. right now we've got some low clouds over san jose and some patchy dense fog across parts of east bay. we'll slowly get some clearing in the south bay. i don't think we'll get much clearing in antioch and concord today. that's why temperatures are much cooler. we'll be up to 66 degrees in san jose, 67 in morgan hill. in san francisco, expect a high of 59 degrees. the rain will be arriving tomorrow, starting out in the morning and reaching the south bay during the afternoon. >> that's your latest weather. savannah? >> al, thank you so much. it is shaping up to be a bad flu season. there's widespread outbreaks in 49 states. three-times as many cases as last year. nationwide, the cdc reports 20 pediatric deaths from the flu

this season. what can we do to protect ourselves and dr. oz is here. >> if you need the names, the h3n2, is a virulent virus. the vaccine doesn't work as well against it. all that is said and done, the best chance is to get the vaccine. >> get the vaccine. it's better than nothing, i guess is the theory? >> there's other strains that are still out there. this vaccine may not prevent the virulent strain. >> i'm going to nudge you over here. our next thing is don't touch. >> most important tip. don't touch means a bunch of things. don't touch your face. most of us in the course of this interview, will touch your face. there's times we touch our eyes. when you touch things, something

like this that's inadamant, not skin, the particles can live on them for hours. the seat rest, the tray table. the cell phone. >> she sneezes on it. >> take a wipe and clean them out. or you can use these anti-bacterial and hygienic sprays instead of washing your hands. if you're going to get something on your fingers, don't put it at your face. >> if you wash your hands, wash for 20 seconds, right? >> it's hard for folks to do. i think the anti-bacterial ointments are more beneficial. >> clean up. >> if you're not going to use the hand sanitizer, clean up the environment you're in. you should be taking these to any public spot you're in. if someone is not doing well, you can't quarantine them. don't exchange the body fluids with them. clean the things you're touching in the kitchen. it's not touching hand-to-hand that gets you. they touch something that you

later on touch. >> bathroom sink. and the key pord board on your computer. >> you can't run away from a sneeze. that leaves the nose, do a vampire move. >> antiviral medicines. you recommend them? >> yes. the antivirals are effective. you have to take them the day you get sick. these viruses hit you fast. unlike the cold and the flu. if you want to avoid it, you can try the antiviral. but you have to get attention early on. unless you're at high risk for complication, just ride it out. it's easier to do. >> and finally, sleep. you need sleep it off? or sleep protects us from getting it? >> both. we've been in a situation where someone gets sick and half of the people who know them get sick, too. what's the difference? the virus that is planted in our bodies is important. and the immune system is powerful. the most beneficial thing you can do is get enough sleep.

you make a mistake and touch your eye because we told you not to, you did, it will be i )m ... l. in a little more than one hour .. u-c president janet napolitano good morning, i'm marcus washington. in a little more than an hour, janet napolitano will appear on the steps of the state capitol along with attorney general javier becerra, about reports of i.c.e. agents arresting undocumented workers. today napolitano is expected to advise immigrant students how essential it is for them to renew their daca applications. mike is tracking a crash on the east shore. >> we have a tow truck cleared, that's better news. traffic flows great in this particular window.

look at the map, we still have a slower drive, slowing down towards richmond, slow again at the berkeley curve. you still have traffic there, as well as oakland, might complicate or district you. so will the fog toward concord and livermore, discovery bay and brentwood is toughest hit right now. easing up for 85, 280, past coleman. >> thanks, mike. i'll have another local news update in half an hour.

♪ welcome back, 8:30 on this wednesday morning, january 17th, 2018. you may think the plaza looks desserted. don't you worry. we brought the plaza inside. [ applause ] >> hi, guys. >> such a great crowd. >> we kept looking outside. you had sweet smiles on your faces. but you looked cold. >> you were here at what time? >> 4:30 this morning. >> we saw you. we loved your scarf.

>> anyone having a 49th anniversary today? >> that's us. >> and look at this trouble right here. girls' trip. >> girls trip? >> yes. >> awesome. >> where are you from? >> bakersfield, california. >> and here, we have another savannah, 21st birthday. happy birthday. >> this is so fun. >> this is a crowd moment. >> a crowd moment. >> more pleasant weather-wise. coming up, when love is a swipe away. first impressions matter. what are people looking for in your online dating profile or in person. this is our series about first impressions. we're going to get into it. new year ahead means new travel opportunities. how to get the best deal on everything from your flight to the hotel. that's before you book. what do you think of that? >> we're in. you know who is here. the scott brothers are back. they're hanging out and they have a major announcement about a new project that's going to help two deserving families.

may we switch gears to staying up late to watch savannah and hoda on "the tonight show." what cute anecdotes do you have prepared? >> i don't know. the girls tell all about carson. >> go to sleep early. guess who else is here. miss megyn in the house. >> ricky martin is here to talk about the gianni versace new crime series coming out. they did "people versus o.j. simpson." now, he has this offering. ricky will walk us through one of the most shocking murders in american history in 1997. he has a major role in it. i had to mention this because of the babe. but this, you know about adoption, how emotional it can be, especially for the adoptive mom. and this young mother who got pregnant, decided to give her baby up, gave a video message for her child before she turned him over. she, the baby and the adoptive family are here to talk about

open adoption and its many blessings. >> one of the most generous things a mom can do is give someone that gift. >> that's beautiful. al roker? is it time for the forecast? >> i guess it is. i'll walk over. told me i was sitting before. now, we're walking. and we're walking and we're stopping. and we're looking at the wet weather making its way into the pacific northwest. this is just the beginning of it, though. we're watching a lot of wet weather as another storm comes in offshore. a stormy pattern. we're worried about the heavy rain reaching down into southern california where we had the mudslides and such. but the heaviest stuff is going to stay in the pacific good morning, i'm meteorologist kari hall. we'll be watching out for that rain tomorrow. meantime we're still seeing low clouds and fog, mist and drizzle

in spots. temperatures today will be heading into the mid-50s in antioch and concord. san jose will be up to 66 degrees thanks to some clearing and a little bit of sunshine, and 59 today in san francisco. by tomorrow morning, we'll start to see the rain moving into the north bay, and making it into the south bay during the afternoon hours. scattered showers will continue throughout the day as well on friday. >> get that full forecast anytime you need it with our friends at the weather channel on cable. don't forget, it is now our "start today deal of the day." jill martin is digging up bargains on things you need to achieve your new year's resolutions. what's on tap today? >> that's right. it is time for the "deal of the day." today, we have soul skrucrub. you get three body scrubs, three different scents. you can keep them all, you can gift two. this is really great because you can take it to travel. you can take it to the gym.

they're resealable pouches. they're so versatile. the retail, $63. $31.50. that's 50% off. and i'll be here all month with more "deals of the day." for more information, go to today.com. our series, "first impressions." we told you about the science behind our interactions and how important they are in the workplace. >> what about in your love life? we thought nbc's craig melvin would be good at that. what did you find out? >> good morning, guys. there's a lot of firsts that happen when you meet the love of your life. first date, first kiss, first time meeting the parents. but it's the very first first that makes all the others possible. a night out. eyes meet across a room. that chance encounter could help write your life story. wait a minute, these days many of those who are looking for love are looking online. using dating apps. so, we sat down with users of

one of the leading apps, tinder, to see how they form first impressions. you get a vibe based on a picture. >> a picture and a bio. >> reporter: that doesn't strike you at all as odd? >> no. >> reporter: when you're on the app, how do you decide if this is a woman that i might be interested in spending more time with? >> it's about attraction. that's what dating people don't want to say. that initial attraction to somebody. >> reporter: does it strike you at all as shallow? >> no. if you meet somebody at a bar, the only reason you talk to them is because they look good. >> reporter: in this brave, new, online dating world, users decide if they're interested by a swipe of the finger. on tinder and other dating apps, there seems to be two first impressions. the one you make when you see someone's profile and the one you make when you meet in person. what first impression do you give off? >> i've been told my profile is

terrible. >> reporter: tinder has their own sociologist, mapping out the science behind our modern mating rituals. >> more men and women are likely to swipe on somebody if they're smiling. if you mile, you're 14% more likely to be swiped right on. >> just fake it. >> fake it until you make it. >> reporter: what about love at first sight? >> i think that we have all these myths regarding romantic love, such as love exists at fist sight. these are myths. we have a thought of who they are. but we have expectations that haven't been met in compatibility. >> reporter: that brings us back out for a speed dating event at the watering hole in new york city. we talked to people trying to meet their true love in three minutes or less. can you form reliable first impressions in settings like this? if you just have three minutes?

>> i'm not going to say you can't. i think you can. >> reporter: just like that? >> sometimes it's all you need. >> reporter: doing a story on first impressions. how do you form them? >> some people just say the worst things right from the get-go. i feel like these days you get a lot of men who feel like they have to mansplain everything to you. >> reporter: how important are first impressions? >> like the preface of a book, it tells you what you're going to expect. what you get from them. >> rotate, everybody. >> reporter: the bell rings, and the men move from table-t table-to-table. bypassing that hurdle of working up the courage to approach a woman. how old are you? >> 25. >> reporter: 25? this is how you meet women? this is cheating. >> it's not cheating. it's fun. >> reporter: when i was 25, you would go to the bar and you would do what these people are doing and you would have to face the possibility of rejection. >> yeah. >> reporter: you have eliminated that.

>> yeah. >> reporter: in this rapid-fire setting for romance, rejection is real. and so is acceptance, all rooted in that first impression. can you look at someone without them saying a word and you can say, oh. he's crazy? >> yes. absolutely. i can definitely look at someone and after a couple of words get a sense of, is this guy a creeper or not? >> reporter: have you met a guy that you were like, i might go out for a coffee with him. >> this is a great group of people here. and there have been a couple of guys here -- >> reporter: which ones? >> i can't tell you that. >> reporter: why? >> i can't tell you that. >> yeah, craig. >> she did not tell me that. i don't care how many apps or gadgets you have, dating is never easy. in our unscientific survey on today.com, more than half respondants say they look for a

sense of humor. >> i believe that. >> comedy can normalize the awkward environments that you're trying to meet somebody. >> and they get better looking as they go. after a couple of months, he gets cuter and cuter. >> you can't assess that on the app. >> it's just like if you meet at a bar and you're going on how someone looks. on tinder, it's just the picture. >> if you want to take our survey, go to today.com. >> that was fun. >> you look like you have something to say. >> i'm scared of al at this moment. >> i need this job. something that will make your next vacation even sweeter if it's cheaper. from flights to hotels, the best deals for traveling without spending too much. first, this is "today" on nbc.

if you're planning a big vacation this year, there's lots of websites promising big deals. how do you know if you're getting the biggest bang for your buck. our friend mark fris here this morning. we go on one of the sites thinking we're getting the best deal. is that the right place to go? >> they're called otas, online travel agents. like in the '90s, you go to the back of the paper and look for deals. if you want a really good deal, you want to do more than that. >> like what? what should you do? what's the best way to find the cheapest flight, do you think? >> if we're talking about flights, people say there's a magic time to book a flight. >> i heard this. book your flight on tuesday because people don't travel in the middle of the week and you get cheap flights. >> this is -- i've never told you that because that -- >> i heard it in a segment.

>> it's an urban myth. the best time to book a flight is anytime if you plan ahead. >> how far ahead? >> it's all about planning your social media strategy. i would encourage people, for example, airlines like jetblue and frontier push out deals through twitter. they will give you great deals if you plan ahead. you'll see those. it's a little about planning. >> let's talk hotels. you like to go old-school, honey. you like the call the hotel and say give me a deal. is that how to do it? >> you can use a cell phone. call the hotel when it's not busy. not check-in or check-out time. and ask the duty manager and say i would like to find the best available rate. that's industry speak for what the computer says is the cheapest rate of that room. >> do you need the manager? >> i would ask for the manager. ask very nicely, politely. you want to just double-check that booking directly, you might

get better value. >> do you ask for freebies? >> always. you say, can i get free parking? offer you free internet. you might pay a little bit more but the value is better. >> let's talk about people who are more last-minute. if you're a last-minute booker are there special apps? what's the best way to get in on that? >> everyone loves a last-minute getaway. there's a great app called hotel tonight, which is really sexy. it specializes in boutique properties you can book up to 100 days ahead. there's a new platform called roomer. r-o-o-m-e-r. if someone has booked a hotel room, they find they can't use it, it's too late to cancel without a penalty, they sell it on to you. >> interesting. and what if you're planning a big european trip, 2018. you're getting ready to plan that. >> there's no better time. i'm biased. there's some terrific newer

airlines that offer great prices, really good value. airlines like xl, norwegian, a new airline is launching later this year that will get you across the atlantic way cheaper than you might assume. >> these are good things. here's to planning our next vacation. coming up, the scott brothers are back. they have a big announcement. and how you can build properties alongside them. first, this is "today" on nbc. this guy is in a hurry. uh, i was in a hurry this morning. barely had time for breakfast. music sting: crave van! hey guys. try my country scrambler plate, with jimmy dean sausage, homestyle potatoes and scrambled eggs mixed with bacon, ham and cheese. part of my brunchfast menu.

woman: so, greg, it's a lot to take in. woman 2: and i know that's hard to hear, but the doctors caught it early. hi, blake! my dad has cancer. woman: and i know how hard that is to hear. but you're in the right place. man: and dr. pascal and her team, they know what to do. they know what to do. the doctors know what to do. so here's the plan. first off, we're going to give you all... (voice fading away)

th...more adventure,ce where you can get... first off, we're going to give you all... and more memories. stay at a disneyland resort hotel, and you can save up to 25% on select rooms. so now's the time to get more happy! come try my country scrambler plate. with juicy jimmy dean sausage, crispy homestyle potatoes and fluffy scrambled eggs mixed with bacon, ham, and cheese. here you go. oh, cameras. hi mom! part of the brunchfast menu. we're back. 8:48. jonathan and drew scott are here. you recognize them as frequent guests. they're hosts of hgtv's show "property brothers." and habitat humfor humanity has named the scott brotherses a the humanitarians.

they're going to build homes for two lucky ladies. they're here. jonathan and drew, congratulations. this is important work. putting your skills to great use. >> we worked with habitat for so long. we're humbled they enabled us with being habitat humanitarians. if you have a chance to go to a build, you'll love it. >> before our shows, we were working with habitat. i love the fact that it's an organization that it's an organization that helps people. >> ashley and amanda, you're going to be part of this. what does it mean to you to be building a house with these guys? >> what it means to me is my children will have a place to call home. and i won't have to worry about prices going up and down. >> and she's going to make it look pretty. these houses will look great in the end. >> you don't know which brother is going to help you rig, right? >> one of us is doing each of

their builds. we can announce it. >> amanda, you're with me. >> ashley, you're with me. >> come over here. >> we have some demos. this is a starting point. we have some ideas, a workplace that will be great for the kids. >> every time we come here, you put us to work. >> that's the gal i am. >> simple things around the house, we thought we would show you a few things. >> you want to make home as functional as possible. a lot of people working at home. having an extra work space is key, you have to elevate all of the stuff off of the countcount. we're going to install a shelf. have you ever installed a shelf? >> no. >> we're screwed. >> these floating shelves are everywhere. look to have a stud that you're atta attaching. >> not jonathan. but a stud in the wall. >> use a toggle that grabs the

drywall. if you can play that game where you put the pegs in the hole, you can install one of these. throw in the two screws and you secured the shelf. line up one side or the other side. >> you can put the kids' books or the photo frames. >> getting everything off of the surfaces and decorate it however you want. another thing, i'm sorry -- the other thing that drew was going to do, install a picture of yourself on somebody's wall. >> drew and amanda, you're going to make it not just a house but a home. >> you have a gallery wall of over here. if your staging a home to sell, depersonalize. but if you're staying there, incorporate your family photos, like your uncle jonathan and drew. you can mix and match the frames. you don't have to match the

colors. use some color. and trace the frames, as well. and you can put tape on the back of the construction paper. >> is there a trick about spacing? you want it to look like it's meant to be. >> you don't want to have it so cluttered that it's distracting on the wall. you want to have a little bit of space. just get them up there. get the photos up there. i want you guys to try and hang some photos here. >> that's a cute pic. you know these guys. >> give it a shot. >> get down in there. >> and this is exciting, too. if anybody wants to come and work with us on a habitat build, we're having a contest. people go to habitat.org/scottbrothers, you can enter right now, starting on the 19th. and we're going to have two people come to nashville and work with us. >> you're going to enter for a drawing. >> go to

habitat.org/scottbrothers. two of our fans will fly to nashville. you hang out with us at the build. you will help amanda and ashley build their home. >> and drew will give you a foot massage. >> i'm entering today. congratulations amanda and ashley. you do awesome work. we're back in a moment. this is "today" on nbc.

we have a big fourth hour coming up. >> how big? >> we have ricky martin. remember, we're reminiscing of him on the plaza. >> that concert was crazy. >> we have nick and vanessa lachey. they're going to talk about their kids and their life. and we're going to do celebrity looks for less. >> and ces gablg dgets, right? al is going to join me, too. >> with the gadgets?

>> it's i )m - -... no confirmation yet from good morning. it's 8:56. i'm marcus washington. no confirmation yet from stanford's campus police on reports that at least seven people were drugged friday night. two newspapers including "the stanford daily" say it happened at a fraternity house. apparently the members of the fraternity and a sorority had ingested some type of date drug. we reached out to stanford police. they directed us to the school's media relations department.

happening now, our chrkris sanchez is there trying to get answers. she's hoping to have some answers for our next newscast. stay tuned on our twitter feed. janet napolitano and javier becerra will address growing concerns about a possible roundup being organized by i.c.e. agents. some believe it could happen in a matter of weeks. napolitano wants to advise so-called dreamers to be up to date on their status. the area is getting low grades at least when it comes to one study. links to the results and how the conclusions were reached are on our twitter feed. >> we'll have more news in an hour. slow start to the rainy season

á while you )re sleeping, the next storm system starts moving in. overnight: kari tracks the timing of the rain all day long. plus - changing your social security number. when you really need to. join us - from 4:30 to 7.

. [ applause ] good morning, everyone. welcome, everybody. i'm megyn kelly. great to see you this morning. we begin today with a true triple threat. the one, the only, ricky martin is here. we know him as the grammy award-winning musician and entertainer. but he is taking a dramatic turn in the new series "the assassination of gianni versace." american crime story did "people versus o.j. simpson." now, graem grammy and controversy. before we get to that, let's look at the murder of an icon.