that's what's happening "today in the bay," back at 7:25 about a local news k >> join us for nbc bay area news at 11:00. we will have your news and weather and much more coming up. good morning. fake news, folks. fake news. >> what impact could it have on the ongoing russia investigation? resign or else. the u.s. olympic committee demands the entire board of usa gymnastics disbanned within six days in the wake of that egregious sex abuse scandal. what happens if board members refuse?

deadly tragedy. fast-moving fire engulfings a south korean hospital two weeks ahead of the winter olympics. 47 people killed, more than 100 injured. an investigation under way. all that, plus sick day. the flu epidemic, forcing entire school districts to close. >> we made the best decision that we could. oscars no-show, the scandal that has embattled casey affleck dropping out of this year's ceremony. and seeing triple? a photo shop fail gives reese witherspoon three legs and oprah winfrey an extra hand. their picture perfect response today, friday, jain ar 26th, 2018. this is "today" with savannah guthrie and hoda kotb live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> i don't know who did the photo shopping of that image but let's give them a hand, shall

we? >> i mean oprah has had so many pictures taken of her and reese, they'll frame that one. >> the arrows tell the story. >> we'll have more on that a little bit. that potentially explosive development connected to the russia investigation. >> nbc news is confirming a report that the president asked a white house lawyer to fire special counsel robert mueller. this happened last summer. then the president backed off the demand. this morning, the president is weighing in on all of it from overseas. nbc's chief white house correspondent hallie jackson is traveling with the president in davos, switzerland. good morning. >> reporter: hi, savannah. good morning to you. here in davos, the president wrapped up a speech to the s summ summit, talking trade and the economy. but also facing new questions about whether he tried to have the special counsel fired. now the president himself in davos is pushing back. >> fake news, folks.

fake news. >> reporter: this morning, the president downplaying new details about a stunning showdown inside the west wing. a source close to the white house telling nbc news donald trump ordered the administration's lawyer to fire special counsel robert mueller in june. nbc news has learned that lawyer, don mcgann, refused and even threatened to quit rather than ask the justice department to dismiss mueller. the president ultimately backing down and, just months later, denying he ever considered getting rid of mueller in the first place. >> i haven't given it any thought. i've been reading about it from you people, saying i'm going to dismiss him. i'm not dismissing anybody. >> reporter: overnight, word of the near firing first reported by "the new york times" had democrats livid. >> these reports are absolutely stunning, deeply frightening because they show, again, that the president will stop at nothing to protect himself from this obstruction of justice investigation. >> reporter: a white house

lawyer tells nbc, we decline to comment out of respect for the office of the special counsel and its process. president trump unable to escape the shadow of the russia investigation, even an ocean away, making his davos debut in switzerland where, this morning, being the first to address the group in nearly 20 years. >> only insisting on fair and reciprocal trade can we create a system that works not just for the u.s., but for all nations. >> for the president, a packed house, though many in the audience booed and hissed when donald trump slammed fake news. he's now heading back to washington lifting off from davos but not before apologizing for retweeting inflammatory anti

muslim videos from a far right muslim group. >> can i get an apology out of you. >> here is what's fair. >> if you're telling me these are horrible racist people, i'd certainly apologize if you'd like me to do that. i know nothing about that >> reporter: that controversial retweet earned him a repair rebuke from theresa may at the time. now in davos, alongside her, the president insisting the allies' special relationship is not on the rocks. >> that was a little bit of a false rumor out there. >> reporter: the president will be back in washington tonight, clearly with a lot on his plate, also working on the state of the union speech coming up quick tuesday at the capital. >> let's go back to the president wanting to fire mueller, put that in context for us. how big of a deal is this? does it change the investigat n investigation. >> reporter: remember where this is going. the president said if the

president did try to fire the special counsel, that would be crossing the line. even some republicans saying the president couldn't possibly be thinking of it because of how controversial this would be, that he was even considering dismissing robert mueller. yes, this is potentially significant. remember where we are at this moment. robert mueller still on the job. the president did not fire him or have don mcgann, the white house lawyer fire him. don mcgann is still on the job, too, guys, at least for now. >> hallie jackson, thank you. here at home, the white house is defending the president's immigration proposal. it inexpectly includes a path to citizenship for nearly 2 million so-called dreamers as well as a $25 billion trust fund for the border wall. nbc white house correspondent kristen welker with more on that. good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you. while the president engages in diplomacy in davos, of fivls are starting the hard sell on his immigration proposal.

one senior official calls the plan a dramatic concession to democrats. while some lawmakers on capitol hill are praising the proposal, many democrats and hard line republicans say they're fiercely oppos opposed. this morning, a new chapter in the fight over immigration. nbc news has learned from senior white house officials president trump is sending a plan to capitol hill that would provide a pathway to citizenship for 1.8 million dreamers. those are the young, undocumented immigrants brought to the u.s. illegally as children. the president also wants roughly $25 billion for a border wall and another $5 billion for additional border security. the plan calls for an end to the visa lottery system and a limit on family-based migration so immigrants could only sponsor spouses and children for citizenship, not parents or siblings. the president defending his immigration plan to cnbc in davos. >> i would consider that a great achievement to solve the daca problem. it's been out there a long time.

these are good people, people that should be able to stay in this country. >> reporter: on capitol hill, senate majority leader mitch mcconnell sounded a note of optimism writing, he hopes lawmakers will look to this framework for guidance as they work toward agreement. most democrats blasted the proposal. top senator dick durbin said dreamers should not be held hostage to president's crusade to tear families apart. the caucus calling zenophobic, isolationist and unamerican. and even some of his base lashing out saying giving dreamers citizenship is amnesty. breitbart news calling it don's amnesty bonanza, accusing him of reversing his campaign pledge to get tough on immigration. >> they're bringing drugs. they're bringing crime. they're rapists. and some, i assume, are good people. >> reporter: white house officials insist they have to address dreamers in order to get critical democrats on board, and they say the president is making good on another central promise

of his campaign. >> we will build a great wall along the southern border. >> reporter: the stakes for a deal, high, with daca set to expire in march. mr. president telling reporters earlier this week dreamers have nothing to worry about. >> tell them not to be considered. >> reporter: a number of conservative senator including tom cotton and david purdue expressing support for the pros al. not everyone. senator ted cruz saying yop f i don't believe we should grant a path to citizenship to anybody here illegally. it's setting up a bruising battle with another major deadline looming. the government runs out of money again in about two weeks, savannah and hoda. >> where have i heard that before? kristen welker at the white house. thank you very much. a major development tied to the sex abuse scandal rocking the sport of gymnastics. the u.s. olympic committee is now demanding the entire board of usa gymnastics step down within days.

nbc's stephanie gosk is here with the latest on all of this. hey, steph, good morning. >> good morning, guys. big news overnight days after dr. larry nassar was sentenced for abusing young gymnasts in his care, the usoc taking action, six strict requirements must be followed in order for usa gymnastics to move forward as the sport's governing body, including the immediate resignation of all of its board members. overnight, an ultimatum to usa gymnastics. the u.s. olympic committee says the sport's national governing body will face termination unless the entire board of directors resigns by next wednesday. we do not base these requirements on any knowledge that any individual usag staff or board members had a role in fostering or obscuring nassar's actions, ceo scott blackman wrote in an e-mail late thursday. our position comes from a clear sense that usag culture needs fundamental rebuilding. usa gymnastics responding, not

saying its board members will resign but instead that it completely embraces the requirements outlined. only three of usa gymnastics' 20 board members have resigned amid the sex abuse scandal rocking the sport. this morning, nbc news has learned dr. larry nassar was not licensed to practice medicine in texas, where he was accused of molesting dozens of young gymnasts. olympic gold medalist aly raisman first made the claim in an interview on the "today" show wednesday. >> whether they knew or didn't know that's a big problem. we need to investigate how this happened. how is that possible? he doesn't have a medical license in texas. >> reporter: nassar was a doctor at the famed karolyi ranch in texas, long-time national training center for usa gymnastics until just last week. legendary coaches marta and bella karolyi said they have no

knowledge of nassar's licensing. during the sentencing hearing they were mentioned multiple times, but the couple never offered any public comment, and their attorney did not respond to multiple requests for comment. >> i've just signed your death warrant. >> reporter: judge rosemarie aquilina sentenced nassar to between 40 to 175 years in prison. the dramatic culmination of a draw malt tick seven-day sentencing hearing. accuser lindsay lemke was co-captain of the michigan state gymnastics team. >> these people had the chance to stop larry nassar from what he was doing, and they were selfish and they chose to pick their own reputation and themselves over these young little girls. >> reporter: michigan state released a statement that reads, we are committed to continue supporting those in our community affected by these terrible crimes. and usa gymnastics now says it supports an independent investigation of nassar's time as head doctor. just as he was being sentenced

wednesday, usa gymnastics argued in court it had no legal duty to protect the young women from nassar's criminal conduct. and michigan state argues complaints made prior to 2014 don't support a title ix claim because the young women didn't complain to an appropriate person. michigan state president luanna simon resigned late wednesday, saying in a statement as tragedies are politicized, blame is inevitable. as president it is only natural i am the focus of this anger. a contract review by nbc news shows simon is assured her $750,000 salary for at least one year if she chooses to return as a faculty member which might be controversial. >> i would say so. stephanie thank you very much. as we've been reporting, this year's flu outbreak is hitting schools especially hard nationwide. some are closing their doors in an attempt to slow the spread of

this virus. nbc's kerry sanders is in port st. joe in florida's panhandle where several schools will not open today. kerry, good morning. >> reporter: good morning. i'm at the port st. joe high school. they're taking a collective sick day. in fact, this school and all the schools in gulf county are closed. yesterday at this time, 220 kids who should have shown up to school did not because of the flu. as you can see today, all the schools here in the district are closed. and they brought in special teams to sanitize this and all the schools to try to beat back the spread of the bug. this morning, the flu outbreak has reached a critical tipping point as a growing number of students and teachers come down with the virus, schools across the country are being forced to close. nearly 20% of the students in gulf county, florida, are out sick. all the schools here are closed today. >> we're trying to be proactive, just to let those who were contagious not have a chance to continue spreading it. >> reporter: there are now widespread flu outbreaks in every state except hawaii.

and schools in more than a dozen states have closed their doors. >> we know we made the best decision that we could. >> reporter: in gunther, texas, north of dallas, the entire school district closed for four days after more than 30% of its students called out sick. now reopened, only 8% of its students are absent. >> we have ten weeks left of flu season and know it's not over yet. our hope is that the cycle of dramatic sickness we've seen has been stopped. >> reporter: sadly a growing number of children are dying from the flu. the family of dylan winnick is stunned how quickly he was overcome. >> days before he was fine. >> reporter: last week the miami-dade school district robo called parents urging them to be on the lookout for symptoms,

fever, body aches. and offering this advice. >> if you notice any of these symptoms please keep your child home for at least 24 hours. >> reporter: dylan winnick's brother says heed the warnings. >> not something to be taken lightly. >> reporter: almost a third of the teachers called in sick. and the real problem is, they couldn't even call subs because the subs themselves are also home with the flu. guys, back to you. >> so scary, kerry. thank you very much. we have a lot more to get to, including a tragic fire overnight at a hospital in south korea, just two weeks before the start of the winter olympics. more than 30 people have died. this morning, we are learning that the building did not have sprinklers installed. nbc's chief global correspondent bill neely is in seoul for us. what's the latest? >> reporter: really heartbreaking scenes here, deadliest fire in south korea, just two weeks before the opening ceremony of the winter olympics here. as you said it was a really cruel fire because most of those who died were either elderly,

ill or helpless. the fire began at the hospital around 7:30 this morning, when nurses reported flames in the emergency room. most of the 200 patients were still asleep, half of them in a nursing home for the elderly. the fire spread quickly, trapping dozens too weak or too helpless to escape. some did. one man guided slowly down a ladder amid billowing smoke. another, who had been shouting from the rooftop, winched to safety by a helicopter. there were shouts and screams around the hospital. another survivor escaping through a window. many elderly patients were carried out on the backs of firefighters, wrapped in blankets against subzero temperatures. many didn't survive the journey

to other hospitals. the fire chief revealing most died from smoke inhalation, none from burns. dozens dead, dozens more injured, the cause of the fire unknown. but the hospital chief admitted there was no sprinkler system anywhere in the hospital as it wasn't required by law. so many of the patients were very frail or ill already before the fire took their lives. a national tragedy that in every sense casts a dark cloud over south korea's proud preparations for the upcoming olympics. south korea's public safety record has been under real scrutiny recently after another fire last month that killed 29 and a ferry sinking four years ago that killed 300, mostly teenagers. more questions here this morning, especially about that sprinkler system. authorities say it was due to be installed next week.

hoda, savannah? >> bill neely, bill, thank you so much. 7:18. time to check in with al and get our first look at the weather. >> let's check it out, see what we've got for you. the good news is we're looking at sunny weather, and it's going to be a little milder along the east coast. that's going to be gorgeous. cooling down, though, behind this frontal system and a wintry mix moves into the pacific northwest. your local forecast the next 30 seconds. good morning, as you're heading outside it's cold. we're still in the 30s in some

spots like livermore 38 degrees right now, mountain view 39, palo alto 38, 44 degrees for san jose and we are expecting mostly clear skies. that storm system has moved off to the east leaving behind a chilly start and eventually we will climb into the 50s, a high of 55 for livermore, 58 degrees for san jose, 53 for oakland and mostly clear skies by the afternoon, topping out in those 50s. ladies? >> thank you, al. coming up, casey affleck's decision to bow out of this year's oscar ceremony amid scandal one year after he won the award. and technology that could end costly and annoying delays during winter storms, rossen reports team gives you an exclusive first look. first this is "today" on nbc. r gives you a okay mcdonald's. i see your one, two and three dollar deals. tell you what, i'll raise you five. introducing value jack's way. five great ways to save. like i tell jack jr., it's all about big values, jr. prices.

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the chp is investigating a a very good morning to you, it is 7:26. i'm laura garcia. the chp investigating a head on crash involving a chp cruiser this morning in hayward during a chase. it happened a little before 4:00 in the morning as the officer exited on a street. the cruiser struck another car that had no connection to the pursuit. fortunately as you see from this video the impact was considered relatively low. the chp says the injuries suffered by both the driver and officer are considered minor. the chp says the car officers were chasing got away. the a street in that area was closed for about an hour until crews actually cleared that scene. the driver got away. checking our microclimate forecast, vianey in in for kari. >> we saw that storm system make

its exit. still seeing dark clouds and it's very cold in some areas, especially in napa, 33 degrees right now, concord 39, livermore 38 degrees, san jose waking up to about 44 degrees and eventually we will start to see some of those clouds clearing out quite nicely in today's microclimate highs will be in the 50s. a high of about 58 degrees is expected in san jose, 56 for concord. oakland at 53 and san francisco at about 51 degrees. the next seven days will start a bit of a warming trend as we head in towards the weekend. right now we're dealing with fog creeping over toward richmo richmond, that's the richmond side of the richmond-san rafael bridge. a lot of folks there, not a lot of visibility. the map will show you things are moving slowly where the arrow is and that fog north of that bridge tougher where that orange highlighting is throughout the north bay. also that patch over in livermore, the central and tri-valleys. kris sanchez tweeted out a picture of low clouds. look now nicely things flow

across the south bay and san mateo and dumbarton bridges. another update in half an hour. i've seen wonders all around the world but what i see here never ceases to amaze me: change. i see it in their eyes. it happens when people connect with nature,

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it is 7:30 on a friday morning, january 26, 2018. it's friday afternoon in the swis alps where the president delivered a highly anticipated speech at the economic forum. >> fake news, folks, fake news. >> president trump speaking out in davos following reports he wanted to fire special counsel robert mueller last june holding back only when a white house lawyer threatened to resign. >> these reports are absolutely stunning. they show, again, that the president will stop at nothing to protect himself from this obstruction of justice

investigation. olympic ultimatum. the u.s. olympic committee demands the entire board of u.s. gymnastics disband within days or risk termination in the wake of that shocking sex abuse scandal. >> these people had a chance to stop larry nassar from what he was doing. they thchose to pick their own reputation and themselves over these little girls. the person who sent that mistaken missile alert in hawaii this month is not cooperating with the investigation. former employees allege that staffers spied on high profile passengers. it company now investigating. and the moving up down under. roger federer eases into the australian open finals after his opponent retires. >> it'll be his seventh final.

savannah's besty now one step closer to winning it all. it is friday, january 6, 2018. >> i think it should be fake boyfriend. could you imagine you've won 19 grand slams and now to hollywood and one of the famous faces you will not be seeing at the upcoming academy awards. last year's best actor winner casey affleck. blake mccoy, good morning. >> reporter: hoda, good morning to you. casey affleck's presence was shaping up to be problematic. tradition would have made him a presenter this year, putting the academy in a tough spot, as the me too movement takes center stage on hollywood's biggest night. from oscar winner to academy awards no-show, this morning a rep for casey affleck confirms the actor will not attend this year's ceremony. affleck, who won best actor last

year for his role in "manchester by the sea" has dogged by old, sexual misconduct allegations. he was sued by two women in 2010, who worked on his film "i'm still here," both claimed he made unwelcomed sexual advances, charges he denies. he settled out of court. affleck's presence at this year's ceremony could have made for an uncomfortable moment since traditionally best actor winners present the award for best actress next year. >> everyone was around town waiting to see how the academy was going to handle this. were they going to ignore it, were they going to address it? was casey going to bow out? it was kind of the question on people's minds. >> reporter: an academy spokesperson says we appreciate the decision to keep the focus on the show and on the great work of this year. it comes as the me too movement has grabbed the spotlight during hollywood awards season. symbolic protest at the golden globes had actresses wear all black. at this weekend's grammys, artists like kelly clarkson, halsey plan to wear white roses.

also this morning, new allegations lodged against disbraced producer, harvey weinstein. in a new lawsuit, a former assistant said she was sjeub ct to a hostile work environment, claiming she had to prepare for and clean up weinstein's extremely prolific sexual encounters, give him shots for erectile dysfunction and work with weinstein when he was naked, almost weekly. a rep for weinstein said he categorically denies the claims and will respond with legal action. with with award season now in full swing, more women in hollywood, are saying times up. attention this weekend will be on the grammy's. it's unclear how many artists plan to wear those white roses. a female executive chose white roses because they symbolize hope, peace, and resistance. back to you, savannah. >> thank you very much. al, what have you got cooking up over there? >> a bit of a january thaw. unseasonably warm weather in the

midwest. look at these temperatures, 45 in pierre, over 20 degrees above average. cincinnati, 57. even atlanta getting in on the warmth. as we move into tomorrow, we're looking at chicago at 20 degrees above average at 46. dallas will see temperatures in the mid 60s. d.c. and charlotte both coming up 60 degrees. but as we head into early next week, it's over pretty quickly. indianapolis, sunday, 47. 31 on monday. boston, 51 on sunday, down to 39 by monday. temperatures, though, stay nice and mild. dallas on into florida. that's what's going on around the country. here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. here's what's neck of the woods. . -- and we are expecting to keep a little bit of that coastal fog over the next couple hours so keep that in mind. concord 8 degrees cooler at this hour than we were yesterday, right now the temperatures are in the 30s in napa.

>> don't forget, get that weather any time, check out our pals at the weather channel. >> al, thank you. coming up, the mistake that gave oprah and reese witherspoon extra limbs and their priceless reaction. epic surprise for a special little girl who will dance her way into your heart. and a big premier. we'll reveal the new budweiser commercial before everyone else sees it during the super bowl. first a new fix for an airport headache. >> hi, good morning. i'm jeff rossen. flight delays, flight cancellations, planes skidding off runways in the snow. could this be the answer to stop all that? heated runways and tarmacs. researchers say they've figured out a way. we'll show you how it works, next. asked how they like their eggs,

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imagine a world where runways are clear, even in a bad snowstorm. guess what, it's close. this morning, we have an exclusive look at how it works. it's a winter travel nightmare. >> i just survived this. >> reporter: planes sliding and skidding off icy runways, crashing into the snow. snow and ice also wreaking havoc on airports. thousands of flight delays and cancellations already this year, leaving people stranded at airports. and it's only january. but what if there was something that could fix all that? the answer may be here, at the airport in des moines, iowa. we're talking about heated runways and tarmacs. in fact, right here, they have a couple of prototypes, a couple of slabs off to the side. now i know this seems obvious. why aren't runways heated already? believe it or not, it's taken researchers this long to figure out how to do it. and the faa? they're paying attention. in fact, it's the faa that's

funding this program. here's how it would work. when a winter storm is on the way, airports can heat up their runways to melt the snow on contact and keep planes moving and you on your way. >> this is special concrete. we put carbon fibers in it. it turns into electrically conducted one. connected to power, turns the electricity on, generates heat and melts ice and snow. >> if i grab snow from over here, it should melt the snow? >> right away. >> i'm going to throw it down. here we go. so there it is. right on impact, you can already see it melting. >> yep. >> it's bubbling. you see that? >> it's melting right away. it's a very powerful system. >> wow! watch it up close, the snow turning to water in just seconds. how hot does this pavement get? >> we can check with our thermal gun right away. if you just have it here, it's 62 degrees fahrenheit. >> reporter: 62 degrees. let's test it over here, where

it's not heated. here in des moines it's like 8 degrees here today, bitter cold. >> yep. >> reporter: this is what america's runways are. >> this spot is 22 degrees fahrenheit. >> big difference. if snow hits this, it turns to ice. over there, huge difference. it melts. >> exactly. >> reporter: how long would it take to melt if the entire area was blanketed with snow? to test it out, we're hauling in snow from a local winter sports park. the research team gets to work, spreading the snow all over the slabs. instantly, the snow starts to melt right off, taking less than ten minutes to turn into water. >> airports and airlines with this technology, it works. >> reporter: researchers say this would cost $200 million to install at the essential airports, areas of most airports but they say it will save airlines -- i can't talk today.

i'm so impressed by this. airlines and passengers $273 million, not to mention countless headaches of delays and cancellations. by the way, it's not just airports. they say this kind of concrete can help in so many other areas, too, from sidewalks, bridges, parking lots and even highways to help avoid winter accidents. >> i think it's brilliant. >> genius. >> super smart. not cheap. >> not cheap. >> but smart. >> but smart. >> cool. thank you. why don't we head over to the orange room and get our friend carson? what have you got going on over there? >> how is tom brady preparing for the super bowl? debuting his new series copd makes it hard to breathe. so to breathe better, i go with anoro. ♪go your own way copd tries to say, "go this way." i say, "i'll go my own way" with anoro. ♪go your own way once-daily anoro contains two medicines called bronchodilators, that work together to significantly improve lung function all day and all night.

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>> we are back with a revealing look at what makes tom brady -- why don't you read the rest of this? >> what makes tom brady tick as the superstar prepares -- >> what the -- >> eagles! >> go carson. >> i see, it was a nick foles thing. reading that teleprompter. got it. five-part series offers fans a rare glimpse into the star quarterback's life on and off the field. here is a look at the first episode. >> i wish i did at 22 years old

what i was doing for the last 10 years. i just didn't know any better. i didn't know any different. i kind of did what everyone else was doing. hopefully as you gain experience in these things you can learn to be more efficient and create this version of me at 40 that i think is a lot better than when i was 22. >> brady fan or not, social media users seem to appreciate the behind-the-scenes look. christine wrote i'm an eagles fan but i'm also a football fan. this video is inspiring. also xavier writing i'm a dolphins fan and totally look at brady different after watching this. this man is on a different level of football that no one else will ever reach. brady said it's more personal than anything he has put out on social media. they'll roll out on facebook and that final one will air super bowl sunday. maybe if roger federer did one of these exclusive behind the scenes -- >> now we're talking. >> i would watch that infinity plus two times.

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good morning. it's 7:55. san francisco is looking pretty nice right now, we've got the sun up here in the corner, we have the clouds clearing out, but it's still a little bit chilly, we're talking 30s, napa 33 degrees right now, 37 degrees for livermore, san jose at 44 degrees. we are expecting a little bit of a warm up, but it's going to be slow to warm. today's overall highs will remain in the 50s, 53 oakland, san francisco at 51 degrees and santa rosa at 54 degrees. we are starting to see a lot of the fog rolling in, especially to areas in the north bay and also near concord. we're seeing less than a mile visibility in napa and some spots in novato as well. pretty dense fog out there, so for a check of the roads let's send things over to mike. we will show you the bay bridge. there was a crash reported on the approach. you see traffic getting a break up near the top by the 880

overcrossing i think that might be where the cross is moving to the shoulder. that might be the reason for a quick traffic break there. the berkeley curve is not a problem nor is most of the maze, west 580 around coolidge there is a problem and the top of the screen is where the fog registers. also in the tri-valley look at that, the live shot through dublin shows you tougher conditions. but you can make out an easier drive. folks were making their way under that deck of clouds just fine. 7:57. happening now, the man accused of slamming his car into a chp cruiser on christmas eve killing an officer in hayward is supposed to appear in court anytime now. he is expected to be arraigned. we are posting updates as we get them to our twitter feed. two chp officers who escaped serious injury after a head-on crash during a chase this morning. the driver in the other car also avoided major injury. on our homepage what kept the outcome from being worse. america is open for business on our facebook page, more on

president trump's address. but st before you. the scams to avoid in the first tax season... since a data breach impacting nearly (every american. and: scott mcgrew tells you everything you need to know as the russia probe intensifies. watch monday: 4:30 to 7. heavy, labored breathing heavy, labored breathing heavy, labored breathing coughing breathing through oxygen mask breathing through oxygen mask breathing through oxygen mask breathing through oxygen mask covered california. it's more than just health care.

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it's 8:00 on "today." coming up, on the defensive. >> fake news, folks. fake news. >> president trump now denying a bombshell report that claims he ordered the firing of special counsel robert mueller last june. why did he back down? and could it impact the mueller investigation? we're live with the latest. plus, the dancer beating cancer. all week we've spotlighted people who inspire us. today, hoda introduces us to an 11-year-old cancer survivor using her gift to help others. >> i wanted to do something big. i want to change the world. i never knew this would go as far as it has. >> you'll never believe the surprise we have in store for this incredible girl. and superstars live in

studio 1a. john legend and sara bareilles give us a preview of nbc's highly anticipated new musical, "jesus christ superstar," "today," friday, january 26th, 2018. >> celebrating mardi gras on the plaza. >> i'm turning 11. >> and i'm turning 18. >> on the "today" show. >> i came from detroit to celebrate my 63rd birthday. >> from florida. >> indianapolis. >> and new orleans because we love hoda and savannah. ♪ >> we're celebrating our birthdays the best way possible, on the "today" show. >> all the way from south carolina. bless our hearts, it's cold out here. >> morning, everybody. it's friday! so glad to have you with us. a lot of new orleans out there. >> there's a lot of new orleans out there. >> there's a new saying.

they say who dat. i saw a sign that said hoda dat. i think that will catch on. lots to get to. let's start with your news at 8:00 and the president in switzerland denying a report overnight that he tried to fire robert mueller, the special counsel in the russia investigation. nbc's chief white house correspondent hallie jackson is traveling with the president. hallie, good morning. >> reporter: savannah, good morning to you. this morning, president trump is already on his way back to washington after delivering a speech here in davos. he's talking trade, talking deals, but he's also talking about the russia investigation. specifically, whether he tried to have the special counsel fired last summer. the president is pushing back on that, calling that reporting fake news. let me tell you what nbc news has learned from a source familiar with the events. that the president asked a white house attorney, don mcgahn to ask the justice department to fire robert mueller. we'll told mcgann pushed back. he refused. he even threatened to quit rather than go forward with that. with the president ultimately

backing down. there have been denials since then from the president and his aides that he ever considered firing mueller. a separate white house lawyer tells nbc they have no comment out of respect to the office of special counsel and its processes. so even here in switzerland, the president has been unable to escape the shadow of the russia investigation back home. that said, in davos, he is now the first sitting u.s. president to deliver remarks to this economic summit in nearly 20 years, since bill clinton in 2000. in this speech delivered to a packed house. we were sitting in the audience. i don't think there was an empty seat to be seen. he emphasized fair trade. here's what he had to say. >> america is the place to do business, so come to america where you can innovate, create and build. i believe in america. as president of the united states, i will always put america first, just like the

leaders of other countries should put their country first also. >> reporter: the president also talked about the international community coming together to work toward common dwoels like fighting isis or combating the nuclear threat from north korea. there was one notable moment, though, when the crowd booed and hissed as the president on the international stage slammed fake news. president trump then moving on to another topic altogether. bottom line here in davos, no major missteps from the president as he is headed back home to washington. he'll be there tonight with plenty on his plate, including that state of the union coming up on tuesday. savannah, hoda, back to you. serious fallout from the sexual abuse scandal in american gymnasti gymnastics. u.s. olympic committee is giving the entire board of usa gymnastics until next wednesday to step down. if not, the group will be terminated as the nation's governing body in that sport. the demand comes just two days

after former team dr. larry nassar was sentenced for abusing young athletes. they stress they had no knowledge of any board member enabling or covering up for nassar, but it says the culture needs fundamental rebuilding. now to a legendary theater group making a major change. for the first time in its 223-year history, harvard's hasty pudding theater group will encourage women to audition for its stage productions. that announcement was made thursday as the group honored mila kunis as a woman of the year. women do work behind the scenes at hasty pudding and a few have auditioned, they've never been cast in a show. one tradition that has not changed, the woman of the year leads the parade in harvard square, and there she was yesterday. all right. morning boost time. >> here we go. san diego woman is a huge fan of the "ellen degeneres show." she was in the audience this week. ellen read a letter from a viewer who happens to be mara's

boyfriend. the navy officer stationed in diego, garcia. >> i'm currently deployed overseas but make sure my girlfriend keeps me up-to-date on what's happening with the show. my beautiful girlfriend, mora, has got to be your biggest fan. she watches your show every day, and i know you're the reason she was able to get through this deployment. i was supposed to come back the end of january, but things keep getting pushed back. i'm not sure when i'll be home. since i can't be there with her, i know nothing would make her happier than to get to celebrate your birthday with you at your show. mora is here. birthday with yo on your show. and she called her to the stage where she explained her boyfriend's been gone over the year and she didn't know when she was coming home. and ellen as usual had one more surprise. >> he said you wanted to be at my birthday show. this is not my birthday show, but i want you to be at my birthday show.

so bring maura the tickets to the birthday show. >> the birthday show tickets were of course hand-delivered by officer copeland. there was not a dry eye in the house. ellen also tweeted this may have been her favorite meeting on the show in a long time. and also she invited the couple to a trip to hawaii. >> that is awesome. by the way, hoda's got something else that's going to boost our spirits this morning. we want you to see the big surprise he lined up for a remarkable girl using her passion to help other kids. also the story behind oprah's third hand and reese's extra leg. and the soulful music that's a little changing. and samantha b in a very

revealing interview. see you at the top of the hour. plus the family of the beloved crocodile hunter, how they're honoring his legacy. all coming up after these messages. let's talk about this when we meet next week. how did edward jones come to manage a trillion dollars in assets under care? jay. sarah. so i have a few thoughts on that early retirement... by focusing our mind on whatever's on yours. smile dad. i take medication for high blood pressure and cholesterol. but they might not be enough to protect my heart. adding bayer aspirin can further reduce the risk of another heart attack. because my second chance matters. be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin an aspirin regimen. ♪

♪ a shift without a disaster. to get through my bargain detergent couldn't keep up. it was mostly water. so, i switched to tide pods. they're super concentrated, so i get a better clean. i mean, i give away water for free. i'm not about to pay for it in my detergent. #1 trusted. #1 awarded it's got to be tide. and for a plant-based clean, try tide purclean ♪ jen, i've got questions. boots or flip-flops? 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! and at kay, he designs for the hollywood's bstar in your life. this ring was inspired by an art deco design that goes back 100 years. at kay... the number-one jewelry store for... yes. every kiss begins with kay.

good is in every blue diamond almond. and once good gets going, there's no stopping it. blue diamond almonds. get your good going. official snack nut of the u.s. ski and snowboard team. we're back. it's 8:11. we wrap up our special series, tag us today. inspiring projects we like to follow on social media and you may like to follow too. >> today's hash tag is follow friday. when it came to my choice, a name came to mind, sierra mccullough, an 11-year-old cancer survivor, using her

passion to dance to help survivors everywhere. i called in a special of friends to help make her dreams come true. >> dance has been my most favorite thing since i was very little. >> dancing is more than movement for 11-year-old sierra mcculley. it's a language. >> it made me express my feelings and say what i had to say in dance form. >> one she knows well. as a competitive dancer for years, sierra is no stranger to the stage. a serious illness nearly ended her young career before it began. at 6 years old, sierra was diagnosed with stage two hodgkin's lymphoma. >> hearing that kind of news was very, very scary for our family. >> she immediately began an aggressive chemotherapy treatment but sierra new the show had to go on. >> she had no hair at the time. we used like packaging tape to

tape this hair piece to her ahead hed. >> that next year she danced her way to competition. >> i was proud of myself. i didn't think i could ever do it. >> that is a moment i'll never, ever forget as a mother. >> i'm going to challenge a few other people to challenge dancers beating cancer. >> now cancer free for four years, she wanted to give back, launching the dancer beating cancer challenge, to raise money for cancer research at the riley hospital for children in indianapolis, the same hospital that saved her life. the challenge? performing a routine to "better when i'm dancing." a song with special meaning for sierra, by one of her favorite singers, meghan trainor. the grammy award winning artist and host of "the four." >> she's just an inspiration to me. i wanted to do something big. i wanted to change the world. i never knew this would go as far as it has. >> the challenge took off. more than 200 videos have been posted online from all over the

world, even from professional dance teams, like the denver broncos and the oklahoma city thunder. we asked sierra and her family to come to new york for what they thought was an interview. but we had other plans. >> how are you? >> good. >> sierra, i got to see you dance. i watched a video of you. it was awesome! why did you decide to do the dance challenge? >> just to give back, give back to riley. >> what see yierra didn't know downstairs the new york city knicks dancers were here to join in on our challenge. >> we're here because we have a little surprise for you. would you like to come with me? >> sure. >> come with me. >> hi! >> we have the knicks city dancers here because they were inspired by you. >> how are you? so excited to have you here. we have a jersey for you. >> as she became an official

part of the knicks city dance team i snuck out because there was one more surprise waiting outside. how are you feeling like right before a surprise? >> a little nervous. i'll try my best not to scare her. i think it will be really fun. >> i can't wait. sierra, the surprise is about to begin. >> can i have a hug? surprise! >> i love what you're doing. i love it so much. keep doing it. i'm so proud of you. >> sierra was speechless. so, we decided to celebrate the best way she knows how. >> do you want to show meghan your dance? >> let me see. >> come on. will you all do it together? ♪ i feel better when i'm dancing yeah yeah better when i'm dancing yeah yeah ♪ ♪ we can do this together makes you feel better when

you're dancing yeah yeah ♪ >> yeah! ♪ >> you're a superstar. >> we love you, sweet girl. thank you for everything you did. you started a little wave that's catching on. okay? so, thank you. >> and we're keep spreading the word. >> spreading the word that dancing to your own tune can make a world of difference. >> i still don't think she's spoken since that moment. >> her face was priceless. >> well, sierra, she's such a great kid. she told me she isn't doing the fund-raiser for herself but did meet a lot of friends in the cancer ward and some of them passed away. she said she's working for them and she's never going to stop. that kid has it. >> she does. i love the message, keep dancing. >> hard to believe she's only 11. >> i know. >> that's awesome. hoda, thank you. you're boosting us all over the place today. >> al is going to boost us, too, i think. >> i'm going to boost a car,

actually. let's show you what we've got going on and take a look at our weather. we're going to start with the olympic weather. that's right. because everybody have fun tonight. everybody pyeongchang tonight. >> oh, boy. >> right now they're getting some sea-effect snow right there. we're talking about temperatures right now. it's 6 below in pyeongchang. everybody have fun tonight. everybody freeze tonight. it's going to be awfully cold. an inch of snow on the ground. we're only two weeks away from the opening ceremonies and the forecast is for more snow there. here is the next ten days. and you've got high temperatures, close to freezing by wednesday, thursday, friday, op that's what's going on around the country. here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> it's still chilly out there and we're even starting to see fog over san francisco right now. we've got a couple of low-lying clouds. temperatures for san francisco in the 40s at 45 degrees.

heyward, 43. and santa rosa and napa, still working to climb out of those 30s. now, our microclimate highs for today will climb into the 50s. sunny conditions into the afternoon with drying conditions through the weekend and that's when we have a bit of a warming and drying trend through monday. >> and that's not -- that friday is not the opening ceremony. it's a week later. we've got time for it to even go lower. >> all right, al. i think it's a pretty good time to trend. >> yeah. >> 2018, driverless cars on the roads, drones that fly high in the sky. you can tell siri and alexa to do practically anything for you. let's rewind a bit, shall we? or should i say be kind and rewind? check out the headline from ""the wall street journal" why you might actually want a vcr. blast from the past has a following. refurbished models are out

there. i guess people like to watch old classic movies the way they saw them in the beginning. any of you guys still have a vcr? >> we still have a vcr just no tapes. >> it's blinking 12:00 right now. >> i don't have one. i do have all of our home movies on a vhs tape. >> sure. >> and you want to watch it. do you have any old throwbacks? what do you think should come back, cassette tape? >> i wish we had cassette players. >> cassette players are expensive now. >> really? >> vcrs, if they start putting them out, could be expensive. my dad had an eight track player and those big cartridges. >> think about all those things we used to sort of wait for. just like when we used to take pictures, you were talking about. >> oh, yeah, do you remember going to develop the pictures? you didn't know if it was a good picture. >> two for one. >> when you could get same-day developing. >> one-hour photo was like, how do they do it? >> photo mat in the parking lot. >> yes. >> you remember when the radio

was going and you wanted to catch a song and you would hit record, thought you would catch it. >> you were philosophical about it. hoda was like, we don't wait for anything anymore. remember, we would have to rewind the vhs tape, rewind for your song? >> they actually made a rewinder. >> oh, sure. >> there was -- you could just rewi rewind. >> yes. >> down memory lane. >> i remember when arco nichlni invented the thing. pop start, we'll start with oprah winfrey. people have been asking will she run for president. in an interview with "in style" she said, quote, i've always felt very secure and confident with myself in knowing what i could do and what i could not. and so it's not something that interests me. i don't have the dna for it. however that took place before her powerful golden globe speech and a lot of people are thinking she might change her stance on that. gracing the cover of another magazine "vanity fair."

the star-studded spread is getting a lot of attention online. reese witherspoon appears to have three legs. this went viral on twitter, reese chiming in and said i guess everybody knows now, i have three legs. i hope you can still accept me for who i am. it gets better. look who else responded. oprah again. i accept your third leg as i know you accept my third hand. check out this other image from the photo shoot. you can count the hands. one on the hip, one on her lap and a third one wrapped around reese's waist. >> it's true. >> and they're responding saying reese's third leg is an illusion from the lining of her dress. as for oprah, how can we expect her to juggle it all with just two hands? we're correcting this error online. >> that's good. >> finally, two singers who teamed up -- rita payne aora a l

william payne. >> liam. >> did i say something else? >> women. >> liam payne. ♪ ♪ waiting for a lifetime for you wasn't looking for love to find you ♪ ♪ love to find you >> liam payne there, rita ora. sound track will be released same day as the movie, february 9th. rita ora, liam payne, also here in studio this coming thursday. if you would like to set your calendar, we would love to have you. that's your pop start. now we're going to move on to something we're very excited about, that's our super bowl commercial kickoff. counting down to next sunday's big game anyway very big way, giving you first looks at some of the most anticipated commercials. we have one today, budweiser always puts out a good ad. check it out for the very first

time. [ phone vibrating ] >> i'll be right there. >> the storm is affecting thousands of families. people still in desperate need of aid. ♪ when the night has come >> where are we at? ♪ and the land is dark and the moon is the only light we'll see ♪ ♪ no i won't be afraid no i won't be afraid just as long as you stand stand by me ♪ ♪ so darling darling stand by me ♪ ♪ oh, stand by me ♪ stand by me >> nice.

>> beautiful. >> some help when needed. >> i like that. >> there's a lot more to come where that came from. and we'll be previewing more super bowl commercials. you won't want to miss those, including the first look at five olympic ads. >> each one focusing on a different u.s. athlete, including mikalea shiffrin, shaun white, and last but not least, lindsey vonn. you can join us as they see their commercials for the very first time. they haven't even seen them yet. >> cool. this is all counting down to super bowl lii. that's the eagles versus the patriots. winter olympics start up february 8th live on the networks of nbc, with the opening ceremony two weeks from today. >> and it's minus 6 in pyeongchang. >> maybe it will warm up for you. quickly, daily click is here. stacking one but two safety

gates to keep her in her bedroom but little did he know, the battle had just begun. >> oh, my gosh. >> yeah. >> take a look at this. >> oh, my gosh. >> discovered his 2-year-old high off the ground there, scaling the gates. >> wow! >> like el chapo. >> impressive. >> and gets down the barricade safely on the other side and now is free to wander the house. if you have the skill set to do that, you should be able to stay up as late as you want. >> seriously. >> look at that. >> scary. >> like jackie chan. >> they're like hiding on the stairs. they don't want her to see them. look at them hiding from her. >> he just gives up. >> right to the chocolate cake. >> all that toddler crying is a little triggering for all of us, right? well-known stars of next big live musical, john legend and sara i )m ...

the chp is investigating a good morning. it's 8:26. i'm marcus washington. the chp is investigating a head-on crash involving a chp cruiser this morning in hayward. this is during a chase. it happened a little before 4:00 this morning as that suv went on a street. the suv struck another car that had no connection to the pursuit. as you see from this video that impact was relatively low. chp says the injuries suffered by the two officers were minor. the other officer was also not seriously injured. chp says the car officers were chasing got away. the crews closed a street in the area for about an hour until the scene was clear. right now, the bay bridge is cleared up. >> two ways, clearing as far as the volume of traffic and clearing, well, it was, as far as low clouds. they just drifted through again

but look, bright sunshine, that will burn off. the fast track lanes are the only ones backed up so bring your cash. you remember cash. over towards the map, you remember, clearer flow about this time every friday. that's what we see, a little recovery west 580 past coolidge. the earlier crash did clear flowing from the warren freeway. fog in the north bay. that's what we see for the orange there. as well as a little bit through livermore and dublin. an easier drive north for the commute. >> thanks, mike. i'll have another local news update in half an hour.

hey, everybody, good morning. it is 8:30 on a friday morning, the 26th day of january, 2018. as we say hello to our awesome crowd. happy mardi gras to you. and i don't know if you can hear it in the background but that is the music from the beloved musical/rock opera. we're talking about, of course, jesus christ superstar. >> megyn and i are late today.

>> late at that time party. come on. >> just ahead we'll catch up with two members of the all-star cast, john legend and sara bareilles. >> wow! >> a huge, beautiful crowd out here today. >> wow! >> i've got to tell you, savannah and al, it's hard to pick somebody but who dat? wait. i'm going to take a king cake. love you. >> oh, yeah, we'll take the king cake. >> hold on. i've got an anniversary here we could not pass up. we have arlene and harvey. look at their -- can we show their picture down here? what do your sweatshirts say? >> it says married since 1968. >> what are you doing to celebrate your big day? >> well, we're here at the "today" show. >> going to shows tonight. >> i love you guys. >> and our kids are coming in for the weekend. we have a whole -- planned for the 22 of us, our children and

grandchildren. >> one other thing, there's the cutest baby back here. >> who is not very happy. >> oh, boo boo. >> come here, lovey. hello. >> do you feel better now? >> hi. >> hello, sweetie. look at that face. >> okay. i think we got it. >> happy. >> she's happy now. >> while hoda continues to steal people's babies, let me tell you what else we've got coming up on the show. the family of crocodile hunter steve irwin, teri, bindi are here. and they brought along some friends. there is this band the avett brothers rising up the charts. these two guys, their whole band really are an example in nondysfunctional bands, nondysfunctional families. it's like a safe port in the storm. judd apatow, "40-year-old

virgin," "knocked up" is here with the brothers and they're going to perform live. their music is life changing. it's soulful. it will make you feel something going into this weekend. >> nice. i like a good friday kickoff. >> al have you got a check of the weather? >> you bet. let's look at your weekend. starting off with saturday a lot of wet weather through the gulf. rain making its way in the ohio river valley. sunshine along the west coast, east coast. pacific coast storms move in. snow in the mountains there. sunday, sunday, soaking rains making their way through the southeast and we're looking at a cold blast behind that front through the plains. snow showers make their way in the pacific northwest. plenty of sunshine as we get into the southwest and on into texas. we've got all these nice folks here. i guess we know that's what's going on around the country. here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> watch out for the fog. a live look right now in

heelsburg using our cameras, you can see some of the fog rolling through. in san francisco, 39. it's still rather chill rr ry outside. san francisco, 45, oakland, 42, concord, 40. san jose at 44. the temperature trend will climb into the 50s. with clearing skies by the afternoon. and this will pave way for a beautiful afternoon into the weekend. >> you can get your weather any time you need it. check out our friends at the weather channel. and now to our start to the day, deal of the day, jill martin, what have you got? >> that's right. it's time for your deal of the day. it's about setting the mood because valentine's day is coming up. andrea schroeder candles, set of two. retail is $70. these smell really yummy. ocean dune is one, red currant

and spice. you can go on today.com to see all the packages. retail $70. the deal $26.55, 62% off. of course, we have more information on today.com. and that's the deal of the day. jill, thank you so much. now to the next musical spectacular coming to nbc, beloved rock opera jesus christ superstar live in concert. we have two of its stars with us this morning, ten-time grammy winner john legend landed the title role and sara bareilles will play mary magdeleine. these are iconic roles z excitement, terror? >> it's excitement for me but it is a lot of pressure. it's a really big show that's important to a lot of people. >> yeah. >> and, of course, the characters are important to a lot of people, too. >> you were just cast recently as mary magdeline. how did you get involved? you're on broadway right now,

doing waitress. you're in the theater mode. >> i am. being part of the theater community has definitely developed relationships with people who are working on the project but it happened so fast. they asked me and i was a yes. i literally got the e-mail, wrote back, absolutely. and let's just look at schedule. >> let me think about it one second. okay, i'm in. your producer on the project as well. >> yeah. >> what stamp are you bringing to it? i'm sure everybody brings their own thing to each production of this iconic musical. >> it's such an ancient story. i think the genius of the original was that it kind of brought the story to the current time when it was written. and i think we're going to try to make it feel like it's timeless but also current. >> i have to tell you, every time i think about this, i get very anxious and stressed for you because it's like live on television. >> yeah. >> musical. >> but that's what we do. we perform live all the time. >> i know. so, is it the same as if -- >> so do you. >> i know but i'm not singing and dancing.

i'm barely speaking. >> we'll make it like it's a rock concert to some extent. it's going to be a show, live show. >> are you already rehearsing? >> no. >> no. >> when are you going to start rehearsing? >> she's busy. >> on broadway. >> she's just phoning it in. >> i'm going to go on tour in asia as well between now and the show. we've got a lot going on but we'll make sure we're ready. >> incredible. it's going to be a live audience. >> yeah. >> that will add a nice element. >> good energy. >> the nice thing about this show, it's a rock opera. it sort of is so primed for that. >> for audience participation. >> for audience. that's the way it was meant to be. >> it really is a concert. >> tell me about what little luna is doing. she's 2 now? >> almost 2. she's walking and talking and wreaking havoc. >> is she sassy like mom? >> yeah, she is. >> we talk about chrissy tiegen on this show so often. >> yes. >> and all the funny things chrissy does. >> she makes me laugh all the

time. >> we need a drinking contest, drink when we said chrissy tiegen. if we did, nobody would be surviving. >> she has the best twitter account. >> she does. sara, you just extended your run with waitress. >> we did. we're announcing today an extra two weeks. i'm at the diner until march 11th. they're never getting me out of there. >> no, but i mean -- you wrote all the songs and now you've come in to be part of it. what has that experience meant to you? >> oh, my gosh, it's just -- this show has really changed my life wholly. it's like there's life before "waitress" and life after "waitress." we're so lucky to be coming up on our two-year anniversary and still having people want to see the show and we're a happy little company there. >> happy to have you here. so exciting to have you part of the nbc musical. and another project, new baby on the way. >> yes. >> yes. >> you know the gender but we don't get to know, right? the rest of the world. >> i don't know why it's a secret yet but -- >> it doesn't have to be a secret, john. >> we're just holding on to it

for a little while longer. >> congratulations. give our love to chrissy. thank you both so much. by the way, you can catch "jesus christ superstar" live in concert easter sunday, april 1st right here on nbc. thanks. we'll be seeing you lots. >> thank you. >> just ahead, the family of beloved crocodile hunter steve irwin is here. they'll open up to something they're doing now to carry on his legacy. look, they brought frie

crikey, can you believe it's been more than 20 years since crocodile hunter took the world by storm and made steve irwin a household name. after his untimely death, his family are returning to tv to carry on the story. terri, bindi and bobby are here

to tell us the story. does it seem, terri, like 11 years since he has passed? >> in some ways it feels like it's been way more than 11 years and in some ways it's been the blink of an eye. you're right. it's a bizarre little time warp you get into when you're dealing with grief but we're glad to be back. >> bindi is 19. robert is 14. what do you think, if he were looking down now at your family, what would he think about you guys? what would he think? >> i hope he would be proud and i think we're so excited to be continuing steve's message and his legacy and, you know, bindi and robert are just living, breathing mini steves. >> by the way, robert, i'm sorry, i looked at you and you were only 2 years old when your dad passed but the resemblance is uncanny. do people say that to you all the time? >> yeah, yeah. it's funny. we often say that i look very similar to dad but it was quite

hilarious, quite recently mom was cleaning out our house and found this old fophoto of dad a showed me and i said that's no big deal. that's just a photo of me. and she said no, it was dad when he was your age. so it's really, really quite incredible. i'm so privileged to be able to continue his amazing legacy. >> bindi, i feel like we've watched you grow up. we've watched you since you were just a little girl. and now you're going back to tv. tell us what we can expect. >> we are so excited. you can expect all kinds of adventure. it's going to be so exciting. we're so happy to be joining back with animal planet. they're such a great family. you'll be following our adventures at australia zoo and with our nonprofit organization, wildlife warriors and all action adventure, wildlife work and, hopefully, inspiring others to make a difference in their own backyards. >> was there any question that you would stay in this field? i could tell just by being around you just what a love you have for it. was there any question whether or not this would continue?

>> i think it's part of who we are. it's not just what we do. and i don't want to speak for all of us, but i don't think i'm ever going to wake up one more and say i'm going to be an astronaut now. this is just what we love so much. wildlife work is so important to us. we do want to carry on in dad's footsteps and make sure everything he worked so hard for continues on. >> you have grown up. >> thank you. >> you travel the world. you have a boyfriend. >> i do. >> does your boyfriend work with you? >> he's here right now. >> where is chandler? >> he's in the audience. >> i can't -- so did you just meet in the business kind of? >> i gave him a tour at australia zoo and he came to visit from america and i just fell in love with this wonderful american guy. i'm so lucky. now he has his khaki and we've abducted him in australia. >> he's amazing, feeding crocodiles and everything. >> he's with you? >> mom, terri, do you like him? >> he's lovely, a good guy and fits in really well, yes.

>> i understand that your husband is getting a star on the walk of fame. >> yes! >> that has to be special. >> it is incredibly special. and i think that, you know, steve would have been so excited. he loved everything about filming and getting that mainstream message to people. even if you're not into conservation, to try to enlighten people to love wildlife. this is really something that, you know, brings wildlife to hollywood. >> you guys are keeping his legacy alive. we don't want you to go away. terri, bindi and robert are going to be right back. we have special guests, in quotes, that you want to introduce us to. first this is "today" on nbc. legend has it, the first voyagers arrived on canoes,

sailing the seas day and night. they knew where they were going, by watching the clouds move in the sky or the way their boats rocked. that's how the waves and stars would speak to them. guide them. sometimes, you can find your way in the world, by getting lost in it. let your legend begin at aulani, a one-of-a-kind disney resort in hawaii

and we are back with more from the irwin family, terri, bindi and robert. we couldn't let them go without you guys introducing us to some of your amazing animals.

we should get a cutaway of al roker. i've never seen anything like it. he has got a sloth and he's walking in. >> slowly. >> good job. >> good to see you. >> how old is that sloth? >> are you the tree, al? >> she's a few years old now. sloths actually -- they're amazing. they don't get to adulthood until they're about 2 years old. she's a very big girl but she is so sweet. sloths are so slow that they can actually grow algae on their beautiful hair. >> what are you feeding her? >> lovely blueberries. >> what could go wrong with that? >> so how does she smell? >> great. >> would al like a blueberry? >> no. >> you're welcome to have one. they're very delicious. this little sweetheart is actually a two-toed sloth.

there's two-toed sloths and three-toed sloths. she's absolutely adorable. i would like to point out you are a very good sloth whisperer. >> thank you. >> she loves you. >> and their toes are very sharp. >> there are only two of them. you could have had a three-toe sloth. >> they're premiering a sneak peek of our show right after puppy bowl. >> check it out. >> okay. thank you, al. that was awesome. good-bye. >> they're just slow all the time. >> let's bring on -- shall we bring on the alligator? >> yes. >> all right. robert, tell us about this one. >> this is junior. i love junior. he's an american alligator. they're so special. and these guys, they're crocodilians. the way to tell them apart from saltwater crocs, they have that u-shaped head. you can give this one a pat.

>> can that head just flip around and bite hoda's hand? >> yes, we should probably turn around. >> is this a baby? >> you're welcome to. this will grow up and over 12 feet long. they get really big. they're just like dinosaurs, aren't they? >> prehistoric. >> you see his mouth slightly open like that, what does that tell you? >> it means he's a little bit grumpy. >> okay. bye-bye, robert. bye-bye. >> lastly, we have a porcupine. >> look at this guy. >> perfect. >> tell us about this one, terri. >> this is is the prehensile tailed porcupine. like primates they can use their tail to grip with, from south america. if she feels the least little bit grumpy, she does a jumpy thing with her quicklies, which

she can actually push quicklies into a predator to keep it from eating her, because she's all prickly on the sbouts soft on her tummy. >> do they fire out or she can control them? >> she doesn't shoot them out. >> that's in a cartoon. >> yes. >> i thought that was true. >> she makes them rigid or something? sbl she kind of jumps like that and pushes quills. >> what's she eating right now? >> banana. she's also got some grapes and she'll eat just about any kind of vegetation. >> all right. >> they're very sweet. it's just kind of something to remember that when an animal is being defensive, it's just because they're scared. they're not being mean or anything like that. they're very special. >> terri, bindi, robert, thank you guys. >> thank you so much. >> just feeling comfortable. >> i know. me, too, just starting to not be stressed anymore. thank you so much, irwin family. they'll be back to show us more cool animals? our fourth hour. be sure to catch their show on animal planet. >> where is the sloth?

>> over there.

welcome back. we've got willie here. >> willie's here. >> to tell us about the weekend but first birthdays with al. >> all right. let's -- i'm sorry. >> the sloth is gone. >> that's right. we don't have all that much time. break out the smucker's jar. first up, happy 100 birthday to mattie brown sullivan, seamstress from new jersey. she used her sewing skills during the war. how nice. from pennsylvania, blanche otis, loves to cook up a pot of soup every day, says it's the secret to longevity. happy birthday to ray ackerman, die-hard cubs fan from springfield, illinois. we salute your service, sir. and eddie has over 50 great

grandkids. martha thomas, over 100, proud musician from bedford, pennsylvania, performs the harmonica at local nursing homes and last but not least, happy birthday to paul, make sure you stay connected to family and friends. if you know somebody celebrating a milestone birthday or anniversary, want to hear all about them. saturday, they'll take you behind the scenes of a production company that has look and feel of everything out of the '30s, everything in black and white. willie geist is here what have you got? >> grammy sunday. chris stapleton, one of my favorite acts. went home to his farm in tennessee with he and his wife, morgan. they sing together, harmony on stage, off stage. a great conversation. really, this is just the opening act on sunday for carson daly's

sunday "today" debut. >> is that right? >> i'm bringing my hip hop with me, too. >> big grammys preview piece about the dominance of hip hop. >> because of jay-z, kendrick lamar. hip hop has dominated. i )m - -... on with us live. good morning. it's 8 oo:26. i'm marcus washington. the man accused of crashing his car into an chp officer is entering a plea today. he is accused of being drunk and high on night of that crash. he faces second degree murder charges. witnesses say he was driving at a high speed when he slammed into the chp vehicle as it was parked on interstate 880. officer andrew cavalarri died.

an arraignment was supposed to get under way around 8:00 this morning. happening now, our pete is in the courthouse and will have a live report for our midday newscast. also updates as we get them on our twitter feed. two officers escape serious injury after a head-on crash. the driver of the other car also reported major injurinjuries. more details, including what kept that outcome from being worse on our twitter page. trump touts america on his visit overseas, as new reports are swirling here at home that he tried to fire special investigator robert mueller. on our facebook page what the president said this morning to the world's economic leaders. but

before you. the scams to avoid in the first tax season... since a data breach impacting nearly (every american. and: scott mcgrew tells you everything you need to know as the russia probe intensifies. watch monday: 4:30 to 7.

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good morning, everybody. good morning and welcome. i'm megyn kelly. we have an exclusive interview in moments with a woman who accuses former action star steven segall of rape. first, from the sentencing of dr. larry nassar. you saw the show yesterday and saw these three women coming forward to testify in court against him. this guy got 40 to 175 years in prison after more than 150 young women testified he sexually abused them. this morning the united states olympic committee is demanding that the entire board of usa gymnastics