sam rockwell, "three billboards outside ebbing, missouri." >> allison janney, "i, tonya." >> "basketball," glenn teague and kobe! >> shut up and dribble. but i'm glad we do a little bit more than that. a big night at the oscars. a number of firsts and much more. we have the highlights. >> nbc news has new information about a grand jury subpoena sent to a witness in the mueller investigation. we have the inside details. president trump isn't backing down on a promise to levy hefty tariffs on steel and aluminum in spite of the massive backlash. and hundreds of thousands are still recovering from damaging weather. many remain with no power. "early today" starts right now.

good morning. i'm phillip mena. >> good to be with you on a monday. i'm frances rivera. the awartsds season came to a close last night at the 9 o'th annual academy awards if los angeles. two-time host jimmy kimmel was quick to shine light on the importance of the women's empowerment movement currently sweeping hollywood. it didn't stop there. three of harvey weinstein's most outspoken accusers, ashley judd, salma hayek, and annabella sciorra presented a video mantiage on equality and representation. actress frances mcdormand won the oscar for best actress with w. a rousing acceptance speech. >> if i may be so honored, to have all the female nominees in all the categories stand with me in the room tonight. meryl, if you do it, everyone else will. >> other windsor of the night included mexican director guillermo del toro. he took home the oscar for best director and best picture. and jordan peele made history as the first black screenwriter to win best original screenplay for "get out."

>> i thought no one would ever make this movie. but i kept coming back to it because i knew if someone let me make this movie that people would hear it and people would see it. >> nbc's gina kim has more from the dolby theater in hollywood. hey, gina. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, phillip. going into the night many of the top awards categories had clear favorites. except best picture. but in the end "the shape of water," a romance fantasy between a sea creature and a mute woman, took that top prize, and a big night for mexican-american filmmakers and films. >> and the oscar goes to -- >> reporter: a year after the infamous envelope mix-up, faye dunaway and warren beatty did the honors again. >> "the shape of water." >> reporter: no mistakes this time. the romance about a mute woman and a sea creature earned hollywood's top prize and three others including best director for guillermo del toro. >> growing up in mexico, i thought this could never happen. it happened. >> reporter: in the acting categories -- >> gary oldman. >> reporter: -- there were no surprises. gary oldman's portrayal of

winston church until "darkest hour" brought him best actor while supporting honors went to allison janney for "i, tonya" and sam rockwell for "three billboards outside ebbing, missouri." >> frances mcdormand. >> reporter: that film's star won her second best actress oscar and she saluted all of the night's female nominees, encouraging hollywood's power brokers to take note of their future projects. >> don't talk to us about it at the parties tonight. invite us into your office in a couple days or you can come to ours. whichever suits you best. and we'll tell you all about them. >> reporter: the night did produce some firsts. >> jordan peele. "get out." >> reporter: "get out's" writer-director jordan peele became the first african-american to win best original screenplay. >> i knew if someone let me make this movie that people would hear it and people would see it. >> reporter: also taking home an oscar, nba legend kobe bryant for writing the animate short film "dear basketball." >> as basketball players we're really supposed to shut up and dribble, but i'm glad we do a little bit more than that. >> reporter: just two years after the hashtag oscars so white this year showcased

hollywood's increasingly diverse voices. the biggest box office has got relatively little love at this year's box office. "star wars" the last jedi won none of the four awards it was nominated for, and "blade runner: 2049" got two. in hollywood i'm gina kim. phillip, back to you. >> thank you very much. more developments in the russia probe. a grand jury subpoena issued by special counsel robert mueller is asking for communications related to some of the trump campaign's key figures including the president himself. the subpoena was first reported by axios and later reviewed by nbc news. it seeks all documents including e-mails, texts, memos, phone logs, and more having anything to do with ten current and former campaign associates of mr. trump. dating back to november of 2015. among them former campaign managers corey lewandowski and paul manafort. former white house strategist steve bannon and the president's personal lawyer michael cullen who is only person on the list who has not left the white house. >> also on the list is president

trump. indicating mueller is not just focused on what campaign aides knew and when but also what the president himself knew. it comes days after an nbc news exclusive report that mueller is asking pointed questions about whether president trump knew about hacked e-mails from hillary clinton's campaign before the public found out. >> president trump is holding firm on his proposal for steep tariffs on imported steel and aluminum. tweeting over the weekend, "we are on the losing side of almost all trade deals. it's time for a change." administration officials now say there will be no country exemptions to the proposed plan. that despite international and domestic outcry including divisions within the president's own party. nbc white house correspondent kelly o'donnell has the latest. >> reporter: from a trump-style campaign message -- >> we're going to put american steel and aluminum back into the backbone of our country. >> reporter: to trump-style decision-making. >> we're going to be instituting tariffs. >> the dow going down with a

decline of more than 430 points. >> reporter: heard like a fire alarm across markets, among allies, and even in the president's own party. >> it's only going to hurt american consumers and our allies. please reconsider your solution. >> reporter: but in places like west virginia, where trump's trade positions have traction, enthusiasm can be found. from a democrat. >> we're talking about fair trade. free trade hasn't worked well for west virginia. it realliny hasn't. we've lost thousands of jobs. >> reporter: the plan would impose tariffs on steel and aluminum coming into the u.s. intended to make u.s. steel and aluminum providers more competitive. but unintended consequences worry, the owner of iowa-based des moines steel. >> it's going to hurt us in the long run. our supply and demand now is going to be hard because almost all our stainless steel is made in china and living overseas. >> reporter: with days to go or maybe more, until the president says he will sign the tariff plan commerce secretary wilbur

ross said other nations want a chance to influence the terms. >> a lot of countries have been talking with the president. they've been talking with me. they've been talking with others. and we'll see. the president makes the decisions. >> reporter: ross dismissed concerns that threats of trade retaliation against american-made goods would hurt consumers. >> retaliation isn't going to change the price of a can of beer. it isn't going to change the price of a car. it's just not going to. >> reporter: secretary ross acknowledged there are differences inside the president's inner circle about whether the tariffs are a good policy. despite that divide he says he's not seen any indication the president would back away from this yd or carve out specific exceptions for certain nations. but he also cautioned that that would be up to the president and a decision could come this week. frances? >> kelly o'donnell. kelly, thanks. reaction to the proposed tariffs is swift around the world as well. with several countries warning of market disruption on all

sides. some threatening to retaliate with tariffs of their own, saying they won't ignore the potential impact on their economies. nbc's ali arouzi is joining us from london this morning. hey, ali, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, phillip. president trump's tariffs are not going down well here in the uk either and throughout europe. criticism has come in from governments, lawmakers, steelmakers, and labor unions from all around the world. france and germany are very worried and they've been warning they won't sit by idly if import taxes are enacted. trump has threatened a 25% tax on european cars if there's a retaliation. and that would be a huge blow to german brands like bmw and mercedes. the u.s. is their most lucrative market. it's also a difficult moment for the united kingdom. the u.s. is a big market for uk's steel industry and as britain is negotiating its way out of the eu it had hoped to capitalize on its special relationship with america and bolster trade after brexit.

but in a phone call to president trump yesterday prime minister may's office said that she has raised deep concerns over the president's plan. there's also been criticism from china. they said they won't -- they don't want a trade war but they'll defend their interests. canada's called the tariffs unacceptable. brazil, mexico, and japan have said that they will consider retaliatory steps. guys? >> all right, ali with us this morning. thank you, ali. appreciate it. at least nine people are now dead after friday's ferocious nor'easter. the monster storm hammered the east coast with heavy winds, rain, and snow. flooding and damaging properties, uprooting trees, and also knocking out power to hundreds of thousands who remain in the dark. crews are now racing to restore power and clean up the mess with another mid-week storm ahead. nbc's kristen dahlgren has the latest. >> reporter: downed trees and power lines still litter the landscape, while homeowners in new york are growing frustrated. after more than two days in the dark and cold. >> we might have been able to stay if we had heat.

>> reporter: it's the same in maryland where wind wiped out forests. and pennsylvania. >> we're just waiting for them to come are get this tree out because we can't leave. >> reporter: more than'll 30,000 are still without power on the east coast. this crew from mississippi fixing lines in connecticut. workers from as far away as canada and chicago called in to help. >> we're proud of it. >> reporter: in quincy, massachusetts mario venterelli getting his first look at his home since he was rescued by boat. >> water was just up to here. and we just got silt all throughout the house, just settled water. it just came bubbling up through the floors. >> reporter: shannon henderson lived through louisiana's hurricane, and she knows what it's like to be left without power. >> i just knew i had to be here and do something because when your house is flooded and you just don't know where to start, you just need hands. you need lots of hands. >> reporter: so she is handing out donuts and hugs. with the forecast calling for another storm mid-week,

residents back in new york say the situation is growing desperate. >> this could get much worse for you. >> and for everyone here. everyone here's got water in their pipes. and if it goes down in the 20s things freeze. >> reporter: so you can see very clearly what's going on in this neighborhood. a tree that came down on those wires. the power company's been out to look at it but residents tell me they haven't done anything yet to fix it. the best estimate they can give people that live here is their power will be restored by 11:00 p.m. on tuesday. so still almost two days away, frances. >> it's going to be a long couple of days. kristen, thank you. >> nbc meteorologist bill karins joining us now. what's the latest? >> people are searching for that groundhog. the groundhog said it wrob a while till we get to spring and it's looking like it. winter storm today in the northern plains. in the northeast we could have a nor'easter on wednesday night and then again at the end of the weekend. it's just a very active winter pattern. we have blizzard warnings in

south dakota up to southern north dakota. we could see whiteout conditions later today with winds gusting to 55 miles per hour. minneapolis, the beginning of the winter you couldn't buy snow and now you're just getting it in bucketloads. you're going to get another six to nine inches of snow from this storm. a little bit in chicago. milwaukee a little bit more. a little warmer -- a little colder. green bay also four inches for you. this is all within the next two days. today's forecast, for those without power in the northeast it's a chilly morning too. temperatures in the 20s only warming up into the of missouri. back down through texas we could see some thunderstorms today too around houston and also shreveport. well, we'll come back, we'll talk about nor'easter number two, only about 48 hours away. >> all right. see you in a bit, bill. thanks. wakanda's reign continues at

the box office. marvel's blrnth blrnth brought in $65 million in its third weekend. more impressively, it now has made over half a billion dollars in north america and that makes it 9 tenth biggest domestic film of all time. jennifer lawrence's "red sparrow" debuted in second place making $17 million. while the weekend's other new release "death wish" start bruce willis came in third with $13 million. raising money and building toward march 24th's big march. details next. my gums are irritated. i don't have to worry about that, do i? actually, you do. harmful bacteria lurk just below the gum line, and if you're not taking care of your gums, you're not taking care of your mouth. so now i use this. crest gum detoxify. introducing new crest gum detoxify... it works below the gum line and is clinically proven to neutralize harmful plaque bacteria and help reverse early gum damage. new gum detoxify, from crest. gums are good. so is my check up! crest. healthy, beautiful smiles for life.

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also leading the news this morning, thousands march for gender equality in the uk just ahead of international women's day. the march for women commemorated major milestones for women like international women's day, which is celebrated annually on march 8th and the 100th anniversary of the british voting rights act for women. women held up signs saying "together we are braver" as they chanted in protest. those who joined the movement challenged fundamental assumptions about women's roles and political participation. >> in the wake of the deadly parkland school shooting students are keeping the national conversation about gun violence alive. in northern california one group of students raised some $1,500 to support victims and their families. they're also preparing for the national school walkout on march 14th, which will last 17 minutes to honor the 17 victims killed at marjory stoneman douglas high school. >> after that i kind of realized this affects so many real people, like real families. >> we hate how school shootings are being treated as if they're inevitable in our country,

because they're not. and this is our way of being part of this national conversation. police in vermont have busted the co-founder of ben & jerry's ice cream during a protest. ben cohen is acaused of violating the steve burlington's noise ordinance. police say and two others were protesting against the air force's decision to move f 35 fighter planes to the area. cohen and the others are accused of blasting jet noise from speakers on the back of a pickup truck. they all received citations. just ahead, how did my oscar picks for this year pan out? we'll tell you about that. we'll face the fire as well as the critics next. stay with us. tions? at walgreens, we'll help you save more with zero dollar copays on select plans and reward points on prescriptions. so no matter where you're going or who you are, it's worth the trip. we'll help you find low cost prescriptions including zero dollar copays on select medicare part d plans.

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we are so happy to be here, but our feet hurt. >> yeah. >> mm-hmm. >> i had to take my shoes off. >> girl, me too. i've been wearing these shoes since 11:00. how long have you been wearing your shoes? >> since the critics' choice awards. >> well, i got blisters bubbling up on the bottom of my foot. >> my pinkie toe fell off. >> ooh. >> that was presenters tiffany haddish and maya rudolph. they were fan favorites at last night's 9 0g9 annual academy awards and it prompted many to say they should host next year's awoords. they were certainly a big part of last night. >> after watching all nine best picture nominees our phillip mena rated them in the mena's movie minute and it seems like you didn't do too badly. >> if you haven't had a chance

to see all three installments be sure to check them out. they're on our facebook and twitter pages. i rated "get out" number 3. that's the one that won best screenplay. if you haven't seen it it's one of the most unique movies you'll see. "the shape of water" i decided that was the second best movie i had seen this year. that one is so odd and so creative, though. i mean, it's about -- it's set in the cold war era. and the two main characters don't even speak in it. and yet here it is with all the accolades here. number one i thought was three billboards. so as far as the individual awards they kind of cleaned up as far as best actors and supporting actors. a lot of good nimz this year. >> ready for 2019. we'll be back. ♪ never drop to your knees, ♪ look into the sky for a momentary high, ♪ ♪ you never even tried till it's time to say goodbye, bye ♪ ♪ everybody fights for a little bit of light, i believe. ♪

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- sometimes it's nice to see all the good that's out there. bringing folks out, we have seen it in community after community. the girl scouts are adding a new cybersecurity badge. it is part of the initiative to engage young women in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math known as stem. especially the critical middle school level when studies show many girls lose interest in the field. >> nbc's jo ling kent shows us how the 106-year-old women's organization is ushering today's generation into the future. >> girl scouts evelyn and delany dream of starting a company together. >> after the white it's the blue? >> it's the blue, yeah. >> reporter: at just 9 years old they're already on their way. learning how to code, bead by bead. >> i'm helping people that could get like their money could get stolen. >> reporter: they're among the

first girl scouts pursuing new cybersecurity badges to take on the growing threat of data breaches, hacking and identity theft. >> and helping people be more safe is kind of what girl scouts do. >> reporter: they start with the basics. >> you're going to be my message sender. >> reporter: like learning how the internet is really just a huge web of connection. older scouts will master how viruses work and participate in hack-a-thons. >> how do you like it? >> i like it. >> reporter: women currently hold just 11% of cybersecurity jobs around the world. by exposing scouts to the field early, girl scouts ceo sylvia acevedo wants to close that gender gap. >> a lot of girls, they really want to be part of protecting america. we're really looking at how are we going to expand the workforce for what's happening in this very cyber world. >> reporter: ricky sepi at palo alto networks helped design the program. her goal, hire girl scouts one day. >> it's going to be exciting to see these girls become our cyber

defenders. we're going to need the best and the greatest minds. >> reporter: these girl scouts are already plotting to break up the boys' club of the tech industry too. >> some people that have companies have like a bias toward like men or boys. and then they choose the boys. >> do you guys think girls are just as good as boys in science and engineering? >> yeah. >> definitely. >> sometimes even better. >> reporter: message received. >> girls are awesome! >> reporter: jo ling kent, nbc news, alameda, california. >> those girls are awesome. >> i love it. you've got stem and cybersecurity along with samoas and doe see doughs. >> the boys are going to snag that idea next. you know it's going to happen. that's the way it works. thanks for starting your week us. i'm phillip mena. >> i'm frances rivera.

thanks for watching "early today." keep it right here. your news continues on nbc and our nbc stations. we need to be ready for whatever weather may come our way. my name's scott strenfel and i'm a meteorologist at pg&e. we make sure that our crews as well as our customers are prepared to how weather may impact their energy. so every single day we're monitoring the weather, and when storm events arise our forecast get crews out ahead of the storm to minimize any outages. during storm season we want our customers to be ready and stay safe. learn how you can be prepared at pge.com/beprepared. together, we're building a better california.

so i'm hyperventilating a little bit. if i fall over pick me up because i have things to say. >> no big shockers at the academy awards but plenty of memorable moments and highlights ahead. the mueller investigation got more interesting. nbc news is revealing a witness subpoena and we know how much more that -- that much more about mueller's strategy. >> in florida lawmakers advabsing new gun laws in a bill named after mar gor yee stoneman goug glass high school. why only one in four are seeing a difference in the paychecks because of the tax laws. "early today" starts now. good to be with you. >> i'm frances rivera. >>