. . . new details surrounding the actual number of migrants in the terror database stopped by customs at the southern border, just six in the first half of 2018. but can president trump sway public opinion enough to force the democrats to fund a border wall? new information this morning surrounding the saudi teen feing for her life and barricading herself in a hotel room as she sought help. a major victory for a woman who spent nearly half her life in prison. now she's getting a second chance. russia's vladimir putin showing off some of his nation's big gunsn the coolest new electronics from the biggest show in the world in las vegas. and the battle for the national championship that went terribly wrong for one of these

undefeated teams. "early today" starts right now. great being with you on this tuesday. i'm frances rivera. >> and i'm phillip mena. as we enter day 18 of the partial government shutdown, the fight over funding for the u.s.-mexico border has now taken an unprecedented turn with president trump going directly to the american public, this time with a televised prime time address airing tonight at 9:00 p.m. eastern time. it's his first ever from the oval office. but as the white house makes claims of a growing threat of terrorism at the southern border, nbc news found that customs and border protection encountered just six immigrants who were on a federal list of terrorists. six. and the democrats aren't going down without a fight. with house speaker nancy pelosi and senate minority leader chuck schumer demanding equal air time to address the nation after the president's address. tracie potts joining us with the latest from d.c. good morning. i think the big quest use this tonight to declare some sort of

national emergency? >> reporter: exactly. he has said he can do not only here on capitol hill but in the courts where it's sure to face a legal challenge and could tie this up for some time. for the president, the advantage of declaring a national emergency is being able to use existing funds from the pentagon and elsewhere to begin to build that wall. if he declares as president there is an emergency at the border. the legal question there that he may be asked and his administration may be asked to answer, is what's the emergency? what constitutes that emergency? as you just noted, the administration has said repeatedly 4,000 suspected terrorists or known terrorists were stopped at the border last year. but the numbers that we got that were provided to congress from homeland security shows only six suspected immigrant terrorists in the last half -- or in the first half of last year. 41 in all. but only six of those were

immigrants. rom 4,00 so what are the numbers that justify the emergency if, in fact, that's where the president is going tonight? of course all of this feeding into what is now the second longest government shutdown with 800,000 workers wondering if they'll get paid. 51,000 tsa workers may not get paid on this friday, and that could have implications as people try to get screened in airports across the country. phillip? >> a lot of implications. we've come a long way since mexico was going to foot this bill here. tracie, thank you. president trump's national security adviser is overseas this morning doing damage control with some allies worried about the president's plan to pull u.s. troops out of syria. john bolton announcing those troops might not leave as soon as expected. here's nbc chief foreign affairs correspondent andrea mitchell. >> reporter: the president now saying he never intended to get out of syria right away. >> we're going to be removing our troops. i never said we're doing it that quickly. >> reporter: but three weeks

ago, he shocked u.s. allies, prompting a dramatic resignation from defense secretary jim mattis, by saying isis was defeated and he was pulling american troops out in a month. >> we've beaten them badly. we've taken back the land. and now it's time for our troops to come back home. >> reporter: in iraq over christmas, the president agreed to give the military four months. but now national security adviser john bolton on damage control, telling israel there is no timetable for withdrawal. and demanding that turkey not target u.s. allies, the kurds, before the u.s. leaves. >> i applaud the president for re-evaluating what he's doing. >> reporter: another complication, u.s. officials say there are still thousands of isis fighters in syria. the kurds saying they captured two americans among them. >> this has caused a big problem for u.s. allies whether it's europeans who are part of the counterisis campaign or allies in the region such as israel. >> reporter: u.s. officials are also scrambling on what to do with hundreds of isis prisoners in syria who could go free in the u.s. leaves. appealing to other countries to

take them, even thinking them t. supreme court justice ruth bader ginsburg is missing arguments for the first time in more than 25 years. the 85-year-old justice is still recovering from the cancer surgery that she had last month. pete williams is in washington. pete, what do we know about her recovery? >> reporter: phillip, this is the first time justice ginsburg has missed any courtroom argument in her 25 years on the bench. she was not here monday when the court came back after the holiday break. she's still recovering at home from surgery on december 21st. doctors removed part of her lung after finding three cancerous lumps. she was released from the hospital four days later and has been recuperating from home. she's 85 years old, and doctors say it usually takes about a month to recover from this kind of surgery. but she's still participating in the court's work. she'll do that by reading the legal briefs and the transcripts of the oral argument. but the court hasn't yet said

when she'll be back on the bench. philip? now to the saudi teen making headlines around the world by making appeals on social media to avoid being sent back home. that's where she says she fears for her life. the 18-year-old grabbed international attention when she barricaded herself inside a b k bangkok hotel air room. chapman, what more can you tell us this morning? >> reporter: well, frances, rahaf al qunun's campaign on social media that you were speaking about that spread around the world, barricading herself in an airport hotel and refusing to go back to the middle east. the teenager making this plea that spread around the world. >> i'm not leaving my room until i see unhcr. i it seems her efforts seem to be working in her favor. now she was able to speak with the u.n. refugee agency. the agency releasing a statement

saying, we are very grateful the thai authorities did not send her back against her will and are extending protection for her, but adding it could take several days to process the case and determine the next steps. a lawyer working with human rights lawyers association on behalf of the teenager tells nbc news that she was terrified after landing in thailand and told she would have to travel back to kuwait or saudi arabia and not to australia as she had planned to seek asylum. her passport taken. thai authorities have now given her back her passport, and as you've seen, she'll have steps to go to see how this plays out. frances? >> closely watching her progress. chapman, thank you. kevin spacey has made his first court appearance in massachusetts. the actor pleading not guilty to a felony count of indecent assault and battery. hours later, spacey was pulled over for speeding while leaving the reagan national airport. he was given a verbal warning before continuing on his way. for more insight on those court proceedings, we go now to nbc's kate snow. >> reporter: swarmed by the

media, kevin spacey spent less than 15 minutes in a nantucket courtroom. he never spoke, but mouthed thank you to the judge after filing his plea of not guilty. that charge stemming from a night at this bar. >> my son was completely star struck. >> reporter: heather unruh says her son was 18 at the time but told spacey he was older, and spacey bought him drink after drink. >> it wasn't until kevin spacey put his hand inside his pants that he really knew he was in trouble. >> you say he didn't consent to that? >> absolutely not. >> reporter: she says her son told her and his sister that night, but didn't report it until more than a year later. >> he was afraid. i mean who's going to believe an 18-year-old kid? >> reporter: in a new court filing, spacey's defense attorneys say unruh's son did not object to the alleged touching. he did not m fowler -- spacey's legal name -- to stop. and nom the alled victim sent a snapchat video to his girlfriend from the bar that night.

>> all i'm asking for is just to put a bubble around that data so it doesn't get destroyed. >> reporter: the judge ordered prosecutors to preserve their messages. the defense team asserting the alleged victim exchanged nume rusz text messages and snapchats with his then-girlfriend and never mentioned the alleged sexual assault. the next hearing, march 4th. the judge said spacey does not need to appear. kate snow, nbc news. in new york city, a sea of firefighters once again standing at emotional salute. this time their mourning coming hours after a 30-year-old firefighter stephen pollard fell to his death from a bridge while helping victims of a car crash. pollard had been with the fdny for a year and a half and came from a family of firefighters. the fdny now remembering what they call a painful and sad sight. pollard plunged 52 feet fromn overpass to the concrete below after slipping through a gap in the road. funeral arrangements are pending as the brooklyn neighborhood where he worked is stunned by

the loss of a nowo the battle o undefeateds for the national championship of college football. looking for some revenge after last year. the first quarter started off with some back and forth scoring. the tigers would strike first. a.j. terrell picking off alabama's tua tagovailoa and taking it to the house on the opening drive of the game. that set the tone for the game too. the first quarter was as close as it was going to get. number one alabama never really found a rhythm. clemson rolled the crimson tide for most of the game. tigers freshman quarterback trevor lawrence threw for 347 yards and three touchdowns. he also had a lot of help from some amazing catches. on this one, clemson managed to shut down and dominate alabama throughout much of this game. the tigers led by head coach dabo sweeney have now won their second national championship in the past three years, handing alabama the most lopsided loss in coach nick saban's incredible career as 'bama's head coach. the final score, a rout, 44-16.

this is clemson's 15th win in an undefeated season. they're the only team to achieve that mark in the a.p. poll area that dates back to 1936. congrats to the national champions, clemson tigers. a little bit of white out there. let's check to see who's going to get what with this snow. >> good morning. two storms we're going to deal with in two days. winter weather advisories for 26 million people. a new one has been issued in the central appalachians. let me time this for you. here's storm one. that will be exiting pretty quickly early today. storm two located back toward chicago. storm two is the one that's going to get stronger during the day today, bringing rain and maine.rough areas of r.storm o watch what happens later tonight. storm two really ifn tensintens enhanced lake-effect snow. also significant snow as we go throughout wednesday. northern portions of new

england, a snowstorm for you er. highs today only in the teens and 20s in the northern plains. it's going to be windy too. a little rough for airport travel. we'll talk about that coming up. >> bill, thank you. a fearless critter got a little too close for comfort at a police station in illinois. check out the video here. the squirrel found itself trapped between the doors at the mchenry police department and it gave officers, believe it or not, a bit of a scare. they tried to usher the little guy out to no avail. the squirrel continued to launch itself on those walls.t ade it insideeith side here. still ahead, a major victory for a woman who spent nearly half her life in prison with no chance of protest for 50 years. .

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cyntoia brown was convicted of murder when she was just 16 and sentenced to life in prison. but on monday, everything changed for her when the governor granted her clemency. brown's legal team spoke exclusively to nbc's ron allen. >> i can't fix it, and i'm sorry. >> reporter: at a parole hearing last year, cyntoia brown was begging for mercy after learning she won't have to spend the rest of her life in prison, speaking on a call with prisoners. >> thank you, governor, for a m showing mercy. >> reporter: a stunning turn in a case so shocking, it inspired a documentary. >> i just grabbed the gun, and i shot him. >> reporter: brown admitted killing johnny allen when she was 16, claiming she was forced into prostitution and shot him in self-defense. prosecutors called her a cold-blooded killer and thief. they said her claim of being a victim of human trafficking was a lie. >> guilty. >> reporter: the sentence, life in prison, no chance for parole

for some 50 years. governor bill haslem called her punishment too harsh and granted her full clemency, citing her extraordinary rehabilitation. brown's attorney spoke exclusively with nbc news. >> i hugged her and whispered in her ear, you're going to get out in august. >> what did she say? >> she did a little dance. i think she is going to be able to help hundreds, if not thousands of young people. >> i think that this also gives a tremendous amount of hope to people who are still in prison. >> reporter: on social media, thanroiste who called for brown's freedom, and an outpouring of gratitude from a young woman soon to be set free. ron allen, nbc news, nashville. still to come, your first glimpse at john travolta's new look. plus russia's vladimir putin with his own brand of war games, next. ok like? it looks like emily cooking dinner for ten.

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that is russian president vladimir putin celebrating the orthodox christmas by firing the howitzer at the peter and paul fortress in st. petersburg on monday. under the russian orthodox lit urge cal calendar, christmas is observed on january 7th. 9 midday shot at the fortress has been a tradition since 1865. putin appeared only flinched

slightly when that canon went off. >> nothing says merry christmas like firing every weaponry. we have an update on the heartbreak in chicago. the nfl has officially ruled that cody parkey's missed field goal from sunday was actually blocked. check out the video. it shows that philadelphia's treyvon hester tipped the ball that ultimately doinked off the upright and then off the cross bar. that tip likely saved the day for philly really at the end of the game and sunk the bears' season. it might actually give some relief to cody parkey, who has just been hammered these past 48 hours or so. >> you can imagine he can sleep maybe just a little bit better at night with that ruling. >> he can but not bears fans. we all know how much a younger john travolta loved his hair. >> watch the hair. you know, i work on my hair a long time, and you hit it. >> grease as well. now 40 years after saturday

night fever and all those other movies, travolta is sporting a new 'do. look at this. sharing this photo on instagram with a shaved head. judging by the positive feedback, yeah, i like it. he's not going to need any grease anytime soon. it suits him. >> it does. you know, when it goes, it goes. >> and let it go. >> it looks so natural that way. so good. >> got to feel so much better too. just ahead, a scary crash involving a school bus plus it's like christmas for gearheads. we'll get a preview of this year's consumer electronics show. my digestive system used to make me feel sluggish

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welcome back. it's going to be a windy day in the plains and with it is going to come that cold air too. 5ir7b89 delays from the dakotas through iowa. 32 million people under these wind advisories. the wind speeds will be somewhere in the 30 to 50-mile-per-hour range. just starting to pick up in areas of south dakota, but this afternoon they'll be in the 20 to 30, maybe some gusts of 40 to 50. be prepared for somein delays. still to come, artists go head to head with their frozen masterpieces at the world's largest frozen ice festival. ate. hydro boost water gel from neutrogena®. with hyaluronic acid it goes beneath the surface to plump skin cells from within and lock in hydration leaving skin so supple, it actually bounces back. the results will blow you away! hydro boost and our gentle exfoliating cleanser

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tractor-trailer and a school bus monday. the tractor-trailer flipped on its side along the shoulder of the road. hazmat units responded after diesel fuel leaked from the overturned vehicle. the 14 students and big rig driver were hospitalized. all are expected to survive. the cause of the crash is still under investigation. the consumer electronics show kicks off today in las vegas, and although there is lots of buzz on the latest in technology and innovation, privacy is still a major concern. nbc technologyor vegas. >> reporter: this week in las vegas, more than 4,000 tech companies are showing off the future. well, a really shiny expensive version of it anyway. from samsung's design your own tv, expandible from a mere 12-inch screen up to almost two stories tall, to artificially intelligent robot helpers for the elderly. new gadgets for your kitchen, like a touch screen oven that walks you through the recipe. i can see just how badly i

burned it. i didn't garnish it properly. and a fresh bread vending machine. google and amazon are battling to be your effort present assistant using new faster 5g technology to more quickly process what you're saying. >> artificial intelligence is the ingredient of the show. it's the future because that allows products to be smart and more responsive and predictive of needs of consumers. >> reporter: pretty much everything here connects to t y questions are everywhere. apple does not usually show up here, but this year it must have sensed the mood. a 13-story ad on a building near the expo reads, what happens on your iphone stays on your ipne selling consumer data. after a year where big companies like facebook, amazon, and ticketmaster lost customer data to hackers, here in vegas,

a balancing act for tech giants, offering entertainment and convenience in exchange for knowing more about you than ever before. >> thanks to jake for that report. apple throwing some shade. 34 teams of artists from around the world worked on their grand ice sculptures during a competition at the international ice and snow festival in china. you can see huge replicas of the world's most famous buildings as well as giant slides and also ork so hard and create these beautiful structures when they know it's eventually going to melt. >> you get an extra warm day, all their work is done. all their work is done. >> thanksor waking up w f thanks to move free ultra 2in1... i keep up with this little one. see the world with this guy. and hit the town with these girls. in a clinical study, 4 out of 5 users felt better joint comfort. move free ultra.

movement keeps us connected. san jose. and a good tuesday morning to you. taking a live look, a beautiful shot there of the bay bridge, as

we begin this tuesday morning. good morning. thanks so much for starting your morning here with us. i'm marcus washington. >> and i'm, go dp am laura garc. little calm before yet another storm. >> it's a busy week, off and on with the rain. today we're tracking light showers to start out your morning. here is a look at storm ranger, our mobile doppler radar. we're already starting to see showers move into the coast and the north bay, around point arena, down to dylan beach. some showers will spread inland. as it does so, our winds will pick up. we will have a wind advisory that starts at 7:00 a.m. and this is when we'll see some windsic