we get up pretty early to come to work but there's no one on the road. >> one or two cars. >> but you guys get to sleep a lot more than us. >> but you have to deal with it. >> thank you nor that. >> thank you. truly, thank you for joining us. we'll be back in half han hour. >> have a great morning. good. good morning. deadly deep freeze. the polar vortex tightens its icy grip on nation. 121 million people from the midwest to new england feeling the sting of bone chilling temperatures. at least eight deaths blamed on the brutal cold. thousands of schools closed. flights cancelled at dozens of airports. snow squalls causing new problems and major pile ups. so when will it finally come to an end? al is live on the deck of a coast guard ice cutter with the answers. hot topic. howard shults facing yet another day of criticism over his potential presidential bid. the former star buck ceo grilled

at an event in arizona overnight. >> i can promise you i'm not going to do anything to be a so-called spoiler in all this. >> this morning how workers at starbucks across the country are being told to handle the political backlash. super bowl of controversy. nearly two weeks later nfl commissioner roger goodell final leadership addresses that blown call in the saints-rams game. >> you're not going get it right every time. >> and comes under fire for his response for why colin c kaepernick has not returned to the league. >> this morning kaepernick's attorney responds in an exclusive interview. >> all that plus new twists. the people of interest now being sought by police in that alleged attack on a popular empire actor. underground mystery. the manmade tunnel discovered in florida that leads directly towards the bank. we're live with the latest on

the fbi's investigation. and we feel your pain with tens of millions suffering through record cold what you can do to keep your home, your car and yourself safe and warm during this miserable stretch of within. today thursday, january 30th, 2019. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with savannah guthrie and hoda kotb. live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> and welcome to "today". thank you for joining us on this freezing, frigid thursday morning. it's officially here in new york. >> i know. is it cold enough for you the deep freeze gripping much of the u.s. has arrived here in our city. on our plaza it's 4 degrees. every degree counts. >> it certainly does. >> for the second day in a row, 80% of the country is dealing with below freezing temperatures and this once in a generation weather is really taking a toll. >> it is. that frigid icy air is being blamed on at least eight deaths

nationwide so far. >> record loss have been is that frerd the midwest to the northeast, including 23 below in chicago. and 90 more could be set today. >> it's official, guys. hell has frozen over. that's right. the tiny town of hell, michigan hit minus 15 degrees. >> our team is fanned out to bring you complete coverage. we'll start with al. he's spending his morning on the hudson river in upstate new york on the deck of a u.s. coast guard cutter. al, good morning. >> reporter: we're on the deck of the 140-foot u.s. coast guard cutter. this is an ice breaker. keeping these shipping lanes open that make their way up towards albany, new york. and the ice is starting to thicken up again so we're going to be hearing some ice in just a little bit. let's show you what's going on as far as the rest of the country is concerned, as far as

these wind chills. dangerous wind chills for 121 million people from the dakotas to the northeast all the way down to north carolina. right now wind chills are bone chilling and dangerous. minus 33 in market. minus 37 in minneapolis. minus 41 in chicago. new york city it's minus 17. louisville at minus 2. for the day today, we're going see temperatures that are way below the normal but at least minneapolis warming up just a little bit. new york city 17. 18 in st. louis. then we got one more day of cold air and we start to see a little bit of a break. the cold moves out. we'll see this warm relief out in the rockies make its way to the east. rapid city, denver, tulsa all above-normal. chicago warming up to 23 friday but look at this, by saturday, st. louis is up to 62. chicago will be in the 40s. new york city up to 34 degrees. by super bowl sunday even atlanta has warmed up to near 60. binghampton 39. chicago 46 degrees.

wichita 56. another 24 hours or so of this brutally cold air and then we get a bit of a break. back to you. >> wow, al. we know you're in a super cold place there. get inside and problems from this extreme cold are adding up as quickly as those record low temperatures. tens of millions facing yet another day of cancelled school, work and flights. dylan is following the cold. she was in minnesota yesterday. today she's in new york city. it's cold in bryant park. >> reporter: it certainly is. it's fair trade to have al on the coast guard cutter after having just been in minneapolis yesterday. here it's not brutal but it's 12 below. it's not cold enough to close schools tore shut down new york city but still the situation where you could get frostbite in 30 minute or less. so people are being urged to bundle up and stay safe. this morning a massive deep

freeze wreaking havoc on most of the country. more than 230 million people battling temperatures below freezing on wednesday. in the midwest minneapolis saw its coldest morning since 1996. 60 degrees below zero with wind chills. >> pretty brutal. >> reporter: in chicago the polar vortex crippling planes, trains and waterways halting air travel at chicago's o'hare and midway airports. both with 60% of flights cancelled wednesday. the freezing temperatures forcing fires on the rails. flames seen sproufting from train tracks after officials from chicago's metro commuter rail system began setting the fires to keep the system moving. on the water one twitter user posting this video of a boat cussing ice on the chicago river. subzero temperatures turning deadly. a university of iowa student died after police found him behind an academic hall on campus wednesday morning.

the wind chill, 51 degrees below zero at the time. officials say they believe the cold contributed to his death. the frigid air mass moving east extending its icy grip to cities like new york and boston. both experiencing wind chills as cold as minus 10 to minus 20. in new jersey firefighters battling freezing temperatures and high winds struggling to put out a fire at a paper mill. >> firefighters dealing with water on their hands, on their face regardless if you have equipment on or not. it's impacting you and the cold slows you down. >> reporter: in new york city a sudden storm squall blanketed the streets within minutes. the extreme cold also powering up the lake-effect snow machine in upstate new york. >> the combination of snow plus the subzero temperatures, plus the wind, these are more complicated situations than we've dealt with in the past. >> reporter: cities like buffalo digging out of up to four feet of snow. powerful winds causing white out

conditions. but relief is on the way for millions of residents nationwide. forecasters say this cold snap is expected to end by this weekend. so there are a lot of fun experiments you can do when it's this cold. i'm sure you've seen the one where you throw boiling water into air and turns into snow. i don't recommend that. throwing boiling water into the wind might not end well. stick with blowing bubbles or freezing a banana and turning it into a hammer. >> thank you. just ahead everything you need to know could keep your family, animals, car, home steve. >> starbucks ceo howard shults addressed the growing concerns about his potential 2020 presidential bid. nbc white house correspondent peter alexander has the very latest on this. >> reporter: the more people yell at him not run the more

howard shults might be proving that government is not working. he's qualified because of his life experience but his argument is not silencing his critics. howard schultz in arizona fueling another round of heated coffee talk. >> i can promise you i'm not going to do anything to be a so-called spoiler in all this. >> reporter: the former starbucks ceo said he's surprised by the level of v vitriol. >> the democratic party is so far left they want government to take over health care which we can't afford. >> he has tough talk from elizabeth warren. he's a billionaire out of touch with the american people. >> elizabeth warren doesn't know me. i started from nothing.

i'm self-made. >> reporter: on twitter highlighting his humble origins. >> i grew up in billion, new york. in federally subsidized housing, the projects. >> reporter: shults and warren clashed on the tax on wealthiest americans and her policies would lead to socialism. >> i believe in capitalism. i see the wealth that can be produced. >> schultz may be months away from deciding whether to run. >> an 18 ounce box of cheerios -- >> four bucks. >> given the backlash over a possible schultz bid starbucks is advising employees in a new memo how to respond to in store complaints. the coffee giant recommends diffusing the situation by

saying we respect everyone's opinion and if pressed about schultz's political intentions howard's future plans are up to him. howard schultz heads back to seattle for another event tonight. that's where he built starbucks from the ground up. he could face a different reception from democrats there tonight. schultz's advisors tells me he stlus as-- views this as a 50 state contest. turn to craig now. update on a story. >> good morning. the investigation into a possible hate crime against a popular actor has taken a new turn this morning. after reviewing hundreds of hours of security footage chicago police are now trying to find two people considered person of interest in the case. ron mot ron mott is on the story. >> reporter: one of the stars of the hit show "empire" is still

recovering from the alleged attack. there's two people who may have more information about what happened. this morning chicago police are asking the public's help in identifying the two people of interest seen her. the duo captured on surveillance video is wanted for questioning in an alleged attack on actor jesse smolett who stars on "empire." police say on twitter while video does not capture an encounter detectives are taking this development seriously and wish to question individuals as more cameras are being reviewed. police say they have poured over hundreds of hours of video so far. authorities say smolett told them two men wearing ski masks assaulted him earl tuesday. placed a thin rope around his neck and poured a substance on him. the actor was still wearing the rope and shirt when officers arrived at his apartment. >> police are working on this.

it has no place in the city of chicago. >> reporter: an official tells us there's surveillance video of smolett at a subway restaurant where he was at before the assault. they advised him to seek medical treatment for injuries which de. chicago police revealed they sent this troubling letter to fbi. it was addressed to the star, contains ethnic and homophobic slurs and differed to the studio where "empire" was produced. well wishes continue to pour in from celebrities and former vice president joe biden. and his co-star also tweeted i wish what happened to my baby was just one bad joke but it wasn't and we all feel his pain. "empire's" production has been halted because of the bitterly cold weather. in the meantime smolett is scheduled to perform in a club

in west hollywood this saturday night. some other stories we're following. a wild one in florida. what officials thought was a sinkhole at first turned out to be a small manmade tunnel headed straight for a bank and now the hunt is on for those behind it. kerry sanders has the latest. >> reporter: this caper sounds like it was inspired by a movie or maybe it's so absurd it was inspired by a cartoon. look right over there you can see it now opened up but that was the tunnel that the fbi opened up and they found it heading directly to a bank. this morning the fbi in florida is digging for answers. after discovering a tunnel leading to treasure. >> this is truly a unique case. >> reporter: agents say a call to a road crew about a sinkhole in pembrook pines led to a tunnel. a pair of boots. a generator. a rope and wagon.

the tunnel leading to a chase bank nearby. >> even if you can get into the bank isn't the vault the real problem? >> i want to talk to them. yeah these are great questions. >> reporter: people in the area are shocked. snooift crazy to think about the mind behind it. >> reporter: one woman calling it chappo style references el chappo the mexican drug lord currently on trial known for his daring tunnel escapes. authorities looked but found nobody in the tunnel. the fbi says they believe more than one person had to be involved. one agent joking whoever dug it must be the size of an be a normally fat gopher since portions of the tunnel are only two feet wide. but in the end, size didn't matter. the fbi says mother nature soaked the soil with recent rains, i likely causing part of the tunnel to collapse. the foiled plot right out of a movie. >> we'll dig a tunnel from the basement of the shop, under the chicken end and to the safe

deposit vault. >> reporter: no longer leading to a jock pot but a possible jail cell if they can find who did this. the fbi isn't sure how long the tunnel has been here or when it was last worked on but they say the bank was never breached and no money was taken. chase bank tells nbc news they are working with the authorities to help figure this all out and guys if you'll indulge me just a moment, i want to tell you i've been digging for the facts on this whole story. >> kerry right to the end there. thank you, kerry. >> we'll turn to a bundled up al roker who is on a coast guard cutter. hey, al? >> reporter: hey guys, a little hard to hear you. if you can hear this sound that's the sound of the u.s. coast guard cutter breaking through ice as we head north towards albany. let's take a look and show you what else is going on around the

country. right now we're looking at a milder trend. out west. there's a new storm coming into the southern california area. we'll talk about that in the next half hour. southeast looking pretty good. lots of sunshine. temperatures are below normal there. we'll get to your local forecast coming up in the next 30 seconds. good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. a live look outside in dublin. the fog has started to develop

now that the rain moved out. it's pretty wet. watch out for low visibility. this storm moving away from the bay area. it did bring usa pretty good soaking in the overnight hours. a quarter to a half inch of rain. we are going to take a break and see our temperatures warm up to the 60s. the next storm arrives in the late afternoon and continues over the next several days. >> it's kind of interesting, guys, to be able to cut through this ice. there's what is called a bubbler system pushing water out ahead of this so it breaks up the ice, starts to break it up and the hull can slice through. it's amazing. they are based out of bayonne. i feel like a giant cocktail right now. a giant cocktail right now. >> cocktail ice. all right, al, thank you. still ahead here this morning, nfl commissioner roger goodell finally answering questions about that blown call that cost the saints. he's also coming under new scrutiny this morning for what

he said about colin kaepernick. we'll get reaction from the information quarterback's attorney. >> much more on this brutal cold. the best advice for protecting your home, car, family and pets. but first this is "today" on nbc.

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the solution to muni )s operator shortage.could come in the form of new housing. good morning. 7:26. i'm marcus washington. the solution to muni's operator shortage could come in the form of new housing. according to san francisco examiner it was brought up in the idea during sfmta retreat. the report shows low wages as one of the reasons for a 400 worker shortage. mayor breed is suggesting offering hundreds of laid off drivers with jobs with muni. they did not explain what the next steps are as far as making this a reality, but muni calling the idea tangible and feasible. right now let's get a look at that weather. rainy out there, kari.

>> it was rainy earlier. but take a look at this sunrise, gorgeous as we look at palo alto. rain chances will go down, a mix of sun and clouds as temperatures head back up in the 50s and low 60s. we can see it in the bay area. as we go from the forecast, another round of rain moving in tomorrow with gusty winds. a slight chance of lightning on saturday and another round on sunday. we'll talk more about that. let's head to mike for the commute. >> looking at the great commute. some slick roadways still. there's volume but no major complications. fog may be drifting around in batches so be aware. east shore freeway slow, 880 relatively mild through oakland, slows through fremont as you come out of union city. slower drive across dumbarton bridge as well. south holds steady 87 and 101. highway 87 recovered nicely after a crash on hamilton.

237 builds into mountainview. back to you. >> thanks, mike. we'll have another local update coming up for you in 30 minutes.

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now that's simple, easy, awesome. click call or visit a store today. 7:30 now. thursday morning, the 31st of january, 2019. this was the scene over at newark airport. this is the parking lot. a number of cars on fire. this is the top floor of a parking garage. firefighters battling the flames along with brutal cold temperatures. no word on what exactly caused that situation. understanding that they have it under control. >> firefighters on scene. the weather tops the headlines. 121 million people from the midwest to new england waking up again to harsh and frigid weather. eight deaths are being blamed on the brutal cold. the extreme polar vortex is making life miserable in the great lakes region and here in

the northeast, as well. thousands of schools have been cancelled again today. airports are feeling the impact, too. the good news though, a warmup is on the way. al is going to be back in a bit with a look at his forecast. the family of a st. louis police officer killed during russian roulette is speaking out this morning. 24-year-old katlyn alix was laid to rest wednesday. she was with two male officers last week. alix and nathaniel hendren were taking turns pulling the trigger while pointing the gun at each other when it went off. alix's parents say they're searching for answers. >> she doesn't deserve everything that's being said about her. >> she didn't deserve this. >> it's really hurtful to us, every time we hear it on the tv or pick up the paper. >> this week, the city prosecutor sent a letter to the police chief, raising questions about how evidence was collected after the shooting. she says drugs and alcohol may

have been involved. now to dramatic video that was taken after an avalanche in poland. five people were being rescued after being buried under the snow. search and rescue teams located the victims and used helicopters to pull them to safety. they were flown to a nearby hospital. three of the victims did suffer serious injuries. meanwhile, with the super bowl three days away, the nfl's commissioner is breaking his silence on that controversial no call that helped keep the new orleans saints out of the big game. he's also raising eye brows with what he is saying about colin kaepernick. we'll talk to kaepernick's attorney in a moment. first, gabe gutierrez is in atlanta for us. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. a lot of excitement is building here. patriots and rams fans are already pouring into atlanta. it is the saints fans who are up in arms after the nfl commissioner said that while the refs blew it during the nfc title game, they're only human. >> crowd is going crazy, as

there is no flag on the saints sideline. >> reporter: the cloud of this missed pass interference call is hanging over super bowl liii. >> we understand the frustration. >> reporter: roger goodell, nfl commissioner, breaking his silence wednesday, saying he never considered changing the outcome of the championship game that may have cost the saints a trip to the super bowl. >> should the saints be here, and is the game tainted? >> the game of football is played on the field. they're played by humans. they're coached by humans. they're officiated by humans. we understand the disappointment of the saints fans, the organization, and the players. >> reporter: goodell saying the league will consider expanding the use of instant replay, but cautioning this play was a judgment call. goodell's comments not satisfying upset fans like matt bowers, who bought billboards in atlanta to make it clear he thinks the saints were robbed. >> it is devastating. it is insulting that roger goodell would insinuate he understands how we feel. >> reporter: the saints head coach saying he's trying to get past it. >> probably didn't come out of

my room. i ate jennie's ice cream and watched netflix for three straight days. >> reporter: the nfl also taking heat over cancelling maroon 5's pre-game press conference. the band under fire for agreeing to perform at the super bowl halftime show in the wake of protests sparked by former player colin kaepernick. the nfl says the artists will let their show do the talking. >> we know their segments are going to have different reactions to different things that go on in our league. ultimately, i think people respect and admire the things we do. >> reporter: as for kaepernick, who hasn't played in the nfl since 2017, even gaining attention from president trump. >> wouldn't you love to see an nfl owner when somebody disrespects our flag, saying, get that son of a [ bleep ] off the field right now. out. he's fired. he's fired! >> reporter: goodell now downplaying the controversy, saying that if teams aren't signing kaepernick, it is because they don't think he'll help them win. >> i think if a team decides

that colin kaepernick or any other player can help their team win, that's what they'll do. they want to win. they make those decisions individually and in the best interest of their club. >> reporter: that answer didn't sit well with many kaepernick fans. on social media, they say goodell dodged the question. controversies erupting on multiple fronts as we head into super bowl weekend. craig? >> gabe, thank you. colin kaepernick's attorney joins us. mark, good morning to you. >> good morning. >> yesterday, nfl commissioner, roger goodell, as you probably know, said this was a team decision. if an nfl team thought your client, kaepernick, was good enough, he would have been picked up by now. what is your client's response to that? >> i don't know if it was my client's response, but the commissioner was roasted appropriately on social media yesterday. anybody who believes that will believe that mark sanchez was a better choice, or some of the

other, how should i put it delicately, people who were well past their criprime that were signed this year. you have to believe the 32 individuals came to the same conclusion separately and decided that they just weren't going to win. and, one of the things i don't think the follow-up questions the commissioner never asked was, why is it that nobody ever gave him a workout? why didn't anybody ever bring him in and see where his skills were at? i think the whole thing is basically a ruse. it was done -- and the collusion, actually, was the nfl kowtowing to the president. i mean, it is clear. i think the evidence will show that when we do the hearing. it's been admitted, pretty much, publicly by a number of the owners. >> the owners haven't admitted collusion publicly, to be clear though. >> they don't admit to collusion because of what the consequence is. if they admit to collusion, the collective bargaining agreement, which is extremely onerous, that

evapuate ua evapuae uatuate uatuate rates. it is with a wink and a nod. there isn't anybody with neurons firing that wouldn't say this is collusion activity. >> acts taking heat for performing at the super bowl this near. travis scott and maroon 5 among them. does kaepernick see their participation during the halftime show as a personal affront? >> what it says is, number one, they do take a lot of heat, and i think rightfully so. the idea that you're going to basically cross a picket line, because that's what they're doing, they're crossing an intellectual picket line. they're saying to themselves, i care more about my career than i do about whether what i'm doing is right. that's taking the short money, so to speak. i don't think that that is a right thing. i think with travis scott, or it was reported that travis scott had gotten colin's blessing. that was categorically untrue.

i think travis tried to correct that. but there was no blessing of it. i think colin feels like, hey, wait a second here, i did what is right. i did what the first amendment says you can do, because i wanted to point out to a fundamental systematic problem in america. then two other artists, three other artists, all ironically managed by the same company, crossed the intellectual and idealogical picket line. i think there's something wrong with that, and they should be called out. >> hey, mark, this has been, by a lot of standards, a successful season for the nfl. ratings are up. a number of young stars have emerged. the public protests have all but ended, save a few rare exceptions. colin kaepernick's mission, has it failed in the nfl? >> no, i don't think so at all. i think that part of what has happened is that people have moved on to other issues.

i think he opened the door to a robust discussion. i think there's also an element of this. there's been quite a bit of reporting that, basically, the so-called divisiveness that this caused was actually beggeneratey a russian disinformation effort. i think part of the reason that it is -- or it has become less of a hot button issue is, number one, the russian trolls have been sidelined, if you will, and number two, i think that when nike made the bold move to put him as the face of a campaign, it became apparently then, this wasn't as divisive as people said. people understand that in america, protest is probably the most american thing you can do. >> quickly, mark, does he want to play again? >> yes. look, i have seen him over the course of the last year workout almost religiously five -- four to five hours a day. he's in spectacular shape. yes, that's what he does.

he's at the height of his profession. he should be playing. wants to play. that's why we pursued this. >> mark geragos, thank you for your time. >> thank you, craig. speaking of the super bowl, you're headed there. >> got your bags packed, ready to go? >> i hope my buddy al roker gets off the coast guard cutter soon. >> he'll take it down to atlanta. may take a few days. >> we'll be down there live tomorrow morning. in fact, not only are we going, we're going to throw one heck of a party. a pep rally to get everyone ready for the game. if you're a fan of the patriots, the rams, or if you love a nice party, you are invited to join us at centennial olympic park. it is going to be a morning filled with fun. >> so much fun. >> and some surprises. >> really? it'll be a blast. >> big surprises. al, of course, is already on the water, on that ice cutter, as we've been talking about. how is it going, al? >> reporter: it's great. in fact, if there's a party, i know where i can get some ice. that'll work out nicely.

you can see, this is what -- this is what this mission that the coast guard does 24/7, this is what they do. they cut lanes for these fuel freighters, for all the kind of commerce that goes up and down the hudson river. hudson river is a major commerce lane for america. this is a very important mission they do. now, there's a lot of frozen precip here. a lot of frozen precip in western new york. we've got some major lake-effect snow going. this is western new york, ang a angola, new york. scores of accidents, whiteout conditions, just a real mess. this is going to continue for about another 24 hours. as you look at the radar, you can see streamers of all sorts of storm systems coming through. this is lake-effect snow coming off from between here and buffalo. watertown, new york, to tughill plateau. upwards of 1 to 2 more feet of snow before it is all over. that's what'

good morning, i'm meteorologist kari hall. we are seeing mostly cloudy skies. now after the rain moved through, we have high temperatures. we're actually in for a pretty nice day. we're going to see breaks in the clouds, high low 60s. for tomorrow the storm arrives, gets here late morning, early afternoon. first arriving in the north bay and spreading all across the bay area. by tomorrow night we're getting in with heavy rain and gusty winds and we will see some more lingering showers continuing throughout the weekend. >> reporter: guys, we're getting a little warm, so they figured we'd go into the wind, just to pick up the breeze and cool us down. it's pretty darn good. oh, this feels great. hey, can you run this thing a little faster? let's go! >> al, thank you. coming up, the husband of famed model and lifestyle guru b. smith responds to criticism

over his new relationship while still caring for his wife. carson's tempting offer to ms. hoda kotb, to end the ten-day challenge a little early. and what jennifer lopez has to say about it. then we're going to go behind the scenes at "snl" with the guy who is literally behind the jokes. first, how to keep your car, your house, and most importantly, yourself safe in the extreme cold. the tips we all need this the tips we all need this i used to book my hotel room on those travel sites but there was always a catch. like somehow you wind up getting less. but now that i book at hilton.com, and i get all these great perks. i got to select my room from the floor plan... very nice... i know, i'm good at picking stuff. free wi-fi... laptop by the pool is a bold choice... and the price match guarantee. how do you know all of this? are you like some magical hilton fairy? it's just here on the hilton app. just available to the public, so... book at hilton.com and get the hilton price match guarantee. if you find a lower rate, we match it and give you 25% off that stay. iftake new dayquil severe with vicks vapocool.asty cold,u (acapella) whoa! (vo) and vaporize it with an intense rush of vicks vapors.

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yourself. miguel, good morning. >> reporter: hey, guys. good morning. cities like chicago are covered in ice. lake michigan behind me isn't making it any warmer. it feels about negative 19. the air temperature is about negative 19. many people in a generation, which is to say never in their life, have they felt cold quite like this. there are a few ways to stay warm. an arctic blast sweeping the country, freezing pipes, roads, and us. >> i think i have six layers on. >> reporter: staving off the bone-chilling bone will take more than a heavy coat. the best advice, stay indoors. if you have to go outside, make sure the most vulnerable parts of your body, your fingers, toes, ears, and nose, are well covered. wear several layers of loose-fitting, lightweight clothes, instead of one layer of heavy clothing, for better insulation. trade in your gloves for mittens. your fingers actually stay warmer together than they do apart. >> in the emergency room, the cold-related injuries we see are typically because people simply

aren't prepared for the environment. they're out longer than they think they're going to be, in temperatures much colder than they thought they would be, or they're simply not dressed appropriately, which leads to hypothermia and frostbite. >> reporter: it is a danger that can impact your four-legged family members, too. make sure they're bundled up for any winter walks. make sure you wipe off the toxic rock salt off their paws before going back inside. the wardrobe isn't the only thing that needs to be properly winterized. frozen pipes can cause serious damage to your home. plus, generators and other heat and power sources can be deadly if you're not careful. make sure your home has at least one working carbon monoxide detecter. never run a generator or portable gas-powered heater indoors. keep chimneys, flews, and vents free of snow, ice, and other debris. leave all water taps slightly open so your pipes don't freeze. >> when it comes to below zero for a couple hours at night, it

is not as extreme. when below zero temperatures prolong for two, three days, like we're in right now, that's when the frozen pipes set in. >> reporter: although experts say you should stay off the roads as much as possible, here are tips to keep in mind if you need to head out for any reason. open your garage door before starting your car to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning. clear snow and ice off the car, and make sure your anti-freeze is topped off. make sure you have emergency essentials, like extra clothing, flashlights, and a first aid kit in your vehicle. and avoid traveling on overpasses and bridges if you can. they tend to ice up faster than roads. bottom line, only go outside when you really need to. dress appropriately, and take a fully charged cell phone with you if you're brave enough to head out in this brutal cold. guys, take a look at this seawall here that blocks lake michigan from what used to be a

beach and now is an island of snow here. this ice is several inches thick, and it's been getting colder and bigger over the last few days. the city there behind me really has become a tundra. the windy city more of an ice ball now. one other tip experts say to keep warm, which is hard to believe in weather like this, they say, drink plen si of waty to stay hydrated. stay away from alcohol. drink hot cocoa if you can. back to you. >> miguel, remember a few months ago, when you were assigned to the lava in hawaii? i bet that's looking pretty good. >> reporter: take me back to hawaii. let's go back. we should revisit that story. >> i know. >> looking pretty good. miguel, thank you. appreciate it. really good tips. just ahead, the questions you should ask your partner today to improve the health of oh! oh! ♪ ozempic®! ♪ (announcer) people with type 2 diabetes are excited about the potential of once-weekly ozempic®. in a study with ozempic®, a majority of adults lowered their blood sugar and reached an a1c of less than seven and maintained it. oh! under seven? and you may lose weight.

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with dove antiperspirants. good thursday morning. right now it's 7:56. we're seeing the rain move away from the bay area. now some breaks in the clouds. we're going to see some sunshine through the rest of the day. south san jose, santa teresa, mid-50s but will see highs in the 60s today. this is our break in between the showers and another round will approach the bay area tomorrow. it looks to be a more organized and stronger storm system that will start to bring in rain by early afternoon and continue to spread across the bay area with heavy rain and gusty winds by late tomorrow night into saturday morning. throughout the day on saturday, still some scattered showers will continue and then another storm approaches on sunday. so we do have a lot of rain in the forecast over the next few

days. our temperatures will be cooling off dipping into the highs of the low 50s. let's head to mike for the commute. >> look at oak, still gray there, slower northbound. say brake lights coming on as you approach hyde street. slow drive in downtown oakland. though no crashes reported you have a lot of company. the other side of the bay, look how different the volume is as well as the view. look at moffett in the distance. taillights move smoothly. the south bay itself, a tough drive has developed. send it right back to you. >> thanks, mike. happening now a show of unity by oakland city workers ahead of critical contract talks. the union representing city workers posted this video calling for a noon rally on the steps of city hall. they are ready for a new round of contract bargaining. happy today, measuring winter snowpack. when the first level was taken, levels at or below normal. since then a lot of winter weather moving through hopefully adding to the state's water

supply. i'm marcus washington, we'll have more local news coming up for you in 30 minutes. we're always on on nbcbayarea.com. kari is trackingm moving into the bay area. how long you )ll need your umbrella- and the impact on your weekend plans! plus-- a famous bay area entrepreneur is launching a brand new pop up store! join us tomorrow morning from 4:30 to 7.

glad you're back how you feeling? ♪ ♪ (both) exhausted. but finally being able to make that volunteer trip happen was... awesome. awesome. you have to scrub. what do they... they use for washing. ♪ ♪ let's do it every year. we'll do it every year. i thought you'd say that - let's do it.

♪ ♪ see how investing with a j.p. morgan advisor can help you. visit your local chase branch. it's 8:00 on "today." coming up, deadly deep freeze. tens of millions waking up to record-breaking cold, as an arctic outbreak stretching across the country. >> pretty brutal. it's cold. >> flights cancelled, students told to stay home. just how long will this last? al's got your forecast, live from the frozen hudson river. ♪ so what plus, sticking to their guns. the video posted by pink's husband sparking major controversy online. >> wait, is the safety on? >> it's off. >> this morning, how they're taking on their critics over the decision to teach their young daughter how to fire a weapon.

right on cue. we'll hear from the man responsible for "saturday night live"'s cue cards. >> lower the cards. >> and the process behind what it takes to go live from new york. today, thursday, january 31st, 2019. ♪ even if i could, i wouldn't turn on you ♪ >> celebrating my 10th birthday with "today." >> howdy, houston. >> teachers from grand haven, michigan. >> shoutout to our students. >> from salt lake city. >> we're inside because it's 35 degrees below zero in ann arbor, michigan. >> braving the polar vortex to say hi to my kids. >> we have maternity leave and a snow day, this morning on "today." >> turning 3-0 with the "today" show. >> coldest birthday ever. >> welcome back to "today." thank you, especially, to the

folks who are sitting outside on this frigid morning. we're happy they came to see us. >> "today" show superfans. we are superfans of theirs for doing it. >> 4 degrees outside before the wind blows. >> maybe we'll bring them inside. >> that'd be good. >> keep the "today" plaza messages coming, by the way. we love those. >> record a shoutout, share it with us, twitter, instagram, using the hashtag my today plaza. at least eight deaths are blamed on the brutal winter weather that's rolled from the midwest into the northeast. the deep freeze is keeping its grip on more than 120 million americans. al is aboard a u.s. coast guard cutter on the icy hudson river. hey, al, good morning. >> reporter: good morning. i forgot to take that off. look, we are on the deck of the u.s. coast guard cutter the penobscot bay, making our way south on the hudson, keeping the shipping lanes open.

it is brutally cold. it continues at least another 24 hours. look at the wind chill warnings and advisories, stretching from montana and the dakotas all the way down to north carolina. 121 million people affected. right now, the dangerous wind chills continue throughout the great lakes, the northeast, and back into the plains. minus 25 in bismarck. louisville, it feels like it is zero. same for washington, d.c. boston feeling like minus 14. the good news is, we are going to start to see temperatures starting to moderate as we move through the day on friday. tomorrow morning, minus 15 in minneapolis. look at this, the good news is, there is some relief coming from the west. all the cold air finally exits starting on friday into friday evening. by saturday, we've moderated. new york city is up to 34. 62 in st. louis. by sunday, chicago, you're at 46. you're finally getting a break. we will continue to stay on this

icebreaker. i feel like a sno-cone right now. it is a good sno-cone because it is so beautiful. look at this view, guys. look at this sunrise over here. how gorgeous is that? >> gorgeous, al. >> love it. >> beautiful. thank you, al. >> al roker, we'll come back to you in a bit, sir. thank you for that. former starbucks ceo howard schultz is firing back at critics who say he might prevent democrats from retaking the white house if he runs for president. schultz said he was surprised at the backlash from democrats like senator elizabeth warren, when he announced he is considering an independent run. schultz denied being out of touch with ordinary americans and distanced himself from his former democratic party. >> i'm not a democrat. i don't affiliate myself with the democratic party, who is so far left, who basically wants the government to take over health care, which we cannot afford. >> meanwhile, starbucks is advising employees to diffuse customer complaints over their former boss by telling them, quote, we respect everyone's

opinion. it has been two months, of course, since the passing of our nation's 41st president, george hw bush. who could forget the moving moment when he was lying in state at the capitol, his one-time fierce political rival and later in life, his friend, senator bob dole, at the age of 95, valiantly standing and saluting the former president. i happened to be in washington yet to sit down with senator dole and his wife at their home in washington for a story that will air in a few weeks. we did talk about that moment. >> well, i wanted to pay my respects, so i wanted to stand up. maybe bow my head. but i got on my feet, it's almost like my subconscious was moving my left arm. i didn't go there with the intent to salute, but i did. >> it was beautiful. >> you know, george bush and i were close friends. we also had some rather tough

races against one another. but he was my friend. he did a great job as president. so did his son. >> and i was so proud of bob for doing that because i think it lifted people's spirits. we have heard from so many people, even some folks in other countries, who have said it was just so powerful. it just kind of gave people a lift at a time when there was so much divisiveness. >> it felt like such a healing moment. >> right. >> one-time rivals. >> mm-hmm. >> now friends. just that moment of honoring. >> right. >> what a beautiful interview. >> i know. it was so good to sit down with them. it is actually a story that will air in a few weeks, all about their relationship. they sit down and talk about their 43 years. >> gosh. >> of marriage. they have great stories. it was good to see senator dole,

senators, plural, senators elizabeth and bob. we'll have that in a few weeks. >> looking forward to that. we have a morning boost for you all, if you'd like it. the 16th hole at the phoenix open in scottsdale, arizona, is known to be a pressure cooker for professional golfers. here is what happened when defending champ gary woodland invited special olympian amy bockerset to play with him. >> are you amy? >> yes. >> give me a hug. i hear you're a good golfer. >> yes. >> you want to do a hole with us? >> yes. >> okay. >> oh, yeah! they love me. >> ball. nice. give me a five. >> i got this. >> you got it? >> yeah. >> let's do it. >> yeah! >> that is so awesome. >> yes. >> you are so awesome. >> oh, my gosh.

it was not t-- the most beautifl thing. >> she's on the way to college on a scholarship. >> of course she is. >> sinks it in front of people, no stress. >> she's like, they like me. >> we love you, actually. hoda with a confession, as she nears the end of her ten-day diet challenge. i can't wait to hear this. plus, j.lo herself gets involved when carson, being the good friend he is, tries to get her to eat some sugar and derail her diet. >> you've taken this next level, the ten-day challenge. first, the video of pink's husband teaching their 7-year-old daughter to shoot a rifle that has started a new conversation in this country conversation in this country about kids and the russells travel to a different swim meet every saturday. but now... it's thursday. good thing they discovered gain flings.

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we're back with today's talker. we've brought dylan in from the cold. glad you survived. >> a little warm. >> there's this video that was posted by the husband of pop singer pink that's getting a lot of attention this morning. nbc's kristin dahlgren is here with more on that. a lot of folks talking about this. >> they are, craig. the video shows pink's daughter shooting a rifle, as the girl's father, carey hart, looks on. the post received thousands of comments now. >> reporter: this video of 7-year-old willow hart sparking controversy online.

the daughter of pop singer pink and former motocross rider carey hart seen with a rifle in hand, aiming for a target. >> can i go? >> whenever you're ready. >> is the safety on? >> it's off. >> reporter: her father posted it to instagram wednesday with the comment of, haven't poked the parent police bear in a few days. adding, she's pretty good. i'm raising the kids with knowledge of firearms, how to handle them, shoot them, store them, and avoid them in uneducated hands. the response was swift. one critic commented, so confused about how something that symbolizes violence and fear needs to be taught to children. voiced their support. you two spend time together, and you're teaching her about guns and safely doing it. and learning how to use it properly actually teaches you to respect its ability and power. hart responded to a different commenter. i choose to embrace it, take the tattoo out, educate them so they don't become a statistic.

according to the journal of pediatrics, between 2012 and 2014, an average of 7,000 children were killed or injured by firearms each year. the american academy of pediatrics' official stance is guns should be kept locked, unloaded, and away from where kids can find them. guns rights advocates say education is the key to prevention. >> mount the rifle onto your should shoulder. >> reporter: companies market this, like my first rifle, in an effort to teach young shooters knowledge and respect for firearms. this is not the first time hart's parenting has been called into question. over the years, he and pink shared photos of their family online in images like these, of hart riding dirt bikes with their kids, creating a storm of criticism. for her part, pink is consistently defended her and her husband's parenting choices. back in december, she shot back at one critic online, asking, are you a perfect parent?

then there was this moment on stage at the 2017 mtv video music awards, when pink shared some words of encouragement with her daughter, willow, sitting in the audience. >> baby girl, we don't change. we take the gravel and the shell, and we make a pearl. you, my darling girl, are beautiful, and i love you. >> we reached out to pink and her husband for comment but did not hear back. certainly knows how to get attention. guns and parenting, two things that people have very strong opinions on. >> all right. >> thank you, kristen dahlgren. we have to check in on al. we have to see how he is doing. last hour, he was an ice block. now what's happening? >> reporter: well, hey, guys. we're on the bow of the u.s. coast guard cutter ice breeker penobscot bay, and i'm joined by the captain. it is hard work, but it is beautiful on a day like today. >> it is cold. it is windy. it is a beautiful day.

yes, it is great to be out here. >> reporter: tell me about this. what is the mission that you guys perform here? >> i think the analogy i like to use is the hudson is like an interstate highway. the speeds are much slower, but the cargo is moving on a much larger scale. the fuels that are moving on this river are absolutely vital to the northeast economy. our job, frankly, is to keep the river safe and open for business. >> reporter: how has the ice been this year? it's been kind of an up and down temperature profile. >> you're the weather guy. >> reporter: allegedly. >> it has been up and down. we've been out for several weeks, breaking ice. obviously, with the polar vortex, we absolutely have to be out there now. >> reporter: i've got to thank you for your hospitality. you guys have a great kitchen there, keeping our crew warm. >> we do. we have breakfast burritos in there. hopefully you and your crew can get one before we go. >> reporter: we want to thank you for your service. also, i know you can't say anything about it, but over the last month, you guys still doing your job and keeping us safe.

we really all appreciate it. >> we appreciate the support. thank you. here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> good morning, i'm meteorologist kari hall. here's live look outside. low clouds still lingering over san francisco and the way area after the rain moved through. but it continues to move away. we'll get some clearing into the afternoon. this is our little break before the next storm system. this one looks stronger with some gusty winds and heavy rain moving through by tomorrow afternoon. still some lingering showers and the potential of some thunderstorms op s on saturday colder air moves in and showers continue through monday. >> reporter: you know, out here right now, i feel like the weekend, you know? ♪ i can't feel my face when i'm with you ♪ ♪ and i like it i'm getting delirious. >> you're past that point. >> al, thank you. >> so glad it is not me. >> frostbite sets in after three

minutes. delirium after five. >> guaranteed. >> not a good collatimbination. carson, what do you have for pop start? >> we're going to start with christina ago l aguilera. the singer did a frank on donut customers. when they decided what donut they wanted, christina sang about them behind the scenes. let's look at their reactions. ♪ there's a guy in all denim, and he also has a chain ♪ ♪ he just wants to eat some donuts and his canadian tuxedo ♪ ♪ he is looking really cute and this donut's looking cute, too ♪ >> no! ♪ yes i'm here to give you donuts, and you're looking cute, too ♪ ♪ two catwomen buying donuts ♪ look at these two donut queens ♪ >> what? ♪ standing next to captain america ♪ ♪ they don't know what's

happening right now ♪ ♪ and they're very confused too ♪ >> very confused. >> that is so fun. good for christina, having some fun. >> so cute. >> they were probably excited to see that. you can watch the video at today.com. up next, "snl." the show has been around 43 years. since day one, all the cast members and hosts read their lines off of cue cards. actual old school. sounds simple enough, but cue card supervisor wally fernstein, he gives us a behind the scenes look into how much work goes into it. >> when a new host comes in, i'll talk with them, and the director, and we'll give them the basis of the cue cards. the host is always in the color black. >> maybe i'm funny on this show. >> oh, i'm sorry. you were fishing? >> i was. >> only one in black so it stands out. we start rehearsals on thursdays.

that's when we start our job. we'll get sketches in the morning about 11:00. it takes ability an hour for each sketch to get on cards. we do one set of cards on thursday and friday. between dress and air, the book goes away. all things are off the table. we need to get the changes done as quickly as possible. >> 31a. card 22. >> take out the last two lines. >> second to last line needs to be justin bieber. >> about 1,000 cards per show, is what i guess. next week, they put the cards on the floor to catch paint. >> got to give a shoutout to wally. wally has been there forever. he is an institution at "snl." he did all my shows at "last call". >> really? >> he's been doing this forever. he and his team do an incredible job. what about teleprompters? they said they prefer to stick with the cue cards. the teleprompters can break. that's the last thing you want to happen during a live show. to watch it down on 8h, it is almost archaic, to walk into this vault of markers and cue cards. >> last-minute changes, and they're doing whiteout. >> rip it up, tape over it.

>> do they save the really funny sketches? >> some of them are famous. chris farley stuff is posted up there. >> cool. >> it is like a museum. it is interesting. finally, time for our super bowl commercial kick-off, as we lead up to sunday's big game. we're bringing you first looks at some of the year's most anticipated commercials. this morning's ad features one of our favorites. take a look. >> my favorite. >> you mean bubbly. >> new, buble. >> you're michael buble. it's bubbly. >> i know. thank you, davy. >> can i have your autograph, mr. bubbly? >> it's buble. >> buble. >> it's bubbly. >> crack a smile. >> michael, don't do that. >> four for four this week. >> they've all been good. >> now, we've seen them all. why stick around during the super bowl?

>> there will be a lot more. >> michael buble starring in there. reminding you, our friend michael buble will be returning to nbc for his seventh music special. it is called -- >> bubbly. >> primetime, march 20th, 10:00 p.m. great to see buble back in action. he and his family are doing good after the health issues and all that. we're big fans. and that's it. craig and al are going to be down there. >> centennial park tomorrow. >> pep rally. >> bags packed. >> one more commercial tomorrow. >> swing by if you're in the atlanta area. we have lots of surprises in store, as well. >> can you tell my pats friends i said hello? >> i will. >> he'll do that. >> lots of them there. i have a daly click. while talking about the weather, we have a daly double dose. it has to do with snow. the first is a dad in ohio who comes up with an interesting way to clean off car windows. having a little fun with his son at the same time.

>> that's great. >> where is mom? >> he puts his son on the roof. >> that's great. >> one way to cover a lot of glass territory there. >> genius. >> that gets rid of the snow. we happened to notice, if you examine this, the father went to the length of taping his son's ankles and kris wrists so the wouldn't creep in. so much snow, we love seeing a good sledding trip. how about one for a dog? this dog was hanging out on the hill, decided he wanted to go for a ride. here he goes, plop on one side, and off he goes. >> awesome. >> later! >> downhill dog. >> wow, that's awesome. >> went to the bottom, crawled up again, did it again. >> cool. >> the dog went for 256. no, it was cute. that's it. >> thank you, carson. ahead this morning, the woman taking instagram by storm with eye-catching cheese platese

muni opera a very good morning to you. it is 8:26. i'm laura garcia. when it comes to adding more muni operators, muni digging deep into the playbook. according to the examiner. transportation leaders may be looking into offering exclusive housing options. they're short hundreds of operators. the idea involves building new housing which would keep drivers closer to their job location. agency recently trying to bring on drivers laid off from a private bus company chariot. low wages are apparently one big obstacle keeping muni drivers from staying on board. want to see how the roads are looking right now with mike. >> no delays for muni, good news. we have all these red.

signifies how slow traffic flows in all these routes. 580, 880, going to the bay bridge, out of oakland, and also towards the east shore freeway. so we're crawling in most of the commute spots. typical of this time approaching 8:30 as we have a peak of the commute coming towards the maze area. that will hold for a while. the south bay shows some slowing. northbound routes. 87, a crash. also 280 towards saratoga, a crash moving to the shoulder. san mateo bridge shows you the traffic and the mist. >> another local news update in half an hour. hope to see you then.

it's 8:30 now. it's thursday morning. it is the 31st of january, 2019. baby, it's cold outside. you know what that means? >> what? >> we're bringing this awesome crowd inside. >> yes! >> good morning, everybody. >> that's cool. >> we even brought them hot chocolate. >> happy 10th birthday. >> hot chocolate, is it hot? >> it's hot. >> okay, good. i need to find a little birthday girl. hello. wait just one minute. what is your name? >> sydney. >> is it your birthday today? >> monday. >> is this your birthday trip to new york? >> yes, ma'am. >> where are you from? >> houston, texas. >> you must be proud, she has

beautiful manners. >> she is amazing. that's why we gets a trip, too. >> what else are you going to do while in town? >> empire state building. >> you have a list. >> turn this way. let's see your list. >> what is it? >> "today" show, statue of liberty, central park, empire state building, 9/11 memorial, ride a taxi, eat a cart pretzel, shopping, broadway show. great list. mom, she's awesome. >> happy birthday. >> another birthday there, too. >> don't stay in the taxi too long. >> what? >> you know, dangerous. just ahead, valentine's day fast approaching, could your marriage use a boost? we brought in a married couple who happen to be relationship experts, as well. they'll teach you the questions to ask your partner if you want to take your relationship to the next level. >> that's the guy that wrote "he's just not that into you" book, right? i read that a few times.

>> it is. if you're planning on getting together with friends before the super bowl and you want to impress your guests, the woman behind the popular instagram account, that cheese plate, will show us the right way to set up an unforgettable and eye-catching spread. >> she takes cheese plates to the next level. on the third hour of "today," sarah jessica parker is stopping by. we're going to talk about the super bowl commercial with the dude, the one you previewed a couple days ago. >> love that. >> what she's working on now, "sex in the city," and lots more with sarah jessica parker. first, another check of the weather. mr. roker has been spending all morning aboard this coast guard ice cutter. coast guard ice cutter. not easy to say. hey, al. how are you doing out there? >> reporter: i'm the one out in the freezing koicold. i should have trouble talking, not you guys. as you can see on the hudson river, right behind us here is one of those fuel depots. this is one of the reasons why they keep this lane, this shipping lane clear, so that they can get fuel up and down the hudson river.

let's take a look at what's happening for the weekend. we can show you, first of all, tomorrow morning, we've got this "today" super bowl pep rally from atlanta. sen scentennial park. cool degrees. the mid-atlantic has a clipper. big storm comes in the west from central california into the pacific northwest. saturday, a stormy condition all out west, turning milder in the midsection of the country. then on sunday, sunday, a mild afternoon. mountain snows through the plains. look for rain down through the gulf. for the super bowl itself, it is looking pretty darn good. we are going to be seeing our super bowl liii, looking at sunday, 6:30, clouds, showers, 55. it is a dome stadium, so all is good. that's what's that's what's going on around the country. here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> good morning, i'm meteorologist kari hall. we're drying out from the rain

so the road may still be a little bit wet but our temperatures are heading into the low 60s. some breaks in the clouds as we go throughout the day. this is the break from the rain. now that this system has moved on and we're waiting for the neck system that will be here tomorrow afternoon. our winds will be gusty. we'll see a chance of some isolated thunderstorms on saturday. more rain on sunday into monday. and then cool and drying out finally by next tuesday. >> reporter: taking a trip on the hudson river line. ♪ i'm in a new york state of mind ♪ >> got to get inside, buddy. >> reporter: back to you, baby. >> is he in high elevation, too? >> see you in atlanta, al. now to a decision that's making headlines and getting a lot of attention this morning. >> as you may know, iconic model, restauranteur, and lifestyle guru b. smith has alzheimer's. her husband and caretaker has been public about how difficult their journey has been. natalie joins us now with more

on this. hey, natalie. good morning. >> reporter: nearly 6 million americans suffer from alzheimer's. almost 2/3 of whom are women. there is the untold impact on caretakers and family. it robs families of memories, past and future. the path dan has taken as he cares for b. has eillicited a l of opinions. this is the b. smith who made her way into our homes. >> whatever you do, do it with style. >> reporter: with her television show "b smith with style," her restaurants, magazine, three books and home collection, she cemented her role as a lifestyle maven. in 2013, smith was diagnosed with early onset alzheimer's. the first i thinkling coming du a cooking segment on "today." >> i marinade it in reduced -- >> balsamic? >> no, no, no. wait, i'm throwing myself off here. >> no worries. >> they asked her a question at the start, and she froze.

>> reporter: it was a painful diagnosis for b. smith and her husband and partner of 26 years, dan gasby. >> in the beginning, when it was starting to happen with me, i -- i didn't get it. i have a true rock. my best friend. >> honey. took me into depths of despair and depression, that no one will ever really understand. >> reporter: it is how he is coping with the caretaking journey that is sparking conversation, controversy, and anger. gaspy announcing last month on facebook that he was dating another woman. hate it or love it, you can debate, but for me, i'm feeling great. >> i don't believe death do you part means because you've made a commitment, if the person is not there, that you should sit there and watch your life shrivel up.

>> reporter: learner lives part-time with gaspy and helps with smith's daily care. >> as awkward as it seems on the outside, it doesn't seem awkward on the inside. >> reporter: this unique arrangement triggered a storm of chris schi criticism. >>. quote, that woman shouldn't be living in that house. he's vile for this. part of it is about race, particularly because b. smith is a symbol of glamour and dignity in the from time to time for decades. quote, i don't like the b. smith story at all. a white woman? the headlines and reactions have been stark. the reality, more gray. >> caregiving makes you realize how special life is, makes you realize how important moments are. makes you really understand and appreciate the fact that, in any given moment, the person who is caring for someone could need to be cared for. >> reporter: those who know him and b. defend the relationship.

>> she's helping. she's an asset. she's putting in time. she's putting in work. i love them together. they make sense. >> reporter: in the age of instant outrage, gasby is choosing the path that seems right for him, and asking, whose place is it to judge? part of the reason there's been such a strong reaction to this is because this arrangement challenges that traditional perception of what and how relationships are supposed to work and look like in times of hardship. the overall question is, how do you honor and respect the needs of both caretaker and patient during the slow and painful decline of alzheimer's? guys, back to you. >> natalie, thank you so much. >> wow. >> needless to say, this is complicated. none of us are in that position, to be a caregiver, or the person who needs the care. >> right. >> you know, i think it is a really fraught situation. >> as you mentioned, a lot of people suffer from this. my grandmother had alzheimer's when i was in high school. i saw the toll it took on my

father and my aunt, who took care of her. you know from alzheimer's, you know, starts with short-term memory loss, then a disorientation. a lot is about when they stop, you know, being able to self-care, then in our case, we moved to a home. it is a decline. it is a tough, terrible thing to watch. >> it is. >> we've gotten advice from the alzheimer's association for dealing with stress of caring for somebody with alzheimer's. they include things like discussing future care plans, you know, become an educated caregiver, understand the disease a little bit more, accept changes from time to time. take care of yourself. that's an important thing. also to build a support network. those are a few things that you can do as a caregiver for alzheimer's. >> i think the b. smith story is very complicated. >> it is, correct. >> i think a lot of people were probably thinking, i wonder why he decided to post that very private decision that he made. i think that's probably why everyone is weighing in on it. you know? >> al roker is actually going to sit down with gasby and b. smith

for the third hour of "today" that will air next wednesday. hopefully, we'll find out a little more. >> can we agree, compassion and grace on the situation we don't know personally would be well-advised. >> yes. >> if you need help caring for a loved one with alzheimer's, we have more information about this at today.com. ahead, couples and questions. what you should ask your partner to strengthen your relationship. first, this is "today" on n nbc.

welcome back. valentine's day, believe it or not, just two weeks away. fellas, jot that down. if you want to improve your health or the health of your relationship, there are certain questions that you should be asking your partner today. >> here to fill us in, married couple and authors that helped write the book turned movie, "he's just not that into you." they've written the recent and memorably named book "how to

keep your marriage from sucking." good title. >> thank you. >> good morning. >> we like the titles. >> you came up with questions. we'll talk about them individually, that are at the heart of diagnosing what the status of your relationship is. >> right. >> how did you come up with these questions? >> i think we've been married long enough, to the point where they were just talking to each other and realized, oh, we need to ask each other questions, rather than give lectures. we wanted to solve some problems, so we figured, you know, ask these questions. >> how long have you been married? >> together for 20 years and married for 18. there comes a time you stop feeling seen, take each other for granted, or you realize you're not connecting the way you used to. >> sometimes it feels like you're in a corporation or something. >> things change. when we met, we didn't have kids. >> right. >> live in a house. things get complicated down the line. >> right. you don't realize how much separation there is. >> yeah. >> and how fractured the time and connection becomes, with all the different responsibilities and pressures evolving. >> the more time you don't talk,

it builds and builds. >> right. we're like, oh, that's what we've heard. >> it is not what we're fighting about. it's nothing. it's just the thing. then there's the layers behind it. >> it's been building up. >> things start to unearth. >> you tell somebody who they are, rather than asking who they are. >> i always think, like, if you say, you always this, you never that, are the worst sentences you can say. >> if you want to fight, those are perfect ones to start with. >> asking questions is a better approach. it is less, like, you did this. it is, hey, how can i help you? >> then you're in learning mode. first question is, how can i help you? >> right. i mean, it is like the service thing. what can i do to make your day better? >> every day? >> why not? >> every day. there's so much invisible work that happens in a relationship, where you don't really know what's being done to maintain your life. there's also people like me, who are a total control freak, and i want to do everything my way. sometimes, it's like, what will you let me help you with?

what can i take off your plate? what are you overwhelmed by? >> instead of, how was your day, it is like, how can i help you? >> what can i do? people rarely say that. when they do, you're like, oh, the dogs are -- >> i remember father bob, our catholic priest, telling me and siri, if you devote your life to her, she does it to you, you're taking care of each other. the selflessness is really important. >> totally. >> a lot of times, the division of labor becomes so lopsided. >> next question is, what makes you feel most loved? why is that important? >> often, we do what we think is loving. let's say i'll give you flowers, and the person is like, i don't love flowers. but i'm loving you. but that's not what i need. >> we're totally different types. he likes compliments and touching and love. >> i like touching. >> i'm, can you wash my car, take something off my plate, do things for me? that's how i feel loved. the things i do for him are like, you know, if i buy him

something or do something for him, i'm thinking, i'm showing love, but i'm not showing him love the way he's receiving it. >> we got interested in this and are running out of time. >> how do you feel loved? >> i don't know. i have noed eidea. >> asking for a friend. >> i know. i don't know. i think it is a thought-provoking question. i want to get to this one. the third one is, how much alone time do you need? i think that's so interesting. some people, and sometimes partners feel like offended if you're like, i need time alone. you shouldn't feel that way. maybe that's just the sort of person you are. >> indeed. i mean, it is hard to not take personally, when you're supposed to be with the one person you want to be with all the time. i require a lot of alone time or i get very, very agitated. >> i can spend all my time with her. i get, can you go outside or find friends, or find something to do? really -- >> you don't get offended when she goes away by herself? >> no, no, no. i didn't continue to -- we got married, and i was like, i have

a best friend now. now, i don't need to maintain my relationships, which is important for guys to do, as well. >> right. i think everyone having alone time and doing something that's restorative to themselves makes them better for all of their relationships. >> right. >> we're, unfortunateunfortunat time. the questions, what can i do to validate you, make you feel good about yourself? are you willing to renegotiate things that worked in the past but no longer work for me? >> that's a big one. >> if you're interested, they can check out the book. what is it? >> "how to keep your marriage from sucking." >> won't forget that. if you want the list of questions, go to today.com. you can find more on the book at today.com/shop. coming up next, we're going to get a hands on lesson, creating the cheese platter of your dreams, from the instagram sensation. >> i just remembered, cheese makes me feel loved. >> there it is. >> there it is! >> write it down. first, this is "today" on nbc. it's time for the ultimate sleep number event on the

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we're back with today food. this morning, a party favorite that's hard to get right now. cheese platters. >> cheese platters. that's where marissa mullen steps in. she's the visionary behind that cheese plate. it is an instagram account dedicated to all that stuff we love. >> genius. >> to help create your own platter, she's got another account, called cheese by numbers. think of it as a paint by numbers for cheese. combined, they have more than 86,000 followers. folks love cheese. >> yeah, we do. >> people love cheese. >> hard to get, too, right, hoda? >> marissa, this is your side hustle. you're in the music industry, right? >> true. i started this six years ago in college. my friends and i had wine and cheese parties frequently, and i wanted inspiration for cheese plates. i started posting pictures i'd find on the internet, then started making my own. working in the music industry, it is a fast-paced environment. >> we have a message, by the way, before we get to it. we have a special message. >> hey, marissa.

oh, you're on the "today" show. i'm proud of you. i can't believe you turned this hobby have a full-blown, successful career. you've always been there for me on my "today" show appearances. i want to be there for you. love you so much. >> meghan trainor. >> so cool. >> funny thing about meghan, she is a good friend of mine. i was on tour with her back in the day. oh, got the photos. 2015, we were on tour. on our days off, i did the american cheese tour. i would stop at creameries or local cheese shops in the towns. >> i love that. >> it only lasted for three days. after that, i was like, this is too much work. >> a lot of cheese. >> hashtag american cheese story. you can see pretty horrible photos from 2015. thank you, meghan. i love you. >> we've split into teams here. >> yes. >> carson and hoda, they're going to make a cheese board. savannah and dylan. we're going to make sure, as well. >> follow the map? >> walk us through how it works. >> with cheese by numbers, it is essentially paint by numbers. the colors are the items on the

plate. one will be cheese. two will be meat. three will be fruit. so on. step one, you have your board and ramekins. we're going to take this year. >> i love this. >> we'll take it from this side. >> oh. >> that's the sample board. >> you can throw cheese on the plate, but this is elevated. >> when you see instagram photos, they're so s-- >> you have to build it. >> table moves, everybody. >> my wife, by the way, marissa, she's become obsessed with cheese plates, as well. >> cheese first. >> next, meat. >> is there a reason that cheese is resurging? what are we thinking behind that? >> i think cheese has always been something that people have loved. >> guys are having some trouble. >> we're following directions. >> make your salami river, which is the next step. >> salami river. >> we'll put the salami here. >> why is it a salami river? >> it flows through the center of the board, you know. >> oh. >> this is fun. >> with cheese plates, people have always loved them for years. they're a little intimidating when you see them. >> i told my wife i would show

you her cheese plate. >> i want to see it. >> this is from a few months ago. this is my wife, lindsey, making that a couple months ago. she's become all about the cheese plate, too. >> oh, my gosh. that's great. >> marissa, if we got on your page -- >> you're killing it. >> we're trying. >> paint by numbers. >> this is the dam. >> do you have different ones on the page? >> thank you. i think we won. >> it's over? wait, we have to hurry. >> you can get more of the tricks for the ultimate cheese platters at today.com/food. we're back in a moment. first, this is toad on"today" o.

here's jenny from the block. day seven of the j.lo no carb, no sugar challenge. carson, you gave up in the beginning, after six hours. >> yeah. that's been established. >> you encouraged me to do the same. jennifer lopez apparently likes to watch the show. >> hi, j.lo. >> she has my back. take a look.

>> hoda, you're still on it. carson, you're a devil. you're a demon. hoda, you're a beast. you're a savage. >> oh! >> yesterday, carson tried to tempt me. >> we had a coffee cake, and i just did it to torture hoda. live on tv, i wasn't joking, i grabbed -- she mentioned this one part of the cake was really hard for her not to eat. i took it and said, i put it in front of her face and said, i'll write a check for $5,000 to your favorite charity. >> yeah. >> you sai )m - -... very good morning to you. it is 8:56. i'm laura garcia. >> let the city council know we mean business. >> a show of unity by oakland city workers ahead of what may be critical contract talks. union representing city workers posted a video calling for a noon rally today. it will happen on the steps of city hall. the union is kicking off a new

round of bargaining following bitter negotiations that led to a week-long strike in 2017. state water workers returned to the sierra today. they're measuring that winter snow pack. it's the first measurement. at the start of the month, they saw levels well below normal but since then they've seen a lot of winter weather moving through. we're keeping close tabs. we'll have the very latest on our midday newscast at 11:00. we'll post any updates as soon as we get them to our twitter feed. a bad turn involving some bad gas for drivers in the south bay. they thought they bring filling up with an alternative fuel. it turned out to be contaminated that ended up damaging their cars. full details including the fuel company's response on our homepage. an alarming new report finds that 100 million americans have some form of heart disease. on our facebook page, there's more. don't miss the grand opening of the new floor & decor in burlingame. if you have never been to a floor & decor, you have to go to the grand opening.

hardwoods, laminates, tile or stone. holy smokes, this place is huge! i'm on a budget and i was able to go to floor & decor and save a lot of money. you will be blown away by this experience. the pros come here, i come here. if you love your wallet, and you love your home, you have to go. floor & decor. now open in burlingame, 101 & broadway in the old gokart racer building. moving into the bay area. how long you )ll need your umbrella- and the impact on your weekend plans! plus-- a famous bay area entrepreneur is launching a brand new pop up store! join us tomorrow morning from 4:30 to 7.

>> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today," live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. good thursday morning, everyone. craig melvin alongside dylan, sheinelle, and it must be thursday because willie g. is here. >> you have the "today" cup. >> when al roker mentioned it last week, sold out on the nbc website. >> you've arrived when you have your own mug. >> twice the size of the average mug. >> isn't it cold by the time you finish it? >> you have to drink fast, yeah. >> special warming device inside, willie. >> speaking of cold,