on music's biggest night of the year the stars are shining brightly on the red carpet and on stage. we've got the winners, back stage controversies, and memorable moments. countdown to shutdown part two. just days away from another federal government shutdown. can it be averted? what's being done? prospects of impeachment. not at the white house but in the commonwealth of virginia where lawmakers face revelations over sexual assault and revelations of past racist behavior. in venezuela, it almost appears like a presidential campaign between the man who still holds power and the man who says he is theall that and . "early today" starts right now. >> good monday morning. women were front and 61est

awards. former first lady michelle obama surprised everyone making a guest appearance at the show's opening. the night was chock full of performances and a sprinkle of controversy, many disagreelg to have j. lo perform the motown tribute. ♪ please please mr. postman ♪ oh yeah >> she performed a medley of songing singing with smokey alicia keys, and ne-yo. lady gaga also rocked the stage. ♪ off of the deep end watch as i dive in ♪ ♪ i never hit the ground ♪ crashed through we're far from the shallow now ♪ >> gaga won three awards including best pop duet for

"shallow" from the oscar-nominated movie "a star is born." here with the highlights is rafael sass. >> "this is america," childish gambino. >> reporter: donald glover, known as childish gambino, was a no-show at the grammys but his presence was felt in the win column, scoring four awards including record of the year and song of the year, the first rap song to do so. >> "golden hour," casey musgrave. >> reporter: "golden hour" won album of the year, dua lipa selected as best new artist. >> thank you so much. >> reporter: lady gaga won three awards on the night, including best pape sow low performance and best pop duo performance for "a star is born" hit "shallow." >> i know he wants to be here, bradley. i loved singing this song with u. >> reporter: the show paid homage to dolly parton for her

lengthy career -- ng 9 to 5 ♪ >> reporter: diana ross for her 75th birthday. ♪ reach out and touch >> reporter: a tribute to the queen of soul, aretha franklin, who passed away last year. ♪ you make me feel >> reporter: the longest ovation of the night went to a nonmusician. former first lady michelle obama join the lineup of prominent women to talk about the power of music. >> music has always helped me tell my story. >> reporter: other surprises included drake, emerging from backstage to claim the trophy for best rap song, an award he said isn't really necessary to be fulfilled as a musician. >> you've already won if you have people who are singing your songs word for word, if you're a hero in your hometown -- >> reporter: rafael sett, nbc news. in virginia the capitol is still engulfed in controversy. governor northam tells "the washington post" he will not be

resigning. all this as the lieutenant governor is barely hanging on to his job after facing a second sexual assault allegation. nbc's geoff bennett has the latest on this unfolding drama. >> reporter: virginia democratic governor ralph northam in his first tv interview since becoming engulfed in a blackface scandal says he won't step down. >> i'm not going anywhere. i have learned from this. i have a lot more to learn. >> reporter: northam's new plan, pushing an agenda of racial equity. >> if you look at virginia's history, we're now at the 400-year anniversary. just 90 miles from here, in 1619, the first indentured servants from africa landed on our shores in old point comfort what we call now ft. monroe. >> also nope as savory. >> yes. i think i'm in a position where i can take virginia to the next level. >> reporter: as politicians pile on -- >> he should resign. >> reporter: a new sign of support. a "washington post" poll finding a majority of african-american

virginians want northam to stay on the job. >> it happened years ago. north ham has been with the black i think he's changed. >> i think they need to get off him, let him do his job. >> reporter: the governor still reserving judgment on his number two. lieutenant governor justin fairfax. who stands accused of sexual assault by two women, dr. vanessa tyson, and meredith watson. fairfax seen leaving his northern virginia home, flatly denies both allegations. in a new statement writing, i call on all appropriate and impartial investigatory authorities, including the fbi, to investigate fully and thoroughly the allegations against me by ms. watson and dr. tyson. i ask that all three of us be respected during this process." now meredith watson and vanessa tyson say they're prepared to testify if impeachment proceedings against justin fairfax move forward. both women say they stand ready to publicly refute his claims that the encounters were completely consensus wall.

philip? >> all right, geoff, thank you. a lawyer for the publisher of "the national enquirer" is speaking out in a heated public battle with amazon founder jeff bezos, the richest man in the world. we go to nbc's morgan chesky. >> reporter: a scandal ripped from the pages of a tabloid, involving the world's richest man and nude selfies. the attorney for "the inquirer's" ceo david pecker cut to the chase. >> it absolutely is not extortion and not blackmail. >> reporter: in january the tabloid published text messages between bezos and his alleged mistress lauren sanchez. bezos implied his coverage of "the washington post" and criticism of president trump might have moved ami to move against him. bezos shared e-mails he says are by the company and have not been independently verified by nbc news. in them ami threatens to release

racy photos unless he stopped the investigation, an act bezos i think both bezos and ami have seen this defense ing theih coming. in his post, bezos said, no real journalist ever propose anything like what is happening here. federal prosecutors now looking into claims from both sides. morgan chesky, nbc news. with less than a week left to strike a deal, the threat of another shutdown is hanging over the country this morning. president trump will likely draw a line in the border battle with a rally for the wall in el paso, texas, later tonight. >> but he will face some serious opposition. democratic rising star and potential 2020 challenger beto o'rourke will lead a protest march in the same city. nbc's kelly o'donnell has all the drama from d.c. >> reporter: good morning, frances. a troubling sign. no negotiations were held at all on sunday. both parties describe talks to

prevent a friday government shutdown in the same unsettling way. they say they're stalled, broken down. and the divide it surfaced over weekend. democrats want to limit the number of beds in detention centers for undocumented migrants, saying fewer beds would force the trump administration to prioritize holding and deporting those who committed the most serious crimes. but the president argued on twitter that democrats out of blue want a cap on convicted felons to be held in detention. the other big stumbling block is finding a compromise amount for a border wall or barrier. acting chief of staff mick mulvaney said the president will give a little but not give up on his border wall. >> you cannot take a shutdown off the table, you cannot take 5.7 off the table. if you end up someplace in the middle, yeah, what you probably see is the president say, yeah, okay, then i'll go find the money someplace else. >> reporter: democrats and

republicans directly involved say chances for striking a deal soured over the weekend, but not completely. >> i'm very half. not positive but very hopeful we can come to an agreement. >> i'd say 50/50 we get a deal. i hope and pray we do. >> reporter: today is crucial. there is limited time, and that is because any agreement would take days to pass congress and be signed by the president. that's the urgency right now. tonight president trump travels to a campaign rally in el paso, texas, taking his pitch for a border wall right to the southern border. frances? >> all right, kelly o'donnell for us, thank you. north carolina is mourning the loss of 13-term congressman walter jones. the republican lawmaker died yesterday on his 76th birthday after suffering complications from a broken hip. known for his reversal on the iraq war, jones wrote more than 11,000 letters to dead service members' families apologizing for his vote. north carolina congressman mark

walker says jones served with conviction and humility. house speaker nancy pelosi called jones a gentleman who treated colleagues on both sides of the aisle with kindness. we turn to that winter wallop in northern california. hundreds of drivers stranded for hours on an interstate after a heavy storm forced it to shutdown. according to officials the snow brought unsafe travel conditions across a 95-mile stretch of interstate 80. whiteouts and spinouts expedited the road closures. some people remained stuck on the shutdown interstate for at least 18 hours and they were forced to sleep in their cars. the roads have since been cleared and reopened. it's beautiful with those trees but certainly -- that's pretty. >> it is. >> man, can you imagine, sleeping in your car. >> it's going to be problematic as we head back to work on this monday morning. >> good morning. a lot of storms on the map. seattle by the way just got more snow last night. they have their snowiest month in 33 years. the northwest is getting it.

now we're seeing a little bit of snow overnight in areas of the mid-atlantic, a little coating, could be slick in spots. there's two storms on the map. one is exiting and leaving the mid-atlantic region. the next storm is right behind it. winter weather advisories and watches, a few warnings in northern new england that go from the midwest all wait through the northeast. notice the ohio valley, too warm this time. the snowfall forecast, this is tonight and tomorrow. a good 4 to 6 inches through areas of northern iowa, wisconsin, northern michigan. look out tomorrow afternoon into evening in northern new england. that's where we could see to up missouri, areas of kentucky, through the ohio valley. a rainy monday for you. it's going to be a busy week. a lot of active winter weather. >> okay, a lot to watch. you'll be doing that for us,

bill, thank you. cats, they're notorious for climbing on things. one homeowner was in for a big surprise when she caught a bobcat on top of her screened-in patio in punta gore that, florida. the bobcat sets its eyes on a squirrel, came on. the bobcat chased it across the screen and into a nearby tree. the homeowner says the squirrel managed to get away, good thing for the squirrel. >> wow, like having national geographic in your backyard. plenty more to come here on "early today" including chaos in caracas, where dueling leaders continue to act like it's a campaign. the buzzer-beater you've got to see to believe. ur job isn't understanding tax code... it's understanding why that... will get him a body like that... move! ...that. your job isn't doing hard work... here. ...it's making her do hard work... ...and getting paid for it. (vo) snap and sort your expenses to save over $4,600 at tax time.

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latest from caracas. >> reporter: venezuela's interim president juan guaido at church. the 35-year-old mobbed by supporters. >> he is the one. nobody else. >> reporter: juan guaido and nicolas maduro both claim to be venezuela's president. test of thousands rallying for maduro this weekend. among those on his side, venezuela's 200 commanding generals. in a country where hunger now drives allegiance, maduro's subsidized food program has become erratic. street markets still sell but at astonishingly high prices. food is scarce everyone.old camilla weighs 8 in jeopardy.ould weigh 16. guaido visited medical volunteers. doctors say there were so many more patients than they can help, in part because there are not enough medical supplies. some of those medical supplies are across the border, a gift from the united states that the

maduro government won't let in. at the barricaded bridge into venezuela, a protest by doctors who were fed up. will the aid from the united states ever get into venezuela? he says, "it's going to get in." the chant "yes, we can." guaido's wife. >> you're happy? >> yes. >> because? >> because venezuela is -- [ speaking spanish ] >> because venezuela has hope. >> reporter: on both sides, hope that this fight for power ends peacefully and soon. kerry sanders, nbc ne a jeff bezos ad. she can bench press 360 pounds. she just set an incredible record. 14 different hotel brands, so i get the right hotel for every member of my family. like a doubletree for my cousins who love their warm chocolate chip cookies. a homewood suites for my uncle who likes a long stay.

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close call, time running down. dixon in desperation. >> a miracle at half court. the missouri state bears pulled off that unbelievable win over illinois state, all thanks to that half court buzzer beater from missouri state's jared dixon. illinois state led by two points when that loose ball hit the floor, led to the wild scramble, then with only seconds left he hit that bank shot. prayers answered on a sunday. >> with all the drama surrounding the jeff bezos blackmail scandal, it was inevitable the story would be a prime target for "saturday night live." and viewers didn't have to wait

very long. they delivered the laughs right off the bat in the show's open. >> now obviously the mainstream media has a responsibility to handle the story in a mature adult manner. as you can see from the "new york post" headline yesterday, "bezos exposes pecker." eugene, what do you think of that? >> it's insabe. you call yourself a respectable publication? i would have gone with "your ay." >> as long as the story keeps re "snl" will be to be a fly 'm at the wall in the "new york post" when they're doing the headlines in that room. >> in the conference room when they come up with their ideas. a 15-year-old girl is literally raising the bar here and smashing records at the same time. take a look at this. this is a florida high school freshman, michaela reeves, bench pressing 360 pounds at the state championship over the weekend. your heard that right, 360

pounds. the florida high school athletic association says reeves broke the state's previous record by 55 pounds. yeah, she also set a record for total combined lift. reeves says she's been lifting since she was 10 years old. my goodness. imagine what happens when she's 20. >> there's power in that red hair of hers too. still ahead, bill will have this week's forecast. then the gateways to the grammys. how a small school could hold the secret into getting into the biggest night in music. you're watching "early today." let's go. bye, mom. thanks for breakfast, mom. love you, honey. with quality ingredients like roasted hazelnuts and cocoa, nutella is sure to bring a smile to breakfast time. nutella. spread the happy.

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welcome back. let's get into the week ahead forecast. a messy map. heavy snow in the northwest today. a rain event with flooding potential in areas of the ohio valley. then it's going to turn into a snowstorm in the northern portions of the storm up through minnesota and also wisconsin. and then the heavy snow will be exiting new england by wednesday. look at the storm out west. the west is going to be very active, wow. >> messy week ahead, thanks. coming up, the university that turns students into grammy winners. an abstract painter a super model in a word, he's complicated his food though is pretty simple he gets blue basics basics is a simple diet made with a single animal protein source, and ingredients you can understand it has no chicken, beef. dairy, soy, or eggs. ideal for dogs with food sensitivities you know who mugsy is... he's my boy. who loves his blue basics

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nashville. the school prides itself on teaching young musicians, producers, and songwriters how to shine. nbc's kate snow has more. ♪ >> reporter: at nashville's bluebird cafe, award-winning songwriters who have written for the biggest names in country the round. luke laird isn't a household name. ♪ you can have your space e hity musgraves, "space cowboy." that song giving the grammy winner his fifth nomination. >> the first time i actually got to go to the grammys, i got there and i was literally like, oh my gosh, there's beyonce. >> reporter: and this is how a kid from rural pennsylvania got to the grammys. middle tennessee state university, 40 miles south of nashville. >> i'd had a four-track cassette recorder. that was my studio.

so when i saw this, i thought, man, this is really the big-time. >> reporter: mtsu has a department devoted to the recording industry. classes in everything from digital audio technology and commercial songwriting to copy right law. unlike other private music schools, this is a state university. how many of you will graduate with no debt? all of you? that's unusual these days. >> yeah. >> absolutely. >> reporter: since 2007, alumni, faculty, and former students have brought home 16 grammy awards. memphis native tae keith graduated from mtsu in december. he had a huge senior year. producing for drake and travis scott. he's nominated for best rap song. he says mtsu taught him how to negotiate his producer deals. >> so they won't try to pull no funny moves on me, try to screw me over. >> hope i don't let you guys down tonight. >> reporter: back at the bluebird, students from mtsu are getting some inspiration.

>> it's a hard business to be in. but it's also an awesome business to be in. and i had people who inspired and encouraged ,me and i want to do that for the other students. >> that was kate snow reporting. a big congratulations to luke and kacey musgraves. they won the grammy for best country song with "space cowboy." what an endorsement for middle tennessee state university. their enrollment is probably going to go up after this. >> i imagine so. talk about grammy winner factory. >> yeah, it is. >> right there. >> like what ohio state is for football, duke is for basketball. who knew, middle tennessee state. >> stuck up all those grammys, going to get more i'm sure at the rate they're going. >> we hope your week is off to a great start. >> thanks foratching "e war

the next 24 hours are crial. we could close some deals, but they've got to be good to secure

or borders. >> if we stay focused on getting a deal and we negotiate in good faith on border security, i think we'll end up with something that can work and keep the government open. >> can a deal be made to avoid a second governmenshutdown? a pivotal day is ahead. the biggest moments from the grammy awards and the women who shined throughout music's biggest night. we'll look at the growing threat of mudslides and the new technology that may decrease the threat and save lives. why a harvard study says the value of friendships in our life could be worth more than anything. will smith as the genie in the new live-action "aladdin."