rafael bridge a good amount of traffic there. overall the bay sees less of a commute because some folks are on vacation. >> isn't that nice, just waking up. thanks for joining us this morning. we'll be back at 7:25 with a live local news update. >> much more local news ahead at "nbc bay area news" at 11:00. see you then. good morning. monster storm. more than 200 million people across 39 states in the path of a powerful mix of snow, ice and rain. major cities coast to coast set to face dangerous conditions, traffic nightmares and power outages. this morning, the latest on exactly what you can expect. outrage. >> all the walls have got to go. >> new protests over president trump declaring a national emergency to pay for a border wall. 16 states join forces filing a federal lawsuit to stop him. fighting back. the president lashes out in the wake of explosive allegations from the fbi's former acting

chief. andrew mccabe is standing behind his claims of conversations at the highest levels of potentially removing president trump from office. the man at the center of the storm is right here in studio 1a for his first live interview as he opens up about the president, russia and the mueller investigation. all that plus looking for answers. will jesse smollett talk to police? trapped. guests at sea world san diego stranded after a gondola ride malfunctions. inside the dramatic rescue. meghan takes manhattan. inside her trip for a big apple baby shower. today, tuesday, february 19, 2019. >> from nbc news, this is "today," with savannah guthrie and hoda kotb.

live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. welcome to request"today." thank you for joining us. >> right in our studio, we have andrew mccabe, he is the former acting director of the fbi. he took over after the president fired james comey. in a live interview, he will talk about what he saw in those critical days. we will get to that in a bit. we will get started with the winter storm taking aim at 60% of the country. good morning. >> good morning. this is a massive storm. you can see the winter weather advisories are expansive. right in the middle, we have a huge threat of flooding rain. we do have this flood watch in effect because of several days of heavy rain expected. let's see the heavy rain as it moves in from the south, pumped up from the gulf of mexico. as we go into this evening, the

snow will move up into the midwest. the upper midwest will see heavier snow. it arrives in chicago tomorrow morning, at the same time heavier snow moves into washington, d.c. that means tomorrow morning's commute is bad from d.c. over into chicago. it arrives in new york by tomorrow evening. then exits as we go into thursday morning tc. it does look like we will see transition from snow to ice to rain. we could see six to nine inches of rain across the upper midwest. great lakes, two to four. d.c. could see four to six before the change in the morning and early in the afternoon. lesser arms farther north. as for the rain, three to four inches of rain on a saturated ground that could lead to flooding. >> we will check back. thank you. we turn to new developments in the border battle. 16 states have filed federal lawsuits challenging the president's emergency declaration in order to fund his wall.

the showdown could go all the way to the supreme court. we have two reports from washington this morning. we will start with nbc's peter alexander at the white house. good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you. fresh off presidents' day, that coalition of states is accusing president trump of misusing his presidential power. it argues the president has veered the country towards a constitutional crisis of his own making to fund the wall the suit calls a vanity project. overnight, hundreds of protesters taking to the streets in new york city and across the country. from denver to d.c., directly in front of the white house. >> is there an emergency? >> no. >> reporter: president trump returned to a wall of opposition. 16 states, including california, new mexico and new york, suing to block the president's effort to spend billions on his border wall by declaring a national emergency. calling it a flagrant disregard of fundamental separation of powers principles. the suit alleges the president is using a manufactured crisis

to divert federal dollars, blasting it as an unconstitutional and unlawful scheme. >> we will go out there and make sure that donald trump cannot steal money from the states and the people who need them. >> reporter: the lawsuit even highlights the president's own words to nbc news in that rose garden announcement friday. >> i could do the wall over a longer period of time. i didn't need to do it. but i would rather do it faster. >> the president admitted there's not a basis for the declaration. he admitted there's no crisis at the border. >> reporter: congressional democrats are planning to try to block the president, too, by filing a joint resolution to repeal the emergency declaration. white house aides have indicated president trump would veto any attempt to stop him. some republicans remain critical of the president's strategy of bypassing congress to build his wall. >> congress just had a vote on it and expressed itself. i think it's a bad idea. whether the law permits it or

not. >> reporter: the president wants to divert 3.$6 billion that could impact plans to build a middle school on a kentucky base. >> it's better to have a secure border. we will get them the school they need. right now, we have a national emergency on our hands. >> reporter: back to the details from overnight regarding the lawsuit. the 16 states joined several advocacy groups that have already gone to court. some of the suits may be tossed out unless they can show how they would be harmed by the president's actions. >> by the way, we will talk 2020 politics. the president face ooing anothe challenger. >> reporter: within the last few minutes, bernie sanders and the runner-up for the 2016 democratic nomination announced he is running for president again in 2020. this morning, sanders announced, we began the political

revolution in the 2016 campaign, and now it's time to move that revolution forward. sanders is 77. he is hoping to capitalize on his past success, touting progressive policies like ending inequality, medicare for all. this is a very different political environment this time around. in 2016, you remember, he positioned himself as the alternative to hillary clinton. this time, it's a much more crowded democratic field. sanders is the sixth senator to join the race. >> peter alexander, thank you. fallout is growing over the claims being made about president trump and the investigation surrounding him in that new memoir from the former acting director. andrew mccabe will join us live just ahead. first, hallie jackson has the very latest. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. andrew mccabe is defending his side of the story in the face of pushback from the administration with new reaction from capitol hill to the campaign trail.

in the face of new backlash this morning, andrew mccabe's refusing to back down. >> i don't know that we have ever seen in awful history an example of the volume and the significance of the contacts between people in and around the president and his campaign with our most serious, our existential international enemy, the government of russia. >> reporter: as he defends the fbi investigations into president trump started on his watch, some want an investigation of their own into mccabe. >> everybody who was in that room should be put under only, should be questioned, asked what were they thinking, what right do they have, what arrogance do they have. >> reporter: that's some of the fallout from mccabe's new memoir in which he claims the deputy attorney general offered to wear a wire to record the president. >> he was not joking. he was absolutely serious. >> reporter: that rod rosenstein discussed potentially removing president trump from office.

>> the deputy attorney general was definitely very concerned. >> reporter: the president according to a meeting mccabe was briefed on sided with vladimir putin over his own intelligence officials. >> the president replied, i don't care, i believe putin. >> the idea the president of the united states would take the word of the head of russia over the head of the intelligence community is the height of irresponsibility and shameful. >> reporter: the justice department pushed back on mccabe's version of events with the president describing it as deranged. their relationship? rocky to say the least after mccabe tem the fbi when comey was fired. president trump has tweeted roughly three dozen times about mccabe, even calling for his firing, and writing this overnight. andrew mccabe didn't go to the bathroom without the approval of leaking james comey. mccabe was dismissed from the agency last year, accused of lying about his interactions with the media.

as for rod rosenstein, departmedeputy attorney general was probably leave his position sometime in the next three weeks. this is not unexpected. rosenstein has previously said that he would probably be leaving that role once the new attorney general comes in. he wants to stay on long enough to make sure there's an ordinarily transition. >> hallie jackson in d.c., thank you. we will have a chance to tk to direct mccabe about his claims in our next half hour. but first, an alabama woman who fled her home to join isis in syria is asking the government to let her come home, and she's speaking out now about what she calls a big mistake. "today"'s senior international correspondent keir simmons has the latest on this, good morning. >> the tweets this alabama mo >> good morning mother sent from syria and will leave you sick. the message she has now

handwritten passed to nbc news speaks of deep regret. the question is, should she be allowed to return to america? >> she is a mother and american. she was a committed member of isis. now she is begging to come home. you can hear her child in her arms as she speaks in an audio interview from syria with the guardian newspaper. >> i thought i was doing things correctly for the sake of my son. when i came here and i saw everything with my own eyes, i realized i'm going to be mistaken and i know i ruined my future and my son's future. >> her father confirms the voice is hers. while isis reign of terror horrified the world, hoda left her family in alabama in 2014 and traveled to join the so-called group. even allegedly taking to twitter and call for terrorist attacks in the u.s. americans wake up. go on drive byes and spill their blood or rent a big truck and drive all over them.

veterans, patriots, memorials, kill them. now her family's lawyer questioning whether she wrote that tweet and in a handwritten note he passed to nbc news she says, when i left to syria, i was naive and angry and arrogant young woman. p i stopped listening to my family. then she writes, seeing bloodshed up close changed me. motherhood changed me. seeing friends, children, and the men i married dying changed me. >> she went off the deep end and maud horrible mistakes and was brainwashed. >> four years in syria, she married three men, each of them was reportedly killed. now she writes of the beloved america and says -- >> i've been literally planning to get out for months. i got caught twice by isis and i was so scared. >> in my quiet moments between bombings, starvation, cold and fear, i look at my beautiful little boy and know that i didn't belong here. she says, of living with isis. >> she kidisavows them and want

to be a powerful voice against them. >> now an estimated 1500 women and children now in their camp of 39,000 that includes former isis fighters. president trump's decision to pull out u.s. forces from syria within months leaves their fate unclear. there are fears that isis fighters may escape to attack the west in the future. guys? >> all right. thank you. >> and craig joins the table. getting a lot of attention. >> hoda, savannah, good morning. we learn more overnight about the jussie smollett case. the actor has alleged he was the victim of a hate crime in chicago but now investigators are trying to determine if he made the whole thing up. nbc national correspondent has been following this story. joins us now with new details. good morning, miguel zbhch. >> good morning, they say jussie smollett is not a suspect or a victim. the public has more questions for him. today after multiple requests,

investigators are still waiting to speak to jussie smollett again. the empire actor who claims he's the victim of a hate crime is want ford more questioning after police sources say his story was rebuked by the men he identified in this grainy photo as his attackers. >> today is the day. he has to show up. they have to reinterview him. if he doesn't submit to reinterviewing by the police, then there's going to be legitimate questions asked about the voracity of his allegations. >> reporter: after they were identified and arrested, the brothers told detectives they were hired by the actor to stage the attacks smollett said was laced with racist and homophobic slurs, no the charged with a crime, the brothers are now cooperating with police. smollett still insists he's the victim as he did last week. >> if i tell the truth, then that's it. because it's the truth. >> reporter: today authorities

say police are carefully examining all communications between smollett and the brothers. one was his personal trainer and even appeared as an extra on his hit show "empire." >> i'm tired of being called boy. >> reporter: police sources say after raiding the men's home, they seized bleach, a ski mask, magazine, and stamps. last month smollett says he received this letter containing a death threat. >> on the letter it had a stick figure hanging from a tree with a gun pointing towards it with the words that said small jussie you will die. there was no address. the return address said in big red caps, nagga. did i make that up too? >> reporter: after he first came forward, he received a wave of support on social media but now mounting backlash with many demanding answers and with every passing day new scrutiny as police wait to question the

actor at the center of it all. >> so, miguel, do police face any hard time deadlines with this case? >> they do. they face public pressure to close this case. it's already been nearly three weeks. they've got several detectives dedicated just to this case so they need to decide will anyone face criminal charges? of course, there is the costas inspect. y cost aspect. >> keep us posted. >> breaking overnight, drama at sea world san diego. more than a dozen guests trapped on a ride. it took hours to rescue them. steve patterson has that story. steve, good morning. >> good morning to you. officials say this all started when strong winds caused the sky ride to lose power, passengers were about half way across the water when it suddenly stopped and rescue crews had to take their time and precaution to make sure everyone who was trapped onboard made it safely to the ground. >> reporter: terrifying moments for passenger onz board sea

world's gondola ride in san diego monday after a gust of wind tripped a circuit breaker causing the ride to stop working. trapping 16 people inside five gondolas including six children and one baby. >> so we have a update count here with all the people. nine adults, seven kids. >> reporter: sea world's website touting the sky ride has an opportunity to soar above the park and scenic mission bay on a gently guiding gondola. but for passengers jonathan and his 15-year-old son jordan, high winds turned the scenic views into a tense white knuckle waiting game. the ride coming to an abrupt stop leaving them dangling in the air for more than four hours in chilly temperatures. >> i mean, it's very harrowing and scary experience. and we're clutching for our lives and didn't know if we were about to drop or what was going to happen. >> reporter: authorities calling this type of rescue slow and methodical. crews lowering passengers one by

one on a rope system down into boats then transferring them to a nearby dock. >> one at a time. it was done very carefully and slowly because of the height. a fall from that distance can be catastrophic. >> reporter: the temperature was 49 degrees in san diego at the time the ride broke down. putting crews under even more pressure to save passengers. >> it was freezing and unfortunately, you know in, southern california you get used to walking around in t-shirts and shorts. luckily i had pants on today. >> reporter: sea world releasing a statement overnight saying it will conduct a thorough inspection of the ride prior to reopening. this morning, all 16 passengers safe i had back on the ground from a sky ride gone terribly wrong. so thankfully despite some incredibly anxious moments, no one was seriously hurt and passengers obviously now happy to be back on the solid ground. back to you. >> that would have been terrifying to be one of those people. all right, steve, thank you.

we check back in with dylan. can't believe another snowstorm to talk about. >> it will be kind of a mess. it starts as snow then changes over to rain. right now it's still developing. snow will move in this afternoon through the plains. heavy rain through the south and gulf coast w he have rain and snow in the pacific northwest. that's a look at the weather across the country. we'll get to your local forecast in the next 30 seconds. 9 get to forecast in the next 30 seconds. - good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. right now as we take a live look in dublin, temperatures are below freezing but at least we have sunshine and no fog right now. livermore we're at 29 degrees

and 30 in san martin. freezing for our inland valleys and it will be a mild day. very much like yesterday with mostly sunny skies. tomorrow a cold front moving in, will bring in spotty light showers and then we go back to some dry weather by the end of the work week. forecast. >> thank you so much. just ahead, former acting fbi director andrew mccabe, we are going to get his take on the firestorm sparked by his memoir and his claims about the president, russia, and the mueller investigation. he is here live. plus, it has been two weeks since andy cohen became a first-time father. well, he will be here to talk about that life-changing moment. like all good dads, he is going to share pictures of that adorable little son benjamin. first, this is "today" on nbc. but first the flu widesprea

states. what you can do to keep your family safe. meghan markel's secret visit to new york after your local

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in select airports 2019. hertz. we're here to get you there. marvel studios' captain marvel. in theaters march 8th. this is video from nbc bay good morning to you. 7:26. i'm marcus washington. this right here video from nbc bay area sky ranger, flying a few minutes ago over the scene of a deadly house fire. we've now learned that an 86-year-old woman did not survive. that fire started about 4:30 this morning on south humboldt street in san mateo. this is just north of third avenue. firefighters say there were at least a half dozen people inside that home, and everyone else made it out safely. rescuers performed cpr but could not save the elderly woman who died. so far, firefighters not indicating if they know how that fire started. right now, a look at your weather this morning, and a cold start. kari? >> it is a cold start.

we are seeing the sun rising over the south bay as temperatures start out in the 30s. as we head toward sunnyvale by 11:00, we're up to 47 degrees but still not going to make it up to our normal high of 63. most of us will see highs in the mid-50s today. a few upper 50s in parts of the east bay, like concord, up to 57, and slightly cooler tomorrow with more clouds, and some spotty rain moving through during the afternoon. we go back to some dry weather by the end of the week, and also some spotty rain chances in the forecast on sunday. we'll have more updates on this. let's get an update on the commute from mike. >> highway 37 still closed in your westbound commute direction. things are jammed up approaching atherton. the richmond-san rafael bridge is an alternate as well. just learned from chp two right lanes blocked by a crash there, sounds like two utility trucks there, one may be on its side, northbound 101 approaching 92. a slowdown had already started. meanwhile north 280, as you approach 17, there is a crash as well, getting through the area

and in milpitas, calaveras and milpitas boulevard one of the signals is having trouble that's congested. back to you. >> thanks, mooig. i'll have another local news update in 30 minutes. ike. i'll have another local news update in 30 minutes.

♪ dancing in the moonlight we're back. 7:30. a spectacular sight in the morning sky. they call it the super snow moon. isn't it pretty? it's the biggest, brightest full moon that you are going to get until 2026. >> a good look. >> if you like dancing in the moonlight, that song, that's by king harvest, one of the best songs around. >> perfect. that's my jam. >> who sings that song? i'm like, hoda. >> exactly. a check of the headlines of the morning. we start with the latest on the border battle. 16 states have now filed a federal lawsuit challenging the trump administration's emergency declaration to get money to pay for a wall. overnight protesters took to the streets in cities across the

country, including new york, denver, and washington, d.c. congressional democrats are planning to try to block the president by filing a joint resolution to repeal that emergency declaration. white house aides have indicated the president would veto any attempts like that to stop him. some sad news this morning from the world of fashion. "the associated press" is reporting that iconic designer karl lagerfled has died in paris. he is one of the most prolific fashion designers of all-time leading some of the biggest fashion brands in the world such as chanel and fendi. he was known for his evolving creativity, personal style a. karl lagerfled was 85 years old. now to a frightening close call from a hockey game in columbus, ohio, last night. watch what happens when nbc sports analyst pierre mcguire gets a little too close. the puck sails past his face, missing him by an inch or so. it happened so fast, he didn't

see it coming. thankfully, no one was hurt. >> except for the cameraman. >> he was barely fazed saying, quote, it's all part of what goes on down here. now to the man in the headlines a lot recently. former acting fbi director andrew mccabe. he chronicles his experience working in the trump administration in his new book called "the threat." how the fbi protects america in the age of terror and trump. director mccabe, good morning. we might as well start there. i noticed the title, "the threat." you say the fbi is protecting america in the age of terror and trump. did you mean to relate those two or equate those two or say both are threats? >> absolutely. i think the job of protecting america and upholding the constitution has become tougher for the men and women of the fbi and for men and women across the intelligence services and our justice department. >> do you think the president is a threat? is that what that means? >> i think it's entirely possible. that's one of the reasons we

opened the case against him. >> the president has already on twitter yesterday accused you of illegal and treasonous acts. your response? >> absolutely not true. i don't think anybody takes those tweets by the president very seriously. i certainly don't at this point. he has been attacking me and my family and lying about us for two years now. it's really more of the same. >> some republican lawmakers are saying they'd like to subpoena you, like to see you under oath saying some of the things you say in this book. would you be willing to do that? >> of course. i look forward to cooperating with the committee. we haven't received a request yet. we will take a hard look at that and talk to the committee when the time comes. >> your time as acting fbi director, it happened because james comey was fired by the president. in the days after that it's our understanding that an investigation was open into the president, too. one was a criminal investigation into whether he obstructed justice by firing comey, and secondly and significantly that there was a counterintelligence investigation opened into

president trump. did you open the investigation, the counterintelligence investigation into the president? >> so, a few things to point out there. both purposes are part of the same investigation. this is something i talk about extensively in the book. the reason is i want tamericans to understand how the fbi makes these decisions when to open cases and who to investigate. it's not because we do it because we like it or think it's fun or don't like a person or are supporting one political direction or the other. it's because we have facts and information in our possession that gives rise to an articulate basis to believe that a threat to national security or a federal crime may have been committed. >> did you order a counterintelligence investigation into the president? >> i did. >> is that tantamount to saying you felt there was reason to suspect that he was a national security threat? is that what that means? >> it is saying that we had information that led us to believe that there might be a threat to national security.

in this case, that the president himself might in fact be a threat to the united states national security. >> and in particular was it your suspicion, and the reason that you opened this investigation, that you thought the president might actually be working on behalf of russia? >> we had a number of very concerning things that we were considering at the time. one of them was the fact that the president in our view had gone to extreme measures to potentially impact negatively impact, possibly turn off our investigation of russian meddling into the election and russian coordination with his campaign. >> so that goes to his potential motive, but when you are opening this particular kind of investigation, a counterintelligence, did you suspect the president might actually be working for russia? >> we thought that might be possible, yes. we thought it might be possible. remember, savannah, we are at the beginning of an investigation. we don't drew conclusions. we simply look at the facts and information we have and begin -- >> as you point out in the book, the fbi does not start any

investigation willy-nilly. what were the predicate facts? lay them out here. what were the facts that suggested the president may be a national security threat and may, in fact, be working on behalf of a foreign adversary, russia? >> we have to go back to the investigation of potential collusion between a campaign and russia. it's through the fall. these are topics we have been looking at. during that time the president has been publicly undermining the investigative efforts. he is talking about it as a witch hunt, talking about it as a hoax. it's clear he is not happy with what we are doing. also during that time the president approaches the director of the fbi and asks him to stop investigating michael flynn. a part of our investigation into russian interference, he asks him to turn off that investigation. >> why isn't that just the normal obstruction of justice criminal inquiry, which is substantial on its own, but what takes it to this next level where there is a suspicion that he is working to for a foreign government? this is extraordinary?

>> if you believe that the president might have obstructed justice for the purpose of ending our investigation into russia, you have to ask yourself why. why would any president of the united states not want the fbi to get to the bottom of russian interference in our election? >> i know you and other members of your team briefed the so-called gang of eight. the leaders of congress in the days after comey was fired about the russia investigation. so it would have been the majority leader of the senate mitch mcconnell, speaker of the house paul ryan and democratic counterparts. did you tell them you had opened a counterintelligence investigation into president trump? >> the purpose of the briefing was to let our congressional leadership know exactly what we had been doing. opening a case of this nature. not something that an fbi director, not something that an acting fbi director do by yourself. this was a recommendation that came from my team. i reviewed it with our lawyers. i discussed it at length -- >> did you tell congress? >> and i told congress what we had done. >> did anyone object? >> that's the important part. no one objected.

not on legal grounds. not on constitutional grounds. not based on the facts. >> the more explosive revolutions in this book, rod rosenstein, the deputy attorney general, you write in the book that rosenstein, i believe on more than one occasion you say, suggested wearing a wire. that he, himself, would wear a wire into the oval office to record the president. >> savannah, i don't include that in my book. i made the decision not to put those specific words in the book. i don't discuss the 25th amendment, the allegations about the 25th amendment in the book for a really important reason. it's become quite a distraction. a distraction from the points that i am trying to make. >> if it happened, it's extraordinary. i believe i read that you said you went to the council, jim baker, the general counsel of the fbi and said, hey, rosenstein wants to do this and he said i don't think we are there yet. >> i have been asked about that in interviews. these are things that happened. these are conversations we had. of course, i am answering those questions truthfully. >> you are saying that

rosenstein suggested wearing a wire? >> yes. >> news report have suggested people thought he was joking, like what do you want me to do, wear a wire? was it a joke? >> no. he was deadly serious. this came at an incredibly stressful time. the important part of that comment and the comment about the 25th amendment is not -- there was no effort underway, nobody wore a wire into the white house, nobody was plotting to, you know, stage a coup or remove the president. the point is the stress and the complexity of the issues that we were discussing at the time, the fact that the president of the united states may have committed obstruction of justice for the purpose of impeding our investigation into russia, that was the big picture issue we were triend to find our way through. >> the department of justice and rosenstein have said in particular these accounts are factually inaccurate. that brings me actually to an issue that you have. you were fired from the fbi. you were fired after the inspector general of the

department of justice found that you had displayed a lack of candor, which i think is fbi speak for not telling the truth, about a story that appeared in "the wall street journal" and whether or not you authorized a leak of material in that article. why should anyone believe you when you were fired from the fbi for lying? >> yeah, two reasons. before the president started publicly attacking me, i enjoyed a 21-year career in the fbi at every level an agent can serve within the fbi, and with absolutely not a single blemish on that career. second reason, i believe very strongly i was fired because of the steps we have just discussed. i was fired because i opened a case against the president of the united states. >> i read the inspector general's report. that suggested the inspector general is in on it and firing you for basically making up a pretext to fire you. is that what you are suggesting? >> here's what i can tell you. i read that report very closely myself. i have been writing and reading investigative reports for over 20 years, and that report was not like anything i have ever

read before. an investigative report includes all of the evidence. it includes all of the information. not just those facts that support the conclusion that you'd like to draw. so i have big problems with that report. i disagree with the conclusions they drew. that is something that i'll be raising in a civil lawsuit i will be bringing against the department of justice. >> it was quite detailed and states that you displayed a lack of candor, as it puts it, on four different occasions. that's not just, well, we didn't understand, i am not sure i was distracted. that's four occasions in which the inspector general says you were not forthcoming, you did not tell the truth. >> yeah, i would love to walk through every one of the points that i have for each one of those things they said in the report. i can't do that with you this morning because of the lawsuit that we are about to file. >> let's talk about the president. in some ways it's almost personal. he has tweeted about you i think more than 30 times. on one of the occasions, one of our conversations that you had that you relay in the book, you

say that he referred to your wife and her losing campaign and called her a loser. what would you say to him right now if you had the opportunity? >> well, i don't expect i will get that opportunity, but i can't tell you, savannah, how horrific it's been to have to endure the threats, taunts, the bullying of the president of the united states in a public way. i try not to take it personally. it's been incredibly tough on my family. my wife who is a wonderful person, a pediatric emergency room position, to stand up in front of thousands of people and perpetuate lies and slander about my wife and family, it's been absolutely horrific. >> do you have a political bias against the president? he suggests by virtue of your wife running a as democrat, receiving pac money from an oregon controlled by virginia, do you have a political bias? >> absolutely not. i did my job. i worked on the facts and law in front of us at the time. there is absolutely no connection with my wife's

political activity and the decisions that i made at work. i think that's been borne out by an in-depth investigation. >> you oversaw the clinton email investigation. it has subsequently come to light that someone you worked close with, lisa page, who was your lawyer, and someone else from the department of justice were having a romantic affair, an extramarital affair. it also came out in text messages that they have disparaged the president, that they had bashed him. it demonstrated clear bias against the president. you oversaw that investigation. did you ever see that kind of thing among lisa page and peter strok? >> not once. >> one of their temessages mentions a meeting in andy's office. did any conversation like that take place in your hearing? >> i don't recall the meeting or conversation they relate in their private texts. it's a question i have been asked many times. we had many, many meetings between myself and those two and many others on the investigative team. so i don't recall the

conversation they are referring to. i can tell you this. lisa page and peter strzok served this country well. they made some poor decisions in their private lives and their communications with each other. that's pretty incredible grief and scrutiny on the fbi. i am sure they regret that. >> do you feel you will be vindicated by the mueller report? >> i anxiously await the results and i hope we all get to see that. i think all americans have a right to see the results of that work. >> director andrew mccabe, thank you. the book is called "the threat." coming up, the dramatic rescue of a hiker trapped in quicksand at a popular national park. his girlfriend risking her own life to find him. they will share their incredible story for the very first time. troubling new numbers on the flu. cases now widespread in all but two states. coming up, the questions we need to be asking our doctors. plus, andy cohen, doting

dad, he is going to be live in studio 1a. he will fill us in on life with his precious little baby boy. first, the new storm set to spread a wintry mess of snow and ice across much of the country. dylan's forecast to plan the rest of your weekend right after this. i was inspired by nature's finest ingredients to create a new take on tea. introducing, naturally caffeine free, pure leaf herbal iced tea. ♪ a refreshing combination of juicy, peach, flavor and hibiscus. ♪ crafted just for you. new pure leaf herbals. iced tea blooming with flavor, and naturally caffeine free. man: one, two, here we go! ♪ i'm alive, i'm alive ♪ ♪ i'm alive, i'm alive, i'm alive... ♪ alive! gives you more vitamins and minerals than leading brands. because when you start with more, you own the morning. alive! you own the morning. when you make a pb&j with smucker's and jif,

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welcome back, everybody. we're going to get the latest on the nasty winter storms rolling across the country. dylan, you're in for mr. roker. what you got? >> it's starting, we are seeing heavier rain down south. we are going to see the snow

start to move through the olympians over the next several hours, and it arrives in the d.c. area by the time we get to we are feeling some chilly temperatures out there, with our morning start in the upper 20s. we've even had some below freezing temperatures in the north bay, headed into the mid-50s today for our highs. we will keep the sunshine for today, but then more clouds developing tomorrow, and even some scattered showers. by the end of the week we go back to dry and cool conditions and more clouds on saturday. expect more scattered rain in the forecast on sunday. and that's your latest forecast. >> dylan, thank you. still ahead this morning, what we all need to know about treating

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happening now... firefighters on the peninsula .. good tuesday morning. 597:56, we wake to clear skies but cold temperatures. a live look in san francisco, where we've had some 30s this morning. right now we're at 45. and some upper 30s for the inland areas, and even freezing in the valleys. our high temperatures today headed into the mid to upper 50s. still cooler than normal but we are enjoying dry conditions. scattered showers return for tomorrow especially during the afternoon, and then we go back to some cool and dry weather for the end of the work week. we will see an increase in cloud cover on saturday and some scattered showers on sunday. neither of these two systems look really strong to bring us any heavy rain. so we will for the most part have a dry and quiet weekend, with highs on saturday in san francisco reaching 54 degrees, and slightly cooler on sunday.

let's get an update on how the roads are moving with mike. >> kari, it's slow for northbound 101 approaching hillsdale, actually 101 and the 2. it's normally slow in that spot but especially slow because at one point we had four of your five lanes blocked. we now have only two of your northbound lanes blocked. a traffic alert continues because of a crash involving what sounds like a couple of utility trucks and extra jams palo alto through san mateo approaching the 92 interchange and the bridge. the rest of the bay shows a pretty much lighter than normal tuesday, back to you. >> thanks, mike. happening now, firefighters on the peninsula investigating an early morning house fire, left an elderly woman dead about 4:30 this morning in san mateo, about half a dozen other people did make it out safely, link to more on our twitter feed. the 2020 presidential race is heating up, vermont democrat bernie sanders is once again throwing his hat into the ring. he posted his announcement on social media. on our home page link more to

the full story. we're always on at nbcbayarea.com and we'll have more local news for you coming up in 30 minutes. president truml emergency for the border wall. the overnight developments from capitol hill. and big changes are coming in the forecast. kari times out when you )ll need the umbrella. today in the bay. tomorrow from 4:30 to 7. - deadly house fire

it is 8:00 on "today." coming up, wicked winter weather. more than 200 million people from the midwest to the northeast bracing for a powerful storm. the widespread, wintry mess bringing snow, ice and rain. so just how bad will this be? dylan has the latest. plus, watch what happens now. our friend, andy cohen, is here live to talk about his life as a new dad, as he shares some never-before-seen pictures of his adorable baby benjamin. and markle in manhattan. the duchess is back in new york city for the first time since saying "i do," making a secret trip across the pond for a very special reason. so, what's behind her new york

state of mind? today, tuesday, february 19th, 2019. ♪ i know i go back to you ♪ >> from kentucky! >> and tennessee! >> checking it off my bucket list! >> hi to our friends and family -- >> in auburn, maine! >> spending our winter break on "today"! ♪ >> from rock hill, south carolina -- >> to rockefeller plaza! >> we're watching "today" from virginia. >> finally made it to the plaza! >> from cleveland, ohio! [ cheering ] >> cleveland in the house, and a bunch of other people, too. welcome back to "today" on this tuesday morning. thank you so much for joining us on this day. we're going to get right to your news at 8:00, guys. we get started with a powerful winter storm, ice, snow and rain taking aim at 39 states. dylan is here with the latest. good morning, dylan. >> good morning, again, hoda. mostly rain right now moving in from the south, and that

moisture will help boost up this system. we've got winter storm advisories across the upper midwest through parts of the mid-atlantic and the appalachians. also right in the middle we have the threat of really heavy rain, perhaps 3 to 4 inches of rain. that could lead to some flooding. want to significantly point out here just the snowfall we're expecting through washington, d.c., through maryland, through philadelphia tomorrow morning. that's going to make a mess of the commute. that snow arrives in new york in the evening, making a mess of the evening commute. then it all changes to rain and then exits by the time we go into thursday morning. new england will hang on to some of that snow for a little while longer. through the upper midwest, we're looking at about 6 to 9 inches of snow. we're looking at 2 to 4 inches through the great lakes, but in the northeast, there is the possibility for d.c., for parts of the appalachians, we could see about 4 to 6 inches of snow. new york only an inch or two, and lesser amounts farther north. craig? dylan, thank you. now to the battle over the president's border wall now heading to the courts. 16 states are suing to block mr. trump's emergency declaration to fund the wall, calling it a hyped crisis to

divert federal dollars. nbc's peter alexander is at the white house for us this morning. peter, good morning. >> reporter: hey, craig. good morning to you. those 16 states include california, new mexico, new york. they're accusing president trump of misusing his presidential power to build his wall, what the lawsuit calls a vanity project. the states argue the president's effort to spend billions by declaring a national emergency is a, quote, flagrant disregard of fundamental presidential powers, dismissing the emergency as a crisis and blast it as a unconstitutional and unlawful scheme. the president just minutes ago complaining on twitter about this suit. it all comes as new protests popped up around the country overnight. and among the president's fiercest critics is, of course, vermont senator bernie sanders, who just this morning announced that he is running for president again in 2020. sanders, who is 77, faces a much more crowded and diverse field. the last time around, he becomes the sixth senator to join the

race. craig? >> peter alexander for us at the white house. peter, thank you. earlier on "today," i spoke to former acting fbi director andrew mccabe, and i asked him who he told about the counterintelligence investigation into president trump and whether or not it included members of both parties. did you tell congress? >> the deputy attorney general and i told congress what we had done. >> did anyone object? >> that's the important part here, savannah. no one objected, not on legal grounds, not on constitutional grounds and not based on the fact. >> mccabe went on to say he believes he was fired because he opened that investigation into president trump. the inspector general at the department of justice found that he had lied on four occasions, and that was why he was fired. now to a miraculous rescue at a national park in utah. a man became trapped in quicksand while hiking as his girlfriend set out in frigid temperatures to find help. and this morning, we are hearing from the couple for the very first time. nbc's gadi schwartz has the story. >> reporter: what was supposed to be a day hike through a part

of snowy zion national park on saturday turned into a nightmare for ryan osmond and his girlfriend, jessica mcneil. >> i thought for sure i would lose my leg. and then towards the end i towa thought i wasn't going to make it. >> reporter: four hours into their hike, the couple got into trouble after falling into quick sand. >> i sank first, and then he came and got me, and then he sank. >> after several attempts to free ryan and no cell phone service in the mountainous area, they decided their only hope for survival was for jessika to make the trek for help alone. >> i did realize the fastest way to get back was not switch backing and trying to stay on the ground. i just decided to swim down the river. >> for three long hours she maneuvered waist deep in the frigid rushing waters. >> i kept telling myself he would do it for me, so i need to just -- i'm so close and just to make it and do it for him. >> four hours later and

exhausted she finally did. >> i was on the line with 911, and i realized i was going to faint right there. >> reporter: meanwhile, stuck cold, wet and in the dark, ryan began to hallucinate thinking he was found. >> i realized it was just my mind. i thought there was no hope at that point. >> after nearly 11 hours help did arrive. >> the guy who rescued me, i could hear he was yelling and i wasn't dreming at that point. >> reporter: a storm dumping an additional four inches of snow forced the group to shelter in frigid conditions overnight before a rescue helicopter was able to reach them. treated for hypothermia and minor injuries, ryan says he's happy and lucky to be alive. >> yeah, very lucky, very lucky. if it wasn't for them and jessika i would be dead for sure. >> for "today," gadi schwartz, nbc news. >> quicksand. >> wow. >> the only time i've ever seen quicksand was in cartoons. >> it's the real thing. now for a little morning boost.

savannah, as you know, passing the bar you can be really anxious to get the results. a recent law school grad named andre waited for his parents to come home before he opened the e-mail to find out if he got in. take a look. >> hand is shaking. congratulations on passings bar exam! >> watch this, the mother goes back. >> i passed it. >> congratulations on passing your bar exam. >> oh, thank you, jesus. oh, thank you, jesus. >> oh, my gosh. that is so awesome on so many levels. i love how she's like did he pass though, let me check one

more time. >> the dad comes in. >> which is probably why the kid passed, he's got those parents. >> congrats. still ahead this morning, a big apple baby shower, inside meghan markle's secret visit here to new york city. and speaking of babies, we have been dying to get andy cohen to our studio. we've got to talk to him about just everything. he has become a dad. the big morning is here, and we the big morning is here, and we get to chat with hi we'd love some help with laundry. here's how you do it. spray and scrub anything with a stain. soak your nasty jersey. it stinks! wash the really dirty clothes separately. remember -hard work builds character! new tide pods with upgraded 4-in-1 technology unleash a foolproof clean in one step. aww, you did the laundry! but you didn't fold it. oh, that wasn't in the note. should have sent a text. #1 stain and odor fighter, #1 trusted. it's got to be tide.

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don't use if you're allergic to cosentyx. before starting, get checked for tuberculosis. an increased risk of infections and lowered ability to fight them may occur. tell your doctor about an infection or symptoms, if your inflammatory bowel disease symptoms develop or worsen, or if you've had a vaccine or plan to. serious allergic reactions may occur. how sexy are these elbows? ask your dermatologist about cosentyx. we are back with today's talker. his name is andy cohen. 15 days ago andy became a father with the arrival of his son benjamin allen, and we just cannot. nine pounds, two ounces, 20 inches long, and just totally adorable. >> oh, my gosh, so how is life with this adorable bundle? andy cohen is in our studio. >> hi. >> hi ladies. >> hi andy. i walked onto the set this morning, and i was like oh, this is some mommy segment.

where's my set? where's the bar? >> this is yours. >> no shotski's here my friend. >> you've been talking about having a child for a long time. >> i have. >> is there a moment when the lights went on and you said yeah? i'm going to do this. >> it was always in the back of my head, and i would be at friends' houses and they were tucking in their kids. and i was like i need this in my life. and i think i was getting to a point in my life where i was looking at where am i going and where am i headed and what do i want for the rest of my life. >> right. >> and writing -- publishing two books that were diaries about my life really caused me to look at how i was living my life every day, and i published three years of my diaries, and i was like, wow i could keep putting the same book out every year or i could do something different. i don't think this is all there is for me. so that had a really profound effect on me, too. it caused me to look at my life in a way that i had never done.

>> talk about the moment you laid eyes on little benjamin. >> well, the head of hair was the first thing that came out. that's -- there we are. that's kind of minutes after he was born. he was so alert and his eyes were open and we were just kind of getting to know each other. it was just incredible. i can never describe it, and the skin to skin two hours was just absolutely incredible. >> you're whispering to him. do you remember what you're saying? >> i'm lying hi, i'm your dad. who are you, you know, yeah. sweet. >> oh, my god, i don't even know. we had talked, you and i had talked a while ago. it really stuck with me when we talked and you said, hey, you adopted i was wondering, i'm thinking about what path to go down. you were talking about either adoption or a surrogate. you weren't sure.

how did you decide like what worked the best for you? >> you know, i just i was fortunate to have the means to be able to -- it can be expensive and complicated, and i just said, i'm going to do this. i'm going to try to do this and i did. it's incredible to me as i've now learned that surrogacy is illegal in many states, and i don't understand why it's illegal in new york and new jersey, which is why i went to california. that's where my wonderful surrogate was who i owe so much to, and so i i don't really understand that. it's also illegal for gay people to adopt in certain places, so it's still very complicated and challenging, but i just -- once i decided to do it, i was in, and you were a great help to me, and inspiring to me as you and i talked about it, hoda. and i was also wondering can i do this at this moment in my

life. >> yeah. >> i'm 50. >> yeah. >> okay. let's be real here. >> but you're used to being up all night. >> i am. >> just for different reasons. >> the truth is everyone's like oh, are you not sleeping? i haven't slept in 30 years. it's a different kind of not sleeping. >> have you -- i mean, i know you're probably just like surviving because that's what it's like to have a newborn, bottle, feed, dada da, but have you noticed any changes in yourself, or have you kind of like seen a side of yourself you didn't really know? >> there's a comfort in knowing that he's there waiting for me. i went out for my first night away from him just to dinner with friends the other night, and i was sitting there, and i realized, wow, i love it that he's there at home for me. it's an anchor. it's my family, and that just -- i was like, wow, i love this feeling. >> i remember asking maria shriver, when haley was a

newborn, i didn't know what to do with her when she wasn't eating or pooping or sleeping. maria goes what are you doing? i don't know, i'm just playing with her. she goes you know what, i'm going to give you some advice. she needs what you need, to be looked at, to be talked to, to be loved, to be listened to. basic stuff, and all of a sudden it was like a light bulb went off. >> i look at him the way i used to look at instagram. i just sit and stare at him. i'm like, well, this is much more interesting than looking at a bunch of hot guys on my feed. [ laughter ] >> you know? >> yes. did you get any good advice like from the real housewives or anything? >> the housewives have -- by the way, isn't it cute that meghan markle came to new york to have a baby shower? i redefined the baby shower, you know what i mean? >> you set the bar, baby. >> honestly. >> now it's like a rage. >> that is incredible. the housewives have been really incredible.

they're all -- you know, the truth is with all the noise and all the drama, they're all most of them moms. >> moms, right. >> and they're great moms, and there you go. that's how you do a baby shower. >> wait until benjamin sees this. >> good, i can't wait for him to see it. >> andy we have just a little gift. we made you a little care package. mr. melvin's got it for us. >> some duds for benjamin. >> thank you. >> congratulations. >> product placement. >> oh, it's all "today" show swag. >> of course it is. >> how generous. >> it's free. >> we love you, andy. >> andy, thank you. >> oh, is it going to be ben or benji or benjamin? >> i'm getting to know him. you know what i mean? >> keep us posted. >> i will. >> con grtlatigratulations. good morning again, everyone. we do have the flooding threat moving into the gulf coast. this storm system is moving in from the gulf, but on the northern side of it where it is very chilly, we've got the chance of some significant

snowfall, about four toi six inches across the upper midwest, also back through washington, d.c., maryland, philadelphia about three inches, new york city about one to two . good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. here's a live look outside in fremont with sunshine overhead. it's been such a chilly start to the day and it will gradually warm up. we'll make it to the mid 50s which is cooler than normal. tomorrow another cold front will drop in and bring in scattered showers, especially for the afternoon and then clear out by thursday. we keep the mid 50s for the highs into the end of the week and then another chance of rain in the forecast by the end of the weekend. and that's your latest forecast. pop start time. >> first up the duchess of sussex meghan markle is indeed back stateside so celebrate her baby shower with friends. sheinelle jones here with the very latest. >> she may be expecting her

first child within less than two months, but that didn't stop meghan from making a surprise, even secret trip right here to new york. wrapped in an overcoat and wearing a gray cap, meghan seems to be trying to keep a low profile as she's snapped on a new york street with her bodyguard monday evening, but it is the duchess of sussex, there's the famous bump and that fabulous engagement ring prince harry gave her. these exclusive photos from the daily mail.com are the first to show meghan on day four of what we understand is a five-day trip to the city. according to multiple reports, it's a secret visit to see friends, do some shopping and be guest of honor at her baby shower. >> she's seven months pregnant, and obviously it's going to be the last time she can travel to the u.s. before she has the baby. clearly she wants to see some of her closest friends and celebrate before the arrival. >> reporter: and the duchess has been busy says harper's bazaar. on saturday seen in soho

enjoying tea and macaroons with canadian stylist and best friend jessica mulroney and after that shopping at nearby children's clothing store bonn point. what about that baby shower? the exclusive party for 15 or 20 guests is thought to be being thrown at a hotel on the upper ets east side. who might be there to shower the mom to be? as jessica mulroney is already in new york, it has been suggested she'll likely be there and serena williams and sarah raferty who were invited to the royal wedding are strong possibilities too. meghan will head back home to kensington palace on wednesday. it's been a whirlwind few months, a wedding, a world tour and a full schedule of official engagemen engagements, and in a few day's time the pair are off again to morocco. but with the duchess now in her third trimester, the morocco trip could be the last time she will fly before the birth two months from now. >> back in january meghan

reportedly told crowd goers the baby is due late april and is expected lots of people are making bets on the due date and the gender, boy or girl. >> i think boy. >> no idea. >> 50/50 chance. >> exactly. >> thank you sheinelle. >> are you off from the pop start jet to l.a.? >> don't i wish, actually. coming up next we've got amy schumer posting this funny video joining a group of women rehearsing for mardi gras. amy's the one in the back wearing all black. she caught up with the group from behind and started dancing along seemingly unnoticed. it wasn't just one group's rehearsal she crashed but two, finding another mardi gras gang to practice with. there she is. [ laughter ] >> nice to see her feeling better. she's pregnant with her first child and had been battling severe morning sickness. she's married to chef chris fisher. the pair just celebrated their

one year wedding anniversary. congratulations to them. and the first trailer of the final season of veep is here. season 7, selena meyer running for president of the united states, julia louis-dreyfus is funny as ever. here's a quick look. >> leon, i'm still -- i'm not sure about this part where i say i want to be president for all americans? i mean, do i, you know, all of them? >> how about real americans. >> oh, yeah, that's good and then we can figure out what i mean later. >> great to see julia returning to the screen. she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2017 pausing production on the show. last october she announced she's cancer free and feeling strong. returns on march 31st. >> one of the best shows on television. >> you're so happy. you just giggled through the whole thing. thank you. just ahead, how do you wrap up a beloved movie franchise? we're going to find out when we

i )m ... a heads up - for drivers who use the richmond san rafael bridge: starting tonight .. crews begin work to complete the permanent fix .. for a problem that caused a scare when it first happened a week and a good morning, this first happened about a week ago, chunks fell from the upper deck, damaging one car and nearly hitting a driver. repairs were first put off for the wet weather, then delayed again until after president's day weekend. while the work is being done, traffic will be reduced to one lane in each direction. the work begins at 9:00 tonight and continues over nine more nights. let's check that morning

commute with mike. >> another bridge, the san mateo bridge a little better. all lanes have cleared, good news. traffic alert cancelled for the 101 towards hills dale but this is a bad time and a bad place and an unusual back-up in all four directions, 92 and 101 jammed up through that area. the rest of the bay shows lighter flow of traffic but you have your typical commute patterns. crash around wolf road. things are better now coming off the 17 and the interchange. the bay bridge toll road looks a little lighter but it's all relative. >> thank you very much. another update in half-an-hour. see you then.

nice to meet you. 8:30 now, it is the 19th of february, 2019. we're out here on the plaza. it's wild. hoda's got a big mardi gras umbrella, and she almost just poked poor dylan in the eye. watch out, here she is. hoda's got a mardi gras umbrella. that is awesome.

>> oh, yeah, it's almost fat tuesday. we've got a couple of weeks to go. >> guys. >> you probably notice the crowd's all decked out with those cool glasses. they're getting ready for how to train your dragon. it opens this friday. this morning two of its stars, america ferrera and jay bare rochelle are here to tell us all about it. >> where is ramona? how are you? >> good, how are you? >> i'm good. hold on. you watch the "today" show every morning? >> yes. >> who do you watch it with? >> my grandma. >> do you want to say hi to your grandma? >> hi grandma! >> and ramona, i hear it's somebody's birthday today. whose birthday is it? >> my mom's. >> happy birthday to you. >> hi. >> thank you for spending your birthday with us. where are you guys from? >> canada. >> okay. well, she's got her little

dragon there, ramona, thank you. happy birthday and thanks for watching grandma. over to you guys. >> happy birthday. >> cute. ramo ramona, love it. we're going to talk about fighting the flu. the virus is now widespread in 48 states. what should we be asking our doctors about and the medications that are used to treat the flu. dr. raj is here with some answers in just a few moments. also the so-called doughnut king of new york, customers lined up for hours to get their hands on richard ang's creation, and then they helped him survive a senseless attack that nearly cost him everything. richard's here to tell us just how he's doing and to say thanks. and just ahead on the third hour of "today" we're going to make a woman making basketball history without ever stepping on the court. plus serena williams' husband stops by to talk about his mission helping other new dads. >> oh, cool. but first let's get a check of the weather. >> a little chilly, but the worst is yet to come because we've got snow to talk about, and we are going to see the chance of that snow moving in

tomorrow, so today we are kind of setting the stage. temperatures are running below average by about 10 to 15 degrees up and down the east coast. then on wednesday that storm system moves in. now, it will start off cold. washington d.c, 34 degrees on wednesday, but then it does come with some warmer air, believe it or not. we'll actually be above average going into thursday. new york city should get into the mid-50s. dayton, ohio, mid-50s by saturday as that warmer air comes in with this next storm. in the meantime, snow will start to overspread the plain states today and move into the upper midwest tonight and then flooding is likely with about three to four inches of rain possible down through arkansas, louisiana, into good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. still freezing in some of our inland valleys. livermore at 32 degrees, 32 in acce santa rosa. highs will reach the 50s today

very much like yesterday. clouds will move in tomorrow with slightly cooler air, spotty showers moving across the bay area. dry weather on friday and saturday and another round of rain possible again on sunday. >> and that's your latest forecast, craig. thank you. if you think we are on the other side of flu season, think again. according to the latest numbers from the centers for disease control, flu activity actually on the rise. the good news this year's vaccine has been 47% effective in preventing severe illness from the most common strain, yet flu is now widespread in 48 states with nearly 18 million cases nationwide. so what should you ask your doctor about the virus and medications? today contributor dr. raj is a -- 47%, that may sound low to a lot of folks but we're actually better than we were this time last year. >> last year the estimates were about 36 to 40% effectiveness.

47% is sort of on par with what we should expect for a vaccine. while it doesn't sound like a lot when millions of people are getting sick, if we can cut that number by half that's a really good thing. >> to be clear if you get the vaccin vaccine, even if you get the flu the thinking is it won't be as severe. >> that's absolutely right. let's talk about the common symptoms, folks watching, listening, a little under the weather. how do they know if they have the flu? you might get the running nose, cough, sore throat. that sounds like a cold but usually more severe. then you'll get the fever, the chills, body aches, headaches. for most people it's a relatively mild illness, stay home, rest your body, don't infect other people by going out. >> how do we know it's bad enough to see a doctor? >> if you have any signs of respiratory problems, this could include chest pain, shortness of breath or bluish tinge to your lips, signs of dehydration, leathery dry skin, if you're not

urinating or certainly if you have any confusion, these are signs the flu is getting more serious. you need to talk to your doctor. >> are there groups that are at a higher risk from some of these complicatio complications? >> absolutely. this is very important to know. we're talking about children ages 5 or under, people 65 or older, pregnant women, anyone with a weakened immune system. if you have any chronic medical condition, and this could be asthma, even obesity, diabetes, heart disease, these are people that are higher risk to develop serious complications of the flu, things like bronchitis, pneumonia that could be fatal. and they want to talk to their doctor, if given medication within 48 hours, they could have a much lower risk of going on to develop serious complications. >> you mentioned medications. let's talk about them. there are a number of options out there doctors can prescribe. what are the medications and which groups should be using them? >> right, we're talking about antiviral medicines. these are medicines that attack the virus of the flu. they're not going to cure you, but they can lessen the duration and severity of your illness. there are three that are given to outpatients. one is called tamiflu.

this has been around for many years. it comes in a pill or liquid form. it can be given to even infants as old as two weeks and certainly adults. then we have relenza in an inhaled firm. g good for children 7 over. and then we have a new one, xofluza which is a one time dose of a pill. not good for pregnant or breast-feeding women but good for children and adults. >> many have side effects of nausea and vomiting. that can be better when you take it with foods. there were reports with tamiflu years ago it might cause hallucinations in children people thought. hasn't been borne out by the research. psychiatric issues, if you notice anything like that, speak to your doctor. >> anything over the counter folks can take? >> nothing over the counter is going to cure or treat the flu, but it can make you feel symptommatically better, a decon

j jes tenant, cough suppress cincinnasuppressan. children should not take aspirin it can lead to reyes syndrome, which can be potentially fatal. >> how long should i go before i go and see my doctor? >> really important. do not wait long. these medications, the antivirals are most effective when given within two days, 48 hours. if you think you're having a more serious version of the flu or if you belong to high risk categories, call your doctor right away. you want to get that medicine in your system very soon. >> fantastic information, thank you so much. >> so great to be here. >> and we should all be washing our hands, right? >> go do it now. >> craig, thank you. look who we got here, we've got america ferrera, jay baruchel. it's coming to an end, an emotional one. they say you need the kleenexs, is that right? >> indeed. >> but first this is "today" on >> but first this is "today" on nbc.

do you think this is fun for me? you think i'm having fun? [man on other line] it certainly wasn't much fun to.....

do you have eyes on the target? is it her? [man on other line] i can't tell from this photos... ...i need better shots. thank you for flying turkish airlines. taxi! you waiting for someone? no. just... looking.

. and we're back with the stars of new movie "how to train your dragon" america ferrera and jay baruchel. this is the third and final part of franchise. take a look. >> you are the bravest, most stubborn, most determined knuck knucklehead i know. toothless didn't give you that hiccup. he just made it -- >> easier. >> and now it's going to be a lot harder. so what are you going to do about it? >> probably something stupid. >> that's the hiccup i know. >> so sweet. >> oh, my gosh. >> i'm getting emotional. >> oh, my gosh. >> i thought you said we needed tissues because it was flu season a minute ago over there. this is like a tear jerker. >> this really is. >> it is. i cried for sure, but i couldn't

tell if that was because of what was happening or because it hit me that these characters that we've been voicing for almost 12 years were saying good-bye. >> did you guys actually kiss in that? i hear the kiss. how did they record that? >> we never saw each other. >> we didn't record once together. >> best gig ever. >> this is the first time we're meeting each other. >> she seems lovely. >> so this is the last one. >> when you heard that this was going to be it, what did you guys think? this thing you felt like could have gone on forever. >> yeah, i mean, all good things must come to an end, and i think what's most important is we end the right way, and i think if you get to the ending of this movie, this is the ending that our characters and our fans deserve, but it's inherently a bit melon kolly. >> i didn't know this was a tv show, and you had done the original voices for these characters then. >> yeah, six seasons of a tv show and three movies later. >> back on tv season 1, did you ever imagine this thing would turn into such like a juggernaut

that it is? and what was it about it you think caught people? >> i think it's hard to anticipate something becoming a global phenomenon. we believed it was good. >> yeah, you can never know what the life that it's going to have is, but i think personally what makes these films so amazing is that there's so much heart and depth, and there's always an incredible story at the core of it and message really. as a grown-up, i love watching these movies but i also can't wait until my son is old enough to discover these because of the stories that it tells and the messages each film has. >> be proud of the work. you guys are both great actors. i was doing radio yesterday. i was in sweats and a t-shirt with spaghetti sauce on. it really is fantastic this as a gig as an actor. >> carson, is this a cry for help? the voiceover, how can i get in on this? what is the process like in the booth and how does it all work? >> six times a year for about three years we go in for these

hour and a half, two hour sessions and then at the end of three years we're in this movie. >> the multiple takes like when you're on set? is it the same sort of thing? >> yeah, more or less. we kind of riff. we just follow our director, and it's actually like i dig it because i don't have to worry about anything else. i don't have makeup or wardrobe. there's not a bunch of people staring. it's kind of pure, the microphone, and the script and the director. >> america you talk about your son growing up to see this. how old is he now? >> he's nine months now. >> already? >> i know, i know. what are you noticing about how he's changing? >> i mean, i have mommy goggles on so everything is so awesome. yesterday he pulled himself up in his crib for the first time, and i couldn't believe it. i was like, oh, my gosh, pray for me. this child is about to get more mobile. he's amazing. we're so happy, and yeah, it's wonderful. and it's wonderful to have, you know, the next generation. i knew by the time we were done with these movies i would have at least one child, and here we

are. >> it worked out just right. >> yeah. >> you guys, thank you for hanging with us, and congrats on the series. >> thank you. >> happy you all came to see us. >> maybe one more? just one more. like boxing, you can never close the door on something. >> above our pay grade. >> how to train your dragon, the hidden world from our sister company dream world and universal pictures, hits theaters on friday. you can catch america on super store, which returns to nbc thursday march 7th. just ahead, a popular pastry chef with a remarkable comeback story, but first this is "today" even if no one in your home smokes, secondhand smoke can be closer than you think.

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plus, now that xfinity mobile is included, you can switch your wireless carrier and save hundreds of dollars a year. talk and text as much as you want and only pay for data. now that's simple, easy, awesome. click, call or visit a store today. this morning on "today" food, the under the malt comeback story. >> it's about one man's passion for doughnuts and the devoted customers who helped him through a very difficult time. first nbc's kristen dahlgren has the story.

♪ in queens, new york, he is the doughnut king. >> chewy, crispy, creamy. >> richard ang reinventing the morning staple. >> so these are not your average time to make the doughnuts? >> i try to -- with a fine dining sensibility. i try to give it a little bit more sophistication, the creme brulee. you want to take that doughnut and dab it all over you. it's so fragrant. >> as a young man, ang wanted to be doctor. now he takes that background in science to the kitchen marrying tastes and textures in often unexpected combinations. >> what do you want people to get out of that first bite? >> fireworks. stars and stripes. >> reporter: the wait for ang's popular pop-up can be up to three hours. >> what makes these doughnuts worth the wait? >> the thing is the flavors are so different. >> reporter: while eating the black label doughnuts may be the stuff of dreams, the real life

of the super star took a nightmare last june. >> i was getting out of my car, and i got ambushed from behind. >> a robbery. >> yeah. and a gun went off in my face. >> reporter: police think it was a random crime, ang at the wrong place at the wrong time. he survived the shot, but feared he had lost everything else, once the face of his skyrocketing business. >> i didn't want to see any reflections. i kept the room dark. you know, i didn't know mentally if i could take -- take it in. i didn't want to be the elephant man. >> reporter: but his followers on social media wouldn't let him succumb to fear and bitterness. >> i miss you. i miss your doughnuts. i know they miss the doughnuts more than they miss me, but i'll take both for mow. >> reporter: within four months he was back in the kitchen and in front of the crowds scarred but no longer scared. >> when you love something so much, you know, and it's a passion you want to get back at it. >> reporter: police never found the two men who attacked him.

while ang would love to see an arrest. >> if such a thing exists as karma, i would love for someone else to drop the hammer on those two guys. >> reporter: he knows for him real healing comes from a tray of hand dipped doughnuts and a smile. >> so we can say that doughnuts really do fix everything? >> i mean, i've never seen anyone reject a doughnut. >> reporter: and that must be exactly what they mean by sweet revenge. for "today," kristen dahlgren, nbc news, queens. >> and richard is here with us with some of his mouth water creations. social media can't get enough of this orange miso pecan sticky bun. might be the best sticky bun on the market. it's been eight months since that summer night when you were attacked. first question is how are you? >> getting better and better. it's a work in progress. hopefully this is going to be a much kinder year than last year was so yeah. >> it takes a lot of courage to kind of just when you had such an experience to come back and to do the thing you love but then also to do it so publicly. where are you finding your

strength? >> you know, it's -- when you're the face of the brand and people kind of rely on you, you know, to kind of help them choose those decisions when they show up, and there's so many options to choose from, you become kind of a crutch, you know. >> there were so many beautiful -- so many just beautiful messages on your instagram page. was there something that stuck out to you during that time that made you say wow, i need to get back? >> you know, it was just for the most part i knew i had to, you know, bide my time, you know. it was more than apparent that it was going to be super overwhelming for me when i finally came back, and that was a record sellout. i made sure that first day i showed up and literally within less than two hours, i blew through almost 450, 500 doughnuts. >> wow. >> we're going to find out. >> what's the secret to making a good doughnut? what makes them so special? >> the flavors right off the top -- these are flavors you

would see in like cuisine food. >> three very unusual flavors, what do we have here? >> i like to say that black label doughnuts is all about three s's. typically i think they're a more or less -- definitely signature and mostly seasonal. >> it's sugar. >> i still like to incorporate my fine dining background, you know, and bring some kind of integrity back to something that's so humble. but also make something that's an everyday item, more of an everyday luxury, you know, and you can enjoy something, and it's just going to be less sugary because there's a lot more restraint involved, balance, i always say balance in everything. >> this sticky bun is probably the best sticky bun. >> that is good. >> you did predict that. you said this is going to be the best sticky bun you've ever had. >> black label doughnuts doing better than ever, and we're gldg to see you're doing well. >> thank you so much. >> thanks for the doughnuts. >> we're back in a moment, but fit thisrs

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we may be wrapped up for this hour. remember, you can always find more stories you're going to love on today.com/allday. >> there was no enthusiasm. >> all day! >> we got a sneak peek of the return of al's cold cuts. we've got actor terry crews. >> and then guys, we're going to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the hit comedy "office space" with star ron livingston. that and more today.com/ -- you got another chance here. >> all day! dane cook in the house is going to tell us about his big comedy comeback. he's going on tour. we'll talk to him. we'll also meet the first black woman to run an nba team as well. first up your local news. fie

a very good morning to you. it is 8:56. i'm laura garcia. firefighters on the peninsula investigating an early morning house fire that left an elderly woman dead. this is video from nbc bay area sky ranger flying over the scene about 7:00 this morning. that fire itself started at about 4:30 on south humbolt

street just north of 3rd avenue. firefighters say there were at least half a dozen people inside that home. everyone else made it out safely but that 86-year-old woman did not survive despite rescue efforts. firefighters are not saying if they know how that fire started. happening now, pete serranos is there talking with neighbors. you can also see more on our twitter feed. former president barack obama will be in oakland for the my brother's keepers conference which addresses urban violence. he'll be joined by steph curry and john legend. the 2020 presidential race heating up. vermont democratic senator bernie sanders throwing again his hat into the ring. sanders posted his announcement this morning on social media. from our home page you can link to the full story. president trul

emergency for the border wall. the overnight developments from capitol hill. the debate continues over president trump's national merge for the border wall. and big changes are coming in the forecast. when you're going to need the umbrella. >> that's today in the bay tomorrow morning 4:30 to 7:00.

from nbc news, this is "today," live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> good tuesday morning. welcome. jenna in the house. al enjoying r and r this week. we have an incredible story about the hiker rescued after spending 11 hours stuck in quicksand. >> it's one of those things you don't really realize exists. >> i didn't think it was real. i thought it was