as mayor, he'll get it done as president. mrb: i'm mike bloomberg president trump goes toe to toe with iran's leader over air-strikes and protests in baghdad, while closer to home new wrinkles in the impeachment saga a arise surrounding the president's attorney rudy giuliani >> the only man to pitch a perfect game and no hitter in the world series don larsen has died at the age of 90. the nba's commissioner david stern. >> a car and driver speeding over a california cliff as authorities are still investigating. >> the heart felt challenge of paying it forward that touched one single mom's life in a huge way. >> plus we've got all your college bowl day highlights. the big winners and toughest moments. let's get started. "early today" starts right now

good to be with you this morning. i'm frances rivera >> and i'm cori coffin the political stakes are high for president trump. with reelection on the horizon and impeachment still looming overhead, the president says he's more than ready for the fight and his personal attorney rudy giuliani is now offering to testify. nbc's tracie potts joins us now from d.c. with the latest. tracie, the decade already off to an explosive start and we are on day two >> reporter: right, cori we expected that we knew that this was coming congress is coming back today with some decisions to make. when will this impeachment trial get nderway? will they have any witnesses what will it look like we still don't know. president trump says he's ready for it >> i would testify i would do demonstrations, i'd do lectures, i'd do summations or i'd do what i do best

i'd try the case >> reporter: that's rudy giuliani, the president's personal attorney, who says he is willing and ready to testify. nancy pelosi, however, still has not sent over those articles of impeachment, so senators don't really know for sure when this trial might get underway cori >> all right, tracie potts for us in d.c. days away from congress convening. thank you. >> let's turn to iraq where the u.s. embassy is protected with increased security hundreds of american soldiers deployed to the region as violent protests extend into a second day troops using tear gas before thousands of pro iranian demonstrators dispersed. nbc's hans nichols has the latest >> reporter:t the in iraq u.s. forces firing tear gas as protesters set tires on fire and try to scale the compound's walls while iraqi securitye irad

demonstrators packing up and dispersing after their militia leaders ordered a retreat. president trump sending 750 troops from the 82nd airborne to the region to counter the iranian threat after 100 marines arrived within hours of the siege. >> we had some great warriors come in and do a fantastic job they were therein stan t instany as soon as we heard. there will never be a benghazi >> reporter: they made it inside the walls of the embassy complex. president trump blames the attack on iran saying he would hold them responsible. but the country's to leaderti iranian-backen attack on americans last friday, which prompted a u.s. strike on an iranian-backed militia this week the president was asked about the prospects of war >> i don't think that would be g do i want to no i want to have peace

i like peace >> reporter: and, frances, the president also weighing in on north korea, saying that he believes that kim committed to denuclearization at that singapore summit, and not to test any long-range ballistic missiles but saying that he also believes kim is a man of his word, before adding, we're going to find out. frances? >> hans nichols for us hans, thank you. >> this nd cancer. he was 90 years old. throughout his storied career he played for seven different teams, but made history with the yankees. he pitched the first and only world series no-hitter and perfect game in 1956 >> mitchell is pinch hitting he stands to pitch a perfect game the stands are terrific. here it comes. he strikes him out the nks win a key game 2-0, and don larsen is baseball's man

of the hour. he pitched the first no-hitter in the world series and the second perfect game in the history of a major league. >> the yanks went on to win the world series that year and larson took mvp honors he won another ring with new york in 1958 and was later shuffled around the league playing with the a's, the white sox and eventually the orioles don larsen dead at 90 years old. >> an outpouring of love, tributes are pouring in this morning as the nba mourns the loss of former commissioner david stern. stern died wednesday at the age of 77 following a brain hemorrhage he held the title of commissioner for 30 years and e league nbc's peter alexander has a look at his legacy. >> reporter: he was a giant force for his sport even if the nba stars that david stern championed always towered over him. >> welcome to the 1984 nba draft. the houstoroes t ever commissioner, stern transformed the nba into a

worth billions televised in 200 countries and 40 languages stern did it by promoting stars like michael jordan, charles barkley and lebron james adding seven new teams and helping launch the wnba. he says one of his proud est moments, supporting magic johnson after he announced he had hiv. >> this is a very courageous, heroic person. >> reporter: all of it a lifelong dream for stern who grew up a die hard knicks fan and was inducted into the hall of fame six years ago. >> everythingw about the game always about the game. >> thanks to peter alexander for that report. >> australia continues to be ravaged by wildfires the country has deployed military ships and aircraft to help aid in the devastating crisis that is so far claimed at least 17 lives more than 100 fires continue to rage there officials racing to save the country's residents and belovels

>> reporter: under blood-red skies and choking smoke an apocalyptic scene of never ending fire. and one coastal town, 4,000 people who fled to the beach on boats have been allowed to return home. but across australia, at least 17 are known dead, 1,000 homes destroyed. >> all of my possessions have been totally incinerated >> reporter: trapped and disoriented, australia's most iconic animals >> if we don't get him down from the tree, he would have been up there amongst the flames >> reporter: this koala named louis did not survive his burns. without enough firefighters, zoo keeper chad staples and his staff are working round the clock to keep his 200 animals safe >> he was black like midnight with that smoke. then that horrible red, you know, tinge to the sky the fire creates and the heat it was horrendous. >> reporter: environmental experts say 30% of wild koalas in new south wales may have died

8500 and as chad told us recently, urban sprawl has made the koala an endangered species. >> to be blunt, it's basically habitat destruction. >> reporter: it's threatening their existence. >> exactly >> reporter: koalas may disappear from the wild. >> and we will eventually have no wild koalas in the world. you have to go to a zoo. >> reporter: you think that's a real possibility >> i do think this is a real pobltd >> reporter: as australia struggles with an unprecedented disaster, its beloved koalas are also in extreme danger tom costello, nbc news >> losing his patience, this morning pope francis is apologizing for this tense moment that was caught on camera watch here it happened on new year's eve as the pope greeted pilgrims in st. peter's square he swats the hand of a woman who forcefully tugged his arm. during his new year's day address, the pontiff apologized for losing patience with the woman. saying in part, so many times we lose patience. me, too. i say excuse me for the bad

example. >> college football fans went bowling for new year's day number a georgia scoring a sweet late night victory excuse me. at the sugar bowl against baylor they race to a 19-0 lead before the bears finally got on the board in the third quarter a little too late for baylor, to georgia wins it 26-14. and in the third year in a row, the ducks soared over the rose bowl oregon edging out wisconsin in the nail-biter big mistakes, including a dropped punt doomed the badgers. the ducks got it done on the ground with quarterback justin herbert rushing for three touchdowns oregon wins it 28-27 >> they may have missed the college football playoffs the first time ever, but alabama made lemonade out of it at the citrus bowl. crimson tide rolled over michigan, throwing for 327 yards and three touchdowns they won it 35-16. and the outback bowl, minnesota stunned auburn the tigers took it to the house for 95-yard touchdown after a

minnesota field goal the gophers dug out of the hole to win it 31-24. >> i don't know what temperature it actually was for all those bowl games, it looked like -- >> most of the country had really nice new year's day weather wise that's ending. we're going to have a big rainstorm, may eventually turn to a little bit of snow for friends in the ohio valley, especially north of northern ne england. we don't have to worry about severe weather yet later today we may get isolated storms especially around new orleans and southern mississippi. we have a flash flood watch from natural natches to chattanooga and knoxville. some areas get isolated areas may get 2 to 4 inches of rain out of this. it's going to be a big rainstorm. the area of pink and red, that's up to 2 to 3 inches of rain. you can see how large the shield will be. eventually spreading all 9 way through the mid-atlantic region. today is kind of nice on the east coast morrow is the datoures in the 3,

no one's complaining we'll talk about that snow threat for the weekend coming up >> thank you, bill snow plows were called out to clear a major highway in washington state it wasn't snow they were plowing. tumble weeds they blew into ridge land new year's eve and they blocked traffic for ten hours. some of these poor drivers, they got trapped. no one was injured in all of this that is something i'vei don't tn anything lik >> this is a first right here in 2020 you witnessed it right here. just ahead, flavored e-cigs could go up in smoke when we could see a federal vaping ban >> the search for answers after a car was careening off a cliff cifnia. where's the truck? what? parked it right there.

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leading the news, there is an ongoing search for answers in california after reports that a car went over a cliff along the san mateo county coast a dashcam captured the moment that this green vehicle speeds across towards a cliff it's not clear what led up to that moment. authorities found the tire tracks, but not the vehicle or the driver car parts were discovered in the water, but it's not known if they are connected to this incident search efforts were suspended because the conditions grew too da dangerous and the investigation continues. >> president trump is expected to announce a ban soon on most flavored e-cigarettes. this comes as the cdc says 55 people have now died of vaping-related lung illnesses. critics say the long promised crackdown on safety do not go far enough here's nbc's ann thompson. >> reporter: to snuff out the nation's vaping crisis, president trump is choosing to compromise >> we'll be taking it off the flavors for a period of time, certain flavors.

>> reporter: reportedly, all the sweet-tasting pods that are driving teen vaping, menthol and tobacco will still be available still allowed to sell flavored liquids so adults can make their own e-cigs. >> we're going to protect our children and protect the industry >> reporter: yet even with the new 21-year age limit to buy e-cigarettes and other tobacco products, public health advocates say children will still be at risk >> if simply raising the age of sale would work, we wouldn't have over 5 million kids under the age of 18 today using these products we need to do both we need to raise the age and we need to eliminate the flavors which have fueled this of democrat i c epidemic >> reporter: they initially planned to ban the flavors in september. the billion dollar industry. they are threatening to withhold political support. running this ad in palm beach while the president vacationed

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of swimmers polar plunged into the new year these pennsylvanians braved 30 degree temperatures. polish plungeers took a dip in the netherlands north sea. >> more power to them. a heroic dog rescue caught on camera a doctor springs into action in tampa when he sees a dog's leash get stuck in an elevator door. here's nbc's ron mott. >> reporter: dog gone it, it's happened again a friendly dog in the lobby wagging hi to a neighbor when things got rocketing th neck. the doctor had come home to his tampa apartment building never expecting this kind of house callin action to save a life. >> i jumped from the ground, tried to break the leash open as hard as i can. you can see the video. the first time i couldn't do it. it was just too hard >> reporter: another tug at freedom worked

the dog and his guardian angel falling into the floor the doctor's instincts praised right place, right time. it comes on the heels of another dramatic rescue. a pomeranian snagged by a resident elevator. this man, a dog's best friend. ron mott, nbc news >> wow >> it is so difficult to watch that video >> iou s this after the story, you see a pet and a leash and an elevator you're going to be aware of something like that happening. >> exactly, very careful just ahead bill has anrnara rming surprise for a server in michigan fy? lifetime of gratitude. that's because your home is filled with soft surfaces that trap odors and release them back into the room. so try febreze fabric refresher. febreze finds odors trapped in fabrics and cleans them away as it dries. use febreze every time you tidy up, to keep your whole house smelling fresh air clean. fabric refresher even works for clothes you want to wear another day.

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i can face anything with my olay. and my latest beauty secret... for bright, smooth skin... olay regenerist cream cleanser. leading the news, a texas deputy has died in the line of duty after being shot during a traffic stop they say 28-year-old deputy chris dickerson was gunned down after he stopped an suv. officials say the suspect, 47-year-old gregory newsome allegedly got out of the vehicle and shot the deputy several times with a rifle the deputy shot back, injuring newsome, who then fled the suspect was later arrested following a high-speed police chase. police have charged him with capital murder deputy dickerson was an eight-year veteran of the department >> let's bring in nbc meteorologist bill karins with a look at the forecast good morning, bill >> good morning. the first weekend forecast of the new year is going to be a wet one starting and maybe ending with snow for many people so on friday the rain really all through the areas of the east, much of the east coast by the time we get to saturdays,

some of the cold air begins to catch up to the storm system and we'll go from rain to snow the hide high valley could have a little bit maybe enough to shovel, maybe enough for the kids to play in a little bit northern new england look like they'll get it through saturday. sunday morning we will be seeing morning snow in areas of new england. but pretty quiet the southern half of the country. >> thank you, bill up next, how a mom's attempt to record her daughter's proposal turned into the mother of all selfie fails dead skin cells! gross! so now, i grab my swiffer sweeper and heavy-duty dusters. duster extends to three feet to get all that gross stuff gotcha! and for thattextured cloths grd hold dirt and hair no matter where dust bunnies hide.no more heebie jeebies. phew. glad i stopped cleaning and started swiffering.

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>> reporter: at the thunder bay river restaurant in alpina, michigan, one witness was served a surprise >> this doesn't happen to somebody like me >> reporter: danielle had just finished serving a couple. the bill was 23 bucs the tip, 2020. $2,020 the note on the receipt read, happy new year, 2020 tip challenge. >> i thought it was a joke >> reporter: she is a single mom and recovering addict who was homeless just one year ago >> didn't know there's people out there that can look past that and can look at me as a person and as a mom. my life's changing >> reporter: we've seen a few stories like this lately thanks to the tip the bill challenge encouraging diners to leave 100% gratuity others have gone higher. a georgia church group gave a server 1200 bucs >> oh, my god. >> reporter: in wisconsin, two

waitresses split a $4,000 tip, the kind of money that makes a difference just ask danielle. >> that changed my life completely >> reporter: joe fryer, nbc news >> i'm crying. you're crying. >> i love that we're hearing about it more and more it's infectious when you have that kind of heart >> so sweet. so, to another mom story, this may be a little embarrassing for mom. she was supposed to record her son-in-law's proposal, but she ended up recording herself instead. everything was going according to plan. the family had gathered around the aquarium's penguin exhibit when susan accidentally flipped the camera back on herself just as her future son-in-law ben got down on one knee >> i was trying to figure out how to work it and i'm taking a selfie of myself i realize i'm filming myself instead of them and i'm laughing and we're all laughing and it's like, i guess, i'm not very good at photography

>> the soon to be husband and wife insist they are not upset in fact, it made the proposal even more memorable. >> guess what, we can all relate we all have a mom that's like, it, how do you turn it around? we're all there. a florida baby was born just in time for the new year the baby named alani rock was born one second after the clock struck midnight making her the first u.s. child to be born this decade alani's parents said she was due at 11:50 she is the 8th member of the family >> congratulations to the rock family very cool. and thanks for watching "early today. i'm cori coffin. >> and i'm frances rivera. on the tyou, january 2nd.ok out

downtown san jose. it's nice. the christmas tree there still shining bright. >> still rocking. i still have mine up. i'm not ready. >> i just tossed mine out.

>> you did? >> yesterday. >> you're done. it's a new year, it's a new living room. >> thanks for joining us this morning. i'm marcus washington. >> and i'm kira klapper in for laura garcia. we want to show you this, something we're all talking about this morning, a small earthquake rattled morgan hill overnight. our team is monitoring what parts of the bay area felt it and how you can prepare for the next big one.