eed to make a change.ve this message. president trump is in davos, switzerland, as the senate is about to begin his impeachment trial. with mitch mcconnell laying down the rules giving each side just 24 hours to layout their case. >> health officials are stepping up screenings at major u.s. airports after seeing the spread of a deadly stery virus. >> arm in arm, at least eight democratic presidential candidates put differences aside and marched together in honor of dr. martin luther king u.k. are selling the couple's merchandise at deep discounts as they try to clear the shelves. >> and hail the size of baseballs. plus wicked cold temperatures in the east bundle up. "early today" starts rig n

good morning i'm frances rivera >> and i'm phillip mena. a monumental morning on capitol hill as impeachment heads before the senate for only the third time in our nation's history with the trial of president trump beginning in earnest, expect an international split screen as the president himself attends the world economic forum in davos, switzerland. senate majority leader mitch mcconnell released the ground rules last night paving the way for a swift trial and delaying any debate over witnesses until after opening arguments. a move which quickly came under fire by top democrats. >> a trial where there is no evidence, no existing record, and no new evidence, no witnesses, no documents, that isn't a trial at all it's a cover up. >> and now one potential witness at the center of the case is weighing in on the possibility of testifying. >> if i'm called as a witness, i'm prepared to do it. in fact, i wouldn't mind being called as a witness for a lot of reasons, including being able to reveal the unbelievable amount

of corruption that went on between the democratic party and ukraine all throughout the obama administration >> nbc's hallie jackson has more on what to expect today. >> reporter: one by one, one final walk through for the president's defenders and for his democratic prosecutors at the capital before they face-off in the impeachment trial now a new glimpse into what the white house will argue in the nearly 200-page filing, the president's attorneys dismiss impeachment as a brazenly political act, asking the senate to speedily reject the articles the crux of their case, what the president is accused of, abuse of power and obstruction of congress does not meet the constitutional threshold for removing a president from office adding, he did absolutely nothing wrong. alan dershowitz is one of the president's lawyers. do you believe donald trump abused the power of his office, yes or no? >> it's irrelevant the abuse of power is not -- is not the criteria for impeachment. >> reporter: democrats argue the evidence overwhelmingly

establishes that the president is guilty of abusing his power by pressuring ukraine to announce investigations into his political rivals >> if it's a defense, he did it, so what. you have to ask ourselves, who is the president going to shake down next? >> reporter: as for the president himself -- >> we are achieving what no administration has ever achieved before and what do i get out of it, tell me? i get by these radulical left lunatics >> reporter: he will return to washington, briefly visiting the martin luther king memorial one of his advisors linking king to the impeachment fight. >> i think it is within dr. king's vision to have americans drag through a process where the president is going to be removed from office, not being charged with bribery, high

crimes and misdemeanors. >> reporter: and phillip, president trump is in switzerland now for an economic conference, something officials say show how he is still conducting the business of the presidency still a cnn poll show half of americans believe he should be convicted and removed from office in the senate trial phillip, back to you >> historic day ahead. hallie, thank you. >> meantime, sparks are already flying over the rules of the impeachment trial before the senate has even gavelled in. nbc's tracie potts joins us from d.c. with more tracie, senate democrats are blasting senate majority leader mcconnell before the trial >> reporter: they are. interestingly, the president's team isn't too keen on the timing of it either. take a look. these rules that came out late just a day before the trial is set to begin, have arguments beginning wednesday, tomorrow, at 1:00 p.m., and then each side gets 24 hours to present their arguments over two days. they want to do that in long 12-hour sessions senators are asking questions in

writing over 16 hours, and then the senate will consider and vote on witnesses and documents. now, one of the areas where both sides seem to disagree is the timing of this, those long 12-hour days that would throw some of their arguments into the middle of the night. >> senator mcconnell's resolution states the key facts be delivered in the wee hours of the night simply because he doesn't want the american people to hear them >> arguments, whether we present them at 2:00 in the afternoon or 2:00 in the morning is going to be up to obviously the senate leadership, you know i would prefer to present them at a time when viewers are awake and can take in the argument but my argument and our argument is primarily to 100 senators, and that's our audience. >> reporter: some rare agreement there as the trial gets underway this afternoon president trump as hallie just mentioned, will not be here. he will be overseas in switzerland when this trial gets

underway >> so much to watch today and for the next several tracie, thank you. special coverage of president trump's impeachment trial begins today at 1:00 p.m. eastern. >> chaos unfolds at the mexican, guatemalan border. thousands of migrants and asylum seekers trying to force their way into mexico. the caravan formed last week in honduras hundreds of people tried going through the river that separates the two countries, but ended up facing mexican authorities on shore. some hurling rockst the national guard the mexican government promised the trump administration that they'd step up border enforcement. this has been the largest caravan so far this year, with many seeking passage to the u.s. border >> now we turn to the spread of a virus causing alarm around the world. major airports across the united states are now screening for the coronavirus. as cases continue to spread in china, the world health organization has called an emergency meeting. here's nbc's miguel almaguer >> reporter: around the world, stepped up health screenings at

airports as officials confirm more than detected, claiming three lives so far, the surge in cases comes as scientists now say the virus can spread from person to person, raising broughter fears of a pandemic. the world health organization announcing an emergency meeting to decide if a public health emergency should be declared >> this situation is really emerging quickly we're getting new information every day. >> reporter: with the mysterious virus perhaps originating at this meat and seafood market in wuhan, china, new cases were zee texted in beijing and shanghai, and now additional patients testing positive in thailand, japan and south korea, all hubs for flights into the u.s >> we just test the temperature. >> reporter: at l.a.x., s.f.o. and j.f.k., screening underway, officials looking for flu-like symptoms, fever, cough and

shortness of brelgt. >> i think it's necessary because this is for our health >> reporter: while they believe the spike in cases is due to testing not faster spread, this strain not identified in humans before is a variation of coronavirus which includes the sars virus that killed nearly 800 people worldwide, starting in 2002. this strain is particularly aggressive and particularly dangerous. >> onceit starts spreading fro person to person, it's really hard to keep people quarantined. >> reporter: concern around the world over a mysterious strain of coronavirus as the number of cases and fear grows at this point, there are no travel restrictions for anyone flying in or out of the affected areas, but authorities say if you're feeling sick, you should immediately contact health officials and stay away from the general public frances? >> all right, miguel, thank you. >> thousands of protesters flooded the state capital in virginia for a massive pro-gun rally. many gun rights supporters were armed to the teeth the event took place under a

state of emergency officials were relieved that it ended peacefully nbc's sarah dallof has more. >> reporter: large crowds and loud calls to action >> we will not comply. >> our rights have to be agreed on >> reporter: a gun rally at the virginia state capital >> does virginia need more gun control? >> no. >> reporter: it was originally planned to protest bills proposed by the democrat-controlled state legislature that would require background checks on all firearms purchases limit hand gun purchases to one per month, and let localities ban guns from certain events in government buildings >> you lose the second amendment, everything else goes with it. >> reporter: many choosing to remain armed outside the perimeter. virginia's governor declared a state of emergency ahead of the rally, h avo a repeat e in 2017. and seven suspected neo-nazis were arrested.

officials say they discussed attending the rally. >> there was a lot of fear and a lot of concern some of it was genuine, some of it was manufactured to try to depress turnout. >> reporter: authorities are on high alert as thousands flooded richmond's capital square. sarah dallof, nbc news >> we now turn to australia where they are still battling extreme weather, but this time instead of fire, it's ice. large hail stones raining down on the southeastern part of the country. some of it large enough to damage buildings and shatter car windows. the recent thunderstorms have been a relief for areas where fires have been burning for months >> and in the states we have some frigid cold in the east let's check in with meteorologist janessa webb good morning >> good morning. this is that january cold that's vibing down for us, two-thirds of the nation. and we are talking about sub-zero temperatures for the dakotas. it has spread to the midwest the feel-like temperatures right now in new york city in the lower 20s. we're going to continue to be on the cold side through your wednesday. look at morning lows by

tomorrow burlington, the feel-like temp 40s across south texas we're in the upper 60s. so the chill is here, but we have a cross-country system. we'll talk about that coming up. >> hear all about that thank you, janessa >> quick hits, crystal, the popular southern fast food chain that originated in tennessee has filed for bankruptcy the company voluntarily filed for chapter 11 it will remain open as it reorganizes. >> dr. jonathan holloway as the new president to replace robert archie holloway will make history as the first african-american president at rutgers since being founded in 1766. >> after years of questioning its authenticity, a vincent van

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kim nooooo!! mucinex has a patented tablet that lasts 3x longer, for 12 hours. two democratic front runners are burying the hatchet in the race for 2020. senator bernie sanders is apologizing to joe biden after a campaign surrogate pens this op-ed in the guardian accusing the former vice president of corruption the author doesn't hold an official role in the campaign, but has endorsed the senator sanders told cbs it is absolutely not his view that biden is corrupt in any way, and he's sorry that the op-ed appeared in a tweet, biden thanked sanders saying, quote, these kind of attacks have no place in this primary >> meanwhile, on mlk jr. day, a rare display of solidarity for the democratic candidates. many coming together in a key battle ground. and elizabeth warren and bernie sanders side by side in public for the first time since that tense debate moment.

here's nbc's jeff bennett. >> reporter: a show of unity that the democratic presidential contenders celebrated reverend martin luther king jr. in south carolina warren and sanders putting their dispute aside about gender and electability >> a march down this street with optimism because i feel hope i see hope >> our job is not just to remember the history of dr. king it is to absorb his revolutionary spirit and apply it today >> folks, we have a chance to rip out the systemic roots of racism in this country >> reporter: "the new york times" passing biden by, announcing a dual endorsement for the first time ever. backing elizabeth warren and amy klobuchar, calling both the most effective advocates for the radical and realist approaches among the democratic field >> well, i'm very excited about

it i didn't expect it >> reporter: biden's campaign highlighting a spontaneous endorsement which they say matters more >> thank you so much what's your name >> jacqueline. >> do you have a camera? get it out and take one. >> reporter: the candidates splitting their time in south carolina and iowa with voting set to begin in two weeks. frances? >> jeff, thank you >> just ahead, prince harry reunites with meghan and baby archie >> plus the sussex brand goes to the bargain bin. harry and meghan souvenirs now on clearance studies showed relief and remission, with dosing every 8 weeks. stelara® may lower your ability to fight infections and may increase your risk of infections and cancer. some serious infections require hospitalization. before treatment, get tested for tb. tell your doctor if you have an infection or flu-like symptoms or sores, have had cancer, or develop new skin growths, or if anyone in your house needs or recently had a vaccine. alert your doctor of new or worsening problems,

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the royal rift triggered the blowout sale at british gift shops. novelty shops in windsor are marking down their sussex souvenirs to mugs and bobble heads after harry and meghan decided to step down from royal duties >> that would be the exact opposite >> thought everybody would want to snatch it up because they're not going to make them any more. >> collector's item. snatch them up the sussexes, speaking of them, they are back together again. prince harry just arrived in canada early this morning beginning his new chapter with meghan and archie. here's nbc's keir simmons with what he said about the painful split as well as his relationship with the queen. >> reporter: prince harry doing his royal duty, a role he will relinquish in the spring >> i want you to hear the truth

from me as much as i can share not as a prince or a duke, but as harry >> reporter: in a stunning speech, revealing he felt forced to choose between royal service and private work >> our hope was to continue serving the queen, the commonwealth and my military associations, but without public funding. unfortunately that wasn't possible i have accepted this, knowing that it doesn't change who i am or how committed i am. >> reporter: it is a blow to the royal family >> we'll miss harry and meghan of course. >> reporter: less than two years after harry and meghan's fairytale wedding felt like a breath of fresh air. >> we were excited we were hopeful. and we were here to serve. for those reasons, it brings me great sadness that it has come to this. >> reporter: the queen this weekend announcing the duke and duchess will no longer be called your royal highness and will lose all public funding, but saying harry, meghan and archie will always be much loved members of my family the couple vowing to uphold the

values of her majesty. >> i will always have the utmost respect for my grandmother, my commander in chief we are taking a leap of faith, so thank you for giving me the courage to take this next step >> reporter: royal officials won't say when harry will join meghan in canada, but they will sper spend most of their time in north america. will their departure damage the royal family long term history will judge keir simmons, nbc news, london >> we'll be watching every step of the way in this whole transition >> the irony of all this, they're trying to get out of the public eye i don't think they've ever been more covered than they are now >> right janessa's forecast, winter weather up next. >> ahead, meet the elementary school students who are keeping dr. king's dream alive ou ge now, you can skip the line with walgreens express, get in and out quickly with 24-hour locations,

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low blood pressure, kidney problems, ask your doctor about entresto. ♪the beat goes on yeah! good morning, everyone we're hitting repeat on these winter storms. once again, another cross-country weather maker will enter the northern tier providing a good swath of rain, a little bit of freezing rain as well, all the way from wednesday to thursday afternoon as it continues to push into or parts of the midwest and even the northeast by late friday so we're watching this closely >> another wave. thanks a lot, janessa. when "early today" returns, these second graders are giving the world a lesson in unity and love in honor of dr. king. ed ed appen in your life. wrinkles just won't. neutrogena® rapid wrinkle repair's derm-proven retinol

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in honor of his legacy of service, dr. martin luther king, jr., day has become a day of volunteering for many. hundreds of people turned out to help at learning spaces ps-43 in bronx. they painted murals and made bookshelves. the event was hosted by city year, a nonprofit group that helps support students throughout the year. they were joined by volunteers from 14 companies including comcast, nbc universal can think of no better way than to honor dr. king with service >> great example as the world honors the legacy of martin luther king, jr., there are still many schools throughout the country that remain segregated. nbc's rehema ellis has the report on schools working to bridge the divide. >> i've been to the mountain top. >> reporter: in the same city that demar tin luther king, jr., was killed, these second graders

are keeping his legacy alive >> i have a dream that one day dash >> our people will have equal rights >> that people will be joyful. >> let there be peace and love, not hate >> reporter: more than a thousand miles north, these new jersey students are learning the same lessons >> i have a dream that everyone will be friends. >> that everyone can be treated as family. >> big dreams for these little kids thanks to a three-video camera program, these screens in highly segregated communities are working together what do you see that you have in common with the kids here in memphis? >> we're both people and we need to be treated the same >> reporter: teachers in both schools collaborating almost every day on projects that build racial understanding >> when i heard them talk about their dreams, they're my dreams, too. >> we don't just label them for the color of their skin. >> and they don't label you that way either >> no. >> reporter: at this tender age,

color doesn't divide them. >> in my adult life, the word color is so much more complicated than a 7 or 8-year-old's mind. >> reporter: dr. king led a movement now these kids are part of it. ♪ we shall overcome some day ♪ >> reporter: rehema ellis, nbc news, memphis. >> a beautiful thing to do >> great to see other schools do that, too. all they need is a screen, little technology and they're brought together >> brings them together. let's celebrate some birthdays today. singer emma better known as baby spice. she turns 44 years old the greatest basketball era keem a olajuwon wan turns 57. singer song writer billy ocean is 70 years old today. and golf legend and hall of famer jack nicklaus turns 80 thanks for waking up with us i'm phillip mena >> and i'm frances rivera. on the today show, cooking with the daily's, carson and hi> the

up to tell the republican senators to do their job -- >> right now at 4:30, a historic day. the stage is set for ru-- for president trump's impeachment trial to start in the senate. the overseas trip the president is making this morning. good morning, i'm marcus washington. >> and i'm kris sanchez in for laura garcia. we want to first start with a live look outside in san francisco and san jose. nice and warm for the morning hours. but light rain is heading toward the bay area just in time for your commute. so kari, how is it timing out. >> we're starting to see the rain in the north bay. as we look at the radar, we could see it covg