a deadly shootout as members of a fugitive task force are wounded by gunfire while serving a warrant. the gunman was killed. this morning new details on how the situation unfolded >> on the heels of senator bernie sanders' momentum building win in new hampshire, billionaire michael bloomberg is shaking the race up even more after already spending some $300 million in just ten weeks. >> the scandal rocking a prestigious american college, the father facing a judge. authorities saying he moved into his daughter's dorm and preyed on her classmates. >> a new gallop poll finds 61% of americans say they are better off now than three years ago

while a third say they regularly run out of money before pay day. >> speaking of cash, valentine's day is tomorrow. have you gotten a special someone something special yet? "early today" starts right now >> on this special thursday, good morning i'm cori coffin. >> and i'm phillip mena. in baltimore, two police officers were gunned down in broad daylight the officers were part of a fugitive task force and serving a warrant to a former corrections officer wanted for attempted murder that's when things took a deadly turn hea here's nbc's tom costello. >> reporter: in a city wrapped by gun violence, a shoot out between the marshals fugitive task force and former corrections officer wanted for attempted murder >> we have two officers. suspect is down. >> reporter: two detectives wounded, one in the stomach, one in the leg >> at least one of their lives was likely saved by application of a tourniquet applied by their fellow officers.

tourniquets save lives >> reporter: both officers expected to survive. the suspect pronounced dead on the scene. police say the detectives were serving a warrant on the former corrections officer for attempted murder in pennsylvania when gunfire broke out for years baltimore has been among the nation's most dangerous cities, gripped by gun violence and drug activity >> this is a dangerous job we wake up every day and we go do it for the people of the city we live in >> reporter: 348 people were murdered in baltimore last year. the fifth straight year with more than 300 murders. >> i would like to thank the brave officers who worked today's joint task force their work is dangerous and can turn deadly instantly. >> reporter: this is the first officer-involved shooting in baltimore so far this year the justice department recently beefed up a federal task force involving the fbi, atf and dea working with baltimore police in a coordinated crackdown. phillip? >> all right, tom, thank you >> there are a lot of questions

this morning about what punishment awaits roger stone after the department of justice made the stunning decision to overrule four career prosecutors. the president now insisting that he did not intervene in the case of his long-time advisor nbc's tracie potts has the latest for us. >> reporter: president trump is congratulating attorney general william barr for handling what he calls a case totally out of control. run by rogue prosecutors who cut and ran after being exposed. >> roger stone was treated horribly and so were many of the other people their lives were destroyed >> reporter: all four prosecutors left the case against trump associate roger stone. one left his job after the justice department reversed their recommendation that stone get 7 to 9 years in prison for lying to congress and obstructing the russia investigation. that happened just hours after the president complained, it's too harsh. >> you have murderers and drug

addicts that don't get nine years. nine years for doing something that nobody even can define what he did >> reporter: did the attorney general do his boss a favor? >> what is more swampy, what is more fetid, what is more stinking than the most powerful person in the country literally changing the rules to benefit a croney guilty of breaking the law. >> reporter: how much jail time stone gets is up to the judge. >> no matter what she does now, there is a chance it won't be perceived as fair. >> reporter: but was nine years fair that was the maximum sentence including witness tampering, which republicans say was not proven >> i've got real concerns about overzealous prosecution more than anything else i want mr. stone to be treated fairly >> reporter: the senate's top democrat is asking the justice department's inspector general to investigate tracie potts, nbc news, washington >> a possible compromise is in

the works today for new yorkers caught in the clash over immigration. governor andrew cuomo will meet with president trump to discuss reinstating trusted traveler programs which helped to speed through airport security lines last week homeland security barred new yorkers from using the programs because of a law that limits federal immigration authorities from accessing dmv records. cuomo has signalled he would make concessions to end the dispute. meanwhile, another new yorker is shaking up the democratic primary. former mayor mike bloomberg is looking to make a splash on super tuesday. nbc's gabe gutierrez has more. gabe, good morning >> reporter: phillip, michael bloomberg is spending about a million dollars a day on just facebook ads but it is those comments over the controversial stop and frisk program in new york city that are looming over the campaign. >> in tennessee. >> reporter: michael bloomberg is making his move >> i am running to defeat donald trump. [ cheers and applause >> reporter: the 77-year-old

billionaire and former new york city mayor has already spent an astounding $300 million on ads to catapult his campaign in the dozen plus states that will vote on march 3rd, super tuesday. what do you say to democrats who are arguing you are trying to buy the election? >> i'm not trying to buy the election we've been at this ten weeks the best way is to communicate in ten weeks is through something like mass media. >> reporter: but he's facing growing scrutiny over leaked audio from a 2015 speech >> put those cops where the crime is which means in minority neighborhoods. >> reporter: where he defended new york city's controversial police policy of stop and frisk later ruled unconstitutional >> the way you get the guns out of the kids' hands is -- >> reporter: he's recently apologized for stop and frisk but when asked about the audio >> it was five years ago and, um, you know, it's just not the way that i think >> reporter: when you heard the

audio of him defending stop and frisk what did you think >> i think it was blunt racial profiling. >> reporter: bishop kevin adams leads a congregation in chattanooga. >> but for him to apologize i think is huge. >> reporter: bloomberg will continue his super tuesday blitz later today with five campaign stops in north carolina and texas, phillip >> gabe gutierrez on the campaign trail thanks, gabe >> it is a case that has shocked a prestigious american college a father accuse of being a campus predator. authorities say he moved into his daughter's dorm and preyed on her roommates here's nbc's stephanie gosk. >> reporter: he's being called a master manipulator and prolific con man. now lawrence ray is an accused sex trafficker pleading not guilty in federal court to multiple charges authorities say it all started here on the campus of sarah lawrence college just outside new york city. according to prosecutors, ray moved into his daughter's coed college dorm in 2010 with her

roommates when she was a sophomore. >> the criminal conduct was his ability to psychologically control his young victims. >> reporter: according to the indictment he slowly gained emotional control over the roommates through what he called therapy sessions, convincing the students they suffered from psychological problems, presenting himself as a father figure prosecutors alleged the emotional control slowly turned into physical abuse, prostitution, and eventually extortion of about $1 million. >> the conduct alleged here is outrageous makes you angry. if you're not angry you don't have a soul. >> reporter: allegations first surfaced last year in new york magazine >> there was nothing particularly remarkable about his victims in that they were vulnerable teenagers they could have been anybody's childrenment >> reporter: for years ray rubbed elbows with powerful new yorkers, befriending former n.y.p.d. commissioner bernard before becoming an fbi informant in his corruption case ke kerrick spent three years in

prison if found guilty, lawrence ray is looking at life behind bars. they call it disturbing adding it conducted its own internal investigation after the new york magazine article came out and couldn't verify the claims >> all right stephanie gosk reporting thank you, stephanie >> stocks ended the day at record highs as investors shook off coronavirus fears. tech stocks powered much of the rally fueled mostly by positive earnings reports the dow added 275 points, the s&p was up 21 and the nasdaq gained 87. >> all right let's talk about that deadly coronavirus that continues to spread globally. and in the u.s. here a new case has been reported this one out of san diego. according to the cdc it makes it the 8th case in the state of california and the 14th case overall in the states. the agencies say the unidentified patient is one of the patients and passengers who

was evacuated from wuhan, china. meanwhile, the chinese government health advisor says the epidemic may be peaking in china, but it is just beginning in the rest of the world the virus has killed nearly 1400 people and infected over 60,000. >> the landmark sexual assault trial against disgraced hollywood producer harvey weinstein has entered its final stages jurors will hear the defense's closing arguments today and the prosecution's closing tomorrow weinstein is charged with rapping a woman in a manhattan hotel room and performing oral sex on a different woman in 2006 he maintains it was consensual and pleaded not guilty deliberations will start on tuesday. if he is convicted, he faces life in prison >> a major winter storm is still on the move and it created some dangerous travel conditions for a school bus in kansas overturning on the snowy roads, fifth graders were going on a field trip when the driver lost control. we are told the 17 children were

taken to the hospital. thankfully they are expected to be okay. >> incredible, thinking about the video we saw yesterday inside there it's so incredibly dangerous bill karins, good morning. >> good morning. yes. thinking about the parents getting the phone call >> yes >> we have the storm to deal with, winter weather from chicago, st. louis, now a little bit of light snow in areas of central and northern portions of new england. there is still a lot of heavy rain all the way down through the' appalachia. freeway picked up an inch or two, albany, mass pike northward, light snow. no problem in boston south ward. a rainy morning. a slow drive we have winter weather alert from northern illinois through central new york and then portions of the northeast. again, it's not a huge storm not going to be that slick as we go throughout the day today, most of it exits. if you're anywhere driving near the lakes, cleave, erie, boston

today and head to the northeast for your friday. some of that cold air today to oklahoma city. only a high of 32. look at that weekend forecast coming up. it will feel and look like winter >> how about that? just when we thought spring was coming bill, thank you. in the numbers, the happiest place on earth, single day tickets to california's disneyland have risen ten bucs to a whopping $209 during high demand times >> a new survey found a third of americans experience regular financial stress nearly one in three american workers run out of money before pay day, even those earning over $100,000 >> new gallop poll shows 61% of americans say they're better off today than three years ago the poll found 89% of beerblicans think they're tt off under trump compared to only 29% of democrats

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we're back now with a consumer alert for you two major auto makers issued recalls affecting thousands of vehicles ford is recalling over 240,000 suvs and cars worldwide because of a suspension part that can fracture and increase the risk of a crash the recalls cover the ford flex, taurus and lincoln mct from 2013 to 2018. also tesla is recalling 15,000-2016 model x due to a potential power steering issue >> it looks like amazon c.e.o. jeff bezos has a new place to call home. he has reportedly purchased a 13,000 square foot mansion on a nine-acre estate in beverley hills once owned by music mogul david geffen this is the most expensive home sale ever recorded in the los angeles area to give you a little context here, the $165 million sale is

only an 8th of 1% of his net worth. so for someone who makes 60,000 a year that's like buying a house for 75 bucs. >> sign me up, please. >> that's what it feels like to be the richest man on planet earth. >> my goodness after nearly a year in space, christina cook is back on earth. the record setting female astronaut sat down for an interview and encouraged others to embrace their fears while following their dreams >> my message for anyone who has a dream, follow your passion, be true to yourself, do what you love and live a life you imagine for yourself a couple things i like to throw in on that, is do what scares you. do the things that might feel like they're just out of your reach. they're intriguing you, drawing you in, but you don't know for sure if you can do it. go after that thing. not only will you maximally impact -- >> that gives me goosebumps. some out of this world advice from a truly brave woman >> do what scares you. >> fantastic >> sure is >> just ahead, taking sneaker

head to a whole new level with a face tattoo. >> sorry, j-lo apparently love does cost a thing. how much couples are shelling out this valentine's day >> oh, yeah. uld fix it. and now it reminds me of her. i'm just glad i never fixed it. listen, you don't need to go anywhere dad. meet christine, she's going to help you around the house. the best home to be in is your own. from personal care and memory care, to help around the house, home instead offers personalized in-home services for your loved ones. home instead senior care. to us, it's personal. home instead senior care. a lot will happen in your life. wrinkles just won't. neutrogena® rapid wrinkle repair's fastest retinol formula works so fast. it takes only one week to reveal younger looking skin. neutrogena® you're doing more to keep your body healthy for the future. shouldn't your toothpaste do the same for your mouth? future proof your whole mouth with new crest pro/active defense. its active defense technology neutralizes bacteria

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othroughout the country for the past twelve years, mr. michael bloomberg is here. vo: leadership in action. mayor bloomberg and president obama worked together in the fight for gun safety laws, to improve education, and to develop innovative ways to help teens gain the skills needed to find good jobs. obama: at a time when washington is divided in old ideological battles he shows us what can be achieved when we bring people together to seek pragmatic solutions. bloomberg: i'm mike bloomberg and i approve this message. back in washington, trump was bragging about the economy and pointed out that the big four companies, microsoft, apple, google and amazon, spell out maga take a look, yeah. then cameras had to cut away when trump held up four more companies, facebook, u.p.s.,

cost coe and kohl's. there you have it. >> chances are they didn't wake up with the most admired physique according to a list by the ultimate performers. j-lo topping the list. gener jennifer aniston, jessica alba, beyonce and gal gadat rounding out the top five chris hemsworth, brad pitt, ryan reynolds za zac efrain >> all right which is your favorite, justin cristiano. >> number one. >> 8, 10, 12 abs, my god the compton rapper paid tribute to the lakers legend with a face tattoo he showed it off on instagram. a sideways 8 over mamba's

autograph symbolizing kobe forever. he wore the number 8 from 1996 until the 2006 season. and in other face tattoo news for you this morning, chris brown debuted fresh ink of air jordan dangling near his ear they used to put it by the telephone poles. now the ear. he showed off his artwork on instagram. chris brown is already known nor his ink, though. >> does it mean something? for chris brown -- >> i'm sure one of his kids, i'd imagine. if not one coming, who knows >> still ahead, breaking the bank for valentine's day >> the worst foods to put in your mouth when you're in front of snica o aigfintther you're watching "early today." t. joint pain, swelling, tenderness... ...much better. my psoriasis, clearer... cosentyx works on all of this. four years and counting.

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everyone, valentine's day is less than 24 hours away. the fresh you are to pick out that perfect gift is all too real for some couples. nbc's dan scheneman has this report on how costly romance can be >> reporter: young love combined with valentine's day equals big bucs >> when it comes to valentine's day spending millennials are really leading the charge. >> reporter: that charge is an expensive one. >> happy valentine's day >> reporter: they noticed, marking the young lovers >> they are expecting to spend $150 when it comes to millennials, however, they expect to spend 208. >> reporter: bank rate.com sarah foster says that spending may be

motivated by a desire to impress a significant other as well as others >> they're really tied in with social media and that comes with an inherent pressure to impress your followers >> reporter: a romantic weekend get away, travel expert says a large city to take in weekend hotel deals. think about a get away close to home >> think about playing hometown tourist. this is one of my favorite things to do over a long weekend. it's perfect for that valentine's day gift >> reporter: if money is an object, take heart >> about 6% of our survey respondents mentioned they were disappointed in the gift because it was too chief that does demonstrate how sentimental value is important here >> reporter: so it is the thought that really counts dan scheneman, nbc news. >> i don't believe he isaiah thomas 6%. they don't want to sound shallow when it comes to a poster. the real question is do they lie to their friends about what was

given to them. that's the real question all right. if you have a romantic dinner planned for valentine's day, you may want to steer clear of these menu items 30,000 votes garlic topped the ranker's list of worst date foods. messy barbecue ribs placed second, onions in third place, worried about bad breath here. voters put garlic fries in the top 10 along with jellied eels i never heard of jellied eales >> how did jellied eels come in lower than garlic? >> nothing worse than being on a date and having jellied eales. >> having a date with a special treat, not the edible kind the california academy of sciences passed out to african penguins they bring the heart to their female mate which is used in their nest >> the only truly monogamous animals out there, right >> very cute >> that is so cute >> thanks for watching "early

today. i'm cori coffin. >> i am phillip mena coming up on the third hour today, good girls actress christina hendriks also from mad men theme. the news continues on nbc and on nbc stations have a great thursy. we'll see you dato

root now at 4:30 a standoff down that's been going on for hours. what we're learning from officers at the scene. plus, budget woes. one of the largest school districts moves forward with a plan to cut teachers and expand class size. thanks so much for joining us. i'm laura garcia. >> and i'm marcus washington. before we start anything, can you all smell it? it's not me but it is love in the air. >> i felt it. >> to each their own, kari. >> valentine's day quickly