good morning. breaking news. johnson & johnson reveals results for the single dose vaccine. >> it helps you get a milder version if you get covid. >> the first known cases of a highly contagious covid strain from south africa found in the u.s. adding more urgency as states race to open mass vaccination centers including boston's famed fenway park, the very latest on all of it. power struggle. former president trump boasts of

his influence over the republican party after the top house republican goes to florida to meet with him. speaker nancy pelosi warns congress faces an enemy within, claiming fellow lawmakers aren't doing enough about the freshman congresswoman who openly supports qanon. >> it's absolutely appalling. >> the new battle on capitol hill just ahead. wall street chaos. the fight intensifies over gamestop's sudden stock surge. a popular trading app under fire for blocking users from buying shares. this morning, what the turmoil created by armchair investors means for the markets and your money. deep freeze. the coldest temperatures of winter descending on much of the eastern u.s. this morning, while that brutal storm out west dumps even more rain and snow on millions before a dangerous cross country trek. al will tell us what to expect. all that, plus, honoring an icon. tributes pouring in celebrating the life of legendary actress cecily tyson. >> as an actress, i should be

able to play any type of role. >> just ahead, how the groundbreaking star used her roles and influence to shatter stereotypes and inspire far beyond hollywood. today, friday, january 29th, 2021. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with savannah guthrie and hoda kotb live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> hi, everybody. good morning. welcome to "today." we got there. friday. 7:00 a.m. on the west coast. >> it's a very busy morning, especially out there. snow, rain, everything in between. >> difficult. you can see the map right there and here's the whole story. you have overflowing rivers, rainy, snow, a little something good to have you with us on a for friday morning. everyone, hoda hopefully under her covers. people getting pounded, a strongest storm of the willie, you're here with us. season, southern part of the it's cold out there. flooding rainy. al's forecast in a bit >> probably iced in this

>> we are hearing fond mem morning. ris of sis al roker we'll get to in a moment. minute. >> 18 degrees in manhattan. we'll look back at the wealth of achievement on screen and off. >> but let's begin with the breaking news, the potential new step toward a third vaccine, approved and ready to help slow the spread of covid-19. it comes just one day after the first u.s. cases of that more contagious strain of the virus were found, the south african strain. craig is in south carolina where the cases were discovered. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. this state's public health said the two adults carrying that south african variant of covid-19 had no recent travel history, no connection to one another. of course that's raising concern that the strain may already be circulating and new data indicates current vaccines may

be less effective against it, this as breaking news comes this morning with johnson & johnson with new results on the highly anticipated one-dose vaccine. >> reporter: this morning, johnson & johnson announcing the phrase three trial in the u.s. is 72% of preventing moderate to severe system toms four books after vaccination and protection starts as early as two weeks after a single shot, making it easier to vaccinate a lot more people. >> stops you from getting covid or helps you if you get covid have a much milder version of covid. >> reporter: former giant saying it will file for emergency authorization. if it's green lit by the fda it would be the first single dose covid vaccine on the market. >> johnson & johnson is said to be at the end of the clinical

trial and a lot of hopes pinned on it. how hopeful are you for johnson & johnson? is it your working theory or hope that it could really change the game? >> you know, i'm really hopeful. i understand we're going to be seeing the data very soon and really anxious to see them. any vaccine to get out there that's more vaccines to more people more quickly, harder to reach communities, i think we'll be yet another tool. we still need more tools to fight this pandemic and so i would say any single one that can improve our distribution and get more vaccine out there would be a win. >> reporter: south carolina's department of public health said the two individuals infected with the south african strain of the virus are out of their contagious periods but did not reveal how sick they were or whether they've exposed any others and indicated this would

not lead to a lockdown in a state with no mask mandate. >> these are the first cases of the variant in the united states. i think that we can continue to enjoy a somewhat normal lifestyle without having to do a lockdown if we all do those things, take extra precautions out and about. >> reporter: but other public health experts say the new variants make it more critical to follow masking and social distancing guidelines. >> there is a race right now. because these variants, the uk and south african variants, are starting to circulate. we're ramping up vaccinations. the problem is, if the variants take off before a lot of people are vaccinated, we may end up seeing very big spikes in cases, hospitalizations, and death. >> reporter: both pfizer and moderna said their current vaccines showed lesser efficacy. against south african strain. novavax has an efficacy rate

close to 90% but less than 50% in a limited size trial in south africa. inoculation sites are scaling up at places like boston's fenway park and gillette stadium, where an estimated 10,000 people and counting have been vaccinated. >> eventually, we'll do 5,000 a day at gillette stadium. here at fenway park, next week when we open officially on monday, we like to start slower and then ramp up. >> reporter: the vaccine program accelerating, as hospitalizations level off in much of the country. signs of progress threatened by new forms of the disease. the infectious disease experts that we talked to say it is likely that the south african variant and other mutations are probably present elsewhere in the united states, not just here in south carolina. they are calling for broad genomic testing in this state to see how prevalent it is, saying the next few weeks could be crucial. savannah?

>> craig, thank you. joining you us now is dr. john torres. the data showing 72% effective in the u.s. 66% overall of preventing severe and moderate cases of coronavirus. we would have been saying hallelujah but others are saying 90 plus percent effectiveness. how should we be greeting this news? >> savannah, still think we need to say hallelujah because this is a good breakthrough, a great vaccine to add to what we have already and looking at the numbers, talking about 95% and then j&j 72% is apples and oranges because pfizer and moderna looked at preventing covid overall, mild symptoms, sniffles or body aches is considered but johnson & johnson looked at the critical end

point, preventing severe disease, hospitalization, death. it did that and including against the south african strain, that 57% against the south african strain was for the moderate and severe disease but looking at day 28 at the data nobody was hospitalized, nobody died from the disease even south africa once they got the shot and 28 days into it so this is good information and again it is hard not to fixate on the numbers of 72% versus 95% but realize they were looking at different things and in the end of the day you want to prevent severe illness, hospitalizations and from dying from covid and this shot does a great job of that. >> part of the excitement, the anticipation of the j&j is a single shot. do you think now they'd be smart to add a second shot to improve the efficacy? >> they're looking at that right now. it's a one shot regime and that's important for a few reasons.

the handling is going to be less technical. normal refrigeration. they can take it out in the field to areas and people don't want a second shot, some people can't get a second shot or hard to get them the second shot. homeless populations, hard to get them back for a second shot so this has a very good place to be in our tool box of getting people vaccines and i tell people coming to vaccine and vaccine choice, the best vaccine to get is the first vaccine you're offered because you don't want to wait to try to get a vaccine and be at risk when you could get this vaccine early on. >> i was going to ask that. president biden said he found the news to be quote encouraging. but there are those folks who will look at the numbers saying maybe i should hold out for pfizer or moderna. i get your point, not exactly a fair comparison, but should you wait or get the first vaccine that comes your way?

>> hands down, get the first vaccine that comes your way because if you wait to get a vaccine in the months especially since we know the south african variant is here, the uk, the brazil variant is here, that could be a risky time and want to be as protected as possible and this vaccine does protect you from severe illness, hospitalizations and death which at the end of the day that's the bottom line and what we want to make sure to prevent. >> we have the research and the numbers, how soon would you expect the j&j vaccine to go into people's arms? >> they're expected to go for emergency use authorization any week now once they start to get that they push the vaccine out very quickly. they say 100 million doses by the end of the year. my guess is within a few weeks we see large amounts of dosing and easier to handle, one shot. you don't have to come back for a second shot and more people get vaccinated with this one and the other ones, as well. >> all right.

dr. john torres on a new vaccine potentially from johnson & johnson, thank you. we'll have a live report from wuhan, china, where an investigation on what started the pandemic and how the virus spread is getting under way this morning. now new questions of the future of the republican party. this after former president trump hosted the top republican at mar-a-lago and new concerns raised about a freshman congresswoman who promoted qanon conspiracy theories. white house chief correspondent kristen welker is here with the latest. >> reporter: willie, good morning to you. despite the ongoing economic crisis, congressional leaders are in a war of words, feuding over everything from the future of the country to their safety on the house floor. and democrats are demanding the republicans address the freshman member of congress, pushing conspiracy theories and dangerous rhetoric. this as both sides grapple with the post-trump era. this morning with republicans

looking to regain power in washington, it appears former president trump's grip on the party remains strong. the president met thursday with house republican leader kevin mccarthy at his private club in palm beach. the two discussing ways to win back the house in 2022. mccarthy trying to mend fences after criticizing mr. trump in the wake of the deadly insurrection at the u.s. capitol. mr. trump's political action committee called the meeting cordial. in his own statement, mccarthy blasted the former president's impeachment trial, accusing democrats of putting forward an agenda that divides us. with tensions mounting, the democratic speaker of the house, nancy pelosi, unleashing this warning thursday. >> we will probably need a supplemental for more security for members when the enemy is within the house of representatives. >> reporter: pelosi's comments come as scrutiny mounts on georgia republican marjorie taylor greene, whose facebook

page, according to cnn, featured videos of greene saying pelosi is guilty of treason, which is punishable by death. nbc news has not reviewed the videos, and they've since been deleted. pelosi blasting gop leaders for appointing greene to the house education and labor committee. >> what could they be thinking, or is thinking too generous a word for what they might be doing? it is absolutely appalling. >> reporter: greene, who has touted qanon conspiracy theories, has also been criticized for questioning the legitimacy of mass shootings, and for this video, harassing gun control activist david hog, who survived the 2018 shooting at his parkland high school. >> i carry a gun for protection. >> reporter: fred guttenberg, whose 14-year-old daughter jamie was killed at parkland, responded. >> saying outright, i have a gun. she has no place in congress. rmp now among the many postings uncovered from greene's social

media history, one falsely implicated a deadly forest fire in 2018 was started by a laser beam from space and linked it to a prominent jewish family. greene did not respond to the request for comment but said i had teams of people command the pages. some did not represent my views. >> kristen, thank you. days into his new post, secretary of state antony blinken will be sitting down with andrea mitchell for an exclusive interview. that'll be monday morning on "today." returning to the drama on wall street, over stock and the video game retailer gamestop. it is a battle that pits major traders against small-time investors. this morning, there are lawsuits and calls for an investigation after one trading firm blocked trades. anne thompson joins us from the new york stock exchange. good morning.

>> good morning, savannah. it is another crazy day here on wall street. gamestop continues its bungee jumping trajectory today. well, now some amateur investors are using that stock to take revenge on the pros. >> reporter: if you own stock in gamestop, the last few days have been as stomach-churning as any roller coaster ride. it hit a low of $112, than a high of $483, all in one day. closing at $193 a share, 44% lower than the day before. the wild swings, the latest salvo in a battle between armchair investors and multimillion dollar hedge funds. the little guys coming together on social media sites like reddit's wall street bets, buying up gamestop, blackberry,

amc, and other beleaguered stocks, raising prices that hedge funds bet would fall. costing the professional investors billions in the process. >> i really do think it's us beating, you know, the hedge fund managers, the big corporations. >> reporter: clayton, a college student, made $250 on gamestop. is this the equivalent of a tea party revolt on wall street? >> a lot of people are saying it is akin to a digital version of occupy wall street. it was almost a david and goliath situation, and right now, david is winning. >> reporter: this morning, the little guys are mad at robin hood and other oniline platforms popular with investors, for restricting trading on volatile stocks, including gamestop. robin hood ceo saying he had to do it to protect the firm and its customers. >> we just haven't seen this level of concentrated interest market wide in a small number of

names before. we understand our customers are upset. >> now, robin hood plans to allow buying of those volatile stocks today. the ceo insists the decision to restrict trading didn't come from a call from a hedge fund or any kind of market maker. savannah? >> thank you very much. time for a check on the weather and al has an eye on a major winter storm. hey, al. >> that's right. this thing is marching across the country but meantime 10 million folks out west affected by flash flood watches, avalanche warnings, went i weather advisory and warnings. it is a powerful storm system getting itself together and move to the east but in the meantime we are still seeing rain and heavy mountain snow, in fact heavy snow to develop into the southern rockies. finally starts to die down in california. rainfall amounts we are tacking

about anywhere from another half inch to maybe three inches of rain, especially in southern california. snowfall wise we are looking at maybe another 6 to 9 inches, heavier as you mack your way into the rockies. and then as it moves to the east this system is going to get itself together. what we do know is that it's going to bring heavy snow stretching from iowa all the way in to the upper mississippi and ohio river valleys, some places picking up to eight inches of snow in the midwest. 18 million people under winter storm watches. by saturday afternoon into sunday night what we are questioning is what happens once it gets to the east coast. does it hug the coast and cause big problems as far as heavy snow or move further out to sea? we'll watch that. they'll have complete details coming up on saturday today. bitter cold in the northeast today. sunshine through the gulf. mild temperatures in texas. sunshine and also looking at cooler conditions with

windchills up through the plains and again that heavy rain down in the southern california with plenty of sunshine making the way up into seattle. all in all, not a bad day if you li busy weather.ke resesearch showsws people rerer commercialals with nosostalgi. so to help you remember that liberty mutual customizes your home insurance, herere's one e that'll reallyly take you back. wow! what'd you get, ryan? it's customized home insurance from liberty mutual! what does it do bud? it customizes our home insurance so we e only pay for what we need! and d what did y you get, mi? i got a bike. ononly pay for what you u ne. ♪ liberty. libertrty. liberty. liberty. ♪ good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. the storm is winding down for the bay area. all the rain now is starting to push off out of the bay area. we'll have some clearing today. a chance to dry out.

but there will still be rain in parts of the north bay starting tomorrow going into sunday as well. and then it moves into the rest of the bay area going into monday. may taper off with some thunderstorms and then drying out mid next week. your latest weather. guys? >> all right, al. thank you so much. coming up, a permanent fence around the people's house in the wake of the violent siege at the come? capitol police are making the case for it but why are some members of congress rejecting that idea? plus, it is a day that's been a long time coming. experts from the world health organization beginning their work in wuhan, china, this morning tracing the origins of the pandemic. and we are there live.

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just ahead, remembering cecily tyson. >> the touching tributes to her pioneering roles in hollywood i'm a a performer.r.

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good morning. it is 7:26 an overnight landslide near santa cruise -- >> i'm sharon katsuda at highway 17. the storms have already caused a lot of damage here. take a look at this video shot this morning. a pg&e truck wiped out by the mud slide on valencia school road in aptos. pg&e released a statement saying fortunately the employee is okay. this is a big concern because santa cruz county residents just got to be back in their homes after evacuating earlier this week. they'll be keeping an eye on those mud slides. in san francisco business

owners specifically restaurant owners in san francisco waking up this morning with a smile after completing their first day of outdoor dining. outdoor dining resumed after not being allowed for several weeks. they did have to contend with some rocky weather from mother nature. some businesses said they wanted to hold off until the rain cleared up and made it a little easier for service. no doubt the restaurant owners would like to see some clearing skies. what are we in for, kari? >> we're seeing that right now. take a look at the sunrise over the south bay. it is a boughtful way to start out our friday. it is a beautiful way to start out our friday as the storm moves out. we'll see clearing as we go into tomorrow. temperatures reaching into the low to mid 50s. it will still be cool and breezy but then for the weekend forecast we'll see more scattered showers in parts of the north bay starting out tomorrow, continuing into sunday, while most of the rest of the bay area stays dry up until monday when the next storm system comes in.

we'll be watching all of this in the forecast, laura. >> all right. we need the rain but appreciate the break as well. we'll be back in another half hour for another local news update. enjoy your friday.

we are back at 7:30. no driver, of course, wants to be caught in a snowstorm, but it did actually pay off for a lucky few in oregon because also stuck in that snow you see there, health care workers carrying covid vaccines with the traffic not going anywhere the doses about to expire. they walked the highway and gave out shots so a lucky few who got vaccinated >> what luck is that >> incredible. we have a busy half hour ahead. let's start with your 7:30 headlines. officials in georgia searching for answers this morning after a liquid nitrogen leak at a poultry plant. it killed six people and left three others in critical

condition. it was in gainesville. a ruptured nitrogen line is likely to blame. local, federal, and state officials are there investigating the incident. general motors plans to go all electric by 2035, announcing the goal yesterday to end production of all diesel and gasoline powered cars, light duty trucks, and suvs in the next 14 years. gm says it is all part of a broader plan to become carbon neutral by the year 2040. the sandwich chain subwa fighting back this morning against claims that its tuna sandwiches don't actually have any tuna two california residents sued the restaurant chain claiming that an independent test of ingredients revealed the sandwiches are made from, quote, anything but tuna. subway denies the claim saying, quote, there simply is no truth to the allegations the company says it delivers 100% cooked tuna to its restaurants. >> my experience, always a bad day when you have to launch an independent test to prove your tuna is, in fact, tuna. >> i always get ham, and this is

why. >> smart play. it has been a little more than three weeks since the violent attack on the u.s. capitol. now, capitol police are beginning to make recommendations for long-term security changes there one of the ideas quickly has become the source of controversy. a permanent security fence around the complex nbc's garrett haake is outside the capitol for us this morning. garrett, good morning. >> hey, willie good morning yeah, the mob that sacked the capitol on january 6th is long gone, but the fence put up to replace it complete with razor wire on top and national guardsmen manning barricades behind is still here capitol police say something like it could become permanent >> reporter: capitol police manning temporary barricades were no match for the angry mob that attacked the capitol january 6th. now, with multiple investigations and reviews under way, the capitol police department's acting chief on thursday calling for vast improvements in the capitol's physical security, including permanent fencing around the

complex's perimeter. that suggestion quickly met with bipartisan opposition from members of congress. republican elise estefanik saying she's opposed jake auchincloss, a retired marine, saying it is a mistake to turn the home of ou democracy into a fortress. before the attack, areas were accessible to d.c. residents and tourists nearly 5 million visitors per year taking the opportunity to visit their representatives and observe congress in action while future guidelines for visitors to the capitol remain unclear, d.c.'s non-voting member of congress adamantly against a permanent barrier. >> the last thing we need in our nation's capitol is fencing around the capitol i strongly oppose it we'll fight it. >> reporter: the threat to the capitol and members of congress remain wednesday, police arrested a west virginia man with a handgun, stop the steal paperwork, and a list of lawmakers just outside the fence line a homeland security bulletin

released this week warned of a heightened threat from domestic extremists, potentially emboldened by the january 6th attack. >> i hope we're going through a dark period in our history, but we can get beyond it and not have to, you know, do our government's work behind the barricades >> reporter: the continued presence of national guard here has been somewhat controversial, as well, with some lawmakers, like arkansas senator tom cotton, calling for them to be sent home with our thanks. d.c.'s mayor, muriel bowser, says she'd like the guard to stay a little bit longer to deal with some security threats, but not become a permanent presence. willie >> garrett haake outside the heavily fortified capitol. thanks so much. ahead, the work happening in wuhan, china, for the first time this morning, to unlock the central mysteries of this pandemic how did it start where did the virus come from? we have a live report on what they're already learning, right after this report one [ making popping noises ] [ noises stop ]

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♪♪ actition! fafasterer, faster!! they're e gaining onon you! ♪ ♪ [engine e revving] ththat's good!d! come on c com! [spopooky laugh]h] now! ♪ [yelelling] ♪ we are back. 7:38 "in-depth today. as we speak, a team of coronavirus experts from the world health organization is getting to work in wuhan, china, investigating how the pandemic began. >> it is a mission hampered by

delays, and it could finally answer some key questions about the pandemic that changed the world overnight. nbc's janis mackey frayer is in wuhan for us this morning. good morning >> hi, good morning. it took a year and some delays, but the search for answers is finally under way here in wuhan. the world health organization's team has a wish list of places it wants to visit. it is relying on chinese officials to coordinate it, but they're going to have to navigate some politics, too. >> reporter: this morning, a team from the world health organization finally doing field work in wuhan, a year after the alarm was first raised here. their focus, on the first days of the coronavirus outbreak, relying heavily on chinese data. >> the pattern of the outbreak in people is going to lead us to where the animals come in. that's what we think will happen so we're going to follow the human lead

>> reporter: first off was a hospital a critical starting point on the virus' trail, the market that also sold wildlife for food. the w.h.o. looking at supply chains before authorities closed it when closed down, it said several of the vendors moved their stalls to this market. finding out more from those who were there may prove difficult a disinfection company that sanitized the market told us, these days we aren't allowed to talk even families of covid victims, including this man, who lost his father, say they were warned to keep quiet while the w.h.o. is in town. for months, china's government tried to sow doubt about the virus starting here, and it's revealed little about the samples taken at the outset. why has the data not been shared >> they didn't isolate the virus. that's the issue >> reporter: the w.h.o. expects the team to visit the wuhan institute of virology, with theories that the virus could

have leaked from the lab so far there's no guarantee from chinese officials that they can go >> we'll try to get into every important lab that was involved in the outbreak. if the evidence is there, we will follow it. >> reporter: the lab's directors told nbc news during our visit there in august that the lab would not be investigated as a possible source. dr. lee, a coronavirus expert there, said in a recent email, she was, quote, pleased to participate and assist in the w.h.o.'s study with the virus largely under control in wuhan, it is unclear what the city can reveal now as the w.h.o. team gets started with what they call the real work a lack of transparency and allegations of missteps in china's early response to the outbreak has raised the stakes the eyes of the world are literally on this team, on this city, on this investigation. but we have to be realistic in the expectations it is going to take months, even longer, to begin to solve this

mystery. savannah, willie >> important questions to be answered, janis. thank you very much. let's swing it over to al now for a check of the weather al, good to see you inside, my friend. >> thank you very much speaking of outside, did you see the full moon last night >> yes. >> unbelievable. >> wow >> take a look at this it is basically known as the full wolf moon that moon in january it was spectacular, and it was real all right. who would like to play a little weather game >> yes >> okay. so far in january, who has been snowier in january, chicago or buffalo? who do you think >> feels like a trick yes. >> buffalo. >> buffalo. >> let's take a look oh, the answer is chicago. >> unexpected. >> there you go. by a wide margin next one, las vegas and philadelphia >> here's the trick question. >> this is the trick vegas. >> let's see show us the answer it's a tie >> even trickier trick a tie. >> all right >> a tie in its trace.

why don't we do the islands, the caribbean? >> oklahoma city and new york, who do you think >> oklahoma city we've had, like, no snow. >> i'll hedge our bet is and go new york. >> take a look oklahoma city. savannah wins. sorry, willie. >> i don't like this game show >> tell him what he's won, johnny all right. let's look at the rest of your weather today, bitter cold here in the northeast sunshine but chilly through the plains beautiful sunshine through the gulf coast mild down in texas morning heavy rain in florida. this system is going to cause havoc all across the country as we head into the weekend that's good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. let's take a look outside in san francisco as the clouds start to peel away. they're getting some sunshine and we will have a chance to dry out by this afternoon. temperatures only reaching into the low to mid 50s all across the bay area with the breezy wind and a partly cloudy sky. but then as we go into tomorrow

there will be some rain in parts of the north bay. off and on throughout the weekend. then the rest of the bay area seeing some of those showers returning on monday. >> that's your latest weather. guys? >> thanks so much. you posted such a beautiful tribute last night to legendary actress cicely tyson. actress cicely tyson ahead, we'll celebrate the incredible life of the trailblazing pioneer and her impact that reached far beyond hollywood. ththat's rightht after thihis. we jusust weren't t happy withh the fofoods that w were out th. wewe thought w we could dodo b. and d now millioions of dogsgs d catsts enjoy ourur healthy r re. they are m made with t the fint naturaral ingredieients and real m meat first.t. and no chihicken or popoultr by-productct meals. that's thehe promise w we madeo blue a and... .....it's our r promise toto yd your petet. bebecause likeke you...wee love t them like f family, to. ♪♪ if you havave moderatete to s severe psororiasis...

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>> now, starting now >> reporter: earning an oscar nomination for her role as a sharecropper's wife in "sounder." and two emmys for her portrayal of an elderly former slave in the emotional tv drama, "the autobiographer of ms. jane pitman." recently, she appeared in "how to get away with murder," "the help." >> about me today. >> reporter: and "house of cards. >> president's constable put it in jackie's war chest i feel i can just be an actress. i can do anything. >> reporter: tributes pouring in for the star, from oprah, writing, "she used her career to illuminate the humanity of black people," to oscar winner viola davis saying, "you gave me permission to dream. born in 1924 in harlem, tyson began her career as a model. she was an idol of the black is beautiful movement, gracing the covers of "ebony" and "jet" magazines. >> do something, anything, to

take your mind off waiting. >> reporter: she later became one of the first black actors in a reoccurring role on television in nbc's "east side, west side." her career defined by a decision she made early on. >> as an actress, i should be able to play any type of role, and so i chose to do more positive roles. >> reporter: at 56, she married jazz legend miles davis, splitting seven years later. over her seven decade career, she portrayed strong women, shattering stereotypes, and pushing for civil rights >> it's all right. >> reporter: at 88, she returned to broadway for the first time in 30 years. winning a tony for her work in "the revival of the trip to bountiful. >> what is my secret i have none. i truly don't have a secret. i just try to live life in a comfortable manner

>> reporter: she also received an honorary oscar and the nation's highest civilian award, the medal of freedom >> cicely made a conscious decision not just to save lives but to speak out >> i think people should know, cicely has been very, very active i had the opportunity to listen to her speak over the last couple years a few times when she spoke, you could hear a pin drop she's so wise, and she would talk so intentionally, so slow, strong, and she was so sharp and classy i'm looking at these pictures behind you, al always sharp >> i remember seeing her in "a trip to bountiful. eight times a week, the energy level. i thought, if i could do that at 50, i'd be thrilled. it's just an incredible career. >> you posted a lovely tribute people should check it out. >> meant so much to so many people. >> a great loss. just ahead, carson, this i a conversation we've been looking forward to, you, michael phelps, and his wife, nicole. >> obviously, michael phelps is

michael phelps, olympic legend some days, michael is trying to get by we had a long conversation with his wife, nicole there, in how they're dealing with michael's depression as a family how they talk to the kids and all that kind of stuff it is a really powerful conversation we hope you'll join us for it, and hopefully it'll help you and your family. let's go over to craig >> can't wait to introduce you to a hometown hero in north charleston a principal who has taken on a second, overnight job. he gives all of that money to help the families of his students pay their bills remarkablele story comoming up, afafter your l local news.s. irresistibibly smooth h chocol. to put thehe world on n paus. lindndor. madede to melt y you. by the l lindt mamaster chococolatier.

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a very good morning to you. it is 7:56. i'm laura garcia. here is what's happening now. >> i'm bob redell. the california state auditor calculates unemployment fraud in the state to total at least $10.4 billion. the auditor identified 26,000 street addresses where fraud was suspected and yet the unemployment department only stopped sending money to 10,000 of those addresses. the auditor wrote the edd has relied on uninformed and disjointed techniques to prevent imposter fraud. more than 1 million accounts still have not been verified. good morning everyone. i'm scott mcgrew. janet yellen our new treasury secretary will meet with members of congress today to talk about a stimulus plan. democrats looking for a very big stimulus plan and warning republicans they can pass it

without republicans' help. the biden white house meanwhile still pushing for a bipartisanship. let's check in with meteorologist kari hall for a look at our forecast for today. seems my dog will really want to go for a walk. he avoided the rain yesterday. >> yeah. it is still going to be wet out there so you may find yourself jumping over a couple puddles but the rain is moving on out of here. we'll have a chance to dry out today. and as we go into the weekend, we'll feel more temperatures like this reaching into the low to mid 50s. slightly cooler than normal. after all of that rain fell on the north bay, we'll continue to see showers off and on throughout the weekend and it will also be with the north bay for sunday, but then on monday the rest of us will get in on another chance as the new storm system approaches and it brings in some cooler temperatures by the middle of next week. looks to dry out again next wednesday and thursday. laura? >> all right. thanks so much, kari. we'll be back with another local

news update in half an hour. enjoy your friday morning.

it's 8:00 on "today. coming up, breaking news just this morning johnson & johnson reveals the results for its one-dose coronavirus vaccine. >> it either stops you from getting covid, or it helps you, if you get covid, have a much milder version of covid. >> as new fears spread over the south african variant of the disease, now in the u.s. the first cases reported in south carolina craig is there live with everything you need to know. plus, candid conversation. michael and nicole phelps opening up in an exclusive interview about his struggles with mental health >> i keep reminding michael,

that i'm not here to judge him i'm here to support him. i'm not going to shame him i'm not going to say, you can't feel that way. >> i've never really had somebody who has been there and understands me like nicole does. >> just ahead, their message for other families coping with those challenges and then the remarkable school principal who took a second job stocking shelves just to help his students. >> we don't ask for money. we just don't. you just go ahead and do what you need to do how his story is inspiring others across the countr today, friday, january 29th, 2021 ♪ >> it's a birthday. >> i'm turning 4 >> hoo ray good morning, everybody. welcome back a lot of good things we are celebrating this morning including that it is friday, always good news willie is here

>> little virtual teaching on a friday, too. >> got two little ones, too. hands full shot out to them busy morning breaking news, just now, johnson & johnson is out with a results of its phase three trialing for its highly anticipated covid-19 vaccine and of course coming at a critical time, cases of the potentially more deadly south african variant is found in the u.s. for the first time in south carolina craig is there he's in north charleston this morning. craig, good morning. >> good morning to you as these variants surface across the country including as you mentioned here in south carolina, more important than ever to get shots into arms. johnson & johnson with the findings of its vaccine, a single dose. it's been hailed as a potential game changer in the fight against covid-19 a single shot from johnson & johnson that would make it

easier to vaccinate a lot more people this morning a company revealing its phase three trial in the u.s. found the vaccine is 72% effective in preventing moderate to severe symptoms, 4 weeks after vaccination adding protection starts as early as two weeks after receiving the shot >> it either stops you from getting covid, or it helps you if you get covid have a much milder version of covid. >> reporter: the former giant saying it will file fo emergency authorization in the next week, which could mean approval by the end of february. if it's green lit by the fda, it would be the first single dose covid vaccine on the market. >> this vaccine is going to be important for people who don't want to get a second shot, can't come back for the second shot, or live in rural and remote areas where it is difficult to get the vaccine to them. >> reporter: however, the vaccine was found to be just 57% effective when tested in south africa

that's where a new, highly contagious variant made up nearly all cases that concerning mutation is now on u.s. soil two cases have been identified here in south carolina the patients reporting no history of travel or connection to one another officials in the state urging everyone to be on alert. >> the arrival of covid-19, any covid-19 variant in south carolina, including this one is yet another reminder that the fight against this deadly virus is far from over. >> reporter: across the country, a push to get out what vaccine they have. boston's fenway park and gillette stadium now mass vaccination sites. people also scoring doses in unlikely places. oregon health care workers stranded in a storm still had six doses that were about to expire unwilling to waste a single dose, the team went car to car offering the precious doses to fellow drivers >> this is a really proud moment for public health.

this is the message we want to get out in our community that people are getting vaccinated, that barriers aren't stopping us. >> reporter: unexpected shot of hope in the midst of a storm as for that johnson & johnson vaccine, experts say comparing that vaccine to pfizer and moderna, it's like comparing apples to oranges. since the others looked at all cases instead of just those moderate and severe cases. meanwhile, johnson & johnson says once approved, once they get the fda approval, they're ready to start moving doses immediately. 100 million slated to be delivered to the u.s. within the next six months, savannah. >> craig, thank you very much, with the breaking news now to a scathing, new report out of new york accusing the state of undercounting the number of covid deaths in nursing homes. nbc's kristen dahlgren joins us with a closer look kristen, good morning. >> good morning, willie. so we know what happened in nursing homes early on in the pandemic was tragic. this morning, new york's

attorney general is saying it may have been much worse than we were told. >> reporter: in a new report, the state's attorney general saying new york may have underreported the number of covid-19 deaths in nursing homes by as much as 50%. >> the state had not counted, as of today, nursing home residents who died in hospitals. we deserve to know the full scope of just how horrific this nightmare, this crisis was. >> reporter: the 76-page report blasts a march directive from governor andrew cuomo mandating nursing homes take in covid patients to free up hospital beds adding, some of the facilities were unprepared for the order, and failed to comply with protocols, like isolating infected patients. vivian lost her mom, anna, recovering from knee surgery at a facility. >> never would i have imagined that as soon as the doors were closed, my mother passed away two days before she was supposed to be home. >> reporter: her attorney, brett lightener, represents over 100

families with similar stories. >> nursing homes knew about a covid positive resident and was still having them in the day room, in the elevators, without masks, and just in direct contact with the other elderly nursing home residents. >> reporter: governor cuomo has not commented on the report. in the past, has said he was following federal guidelines he spoke to savannah last june. >> what we did here in new york is nothing different than what the federal government put out as guidance for every state. yes, people died >> was that a mistake? >> in nursing homes, savannah. no, look if you look at how many people died in nursing homes in new york compared to other states, we actually have a lower percentage of people who died in nursing homes. >> should have never happened. >> reporter: for dawn, who says her mom died of neglect while her nursing home was overrun with covid, she hopes the report brings accountability. for her, it's much more than numbers.

>> new york state failed my mother and failed thousands of people's mothers and fathers >> reporter: this morning, the state health commissioner is taking issue with the accusation of an undercount he says the state has always counted nursing home residents who died in hospitals separately if you add them all up, willie, those who died in nursing homes, in hospitals, and those that haven't been confirmed yet but are suspected, it is more than 12,000, not the 6,000 officially on the books. >> it is a maddening report for so many families in this state kristen dahlgren, thanks so much. 8:08 we've done the news. this is the time, you may recall, that we do the boost, willie we have a good one for friday. >> okay. >> one of the great things about a spicy margarita is, well, everything, but also, how colorful and festive it can look, even to somebody who is way too young to have one. here's what we mean. >> whoa. drooling spicy margarita? look at him, babe.

he wants it so bad [ laughter ] >> well, mom and dad better keep a close eye on that little baby and their drink. in his defense, it does look like the circus in a glass that little round thing, doesn't it >> i can tell viewers from experience, that's exactly how savannah looks at a margarita, right down to the drool. >> it is the truth 5:00 tonight, that'll be me, yeah just ahead, a "today" exclusive. carson's moving and very honest conversation with michael and nicole phelps on living with michael's depression >> you know, probably for a while you thought you could fix michael, help him. >> i'll have conversations with michael where i'm like, oh, well, if you just do this, maybe you'll feel that way it's not fair to him because it's not -- there's not a fix. >> coming up next, how they are taking on a very personal battle as a family in hopes of finding and helping others do the same, right after this e finding and helping otothers to o do thehe . right t after thisis

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♪ i don't k know where e i am♪ ♪ i d don't know w where i'veve♪ ♪ but i i know wherere i wanna♪ welcome back. michael phelps, the most decorated olympian of all time, has been candid about his battle with depression. there is a key figure in his life we don't always hear from. >> his wife, nicole, and michael together, opened up to carson in an exclusive interview and a really good conversation. >> yeah, so the trigger for nicole came after vanessa bryant lost kobe. nicole said all she could do was look at michael and worry about losing him to depression. now, she's speaking out with hopes of helping other spouses and families understanand, they don't have to suffer in silence. >> one day i can wake up and i can feel like i'm on top of the world. i can do absolutely anything and everything. the next day, i can wake up and

not want to get ouout of bed.. >> repororter: you'v've been a of mine. we've talked about mental health on this show. many times. the truth is, my new hero is nicole. >> yeah. >> reporter: olympic legend michael phelps and his wife, nicole, are proud parents of the redski. boomer, beckett and maverick. though michael speaks out on his depression, nicole has been behind the scenes as his strongest supporter. she recently shared her fears over michael's depression and pleaded with him. quote, can we please help you? because if i lose you, i don't know what i'm going to do. nicole did an interview that absolutely blew my mind. what was the reaction to the interview? >> i get choked up about it because it's been amazing. i've had people reach out to me from around the world, people that had no idea michael was struggling. they've reached out, too. so to know that my story helps others -- >> oh, hello. >> this is legend. >> reporter: though michael has been very public about his struruggle with h mental heaeal

nobody knew for years that the greatest athlete of all time -- >> michael phelps has done it again! >> reporter: -- who shattered records in the pool with 28 olympic medals, 23 gold, and retired in 2016, was drowning in dedepression.. > i thought of myself a as ja swimmer and not a human being. >> reporter: phelps devoted his life to being a mental health advocate, but now nicole is shining a light on the impact depression has on the whole family. probably for a while, you thought you could fix michael, you could help him. >> i'll have conversations with michael, oh, well, if you just do this, and it's not fair to him. because there's not a fix. i keep reminding michael that i'm not here to judge him. i'm here to support him, to love him. i'm not going to shame him. i'm not going to say, you can't feel that way. just making sure i'm there. >> i've never really had somebody who has been ththere a understands me like nicole does. >> reporter: you probably get a lolot like i d do, parentsts cop to me e and sayingng, they hava child they're worried about. essentially, they are the support rorole you arere, nicol.

this is an importatant cog in n mental health wheel. good on you. >> thank you. >> reporter: way more important than 28 olympic medals. >> i agree. i agree. >> i think this mental health fight is -- >> if i'm running back to the room where i know it's peace and quiet, i can calm myself down, i always have to have that little area i can just go in. >> reporter: me, too. >> it's life-saving. as hard as it's been this year to sit in our own [ bleep ], i think it's made us so much stronger. >> reporter: michael, you, obviously, are the most decorated olympian of all time. in lieu of your life recently, what is your greatest accomplishment? >> part of being a dad. nicole said something to me the other day, i've gotten better with each kid, more patience with each kid. with everything growing up, the kind of lack thereof, i want to make sure i'm always there. sometimes i'm hard on myself about that. harder than i should be.

but that's why i am who i am. for so long, i was this championship swimmer, gold medals, world records. it is a piece of who i am, but it is not all of who i am. i obviously struggle with man tall health and once you talk about it -- >> reporter: it feels good. >> yeah, it does. i don't know normal but you feel you. >> reporter: the father of three and nicole took steps together that help. consistent workouts with nicole provide routine and private time together. >> i'm happy i have another training partner to join me through those challenging, brutal days. i think that's the one thing ththat truly h has kept meme sa >> reporter: you're like j.lo and a-rod working out together three times a week? >> oh yeah. >> we're human. >> reporter: how do you discuss this with the kids? what do you say? >> i'm very vocal in making sure the kids are aware that maybe michael is having a rough day, and that he didn't do something that made daddy feel this way. it is daddy having his own stuff. dad is having a really tough day today, and i need you to give

him a little space. >> reporter: managing anxiety is a family affair. the young phelps boys are learning techniques to cope with their feelings. don't you teach them physical strategies? what is the lion's breath? >> a lion breath is simple. it is a deep breath. at times, if they're feeling super high anxiety or they're frustrated, you let out a giganticic roar. therere is a lotot of roarininge house at times. >> reporter: i'm going to do a lion breath. show me e how. breathe in and -- - >> ahh. >> ahh. >> reporter: feels good. >> right? i just feel like it is a super big weight lifted off your shoulders. it is important to take a step back. slow down time as much as you can. >> reporter: iroronic, cominingm the man whwho spent hihis entir life trying to gain 0.01 on a competitor. now all of a sudden you're trying to slow down. is that hard? >> i'm staring at the photo of what 0.01 looks like. it's across from me at the desk every day. if i canan figure ouout how to

that, i'll definitely let you know. >> reporter: i wondered if somebody asked you right now, who is michael phelps, what you would say. >> i would say depending on what day it is. why do people still only see me as a swimmer? i look at myself as a dad of three, a husband, somebody who is trying to do whatever i can to prevent as many suicides and talk about mental health. because it is something that's real in my life, and it is real every day. >> the whole conversation, willie, you'll appreciate this, reminds me of military families. we see troops and we say thank you for your service, but behind the military man or woman is a spouse, a child, a cog to the commitment of service. they move every two years. you need that support. i'm so glad nicole phelps, we're shining a light on her, and she spoke up. great to talk to them both. want to keep the conversation going and bring in a licensed psychotherapy and author of the book "disconnected." tom, good morning. you saw nicole mentioned she saw this in michael a long time ago. i wondered what your advice

would be to people watching this right now, who have loved ones, family members, spouses, how do they bring up the topic of mental health? >> well, you know, the key here, carson, is that we don't know what we don't know. so if you're not experiencing depression, it's hard to kind of understand what your spouse is going through. the idea is you want to approach this not with a, snap out of it type of thing. you want to be sincere when you approach the person. look them in the eyes, and let them know you deeply care and that you want to help them it's really more about how you say it and how you approach them than what you say. >> i have a question about -- because we are trying to shine a light on nicole and the caregivers who give so much. you know, she needs support, too. what would you recommend for folks who are living in those households and want to, you know, support their partners and make sure family is adjusting well, but it is difficult personally they're carrying a big burden, too. >> of course emotional health is actually -- or mental health is contagious around the household if there is anxiety in the

household, other people are feeling it, very energetic if there is depression, we feel it what i'd recommend for nicole is seek help yourself, which i think she's doing, is how to frame this and handle the circumstances in the house and manage your own emotions when we're managing our emotions and empowering ourselves, that's when we have something to give to others around us. >> tom, it was interesting t hear nicole say they were honest with the kids to say, dad is having a bad day there's probably some thinking to paper it over and hide it from the kids. what would you say to that >> i like that she is transparent so her kids are younger so you want to -- you don't want to ignore it because kids are like sponges. they pick up on everything they're like high frequency towers you want to have a conversatio with them about it, like she did, explaining that daddy isn't having a good day. as if he hurt his back and is lying in bed

you want to keep the conversation alive so as they get older they hav an understanding of the circumstances. don't keep them in the dark because they pick up on everything. >> per usual, tom, thank you, buddy. i wanted to mention as part of the mind matters series, watch my entire conversation with nicole and michael on our streaming channel, today all day at 11:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. eastern. >> great, carson. >> thank you, carson. >> much needed. let's shift gears and get a check of the weather from al. >> let's look ahead to today, what's happening we are looking at bitter cold weather, strong wind chills in the northeast, all the way down into the mid-atlantic states heavy rain out west. mild day in texas. plenty of sunshine through the plains again, on the chilly side. that's what's going on around . good morning, i'm meteorologist kari hall. we have a nice clear start to our friday morning. we're going to enjoy more sunshine today, and give all of that rain a chance to soak in. this storm system is moving out. we're still going to have some

scatters showers in the north bay over the weekend. but right now we get a break. monday, a new storm system is coming in, bringing in more heavy rain at times and then taper off on tuesday with the possibility of thunderstorms. weather. >> al, thank you very much. straight ahead, craig is in the presence of greatness this morning. a principal in south carolina who can truly say he's doing whatever it takes to help his students in and out of the classroom. >> his remarkable mission, working day and night to improve an entire community, after your local news and weather >> you all right okay how you doing, sir all right. have a good one here all right, what's up

#. good morning to you, it's 8:26, i'm kris sanchez, funny what a little outdoor dining can do, lots of restaurants getting 1/3 first taste of on site business in weeks. one group of businesses is changing its tune, dropping a lawsuit against governor gavin newsom. the businesses make up the wine country coalition for safe reopening and it's halting the legal action now that outdoor dining and wine tasting has been allowed to resume. the coalition warns it could sue again if the governor reinstates the ban. certainly, hopefully the weather cooperates for folks who want to take the gamble and dine outside, kari.

>> especially today. but in the north bay where a lot of those vineyards are we will have off and on rain throughout the weekend starting tomorrow and continuing through sunday. we'll get in on some rain once again heading into early next week. we'll see the scattered showers returning monday and possibility of thunderstorms on tuesday. we dry out between wednesday and thursday. meantime, san francisco is also going to see some sunshine today as well as tomorrow, partly cloudy skies on sunday. and then those rain chances coming back for early next week. >> we know you're watching for us, kari, we have more local news coming up for you in just a half hour. hope to see you then.

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he goes, he's number one on itunes right now >> awesome. >> hardware store to number one on itunes. >> that's great. ahead this morning, another impressive performer ucla gymnast nia denis her one of a kind floor routine earned her praise from all around the world we cannot wait to spend a little time with nia this morning craig? >> hey willie, guys, if you are looking for inspiration this morning, we have it here in north charleston, south carolina a beloved principal by day, a walmart worker by night, giving everything from the second paycheck to his students in need we've been talking about him all week, and this morning, we're so excited to honor him oh, by the way, a bit of a surprise, as well. you ready? we're ready? >> we cannot wait for that, craig. thanks so much coming up on the 3rd hour,

we're going to be at home with jill martin. she has a half hour packed with deals to organize, unwind, and even find love, if you're looking. >> wow, love on the "steals & deals. i like it. all right. first, a check of the weather? >> you bet let's look ahead to the weekend, show you what we have going on first, there's more going on this week. >> yeah, prompter went down, so i went to weather. >> well, thank you very much. >> it's a little thing i do. >> it's so important >> when the screen goes blank, i look to you, al. but you're right, and i'm glad it came back we have a lot to talk about next week we're counting down to the super bowl of course, the ads we have to talk about that we'll talk to ashton kutcher, mila kunis, dolly parton, and more as we get exclusive, first looking at the biggest commercials. sheinelle, i'm looking forward to this story. you went back to your hometown to tell a story a lot of us didn't know. >> it was one of the honors of my life, if you will i took a trip back home. actually, i talked to the folks remotely in wichita, kansas. one of the first sit-ins in the country happened there it helped spark the movement to

desegregation. many of the people at the counter were men and women who i grew up with, and i never knew it is a remarkable, little known story. we'll have it for you. this man, sat next to him for decades at church. never knew never knew my mom brought it up the other day. she was talking about the sit-in and i said, what sit-in? that's how it happened that'll be on monday. >> chills. >> so cool can't wait to see that, sheinelle. now, al, time for the weather. >> prompter down >> no. >> it's nice to be the backup. anyway -- >> the savior, i would say >> either way. i like that. saturday, an arctic chill in the northeast. clear. then we have a big system in the midsection of the country on saturday more wet weather in the pacific northwest. sunday, sunday, it is a mess in the east coast and on into the ohio and upper mississippi river valleys. heavy rain through the southeast. sunny and mild from the plains down to texas. another new pacific storm comes on shore that's what's going on around the coun

good morning, i'm meteorologist kari hall, taking a look at our dry weather we're headed for for today, it's going to be a nice one, but temperatures only reach into the mid-50s. tomorrow, the north bay will see some rain off and on throughout the day and also continuing into sunday and then that spreads across the rest of the bay area on monday, maybe wrapping up with a few thunderstorms on tuesday. but overall, we are looking at a warm-up just slightly and then a cooldown once again as that next weather system arrives. savannah >> al, thank you i mean it, thank you you're always there for us. >> wasn't written down it's from the heart. >> from the heart, my friend coming up, we cannot wait to introduce you, but maybe you already know her, nia dennis remember this incredible routine? she wowed the world. it went viral. guess what, she's going to join us live. we'll talk about this wild ride. what a week she's had. what a week she's had. goi'm morgrgan, and ththere's me to me ththan hiv.

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we're back, 8:36, with one of the week's biggest viral sensations ucla gymnast nia dennis. >> she is incredible blew everybody away with a floor routine unlike any we've ever seen >> that is for sure. nia called it a celebration of black excellence, and it's resonating with so many people we'll catch up with nia in a minute first, a little more on the routine seen around the world. >> reporter: it's no wonder nia dennis has the world's attention. the impressive routine earned nia a nearly perfect score, along with admiration from near and far. performed to a mostly empty arena due to the coronavirus pandemic, and just seven months after she underwent shoulder surgery. >> we made it out. >> reporter: videos of her routine have racked up millions of views online, including from some of nia's heros. fellow gymnast and olympic champion simone biles tweeting, do the damn thing, girl.

and former first lady michelle obama sharing the video with the caption, "now that's what i call fierce." the performance was a professional feat and a personal one, too, choreographed to musik by artists like kendrick lamar, missy elliott, and tupac among others, she calls it black excellence with a nod to one special person in her life. >> i'm a daddy's girl. i look up to him so much wanted to shout him out and pay a tribute to him. >> reporter: nia's dad casey has been her biggest fan since day one. they share a special bond. >> words can't describe how proud of her i am. >> reporter: though he has been watching nia her entire life, he agrees, her latest performance was something special. >> i think i was just as much as in awe as the rest of the world. there's some aspect of the performance that touched everyone to see that impact, just awesome.

>> awesome indeed. we should mention, that performance earned nia the pac-12 women's gymnastics specialist of the week >> the best part, we have nia dennis with us right now nia, good morning. >> hi, nia. >> good morning. thank you so much for having me. >> you know, i was thinking about the fact that the stands were empty during that performance, and then imagining the roar you would have had if they'd been full then i thought, you know what, the roar you're getting from the internet, from the whole world seeing you, it's pretty loud what has this week been like for you? >> oh, my goodness, this week has been crazy and insane. i'm overwhelmed by love and joy and so many positive messages and so many positive vibes i'm just so grateful. >> nia, you -- >> go ahead. >> sorry, sheinelle. you got messages from former first lady michelle obama, you got a message from oprah the list goes on and on. at what point did you realize this had caught fire and become much more than a gymnastics routine? >> honestly, i realized pretty much 20 minutes after it was

posted after that was posted, the amount of love that that video was getting, and so quickly, i was just blown back, blown away. i'm just so honored and thankful. >> nia, savannah and i were talking during the commercial break. what makes this so special is there are so many girls who can relate to the fact that, over the years, we all took dance lessons, gymnastics, but we had to keep it traditional, if you will, and classical. so it was strict we'd go home and do those moves, but never had the boldness and the courage to go out there and do that and live out loud. where did you get that nudge from, and how did you come up with that performance? >> honestly, the support of my teammates and coaches, and also, my family, you know, it was a group effort, to come up with this routine i did not do it alone. my choreographer, b.j., she's amazing. she came up with the dance moves. it was a team effort you know, we just made this vision come to life. >> i was wondering, when you're doing something like that, what are you thinking about as you're

going through this >> i'm thinking about so many different things at such a quick pace i'm thinking about my mental cues, gymnastics skills, remembering to smile and have fun. i'm also laughing at my teammates, laughing at inside jokes, dancing with my coaches, you know it's so many fun things happening in one moment, that i'm just living in the moment. >> awesome story. >> nia, we like your music selections, too. >> yes. >> good playlist. >> we approve. thank you so much. we appreciate it congrats. >> congratulations. >> thanks, nia congrats. >> thank you. coming up next, craig is shining a spotlight on a hero principal who literally is working day and night to help his students be their very best. his students be their very best. you're not going to want to miss

♪ ♪♪ ♪ w why do you u build me u , build d me up... ♪ ♪ bututtercup... . ♪ ♪ baby justst to let meme down♪ ♪ let m me down! ♪ ♪ and mess s me around.d... ♪ ♪ andnd worst of f all, woworst of allll ♪ if you ridide, you getet it. geico o motorcyclele. fifteeeen minutes s could saveu fifteen pepercent or m more. welcome back we want to get right to craig with our hero of the day in south carolina hi, craig. >> hey, guys

savannah, good to see you. the funny thing about heros is they're usually the very last person to call themselves one. you're about to meet a man who is no exception to that rule he is a high school principal here in north charleston, who is going viral for taking on an extra, overnight job at walmart to help his students in need walmart came to us because they wanted to honor this very special employee >> the attention, i'm not used to it. i don't think i've done anything worthy of distinction, to warrant the attention. >> reporter: this is henry darby, walmart associate by night, stocking shelves on the graveyard shift from 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. he has a day job, too, a tough one at that. >> good morning. how you doing? >> reporter: as beloved principal of north charleston high school in north charleston, south carolina. >> put your jacket on, please. do not go in that building

without your jacket on covid-19 has really placed a damper on the personal relationship because at north charleston high school, we do express the three rs, rigor, relationship come here, boy come here, child give me a hug. meet them at the door, off thev give me a hug. i'm that type of buses. you got problems come here, give me a hug i'm that type of guy >> reporter: he's also the kind of guy who knocks on his students' doors after school and on weekends to check in. a student body who has 90% of their families living below the poverty line the pandemic hitting his community especially hard. >> i get a little emotional because when you've got children, you've heard, sleeping under the bridge, or a former student and her child sleeping in a car, or when you go to a parent's house because there's

problems, and you knock on the door, there's no curtains and you see a mattress on the floor. and these people need. i wasn't going to say no at my age, you know, we don't ask for money. we just don't. you just go ahead and do what you need to do >> reporter: and mr. darby did that night shift at walmart, it's for them. every paycheck, every dime, all of it goes to helping his students in need he has done so quietly not even telling his manager at walmart about his day job. >> even before we knew, there was something special about him. i would be happy to have mr. darby as long as he'd have us as a part of his family and beyond. >> reporter: his endurance, almost superhuman, walking what must be miles through his high

school hallways during the day stocking what looks like miles of shelves at walmart at night it is shocking to everyone but his students they know that's just the kind of man he is >> he's there to help anybody. >> he's impacted the community in a very special way. >> he is there when you least expect it but when you need him the most. >> reporter: mr. darby's only request of his students, whom he calls his grandchildren, is to pay it forward. >> it's quite simple, simplistic just learn to help others. that is one of the greatest things that we could do in term fr of human beings. >> reporter: simple yet powerful words from a man who knows that one person might not change the world, but they might change the world for one person and that can make all the difference >> i am an optimist, but i'm also a determinist i know that it is going to get better i know that these times will not always be with us. i know that my students will not

always be in poverty i know that because that's what we are america makes it better for everybody. >> amen. amen to that i am so honored to be standing here with principal henry darby and the students of north charleston high school [ cheers and applause ] >> reporter: here's the thing about mr. darby. mr. darby isn't just the principal here you've been here your whole life this isn't just a job. this is your community. >> that's correct, sir >> first question, principal darby, when do you sleep >> i find some sleep on the saturdays and sundays. >> during the week -- >> i try to sneak in two hours during the day, the week, i should say, at least two before going to work at night. >> you seem refreshed. >> i do the very best that i can. >> let's talk about this drive to do so much good in the world. where does that come from?

>> i think i got it from my mother, who indoctrinated in me as at a young age to help others not only did i have to help others, i had to help others without charging them anything from washing windows to visiting old folks' homes, cutting grass. i wasn't allowed to charge i had to give back to my community, sir >> tell me about this special high school. >> incomparable. the students are the best of the best we love them dearly, myself and the staff. my assistant principal, executive director, and my superintendent, the support here is phenomenal, sir. >> have you been surprised at how this story has really taken off? once word got out that there was this principal in north charleston who was working overnight to help the students, the story goes viral, folks start sending help, as i understand it. were you surprised at all by that >> mr. melvin, i tried to keep it as private as possible, but

it leaked out. this is beyond my greatest imagination. i never thought, sir i tried to keep it a secret. didn't think it'd happen, sir. >> speaks volumes to the kind of guy that you are that your boss at walmart, she didn't even know you were a principal by day cynthia, come on in here this is cynthia solomon. >> hi. >> cynthia is the store manager at the walmart here in north charleston walmart came to us when they heard about this story, and they wanted to do something special >> yes. >> cynthia, what's in the bag? >> i have something special for mr. darby because he is a very special individual you're awesome, and we appreciate you at walmart for all you're doing to serve your community. >> thank you so very much, ma'am. >> you have to open that, too, principal darby. open it and read it. what does it say >> turn it around. >> oh, whoa. >> what does it say? >> it says, paid to the order of north charleston high school,

$50,000. [ cheers and applause >> thank you, thank you, thank you! thank you! darby, >> darby, darby, darby, darby! >> what do you say, mr. darby? i'm having a hard time hearing >> darby, darby. >> what do you think, mr. darby? >> oh, this is -- i mean, i'm speechless, sir. that's not my calling, sir i just can't find the adequate words. thank you so very much this is going to go a very, very long way with our students thank you, ma'am to my walmart associates, this family, thank you, all, so much. >> thank you, sir. >> appreciate you. >> you're doing god's work. >> that's right. >> you really are. this is my question, now that you've gotten the $50,000, are you going to leave walmart >> absolutely not, sir i'm going to stick with walmart as long as ms. solomon allows me to work. i hope to continue to work at walmart.

>> making sure all the money you're earning -- >> that's a definite. >> -- goes to the kids. >> yes, sir. >> it is a remarkable story. >> thank you. >> thank you. what do you think about your principal? [ cheers and applause >> thank you, all. >> darby, darby, darby. >> here's the thing, especially in the midst of this pandemic, we've been highlighting teachers and principals all over the country who have been going above and beyond mr. darby, you might take the cake it's been our honor to be with you this morning thank you for letting us -- >> thank you, sir. >> -- be a part of your story. we wish the best for the students, your community, and the teachers, as well. we'll have much more coming up from here in north charleston on the 3rd hour, guys. >> craig, isn't he something >> mr. darby >> tell many darby we are standing up for him. what an incredible man >> wins 2021 already >> when you're complaining about you're too tired, think about mr. darby. >> think about him investing everything he has, including his sleep, into those kids.

>> exactly. >> what that means to them, far beyond even financially. >> and seeking no credit for it. doing it for the kids. >> maybe other companies will step up and help them, too mattress companies, who knows? >> that'd be great. >> hope so craig, thanks. what a story we won't forget it we're back on a friday morning

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before we say good-bye, we wanted to take a second to send well wishes to our colleague and friend at abc, michael strahan, who tested positive for coronavirus this week. we hope you're on the mend, buddy, and get back on air, soon. >> get well soon, friend. >> wishing you the best. willie, we're looking forward to "sunday today." you have a big one with dax shepherd. >> he's got a dream gig, hosting -- he loves cars -- "top gear america," where he is thrown the keys to some of the best cars in the world and races with his friends sounds like a dream job. dax shepherd this sunday on "sunday today. >> i like his podcast, too. >> yup. >> back with the third and fourth hours of "today" after a quick check of your local news and weather.

it's been a good day check of y and weather. it's been a good day. good morning to you, it's 8:56, i'm kris sanchez, a very close call this morning for a pg&e utility crew that got caught in a landslide south of the bay area. look at where their truck ended up, about 150 feet down a hill and it happened overnight. also washed away a road near valencia creek. one worker was inside the truck

when it happened and that worker was not injured. meanwhile, weather related evacuation orders lifted in the burn scar areas in the santa cruz mountains but homeowners say in boulder creek they're dealing with minor flooding from all of that runoff. happening now, following developments this morning in santa cruz county, with a live report up next at 11:00. our scott mcgrew is closely following gamestop shares this morning, shares of gamestop and other heavily shorted stocks are once again shooting through the roof after the brokerage firm robinhood reallowed trading. help is on the way for struggling renters trying to make it in the bay on our home page, the massive relief measure approved by state lawmakers to pay off back rent and where that money is coming from.

today on "california live" -- >> there she blows, ross is taking us whale watching. plus -- >> lisa has a chef who's turning her backyard two a pizza kitchen. >> this morning at 11:30 on nbc bay area. climate in crisis, the bay

area company making big strides to fight climate change. >> we kick off black history month as we spotlight local changemakekers, thosese making tremendousus impacts h here at .

live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza, this is the "3rd hour of today." >> like he said, i'm al, along with dylan and sheinelle. you've had a happy birthday wish. >> yes, it is my brother's birthday. happy birthday, jamie. you're in oregon and not going to see this for several hours. >> this way, at least you can let him knowt is coming. >> yes. >> our good buddy, craig, is in south carolina. we are going to check in with him in just a moment with a wonderful story that he did. but in his honor, we'll say, it is fri-yay, january 29th. >> that's for craig. we have a lot to talk about this morning, including the major developments on the vaccine front. new findings just