to wake up with us this morning. we thank you for that. >> a live look at the golden gate bridge. make it a great wednesday. the "today" show is coming up next. have a great morning. good morning. unrelenting. more than 115 million americans in the path of yet another winter storm this morning. a new round of snow, ice, and brutal cold adding to the crisis across the south. >> this is sad. this is a sad state of affairs. >> we need our power out here. >> the power grid in texas buckling. millions still in the dark this morning, demanding, their electricity be restored, and an investigation into how it went so wrong. the very latest in a live report. vaccine timeline. president biden in his first town hall as president with a new date for when shots will be

widely available. >> by the end of july, we'll have over 600 million doses, enough to vaccinate every single american. >> but frustration mounting right now, with millions from coast to coast waiting on their shots to be delivered. this morning, vice president kamala harris weighs in on that and the debate over reopening schools, as she joins us for a live, exclusive interview. her first one-on-one since taking office. blistering takedown. former president trump torches senator mitch mcconnell, calling him a dour, unsmiling political hack, and more, after the republican leader blamed him for the january 6th riot. >> president trump is practically and morally responsible for provoking the events of the day. >> inside the republican party's civil war, growing more heated by the day. all that, plus, play ball. in a welcome sign of things to come, baseball's spring training opens today.

the boys of summer bringing some hope in a long, cold winter, today, wednesday, february 17th, 2021. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with savannah guthrie and hoda kotb, from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. hi, everybody. good morning. weome to "today." it is wednesday morning, and we're glad to have you with us. >> busy one, isn't it? >> a busy one. a cold one. we're also looking forward this morning to our exclusive conversation, live with vice president harris. it's been a month, of course, exactly, since the inauguration, so we'll catch up with her about the changing direction of the pandemic, the vaccine push, schools reopening, and the other challenges facing the biden administration. but we are going to start off with our top story again, the brutal winter weather. there are two big factors adding to the misery. the threat of another nasty storm, and also this record cold. >> take a look at this. almost every state is seeing

freezing temperatures with historic lows in the midwest and south. in some cities, more than 40 to 50 degrees below average. >> and that record-shattering cold is a real problem for millions entering, get this, day four without power. the biggest problem still in texas where officials are warning they don't know when those outages will end. >> and the weather is also taking a toll on the vaccine effort, delaying shipments and shutting down vaccination sites in more than a dozen states. >> yeah. we have complete coverage, including the track and the timing of the next storm. let's start off with nbc's morgan chesky. he is in hard-hit plano, texas. morning, morgan. >> hey, hoda. good morning. those back-to-back storms have led to four days of sub freezing temperatures and this surreal scene in texas. i'm standing in the middle of pitman creek that, as you can see, is covered in several inches of fresh snow and totally frozen over. this is normal in places like

wisconsin, but totally unheard of in texas. for millions without power, heat, and running water, it is only making for yet another dangerous day. >> r >> reporter: this morning, a deadly winter blast tearing across the country from mississippi to maine for a third straight day, leaving at least 31 people dead. >> i never really thought it would get this bad. >> reporter: in texas, a dangerous combination, temperatures dropping as millions of americans go without power or heat. how much power have you had in the last three days? >> okay. so that's probably, like, a total of maybe four hours. >> reporter: four hours in three days >> four hours in three days. >> reporter: enduring freezing temperatures any way they can. >> we're huddled under all the blankets in our house. >> reporter: some dangerously leading to cars for heat leading to carbon monoxide poisoning causing deaths this family helping a neighbor

with a fireplace. >> hasn't been able to eat regularly and take medications. >> reporter: texas, the only state in the country that uses its own power grid the agency managing it says it doesn't know when systems will stabilize or when power will be restored. >> this has certainly taken longer than we had hoped >> reporter: freezing temperatures and power issues causing water restrictions with many desperate for supplies, long lines tuesday, as grocery stores opened back up. meanwhile, in north carolina, cleanup under way after a deadly tornado tore through a coastal community, killing at least three people in illinois, the governor issuing a disaster proclamation after the same storm dropped more than a foot of snow in chicago. labor and delivery nurse in texas walked to get to work and hasn't left since. >> mother nature doesn't stop babies from being born weather doesn't stop people from needing our help >> reporter: today governor abbott calling for an investigation into the state's

electric council, describing them over the past 48 hours as anything but reliable. in the meantime, for millions here in north texas, these could be dangerous condition for another day or two to come they're not expected to break freezing here until sometime on friday hoda >> morgan, thank you wlet's big in a little deeper. we're joined by judge lina hidalgo, overseeing 4 million people judge, so good to see you. we should point out that you're joining us from the emergency operation center because you don't have power you don't have water you're like a lot of texans, going on, i can't believe i'm saying this, but day four of no power in these freezing temperatures will you just size up how dire the situation is >> yes, of course. so my own home has been without power and water now for four nights same goes for the homes of many of the emergency managers that are here with me, responding to the issues that continue to crop

up half of our population is without power and water. we're a county of 5 million people you can imagine that number, that is over 1.2 million homes cascading effects from that. we're very focused on the power, but, for example, i was up several times this past night dealing with the water issues in the hospitals, as well a lot of folks are losing water pressure, including our hospitals. so everyone is working to try and get them drinking water, to try to get the supplies back up. we've got carbon monoxide poisoning issues vaccine, our own vaccines that were put at risk because we lost power. we were able to salvage those, but we've had to stop vaccine distribution and the road issues, you know, folks have done a great job of staying off the roads. we warned the community that this was going to be a very dire situation, so folks stocked up i do want to brag on the community for doing their part in a lot of ways a lot of it really is just

beyond, you know, what our infrastructure can withstand it's really testing a lot of people extremely tragic stories. >> judge, let's talk about the power grid for a second. i know it is a complicated issue, but if you can kind of simplify it, we knew the storm was coming there was a week to prepare for the storm. so what happened how come the power grid couldn't hold up? >> so the power grid, just the texas power grid, it is managed by ercot, the agency they produce the electricity on the other side, there is demand the demand is up a lot of the production plants are down, and that is natural gas, all sorts of production in order for the texas power grid not to fail, there has to be a balance between the two since they are like this, the state agency is ordering the utilities to shut off power. a lot of those outages, the vast majority of the outages here, all but about 70,000, are

because of the forced state mandates now, that said, what that means is the weather is going to go away in a couple days. you know, today is going to get a little bit warmer, again tomorrow those power issues, i expect, will continue. that's what i'm telling my community. this agency is saying things are getting better, but they've been saying that for three days right now, i just want to set expectation. when the sun comes out, we're going to be telling folks, you know, as it gets warmer, things melt, is the time to stock up. >> the governor is calling for an investigation into that, as well people are doing everything they can to stay warm they're crowding into furnitur stores, dragging grills into their home people are sitting in cars in your county, there are 300 people who suffered from carbon monoxide poisoning people are literally getting sick and dying trying to stay warm, which is horrifying to think about. do you have any idea when the power is going to be turned back on >> i don't have an accurate

estimate, and i'm not going to pretend like we do this is the problem with agencies raising false hope. i do expect that it could go beyond the length of the weather. people are angry people are going to want answers. i'll be pushing for it once this is over. now, we have to stay laser focused on the power coming back up and dealing with cascading effects because it is all tied together >> judge hidalgo, thank you for your time. we know you're busy. appreciate it. we wish you well. >> thank you >> tough times for our friends in texas let's get to dylan for the rest of the forecast. >> temperatures aren't going to warm up into the 40s and 50s in texas until saturday and sunday. even though it will get warmer it is not going to get warm enough 24 states are going to be impacted by this next storm system 114 million people we have really an issue going on in texas with the ice continuing, especially back toward austin. we could see up to 1/2 inch of ice. that continues to coat the power lines. that continues to make the roads absolutely treacherous we also have the chance of

strong storms along the gulf coast into the southeast today and tomorrow, where we could see damaging winds and isolated tornadoes. the pinks and purples, that's where we're looking for our icing. in the blue area, that's where we could see up to three quarters of an inch of ice which, again, would shut everything down. on top of that, farther north, we're looking for more snow. little rock, arkansas, could end up with 4 to 5 inches of snow. and then you head up into the northeast, especially thursday night into early friday, we could end up with a widespread 4 to 8 inches of snow. another mess from the south into the northeast. hoda >> dylan, thank you. meantime, the coronavirus was front and center at president biden's town hall in wisconsin last night his first face-to-face with voters since taking office also hanging over that event, his predecessor and new turmoil for the republican party we have two reports. we'll start off with nbc's chief white house correspondent kristen welker good morning. >> hoda, good morning to you this morning, president biden is defending the $1.9 trillion price tag for his covid relief

plan that many republicans say is too high. this morning, also acknowledging in comments he made at the town hall in wisconsin last night, it will take longer than originally expected to make sure everyone who wants a vaccine can get one. >> reporter: overnight, president biden offering the clearest timeline yet for vaccinating americans. >> by the end of july, we'll have over 600 million doses, enough to vaccinate every single american >> reporter: those comments at a cnn town hall in milwaukee, coming just hours after dr. anthony fauci revealed that, due to manufacturing delays, vaccines will not be available to the general public by april, as he initially told savannah last week on "today." >> if you look at the projection, i would imagine by the time we get to april, that will be what i would call, for better wording, open season. namely, virtually everybody and anybody in any category could start to get vaccinated. >> reporter: also under scrutiny, the president's plan to reopen schools.

last week, his top official said the goal was to reopen most schools at least one day a week within the first 100 days. >> it was a mistake in the communication. what i'm talking about is i said opening the majority of schools in k through eighth grade. because they're the easiest to open, the most needed to be open in terms of the impact on children and families having to stay home. >> reporter: asked when life will return to normal, the president predicted. >> a year from now, i think that there will be significantly fewer people having to be socially distanced, having to wear masks, et cetera. we don't know. >> reporter: the president wants to pass his nearly $2 trillion covid relief package with gop support, but republicans say the price tag is too high. >> if we pass this bill alone, we'll create 7 million jobs this

year 7 million jobs this year and so -- >> reporter: mr. biden tried to avoid mentioning former president donald trump by name, but when he was asked directly about the impeachment and other matters relating to his predecessor, he was blunt. >> i'm tired of talking about donald trump don't want to talk about him anymore. for four years, all that's been in the news is trump the next four years, i want to make sure all the news is the american people. >> reporter: asked how he plans to bring the deeply divided country together -- >> you have fringes on both ends, but it is not nearly as divided as we make it out to be. >> reporter: now, when president biden was asked if he's spoken to any former presidents, he said he has spoken to all, with the exception of one that seemed to be a not so subtle reference to former president trump. it really underscores just how divided the country remains. the president will continue his push for covid relief, meeting with labor leaders to discuss his plan later today savannah

>> thank you coming up in our next half hour, we'll dive further into these issues when vice president kamala harris joins us live. her first network interview since taking office a month ago. first, let's talk about th deepening feud inside the republican party good morning, craig. >> hoda, savannah. good morning good morning to you, as well in the wake of the impeachment trial, a new showdown erupted with former president trump unloading on the top republican in the senate, mitch mcconnell senior washington correspondent hallie jackson has that story. good morning. >> craig, good morning so this is the latest and most explosive break yet inside the republican party, between two people at the highest ranks of leadership once a political odd couple, now turned republican rivals >> reporter: in the gop civil war, a new grenade lobbed by the former president >> president trump is the most consequential republican in the party. if mitch mcconnell doesn't understand that, he's missing a lot. >> reporter: that's after donald trump blasted senate minority

leader mitch mcconnell as a dour, sullen, and unsmiling political hack, who doesn't have what it takes, accusing democrats of playing mcconnell like a fiddle, and suggesting republicans will not win again if they stay with him. the lengthy eight paragraph statement, the most significant sign yet of the republican party's split in the post trump era. after an impeachment trial in which mcconnell voted to acquit the former president, but still blamed him for the siege on the capitol. >> january 6th was a disgrace. american citizens attacked their own government president trump is still liable for everything he did while in office as an ordinary citizen, didn't get away with anything yet >> reporter: mcconnell following up with an op-ed in the "wall street journal," attacking donald trump's unhinged falsehoods and telling the paper, his own priority is getting candidates who can actually win in november, which may or may not involve trying to affect the outcome of the

primaries. the former president says he may get involved in the primaries, too, on the opposite side, and back rivals who espouse making america great again. the battle lines pitting two political poller opposites against each other donald trump, impulsive and brash. mitch mcconnell, disciplined, intensely private. their relationship strained at the start. >> i'm very disappointed in mitch. >> reporter: eventually, morphing into public displays of unity. >> we have been friends and acquaintances for a long time. >> reporter: especially after mcconnell helped reshape the judiciary, by working to confirm more than 200 federal judges during the trump administration, including 3 supreme court justices >> i know tough people he's tough he's kentucky tough. >> reporter: their tension now highlighting the core question in this gop split, should the republican party separate from donald trump or embrace him? by a lot of metrics, it appears to be donald trump's party, at least for now.

look at that acquittal vote on his impeachment trial over the weekend and the local backlash against republicans who voted to convict him. you have a bunch of recent polling showing gop voters still favor the former president even senator mcconnell is saying donald trump could be a constructive part of the political process ahead of the 2022 midterms. >> hallie jackson, thank you. back to the weather. hi, dylan. >> good morning again. both coasts seeing sunshine an we are obviously keeping a very close eye on this big storm moving through the middle of the country. more ice down through texas, and eventually the snow will move from the south into the northeast. that's a look at the weather across the country we'll get to your local forecast in the next 30 seconds in the middle of the country. ♪♪ which is fitting, because we've been at the middle of tables for generations. ♪♪ that is, until someone at the end

needs a little more on their biscuits. no matter where your table is, pull up a chair and bring the country in. good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. a live look outside in san jose, we're waking up to sunshine and it's going to be a nice day, although we are seeing some fog in parts of the tri-valley, as well as the north bay. here is a look at our highs for today. it's going to shape up to be very comfortable, reaching into the mid-60s, up to 65 in concord and 64 in santa rosa. going through the forecast, we will have rain, scattered showers on friday, but the rest of the forecast is dry and it warms up early next week. >> that's your latest forecast. hoda >> thank you. coming up, savannah' exclusive live interview with vice president harris. >> one month from inauguration day. a lot to discuss, the pandemic, getting the country back to

work, kids back to school. challenges on the world stage and a lot more looking forward to our conversation with the vice president ahead.

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jimmys john's? savory chicken smothered in smoky creole pepper sauce. you want smoke? i'll show you smoke. try the new smokin' kickin' chicken for a limited time. a very good morning to you. it's 7:26. i'm laura garcia. here is a look at today's top stories, including a new mass vaccination site in pleasanton. >> reporter: i'm bob redell in pleasanton, where another mass vaccination site is opening up in the east bay. this one at at lame da county fairgrounds, the entrance behind me at gate eight. just like the other one that opened yesterday at the oakland coliseum, this is by appointment only. it is open to health care workers, alameda county residents 65 years of age and older. go to the alamedacountyfair.com website for information on how to make the appointment. i am kris sanchez, new

numbers show a statewide positive rate back to where we were in october before the holidays that forced all bay area counties into the most restrictive purple tier. the new cases per 100,000 people has to be seven or fewer to move into the red. san francisco, and marin are closest. san mateo and santa clara county not too far behind. all the other bay area counties have a ways to go. the numbers have to hold steady for three weeks in order to make that move into the red. >> let's hope they do. let's check the forecast right now. numbers of a different sort. here's meteorologist kari hall. >> and yes, we're checking out the visibility and this is actually our live camera in dublin. it's hard to see anything and that's what drivers are dealing with, with quarter-mile visibility there as well as some patchy fog through napa. as we go into today, it clears up and it's going to be a beautiful afternoon, reaching into the 60s. also mild tomorrow before some scattered showers return to the forecast early on friday morning. laura? >> we'll pay attention to that

forecast. thank you. and thank you for joining us as well. another local news update in half an hour. i hope to see you then.

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morning. february 17th, 2021. the temps in the teens that is snow-covered roads in tulsa, oklahoma. >> similar scene in kansas city, missouri, and across much of the south right now, as another, yes, another winter storm bears down on the region. >> we'll get to dylan's forecast in a moment. first, our 7:30 headlines. amy cooper, she is the white woman at the center of the controversial encounter with a black ma nn york's central park well, she had her criminal charges dropped on tuesday. >> please call the cops. >> i'm going to tell them there is an african-american man threatening my life. >> tell them whatever you'd

like. >> cooper had been facing the charge of falsely reporting an incident to police after telling them that christian cooper, who is not related, threatened her and her dog. well, prosecutors say the charge was dismissed after amy cooper completed a counseling program designed to educate and promote community healing. swift water rescue team saved nearly a dozen people in philadelphia on tuesday night after a massive water main break flooded streets and left vehicles submerged crews had to use boats to rescue a woman trapped inside a vehicle, as well as ten other people stuck inside a nearby storage facility thankfully, no one was hurt. president biden is promising a majority of elementary schools will be open five days a week by the end of his first 100 days in office those comments coming last night during a cnn town hall in milwaukee. the president also saying, by the end of july, the u.s. should be able to vaccinate every single american. when asked when life will return to normal, the president offered

this prediction. >> a year from now, i think that there will be significantly fewer people having to be socially distanced, having to wear a mask, et cetera we don't know. i don't want to overpromise anything here. >> and that sets us up nicely for our "today" live exclusive exactly four weeks ago today, kamala harris was sworn in as vice president, the first woman and the first person of color to hold that post she and president biden are facing a country in crisis this morning. nearly 500,000 americans dead from covid-19. a struggling economy and unprecedented division in this country. madame vice president, a lot on your plate with that good morning this morning, thank you for making time for us good to have you with us. >> good to be with you, savannah thank you. >> let's get started right there. we are in a race to get people vaccinated, as the new strains of covid-19 are coming into this country. a lot of folks are watching saying, i can't get my parents a vaccine right now. i can't get a vaccine

appointment. states have said, they're ready. they've got the infrastructure to give shots, but they don't have the supply. governors even wrote the white house, republicans and democrats, saying, we need better coordination from the federal government so this is on your watch now what is the hold-up? what is the bottleneck what is being done about it? >> let's talk about that first, savannah, i want to mention all of those folks in texas and the mid-atlantic i know they can't see us right now because they're without electricity. but the president and i are thinking of them and really hope that we can do everything that is possible through the signing of the emergency orders to get federal relief to support them so just want to mention that but, yes, so vaccines. here's the thing first of all, we have a vaccine now, and that is great, but we need to get it in the arms of all americans. as the president said last night, we expect that that will be done, in terms of having the available supply, by the end of july and so we are very excited about

that we're excited about what we've been rolling out you're right we're four weeks in as an administration, but we have, during these four weeks, done a lot that is about a national protocol for getting the vaccines to folks, supporting the states who needed that kind of coordination and support. we have a whole program that now is -- that we've rolled out, getting 1 million vaccines to pharmacies we are getting vaccines to community health centers, very important, to supplement what the states are doing we want to make sure we get it directly into communities. 13.5 million a week going out. as quickly as we're producing it, we're getting it out. >> let us talk about -- >> we want to say, please, everybody, get vaccinated. let's do what we can do and is in each one's ability to do, in the interim, wear a mask, social distance, and wash your hands, and do it frequently. >> let's talk about schools. we have a lot of parents watching right now, maybe with

kids right next to them because they're not going to school. >> i know. >> the cdc a few days ago finally put out long-awaited guidance on how schools could safely reopen. here's the thing they tied it directly to the rate of infection in any given community. i'm going to put a map up. if schools were to follow that right now, 90% of the counties, 90% of the schools would not be able to open under the cdc's own metric was it a mistake for the cdc to connect school reopening to how much infection there is in a community? >> well, let's first say this, that in the last four weeks, schools are opening every week, more schools are opening it is because we are supplementing what needs to happen around the vaccinations getting to states, but also, because folks -- we're seeing progress when folks are wearing masks, when they're getting vaccinated, when they're social distancing, we're seeing progress there. we all want the schools to

reopen, savannah all of us who have children in our lives, they want to go back to school. we want them to go back to school teachers want to teach. >> what about the cdc guidance that's the question. the cdc is saying, essentially, their best guidance is, don't open if you're in a red zone 90% of students are in a red zone the science is very clear. the cdc's own science says, schools are not a source of community risk >> well, so here's the thing. what the cdc, what they have recommended are exactly that, recommendations, about how to reopen safely if they've been closed how to stay open if they have been opened. so the recommendations include what, again, needs to happen around social distancing, hand washing, mask wearing. the point is that we all want our kids to get back to school as quickly as possible and as safely as possible >> there has been a shifting timeline here. back on december 8th, the president, then president elect,

tweeted, we want to reopen the majority of schools in the first 100 days he later said that day, we want to have most schools open. last night, he said he's talking about the majority of k through 8 schools. last week, we heard a white house official saying, open means it could be one day a week open the president said, no, that was a miscommunication i mean, i guess, look, again, parents watching, what is the bottom line? what does it mean for schools to be reopened? how soon can they be reopened? >> so our goal is that, as many k through 8 schools as possible will reopen within the first 100 days our goal is that it will be five days a week. so we have to work to achieve that goal. but our goal is the goal of parents. here's the thing, savannah, i don't need to tell you, we are -- the issue here is not just about statistics, it's about our kids it's about their parents

it's about the fact that every day, our kids are missing essential, critical days in their educational development. you know, we know, we have worked on this issue for years, around the fact that, you know, by the end of third grade, if a child isn't at third grade reading level, they literally drop off each day in the life of a child is a very long time. >> absolutely. >> that's why -- right that's why we've got to collectively do everything in our power to reopen our schools as quickly as possible and as safely as possible. >> a lot of public health officials will say closing schools is as much of a public health crisis for all the reasons you mentioned. final point on this before we move on. you know, the cdc has said it is not a prerequisite for teachers to be vaccinated for them to go back to school, but many teachers are weary of going back to school. we've had some cities have to sue the teachers union or their own school districts to try to get these schools to reopen.

can you reassure teachers who are listening right now, that it is safe for them to go back to school, even if they are not vaccinated, if the public health measures, like distancing and masks, are being implemented >> first of all, let me say this, and the president has said it, and we're all really clear, teachers should be a priority. teachers should be a priority. i love teachers. my first grade teacher, francis wilson, attended my law school graduation teachers are critical to our children's development they should be able to teach in a safe place and expand the minds and opportunities of our children teachers should be a priority, along with other front line workers. we're going to make them a priority i believe that 22 states, i believe, have prioritized teachers in terms of vaccinations. >> but they're not -- >> and the -- >> -- vaccinated, is it safe for them >> we have to decide if we can put in place safe measures this is why it is so important we pass the american rescue plan the american rescue plan, which the president and i have proposed, is a plan that is about getting our schools back

open why does this connect with what we're talking about right now? it's going to be safer for our schools to reopen when we can get our schools the infrastructure needs, like helping them with their ventilation systems, helping them create social distancing with barriers, the things that are necessary to get them back open in a safe way. >> i don't want to beat it to death, but i know there are teachers listening the cdc says they don't have to be vaccinated to go back to school. >> we think they should be a priority we think they should be a priority >> okay. >> we think they should be a priority the states are making decisions individually about where they will be on the list of who gets vaccinated i believe they should be a priority the president believes they should be a priority. >> let's talk about this covid relief plan. $1.9 trillion. you're on to talk about it today. >> yeah. >> it is a big, big price tag. there's already been $900 billion passed a couple months spring. ago, on top of the $2.2 trillion passed with the c.a.r.e.s. act last spring. a lot of economists say, you have to go big in this environment, with this much of a crisis on the other hand, even some

economists who are friendly, you know, larry summers, for example, who was a top economic adviser to president obama, has said, we're going into uncharted territory here you're talking about 10% to 15% of gdp is that top line price tag at all negotiable to you and the president? >> first of all, let's tal about the 2.5 million women out of the work force since covid started. let's talk about the fact that 10 million people in america are unemployed. people are in food lines forever unemployed people are in food lines for hours in america let's talk about the fact that we, at this week, are probably going to hit 500,000 people who have died from this virus. this is a big problem. the issue of 2.5 million women out of the work force is a national emergency, as far as i'm concerned. so a national emergency, a big problem, requires a big solution we have to talk about proportionality. you can talk about the dollar amount, but let's talk about the harm that that is designed to

address, to get people back up what does it do? it is about money to schools it's money for vaccinations and distribution it is about getting money for people who are unemployed, helping them stay in their homes. this is what the american people right now need savannah, i would say to you, you know, you talk about -- we can talk about natural disasters, like what is happening in texas and the mid-atlantic you know, with the issue of covid, it has been a disaster that is still going. you know, sometimes we talk about hurricanes, then what we need to do for relief afterwards this hurricane is still raging we still have people dying on a daily basis. we've got to address this. we've got to help our country heal and survive through this crisis so we can get back on our feet that's what the president and i and the american rescue plan is designed to address. an emergency that is occurring right now and is ongoing we need to act, and we need to act now. >> there's more to talk about on this topic unfortunately, we're out of

time i have to ask on the subject of impeachment, the president was acquitted in the senate trial.s, saying he didn't get mitch mcconnell, the republican leader, though, had some pretty harsh words, saying he didn't get away with anything yet, and that civil and criminal liability was still a possibility. i ask you, do you think that president trump should be criminally charged >> you know, right now, savannah, i'm focused on what we need to do to get relief to american families, and that is my highest priority. it is our administration's highest priority it is our job. it is the job we were elected to do, and that's my focus. >> you're a former prosecutor, so i have to ask you, is that a strong case against the president, a criminal case that mitch mcconnell raised as a possibility? >> i haven't reviewed the case through the lens of being a prosecutor i'm reviewing the case of covid in america through the lens of being the vice president of america. >> speaking of, and i really do have to let you go or they're going to cut off my satellite here, you're vice president. you've been in the office for four weeks what is the strangest thing or the most surprising thing that's happened so far?

>> oh, that's a great question well, you know, it's still something, you know, my husband and i look at each other, and i say, you know, you're the second gentleman of the united states he says, you're the vice president of the united states we both kind of smile, then we get back to work >> all right madame vice president, it is good to have your time this morning. thank you for making the time. >> good to be with you, savannah thank you. >> interesting conversation. first network interview. >> a lot of ground >> good to talk to the vice president. hope she'll come back early and often during this administration >> yeah. still ahead, guys, a firsthand look at the pandemic pressures facing children, and why that stress weighs even more heavily on girls >> we're going to share savannah's visit to a high school, where a group of young women offered a glimpse at their typical day. the difficulties of the last year, and an unexpected silver lining to all that time at home. first, these messages. you can try to predict the future or you can create it. we're driving it.

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back now, 7:47. let's check in with ms. dylan dreyer. >> goo back now, 7:47 let's check in with ms. dylan dreyer >> good morning, guys. yup, we're just watching this big storm. we have snow back again through arkansas this will make its way through the midwest. we also have the extreme ice down through texas, where it will continue to accumulate, with up to 1/2 inch of ice possible it remains a dangerous good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. a live look outside in walnut creek, we're waking up to some sunshine here. we've seen some fog in other spots across the bay area, but we're in for a nice day, temperatures reaching into the mid-60s for the inland areas and some low 60s near the coastline. going through the forecast, we are dry today, as well as tomorrow, but some scattered showers back in the forecast on friday and when it recally saturday morning before it warms up early next week. back to you. >> thanks, dylan. coming up, a post about g.o.a.t.s.

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a very good morning to you. it is 7 blg 56. i'm laura garcia. here is what is happening now. >> reporter: i'm bob redell in pleasanton. another mass vaccination site in the east bay this one at the alameda county fairgrounds at gate eight. just like the oakland coliseum, this is one is by appointment only. it is open to health care workers and alameda county residents 65 years of age and older. go to the alamedacountyfair.com website for information on how to make the appointment. good morning everyone. i'm scott mcgrew. cryptocurrency is hot. yesterday boit coin crossed $50,000 for one bitcoin. it's close to $51,000. last week one bitcoin was worth

about $40,000. >> amazing how it's gone. let's check the numbers of the temperatures today with meteorologist kari hall. >> good morning. we are starting out with some fog in spots. i wanted to show you these numbers the visibility in livermore and it's zero and it's only a quarter mile visibility in napa. we've seen dense fog in inland valleys. once it clears out today we have sunshine and highs reaching into the mid-60s. we are going to have a couple of days of nice weather, some scattered showers as we head toward friday, and early saturday, there will be another chance of rain, but look at how warm it's going to be early next week. that's going to feel much more like spring as we reach into the low 70s for monday and tuesday. laura? >> all right, thanks so much. thank you for joining us as well. another local news update is coming up in half an hour. in the meantime, enjoy your now wednesday morning and we'll see you back here tomorrow morning

for "today in the bay." 4:30 to 7:00 a.m.

it's 8:00 on "today. coming up, in the dark back-to-back rounds of snow, rain, and ice creating even more problems in the south. millions in texas still without power. >> it's just a nightmare for folks who have been without power for over 24 hours. >> as much of the country is in the middle of a deep freeze, and another winter storm is set to impact over 100 million americans. dylan is tracking it all then kids under pressure a closer look at the growing stress facing female students after our study found girls are struggling more than boys as they learn from home >> i think there's more pressure

on females just, you know, to do better, be better, and work harder >> what we all can do right now to help kids in need plus, g.o.a.t. gate. overnight, olympic gymnast simone biles calling out a greatest athlete of all time post featuring male athletes only just ahead, who she says should have made that list. and a walk to remember we'll introduce you to the 90-year-old woman who walked 6 miles for a coronavirus vaccine, after winter weather made it impossible to drive. ♪ i know it's hard ♪ >> were you on time? >> i was about five minutes late, but no one questioned it. >> why she says the long trek was worth it today, wednesday, february 17th, 2021. ♪ i got you moonlight ♪ >> in ann arbor, michigan. >> entering double digits. >> i'm turning 10! >> shout out to all my fellow teachers in this pandemic. >> oklahoma!

♪ all night ♪ >> we're turning 50 on our favorite morning show. >> cuties. good morning, everybody. welcome back to "today." good to have you on this wednesday morning, smack dab in the middle of the week. >> joyce and lois. >> they look fun they can celebrate. let's get right to your news at 8:00. here we go again more than 100 million americans in the path of another dangerous winter storm. >> it is following nearly the exact same course as the brutal cold front earlier this week dylan will have the forecast in a sec. first, nbc's morgan chesky is in texas, where the power outages have left people with no heat or running water, some for four days hey, morgan. >> good morning. it's been really rough for millions of folks. we know the back-to-back storms make four days of sub freezing temperatures that's led to the scene behind me

pitman creek, north of dallas, is nearly totally frozen over. shows how dangerous the temperatures can be. at last check, just abov 3 million households in texas without power. another frigid night, as many fought to find ways to stay warm we've seen heartbreaking images from across the state as people, unfortunately, using stoves, forced to use firewood just burning in their fireplaces. and then unfortunately, out of houston, texas, we learned there have been multiple deaths from people using their cars to try to heat their homes. it's resulted in carbon monoxide poisoning. in the meantime, on the roads, it is absolutely treacherous overnight, we know several inches of snow fell, creating the mixture that's proven deadly in cases what is truly dangerous about this situation is it might not reach above freezing here in north texas until at least friday that means the unprecedented demand on the state's power grid, that's led to rolling outages, may be lasting until at least then the state governor of texas,

greg abbott, calling for accountability and an investigation into the state's electric agency. he's describing them over the last 48 hours as anything but reliable there is still no firm timetable on when the power could be turned back on hoda >> morgan chesky for us in texas. thanks. for more on when the folks might get relief and where the storm is headed next, dylan is in for al. what's the word? >> the storm is moving through texas, through arkansas, through louisiana today. we are going to see more ice continue to fall, and that's creating that weight on the power lines. it is also indicative the temperatures are below freezing. it is not going to get into the 40s until saturday we are looking for an icing situation, especially across northern louisiana, parts of southeastern arkansas, into, eventually, the mid-atlantic and the northeast, too we could end up with up to 3/4 inch of ice, making it very, very dangerous on the roads and could lead to more power outages.

to the north of that, where it is colder still, we are looking at as much as 4 to 6 inches of snow in parts of arkansas. then you see the snowfall through tennessee, west virginia, also up into maryland. higher amounts as you go into the higher elevations, also into northern new jersey, new york city we could end up with 4 to 8 inches of snow this will come in two rounds later thursday and lasting until friday morning. >> thank you the snow is slowing covid vaccines nationwide. several new mass vaccination centers have opened in an effort to get more people inoculated. nbc's national correspondent miguel almaguer has the latest good morning >> savannah, good morning. the white house says the vaccine supply going out to states is being increased to 13.5 million doses per week that's a 57% increase since when president biden was inaugurated. it is a much-needed shot in the arm, but still not enough. >> reporter: this morning, vice president kamala harris talking to savannah about the new vaccine timeline >> we expect that that will be

done, in terms of having the available supply, by the end of july >> reporter: it comes after a town hall meeting in wisconsin where president biden acknowledged issues with the vaccine rollout but urged americans to be hopeful. >> with those vaccinations, the ability to continue to spread the disease is going to diminish considerably. >> reporter: adding to the challenges, another brutal blast of cold weather affecting shipments and putting the freeze on new shots in several states but federally run sites, including at cal state los angeles and the oakland coliseum, are up and running, hoping to increase distribution to underserved communities >> supply has been a challenge it continues to be a challenge statewide. >> reporter: at gillette stadium outside boston, home to the new england patriots, authorities have now vaccinated 65,000 people, enough to fill every seat in nearby worcester, these seniors braved the cold to get their shots. >> i was nervous

i'm very glad i got it everything is fine right now >> reporter: meanwhile, a major hurdle has now been cleared in hard-hit l.a. county the infection rate has fallen far enough for elementary schools to reopen. >> this is what we've all been waiting for. this is what the parents have been waiting for >> reporter: nearly 300 schools in the county have already reopened for younger students, but l.a. unified, with 600,000 kids, has not. teachers unions say it's still not safe >> we believe that all school employees should be vaccinated before schools are in person >> reporter: a new report from the american academy of pediatrics says more than 3 million children in the u.s. have tested positive for covid-19 now, children make up less than 3% of the total hospitalizations and just 0.25% of covid-19 deaths experts say much remains unknown about the long-term effects of the disease. savannah >> all right miguel, thank you very much. now to the sure sign that

warmer weather is near spring training opens today for more than a dozen major league baseball teams other teams get going tomorrow and friday for now, pitchers and catchers reporting for duty position players arrive in florida and arizona next week. you'll remember, the mlb season was shortened last year because of the pandemic. this year, the league is planning to play all 162 games and even have some fans in the stands on opening day. >> makes you feel good, doesn't it >> yes. >> makes you feel good. something else to make you feel good, a morning boost this one, by the way, comes from a member of our nbc family a touching moment for "nightly news" anchor lester holt, when his 21-month-old grandson recognizes him on tv and says his name clearly for the very first time. >> tv. who is on tv who is that? look, look

>> grand dude. grand dude grand dude grand dude >> if you want a translation, he said, "grand dude. all right. he posted that instagram writing, when a so-so day becomes the best day ever. the toddler is used to seeing his family on tv lester holt's son is an anchor at our nbc station in chicago. >> i love lester insists of grand dude, instead of grandpa. >> it fits. >> oh yeah oh yeah. >> he has the band, the cool factor grand dude up next, savannah is going to go back to high school for our "kids under pressure" series >> show of hands, who feels more stressed out this year than you can remember being before? >> yeah, and all the hands go up as you can see, we had an eye-opening visit with those young girls, girls who our survey found are far more stressed out than boys in the pandemic

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janssen can help you explore cost support options. go! go! (glass un-breaking) (electricity arcing) (rocket boosting) (gears shifting) (tires screeching) carson joins us again for more of our week-long network wide series "kids under pressure. >> we're focusing on girls in high school and how they're handling the pandemic. >> nbc news partnered with the success program out of stanford university we surveyed nearly 11,000 high schoolers. it found that while stresses are up for all students, it's taking a greater toll on young girls. >> yeah, that's right. to find out why, the major sources of the stress, and what we can do to help them, i visited a typical high school,

woodland in heartsdale, new york, and met up with five remarkable ladies. >> reporter: the halls are eerily quiet these days. more than half of the student body is fully remote the rest rotating in every other week when you left in march, could you have ever imagined, and i won't be back for a year or more >> not at all. >> yeah, i thought, at most, we'd be gone for a few weeks, then they'd just send us back. >> reporter: the lives of these five young women haven't been the same since the challenge of going to school during a pandemic hitting home. show of hands, who feels more stressed out this year than you can remember being before? it makes a difference. the stress these young women feel reflected in the study conducted last fall by nbc news and challenge success. more than half of the students surveyed reported an increase in stress since the pandemic began.

girls are struggling more than boys, with young women citing mental health issues as the source of stress, twice as much as their male classmates. >> i think there is more pressure on females just, you know, to do better, be better. >> i agree. completely >> work harder don't slip be your best self. it's a lot to take on, you know? >> reporter: what is stressing you out? >> being a senior, like, this is the time where i'm supposed to go out to different campuses, explore, like, my way into going into college, doing the whole college journey. now, i have to do it all at home and by myself. now without the help of teachers it's been hard it's been stressful. >> reporter: does it feel like more work than it used to be >> personally, i feel like i spend less time doing work, but it is a little harder to, i guess, stay focused while you're getting your work done at home by yourself, isolated,

you're having a hard time getting a grasp of, like, a new concept. you kind of feel like it is a struggle only you're having. >> reporter: remote schooling adding another layer of stress to their school day. the study found almost half of remote students experienced connectivity issues, their top challenges to completing schoolwork, access to the internet and trouble understanding direction. let's talk a little bit about zoom sitting in front of a computer how many hours a day do you sit in front of the computer >> almost eight. >> a regular school day, basically. >> yeah. >> reporter: nobody could pay attention for eight hours, staring at a little screen how hard is it >> sometimes you feel really tired and want to go lay down, go back to bed, because it feels like you don't want to do it kind of have to sit there, watch it, and try to make it entertaining. >> my eyes have been really bad, just staring at it i have, like, the glasses, then they get foggy and you have to take them off. >> reporter: four out of five of

these girls are fully remote the concern over covid ever present. not only do you have your schoolwork to think about, the whole world is going through a lot of scary things. you have a pandemic. have any of you felt fearful for your own health or your family's health >> definitely. >> yeah. >> reporter: some of you, it's hit very close to home i know, sophia, you lost your grandmother. >> it was really hard for my family you know, not having a proper funeral just made it, like, ten times worse. we got through it. i have, like, this recording on i have, like, this recording on my phone i think it's -- i made it into a song i'll just, like, press shuffle on my music, and sometimes her voice just pops up it's like, wow, grandma. that reminds me, like, she's watching over me

she's like, you got it keep on going. >> reporter: so much >> a lot of pain >> reporter: pain and grief that many students are struggling with alone according to our study, over half of the girls surveyed say they've seen their relationships with their peers weaken in the past year. you said you're social you love to chat in the hallways, see your friends. >> yup. >> reporter: this is so isolating. >> it's just scary to think about it i haven't talked to this person. since last year, march it is because you don't have their phone number or email. i've built bonds with certain people also during quarantine. >> reporter: one bond that strengthened for some of these teenage girls, surprisingly, the one with their parents do you feel like parents and teachers understand what you guys are going through >> my parents, i made sure that i was open with them i made sure i could just talk to them keeping your feelings inside is

not always okay. i wish that more parents were like mine, just talked to their kids, sit them down, ask the how they're feeling. >> now, more than ever, i'm really, really close with my family because we've basically had to, you know, stay together in one house for such a long time. >> reporter: silver linings to an incredibly challenging year has anything about this time or this year surprised you, been better than expected >> i feel like i learned more about myself, what music i like, what interests me, what i want for my future. definitely want to go away for college. >> reporter: get out of that house. >> yes, get out the house. >> they want to get out of that house. get out of that room have a life that they expected to have. >> how hard was it for you not to hug sophia? i know you wanted to. >> really hard i wanted to hug all those girls. they've been through a lot >> yeah. >> another one of the girls lost her grandfather to covid the work just piles up they sit eight hours in front of

the tv screen. because of what waverly was saying, you can't say to your friend, what'd the teacher say or ask a question, but it is a whole thing on zoom. they spend time basically teaching themselves afterwards then they have schoolwork, usually on the computer. >> yeah. >> girls, obviously, feel the stress everyone feels the stress. it's on the boys, too. >> i like that you ended, though, on the silver lining. >> yes. >> some of them have forged stronger bonds with their parents. >> i thought this was hopeful for them and also for parents. that's something we can all do i remember someone telling me a long time ago, if you can just keep talking to your kids. if you can talk to them, you can get through anything. >> i love how manifested it went to sophia wanting to go away for college. i'm out. >> exactly you can see the interview on our streaming channel, today all day, 11:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m a good conversation. >> really good. >> today.com/allday. >> more of our "kids under pressure" series on "nightly

news" tonight. a closer look at the increasing amount of homework assigned during the pandemi andc,ne school's innovative solution to try to lighten the load. 8:22 let's turn our aentitt to dylan dreyer and the weather hey, dylan. >> that's good morning, i'm meteorologist kari hall. taking a look at our seven-day, we will see our highs reaching into the mid-60s. after that, the fog clears out. another cold star to the morning and more clouds during the afternoon. we should start to see scattered showers moving in. early on friday, i'll have another slight chance of rain saturday morning but the rest of the weekend, we will see nice weather and warms up early as we reach into the low 70s for the inland valleys monday and tuesday. t forecast back to you. >> brilliant, dylan. carson, "pop start." >> we'll start with th stars of the 1970 film "love story" are being honored with

stars on the hollywood walk of fame the film about two star-crossed lovers has been adored for generations and features one of the most famous lines in movie history. >> sorryr having to say you're >> don't love means never having to say you're sorry >> there you go. now, over 50 years later, mcgraw and o'neil reunited virtually at least, as they receive their stars on the walk of fame. >> wonderful gesture i'm going to come up to hollywood boulevard and take a look at it every once and a while. >> happy valentine's day, ryan >> thank you >> sweet. >> nice to see them finally get their stars. >> yeah. up next, we have another classic, a little different from that movie "love story." "happy gilmore," the movie about a hockey player turned pro golfer celebrates, can you believe it, its 25th anniversary. 25 years of people trying

happy's signature golf swing adam sandler himself posted a video to mark the anniversary, proving he's still got the drive. >> okay. it's been 25 years since i've done this. let's see what happens and that went pretty well. >> wow >> you're dead, shooter. >> still got it. >> the movie's anniversary couldn't be celebrated without a ward from all-time villain shooter mcgavin. actor christopher mcdonald he shot a message, of course, in character. >> nice drive, gilmore 25 years, huh? let's see if it's shooter's tour check it out money. shooter. >> having fun with it. >> that's your "pop start" today. >> love it straight ahead, innovative "steals & deals" you need in your life.

first, your local news good morning, 8:26. i'm marcus washington. berkeley school is announcing reopening plans with a hybrid learning model. preschool through second grade students will be the first to return march 29th. third through eighth graders return april 12th and high schoolers one week after that. this is depending on teachers able to sign up for vaccinations starting next week. let's look at the forecast with meteorologist kari hall, who's been tracking that for us this morning. >> good morning. we're starting out with patchy fog. it's been really thick moving through the tri-valley as well as parts of the north bay. once this clears out, we have sunshine in our forecast and temperatures warming up into the

specific 60s today, reaching 63 in oakland and palo alto en64 in santa rosa. tomorrow will be very much like today but we will see slight rain chances in the forecast early on friday. then again on saturday morning but drying out and temperatures warming up into early next week. reaching into the low 70s for the inland valleys on next monday and tuesday. we will keep you up-to-date on rain chances as well. marcus? >> thanks, kari. we'll have another update in 30 minutes. see you then.

♪ i'm a sucker for you ♪ ♪ i'm a sucker for ♪ 8:30 wednesday morning, 17th day of february, 2021 we have a good, busy, fun-hour ahead. >> we certainly do for starters, we have jill martin here with us. she's got some fabulous "steals & deals. breakthrough beauty products to save you time and stress. >> is that a flat iron that blows your hair at the same time >> i already want it i already want it.

i want it. give it. give it. >> sold. >> blow-dryer and a flat iron. then we're going to talk help for small businesses with chef marcus samuelsson good morning. >> how are you guys? >> we'll have a meal celebrating black history month, featuring a simple glazed salmon looking forward. also this morning, we're going to introduce you to a remarkable 90-year-old woman she's 90 she refused to let rough weather get in the way of her vaccine appointment, even if it meant a miles long walk to get there on time joe fryer has that sweet story coming up. coming up on the third hour, al might be off, but he is a busy man one-on-one sit-down with bill gates, who played a big role in the pandemic response. now, he's taking on climate change with a new book, offering solutions and breakthroughs. tomorrow on "today," we'll do some healthy cooking with a favorite, valerie bertinelli first, ms. dreyer, a check of the weather. >> it is cold everywhere take a look at this stat

50 states with below freezing temperatures, including the mown tons of hawaii northern florida seeing the below freezing temperatures, as well if you look at the numbers right now, windchills down 15 degrees in dallas. feels like 25 in houston temperatures below freezing, as well that's why we also have the icing situation. you go up into dodge city, feels like 9 below this morning. we've been talking about a little bit of a warmup again, it takes until friday before we get above freezing in dallas saturday, we'll be in the 40s. we should be in the upper 50s by the time we get to sunday. st. louis, temperatures go from 20s on thursday and friday up to 36 on saturday good morning, eem meteorologist koori hall taking a look at our seven-day forecast. it's going to be a beautiful day for the bay area and warming up into the mid-60s. tomorrow we'll have more of the same weather but friday scattered showers at least for the first part of the day.

the afternoon is looking pretty dry and another chances of early morning showers on saturday. sunday another beautiful day to get outside and feeling more like spring by early next week with highs reaching into the mid-70s. >> now i'm over here back to you guys >> all right thanks, dylan. now to a growing debate over the greatest athletes of all time the g.o.a.t.s of the sports world. >> one legendary athlete, simone biles, had people buzzing overnight when she weighed in on an online post sheinelle is here with that story. >> good morning. >> good morning. for millions around the world, simone biles is more than a record-setting gymnast she is a role model whose opinion is valued. when biles took to twitter to bring attention to a controversial post about the top sports g.o.a.t.s, people listened >> reporter: overnight, one of the world's greatest athletes calling out a post that sparked major controversy on social media. superstar gymnast simone biles

reacting to this picture and caption posted by espn's "sportscenter" twitter account the image which was credited to a different account and has since been deleted by "sportscenter," shows a group of notable male athletes, including muhammad ali, michael jordan, lebron james and tom brady the caption read, so this g.o.a.t.s, or greatest of all time who is yours biles responding on twitter, there are so many women i can think of that belong in this photo, yet there are none. the four-time olympic gold medalist's reaction striking a chord. that was my exact first thought, said one twitter user. another adding, exactly, so many amazing female athletes should be in the pic. there is actually one female athlete in the image, but you have to really look. all the way on the right side to spot tennis legend serena williams overnight, biles sending "today" a list of athletes she feels could have been included

including katie ledecky, alex morgan, sue bird, simone manuel, allyson felix, lindsey vonn, and megan rapinoe. adding, this is just a start >> we reached out to espn. they acknowledged it was a mistake, which is why that post was removed. i think her point is not to take away from the talent of any of the men in that picture. >> yeah. >> but they can add some. >> if i couldn't love simone any more than i do, today is another day to love her more. >> like a photoshopped thing >> talking about the picture >> it was, like, a sketch? >> it was like a sketch. >> wasn't like an actual thing that happened. >> no. >> that was the point. >> it was interpretation. >> you can pick anyone you wanted in there. >> speaks volumes about simone biles, she didn't include herself. >> love her. >> she would be on there. >> really good point. >> front and center. >> point taken, clearly. >> social media department screwed up. >> i can think of tennis greats in there, too. just saying. thank you. just ahead, jill martin is

ready to go with a brand-new batch of "steals & deals." >> hey, guys in addition to this hair iron, i have a mirror playing music and taking phone calls mom, say, hi, everybody. >> hi, everybody. >> georgette. >> that and more coming up. >> on the phone. >> making an appearance. she wanted to ad lib, but i told her no >> not every day we get georgette on the show. we're ready to shop. this is a no-nonsense message from three. small business insurance is usually so complicated, you need to be a lawyer to understand it. that's why three was created. it's a better kind of business insurance. it's only three pages. straightforward. if you own it, three covers it. got a cheese slice for "spokesperson?" that's me.

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now is the time to sign up. covered california. this way to health insurance. enroll now at coveredca.com. 8:38 time for "steals & deals." >> gosh, what i wake up for in the morning. "today" lifestyle and commerce contributor jill martin and her mom standing by with some of the hottest beauty and wellness products that are trending this year >> folks, we're going to make it easy for you to shop the bargains there it is. bottom of your screen, use your smartphone to scan the qr code bottom of the screen, instant access to the deals. >> jill, good morning. georgette, good morning. >> good morning. >> good morning, everyone. carson, you actually can wake up

now with one of these products >> okay. >> you spoke too soon. "today's steals & deals" will cut your beauty routine time in half and also have you singing along while you do it. i put together some of my favorite innovative beauty picks that are perfect to pamper yourself with. let's start with the gava goods musical bluetooth vanity mirror speaker. retail is $79.99 this is a super cool item. the bluetooth functionality is useful you can play your favorite song in the morning it connects with bluetooth then you can even take phone calls on it, as we saw with my mom. this mirror is decked out with the bluetooth speaker and l.e.d. lights, along with a touchscreen to turn it on and off. it has a ten times magnifier which, you know, we do need. often scary but need it. swivel design to adjust the mirror how you want. 180-degree swivel design to adjust the mirror how you want $79.99 the deal, $24. mom, what is the percentage?

>> that's 70% off. >> exactly >> 70%, i heard you. >> she got another line. next up, this is amazing hoda, savannah -- >> i want it. >> -- dylan, i don't know if you need this for your hair, it is major. the in styler wet to dry styling iron $99.99 retail. this is a hair dryer, curler, and waiver it uses patented rotating technology to dry and curl at the same time. i get it to towel dry, then i just put this in my hair it literally took me probably 15 minutes to do my hair straight today. the iron cuts styling time i half and uses less damaging heat on your hair >> i want it. >> great for perfecting your at-home retail the deal is $39, 60% off. >> good for travel, too. it is like 3-in-1. >> why did i spend $1 million? i got siri something similar. >> i know what you got it was expensive. >> i know, carson.

i use that, too. that does also cut >> i would have bought yours. >> the black truffle mask and shampoo. the retail, $99. before we go, i want to show you how this looks i slept with it a couple of nights ago and woke up in the morning, and my hair was so -- it was like an instant makeover. the black truffle hair care is really incredible. the products are full of great nutrients, antioxidants, and minerals that help promote healthy and silky hair the shampoo provides intense care for dry, colored, and damaged hair the hair masks can be applied for three minutes. don't have to sleep overnight with it, while showering, it infuses hair with moisture and seals it retail, $99 for the set. the deal, $45, 55% off next up, always popular, the organic rose gold skin care set. retail, $108 it comes with three products the rose quartz crystal roller, a stone, and a rose gold face oil.

the brand recommends using the roller to relieve tension in the neck, shoulders, and jaw line. the face roller decreases puffiness and sinus relief the rose gold face oil is full of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals to repair your skin i keep this at the side of the bed watching tv at night just use it. it is really refreshing. the deal is $29 for the set. that's 73% off next up, the green grass bodies trios. retail, $84. each set includes three products a foaming body scrub, a dry oil spray, and a hand and body butter if you're one of the many people, so many of us, who deal with dry and dull skin during the winter, especially washing our hands so much, these products are great for adding extra hydration and moisture to your skin without feeling greasy choose from five sets with scents like sweet clementine head to today.com to see them f all.

retail, $84. the deal $27 67% off. this pillow set includes two super soft satin pillow cases. choose from five different colors head to today.com to see the options. satin pillowcases are great for people who sleep hot, like me. the material is designed to help keep you cool at night, also helpful for reducing bed head and frizziness the material is great for your skin it doesn't retain moisture it helps keep your skin care products on your face all night, instead of rubbing off. >> looks happy. >> yeah, she does look happy she's like, i'm refreshed. retail, $99.99 to $119.99. the deal, $29. up to 76% off. >> good deal. >> let's go through the products again. the bluetooth vanity mirror speaker. the in styler max prime wet to dry styling iron, carson, for siri the black truffle shampoo and mask organic to green rose gold 3-piece set.

the skin care trio and the pillowcase set just a reminder, "today" may earn a commission on purchases made through our links at today.com that wraps up our beauty edition of "steals & deals." i'll send it back to you and i just want to say, i've hit an all-time low or high, as i say i am wearing sweatpants that are pretending to be jeans >> wow. >> really? >> wouldn't have known. >> that should be in the next "steals & deals. >> looks like jeans. >> amazing. >> why don't you sell those? >> amazon has a link i'll put it up. >> i'll buy it $39.99 >> amazing. >> it ain't easy being greezy. jill, appreciate it. if you want the steals, the deals, scan the qr code or, of course, you're invited to head to today.com/deals. coming up next, we are cooking with a purpose with chef marcus samuelsson. >> he is going to share recipes for a simple glazed salmon and coconut rice also, his new push to help

black-owned small businesses first, this is "today" on nbc. s. ♪ ♪ ♪ s. when it comes to your financial health, just a few small steps can make a real difference. ♪ ♪ ♪ learn, save and spend with guidance from chase. confidence feels good. chase. make more of what's yours.

it is coming up on 8:47 with a special "today food. a meal that celebrates black history month. new effort to help black-owned businesses. >> that's right. joining us with the details on both, one of our favorite chefs, marcus samuelsson. the co-owner of red rooster harlem, the author of "the rise." >> remember when we went one time, carson >> we were there before the apollo theater we didn't order the chicken tower, and i'm killing myself for that. >> life regret, chef. >> we saw it come out and go to a table next to us, and i almost grabbed it with my hands >> yeah. >> delicious. >> i learned so much this morning. i learned so much this morning i learned about those pants that are, like, sweat jean pants. >> never know what you'll learn on the program, marcus. >> never. >> you've done so much for

black-owned business, certainly in harlem and restaurants, but you're helping with partners all over the country >> thank you, carson it is a privilege. at red rooster, we're lucky and fortunate enough to be able the to get by through this tough time now, it is about, how do you expand the opportunities for others 41% of all black businesses have closed due to covid, right we have already been hit much more with the pandemic than any other demographic. so we created a fund, black business matters matching fund we would love people to support that you know, our neighborhoods, first of all, small businesses are the heart and soul of all neighborhoods, right when those businesses go out, the restaurants, not only restaurants, but they're done, so goes our neighborhood so we've been able to start the

fund to support, you know, everything from farms in georgia, gillard's farm, also hat maker here in harlem it is important it is not just here in new york, it's nationwide and it's for all small businesses. >> marcus, good for you. good for you all right. let's get cooking. you have two great things on the menu you have a beautiful salmon and coconut rice. >> yes, yes, yes so i have this beautiful coconut -- it is almost like a rice grit. the coconut, it is broken rice that -- so that is that rice that people didn't like in the beginning, but now it's become the most popular thing so much in cooking is using those. so i have the grits here cooked with rice and coconut milk then i'm taking these beautiful winter vegetables i have here, right? a little bit of turnip, some pumpkin. searing my salmon. i have a tamarind glaze. that's everything. put it on vegetables, on fish. >> i want it all.

>> uh-huh. >> right when you're coming back uptown next time, we'll have this coconut grit rice ready. >> i'm having the chicken. >> you don't make that mistake twice, chef. >> oh, i thought you'd go for the chicken. you know so i got my veggies here that was one of the things that happened during the pandemic me and my wife were trying to be vegetarian for the first three, four months it was great trying something different >> looks delicious we appreciate you being with us. >> thank you for having me. >> get the recipes and, more importantly, how you can support the small businesses in your community, we urge you to go to today.com/food. >> bye, marcus. >> see you, chef. >> bye, guys >> glad you're doing the good work. coming up next, how far would you go to get the shot that could help return life to normal >> you're about to meet a

90-year-old woman who braved a very long, very cold journey on foot through harsh weather she got her vaccine. we'll talk about the remarkable determination. first, this is " tasha, did you know geico could save you hundreds on car insurance and a whole lot more? hmm. so what are you waiting for? hip hop group tag team to help you plan dessert? ♪ french vanilla! rocky road! ♪ ♪ chocolate, peanut butter, cookie dough! ♪ ♪ scoop! there it is! ♪ ♪ scoop! there it is! ♪ ♪ scoop! there it is! ♪ ♪ scoop! there it is! scoop! ♪ ♪ shaka-laka! shaka-laka! ♪ ♪ shaka-laka! shaka! scoop!. ♪ ♪ choco-laka! choco-laka!...♪ geico. switch today and see all the ways you could save. ♪ sprinkles! ♪

we are back with a great story. 90-year-old woman who made sure she got the covid vaccine. >> nbc news now anchor joe fryer joins us for this one. hey, joe. >> hey after days of phone calls, surfing the web, fran goldman got an appointment one problem, over the weekend, seattle became a winter wonderland, making it nearly impossible to get about anywhere, unless you're fran >> reporter: days of snow turned seattle's mighty hills into slippery slopes. too dangerous for driving, especially for fran goldman. >> it was beautiful to look at, if you didn't have to be anywhere >> reporter: yes, at age 90, fran still drives, just not in this mess. still a foot or so of snow wasn't going to keep her from an important date, her covid

vaccine appointment. 3 miles away at seattle's children's hospital. >> i thought, what's the alternative? so i decided i would walk. >> on saturday, a day before her appointment, she did a test walk >> i went out and walked about 2/3 of the way, just to make sure that i could do it >> reporter: on sunday, more snow, more ice, and for fran, more determination. >> i have walking sticks, and i use them i was glad i had them. i went rather slowly it took me longer than it would normally. >> reporter: were you on time? >> i was about five minutes late, but they -- no one questioned it. >> reporter: after the shot, they told fran she'd have to wait 15 minutes to make sure there was no reaction. >> i said, i'll be delighted to sit and wait i've just been walking for an hour she said, oh, sit as long as you want. >> reporter: did it hit you, you had to walk the 3 miles back >> it was more uphill, going

back. >> reporter: so it was even harder going back? >> yes it had warmed up some, so it was a little more slippery so i did take it easy and go more slowly. >> reporter: we should note, you did all of this, and you just had a hip replacement? >> it was a year ago i don't think i could have done that walk before i had the hip replacement. >> reporter: must be a pretty good hip they gave you. >> i think it is a wonderful hip. i love it. >> reporter: despite her 6 mile journey, getting to the appointment might have been easier than just getting an appointment. it took a lot of work before that moment fran finally found an opening online. >> i couldn't believe my eyes. i went and got my glasses to make sure i was seeing what i was seeing grabbed an appointment. >> reporter: after all that, it's clear, fran was not going to be shotless in seattle. >> i will be able to spend more time with my family. i'll be able to pick up my great

grandson and hold him. i have seen him a few times, but i have not been able to give him a hug. that is just very sad to me. >> reporter: hope is around the corner >> hope is around the corner. >> reporter: if anyone can make it around the corner, it's fran. >> when it is time for fran to get her second shot in a few weeks, she does plan to drive, weather permitting. >> wow. >> great story, joe. >> she's awesome. >> we love you, fran. up next, "3rd hour," john legend. good morning, it's 8:56. i'm marcus washington. for the second time this week, a new vaccination site opens in alameda county. this time at the new grounds from please enton. it is buy by appointment early

to those over 65. the state is also launching the vaccines on hand dashboard to let you know how many doses are available in your county or health care network. right now our bob friedel is live during the midday newscast. you can link to those details now on our homepage. cannabis workers are among the latest to head to the top of the state's vaccine priority list but there are groups out there who called the decision a little bit out of left field. they believe schools should have priority. we posed a link to this on our website prince philip, 99, has been admitted to a london hospital. the palace said he was not feeling well and administered as a precautionary measure. he's expected to remain a few day hes for being observed.

live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza, this is the 3rd 3rd hour of today. >> and good morning, and welcome to the 3rd hour of today, it is wednesday, february 13th, i'm dylan here with sheinelle and craig, al is off this morning, but he's still working. >> always. >> even when he's not here, 's still working. he has a great story that he left with us today al went one on one with bill gates talking about gates' latest cause, a call to action on climate change. he told al why he is optimistic that we can turn the situation around, but stressed the situation is urgent, and you can see certainly weather extremes playing out right now throut