mike? >> clear roads, guys. >> that's going to do it for us. have a great weekend. >> a live look for you this morning as we look at houston, love and best wishes to all those in texas this morning. good morning. survival mode. >> the situation right now is dire here. >> the deepening crisis in texas. hundreds of thousands still without power. water across much of the state running out. >> with everything going on, it's hard. >> just ahead, our live one of one with the mayor of hard-hit austin, as that mix of snow and ice heads to the northeast. downward trend. covid cases now on the decline in all 50 states, but the weather wreaking havoc on

vaccine shipments and supply. >> i learned that today's appointments are canceled just by coming here. >> the latest on the race to get more shots in arms, and what the head of pfizer is telling us about fighting those dangerous, new strains. ready to talk? the biden administration signals it is prepared to meet with iran over its nuclear program, after the trump administration walked away from the controversial obama-era deal. will tehran come to the table? and the deep divide in washington over the move. ted talks. senator ted cruz makes a hasty return to texas after his vacation to mexico is revealed and suffering texans are furious. >> you know, i started to have second thoughts almost immediately. >> what he is now acknowledging about that trip, and the group text messages between the senator's wife and her neighbors planning the vacation leaked to the press. all that, plus, touchdown. >> safely on the surface of

mars. >> nasa's new rover beaming back its first images from the red planet. the head of nasa, our live guest, after perseverance sticks a historic landing today, friday, february 19th, 2021. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with savannah guthrie and hoda kotb, from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. good morning, everybody. welcome to "today" on a friday morning. it is good to have you with us. you think you're having a good friday morning, the astronauts, the engineers at nasa, mission control. >> i mean, talk about that landing. it was spectacular. perseverance touched down exactly where nasa had hoped after a seven month, 130 million mile journey. look at that eruption, that celebration at mission control. i mean, we cannot wait to have that conversation with the head of nasa coming up in a bit. >> it really hit the spot right

on. let's get to our top story, of course, this ongoing crisis in texas from the crippling winter storms and record cold. while power is slowly being restored now, an alarming, new problem emerged. nearly half the state dealing with serious water issues. the mayor of austin is our live guest just ahead. first, let's get to nbc's morgan chesky, 200 miles to the north in dallas. morgan, good morning to you. >> reporter: savannah, good morning. for the fifth day in a row, millions of texans waking up to subfreezing temperatures. lakes in dallas still partially frozen, but there is a little hope on the horizon. those power outages, at the lowest point since the storm began. right now, we know that president biden spoke to texas governor greg abbott on the long road of recovery ahead, from the brutal cold snap that isn't done yet. overnight, fire and ice in san antonio. frozen hydrants forcing

firefighters to truck in water, slowing down crews as they battle flames devouring a downtown apartment complex. >> i haven't been able to go to work all week long, and now everything is gone. >> our problem is we get a little bit ahead and then the water runs out. >> reporter: the need for water, a new crisis across texas. millions without safe drinking water. with residents in cities like austin, houston, and ft. worth told to boil water before using it. nearly half the state now facing water disruptions. busted pipes and frozen lines snowballing into an all-out nightmare, damaging countless homes and putting many hospitals on high alert. in austin, nurses evacuated patients after losing water pressure, then heat. >> it feels like we just roll from crisis to crisis. >> reporter: an nbc reporter sharing his own son's frightening ordeal.

>> we spent four hours at the e.r. waiting for tests. it was jam packed full of kids who need electrical power to power their life-saving medical emergency. >> reporter: ercot, who runs the power grid stands by the decision to start rolling power outages. if they waited even minutes, they say it could have been worse. >> we wouldn't be talking about restoration today, tomorrow. we would be telling you that we're not sure when restoration would be done. >> reporter: texas' governor promising to investigate. >> what happened this week to our fellow texans is absolutely unacceptable and can never be replicated again. >> reporter: with temperatures still stuck around freezing, safe water and food in high demand. >> i'm trying. trying my hardest. >> reporter: gloria ramos, one of hundreds lining up at a ft. worth food bank. the supplies vital to help take care of her three kids. the family getting their power back only to lose water. >> we're doing this for them. and we need to stay strong and

stay alive for them. >> reporter: this morning, texas senator ted cruz back in the state after it was found that he was traveling to can country, mexico, while millions are battled the cold weather here. cruz initially said he was accompanying his daughters on a trip to mexico. he has since expressed regret, saying that he had second thoughts the second he sat down on that plane. savannah? >> morgan, thank you. joining us now is steve adler, the mayor of austin, texas. mr. mayor, good morning to you. >> good morning, savannah. >> it is good news the power seems to be coming back online. it is not good news, the water situation in your city. what's the latest this morning? >> i'll tell you, it feels like it is just one thing after another after another. you're right about the power. we had about 220,000 people, customers, off. we're back now to 16,800 customers.

that's a marked improvement, but still, 76,800 have been without power in and out for almost a week. it's a pretty dire situation for them. now, it is going to thaw out today, which is a good thing, but i'm real nervous about the number of pipes we're going to find that have been busted. additional water leaks. now that the power is coming back on, i had a plant go down, pressure went down in the city, so we're on a water boil right now throughout the city, for the people that have water. >> i just have to ask you, how did it come to this? i'm sure you're asking yourself this. i mean, granted, a brutal cold snap, not something texas is used to. but for it to have resulted in this unfolding disaster, where as you say, five, six days later, there are people who still don't have power, how do you explain it? >> i don't think you can explain it in a way that anybody can understand. obviously, we were just not prepared for those cold

temperatures. we're going to see those cold temperatures more and more this is the third time i've seen it we have a deregulated power system at the state, and it doesn't work because they've not built in the incentives in order to protect people. that has to change i understand that our governor took responsibility for it yesterday, and he and the state leaders need to because this shouldn't happen they need to change the system, the regulatory system, how we do power. >> what about the hospitals? we saw there some dire situation in austin with regard to the hospitals. what's the latest there? >> well, we're doing better right now, but i'll tell you, it was really dicey it still is in some hospitals, but it's happening all over. first, we have the power issues, then we have the water issues. we had one hospital that we were looking to hook up to a fire hydrant out front in order to

keep water pressure in the building for the boilers so it is constant hands-on, crews working in order to keep the hospitals open and working. >> mr. mayor, you have your hands full with the situation. i can't let you go without asking about this dust-up with senator ted cruz who, of course, went to mexico, and many people are furious he went to mexico this week in the middle of the suffering of texans. the two of you have a history because you yourself went to mexico in december and to attend a wedding, after having told your constituents not to travel because of the pandemic. and senator cruz was the one who called you out for it on twitter, calling you a complete and utter hypocrite. so i guess i have to ask you this morning, what do you think about senator cruz's actions this week? >> you know, i am entirely focused on getting food and water to the people in my community that don't have it this morning i'll leave those issues to

senator cruz and his daughters i'm trying to pull people together because we have a real big task in front of us here over the next couple days. >> all right no thoughts on that? you don't care to return the favor to senator cruz? >> i am going to stay focused on getting water and food to the people of my community. >> austin mayor steve adler, that is the most important task. thank you for your time this morning. we're going to have a lot more on the storm and also ways you can help the people impacted by it throughout the morning. meantime, the brutal weather is continuing to hamper the vaccination push, shutting down sites and slowing shipments. this morning, there is encouraging news on some of the vaccines and progress toward getting shots to another important group, pregnant women. nbc national correspondent miguel almaguer has more on all of this. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. it is still unclear how many americans were not able to get vaccinated because of the dangerous weather, but we do owt also triggered shipping issues states far away from the storm,

like here in california, may not get their scheduled doses. this as we do get good news, cases are still dropping [ sirens ] >> reporter: this morning, the third wave is finally crashing in all 50 states, covid cases have decreased in the last 30 days, 12 seeing a drop of more than 50%, including california the golden state red hot with infections a month ago, now at its lowest level since before thanksgiving. >> we are in a very different place than we have been because of all your hard work. >> reporter: still, infectious disease experts warn the progress may not be permanent, as variants of the virus spread rapidly, the south african strain now detected in nevada, may have the largest effect on vaccine potency. what worries you most about the new variants >> the thing that worries me the most is people are going to lose confidence in the vaccine. we are preparing for the possibility there might need to be a change in the vaccine later. >> reporter: while some eligible

pregnant women have chosen to get a vaccine, pfizer is moving forward with clinical trials next, protecting children. studies are currently under way on kids 12 to 15 the next age group, 6 to 11, before focusing on those even younger. >> it will take time because we are cautious as we go to children the younger we get, the further out it goes because we are cautious. >> reporter: despite top doctors warning of an initial scarce supply of johnson & johnson's vaccine, the company is now looking at double dosing their one-dose shot to improve efficacy. >> whether they do or not is not going to affect the 100 million doses we're going to get >> reporter: but as millions wait for their vaccine, a clog in the distribution pipeline is causing confusion. >> i learned that today's appointments were canceled just by coming here >> reporter: this morning,

frustration and fear, but also hope on the horizon. >> miguel, something you've mentioned really jumped out. pregnant women then there is this new study that's also showing that they may actually be at higher risk of infection what do you know about that? >> reporter: researchers in washington state say pregnant women in the state had up to a 70% higher rate of catching covid. they said the number was so shockingly high because pregnant women often work in front line jobs hoda >> miguel, thank you. the pandemic will be front and center today as the president makes his first major appearance on the world stage, virtual appearances, at two key summits. another big issue, the u.s. said it is ready to restart nuclearsl talks with iran. let's get to nbc chief white house correspondent kristen welker with more on that good morning this is a big deal the potential of talks with iran restarting, and it's controversial. >> reporter: it really is, savannah this is a significant step toward potentially resuming negotiations with iran and possibly, possibly rejoining the nuclear deal here's what's happened

the united states has accepted an invitation to attend a meeting that would include the original countries, russia, china, france, united kingdom, germany and the u.s. and for context, the deal was struck in 2015 under former president obama and vice president biden in coordination with the key countries the goal was to eliminate iran from getting a nuclear weapon. it included restrictions on materials. then you might remember when president trump took office he pulled the u.s. out of the deal in 2018. he said it wasn't tough enough against iran in the wake of that, the country began to enrich uranium at higher levels than originally allowed under the deal, and that's according to inspectors here's what we don't know, savannah, whether iran is going to agree to attend that meeting. iran's foreign minister tweeting that tehran was waiting for european and american officials demanding an end to trump's

legacy, adding we'll follow action with action that remains a question mark. >> the other question mark is how lawmakers on capitol hill here in washington, what they will say how is that shaking out? >> reporter: we're watching that closely, as well so far, the reaction has been mixed, largely along party lines. some democrats expressing support for the move, but the top republican on the house foreign services committee michael mccall speaking out calling this move concerning saying the biden administration was making concessions to iran for backing away from tougher sanctions that the trump administration had been threatening. prominent republican congresswoman liz cheney said it was, quote, emboldening a terrorist regime but the administration is pushing back against all of that saying these aren't concessions, they're common sense moves i want to go back to something you first brought up, savannah, which is that this is undoubtedly going to be front and center today when th president speaks at those two events that you talked about, the foreign policy events, where he is going to aim to show his commitment to working with america's allies to solve global problems not just iran, but also, other major issues

covid-19 at the top of the list, as well, savannah. >> much to discuss kristen, appreciate it. let's turn back to the weather now. the storm system that's causing so many problems in texas is having a big impact on other parts of the country, too. there's a parking garage here in lexington, kentucky. it collapsed under heavy sno yesterday. fortunately, no one was injured. in west virginia, snow and ice creating treacherous driving conditions on roads and highways in the northeast, up to 10 inches of snow falling in parts of pennsylvania and jersey here in new york, this is already the tenth snowiest february on record we still have ten days to go >> not a lot of school in session, i might add right, dylan good morning what you got >> we have a little more snow in new york city and across new england, but we are going to see improvements through the day we are looking at the winter storm watches, the advisories, the warnings for 61 million people mostly for the snow and ice. most of the snow will be across

new england. just a little bit of snow left over through new york, northeastern pennsylvania, and still a little icing down through southern new jersey and delaware, too. this is the last grasp of this storm system it is pulling away as it does, we'll see an end to the snow, first in new jersey, new york, through the mid-atlantic, and eventually across new england into tonight. additional snowfall will be minimal for most areas, except where it lingers through boston. about 2 to 4 inches. isolated higher amounts, too this storm moves out, and temperatures will begin to warm up as we go into the weekend that's a look at the weather across the country we'll get to your local forecast in the next 30 seconds this is what community looks like. ♪♪ caring for each other, ♪♪ protecting each other. ♪♪ and as the covid vaccine rolls out, we'll be ready to administer it. ♪♪

good fri i'm meteorologist kari hall. rs moving through, especially from san francisco over toward the east bay, and now moving into the south bay, but not all of us are seeing the rain and once again it's been fairly light. we will take a break from the wet weather this afternoon, with another chance of rain early tomorrow morning, and the rest of the forecast is dry as we warm up early next week. >> and that's your latest forecast back to you guys. >> dylan, thank you so much. straight ahead this morning, we mentioned it earlier, senator ted cruz returning to texas and a firestorm over his cancun vacation during the state's crisis this morning, his new response to the outcry and what reported text messages with neighbors are revealing about plans for that trip plus, nasa's rover getting

right to work after yesterday's epic landing on mars tom costello, he has a closer look at what it took to pull off that historic mission, and the images already being sent back also, the head of nasa will join us live. we look forward to that. first, this is "today" on nbc.d.

coming up, jenna shares stories from her home state of texas, giving hope amidst so much desperation neighbors helping neighbors in the toughest of times. >> we have ways for you to help the people struggling there. first, your local news after just 2 doses. skyrizi may increase your risk of infections and lower your ability to fight them. before treatment, your doctor should check you for infections and tuberculosis. tell your doctor if you have an infection or symptoms, such as fevers, sweats, chills, muscle aches or coughs, or if you plan to or recently received a vaccine. ♪ nothing is everything ♪ woman: now is the time to ask your dermatologist about skyrizi.

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comfort in the extreme. the lincoln family of luxury suvs. a very good morning to you. it's 7:263726. i'm laura garcia. a hot microphone leaving school leereds in hot water. >> reporter: students are calling for the remaining members of the school board to step down or be recalled recalled. they put up a down, so far 4500 people signed that petition. you could hear members talking about parents wanting in-person learning to resume simply to have their babysitters back and you heard another school board

member reacting with profanity to some of the comments made an social media learning. new dita from fizer that could make storage of vaccine more flexible. pfizer announced the vaccine can be kept stable in regular froozers. the fda will review that data. the agency will consider johnson & johnson's request for emergency use approval for its vaccine, one week from today but the company is now reportedly considering recommending two doses of the vaccine, instead of one. dr. anthony fauci says that would not affect our supply. let's check the forecast right now meteorologist kari hall. how are we looking? >> well, starting out with some light rain across parts of the bay area this morning and we'll see the rain gradually tapering off but with us for at least the next couple of hours, as we see the rain moving out, clouds will be left behind for this afternoon, and we will have another chance of rain we'll be

watching by early tomorrow morning. ily' have updates throughout the day. laura? >> all right, sounds good. we'll both be back with a local news update for you in about half an hour. hope to see you then. in the meantime, enjoy that friday morning

we're back now, 7:30, with breaking news coming from buckingham palace. prince harry and meghan markle informing the queen that they will not be returning as working members of the royal family. we'll have details in a live report from london just ahead. we'll get some analysis, too. >> what does it mean? the palace intrigue is interesting. we'll see what's going on there. let's get to your 7:30 headlines. the president will announce plans to contribute up to $4 vaccine program. it's aimed at assisting developing countries. the u.s. will contribute an

initial $2 billion in the coming days to a program called covax, backed by the world health organization. the remaining $2 billion will be distributed over the next two years. the administration say it is payments will actually help americans by reducing the risk of further mutations that can extend the pandemic and go here. >> we were robbed at gun point and it was all caught on camera. the crew was working on a story man wearing a mask and holding a gun came out of nowhere, he demanded to hand over the cell phones. the robber grabs at least one phone and took off. the crew chased after him, but they were only able to record his escape on a motorcycle. thankfully nobody was hurt. we move to the pga and a dream opening round yesterday for the golfer, kim, playing in

the genesis invitational in los angeles. take a look. on his second hole of the day, he found himself in the bunker. he chipped the ball out and right into the cup for an eagle. after just two holes, kim was already 3 under par. but it gets even better. just five holes later, here's what happened on the 16th hole. >> no. >> drops right in. >> whoa. >> yeah. if we're going to show it to you, it's going in. it's a hole in one. along with a lasting memory, that shot won him a new genesis car. a big day for the south korean golfer. >> good for him. now to the storm of controversy that's swirling around senator ted cruz for going on a family vacation to cancun, mexico, while fellow texans suffer without power, without water. >> while he's now returned to texas, the fallout for him is just beginning. nbc's gabe gutierrez is in houston for us with the reaction. gabe, good morning. >> reporter: savannah, good morning.

wednesday night, as millions in texas were without power and struggling to stay warm, senator cruz boarded a flight to sunny cancun. he now says he regrets the trip and was trying to take care of his family. with his home state dealing with a winter weather crisis, this morning, senator ted cruz is back in texas, admitting his whirlwind trip to cancun was a mistake. >> i'd initially planned to stay through the weekend and to work remotely there, but as i was heading down there, you know, i started to have second thoughts almost immediately because the crisis here in texas. >> reporter: before leaving mexico thursday, crews said his young daughters prompted the trip, but initially did not acknowledge he planned a longer stay. >> we had no heat and no power and yesterday, my daughters asked if they could take a trip with some friends. heidi and i agreed. so i flew down with them last night. i dropped them off here, and now i'm heading back to texas.

>> reporter: after photos of the senator at the airport and on the plane wednesday went viral, someone with knowledge of his planning arrangements said he booked his flight 6:00 a.m. thursday morning, but was originally scheduled to return on saturday. also this morning, "the new york times" reporting a series of texts from heidi cruz to friends and neighbors, saying the trip was hastily planned. mrs. cruz saying the house was freezing. inviting others to join others at the ritz-carlton in cancun. where they'd stayed before. anyone can or want to leave for the week, mrs. cruz wrote, according to the "times." we may go to cancun. she floated a direct flight and hotels with capacity, seriously. "the times" said the texts were confirmed by a second person on the thread, declining to be identified because of the private nature of the messages. cruz's office did not respond to request for comment. texas democrats are calling on him to resign. >> as leader, we stay on the

shift. we don't leave the ship when the ship is in trouble. >> reporter: many texans, still without water, are furious. what would you tell senator and help us out. >> there are questions whether senator cruz is quarantining because he did just travel internationally. what do you know about that? >> reporter: yeah, hoda. cruz's office hasn't said whether he'll self-quarantine. the cdc recommends it, but there are no requirements. a source close to cruz does say he took a covid test while in mexico, and that it came back negative. hoda? >> all right. gabe gutierrez, thank you. coming up next, a different kind of trip. a little farther away. it is being celebrated. nasa's successful touchdown on mars. we're going to get a firsthand look at the historic rover's work on the red planet, and a live interview with the head of nasa, who is having a very good friday morning, right after this this

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nasa after another spectacular success landing. a fifth rover on mars, its biggest and most advanced ever. >> think they're relieved? it is ushering in a new era of exploration. in a moment we're going to talk with nasa's acting administrator. just like him, nbc's tom costello has been following this maybe a little less nervous. you were excited, and, boy, did they stick the landing. >> this is stellar see what i did there stellar. very cool. the brainpower, the engineering, mathematical precision, staggering if you liked the movie "the martian," this mission and others to follow are all about laying the groundwork to, one day, perhaps putting humans on mars >> ready to begin sticking the sands of past life >> reporter: jubilation inside nasa mission control, as yet again as hundreds of engineers and scientists pulled off the impossible, landing exactl where they planned in a martian crater.

>> every time we do a launch or a landing, we get two plans. one is the one we want to do, and then there's that second plan, which is right here. that's the contingency plan. here is for the contingency plan all right! >> reporter: the final moments were harrowing what nasa calls the seven minutes of terror, after a seven month, 300 million mile journey through space, perseverance entered its final fiery decent to the martian surface. >> just under two minutes from entry interface. >> reporter: hitting the atmosphere at 12,000 miles per hour, then a critical moment >> chute deployed. >> reporter: right on time. >> parachute deployed, and we're seeing significant deceleration. >> reporter: the spacecraft computers fully aon the mouse

using cameras and radars t confirm the landing zone was clean. >> touchdown confirmed perseverance is safely on the surface of mars. >> reporter: it was precisely the spot nasa had selected, the jezero crater. >> we landed 35 meters from the nearest rocks we could identify from orbit by the shadows. >> take that, desiro >> reporter: then the first photos from perseverance of its new home. >> we have just landed a representative of the planet earth on a place on mars that no one has ever been to no one has ever seen it. >> reporter: sara alabi a phd engineer fell in love with space after seeing "apollo 13" as a teenager in britain. her job now, tracking and plotting the rover's course on mars do you feel an emotional attachment to this thing, that you're worried for it, almost like it's alive? >> oh, absolutely. we're sort of all in, living on mars with this robot you definitely get very attached to a hunk of metal, which is a strange concept. but, you know, you live on mars through that, so it's really the

personality of the team that's sort of reflecting back at you. >> reporter: now, the actual science begins perseverance will drill down into rock and soil, collecting samples to be retrieved and analyzed on earth in ten years or so, for any signs of ancient life flying a mini helicopter in the ultra thin martian atmosphere. conducting surveys and experiments for breathable oxygen for future missions as for those soil and rock samples, perseverance is sealing three dozen samples in sterile tubes. the hope is they'll be retrieved by another mission in six to eight years, a robot mission, and returned to earth in about ten years or so. savannah, back to you. >> tom, thank you so much. let's bring in steve jurczyk, the acting administrator for nasa good morning, sir. congratulations. hoda and i have a million dumb questions for you. >> we do. >> like starting with huh, how did you even pull that off but let's talk about, i mean, you stuck the landing. nasa likes to call the final approach the seven minutes of

terror did it live up to its name >> yeah, it was pretty nerve-racking, savannah. you kind of have time, real time on mars, when the event actually occurred, and then 11 minutes later, because of trip time of communication system signal, you get confirmation that that event actually happened. so for those seven minutes, it was fairly nerve-racking. >> we've been seeing the video of everybody high fiving and having, like, the time of their lives. we've seen it. will you put into words what was going on in that moment? >> yeah, so we all know how hard it is to land something on mars. although this team did an amazing job in preparing to land, it's never a guarantee and so it is almost like a dream, when you get that touchdown signal and get the first picture back you're like, i can't believe we did it again that video will never get old, of us celebrating in the control

room. >> i know. johnny on the spot, like, we can't even set our gps to get to the right gas station. you landed at this, like, pinpoint place why was that location selected, and why are you there? what's the work ahead? >> yeah, so, you know, we had another capability on this mission called terrain relative navigation that allowed us to land in a spot that was more dangerous to land in, more rocky, more hills, more sand than previously. we wanted to land in this spot because it looks like, from the geology, it's an ancient river delta. you can see a river coming in, then fanning out very geologically interesting. that's why we wanted to land there. we needed the eye, the camera looking down as we were landing, to be able to find the flat, not rocky spot in the jezero crater.

>> you're looking for signs that life ever existed on mars. i guess the idea is to put that stuff in a test tube and leave it behind, and let somebody else pick it up is that the plan >> yeah, that's right. so on the end of that robot arm is the drill, and the scientists are going to look for places that are -- where the soil might be interesting to analyze back here on earth, and put the soil in a tube, seal it, and lay it on the surface of mars in six to eight years, we're going to launch a spacecraft to mars orbit we're going to have another rover down on the surface that's going to pick those up, put them in our small rocket, launch them off the surface of mars, back to the orbiter, and then the orbiter brings them back to earth in an entry vehicle. >> of course. >> wow. >> obviously, you put it in a rocket and shoot it back to another spacecraft amazing. big dreams, big moment steve jurczyk, our congratulations to you and all the team members who worked.

hope they're feeling good this morning because they've made us proud. >> thank you so much. >> thank you wow, that was pretty incredible. >> i can't even get my head around it. >> me either. >> dylan, you love it because you're our science gal. >> we got to talk to him yesterday. i said, are you worried you might be landing on a life form that could develop into, you know -- >> what if you crush something >> he said chances are, we're looking for past life. the chance of future life on mars is non-existent. >> i'm not kidding that i have, like, a hundred dumb questions but i was too embarrassed to ask. what if the tubes blow away? >> we could pick his brain for hours. i can only talk about weather on earth though. we do have very, very cold temperatures 48 states now are seeing temperatures below freezing. look at these dates. go back to february 8th in oklahoma city. that's the last time temperatures were above freezing you go back to february 3rd in minneapolis. we have seen about 10 to 15 days

with temperatures below freezing, even in dallas, five days since it's gotten above freezing right now, wind chills make it feel like it is in the teens, even single digits dallas feels like it is 6 degrees when you factor in the wind going through this afternoon, we're still looking for temperatures to be well below average. houston, though, will feel like 39, so it is going to get better it will get better, still, as we go into the weekend, as temperatures do get back into the 60s. that's a look at the >> good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. really grateful to see a little bit of some rain coming along with some mild weather here, as we track it with storm ranger, we see the hit or miss light showers passing by. we'll see this tapering off for this afternoon, leav wll wake ur round of early morning rain, passing by fairly quickly, before it clears out during tomorrow afternoon.

>> that's your latest forecast. >> still talking about mars. so cool. thank you, dylan. still ahead this morning, neighbors helping neighbors. jenna going to check in with heros in her hometown in texas, helping each other in big and small ways >> i think we may have the qr code up. first, these messages. missing out on amazing things. sunosi can help you stay awake for them. once daily sunosi improves wakefulness in adults with excessive daytime sleepiness due to obstructive sleep apnea. sunosi worked for up to nine hours at 12 weeks in a clinical study. sunosi does not treat the cause of osa or take the place of your cpap. continue to use any treatments or devices as prescribed by your doctor. don't take sunosi if you've taken an maoi in the last 14 days. sunosi may increase blood pressure and heart rate, which can increase your risk of heart attack, stroke, heart failure, or death. tell your doctor if you have a heart condition or high blood pressure. sunosi can cause symptoms such as anxiety, problems sleeping, irritability, and agitation.

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a very good morning to you. it is 7:56. i'm laura garcia. here is a look at what's happening now. >> reporter: i'm bob redell, in livermore, california is now the only state to still ban indoor dining. "the chronicle" cites data from the national restaurant association that shows some of the states that do allow intoo dining in some capacity have higher case rates than california. so california could resume indoor dining soon as governor newsom mentioned earl whier this week, he predicts counties could soon move out of the purple tier and red tier of reopening which allows restaurants like these here in downtown livermore to resume some sort of indoor dining. good morning, everyone. i'm scott mcgrew. president biden will travel to kalamazoo, michigan, this morning, to visit a pfizer plant

there, talked to workers who are on the front lines of making that vaccine. this trip was scheduled for earlier this week, but had to be delayed because of the terrible weather in the midwest. it's time to get a look at the forecast with meteorologist kari hall. >> we're starting out with some light rain as we take a look at where the showers are falling right now on storm ranger, and most of the rain has been from marin county on southward and we'll see rain chances going down for this afternoon, with another round of some scattered showers early tomorrow morning. saturday afternoon is actually looking pretty good with highs in the low 60s, but a bigger warmup in our future for monday and tuesday, before we cool down but still no more rain after tomorrow morning in the forecast. laura? >> all right, we can plan our weekend. thanks so much, kari. thank you for joining us as well. another local news update is coming up in about half an hour.

enjoy your friday morning and of course, hope you get a chance to enjoy the weekend as well.

it's 8:00 on "today." coming up, humanitarian crisis in texas. hundreds of thousands still in the dark, as nearly half the state faces major water problems. >> water pressure was so low, that we were unable to use the fire hydrants. >> this morning, supplies in high demand. >> they don't have gas, so we're stuck here. >> we're live with the latest. plus, rock on. we'll catch up with wolfgang van halen. how he is using music to honor his late father, the legendary rocker, eddie van halen. then he'll treat us to a special performance you won't want to miss.

♪ we'll never be royal ♪ stepping away. breaking this morning, prince harry and meghan markle announced they won't return as working members of the royal family. how the queen is responding today, friday, february 19th, 2021. ♪ i was born to run i don't belong to anyone ♪ >> i'm turning 10 on "today." >> happy birthday! >> happy 85th birthday, grandma. >> happy birthday, mom. >> happy birthday, bernice. >> we love you! >> surprise, nana and pop. happy 50th wedding anniversary from the "today" show. we love you. >> we love you, too. welcome back to "today." it's friday. sounds so good. craig has the morning off. he was on assignment yesterday so we'll see him next week. a lot next week on "today." for our "changemakers" series, harry smith will take us to detroit, a mostly forgotten stop on the underground railroad.

it's an eye-opening look at the motor city's unique place in the fight for freedom. that'll be harry smith next week on "today." let's get to your news at 8:00. headlines this morning, the power is slowly coming back on in texas. one crisis has led to another. now, nearly half the state is dealing with serious water issues. morgan chesky is in dallas with the very latest. good morning. >> reporter: savannah, good morning to you. that water issue, a serious concern. for the fifth straight morning, millions of texans are waking up to another subfreezing day. in fact, many lakes here in dallas still partially frozen. it's not just the power that's the issue here. as those outages start to decrease, in fact, we're seeing the lowest number of those since the storm began, the water issue is only growing. as you mentioned, 13 million americans facing water system issues here within the state of texas. that's prompted water handouts from houston to dallas and everywhere in between. if people have frozen or busted pipes, they're forced to go out in these treacherous conditions and try to get bottled water.

desperate, forced to melt the snow at their own home to boil it if they can, to either drink or use to use basic toilet operations. in the meantime, we know that the power outage system is slowly but steadily improving with the rising of the temperatures here in texas expected to come above freezing for the first time this weekend. of course, texas senator ted cruz still facing serious backlash after that trip to cancun, as millions suffer from the cold weather. he initially said he was accompanying his daughters on a trip to mexico. he's since expressed regret the second he sat down on the plane. savannah? >> morgan, thank you. we have sad news this morning from our friend bob dole. the long-time senator revealing he's diagnosed with stage four lung cancer. tributes have been pouring in across the country. >> reporter: this morning, bob dole is braving a new battle, the 97-year-old political icon announcing he has stage four

lung cancer and will begin treatment next week. >> we've got a lot of good things going for us. >> reporter: dole writing in a statement, while i certainly have some hurdles ahead, i also know that i join millions of americans who face significant health challenges of their own. dole spent decades in politics, dedicated to making a difference. >> we're trying to help people in stress. >> reporter: elected to congress in 1960, then the senate in 1968. he rose to become the republican leader. he ran for president three times, facing incumbent bill clinton in 1996. >> tonight, i stand before you, the most optimistic man in america. >> reporter: the world war ii veteran has faced health challenges before, wounded during his time on the fellow veterans in washington at the memorial he championed. when george h.w. bush died in 2018, dole rose from his

wheelchair to pay his respects. jeb bush among those now sending support to dole. we are praying for you, senator. speaker nancy pelosi tweeting, he is bringing the same courage to his battle with cancer he demonstrated on the battlefield and in congress. when we caught up with bob and elizabeth dole in 2019. >> i realized he's not some guy chasing women around capitol hill. you know? >> i never did that. couldn't catch them anyway. >> reporter: the washington power couple, long-time partners in politics, life, and love. >> let me first introduce my wife, elizabeth. >> you need to focus on your partner's interests, not your own. >> reporter: last year, i helped the couple celebrate their july birthdays 2020 style. happy birthday to both of you. with an online celebration. >> we draw energy from the warmth of your friendsp,m your support, and your love. >> we are sending that love and support this morning. senator dole starts treatment on monday.

we are wishing him all the best. i actually got to talk to mrs. dole yesterday. she sounded really good. she said they're hopeful. we know what a fighter he is. we know how strong senator bob dole is. we, of course, are sending our love. >> thoughts and prayers to them. that was beautiful. we got the news covered, savannah. how about a little boost? >> let's do it. >> we'll start off your weekend with this. an arizona woman found a unique way to surprise her husband with the good news that baby number two was on the way. this is what she did. she gave him a special scratch-off lottery ticket. check it out. >> three gold bars. wait, what? what's the prize? >> i don't know. a baby,

yes! >> oh, gosh. hailey wrote on twitter, every girl deserves this kind of reaction. the whole family, including big sister, hazel, celebrated the big news. little one, by the way, due in september. >> i love that. >> someday, their little baby is going to see how happy their father was to hear, hear she was on the way. up next, we'll dive into the breaking news out of buckingham palace. prince harry and meghan markle confirming they will not return to royal duties. >> what does that mean for them, their titles? what is the queen saying about it? keir simmons has the answers right after this ♪ ♪ (quiet piano music) comfort in the extreme.

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♪ but i know where i wanna go♪ we are back with a little palace intrigue. not any palace, buckingham palace. >> the big one. >> this morning, prince harry and meghan markle informed the queen they will not be returning as members of the royal family. >> that's a decision that raises all kinds of questions "today" senior international correspondent keir simmons in london with this breaking news keir, morning. >> reporter: hey, hoda hey, savannah. good morning to you. yeah, this is just breaking here in london. it is perhaps not unexpected but it'll make headlines around the world. it comes at a tense time, with the duke of edinburg recovering in the hospital. the queen is at buckingham palace, releasing this statement without warning, saying the duke and duchess of sussex will no longer ever return to the royal family as working members of the

royal family the statement says, following conversations with the duke, the queen has written confirming that in stepping away from the work of the royal family, it is not possible to continue with the responsibilities and duties that come with a life of public service. that statement goes on to say, while we are all saddened by their decision, the duke and duchess remain much-loved members of the family. the statement from buckingham palace says those responsibilities will be redistributed to other members of the royal family. then a statement from the sussexes in california, of course, it's early there right now, but a spokesperson for the duke and duchess saying, as evidenced by their work over the past year, the duke and duchess of sussex remain committed to their duty and service to the uk and around the world that statement, guys, goes on to say rather poignantly, we can all live a life of service service is universal i think one of the real blows for prince harry in all of this will be losing his military responsibilities

of course, he spent ten years serving in the british military, rising to the rank of officer. i think he will be disappointed by that. guys, you know, again, i don't think this is unexpected we've seen how much they're making a life for themselves in california the news recently that meghan is pregnant, they'll have their second child, the deal with netflix, they are forging ahead. i think what this is making clear, which, in a way was kind of obvious, was they couldn't have those two lives >> keir, thank you so much i hope you stand by. we want to bring in another royal expert, victoria arbiter victoria, you know, hoda and i are sitting here trying to read the tea leaves of the statements it is expected that after 12 months, there would be a review of this arrangement. they've decided to change the arrangement, and they are now permanently stepping away. my question is, whose decision was that who broke up with who? >> it's a very good question, savannah i think, ultimately, this is

harry and meghan's decision. because when the queen put the 12 months review in place, just under a year ago, she did so as kind of a safety mechanism, a get out clause i think it was unlikely, but what if harry and meghan went off and weren't able to provide for themselves financially what if commercial endorsements didn't come in of course, they came in and came in big time. really, this is just wrapping up the loose ends i think it is important to recognize that this is a business decision. it is not personal already, people are interpreting this as some kind of punishment from the queen it's not actually, this is going to far better serve harry and meghan moving forward now, they have the freedom to pursue whatever it is they'd like without worrying about connections to the royal family. >> even if you look at their official statements, just to reread it, from the queen, it's not possible to continue with responsibilities and duties that come with the life of public service. harry and meghan's statement basically says, we can all live

a life of service. service is universal i don't know if that sounds like a dig. it sort of felt like it did. do you see anything there? >> it certainly feels a little bit like they're wanting to stick their heels in the ground and saying, we are still going to serve they're keen to illustrate the fact that, yes, they are making money, because they have to support themselves, but they do want to continue a life of service. it's what they're doing with their commercial endorsements doesn't fit in with the official work of the royal family the queen wanted to make it very clear they remain much-loved members of the royal family, and we will see them with the royal family when we're finally out the other side of the global pandemic it's highly possible they'll join the rest of the royal family on the balcony at buckingham palace. perhaps if they're in london in the summer, they'll go to royal ascot with the queen this is not the end of the family it's just the end of the business arrangement under the umbrella of the british monarchy, which is so widely called the firm. so i think everyone's got to

relax and move on now. >> keir, let me bring you into is that it it is like no hard feelings an we'll just move on with our lives? >> reporter: well, i think there are some hard feelings behind the scenes the kind of hard feelings you'd expect in any family, in which we've seen the tension, for example, between prince harry and his brother. so, look, i mean, i think there is that, but i think victoria is right. in terms of this deal, if you'd like, this kind of had to be done it was the way it kind of had to be harry and meghan will, i think, you will see, continue to kind of espouse the things they believe in, but they will be able to have more of a voice of course, we have that interview coming up with oprah winfrey. that will be interesting i suppose you could say that this frees them up a little more to speak as freely as they might want to. >> which victoria brings up that question, the timing seems

curious, right they just announced a couple days ago they were going to give a no holds barred, long interview, sit-down with oprah, and a few days later, this news released is that just a coincidence >> i don't think so. hoda, no, i don't think so when they announced, or when the news came out they were going to be doing this big sit-down interview, i think that kind of sealed the deal in terms of where they are frankly, when they bought their house in santa barbara, we kind of knew then they had no intention of coming back as working members of the royal family we just had to get through the more formalities, to make sure ts were crossed and is were dotted so no. i think we were supposed to be hearing about the review final decision in march, and it's been brought forward by a month, but i think it's to allow everyone to move on and reduce the speculation in the media the british papers have been full of all sort of stories. the minute the oprah news broke, what does th

noise. >> all right victoria, thank you so much. keir, we appreciate it thank you. >> thank you. let us get a check of the weather from our queen, dylan dreyer, over at the maps. >> without the accent. not quite as nice sounding let's take a look at that storm that is continuing to exit the east coast we have just a little bit of light snow continuing through the mid-atlantic and up across new england especially also a little bit of ice through southern new jersey. any additional accumulation would be very light, at best, except up into boston, where we could end up to 2 to 4 inches of additional snow. record cold continues down through texas, but we're turning the corner we will see warmer temperatures move in for the weekend. there is a little mountain snow and coastal rain in the pacific northwest. . good morning, i'm meteorologist kari hall, let's take a look at our storm ranger showing some light rain moving through, most of it from ma rinrin county down to the east

bay, and some light rain moving down the peninsula. after this round of showers moves on out we'll have a cloudy but dry afternoon. tomorrow, another chance of rain, especially very early in the morning. but the rest of the forecast is looking nice and sunny as temperatures warm up, especially early next week. >> that's your latest forecast. >> dylan, thank you very much. carson has joined. >> carson! >> confession, sometimes i read "pop start" really fast because we're crunched for time. i've been told today, we have time >> relax. >> 50 pounds of "pop start" in a 10-pound bag >> do it, carson >> i'm not going to rush we'll start with maybe our version of royalty here, dolly parton few weeks back, we were told about the tennessee lawmaker introducing a bill to erect a statue of the icon on the state capitol ground one said, quote, dolly is the best example of what a leader should be today. dolly is proving that to be true she's asked the tennessee legislature to remove the bill from consideration writing, given all that is going

on in the world, i don't think putting me on a pedestal is appropriate at this time i hope, though, the road, several years from grateful tennessean. >> just when you think you can't love her more. right? this isn't the time to be putting up a statue of me. sure, if you want to one day -- >> later down the line. >> that's right, after i'm gone. next up, from the foo fighters, the band known for their rock albums, led by dave grohl, who was a drummer for nirvana. well, the foo fighters pumping out a powerful sound with intense vocals what if they tried something different? they did the band has gone full disco, with a cover of the bee gees hit "you should be dancing." they did it for bbc radio. it is a faithful cover with a rock twist have a listen.a rock twist. take a listen.

♪ ♪ you should be ♪ ♪ you should be dancing yeah d♪ ♪ dancing you should be dancing yeah ♪ >> savannah asks a great question, is that a sample or dave grohl in falsetto it is dave grohl he's never sung falsetto before, but he loves it. he said it is easy for him to sing up there, and he is crushing it. >> if he can, he should. >> if you like that vibe, "medicine at midnight" is the name of the new foo record it is not disco like that but it's very bowie, very abba >> falsetto? >> not like that. this is for you, dylan "beverly hills 90210." and specifically the guys. iconic '90s tv show featurin jason, brian austin green, ion, and the late luke perry of male leads, making up a group of tight-knit friends are they that close in real

life was that just acting if these photos are any indication, these guys still get along. they were out dining in california this week a mini 90210 reunion of sorts. the boys embracing with a group hug. if that's not friendship, i don't know what is cool to see. >> makes me happy. i don't know why. i had an obsession with "90210." >> why >> who was your guy? >> jason priestly. of course. when i sat down with him for an interview, i was sweating the whole time, eating my french fries. >> where were you, in the peach pit? >> we tried to recreate it in new york. >> only reference i have 70th golden globes, just over a week away this morning, we can reveal who you'll see presenting some of the awards, with the show happening live from multiple locations due to the pandemic. they're turning to two real-life couples and one tv couple to help hand out the awards

michael douglas and catherine zeta-jones joins cedric from l.a. and then sterling k. brown and watson will be in los angeles. tina fey and amy poehler are hosting from opposite coasts this year. the 78th annual golden globe awards are live february 28th, 8:00 p.m./5:00 p.m. pacific. willie nelson's is willie geist's sit-down guest on sunday the two of them talked about among other things one of his most famous songs "on the road again" and how it came to be >> is there truth to the legend you wrote "on the road again" on the back of an airsickness bag >> well, yeah. i was on an airplane they wanted me to write a song for the movie that we were going to do. i said, what about this one? ♪ on the road again can't wait to get on the road ♪ how about that they said, yeah. >> so the only thing you had to write it on was the airsickness bag? >> yeah.

>> flipped it over and made history, didn't you? >> threw up and moved on >> good thing he didn't need the airsickness bag. >> wow. >> catch the entire interview this weekend on "sunday today with willie geist. >> love it all kind of legends in there "90210." good "pop start. >> thank you >> it was. jenna is sharing touching stories of neighbors helping neighbors in a trying week in her beloved state of texas. also, we have been teasing it this all morning. we're exciting this is happening here wolfgang van halen opens up about honoring his dad's legacy and shares a performance you won't want to miss first, a quick check of your local news and weather

good morning, it's 8:26, i'm kris chmura, a new roadblock in the return of the cable cars, the line shut down shortly after the pandemic took hold dmeer nearly one year ago. the examiner now reports restoring service will be, quote, more complicated than bringing back any other muni line. the nearly 150-year-old cars require specialized training and are expensive to operate and tour is are nowhere to be found. more essential lines will be brought back first. let's check weather. >> we've got storm ranger powered up and it'satching out for some light showers moving t

the door to mist and drizzle across the bay area, and hit and miss rain mostly through parts of the east bay and the peninsula. missing out on the south bay right now. all of this rain clearing out by this afternoon. another chance before sunrise tomorrow morning and all day, pretty much, sunny for the rest of the forecast on saturday into sunday and a pretty big warm-up in the forecast nerl next week. >> i'll have another local news update for you in half an hour.

♪ feeling good ♪ you feeling good 8:30 friday friday february 19th, 2021. the weekend is knocking. first, we have a really busy half hour ahead. >> we do ms. jenna is here to show us how her fellow texans are helping each other in the midst of the brutal winter storms it is a really good story from jenna coming up. we'll also catch up with wolfgang van halen of course, lost his father, eddie, last year he does a great job of honoring his dad with a great, new song part of his awesome solo project. we're looking forward to chatting with him. also, an exclusive performance, too. >> acoustic performance, right >> yeah. >> cool.

in the "3rd hour," the "outlander" star is going to tell us about his scottish road trip series, called "men in kilts. next week, al is going to catch up with eddie murphy about "coming to america 2." >> wow. >> jodie foster about her movie, 30 years after the "silence of the lambs. 30 years ago >> that's next week. also, carson, happy anniversary. >> thank you. >> "the voice" is celebrating a big milestone, ten years. >> i know. >> wow >> ten years of "the voice." you know who has been on every season >> carson daly. >> blake, too. i have the frequent flyer miles to prove it, too. >> how many episodes in ten years? >> i don't know. i'd have to do the math on that. first year, 2008 or '09, we're on twice a year. we straddle in fall and spring actually, we're shooting season 20, we call it cycle 20, year 10 a lot of great coaches

>> glad you can keep track of it we just watch. >> thank you. we are also celebratin national love your pet day on our streaming channel. simone biles, chloe kim, and giada de laurentiis is telling us all about why they love their furry pals so much and on a social episode of "my pet tale it's ahead of national love your pet day tomorrow. >> that's cute. now, a check of the weather. >> yes, the storm finally moving on out of here i think we're all getting ready for the weekend. we are going to see much improved weather still a little chilly across the great lakes. below average temperatures in and around the ohio and tennessee river valleys. it is going to turn milder through texas. temperatures back into the 50s and 60s. mountain snow through the rockies. on sunday, we are going to see that try to move to the east it is going to take more of a northerly track, meaning we're going to see snow in the upper midwest and great lakes on sunday lake enhancement, as well. northeast, it'll be chilly, low to mid 30s it is getting even milder across

texas. good morning, i'm meteorologist kari hall. let's take a look at our hour by hour forecast, and it does show the light rain we're seeing now tapering off. by late morning and into the afternoon we'll get some clearing. but there will be another chance of rain very early tomorrow morning, scattered showers passing through relatively quickly before it clears out and then for saturday afternoon, some mostly sunny skies across the bay area, still some cool temperatures and then warming up early next week. >> this weekend, the nhl meets the great outdoors two days of unforgettable hockey at lake tahoe. tomorrow, the knights take on the colorado avalanche at 3:00 p.m. eastern right here on nbc what a backdrop. >> that's fun. up next, jenna checking in on her home state of texas during a hard week. >> that's right. stores opening as shelters to restaurants offering warm meals

and more people across the state are truly showing their texas-sized hearts we'll celebrate them and give we'll celebrate them and give you a way to help. like, seeing my mom. it's unthinkable to me that i can't see her and i can't hug her. not being able to hug is just like somebody has to tie me down. touching someone to say i love you, to hug you... those are the things that i miss. ♪♪ ♪♪

welcome back always love when jenna join us all this week, we've been showing you the hardships faced by millions in the south, especially texas, hit really hard by the winter weather a lot of people having asking, how can i help >> we've gathered some of the ways on our website, today.com, or you can use your smartphone to scan the qr code at the bottom of your screen. >> that'll give ways to help jenna, you've been inspired by a lot of the stories your heart is with texas. >> it sure is. yeah qr code is right there the conditions in my beloved home state are devastating with millions still in need of food, water, and warm shelter. yet, during this time of crisis,

the community has come together. neighbors helping neighbors in the most beautiful way >> reporter: when you're dealing with a texas-sized crisis, a hot meal and a helping hand can go a very long way.eryou go, baby >> reporter: nakia and lindell own the turkey restaurant. since the storm hit, they've distributed hundreds of free meals you own a restaurant, and it gae out hund damage done to it. at some point, you guys decided you were going to help out tell me how you made that decision >> what human doesn't step up? that's where we're at. it has nothing to do with us i think it is just humans. >> reporter: running out of food didn't stop them >> come on out, man. we got free water. >> reporter: they redirected their focus to water finding it and delivering it to those in need. >> this is a time when you see everybody coming together and doing whatever it is they can to help each other out. for me, that's what it is all about. >> reporter: texas communities are joining together during this time of crisis it's neighbors helping

one generator when we had no power for 36 hours. >> reporter: from sharing generators in in richmond hills, to sharing coats for warmth at the flying saucer in houston it is not just large-scale food banks supplying food also good samaritans cooking mass meals in their home kitchen. >> i've tried to stress it's not just for less fortunate. you can have a lot of money, and your lights can still be going on and off, and you haven't eaten a hot meal. >> reporter: businesses like galaxy furniture store are providing refuge. >> they can stay for days. we're here for them. >> reporter: some restaurants are hitting the road workers from papa john's delivering surprise pizzas to displaced families. >> it is very surprising and happy that people are helping us >> reporter: celebrities are helping, too matthew mcconaughey and dallas

dallas-based organization that serves the homeless. >> it's a lot of tears when they walk in the doors. thank you, thank you, thank you. >> reporter: pastor wayne walker is executive director of the non-profit and is now working 20-hour days, as he helps shelter more than 1,000 people storm damage forced him to relocate the shelter to a dallas convention center. >> yeah, some of my staff members, their homes are flooded. it's neat to see they're just giving continually we pull on our boots and go to work, right? when we try to love our neighbors well >> wow that is what loving your neighbor looks like. joins us now, so happy to have him with us, pastor walker, the executive director of our calling. pastor, good morning to you. >> good morning. >> you are so inspiring, the way that you have such a heart for the homeless in your community pastor, your own facility has been impacted, isn't that right? >> yeah, our facility flooded a couple days ago. we had pipes burst

crews are over there trying to figure out, how do we rebuild and restore so we can return back to work >> pastor walker, we got to talk a little bit yesterday, but you were born in texas have you ever seen anything like this in dallas >> no. my wife and i have been working with the homeless in dallas for over 20 years, and from what we understand, the last time the weather was like this was the last time the super bowl was here, which is a long time ago people are struggling. our homeless friends are just trying to figure out how to survive. right now, it's great to see that people are coming together. >> some people talk the talk, and some people walk the walk. you talk a lot about the golden rule i mean, we're watching it in action describe it for us >> well, here at our calling, we believe the words of jesus love the lord with all you got, and love your neighbor as yourself here, we have neighbors who are loving each other. people who are showing up. it is a homeless man who comes in, and he's so grateful and asking, can i pick up a broom and help clean up or serve meals to others? it's the community showing up.

it's those that, even in their own homes they don't have power, facilities have flood damage and yet, they're still here and here to serve. you know, as we continue this project, you know, we have no idea how much this is really going to cost. but to see the community show up and support in amazing ways is what is making this possible. >> pastor, i can't help but think about the definition of christian. it literally translates to christ-like. that's certainly what we're seeing you do. what do you need for locals watching this, what can they do? for a national audience watching you right now, how can people help >> what we need is people to go to ourcalling.org and donate, so we can find a permanent placement for these folks. we have a project we're working on to build amazing housing. when this is over, we have nowhere for these folks to go. ourcalling.org/home is a project we're working on to produce homes. we can do it quickly with the community support. folks out of the convention center and out from under a bridge and into their forever home >> well, you're doing incredible

work we've got that qr code, pastor, right there on the screen, so people can give. we want to say thank you, again, for everything you're doing. we really appreciate it. >> thanks for telling the story. we really appreciate you guys. >> all right if you want more information on how to help the texas community, you can head to today.com. again, scan the qr code on the bottom >> he's got a big dream, that our calling is hoping to purchase a hotel and make a permanent residence for folks. that's their goal. >> this has been his life's work. >> right. >> but, you know, what was amazing, all of these volunteers' homes are flooded. they're going there to volunteer. they're worrying about their neighbor before themselves. >> great story jenna, thanks for bringing it to us. up next, wolfgang van halen. we'll talk to him about his beautiful tributes to his dad. wolfgang has a special performance. firs this is "today" on nbt,c.

>> announcer: the citi music

series on "today" is proudly presented to you by citi welcome back in this morning on our citi music series we're so happy wolfgang van halen is here. >> he was born into rock royalty as the son of guitarist eddie van halen and valerie bertinelli, even joining the band in the early 2000s. >> now, wolfgang is making a name for himself with his solo project, "mammoth wvh. did you see your mom's appearance on our show yesterday? >> yes, i did. i saw it. >> pumping you up, buddy. >> literally, we wanted to talk about her cooking. you know what she said oh my god, my son is going to be on tomorrow. i can't wait i can't wait she talks about you as like the best thing that has ever happened to her in her life. >> yeah, she wouldn't shut up about me i'm sorry about that >> it's great. it's great i'm excited for this you know, you're going to do an acoustic version of "distance" >> mm-hmm. >> i got to tell you, man, we spoke last november about, you know, your dad and the love

that's there and the tribute you made for him i got to tell you, i've road tested that lyric. the lyric, for those who don't know, who matter what the and, you know, i lost my mom, who was guilty of loving her kids too much, a couple years ago. that is true man, that lyric, you wrote that. i wondered, have you experienced that yet no matter what the distance is, i'll be with you and that you'll be okay? >> yeah, i think that's just a thing that is almost like a mantra for you when you lose someone that's as important to you, as a parent or really anyone that plays a large role in your life that's kind of my mantra when i think about my dad >> i mean, for you to share this love of music and gift of music, this album, wolfie, it's all

you. you're the original one-man band you do everything on the record, right? >> i do. i don't think people are really going to believe that. >> what does that mean, when you do everything on the album for people who don't get it. >> okay. when, i guess, a normal band would have a guitar player, bass player, a drummer, and a singer. i'm the one doing all of that. >> and wrote the music, too. >> yeah. basically, every single thing you hear is a bunch of mes, all playing at the same time. >> this is hard for, you know, during the pandemic, for any band to put out anything just for fans, when is the record what's the plan here, tour, et cetera >> the record is coming out june 11th i guess when it comes to touring, we just have to, you know -- we're all at a wait and see kind of moment. >> it'll be fun to watch you play every instrument on tour. let's get to this. you recorded a special acoustic

performance of "distance." sit tight. we'll talk to you on the other end. let's play it for people right now. ♪ ♪ i'm so happy you've found a place that's better for yo than this rock we're living on ♪ don't know ♪ i'm so nervou life don't know my plac a life without you i'm not ready to move on ♪ ♪ no matter what the distance i i will be with you no matter what the distance is you'll be okay ♪

♪ oh ♪ ♪ can't ♪ i'm so tire can't see your fac my memory of you slowly fades when i go on ♪ ♪ i'm still cryin don't want this plac a world without yo i don't think i'll ever move on ♪ ♪ no matter what the distance i

i will be with you no matter what the distance is i will be with you ♪ ♪ no matter what the distance i i will be with you no matter what the distance is you'll be okay ♪ ♪ no matter what the distance i i will be with you no matter what the distance is i will be with you ♪ ♪ no matter what the distance i i will be with you no matter what the distance is you'll be okay ♪ ♪ whoa yeah ♪ ♪ ♪

♪ no matter what the distance i i will be with you no matter what the distance is you'll be okay ♪ ♪ no matter what the distance i i will be with you no matter what the distance is you'll be okay ♪ so ♪ ♪ i'm so happ you've found a place ♪ >> let's go. >> whoo. >> so good that's, like, every reason why i wanted to work at mtv. it's like an unplugged, like '90s for van halen fans, you've always said, the mammoth project isn't van halen 2.0. are the things on the record, do

they sound like "distance," or is it all over the place >> i'd say it is more of a hard rock record, but there are definitely moments like "distance" on there. >> i was picturing valerie watching that right now, and i cannot get her out of my head. >> i was picturing her jumping up and down. >> definitely sobbing right now. >> yes. >> sobbing >> so proud. >> wow >> beautiful. >> your voice is so good >> awesome. >> you played drums first, right, as a kid? that was the first instrument, then guitar. >> yeah. >> you toured bass with the band your voice is just, like, it's just crazy really good, man i can't wait to see that it makes you want to see live music, too. >> no kidding. that was on point. >> thank you. >> thank you so much >> "mammoth wvh" available for pre-order right now. check it out. >> do it >> do it >>i'm morgan, and there's more to me than hiv.

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as your hepatitis b may worsen or become life-threatening. serious or life-threatening side effects can occur, including... allergic reactions, lactic acid buildup, and liver problems. if you have a stop taking dovato and get medical help right away. tell your doctor if you have kidney or liver problems, including hepatitis b or c,... or if you are, may be, or plan to be pregnant. your doctor may prescribe a different medicine... than dovato if you plan to be pregnant or if pregnancy is confirmed during the first trimester. dovato may harm your unborn baby. use effective birth control... while taking dovato. most common side effects are headache, nausea,... diarrhea, trouble sleeping, tiredness, and anxiety. so much goes... into who i am. hiv medicine is one part of it. ask your doctor about dovato—i did. hoda just called valerie on facetime. >> forgot she's on the west

coast. >> i wanted her to see wolfie, and she was in the dark. seemed happy. >> 4:00 a.m. >> good morning, valerie >> we're like, wolfie killed it. he was awesome. >> what a happy mom. >> proud mom what's coming up >> on the "3rd hour," superfood friday joy bauer is making a healthy mac and cheese, if you can believe it. >> we have a lot coming up on "hoda and jenna. if your mood, if you have been in a funk lately, we got six good ways to boost your mood have a great weekend, s.g. >> happy friday. >> you, too, carson and dylan. >> what are you doing, carson? >> hanging out just hanging with the kids hi, kids see you soon love ya. >> we're back after a check of your local news, your weather, and these messages. >> buh-bye ages. >> buh-bye.

good morning, it's 8:56, i'm chris chmura. pfizer freezers, that is a shift. right now it requires special deep freezers that make transportation and distribution more difficult. the fda is now planning to review the data.

california now appears to be the lone holdout when it comes to banning indoor dining, according to the chronicle, america's 49 other states all now allow it to one degree or another. but things here might soon change. governor newsom predicts more counties will be moving out of the top purple tier, and that would allow restaurants to resume indoor dining at 25% capacity. happening now, our bob rudell is following the story, talking with tri-valley business owners, he'll have a live report for us in our mud day newscast at 11:00 a.m. a hot microphone during an east bay school board meeting is leaving members in hot water ahead of the zoom meeting, oakley's school board members made rather candid and some would say explosive comments. the board president has already stepped down. there's now a push to recall other members. you can head to our home page for the full story. we'll have a local weather update in an hour.

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. i don't even need to see what's happening behind me to know it's covered. (screaming) this commercial is now over. logo. three. no nonsense. just common sense. today on "california live" -- >> the family just got a little bigger. >> dani is with an inspiring young woman who's shaking things up in san diego. >> this morning at 11:30 on nbc

bay area. it's a big vote parents across the state are watching, the decision before state lawmakers when it comes to schools reopening. plus, we saw the spotlight on a woman who is helping get things cleaned up for those who can't do it for themselves, monday morning 4:30 to 7:00.

live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza, this is the "3rd hour of today." >> good morning, everybody. welcome to the "3rd hour of today." we've made it to friday. february 19th. i'm dylan here with sheinelle. al and craig are off once again this morning. how are you this morning? >> good morning to you. it is friday. we made it. now, we have to get through thi weather. my goodness. >> a lot of people are going to get through that. we'll give you all the details on the weather, the situation down in dallas. also want to tell you about our friend, jacob soboroff. he is le look at how iconic sports stadiums are being turned into mass vaccination sites. he