good morning. going for the gold. >> this is the first gold medal event. >> team usa ready to reach for glory at the 2022 olympic winter games. as the first medals are handed out. norway triumphant in cross country skiing. >> norway claims gold. >> u.s. snowboarder, jamie anderson easily grabbing a spot in the finals, as she tries to add a third-straight gold medal to her name.

shaun white making it official, these games will be his last. team usa taking to the ice in first place, after a spectacular skate from nathan chen. but setbacks overnight. several u.s. athletes testing positive for covid, putting their olympic dreams in jeopardy. a day after a thrilling opening ceremony officially kicked off the games. the excitement is only growing today, saturday, february 5th, 2022. ♪♪ from nbc news, this is a special edition of "today," the winter olympics, with peter alexander and kristen welker, live from rockefeller plaza. welcome to "today." thank you so much for joining us on this saturday morning.

peter, it's great to be with you in olympic headquarters in new york, where we will be broadcasting for the next two weeks. >> this is the closest we'll get to walking in an opening ceremony. it's 15 degrees. it feels like we're participating in the winter games today. >> it feels like we're on the ski slopes. we're bundled up. we wouldn't be more excited. >> this is the fun time of year. every time it comes around, the olympics is where we begin. the first medals were handed out a few hours ago. >> we're going to talk to jessie diggins in a moment. but first, let's start with nbc's steve patterson, following all of the action for us from china. steve, good morning. >> reporter: peter and kristen, good morning to you. the games have started. but unfortunately, the covid cases continue to rise. 20 athletes and officials arriving in beijing, testing positive on friday. meanwhile, the medal count is

on, with action under way on both the slopes and the ice. and overnight, a stunning announcement from one of america's favorite olympians. the day after a spectacular opening ceremony, the olympic winter games, today, are in full swing, with team usa going for the gold. overnight, american snowboarder jamie anderson soared through the air with ease, making it through to the slopestyle final. she is hoping for a repeat in beijing, after winning in sochi and pyeongchang. >> they're warriors. i'm proud of all of the girls for sending it today. >> reporter: and breaking overnight, five-time olympian snowboarder shaun white, announcing this is his final olympic games. the athletes, forced to brave high winds here. the men's downhill practice called off early, after officials said it was too dangerous to continue. the fan-favorite curling events are sliding away. the u.s. mixed team beating

china, 7-5. the speed skaters are racing around the track. and later today, the team figure skating competition is back, with the women's short program and the men's free skate. the americans in first place, after nathan chen skated the routine of a lifetime for the second-highest short program score ever. these games coming under the shadow of politics at the opening ceremony. russian leader vladimir putin, a featured guest, as troops loom on the border of ukraine. the chinese enlisting a uighur athlete to do it, a poke in the eye of what the u.s. is calling a genocidal treatment of the uighur population. and the first gold medal goes to the game goes to the heavy favored norwegian in the skiatalon. meanwhile, norway and russia lead the medal count with two apiece. guys, back to you.

>> steve, thank you for breaking it down for us. as steve mentioned, american cross country skier jessie diggins just finished her first race. you will probably remember she gave us one of the thrilling moments of the pyeongchang games four years ago. and jessie is joining us this morning. it's been a busy day for you. you wrapped up your skiathalon event. your first event under your belt. how are you feeling right now? >> hi, thanks. i'm exhausted. but i have a few days to bounce back. it feels so good to have the first race. like you said, under my belt, get a chance to try out the pacing on these courses. trying out the layering for the cold and the wind. and testing out the skis. it was really, really exciting. i'm really proud of the whole team today. >> jessie, we all are. we have been referencing that thrilling moment, back in pyeongchang. your come-from-behind wind,

let's take a look and remind everyone. >> jessie diggins, to the line. and it is jessie diggins, delivering a landmark moment that will be etched in u.s. olympic history. >> that was the team sprint, the first gold for usa ever in the sport. so, are you ready to defend your olympic title, jessie? >> i'm just here to do my very, very best every, single day. i feel really proud of the effort and the work ethic i put into, not just this year but the last ten years of my life. have all been dedicated to cross country skiing. i'm so proud of the support we have behind this team that lets us be here and have a chance to compete for our biggest dreams. yes. i am ready to give it everything that i have in every one of those races. and you can count on me crossing

the finish line with nothing else. >> the only shame is we don't get to see the sparkles on your face. you have become a de facto leader of the sport team person, across the usa, leading some painting nights, bob ross-themed, we understand. and doing some choreographed dance partties. what does this mean for you this year? >> oh, the team means everything to me. this is an amazing group of individuals from all around the united states. and amazing coaches and staff and support behind us. so, we've done such a really good job of taking care of one another. it hasn't been an easy year. it's been really challenging withov and with staying healthy in general.he road from november through march, that's always hard to be away from your family and friends. but luckily, this team creates their own family dynamic and we really have each other's back. i'm grateful to be a part of

this team. it does mean everything to me. >> jessie diggins, thank you so much. good luck. we'll be watching. >> love hearing her talk about the family dynamic. it's fantastic. it's important to so many athletes. we want to bring in allen abrahamsson, for a look at what's ahead of the games. he is a columnist for freewiresports.com and an associate professor that's been covering the olympics since the 2000 olympics. it's so good to have you joining us. we'll be cheering on jessie diggins. there's so many athletes that we are watching over the next two weeks, including ma ka me kale mikaela shiffrin. she is up on deck on monday. what are you watching for there? >> mikaela shiffrin, at the risk

of hyperbole, and i've known lindsey vonn for a long, long time. it's not too much to say, that when her head is right, mikaela shiffrin is the very best female skier ever. and the question going into monday is, is mikaela shiffrin's head right? if it is, she will win. that's it, slam dunk. she is the best on planet ever that ever is or ever was. let's see if her head space is good. she's as good as gold. >> when you talk about those as good as gold, another game is nathan chen. we're going to see the women figure skaters for the first time today, as part of the team competition. nathan in his first event, the short program, had the best performance of his career. this in many ways is his to lose. he's the top guy we've seen. >> peter, i think the answer is yes and no. nathan had a disastrous short

program in pyeongchang. he had an amazing short program in the team event here. but this team event is sort of practice. i don't know how to say this the right way. it's a medal event. it's not the individual event. and he knows that. we know that. everyone knows that. so, the question again, at the olympics is, what is going on between your ears? if -- if nathan chen, when it comes to the short program and the long program, is all good, all good in his mind, he is going to win. if not, look for japan to step up again. >> let's talk about snowboarder shaun white, a lot of attention on him, these olympic games. 36, he announced these games will be his last. but don't count him out. what will you be watching for? can he pull out a gold medal? particularly given, he will be competing against a lot of people who were inspired to get

into this game because of him. >> yeah. i remember standing at the bottom of the hill in salt lake city and watching the americans go one, two, three, and ross power throwing a method air. it was the most beautiful thing i've seen at the olympics. that single moment of elegance and beauty. and shaun white has given us so many of those moments. i remember standing at the bottom of the hill in vancouver watching shaun come through in a clutch. can shaun white pull a tom brady here in beijing? don't bet against him. the odds are long. he's competing against 20-year-olds, 22-year-olds, 23-year-olds. he's 35, 36. the body can only take so many corks and spins and throws. but if anybody can do it, it would be shaun white. >> i can't tell you what is going on between everybody's ears. but i can't feel my ears. we thank you for that. hope you enjoy the games. good to see you, my friend. >> i can't feel mine, either.

we'll try. don't forget, you can watch every single moment of the olympics over the next two weeks on nbc and on peacock. >> we will have much more from beijing in a moment coming up here. there's other headlines to get to this morning, including a rift in the republican party. the former vice president mike pence with his most pointed criticism yet of his former boss, donald trump. nbc's josh letterman is traveling with president biden today. he is in wilmington. josh, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, peter. he was former president trump's loyal deputy four years, even as supporters chanted hang mike pence on january 6th. now, those agreements are coming out in the open. this morning, the republican party in a political battle against itself. after a split-screen moment laid bear growing division among republicans about former president trump's role, past and

future. >> former president trump was wrong. >> reporter: he was insisting that mr. pence could have rejected the 2020 election results. >> i had no right to overturn the election. there's no idea un-american, than the notion that one person can choose the american president. >> reporter: that rebuke coming after mr. trump blamed his former vice president for not interveing on january 6th. overnight, the former president lashing out, releasing a statement arguing pence could have acted. writing, i was right and everyone knows it. the friendly fire breaking out, as the republican national committee censured two of its own. representatives liz cheney and adam kinzinger, the only two republicans on the committee investigating january 6th. >> all those in favor of the motion. >> reporter: the resolution, likening january 6th to liggett at political discourse and cutting off the two lawmakers from gop support. a lonely handful of republicans

defending kinzinger and cheney. as mr. trump says, if re-elected, he might pardon those that attacked the u.s. capitol in his name. >> if it requires pardons we will give them pardons because they are being treated so unfairly. >> reporter: these republican on republican attacks are setting the stage for what could be a bruising gop presidential primary in 2024. mr. trump and pence seen as potential candidates. peter and kristen? >> we're in a midterm election. josh ledderman, thank you very much. the major storm that just swept across the country has blown out to sea. but millions are dealing with icy roads and freezing temperatures. the slippery conditions creating havoc on roadways from texas to maine. the ice toppling power license plates for 250,000 americans without power on friday. and a tragedy in oklahoma.

police are investigating a hit-and-run crash that struck a 12-year-old boy. >> a good reminder to everyone to slow down and be careful these days. we want to get a first look at the forecast. we're living through it right now. from our station wrc is here. you're looking good. >> i went for the chance this morning. >> got the hand warmers. got to stay warm out there. the visuals we saw in texas are downright striking. this morning, they are bracing for extreme cold. we have freeze warnings from corpus christi, to dallas, to brownsville, 12 million people impacted by the cold. this isn't just any cold. this is record cold. this is the current windchill in oklahoma city. dallas waking up to temperatures feeling like 22 degrees. towards brownsville, a windchill of 29 degrees. not just in texas. the cold air is spreading out towards the northeast. washington, d.c. right now, feeling like 23 degrees.

we have a single degree digit windchill in here is a live look in san francisco. clear skies to start our morning. we are starting in the 30s. for more an hill, 35. dublin, 38. concord, 38. 40s around the bay and the coastline. a little bit of fog through parts of concord and livermore. everywhere else has clear visibility. expect afternoon sunshine right now, even though it is 44 degrees. by 10:00 or 11:00 we will be in the upper 50s. low to mid 60s with peeks of sunshine by the afternoon. >> that's your local forecast. peter? >> thank you very much. still to come, the newest olympic event, the monobob making a debut at these games. >> we're going to talk to the athlete who battled covid and has been cleared to compete. this is breaking news, folks.

amazing news for her to share with us. firs these messages. t,

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good morning. thank you for joining us on this saturday, february 5th. i'm kira klapper. new flee domes for people dining out or working out in contra costa county. you are no longer required by the county to show proof of vaccination or show a negative covid test. last nights restaurants were packed with people, everyone masking up before walking inside. people welcoming the change in the proof of vaccination order. >> i think it has been long enough to where everyone's been vaccinated already. >> since december, two main things have changed. the first is our community is more vaccinated now. we have 80 percent of the entire county is vaccinated, 87 percent

have had at least one dose. >> this new rule applies to gyms and restaurants, and this comes nine days before the state's mask mandate is set to expire. wearing a mask inside those businesses is still required. the winter olympic games are underway in beijing. this is a live look at the olympic flame right outside the birtd's nest. today was the first full day of competition and team usa is getting right to it in high-profile events on the snow and the ice. two lake tahoe area athletes, travis ganong and bryce bennett are competing in downhill. it is the second olympics for both men from alpine meadows. let's check in with meteorologist vianey. >> we've starting clear in san francisco right now. it is a live look. it is a little chilly in some spots. still seeing some 30s on the map.

satellite radar on the map, i want to show you what we have in store. high pressure will dominate the weekend, setting us up for a warming trend heading into sunday and next week. 38 in concord. 35, morgan hill. no major issues with the fog. kira. >> looks good. thanks so much. coming up at 7:00 on "today in the bay" we have more olympics coverage as team usa gets going in the winter games. we'll have that plus all of your top stories in vianey's full forecast at 7:00. we hope you will join us. right now we'll send you back to the "today" show. ♪i want to break free♪ (vo) imagine a place where we can finally be free. free to zoom without a meeting request. free to enjoy savory bites, and stunning sights. and free to reunite with old friends...and new. it's time to break free.

♪i want to break free♪ ♪ohhh i want to break free♪ (vo) ready to break free? plan your getaway with norwegian cruise line. sail safe, feel free. ♪♪ we're back on this saturday morning, february 5th, 2022. we are thrilled to be outside on our olympic plaza right here in the heart of manhattan. >> that's right. we're also so happy to have our friend nbc news now joe fryer and tamara here. we look like a bobsled team. >> we're here to block the wind for you. >> wannabe olympians. >> still to come, the newest event making its debut in

beijing, called the monobob. a one-person bobsled. it's women-only at these games. we're going to talk to elana meyers taylor representing team usa in this event. >> there she is. and later, one of the more rememberable athletes, the flag bearer from tonga. why he had to miss this year and what he is doing instead. the usa women are looking to win its first gold medal in history. the canadians the biggest obstacle. >> both teams are dealing with injuries after the opening game. we go to have more for the competition in women's hockey. good morning. >> good morning. every four years, the canadians are the hockey team to beat in the winter olympics.

the canadians aren't the current world champions yet. there's a tournament for the taking with both teams expected to make the final. the puck has dropped for women's hockey in beijing. the long-time superpowers, the u.s. and canada, quickly proving why they are the top two teams. >> a comprehensive victory for team canada. >> reporter: team canada scoring 12 goals in their first game, demonstrating why they have won gold more times they any other country. that reign ended in 2018. team usa defeating them in a dramatic final. this year, the canadians are back for gold. but the americans won't make it easy. >> reporter: team usa, also taking care of the big opener, beating finland 5-2. >> for us to come out and put up the goals, it's good confidence

for our team moving forward. >> reporter: they will have to get to canada to win it all. it's been decades for on-ice battles between these two teams. sometimes ending in brawls like this one in 2013. and the u.s. is already playing hurt. team usa losing star briana dekker who left the opening game on a stretcher, ending her olympic run. >> she is one of our leaders, one of the best players in the world. to see her go down early in the game was really difficult. >> reporter: the canadians also losing one of their stars in the first game. >> lewis hit hard. >> reporter: with melody dowel taken out after a crushing hit by switzer land, her return to the ice now in doubt. two hockey powers left shorthanded by injury but still ready to battle for a shot at the gold. now, the u.s. and canada will likely see a lot of each other in the beijing games this

tuesday. both teams that automatically advance, will face off in a preliminary round game, which could be a preview of the gold medal match. >> gaud, thank you. >> weren't you in charge of bringing the s'mores out here? >> i will bring them before the end of the show. >> we have a look at the forecast for those competing in beijing. >> it feels like they left winter here. there's parts of texas that are colder than beijing. they are in for some mild weather in comparison. as our teams head through the week ahead, low temperatures in 40s. near 50 degrees on thursday. dry conditions and a good amount of sunshine. here, a little closer to home, we're tracking our next storm system. this is on the weaker end of the spectrum. it will bring snow to parts of the upper midwest, right through the great lakes. the timing on this today, and moving through sunday, will actually see some snowshowers begin to develop in parts of michigan. as far as totals, it's not a

huge snowmaker, we'll see 1 to 2 inches of snow around the lakesides there. we could see anywhere from 4 to 6, maybe 8 inches of snow. today's forecast across the country, we're tracking tons of sunshine out west, a live look right now in san francisco. we are starting out a little chilly in some spots. in the 30s for concord. 38 degrees. 35 in morgan hill. around the bay in the low to mid 40s. by the afternoon we are expecting a warm-up heading into saturday evening and also sunday with high pressure dominating. we will get a mix of sun and clouds for walnut creek, 52 degrees by 10:00 a.m. the temperature trend heading into the afternoon for san francisco is in the mid 50s, low 60s. that's a look at your local forecast. >> i can say for sure, it's faux fur. i don't know if it's flame

retardant. the one-woman event ready to make its debut in beijing. >> we'll show you what the monobob is all about and talk to one of its star athletes live, after these messages. i may have moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis. or psoriatic arthritis. but we are so much more. we're team players and artists. designers and do-it-yourselfers. parents and friends. if joint pain is getting in the way of who you are, it's time to talk to your doctor about enbrel. enbrel helps relieve joint pain, and helps stop permanent joint damage. plus enbrel helps skin get clearer in psoriatic arthritis. ask your doctor about enbrel, so you can get back to your true self. play ball! enbrel may lower your ability to fight infections. serious, sometimes fatal events including infections, tuberculosis, lymphoma, other cancers, nervous system and blood disorders and allergic reactions have occurred. tell your doctor if you've been someplace where fungal infections are common. or if you're prone to infections, have cuts or sores, have had hepatitis b, have been treated for heart failure,

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we got this. yay! we got this. we got this! life is for living. we got this! let's partner for all of it. edward jones we're back on a saturday morning. we want to give you a live look at the great wall of china, the beijing winter games well under way. the games will have seven new events making their debut at the winter olympics. >> and most of those involve skis. but one takes place on the bobsled course. >> bobsled, we usually think of it as a team sport. this is a solo competition. it's called monobob. and women are participating in the event. and usa is looking to medal. monobob may sound lake a trendy

haircut, but the only thing these athletes are trimming are their race times. as they dart down ice-covered tracks, all by themselves. >> it is the hardest bobsled to drive, by far. >> reporter: elana meyers taylor medaled in two-person bobsled. that was the only bobsled event available to women. >> she is stretching her advantage. >> reporter: until monobob was added to this year's games. when you heard it was going to become an olympic sport, what was your reaction? >> i had never driven a monobob before. how am i going to learn to drive it before the game? >> it's 9 feet long and goes up to 75 miles per hour. compare that with the four-man bobsled, that is 12 feet long and can reach 93 miles per hour. in the four-man races, two athletes push, one steers and one brakes.

in monobob, one woman does it all. >> she's going to win going away. >> reporter: that means there's not as much weight in the sled. >> all the time, you feel like you're on the edge of your seat to control this thing. you never have a run that you're like, that was great. that was good enough. >> reporter: team usa is definitely good enough. kallie humphries who just became an american citizen, is the reigning monobob champ. meyers taylor enters the games ranked number one in the world. what's your hopes in these olympics? >> always going for gold. >> reporter: but right after arriving, she tesed positive for covid. she has to train inside a hotel room, that probably feels as narrow as a bobsled track. she facetimes with her husband, a fellow bobsledder and her son,

nikko, who has down syndrome. >> i want to go out there and show you can follow your dreams. i want to show that to my son. >> reporter: meyers taylor hopes to be cleared by the time her competition starts on february 13th. eager to show the world what monobob is all about. >> i think monobob is a huge opportunity because it provides women equal opportunity to medal at the games. i'm optimistic where this is going to go in the future. and it says a lot for the growth of women's bobsled. >> in past olympics, men had two chances to medal in the two-men and four-man events. women only had one chance, in the two-person bobsled. now, there's two events for women. two events for men. meyers taylor plans to compete in both of those events. >> speaking of elana meyers taylor, joining us with great news. you just tested negative for the second time. you're going to be out of

isolation. when do you get back out there? >> i'm leaving my hotel pretty soon here. i'm currently in isolation hotel. i'll be leaving tonight, which is the morning for you guys and headed to another hotel, so i can start the process of getting back into training and getting ready to race. >> there's only training that you can do in a small hotel room. we've seen the videos of you making the best of it. you get to get back to real training and try out the course. your first event in competition is the 13th in the monobob. this is the first time they've done it. what are your thoughts as you hope to be one of the first medal winners and maybe gold, in that event? >> yeah. well, you can see, other sleds that have been on the tracks. the luge sleds, the skelton sleds. the track is crazy and you add the monobob. i'm excited to get out there and

give it my best and see what i can do. >> monobob training runs start this week. i guess you couldn't have gotten a sled in your room there. how are you training for the event now? >> fortunately, i have a lot of friends internationally. they've been sending me notes on the track and doing different things like that. i have tons of video from our coaches who have been doing everything they can to keep me engaged and keep me involved. i've been watching video and doing whatever i can to stay ready. >> i know you talked about the fact that you want to inspire your son. talk about what you want him to take from these games as he watches you compete. >> especially these games, knowing that everything we've gone through, being in isolation and coming out of it, i want to show him you can face obstacles and have challengs and overcome

them. this is one of the most challenging games i have competed in and i want to show him that his mother never gave up. >> we are psyched for you. the fact you have negative tests. a little bit of pressure never hurts anybody. we'll be watching on the course very soon. good luck to you. >> thank you so much. >> we always love breaking news. that's really great breaking news. "pop start" what's coming up? >> fashion, for the nbc >> fashion, for the nbc commentators, johnny weir i have moderate to severe ulcerative colitis. so i'm taking zeposia, a once-daily pill. because i won't let uc stop me from being me. zeposia can help people with uc achieve and maintain remission. and it's the first and only s1p receptor modulator approved for uc. don't take zeposia if you've had a heart attack, chest pain, stroke or mini-stroke, heart failure in the last 6 months, irregular or abnormal heartbeat

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we're back with an olympic-themed verse of "pop start." you are officially joining us on "weekend today" as a permanent member of the team. we could not be more excited. >> i'm so excited. i've had a blast filling in with you. i may bring more stories and more props. >> never stop on the props. let's get things kicked off. >> olympic version here. we're going to start things off with leslie jones. the comedienne was a breakout star in the summer games last year, for her hilarious commentary on social media. she is back at it for the beijing games. she showed her usa getup before settling in with the ice skating competition. some of the lifts and leaps left her in shock. >> let's talk about them picking them up, with the full blades in they thighs.

they pick people up and carrying them up and cut the thighs. or am i tripping? >> she shared more than 20 videos on twitter highlighting her favorite fashion, music choices and more. can't wait for all of her commentary in the next few weeks. we can't show all of her commentary on morning television. >> or in primetime. >> she says what we're thinking. >> always says what we're thinking. feel is rhythm, feel the rhyme. it's bobsled time. the four-man team is competing in the winter olympics. and they are ready to bring the fight. ♪♪ they look excited to be in beijing. they are competing in the

two-person bobsled and the women's monobob event. it was the 1998 team that inspired the disney film "cool runnings." this squad is hoping to make history here in 2022. tara lipinski and johnny weir. the pair is known for their commentary and the fashion on and off the ice. finding out to wear is a job for those two. it's not surprising, between the two of them, they have 17 suitcases full of wardrobe options. that's an improvement. in 2018, they brought 21 suitcases to the pyeongchang winter games. can't wait to see some of their looks. we're seeing some of the looks. >> i'm torn between what i enjoy more, the commentary or the outfitts. >> you're traveling with the family. traveling with those guys when they roll out of the house with 17 bags. >> they have a separate team to help them out. joe, great stuff. we're excited you're joining us.

still ahead, the olympic athlete who gained game for his opening ceremony appearances and is missing in beijing. it's for a noble cause. we'll explain. >> we'll hear from him after ese messages. th

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♪ me tuve que tragar mis sentimientos ♪ ♪ no supe de tu aliento ♪ ♪ nomás te vi pasar ♪ we are back on a saturday morning with one of the breakout stars of the opening ceremony, the flag bearer for america samoa, appearing shirtless, with a nod to the tongaen athlete, that didn't make it this year. >> he is helping his home country recover after a devastating natural disaster. blayne alexander has this story. >> reporter: here comes tonga.

he doesn't disappoint. >> reporter: his chiselled chest and smile catapulted him to fame. pizza taufatofua, representing the island nation of tonga. >> it was about representing native indigenous people that weren't always represented. >> reporter: this year, taufatofua skipped the game. last month, a volcano erupted under water. that figured a tsunami, sending water flooding into the capital. >> it hit, my heart gets pulled towards tonga. my focus was, what can i do to help? >> taufatofua had not yet qualified for this year's game. when the volcano hit, he stopped

training, focusing his energy on organizing relief efforts from afar. >> we sent containers of flour and breakfast crackers from fiji. there's a shortage. people are hungry. all of the ash landed on crops. >> reporter: he raised money.he 2024. but for now -- >> the olympics is my home. i love the olympics. tonga is my first home. i have to look after my first home right now. >> reporter: in the process, keeping the true olympic spirit alive. for "today," blayne alexander, nbc news. >> that is a good reason to skip the opening ceremony. >> he's a smooth-looking cat. >> and i'm bleary-eyed staying up. >> it's fun for families and on days like this, you can bundle up, as we shall be doing. >> yes. >> and watching the winter

games. >> that's going to do it for us on a saturday morning. let's do it next weekend. >> i'm for it. >> stay tuned to t networks of he he trelegy for copd. [coughing] ♪ birds flyin' high, you know how i feel. ♪ ♪ breeze driftin' on by... ♪ if you've been playing down your copd,... ♪ it's a new dawn, it's a new day,... ♪ ...it's time to make a stand. start a new day with trelegy.

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. narrator: when you see this symbol, you know you re watching television that is educational and informational. the more you know on nbc. faruq: today on "roots less traveled", watch-along edition, brother and sister, kevin and mary, come together from opposite sides of the country to discover their family's incredible history. beginning in the bluegrass state of kentucky. kevin: it just makes you proud. faruq: and later, watch along with first cousins once removed, damon and patti, as they share their family trip back in time. patti: this is amazing. damon: so exciting. faruq: they'll learn about a historic free black community living side by side with quaker abolitionists in southern new jersey. patti: they're so cute. damon: aw. faruq: and find connections to the underground railroad. patti: i didn't expecthis at all.