what the heck? oh, it's all that nacho cheese flavor packed into my nacho tiny tacos. (coughing) i love it. i love it. it's good. get my nacho tiny tacos for $3.50. or try them bacon loaded for $4.50. good morning. on the brink? russia holding nuclear exercises near the border of ukraine. and violence breaking out. claiming the life of one ukrainian soldier. this, a day after the ominous warning from president biden. he believes russian leader vladimir putin is ready to attack. >> as of this moment, i'm convinced he made the decision. >> is war inevitable? we're live across the globe. sufficient sentence? emotions running high in the

minnesota courtroom after kim potter, the former police officer, who shot and killed david wright when she mistook her taser for a gun, was sentenced to two years behind bars. wright's family outraged. >> the justice system murdered him all over again. >> as a tearful potter apologized. and the beginning of the endemic. california becoming the first state in the nation to officially enter the covid phase. learning to live with it rather than enforcing restrictions. as every state except hawaii drops mask mandates. >> certain parts of the united states are just up to here with covid. they just really need to somehow get their life back. all that plus going for glory. team usa picking up silver and bronze medals overnight in beijing. contending with rough conditions

on the slopes. >> it is wild. >> now a few chances left to add to the medal count with the winter olympics winding down today. saturday, february 19th, 2022. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with peter alexander and kristen welker. welcome to "today." thank you for joining us on this saturday morning. team usa picking up more medals overnight. it is hard to believe the olympics are coming to an end. >> no doubt. chloe kim and erin jackson an and nathan chen. big family viewing. we begin with serious news. the crisis in ukraine. tensions along the russian border with the ukrainian soldier killed and moments ago, the vice president harris addressed the european allies

following president biden's warning that vladimir putin has now made the decision to invade. >> our team is covering the story here and at home and on the ground in ukraine. we do want to begin this morning with nbc's josh lederman at the white house. josh, good morning. >> reporter: kristen, good morning. telling leaders in europe the situation is dire and the u.s. is open to serious diplomacy, but threatening unprecedented costs if russia takes action. this morning, a warning to russia from vice president kamala harris. if russia ivades ukraine, the u.s. will impose sanctions. >> make most mistake, the sweeping measures will inflict great damage on those who must be held accountable an. >> reporter: that message a day after vladimir putin had decided to invade ukraine. >> i'm convinced he made the

decision. >> reporter: a dramatic revelation who for weeks said putin hadn't made up his mind. biden saying the u.s. believes russian forces will target kyiv in the coming days. >> russia can still choose diplomacy. it is not too late to deescalate and return to the negotiating table. >> reporter: there are no signs russia is backing away. russia has moved up half the forces in attack position. u.s. intelligence suggests that russia has up to 190,000 forces near and in ukraine. for weeks, biden predicted russia could use disinformation and false flag operations and cyber attacks to goad ukraine into war. >> we believe the russian government is responsible for cyber attacks on ukrainian banks this week. >> reporter: russia's government is insisting it is not the an

aggressor. ukraine president volodymyr zelensky is on the way to munich to meet with harris. the biden administration says it is a bad idea to leave ukraine when putin could invade. zelensky's office says he will return to ukraine later today. kristen and peter. >> tense situation. josh lederman, thank you. >> we turn to the ground in ukraine where there are fears that new provocation could be a trip wire for war. matt bradley is there for us this morning. matt, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, guys. the situation here in eastern ukraine is extremely tense. among other warning signs, russia is holding huge drills testing capabilities near the border with ukraine. today, the drums of war are

deafening. with russian soldiers drilling in belarus and civilians fleeing from separatist territory. one calling his people to arms. i appeal to all of the men able to hold weapons, stand up for families, children, wives, mothers, he said this morning. the u.s. warning russia's attack could involve jets, tanks, ballistic missiles and cyber attacks. and might target kyiv. one killed just this morning and last night, separatists say a car bomb targeted a rebel leader. fighting with the military has already increased to highest level in years. at the moment, an increase in the moment of cease-fire violations. the enemy is firing guns. we had more than 80 strikes since yesterday morning.

ukrainian soldiers under strict orders not return fire and playing into russia's hands. with tensions this high, the smallest spark could set it off. guys, we heard from the leader of the separatist enclaves. they said 3,400 civilians fled to russia despite the calls for evacuation. that is the number to watch as the nation gears up for war. >> matt bradley, thanks. >> we want to bring in jeremy bash, a former chief of staff at the cia and pentagon. he is in munich for the security conference. jeremy, good morning. great to be with you. i want to ask you that our andrea mitchell reported that the intelligence came together in the past few days that led the president to say he is now convinced that putin has decided to invade.

jeremy, is war now a foregone conclusion? >> i think it is an all-but foregone conclusion. the senior officials that i have been speaking and read the same intelligence that president biden read, believes that putin has made the decision to invade. what will the attack look like? offensive in the east or the capital city of kyiv? u.s. officials said this could happen as early as today when president zelensky of ukraine is here in germany. >> jeremy, a lot of americans are watching what is happening and it feels very far away right now. the president this week warned real impact back at home for americans. russia is one of the biggest exporters of oil and gas although the u.s. relies on it for very little right now. what is the potential ripple effect for americans here? >> you put your finger on it,

peter. russia puts 11 million barrels of oil on the market every day. there would be global supply chain disruption. we know the story of inflation. the broader picture is the biden administration makes clear if that happens, it is russia's fault. >> absolutely. a lot of pain for russia economically with the sanctions that the administration is warning about. jeremy, quickly, concern about zelensky traveling. as you noted, it might create an opening for president putin. could it be a bad decision? >> he will travel a long distance by air. he may have a u.s. or nato fighter escort with him. if there is a military conflict around his travel here, that could be a major moment with the west and russia. if he gets in and out of here in kyiv, a lot of people will breathe a sigh of relief. >> jeremy bash, i appreciate your insights.

particularly on a day when so much is at stake. thanker. anger in minneapolis over the officer who killed daunte wright. kim potter will spend spend far less time in prison. nbc's ron allen has more from minneapolis. >> today, the justice system murdered him all over again. >> reporter: daunte wright's mother reacting to the sentence happened down to kim potter. convicted the manslaughter for killing the 20-year-old during a traffic stop last april when she mistook her taser for a gun. demanding the strongest sentence possible. >> as if killing him wasn't enough. she never once said his name. for that, i'll never forgive you. >> reporter: potter, a 26-year

veteran, turned to wright's family directly. >> earlier, when you said i didn't look at you during the trial, i don't believe i had a right to. i didn't have a right to be in the same room. >> reporter: potter's attorneys call the shooting a mistake. wright was resisting the lawful arrest. >> three of them is a violent act. >> reporter: the judge acknowledged there will be those who disagreed with the sentence shorter than the seven years recommended by the sentencing guidelines. officer potter made a mistake that ended tragically. she never intended to hurt anyone. >> reporter: wright's an family saying the judge's concern was misplaced. >> this lady got a slap on the wrist and we still every night

sitting around crying waiting on my son. >> reporter: the attorney general who took over the case emphasized that the jury's guilt verdict still stands. given the sentence, she will be released from prison in april of next year. kristen, peter. >> ron allen in minneapolis. thank you. the olympic winter games in beijing are coming to a close this weekend. not before team usa added to its medal count. steve patterson is there this morning. steve, it is hard to believe it is coming to an end. >> reporter: it is hard to believe. the team winning those medals in harsh conditions with winds gushing up to 20 miles an hour and windchill at negative 20 below zero. the team now obviously doing this with some hard fought days left. it was a blustery path to the podium overnight for team usa.

>> wow. it is wild in there. holy. >> reporter: fierce winds on the halfpipe on men's freestyle. >> it felt like a tornado. >> reporter: one of the dangerous events, david wise snagged silver. >> i have come to the olympics three times to me is unbelievable. i'm surprised with the silver medal as i was the first gold. >> reporter: alex ferreira with his family back home. >> two-time olympic medalist. >> reporter: new zealand took the gold. the same winds was trouble for the alpine mixed race which was called off. it was mikaela shiffrin's final event and last chance at redemption. shiffrin went into the games with a shot at five medals, now

not near the podium. >> it came pouring down like rain in the olympics. it's going to turn around. i'll have success again. that's going to be okay. >> reporter: and heartbreak for u.s. speed skater joey mantia. falling short of bronzely .01. and elana meyers taylor going for a record fifth medal in women's bobsled. she and sylvia hoffman start the day in third place. elana meyers taylor is already a winner. >> our entire olympic team says congratulations. you will be the flag bearer. >> reporter: she has been picked to carry the flag for the closing ceremony after spending the start of the games in covid quarantine. there are reports now the u.s. women's figure skating team appealing to get the silver medal. because of the doping investigation into the gold, those medals were withheld.

because it is close to the end of the games, it is unlikely it will happen. guys. >> we will watch for that. steve patterson, thank you. you can watch the closing ceremony sunday night at 8:00 p.m. eastern here on nbc. how about that weather in beijing? the conditions for the skiers? >> you look at the halfpipe. those guys are almost 20 feet off the pipe. they are getting hit by winds. windchill below zero over the course of the last couple games. they are happy on hard snow. >> exactly. we will check in with samara theodore. winds not like that, but plenty of snow. >> yes. we are looking at two chances for snow on the west and the east coast. we will start with the quick moving clipper that is speeding through today. it will be out of here by this evening. as far as the snowmaker, we are not looking at a ton of snow

generally speaking from pennsylvania to maine. 1 to 2 inches. as you get along the coastline of lake ontario and ohio valley, they could see blizzard like conditions. now as far as the west coast, that is when we see more snow. look at the totals. up to 21inches of snow possible in the mountain range. we have snow stretching from washington state out toward montana. the timing on this is going to be around longer. the system pushes through today and tomorrow. we could expect difficult travel in areas like washington, seattle and right through great falls and billings. for the rest of the country, things are not too bad at all outside of the mountain snow. the windy clipper in the northeast is experiencing a lot of dry weather. lots of sunshine out toward the west. plenty of sunshine down in florida. a little later, we will talk about the winds. they will be continuing to gust through the morning. really setting off a lot of wind

and we are expecting another dry day today across the bay area. temperatures will be in the 70s. expect dry weather to remain, not just for today but into sunday. look at san jose, 72 degrees. morgan hill, 72. gilroy, also in the mid 70s, into the interior valleys. walnut creek, 71. martinez, 70 degrees. oakland, 689. around the bay, wind are light but we will see sunshine in the afternoon. that's your local forecast. kristen and peter. thank you. still to come. the future of covid with states easing restrictions, how the country is now getting ready for the next phase of the virus and learning to live with it. plus, what you need to know about a nationwide formula recall and shortage. important information for new parents. we're back right after this.

we are back on saturday morning with the weekly download. the week of the stories. >> several court battles, including what is believed to be the largest payout in a mass shooting case. a victory born from grief for the families of sandy hook elementary. >> the gun maker violated connecticut law by marketing the ar-15 rifle to civilians. remmington did not respond to our request for comment. the family of helena

hutchins against alec balance we know baldwin. >> in a statement, she does agree with the attorneys who say the production used cost cutting practices that endangered cast and crew. >> baldwin's attorney denies the claims. a twist in the sexual assault scandal involving prince andrew. the prince settling a civil lawsuit out of court brought by virginia giuffre who said she was trafficked to him as a teenager by the late jeffrey epstein. >> in the agreement, prince andrew does not admit liability. according to the filing made public tuesday, the prince declaring his regret for his relationship with the late jeffrey epstein and commending the bravery of virginia giuffre and other survivors of sex trafficking.

a judge blocked the release for certain records in the investigation of bob saget's death after the family sued to keep the records private. the judge writing the plaintiffs will suffer harm in the form of severe mental pain, anguish and emotional distress if the injunction is not granted. an american research team believe it is cured hiv in a woman for the first time using a cutting edge stem cell transplant. only three other men are believed to have been cured of hiv. big week for the team usa. taking the top two spots in the sport monobob. elana meyers taylor with silver and kallie humphries winning gold. team usa taking silver in women's hockey against canada in the gold medal match. and erin jackson getting gold in

the 500 meter speed skate. becoming the first ever black woman to medal in the sport. >> she is an inspiration. so many highlights over the past two weeks. one of them for me had nothing to do with winning a met emedal. shaun white gave his final run. he didn't medal, but boy it was a victory. he broke down into tears. i broke down into tears. 35 years old. he helped shape the game. >> no doubt. tip of the helmet from him to all those who supported him over the years. i love the nathan chen moment.e

♪♪ good morning. thank you so much for joining us on this saturday, february 19th. i'm kira klapper. we begin with a follow-up we have been watching closely in the east bay. the oakland school board voted last night not to postpone a plan to close or merge numerous schools. this, despite hours of heated debate and the threat of more protests and hunger strikes. the school board's special meeting was to vote on an amendment to delay the closing of community day school and escolita day school. they will hold off on the plan

until next year. it is part of the district's plan to merge or close 11 schools in the next three years. two hunger strikers who haven't eaten for 18 days said yesterday they would end their strike no matter the vote, but dozens of other people including children said they will begin another hunger strike over that "no" vote. oakland city council has now certified the environmental impact report, the eir, for the howard terminal ballpark. with that now approved, the council can move forward with votes on the development agreement. the oakland a's want to put their ballpark at howard terminal near jack london square. the $12 billion plan includes room for housing, offices and retail space. on this saturday morning we are going to check in with meteorologist vianey arana for a first look at the forecast. hey, vianey. >> hey go birdie. enjoy today. it will be another nice, sunny day, but mild as we start to head into now a cooling trend.

you know, shortly after this afternoon we will start to notice the winds kick up and also the temperatures drop into sunday. right now in san jose, beautiful shot of downtown. it is about 44 degrees right now in san jose. look at the bay area throughout. some cold spots including morgan hill, 37 degrees right now. dublin, 39. in through fairfield, 42. forecasted highs for today will be in the upper 60s. a couple of low to mid 70s. san jose, 72. milpitas, 73. morgan hill, 72. in through the east bay we are talking upper 60s, low 70s. danville, 72. around the bay an coastline also expect to see the winds start to kick up tonight, and then we cool off into sunday. kira. >> all right. a cool down it is, vianey. thanks. coming up at 7:00 this morning on "today in the bay," the actions president biden says contradict russia's talk about troop withdrawals and the continued push for a diplomatic solution. we, of course, will have that

plus all of your local top stories coming up at 7:00. we hope to see you then. in the meantime we will send you back to the "today" show.

we are back on this saturday morning, february 19th, 2022. with a live look at rockefeller plaza in new york. a cold one in the northeast. temperatures dipping below freezing. >> blustery on the plaza. ukraine and the west on high alert this morning after president biden said friday that vladimir putin has decided to invade ukraine. ukraine says one of its soldiers was killed this morning by rebel shelling. president harris is meeting at

the security conference in munich. she said allies need to remain open to diplomacy. if they invade, the consequences will be swift and severe. the national archives announced that classified information was discovered in 15 boxes of white house records stored at former president trump's mar-a-lago residence. the matter has been sent to the justice department for investigation. federal law forbids the removal of classified documents to unauthorized locations. the former president said he did not wrong. during the 2016 campaign, he blasted hillary clinton for mishandling information. and to a story where firefighters found children screaming inside a burning building. look at the body cam video. the man on top of the storage shed breaks a second floor

window and crawling into the apartment and pulls a 2-year-old out of the window. remarkable video. handing the toddler to a police officer waiting below. a few minutes later, a 6-year-old was saved from the window. the cause of the fire is still under investigation. >> celebrate that man. also this morning, some welcome news for all of us. covid cases and hospitalizations now falling sharply nationwide as states across the country drop their mask mandates and look for a return to pre-pandemic life or something as close to that as possible. california is leading the way and that is where we find nbc's guad venegas. >> reporter: good morning, peter. covid fatigue is all over and california ending the mask mandate. the governor announced it is time to enter a new stage. living of a life as normally as

possible with covid. the endemic phase of covid has begun. >> announcing here today is about turning the page. moving from the crisis mentality. >> reporter: california announcing a plan to ease restrictions as more americans learn to live with the virus. it comes days after the state ended the mask mandate. every state but hawaii has now stopped enforing mask mandates or has plans to do so. >> it's about time. yup. i'm ready to get rid of them. just deal with it like we deal with the flu. >> reporter: with less restrictions in place, california will push for vaccines and testing among other tools to help fight the virus. >> we will not necessarily be wearing masks indoors or show vaccine status. >> reporter: however, masks could again be required if cases go back up. california's plan could mark the next step for other states with more decisions now left to local governments on how to move

forward. >> certain parts of the united states are just up to here with covid. they just really need to somehow get their life back. you don't want to be reckless and throw everything aside, but you have to start inching toward that. >> reporter: health eperts warn of new variants more severe than omicron and urging the americans not vaccinated to do so. the cdc to issue new guidance on masks as early as next week. this as america begins the next chapter co-existing with the virus. mandates are disan appearing at the state level, many parents wonder that will also changes for schools. vaccines play a big role and 5 to 17-year-olds are the least vaccinated group of those eligible to get the shot.

peter, kristen. >> the parents of young kids like you, waiting. >> fingers and toes crossed. we want to get another check of the weather with samara. it seems like it was warming up. now we are freezing cold and blustery winds. >> the win in winter. do you like that? take a look at the wind alert. 60 million people from great falls from the east coast impacted. we have wind gusts up to 50 miles per hour. out west, fargo, 33-mile-an-hour wind gusts today. washington, d.c. here, 48 miles an hour. that will not help the cold. in buffalo, 53-mile-an-hour wind gust was the snow. that's why they're having blizzard-like conditions. you know what wind doesn't help? elevated risk of fire weather from scott city down to parts of western oklahoma and amarillo, texas. the dry air and relative humidity from 15 to 20% is not the greatest look when it comes to that. you move just to the east and we have a severe threat for little

rock to shreveport. winds gusting to 60 miles per hour out that way. with the slight risk, that is where the threat for an and we're starting out mild in some spots and chilly in others. a live look right now in san jose. it is about 44 degrees to start. a clear morning and it is going to be sunny into the afternoon, but enjoy these warm temperatures for today because things are about to get cold heading into the remainder of the weekend. so let's talk about your temperatures out the door. morgan hill, 37 degrees right now. pretty chilly go birdie. in dublin, 39. san francisco, 51. daytime highs will be in the upper 60s, low 70s. 72 in san jose. peter, kristen. >> samara, thank you. just ahead, news every new parent should hear after a shortage and recall. but first these ssages. me

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this morning, we're going in depth on the concern for parents across the country after several popular brands of baby formula were recalled. >> this comes in the middle of the formula shortage taking place nationwide. business and tech correspondent jo ling kent is here with more. i'm surrounded by a new mom, jo, this is a serious issue. >> reporter: good morning, kristen and peter. parents are worried about feeding their babies. the fda is launching an investigation into abbott. there is a recall under way amid the formula shortage that has parents scrambling. connecticut mother of two, michelle, did not plan to give her 7 month old formula.

after returning to work, she has no choice. >> i went back to work when he was 2 and a half months old. my supply depleted. >> reporter: due to his dairy allergy, the pediatrician said one kind would work. now the food and drug administration is warning consumers not to use or purchase certain powder similac and formula with the expiration date of april 1st, 2022 or later. manufactured by abbott. after four babies were hospitalized with serious bacterial infections. one of them has died. >> this is something out of a mother's control and not something any mother or parent should ever have to worry about. >> reporter: the fda says all four consumed powder formula at the abbott facility in sturgis, michigan. three of the four tested positive for bacteria and one

with salmonella. abbott issued a voluntary recall putting more pressure on parents who are struggling with a nationwide formula shortage for months. according to the formula tracking data, more than 11,000 stores nationwide are under stocked. florida, new jersey, new york, north dakota, oregon and washington are all hit hard. under stocked by as much as 40%. >> what goes through your head when you are not able to get the formula for your son? >> i go into panic mode. >> reporter: abbott regrit gets the impact this has on care givers and parents. it acknowledged the bacteria was detected, but no product had tested positive for the bacteria. we continue to test. adding it is increasing production in europe and air

freighting product in. meantime, parents are seeking out breast milk banks for help. a mothers milk bank says donations of liquid gold on down during the pandemic. >> we are all fatigued with the covid pandemic. milk donations is probably not top of mind for many moms. >> reporter: this freezer usually packed with donated milk. now stands half empty. the human milk banking association of north america is calling on people with excess of breast milk to find the local milk bank and donate. and the mom has a message. >> i hope that whatever issues that they're having, that they really learn from it and things get better in the future. >> reporter: to try to meet her son's most vital need. now the story just hits so close to home with my 9 month old

daughter. i want to tell you the symptoms. fever, diarrhea, aches and vomiting. talk to your pediatrician if you see any of that. if your formula has been impacted, you can visit similacrecall.com. enter the lot number from the formula. guys? >> jo, we are so glad you did this story. you are right, it hits so close to home for so many families. my mom and friends were texting yesterday to figure out what it means and figure out a plan for those who use the formula. thank you for that important information. >> so much families do. the last thing you want to worry about is formula. let's bring in joe fryer for a look at "popstart." joe, good morning. good morning. a big honor for the wwe. a big honor for the wwe. the under taker. everyone remembers the moment they heard...

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we are back now on this saturday morning with today's "popstart." nbc news now anchor joe fryer is here. >> good morning. first up is the undertaker. the legend is not just a bobblehead worthy i con. now a hall of famer. the first inductee into the hall of fame. i had a chance to speak with mark calloway. he said it was a long career that put him in the ring with so many greats. adding nobody is happier than his 89-year-old mom. >> she don't have to worry about her baby boy getting hurt. >> has she worried about you over the years? >> oh, my gosh.

yes. it's ridiculous. if i didn't call home after a pay-per-view, i was going to get it. i was going to hear about it. >> good for him and his mom. the wwe hall of fame induction ceremony takes place in texas on april 1st and peacock. a hall of fame musician. sir paul mccartney. i don't have a mccartney bobblehead. you can see him on the american tour he got back. the long and winding road takes him to 14 stops in all. these are his first live shows since 2019. sir paul will visit venues he hasn't performed and since the beatles. the tour kicks off april 28th in washington. speaking of music. john williams, seen here with a

baby face correspondent, is making his return to the "star wars" universe. he recorded for the up coming obi wan kenobi show. his original theme which you are hearing right now was written to the first "star wars" film in 1977. he is known for nbc news and olympic themes which we heard over the past two weeks, peter and kristen? >> what a legend. i remember that music and jumping in my dad's lap because i was afraid. >> i loved your interview with the undertaker. i was a jimmy snooker guy. >> he was very he good. the undertaker has a different style than the high flyer.

>> great interview. still to come, the ceremonial okay, it's go time. team usa on the largest gig-speed network. which means this mega fan never misses a second.

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and a girl can do what she wants to do ♪ ♪ and that's what i'm gonna do ♪ not me! it's my 3:10, no-exit-in-sight, migraine medicine. it's ubrelvy. for anytime, anywhere, migraine strikes. without worrying if it's too late or where i am. one dose can quickly stop my migraine in its tracks within 2 hours. unlike older medicines, ubrelvy is a pill that directly blocks cgrp protein, believed to be a cause of migraine. do not take with strong cyp3a4 inhibitors. most common side effects were nausea and tiredness. ask about ubrelvy and learn how abbvie can help you save. good morning. thank you so much for joining us on this saturday, february 19th. i'm kira klapper. we begin with a follow-up

we've been watching closely in the east bay. the oakland school board voted last night not to postpone a plan to close or merge numerous schools. in despite hours of heated debate and threats of more protests and hunger strikes. the school board's special meeting was to vote on an amendment to delay the closing of community day school and la escuelita elementary school this year. they would have held off on the plan until next year. this is all part of the district's plan to close and merge 11 schools over the next five years. two directors voted yes, three no, against delaying the school closures, and there was one abstention. two hunger strikers who haven't eaten for 18 days said yesterday they would end their strike no matter the vote. but dozens of other people including children said they will begin another hunger strike over this vote. oakland city council has now certified the environmental impact report for the horde terminal ballpark. this would be for the oakland

a's hopeful ballpark at howard terminal near jack london square. with the eir now approved, the council can move forward with votes on the development agreement. the $12 billion plan includes room for housing, offices and retail space. at 5:58 let's check in with meteorologist vianey arana for a quick look at the saturday forecast. hey, vianey. >> hey go birdie. we are starting out mild. beautiful skies though. a live look in san francisco right now. take a look at your hourly forecast. so it is about 49 degrees right now, but if you notice in the icons we are expecting sunshine. today is going to be the nicer day of the two because by tomorrow we will see winds pick up and you also a drop in the temps. but 11:app, the degrees at 61 in san francisco. look at the trend in san francisco. had 4 degrees right now. by 10:00 or 11:00 we are talking upper 50s, low 60s. we will top out in the upper

60s, low 70s today. enjoy the 70s though because by tomorrow once the winds kick up we will notice a change in the temperature as we head into a bit of a cool down compared to what we saw last week with those hot temperatures, of course, breaking records. we're not going to break any records heading into tomorrow. i'll, of course, have the full forecast coming up at 7:00 a.m. kira. >> see you at 7:00, vianey. thanks. coming up on today in the bay, vice president kamala harris speaking at the munich security conference as the world watches whether russia will invade ukraine. harris warning russia will face unprecedented financial costs if it does indeed invade ukraine and predicting the attack would draw european allies closer to the u.s. e

good morning. fears of war. russia holding nuclear exercises near the border of ukraine with the soldiers poised for a possible invasion. new violence overnight with the ukrainian soldier killed. the vice president meeting with the president of ukraine after the ominous warning from president biden that vladimir putin is ready to attack. >> as of this moment, i'm convinced he made the decision. >> will putin back down? we are live with the latest. under pressure. renewed calls this morning for a minimum age in figure skating at

the olympics after a stunner on the ice for a 15-year-old russian skater kamila valiyeva. >> stumbles on the landing. >> how long is too young for competition and the pressures that come along with it. and walking the line. a growing number of people trying out slack lining thanks to one professional athlete with millions of followers watching her every move. we'll get in on the action saturday, february 19th, 2022. >> i'm cheering on all athletes from anchorage, alaska. >> good morning from willow spring. we are celebrating daisy's birthday. she is wearing her gold medal for being the best doggie in the world. we are excited to watch team usa as they go for gold in the winter olympics. happy 70th birthday, dad.

we love you. >> happy birthday, grandpa. >> happy birthday, papa. you're 70. >> we love you. thanks to all our plaza fans. >> happy birthday. >> welcome back to "today" on saturday. they were talking about the olympics. we are talking about slack lining, not an olympic sport. i'll sit on the sidelines. >> i'll be a koala bear holding on. we want to get to today's news. the crisis in ukraine. russia is holding nuclear exercises on the border. it follows that u.s. intelligence that vladimir putin has made the decision to invade. overnight, the tensions with the ukrainian soldier being killed. josh lederman is watching it all from the white house. good morning. >> reporter: good morning,

peter. the biden administration says it is not too late for russia to step back. vice president kamala harris says the response to the invasion would be unprecedented. this morning, a warning to russia from vice president kamala harris. the vice president saying if russia invades, the u.s. will impose severe sanctions. >> make no mistake, the imposition of the sweeping and coordinated measures will inflict great damage on those who must be held accountable. >> reporter: that message a day after president biden said vladimir putin has decided to invade ukraine. >> as of this moment, i'm convinced. >> reporter: a revelation from the president who for weeks insisted putin hadn't made up his mind. biden citing intelligence that the u.s. believes they will target the capital of kyiv. a city of nearly 3 million.

>> russia can choose diplomacy. it is not too late to deescalate and return to the negotiating table. >> reporter: there are no signs russia is backing away. the u.s. officials say russia moved half its forces in attack position. u.s. intelligence suggests that russia has up to 190,000 forces near and in ukraine. for weeks, biden predicted disinformation and false flag operations and cyber attacks to goad ukraine into war. that is what is happening. >> we believe the russian government is responsible for the attacks on ukraine banks this week. >> reporter: the russian government is insisting it is not the aggressor. vice president kamala harris said to meet with the ukrainian president volodymyr zelensky who traveled to munich despite the u.s. concerns of him leaving the

country. the foreign minister said they are preparing for every scenario. peter and kristen. >> josh, thank you very much. let's turn to the olympics where the winter games are coming to a close this weekend. of course, they can't end without team usa picking up some more medals. nbc's steve patterson is in beijing with the medal count. steve, good morning. >> reporter: guys, good morning to you. one day left in the competition and team usa is adding to the medal count. it has been a blustery trip for some to say the least. let's go to the halfpipe. fierce winds with the men's freestyle skiing. one of the most dangerous events. david wise and alex ferreira are battling the winds to snag silver and bronze. same winds spelled trouble for the alpine which was called off. that was the final event of mikaela shiffrin. falling short to make the podium

in all of her other events. because this is the final day, there is a good chance that event does not get rescheduled at all. it has been really a dream for four-time olympian elana meyers taylor. today, going for a fifth medal in the women's bobsled. she was chosen for the closing ceremony flag bearer. she was in covid kwaurn tear quarantine for the opening. now going for gold. we are pulling for her. >> we will cheer for her. great she gets to walk in the closing. steve, thanks. news from the surgeon general. he and his family tested positive for covid. dr. murthek said he and his wife and son have the virus. his 4-year-old daughter was first to test positive last weekend. he says the family has

relatively mild symptoms and is otherwise fine. some good news for fans of guacamole and avocado toast. the suspension had threatened the exports from mexico which would have raised prices. the suspensions were stopped last week after an inspector received a threat against him and his family. >> we are a guac family. >> big. yeah. absolutely. one of the best. time for the weekend morning boost. joe is back with that. >> as we mentioned earlier, steve mentioned as if the men's freesky halfpipe wasn't dangerous enough, but the men battle the conditions with the windchills 20 degrees below zero. the amazing trick for new zealand to take the gold despite the cold and the scene at the end of the race was pretty hot.

♪♪ >> the 20-year-old teammates celebrated the gold medal run with the haka dance. it is to acknowledge great achievements. the win marks the second gold medal ever for new zealand in the winter olympics. congrats to them. in those temps, what it takes to stay warm. kristen and peter. >> i love their moves. it gave me chills. >> gave them chills. i have never seen a haka dance in 3 degrees below zero. they are usually surrounded by fire. joe, thank you. still ahead, the pressures facing young teenager olympians facing young teenager olympians and growing debate ifigure f dad, we got this.

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more. >> reporter: good morning, guys. watching the athletes, we are always in awe, not only of the skills, but ability to perform under pressure. for the younger athletes, that pressure can be more intense and it is leading some to ask is it time to raise the age of competition. this morning, a warm welcome home for russian olympic skater kamila valiyeva. days after the chilling moments on the ice. >> stumbles the landing. >> reporter: instead, stumble after stumble for the 15-year-old world record holder. it was the stunning end to the week marred by doping controversy. valiyeva, allowed to take the ice, despite revelations she tested positive for a banned drug in december. in the final program of the olympics, she finished a disappointing fourth place. the 15-year-old left the ice in tears only to be berated by her

coach. raising eyebrows from the ioc president. >> rather than try to help her, you could feel the chilling atmosphere. >> reporter: nbc's mike tirico. >> something undeniable is the harm to the person underneath. >> reporter: it is facing pressure for athletes. scott hamilton moved to tears. >> when i see something like this that happens, especially to someone so young, it just hurts. it hurts. >> reporter: there is no specific age limit to take part of the olympics, though some sports set their own. in gymnastics, an athlete must be 16 to compete in the world stage. in diving? 14. >> there is something to be said for being older to step on the stage. you are a more mature athlete.

>> reporter: and, guys, that change could possibly be on the way. this summer, the international skating union is set to consider to raise the international competition from 15 to 17. it would apply to figure skating, but this is getting a lot of attention. guys. >> blayne, thank you. kristen, i'm struck by kamila valiyeva. she goes home to russia and the country where they turn the athletes over quickly. a fourth place finish doesn't cut it. what is the rest of her life at home? >> i kept thinking that as you said it was hard to watch. the minutes after her skate when her coach could not embrace her. i wanted to fly myself there and give her a big hug. it was tough to watch. >> our friend samara theodore is back. it will warm up for some folks? we are all waiting on the transitory time of year to approach spring. it is cold today.

it is warm tomorrow. here is the warm/cold. in the great lakes and in cincinnati, 33 degrees. detroit is 22. rapid city, 60. that warm air is going to move forward us. st. louis rising to 57 degrees. nashville at 60 as we head through sunday. give it time. this is on par with what we are looking at during the week ahead. for the week ahead, out west, closer than average. on the east coast, we are going to be warmer than average. temperatures will continue to rise during the week ahead. if you live on the east san francisco, we are going to be seeing mostly clear skies today, but enjoy the sunshine because we're going to be seeing a cool down on the way. right now it is about 50 degrees in san francisco. notice in the temperature trend we do bump up into the 60s for this afternoon. your hourly trend in san jose,

it is about 44 degrees right now, eventually will bump up into the upper 60s. low to mid 70s expected through the interior valleys. that's your local forecast. kristen, peter. >> samara, thank you. still ahead, have you heard about slack lining? we will introduce you to the social media sensation walking the line with tens of millions the line with tens of millions of views along the the line with tens of millions of views along the narrator: deep down you know. you're not defeated. ♪ we are giant ♪

you are a giant tied down with string and at any moment, you can rise. the only question is how.

we're back on saturday morning. a lot of the focus this month has been on the winter olympics. we are looking at a different are sport that is popular. >> they call this slack lining and one california woman is

taking a walk in the park to new heights. balancing on a thin line, sometimes thousands of feet above the ground. >> emilie ikeada found out more. >> reporter: there is a sense of ease about most slack liners. like 25-year-old breanna yae. >> it is the idea we are going to search for fun every day. >> reporter: an idea that resonates with her tiktok following. racking up more than 50 million likes. has it sunk in that millions of people are watching your videos? >> no, never. >> reporter: slack lining is tying a piece of webbing between two points. sometimes a few feet off the ground and other cases, thousands. that is called high lining. it was founded in the 1980s in

yosemite. it is getting new attention thanks to social media. >> we were pushing slack lining on media and when nobody knew what the sport was. >> reporter: the california native has been walking the line for more than a decade. launched into the national spotlight this year with the moves like the truck driver or the squirrel. >> you told me anybody can do this. that includes me? >> absolutely. >> i'll give it a try. >> higher. >> reporter: with the nervous smile and shaky legs and encouragement, success. >> i feel like i'm on the "titanic." >> i'm ready for my flip. i'm kidding. >> reporter: there is one person on the line, but slack lining is a collaborative sport. between people helping with the set up and filming and assistance along the way for beginners like me. >> keep going. >> reporter: she and her friend ditched their college degrees in business and finance to pursue content creation full-time. >> take a step.

>> reporter: do you inspire each other? >> absolutely. it's amazing. creative and we bounce off each other. >> reporter: figuratively and literally. >> no one can walk the first time. >> it is determination. >> and wanting to have fun and being okay to fail. >> reporter: a message that stretches far beyond the slack lining. for "today," emilie ikeda, nbc news. >> so are you going to try? >> no, i prefer "walk the line" with with it's my 4:05, the-show-must-go-on, migraine medicine. it's ubrelvy. for anytime, anywhere, migraine strikes. without worrying if it's too late or where i am. one dose can quickly stop my migraine in its tracks within 2 hours. unlike older medicines ubrelvy is a pill that directly blocks cgrp protein, believed to be a cause of migraine.

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with all those fires to put out. ahhhhhhhhh! this is a much better way to work. agreed. . narrator: when you see this symbol you know you're this is a much educational and informational. s the more you know on nbc. corey: hey, everyone, i'm corey robinson, and we're about to explore the world of sports to show how anyone can make a dierence as an athlete and as a leader. this is "oneteam: the power of sports". today, we'll discover how the skateboarding world is already looking up at phenom sky brown. sky: that's my dream, to show them that even if you're the smalst, you can still be the bestst. corey: then, we hit theo show classroom and the gridiron with high school all-americanineman addison nichols. addison: whenever i step on that field, no matter what's going on, i'm giving 125 percent. corey: and later, one of the olympics' newest additions is