and the wicked tale of dorothy's stolen ruby slippers recovered after more than a decade. >> announcer: this is "nbc nightly news" with lester holt. good evening and welcome. what for many was a back-to-the-grind monday after a long holiday break turned into a travel nightmare due to a powerful and deadly winter storm that sliced its way across the country, from the plains and midwest all the way to washington, d.c. where that city virtually shut down under its largest snowstorm in three years. at least four storm-related deaths were reported. cities, including kansas city with 11 inches and cincinnati yesterday saw their biggest snowfalls in decades. in addition to slick and snow-covered roads triggering hundreds of crashes, power outages are still affecting hundreds of thousands of residential and business customers. tonight the worst of the storm has passed, but airlines are still

trying to unsnarl flight schedules after storm-related delays and cancelations brought post holiday air travel to a crawl. sam brock starts us off from a snowy nation's capital. sam, what it's like there tonight? >> yeah, lester, good evening. amazingly, still snowing. lester, more than 80% of the departing flights today from d.c. canceled. the airport says the runways now closed down as well. some schools not reopening until thursday as the storm continues to slow down many aspects of everyday life. tonight a bout of arctic blast blanketing d.c. with more than a half a foot of snowfall, leading to serious safety hazards on the roads, like this crash today on the beltway involving four vehicles, including a dump truck, a reminder of the rarity and danger of the system. >> we haven't had snow like this, really, in memory. i mean, this is the most at one time that i've ever seen since living here. >> reporter: even as the snow also freezes

activity into the city. >> no people, no trucks, no cars, and a lot of empty space. >> reporter: it's kind of weird? >> yeah. >> reporter: this sprawling storm disrupting travel. around 2,000 flights have been canceled and more than 6,000 delayed nationwide. this morning in chicago, a ground stop at o'hare airport. and kansas city international clocking 11 inches of snow just on sunday, its fourth largest snowfall since 1888. at reagan national, passengers hoping to get where they're going soon. >> i heard about this storm but i didn't think i was going to be affected. >> reporter: the dangerous conditions across the country's midsection causing at least four weather-related deaths. kentucky's governor urging residents to take caution. >> the most important thing that people can do today is to stay home and stay safe. >> reporter: the heavy snow burying cars. nbc's maggie vespa is in kansas city, missouri. >> reporter: the roads here are an absolute mess. these cars clearly haven't moved since

snow started falling. and officials here in kansas city say cleanup could take days. >> reporter: the severe weather also causing 300,000 customers from virginia to illinois to lose power. the snow shutting schools down across the country. in washington, d.c., parents juggling work and child care. you think you can keep this up with your kids? >> oh, god, i mean, i am emotionally prepared to have it go through wednesday. >> reporter: in a city normally defined by movement and chaos, mother nature hitting pause on almost everything. >> and sam, some of the dangers we've been seeing aren't over yet? >> reporter: lester, bitterly cold air is going to grip the eastern half of the country. temperatures plunge 10 to 25 degrees below normal. that deep freeze expected to last for days. lester? >> sam, thanks. let's talk about the deep freeze. al roker is here. what are you looking at? > a right, lester,

you can see the remnants of that snow still coming across washington, d.c. that's just about done. as sam mentioned, 10 to 25-degree below average temperatures tomorrow right into the weekend. windchills low single digits from sioux falls into the low 20s into the midsection of the country. and then we've got a second storm coming. it's going to move out of the gulf, out into the atlantic. right now what we're looking at from thursday to saturday, a widespread area from the midatlantic down to the south with heavier snow. ice in the mid mississippi river valley. strong storms down through the gulf. the model is not sure right now, lester, but we could be looking at a major snow impact event into the weekend. >> all right, al, thanks very much. at the u.s. capitol, it was a very different scene from january 6th four years ago. the snow, as you just saw, but also congress quickly certifying president-elect trump's electoral college victory without the violence of four years ago. here is garrett haake. >> reporter: tonight in a joint session lasting just 40 minutes, congress counting state electoral votes. >> donald j. trump with the state of florida received 30 votes for president. >> reporter:

certifying the sweeping election victory of president-elect donald trump, who takes office as the 47th commander in chief. as president of the senate, vice president kamala harris overseeing the certification of her own defeat. >> donald j. trump of the state of florida has received 312 votes. kamala d. harris -- kamala d. harris of the state of california has received 226 votes. >> reporter: vice president-elect j.d. vance sitting in the front row. we spoke to harris on the way into the ceremony. what do you take away from today? >> democracy must be upheld by the people. >> reporter: the only today? >> [ inaudible ] decision disruption a snowstorm blanketing the capitol, a stark difference from the violence four years ago when a mob of violent supporters attacked the capitol, delaying the count for hours, a deadly riot where many were also injured, including capitol police sergeant aquilino

gonell. >> many of my colleagues were injured, to the point of even losing eyes. and these are the type of people that donald trump and his ally are trying to pardon. >> reporter: candidate trump regularly downplayed the violence and his role. >> that was a day of love. >> reporter: and repeatedly suggested he might pardon some or all of the more than 1200 people who pleaded guilty to or were convicted of crimes involving january 6th. >> those people have suffered long and hard, and there may be some exceptions to it. i have to look. >> reporter: president biden, who campaigned on a claim trump was a threat to democracy was asked last night if he still holds that view. >> i think what he did was a genuine threat to democracy. i'm hopeful that we're beyond that. >> and garrett, there is also a headline involving former trump attorney rudy giuliani. >> that's right, lester. a new york judge holding giuliani in contempt of court for failing to turn over information to the two georgia election workers who won a $148 million defamation

case against him. the judge saying he would decide on appropriate sanctions for giuliani at a later date. lester? >> all right, garrett haake, thank you. president biden and first lady jill biden are in new orleans tonight, five days after the truck attack that killed 14 people. and there is still more questions about safety in the e french quarter. jesse kirsch now with late details. >> reporter: tonight president biden and the first lady in new orleans, visiting the growing memorial on bourbon street as his administration promises more federal resources to protect the city. the white house saying next month's mardi gras celebrations will now have support comparable to the super bowl. >> i'm directing my team to make every resource available to federal, state, and local law enforcement to complete this investigation quickly and do whatever else we can. >> reporter: the announcement comes as nbc news has learned from the company that makes the new bollard barriers being installed on bourbon street ahead of the super bowl that they're only guaranteed to stop

cars going a maximum of 10 miles per hour. some experts say that's not nearly enough. >> they, you know, hit the gas instead of the brake and they roll into the bollard, that's what that's designed for. it's not designed to stop a ramming attack like we saw on new year's eve. >> reporter: new orleans' mayor now says she wants a tactical expert to review the city's safety plans. >> the city of new orleans will also always remain focused on improving public safety measures, no doubt about that. >> reporter: meanwhile, federal investigators revealing shamsud-din jabbar visited new orleans at least twice in the months before his deadly rampage. the fbi releasing this blurred video from october, which they say jabbar recorded with smart glasses while riding a bike through the frenchch quarter. jabbar also seen looking at himself in the mirror to test the glasses authorities say he was also wearing during the attack. investigators also releasing this new video of his movements. at 1:53 a.m., he

ants the first cooler containing an explosive device. at 2:20 a.m., jabbar planted the second bomb. 55 minutes later, they say he ran the truck down bourbon street. the explosives never detonated. still, 14 people were killed. tonight at the city's iconic cathedral, their families, the community and the president gathering to honor the lives lost. >> and jesse, another test for new orleans, the beginning of carnival season. >> reporter: that's right, lester. two parades are planned for tonight around the french quarter, helping kick off carnival, which is the season leading up to mardi gras. all of this as louisiana's attorney general now says she's ordered a review of security plans from new year's eve in new orleans. lester? >> jesse kirsch tonight, thank you. we're going to turn now to growing concerns over the bird flu. one state now reporting the first death in the u.s. related to the virus. anne thompson is with us. anne, what are health officials saying?

>> reporter: lester we know this individual was in louisiana. the person was 65 years old with previous existing conditions. this was the first severe human case of h5n1 in the u.s. there have been at least 66 cases in this country since last year, most of them involved farm workers who o got the rus from sick poultry or dairy cows and had mild symptoms. this is believed to be the first case transmitted from what state health officials call a combination of backyard flock and wild birds. the good news here, the cdc says the risk to the general population remains low, and so far there is no sign of human-to-human transmission, lester. >> okay, anne. thanks for the update. canada's long-time prime minister justin trudeau announced today he is stepping down as he faced growing turmoil at home and a difficult relationship with president-elect donald trump. here is andrea mitchell. >> reporter: tonight, deeply unpopular at home because of soaring prices and ridiculed by president-elect trump,

canada's prime minister, justin trudeau, bowing out. >> i intend to resign as party leader, as prime minister after the party selects its next leader through a robust nationwide competitive process. >> reporter: the son of a popular prime minister, trudeau's movie star looks and photogenic young family made him an international star. but in recent years, he was criticized for inflation and immigration. three weeks ago, his clost adviser, the deputy prime minister resigned. >> it has become clear to me that if i'm having to fight internal battles, i cannot be the best option in that election. >> reporter: a final blow, tension with president-elect trump, who threatened canada with 25% tariffs. despite trudeau rushing to mar-a-lago to appease him, trump blamed canada for fentanyl and undocumented immigrants crossing the border, and canada's trade advantage with the u.s., mocking him on truth social as a

governor. posting today, "many people in canada love being the 51st state." what's the impact of having a leadership crisis in canada? >> i actually think it probably smooths the relationship. clearly donald trump and justin trudeau were not on the same page. >> reporter: trudeau will still be prime minister for a few months of trump's presidency while canada decides how to replace him. lester? >> andrea, thank you. in 60 seconds, a new study raising more questions about the effect of fluoride on kids' iqs. why many dentists disagree with the findings, when we come back. nds, a new study raising more questions about the effect of fluoride on kids' iqs. while many dentists disagree with the findings, when we come back. reactions can occur. get help right away for face, mouth, tongue or throat swelling, wheezing or trouble breathing. tell your doctor of new or worsening eye problems, like eye pain, vision changes, or blurred vision, joint aches and pain, or a parasitic infection. don't change or stop asthma or other medicines

without talking to your doctor. ask your child's doctor about dupixent. alright, we got your home and auto bundled without talking to your doctor. and you saved hundreds. oh, that's nice, with the economy and all. what's the economy? [chuckling] where do we start? what isn't the economy? yes. [ laughter ] uh, it's -- it's so many thing. right. look, all you really need to know is that progressive can save you money without sacrificing quality coverage. you follow? i'll just look it up. hmm. that went well. back now with new scrutiny on the safety of the water millions of americans drink. a new analysis finding a potential link between added fluoride and lower iqs in children. stephanie gosk now with the study and the controversy. >> reporter: tonight, growing questions about whether fluoride in drinking water is doing more harm than good. a report published today in jama

pediatrics concludes there is a statistically significant association between higher fluoride exposure and lower iq scores in children. the study funded by the national institutes of health analyzed existing research conducted outside the united states. the lead author telling nbc news there is concern that pregnant women and children are getting fluoride from many sources, including drinking water, and that their total fluoride exposure is too high. the research is being criticized by many in the public health community. 52 of the 74 studies it looked at are rated low quality, according to the authors themselves. the conclusions, based on fluoride levels more than double what's recommended for drinking water in the u.s. >> the ongoing benefits of community water fluoridation at this time strongly outweigh the flawed analyses that are presented in this paper that's just being published. >> superior fluoride toothpaste. >> reporter: fluoride has been added to the u.s. drinking water since the '40s.

more than 70% of americans get it in their taps. the cdc, american dental association and the american academy of pediatrics support fluoridating water, citing studies it reduces tooth decay by 25%. >> cavities can obviously cause pain and suffering. people can get very bad infections. also, many people miss time from school, from work. >> reporter: the issue is getting growing attention because of new research and recent public comments by rfk jr., donald trump's choice to lead hhs, who wrote on social media "the trump white house will advise all u.s. water systems to remove fluoride from public water." in an editorial in jama pediatrics, dr. bruce lanphear says today's study shows it is time to reassess fluoride in drinking water. >> the conclusions are sufficient to raise serious questions about fluoride's toxicity to the developing brain. that means we need to pause. we need to give

ourselves a chance to look at this evidence fresh. >> stephanie, these studies were all done outside the u.s. is there anything being studied currently in the u.s.? >> reporter: yeah, there is. researchers at unc chapel hill are studying babies, some who are drinking fluoridated water, some who are not. they're going to track their development for four years. lester? >> all right, stephanie gosk, thank you for that. coming up, the students arrested for allegedly using a dating app to lure men and then beating them. is it part of an alarming trend? next. app, allegedly to lure men, and then beating them. as a part of an alarming trend? next. i started taking prevagen and i want people to know that prevagen has worked for me. give it a try. i want it to help you just like it has helped me. i've been taking prevagen for eight years now and it is still helping me tremendously. prevagen. at stores everywhere without a prescription.

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some college students in massachusetts are accused of taking part in what may be a disturbing social media scheme, enticing a man to campus and attacking him, then falsely telling police he is a sexual predator. here is liz kreutz. >> reporter: in worcester, massachusetts, authorities arrested six college students whthey say lured a man to campus using a dating app where he was then chased down by a group of 25 people, assaulted, and falsely accused of being a sexual offender. the ploy police say inspired by a social media fad they say may be based on the former nbc tv series "to catch a predator." >> when you see on social med all the time, but you never expect it to happen right next to you, right in your own school. >> reporter: it happened in assumption university, where in court documents police say a man was invited to campus by an 18-year-old student who used her real profile on the dating app tinder. authorities say when he arrived, the man

who's family says he is 22 say he and his date were watching a baseball game in the student lounge when the mob appeared and began calling him a pedophile and accusing him of liking sex with 17-year-old girls. the man told police the group chased him to his car where they punched him in the head and slammed his car door on him. he got away and called police. who say surveillance video shows a group of students, many who were filming on their phones laughing and high-fiving with each other. in a statement, the catholic university calling the behavior abhorrent and they have launched an immediate and thorough investigation. but the incident not isolated. 11 teenagers in mount prospect, illinois have also been charged after police say last year two men were allegedly lured and beaten after arranging to meet up with a person using a dating app. authorities say some of the teens got the idea through a viral social media trend they saw online. now at assumption university, charges against the students range from kidnapping to intimidation and assault and battery with a deadly weapon. they are set to be arraigned later this month. lester? >> all right, liz kreutz, thank you. we'll take a break then. up next, the end of the road in the

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ask your doctor about starting with kesimpta for rms. 20 years after they were stolen, it seems the case of dorothy's missing ruby slippers is finally closed. emilie ikeda with the good news tonight. >> follow the yellow brick road. >> reporter: while the "the wizard of oz" continues s to capvate america -- >> follow the yellow brick road? >> reporter: the real-world drama around the film's famed ruby slippers is entering a final chapter.

the man accused of long hiding a stolen pair of judy garland's shoes appearing in court virtually today, with plans to plead guilty, his attorney told the ap. the indictment saying jerry saliterman received, concealed and disposed of an object of cultural heritage from 2005 to 2018 when authorities finally recovered the prized piece of hollywood memorabilia in a sting operation. >> they're more than just a pair of shoes. they're an enduring symbol of the power of belief. >> reporter: another man already pleaded guilty to the initial step of breaking in and snagging the shoes that were on loan to the judy garland museum in grand rapids, minnesota. >> this is the door that was breached -- >> reporter: we met john kelch there last year as the museum was raising money to try to win the slippers in an upcoming auction. but in december, the shoes shocked the world. >> $7 million. >> reporter: far exceeding their original value, thanks to an anonymous buyer.

>> $28 million for the most iconic piece of memorabilia. >> reporter: as this pair's long journey to a new home comes to an end. >> there is no place like home. >> reporter: emilie ikeda, nbc news. that's "nightly news." and we leave you on this snowy monday here in the east with the pandas at the national zoo enjoying the winter weather. thank you for watching. i'm lester holt. please take care of yourself and each other. good night. am lester holt.

[cheers and applause] ♪♪ science and reason will tell us so ♪ ♪ the blood in our veins are just chemicals ♪ ♪ you'd better believe i keep my demons to ♪ ♪ myself ♪ ♪ you'd better believe it's getting harder ♪ ♪ but i'm never gonna stop until it's broken ♪ ♪ never gonna stop until it's broken ♪ ♪ how long 'til we learn ♪ ♪ dancing is dangerous ♪ ♪ how long 'til we find ♪ ♪ the devil inside of us ♪

♪ how high is too low ♪ ♪ we're not that young ♪ ♪ so we're never gonna stop ♪ ♪ never gonna stop ♪ ♪ never gonna stop ♪ ♪ until we break it ♪ ♪ we all have our secrets our secrets no ♪ ♪ our violence mistaken for silence oh ♪ ♪ you'd better believe i keep my reasons to ♪ ♪ myself ♪ ♪ you'd better believe it's never been ♪ ♪ easier ♪ ♪ and we're never gonna stop until it's ♪ ♪ broken ♪ ♪ never gonna stop until it's broken ♪ ♪ how long 'til we learn ♪ ♪ dancing is dangerous ♪ ♪ how long 'til we find ♪ ♪ the devil inside of us ♪ ♪ how high is too low ♪ ♪ we're not that young ♪ ♪ so we're never gonna stop ♪ ♪ never gonna stop ♪

♪ never gonna stop ♪ ♪ until we break it ♪ ♪ dancing on glass ♪ ♪ dancing on glass ♪♪ [cheers and applause] >> kelly: welcome to "the kelly clarkson show." give it up for my band. that was dancing on glass. the artist behind d the proct explained it is about that inescapable pool we have for things that may not be so good for us. i wouldn't know anything about that. things many of us are going to say, we are going to get a shed this new year for like a month. it is 2025, welcome to the new

year. this is our first show back after the holidays and we are kicking things off by celebrating a new year with no limits. >> new year, no limits. it all starts with our first guests who is about to enter not just a new year but a new chapter of her life. she has hosted the fourth hour of today on nbc where she took the shame out of chardonnay and made us laugh alongside jenna bush hager and she has coanchored "the today show" where we came to know her as a trusted source for the most important news of the morning and in a few days, she will be stepping down from her roles. she has been a friend to everyone here and a beautiful human being. she will be missed. we will see her again at the show but for the last time, as the coanchor of today, welcome

my friend -- >> . [applause] [cheers and applause] [laughter] >> kelly: i am so excited for you. i love change and new chapters but you are going to be missed. it is going to be weird, turning it on and you are not going to be there. >> it is going to be weird for me too. >> i am terrible with goodbyes

and i don't -- i like change but the good by part is hard for me. yoalso know it is time for something new. that is where it gets hard for me. over the last month or so, i feel like i have said goodbye a thousand times and i am the person who, irish exit. where is she? she went to the bathroom. this has been like slow it down, say goodbye, look people in the eye. how you start and how you finish. >> kelly: as soon as they told me you are not doing "the today show," i was like, so what is she doing? there is no way you are not doing anything. you like things. >> i got into the wellness

space. i started doing stuff that i thought were weird and as i was doing it, i feel calmer and better. it makes you feel good. i am starting a wellness company that will involve retreats and a podcast and all kinds of things that we can get together, do things that i love and when you are done, it is not like going to mexico with your girls, which was fun, but this is something you will be like, i feel transformed and different. i am in the building process of that. >> that is so healthy, being the voice for that. a lot of us need to be better at that. i am a go, go, go. we exhaust ourselves. >> this is going to launch in the spring. we are in the building progress and i can't wait to tell you about it. >> don't tell me, invite me.

you are excited to have more time with the girls. you got a minivan? >> i got a toyota sienna. >> it is like a movie. i couldn't pick up people for carpal because i only had three seats and i needed a van. when i got that van, i felt ke -- i have never been that excited about a car. you push the button, kids pile in, i am into it. i pick up multiple kids. my kids are like we are taking the van? i love a minivan. >> kelly: i love that for you. those are the moments where it is what you hear in those conversations are so different than after homework and before dinner. >> they forget you are driving. they are in the way back and they are talking about what