i'm tom llamas in new york. stay right there. more news on the way. re news on. a winter storm stretching from the heartland to the mid

atlantic. snow and ice blanket roads and cancel thousands of flights. breaking overnight, trump and his legal team move to block jackcertifies trump's election . canadian prime minister justin trudeau announces he will step down. a new study raising questions about the effect of fluoride on kids' iq. and are they or aren't they? a new sparkler spotted on zendaya's hand sets off spidey senses. it's tuesday, january 7. "early today" starts right now. good morning. glad you're with me.

i'm frances rivera. millions of americans are facing frigid temperatures this morning. at least four people were killed acro multiple states. the dangerous conditions canceled more than 2,000 nights and created slippery conditions that left vehicles sliding on the road. schools across several states declared snow days. and many districts remain closed again today. over 300,000 lost power. and this morning, more than 200,000 are still in the dark from missouri to virginia. sam brock starts us off. it's been a pretty remarkable and rare day in the district. washington d.c. has certainly seen some snowfall recently, but usually this much. you've got to go back to 2019 to find a time when there was double-digit snowfall in d.c. that's pennsylvania avenue over my shoulder. the capitol is down in that direction. around the corner, the white house. normally this area would be

absolutely bustling with people and cars. all you're seeing right now are basically snowplows and police officers. the disruptions have been multi faceted. the biggest ones, the airways 82% of departing flights canceled. parents trying to juggle caring for your kids and getting their work done. sam brock, nbc news. >> that's a lot of snow men for those kids to build. let's turn to michelle grossman who's got the details on the colder than normal temperatures across parts of the u.s. good morning. >> those snow men are going to be frozen solid. because we are looking at frigid temperatures. it's not just the plains to the mid atlantic that saw the snow. we're looking at cold weather all the way to the south.

houston, new orleans, jacksonville, tampa, richmond under these cold weather advisories. this is why we are waking up to cold temperatures. 36 in houston. 28 in roswell. 36 in tallahassee. most of the country seeing this really cold air. wilmington 36. on top othat, we have the winds blowing, so it feels colder than the actual air temperature. we are looking at that cold blast throughout much of the country. temperatures only in the teens in minneapolis, miles city, 22 in denver. you factor in the winds, it's going to feel colder than that. down to the south we're looking at temperatures in the 30s in dallas. just 57 in tampa. and that will be t same story tomorrow. frances, we'll talk more about this cold and the great lakes. >> michelle, thank you. now to breaking news.

last night, attorneys for president-elect trump tried to stop jack smith from releasing his report. co-defendants of mr. trump filed a motion to ask the district judge to block smith. the special counsel's office is required to provide a report to attorney general merrick garland. he can choose to make it public. mr. trump's lawyers sent a letter to garland, asking him to stop the report's release, which they believe is imminent. the justice department did not respond to request for comment. this legal fight unfolded on the same day lawmakers gathered to certify the election results. garrett haake has more from capitol hill. >> reporter: in a joint session lasting just 40 minutes, congress counting state electoral votes. >> donald 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 -- [cheers and applause] kamala d. harris of the state of california has received 226 votes. >> reporter: vice president-elect jd vance sitting in the front row. we spoke to harris on the way into the ceremony. what should people take away from today? >> democracy must be upheld by the people. >> reporter: the only disruption, a snowstorm blanketing the capitol, a stark difference from four years ago. a deadly riot where many were also injured. including a capitol police sergeant. >> many of my colleagues are injured, to the point of even losing eyes. and these are type of people

that donald trump and his ally are trying to pardon. >> reporter: candidate trump regularly down-played 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 with 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 if he still holds that view. >> i think what he did was a genuine threat to democracy. i'm hopeful we're beyond that. >> reporter: a new york judge has held rudy giuliani in contempt of court for failing to turn over information to the two georgia election workers who won $148 million defamation case against him. the judge saying he would decide on appropriate sanctions against giuliani at a later date. garrett, thank you. turning to the deadly new year's day terrorist attack on bourbon

street. president biden and first lady jill biden traveled to new orleans, privately meeting with the victims' families, law enforcement affected, before speaking at a pair service where the president offered support. >> if there's one thing we know, new orleans defines strength and resilience. you define it. whether it's in the form of this attack, from this attack or hurricanes or super storms, this city's people get back up. that's the spirit of america as well. >> it comes the same day louisiana's attorney general announced a full review of new orleans' security plans as questions are raised after the city's bollards were removed for replacement and the city failed to deploy anti-vehicle barriers that it has owned for years. canadian prime minister justin trudeau has announced his

resignation. he will remain in the job while the ruling liberal party finds someone to take over. here's what trudeau himself said. >> canadians deserve a real choice in the next election. and it has become obvious to me, with the internal battles that i can not be the one to carry the liberal standard into the next election. >> for the latest, let's go to claudio lavanga. why is trudeau resigning? >> reporter: good morning, frances. well, trudeau's popularity has recently plummeted, recently plummeted after he was blamed for the country's high inflation and also for the political chaos. both among canadians and members of his own liberal party who have been calling for him to resign for a while now. so this amentnnouncement hasn'te

as a surprise. his deputy prime minister who acted as finance minister, cynthia freeland stepped down in a position to his handling or mishandling, let's say, of donald trump's victory and the followup of that. now donald trump famously said that after he comes in office he will impose a 25% tariff on goods imported from canada as well as other countries. then he appeared to take a jab at trudeau by calling canada the 51st state of the united states and apparently ridiculed trudeau, calling him the governor of the great state of canada. all of this while trudeau was thanking donald trump for inviting him for dinner at mar-a-lago and looking forward to and saying that he was looking forward to cooperate with him in the future. so the elections are scheduled to take place in october. the frontrunners are the former finance minister, the one i mentioned who resigned. cynthia freeland, the current

finance minister, dominick leblanc. >> claudio, thank you. the u.s. has recorded its first human death from bird flu. the patient with underlying medical conditions was hospitalized in louisiana last month in what was considered the country's first severe human h 5 n 1 infection. the louisiana department of health said the patient had been exposed to a combination of a back yard flock and wild birds. so far there have been at least 67 cases recorded in the u.s. the cdc maintains that the immediate risk to public health is low. let's check back in with michelle grossman who's keeping an eye on that system that could bring lake-effect snow and frigid temperatures too. >> good morning, frances. so cold across the country. today we are looking at temperatures 10, 30 degrees below normal. the winds are blowing, too. we're seeing that cold air going

over the warmer lake waters. they're not frozen over yet. so we're seeing the banding of snow setting up. that's blue showing up on the radar there, as we go throughout the day, we're going to watch the snow falling, the lake effect snowshowers falling. winds gusting up to 35 miles per hour. and we're not really going to see a change tomorrow as we go throughout wednesday and thursday. and the highest mounts cold in new england, the northeast, down to the mid atlantic. temperatures only in the 30s. 32 in philadelphia. all right, that's your tuesday forecast. >> thanks, michelle. coming up, the fda rolls out new rus lefor lead in baby food.

and the effect of fluoride on kids' iqs. when your clothes come out looking newer, longer... you get to take them for a spin. again... ...and again... ...and again. persil cleans and helps keep clothes looking newer, longer. get that new clothes feeling. wash with persil. as the people you love get older, their risk of severe flu get thand covid goes up.ling. last year, those viruses hospitalized nearly 1 million people 65 and older. so if someone you love is older, talk with them about vaccines.

we are back now with new scrutiny on the safety of 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: growing questions about whether fluoride in drinking water is doing more harm than good. a report published in jama pediatrics reports there is a statistically significant correlation between higher fluoride and lower iqs in children. 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 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. >> ongoing benefits of community water fluoridation at this time strongly outweigh the fluoride analyses in this paper s that i published. >> reporter: fluoride has been added to u.s. drinking water since the '40s. the cdc supported s fluoride in water. the issue is getting new attention because of new research and recent public

comments by rfk jr., who wrote on social media, the trump white house will advise all water systems to remove fluoride interest public water. in an editorial, the doctor says the study shows it is time to reassess fluoride in drinking water. >> it is sufficient to raise serious questions about fluoride's toxicity to the developing brain. we need to pause, give ourselves a chance to look at this evidence fresh. >> reporter: there is research being conducted in the united states by scientists at unc chapel hill. they are looking at babies six months old and younger, some who consume fluoride and some who do not and follow them for four years to see what develops. still to come. it's euphoria for one hollywood power couple. we clear up the rumors about tom holland and zendaya.

dad! dad, we missed you! daddy, hi! subject 3: goodness! my daughter is being treated for leukemia. i hope that she lives a long, great, happy life and that she will never forget how mom and daddy love her. st. jude, i mean, this is what's keeping my baby girl alive. announcer: you can join the battle to save lives by supporting st. jude children's research hospital. for just $19 a month, you'll help us continue the lifesaving research and treatment these kids need-- now and in the future. subject 4: cancer makes me feel angry. not in the feel on the outside, just the inside i'm angry at it. subject 5: when your kid is hurting and there's nothing you can do about it, that's the worst feeling in the world.

announcer: 1 in 5 children diagnosed with cancer in the us will not survive. subject 6: those that donate to st. jude, i hope that you will continue to give. they have done so much for me and my family. announcer: join with your debit or credit card now, and we'll send you this st. jude t-shirt that you can proudly wear. [speaking spanish] subject 7: are you ready to go have some fun? subject 8: yeah! subject 7: yay! subject 9: when we came here, we didn't know what tomorrow would hold. st. jude showed us that tomorrow there's hope for our little girl to survive. announcer: let's cure childhood cancer together. please donate now.

it's our last night in europe, and i had this plan that i wanted to tell you. i'm just going to tell you. mj. >> i'm spiderman. >> what? >> that's what you were going to say, that you're spiderman. >> no. >> peter parker might just have a new great responsibility. marriage. on monday, tmz confirmed that tom holland and zendaya are engaged. it comes after rumors swirled about the couple sunday when zendaya appeared on the red carpet sporting that diamond on her ring finger. they have publicly been together for over three years. he wasn't on the red carpet, because he said it's not about us. it's about her. now that the post that made fans think will smith was finally taking the red pill. on monday the oscar winner

posted this short video to instagram, sparking rumors that he was attached to the upcoming matrix film. the tease is actually related to an upcoming music project. as the video says, smith turned down the role of neo in the matrix. he is expected to release his first album in two decades sometime this year. when we come back, why mcdonald's is ditching some of its diversity initiatives. and a tasty pop tart collaboration. frank. fred. how are you? support up to seven brain health indicators, including memory. when you need to remember, remember neuriva. (♪♪) skincare can start in the laundry room. that's why i always recommend all free clear for sensitive skin. it's free of dyes and perfumes. it's a key part of my self-care routine. and is gentle for my skin, and her's too. for an effective clean that's gentle on skin, all you need is all free clear. as the people you love get older,

their risk of severe flu that's and covid goes up. last year, those viruses hospitalized nearly 1 million people 65 and older. so if someone you love is older, talk with them about vaccines. when your clothes come out looking newer, longer... you get to take them for a spin. again... ...and again... ...and again. persil cleans and helps keep clothes looking newer, longer. get that new clothes feeling. wash with persil. narrator: at this very moment, children at st. jude are fighting to survive. with a gift right now, you can join the battle to save lives. katy: without saint jude, i don't know where we would be. can we see snuggles? they have given children with cancer, like my winston, a chance. christine: she has neuroblastoma and it has spread to her liver. i try to enjoy every minute with her because i do not know when would be my last moments with her.

narrator: time is running out to give a year-end gift that can help. st. jude children's research hospital save lives. because cancer doesn't stop during the holiday season. please call, go online, or scan the qr code right now and give $19 a month to help make it the season of hope for families at saint jude. tammie: just that feeling that was, like, so hard on your heart that my kid's not going to live. every day now, it's like a gift. narrator: for just $19 a month, you can make a difference. please become a st. jude partner in hope right now. franchet: those that donate, it's more than a miracle for me. it's more than a blessing. (voice breaking) they have done so much for me and my family. narrator: join with your credit or debit card for only $19 a month, and we'll send you this st. jude t-shirt you can proudly

wear to show your support. katy: all these children deserve to live, and i would love for it to be the day where no other family has to fear losing their child to cancer. you've given us hope. narrator: please don't wait until the last minute. make your donation now to help st. jude save lives. here's what's making headlines this morning. mcdonald's is rolling back diversity practices following a 2023 supreme court decision ending affirmative action. the fast food giant plans to retire specific goals for achieving diversity at senior leadership levels and will end a program that requires suppliers to develop diversity training and increase the number of minorities in leadership

positions. the fda set maximum levels of lead in baby food. the agency estimates the new limits could reduce lead exposure from processed baby food by 20% to 30%. krispy kreme is teaming up with pop-tarts for a crazy good doughnut collection that includes a frosted strawberry doughnut, a frosted chocolatey fudge doughnut and cinnamon doughnut. all will be topped with a pop tart bite. for any taste, or any diet, at prices you love. delivered fast. for low prices, for life of pets, there's chewy. (♪♪) skincare can start in the laundry room. that's why i always recommend all free clear for sensitive skin. it's free of dyes and perfumes. it's a key part of my self-care routine. and is gentle for my skin, and her's too. for an effective clean that's gentle on skin, all you need is all free clear.

as the people you love get older, their risk of severe flu that's and covid goes up. last year alone, those viruses hospitalized nearly 1 million people 65 and older. that's nearly 1 million moms, dads, favorite uncles, and grammas. if someone you love is 65 or older, talk with them about vaccines, because to you, they're not just another number. bay area residents were feeling crabby this weekend, as

the done jennous crab season kicked off. we were in half moon bay as people poured in to get the fresh catch of the day. >> reporter: in half moon bay, people were in the mood for fresh crab off the boats. that included a trip out from livermore. >> that's the main thing. we try to do it every year. >> reporter: he's not the only one. it was a busy day. customers have been watching the calendar. >> waiting for this since november. when it was supposed to be. but the whales were out there. so, yeah. it's pretty good. i'm excited. >> all of our crab right now are really nice crabs. so over two-pound crabs. >> reporter: in san francisco, matt says last year it was

raining the day the season opened. but the sun was out, and people were up early, lining up for crab. >> i'm very excited for today, though, to have this opportunity and sell straight to the public and like small business owner. it's awesome. >> reporter: the opening of the dungeness crab season is typically november. but wildfire officials delayed it several times to protect migrating whales. >> as long as the whales are i can ait and get my crab. coming out here with everybody else is exciting. >> reporter: a trip many say is well worth the wait. >> i wanted to drive up and see how i love crab. >> get that old bay and butter all set. i like the butter and garlic for me. thanks to christy smith for that report. coming up on "today ", we ae celebrating all things hoda. we're talking about the lasting impact she's had on the show and

everyone who works on it and beyond. >> hoda is loved by every single person on our crew, in the control room, the producers, every person on the plaza. everyone. it's the hoda effect. and there's just nothing in the world like it. and everybody feels it. >> when i think about hoda, i really do think about her heart. that's who she is. that's what guides her. that's her north star. leading with her heart is everything that she's about. >> and today's week-long hoda celebration continues later this morning.

five, a man convicted of a notorious bay area kidnaping now being tied to a similar crime in a different county. the update