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it is apocalyptic. kamala harris overseeing her own defeat. the first former president now a convicted felon. ♪♪ good morning and welcome to "sunday today" on this january 12th. i'm willie geist. the fires that have swept through los angeles county at breathtaking speed this week, reducing entire towns to ash in just hours, continue to burn thisis morning g with dangngero southern california.g new areas this morning the death toll has risen to at least 16 as firefighters work around the clock to control the large palisades fire as it now blows toward the heart of l.a. we'll have the latest in a live report and get the forecast just ahead. then, we will turn to our "sunday focus" on the self-governing territory of greenland suddenly in the

spotlight as president-elect trump leaves open the possibility of taking it by force. so what is the strategic attraction of the island, and is there really a chance it changes hands? plus, our "sunday spotlight" takes us on a ride in the goodyear blimp as it celebrates 100 years of floating over america's biggest events. and later, a new "sunday sitdown" with olivia benson herself. maria hargitay on the real-world impact of "law & order: svu" off the screen, thanks to a character she made her own at an audition more than 25 years ago. >> there was this stunning girl in the waiting room, and i panicked. and i walked in, listen, i don't know what you're doing. but you're a little confused. this is my role. this is my part. i am olivia benson, and the rest is history. >> a "sunday sitdown" with mariska hargitay, plus, another "life well lived" all a bit later in the show.

let's begin this morning with the dangerous fires still burning across southern california and threatening the very center of los angeles. today a critical day for firefighters with strong, gusty winds back in the forecast. nbc's dana griffin is in the evacuation zone in los angeles. dana, , good moing. >> reporter: willie, good morning to you. luckily no major flare-ups overnight. it is really smoky out here. behind us you have the california national guard keeping people out of the evacuation zone. the atf now leading the investigation into the cause of the palisades fire as the battle to contain flames is being met with challenges. this morning southern california wildfires putting firefighters to the test. >> this is still a very active firefight. >> reporter: the brentwood neighborhood ordered to evacuate after the palisades fire changed direction, spreading east. that dramatic shift causing

this, flames coming down the canyon. firefighters are doing their best to save these nearby homes. >> definitely some scary stuff. >> reporter: on saturday, air drops on flames continued over this canyon. the fbi says air drops have been disrupted by drone incidents over fire zones well into the double digits, a serious risk to crews flying aircraft. >> there is nothing, nothing, nothing that i will not do for the city where i was born and raised. >> reporter: los angeles mayor, karen bass, under growing pressure over budget cuts that l.a. fire chief kristin crowley says limited her department's response to the fires to a certain factor. mayor bass on saturday debunking rumors that she fired the chief. >> the fire chief and i are focused on fighting these fires and saving lives, and any differences that we might have will be worked out in private. >> reporter: also to be worked out, the failure of some fire hydrants in the palisades community. >> two blocks down there's a

fire hydrant that's working just fine. one, two blocks above us is not. >> governor, i live here. governor? >> reporter: even governor-elect gavin newsom confronted over the issue this week. >> why was there no water in the hydrants, governor? >> it's all literally -- >> is it going to be different next time? >> it has to be. >> reporter: newsom calling for an investigation into the water supply issues. >> it's pretty traumatic, not enough water in the fire hydrants. what kind of place are we living in? >> reporter: as the blame game behind these fires grow, so does the need for help for the tens of thousands evacuated, many starting from scratch after losing everything. >> it's like we're living in an alternate reality. i still don't feel like it's real. >> reporter: the red cross opening shelters countywide. this one near the palisades fire completely full. >> a lifelong californian, we know wildfires. this is not uncommon. to see devastation at this scale is heartbreaking. >> reporter: amid the ashes, survivors cling to what they do

have. >> everyone rallying together and just working together, everyone feels like a family. >> reporter: and, willie, i had to put my respirator back on because the smoke here is so thick. we're putting this off and on in between takes, so just wanted to mention that in our tag here. firefighters, they are weary but resilient and will once again have to battle these flames under red flag warnings as the santa ana wind gusts are expected to reach up to 60 miles per hour. willie? >> as you see firsthand those firefighters doing incredible work. stay safe, dana, thank you for your coverage. we appreciate it. dana griffin in los angeles, thank you. nbc meteorologist angie lassman with a look at the forecast for southern california including the expected return of the dangerous santa ana winds. angie, good morning. how is it looking? good morning, willie. unfortunately, we see the winds elevated, red flag warnings up. we're going to go through a peririod of fluctuations here where they ramp back up with

another santa ana event. closer to the coast 30-plus-mile-per-hour winds. in the mountains some locations dealing with over 60 miles per hour. the peak today will be the first half of the day. we start to see a lull into the afternoon and then we ramp back up as we get into the overnight hours, so no surprise today. we still have that critical risk for much of this area. stretching down to escondido, that will be included in that, likely something we will see rough at least next week. here is the situation for late monday into tuesday. high pressure drops into the great basin. we're going to see 40 to 70-mile-per-hour winds as we get into early next week. this drops us also to those 5 to 15% levels of humidity along with the dry vegetation. there's no surprise that we're going to continue to see these situations stay in place for this region, willie, and these alerts will continue well into the weekend. >> angie, we hope we get a turn in those winds for the benefit of all those people in the fire zone. thanks so much, angie lassman. kristen welker is moderator

of "meet the press." kristen, good morning. it's so good to see you. you have an exclusive this morning with governor gavin newsom of california as we saw in dana griffin's piece. he's come der criticism along with mayor bass and other officials in southern california for the preparation and the response to these fires. what's he saying about that? >> well, willie, this exclusive interview for "meet the press" conducted by our jacob soboroff was extensive. he does answer that criticism. has he done enough? was california prepared to deal with these wildfires? he gives us new details about the investigation that he has called for into why, for example, there was a shortage of water in some locations. he also talks about the fact that he's now doubled the national guard, very defiant. says that now california does have what it needs, but he talks about those santa ana winds that you just heard angie talking about. he says that's his biggest concern over the next 48 hours. he answers the criticism, also,

of president-elect trump. says that he has invited the president-elect to come to california to see the devastation firsthand. we get new insight into whether the two of them have spoken. and he talks about the future, rebuilding, announces a new executive order to cut through some red tape, willie, to make it easier for people to rebuild. willie? >> hard to even think at this point about rebuilding. that will be years and years and years. kristen welker, thanks so much. we will look for much more this morning on "meet the press" when kristen has that exclusive interview from jacob soboroff with california governor gavin newsom along with california's democratic senator alex padilla and senate republican james lankford of oklahoma. if you'd like to help the people of southern california, we have a list of vetted organizations at nbcnews.com, or you can scan the qr code that you see right there on your screen. special counsel jack smith, who filed two sprawling criminal cases against president-elect trump, has resigned.

his resignation comes as trump's team tries to block the release of smith's final report about election interference, which could come out as early as today. nbc's aaron gilchrist is at the white house with more. aaron, good morning. >> reporter: willie, good morning. there is new legal action in that effort you just mentioned this morning. attorney general merrick garland told congress on wednesday that he does plan to release the election interference part of jack smith's report if a federal judge's order blocking the release was overruled. thatappeals court did that on thursday, but kept in force the order for a three-day delay before the report's release. today is day three. and last night, though, the district judge in florida gave the government until 10:00 this morning to assure her that this report does not reference the remaining co-defendants in smith's other investigation into those classified documents at trump's florida estate. those lawyers have asked the judge to extend the delay of the report. garland has said he won't release that volume two of the report on the classified documents because the case

against trump's former co-defendants is still active. now all of this as we learn the independent counsel has resigned. a footnote in a court filing yesterday revealed that jack smith submitted his final confidential report on tuesday and separated from the department of justice on friday. smith had dropped the federal charges after mr. trump won the election in november and, willie, it was expected that smith would resign before trump takes office. willie? >> now making it official. aaron gilchrist at the white house, thanks so much. president biden has awarded pope francis the presidential medal for freedom. he spoke to the pope by phone on saturday. he had been scheduled to travel to the vatican this week but canceled that trip due to the california fires. the president telling the pope, quote, your love for all is unparalleled. the nfl playoffs are under way starting with this wild card weekend. last night ravens' running back derrick henry absolutely unstoppable, rushing for 186

yards and two touchdowns, leading baltimore to a 28-14 win over the rival pittsburgh steelers. in the early game, the houston texans' defense intercepted l.a. chargers' quarterback justin herbert four times en route to a 32-12 blow-out victory. there are three more games today. you have the broncos and bills in buffalo, the packers and eagles in philly, and our prime time game, the washington commanders and their rookie quarterback sensation, jayden daniels, taking on baker mayfield and the tampa bay buccaneers. coverage begins at 7:30 here on nbc and streaming on peacockeac. let's turn now and get a quick check of your this morning. check out the map 35 santa rosa. but you come down into san rafael. 5246 in hayward to 49 in south san jose. what's causing this? it's the wind. we are under that wind advisory, so

the more it travels downslope, it keeps some areas warmer than others, some cool overnight. this will be with us until 10:00 this morning with those straight ahead, the highs and lows of the week, including moments of heroism and humanity as neighbors step up for each over amidst the ongoing devastation in southern california. and the nba player who became a viral star this week he watched his girlfriend become miss america. but, up next, our "sunday focus" on greenland, a territory president-elect trump says he'd like to take over. could it actually happen? and why is there a long-running strategic fascination with the island? it's all coming up on "sunday today." i was stuck. unresolved depression symptoms were in my way. i needed more from my antidepressant. vraylar helped give it a lift.

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nbc news foreign correspondent raf sanchez explains in our "sunday focus." >> reporter: perched at the very top of the world, greenland is best known for its endless expanse of ice, the majesty of its frozen fjords and the northern lights. on a warming planet, the remote arctic territory is taking on new geopolitical significance, and donald trump says it should be part of the u.s. >> we need greenland for national security purposes. >> reporter: he's refuse to go rule out using military force to take it even though the territory is run by denmark, a nato ally. >> people don't even know if denmark has any legal right to it. >> reporter: denmark's prime minister this week saying greenland is not for sale. and local authorities insisting that an appearance by the president-elect's son was a private visit, not an official government trip. >> it looks like an incredible place. >> reporter: trump's plans for

greenland have been much mocked. >> annexing greenland would be the craziest idea he had for years ago, and this time it's his first idea. >> reporter: but u.s. interest in the island began long before him. >> on barren greenland at the very edge of the atlantic war zone -- >> reporter: denmark was under nazi occupation in world war ii. after the war president truman offered to buy it for $100 million in gold. since then, the strategic value of greenland and the wider arcticic has only increased. the former supreme allied commander of nato. >> the arctic is crucial because of global warming. as the ice melts, trade routes open, oil and gas become more exploitable, and what's left up there, a thunderdome. seven nato nations on one side, russia on the other. >> reporter: the u.s. already has a military base in

greenland, the northern most american installation in the world. its radar designed to give early warning of an incoming attack. the shortest route for a ballistic missile fired from russia could be over green land. climate change means new routes by sea. arctic ice is melting rapidly drying up ocean levels and flooding worldwide, but also clearing new paths for global shipping. right now a voyage from europe to japan takes around 22 days. the same journey via the arctic could take as little as ten. whoever controls greenland could protect or threaten those routes. greenland is home to vast and largely untapped reserves of rare earth metals, critical for technology like smart phones and electric cars. but for now greenlanders showing little interest in joining the u.s., and experts warn american security would be harmed not helped by trying to force them. >> i think the best thing we could do is to continue a

strategy of robust engagement working directly with the greenlanders. >> reporter: an increasingly hot global competition now under way for this cold corner of the earth. >> and raf joins me now live from outside of the danish embassy in london. as you point out, denmark is an american ally and a member of nato, so is there really any chance greenland changes hands? >> reporter: willie, danish officials are saying the sale of greenland is not something that's on the table, but pretty much everything else is. if the u.s. wants to expand its military presence beyond that one base, they say they're open to discussing that. denmark also saying it's prepared to bolster its own forces on the island as a way of deterring russia and, of course, the question of what the people of greenland themselves want, their prime minister said friday they're not interested in joining the u.s., but they are open to talking to trump, and

that ultimately one day they hope to achieve their independence from denmark. willie? >> a fascinating look at this question. raf, thanks so much. we appreciate it. coming up next, a new "sunday sitdown" with mariska hargitay on playing olivia benson for 26 seasons now, and the icon her character has become for women around the world. and then, a life well lived. the young gymnast who survived the horrors of world war ii and went on to win ten olympic medals. and, as we head to break, our photo of the week, the flag-draped casket of america's 39th president, jimmy carter, descending the steps of the united states capitol on the way to washington's national cathedral. the five living american presidents all attended thursday's funeral for carter, who died late last month at the age of 100 with president biden delivering a eulogy. president carter was laid to rest later that evening on the grounds of his home in plains, georgia, next to his late wife

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if i'm kira klapper, mexico is lending its support in the wildfire battle in los angeles. more than 70 mexican firefighters and humanitarian workers touched down at lax yesterday afternoon. they also brought food and supply donations with them. they will join the 14,000 national guard members. firefighters and officers already on the ground in la. governor newsom was on the runway to meet crews and thank mexico for its solidarity. 40 million americans that live in the great state of california. i want to thank president sheinbaum. i want to thank all the members of the military for being here. it means the world to us. canada also has sent aircraft and equipment to los angeles already. canadian leaders say they're getting ready to send firefighters as well. meanwhile, the san francisco spca is stepping in to help pets displaced by the fires. the shelter is waiving adoption fees for dogs they currently have in

order to clear space for animals from the los angeles area. they plan to drive south tomorrow to pick up animals at the l.a. shelters that they're currently housing. to clear space for pets of fire victims. if you're not looking to adopt, people can offer support by dropping off clean towels, sheets and unopened pet food to the spca. we're going to turn now to the microclimate forecast and cinthia pimentel. jason. good morning carol. good morning everyone. this cute little puppy is a good way to start the day. and you know what else is interesting? today the range and temperatures that we have. i want to point out the north bay. we go from 35 in santa rosa to 56 over in sonoma. so what's causing this huge range in temperatures? it is the downsloping of the winds, the offshore winds that we've been dealing with this weekend. we see a similar pattern through danville 37 to hayward at 46. so the longer that this wind is in place it keeps some of those areas warmer. some of them have lost that warming in the

overnight hours. so this is with us for the north bay hills, parts of the diablo range, parts of the santa cruz mountains until 10 a.m. this morning. but i've advanced the models and i think it could be extended into next week, so watch for that. those gusts up there at mount saint helena of 40 plus sometimes going on in the ranges here. half moon bay also feeling gusty this morning. and parts of the diablo range out in concord too. now from the mountains to the surface we've noticed maybe the full moon last night into this morning. we are looking at some of that coastal flooding returning today on the immediate shoreline. so just some possible localized flooding. just be careful with that. never drive over some flooded roads. what can we expect as we go on not only for this the remainder of this weekend, but into next week? i talked about the wind possibly extending and some cold mornings also on tap for that 7-day forecast. so we'll talk about our full forecast. and down in la coming up at 7 a.m. kira. back to you. all right cynthia thanks. coming up also at seven this morning on today in the bay, a bay area bartender

watching her hometown burn down from here. she's now created a drink to help fire victims in altadena. we will have that. plus all your top stories coming up at seven. we hope you join us right now. back to sunyda your next favorite thing about this place is waiting to be discovered. did you know you can do this? ... and you don't wanna miss that. all the next moves are yours mo make, lieutenant.

and let's hope you're as good as you said you are because, if anything happens to my friend, we're going to have a problem. >> that is mariska hargitay as captain olivia benson on the long-running nbc series "law & order: special victims unit." since winning the role after 1999 audition with the show's legendary creator, dick wolf, hargitay has starred in 560 episodes of "svu" earning an emmy and a golden globe award along the way. her beloved nypd detective character has inspired legions of dedicated fans including one named taylor swift, who named her cat olivia benson. hargitay now serves as executive producer and occasional director of the show whose special connection with audiences led the actress to create the joyful heart found ace which helps real-life victims and survivors like those portrayed on "svu."

mariska and i got together in new york recently for a "sunday sitdown." on the streets of new york captain olivia benson cannot go undercover. >> get over here. bring it in. >> oh, my gosh! >> hi. >> congratulations. >> congratulations. we also just got married. that's why we're wearing matching blazers. i'll be doing a scene out here, olivia! yeah, we're rolling, but that's fine. yes, that's true, i am olivia. detective olivia benson. it's olivia. captain benson. >> for 26 seasons, mariska hargitay has been playing olivia benson, the no-nonsense sex crimes detective with a heart on "law & order: svu." the longest running prime time drama series in the history of american television. when you hear things like that and when you hear the number 26, are you able to stop and reflect

on what that means? >> it feels like running a marathon, and when you're in it, all you see is this much ahead of you. i've been so busy, so challenged, and it requires so much of me that all i can do is be on the treadmill trying to keep up. his license was suspended when he got 11 months for assault. >> i went back and watched the very first episode, and i was thinking about the evolution of your character. >> yeah. >> that sort of mirrored your evolution as well, which is to say moving up the ranks and becoming a director and executive producer. she's a detective and now a captain. do you see those parallels in your own life? >> i describe it as the perfect feminist story, right? there's these stepping stones of growth and integration and owning something. it's been such a beautiful

evolution, such a beautiful journey. >> hargitay's wing man for much of the journey was christopher meloni who played her partner elliot stabler for "svu's" first 12 seasons. >> they are involved, they're not going to be forthcoming with the motive. >> i have someone who might. >> in the spring of '99, you and chris get in a room together and dick wolf says, that's it. did you feel that way, too? >> absolutely. it was sort of once-in-a-lifetime experience. sure as hell wouldn't drive to queens to save your ass. >> yeah, you would. >> i knew quickly we had this kind of magical chemistry. chris and i are polar opposites in terms of who we are as people, and yet there was this ying yang. so when they paired us i was like this is done. >> the 60-year-old hargitay was born in southern california to actor and body builder mickey

hargitay and star actress jane mansfield who died in a car accident when mariska was just 3. in high school, hargitay was an athlete and a beauty queen. she got serious about acting while studying at ucla. what were your early days as an actress like? >> i would do an audition, i'd kill it, and then i would go back and i wouldn't do as well on the callback. it became a pattern, i think, because i became so nervous. >> got in your head a little bit. >> i got in my head a little bit. my father, who -- you know, i was sort of raised with the motto of, we don't quit in this family. if that's what you want to do, do it, work harder, click your heels together three times and say that's the best i can do, but we don't quit. my father's training taught me how to get back on the horse and having stamina. those were hard years. >> hargitay had a steady run of

supporting roles on tv shows like "falcon crest" and "er." >> -- dropped off these papers for you to sign. >> before that big break as the lead on "svu." >> after "er," i said, what am i going to do? this is the greatest show ever. there's no other show. oh, except for "law & order." i read with dick the first time, and he gave me a couple notes. and i remember going, that was good. that's good. and he's like, oh, really? is it? is it good? we kind of hit it off. and then the second time, i came back, there was this stunning girl in the waiting room, and i panicked. and i walked in, i go, listen, i don't know what you're doing, but you're a little confused. this is my role. this is my part. i am olivia benson. and the rest is history. one thing you might want to focus on now is taking care of yourself. >> at what point do you feel she became something bigger than the

character? >> all of a sudden i started receiving letters of people disclosing stories of abuse, and so many of them contained the words, i've never told anyone, and here they were reaching out to this person on television. that when i realized this show is necessary because the issues that so often people had swept under the carpet, all of a sudden there was community around it, and all of a sudden you're not alone. and if it's on tv, then we can talk about it. i understood the power of that. that's when i created joyful heart foundation, our number one advocacy priority was eradicating the rape kit backlog. we've been incredibly successful. we have, you know, changed legislature in 49 of the 50 states. so it's been exciting. ♪♪ >> how many scenes would you

estimate you've shot in this area? >> that is a good question. i would say hundreds and hundreds. >> yeah. >> i've walked down those stairs many a time. >> i bet. >> i've done many a protest here. i've arrested people here. i've held pele here. >> olivia has done it all here. >> i've done it all, and there's more to do. >> thinking about the longevity of the show, the subject matter is difficult at times, so many people see something in them that they recognize. >> it's been one of the greatest gifts of my life to tell these stories and connect with people on such a deeply personal and tender level. it's been profound and something i never could have even dreame of. >> and season 26 of "law & order: svu" continues this thursday night right here on nbc

and streaming on peacock. for more information on mariska's organization, you can go to joyfulheartfoundation.org. our thanks to the fly flish club in new york for hosting our conversation. don't forget to subscribe to the "sunday sitdown" podcast to hear the full, extended interview with mariska hargitay, including a look at her friendship and mutual admiration society with taylor swift. you can find that conversation wherever you get your podcasts or just scan the qr code on your screen. and next week, a "sunday sitdown" with another icon, glenn close on the new movie that has her teaming up with jamie foxx and cameron diaz, the latest in an extraordinary 50-year career of unforgettable roles. glenn close next week on "sunday today." let's turn now of temperatures 36 in petaluma

to 54 over one in pleasanton, 48 right now in san jose. under those clear skies, winds calm at the local level, gusty up in the hills. that will continue until ten this morning. so expect the gusty sunday morning start cold nights ahead and that dry weather still continues. we'll look at when we could possibly ahead on "sunday today," our "highs and lows" of the week including a relatable moment for many of us when actor dak shepherd is caught by his wife, kristen bell watching a football game at a dinner party. this one was the golden globes. but, up next, our "sunday spotlight" has us aboard the iconic goodyear blimp as it celebrates 100 years of floating above america's biggest events. we are back in just 30 seconds. oh... stuffed up again? so congested!

you need sinex saline from vicks. just sinex, breathe, ahhhh! what is — wow! sinex. breathe. ahhhhhh! ♪ (“it takes two” by rob base and dj e-z rock.) ♪ ♪ hit it! ♪ ♪♪ it takes two to feel the joy. earn unlimited 2% cash back. 1% when you buy, and 1% as you pay with the citi double cash® card. in the summer of 1925 the goodyear tire and rubber company of akron, ohio, christened the pilgrim, an airship inflated with helium instead of the highly flammable hydro drin gen in blimps. it's become an american institution in the sky, its very presence blending big-game significance to the thousands of events over which it has floated. in our "sunday spotlight" nbc's

jesse kirsch catches a ride to celebrate a century of flight. >> reporter: from nascar to super bowls, san francisco to sin city, when americans look up, the goodyear blimp is there. the goodyear blimp has witnessed more than 2,500 events since its first flight and it's flown about half a million passengers including president ronald reagan as well as trail blazers from charles lindbergh to charles barkley, and this year the iconic airship is making history again by turning 100 years old. takeoff feels like someone just let go of a balloon that happens to fill about 80% of a football field and fly at top speed of 73 miles per hour. >> we can hover, we can hold it in place. maneuverability is fantastic. >> reporter: have you ever been on an airplane that feels like this? >> no. >> reporter: we have reclining seats, we have the tray tables, and they even have a bathroom.

have you ever seen one of these known as the oo with a view? is there any billboard that could ever come close? >> absolutely not. >> reporter: goodyear ceo mark stewart says the original vision for the blimp went far beyond just selling more tires. >> it was getting ready for luxury air travel. the war came and it became a very, very useful thing for the military to protect our folks. >> reporter: amelia earhart christened a ship and it provided the first live tv aerial from above the parade of roses, the most enduring advertising vehicles of all time and also provided a public service. after hurricane andrew in 1992, the blimp beamed messages down to survivors. one of the pilots flying those messages back then, larry

chambers, who in 1987 even found love in the sky when his now wife faye came aboard. were you at all concerned that the pilot seemed to be paying more attention to you than flying the blimp? >> i liked it. >> reporter: within a few years larry and faye were married, where else, but on the blimp. what does the goodyear blimp mean to this country? >> oh, it's kind of like the apple pie. everybody loves the goodyear blimp. >> reporter: a true slice of americana still going strong 100 years young. for "sunday today," jesse kirsch, pompano beach, florida. >> jesse, thank you very much, and happy 100th to the goodyear blimp. this week we highlight another "life well lived." on march 19th, 1944, germany began its invasion of hungary, another step in the nazi march across europe. in the dark days that followed, the career of a promising young jewish hungarian gymnast was cut short but only for a while.

agnes kaletti, a talented athlete and musician, whose father was killed at auschwitz, survived by using fake papers that identified her as christian. after the war she got back in the gym, becoming the 1946 hungarian champion. keleti missed the 1948 olympics with an injury, and by the 1952 helsinki games, she was 31 years old, well past the typical prime for a gymnast. she promptly won the gold medal in the floor exercise, adding a pair of silvers and two bronze for good measure. at the melbourne games four years later, the 35-year-old keleti won an astounding four gold medals and a silver, cementing her place as an olympic legend. as the soviet union tightened its influence over hungary, keleti was among a group of athletes who sought asylum in

australia. then, in 1957, she moved to israel where the ten-time olympic medalist built and guided the israeli gymnastics program for decades, eventually receiving the nation's highest civilian honor, the israel prize. in 2002, she was inducted into the international gymnastics hall of fame. agnes keleti, who escaped the holocaust, to become an olympic champion, died last week in budapest. she was 103 years old. —sounds like you need to vaporize that cold. dayquil vapocool? it's dayquil plus a rush of vicks vapors. ♪vapocooooool♪ woah. dayquil vapocool. the vaporizing daytime, coughing, aching, stuffy head, power through your day, medicine. home. it's where we do the things we love with the people we love. so, what if we lived tomorrow in the same place as we did yesterday? with help, we can.

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it is time for the "highs and lows" of the week, and our first high goes to the countless acts of humanity and heroism duringthis week of devastation and heartbreak in southern california. across los angeles county, neighbors working together have been doing their best with garden hoses and buckets to save homes on their streets. this one in altadena. reporter michelle viaz was live on the air covering one such effort when she dashed into the street to flag down a fire truck.

>> riverside county, please stop. thank you so much. oh, my goodness. praise the lord. >> firefighters did stop and moved in to douse the home and beat back those flames. the brave men and women working around the clock like them under impossible conditions have been taking the time to salvage what they can. firefighters from number 37 station rescued precious belongings from one home burning in the palisades fire. they got photo albums and even the grandfather clock were saved. people across the region were trying to help however they can this week. restaurants across the area have stepped up, too. the staff at santa monica's the great outdoors got cooking and hopped on their motorcycles weaving their way through the ash to hand deliver meals to firefighters on the front lines. just a small handful of the acts of goodwill large and small this

week as southern california shows its best in these worst of times. on a much, much lighter note, we turn to our first low, which goes to getting caught in the act of secretly watching a big game in an entirely inappropriate place. many of us have been there. actor and podcaster dax shepard is a die hard detroit lions fan and the husband of golden globe nominee kristen bell. those two facts presented a bit of a dilemma last sunday night. the lions had a huge prime time game against the minnesota vikings but, of course, dax wanted to be at his wife's side to support her during the globe ceremony n. a very relatable moment, kristen busted dax watching the game on his phone while presenters harrison ford and anthony mackie were giving out the award for best animated film. captioning the video, #priorities. with dax's support the lions blew out the vikings and secured

the top seed in the nfc playoffs. now looking ahead on the bell/shepard schedule, the super bowl falls a full two weeks before the screen actors guild awards which bell is hosting, so they should be in the clear but, then again, there is always a game on. our next high goes to another high-profile couple going viral this week. as walker kessler of the nba's utah jazz got some big news about his girlfriend, abby. >> your new miss america is -- allison. >> oh, she won. let's go! >> kessler watching live on his phone as abby, a nursing student and cheerleader at auburn university, and his college girlfriend, is named miss america. walker absolutely speechless watching with his coach at a restaurant in orlando.

the proud boyfriend later found his words on instagram writing, congratulations abbie. i am so proud of you and everything you stand for. and we offer our congratulations to abbie as well. our final low goes to the bowler in missouri who pulled off a shot so impossibly horrendous, you almost have to admire it. what just happened there? a little slip on the approach and then a late release sends the ball up into the ceiling from wence it never returns. lucky for us and the internet, his brother caught the toss on camera and immediately post it had online. i would point out this guy is wearing a bowling glove, which means he's pretty serious about the game, so i would not rule out the possibility he bounced back to pick up the spare. we'll

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we've got more of your "sunday today" mug shots this week. starting with roberta and tierney on a mother/daughter trip to london standing in front of 10 downing street. how cool is that? ed and barbara in the middle of the shot celebrating their 55th wedding anniversary with david, pam, eliza, daron and aif tara. check out this group on top of table mountain overlooking cape town, south africa. wow. thank you for bringing us along on the trip. a rare mug shot from antarctica. a beautiful glacier on the way to spot wild penguins and polar bears. so cool. how about this one from the top

of st. peter's basilica in vatican city. xavier, vickie and jordan from baton rouge, louisiana, making the trip up those stairs with the mug. amazing. check this out. cindy and wesley are enjoying a morning flight over hickory, north carolina, in their steerman bi-plane. two seats, two mugs. incredible. now eyes on the sky, please. finally, amy with her mug in the florida keys celebrating her 50th birthday, the new year and, most importantly, beating breast cancer. we are thrilled for you, amy. congratulations and happy birthday. as you probably have heard, our dear friend, hodakotb signed off on friday. before getting ready for another morning of television that can range from interviewing a head of state to making a griere omelet wiwith mart stewart, hoda will be up making scrambled eggs in her own kitchen for beautiful

daughters haley and hope taking them to school, exactly where she wants to be. i have had the good fortune of sitting next to hoda many, many times over the years and calling her a friend. i'm here to confirm up close what you already know from watching her for all of these years. hoda is as warm, empathetic, curious, funny and wise as anyone i have ever met. she will be missed desperately, but, luckily, she's staying in the family, and you all will see her again very soon. hoda, we love you. tomorrow morning craig melvin moves over a seat into the chair alongside savannah. we wish him the very best of luck as a new era of "today" begins at 7:00 a.m. here on nbc. thank you for spending part of your morning with us. we'll see you right back here next week on "sunday today.

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