some flooding concerns over the next few hours. all right, kari, thank you. well, one person is dead after an overnight house fire in brentwood. it happened on nicholas court off of central boulevard. firefighters say the person who died was trapped in the garage. so farthey have not been identified. and it's really a messy one for commuters out there. mike, it's the big note is just watch the conditions. mind the conditions. slow down a bit over here at berkeley curve emeryville. the tail lights slowing as they approach the backup at the bay bridge, and sloppy in the south bay as well. all right. wet start to the morning, but we're moving through. all right. thanks so much for being a part of our morning and allowing us good thursday morning. we're following breaking news overseas. >> a suspected terror attack in germany. it's february 13th. this is "today." breaking news. chaos in germany this mornining. a car slams into a crowd in munich.

near the site of a global security conference attended by top u.s. officials and foreign ministers from around the world. at least 20 people injured. the driver taken into custody. we have details from that scene just ahead. relentless. a new round of wild weather, from coast-to-coast. >> it hit the ground. hit the ground out here. >> damaging tornadoes. and flooding across the south. up to a foot of snow from the midwest to new england. and another storm is now hammering the west, leading to this roof collapse at a high school gym. we have the latest and al's updated forecast. breaking overnight, next phase. a federal judge gives the green light to president trump and elon musk's plans to buy out federal workers. layoffs quickly under way and just the beginning. >> you do need to delete entire agencies. >> we are live at the white house.

going up. inflation, once again, on the rise this morning. the cost of everything, from gas to groceries, soaring even higher. what is triggering the rising prices this time. hate speech. kanye west's latest anti-semitic outrage. fury growing over his shocking super bowl stunt. and this morning, the seemingly star-studded response video causing a stir of its own over artificial intelligence. those stories, plus breaking her silence. disgraced tech founder elizabeth holmes speaking out from behind bars. what she is revevealing abt her case, her conviction and her future. and coming up roses. we are getting a jump-start on valentine's day. >> about 50,000 roses just coming in the door. >> taking you inside the flower factory in an unexpected place. today, thursday, february 13th,

2025. from nbc news, this is "today," with savannah guthrie and craig melvin, live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. hi, everybody. good morning. welcome to "today." it's thursday morning. nice to have you with us. laura in for craig who is still on his way home from milan. >> happy to be with you on this busy morning. we want to get to that breaking news. a car plowing through a crowd in munich, germany. >> nearly two dozen people are injured. a major police operation is under way. this is happening at a site of a global security conference. nbc's molly hunter joins us with the latest. molly, good morning to you. >> reporter: savannah, good morning to you. police are calling this a suspected attack. 27 people have been injured. several critically, in munich, germany, according to authorities there. a white mini cooper plowed into a major crowd, gathered for a union protest earlier today. our producer on the scene reports there's a huge police presence.

firefighters, emergency responders. the whole area has been shut down. police say they have, quote, secured the driver on the scene. a 24-year-old afghan man known to pole, in relation to drug and theft incidents. in just a few hours, savannah, as you mentioned, less than a mile away, world leaders arriving in town for the munich security conference. police don't suspect any connection with the conference at the time. j.d. vance and marco rubio are both expected to be there. >> molly, we'll keep our eyes on it. thank you very much. now, to the brutal winter weather here at home, with back-to-back storms impacting a huge part of the country. much of the midwest is waking up to even more snow. this is what it looks like in michigan. >> across the south, heavy rain and flooding and tornadoes overnight. a funnel cloud captured on camera, yesterday in mississippi. this is not over yet. another storm is set to develop over the weekend. it will move across the plains and into new england on monday. >> al has the full forecast in

just a moment. but first, nbc's maggie vespa joins us now from chicago. maggie, how sit looking? >> reporter: hey, laura. good morning. it's looking snowy here, as you can see. all this on the ground in chicago. fell-in the 24 hours. if you can imagine, roads, highways, even air travel, due to this is all a mess across the region yesterday. down south, they are cleaning up again, as this wild week of winter weather continues. from widespread white-outs to sudden and intense flooding. even multiple twisters, down south. >> hey, it hit the ground. hit the ground out here. >> reporter: this week's relentless severe weather isn't letting up. >> this definitely feels like the most this winter. >> i didn't know snow could fall that fast. >> reporter: chicago streets turning into a slushy mess, with drivers caught offguard. >> i slid and wobbled twice. >> great. >> so then i slowed down drastically. >> reporter: across the midwest,

ice and snow-covered highways creating dangerous driving conditions. shovels, salt trucks and snowplows doing what they can to keep up. in virginia, fallen trees knocked out power to 100,000 people. >> don't take risks. just get out of there if you need to and get out of there quickly. >> reporter: farther south, flooding roads in alabama. and cameras catching this tornado in columbia, mississippi. crews clearing debris overnight. millions nationwide enduring an exhausting week. with multiple winter storms. this stunning video showing the roof of an oregon school's gym collapsing under what officials say was 700,000 pounds of snow. and with yet another round of storms already taking shape -- people digging out in philadelphia are focused on one thing, making sure plans to celebrate the eagles super bowl win holds strong. >> as long as we have this

parade on friday, i don't care. >> reporter: end on a light note there. the good news in philadelphia, all the schools are already closed tomorrow for the super bowl celebration. even with this weather, no issue there. laura? >> having a snow day. maggie, thank you. let's go to al. we have so much to keep your eye on this morning. >> absolutely. we are busy. good morning, ladies. good morning to you, as well. 26 million people under winter weather advisories, especially here in the east and up into new england. we can already see some strong storms moving off the coast. before all is said and done, we're talking about 4 to 8 inches of snow, between erie and buffalo, and in northern new england. for today, the next storm on saturday. the next winter storm will intensify east of the rockies. snow into the plains to new england. for the south, really severe weather. that snow will change to ice and rain all along the i-95 corridor. snow will pile up around the great lakes. here's what we're looking at, through the weekend.

anywhere from about 4 to 8 inches of snow from grand rapids all the way to upstate new york and new england. snow, gusty winds and in fact, we expect some real lake-effect snow to start piling up the leeward side of the eastern great lakes. we move to the south. locally, five inches of rain. we're talking about significant flash flooding. river flooding is likely from memphis to charleston. beckley, west virginia, nashville, knoxville, all possibly looking at very severe flash flooding. and to the south, we're looking at a severe weather threat on saturday. jackson, hattiesburg, tupelo, atlanta, all possible, looking at danieling winds, hail, and tornadoes possible. guys, out west, we have a real problem starting to develop atmospheric river in southern california. we'll look at th.we'll look at bit. >> al, we'll check back in a little bit. we're following new developments in president trump's push to remake the federal government. the administration taking new steps overnight to reduce the federal workforce after a judge lifted that freeze on the

president's buyout program. two reports on this, starting with nbc's chief white house correspondent, peter alexander. peter, good morning. >> reporter: good morning. president trump just moments ago, announced he will roll out new round of reciprocal tariffs, matching higher rates other countries charge to import american goods. and now, back to the federal judge ruling you were talking about, allowing the trump administration to move forward, implementing its buyout program for federal employees. to be clear, this is a major win for this president, for this white house, that had seen many of its early efforts to slash the federal work force stalled in court. this morning, president trump and billionaire elon musk's plan to reshape the federal government entering a new phase. >> we want to restore the rule of the people. >> reporter: the trump administration closing the window for its program offering deferred resignations to federal employees. after a judge cleared the program's way yesterday. the white house says 75,000 workers have taken the deal.

though nbc news cannot verify that number independently. the administration had warned that those that did not take his buyout offer, could face layoffs. >> this is what president trump campaigned on doing. >> reporter: and overnight, musk previewing even more dramatic changes. >> we do need to -- um, delete entire agencies. >> reporter: government agencies cannot be shut down without congress' approval. but the president has given musk >> i'm going to ask elon to tell you a little bit about it. >> reporter: and musk's team at the so-called department of government efficiency gained access to major parts of the u.s. government, including the treasury. d recently, the department of education, that provides help to schools throughout the country. president trump has called it a con job. and cnbc reports that musk's team there has taken over leaders' offices. even setting up noise machines to muffle their voices. all of it as democrats object. >> it's a demolition plan that's

going to run through our government. >> reporter: the administration is already scaling back in places like nasa, according to an internal memo. and staff says cuts of newer employees are happening at the department of housing and urban development. that oversees rental help for americans and assists low-income families. and yesterday, the white house instructed foreign service workers to follow the president's priorities or face discipline or separation. as musk weighs in on foreign policy overnight. >> with the new administration, there's less interest in interfering with the affairs of other countries. america should mind its own business. >> reporter: hours after president trump in the oval office spoke about his involvement with the russia/ukraine war negotiations. saying he spoke with both country leaders and he would meet with russian president vladimir putin. >> i want to see people stop getting killed. >> reporter: and president trump ruling out nato membership for ukraine, which would be a victory for putin.

>> i don't think it's practical, to have it, personally. >> reporter: this was a striking turn of events as the war approaches its third anniversary, with president trump speaking with vladimir putin before speaking to ukraine's president, and inviting putin, not zelenskyy, to the white house. this is exactly what ukraine did not want. the russians in the ear of president trump, shaping this conversation before the negotiating begins and still to be determined here, is savannah will president trump stand by the ukrainians or sell them out? >> all right, peter alexander, at the white house, thank you. meanwhile, one of the president's most controversial cabinet picks, robert f. kennedy jr., is poised to become the next secretary of health and human services this morning. his nomination cleared a key hurdle on capitol hill. nbc's ryan nobles following all this for us. ryan, what happens next? >> reporter: savannah, good morning. the senate is set to vote and confirm robert f. kennedy jr. after advancing his final

confirmation to the floor 53-47 in a party-line vote. now overnight democrats staged what amounted to a symbolic protest on the senate floor because they do not have the votes to stop kennedy from being confirmed. now his nomination was in doubt at first because of his long history of anti-vaccine comments. but it appears to have assuaged the concerns of a number of moderate republicans, including lisa murkowski of alaska who said in a statement, quote, she sought assurances he would do nothing to make it difficult for people to take vaccines or to discourage vaccination efforts. now it is contentious confirmation hearing kennedy testified he is neither anti-vaccine or anti-industry, despite refusing to rule out the link between vaccines and autism that debunked link he often peddled. this comes after trump's pick for the director of national security or intelligence i should say, tulsi gabbard also was confirmed. she was sworn into office yesterday. she also faced quite a bit of

controversy because of a meeting she had in 2017 with the now-deposed syrian dictator bashar al assad and also because of controversial statements that she had made about russia and vladimir putin. she received only one no vote from a republican and that was from the former senate majority leader mitch mcconnell. is a van? >> ryan, before i let you go. back to rfk jr. a lot of pple health and human services is a huge agency, wonder what exactly will he have power over when it comes to people's healthcare? >> reporter: savannah that is exactly right. this is a major responsibility within the trump administration. robert f. kennedy jr. could be in charge of a $1.7 trillion budget. and agencies that affect the lives of every american, we're talking about the nih, also the cdc, the fda, the centers for medicaid and medicare services. concerns swirled around rfk jr. when donald trump said during the campaign that he would let kennedy go wild on health. now critics have warned that kennedy could face -- there could be cuts for funding for

vaccine development and for research. and that he would have the power to shape and modify advisory committees that provide key recommendations to state and local health officials, including who gets shots and when they can get them. now, kennedy has also said he would shift funding towards what he called more preventive, alternative and wholistic approaches to health, but some of these proposals will need to go through congress and could also face legal challenges. savannah? >> ryan nobles, thank you very much. turning now to the battle against soaring consumer prices. the newest read on the economy showing a higher than expected increase last month. inflation rising half a percent. the largest increase in 17 months. those prices jumping as well. you know it. rent, hotels, apartment costs, up 4%. gas up nearly 2%. and of course, your weekly grocery bill, skyrocketing with the cost of eggs nearly double what they were just a year ago. let's bring in our senior business correspondent christine romans. christine, good morning. nobody wants higher prices, obviously. how does one make financial

plans around this? is this short term? is this here to stay? >> auto insurance, air fares, a lot of things are rising at an uncomfortable pace for a lot of people and certainly uncomfortable pace for the federal reserve wants to b lowering interest rates but at this point probably can't. can't be lowering those borrowing costs for american consumers any time soon because prices are just still rising too high. what does that mean for you? it means your credit card interest rates are still where they are, they're high. auto loans are still where they were. mortgage rates 7.1%, probably aren't going down any time soon. >> we know the egg prices, avian flu is jacking up these prices. other prices are rising as well after a period of decline and the federal reserve said okay, maybe we can cut some interest rates. thought it was landing the plane of lowering inflation while not crashing the economy. so why, why are we going the wrong direction again? >> now you have a new element. that is the policies of the new president. and those are tariffs.

tariffs will add to costs for american consumers and for american businesses and a lot of uncertainty how that will look. reciprocal tariffs the president says he will announce today. 10% tariffs on chinese goods. 10% tax an the border starting to filter through to companies who import goods in the u.s. and to retailers and consumers and you got threats of tariffs as well. so trying to figure out exactly what the cost situation scenario will be in the months ahead as you look at e new policies from this administration. the white house has said that their going to unleash energy and that will lower prices for everyone. but we still do have a gas prices, energy prices, fuel oil prices have been ticking up lately. the president has also threatened 10% tariff on imported canadian oil. that of course could add to the prices that drivers pay especially in the midwest, if that happens. again, the tariff scenario sort of hanging over everything here. >> going in the wrong direction. that's the bottom line. yeah. >> a few things going down, apparel went down, for example. fruits and vegetables went down.

the post christmas holiday season sales are in order. some relief in these numbers. appliances, furniture prices went down a little bit, but again, 3%, that inflation number is higher than the fed would like. >> mattresses, let's not forget mattresses. it's presidents day weekend, christine. you know there are some burners on mattresses. >> stuff your money under there. >> appreciate it. turning now to this two service members recovering this morning after ejecting from a navy jet just seconds before it slammed into the san diego bay. take a look at this. you can see the jet plunging straight into the water. now, thankfully no one was hurt on the ground. and the two pilots had ejected just moments before impact. they were pulled from the water by some people on a charter fishing boat who had witnessed the entire incident. some quick-thinking there. the pilots are said to be in good condition. the navy is still investigating the cause of the crash. all right. let's go over back to busy al roker who has so much on that map. >> that's right. well, we have heavy rain down through the southeast on into florida. mid section of the country looking pretty good. a little on the chilly side, but

at least sunny from texas into the plains. another storm coming into the west and a flood risk in southe california. we're going to look at that coming up in the next half hour. but we're going to get to your local forecast in the next 30 seconds. that nourish every inch, straight from the shower. effortlessly making all of you feel lotion-soft all day. new dove body wash hour lotion-soft skin, now from your body wash. a microclimate weather alert with widespread heavy rain moving through with this atmospheric river. but as we see with storm ranger, some of the pockets of heavy rain is now moving through antioch, as well as discovery bay, concord, as

well as hayward and union city, and down to the south bay. we will see this activity tapering off and scattered thunderstorms in the forecast into weather. guys? >> al, thank you. still ahead this morning the outrage just growing other the latest anti-semitic rant from rapper kanye west. and now, a controversy surrounded a celebrity-i.a. generated response to his hate-filled messages. and elizabeth holmes speaking out from prison for the first time. what she is revealing about her life behind bars and unexpected plans for the future.

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south bay. there's parts of a gilroy neighborhood knee deep in water. this is near las animas park. looks like at least some of the problem is due to a clogged storm drain. the rain led to flooding on westbound 580 near beaumont and on the approach to eastbound i-80 in oakland. the chp warns driving through pooling water can lead to a driver quickly losing control. our storm ranger is working overtime to get you the best. look at the conditions right now. so is meteorologist kari hall. it's a busy one out there. it is. and we are seeing the rain starting to taper off for the north bay, but it is still dumping down for the east bay, as well as the south bay. and some of the heaviest rain right there around san ramon, as well as dublin over toward hayward and extending across contra costa county. and we've seen the heaviest rain in the santa cruz mountains and moving over toward the south county, where the heavy rain continues. we are going to see this starting to ease up, but still a chance of rain and thunderstorms

throughout the day, and that chance will continue into early tomorrow, so we'll be watching all of the impacts. laura, thanks so much, kari, and don't forget to join us for our today in the bay live streaming newscast. we have updated team coverage on the storm. join us on roku, amazon fire tv, and streaming platforms including nbcbayarea.com and from our app. join us for our midday news. that's coming up at 11:00 this morning with continuing coverage on this microclimate weather alert that we are in this morning. try to stay dry out the and stay in if you're able to. have a good thursday morning.

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that's something i want to believe. [skateboard sounds] okay. let's go. 7:30. across the street, they're rereally getng ready now. closing the street, for this weekend's "snl 50" celebration. it's so huge. what is that? that's a long red carpet,

catwalk. some of the most beloved cast members, hosts, musical guests, will walk that very long red carpet ahead of sunday night's special. >> at nbc, we have so much archival footage. stars have been stopping by. we have a great moment that happened, four legendary weekend hosts got together for an awesome clip coming up. >> okay, that looks good. >> that will be good. first, a lot of news to get to this half hour, starting with the escalating downfall of kanye west. the rapper and designer under fire once again for a series of hateful anti-semitic rants, slurs, stunts just the latest coming during sunday's super bowl. >> one response that calls out that disturbing behavior, while drawing scrutiny of its own. nbc's emilie ikeda is here with the story. good morning. >> reporter: multilayered controversy here. the video showing the biggest names taking kanye to task for

his hateful messages. the problem, it was generated by articial intelligence. and some of the celebrities are not happy with the unauthorized appearances. we want to warn you, this story contains material that's offensive and disturbing. this new video has been seen millions of times across social media. meant to fight back against kanye west's anti-semitism, which recently came to a head after a widely rebuked super bowl stunt. the video showing a dozen well-known celebrities, wearing a shirt that we're blurring, featuring his name below a middle finger with a star of david. while many of the celebrities were outspoken about hate speech, this video was fake. a disclaimer on the post the content wez altered with ai to seem real. apparently without the actor's consent. in a statement, scarlet johannses believes we must call out the misuse of a.i., no matter its messaging.

or we risk losing a hold on reality. the controversial video comes on the heals of an anti-semitic stunt by kanye west who now goes by ye directing viewers to go to his clothing website. after the big game, the site only offered a single item, a white t-shirt with a swastika. the commercial only aired in a few markets, but on the biggest advertising stage of the year. building on a flurry of recent anti-semitic remarks on social media by ye, praising hitler and calling himself a nazi. ye's views have been known for years. he has been restricted from some social media platforms on and off in the past. adidas and other brands ending their relationships after he post anti-semitic comments. >> i don't know what's worse, the fact that he identifies as a nazi, not sufficient outreach to remove and ban him from all social media at this point.

the head of youtube music writing in an open letter to kanye west, your words and actions are not only offensive but triggering to all decent people who recognize the horrors of the holocaust and the suffering of millions. and in a statement, one of the creators behind that viral ai video acknowledged the necessary dialogue around ai but said he hopes the normalization of anti-semitism and hate speech is not lost in the debate over technology itself. >> let's set that aside. that really is the distraction. the main event here is kanye west and this outrageous continued rants, stunts, statements, anti-semitic, as david schwimer says, what's next? what can be done? >> a couple things happening here including the fact that his relatively new talent agency, 33 and west, they dropped him, citing his hateful messages. also that website, the online shop he had selling the offensive t-shirt, that has been shut down by shopify of the e-commerce platform saying he

did not engage in authentic commerce practices. as for his social media accounts, as we mentioned, have been restricted off and on over the years, well, a spokesperson for him said that he had deactivated his x account but this morning it does appear that that is back online. so something to watch. >> all right. >> thank you very much. >> thanks. guys, there's a lot more ahead including an eye-opening look at the surprising place where many of those valentine's day roses you'll hopefully get tomorrow actually began their rose journey. first, disgraced tech breaking her silence from prison. chloe melas has that story. elizabeth holmes telling "people" magazine it's hell and torture to be behind bars and tell you why she says she hasn't given up her ambitions in the healthcare industry that she was convicted of defrauding right after this.

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back, now at back now at 7:39. chapter in a chase that made headlines all around the world. >> elizabeth holmes, the founder of theranos, is serving time for conspiracy. >> chloe melas is joining us with that story. >> reporter: most of us remember the bombshell trial and downfall of holmes' start-up, that promised to predict diseases with just a few drops of blood but gave patients false results. it led to holmes' fraud conviction. but behind bars, she maintains her innocence. and admits tre are some things she would have done differently. is there anything you want to say -- >> reporter: elizabeth holmes speaking out for the first time since being convicted of fraud. and in a voice far differerent

than one she used as ceo of her failed company theranos. >> she didn't resemble the iconic image we remember with the black turtleneck, crimson lipstick and green juices. >> first they think you're crazy, and they fight you and you change the world. >> the baritone voice is now gone. she just talks in a normal voice. >> reporter: in an interview with "people" magazine, from the texas federal prison where she served nearly two years of her sentence for defrauding investors in her billion-dollar start-up, holmes saying, quote, it's been hell and torture to be here. holmes revealing there's not a day she hasn't continued working on her research. and inventions from behind bars. saying that she's committed to her dream of making affordable health care solutions available to everyone. >> she doesn't think she defrauded anyone or lied to anyone. she believes in the technology and d believesne day, potentially, if she had more time, she would have changed the

world. and wants to try to do that when she gets out. >> hello, walgreens. welcome to theranos. >> reporter: in a case that riveted the public and inspired a tv series and documentary, patients that use theranos' medical devices testified they received false diagnosis, miscarriages and diseases, like hiv. following a nearly four-month trial, holmes was found guilty of fraud and sentenced to 11 years in prison which has been reduced to nine for good behavior. holmes is expected to be released in 2032. she appeals her sentence. in the meantime, holmes daily life looks far different than during her years of biotech trail blazer. by 8:00 a.m., she helps women inmates write resumes and prepare to apply for government benefits upon their release from prison and also teaches french classes. twice a week she sees her two young children and her partner billy evans. holmes' first child was born

just before ler trial began. and her second three months before she reported to federal prison. their time together the highlight of holmes' days behind bars. saying good-bye, the hardest part. holmes and her co-defendant, sonny balwani were ordered to $452 million in restitution. holmes said she is speaking out now because she feels passionately about advocating for other prisoners, especially mothers separated from their children. >> all right, chloe, thank you. appreciate it. 42 after the hour. let's go to al and get a check of the weather. >> hey, guys. we're looking out west now, where we have a narrow band of intense moisture, this atmospheric river that's taking aim on northern and central california this afternoon. it will slide down to the south and then start to take aim on southern california, with the burn scars, that's a big problem. 32 million under flash flood watches and warnings, from reading to san diego. you can see the heavy rain is moving in already today.

we're looking at an extreme risk, a moderate risk, i should say, of life-threatening flooding and debris flows from santa barbara to san bernadino. all this rain we are talking some places 1 to 3 inches of rain along the coast. but you look at the mountains that are just north of those burn scar areas, could be 6 to 10 inches of rain in those coastal mountain areas and heavy snow in the cascades. upwards of 8 feet of snow above 5,000 feet at those elevations. kari hall we are under a microclimate weather alert. we are seeing the rain tapering off for parts of the north bay, but still very heavy rain for the south bay, and we are expecting it to start to ease up a little bit as we go into the next few hours. a very soggy morning commute coming through dublin, and we will see a break from the activity through about 10:00 and then the rain picking up again for the aftnoon and a

>> and that is your latest weather. guys? >> all right, uncle al. it's time for our "pop start" sneak peek. it was a pa raid of "snl" all stars. tina fey, amy poehler, seth meyers, all stopping by for a jokeoff. the "weekend update" anchors competing to crack the best jokes on news headlines. take a look. >> here's the next story for valentine's day. domino's is launching a pepperoni-inspired perfume. go. >> it's the perfect way to tell the world, ladies, i'm still single. >> there you have it. >> its tag line is domino's pepperoni perfume, like being in an elevator with joe pesci. >> domino's will end your relationship in 30 minutes or less. >> that's been fun this week. we had will. we had ana. rachel dratch.

and molly shannon. so many of the classic friends are around. so, it will be -- in fact, coming up in the next "pop start" your entree-size "pop start." we'll have a lot more on "snl" and the two sketches that made it to our bracket. and jenna is here. i can hear you in the high heels. we have jenna's "morning boost" on the way after this. >> "morning boost." s being abler loved ones close. and also send them away. rich is living life your way. and having someone who can help you get there. the key to being rich is knowing what counts.

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wide receive, a.j. brown kept a big promise he made to a little fan. trey howard ended up in the hospital after protecting his little sister from debris at the scene of the recent plane crash in philadelphia. brown saw his story and said he would come and visit the brave big bro when he was back in town. and this week, he did just that. mom shared a series of snaps from facebook. the super bowl champ stopped by with serious swag. and of course, he brought the lombardi trophy. how sweet is that? he got on the phone and called saquon barkley. what more could a little philly fan ask for? >> incredible. >> mom wrote in the post, his son who is typically very chatty was stunned silent. but he was smiling ear-to-ear. >> i love that. >> that speaks volumes about a.j.'s character. >> i was saying, this team -- i don't like football. and this sport. but this team is -- are great, great guys. right? >> yes. >> they made me an eagles fan. >> a.j. brown usually wears his pink sneaks on game day so his daughter can spot him on the

field. >> how cute is that? >> how people are celebrating winning the championship. there's a million things. and he takes time to do what's right. he's a champion in life. >> he's the reader, right? a.j. brown. >> no wonder -- >> you know. i have a sweet thing for him. >> a.j.'s book club. >> all roads lead to the book club. >> maybe we start a book club with a.j. brown. >> a great idea. first, coming up, we get you ready for valentine's day with a new list of the holiday's most romantic movies. >> we're honored to have a navy office with us all the kwa from guam. guess what, he's about to give his unsuspecting girlfriend, also here, she can't hear, the surprise of a life time here in our studio. >> what is she thinking? >> it's going to be romantic. >> she has no idea. >> after local news.

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♪ someone who's there. ♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪ reach out and touch faith ♪ good thursday morning to you. it's 756. i'm laura garcia. and i'm marcus washington. happening now. our microclimate weather alert. and that heavy rain overnight. we are starting to see the brunt of this atmospheric river in the south bay. i want to show you some video from gilroy where a parking lot is flooded. we know there are other flooded areas as

well. you see one person trying to clear out the storm drain and give that water some place to go. we've also seen freeway flooding in oakland. this is along 580. and there we did see some drivers trying to drive through those flood waters. and that's exactly what the chp says you should not do. if you cannot work from home today, or you can't delay the start of your day, then make sure you give yourself plenty of time to get where you're going. and we are still under that climate weather alert. it does continue this morning as we're seeing this storm system moving all of this rain over the bay area, and some of the heaviest rain has now moved to the south of us. and so we're going to see a little bit more activity in terms of the possibility of thunderstorms today as we get the more widespread rain tapering off. but across the bay area, it's still going to be quite soggy. and we're seeing the heaviest rain moving through contra costa county as well as the south bay. and this is going to be with us at least for a few more hours, raising the concerns of more

flooding. laura marcus, very concerning. all right. make sure to join us

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it's 8:00 on "today." coming up, breaking news. chaos in germany. a car slamming into a crowd in munich. near the site of a global security conference attended by top u.s. officials and foreign

ministers from around the world. at least 20 people injured. the driver, taken into custody. late details from the scene just ahead. relentless. even more snow blanketing the midwest this morning. down south, heavy rain, flooding and tornados wreak havoc. >> it hit the ground. it hit the ground out here. >> yet another round of storms taking shape this morning. al has your full forecast. and going the distance. meet anna and austin, a very special couple, proving love knows no bounds. >> he shipped out to guam in december of 2023. that was the last time i saw him. it's just facetimes, calls. there is a 15-hour time difference. >> their sweet story straight ahead. all that plus molly shannon live in studio 1a. >> i like to kick, stretch and kick. >> the top valentine's movies ranked.

>> this is a day for you. and our "snl 50" bracket moves on to the final two. >> i'll tell you what. write a number. any number. any number and you win. >> who made the cut? it's all coming up, today, thursday, february 13th, 2025. >> visiting from toronto. >> hi, leo. >> hi, dad. >> celebrating our 32nd anniversary. >> from flower mountain. >> hi to our kids in connecticut and south carolina. ♪ >> good morning to my students in victoria, b.c., canada. >> mother/daughter trip from wisconsin. >> to the "today" show. >> hi, everybody. welcome back to "today." nice to have you with us on this thursday morning. playing a little "romeo and juliet" by taylor. we have laura here. and craig is making his way -- he's taking the long way home from milan.

>> a little pit stop. right to your news at 8:00. much to get to. breaking news overseas that tops our news at this hour. a suspected terror attack in germany. a car slammed into a crowd in munich, which is the site of a global security conference right now. 28 people were injured. nbc's andrea mitchell is in munich with the latest. andrea, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, savannah. 28 people taken to the hospital. the suspect was driving this white mini cooper behind me. and drove into a crowd of people who were here. they were not related to the security conference. they were protesters, union, public workers, protesting for higher wages. so, that was not related to any protest against the security conference, as the top leaders were arriving. the vice president on his way over here from paris, where he had been. and other leaders, the secretary of state coming here. the suspect is an afghan man. he's 24 years old. they say here, according to authorities, he was seeking

asylum here in germany. we don't know fully the motive. but he is certainly under arrest and communicating with them. he was known to police here for a past violations on drug and other criminal charges. nothing related to terrorism. that's the situation. security is obviously tight as all of these leaders are gathering for a major summit. the main focus, of course, is ukraine, and the initiatives by president trump. everything that's now happening regarding ukraine, president zelenskyy is also heading here. the conference is starting tomorrow. savannah? >> andrea, thank you very much. to the middle east now. hamas said this morning it will release the next group of israeli hostages as planned. it's a move that could help resolve a major dispute that had threatened that ceasefire in gaza. hamas statement indicated three more israeli hostages would be freed on saturday. now, hamas had threatened to delay the next release, accusing israel of failing to meet its obligations to allow tents and shelters. there was no comment from israel

on today's announcement. a huge winter storm that dumped heavy snow and rain across the country is still leaving its mark this morning. across the midwest, daeng rouse driving conditions. iowa got nearly a foot of snow. chicago seeing six inches around the city. down south, flooding, possible tornadoes in mississippi and alabama and this extreme weather is not over yet. another big storm is on the way this weekend, which brings us to al roker. the northeast looking a little snowy there. >> that's right. good morning, guys. good morning to you. 26 million people under winter weather advisories. we'll look at another four to six inches of snow. the leeward side of the great lakes. strong storms down through the southeast. now here comes this next storm for saturday. it will bring snow from the plains to neengland. severe weather again down to the south. as we move into sunday, this snow will change to ice and rain along the i-95 corridor. however, we're going to see those winds really kick in again and bring some lake-effect

snows. generally, from detroit, buffalo, syracuse, on into new england, we're talking 4 to 8 inches of snow possible. whiteout conditions as the lake-effect snows kick in. then, we're also looking at heavy rain, flooding possible. we're looking at river flooding likely. significant flash flooding from memphis, to charleston. upwards of 5 inches of rain. that flash flooding from beckley, west virginia, nashville, tupelo, as well. heavy rain down to atlanta. and more severe weather, we've got from chattanooga, atlanta, down to mobile, louisiana, lake charles, into new orleans. a really enhanced area right from tupelo, jackson, hattiesburg and alexandria. we'll be watching that closely, as well. guys? >> all right, al. thank you for that. a friendly reminder for anyone who may have forgotten, tomorrow is valentine's day. you're welcome. before you run off to the florist, be prepared that bouquet is going to cast you

cost you more this year. nbc's marissa parra is in miami to explain why. marissa, what gives? >> reporter: hey, laura. well i know it might be hard to tell but i'm in a sea of roses right now. it's hard to tell because they are boxed up, ready for shipping. these are going to make some people very happy in kansas, tennessee, colorado. it is a 24/7 job making sure these get to their valentines in time. 1,500 tons from miami international airport. why here? the answer is simple. location, location, location. call it the super bowl of the flower world. valentine's day, as florists nationwide working overtime, arranging $3 billion flowers for the holiday. and chances are your valentines blooms landed first in miami. they have a layover at miami international. why is miami at the center of it all? >> miami is just geographically the perfect spot. >> reporter: fedex gave us a

behind-the-scenes look, as the bud mostly from colombia, ecuador were loaded into a cooler. no tropical miami weather here, but a brisk 37 degrees. >> this cold preserves the flowers to the extent possible. >> reporter: but before they get into your hands, they are in the hands of customs specialists, inspecting for bugs and disease. >> it's a 24/7 operation. this process is repeated in probably 60 or 70 facilities around the airport. >> reporter: all of it happening fast so the flowers stay fresh for delivery. how long are they here in miami for? >> just a couple hours. from the time it goes from the flower growers and it's cut, packed, transported and delivered. in under three days. w. wow. >> reporter: miami international airport is expecting a record-breaking 90,000 tons of cut flowers from january 1st to february 28th. a 3% increase over the same time last year. julio co-owns flowers in the

stirks says meeting the demand means extra hiring. >> valentine's has to be one of the busiest days of the year that we have. with all of the flowers coming in and especially roses. probably -- getting about 50,000 roses coming in the door. >> reporter: a dozen of them will cost you extra this year. the bouquet of roses is $90, up 2%. it's a small price to pay to show a special someone you care. >> one of these boxes is for my wife. >> reporter: now, the national retail federation says only candy beats out flowers as the most popul valentine's day gift. if you are one of the lucky 40%, there's a chance one of the boxes here has your name on it i'll send it back to you in the studio. >> there's hope, marissa. thank you. appreciate that. much more ahead, including "pop start." what you got, carson? >> i think i'm splurging for my wife this valentine's. give her a dozen eggs. instead of flowers. i'm going to let it go. you have spoken.

we appreciate it. the two iconic "snl" going in head to head in the final of the wildly popular snl 50 bracket challenge. >> i'm so nervous about that, carson. back to love. back to valentine's day. we're going to make it work with her boyfriend. he's 8,000 miles away. a 15-hour time difference between them. that's long distance. she's going to tell us how they keep it close. their inspiring romance right after this. don't have to settle. ask your gastroenterologist if switching to rinvoq is right for you. it's one of the latest treatments from the makers of humira. rinvoq works differently than humira and may help. rinvoq is a once-daily pill that can deliver rapid symptom relief, lasting steroid-free remission, and helps visibly reduce damage of the intestinal lining. rinvoq can lower ability to fight infections. before treatment, test for tb and do bloodwork.

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family. her dad is a retired air national guard. her brother is a reserved marine corps. but her boyfriend who is deployed overseas with the navy. his name is austin and they are stronger than ever, despite being 8,000 miles apart. we're going to talk to her in a moment. first, a look at anna and austin's love story. >> he is just an extremely kind guy. >> reporter: anna joyce says it was easy to fall in love with austin. >> we met in high school. we were friends at first. we started dating after he brought me a cup of coffee. we spent every day we could with each other after that. >> reporter: that all changed when he enlisted in the u.s. navy in 2020 and left for training. >> it was definitely really, really hard on our relationship. but we worked through it. i got impatient with him. >> reporter: her patience strong, and her love for him, stronger. anna cheered austin on thrhroug boot camp, school and the couple's greatest challenge yet,

a long development to guam. >> he was electrician work on a submarine. he shipped out in december of 2023. that's the last time i saw him. just facetime calls when we can. there is a 15-hour time difference. >> reporter: while communication can be tough, anna says hope is what guides her every day. >> i definitely think he's the one. we've been through a lot of challenges and a lot of trials. but i think the fact that we made it through all of these already, means we can make it through anything. >> anna, it's good to have you here. it's a good way to remind people that there's people serving overseas and they have loved ones at home. and they are so missed on holidays. how hard has that been to keep the love alive at a distance? >> it's definitely hard. i don't take anything for granted. whatever he says and does, i'm all for it. live in the moment. >> you were saying, the time difference is a lot. he's been gone for 18 months. but we have a little surprise

for you. he actually is going to skype in right now. >> really? >> because he wants to wish you a happy valentine's day. >> is it valentine's where you are? >> hi, austin. >> hi, good morning. happy valentine's day. >> i miss you. thank you. >> i miss you, too. >> he can see you right now. austin, i know you are excited to do this and surprise your love. i heard you have a special question you wanted to ask her. >> yes, there was. i want to ask it in person. >> hello. will you marry me? >> oh. >> hello.

>> hi. will you marry me? >> that's a hug 18 months in the making right there.. hi, austin. welcome. >> how are you? >> congratulations. are you shaking? >> a little bit. >> yes. >> okay. we surprised you. you guys haven't seen each other in a long time. and y'all are engaged. >> yeah. >> oh, my gosh. >> are you shocked? >> yes. >> are you speechless? >> yes. >> austin, how come this woman is the one for you? >> she just is. it's kind of hard to explain. but when you know, you just know. >> she told us she is going to move to guam. >> later this year. >> later this year. >> yes. >> do you have -- what's going through your mind? >> i mean, i'm in shock, honestly. i don't know what to say. >> you said yes. >> i actually think you might have said yes before he asked. >> it's so sweet. this relationship, trying to sustain something over not just

the distance but the time. what is it in guam, yesterday, tomorrow, nobody knows. that's a hard thing to do. you're working on submarines. this speaks to the staying power of this love. >> yeah. we have some flowers for you. >> thank you. >> who are you going to call first? >> my mom. >> think they're watching right now? >> probably. >> did you ask permission from her family? >> yes. >> they know it's coming. >> they know it's happening. >> we're so excited because you get to spend some time together now, as well. >> i know. that's a little bit of a surprise. you guys, we want to surprise you. first of all, we need to thank zale's for that beautiful ring. you will have the weekend together here in new york city. thanks to ihg hotels and resorts. they're providing a three-night stay. can you stay that long? >> yes. >> at the hotel. in the financial district. you can go out for valentine's day because dinner is presented

by metropolitan marcus samuelsson. >> i should say it right. >> we just want to say congratulations. >> thank you so much. >> you can have the weekend to celebrate your engagement. >> thank you. >> you really didn't see this coming, did you? >> i thought something might happen. >> you knew it? >> no. >> at some point, yeah. >> oh. >> you all talked about getting engaged? >> yes. >> well, we're so happy for the both of you. >> thank you. >> thank you. >> congrats. >> congratulations. >> we're in a love bubble now. >> yeah. >> that's great. enjoy the weekend. happy valentine's day. >> happy valentine's day. in the next half hour, jenna will high light a special love story. this one started right here in our studio. you where an incredible match maker. this happened. >> these guys have to get married so i can go to heaven. >> something has to get you there. we have a check of the weather from al. >> hey, guys, thanks so much. congratulations to the happy couple.

we're looking at some heavy rain making its way along the southeastern coast into florida. more heavy rain coming into central california. that will be making its way to southern california, as well. it is awfully cold in the northern plains. the upper mississippi river valley, with teens, single digits. 20s as you get into the central plains. nice and warm in florida, wet. temperatures in the 80s. the heavy rain in the southeast. chilly and sunny in the plains from texas to the dakotas. we have a west coast storm coming in, bringing the flood risk to parts of central and southern california. that's what's going on aund the country.ro

>> that's your latest weather. best time of the morning. >> all right, guys. that was a nice moment. >> that was funnel. >> they were fun. >> they just got engaged. >> i know. i know. >> you know? >> they're going right to the hotel. >> they get to talk. >> yeah. >> morning show. >> they're running to the cab. it's nice. very nice. >> morning show. >> very nice to do that, guys. >> ke hyu quan, was one of the young actors how he met young drew barrymore. they reunited >> when we met, i had a crush on you. >> you did? >> i had a crush on you. i thought you were so cute.

beautiful. and we're having a fun time. and when we came back, remember? we had a date night. >> yes, we went to dinner. >> we went to dinner. >> you have pictures of that. >> look at that. that is -- by the way, it gets better. drew said she was crushing on ke, too, at the time. all the feels and vibes. something could have been. sorry, hank. >> doesn't that take you back to your sixth grade crush. spin the bottle. >> they didn't end up together. but sods like steven spielberg is taking a run at your matchmaker crown, jenna. valentine's day movie. roku giving us a sneak peek at the most streamed romantic films on the platform. start at number five. kate hudson's classic, "how to lose a guy in ten day." the vampire saga, got you picking, team edward or jacob, twilight. number three, if you're a bird, i'm a bird. i don't know what that means. "the notebook." >> that should be one.

>> that's number three, jenna. and a more recent rom-com, "anyone but you." >> it's new. i didn't know it was that good. now, i want to see it. >> love is new. love is in the air. >> number one? >> maybe a little on the nose. 2010 "valentine's day." everybody is in it. bradley cooper. julia roberts, ann hathaway, jennifer garner. everybody was in this movie. russell crowe was in it and i didn't see it. it's got to be "gladiator." >> and gerard butler. >> we like the list? >> why wasn't "die hard" on there? >> that's a holiday rom-com. >> a christmas movie. next up, "the accountant," nearby ten years later, ben affleck back as the mastermind returning alongside john baranthal. jk simmons. we have a "popstart" sneak peek at the trailer. >> do i make you nervous?

>> an escaped convict, your clients are drug cartels, money launders. >> is that a yes? >> ray king has been murdered. >> you like puzzles, mr. wolf? >> i need your help to finish the job you started. what are you doing? >> waiting for you to finish. >> so you can -- >> do what i need to do. >> yeah. >> did anybody see "the accountant"? >> i did. >> it's good. really good. >> took a minute to get " accontant 2." >> we can look for it in theaters on april 25th. >> not april 15th. that's a lost opportunity. i agree. >> that is a good call. >> do your taxes. finally, "saturday night live" is "snl 50" presenting sponsor, volkswagen of america, is asking them to bring back the iconic sketch, the californians. for the new electric vehicle. we have a sneak peek of that,

too. >> next on californians. >> karina? >> i really missed you. >> what are you doing here? >> i'm out enjoying life in my new volkswagon bug. >> these are like california lounge chairs. >> we can go far on a single charge. who knows where we'll end up? >> "the californians." >> that's a winner, right? that's funny. can't wait to see what other fan favorites show up at this week's 50th anniversary favorite. special. speaking of fan favorites, we have been asking you to vote for the greatest snl sketch of all time. we narrowed it down to the funny final four yesterday. let's get right into the action, everybody. we might have predicted this was going to happen. we'll start with the big battle between more cow bell and the

church lady. will ferrell's bell, more cow bell wins that. let's see what sketch is going to face off in the last round. let's go to the east coast. your choice was chris farley's van down by the river or celebrity jeopardy. guess what, it is going to be a ferrell on ferrell fight celebrity jeopardy. we'll move on to the top two, everybody. >> jeopardy has to take the whole thing? >> will versus will. two of the best. they're all great. no losers in the bracket challenge. we wanted you to vote. who is going to take the title? go to today.com to cast your vote. >> jeopardy. >> jeopardy. >> celebrity jeopardy. >> cow bell. >> by far. speang of snl-a superstar ki

♪ >> bridget i am going to ask you the question, are you okay? >> no. >> so, bridget, any update in the man department? ♪

it's 8:30 on a thursday morning. it may be wet. it may be dreary. we have exciting news to boost your morning. back streets back all right. the beloved music group is going to be here celebrating the 25th anniversary of the hit "millennium." with live performance. >> i mean, come on. >> they're heading to the sphere. did you all see that? >> seriously? >> you have an alert set up? how do you know that? >> i just read the news. >> well, good. >> she is president of the back street fan club. >> bring back trl and do it live from times square? >> oh my gosh. that's so fun wichlgts see your 25th anniversary. i'll raise you 25 more. molly shannon here ready to mark 50 years of "snl." we're going to stroll down memory lane, stretch, kick and

limber up, talk about her most unforgettable characters. also ahead, grammy winner alessia cara going to drop a new album. she is live in studio 1a, to share a sneak peek today. and coming up on our third hour, heidi gardner. another snl star. she'll talk more about the anniversary and giveve us, of course, the behind the scenes scoop on that instant classic beevis and butthead. want more snl? are you tired of it. you'll find it on jenna and friends. our favorite cheerleader, is my co-host, cher-i oteri. and we are going to make a great with my powerhouse. before that, how about a check of the weather? >> a little on the damp side. let's look at the weekend. friday, sunny skies up and down the east coast. one more nice day. snow in the upper great lakes. a southwestern storm moving out. on saturday, big storm outbreaks, lower mississippi and mid mississippi, ohio river valleys. snowy great lakes into the northeast. an icebox in the plains.

sunshine out west. and then on sunday, sunday, strong storms along the mid-atlantic and southeast coast. snow and windy around the great lakes into northern new england. frigid conditions from the plains. a little chilly through the gulf. and we're looking at snow in the western plains. that's what's going on around good thursday morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. we've had such heavy rain moving through the bay area. you want to allow some extra time to get to work or school this morning? it is so sloppy out there. and we're still going to see some waves of rain coming through as we take a look at storm ranger. it's not as heavy as it was earlier this morning, but still, with the steady rain on top of the saturated ground, we may still see some flooding issues over the next few hours, and we'll be >> and that's your latest weather. >> thank you, al. now, to our morning-long celebration of love, to get you ready for valentine's day. >> you remember one year ago, we hosted "today's" first-ever live

speed dating event. emma and eli met that morning. they talked for three minutes before moving on to other dates. but that was enough time for each of them to realize they had a very special connection. and today, they are back on our plaza because they are celebrating their one-year anniversary. >> made it. >> way to go. >> hi, guys. how are you? you found love on the "today" show. >> we did. >> yes, ma'am. >> you did? >> who set you up? >> you did. all thanks to you. >> that is never -- >> that's a real leading question. >> emma and eli, you chatted for three minutes. >> uh-huh. >> at the time, we could only match certain couples. you didn't get matched on the show. >> right. >> eli, you got her digits right away. >> yeah. i felt like this was going to be the best match for me. i had to text the producer and make sure i could contact outside the show, even if it wasn't. >> did you feel that same way? i heard he asked a question. you felt charming. >> i did. you asked me, what my ideal sunday was. and --

>> right. the same question that i think she was planning on asking me. once that happened, we felt like there was a little connection. >> eli, you were a charmer. you were wearing -- did you compliment her sweater? >> she complimented me. how did this go. >> she complimented my sweater, it was a bright blue sweater. i said thank you. it matches your eyes. >> that was it. >> smooth. >> you ever try speed dating before? >> n never tried before. hopefully never have to try again. >> in a couple months, come back and get engaged on the show. i'm happy to marry you. >> wow. >> you are relentless. >> did you feel something in three minutes? >> yes. >> honestly, yes. >> like an instant spark. >> really? >> you sound incredulous. >> it's so cool to hear -- >> we have a little something to celebrate valentine's day. >> wow. >> some candy. >> thank you. >> it's good evidence for love at first sight. >> i think what you're asking, when you know, you know. >> is it possible to just know in a moment? >> also, a spark that turns into dating one year later.

congratulations. >> thanks, guys. >> thanks for coming back. >> well done, jenna. we'll put that on your roster. coming up next, can't talk about 50 years of "snl" without this one. the great molly shannon. we'll catch up with her. dave's been very excited about saving big with the comcast business 5-year price lock guarantee. five years? -five years. and he's not alone. -high five. it's five years of reliable gig speed internet. five years of advanced securit. five years of a great rate that won't change. it's back. but only for a limited time. high five. five years? -nope. comcast business 5-year price lock guarantee. powering five years of savings. powering possibilities. comcast business.

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how do you cashback? chase, make more of what's yours. (♪♪) this portion of "today" is this portion of "today" is sponsored by c capital o. what's in your wallet? all right. we're back. it is 8:37. celebrating 50 years of "saturday night live," with the ultimate superstar, molly shannon. during her six years on "snl" molly created some of the most iconic characters. >> she kicked and stretched. and kicked some more as sally o'malley.

she introduceded us to anique way of combatting nerves as mary katherine gallagher. take a look. >> you want to audition or what? >> sometimes when i get nervous, i stick my hands under my arms and i smell my fingers like this. that's gross. >> every time. it's funny. >> oh, molly. >> hi, molls. >> so happy to be here. so nice to be here. >> you are having a homecoming week. you posted the cutest picture. i'm back home. i'm at 30 rock. what it's like to be in this vibe? >> it's exciting. and i forget, i get nervous. i think -- there's nothing like live performance, as you know. and i forget the adrenaline. so, it's so exciting. it feels like coming home. and i just want to honor lorne and all he's done. and being part of this institution is incredible. i'm so excited to see everyone. it feels like, i can't wait until we're done with the show and we get to celebrate. >> the party. >> what's lorne like? i feel like americans have heard

his name for so many years, master mind behind the show. you guys are close. >> so close. >> do you remember when you first met him? >> when i first met him, yeah. i got flown out to meet with him after my audition. and he was just so nice. and i met a businessman on my plane over from my meeting with lorne. i said, do you have advice to give me? and he said, you know, ask lorne opinion questions to get him talking. it was really good advice. not one-word answers. it was good. i asked his opinion. we got a along gre. and it was, like, maybe a few weeks later, he came to l.a. was like, so, do you want to come to new york with us? it was that kind -- >> i just dying right there. >> dying. >> mary katherine, i was reading this morning. when you proposed this character, maybe people didn't quite get it. you almost didn't make it on to the show with mary katherine. >> yeah. you put the sketches in the read through. and i had done the character in my stage show and it's very physical.

i fall through chairs. at the table read, they wod read, oh, she falls into chairs and gymnastics. i don't know dp they knew -- >> so when it was the dress rehearsal, they put it really low on the list. usually stuff they maybe don't believe as much on the list, it might get cut. i was kind of mad. i was like, i think they're not getting what this is. so i'm going to have show them in the dress rehearsal. i did it and the audience loved it. then you go into lorne's office between dress and air to find it what made it in the show to see if you got cast in the play. mary katherine got moved from the bottom to the top. it's good i did create a character that was so nervous. i, molly shannon, get really nervous. you could use your nervous energy and pour it into the character. >> but molly shannon does not put her hands under her armpits. >> well. >> the story there is that whitney houston famously did it. if i'm not mistaken, you've told us a bunch, i think like anna

was dressed and ready to go live because whitney wasn't there. >> yes. whitney -- i wanted whitney in the mary katherine gallagher sketch. it was a christmas skesh. they said you're never going to get whitney houston. she won't be in a mary katherine gallagher. can you be in it? you have to try to outsing me. i'll do it. but then the night of the show, she wasn't there. and i was -- i was panicked. and so they had to get anna dressed up to do whitney's part. then at the last second -- >> she is so great. >> five seconds before we went on, whitney showed up. she came out and she killed it. >> she really nailed i. >> she nailed it. it was a classic sketch. at the end, she was surrounded by a crowd of people. she saw me. she was like, molly, girl, you're crazy. and she was so sweet. >> what about the kick, stretch, and your 50 and proud. why can't i -- >> sally o'malley.

>> sally o'malley. >> look at her. >> oh my gosh. >> could you still do these moves, molly? >> i can still do that but i would have to stretch. i would have to prep by stretching, yeah. >> you know what i love about you, you loved being in "snl." reminded me at mtv. this is a good steppingstone. i'm not trying to act. i don't want to be famous. i just love music. mtv is my end game goal. i felt like snl was that for you. >> that's how i felt, carson. oh, snl is such a good steppingstone. a steppingstone? >> this is the destination. >> this is it here. >> i thought i would just be a waitress at bob evans serving sausage and hot cakes and coffee. >> yeah, me, too. >> it exceeded my dreams. i could be here forever. it's the greatest job ever. and there's nothing like the live performance. so, no, i felt the same way. >> and boot camp you were in, you had spade. you had fallon was there at the time. so many. >> i started off with sandler,

spade, farley, all those guys. then will. and anna, sherry all those guys came on. >> oh my gosh, wed a anna on earlier this week. we did on morning television play some shweaty balls. >> i can't believe you did that. >> it was good times, as y would say, good times. >> by the way, will was here. we asked him about the special this weekend. typical snl, we don't have any idea what's happening. can you give us any idea? >> will and i are still so close. well, no. we really don't know. i mean, i do know what i'm in. but i think we're not supposed to say anything because they want it to be a surprise. >> i know. we want to be surprised, too. >> it's going to be so fun. i'm so -- you both look so phenomenal -- you look so pretty in pink, savannah. >> let's just say that molly's legs are still rocking. you got it, sister. >> thank you. >> let's go. >> i wouldn't know. you're the best. >> thank you so much, carson. so good to see you. >> have a great weekend. it will be fun. >> thank you, yes, yes. >> can't wait to see you. well, if you need a date to the afterparty, we'll go. right? that will be epic.

snl 50, the anniversary special kicks off sunday night on nbc and peacock. laura, over to you. >> up next, grammy winner alessia cara is here treating us i'm not happy with the way that pg&e handled the wildfires. yeah. yeah. i totally, totally understand. we're adding a ton of sensors. as soon as something comes in contact with the power line, it'll turn off so that there's not a risk that it's gonna fall to the ground and start a fire. okay. and i want you to be able to feel the improvements. we've been able to reduce wildfire risk from our equipment by over 90%. that's something i want to believe. [skateboard sounds]

the citi concert series on "today" is proudly sponsored by citi. >> we're back with such a talented singer/song writer. known for wearing her heart on her sleeve, alessia cara. >> love alessia. you know all this. you burst on the scene in 2015, with a powerful anthem. first canadian artist to win best new artist in the grammys in 2018. >> her music has been streamed more than 12 billion times. now alessia is ready to enter her xt chapter with her new album "love and hyperbole."

so glad you're here, alessia. >> thank you. happy to be here. >> this album is a collection of all the things you love. so fitting it will drop on valentine's day. what should people expect? >> they can expect a few different things. the dna of me and my voice is still in there. but i think it's more refined and more sophisticated version of the music i've been releasing. i've been doing this for ten years now. a lot of growth, hopefully that people can hear. but it's just kind of a telling of the last three years of my life and just my view on love in all different facets. >> i know you have an exciting announcementbout going out on the road? >> yes. >> do tell. what it is? where are you going? >> we're going on tour. i'm so excited to finally be able to say that. we're going to north america, europe, asia, australia. >> what? >> basically a world tour. a long time away from home, that's for sure. >> are you looking forward to that? >> yes, so excited. >> what's it like when you sing these songs that are so personal to you and take them out and perform them live?

>> it's very exciting. nerve racking a little bitit, n going to lie. but the adrenaline and excitement means we care and we're excited. i think it will be really cool. >> when did i interview you? you were just -- here the ing sinkle you were promoting. you were so young and in l.a. when you came on my show. you were such a star. i'm glad your killing it. this record is so great. >> thank you. >> people are going to love it. i'm so happy for your career. >> thank you so much. you're the best. >> great to have you band up early. thank you so much. ready to do it? >> all right. here is alessia cara with "fire." >> thank you, guys. ♪ ♪ take me up and take me home ♪

♪ reaching through my skin and bones ♪ ♪ changing my dna, inch by inch minute by minute ♪ ♪ all the time i used to waste ♪ ♪ always falling by mistake ♪ ♪ but you're rushing to my brain ♪ ♪ like it's nothing i'm jumping in headfirst and ♪ ♪ ooh, i'm on fire ooh, i'm on ♪ yeah, ooh, i'm on f ♪ ooh, i'm on fire ♪

♪ pick me up ♪ yeah, ooh, i'm on fire ♪ ♪ pick me up and set me free golden boy in dirty jeans ♪ ♪ painting me in your light wonder why i couldn't see it ♪ ♪ all the time i used to waste always falling on my face ♪ ♪ but you're rushing to my brain like it's nothing ♪ ♪ i'm jumping in headfirst ♪ ♪ ooh, i'm on fire yeah, ooh, i'm on fire ♪ ♪ ooh, i'm on fire yeah, ooh,

♪ i want to be i'm on fire ♪ ♪ i want to be where you are anywhere else is too far ♪ ♪ i want to be where you are be where you are ♪ ♪ be where you are yeah ♪ ♪ i want to take you places i want to keep you safe and ♪ ♪ i want to be where you are be where you are ♪ ♪ be where you are ♪ ♪ ooh, i'm on fire yeah, ooh, i'm on fire ♪ ♪ i'm on fire yeah, i'm on fire ♪

♪ ooh, i'm on fire i'm on fire ♪ ♪ i'm on fire ♪ >> yeah. that's how you do it alessia. >> thank you so much. >> nice job. thank you, band. >> amazing. >> that's not an easy song to sing this early in the morning. could you wake up out of bed and hit those notes. >> no. a lot of honey. a lot of prayer. >> vocal warmups. >> your voice is so good. >> whatever you're doing is working so keep going. that's amazing. >> thank you so much for having me. >> she'll be back in our next hour with the next song and reminder, "love and hyperbole" is out tomorrow. we are back in

all right. want to tell us about birthdays, al? >> absolutely. let's spin that smucker's jar and see who we have up there.

first up, happy 100th birthday julian b. moe says of brooklyn new york. a world war ii veteran. who retired after years of being a teacher for underprivileged children. thank you for your service. hazel from charleston, massachusetts, 100. best piece of advice, do not dwell on the past. look forward to the day and the future ahead. great advice. happy 100th birthday to martin of monroe, new york. his secret to longevity, twinkies for breakfast and lots of junk food. way to go. happy 100th birthday to martha of west palm beach, florida. she's an athlete that enjoys a great game of golf and friendly tennis match. janice from merion, pennsylvania. she's 100. great grandma to 15 great grand kids and loves spending her days at the beauty parlor. it's paid off. and hahappy 100tbirthday to peggy of denver, colorado. hits the floor and loves dancing with her loved ones. coming up, jenna has cheri

we are under a microclimate weather alert right now at 856. and as you're heading out, we are seeing some breaks in the rain activity. after such heavy rain earlier this morning, it's still pouring in walnut creek. but do expect the rain to get lighter as we're seeing the heavy rain now shifting to our south. but the remnants and that area of low pressure will continue to move through as we go throughout the day. there will be a chance of thunderstorms kind of off and on throughout the afternoon and into this evening, which also increases the risk of flooding as we get additional raiainfalln top of this already saturated ground. watch out for those puddles in the potential of flooding as you're heading out this morning. our weekend is looking drier and temperatures will be milder. get the nbc bay will be milder. get the nbc bay area app mmmm... planet oat's so creamy and not watery like- exactly! and unsweetened has 0 grams of sugar. and it's an excellent source of calcium.

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powering five years of savings. powering possibilities. comcast business. hour of "today," winter's wrath. tornados in the south. a foot of snow in parts of the midwest. we're keeping an eye on the next storm. we'll have the forecast. plus, business is bloo