>> from fires to floods. a relentless rainstorm triggering mudslides and nash floods across southern california a month after fires

ripped through l.a. county. how long will the system last? the ukraine war in focus as world leaders gather in munich for a key security meeting. the meeting coming just hours after a car plowed into a crowd injuring dozens. the federal worker purge. overnight the trump administration moving to fire thousands across the government, from the education department to veterans affairs. we're live with the new round of cuts and the late court order to resume foreign aid spending. uproar at the justice department. six top prosecutors resign, revolting over the order to drop the corruption case against new york mayor eric adams. more time on the clock for tiktok. the social media giant returns to the google and apple app stores. love is in the air and on tv. the best romantic movies to stream this valentine's day, and holiday deals you're for sure to fall for. "early today" starts right now. .

glad you're with my this morning. i'm frances vera. heavy rain triggering mudslides. a member of the los angeles fire department was swept off the pacific coast highway and into the ocean. he was able to escape his car with minor injuries. parts of the highway were closed due to the risk of more debris flow and rock slides. that same system wreaking havoc in the form of snow further north, causing a massive pileup outside portland, oregon. some cars catching fire as rescuers reported injuries, and multiple victims stuck inside vehicles. the collision shut down interstate 84 entirely. and the storm is on its way out, but millions remain under flood alerts in california. nbc meteorologist angie lassman joins us with the latest. good morning, angie. from coast-to-coast, something to watch. >> very busy this week indeed, frances. we're going to take that into the weekend as well. the good news for our friends in california, we're going to see

this weather winding down. 14 million people under flood alerts, particularly southern california and the mountainous regions of central and northern california. those are going to continue to expire as the day goes on. but we've got lingering moisture in the picture, specifically across california today. notice the rain will start to ease, but we see that snow spread from the sierra range to the rockies. this is something we stick with through at least the day today. rainfall totals between now and tonight, not all that impressive. but we really don't need all that much more when we're already dealing with flooding issues. about a quarter of an inch but up to an inch in higher elevations will be possible. speaking of higher elevations, the higher up you go the more snow we're looking at across the sierras and rockies. you can see that, up to 9 inches, maybe 12 inches in some of these spots. so impactful when it comes to travel on the roadways. this is something we'll see lasting through tonight. >> thanks, angie. the munich security conference begins today in the

shadow of a car ramming attack that injured at least 30 people. witnesses say a car plowed into a crowd of 1500 protesters. the driver was a 24-year- 24-year-old asylum seeker from afghanistan. ukraine will have a seat at the table of any negotiations. let's turn to e hamamdjian. >> reporter: it's moving rather quickly. even if european allies know to expect the unexpected from donald trump, news this week that he spoke directly with vladimir putin and agreed to begin talks to end the war came as a huge surprise, to put it mildly. how discussions will unfold today in munich is still unclear. but the ukrainians have said there are no talks planned with

russian officials at this point. but an even higher-level meeting appears to be in the works, according to the kremlin. plans are under way for putin and trump to meet face-to-face at some point in possibly saudi arabia. the u.s. believes that ukraine must give up territory, a position that's frustrating allies who've said that concessions are already being made to russia before the talks even begin. here's a little bit more from the new u.s. defense secretary, pete hegseth. >> simply pointing out realism, like the borders won't be rolled back to what everybody would like them to be in 2014 is not a concession to vladimir putin. it's a recognition of the hard power realities on the ground after a lot of investment and sacrifice first by the ukrainians and then by allies. and then a realization that a negotiated peace is going to be some sort of demarcation that neither side wants. >> reporter: and frances, there's been a warning from vice

president jd vance. russia has to agree to a deal that ensures ukraine's long-term independence, he says. if it doesn't, the u.s. will hit moscow with sanctions, possibly even military action. frances? >> going even higher, okay, danielle. thank you. breaking overnight, a judge has ordered that the pause on foreign aid be lifted. it calls for assistance passed before president trump took office to temporarily be reinstated while a legal challenge from non-profit groups continues. and overnight, republicans also advanced their budget plans to a full house vote. the blueprint calls for over $4 trillion in tax cuts and sets a goal of $2 trillion in spending cuts. nbc's alice barr joins us. we learned of new cuts to payroll. >> reporter: that's right. a person familiar with the matter tells nbc news that the office of personnel management

advised agency leaders to dismiss probationary employees. it's not clear how many people this will impact. but it could be hundreds of thousands. federal employees can have probationary status for up to two years. an opm spokesperson says the probationary period is not an entitlement for permanent employment. the department of veterans affairs announced it is dismissing more than a thousand employees. but the vast majority of its probationary employees will not be let go because they are in mission-critical roles. nearly a dozen v.a. employees spoke to nbc news and said president trump's actions are driving down morale. democrats held a rally defending the v.a. >> 9 million veterans. they rely on the v.a. for healthcare. and, when you start freezing things, and when you start scaring workers, and when you

tell them you don't want them to work for you anymore, what do you think happens? >> reporter: employees are raising the alarm about elon musk's department of efficiency. two employees say doge staffers have access to software that could be used to transfer vast amounts of data. the white house says musk's team is complying with the law. president trump continues to defend doge. reporters asked if the group will also scrutinize the irs. >> i think that the internal revenue service will be looked at like everybody else. just about everybody's going to be looked at. so it's, they're doing a hell of a job. it's an amazing job they're doing. and, you know, that force is building these, i call it the force of super geniuses. >> reporter: 14 states filed a lawsuit trying to block musk from making changes, calling his authority unconstitutional. the white house says it will fight these battles in court and expects to be vindicated. frances? >> okay, alice, thank you.

our nation has a new health secretary. robert f. kennedy jr. has been sworn in as the new head of health and human services. president trump announced that kennedy will chair a commission focussed on addressing chronic disease. meanwhile, linda mcmcmahon face lawmakers in her hearing for education secretary. she supports the president's plan to return education to the states but admitted that only congress can do that. >> do you agree, let me just once again get your feelings on this. that if there's a movement to abolish the department of education, it has to go through the united states congress. >> yes. the, it is set up by the united states congress. and we work with congress. it clearly cannot be shut down without it. >> the judiciary committee voted to advance kash patel's nomination for fbi director to a full senate vote that will likely come next week. in new york, a dramatic set

of resignations by top prosecutors after the doj demanded that the case against eric adams be dropped. danielle sasoon's office was prepare to announce new charges agaiainst adams. sasoon refused to go along, and multiple other prosecutors have now quit. the justice department has not commented. adams' attorney says the idea there was a quid pro quo is a lie. adams says he did nothing wrong. angie lassman is tracking another new storm. >> another day another new storm. we finally started to see things winding down for the east. we're dry there for now. the west will see better conditions, too. but that doesn't last for long.

for the mid section of the country and points east of that. there's the storm system we're going to watch. this isn't just a saturday kind of thing. this lasts into sunday for some across the east coast as well. we'll see those soaking rains through the southeast, and of course the wintry mix and snow for parts of the northern tier of that region. here's the bull's eye for what we're watching as far as the strongest of storms. some of those could have tornados and strong winds at that plenty of sunshine expected washington, d.c. philadelphia and new york city. and that's a look at your forecast, francis. back to you. >> okay, hope you can exhale somewhere in there, angie, thank you. "early today" is back in a minute with the latest volley in

president trump's trade war. plus 27 countries and zero women. the shocking list of highest-paid athletes. list of highest-paid athletes. okay, y'all. i heard mielle's kalahari melon and aloe vera line is changing the game. up to five days of moisture and no wash days in between? let's see about that. day two, headed to work, but i feel like i'm about to drop a hit single. all the cuties are at the run club. good thing these curls are curling. can you believe this is day five? i think i could go even longer. up to five days of lasting moisture. endless possibilities. imagine what you could do in five days. still congested? nope! uh oh. mucinex 2-in-1 saline nasal spray. spray goodbye. aaaaaaahhhhh! mucinex 2-in-1 saline nasal spray with a gentle mist and innovative power-jet. spray goodbye to congestion. it's comeback season! ♪ it's native ♪ 24-hour moisturizing body wash that locks in four times the moisturizers of your old body wash! wow! and just 12 ingredients! heavenly!

clean, moisturizing body wash isn't a myth- it's native! president trump is ramping up the trade war with reciprocal tariffs. but first, despite a looming ban in the u.s., tiktok is back on apple and google's app stores this morning. charlotte reed is here with the details. >> the social media had been removed from the google and apple app stores when it briefly went out last month. and this was after a u.s. law banning tiktok on national security grounds came into force. since then, president trump said he would postpone the enforcement of the ban by 75 days and try to find a solution with the owner of the app, bytedance, including a potential joint venture with a u.s. company. now apple and google eventually

decided to bring back the app on their stores after receiving reassurance from the trump administration that it won't face legal liabilities if they host the app again. now on to other news. a mega partnership. that's what the president and norendra modi announced yesterday at a joint press conference. the two leaders signed an agreement to double bilateral trade between the u.s. and india. and the deal could see them buy more oil and gas from the u.s. as well as fighter jets. now trump had criticized india for having tariffs too high on u.s. goods, but this announcement comes just hours after president trump announced swiping plans to announce reciprocal tariffs on countries including the european union. this could come into place in

april. sportico announced the highest-paid athletes. and the biggest surprises may be the names not on it. antonia hylton looks into the numbers. >> reporter: the new ranking of the 100 highest-paid athlete social security now out. and there are a lot of familiar faces on it. number one is christiano ronaldo, the soccer player, making about $260 million. and then other familiar faces like steph curry and lebron james. but one group is missing. women. there are absolutely no women on this list at all this year. and this is the second year in row that this has happened. this list is compiled by sportico and described the challenge women are facing are the far, far lower base salaries. you may be wondering where coco gauff and caitlin clark fit. in order to put coco on the list think would have to extend it to

125 athletes. she made $30 million. still $7 million less than the lowest-ranking man on the list of 100. if you're wondering where caitlin clark would fall, they told us you're talking somewhere around or after 750th. that tells us just how far we have to go after the record-setting year the wnba has had. the immense new viewership. new people brought into the sport and brought into the fold. even with all that, women still have a long, long way to go. back to you. >> antonia, thank you. still to come, no disrespect to the super bowl halftime show. but the biggest concert of the year is happening right across the street from us. the latest on tonight's epic snl tribute right after this. ic snl tribute right after this. join us every saturday morning on nbc for mutual of omaha's wild kingdom: protecting the wild. and celebrate conservation success stories. stream all episodes on peacock or nbc.com [fighting scene] —ugh! here we go again —wait there's a red hulk now? excuse me... what do i do about this?

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game changing for a network show. >> here we go. >> excitement, energy, adrenaline. >> absolutely [ bleep ]

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >> i'm on snl and you're not. >> the show, hosted by jimmy fallon, airs live on peacock tonight. at 8:00. i love everything that's happening with its huge 50th anniversary. and all the documentaries that have come with it. i hope they make documentaries out of everything that's coming out of this concert show. because we, that will keep us going all year. >> it really will. i enjoyed the throwbacks of looking back at all the history of snl over the past 50 years. now to the millions of couples who might skip that concert tonight, because they'll be watching a valentine's day classic instead. roku revealed its list of the most popular romance movies in every state across the u.s. the 1987 oscar winner "moonstruck" was the choice in

eight states including new jersey and massachusetts. other top films include sweet home alabama, crazy rich asians and my bloody valentine. there are options for everybody. and an endless array of options when it comes to rom-coms and everything in between to celebrate. >> we know, you know, millennials and gen x. the modern day ones that are coming out right now. up next, whether you are going out or ordering in, we have the best valentine's day deals. and the kayaker's video making a splash in chile. how he escaped from the whale's mouth. escaped from the whale's mouth. you're joking. tell me you're joking. uh, it's a little early for jokes, but here it goes. this muffin goes on vacation— what's happening? you said “joking” three times, that's why i'm here. uh, anyway, so this muffin— well i was just excited about my new car. -new car? oh, you don't need a joke, you need a jake. [singing] like a good neighbor, state farm is there. your state farm agent can help you choose the coverage you need. alright, i've got a show, so— you forgot your toothbrush, jimmy fallon! like a good neighbor, state farm is there.

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before spitting him out. all captured on camera by his father. he was able to swim to safety unharmed. you can get $20 off any bouquet through doordash from one seller. and members of burger king's loyalty program can buy one whopper and get one for free today. happy valentine's day. today. happy valentine's day. and aloe vera line is changing the game. up to five days of moisture and no wash days in between? let's see about that. day two, headed to work, but i feel like i'm about to drop a hit single. all the cuties are at the run club. good thing these curls are curling. can you believe this is day five? i think i could go even longer. up to ve days of lasting moisture. endless possibilities. imagine what you could do in five days. can neuriva support your brain health? mary, janet, hey! eddie, no. frasier, frank.

frank? —fred, how are you? —fred! support up to 7 brain health indicators, including memory. when you need to remember, remember neuriva. ♪ it's native ♪ aluminum-free, 72-hour odor protection with just 6 ingredients. have you seen what's in your old stuff? there's more than double the amount of ingredients in this deodorant! clean, effective deodorant isn't a myt—- it's native! we are back with a man who holds all the cards for saturday night live. it's not just the writers, cast members and celebrity guests that make each episode happen. there's also the show's unsung

heroes, the cue card team. mark barger spoke with them ahead of this weekend's 50th anniversary special. >> i got no cue cards, man. what am i going to do? >> reporter: way back in 1982, michael keaton feigned a freakout that he wouldn't have a cue card. >> i know it's hard to believe, but 'm reading a cue card right now. >> reporter: this remnant of tv's earliest days remains essential. >> the show would truly not be able to run without them. >> reporter: that's because sketches are constantly being revised, even when the show's on air. wally knows. >> it's all about spacing. >> reporter: he's been doing it for 35 years. >> wally, lower the cards. >> reporter: he leads a team of ten who write, keep track of and update roughly 1,000 cue cards per episode. >> host for snl is in black.

and the other cast members share red, blue, green and brown. >> reporter: occasionally, rookie hosts start their week mistakenly thinking they'll memorize everything and won't need cue cards. >> then on friday they'll kind of come up and say, hey, if i wanted to use the cards, where would you be? and by saturday they're like, all right, i'm using the cards. they just don't understand how much the show is rewritten in changes. >> reporter: it's basically too much content to rely on teleprompters that aren't always reliable. >> so they break and things happen. cards don't break. >> reporter: that's not to say the cue cards are immune from trouble. >> the cards fell down. >> the cards fell down? that's like your full nightmare, wally. >> reporter: that happened on "late night with seth meyers," and snl 40 was nearly disastrous. >> i wasn't smart enough to wear sneakers instead of the tuxedo shoes. not only was i holding them, i

was slipping because the shoes were slippery. >> reporter: they brace for the snl 50 special that could have as many as 2500 cue cards, requiring five extra staffers to manage them. >> i'm excited. i'm nervous, just because of the amount of work it is. but it's special. it really is special. >> reporter: and special for me to say, almost live from new york. mark barger, nbc news. >> i love it. wally gets his airtime all the time. snl's 50th anniversary special airs sunday night at 8 eastern. that's what i will be doing. i won't see you all next w

another round of evacuations in california. this time over mudslide concerns, as a massive rainstorm pummels burn-scarred hills. the same system