cancelled and more than 3,000 delayed flights. this look at flight aware's misery map shows they have a long way to go and it's not sitting well with frustrated passengers. >> we came from salt lake city. we were supposed to fly out at 12:00. they said all but two vegas and albany new york, was all canceled. >> the plane was delayed out of san diego about three hours. then they made good time getting here. we landed nicely and everything. good landing. then we just sat on the runway on the tarmac, i guess you call it, for approximately three and a half, almost four hours. >> meanwhile, new york and new jersey remain under a state of emergency and governors in both states are urging residents to stay at home. nbc's craig melvin picks up the coverage from central park.

>> reporter: hey there, milissa. either they are ignoring the mayor's request or they are from out of town and did not hear the request to stay inside. as you can see behind me, lots of folks in central park are having a good go at it today. we have a snow ball fight. we've seen a number of sleds and skis as well, joggers are back out. this was not the case three hours ago. it was incredibly cold, 15 degrees before the wind started to blow. that wind howling at one point. those gun metal gray skies, they just started to break apart here maybe about two or three hours ago. it turned out to be a decent day if you can stand the cold. this is the warmest it's been so far today here in new york city. it's about 21, 22 degrees right now. again, that's before one of those wind gusts. we haven't seen a lot of gusts but there have been a few here and there over the past few

hours. mayor de blasio, you just mentioned him, he had a news conference about two or three hours ago. this is just a snippet of what he had to say. >> if you do not need to travel today, please stay home. if you do have to travel, take mass transit. yes, there will be some delays. but it will be safe. and it will help us to get the city 100% back in full running order. >> here's the thing. those roads are being plowed we're told by 2500 trucks and we couldn't have timed it better. one of the trucks rolling by me, we've seen lots of those throughout the day in central park. they are all over the primary roadways here. we're also told that those plows for the most part are finding their ways to the outer borrows as well. lots of folks paying close attention to the way mayor de blasio handled this particular

snowstorm. you might remember back in 2010, the city advocate was highly critical of michael bloomberg's response to the 2010 snowstorm saying the mayor did not get the plows and did not get the trucks out to the outer boroughs quickly enough. we're hearing that the response has been pretty good, it remains to be seen how that pans out in the next few days. the story from here on out as you indicated is going to be the cold. it is not expected to warm up at all here in new york city. some of the other areas as you mentioned, chicago and boston, they are going to see some record breaking temperatures. that's going to make the snow removal even more of a challenge. 5 to 6 inches here in central park. out on long island and outer boroughs, that i have seen a lot more snowfall. my colleague is standing by on long island. what are you seeing?

>> reporter: we've got you beat here. we're seeing up to april foot of snow in some areas of long island. we're also seeing some signs that people are digging out and getting back to life as normal. the long island expressway right now, overnight it was shut down around midnight to 8:00 a.m. because of whiteout conditions and get this, 35-mile-per-hour winds just a bone chilling winds. it is reopened again and you can see the asphalt and snow is melting and people are once again traveling on that road despite the warnings to stay inside, if at all possible. meanwhile, we've seen the plows out in force today. and people just slowly, slowly inching around. i've talked to some people who said rather than go home after work last night, they just got a hotel room near their places of employment and didn't even want to risk being out on the road. well, as you can see now, the snow is gone -- rather it's not falling from the sky, it's certainly not gone. we're dealing with inches as i

said up to a foot in some areas, but we do have blue skies and blue sky and sun that came out a couple of hours ago. don't let it fool you, it is freezing cold out here and that is the real danger right now. craig, back to you. >> reporter: all right, sara, thank so much. if it is bad in and around new york city, it is worse in beantown. richard lewis has been hanging out in boston. what's the scene like there, sir? >> reporter: you know, it is, craig, getting better. we were just hearing from kristen dahlgren, it is 12 degrees, quite, quite low but below 4 degrees. you can see people are out walking around as it has been and ice rink just reopened, conner, making sure that it was safe enough was just making sure it was okay. but you know, the tough part was the snow across the city here in

boston. overnight it hit 2 degrees at least, 2:00 or 3:00 a.m. when we were out. for many bostonians they were asked to stay inside and that is what they did. when we look at the problems going forward here, craig, there is the coastline, 150 miles of that under that flood warning up until 3:00 p.m. they are worried about that high tide, that high tide is going to be at noon. and that's when they are going to be so carefully looking at how strong those tidewaters are hitting the coast. logan airport, good thing, that opened at 8:00 a.m. i did see planes taxiing. i can see a plane either getting ready to land or circling about or just taken off. what that means here, craig, there's activity. back here at boston harbor on my right, we've got some cookie dough, that is good news, that means they are putting out salt

and things are getting better. behind me we have the famous mound of snow as every snow reporter has behind them somewhere. it is about a foot shorter. that might be an indication of how weather has changed throughout the last 24 hours. back to you, my friend. >> reporter: slowly but surely. thank you. another big story here in new york city, of course, the country's largest school district closed for business today, 1 million kids got a snow day in new york stay. we've seen those kids out and about in central park. in minneapolis, they already decided to shut down the schools for monday, they are expecting record breaking temperatures there in minnesota. also understand they are expecting some record or near record breaking cold throughout much of the upper midwest. rafael is standing by with more on what we can expect over the next few days in terms of

temperatures, hey there. >> the cold will be brutal over the next few days. this is a prolonged stretch of a winter blast starting with the snow in the northeast. now the cold has settled in. as we look is he satellite picture, the sunshine is out across the tri-state, a little bit of snow across cape cod. that's about it. the storm is moving into canada away from us. but the cold has settled in already. these windchills around the tri-state, it feels like 11 below in monticello. most spots are dealing with windchills below zero. it feels like 19 below in bangor and windchills around 25 to 25 degrees below zero in northern new england, places like burlington and albany, feels like 12 degrees below zero. again, that's nothing compared to what's coming to the midwest what you hinted to. by saturday, still temperatures are cold out there. 20s in new england and across chicago. 11 in minneapolis. these numbers look cold but they are going to see very warm over what's coming over the next few

days. as we head into sunday, the push of arctic air begins to work into the midwest. we're still quiet around the northeast for sunday and temperatures are back to the 40s, look what happens in chicago. down to 10 degrees. these are the high temperatures, 7 below is the warmest we get in minneapolis. and overnight sunday into monday, we're talking about windchills that could be as cold as 50, maybe even 60 below zoer in places like minnesota. these are your temperatures, warm across places like boston on monday and then the cold blasts the midwest, 10 below is the high temperature with blowing snow in chicago and minneapolis a high of 14 degrees below zero. record setting cold perhaps across the midwest for monday. it's going to last into tuesday as well. that's why those windchill warnings are in effect now for this time period. and eventually that cold does make its way towards the northeast. here's the forecast for tuesday, teens have settled in. i know it doesn't seem like

midwestern temperatures below zero. it's going to be oof frigid blast. new york city feeling the frigid air mass. 1 below for the high temperature in minneapolis but it's going to be a tough couple of days across the midwest and northeast. lots of changes here and feeling winter. it feels like a long winter already and it's already the first week of january. >> craig? >> thank you for that. i was in minneapolis a few weeks ago for a shoot, 4 degrees below zero. it is a different kind of cold. your hearts have to go out to folks in that part of the country. milissa, we're going to send it back to you. we'll talk to a few folks who decided to spend a portion of their day in central park. lots of folks in from out of town. a number of people. a guy from australia, this is the first time he's ever seen snow and what a show he got.

we'll do that in a few minutes. back your way. >> on my way to work i saw the kids heading to central park with sleds in hand, couldn't be more excited. >> reporter: here's the thing about the kids with sleds, the ones old enough to do it on their own, it's pretty impressive. i like to see the kids like 1 or 2 and they've got their parents dragging them to the top and pushing -- that's the life. >> parents are getting the good workout. i have to note it's really good sleigh riding snow. >> yes, it is. >> take a ride if you can. we'll see you later. we have breaking news. the white house announced it is taking two new executive actions on gun control. this comes with president obama still vacationing in hawaii. john yang joins us. >> reporter: these two actions are intended to strengthen the federal background check for gun ownership, particularly for owners who may not -- may be

prohibited from buying guns because of a mental illness. they are from the justice department, defining -- redefining language and definitions about what information gets put into that federal background check database. and also, changing from the department of health and human services some privacy regulations about what information states can add to the database about people's mental health treatment and backgrounds. the white house says this is an effort to show americans that they are still concerned about gun control. they started 20 -- they started 2013 talking about gun control after the newtown shootings. and it went nowhere in congress. the question is, whether this indicates a new tact or how the white house is going to approach issues like this where they have been unable to put things through the republican

controlled house, whether they are going to be taking unilateral action like this. officials say it's a little too early to reach that conclusion. but they are starting off the new year by taking unilateral executive action to strengthen the background check for gun ownership. >> john yang in honolulu. thank you so much. developing news from california, the family fighting to keep a 13-year-old girl on lie support is in federal court right now with officials from the hospital that declared her brain dead. could an end be near to this heartbreaking case? plus health care and the supreme court, just a few hours ago the obama administration defended the controversial birth control mandate blocked by the president's own supreme court appoint sonia sotomayor. more on the fight over religious liberty and health care. join our conversation on twitter. you can find us at news nation. [ male announcer ] legalzoom has helped start over 1 million businesses. if you have a business idea, we have a personalized legal solution that's right for you.

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today the obama administration asks the supreme court not to allow roman catholic groups to temporary exemption from the birth control mandate. the request came in response to justice sonewn sotomayer's granting exception to nuns and christian brother services which administers health care plans for catholic organizations. joining any now, car moan. >> until this morning, to respond to her order the administration is arguing now the groups in question have no legal basis to file a challenge, is that right? >> that's right, that's one of

arguments that they are making. >> so what do we have to say about that? bring us up to speed about the argument they are trying to make. >> they are arguing that they don't have a right to make this argument to be in court at all because what they are saying is that all this group has to do is sign a paper and to take a step back and talk about what's going on here. the affordable care act implements a requirement that employers provide their employees with health insurance and includes a right to birth control. and religious groups have objected to this saying it violates their religious beliefs. so the obama administration carved out two exemptions to this birth control mandate. one is for churches, not at issue here and they don't have to provide their employees with the health insurance that includes birth control at all. then the second exemption which is at issue here says that if you are religious group, a non-profit and sign the certification saying you object

to providing your employees with birth control, then you can do that and your employees will get birth control some other way and you're not going to have to pay for it. what the obama administration said in its brief, all of the little sisters have too do is sign the certification then the employees will be getting birth control despite their objections and that the counter argument and other groups opposing it, they are getting -- they are kplis it in employees getting birth control and that too violates their religious beliefs. >> at this point where we stand now, what comes next? >> justice sotomayor could with briefs from both sides decide this herself or could refer it to the full court. and one of the other points that the federal government makes in its brief is that there's a very high bar for the supreme court to step in at this stage so early in the process. and that no matter what you

think of the arguments that they can't meet that bar. it would be a bit of a surprise at this point if the supreme court did ultimately give this temporary exemption but the supreme court has surprised us before. >> the health care law requires employers to require health policies that cover pret vent tif services for women, and those includes contraception and sisterlization. it makes an exemption but what about schools and hospitals and charitable organizations that employee people of all faiths? >> in fact, the affordable care act doesn't require employers to provide health plans period. they could ask employers to buy on the individual market the same way people are buying on the exchanges. more broadly, you're right, this is really about the employees of big organizations, much bigger than most of them than the little sisters of the poor such as notre dame which filed suit against this, catholic health services and hospitals, all employ people of various faiths

and many catholics use birth control and they use various con tra contraceptives at the same level. if they work for a place where their employer objects to such coverage, they don't have the same rights and accesses and privileges as other american women. the obama administration seeking a middle ground and saying how do we respect the religious rights affiliated with churches and how do we make sure all american women have access to the health care they need? >> we have a little time left. let's go to gay marriage in utah. those in favor of it have asked the supreme court to reject the effort to block same sex weddings. where does it all stand today? >> so the supreme court has -- utah has asked the supreme court to step in and essentially block a decision by a federal judge, a trial judge that had ordered

utah's ban on same-sex marriage to be invalid. utah is saying, we can't -- we don't want to have the same-sex marriages going on in our state while this winds through the appeals process. it's not at the supreme court yet in terms of them asking the supreme court to hear the case but they are asking the supreme court to step in and essentially block the trial judge's order so that the same-sex marriages would halt in utah until the lower courts and perhaps eventually the supreme court can work it out. >> unfortunately we're out of time. we'll have to leave it there. my thanks to both of you. >> stay warm. >> still ahead, a suspect is now behind bars accused of murdering a beloved catholic priest on new year's day. the suspect walked out of the california police station just hours before the body was found. investigative reporter michelle segona will join us. hundreds of palestinians protest secretary of state john kerry's latest round of peace talks in

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oh what a relief it is. secretary of state john kerry is meeting with abaas. that meeting is taking place at palestinian headquarters in the rest bank city of ramallah and going on for more than two hours. the secretary of state met for three hours with benjamin netanyahu following their five hours of talks yesterday. all of this as kerry makes its tenth visit to the middle east since becoming secretary of state last year. his goal is an interim peace agreement by the end of april. middle east correspondent martin fletcher joins us live from london. these are lengthy meetings. any word of progress? >> it's a little bit early for progress and no sign of it yet. we'll hear more probably by sunday.

it sounds on the surface that a modest aim that put together the framework agreement as you just mentioned, a declaration of intentions and both sides, israel and palestinians will sign. in kerry visited the palestinians in ramallah, hundreds were chanting anti-american slogans and kerry, you coward, there's no place for you in palestine. in israel, more concrete objections, a plan to build 1300 more homes for jewish settlers in the west bank. despite 20 meeting last year and ten visits to the area by kerry, israel and palestinians are still far apart. he wants to agree on a document that repeats what is already known, that a peace agreement will include a palestinian state within the borders ever 1967 with agreed land swaps and mutual recognition and palestinian capital in east jerusalem. if there was any real will to proceed, it should be easy.

there isn't so it isn't. now the fact that american secretary of state invested so much time and effort in the talks means he can't go away empty handed. analysts in israel and among the palestinians say the only real question is what kind of -- what will wring out, unfortunately they say not on the horizon. >> they met with israeli prime minister mnetanyahu and tweeted pictures of that. mccain says he shares concerns whether some parts of the plan being discussed jeopardize israel's security. >> that's israel's big question, his main priority is what he owes the israeli people. it means there are several key

issues of the talks. how ma what will israel's final borders be. the 1967 borders we keep referring to before israel of course pied the west bank and gaza, it was a very narrow country also indefensible. what will guarantees be along the borders? the question of the eastern side of the west bank between the west bank and jordan. will there be an israeli security presence there? all of these questions together mean israel needs to know it is a peace agreement and it will be secure in the future. senator mccain in particular is very much on israel's side on that question. >> nbc's martin fletcher in london. thank you so much. still ahead from american idol to capitol hill, we'll tell you which singer is now said to be considering a run for congress. major highways shutdown and flights grounded and schools are closed.

>> i didn't think anything was going to come and woke up this morning, you got to be kidding me. >> we'll have more on this blast of the winter weather affecting about 100 million people right now. and a super computer, the nsa is reportedly spending millions of dollars to develop a computer capable of cracking codes that protect everything from banking to medical records. i have a big meeting when we land, but i am so stuffed up, i can't rest. [ male announcer ] nyquil cold and flu liquid gels don't unstuff your nose. they don't? alka seltzer plus night fights your worst cold symptoms, plus has a decongestant. [ inhales deeply ] oh. what a relief it is. [ telephone rings ] [ shirley ] edward jones. this is shirley speaking. how may i help you? oh hey, neill, how are you? how was the trip? [ male announcer ] with nearly 7 million investors... [ shirley ] he's right here. hold on one sec. [ male announcer ] ...you'd expect us to have a highly skilled call center. kevin, neill holley's on line one. ok, great.

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then how is that a bargain? [ sighs ] no, that's too many -- it's not gonna fit! whoa! cascade kitchen and math counselor. here's a solution. one pac of cascade complete cleans tough food better than six pacs of the bargain brand combined. so you can tackle tough messes the first time. that is more like it. how are you with taxes? [ laughs ] [ counselor ] and for even more cleaning power, try cascade platinum. welcome back live in central park, as you can see the snow has stopped and wind has died down and story now continues to be the bitter cold. it's about 20 degrees right now here in central park. that is expected to be the high today. we only plan to see those temperatures drop. you might recall mayor de blasio a few hours ago asking people to stay inside. none of these people in central park listened and some of them

new yorkers and many of them we discovered are tourists and there's a large contingency from australia. this is your first time seeing snow? >> this is my first time seeing snow. >> reporter: ever? >> ever, snow balls, snowmen, sled that's as tall as you. maybe a bit bigger. >> reporter: what do you make of all of this? >> it's awesome. i'm sharing with awesome friends from new york city, over there. >> reporter: and the temperature i understand in australia right now. >> it was 104 degrees just two days before i left melbourne. >> that's celsius. >> 104 fahrenheit. this is tom also from australia. what part? >> north queensland. >> what part are you in? >> reporter: melbourne. >> you don't know each other. first time seeing snow as well. >> totally unreal. we were here walking around central park and for it to turn

into a winter wonder land, it's totally unbelievable. >> reporter: we'll talk to these folks when the temperature is in the neighborhood of 10 to 15 degrees. enjoy the weather here in new york city. folks as you can see behind me starting to make the best of it here. we can also say the transportation is back to normal for most part. subway trains running one or two minutes behind which is pretty good for new york city. >> that much is true. craig, thank you so much. >> revealing new documents show that the nsa is building a powerful new type of computer that will be able to crack almost every kind of encryption in the world. the "washington post" reports that with this type of so-called quantum computer, all public forms of encryption would be broken including those used on secure websites and used to protect state secrets. according to the documents, efforts to build the computer

are part of a classified $80 million research program based in college park, maryland. joining me now is "washington post" database editor steven rich. thank you for joining us. >> thank you for having me. >> what is it exactly and how it is different from what we have in use today? >> it's a complicated subject but it makes use of quantum mechanical theory been around in the physics world 100 years. in a normal computer that uses ones and zeros, the quantum computer uses bits that are both one and zero at the same time which allows it to be faster than even today's most powerful super computers. >> how close is this to actually happening? >> well, based on the our talks with experts, it's at the very

least five years in the future to one that could potentially break encryption and possibly we may never see one that gets that large. it's still very theoretical at this point. >> do we know if other governments are trying to do the same thing or just us at this point? >> i would not be surprised if other governments trying, eu and switzerland are sponsoring labs of their own. where they are, we don't know. but not surprising if other governments are trying for the same thing. >> thank you so much for joining u. steven rich. take care and stay warm. developing news from california, the hospital that declared a 13-year-old girl brain dead is now in federal court talking to a mediator and family fighting to keep her on life support. did the minnesota vikings cut former punter because of his outspoken support for same-sex marriage. he is out with a new essay saying i was an nfl player until

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plus has a decongestant. [ inhales deeply ] oh. what a relief it is. a hearing is underway in california over the care of a 13-year-old girl named jahi mcmath ach a complex ton sill lektmy. children's hospital and jahi's family, the hospital is refusing to perform two surgeries needed for her to transfer to a facility in new york. a judge previously ordered the hospital to keep the child on a ventilator to january 7th. the deadline for the family to find a facility to take her. the hospital says since she is legally dead the ventilator keeping her heart pumping should be removed. >> good afternoon, a bitter battle happening in oakland.

you have the girl's family going up against children's hospital of oakland and judges mediating the situation here. what jahi's family, their 13-year-old girl who went for a complex ton sillectomy is alive but other doctors have declared her brain dead after she went into cardiac arrest. her mother has said she is still warm to the touch and she responds to her voice and she believe jahi is believe. the hospital believes she is clinically dead. now in order to move jahi from this hospital to another long term care facility. she needs two things, feeding tube -- they say they won't perform the surgery because it's unethical to perform a surgery on essential aly corpse. the family is saying, children's hospital needs to perform the procedures for us to take her

out of the hospital but the hospital is not budging. now all of this will come to a head on january 7th and set to expire on that date if the judge does not make a decision, the children's hospital of oakland can remove her. jahi's family says she is alive but the court and several independent doctors have said that jahi is dead. a complicated situation and bitter one. >> yes, it is. thank you very much. police arrested a suspect in the murder of a northern california priest found dead at his church. now there are questions released by the police just hours before the murder. authorities took gary lee bullock into custody yesterday. he had been in and out of custody in the hours before the priest's murder. on new year's day, the body of reverend freed was found in

saint bernard church. police say there was evidence of forced entry and a violent struggle. joining me now is michelle segona with the latest. what do we know about the suspect and his history with the law? >> this is what i can tell you. within the last hour, i spoke with lieutenant ted knight and he said the day before on new year's day, new year's eve day, around 1:30 in the afternoon, there was a report of a suspicious man lingering in bushes in the area and patrol officer goes to the area and recognizes gary bullock and says, come out of the bushes. he comes out and he's arrested. now, bullock from when i learned was on summary probation which means he didn't have to report to a probation officer, didn't have to check in with anyone. he was evaluated by a doctor and nurse and held in the local jail for eight hours, which normally it's only four hours but he was

held the full eight. released around 12:45 new year's day morning. at 2:00 a.m. police were called again for a suspicious person at the local car dealership. police go to the area and find gary bullock who appears to be coherent. they don't take him in. he comes into contact with someone on the church grounds and then at some point, at some point between that point when he comes into contact and 9:00 a.m. on new year's day, that is when the priest is allegedly violently murdered. >> do we know anything about a possible motive? >> at this point what police say is they don't have a motive. what i learned from one source is bullock at the time, when he was arrested, may have allegedly been under the influence of meth and heroin. it's not confirmed at this time but that's just from what i'm told by one police official. i also want to say that considering the violence that

took place inside the recollectry and everything that happened in there and we don't know the specifics on how the priest was murdered. there is a vigil scheduled for sunday. we hope to learn more from the district attorney's office on how this may have happened. >> we're hearing the priest described as beloved and you mentioned a vigil about to be held for him. why was he so loved? >> he would obviously reach out and help anyone. very active in the japanese community. multiling you'll and spent a long time in japan from what i had read in some reports. the kind of person you could go to and always there for you. i am a practicing catholic, do go to church regularly, the relationships i have with my priests and other priests, someone there to counsel people and help the community, he was very active with helping homeless in the area. always there too reach out if

anyone needed help. i did ask the lieutenant i spoke with earlier, had gary bullock been to this church before and had a relationship with the priest? we just don't know at this time. there's a lot of details unfi d unfolding, a tragic loss. >> thank you. >> have a good day. a former nfl player claims he was let go for being a gay rights advocate. that tops our look at news around the nation. in chris kluwe called them cowards and labeled one of the coaches a bigot. team officials attempted to silence his comments in support of gay marriage. the vikings said any notion he was released from the football team due to the stance on marriage equality is inconsistent with team policy. he was released strictly based

on his football performance. the second winner of a mega millions ticket worth $324 million has come forward to claim his prize. he had forgotten he purchased a ticket in san jose, the winning stub was sitting on top of a drawer at his house until he remembered in the middle of the night on monday. if he chooses cash, he'll get $173.8 million before taxes. still ahead on "news nation." >> we bought a format called slow tv from norway. it was the most unique dumbest most ridiculous idea i've seen in my life. i have to have it. >> it is a ratings hit in norway, would you watch hours and hours of a cruise ship voyage or train ride? it is our gut check. i've got a big date, but my sinuses are acting up. it's time for advil cold and sinus. [ male announcer ] truth is that won't relieve all your symptoms. hmm? [ male announcer ] new alka seltzer plus-d relieves more symptoms

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there's a lot going on today. here's some things we thought you should know. charlie crist is apologizing for

backing the state's constitutional amendment in 2008 that banned same-sex marriage in florida. in an interview with orlando lgbt publication, he said i'm sorry i did that, it was a mistake. it was wrong. please forgive me. it was a republican when he served as governor from 2007 to 2011 but now running for office as a democrat. clay aiken is reportedly considering a new career in politics, sources say aiken has been meeting with political operatives in washington and abtively considering launching a bid for congress in north carolina. he would be seeking the seat currently held by renee elmerz. people can buy a brand-new car for the first time in 50 years in cuba. previously citizens were only able to buy and sell cars with government approval if they were built before the 1959 communist revolution. two years ago the government

allowed newer models to be sold. with the average income in cuba, $22 a month, affording a new car isn't a reality for most. time for the gut check, we look at the latest television import that may be coming to a screen near you. it comes from norway and called slow tv, just how slow? last month a quarter of a million -- quarter of norway's population tuned in to this, a hit show that consisted of nothing more than people knitting for 13 hours straight. does that sound crazy to you? joe fryer has that story. >> it was the smash hit of the summer. >> reporter: this as real as reality tv gets, a cruiseship voyage broadcast live nonstop for five and a half straight days. no script, zero drama and 3.2 million viewers. >> take a look and listen. >> reporter: it's a surprising norwegian hit, a concept sailing

towards america thanks to eric sholts and his production company. >> we bought a for mat called slow tv from norway. it was the most unique dumbest most ridiculous idea, i said i have to have it. >> reporter: slow tv is a modern day yul log, an idea that eased on tv screens with 7.5 hour program chronicling every second of a train ride. the show drew 1.2 million viewers nearly a quarter of country's population. it was so successful it spawned more slow shows, 18 hours of salmon fishing. in depth special about fire wood and most recently, knitting. >> you laugh because it's knitting on television but seriously you would watch it just to see what the hell it was. >> reporter: could slow tv possibly work in america? land of loud, fast paced television? >> i think americans are ready for anything. we watch golf on television.

can anything be slower than watching golf on television. >> americans did fall in love with the uk's downtown abbey. >> i'll have the weekend. >> what is a weekend. >> reporter: proof there's a search for something kinder and gentling. >> american tv has to have something blow up or have sex every three seconds, these shoes are different. >> reporter: shots says several networks expressed interest, the key is finding ideas that will work here. >> what makes something compelling is something you have not seen before. if you haven't seen before, you might just stop and look at it. >> reporter: what exactly will slow tv look like in america? well, you'll have to be patient. consider it practice. for today, joe fryer, nbc news, los angeles. >> so what does your gut tell you? would you watch slow tv? go to newsnation.msnbc.com to

vote. take a look what the news nation is saying about yesterday's gut heck with a sell of marijuana now legal in colorado. do you support legal retail sales of marijuana? 92% of you said yes only 8% of you said no. that does it for this edition of "news nation." i'm milismy the cycle is up next. that's why new york has a new plan -- dozens of tax free zones all across the state. move here, expand here, or start a new business here and pay no taxes for ten years... we're new york. if there's something that creates more jobs, and grows more businesses... we're open to it. start a tax-free business at startup-ny.com. to prove to you that aleve is the better choice for him, he's agreed to give it up. that's today? [ male announcer ] we'll be with him all day

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[ male announcer ] even more impressive than the research this man has at his disposal is how he puts it to work for his clients. morning. morning. thanks for meeting so early. come on in. [ male announcer ] it's how edward jones makes sense of investing. it's 3:00 so america is talking and we are too. it's a snow day and 100 million people were impacted by the first storm of 2014. i'm tour'e, the only thing bigger than this storm is abbey's pearls today. >> what's moving in after the storm is adding insult to injury. the coldest weather in a generation is now in place and we have the bitter truth about the forecast. >> chilly reception, the white house fires back at a legal challenge to obamacare, a ruling

by one of the president's own supreme court nominees. coming up, our verdict on a rising power player sonia sotomayor. >> cool off a little bit. we'll get comic relief from one of the funniest guys out there. my curls are big today. here at the table right now in "the cycle." >> cycling now, the weather. our first big blast of winter is moving out to sea and in its wake some of the coldest temperatures since the 1990s and they sound nice about now. ari, let's talk about snow. new york city got more than half a foot. significant but not too terrible until you add in the wind gust and snow drifts. back in new england they are measure this stuff in feet, reminds me of