convictions. that hearing starts tomorrow in richmond, virginia. it should be a very dramatic scene. "first look" is up next. good morning, right now on "first look," a big chill moves in on the eastern 2/3 of the u.s. so when will we see some relief? at the stroke of midnight florida became the 36th u.s. state to allow same-sex marriage and couples were already lining up. plus, a flu outbreak explodes in the u.s. already nearly twice as bad as last year. dramatic video of a fireworks factory blast. and the latest best high-tech gadgets. we'll go live to the consumer electronics show in las vegas. thanks for joining us today. i'm betty nguyen.

all right. bracing for brutally cold weather. for a second day, parts of the u.s. will feel like a freezer. the blast of arctic air locking onto the midwest before heading east. in chicago the high will hit just 15 degrees. nbc's kevin tibbles reports. >> reporter: winter has swept in packing biting arctic wind chills. temperatures 25 degrees below normal in places. >> no matter what anybody say, you don't get used to it. >> reporter: treacherous driving conditions and bone chilling commutes. >> there's icicles frozen off their faces and stuff. it's brutally cold out here. >> reporter: so cold construction stopped on the new vikings' stadium in minneapolis. the lowest of the low in the lower 48 the tiny airport, minus 50 with wind chills. chicago firefighters forced to call in steamers to thaw out frozen hydrants. near aspen, colorado, a group of elk had to be rescued after falling through the ice. just 60 miles separates scott's

bluff, wyoming from gurneys, nebraska, was a whopping 40 degrees warmer. and on the west coast, heavy rains and mudslides in washington leaving some 200 people stranded and forcing some schools to close. schools in frost bitten milwaukee did open. kids trudging back after the holidays. and parents take note, a dangerous double whammy is in store. >> we're going to be dealing with two shots of arctic chill this week. the second one will head all the way to the gulf coast and the east coast. >> reporter: by midweek, even in the south, temps will be 10 to 20 degrees below average. emergency shelters are ready in st. louis to bring the homeless in from the cold. thinking of escaping? you'll even find snow today at higher altitudes in hawaii. >> all right. get ready. all right. that was nbc's kevin tibbles reporting. reporting and our own bill karins will have more on the big chill in just a few minutes. well, another milestone for marriage equality advocates now that florida is allowing same-sex couples to marry. miami-dade county got a head

start yesterday after a judge gave couples there the opportunity to do so. florida is the 36th state to legalize same-sex marriage. former governor and potential republican presidential candidate jeb bush is urging everyone to, quote, respect the rule of law, but he stopped short of offering his opinion on same-sex marriage. the ruling comes days before the supreme court is set to privately discuss how to handle cases that could legalize marriage in the entire nation. it is a big day in the nation's capital, the 114th congress gets to work early this afternoon. republicans will now hold the majority of both the senate and the house. new and re-elected law marks will take the oath of office at noon today. nbc's tracie potts is live in washington. what's first on the agenda for the rains. >> reporter: first on the agenda for a lot of these new lawmakers is getting official. they'll be sworn in today. they're already starting too

move into their offs, some of them temporary. they're getting organized and getting ready for the first big challenge. 71 new lawmakers unpacking. >> i am so ready to get to work. >> reporter: a democrat in the white house versus congress now fully controlled by republicans. >> i do think we'll see a lot that will get done a lot that will set on the president's desk. >> americans are tired of words, they want to see work. >> reporter: their first test, the keystone xl oil pipeline. republicans insist it will create 42,000 construction jobs. >> most important issues to make sure we're creating good paying middle-class jobs. >> reporter: the sna the is expected to vote later this month. while republican leaders expect the presidential veto the white house says not necessarily. >> not prepared at this point to issue a veto threat. >> we don't want to put the cart before the horse here. >> reporter: a clash over immigration could come next as congress tries to extend homeland security funding past

february. one possible area of agreement, infrastructure, fixing roads and bridges. >> we're going to continue to fund infrastructure but the question is are we going to pay for it? >> get phone lines set up computers set up. >> reporter: moving in and moving on. new lawmakers, new offices, new hope for compromise. congress getting started here today. president obama tomorrow he's headed back on the road betty, going to detroit this time. to talk about his version of a job slam. we'll see what the republicans have to say here on capitol hill today. >> a lot going on. thank you. a grand juror who took part in the brown case is suing bob mccollough. he wants the right to speak about the grand jury investigation. it intends that mccollough wrongly implied that all 12

jurors believed there was no evidence to support charges. the suit contends that legal standards in the case were discussed in a muddled and untimely manner. a spokesperson for mccollough's office said he has not been served so he has not comment at this time. according to current missouri law, though a grand juror could be imprisoned for up to a year for talking about a grand jury proceeding without permission from the court. if you thought your neighbor's fourth of july fireworks display was out of control, check this out. a cameraman is out of his seat getting this shot of a fireworks explosion in columbia. a man driving by that factory at the time was actually treated for minor injuries and released a short time later. 2015's consumer electronics show kicks off in las vegas today. you know it promises everything from fitness wearables to super

all tra hd tvs, even driverless cars. jennifer joins us this morning. >> reporter: i wanted to demo one of the driverless mercedes but there's not enough room in here and it won't fit on the table. we have all these beautiful wearables that don't look like sports watches. this is what misfit and swarovski crystals. they have something for everyone. the theme here seems to be smaller companies doing really big things. last-minute touches going in as exhibiters get ready to welcome us to the future. >> this is a ring. >> reporter: functional jewelry that control your phone or tv with a wave of your hand. >> are we going to have a whole new generation of people going like this? >> yes, yes, yes, that's what we're aiming for. >> reporter: or makes all your moves from your heart rate to steps crystal clear.

yep, that's swarovski crystal. some other well-known names expanding into new territory. first alert thinking its detectors with an app that lets you know what's going wrong and where in your house. you can take safety on a run with you. tap the watch it signals your gps coordinates to an emergency contact. >> the first of its kind that's incorporating safety elements into a fitness watch. >> reporter: they are also showcasing more smaller companies and startups. >> you would have never seen these people before. this year we're seeing them all over the place. >> reporter: like a smart baby bottle that alerts you if your infan is the swallowing air or this smart toothbrush makes a sad panda when they're not brushing correctly or they can earn points when they are brushing correctly. >> i'm not winning any products. >> reporter: so many new gadgets, you need something to carry them around in. here's loop works new line of

upcycled leather goods, new or recycled leather that's getting thrown away. >> if we gave them an option to do something that was done in a way that is environmentally impactful and socially impactful, that we could give them an option to feel good about their purchase. >> reporter: this is the company behind the recycled leather bags from southwest airline seats, 43 acres of leather reused when the airline refurbished its planes. >> can you believe how much leather is in the seats that would have gotten thrown away. >> i'm wearing a flashy safety jacket. it even has turn signals. when you go out running. how awesome is that? >> they'll definitely see you coming for sure in that. >> i know right? >> it's not in the dark in the daytime, too, it's the neon. >> yes. you're bursting off the screen with that color. thanks so much jennifer. let's get down to business right now. >> good morning to you.

the markets look to rebound following monday's sell-off. the dow plunged 331 points. traders citing growing worries about the economy and the oil prices. the negative start of 2015, investors are eyeing the so-called january effect a fairly reliable market predictor. cnbc has launched apple will sell a version of the i-plus and i-plus 6 today. unlike phones that appeal to consumers who don't want to be tied down to any particular wireless carrier. betty, back to you. >> thank you. in sports unt paid a tribute to stuart scott who died sunday after a long battle with cancer. he was wonnered from the unc/notre dame game. a moment of silence was held and

students held up two signs in remembrance. the team also wore stu patches on their uniforms. market paige tries to shoot over three defenders but misses. the tip-in was after the buzzer. notre dame wins 71-07. after serena williams lost her first match, she decided she needed a coffee break. she was deliver a cup and it apparently was the boost she needed. williams went on to win the match. still ahead, flu season and more states are reporting activity, plus the 2024 summer olympic are still pretty far away. several u.s. cities are competing for the game.

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let it snow on the nation's capitol. we are watching light, fluffy snow. plenty cold enough to stick.

even to the sidewalks. washington, d.c. up to baltimore, baltimore is at 21 d.c. at 25. you can see the light snow over the top, the light, fluffy snow. it will blow out of the way when the cars are going down the highway. some of this is trying to move up towards wilmington and southern portions of jersey and northern portions of delaware, too. i understand 81 is probably one of the worst early morning drives heading up through the appalachians. overnight, heavier snow in indianapolis. north of the city, 4. >>s of snow. around columbus, 2 to 4 inch too. still snowing pretty good here western pennsylvania around pittsburgh and through west virginia. careful driving in those areas. as far as snow totals philly and d.c. 1 to 2 fluffy inches. new york city 1 fluffy inch. chicago you're pretty much done along with columbus and indianapolis. ending up with 3 inches at most. temperatures very cold northern new england and the northern

plains. as we go throughout the rest of the week we get the snow betty and the cold blast behind it. it will be by far the coldest we've seen this winter coming up wednesday, thursday. >> i look the fluffy snow. >> it's all right. the kids love it. >> exactly. some stories making news this morning, the centers for disease control is worried that the flu could reach epidemic levels again. new numbers show that six more children have died from the flu. bringing the number of pediatric deaths to 21 this season. new numbers also show that widespread cases of flu have grown to 43 states. that is up from 36 states last week. police in new york city arrested and charged the son of a $200 million hedge fund founder with his murder. law enforcement officials tell nbc that the two argued over money before the shooting death on sunday night. they say thomas gilbert sr. wanted to cut his son's weekly allowance from a $600 a week allowance down to $400. attorneys for thomas gilbert jr. had no comment on the case.

new york mayor bill de blasio is breaking his silence on the tension between him and some members of the nypd. during a news conference to report on the decline in crime, he gave this reaction to several police officers turning their backs to him at the funerals of two slain officers. >> they were dis respectrespectful to the families involved. that's the bottom line. they were disrespectful to the families who lost their loved one. i can't understand why anyone would do such a thing in a context like that. >> and the u.s. olympic committee is trying to figure out which city to put before the international olympic committee for the 2024 summer games. already preparing for that. the four finalists are boston washington, los angeles and san francisco. it's going to be tough. lots of good cities there. the latest on chris christie's man hug. oklahoma gets even tougher on drunk driver. and why politics is like a terrible divorce. two full servings of vegetables

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20 minutes past the hour. here's your tuesday dish of scrambled politics. a wake was held yesterday for former three-term new york governor mario cuomo. nearly a thousand mourners including vice president joe biden and house minority leader nancy pelosi a attended the event. the president of mexico is scheduled to meet with president obama at the white house today. immigration reform is at the top of the agenda. they're also set to discuss

economic and security issues. a new proposal could make oklahoma the strictest state in the nation when it comes to drunk driving. a new film "thelma" which focuses on the passage of the civil rights act is getting a whole lot of criticism for the betrayal of president lyndon b. johnson. congressman john lewis talked with andrea mitchell about the movie in an interview to air today at noon eastern. >> do you think the film is unfair to lyndon johnson? >> i don't think the film -- it's art, it's drama. i loved the film. the film is so real. it is powerful. it made me cry. >> outgoing republican congressman mike rogers has written a new op-ed for politico titled "why congress is broken." in it he talks about pettiness and small-minded meanness and

political discourse. he says being in politics today often seems like being in the middle of the worst divorce you've ever seen every day. that's one way to put it i guess. new jersey governor chris christie's man hug with cowboys owner jerry jones is still getting a lot of attention. christie spoke on the boomerang carton show said i would take it all, abuse i'm taking in turn for cowboy's playoff wins. that is a die-hard cowboys fan right there, i tell you. i'm joined now by political analyst and best-selling author. good morning to you. >> it's just so awkward, the high five. >> the hug. >> the belly bumping. >> he went in at an odd time. why not? let's get to it. there's some question as to whether there was any kind of wrongdoing, any red flags in the fact that jerry jones flew chris christie and his family not

only to this game but i think three games in total for the cowboys, right? >> by and large we don't want billionaires flying our politicians around. he's probably safe as long as he reports the details of what he receives. and at this point it's so public that it's hard to imagine anyone would try to hide it. >> right. >> really he's risking ridicule. >> there is the question of a governor of new jersey, they have two football teams. >> why isn't he rooting for the jets or the giants? >> i'll give you the reason. >> why? >> he cares a lot more about what america thinks rather than new jersey. >> cowboys are america's team. >> he's thinking 2016 i would suggest to you. >> let's talk about congress. back in session today, republicans are in control. will they come out of the gate swinging or is there an air of compromise perhaps? >> if you look at it on paper, everything should be wonderful for the rains, right? they won 13 extra seats in the house, boehner's re-election as

speaker is almost certain later today. >> although though two republicans have stepped up and it may be trying to give them a run for their money. is there a coup in the works? >> it's not going to be a successful coup buts there rancor out there, those people on the far right. they're revving up now. we have to see if republicans can actually govern. >> right. >> they have big majorities but can they actually produce a budget that the president can sign? can they avoid shutting down the government again? they're already a lot of scrutiny right now. >> absolutely. a microscope ellis, thanks so much, our best-selling author in the house today for your tuesday morning. >> good to see you. >> how lucky are we. just ahead, bradley cooper channels his inner head banger on the "tonight show." entertainment is next.

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coming up on 28 minutes past the hour now. for entertainment news, we want to say congratulations to cameron diaz after getting engaged in december to benji madden musician. they are already married. quick, right? the couple wed in her beverly hills home last night surrounded by close friends and family. yes, my friend you saw it right there. bradley cooper vetted "the tonight show" with some air guitar. he is good. the actor graced the stage for over two minutes to show off his skills.

and guests aren't the only ones to fall victim to ellen degeneres. she secretly filmed working out to a jane fonda exercise video. >> can you get that on dvd or blu-ray? >> i'm not too sure. "way too early" with thomas roberts starts right now. rather than get lost in the daily back and forth by the loudest, most disrespectful voices, those that have been so loud in this debate in recent weeks, let's talk about where we need to go as a city. breaking news overnight, two plain clothesed new york city police officers shot on an armed robbery call in the bronx and two suspects are still at large. we'll bring you the latest details. and just hours after mayor bill de blasio speaks out on the nypd

who turned their back on him during a fellow officer's funeral. all right. back in session, the 114th congress begins with republican majorities in both chambers. will that help or hurt america's gridlock? really depends on who you ask. and the arctic blast, the coldest weather all season and it's affecting the commute for manufacture you in the great lakes and mid-atlantic. we have your wintry weather forecast, this is "way too early." ♪ here i stand ♪ ♪ and here i stand ♪ hey, everybody, i'm thomas roberts. welcome to "way too early," this tuesday, january 6th. also known as little christmas, aka the day you can take down the christmas tree without any guilt. i've shocked the floor. jen's jewish. she did not know this. fo