on the go. all local updates on nbc 10 app. >> today show starts right now. good morning. breaking overnight, aides to president trump had repeated contacts with russian intelligence officials during the election. according to a new bomb shell report. the communications revealed during an ongoing fbi investigation. their content, unclear. but do they show team trump was closer to russia than they've let on? fluid situation. residents near the troubled dam in california being allowed to return home. the mandatory evacuation lifted for now. but with a new storm approaching, is the danger far from over? murder mystery. a woman arrested overnight in connection with the killing of north korean leader kim jong-un's half brother, in a

bizarre airport attack involving a toxic liquid. what was the motivation? ♪ rumor has it a 5-year-old german shepherd named for one of adele's biggest hits crowned top dog at the westminster dog show. the story behind her unlikely best in show title. today, wednesday, february 15th, 2017. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with matt lauer and savannah guthrie, live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. good morning, everyone. welcome to "today" on a wednesday morning. i'm matt lauer alongside sheinelle jones, in for savannah. good to have you. >> it's been a business is i week. every morning, we're waking up to new developments. >> this is our top story. the stunning new report that members of president trump's campaign team and other associates were communicating with senior russian officials during the election. we have the latest on that

beginning with nbc's hallie jackson. what can you tell us? >> good morning to you. this morning, we are learning a bit more about the timeline of who knew what when in this crisis over the national security adviser that has consumed the white house in the last 48 hours. but critics right here on capitol hill say they still don't know nearly enough. they want michael flynn to face questions. as new questions come up now about the trump campaign's interactions with russia. >> reporter: new this morning on capitol hill, a growing chorus of questions about the trump team and its connections to moscow. overnight, the "new york times" citing current and former u.s. officials, reporting trump campaign aides and senior russian intelligence officials were in contact repeatedly during the campaign. something the administration has previously denied. the "times" also suggesting the communications were uncovered at the same time accusations that russia was meddling in the presidential election began to surface. nbc news has not independently

confirmed this reporting. at the white house, meantime, new revelations vice president mike pence didn't know mike flynn may have misled him about a call with the russian ambassador for two full weeks after the president was notified about potential inconsistencies. >> this was an act of trust. whether or not he actually misled the vice president was the issue. and that was ultimately what led to the president asking for and accepting the resignation of general flynn. >> reporter: but nbc news was the first to report the vice president was in the dark until this past thursday, when media reports surfaced, indicating the now former national security adviser may have talked sanctions in a call with the russian ambassador. that call made on december 29th, the same day the obama administration announced those sanctions against russia. the next day, russian leader vladimir putin said he wouldn't retalia retaliate. president trump praising putin, tweeting, great move. i always knew he was smart.

two weeks later, vice president pence publicly denied the call between flynn and the russian ambassador was about sanctions. >> it was strictly koins den l. >> reporter: the president's team was told by the justice department flynn may not have told the truth about the conversations. trump spent three weeks to evaluate whether he could trust flynn, where flynn sat in on meeting after meeting, even delivering a stern warning to iran. >> we are officially putting iran on notice. >> reporter: a senior administration official tells nbc news the white house started distancing itself from flynn by bringing in other top advisers to handle key duties. top staffers talking about who might replace flynn last week. now, democrats are demanding to know more. >> the president learned weeks ago that his national security adviser, not some low level employee, his national security adviser had lied, and the lie

was conveyed to the american people. you know what? they were okay with that. >> as if it were not busy enough here in washington, the hill is set to get a visit today from israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu. after the prime minister meets with president trump over at the white house. peace talks certain to be on that agenda. with the white house appearing to back off from the need of a two-state solution. an official saying a two-state solution without peace is not something anyone wants to achieve. by the way, both leaders set to face reporters at president trump's second press conference in the last three days. matt? >> hallie jackson, thanks so much. nbc news learned michael flynn was interviewed by the fbi about his conversation with russia's ambassador.

pete is nbc's justice correspondent. when did the fbi talk to general flynn? what questions did they ask him? >> senior officials say, matt, it was within a few days after he became the national security adviser, just after the inauguration. they wanted to talk to him, they say, about the conversations with russia's ambassador to the u.s. the officials say they were not investigating flynn, that they were investigating russia's meddling in the election, matt. >> all right. and we know that michael flynn lost his job in the administration because he wasn't completely honest with vice president pence and the administration over that phone call. if it's determined he wasn't completely honest with the fbi, what could the consequences be? >> well, if they determine he was lying to the agents, that's a crime. but the senior officials we talked to, two of them, say it did not appear that flynn was trying to mislead them. they say it is partly a matter of incomplete memory and so forth. but two officials have told us

they do not believe he'll be charged with the crime, either for that interview with the fbi or for talking to the russian ambassador before the inauguration, matt. >> pete williams for us on this story in washington. pete, thank you very much. want to turn now to steve kornacki. good morning to you. >> morning. >> let's start with the "new york times" reporting. that during the election and in the transition, trump officials and advisers were in contact with russian officials. this is something that team trump has denied in the past. how can they explain this now? >> i mean, it is important to say two things. up front, they say in the article there is no direct evidence that's emerged of collusion between the campaign and russia. the bigger question it raises is how do republicans react to this? so far, with a new exceptions, like a john mccain, lindsey graham, they've been critical of trump before, they've been raising issues about trump, the administration and russia. the question is does this snowball? is there enough curiosity provoked by this report today

that other republicans who have not previously been critical come out and say, it is time for a bigger investigation on this? that's the question i'm looking for today. >> let's go back to the resignation of flynn. why did the president wait two full weeks to ask for his resignation? keep in mind, this is after being warned by the justice department that flynn had misled the vice president, he was vulnerable to blackmail. i mean, was he trying to ride this out? >> if you want to come to the conclusion that donald trump and the trump administration thought it would go away, the timeline gives you supporting evidence for that, including the fact he did not tell, and no one told, his vice president until this emerged in the press. >> what do you make of that? he was in the dark. >> the fact that it came out in the "washington post," there were reports there was a conversation there about russia, about the sanctions between the ambassador and flynn, and only then was mike pence, who had been sent out on national television to vouch for mike flynn, only then was he informed of this, that creates a lot of suspicion this was an administration thinking it would go away. >> go back to that day that

then-president obama imposes those new sanctions on russia for hacking and meddling in our election. we know that's the very same day that michael flynn called the russian ambassador. we have to remember that after those new sanctions were imposed, russia's leader, putin and others, said, we will retaliate. then suddenly, after that phone call with michael flynn, no retaliation. the vice president said it is coinciden coincidence. are we supposed to believe it was a coincidence? >> think about this. four events in a 24-hour period at the end of december. trump isn't yet president. you have the announcement of sanctions from obama. the phone call between flynn and the russian ambassador. putin did something that surprised everybody, no retaliation. donald trump tweeted and said, great move by putin. i always thought he was a wise man. >> would the russians gone against retaliating if they thought michael flynn was simply freelancing in the call, that he wasn't being backed up by the power of the incoming

administration? >> that's the other thing that makes this suspicious to people. it is not like flynn, if he was delivering some message like that, would be delivering a message that was former to what trump was saying in the campaign. he went out of his way to not miss opportunities. >> the administration backing off the two-state solution in terms of settling the violence in the middle east azens netany arrives here. what is the significance? >> benjamin netanyahu is one of donald trump's biggest early allies on the international stage. it's something they want to hear. >> thank you, steve. crews in northern california are still working to sure up the emergency spillway at the nation's tallest dam before more rain pounds the region. officials are lifting the mass evacuation order for nearly 200,000 nearby residents. miguel almaguer has the latest. good morning. >> sheinelle, good morning.

the around the clock construction work seems to be having an impact. the massive bags of bolders behind me later today will held to the spillway to sure it up. it has been a beehive of activity over the last 48 hours. hundreds of construction teams have been working around the clock to sure up the spillway. the big concern was if it collapsed, a 30-foot wall of water would cascade into the communities below. meantime, the mass water release continues today. the water level here at the reservoir has dropped nearly 20 feet and counting. they'll continue to release more water to make way for incoming storms. as you mentioned, those mass evacuations, nearly 200,000 people, the mandatory evacuations have been lifted overnight. hundreds of people have been streaming back toward their homes, repopulating this area. but the threat simply is not gone. over the next several days, we will see a series of storms roll into this area. that's why they are releasing

all of that water. the concern here now, will this emergency spillway hold? so far, officials believe the answer is yes. >> good news. >> back to you. >> miguel almaguer, thank you. more rain. two words people out there don't want to hear. >> two big storms getting ready to hit that area. the atmospheric river stretches basically from japan all the way across the pacific ocean. past hawaii, all the way to the west coast. we're talking more than 6,000 miles. almost twice the length of the united states. now, here we go. we're going to be watching this rain. first storm comes in over the next 24 hours. 1 to 3 inches of rain. second storm brings another couple of inches. right around the oroville area, we could see 3 to 5 inches of rain. we're going to be watching that. the second storm brings heavy rain down into southern california. flash flooding, mud debris flow, 4 to 8 inches of rain for the south. this time yesterday, we were telling you about tornado watches for southern texas.

>> here's the line of tornadoes. look at the video we have from texas. at least six unconfirmed tornadoes touching down. that severe weather continues to move east. in fact, it is along the southeastern atlantic coast, bringing strong storms from charleston to jacksonville. one more storm across the northern tier of new england. 7 million people under some winter weather advisory. rounds of heavy snow, another 8 to 16 inches of snow, guys, for northern new england, parts of maine. they have to worry about the weight of snow on roofs throughout much of maine. we're talking tons of snow across that area. >> we'll keep our eye on that. al, thank you very much. now to a story that's been in the news for nearly four decades. pedro hernandez, a former convenient store clerk was

convicted of murder of this 6-year-old. hernandez's first trial ended with a hung jury. after the verdict, the father said, quote, we've finally found some measure of justice for our wonderful little boy. february 28th is sentencing. a serious incident is being investigated involving harrison ford. he was flying his private plane, coming into a landing in california. he mistakenly landed on a taxi way and flew over the top of an american airlines jet. tom costello covers aviation for us. good morning. >> the passenger plane was a 737 depairing for departure. some are calling it a close call, with american airlines taking the formal step of notifying the faa and the ntsb. >> reporter: in aviation

circles, harrison ford is celebrated as much as being an accomplished pilot as a hollywood star. american airlines reported a potentially serious, even dangerous incident involving a 737 passenger jet and ford's single engine husky. it happened in orange county, california, on monday. ford had been cleared to land on the short runway at john wayne airport, 20 left. instead, he landed on the parallel taxi, charlie. in the process, he threw right over the top of an american airlines 737 that was holding at the end of the taxi way before preparing for departure. flight 1456 had 110 passengers and 6 crew members, a flight to dallas. once on the ground, mr. ford radioed, was that airliner meant to be underneath me? the controller said, you landed on taxiway c. to which ford replied, i landed on c! landing on a taxi way is a clear faa violation. how did it happen?

>> operating in and out of this airport, it's a small airport. there's a lot of traffic going in and out of it. it is a complex bit of air space that requires a lot of concentration. >> reporter: it was two years ago that ford was injured when his vintage plane crash landed on a santa monica golf course. >> engine failure. >> reporter: investigatored blamed the crash on an engine failure. ford joked about it on the "ellen" show. >> you crashed the plane. >> i was aboard the plane, and it crashed. i didn't. >> reporter: thankfully, on monday, what may have been a close call, but no injuries. >> ford is not commenting on the incide incident. the faa will investigate and likely interview him. experts say it is possible he could have his pilot's license suspended. if he cooperates with investigators, we're told it is not likely. more likely he'd receive a written reprimand or warning. >> tom costello, thanks very much. now to breaking news out of

texas. emergency crews are at the scene of a pipeline explosion. the blast so strong, it could be seen up to 30 miles away. the flames lighting up the night sky. some residents who live an hour away said they felt their homes shake. it was southeast of san antonio. no one was yinjured and the fir is out. a fast-thinking officer is t food restaurant from catching fire. the officer was called to a jack in the box where he found a truck in the drive-through, fully engulfed in flames. he jumped a curb and used his patrol car to push the truck forward, away from the building. no one was injured in the incident. >> wow. quick thinking there. >> yeah. al? >> let's take a quick look. show you what we have around the rest of the country today. we are looking for heavy rain. moving into the pacific northwest. unseasonally mild through the plane states. in between the coast, weather looks awfully nice.

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seven day for the warmup this weekend. have a great day. >> that's your latest weather. matt? >> al, thanks very much. coming up, an overnight arrest in thethe bizarre murder the half brother of north korea's kim jong-un. were female assassins ordered to kill him? who was behind it? jur are you sure your smoke alarms work in jeff is going door to door to keep your family safe. first, this is "today" on nbc.

coming up, stu studio 1a overflowing with stars. from kate upton to christi brinkley and her daughters. if that's not enough, gwen stefani and tracy morgan are so sorry, excuse me. let me just get through here, sorry. oh wow, quite a turn out. tami. marcus. ok, other unlimited data plans haven't lived up to the name.

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we'll keep on going, too. scott 1000. america's longest lasting roll. o let's get right to first alert meteorologist bill henley. accurate forecast. bit damp. that rain going to stay to the south and east. it is spreading clouds into philadelphia, wilmington and trenton. we'll get breaks of sunshine this morning and warm the temperatures from a cold start in the 20s and 30s into the upper 40s and near 50 this afternoon. tracey. check the roads with first alert traffic reporter jessica boyington. watching the vine street expressway still this crash is still active here on the westbound side. right near the ben franklin parkway. the good thing is it over into the right hand shoulder of the work zone. not blocking the ramp for the

ben franklin parkway. typical morning delay heading westbound towards the schuylkill. you will see delays there because of that. this morning, philadelphia police looking for a shooter who opened fire outside a gentleman's club last night. witnesses say a man fired 15 shots. several people leaving the club. no evidence anyone was hurt. today pennsylvania state police will look for the cause of this house fire in lehigh county. no one was hurt, but it was droid droid. the home dates back to 1800s. about 25 minutes for another update. always get the latest news and weather with the nbc 10 app. today show continues in just a couple of minutes. i'm tracey davidson. have a great day.

♪ i feel it coming 7:30 on a wednesday morning. it is the 15th of february, 2017. day after valentine's day. nice people out on the plaza. we'll go outside and say hi to them in a little bit. inside studio 1a, here's a look at today's headlines. according to a "new york times" report, current and former u.s. officials say aides and associates of president trump made repeated contact with russia's intelligence community during the campaign, something the trump camp denies. there is no evidence so far that trump's campaign worked with russians on their efforts to influence the election. this morning, president trump is reacting on twitter, calling the story nonsense and claiming information is being

illegally given to the failing "new york times" and "washington post" by the intelligence community. he says nsa and fbi, just like russia. the mandatory evacuation order for nearly 200,000 people around the oroville dam in northern california has been lifted but a new one could be issued. crews are racing to repair erosion scars to the dam's emergency spillway before more storms roll in. residents in southeast texas are cleaning up this morning after a powerful storm tore through the region, producing at least six tornadoes. one of them caused extensive damage to neighborhoods 20 miles outside of houston. another twister destroyed four homes in another nearby town. an overnight arrest with the bizarre murder of kim jong-un's half brother. it happened at a malaysian airport with reports that he was targeted by assassins. nbc's keir simmons is in seoul,

south korea with the story. >> evening here in asia, where it feels like we are getting a glimpse into the secretive world of spying here, and of government-trained killers. one woman has been arrested after two women allegedly carried out a brazen assassination, that many people here believe could have only been ordered by north korea's leader. >> reporter: kim jong-un's estranged half brother, allegedalleg allegedly murdered. two women struck at the airport at the malaysian capital, kuala lumpur, with a strange liquid. the murder like a scene from "jason bourn." was this an execution by spies for the north korean government? that country's supreme leader, kim jong-un, had his own uncle tried and executed. his brother at one time was the

heir apparent and had been critical of the brutal regime. >> i think more tensions will be in north korea. >> reporter: we travel to the tense north korean border, a decades long sensor of espionage. across this border, described as the most dangerous in the world, north korea even fired radio waves to take out south korea's gp svr prk gps. >> people say this border is the one place the cold war never ended. >> reporter: north korea tested a medium range missile. the likely aim, to provoke donald trump. in 2014, its spies were accused of hacking the entertainment giant sony. north korea denied this cyber attack. in turn, u.s. intelligence keeps a sharp eye on north korea, monitoring its nuclear capability. no small task for a country that is mostly off the grid. >> you can't launch a cyber attack on north korea's nuclear program because it is not plugged in, you know, to the

internet. >> reporter: north korea, one of a number of countries around the world, with a foreign intelligence agency allegedly operating a secret license to kill, now perhaps exposed again by the strange death of a brutal dictator's brother. >> kim jong-un is said to have ordered 340 executions since he came to power in 2011. but this one, guys, was in the full view of passengers at an airport. there are only a few governments that allow agents to kill. mostly, they want it to be done in a way that can't be traced. guys? >> brazen to say the least. keir simmons, thank you very much. let's get another check of the weather now from al. >> all right. we're going to move the calendar forward as far as the temperatures are concerned. a little time travel. we've got this expanding warmth in the planes and the midsection of the country. billings, 58 for the high. that's the average temperature in april. denver, april, 64.

topeka, 53. tomorrow, you'll see the temperatures moving east. st. louis, your average temperature, 65. that's what you'll reach tomorrow. memphis, 62. by the time we get to friday, you can see april and march across the map. getting into saturday, washington, d.c., a high of 67 degrees. that's mid to late april's average high. louisville, 63. by sunday, new york city is going to see a temperature of 62 degrees. hm feelm.s good morning. meteorologist bill henley. showers to start with at the shore. end later this morning. rest of the area dry this morning. clouds break for sunshine at the suburbs in the lehigh valley. warming into the 40s. it's the wind that will pick up later in the day. suburbs in lehigh valley and philadelphia 50 degrees the high temperature. 52 degrees in delaware. clouds breaking this evening. we're looking at cold r day tomorrow. seven day is a big warmup this weekend.

have a great day. >> don't forget, get that weather any time youny time you. check our friends at the weather channel on kabcable. ahead, american girl making history with its newest doll. we have it with us on trending. first, an important new rossen reports. >> hi, good morning. i'm jeff rossen f. coming up, more of our series, winter fire dangers and the common mistakes most of us are making. we're going house to house to show you what they are. plus, the simple tips you can do tech: at safelite, we know how busy your life can be. mom: oh no... tech: this mom didn't have time to worry about a cracked windshield. so she scheduled at safelite.com and with safelite's exclusive "on my way text" she knew exactly when i'd be there, so she didn't miss a single shot. i replaced her windshield giving her more time for what matters most. tech: how'd ya do? player: we won! tech: nice! that's another safelite advantage. mom: thank you so much! (team sing) safelite repair, safelite replace.

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big problem, many don't even work. in fact, firefighters say so many of us have been doing it wrong all these years. just hitting the test button on it, waiting for it to chirp, you think the battery works. turns out, that isn't enough to know the entire thing works. it may still not when you need it most. what should you do? this morning, i'm about to show you. >> reporter: i'm going door to door. >> hi there. jeff rossen from nbc news. the "today" show. >> i recognize you. >> reporter: spot checking. >> you think you had a working smoke alarm and you didn't. >> scary. >> reporter: it is a dangerous threat, more common than you think. in fact, 3 of every 5 people killed in a house fire didn't have a working smoke alarm. so is your home prepared? to find out, the orlando fire department is out in force, checking homes for safety risks. >> hi. >> hi. >> jeff rossen from the "today" show. how are you? >> good. >> we're here with the fire department, checking for

people's smoke alarms today to make sure you're safe. can you come in? >> sure. >> reporter: right away, a problem. >> we want to push the button on it, just to test the battery and the audible portion of the alarm. >> not working. >> this detecter doesn't work. >> the one in your bedroom isn't working. what's that like to see? >> up setting. that's the first place we'd hear it go off. >> reporter: we're not just finding problems. firefighters are fixing them, installing new alarms for free. >> i'm glad we came. >> i'm glad you guys came, too. >> reporter: next door, we meet peggy. her detecter is not working either. >> i don't do ladders anymore because i'm afraid of falling. >> you can't check those detecters. >> right. i always forget when someone else is here to get them to check it for me. >> that's why we're here for you today. >> good. >> reporter: then, an even bigger problem. >> so here we are in the kitchen, which is the source of a lot of residential fires. no smoke detectors. >> you're supposed to have one

here? >> within ten feet of the kitchen. >> none here. >> no smoke detectors. >> reporter: the fire department installing two new alarms for peg peggy. >> it works. >> reporter: we check house after house. finding problems in nearly all of them. >> there's no battery in here at all. >> no battery? i probably used it on something else. >> reporter: but the biggest tip of the day, one i've never heard before. inside this man's house, he thinks his detecter works fine because when he tests it, it beeps. >> that tells me two things. your battery is good and tells me the alarm works. >> reporter: he says what it doesn't test is the sensor that actually detects smoke. >> your detecter was manufacturmanufactur manufactured in 2002. it won't see the smoke now. >> reporter: there is an easy way to test the sensor. the candle test.

light a candle and blow it out. put your alarm over the smoke and it should go off. >> it isn't going off. >> this sensor probably has dust on the sensor. >> i had no idea. >> it blows my mind. i just put a battery in it a couple days ago when it was chirping. >> it helped. >> reporter: sounding the alarm so your family stays safe. >> thank you so much. >> happy to help. you should be changing your batteries twice a year. if you're like me, you're worried about forgetting to change them. buy lithium batteries at any big box store. the cool thing is, they work for ten years. >> whoa. >> you want to test the alarm after you put those in to make sure they work. >> note to selves, we'll go home and check that out. >> the candle test is cool. >> smart. >> thank you, jeff. up next, last night's big winner at the westminster dog show. carson explains the connection between this year's best in show and one of the most popular stars in the world. right hi, thanks for coming. this year, chevy received more j.d. power initial quality

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7:48. carson is in the orange room with an incredible rumor to tell you about. >> i see what you did there, matt. nice work. over the course of several days, nearly 3,000 dogs competed in westminster's dog show at madison square garden. unfortunately, only one gets best in show. that honor, ladies and gentlemen, went to a 5-year-old german shepherd named rumor. this is only the second time a german shepherd has won best in show in the competition's 141-year history. pretty cool. ♪ rumor has it >> rumor, named after adele's "rumor has it." she has great taste in music and quite the comeback story. she was rumored to win it all last year and fell to c.j. rumor impressed more than judges. she won the fans of people watching from home. ashton tweeting out, i shouted and did a victory lap when rumor won best in show.

rumor's fans are not limited to humans. social media, we saw pictures here. dogs following along with the competition. here is jessica's pup, captivated by the action. check out chance's poodle. that is a standing ovation, ladies and gentlemen. this was rumor's last major show, as she settles into retirement. maybe next year. >> yeah. >> charlie, we'll have to work on your energy. >> i was going to say. >> he's saving himself. >> could be your year, my friend. contain that excitement. guys, back to you. >> that's good. >> carson, thank you very much. ever want to see a concert by your favorite band and couldn't get in? >> of course. >> wait till you hear what one fan did to pull off entry to a concert. and a celebration of the "sports illustrated" swimsuit issue. kate upton is here along with christie brinkley and her daughters. >> are they bringing those with them. >> yes. >> first, your local news and weather.

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coup minutes before 8:00. get right to bill henley with your most accurate neighborhood forecast. find out what's ahead for the day. bill? see things dry out in cape may. rain falling on cape may this morning. not getting much further inland. showers in southern delaware and cape may atlantic city will be clearing out this morning. clouds in philadelphia and into the lehigh valley. a few showers north and west. isolated showers this afternoon as the winds pick up. temperatures in the 20s and 30s right now. some breaks of sunshine. be near 50 this afternoon. now check the rouds. nbc 10 jessica boyington has that. watching new jersey right now. this is 76 just around market street in gloucester city. just ahead approaching the ben franklin bridge or walt whitman bridge there is a crash. traffic is moving along by the scene there. there's also an accident up in providence up on south

collegeville road. >> from the roads to mass transit. septa will hold open house session to talk with riders about service changes for next year. one at noon and one at 5:00. starting today, crews close morton avenue for about six hours each weekday to make drainage improvements. costing $20 million to replace the route 452 bridge. tonight's power ball jackpot up to $310 million. no winners for saturday night's drawing. if you win tonight and pick cash value, you could walk away with almost $190 million. another update in 25 minutes. stay updated with news and weather. all in one app. nbc 10 app. free download. today show continues in just a couple of minutes. tracey davidson. thanks for watching. have a great day. you have cancer,

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it's 8:00 on "today." coming up, russian connection. a new report claims aides to donald trump made contact with russian intelligence officials during the campaign. something the trump team has consistently denied. new questions this morning about that and the growing fallout from the resignation of national security adviser michael flynn. we're live at the white house. plus, cover girl. kate upton swings by studio 1a to talk about her grand nbrand- "sports illustrated" covers. and we'll talk to christie brinkley about making her return to the issue alongside her two daughters. and team gwen. >> i'm so grateful to be here right now. >> you taught me to spell

bananas. >> you can be on team gwen and i can teach you to spell everything. >> we'll catch up with music superstar gwen stefani about her return to the "voice" and her head to head with blake. >> it's good. >> today, wednesday, february 15th, 2017. ♪ >> we just got back from island and we're on the "today" show. hi, mom. >> good morning to our daughters, mckenzie and emery. we love you. >> we'll be back in okc soon. >> it's my birthday, and i brought you a present. >> the big 11 with the "today" show. >> hi to our boys in philadelphia. >> hi, mom! we're back now. 8:00 on this wednesday. the 15th day of february, 2017. we're without the coats again.

kind of nice out here. >> it is. >> al, thanks. >> we really like this. we have sheinelle jones in with us while savannah continues on maternity leave. >> we have a big show today. >> a lot of stars in the studio today. >> a lot going on. >> kate upton inside. just revealed that she is the cover model for the 2017 "sports illustrated" swim suit issue. we'll talk to her about that and some other models from inside the pages of that magazine. >> excited about that. let's start with the news at 8:00. >> i'm peter alexander at the white house where this morning president trump is firing back at new questions about the trump campaign's interactions with moscow. the president tweeting this morning, this russian connection non-sense is nearly an attempt to cover-up the many mistakes made in hillary clinton's losing campaign. he added in a separate tweet, information is being given illegally to the failing "new york times" and "washington post" by the intelligence

community. nsa and fbi, he asks. just like russia. >> reporter: new scrutiny between members of donald trump's 2016 campaign and russia. the "new york times" reporting overnight, citing current and former officials, that senior aides and russian officials had repeated contacts throughout the campaign, something the trump administration previously denied. the "times" reports the communications were intercepted around the time when u.s. officials were uncovering russia's meddling in the election by hacking the dnc. nbc has not confirmed the reporting. the president abruptly asked his national security adviser, michael flynn, to resign. >> there needs to be an independent and transparent investigation. >> reporter: democrats taking aim. republicans urging restraint. >> i don't think we need to go through setting up a special committee, but we are going to look at russia involvement in the u.s. election. >> reporter: now, the white house is acknowledging new

details about the timeline. it was back on january 26th when president trump and his top aides were first informed flynn had misled vice president pence and others about his calls with russia's amambassador. they were warned flynn could be vulnerable to blackmail. nbc news learned 15 days passed before the white house notified the vice president. only then because a news report was being published that would cast doubt on mr. pence's credibility. the white house is defending the president's decision to stand by flynn until monday night. >> the question wasn't, did he do anything improper or illegal, but the question was could he be trusted further? the erosion of the trust was the issue. >> reporter: in an interview with a conservative website hours before his resignation, a defiant flynn insisted he crossed no lines, instead blaming leaks to reporters based on classified information. officials confirm the fbi interviewed flynn after taking office about his contacts with

the russian ambassador. as concerns about flynn grew, white house aides tried to reduce his influence on the president's thinking during mr. trump's security briefings. inviting nia director, mike pompeo, and keith kellogg to take part. robert heaarward is the front runner to replace flynn. he met with the president and vice president monday night, the same night as flynn's departure. so far, no decision has been made. >> today, president trump is hosting israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu here at the white house. their first face-to-face meeting since president trump took office. last night, a senior official said the path to peace between israelis and the palestinians does not have to include a path to a two-state solution. that's a break from decades of u.s. policy. today, trump and netanyahu will take questions at a press conference. president trump's third in the last six days. >> peter alexander, thank you

very much. president trump approved the use of federal funds to help with emergency repairs on the nation's tallest dam out in northern california. on tuesday, officials lifted a mandatory evacuation order for nearly 200,000 people who live near that oroville dam. however, they're warning residents to stay vigilant in case approaching storms put additional strain on damaged spillways. engineers have been releasing water from the lake behind the dam to ease the pressure on that structure. police in los angeles now confirm that $2 million worth of jewelry and other valuables have been stolen from the home of sing singer morset. burglars broke into the mansion and took a safe and also caused damage to the house. she was not home at the time of the break-in. no suspects at this time. something new in the american girl collection that might surprise you. we'll talk to christie brinkley and her daughters about

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all right. it is 8:09. we're back and it is a great time for trending. guess what, guys, ladies, we're joined by a special guest, who is a big trending topic right now. kate upton is here, the cover model for the 2017 "sports illustrated" swim suit edition. >> welcome. >> congratulations. >> going on sale with a bunch of different covers. we'll talk about that in a second. congratulations. >> thank you very much. >> you can weigh in on trending. >> i'm ready. >> we're familiar with american girl dolls, like, stand by, this one. for the first time ever, the company is releasing a baby boy doll. not a baby, but you know. this is logan, part of a new series of dolls going on sale tomorrow. american girl says a boy character has been a top request for fans for many, many, many years. logan, as you see here, comes with a drum set. you can't see that. he's meant to be paired with this doll. this is tinny.

a country singer. the company says logan is meant for boys and girls. noting parents having asking for a more diverse selection. >> did you have a doll growing up? >> i was a huge american girl fan. >> which ones did you have? do you remember? >> hmm. >> sorry. didn't mean to put you on the spot. >> i had kiertin. samantha, maybe. >> you dress like them. it's special. >> it's a whole thing. >> it's a big deal. have you ever been down the block when they're breaking out a new doll? it is wild. >> logan, you're the only one. i have a feeling, carson, you're right, there will be more. >> a new vertical for business, american boy. >> look at you, vertical for business. >> technical. have you ever had a rock group you love and wanted to go to a concert but couldn't get great seats? >> of course. >> how far would you be willing to go to get into the vip

section? >> i stood in an alleyway to see stevie nicks. i waited for her limo to pull up. almost got arrested to get in, and she let me in. i was 15 years old. >> she let you in? >> me and my buddy. >> because you looked like a nice guy. >> or were you aggressive? she was like, okay. don't kill me. >> you've only known him for five minutes. how abo >> how about this? a guy had a smartphone and quick thinking. a teen in the uk was unhappy with his seats while seeing the sherlocks. he waits outside the arena and edits their wikipedia page to read, the first single was influenced by the main singer's vocalist, boyle. he convinces the guard he was

deserving to be in there. >> little scary. >> you think he is aggressive? that's scary. >> inventive. >> you have to be careful about that. that could be used in a lot of bad ways. >> someone changed my wikipedia page once to read that i went to indiana and i was in the school band or something. i went to an interview after and they were like, we hear you were in the school band. i was like, i don't play an instrument. at least they're not sneaking in to something. >> might have been raised by wolves. carson, pop start. >> kate, we'll start with another kate here. kate hudson doesn't sing often, but when she does, it is worth a listen. the actress marking valentine's day with a cover of rihanna's "love on the brain." ♪ don't stop loving me ♪ don't quit loving me ♪ just start loving me ♪ oh, baby, fighting fire with fire just to get close to you ♪

>> she has a great voice. pay no attention to her son slinking across the couch during the performance. a scary atv accident. conspira spears posted this of her daughter, writing, they're thankful to celebrate valentine's day after everything that happened. maddie was in the hospital after flipping her atv earlier this month. good news there. last, actress olivia wilde shared family photos on valentine's day. one of them was unintentionally hilarious. posted this of her and her fiance, jason sudeikis. the same for her son. and finally, her and her 3 month old daisy. she added, hashtag, giant baby hand. it looks like her hand belongs to daisy. >> it does. >> funny. >> that's your pop start.

>> we were listening to every word you were saying. >> every word. >> let's get back to kate upton. your third cover, is that right? >> yes. >> first was when you were 18 years old. do you remember the excitement of that morning, when you saw your first "si" cover? >> it was crazy. my first "si" cover i found out in the green room of david letterman. >> well, now. >> and this year, they gave me a phone call before i went on jimmy kimmel. i was happy for a little heads up. >> does it feel different this time around, or just as sweet? >> it always feels great to be a part of "sports illustrated," but especially this year. because of what the issue is all about, having women of every shape and size, beauty in every way, every age of beauty. it felt special when they asked me to come back for this issue. >> you ended up on -- you got three different covers this time. >> yes. i got -- >> kind of cool. >> thank god. >> going to cost carson three

times the amount of money. >> i don't know if you realize the impact of these. any cover for a model is a big deal, but the "si" has a storied history with the great women on the covers. for instance, february 11 th, 1985, paulina graced the cover. not that i remember. it was on my wall. >> not that i remember or anything. >> exactly. >> you're a huge part of this great history. >> yeah. it is really incredible. growing up in such a sports-oriented family, "sports illustrated" always meant so much to me. seeing all these amazing women who were so confident and love their bodies. i feel honored to be a part of the issue. >> the more years you do it, the more seniority you get. this year, you got a much better location than you did last year. >> right? >> you were in antarctica last year and fiji this year. >> i felt spoiled this year. >> tough work. someone has to do it. >> should i go snorkeling today? >> you mentioned all different body types and age groups. we're going to talk to christie brinkley in a second.

she doesn't mind us saying, she is 63 years old. >> wow. >> incredible. >> she's back in the magazine. what message does that send, do you think? >> it is inspiring to see her back in the issue and looking incredible. >> absolutely. >> it shows you no matter your age, you always have your youth and your spirit with you. >> cheers to that. i love that. thank you, kate. >> last time, kate was complaining her shoes and feet were killing her. she's in a better mood today, i have to say. >> it was the beginning of the night. never good when you're like, my feet are hurting. >> congratulations. >> thank you so much, you guys. thank you. >> glad you could join us for trending and pop start. >> thank you. mr. roker, check of the weather. >> i'm on the cover of "popular mechanics" this month. >> nice. >> thank you very much. more rain into seattle, mountain snows. more heavy rain moving into northern california today into tomorrow.

late tonight, that rain moves in and continues on into thursday, causing big problems. thursday into friday, rounds and round of rain coming into southern california this weekend. this could be really a very difficult situation for both the northern section of california, upwards of 5 to 6 inches around the oroville area by the time we get into sunday. also friday to saturday, down through southern california, 4 to 8 inches of rain possible for the south facing mountain slopes. we're going to be watching that very, very closely as those storms move through. rest of the country, developing storm coming across parts of northern new england, bringing more snow. some places in maine could see another 8 to 12 inches of snow. severe storms along the southeastern coast. unseasonally mild conditions through the planes that stretch down to the gulf. things drying out for our friends around the houston area where they had s good morning.

i'm meteorologist bill henley. umbrellas are going up at the shore, but not for long. those showers will clear out and you will see the late day breaks of sunshine and near 49 at the shore, and inlander areas are mostly cloudy, and inland sunshine later this afternoon. winds picking up later in new jersey and the suburbs in philadelphia could blow an isolated shower through the lehigh valley and otherwise isolated clouds and 47, and into the 50s in delaware. have a great day. that's your latest weather. sheinelle? >> al, thank you. christie brinkley is a modeling icon, gracing the covers of more than 500 magazines in her career. a list that includes three straight "sports illustrated" swim suit editions in 1979, 1980 and '81. >> at the age of -- she's given me permission -- 63, christie brinkley is returning to the pages with her daughters at her side. they're all with us this morning. ladies, what a pleasure. >> good morning.

>> great to see you. >> morning. >> "sports illustrated" swim suit issue. be honest with me. raise your hand when you first found this out, if you were nervous. just a little nervous. >> i was completely freaked out. >> two hands, three times. >> excited. >> nervous or excited? >> i wanted this my entire life. >> you guys are professional models. >> were you nervous? >> well, i mean, i kind of thought, hmm, i like the challenge. with these two gorgeous girls next to me, who is going to be looking at me anyway? >> please, mom. everybody. >> i figured -- >> come on. >> i couldn't ask for better conditions. >> what was the shoot like? i mean, did you kind of say, mom, take it away? tell us what to do? did you say -- >> no. >> -- girls, do what you want to do? how did you work it? >> it was a mixture of all our personalities and all of who we are and how we act in front of the camera. >> it was colorful. we have different personalities. >> she takes over.

she's a boss. >> i'm a control freak. i brought the extensions, the skin care masks. if you're ever in a pinch, i had the bug spray, all organic. i was prepared for everything. >> i'm a mover. she doesn't like me to move. >> she's a mover and shaker. she was like this the whole shoot. i was like, mom, sit still. i have my angle. >> i don't hold still. i have to move. >> i'm looking at these pictures and the videos. the thing is, when you're in a bikini, there is nowhere to hide. there's only so much you can do. >> no. you have to work with what you've got and work the angles. >> right. >> that was the story the first time i ever did "sports illustrated." i immediately was like, oh, my gosh, what do i do with my hands? i don't know where to put my hands. so i was squirming. julie campbell looked at the photographer and said, oh, my god, her moves. there was like a woody allen crawl going along underneath. my brain was going, i don't know

where to put my hands. i wish i could put this arm somewhere. >> you're always thinking ahead. sailor knew what to do. she was calm. she was the sporty one, ready to get in the water and going. i was trying to stay still and focus. i'm new at this. i'm a musician. it is all different. >> not just about the photos. the fact you guys are in here, you've opened up a discussion of sorts, about other topics. it is interesting, sheinelle said there is nowhere to hide in a bikini. there is also nowhere to hide, figuratively, when you are growing up as a daughter of extremely famous parents and a supermodel. >> nowhere to hide at all. >> you talked about some of the issues you faced as young ladies. you're still young ladies. with body image and self-esteem, can you explain that a little bit? >> growing up just as a girl, as any young girl, you deal with body image issues and deal with seeing people on billboards that have these tiny bodies and these perfect, air brushed figures. you look at yourself and you're

growing up and go through the phases. you go through awkward phases and don't feel good enough. i definitely didn't. but then i went through everything. i went through, like, every phase. i went from too skinny to too fat. i don't like using those words. but i went through everything. then you sort of get to an age, get to a time where you say, this is my body. i go to school. i workout every day. i can do so much. who cares if i don't look a certain way that people tell me to look. >> the one thing that is hard growing up in the public eye is when you happen to catch the criticism at about 9 years old for a girl. it is crucial. you know, that's the age where they're sort of separating from their parents. they're getting -- gaining their own identity. to suddenly see a newspaper that calls you a name, that puts you down -- >> i went through that. >> she had to deal with that.

>> you retreated a while. you didn't want to be out. >> yeah. well, i -- you know, not to rehash too much, and i don't want any pity, i have a great life and i'm very privileged to be where i am, but i certainly went through it. in a different way than sailor. i didn't have so much issues with my body, but they did used to call me bowwow face. i went through it. i grew into myself later in life. this one is just grown up and blossomed beautifully, earlier than me. >> as a mom, when your daughters are struggling like that, how do you deal with it? >> it was excruciating as a mom. i could cry now. >> she cries at the drop of a hat. commercials. >> if i could urge just one thing for, you know, the media, is to lay off the kids. you know, it's like, we're

celebrities. we're fair game. say what you want, you know. but lay off the kids. you know, let them have their moment to grow up and become who they're going to be. when they decide to step out, then they're fair game. >> then they're up -- exactly. when you're doing normal, average things, like when i was moving out of my home and moving into my first apartment, going to college, i got all these comments about how my college is for trust fund babies and all of that. it's like, i never asked for anyone's opinion. i think that's the worth parst >> this magazine layout is a powerful layout about self-confidence. am i blamed for make ling kriei brinkley cry again? >> every time, matt. >> great to see you. it is. >> thank you very much. >> "sports illustrated" swim suit issue is on sale now. carson? the biggest names in the

business. gwen stefani and tracy morgan. we'll chat the "voice" and all almost 8:30. good morning. i'm tracy davidson and a first alert with our meteorologist bill henley. what is the forecast, bill? >> clouds in the lehigh valley and look at abington, mostly cloudy with a few clouds popping through. and in cape may and southern delaware that is going to move off shore this afternoon. and this afternoon, a chance of an ice i lated shower blowing in with gusty winds. >> and now to the roads as we go first alert traffic reporter jessica boyington. >> we are watching the vine expressway over there in the westbound sided around the ben

franklin parkway. it has cleared away there, and we have a disabled vehicle over there on the right-hand shoulder of that and so some westbound de delays at the schuylkill. and in abington, a crash there on the pike. >> thank you. and now, looking at the investigation into the vaughn correctional kill iing with the investigation to recommend improvements for future. >> and tonight, jahlil okafor is doing to be taking the team tonight even though he has been associated with some trade rumors. you can always get the latest on on the nbc10.com app. download it now.

♪ 8:30 on a wednesday morning. it's the 15th day of february, 2017. weather in new york city, not bad when you consider we're in the middle of february. pretty mild. we'll take it. that's a cute one right there. >> uh-huh. >> coming up, lots of stars. >> yes, this is a good one. we'll talk to gwen stefani about her return to the "voice" and why she said she woke up in the last year. and more of our where are they now talk show titan series. there he is, jerry springer ch there and there is going to be a fight that breaks out during the interview. >> no, no. >> just kidding. we'll talk to jerry in a bit. good to see tracy morgan, who is here to tell us about his movie, "fistfight," which is

hilarious. he is returning to the big screen which is an important thing for me. mr. roker, the weather. >> we are looking at some strong storms making their way along the coast. icy conditions in the mountains. unseasonably mild from the planes to the gulf. windy conditions in the northeast. heavy rain and mountain snows moving into central california, northern california, where we're worried about the oroville dam. that's what's ing on around go good morning. i'm meteorologist bill henley. umbrellas going up at the shore, but not for long. those showers are going to clear out and you will see the late day breaks of sunshine and near 49 at the shore. inland mostly cloudy and limited sunshine getting to 50 degrees this afternoon, and the winds will pick up later today for new jersey and the suburbs for

philadelphia could blow an isolated shower through the lehigh valley and otherwise mostly cloudy skies and 47, and into the very low 50s in delaware. >> that is your latest weather. don't forget, get the weather any time you need it. go to the weather channel on cable. who is that? >> dallas. >> dallas, all right. they've got good weather, too. back to you guys. >> al, thank you very much. now to the "voice" on "today." as emmy-award winning show gets ready to return for season 12. >> a great show. >> we're happy to have gwen stefani, a music superstar and successful fashion designer returning as a coach. we'll talk to gwen in a moment. first, a sneak peek at season 12. >> i'm 13. >> whoa! >> come on. 13. >> never had someone 13. >> so i was listening, and this is overwhelming, being back. i'm so grateful to be here right now. >> like i'm ecstatic you're

here. this is crazy. >> i'm so grateful. >> you taught me how to spell bananas. >> there you go. listen to me, you could be on team gwen. i can teach you how to spell everything. >> you use all the tricks in the book, won't you? >> can you imagine. >> you should be there. >> come on. >> it is your show. go ahead. >> i'm glad you showed the clip. this is the first time we lowered the audition age to 13. you saw that young man. unbelievable. gwen has a son, kingston, who is 10. watching you with the young group, what is it like? >> it is talea hard to remember they're that age. the pressure and ease they take it with. i had some -- i'm not going to say because i can't say who is on my team yet. it is unbelievable, the talent and at such a young age and that they're so calm. that blows me away. >> you feel like this time

around, you have more to offer your team. what do you mean by that? >> i think i had an extraordinary year last year. i got to make a record and do new music and go back on tour after, like, seven years. i hadn't toured. that exchange of love that i had and that whole experience to bring that now, because it is fresh, you know. the first season, i literally had just given birth, which is a whole different vibe, right? >> right. >> second season, i was in, like, this crazy, crazy transitional place. and then this time, i did music. so to be around all that music and have that new music come out, it was just a different place, you know. and three seasons, you get comfortable. also, the chemistry between the coaches, i mean, alicia keys is just so magical. adam and i, we know each other now for a while. of course, blake, who i think is the greatest guy ever. it is so fun. it is so easy and comfortable. >> she really teed it up.

>> it is well documented, you and blake. i was curious when we were shooting the blind auditions and the knockouts, what would the chemistry be like? >> i was nervous at first. this is going to be awkward. how am i going to act? but it's natural. >> how do you feel it played out? >> it is natural, you know what i mean? i feel like sometimes, it is a little like, we're driving home and i'm like, do you think i should put them together? i'm like, wait a minute. i'm not talking to you about this. i don't know if you are the enemy or -- it is confusing. >> natural jokes built in. if there was a steal and an artist went from team gwen to team blake, there would be the joke of, well, you didn't really leave teams. you went from one to the other. >> it is true. i think we actually help each other, you know what i mean? i've learned a lot about country music through -- just in the last year through him. it is interesting. >> what did the cowboy do for you for valentine's day? >> i thought you said cowboy

duf. i was like, whoa, carson. >> nicknames. >> we weren't together. >> did he remember? >> he forgot. no, just kidding. i got some beautiful flowers and lots of texts. it was fun. >> nice. >> i mean, you know. i'm in new york and he is in oklahoma. it is okay. >> i'm reading a lot of interviews about you. >> you are? >> yeah. you said you woke up in 2000 or were woken up. you referred to it a second ago, what an amazing year you had. how do you try to top that? >> i'm not going to try. i think i'm going to continue to just be on that kind of -- i feel like i woke up spirituality, you know what i mean? when you do that, everything is in color and you're sort of seeing things with new eyes. you just sort of -- you just see everything through gratitude. you know what i mean? you check everything all the time. i don't know. that's kind of what i've been doing. it saved me. you know what i mean? that's what i mean by that. i'm just awake, like all the

time, going wow. even right now, i think about this guy and trl and how am i sitting here right now? >> weird for both of us. >> we're tripping out because we're in l.a., here's here. >> in '96, i was a dj, k-rock in l.a., hometown station, playing her band's music. now we're on the "voice" together. >> we have babies. >> ten kids between the two of us. it is so fun to watch you on the "voice." you have so much optimism to offer because last year was a crazy year for you but came out on the other side. you make a choice when life is tough and you chose the brighter path. it is inspiring. >> i feel like it. music is healing. to be able to tap into that for me, to have that outlet was a lifesaver. like i said, to be able to share it and share the experience. music is universal. it is just such a gift we have. >> plus, you're dating blake shelton, which is weird for me. >> i'm so lucky. >> what do you see in the guy? it's crazy. >> what are you talking about?

>> he's a good kid. >> you'd love him. >> i love him. i love you more though. >> he loves you. >> you can catch the season premiere of the "voice" on nbc. monday, february 27th. up next, the talk show titan known for pushing the boundaries. we'll catch up with jerry springer. first, in tthis is "today" in n. wher in the weor

back at 8:40 with more of our special series, where are they now, talk show titans. this morning, one of the biggest names from the 1990s who never left the limelight. jerry springer. >> reporter: outrageous and provocative but it wasn't always that way. >> this is our first show.

>> reporter: a tame start in 1991. by the third season, the jerry stringer show was like nothing else on day time tv. sex, lies and lots of feuds. salacious topics were ratings goals for springer. at one point, the show had more viewers than oprah. by the late '90s, some of his competitors were revamping their own shows to keep up. >> it is only the grown-ups, such as you, that teach our children to not like that person because of the color of their skin. >> reporter: a former mayor of cincinnati and local news anchor, day time talk was a departure for stringer but was a lasting career. the sprawls continued 26 seasons later. >> everything i've done for you! >> good morning for you. >> i'd like to apologize for that. i've ruined the culture. >> don't apologize now. >> i've ruined the culture. >> let's begin with a quote. you said this on your 25th anniversary show. let's be honest, virtually

anyone can do what i do. you said, which is basically three things. you did what? come on out. >> and we'll be right back. that's all you have to do to be -- >> clearly, there is more than that. why has this show lasted for 26 years? >> well, probably -- well, first, it's stupid. you know, it's got a niche. and no one else kind of goes in that niche. so i think that's one of the seasons it lasts. the personality of the guests. no one is watching because of me. they're watching because the stories are crazy. and the people are outoutrageou. you ca >> you called your show chewing gum. it won't hurt you. you had little people wrestling in slime, women pretending to be men, fights. is there a line you won't cross? >> the show is no censorship. we'll bleep out the bad language and cover up the nudity or

whatever. >> but nothing where you'd say, no. >> when our show started, the executive producer, by the way, was the one that kind of found me and said, do a talk show. when it started, we were a serious show. but then all of a sudden, it started going crazy. when universal brought us, they said, from now on, only crazy. there is no censorship. look, we've had on our sho sho show neosenate zeeshow ne show neo-nazis. my family was exterminated by the nazis. if i let them go on, what am i going to say no to? >> why do people come on your show? >> i don't know. i always say, my closing prayer for everyone, may you never be on my show. >> oh, no. >> yeah. i think if i had to guess -- >> okay. >> -- it is for so many of our guests, no one ever asked them a question.

they live their lives -- they don't have kids who ask them their opinion. they don't have parents who ask their opinion. they're not in a job where their opinion is valued. it is like, for one day in their life, people are really paying attention. they're talking about something that is important to them. we take it for granted. every day of your life, someone asks, what do you think? nice job. so many of these people, no. they don't come on to be famous. they don't use their names. >> jerry, they come out and sometimes you can't get a word out before somebody is knocking you in the head with a chair. i'm no expert but it isn't the way to solve a problem. >> i'm not allowed to know what the show is about. they hand me a card with the names of the guests. i'm supposed to ask questions you'd ask sitting at home and make jokes. that's all. i'm never allowed to know the subject matter. but when they come on, they're not coming on to be famous. they don't use their real names in most cases. they wear disguises, though the wigs come off, which by the way,

is why we don't have trump. he doesn't want his hair pulled. >> oh, my goodness. >> sorry, i didn't mean to go in that direction. of course i did. >> jerry, jerry, jerry. >> yes. this is about dating. we don't deal with serious issues. truthfully, we don't do pregnancy tests or anything like that. they're angry, legitimate. the next day, they're dating someone else. it is not a life-changing issue. >> final thoughts? where did it come from, the take care of eayourself and each oth. >> i anchored the cincinnati news and i ended every broadcast like that. we shouldn't just take care of ourselves but each other, as well. the whole show is crazy. everyone is doing crazy stuff, throwing food and everything. at the end of the show, i wanted to do something, hey, you watched all this. this is my opinion of how it ought to be dealt with. that's all. >> i have to end here. you're 73 years old. you have your grandson, your podcast, your "price is right live." >> yeah. >> any chance of slowing down,

or maybe jumping into politics in. >> i am today announcing my candidacy. you know, if i ran against trump -- >> you have four seconds. >> you'd have a wall built -- >> okay. bye, jerry. >> you need one to keep americans from getting out. >> jerry springer, take care of yourself. >> and each other. >> i've always wanted to say that. we should note the "jerry springer show" is produced by nbc universal. tomorrow, another talk show titan not slowing down. maury povich will be here. ahead, we'll talk to tracy morgan about his much-anticipated big screen comeback. first, this is "today" on nbc.

we are back now. 8:48. one of our favorite guests around here, tracy morgan. the new movie "fistfight," he plays a high school coach helping a teacher get ready to

take on another teacher in an after-school fight. >> he'll be aiming for the target in the center of your skull, which will scramble the gray and white matter in your brain that controls logic, personality, social and sexual behavior. so at 110%, oh, he most definitely is going to knock all the sex out of you. >> oh, jesus. >> maybe you duck and he misses. >> if he does, i'll just run. >> no. i never said nothing about no running. who is you, sea biscuit? >> tracy, welcome back. good to see you. >> you, too, matt. >> the last couple years have been a series of small steps for you. this is the first time you got back on a movie set after the accident we've talked about here so much on the show. what was it like? >> well, it was kind of scary. because i hadn't been in front of a camera. i didn't know. i didn't know if the timing was going to be there, if the instin instincts, the comedic instinct would still be there. i didn't know.

you have to understand, a lot of studios don't -- won't mess with a person who just came out of a coma. >> they won't take a chance. >> no. >> but my boy, richie, i love you, richie, young director, put it on the line for me and gave it a shot. when i got in front of the camera, we did one, two, three takes, and then i had to have a moemt moment. he gave me the moment. i stepped back and let it all out because i was here. i let it all out. then we went to work. my cast, ice cube, charlie day, they gave me a lot of love and support. ri richie gave me the room to be myself. he said, i don't want nothing else. i want tracy morgan. when he said that, i knew i could have fun. >> the premise of the movie is funny. it brought back memories, i'm sure for you, too. >> matt, if you were in high school and heard two teachers were going to fight, wouldn't you be there? >> absolutely. >> i have to see this. >> let's reverse it.

how many times were you in school and because you were a little bit of a wise you know what, you probably got in a few fights yourself, right? >> i got into a couple of fights. i remember one time, i liked this girl named mertis. i didn't know how to express it. i punched her arm and she whooped my behind. she has the big sonny liston hands. shot the jab. my fights were epic. i had a cut man. i had a corner man. there was contract disputes. >> do you remember that -- >> lots of promotion. >> do you remember the feeling during the school day when someone called you out after school and time stood still, knew you were going to get beaten up after school? >> i had one guy named harold. terrorized me, man. he would come -- every period, he'd come to my class and go -- and it was on. i'd sit in class and fart like

it was grade card day. nervous. >> if you picked your record of high school fights, how did you do? >> in my mind, i was 4-0 but i was actually 0-4 though. >> i know the reality of it, i was 0-3. then the sense of humor kicked in. i started losing the fighting, i made them laugh, the bullies. keep them off my behind. i make them laugh and take them upstairs and cook them hot dogs. especially on the 1st and the 15th. when my mother got her welfare check. >> coach -- >> true story. >> coach trcrawford, did you pattern him after anybody? >> my defensive line coach in high school. that was him. >> really? >> he had a chipped tooth. chipped tooth. he had a gut. he talked like al green. he had those shorts, you know

the gym shorts with the hernia balls. >> what? yeah. >> just like my grand dad. >> you paint a really nice picture. >> he had the vince lombardi cleats. so i patterned him after ben wright. i love ben wright. everything was, hit the track. he didn't just tell you to do a lap. he'd say something personal. i don't care if your uncle fixed my transmission. hit the track. it was always, your aunt didn't text me back. hit the track. he took everything personal. >> i mentioned it's been a series of small steps. my friend, you made giant steps and we're happy to have you back. >> thank you. >> we are. >> thank you. >> "fistfight" opens nationwide on friday. we're back in a moment. this is "today" on nbc. talk to me about the

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barely made it through tracy morgan. >> big show at 9:00. jamie alexander will be our co-host from "blind spot." give sheinelle a tattoo. >> tattoo, yes. >> the plane, the plane. and we've got james spader coming. >> and the harlem globetrotters. >> great. >> of course, your girl gwen e stefa

stefani. >> perfect. >> tattoo. >> the tattoo. >> fi nbc 10 break news. we have breaking news that in west philadelphia where one person was rescued from a house fire. sky force 10 over 46th street near locust street a short time ago. the firefighters had just f finished putting out the fire, and no word yet on the pen's condition. we will have updates on air and on the nbc 10 app. and first we go to meteorologist

bill henley with the most accurate neighborhood forecast. >> and cape may is seeing light showers and southern delaware as well, but it is dry farther inland. the clouds are reaching inland and that is keepling the temperatures in the low 30s right now for new jersey and the lehigh valley and delaware at 35 and 37 in philadelphia, and it is starting toer warmup a little bit and winding up at 50 degrees this afternoon. >> and thank you, bill, a check of the roads with first traffic reporter jessica boyington. >> this off ramp was chosed for the last 45 minutes or so ago because of an accident block it. it is the northbound of 295 and traffic is getting by right now as you can see with the reis sid yule delay left, but the exit ramp has opened there and police activity on the other sidef of it though, so watch out for that. back to you. and we are hearing that ten

casino could open next weekend if the owner submits permits today. there may be be enough time to approve the opening of the h hotel, but not the restaurants. i'm vai sikahema coming up in 25 minutes the latest in news and weather and you can always get the latest on our nbc 10 app. we will have more information at the bottle tom hour.

this morning on "today's take," "blind spot" star jamie alexander in full view as our co-host. and gwen stefani dishing on her valentine's day with blake. the "blacklist" james spader. "sports illustrated" model kate upton, coming up right now. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is today aes ta"today's ta from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> wednesday morning, february 15th, 2017. we have -- we're thrilled to have as our guest co-host "blind spot" leading lady, jamie alexander. >> thanks for having me. >> so great having you. >> i'm so excited. well, we called each other last night so we matched. >> of course. >> got the blue going.

>> is it fair to say -- i don't want to make this awkward -- but you're a girl crush of mine. >> what? >> good thing there is somebody between us right now. >> that works out for me. >> it does. >> listen here. can i explain? >> yes, please. >> please. >> you exude girl power. >> thank you. >> i just, from the top of the show -- >> thank you very much. >> you can cheer to that. >> thank you very much. >> you are included, all right? >> with that, let's dig into your life, shall we? >> wow. that went awkward. almost did a spit taste. >> icebreaker. >> you're a strong character. we're going to play a game. >> okay. >> it's called, jamie on the spot. >> '. >> we recently read fun facts about you and want to know what's behind them. >> is it true you do a great chewbacca imitation? >> ding, ding, ding.

that's true. i should apologize to the sound department. >> that's impressive. >> how did you discover you could do that? >> i got a lot of time on my hands between sets. i like to make people laugh. i constantly do dumb stuff all the time. one day, i kind of let out this weird growl. i was like, you know, that sounds like chewy. i perfected it over the years. >> all right. >> why did you randomly let out a growl? how does that happen? >> that's probably the more interesting story. i'm sure it was something between a burp and a growl and it happened. it was a thing. >> could have been worse. >> could have been a lot worse. oh, yeah. >> you have -- is it true you have -- you do have the letters es tattooed on your wrist. >> yes. >> does it stand for elephant shoe? >> yes. it is like you're saying i love you if you mouth it. >> no way. >> yeah. cameras are on me. you have a lot of cameras in here. >> yes, we do. >> if you mouth it, it looks like you're saying, i love you.

i'll start with you. right? >> look at me and go like this. >> try this one at home. it's the only thing i do you can try at home. >> es, seriously, that's why? >> yeah. i have all my brothers on this arm. brady, david, chance and matt. i should say hello to them and hi mom, because she'll kill me if i don't. i have a lot of letters. am over here, a good friend of mine. that's another show. >> this was natural, you'd be in a show where your whole body is tattooed. >> yeah. >> and provides clues to something going on. >> yeah, it is insane. i have a lot of tattoos of my own. lucky for my mom, i would be sleeved if i could. this is me living out what i want, and she also gets to see me, you know. >> in watching the show, you do a lot of physical stuff. >> yes. >> so i would have to think this is true, that you were on your high school wrestling team. >> yes. >> really? >> yes. watch yourself. >> were you the only girl on the team? >> no. there were a couple other girls. >> co-ed team? >> we started the girls

division. i just wanted to, like, kind of -- i was a little bit of a misfit growing up but i wanted to give my fellow misfits a place to learn self-defense and, you know, discipline and perseverance and things. i was always into sports. we did that. then we competed. a lot of us did really well. it was a lot of fun. then my little brother followed in those footsteps and ended up winning state and going to nationals and wrestling for ou. >> wow. >> could you show sheinelle a couple moves? >> listen. >> listen now. >> i just think it would be -- >> doesn't say that in the teleprompter. >> put her in a half nelson or something. >> during the commercial break. >> that was my pin move actually. >> really? >> i'm so tall. i'd straprawl and do the half a nobody could reach my ankles. at my weight class, i was the tallest one. >> i don't know what that is. >> it is a guy named nelson, cut in half, hits the floor. >> ouch. >> and you tattoo nelson right there. >> boom. >> is it true you've broken the toes on your left foot six times

and broken your back? >> yeah, yes. i've broken a lot of things. i broke my nose in august or september. i can't remember. when was i hear last? broke my nose. broke this finger, so i had to learn to shoot left-handed, which was comical. i've broken both my feet. >> in the course of the show? some of it? >> most of it. i haven't broken my back on the show. that was something else completely different. it goes with it. i do so many fights and you're moving fast and stuff happens. >> it is crazy stuff. i'm not surprised you would. look at that. >> this one was rough. >> what happened? >> well, i have to kick him back into a wall. i forgot i'm connected to him in a way. when he hits the wall hard, i'm going to hit it hard. >> good reaction. >> yeah. that was a rough one, too. >> is it choreography and you remember the order of the moves? >> i do like one little section at a time. a lot of times, i don't have time to rehearse. that's tough. i'll get in there and they'll be

like, here's the fight. we'll do the first five beats and move on. i alternate with my stunt girl, who is a beast, heidi. she's amazing. >> you've kissed an alligator on the mouth. >> listen, it was a one-time thing. yes. sometimes i do things for just shock value. and i was at arnold schwar schwarzenegg schwarzenegger's christmas party a few years ago. >> of course. >> he had a tiger and a camel and a penguin. it was weird. it was a lot of fun. >> get to the zoo! >> get to the zoo. but then, what happened was, you know, i just -- i don't know. hey, fella. i kiss him. what i'm trying to say is i'm a cheap date. but he didn't have a trap on his mouth and i didn't realize it until i backed up. i was like, i can't feel any legs. >> did you see the teeth? >> he was smiling. he was enjoying that. look at that. >> i'd be happy.

>> he's like, i'm going to eat your face. he didn't, thank god. i had to pose for a picture. that was a three-second situation. i clearly closed my eyes because i didn't want to look death in the face. >> wow. >> what's next? >> what haven't i done? >> wow. we've been interrogating you. i think we've got -- there is a new episode of the "blind spot." we have a clip of you interrogating somebody. >> okay. >> take a look. >> i'm actually pretty busy trying to investigate the spiritual plane and reclaim my tattered soul from eternal damnation. >> we have questions. >> true answers come from within, jane. >> cooperate and we can make your incarceration far more comfortable. >> what can you offer the man who wants for nothing? >> the rest of your time in prison becoming a living hell if you don't cooperate. >> every home is a prison. every prison a home. i have no home. i have no prison. >> so you're a religious fortunate cookie? >> ease y to hind de behind sim

jokes. >> tell us what this is. >> how did you get this? >> good. >> simple. >> that was a more delegate interrogation scene compared to what i am used to. but he is great. he's everybody's favorite hacker. he's so funny that we have to keep having him back on the show. >> awesome. >> i wish we could go to a comedy at this point. that airs tonight. it'll be great. >> "blind spot" airs tonight, 8:00/7:00 central here on nbc. good luck. another favorite show, segments on the james corden thing, is car pool karaoke. there is going to be a series coming to apple tv. look at the unbelievable duos in the mix. ♪ i keep on falling in and out ♪ of love with you ♪ suddenly see more

♪ yes, you can ♪ you're beautiful like diamonds in the sky ♪ ♪ shine bright like a diamond >> it's not that hard. ♪ this is a story all about how my life got flipped, turned upside down ♪ ♪ i'd like to take a minute, just sit right there, and tell you how i became the prince of a town called bel air ♪ >> we need a bigger car. >> we can make it work. >> this is the next level. ♪ i believe i can fly ♪ i believe i can touch the sky ♪ ♪ i think about it every night and day ♪ >> wow. >> that's genius. >> that is pretty amazing. >> would you like to car pool karaoke? >> yeah. but i can lip sync, i can't sing. i can yodel. >> whoa, you can yodel? >> man, i did it again. >> wait for it. >> we have to hear a little yodel. >> listen, i have the voice of a 13-year-old boy going through puberty so it cracks all the

time. i can sort of yodel. >> we're ready. >> all right. i have to block my mouth because i'm nervous. >> yodel lay he. >> i get the puberty thing in it. >> she gets it. >> you get ten points for trying that. >> impressive. >> clearly, i'll do anything. you've seen it on my instagram. >> bring out the crocodile. i'm kidding. just ahead, we have the supermodel everyone is talking about, kate upton. we'll reveal her unusual connection to jamie. plus, grammy-winning plus, grammy-winning superstar gwen stefani on the ♪

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spot"'s jamie alexander. i'm thinking of the "blacklist." >> that's coming up. >> kate upton revealed as the cover model for the "sports illustrated" swim suit issue. jimmy kimmel having fun making the announcement. >> the cover of the "sports illustrated" swim suit issue for 2017. wow, kate. what do you think? is that the one you figured they would use? >> very sexy. >> wait a minute. maybe that's not the right one. the cover of "sports illustrated" -- wait a minute. >> sexier. >> i think we've got the -- this is the cover. no. let's go live to new york city, to the empire state building, where we are going to reveal the cover of the "sports illustrated" -- >> wow. >> nice. >> that's impressive. and we've got kate upton with us right now. she's downstairs. kate, how are you? >> hi, kate. >> hello. >> congratulations. >> thank you so much.

>> this is terrific. now, i didn't realize this, but there is a bond between you and jamie. >> yeah. kind of. so ben bruno. >> yes. >> he's the best. >> trainer. >> all he does is talk about how strong you are. it is making me feel inadequate. >> no. after watching "blind spot," i don't think i'm anywhere near you. >> wow. >> i don't know. but i've seen -- we've talked about similar workouts. does he send you with the travel workouts, too? >> of course. it's the best. >> i do the same workout as kate upton. >> there you go. >> how awesome is that? >> yes. >> cool. >> kate will be with us in the next half hour to talk about her big announcement. congratulations. >> thank you so much. >> i share a trainer with betty white. same kind of intense workout. >> what do you say to that? >> she's a beast. >> she is. i'll tell ya. anyway, another great video to show you. this is really great. harlem globetrotters surprising a new york city teacher with the chance to join the team for a

day. teacher is a trick artist himself. check out the big surprise. >> we heard you got game. we've seen your trick shots. pretty awesome. >> okay. >> so the harlem globetrotters, we'd like to invite you to play with us in madison square garden. >> what? >> no! are you serious? >> yes, yup. >> that's right. [ cheers and applause ] >> boom! >> that is impressive. >> how cool is that? >> that gave me chills. that's amazing. >> one of those things where, he's probably been doing the shot all these years. you get a chance, that one moment in front of the harlem globetrotters, to nail it and he did it. >> incredible. >> you know what i mean? >> he is definitely the coolest teacher at that school. >> christopher debaranski is his name. >> i would be on the washington

generals. >> forgot about them, yes. >> i think the washington generals actually won one game -- >> did they win a game? >> one game. >> yeah, okay. >> all the years. >> the globetrotters are here today. we're going to learn some tricks from them coming up in a bit. >> can you spin the ball on your finger? >> i can't. >> can you, jamie? >> with cgi, i can. definitely not. >> so cool. like an illusion. weather wise, we are looking at a big storm coming in the pacific northwest. makes its way to northern and central california, not great for the dam under siege there. storms along the mid-atlantic coast. warmth continues down the southeast. we have chilly conditions through the northern planes. the rest of the country, at or above average. then as we look ahead toward developing storm coming across the northeast and new good morning. i'm meteorologist bill henley.

umbrellas are going up at the shore, but not for long. those showers will clear out, and day break near 49 at the shore, and inland, mostly cloudy and some inland getting to 50 degrees this afternoon a. and the wind is picking up in new jersey and the suburbs could blow an isolated shower through the lehigh valley, and otherwise cloudy skies and 47 and low 50s in delaware. have a great day. >> that is your latest weather. up next, four big-time ballers. the one and only harlem globetrotters teach us a few moves. plus, supermodel kate upton. >> nice. >> that's cool. >> right after these messages. wish i could do that. >> still ♪ ♪ ♪

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globetrotters in the house. more than 90 years, they've been putting on spectacular shows in front of fans in over 100 countries. >> they are going to teach us moves in a minute. first, take a look at ace jackson, atkinson, lane and zeus as they show off their magic circle. ♪ >> wait for it. >> whoa. >> it's over. >> and he sticks the landing. hey, guys. good to see you. >> good morning. >> that was awesome. >> good morning. all right. >> up top. >> there we go. >> you have a big tour coming up. >> yes. >> right now, we're currently on our 2017 tour.

we have about 250 shows between here and canada up until april. this weekend, we'll be at l.a. in the staples center. madison square garden as well as seattle. we have three teams touring right now. >> wow. >> if you haven't checked us out, check out the schedule. >> ace, you're keeping the guys in line. so many girls want to be you right now. you realize that, right? >> it is amazing, to travel with these guys. it's like my family away from home. we just created that bond. you can really tell that on the game floor when we play our games at madison square garden. the type of connection we have and the energy that we bring to the game. it is amazing. these guys, i love it. >> awesome. >> what can you show us? rookies here. >> that doesn't hurt. >> yeah. >> kate, kate. supermodel, yes. >> move out of the way. >> that was good. all right.

>> i love it. booty shot. >> here we go. around the back, between the legs. fake that thing like this, catch. >> i'm ready. pop it. >> oh. >> your turn, jamie. >> she kissed an alligator, just so you know. >> lucky alligator. >> really hard. >> if you want to learn this, check out our youtube page. we post videos every day. >> nice. >> you almost got her. >> she's on the cover of "sports illustrated." >> i don't need to face anymore. >> the last "sports illustrated." >> not going well. >> harlem globetrotters, thank you so much. you can catch them on tour through april. coming up, she's back in the hot seat on the "voice." three-time grammy winner gwen stefani after your local news. >> incredi see me. see me. don't stare at me.

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good morning. i'm vai sikahema and it is 9:30 and let's go over the bill henley, our meteorologist with the firstle alert forecast. >> we are make progress. 40 this in south jersey and s seeing some rain showers at the shore with 42 degrees. cold north and west of the lehigh valley and the suburbs. 33 in the suburbs and delaware and 35 where we will warm to near 50 this afternoon and it becomes windier this afternoon. vai? >> all right. thank you, bill. and now a check of the roads with our first alert traffic reporter jessica boyington. >> near i-295 at route 70 with a slowdown on the northbound side which is traffic moving to trenton area, and a crash there,

but it is over to the center median and the left-hand shoulder. traffic is slow moving by on the northbound side, but the accident scene is out of the way, and this time in runnymede on the northbound side, that is moving to philadelphia and creek road, and the drive time is slow. >> jessica, thank you. today, the pennsylvania state police are going to to be looking for the cause of this house fire in lehigh valley. the home in north white hall township dates back to the 1800s and it used to be the rockdale hotel. two are retired judges are investigating the hostage situation in vaughn correctional center in smyrna. there is a preliminary report due june 1st with recommendations of how to prevent certain incidents. and the home of the villanova wildcats will get a renovation for the pa vvilion tt was approved yesterday. this is an artist rendering of what the facility is going to be looking like when it is

finished. looks nice. i'm vai sikahema, and you can always get the latest on the nbc 10 app.

all this week on nbc 10 news, helping hands. we shine light on local residents em power iing the

communities and we hear inspiring store u ri -- storie people giving back. if there is one person who has proven women can have it all, it is gwen stefani. a three-time grammy winning singer, song writer, fashion designer and mom of three. >> now gwen is returning to television as a coach on season 12 of nbc's hit singing competition the "voice." >> season 12, hard to believe. you'll get to see her battling it out against adam, blake and alicia. sheer here is a sneak peek. >> i can't imagine how you must feel right now. >> i can imagine how you feel right now because i'm actually a girl. i can relate to you. >> with a surprising move, gwen stefani takes the lead again. >> you know what, gwen knows nothing about girls from the south. >> southern california.

hello. >> that was good. that was good. i am willing to get myself in bad trouble here because i believe in you so much. >> looks like blake takes the lead but may be sleeping on the couch tonight. >> gwen, welcome. good morning. >> i was getting sucked in. i want to watch it. it is so fun. >> you were there so that's high praise. >> crazy watching it back. you don't remember. it is all like, you know, very condensed. >> how does it feel being back in. >> incredible. i mean, that show, if you love music, which i do, i love music, it is just saturated. whether you're looking for a song for your team, performing, talking about a song, i mean, it is music and it is so much fun. it is so inspiring, being around such talent everywhere you look. whether it is the coaches or -- i'm sitting next to alicia keys. i mean, how many grammys does that girl have? and she has this unbelievable,

spiritual, like aura about her. she's so positive. everybody, i mean, all the coaches, we have great chemistry this time. it is incredible. >> is it really competitive? it is fun but it seems like sometimes you really want to win. i think the last female coach was christina aguilera. >> she won, yeah. i'm not a super competitive person, like i don't do sports, you know what i mean, but i'm getting there with this show. i am. i'm learning how to do it. i mean, i'm surrounded by adam, who is the most competitive person i've ever met in my entire life. i didn't know it was possible. >> it's the tattoos. >> he's a sweetheart. then blake, as well. i mean, alicia and i, i think, are getting there. she's actually -- she learned a lot last season, i think. being around the boys, you don't have a choice. >> it's true. >> adam and blake tend to bicker a bit. >> so funny. >> do you try to stay out of it, or do you take sides? >> i take sides. it depends. it depends on what i'm trying to

get. >> you've learned to play the game. >> i'm learning to play the game. >> we know yesterday was valentine's day, obviously. by the look of the promo, blake gave you a present. shall we take a look? >> okay. >> gwen -- >> oh, okay. >> i have this to show you how much i care about you. yes, it is. yes, you are. hmm. >> oh, my. >> that took a disturbing turn. >> he is a dork. it's so funny. >> did you do anything special for valentine's? >> i was here and he is in oklahoma. i got some flowers and some texts, you know. >> when you realized that, okay, this is really happening, i like you, i kind of like you, too, did it feel different afterwards? >> hello. >> it did, right? >> what are you talking about? >> i mean, it was natural at first. you stayed the same. it wasn't like, people are like, you know -- you guys seem like you've been friends forever. >> well, we haven't. i mean, we really haven't.

but it's been -- you know, certain people, you come across in your lifetime and it's just like an instant chemistry, friendship. i don't think there is anybody that doesn't meet blake that doesn't fall in love with him. he's an incredible person, funny and just such a good person. >> fun to watch. the whole crew. >> thank you. >> my mom met him in oklahoma at the airport or something. he took a picture with her and she fainted. she was like, tweet this at blake. i was like, okay, he doesn't know i exist but sure, mom. him and hoda, man. >> your fashion sense, everybody is watching what you'll wear. >> it is the perfect thing for me. i actually like being in the makeup chair. i spend a lot of time in that chair, and i love it. so just the idea of, like, okay, what are we going to do today, what am i going to wear, i love it. it is creative and fun. i love bringing it. >> i feel like in the show,

there is something for everybody. i can watch it with the kids and we're agagenuinely entertained. the music and fashion. >> it is hard not to get sucked into people's stories and talent. they're working so hard. you root for them, you know. >> people get a chance. coming up, we appreciate you being here. don't miss the "voice"'s season premiere next monday, february 27th, at 8:00/7:00 central here on nbc. coming up, the stars continue. we've got the "blacklist." we'd never have one here. emmy-award winner james spader is with us right after these scott 1000 knows there's no stopping america's families. so we made america's longest lasting roll. with 1000 sheets -- more than any other national brand -- to keep on going just like you. so keep on hugging... keep on playing... keep on smiling... keep on awesoming. with 1000 sheets,

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even without methotrexate, and is also available in a once-daily pill. ask about xeljanz xr. on television as in real life, nobody rocks a fedora like the concierge of crime on the "blacklist." >> we're talking about james spader. this season, the career criminal is facing a new set of challenges. take a look. >> readington. >> this is tedious. i'd give almost anything to have a scratch, but seeing how given your profession, david, you may be more inclined to squeeze than

scratch, i'll wait until the next break. >> why is he painting your portrait? >> i brought him to leverage to kill him unless you give the name i want. when i introduced myself, he just lit right up. >> i feel i should bow down to you. that dialogue, it is just -- you would know. >> i stand around with tattoos and sometimes i hit somebody. >> i wish we could have the conversation over the break. >> what are you doing after the show? >> i have a fight scene. >> oi'm going to a prison on staten island. >> when i was doing the pre-interview for this appearance, the woman i was speaking to said, is there anything you'd like to say about the upcoming episode? i said, i have no clue what the upcoming episode is. i said, you know, i've got three different episodes in my head

right now, and none of them relate at all to the episode that's about to air. so they reminded me, and i realized, the writers and i were talking about trying to get you for this episode, al. >> that would have been fantastic. >> a dream come true. >> we were on the phone and talking about it. the character you would have played yourself, if you would have been willing. as it turns out, we didn't go with that in the episode. but we were worried that wasn't going to quite work, you know, in that context. and also, as i brought up, i said, you know, the only person who has a more difficult schedule to contend with than us is al, probably. >> sure. >> we certainly don't want to accommodate him. he would have to accommodate us. >> i would be more than willing, believe he. i'd drop everything. >> call them as soon as they leave. >> yes, please.

>> the studio. >> in watching this season, red is in a place where we've not normally seen him. vulnerable and trying to figure out who is responsible for this against him. >> hasn't found firm footing this season yet which, you know, i think he, you know -- he's got the right temperament for that. but things are certain ly at loose ends. i mean, he's -- he's having to sort of look in every direction. and i think the thing he has always felt and been comfortable with, the notion that the end could really arrive at any second, i think he can really sort of smell or taste that right now. whether he is going to be proven right or wrong, who knows, you know. i think he is weary. >> there are some people you meet and know their role.

it was almost like this role was meant for you. i can't imagine, seriously. do you just love it so much? i mean, it feels like no one else could play this but you. >> you love it and hate it. >> really? >> yes. you know, another -- there's lots of very good actors out there and they would have made it their thing. >> fair enough. >> it's part of the job description. i mean, they would just make it their thing. then you wouldn't imagine anybody else in the role. but i'm lucky. it is a really -- it is fun, you know. there's -- its intensity is balanced with irreverence and fun, silliness. when i come for the "today" show, they say, we have to look for a clip that's going to be appropriate for a morning show, which i'm not entirely sure what that means. does that mean you're lying in bed when you're watching it or

what? >> james spader, thank you so much for coming in. the "blacklist" airs tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. eastern on nbc. >> the role could be that of a killer weatherman. somebody who just is angry about a blown forecast. then has to go and -- >> auditioning. >> always. you never know. as we look, we have severe storms today along the southeastern atlantic coast. a little bit of a clipper, developing storm for new england. mild through the planes. more heavy rain into the pacific northwest. unfortunately, tomorrow, makes its way to central and northern california. again, those dams that are under siege, going to have more problems. the warm weather continues midsection of the country. a little on the windy side as we head out into the rtheast. thnoat good morning. i'm meteorologist bull pill hen. umbrellas are going up at the show, and you will say late

breaks at 50 at the shore, and some limited sunshine getting through with 50 this after noon. the winds are picking up later to dday for new jersey and the suburbs for philadelphia could even blow an isolated showers through the lehigh valley. otherwise, mostly cloudy skies and 47 and into the low 50s in delaware. have a great day. >> this, my friends, it doesn't get any better than this. james, thanks so much. we appreciate it. >> thank you. coming up, we have supermod supermodel kate upton gracing the cover of not one but three the cover of not one but three "sports illustrated" swim suit listerine® kills 99% of bad breath germs. the cover of not one but three "sports illustrated" swim suit this is 100% useful for a 100% fresh mouth. just ask listerine® users. the very people we studied in the study of bold. people who are statistically more likely to stand up to a bully. do a yoga handstand. and be in a magician's act. listerine® kills 99% of bad breath germs so you can feel 100% in life. bring out the bold™. also try listerine® pocketpaks

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windex that you don't even know it's there? so clear by sfx: slide show smudge it! with the new smudge stick even clear glass gets visibly smudged in a snap. sfx: smudge sounds against glass get it now and say no to spotless clear windex glass. the "sports illustrated" swim suit edition made kate upton a breakout star in 2011 12k3w4r t. >> the following two years in a row, kate cemented her status as one of the country's top supermodels. >> overnight, just announced, she's back on the cover for a third time. kate, congratulations. >> congratulations. >> thank you so much. >> high-five moment. >> thank you. >> you're tied for second most covers ever. does that -- what does that mean for you? >> i mean, i honestly -- it hasn't set in yet. it is an honor. to be a poort art of this issue that's focused on women and loving yourself is and

confidence and loving yourself no matter what you look like, what shape or size, is just really an honor to be on the cover. >> there was so much positivity the first time around. people started talking about body image and you can have curves and it is okay. going in the third time, did you go in with a different perspective? >> i really think that in my life, not even just for the magazine, i went in with a different perspective because working out with -- we share a trainer -- ben bruno -- >> hi, ben. >> hi, ben. i started working out for, you know, myself, my myself to feel strong, to get through the day. it was less about fitting into a dress size and more about me feeling good. and me feeling strong. and it changed my perspective completely. >> what is the message now? because, you know, it seems now, more than ever, body diversity, body type, color, everything is on the table now. it is like, you know, everybody is good. >> yeah. there's so many different types

of perfect. the only type of perfect you can be is your own. and so it is really important for you to find who you are and that can define you and what makes you different from everyone else. otherwise, we're all going to start looking the same, and that would be a bore. >> i agree with that. can i ask, you're planning your wedding right now. is that true? >> well, yes. trying. >> justin verlander, right? >> yes. >> you posted a fun picture. do we have the picture? to instagram of your wedding plans. fun, party, tequila and food. first, when can we expect an invite? secondly, what can you tell us about the big day? looking for something traditional, casual? when you're a supermodel, i feel the world is your oyster. i don't know. >> we were talking about it, like what does the other person want in a wedding. both of us were like, we really want a party. so that's as far as we got in the planning.

let's definitely have some tequila. what kind of food should we have? >> pigs in a blanket. >> clearly, we were planning before dinner. it's like going to the grocery store when you are hungry. it was bad. >> when you look at this, they're going to -- there are going to be a lot of young women who see this magazine and think, you know, i want to be her. what is your advice? what do you say to the young women who come up to you now? >> that say that they -- >> they would like to be on that cover or they would like to achieve what you've achieved. >> well, i think that that's such an honor because i worked very hard to be on the cover. i'm very proud of it. but the only way for someone to be able to achieve what i've achieved is to be themselves. >> yeah. >> good advice. >> jamie, you said the same thing, didn't you? >> excellent advice. we're all different and, you know, it would be boring if we were all the same. >> we like that advice. >> i concur. >> we have a quorum.

kate, thank you so much. we'll be back in a moment.

awaiting the arrival of jennifer nettles. >> any moment. >> i heard you came in today after a 17-hour day yesterday. >> i did. i'm just now waking up. i don't know what just happened. no, yeah. >> it is impossible that anybody can look like that. >> jamie, you were fantastic this morning. >> thank you for coming.

good morning. i'm vai sikahema, and it is just before 10:00 a.m., and we with go right to meteorologist bill henley with the most accurate neighborhood forecast. >> it is cloudy out there, vai. and the clouds will clear out, but despite the clouds the temperatures will come up. 37 at philadelphia international, and now 40s in scenter city, and graduate hospital, and fort richmond to 40. and the clouds coming off of the shore, and southern delaware and watching the showers to the

west. so far, they are falling apart and chance of isolated shower in the suburbs, lehigh valley this afternoon. thank you, bill. a check of the roads with first alert traffic reporter jessica boyington. what are you seeing? >> near 42 and north running mead road. you can see the ben franklin parkway here with the earlier accident here by the shoulder, but that not the problem any more. this is the westbound side here, and this is moving to the schuylkill and it is much better to the eastbound side slowing through center city. back to you. philadelphia police tweeted that a powder found in the university building in center city is not a throat. -- is not a threat. they say that the powder was found in cubicles on the third floor, and the building was evacuated as a precaution. tonight's powerball jackpot is

up to the $310 million and if you win and pick the cash value, you could walk away with $190 million. i'm vai sikahema and we will have another weather update in about 20 minutes.

. from nbc news this is "today" with kathie lee gifford and hoda kotb live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. ♪ >> hello, everybody. it is wines day wednesday. it's february 15th. hoda is on a well deserved vacation, so grammy winning artist and great actress jennifer nettles is my co-host today. great to see you. i was so embarrassed. this is her newest single. let's hear it a little bit. ♪ coming back around >> "heart break" off her latest album "playing with fire." she's been dabbling with acting. i am so embarrassed that i