>> we'll have local updates throughout the morning. >> stay safe out there. go slow. thanks for watching. "today" show starts right now. good morning. winter mess. nearly 60 million americans from florida to maine waking up to a dangerous commute this morning, as dumps snow, sleet and ice up and down the east coast. nearly 1,000 flights already canceled. accident piling up on the roads. and al's got the very latest. playing ball. nbc news learns steve bannon will cooperate with the russia probe after the special counsel subpoenas him. what does bannon have to tell investigators? we're live in washington. double-cross. the former cia officer arrested, suspected of giving highly classified information to the chinese government.

his betrayal believed to have led to ten deaths. after years on the hunt, how authorities got their man. face-to-face. an emotional day as some of america's top gymnast confront their abuser. >> little girls don't stay little forever. facebook firestorm. why some former insiders are calling the social media site a living, breathing crime scene. a surprise in michigan as a meteor lights up the night sky and causes a small earthquake and leaves residents literally shaken. today, wednesday, january 17th, 2018. >> from nbc news, this is "today," with savannah guthrie and hoda kotb, live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. and good morning, everybody. welcome to "today" on a wednesday morning. nice to have you with us. if you want to know what it

looks like outside, we have a shot. here's the commute right now. northern new jersey. >> jersey is getting pounded. the south is getting pounded. weather's a huge story today. >> it's a wicked winter storm, from the south to the midwest. it's making a beeline for the east coast with millions in a dangerous commute. we'll check in with al and see if it ee's in your direction. first we start with kristen dahlgren. >> reporter: it's crazy. we're talking about windchills down into florida this morning. here in hagetstown, i can tell you the roads are dangerous out there. it's rain and coming down and freezing along the roadways. for millions, this is setting up to be a treacherous commute. winter weather pummeling a massive chunk of the united states and creating a messy

commute. the bitter conditions reached into the deep south, from alabama, to mississippi, to texas, where snow, sleet and freezing rain have blanketed grazing lands. >> unless you have to be on the road, help us out by staying off the roads. >> reporter: in louisiana, nervous drivers slowed to a crawl. and forced this police officer to slide his way across the street. in kentucky, slippery roads caused accidents. highway was backed up for miles after this tractor-trailer lost control. the dangerous conditions extending north into minnesota and wisconsin, with residents there now digging out. but the snow is still making roads slick in ohio. this car had to be pulled out of a frozen lake. while the great lakes are looking more like the arctic, with parts of lake erie turned into a mountain of ice.

now, residents along the east coast are bracing for more. new england has seen rivers freeze, causing ice jams and flooding. >> we're looking at every option because we haven't dealt with this before. >> reporter: forcing the coast guard to use ships to break through the connecticut river. while some are taking time to have fun, others are hunkering down, as the snow keeps coming. and we've got a convoy of plows going by right now. they are out here working hard. tens of thousands of people waking up without power this morning. more than 900 flights have been canceled. more than 5,000 delays. as you know, that has a ripple effect that we could see for days. >> unfortunately, that is true. >> a lot of people want to know which way it's going, how long it's going to hang around. >> to make this thing nuttier, we're going to see this thing split into two systems or two different effects. it's almost 1,400 miles from the panhandle of florida all the way

up into new england. snow starting to make its way just into new york. we have winter storm warnings for 57 million people. up to 6 inches of snow and reduced visibility. northeast, interior sections 3 to 5 inches of snow and that will make for slick roads. we start off this morning, we're going to have snow and sleet from the gulf coast to maine. that's where the heaviest snow is going to be, across the carolina. ice and sleet across the florida panhandle. in the northeast, rain for cape cod and we'll see snow in new york, providence, hartford, all the way to albany. as the system pulls away this evening, the snow will continue for eastern maine, cold air will funnel in behind it. then, we look at the carolinas. snow will taper off in north carolina this evening. icy travel with temperatures below freezing. there's more snow down in the southeast, with six to eight inches in the snow in the carolinas. we get into the northeast.

the heaviest snow, guys, will be down into maine. it will start a lot of commuting problems this afternoon into this evening, as well. >> you can give us the rest of the forecast in a little bit. >> you bet. now, to politics and the battle over immigration reform. the president and congress has three days to sidestep a government shutdown. in the meantime, steve bannon has found himself right in the middle of the russia investigation. we've got it all covered. we'll start with nbc white house correspondent kristen welker. kristen, good morning. >> reporter: savannah, good morning to you. this morning, nbc news has learned exclusively that fbi agents visited the home of the president's former top adviser, steve bannon, last week, just days before he would appear on capitol hill. now, it's expected he will cooperate with the special counsel. it's another sign that investigators are zeroing in on the president's inner circle. nose developments come with

three days until the government is set to shut down. this morning, steve bannon, back in the spotlight, after a marathon 11-hour meeting with house investigators looking into russian election meddling tuesday. now, new details about the days leading up to that testimony. according to a source familiar with the matter, fbi agents showed up at bannon's home last week, hoping to serve him a subpoena, from the office of social counsel robert mueller. bannon advised the fbi to contact his new attorney, teeing up what could be a face-to-face encounter between the former chief strategist and mueller's team. two hearings on capitol hill tells nbc news, bannon told the white house intelligence committee, the white house told him not to answer questions about his time working alongside the president. that prompting the committee to issue a subpoena of its own.

>> this is the broadest effort we've seen to gag a witness. >> reporter: sarah sanders on defense. >> no one encouraged him to be anything but transparent. >> reporter: it comes amid a fierce fight on capitol hill. republicans are scrambling to avoid a shutdown, pushing for a short-term spending deal that would fund the government for four weeks while extending health care for low-income children for six years. it would punt on the divisive issue of daca, the program that protects d.r.e.a.m.ers, the 800 million immigrants is set to expire this spring. >> it will be obvious if the government does shut down who is responsible. >> reporter: overnight, the top democrat sending this message to the president, after mr. trump expressed a preference for european immigrants over those from africa, during an immigration meeting with lawmakers last thursday. >> if you want to begin the long

road back to prove you're not prejudiced or bigoted, support the bipartisan compromise that three democrats and three republicans have put before you. >> reporter: it's he said/she said, whether president trump called african nations s-hole countries that have derailed the budget talks. >> this has turned into an s-show. >> reporter: that was during a meeting with kirsten nielsen, who was at that meeting. >> what was the strong language? >> strong language, there was apologies. i don't remember a specific word. >> reporter: new jersey senator cory booker wasn't buying it. >> your vsilence and amnesia is complicity. >> reporter: it's not clear house republicans have enough votes to get the bill passed. melania tru

president trump will be on capitol hill to apply pressure on lawmakers on the sideline. >> thank you. from president trump's agenda to his health. the highly scrutinized results of president trump's first exam as commander in chief are in. peter alexander has details on all this. >> reporter: good morning to you. this was an extraordinary briefing here at this podium by the white house physician. dr. ronnie jackson, detailing more information about a presidential patient than he ever has before. the president, the doctor says, is in excellent health. this morning, president trump with a couple more items on his 2018 to do list. diet, subtracting fat and adding exercise. >> on a day-to-day basis, he doesn't have a defined exercise program. we can build on that. >> reporter: that's navy doctor ronnie jackson, who treated president obama, that reported

that president trump is 6'3" and 239 pounds. >> our goal is to lose 10 to 15 pounds. >> reporter: overall, he says the president is healthy. >> the president's overall health is excellent. >> reporter: how is mr. trump in such good health, despite his fondness for fast food and aversion to exercise? >> he has good genes. that's the way god made him. >> reporter: with critics questioning the president'smental fitness, jackson says he has no concerns over the 71-year-old's cognitive abilities. the president requested himself a test. >> if he had a mental cognitive issue this test is sensitive enough, it would pick up on it. he would not have gotten 30 out of 30 on the test. >> reporter: among the test questions, identify the animals and name the maximum number of words in one minute that begin with the letter "f."

when the president appeared to be slurring his words, no cause for concern and no dentures. >> i had given the president medication, some sudafed over the days previous. and i think i had dried up his secretion s more than i intende to. >> reporter: he gets just four or five hours of sleep a night. but the doctor says that's okay. >> reporter: he has a lot of stamina. bottom line, the president, jackson says, is fit for duty. >> i think he will remain fit for duty for the remainder of this term and another term if he's elected. >> reporter: donald trump is the oldest president to enter the white house. and the doctor says he remains in good shape probably because he's avoided smoking and drinking alcohol over the years. as for the diet and exercise,

the doctor said he had to reach out to the first lady. now, we're going to the stock market, where for a short time on tuesday morning, the dow jones industrial average hit another milestone, 26,000 points. but the rally faded, as investors weighed earnings and economic data over growing concerns of the government shutdown. it was the biggest one-day reversal for the index in two years. it comes two weeks after the dow hit a once-unthinkable 25,000 mark. a former cia officer is in jail this morning and charged with illegally classified information. nbc's justice correspondent, pete williams, has the latest details. pete, good morning. what can you tell us about who was charged and what this is all about? >> he was arrested monday night when he arrived on a flight from hong kong where he's been living. and he's charged with possessing two notebooks containing highly classified information that the

fbi says included the names of cia covert employees and other nv informants. some of the most closely guarded secrets that were found that he used when traveling six years ago. several federal officials say he is suspected of giving the chinese information about cia sources and that ten of them ended up getting killed by the chinese, savannah? >> pete this, is hoda. they ended up finding the books six years ago. why did it take so long for them to finally charge this guy? >> it took all that time to build a case against him during a long hundred for a suspected mole. that began after the cia sources in china began to disappear. the fbi interviewed him several times during the past four or five years. >> pete, the fbi thinks he gave this classified information to the chinese. but he's not charged with that. >> they won't say why not.

in cases like this, that involved sensitive secrets, the government will not present the full case in court. he will be brought to federal court in virginia outside washington to face the charges. >> they could add charges if they wanted, as well. big developments in a story that we've been following for several months. the navy announced that two former commanding officers will face charges in the deadly ship collisions. ten sailors were killed after the freighter sli eer collided ship. two months earlier, seven sailors died when two other ships collided. we turn to california now

and that horrific story we've been following. 13 children held captive in their own home by their own parents, something the police are calling torture. this morning, we have the first interview with the mother's family. miguel almaguer is in perris with the latest in california. >> reporter: investigators say they are learning more about what happened inside the home behind me every day. the victims' mother was perplexed as to why they were being arrested. the victims are in a local hospital. the parents are in jail and will be in court on thursday. the alleged torture inside this home where 13 children were found, some shackled and chained to furniture, was carried out for years by their own parents, say authorities. it's unfathomable to even the suspects' own family. >> we are as hurt and shocked

and angry and disappointed as everybody else. >> reporter: louise turpin's brother and sister distraught over allegations that their 13 nieces and nephews were living in squalor. >> i made comments to louise when i did talk to her about, they're so skinny. you know, she would laugh it off. well, david is so tall and lanky. they're going to be like him. >> reporter: her sister left home and was married at 16, to a man eight years her senior. >> they weren't allowed to date or they didn't have a social life. they weren't allowed to watch tv. they weren't allowed to talk on the phone, have friends over, stuff like that, the normal things that kids do. >> today, we have a symbol of love to exchange again. >> reporter: the couple renewed their vows often, surrounded by their children. but the reality was far from picture-perfect.

authorities say it was their 17-year-old daughter who escaped through a window and made a desperate call to 911. police discovering that seven of their children were actually adults. the oldest, 29. all so malnourished they looked like minors. nbc news showing the faces of the adults. >> if you can imagine being 17 years old and appearing to be a 10-year-old, being chained to a bed, being malnourished and injuries associated with that, i would call that torture. >> reporter: seen here on surveillance video, the turpins were arrested for torture and child endangerment. innocent children, allegedly torment eed by the very parents who were supposed to protect them. according to state records, david turpin ran a private school out of this home. but the department of education says they don't have the oversight to inspect private

schools. that may be why no state official ever entercame to this or entered it. >> miguel, thanks to your report. we're going to bring back mr. roker. >> a kun country. we're going to see wet and windy weather in the pacific northwest. it's going to be milder in the

good morning. i'm meteorologist bill henley. a first alert in effect for slippery roads. pennsylvania and northern delaware will see the worst of it. that's where the snow started ea earlier. the first alert until 10:00 this morning. look at the snowy scene from allentown this morning. the snow will end during the day. by then we're looking at one to three inches. an inch or less in philadelphia and even less in south jersey and southern delaware. >> and that's that's your lates weather. guys? >> al, thank you. coming up, top gymnasts coming face-to-face with former team usa doctor who they say abused them. how supermodel chis hrissy teigs backing them up in a major way. why you may see changes to your facebook feed as the tech giant responds to devastating accusations. first, this is "today" on nbc.

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miralax is different. it works with the water in your body to hydrate and soften. unblocking your system naturally. miralax. we are tracking snow thisle the biggest dose. a live look autothe scene in allentown. how much snow you'll see depends on where you live. let's get right to first alert meteorologist bill henley. >> i'm expecting 1 to 3 in the lee high valley. snow in philadelphia, but when we went on the air at 4:00 this morning, it was raining. but snow has slowly slid into the area. wilmington, even washington township and new jersey seeing some snow. starting to taper off north and west. it will be ending this morning, but it is cold enough it will stick and stay on the ground. 33 in philadelphia. now 33 degrees in south jersey,

and falling. so we will see that cold air come in during the day. and with the wind blowing we'll peak just above freezing this afternoon. so what's on the ground will stay on the ground later today. >> let's see how that precipitation is impacting your ride to work today. >> now, there were a few accidents on i-95 all morning long. thou we're in the middle of rush hour we're seeing huge delays. 33 minutes with speeds into the 20s from wood haven to the vine street expressway. >> we'll have another update in 25 minutes. join us weekday mornings from 4:00 to 7:00 a.m. the "today" show continues in just a couple of minutes. have a nice day. stay updated with our nbc 10 app.

welcome back, everybody. 7:30 on this wednesday morning. it is the 17th day of january, 2018. happy wednesday to you. >> happy wednesday, middle of the week, middle of the month. and a big winter storm coming. nasty. nearly 60 million americans waking up to a messy commute, as a massive winter storm dumps snow and ice and sleet all the way from florida to maine. >> it's so cold. cooperating. nbc news learned that steve bannon plans to talk to robert mueller and the russia probe, after the trump former strategist refused to answer questions during a marathon

session on capitol hill. >> who ask you to evoke executive privilege? >> no one has encouraged him to be anything but transparent. shocking death. tyler holinsky found dead in an apparent suicide. officials search for answers as to why the athlete took his life. helping hand. walmart unveils a new policy, offering free opioid disposal at its pharmacy locations. and sleeping on it. >> in the case of retained e.u. rights. >> reporte >> a brexit debate in the british house of commons lulls one member into a deep sleep. >> i remember doing that a time or two. it was an emotional day in court in the sentencing of former team usa gymnastics and michigan

state university doctor larry nassar. many of his victims stepping up to face the doctor they once trusted and whose actions brought them lasting pain and torment. craig melvin is here with us. >> it was shocking to see so many women get up to that podium, tear-filled eyes and talking about what happened to them. young women lining up to face their doctor in this high-profile case that is rocking the world of gymnastics. larry nassar sat with his head in his hands, eyes closed and shoulders visibly shaking. >> he is a predator. he cannot be stopped unless he is behind bars for the rest of his life. >> reporter: he faced his accusers one after another. kyle stephens was abused, starting at the age of 6. >> i had edngaged in my first sexual experience by kindergarten. >> reporter: larry nassar was a

family friend. >> you convinced my parents i was a liar. >> reporter: his fame made him untouchable. >> he hurt me. >> reporter: donna markum's daughter committed suicide after suffering from depression. >> every day i miss her and it all started with him. it all started with him. >> reporter: olivia cowen told the court she suffers from ptsd. >> i've cried more nights than that and i have experienced flashback trauma of the abuse. my deepest pain and fear was the thought of my two, young daughters ever being hurt like this. >> reporter: altogether, roughly 150 women accused nassar of sexual abuse, including olympic medal winners, aly raisman, gabby douglas and simone biles that went public monday. the olympians have not scheduled

appearances in court. but 98 women will be giving statements. some pointing the finger at former employers, usa gymnastics. as part of a settlement, maroni was unable to face nassar. she was facing a fine if she gave a victim impact statement. that news causing chrissy teigen to tweet. the entire principle of this should be fought. a nondisclosure agreement to stay quiet about this monster with 140 accusers. i would be honored to pay this fine for you. usa gymnastics said it will not secrek retribution if she speak out. usa gymnastics says it did reach out to the fbi after a complaint was made, while michigan state university says, any suggestion that the university covered up

nassar's horrific conduct is simply false. in court, nassars accusers looked their abuser in the eye. >> the little girls don't stay little forever. they grow into strong women that return to destroy your world. >> reporter: and this courtroom in michigan is giving all of them a chance to be heard. the hearing continues today. it is expected to last through friday. meanwhile, usa gymnastics says it encourages anyone who has been abused by nassar to speak out saying it remains focused on the safety,culture to support them. nassar will spend the rest of his life in prison because he was sentenced to 60 years. it should be noted he's pled guilty to molesting ten women. scores of others are accusing him of doing the same. >> those girls are so brave. >> they are. everything they withstood to go in there and face an accuser, i

hope he was listening. >> you made a good point, though. this idea, you look at many of the women who were abused, olympians, who managed to go on and shock the world, despite what happened. >> that's incredible. as if it's not hard enough to get on the olympic team. that makes my stomach turn. thank you. mr. roker, what you got? >> we got temperatures that have been a little on the chilly side. they're going to continue that way for one more day this morning. temperatures through the gulf coast, 10 to 15 degrees below normal. 20 to 30 degrees. as you get into the thursday hours, we're looking at colder temperatures in the florida panhandle. 46 million people under some windchill advisory, as temperatures drop windchills to 10 below.

another frigid morning. feels like 6 below in chicago. pittsburgh, 13 below. 6 in new orleans and 5 in dallas. can you believe that? today, we have temperatures that go anywhere from 10 to 30 degrees below average, from tallahassee to houston, up to louisville. but warming weather is making its way in by tomorrow. by saturday, new york city 52. 70 in new orleans by sunday. 63 in oklahoma city. anorlando will see a higd h good morning. i'm meteorologist bill henley. a first alert in effect for snow and slippery roads. pennsylvania neighborhoods and northern delaware will see the worst of it. that's where the snow started earlier. the first alert until 10:00 this morning making for slippery roads during the morning commute. then improving conditions this afternoon. look at the snowy scene from allentown this morning. the snow will end during the day. by then looking at one to three inches snorgt a

inches north and west of the lee high valley. and even lest in southern delaware. >> get that weather anytime you need it. need it. check out our pals at the weather channel. coming up, table for one. valerie bertinelli touches off a twitter debate, about the pros and cons of dining out alone. and dr. oz on the flu season and what you can do to fight it. and the scott probrothers a stopping by. facebook under fire, what facebook under fire, what silicone valley insiders wan for you, it's always leap over look. facebook under fire, what silicone valley insiders wan now over later. and pause. not even in your vocabulary. so when a cold sore tingle strikes you act on it. only abreva can heal a cold sore in as little as two and a half days when used at the first sign. it starts to work immediately to block the virus and protect healthy cells. nothing heals a cold sore faster. and because abreva acts on it...

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jo ling kent has this for us this morning. >> reporter: facebook has 2 billion users every month. but this morning, three silicon valley insiders are leveling new charges against the powerful social network in an exclusive interview. >> what the russians did in 2016 was to use facebook the way it was designed to be used. but they used it for a really awful purpose. >> reporter: roger is an early facebook investor and former mentor to ceo mark szuckerberg. together, these silicon valley insiders are accusing facebook of damaging american democracy. >> facebook is a crime scene for what happened in the 2016 election. only they have full access to what happened. >> reporter: they're pointing to russia's 2016 misinformation campaign against american voters, carried out, through

targeted ads on facebook and beyond. worked for facebook in 2011 and 2012, is speaking on camera for the first time. >> there were a lot of people who were trying to take some kind of malicious activity using facebook's platform. >> reporter: he says he warned executives that the social network could be misused by foreign governments to target individuals. >> it makes me terrified that something i had a small part in helping to build is being used by people with bad intent against america. >> reporter: he e-mailed a warning directly to zuckerberg and chersheryl sandberg about activity on facebook in a detailed memo. >> they would treat it like a public relations problem, rather than a substantive issue for the business. >> reporter: another major concern, the addictive nature of facebook, combined with massive

data collection. >> it's way beyond their control because there's 2 billion people who are jacked into this experience. >> reporter: facebook tracks your name, age, whereabouts and personal preferences. >> i can know your word choices. and i can run ads mirroring back your own adjectives and language to perfectly resonate with your psychology. and those people would have no idea this is going on. >> reporter: the group says they're concerned. the company's tactics are not in the best interest of facebook users. >> what people don't see about facebook is that polarization is built into the business model. polarization is profitable. >> reporter: who is responsible here? >> i think zuckerberg needs to feel this on his shoulders. >> reporter: we asked facebook for a response to the specific charges from this group. they said in a statement, facebook is a vastly different company than when it was first founded. we are taking many steps to

improve people's experience on the platform. we destroyed the business model for false news and reduce its spread, stopped bad actors from meddling in elections and bringing a new level of transparency to advertising. these members are also calling for more oversight of facebook and other social media giants. what's the solution ? >> we need them to be incredibly transparent, much more so than they have been thus far. we need them to accept liability and accountability for the societal harm that's going on. >> why should this industry be free to do whatever it feels like when all the other industries in america are, in one way or another, responsible for the outcomes produced by what they do? why do these guys get a free pass? >> reporter: as we reported, facebook has admitted that russians bought ads on the platform to sway the 2016 election. mark zuckerberg has made fixing

facebook his personal challenge. facebook is also telling us today in a statement, we have more work to do and we're heads-down on getting it done. >> keep following. it's fascinating. carson is with us. he's in the orange room. what's shaking? >> it's a bird, it's a plane, it's a meteor. the surprising sight that had the surprising sight that had michigan residents in a jardiance is the only type 2 diabetes pill proven to both significantly reduce the chance of dying from a cardiovascular event in adults who have type 2 diabetes and heart disease... ...and lower your a1c. wow. jardiance can cause serious side effects including dehydration. this may cause you to feel dizzy, faint, or lightheaded, or weak upon standing. ketoacidosis is a serious side effect that may be fatal. symptoms include nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, tiredness, and trouble breathing. stop taking jardiance and call your doctor right away if you have symptoms of ketoacidosis or an allergic reaction.

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carson is keeping himself in the o.r. >> i was explained the difference between a meteorite, a meteor, an asteroid, getting pretty crazy. people in michigan were met by a flash after a light lit up the sky. people flooded social media with videos and questions about this event.

here's mike austin, he shared his view of the flash. this is the scene from allen park, michigan. you can see all of the flashes registered on the security camera at once. national weather service eventually clarified the bright light the it was a meteor. saying the united states geological service confirmed it was a meteor that caused a 2.0 earthquake. the american moeteor said it wa viewable in six states and canada. nasa is tracking where the pieces landed. but no damage has been reported. >> pretty spectacular. >> like when a meteorologist falls out of bed. the same thing happens. 2.0 earthquake. looking for love? how to make the right first patrick woke up with a sore back. but he's got work to do. so he took aleve this morning.

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just a couple minutes before 8:00. good morning. we're tracking the snow moving through our area. here's a live look now at 95 in wilmington. the roads there are wet, the snow sticking mostly to grassy areas. now let's check on your forecast with first alert meteorologist bill henley. >> tracy, that's pretty good snowfall. you can see it right over wilmington. that's that steadier snow just moving through northern new castle and delaware. you can see edge moor and playmont getting parts of that this morning. that's actually where we started with the most snow this morning, reading and allentown, it's starting to thin out there. ask you can really see it in this live view from allentown. a little bit of shake in the

camera. that's that wind going to keep things cold right through the day. >> what a time to hit during the morning rush. jessica boyington has the first alert traffic. >> just a crash around gerard avenue, another one, on the southbound side just cleared out of the way. from wood haven road to the vine, speeds down still to the 20s as they have been since about 5:30. watch the ramp for route 33 that's partially blocked for a crash. >> crews are de-icing planes. the airport is reporting delays and cancellations for flights because of the snow, so call before you go. we'll have another update in 25 minutes. join us weekday mornings from 4:00 to 7:00 a.m. the "today" show coins in just a few minutes. have a great day. stay updated with our app.

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it's 8:00 on "today." coming up, wintry mess. snow, sleet and freezing rain pummeled major parts of the country. from texas to maine, 60 million americans feeling the winter weather. >> physicaunless you just have n the road, help us out and stay off the roads. >> hundreds of flights canceled and more on the way. how much snow can we expect? al has the latest forecast. plus, flu fighters. with three-times as many cases this year is it possible to stay flu-free. dr. oz is here with what we need to know to protect our families. spotlights on surrogates.

how kim and kanye welcome the baby girl, how the couple is inspiring others to consider surrogacy as an option. today, wednesday, january 18th, 2018. >> we've been in line since 4:30 this morning. >> to be on the "today" show. >> even the rain couldn't stop me from celebrating my birthday on the "today" show. >> girls' trip to new york to meet hoda and savannah. ♪ >> from the bay area to the plaza. >> hi to our friends. >> today is my 24th birthday. >> good morning, everybody. welcome back to "today" on this wednesday morning. those folks out there are the true believers. those are the "today" show superfans. and hoda had a great idea. >> we were saying why don't they come inside. it's raining outside. everybody knows outside. they're going to be coming in soon. kevin will escort them in.

they're going to get toasty warm and dry. >> wipe your feet on the welcome mat out there. let's get to the top stories. the weather tops it. we're going to start with this dangerous winter storm. tens of millions of americans dealing with a hazardous commute this morning. al is back. >> the interesting thing is folks down in the south are looking at more trouble, especially the southeastern atlantic states. 54 million people impacted. we're looking at up to six inches of snow in the carolinas and virginia. we're talking about reduced visibilities. in the northeast interior sections, we'll see three to five inches of snow with slick roads. this system will break into two systems. we're going to see snow from maine to the carolinas. the heaviest snow will be down to the carolinas, coastal north carolina and parts of virginia. we're going to see heavier snow down in east maine. there you have the big areas of snow from charlotte, up into richmond. and we have heavier snow in parts of eastern maine with four

to six inches. guys, it's a quick mover. and then, it's out. then, we get cold air. finally, a warm-up as we head to the weekend. >> like that. >> thank you, al. nbc news has learned that president trump's former top adviser, steve bannon, has ag e agreed to cooperate with the russia probe. hallie jackson has the latest on bannon and the president's health. >> good morning. nbc news has learned fbi agents showed up to steve bannon's home here in washington last week, intent on serving him a subpoena from the office of special counsel of the investigation. bannon directed the fbi to his newly retained lawyer, according to two sources, teeing up what could be a face-to-face between the chief strategist and mueller's investigators by tend of the month. bannon intends to answer all of the questions that mueller has. that's a big headline in d.c.

there's another one coming out of the white house, too. that one relates to donald trump's health. the doctor, the navy doctor that conducted that physical friday, says the president is in excellent health. although, he can stand to lose a little weight, 10 to 15 pounds. at 6'3", 239 pounds, the president is considered clinically overweight. but dr. jackson says he has absolutely no concerns about the president's cognitive abilities, about his mental fitness. he credits what he calls the president's incredibly good genes for his health. while the president sleeps four to five hours a night, that's okay because he has a lot of energy. hoda? >> hallie, thank you so much. now, to some new developments in the california murder case of blaze bernstein, the ivy league college student who disappeared on winter break. >> law enforcement officials have arrested a former classmate of bernstein's. he's expected to be formally charged today. natalie is in los angeles. she's following this story. >> reporter: good morning. blaze bernstein's disappearance

had attracted national attention. lakers like kobe bryant and cream kareem abdul-jabbar. now, bernstein's family is publicly expressing their grief. this morning there's a new twist in the murder of blaze bernstein, the university of pennsylvania premed student found stabbed to death in orange county. >> he was a colorful and charismatic man. >> reporter: in a newly released statement, bernstein's parents say, there is so much discovery to be done. and if it is determined this was a hate crime, we will cry not only for our son, but for lgbtq people everywhere who live in fear. the 19-year-old's body was in a shallow grave after a frantic week-long search. officials say he had been stabbed more than 20 times.

three days later, sheriff's deputies arrested samuel woodward. they say he and bernstein knew each other from high school. according to a search warrant affidavit obtained, there may have been sexual overtones to the crime. that affidavit is now sealed. woodward told investigators that bernstein kissed him on the lips and he pushed him away. back in june, bernstein texted friends a different story. that woodward was about to hit on me. and he made me promise not to tell anyone. woodward told investigators he and bernstein met up the night of january 2nd, drove to the park where bernstein got out. woodward reportedly said he waited for an hour before leaving to meet a girlfriend. but the affidavit says woodward could not remember his girlfriend's last name or where she lived, according to the register. the paper reported woodward was

arrested after a sleeping bag was found in his possession with bernstein's blood. >> we were able to confirm dna. >> reporter: for the first time, samuel woodward's mother, michelle, is speaking out. >> i would like it very much if everyone could respect our privacy and the privacy of the bernstein family. this is a time of great suffering. and we would ask that you would respect that. >> reporter: woodward has not formally been charged and has not yet entered a plea. meanwhile, i will be sitting down for an interview with blaze bernstein's parents and we'll be showing that tomorrow on "today." >> what a sad story, natalie. now, we will shift gears. and hoda has a "morning boost." >> when we flip on a light switch, we assume that the power will be there. in puerto rico, it's been three months since hurricane maria knocked out electricity. watch what happened at one

school when the lights finally came on again. [ cheers ] it's a facebook posting from the school in san juan. they call this indisputable joy. the kids went 112 days without power. a lot of puerto rico is waiting for its turn. your help, your prayers and more are still needed. >> i like that boost because i love to see their joy. i like everyone remembering there's more work to be done. much more ahead this morning, including another kardashian to keep up with. how kim and kanye's high-profile pregnancy is putting surrogacy in the spotlight right now. ricki iglesias and anna kournikova share pictures of their twins. and let's see what megyn is working on. >> a young mom puts a baby up

for adoption. and the video for him before he went to his new family has had a million hearts in tears. >> we'll get that. plus, fighting the flu. dr. oz is here with important health tips in the middle of t ♪ cheerios can help lower cholesterol. ♪good goes around and around. multi grain cheerios® five whole grains a hint of sweatness and a lot of good. ♪good goes around and around. ♪ ifwhat would it say?ash tag 80% glowing 50% freckles no matter your skin type, all skin deserves gentleness. that's why dove is sulfate free. the #1 body wash recommended by dermatologists.

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boot! great. smokey or natural eye? ugh, natural. good choice. how about calling or texting? definitely calling. puppies or kitties? sorry, cats. dry eyes or artificial tears? wait, that's a trick question. because they can both get in your way. that's why it is super-important to chat with your eye doctor if you're using artificial tears a lot and your eyes still feel dry. next question. guys, it's time for some eyelove! good morning wife. good morning husband. [ sultry music playing ] ana grey's office. i'll pick you up at 5. i might not be done by then. ♪ hold on you insist on defying me. [ deep gasp ] what should i do about that? [ chuckles ] learn to live with it. i bought it, for us. i am going to build you a fabulous house. i suggest you keep your hands to yourself. ana. you may call me mrs. grey. ♪ hold on rated r.

back, now, 8:13. and then, there were five. kim kardashian west and kanye have announced the birth of their third child. it's a baby girl. and sheinelle jones is on this story. >> reporter: kim says the little girl who was born with the help of a surrogate is doing fine. but the couple's high-profile pregnancy is raising questions about the surrogacy process. this morning, the world has one more kardashian to keep up with. kim kardashian-west and her husband, kanye, welcoming in a baby girl, weighing 7 pounds, 6 ounces. simil kim announcing the birth on her website. we are incredibly grateful that our dreams come true. >> we're having a baby. >> reporter: in june of last

year, kim and kanye hired a surrogate to help them expand their family. the decision after kim had life-threatening complications during both of her previous pregnancies, with north and saint. her struggles well-documented on "keeping up with the kardashians." >> doctors don't feel like it's safe for me to conceive myself. >> reporter: the couple's choice is shining a light on surrogacy as an option for those facing similar challenges. surrogacy can cost up to $100,000. the number of surrogacy cases has increased in recent years. from around 700 in 1999 to more than 3,400 in 2013, according to the cdc. experts advise those considering surrogacy to speak to doctors independently and to consult with lawyers who understand the process. >> know the laws in your state. in rare cases, sur grogates hav been known to not give the baby to the intended parents.

in rare cases, the intended parents have decided not to accept the baby. >> hey, kanye. >> reporter: as for kim and kanye, the birth of baby number three, seems to have gone according to plan. >> what did you name your princess? >> reporter: new dad, kanye, flashing a smile, just one day after the famous family of four suddenly became five. no word on north and saint's little sister's name. we haven't seen a picture yet, either. everybody is wondering. you have saint, north, what's the third one? >> angel or something. >> west. >> west west. >> north by northwest. >> we'll learn in time. >> only kim and kanye know. >> exactly. you're going to stick around for "trending." craig melvin is around for "trendin "trending," too.

#thoughtswhenscrolling. >> something to love, valley bertinelli's tweets. she sparked an interesting discussion. i'm doing something right now that i haven't done. and i like it. she continued, i'm eating in a restaurant a and it's quite a lovely experience. now, chrissy teigen chimed in. drink when we say chrissy teigen. best feeling ever. i do it all the time. my next big wish is to go to the movies alone. dining solo. i like it. i don't think there's a stigma anymore. >> it is one of my most favorite things. >> most favorite? >> my wife is watching and she's nodding her head in agreement. i say to her, sitting in a bar, watching a game, glass of wine, i love my children. love her. not having the sound of my children and my son not grabbing food off my plate, it's peaceful. >> the movie alone is the

easiest. who cares? you're in a dark theater. i go to the movies by myself. i don't mind that. >> i've done it once. and i thought, i could do this again. >> you think about watching the movie is not really social. you're staring at the screen. once you get in there. i was like, can i have some twizzlers. and popcorn. >> i don't like to go into the restaurant without a phone or something. >> that's good. >> naked. >> that's good, though. >> have you ever seen anybody vacation alone? go on a trip. >> have you done that? >> i have a girlfriend who did it. i thought it was awesome. she went to russia. >> by herself? >> yes. really cool, i thought. at this point with kids, i want to go to the bathroom alone. sometimes vale follows me alone. and i say, i need privacy. >> okay, privacy. >> we surveyed our viewers. this is what they had to say. 61% said they don't like dining

alone. 39% say they're fine with it. "pop start" we never do alone. >> we're going to start with maroon 5. it appeared on spotify's top hit play list. we have a look at the video. the video was shot using an iphone and snapchat. take a look. ♪ ♪ begging you wait, can you turn around ♪ ♪ can you turn around just wait ♪ ♪ can we work this out >> the video cost $1.29. you can see adam's wife and the dog, too. speaking of music, e renriq iglesias and anna kournikova released picture of their baby. someone who did not have a baby was anna kendrick.

it's her photo announcing enrique and anna kournikova's baby. she wrote a post, dear yahoo! how do i get this timeline where i have slept and had a baby with enrique iglesias. brian wilson went back to high school to get a grade changed. his music teacher gave him an "f" on his original song competition. let me play the song. ♪ we're going surfing >> that's the song he submitted. it would go on to be the beach boys' first single, which catapulted their fame. the teacher said the competition earned him an "f" but also a million dollar. >> there you go. >> here's brian, proudly holding up his new grade.

it's an "a." he did it. that's your "pop start." >> perseverance. this one is making the rounds today, in "the daly click." senator orrin hatch caught attention for this move right here. you see that, hoda? that's the senator reaching to take off his glasses but he's not wearing glasses. instincts just took over. he went for it. now, there's nothing there. i mean, social media users were quick to help him out. some found some glasses for him to take off. various styles, too. a good look in there, senator. his team had a little fun with it, too. they put up a funny tweet. this is a mock ad. oh, the invisible glasses. they're new. you probably never heard of them. >> the senator is retiring. >> there you go. >> we've been there. >> i can't find my phone.

been there. al, what's going on? >> the forecast where chrissy teigen is right now looks pretty good morning. i'm meet met, bill henley. we are tracking rain and snow. a slippery community this morning, specially the bridges and overpasses. that's this morning. this afternoon, we will get some breaks of sunshine. no break from the cold today. the snow will end in philadelphia. some late day sunshine, 34 degrees. stays below freezing in the lehigh valley and suburbs. up to 35 in new jersey and 34 in delaware. have a great day! >> that's your latest weather. savannah? >> al, thank you so much. it is shaping up to be a bad flu season. there's widespread outbreaks in 49 states. three-times ass as many cases a last year. nationwide, the cdc reports 20 pediatric deaths from the flu

this season. what can we do to protect ourselves and dr. oz is here. >> if you need the names, the h3n2, is a virulent virus. the vaccine doesn't work as well against it. all that is said and done, the best chance is to get the vaccine. >> get the vaccine. it's better than nothing, i guess is the theory? >> there's other strains that are still out there. this vaccine may not prevent the virulent strain. >> i'm going to nudge you over here. our next thing is don't touch. >> most important tip. don't touch means a bunch of things. don't touch your face. most of us in the course of this interview, will touch your face. there's times we touch our eyes. when you touch things, something like this that's inadamant, not

skin, the particles can live on them for hours. the seat rest, the tray table. the cell phone. >> she sneezes on it. >> take a wipe and clean them out. or you can use these anti-bacterial and hygienic sprays instead of washing your hands. if you're going to get something on your fingers, don't put it at your face. >> if you wash your hands, wash for 20 seconds, right? >> it's hard for folks to do. i think the anti-bacterial ointments are more beneficial. >> clean up. >> if you're not going to use the hand sanitizer, clean up the environment you're in. you should be taking these to any public spot you're in. if someone is not doing well, you can't quarantine them. don't exchange the body fluids with them. clean the things you're touching in the kitchen. it's not touching hand-to-hand that gets you. they touch something that you later on touch.

>> bathroom sink. and the key pord board on your computer. >> you can't run away from a sneeze. that leaves the nose, do a vampire move. >> antiviral medicines. you recommend them? >> yes. the antivirals are effective. you have to take them the day you get sick. these viruses hit you fast. unlike the cold and the flu. if you want to avoid it, you can try the antiviral. but you have to get attention early on. unless you're at high risk for complication, just ride it out. it's easier to do. >> and finally, sleep. you need sleep it off? or sleep protects us from getting it? >> both. we've been in a situation where someone gets sick and half of the people who know them get sick, too. what's the difference? the virus that is planted in our bodies is important. and the immune system is powerful. the most beneficial thing you can do is get enough sleep.

you make a mistake and touch your eye because we told you not to, you did, it will be beneficial. good morning. i'm dray clark. 8:26, wednesday morning. we are tracking snow across our area. a live look at broad street in center city. you can see flakes actively coming down. some of it sticking to areas where there is no traffic. now, let's get over to first alert meteorologist, bill henley, with your most accurate neighborhood forecast. >> center city tends to be warmer than the rest of the area. that's why you are not seeing any accumulation of any sort there. in the meantime, we are certainly seeing accumulation on the grass and in the suburbs and into delaware and new jersey. the steadier snowfall is in new jersey. here comes the tail end. it is already drawing out in western berks county.

that snow is pushing the rain out. a few raindrops along the central new jersey coastline. we will have winds out of the northwest that are going to keep us cold during the day. not looking for much of a warmup at all, 33 at 1:00. it drops down this evening into the 20s. what is on the ground is going to be staying on the ground tonight. >> let's check on traffic with jessica boyington. >> dray, in lehigh county, route 22, an earlier crash was cleared out of the way. huge backups on the snow-covered road. >> you can track the system right now along with us. download the nbc 10 app. we will have another update coming up in 25 minutes. i'm dray clark. the "today" show continues in just a few minutes.

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♪ welcome back, 8:30 on this wednesday morning, january 17th, 2018. you may think the plaza looks desserted. don't you worry. we brought the plaza inside. [ applause ] >> hi, guys. >> such a great crowd. >> we kept looking outside. you had sweet smiles on your faces. but you looked cold. >> you were here at what time? >> 4:30 this morning. >> we saw you. we loved your scarf.

>> anyone having a 49th anniversary today? >> that's us. >> and look at this trouble right here. girls' trip. >> girls trip? >> yes. >> awesome. >> where are you from? >> bakersfield, california. >> and here, we have another savannah, 21st birthday. happy birthday. >> this is so fun. >> this is a crowd moment. >> a crowd moment. >> more pleasant weather-wise. coming up, when love is a swipe away. first impressions matter. what are people looking for in your online dating profile or in person. this is our series about first impressions. we're going to get into it. new year ahead means new travel opportunities. how to get the best deal on everything from your flight to the hotel. that's before you book. what do you think of that? >> we're in. you know who is here. the scott brothers are back. they're hanging out and they have a major announcement about a new project that's going to help two deserving families.

may we switch gears to staying up late to watch savannah and hoda on "the tonight show." what cute anecdotes do you have prepared? >> i don't know. the girlson >> go to sleep early. guess who else is here. miss megyn in the house. >> ricky martin is here to talk about the gianni versace new crime series coming out. they did "people versus o.j. simpson." now, he has this offering. ricky will walk us through one of the most shocking murders in american history in 1997. he has a major role in it. i had to mention this because of the babe. but this, you know about adoption, how emotional it can be, especially for the adoptive mom. and this young mother who got pregnant, decided to give her baby up, gave a video message for her child before she turned him over. she, the baby and the adoptive family are here to talk about

open adoption and its many blessings. >> one of the most generous things a mom can do is give someone that gift. >> that's beautiful. al roker? is it time for the forecast? >> i guess it is. i'll walk over. told me i was sitting before. now, we're walking. and we're walking and we're stopping. and we're looking at the wet weather making its way into the pacific northwest. this is just the beginning of it, though. we're watching a lot of wet weather as another storm comes in offshore. a stormy pattern. we're worried about the heavy rain reaching down into southern california where we had the mudslides and such. but the heaviest stuff is going to stay in the pacific northwest, with good morning. i'm meteorologist, bill henley. a first alert until 10:00. we are tracking rain and snow. not a lot of rain left.

the snow is moving in west to east. a slippery commute, specially the bridges and overpasses. that's this morning. this afternoon, breaks of sunshine. no break from the cold today. the snow will end this morning in philadelphia. some late day sunshine, 34 degrees. below freezing in the lehigh valley and suburbs. up to 35 in new jersey, 34 in delaware. have a great day! >> get that full forecast anytime you need it with our friends at the weather channel on cable. don't forget, it is now our "start today deal of the day." jill martin is digging up bargains on things you need to achieve your new year's resolutions. what's on tap today? >> that's right. it is time for the "deal of the day." today, we have soul skrucrub. you get three body scrubs, three different scents. you can keep them all, you can gift two. this is really great because you can take it to travel. you can take it to the gym.

they're resealable pouches. they're so versatile. the retail, $63. $31.50. that's 50% off. and i'll be here all month with more "deals of the day." for more information, go to today.com. our series, "first impressions." we told you about the science behind our interactions and how important they are in the workplace. >> what about in your love life? we thought nbc's craig melvin would be good at that. what did you find out? >> good morning, guys. there's a lot of firsts that happen when you meet the love of your life. first date, first kiss, first time meeting the parents. but it's the very first first that makes all the others possible. a night out. eyes meet across a room. that chance encounter could help write your life story. wait a minute, these days many of those who are looking for love are looking online. using dating apps. so, we sat down with users of

one of the leading apps, tinder, to see how they form first impressions. you get a vibe based on a picture. >> a picture and a bio. >> reporter: that doesn't strike you at all as odd? >> no. >> reporter: when you're on the app, how do you decide if this is a woman that i might be interested in spending more time with? >> it's about attraction. that's what dating people don't want to say. that initial attraction to somebody. >> reporter: does it strike you at all as shallow? >> no. if you meet somebody at a bar, the only reason you talk to them is because they look good. >> reporter: in this brave, new, online dating world, users decide if they're interested by a swipe of the finger. on tinder and other dating apps, there seems to be two first impressions. the one you make when you see someone's profile and the one you make when you meet in person. what first impression do you give off? >> i've been told my profile is

terrible. >> reporter: tinder has their own sociologist, mapping out the science behind our modern mating rituals. >> more men and women are likely to swipe on somebody if they're smiling. if you mile, you're 14% more likely to be swiped right on. >> just fake it. >> fake it until you make it. >> reporter: what about love at first sight? >> i think that we have all these myths regarding romantic love, such as love exists at fist sight. these are myths. we have a thought of who they are. but we have expectations that haven't been met in compatibility. >> reporter: that brings us back out for a speed dating event at the watering hole in new york city. we talked to people trying to meet their true love in three minutes or less. can you form reliable first impressions in settings like this? if you just have three minutes?

>> i'm not going to say you can't. i think you can. >> reporter: just like that? >> sometimes it's all you need. >> reporter: doing a story on first impressions. how do you form them? >> some people just say the worst things right from the get-go. i feel like these days you get a lot of men who feel like they have to mansplain everything to you. >> reporter: how important are first impressions? >> like the preface of a book, it tells you what you're going to expect. what you get from them. >> rotate, everybody. >> reporter: the bell rings, and the men move from table-t table-to-table. bypassing that hurdle of working up the courage to approach a woman. how old are you? >> 25. >> reporter: 25? this is how you meet women? this is cheating. >> it's not cheating. it's fun. >> reporter: when i was 25, you would go to the bar and you would do what these people are doing and you would have to face the possibility of rejection. >> yeah. >> reporter: you have eliminated that.

>> yeah. >> reporter: in this rapid-fire setting for romance, rejection is real. and so is acceptance, all rooted in that first impression. can you look at someone without them saying a word and you can say, oh. he's crazy? >> yes. absolutely. i can definitely look at someone and after a couple of words get a sense of, is this guy a creeper or not? >> reporter: have you met a guy that you were like, i might go out for a coffee with him. >> this is a great group of people here. and there have been a couple of guys here -- >> reporter: which ones? >> i can't tell you that. >> reporter: why? >> i can't tell you that. >> yeah, craig. >> she did not tell me that. i don't care how many apps or gadgets you have, dating is never easy. in our unscientific survey on today.com, more than half respondants say they look for a

sense of humor. >> i believe that. >> comedy can normalize the awkward environments that you're trying to meet somebody. >> and they get better looking as they go. after a couple of months, he gets cuter and cuter. >> you can't assess that on the app. >> it's just like if you meet at a bar and you're going on how someone looks. on tinder, it's just the picture. >> if you want to take our survey, go to today.com. >> that was fun. >> you look like you have something to say. >> i'm scared of al at this moment. >> i need this job. something that will make your next vacation even sweeter if it's cheaper. from flights to hotels, the best deals for traveling without spending too much. first, this is "today" on nbc.

if you're planning a big

vacation this year, there's lots of websites promising big deals. how do you know if you're getting the biggest bang for your buck. our friend mark fris here this morning. we go on one of the sites thinking we're getting the best deal. is that the right place to go? >> they're called otas, online travel agents. like in the '90s, you go to the back of the paper and look for deals. if you want a really good deal, you want to do more than that. >> like what? what should you do? what's the best way to find the cheapest flight, do you think? >> if we're talking about flights, people say there's a magic time to book a flight. >> i heard this. book your flight on tuesday because people don't travel in the middle of the week and you get cheap flights. >> this is -- i've never told you that because that -- >> i heard it in a segment. >> it's an urban myth.

the best time to book a flight is anytime if you plan ahead. >> how far ahead? >> it's all about planning your social media strategy. i would encourage people, for example, airlines like jetblue and frontier push out deals through twitter. they will give you great deals if you plan ahead. you'll see those. it's a little about planning. >> let's talk hotels. you like to go old-school, honey. you like the call the hotel and say give me a deal. is that how to do it? >> you can use a cell phone. call the hotel when it's not busy. not check-in or check-out time. and ask the duty manager and say i would like to find the best available rate. that's industry speak for what the computer says is the cheapest rate of that room. >> do you need the manager? >> i would ask for the manager. ask very nicely, politely. you want to just double-check that booking directly, you might get better value.

>> do you ask for freebies? >> always. you say, can i get free parking? offer you free internet. you might pay a little bit more but the value is better. >> let's talk about people who are more last-minute. if you're a last-minute booker are there special apps? what's the best way to get in on that? >> everyone loves a last-minute getaway. there's a great app called hotel tonight, which is really sexy. it specializes in boutique properties you can book up to 100 days ahead. there's a new platform called roomer. r-o-o-m-e-r. if someone has booked a hotel room, they find they can't use it, it's too late to cancel without a penalty, they sell it on to you. >> interesting. and what if you're planning a big european trip, 2018. you're getting ready to plan that. >> there's no better time. i'm biased. there's some terrific newer

airlines that offer great prices, really good value. airlines like xl, norwegian, a new airline is launching later this year that will get you across the atlantic way cheaper than you might assume. >> these are good things. here's to planning our next vacation. coming up, the scott brothers are back. they have a big announcement. and how you can build properties alongside them. first, this is "today" on nbc.

we're back. 8:48. jonathan and drew scott are here. you recognize them as frequent guests. they're hosts of hgtv's show "property brothers." and habitat humfor humanity has named the scott brotherses a the humanitarians. they're going to build homes for

two lucky ladies. they're here. jonathan and drew, congratulations. this is important work. putting your skills to great use. >> we worked with habitat for so long. we're humbled they enabled us with being habitat humanitarians. if you have a chance to go to a build, you'll love it. >> before our shows, we were working with habitat. i love the fact that it's an organization that it's an organization that helps people. >> ashley and amanda, you're going to be part of this. what does it mean to you to be building a house with these guys? >> what it means to me is my children will have a place to call home. and i won't have to worry about prices going up and down. >> and she's going to make it look pretty. these houses will look great in the end. >> you don't know which brother is going to help you rig, right? >> one of us is doing each of

their builds. we can announce it. >> amanda, you're with me. >> ashley, you're with me. >> come over here. >> we have some demos. this is a starting point. we have some ideas, a workplace that will be great for the kids. >> every time we come here, you put us to work. >> that's the gal i am. >> simple things around the house, we thought we would show you a few things. >> you want to make home as functional as possible. a lot of people working at home. having an extra work space is key, you have to elevate all of the stuff off of the countcount. we're going to install a shelf. have you ever installed a shelf? >> no. >> we're screwed. >> these floating shelves are everywhere. look to have a stud that you're atta attaching. >> not jonathan. but a stud in the wall. >> use a toggle that grabs the

drywall. if you can play that game where you put the pegs in the hole, you can install one of these. throw in the two screws and you secured the shelf. line up one side or the other side. >> you can put the kids' books or the photo frames. >> getting everything off of the surfaces and decorate it however you want. another thing, i'm sorry -- the other thing that drew was going to do, install a picture of yourself on somebody's wall. >> drew and amanda, you're going to make it not just a house but a home. >> you have a gallery wall of over here. if your staging a home to sell, depersonalize. but if you're staying there, incorporate your family photos, like your uncle jonathan and drew. you can mix and match the frames. you don't have to match the

colors. use some color. and trace the frames, as well. and you can put tape on the back of the construction paper. >> is there a trick about spacing? you want it to look like it's meant to be. >> you don't want to have it so cluttered that it's distracting on the wall. you want to have a little bit of space. just get them up there. get the photos up there. i want you guys to try and hang some photos here. >> that's a cute pic. you know these guys. >> give it a shot. >> get down in there. >> and this is exciting, too. if anybody wants to come and work with us on a habitat build, we're having a contest. people go to habitat.org/scottbrothers, you can enter right now, starting on the 19th. and we're going to have two people come to nashville and work with us. >> you're going to enter for a drawing. >> go to

habitat.org/scottbrothers. two of our fans will fly to nashville. you hang out with us at the build. you will help amanda and ashley build their home. >> and drew will give you a foot massage. >> i'm entering today. congratulations amanda and ashley. you do awesome work. we're back in a moment. this is "today" on nbc.

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coming up. >> how big? >> we have ricky martin. plaza.er, we're reminiscing of >> that concert was crazy. >> we have nick and vanessa lachey. they're going to talk about their kids and their life. and we're going to do celebrity looks for less. ces gablg dgets, right? al is going to join me, too. >> with the gadgets?

>> it's good morning. i'm dray clark. 8:56. we are tracking snow moving across the area. a live look at allentown where we have checked and they have received around 3 inches of snow. that could vary on what neighborhood you are in. let's get to bill henley with your most accurate neighborhood forecast. >> we are not going to see much

more snow in allentown. redding, the snow has come to an end. in the meantime, a steady snow in philadelphia and new jersey and delaware. wilmington right now is seeing that light snow. the roadways are wet. the accumulation happening right now, mainly on the grass. dray? >> thank you, bill. let's get a check on traffic with nbc 10 first alert traffic reporter, jessica boyington. 78 and route 33, it looks like they just opened it back up because it was closed with an accident. that's what we are seeing a lot of. a vehicle fire around norristown, markly street and west main street. >> here is a live look at philly international airport. visibility is pretty low. crews are deicing planes right now. there are delays and cancellations because of the snow and poor visibility. make sure you call your airline ahead before making your trip

and heading out the door. remember, you can track this snow system right along with us today. download the nbc 10 app. i'm dray clark. "megan kelly today" is next. be careful out there this morning.

[ applause ] good morning, everyone. welcome, everybody. i'm megyn kelly. great to see you this morning. we begin today with a true triple threat. the one, the only, ricky martin is here. we know him as the grammy award-winning musician and entertainer. but he is taking a dramatic turn in the new series "the assassination of gianni versace." american crime story did "people versus o.j. simpson." now, they're doing this. the series has generated buzz and controversy. before we get to that, let's look at the murder of an icon.