use the #wesh 2 w x and we will show you those images this morning. jason: stay bundled up and warm outside. have a great wednesday. good morning. enthusiastic endorsements. >> heads are spinning, media heads are spinning. this is going to be so much fun. >> sarah palin jumps on the bandwagon for donald trump. >> he's going rogue left and right, man. that's why he's doing so well. >> but will her support stop there, or could she take on a much bigger role? live. breaking overnight. gunmen stormed the campus of the university in pakistan. 60 others injured. this morning the first images

batten down the hatches, a big storm targeting the east coast begins taking shape. as much as two feet of snow possible, but when and where will it hit? and heroic role. a car hits a ditch, flips over and bursts into flames right outside the home of jamie foxx. >> and someone is trapped? >> yes, yes. the car is on fire! >> the oscar winner jumps in to save the driver. >> i decided to grab some scissors, cut the seat belt and pull him out, and as i pulled him out the truck rolled up. >> what a father is saying about his new favorite action star today, wednesday, january 20th, 2016. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with matt lauer and savannah guthrie live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> and good morning, everyone.

wednesday morning, very lucky young man out in california, lucky that jamie foxx reacted the way he did when that car flipped over. >> going to say we knew jamie foxx was multi-talented and really sprung into action when it matters. more on that story coming up in a few. >> let's start on wednesday morning with our top story. sarah palin, one. country's most outspoken conservatives, now throwing her support behind donald trump in the republican presidential race. 12 days to go until iowa caucuses and trump is hoping this is going to pay off with voters. mr. trump will join us in a moment, but, first, nbc national correspondent peter alexander has more on the announcement. peter, good morning. >> reporter: matt, good morning. this really was quite the scene. a politician turned reality tv star endorsing a reality tv star turned politician who also by the way happens to be the republican front-runner. sarah palin coming in to help validate donald trump's conservative credentials and now taking it on the road, joining trump today in iowa and oklahoma. >> donald trump's biggest

with a kiss. >> thank you so much. it's so great to be in iowa. we're here just thawing out. >> reporter: sarah palin, the outspoken outsider, praising the one candidate most like herself. >> i'm in it to win it. we're not going to chill. in fact, it's time to drill, baby drill. you ready for a commander in chief who will let our warriors to their job and go kick isis' ass. >> looking to win over conservatives and first-time caucus-goers palin made our best pitch. >> our leader, a little bit different. he's a multi-billionaire. not that there's nothing wrong with that. it's amazing. he is not elitist at all. >> we're going to give them hell. >> reporter: for ted cruz the evening capped off a very no good very bad day. earlier a spokesman tried to insist sarah palin's endorsement and palin daughter's bristol pounced. after hearing what cruz is now saying about my mom in a

makes me hope my mom does endorse trump. things over. >> listen, i love sarah palin. sarah palin is fantastic. without her friendship and senate today. coming. after a fight over farming iowa's republican governor told reporters he wanted to see the texas senator defeated. cruz shrugged that off. >> it is no surprise that had panic mode. >> reporter: cruz's day perhaps best summed by the rolling stone's song. you can't always get what you want >> reporter: that the trump camp played before sarah palin took the stable. what kind of influence does pailp still hold? a prominent conservative told us she's as gold as the faucets in trump towers. on a separate note, sarah palin has her hands full at home, her 26-year-old son was arrested monday night for allegedly assaulting his girlfriend and

intoxicated at the former governor of alaska's home. >> peter alexander, thank you >> donald trump is with us on the phone from iowa. mr. trump, good morning. early. appreciate it. >> thank you, savannah. >> tell me how this came about. did sarah palin come to you and say i want to endorse or did you go to her? how did all come about? long time. i've always liked her a lot and respected her a lot and she called and sees what's happening with the campaign, sees what we're saying, what i'm saying, and she sees it's really become like a movement. it's an amazing thing that's happening. today we'll in iowa and oklahoma. we'll have 10,000 people, maybe more than that in oklahoma. that's like getting to be small crowds for us. it's just really been captivating for everybody, including myself, and she called, and it was such an honor because everybody was trying to get sarah. everybody wanted that endorsement. >> i wanted to ask you about that because obviously she has been a supporter of ted cruz over the years.

senate campaign, and yet she chose you over him. did she say why? did she act as though she wrestled with that decision? >> i think she likes what she sees, likes what she sees in terms of what i'm talking about in trade, where we'll start trading properly. we have some of the greatest people on earth, carl icahn and many of the business leaders are going to start negotiating our deals with china and japan and mexico and all of these countries that are beating us so badly in trade. they won't be beating us very badly wrong. i mean, right now we have political hacks negotiating these deals. she sees what's going on with isis. she knows my stance on the military. she knows i'm going to take care of our vets, build up our military, and, you know, so many other things, and she really gave a very, very good speech yesterday, about a half hour speech, and it was terrific, but every candidate wanted sarah. i mean, everybody. they all respect her a lot. >> you're in a battle, of course, with cruz in iowa. you are the top two candidates. if you had to name one thing that you would tell to iowa voters that's the reason they

what would that one thing be? >> well, i think i'm going to make much better deals in terms of trade and in terms of the military and in terms of the vets. obamacare is going to be terminated and we're going to come up with something much, much better. obamacare is a big failure, premiums are going up 25%, 35%, a 45 has, all of that. the one thing would be that i would win. the polls are showing i beat hillary clinton and i beat her soundly and i'm going to win. i haven't even started on hillary yes. i haven't started on them yet. i have 13 people left on the republican side, so i'm really focused on them, but -- and once i start it's going to be great but the polls are showing i beat hillary very soundly and i think that's an important element >> back to palin for a moment, would you consider her as your running mate? >> well, i don't think to start off with i don't think that it would be something she'd want to do. she's been through that, and, you know, interestingly, savannah, and this is a 100% fact, when she came to see me and when she talked to me and i

what we were saying, she never do that. she never made a deal like so many people want to try to make deals. she just said i really like what's going on. it's an amazing thing. i've never seen anything like it in politics. a lot of people have said that. just read the cover of "thyme" magazine this week, and she said i've never seen anything like i've seen what you've been able to do and in such a period of time. >> have you discussed it with? >> i haven't discussed it it with her about what she would do. somebody i really like and respect and certainly she could to. >> you wouldn't rule her out as >> i don't think she'd want to do it. it. you know, i really don't get into it right now. that question is always asked to me who do you have in mind and i now. i just want to win. i've always been a closer and get the deal done and i have to

there are a lot of god people in the republican party. sarah has never asked me about that, never asked about anything else, just wants to support because it's an honor and as you know very badly so many people are so disappoint that had she didn't support them, but certainly there would be a role somewhere in the administration, in she wanted, and i'm not sure that thee does want that, but there would certainly be a role. >> mr. trump joining us from iowa this morning, thank you very much. appreciate it. >> thank you very much, savannah. >> let us bring in nicole wall ace who served as an adviser to the mccain/palin campaign. >> and lived to tell. >> you know sarah palin very well. >> yeah. >> as you watched her yesterday, standing next to donald trump and heard what she was saying what, were your guts reactions? >> the most interesting thing that donald trump just said was that she came to him, and i think that sort of confirms -- i checked in with all the campaigns yesterday, and the only campaign that also wanted her, that i was able to confirm with a the cruz campaign. cruz and trump are like two tarantulas in a bowl right now, each trying to destroy the other

of people who caucus. trump's made the calculation that coming in second isn't good enough and palin's endorsement in evangelicals where she still has a following might help. >> donald trump wouldn't commit, said she might not be about it. what does sarah palin want? >> listen, i think sarah palin is interested in donald trump's career as a television star, if politician. i think sarah palin squarely straddles the world of reality tv and the world of politics, and i think she's probably equally interested in maybe replacing him on "the apprentice" if arnold doesn't work out and following him to washington. >> the palin endorsement good for trump. is the real point that this was bad for crud, not a good day for trump on a couple of fronts? >> yeah. i think cruz still has the advantage in iowa and iowa is a place where organization and discipline matter more than everything else. you're trying to get people to leave their home in the coldest

the auditorium and caucus for you. different than simply voting on the way home. i think cruz still has a structural advantage in the first state, but i think that this was demoralizing more than anything else. this was, you know, sort of a display of strength and dominance to get sarah palin with more of a psychological blow to cruz operation. >> how would you like to wake up as john mccain this morning and who took sarah palin out of obscurity and put her on the national scene and now she endorses the guy who said he wasn't a war hero because he was captured. >> because he was a crummy p.o.w. is essentially what trump said about him. listen, if you believe that politics reveals people, it's all out there, and so if you -- if you value her opinion, you are probably already someone who is on board with trump. >> all right. nicole, thank you very much. appreciate it. in some other news from the republican race, ben carson is temporarily suspended his campaign after the tragic death of a young volunteer, 25-year-old braden joplin died tuesday when a van carrying four staff members flipped over on an icy stretch of highway in

carson called joplin a compassionate young man who wanted america to be a kinder, gentler place. the three other passengers in the accident were treated and released from the hospital. now to a tragic scene in pakistan overnight, gunman storming into a university and opening fire. at least 20 people killed. nbc's kell el cobiella is following the story this morning and is in london. kelly, good morning. what's the latest there? >> reporter: good morning, savannah. we're hearing from the pakistani army that the gun battle is now over after three hours on that campus of the university in northwestern pakistan. a terrifying morning for students and staff about 20 miles of peshawar. the campus was just opening for the day when militants scaled the university walls on a very foggy morning, shooting security guards and then going into classrooms and dorms. one student said he saw a gunman shooting male and female students with automatic weapons. an assistant professor

some students time to run and tributes are now going out to him on twitter this morning. pakistani commandos say they have killed four militants, but as for who was behind this, there's conflicting information, savannah. a senior taliban commander has claimed responsibility, but the group's official spokesman strongly condemned the attack calling the killing of islamic -- killing of students unislamic. as you said, savannah, at least 20 dead, and those numbers could change. >> all right. kelly cobiella, thank you. now we're going to talk about some nasty storms targeting tens of millions of people across this country. parts of the midwest and south are being hit with a dangerous mix of snow and ice this morning. al is tracking a separate system that could hammer the eastern united states a little later this week. >> reporter: >> that's right. that's a clipper right now that has schools closed in nashville and a real mess going on, but the big storm we're watching right now is up in the pacific northwest.

south, and what's going to happen, and we have taken now anning agality of all the models we look at so thursday night, tomorrow night, we see a mix of ice and snow stretching from memphis to roanoke. severe storms also part of this system, too, down through the south. we move into friday and we've got snow moving into the atlantic atlantic, sometime around noon or so, washington, roanoke will be looking at snow and an icy mix back through the mississippi river valley, strong storms and possible tornadoes down in florida and friday night here's where it really gets going. from new york city, washington, d.c., philadelphia, roanoke, we're looking at snow, an icy mix from atlanta to charlotte and then saturday we're going to see snow into new york city, into boston, this coastal low will start to strengthen and not only will we have snow but we'll have strong winds, wind gusts of 60 miles per hour and coastal flooding stretching from boston all the way down to philadelphia. a full moon is going to raise the risk of this and it continues into saturday night with strong winds, heavy snow.

the american models is calling new york city about a foot but washington, d.c. to charlottesville, upwards of three feet of snow. the european model which tends to handle this a little bit better, here's where the bullseye is. we're talking about upwards of three feet or more in the mountains of west virginia and virginia, about a foot to a foot and a half in new york city and less in boston. we're going to get to your bend me shape me, any way you want me as long as you love me, it's alright bend me shape me, any way you want me you've got the power, to turn on the light shape the best sleep of your life. sleep number beds with sleepiq technology adjust any way you want it. the bed that moves you.

eric: waking up to chilly temperatures, frosty conditions across central florida. as we look through the take, the bright sunshine will he does up warmer than yesterday. 61 is >> and that is your latest weather. savannah. >> all right, hall. thank you. now to the water contamination crisis in flint, michigan. the governor using his state of the state address to apologize and vowed to fix the problem. nbc's kevin tibbles is in flint again for us this morning. kevin, good morning. >> reporter: savannah, while hundreds of protesters chanted outside, the michigan governor told the people of flint last failed them. >> i'm sorry, and i will fix it. >> reporter: this morning michigan gan rick snyder is

the people of flint, michigan. >> the governor's got to go. >> reporter: outside the state capitol late tuesday, a crowd of protesters, furious over his delayed response to the water crisis. >> i'm sorry most of all that i let you down. you deserve better. >> reporter: it's a problem that has been building for nearly two years, lead contamination in flint's water supply and the consequences may be irreversible. now, residents in flint are lining up receiving clean guard. >> here's to flint. >> reporter: it started in 2014. flint's mayor dan walling celebrating when the city's tap water switched from detroit to the flint river in an effort to save money, but the water was corrosive causing pipes to deteriorate, seeping lead into the water supply, but officials insisted the water was safe. in september a bombshell, doctors discovering an alarming amount of lead in children's blood.

september 6th but didn't declare a state of emergency until this month. he said he should have been more proactive but took action as soon as it came to his attention. >> i take full responsibility to fix the problem so it will never happen again. >> reporter: the epa has also told nbc news that authorities did not move fast enough and pointed the pinger at local and state officials for failures and resistance. matt and savannah, back for you. >> all right, kevin tibbles in flint, thank you. this morning we're hearing for the first time from two of the americans freed in last week's prisoner swap with iran. nbc's keir simmons who is in landstuhl, germany, has more on this. hi, keir, good morning. >> reporter: matt, good morning. a representative ted meese amir hekmati found elated just to be able to walk out of here a free man and speak to the media. he says he's never felt so alive and never thought he'd be released.

at some special family time for another of the freed men. freed "washington post" reporter jason rezaian laughing with his wife, showing him an internet video ridiculing the notion he could be a spy. i'm feeling good, the californian told his newspaper, which published these newspapers. >> hi, everybody, god bless snow another of the five released americans, marine amir hekmati from michigan described the elation as soon as they got out of iran. >> as soon as we got out of iranian airspace, champagne bottles were popped. the swiss are amazing, hospitality, chocolate, veal was served. >> what's the first thing when you get home, what's the fir thing you'll do? >> that's a good question. i hope to get home soon. i really want to see my family and be back in the land. free. >> reporter: but a bitter moment for the family of bob levenson who disappeared in iran almost nine years ago. >> this must make it all the more difficult. >> reporter: his son was watching on msnbc.

now welcoming home, not celebrating with the swiss like that. we're just devastated. >> reporter: amir hekmati says survive. >> i didn't want to let my marine -- fellow marines down. thank you all >> reporter: the end of an or deeshlg the representative of another american, saeed abedini from boise, idaho, saying he's a different person today than when he went into prison. meanwhile, officials here this morning saying the men do need a, quote, decompression period though i'm told that they are anxious to get home, perhaps in the next few days. matt, get this. u.s. officials confirming that the iranians that were released by the u.s., none of them have traveled back to iran. matt. >> all right. keir simmons in germany on this story, keir, thank you. coming up, oscar winner jamie foxx pulls a man from a burning car. the dramatic rescue in his own

with one very grateful father. plus, ted cruz's so-called secret weapon. how his wife heidi is shaping his campaign and the scrutiny she's facing as well, but, first, this is "today" on nbc. find your sweet spot today with dunkin's chicken apple sausage sandwich. enjoy sweet apple and savory sausage together for under 400 calories.

from dunkin' donuts. let hand-crafted layers of espresso, milk, and a caramel-flavored swirl uplift your mood. indulge in a hot or iced macchiato today. america runs on dunkin'. coming up, the downside to those lower oil prices. >> and the if you have moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis like me, and you're talking to your rheumatologist about a biologic... this is humira. this is humira helping to relieve my pain and protect my joints from further damage. this is humira giving me new perspective. doctors have been prescribing humira for ten years. humira works for many adults. it targets and helps to block a specific source of inflammation that contributes to ra symptoms. humira can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal infections and cancers, including lymphoma, have happened, as have blood, liver, and nervous system problems, serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure. before treatment,

to areas where certain fungal infections are common, and if you've had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections, or have flu-like symptoms or sores. don't start humira if you have an infection. talk to your doctor and visit humira.com this is humira at work i am never getting married. we're never having kids. mmm-mmm. we are never moving to the suburbs. we are never having another kid.

i am never letting go. for all the nevers in life, state farm is there. brandon thinks hellmann's is heaven in a jar. that's because our ingredients come from... farmers committed to responsibly sourced oils... blended with ingredients like cage-free eggs. mmm. heaven. real ingredients. that's how we're working to bring out the best. adventures from $599, plus up to $300 to spend at sea. come seek the royal caribbean. offer ends february 15th. welcome aboard my starship. ahoy, mateys! it's full of things i love... and free of things i don't. just like chex cereal. it's full of stuff we pirates need. no artificial flavors, and it's gluten-free. eat up, me hearties! keep it down! arrrr. when cigarette cravings hit, all i can think about is getting relief. only nicorette mini has a patented fast-dissolving formula. it starts to relieve sudden cravings fast. i never know when i'll need relief.

nicorette mini. i'm like a boxer in a ring. a small boxer. you don't expect much... and then, wham! i hit 'em with huge creamy goodness! alright round two! bring it, girlfriend! rich, creamy, 100% natural cheese. mini babybel. snack a little bigger.

this is wesh 2 news sunrise in high definition. >> good morning. brett: 7:26 on this wednesday. cold start throughout central florida. some folks wicking up to frost. eric: footage -- a foot or so expected in orlando with wind 70 miles an hour -- 40 miles an hour. these are actual temperatures out the door. 27 degrees in ocala, 37 degrees in daytona beach and 40 flat over in melbourne. the good news as we look ahead to the afternoon forecast, some of these clouds helping to keep us milder this morning. helping to warm us up through the day. lunchtime temperatures 61 degrees. 66 is our high today. bright sunshine around and tonight will be another chilly

i don' t expected to be downright frigid. 66 is our high in orlando, 64 in ocala, 623 daytona beach, 65 in titusville. clear sky overhead. through lunchtime you are looking perfect and through the evening, no rainfall. hardly any cloud cover. 7:28. let' s get a look at the roadways. ted: today is the day to leave a few extra seconds. things get busy at the 408. into downtown orlando, extra minutes at the conway toll plaza to i-4. westbound out of seminole, lake mary to lee, definitely extra limits. the rest of the area into downtown orlando averaging 25 minutes. downtown orlando eastbound is hitting the brakes from kaylee until colonial drive. 28 miles an hour there.

we're back 597:30. it's wednesday morning, the 20th of january, 2016. chilly outside and let's get right to today's headlines. sarah palin is hitting the campaign trail with donald trump today after endorsing him at a rally yesterday in iowa. >> what he's been able to do which is really ticking people off, which i'm glad about, he's going rogue left and right, man. that's why he's doing so well. >> trump joined us in our last hour.

a running mate should he win the republican nomination. >> certainly there would be a role somewhere in the administration, if she wanted, and i'm not sure that she does want that, but there would certainly be a role. in other news, the coast guard suspending the search for 12 marines who are on two helicopters that crashed off hawaii nearly a week ago. debris and life rafts are all that's been found so far. officials say they will now transition to recovery and salvage. and a big storm is brewing, and it couple pact tens of millions on the east coast friday and on into the weekend. we're talking heavy snow, as much as 3 feet possible in some areas. high winds and ice, and al is watching it closely. a lot more on that in a moment. let's start this half hour though with a real life drama for jamie foxx. the oscar winner coming to the rescue of the man who was trapped inside a burning car. this happened right by fox's house, and this morning he's opening up about his selfless act. here's nbc's morgan radford. >> you need to send an ambulance, he's.

just outside the home of a familiar face. >> i heard the crash and i heard someone yelling so i get in my car and come down and call 911 and when i get here, the truck is over on its side. >> reporter: and someone is trapped? >> yes, yes, the car is on fire! >> reporter: around 8:30 p.m. monday night brett kyle driving under the influence in his white pickup car crashed into a dish, struck a drainage pipe and flipped several times before the truck burst into flames. jamie foxx came by and another helped. >> a guy pulled up and has emt scissors. i climb in hand try to hit his seat belt and he's hovered over. >> reporter: all the while the flames are growing more intense. >> i grabbed the sitters from him and cut the seat belt and pulled him out and as we pulled him out within five seconds later the truck goes up. we're over here on the grass and we celebrated >> reporter: tears of a grateful father. >> i'm so glad, so happy.

>> you were here for my son, and as far as i'm concerned he saved on the life because based on the video i saw he burned up. >> i don't look at it as heroic. >> reporter: foxx shared what he said as he pulled brett from the wreckage. >> i said you've got angels around you, you have angels around you. >> reporter: one of them without wings. for "today," morgan radford, nbc news, los angeles. >> a really remarkable story. >> now back to the presidential race for a moment and the wife of republican hopeful ted cruz is in the spotlight. heidi cruz has been the most active spouse in the republican field traveling the country to deliver her husband's message to voters. nbc's hallie jackson is in manchester, new hampshire this morning hand has her story. h ha llie, good morning. >> reporter: hi there, savannah, good morning. ted cruz may be coming off a tough 24 hours after news sarah palin won't be out supporting him on the campaign trail. he's deploying his own top surrogate to help him close the deal, and she knows him better

it's his wife hide, a fund-raising force and constant campaign presence. >> can i shake your hand. >> reporter: yes. >> reporter: in south carolina. >> hi, it's hizey cruz. >> reporter: heidi cruz is making calls. >> i've been married to ted for 14 and a half years. >> reporter: her husband's secret weapon, they say, but her influence on the campaign trail is anything but hidden. whether knocking on doors or leaning on donors, cruz does both. >> i'm heidi cruz. >> reporter: often on her own. >> one of the hallmarks of our marriage is our mutual admiration. >> reporter: cruz calls herself a worker bee, a woman who has worked everywhere from the white house to now goldman sachs. >> we have run the campaign in a very judicious manner from a business perspective so that we have the resources to go the distance. >> y'all can understand why i was immediately smitten with heidi. >> reporter: ted and heidi cruz met, where else, on a campaign, george w. bush's. they married in 2001, and in 2005 cruz relocated to texas

groundwork for his senate and presidential bids are you ready for the personal scrutiny that this is going to bring to your life and in some ways already has? >> well, sure, matt. i think any time you embark upon something that's so much bigger than yourself and than your own family i don't know that you ever feel fully prepared. >> reporter: some that have scrutiny includes cruz's employment as goldman sachs where she's currently on leave. her husband has criticized wall street and big banks, but earlier this month the couple came under fire for failure to disclose a loan from goldman during cruz's 2012 senate bid, another period of scrutiny when cruz was found by austin police sitting near a highway alone, the officer reportedly concerned she was a danger to herself. her husband describing hidy's depression, writing in his memoir i did my best to help heidi through this time. we prayed together and she went to counseling and relied on the love and support of her family and close friends.

in this race, but when they are apart. >> we do try to really maintain a sense of togetherness we communicate by facetime, by phone. >> reporter: facetime and text messages key as ted cruz showed me on the campaign trail. >> here it is from heidi. omg, katherine was -- katherine is 5, skipping between houses and knocking on doors and saying would you consider voting for my daddy. >> reporter: the cruz's and their kids on. road and aiming for the white house. senator cruz tells me he and his wife hope to bring their daughters out on the road even more, possibly home-schooling them from the trail so they can all spend a little more time together as a family. matt, savannah. >> campaigning is a family affair, that's for sure. hallie, thank you. >> let us get a check of the weather, possibly snowy weather from al. >> announcer: today's weather is brought to you by edward jones, where attention and sound advice is a big deal. >> well, we've already got snowy weather to talk about. matt mentioned this earlier in

you can see this is nebraska. roads are a mess. in fact, they are having big problems and now icing is going to be an issue as well. here's what's happening right now. this is a clipper coming across bringing a lot of snow and also an icy mix. schools are closed right now in nashville and airport delays most likely. light snow and freezing drizzle and sleet. we've got winter weather advisories and winter storm warnings for 30 million people in the tennessee and ohio valleys. snowfall amounts fairly light. 2 to 4 inches, but what we're most concerned about is icing, stretching from northern arkansas all the way into northern georgia. some areas, a tenth of an inch and other areas up to a quarter inch and only need a tenth of an inch to lose traction on roads or runways so this could be a big problem as we go through the morning eric: waking up to chilly temperatures, frosty conditions across central florida.

warmer than yesterday. 61 is yo >> and that's your latest savannah. >> all right, al. thanks. coming up on trending, brace yourself for the most epic celebrity face mash-up ever. >> and five surprising ways you're being impacted by plummeting oil prices. some good news and some not so good news right after this. i appreciate you coming by. absolutely. the market's been pretty volatile lately. there is a lot at stake here, you know? look jim, we've been planning for this for a long time. and we'll keep evolving things. so don't worry. knowing what's on your mind and acting accordingly. multiplied by 13,000

it's a big deal. and it's how edward jones makes sense of investing. it's winter. eat winter snacks. freshman.

you say avocado old el paso says... zesty chicken and avocado tacos in our stand 'n stuff tortillas . (record scratch) you say stand n' stuff tortillas old el paso says... start somewhere fresh does the smell of a freshly bound presentation fill you with optimism? do you love your wireless keyboard more than certain family members? is your success due to a filing

to your wireless printer give you a jolt of confidence? if so, you may be gearcentric. someone who knows that the right office gear helps you do great things. and there's one place that has it all. office depot officemax. gear up for great. are you powered by protein? milk has 8 grams to help give you energy to unleash your potential. start every day with

(music) woman: i' ll never remember all the projects, presentations, or meetings i gave up my nights for. (music' s drums intensify) but days like this, i' ll never forget. get out there, in the 2016 ford escape. be unstoppable.

take back my life song (music) we're back at 7:42 with some surprising ways you're being impacted by the lowest oil prices in around a decade. at around $28 a barrel we're seeing big savings on certain things and worries about other areas of the economy. nbc's olivia sterns is here to walk us through all of this. olivia, good morning to you. some of this is good news, some of this is not so good news. let's start with pretty good news. airline ticket. >> the good news is airline tickets are getting cheaper. air fares are about at the cheapest level they have been in three year, according to hopper.com. the bad news is they are real not as cheap as they could be because airlines are saving a ton of money on fuel because oil is the cheapest that it's been in over 12 years and they are not passing all that savings on to us. >> they are going to reduce the

saving 40% in fuel. >> that's why airlines are on track to have a record year in 2016. your 401(k), a lot of people don't think about this. there's an impact. >> a big impact because price of oil affects stocks and that's because energy stocks and the companies that supply those energy companies do make up a big part of the stock market so that's one reason the stock market has fallen so much since it started the year. the average american's 401(k) is now down $6,500 since january 1st, so oil is hurting your savings. >> we've been covering the story of jobs over the last several years. good news in most sectors but with lower prices not so good in the energy sector. >> thrilled to have 5 has unemployment overall for the nation. energy though, the one sector where we actually saw job losses in 2015 so according to one firm 100,000 layoffs in the energy sector overall, and that's just simply because as the price of oil falls, these big energy companies have to cut back on their spending plans and have to lay people off.

obvious, talk about lower oil prices and also talk about lower heating oil prices. if you have a home or a business you're trying to heat this winter, that's a big steel. >> a big deal, also you can thank el nino, it has been particularly warm here, particularly in the northeast where a lot of people use heating oil. two years ago a gallon of heating oil was $3.80. this year it's $2.40. so for the average family, say they are spend begun $3,000 a year on heating fuel, their bill is going down $900 this year, that's huge. >> a great savings. finally you want to take a road trip with the family. gas prices are dropping. how much lower will they go? >> as of this morning gas prices are $1.87. every oil analyst says watch out below. we're hearing some oil watchers talk about $10 oil. the last time we $10 oil was 2001, the average price per gallon $1.12 so this might actually be time to pack the grandma's.

to grandma's, we'll do that. olivia sterns, thank you >> a great very much. just ahead, george clooney weighs in on the oscar's color controversy, and carson will show you why you still haven't learned your lesson when it

bleeding gums? you may think it's a result of brushing too hard. it's not. it's a sign of early gum disease... listerine(r) can help reverse... early gum disease in just two weeks. listerine(r). power to your mouth

in my business i can count on my i.t. guy bailing me out all the time... i'm not the i.t. guy. i'm the desktop support tech supervisor. and my customers knowing right when their packages arrive. introducing real-time delivery notifications. learn more at myusps.com when you're living with diabetes, steady is exciting. only glucerna has carbsteady, clinically proven to help minimize blood sugar spikes.

nivea in-shower body lotion. first i wash... then i apply it to my wet skin. it moisturizes with no sticky feel. i quickly rinse off. and i'm ready to go. nivea in-shower body lotion -- in the body lotion aisle. pone of the cool perks of this place pis you can eat as much cereal as you want. it' s like i' m going to work to get some. alrighty. we just like cereal. we make it, eat it, love it, live it. (laughing) to the woman in the mid-90's showstopper... you're right. it's time to set this bird free. hot blooded, check it and see... got a fever of 103...

how 'bout a donut? i'm hot blooded..i'm hot blooded! whether it's 30-years old or 30-days old, carmax will appraise it in as little as 30 minutes. and then your only concern will be how to spend the cash. rad. are you powered by protein? we are. milk has 8 grams to help give you energy to unleash your potential. start every day with milk' s protein and milk life. carson is over in the original room and aparentally all of our passwords need some work less. >> especially yours, savannah. >> splash data out with their annual lists, the worst passwords. they compile the millions of stolen passwords throughout the year and rank them by popularity.

are bad, the usual, 123456, password, adding 7 and 8 and qwerty, and the problem is you haven't learned from your mistakes because they are pretty much identical to last year's list and the list before that. repeat offenders, words you won't give up on, dragon, master, really, master. monkey, letmein. people were at least trying to mix it up. newcomers on the list. newcomers, there's a theme, princess, solo, starwars, splash data provides some tips for passwords. let's go through the tips. 12 or more diverse characters. this means, you know, all caps, numbers, letters, get other things going character wiese and change it up between your accounts. don't have one password for everything and use a password manager app. we asked people on twitter, this particular poll question. have you ever used the word password as password. 90% of you saying no. the would have had password has made that list three years in a

a little skeptical about this one. ever used the word password. >> possibly. >> how does splash data know these passwords, do they -- how do they find this how the? >> i don't know the answer to that. >> i mean, they must do some kind of a poll. >> they had access to the information of the most stolen passwords. >> oh, okay. >> so they know the most vulnerable of passwords, and, of course, they are the simplest. >> that sounded true, carson. >> thank god, that worked out. i have no idea >> some confetti from leftover new year's. >> now? >> welcome to 2016. >> all right. coming up, a new warning to women. more cases of the zika virus.

3, 2, 1 - smile! alright... big smile! smile! hey, honey! how'd it go? thanks, dad! there's my smile! the happy meal. with fresh, delicious, california grown cuties. only at mcdonald's. all the hard work... time in the service... community college... it matters. it's why we, at university of phoenix, count your relevant work and college experience as credits toward your degree.

when i lay in my tempur pedic contour- p the next thing i know it's morning. with tempur-flex you've got ther spring and bounce of a traditional mattress then itralso adjusts to my body. my cloud feels like somebody's hugging you. how can a bed to that? (vo) this year, change your life with tempur-pedic. eat up, buddy. you'll get it this time. yeah ok not too quick don't let go until i say so. i got you... start strong with the lasting energy of 100% you're doing it! whole grain quaker oats.

we offered women a mystery beauty treatment. what made their skin more radiant? what?! wait! only dove has 1/4 moisturizing cream. smooth dewy skin. dove, your daily beauty treatment for radiant skin. does your makeup remover take it all off? every kiss-proof, cry-proof, stay-proof look? neutrogena makeup remover does. it erases 99% of your most stubborn makeup with one towelette. need any more proof than that? neutrogena. its sleek design... its intelligent drive systems... paradigm-shifting. its technology-filled cabin...jaw-dropping. its performance...breathtaking. its self-parking...and self-braking...show-stopping. the all-new glc. mercedes-benz resets the bar for the luxury suv. r

announcer: local, live, late-breaking. this is wesh 2 news sunrise in high definition.

michelle: the time is 7:56. we are sending things over to eric burress. eric: coldest air of the season as a matter of fact. 38 degrees in orlando, dew point is 32. 33, certainly want the layers this morning. in the 20' s up in ocala. 29 degrees around bellevue, 32 in the villages, 36 daytona beach, and 41 in melbourne. day planner forecast shows a nice rebound. it is 66 by 3:00 this afternoon. gorgeous out there. we are climbing to 66 degrees in sanford, 63 daytona beach, 65 in titusville. here is ted noah with a look at the roads. ted: busy drive on the 528

our travel time on the toll plaza to i-4, that will cost you six minutes. westbound, just about 436. westbound of the left right by i-4, the big picture right here showing speed sensors. virtual flight on i-4 eastbound, slow starting from before john young. westbound is also slow. from john young to colonial, 15

it's 8:00 on "today." coming up, zeroing in on zekea. a new warning from the cdc as more cases of the dangerous virus are reported in the u.s. what every woman needs to know. then, how did it happen? >> i have to apologize. >> steve harvey opens up to natalie about what went wrong during that infamous crowning moment mix-up at miss universe. >> had i taken a moment to look down at the card but i was trying to keep it down so nobody saw the winner and i blew it.

moment. let me take a selfie. >> omg. do you know what your kids are saying on social media? we try to decode the acronyms they are using so ttyl, today, wednesday, january 20th, 2016. >> it's my birthday. i'm 8! >> celebrating 13 on "today". ." >> good morning, orlando. >> good morning, rutherford, virginia. we love the "today" show. >> good morning, baltimore. >> all the way from texas. we're on "today"! >> we are back now, 8:00 on a wednesday morning. it's the 20th day of january, 2016. by the way, we're talking a lot about the snow coming this area later in the week and if you

beautiful day. >> crips. >> really nice. is great. >> meanwhile, come up, steals and deals to revamp your space, and jill is going to show us what happened when she got her hands on that which was savannah's guest room. call it. it looks a lot better and our cooking series, slow cooking meal. going slow cooker meals. yes, that is siri dally. >> and natalie now with today's top stories. donald trump hits the campaign trail boasting his most high-profile endorsement so far. sarah palin appeared with trump in iowa tuesday, praising him as a multi-billionaire who is not an elitist. the former alaska governor and republican vice presidential nominee will join trump for a campaign appearance today, just

>> these guys are all kind of sounding angry from the establishment. doggone right we're angry, justifiably so! >> a spokesman for trump rival senator ted cruz brushed aside palin's endorsement saying that her support would hurt trump's credibility with conservatives. earlier on "today" savannah asked trump if it's possible that sarah palin could become his running mate if he wins the nomination. here's what he said. >> i haven't discussed anything with her about what she would do, but she's somebody i really like and i respect and certainly she could play a pox if she wanted to. >> trump said palin did not try to make any kind of deal with him before offering her support. gunfire has left more than 20 people dead and dozens wounded this morning on a college campus in pakistan. suspected taliban militants stormed the campus near the city of peshawar just after the start of classes today. the attack triggered a long gun battle with police and an army

a local taliban leader has claimed responsibility. he was blamed for a school attack in 2014 that killed 144 children. police say a greyhound bus driver told them he was tired before he got into a deadly crash tuesday in san jose, california. the bus collided with safety barrels and then flipped on to its side. two women were killed and nine other people were injured. according to california highway patrol the driver said he had stopped for coffee shortly before that accident. officials have released video of two attempted carjackings at a florida gas station that ended with three people under aref. the suspects are scene running up to one car with their guns drawn, but that driver locks her doors and takes off. the next driver confronts the suspects who then drive away in another car. police caught up with him after a chase that ended with a crash. there are new concerns this morning over the zika virus. an untreatable mosquito-borne illness.

defects, and the cdc is out with a warning. new cases of the mosquito-borne zika virus are now being reported in four states, three in florida and two in illinois adding to a case in hawaii and one in texas. the virus is not spread from person to person. it can only be contracted through a bite from an infected mosquito, and no infected mosquitos have been found in the u.s. but doctors worry that zika is especially dangerous to pregnant women, possibly causing birth defects in their unborn child. the cdc is issuing a travel warning advising that pregnant women consider postponing travel to areas where there have been outbreaks, including 14 countries in latin and south america and the caribbean. there's no vaccine or specific treatment for the virus. the cdc says pregnant women who have recently returned from one of those countries should see a doctor and get tested. researchers worry mosquitos could bring the zika virus to the southernmost gulf states.

states is an extremely vulnerable area because we have both species of mosquitos that can transmit zika. >> for more on the zika virus let's go over to savannah and nat. dr. natalie azar is here and people have lots of questions about the zika virus because we hear about women in this country who have it but you can't transmit it person to person. what do we need to know? >> the cdc has issued an interim guideline since their travel warning last week, and this specifically has to do with what to do when you're pregnant and you've traveled there or you plan to travel there. so specifically the recommendations are that pregnant women postpone travel to where the virus transmission is ongoing, and you saw the list of those countries on our monitor. doctors should also get a travel history so if you're taking care of pregnant women ask them if they have recently traveled to those areas or if they prepare, to so that women can be prepared and that's basically all the mosquito prevention protocols that we talk about, you can see on the cdc website.

no prolacksies, no antiviral therapy and no vaccine to prevent it most importantly if you develop symptoms of zika virus when you're there, and that would be fever, rash, conjunctivitis joint pain or within one to two weeks of returning from one of those countries, you should absolutely be tested, and if you test positive the recommendation is to monitor growth of the fetus every three to four weeks during your pregnancy with an ultrasound. >> okay. lots to remember there >> there's another big recommendation coming out about the use of antibiotics, overuse and what are we hearing about respiratory infections in. >> just a few stats from the cdc, some published and some of the published data is less than 50% of antibiotic prescriptions written in the outpatient setting are either inappropriate or unnecessary, and more staggering than that is that antibiotic resistance is related to roughly 2 million infections per year and 23,000 deaths. this is from the cdc, so this is very important. so what does the cdc and the

the two infections that need to be treated with antibiotics are strep throat and pneumonia. don't have a lot of of time to get into this. people talk to your doctors about symptoms of strep throat and pneumonia so they can understand, too, how they can distinguish between a viral syndrome. >> people come in, i kneel terrible and give meet antibiotics. >> the vast majority of sinus infections are caused by viruses. even ones caused by bacteria get better on their own. symptoms longer than ten days, fever greater than 102.2 and facial pure in the sinus area and purulent, a thick discharge, lasting more than three days should probably be treated with broncities. >> bronchitis is funny. >> almost never do you need to be treated with antibiotics for broncite its. the majority of cases are viral and can last for a number of weeks and here's the important distinction. we didn't get to it over there. the important distinction is dissiding if you have bronchitis

pneumonia presents with shortness of breath and deep pain when you take a breath in, fever. bronchitis usually has a milder symptom and cough and most importantly when your doctor examines you, abnormalitity on the chest exam would signify pneumonia. >> we're out of time. dr. natalie azar, thanks. can you name one? see who a surprising number of college graduates believe is a supreme court justice and what george clooney said about this year's all-white oscar nominations and steve harvey when you're on vacation, it's time to play. so at hilton we say play hooky from your regular monday. and while you're at it, play hooky from the ordinary. the uninspired. the routine. but mostly, just play. when you plan a vacation at any one of hilton's 12 distinct brands,

only when you book direct at hilton.com. here's a little healthy advice. take care of what makes you, you. right down to your skin. aveeno daily moisturizing lotion with 5 vital nutrients for healthier looking skin in just one day. . results i'm going to share a photo of that's so interesting honey a photo of my eggo waffle when it pops up. l'eggo my eggo l'eggo my eggo (answering machine) hey! leave a message. hi, i know you're there, i'm calling you to tell you to l'eggo my eggo! anncr: some things are too delicious to share.

and fluffy eggo waffles. l'eggo my eggo. the yogurt made from your milk, is delicious. mmmm, yoplait. coming up, we head to savannah's apartment to turn her stuffed room into a dream space and then a special sales and adventures from $599, plus up to $300 to spend at sea. come seek the royal caribbean.

give extra. get extra. dunkin' donuts k-cups are available here at the grocery store. and people seem to be really excited about it. like, really excited. have a good one. new dunkin' donuts k-cup pods are here, available where you buy groceries. you totaled your brand new car. p nobody's hurt, but there will still be pain. p it comes when your insurance company says they'll only pay p three quarters of what it takes to replace it. what are you supposed to do? drive three quarters of a car? p now if you had liberty mutual new car replacement, you'd get your whole car back. p i guess they don't want you driving around on three wheels. smart. with liberty mutual new car replacement, we'll replace the full value of your car. see car insurance in a whole new light. liberty mutual insurance. all right. 8:12. let's trend. >> let's do it.

we put our knowledge to the test, our knowledge of important issues. >> okay. >> such as teen acronyms, the ones like omg, ttyl. lmao. do you think you know them? >> i know a couple of them and that's it. >> going to do them and brb. a popular social networking side. >> brb. >> be right back. >> no idea. >> a list of popular acronyms. >> byob. >> that's a good one. >> mate knows okay. >> how many of you heard? ootd. >> i know that one. i heard it in the makeup room. outfit of the day. >> idek. >> i don't even know. >> i don't even know. >> i never heard of this one. >> goat. >> greatest of all time. >> good.

>> last one, pa p pch. >> know what it means to other people. >> nat mo. >> not a pap smear. >> post a picture. >> don't post a picture of your pap smear, please. whatever you do. >> sorry, al. >> whose idea was this? >> i don't know. >> it's your turn now. >> let's do another quiz, okay. you ready for this. celebrity mashups and -- >> gesundheit. >> let me make sure i got that right. >> that's not an acronym. his name is -- he's doing something interesting on instagrams, take two photos of different celebrities and blends them into one image. i'll show you a two picture and you tell me which two stars are mashed up. image number one. >> jennifer lawrence. >> jennifer lawrence and -- >> i don't know who the other person is.

>> no, january jones. >> no, put them up side by side. >> jennifer lawrence and claire danes. >> oh, wow. >> let's go to number two. let's see the mash-up. >> leonardo dicaprio and sean penn. >> let's put them up, side by side. >> yes. >> conan o'brien's bit. >> the third mash-up. >> halle berry and beyonce. >> toni braxton. >> no. >> that's a good one. >> and sandra bullock. >> i was going to say maybe. >> side by side, that's j. lo and halle berry. >> and finally, what do you think of this one? >> kevin spacey and -- >> look at the nose. >> robert de niro and kevin spacey. >> what's the name of the artist again? >> that was fun.

>> she's america's favorite tv journal everybody, but did you job, yes. she's a supreme court justice. >> yes. >> that at least according to >> oh, no. >> a new stud found that nearly 10% thought judge judy, judith shined lynn sat alongside john roberts and ruth bader ginsburg. >> less than 10%. >> same group that thinks dr. dre is a real doctor. >> oh, my goodness, yes. judge judy, not a real supreme court justice. just a tv judge. now to the latest stars addressing that oscar boycott, and the return of pee-wee herman. >> yes. >> take it away, carson. >> the oscars controversial. on instagram lupita nyong'o said she was disappointed by the lack of diversity and has me thinking about unconscious prejudice and

george clooney told "variety" we're moving in the wrong direction. >> and whoopi goldberg agrees that the academy does have a problem and took issue with the boycott. >> chris rock is the host of the academy awards. >> yes, right. >> and so to boycott him seems just as bad as what everybody is saying, see, because to me -- don't have to clap, it's okay, because we have this conversation every year and it [ bleep ] me off. >> there you go. >> okay. >> still talking and still bleeping. >> whoopi added not enough diverse movies get made in the first place. >> true. next, a new spin on a children's classic, been nearly 30 years since his last movie and, ladies and gentlemen, he is back, pee-wee herman in a new move coming to netflix. >> a traffic light, just like i've seen in "national geographic." >> it's called "pee-wee's big

produced by judd apetow, premiers march 13th and what we learned from the trailer is paul rubens does not age a bit. >> face cream. >> i don't know. finally david bowie, collaborated with big names in music being, but one group not making the list is coldplay. coldplay drummer told "enemy" magazine they invited bowie once to do some guest vocals on a track and bowie refused saying not a very good sing. the song itself was not named by the band doesn't hold a grudge, okay. they say bowie deserves credit even for refusing to put his name on something. there's your "pop start" todayed. >> when you get to be a rock 'n' roll icon you get to voice your opinion. >> you sure do. you sure do. >> carson, thanks very much. let's get a check of the weather now with al >> announcer: today's weather is brought to you by liberty mutual insurance, see car insurance in a whole new light. >> so, we've got a mash-up of all the computer models that we look at with this storm coming this weekend so thursday night we're looking for a snowy,

stretching from the mid-mississippi into the ohio river valleys, but also severe weather firing up through the gulf coast with isolated tornadoes possible. on the day friday, more of that into florida and southern georgia, but we're looking for this wintry mix stretching from washington, d.c. all the way back into memphis, and we're moving into friday night. heavy snow moves into the mid-atlantic states and coastal lows will be forming, and that's going to cause all kinds of problems as we move into the day saturday. the snow gets up into new york city and boston. the coastal low will start to strengthen and lock at the snow stretching from boston all the way back into roanoke and then during the day on saturday wind gusts of over 60 miles per hour, flooding a possibility because of the high moon and the full moon and the winds. the snow really gets going saturday night. we've got the two models. we look at the american model, anywhere from three feet of snow as you get your way into the appalachians and about a foot of snow here in new york city. the european model with much more snow in the appalachians

the mountains of virginia. about 1 toe 2 foot around new york city and a little bit less as you move further north in towa eric: waking up to chilly temperatures, frosty conditions across central florida. as we look through the take, the bright sunshine will he does up warmer than yesterday. 61 is your lun >> and that's your latest weather. matt. >> thank you very much. now more of natalie's exclusive interview with steve harvey and miss columbia on the mistakes that led to that very awkward moment at the miss universe pageant. >> that's right. as we showed you on tuesday arianna gutierrez is breaking

steve harvey and right after the taping at his studios in chicago we talked to him. >> what you tell me what it was like to have the opportunity finally to hear an apology from steve and to maybe put this behind you now? >> i feel like i can breathe now. >> miss colombia and steve harvey buried the hatchet on his show, publicly forgiving him for the embarrassment he caused her when she mistakenly announced she was miss universe. >> steve, you actually got emotional when you were apologized, and can you see it's been a tough month for you. >> i've needed her to forgive me. i needed her to know that i was genuinely sorry because i felt horrible. >> ari, you said you forgave him. >> yes. >> did you forgive him in the moment last night? >> yes, yes. we're human beings, you know. everyone is able to make mistakes. >> take me back to that moment,

as you say, when you're wearing that crown. >> it was the happiest four minutes and a half that i ever had, and i -- i have been able to make an entire continent happy, but after that i felt horrible. i was crying a lot. >> were you angry at the mistake that was made? >> i felt like humiliated but not steve harvey mistake. >> i have to apologize, just for what happened, you know. it was like oh -- i'm not miss universe, what am i going to do now? everybody is going for -- is going to laugh at me and making fun of me. >> there was a moment for me, i mean, i was ashamed for the mistake, but i was also a little bit angry at the mistake. a lot of people could have stepped over and said i played a role in this, too. i made a mistake, too, but nobody did. i read the teleprompt, and clearly i read what it said to read and then i followed the direct instruction in my ear.

new twist is, and when he said read the card, all the cards in rehearsal never had any that have on there except in the year's past. >> ave hosted the miss universe pageant, said on the card, clearly as it did on your card, shows miss universe on the right-hand column of the card so you're saying you're eye went to first runner up. >> the fact that we didn't rehears it that way. i didn't no other information was going to be on the card. hi taken a moment to look down at the card and i was trying to keep it down so nobody saw the winner and i blew it, it i blew it in a big moment and the person that was hurt the most was her. >> there were suggestions you were drinking and gambling in vegas the night before. >> i've never been drunk a day in my life so do i gamble in vegas? i gamble in vegas all the time but i was at rehearsal and did a full run-through with everybody, perfectly. >> what was it that was hardest for you in all of the that? >> with all the support i got,

>> you said you had death threats. >> oh, man. >> coming from colombia. >> i won't be going over there to vacation no time soon probably. >> ari, there are a lot of people that will say this is an amazing opportunity for you. >> now i can say, okay, it was the worst night of my life, but it was the best one, too. >> probably right now the most famous miss universe contestant of all time. i mean, her face is everywhere. her name is everywhere, you know your end. do you think in colombia they feel the same way? >> i think -- >> no. >> they will forgive you after this interview, i'm sure. >> i heard that. >> they want to us sit together, you know, and to talk to each other and be like this. >> and it's good? >> you want to hug him. >> i can hull him. >> oh. >> thank you, god. >> well, i'm going to tell you

year. happen? >> let me tell you something, i promise you this woman will be hon that stage next year. i'll tell you what, when it's time to read the card, i'm going to have -- >> let her read the card this time this time, please. >> we asked the miss universe pageant if they will change the normate of how they reveal the winner next year and they are said, quote, talking about the best approach for next time and i can guarantee you, those two have great chemistry. i think there's definitely something in the making there for next year. >> in terms of the explanation as someone who has host that had pageant, does it make sense to you? >> well, i mean, what he says, his card was different than my card, and what he says is, you know, his eye went immediately to the left couple and the first runner up because if you're saying the second runner up he immediately read the first runner up as miss universe rather than look to the right where it clearly said the winner is the philippines, so, yeah.

the miss universe sglajt you know, a billion people watch it around the world so it definitely was a big deal. >> all right. nality, thank you so much. carson is up in the kitchen with siri. >> thanks, guys. siri is getting serious about slow key, a dish i guarantee your family will love and she's made it for our family many, many times, but, first, your

announcer: local, live, late-breaking. this is wesh 2 news sunrise in high definition. michelle: good morning. on our wednesday morning. erik burress joins us on when we begin to warm up. eric: a couple of text warmer than when we saw yesterday. factor in that 70 mile an hour wind, it feels like 33 degrees. a couple of clouds overhead, temperatures elsewhere bone chilling. 27 degrees in ocala, 36 in the villages, 36 in leesburg, 43 in kissimmee. let' s talk turkey as we look ahead for the afternoon, those temperatures climb nicely. 66 degrees this afternoon, that is our high temperature. better than the 50' s we saw yesterday. here is ted noah.

avalon boulevard just south of colonial drive. no major impact, no delays if you' re going to be traveling on avalon park. if you' re going to be taking a drive on the 408, westbound is on the left and those right to lanes are backed up there. give yourself extra time if you' re going to travel west. i-4 at 434, 434 is underneath the bridge.

slow it's 8:30 on a wednesday morning, the 20th of january, 2016 and it's a chilly morning on our plaza, nice and chilly and not too windy. you might call it the calm before the storm because sure enough a lot of cold and wintry weather coming to the east

we'll get the late forest al in >> all right. coming up, jill is here to get you organized. she's going to show you how to organize by giving savannah's spare bedroom where mike sleeps on nights they fight a makeover and we'll see how that turned >> yeah. >> going to get a new doghouse. >> exactly. >> also got a "steals & deals" to help you do it as well. >> and on our week of slow cooker meals, a new twist on chicken pot pie from my wife siri. >> looks delicious. and surprising changes that could overhaul the way kids apply to college. think no s.a.t.s and less activities. sounds kind of good. >> can they get that in the next year. >> retroactive. >> going through that with leil ha now. >> a check of the weather, big storm coming. >> yeah. a clipper bringing some snow

mid-mississippi and tennessee river valleys. a mix in the tennessee vale and a look for wet weather and gulf. more rain in the pacific northwest and then for tomorrow we've got that slight risk of strong storms through the gulf. we're looking at windy wet weather through the pacific northwest, sunny, chilly here in the northeast though not quite as cold as it's been and we've got snow pushing its way from nebraska on into southern illinois. up to chilly across central florida. as we look through the take, the bright sunshine will he does up warmer than yesterday.

>> that's your latest weather. let's head back in to savannah and jill. >> all right, al. thank you so much. now to our start today cleanse all month. jill martin is here to get us more organized and shows us how she came to my rescue in my apartment. i'm patient zero for jill. >> it was quite the feat. that's right, savannah. we focused on revamping your space so i gave you your spare room a much-needed makeover and just wait, everybody, until you see the transformation. >> so we're here in your office and you told me that you're the typical start today candidate. >> i have a room in my house that is just turned into clutterville. you live in a new york city apartment and you start collecting stuff, especially with a new babe and sadly this room has kind of become the clearing house for just extra stuff. it doesn't really have a design. it needs help. it really needs your help. >> so while savannah is on the

apartment to turn her stuffed room no a dream space. >> what do we have here? >> all right. not bad. i think just simple. i think we need to sort of spruce it up a little bit. so let's see what very have, some books, a little baby vail sock or one of them. oh, look, one ice skate. i didn't know savannah ice skated. savannah has her wedding dress front and center. i wonder if she tries it owner day. we only have six hours until savannah returns to reorganize, redecorate and reinvent her space. >> all right. we've been work all day but we're in crunch time because we only have half an hour when savannah gets home and we want to surpriseler so go away. >> after a few simple fixes, a fresh coat of paper and repurposing items she had around the house it's time for savannah to see the dramatic transformation.

>> yes. >> wow. >> oh, my goodness. it looks awesome. >> it was -- it looks really awesome. >> jill what, have you done with the place. >> it looks beautiful. i'm in love. >> i'm always afraid to do a little pop of color. great with an accent wall because for $30 you get paint and you just paint one wall and makes such a difference in the room. >> feels like it should be in a magazine, not my house. >> now the closet. >> what are you talking about? >> oh, my gosh. i'm going to live in this closet. this is insanely fabulous. >> now i can actually find things. >> jill, you are a miracle worker. jill, thank you so much. >> love ya, happy you're happy. >> my guest room is now my favorite root i'm moving in. >> i did move into that cross the. i'm very happy there.

transformation and it didn't take that much. the one accent wall, for $30 you can do it at home and do that accent wall. i walked around your house, like what are you doing? and i was taking things that weren't even showing around the house and putting them in the room because you can spruce up your house with things you already have in your home >> you staged it very well. this is our before kind of blah room, stuffed, simple and over here we have after. i mean, look at the difference, and we all have those stuffed rooms so the first step is to clements room, to go through everything because you really don't use about 75% of what you have in a stuffed room, so now this is very exciting because not only do you get this treat but we're doing a very special "steals & deals" and everyone at home you can spruce up your room, too, by next weekend. >> let's do it. start with our "steals & deals," the closet i love so much. you organized it. how did you do it? >> first the container store. go through your closet and when

if everybody has a home you can see it because if you don't see it, you're not going to wear, it so storage solutions, the retail, $99. the first deal, there's two here. the stack drawers, great for any room, the most popular item. you see that at the bottom here, the set of drawers, comes in white or platinum, and the other option is this drop front collection so you get five total, and it's one for the shirts and one for the sweaters and three of the shoeboxes so i love how that organizes everything. count the number of shoes you're really going to keep and organize your clothes so the retail is $99. the deal is 39 for either deal. that's 61% off. >> and you can look up the details, each is a set, not just one box. >> each is a set. >> and everything is on today.com. >> next, the bedspread makes a huge difference. >> right. you had a beautiful bed already at home but you can't see it because you didn't have this great begged on it. also use that as a pop of color

color in a room that's even darker. victoria classic setting, the retail $179 to 239. this is bed in bag sets. it's a choice of a four-piece, five-piece or eight-piece set. go on today.com and see all the options there, available in king or queen. the retail 179 to 239. the deal $59, up to 59% off. >> that is a huge deal for these because we all know sheets and comforters can be really, really expensive. >> really makes the room. >> this i love, and so many of you at home are going to love, to yourself. these photos are photos that you actually already had from your >> yes. >> how a lot of times a wedding photographer takes pictures. lights or flowers or some abstract and we came up with this idea of what if we blew those up. >> how great is that. >> so many of us have pictures and sitting in our computer and nothing to do with them and you can make them art, so this is art.com canvas prints, retail $79.99. e-mail a photo and they send

art. that beautiful. after i got the photos and this is what came in the mail. >> i was blown away by this, and it does make it so personal when you can have a picture that you know or love or have a scene or landscape. >> i love this. >> the retail $79.99. and the deal is 29.99. >> the 29.99 for one print. >> and a great size, too, two it in four or six or twos. i like doing it in twos. >> this is a big one. >> you already had a beautiful bed and mattress but at home a lot of people don't so this is the thin mattress. the retail, 849 to 1,999. >> hop in bed with me, jill. we did this once before. >> at least once. >> okay. >> i'm saying, that segment, one was in the plaza, let me tell you about the three layers, it really is comfortable. density gel infused memory foam and comfortable latex for bounce

all those things are apparently really what you need in massachusetts tress. the retail is 849 to 1,999. the deal is 399 to 749. >> wow. >> up to 63% off, but that's not all. >> tell us more, jill. >> what else? >> you already have again a beautiful bed that real looks similar to this, but you can get the bed and the mattress, it's a bundle we're offering if you need a whole new situation in your room. so this -- you get this exact mattress and then with this henley bed frame so you get the headboard and footbed, retails $3314 and the deal 1,198 and the deal 64% off. >> the mattress, so proud. might be one of your biggest deals ever. >> feel like it really helps everybody, to turn your stuffed room into something that's happy. >> definitely transformed ours for sure. >> now i have another treat for next week which i'm super excited about.

other in need of a style makeover? for those of you in the tri-state area send us a tweet using the #today and tell us why you need one and send us a photo and you could be our next victim, i mean, candidate. >> the highly recommend it, get a jill for sure. thanks so much. let's do the deals one more team. the closet storage solutions from the container store, bedding sets from victoria classics, the canvas print from art.com, you spend the picture and they put it on a frame and mattress and bed bundle from fin. jill is getting comfortable. >> i'm exhausted that from. >> it's awesome and very comfy. coming up next, we'll change gears, the s.a.t. optional. surprising recommendations endorsed by some of the nation's top schools to change the college admissions process.

back now on a wednesday morning, from test scores to a.p. classes and extracurricular activity, the pressure on high school students today to stand out on college applications is greater than ever. but this morning an unexpected group is banding together to say enough is enough. here's nbc's rehema ellis. >> reporter: for these high school juniors applying to college feels overwhelming. i want to see a show of hands. do you feel any pressure about the college application process. >> definitely snow think everybody is feeling the pressure. >> everyone is, yes. >> reporter: to some, even unfair. >> i also have a job outside of school so trying to get involved in extracurricular activities somewhat difficult. >> reporter: but a new report released today, in part sponsored by the harvard graduate school of education and endorsed by dozen disease of top colleges and universities nationwide, now recommends stunning changes in the application process. >> it's the first time in

colleges have banded together to reshape the admissions process. i think we have unfairness to kids who are economically disadvantaged and too many stressed out and depressed affluent kids. >> reporter: among the project suggestions, de-emphasize standardized testing, possibly make the s.a.t.s and. a c.t.s optional, stress quality over quantity when it comes to extracurricular activities and advanced placement classes. dial down achievement pressure. is this an effort to level the playing field in the admissions process? >> absolutely. an opportunity to more fairly capture the contributions of low-income and working class students who have demanding family will responsibilities, community responsibilities. >> reporter: new college applications may include an essay question for students to explain their contribution to others. do you think this a college looks at the contribution you're making to your family the same way they look at an extracurricular a.p. course or something of that nature? >> they only see the number,

they don't know your story, the real you will. >> reporter: you would like to tell them your story? >> of course, i would like to tell everybody. >> reporter: a change in college admissions policy could be two to three years away. opening the process to a broader group of students and concern for the common good. rehema ellis, nbc news, cambridge, massachusetts. >> this is the dean of admissions at m.i.t. and has endo,,ed these new recommendations. stu, good to see you, good morning. is the purpose here to get a more diverse student body at schools and colleges, or is it to lower the stress level on high schoolers applying? >> well, i think we're interested in both, matt. you know, as you've heard, i think there's a real mismatch between what students think they need to do to get into college and what they actually need to get into college and this report i hope will really send a more powerful message around what colleges are really, really interested to see in what students do. >> it's going to be very

this no more s.a.t.s and no more a.c.t.s or at the very least optional. that's not really what it says. >> that's not the headline. i think s.a.tfrmtss and a.c.t.s will still play a role in the college admission process. >> but just one piece in the puzzle. >> but one piece, absolutely right, and do i believe most students stress out over their s.a.t. scores much more than they really need to. >> and you see students starting from an early grade who are taking as many advanced placement courses as they can get, and the idea here is quality over quantity. >> absolutely. quality over quantity. we want to see students who are taking these advances classes, we do like that, but really we want to see them do it because they want the learning and the experience and really the joy in the subject, not because they feel like they have to. >> when it comes to the lists of extracurricular activities, the so-called brag sheets, you want to lessen the importance on those as well. >> yeah, absolutely. i think our students are doing just too much. they feel like they have to do

and we want to send this message that they can pull back on that had a little bit. >> millions of students trying to aemploy to college right now. give them one piece of advice for those students. >> students applying to college, pursue the things that interest persistence. make the lives of those around you better, and have fun. >> probably the best advice you can give. stu, thank you so much. jack lauer, if you could just remember that name in about four years, that would be great. just ahead, siri is in the kitchen using a slow cooker to put on a new twist to chick ebb pot pie. >> these are for you. >> look how romantic. >> but first, this is "today" on nbc. find your sweet spot today with dunkin's chicken apple sausage sandwich. enjoy sweet apple and savory sausage together for under 400 calories.

brandon thinks hellmann's is heaven in a jar. that's because our ingredients come from... farmers committed to responsibly sourced oils... blended with ingredients like cage-free eggs. mmm. heaven. real ingredients. that's how we're working to bring out the best. this winter you have the power to heal. because your purchase of vaseline intensive care lotion supports the vaseline healing project. join us to help millions in

the new caramel macchiato from dunkin' donuts. of espresso, milk, and a caramel-flavored swirl uplift your mood. indulge in a hot or iced macchiato today. america runs on dunkin'. we are back now.

"today food" time and contributor siri daly here with today's original recipe. good morning, mrs. daly. we haven't seen you together as man and wife. >> don't you look different? >> she quickly changed everything we made me happy. >> changed my name, still going through the process. >> that's not a quick process. >> in fact, i think you should change his name to -- >> to carson pint er er daly. >> this is a slow cooker chicken and biscuits pot pie. >> okay. bingo. i'm taking mrs. daly. >> we've got butternut squash, self-rising flor for the biscuits, chicken stock, heavy cream and milk, olive oil and boneless skinless thighs. >> why thighs. >> more flavorful and won't dry

pepper and more flour i guess. peas, butter, carrots, our herbs which is sage and thyme and onion. >> looks healthy. >> first step we're going to brown our chicken in some canola oil, and we want to get it really hospital that's like a mistake that sometimes people make. >> get the pot hot first because it will help brown everything. >> the tasting table is in position downstairs. >> all right. >> did you make it down there, darling? >> he's here. >> delicious sglfrlt and now i'm going to season it as well because you want to generously season with salt and pepper. >> salt and pepper. >> over here we already had some browning and we're going to remove this from the pan and we will eel use this same pan to add our vegetables. >> because it has all the bits on the bottom. >> you can add the vegetables to the pot pie uncooked but it adds so much flair if you do it this way.

>> pretty traditional for vegetables. >> could you put others. >> totally. >> we'll add squash later. we don't want to toad now because it will overcook. >> gets too squishy. >> cook this for five months until it starts to brown and then do you want to add the flour. >> dump it all in, like three tablespoons and that will help thicken everything over on and over here we have the flour already cooked into the vegetables and we'll add our liquid, the chicken stock and do you want to add the cream. >> do i ever. >> again, only about a fourth cup so you don't have to feel too guilty. >> fresh herbs, sage and thyme. >> looks like a hearty meal. >> bring it to the boil and over here we already have it in the crock pot, add everything into the crock pot and then the squash. >> at the very end. >> right before -- >> you turn on the slow cooker. >> three and a half hours on high and then back here. >> how is it going down there, guys, do you like it? >> delicious.

>> exactly. >> maybe this weekend. >> we added our peas also over here at the very end after the three and a half hours. >> you made your biscuits homemade. >> now we're going to make biscuits, really easy to make. use the store bought. >> i can ask. >> once you buy your slow cooker. >> come on. >> so cold butter, that's really important because that's going to help our biscuits stay fluffy and light. i'll use these knives to do it. don't want to overmix it and add the milk, cold milk, typically at home i would get there with my hands hand get really messy. >> we're out of time. >> recipe on today.com and learn about the biscuits, tastes good. >> thanks, siri daley. this is "today" on nbc.

you can save over 500 bucks when you switch to progressive. that's a fact. but this whole "blondes have more fun" thing... standing by for fun. all right. what have you guys got coming up in the next hour? >> dylan is going to visit the set. >> and toni braxton is here to announcer: local, live, late breaking. this is a wesh 2 news update. brett: good morning, i am brett connolly. michelle: i am michelle imperato. want to get to eric burris.

eric: it is chilly, but at least it is beautiful. temperature up to 46 degrees in orlando, feels like 43. we are dealing with a windchill. temperatures area wider coming up. 37 degrees in ocala. this is the first point above freezing in nearly eight hours. 48 degrees in sanford, 46 outside in melbourne. as we look at the forecast, remember the average high temperatures are 71. we will best -- city 60' s or high in orlando. 65 degrees in titusville. back into the mid-70' s by tomorrow, showers and storms flirting with 80 as we head into friday. ted: 8:57 and we have a crash on colonial drive by mills avenue. it is the -- been causing a bit of a backup. maybe consider heading to livingston street as your backup plan. on your tv what you' re looking

you can see it is still a bit slow. especially near the i-4 on ramps and getting off at the downtown orlando. another live picture looking at i-4, 434. over the bridges 434, no delays. i-4 eastbound into downtown orlando. some slow spots from obt. it could cost of to 12 minutes if you left right now.ri spokesbox: go paperless, don't stress, girl i got the discounts that you need safe driver accident-free