and coming up on "early today," breaking news. an officer ambushed shot multiple times while in his police cruiser. president obama makes his strongest case yet for increased gun reform. while donald trump faces some hostiles in bernie sanders backyard. plus, a dangerous moment for a driver facing rushing flash flooding. a really bad day. >> one airline passenger. the bridge that's claimed more trucks than officials can count and much more on a busy friday. "early today" starts right now. and good morning everyone. thanks for being with us. we start with that breaking news overnight. a philadelphia police officer ambushed and shot at least three times inside his cruiser. police commissioner says jesse

after a suspect tried to quote execute the officer. he was driving through a philly intersection, the suspect fired 13 times walking closer and closer until he was shooting inside the driver side window of the police cruiser. he emptied his entire .9 millimeter handgun. hartnett is in surgery and expected to make a full recovery. we'll have more details as we get them into nbc news. to politics now. donald trump is flexing his muscle in bernie sander backyard. he gave out tickets to a theater just 163 steps away from sanders' headquarters. >> reporter: donald trump

from senator bernie sanders' campaigngn headquarters. trump going after many of the rivals. he was on offense against republicans and democratic challengers but on defense against protesters that were at the rally there. playing to the crowd, trump said he would love to run against senator bernie sanders, however, he's trailing hillary on the democratic side. he says he's still focussed on hillary clinton. the former president, bill clinton, campaigning for his wife, hillary, refused to get involved in the pay for thatt donald trump has been boasting about his past transgressions. bill clinton saying that he would not respond at all to the politics of donald trump. now then trump turned his atteteion to senator ted cruz, his closest competitor on the republican side. trump and also senator john mccain questioning whether cruz is eligible to run for president

cruz responding that, that is simply not true and he excts these attacks from republican challengers. the first test for those who survived the attacks, the accusations and all of the heckling will be on february first with the iowa caucus. >> edward, thank you. president obama continues to make his case on the issue of gun reform, appearing at a town hall style meeting at george mason university last night. he said he respects the first amendment. at times things got heatedd especially when anderson cooper asked about the belief that he's trying to take away everyone's guns. >> are you suggesting that the notion that we're creating a plot to take everybody's guns away so we can impose martial law? yes, that is a conspiracy. i would hope you would agree with that.

to be president for another yooer, so even if he was going to take away people's guns, he doesn't have time. and now to the campaign trail and how bill clinton is handling contrororsies. including alleged past sexual transgressions. and kristen welker asked if he'd like to respond. >> i don't have a response. if he wins the republican nomination, we'll have plenty of time if hillary wins. but i have no interest in getting involvlv in the politics or doing anything except helping hillary. >> bill was interrupted for a phone call. >> there are other issues. that keep americans up at night. and my phone's ringing. [ laughter] i have to call hillary back and

>> happens to everybody. hillary is set to receive an unexpected indorsement, planned parenthood said they will indorse the democratic candidate. their first indorsement in its 100 year existence. she will accept the indorsement in new hampshire. billions in welths wipealth wiped out and the first four day start for the stock ever. nbc's anne thompson brings us up to speed. >> reporter: another bungee jump for the nation's stock market. the dow plumsing more than 300 points, bouncing back, only to plunge again by early afternoon. what has traders and investors grabbing fist fulls is the slowing in china. still, the chaos in china is

started to a year ever. shrink the average 401 k by about 2%. january is a beromter for the future. predicting with 87% accuracy what the market will do for the rest of the year. one more reason why main street needs to watch wall street. anne thompson, nbc news, new york. are you dreading your commute today? be thankful you aren't these guys. california mark was on his way home after an unsuccessful attempt at getting a haircut when all of a sudden flood waters decided this trip would also be unsuccessful. so, after reversing back down the road he was eventually able to pull a u turn and escape but not before having to overcome one last bout with mother nature. ananin sand diego a car worth

test his lamborghini against mother nature. not a good idea. a beautiful white lamborghini drives up with water up to the bumper. lookokt him go. waves quickly bring the waltwater up to the wind shield and the lambo makes it through gracefully into the sunset. two men have been arrested on terrorism related charges in the u.s. they say there are ties to isis. of sacramento is accused of traveling to syria to fight in a civil war and lying to federal investigators about it and 24-year-old omar of houston was indicted on charges he tried to provide material support to islamic extremists.

as refugees. according to the people he said later that he did fight along side them. investigators say they are not national security threats. some scary moments from new york to chicago. the plane was forced to make an emergency landing in detroit after a woman allegedly assaulted other passengers. detroit metro airport police met the plane shortly after 8:00 and carried the woman off the plane. the other passengers tied her up after she assaulted several passengers. one person said the woman asked to get off about 20 minutes after the flight and became disruptive. they say she may have been suffering from medical

in montreal, a majestic winter image caught on traffic cam. suddenly a snowy owl slides right into the frame. the transport minister tweeted out images later declaring by popular demand here is video of our majestic visitor. much more gracefully commuting than people on the streets of new york, i would say, bill. winter storm warnings are in effect around the grand canyon. but there are beautiful images -- >> that does make for beautiful pictures in the grand canyon. well, let's talk about -- look at that. our government scientists yesterday gave us a report for 2015. so, was it the warmest year we've had? almost. in florida and washington state and oregon but as a whole,

we had, that's why we didn't break the warmestench. ever. only 2012 was warmer. we had two on the west coast, two on the east coast and a lot were related to severe weather. those are mostly tornado outbreaks and one flood watch. so, 10 in total billion dollar disasters. and we haven't had lot of hurricanes lately and those are almost always billion dollar weather disasters. so, how does the weekend look? we're looking at another arcrcc plast blast from the north. and 40 to 50 degrees warmer in the great lakes and northeast than in the midwest and sunday, new york city will be 61 degrees and at the same time it will be 2 in minneapolis. so, be prepared for that. and if you're in areasf missouri up through chicago and michigan, a little bit of snow for you saturday and saturday

now a closer look at your day ahead. that cold arctic air will be coming down from the north but we're seeing light snow in areas of the midwest, not a lot but just enough for minor inconveniences. and there's the snow storm in northern portions of new mexico. it's that time of year. midwinter. we expect these cold blasts. >> 2 in minneapolis. >> they're used to it. coming up, it's the biggest jackpot ever and it's still growing. it's incredible. have you got powerball fever? i think we do. plus, a horrifying scene as flames engulf a barista stand with somebody insideside pain. just like my moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis. and i was worried about joint damage. my doctor said joint pain from ra can be a sign of existing joint damage that could only get worse. he prescribed enbrel to help relieve pain

enbrel may lower your ability to fight infections. serious, sometimes fatal, events including infections, tuberculosis, lymphoma, other cancers, nervous system and blood disorders and allergic reactions have occurred. tell your doctor if you've been someplace where fungal infections are common, or if you're prone to infections, have cuts or sores, have had hepatitis b, have been treated for heart failure, or if you u ve persistent fever, bruising, bleeding, or paleness. don't start enbrel if you have an infection like the flu. joint pain and damage... can go side by side. ask how enbrel can help relieve joint pain and help stop joint damage. enbrel, the number one rheumatologist-prereribed biologic.

charmin ultra soft gets you clean without the wasteful wadding. it has comfort cushions you can see that are softer and more absorbent, and you can use up to 4 times less. enjoy the go with charmin. bleeding gums? you may think it's a result of brushing too hard. it's not. it's a sign of early gum disease which you can help reverse by using listerine added to your brushing routine listerine kills up to 99.9% of germs and helps reverse early gum disease in just two weeks. listerine power to your mouth also try listerine floss. it's advanced technology removes more plaque. welcome back. a bikini barista stand in washington state exploded yesterday afternoon, engulfing a

campbell, who was working inside was severely burned but remandsins in critical condition in the hospital. authorities are investigating the propain tanks. the jackpot has sky rock ltedltted to $700 million. one, two, three, push. >> check out this police dash cam video of new jersey state troopers helping a woman give birth in the back of the car. she and her husband were rushing to the hospital but as it goes they pulled over and called 911. thanks to these new officers a brand new baby girl was born. and not everybody is happy

tom costello reports. >> reporter: today the government's top health experts say many americans can do better. cut way back on sugar, hidden in everything from salad dressing to pasta sauce. one jar of pasta sauce can have the equibblekwivlquivalent of a candy bar. all of us have to paylabels. the government's my plate nutrition guide sounds familiar. more fruits and vegetables and low fat dairy and a lot less salts. but critics say the guidelines don't go far enough. they're dropping its recommendation to drop egg consumption. the american institute for cancer research saying it was dismayed that lobbying efforts superceded dietary efforts.

of recommendations that there not impalkted in any undue way but have listened to all the voices. >> reporter: indeed the sugar industry criticized the recommendation toout sugar consumption. just ahead, the lakers claw their way back from 27 points down but could they finish the job? here's a hint. we're talking about the lakers. plus, high profile stars to watch a high profile ending. an instant classic in in tv anncr: good afternoon everyone. tv anncr: it's the perfect day for a game of football. tv anncr: this team is having a fantastic season. morning rituals are special. when you share what you love... ...with who you love. kellogg's frosted flakes. they're grrreat! now...you can win a microsoft surface 3...when you buy any

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. [music] no, no, no, no, people are both soft and strong... yey! which is why our products are too. angel soft. if you could see your cough, you'd see all the sickness you're spreading. new robitussin cf max severe soothes and delivers powerful relief of cough, sore throat, stuffy nose and fever. new robitussin cf max severe. because it's never just a cough. resolve to turn heads roc retinol. it's up to two times stronger than imitators try roc retinol correxion night cream... after one week, fine lines appear to fade one month, deep wrinkles look smoother... and after one year, skin looks ageless.

this morning on "today," the is it hollywood's biggest party. what you can expect to see on the golden globes. number 7 arizona visiting unranked ucla with stars including kevin derantdurant came out to honor russell westbrook. and now to a back and forth nail biter. >> three, step back for -- >> alfred nails the winning basket with 1.8 seconds as the bruins knock off the wild katszcats,

cincinnati almost ruined the mustangs best start in school history. they hang on 59-57. a milestone as the lowly lakers gave the kings a mighty scare. kobe bryant scored his 33,000th point. having blown a 27-point league, the kings with 26 seconds left and they manage to save face before the home team crowd. 118-115. bet you saw that one coming. just ahead, the super bowl just added one of the biggest stars on the planet to it's half time show.

fans.ns. [ julie ] the wrinkle cream graveyard. if it doesn't work fast... you're on to the next thing. neutrogena rapid wrinkle repair s the fastest retinol formula to visibly reduce fine lines and wrinkles in just one week. neutrogena . announcement: this storm promises to be the biggest of the decade. with total accumulation of up to three feet. roads will be shut down indefinitely. and schools are closed. campbell's soups go great with a cold and a nice red. made for real, real life. i've smoked a lot and quit a lot, but ended up nowhere. now i use this. the nicoderm cq patch, with unique extended release technology, helps prevent the urge to smoke all day. i want this time to be my last time.

i'm lucky to get through a shift without a disaster. my bargain detergent couldn't keep up. so i switched to tide pods. they're super concentrated so i get a better clcln. 15% cleaning ingredients or 90%. don't pay for water, pay for clean. that's my tide. fact. when emergency room doctors choose an otc pain reliever for their patients muscle, back and joint pain. the medicine in advil is their #1 choice. nothing is stronger on tough pain than advil. relief doesn't get any better than this. advil. resolve to turn heads roc retinol. it's up to two times stronger than imitators try roc retinol correxion night cream... after one week, ne lines appeararo fade one month, deep wrinkles look smoother... and after one year, skin looks ageless. only from roc . check this out, bro. what's that, broheim? i switched to geico and got more. more savings on car insurance? yeah bro-fessor, and more. like renters insurance. more ways to save. nice, bro-tato chip.

geico has motorcycle and rv insurance, too. oh, that's a lot more. oh yeah, i'm all about more, teddy brosevelt. geico. expect great savings and a whole lot more. all right, now to some entertainment news this morning. netflix has released the first sneak peek of the highly anticipated seekual and it includes everyone from the former show, minus the olsen twins. and pat harrington was a fan favorite as the ever present perfectly annoying building super.

complications from aulz hiemers disease in los angeles. and beyonce is -- excuse me, queen b will be joined by coldplay where she'll be accompanied by her destiny's child members, kelly rowland and michelle williams. >> and coldplay was supposed to be the headline and all of a sudden queen b shows up. >> what are you going to do. i'm shannon mulaire and this is "early today." if you're looking to save money on your medicare part d prescriptions, walgreens says, carpe med diem. seize the day to get more out of life and medicare part d. just switch to walgreens for savings that'll be the highlight of your day. now preview the cost of your copay before you fill.

[ julie ] the wrinkle cream graveyard. if it doesn't work fast... you're on to the next thing. neutrogena rapid wrinkle repair has the fastest retinol formula to visibly reduce fine lines and wrinkles in just one week. neutrogena .

is causing truck drivers a lot of trouble. >> reporter: they call it the can opener. >> it's insane. >> reporter: in durham, north carolina. >> i've seen as many as three in one day. >> reporter: at the corner of gregson and pebody, it's perhapsps the most unforgiving bridge in america. more than 100 crashes here since 2008, no major injuries, just frustrations. over and over and over again. all captured on web cams. >> it's pretty crazy sometimes. >> reporter: all thanks to rgen. >> all of a sudden there's a massive crash and i fall out of my chair. >> reporter: his videos sell millions of hits on youtube and just after we finished speaking

this happened. the driver rattled but okay. >> i thought i had enough clearance. >> reporter: the bridge was built for trainss5 years ago. the locales know it's lower than usual but many rental truck drivers don't. the states put in lights and signs but drivers don't see them or ignore them. why not just raise the bridge? >> you'd look at significant cost. >> reporter: instead the staltte is planning to install more sophisticated warning censors. jorgan hopes they'll make these crashes a thing of the pass or better yet, water under the bridge. >> i haltte to laugh but it's funny.

for renting those trucks. and in addition to their usual diet, they got to nibble on left over christmas trees as a healthy snack. the zoo insures they're not contaminated with pesticides. the tasty feast lasted only 15 minutes. >> and evergreen breath. >> as a bonus. before we go, we want to wish a very happy birthday to david bowie who turns 69 today. world refound the physicist, steven hawking is 74 and bob uebanks turns 78.