if t . good friday morning. coming up on early today, the apology. did potential gop 2016 candidate chris christie set the record state on bridge gate? >> i am humiliated by the fact that i didn't know that and i was deceived. that's an awful way to feel. >> or will more details surface calling his credibility into question? >> and the water supply in west virginia has been contaminated forcing the governor to issue a state of emergency. on the way, much needed supplies are finally headed to the international space station. >> plus a rare castro sighting. college hoops at its best and one heck of a weekend ahead

filled with nfl playoffs, the golden globes and so much more. it's friday, january 10th, "early today" starts right now. thanks for joining us. i'm betty nguyen. embarrassed and humiliated. chris christie fires his aid and apologized for the scandal rocking the political world and today thousands more internal documents are scheduled for release with christie's political future on the line. he had no knowledge or involvement on the traffic back up on the washington bridge. it's the world's busiest connecting new jersey with new york. christie is already facing six federal lawsuits over those jams and after his two hour epic press conference some questions remain unanswered. kelly o'donnell reports. >> reporter: his trademark in your face style tempered by

scandal inside his own inner circle. >> what they did hurt the people of new jersey and hurt the people of ft. lee and the person that needs to apologize for that is me. >> appearing contrite and mournful and embarrassed. >> i am you mihumiliated that it know about this and i was deceived. >> reporter: he says he never knew about a political vendetta. he worried about a series of damaging e-mails that he called stupid and callous. he now fired the chief of staff. she wrote time for some traffic problems in fort lee. the man that responded, got it, appeared at a state assembly hearing. >> i alert my right to remain silent under the united states and new jersey constitutions.

>> he already re-signed and refused to answer questions. >> same answer. >> same answer, sir. >> reporter: the e-mail suggests there was a deliberate political motivation behind four days of snarled traffic last september at the george washington bridge aimed at the democratic mayor of fort lee. >> critics say this is that you're a political bully and your style is pay back. are you? and does this compromise your ability to serve. >> reporter: listen. politics, on the other hand that's very, very different than saying that someone is a bully. i am who i am, but i am not a bully. >> reporter: the governor promised action and headed to fort lee to apologize personally to the mayor that was resistant at first. >> we would ask he delay his

visit here today. >> reporter: but christie came anyway. >> that was kelly o'donnell reporting. now to a state of emergency in parts of west virginia because of a chemical spill. at least 100,000 people in nine counts are being told not to drink, bathe, cook, or wash clothes using tap water. this after one water company confirms it's supply is is contaminated. the chemical in question is used in a cold preparation process. it leaked from a tank and overran a containment area on thursday. the governor says the priorities are hospitals, nursing homes, and schools. education officials say some schools and at least five of the counts impacted will be closed today. we'll stay on top of that story for you. after not being seen in public for almost a year fidel castro made a surprise appearance. they were shocked to see the 87-year-old revolutionary make his way into the building.

he briefly spoke with the artist and admired paintings around the gallery. castro is reportedly still lucid and aware. two nuclear launch officers whose hands were on the trigger were off today. they are suspended for allegedly possessing illegal drugs. the two officers were assigned to the 331st air wing where they were responsible for launching missiles. their security clearances are suspended. news of the narcotics probe came as chuck hagel was visiting another base in wyoming. he was hoping to boost morale by giving a speech on the importance of the u.s. nuclear weapon's mission. >> there's been such high demand for marijuana in colorado that the plant is in short supply. it's been ten days since the rocky mountain state legalized the sale of marijuana but an

estimated 100,000 people already braved the cold for a joint. this lead to a shortage of the product that made colorado's 36 smoke shops an estimated $5 million in sales. all of the colorado pot frenzy along with talk of more states loosening restrictions has marijuana marijuana linked stocks on the rise of course. shares of cannabis sativa almost tripled this week setting the pot business on fire. take a look at the stunning imagine release from nasa. officials titled it the hand of god. wow, that is incredible. a powerful nasa telescope captured what appears to be an outreached hand with fiery fingertips. it's a collection of dust and gases following the star explosion but it has many wondering if they're a optical illusion or devine intervention. >> bill karins is here. >> i'm not here to explain it.

i'll keep the answer to myself. >> we would never understand it, would we? >> never. slippery travel out there this morning as we go into our friday morning and then we warm it up this weekend and soak most of you. as we look at the forecast across the country, there's a lot of clouds out there this morning. we have warm air from the south trying to move into the north. we have a lot of merky conditions. a lot of rainy conditions too. there's a batch of snow that moved through central pennsylvania heading for syracuse and albany. that's going to put down a quick half inch to inch of snow. slippery travel there. the blue line is the freezing line. it's trying to push through washington d.c. there can be freezing rain this morning in and around washington d.c. from hagerstown to baltimore to philadelphia. be careful driving, especially anywhere on untreated surfaces. i mentioned the soaker coming up. if you're anywhere from kansas city to the east coast, expect a heavy period of rain over the next 48 hours. that's your national forecast. now here's a look at the weather outside your window.

>> today around boston we will see the rain mixture with snow as we go throughout your day today but most of the roads should be okay. especially during the daylight hours. temperatures will be warming up even in the ohio valley today. look at that, cincinnati at 48. so looks like we're going to get a midwinter clean up. a lot of areas with a big soaking rain. >> okay. get ready for it. are perspective employers allowed to demand your facebook user name and password? plus america's solar panel obsession is making utility companies very uncomfortable. you're watching "early today." of "looking for a good deal" and "sheesh, i should've looked some more." ♪ that's why walgreens makes it easy to save even more on your medicare part d prescriptions. ♪ just stop on by and leave all the legwork to us. switch to walgreens today

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prisoners, the united states says they have been involved in the killing of american and coalition troops. new criticism is being launched at the obama administration as iraq tries to retake from al qaeda forces. senator john mccain had harsh words regarding the strategy in iraq. he talked about the american lives lost there. >> what do we tell these young people and their families? what do we tell them? i'll tell you what we have to tell them. we have to tell them that their sacrifice was squaundered by an administration that wanted out. >> the fbi director is not a fan of the hero whistleblower title people have been giving to edward snowden. he doesn't consider him a whistleblower at all saying the nsa was operating the exactly the way it was intended to and instead he sees him as a fugitive charged for leaking

government secrets. and it came late for the crew above the international space station. a rocket launched into space carrying supplies and for an on board experiment and belated christmas presents. better late than never. according to variety, sales of the everly brother's music spiked 54% since the death of phil everly last week. and mcdonald's is facing a lawsuit over the temperature of its coffee. a los angeles woman is suing the fast food chain saying she was injured. a new roof top solar system was installed every 24 minutes in 2014. that's good, right? not according to power companies that are pushing back after being forced to credit them for electricity. 5,000 people in west palm beach were attracted to a new mall where jobs are open next

month. speaking of jobs, a new report says that employers asking for your facebook user name and password will be limited in 12 states. oregon is the latest state banning employers from asking for such personal information. sports is ahead including hoop highlights and a houston rocket scare. plus the most feared players in the nfl. we'll tell you who they are, next. more on car insurance. everybody knows that parker. well, did you know auctioneers make bad grocery store clerks? that'll be $23.50. now .75, 23.75, hold 'em. hey now do i hear 23.75? 24! hey 24 dollar, 24 and a quarter, quarter, now half, 24 and a half and .75! 25! now a quarter, hey 26 and a quarter, do you wanna pay now, you wanna do it, 25 and a quarter - sold to the man in the khaki jacket! geico. fifteen minutes could save you... well, you know. [ male announcer ] the rhythm of life. [ whistle blowing ] where do you hear that beat? campbell's healthy request soup

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this sunday on "meet the press" the fall out from the controversy swirling around chris christie. should it have been handled differently and what impact will a political scandal have on its 2016 plans? >> now the latest in sports. good morning, happy friday. >> we made it. what a weekend. but first, college hoops. arizona still unbeaten at 16 games. >> what? >> unbeaten. alley-oop. it's a reverse dunk. arizona wins it 79-75. love it. >> number 24 memphis at number 12 louisville. a close came and then this. a louisville dunk doesn't count. >> why. >> does not go all the way through the basket.

in and out. >> what's the chances of that. >> they take it 73-67. 11 lead changes, 10 ties, michigan ends with a buzzer beater. they get the winning shot with 21 seconds left. michigan with a squeaker 71-70. >> carmelo anthony scores 29. the knicks not looking like last month's loser. they win it. they're going to wear jerseys with their nicknames on. ray allen. rashard lewis sweet lew. dewayne wade, d. wade and lebron, king games. >> kevin garnet, the big ticket. reggie evans, joker. mason plumlee, plums. >> i like jet. >> they're all fun.

he was featured in a survey of players. su has been fined over $216,000 in his four year career. he's only four years in, my friend. calvin johnson voted second most feared for his impeccable skill. this weekend, the second round of the nfl playoffs, st. the new orleans saints take on the seahawks and the indianapolis colts and patriots for the later game. sunday, san francisco 49ers are going to beat the panthers. >> you keep saying that. >> did i say that? >> that's twice now. >> san diego chargers in a late game against the broncos. dallas cowboys, guess what? still not in the playoffs. >> so mean. >> still not playing this weekend. i'll give you houston. when the team goes to practice

he stands outside the court but when they leave he lunges and scares them. quite classic. >> i love that. love this video. up close and personal at ski jumping shows what practice is like. >> is that real? >> it's real stuff. >> that's wild looking. >> it's one of those cameras. >> it looks like a video game. >> he's just getting ready. that's scary stuff. >> and surfs up in england, severe flooding in the country side by wake boarding through the trees pulled by a pick up truck. >> oh my gosh. >> announcer: early today sports is brought to you by just for men auto stop, the grey is over. >> the difference, if you ever wake boarded, if you fall on that thing what is below the water isn't quite as comfortable. >> don't try that at home folks. if you're a fan of game of throwns, which i am, we have

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i don't know if it would work for everyone. >> thank you. >> i guess. watch the full interview and more from golden globe hopefuls tonight at 8:00 p.m. eastern on nbc. >> the series game of throwns will be back for its 4th season on april 6th. yes. fans can catch a sneak peek sunday night. amanda bynes is going from entering the courtroom to the classroom. the former child star signed up for classes at the fashion institute of design and merchandising in california. nicole kidman taking it all off for jimmy choo's add campaign. she liked t quote, minimal styling. >> except the purse. >> stop looking, bill. stop. you can't take your eyes off of it. today is a big weekend for the box office with major films coming to theaters including the legend of hercules, her, and

lone survivor. >> listen to these accents. >> good. >> this one is hard -- >> oh! >> he's pretty good. carrie underwood found an adorable way to spend time when she is not on stage. look at this. the country star was volunteering at an animal shelter. >> she's too perfect. i don't like her anymore. >> look at the love for the puppies right there. not only is she talented, she can sing, she can act, she's a humanitarian. >> beautiful too. >> still thinking about the nicole kidman cover aren't you. i'm betty nguyen and this is "early today." we hope it's your first stop of the day on nbc. ♪

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breakinging his silence. for the first time, virginia senator cree deeds is opening up about the tragic attack that left him seriously hurt and his only son dead. a developing story impacting tens of news west virginia. the chemical spill that has the state's governor warning people to stop using their tapwater. we begin with the threat of more winter weather this morning. we're tracking a line of showers moving into the area over the next few hours. and it could bring some freezing rain just as many of you are heading out for your drive to work. weather is the reason for school delays on this friday morning, as well. >> let's show the list we have so far. we have king george county and

stafford schools in virginia, and both school systems will open two hours late this morning. >> in loudoun county, parents and students will want to double check your bus stops. a lot of roads are still icy from earlier this week. some stops had to be moved for safety. this mainly affects dirt or gravel-covered roads. loudoun county says pickup times will be as close to normal as possible. as for conditions now, let's check in with tom kierein. right now, no rain or freezing rain in the metro area. a big area in color under a freezing rain advisory. most of the region north and west, until 11:00. it's in effect until about 9:00 this morning around the metro area. up to .1 inch of ice is possible. storm team 4 radar, the area in pink is a little light freezing rain now. just beginning to move in to fauquier, prince william counties, western loudoun county. it's on a track to be right into manassas here by around 4:38. should be into fairfax a little after 5:00. around 5:30 into mt. vernon. into washington, just a little

before 6:00. we'll have a little light freezing rain on untreated surfaces. a lot of the roadways have been pretreated. it's mainly on sidewalks and parking lots. temperatures critical. down below freezing around the metro area, hovering around 30 degrees. farther west/southwest, rain is falling, a little above freezing. danella? good morning. not seeing accidents. work zones in the process of clearing. 66 for folks westbound near the dulles connector road had a work zone here, and it was blocking the right lane. folks traveling westbound and eastbound, those travel lanes are open. over to i-270 southbound at 370. you can see the roadwork here blocking the right shoulder lane. stick to the left to get by. i can tell you it's early, no delays. i'm back at 4:31. back to you. >> thank you. 4:28. let's check in with molette green at the live desk. >> good morning. virginia state senator cree deeds is talking about the

attack that led to his son's suicide and left him with visible and emotional scars. all eyes focused on the democrat from bath who returned to the richmond state capitol this week for the general assembly session. in november, his 24-year-old, gus, stabbed him and then killed himself. in his first public comments to his hometown newspaper, "the recorder," deeds spoke about his injuries, losing part of his tongue, making it now difficult to speak, and a loss of some feeling on his right side. he says the mental health system failed his son, and he is determined to fix it. deeds has introduced a bill that would lengthen the emergency custody period from six to 24 hours, the time limit ran out the night before the family tragedy. another bill would track the number of beds available in psychiatric facilities. that fateful night, deeds and his son were told there were no beds available. that's the latest, back to you. >> thank you. 4:29 the time now.

today two brothers convicted in a 2012 home invasion and attempted sex assault in prince george's county will be sentenced. the kindu and hakeem bell forced a woman into her apartment in march of 2012, they demanded money and threatened to rape and kill her. the bell brothers ultimately stole a wallet and cell phone from a roommate. both were convicted in november on multiple charges including robbery, carjacking, and false imprisonment. they face 161 years in prison. d.c. police are working to mend their image after a pair of recent scandals. last night police chief kathy lanier spoke to a church full of people. lanier spoke candidly about two officers specifically, mark washington who was arrested for taking picture of naked teenage girls or a girl while on duty, and officer lynnwood barnhill, accused of pimping teenage girls. lanier tried to reassure everyone there's no widesd