bathroom but then again, i have my daughter who has asthma. who is going to fix that? >> that's all for now, i'm lester holt, thanks for good monday morning. here's what's coming up down "early today." mall shooting. new details emerging over a deadly shooting spree over a popular mall. grammy whammy. a huge night for the music industry. incredible acts, memorable moments and a chance to say i do. gas explosion and flames in frigid temperatures. plus the cold weather is going from bad to worse in chicago's schools closing, a nightmare for cruise passengers and a 5k where peting krispy kremes is part of the finish. it is monday, january 27th,

"early today" starts right now. good morning. it's nice to see you, i'm veronica de la cruz. a shotgun you plenty of ammunition and a backpack filled with explosives. that's what officials say a gunman who opened fire at a maryland mall brought with him. police say 19-year-old darion aguilar took a shotgun with him. entered and went downstairs to a food court. he returned, left an hour later, and started shooting. shoppers barricaded themselves inside the mall. police say aguilar shot and killed two employees before taking his life. those victims identified as 21-year-old brianna benlollo and 25-year-old tyler johnson. >> right now, we don't have any type of known relationship between the shooter and our

victims. not saying there's not one. we just haven't uncovered one. that's why our investigates are working very hard to uncover. >> police say they received a missing person's report from aguilar's mother two hours after the shooting. they found a journal at home that expressed general unhappiness but left no clues about the murders. the mall is expected to reopen this afternoon. braulgts and record-breaking temperatures are slamming parts of the country. for the next days or so it will range from teens to below zero. minneapolis, 43 below. minus 23 in milwaukee. and chicago's public schools are closed today. hundreds of flights already canceled. that brings us to nbc's wendy wi willfolk live. >> reporter: good morning to you. this is the fourth arctic blast of the season and supposed to be the worst one yet. this part of the country has not

even been able to thaw with thefy round of the polar vortex and we're bracing for yet another. as you mentioned, chicago schools are canceled around the city and the surrounding suburbs. public transportation schedules modified because it's just too dangerous to stay outside for long periods of times inhese conditions. there's also a propane shortage across the midwest. so many people are left looking for heating alternatives. this relentless weather pattern is starting to wear on people. i can attest to that. and it's only january, asp temperatures are exposed to remain below zero for the next 2 1/2 days and the wintry mix is supposed to reach the deep south tomorrow. brutal for even winter standards. back to you. >> my goodness, thanks, wendy. a natural gas line in canada that exploded sad is expected to be operating at full capacity

this afternoon-the gas and tlams exploded hundreds of feet in the air. evacuated residents said they could feel the heat from the blaze. >> it was like being at a barbecue or bonfire, the problem is, we were a quarter mile away and it's as hot as that. >> no injuries were reported. more than 5,000 customers lost their gas supply because of the explosion. well, the family of a brain-dead pregnant woman in texas is preparing for her funeral. john peter hospital in ft. worth obeyed the order to stop administering treatment. the munoz family will now proceed with the somber task of laying marlise munoz's body to rest and grieving over the great loss that has been suffered. well, music's biggest stars got prepared for the biggest

awards. ringo and paul got together for a song and that is just a tiny part of the almost four-hour show. >> random access memoriry --s. >> reporter: daft punk won five awards with album of the year. >> sail on a ship called generosity. they're generous spirit. >> reporter: they performed their song "get lucky" with stevie wonder and manipulates later claimed record of the year with collaborator of the year pharrell williams. >> the robots would like to think, obviously, france is really proud of these guys right now. >> royals! >> reporter: song of the year went to new zealand's king lorde who also took ohm the best performance. >> this is the one thing that i did not expect the most about

tonight. >> reporter: hip-hop duo macklemore & rhine lewis scored four grammys for best rap and new artist. >> i want to thank the people that got us on the stage. >> reporter: they got on the stage again to perform the gay rights love song with queen latifah for an emotional wedding. and husband and wife jay z and beyonce opened the show with "drunk in love" as surviving beatles ringo star and paul mccartney shared the stage. >> and bill karins is here with your frigid forecast. did you see the grammys? >> i saw a good chunk of the first half. a saw beyonce's performance. a lot of people debating whether she had on enough clothes or not. >> over the top? >> i don't think there's any big

headlines. it seems that always something crazy happens but this year -- >> beyonce, she was on the line. >> she's beautiful and always going to be right 0 that line. good morning, everyone. the weather's not going to cooperate this week. we got a huge dose. here's the current windchills. the big story, it's midwinter and we get the arctic blast, the big story is the air is heading south. it's 58 in nnsight now. and within the next 24 hours, you could see snowflakes, snowflakes. winter storm watches go from houston around new orleans, right through montgomery, alabama, central and coastal south carolina and winter storm warnings for eastern south carolina. and people in the north used to snow and ice, it wouldn't be a big deal, but for areas that don't have any plows or even salt trucks we could see accumulating snow across the deep south and that area of eastern south carolina and north carolina, watch out, you could have enough to do shoveling out throw and maybe enough for road stoppages until the roads get

plowed. careful with the cold. the snow's coming tomorrow. that's your national forecast. now here's a look at weather outside or window. today, we're watching some of that snow flying through areas of the ohio valley. and temperatures in minneapolis, that negative number you that's going to stick around for a couple days as some of the coldest air of the season arrives. probably everyone on the eastern seaboard, it does look like today will be the warmest day until aboutda saturday, so enjoy it. >> is polar plunge or vortex? >> the polar vortex is up by canada by the hudson bay, and it's helping to send down the cold air. >> thanks, bill. what's making over 300 passengers and crews so sick at sea ? plus, edward snowden on assassination fears. rand paul, bill clinton, and hillary next. ♪

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to port early after more than 300 people fell ill from a mobile nor vo virus. passengers and crew members on board roy caribbean's "explorer of the sea exquisite" prompted the ship ton santa tized before returning to new jersey. the cdc says the cause is unknown. a missile strike in somalia on sunday against a suspected military leader with ties to the al qaeda. and republican senator rand paul appeared on "meet the press" sunday where he called former president bill clinton predatory regarding his affair with monica lewinsky. he said democrats have posed war on women all along and clinton's affair is proof. >> someone who takes advantage of a young girl in their office, i mean, really. and then they have the gull to stand up and say republicans are having a war on women, so, yes, i think it's a factor.

>> it's not hillary's fault -- >> but it say factor in judging bill clinton in history. in an interview with a german tv network, nsa leaker edward snowden said he felt there are, quote, significant threats to his life and that government officials would love to see him assassinated for leaking classified documents. and more than 100 hungry runners took part in the krispy kreme dash on saturday. participants had to run the race while eating a dozen doughnuts in an hour or less, all for a good cause, of course. all for eight children's charities. time to get down do business. the morning, "the wall street journal" reports that the faa will or the safety checks on more than 400 boeing 767 jets. hazards from removable tail sections could cause the jets to jam. a new survey from fat wallet.com said 30% of us are

planning to buy a new tv this year. and of that number, a third will buy it before sunday's broncos/seahawks super bowl, of course. speaking of preede dictions, the national association of auto dealers says new car kals will rise 6% this year. gas prices down 3.5 cents over the past two weeks according to the latest survey. and in california prices have fallen 8 cents. men, scruff is in. sales are down. the growing popularity of beards and facial hair is hurting proctor aer & gamble's line. sales were down 8% in razors last year. sports just ahead including highlights and yankee stadium transforms. plus, terrifying moments at the daytona 500. we'll tell you right about it when we come back. k in the book?

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