good friday morning. coming up on "early today," super weekend. the most watched sporting event in america is just two days away. but arrests for prostitution and drugs are in the news this morning. school lunch outrage. elementary students had their lunches pulled out from under them and tossed out by school officials as parents are furious. the court reinstates amanda knox's guilty verdict. will she be extradited back to italy for a 28 year sentence? a tow truck driver narrowly misses certain injury or worse

and a police officer gets a little too aggressive with this florida woman. it's friday, january 31st. "early today" starts right now. >> hello everybody. happy friday. i'm betty uyen. we're begin with a major prostitution and cocaine crack down ahead of the super bowl. they were selling party packs of drugs and sex in new york city. they were accused of advertising on public access cable tv and using texts to market their services. police have been watching the ring for 11 months but they decided to act now just in case anything was brewing for the super bowl. >> we have identified in the last year more than $3 million in credit card charges related to this enterprise and keep in mind that most johns pay cash. so that's a staggering number. >> 18 people are charged and more than half have already been

arrested. and now that super bowl weekend is here, the crowds and the excitement, they are building as the performers and the players prepare for kick off. sarah is live in times square that's actually been transformed into super bowl boulevard. sarah, what's it like out there this morning? >> reporter: well, betty, we're going to describe it as the calm before the storm because the fans, they are definitely in town right now. but they are sleeping, preparing for another day of getting rowdy and talking smack and getting ready overall for the big game. both teams, the broncos and the seahawks preparing to battle it out in the first ever cold weather open air super bowl game held in new jersey just a short drive here from new york city. right now slight favoring odds on the broncos but anything could change come game day of course. meanwhile, the fans enjoying all of the festivities here in new york including super bowl

boulevard where they can visit the vince lombardi trophy and try their hand at kicking a field goal. also taken into mind is that officials want people to have fun and yet be safe. massive security measures being put into place. 100 state, local, and federal authorities all working together to ensure that this is a good time, a good game and a successful first super bowl here in new jersey. back to you. >> a lot is going on this weekend. sarah, thank you so much. there's always one major risk when it comes to football, concussions. and our new nbc news wall street journal poll finds the hazard driving american opinion days ahead of the super bowl, 40% say they would steer their child away from football and toward a different sport because of concussion concerns. 57% say they would have no problem if their child played the game. it also comes amid a major lawsuit over whether the nfl did

enough to prevent former players concussions. a judge denied the $765 million settlement approval arguing it might not be enough to cover all the claims. so here is a story that will get you talking for sure, especially if you're about to send a child off to school. in the salt lake city school district officials are refusing to serve lunch to students that don't have enough money in their account. in fact, one 5th grader says an administrator threw away her food in front of the entire lunchroom. >> she took me and i come back up and i'm like what's going on and she was like you don't have any money in your account. you can't get that. >> the district says it's reviewing the way parents are notified of negative balances and says they're hoping to implemented a grace period. overseas to the bombshell verdict for amanda knox. there's new questions on whether the former exchange students will be forced to return to

italy. late thursday an italian court once again found knox and her former boyfriend guilty of murder in the 2007 killing of her then roommate. it's just the latest twist in a case that captured international attention. in 2011 a court overturned the original conviction but ordered a new trial last year. now knox can appeal and only then will extradition be on the table if that appeal fails. in a statement she said in part, quote, i am frightened and saddened by this unjust verdict. having been found innocent before, i expected better from the italian justice system. >>his morning on today, an exclusive live interview with knox's former boyfriend, raffaelle sollecito. the hazardous winter driving conditions across the country which lead to dramatic accidents and close calls caught on video. in mobile alabama a flat bed truck driver was removing a damaged vehicle when he was just missed by a skidding suv.

now as you can see he got out of the way and was not hurt but boy that was a close call. a traffic camera in minnesota caught dozens of cars and trucks sliding on ice and crashing into each other. luckily there were no serious injuries. we want to move west where there is deepening drought crisis in california. it's been so dry for so long california's governor is calling on the state to conserve water. a severe water shortage in some communities is looming. nbc's miguel almaguer reports. >> reporter: this is what the sierra looked like a year ago. but this winter, what a difference. the state now in extreme drought. andyls the pain. >> actually all brown and dried up. >> without rain he'll use this year's wheat harvest. he sold livestock just to keep the farm and he says what's happening here will effect americans across the country. >> i can't grow any crop.

that doesn't go to market. that creates a shortage and what happens with a shortage? prices go up. >> after declaring a state of emergency, governor jerry brown asked all californians to reduce their water use by 20%. >> long-term, we don't know what it means because we don't know how long it will last. but we're going to take every step we need to do. >> this is the first time exceptional drought has ever been declared in california. for communities in ten counties water could run out in 60 days. now major cities are also feeling the pressure. most get their water from reservoirs. these before and after pictures show where water levels should be and where they are today. lakes, watersheds, are in serious trouble. >> nbc's miguel almaguer there reporting. let's see if relief is on the way. bill karins is here.

they need it and badly. >> amazing photos. >> it drives home the point that they need mother nature to step up and help rescue the situation. >> they're in the middle of the rainy season and it barely rained at all and now we're ending january and not a drop of rain in los angeles this month. that only happened two other times in the city's history. let's take you to the travel trouble this morning. the rockies got hit by a good snowstorm. bad for driving around denver and interstate 70 early this morning. as we go throughout the day, this storm will be shifting into the plains. later today we'll see snow arriving in chicago, kansas city. much of that in chicago will be falling saturday morning into saturday afternoon. but up to 7 inches, that's a pretty good little stripe of snow there coming out right through michigan and detroit, after an all time snowy january you're going to start february with more snow too. so snow and ice from denver to chicago. temperatures are much warmer on the eastern seaboard which is really good today. we're finally warming things up after the brutal cold of this

past week. that's a look at your national forecast. now here's a look at the weather outside your window. >> so thankfully we're warming things up. a lot of the snow that fell from the last storm over the deep south and all through the southeast and the mid-atlantic will be melted through the end of day. we're even starting to do a little in new england and be prepared for a warm weekend. and betty, that super bowl forecast keeps getting warmer and the question is, when will the rain end sunday morning? >> right. >> details coming to you a little bit later. >> you had a little sunshine on this friday. i like seeing that and hearing that. >> no problem. >> straight ahead, this incredible rescue of this baby girl buried in the rubble of a bombed out building. you're watching "early today." [ male announcer ] this is the age of knowing what you're made of.

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eric holder said the nature of the conduct at issue and the resultant harm compels this decision. incredible video shows life found in the aftermath of an alleged air strike in syria. a 14 month old girl was frantically dugout of rubble and dust to the joy of those around her. she is alive. new video shows a florida woman arrested for drug charges and being literally dragged off to jail after, quote, deliberately going limp. the woman who has been arrested over 40 times believes the officer should have been given more than just a written reprimand. >> a family in chile woke up to a puma ransacking their kitchen on wednesday. can you imagine? while police are not sure how the big cat ended up in the house, they do believe it may have been someone's pet that had escaped. you can now find that puma at the national zoo. >> check out this hilarious police sketch released by a sheriff's department in texas.

not very helpful, right? wrong. the suspect in the armed robbery was actually found and arrested. all right. time to get down to business. stocks rebounded on thursday with all the major indices finishing in the green. toyota is telling north american dealers to stop selling six models. they include, camry, avalon, and tundras. they don't meet flamability standards. >> ford is going to hire more workers at its plant in kentucky. it already produces 3,000 vehicles a day and it will allow them to make more ford trucks. and the u.s. state department will release their study on the keystone xl pipeline. the report on the environmental impact of the 1700 mile pipeline says the project will not

increase carbon emissions. the full report could come out as early as today. sports is next. we'll tell you how the broncos and the seahawks are getting ready for the big game. plus a run down of sunday's predictions from the animal kingdom and more super bowl antics from super model kate upton. ♪ ♪ [ girl ] roses are red. violets are blue. splenda® is sweet. and so are you. [ female announcer ] just about anywhere you use sugar, you can use splenda® no calorie sweetener.

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in a today exclusive

interview celebrity parents take on the paparazzi over photos of celebrity's kids. what they're asking you to do about it this morning on "today". time for sports. a lot to talk about on this friday before the big game, richard? >> what else but the big game? good friday to you. time is short for super bowl preparation with two days to go. thursday the ground was so frozen that the frbroncos had t move their practice indoors for the first time while seattle stayed indoors for another day. it was turnover thursday as they call it where the defense tries to strip the ball in practice as they have done every single time this season, the defense won the practice with an interception yesterday. only one time where the defense didn't win in that scrimmage. so the expert versus the seahawks as two point underdogs. well that all changes when we go

to the other experts, animals, of course. >> they're the best ones to go. >> eli the ape from utah is picking seattle. you can see it on the coconut there -- oh, that's a helmet with the sea hawk logo on it and he correctly picked a winner six years straight. and then california a bear also picking seattle. choosing a washington apple pie over a denver omelet. >> i was wondering what that meant. >> sweets. in florida, manatee or manningtee picked right for six years straight picked denver and a rhino in iowa selected the ball with a denver logo. >> so an ape versus a man tee for the best record. >> of course sunday will be the big time. 6:30 p.m. eastern. the site funny or die had the football broadcaster with the game. not a fan favorite in new york.

>> some people think have a bias against this city, not true. i have to say i love it and it loves me. >> you hate the yankees, you hate the giants, we hate you. >> the sights -- are you [ bleep ] kidding me? a whole city? >> it's a tough city. >> kate upton gets in motion as she takes the snap from nick mangold. you have to say good work. >> controversial changes are in the works. winning is all that matters in the pursuit for the chase of the sprint cup championship. the field will expand from 12 to 16 drivers with a winner take all system. this new system will reward the most worthy battle tested driver. some folks not liking it, betty. >> we'll see. richard, thank you so much. just ahead, your super bowl forecast but a busy jerry

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time the game kicks off. wind chills not a factor in the low 30s. for the record, i have the seahawks winning by 10. >> i'm with you on that one. just because it's super bowl weekend doesn't mean there aren't any new movies at the box office. romantic comedy "that awkward moment" hits the theaters. it's poised to win the weekend with a modest $13 million. other newcomer labor day is just hoping to break the top five. in an interview thursday jerry seinfeld announced a seinfeld reunion of sorts is happening and will be released very, very soon in regards to the photos circulating the web that shows seinfeld and jason alexander walking into the sitcom's famous diner. alexander was in character. seinfeld has also opened up about good friend jay leno saying the long time tonight show host is very sensitive so if people call the show saying they were offended by a joke ja.

starting out warmer -- >> is warm the right word? maybe less cold. >> i'll give you that. >> tom kierein with the storm team 4 forecast. tom? >> i like that "less cold." you'll notice the difference. some locations are 20 to 25 degrees warmer now than they were yesterday at this time when it was down near zero. in the shenandoah valley, look, already in the upper 20s there. closer to washington, nearby suburbs about 15 to 20 degrees warmer than yesterday. we were in single digits, now arlington, fairfax, district in the upper 20s. near the bay, chillier and still cold, in the upper teens, parts of southern maryland and on the eastern shore, the northern neck. farther west, out of the mountains, many locations there, too, are in the 20s now. the view from space showing just a few clouds coming threw. we'll have the clouds with us through the morning. danella, are we the only ones up early? anybody else up on the roadways? >> i think it's just us.