good morning. on the brink of disaster, ukraine's leader called on the international community for help. this as hundreds of russian troops are on the move there this morning. president obama once again warning vladimir putin to stand down. we are live on the ground in ukraine. say it isn't snow. yet another powerful storm now making its mark on millions across the country with big traffic accidents and carrying heavy snow and dangerous ice. dylan is tracking it all. all eyes on oscar. yes live on the red carpet where

final preparations are under way for hollywood's biggest night frrks the favorites to take home gold to the all important fashions. we have it all covered for you today, sunday, march 2, 2014. >> announcer: from nbc news. this is a special edition of "today." today's oscar pre party with lester holt live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza and erica hill live from the red carpet in hollywood. welcome to this special split edition of "today" on this sunday morning. i'm erica hill in hollywood. lester holt, dylan dreyer and jenna wolfe. we have a lot of serious news to get to. we'll be covering all of that for you today. we'll have a little fun as we look ahead to the oscars tonight at well. >> with that big open, i feel a

little underdressed. you got into town late yesterday. what's the mood in l.a. on the eve of the oscars? >> first of all, there are a lot of people. l.a. is known for its traffic. that traffic has nothing on an awards show weekend. so many people here when we left our hotel after 3:00 a.m. local time, the bar was packed and everyone looked like they had been coming from a big party. everybody is festive and excited. they're really happyecause the rain seems to have stopped. it has been raining non-stop. a lot of people i talked to yesterday said it felt like the middle of a monsoon. organizers covered up the red carpet. when we woke up this morning, the tent that had been covering it is gone. at this point it's dry, a little cool but we'll take it. dylan, we think it's going to be dry today. what's your red carpet forecast? >> you guys lucked out. it looks fine. you might see a spotty shower or two. with all the gowns out there, you don't want the deluge we've

been seeing. by late they are evening everything clears out. by 5:00 p.m., 61 degrees. while it is a little cool for you folks out there, certainly something we're jealous of. 61 sounds really nice. >> i know it does. i'll try to bring back some of the warmth. the downside for it being dry here, that's moving across the country. i know you'll look at that later in the show. we do want to begin with today's top story. that is the increasingly tense situation in ukraine. russia is moving in there despite stern warnings from president obama and other world leaders. those warnings to stand down. bill neely is in ukraine with the latest for us. bill, good morning. >> reporter: good morning. there has been a quiet but complete russian takeover here in crimea, one that threatens ukraine's existence as a united country and one that puts russia and the west on a collision

ur. russia tightening its grip here. hundreds of russian troops on the move in crimea heading for a ukrainian military base. there's been no confrontation, not yet anyway. they haven't fired a shot. they don't need to. russian troops, rocket propelled grenades at the ready have taken over crimea without resistance and with the full backing of most of this region's people. these men have hardly said a word since they arrived, but the message they're sending is very clear, and it's gone out across the world. local militias have formed. these men ensuring no one pulls down the statue of len anyone as they've done across western ukraine. these protesters tried, there were running battles and dozens injured in ukraine's second city. pro western demonstrators trying

to attack a lenin statue and a government building. the jort here in the east are pro russian. they have the upper hand. that's the problem for ukraine's new leaders. they're powerless to stop the loss of crimea. they called up military reservists, put the army on combat alert and appealed to the west. the east of the country is mutiny ous. there is now a standoff between russian troops and ukrainian troops at a ukrainian military base. that's not happened before, the russians demanding the ukrainians lay down their weapons and they're threatening force. erica? >> bill, thank you. here is lester. thanks. david gregory is moderator of "meet the press." good morning. >> good morning, lester. >> the president spent 90 minutes on the phone with

russia's vladimir putin s. the president prepared to go to the mat over this issue? what can he do? >> it sounds like he's prepared to go to the mat. the big question is what does that mean? he warned of consequences if people stepped over the line. his national security adviser said on "meet the press" last sunday it would be a grave mistake to invade. just friday the president said there would be cost to intervention. what's the cost? what is the u.s. going to do? i think there would be more of an attempt to isolate russia nationally. is there a role for nato in protecting a line? i think some attempt to restore a balance of power that is now a vacuum that putin is now filling. i think that's what the president would like to see. >> if we step back, this all began because ukraine looked like it was going to start leaning more towards europe and the west and the prime minister decided to go another direction. beyond that does the u.s. have a national security stake here? why is this so important to this country? >> i think that's a tough

question to answer as well, because the united states is not about to send military might into this part of the world. in 2008 when the soviets invaded breakaway parts of georgia, the bush administration did not do that. that's not going to happen here. look, i think there's concerns about russia trying to restore something of the soviet union might which is what vladimir putin seems to want to do in terms of what he calls his new abroad. i think there's a question of standing up on the side of democracy and wanting to see economic and political stability in this part of the world which is important ultimately to europe. >> it will obviously take a lot more than this to get back to the cold war days. nonetheless we're potentially looking at a russian occupation of at least part of ukraine. as this continues to wear on, could this be one of the biggest foreign policy challenges to this administration? >> i don't think there's any question about it. the president says he doesn't think this is part of the cold war chest board.

the issue is putin does view it that way. he views the united states and thought this under bush as well, meddling in russia's affairs and he thinks the same about president obama. let's talk about areas that the united states does have a keener interest in. that's in the middle east in syria. the secretary of state has been very blunt, blaming russian support for assad, allowing him to double down in his killing campaign against rebels in syria. so wherever you turn, whether it's syria or these countries on russia's doorstep or iran, russia plays a very large role here. how we confront him becomes important. >> david, i know this is on your plate this morning. we'll check back a bit later to get a preview of "meet the press." for now, let's go back to erica in hollywood. >> lester, thanks. turning to the winter that just won't quit. that same storm system that dropped a deluge of rain here in california is now headed east and bringing with it bitter cold, ice and, of course plenty

of snow. the weather channel's mike seidel is in st. charles, missouri. mike, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, erica. out here metro st. louis overnight, freezing rain, freezing drizzle moved in. meaning the black ice on area highways, dozens of accidents. it's 17. temperatures are still falling. windchills dropping below zero, all part of this coast-to-coast storm. what came down as torrential rain in drought-stricken california causing massive floods and damaging mudslides is now a fast-moving cross country destructive force of snow, sleet and freezing rain. in all more than 139 million people will be impacted by this latest round of winter. in denver one person was killed and 30 injured in a giant pileup on i-25 involving more than 100 vehicles. >> a train reaction of cars

hitting and hitting and hitting. >> reporter: now it's all headed east, bringing snow to the midwest including indianapolis where storms have dumped five feet of snow. in chicago, an unusual scene at soldier field between the blackhawks and penguins. crews had to shovel heavy snow off the rink. parts of tennessee and kentucky who have seen several ice storms this year could see up to an inch of ice, making travel difficult if not i'm impossible. storms this season have broken a 130--year-old record. it's the extreme cold that continues erica. in kansas city today they may not get above ten degrees. that would be the coldest high in march on record going back to 1888. right now it's four, the windchill is 25 below. highs in the midwest as much as

40 degrees below average. all i can say, erica, is make it stop. back to you. >> make it stop and stay inside. those are not the kind of records anyone wants to set. thanks so much. lester, back over to you. dylan, let's turn to you now. walk us through who is going to get hammered. >> it doesn't look like this will be as big as initially thought for parts of the mid atlantic. it's traveled a little further south and petered out a little bit. that being said, this is a huge storm with a lot of different situations involved with it. we are seeing it extend from parts of new mexico all through parts of kentucky, tennessee, even arkansas. from the north of that, kansas, to to new york city, that's where we'll see the snow. heaviest snow should be pushed south to areas like baltimore and washington d.c. on the flip side of that, we

have the potential for very strong wind gusts and isolated tornados across eastern texas and parts of louisiana. look at ice accumulation. this takes down power lines. could end up with a quarter of an inch, half an inch or more in the west. here's the snowfall totals. 8 to 10 inches southern indiana, southern ohio and even 10 inches in washington d.c., philadelphia about six. new york city could thanks. we'll get your full forecast. right now a check of the rest of the morning's top stories. jenna is here with that. good morning everyone. authorities in china are vowing a harsh crackdown a day after men with knives stormed a train station. dozens were killed and more than a hundred others wounded. eunice yun is in beijing with the latest. >> reporter: security is tight around the train station after what the government labeled a

planned terror attack. authorities say a group of 11 men and women dressed in black ran through the station in the city killing at least 29 people and injuring more than 140. the police shot dead four assailants and have detained one and are pursuing the rest. officials believe the culprits are schepp tifts from something jong known as the uighurs. many in the community expressed anger over what they feel is unfair treatment by the government and so have been blamed in other attacks including another at tiananmen square. an update to a story we told you about on saturday, the terrifying avalanche in montana. it was triggered by a snow borders riding a mountain slope that was closed. the avalanche buried three people. a husband in serious condition,

the wife in critical condition, the boy is in fair condition and is expected to recover. if you look up brunch in the dictionary, what you should see is a care free meal with a lazy miss. in check it out. flooding the entire dining room. sending people running for cover. look at that! despite the screams and broken glass, nobody was hurt. i say now on to dinner. finallies the boss turns royal during his concert in new zealand. he decided to perform his own version of "royals" considering he was in lorde's hometown. ♪ >> one of several songs

springsteen has been covering on his tour. he's done ac/dc's "highway to hell" and bee gee's "staying alive." >> i like to hear him do the fall set toe in "staying alive." >> of course you would. >> dylan is outside with a check of the rest of the country's forecast. >> not bad out here. i love this. i am tired of snow. i think that sums up how everyone is feeling. tired of the cold, too. we are looking for temperatures in the upper midwest to feel like about 20 to 40 below 0. enough with the cold already. that's a look at weather across the country. now here's a peek out your window. >> good morning everybody. i'm storm team 4 meteorologist chuck bell. winter storm warnings up for the entire area tonight into tomorrow. everything is going to start as

rain. could see icy mix around midnight changing to all snow before you wake up tomorrow morning. snow amounts could exceed six inches in many neighborhoods. first this morning, temperatures upper 30s and low 40s. low 50s today, showers by 4:00, rain by >> that is your latest forecast. lester? >> thanks, dylan. a much anticipated trial that starts tomorrow in south africa. oscar pistorius getting attention for a different reason. he shot his girlfriend to death, model reeva steenkamp on valentine's day. he say it was an accident. prosecutors call it murder. amin is in johannesburg with a preview. >> reporter: it's being called the trial of the century, shaping up to be a media circus. more than 2,000 journalists have

applied for accreditation as we understand it. also drawing a lot of comparisons to another superstar also accused of killing his wife, that is o.j. simpson. from national sports hero to criminal defendant. on monday, oscar pistorius will have his day in court and a chance to explain and answer a central question, why did oscar pistorius fire four shots through his bathroom girl killing his beautiful model girlfriend reeva steenkamp? was it a tragic mistake or cold blooded murder as this attorney from the national prosecuting authority told nbc's keith morrison. >> whatever bodily be watching for is whether or not you can prove he intended to kill her. >> absolutely. >> you sound like you're pretty confident the prosecution has enough to be able to prove that. >> we would not have charged him if we didn't believe so. >> reporter: the prosecution believes there's a strong case

based on witness's testimony, messages on cell phones, forensics, all that paint oscar as an angry man and extremely jealous. others suggest the prosecution's case seemed to stumble. there were allegations of police mismanaging evidence and the defense will delve into oscar's fear of crime that propelled him to shoot at what he said he thought was an intruder who broke into his house in the middle of the night. as an olympian,sc pistorius made south africa proud on the world stage. tomorrow his life and his actions will take center stage in a courtroom here. that, too, will be watched just as closely by his countrymen and many around the world. lester, the trial gets under way tomorrow with opening statements by the prosecution, and in a first for this country, a south african judge has allowed cameras in the courtroom. it's going to be televised. a lot of people will be watching it. the trial is expected to last

from three to five weeks and a verdict possibly weeks after that. you can imagine it is going to grip the nation and a lot of media attention from around the world. >> thanks. we're going to switch gears and talked about the red carpet. for many people, the only question that matters is who are you wearing? we take a closer look at your fidelity green line and you'll see just how much it has to offer, especially if you're thinking of moving an old 401(k) to a fidelity ira. it gives you a wide range of investment options... and the free help you need to make sure your investments fit your goals -- and what you're really investing for. tap into the full power of your fidelity green line. call today and we'll make it easy to move that old 401(k) to a fidelity rollover ira. starts with freshly-made pasta, and 100% real cheddar cheese. but what makes stouffer's mac n' cheese best of all. that moment you enjoy it at home. stouffer's. made with care for you or your family.

worst morning ever. [ angelic music plays ] ♪ toaster strudel! best morning ever! [ hans ] warm, flaky, gooey. toaster strudel! we are back on a sunday morning coming to you live from hollywood. one of the best parts, of course, of the oscars is seeing the celebrities all decked out. quarrels is here with more on the fashion of the red carpet. >> you look beautiful and stunning. i like how you say fashions. from the runway to the red carpet, this night can be one of hollywood's biggest for the stars but also pour the designers. it can translate into millions of dollars, erica. that's why on this red carpet, it's no game. >> who are you wearing? >> prada.

>> reporter: from the dress to the shoes to the jewels, hollywood's biggest night is also fashion's most important stage. a red carpet hit or miss can make headlines around the world. >> if a star hit the red carpet of the academy awards in that right gown, it would catapult a young designer into the stratosphere for sure. >> reporter: meister is no strange tore dressing hollywood's elite. he sums up the oscar process in one word. >> madness. it's madness! >> it's a big night, not just for the stars but designers as well. if they say your name ton red carpet 14 times, it's like $40 million in advertising. it's huge. >> reporter: when working with a-liss centers it's about communication. >> you get their likes, dislikes, things they want to show off, whether a plunging neckline or what they want to

cover, you collaborate on what it is they're looking for. >> while he's candid it comes to his clients -- >> who are you dressing? >> if i would tell you, i would never eat lunch in this town again. >> he would gichbt away his secrets, but gave us a sneak peek of some looks we might see tonight. one thing he would admit is who he would most like to dress. best supporting actress nominee lupe peta nyongo. >> i think we'll seat zee her in something crazy metallic. >> we're seeing stars step up their a game. >> it's the designers who will be on the edge of their seats. >> i always say you never know if they're wearing you until you see that leg come out of the limo and hit the red carpet and you see the hem of the gown. then you know. >> you guys can be sure that tomorrow besides talking about

the winners, everyone will be talking about the best and the worst dressed people of the night. >> and we will be looking for it. lisa, great to have you here. there are other con still to come on "today" helping residents of a struggling city improve their health. we'll shine a light on better

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>> good morning it's 8:26 on this sunday, march 2nd.

i'm richard jordan. we're hours from a major winter storm. this is a live look at new york avenue in northeast washington. all the clear. things are going to look different tomorrow. the department of public works says it will have 200 plows out before the morning rush. they're urging everyone to stay off the roads during and after the storm so crews can clear the snow. over in maryland, crews are loading up salt trucks. the city tweeted out this picture. leaders have a good supply of salt ready to go. remember you can stay ahead of the storm, track the storm from the palm of your hand with the weather app. search nbc washington in the app store or google play. in other news, prince george's county police are looking for the person behind the shooting at the naval station along the green line. the the victim was taken to the hospital and is expected to be fine. storm team 4 meteorologist

good morning i'm chuck bell. temperatures in the up 30s and 40s now. we're headed to 50s today. this rain arrives this afternoon, moderate rain this evening; changes to snow before you wake up tomorrow morning. your winter impact, the most likely at least 50% chance of 5 to 10 inches of snow in the heart of the metro. some areas could get more than

that. coming up on 9:30 to 10:00 hour and a half, i'll have the forecast then. we're off to a cloudy but dry start. there's the leading edge of the rain coming in or direction. ♪ >> good morning to our kids in wilmington, delaware. get ready to shovel, guys. >> hi michigan. >> hi, michigan. we're on the "today" show! >> we want to say hi to our friends and family in norma, illinois. we're on the "today" show! >> we're back on a sunday morning, march 2nd, 2014. great crowd out there on rockefeller plaza, their pictures as they enjoy morning. we're always happy to have a crowd here.

i'm lester holt with jenna wolfe and dylan dreyer. erica is in hollywood along the red carpet. we'll check with her in a second. first a look at this morning's top headlines. russian troops are on the move in ukraine prompting calls for help. winter won't back down, that powerful storm system hid california in the midwest and it won't be long before it takes a swipe at the east coast. officials in montana say that avalanche that crushed a neighborhood on friday appears to have been caused by a snowboarder who was riding in a closed-off area. coming up, the wait is almost over. we'll be announcing the city we're partnering with this year to shine a light to help get everyone healthy. speaking of getting healthy, it's day two of our 30 days to a better you challenge. i'm all about starting small. while my advice may sound big, it's not as difficult as it

sounds. it's 100% doable. >> that's why we love your advice, jenna. it's always doable. we begin with the high stakes action that's going to get under way in just a matter of hours here in hollywood. there's been so much talk over the last few weeks about oscar, and not only who should take it home tonight, but who actually will. oscar is turning 86. tonight hollywood will line up to celebrate. the academy awards, the most prestigious of the award shows and a life changer for nominees and winners. this year tin sisel town has mo to brag about, $10 point billion brought in, a record to date. among the top ten grossing films, "gravity" a big hit with the academy and tied with "american hustle" with ten nominations. >> you got no choice. you work for me. >> reporter: when it comes to the ladies, front-runners amy adams and cate blanchett, both

winners at the golden globes, face off in the same category. in the supporting actress category hollywood darling jennifer lawrence and newcomer lupita nyongo are the ones to beat. looking toward that road to goal, matthew mcconaughey and leonardo dicaprio have both won other awards for their respective roles in "dollars buyers club" and "wolf of wall street." for them and the other nominees, a lot more than just a trophy at stake. a trail of prestige, bigger paychecks and coveted roles follow a win in oscar legacy that the nominees hope to capture tonight. we know there's going to be stiff combination tonight. that's the nature of this beast. dave carter is the host of front-runners on fandango and he's with us. >> great to see you. welcome to the west coast. >> you walk in and you're

walking on the real red carpet for the oscars. we thought we would have a little fun and think of this as a boxing match. we'll have our two main contenders as we go through the categories. let's start with best actor, the two names we're hearing the most, matthew mcconaughey and leonardo dicaprio. >> there is a sense that dicaprio is due for a win. he was great. i think it's going to be matthew mcconaughey for "dallas buyers club." a great run he's had. >> it's about the performance, not about whether or not it's your time. >> some voters have many reasons for the votes. >> when it comes to best actress, cate blanchett and amy adams. >> amy is gaining ground. she's the only best actress nominee who has never won. the other four have all won. if this were happening a month from now, "american hustle's"

momentum would be stronger and she would have a better shot. kate blanket, what an amazing performance. >> speaking of supporting categories, when it comes to actor, jared letto, talk about his transformation. >> everyone is impress thad bradley cooper was able to get back-to-back nominations. jared leto has this one. his performance in "dallas buyers club" is so moving. this is a character you take into your heart. he's changed a lot of hearts and minds. >> we talk about best supporting actress. lupita nyongo. jennifer lawrence, a great couple years for her. >> i will tell you this is the

tightest of the four acting races. if jennifer lawrence wins, she becomes only the sixth person to win back-to-back acting oscars which would be impressive. i think the edge has to go with lupita nyongo. what a moving performance, a powerful role. she's become the real breakout star of the oscars. >> you have two seconds for this. it seems it's coming down to "gravity" and "12 years a slave." >> gravity will win the most oscars, i think "12 years a slave" for best picture. back to new york for a final check of the weather with dylan. >> good morning, erica. looking lovely out there in california. we're not that

through kentucky, southern west virgin virginia. looking at snow philadelphia to d.c. that's where it could be the heaviest. that's a look at the weather across the country. now he's a peek out your window. >> once again, i'm storm team 4 meteorologist chuck bell tracking this latest winter storm. it makes its way to our area. winter storm warnings already up. off to a cloudy but dry and mild start this morning. still along ways from the first rain drops arriving. they'll start as rain. no doubt. temperatures 30 and 40s today.

50s for a time today. some places in the metro could get 6 >> that is your latest forecast. lester? >> dylan, thanks very much. you asked and we answered. we'll reveal the city where we'll help shine a light to get residents fit and healthy. we'll help shine a light to get resid[ male announcer ]hy. the founder of mercedes-benz

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morning with a big announcement about the city we will be partnering with to shine a light on health and fitness for the people in the community. >> we asked all of you to tell us why we should come to your city or your hometown and boy did you respond. we were overwhelmed, so touched by your comments. they made our decision-making process very difficult. but we were able to finally narrow it down to one. so drum roll please. here it is. >> reporter: baltimore, home to a bustling waterfront, championship sports teams and a mean crab cake, a big city with a small town feel. >> it's a tight-knit community and also ones that comes together. >> reporter: and a city that's struggling. nearly a quarter of baltimore's 620,000 residents live below the poverty line. in many areas that means health has taken a back seat. a major concern for mayor

stephanie rawlings blake. >> what are your biggest hurdles? >> there's so many. when you take a look at the rate we have for asthma, cancer, diabetes, obesity, these are challenges where baltimore is above the national average. >> reporter: 10% of the residents are diabetic. 25% of the population smokes and nearly a third are considered obese. >> i'm hoping that we're able to motivate more people to get fit. >> reporter: it's a hope people across the country share. when we announced our plan to shine a light on health and fitness, we were overwhelmed by the response and by the passion. so many people want to see a positive change in their community, people like baltimore native sade. >> baltimore is a gem at heart. although it may not look like much, it's a lot of pride here. >> reporter: she grew up in one of the poorest areas but came

home determined to make a difference. that's why she wrote in and asked us to help her city get healthy. >> baltimore needs all the help it can get. >> reporter: the solutions are universal. baltimore is hoping the lead the way with the help and determination of its residents. >> when you found out that it was thanks to you and some of your fellow baltimoreans that we were going to embark on this partnership, what did you say? >> i was too excited. i was like are you serious? >> reporter: change is already under way and it begins at the top. >> i fought with weight my whole life. one day my daughter looked at me and said, mom, why is everyone in our family fat? i had to have a heart to heart and say is this the example i want to set for my daughter. >> reporter: now she hopes to set an example for her city. >> with the eyes of the country on us, baltimore shines. >> i had such a great introduction to baltimore when i

was down there earlier this week. over the next year we will all be spending a lot of time in baltimore which we're very excited about where we hope to get people moving more, sleeping more and better and making healthier choices. as you sarksd lester, we're all working on this, too. >> one of our partners is baltimore affiliate w abl. jennifer, thanks for being with us. >> good morning. thanks for having us. >> we're thrilled to be doing this. you've worked in baltimore for a long time. you've seen some of the problems that were noted in erica's story there. what would you like to see changed and improved? >> i'd like to see greater access to better foot choices. baltimore has a number of communities considered food deserts, places where they don't have access to a grocery store so they can't get readily available fresh fruits and vegetables and a good source of protein. exercise is also an issue. baltimore is a beautiful city. we have great hiking and biking

trails, but violent crime is a real reality. in many neighborhoods, it's not safe to go out for a run or send your children outside to play. something i think a lot of people can relate to is lack of time. so many people are working extra jobs, extra shifts, after school activities. between work and everything going on with the children, people are too tired. letting things slide like making and keeping doctor's appointments. are you getting enough sleepless center? >> no, i'm not. it sounds like the city is ready to embrace this. jennifer franciotti, look forward to seeing you. >> thank you, lester. >> what was key anti this, we've chosen baltimore, but i think all of us will be listening and sharing in this. it's not just a matter of heavy or thin, it's a matter of being healthy. i think that's really what our

goal is. >> that's exactly what it is and being healthy and good role models, too, for the next generation. >> we're spending our time in baltimore. one of the things that's so important is that these are changes and these are efforts that people across the country are going to be able to apply in their own communities. we're really excited to be able to do this and start kicking things off and shine a light. >> we're going to be busy. let's send it over to dylan in the orange room for today's plaza fan of the day. >> good morning. i'm joined this morning by heather ben from norma, illinois. you've been out on the the last three mornings. take it away. >> still to come, 30 days to a better you. jenna will show us how to walk your way to better health. but first, these messages. [announcer] welcome to the all-new intuit quickbooks. do more than ever before with quickbooks. make any place your place of business with it. get paid faster with it.

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♪ it takes two to make a thing go right ♪ ♪ ♪ it takes two to make it outta sight ♪ ♪ [ female announcer ] only yoplait light and yoplait greek 100 are endorsed by weight watchers. so many delicious flavors that taste outta sight. we're back with the second day of our 30 days to a better you challenge where jenna is taking us on a journey to better health and wellness over the next month. >> i want to say thank you to the 65,000 people who have already signed up. let's dohis together.

by now you should have received your first newsletter in your e-mail. if you have it, do what i did, check your junk folder. that's where it was. that's where it sometimes go. a mass e-mail to 65,000 people. yesterday we told you what you needed to get started. this morning on day two it's all about how every single step can make a big difference. as far as hobbies go, consider the gym my sanctuary. the truth is, the only thing you really need are your own two feet. >> most people will walk between 5,000 and 7,000 steps a day just over the course of their normal daily activities. all those steps, they add up. the health benefits are a mile long. reduced risk of hypertension. cholesterol, diabetes and heart disease. those are just a few. so it makes perfect fitness sense to add a step or two or

three or four. >> 10,000 steps is a good number to aim for. it's a little more than you would normally do. so it means you have to push yourself a little more. >> you burn about 375 calories while doing it. if you figure the average step is 2.5 feet, it takes just over 2,000 steps to walk a mile. if a mile seems overwhelming. >> take a walk or two around the mall, an easy place to get your steps in. lk the length of the las vegas strip, that's 8,000 steps right there. hike up to the hollywood sign, that's almost 7,000 steps right there. the washington monument, nearly 1,000. running errands? skip the spot in front and walk. >> i've walked 57 already today. let's see where we are after a quick shopping trip.

♪ one time around the store with minimal shopping and i have over 300 steps. they say a journey of 1,000 miles begins with one step. so go take that one step and see where the journey takes you. >> i love that kid. oh, my gosh. >> those little feet. >> i can't stand it. tip two is aim for 10,000 steps. you don't need anything fancy. a simple pedometer is just fine. if you can't make 10,000, whatever number you get to, try into crease by 100 steps a day. keep adding more and more each day. if you want, tweet me your

number. i'll help you find a way to increase it. go to today.com and sign up. we'll send you a different tip. >> harper gets a half a credit for crawling. "suits" is coming back after f[ male announcer ] it's surprising what your mouth goes through in a day. but what's even more surprising is that brushing alone isn't enough to keep it clean. fortunately, you've got listerine®. unlike brushing which misses 75% of your mouth, listerine® cleans virtually your entire mouth. so what are you waiting for? it's time to take your mouth to a whole new level of health. listerine®... power to your mouth™. and take the listerine® 21 day challenge. feel the difference, or your money back. ♪

feel the difference, or your money back. what does that first spoonful taste likok. honey bunches of oats. ching! mmmm! mmmm! mmmm! wow! it's the oats. honey. yeah. honey bunches of oats. this is a great cereal. and irresistible aroma of nescafe clasico stir what's inside of you. ♪ [ engine revving ] [ tires screech ] ♪ [ male announcer ] that was bold. real bold. ♪

welcome back on sunday morning with megan markal who plays rachel on "suits." good morning. >> good morning. >> coming back after a brief break, your love interest mike ross, we've learned he's in a

law firm but not really a lawyer. what's going to happen here? >> the stake haves gotten so high because basically everyone at the firm is starting to discover the secret. mike and rachel, they joke that mike and rachel are like the new ross and rachel. it could change their whole lives together. it gets exciting. >> give us something, a little nugget we can look forward to. we're such fans. >> thank you. we watch mike and rachel start to build a life together, moving in, playing house and i will say in all of that the romance and the cute stuff that can happen at the office. they have this secret office relationship, it's very different when you go into the normalcy of living together. obviously the pirm is getting very shaken up by all of this. it's exciting. it's pretty cool. >> you're so busy with other things, too. what other projects are you working on? >> we've been on the "suits" college tour which has been

fantastic. i leave here, get on a plane and do a film for hallmark channel, great romantic comedy sort of like "my best friend's wedding." >> oscar pick best picture is? >> oh, man. "12 years a slave." >> meghan markle, great to have you here. >> the premier for "suits" is march 6 at 9:00 p.m. eastern. i'll speak to secretary of state john kerry and also senator marco rubio as well on what the u.s. options are now, what will the president do. we'll talk about it coming up. >> david gregory, thanks. erica? >> lester, thanks. it's been such a fun morning here. the good news is we are not done. tune in tomorrow for the after party. that will do it for us this sunday morning.

thanks for watching. >> i'll see you back here tonight for "nbc nightly news." until then, have a great sunday. take care. new this morning, shots fired at a metro station a. one person hit, and how what we're learning about what happened. >> first the calm before the storm. we have a strong winter weather system headed this way. new computer models give us a better idea of what to expect adds the snow moves. we should all prepare for a major winter storm. hi everyone. good morning. welcome to news 4 today. i'm richard jordan. >> i'm angie goff. we want to start with chuck's

latest forecast. seems like everyone is in the path. >> that's right. we moved the bulls eye slightly further south which may put the heart of the metro d.c. in the sweet spot for accumulating snow. winter storm warnings posted for tonight and through the day tomorrow for everywhere in the news 4 nation. what should you expect? it will start as rain everywhere. they'll be a wintery mix around midnight before it changes over to all snow. travel will be difficult and dangerous by tomorrow morning. temperature this is morning are well above freezing. upper 30s and low 40s right now. to give you an idea on the timing for the next 24 hours by 10:00, 45 and cloudy. this afternoon, rain showers, low 50s. steady rain, back to 30s by 10:00. rain changing to snow before you get up tomorrow morning. rain arriving today. changing to snow president to. heavy snow likely early on your monday morning. how much snow? i