hundreds attend a vigil for the victims of the oakland ghost ship fire as potential murder charges could be on the horizon. vice president hinted at a with donald trump. a bizarre twist in a shooting incident that lead to a member of trump's upper circle afternoon. a flameing gas tank away from neighbors to save some lives. wicked weather for many americans, "early today" starts right now. good morning, i'm frances rivera. residents in oakland, california

deadly fire. several brought glow sticks, at least 36 were killed in the fire. including 16 teenagers him they released the names of victims ranging from 20 to 35. so far, 22 victims have been positively identified and 11 tentatively. three victims will require scientific iechlths a criminal investigation has begun. the attorney says it to involuntary manslaughter or murder t. manager and his wife says they are being unfairly blamed for the fire. >> do i take blame or responsibility for this? like. >> we've done everything that we possibly could afford to do. >> while most of the building has been searched, firefighters were forced to pause their efforts earlier because walls

authorities do not anticipate recovering any more body. after a night out on the town, doing with family members at new york's 21 club, receiving several high 5s in the process with regretting more information that donald trump's call with the taiwan leader was long in the making. seduction of the call went back months with bob deal helping to arrange the call. now john huntsman, a possible secretary of state contender is celebrating communication with the taiwanese. >> you got a businessman who has become president of the united states who understands real leverage and how to find real leverage in that relationship. >> huntsman is one of several names on the secretary of state's short list, including mitt romney and exxon mobile rix rex tillerson who is slated to meet with donald trump today. while the secretary of state position has yet to be named, trump's top advisers says they

break-neck pace. >> he's way ahead of schedule, obviously. at this point the president-elect obama's term, he has not announced any appointment. >> but compare this one to 2008, the president-elect barack obama had announced key positions like secretaries of state, defense, homeland security, attorney general, u.n. ambassador's among others. the was this head-turning meeting after al gore str gore was scheduled to meet with future first daughter ivanka to talk about climate change issues. here's what he said as he was leaving the building. >> welcome, the time with president-elect donald trump. i found it an extremely interesting conversation and to be continued and i'm just going to leave it at that. >> and al gore isn't the only democrat making news this morning after vice president joe

out a 2020 presidential run. >> yeah, i am, i'm going to run in 2020, umm, so, but. >> for what? >> for president. so, well the lell, man, anyway? >> we're going to run with that, sir. how about that? >> just to be clear, were you kidding about running for president in 2020? >> i'm just, i'm not committing not to run. trump, he will continue to post election, a thank you tour, swinging by fayetteville, north carolina today, his transition announced stops later this week, where the president-elect will visit des moines iowa. there is a bombshell from the washington post. they report the pentagon may have been caught trying to hide $125 billion if wasteful

study was conducted to help the pentagon run more efficiently. they will identify ways to save $125 over five years without layoffs or cutbacks to military personnel. according to post the pentagon leaders worried they would lead congress to cut their funding. they are now adoopth smaller scale plan for 2020. breaking news this morning, commuters in los angeles are waking up to an increase in ri the fbi investigates the credibility of a serious threat t.lapd says monday's threat specifically targets the universal city station's red line. the fbi is working with local and international partners who they say provided the initial information. >> during the holiday, we tend to get onch increased posture.

public. >> that potential threat was made anonymously by phone on an overseas tip line. police are calling on residents to stay calm but vigilant t. city's mayor eric garcetti has taken to twitter say anything a show of defiance, he will ride that very metro line this morning and encourages l.a. to stand together. >> this morning, south carolina governor nikki haley is urging understanding and patience after a judge declared a mistrial in the case of officer flager, he is seen on video killing walter scott. the judge's decision came after the injury was unable reach a unanimous verdict of more than 23 hours of deliberations. >> if there is no unanimous mus verdict. that's where we are in this case. >> it shocked the nation showing walter scott rung and getting shot multiple times in april of 2015.

pointed the stun gun at him. scott's family that have already won a 6.5 million settlement says this is round one. >> i don't care how it looks, it's not over. >> local prosecutors say they will retry this case. slager face a federal civil rights trial next year. extreme weather pushing across much of the country a. violent threat millions on alert. kevin tibbles brings us more. >> reporter: a wintry whitewash from the pacific to the plains, mid-west and northeast. dangerous conditions. two deaths reported after a crash on a snowy michigan road and temperatures are poised to plummet. up to 30 degrees below average as an arctic blast knocks thermometers down to single

flooding. near san antonio, texas the saturating ground contributing to a massive sinkhole that took the life of a sheriffs deputy. winter's start is two weeks off, nor it's already here. kevin ticket, nbc news, chicago. >> wow, a big mess for all of us. bill karins is here to tell us what's in store for the day ahead. how much of a mess do we got? >> not too much snow. we are rain. thankfully, we did not have tornado reports overnight. that's a blessing. we are watching a chance of an isolated tornado in the southeast. for most of us, this is a beneficial rain. there is a slight risk for two million people, just about to the gainesville area, across i-10 into areas of southeast georgia this rain will move up the coast today, reaching areas around washington, d.c. and philadelphia until about:00

forecast. so again a chance of thunderstorms, throughout florida, that's where it's warm enough to get severe wind damage out of that. further to the north, later on tonight, there is enough cold air to replace the snow at the start before it changes over to rain. and frances, after this storm is gone in the east, then we will talk about the big cold arctic outbreak. >> here we go. time to bundle up. bill, thank you very much. just ahead, find out why the going anywhere any time soon. a hero comes to the rescue of his neighbors. we will show you the rest and tell you what happened. that's next. more "doing chores for mom" per roll more "doing chores for dad" per roll more "earning something you love" per roll bounty is more absorbent,

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oral-b. brush like a pro. >> protesters continue to push ago ens the proposed pipeline there, even after the army core

proposal. the standing sioux tribe are saying if you are not swoou, leave the area. nothing will happen this winter. there is fear when president-elect trump gets in office, he will reverse course. they're in dangerous weather, heavy winds and snow, weather that is growing more a prifs you see be i the day. robbed at gun pointed the governor-elect of missouri says

it was the most important base outside the middle east. over 400 u.s. airstrikes have aided their now successful campaign afternoon. a good samaritan is being hailed hero in eastern china after this courageousing a on video. you can see here desperately driving a flameing gas tank out of his neighbor's home. then on to a nearby pond t. flammable tank could have 63-year-old was mover concerned about saving his neighbor's house from burning to the ground. villagers say this isn't the first time he's done something like this he rescued a woman from a river two years ago. now that, certainly the community he rompblts just ahead, a bizarre twist in that pizza gate shooting that leads to a member of president-elect

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president-elect mike pence joins "the "morning joe" '80s to talk about the new transition and likely that taiwan phone call. this morning on "today" a new jeff rossen report on how to protect a device that unlocks a car's door and starts the ignition. this morning, the man at the center of that pizza gate fake news shootin conspiracy theory case has the inner circle. nbc's tom byrum costello has the latest. >> reporter: under arrest in walk. edward welch, accused of firing a rifle inside a pizza restaurant. he told police he came to investigate pizza gate, an internet rumor alleging a clinton campaign child sex ring.

false. >> it began with the clinton e-mail and wikileaks about a fundraiser involving the restaurant. users of the anonymous online message board known for rogue political discussion suggested without any proof whatsoever that the word pizza was code for child sex trafficking, the conspiracy spread and feeding fake online news stor eventually spread it banned the thread. they say the story is false t. website's also claim there is a secret underground tunnel running from the pizza restaurant up the store to the politics and pros ebook store t. book store says there is no tunnel. for weeks they have received dozens of threats each day. >> we don't see it as a left right thing, a democratic republican thing.

fiction. >> reporter: discredited rumors about sex trafficking even shared by president-elect trump's choice for national security adviser general michael flynn, last month retweeted a link, must read, his son, chief of staff, had been pushing pizza gate on twitter, neither man responded to our requests for comment. >> wow, how that story snow bauld. just ahead the jimmys are taking over the awards show david beckham and a world famous tattoo. this you certainly will want to see. besides video games. every day is a gift especially for people with heart failure. but today there's entresto?- a breakthrough medicine that can help make more tomorrows possible. tomorrow, i want to see teddy bait his first hook. in the largest heart failure study ever, entresto? was proven to help more people stay alive and out of the hospital than a leading heart failure medicine.

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>> i read online today that in february i'll be hosting the oscars. i got a very nice call of congratulations this morning from the president of taiwan and just to be clear, she called me, not the other way around. >> just to be a little bit clear, hey, tell you what, it's good to be jimmy kimmel these >> he continues to do so. now we hear he is hosting the academy award, definitely big news, not stopping with that. kimmel also revealed his wife is pregnant with the couple's second child. in hosting this year's oscars, he tweeted this, yes, i am hosting the oscars. this not a prank, and if it is, my reven mg on the academy will be terrible and sweet. kimmel shares a unique

corned. they're all former james and jimmy. all are hosting awards, so you have jimmy fal lonl, james corden doing golden globes, grammys. >> they're also all around the same age, similar age, all white men, too. >> it is good to be a guy named jimmy if you want to do late night. >> for kimmel, he hosted the emmy's twice, the espy's twice. he's not a stranger. he'll be fine. >> >> the network synergy thing, too, abc with him. it hasn't been on nbc since 1976. a powerful message, david beckham back in the news. he appears in a minute-long video, it seems his tattoos appear as an made tattoos. they say every five minutes a

#endviolence is being used. beckham is a unicef ambassador. look at that. just the concept is fascinating to watch. >> it's powerful in the messages he is getting out. also power. because you are using david beckhams with his tattoos. you remember the pushups on a piano with a glass of wine. >> no, i don't happen to watch beckham. >> if you missed it. you would know that was for ptsd pushup, all for close causes, powerful to see. >> and everyone gets to see david beckham again without a shirt on. >> win, win, win, win. still ahead on "early today," the richest man is an avid reader. you want to know what his top five are? we'll share it with you. that's next. s nose was quivering in fear. because it knew an ordinary tissue was near.

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now on "news4 today," heavy downpours headed our way. meteorologist tom kierein tracking a high impact alert day and how you and days left until mgm opens its doors. the major impact around the area even if you have no plans to visit the casino. it is 4:26 right now. good morning, everybody. i'm aaron gilchrist. >> and i'm eun yang. we're talking chilly temperatures and heavy downpours coming. >> let's turn right to "storm team 4" meteorologist tom kierein. tom.

early evening wchl're going to be okay for the morning drive. right now "storm team 4" radar not showing any rain in the vicinity. the rain is well to our south. heavy rains in central tennessee. this is all advancing off to the north and east coming into the metro area. the very first rain drops may not be until 9:00 osh 10:00 this morning. i'll haveho that coming up this half hour. now, melissa, what's going on with the roads. >> taking a look at the outer loop local lanes, they do have roadwork under way and they're stopping traffic and letting folks through. this works down right now is blocking the left lane here this morning. eastbound 66 after washington boulevard. the right lane getting by here this morning. southbound, b.w. parkway after

track surge. good morning. angie goff at the live desk. this out of iran. president rowhani saying iran will not let trump rip up the nuclear deal it signed with world powers last year nothing trump does will affect iran, making this statement at the university on state tv. trump said one of his priorities was to dismantle, quote, the disastrous deal with iran, end quote. so far no rye response from the trump camp, back to you. >> thank you.

will meet with mayor muriel bowser. there's no mention of d.c. state hood or trump lawsuit against the district. bowser also disagrees on the affordable care act. be sure to follow him on twitter to get updates. you can find him at seagraves@nbc4. trump will hold a campaign-style rally in tonight. james matusz is expected to join the president-elect. he'll also hold rallies in grand rapids this week. people are looking i had to the next election, if you can believe it. in fact, vice president joe biden may be leaving his options open for 2020. >> he told reporters yesterday he's running for president. he said it with a smile. he backed off on the comment

bipartisan moment on the senate floor when there was a rereading of the cures bill after joe biden's son died of cancer last year. >> i think it's fitting to have this in honor of somebody today and that's his son beau. >> it includes $1.8 this week. comet ping pong is set to open two days after man opened fire inside the popular d.c. pizza restaurant. now we're learning more about the man accused of firing those shots. these are photos from edgar welch's facebook account. yesterday he went before a judge for technically charges. that includes possession of an assault rifle and discharging a firearm.