>> i thought mick jagger, he was the father of everyone. winter may be a month away, but from arkansas to new england, millions are in the path of a storm that' bringing dangerously and slick roads that have already claimed two lives. caught on came. routine traffic stop that a becomes frightening shoot-outth wi police in broad daylight. stormy daniels' attorney is now free on $50,000 bond after being arrested on suspicion of domestic violence. the death toll in california's wildfires is climbing as the fntic search for possibly hundreds continues. and now toxic smoke is causing further alarm. look at the lower left corner of your tv here. right after he shoots that

three,hat was one of the dirtiest plays on a basketball court we have seen in quite a e. wh a busy show ahead. "early today" starts right now. good morning. i'm phillip mena. >> a i'm marlie hall. this morning the season's first winter storm is on p track tok a wallop on much of the east coast fromrkansas to new england. and much of the rest of the country braces for arctic temperatures. winter alerts are affecting 89 million americans. so far, areas from louisiana across up to missouri have seen e heaviest amounts of early snowfall. conditions in mississippi claiming two lives in a tour bus crash. and as the storm heads further north to new england, those states can expect potentially paralyzing traffic and power hazards. logist bill karins is here. give us the latest. >> good morning. some headlines. three inches already reported in st. louis. indianapolis, less snow, more ice. you're an ice storm warning. could get as mh as auarter inch of ice there. now we're watching the heavy

iin continuing. the flood threa areas of georgia up through the carolinas. so here's a map that just slws the winter weather advisories and warnings and watches that are still existing here. it's pretty much the ohio valley all the way through the northeast. the snowfall totals just a little bit more in st. louis through the north portion of the ohio valley. but the significant snows for the northeast will come as we go throughout the day today. it's now beginningn areas of northern and west virginia and then pennsylvania will get vevered as we go throughout the day andually moving up to the north. notice d.c. not callingor hardly anything for you. you're at 39 degrees. that morning commute shouldn't be too bad., philadelphot bad for you. new york city and boston, very little snow for the big cities. it's interior sections that will get it the worst daying the today. >> all right, bill. thank you. ni stormy s' lawyer, michael avenatti, is out on bail th morning after he was arrested on suspicion of domestic violence. los angeles police brought in avenatti following an alleged incident on tuesday. they set his bail at $50,000. the alleged victim was

unidentified. his estranged wife confirmed through her lawyer that she is she's neverim, and known him to be physically violent toward anyone. >> avenatt fiercely denies the accusation, saying he's never been physically abusive. h says the claim was fabricated to hurt reputation. >> i have never struck a woman. i never will strike a woman. i have been an aocate for women's rights my entire career, and i'm going to continue to be an advocate. i am not going to be intimidated. >> avenatti says he looks forward to a full investigati and is confident he'll be exonerated. the attorney rose toame after representing adult film star stormy daniels, who claims she had a sexual relationship with dona trump, something the president denies. he's a frequent guest on cable tv andn outspoken critic of mr. trump. the first lady showing just how much pull she has at the white house.

melaniaveral feuds with trump, deputy national security adviser mira ricardel is out, officially reassigned within the administration. in an unprecedented move, mrs. trump called for her ousting tuesday night. sources say ricardel clashed repeatedly with the east wing, and in a oustatement, white spokesperson say sarah huckabee sanders says mira ricardel will continue to supportnt the presi now to a wild attack in jail. the teenager accused in the massacre at stoneman high school in parkland, florida, is now accused ofn ambushingofficer, even grabbing his taser. nbc's kerry sanders has details. >> reporter: accused marjory stoneman douglas high school shooter nikolas cruz back in court after a stunning turn of ents, allegedly attacking a guard in jail. according to an affidavit, wednesday afternoon a dep y guarding cruz told him not to drag his sandals on the ground while walking. instead cruz responded byis displayingiddle finger, rushed the deputy

and struck him in the face and hit him repeatedly. investigators say it was all recorded on a closed circuit camera at the broward county jail, inclu gng cruzrabbing the deputy's taser-like device like this one beforep the duty got it back. andrew poack's daughter, meadow, was among the 17 killed in the shooting. reacting to word deputies eventually got the upper hand on cruz. >> thed officers shoave finished what he started. that's what they should have done. and they had their opportunity last night. >> reporter: nikolas cruz still in jail in solitary confinement. kerry sanders, nbc news, ft. lauderdale. across california, the wildfires still burning strong with search teams continuing their grim search for victims. the statewide death toll nowp to 59. 56 of them from northern california's camp fire alone. the number o lives lost to the state'sie deadlst blaze likely to skyrocket with nearly 300 people still unaccound for. but amid the heartbreak,

generosity is pouring in across the stat several groups ollecting supplies and crowdfunding for those displac in butte county. in southern california, where the woolsey fire still burns, lady gaga delivered pizza and gift cards to those sying at shelters. ellen degeneres donated $100,000 to the l.a. fire department. and sandra bullock donating t $500,0d to the red cross and humane societies of ventura county. crews are making headway against the woolsey fi, but the big concern now is potentially toxic smoke. nbc' miguel almaguer is in the fire zone. >> reporter: in the smoldering mountains outside los angeles, a grim discovery. the 51st body in a skyrocketg atewide death toll. with more than 9,000 structures torched, most in nthern california, many are still unaccounted for. carol haxby's son missing for nearly a week. >> i don't know what i'm going to do. >> reporter: families impacted by the fire in paradise filing a

lawsuit against pacific gas and electric, the power t companyy blame for sparking the fire. while investigars have not yet determined the cause, if found liable, the utility says it could face financial trouble. meantime, in southern california, new questi ts. >> ink it's so serious that i'm afraid to think about it. >> reporter: melissa bumstead is one of many residents who fears her family has been breathing toxic smoke for days after fire scorcht of the santa susana field lab contaminated with toxic chemical. incinerated are of the grass and the trees, that probably released a lot more contamination. >> reporter: but government officials say testing shows the air is safe. some doctors and advocates call that smoke screen. >> smoke from any brush fire is ngerous to inhale. in this case with these added very hazardous elements, it makes it far more dangerous. >> reporter: in hard hit mmunities, new questions and worry even after the firestorm

has passed. it's a scene that's playing out neighborhood ock, after neighborhood in both northern and southern california. firefightersay in the days ahead, there is no question the death toll will rise. phillip? >> all right, miguel almaguer, thank you. now to the u.s.-mexico border. >> reporter: defense sisretary mattas with thousands of troops demanded by president trump over his concerns about that caravan of migrants and refugees. meanwhile, the president hasn't spoken much about the caravan since theelection. here's nbc's hans nicoles. >> reporter: defense secretary jim mattis o the border getting progress reports and giving pep talks. >> o thing about the u.s. army, we give you a mission, you'll do it, right? >> reporter: p paring his troops to dig in for the holidays as they wait for the caravan of migrants and refugees still one week awayrom tijuana. >> we want legal immigration. that's part of what makes america good. but nglegal, we're g to carry out the law. >> reporter: mattis touring with the embattled homeland security

secretary kirstjen nielsen, insisting the nearly 6,000 troops are mostly unarmed and won'tpprehend migrants. the president has all been stopped talking about the caravan after daily warnings in the lead-up to the election. >> i think you can'tall it anything but a stunt here. >> reporter: troops won't get combat b pay, some will receive an additional $250 a month for being away from their families. hans nicoles, nbc news. police in arkansas have seleased dramatic dash cam footage with tfficer amazingly coming out unscathed. brett thompson was making a traffic stop sunday when the driver started shooting at him. another car approaches in the opposite directi but quickly es into reverse and gets out of there as the shots rang out. footwse from another angle s the suspect and corporal tompson continuing that firefight aroun corner before the suspect jumps back into his car and takes off. lice later arrested

29-year-old luis konobo. he facessm murder and terrori charges. the offir's vehicle was damaged, but miraculously, thompson was not hurt. a college basketball player has been suspended for elbowing another team's player in the face after a three-point shot. >> corner wide open. tanaglia. >> this vicious attack happened after fitchburg state univeity in massachusetts. the school has apologized and said it was appalled by the student's actions. >> he's also been suspended indefinitely and they won't let him back on campus either. bill karins, is it possible that louisiana and arkansas got ice and snow before new york? >> that's true. it's a good poins arn the south are going to get more snow than even d.c. and philly by the time this is said and done. we also had the flash.lood thre the areas of green are under flash flood watches. itoes from georgia all the way

to the jersey shore. areas of red, wre seeing rivers in flood stage or problems with flash flooding in areas of georgia. 34 million people under those headlines. a lot of travel concerns. a lot of airport delays today, especially in the northeastern ohio valley. here's a closer look at your day ahead. so the heavy rain will be with us this morning in areas of the southeast, especiall in georgia and the carolinas. then it will begin to shift out as we go throughout the second half of the y. the areas in the northeast, the weather will be going downhill quickly as we go throughout the morning. as we head towards this coming weekend, things will quiet down. >> mercifully. thank you, bill. today's quick hits. the 2018 cy young award winners have beenannounced. blake snell finished with 21 wins. in the national league, it was jacob degrom. despite getting just ten wins, he did post-the best e.r.a. in the majors. british rocker billy idol has traded in his union jack for ie stars and stripes.

he was sworn as a u.s. citizen in l.a. wednesday. if for some reason you like sour milk, we've got a cereal fo you now. sour patch kids cereal. it will go nationwide in june. you're welcome. it's loud, stressful and draining. and we love it. i refuse to let migraine keep me from saying... "i am here." aimovig, a preventive treatment for migraine in adults, reduces the number of monthly migraine days. for some, that number can be cut in half or more. the most common side effects are pain, redness or swelling at the injection site and constipation. talk to your doctor about aimovig. and be there more. talk to your doctor about aimovig. makeup now optional. new aveeno® maxglow™ infusion drops with kiwi to lock moisture. and soy to even skin tone. unleash dewy, glowing skin from within. new aveeno® maxglow™. at kohl's friends & family sale this weekend

with an extra 20% off! pick up new sheets - just $17.59 a shark vacuum and a roaster oven! e plus - take ra $10 off your $50 or more home purchase! give joy, get joy - at kohl's. this is charlie not coughing because he took delsym 12-hour. and this is charlie still not coughing while trying his hardest not to wake zeus. delsym 12-hour. nothing lasts longer for powerful cough relief. still fresh... ♪ unstopables in-wash scent booster ♪

downy unstopables da officials are racing to recount ballots by this afternoon's deadline. the final tally is due at 3:00 p.m. eastern time, but democrats areor wngki to get that pushed back. k scott has rnor r already declared himself the winner in the state senate race. he even posed for photos with the majority leader there. incumbent senator bill nelson has filed lawsuit to extend the deadline. and a judge is also considering his reqst to count thousands of ballots that were rejected for mismatched signatures. florida's senate and gubernatoria t fight are of three major statewide races still undecided. and in georgia, the governor's race still too close to call and could be heading for a runoff. democrat stacey abrams scored a

partial victory in court late wednesday. a federal judge ruled that counties must accept absentees ball despite minor discrepancies. call it senator jeff flake's last and. the lame duck arizona senator says he'll block president trump's judicial nominees until the chamber puts up a bill protecting special counsel robert mueller. senator flake has clashed witht presidump in the past and has frequently worried about the fate of e russia investigation. the bold move by flake comes after senate majority leader mitch mcconnell blocked ais bipa effort to safeguard the special counsel. last week president trumpte appo a critic of the investigation to serve as acting attorn s general. >>aking of robert mueller, an ice cream truck in d.c. is serving the latest scoop in russian interference with a robert mueller-themed truck. chec this out here. it's real. the guilty pleasures truck was created by a progressive organization called move on it debuted yesterday. it was handing out free scoops in front of the department of justice too. the flavors include mueller

berry, cartel almond brittle, putin's vanilla delight, and fudge the truth chocolate. you can g themn cup or cohen size. get it? today it willhe be outside trump hotel in washington, d.c., and tomorrow it will ben front of the russian embassy. how about that? >> it's certainly creative. coming up, 2018's defining moment. oxford dictionary's word of the year next. and worried your wife dlisn't your no-shave november scruff? now there's scientic proof at beards grow on you. you're watching "early today."

there are so many toothpastes out there which one should i use? choose one that takes care of your gums and enamel. crest gum & enamel repair cleans below the gum line and helps repair weakened enamel. gum & enamel repair, from crest. hi susan!hs) honey? i respect that. but that cough looks pretty bad... try this new robitussin honey. the real honey you love... plus the powerful cough relief you need. mind if i root through your trash? new robitussin honey. because it's never just a cough. am i willing to pay the price for loving you?. you'll make my morning, but ruin my day. complicated relationship with milk? pour on the lactaid. it's delicious 100% real milk, just without that annoying lactose. mmm, that's good. lactaid. the real milk that doesn't mess with you. and try calcium enriched lactaid. 100% real milk with 20% more calcium. still no lactose.

hey, i'm walking here. >> i drive a cab. get in the cab. what's your problem? yo. all right. i've been working, but i believe my instrument is ready. >> great, because we saved this idea just for you. you would play dr. foxx. >> but the cool thing is that dr. farts can't stop burping. >> can't stop, won't stop. >> it's good to be back. >> for the third time, steve carell will be hosting snl this weekend, and his musical guest will be ella may. >> looks like it's going to be a good one. >> yeah. steve carell, he's amazing. remember him fro theoffice, of

course. that's where he got on the map.a he's i serious movie now. >> including make us laugh. from list including terms like slighting, and tech lash, toxic was chosen as objectionford dictionary's word of the yearor 2018 oxford has noticed an uptick in interest. it was mainly selected of its many meanings it's held over the years related to h button topics such as toxic masculinity, a slew of environmental issues, and conversations surrounding mentah he toxic is also a good way to describe a lot of the comments that come on twitter and all social media. toxic makes sense. it's the word of the year. just in time for no-shave november, there's a new study out that says when it comes toc hair, women prefer a little stubble. the journal of evolutionary biology sur vafed 8,500 women,

and they rateen at different stages, clean shaven, five days after shaving, ten days, then a whole month without insh so heavy stubble or guys that had gone ten days without shaving, that was found to b m tht attractive feature. in second came full beards. in third, light stubble. and dead last was clean shaven. your thoughts? >> interesti results. but it depends on the face. if it's a good looking face, it doesn'matter, right? >> makes a lot of sense. up next, looking finger lickin' good. kfc cooks up its own line of clothes that can be yours for just a few hundred bucks. you're watching "early today."

a great dishwasher needs a great detergent. so ge appliances tested finish on over 5000 dishes proving dish after sparking dish that it's not just clean, it's finished. switch to finish quantum. recommended by ge appliances.

everything was so fresh in the beginning... but that plug quickly faded. luckily there's new febreze plug. it cleans away odors and freshens for 1200 hours. breathe happy with new febreze plug. at kohl's friends & family sale this weekend... with an extra 20% off! give fleece and get cozy... cuddle-up in mickey jammies... and a bione throw - just $15. plus - take an extra $10 off your $50 or more home purchase!

all right. welcomeasback. e go throughout the day today, obviously the weather goes downhill in the northeast. a nor'easter forms this evening. it will still be affecting areas of the northeast and especially new england early on friday. th it will kick ouring the day. by saturday, everything is gone and it will be a cleaned upday, and hopefully all the roads and sidewalks will improve that do gethe snow. the next cold blasts comes out of montana. we're getting stuck in this weather pattern. a quick shot of snow once again through the oo valley on sunday, but nothing extreme. still tohe come, phone with amazing night vision you got to see. and a young american killed while vacationing in mexico, and s's sparking new concerns about a popular vacationpot. 'cuz i'm way too busy. who's got the time to chase around down dirt, dust and hair? so now,

i use heavy duty swiffer sweeper and dusters. for hard-to-reach places, duster makes it easy to clean. it captures dust in one swipe. ha! gotcha! and (new) sweeper heavy duty cloths lock away a twice as much dirt and dust. it gets stuff deep in the grooves other tools can miss. you know what? my place is a lot cleaner now. stop cleaning. start swiffering. is our baby. and like any baby, it's loud, stressful and draining. and we love it. i refuse to let migraine keep me from saying... "i am here." aimovig, a preventive treatment for migraine in adults, reduces the number of monthly migraine days. for some, that number can be cut in half or more. the most common side effects are pain, redness or swelling at the injection site and constipation. talk to your doctor about aimovig. and be there more.

(alex trebek) $800. over $8,000. now, whyis number so important? because $8,508 is the average cost of a funeral. if you've alplanned how to help cover your final expenses, like this one, great. the number one most popular whole life insurance plan through the colonial penn program. if you're between age 50 and 85, the good news is it's not too late, because you can start , right now. so call now. you won't be a. over half a million people called last year for free information. options start at $9.95 a month, less than 35 cents a day. a good p if you're on a tight budget or a fixed income. ethere are no health ons and no medical exam.

your acceptance is guarantee options start at $9.95 a month, even ihave health problems, and you cannot be charged a higher rate for any health reason. best of all, unlike many plans, once you're covered, your rate is locked in for life and can never go up for any reason. you get a lifetime rate lock guarantee, plus a 30-day money back guarantee. so call now for free information, fd you'll also get the beneficiary planner. this valuable guide is a great help for you and the loved ones you leave behind. ustait to record your imp information and give helpful direction about your final wishes. and it's yours f so call now.

z319vz z16fz y319vy y16fy all eyes are on the skies t thrsday morning. still one week away from thanksgiving, and the d.c. reon is preparing for its first blast of winy weather. fast approaching 4:00 a.m. good morning, everybody.

i'm aaron gilchrist. >> and i eun yang. schools across the region are closing and issuing delays. right now we only havelongs in virginia and west virginia. all maryland and d.c. schools are open right now as weknow. the federal government is also open. >> clarke, fredrick, udn, warren, berkeley, jefferson, and morgan are all closed today. f >> now the delays in virginia. fairfax, manassas city, manassas park city, and grant county schools inia west virgin will all open two hours late. road crews were out in full force yesrday and all night long. roads were salted and cleared all to make way for the possibility ofw sd ice. >> this morning news 4 has live team coverage of the weather and its impact. our team is already out on the roads. melissa mollet is standing by on what this means for the commute. >> right