good morng. deadly deep freeze. the polar vortex tightens its icy grip on the nation. 121 million people from the midwest to new england feeling the sting ofbone-chilling temperatures. at least eight deaths blamed on the brutal cold. thousands of schools closed. fightsancelled at airports. snow causing new problems and major leups. when will it come to an end? al is live on the deck of ard coast guace cutter with the hot, hot howard schultz facing another day of criticism over his bid.tial presidential the former starbucks ceo grilled at an event in arizona overnight. 'm>> i can promise you, i not going to do anything to be a so-called spoiler in all of

this. >> this morning, how workers at starbucks across the country are beindl told to h the political backlash. super bowl of controversy. nearly two weeker later, nfl commissioner roger goodell blown caldresses the in the saints/rams game. >> they're not going to get it right every time. >> and comes under fire for his responsehy as to colin kaepernick has >> i think if the tea decides that colin kaepernick or any other player that kelp their team win, that's what they'll do. >> this morning kaepernick's attorney responds in an exclusive interview. all that plus new twists. e people of interest now being sought on the alleged attack on a popular "empire" actor. the man made tunnel discovered in florida that leads directly- on the fbi's investigation. we feel your pain with tens suffering through

record cold. what you can do to keep your home, your cold and yourself safe and warm during this miserable strch of went ever. today thursday, january 31st, 2019. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with savannah guthrie and hoda kotb live from studio 1a in rockefeller pla. >> welcome to "today." thank you for joining us on this freezing, fridge it thursday morning. officially here in new york. >> is it cold eno h foryou? the deep freeze gripping much of the u.s. has arrived in our city. look on our plaza. it's 4 degrees. every degree counts when it's only 4. >> for the second day in a row at least 80% of the country is dealing with below freezing temperatures. it's taking a toll. >> that frigid icy air is being blamed on at least eight deaths nationwide so far. >> record lows have been

shattered from the midwest to the northeast including 23 below in chicago and 90 more set today. it is official, guys. hell has frozen over. the tiny town of hell, michigan, hitinus 15 degrees. we'll start with al. he's spending his morning o the hudson river in up state, new york, on the deck of a u.s. coast guard cutter. hey, al, good morning. >> guys, we're on the deck of the 140-foot u.s. coast guard cutter, keeping the shipping lanes open that make their way up toward albany, new york. the icerts sg to thicken up again. dangerous windchills for 121 milln people from t da coat

tas to the northeast all the way to north carolina. right now windchills are bone chilling anddangerous. minus 33 in market. minus 37 in mi minus 41 in chicago and new york city it's minus 17. even louisville at minus 2. for the day today, we'll see temperatures that are way below the normal. at least minneapolis warming up a little bit. new york city 17. 18 in st. louis. and then we' got one more day of cold air and we start to see a little bit of a break. the cold moves out. we're going tom see this w relief out in the rockies make its way to the east. rapi city, denver, tulsa, all above normal. chico warming u to 23 on friday. ag saturday, st. louis is up to 62. ch will be in the 40s, new york city up to 34 degrees. by super bowl sunday, eve tlaernt warmed to 60. wichita 66. we've got another 24 hours or of this brutally cold air and

then we get a bit of a break. back to you. >> wow, al. we know you're in a super cold place right there, get inside. problems from e thisreme cold are adding up as quickly as those record low temperatures. tens of millions facing yet another day of canceled work, school and flights. dylan is following the cold. she was in minnesota yesterday. a reporter: i guess it's fair trade to have on the coast guard cutter after having been in m here it's not as brutal. still the windchill is 12 degrees broow the dangerous cold has now pushed east. it's not cold enough to close the schools or to shut down new york city, but it is still the situation where you could getfr tbite in 30 minutes or less. so people are being urged to bundle um and stay safe. this morning a massive deep freeze wreaking havoc on most of

the country. more than 230 million people battling temperatures below freezing on wednesday. in the midwest minneapolis saw its coldest morng since 1996, 60 degrees below zero with windchill. >> it's pretty brutal. >> reporter: in chicagthe vortex halting air travel at chicago's midway and o'hare airports. 60% of flights canceled wednesday. flames seen sprouding from train tracks after officials from chicago's metro commuter rail system beganetting them on fire. >> the subzero temperatures turning deadly. a university of iowa student after pice found him behind an academic hall on campus wednesday morning. the windchill a biting 51 degrees below zero.

they believe the cold contributed to his death. the frigid air mass extending its icy grip to cities like new york and boston. both experiencin windchills from minus 10 to minus0. in new jersey firefighters battling freezing temperatures and high winds struggling to put out a fire at a paper pill. >> firefighters are dealing with wate on their hands, on their face. the cold slows you down. >> reporter: in new york city a sudden snow squall blanketedst e et within minutes. the extreme cold also pouring up the lake-effect snow machine in upstate new york. >> the combination of snow plus the subzero temperatures plus th wind, these are more complicated situations than we've dealt with in the past. >> reporter: cities like buffalo digging out from up to four feet of snow. w powerfds causing whiteout

conditions. but relief is on the way for millions of residents nationwide. forecasters saying this cold snap is expected to end by this weekend. so there are a lot of fun experiments you can do whenis is cold. i'm sure you've seen the one where you throw boiling water into the air. i don't remember throwing boiling water into theind ght not end well. you mht want to freeze a banana and turn it into a hammer. just ahead, everything you need to know to keep your family, your home, your and your car safe in this bitter cold. formertaucks ceo howard schultz spoke out over concern over his potential 2020 bit. nbc's white house correspondent peter alexander has latest on this. >> reporter: good morning. the more people yell at him not to run, the more howard schultz say he may be proving his point, the government the way it iss not working.

schultz insists he would be the first legitimate independent presidential candidate and said his qualified because of life experience. his argument is not silencing his critics. howard schultz overnight in arizona fueling another round of ated coffee talk. >> i can promise you i'm not going to do anything to be a so-called spoiler in this. >> feporter: themer starbucks ceo says he's surprised by the level of vitriol from democrats after announcing he might run for president as an independent. schultzistancing himself from his former party. democrat. a i don't affiliate myself with the democratic party who isr so left, who wants the government to take over health care which cannot orafford. >> rr: elizabeth warren saying he's a billionaire out of touch with the american people. >> she doesn't know me. i started from nothing.

i'm self made. i grew up in brooklyn, new york, in federally sub diesed housing, the projects. >> reporter:chultz and warren have clashed over the annual tax on the wealthiest americans and his claims that her policy would lead to socialism. >> i believe in capitalism. i see the wealth that can be produced. but let's be reall clear. capitali without rules is theft. >> reporter: schultz may be months away from a finalde sion, but he's running into campaign trail hazards, quizzed about the cost of cereal. >> an 18-pounce box of cheerios. >> it's four bucks. >> reporter: given the backlash over a possible schultz bid,hu z is advising employees on how too respond in-store complaints. we respect everyone's opinion. and in pressed about schultz's

political intentions, howard's future plans are up t him. howard schultz heads back to seattle for another event toreght. that's w he built starbucks from the ground up. he could face a decided different reception from democrats there tonight. schultz's advisers views this as a 50-state contest and will try to get to as many of them as he can. craig,update on a story we've been looking at closely. >> the investigation into a possible hate crime against a popular actor has taken a new turn this morning. afte reviewing hundreds of hours of security footage chicago police are now trying t find two people considered people of interest in the case.' ron mott is on the story for us. ron, good morning to you. >> smollett iser still recg from the alleged attack. overnight police providing us with a sketch of two peo

may have more information about what happened. this morning chicago police are asking the public's health in identifying the two people. jussie smollett stars on the hit tv show "empire." police saying o twitter while video does not capture an encounter, detectives are taking is development seriously and wish to question individls as more cameras are being reviewed. authorities say smollett told them two men wearing ski masks assaulted him, placed a thin rope around his neck and poured a substance around him. >> what was done here, alleged to have been here, police are working on this, has no place in the city of chicago. >> reporter: a chicago pd

official says there is surveillance video of smollett at a subway restaurant where he told them he had gone before the alleged sault. police say they also advised smollett to seek medical treatment which he did. they sent this troublingetter the fbi, addressed to the star, contains ethnic and homophobic slurs and was delivered last week to the studio where "empire" is . produced well wishes for smollett continue tom pour in f celebrities like john legend and ariana grande to former vice president joe biden. his empire co-starari p. henson, i wish what happened to my baby was just one badbuoke it wasn't. "empire"'s production has been halted because of the bitterly cold weather in chicago. there's no word on whether production willdaesume in the meantime he's scheduled to perform at a club in west hollywood this saturday night.

other stories we're following this morn wild one in florida. what officials thought was asi hole at first turned out to be, get this, a small man made tunnel headed straight for a ba h. now thet is on for those behind it. nbc's kerry sanders h the latest. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, savannah. this caper sounds like it was inspired by a movie or maybe so absurd, by a cartoon. look over there. you c see it now opened up. that was the tunnel the fbi opened up. they found it heading directly to a bank. this morning the fbi in florida is digging for answers fter discovering a tunnel leading to treasurer. >> this is truly a unique case here. >> reporter: agents say a call to a road crew about ainkhole in pembroke pines led to a tunnel at least 50 yards long.he near entrance of the woods, a pair of boots, a generator, a rope and a wagon. theunnel leading right to

bank. peoplen the area shocked. >> it is crazy to think about the mind behind it. >> reporter: one woman calling it chapostyle, the mexican drug knownurrently on trial for his daring tunnel escas. authorities looked but found nobody in t. tunn the fbi says they believe more than one person had to be involved. one agent joking, whoever dug it must be the size of an abnormally fat gopher since portions of the tunnel are only two feet wide. in the end, size didn't matter. the fbi says mother nature soaked the soil with recent rains, liking causing part of the tunnel to collapse. the foiled plot right out of the movie. >> no longer leading the a jackpot, but a possible jail

cellf they can find who did this. the fbi isn't sure how long the tunnel has been here or whens i last worked on. they say the bank was never breached and no money was taken. chase bank says they're working with the authorities to figure this all out. i want to tell you i've been digging for the facts on this whe stor >> kerry, right to the end there. thank you, kerry. we're going to tur now to a bundled up al roker who is onco t guard cutter. hey, . >> a little hard to hear you. if you can hear this sound, that's the sound of the coast guard cutter heading toward albany. let's show you what else is going on around the country. right now we are looking at a milder trend out west.

there's a new storm coming into southern california area. we'll take about that in the next half hour. southeast looking good. plenty of nshine. temperatures below normal there as well. we'll get to your local forecast coming up in next 30 seconds. >> bright sunshineere in the nation's capital. theecord at bwi marshal may, in fact, have fallen.

currently it's ten degrees in washington. one in leesburg and quantico. windchilling down to as much as teelow zero. limit your time outside. afternoon high 26. back to freezing tomorrow. maybe half an inch of snow on friday. it's kind of interesting, guys, to be able to cut through this ice, there's what's called a bubbler system pushing water out aheo of this it starts to break up the ice and the hull can slice through. it's really amazing. they'ref based out bayone. i feel like a jnt cocktail right now. >> thank you, mr. still ahead this morning. nfl commissioner roger goodell finally answering questions about that blown call thaost the saints. he's also coming under new wscrutiny this morning ft he said about colin kaepernick. we'll get exclusive reaction

from the former quarterback's nttorney. much more this brutal cold. the best advice for protecting your home, your car, your family, your pets inhat has to be the worst of winter. first, this is "today" on nbc.

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today is january 31st 2019. good morning. i'm eun yang. i'm aaron gilcist. fairfax county firefighters are on the scene of a three-alarm apartment fire in falls church. multiple b rescues haveeen made, one of four fires we're tracking this morning. we'll keep following this throughout the day. this bitter cold weather causing another storm team 4 weather alert day. school closings are o runni the bottom of your screen and in the nbc washington app. now let's get to melissa mollet for a look at traffic. >> middle of the beltway, inner loop at st. barnabas road.

everybody splitting left and right to get around it. it has caused fret 95 north of prince william parkway, the crash blocking the lane. outer loop out of coles ville, same situation. cleared crash southboun near 370, but still slow. melissa, thank you. >> we'll check your forecast en we come back. stay with us.

washington currently onl d terees with a northwest wind that has the windchill down to minus 3. windchill minus 10 in moving county, minus 12 in the panhandle of west virginia and only plus one in quantico. yodll certainly n your heaviest winter coat. temperatures in the single numbers. we'll have aroireu a warmup tod. tomorrow tracking a chance for snow, but not more than a half

inch. a nice warming trend coming in the weekend. or chuck, thank you. another update in 25 minutes. for now back to the "today" show after this short break. have a great day.

7:30 >>7:30 on thursday morning, the 31st of january, 2019. this is the scene a newark airport. a number of cars on fire onop of a parking garage. firefighters battling the flames along with brutald c what ca used that situation. it's our understanding they have it under control now. it is the weather that tops the check of today' headlines, ng1 million people from the midwest to newnd waking up to harsh and frigid weather. at least eight deaths blamed on the brutal cold. the extreme polar vortex is making life miserable in the great lakes region and in the northeast as well. beenands of schools have canceled again today. airports are feeling the impact

too. a warmup is on the way. al whl be back w a look at his forecast. the family of a st. louis police officer killed during an alleged game of russian roulette is speaking out. 24-year-old kaitlyn alex was laid to nrest, two male officers in an apartment last week. alex and fellow officer nathth ielhinden were takin turns firing the gun when it went off. r family sti searching for answers. >> she doesn't deserve everything that' being said about her. it's really hurtful to us every time we hear it t on tv or pick up the paper. there's questions about how evidence was collected after the shooting. she ssrugs and alcohol may have been volved. c dramatideo of an

avalanche in poland. five people were being rescued after being buried under the snow. search and rescue teams located the victi and pulled them to safety. they were flown to a nearby hospital. three of themer sufferedious injury. the nfl commiioner is breaking his silence on the controversial no-fall that helped keep the new orleans saints out of the super bowl. he's also raising eye yousat wi e's saying about collin cap nick. but first, gabe gutierrez is in atlanta for us. >> reporter: a lot of excitement building here. patriots and rams fans pouring into atlanta. it's the saints fans up in arms after the nfl commissioner -- commissioner said while the refs blew it during the nfc title game, they're only human. >> the crowd is going crazy as there's no flag. >> reporter: this morning the cloud ofhis missed pass interference call is hanging

over super bowl liii. nfl commissioner roger goodell breaking his silence wednesday saying he never considered changing the outcome of the nfc championship game that may have cost the saints a shot at the super bowl. >> should thee saints be hnd is the game tainted? >> the game of football is the field. played by humans, coached by humans and officiated byns huma we understand the disappointment of the saints fans, the organization and the players. >> reporter: goodell saying we will chesider expandi use of instant replay but cautioning this play was aca judgment ll. his comments not satisfying upset fans like matt bauer who bought several billboards in atlanta to maket clear he thinks the saints were robbed. >> it was devastating. it's insulting to me that roger goodell would somehow insinuate he understa how we feel. >> the saints head coach is trying to get past it. >> i ate nny's ice cream and watched netflistfor three ight days.

>> reporter: the nfl taking heat over canceling maroon 5's press conference, theans under fire agreeing to perform in the wake ofrotests sparked by former player colin kaepernick. the nflays the artists will let their show do the taking. >> wil know there be different reaction to different things that go on in our league. ultimately i think pple respect and admire the things we do. >> reporter: as for ckaepernick who hasnd played since 2017 -- >> wouldn't you love to see one of these nfl owners when somebody disrespects our flag, to get that son of a [ bleep ] off the field right now. he's fired. he's fired! >> reporter: goodell downg playe controversy saying if teams aren't signing kaepernick, it's because they don't think he'll help them win. >> if a team decides that colin kaeperni any other player can help their team win, that's

what they'lldo. they want to win. they make those decisions individually in the best interest of their club. >> reporter: that answer didn't kaepernick h many fans on social media who said goodell dodged the issue. >> gabe, thank you. mark geragos is kaepernick's attorney. mark, good morning to you. >> goo morning. >> yesterday nfl commissioner bly r goodell, as you pro know, said this was a team decision, if an nfl team thought your client, colin kaepern k were gooough, he would have been picked up by now. what's your client's responso that? >> i don't know if it would be my client's response. the commissioner was roasted appropriately on social media yesterday. y who believes will believe that mark sanchez was a better choic or some of the other -- how shall i put it delicately, people who were wela

their prime that were signed this year. 32 d have to believe individuals came to the same conclusion separately and decided t gy just werenng to win. one of the things that i don think -- the follow-up questions ere commissioner n asked, why is it nobody ever gave him a workout? by didn't anybodyng him in and see where his skills were at? i think the whole thing issi lly a roos. it was done and the collusion was the nfl kowtowing to the president. it's clear. nce will showvi that when we do the hearing. it's been admitted pretty much publicly by a number of the owners. >> the owners haven't admitted cousion publicly to be clear. >> they don't admit to collusion because of wt theonsequence is. if they admit to collusion, the collective bargaining agreement which is extremely onerous, that's evaporates. so they can't adm to collusion. it's with a wink and a nod.

there isn't anybody who has a couple of neurons firing that wouldn't say there's kol lieu sive activity. >> many of the half-time acts have taken heat for performing at the super bowl, maroon 5, big boy, travis scott. does collin kaepernick see their participation during the half-time show as some sort of personal offense? >> number e, they do take a lot of heat. rightfully so. the ideao you're going basically cross a picket line -- because that's what they're doing, crossing an intellectual picket line. they're saying to themsels i care more about my career than i do about whether what i'm doing ist' right, t taking the short money, s to speak. when it was reported tt travis scott had gotten colin's blessing, that was categorically untrue. i think travis tried to correct that. there waso blessing of it. i think colin feels like, wait a

second here, i did what is right. i did what theirst amendme says you want to do. i want to point to a fundamental stematic problem in america and two other artists, three other artis, all ironically managed by the same company can cross the iellectual and ideological picket line. i think there's something wrong with that and they should be called out. >> rk, this has been by a lot of standards a successful season for the nfl. ratings are up. a number of young stars have emerged. the public protests have all but ended, save for a few rare . exceptio colin kaepernick's mission, has it failed in the nfl? >> no. i don't think so at all. i think part of what has happened is that people hmoe d on to other issues. i think he opened the door to a

robustdiscussion. i think there's an element of this, quite a bit of reporting that basically the so-called divisiveness that this caused was actually ginned up or generated by a russi disinformation effort. i think part of theso r that it is or has become less of a hot button issue is, numberon the russian trolls have been sidelined, if you will, and number two, i think when nike made theovold m to put him as the face of a campaign, itar became at then this wasn't as def vie sive as peoplesaid. people understand in america that protest is probably the most american thing you can do. >> really quickly, mark, doe he want to play again? >> yes. i have seen him over the course of the last year work out almose giously, four to five hours a day. he's in spectular shape. yes, that's what he does. he's at the height of his profession. he should be playing, wants to

play and that's why we pursu is. >> mark geragos, thanks for your time. he thank you, craig. >> speaking of super bowl, you're actually headed there. >> got your bags packed, ready to go? >> bags are packed. i hope my buddy al rok gets off the ice cutter. >> he's going to take it all the way down to atlanta. it may take a few days. >> we'll be down there live tomorrow morning. not only are we going, a huge pe rally to get everyone ready. if you're a fan of the patrios, the rr if you just love a nice party you are invited to join us at centennial olympic park. it's going to be a morning filled with fun and some surprises. >> really? >> al, of course, is on the water, on the ice cutter we've been talking abouho is it going, al? ty it's great. when there's a pi know where i can get some ice. that will work out pretty nicely. this is what this mission that

the coast guard does 24/7, this is what they do. they cut lanes for these fuel freighters, forll the kind of commerce that goes up and down the hudson river. the lud son river is a major commerce lane. this is a very important mission they do. there' a lot of frozen precip here. a lot of frozen precip in western new york. we've got major a real mess. this is going to continue for about another 24 hours. as you look at the rar, y can see streamers of all sorts of storm systems coming through. this is lake-effect snow coming a off in lake erie and buffalo, the tug hill plateau. we could be seeing upwards of one two more feet of snow before it's all over. that's what's gng on around the unto can. here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. good morning, everybody. looks cold up there where al

roker is. it feelsdold aro here. temperatures this morning are in the single numbers for most of thear . washington now a perfect ten. 7 in prince george's county three in montgomery county. plan on a cold day today. it will be bright and sunny. temperatures gradually in the low to mid 20s. luckily the wind won't be blowing that hard. it won't bebl as ter to be spending time outside. tracking a half inch of snow tomorrow. >> getting a ltle warm. they figured we'd go into the wind to pick up the breeze and cool us down. it's pretty darn good. oh, this feels great. hey, can you run this thing a little faster? let's go. >> al, thank you. coming up, response to

criticism over smith's relationship. >> what jennifer lopez has to ew about carson's challenge. we'll go behind the scenes at "snl" with a guy literally behind the jokes. >> first, how to keep your car, your house and most importantly yourself in this extreme cold. all need this morning coming up right after this. as always a catch. like somehow you wind up getting less. but now that i book at hilton.com, and i get all these great perks. i got to select my room from the floor plan... very nice... i know, i'm good at picking stuff. free wi-fi... laptop by the pool is a bold choice... and the price match guarantee. how do you know all of this? are you like some magical hilton fairy? it's just here on the hilton app. just available to the public, so... book at hilton.com and get the hilton price match guarantee. if you find a lower rate, we match it and give you 25% off that stay. iftake new dayquil severe with vicks vapocool.asty cold,u (acapella) whoa! (vo) and vaporize it with an intense rush of vicks vapors. (acapella) ahhhhhhhhhhh! (vo) new dayquil severe with vicks vapocool. the daytime, coughing, stuffy head,

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lake michigan behind me isn't making it any warmer. feels aboutiv neg 19. the air temperature is about negative 19. many people in age ration, which is to say, never in their life, holds quite like this. there are a few ways to stay warm. >> an arctic blast sweeping the country, freezing pipes, roads an us. >> i think i have six layers on. >> staving off the bone-chilling cold will takeore than a heavy coat. the best advice, stay indoors. if you have to go outside, make sure the most vulnerablearts toes, ears and knows are well covered. several layers of loose fighting lightweight clothes instead of one layer of heavy clothes. your fingers stay warmer togetherhan they do apart. >> in the emergency room, the cold related injuries we see are pically because people simply aren't prepared for the environment. they're either out much longer than they think they will be and temperatures much colder than

they thought they would be or they're not dressed appropriately which leads to hypothermia and frostbite. >> it's a danger that can impact your four-legged family members. make sure they're bundled up for any winter walks. make sure you wipe off the toxic rock salt off their paws before going back inside. frozen pipes can cause serious damage to your home. us generators and other heat and power sources can be deadly if you're not careful. make sure your home has at least one working carbononide detector. never run a generator or portable wegas-d heater indoors. keep chimneys, flews and events free of debris. leave water taps slightly openo so pipes don't freeze. >> when you seeelow zer temps for two and three days like we're in right now, that's when

the fron pipes start to set in. >> although experts say you as ld stay off the roa much as possible, here are tips to keep in mind if you need to head out for any reason. open your garage door before starting your car to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning. clear all snow and ice off your car and make sure your antifreeze is topped off. make sure you have emergen rssentials like extra clothing, flashlights and a aid kit in your vehicle, and avoid traveling on ssover and bridges if you can because they tend to ice up faster than roads. bottom line, only go outside when you really need to. dress appropriately and take a fully charged cell phone with you if you're brave enough to head out in this brutal cold. take a look at this seawallere at blocks lake michigan from what used to be a beach and now is an island of snow. this ice is several inches thick. it's been getting colder and

bigger over the last few the city behind me has become a tundra, the windy m citye of an ice bowl now. one other tip experts say toep warm, they say drink plenty of water to stay hydrated. stay away from alcohol. drink hot cocoa if you can. >> miguel, remember a few monthn ago w you were assigned to the lava in hawaii. >> take me bac to hawaii. let's go back. we should revisit that story. >> looking pretty good right now. miguel, thank you. ahead, the questions you should ask your partner tod to improve the health of your marriage. first, these messages. people with type 2 diabetes tee excited about the ial of once-weekly ozempic®. in a study with ozempic®, a majority of adults lowered their blood sugarre anhed an a1c of less than seven and maintained it. oh! under seven? and you may lose weight. in the same one-year study,ve adults lost on age up to 12 pounds. oh! up to 12 pounds?

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7:56 is your time on this thursday, january 31st 2019. good morning to you. i'm eun yang. let's get right to a check on your commute with melissa mollet in your first 4 traffic. >> taking a look at the roads right now,95 north of prince william parkway, still slow in the northbound lanes because of an earlier crash. in fairfax, 29 at maple,e have everything shut down at this point this morning, trying to get more information on tt ash. taking a look at mass transit, delays on blue, yellow and green. vre on time. marc, big delay on penn. pruns wickrain 878 also delayed. >> we'll take a look at your forecast next. stay with us.

sunny and cold as you head t the door thismorning. most of the suburbs are in the single numbers here. a little bit of a broez has windchills down to 10 below zero. you need your heaviest coat today. not quite as cold tomorrow morning. a chae for snow tomorrow that probably won't add up to even an inch though. >> thank you,uck. another local news update in 25 minutes. for now, back to the "today" show after the short break.

it's 8:00 on it's 8:00. deadly deep freeze tens of millions waking up to record-breaking cold as an historic arctic out eak stretches across the country. flights canceled. students told to stay home. how long will this last? al's got your forecast live from the frozen hudson >river. >> plus, sticking to their guns the video posted by pink's husband sparking major controversy online. >> is the safety on? >> it's off. this morning how they're taking onheir critics over their decision to teach their young daughter how to a fire weapon. right on queue, we'll hear from the man responsible for

"saturday night live's" queue cards. >> wally, lower the cards, go ahead. a look at the intricate process behind what it takes to go live from new york today thursday, january 31st, 2019. ♪ celebrating my 10th birthday with "today." >> shout out to all of our students fromty salt lake >> we're inside because it's 35 degreeselow zero in ann arbor, michigan. ortex to g the polar say hi to my kids katie and annie. >> maternity leave with the "today" show. >> coldest birthday ever. >> welcome back to "today." thank you especiall folks sitting outside on this frigid morning. we're happy they came to see us.

>> those are super fans. we have super fans. >> 30 degrees before the wind blows. >> record a video, shout-out wherever you're watching, share it with us, twitter, instagram works. use #mytodayplaza. that's howe'll find it. >> we'll get right to your news at 8:00. at least eight deaths blamed on the brutal winter weather that has rolled from t midwest into the northeast. the deep freeze is keeping its grip on more than 120 million americans. al isboard a u.s. coast guard cutter on the icy hudson river. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. i forgot to take that off. we're making our way south on the hudson, keepinghe shipping lanes open, but it is brutally cold. it continues at least another 24 hours. look at the windchill warnings

and advories stretching from montana and the dakotas to north carolina. 121 million people affected. right now the dangerous windchills continue throughout the great lakes, the northeast and back into the plains. minus 25 in bismarck, minus 25 in minnpolis. louisville, seems like it's zero. same in washington, d.c. boston feels like. minus the good news is we are going to start to see temperatures starting to moderate as we move through the day on friday. tomorrow morning, minus 1 in minneapolis. the good news is, there is some relief coming from the west. all the cold air finally exits on ,frid into friday evening. by saturday, new york city up to 34, 62 in st. louis. by sunday, chicago you're at 46. you're fally getting a break. we will continue to stay on this ice breaker. right like a snow cone now. it's a good snow cone because

it's so -- look at thisvi , guys. look at this sunrise over here. how gorgeous is that. >> gorgeous, . thank you. >> al roker, we'll come back in a bi> former starbucks ceo howard schultz is firing back at s critics that he might prevent democrats from retaking he white house if he runs f president. schultz said he was surprised at the backlash from democts like senator elizabeth warren when he announced he was considering an dependent run. schultz also denied being out of touch with ordinary americans and distanced himself from his former democratic party. >> i'mot a democrat. i don't affiliate myself with the democratic par i whos so far left, who basically wantsnm the goverent to take over health care which we cannot. affo >> meanwhile, starbucks is advising employees to duse customer complaints by telling them, quote, we respect 's everyoopinion. it's been two months since the passing of our nation's 41st esident, george h.w. bush.

who could forget that incredibly moving moment when he was lng state at the capitol, his one-time fierce political rival and later in life his friend, senator bob dole at the age of 95, valiantly standing and mesaluting the f president. i happened to be in washington yesterday to sit down with senator dole and his wife a their home in washington for a story that's going to air in a few weeks. we did talk about that moment. >> , i wanted to pay my respects, so i wanted to stand up and maybe bow my head. when i got onfey , it's almost like my subconscious was mong my left arm. i didn't go there with the intent to salute, but i did. >> it was beautiful. >> george bush and i were close friends. we also had some rather tough races against one another.

but he was my friend and he did a great job aspresident. and so did his son. >> i was so proud of bob for doing that, because i think it lifted people's spirits. we've heard from so many people, even some folks in other countries who have said it was just so powerful. just kind of gave people a lift at a time when there's so much divisiveness. >> felt like such a healing moment. >> right. >> one-time rivals, now friends, and just that moment of honoring him. >> right. >>hat a beautiful interview. >> i know. it was so good to sit down with athem. it story that will air in a few weeks, all about their relationship. they sit down and talk about their 43 years of marriage. stories.got great so good to see senators dole,

plural. a morning boost. the 16th hole at the phoenix open in ottsdale, arizona, known to be a pressure cooker for professional golfers. here is what's happening when gary woodland invited special olympian amy to play with him. take a listen. ou how are you? are amy. >> give me a hug. nice to meet you. >> thank you. >> i hear you're a good golfer. come with me to the hole? >> oh, yeah? >> nice give me high five. >> i got this. >> you got it? >> yes! >> that is so awesome. you are so awesome. >> oh, my gosh, is that the most beautiful thing you've seen in long.

she's waving at the crowd. she's currently in college on full golf scholarship. >> sinks the putt in front of all those people. no stress no pressure. she nails it. >> they like me? yes, we do >> theyove you actually. just ahead, hoda with a confession as she nears the end of herda te challenge. i can't wait to hear this. j. lo hetself involved when carson, being the good friend that he is, tes to get her to eat some sugar and derail her diet. >> pink's husband teaching their 7-year-old daughter to shoot a rifle, that has started a new conversation in this country about kids andth guns. 's right after this. different swim meet every saturday. but now... it's thursday. good thing they discovered gain flings. the only detergent with concentrated gain, oxi boost, and febreze odor remover.

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we'rek with today's we've brought dylan in from the cold. >> a little wahe. >>'s a video posted by the husband of pop singer getting a lot of attention. kriswin dahlgren is her more. >> the video shows pink's daughter shooting a rifle as her father looks on. >> this video of 7-year-old willow hart sparking controversy onlinegh the dter of pop singer pink and former moto cross rider

etrry hart with rifle in hand aiming for a ta >> is the safety on? >> it's off. >> her father poted it instagram wednesday with the comment haven't poked a parent bear in a few days. she's pretty good. i'm raising the kids with knowledge of firearms. ase response swift. one critic commented, so confused about how something at symbolizes violence and fear needsbe taught to children. while others voice their support. you two get to spend time togethernd you were teaching them about the guns and safely doing it and learning how to use it properly actually teaches you to respect its ability and power. hart later responded to a different commenter. i chombe toce it. take the taboo out, educate them so they don't become statistic. average2012 and 2014 an

of 7,000 children were killed or injured by firearms each year. the american academy of pediatrics stance is guns should be locked, unloaded and away from where children find them. many gun advocates say education is the key. keystone sporting arms market this called my first rifle, in an effort to teach young shootersnowledge and respect for firearms. this is not the first time hart's parenting has been called into question. over the years h and pink have shared photos of their family online and some images like these of hart riding dirt bikes with their ks have created a storm of criticis for her part pink h consistedely dd their oices.ing back in december she shot back asking, are you a perfect parent? and then there was this moment on stage at the 2017 mtv video

music awards when pink shared words of encouragement with her daut ever. >> baby girl, we don't change. we take the gravel and the shelk and we the pearl. you, my darling girl are beautiful and i love you. >> we reached out to pink and her husband butid not hear back. certainly knows how to get attention. guns and two things that people have very strong opinions on. >> we've got to check in on al and see how he'sdoing. last hour he was an ice block. now what's happening? >> we're on the bow of the u.s. coast guard cutter pen nop scott oiy. i'md by the captain of the force. captain, i've got to tell you, it's hard work b it is beautiful on a day like today. >> it's cold. it's windy but it is a beautiful day. it's great to be out here. >> tell me about this. ouat is the mission that

guys perform here? >> the analogy i like to useths hudson is like an interstate highway. the speeds are much slower, but the cargo is moving on a larger scale. the fuels moving on this river are absolutely vital tohe northeast economy, and our job, frankly, is to keep the river safe and keep it open for business. >> how has the ice been this year? it's been kind of an up-and-down temperature profile. >> you're the weather guy. >> allegedly. >> it has been up and down. we've been out for several weeks breaking ice. obviously when the polar vortex, we have to be out there now. >> i've to thank you for your hospitality helping to keep our crew warm. >> we've got breakfast burritos in there. hopefully you can get oneefore go. >> we want to thank you for your service. over the last month you guys still doing your job and keeping us safe. we really al appreciate. >> we appreciate the support. thanu. >> thank you.

>> that's what's going on around the country. here is what's happening i neck of the woods. good morning everybody. right here at home it is a sun shiny morning but bitter cold out. windchill zero in,washingt minus 10 in martinsburg. actual air temperatures areut between a zero and 10 for most. 5 in gaithersburg, 9 in fredrick curg. sunny ad this afternoon. afternoon highs in the mid 20s. tracking a chance for light snow tomorrow. probably won't add up to an ih though. don't get your hopes up. >> out her right now i feel like the weekend. ♪ i can't feel my face when i'm ou ♪ i'm getting delirious! >> i'm so glad it's not me. >> frostbite sets in after three minutes, delirium in five.

>> time f popstart. christina aguilera pulled a fun prank on unsuspected doughnut shop customers while the decided widow n to choose. christina began to sing a song about them behind the scenes. ♪ and he also has a wallet chain ♪ ♪ he just wants to eat doughnuts in his canadian tuxedo ♪ ♪ he's looking can you tell and his doughnut is looking cute, too ♪ ♪ you come in buying doughnuts ♪ look at those two doughnut queens ♪ ♪ standing next to captain america ♪ ♪

>> that is so fun. good for christina,aving some fun. >> they were probably excited to see that. you can watch the video at today.com. up next, "snl." the show has been around for 43 years. all the cast members and read their lines off queue cards. but the supervisor gives us a-t behi-scenes look at how much work gets put into these q cards. >> when new host comes in, i'll talk with them and we'll give them the basics. queue ca the host is always in the color black. >> maybe i'm funny on this show? oh, i'm sorry. you were fishing. >> and then everybody else shares four colors: we start rehearsals on thursday. it takes about an hour for each

sketch to get on cards. between dress and air, the book goes away, all things are off the table. we need to get those changes done as quickly asib possle. >> take out the last two lines. >> second-to-the-last line needs to become justinbi er. >> going through about 1,000 cards per show is what i get. the next week they put the cards on the floor to catch paint. >> a shout-out to wally. he's been there forever. he's an institution. he did all my showst las call when we shot in studio 8a. he's been doing this whforever. at about teleprompters. they say they jus prefer to stick with the queue cards because the teleprompters can break. that's the last thing you want to happen during ash liv. it's all mow archaic to walk into this vault of markers and q cards. >> and then last-minute changes. >> rip it up, tape over it. >> do they save some of the really funny sketches. >> some of them are famous. f

chrisley stuff is posted up there. it's like a museum. finally, time for our super bowl commercial kickoff as we lead up to sunday's big game, first look at some of the year's most anticipated commercials. this morning's ad features o of our farites. take a look a look at bubbly. no, buble. it's pronounced buble. >> i know, thanks, dav-ay. >> can i have your autogra mr. bubbly. >> it's buble. >> sparking water. crack a smile. that. hael, don't do >> i think four for four. >> it's good. >> they'll be more. >> michael buble, while we have this minute, we're very excited about it, our friend michael

buble will bni ret to nbc for his seventh musicll special -- >> bubbly. >> bubbly. buble, prime time. great to see him back in onac him and his family are doing so good after the health issues and all that. b we'r fans. that's it. craig and al will be down there. >> big pep rally. bags are packed. >> one more commercial tomorrow. >> swing by if you're in the atlanta area. we have lotsf surprises in store. >> can you tell my pats fa, hello. that i said i will. while we're talking about the weather, a daly double dose that has to do with snow. the first from a dad in ohio who comes up with a very interesting way t clean off his car windows. having a little fun with his son. >> where is mom? >> he puts his son on the roof. that's one way to cover a lot of

territory. that gets rid of the snow. we lapd to notice the father went to the great lengths of taping his son's a ankles wrists so the snow wouldn't creep in. so much snow, we loveg see a good sledding trip. how about one for a dog? this dog was hanging out on a hill, decided he wanted to go for a ride. here he goes. flop over on one side. >> later. >> downhill dog. >> wt to the bottom, crawled up again, did it again. the dog went for 256 -- t >> iught that was cute. >> thank you, carson. much more ahead this morning, includinghe woman taking instagram which storm with eye catching cheese plates. she's created a special one for us. she'll also teach us how to make our own after your local news.

good morning everybody. 8 koor 26 on this thursday, january 31st. i'm aaron gilchrist. let' get a check on the morning commute with melissa mollet. >> a couple of new problems right now. this one still hanging around fairfax, lee highway at waes mill road. inne loop a st. barnabas, still have the pothole. trying to get around left and so we have delays there. southbound 270 at shady grove, main lanes have a crash. local lanes a little better. >> we'll get a look at ourn forecast whe come back. stay with us.

good morning, everybody. mperatures in the single numbers across most of the region now. we'll end up with highs tay in the low to mid 20s. plenty of sunshine. tomorrow, eect a lot of clouds and light snow during the day. snowfall totals tomorrow should

be gen uallyer an inch. >> chuck, thank you. you can get the latest news and weather any time in the nbc washington app.

it' 8: now. it's thursday morning. me is the 31st of january, 2019 s? >> what ? >> we're bringing this awesome crowd inside. >> yes! >> good morning, everybody. >> that's cool. >> we>> even brought hot chocolate. is it ihot? >> need to find a little birthday girl. hello -- wait just onenu . what's your name? >> sydney. >> is it your birthday today? >> it's monday. >> is this your birthday trip to new york? >> yes, ma'am. >> where are you from, houston, texas. >> w. mom you must be so proud. >> she's amazing. that why she gets the trip. >> you're coming to the "today"

show. what else are youo going t do? >> empire statebuilding. >> you've got a list. >> "today" show, statue of liberty, 9/11 memorial, ride a taxi, eat a cart pretzel, shopping, broadway show. wow. you have a great list. happy birthday, honey. we're so gladou're here. mom, she's awesome. >> happy birthday. >> another birthday over there, too. with valentine's day fast approaching, we brought in a married couple who happen to ti reship experts as well. they're going to teach you the questions you should ask your partner if you want to take your next level. to the >> that's the guy that wrote the "he'sot that into you" book. i read that a few times. >> few year planning to get together with someonee the super bowl, you want to impress

your guests. that cheese plate is going to show us the right way to set up an unforgettable and eye natching spread. i the third hour of "today," sarah j isica parke stopping by. we'll talk about the super bowl commercial with the dude, the one you previewed a couple days ago. a we'll talut what she's working on now, "sex & the city" and lots more. first a check of the weather. mr. roker has beenpending all morning aboard this coast guard ice cutter. how a you doing out there? >> i'm the one out in the freezing cold. >> i should have trouble talking. as you can see on the hudson river, right bind us heres one of those fuel depots. this is one of the reasons why they keep this lane, this shipping lane clear so theyan t fuel up and down the hudson river. so let's take a look at whags happenor the weekend, and we can show you, first of all,

tomorrow morning, we've got this "today's super bowl pep rally" from atlanta. clear and cold, 30 degrees. r here is thet of your weekend forecast starting with tomorrowk clipper in the mid atlantic. org storm comes in in the west from central cala into the pacific northwest. saturday, a stormy out west.n all turning milder in the midsection of the country. then on sunday, sunday! mild afternoon, rain in the gulf. for the super bowlt itself, looking pretty darn good. we're going to be seeing super bowl liii. clouds and showers, but it's a dome stadium. all is good. that's what's going on around the country. here is what's happening in your neck of the woods. unny andcold, cold, sunny. that's the best way to describe the morning. current windchills down below zero in a few spots.

currently only 5 in , gaithersburee in manassas, 10 in prince george's county. planner today, sunny and cold. temperatures only reach the low to mid 20s today. near the m30-degrek tomorrow. a chance of light snow. probably won't add up to an inch. over the weekend, sunshine and noticeably milder early next week. ♪ i'm taking a trip on the huon river line ♪ ♪ i'm in a new york statef mind ♪ back to you, baby. >> see you in atlanta, al. now a decision making headlines and getting a lot of attention. >> iconic model b. smith has alzheimer's. her husband a caretaker has been very public how difficult their journey has been.oi natalie us with more on this story. >> nearly 6 million americans suffer from alzheimer's, almost

two-thirds of whom are women. there's the untold impactn family. it robs families of memories past a future the path that dan has taken as he cares for b. has elicited a lot of opinions. >> this is the b. smith whoade he way into our homes. >> whatever you do, do it with style. >> reporter: with her telev show "b. 134ig9 with style." her restaurants, magazine, three books and home collection, she cemented her role as a lifestyle maven. in 2013 she wos dia with early onset alzheimer's. the first coming on a cooking segment during today. >> this is wh i do. i marinate it in reduced -- >> balsamic. >> i'm throwing myself off here. >> they asked her a question at the start and she froze. >> reporter: it was a painful diagnosis for b. smith and her husband and partner of 26 years,

dangatsby. in the beginning when it was starting toappen tome, i didn't get it have a true rock, my best friend. >> took me into depths of despair andepression that no one will ever really understand. >> reporter: it's how gatsby is coping with his care taking journey that is pasparking controversy, announcing on facebook he was dating another woman, alex lerner. >> hate it or love it, you c debate. for me i'm feeling great. >> i don't believe death do you part means b that,ause you made a commitment, if the person is not there, that you shod sit there and watch your life shrive. >> reporter: learner now lives part-time with gatsby and helps

with b.'s daily care. >> as awkward ast seems o the outside, it doesn't seem awkward on the inside. >> repter: the unique arrangement has triggered a storm of criticism. quote, that woman should not be livi t int house. b. smith's husband is vile for this. some of the conversation is about race. b. smith has been a symbol of glamour and dippingity within the african-american cmunity fordecades. whoa, i don't like that b. smith story at all. a white woman? the headlines and reactions have been stark. the realityore gray. >> care giving makes you realize how special life is. makes you realize how important moments are, makes you reallyta unde and appreciate the fact that at any given moment the person who is caring for someone could need to be cared for. >> reporter: those who know him and b. defend the relationship. >> she's helping. she's a asset. she's putting in time.

she's putting in work. so i love them together. they mak >> reporter: in the age of instant outrage, gatsby is unabashedly choosing the path that's right for him and asking judge.lace is it to >> part of the reason there's been such a strong reactionth t is because this arrangement challenges the traditional perception of what and howar relationshipsupposed to work and look like. the overall question is how do you honor and respect the needs of both caretaker and patient during the slow and painful declinof alzheimer's. >> it's a really fraught situation. >> my grandmother had alzheimer's when i was in high school. i saw the toll it toon my father and my aunts who took care of her. iu know starts with

short-term memory loss and then disorientation. a lot of it is about when they stop beio able self-care. in our case we ended up moving orto a home. the whole of decline -- it's a really tough, terrible thing to watch. so we got advice from the alzheimer's assoction and they include things like discussing future care plans. become an educatedve care understand the disease a little more, accept changes from time to time. take carethf yourself. 's an important thing. also build a support network. those are a few things you do as a caregiver. >> i t inks very complicated and i think a lot of people were probablyhinking i wonder why he decided to post that very private decision that he i think that's probably why everyone is weighing in on it. >> al roker is actually going to sit down withsb g and b. smith for the third hour of "today"hat will air next wednesday.

>> can we just agree some compassion and grace on the situation that we don't know personally would be well advised. if you need help caring for onloved one with alzheimer's, we have more informa at today.com. just ahead, couples and questions. what you should ask your partner to strengthen your relationship. first this is "today" on nbc. at children's national,

stronger is caring for a baby's heart in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. and a future when prenatal pediatrics leads to healthier children. it's being the number one newborn intensive care unit in the country. and giving parents peace of mind. it's less recovering in our bed, and more jumping on yours. stronger is standing out and standing proud. because we don't just want your kids to grow up.

we want them to grow up stronger. welcome back valentine's day, believe it or valentine's day just two weeks awaydo jot that. if you want to improve your health or the health of your relationship, there areonertain ques that you should be asking your partner. >> here to fill us in greg behrendt and amira. he helped write the book "he's just not that into you." the most recent "how to keep yourarriage from sucking." good tiyoe. >> thank

we like the titles. >> you came up withe s questions. we'll talk about them individually that are at the heart of diagnosing what the status of your relationship is. how did you come up with these questions? >> i think we've been married long enough to the point where we were just talking to each other. we need to ask questions rather than give lectures. >> how long have you been marr 2d? >> togethe years, married for 18. but i think there comes a time wheee you stopng seen or you take each other for granted and stop realizing that you're not connecting the way you used to. >> sometimes it feels like you're in a corporation, logistics. >> when we met, we didn't have kids, didn't live in a house. things get complicated down the line. >> you don't realize how much separation there is. >> and how fractured the time and the connection becomes, all those different responsibilities and pressures. >> the more you don't talk, it builds and builds and builds.

we end up -- what we're fighting about means nothing. then there's the layers behind it. >> things that build up. >> you end up telling who they are rather than asking them who they are. >> you always this or you never that are the worstentences you can say. >> not unless you want to fight. if you want to fight, those are pesect o to start with. >> asking questions is a better apprirch. >> your question, how can i help you? >> like the service thing. what can i do y to maker day better. >> every day? >> yeah, why not. there's so much invisible work that happens in a relationship where you don't know wont's being to maintain your life. there's also people like me who are total control freak and i want to do everying mway. sometimes it's like what will with.et me help you what are you overwhelmed by. >> instead of how was your

day -- >> how can i help you. people rarely say that to you. when you do, oh, my god, the dogs are -- >> the priest told me when we got married, you devote your life into service of her and she does that to you, you're taking care of each other. thatelflessness is really important. >> a lot of times the division of labor becomes so lopsided. ue all right. so the nextion is what makes you feel most loved? why is that imsertant? >> bec we do the thing that we think is loving. let's say, i'm going to givefl u ers. and the person is like, i don't have flowers. but i'm loving you, but that's not what i need. >> we're totally different types. he likes compliments and touching and love. i'm like can you wash my car,s take thiff my plate. that's how i feel love. the things i do for him, if i buy him something, i believe'. showing lo i'm not showing love the way he

receives it >> we're running out of time because we got interested in this. >> how do you feel love? >> i don't know. >> that' a big question. >> i'm asking for a friend. >> i don't know, but i tnk it's a thought provoking question. >> i want to get to this one. the third h one is much alone time do you need? i thinkhas so interesting because sometimes partners feel offended if you're like, i need time alone. you shouldn't feel that way. maybe that's the sort of person you are. >> indeed. it's hard to not take it personally when you hear that from the one person you want to be with. i require a lot of alone time. >> i could spend all the time in the mirror. i get a lot of, can you go outside or find new friends or find something to do. >> you don't care if she goes away by herself. >> i don't take it personally. but i didn't continue to -- we got married. okay, i got a best friend n'w. i need to maintain my rips which is important for guys to do as well.

>> ihink everyone having alone time, doing something restorative to themselves makes them better for all their relatireships. >> wnfortunately out of time. what can i do to validate you as my partner, make your feel good about yourself? the last one is are you willing tos renegotiate thi that worked for us in the past but no longer work for me. >> that's a big one. >> if you're interested in itu an check out the book. what's it called again? >> "how to keep your marriage from sucking." >> you can go to today.com for more. a hands-on lesson cating the cheese platter of your dreams from the instagram sensation. >> i just remembered, cheese makes me feel love. >> there it is. >> mike, write i down. >> first this is "today" on nbc. . >> thank, guys.

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party favorite that's hard to get right now, cheese platters. >> that's where melissa comes in. instagram account dedicated to all that ooey gooey stuff we love. she has conditi account called cheese by numbers. combined they have more than 86,000 followers. folks love cheese. >> yeah, we do. >> hard to get, too, right, hoda? >> sort of your side hustle. you're in the music industry, >> yes, that's true. i started about six years ago in colle. my friends and i have wine and cheese parties. i wanted to create a space to cheese inspiration f plates. i posted on the internet and started making my own. usrking in the industry, it's a very fast-paced advisory. >> we've got a special message. >> melissa, you're on the "today" show. i can't believe you're turning

this into successful career. i love you so much. >> meghan trainor. >> she's a good friend of mine. i was on tour with her back in the day, back in 2015, we were on tour. on o days off i did something called the american cheese tour where i would stop at creameries or local cheese shops in the town. it only lasted for like three dayser because a that -- if you look on instagram, #americanche yestory, can see it. thank you, meghan. i love you. >> carson and hoda are going to make one, we're going to make one as well. >> are we supposed to follow the map. >> with cheese by numbers, it's numbers.ly paint b the colors are the item on the plate. one will bech se, two will be meat, three will be fruit.

you have your board and your m ramin. >> you put frozen peas on a plate. >> when you see instagram photos, they're so -- >> is there a reason that cheese is resurging? what do we think is behind this? >> honestly, i think cheese has always been sometng that people have loved. we've going to put the salami -- >> it flows through the center of the board. i think with cheese plates,av people h loved them for years, but they're a little intimidating when you see them. >> i told my wife i would show you her cheese plat my wife lindsay made this a

couple months >> that's amazing. >> she's become all about the cheeses plate, too. >> if we got on your page -- >> you guys are killing it. you're doing so good. >> thank you, marissa. >> it'sover? >> you can get more at today.com/food. we're back in a momes. first thi is "today" on nbc.

hers jenny from the jenny from the block. day seven of the nocarb, no sugar challenge. carson you gave up after hours, tempting me to do the same. jennifer lopez apparently likes to watch t show. >> hi, j. lo. >> she says she has my back. take a look. >> hoda, you're still on it. carson, you're a devil, you're a

demon. hoda, you're a beast. you're a >>savage. esterday carson tried to tempt me with cofe cake. >> we had a coffee cake. i did it to torture hoda. live on tv -- shet mentioned t one part of the cake was really hard not to eat. i took it and put it right in front of her face. i said i'll write a check to your favorite charity. j. lo came in -- 8:567 is your time on this thursday, january 31st, 2019. i'm eun yang. right now we'll check i with melissa mollet and your first four traffic. >> out loop after braddock road, you have to stay to the right to p gett this crash. inner loop at st. barnabas, you have to g left or right to get

around the pothole. southbound 270 after shady grove, right lane blocked by a crash. >>e'll take a break and check your fast when we come back. stay with us.

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sunny and cold out there. at least temperatures have started to move up. dulles is not above zero, closing in on ten degrees. still only 15 in town. highs close to 25 degrees. for tomorrow, up to about32 degrees. light snow off and on through most of the day tomorrow. probably doesn't eve addp to a half inch or inch at the most. milder pour the weekend and almost balmy early next week. >> looking forward tothat, chuck. get the latest news and weather any time on the nbc washington app. a

ouncer: from nbc news, this is "today," live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. good thursday morning, everyone. craig melvin alongside dylan, sheinelle, and it must be thursday w becaulie g. is here. >> you have thetoday" cup. >> when al roker mentioned it last week, sold out on the nbc website. >> you've arrived when you have your own mug. >> twice the size of the avege mug. >> isn't it cold by the time you finish it? >> you have to drink fast, >> special warming device inside, willie. >> speaking of cold, perhaps you've heard, bone-chilling temperatures. they've spread froth