>> oh. an historic winter storm is causing havoc around the nation now and d driven extreme conditions and increased buildup in areas prone to avalanches. we'll introduce you to the elite teams blasting away avalanche threats with high-tech explosives. >> released on a million dollar bail, lori loughlin and other executives rounded up in the college admissions scandal face rious charges. >> the u.s. finally gets on board with grounding theti quesable boeing 737-max 8 aircraft. how is the airline adjusting to e mass grounding? >> mob hit, the leader of the gambino crime a family shotnd killed overnight.

>> an arrest for paul manafort and roger stone. new developments this morning. rl "early today" starts right now. >> good thursday morning. i'm phillip mena. >> i'm frances rivera. the center of the country is being hit what forecasters call a bomb cyclone. this massive system has brought blizzard warnings up to 20 inches of snow, and whiteout conditions to parts o colorado and wyoming and across new mexico and texas. powerful wind gusts have been wreaking havoc and leaving a path of destruction. for more on this lateor winter we go to nbc's steve patterson. >> reporter: the great plains bracg for a hurricane strength blizzard across eight states, wind gusts reaching 8 miles per hour. in some areas, u to 2 feet of snow. the national wea service reporting a rapid pressure drop resulting in a bomb cyclone of historic proportions. flight schedules are already scrambled. run ways shutdown. re than a thousand flights canceled in denver. .he highways have turned dead

colorado state trooper daniel groves killed by a skidding car, low visibility, leading to pile ups. >> we ust take people, but we can't move vehicles. >> reporter: the weather service warning, do not even attempt to drive in this storm. danger on the rails as well, a new mexo train derailed by wind, no injuries reported. >> oh, my goodness! >> reporter: violent delivering dee strouks to an amazon storage in texas. tossing planes like toys, turning semis sideways. this winter doesn't know when to quit. steve patterson, nbc news. >> now that we've seen how dangerous this storm is, let's go to nbc meteorologist janessa webb. good morning. >> good morning. the pressure dropped vy quickly. let's talk about why they're calling it a bomb cyclone. we saw pressure down 24 millibars in and you can still see the spin out towards kansas city, making its way into st. louis.

good news for colorado, the avalanche danger is going to decrease throughou your afternoon, but we still have 7 r winter weather concerns, at least throughout the afternoon. so unfortunately, the storm nsystem is just done yet. it is shifting to the east. >> man, got to dealith that now. lot more people there, 7 million at risk. janessa, thank you. >> breaking news out of new york where police are searching for the shooter who gunned down a reputed mob boss overnight, sources close to the investigation say frank kel was killed outside his home on staten island. police tell nbc news the suspected gunman sped away from the scene in a blue pickup truck. the 53-year-old was believed to be the leader othe notorious kamm bin o gambino crime family oe led by john gotti. >> airlines in the u.s. are parking their boeing 737-max jets. the decision came hours african

da grounded the planes, leaving the u.s. virtually alone in standing by them. the move to suspend the aircraft comes after this model was involved in two fatal crashes under similar circumstances. for the latest on this we are joined n by tracie potts in d.c. tracie, good morning. >> reporter: hi, phillip. this affects 275 flights daily in the united states. e from ouncement c president trump. he said it was for the safety of the american people the max 8 and the max 9imilar model now being grounded, some people got the word mid-air. those flights were grounded and will not go back up until the ,aa is sure they are safe. as you no we were the last country in the world to order them to be grounded. now, the flight that crashed on sunday, ethiopian airlines, killed 158 people. the black boxes from that flight, they arema d. we understand they are being shipped to france for analysis overnight. th a lot of people questioning

why it took so long, four days after the crash for those boxes to be analyzed. of note here, this is the same type of pne that was involved in the lion air crash in indonesia back in october. 189 people died there. boeing iss backing t grounding of its planes. also promising a quick fix, an urgent fix, they say, to the flight to some of the flight controls as they try to figure out what's happened here. of te, w now know that there arre at least five complaints about thiscular model last fall. >> and many travelers now can fly resting a little easier this morning. tracie, thank you. >> airlines that operate the max jets are now scrambling to update their flight schedules. they're working to minimize the impact on th grounding. passengers ticketed are rushing to rebook. we're joined by gabegutierrez. good morning.

>> reporter: frances, good morning. it was a surprise announcement by the president that left passengers andrsrew mem wondering what's next. some fliers being pulled offpl e es that were already boarding. at airports acroshe u.s., the last boeing 737-max 8 and 9 planes landed in a storm of controversy. >> it's good to look into it and make sure that it'sot something intrinsically wrong with the plane. >> reporter: two airlines use max 8, southwest a american. united uses max 9. americans are largely concentrated into and out of miami. between all three airlines, there are about75aily flights using the max fleet. >> it's a huge decision. it has an economic effect, you know, that's far reaching. >> reporter: in dallas, the home of southwest airlines, fliers reacted. >> all thisy' week t been letting people change their tickets. i think that's been great of them to do that. >> reporter: now many travelers and crew members wondering at's next. >> i was scared taking off. >> were you?

>> because of what was going on in the news. >> happy to be back on the ground. >> reporter: all three airlines are trying to minimize travel disruptions.os southwest the heavily impacted saying any customers booked on aax 8 flight can rebook without any additional fees or fare dferences within 14 days of their original date of travel. >> safety first the mostth important ing, so it's a little sry to be up there when you know there could be something wrong with the plane. >> reporter: while this isct img thousands of travelers, southwest says the max 8 planes only make up aut 4% of its entire fleet. american and united now say they are automatically rebooking passengers on other flights. frances? >> gabe gutierrez for us. gabe, thanks. it is a shocking case of life imitating art. actress lorilin may have survived a school admissions scandal on her show "full house." she's not getting the sim come happy ending i real life. she was released on $1 million bond after she and dozens of other parents were charged in a

massive college admission cheating scam. nbc's miguel almaguer has the latest. >> reporter: after her arrest, actress lori loughlin faced a federal judge. the hollywood star a her famous husband, fashion designer, who posted aarillion doll bond, are accused of paying half a million dollars in bribes to get their daughters into usc. >> i am c inplete denial. >> reporter: two years ago today loughlin and her daughter talked about goill to coege. she blogged about going to usc. >> i don't know how much of school i'm going tote nd. >> reporter: with aress felicity huffman, it looked more like a movie premiere. her husband william h. macy making no comment after federal investators say his wife paid $15,000 to arrange for a proctor to secretly change answers on her older daughter's s.a.t. >>'m sorry that you feel so

entitled that you think that you deserve to take someone else's spot just because you have the means to afford it. >> reporter: the list of 33 parents who investigators say hegged system includes a stunning roster of wealthyut exes, a doctor, and even a lawyer. manuel hen rekez who stepped down as c.e.o. of a silicon valley hedge fund is accused of paying nearly half a million dollars to ensure his daughter wodd att georgetown. court documents say his wife and daughter gloated abo the fact that they had cheated and gotten away with it. >> i feel good as a parent because we didn't do that, and my daughter got into georgetown. >> reporter: inall, eight elite colleges are at the center of the scandal. universities like stanford and yale have admission rates below 7%. >> i feel like this isn't new at all. people just got caught this time. >> reporter: alex mcloud who was rejected fromsc feels robbed. >> i think the bigger issue is that our collegesi adms system isn't based on how hard you work.

it's not a meritocracy, it's based on e zip code you were born in and who your parents are and what they can give ryou. orter: insiders say the admissions system is broken. >>it if parents means can really game the system to this degree, it's time to create a new syepem. >> rorter: the alleged mastermind behind the scheme william singer who founded a college prep service is cooperating with investigators. he says wealthy parents paid him more than $25 million to cheat the system. tmz obtaining this video of his audition for a reality show on kidsressures of getting into college. >> this process brings out all the good and a lot of the bad that goes on in family's homes. >> reporter: from the courthouse steps to the courtyards of college campuses, outrage over how the rich and famous bought what their children couldn't earn. the 50 people who were arrested will face a federal judge in boston later thi month.

frances, back to you. >> all right, miguel almaguer, thank you. o let's turn attention outside once again. janessa webb back with us. >> good morning, everyone. the severe threat still continues across the mississippi and tennessee valley. things have changed here in the last 24 hours. now currently an enhanced risks ac illinois into portions of morning.s as a squall line continues to move. million throughout your afternoon under risk. that's a look at the big weather story of the day. now here's a closer look at your day ahead. so very cool air from the west here, that's going to stick around and actually move east into the weekend. these upper 70s t and 8t you're seeing for the south, that's going to be a distant memory pretty soon. so, oe again, severe weather. it is tracking east. after today things start to really get better. >> that's a relief to hear. janessa, thank you.

ve is on the course. a world famous golfer helped a man pull off the proposal of a lifetime at the players championship. sergio garcia invited this man's e.rlfriend inside the ropes onto the cours ricardo met her on the 17th hole. he popped the question. you can tell by the reaction she accepted the proposal. he also gave them $20,000 for their wedding. how about that? >> maybe he'll get an invitation. we could see president trump's veet toe today and more legal troubles for his former campaign chairman. my joints... they hurt. the pain and swelling. the tenderness. the psoriasis. tina: i had to find something that worked on all of this. i found cosentyx. now, watch me. real people with active psoriatic arthritis are getting real relief with cosentyx. it's a different kind of targeted biologic. cosentyx treats more than just the joint pain of psoriatic arthritis. it even helps stop further joint damage.

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the senate votes as expected, to block his national emergency to fund the border wall. five republicans say they will join democrats to send the bill to the president's desk. mr. trumo has vowed veto the legislation and neither chamber has the votes to overcome it. >> meanwhile, legal troubles aru pili for president trump's former campaign chairman. just minutes after paul manafort learned his fate in a federal court, new york state prosecutors announced a slew of new criminal charges against him. crucially for manafort, these charges are beyond the reach of a presidential pardon, unlike the 7 1/2 years he was sentenced to in his federal cases. nbc's pete williams exains. >> reporter: the man who helped get i donald trumpnto the white house now faces almos 7 years in prison on top of the nine nths he's already spentn jail, 7 1/2 years in all on charges stemming from his political consulting in ukraine. seated in aha whee, manafort said, i'm sorry for what i have done, and for all of the ha activities tha gotten us here today.

but judge amy berman jackson g responded say'm sorry i got caught is not an inspiring plea for leniency. he faced aaximum of ten years on the washington, d.c. charges, but the judge added 3 1/2 years to the sentenceanafort got last week in virginia. >> i don't think it is two overly lenient. they have fashioned sentences they believe are fair and appropriate. he's going to go to jail for a long timete >> rep manafort's lawyer called the sin tense callous and harsh but there was never any objection he helped russialen theion. >> there was no o evidencef russian collusion in this case. >> reporter: manafort might be hoping for a pardon. le it ent trump didn't ou >> that is not something right now on my mind. i do feel badlyor manafort. that i can tell you. >> reporter: district attorneye attorn cyrused fans f new york state charges lying about his use of a manhattan condo to get a more favorable loan.

even if he got a presidential pardon, it would not cnsnt ag a state conviction. the president can pardon someone only for a federal crime. paul manafor turns 70 on april 1st. it now appears he'll be at least 76 years old before h can get out of prison. phillip? >> all right, pete williams.ir thank you, >> just ahead, it is national pie day, so we'll circle back around with the best pizza deals next. and the need for less speed, why the new corvette is just too fast for its own good. a dazzling place i never knew. a new fantastic point of view. no one to tell us no, or where to go. or say we're only dreaming. let me share this whole new world with you.

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today is march 14th, thus pi day, a in the mathematical constant 3.14. howelboutrating the rational number with useful deals on pies? blaze pizza offering a custom pizza for $3.14 with their app. at cici's buy one and get the second for 3.14. boston market is buy one pot pies and you can get a free slice of pyatt marie callender's with the purchase of an entry. the fourth year pizza will bee hosting fie weddings at their locations if she's okay wi that. >> how about this. slow down, corvette, gm's redesigned corvette is reportedly so fast and so powerful it keeps bending the car's frame. so now the corvette is similar

to these cars and will beat the top speed of the 01 which is 210 miles per hour. the company is keeping a tight lid on it, but it is expected to be released between july and september of this year. >> that's unsettling. >> yeah, right? >> is that a selling point? >> way toop fast. next, janessa webb isng trackiore dangerous weather ahead, plus we go behind the scenes with the elite patrol targeting avalanches. ayyou're watching "early t." let philips sonicare give its care a raise. if your teeth chew beyond their limit, then they've earned 62,000 movements a minute. if your mouth's used to a manual clean, treat it to microbubbles that feel great in between. if your amazing mouth does more than its share, give it philips sonicare. next level clean, next level care. there's always a way to make life better. philips sonicare.

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a hrerter to start off the morning here. one sailor had to c hsole teary eyed kids before setth off to sea. he's one of hundreds of sailorse saying good they set off to fort u.s. mchenry on a seven-month deployment in europe and the middle east. they'll be focusing on navy operations and crisis response. everybody has to watch. >> yeah, it is, weish them all a safe speedy return. we are also hoping for a return to some normal weather, janessa. >> we're going to get b aak for the weekend. you can see the shift of the system makes its way to the east, northeast, mid-atlantic, you are hded for raior your friday. but then sunshine starts to lyturn. you're watching "eoday." we'll be right back. jimmy's gotten used to his whole room smelling like swee'y odors. yus gone noseblind. he thinks it smells fine, but his mom smells this...

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good morning, everyone. i'm eun yang. >> i'm aaron gilchrist. developing this morning, a d.c. government employee accused of giving out food stamps and welfare benefits in exchange for sex and cash. >> who the employee is and what the mayor has to say about it. if you liked yesterday, you will love today. we will be close to 70 degrees. we will be close to 70 degrees. tracking

z35k8z z16fz y35k8y y16fy news 4 today starts now. >> good mornerg, ody. it's just about 4:00 a.m. i'm aaron gilchrist. >> i'm eun yang. another busy morning here on news 4 today. let's check your forecast and

commute. >> melissa mollet has the traffic for us. but chuck bell starts us off with the forecast. >> thursday seems like a good day to spend extra i time outside. so mann spots were d in the mid-20s. told you yesterday, today would s.t be near as cold. in the low to mid- cool/chilly here. plan on 40s in an afternoon high today. close to 70 degree for most areas. a little breezy at times today. it will be ray around for your friday, the moving in of the shers. >> good morning. 270 at montroa montrose road.