his power uncontested and complete janis mackey frayer, nbc news, beijing. >>> let's get another check of today's frigid forecast with michelle hello. >> hello we have the fall chill in place. a lot of places feeling like winter, especially through tonight into tuesday morning a sweeping cold front that is going to bring in the cold air from canada. many of us feeling that chill all the way down to the southeast. we're looking at temperatures well below normal for this time of year. so bundle up as you head out this morning we're looking at temperatures 36 degrees in minneapolis not going very far from the current temperature right now. 21 degrees below what is normal this time of year. tomorrow chicago, just 46. lexington 50 notice nashville, we're looking at temperatures only in the 50s as well. that's a look at t big weatherhe 60 degrees today in nashville. all right. it's a chilly start, guys. we'll see how long it lasts with the weekday forecast in just a minute >> we'll see you then. thank you, michelle. >>> the nfl's only undefeated team has no trouble staying perfect. plus, the

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janis mackey frayer joins me now.e latest you're hearing on the response to north korea's escalation? >> reporter: well, there have been six missile launches in the past 12 days by north korea and we saw that escalation this afternoon when we learned that these north korean warplanes were flying close to the border. they were doing air-to-surface firing drills and acting so provocative that south korea sent up 30 aircraft at their response. we're seeing the u.s. now holding trilateral military exercises with south korea and japan, the strike group moving back into the waters around the korean peninsula. we're seeing that escalation prompted earlier this week that went clear over japan, flying further than any north korean missile had flown before. but the concern now is not only the sharp escalation in tension here, lindsay, but the pace of the testing that we're seeing. some 24 launches in this record year for north korea and this is reminiscent of 2017. the last time kim jong-un conducted a nuclear test and that is

janis mackey frayer has the very later. >> reporter: tonight in seoul, the uncomfortable calm of a country in mourning. people leaving flowers where lives were lost, as police search for clues to explain why. >> crowds are trying to move through this narrow alley last night. now the area has been completely closed off as police secure what has become a crime scene. >> the scale of the tragedy is staggering, more than 150 dead, at least 130 injured, two dozen in critical condition, crushed in a surge in a popular area where crowds had gathered to celebrate halloween. an estimated 100,000 people trying to move through narrow streets. witnesses say there were too few police around to control the sheer mass of people. >> there was a mix of things i heard, but there was panic coming towards us. some shouts of fear. but also confusion. >> we didn't know really what was happening to us. >> reporter: then people started collapsing, like dominos, said one survivor. in videos from the scene, music is still blaring from bars. nearly all victims have been identified, most of them in their 20s and 30s

joining us now, nbc news foreign correspondent, janis mackey frayer live from beijing. . strengthening its military position around the korean peninsula with the return of uss ronald reagan air craft carrier strike group carrying out military drills with japan and south korea. trilateral exercises for the next couple of days. at the same time, moving in new equipment to south korea for the t.a.d. missile system, that will be something a thorn in the side, less for north korea than for china. all of this coming just a day after north korean war planes were carrying out firing drills along the border, forcing south korea to send up 30 aircraft in response, so we're seeing this ramping up that has been familiar territory here. certainly reminiscent of 2017. the differences now, though, in the pattern of the launches between now and five years ago is that north korea's missiles appear to be more advanced. they're quicker to deploy. they're proving to be more accurate. they're proving to be stronger. the other difference i've seen this time is almost near silence from pyongya

joining us live now from beijing is nbc news foreign correspondent janis mackey frayer. janis? xi jinping's comments on taiwan that got the loudest and most sustained applause at the opening address yesterday when he declared that taiwan will unify with the mainland. and it's not that that statement is breaking any new ground. it's long been the position, and it came with the warning that china will use force if necessary, especially if there's interference from the u.s. but what i found different from past statements and certainly from the speech xi jinping gave in 2017 is that taiwan unification now sounds less like an aspiration or a slogan, and more a statement of fact, so that was seen as a sign that taiwan will be central to xi next term. how long that term is will be decided by xi jinping himself. the party congress happens twice in a decade. this one significant because xi will assume this third term in power, which is precedent breaking, and it also starts to move china into more uncomfortable territory in terms of the degree of power that now lies with a single leader

nbc news's janis mackey frayer has the latest. janis? the loudest and most sustained applause. it's when he said taiwan will be unified with the mainland. it's not that there's anything groundbreaking with that statement. it's long been part of the position, along with the warning that china would use force if necessary, and especially if there's interference from the u.s. but it was the way that it was presented. taiwan is less an aspiration or dream and more a statement of fact. so it appears taiwan will be central to xi jinping's next term, which will be at least five years. he will rule longer if he chooses to. he's already breaking with precedent and beginning to move china into uncomfortable territory, if you'll call it that, with having this degree of power lie with a single leader. he is very obsessed with security and safety. he mentioned it over 70 times in his opening address. he also talked of a stronger chinese military. and he warned of dangerous storms facing china. he didn't name the united states by name, but he did allu

joining us from beijing, nbc news foreign correspondent janis mackey frayer. what can you tell us? happened overnight is the western boundary area. it's poorly marked and has long bed this hot bed of dispute. we had this exchange of fire between south korea and north korea. with each other accusing the other of crossing the northern limit line. this is coming at a very tense time in the region with this barrage of north korean weapons tests. after the most recent one, north korean officials had said that they were simulating the use of tactical nuclear weapons to quote hit and wipe out targets. over the past few weeks, both sides have been firing missiles, sending up fighter jets, buzzing the border. there are no lines of communication between the two sides right now, and there are also military drills set to happen this week between south korea and the u.s., which is always a flash point for pyongyang. and of course what's looming over everything is this expectation that kim jong un is going to conduct another nuclear test. he hasn't done one since 2017. satellite imagery has been

joining us now live from beijing, nbc news foreign correspondent janis mackey frayer. >> thank you sowith us. any insight on why such a provocative move would be made by north korea at this time? >> reporter: it is a major escalation. this missile flew 2,800 miles clear over japan, and that in itself is rare. only twice before have missiles flown over japan, both were in 2017. this one triggering those warnings for people to take cover. normally, the missiles are fired higher into the air, so the distance is up into the sky. this one went straight across, landed in the pacific 2,000 miles off of the east coast, officials are now talking about appropriate reaction. the u.s. and south korea. south korean military officials saying they're already conducting quote precision bombing drills as a response. the question on timing, there's certainly been a rapid pace to testing. this is the fifth missile in just over a week. there's also been more of a showing off of capabilities. north korea could see an opportunity in the timing to test longer range weapons because the u.s. barely paid any a

let's bring in nbc news foreign correspondent janis mackey frayer. from seoul that pyongyang has launched 12 war planes near the south korean border. >> reporter: 12 north korean fighter jets and bombers were apparently staging air-to-surface firing drills today. so provocative, south korea sent 30 air craft, it comes as the u.s. is going to hold trilateral military exercises with south korea and japan, and tension all around the korean peninsula edges higher. >> the air carrier, uss ronald reagan moving into waters around the korean peninsula, prompting north korea to fire another two missiles, what pyongyang called counter action in a statement blaming the u.s. for posing a serious threat. it all comes a day as the u.s. and south korea fired surface-to-surface missiles as deterrents. in what is now the most hostile escalation here in five years. >> if they continue down the road, it will increase the condemnation, increase the isolation, increase the steps that are taken in response to their actions. >> reporter: north korean's testing blitz is a s

among the dead two, american college students our janis mackey frayer has the latest. >> reporter: the calm of a country in mourning. people leaving flowers where lives were lost, as police search for clues as to explain why. >> here in itaewon, crowds have been trying to move through the area last night. now the alley is completely closed off as police move through the crime scene. >> the scale of the tragedy is staggering, more than 150 dead, at least 130 injured, two dozen in critical condition, crushed in a surge in a popular area where crowds had gathered to celebrate halloween. an estimated 100,000 people trying to move through narrow streets. witnesses say there were too few police around to control the sheer mass of people >> there was a mix of things i heard, but there was panic coming towards us. some shouts of fear. but also confusion we didn't know, really, what was happening to us. >> reporter: then people started collapsing, like dominos, said one survivor in videos from the scene, music is still blaring from bars muffling cries for help. authorities say nearly all victim

said that taiwan belongs to china and did not rule out using military force well go now to janis mackey frayer who is in beijing you were there when he spoke what was reaction when he mentioned taiwan >> there was the loudest and most sustained applause of the entire address for his comments on taiwan. they came toward the end of the speech where he declared that taiwan will be unified with mainland china now that's not breaking any new ground this has been central to xi jinping's position before. what seemed different this time was that it seemed less aspirational and more a statement of fact. this is one of xi jinping's goals for the so-called rejuvenation of china. so it's possible that this is going to happen during his tenure, which will be at least another fife years and possibly longer a party congress happens twice a decade, but this one is significant with xi jinping about to secure power for a third term this is precedent-breaking, and begins to move china toward a more uncovmfortable territory of having that degree of power lying with a single leader the speech was 104 minutes long.

here's janis mackey frayer. >> reporter: tonight chilling new details of the chaos in seoul. police revealing the halloween crowd was up to 100,000 people before the stampede. many crammed into narrow alleyways. and there were just 137 police officers assigned to the area. police acknowledging they had no guidelines to deal with the horror that unfolded. american janelle story was near the top of the alley. her video showing people could barely move it was so packed. >> there was panic coming toward us. >> reporter: people were desperately giving cpr to victims on the ground. among the dead, two young americans. anne gieske and steven blesi, both 20-year-old students doing a semester abroad. she shared photos of them hiking and smiling for selfies just hours before the tragedy. many parents here flooding a community center to find support. all the victims have been identified now. a vast majority were in their 20s. most of them young women. lester? >> all right, janis, thank you. >>> back home the supreme court hearing arguments in two cases that could determine the fate of a

nbc's janis mackey frayer has more on the story. hey, janise. >> reporter: good morning. it's a major escalation by north korea and intermediate-range ballistic missile that flew 2,800 miles right over japan triggering warning sirens for millions of people to take cover. this is rare. only twice before have missiles flown over japan usually, they fly higher so the distance is into the air this one went 22 minutes, crashed into the pacific ocean overnight the state department called it reckless and dangerous with, quote, deeply destabilizing implications for the region already the u.s. is talking about appropriate joint response and south korea has announced that in the last couple of hours they conducted, quote, precision bombing drills as a response to this test. >> so the timing is curious. why did north korea decide to launch this high profile launch at this moment >> reporter: well, there is all the usual friction over u.s. joint military exercises with japan and with south korea and north korea's claim that their weapons program is actually defensive. the concern now