nbc's kristen dahlgren is outside the apartment tonight. kristen, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, kate. well, inside philip seymour hoffman's apartment in new york, the police investigation continues. outside, as you can see, the crowd continues to grow. the media and fans, so many shocked by the oscar winner's death. news of philip seymour hoffman's death came as a shock to his many fans. >> it's sad. sad to see somebody like that go so early. they had so much more to contribute. >> reporter: police in new york say the 911 call came around 11:15 sunday morning, an apparent drug overdose. hoffman was found in the bathroom of his west side apartment downtown with drug paraphernalia and as many as eight bags of what's believed to be heroin nearby. the 46-year-old actor had waged a public battle with drug addiction, including a reported stint in rehab last year after more than two decades of sobriety. in 2002, he appeared on "today." >> i think everybody's troubled. i think that's part of what it's like living on the planet. >> reporte

we get more on that story tonight from nbc's kristen dahlgren. >> reporter: saturday night, the startf the dinner rush at a new york mall. >> they just started telling everybody to get out. >> reporter: this emt was one of 28 first responders at legal seafood's employees overcome by carbon monoxide. >> they said there's a high co content in the building and you have to get out. by that time, we were all really, in retrospect, already starting to feel the effects. >> reporter: the restaurant's 55-year-old manager succumbed to the gas and died at the hospital. customers got out unharmed, leaving their meals unfinished. today, the restaurant is condemned, the leak traced back to a faulty pipe in the water heating system. legal seafoods expressed condolences, vowing to conduct safety checks in all of its restaurants calling for stronger safety codes everywhere. you have to get a lot of calls this time of year. >> we do. this firehouse today alone got two or three calls for carbon monoxide. >> reporter: an average 439 people die of carbon monoxide in the u.s. every year. just today, emerge

kristen dahlgren, nbc news, new york. >>> in florida tonight, that state's stand your ground law is in the news once again at a murder trial involving a white man, who shot and killed a black teenager. the trial resumes tomorrow. our report tonight from nbc's mark potter. >> reporter: 47-year-old michael dunn is accused of murdering 17-year-old jordan davis and trying to kill three of his friends during an argument over loud music in this jacksonville store parking lot. the sounds of gunfire caught on camera. >> oh, my gosh! somebody's shooting. somebody's shooting out their car. i swear to god. he's shooting. >> reporter: prosecutors say dunn ordered the teens to lower their music in their suv after complaining to his fiancee. >> and what did the defendant say? >> i hate that thug music. >> reporter: but authorities say when the teens refused and davis cursed him, dunn fired ten shots. >> pointed that pistol at the car full of unarmed teenagers and continued to pull the trigger. >> reporter: the defense argues davis threatened dunn with a weapon, dunn telling police he acted in self-d

kristen dahlgren, nbc news, philadelphia. >>> and allow us now to show you the latest adorable animal video gone viral, featuring a 12-week-old polar bear from the toronto zoo playing in snow for the first time. he seemed to be nervous at first but then warmed up to its habitat. zoo officials say these animals's play is not only cute but important for the bear's development. and if you like that, you will like this coming up, trust me. >>> on this super bowl eve, we would like to briefly share something from our friends at late night with jimmy fallon, the super bowl edition of the puppy predictors. and they're off! >> the broncos got the lead there, they're going back, looks like a clear win there, the denver broncos are going to win the super bowl! >> how good are the puppy predictors, they correctly predicted the baltimore ravens to win last year and also correctly picked the boston red sox to win the world series. >>> and if you have not had your fill of cute puppies, the other big game tomorrow, the puppy bowl. our jill rappaport has that report. >> reporter: super bowl sunday, i

kristen dahlgren has more on his promising life suddenly cut short. >> police in new york say the 911 call came around 11:15 sunday morning, an apparent drug overdose. hoffman found in the bathroom of his apartment with drug pa paraphernalia. waged a public battle with drug addiction, including a reported stint in rehab last year after more than two decades of sobriety. in 2002, hoffman appeared on "today." >> i think everybody's troubled. that's part of what it's like living on this planet. >> i -- >> best known for his oscar winning turn as the title role, he was a versatile character actor, famous for disappearing into his roles. >> you cannot make friends with the rock stars. >> from "almost famous," to the "big labowski" and "the master," a role for which he was nominated for an oscar and golden globe. he won young fans of the "hunger games." a role he was reprizing in the final films. in a statement his family said we are devastated by the loss of our beloved phil. this is a tragic and sudden loss and ask you respect our privacy. please keep phil in your thoughts and prayers. >>

nbc's kristen dahlgren has more on his promising life that was suddenly cut short. >> reporter: police in new york say the 911 call came around 11:15 sunday morning. an apparent drug overdose. hoffman was found in the bathroom of his west side apartment downtown, with drug paraphernalia and as many as eight bags of what is believed to be heroin nearby. the 46-year-old actor had wathd a public battle with drug addiction, and a reported stint in rehab last year after nearly two decades of sobriety. in 2002, hoffman appeared on "today." >> i think everybody struggles. i think that's part of what it is like on this planet. >> reporter: best known for his oscar winning turn as the title role in "capote," hoffman was a versatile character actor, famous for disappearing into his roles. >> you cannot make friends with the rock stars. >> reporter: from "almost famous". >> the helsinki job was mine. >> reporter: to charlie wilson's war, the big lebowski, and the mast, a role for which he was nominated for an oscar, a golden globe and bastia last year. he won young fans at the hunger games in "ca

for "today," kristen dahlgren, nbc news, new york. >>> today is the first day of black history month, an annual celebration of the many contributions african-americans have made to this country. >> and many of the leading figures in the black community graduated from washington, d.c.'s dunbar high school. over the past few decades, though, the school's sterling reputation has taken a hit, and now the current principal is determined to bring it back to what it once was. >> friends, i want to talk to you about the opening school at dunbar high school. >> reporter: for generations, washington, d.c.'s paul laurence dunbar high school was a magnet for america's black elite. >> so much was expected of you because you attended dunbar. >> reporter: founded in 1870 as the nation's first public high school for african-americans, it drew students from across the country. among its distinguished alumni, dr. charles drew, who helped create the modern blood bank, and jazz great billy taylor. >> i'm looking right in front of me. there's a civil rights attorney, there is a chief judge, there is a con

kristen dahlgren, nbc news, philadelphia. >>> and allow us now to show you the latest adorable animalvideo gone viral, featuring a 12-week-old polar bear playing in snow for the first time. he seemed to be nervous at first but then warmed up. zoo officials say these animals's play is not only important for play but for development. those little things still get you. cialis tadalafil for daily use helps you be ready anytime the moment is right. cialis is also the only daily ed tablet approved to treat symptoms of bph, like needing to go frequently. tell your doctor about all your medical conditions and medicines, and ask if your heart is healthy enough for sex. do not take cialis if you take nitrates for chest pain, as it may cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure. do not drink alcohol in excess. side effects may include headache, upset stomach, delayed backache or muscle ache. to avoid long-term injury, get medical help right away for an erection lasting more than four hours. if you have any sudden decrease or loss in hearing or vision, or any allergic reactions like rash, hives, swel

kristen dahlgren, thank you so much for that report. you know, this year's midterm elections are getting a lot of support for dinner reasons. the republicans may make history and they happen to be openly gay. i'll talk to one of them about what his campaign has been like coming up. plus -- ♪ and you let her go ♪ and you let her go >>> did you see it? it could be considered the most adorable super bowl commercial ever. we'll talk to ad week about the best and worst spots. plus, was one company drunk tweeting? okay ladies, whenever you're ready. thank you. thank you. i got this. no, i'll get it! no, let me get this. seriously. hey, let me get it. ah, uh. i don't want you to pay for this. it's not happening, honey. let her get it. she got her safe driving bonus check from allstate last week. and it's her treat. what about a tip? oh, here's one... get an allstate agent. nice! [ female announcer ] switch today and get two safe driving bonus checks a year for driving safely. only from allstate. call an allstate agent and get a quote now. just

for today, kristen dahlgren, nbc muse, new york. >> today is the first day of black history month. an annual celebration of the many contributions african americans made to this country. >> and many of the leading figures in the black community graduated from washington d.c.'s dunbar high school. over the past few decades their sterling reputation has taken a hit and the current principal is determined to bring it back to what it was. >> friends, i mainly want to talk to you about the opening pool at dunbar high school. >> reporter: for generations, washington d.c.'s paul lawrence dunbar high school was a m magnent's black elite. >> so much was expected of you. >> reporter: founded as the first public high school for african americans it drew students from across the country. among the alumni, dr. charles drew and jazz great billy taylor. >> there's a civil rights attorney. there is a chief judge. there is a congressman. there's an artist. >> right. >> that's a lot to live up to. >> reporter: principal steven jackson hopes every one of his more than 600 students will live up to the

>>> the kristen dahlgren wraps -- the dalai lama wraps all a bay area visit. >> one man killed in a fatalirfield. why police say he was an innocent bystander and two other drivers may be to blame. ,, one of the best things is that millions of peopleia will qualify for financial assistance. it's important to remember that the lower your annual income, the greater financial assistance you will receive. enroll today at coveredca.com. [boy] mom!ughs] [mom] yes? [boy] whoa,whoa,whoa... [mom and dad] [laughing] [boy] whoa,whoa,whoa... [mom] you've got two left feet,boo. get ready for a night of monster taco madness - ster taco fans! when two new monster taco flavors from jack in the box face off. introducing - the bacon ranch monster taco, crushin' it with strips of bacon and creamy ranch versus the nacho monster taco, comin' hard with nacho cheese and jalapeños! monster, monster, monster tacos! too much? needs an explosion. february 24th. i'm frank mallicoat. . >>> an innocent driver caught in a street race has died. witnesses say a driver in a toyota coupe and a pickup truck killed an infinit

. >> thank you very much, kristen dahlgren. >>> some prisoners are being offered terms for early releaseonviolent drug offenses. as the obama administration's deputy attorney general explained last week, many low level nonviolent drug offenders who remain in prison who would likely have substantially lower sentence if convicted of the same charge. we're joined by dafna linzer and daniel greenberg. he's now special counsel. welcome to you both. >> thank you. >> dafna, what did the attorney general announce last week and what are they trying to achieve in. >> it's a big signal from the obama administration that it is willing to exercise the president's pardon power here, use clemency as a way to release people stuck in the sentencing disaster that are serving sentences that with a bipartisan agreement they should no longer be serving. he's asked the bureau of prisons to get involved in the clemency process. give us list of inmates. you know them best. who are best suited for this, who have good records in prison. what i think is a little bit surprising for some people is that there are so

we're going to get more on this story from kristen dahlgren, what's the latest on this?t up in the hype around tonight's big game. some parents are hoping their kids don't become inspired by the players they see. questions about the safety of the sport are coming into focus again as former players open up about the serious injuries they've sustained playing the game. long-retired super bowl mvp joe namath is adding his voice to those warning about the dangers of football. >> there were areas in my brain that the cells had ceased or quieted down tremendously, and we were concerned a bit. so i have had some treatment and i feel great. >> namath follows former packers quarterback brett favre, who spoke to matt lauer on "today" late last year. >> to me, the wake-up call was that deanna and i were talking recently and she was talking about our youngest playing soccer. i don't remember playi inhim playing soccer. >> even president obama has said if i had a son, i would not let him play football. now a new poll finds many agree. 40% of americans say they'd encourage their child

nbc's kristen dahlgren joins us with the story. ten, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, savannah. take a look, you can see a memorial growing here outside philip seymour hoffman's apartment. this was an actor who could play so many different roles, appeal to so many different people. this morning, all shock that he is gone. fans of philip seymour hoffman could only watch as new york police sealed off his greenwich village apartment. the actor, just 46, dead of an apparent drug overdose. according to police sources, hoffman was found by a friend in the bathroom. >> he was found in a t-shirt and shorts with a needle in his left arm, and envelopes nearby that are believed to have heroin in them. >> reporter: hoffman was known as an actor's actor, he could disappear into almost any role. from his oscar winning turn in "capote," to lester bangs in "almost famous." >> you take drugs? >> no. >> smart kid. >> reporter: he appealed to younger fans portraying plutarch heavensbee in the "hunger games: catching fire." the role he w

kristen dahlgren, nbc news, new york. >> a man who launched many, many careers.ted about the weekend as i am? hopefully. we have showers on the way. we really need the rain. we' we'll hit about 61 in san francisco. getting to your valentine's day, looking good all over the area. what we are expecting in san francisco is overall good. and still manning on showers as we head into the weekend mostly late saturday night into sunday. . and guess what? it's time for a new version of al's russian class. >> all right! >> yeah. brand spanking new. the other one was only three days old. so we're bringing it back. our students are snowboarders, kaitlyn farrington and kelly clark and we've got hannah teter and -- >> no, meredith. >> and meredith. sorry. >> i thought you pointed to her and said "hannah teter." >> easily confused. >> this is a new version of the so, ladies, and you folks at home, how do you say congratulations in russian? >> couldn't tell ya. >> any idea? >> this is the new version of the game? >> new version. >> i like the old version. >> give us some tips. >

kristen dahlgren spoke with her about how she's doing now. rning. >> good morning, erica. what a remarkable little girl. now, some eight months after two transplants, sarah is doing great. she still has challenges, but she also has a message of hope. >> can i swim? >> no. >> reporter: for 11-year-old sarah murnaghan, a snow day spent playing inside with her siblings is a miracle. >> am i brown? >> reporter: less than a year ago, she was in a hospital, her lungs riddled with cystic fibrosis. >> out of breath. >> reporter: given just weeks to live. >> i thought she was going to die. >> reporter: sarah was just 10. but in a case that drew national attention, her parents had to go to court to have sarah put on a transplant list for patients 12 and up. >> she told me to never, ever give up on her. >> reporter: sarah is still a fighter. when a judge ruled the guidelines should change for her, she received two double lung transplants. the first set failed. the second surgery worked. now back home with her family, sarah showed me the tough physical th

kristen dahlgren, nbc news, new york. >> so sad and all of the warning signs that were there ahead ofe. it is devastating. i hope it it does draw attention to this problem because it is widespread. >> you are following a remarkable story to a plane crash. >> the pilot of a small plane being called a hero this morning for possibly saving of lives of dozens of people on the ground as the plane went down and it crashed north of nashville, tennessee. approximately 300 people were inside the y at the time and none of the people onboard the plane survived. witnesses reported seeing the plane bank hard to the right just seconds before it then crashed into the ground, possibly avoid further tragedy. >>> all eyes are on wall street this morning just one day after the biggest point drop in more than seven months. cnbc's kayla tasche. >> stocks rising slightly after dropping on fears that the u.s. economic recovery could be losing steam. the concern, construction activity and car sales at gm and ford. growth in jobs could be weakening like we saw in december. it comes as the federal reserve pump