right now nbc's peter alexander is back with us. at press conference. peter, what are we expecting to hear here? >> well we hear from tom brady a short time from now, as you reported. nbc news was first to report that tom brady had actually spoken out to his teammates earlier today. those teammates telling me inside the locker room during a prescheduled meeting that bill belichick traditionally heads up tom brady effectively took the mic and told them that he does like the footballs a certain way, and he encourage them, like he would be to focus on next week's super bowl. here's more of our conversations with some of tom brady's teammates inside the locker room a short time ago. >> do you have faith that tom brady had nothing to do with the balls being underinflated? >> i'll tell you one thing. if bill said he doesn't know what's going on if bill doesn't, you know -- >> did tom? >> if bill said he has no idea, you know, what happened then that's all that matters. >> do you have faith that tom brady had nothing to do with the balls be

peter alexander, nbc news, washington. >>> and we are back in a moment with the new list out tonight you don't want any part of. something millions of americans are doing wrong on a daily basis. >>> terrible news out of pennsylvania where a college student was found dead in her dorm room this weekend, and this could be a warning to us all. the initial evidence indicates she fell asleep with chewing gum in her mouth and died after aspirating it. 21-year-old chenise clark was a native of toronto, college basketball player, 6-foot forward. her death has officially been ruled an accident. >>> while the damage continues from the electronic attack on sony pictures, the film that apparently sparked the whole thing has at least made back the money it cost sony to make it. the seth rogen comedy "the interview" has made $46 million so far, mostly via online pay-per-view. production costs were $44 million. the damage to the studio, however, is a harder number to calculate. >>> the folks who complete the yearly list of the worst computer passwords are out with their picks for 2014, and the top t

peter alexander, nbc news, washington. >> and that's our broadcast on a thursday night.hank you for being here with us. i'm brian williams. we, of course, hope to see you right back here tomorrow evening. goodnight. >>> nbc bay area news starts now. >> well i'm very sorry that she decided to retire. it's a loss i think. but god bless her for her decision. >> right now at 6:00, a political shake-up. senator barbara boxer is stepping down. what it means for the state and the legacy she will leave behind on capitol hill. good evening and thanks for joining us. i'm janelle wang in for jessica aguirre. >> and i'm raj mathai. it's been a legendary run. and now her 22-year run in the senate is over. tonight, why barbara boxer is calling it quits, and the jockeying for position to replace her. nbc bay area's michelle roberts begins our coverage of this political shake-up. good evening, michelle. >> good evening. i spoke to her family. they say she has been anxious to get home and spend more time in california. but still two more years left in the senate. she'll be working on imm

peter alexander, nbc news. >>> we're joined tonight by our political director and moderator of "meet the press," chuck todd. chuck, what just happened here and what does this do to the race? who benefits? >> the campaign is moving so fast candidates now drop out before they actually announce. so that's one part of this. look, i think what happened is the starting gun actually went off on this campaign. and we now know the field. mitt romney getting out actually means this field is set. and this is good news for jeb bush. this is good news for wisconsin governor scott walker. and it's even some hopeful news for a guy like chris christie who's trying to find a place in this race. you saw the graphic there. there are 13 different candidates right now that are fairly serious about running. but i do think that romney looked around and realized i don't know if i can get through this primary gauntlet. and the businessman, the bain capital mitt romney looked at the analytics and said he couldn't do this. now we look and this is now the race for staffers, the race for money. don't expect any

peter alexander, nbc news, washington. >> and that's our broadcast on a thursday night.hank you for being here with us. i'm brian williams. we of course hope to see you right back here tomorrow evening. good night. >>> lights camera access. >>> oh my god! >> how did he end the show? >> something a little odd happened. he said -- >> what do you have to say to your accusers mr. cosby? >> a smile and a song but did

we'll talk to peter alexander about what to expect from the speech tonight at 6:45. tom is here with a check on the forecast. >> good morning. starting off early this morning we are cold with temperatures down into the 20s and our nearby suburbs. head to the bus stop this morning we'll have remaining colds as well through 8:00 this morning. address accordingly waiting for the bus. mid 20s between now and 8:00. between 8:00 and 9:00 partly cloudy and hovering around freezing. after that we'll see our temperatures taking a nice jump. right now most of the suburbs in the mid to upper 20s to near 30 around the bay. and in downtown washington. there's the capitol under a partly cloudy sky. by noontime mid 40s and all the way up to 50 by 2:00 or 3:00. back down to mid 40s. a look at the walk to work forecast. that's coming up next weather and traffic on the 1's at 6:41. >>> breaking news on the road. >> still have the problem breaking news in springfield. talking about the outer loop of the beltway as you approach 95 here in virginia. two left lanes are getting by. hov exp

peter alexander, nbc news washington. >> and that's our broadcast on a thursday night.hank you for being here with us. i'm brian williams. we of course hope to see you right back here tomorrow evening. good night. >>> jennifer lawrence back on and getting serious with chris martin. >> now on "extra." ♪ ♪ extra, extra ♪ >>> they hooked up they broke up now they're getting together again. the new j. law/chris martin headlines today. >>> new video, bill cosby faces the cameras. his tv wife phylicia rashad and her message to cosby's accusers. >>> ben roasting himself, melissa slimmed down ellen bowing down to part ya. >> you guys look amazing. >> the fashions the blunders at the people's choi awards. >> i'm so sorry, i forgot to thank you. >> then -- >> we're inside the golden globes ballroom with adam glassman. who is the one to watch fashionwise this sunday? >>> jennifer lopez curvy women everywhere. >> for so long women with big hips or a big butt were considered fat. >> her new mission to help women embrace their booty. zblchblts plus amy poehler doing a golden globes w

peter alexander, nbc news, washington. >>> and we are back in a moment with the new list out tonight you don't want any part of. something millions of americans are doing wrong on a daily basis. f was huffing and puffing... kind of like you sometimes, grandpa. well, when you have copd it can be hard to breathe. it can be hard to get air out, which can make it hard to get air in. so i talked to my doctor. she said.. doctor: symbicort could help you breathe better, starting within 5 minutes. symbicort doesn't replace a rescue inhaler for sudden symptoms. symbicort helps provide significant improvement of your lung function. symbicort is for copd, including chronic bronchitis and emphysema. it should not be taken more than twice a day. symbicort contains formoterol. medicines like formoterol increase the risk of death from asthma problems. symbicort may increase your risk of lung infections osteoporosis, and some eye problems. you should tell your doctor if you have a heart condition or high blood pressure before taking it. grandfather: symbicort could mean a day with better breathing.

we get our report on this tonight from our national correspondent, peter alexander. >> reporter: sheila is already fed up with the irs. the victim of tax refund fraud twice. she spent years trying to get her money back and her identity restored. >> frustrating, scary, aggravating, and time-consuming. i was constantly on the phone, here at work at home. >> reporter: frustrations like hers will likely get worse this year. in this alarming e-mail the irs commissioner recently warned five straight years of budget cuts will leave more americans at risk because new taxpayer protections against identity theft will be delayed. the irs also predicts it will only be able to answer only half of the 100 million calls it expects from taxpayers this year. and those who do get through could wait 30 minutes or more to talk to a real person. the agency insists fewer staff members means fewer audits. that could cost the government at least $2 billion in revenue. and tax refunds for paper filers could be delayed. skeptics will suggest you're raising alarm bells because you want further budget cuts. >> we'

for more let's turn to nbc's peter alexander, who's in the middle of the action in foxboro. moved this presser up a full day. what are folks around there including the players making of that? >> it's a good

. >> i'm peter alexander alongside sheinelle jones and dylan dreyer. the hostage drama may be over, but the people of france cannot rest yet because of the fear of the potential for more. >> there's also one suspect, a woman, who remains on the loose. hundreds of troops deployed to help the thousands of police and other security forces on patrol. top government officials are stormed into a printing factory where they took a company manager hostage as s.w.a.t. teams surrounded the place and helicopters flew overhead children from nearby schools were first sheltered inside and then finally ushered out and away from the danger zone. the drama unfolded beneath the flight path of de gaulle airport, where a runway was closed and flights diverted. in paris itself more terror. hours before the jewish sabbath, a gunman bursts into a kosher supermarket firing. holding more than a dozen people hostage. >> all of the people that were here knew something very, very bad was going on. >> reporter: president hollande called it a terrifying anti-semitic act. police ide

peter alexander gives us a look. >> reporter: the digital age is a sight for sore eyes. hours staring at computers tablets, smart phones. more than 90% of americans are at risk for what the vision counsel calls digital eye strain. how is that for an eye opener? >> your eyes feel restless. it's like you feel like you have been watching a tennis match. >> reporter: it has reached epidemic proportions. the hardest hit, millennials with nearly seven in ten reporting symptoms. >> my eyes start to water. >> my eyes feel irritated. >> reporter: even neck and back pain. a person blinks 18 times a minute but stare at a screen it slows down. >> we are seeing more of that with all the new devices. >> reporter: some of the best advice to reduce eye strain limit screen time whenever possible. 20 20 20 rule. 20 minutes take a 20 second break and look at least 20 feet away. another idea? adjust the brightness on your screen. that's easy on the eyes. peter alexander, nbc news, washington. >>> the hunt is on for two men wanted in one of france's deadliest terror attacks. mounting tension

. >> i'm peter alexander alongside sheinelle jones and dylan dreyer. the hostage drama may be over, but the people of france cannot rest yet because of the fear of more. >> and one suspect, a woman remains on the loose. hundreds of troops deployed to help the thousands of police and security forces on patrol. top government officials are calling for quote extreme vigilance. >> lester is live in paris for us with a look back at the drama. lester you were near the grocery store. what is the latest this morning? >> reporter: peter, i think anyone who has been in paris the last several days had to wake up with a certain amount of relief. the fact is speaking to people on the streets of paris, there is a sense of dread and people are frightened about what may come next. let me show you the papers. this one essentially says "horror until the end." this one says "resist." think about the toll since wednesday. 17 innocent lives taken. three terrorists killed and a region traumatized after one horrific day. it was terror in split screen. two hostage dramas 20 m

peter alexander reporting. the scandal isn't over yet. rice has a grievance hearing where he is demanding she due $4 million he lost when he says he was unfairly fired by the team. >>> u.s. department of justice is wading in carefully in to the fight over the name of the washington football team. the d.o.j. did not take an official position but said it will support the u.s. patent and trademark office decision to strip the team's trademark protection. the team has challenged the decision and the department of justice says it will defend it. >>> well koalas it is animal time. koalas are in desperate need of mittens after the wildfires in australia. several koalas have been rescued from recent fires and are recovering but others had to be put down. >> the animals are at con stabt risk during wildfires and die from burns or dehydration. my goodness. so cute with those mittens. >> they have figured out how to use devices to measure drought. instruments placed on the ground can measure the depth of snow and soil moisture. those devices use gps

. >> peter alexander. >> peter alexander. >> nice to see you. >> that's what happens when you're readingr. >> good morning, guys. just ahead here on a saturday morning on "today," peter with us because lester is still live in paris this morning. he will join us from paris with the latest on the investigation this morning into those terror attacks, the nation understandably on edge this morning. there are new details about the gunman behind these duel hostage dramas. possible links to al qaeda and up to sped on that massive manhunt currently under way for their alleged accomplice. and we'll take a look at whether or not that could happen here at home. >> a question people are asking this morning. >>> also truly terrifying video from that massive chain reaction pileup on a michigan interstate involving nearly 200 cars. we will show you what it looked like as it happened. >> hollywood getting ready for the biggest night of the year golden globes of course. did the globes website accidentally reveal a couple of winners? we'll have the story on that. >> not good. plus dylan will tell us how l

peter alexander, nbc news, washington >>> and attention walmart shoppers. you can now pick up your tax refund in cash at any walmart the program is calmled walmart direct to cash. sets you back about $7. you have to file taxes with a participating tax preparer and check that option. >>> following several developing stories for new a few minutes. maryland governor-elect marion hogan sworn into office. a live look from the maryland state house in annapolis. watch ewing using the nbc washington app. chris gordon is there and sleel reports this afternoon beginning on news 4 at 4:00. >>> this afternoon, federal investigators will brief congressional lawmakers in our region about metro's underground emergency. both lawmakers and the ntsb will hold separate nfs conferences tonight around 6:30. stay with us for updates. >>> the area is under a winter weather advisory until six tonight. snow falling in the northern and western parts of our area for over an hour now. a look at grace falls, a few minutes ago. look for live updates throughout the afternoon on nbc 4. >>

peter alexander is in glendale phoenix, the site of where super bowl is going on. >> reporter: this storymore business air. the debate over deflate-gate may be whether you believe that a patriots locker room attendant could have deflated 12 footballs in 90 seconds. it comes down to a bathroom break. the nfl interviewed a locker room attendant by deflate-gate. security sources showed him taking the football into a bathroom for 90 seconds before bringing them on to the field shortly before the game. >> 90 seconds is more than enough time if you zip it open and if you have a needle it doesn't take much time to make a significant reduction in the air in the football. >> robert kraft who came out in strong defense of his team on monday. >> we expect hard facts as opposed to circumstantial leaked evidence. >> reporter: he responded to tuesday to richard sherman who called kraft's friendship with nfl commissioner roger goodell a conflict of interest. >> richard sherman called you out with your relationship with roger goodell, what do you think about that? >> i think he is a smart, marketing whiz

ronan. >> nbc news national correspondent, peter alexander. we want to bring in peter newman of kings college, and our friend and msnbc editor of large of the atlantic, steve clemens. steve, let's talk about one of the headlines out of these remarks from president obama. he was hammered again and again on iran policy being criticized for reluctance to impose sanctions. how is that going to be play out in politics? critical for democrats for being too soft on iran? >> i think it's going to be a confusing mess in congress. but what the president did is showed what a steady hand and how vested and informed he is in the iran activities. i tweeted out i was completely impressed with the level of detail he had and how steady he was and how confident he was in his call to congress to give him the two or three more months to keep them -- if you guys don't do this war will be on your watch, and you'll be responsible for it. and to preempt that he'll make his case to the american public. i thought he was impressive with that and david cameron really shor

this isn't, you know, no one is dying. >> that was nbc's peter alexander reporting for us. the new england patriots of course take on the seahawks in glendale arizona, nine days from now. and there is only one place to see the game and all the much talked about commercials, all right here on nbc 10. and nbc 10's keith jones and comcast sports net's john clark leave for arizona this weekend. john is already there. he'll bring us live team coverage leading up to the big game. >>> happening today, president obama will speak at the u.s. conference of mayors in washington and also host a reception at the white house. the mayor including michael nutter will meet with cabinet members to expand partnerships between cities and the federal government. the nor'easter that is headed in our direction is bringing rain to the south. weather channel meteorologist mike seidel shows us what is happening in atlanta. >>> good morning, renee. from what was a wet friday morning rush hour from the metro area and the southeast, light rain right now, but traffic here on the downtown connector, that

here's nbc's peter alexander. >> reporter: fresh off november's republican rout -- >> we are going to make them squeal! >> reporter: the grand ole party is eager for a new start. >> i do think we need to work together, i think that was the failure of harry reid. >> reporter: among incoming senate majority leader mitch mcconnell's main goals for his party, don't be scary, telling "the washington post," i don't want the american people to think if they add a republican president to a republican congress that's going to be a scary outcome. their first test whether john boehner can hold off tea party conservatives challenging his speakership and the controversy over steve scalise, the house's number three republican, still defending his speech to a white supremacist group 12 years ago. on monday white house aides pounced. >> who republicans decide to elevate into a leadership position says a lot about who -- what the conference's priorities and values are. >> republicans will push to pass the keystone pipeline and fight the president over immigration. republicans know there's a lot on the

so that was peter alexander reporting.ter of patriots quarterback tom brady also in hot water. banned from post season play. serra high school team is on probation until the end of the 2016 season. the organization is upset about the school's last-minute decision to forfeit a consolation playoff game against milpitas last month. serra will now have to pay back more than $6,000 to cover the game officials' cost and concession revenue as well as gate receipts for the game. their football coach tells the mercury news he backed out of the game for the safety of his players. they said the school's decision to not play undermines the foundation of that organization. >> backed out very shortly before the game. >> a new warning for unvaccinated tourists planning to visit the happiest place on earth, after a measles outbreak that began in disneyland in california spreads to yet another state. proof that when it comes to this contagious virus, it is not a small world after all. >> for these disneyland visitors, the trip's all about

whether he can do it or not, that's another subject. >> and that was peter alexander reporting. reaction to the president's speech was mixed. here in the bay area but some groups are feeling energized. education advocates say the president brought his a-game. they were pleased with where he stood on social issues as well. they also believe his vision for free community college would benefit everyone. >> increase in competition for jobs because you still come out with a degree. and the more the competition, the better you have to be to get the job. >> i think he was just very honest, like completely different from the past state of the unions. he was very honest. >> others we spoke with felt that the president might have left a few things on the table, for example, some say he didn't do enough to forward his agenda on immigrants rights. you can see the president's full address and the republican response on our website, nbcbayarea.com. you'll find a link at the top of the home page. >> a new study finds millions of americans are keeping financial secrets from their significant ot

nbc's peter alexander reports. >> reporter: sarah palin is fighting back with a message for peta. chill. the feud was sparked by these photos that palin posted last week of her 6-year-old son trig who has down syndrome stepping on the family dog to reach the kitchen sink. her message read, may 2015 see every stumbling block turned into a steppingstone on the path forward. a day later peta pounced saying she had no sympathy for the dog and the animal rights -- of this bizarrely callous woman. >> they say the difference between a hockey mom and a pit bull, lipstick. >> once john mccain's vice presidential attack dog sank her teeth into peta this weekend. at least trig didn't eat the dog. did you go as crazy when the heroic man of your lifetime barack obama revealed he actually enjoyed eating dead dog meat? and highlighting this photo of another child stepping on a dog posted by ellen degeneres' show last summer. did you get all wee-weed up when she posted this sweet picture? palin has been up front about the challenges raising a child with special needs. >> when we hold trig and whe

peter alexander shows us who else could run. >> that sure escalated quickly. almost overnight, the republican field appears to be filling up. >> we're a nation beset by anxiety. >> during his state of the state address, chris christie seemed to be targeting a wider audience than just new jersey. >> we need a new jersey renuvl and an american newrenewal. >> a protester who heckled christie at an event last fall. but this time no confrontation. the 2016 field is shaping up to be both crowded and unpredictable with mitt romney apparently back on board after two losing campaigns. an adviser tells nbc, i would be surprised if he didn't run. and romney is set to speak at a republican national committee meeting in san diego this week. a romney reboot could put him on a crash course with jeb bush. >> it would be a messy race more about whose turn is it romney or bush rather than who is more conservative? >> does romney deserve another chance? >> it's a very open process. may the best person win. >> but kentucky senator rand paul said the party needs to move beyond rom

nbc national correspondent peter alexander is in phoenix with the latest. good morning. >> reporter: erica, good morning to you. this city is certainly ready and so the nfl right now. barely 36 hours until they kick off in the super bowl and as spectacle as it is it wrapped up what the commissioner acknowledges has been a tough season. the latest challenge he noted, deflategate. here's where things stand. bothth teams have now handed over 54 footballs to be inspected and approved tomorrow before the game. but those balls right now are safely in the hands of the league. on the eve of america's biggest sports event, several days of unusually wet weather here in the arizona desert hasn't dampened the excitement of fans. >> go hawks! woohoo! >> reporter: but the league continues to deal with a storm of its own, deflate-gate which roger goodell said will be investigated fully. >> this is my responsibility to protect the integrity of the game. i represent 32 teams. all of us want to make sure that the rules are being followed. >> reporter: with a season dominated

our report tonight from nbc's peter alexander. >> reporter: already the 2016 race is looking as crowdeds it is unpredictable. at times today new jersey governor chris christie sounded like a man who would rather be giving a state of the union address instead of a state of the state. >> i heard it from farmers in kansas and from teachers in colorado. i felt it from veterans in maine and from workers in arkansas. >> reporter: a pair of competing political dynasties will collide if jeb bush and mitt romney dive in. both men were expected to take a pass, especially romney, after a stinging 2012 defeat. >> i'm not running for president. i said that so many times. >> reporter: now get ready for romney 3.0. a romney adviser telling nbc news today, i'd be surprised if he didn't run. and bush is aggressively courting donors. >> go to right to ride pac.org. >> skeptical republican voters are looking for the shiny new car. and they don't see it in another bush, and they probably don't see it in a romney third race. >> reporter: still more conservative republicans believe the party needs to break a

presentation that will be made tomorrow by a woman by the name of rebecca alexander who when peter alexander of nbc his sister who is very accomplished. she has a retinal degenerative disease and she is losing her vision and her hearing. the book is not for me to way and she talks about what's necessary for personal resilience which is not to look back. the question is can you comment about personal resilience? >> yes as i said i'm a psychologist so my journey in thinking about resilience started their and of course people who had faced the kind of adversity that you talk about our import narrator's. my effort is really to create and all of us more resilient people so that you don't have to feel only after we face adversity. there are numerous personal examples in this book that really do reflect a row at individuals responding effectively that thank you. >> thank you. >> thank you. my name is alex and i'm an innovator in residence is florida university. my questions whenever there's a disaster social media plays an increasing role. they're all kinds of social media activities. what are your

peterer alexander hases that and other storieses. good morning. >> good morning. pope francis arrived safely in manila after an approaching storm changed the pontiff's travel plans. anne thompson joins us from the philippines with the latest. anne? >> reporter: peter, i think the only thing that could rival pope francis for attention in the philippines is the weather. it forced changes in hi schedule today. it threatens tomorrow's mega mass. it could be a water logged mess. the main reason for the pope's visit to the philippines was to spend time with the victims of typhoon haiyan. he flew to tacloban as the storm approached. instead of spending the day in the recovering area the pope was forced to cut short the trip but not before celebrating an emotion that will mass. thousands of people in yellow ponchos, as was the pope listening with tears in their eyes as he told them he had to come to see them. he put aside his prepared homily and spoke from the heart saying these people are not alone and though they have suffered greatly, god will not let them down. the sa

nbc national correspondent peter alexander is outside gillette stadium in foxborough with the latest. peter, good morning to you. >> reporter: matt good morning to you. neither the patriots' wicked genius coach bill belichick nor their golden boy quarterback tom brady has been able to silence the team's skeptics. as of late thursday four days after the story broke, brady surprised fans and frankly everyone paying attention saying that he still hadn't been contacted by nfl investigators. with the pressure on the patriots mounting three-time super bowl champion tom brady was forced to play defense. >> i didn't alter the ball in any way. >> reporter: just days after laughing off the controversy -- >> would you care to weigh in on that? >> i think i've heard it all at this point. >> reporter: -- brady was hit hard with tough questions. >> can you answer right now, is tom brady a cheater? >> i don't believe so. i mean i feel like i've always played within the rules. >> reporter: but those answers didn't quiet his critics including several former players on espn. >> i did not believe what t

here is nbc's peter alexander. >> reporter: before crews get the sweptingeping away the confetti. >> the political rerun. >> reporter: consider the names. bush clinton, paul. obama announced his candidacy 21 months before election day. >> i stand before you to announce my candidacy. >> reporter: people need to move quickly to get the sugar daddy, the donors with deep pockets. hillary clinton had an e-mail announcement which was a fund raising letter for the family foundation. clinton's inner circle indicates she may not announce until spring which could throw a wrench into democrat's plans. >> the biggest issue for hillary clinton is coming up with a message. a real reason she is running other than she is hillary clinton. >> reporter: among republicans, jeb bush is actively exploring a run. this week resigning all of his corporate and non-profit memberships, including with his education foundation. chris christie says he would discuss it with his family over the holidays. ted cruz has never been shy about his ambitions. a recent twitter issue with cuba with rand paul and marco rubio

here's nbc's peter alexander. >> reporter: before crews could finish sweeping away the 2015 confetti, world has moved on to 2016. >> 2016 is going to be the year of the political rerun or the spin-off. >> reporter: just consider all the familiar names in the mix, bush, clinton, paul and plenty of others. time is of the essence. barack obama announced his candidacy a full 21 months before 2008's election day. >> i stand before you today to announce my candidacy for president of the united states of america. >> reporter: analysts say potential candidates need to move quickly to lock up support from that political sugar daddy, donors with deep pockets. who will show their cards first? just this week hillary clinton jolted 2016 watchers with this e-mail announcement that turned out to be a fund-raising letter for her family's foundation. clinton's inner circle indicated she may not announce either way until spring which could throw a wrench into other democrats' plans. >> the biggest challenge right now for hillary clinton is coming up with a real message, a real reason that she is runnin

i'm joined by keir simmons in london and peter alexander from the north lawn. y to have a shared and very close joint statement against terror. >> that's exactly right and given the headlines in recent day, there's new urgentcy for remarks the individuals will make today. david cameron behind closed doors has been pressing the press about efforts to try to beef up surveillance efforts, specifically cyber security and specifically beyond that the efforts to have american companies, those like google and facebook offer a backboor entry way for intelligence efforts to try to keep track of terror cells around the world. you and chuck had an important conversation earlier in the hour, the discussion about dismantle and destroy. that's what the white house and this administration has said its focus has been and it's one they have been successful in. there are a lot of people around the world, certainly those in europe right now who are concerned that strategy may not be succeeding in the way they would desire roughly 3,000 westerners, it's believed have headed off as

let's go live to phoenix and peter alexander. good morning. >> reporter: jose, good morning to you.already here in a short time he is head of department of homeland security tasked with keeping the country safe and secure from national security threats. he is going to tour the facility at 12:00 local time. 2:00 your time alongside nfl chief security officer. just a short time ago yesterday, the commissioner of customs and border protection agency also made it clear that some of the objects often used to enforce border in this country will be brought here includes black hawk helicopters and truck sized x-ray machines often used in locations, one of the busiest port of entries for commerce in dallas, that allows them to check some vehicles that travel in and around the area near the university of phoenix stadium. a lot of focus on security now as they lead up to what is each year the most watched television event in the country. >> nbc's peter alexander in phoenix. thank you for being with me. >>> developing now, i want to take you back to the courtroom in rock hill south carolina aft

peter alexander, don't worry about the weather. it's pretty much the same in miami.or more reaction let's head to san francisco. the cofounder of the movement called us tired too to raise awareness for the 43 missing students. what a pleasure to see you. thank you for being with you. >> happy to be with you, jose. >> now tomorrow also with the visit of the president of mexico. what's the message behind the protests? >> the message is simple. it's a message taken to heart by more than 35 million people of mexican decent live mexican dissent living in mexico. stop funding a government that according to your reports is calling for suspension of aid to the mexican government. the same government that has seen a 600% increase in torture since 2007. the same government that the tour said needs to decrease not increase the military. and the same government that our own statement department says ha resume rights problems. even our own media in some cases. the "washington post" has shown maps of mexico a map blood red because of all the mass graves there. >> and you've been w

. >> nbc's peter alexander is following the u.s. response at the white house right now. peter, as we mentioned we heard from president obama just this past hour he talked about helping to hunt down these terrorists. what else are you hearing in terms of the american response? >> well want to give you a sense about the situation for americans who are presently overseas. we spoke moments ago with a top senior official. she is the president's top adviser on counterterrorism and issues of homeland security. and she says that while security has increased at diplomatic posts and embassies over the course of the last year, there hasn't just been no change at the u.s. embassy in france but really no change at embassies across that region throughout europe right now. she indicated there is no actual intelligence, at this time no threat that they are aware of to u.s. personnel or u.s. sites throughout europe right now. as for the military installations throughout that region, as well for my colleague at the pentagon right now. we are hearing that at this point, no decision has been

we check in now are erika hill and peter alexander for more of what they're working on. good morning. >> good morning to you. just ahead ear on a saturday morning on "today," he will get us up to speed with the latest investigation into the terror attacks. new detail tons hostage drama and how it played out and the gunmen behind the ties to terrorist organizations al qaeda and isis. also get you up to speed on that massive manhunt under way in france for their alleged accomplice. and whether or not a similar attack could happen at home. >> also ahead, some terrifying video of that massive chain reactionkzction pile-up involving nearly 200 cars. we will take you there as it happened. >>> and hollywood gearing up for one of the biggest nights of the year, the golden globes of course. the official website for the globes accidentally reveal a couple of winners. >> what? >> oh, no. >> not supposed to happen that way. >>> all that plus dillon will tell us how the cold weather is going to last safe to say too long. >> i think that's fair. >> we'll have that right here on "today

we have nbc's peter alexander with the latest. good morning. >> reporter: erica, good morning. this city is ready and so is the nfl. barely 36 hours until kickoff of super bowl. it hasis as much spectacle as sport. and it has been a tough season for the commissioner. here is where things stand. both teams have handed over 54 footballs to be inspected and approved tomorrow before the game. those balls right now are safely in the hands of the league. on the eve of america's biggest sports event, several days of unusually wet weather in the desert hasn't dampened the excitement of fans. the league continues to deal with a storm of its own. deflate-gate which roger goodell said will be investigated fully. >> this is my responsibility to protect the integrity of the game. i represent 32 teams. all of us want to make sure the rules are followed. >> reporter: goodell acknowledged it has taken a toll. >> it has been a tough year on me personally. it has been a year of what i would say humility and learning. >> reporter: the league has promised more security for the game balls on sunday

. >> nbc's peter alexander is live at the white house. the president expressed great support for france, which has been a key ally in the war against the islamic state and against terrorism. talk to us about the white house's -- what the white house is preparing to do next. >> reporter: specifically of france, joishgs he said this is america's oldest ally. those words echoed by the secretary of state in both english and french. then the president himself, president obama now traveling to detroit as part of his scheduled trip. we'll tell you some new information we're hearing from homeland security officials who say right now there is no credible or specific intelligence that would indicate any threat here in the united states. and beyond that any threat at any of the u.s. embassies or diplomatic posts in europe right now. while security has increased at embassies in europe and overseas in the last year nothing new today is being done as a result of this attack. a senior u.s. counterterrorism official tells nbc news this will take time. it

peter alexander reports. >> my fellow americans -- >> when president obama lays out his to-do list tonightpublican led congress. he's previewed several policy changes, plus pays sick leave, community college tuition as well as tax hikes for the rich and cuts for the middle class. and he'll surely hit that familiar refrain. >> about the state of our union. the state of our union is strong. it's strong. getting stronger. >> our new poll just out overnight shows more americans are now satisfied with the economy that at any time in the last decade. the president mfs job approval has improved to 46%, with nearly half of americans approving of his handling of the economy, the most since his first year in office. if the president had a stiff wind in his face for most of 2014 our pollsters say he now has a slight breeze at his back. still, that doesn't guarantee a massive audience. 52 million tubed in in 2009 but just 33 million last year. which may be why the president is turning to youtube stars for preand post speech interviews. >> president obama is going to have a conversation with me. >> inc

here's nbc's peter alexander. >> reporter: sarah palin is fighting back with a message for peta. chill. the feud was sparked by these photos that palin posted last week of her 6-year-old son, trigg, who has down syndrome stepping on the family dog to reach the sink. her message read may 2015 see every stumbling block turn into a path forward. peta pounced, insisting palin had no apparent sympathy for the dog, and the obliviousness of this bizarrely callous woman. >> they say the difference between a hockey mom and a pitbull, lipstick. >> reporter: once john mccain's vice presidential attack dog, she sunk her teeth into peta this weekend. at least trigg didn't eat the dog, she wrote, a reference to president obama's admission he tried dog meat as a child in indonesian. did you go as crazy when barack obama revealed he actually enjoyed eating dead dog meat and highlighting this photo of another child stepping on a dog posted by the group's past woman of the year ellen de generous. did you get all wee weed up. palin has been up front about the challenges of raising a child with spec

throughout "the rundown," and i want to start with nbc's political reporter glenn murray and peter alexander who covered the last romney campaign. gentlemen, good morning. mark, start with you. we know the call will happen. do we know if mitt will announce? >> well, what we do know is he's holding a conference call with some of his closest supporters and advisers from his past presidential campaign run. and the hunch is and jose this is not a certainty. the hunch is he'll continue to pursue the presidential bid he's been hinting at for weeks now and but we don't know for certain. what we do know is this jose -- that the ground underneath mitt romney's feet has actually started to shift in the last few days. just yesterday we learned one of his top iowa strategists david kochel is said to be jeb bush's presidential campaign manager, if bush decides to make his expected 2016 presidential bid. and we also can tell you my colleague chuck todd has reported one of the people invited to be on this romney conference call today is already planning to work for jeb bush. and so if mitt romney wants to

pete alexander, are you still with me? i wanted to get a sense from peter, having been on the campaign trail what this feels like for mitt romney right now. chuck, i know you covered him for years and years, and interviewed him certainly. what is he feeling now? is there a sense do you think of relief? of great loss? >> i think the only sense of relief is probably with ann. look i think mitt romney wanted this. i think he wanted this so you know look i assume he's going to -- i think this is going to be a hard decision to live with for quite some time particularly as he watches the campaign go on as he watches issues he believes he knows in hindsight he should have prosecuted better perhaps on foreign policy. i don't think this is an easy decision for him. he go back to something, he is a very personally driven man. and i think this was an easier would have been easier in some ways for him to run. i think it was a hard decision for him to look here and admit that he couldn't do it or wasn't worth the toll that it may take to do it. i go back to john mccain.

i'm peter alexander in washington, in for anndree andrea mitchell.mocrats with a road map for the next two years and beyond in his state of the union address, rallying his party with a little improvisation to boot. >> i have no more

peter alexander is standing by at the white house. th the vice president and the secretary of state. you saw john kerry there as well picking up right where we were before the president spoke, we have now heard from a senior u.s. counterterrorism official who reiterates the fact that right now there is no confirmation of who's responsible, no group has claimed responsibility. in the words of that counterterrorism official "this will take time." however here national security staff at the white house has been in contact throughout the course of this day with their counterparts in france and certainly senior administration officials are well aware that the group isis has been aggressively trying to recruit sympathizers in the west but at this time they say it's too early to tell who's behind them. >> peter alexander, our thanks to you for that report today. >>> we'll myung-bak withback be back with any developments throughout the day. visit our web site >> and that's your latest weather. >> al thanks a lot. if you ever need someone to ca