breathe right >>> hi, richard louis with the top stories.fornia in search of potential evidence ducked by the san bernardino shooters. investigators say the two shooters atempbted to cover their tracks before killing 14 people earlier this month at an office holiday party. officials have arrested 23-year-old carl dial on hate crime charges. he set fire to a mosque yesterday during afternoon prayers. no one was hurt in that. now, back to "lackup." >> announcer: due to mature subject matter, viewer discretion is advised. >>> morning in the sacramento county correctional facility. >> a hodgepodge of buildings, fences and razor wire. the compound looks and feels more like a state prison than a county jail. now it functions as such, thanks to a recent law that diverts thousands of convicts here all of these inmates will some day be released to the streets of sacramento. so the new law brings significant funding for reentry programs in hopes to providing them the help they need to not return. >> i had no real motivation. i see now that help is out

this is just one of the reasons, richard that, st. louis is a target for the flooding right now.ugh the first part of january, we're going to talk about areas south of st. louis. all that water is flowing down the mississippi into the gulf of mexico. >> a very large, slow moving wave. again that, flooding you're talking about, in the days to come. thank you so much. >>> also today, what we're watching, certainly a lot to talk about in politics and who else involved in that but donald trump? you better get ready to see even more of the republican frond runner as he promises to launch a massive ad blitz in several key battle ground states. we'll also see him in an hour as he holds the latest rally in hilton head, south carolina. nbc's senior political editor mark murray joins us now. this ad blitz that we are hearing from donald trump, he is talking about it in ways where he thinks it's going to make a big difference. will it? >> you know, richard, i don't know if it's going to make a huge, huge difference. i think what is extraordinary is that donald trump got to this stage and ha

louis now underwater. >> you have more water, higher water than in 1993. richard: hundreds of roads and bridges closed, including 20 miles of i-44. >> we thought this is it. richard: but nothing like this. 16 million people in the flood zone, 24 killed, most of the deaths people trying to drive through high, fast-moving water. >> normally stuff comes in and you have a week or so to prepare for what's going on. this is instantly here. richard: some have been incredibly lucky. rescue workers pulled this man from on top of his pickup. look at all the water spilling out. >> it's already dangerous. we have had a number of deaths. we are trying to manage the situation and save lives. n illinois woman taking cell phone video as floodwaters surround her home. hundreds of volunteers are sandbagging in the st. louis area, trying to contain the high waters as residents scrambled to evacuate. >> we are just time to get the rest of the stuff that we can get out of here that's important to us. richard: the u.s. army corps of engineers says floodwaters have topped nine levees. m

richard. i hate to be the bearer of bad news, but, here we go. it's monday all over. particularly in chicago, st. louis, little rock. over towards nashville. anywhere you see the green, look for blinding rain, scattered showers, big-time travel delays. mother nature will not just pick on the midwest. it's going to pick on the northeast as well. that front pushes through. it will bring with it more travel delays and in the midst of very warm air, it will be a spring-like shower with heavy downpours in the middle of december. back to you. richard? >> i do like paul's passion. >>> we turn now to new details in the investigation of the san bernardino massacre. after a three-day search, the fbi has finished dragging a nearby lake. still no word if they have found the missing hard drive belongi to syed farook and tashfeen malik. and now there are new questions about why screeners, who let malik into the cocountry, overlooked her social media accounts. on facebook, she discussed how she wanted to be p part of a violent jihad. >>> the fbi is investigating vandalism at two mosques in southern california. treati

richard pend pender with the rivers pointe fire district. i want to go to the mayor of union, missouri, which is west of st. louis, and not too far from west alton, the area north of st. louis that is facing the flooding as well. thank you, mayor, for being with us. tell us what is happening in your area. >> well, we have had record-breaking down flood, because we went about a foot over our 1982 flood, and that is the record. you know, we topped out at about a foot above that, and we have just received word that we did crest, and that is a good thing, so that the water is starting to recede, and now we can get to, once we get back into the communities, and get back into the homes, and get back to help them recover. there's a lot of water. >> there sure is. we are seeing the live pictures, and i don't believe that you can, but we are looking at the live pictures out of, i believe moments ago out of union, missouri. there where you are. and you said it is a foot over what you saw in 1982. you are trying to get back into the homes. >> correct. >> and the river has crested, but have you seen any levee breaches or hav

richard. this is an ongoing event on into january. but the immediate threat sarnd the st. louisrea and just to the south like girardeau. 48 cities are at the major flooding point. we're watching closely for those area to kroes. and elsewhere, we're watching snow. the cold air can't hold the moisture anymore. as soon as that air mass comes back over land, it dumps snow. so how much snow will we see? what a way to end the new year. we're getting a lot of snow, 6 to 8 inches north of jamestown and into ithaca you'll get up to 6 inches so you'll have to shovel out on saturday, as we start the new year. we're looking at temperatures that are still pretty comfortable in the northeast but much colder in the northern plains. we're expecting temperatures at times square to drop done to the low 40s. that's pretty comfortable compar compared to years past. we're welcoming the cold, 26 in chicago, 28 in minneapolis, 31 in denver. this cold air will come in eventually to the east. it's going to take a few days or maybe a week or so but we'll get there. >> i don't mind a little dollop of cold

louis, we're not expecting a record crest on thursday but we are certainly getting up well above major flood stage. richardd into thursday and friday, last day of the year, first day of the new year, this will be a huge concern for those who live along the mississippi. >> bonnie schneider, thank you for the latest on that. as bonnie was talking about as we look at big swaths of the country being effected with be this also means that a lot of folks across the country will be fine and traveling and trying to get from point a to point b flying. to new york's laguardia airport, nbc's kristen dahlgren is there for us. unfortunately, folks are now having stories about being delayed and not getting where they want to go. >> a lot of people just sitting around, some sleeping here at laguardia airport because they say they have no chance of getting out maybe until tonight, maybe until tomorrow. for some people. you may look outside and say, well it is raining in new york and where ron is, it switched over to rain, why are there so many delays. but it is such an interconnected system. these delays and cancellations

richard. i hate to be the bearer of bad news, but, here we go. it's monday all over. particularly in chicago, st. louis, little rock. over towards nashville. anywhere you see the green, look for blinding rain, scattered showers, big-time travel delays. mother nature will not just pick on the midwest. it's going to pick on the northeast as well. that front pushes through. it will bring with it more travel delays and in the midst downpours in the middle of december. back to you. reena? richard? >> i do like paul's passion. >>> we turn now to new details in the investigation of the san bernardino massacre. after a three-day search, the fbi has finished dragging a nearby lake. still no word if they have found the missing hard drive belonging to syed farook and tashfeen malik. and now there are new questions about why screeners, who let malik into the country, overlooked her social media accounts. on facebook, she discussed how she wanted to be part of a violent jihad. >>> the fbi is investigating vandalism at two mosques in southern california. treating them as hate crimes. both were spray-painted and a ha