and we have a saying at 30 rock -- you don't mess with al roker! this is "way too early." >>> it's true, you don't mess with al roker. when you unite sam champion and al roker, it's like, weather powers unite. hi, good morning. i'm thomas roberts. it's wednesday, january 15th. and we start with this, the potential reach of the national security agency into our personal lives just got a little bit larger. "the new york times" reporting the nsa has used surveillance technology to infiltrate roughly 100,000 computers worldwide. now, the software, which utilizes a secret channel of radio waves can transmit data, even if the computers are not logged in to the internet. the nsa calls this digital pathway a "active defense" against foreign cyber attacks. so far, there is no evidence the nsa has used this technology here at home. now, the agency is not commenting on the extent of this program but says it does not compare to similar ones used by the chinese government. now, on friday, president obama is expected to announce several changes to the nsa. among

it's called roker.ront of a lamp, look angry. >> what's weird about that one? >> oh, my goodness. oh, my gosh. >> okay. >>> let's go inside to natalie with a check of the top stories of the morning. >> al always makes it fun around here. in the news this morning, three men are under arrest accused of starting a campfire that may have sparked a massive wildfire just 30 miles from los angeles. the fire spread quickly thursday, destroyed at least five buildings. it was 30% contained overnight. and some of the 3,700 people ordered to evacuate are being allowed to return to their homes. >>> wildfires have forced hundreds of people from their homes in southern australia. a record-breaking heat wave there has generated dozens of fires in the past week. the temperature topped 104 degrees in melbourne today for a fourth straight day. at least one death is blamed on the fires. >>> today, president obama's announcing new restrictions on the nsa's electronic surveillance programs. and they include changes on how da

i'm al roker.new year off with hoda kotb. >> who is better than al roker? i am so thrilled to be here. i've always personally loved this parade. al, you can feel the excitement surrounding us on the street. >> i got to tell you, we've got millions of folks here that will be seeing exceptional floats, bands, equestrians and celebry theies like they never before. >> vin scully totally personifies the dreams come true thing. when he was 8 years old he told his teacher, i'm going to be a sports announcer when i grow up. >> he was absolutely correct. one of the best. the rose parade began earlier this week. a nice ride from the jackson limousine company. >> these beautiful flowers were provided by ftd. they keep our nbc booth in splen or the. >> i know you love rose. >> hey, hey. >> instead we have roses. the festivities begin. take a look right now. here they come. oh my gosh. the united states air force thunderbirds from luke air force base in arizona celebrating their 60th anniversary. amazing. >> th

when you unite sam champion and al roker, it's like, weather

al roker is here in the studio with us for that tonight. good evening. >> well, brian, thank you so much. again, the polar vortex, the main parts are still up around the north pole, but little areas of clippers coming around this piece that is broken off will keep reinforcing this cold air. look at what we expect tomorrow morning for overnight lows, international falls, 29 below, thursday morning, nine below in cleveland. 15 in roanoke, going all the way down to atlanta, 24, charleston, 29. and you can see by friday morning we get another big jolt, 13 in atlanta, four below in chicago, five in boston, seven in philadelphia. four in international falls. then we moderate for a bit on saturday so temperatures are not quite so bad. but then the next really strong jolt comes in. atlanta, 21, by tuesday morning, look at atlanta, 19, cleveland, one below, boston, four, chicago, six below. international falls, the big winner or loser depending on how you look at it, brian. 25 below, and that will be our pattern for at least the next ten days. you h

al roker is here in the studio with how bad this gets and how far south. al? >> well, brian, i've been doing it for 35 years, i don't ever remember something this widespread this far south. and it's not going to get better for at least the next 24 hours. this arctic outbreak of brutally cold air is all due to the phrase we've all come to know and love over the last 24 hours, the polar vortex. it usually is up over the north pole. a weakening jet has let it break loose and come down to the south. it's basically an arctic hurricane funneling the clockwise winds. here's what we're looking for tonight. as the system makes its way down to the south, dangerously cold air all the way down into southern georgia and parts of northern florida. marquette tonight will feel like 35 degrees. 16 below in roanoke. 13 in new york city. chicago, 35 below. tomorrow morning's lows, wednesday's morning lows, look at this. it will feel like 3 below in new york city. roanoke, 10. 11 below in chicago. do we get some relief? well, here is what happens, by late in the week this polar v

al roker with the dangerous weather affecting tens of millions. >>> flu warning. it's that time and reported cases are spiking. now widespread in half the country. we'll get the latest from dr. nancy snyderman. >>> a big change istore for one of the most popular breakfast cereals in our country. and why many consumers demanded this one. >>> and "making a difference." we return to the boxing gym where making the grade is as important as making champions. "nightly news" begins now. >>> good evening. a good many of our viewers tonight, especially those in the northern reaches of this country are experiencing the coldest temperatures in two decades. yes, it's winter, and a certain amount of this is to be expected, but a lot of records are falling as the line of cold weather is falling to the south. it will shortly be in the 20s in places like nashville and atlanta. given the sheer size of this storm as seen from space, it was bound to bring weather to a lot of places and it delivered. we have it all covered inside and out beginning again with nbc's ron mott in boston.

. >>> for more on this storm, we're joined in the studio by al roker. al, i'm thinking we worry about terrorism. this is 2.6 inches of snow, and the largest, busiest airport in the world. biggest city in the south. who is telling the truth here? the public officials who say the weather models were different, or the meteorologists who say it was there all along? >> brian, i'm showing you the timeline and you and folks at home can decide. this is the winter storm warning on monday afternoon issued just south of atlanta. but early in the morning at 4:53, the atlanta metro area added a winter storm watch by the national weather service. now, move ahead and now we're into atlanta's metro area, upgraded to a winter weather advisory monday evening. tuesday night, overnight tuesday, 3:38 a.m., winter weather advisory, upgraded to warning, a full eight hours before the snow started. and as you watch on the radar, you will see it move in and engulf atlanta. 2.6 inches. there was plenty of time to make those adjustments for any kind of snow removal. so you decide.

. >>> as for the track of the storm, al roker is on the plaza here at 30 rock where he can attest to the windchill numbers. if you are watching from florida to phoenix you're probably wondering what the fuss is unless you are waiting on a flight from the east. >> that's it exactly, brian. this ripples out and will continue to ripple out. we are seeing snowshowers in new york. as you look at the wide view of of the radar, you can see it spreads from new england all the way back to the midwest. heavy rain to the south. snowfall amounts so far just outside chicago, 18 irges inches of snow. cleveland and cincinnati, three inches. butler, p.a., six inches. 3.5 inches of snow in boston. by 9:00, philly, new york city, boston all involved. washington, d.c. as well. as we move into the overnight hours we see this system moving offshore intensifying, bringing in strong winds, blizzard conditions, winds of 35 miles per hour or more. visibilities of a quarter mile or less. by 6:00 a.m. friday, systems merge into one. we still have heavy snow in the morning rush, then it moves out. but it's stil

. >>> as fate and luck would have it, al roker is in washington tonight with a look at more on where this storm is headed. hey, al, good evening. >> where you go, brian, i go. we will continue to follow this weather. it stretches from texas all the way to new england with watches, winter storm watches, warnings and winter weather advisories all the way into the northeast and new england. the latest radar shows not only an icy mix stretching across the gulf coast on into the southeastern atlantic and the outer banks, but we're also going to see light snow here in washington all the way up to new york city. here's what's going on. cold air pushing in, so the storm intensifies along the coast as these low pressure systems move up, and bring with it a lot more ice, snow right along the coast, stretching all the way to new york, boston, washington, d.c. and by early tomorrow morning, the ice storm ends and in the outer banks it will start to clear. look at these snowfall and ice amounts. up to a quarter to a half inch in the southeast. and as you get into the carolinas, we're talking abou

al roker in the studio. al, thanks. >>> and in columbia, maryland, the mall that was the fatal scene of a shooting, still not known why the suspect brought a shotgun into the mall. he went up to the second floor and killed two employees in a skateboard shop before taking his own life. >>> tonight a royal caribbean cruise ship is on its way back to port in new jersey two days early after almost 600 passengers on board, dozens of crewmembers came down with a stomach virus. health officials from the cdc boarded the ship yesterday in the virgin islands to assess the situation. the decision to end the voyage was made after consulting with the cruise line's own physicians. >>> with ten days to go until the games, the olympic torch today went through dagestan, the region where the greatest threats to the games have come from. the russians have been cracking down there with both the torch and the games now approaching. our chief foreign correspondent richard engel is there again for us tonight. >> reporter: it was t

al roker outside for us tonight. thanks. >>> late today we learned the president of the united states and the president of russia have spoken by phone. as concern grows over terrorist threats against the upcoming winter olympic games in sochi, opening ceremony again just 17 days away now. tonight there's word that one of the suspected terrorists has already been taken out. we have two reports beginning with our chief foreign correspondent richard engel in moscow tonight. richard, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, brian. on the one hand, russia says that there is no security problem, that everything is under control. but it also says that several suicide bombers are on the loose, many of them women. ♪ >> reporter: the olympic torch headed closer to sochi today. russian officials worried terrorists are trying to race there too. and that even the torch relay itself could be a target. over the next three days, very specific intelligence and six specific suspects seen in new wanted posters. potential suicide bomber

. >>> al roker is at the map again tonight with the forecast and a status update for us. >> the good news is, we've seen the worst of it, it's just about over. 24 hours ago, temperatures were 42 degrees warmer in caribou. the polar vortex is finally starting to break its grip, we have one more dangerous morning of bone chilling windchills. chicago it will feel like 13 below. you get to new york city minus 8 below. no windchill in washington, d.c., and if we head to the south, can you see temperatures not so bad. it will feel like 17 in atlanta, 20 as you make your way into further parts of the south. the good news is, that arctic air will be retreating, the polar vortex moves away, and we get more of a zonal flow by friday. 39 cleveland. d.c. 45, atlanta 47. on saturday, near 60 in washington, 55 in new york city. temperatures actually a little warmer than what they should be at this time. chicago will be -- it's a veritable heat wave with a temperature of 37 degrees. >> al roker, thank you for being with us again tonight. >>> we have late word tonight of a fatal avalanche near vail,

roker? >> let's look at what is going on for our friends out west and we have a system making its way in to the pacific northwest. seattle, a little on the wet side as the sun comes up. showers, rainy, cool, temperatures up into the low 50s as the day progresses. out west, chillier. they will be looking at light snow in boise, idaho. salt lake with snow. 63. warmer in los angeles. 73. it is warmer in los angeles than phoenix. denver is partly cloudy skies and 76 degrees. the cold air is finally starting to relinquish its grip. icy conditions making their way from oklahoma on into arkansas. look for wet weather throughout eastern texas. a gorgeous day through the chilly side. atlanta today, the high is about 43 degrees. we wil >>> good morning. happy wednesday. taking a live look at san francisco, as al referred to as friscoing they don't like that here. we are going to end up in the 60s. a good looking day shaping up for most of the day bear. it will be colder than yesterday fluz degrees. yo

roker who has a lot more on this weather. >> that's right.e're watching this very tightly wound up storm getting itself together. as it does, it's leaving in its wake a lot of snow and cold air. you can see it now just getting off the coast. still now, parts of boston and on into the northeast. we're looking at snow. we're also looking at cold down in atlanta. let's start off with our buddy mike seidel. he's in plymouth, if not technically a blizzard, for all intents and purposes, blizzard conditions. mike? >> reporter: it is. we have winds off the harbor in the atlantic, gusting 35 to 40 miles an hour. this is a powdery snow with temperatures in the teens. the real problem is drifting. basically, bare ground. look at this drift i'm walking through. this is about a two-footer. in town here in plymouth, we have 4 to 5 foot drips. warnings in cape going until 1:00. in plymouth county we've had 15 inches of snow. you throw it up and it blows everywhere. all schools are shut down. logan airport they've canceled a third of their depar turs, 130 fl

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no, my app. >> listen to the app, not al roker, meteorologist al roker. >> trust me.a quiz or anything. my friend lisa promised we were going to have a snow day on a quiz day. great. this is great. no, we had to go to school. >> there probably will be no school tomorrow. but today. >> is it worse in the boston area? >> from here, long island, coastal massachusetts and new england, blizzard warnings are up for long island in coastal massachusetts. >> a man already died, didn't he? he was in a truck, his car -- swerved. >> it's going to be a big deal. >> you said 108 million people. that's more than a third of the country. al will have the full forecast coming up in just a few minutes. i want to hear more sitting next to hoda two hours hosting the parade. >> we hosted the rose parade. i will give you a sense of the flavor. this bind i have will show you how we prep for this. take a look at this vine. [ music playing ] took a whole lot of chill i hear ♪ beat the summer breeze [ music playing ] >> that's nellie. >> getting amped up for the parade. >> yeah. we were off and

al roker is at the map again in the studio with the forecast and a status report on all of this. al? >> the good news is we are seeing the worst of it. it's just about over. 24 hours ago, temperatures were 24 degrees warmer in caribou. 14 crease warmer in washington, d.c. the polar vortex is finally starting to break its grip. so we have one more dangerous morning of bone-chilling temperatures and windchills in the upper great lakes. you can see chicago, it will warm up. it will feel like only 13 below. only 2 below in columbus. new york city minus 8 below. no windchill in washington, d.c. and as we head to the south, you can see temperatures not so bad. it will feel like 17 in atlanta. 20 as you make your way into further parts of the south. but the good news is that arctic air will be retreating. the polar vortex moves away. and so we get more of a zonal flow by friday. 39, cleveland. d.c., 45. atlanta, 47. and on saturday, look at this. near 60 in washington. 55, new york city. temperatures actually a little warmer than what they should be at this time. chicago is a veritable

do not mess with al roker. >> don't cross al roker. >> well, he was predicting this monday.the roads. this happens so infrequently where they get this kind of storm and ice, they don't have the resources that new york -- they don't have 1,000 trucks they can send out on the street. i'm not defending them. they shouldn't have sent the kids to school to begin with. that's one then. and they could have pretreated some of the roads. but they're, frankly, incapable of handling something like this. >> joe, didn't you live in atlanta? >> i did. we go back there regularly. you know, i was born and lived there for a while. and i remember even as a young kid, you know, you get the frequent ice storms that would shut the entire place down. but it was a very long time ago. i mean, the traffic situation in atlantas willie said, and willie lived there, as well, i go back and visit all the time, the traffic situation is deplorable. it is a city that -- i mean, people commute all the way up -- up to buford. i mean, they live on i-75 and 85 and 285, and again, in the best of circumstances, i

campaign manager al roker. ford was the first one to show up when the registration opened up on thursday. he faced intense pressure to resign last year after admitting to smoking crack memorably in a drunken stupor. he told reporters, my track record speaks for itself. >>> a whale watching group in southern california got their money's worth on thursday. check this out. the group was looking for great whales in the channel eyelids but they found something even better than. a pod of orkas. seven of them. they put on a great show. the group followed the pod for the next two hours. >>> for the first time in more than a decade there's concerns that football fans in three nfl markets may not be able to watch their home team's playoff games on tv. cincinnati, indianapolis and green bay all have until today to sell out their games or risk a blackout. it seems the at home flat screen tv experience is taking a toll on ticket sales. >> wow! >> that would be a big deal, especially in green bay where these fans live for th

roker, what can we expect from this thing? >> we've already seen it out our window and taking a look at washington, d.c., looking at the white house, that lawn will be covered in white in the not so distant future. we will see snowfall rates at about an inch an hour. about 80 million people affected in the area's blizzard warnings and winter storm warnings, advisories and watches for today. here you can see the snow already moving in and just getting into washington and down toro an oak, charleston and new york. this system is developing into the mid atlantic and spreading east of new england, more heavy snow, d.c. to philly and we will have one to two inches of snow per hour and what we call bombogenesis. it's like a bomb that dumps-y snow. early tomorrow morning the bitterly cold air arrives. basically the polar vortex sending that polar area and wind gusts of up to 50 miles per h r hour. snowfall amounts will be anywhere from 5 to 12 inches of snow from new york on into parts of new england. we'll be looking at that snow re

. >> later on, you are the busiest girl in the world, hosting along with al roker, the hardest working man in show business, the 125th annual roses parade. are you excited? >> yes. i've never done a parade. >> al is the perfect person to do it with. i've never seen al discouraged or down or cynical. >> always in a great mood. >> he's always, hey, hey! sometimes it's annoying. but mostly we just love the guy. have fun, sweetheart. >> thank you. it's hangover time. and you might be nursing one. they say that the number one choice for a hangover is -- >> in america. >> -- in america is more alcohol, apparently, a bloody mary. >> we're stupid. that's what most people will do, have one of those babies. all around the world, it's different. so, let's see. in the daily beast decided to round up a list of hangover cures around the world because they had nothing better to do last night. >> in germany -- >> yes. >> this is what they eat. pickled herring, wrapped around pickled cucumbers. and onions. >> then they stink for the rest of the year. russians like to go into the sauna. >> that makes se

casket fresh roker. >> casket fresh roker, ladies and gentlemen. >> watch your back. >> what's coldermagazine is sarah humphreys. >> we will show say room. tamron and i will guess the three dirtiest places. >> surprising dirty places. >> like the garbage disposal. >> the things we negligent. >> let's get started in the kitchen. tamron. >> the dirtiest place. >> the three places. >> microwave handle. the coffee pot and counter top because everything goes on there. >> okay. you were one of three. coffee maker. >> all right. cool. >> coffee maker is one of the dirtiest places, surprisingly. you may clean the filter, but oil from the grounds and mineral deposits from the water will build up over time. you want to do a deep scaling cleanse or use a water and vinegar rinse. >> the dog bowl. >> they say dogs mouths are clean, right? >> not my dog. my dog's bowl is clean. >> put them in the dishwasher every day. >> every day? >> every day. >> i don't think i ever put the dog bowl. >> put it in the dishwasher. the stove knobs. grease and gunk. >> moving into the bathroom. >> the sink. >> the b

look. >> roker. >> they're rokering. >> good heads. >> can you believe it's been 30 years now sinceemember the commercial? >> reporter: for the mac? yeah. >> anniversary of that was yesterday, big super bowl commercial. steve jobs made the first speech introducing the mac january 21st. >> got the bow tie, then went to the mock turtle neck later. the macintosh price almost $2,400. >> there was a floppy disk drive and everything. that was such a pain when you had to copy things and carry your floppies everywhere. >> that's right. yeah. yeah. >> yeah. so much better when it went to a hard drive. you almost did a danny thomas. >> lingers for three seconds. macintosh's original weight was 13 pounds. >> compare that to the iphone, less than 4 ounces. >> that is incredible. so we asked online -- >> you guys. >> what? >> what are you talking about? you're the one that said it? >> i know, but i didn't think that way. >> when are we getting the dark natalie? the little icon that comes up. >> natalie, of course, is wonderful, she's a great mom, a terrific journalist. >> the dark side. >> then

roker? >> actually getting better and better.e it's going to be dry, temperatures relatively temporate by game time. probably tie the coldest super bowl. maybe 32 degrees give or take, wind speed about 5 miles per hour. it'll be okay. >> what's the take away? would you put hot potatoes in your pocket? >> no, actually, hot pockets. >> all right. stepping it up a bit. >> and totino's pizza rolls. >> you going to watch the game? >> yes, of course. >> anybody going? >> no. >> no. >> no. >>> meanwhile, it does take a huge effort to keep that game safe. coming up, a special rossen report with rare access inside the unprecedented high-tech effort from the swamps of new jersey to the air over the city to secure it all. >> the swamps of new jersey. >> not like the bayou. >> there are wetlands areas. >> we can rebrand -- >> watch out for those alligators. >> the governor's going around in an airboat. >>> let's take a look at this morning's headlines. and there's a monster storm going to bring bitterly cold temperatures in the midwest and n

al roker said that yesterday on the "today" show. mayor bill deblasio admit more could have been done, and he's promised to speed up the cleanup. >>> a dramatic police chase ends in a shooting in northeast washington. this started in forestville before 6:00 last night. prince george's county police were responding to an armed robbery at a liquor store along walters lane. they say the suspects led them on a five-mile dhichase to 5 thd clay. the -- 57th and clay streets. the suspect took off on foot. at least one gunshot was fired injuring one of the suspects. two people were arrested. one is in the hospital. the officer involved in the shooting is on routinestrative leave pending an internal -- routine administrative leave pending an internal investigation. >>> police are looking for a person who shot and killed a 19-year-old in washington. the victim was found yesterday on howard road near bowen road, shut multiple time. police believe there was just one gunman. officers have not identified the victim. >>> a church in gaithersburg pu

hoda kotb and al roker will cover the road parade. i always love to have that parade on in the background maybe if you are making something special to eat, christina. >> good morning to you. that is a great parade. i have actually seen it live before. it is much better on tv, i think, personally, because it is cold out there. you don't get those great perspectives, those high cameras. temperatures are looking good in san jose. chilly out there. you can make out the swinglitwi lights in the distance. we have to wait for the sun to come out. temperatures are going to climb, nonetheless with the short days and into the 70s and close to it. a comfortable afternoon shaping up. this might not be comfortable. a lot of people choose to do it. the polar bear swim at aquatic park. 28 degrees. it will be milder, in the 50s. it will be cold out there. make sure you are ready to bundle up. a lot of people doing that. it is happening all the way until 1:00 p.m. we will see some high, thin clouds move in. as we wake up and meet back here tomorrow mo

the one thing you never want to do is go against al roker or weather reporters.often wrong. it is tough to predict weather estpel especially many days in advance. we are seeing obviously no one wants to take the blame. this is politicians 101. they never want to say they did anything wrong. the mayors saying this is not my problem. this has to be the governor's problem which there was a mishap in terms of coordination. they should take a step back. a little too late for that. this is a disaster. a friend left work at 6:00 p.m. and ended up getting homet at 11:00 a.m. the next day. he said he had to get out of his car because it was not moving. so many kids stranded. >> the facts add up on this. it was really crippling for a lot of people. i got on the phone yesterday with someone driving an 18 wheeler strachbded well over 16 hours and left the car and walked about four hours to get food and supplies. he walked by people including a pregnant woman and picked up out of his own pocket diapers and supplies and hachbded them back to those people, went back to the car.

back here in los angeles, i'm here with al roker.att and natalie in new york this morning. many celebrity friends we've made here in l.a. >> yeah. and amy adams was very emotional when she gave the speech and still very emotional when she came to us back in the one-on-one room. >> we look forward to hearing from her. the award show is topping our headlines this morning. "american hustle" walked away with best picture in comedy and musical. "12 years a slave" won in the drama category. and on the tv side, "breaking bad" was named best drama, matt. >> big roar in the room when that happened, savannah. >>> also making headlines, officials are trying to figure out why a southwest airlines flight landed at the wrong airport last night. it was supposed to land in branson, missouri. instead, touched down in a much smaller airport about seven miles away. and in his first interview since the massive breach of computer data, target's ceo tells cnbc he first learned of the problem on december 15th. he also vowed to make it right. we're going to

al roker with the dangerous weather affecting tens of millions. >>> flu warning. it's that time and reported cases are spiking. now widespread in half the country. we'll get the latest from dr. nancy snyderman. >>> a big change istore for one of the most popular breakfast cereals in our country. and why many consumers demanded this one. >>> and "making a difference." we return to the boxing gym where making the grade is as important as making champions. "nightly news" begins now. >>> good evening. a good many of our viewers

our weather dream team of al roker, sam champion, and dylan dreyer have it covered. >>> ahead, do you know the right way to hitch a trailer to your car? a "rossen reports" investigation shows a potentially deadly hazard on the roads. >>> then using selfies to redefine beauty. we'll talk to the oscar winner behi a powerful new documentary challenging women, especially teenagers to embrace their flaws. >>> those stories and a valentine's day edition of "steals and deals." >>> and martha stewart's ultimate super bowl party menu on a wednesday here on "today." back to you in washington. >>> 16 before the hour, the winter storm in its second phase. the snow has fallen, and we're focusing on the brutally cold temperatures. the numbers show how cold it feels outside now. and we have yet to top zero degrees. through the next 15 minutes, we'll have live coverage from the weather senior and in maryland, virginia -- weather center and in maryland, virginia, and the district. we begin with darcy singapore slick roads in -- darcy spencer on slick roads in maryland. >> reporter: we're in on decatur

. >>> you can see the rose parade with hoda kotb and al roker. they will cover from pasadena. it follows at 8:00 a.m. following a special one-hour addition of the "today" show. welcoming 2014 with new predictions for you. what some expect to see in the coming year. plus, the pope welcomes the new year as well. the message he had for the world during his first mass of 2014. passengers aboard that stranded ship near antarctica celebrate the new year together. the latest on the efforts to bring them home after this. >>> three, two, one, to the fireworks! there you go. the las vegas strip lit up with fireworks early this morning as the west coast welcomed the new year. not only was the stratosphere lit up by the fireworks were going at a number of other hotels. the treasure island hotel had its own display. there were lights behind the mini eiffel tower. russia's president is in the ci city of vogoglad. they talked about counter terrorism attacks after the attacks killed 34 people, one on a bus and a train station. russia prepares to host the 2014 sochi winter olympics. sochi is l

roker, what's happening in your neck of the woods?> well, we've got more on the fire danger natalie was talking about. here's the reason. out west, historical western drought affecting that area. in fact, as you look at the drought monitor right now, you'll see that we've got exceptional extreme drought throughout much of central california, lake tahoe to the north of los angeles. here's what's happened. normal weather pattern brings the storm track across on into california. they get their rain, their snow, it adds to the snow pack, adds to the rainfall. however, it's been a persistent ridge of high pressure for the last six months. storm track and the jet stream up north. they're getting no rain. your typical rainy season july 1st through today. 5 inches in fullerton, palmdale, but look at the deficits up to an inch below in santa ana. palmdale, 2 inches. and you go to the north, it's even worse, sacramento should get 8 inches, 11 inches in san francisco. right now, they've only had 2 inches in san francisco. 1 inch or more in stock

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jackson, magic johnson, nbc's al roker, and billie jean king. the president's birthday speech was said to be the highlight of the evening. the party went on until 2:00 am. >>> up next, they're back on the ice. the return of the jamaican bobsled team. >>> finally tonight, the upcoming olympic games will feature a comeback for a team that seems to be everyone's favorite underdogs. they come from a place that's better known for sand and surf than snow and ice. but the jamaican bobsled team is now qualified to race in sochi. >> look at the turn. world record! >> it's home to some of the world's fastest men and women on two feet, but while jamaica has plenty of places to run, what it doesn't have is ice. which is what makes the story of the jamaican bobsled team as improbable as it is endearing. and now, after failing to qualify for the last two olympics, the jamaicans are heading back to the games. >> knowing for a fact we're still alive, the jamaican bobsled team is still alive. >> 47-year-old olympic veteran and captain, winston watts, who came ou

. >>> al roker is tracking the storm. what can we see over the next few days? >> we won't see any relief until around thursday. you can see mike will be in the snow for a while longer in indianapolis and we're seeing ice start to form in central new york and central pennsylvania. here's what we've got. another three to six inches from indianapolis into detroit, into the eastern great lakes. some areas, 9 to 12 inches and ice, dangerous ice anywhere from a tenth of an inch to up a half an inch in central new england. here's what's going on. we right now have this polar vortex. this is brutally cold air from the center part of the arctic. it has now broken loose. think of this as an arctic hurricane. the winds in a counterclockwise direction pushing that brutally cold air all the way as far south as florida. in fact, 30 states are under winter weather advisories. they're under windchill warnings, windchill advisories, windchill watches from the dakotas down to texas and florida. chicago, by early tomorrow morning it will feel like 43 below. chicago schools are cl

al roker and natalie morales. i am tweeting out sound tracks of a generation.think the best sound track of all time, "saturday night fever." >> is that yours? >> the year was 1977. my suit was white, white flare on the legs and i stood against the wall because i still couldn't dance back then. >> a lot of hits came off that album. >> i wake up to the sound track every morning for the past 13 years. it's my wake-up. that's my alarm. >> and their sound still today carrying into the music that we're hearing and listening to. >> we'll talk to barry gibb later on. also more on those overnight terror arrests seven days away from the olympic games. >>> but let us start with our top story today. below-freezing temperatures ushering in another i da of potential problems across the south. this as officials in georgia face a lot of criticism over their handling of that storm. nbc's tom costello's in atlanta. tom, good morning to you. >> reporter: matt, good morning. 19 degrees here in atlanta. i've been on the highways and the byways, if you will, the other roads, and we'

here is al roker. >> the mayor and the governor got on tv yesterday and said, oh, this wasn't expected. and that's not true. we were talking about this monday, that this was going to happen. they took a gamble. they didn't want to pre-treat the roads. i don't think they wanted to spend the money and do what they needed to. then they told -- everybody started going home around noon. by 1:30, i 285, i-75, i-85 was a parking lot. and this was poor planning on the mayor's part and the governor's part. >> so there's plenty of blame to go around in atlanta. we want to know who you think is responsible? tweet us your best and most creative answers. we'll put those up later in the show. >>> republican congressman michael grimm has had another interaction with a local reporter, but this time it was an apology after this confrontation. >> let me be clear to you. >> i just want to ask you -- why? why? it's a valid question. >> i'm telling you. >> why? >> you're not man enough. you're not man enough. >> michael scottoa reporter, was trying to ask a campaign finance question. congressman grimm apol

janice is janous which means that al roker needs to careful where he stands. >> you don't want to getye of a winter storm anus. >> all right. regard ms of what you call it, the winter storm that crippled d.c. to new england is a real pain in the you noi what shutting down air, rail, and schools. so who got the worst of it? then once arising star, virginia's former goner and first lady face a laundry list of new corruption charges. can they avoid jail time? blame canada. rob ford caught on camera allegedly drunk singing and using a new accent and, of course, we have it for you. this is "way too early." >> hey, there everybody. good morning. i'm thomas roberts. it is wednesday, january 22nd. welcome to "way too early." this is the show where we prove that ice cream can still melt outside in these freezing temperatures. we'll explain that in the cooler. but now we need to navigate the weather that we have for today. the eastern seaboard digging out this morning after a monster storm that dumped more snow than expected in some parts of the country. the biggest cities just crippled. the na

. >> "wake up wit al" with stephanie abrams and al roker weekday mornings at 6:00 a.m.gs at 6:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. only on "the weather channel."ot cleaning. oh, boy. oh, boy. oh, boy. [ carmel ] that drives me nuts. it gives me anxiety just thinking about how crazy they get. [ doorbell rings ] [ daughter ] oh, wow. [ carmel ] swiffer wetjet. you guys should try this. it's so easy. oh, my. [ gasps ] i just washed this floor. if i didn't see it i wouldn't believe it. [ carmel ] it did my heart good to see you cleaning. [ regina ] yeah, your generation has all the good stuff. [ daughter ] oh, yeah.

and now al roker announces that it's not going to be freezing. >> it's going to be balmy. >> are youtic. 40 degrees is nothing. >> no rain, no snow, nothing. >> no rain, no snow. i went to the rangers hockey game last night, outside at yankee stadium. rangers versus islanders outdoors. yankee stadium. freezing. >> but everybody there, right? packed stadium. >> everybody there. and yet the brotherly love, the warmth of men huddling together. >> is that what it was? >> yes. you could feel it over beers and just in the elements. then i realized green bay packer fans are looking at us going -- you wimps. >> stop whining. >> are you going to be out in the elements watching the game or are you going to be cozied up somewhere? >> don't put me on the spot. i know where a box is if i need to get in. right now i'sitting outside, 40 degrees, that's nothing. >> by game night, yeah. >> are you guys going to hit any of the parties? are you going to move around this weekend or -- >> frank and i learned many, many years ago that if he wasn't calling the game and i wasn't performing at it, stay home.

matt lauer alongside al roker and natalie morales. one of the other stories we'll be talking about is an advancing of the story we brought you yesterday. this is great. it's touching people around the world. a sister letting her twin take her spot on team usa headed to sochi for the olympics. and tracy and lanny barnes are both with us live to talk about what really is a remarkable sacrifice. >>> right to today's top story, the biggest cheating scandal in air force history. this is tied to officers who work every day with nuclear missiles. and the key tests they must pass to hold their jobs. nbc's jim miklaszewski has the story from the pentagon. jim, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, savannah. their jobs in the military could not be more critical. after all, they're the ones who have their fingers on the nuclear triggers. now, 34 of those nuclear missile launch officers are being investigated for possible cheating on an exam. these are the very proficiency exams that they have to take every month to prove that they're u

. >> "wake up with al" with stephanie abrams and al roker weekday mornings at 6:00 a.m.gs at 6:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. only on "the weather channel."ot cleaning. oh, boy. oh, boy. oh, boy. [ carmel ] that drives me nuts. it gives me anxiety just thinking about how crazy they get. [ doorbell rings ] [ daughter ] oh, wow. [ carmel ] swiffer wetjet. you guys should try this. it's so easy. oh, my. [ gasps ] i just washed this floor. if i didn't see it i wouldn't believe it. [ carmel ] it did my heart good to see you cleaning. [ regina ] yeah, your generation has all the good stuff. [ daughter ] oh, yeah. plays a key role throughout our lives. one a day men's 50+ is a complete multivitamin designed for men's health concerns as we age. with 7 antioxidants to support cell health. one a day men's 50+. >>> we just heard the story from two professional football players and two wonderful men working together for the "characters unite." >> singing the theme of that campaign is david cory. >> yes. yes. >> how are you darling? >> you're from brazil originally, right? >> i'm great. >> i

we've got al roker in washington, d.c. this morning. matt's got the morning off, and boy, do we have a weather story. >> the news is the weather, and especially down south, the storm is so devastating. they don't have enough salt or plows to deal with this weather. >> they're not used to it like we are up north. things are so bad, a number of school districts issued shelters in place. nearly 2,000 students had to spend the night inside their schools, 600 in birmingham, alabama. 850 in marietta, georgia. >> six states from louisiana to north carolina have declared a state of emergency. and in georgia alone, crews have already responded to more than 900 accidents. >> what a day. well, our weather team is al, dylan dreyer, sam champion, have it all covered this morning. we're going to begin with sam down in atlanta. good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, savannah. the snow shutdown at 8:00 last night. here at 17th street bridge overpass. that is 75/85. the interstates get together. look at sky shot. the look at the road surface. t

i'm willie geist along with, look at this, al roker, natalie morales.f us have been here. >> december 20th was the last time we were all together on the air. >> you were skiing last week, right? >> yeah. had a great time in vale, fresh powder out there, kids had a blast. i heard you dragged your kids to a bowl game, though? >> i didn't drag them. we went to see vanderbilt play. >> with your children? with your children? >> the compass bowl. >> what does that mean? >> learn, al. bank or something. i don't know. we won. >> vanderbilt won. >> we beat houston, 41-24. >> more importantly, you dragged them through a snowstorm and you had to fly back when? >> we flew back saturday night. but friday was a tough day because friday was the snowstorm. we go to laguardia, christina's like, are we really going to do this? >> yes, we are going. >> vanderbilt fans, you owe him. >> face it, it was the bvbbb compass bowl. >> but we had a good time. it was tough getting there. saw our friends in birmingham. put on a great show. >> what about you, al? >> i've been working

. >> when al roker starts shaking over a weather system, like physically violently shaking you know it's going to be bad. >> how were the holidays? >> they were great. >> i'm so happy to be back here with you. last time i was here, there was a royal baby and i was doing shots on the air and trying to sabotage my future career here at the network. and a few days after that, they hired me on the "today" show. this real estate has been very kind to me and my family. i'm double fisted. my new year's resolution was to drink more. >> you've come to the right place. >> this is carson's plastic drink. and you gave these as christmas presents. >> i don't know what the bloody mary thing is. i just enjoy building a drink. it's nothing really special in the ingredients. i use a little sweet pickle juice. it's horseradish and a ton of vodka is really the key. it's really strong. it's not a hangover -- this is -- when i woke up yesterday i had one of these and i am like, i am going to have a hangover, but it ain't going to be today. i've been doing that the last 15 years. just punting. but pedialyte i

hoda kotb and al roker will cover the parade from pasadena. our coverage will follow at 8:00 a.m. 5:42 right now. the new year's baby who was born first. we have a good idea of where that first baby came in in 2014. we'll tell you where coming up. plus, we'll bring you the pope's message for the new year. that's after the break. >>> three, two, one, to the fireworks. the las vegas strip lit up with fireworks early this morning as the west coast welcomed the new year. not only was the stratosphere tower lit up, the fireworks were going at a number of other hotels along the strip. treasure island hotel had its own display. there were lights behind the minieiffel tower. >> let's talk about these newborn babies. there appear to be several firstborn in the bay. a baby girl born two seconds past midnight at kaiser permanente. she weighs 8 pounds, 7 ounces, 21 inches long. another baby born at 12:01 just down the hall at the same hospital. now, to san francisco, where a baby boy was born eight seconds past midnight at kaiser permanente, san francisco

his mom said he's a big cuddler who loves to be constantly held, just like al roker. he's our cuddler. >> congratulations to all of our babies, and if you want a chance for your baby to be a johnson's baby of the week, go to our website for details. >>> i have a fascinating story. there are a lot of kids who are bullied because they think they have a big nose or something is wrong with them, so some of these kids are opting for plastic surgery. they feel like i guess it's their only defense. i spoke to one little girl. take a look. >> renatta gave up hope the bullies would ever change. >> they'll just keep picking on kids. >> that convinced her she had to change. through cosmetic surgery. >> i had this operation done, it would probably change my whole life. in a good way, though. >> can a scalpel change how these children are feeling? >> i think we have seen it makes a difference. >> dr. thomas romo, a plastic surgeon, and his wife diane run the little baby face foundation, the group renatta and her mom heard about on the news. >> you take a child and change the way t

. >>> i'm going to kick it all off saturday morning with nbc's al roker, looking forward to that. all the latest news for the expo can be found on nbcwashington.com, as well as our new infone app., just search for health expo in the app. store. wen wendy? >> it's a lot of fun. >> it is. >>> the redskins have introduced that i new coach. how is he being received? we'll hear from a legend right after this. >>> new cars mean new safety options, but is it worth paying more? i take a crash course, coming presents... so delicious, they won't even know it's chicken. 50% less fat... 100% johnsonville taste. >>> a lot of fans may be reserving judgment until they get to know more about the new coach jay gruden. >> but if a few former greats are right, that could soon change. mark segraves joins us leave. >> reporter: i am right here fedex field, where coach jay gruden will be leading his team next season. while he comes from a famous football family, he's not as well known as his super bowl winning coach brother. jay gruden is no stranger to professional football. having played and coached