the "today" show starts right now. good morning. one-two punch. the second powerful nor'easter in a week, slamming the east coast right now. nearly 50 million people facing heavy snow, high winds and dangerous conditions. this morning's commute, already a mess. thousands of flights canceled or delayed, with a new wave of power outages and flooding expected. we have it all covered. over and out. another member of the president's inner circle resigns. economic adviser gary cohn stepping down, amid a fight over terrorists. the president shrugging off another tough departure. >> people say, well, nobody wants to work for trump.

everybody wants to work in the white house. >> this staff shakeup could rock the markets. stormy daniels sues donald trump over a hush agreement to buy her silence. she says she should be free to tell the story of their alleged affair. this morning, her attorney speaking out in a live interview. cracking down. what the u.s. government is saying about the deadly airport attack on kim jong-un's brother. tough love. an nba star reveals his struggle with mental health. why it's time to get serious about the issue. and bad idea. a driver decides to run from police, only do get hit by his own car. the not-so-great escape. today, wednesday, march 7th, 2018. >> from nbc news, this is "today," with savannah guthrie and hoda kotb, live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. and good morning, everybody. welcome to "today."

nice to have you with us on a wednesday morning. it's going to be a messy one for tens of millions of us up and down the east coast. >> if you look north of new york and scarsdale, it's snowing there. some power lines are down. and it looks like this thing is going to get worse. >> we're just at the beginning of it. how bad is it going to get this time? we have full coverage for you. we will start with mr. roker at the large weather wall because there's so much weather to cover. >> this is storm chaser 4 in milton, new jersey. the roads are wet. but the snow is coming down and it's going to keep going. you look at the radar. you can see two-thirds of the country, nothing going of. if you're traveling, a lot coming through here. the low pressure has started to develop and make its way up the coast. 48 million people under a winter watch or advisory. here are the impacts we are expecting right now.

heavy snow. it will be today into tonight, at some point, 1 to 3 inches per hour. the storm, it looks like it will move further east. that moves it closer to the coast. philly, 5 to 9 inches. hartfo hartford, connecticut, 8 to 12 inches. albany, 8 to 12 inches. worcester, mass, 12 to 18. portland, about 12 to 16 inches of snow. there's other impacts of the nor'easter. we'll see strong winds ago. boston and montauk, 40 to 50 miles per hour. 30 to 35 miles per hour in new york. we have coastal impacts. the strongest risk is for today. airport delays up and down the i-95 corridor, it will be a mess. delays in washington, d.c., philly, new york, and boston. power outages is a big problem.

with all of the infrastructure weakened by the last nor'easter, this one could take down more lines and trees. a lot of people, millions are facing a dangerous and slippery commute. as al said, this storm is going to compound problems from last week's nor'easter that knocked out power to millions. dylan is driving around philly, where all of the public schools are closed today. how is it looking out there? >> the roads are fine right now. this is the second nor'easter to hit in less than a week. more damaging wind and more heavy rain and snow, as residents are cleaning up from last week's storm. states of emergency have been issued for pennsylvania and new jersey. people all across the northeast are being urged to use caution. for some, the power has just come back on. for others, this storm is hitting while they're still in the dark. and now, they're even more unsure of when they will get the power back.

this morning, double trouble in the northeast, as residents are waking up to the second winter storm in less than a week. >> it was rough. still cleaning up from that one. now, we're going to get hit again. >> reporter: another nor'easter, expected to deliver more scenes like this -- trees and power line s toppled by heavy snow an strong winds. the timing couldn't be worse, with tens of thousands without electricity, following last week's storm. >> we're very concerned about the storm coming in. if the power is not restored, it could be a catastrophe for this neighborhood. >> reporter: in new york, crews are working around the clock in a race against mother nature. >> we're asking everybody to stay off the roads and work with us. we're anticipating we'll provide some crews to turn the lights on. we're gettingssuming the worst. >> reporter: the same storm system causing whiteout

conditions in minnesota. a preview of the travel conditions expected in the northeast today. >> it's scary to drive in blowing snow. >> reporter: in massachusetts, coastal communities fear the new nor'easter could cause more flooding, especially in ducksbury, where a section of its seawall crumbled into the atlantic. >> the level of concern put with one word, gravely. >> reporter: teams stabilize the wall before the next blow. the breach, damaging several water-fro waterfront homes. >> we were devastated. totally devastated. >> reporter: we're on the new jersey turnpike heading north. the snow has been light for the last several hours. we're seeing wet roads right now. but this will be a different scene by mid-morning, as the storm strengthens over the atlantic. we could see wind gusts up to 5 miles per hour and snowfall rates one to three inches per hour. it will be very difficult to be on the roads.

hoda? >> dylan, be careful. thanks. at the airports, the flight cancellations and delays are adding up quickly. tom costello covers aviation for us. he's at la guardia for us in new york city. it cannot be a pretty sight will. >> reporter: it's not bad yet. but as they mentioned, through the day, it could get bad. right now, it's wet tarmacs. we don't want a repeat of last week when 3,000 flights are canceled. here's where we stand right now. 2,000 flights canceled for today. and we have so far, about 100 delays according to flight aware. but we're looking at the most affected airport, as you would expect, in the storm zone. newark, 43% of flights canceled there. la guardia, 33%. nf jfk, and philly expected. if the pilot wants deicing, they're going to do it. that will slow down departures

at the key airports up and down the storm zone. we'll be watching that closely. and amtrak, cancelling service up and down the northeast because of the concern. last week, they had high winds. essentially, northeast regional service, and acela service and service on the keystone service. all of those will see modified or canceled service today. it will be a difficult day of travel. they have been cancelling flights, delaying flights. we'll see how it shakes out toward the end of the day. >> tom, thank you so much. we'll have the latest on the storm and the impact. but we have more to get to. including a new shakeup at the white house. president trump's top economic adviser, resigning amid a rift f over the president's push for new tariffs. kristen welker is at the white house. good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you. the white house is grabbling with the fallout after gary cohn

announced his resignation. his exit woucould have an impacn the markets across the world and the u.s. economy. president trump searching for a new chief economic adviser, just one day after gary cohn announced his resignation tuesday, reportedly infuriated of the new tariffs. the president said we will make a decision on the appointment of new chief economic adviser. many people wanting the job. publicly, both men putting a positive spin on the politic. cohn, thanking the president in a statement, saying, it has been an honor to serve my country. the president calling cohn a rare talent. he did a superb job in driving our agenda. but multiple sources tell nbc news, cohn's decision to resign

was abrupt, after cohn refused to back trump's decision to apply new tariffs. he was a no-show at the press conference tuesday afternoon. his chair was empty until a staffer filled it. >> everybody wants to work at the white house. they want a piece of that oval office. and i have a choice of anybody. i could take any position in the white house and i'll have a choice of the ten top people having to do with that position. >> reporter: multiple sources familiar with the matter said cohn considered resigning last summ summer, unhappy with the president's reaction to the charlottesville protests. >> there's blame on both sides. >> reporter: but cohn decided to stay, helping to pass tax reform. but there's buzz that he could be on his way out. the president having a little fun with the rumors earlier this year. >> will gary cohn continue or remain in the administration?

i said, i hope so. now, if he leaves, i'm going to say, i'm very happy that he left, okay? >> reporter: cohn's departure is the latest sign of the turmoil inside the west wing. last week, the president's communication director, hope hicks, announced her resignation. jared kushner had his security clearance downgraded. on tuesday, the president was asked about russian meddling with the midterm elections just eight months away. >> we'll counteract whatever they do. we'll counteract it strongly. >> reporter: and downplaying russia's interference in 2016, insisting that others may have been involved. >> certainly, there was meddling and probably meddling from other countries and maybe other individuals. >> reporter: now, the president has said his administration has launched a deep study to determine ways to prevent meddling in the future and said it's good to have a backup system. old-fashioned paper ballots. as for cohn's departure, he

doesn't leave for a few weeks. but the white house is bracing for a volatile day on wall street. >> thanks. the justice department is suing the state of california and escalating the battle over sanctuary cities. the suit seeks to undo protections to people living in the u.s. illegally. one of the laws protected against workplace raids. another one banned police from asking people about their immigration status or participating in federal enforcement policies. the justice department says those are unconstitutional. ahead on this wednesday morning, the families of several students injured in the tragic school shooting in florida, have announced plans to sue local officials. this as details emerges about the gunman's life behind bars. gabe gutierrez has that this morning. >> reporter: betsy devos is set to visit marjory stoneman

douglas high. according to documents, the confessed gunman, nikolas cruz, has been held in protective custody, away from other inmates for his own safety. new this morning, an inside glimpse into what jail life is like for nikolas cruz, the confessed mass killer, based on reports by deputies assigned to watch him. he is a quiet inmate. much like his appearances in court, he keeps his head down, makes little eye contact and responds in a slow, soft voice. after he arrived, cruz had trouble sleeping. he was restless, tossing and turning and stares at the wall in deep thought. he ate all of his lunch. four slices of bread, one apple, jelly, peanut puttbutter and ju. a deputy said hie appeared to

break out in laughter. he made one request, to read the bible. some information in the documents is blacked out. also this morning, lawyers for two survivors of the parkland shooting rampage are putting broward county on notice. they plan to sue. anthony borges is the last victim hospitalized. he is unable to walk and requires constant care. >> the road is going to be difficult. >> reporter: borges' lawyer sent out a notice of intent, writing that the failure of broward county public schools and the resource officer to protect students and our client from life-threatening harm, were unreasonable, callous and negligent. >> nikolas cruz was a bomb that was going to explode. everyone saw him ticking and nobody did everything. >> reporter: kyle was shot in the ankle and nearly lost his

foot. his family also intends to sue. >> i want to do what's best for kyle. >> reporter: the florida house resumes its emotional debate of sweeping gun control legislation. the bill is similar to one passed by the senate, with a voluntary program allowing some trained school staffers to be armed. democrats are pushing for an assault weapon ban. >> we're going to keep fighting. >> reporter: students staged a die-in at the capitol, pushing for the weapons ban and against arming teachers. but one legislator was not impressed. >> do we allow the children to tell us that we should pass a law that says no homework? or you finish high school at the age of 12 just because they want it so? no. >> reporter: nbc news reached out to broward county schools about the lawsuit and got no response. the lawyer for scott ped peter

said he had no comment. previously, peterson had remained outside the school building because that's where he thought the gunfire was coming from. hoda and savannah? >> gabe, thanks. now, to new developments on a scandal out of nashville we've been following. the city's mayor has resigned after pleading guilty to criminal charges connected to her admitted affair with her former bodyguard. kerry sanders is in nashville with the story for us. good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, savannah. the scandal has shaken the city of nashville. it began with two nude photos taken on a government-issued cell phone, a sex scandal that eventually led to the mayor here, the first female mayor of the city, who has pled guilty to the bold misuse of government funds. this morning in nashville, corruption, sex and scandal. >> my time as your mayor concludes. >> reporter: the city's mayor resigning after she and her

former lover, separately pleaded guilty to felony theft. >> it has been the privilege of my entire professional life to have had the blessing and the opportunity to be your mayor. >> reporter: in a plea deal, the mayor was forced to resign and will serve three years probation for cheating taxpayers over $10,000, money she has paid back. once a rising star in the democratic party, her sudden fall comes after she admitted in january to having an affair with her police bodyguard, robert forest. both are married. at the time, she said she did nothing illegal. but the affair sparked a criminal investigation. two nude photos of a woman were found on his work-issued cell phone. investigators claim, at the time, these photos were taken, he was participating in the affair with megan barry. he took home double the overtime

pay than his co-workers. and investigators claim he and barry took ten taxpayer-funded trips together. and at one point, traveling alone to a conference in greece. as part of his agreement, he will return $45,000 in salary and overtime. this stunning scandal coming after barry gained attention in the wake of her son's death. the 22-year-old dying of an overdose last summer. barry spoke with nbc news almost two weeks after the tragedy. >> this hole i have in my heart will never be filled. >> reporter: with the new mayor sworn in, nashville is looking to move forward. the new administration transparency to restore the public trust. if megan barry meets the requirements of her probation, her legal record will be expu e

expunged. this will not be forgotten. >> kerry sanders, thank you. al is back with more of the forecast. >> the rest of the country is nice and quiet. abundant sunshine texas and the better, faster" by daft punk is heard throughout.) (sound of typing) (sound of exhaling) (sound of drilling) jimmy (shouting): james! brand vo: the world's largest workforce works for themselves. we work for them. quickbooks. backing you. i'm first alert meteorologist brittney shipp. we have a first alert for

basically the entire area. heavy snow and messy commutes when you're heading home from work. you want to stay safe as we go through it day. we'll continue to these snow amounts adding up especially along the nih corridor into the lehigh valley. stick with us for your latest weather updates. weather. guys? >> al, thank you so much. still ahead this morning, the president and the porn star and the new lawsuit over an alleged hush agreement. we're going to talk with stormy daniels' attorney in a live interview just ahead. new developments in the deadly airport attack on kim jong-un's half-brother. why the u.s. is declaring it an assassinati assassinaio

just ahead, the nba star going public with the private struggle. why he wants all men to pay attention to his story. we're going to chat with

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at select walt disney world resort hotels. imagine the magic of staying here. we have a first alert in effect for a major winter storm that's bringing snow and rain to our region as we t take a live look at the this picture. starting at 8:00 this morning cars have to be off the emergency routes or they will be towed. now the lehigh valley, more than a foot of snow possible. a live look at allentown with some light snow there. let's bring you up to speed with what's happening in your neighborhood. >> what you see is that that rain-snow line brushing up against the i-95 corridor. i know the radar showing here

the rain extending further to south. it might be more of a rain slushy snow mixture. areas farther north and west it's lighter snow, but that's consistently where it's continued to stack up. now a tighter look over philadelphia. these deeper blues are what we're watching out for. those are periods of steadier snow. that means long periods of heavy snow that limit visibility later today. a bit broken over lehigh valley and berks county at this point. the dry kind of air slipped in the early morning hour, but don't worry it's going to fill back out and in these areas it's going to stick. so it's going to stack up quickly, and that's why we're going to see the highest accumulation in those areas. there's no turn over to rain across the pennsylvania suburbs. as we go through the daytime i

don't expect any rain turn over. it will stay rain there. temperatures are going to be key. look how warm. in the 40s down against the shoreline, but we are tracking that freezing line right up against the quarter. that's where it'll stay throughout it day. we'll talk more about these conditions throughout the day coming up in 30 minutes. >> let's check the roads are first alert traffic reporter jessica boyington. >> it's only going to get worse out there, tracy. but the good thing for now it looks like most people have stayed home or stayed off the roads at least for the morning. normally right now at 7:30 we would see the schuylkill expressway end to end backed up and slowed. not right now. you can definitely see a few snow flurries. we definitely are wet on all our major on-ramps and off-ramps. so even before the worst of it we can still see some problems because of those slippery spots. this is 295 right here around

the black horse pike. definitely seeing some flurries and accumulation off into the shoulders and grassy areas as mel. another alert on the pa turnpike northeast extension they have a ban on empty straight truck, trailers and double trailers. >> make sure you have the nbc 10 app with you throughout the day. you can track the forecast right to your neighborhood plus the snow totals and a full list of all the school closures. we'll have another update in about 25 minutes. i'm tracy davidson. the "today" show continues in just a couple of minutes. getting a cancer diagnosis is difficult. getting an appointment to discuss your treatment options shouldn't be.

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dramatic, new announcement on the deadly airport attack on the half-brother of kim jong-un and taking action. kelly cobiella is in seoul, south korea, with all of this. hey, kelly. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, hoda. the u.s. did its own investigation into this. and the state department says that north korea assassinated kim jong-un's half-brother using a chemical weapon. the state department imposing new sanctions as punishment. it took just 20 minutes for him to die. that's him, the half-brother of north korean leader, kim jong-un. not moving after being poisoned. the u.s. state department now confirming he was killed with vx, a highly toxic nerve agent, a chemical weapon. these two women, now on trial for his murder in malaysia, said they thought it was a prank for reality tv. one wearing an infamous lol

t-shirt. both caught on a security camera carrying out the attack, closing in on kim, carrying what's considered to be a weapon of mass destruction inside the crowded kuala lumpur airport in february 2017. vx was found on his clothes and face, in his eyes, his blood and his vital organs. at the trial, kim told a friend his life was in danger six months before he was killed and was carrying a dozen vials of antidote to vx in his bag. the state department says a u.s. investigation found the regime was responsible, calling them reckless. saying the u.s. strongly condemns the use of chemical weapons to conduct an assassination. we cannot afford to tolerate a north korean wmd program of any

kind. announcing new sanctions on the day that north korea wants to talk about getting rid of their nuclear weapons. president trump weighing in. the world is watching and waiting. maybe false hope. and this morning, japan and south korea said that sanctions would not be eased just because north korea says it's willing to talk, by the way. national security head for south korea is heading for washington tomorrow. he is the man who sat face-to-face with kim jong-un a couple of days ago. he is going to be briefing the trump administration on that meeting. and he also said that north korea gave him a message to deliver to the united states. hoda? savannah? >> kelly, keep us updated. as we mentioned, the weather is a big story today. let's go back to al and get a check of the forecast. >> we're looking right now at the new jersey turnpike. you can see, slow going. but the snow has held off. we're starting to see it fill in

on the radar. you're watching as the system intensifies. we're going to see the snow filling in and coming down and sticking. but we've got other news to talk about. we got some chillier weather in the eastern half of the country behind this system. we're looking at temperatures that are anywhere from 5 to 18 degrees below average, across from philadelphia all the way to pierre. and for tomorrow, the cold air extends all the way down to atlanta. 12 degrees below average, with a high of 50 degrees. we'll see temperatures start to moderate, as you see upwards of 48 degrees in baltimore for the weekend. 60s on saturday. and out west, we're looking at above-average temperatures. that's why we have risk of fire danger out there. phoenix, in the mid-80s. 60s and 70s in fresno. denver getting into the mid-60s by the weend.ke i'm first alert meteorologist brittney shipp. we have a first alert for basically the entire area today

until 7:00 a.m. the concern is going to to be accumulating heavy snow, messy commutes in the morning and also heading home from work. and gusty wind speeds that could bring down trees and power outages. we'll continue to these snow amounts adding up especially along the i-95 corridor into the lehigh valley. stick with nbc 10 for your weather updates. >> we'll have the latest models and information coming up at 8:00 on this nor'easter. >> thanks so much. coming up, jeff rossen teaches you hacks to handle power outages in a storm. and what jennifer garner was thinking during the oscar moment that's gone viral. and the nba star getting serious about the mental health issues he struggles with. first, stormy daniels' lawsuit against the president. we're

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new developments in the ongoing scandal involving president trump and stormy daniels. >> the porn star is suing the president. we're going to talk to her attorney in a moment. first, hallie jackson has the latest on this story. >> reporter: good morning, savannah and hoda. the ultimate goal of this lawsuit seems to be to let stormy daniels tell her story. and to do that, her lawyers are arguing a nondisclosure agreement she signed does not apply. until now, silence from stormy, the adult film actress, playing coy in interviews, like this one with jimmy kimmel. >> you can't say you have a nondisclosure agreement, if you didn't have one, you could say i don't have a nondisclosure agreement. yes? >> you're so smart, jimmy. >> reporter: now, she is suing the president. hoping a judge will rule that nondisclosure agreement is not

valid because it was never signed by president trump. the lawsuit, says daniels, whose real name is stephanie clifford, met the president in 2006, at a charity golf tournament and started an intimate relationship with him that ended in 2007. fast-forward to the campaign, when accusations resurfaced. daniels said the long-time lawyer arranged a hush agreement. in exchange for daniels' silence, $130,000, according to her legal team, and a promise she would not share texts, photos or personal information about donald trump. the documents show several signatures, one for peggy peterson. there's the signature of the president's lawyer, michael cohen. he's acknowledged fascinating that payment but did not say what the money was for. there's a blank space next to the initials d.d., for david dennis

dennison. that's an alias for donald trump. cohen says he is still trying to keep daniels quiet. and strains credibility to say he is acting on his own accord and without the express approval and knowledge of his client, mr. trump. the white house was asked if the president knew about the money. >> did the president and michael cohen talk about this payment at any time in the campaign or after? >> not that i'm aware of. >> reporter: cohen did not respond to nbc news' ask for a comment on the latest news. he said, he's rumors have circulated since 2011. adding, president trump vehemently denies any such occurrence, as does miss daniels. another member of the president's legal team declined to comment. the agreement says if daniels does talk, she has to pay a

penalty of $1 million. savannah? hoe hoda? >> thank you so much. michael avinatti is stormy daniels' attorney. she wants to tell her story, is that a fair asujs? >> that's correct. some of the information that's been disseminated and out there, she believes it's important that the public learn the truth. >> her lawsuit states she had an intimate relationship with the president. did she have a sexual relationship with the president? >> yes. >> okay. she says according to this document, that there were tangible items, photos, images. she had them and according to this agreement, she will not turn them over. does she still have them? >> that's something that miss daniels will have to answer.

>> do you know the answer? >> i know the answer. and i'm not at liberty to disclose at this point. >> the hush agreement, the president and his lawyer were attempting to buy her silence. is that what you're claiming? >> exactly. >> he did or someone gave $130,000 to stormy daniels, right? the president's lawyer? >> ultimately, we don't know if it will show it came from the president's lawyer. but she received $130,000 that was routed to her by mr. cohen. >> michael cohen has acknowledged he facilitated the payment from his own personal funds. >> we think it's highly questionable if it came from his personal funds. >> you think the president knew about it? >> there's no question the president knew about it at the time. the idea that an attorney would go off on his own, without his client's knowledge and engage in this negotiation and enter this type of agreement is ludicrous.

>> can you prove that the president knew about this payment? >> we haven't disclosed all of the facts in evidence that we are aware of in connection to this. and there's additional facts in evidence that we have. we think that's going to come to light. >> you have this agreement. it signed by people using ail leases. stormy daniels, going by peggy peterson. e.c., somebody signs that. michael cohen on behalf of that entity. and there's this blank space, dennison. that's supposed to be the president's signature, according to you. since it's blank, you say she's free to talk? >> that's right. there were three parties to the agreement. two of the three signed. mr. trump did not sign. and from a legal perspective, we believe she's free to talk. >> she accepted $130,000. does she have to return it? there's -- she received payment.

she got what she contracted for, did she not? >> that agreement, it's not just about the $130,000. there's other obligations. there's release obligations. and it's our position that the agreement is null and void because he did not sign it. she may return the money. >> if you win in court, and the judge says, this is not valid, wouldn't she have to return the money she accepted? >> she may have to. and she's prepared to do that. >> is she looking to sell her story? >> no. she's looking to disclose the truth. >> she won't sell her story if she wins in the lawsuit? >> i won't make that characterization. in light of the information that mr. cohen has put out to "the wall street journal" and "the washington post" and others, it's time for the public to determine who is telling the truth. >> stormy daniels issued a statement that says, any

allegation of a sexual and/or romantic affair with donald trump, she is stating with complete clarity, this is false, she said. so, she lied in this statement? >> that was a statement that was demanded that she sign. mr. cohen demanded she signed that statement. as alleged in the complaint, we believe that it was done through force and intimidation. >> he demanded it. why did she have to sign it? she could have said nothing and not violated the agreement? she makes an affirmative assertion there's no truth to the allegation? >> i think once she sits down and describes what happened here, the people will know why she signed it. >> see says, rumors i received hush money from donald trump are completely false. is that a lie, too? >> it's a false statement, absolutely. >> and she had to sign this? >> that's her position. once she tells the truth, people will understand why she signed

it. >> it's an interesting lawsuit. let us know how it turned out. we'll be following that. still to come, the nba star opening up about his battle with mental health issues and why he wants today, right now, you have more power at your fingertips than entire generations that came before you. but it's not really about what technology can do, it's about what you can do with it. we are living in the future we always dreamed of. we have mixed reality that changes how we see the world, and ai empowering us to change the world we see. so what will you do with it?

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weave issued a first alert for today for this major winter storm. here's a live look at 95 in wilmington. del dot reports mostly wet conditions on the major roads, but we expect things to deteriorate throughout the day. a live look at philly international. tweeting a short time ago flights have been departing and arriving but there are cancellations. some airlines are offering fee waivers to change your fight plan. krystal klei tracking the storm for us. >> we are seeing the areas that were maybe dry for a brief period starting to fill back out. and you also notice those brighter blue returns. that indicates a steadier snow falling. and it's right on cue. and that rain-snow line that has

been edging north would start to sink south again. tight view of philadelphia. we've got a bit of snow falling through and at this point it's little pockets but going toby in steadier swath bands we expect as we get into the late afternoon hour. i know this probably looks like, hey, we're not going to see anything up here, but this is going to fill out as we go on and that coastal low approaches our coastline. we did launch storm ranger 10. and the return here indicates it is all snow in parts of montgomery county and chester county and even farther south that is falling. here's our future model. and as we go through the 8:00 a.m. model to about 10:00 a.m. you can see the mixing line is down through parts of south jersey.

heavier rain is possible further south and now brushing the i-95 corridor. this continues. look at 1:00. this is heavy snow. this is the kind of stuff that makes it difficult if not impossible to see because the rate is so high. and at this point the coastal low is approaching, so the winds are cranking up. those two combined making it a very dangerous setup for our afternoon hours. if you plan to drive 5:00 p.m. i suggest otherwise. the good news is this starts to move out overnight. let's talk about driving conditions right now with first alert traffic reporter jessica boyington. >> you just heard if you typically drive in the evening, suggesting not to do so. but right now not too bad. so at least if you do have to get out the door, if you absolutely have to now is the time to go. not a lot of delays on the majors although you're

definitely seeing conditions worsen in just a little bit with accumulation off into the shoulders. moving through mount laurel definitely some flurries, but again roads pretty empty for the most part. an overturned vehicle reported here. now is a great time to download our free nbc 10 app if you don't already have it because you'll be able to get weather and traffic alerts as the storm intensifies. you can also track the storm with our live interactive neighborhood radar. and we'll have another update on-air in about 25 minutes. i'm tracy davidson. the "today" show continues in minutes. stay safe if you have to go out.

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>> good morning, everybody. welcome to "today." it's wednesday morning. we appreciate you being with us, especially those folks there right before the storm comes. it's about to get ugly in new york city. >> it's spitting and they're still out there. >> they are. let's get to your news at 8:00 because the weather tops it. the northeast will deal with its second major storm in a week. we want to start with al and get the latest on the storm's path. hi, al. good morning. >> good morning. we're in white plains and westchester, new york. new york city schools are still opened. a lot of private schools are shut down, as well. we're looking at two-thirds of the country, with nothing going on. all eyes in the northeast. of course, a lot of flights come through. we're looking at the low pressure, the nor'easter developing along the coast. here are the impacts we're expecting. heavy snow. we're talking about right into tonight, one 1 to 3 inches per

forming. 5 to 6 inches close to the coast. we're looking at strong wind gusts, 40 to 50-mile-per-hour gusts from boston to long island. 35-mile-per-hour gusts. and we've got flood watches and warnings, as well. we're looking at the south shore of long island, with moderate flooding with the afternoon high tide up in massachusetts. thursday morning high tide would have moderate flooding, as well. we're going to continue to watch as it strengthens and makes its way up the coast. the storm is hitting areas that are rebounding from our last nor'easter. new jersey and pennsylvania have been declared states of emergency. dylan dreyer is in the middle of it. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, hoda. we're heading north on the new jersey turnpike. and during this ride, we've seen a mix of rain and snow. the roads are just wet. that's all going to change by mid-morning as the storm

strengthens. this is the second nor'easter to hit this area in less than a week. that has residents very worried because they're still cleaning up from the last storm. more downed trees and power lines are possible with wind gusts up to 50 miles per hour. some people have just gotten their power back. and others still don't have it yet. and now, they're more concerned because they don't know when they'll get power because of the next round of rain and snow. whiteout conditions are possible. as al mentioned, snowfall rates of 1 to 3 inches per hour will reduce visibility. judging by the roads, it seems like a lot of people have decided to stay home because there's not a lot of traffic. that is good news because are states of emergency in effect for pennsylvania and new jersey. and people are being urged to use caution across the northeast. trump says he make a decision on a new chief economic adviser. the man who held that job, gary co cohn, announce e ed last night,

is resigning. he was angered by the new threat of tariffs and a possible trade war. the president said cohn did a superb job helping to deliver tax cuts and reforms. the fda has obtained the first home testing kit to test for breast cancer. the 23 and me test screens for mutations found in people of jewish descent. the test does not screen for the most common mutations. one official warns the test should not be used as a substitute for seeing your doctor or for cancer screenings and counseling. you're caught up on the news. let's get to the "morning boost." >> how long does it take for internet magic to change a little girl's life? how about five days? parker curry went to see the new

painting of michelle obama at the portrait gallery in washington. somebody snapped her picture and posted it online. the internet adored it. and mrs. obama's office called. and parker didn't just get to meet the first lady. on tuesday, mrs. obama tweeted a video of their dance party. shed a advice for the toddler, telling her to keep dream being and maybe i'll look up at a portrait of you. >> really adorable. love the dance party. just ahead, a show of support for an nba superstar who is revealing his struggle with a personal battle. hoda's children's book jumps off of the page. let's see what's coming up on "megyn kelly today." >> we have a packed show. whitney thor, the star of "my

big fat fabulous life" is here. plus, jeff rossen's tricks for dealing with power outages during a bad storm. hi, jeff. >> good morning. the new storm bearing down on the northeast. millions could lose power again today from the storm. so, we do have the simple hacks, like just filling up a ziploc bag of water. it's chief and free and (avo) help control cravings and lose weight with contrave. it's fda-approved to help adults who are overweight or struggle with obesity lose weight and keep it off. contrave is believed to work on two areas of the brain: your hunger center... i'm so hungry. (avo) and your reward system... ice cream. french fries. (avo) to help control cravings. one ingredient in contrave may increase suicidal thoughts or actions in some children, teens, and young adults in the first few months. serious side effects are mood changes like depression and mania, seizures, increased blood pressure or heart rate, liver damage,

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story on tuesday, detailing an in-game panic attack. it was a traumatic experience that's forcing him and a lot of other folks to take a closer look at mental health. >> whey wat i was worried about wasn't my inner struggles but how to talk about them. >> reporter: a basketball star's powerful words are in the spotlight. in a revealing essay entitled "everyone is going through something," kevin love details his bout with a very public panic attack. the 29-year-old knew something was wrong during a november 5th game against the atlanta hawks. when i got to the bench, he wrote, i felt my heart racing, faster than usual. then, i was having trouble catching my breath. everything was spinning, like my brain was trying to climb out of my head. the air felt thick and heavy. my mouth was like chalk. love quickly retreated to the locker room. i was running from room-to-room, like i was looking for something

i couldn't find. it was like my body was trying to say to me, you're about to die. i ended up on the floor in the training room, lying on my back, trying to get enough air to breathe. the experience, jarring. >> i never heard of a pro athlete talking about mental health. and i didn't want to be the only one. i didn't want to look weak. honestly, i didn't think i needed it. i did one seemingly little thing that turned out to be a big thing. the cavs helped me find a therapist. and i set up an appointment. >> kevin love. drains it for three. >> reporter: kevin love is an nba champion and olympic gold medalist and models for banana republic off court. now, forced to look inward and face the stigma surrounding mental health, sharing why he wrote down his thoughts. partly, i wanted to do it for me. but mostly, i want to do it because people don't talk about mental health enough. and men and boys are probably

the farthest behind. adding, growing up, you figure out really quickly how a boy is supposed to act. you learn what it takes to be a man. it's like a playbook. be strong. don't talk about your feelings. taking to social media in support of his teammate, lebron james, tweeting, you're even more powerful now than ever before. salute and respect, brother. and now, love is following a new playbook and encouraging others to do the same. i want to remind you that you're not weird or different for sharing what you're going through, just the opposite. it could be the most important thing you do. it was for me. powerful essay. and he took to twitter last night, as well, kevin love. tweeting about the reaction to his essay. wow. i can't even describe how grateful i am for the love and support. more than anything, it's been amazing to see you tell your own stories about mental health. let's keep it going. what he said about boys, it

resonated because there's a moment over the weekend. my son turns 4 on saturday. we were playing outside. we come inside. and i said, if you do that, daddy may cry. oh, daddies don't cry. you don't cry, daddy. we went back and forth. in four years, he's never seen me cry. not one time. so, my son developing a very early age this idea of how men are supposed to behave and express themselves and not express themselves. >> they talk about it with regard to girls. you should tell about your hair or looks. boys get the gender stereotypes, too. >> absolutely. >> it can be really powerful. >> you can feel -- i was diagnosed with gad, general anxiety disorder and mild panic. it can happen in your life for many, many years. and there's millions of people out there that experienced things that had no idea what they're experiencing. and go and get diagnosed and to understand the model of the fight or flight and you want to

run. >> it comes out of nowhere. >> the beautiful thing, once you learn and embrace, i embraced the fact that's how i'm hardwired. i understand it and i accept the model. i know what it is. i feel like there's a tiger in the room. and i got the help i need. and i have the tools i need. >> coping mechanisms. >> when i hear music, i get the chills. when i see a beautiful sunset. it's how you look at the moment. >> and embrace how you are. >> thanks for getting that conversation going. thank you, craig. mr. roker? i'm first alert meteorologist brittney shipp. we have a first alert for basically the entire area today until 7:00 a.m. the concern is accumulating heavy snow, messy commutes in the morning, and also when you're heading home from work. gusty wind speeds up to 40 miles per hour. that could bring down trees, power lines leading to more power outages. you'll want to stay safe as we go through the day. we'll continue to see snow

amounts addi ining up, especial along the i-95 corridor to the lehigh valley. stick with nbc10 for your weather updates. hoda? >> all right, al. now, to a special "rossen"r reports" to help you cope with power outages during a storm like this. simple hacks for your home that could come in handy. >> about now. jeff rossen is going to show us the secrets this morning. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, guys. with the nor'easter from last week, people still out of power, millions more could lose power today. you can use this during this storm or any storm, no matter where you live in the country. let's get right to it. household items. hacks to survive a power outage. on many of our driveways and pathways, we have these, right? solar powered lights. you would never think to bring them inside. this is an instant flash light. let them it out all day today. take in the sun and let them charge up.

if it's pitch black in your home, it lights right up. you have an instant flashlight right outside your house. let's come on inside the house for some other idtems that i wat to show you about. i'm going to take my jacket off because we have the heat cranking. water jugs. you see the head lamps? watch what happens when you put it on. it illuminates the entire room. you have a few of these, you can light up different rooms. let's go to the kitchen. right over here, one of the only water-resistant appliances in your house is your dishwasher. some of the country is expecting snow today. heavy rain and wind for other parts. if you're expecting a possible flood for your house. and the experts say, put valuables you have, your jewelry, grandma's pearls, birth

certificate, and important documents and keep them in the dishwasher. this little gadget, i'm going to get these for my house. it's a flood detector. got this less than 30 bucks on amazon. you can stick it down on the floor and most people put them in the basements, where they're prone to flooding. the moment it detects water, you're going to get an alert on your phone to avoid disaster. something else you can do, fill up ziploc bags with water right now, freeze them up. you have instant ice packs in case the refrigerator runs out. and the final tip, come up with me. we can turn your washing machine into a makeshift refrigerator. your washing machine. i know you're going to like this one. if your power goes out, fill up your washing machine with ice. put in your food and the food will stay longer.

when it melts, it will drain into the pipes like your washing machine would. >> very clever. >> perfect for a storm, chocolate chip cookies. >> don't have to bake them. guys, it's orange room time. carson, talking about a weird development with a popular piece of technology. >> amazon echo users are reporting that alexa is letting out a spontaneous and creepy laugh. some are saying they will hear kruk chuckles out of their alexa in the dark, after they've gone to bed. to give you an idea of what it sounds like, take a listen. [ laughing ] >> it doesn't sound like much. but imagine being in your living room and you hear that laugh. gavin writes, lying in bed when

alexa lets out a loud and creepy laugh. there's a good chance i get murdered tonight. taylor saying, my mom and i are sitting in the living room, neither of us said a word. alexa laughed for no reason. we unplugged it. i set a two-minute timer trying to do a plank. i asked how much time i had left and she laughed. >> that was for real. >> i love that one. we reached out to amazon to try to get an answer about alexa's spooky laugh. people are trying to get to the bottom of it. nobody has solved the mystery yet. maybe jeff bezos, the richest man on planet earth, he is having a good laugh. do you have an alexa, by the way? >> i do. i use it for solely and to ask what the weather is. >> where is it in your house? >> in the living room. >> and you? >> in the kitchen. i ask what time it is. >> are you worried about she's listening in your conversations?

>> our house is worboring. >> i had it in the kitchen, this morning, it was in the bedroom. >> she walks and talks. what about "pop start." >> we have a first look at the documentary on ruth bader ginsburg. it looks at how the 84-year-old became an icon, the legacy she built and a peek into her private life. and we have a clip from the trailer. >> i ask no favor for my sex. all i ask of our brethren is they take their feet off our necks. ♪ >> we welcome today, justice ruth bader ginsburg. ♪ >> she's become such an icon. >> you mind signing this copy? >> i'm 84 years old. and everybody wants to take a picture with me. >> i heard she does 20 push-ups 3 times a week or something. we can't get off the floor. we can't get down to the floor. >> alexa doesn't laugh at those

planks. that comes out nationwide may 4th. up next, jennifer garner speaking out about the meme of her at the oscars that went viral. it was this shot that had people asking, what did jennifer garner just realize. she is clapping and then a look of concern crosses her face. she shared s ed some insight on she was thinking about. >> hey, jimmy kimmel, what's in your wallet? where is my wallet? i can't wait to work with lena dunham. did i sign a nudity waiver? >> some theories. do you have a click? >> 5-year-old duncan was hard at work, trying to tally how many licks it takes to get to the center of a lollipop. he messes up and switches hands

and licks his marker instead. the clip cuts off right after the marker moment. it's been viewed 7 million times on twitter. in case anybody is wondering, duncan says it takes 193 licks to get to the center of the l lollip lollipop. alexa does not know that. don't ask her that. >> the world may never know. coming up, we celebrate hoda's new children's book with some well-known faces and what we think will be a captivated audience. >> the babies are here.

good morning. i'm vai sikahema. just about 8:30. we're in the middle of a first alert because of a major winter storm moving right through our area. here's a live look now at broad street from our camera at the kimmel center campus. a snow emergency has been declared for philadelphia which means if your car was parked along a snow emergency route, it's most likely been towed. go check just -- nonetheless. let's check in with meteorologist brittney shipp with the most accurate neighborhood weather forecast. >> we are under a first alert for really most of the area here. this stays in effect until 7:00 a.m. closer look at what we expect to see, accumulating snow. commutes are going to be messy, wind speeds up to 40 miles per hour. let's switch you over and show where all the snow and rain is. if you are closer to the shore,

atlantic city, cape may, dover, seeing rain. the heavy snowfall will be over philadelphia, pushing into abington. wilmington, we've seen steady snow, two to three inches have already come down. same thing for salem, if you're closer to west chester, east nottingham. reading, starting to see patchy snow amounts, the same is true for the lehigh valley, even into the poconos. into the next couple of hours, the storm will continue to rev up. we expect to see more snow on the way. vai? >> thank you. of course, this weather's having a huge impact on the roads. let's check in with jessica boyington in the first alert traffic center. yeah, the huge impact on the roads. the good thing is a lot of people didn't make it out the door this morning. it's even -- i wouldn't even say sort of close to a normal morning commute. there's barely any cars on most of the majors. 422 eastbound here, around trooper road, usually at this time it's stacked from end to end especially eastbound toward the schuylkill. right now we're watching wet and slippery conditions. also downed wires.

now the road is mainly back open in pennsauken township. 73 seeing lane restrictions around 130. back to you. >> thank you. make sure you have the free nbc10 app by your side throughout today. you can track the forecast right down to your specific neighborhood, plus see snow totals and a full list of road closures. we'll have another update in less than a half hour.

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can afford to dream gig. comcast, building america's largest gig-speed network. can afford to dream gig. >> you want to see our crowd moment? >> al says it's coming. >> we have a crowd moment. hold on. i'm looking for christina and cat. where? hi, you guys. something crazy happened to you two, didn't it? >> something incredible happened to us yesterday. i was sitting at work in florida. all of a sudden i got a notification that we had won the hamilton lottery. i got on the phone, collected

some frequent flyer miles from family and went to school and got her, surprised her and we p hopped on a plane. >> and you're here. >> we love you so much. >> we love you, too. >> and she's a figure skater. we're superpsyched. >> is this your first time seeing snow? >> it is. >> we love you right back. christina and cat. thank you for coming out. >> wow. >> how cool is that? >> congratulations. >> we should get them a session on the rock rink. >> good idea. coming up, baby bonanza in our studio. we are celebrating hoda's new children book. it is lovely. from savory doughnuts to desert-flavored hummus, apparently. fun, new food trends, al. they're heating up in the new year. and megyn kelly is here. >> we have a packed show.

stormy versus the president and whether election law violations there. and jeffrey tambor has been accused of sexual harassment. one of them is here live. and whitney thor, "my big fat fabulous life." i love her. along with hailee steinfeld. how will we get it all in? >> i don't know. mr. roker, you have a check of the weather? >> all right. >> "today's weather" is brought to you by disney's "a wrinkle in time" in theaters everywhere friday. >> let's see what we have for the rest of the country today. clouds and showers out west. northern california in the pacific northwest. abundant sunshine, from the plains to texas, a fire risk through the southeast. and the heavy snow through the northeast, which will continue tomorrow morning, possible up into new england and parts of the great lakes. sunshine continues throughout much of the country. another pacific storm moves into

the pacific northwest. i'm first alert meteorologist brittney shipp. we have a first alert for basically the entire area today until 7:00 a.m. the concern is accumulating heavy snow, messy commutes in the morning, and also when you're heading home from work. gusty wind speeds up to 40 miles per hour. that could bring down trees, power lines leading to more power outages. you'll want to stay safe as we go through the day. we'll continue to see snow amounts adding up, especially along the i-95 corridor to the lehigh valley. stick with nbc10 for your weather updates. >> don't forget. when you head out the door, make sure you take us with you. go to our sirius/xm channel 108. this is your first time today? >> yes. >> from where? >> maryland. >> why are you the block heads? >> new kids on the block fans. >> are they performing or

something? >> no. we're just block heads. >> let's head back inside. >> al, thank you so much. we're so excited because we have a world-famous children's book author here. and her name is hoda kotb. "a "i've loved you since forever" is on book shelves. and we have very big critics here. >> i'm so happy with all these babies here. >> can we have babies on the set every day? this is the most beautiful book. the first time i read it, this is the book where the baby is mesmerized and mommy is reading it through tears. were you writing it through tears? >> it was one of those books that i think just came out. when i held haley, this was something that reminded me of something you love.

you just feel a love you haven't experienced. it's like destiny. knowing she is out there somewhere. just like you felt before your children were born. you knew they were somewhere. and i felt that way about haley. i've loved you since forever, is that concept. >> of course, it's a children's book. it's a lullaby. it's a story, a bedtime story. but it's a mommy's book. it speaks to something so universal about motherhood, about parentedhohood and that feeling of destiny, as you said. >> because we waited so long to be moms, there's something about it now that we realize every minute counts. people who wonder, did i miss my window, you thought you might have. i thought i might have. if you trust and surrender and say, whatever is meant to be,

will be. i remember thinking, i thought i missed my window. and all of a sudden, i opened up and said, what if. maybe me, too. and i think this book is for anybody who has wondered, could it happen for me? and whether you're adopted or whether you're a mom that's done it the old-fashioned way. >> and the way you feel about your baby. i loved you since forever. you would have waited forever for haley. have you read the book for haley? >> i have. i think she's going for "good night moon." >> i saw her eyes going from page-to-page. she stopped on the elephant page and chewed on it. it was fun to read to her and it meant everything. >> it's so beautiful. don't take my word for it. are you ready for a bedtime story. a few of hoda's pals helped her bring the story to life. let's hear "i've loved you since forever." let's check it out.

>> i've loved you since forever. >> before birds flew over rainbows. >> and monkeys swung on trees. >> there was you. and there was me. >> before the sun rose in the sky. >> and honey came from bees. >> there was you and there was me. >> i've loved you since forever. >> before the moonlit up the night and elephants wander free. >> there was you. and there was me. >> before otters swam together. >> and rivers reached the sea. >> there was you and there was me.

>> waiting, for the day our stars would cross. >> and you and i turned to we. >> see what i mean? tears. it's so lovely. and the illustrations are gorgeous. >> suzy mason, she lives in england. and i saw her illustrations and they spoke to me. i love seeing her work come to life. >> it must be fun to think about all of the moms and dads out there reading bedtime stories and reading these words. and you get to be a part of that. it's very intimate to be invited into someone's home. >> it fills me up like you can't believe. i'm so excited about it. i'm also excited about tomorrow. our friend -- >> something big is happening tomorrow. >> our friend, kelly clarkson,

offered to sing the words to the song. we're going to hear about that. >> kelly clarkson turned it into a lullaby. it's beautiful. the babies love it. >> hi, missy. >> he said, yeah. >> and this baby just ordered it on amazon. "i've loved you since forever" is available now. if you want to find out more, go to today.com/shop. a portion of the proceeds are going to children's hospital in philadelphia and the nonprofit groove with me. still ahead, richard engel with an important update on something very personal impacting his family and thousands of others. you want to hear this story. first, this is "today" on nbc.

♪ we're back. 8:41. one of the biggest accomplishments of the trump administration has been sweeping tax reform. >> some of the cuts that come

with it could leave certain families in need. richard engel explains it. >> reporter: this is a topic that hits close to home. there's so many that have diseases, including my own son. and so many amazing doctors and researchers looking for treatments and cures. but they need help. for years and years there was an incentive, something that drove this research. but unfortunately, it's just been reduced dramatically. like all parents with a special needs child, my wife and i live on the hope that scientific research will find a cure. it's hard to tell how much he's understanding. our 2-year-old son henry has a lifelong genetic disorder that severely limits him mentally and physically. he wasn't always sitting up this well. for us, this is progress. henry's particular disorder is rare. but there are many children facing similar challenges. he has 1 of more than 7,000

disorders identified as rare or orphan. and 95% of them have no cures. impacting researchers say, 30 million americans. becky and joel in indiana know this all-too well. they have six children, three biological and three adopted, all of them with so-called orphan disorders. >> we feel like this is our calling. this is what god has called us to do. >> reporter: hudson is 6. he has hunter's syndrome. he's missing an enzyme critical for cell function. >> he's hilarious. lots of energy. >> reporter: 4-year-old poppy has the rarer sly syndrome. her body can't metabolize sugar. and brooks has a brain disorder and down syndrome. >> he likes to pull the attention in the room toward

himself. >> reporter: poppy and hudson are undergoing treatment. but with it, hudson's condition is considered terminal. for brooks, there's no treatment at all. the romans' generosity is extraordinary. but these days, it isn't being matched by our government. >> when they brought the new tax plan forward, in order to accomplish all of the cuts they wanted to make, they went looking for places where they could find savings already within the government. >> reporter: peter is chairman of the national organization for rare disorders. he says for 35 years drug companies could write off a significant portion of their research on orphan diseases, where there might not be enough patients to recokoocoup the cosa drug development. >> it was reduced from 50% tax credit to a 25% tax credit. >> reporter: with that incentive slashed in half, the ceo of a

firm that specializes in rare disorders says drug companies may focus on common illnesses, which by definition has more customers. >> reduction in the orphan drug tax credit will have a decreased incentive in investment. >> reporter: some critics say the cut is simply cruel. for families like the romans who fear companies will stop making the drugs that their children are on, or top looking for new ones that brooks, our son henry and so many others badly need. in a statement to nbc news, the house weigh s ways and means committee said that since corporate taxes have been cut so much, the pharmaceutical companies will be able to put profits towards new solutions for patients. but doctors say it will take months to see how much the incentive cut will have on the

development of new treatments. back to you. >> thank you, richard, so much. we just moved in about so much. four months ago, but the living room's pretty blank. it's really nice when clients come in and have done some of their own research. working with a bassett designer was really easy. just kind of ties in very well. we love it!

just kind of ties in very well. downsizing. enrolling in medicare part d. these are moments when people realize that where you get your medicine matters. and they come to cvs pharmacy. for advice and ways to save money. including copays as low as zero dollars. switching is easy, call 1-833-cvs-medd and transfer today to cvs pharmacy.

♪ here's some trends that make eating a little more interesting this year. >> ordinary staples making the meals of the day and snacks between irresistible. this year, chefs are upping the ante. >> in 2018, people are looking for food they know but with a new and modern twist. >> reporter: starting with the most important meal of the day, because savory breakfast is having a breakthrough with millennials, looking to mix the old with the new. >> it's a pancake made with superfood. your waffle is a zucchini waffle. your yogurt is made with tahini. >> reporter: in miami, chefs prepare lobster benedict.

while mr. bing in new york city serves up traditional chinese creeps with chicken, pork and duck. the artisnal beverage category has exploded in recent years. sparkling water infused with fruit juice, these beverages reign. >> it's a square-style pizza. the dough is crewyer. and the edges are caramelized. the cheese goes on before the sauce. >> reporter: at emmy squared and 313, it's out with the slice and in with the square. >> you can say doughnuts are going to be a new food group. >> reporter: officially dethroning cup cakes, interest

has increased 24% for the sweets. and blue star sends tens of thousands of them a month. >> these days, people are going beyond the traditional flavors. you have peach melba or blueberry bourbon. >> reporter: in 2018, it's vegetable and plant-based plates that will be everything. >> it's called beyond kfc. >> wow. >> it's all plant-based, soy protein. >> reporter: companies beyond meat, researching and developing healthier protein substitutes. >> more mainstream restaurants are trying to put vegetarian options on the menu that aren't a veggie burger but an elevation of vegetables. >> reporter: tocaya uses 65 different vegetables in dozens of their dishes. celery root is the star in long beach, where it's seared up like

a stake. and there's dessert hummus. >> consumers want to be eating it this way. this is a trend we'll see for years to come. >> reporter: making for an exciting year. >> it will be a great year in eating. some of the examples in this piece are out here. these are great. a lot of people, in an effort to watch the calories, they're going with club soda. the flavored waters are everywhere now. these are delicious. the doughnuts, i have no idea why they're on the table because they're here and we wanted them. >> what is this? >> this is from mr. binges. a duck crepe thing. it's delicious. they're exciting food things on the way. >> that sweet hummus, on the end. >> you teased that. >> who wants to try these? >> you teased it. >> are none of us going to try one of the doughnuts. we're not going to get right in here? this is the biggest doughnut

i've ever seen. i'm going for it. it looks like a really large doughnut. and i'm going to have a bite now. >> maybe just jumbo doughnuts are going to be in. maybe that's the point of it. >> real good. >> this is just to promote you going out and eating today. eat well, eat often. we'll take a break. back in a moment. first, this is "today" on nbc. ow good isthat?

a lot coming up in the fourth hour. guess who is joining us. >> you can't see me. >> john cena. he's going to co-host. >> we'll see what's in. >> we'll keep you posted on the weather. "megyn kelly today" is coming up "megyn kelly today" is coming up next, after a - there's a common thread i see every time i'm in the field. while this was burning, you were saving other homes. neighbors helping neighbors and strangers alike.

- this is what america's about. - sometimes it's nice to see all the good that's out there. bringing folks out, we have seen it in community after community.

good morning. i'm via sikahema. we're a few minutes shy of 9:00 a.m. we are in the middle of a first alert because of a major storm that's moving right through our area. let's look at conditions along i-95. this is in wilmington now. you see some constant snow falling there. and cars moving slowly. follow it up i-95, but this time in south philadelphia by the wells fargo center. a live picture now. we've seen heavy snow there

falling in the past ten minutes after a little bit of a lull. that's why we look at your forecast neighborhood by neighborhood. let's check in with first alert meteorologist brittney shipp with the latest. absolutely. as we push into the afternoon commute, that's going to be a poor commute, as well. we saw slick roads. still seeing the steady snowfall coming down. a heavy, wet snow which could lead to more pounwer outages ast sticks to the power lines and tree limbs. roads will stay mess even after the system moves away. our concern will still be into tomorrow, as well. first alert staying in effect until 7:00 a.m. tomorrow. tracking the nor'easter, you see it's a mix of snow coming down or rain depending on where you are. closer to atlantic city, cape may, and dover, it is all rain. some of the heaviest snow, and this has been the case for at least the last hour, hour and a half, has been from wilmington straight through parts of philadelphia, even up to trenton and some of our south jersey suburbs like upper pitts grove, west chester already seeing a good steady amount of snowfall coming down. it's been more spotty here near reading, and also into the

poconos. one thing we're watching for you as we go into the next couple of hours, specifically between 10:00 and noon, is you start to see the heavier bands over philadelphia and northeast philly. look at how dark blue it is. that means heavy snow expected to continue to come down across the region. so this is what we're watching for you. we'll continue to update you as the morning goes on. we'll send it back to you. vai? >> thank you. so for those few who are out on the roads this morning, let's check on the roads with jessica boyington. >> yeah, you said it to start. we pretty much skipped over our morning rush. every time i look at the majors in the cameras, this is most cars i've seen in the blue route the last few minutes. i wanted to show you so we could see how the snow and precipitation is accumulating. it's mainly into the center median, still off into the shoulder. a little slushy and wet on some of the roads. not a lot of cars out the door.

namans at 130 between center city and 322 in jersey. also in jersey here, route 47, delta between broadway and route 130, flooding reported on the admiral wilson, as well. to end here, moving up toward the ben franklin parkway, watch for speed restrictions heading over the bridge, but no traffic. >> thank you. make sure you have the free nbc10 app by your side throughout the day. you can track the forecast right down to your neighborhood, blue see the snow totals -- plus see the snow totals and full list of road closures. at last check, 718 schools closed. i'm via sikahema.