Steep Temperature Drop for 35 Million Across Country Coming

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Dangerous Cold Approaches  Temperatures are expected to plunge tomorrow for 35 million people in 17 states from the upper Midwest to the Deep South. A high of just 9 degrees is expected in New York and Boston. It could get colder this weekend and in storm-battered Boston, where roofs are collapsing and snow is still being cleared, another foot is in the forecast. NBC’s Al Roker has the latest.     Learn More

Back from the Brink?  There is fresh hope for an end to Europe’s worst war in two decades that has claimed 5,000 lives in Ukraine. Marathon talks between the leaders of Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany ended in an agreement with a ceasefire and planned weapons withdrawal set to begin this weekend. But a serious question remains — is Russia’s Vladimir Putin finished in Ukraine?     Learn More

Stuck at Sea  From Seattle to San Diego, there’s a dramatic scene at 29 of the nation’s busiest ports. Nothing is happening. A work lockout prompted by a labor dispute has left California citrus fruit to spoil, and a furniture importer said stock meant for his showrooms is floating on a ship in the Pacific. Experts said the holdup could cost the economy billions of dollars a day and threatens tens of thousands of jobs.     Learn More

Bob Simon 1941 - 2015  Many called him the best writer in the business. “60 Minutes” correspondent Bob Simon is being remembered today after his sudden death in a car accident in New York City last night. Simon earned 27 Emmy Awards in his nearly 50-year career at CBS News and was once held hostage and tortured during the first Gulf War. A report he was working on about Ebola with his daughter, who is a “60 Minutes” producer, airs on the broadcast Sunday.     Learn More

FBI Director Speaks Out on Race  Stepping into a contentious debate, FBI Director James Comey had surprise comments today about the nation’s police. He admitted that constant patrolling of high-crime areas can lead cops on the beat to jump to conclusions based on race: "The two young black men on one side of the street look like so many others the officer has locked up.”     Learn More

Fight of His Life  NFL legend Tony Dorsett says he forgets directions and suffers mood swings, but he vows that he will conquer the “frustrating” degenerative brain disorder that he was diagnosed with years after his incredible career. While speaking to NBC News' Lester Holt, with his wife, Dorsett said he wanted to be "out front and personal" about the diagnosis so that children will get checked out if they suffer head trauma.     Learn More

Lorne Michaels on ‘SNL’ at 40  As “Saturday Night Live” creator Lorne Michaels prepares for the long-running series to turn the big 4-0 this weekend, he told NBC’s Matt Lauer the thing he would have liked to have known when it all began. He also talked about his casting strategy after discovering so many stars. He often looked for people “you can drive cross country with, just people who you'd find interesting and bright.”     Learn More