Even have an interview. So what changed, and can he be compelled to talk . All that, plus shocking scandal. Missouris governor admits to an affair amid allegations he tried to blackmail his mistress. The teacher who was handcuffed and arrested at a School Board Meeting speaks exclusively to nbc news. And construction site catastrophe. Holy crap. A crane being used to lift a massive wall suddenly snaps. Workers run for their lives. No one was seriously hurt, but that crane is out of commission today, thursday, january 11, 2018. Announcer from nbc news, this is today with Savannah Guthrie and hoda kotb, live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. Hey, everybody. Welcome to today. Thank you for joining us on this thursday morning. It is so january. We are about to get another hit of really cold weather, wet weather. Als going to have the forecast in a bit. First, our top story. The death toll from the devastating mudslides that buried homes and cars in Southern California is growing. This morning, the search for people still trapped in the debris is becoming more desperate by the minute. Nbc correspondent Miguel Almaguer is there with the latest. Good morning. Reporter hoda, good morning. The scenes of destruction here are just jaw dropping. We know at least 17 people are dead. Another 17 people are missing. Both of those numbers to climb. So many families were inside homes like the one behind me when the store struck at 4 00 a. M. And they had no time to run. The flash flood is right there get out of here go reporter this is the moment a relentless torrent of muddy earth swept through santa barbara. Close the door reporter Marco Farrell and his family managed to escape what so many others could not outrun. When i looked up at the house and see it get swept away monday night reporter for hours, hayden gower searched for his mother, josie. I dont know how anyone could survive this. Reporter her body was found late wednesday. The family says theyre devastated. Neighbors are so desperate to find loved ones, theyre forming their own search teams. Diane brewer waiting for any sign of her best friend. Wed go find her but, honest to god, i never could imagine such a scene. Reporter among the missing, children, mothers and fathers. The torrent of mud so powerful, drivers were washed down roads. James and Alice Mitchell were killed in their home when it crumbled. The place looks like a war zone. And they seemed to be in the epicenter of it. Reporter just down the street from the mitchells, inga gilbar was carried out of her home by firefighters. I saw this torrid raging river coming down with cars and rocks. Reporter more than 100 people were rescued by first responders. 14yearold Lauren Canton is recovering in the hospital after her dramatic rescue. Her brother and father are missing and feared dead. One of Southern Californias most iconic coastlines now completely transformed. Hey, oprah. How are you . Reporter Ellen Degeneres, whos been forced from her own home because of the mudslides, facetiming on her show with her neighbor oprah winfrey, who was surveying the damage in her own backyard. I love montecito so much. It is the greatest community. It is. And, you know what is devastating . Its that weve lost so many live, and its such a tiny little community. Reporter now as the massive cleanup begins, those desperate to find loved ones trying to keep hope amid so much heartbreak. Rescue teams say they have searched 75 of the debris field. The problem is, inside so many homes, like the one behind me, the mud is several feet deep. Families may still be missing. Guys, back to you. Such a heartbreaking story, miguel. Thank you. And to see those rivers of debris coming toward people so quickly. Al, now this storm is moving east. Thats right. Thats the one. You cant outrun these things. They can go anywhere from 35 to 60 miles per hour. Wow. So its pretty rough. Now, as we look at this storm system, heres whats happening. We, right now, have Winter Weather alerts, advisorieadviso watches, storm warnings and blizzards for 72 Million People from new england to text and out into the plains. Plus, weve got flood watches in effect here in the northeast for 20 Million People. Heres what were looking for. These are the winter storm impacts. This morning, travel delays from kansas city up to chicago. This expanding area of mixed precipitation. Tonight, the cold front moves eastward. And were going to see rain change over to ice and snow, st. Louis on up to chicago. A we move into tomorrow morning, a significant area of freezing rain and sleet. A narrow band of snow behind this from memphis back to chicago. Dangerous travel from detroit to memphis. Now we move into friday evening. Were looking at snow and ice from nashville all the way to buffalo. Travel delays from atlanta to boston. An increasing flood threat, because of heavy rain here in the northeast. Saturday, heavy rain early in the day in new england. Flash freeze is possible. Arctic air is going to be coming in behind this. This ice accumulation, anywhere from 0. 1 inch to. 5 inch from kentucky to new england by saturday. Snowfall amounts, generally about 4 to 6 inches from parts of kansas up to the u. P. Of michigan. Look at this, were talking about a wide swath of 9 to 12 inches of snow from caribou, maine, to jamestown, new york. Behind this, temperatures are going to drop 20 to 40 degrees from the Central Plains into the northeast. So this is a dangerous, dangerous storm. All right, al. Thank you so much. Okay, guys. Also ahead on a busy thursday morning, were hearing directly from President Trump about the possibility he could be interviewed by Robert Muller in the russia investigation. The president now saying it may not even be necessary. Nbc White House CorrespondentKristen Welker has the latest on all of this. Hey, kristen. Good morning. Reporter hi, hoda. Good morning to you. Did President Trump go off script on the critical issue of russia . That is the question looming over the white house this morning after mr. Trump said it seems unlikely hell be interviewed by special counsel robert mueller. Even though according to multiple sources familiar with the negotiations, talks about a potential interview are well underway. This morning, the russia probe in the spotlight yet again after the president repeated his familiar defense on the subject seven times in 90 seconds during a white house News Conference wednesday with the Prime Minister of norway. There has been no collusion. There is no collusion. Theres no collusion. Reporter but its what the president didnt say that is sparking confusion. Refusing to directly answer whether he would agree to an interview with special counsel robert mueller. Well see what happens. I mean, certainly, ill see what happens. But when they have no collusion, and nobodys found any collusion, at any level, it seems unlikely that youd even have an interview. Reporter and last summer, the president definitive he would have a facetoface. 100 . Reporter an official familiar with the negotiations tells nbc news, the logistics and scope of an interview with the president are under discussion and being worked out. Overnight, top adviser Kellyanne Conway playing cleanup. Will the president sit down with the special counsel . The president and his lawyers have made very clear from the beginning that this white house is cooperating with requests for information. And that hasnt changed. Reporter it all comes as the fight over immigration heats up. Overnight, Vice President mike pence insisting any deal has to include funding for a border wall. Make no mistake about it, there will be no deal on daca unless theres funding for a wall. Reporter hence, reinforcing the president s commitment to the wall, after mr. Trump signalled a willingness to compromise on immigration. The president also saying he wants to deal with d. R. E. A. M. Ers, the nearly 800,000 young undocumented immigrants who came to the u. S. As children. We want to see something happen with daca. Its been spoken of for years. Reporter and one day after hosting a unique, televised meeting with congressional leaders at the white house, the president flexing his former reality tv muscles, jokingly giving the cabinet room a new nickname. Welcome back to the studio. Nice to have you. Reporter and another headline were tracking this morning, during a wednesday phone call with the president of south korea, President Trump expressed a new openness to holding talks between the u. S. And north korea under the right circumstances, according to the white house. That after north and south korea held their first diplomatic talks in two years ahead of the winter olympics. As for today, the president will try to put the focus on prison reform, hosting a listening session here at the white house. Hoda . Savannah . And kristen, one question before we let you go. This issue of immigration, we heard the Vice President talking about no deal on immigration unless theres funding for the border wall. Im sure a lot of people are saying, wait a minute, i thought mexico was paying for the wall. How do we get here . Reporter that is a good question. Savannah, remember, the president of mexico has been defiant. His country wont pay for the wall. When the president was asked in recent days if mexico would pay, his response, mexico will pay in some form. To your question, savannah, what does all of that mean . The reality is, american taxpayers will likely foot the bill first. In fact, the white house is requesting some 18 million from congress to start construction. The idea is that mexico will wind up paying through some form of a tax, possibly on goods coming in from mexico. For the president s core supporters, this could be seen as a softening of a key campaign pledge. You can bet the democrats are going to pounce on all of it, getting ready for the 2018 midterm elections. Theyll be on the hook for some period of time, if not forever. Thats right. Appreciate it. Breaking overnight, the governor of missouri landing at republican admit heed was unfaithful in his marriage and he denied to keep our marriage. This was a deeply personal mistake. Eric took responsibility and we dealt with this together honestly and privately. E man wh says he secretly the statement comes after a local news report featured an interview with a man who says hes the exhusband of greitens onetime mistress. The man who was not identified says he secretly recorded a conversation where his thenwife confessed to an affair. Allegat is no blackmail and in the recording, which has not been verified by nbc news, the woman says she had a sexual encounter with greitens, and that greitens threatened to blackmail her with an explicit photo in order to keep the alleged affair a secret. Overnight, greitens attorney released a statement, saying the station declined to provide the tape or transcript in advance of running the story, which he said contained multiple false allegations. Quote, there was no blackmail and that claim is false. This personal matter has been addressed by the governor and mrs. Greitens privately, years ago, when it happened. While admitting he has been unfaithful, the governor does not verify any of the details in the allegations made by the anonymous exhusband, nor confirm a relationship with that particular woman. We give our kids the future they deserve. Reporter greitens wife releasing an additional statement on her own. We have a loving marriage and awesome family. Anything beyond that is between us and god. I want the media and those who wish to peddle gossip to stay away from me and my children. As for the blackmail allegations, any possible legal action, Governor Greitens attorney said the claim this threeyearold story should garner Law Enforcement interest is false. End quote there. We should point out that Eric Greitens is a rising political star. Navy s. E. A. L. , served three tours, and viewed favorable by republicans for the future of the party. Well see if this does anything to damage that. Thank you, willie. New developments this morning in one of the worlds greatest aviation mysteries. Malaysia Airlines Flight mh370 vanished in 2014 and, of course, the official search was called off last year. Now, an American Company claims it can find the missing plane in just three months. Nbcs tom costello has been covering this story from the start. Tom, good morning. How about this . Reporter yeah, absolutely. Itll be four years in march since all 239 people on board this flight went missing on a red eye from kuala lumpur to beijing. Now that u. S. Company, Ocean Infinity, has accepted the malaysian governments offer, up to 70 million, to find the remains of the plane. Theres a catch. The company wont get a penny of the reward unless it finds the full wreckage of the plane or its black boxes. The company says it can do it all with just one ship. This morning, an American Ship is on its way to the indian ocean, hoping to solve the mystery of mh370. The commercial jet missing since march 2014. Investigators in both the u. S. And asia are simply baffled. Satellite transmission showed the plane made an unexpected uturn and flew south, leading to the largest search in aviation history. Taking three years and 160 million. So now, what makes a texas company, Ocean Infinity, think it can find the remains of the plane in just 90 days with only one ship . The voekvoeks vehicles, drones, if you like. Reporter eight of them launching beneath the ship will dive down more than three miles, able to stay underwater for 48 hours at a time. And taking just two to three weeks to map an area which once took six months. They should be able to search an awful lot of terrain in a short amount of time. Reporter and the clock is ticking. Under an agreement with the malaysian government signed wednesday, if Ocean Infinity doesnt find mh370 in just 90 days, it wont get paid. They cannot take forever. Reporter starting next week, a crew of 65 will search an area the size of vermont. At stake, 20 million if the plane is found in the first 3,000 square miles. Up to 70 million for a search area much bigger. It has to be the plane. The aircraft and or the flight recorder. Reporter it wont be easy. So far, only 18 pieces of the plane have washed ashore, including this part of a wing on reunion island in the western indian ocean. But nothing from inside the plane itself. No bodies. No luggage. The lack of debris has been one of the great mysteries of this accident. It is something to this day we as accident investigators do not understand. Reporter still, for one man whose wife was a Flight Attendant on mh370, new hope. Im hopeful it can be found. Reporter so the new search gets under way in just about a week. Already, theyre racing the clock before the seas get rough in the southern hemisphere. Still, the ceo of the Search Company thinks there is a realistic prospect that they will find the remains of the plane, and then put to rest one of the worlds most enduring mysteries. The question will remain, why . Back to you. Absolutely. Tom, fascinating. Thank you. Al roker is back because the weather is such a big story today. Thats right. Lets take a quick look and show you nationally whats going on. Big storm coming into the Pacific Northwest with heavy rain and snow. Were going to be watching that. Sunshine through the southwest. Warming up here in the northeast. Weve got more rain coming, as well. Were going to get to your local forecast coming up in the next 30 seconds. P in the next 30 seconds. Ing to the bathroom . Ing to the bathroom . laughter laughter then we asked the experts i feel as clean as a little, white tiny kitten. A ah ooh, a twinkling iceberg thats because only cottonelle® has cleanripple® texture. Designed to clean better. As clean as a shimmering mermaid. Cottonelle® wants everyone to feel as clean as a shimmering mermaid. How cottonelle® do you feel . Good morning, im meteorologist kari hall. Weve had some patchy dense fog and slightly milder temperatures as you get ready to head out the door. Right now its in the mid 50s in san jose and also in San Francisco with our highs today up to 56 degrees, in San Francisco and along the coast while the inland areas will get a little bit more sunshine and slightly warmer temperatures into the low 60s. Over the next several days expect more sunshine and some milder weather. We will be tracking another chance of rain in the forecast early next week. And thats your latest weather. Guys . All right, al. Thanks. Coming up, David Lettermans big return to television and why its stirring up a new controversy. And an nbc news exclusive. The teacher who spoke her mind at a School Board Meeting and wound up in handcuffs opens up in her first interview about what happened. First, this is today on nbc. Okay mcdonalds. I see your one, two and three dollar deals. Tell you what, ill raise you five. Introducing value jacks way. Five great ways to save. Like i tell jack jr. , its all about big values, jr. Prices. Thats value jacks way. Like jacks oneofakind breakfast pockets for 2 each. Three of jacks famous tacos and a small drink for 3 or a classic bonus jack combo for 5 its like i tell jack jr. , its all about big values, jr. Prices. Straight ahead, the firsthand look at how drones could one day help save your life. And then a boy who is going to change the world. The 8yearold dubbed the next einste einstein. Youre going to meet him. First, a check of your local news and weather. Hope you kno