I kept working hard and im really proud of this medal. A tough night on the ice for american figure skaters. And stunning upset. The u. S. Wins gold in dramatic fashion overnight, a photo fin nish the womens Cross Country team sprint, the first gold ever for the u. S. In that sport. Proving that all that glitters really is gold. Today, wednesday, february 21st, 2018. Announcer from nbc news, this is a special edition of today, at the olympic games. With Savannah Guthrie and hoda kotb. Live from pyeongchang, south korea. And good morning, everybody, welcome to today on a wednesday morning. Its 7 00 notice morning on the west coast, but its midnight here in pyeongchang, south korea. It is indeed. We have a lot to get to this morning. Starting with the breaking news from back home. Billy graham, the influential and admired evangelist known as the unofficial pastor of the white house, has died. He was 99 years old. Heres nbcs ron mott. God is saying tonight i love you. No matter what youve done, how bad youve been, i love you. As a modernday messenger of faith, few if any rivalled the reach of billy graham. Theres a way out and its so easy. Throughout his life, graham preached live to more than 210 Million People in 185 countries and territories. Theres only one road to heaven. He was called everything from the elvis evangelism to the General Motors of christianity. This is gods inspired word. Born four days before the end of world war i, graham was raised during the depression on his familys North Carolina dairy farm, before he turned to saving souls, graham was a seller of brushes, one of the best the Fuller Brush Company had ever seen. Man is restless until he finds god. But god would become his greetest pitch. Man has the will. Ordained in 1939, he was one of the first evangelists to temper fire and brimstone with newage tolerance. Dont ever say its a whitemans religion or a black mans religion. Its a world religion. He also embraced another revelation, mass media. First on radio, then television. Its the gift of god. Graham elevated spiritual revivals from parking lot tents to satellitebeamed crusades, his reach stretched beyond the powerful. To the presidency of the United States. Advising 12 president s, including a visit with president obama in 2010. I love them all regardless of politics. George w. Bush dubbed him americas preacher. Billy has been a longtime friend of my family. In 1996, graham was given the highest honor congress can bestow a civilian, the congressional gold medal. We are a society poised on the brink of selfdestruction. Billy graham continued preaching to the masses well into his 80s, in 2005 at the age of 86 he held what was billed his final american crusade and weakened by age, suffering from parkinsons disease and cancer, his message was unchanged. Deep inside we need Something Else. And that Something Else can be brought about by jesus. In november of 2013, reverend graham celebrated his 95th birthday and reloos leased a video described as his final sermon. The only way to follow god is through his son, jesus christ. At his side for six decades of preaching the gospel was ruth, his wife of 60 years. Today i want to honor her and tell you how much i love her. And tell you what a wonderful woman she has been. But in june, 2007, the woman billy called his life partner died. Im going to ask you even after her death, through his words and ministry, graham carried on. Continuing to offer millions a chance for new life, all they had to do was believe. I hope youll remember to remember that god loves you. Ron mott, nbc news, new york. Well the president reacted a short time ago. He tweeted the following, the great billy graham is dead. There was nobody like him. He will be missed by christians and all religions. A very special man. And speaking of the president , he is hosting the students and teachers and parents who have been directly impacted by some of the countrys Deadliest School shootings at the white house today. Sentiment growing for tougher gun law in the wake of the parkland, florida tragedy. Two reports, beginning with nbc White House Correspondent kristen welker. Hey, kristen, good morning. Hoda, good morning to you. A white house official says at least two dozen students, parents and teachers are coming to the white house to meet with the president and talk about gun violence. Some of the attendees include parkland students who have written letters to the white house asking to speak directly with the president. Its being called a listening session. But these families want action. In just a few hours, President Trump will host families who know the pain of gun violence firsthand. Theyll be from places like sandy hook, columbine and the latest scene of school violence, parkland, florida. The facetoface comes with the president who ran on a platform of protecting Second Amendment rights, now showing a new willingness to make measured changes. We must do more to protect our children. We have to do more. To protect our children. The president tweeting, whether we are republicans or democrats, we must now focus on strengthening background checks. Earlier tuesday, mr. Trump asking the Justice Department to impose regulations banning bump stocks. Devices which modify some guns allowing them to shoot hundreds of rounds per minute. He first ordered a review of the attacks after the las vegas massacre. While the move could face legal challenges, mr. Trump insisting. We cannot merely take actions that make us feel like we are making a difference. Meanwhile, social media is being inundated with conspiracy theories, claiming that some of the grieving students fighting for gun control are actually hired actors. Some posts like this one being shared more than 100,000 times. One of the students falsely accused of being part of a hoax speaking out late tuesday. I am so sorry that these people have lost their faith in america. I know i certainly havent. I was a witness to this. Im not a crisis actor. Meanwhile, on russia, President Trump is lashing out again after special Counsel Robert Mueller indicted 13 russian officials for meddling in the election. Tweeting today, question, if all of the russian meddling took place during the Obama Administration right up to january 20th, why arent they the subject of the investigation . Why didnt obama do something about the meddling . Why arent dem crimes under investigation . Ask jeff sessions. Mr. Trump taking a jab at his own attorney general as the russia probe heats up. Hoda . All right. Kristen, a lot going on, thank you. Some families impacted by the parkland shooting are at the white house, others are making their voices heard at the state capital of florida in tallahassee. Nbcs Kerry Sanders is there with that part of the story. Kerry, good morning to you. Were already seeing some of those students arrive here. Its estimated there may be according to police, as many as 1,000 students who arrive here. But the 100 students from Marjorie Stoneman douglas who traveled to the state capital likely will not attend the rally. Thats because the state representative who invited them here, fears that because this is a an open rally, they may find themselves confronting those who actually believe in gun rights and maybe even carrying weapons. She says its probably not a good idea. Because it was really only seven days ago that the students were dealing with a shooting right on their campus. To see it face to face would be emotionally disturbing. Overnight, a warm welcome for the survivors of the shooting at marjory Stoneman Douglas high school. Students on a mission, bringing their anger, grief and a tough gun control message to floridas capital. Were sick and tired of politicians just sitting back and saring that this is inevitable. Now we need to implement the legislation and we need to Carry Forward change. Theyre learning that wont be easy. Tuesday the Florida Legislature voted not to take up a bill banning assault weapons. A crushing blow to students who were there. Some are urging them not to attend todays rally. Where grieving students might be confronted by pro gun rights advocates. We all have to be mindful that these kids are very fresh from a terribly traumatic event. Sam fuentes survived the rampage, barely, shot in the thigh, shrapnel lodged behind her eye. Any farther back, i would be brain dead. Two of her classmates died she now feels guilty she didnt care more about other mass shootings. I dont know how columbine wasnt enough. I dont know how sandy hook was not enough. I dont know how las vegas was not enough. I dont know how the pulse nightclub was not enough. I dont know how any of it was not enough. But now it is. This most recent shooting sparking a nationwide movement, even among some gun owners. To get rid of assault weapons. As planning gets under way for next months gun control march in washington, celebrities are now lending their support. George and amal clooney say theyll be there, writing in a statement, they are so inspired by the courage and eloquence of these young men and women. Were donating 500,000 to help pay for this groundbreaking event. Oprah tweeting shell match the donation. These inspiring young people remind me of the freedom riders of the 60s who also said, weve had enough. But theres no letting up in the grief. Funerals for carmen sentra, she would have been 17 today. 14yearold gina montaldo, a member of the marching band. And 15yearold peter wang, his parents say he dreamed of attending west point. The military academy now admitting him posthumously, a rare honor. Despite everything shes been through, sam fuentes is optimistic. This doesnt have to be a recurring thing. We can put an end to it. The 100 Stoneman Douglas students survivors will end their day here in tallahassee with a twohour meeting with Florida Republican governor rick scott. He has long been a supporter of gun rights. And has an aplus rating from the nra. Savannah . Kerry sanders in tallahassee, thank you. Were going to switch gears and bring it back here to the olympics. On a busy wednesday morning. Its been an exciting day for team usa in pyeongchang, highlighted by some historic medal force our athletes. And craig is here with the very latest on all this. Hey, craig. Hey, there, savannah, hoda, call it ladies night. Lindsey vonn got bronze in the signature downhill race. U. S. Women won virile in bobsled, they won bronze in team skating team pursuit and in a huge surprise, america snagged its firstever gold medal in Cross Country. A heartracing finish. Team usas Kikkan Randall and Jessica Diggins grabbing gold. The first olympic Cross Country medal for the United States since 1976. And the first u. S. Women to medal in Cross Country ever. A stunning victory in the Womens Team Sprint relay. Down goes vonn. One last time in the olympic downhill. While the thrill of speed, american lindsey vonn adds to her alreadylegendary career. Race back to the medal podium with a bronze in the womens downhill. After a devastating knee injury forced vonn to sit out in sochi, the twotime medalist has been waiting eight years for another shot at gold and glory. Vonn takes the final jump, to the finish line. The 33yearold leaving it all on the mountain. Becoming the oldest female ever to medal in Alpine Skiing at the olympics. I gave it my best shot, you know. I, i tried so hard and i worked my butt off. And im so proud to have competed with such amazing girls, im proud to have competed for my country. Im proud to have given it my all. Vonn finishing just behind norways ragnild bumwinckel. Afterwards, vonn and Sophia Goggia hugging, the competitors are also friends. From the slopes to the ice and the russian rivalry thats heating up the womens figure skating competition. 15yearold Alina Zagitova going head to head with her teammate Yevgenia Medvedeva during the womens short skate. Triple flip. Triple toe. Just minutes after, medvedeva broke her own world record score in the short program. Zagitova setting the bar even higher. So difficult going off the edge. After the triple lutz very sol solid. Team usas trio, Bradie Tennell, mirai nagasu not faring as well. The opening events have not been good for the americans. Each falling minutes into their performances. Nagasu fell on a triple axel, a week after she became the first u. S. Woman to land the same jump in olympic history. And finally, in womens bobsled, American Star alana myerstaylor taking home the silver, her third olympic gold medal. For her teammate lauren gibbs it was her first medal. One more highlight this morning for team usa, overnight the mens curling team defeated Great Britain to advance to the semifinals for the First Time Since 2006. No surprise, medal count, norway still dominating the games. The United States is tied with the netherlands for fourth and on the schedule today, lindsey vonn and Mikaela Shiffrin competing in the womens alpine combined and the slalom for the men in freestyle skiing and the mens halfpipe final and hockey and canada leading in the gold medal game for the Third Straight olympics. You can watch it all live later today on nbc and the Nbc Sports Networks. Savannah, hoda, we send it back to you. Al, are you checking some crazy weather back home. The good news is for our friends out west, not that bad. Frost and freeze warnings, as you can see, relatively dry. We have a few showers and some snowshowers making their way along the west coast. And into the pacific northwest. Basically not all that bad. Although in the east its a little worse, well take a look at that in a second. Phoenix, partly sunny, 60 degrees, 31 in denver. Clouds in seattle and 38 degrees, 15 and sunny in billings, rest of the country weve got a lot of wet weather to talk about. Heavy rain making its way through the mid mississippi and ohio river valley, icy conditions through texas, could be airport delays there. Record highs along the eastern seaboard with temperatures getting into the south some places getting up to about 90 places getting up to about 90 degrees. This is google home mini. Its got the Google Assistant in it, so its super helpful. Watch this hey google, good morning. Google voice good morning, claire. Its 52 degrees with a chance of rain, so you might want an umbrella. Oh, thats thoughtful. Itll also read you the news, look up traffic, and tell you google voice your first meeting is at 9 00 a. M. And you know how sometimes youre in bed and you cant get out of it until you hear that one song that google voice okay, playing your get out of bed playlist. song from the lion king yeah, it can do that too. Its google home mini, and the rest of the google home family. and thats your latest weather. Just ahead, the twists, jumps and falls that dominated the opening of the ladies figure skating competition. Scott hamilton is here and hell break it all down. And the gold medal match between bitter rivals, womens at the Marine Mammal center, the environment is everything. We want to do our very best for each and every animal, and we want to operate a sustainable facility. And pg e has been a partner helping us to achieve that. Weve helped the Marine Mammal center go solar, install electric vehicle charging stations, and become more energy efficient. Pg e has allowed us to be the most Sustainable Organization we can be. Any time you help a customer, its a really good feeling. 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