This as the president tries to tackle the roots of the rising extremist threat. And murphys law. Why wasnt eddie murphy in any skit of the epic show . A former cast member tells all including the role that murphy turned down a why. Including today, thursday february 19th, 2015. From nbc news this is today with matt lauer and Savannah Guthrie live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. And good morning, everyone. Welcome to today on a thursday morning. Matt has the morning off. I almost had the morning off. You did . I woke up an hour ago i overslept. You know . I was in the makeup room. We were like where is she . Shes not here yet. Look how well she put it in an hour. Lets talk about record shattering temperatures. How could ask . Heres a picture of Niagara Falls. Behind that ice and snow the falls are still roaring. They are the king amazing. Beautiful picture. Meantime that siberian express is of course our top story. If you are fought waking up to shattering temperatures this morning, temperatures are, you will by tomorrow him we got this all covered from the deep south to that breath taking scene at Niagara Falls. Thats where dylan dwyer find her elves, good morning. Reporter good morning. I wasnt quite cold enough in the United States so i had to head up to canada. Its colder than kentucky than the minus 3 we are feeling right here. We have been in such prolonged cold temperatures the great Niagara Falls is partially frozen over t. Falls themselfs will never fall completely. There is too much rushing water. Its so hard to show you cold. We thought this certainly could show you that cold. Can you see cold in baltimore, maryland, where cars are literally troezen in place. The water has been sprashing up on roads and freezing on contact. You can see cold by the numbers. Records have stood for more than 50 years, stand to fall today in places like asheville, North Carolina nashville, tennessee and paducah, kentucky where this morning it will be even much colder than that and in boston oh boston this is already the second coldest on record on top of this being the second snowiest in winter in that area. Several more records are likely to be broken today and tomorrow as this frigid air from the siberian express continues to take hold of the eastern United States and here in Niagara Falls, this does stand to be one of the coldest februarys on record which, of course makes it look absolutely beautiful t. Problem is, cant stand out here for too long to enjoy i. Its minus 3 right now with a wind chill of minus 22. Willie. Dylan dwyer, Niagara Falls, this extreme cold is creating a rare challenge for millions in the south. Temperatures are plunging up to 45 degrees below normal and shattering all time records. Gabe gutierrez is in nashville, where they could be looking at a record today. Reporter willie good morning. This is not exactly Niagara Falls, the ice is starting to form on this fountain. This is dangerous cold. So far this week in tennessee there have been at least six weatherrelated deaths. This morning, much of the south is on ice shivering through recordbreaking cold. Its been chaotic. Today nashville is forecast to bottom out around zero degrees after this weeks snow and ice already struck a sour note in the music city. Our city shut down. You know people up north will make fun. I get it. Its just were not used to it. Reporter salt Truck Drivers are working overtime. So are plummers as pipes burst. Its been several years, fact since weve had this kind of weather. So a lot of people have been caught off guard. Reporter the arctic blast stretching across the south. From kentucky where firefighters are using blow torches to melt isles off hydrants to North Carolina. Reporter the simple solution to all there is to just stay pence. Reporter from georgia, even into the sunshine state. 20s in florida. 30s in the central part of the state. Reporter shut truss growers are rushing to save their crops. Once the ice ices over the quality goes down. Reporter nate hansen runs his own tileing business. Are you used to this weather lear in nashville . No. Reporter you have been waiting for a snow day, havent you . Yes. Reporter schools here are shut down all week. As far as you are concerned, this could keep zbnl for a while . Yeah. Reporter youd be okay with that . Yes. Reporter the kids the kids here may not be complaining, but their dald told us his business has been out of work all week. Meanwhile, folks here in the narcville area are dealing with something that happens up north, possible seismic boom ice quake, thats when ice rapidly expands in the ground. People here in the south are fought used to this. Al. That sounds like something you get at that time dq. Dave gutierrez, thank you so much. We have been calling this the siberian express. This air originates in siberia. It gets caught up and over the poles, because we have this polar low, a strong western high. It funnels that air right in between and so the siberian air actually makes its way down south into the u. S. So look at these temperatures right now. 13 charlotte, 40 orlando, atlanta 16. Cape hatteras 23 degrees and as you look at these high transportation they are anywhere from 20 to 30 degrees below normal t. Real cold air comes in tomorrow morning. Miami will be 40 degrees, 22 in savannah 14 below in lexington, kentucky. Kentucky and we are watching a major storm system getting itself together saturday in saturday night. Sunday and an icy mix. Snow possibly in boston. Then as we move into sunday this is going to be bald news a mix of frozen precip from new york city to boston soaking into the snow pack thats already on roove, onetothree inches of snow. But we could be looking at this icy wet mix. Whatever is heavier. Whatever is on rooves will absorb it like a sponl. It will be more dangerous and heavier. We got to get that stuff off folks rooves now. A warning is being issued over a potential deadly super bug outbreak. Its already been linked to two deaths at uclas Ronald ReaganMedical Center. There are fears 200 others may have been exposed. Halle jackson has this for us good morning. Reporter savannah the patients here at ucla are being offered free home infection kits too see if they have been infected be i this bacteria. Its been called a fight mayor bacteria by federal health officials, a superbug that can kill up to half the people that become affected with it in their bloodstreams. Now about 170 patients at ucla are learning they may have been exposed to cre after having endoscopys. They caught the buck through scopes that may have been contaminated. Two died possibly because they were affected. E normally lives in the gut. If it gets into the bloodstream, it may kill 50 of the people it infects. Reporter similar outbreak versus happened in seattle, chicago and pittsburgh and at least one cre case has been reported in every state. This is unprecedented what we are watching now if terms of patients dying, patients getting infected. Reporter the infections are used when they look at a patients digestive system. Bacteria can get trapped. Sometimes the sterilization isnt enough to decon tam nate the scope before its used again. It may be these instruments maybe transmiting somewhat innocuous bacteria now they have become resistant, theyre killing patients. Reporter the fda says a half million of the potentially life saving procedures are given every year with a tiny fraction reporting problems from dirty scopes t. Fda says the risks may be weighed against not seeking treatment. Experts say if you have an endoscopic procedure, talk about the sterilization procedures. Ucla is going up and beyond by manufactures and national standard. Savannah. Halle jackson, thank you. Now to a touching tribute to Kayla Mueller the american hostage who died in the hand of isis. Hundreds gathering at her hometown. In walk the White House Holds a summit on ending violent extremism. Chief Foreign Affairs correspondent Andrea Mitchell is there. Good morning, willie as isis threatens the new world, kay what muellers town will not forget the 26yearold aide worker gathering in grief and remember pedestrians. Prescott arizona wednesday fight a. Community thrust into the vortex of global terrorism, but with song and prayer keeping the focus on their daughter a student, a friend and a heart breaking tribute from her brother eric. Ro you are my best friend, omnlmy only friend i have a ache in my soul that will never be replaced. Reporter kaylas suffering grew out of the seeds of faith, love compassion and just stills. Seeds nurtured in large part by her family and this community. Reporter and friends honored her in a tribute video posted to youtube. So what i have to say to all my loved ones in prescott is that i will always love you. Reporter last night was a service of peace and prayer light years from the steady march of isis now taking hold in libya, where the terrorists beheaded 21 egyptian christians an executioner speaking english. They grab the town of al baghdadi burning alive as many as 48 prisoners, a report the u. S. Could not confirm him only 5 miles from a base with hundreds of u. S. Marines deployed as advisers. The u. S. Strategy being challenged on every front even as president obama told a counterterrorism summit the terrorists do not represent islam. They are fought religious leaders. Theyre terrorists. We are not at war with islam. We are at war with people who have perverted islam. A sentiment echoed in prescott lighting candles in hope of a memory of a young whom that gave her life to service of others. The people in prescott lit candles for all four held by isis as the nation struggles with how to combat this new form of evil. Kayla mueller such an impressive young woman. Andrea mitchell in washington thank you. More on the white house meetings andrea talked about. Yes, the president will be speaking this morning on a summit on violent extremism. The president again defending his refusal to call terrorists muslim extremists saying the u. S. Has one thing going for it that the u. S. Doesnt, a long tradition of embracing immigrants including muslims. But the president warned that terror groups are great at enticing muslims with twisted information of islam. No religion are responsible for terrorism. People are responsible for violence and terrorism. The president saying parents, teachers and faith leaders play a key role in preventing the spread of extremism. Meantime president obama jamd secret Service DirectorEdward Clancy permanently. He has been acting since october when Julia Pearson was forced out after a series of security breaches. The president brushed aside an independent panels conclusion that the job should go to an outsideer. Clancy has been with the secret service for nearly 30 years afternoon. A surge in gas prices is likely if Southern California after an explosion ripped through part of an oil refinery on wednesday. It happened in torrance its about 20 miles south of los angeles. Residents within a mile or two reported a sharp jolt. Four contractors suffered minor injuries. Officials say air quality is being monitored as a precaution afternoon. A search is on after a doggy day care van that was stolen at gunpoint wednesday in chicago. Apparently the driver was taking the dogs home when two armed men approached and told him to get out of the van. He complied. The men then drove. Seven dogs were pence, the owner of the business says because the van was not marked with the companys logo he thinks the car jackers just wanted the vehicle and were not targeting the dogs. And on a lighter note we all scream for ice cream. Its even better when its free. Even better than that how about if it was served to you by a Big Television schaar. Tonight show Host Jimmy Fallon served ice cream at a bill and jerrys ice cream store. They didnt know it was jimmy, himself, controlling that mechanical arm making it tricky to get a bite. Eventually though he did reveal himself after making people earn their free sample the hard way. You see the lengths people go to get a bite of ice cream. We tried it yesterday. Well get you some. Thats amazing. Once the stomach bug is clear. Ice cream clears everything natalie, thank you. Speaking of ice. Thank you for bringing that up. No pun san bernardinoed. Anyway lets show you what we got around the rest of the country. The Pacific Northwest, a beautiful day. We are looking at sunshine in los angeles, 71 degrees, cool chilly windy conditions along the southeast atlantic coast. The gulf coast looking on the cool side with plenty of good morning, im meteorologist bill henley. A cold start and the wind is blowing to make it feel even colder. Afternoon temperatures will peak in the teens and low 20s. Gust kbr windy winds that are cold and keep windchills near zero. A brief snow shower blowing through the area possible today. Record cold possible tomorrow. One degree would tie the record of 1979. A cold start saturday. Lateday snow will change to rain. Sunday, 46. The cold returns next week. Have a great day. And thats your latest weather. All right, al thank you so much. Now to one of the most talked about moments from snls 40th, why eddie murphy . Last night they were talking about the 7 00 eastern, former cast member Norm Mcdonald shared a behind the scenes look at the special, including the role that he says he tried to convention murphy to take. And welcome back to celebrity jeopardy. It was the sketch said stole the show. It almost had a much different ending. Burt reynolds what are you doing here . Snl alum Norm Mcdonald revealing over the course of three hours and 110 tweets eddie murphy was asked to participate in the sketch playing bill cosby, tweeting how it was supposed to go down. Eddie murphy doing a perfect cosby impression. The audience does not let him finish the sketch ends the show for all intents ends. Murphys appearance marking the first time the legendary alum was to step foot on that studio 8h stage in more than 30 years. Manying donald describes how he entered the studio to an awe struck sometime of alifters. There he is. Like al zaire. Thats when mcdonald quickly realizes its my job to talk him into doing jeopardy. We talk in his dressing room for an hour im convinced he would do it. He doesnt. Eddie murphy know what is will work on snl better than anyone. As for the reason murphy declined. I thought right now you were going to do this. Opting for what was an awkward appearance later in the show. Eddie decides the laughs are not worth it. He will not kick a man when he is down. Eddie murphy i realize, is not like the rest of us. Eddie does not need the laugh. He adds eddie mir fiis the coolest, a rockstar even in a room with actual rock stars. Guys an interesting read 23 million watch that special. Norm givers great incite not only to the eddie murphy moment to the writing process, that week its great. Its a long interesting, this would be a kind of cool stream of consciousness, sometimes he wrote one sentence at a time. He goes on and on. Its fascinating. We reached out to snl and eddie murphy neither had comment. Its an oral history of the show following norm last night. It was interesting, on the red carpet all the stars said what was so cool about it was the week up leading up to the show. It was the personals, it was like a great, great reunion. That was almost better than the show itself. The show is pretty good all right, guy, thank you have much. Coming up have nilvanilla ice out of custody. What could prevent dangerous bird strikes on your next flight. Why is it being used at three airports across the country . That story coming up. First, this is all right. People like to caribbean in all sorts of ways. But no matter how they caribbean they all like to caribbean with the best. 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First to bill henley with the forecast. Bill . Records may fall overnight and tomorrow morning. It will be colder tomorrow morning, but its already cold including at the shore. Sunshine is bright but the temperature is low. 16 degrees right now in wildwood. It feels like it is colder with th