A month and counting. Today, thursday march 5, 2015. Announcer from nbc news, this is today with matt lauer and Savannah Guthrie live from studio 1a in rockefe and good morning, everyone. Welcome to today on a thursday morning. Memo to win thor this better be it. Yeah a lot of people are over. This you know theres some operate spots. A call at my house this morning no school. My kids are happy. Mine too. Look at the prettier images of a storm like this. Earlier this morning, evan lysacek out rehearsing on the rock center rink snowing more since then his performance will be beautiful when he joins us a little later. High degree of difficulty on that one, too. The storm our top story this morning. If this is in fact winters final pig one, not going down without a fight. Tens of millions impacted today, states of emergency declared. Our weather team has it covered. Start with dylan dreyer in boston. Good morning. Reporter good morning, savannah. The snow has returned here in boston. But yesterday, we hit 40 degrees for the first time in 44 days. In other parts of the country, it was anything but springlike, from texas, where dallas hit their record daily snowfall yesterday with just under for you with inches of snow it stretched all the way up into new england. And we do have states of emergency in alabama, in mississippi, also up into West Virginia and new jersey where the snow is very heavy. It went from rain to ice to snow. So thats whats making the roads extremely dangerous. Now, it is going to slowly spread east through the day today, making a mess of washington, d. C. Area, where busch offices are closed today and congress is closed today pause of the snow they are expecting. It is certainly, hopefully the last final blow pause next week it looks like we are going to get into a pattern change and start to see some warmer temperatures. But al especially pack through the midwest and the northeast, we could be talking about another chance to break some record low temperatures before that warmup happens. Absolutely dylan. Thanks so much. Again, two inches they just need two inches to break that record. Now, again, the midwest has been hit very hard by this. Take a look at this video and why you should not be driving fast along the i mean this is this guy comes off the interstate near st. Louis just so fast and, boy, what a mess. I mean major damage luckily, nobody was injured really in this crash. Lets show you what else is going on. This is the latest. The blue line thats the area of 32 degrees. This is our top of the rock came you cant see anything. I95 philadelphia more heavy snow coming down. We have got winter storm warnings advisories freezing rain advisories stretching from texas all the way into new england this morning. At 8 a. M. Jackson, mississippi, Winter Weather advisories ice amounts of a quarter inch sleet a half inch. As we move into the afternoon hours, late morning, the snow really starts getting heavy in washington philly new york city snow falling at up about to two inches per hour likely four to seven inches. It continues into the afternoon hours with winter storm warnings. Look at the snowfall amounts. Generally, about anywhere from three to six inches but from long island into new jersey, about six to nine inches. And this is going to be a pig problem later this morning into the afternoon hours, up to a half an inch of ice down through the southeast. Thats where we can see power lines going down roads a mess. 2500 flights have been canceled already. Those numbers will go up. You as dylan mentioned, we do see a light at the end of the tunnel. Good news it is not a train. [ laughter ] coming in the wrong direction. Al thank you. Meantime the u. S. Made to south korea recovering from a vicious attack. Chilling photos show mark lippert bleeding from his head and wrist just moments after he was slashed by a knifewielding man. Nbcs keir simmons has the latest on this. Keir good morning to you. Reported mornin ambassador lippert underwent two and a half hours of surgery this morning, has 80 stitches. Doctors say he will spend at least three days hospitalized. He was extraordinarily cool in the moments after the attack moments captured on video and these are, matt shocking pictures of what happened to such a senior american diplomat. Panic. Pleading here. Pleading here. Reporter just minutes after suffering a fourinch slash to his face. I need an ambulance fast. Get me to the hospital. Reporter ambassador lippert, a second cut to his arm, is bundled into a car. Moments earlier, the ambassador who served with the fwhaf very s. E. A. L. S, calmly walks from the room where his alleged assail let was wrestled to the ground. Mark lipperts place setting still splat weird blood, people attending a breakfast lecture. Later, the u. S. Ambassador to south korea was helped from an ambulance, bandaged and wearing hospital clothes. Im okay he says. Doctors say he is suffering some paralysis of the face and arm, but this morning, he tweeted, doing well and in great spirits. Robert his wife his son and the family dog and i deeply moved by the support. We will be back asap. The suspect, in his 50s, taken away loudly protestersing about u. S. south Korean Military exercise. South korea says it was shocked by an attack on a major allied country. North Korean Television called it a punishment, deserved to the war amonger u. S. While secretary kerry described it as a senseless attack. As good as to be expected. And he is strong. Reporter overnight the president phoned the ambassador offering his prayers. Mark lippert is close to the president , he has worked with him many years. He have had more security . Local police say the embassy did not ask for an Escort Service and no metal detector at the door. This alleged assailant, matt and savannah got in despite previously reportedly attacking the jap fwheez ambassador with a piece of concrete. They are going to have to review those procedures and those injuries are gruesome but they could have been a lot worse. Thank you. Big story in politics this morning, Hillary Clinton responding for the first time to this growing controversy over her use of a personal email county as secretary of state. In a tweet late last night, she says she asked thE State Department to release her email. She has done so and wants them to do that as soon as possible. Nbcs Andrea Mitchell has more on all of it. Andrea good morning. Reporter good morning, savannah. Two days after the controversy over her use of private email as secretary of state fit erupted, Hillary Clinton has give. First response on twitter, as you say, but that still may not reassure some democrats the way she has handled this issue. After courting Clinton Foundation donors at this new york city restaurant wednesday night, Hillary Clinton tweeted at 11 35 p. M. I want the public to see my email. I asked state to release them. They said they will review them for release as soon as possible. She did not address why she used a private email system exclusively while secretary of state or registered to her chappaqua home raising questions about whether her emails were properly archived. Its important to ensure that when official business is conducted on personal email that those records are properly maintained and preserved. Reporter clinton aides say she turned over 55,000 pages last year to thE State Department but have not said whether she held anything back. And now the republicanled House Committee investigating benghazi has subpoenaed all of clintons relevant emails. I cant do what the house asked me to do which is to write the final definitive report on benghazi if i dont have all of secretary clintons documents and emails. Will. Reporter bill and Hillary Clintons long time attorney wrote the committee that contrary to reports, clinton used only one personal email address as secretary of state, then switched to a new address after leaving office. But why would she go to such lengths to avoid using government email . One possible clue this overheard conversation from 2001. Adding to the mystery around the home server records show it was registered under the name of a former clinton aide. Tech experts say private emails are less secure than a government system. A personal email server even if it is set up very well is going to be more vulnerable to hacking than a government email server. Reporter thE State Department now says that it will review the emails that clinton provided them to decide what to release, what to redact but that it will take some time. Clinton defenders point out that jeb bush also used a private email when he was governor of florida and say what she broke no laws you even some supporters say it will take one more tweet to get past this episode. Savannah . Andrea mitchell. Thank you. Mark hall person has covered Hillary Clinton extensively, wrote about her the 2008 candidacy in the book game change and now managing editor of bloomberg politics. Lets use a weather met with ta for, is it a shower a squall, a cyclone . Like bostons third of ten snowstorms going national. Its destructive, its distracting and you know youre gonna get more. Some people might say, the political charting class who is interested in this real people respect paying attention, you think theres any truth to it. Who is paying attention is democrats want Hillary Clinton to be president but terrified this shows the kind of judgment she showed previously, not the kind of thing that is going to help her get elected president. What are democrats telling you . Here is somebody certainly knows what it is like to be under scrutiny to set up a personal email account, use it exclus at E State Department hack her own server even if there is nothing nefarious about it looks bad. Dumb founded. Testament to how Hillary Clintons aides are concerned about this that she has done something i have never seen her do since i started covering her in the early 90s, giving into the republicans and the press by saying she is going to release some of these emails. She never gives in. No history of. This they know this is a big problem, hearing from the same democrats im hearing from saying this looks pad. While it by the just be an inside thing now, the busch image of Hillary Clinton, this places all the worst things people thought about her over the years, secretive and playing by her own rules. Talk about democrats reaction. What about republicans . Certainly hands them a lot of ammunition and Breathes New Life perhaps, into the whole investigation into benghazi. Whats the main reason that Hillary Clinton doesnt like to give in when republicans demand she release documents . Because she knows all it does is whet their appetite for more. In this case legitimate questions, reignite benghazi more people in the media, i think, will be open to saying was she not revealing about that but reignites the question why did she turn some of her private emails over to the government and not all of them . That question she doesnt address in her tweet last night, gonna have to address that. Going to take more than a tweet then . Going to take more than a tweet. She is going to have to talk. Mark halperin, thanks so much. Thank you. Send it to matt. Another day of dramatic testimony expected today at the trial of Boston Marathon bombing suspect, Dzhokar Tsarnaev this after an opening day that featured the surprise admission from the defense, some graphic images of the attack and emotional testimony. Nbc national correspondent, peter alexander, is in post. Peter, good morning. Reporter matt good morning to you. Punctuating that first day of what you describe was right as emotional testimony, some powerful accounts for the first time from boston bombing survivors facing the man that even the defense admits tried to kill them. When the bombs exploded two years ago, rebecca gregory, who lost a leg, remembers hearing her 5yearold son repeatedly calling mommy. Mommy on wednesday, she testified she was thinking god, if this is it take me but let me know wa is okay. Overnight, gregory wrote about her court appear perhaps on facebook, posting in an open to her alleged attacker, hanks, today i looked at you right in the face and realized i wasnt afraid anymore and today, i realized that sitting across from you was somehow the crazy kind of step forward that i needed all along. Badly wounded College Student sydney cork ran also testified, saying i remember feeling im just going to sleep. T almos peaceful. I was fading fast. The longawaited trial opened wednesday with tsarnaevs defense lawyer making a stunning admission, it was him. Looking to spare tsarnaevs life the defense looked to shift the blame to tamerlan saying tamerlan who selfradicalized, but prosecutors disagree arding that zoe har intended to be a spec tear the, murder had in his heart, adding he believed he was in a holy war against americans. Prosecutors say Dzhokar Tsarnaev began reading terrorist writings as early as 2011 two years before the bombing and they say just 20 minutes after the marathon attack he went to a whole goods Grocery Store, where Surveillance Video showed him calmly buying billing. Underscoring the devastation of the attack prosecutors also showed the jury dramatic new video of the explosion, shattering the the windows of a nearby Sporting Goods store. Employees inside scrambling to help those badly injured. One of the most compelling moments of yesterdays testimony was from the manager of that sborting goods store, marathon spots on boylston street who described choking back tears the moment that that explosion took place. He said the thing that haunts me the most are the agonizing decisions, who do you help first . Who needs it more . Matt more testimony expected today. Peter alexander in boston this morning. Peter, thank you very much. Turn to natalie now. She is following this report on ferguson missouris Police Department it is damning. Certainly s city officials in ferguson missouri say they are taking immediate steps to respond to that scathing Justice Department investigation that found a sweeping pattern of racially biased policing there. A separate probe has now cleared former officer Darren Wilson in the death of Michael Brown. Heres nbcs ron allen. Whos street . Our street. Reporter overnight, word that Darren Wilson will not face civil rights charges and citing the federal investigation, protesters outside Police Headquarters demanded ferguson overhaul the entire force. The reaction from the city was not enough. Reporter one Ferguson City employee has been fired, to more on leave for allegedly sending racist emails, some targeting the president and first lady, uncovered by the Justice Department investigation. This type of behavior will not be tolerated. This investigation found a community that was deeply polarized. Reporter among the more graphic allegations, that police used dogs almost exclusively against black suspects and used Excessive Force against people who were mentally ill. The feds now demanding ferguson change its stop search and arrest procedures embrace communitybased police and recruit higher and promote diverse officers. That as federal prosecutors cleared former officer darren bilson saying that he killed Michael Brown in selfdefense essentially, the same conclusion reached by a grand jury last fall. No comment from wilson who previously told abc news the reason i have a clean conscience is because i know i j right. Reporter browns parents say they are disappointed wilson wont face justice but their sons death wont be in vain if this sparks change across the country. Ron allen, nbc news ferguson. Some good news out of washington the budget battle is over for now. President obama signed the department of Homeland Security appropriations act wednesday, funding the department through the fiscal year. The measure had been stalled because republicans wanted to use the legislation to reverse the president s executive action on immigration, but republicans relented and they were able to pass a clean funding bill. A superbug linked to tainted medical devices has now been identified as one of americas largest hospitals. Cedars Sinai Medical Center in los angeles says four patients under its care were infected by the highly drug resistant cre bacteria after a scoping device was used during a procedure. One of the four patients has since died but hospital officials attribute the death to underlying conditions. An additional 64 patients may have been exposed. Some scary homes in denver on wednesday when some airline bassingers were forced to use the emergency slides. American Airlines Says the flight had just arrived from North Carolina as the plane was taxiing to the date smoke filled the cox pit. Slides were deployed and the passengers were safely evacuated. The cause of the smoke is remains under investigation. Now we have some dramatic video to show you, just released of a michigan bus driver who police say fell asleep at the wheel, slamming into eight cars. It happened in a detroit suburb in october. Oh. That driver is now facing some charges. You can see 65yearold leon rashed slams the brakes unfortunately, it was too late, the bus slams into several vehiclesers of the course of a half mile. Two people in an