look at this right here! >> good morning. mounting men. snowboarder seth wescott does it again, moving from fourth all the way up to first to win his second straight gold in snowboard cross. while in the downhill, bode miller races to bronze to become the most decorated american olympic skier in history. two fantastic finishes, two big interviews for us today, tuesday, february 16th, 2010. captions paid for by nbc-universal television ♪ and welcome to "today" on this tuesday morning. i'm meredith vieira. >> and i'm matt lauer. and if we're beaming a little bit more than normal this morning, it's because of two words -- seth wescott. man, we hitched our wagon to this guy's star a long time ago, and he has never disappointed us. last night he won his second straight gold medal in snowboard cross, and we are awfully proud of him. >> it was a spectacular race, just like he did in torino four years ago. seth actually trailed for much of the race, but then on one of the final turns, he whipped around the lead rac and cruised to victory. and this morning, he is here for an exclusive, live interview. >> and you know, we're going to run the race. we're just going to run the race. >> the whole thing. >> because it really didn't seem as if he could possibly win it. and we're going to take a look at that. plus, an exclusive interview with bode miller about that bronze medal that made him the winningest skier in u.s. history. and get this -- he was within 0.09 of a second of winning gold. that's how close that race was. he still has four more events here in vancouver, including today's super combined. let's look at the medal count. bode's bronze and seth's gold extend america's lead. the u.s. now in front with eight medals, two gold, two silver and four bronze. germany's in second with five. france and canada remain tied for third. >> and let's not forget the ladies. today it is the women's turn in snowboard cross. lindsey jacobellis will be gunning for gold. of course, everyone remembers what happened to her four years ago. she was leading when she pulled a celebratory trick and crashed. she opened up about that moment to jenna bush hager, who has made her way to grouse to share that story. and that's coming up. >> that's right. but all we can say is vancouver is never going to be the same, and that's because meredith grabbed natalie morales and kristi yamaguchi, and they went out for a night on the town. and, well, let's just say what happens in vancouver -- >> will not stay -- >> -- will not stay in vancouver. >> no, exactly. first of all, you used the term "grabbed" them, like they were very willing to go. very willing. >> you're a bad influence. >> oh, come on! >> all right, let's get to ann first. she has more on monday's incredibly close races featuring seth wescott and bode miller. ann, good morning to you. >> good morning to all of you. at the olympics, as you know here, tenths, even hundreds of a second can mean the difference between winning a gold medal and missing the podium altogether. you have to look no further than monday's men's downhill and snowboard cross races. >> this is for the medals. >> reporter: it's not how you start. it's how you finish. and as the race began, the defending olympic champion, seth wescott, was in fourth place. >> oh! nate holland goes down! >> reporter: but after a spill by hiseammate halfway down the hill, wescott began to make his move. >> wescott hanging on. this is for the gold! >> reporter: in the end, the american had just enough to win his second consecutive olympic gold medal. on the ice, despite a few mistakes, a chinese pair won their country's first gold medal in figure skating. >> first place. >> i guarantee you that shen and zhao will go home with great joy about having done this, but they will also never forget the fact that those little mistakes that they made. >> reporter: meanwhile, a man who made some mistakes four years ago is back in the olympic spotlight. >> i feel like i'm in a good state of mind right now. i'm ready to push. >> reporter: on the downhill course, bode miller pushed hard. >> bode miller takes the lead. >> reporter: after his run, the 32-year-old seemed pleased with his performance. >> i expect a lot out of myself and i know i'm going to push the limits. >> reporter: missing gold by 0.09 seconds, miller took the bronze, his third olympic medal in alpine skiing, the most ever by any american. for the women, lindsey vonn posted the fastest time in practice on the downhill but said her shin is still hurting. >> the course was so much more bumpy than i think anyone expected, and that kind of threw me for a loop. >> reporter: and, while lindsey vonn says she could use another day of rest, she feels ready to ski. her pain pales in comparison to those mourning the tragic death of a georgian luger. they gathered on monday for a private memorial. the 21-year-old's body is on its way back to his hometown in georgia. even amid the tragedy, as the games go on, the olympic spirit was on full display at the medals ceremony for the first canadian gold medal won on home soil. bode miller has another good chance at that medal today in the men's super combined, and a change to that event could work in his favor. here in vancouver, skiers take part in one downhill, and for the first time, just one slalom race instead of two. matt? >> all right, ann, thank you very much. we'll hear exclusively from bode in a moment, but right now, let's welcome in two-time -- let me say that again -- two-time gold medalist seth wescott. seth, good morning. >> good morning, matt. >> congratulations. >> how are you? >> it's been about 12 hours. how do you feel? >> i feel great. you know, i honestly -- it probably won't even settle in until i'm on the medals podium tonight and actually get it, so you can hold it. but the racing was so much fun yesterday. it was an absolute blast. >> did it feel different to cross the finish line and win the gold this time than it did four years ago in torino? >> it did. it was a little more surreal, but the actual moments where i was passing mike and getting the passes done with tony ramoin from france, i got into the moment where all was quiet. i couldn't even hear the crowd at the bottom of the hill it with a magical moment. >> we split the race up into thirds, seth. and talk to me about this. and in particular, take note of where we freeze this race and where you were, all right? >> okay. >> what's going through your mind now? >> now, you know, i had a bad time trial, so i knew i was going to be coming from behind all day. it was tough, you know, tough working out of those outside start gates. so, in that early section, just trying to hang with it. you know, there was too major passing zones, the two straightaways, the straightaway between turns 4 and 5 and between 6 and 7. so, at this point, you're just trying to stay in the hunt and carry momentum to get down to that lower part. >> all right, i'm a novice here, not an expert. at this time, you're lost. you are not winning this race. >> i'm way out the back right now, yeah. >> okay. you were in last place there and we're all thinking -- >> it's called patience. >> -- you know, it was fun when he won the first time and we'll congratulate him anyway. look at this freeze. >> yeah. >> that's where you are after the top third of the race. >> yeah. >> okay, let's pick it up now. at this point, do you think you still had a chance to win? >> yeah. you know, i was hanging in there. i knew i had some really good sections lower down. >> what happened to nate holland there? he spun out? >> he got a little front-footed there. we would call that being an east coaster. front-footers, learning to be on ice, you're always pressuring the first. and nate being from idaho shouldn't have been doing an east coaster there. >> now there you make a pass. now you're in second. >> yep. so, now getting over this double-double is the trick here and then setting up this turn 6 here is the whole key to slinshotting yourself through the last straightaway. >> you're still pretty far behind, demand snowboard cross, that's a big lead right there. >> that's a huge lead by robertson at that point. >> let's pick it up. after one jump, he starts the jump way behind, he lands the jump right next. >> yeah. this is basically linking four transitions better than robertson. >> there. now you've got him. >> yep. >> and now you're just hanging on for dear life? >> now i'm hanging on for dear life, almost going down right there, and you look -- >> look how close this is at the end. >> i look back right there. he was completely in my blind spot. i had no idea he was still with me. >> guess what, he was still with you. >> he was still with me. >> and you hug some people at the bottom, and shortly after this, you drape yourself in an american flag. it's not just any flag. you have it here. tell me about that. >> i have it here. my grandfather was a trainer in the service in the army. he was a -- he trained the troops before going over to world war ii and this is his service flag from world war ii. i had it with me in torino. it sat in my house the entire four years in between. i unpacked it monday and brought it over here with me, and it's got all the meaning in the world to me. i mean, this is my dad's side of the family, you know? it means the world to me, and to -- yesterday, when we were headed up on the bus yesterday morning, lindsey zine, our press agency, it was still packed in the triangle formation of being in the case. and i was like, hey, sit on the bus with me. i've got something i need you to hold for me. so, she sat down and was like, what do you need? i'm going to be on the finish line all day. so, i handed it to her and she knew about it, knew the story behind it. and you could kind of see the look in her eyes, i think, when i gavet tohe i was like, i'm going to need this in four runs, so you have to have this at the finish line for me. >> you certainly did. hey, seth wescott, congratulations. i want a hug. >> right on. >> you deserve it, man. you really do. we're awfully proud of you. we'll talk to you more later on. let's get a check of the rest of the morning's top stories. amy robach's back in new york. amy, good morning to you. >> matt, good morning to you. good morning, everyone. we begin with breaking news, a big victory in the battle against the taliban. one of its top commanders is in custody. nbc's jim miklaszewski is at the pentagon. what can you tell us? >> reporter: good morning, amy. he's not exactly a household name, but this is a big deal. he's mullah abdul baradar, the top taliban military commander, and as number two in the taliban, essentially ran all their operations. baradar was captured in karachi last week in a joint operation with pakistani intelligence and the cia. and the pakistanis and cia continue to intensely interrogate baradar today in an effort to try to find out if he can lead them to other taliban commanders. and the timing couldn't be better. he was grabbed just as the united states and afghan forces launched a major offensive against the taliban in southern afghanistan, and his capture could deal a crippling blow to the taliban's ality to fight. it's also encouraging in that this shows a renewed level of cooperation between pakistan and the united states in going after the taliban and other insurgents inside pakistan. amy. >> jim miklaszewski at the pentagon. thank you so much, mik. today, rescuers in washington state hope to reach a climber who fell into the crar of mount st. helens when a mass of snow he was knanding on collapsed, plunging him 1,500 feet into the crater. high winds forced them to suspend the rescue effort on monday. investigators are trying to find out what caused a deadly plane crash monday in new jersey. all five people on the plane were killed when it broke apart as the pilot was trying to land. well, police in richmond, california, say they do have leads as they look for three suspects who opened fire in church on sunday and disturbing video has surfaced showing the church choir ducking for cover when the shooting began. two teenage brothers were wounded and treated for nonlife-threatening injuries. yesterday in a story about vice president biden and former vice president cheney's appearances on the sunday news programs, nbc news included mr. biden's statement "we're pursuing that war with a vigor like it's never been seen before" in a way that suggested he was talking about iraq. he was actually referring to the war against al qaeda and we apologize for any confusion. well, people in parts of the midwest are digging out from up to a foot of snow that fell monday. it snarled traffic and caused dozens of accidents. and a massive landslide in southern italy monday forced residents to run for their lives. the landslide, caught on tape. it's believed heavy rains were to blame. and as bad as it looked, amazingly, there were no reports of serious injuries. it is coming up on 7:13. let's head now back to meredith, matt and ann and al, all in vancouver. hi, guys. >> first we had that massive wave yesterday and today that mud slide? >> earth's moving. it's crazy stuff. >> yeah. >> all right, amy, thank you very much. >> thank you, amy. let's throw it over to al for the weather. that's right. seth wescott still here signing autographs, flags, tickets for the crowd. pretty exciting moment. let's check your weather. and again, we've got some snow in the northeast, gting out of here. vancouver's forecast, we'll get to that in a little bit, but look at that snow all pin-wheeling around low pressure moving out. and as it does, we're talking about decent amounts of snow. we've got winter weather advisories, winter storm warnings as well. snowfall amounts around new england, boston, just to the north, we're talking about anywhere from 6 to 12 inches of snow. new england looking at generally about six to 9 inches of snow. back to new york, you may pick up one to two inches, maybe three at the most. then in the appalachia, we're and meredith, i just found out it's nova scotia day here at the olympics, so, there you go. meredith? >> where those colors with pride, al. all right, thank you, al. much more on the winter games in a moment, but now to a surprise announcement from indiana democratic senator evan bayh. on monday, he said he does not love congress and will not seek re-election. nbc's chief white house correspondent and political director chuck todd has the latest. chuck, good morning to you. >> reporter: well, good morning, meredith. look, evan bayh said he will not run for re-election, not because he was going to lose, thoh he would have had to work harder than he's used to, but because he doesn't have the stomach for how congress operates, echoing a theme we're hearing more this year and spelling possible troubles for democrats in november. >> i do not love congress. >> reporter: shocking words from a two-term senator who had been considered twice as a possible vice presidential candidate and who was practically raised in the institution, the son of former indiana senator birch bayh. >> after all of these years, my passion for service to our fellow citizens is undiminished, but my desire to do so by serving in congress has waned. >> reporter: his reasons? something heard more and more about washington these days. >> there is much too much partisanship and not enough progress, too much narrow ideology and not enough practical problem-solving. >> reporter: bayh had become increasingly vocal, airing his frustration about washington gridlock at a recent meeting with the president. >> and are we willing to make some of the tough decisions to actually head this country in a better direction? >> reporter: the president has also frequently bemoaned the lack of bipartisanship in the nation's capital this year, addressing it with house republicans. >> this is part of what's happening in our politics, where we demonize the other side s much that when it comes to actually getting things done, it becomes tough to do. >> reporter: members of both parties are frustrated. like bayh, retiring republican senator george voinovich of ohio complained bitterly about the senate's failure to establish a bipartisan commission to reduce the deficit. >> on too many occasions, congress has been unwilling to experience short-term pain to achieve long-term gain. >> one man, one woman, they can't so much make a difference anymore because the institution is dysfunctional. >> reporter: this year, five democratic and six republican senators are retiring, but for democrats, the bayh retirement is especially damaging because it could flip as many as eight democratic seats to the republican side, leaving the gop just two seats short of the majority. >> this is an election that's about democrats, and right now, people are throwing up their hands with democrats just as they did four years ago with republicans. >> reporter: now, bayh left democrats in indiana in a bit of a lurch. it's just three days to go before the state's filing deadline. republicans have their pick, former senator dan coates is their likely nominee. at this point, the party is hoping nobody files so they can name their nominee in a special rty vote in washington. quite a few senate democrats are upset and one senate democrat read bayh's statement and lamented to me "boy, when the going got tough, bayh just left." medith? >> chuck dd, thank you very much. now once again, here's matt. >> meredith, thank you. now back to the winter games and monday's historic bronze medal for skier bode miller in the men's downhill, his third olympic medal overall and the first since the 2002 games in salt lake city. nbc's peter alexander caught up with bode exclusively late last night. peter, good morning to you. >> reporter: matt, good morning to you from what this morning is a very snowy whistler. last night we spoke to bode miller. he did win a bronze medal, and the performance there made him the most decorated american alpine skier in u.s. history. but the question this morning remains, can he win back the hearts of american fans or does he even care? >> down to the final jump for bode miller to the finish line. crowd coming alive here. that's a look of satisfaction on the face of bode miller. >> reporter: that look of satisfaction was one olympic fans had been hoping for. bode miller back on the olympic medals stand after an eight-year absence, winning bronze in the men's downhill. today you became the winningest american skier in u.s. history. what does it mean to you to make history? >> today is about more of a feeling medal for me it was good for the team. it was good for the country. and for me personally, i was excited about the way i skied, but i could have been fourth just as easy and i think i would have felt just as good. >> reporter: feeling good and clearly showing no interest in reliving his disastrous performance four years ago in torino, miller nearly retired last summer. one medal here, four races to go. is this why you came back? >> i mean, certainly not for the medals. i mean, i've won medals before, and you know, the reason i felt good about the medals i had won is because of the fashion in which i won them. >> reporter: something else he's won,riticism about his hard-partying ways. at the end of his medalless 2006 games, miller notoriously said at least he was able to achieve olympic-level partying. how do you celebrate this? >> you don't, really. i mean, you do 97,000 interviews and then do a press conference, an awards ceremony and eat some dinner and pass out. >> reporter: do it all again tomorrow. >> because we have to race tomorrow. but normally, the celebration's where you get in trouble. everyone thinks you're supposed to go out there and do it for them and they're supposed to get to celebrate. you k