Good morning, and happy Tuesday. Here are six of the top stories we are following this morning at NBC News:
1. Pussy Riot members claim arrest in Sochi
Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, a member of the Russian feminist punk band, wrote on Twitter today that she and another member were accused of theft over the weekend while visiting the Olympic city. Tolokonnikova and another member previously served nearly two years in prison for staging a protest against Russian President Vladimir Putin. Read more in NEWS.
2. Americans hit and miss medals stand
The 2006 Olympic gold medalist, Julia Mancuso, and newcomer Mikaela Shiffrin both failed to take home a medal in the women’s giant slalom on Tuesday, but Alex Deibold took bronze in the men's snowboard cross final. Meanwhile, American David Wise is heavily favored to grab gold in the men’s freestyle skiing halfpipe. The final is set for 12:30 p.m. ET. Read more and watch events live at NBC OLYMPICS.
3. Star-studded start for Fallon on ‘Tonight Show’ debut
Heeeeerrrrrre’s Jimmy! A parade of celebrities welcomed Fallon, a “Saturday Night Live” alum and former “Late Show” host, to the iconic show on Monday night. Robert DeNiro, Tina Fey, U2 and even Lindsay Lohan dropped by Fallon’s New York studio — the same one used by “Tonight Show” veterans Johnny Carson and Jack Paar. Read more in POP CULTURE.
Ever the showman, Fallon joined guest Will Smith for an “evolution of hip-hop dancing.”
4. The winter of our discontent continues
A fast-moving storm was expected to dump up to 5 inches across the Northeast through Tuesday — on the heels of 4-plus inches falling on the Midwest. Many major cities along the East Coast, including Philadelphia, New York and Boston, have seen two to three times their annual winter snow averages. But relief could be coming by the end of the week. Read more in NEWS.
5. Life in North Korea labor camp filled with fear
The head of a United Nations panel said Monday that imprisonment in a North Korean labor camp is “strikingly similar” to crimes perpetrated by the Nazis during World War II. A 400-page report described horrific conditions that prisoners were under and the constant battle to find food and stay alive. Read more in NEWS.
6. Thai protest against government corruption turns deadly
At least three people were killed in protests outside Bangkok, where the administration of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra is under fire for alleged corruption in a rice-buying scheme. Thailand’s National Anti-Corruption Commission has summoned Shinawatra to answer for the corruption charges on Feb. 27. Read more in NEWS.
… What’s trending today: Olympics edition
Jimmy Fallon’s opening monologue on Monday night was rife with laughs about the Olympics. The late-night host skewered Sochi, from Al Roker's and Matt Lauer’s too-close-for-comfort double luge stunt to the Russian hockey team’s loss against the Americans.
Check it out: