here's the simple truth, you can't love your country only when you win.

>> president joe biden addressing congress and the nation in a fiery state of the union, tackling the nations biggest challenge and his presumptive challenger head on. we bring you the biggest moments. you're the president announcing new plans to get much needed and to people in gaza. we have a live report with details. attire falling off seconds after takeoff, forcing an emergency landing, and lots of damage on the ground. one beloved budget grocer is set for a new expansion, how many new aldi's are coming up for the u.s., and when, coming up. one tree trimmer offering his services to rescue stranded neighborhood cats. it's friday, march 8th. early, today starts right now. good morning, happy friday. i'm francis rivera. president biden has delivered a final state of the union of his

first term, but the address could also double as a fiery campaign speech. the president drawing a sharp contrast between himself and donald trump, who he mentioned 13 times, but not by name. >> my predecessor brags about it. my predecessor told the nra he's proud he did nothing on guns when he did president. my predecessor some of you seek to bury the truth about january 6th. i will not do that. this is a moment to speak the truth, and to bury the lies. here's the simple truth, you can't love your country only when you win. >> president biden said he wanted to use this speech to wake up congress. here's alice bar with more of the big moments. >> the president of the united states. >> reporter president biden addressing the nation in one of the most important speeches of his political life. >> i came to office determined to get us through one of the

toughest period of the nations history. >> reporter: the president using his third state of the union to tout his accomplishments. >> 15 million new jobs in just three years. record. a record. >> reporter: the president vowing to fight for reproductive rights. >> if you, the american people, send me to congress to support the right to choose, i promise you i will restore roe v. wade as the law of the land again. >> reporter: as protesters gathered outside over his handling of the israel hamas war, inside the chamber, president biden addressed family members of israeli hostages and lawmakers from his own party outraged about the suffering in gaza. >> i'm directing the u.s. military to lead an emergency mission to establish a temporary peer in the mediterranean on the coast of gaza. >> reporter: with the new republican house speaker sitting behind him, the president pressing house gop members to pass aid for ukraine, as well as funding for

israel and the u.s. southern border. >> send me a bipartisan national security bill. history is literally watching. >> reporter: former president trump using his social media platform to rebut peer >> we cannot take it any longer as a country. >> reporter: with the 2020 for general election now underway, president biden seizing the moment as both commander in chief and candidate. in washington, alice bar, nbc news. alabama senator katie britt gave the republican response to the state of the union, which she delivered from her kitchen table. >> the american people are scraping by. while president biden proudly proclaims that biden economics is working. goodness, y'all. bless his heart. we know better. >> she painted a much darker picture of the country, which she described as more dangerous

than it was four years ago. former president trump praised her speech. mr. biden in his speech also addressed the situation in the middle east, announcing a major step to get more aid into gaza. the president promised to build a seaport along the gaza maritime border to expedite the transfer of emergency assistance into the strip. let's get right into it with nbc needs former correspondent, claudia. good morning, what will happen after the president's remarks? >> good morning, francis. the humanitarian crisis in gaza was one of the most anticipated subject in his state of the union by the press, because some felt that he really eeded to win back those democrats who were disappointed, even angered by his unwavering support to israel since the start of the war. let's take a listen to what he said. >> i'm directing the u.s. military to lead an emergency mission to establish a temporary peer in the mediterranean on the coast of gaza. and can receive large

shipments, food, water, medicine, temporary shelters. no u.s. boots will be on the ground. a temporary pier will enable a massive increase to humanitarian assistance getting into gaza every day. now the port will take a few weeks to build, while the humanitarian aid will first be delivered on the island of cyprus, which is about 200 nautical miles away, so that israel can monitor the shipments before they had to the newport. israel has said that it will welcome the initiative by the states, and it will work with the states on this particular operation, but also the united nations reconstruction and humanitarian coordinator for gaza also welcomed the initiative, saying the humanitarian aid that is currently coming into gaza is nowhere near enough through air drops. and warns that 2.3 million palestinians living in gaza right now are all on the verge

of starting right now. francis? >> claudia, thank you. george santos made a surprise return to congress last night where he is hoping to get his job back, despite being expelled from the house last year, he still has floor privileges. during the state of the union he announced on social media that he is running for congress again in new york's first district. santos pleaded not guilty to 23 federal charges, including fraud. dormant disturbing new revelations this morning after the autopsy of a gunman who killed 18 people in lewiston, maine last year. the findings show that before the shooting, the shooter suffered serious brain injuries, likely from his stint in the u.s. army handling grenades during training exercises. aaron mcglocklin reports the tragedy is sending shockwaves through the military. >> reporter: new analysis shows brain damage likely contributed to the erratic behavior. robert parr is seen in this chilling police body camera

footage. >> i'm going to do something, because i am capable pier >> reporter: captured months before, the 40-year-old army reservist opened fire, killing 18 people and wounding more than a dozen at a bowling alley and bar in lewiston, maine. police have been called by fellow army reservist concerned he was acting erratically after a days long manhunt following the mass shooting, robert card took his own life. the medical examiner sent tissue from his brain to boston university's world-renowned cte center for analysis. the lead researcher now revealing card had evidence of traumatic brain injury, and the results are similar to those of blast trauma. the family is now pointing to his work as a hand grenade instructor for the u.s. army reservist, leading to questions about a possible link. while card was never deployed for active duty, his family alleges for years he was exposed to thousands of low- level blast during his time as a reservist grenade trainer at west point. army spokesperson tells nbc news, the lab findings are

concerning, adding they underscore the army's need to do all it can to protect soldiers against blast induced injury. >> we do know that a lot of veterans are exposed and have been exposed to traumatic brain injuries and blast. we need to better understand how we can help them. if he's making these threats >> u.s. army reserve reservist raised the alarm about card the summer before the shooting pier >> we collectively noticed that card was exhibiting strange behavior and notified command pier >> reporter: one said card was admitted to a mental health hospital and after that never returned to west point. army spokesperson tells nbc news is updating its guidance on blast related injuries and that it plans to launch a safety campaign in the near future. back to you. >> thank you. you're on thursday a united airline plane bound for japan lost attire second after taking off in san francisco international airport. you can see the moment the tire fell off, there. the boeing 700 carrying 240 people was diverted to los angeles for an emergency

landing. luckily, no injuries were reported, the tire did damage some cars in an airport employee parking lot. according to the airline a boeing 747 has six tires on each of its two main landing gear struts. it is designed to land with missing or damaged tires. let's turn to the severe weather developing along the gulf coast, nbc meteorologist is tracking potential flood risks as we end the week, good morning. >> good morning, francis, you are right. we've got another busy day weather-wise when it comes to parts of the center of the country, where we've seen most activity overnight into this morning, that's where we're going to keep things soggy, we have these flood watches that have been in effect since yesterday, in these spots across the southeast including atlanta, birmingham, and montgomery. as far as the severe threat is concerned, that's going to be in afternoon and evening kind of thing as far as timing. 9 million people are at risk including alexandria, jackson, into the florida panhandle we have potential to see large

hail as well as wind gust and we can't rule out a strong tornado or two. this is the system working its way, we will keep up through today but the flooding rains are also going to be problematic across parts of the southeast, as we get into tomorrow the heavy rain works its way to the east, the mid- atlantic, the northeast will much chillier across parts of the rockies, denver has 33 degrees with snow in the forecast, st. louis to indianapolis and up to chicago dealing with rain. and that's a look at your forecast, back to you. >> thank you, angie. still ahead, casting from sesame street, but philadelphia bowing to crackdown on crimes after a string of shootings and an ongoing manhunt.

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now to an urgent manhunt in philadelphia, for multiple suspects who shot and wounded eight high school students at a bus stop, as grimes urges on the city's transit system, top officials promised swift actions. here's nbc's george lease with the latest. >> reporter: philadelphia police are urging the public take a closer look at this shocking surveillance video. investigators say it shows the chilling moments three armed suspects exit a stolen car, run up to a busy set bus stop frequented by high school students and indiscriminately fire more than 30 shots into the crowd. eight teens between the ages of 15 and 17 were wounded. one of those teens now fighting for his life. >> these are individuals shooting at a crowd of kids. that's really concerning. we need people to see that. >> reporter: this shooting, the fourth involving the city's transit system and the second involving minors this week alone. since sunday, three people have been killed, and 12 injured on 11 of those wounded were

teenagers, prompting a widespread response from top city officials. >> this is what's extremely important to me, as mayor of this city. that the people of this city know that we will not be held hostage. >> reporter: just hours before the shooting on wednesday, septa police chief declaring an aggressive approach to combating crime and gun violence on the transit system. >> we're going to target every criminal code on the books. >> for the family and friends of 17-year-old damien taylor, it's too little, too late. the teen was shot and killed on monday as he waited for the bus, several others were also wounded. >> we are absolutely heartbroken, and angry. that innocent children walking home from school would be impacted by gun violence. >> reporter: philadelphia police say there have been 55 murders in the city in 2024 so far, less than this time last year. as the investigation into this latest shooting continues, authorities are urging parents to get involved before another

young life is claimed by gun violence. >> go in those rooms and look under those tables and in those closets and get hose guns out of the house, at the end of the day many of these kids are coming from the same communities they're shooting at. they know who they are. >> our thanks to george lease for that report. still to come, can't nicholas is set to take on part of the legendary creatorf e oth muppets in a new film. we'll have the new film, right after this. conquer hair thinning... ...and fall in love with your hair all over again. only from nature's bounty. mr. clean magic eraser powers through tough messes. so it makes it look like i spent hours cleaning, and you know i didn't. it makes my running shoe look like new! it's amazing. it's so good. it makes it look like i have magical powers. magic eraser and sheets make cleaning look easy. (vo) in two seconds, eric will realize it makes it look like i have magical powers. (man) [laughs] (vo) they're gonna need more space... gotta sell the house.

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( ♪♪ ) growing pains become a reality in the new trailer for disney and pixar's inside out

two, the crew in riley's had content with emotions like anxiety and envy, ennui, and embarrassment. is the sequel to the award- winning animated film that hits theaters on june 14th. i love how they make this so relatable to so many kids and adults. they're lending the voices into part two, we will hear from my a hawk from stranger things, and also from the bear, which all of these actors are having their moment. >> is such a good representation for kids to understand what they're feeling, it's so important for that one. now to one actor moving to studio 8h, reports that successions nicholas braun will play jim henson in the upcoming filled snl 1975. the muppets creator only last on the late-night stable for one season, where he contributed the puppet land of gorgeous sketches. the film, based on the lead up to the first episode of the saturday night live nearly 50 years ago also cast tommy dewey as michael donahue, and

nicholas putney as billy crystal. i can only imagine what this has in store for us, i'm sure to be understanding, but a great addition to that cast. >> i love him, as cousin greg. it'll be tough to un-see cousin greg in our minds, to see him in this role is jim henson. he's going to have the beard and mustache to go along with it. what a transformation. sticking with casting news for the story of an infamous conviction, variety reported thursday that actress margaret quality has be amanda knox in an eight episode miniseries for hulu. she was first convicted in 2009 for the murder of her roommate, meredith kercher, and eventually acquitted by an italian court in 2015. monica lewinsky is also attached as an executive producer on this project. the story has been previously told across several medians including a 2016 netflix documentary and who could portray her, the acting chops of margaret quality, she's

living her best life, having her moment. >> i can see the casting. >> professionally she's got driveway dolls, she had a big marriage, >> it's been busy. >> when we come back, how burger king is taking the edge off, losing an hour sleep this weekend. [dog whimpers] [thinking] why always the couch? does he need to go to puppy school? get his little puppy diploma? how much have i been spending on this little guy? when your questions about life turn into questions about money... there's erica. the virtual financial assistant to help you spend, save, and plan smarter. only from bank of america. to 50 years with my best friend. [sfx: gasp] [sfx: spilling sound] nooo... aya... quick, the quicker picker upper! bounty absorbs spills like a sponge. and is 2x more absorbent so you can use less. bounty, the quicker picker upper.

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shelves april 6th. sargento has recalled shredded and grated cheese products sold at food-service groups in 15 states over listeria contamination concerns. note sargento branded products sold in grocery stores were impacted. that is also affected other brands. to help make daylight savings a little easier, burger king is offering a week of breakfast deals starting sunday. reward members can score ert eebies each day including french toast sticks and hash browns. we'll be right back. and powerfs to vaporize sore throat pain. vicks vapocool drops. vaporize sore throat pain. looking for a smarter way to mop? try the swiffer powermop. an all-in-one cleaning tool with a 360-degree swivel head that goes places a regular mop just can't. ♪♪ now save $8 on powermop. to give your teeth a dentist clean feeling.

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uses his professional skills to save cats stuck in trees. here's kate snow. >> sons gone down, still up in the tree. >> reporter: at least once a week, >> you've got to come down a little bit. >> reporter: steve morrow drops everything to climb high into a tree. and help lost cats like cj. >> it's okay. >> reporter: success is getting the cat in the bag. >> you're so handsome. >> reporter: it started a few years ago when cat loving friends heard about a cat who'd been in a tree for days and thought of steve, who runs a tree service. >> very stuck to the fire department and local services and nobody could help, they asked if i wouldn't mind trying to climb the tree. i was like, of course i would. remake the first rescue was emotional. >> after five days without water, they can start to get organ failure.

>> reporter: now he'll take calls up to an hour from his home in southern new jersey. in debray, chris and heather gamble found their missing seven-year-old, callie, in a tree. >> i know her meows. she doesn't cry like that. she was stuck, we were devastated. i didn't know what to do. >> reporter: steve drove to them before don. gearing up in minutes. and scaling the tree. he offered salmon. but she jumped higher. >> i need to get my rope higher if i'm going to chase her. >> reporter: steve went above and tried to get her to climb down, but suddenly, she fell. >> in true cat form, she righted herself and started running before she hit the ground. >> reporter: callie wasn't hurt at all. the gambles thanked him with their homemade honey. steve doesn't charge a fee. >> can you see pancake? >> reporter: he's helped more than 100 cats. some really high up. >> oh, my god.

>> reporter: some, like stormie, in danger. >> there's birds and crows swooping at her, she was literally all the way out in the tips, i rescued her and two days later she goes up another tree. >> reporter: do you do repeat calls? >> i've only had three repeat offenders is what i call them. >> reporter: steve enjoys every minute. >> what are you doing in this tree? it's not about how i feel. it's about how they feel, it's about how the cat feels, and that's why i do it. if my kindness can inspire someone else to be kind that i've done what i needed to. >> rescuing 100 of those scaredy cats, that means 900 cat lives he's saved. we want to thank kate for that report, and thanks for you to

right now at 5:00, scary moments for a plane full of