good morning. thank you for starting your weekend with us. challenges in the criminal cases against former president trump. >> major delay in one trial and

the lead prosecutor forced to drop out in another. it's march 16th. this is "today." trial troubles. a new york judge pushing back the start of the hush money case by a month while the special prosecutor leading the charge against mr. trump in georgia for election interference steps aside after the ultimatum from the judge. will either case go to trial before november? devastating loss. >> every house is destroyed. >> clean up now under way in the midwest after deadly twisters ripped through several states killing at least three. as residents are left to pick up the pieces. desperate aid. a ship with 200 tons of needed food arrives in gaza where many palestinians are on the brink of starvation. that and the latest on prime minister benjamin netanyahu's plan to invade rafah. we're live in the region. seismic shift.

landmark settlement on friday could change how homes are bought and sold potentially putting thousands back in your pocket. what it means for you. those stories plus dream on with no big winner on friday night's mega millions drawing, that jackpot rose to $875 million. the powerball jackpot stands at $600 million. combined $1.5 billion that can be yours, today, saturday, march 16th, 2024. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with peter alexander and laura jarrett. live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. welcome to "today." thank you for waking up with us on saturday morning. since you're here, you did not win the mega millions. there's still time. >> it happens to be true. at some point they will change the name of these to mega

billions. the money keeps growing. hopefully somebody celebrates a big pay day. we have a lot to get to this morning and including what is a calmer weekend across much of the country in terms of the weather after the deadly tornadoes left a path of destruction in the midwest. we will go live to ohio with the damage. if you are a sports fan, the excitement is building right now toward march madness. college basketball's holy grail with teams trying to punch their particular to the ncaa tournament. this one is knocking home a desperation three with the bid to upset virginia. nc state pulling out a win after stunning the duke blue devils. the cinderella run continues with north carolina in the acc championship. let's start with the series of setbacks for the prosecutors in two of former president

trump's criminal trials and his own former vice president delivered a rebuke of his old boss. blayne alexander has more from atlanta. blayne, good morning. >> reporter: laura, good morning. as of this week, mr. trump's is the presumptive nominee, but his former vice president, mike pence, announced he will not be endoring him this november. this comes on the day of major legal developments for the former president here in georgia and in new york. this morning, major developments in two of former president trump's criminal cases. a judge granted a month long delay in the manhattan hush money case days before the jury selection was set to begin. the judge ruled the defense needed extra time to review a massive trove of documents the former president and his team just received. in georgia, the man leading the prosecution against the former president for allegedly trying to overturn the 2020 election

results has resigned. it is the culmination of the spectacle after michael roman exposed a romantic relationship with nathan wade and d.a. fani willis who hired wade on the case. roman accused willis of benefitting from her relationship with wade after the two went on vacations together while working the case. in a ruling friday, judge scott mcafee said he did not find an actual conflict of interest in the case, but an appearance of impropriety that impacts the prosecution team and gave willis an ultimaultimatum. either she leaves the case or wade. wade writes he is resigning to move the case forward as quickly as possible. for willis, this is a legal victory, but a professional blow following the two-hour testimony.

>> it is a lot. >> reporter: the judge scolding what he called unprofessional manner on the stand and not dismissing the case as the defense asked, mcafee takes willis to task over the tremendous lapse in judgment. trump's attorney says he will quote use all legal options available as we continue to fight to end this case. guys, already one of mr. trump's co-defendants signalled an appeal is not off the table. this effort to get fani willis removed from the case has brought the case to a standstill the last two months. it is unlikely the georgia case will head to trial before the election. >> unlikely. blayne alexander, the first to report the georgia decision for nbc news. thank you. it strikes me, peter, the only case with a firm trial date was the new york hush money case. people had lots of feelings if that should be the first. that one is also delayed a month if not more.

the georgia case is unlikely to go. that was always bogged down. given the number of defendants and scope of it, it was a massive undertaking. the federal cases are tied up with the supreme court set to hear the one on election interference next month. the classified documents doesn't have a date. the strategy is to delay and so far it is working. >> it is up to the voters to decide. you are right. we want to get to another look at the destruction left behind from the devastating and deadly tornadoes that slammed parts of the midwest on thursday. nbc's jesse kirsch is in lakeview, ohio. jesse, good morning. >> reporter: peter, good morning. for some people, there is not much left, unfortunately. we know at least 18 tornadoes have been confirmed from thursday, including the ef-3 here in lakeview, ohio. you see some of the destruction

behind me. buildings torn apart and now a lot of clean up ahead. >> tornadoes on the ground. tornadoes on the ground. >> reporter: after a series of tornadoes across the midwest, this morning the scale of destruction is coming into sharper focus. >> every house is devastated. >> reporter: when a twister ripped through lakeview, ohio on thursday, officials say three people were killed. many more lost their homes. >> there is a tremendous amount of damage. >> reporter: in this community about an hour outside of columbus, the search for survivors continued on friday with challenges. >> many places are collapsed. we need heavy equipment to make sure if there are injuries back there. >> reporter: 90 minutes away, an ef-3 barrelled through winchester, indiana. no one was reported dead, but a hospital treated two dozen with injuries. >> a number of broken bones and skull fractures.

>> reporter: some homes and businesses decimated, including what used to be a taco bell here. you can still see ordering counters and what is left of the drive-thru and on the lawn is a flipped over suv. mary said she tried reaching her bathroom for shelter. the storm hit first. >> i was screaming and crying and praying and everything. i never heard such a noise in all my life. >> reporter: now these communities picking up what is left behind and leaning on neighbors in a time of need. >> we are a community that comes together. as long as we are unified and we come together, we will make everything back to what it used to be. >> reporter: back here in lakeview, ohio, there are flood lights up and police still blocking off areas. no question that some people here are going to have to completely rebuild their homes or find somewhere else to live. peter and laura. >> a heartbreaking scene.

jesse kirsch, thank you. turning to russia where a second day of voting is under way in the presidential election that is expected to extend vladimir putin's grip for another five years. we have keir simmons in moscow for us. keir, good morning. >> reporter: laura, good morning. it is turnout that most russians think the kremlin cares about and this morning, halfway through the election, the election committee says there is a 40% turnout. that, of course, will increase the incredibleness. without providing any evidence, this is suggesting that america is interfering in the elections. the winner of the election is clear. it will be vladimir putin after the weekend. there are still some surprises. we have seen arson attacks on polling stations and dye poured

into a polling boxes. there are some opposition here despite the fact that many voters we have spoken to say they will vote for president putin. president putin appearing at a security council meeting yesterday furious after missile and drone attacks in the belgrade region. two people have been killed and they will close shopping centers here tomorrow. this election is another day and president putin is expected to win. that will mean six more years after 24 years. laura, take a look at this picture. one image from putin 24 years ago and the other is president putin now. underscoring how long he has been in power here in russia. >> keir simmons, thank you. we want to move to the middle east and another headline where the barge filled with desperately needed humanitarian aid and 200 tons of food has arrived in gaza where hundreds

of thousands of palestinians are on the brink of starvation. nbc's chief correspondent richard engel is in jerusalem for us. >> reporter: good morning. this was one small step forward for the people of gaza and for the humanitarian aid community. this barge took three days to cross the mediterranean leaving from cyprus. it was finally unloaded last night. the people of gaza working with the international charity, because this was not sent by a government, the governments facilitated the process. this was done by the world central kitchen by celebrity chef jose andres. that arrived last night. the people of gaza had to build their own jetty to receive the barge. they used debris from the destroyed buildings and destroyed roads and concrete.

the barge arrived and the aid is prepared for distribution. another barge is being loaded in cyprus. with one very important, but still small step forward, because hunger is rampant to gaza, there could be ten steps backwards for the people of gaza because prime minister netanyahu, the israeli prime minister, yesterday said he has approved military plans to attack the city of rafah where 1.5 million people are taking shelter. no sense of timing of that operation, but it is expected to take place in the next several weeks. president biden described that as a red line. many world leaders and aid leaders said it would be catastrophic for the people of rafah and the people of gaza. if israel goes in with force into the city where more than 1 million people are sheltering, they will have to go somewhere

else where there is no food or safe place or no infrastructure to receive them. they will be driven back into the north and much of northern georgia is now is a wasteland. >> richard engel with the latest. again, you cannot say enough about jose andres. thank you, richard. now to big news this morning that could impact the cost of buying or selling a home. the leading real estate group in the court settlement agreeing to pay $418 million over claims the industry standard 6% sales commission on home sales has been inflated artificially for decades. it is a seachange that could reshape the industry. business correspondent brian cheung is here. >> it can add thousands to the price of the new home. this could make a difference for sellers and buyers.

the real estate group represe s 1.5 million agents nationwide. the nar would pay $416 million and allows buyers and sellers to negotiate fees up front. that would eliminate the standard 6% sales commission common in many home sales. nar denies the wrongdoing, but released a statement saying in part it has been our goal to preserve consumer choice and protect our members to the greatest extent possible. a federal court needs to approve the settlement. we could see commissions and home prices start to drop. it remains to be seen how realtors making a smaller commission will react to this. a big deal. >> for sure. a real bottom line impact. we will talk to you in the next half hour about taxes. >> i'll stick around. we want to get to something else that you will be talking

about this morning. if you bought a mega millions ticket for last night, good news and bad news. the bad news i you did not win. there was a lucky $1 million prize. the jackpot rolls on to $875 million. the next drawing is tuesday. you have a chance at $600 million tonight with the powerball. i want to do my dr. evil with $875 million. >> we need an office pool. >> you got away with it. you're up. time for the first check of the forecast. let's get to angie. >> i would like to be in on that office pool. otherwise, we have showers and thunderstorms across texas. they are moving offshore. that doesn't mean we will have a quiet day in that region. still dealing with strong to severe storms in san antonio to corpus christi and loredo.

the same storm system that has been pesky the past couple days is stuck along the coast and it will leave us unsettled not with just the strong storms, but heavy rain through the day today. we will see gusty winds likely and we are not done with it tomorrow. we see it start to pick up a pace and end up leaving with heavy rain across the southeast. we will have good rainfall rates and potential for flooding. otherwise, highest rainfall from texas to

and that's the look at the forecast. guys. >> happy early st. patrick's day. >> i'm ready. >> the only person not getting pinched today. coming up, the concerns over the popular weight loss drugs and the people who need them the most are having difficulty getting them. one month until tax day. one month until tax day. we will help you get theiggest b

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♪ ♪ back on a saturday morning it is march 16th, 2024 a live look at fifth avenue, st. patrick's cathedral in midtown

manhattan. >> yeah, in a few hours the annual st. patrick's day parade will march by there. we will plan to go by and check it out >> there's time for you before you get to the airport >> i'm ready for corn beef and cabbage. get this party started a celebration across this good country. we will have that in a moment. we begin with a serious headline this is a new independent commission report out of maine that says police should have removed the guns from lewiston shooter weeks before he went on a rampage killing 18 the report released on friday says the sheriff should have begun yellow flag procedures to remove the weapons earlier when a friend raised the concerns that he was suffering a mental health crisis and could become violent. according to the report there were several opportunities if taken may have changed the course of events robert kar killed 18 people and left 13 others wounded when he opened fire at a bowling alley and bar in lewiston, maine, last

october. more questions for boeing this morning after a plane landed in oregon with a panel missing from the under coverage. the united flight, a 25-year-old boeing 737 800 landed safely after taking off from san francisco. officials on the ground say the plane reported no issues in the air and the missing panel was discovered during a routine post-flight check. no injuries were reported. to sports. in college hoops with teams across the country hoping to punch their tickets to the big dance. we can't get to all of friday's games, but here are a few highlights doing a nice job of making himself available. that's why >> that's nebraska senior tominaga who scored 23 points helping the cornhuskers beat indiana, 93-66 they're headed to their first semifinal. nc state beat virginia after

o'connell's incredible buzzer beater sent the game into ot on the women's side. too many games to get to all of them but let's mention missouri state. the ladies there narrowly edged out myrrhry state, 71-70 they advance the to the semis conference many more games to be played today. >> you have a dog in that fight? >> actually, it is a cat, the wildcats lost yesterday. so i have no dogs or cats left for now. we will see if they can make a tournament another headline we are talking about and that's concerns about the popular weight loss drugs. not about how effective they are but how expensive they can be. as nbc's stephanie gosk explains, often the people that need the medications the most are those who can least afford them >> 170.6. >> reporter: there are plenty of testimonials touting the new class of weight loss medications. >> it works. >> reporter: what is less common, the stories of people who can't get it

>> are there people out there who desperately need this medication and don't have access to it? >> absolutely. our medicare and medicaid populations are some of the most at risk and they do not have access. >> reporter: dr. laurie demattio works at a weight loss clinic outside oklahoma city. >> we talked about healthy living are you back there >> i have been. >> reporter: one of her patients is a 67-year-old grandmother, susan bean >> i have hypertension, which is i think directly related to the extra weight i have had to have hip replacements and rheumatoid arthritis and sleep apnea. >> reporter: if you could, if you could snap your fingers right now and lose the weight, how many pounds would you like to lose? would you hope to lose >> i would hope to lose about 120 to 130 pounds, which is basically like another person. >> reporter: bean's medicare coverage will not cover the new class of drugs that the fda has approved for weight loss she hopes congress will pass

legislation to change that >> well, i think it is extremely urgent i don't know at what point it will impact my health even to the point of death. >> reporter: oklahoma has the third highest obesity rate in the country, but according to health care analytics company purple lab, the state ranks 27th in rate of prescriptions written for ozempic and wegovy and the price of the drugs is high, roughly $1,000 a month many health plans don't cover the cost getting insurance coverage is a constant headache for d dr. demattia >> so difficult we hired someone that specifically deals with just prior authorizations for the medications. >> reporter: that's their only job? >> that is their only job. >> reporter: purple lab data also shows while black people in the u.s. account for 32% of obesity cases, they are only getting 12.5% of ozempic and wegovy prescriptions >> i hope people have enough grace to, you know, understand

that this is bigger than just will power. >> reporter: liz shoe mate is another of the doctor's patients >> i don't think the goal for me is perfection, but it is to be in good health. >> reporter: she is hoping to get the newly fda approved zepbound as a discount, but even discounted that's $550 a month and still a stretch out of pocket >> obesity is a disease. these patients that have this disease are humans and they need treatment. >> reporter: and there's a treatment out there that works >> there's a very effective treatment that works and we're really struggling to get it to the people who need it the most. >> reporter: being part of what doctors call a weight loss revolution often comes at too high a price for today, stephanie gosk, nbc news, norman, oklahoma all right. let's turn to angie for another check of the weather angie, the mathp is looking gren >> it is and you know what is in the forecast green beefrmtr. let's sum it up with that.

we have plenty of sunshine across much of the northern tier of the country and eastern third of the country looking ahead to all of the parades going on, chicago looks great, just dealing with a bit of the windy kind of conditions here through your saturday new york, great as well. temperatures into the 50s. boston though on sunday, a big party there. we'll have to dodge showers. moving to the south east, more parades going on new orleans will deal with a thunderstorm chance for today. atlanta and savannah though looking great. mild temperatures. we have plenty of sunshine and clouds as we go out west we have kansas city dealing with the sunshine san antonio, into the upper 60 time is 5:36. starting off in the mid-40s in dublin but chillier now that the wind calmed down. 50 in walnut creek to start the weekend and over in san jose 51 degrees as we get ready for another day filled with sunshine. the wind has finally exited and we're going to enjoy this very mild weather. going into the 70s by lunchtime

and then enjoy a calm afternoon. walk you through the rest of the microclimate temperature coming up at 7:00 a.m. and that's the look >> that's a look at the forecast >> i feel like you are still pinching each other. >> i want to say thank you just ahead, brian cheung is back with timely tips to help simplify your taxes and get your refund quicker first, these messages. nd

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morning with today's money. we are talking taxes. >> cue the collective groan. if you have not filed, you have under a month to do it. it is time to get the paper work in order. >> we have brian cheung back with more. this feels like an interrogation. what has changed this year from the years past? >> we have the green right in advance of st. patrick's day. the average refund is $3,145. that is up from a year ago. this is because of changes we have to the taxes this year with that 7% increase on the standard deduction. it$13,850 this year. these are inflation adjustments that the government makes. really important thing to notice as you try to get those taxes

started. if you haven't already finished them. >> brian, what about the child tax credit? >> it is smaller this year compared to when it was larger in 2021. you do get up to $2,000 per child under the current tax code. it used to be $3,000 in 2021. it was $3,600 depending on the age of the child. it is lower compared to a few years ago. you will get the tax refundable. you can get up to $1,600 refunded per child. there are income limits to the credit. for a single filer, it is $200,000. >> i have filed this year which is the earliest i have done. >> i have. >> get on it. >> who are you? >> only one of us hasn't done our taxes? >> if he wants to get the refund back quickly, what are the ways? >> i'm listening. >> don't go with the paper

check. go with electronic filing. you can direct file depending on the income level. if you are using a software or direct file through the irs, enroll in direct deposit so you are not waiting for the snail mail. the irs is saying they get most of the tax refunds done within 21 days 90% of the time. if you are trying to wait for a check in the mail, that could hold things up further. be aware of that. >> a government shutdown could impact. >> march 22nd. if you are a worry-wart, get ahead of that. >> you guys are dead to me. who does their taxes by mid march? you're friends. brian, i appreciate it. what is coming up in "popstart" here? "popstart" here? >> emma stone ♪♪ lowering bad cholesterol can be hard, even with a statin. diets and exercise add to the struggle. the effort can feel overwhelming.

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guards. this year, she is staying out of the public eye as she recovers from surgery. "people" magazine says the guard will give her three cheers. on this side of the pond, meghan markle is making a splash for her lifestyle brand which launched thursday. it has more than 400,000 followers, including kris jenner and the duchess of sussex former co-star abigail spencer. climate change protesters disrupted the broadway play "the enemy of the people." >> i'm sorry to interrupt your night and performance. i'm a theater artist. i work in the theater professionally. >> usually. >> activists with rebellion

stood up three times amid the actors are stage were jeremy strong and michael imperioli. the play has climate change themes. imperioli posted on instagram, tonight was wild saying he had no hard feelings toward the activists. i can tell you this is true because i was there actually with our katie, the senior producer. it was surreal because it is a show thatis intimate. you wondered if it was part of the show. it was one of the things where it happened a few times and you think it wasn't part of the show. >> of all of the performers is jeremy strong. >> an announcement came on and said actors please leave the

stage. he didn't leave. he stayed in character. surreal. finally, we have emma stone. the movie "poor things" was a good thing for her winning oscar number two. she is teaming up with the director again as well as willem dafoe. their new project is called "kinds of kindness." it is set to open june 21st. this is the fifth time they teamed up. maybe this will be her third oscar. you never know. >> i'm looking forward to that. >> a very good team. >> joe, thank you. still to come, nfl star's damar hamlin's surprise for a teen athlete with a heart condition. that's right after this.

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♪ ♪ we're back this morning with a powerful story and a surprise for a teen who has a lot of struggles already in his young life >> yeah. recently the teen, who suffers from a heart condition, was recognized by someone who knows all too well how that can impact your life. >> nbc's priscilla thompson explains >> reporter: zeke marcnkins once had beg dreams of becoming an air force pilot and playing football, but around sixth grade that changed >> my chest started hurting continuously it hurt to breathe, it hurt to sleep. i knew it wasn't right and something wasn't right. >> reporter: the cause a leaky heart valve that would have to be replaced with a mechanical one you hear he has to have heart surgery. what went through your minds in that moment? >> i felt devastated for him i just kind of thought his world is going to come crashing down. >> reporter: on blood thinners

for life, zeke's football dreams were over. when they told you that you weren't going to be able to play football again, what was it like for you? >> probably one of the most devastating moments in my life. >> reporter: devastated but not defeated now 16, zeke is a track star with new passions like marching band ♪ ♪ >> reporter: and choir, and dreams of becoming an airline pilot. his story inspiring someone else >> so how are you feeling about this surprise? >> i'm feeling super excited. >> reporter: buffalo bills safety damar hamlin suffered cardiac arrest on the field last year. >> reporter: what do you want to say to him >> i'm inspired. i'm super blessed to be able to play football and be in the nfl, so, you know -- but, you know, it was a process i'm super proud of him of being able to shift gears and still, you know, display your passion for other things that you love in the world >> reporter: hamlin inviting zeke to join hamlin's heart mate's team. >> you are first pick in the

draft, so there you go. >> reporter: for those impacted by heart conditions. >> it is just a community that we built to allow people to know you are not alone. >> reporter: did you experience any of the loneliness or isolation? >> yeah, i still do. yeah, it is something ongoing. >> reporter: bringing people together on the lifelong journey of healing hearts. >> to see other people going through hard things like him, i think that's a huge thing, just to feel a belonging to this specific group that nobody else is a part of >> i think there's a lot the world can learn from zeke. >> reporter: priscilla thompson, nbc news, mid llovian, texas. >> first of all, most importantly, we are glad to see zeke is thriving. >> yeah, >> but damar hamlin using this platform to help so many throughout the country to benefit from the inspiration >> and so many looking to him for an example >> incredible guy. starting in dublin, looking overseas right now, we have a

picture of the temple bar blowing up on a saturday morning. hey, it is not 5:00. it is noon somewhere, right? they're already enjoying it. >> they can go all day >> and tomorrow. >> that will do it for us on saturday morning we have a busy week coming up we hope you will tune in to "today" starting on monday pete and i will join the team for the week we look forward to talking to kristen wiig and many more see ya'. fracture, you can build new bone with evenity®. ask your doctor if you can do more than just slowing down bone loss with evenity®. want stronger bones? then build new bone; evenity® can help in just 12 months. evenity® is proven to reduce spine fracture risk by 73%. evenity® can increase risk of heart attack, stroke, or death from a cardiovascular problem. do not take evenity® if you have low blood calcium, or are allergic to it. serious allergic reactions

and low blood calcium have occurred. tell your doctor about jaw bone problems, as they have been reported with evenity®. or about pain in your hip, groin, or thigh, as unusual thigh bone fractures have occurred. don't let a break put you on a shelf. talk to your doctor about building new bone with evenity®! scout is protected by simparica trio and he's in it to win it! simparica trio is the first chew with triple protection. whoa fleas! and ticks! (♪♪) intestinal worms! whoa! heartworm disease! no problem with simparica trio! this drug class has been associated with neurologic adverse reactions including seizures. use with caution in dogs with a history of these disorders. for winning protection— go with simparica trio. for moderate to severe crohn's disease skyrizi is the first il-23 inhibitor that can deliver remission and visibly improve damage of the intestinal lining. serious allergic reactions and an increased risk of infections or a lower ability to fight them may occur.

tell your doctor if you have an infection or symptoms, had a vaccine or plan to. liver problems may occur in crohn's disease. control of crohn's means everything to me. ask your gastroenterologist about skyrizi. ♪ control is everything to me ♪ learn how abbvie could help you save. good morning. thank you for joining us on this saturday, march 16th. i'm kira klapper. parents are reacting to two big decisions from a local school board this week.

san jose's alanrock school board voted to terminate its contract with the superintendent. the board also voted to reject one of her proposals to relocate hundreds of students at a middle school in the district. she led the distribute ten years. during the pandemic, her district faced some of the highest covid rates in all of california. the school board president was among those who voted against firing her. >> a decision like this, for me personally, more tough. >> surprised by the motion? >> absolutely. >> a nationwide search for a new superintendent will soon begin. the school district face as dramatic decline in student enrollment as well as a $20 million budget deficit. to the weather. the wind that knocked around the bay area the last couple of days sent this massive redwood tree toppling over in sonoma county. you see the front of that home frity much gone in forestville.

thankfully nobody there at the time. told a city inspector red tagged that yesterday afternoon, meaning it is unsafe to occupy. and this in marin county. another large tree falling blocking a road in san rafael. so happens the tree fell next to a sign warning people about falling trees and limbs. crews say no one hurt. no property damaged. so will the wind stay with us, cinthia pimentel is here with a quick look at our microclimate forecast. >> no. time to say good-bye to the wind and hello to the weekend, kira. we're going on to dublin. a huge celebration going on today for the st. patrick's day parade. upper 60s and some 70 es getting started. mow news and weather as 7:00 a.m., but for now we send you back to the "today" show.

. narrator: when you see this symbol, you know you're watching television that is educational and informational. the more you know on nbc. sheinelle: today on "wild child." we're traversing the trees to meet the furry and feathered faces of the forest.