it's a total eclipse of the sun. today is the day we've been waiting for. the great north american solar eclipse. millions have planned. more have traveled. and as cities declare

emergencies to prepare, we'll make sure you're looking to the skies safely, and check in on whether clouds might ruin your view. a new scare in the sky after a part of a southwest engine cover peeled apart during takeoff. it marks yet another incident involving a boeing plane, raising more questions about the aircraft safety. an illegal street takeover in virginia turns violate. we explore why they're becoming more common. south carolina is officially the best team in women's college basketball. we break down how this year's tournament is setting new records and inspiring the next generation of athletes. a reunion 46 years in the making thanks to today's historic eclipse. we'll show you how it all came together. it's monday, april 8th. "early today" starts right now. hi there. glad you're with me early this morning. i'm frances rivera.

anticipation is growing for a spectacular show in the sky. millions of americans traveling over the weekend to get a front row seat to this afternoon's eclipse. nbc has reporters following the excitement from the path of totality. >> reporter: here in dallas, exits like this one off of major highways that lead into downtown will be closed at certain times during the big event. >> this small college town normally has a population of 80,000 people, but it's expected to balloon to hundreds of thousands, all for the eclipse. which will be seen just above the stage in this football stadium, all while captain kirk himself narrates the moments of totality. >> with travel evers flooding into some of the areas some states have declared states of emergency. there are concerns about supply soldiers, and chaos on the roads. many schools and businesses announcing they will be closed as everyone takes in this historic moment. so how well will people actually be able to see the eclipse? let's check with michelle

grossman who joins us with today's forecast. good morning. >> great to see you. it's all about location. some spots really good, especially in northern new england. other spots not so much. when we look at this map here, we're looking at the blue. that is clear skies. when you look at the grayer skies, that's where the clouds will be. as we go throughout the days here, some spots are going to be really difficult. especially in portions along the gulf coast. we'll see severe storms later. the west coast looking mostly clear. northern plains, thick clouds. and in the east coast looking mostly clear. we're going have high clouds in some spots. northern new england looking really, really clear. let's go city by stay long this path of totality. austin is going to be the toughest spot. 136 central time. 80% cloud cover. could see some showers falling as well. dallas 60%. so not so great there either as we go a little further to the north. this is a tricky one. but forecasting 30% cloud cover, and much better as we get further to the north. cleveland is going to be iffy too. we'll watch this closely because we could be into the clouds at 50%.

better at 40% in indianapolis. but the spot to be, parts of northern new england and maine, just 10% cloud cover. no matter what, i think it's going to be a party all along that path. >> we're talking about our plans. the glass, the whole other thing. michelle, thank you. >> sure. new this morning, a terrifying sight for passengers on a southwest flight. the protective cover over the engine fell off during takeoff, striking the wing flap. our steve patterson has the story. >> reporter: it is the very last thing anyone wants to see looking out of the window of their plane. >> it fell off. >> reporter: passengers on flight 3695 stunned. treated to a white-knuckle watch party, witnessing part of their own plane ripping off in realtime. >> there it goes. the rest of it. >> reporter: the boeing 737 scheduled to fly from denver to

houston this morning when part of the engine's cowling, or the protective cover that houses the engine, appears to peel back. >> let's go ahead and declare an emergency. we've got a piece of engine cowling hanging off, apparently. >> reporter: the faa issuing a statement, saying in part the pilot reported the engine cowling fell off during takeoff and struck the wing flap. the boeing 737-800 was towed to the gate. the faa will investigate. >> it's typically due to a failure of maintenance personnel to properly secure the engine. >> reporter: while the plane is manufactured by boeing, the engine is not. right now it is unclear what the source of the malfunction is, but southwest has recently had a series of runway scares including a possible engine fire on thursday that grounded a vegas-bound flight in lubbock. >> these small incidents occur, but they're rarely catastrophic. >> reporter: passengers on board reportedly okay, but stunned by an in-flight moment they won't soon forget. steve paterson, nbc news. israelis and palestinians

this weekend marked six months since the outbreak of war. it began with the murder of more than a thousand inside israel on october 7th by palestinian militants. the israeli retaliation has killed at least 33,000 palestinians according to gazan health authorities. families of hostages protested outside parliament. let's go to claudio lavanga. good morning, claudio. what's the late ohs then war six months in? >> good morning, frances. well, throughout the weekend, delegations from hamas and israel met once again in cairo trying to find an agreement on that ceasefire. and at least according to an intelligence official who spoke to al kahira, a state affiliated egyptian news channel that finally some good progress. but that claim was denied in the last couple of hours by a senior hamas official who told al jazeera that no progress was made on sunday. now this comes as michael griffiths, the united nations

humanitarian chief said that the end of this war is long overdue and called the six months anniversary of the beginning of this war a terrible milestone. he also put out a statement, and i quote saying it is not enough for six months to be a moment of remembrance and mourning. it must also spur a collective determination that there be a reckoning for this betrayal of humanity. now on the battlefield in gaza on sunday, the israeli army announced that it was withdrawing its troops from khan younis, leaving only division in the south of gaza in what appears to be a concession by israel to president biden and other world leaders who were calling for israel not to invade rafah, where hundreds of thousands of palestinians with nowhere else to go are still currently finding shelter. but at least according to john kirby of the united states national security council, this could be more of a rest and refit operation. so it doesn't necessarily mean

they won't be back. back to you, frances. >> claudio, thank you. that conflict, as well as the war in ukraine are expected to be addressed this week on capitol hill. congress is back in six today after a two-week break. and funding for our foreign allies is expected to be part of a very full agenda for lawmakers. nbc's drew petrimoulx joins us now. >> reporter: one of the first orders of business could be funding for ukraine. in february, the senate approved a supplemental package that included aid for ukraine, israel and taiwan. but mike johnson blocked that deal. the house will be moving forward with a product of its own. and he said it had some, quote, important innovations. but it is unclear what the plan in the house might include. congress also has a big domestic funding issue to deal with. the rebuilding of the francis scott key bridge and the effort to reopen the port of baltimore. the reconstruction process is

expected to take years and cost billions of dollars. so far $60 million in emergency funds have been released. senate majority leader chuck schumer says he expects bipartisan work to begin quickly on more help for baltimore. the senate is also expected to receive articles of impeachment this week for homeland security secretary alejandro mayorkas. house republicans voted to him mayorkas for his handling of the southern border, but democrats call this a stunt. it's unlikely that would convict him. a two-thirds majority would be needed. it's possible the senate could vote to dismiss the case before it actually goes to a full trial. >> drew petrimoulx, thank you. former president trump says he will release his campaign's policy on abortion today. in a rambling statement on hiss truth social website, mr. trump previewed the announcement saying he supports exceptions for rape and life of the mother. the former president was

instrumental in overturning roe v. wade, appointing three anti-abortion supreme court justices during his term. he has previously suggested he a had been in favor of a national 15-week restriction on the procedure. from baltimore, salvage crews have begun moving containering from the cargo ship that crashed into the francis scott key bridge. it's an important step towards freeing the trip that has been trapped there since march 26th. more than 50 divers and 12 cranes are helping move sections of the collapsed brick. six construction workers were killed when the bridge collapsed. the surge continues for three of those victims. widespread power outages in colorado this weekend are expected to last through at least the rest of today. more than 150,000 customers lost power over the weekend due to high winds with reportedly gusts as high as 96 miles per hour toppling trees. utility provider xl turned off services in those areas over fire safety concerns. the company is working to get the power back on, but says the

outages could last beyond today. let's bring in nbc meteorologist michelle grossman who is tracking some severe weather in the southern plains for us. hi again, michelle. good morning. >> good morning. we're looking at a multiday event. the chance for flooding rains. we're going to see training rains over the southern plains as well as the risk for severe storms. that includes the risk of tornadoes, really large hail, softball-sized hail, and also some damaging winds. this is going to move off to the east here. it's going to move very slowly. so bringing that weather today. also tomorrow, notice the bright colors showing up. that's the chance of very heavy rainfall. and we're concerned about severe weather as well. 60 million people at risk for destructive hail stones up to 4 inches. damaging winds gusting over 60 miles per hour. and could see a few tornadoes possible, especially where you see the orange area. dallas, abilene, but in the yellow, san angelo, shreveport eclipse today.

not so much in the southern plains. also looking for chance for showers and storms. all right. that's your monday forecast. >> okay. a lot to cover today. thank you, michelle. spacex launching another round of satellites for a brand-new program dubbed bandwagon. >> three, two, one, ignition, and full power and liftoff of bandwagon 1 and go falcon, go spacex. >> it's carrying 11 customer satellites including one for south korea. it's the 14th launch and landing for this particular falcon 9 booster. coming up, south carolina pulls off a miracle inside iowa to cap off an undefeedat season. and another violent street takeover, even what police cars attacked. erywhere! we're all human, its okay to smell like one.

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another violent street takeover caught on camera, this one in virginia. the mob so bold, they went after police. all of it appears to be part of a troubling trend we're now seeing coast-to-coast. marissa parra reports. >> reporter: new video showing mayhem on the streets of northern virginia. cars doing doughnuts, surrounded by a mob at this street takeover. some seen hanging out the car window waving their guns. >> i've got a huge crowd. they're hitting my car. >> fairfax county police just releasing this dashcam video, of the out-of-control mob from one week ago. swarming the police cruiser, the officer trapped inside. >> i believe they fully intended to drag her out of the car. >> reporter: one driver hitting a different officer with his car before speeding off. >> i just got hit by a [ bleep ] car! >> reporter: the officer survived and fairfax police arrested the person they say did it, among others.

>> there's nothing neighborly about what they do. they do doughnuts. they drive at high rates of speed. >> reporter: it's happening across the country in states like florida, california, illinois. reckless driving is on the rise and continues to take lives. >> he loved me unconditionally. >> reporter: 20-year-old jaiden johnson was killed in 2021 when two street racers flew through a red light and into the car he was inside of. his mom telling nbc news their family now paying the price. >> a part of me died. i'll never be the same person. >> reporter: in states like tennessee, florida and maryland advance proposed legislation that cracks down on street racing with harsher penalties and steeper fines, fairfax police have already made several arrests, vowing there will be more. >> you're going to see our civil disturbance unit, because that's exactly what this is. >> reporter: a nationwide problem with no straight forward

solution. marissa parra, nbc news. still to come, south carolina remains undefeated, winning the championship ove itn ark and the iowa hawkeyes. clark's reaction, coming up next. introducing allison's plaque psoriasis. she thinks her flaky gray patches are all people see. otezla is the #1 prescribed pill to treat plaque psoriasis allison! over here! otezla can help you get clearer skin and reduce itching and flaking. with no routine blood tests required. doctors have been prescribing otezla for nearly a decade. otezla is also approved to treat psoriatic arthritis. don't use otezla if you're allergic to it. serious allergic reactions can happen. otezla may cause severe diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting. some people taking otezla had depression, suicidal thoughts or weight loss. upper respiratory tract infection and headache may occur. with clearer skin girls' day out

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perfection with a touch of sweet redemption. unde undefeated south carolina has won its third national championship. >> south carolina has achieved perfection. the gamecocks closed out their perfect season with a thrilling victory over iowa, claiming their second national title in three years. usc center camila cardoza was absolutely unstoppable with 15 points and 17 rebounds. iowa had an early 11-points lead on a huge game from the future number one draft pick. we all know our caitlin clark. she finished with 30 points and eight rounds, but it just wasn't enough. the hawkeyes suffering back-to-back championship losses.

>> to be back in this position and come out here and battle. i mean, south carolina is just so good. there is only so much you can do. >> clark closes out her college career as division i's all-time leading scorer for men's and women's basketball. while she did not got her storybook ending, her legacy will live on, helping women's basketball explode in popularity. you've got the men taking center stage tonight with purdue and uconn taking off at 9:20 eastern. you watch that game as we did as a family, dawn staley, she was so emotional. you felt for her. >> you don't normally see tears from her. that was really nice to see. i think she knew how important it was. and more sports. it looks like tiger woods will tee off the masters later this week. the golf legend was spotted practicing in augusta over the weekend. if he does make the cut it will be a record-breaking 24th appearance. he has won five times, the last

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we're all human, its okay to smell like one. (sniffs) i smell very human right now. which is totally normal. girl preach. but if it bothers you, 4/5 gynecologists would recommend whole body deodorant. which gives you 72 hour odor protection. from your pits to your bits. so you can use it on your... (spraying) secret whole body deodorant. it is a reunion 46 years in the making. one that's only possible thanks to a once in a generation eclipse and a once in a lifetime teacher. here is hallie jackson. >> it's so good to see you.

>> reporter: they're all grown up now. >> how are you? >> i am so happy to see you. >> reporter: but to his former students -- >> fritz killian. >> mr. moriarty. >> you animal. >> how are you? >> pat moriarty will always be mr. moriarty their former earth science teacher at spry junior high in rochester. that's where in his first year teaching in 1978 he flagged his students about an eclipse way down the road in 2024 inviting them all back to watch together. >> i said hey, why don't you circle this april 8, 2024 eclipse and you know what? we're going to get together then. >> you said that in 1978? >> '78, and my kids looked at me like i was crazy. >> reporter: he did the same thing every year for the next 16 years, every class. then some four decades later, posted a reminder online. >> good to see you too. >> reporter: that's when this happened. >> rick, class of '79. >> chuck o'brien, class of 1982. >> andrea malafeew, class of 1988.

>> reporter: one by one they showed up. >> rick, how are you doing, buddy? >> you look different. >> yeah! >> reporter: dozens just for the pre-party. >> how many of you haven't seen mr. moriarty, pat, since you left high school? wow. you came back just for this. >> reporter: more than a hundred of moriarty's former students are expected to join him at his house from rochester and beyond, way beyond, some flying in from boston, austin and detroit. did your surgeon think you were crazy for postponing this knee surgery for this party? >> yes. yes, he did. he tried to convince me that my knee was more important, but he doesn't know mr. moriarty. >> reporter: the excitement building, and so are the emotions. >> it says right here, take care of chuck. he needs your guidance. >> reporter: you're thinking about your house today when you met a bunch of your students. what does that mean to you? >> when i had these kids they were ninth graders.

i have a lot of gratitude now that this eclipse is supporting the fact that there's reunions happening, there are people sharing stories and reconnecting with each other. it's beautiful. >> i thank you guys so much for being here -- >> ahh! >> don't cry! [ applause ] >> our thanks to hallie for sharing. that is so cool, the coolest high school reunion. it's amazing all the stories coming out of this total eclipse. solar ecpse. hope youli

hold on to your safety glasses c glasses. the historic solar eclipse is just hours away. but will the spring breakers on the hunt for the