help me mr. president? that's my favorite. >> reporter: so you get a sense of the light hearted aspect of this, and it is meant to be a time when the families who are lucky enough to attend here, there's a public lottery that allows them to get tickets, see this as the people's house, a place that belongs to the american people and maybe separate from the politics of the day, this is a holiday to enjoy for families. ana. >> look at those feel-good vibes. that does it for us today, see you back here tomorrow, same time, same place. you can check our show online, youtube and other platforms. i'm ana cabrera reporting from new york. josé diaz-balart picks up our coverage right now. ♪♪ good morning, 11:00 a.m. eastern, 8:00 a.m. pacific, i'm josé diaz-balart. we begin this hour with a critical meeting expected today

between senior israeli and u.s. officials including secretary of state antony blinken. nbc news has learned they are meeting virtually to discuss alternatives to a ground assault on rafah, the meeting supposed to happen in person last week, but prime minister netanyahu canceled the talks after the u.s. declined to veto a u.n. resolution calling for an immediate cease fire in the war. and it comes after tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets in israel this weekend calling on prime minister netanyahu's governor to resign and hold new elections and criticizing the governor's failure to free the hostages. meanwhile in gaza, israeli officials say they have withdrawn forces from the enclave's main hospital after a two-week raid. the hamas-run ministry of health says hundreds of civilians were found dead. the world health organization says 21 patients died and the medical facility is now in ruins. nbc news has reached out to the idf for comment.

joining us now from tel aviv is nbc's raf sanchez. also with us nbc's allie raffa in washington. what's it like there amid this new round of protests? >> jose, in some ways it feels like we are back to a time before october 7th. you'll remember for the first ten months of 2023 before the hamas terror attack, israelis were out on the streets in enormous numbers, every single week protesting against prime minister benjamin netanyahu's plans to weaken the supreme court. now they are back on the streets. it's many of the same people, more liberal, more secular people. they are calling for a new round of elections. they are calling for a cease fire deal to free the hostages, and many of them are very angry that ultra orthodox jewish members of the israeli society are not serving in the israeli military. now, that's something that's been true since the founding of the state of israel but has

taken on new significance as israel enters six months of war. people feel that the burden of military service is not being shared equally across society. now, just because people are out on the streets in big numbers does not mean there are going to be new elections, jose. prime minister netanyahu does have a majority in the israeli parliament. it stretches from the far right, the people he entered government with, some of the centrist opposition parties who came in after october 7th and netanyahu argues that elections right now would paralyze the country, but polls show that if people did go and vote right now, his party would lose. he would likely be replaced by benny gantz, a more central figure who is also a member of the israeli war cabinet, and prime minister netanyahu today is in the hospital. he is recovering from what doctors say was a successful hernia operation. his office says he is still in

charge of the country running the war effort from his hospital bed. he's likely to be released tomorrow, and you can bet he is very closely following these talks scheduled with the white house. jose. >> and ali, meanwhile, what can we expect from these talks? >> well, jose, the objective at the top of the white house's wish list for this virtual meeting is for this israeli delegation. they'll be speaking to virtually to be receptive of what u.s. officials say are these alternative plans they have to accomplish israel's goal of defeating hamas, but doing that without requiring the invasion of rafah where we've talked about more than a million palestinians have been displaced and sheltering. you mentioned at the top there that canceled meeting last week by prime minister netanyahu after the u.s. abstained and didn't veto a u.n. resolution calling for an immediate cease fire in this war. u.s. officials saying that that was done because that resolution didn't include specific language

condemning hamas for its actions on october 7th. in lieu of those meetings that were supposed to happen last week, u.s. officials were able to meet with israeli war cabinet member gallant, but those meetings, they stress, were prescheduled. they had nothing to do with that israeli delegation meeting that was supposed to happen. but of course those meetings took on a whole new significance after prime minister netanyahu canceled them. an nfc spokesperson john kirby saying that those meetings do not replace what was supposed to be discussed with that israeli delegation. so today we expect national security adviser jake sullivan, as well as the secretary of state antony blinken to represent the u.s. side among other officials. no word yet on whether president biden will join, but officials are stressing they do expect after this discussion today to have in-person conversations with israeli officials after this virtual call today, jose. >> meanwhile, no information or

little information on the fate of those hostages. >> that's right, jose. it has been more than 170 days those hostages, 141 in total. only around 100 or so believed to be alive at this point. cease fire negotiations, hostage negotiations are underway right now in cairo. an israeli official tells me there has been some progress. there's still a long way to go, and they are hoping from the israeli side that the egyptians will be able to put a level of pressure on hamas to try to get these negotiations over the line. these have been just absolutely marathon talks, jose. you and i have discussed them many, many times in recent weeks. they have moved between different capitals in the middle east. there hasn't been a whole lot of progress. it is just agony for the families of the hostages here in israel and it is agony for the civilians inside of gaza, many

of whom were on the brink of famine right now and are desperate for a cease fire, jose. >> raf sanchez in tel aviv, allie raffa in washington. thank you both very much. here at home, president biden is expected to visit baltimore this week to actually see in person the site where the francis scott key bridge collapsed nearly a week ago. this comes as crews are working to remove the wreckage of the bridge. they were making progress and clearing a temporary path for ships to reach baltimore's vital port. nbc's aaron gilchrist joins us now from baltimore. good morning, how long is this operation expected to take? >> jose, good morning, that really is the big question we've been asking repeatedly, and haven't been able to get definite answer about how long this operation is expected to take. it is such a massive operation. the weather here today has been awful as well. we don't know that there's been the possibility of a lot of work happening on the water here. as you mentioned, though,

fortunately, there was some progress made over the weekend in terms of being able to put crews out at the wreckage site behind us here, getting some cutting torches to the bridge and being able to start cutting chunks of the bridge away, and then taking -- putting them on cranes and then on barges to be carried off. this is the part of the process that is going to take to remove the bridge in full to eventually remove the ship as well, and then to get divers into the water to recover the bodies of the four men who are still missing. those are some of the central things that need to be accomplished here, and then of course reopening the waterway in total and reopening the port of baltimore. we do know that there is a plan now to start -- the preparations have started being made to create a temporary waterway, a passage for smaller ships likely that would be a part of the salvage operation. the tug boats and things of that sort to be able to get through. potentially we're told there could be some commercial activity as well through that temporary small waterway that they plan to open in the near future. this of course is a port that

sees a tremendous amount of products coming into the country and so this is an area that needs to be opened quickly. >> the entire maryland delegation, democrats and republicans are in support of us being able to ensure that congress can move with the speed and the intentionality that is going to be required and necessary. getting the port reopened, getting this channel opened up has got to be a national priority when we're talking about the economic impacts on our nation that this continues to hit on. >> and jose, i think we can't forget the fact that there are now four families who are looking for closure. their loved ones are still missing. they are waiting for word on when we'll be able to see divers go back into the water to recover those bodies so these families can lay them to rest. jose. >> and thank you for reminding us of that. aaron gilchrist in baltimore, thank you. >> up next the battleground

state of michigan about to become the only state in the nation to decriminalize this reproductive right. the backlash against the video former trump posted including an image of president biden restrained in the back of a pickup truck. alex murdaugh's double murder trial and conviction captivated the nation. now he is back in court again today. we're back in 60 seconds. you're watching "josé diaz-balart reports" on msnbc. -. the all new godaddy airo helps you get your business online in minutes with the power of ai... ...with a perfect name, a great logo, and a beautiful website. just start with a domain, a few clicks, and you're in business. make now the future at godaddy.com/airo

at st. jude, the mission is just something that everyone can truly get behind. look at our little st. jude pin there on the fridge! we're just regular people donating. yeah. and i think it's cool to be able to make a difference in someone's lives in a way that is meaningful. 11 past the hour. just moments ago, michigan governor gretchen whitmer signed new laws that decriminalize paying for a surrogate to have children. the legislation signed by the governor also includes more protections for lgbtq parents and greater access to ivf. the bills passed the michigan legislature down party lines. joining us now nbc news correspondent ali vitali. good morning. michigan is going to be an important state in 2024

elections. help us understand how this issue in that state matters in the national conversation. >> reporter: not a bill passed out of this capitol, but certainly out of michigan's state capitol. governor whitmer now signing that bill today. and what's important about this bill, though it contends with a law on the books in michigan, it does come as part of the national landscape around the conversation of who can regulate and what those regulations should be around reproductive health care and around reproductive access. i know we have a lot of those conversations certainly around the access to abortion care, especially in the aftermath of the supreme court overturning roe versus wade, but now in michigan, governor gretchen whit ner leading the fight on the other side of that coin helping families trying to access care to grow their families, specifically through protections for ivf and tearing down this ban on -- that makes it more difficult to use gestational surrogates. i spoke with a family on the ground who was able to use both a family friend as their

surrogate, and they were saying that their concern was the barriers that were in place here that really do come to luck of the draw in terms of the judge that you get and the timing of the system. i want to play for you a clip of the interview i had where the surrogate says that she was lucky because they were able to get a prebirth order for her friend's child that she was carrying, but they said that they were lucky because it just happened to work out that way. watch what leah, the surrogate in this situation told me. >> alex came to be with me while we sat and participated in this virtual hearing with a judge while alex's husband alan was at home, and we waited to hear if this pregnancy, which might suddenly very quickly imminently become, you know, this child outside of my body would have parents, alex and alan would be -- if they would be granted

those parental rights, and it was agonizing. >> reporter: jose, i think the thing in reporting this story that was so striking to me is the way that these families who are seeking to expand their family through surrogacy, they say the process is already pain staking and agonizing. not only is their child living outside their body, but now in the state of michigan, at least prior to the repeal of this law these families were questioning if they could even make decisions about their own child once that child was born into the world. this isn't just something like whose name is on a hospital bracelet. it's everything from can the family, the biological parents walk out with their children, but also can they make health care decisions about that child? will that child be on their insurance. now in michigan, at least in the words of this family we talked to, it feels like a little piece of this has been righted and it will be easier for more families in the future. >> nbc's ali vitali, thank you so very much. joining us this morning, victoria defrancesco soto, the

dean of the clinton school of public service at the university of arkansas. tara set mayor. you just were hearing along with all of us, these new laws just signed by the governor there. it comes after the controversy in alabama where gop lawmakers rushed to protect ivf after the state are supreme court there ruled frozen embryos are children. what kind of challenges politically does all of this create for republicans? >> oh, it's a huge challenge, and they know it. the republican strategists in particularly swing states recognize that these issues attacking women's reproductive health and women's agency over their own body and choices is political crypto anytime. over 80% of the american people believe ivf should be legal. we don't agree on 80% of anything in this country anymore, so it goes to show you

that this spans across party lines, even within the republican party itself, even the most religious extremists on the evangelical side, they agree that access to these types of choices should be available, and i would say that now that we are seeing more and more of these stories come forth, that i don't know that a lot of americans recognize this direct attack on women's reproductive rights or the idea of what a family is. surrogacy now was under attack in michigan that the governor has to codify that right. this is a consistent pattern of extremism here that the republican party is engaging in, and particularly women voters are not going to be too keen about putting a party in power that doesn't feel as though they have equal rights or agency over their families and their own bodies and decisions. >> yeah, i mean, victoria, the issue -- and tara was mentioning maybe not a lot of people are really kind of well-versed on

exactly this issue of the idf and the controversy that these different states have created. how do you think this going down the line will play a factor in 2024 in november? >> in one word, jose, mobilization because i think that we're starting to see the broadness of what reproductive rights is. i think for so long it was synonymous with abortion, access to abortion, which is a piece of it. but we're also starting to see that it has to do with the care of embryos, with the ability to have a surrogate parent with all of these other things that are usually dealt with in the privacy of one's own nuclear family. and this is no longer something that is in that private space of the doctor's office and the family kitchen table, but has really become politicized and that this is really starting to perk up fears among folks who

maybe were a little bit more conservative on the issue of abortion but see these other rights as critical to family values, to the support of women and families, so i think that this is really going to be something that if the democratic party can effectively connect it to the electorate, it can be an incredibly powerful mobilization factor. >> and tara, as you know, over the weekend donald trump was posting all kinds of messages including an all caps easter message slamming his perceived potential foes. he also shared a video of an image depicting president biden tied up in the back of a pickup truck. we're not showing that image, but do you think this is requesting to have an impact on republicans outside of trump's base, or is this just an everyday thing for a lot of people? >> well, unfortunately it has become par for the course for a lot of people, which has always been my fear, the normalization

of trump's malignant narcissism and violent tendencies. we see millions of americans rationalize this, incluing evangelical christians, which is something rather remarkable and unfortunate. will this have an impact? it should. we look at the polling coming out of the primary states and republicans in closed primaries, the percentage of republicans that voted against donald trump, whether it was for nikki haley or someone else, even when they were no longer in the race, tells you that there is a considerable chunk up to 20% of the republican party that does not want donald trump as the next president of the united states. let's hope that their partisan ship does not overtake their sense of character and the need for virtue. i mean, our founding father questions, you know, if there is no virtue, we are in a wretched situation. james madison said that in 1788, virtue and character matters not only in our lead, but in us as

the voters. we need to take a look at ourselves as a country and take a look at what donald trump is doing, the violent imagery, the unhinged, unwell messaging and ranting that he puts on truth social versus what president biden is doing, and his vision for our country. we need to ask ourselves what type of country we want and recognize that we are responsible for the leadership that we get. donald trump is unwell. he's unhinged. he's a lunatic. he doesn't respect our democracy. he doesn't respect anyone. he's only about himself. and he demonstrates this every day with the future that he wants for this country, and i don't think that the american people, if they continue to pay attention, want that type of future of retribution, anger and unhinged rantings of a lunatic. my goodness. >> i'm just wondering victoria, and tara brings up such an important point about what is the essence of the american dream? what is the essence of the united states of america? does it not include virtue?

and i'm just wondering what has become political, acceptable political discourse for many doesn't include virtue, doesn't even include manners. i'm just wondering is this the new reality for us? >> it's a reality for one segment of the electorate, but i do think that we have to push forward even harder with the narrative that it's grounded in virtue, which is that of hope and belief for a better tomorrow. let's remember why the united states was founded. it was for hope of freedom, hope of independence. and so i think in going back to this, this kernel of who we are as americans, this is the tool that we need to fight back against the violent images, the violent rhetoric that we're seeing come forward from president trump, and i think it is very important that we remind

the american populous, i don't think we should make assumptions that we should assume that everybody knows that we are a virtuous nation and that we are ultimately filled with hope because when you have that constant barrage of negativity, that internal innate hope can get tamped down. so we need to do just as good a job as putting forward the positive goodness that comes from social change in our country in a forward movement. [ speaking in a global language ] what happened to being courteous doesn't make you any less valorous. it's an expression i keep close to my heart and i fear is becoming less relevant. thank you both for being with us this morning, really appreciate it. moments ago president biden addressed a crowd of families

from all over the country gathered on the white house lawn for that annual easter egg roll celebration, a sl tra addition that spans over 140 years. there you see just moments ago, the president addressing the folks there at the lawn at the white house, but this year the white house had to push back against some criticism after conservative media outlets accused the white house of banning religious themes at the egg decorating contest. guidance that predates the biden administration, and we have understanding right now some breaking news from south carolina, former attorney convicted of killing his wife and son is back in court today. alex murdaugh is in federal court for sentencing on charges he stole millions of dollars from his law firm and clients. in addition to the state financial criminal charges and the two life sentences he is serving for the murders of his wife and son. nbc's pree ya stree they are joins us from charleston, south carolina. what's been happening in court

so far? >> reporter: yeah, jose. we just learned that the judge sentenced alex murdaugh to 40 years in federal prison, but this time will be served concurrently with his state sentence for the financial crimes, which is 27 years. this is an additional 13 years he will now have to serve. those 22 charges he pleaded guilty to back in september include money laundering, wire fraud and bank fraud. they say that he stole $12 million from his personal law firm injury clients and his family's law firm. now, prosecutors were trying to say that murdaugh actually broke his plea agreement when he was deceptive on a polygraph exam back in october. they say there is still $6 million that is unaccounted for. so many of the victims are actually in court today. murdaugh actually addressed the judge. he was wearing an orange jump chute and was shackled, and for 13 minutes he spoke. he got very emotional. he said that he's ashamed of what he did. he's embarrassed, that he thinks

about the victims every day. he feels a lot of remorse, and he said that if any of the victims want to speak with him directly, that he would be open to that, so this obviously is a heavy sentence, and right now the judge is essentially explaining to the courtroom where he decided to give this stiff penalty to murdaugh. >> priya in charleston, thank you very much. dallas police looking for a rising nfl star in connection with a major high speed crash. we'll tell you who they're looking for next. you're watching "josé diaz-balart reports" on msnbc. ée diaz-balart reports" on msnbc. 'o get thyroid eye disease, or t-e-d, which may need a different doctor. find a t-e-d eye specialist at isitted.com. [street noise] [car door shuts] [paparazzi taking pictures] introducing, ned's plaque psoriasis. ned, ned, who are you wearing?

he thinks his flaky red patches are all people see otezla is the #1 prescribed pill to treat plaque psoriasis. ned? 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 movie night, is a groovy night (♪♪) live in the moment. ask your doctor about otezla. what will you do when the power goes out? power outages can be unpredictable and inconvenient. but with a generac home standby generator, your life goes on uninterrupted.

because when your generac detects a power outage it automatically powers up, giving your family the security and peace of mind they deserve. we don't have to worry about whether we lose power or not. if the utility company does not come through, our generac does. after the hurricane happened, we just want to be prepared for anything. 8 out of 10 home generators are generac with thousands of satisfied customers. the number one thing to prepare for is extended power outages. don't make it so hard on yourself. have a generac home standby generator. and owning a generator is easier than ever. special financing and low monthly payment options are available. and if you call now, you will also receive a free seven-year warranty valued at over $700.00. call or go online now to request your free quote. that grimy film on your teeth? dr. g? (♪♪) it's actually the buildup of plaque bacteria which can cause cavities. most toothpastes quit working in minutes. but crest pro-health's antibacterial fluoride

protects all day. it stops cavities before they start... crest.

business. it stops cavities before they start... it's not a nine-to-five proposition. it's all day and into the night. it's all the things that keep this world turning. the go-tos that keep us going. the places we cheer. and check in. they all choose the advanced network solutions and round the clock partnership from comcast business. see why comcast business powers more small businesses than anyone else. get started for $49.99 a month plus ask how to get up to an $800 prepaid card. don't wait- call today.

police in dallas are reportedly searching for ra she rice after a high speed crash involving multiple vehicles on saturday. joining us now from dallas is nbc's priscilla thompson. good morning, what do we know about what happened there? >> reporter: yeah, jose, that crash occurred on an expressway here in dallas, and police tell us that the occupants of the vehicles believed to be at fault left the scene. with the dallas morning news reporting that one of those vehicles may belong to rashee rice. >> this morning dallas police are working to identify the suspect responsible for this high speed crash authorities look to speak with rashee rice.

officials telling the dallas morning news one of the cars involved is believed to be registered or released to the nfl star. >> a major accident on the freeway at 6700 block of north central expressway northbound. >> reporter: the dangerous crash happened saturday evening, police say, and was caused by two drivers speeding. one in a corvette, the other in a lamborghini. dash cam video obtained by nbc news appears to show the moment police say the drivers lost control. one car slamming into the center median as the other appears to spin out. police say occupants of the lamborghini and the corvette all ran from the scene without stopping to determine if anyone needed medical help or providing their information. the dallas morning news reporting that kayla quinn says she was in another car with her 4-year-old son and was hit during the crash. quinn's mother sharing a video seemingly recorded by a bystander of the scene. >> you guys all right?

>> yeah. >> where are you guys heading? you guys all right? >> yeah. you guys just going to leave it? >> new photos obtained by tmz sports showing the occupant of the car leaving the scene. rice's alleged involvement in the wreck, if anything, is unclear, and police have not yet identified any of the suspects involved. the star wide receiver grew up in the dallas area and was drafted last year by the kansas city chiefs. the rising star now under bright lights off the field as an investigation into who caused that crash continues. and nbc news has reached out to rice, the kansas city chiefs, and the nfl. we have not heard back. jose. >> priscilla thompson in dallas, thank you so very much. we're turning now to breaking news out of donald trump's legal battles where the former president has moved to adjourn his new york city case

indefinitely due to, quote, pretrial publicity. joining us now with more is glenn kirschner, a former federal prosecutor, an msnbc legal analyst and nbc news legal correspondent lisa rubin. lisa, tell us exactly what that means. >> so we knew, jose, that donald trump and his lawyers were going to file some sort of motion about pretrial publicity. that was something that they raised at last monday's hearing exactly a week ago, but we didn't know what kind of relief they were going to ask for. now we know. they're asking for an indefinite postponement of the trial on the basis that the pretrial publicity surrounding donald trump and his alleged criminality is so sif fuse throughout new york it's impossible for him to get a fair trial until that publicity abates. you and i both know that donald trump who posted to truth social this weekend more than 70 times is a great generator of his own pretrial publicity. still, his lawyers maintain that

some of the publicity surrounding, for example, the e. jean carroll trial or allen weisselberg's recent guilty plea to perjury in the new york civil fraud case is so prejudicial to him that he can't possibly get a fair trial or shake here in new york until some time passes. >> glenn, just thinking about your reaction to this. i mean, there's a problem, according to the trump team with pretrial publicity, so he wants an indefinite postponement of it, but the pretrial publicity is in many cases generated by him. >> and the pretrial publicity surrounding donald trump, jose, will never subside until all four of donald trump's criminal prosecutions, two federal and two state have concluded and, frankly, donald trump is long in our rearview mirror. there will always be publicity, as lisa just mentioned.

i think it was 77 posts yesterday by donald trump celebrating easter presumably. so much of it railing against all of the prosecutions and the people who are involved in the endeavor of trying to hold him accountable. but jose, i looked at the motion he just filed, and frankly as a former career prosecutor it made me chuckle because among other things, they said, well, we went out and surveyed 400 new york residents and those people, quote, wrongfully believe donald trump is guilty of the crimes can with which he's been charged. my assessment of the everyday based only only public reporting and the prosecutors know much more than we do is that donald trump is actually guilty of the crimes for which he's been indicted, and here's the thing, there is no presumption of innocence hanging in the air. the presumption of innocence is a trial presumption. people are allowed to make their decisions paced on public reporting, based on available

accurate information about donald trump's guilt or innocence, but it's only when they enter a jury box that the judge instructs them. now, you must presume the defendant not guilty, innocent of all charges unless and until the government proves each charge beyond a reasonable doubt. so this motion i have to believe will quickly and perhaps summarily be denied by judge merchan. >> and so, lisa, what are the steps forward for merchan? >> well, we're expecting the d.a.'s office to file a response, jose. it could become public as soon as today, and obviously as soon as we have that, we'll bring that to you and others, but i expect as glenn laid out for them to say that, first of all, the polling that they did here is no indication of whether or not donald trump can get a fair trial, and of course as glenn knows well, jury selection procedures are another way that you can suss out who on thejury is so prejudiced against the

defendant that they couldn't possibly be part of a full and fair trial. that's a reasonable alternative i expect the d.a.'s office to say to adjourning the trial indefinitely because of pretrial publicity largely of the defendant's own making as it is here. >> lisa rubin and glenn kirschner, thank you both very much. really appreciate it. >> thank you. up next, severe spring weather making its way across the country, what you need to know. plus, more than a half million fast food workers are getting a significant boost in pay. there's some concern about the potential ripple effects of this. we'll talk about this next. you're watching "josé diaz-balart reports" on msnbc. r. . if you're like me, one of the millions suffering from pain caused by migraine, nurtec odt may help. it's the only medication that can treat a migraine when it strikes and prevent migraine attacks. treat and prevent, all in one. don't take if allergic to nurtec. allergic reactions can occur, even days after using. most common side effects were nausea, indigestion, and stomach pain.

relief is possible. talk to a doctor about nurtec odt. from the #1 rated brand in cordless outdoor power, the ego zero-turn riding mower with e-steer technology. drives like a car, turns on a dime. and it cuts up to 2.5 acres on a single charge. exclusively lowes, ace, and ego authorized dealers. hey you, with the small business... ...whoa... you've got all kinds of bright ideas, that your customers need to know about. constant contact makes it easy. with everything from managing your social posts, and events, to email and sms marketing. constant contact delivers all the tools you need to help your business grow. get started today at constantcontact.com

constant contact. helping the small stand tall. it's time to get away and cache in, at cache creek casino resort, to rock and to roll. to go all out or... go all in. with four stars and rising stars, northern california's premier casino resort is the perfect place... ...to do as much -or as little- as you want. make your get away now and cache in at cache creek casino resort.

39 past the hour. this morning millions of people from texas to new england are bracing for severe storms bringing large hail, possible tornados and damaging winds. parts of vermont, new hampshire could see a foot of snow, it comes after the storm system battered the west over the weekend with heavy rain causing severe damage, even breaking off pieces of the road on the pacific coast highway. and take a look at this, blizzard-like conditions in the san bernardino mountains trapping dozens of vehicles on the highway. joining us now, nbc's jesse kirsch, he is in cincinnati this morning. jesse, what are you expecting later today there? >> reporter: jose, good morning. we are watching for the possibility of flooding in this

region starting this afternoon following a holiday weekend that was filled with brutal weather. >> this year april showers came early for millions of americans. with torrential rains, gusty winds, and large hail battering parts of the country. in the midwest where the storm is headed next, hail the size of golf balls hitting cars. >> oh, my god, this is so bad. >> reporter: the system brings torrential downpours to california before working its way east. at santa barbara county, some drivers left stranded after severe flooding shut down this stretch of highway. twi la douglas was driving from l.a. when traffic suddenly came to a complete standstill. >> we heard this like raging water sound, and we're like, oh, this is not good at all. >> reporter: parts of the scenic highway, breaking off into the oeks. stranding hundreds of people and

sending two to the hospital according to officials. while near san jose, lightning near an airplane, and further north in truckee, tragedy striking during a storm that brought 14 inches of snow this weekend. according to airport officials, two people were killed in a deadly plane crash while attempting to land at the airport. no cause has been determined. >> i could hear this just big thud, i knew it went down. >> reporter: the victims identified as entrepreneurs, the company where lerone worked saying we are heartbroken by this loss. back here in cincinnati, we're expecting potentially 2 to 4 inches of rain in this region by tomorrow evening, so anyone who's taking their time getting back from holiday celebrations over the weekend definitely should keep an eye on road conditions. jose. >> jesse kirsch, thank you so very much. up next, we'll ask a doctor about why more young people are being diagnosed with cancer and what could be done about this. you're watching "josé

diaz-balart reports" on msnbc. é diaz-balart reports" on msnbc. the world's #1 sleep aid brand. and wakes up feeling like himself. get the rest to be your best with non-habit forming zzzquil. ♪ ♪

try killing bugs the worry-free way. not the other way. zevo traps use light to attract and trap flying insects with no odor and no mess. they work continuously, so you don't have to. zevo. people-friendly. bug-deadly.

here's to getting better with age. here's to beating these two every thursday. help fuel today with boost high protein, complete nutrition you need... ...without the stuff you don't. so, here's to now. boost. 47 past the hour. we're taing a closer look at the rising risk of cancer. a recent report from the american cancer society finds that colon cancer is now the leading cause of cancer deaths in men. and the second of women under 50 years of age. it comes amid an increase of colon cancer rates with percentages of people under 55

diagnosed almost doubling between 1995 and 2019. joining us now nbc news medical contributor, dr. vin gupta. thank you for being with us on this issue that you have been so closely monitoring for some time now. why are younger people getting colon cancer? >> well, jose, good morning. this is a difficult multifactorial problem. we don't really know the answer. there's probably a host of reasons. metabolic health. we know what we put in our body, whether it's alcohol or processed foods. that has clear by been driving an increase of colorectal cancer. the bacteria in our gut. it's multifactorial, we don't know, but it also puts an onus on making sure that people understand their risk. so all those things that i just mentioned to some degree we can control what we put in our body. we can't control necessarily the environment around us, so that's key.

also, knowing your family history. we're going to show some screening guidelines. who should get screened for coe low retal cancer. it might be lower if you have a family history. >> let's talk about that. traditionally, i guess it used to be that, you know, doctors would recommend that you get the test at 50 plus, then it went down to 45. what determines what age one should be getting a checkup on that? >> glad you asked that. so i think we have a few full screen, not just clorectal cancers. starting with colorectal cancer, 45 and up. if you have a family history or if you have abdominal pain you can't describe or can't otherwise explain, if you had changes in sort of your daily habits. those are things that you should flag for your physician.

45 and up for everybody. if you have a family history it could be as soon as 30 and up. it's a conversation to have with your family doctor if you have a family history or new symptoms. for breast cancer, 40 and up. that for a mammogram that was just changed recently. cervical cancer, 21 and up, lung cancer, a pulmonologist, go to savedbythescan.org. 5% of the people eligible for the screen get one. awareness is super low. >> and lung cancer related to smoking? >> that's part of it. we have made tremendous strides as a country with smoking, but lung cancer still is the leading cancer-related cause of death across the country and across the world. part of it is smoking because rates are so high. part of it is air pollution. there are a lots of things we're breathing in that can predispose us. 5% are utilizing lung cancer

tests. i should say a lot of people come to me, jose, and say colonoscopies are difficult to do. jose, we're entering a new world where maybe there will be a test for colon cancer through the blood, through testing our blood, instead of a colonoscopy. we're entering a new phase. >> the colonoscopy is one thing and there are home tests. what are they about, and when should people be taking those? >> so before we get to the blood test, to your point, there's that colonoscopy every ten years. there's a home testing test can you do every single year, but it's also unpleasant. people say, i don't want to do it. i don't want to have to physically go and have to handle specimens at home and mail it in, but that's every single year. you can talk to your doctor, ask for the home kit for colorectal screening. you have to do that every year.

a colonoscopy every ten years starting at 45, potentially earlier if you have a family history, and then the next few years, jose, maybe a blood test on the horizon that obviates all of this making it simple for people. >> dr. gupta, thank you for being on with such important information. thank you. up next, the minimum wage for fast food workers in california goes up today. how the fallout could come with a higher price. plus, some good news for a teen battling a rare and painful disease. how country music star zach bryan made her dreams come true. . . i needed more from my antidepressant. vraylar helped give it a lift. adding vraylar to an antidepressant is clinically proven to help relieve overall depression symptoms better than an antidepressant alone. and in vraylar clinical studies, most saw no substantial impact on weight.

elderly dementia patients have increased risk of death or stroke. report unusual changes in behavior or suicidal thoughts. antidepressants can increase these in children and young adults. report fever, stiff muscles, or confusion, as these may be life-threatening, or uncontrolled muscle movements, which may be permanent. high blood sugar, which can lead to coma or death, weight gain, and high cholesterol may occur. movement dysfunction and restlessness are common side effects. stomach and sleep issues, dizziness, increased appetite, and fatigue are also common. side effects may not appear for several weeks. i didn't have to change my treatment. i just gave it a lift. ask about vraylar and learn how abbvie could help you save. (bobby) my store and my design business? anwe're exploding.ie but my old internet, was not letting me run the show. so, we switched to verizon business internet. they have business grade internet, nationwide. (vo) make the switch. it's your business. it's your verizon. (man) mm, hey, honey.

looks like my to-do list grew. "paint the bathroom, give baxter a bath, get life insurance," hm. i have a few minutes. i can do that now. oh, that fast? remember that colonial penn ad? i called and i got information. they sent the simple form i need to apply. all i do is fill it out and send it back. well, that sounds too easy! (man) give a little information, check a few boxes, sign my name, done. they don't ask about your health? (man) no health questions. -physical exam? -don't need one. it's colonial penn guaranteed acceptance whole life insurance. if you're between the ages of 50 and 85, your acceptance is guaranteed in most states, even if you're not in the best health. options start at $9.95 a month, 35 cents a day. once insured, your rate will never increase. a lifetime rate lock guarantees it. keep in mind, this is lifetime protection. as long as you pay your premiums, it's yours to keep. call for more information and the simple form you need to apply today.

there's no obligation, and you'll receive a free beneficiary planner just for calling. what is cirkul? cirkul is the fuel you need to take flight. cirkul is the energy that gets you to the next level. cirkul is what you hope for when life tosses lemons your way. cirkul, available at walmart and her uncle's unhappy. i'm sensing an underlying issue. it's t-mobile. it started when we tried to get him under a new plan. but they they unexpectedly unraveled their “price lock” guarantee. which has made him, a bit... unruly. you called yourself the “un-carrier”. you sing about “price lock” on those commercials. “the price lock, the price lock...” so, if you could change the price, change the name! it's not a lock, i know a lock. so how can we undo the damage?

we could all unsubscribe and switch to xfinity. their connection is unreal. and we could all un-experience this whole session. okay, that's uncalled for. 56 past the hour. in california a big day for fast food workers. starting today the state's minimum wage for fast food workers rises from $16 an hour to $20 an hour.

nbc's david noriega joins us from los angeles. david, good morning. what does this mean for workers and for consumers? >> reporter: yeah, jose, so the most direct impact is going to be on the workers in question. this law applies to the bigger chains, those with more than 60 locations. it will affect an estimated roughly 500,000 or so workers, many of them are -- most of them, actually, are women of color, many are immigrants, they represent the picture of low-wage workers in california. it's possible, though, and there's an expectation, this will have an effect on workers in the restaurant industry more broadly, because, even if you're a restaurant owner that this doesn't apply to, you will not have to compete with those wages and we see a general rise in wages for the restaurant industry. this probably will have an effect on consumers in the sense a lot of these chains that have stated publicly and explicitly they intend to raise prices as a result of this. the question is by how much. we've spoke tone a couple of economists who estimate between 2% and 5%. so a measurable increase but maybe not enough for people to sort of change the decisions that they make about whether

they're going to buy that hamburger or not. the people -- the people negatively who are going to be most directly impacted are franchise owners, so not necessarily the corporate chains, but the individuals and families who own franchises. we've spoken to a couple of them. they say they're going to have to raise prices, but they probably can't price their way out of this. they're going to have to find other ways to make cuts. i spoke to one person whose family owns 21 mcdonald's in the l.a. area. she said, interestingly, she's not opposed to the increase. she thinks it's good for wages to go up. she is a little troubled that it targets her subset of a specific industry exclusively but she's going to try to figure out a way to process this without laying anybody off or cutting anybody's hours. jose? >> david noriega in los angeles, appreciate it, my friend. thank you so much. before we go this morning, i'd like to kick off some of this week with some really good news. check out how country star zach bryan made the dreams of a

children battling a rare and painful disease come true. ♪♪ in milwaukee a musical dream come true for zach bryan super fan megan pederson. her hero walking off stage and giving her his guitar. >> for you. do you want to come back stage? i'll give this to you back there, okay? >> thank you. >> the teen, who is battling a rare and painful abdominal disease, even got a vip visit backstage. for megan and her mom courtney, zach's music and kindness have been a life line. so, megan, what was going through your mind and your heart at that moment? >> we were at a point in my life we didn't know if i'd make it another week, and i finally had a feeling of happiness and being care free that i hadn't felt like in so long because i was so overjoyed in the moment. >> courtney, how special is it

to all of you? >> it's just nice to know that she has a little place to escape. we have never been more supported and felt more loved in our whole life because of people like zach who just decide to take a moment and spend it with megan and getting to know her. >> and megan tells me that zach and his family have been asking her for updates on how she is doing. all the best to this extraordinary young lady. that wraps up the hour for me. i'm jose diaz-balart. you can reach me on social media and watch more from our show on youtube. thank you for the privilege of your time. andrea mitchell picks up with more news right now. and right now on "andrea mitchell reports" former president trump spends easter on social media railing against the criminal charges against him and the judges presiding over his trials w