this morning on "early today" -- historic hearing. the nation's highest court takes up a high stakes debate over health care reform. up in smoke. it was a dynamite deep six for the former home of the orlando magic. and a titanic achievement. film director james cameron journeys to the very bottom of film director james cameron journeys to the very bottom of the ocean. captions paid for by nbc-universal television hello and a very good morning to you. welcome to our viewer as cross the nation, including the pacific time zone. i'm veronica de la cruz. today we begin with a supreme showdown. the justices of the u.s. supreme

court take up the constitutionality of president obama's sweeping health care reform law. it's a decision that will have a broad impact on america's health care system. nbc's brian mooar joins us now live from the supreme court with the very latest. brian, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, veronica. the health care law was sweeping in its scope and so is the challenge before the high court. from the moment president obama signed his signature health care reform law, this day was inevitable. now it's time for the supreme court to scrutinize the most sweeping legislation in a generation. citizens on both sides of the debate have been waiting outside the high court for days. >> you don't get many opportunities to witness something like this firsthand. >> reporter: many are hoping to catch a glimpse of an extraordinary three days of arguments destined to make legal history. >> i have a daughter 27 who has epilepsy. >> reporter: for this mother, the fight is personal, as it is for this devout catholic. >> it's related to religious

freedoms and religious rights in america. >> reporter: at the core of this case, can congress force every american to pay for health care? 26 states are challenging the law, including georgia. >> we look forward to the supreme court later this june holding the act unconstitutional. >> reporter: it is a showdown welcomed by the obama administration. >> by the end of this decade we're going to be glad the republicans called this obama care. >> reporter: in the highest court in the land, a constitutional fight over health care and the boundaries of government power. and this case is destined to look at that power. but the decisions won't be made until june. veronica? >> brian mooar in washington. brian, thank you. today marks the one-month anniversary of the shooting of trayvon martin. the unarmed black teenager in florida was shot and killed by a neighborhood watch volunteer who claims it was self-defense. thousands are expected at a protest today after a weekend of rallies and prays.

nbc's jay gray has details. >> we come tonight praying for peace. >> reporter: a show of unity in sanford, florida. >> it's about pulling our community together in the wake of an absolute tragedy. >> reporter: a shooting that has sparked a national outcry. >> we come tonight praying for the martin family. >> reporter: prayers that echoed across the country sunday. normal church attire replaced with hoodies. >> we stand in solidarity with the family of trayvon martin. >> stop the violence. >> stop the violence. >> save the children. >> save the children. >> reporter: a growing refrain for justice for trayvon martin. he is george zimmerman, a community watch volunteer who shot and killed the 17-year-old a month ago today. his attorney returned to his claim of self-defense this weekend on the "today" show. >> george zimmerman suffered a broken nose, an injury, a gash to the back of his head. >> reporter: now his friends are also speaking out. >> through his family members i'd learned that right after the shooting he couldn't stop

crying. >> reporter: tears shed by thousands, most part of a growing course calling for answers and action. jay gray, nbc news. now here's a look at some other stories making news early today in america. in florida it didn't take magic but more than 600 pounds of explosives to demolish the former home of the orlando magic basketball team. the amway arena came tumbling down in less than 20 seconds sunday morning. while most people enjoyed the big finish, one man was treated for minor injuries after being hit by debris two blocks away. an oklahoma city police officer is under investigation for an arrest at will rogers airport. surveillance video appears to show police using a taser on a man after he tried to go the wrong way at a checkpoint. officers then dragged the man facedown across the floor while he was handcuffed from behind. the man claimed he wanted to give documents to presidential candidate newt gingrich.

finally, in detroit, thousands took part in the third annual parade designed to rid the ailing city of evil spirits. legend has it that some 300 years ago a red dwarf cast a spell on the city after being struck with a cane by one of detroit's founders. and now for a look at your national and regional weather, here's nbc meteorologist bill karins with a weather channel forecast. >> you're shaking your head, why? >> an interesting festival. >> i think people just want a reason to dress up. you know, people just love dressing up. >> you think people want a reason to dress up and go have a party and celebrate? >> we're just going to set up in a cool and kind of stormy spring pattern. it has not been the best of late marches so far. temperaturewise, seattle is one of the warmer spots, medford at 37, l.a. at 48, phoenix is holding on to some of the warmth, too.

as far as the radar goes, much of the stormy weather over california over the weekend is now shifting out. you notice the upper-level low is spinning out of nevada. we're still popping up with snow showers in the central california mountains. again, not expecting a lot with this storm system. the next one already on its way. you can see all the bright white clouds. that's the next storm and slug of moisture coming in late today and tonight. for the morning commute you don't need umbrellas in california or the oregon coastline but this evening you definitely will. rainfall totals, this will be an impressive event from san francisco upwards up the coastline. there is it a possibility of three, maybe isolated four inches of rain. the mountains also of northern california, highest elevations will get snow out of it. enjoy a dry day today in

mentioned in northern california and oregon. ayers aishz, you'rizon arizona, you're lucking out, not bad, 74. we'll talk about tomorrow's are rainy forecast. >> i'm sure people are looking forward to that, bill. bernanke speaks. more pain at the pump. >> and the heavy hitter at the ballpark that does a number on your bottom line. your early morning business headlines are straight ahead. plus, "the hunger games" eats up the rife as at the box office. tiger is back on the prowl. the final four is set. and guquadruple overtime in atlanta. you're watching "early today."

a very good morning to you. welcome back to "early today." i'm veronica de la cruz.

here are some of your top headlines this morning. at a nuclear security summit in south korea, president obama warned north korea that its pursuit of nuclear weapons is undermining its security. seoul says if the north launches a long-range rocket next month and it strays over south korean territory, they might shoot it down. the u.s. is paying about $50,000 to families for each of the 17 afghan civilians killed in a shooting rampage two weeks ago. later on the "today" show, the wife of the american soldier charged with the murders will speak out for the first time in an exclusive interview. former vice president dick cheney is reportedly doing well after a heart transplant. operation saturday, although some question the 71-year-old cheney getting a new heart. doctors say he probably didn't get special treatment. pope benedict conducted a huge outdoor mass yesterday in mexico. and today he heads to cuba for his first visit to the island. last night the pope was given a jeweled sombrero by a musician. and film director james

cameron returned to the surface of the pacific ocean after traveling to the deepest point on earth. the director of "titanic" used a specially designed submarine to film the mariana trench, a dive of almost seven miles. and now here's an early look at one of your top health headlines on msnbc.com. a new study has found for the first time a human gene that influences how people respond to flu infections. this may explain why the flu makes some people seriously ill or kills them while others have a mild reaction, sneezing, coughing, and body aches. researchers say the discovery could lead to better treatment or vaccines for those with the gene. for more information on this and other health stories, you can always head to the web and check out the health page at msnbc.com. and now here's an early look at how wall street will kick off the day. the dow opens at 13,080 after adding 34 points friday.

the s&p was up 4. the nasdaq also gained 4. taking a look at overseas trading this morning in tokyo, the nikkei added 6 points, while in hong kong the hang seng was up a fraction. well, a little last-minute window dressing could help markets swing back into the black this week. as fund managers pick the best stocks to gussy up their portfolios, investors will also digest fresh data on durable goods, consumer sentiment, and personal income. fed chair ben bernanke's speech at the national association for business economics will be closely watched for any clues about another round of quantitative easing. health care stocks will be in focus as the supreme court weighs a challenge to the nation's health care reform this week. on the earnings front, best buy is expected to report a rise in quarterly profits, but there is word it may close some underperforming stores. meanwhile blackberry maker research in motion could see its quarterly profits slashed in half as competing devices eat away at its dwindling share of the smartphone market. yahoo! is appointing three

new board members as it gears up for a nasty battle with one of its largest shareholders. third point llc recently lost a campaign to win four seats on the struggling search engine's board. the price of gas is up 11 cents in the past two weeks, bringing the national average to a gallon of regular to $3.93. pepsico is set to roll out its 60-calorie pepsi next as it tries to court customers who don't like diet soda but don't want all the calories of regular cola. >> finally, if you're not watching your waistline or your wallet, check out the new hot dog on sale at the texas ranger stadium. it tips the scales at one pound, and it's about as long as a baseball bat, all for a mere 26 bucks. and you'd better be hungry. tony stewart notches his second nascar win of the season, and the hawks exhaust the jazz in a marathon game. plus, after one of the greatest downfalls in sports, the old tiger woods is back. your early morning sports headlines are straight ahead. and it looks like we're starting off this last week of march on the warm side, what a big surprise. your forecast is coming up.

you're watching "early today."

hey there. a very good morning to you. if you're just waking up, this is "early today." in sports there'll be no cinderella story this year as march madness comes down to a face-off between four college

basketball heavyweights. here's nbc's mario solis with an early look at all your sports headlines. >> hi, there. good morning. two more teams punch their ticket to the final four. we begin with north carolina and kansas. kendall marshall sitting this one out with a broken wrist, and the tar heels could have used him. kansas pulls away in the final minutes. tyshawn taylor on the break, gets fouled, loses the ball, but manages to get the bucket. kansas up seven. carolina trying to come back. jeff whitney with the block, and travis relerford finishes on the other end. jayhawks end the game on a 12-0 run. they win 80-67. they'll play ohio state in the final four. kentucky will join kansas. they were simply too much for baylor. at times it appeared like the bears didn't even belong on the same court as the wildcats. kentucky up 20 at the half. this is the kind of game it was for baylor. they get a break when terrence jones misses a free throw, but he gets his own rebound and throws it down. kentucky wins 82-70. they'll play rival louisville on saturday. the other big story yesterday was tiger woods.

starting the final round at bay hill with a one-stroke lead and kept it going, thanks to shots like this. his approach from 182 yards, a thing of beauty. rolls it within three feet of the hole. birdies the eighth to go up three strokes. the putter has been a sore spot for tiger recently but not anymore. saves par on 15. tiger beats graeme mcdowell by five strokes to win his first tour event since 2009. it appears that he's hit his stride just in time for the masters. nascar's tony stewart took the checkered flag at a rain-shortened sprint cup race in california. it's his second win of the year. and, finally, the hawks and jazz were having so much fun they didn't want to stop playing. tied after regulation, they go into overtime. then another and another and another. that's right, quadruple overtime. joe johnson had 37 points. it took over three hours, but the hawks won a marathon, 139-133. and that's your look at sports on "early today." i'm mario solis. is she or isn't she. a dazzling ring fuels engagement

rumors for a former disney star. your early morning entertainment headlines are straight ahead. plus, we're going to show you one third grader who likely has a bright future on the basketball court. you're watching "early today."

if you're driving through interstate 80 through nevada, you'll be dealing with rain and snow. the rain in northern california and southern oregon is going to be confined to more or less the

heavy stuff this evening so probably from the evening rush on will be your best chance for the wet weather. just some scattered showers in the northwest. we're dry today from l.a. to vegas to phoenix. as we go towards tomorrow, that's when the real heavy rain will be falling. it should be shifting down further to the south into the bay area, san jose, san francisco, even sacramento could pick up significant rain. higher elevations are going to get more snow out of this. late season for snowfall. if you're watching us on knsd nbc san diego, see installations that weave together stories linking china's ancient past to the present at 10,000 waves at the museum of contemporary art san diego that's your pacific event of the day. >> great event. thanks. here is an "early" look at this morning's headlines in entertainment. movie-goers had a huge appetite for "the hunger games" this weekend. as expected, the film devoured

the competition, taking in a whopping $155 million, the third highest u.s. opening of all time, the highest ever for a nonsequel. the only movies that earned more on opening weekends were the "harry potter" finale, also the batman sequel "the dark knight." actor 19-year-old miley cyrus sparked rumors of an engagement to her boyfriend, "hunger games" actor liam hemsworth by sporting what looks to be a huge diamond on her ring finger. what do you think, bill? >> if i didn't know better, i would say she's engaged. >> but a source close to the hannah montana actor tells "us weekly" the sparkler is not an engagement ring. somebody tell her she's got it on the wrong finger then, bill. finally, tmz reporting kim kardashian has decided to press charges against a fur protester who threw flour on her at an event thursday night. sources close to kim tell tmz she doesn't feel the woman should get away with it and that she should be held accountable for her actions. i know you haven't seen it yet -- >> no. you and i avoided the crowds for "the hunger games." . we're in the minority. everyone in my family has seen it or is reading the book. >> what is the general

consensus? >> everyone seems to like it. i haven't heard too many say it's disappointing. >> maybe we'll have to go see it then. this comes to us from koa a in colorado springs where they're celebrating a different kind of march madness nearby. a local 9-year-old boy made an amazing basket from half-court during an elementary school tournament in oklahoma. the third grader launched a buzzer beater with one hand. >> a third grader? >> yeah. not just luck got him nothing but net. dad says while he was surprised, his son has been practicing the shot over and over in the gym, and not only did it wow the crowd, but it helped his team win the game. congratulations. i love that. i'm veronica de la cruz. this is your first stop today on your nbc station.

in mexico, aerobics lovers boogied down to set a new world record. a crowd of more than 6,500 zumba'd to latin beats as they claimed the record for largest dance fitness exercise class. exercisers grooved their aerobic moves for an hour as a guinness official looked on. organizers hope the excitement will encourage participants to continue healthy lifestyles. in japan it was a chance to see how the competition stacked up. participants of all ages vied for the title of fastest hands at this year's sports stacking competition. events include individual cup stacking, stacking with a partner, and team relays.

the fastest stacker qualifies to go to the world stacking championships in germany next month. it is a little bit insane. oh, gosh. pretty quick. in portugal models took to the runway donning less fabric and more chocolate. designers and chocolatiers teamed up to design tasty frocks for the 10th international chocolate festival. the dresses were all based on disney's fairytale princesses with the winning one earning its creator a free trip to disneyland in paris. two of my favorite things, bill. >> that sums it up. i was trying to decide between the hot chocolate with marshmallows or the bees. now we're going with the hot chocolate. >> maybe two of your favorite things. i was going to say paris and chocolate. but we know what you're thinking. it's time now for an early look at some of the stories we'll follow throughout the day on nbc. a florida man accused of hacking into the e-mails of celebrities such as scarlett johansson is expected to plead guilty to nine felony counts in california. he faces up to 60 years in prison and a fine of over

$2 million. first lady michelle obama welcomes schoolchildren from across the country to participate in this year's white house kitchen garden spring planting. the garden planted in 2009 to raise awareness about children's health is the first vegetable garden at the white house since eleanor roosevelt's victory garden. and a very happy birthday to singer diana ross who turns 68 years old today. happy birthday. all day long you can stay on top of the very latest developments in those stories and others as they break on msnbc. tonight, be sure to watch brian williams with "nbc nightly news." and finally here is a look at what's coming up later this morning on "today" show. george zimmerman's attorney and a close friend speak out in his defense following outrage over zimmerman's shooting of unarmed teen trayvon martin. and self-help guru tony robbins talks about his new tv series which helps ordinary people overcome extraordinary odds. now keep it on this channel for continuing local news, weather, sports, and much more. i'm veronica de la cruz. thank you so much for watching "early today," just your first

stop of the day today on your nbc station. have a terrific monday. we'll see you back here have a terrific monday. we'll see you back here tomorrow.