good tuesday morning. coming up on "early today," plane theories. was the missing plane flight path altered inside the cockpit's computer system. putin's decrease. vice president biden rushes to the region to shore up nato support, but crimea's annexation all but certain? mick jagger cls concerts in the wake of the death of his long time girlfriend, l'wren scott. a new round of recalls for general motors. chaos in mexico as police battle one another. and just in the nick of time for this stranded soul. it is tuesday, march 18th. "early today" starts right now.

good morning. i'm frances rivera. china finds no terror link to its nationals on that missing malaysian jet. 11 days now and more clues are pouring in, but still 239 people are missing in this baffling vanishing act. katy tur is live in london. how close or far are we from finding this plane? >> reporter: nbc news confirmed that turn west, that diverted flight 360, was carried out through a computer system that was most likely programmed by somebody in the plane's cockpit, who was knowledgeable about airplane systems. now what that means, whether it was the pilot, or co-pilot is still not clear. authorities are looking into anyone on that plane who may have had knowledge of the system. so this morning, we're basically no closer or further to figuring out what happened than we were since it disappeared over a week ago. there are some developments. as of today, the u.s. navy says it will reduce the efforts in

the search. this is calling its destroyer back saying the search will be better done by long range aircraft. 26 countries are helping to look for the plane and the area they are searching is vast. you can't quite call this a search for a needle in a hay stack, more like a search for a needle in a million hay stacks because of the water currents and other issues. there are accusations that they're not sharing all of their knowledge, after initially saying the plane's automated data or acars was turned off before the last cook pill caught, suggesting the pilot may have been involved, malaysian officials back tracked saying they have no idea when the acars system was actually turned off, it could have been after the all right, good night from the co-pilot. tho authorities are looking into their background but have not discovered anything they're calling useful. >> so many reasons to be frustrated. thank you so much. vice president joe biden arrived at ukraine's back door.

his plane just touched down in warsaw. he's visiting poland and lithuania is a tug of war continues. right now, russia president vladimir putin is continuing his victory lap. hours ago, he approved a draft bill for the annexation of the crimean peninsula and is telling parliament to move quickly to approve the plan. on monday, president obama unveiled sanctions against a dozen russian and ukrainian officials. it is first step aimed at putting the kremlin on notice. >> we are imposing sanctions on specific individuals responsible for undermining the sovereignty, territorial integrity and government of ukraine. we're making it clear that there are consequences for their actions. and if russia continues to interfere in ukraine, we stand ready to impose further sanctions. >> some republican critics in congress including senator john mccain say the president's move doesn't go far enough. back home, another round of recalls to tell you about at general motors.

it involved 1.5 million models because of defective side air bags. the news comes during a widening investigation into separate recalls involving faulty ignition switches. that move involves 1.6 million vehicles. the automaker is aware of 31 crashes and 12 deaths. >> something went wrong with our process in this instance. and terrible things happened. we will be better because of this tragic situation if we seize the opportunity. and i believe we will do just that. we are a great team. w and we are making the best cars and trucks and crossovers in decades and we're getting better. >> an nbc news investigation revealed some gm engineers have been aware of the ignition switch problem since 2004, but kept using them until at least late 2006. the government is now looking into why the company waited so long to issue that recall. a crash that devastated the austin, texas, community during the south by southwest festival

has taken another toll. a third person died after a suspected drunk driver plowed through barricades last week. officials say 26-year-old sandy le was struck outside a club when the driver smashed his car through the crowd. more than 20 others were injured. 21-year-old rashad owens is facing capital murder charges. he's accused of driving drunk and fleeing from police that intentionally driving into festival goers. rolling stones canceled a planned concert in perth, australia, after the apparent suicide of mick jagger's long time girlfriend l'wren scott. a spokesperson for jagger said he's shocked and inconsolable by the news. the striking 6'3" model and fashion design wears a favorite of celebrities like madonna, nicole kidman, oprah winfrey and first lady michelle obama. scott is remembered by both editor and chief anna wintour as someone who embodied what her colonials stood for, strength of character, combined in a confident and powerful style. l'wren scott was believed to be 49 years old, though she never officially disclosed her age.

turning now to weather, an amazing rescue caught on tape in washington state. first responders say this man from the yakima river, witnesses say the driver veered off the road right into the water. he was able to call 911 until the rescuers arrived. dylan dreyer here with the forecast and it seems to be this cold and storms and snow still gripping us. >> it is. there is no relief in sight. a day or two here and there. most of the eastern half of the country will remain on the colder side. it is the west coast where we're still seeing those wintertime storms that bring rain to the coast and washington state. we also have some snow across areas north of minneapolis and also an icing situation through virginia and north carolina where black ice is issued this morning. north of minneapolis, we could end up with about 5 to 7 inches. because of that winter storm warnings and advisories are in effect. a closer look at the rain making its way on shore, washington state that will try to stretch

into northwestern oregon into the portland area too. it is also producing some mountain snow and you can see across extreme portions of the cascades, we could end up with 6 to 12 inches out of this storm system and as for rain, we're looking for about an inch or two, that will accumulate over the next 48 hours as the rain is really just purr siersistent. we'll see pockets of heavier rain through the seattle area. so the warmest air in the country still hiding out in the southwest. and us being in the northeast, it is just so far away. >> doesn't seem like it exists. like come out, come out, wherever you are. >> anytime you want to show up. >> so ready. thank you, dylan. newly released e-mails show governor chris christie's

campaign manage wears in the loop. plus, good news in the battle against cancer to report. and an incredible report about just who japan is recruiting to clean up the mess of the fukushima nuclear plant. eliminate odors and reduce allergens with new febreze allergen reducer. >>wanna see some allergens? eww! what is that thing? they could be all around you right now. how would you deal with them? >>ummm.... ninjas. no need for ninjas. reduce up to 95% of inanimate allergens becoming airborne from fabrics... ...with new, dermatologist tested, febreze allergen reducer. get fresher air and breathe happy. also available in air effects.

because an empty pan is a blank canvas. [ woman #2 ] to share a moment. [ woman #3 ] to travel the world without leaving home. [ male announcer ] whatever the reason. whatever the dish. make it delicious with swanson. [ male announcer ] whatever the reason. whatever the dish.

hi. what did you do thin mints flavor coffee-mate? it's only one of the most delicious girl scout cookie flavors ever. i changed the printer ink. try coffee-mate girl scout cookie flavors. welcome back. here are some stories we're following this morning. the u.s. geological survey says people in southern california could expect small aftershocks in the coming days. this follows monday's 4.4 magnitude earthquake near encino. no major damage was reported. the tremor shook buildings and rattled nerves including these two news anchors during a live ktla broadcast. >> thank you. coming up, more problems for a -- >> earthquake. we're having an earthquake. >> that's my best friend there. she went under. they went under the desk. after that, they came right out. she said she only went under because her co-anchor did, but

that's supposed spto be what yo do. violent skirmishes between police. there are newly released e-mails and text messages in the new jersey bridge scandal showing governor chris christie former campaign manager was kept in the loop. that's why lanes to the george washington bridge were closed last september. the documents were released in a court filing by a new jersey legislative panel. investigating whether the lane closures were political payback. the rate of colon cancer has fallen by a whopping 30% in the decade for americans over 50. that's thanks to a triple rate of colonoscopies. and no experience necessary. the new york times says operators of japan's crippled fukushima daiichi nuclear power plant are hiring untrained workers to clean up the site and they're given few or no

instructions on safety procedures. time to get down to business. kermit the frog set the tone on st. patrick's day, fittingly. major market finishing in the green. and forest protests planned fo cities today. they have the right to unionize. kevin trudeau is sentenced to ten years in prison. he sold more than 850,000 copies of his book, the weight close cure they don't want you to know about. the judge in the case said for decades trudeau steadfastly attempted to cheat others for his own personal gain. anti-government protests in venezuela have gotten so dangerous, air canada is suspending flights to the country until further notice. the airline says civil unrest makes it impossible for them to ensure the safety of their operations. and just as college basketball's biggest tournament is about to begin, a federal lawsuit filed in newark, new jersey, says college football

and basketball players should be able to get some of the money they make for their schools. it accuses the ncaa of operating as an unlawful cartel, making billions off labor, in the labor of players. the lawsuit names the defendant, the southeastern conference, atlantic coast conference, pac-12, big ten and big 12. and remember, tonight the mega millions jackpot is over $400 million. you have a full day to get your ticket. good luck. just ahead, your latest sports highlights and a little off season training for 49ers jim harbaugh. this is "early today." i dunno, i just ah woke up today and i said i need something sportier. annnd done. ok maxwell, just need to ah contact your insurance company with the vin number. oh, i just did it. with my geico app. vin # is up to the loaded. ok well then jerry here will take you through all of the features then. why don't weeeeeeeeeeee go out to the car. ok, i'll just be outside... ok, yeah.

his dad is my boss. yeah. vin scanning to add a car. just a tap away on the geico app. and better is so easy withrning you cabenefiber.o something better for yourself. fiber that's taste-free, grit-free and dissolves completely. so you can feel free to add it to anything. and feel better about doing it. better it with benefiber. still running in the morning? yeah. getting your vegetables every day? when i can. [ bop ] [ male announcer ] could've had a v8. two full servings of vegetables for only 50 delicious calories. are you about to spend that on paper towels? mom: well, i use bounty... kerri: ooo! use sparkle®... it's just right for cleaning up everyday little messes

without cleaning out your piggy bank. sparkle®. the bright way to clean.

this morning on "today," natalie morales is shining a light on boston marathon survivors as they prepare to race again one year after the tragic bombing that changed their lives. that's ahead on "today." and now to sports, we start this morning with a fate of indianapolis colts owner jim irsay. irsay was arrested sunday in indiana on a suspicion of intoxicated driving. police say he failed, quote, several field sobriety tests and they found multiple prescription drugs in his vehicle. he was released monday and is due back in court on march 26th. irsay had said on twitter he was clean and sober for 15 years. meanwhile, sources tell espn the arrest is, quote, a wake-up call for irsay. the nfl says he will be subject to discipline. he didn't immediately respond to reporters during his release but

used twitter to thank his supporter and wrote, deepest thanks to family, friends, fans, colleagues for the messages of support, thoughts and prayers. impossible to tell you how much this means. in college hoops, jabbary parker won the freshman of the year award. the 6'8" guard scored in double figures in 17 straight games. the blue devils will play the bears friday in their first game of this year's ncaa tourney. and a pro basketball, the denver nuggets and rocky mountain high. they stop the clippers 11-game winning streak. they pull away with a three-pointer. the nuggets, 110-100. in hockey, minnesota against boston, jason palmendale, his stick breaks. he smacks the puck, right to the goal. his stick, that's gone. totally destroyed. it was the only goal for the wilds who lost 4-1 to boston.

this hurts to watch. spring training. third base umpire brad myer, hit by a line drive. and here is the thing. it looks like it may have hit him in the groin area. he was carted off the field after waving his hat to the crowd, i'm okay. i'm hanging in there. is jim harbaugh working on a new recruit? the 49ers head coach was in a push-up contest against a walrus at six flags discovery kingdom. not bad. good form. both jim and the walrus. and the master of frisbee trick shot brodie smith. he unveiled march madness inspired shots. he nails a 200 foot shot right into the net. and he makes it into the basket off of the scoreboard. "early today" sports is brought to you by just for men auto stop, the foolproof way to get rid of gray. just ahead, pope francis cancels on noah. and chris brown gets to cool his heels in jail while rihanna takes up with drake. much more ahead.

let me get this straight... [ female voice ] yes? lactaid® is 100% real milk? right. real milk. but it won't cause me discomfort. exactly, no discomfort, because it's milk without the lactose. and it tastes? it's real milk! come on, would i lie about this? hello. [ female announcer ] lactaid. 100% real milk. no discomfort. and for a 100% real dairy snack you'll 100% enjoy try lactaid® cottage cheese. we need a new recipe. let us consult the scroll of infinite deliciousness. perfect. [ wisest kid ] campbell's has the recipes kids love. so good! [ wisest kid ] at campbellskitchen.com. [ gong ] m'm! m'm! good!

i cthis year aloneore places offi hit new york...ist.m. and texas! see, hotwire checks the competition's rates every day... so they can guarantee their low hotel prices. ♪ h-o-t-w-i-r-e ♪ hotwire.com and better is so easy withrning you cabenefiber.o something better for yourself. fiber that's taste-free, grit-free and dissolves completely. so you can feel free to add it to anything. and feel better about doing it. better it with benefiber.

moonachie, new jersey, firefighters were still rebuilding their own house with limited funds for the most important necessities. ugh...this toilet paper's like sandpaper. [ male announcer ] that's when the charmin relief project came to the rescue. holy charmin. [ male announcer ] delivering over 10,000 rolls of bath tissue. charmin not only saved the day. charmin saved our butts. [ male announcer ] making a firehouse feel like home again. one more way the charmin relief project is helping people enjoy the go. good morning and welcome back. a little cool and very damp across seattle. 39 degrees with the rain coming down now. 36 in medford, oregon. much milder down in the southwest. phoenix starting off today at 6le 8 degrees. the southwest will be nice and sunny today, but once again, we have another pacific storm making its way on shore. we could end up with 6 to 12 inches in the mountains and also about half an inch up to

three-quarters of an inch of rain from seattle to portland. same for tomorrow. looking for a couple of showers. temperatures in the lower 50s. l.a. on wednesday should get up to a beautiful 79 degrees. >> they deserve it after that scare they had with the earthquake. in entertainment news, the prospect of a media circus canceled russell crowe's meeting with pope francis. the filmmakers of noah scheduled a screening for the pontiff with hopes of receiving his blessing but it was nixed by the pope after media reports began to leak. chris brown is back behind bars and he's staying there. a california judge is jailing the singer until an april 23rd hearing. this after he was booted from his rehab facility for touching a female and refusing to take a drug test. several media outlets are reporting his ex rihanna is now dating the rapper drake. the nfl wants $16 million from the rapper mia. the league is going after her for flipping the bird and using explicit language. remember that? that was during the super bowl xlvi performance.

filed in 2012, the league is looking for restitution for breach of contract and payment for what the league calls $50 million worth of exposure. kate winslet became the latest celeb to get her star on the hollywood walk of fame. the oscar winner was overwhelmed by the attendance. apparently it takes a fortune to get dressed for the academy awards. according to vogue, cate blanch aets gown and jewels estimated at an $18 million. charlize theron's outfit came in second, close to $16 million, followed by sandra bullock's nearly $8.25 million show stopper. ♪ jennifer lawrence didn't get back-to-back wins at the oscars, but this performance of in american hulse may closed the deal for her. the scene has now been

resurrected for the dvd, which goes on sale today. that's great. i'll get a chance to see it. i can tell you, my list of must sees from this year's oscar nominees, winners alone, haven't seen any. >> i'm trying to check things off the list. with jennifer lawrence, i just watched the hunger games. i'm just catching up to the older movies. >> i have two years of oscar nominations worth in my netflix cue. i have no more dvr space. the problems we have. dylan, thank you. i'm frances rivera. this is "early today." we hope it is your first stop of the day here on nbc.

wisest kid? the girls and i need... a new activity. [ giggles ] [ snaps finger ] [ wisest kid ] campbell's tomato soup with grilled cheese. perfect together. what should we do next? i'm liking braids. [ gong ] m'm! m'm! good!

leading the news, new york senate rejects dream act for immigrant students with 32 votes needed to pass. the 30-29 vote outcome dashed the hopes of immigration reform advocates. in time.com, mumps outbreak at ohio state grows to 23 cases. 11 women and 12 men ranging in ages from 18 to 48 have confirmed cases of the mum pz at ohio state university. also in the news this morning, obama care signup hits the 5 million mark. the obama administration has 1 million more to go to reach its 6 million goal by the end of the month. march 31st is the last day to enroll for a health plan through the new online markets or

exchanges. rachel bunny mellon has died at 103 years old. she was a close friend of first lady jackie kennedy. in 2011, prosecutors say she funneled more than $700,000 of illegal campaign contributions to former u.s. senator john edwards. mellon was not charged with any wrongdoing. and scientists say they have found 14 billion-year-old echoes from the big bang. this is considered first direct evidence of existence in the universe. scientists spent three years analyzing their findings before presenting. with spring on the horizon, this indian festival is in full force. nicknamed the festival of colors, it takes place across india. people of all ages and classes use the holiday to forget their differences by celebrating love and the coming spring. no one is safe from the vibra vibrantvibran vibrantly colored powder and water. if only we had something like that here. but we can't celebrate spring

because spring seems to be stuck for most of us. >> covered in powder and water, you would be freezing outside. >> our reality right now, right? hopefully soon. >> we're hoping. >> we'll radiate some of the yellow from the shirt. >> you feel the warmth? >> i feel it right now. president obama will award the medal of honor to 24 veterans being recognized for their valor during campaigns in world war ii, korea and vietnam. many of the awards are being given posthumously. in 1965, the first ever spacewalk. alexi lee november was outside his capsule for 12 minutes and nine seconds secured by a tether. and happy birthday to maroon five front man and coach of the voice, adam levine, 35 years old. and queen latifah is 44. and actress and former miss america vanessa williams is 51. well, now, keep it right here for more news, weather and

sports. thank you for being with us. i'm frances rivera. enjoy your tuesday.

never had to use it to protect my life and i really wish i didn't have to. >> the man accused of stabbing a teenage boy to death at a park tells his side of the story from behind bars. >> a fire investigation on the peninsula takes a surprising turn. why officials say someone set a house on fire to cover up another crime. >> california's earthquake early warning system put to the test in southern california. we'll tell you if it passed. >> taking a live look outside this morning to san francisco, that bay bridge. good morning on this tuesday, march 18th. this is "today in the bay."