good morning to you. coming up on "early today," a protest over a deadly police shooting turns ugly with multiple arrests. bracket-busting battles begin. basketball's biggest brouhaha. more than 32 million americans are welcoming the first day of spring with a late-soap snow storm. a stunning reversal for israel's prime minister in the world's most famous white house intern speaking out about shame and public humiliation. it's friday march 20th. "early today" starts right now. good morning to you. i'm craig melvin. a suspicious death in mississippi has local law enforcement and the fbi searching for answers this morning. sheriff's deputies discovered a man's body hanging from a tree

in claiborne county found while local officers were looking for a person who went missing earlier this month. the mississippi naacp says the body is 54-year-old otis byrd. an african-american man. at this point, the sheriff's office has not determined whether the death was a homicide or a suicide. today local police and fbi are expected to go door to door conducting interviews in the area. in philadelphia a protest over a deadly police shooting turns violent. ten people were arrested after chairs and punches were thrown. the fight started when a woman allegedly pushed a cop. protesters are upset two officers were cleared in the death of brandon brown who was shot and killed in a traffic stop last december. his death sparked weeks of protests. this was the scene outside that meeting. a huge police presence as officers tried to keep things calm. just days after his

surprising last-minute campaign declaration that there would not be a palestinian state, israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu seems to be backtracking. president obama spoke to netanyahu yesterday to congratulate him on his re-election win, the same day netanyahu seems to be walking back comments about a palestinian state. nbc's tracie potts is in washington for us this morning. break this down for us. what is netanyahu saying now? >> now he's saying he's for a two-state solution which is different than what we heard before the election. this came in an exclusive nbc interview with andrea mitchell. netanyahu as they might say here in the united states flip-flopping on his prior position. but he insists he never reversed course. >> i haven't changed my policy. i don't want a one-state solution, i want a sustainable, peaceful, two-state solution. >> reporter: that's not what he said before election day. the obama administration is rethinking its policy in the

middle east. >> that does and has prompted us to re-evaluate our approach to this matter. >> reporter: netanyahu, who finally got that congratulatory phone call from president obama, doesn't think his stand will affect his relationship with the u.s. >> we have to work together. >> reporter: in a message to the people of iran president obama said he's hopeful. >> there is a way for iran if it is willing to take meaningful verifiable steps, to assure the world that it nuclear program is in fact for peaceful purposes only. >> reporter: those talks continue in switzerland today. and despite what iran's been saying, that they're 90% there, now we're hearing from a senior european negotiator who says that they still got some significant issues that they're far apart and may not may that end of the month deadline to come up with a deal. >> tracie potts in washington thank you. more dramatic images in the

boston marathon bombing trial. in court yesterday, prosecutors said the tsarnaev brothers threw a pressure cooker bomb at police three days after the marathon attack. the fbi says it exploded with such force that a huge piece blew into this nearby car. there it is the same brand as the pressure cooker bombs that went off near the marathon finish line. according to fbi shrapnel from the bomb thrown at police landed in people's yards, on roofs, embedded in houses and ended up as far as a block away. dzho tsarnaev faces the possibility of the death penalty for the 2013 attack. kprc has confirmed fbi agents in san francisco are looking into whether evidence in the disappearance of two women in 1997 points to millionaire murder suspect robert durst, recently charged in los angeles with first-degree murder in the

2000 shooting of susan berman. durst is currently in custody in louisiana while waiting to be transferred to l.a. his attorney dismissed reports of the new investigations. fbi director comey would not give details on the widening investigation. >> i can't say and if i knew i wouldn't say. i know that we are doing a number of things in different field offices to run down leads. that is one of the priorities of the fbi. we're everywhere in the united states. if local partners need help with a homicide investigation or something else they will frequently ask us to run out that lead in new york san francisco, some other place. >> durst remains in a mental health facility on suicide watch. opening day of the ncaa tournament had two overtimes, wins by two number 14 seeds, father and son combo victories, and comeback galores. let's start with the upsets. number 14 uab taking down number three iowa state. the blazers outscored iowa state

9-4 to pull out a 60-59 victory. next the number 14 georgia state and number three baylor in one of the most memorable moments of the day. here it is georgia state coach ron hunter hobbled by a torn achilles from the previous game literally knocked from his chair when his son r.j. drained a three with 2.7 seconds on the clock. junior wins it 57-56. overtime games, cincinnati and purdue. the bearcats trailed by seven with under 50 seconds left to go in regulation were able to force overtime. >> here comes kevin johnson. guarded by octius. 3 seconds to go. takes it all the way. oh! >> that's going to count, yes, it will! >> yes, it will. cincinnati wins it in ot 66-65. they'll play kentucky saturday. number seven dcu taking on

10th ranked ohio state. the buckeyes russell had 28 points as osu hangs on in the final second to win that one 75-72. number 13 harvard gave north carolina quite the scare last night as well. the tar heels blew a 16-point second-half lead. they were even trailing for a short time before pulling out a 67-65 squeaker. the eighth seeded wolfpack as nc state trails by 16 against lsu. it all came down to a last-second hook shot. by b.j.anye. >> to go to the round of 32 villanova waits late to give it to anye. the turnaround and it's good! b.j. anye! >> nc state heading to the round of 32. they'll take on villanova saturday. call it a spring trifecta.

this one's got skywatchers quite giddy. a stoelts solar eclipse, a superman, and the spring equinox all happening today. this is what the eclipse looked like in europe. it peaked at 5:45 eastern. part of the earth going dark as the moon came between the earth and the sun. but in norway a man's trip to see the eclipse turned terrifying. he was apparently attacked by a polar bear in his tent. a fellow camper shot at the polar bear scaring it away the bear eventually tracked down and killed. on the first day of spring winter is winning. 32 million of us are bracing for a late-season snow. in the bull's-eye once again, the northeast. take a look at this video just in a short time ago, this is maryland where the snow is already coming down. in eight states advisories and warnings are up. some cities could see up to 6

inches of snow. nbc meteorologist bill karins groundhog day. >> these are the areas that just melted. finally see grass for the first time in two months. now they have to deal with this. it is going to have impact on the commute and across the airways across the country. so many big hubs are impacted. we are seeing snow in baltimore, washington, d.c. is mostly rain right now mixed with snow. little if any accumulation is expected there. the higher totals will come this afternoon. looks like harrisburg to philadelphia to trenton to new york city, enough that we're going to have to get the plows out. especially the secondary roads. many of the treated roads and surfaces should be just fine. the worst airport effects are in the afternoon. here's how we're looking across the country today. admit of the country's fine. once again, montana, beautiful at 70. no problems throughout much of the west. back to normal in phoenix at 82. a lot of rain there in texas. as we take you through your weekend forecast the eastern storm leaves quickly. admit of the country is quiet a

lot of rain in the south, and we are going to watch wet weather and rain in the northwest especially as we go throughout the next 24 to 48 hours. even into sunday no problems l.a. beautiful at 75. looking at the extended forecast, we get very warm in much of the west nevada, california, about a week from now. maybe more record highs, which is the last thing you wanted to to stay nice and warm and dry. of course, we keep getting more and more of this drought information in california. more dire news every day, it seems. >> with regards to the snow is this it? after this moves out? >> if you want it to be, i'll make it it. >> spring's coming on monday so says bill. we'll hear from former white house intern monica lewinski

next. also an arrest in the carolina kennedy death threat investigation. constitute obamas be moving into magnum p.i.'s home in hawaii? you're watching "early today." ken loans, we like to go the extra mile for our clients. with the wassman family, it was 2,500 extra miles. we're the wassman family from skagway, alaska... livin' so far out i was runnin' into dead ends... happened to come across quicken loans online... walked over to the computer... i was able to see all the paperwork... while i was on the phone i was able to go through the checklist. they were quick and efficient. quicken loans is definitely engineered to amaze. they were just really there for us. these little angels build in softness. and these little angels build in strength. and that little angel says "weeeeeeeee!" 60% more sheets than charmin. everything you want and the value you love. angel soft. the scent of baked pears now pie crust, then vanilla.

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and gorgeous, life-resistant wear don't be envious. be envied! in 30 easy-to-remove shades to love. revlon. love is on. stories making news this morning, authorities in japan say they have arrested a man accused of making threatening phone calls to ambassador caroline kennedy. police say the 52-year-old also made bomb threats against the u.s. embassy in tokyo. monica lewinski says there is not a day that goes by that she does not think about her "mistake." the woman at the center of the clinton sex scandal gave a t.e.d. talk yesterday on the price of shame. it was a critique of public humiliation. >> anyone who is suffering from shame and public humiliation needs to know one thing. you can survive it. i know it's hard.

it may not be painless, quick, or easy. but you can insist on a different ending to your story. from msnbc, new hampshire republicans deliver a rough message to fourth graders. a state rep is doubling down on controversial comments he made on the floor in front of a class of 9 and 10-year-olds. they were in the gallery to see a vote on their proposal to officially establish the red tail hawk as the state raptor. representative warren brown -- excuse me warren grone said this -- >> it grasps it with its talons and uses its razor-sharp beak to rip its victim to shreds and basically tear it apart limb by limb. and i guess the shame about making this a state bird is it would serve as a much better mascot for planned parenthood. >> the lawmakers then killed the bill. england's prince charles was at the white house yesterday.

president obama reportedly joked, some americans like the royals more than they do their own elected leaders. and then there's this. ♪ >> you remember that theme song. could president obama and first lady michelle be eyeing the sprawling hawaiian beachfront home featured on the '80s series "magnum p.i."? the property is located near where the obamas vacation every winter and it was purchased by a close friend of the family. $3.7 million. for the secret service, erased tapes tied to the latest white house incident? that answer straight ahead. who's to blame? new details on that deadly tunisian museum attack.

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this morning on "today," you could call it the new breakfast club. how millennials and others are turbo charging their days with early morning dance parties. get down to business with cnbc's landon dowdy, good morning to you. >> hey, craig, good morning to you. faa gives amazon the green light to test the use of drones. however, flights must be at a very low altitude and must stay within sight of the pilot. amazon wants to use drones to deliver packages within 30

minutes. home values may be rising but many people are still flipping underwater. a report shows the number of homeowners who own more on their mortgage than their house is worth rose in the fourth quarter of last year. the problem is while average home prices are rising they're still falling at the low end of the market. want to know how many calories are in that guinness? the company behind the beer johnny walker and smirnoff vodka, will put nutritional information on labels. the data will be based on a typical serving size so consumers know what they're drinking. back over to you, happy friday. >> that could be trouble. happy friday to you as well. just ahead, look ma no hands. getting ready for a car that drives itself. plus it's the best news we've got for you on a friday. mr. t. is coming back to television. he wants to pretty up your home. we'll tell you about it after this. don't let a severe cold hold you back.

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real life and says 'welcome home, kev-y bear.' this is him, secretly loving the name kev-y bear. air wick home is in the air. i found out the hard way... not all washes take care of intimate odor. vagisil odor block wash stops odor from happening for all day confidence. when you feel fresh all day you feel confident. vagisil. your intimate health experts. as we were talking earlier, the drought situation continues to get worse. now that we're heading out of the so-called wet season, which hasn't been that the drought is by far the worst in the brighter reddish colors. as we go through summer unfortunately it will most likely expand. the deficits i was reading in the san francisco area we are now looking at the driest start that we've ever seen to a year craig. so rainfall deficits right now between 5 to 10 inches from southern california up to san francisco. that was the wet season. >> that's difficult to fathom

for a lot of folks. let's give you entertainment news. the series finale of "glee" is tonight. the two-hour episode will pay tribute to the late corey monty, will touch on key moments from the show's past six seasons. it's official paula patton has been granted a divorce from robin thicke. the nine-year marriage was rocked with accusations of infidelity. thicke tried his best to win her back, even dedicating and named his seventh album "paula" after her, didn't work. also didn't sell a lot of albums. harrison ford will be narrateing a national geographic documentary called "living in the age of airplanes" about how aviation has changed the world. it will be premiering on april 8th. ford, you may recall is recovering from injuries that he sustained from a plane crash two weeks ago. "insurgent," the second installment in the "divergent"

theaters hitting theaters today. the post-apocalyptic film stars shea lee and kate winslet. >> i'm not going to fight you. >> of course you're not. you're going to fight you. >> here's our favorite entertainment story today. remember mr. t.? the 62-year-old actor is back. he has hammered his way back to television. he's got his own home renovation series called "i pity the tool." >> perfect. >> it's a play on the catch phrase "i pity the fool" from the '80s hit tv show "the a-team." wil shatner and vanilla ice apparently guest starring. i'm craig melvin. this is "early today." we hope it is just your first stop of the day here on nbc. i'm always talking with my hands so they have to look their best... revlon colorstay gel envy ™ a revolution in modern nail enamel. now, in just two steps, i get what i want. first, our base coat and vivid color

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leading the news on nbcnews.com, secret service chief joe clancy says reports of white house crash are exaggerated. the director says video of the march 4th incident that allegedly involved intoxicated secret service agents shows the vehicle driving at a speed of about 2 miles per hour before pushing aside a plastic barrel. clancy said some of the video recordings were a waste after 72 hours. in the "l.a. times" bill karins was talking about this if it won't rain in california, a shower of money will have to do. california governor jerry brown and top lawmakers are proposing a billion-dollar emergency fund for drought relief. they say there's no greater crisis facing the nation's most populous state. here's some of the other

stories we're following on this friday. texas is suing the u.s. labor department over a rule requiring states to grant family medical leave protection to married same-sex couples. that rule is set to go into effect march 27th. it says businesses must recognize marriage laws of states where employees were married, not states where employees live. the law gives workers unpaid leave after giving birth or for caring for sick family members. in tunisia, isis has claimed responsibility for the museum attack that left 21 dead. this marks the first isis presence in the north african nation. tunisian authorities deny isis involvement saying the attackers were only inspired by the militant group. carmaker tesla announced a software update giving the model s the ability to drive itself. >> that's enough. a little update? that's a big one. >> the new model will work on open highways or private property.

you can look author that update this summer. >> does it come with a training manual manual? hopefully some good instructions. >> lessons one would hope. one pennsylvania fall hi recently experienced what can only be described as a miracle. 22-month-old gardell martin playing in the backyard slipped into a stream. he was found a half hour later, lifeless. he was rushed to the hospital. >> he did not have a pulse. he wasn't breathing on his own. and he had no neurologic function. >> doctors didn't give up. after an astounding hour and 41 minutes of cpr, gardell sprung back to life. his mother says she can't thank doctors enough. wow. celebrating birthdays. supermodel kathy ireland turns 52. director spike lee is 58. actor william hurt is 65. i'm craig melvin. thanks so much for watching "early today." have a great friday.

new this morning, a deadly crash shuts down part ofxnaq @ elling us. a young girl dies after a tragic fire in san francisco's mission district. now the city is taking new action to save lives. plus health officials issue a new warning after rabid bats pop up in a number of bay area cities. >> let's look outside live it's friday afternoon. later this afternoon if will be officially spring. it's march 20th. this is "today in the bay." >> a wonderful friday morning at 4:30 i'm sam brock. >> and i'm laura garcia-cannon. lots to get to this morning. let's check the forecast with meteorologist ch