good morning. airport rampage. chaos in new orleans as a man runs through security and attacking with bug spray and machete. frightened passengers running for safety. the suspect stopped being shot by police. breaking overnit. a fire rips through a new york city home. seven children are dead. two critically injured. an investigation now under way. this is spring? a nasty snowstorm hits tens of millions in the northeast leading to deadly trouble on the roads as the south braces for potentially flooding rain to cross the region. and one down. one direction prepares to take the stage for the first time

since zayn's departure from the tour. leaving fans to wonder if and when he will rejoin the group. today, saturday, march 21st 2015. >> announcer: from nbc news this is "today," with lester holt and erica hill. live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> welcome to "today" on this saturday morning. i'm erica hill. >> i'm craig melvin in for lester. we have sheinelle and dominica davis in for dylan. >> how are your brackets? >> i like it. >> we have a good reason to be confident. we will reveal that coming up. >> lots of march madness. we want to start with the top story. the chaotic scene at the new orleans airport triggered by the man wielding a machete.

stephanie gosk is there with the latest. >> reporter: erica, it is hard to imagine the scene. an average friday night. people getting ready to start the weekend when they heard the gunfire. one witness described it as bam. when people realize what had was go on nothing over furnish. the man was shot several times. it was a scary situation. terrifying moments inside louis armstrong airport. the scene erupted before 8:00 p.m. local time. richard white armed with cans of wasp spray and a machete. >> he was challenged at that point by tsa officer. the response was he pulled a can of wasp spray and sprayed the officer in the face. >> reporter: police say white did not stop there. spraying a second officer as he tried to get past security. it was then that police say

white pulled out a machete and starting swinging. >> he proceeded to pass the checkpoint and encountered the second tsa officer. one a female. one a male. he sprayed the male in the face. >> reporter: then shots rang out. three bullets hitting white. fired by another police officer. >> did you see the exchange? >> i did not see her get injured, but backing up and shoot him. >> reporter: people ran for safety trying to get away from the gunfire as quickly as possible. witnesses described the scene on social media. posting video and pictures for the world to see. white was taken to the hospital and underwent surgery. police say white did not hit the tsa agent with the machete. that agent and several other people received medical treatment for minor injuries. the airport was shutdown for

about 20 minutes, but as you can see, things are back up and running. police are saying they are looking into the motive trying to figure out why all of this happened. erica. >> what a story. stephanie, thanks. to a tragedy unfolding in new york. seven children ranging in age from 5 to 15 years old were killed in an overnight house fire in brooklyn. nbc's ron mott is at the scene for us. >> reporter: craig, good morning. a sad terrible story in brooklyn this morning. seven children are dead in a house fire here in brooklyn. we'll step out of?ñ thewñ way. there are a few fire officials still down here at the scene. the house is six or seven houses in on the right. from the front, it doesn't appear there is a lot of fire damage. perhaps most of the fire damage was to the rear of the house. there are pictures here we can show you from the scene a few hours ago. officials are going to update us here later this morning. the children ranged in range

from 5 to 15. there were two other people in the house who are in critical condition at area hospitals here. an adult and other child. the cause is under investigation. there was weather that moved through the area a bit colder than it had been in recent days here yesterday. perhaps that may factor into the deadly fire at this house. as we mentioned, seven children dead in the house fire in brooklyn. >> ron mott thank you. across the northeast, this morning, it is tough to tell today is the first full day of spring. the region hit by another snowstorm dumping half a foot in areas. domenica davis is here for dylan. you picked a good day. >> the alleged spring. well a spring may have officially sprung. don't tell that to the 40 million americans dealing with the impact of what we hope is the last blast of winter. signs of spring struggling to break through this weekend as

yet another round of snow wrecks havoc on the northeast. this latest storm hitting some 32 million people causing treacherous conditions on friday. two people died on friday after this accident on the atlantic city expressway in new jersey. no surprise folks in maryland were not pleased sdplchlt. >> i had enough. >> please warm up. >> reporter: many people felt the same way posting snow-covered yards announcing happy spring. meanwhile meanwhile. it is a flash flood watch in the south. parts of texas could see up to 5 inches of rain this weekend. and could washout the south by southwest music festival in austin. where they have readying boat teams. back in the east mother nature just won't take the hint and leave.

sorry to be the bearer of bad news but this is all just par for the course for places like maine and boston and philly to see snow in april. remember the blizzard in 1997 which dumped more than 2 feet of snow in more than 24 hours on boston and southern new england. people are optimistic that the weekend's snow is the last blast in new york's long island. they will have just enough to salt the roads. >> we are right at the edge of our budget. it will be close. >> here is a look at the snow totals yesterday. they are very impressive. freehold new jersey. over 7 inches of snow. weston connecticut, 4.5. and islip, they picked up 5 inches. and we are so far in new york looking at one of the snowiest marches on record. in philadelphia, impressive. we still have the last bit that

is pushing over the eastern end of long island and snow moving through eastern new england as well. this is all wrapping up. we are looking at a cold front coming through. spring highs today, sort of. near average and it gets cooler by tomorrow. that's what we are going to be looking at. spring has sprung. >> no it hasn't. >> i can't believe you. >> just not here sheinelle. >> we are going to all get there together girl. >> there you go. strength in numbers. the investigation is widening to the disturbing death of the african-american man in mississippi. he was found hanging from a tree limb. the circumstances surrounding his death remain suspicious. kerry sanders has more. >> reporter: otis bird was found

with two feet from his feet to the ground. there were no signs of a ladder or chair or something he would have stepped off of. they say that there were no signs of a struggle and his hands were not bound. this morning, more than 30 state and local police officers are trying to unravel a mystery. the facts suggest an ugly mississippi past. a black man found dangling from a tree limb. hanged with a bed sheet. otis bird was discovered deep in the woods in port mississippi. >> all of a sudden bam. we don't do stuff like this. not these days. >> when he became missing, no not him. not uncle otis. >> the evidence said it was a lynching and we will find out who they are and try to get a conviction. >> reporter: bird had served

time in prison for killing a woman during a robbery, but paroled in 2006. officials tell nbc news bird had recent financial problems. he was last seen leaving a casino on march 2nd and reported missing days later. while investigators are leaning toward suicide, the fbi says it is too early to say. >> we are trying to paint a picture as to what was going on personally and professionally to help us identify a reason. >> reporter: because bird had been missing for more than two weeks, it is possible authorities say his body had been in the woods for more than two weeks. that means the autopsy conducted was a slow process and it could take weeks before they have full results from the autopsy that may provide some important answers here. >> kerry sanders, thank you. problems are mounting this morning for illinois congressman

aaron schock. he abruptly resigned this weekend. authorities are launching an investigation in he broke laws in office. nbc's kristen welker is in washington with the latest. >> reporter: erica, good morning. that's right, a law enforcement official confirms ats are looking into the spending of schock. at issue is the campaign spending and taxes. a stunning fall from grace for the bright star. a young republican that rocked the political world and party leaders that announced his resignation. >> i was stunned by the announce many. >> reporter: 33-year-old aaron schock citing a heavy heart after the questions of lavish spending and travel. now the feddings are stepping in. the fourth term congress member is known for his savvy.

his famous abs and a cameo on "top chef." >> when you become a new member of congress the first day is spent on ethics. >> reporter: but questions emerged about the office makeover styled after "downton abbey abbey." schock repaid the government for some of the expenses and tried to explain. >> when you rent a plane, you go around your district. i get it. >> reporter: this past monday reports emerged that schock may have double billed for car mileage and a day later, he stepped down. the fall from grace for one of the youngest members of congress could impact the voters he hoped to inspire. >> young voters will see a young member of congress who misspent money and become further disengaged with the political process and voting.

>> reporter: no comment yet from schock from the allegations. earlier this week a spokesperson for the congress member said he would repay the government for all of the mileage he claimed in office. the irs is expected to be involved in the investigation. erica. >> kristen welker thanks. sheinelle is here with the fallout to the major terror attack. >> good morning. investigators this morning are checking claims by a terror group with ties to isis that it launched a massive attack in yemen. suicide bombers hit mosques on friday killing more than 130 people. if confirmed, it means the terror group has expanded the operations into an area where the u.s. is already battling al qaeda. nuclear talk was iran are on hold. negotiators walked away from the table on friday with ten days left to reach a deal. six nations are trying to reach an agreement for iran to limit the nuclear abilities. now to alabama where a grandmother faces the death

penalty in the death of her granddaughter. joyce hardin gerrard accused of forcing her 9-year-old as a punishment for lying about candy. walmart will pay $10 million to the family of the man killed in the crash that also injured tracy morgan. the walmart truck struck the limo bus last june. rap mogul suge knight passed out cold. the judge set bail at $25 million on friday. knight collapsed and hit his head on the table. he is accused of running down two men and killing them in a parking lot. u.s. secretary-general ban ki-moon says we should all sing a song to make us happy.

pharrell williams addressed the u.n. the top ten happiest countries are in latin america. the u.s. is 25th on the list. >> a happy song sheinelle? >> i have a great idea. could you tell? light bulb. we should do a report group trip. go some place warm in latin america and report why they are so happy. >> can i say how much i love you? >> we'll pitch it to the bosses. domenica davis? >> happy spring. >> yeah. don't be mean. >> you are terrible today. we do have the spring weather on the map to show you. we want to start with the northeast. they getting much-needed rain. we pick up 1 inch and they will have more rain at the beginning of the weeks. spring-like temperatures along the northeast. we are getting near normal.

new york 50. d. hey, good saturday morning to you. i'm meteorologist anthony slaughter. it will be a nice day outside. a mix of sun and clouds. temperatures in the 50s for the most part. a little chilly in north bay. 48 degrees there. but this afternoon a good mix of sun and clouds headed our way. temperatures will still be above average by all accounts 67 in san francisco today that fog will burn off. we'll see a good mix of sun and clouds. we'll talk more about our rain chances this morning. and that's the look at your saturday forecast. >> domenica thank you. march madness is upon us. for you who pride yourself on picking the winners in the pool. it is maddening. the second round wrapped up overnight. higher seeded teams did better on friday than thursday. the drama is rising as the next round gets under way.

here is jacob rascon. >> reporter: of the more than 11 million brackets filled out on espn's web site, there is now only one still perfect. but the thrill of the tournament never seems to get old. the four top seeds still alive. duke wisconsin, villanova and undefeated kentucky. but in the big dance, the cinderellas are often the stars. the georgia state panthers led by guard kevin ware. ware took last year off after the leg injury in 2013 in the elite eight. his team the louisville cardinals, went on to win the championship. this year his teammates have upset baylor. the r.j. literally knocking his father out of his seat. >> i wish every dad had that opportunity. >> reporter: another one did when ucla beat smu on the

goaltending call. >> that is the madness of march. >> reporter: three-pointers from two sons for one-point victories. the tournament first day saw a record five games decided by a single point. in this tournament tomorrow is promised to know one. even basketball royalty north carolina. >> i feel like i won the lottery. >> reporter: a little luck and madness might just go a long way. for "today," jacob rascon nbc news. >> the biggest is wofford losing thursday night. >> i picked wofford. >> it came down to the last two or three seconds. >> i never heard of them. >> i just heard of them five minutes ago. >> just kidding. >> here is the play.

this is midnight or close to midnight. oh, yeah. next season. did you say wofford? >> i don't know what you were saying. >> we are out of time. this is "today" on nbc.

what's happened to snacking? how did it become absent-mindedly eating one after the next? we are a creamy cheese that still believes in savoring our food. the laughing cow. reinvent snacking. back now with the "download" to catch you up on the stories of the week. >> from the robert durst case to something enough in your coffee. there is a lot going on. >> resounding victory for israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu. >> and a new headache for president obama. >> to win, netanyahu took a hard right turn. today he tried to walk it back. >> i want a sustainable peaceful solution. another terror attack. this time in tunisia targeting

foreign tourists. >> gunman stormed the bardo museum killing at least 23. this morning, isis claimed responsibility for the attack. a millionaire arrested for murder after an apparent confession caught on tape. >> on the documentary "the jinx" he mumbles. >> killed them all, of course. >> protests at one college campus after the arrest of a black student. >> johnson is seen on the ground yelling as officers handcuff him. >> i go to uva. you racist. lot of buzz featured on magnum p.i. could the president and mrs. obama be living there? >> reports say the actual property worth $9 million was just sold to allies of president

obama. some think the president an may relocate from. starbucks hoping to stir up more conversations about race. >> shall we overcome written on one of them. a lot of backlash. bob writes i don't need to be preached to when i get my coffee. and sweet revenge. matt has a ball getting back at ellen in their prank war. >> if there is one thing nobody likes is having one pulled over on you. again and again. >> i was really surprised to see what he had in his dressing room. >> and again. >> right there. >> call this mission revenge. >> seriously? damn you, lauer! >> i don't know if you want to mess with ellen. >> not to doubt matt. >> we love matt but ellen has

advantage. this is not over. how about the magnum p.i. house? i want to be there now. >> the white house by the way, we should note insists that the obamas are not behind the purchase of the property. that's what they are saying. it is time to start thinking about where he will live after 1600 pennsylvania avenue. >> it is absolutely beautiful. >> they have to get the girls through high school. they said it will depend once the term is up where the girls want to finish school. that is how we will decide where to go. >> stay in d.c. >> we could be the caretakers in hawaii. why not go do a story on that? >> before we go to latin america. >> i'm full of ideas. >> we are building up frequent flyer miles. >> we're taking it for the team. still

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see what spam can! do... at spam.com you're watching "today in the bay ". >> it's 5:26 on saturday morning. a live look in san jose. clear skies on this second day of spring. good morning to you. thank you so much for joining us. i'm kira klapper. this is anthony slaughter. >> good morning to you. >> i'm wearing spring green. >> i was about to say, you're in the mood. i try to match you. >> telepathically. >> let's talk about the weather. we don't have any fog, but clouds hanging out across the south bay in the san francisco area completely fogged in. so the fog will burn out of here as we head through the day, but it is going be a cooler day.

as spring kicks off, temperatures only in the 60s, 67 in san francisco. and for our inland valleys today, it won't be much warmer. get out and enjoy, we'll see a mix of sun and clouds. but we have rain on the way, believe it or not. we'll talk more about that coming up at 7:00. >> it's also something. we have new details this morning into the investigation into five san francisco police officers involved in trading racist and homophobeic texts. the sfpd is looking at phone records of other officers to see if the problem is systemic. this video from last night shows hundreds gathered at the cost ro theater to hear hip hop activist discuss racial and social justice. the fbi investigates text messages sent to ian furminger and others.

furminger was convicted and is behind bars. sources say that investigation includes seben more officers. san jose's independent police auditor says those private text messages reflect how some police officers treat people of color and that it's time for all officers to wear body cameras. a disturbing discovery at a san jose high school. a body found at the bottom of a pool. police will only say it was a man, not a student. students at piedmont hills high found the body yesterday morning during their first period swim class. sources say the man was fully clothed, his body was weighted down and covered by the pool tarp. police aren't saying if they suspect foul play but raising suspicions, the pool has a 15-foot fence and barbed wire surrounding it and the alarm leading from the gym to the pool was never triggered. new water cuts may be coming this week. the santa clara county water

district is suspected to meet a goal of 30%. an engineer's report for a recycled water project. this week the state water resources control board called for tougher restrictions and the governor announced an emergency plan to help curb the effects of the drought. coming up this morning on "today in the bay" from bad to worse. a boom in business is causing an already tight parking situation to become nearly impossible in san francisco. we'll tell you what city officials have planned to make it easier. that's coming up at 7:00.

♪ we dance all night with the best and every night ♪ ♪ i can't remember ♪ >> a jam. >> you know what? my kids love that song. we listen to it a lot in the car. i know the words. we are back on this saturday morning. march 21st 2015. one direction is now down a man. taking the tour to the philippines. the first concert since zayn's departure. could more than just stress be to blame for the exit? also ahead on saturday morning, we will put you on the road to success as we get set to run for today. sheinelle jones has been training.

>> i think you meant erica. >> no no. >> and sheinelle. >> you will run, right? >> this morning, what you need to do an hour before your workout to help you fuel through. and also ahead, a dramatic rescue for you and touching reunion. a puppy missing for nearly a week. look at that love. stranded on a frozen lake erie. there is a happy ending. we will show you how the little guy got back to his owner. and let's start this hour with a disturbing case in north carolina. the celebrity chef and husband. the handy man is charged and police believe his arrest could help them solve another cold case. here is nbc's gabe gutierrez. >> reporter: a southern butte which california flair. cristie schoen codd. a contestant on food network. >> fresh organic. >> reporter: she was about to cater the filming and cooking

for brad pitt and steve carell. >> i will make you jumbalaya. >> reporter: full of life she just got married, gotten pregnant and moved to rural north carolina. on friday her family reported she and her husband, j.t. missing. >> i don't understand why someone could do that. >> reporter: police soon arrested robert jason owens. a handy man who worked on the couple's house and charged him with two counts of first-degree murder and killing of an unborn child. the search warrant alleges his wife hit and killed while driving the truck. now the sheriff says human remains have been found in owens' wood stove. >> admitted to taking the bodies and storing on his property. >> reporter: owens arrest could jump start a 15--year-old cold

case nearby. teenager zeb quinn disappeared after leaving work. owens knew him, but never has been charged in the case. >> has been arrested on three counts of murder. that is a huge event in the zeb quinn case. >> reporter: investigators this morning are trying to piece together a motive in the codds murder. now a family is grieving the loss of a star chef. her mother saying she is looking for closure that does not exist. for "today," gabe gutierrez, nbc news. let's step outside to domenica davis. >> this is the rowdy crowd ever. they have spring fever. although we still have flurries out here on the plaza. let's get to it and show you what we have on the radar. we start with the south because

they are looking at a soggy weekend down through texas. they will have some heavy rain. flash flood watches will be posted. 2 to 4 inches of rain with the possibility of 5 inches. that will be a problem through the weekend and for much of the south. you will see rain saturday into sunday. the rain mainly going to be 1 to 2 inches in most spots. a wet weekend there. elsewhere around the country, we will see highs, spring-like along the northeast. the warm air to the west coast. that would be nice to be in arizona. temperatures in the 80s. th yes, it's going to be nice here as well. we're talking about 60s and 70s. a little bit of fog this morning. this is the bay bridge. you can actually see the fog covering part of the tower. that fog will be out of here by 11:00. a good mix of sun and clouds. temperature this morning a little bit mild in the 50s for the most part.

still chilly in the north bay at 48 degrees. north bay, 72 today. the tri-valley 73 one of our warmest. south bay good mix of sun and clouds and 73 there. rain chances, we'll talk about that at 7:00. you guys i'll warn you when you come out here. it is a rowdy crowd this morning. everybody wants a little camera time. i'll try to get it. be aware, guys, spring has sprung out here on the plaza. >> we love it. our favorite kind of crowd. coming up given the success of the college basketball tournament and millions spent on brackets. is it finally time to start paying college athletes? not so child proof. you may be shocked to see how easy it is for kids to open those supposedly child proof medi ♪ ah, push it. ♪ ♪ ♪ push it. ♪

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we have in our homes. you assume the safety caps on the prescription bottles, they keep our kids out. you have to push down and twist. as you are about to see, even for preschoolers it can be child's play. >> look it. >> reporter: this 4-year-old just opened a bottle of cough syrup syrup. this boy got into painkillers. how did they do that? all of the bottles are sealed with safety caps. >> whatever is inside here could kill your child. >> reporter: kate is with the watch dog group safe kids and says the caps may be part of a bigger problem. the bottles. gummy candy. >> they think it is great. candy. they will swallow it and go after more. >> reporter: you are about to see how fast it can happen. we invited the group of 4-year-olds to a play date.

then we bought several medications. from acetaminophen to cough syrup and iron pills and prescription. we bought drain and floor cleaners. if swallowed by a child, these products can be deadly and poisonous. that is why they have child resistant safety caps. before our test we dumped everything out. we even cleaned and sanitized the bottles so nothing was left behind. back with the play date with their parents looking on we get started. we want to see how quickly you can open these bottles. one, two, three. go! within three seconds, watch. you got it that fast? francesca pops the safety cap on acetaminophen. the number one drug. a minute later, she opens

another bottle. number three on the list. >> you opened that one too? >> yes. >> was that easy to open? >> yes. >> reporter: the boys are doing it too. mark here opens the cough syrup. the dangerous painkillers. remember this could be poison for a child. there is brayden opening bottles. no problem. in fact every single child in our group opened one bottle. olivia opened two within minutes. >> how do you open that? >> i opened it myself. >> really fast. >> i am really fast. because i'm a big girl. >> reporter: her mom watched in horror. >> i was frightened. you buy these items expecting them to be child proof. my 4-year-old sat there and opened it. >> one after the other after the other. >> easily. >> reporter: what you may not know under federal law, these caps don't have to be child proof, just child resistant.

>> are the regulations tight enough? >> i think they are. we don't want to make it impossible to open. we want to make sure kids don't get to medicine. >> reporter: it comes down to us as adults. we leave medication in our bags as a reminder to take them. that can make them accessible for small kids. for francesca's dad. it was a wake-up call. >> i got to check the medicines and put it away. it is easily opened by a 4-year-old which is dangerous. >> those kids are cute but frightening to watch. how do you protect your children? safety experts say it is unrealistic to lock up your medication entirely take it off your night stand and put it up and away where you can reach it but your kids can't. by the way, at the end of the play date, we told all the kids this was a test. we made it clear to them. these products are dangerous.

they should never, ever try to open it again. hope it helps. back to you. >> thanks jeff. >> that's scary. >> it is scary. i have things up but things are sometimes left on the counter. >> now they have the stools to get up and brush their teeth. >> if you are taking something, oh if mom or dad is taking it. >> the kid's acetaminophen. >> or the multivitamins. i have to put them where i can't reach them. >> that's not very high. >> it has to be extra high. >> you just put them on the counter and you have trouble reaching them. >> stop talking. up next if you want a boost to your exercise routine, what should you do before during and after your next workout? i don't think these tips include the

back now with the series run for today. this morning, one of the most important parts of any exercise program. fuelling. >> whether you are training for a race or daily workout, what and when you eat can be a key to your success. >> exercise and fitness, regardless you have a race on the calendar or not, it should be a part of your life. >> if you are just getting started, for anyone, it is

important to have something in your stomach before you run. about an hour before you head out for a run, or you hit the gym, you want to have a light comfortable snack that is rich in cashes and protein. a banana and string cheese or orange and handful of almonds. or you could have a nutrition bar or cereal and skim milk. there a lot of cool products on the market. gels and goos. these are specifically designed for athletes that are looking for a quick burst of energy. >> this is just a simple gel where it is light. you can store it in your shorts or in your arm warmers. it is a bit of substance with clif bar. it is a light snack with more calories. other options would be the shot bloks. where they're gummy bears and you're chewing on them. it is all doing the same thing.

then these are called sports beans. they are all fuel you need to get into your system, it's just which way works best for you. >> fuelling up. >> i'm a big banana fan. >> me, too. that's what i have before i go for a run. we posted more ways to fuel your workout at today.com. just a reminder, if you can, join us on april 19th for the more fitness shape women's half marathon. let us know why you run using the #runfortoday. craig is trying to convince sheinelle to run. >> i don't understand the eyes of judgment. i don't understand. >> i'm excited about it. >> it's your birthday? >> i didn't know that. >> there's the excuse. >> you don't run on your birthday. there's the excuse. up next, march madness. >> craig loves this story. >> the painful way that some of the fellow men are going to to skip work and watch the college

basketball tournament. but first this is "today" on nbc. college basketball tournament. but first this is "today" on nbc.

just curious, over the last couple of days, how much work you may have actually gotten done? march madness is under way. more time spent checking brackets and working out the details of the pool. >> absolutely. >> the essentials. >> as it should have been. sheinelle is in the orange room with the impact of the tournament on offices all over america. >> craig and erica, this is fascinating. first, let's start with productivity. i'll put it like this, when the brackets go up, productivity goes down. how far? according to firm challenger gray and christmas, $1.9 billion down. have you heard of vas madness? a growing trend as doctors report up to a 50% rise in the

number of scheduled vasectomies. in leading up to march madness. you're laughing but it's true. why? so they can take time off from work and recover on the couch in front of the tvs. convenient timing. this is not a last-minute thing. many men begin searching for doctors in january. some doctors are offering 2 for 1 madness. you can go with a friend for the procedure. look at this website from the university of utah. you have recliners, check. you have chips and dip, check, and vasectomy? you have scissors. you cannot make this stuff up. >> not scissors. >> remember you do a march madness story and there were the programs that make you look like you were working. those are gone by the wayside. vas madness. >> it's all about marketing, i guess. >> share it with a friend. a beautiful thing.

have you asked who you will take with you? >> no. a friend doesn't. anyway, moving on. still to come, the conversation with ashley judd this morning. her fight against internet trolls and if she is planning to run for governor of kentucky. and the home video that shows a now-married couple 16 years before they met. meet the world's newest energy superpower. surprised? in fact, america is now the world's number one natural gas producer... and we could soon become number o in oil. because hydraulic fracturing technology is safely recovering lots more oil and natural gas. supporting millions of new jobs. billions in tax revenue... and a new century of american energy security. the new energy superpower? it's red, white and blue. log on to learn more. spring black friday is here at lowe's! so hurry in now for these great deals. like $100 off select in-stock husqvarna lawn tractors...

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you're watching "today in the bay." >> 5:56 on this saturday morning. a foggy look at the golden gate bridge. ahead of a cooler day across the bay area. good morning, i'm kira klapper. anthony slaughter has a look at our micro climate forecast. it's spring now. >> it is spring. then we'll get winter rain tomorrow. mother nature's all on track with us. in a weird way. >> keeping us on our toes. >> kind of has a sense of humor. this morning we're waking up to some clouds. but i want to show you the satellite image because this shows our next storm system you can see it across the pacific. this will come through tomorrow and bring a few showers to some of us. temperatures are mild close to 60 degrees right now in san

francisco with a blanket of fog as we head through the day the fog will burn out. we'll see a good mix of sun and clouds as we head through the day. 72 for the north bay, 67 for san francisco. 73 for the tri-valley. in the south bay, a good mix of sun and clouds 73. room temperature there. but rain is in the forecast as soon as tomorrow. and even some sierra snow. we'll talk about that this morning at 7:00. >> we'll see you at 7:00 anthony, thanks. new this morning a deadly apartment fire in the east bay. the three-alarm fire ignited on 24th street then spread to an apartment building behind it near the mlk way intersection. we're told two people were killed more than 30 people are displaced. the fire was under control within about a half hour. crews are still there mopping up and investigating the cause. new details this morning in the investigation into five san francisco police officers involved in trading racist and homophobic texts. the sfpd is now looking at the

phone records of other officers to see if the problem is systemic. we have video from last night. hundreds gathered at the castro theater in san francisco to hear hip hop legend talib kweli talk. the text messages were sent between ian furminger and other officers. furminger is now behind bars. three resigned the others are on desk duty. the investigation includes seven more officers. san jose's independent police auditor says those private text messages shows how some police officers treat people of color and that it's time for all officers to wear body cameras. new water cuts might be coming next week. the santa clara county water district is expected to recommend a goal of 30%. also on tuesday's docket approving the engineer's report for a recycled water project and

restricting outdoor watering to two days a week. this week the state water resources control board called for tougher restrictions and the governor announced an emergency plan to help curb the effect of the drought. coming up this morning on "today in the bay" from bad to worse. a boom in business is causing an already tight parking situation to become nearly impossible in san francisco. we'll tell you what city officials have planned to make it easier. that plus all your top stories are coming up at 7:00. we hope you join us. right now back to the "today" show.

good morning. it is saturday march 21st 2015. here's a look at today's top stories. a man swinging a machete triggers mayhem at an airport in new orleans. this morning, that suspect is hospitalized with bullet wounds as the tsa agent caught in the crossfire recovers and is expected to survive. on lake erie a dog is stranded for days with limit time to spare, an unlikely group of rescuers saves the day. and boy band breakup? say it anltin't so. a member of the tour claims he's stressed out. plenty of fans. and craig melvin wondering

whether a scandal could be blooming backstage. >> an amazing crowd! >> they were not kidding. quite a crowd on this saturday morning. you guys are awesome. and they are everywhere. the entire plaza, all the way down there. >> we should walk. we should walk. we'll walk. >> i didn't realize we were walking. you guys are awesome. we haven't had a crowd this loud since at least 2014, right? >> i think so. oh there's a chant. cats cats cats! >> we have a lot going on here. >> kentucky fans. >> i like it. i'm erica hill in for craig melvin who's in for lester who's enjoying a morning off. >> dylan dreyer also enjoying a morning off. sheinelle jones is here though. she's inside. we start with the frightening

scene at the airport in new orleans. >> we do start in new orleans, where a police officer shot and wounded a man wielding a machete at new orleans international airport. stephanie gosk is following the details of this breaking story. >> reporter: the airport is back up and running, but that was not the scene last night. it was just a normal friday. people getting ready for their weekend when they heard the gunfire. one of the witnesses described it as a bam, bam, bam. and then complete chaos. people running for cover. they say they saw richard white with a machete in his hand over his head swinging at the tsa officers. a female tsa officer confronted him, and shot him. that tsa officer is in the hospital and injured this morning, as is white. this is a terrifying scene, but it really could have been a lot worse. several people were injured in the melee, in the hospital. all of those injuries are minor and they're expected to be released. police say they're still looking into motive. they can't figure out why white

did this. back to you. >> stephanie gosk thanks. seven children died overnight when fire tore through their brooklyn new york home. more than 100 firefighters responded to the blaze in the early morning hours. witnesses say the mother screamed for someone to rescue her children as she jumped from the burning building. the children range in age from 5 to 15 years old. firefighters say two more people are critically injured. secretary of state john kerry this morning said there was genuine progress in the nuclear talks with iran but gaps remain. negotiators walked away from the table friday with only ten days left to reach a deal. six nations, including the u.s., are trying to reach an agreement in exchange for lifting economic sanctions. the ft. lauderdale florida, police department is under increased scrutiny after an internal investigation on officer behavior. three officers have been fired, and a fourth has resigned after a racist video, including doctored photos of president obama, as well as racist and

homophobeic text messages were revealed. the officers did not break my laws but were terminated for misconduct. michelle obama is in cambodia on tour promoteing education for girls. nbc's ian williams is traveling with the first lady. ian? >> reporter: the students who greeted michelle obama with the wife of cambodia's leader nationally only 20% make it through high school and just a quarter of them are girls. >> we are happy to welcome -- >> reporter: in a school on the outskirts, she met girls who had stuck with school and shared with the first lady their stories of hardship, but also their hopes and ambitions. when i got here, i had dreams of becoming a doctor. >> reporter: mrs. obama said she was proud and moved by what she heard. >> we need your intellect. >> reporter: this school is doing better than most but it does remain a real challenge in this area simply keeping girls coming back to class. poverty is the main reason.

in rural areas, home to these children women are under pressure to marry young and stay home. many families not seeing the value of education. one way the initiative will counter that is by trying to create role models. girls like punam, the 18-year-old aspiring doctor who met the first lady. were you nervous? >> yes. i hope that i will become like her. >> reporter: today the first lady told peace corps volunteers that education for girls is critical. >> when girls get educated when they learn to read and write and think, that gives them the tools to speak up. >> reporter: late this afternoon, mrs. obama visited the world heritage temple though what she didn't see were the legions of children who sell to tourists here. a reminder of the huge challenges the program faces. >> that was ian williams reporting. bobbi kristina brown is in a rehab facility today. the daughter of whitney houston

and bobby brown was moved from an atlanta hospital on friday. very little is known about her condition since she was found unresponsive in a bathtub in january. breathtaking pictures now of a solar eclipse. the total eclipse was most visible from the north atlantic. several spectacular shots were taken from airplanes and the european space agency captured the event from space. eclipses are rare enough, but this one occurred friday on the first day of spring and in conjunction with a super moon. beautiful pictures. >> really was. thank you, sheinelle. we want to get a little check of the weather. so there is the beautiful sun event on the first day of spring. and then there was the weather event. jemenica davis has made her way to central park a beautiful scene. >> she's made some friends. >> hey, guys. i know doesn't it look like a beautiful spring day out here? we have 4.5 inches of snow here in central park. and i just lost my friend.

come back here buddy. buddy is loving this first full day of spring. couldn't be any happier. we do have a check of the forecast though. and we'll show you what is happening out there. look at the snow that we've been dealing with. over seven inches. that's what we picked up in pennsylvania. baltimore coming in over an inch as well. so there's a look at that forecast. cold front swings through today. today, temperatures are going to be average. and then we'll see a big cooldown by tomorrow. so enjoy it today. near normal temperatures. there's a look at the morning lows. it is going to get sharply colder here by sunday once again. so the roller coaster ride continues. there's a look at your today forecast. rain down to the south. it is going to be stormy and then the warm weather stays on yeah that's right. we're going to be in the warm sector of that. a live look at san francisco. you can actually see the cars moving on the bay bridge. you can't even make out the

tower this morning because of the fog out there. so that blanket of fog is across the entire bay area. we have lots of low clouds out there as well. look at these high temperatures later this afternoon. it will be comfortable really. 67 for san francisco. 72 for the north bay. 71 for the peninsula and 73 for the tri-valley and south bay. we'll talk about our rain chances this morning. are the cutest. and that's a look at your saturday forecast. well he just ate my breakfast. what are you going to do? back to you guys. >> that is one cute dog. maybe buddy wants to come be friends with wrangler. that background almost looks unreal. >> it does. turning now to march madness, and the question often asked at this time of year should the players get paid for generating all this excitement and more important, an estimated billion dollars in ad revenue. nbc's ron mott has more. >> reporter: if you ask some people what's most maddening about the ncaa's wildly popular march basketball buffet is how

nearly everyone feasts on the money it generates. millionaire coaches, schools, tv networks sponsors even lucky fans with winning brackets. everyone, it seems, that is except players. the topic came up this week on hbo's "last week tonight with john olver." >> there is nothing inherently wrong with a sporting tournament making huge amount of money, but there is something slightly troubling about a billion-dollar sport enterprise where the athletes are not paid a penny, because they aren't. >> reporter: the debate over paying players is a decades-old argument. the ncaa has long considered them student athletes not employees, telling nbc news they can receive athletics scholarships to help pay for tuition, housing, booksing and meals, and ncaa schools are continually examining how to best meet the needs of college athletes in the future. basketball hall of famer turned broadcaster charles barkley says that's enough. first of all, he says there's not that many good college players. less than 1% are beginning to play in the nba.

what about the other 99% that are getting a free education? think about it. critics say they deserve a cut of the action because of what the national exposure can mean for colleges specifically increased enrollment revenues to say nothing of helping to recruit more athletes. >> there has to be some compensation where at the end of the day they're paid for the amount of time and effort. >> reporter: the ncaa is appealing the lawsuit brought by ed o'bannan allowing players to reap some financial reward for use of their names and images. for the next two weeks, will be seen by tens of millions. >> sends them to the round of 32! >> reporter: for "today," ron mott nbc news, new york. >> you know i think oftentimes when we have that conversation, we look at it through the lens of larger institutions. you know the ohio states the michigans, and the reality is you start looking at a lot of these small colleges and universities and you start talking about paying not just

college football or basketball players, but members of the lacrosse team, the swim team. that would bankrupt a lot of colleges. >> i'm surprised at how those big schools, big teams, there's a lot of scholarship money for athletes. i didn't realize until i was having a conversation recently with a coach how little there is for most of the other sports. >> then you'd have to worry about the line for the other athletes. it's a hot topic. it has been for years. >> and will continue to be. let's stick with this though. kentucky wildcats super fan ashley judd has been making headlines this week both for her love of the game and the hateful comments she received online after some comments she made about a kentucky opponent. we sat down with her earlier this week to talk about her movie and her call to arms against cyber bullies. >> the amount of gender violence that i experience is absolutely extraordinary. and a significant part of my day today will be spent filing police reports at home about gender violence that's directed at me in social media.

we're a misogynistic society. >> all of society? >> yes. and i believe it's something in which we all participate including me. so it's not just boys and men. it's a system in which girls and women participate. the challenge is to take that inventory with myself and say, in what ways you know do i enjoy the compliment about my appearance when in fact we were talking about content that was significant. >> politics. because two years ago, there was talk that ashley judd was going to be a senator from kentucky. you decided not to run. now there's talk that ashley judd may want to be governor of kentucky. you continue to dip your toe in the water. why not just plunge head-first in? >> well, first of all, that was a premeditated uncalculated remark. i unintentionally set that conversation into motion. i have some other professional things going on soon that i'm co-creating with some talented individuals and i'll see what happens after that. >> so you're not going to rule

it out? >> no i don't rule anything out. and i encourage everyone to consider running for public office whether it's your county commissioner, school board or senator. >> let's talk about "divergent." it's about among other things this desire to belong but also this desire to be independent as well. the second movie in the franchise going to pick up on that theme or going to advance that theme? >> it does. i think "insurgent" takes "divergent" to a whole new level. if it's even possible it's more intense, more about family, more about passion, more about love, more about being an outsider trying to fix the catastrophic problems that are happening in the power structure of a post post-apocalyptic society. i think you nailed it. just like aaron harrison hits his threes. you got it. it's about our fundamental need to belong. and we have an equally compelling need to express our autonomy. and "insurgent" captures that

tension perfectly. >> "insurgent" in theaters nationwide. ashley judd has never been one to shy away from expressing herself. >> no, you're absolutely right. >> she's really confident in her convictions, which is great. >> i respect her for it. >> me, too. i really do. and on the point of cyber bullying it is something that needs to be more of a conversation. >> she said that she was going to spend the better part of that day filling out police reports. folks who had threatened her online. she was going to pursue pressing charges. she told me she did not expect those charges to go anywhere, but she wants to send the message. >> make the statement. >> yes. i've read some of the things that people say to my friends and colleagues online. and in some cases, charges should be filed. absolutely. >> and it happens all the time. >> it does. sometimes we just delete or we move on. >> you get used to it. >> sometimes it's the same people. but you're right she's taking a stand. so we'll see if others follow suit. >> i like that. up next the dramatic rescue of a dog stranded for days on a frozen lake.

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we have the story from our affiliate. >> good morning to you. the puppy was stuck in the frozen lake and the lake was starting to thaw. it is a miracle she is alive. that is kimberly. >> she knows she is at home. >> just hours earlier, she was nowhere near here. >> right in the middle. we are calling her elsa. >> she saw the black lab running on lake erie. she tried to lure the dog with the smell of hot dogs. when that failed she called the coast guard. >> i watched her run. i could see her. so bad. so sad. i woke up and she's right here. >> reporter: concerned residents took watch over the dog. >> i want to walk out there and get that dog. i don't care who it belongs to.

i want to save the dog. >> reporter: officials said the thawing ice was dangerous. many turned to twitter. including the reporter who would rescue kimberly. mike o'mara. trying to save dog trapped on lake erie. our local affiliate in ohio wkyc stepped in and sent out an air boat. this time she did not run. >> come on. all right. all right. >> hey, baby. >> reporter: officials tracked down her owners and learned she went missing playing in the backyard last sunday. no surprise they spent the last five days searching for her. >> we were going to canvas the neighborhood. >> reporter: a successful effort that resulted in happy tears and a happy and now warmer puppy to

lick them away. the family says kimberly is relaxing and eating and saying cozy indoors. >> i think we all wept awe. still ahead, our joe fryer rides shotgun with the thunderbirds. did he pass out or give up his lunch? we will find out. first this is "today" on nbc.

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with a classic disco song. they start a game of license plates and quickly find kentucky. then brother spots alaska! he's never felt so lucky. and no one's counting minutes, they're counting cows instead. and "are we there yet?" is a phrase that's happily unsaid. goldfish crackers. the snack that smiles back.

you're watching "today in the bay." good saturday morning to you. 6:26. we're taking a live look over san jose. it looks clear there, but it's not the same situation. a lot of the bay area's covered in fog this morning. good morning. i'm kira klapper. anthony slaughter has a look at our micro climate forecast. >> it's spring finally. >> but it doesn't feel like it. >> that doesn't mean anything to the bay area. we have one week of winter and then boom it was warm. >> we had summer now spring it's getting cool again. >> last week it was like 80 degrees. a record. now cooling off. spring is on the way or pringspring is here, unfortunately, like winter. our system system is going to move to our north tomorrow.

that's going to bring showers to the bay area. the first day of spring will feel a little cool. then the second full day of spring will bring showers. mother nature's flipping the script on us this weekend. 67 for san francisco. this high that will about be your high temperature today. 73 for the tri-valley and the south bay. a mix of sun and clouds today. it won't be completely sunny or completely cloudy. but every now and then a pique of sun and then the clouds will stream on in. then we're back into the 80s, wouldn't you know it by the middle part of this week. all the details coming up at 7:00. >> we'll stay tuned and see what you have to say, anthony, thanks. this morning a deadly apartment fire in the east bay. it ignited at an apartment building on 24th street then spread to an apartment building behind it on 24th street at the mlk intersection. more than 40 people were displaced. crews are still there mopping up

and investigating the cause. new details this morning in the investigation into five san francisco police officers involved in trading racist and homophobic texes. the sfpd is now looking into the phone records of other officers to see if it is systemic. hundreds gathered at the castro theater in san francisco to hear hip hop legend and activist ta lib quelly discuss racism and social justice. the fbi uncovered text messages that were sent from ian furminger and four other officers. furminger is now convicted and is behind bars. one has resigned and the other three are on desk duty. sources say that investigation includes seven more officers. san jose's independent police officer tells us that those private text messages shows how some officers treat people of color and that it's time for all officers to wear body cameras.

new water cuts might be coming. next week the santa clara county water district is expected to reach a conservation goal of 30%. also on tuesday they'll approve an engineer's report for a recycled water project and restrict outdoor waters to two days a week. this week the control board called for tougher restrictions and the governor announced an emergency plan to help curb the effects of the drought. coming up this morning, from bad to worse. a building boom is causing an already tight parking situation even worse. that's coming up at 7:00.

♪ welcome to the "today" show baby. >> we're west virginia girls in nyc. >> from the "today" show plaza. >> i came from germany. >> hi mom. >> all the way from tennessee to nyc. ♪ >> super excited. wow. could it be there are people

from connecticut in the crowd? what's up home state? love that. we are back on this saturday morning. it is march 21st 2015. that's what we're talking about. huge amazing crowd on the plaza. the first full day of spring. totally feels like it. >> jackpot. >> warmer. >> gloves and hand warmers in our pockets. we have had a basketball team there with our open of this half hour. we're going to reveal our picks because we did brackets. sheinelle and i have a similar strategy for picking teams. you should listen. you may want to borrow this next year. >> are you taking it seriously? >> we take everything seriously craig. we will reveal all of that including wofford. >> wofford college. shortest team in the tournament on average. >> with the height? >> not like sheinelle jones

short. 6'1". the heart of the terrier. >> we're terriers at boston university. not in the tourmentnament. we will take that one off live. still to come in the half hour a chance encounter for a husband and wife years before they walked down the aisle. the surprising discovery made on an old home movie. could this marriage truly been fate? also ahead, a bird a plane, our joe fryer. the top gun inspired maneuvers and dizzying to say the least. joe survived and is here to tell us about it. the news that put all the pre-teens an flutter. one member is now back home after leaving the tour. we have keir simmons following the story. keir what happened? >> reporter: craig, the one

direction statement is clear. zayn needs time to recuperate from stress. brace yourself one direction fans. there is speculation about the future. it is reported that zayn went to see his fiancee in the u.k. as fans wait and worry. zayn landed back in london looking somber. one direction saying in a statement it's due to stress. ♪ we dance all night ♪ >> reporter: the group continuing the world tour without him. speculation over what happened on a night in thailand putting pressure on the world's biggest boy band. zayn pictured with this girl on instagram while his fiancee is back in britain. he denied cheating saying i'm 22 years old. i love a girl named perrie. there are a lot of jealous folks in the world. saying i'm sorry for what it looks like. ♪ you light up my world ♪

>> reporter: last year zayn was a no show for an interview on "today "today." >> he just needs to rest. >> reporter: this week, week, #weneedzayn is trending. >> a loss would be titanic to any of the fans. it would be a very big deal. it is. he is just taking time away. >> reporter: i love you, zayn. please don't leave us one fan tweeted. another wrote, it is not one direction without zayn. now zayn is expected to rejoin the band at the end of the month. the tour runs through october. ♪ nothing can come between us ♪ >> reporter: and one direction fans are, of course, famously protective of the boys. to be clear in case of question craig, i love one direction. i hope they get back together

soon. britain would not be the same without them. >> we don't want anybody giving you a hard time when you walk out of the studio. we know you love one direction. we do too. >> thanks keir. >> we love love here. >> before we get to domenica at the park, who is dylan? >> he is in tennessee and i live in kentucky. >> what is your name? >> molly. >> what did you want to ask? >> dylan, will you go to prom with me? >> it's 2015. he will text you and when he texts yes, you will tell us? >> we will go to domenica for the weather in central park. >> this is really truly march madness. one direction breaking up. we have 4.5 inches of snow here in central park. maybe dylan might go to the prom. who knows. anything can happen. we are in central park. it is freezing out here this morning. this is our first full day of spring. it will warm up.

hopefully this is the last time we are talking about snow in the northeast. let's check out the forecast and show you what we are looking at. signs of spring. we have temperatures that are well above normal across the country. 5 to 15 degrees. there is definitely spring weather showing up on the map. that is good. it goes into sunday. we will see it very warm out to the west. a look at the northeast. temperatures today will be near normal. then tomorrow it starts to cool off. a big dip in the temperatures once you get on with the cold front passing us by on sunday. there is the forecast. rain down to the south. it will be soggy through parts of good saturday morning to you. i'm meteorologist anthony slaughter. we're waking up to a blanket of fog across the bay area this morning. a little peek of sunshine looking to make its way through the cloud cover. as whed through the day the clouds continue to stream on in here. the fog will be out of here but

temperatures will be cool today. only in the 60s for san francisco. a light jacket today. 67 there. low 70s for inland valley. 73 for the tri-valley and 73 for the south bay. we have rain in the forecast as soon as tomorrow. details on that in about 25 minutes. and that's the look at the saturday forecast. back to you, craig and erica. >> thanks domenica. we can confirm dylan said yes to the prom. i talked to him on the phone. dylan, thanks. have a great time. talk soon. so now in the orange room with the fan of the day. prom-posal. i want you to meet olivia from boynton beach, florida. why are you coming from florida? it is so cold. a lot of them first time seeing snow. how is that possible? really? i'll stop talking. take it away. >> still to come, a love story. a husband and wife crossed paths

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triple that recipe! a drop of dawn and grease is gone. ♪ this is my heart beat song ♪ if you ever thought about you and your spouse were meant to be? sheinelle is here with one new jersey couple have a lot of people pondering the question. >> here is the question for you. this is something out of a movie. they are happily married with three kids and they were shocked to discover they actually cross the paths 16 years before they actually met. it was all caught on home video. >> serendipity.

it is one of favorite words. >> why? >> it is a fortunate accident. i think fate defines everything. >> in the movie, two strangers fall in love after a chance encounter. a perfect story line for a romantic comedy. a better one in real life. meet georgia and ryan spencer. >> we went on our first date in 2004. my last first date. yours too. >> yes. >> reporter: it turns out this was not the first time that jordan and ryan came in contact with one another. they discovered it by happenstance. >> we watched an old family video. while we were watching it ryan walked past the scene and he said that's me. i couldn't believe it. >> here comes daddy. >> i went through a pretty

awkward stage. with the oversized glasses. >> reporter: the two families did not know each other and lived 45 minutes apart. >> what are the odds of this happening? >> it is fascinating. >> reporter: this was not the only time they were in the same place at the same time. they went to the rolling stones concert as kids in 1989. how could ryan miss jordan with the great hair? >> were we in the stadium on the same night? it is totally possible. >> reporter: how do they describe winding up together in the end? >> i guess there was a reason for us to be in the same place at the same time and it happened more than once. >> reporter: however you see it it is pretty cool. the future captured in a frame of video. jordan and ryan say they found the video years back and thought they lost in it a flood. they have plenty of copies of

it. they will tell their kids when they are old enough to understand. >> third time's a charm. >> there you go. what are the odds the same day and same frame of video. >> they are meant to be. sheinelle, thanks. up next march madness bracket fever. we are sharing our picks this morning. maybe it will make you feel better about your own. this is "today" on nbc.

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♪ in fifth grade. >> are you telling the truth on television? >> slam dunk. >> okay. enough with the short jokes. >> that wasn't a short joke. back on a saturday morning. if you are like all of us you cannot wait for the match ups in college hoops as march madness is in full swing.

>> we have never been a shy bunch with competition on the "today" show. we got into the college basketball action picking brackets of our own. we will check in to see who is on top. >> let's make a friendly wager. whoever ends in dead last place has to cook a nice meal of food for the entire team on air. we will do it up in the kitchen. are you in? >> i'm in. >> i make a mean salmon. >> let's start with your picks. >> let's make him lose for fun, sheinelle. my picks. sheinelle and i picked teams. if you thought my picks were interesting. i have butler in the championships. i pick them with a connection or the underdog. i like that kind of cinderella story. butler my husband is from

indianapolis. my family has season tickets. we are bull dog fans in the house. >> butler lost last night. making sure you are aware. >> here are my picks. i played it safe. kentucky wisconsin, virginia and kentucky and duke and kentucky winning it. >> you picked the highest seeds? >> this is one of the best basketball teams we have seen in years. >> i think so too. >> if they don't win the championship that is the big story. you know what? i'm curious. let's see yours. >> oh, wichita. >> there are a lot of people in wichita, kansas. i picked wichita because we did so well last year. my mom is a teacher. everything stops. duke because i feel like they always win. villanova because obviously i was there for the last ten years. a lot of kids i'm friends with watching there. that explains it.

>> and dylan dreyer is on vacation this week. she sent in her brackets. >> dylan is diehard like you. >> she spends time researching. nice. i'm surprised with the villanova pick. she has kentucky losing to arizona. >> she does. you want to talk to her about that? >> i'll shoot her an e-mail. this is where we are right now. i have a way to go. >> look at that. sheinelle! >> what can you say? >> what are you making buddy? >> mac and cheese? >> can you do something fish related? >> one of your final four teams has already lost. you're done. >> so. >> but you know what? i'll let you have your glory. i am in dead last place now. >> if i can spin it on my finger, i would. up next soaring to new heights with the thunder birds. >> joe fryer gives us a bird's

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birds are the biggest draws. we were lucky enough to hitch a ride on the f-16 fighting falcons. the proud air men who fly the jets are trained pros. every now and then they let me tag along. you cannot just into an f-16 without training. let's take a quick step bangck to learn about the gear and get your body through the intense g-forces. and just in case. >> you will have two sickness bags up there. >> reporter: no worries. i'm in the hands of major tyler ellison. his nickname wolf. it is time for takeoff. within seconds of leaving the ground. >> get ready. here comes some gs. >> reporter: flying straight up.

17,500 feet off the ground which is directly behind me. that is just the beginning. for the next hour, we are sample sampling maneuvers that takes upside down for a few moments. the window to the world directly below. we took a loop around like a roller coaster? >> ours took 7,000 feet. >> reporter: they call this one the eight-point roll. there is nothing like experiencing these things in the cockpit, there is nothing like experiencing it from the ground. tens ever thousands will watch from the air show. >> i'll turn away from the jets and look at the crowd. you can see on the faces, those kids are hooked. i got that one. >> reporter: our pilot major

ellison knows dreams start young. he earned his pilot's license before his driver's license. >> it has to be a unique experience to go get a plane and fly and then get a ride back home. >> reporter: the thunder birds have 130 crew members. eight have pilot combat experience. on this day, it is the peaceful skies, mountains and valleys and low hanging clouds. cloud chasing. of course we have to experience some gs like this rapid turn that puts an incredible amount of force on my body. 7.8 gs. so strong. for a moment my vision turns gray. finally after a journey that took us 200 miles away we returned to the airfield. >> just a perspective i never had. incredible. i'm grateful and overwhelmed. i did not throw up.

thank you. >> reporter: a bucket list mission accomplished. each year the thunder birds perform in 70 shows in the country. they flew over the super bowl this year. >> you said that was on your bucket list? >> it is. >> i'm happy you did not throw up. >> were you nauseous? >> midway through, there was a point where my stomach was not feeling it. i did not do a maneuver in the end. it was straight up while spinning. >> that was probably a good call. >> i said let's not do that one. >> did you get advice of what to eat? >> they tell you the day before to hydrate well. that morning, you have to have something in your stomach. they don't want you to overeat. nothing spicy or greasy. you should have something in your stomach. an english muffin.

>> joe, great. nice to see you on this saturday. >> that's it. >> we'll be back tomorrow with more. >> the school good morning. i'm kira klapper. coming up next on "today in the bay" an overnight fire turns deadly in the east bay and leaves dozens without a home. plus the latest on a body discovered in a high school swimming pool. what makes this case even more mysterious. also it's spring. a live look from emeryville this morning. we'll see a cooling trend as it continues in the bay area. and there's even a chance of rain before the weekend is over. anthony slaughter will let us know when, next.

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from nbc bay area this is "today in the bay." >> it's just shy of 7:00 on saturday morning. we're taking a live look -- oh look at those palm trees in san jose. a cloudy morning ahead of a cooler saturday. it's spring. >> it is. >> but it's cooling down. i'm kira klapper. anthony slaughter has a look at our micro climate forecast. >> we're excited about spring. >> it's great that it's spring.

i'm wearing my spring colors. >> i tried to match you telepathically. >> we do virks but the weather isn't vibing. >> no we're talking about a switch here. we're going back to winter because showers are in the forecast. not today but for tomorrow. i want to start you off about the weather headlines. this is our shot from emeryville. low clouds and foggy in san francisco. as we move through the day the fog will burn out of here. but a steady stream of cloud cover through the day. that's going to mean a good mix of sun and clouds with a cooler day on the way. then showers are in the forecast for tomorrow. we'll detail that coming up in a little bit. a dry day for today with temperatures obviously cooler than they have been only in the 60s in san francisco today. 70s for the inland valleys, but we're talking low 70s here. 73 for the tri-valley and the south bay. now we have rain in the forecast as i mentioned that arrives tomorrow. then back in the 80s by the middle of this week. >> i