it's thursday, march 1st, coming up, donald trump walks back his punishment for abortion remarks. but the uproar is overwhelming. >> the answer is -- that there has to be some form of punishment. >> for the woman? >> yeah, there has to be some form. settle but to punish a woman for having an abortion is beyond comprehension. >> what donald trump said today was outrageous and dangerous. >> next, a tornadoes overnight and more on the way. our bill karins says over 27 million americans are at risk of severe weather today. today the president meets with 50 world leaders at a nuclear world summit. and to discuss a strategy to fight isis. plus stephen colbert's conversation with a cartoon donald trump. and much more on a busy

thursday, "early today" starts right now. good morning, everyone, donald trump created a firestorm during a town hall meeting hosted by msnbc's chris matthews. the pair talked about everything from immigration to marijuana, but the most surprising moment came while discussing abortion. >> should the woman be punished for having an abortion? >> look -- >> this is not something you can dodge. if you say -- abortion is a crime or abortion is murder, you have to deal with it under the law. should abortion be punished? >> well people in certain parts of the republican party and conservative republicans would say yes, they should be punished. >> how about you? >> i would say it's a very serious problem. and it's a problem that we have to decide on. it's very -- >> you're for banning it. >> well wait rurks going to say put them in jail? is that? >> i'm asking you, you say you want to ban it. what does that mean? >> i am pro life. >> how do you ban abortion? >> you go back to a position like they had where people will

perhaps go to illegal places. >> yeah. >> but you have to ban it. >> you ban it and they go to somebody who flunked out of medical school. >> are you catholic? >> yes. >> how do you feel about the catholic church's position? >> i accept my church's teaching on moral issues. i concur with the moral position. >> let me ask you, but what do you say about -- >> it's not funny. >> your church? it's not funny. what do you say about your church. >> the churches make your moral judgments. you running for president will the chief executive of the united states. do you believe in punishment for abortion, yes or no, as a principle. >> the answer is there has to be some form of punishment. >> for the woman? >> yes. there has to be some form. >> ten years? >> i don't know. >> why not? you take positions in everything else. >> i do take positions in everything else, it's a very complicated position. >> you tell me what the law should be. you say you're pro life. >> i am pro life.

>> what's that mean? >> i am pro life. i have not determined what the punishment will be. >> why not? >> because i haven't determined it. >> by saying you're pro life. you want to ban abortion. how do you ban abortion without a sanction. then you get into the tricky point about sanction. a fine on human life, which you would call murder. fine, imprisonment for a young woman who finds herself pregnant? >> it would have to be determined. >> what about the guy who got her pregnant, is he responsible under the law for the abortion. >> different feelings for different people. i would say no. >> the backlash for trump's comments was swift. >> should women who get abortions be punished. >> absolutely not. i do have exceptions for rape, incest and life of the mother. of course women shouldn't be punished. i think probably donald trump will figure out a way to say he didn't say it i don't think

that's an appropriate response. >> what donald trump said today was outrageous and dangerous. and you know, i'm constantly just taken aback at the kinds of things that he advocates for. you know maya angelou said when someone shows you who they are, believe them. and once again, he has showed us who he is. >> but to punish a woman for having an abortion is beyond comprehension. i just -- you know, one would say what is in donald trump's mind except we tired of saying that. i don't know what world this person lives in. >> ted cruz responding saying quote of course we shouldn't be talking about punishing women. we should affirm their dignity and the incredible gift they have to bring life into the world. >> in a rare moment of unity. planned parenthood president denounced the donald on twitter this is a man who genuinely does not care about the health and safety of women. >> and from the head of march for life, a group that wants to

overturn roe v. wade. >> we would not advocate any form of punishment for a woman who has made such a desperate and sad choice as abortion. >> after the interview, trump released a statement fully walking back his remarks. stating if abortion was illegal, the doctor or any other person performing this illegal act upon a woman would be held legally responsible. not the woman. the woman is a victim in this case, as is the life in her womb. my position has not changed, like ronald reagan, i am pro life with exceptions. this all comes as a new poll taken before last night's town halls shows cruz ahead of trump in next week's important wisconsin primary. drastic shift from mid february when trump had a commanding lead. trump is also polling behind both cruz and john kasich in support among women in that state. while on the democratic side, sanders is ahead of clinton by four points, a slight increase from february. well it was a frightening night of severe weather with many, 28 million people at risk.

tornado touching down in tulsa. injuring one person. several buildings were damaged, roads are closed. in kansas, large blocks of hail pounded homes and vehicles. while life-threatening flash floods in arkansas hit, washing away a dumpster there. classes were canceled at the university of arkansas. one student made the best out of what used to be the entrance to his dorm. meanwhile, mississippi threats of emergency management said the agency is preparing for five inches of rain in parts of the state. that's not welcome. nbc meteorologist bill karins, it's a mess. >> march is supposed to come in like a lion, out like a lamb. >> not happening. >> it's out like a lion. today will be another dangerous day out there and then we'll have record cold and snow in areas of new england to start april. we're finishing one of the warmest marches we've had in this country and we're ending up with violent weather. we still have a touch in northern louisiana, mississippi. and we are watching plain old rain in other areas, one tornado

warning just to the north of covington, safely north of new orleans. we'll get any updates if we get confirmation of the tornado on the ground. other areas, severe storms today. this round of storms is now ending. then round two later on. from northern mississippi to alabama to tennessee, friends or family that live in that area, we could deal with one or two strong tornadoes, the ones that destroy the most. you want to make sure your friends or family know that's possible today in that region of the country. other areas of concern, a lot of flooding problems around greenville, mississippi, we showed you the pictures around little rock. and we have all of mississippi, alabama and portions of georgia under flash flood threats over the next two days. we could see totals here of two to four inches of rain locally up to six inches of rain. at the same time, everyone on the west has spring fever. especially the northwest. first 70-degree day of the beautiful day in sacramento.

mammoth not bad at 55, with still a little bit of snow left. >> a call-out for mammoth. >> 55 is great skiing weather. >> the shorts and, there you have it. thank you very much. today president obama kicks off a two-day nuclear summit with over 50 world leaders. the goal is to cut down on nuclear materials in proliferation around the world this is the president's fourth and final nuclear summit. russian president vladimir putin has boycotted the event amid tensions with the u.s. it comes as donald trump told nbc's chris matthews last night that he refuses to rule out using nuclear weapons. >> can you tell the middle east we're not using a nuclear weapon? >> i would never say that i would never take any of my cards off the table? >> how about europe? >> i'm not going to take it off the table. >> you might use it in europe? >> no, i don't think so.

>> why don't you just say it. >> i'm not taking cards off the table. >> trump has previously said he's okay with other countries, such as south korea, japan and saudi arabia getting nuclear weapons. well the pentagon has informed congress it plans to transfer about a dozen prisoners from the military detention center at guantanamo bay, officials tell the "washington post" at least two countries have agreed to accept detaintees and that the first transfers are expected in the coming days. there are 91 detainees being meld at gitmo with, 37 approved at transfer. part of president obama's plan to close the military prison. a plan that that has faced backlash by republican lawmakers. president obama is commuting the sentences of 61 prisoners, serving time for drug-related offenses. under outdated sentencing laws. the white house says most of them were nonviolent offenders and more than a third were serving life behind bars. the announcement came after the president had lunch with three former inmates who were given a

second chance. >> i will tell you that listening to their stories also reminded me of how out of proportion and counterproductive so much of our sentencings in when it comes to our drug laws are at the federal and state level. >> the president has now made a total of 248 commutations, more than the past six presidents combined. leading the news in the "chicago tribune," cdc expands range of zika mosquitos into parts of midwest and northeast. it is a broader swath of the u.s. than previously thought. the new map includes areas where zika mosquitos have been sceneriesly or previously. and from nbc washington, metro could shut down entire rail line force maintenance, the chairman says. the state of d.c.'s metro rail system is so dire that metro lines may be shut down for up to six months. officials say track work on nights and weekends will not sufficiently end the delays, single-tracking and dangerous

malfunctions that have plagued the system, this comes two weeks after the metro was shut down for an entire day due to a fire. coming up, a wingsuit mid-air collision caught on camera. and what's tesla selling that will have people lined up around the block? you're watching "early today." one of those he washing machines but it took forever turns out it wasn't the machine, it was our detergent. so we switched to tide turbo clean and now we get way cleaner clothes way faster make a mess make a mess, make a mess that's a big mess your first words save time with tide he turbo clean. it's quick collapsing suds reduce rinse time and don't overwhelm your machine so you get 6x cleaning power in 1/2 the time tide america's #1 detergent wiback like it could used to? neutrogena hydro boost water gel. with hyaluronic acid it plumps skin cells with intense hydration and locks it in. for supple, hydrated skin. hydro boost.

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new orleans could become an island. new information coming to light after the bombing in brussels, a laptop discarded by one of the bombers contained information on the belgian prime minister's office. nbc's keir simmons shows the danger. >> there's the entrance to the office of the belgian prime minister. this country's equivalent of the wlous. right on the street. and just half a block away, the u.s. embassy. >> this has dell a january and dutch authorities argue whether an nypd alert was shared. let's get down to business with cnbc's landon downey. >> chipotle is developing a burger chain. they filed an application for a better burger. a spokesman said the concept was in the works before the food chain was hit by a wave of foodborne businesses this year. and tesla is set to unveil its newest electric vehicle

model. it's expected to cost about $35,000. less than half of tesla's model s. production will start late next year. tesla will start taking $1,000 reservations for preorders starting today. over on wall street it may take a breather from the run-up of the past few days. markets closing at the highs of the year on wednesday. as investors continue to digest fed chair janet yellen's cautious comments on raising interest rates. rates on unemployment an manufacturing out today. just ahead. who are the highest paid retired athletes in the world? we've got the list. and a shot of the day from a former olympian.

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and voted product of the year for its pedi perfect™ extra coarse electronic foot file. this morning on "today," natalie morales gets an exclusive sneak peek at a new rescued sea lions exhibit at the georgia aquarium. they're thriving after being stranded last year in california. in sports, nbcsports.com reports that los angeles lakers rookie deangelo russell is losing the respect of his teammates. the reason? a secretly recorded and leaked conversation with teammate nick young about being with women other than his fiancee who happens to be australian rapper, iggy azalea. he has apologized, but the damage with his teammates may be too much. >> so as sick as possible, i wish coy make things better right away. but i can't.

if i've lost anybody's trust, i'm going to work my tail off to gain it back. >> i want to get into my personal life right now. you know i think it's best you know me ange and deangelo handle the situation we have. knowing it's a private matter. outside the media. >> yeah, it's a situation for sure. well russell finds himself playing elsewhere next season? we shall see. forbes has released its list of the highest paid retired athletes, michael jordan coming in first, making $110 million in 2015 with major endorsement deals. this year he'll earn more than any other athlete in the world, retired or active. david beckham earned $65 million. arnold palmer earned $40 million. and pele earned $14 million. his story will come to life on the big screen in may. but the shot of the day might belong to caitlyn jenner.

she nails an eagle on the par 4, first hole of the day. paired with retired soccer star amy wambach. coming up, code red. plus stephen colbert sits down with the donald. you're watching "early today." soup and sandwich and cannonballs and clean and real and looking good and sandwich and soup and a new personal best. and a little help and soup and sandwich and study group. good, clean food pairs well with anything. try the clean pairings menu. at panera. food as it should be. yothat's lactaid®.k! right. 100% real milk, just without the lactose. so, no discomfort? exactly. try some... mmm, it is real milk. lactaid®. 100% real milk.

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production of "a few good men" alan sorkin will serve as director for that outstanding project. he served as writer of the original play. martin sheen will release a new documentary about the o.j. simpson trial. the series will aim to prove simpson's innocence with what they claim is new evidence of the crime. whoopi goldberg is launching a new line of medical marijuana products for women. they'll sell edibles, rugs and bath soaps, aimed to soothe menstrual cramps. "jeopardy" has chosen 15 power players for its april shows. louis ck, chuck todd and al franken. tapped to participate. contestants will play for the charity of their choice. pixar announces the names

for "finding dory" diane keaton is among the cast. it hits theaters this summer. it's going to be huge. and stephen colbert had an exclusive and hilarious interview with donald trump on the "late show" last night. well, sort of. watch this. >> now, mr. cartoon trump, how do you respond to anderson cooper comparing you to a 5-year-old? >> anderson cooper is a dumb-dumb. he's a stupid head, a total poopy-pants. it's sad. >> right now i got to say you are sounding a a little immature. >> i know you are, but what am i. >> oh, come on, sound like an idiot. >> stephen, i'm rubber, you're glue, i have a lawyer and i will sue. >> huge. i'm alex witt. this is "early today." so you don't have to stop. because you believe in go.

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leading the news on nbc.com. donald trump releases curious letter on tied-up tax returns. after his controversial comments on abortion. the campaign is turning the tide to taxes. wednesday evening they released a a letter concerning the state of his tax returns. but the letter, issued by his counsel, is 23 days old. "the new york times" governor of alabama robert bentley says he won't quit. the governor says he has no intention to resign, he admitted to making inappropriate remarks to his top aides, but denied they were involved in any sexual affair. the aide resigned yesterday. his reputation as a church-going squeaky clean public official has been somewhat dismantled. if you think pollution in your city is bad, check out this. choking smog hanging over mexico city, yikes.

prompting authorities to issue temporary driving restrictions. all cars must remain idle once a week and vehicles are to be kept off the roads one saturday a month. the measure takes effect this tuesday and runs to the end of june. more women will have access to an abortion pill after the fda issued new guidelines wednesday. under the new rules women can use the drug further in their pregnancy and with fewer visits to the doctor. and what would you do if you came across a panther on your afternoon walk? one woman got quite the scare when she came face to face with a panther while at the florida swamp sanctuary. >> it looks like the big cat was kind of in a hurry to get out there have. another panther news, another man in florida had a special visitor. >> shooting through the window. >> the endangered cat stayed for about 20 minutes before it went on its merry way. >> part of me wants to pet it.

any report anywhere the business can tell new the field anything goes. even this. >> now the cool -- >> [ bleep ]. >> try to get it off me. can you please get it off me? it's not funny. >> well that australian reporter soon regained her composure. the parrot was removed. >> call 911. >> she was not okay. >> later she did get a chance to reunite with the parrot. a look ahead, brussels airport could reopen to a limited number of passenger flights as early as today, a temporary structure has been built to bypass the departure area that was damaged when the two bombs exploded. officials say it will take months before the airport is at full capacity. happy birthday to former vice president al gore. and shirley jones turns 82. happy birthday. i'm alex witt, thanks for watching "early today." see you back here tomorrow morning.

breaking news and a dire situation in india where a bridge collapse has killed 14 people and 150 remain trapped. the emergency efforts under way at this moment. and unmasked and in court. a serial bank robber known as the bearded bandit will appear before a federal judge. what he's already confessed. plus, waiting online to plunk down $1,000. drivers cannot wait to reserve the new tesla, but the electric feeling zil to wait, a while. "today in the bay" starts right now. good morning on this thursday, we're happy to have you with us, i'm sam brock. >> i'm kris sanchez in for laura