it's wednesday, april 13th. coming up on "early today," speaker paul ryan will be no white knight. for the republican faithful. while it's hillary versus donald as the front-runners set their sights on one another. breaking overnight, a massive strike by verizon workers walk off the job. new video that led to the shooting death of former saint will smith. and bono makes his case for refugees on capitol hill. a step closer to a real-life hover board. "early today" starts right now. good morning, i'm dara brown. it's official, speaker paul ryan is not in any way, shape or form seeking the presidency. >> so let me be clear.

i do not want nor will i accept the nomination for our party. count me out. i simply believe that if you want to be the nominee for our party to be the president, you should actually run for it. i chose not to do this. therefore i should not be considered, period, end of story. >> in an exclusive interview on "today," he elaborated on the stance and touched on whether candidates who dropped out of the race could return if the nomination is contested at the gop convention. >> i'm not going to foreclose anybody's option. all i would say is i belief that the members of the rules at the who have yet to be selected, it's comprised of delegates, i think that they should have a rule that you have to run for president to get the nomination. you have to be one of the candidates running for president who ran for president. i didn't run for president. i chose not to run for president. this is why i say i will not be the nominee for our party. we should select among the people who actually ran for the

job. meanwhile the candidates running are looking forward to new york's primary. it's less than a week away and if the polls are any indication, they expect the front-runners to have a big night. donald trump holds a 35-point lead over john kasich and hillary clinton is ahead of bernie sanders by a smaller but still substantial 13 points. this as trump and clinton are increasingly setting their sights on one another. nbc's halle jackson gives us an inside look. >> reporter: from the front-runners, a look inside their playbooks. neither taking other for granted but previewing strategies in case of a matchup this fall. >> her whole life has been a big fat beautiful lie. >> reporter: donald trump now hitting hillary clinton's personal life. nbc news has learned from a top campaign aide who revealed trump would go after clinton for not creating jobs, pointing to a lack of private

sector experience. watch for attacks on benghazi to paint her as weak on terror and on her e-mail controversy. >> now you look at this horrible scandal with e-mails. >> a campaign source even crediting bernie sanders for moving clinton to the left. something trump would want to exploit to rally republicans. clinton's camp ready to take on trump. >> there has to be some form of punishment. >> reporter: already out with ads against him. telling kristen welker the candidate won't respond tit for tat to every insult. but will hit his business practices like his rivals did with trump university to argue he's not really a middle-class advocate. the campaign would target immigration and women's issues. >> halle jackson reporting. documents shed light on the relationship that trump and the clintons had in the past. meanwhile, sanders picked up a big endorsement overnight of

oregon senator jeff merklamerim. clinton on the other hand has the endorsements of 40 sitting senators according to 538. be sure to check out john kasich and ted cruz appearing in back-to-back town hall meetings tomorrow starting at 4:00 p.m. on msnbc. meanwhile, trump participated in a town hall last night with his family. they talked about what it was like learning that donald was running. and daughter ivanka and son eric addressed the recent controversy of them not actually being registered to vote in new york's upcoming primary. >> well, i'm an independent and i've always voted based on the candidate as opposed to based on the party, so we're not a family of politicians. we haven't been in politics very long. new york has one of the most onerous rules in terms of reg station, and it required us to register a long time, close to a year ago. and we didn't do that. we found out about it sort of after the fact. >> it was our first kind of foray into politics. we didn't realize how the whole system worked.

>> and just this past hour, nearly 40,000 verizon workers in the ntheast walked off the job. today's strike stems from an ongoing contract dispute between verizon and two unions. the communications workers of america and the international brotherhood of electrical workers. according to the unions, employees have been working without a contract since last summer. they're also upset over outsourcing some positions overseas. the strike is one of the largest in verizon's history. and if you're wondering if this will affect your service, verizon's chief administration officer tells "the washington post," quote, we are very prepared, and they had trained thousands of temporary replacements. move over, mars. we have a bigger neighbor to visit. russian billionaire yuri milner backed by stephen hawking and mark zuckerberg announced a $100 million plan to send probes to the nearest star system. it's call eed star shot. a chip the size of an iphone

would be equipped with a solar sail fired by lasers fired from the earth. it would travel at 20% the speed of light, and that's fast enough to take the trip in just 20 years. stash standards probes would take over 70,000 years. milner admitted the project would likely take two decades to prepare. for the four years it would take for the images to get back to us, it won't be your desktop background until at least 2060. it is one of the largest donations ever for cancer research. shawn parker, the guy behind napster and the founding president of facebook, has announced he's giving $250 million to six cancer centers nationwide. the donations will go to fund a consortium of more than 300 scientists researching cancer immun immunotherapy. you may recall former president jimmy carter was diagnosed with melanoma that spread to his liver and brain. after being put on a treatment,

he announced in december that he was cancer free. new developments in the killing of former nfl star will smith. police say they found a loaded gun inside smith's car leading to more questions about the circumstances surrounding his death while new surveillance videos are shedding light on moments leading up to the deadly encounter. nbc's gabe gutierrez has details. >> reporter: this surveillance video from a restaurant blocks away from the shooting appears to shed new light on former nfl star will smith's final moments. police have said that smith was driving a mercedes suv, and the man now charged with his murder, cardell hayes, was driving a hummer. in this new video, a hummer matching that description suddenly stops and is bumped by a mercedes suv. the hummer pulls over. but the suv appears to speed away. seconds later, the hummer follows. video from another business shows both vehicles driving by. just down that block, police have said a hummer rear-ended smith's suv. investigators say smith and

hayes then exchanged words leading to the gunfire. the defense says hayes was not the initial aggressor. this cell phone video taken moments after the shooting shows a witness describing how the argument escalated. >> i guess this guy was like get out, i have a gun. and he goes -- y'all i got one too and he grabs a gun and then he shoots him. >> reporter: police say they found two fully loaded guns in addition to the weapon they previously confiscated the night of the shooting. the night smith's former teammate, pierre thomas, who was with him last night speaking out for the first time, writing on social media, "i witnessed a close friend i thought of as one of my big brothers in the nfl shot to death over a fender bender." gabe gutierrez, nbc news, new orleans. dangerous pounding hail that left widespread damage across parts of the south, and some of the hail was as large as softballs, sending people running for cover. it smashed through windows, destroyed cars and ripped holes

in the siding of homes. and check out this video from a school near jackson, mississippi, where heavy rain caused a roof to collapse. fortunately the area had been cleared of students ahead of the deluge, and luckily no one was hurt. nbc meteorologist bill karins is here with a much calmer forecast, we hope. >> yeah. for that area. texas is clearing out a little bit. here's one of the pictures from the flanagan family in wylie, texas. look at the size of this thing. this wasn't isolated either. that's why there was so much damage that was done there to that small town just north of texas. now, as far as last night wept, we did see additional severe weather. we did see some pretty bad storms especially areas just to the north. san antonio was hit hard. and also areas that continue to be plagued with these storms is louisiana now. texas, we've cleared you out. louisiana is the worst by far. maybe gusty winds and small hail today but nothing like yesterday. that was from two nights ago. this was last night in san antonio. that was baseball to tennis ball sized. two days in a row, some

significant hail. in the west, all clear. southern california, arizona, a weak storm that came through yesterday is now moving through boise and all the way up through montana. but look at this swirl off the coast here. that's going to be the next storm that we're going to deal with tomorrow. this will come on shore later today into tonight and in through tomorrow. and this could produce as much as two to almost three inches of rain at the highest right around crescent city. and then central and southern california actually looking pretty nice. so some areas are returning to normal in the west. >> but i like that, looking pretty nice. you hended on a high note. >> we're trying. the penalties for texting while driving are about to get a whole lot more serious. plus, president obama forgiving billions in student loans.

find out who benefits. you're watching "early today." e*trade is all about seizing opportunity. and i'd like to... cut. so i'm gonna take this opportunity to direct. thank you, we'll call you. evening, film noir, smoke, atmosphere... bob... you're a young farmhand and e*trade is your cow. milk it. e*trade is all about seizing opportunity. people can forget their quiltbathroom experience. well but sir froggy can never forget. "what's worse", he thinks... "that my arms can never relax or my eyes can never look away?" ♪

mari♪ upbeat music plays west scent from gain. everytime she sniffs... this happens. still there... still still there... well that's how you rock a long travel day. new scent duets from gain it's the gain the keeps on keeping on.

sniff, sniff, hooray! over $7.7 billion in federal student loans will soon be erased. the obama administration made the announcement tuesday. it will help nearly 450,000 permanently disabled americans with their student debt. the plan streamlines a previous federal program by identifying people who are eligible and actually reaching out to them. doctors at one texas hospital performed a rare surgical procedure on tuesday after separating two conjoined twins, twins that were actually born in a set of triplets. the odds of a triplet birth involving conjoined twins is 1 in 50 million. the two 10-month-olds defeated the odds again, recovering now after a 15-hour surgery. police in new york may soon be equipped with a textalizer. a new test to determine if a driver involved in a crash was

driving while texting. and this may be hard to believe, but right now in the near 2016, women in the u.s. are still making 21% less than men for doing the same job. it's an issue that brought about the commemoration of equal pay day. and andrea mitchell explains why the day is so important. >> reporter: the average woman makes 79 cents for every dollar a man makes. from the world cup winning u.s. women's soccer team paid 40% of what the men's team earned. >> it's, like, what do we have to do in order to close that gap? >> reporter: equal pay day marking how much longer women have to work this year to catch up to what men made last year. working moms have to work until june 4th. african-american women must work until august 23rd. latinos until november 1st. the state with the biggest pay gap for women, louisiana. the smallest right here in new york where experts say women have greater access to high-paying jobs. >> in addition to equal pay for equal work for men and women,

women are really concerned about fully paid maternity leave, child care and time off. >> reporter: the industry is giving women the best chance at a pay raise, financial services and health care, education, teachers ranking worst. let's get down to business with landon dowdy. >> reporter: hi there. no more being tethered to the ground. there's now a real hoverboard that with supposedly fly 10,000 feet in the air. it was created by zapata racing. reports speculate that it's powered by a turbine engine. there's no word on when you'll be able to buy one. samsung's newest tvs could set you back up to $20,000. that's for the top of the line model which is a curved 88-inch screen with a 4k resolution. there's also a feature that cuts down reflection to create deeper plaques on the screen.

meanwhile, walmart is expanding free curbside pickup of groceries to eight more cities this month including austin and kansas city. shoppers can choose from about 40,000 items online. and after ordering, you drive to the store at a designated time and a personal shopper will bring the groceries right to your car. dara, back over to you. >> thanks so much. just ahead, it's kobe versus golden state. but not on the court. and what do you do when you lose a tooth during a game? find out next in sports. sir, this alien life form is growing at an alarming rate. growing fast, you say? we can't contain it any long... oh! you know, that reminds me of how geico's been the fastest-growing auto insurer for over 10 years straight. over ten years? mhm, geico's the company your friends and neighbors trust. and deservedly so. indeed. geico. expect great savings and a whole lot more.

no, no, no, no, [music] people are both soft and strong... yey! which is why our products are too. angel soft. hi dad. uh huh. yeah...sorry about that. ♪ think about it ♪ there must be higher love ♪ down in the heart what do you think? ♪ and in the stars above hi ted, glad you could join us, we think you're going to like these numbers. ♪ bring me a higher love ♪ i could rise above

this morning on "today," an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of the renovations at the u.s. capitol with house speaker paul ry ryan. let's head over to betty nguyen with this morning's sports headlines. good morning, betty. >> good morning. what's the hottest ticket in the nba tonight? is it kobe bryant's final game or golden state warriors trying to set a record for number of wins in a season? ticket prices to tonight's golden state warriors season finale against memphis could land them in the record books. tickets at the moment are selling for a reported $300 for nosebleed seats and, get this, 17 grand for courtside. and we're hearing that prices for kobe bryant's final game ever are even higher. no matter who's got the hottest tickets, two big games to watch tonight for sure. in san antonio, the spurs

got their 40th home win of the season by outlasting the thunder 102-98. to a bizarre one in auburn hills. dragic got popped in the mouth. dragic complained to a ref and then tossed a lost tooth on the court in front of his bench. there it is. apparently it's the second tooth he's lost this year. miami ended up with the win against detroit, 99-93. maybe he can reattach it. who knows? dara, back to you. >> betty, thank you so much. just ahead, u2's bono delivers a serious message to the senate. you're watching "early today."

this is 100% useful for a 100% fresh mouth.. what's it like to not feel 100% fresh? we don't know. we swish listerine®. as do listerine® users. the very people we studied in the study of bold. people who are statistically more likely to stand up to a bully. do a yoga handstand. and be in a magician's act. listerine® kills 99% of bad breath germs so you can feel 100% in life. bring out the bold™. quilted northern works their bathroom experience.

just like they forgot conductor randy, who sees all and forgets nothing. at least he's not constable bob. see me. see me. don't stare at me. see me. see me. see me to know that psoriasis is just something that i have. i'm not contagious. see me to know that... ...i won't stop until i find what works. discover cosentyx, a different kind of medicine for moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. proven to help the majority of people find clear or almost clear skin. 8 out of 10 people saw 75% skin clearance at 3 months. while the majority saw 90% clearance. do not use if you are allergic to cosentyx. before starting, you should be tested for tuberculosis. an increased risk of infections and lowered ability to fight them may occur... ...tell your doctor if you have an infection or symptoms... ...such as fever, sweats, chills, muscle aches or cough. or if you have received a vaccine or plan to. if you have inflammatory bowel disease, tell your doctor if symptoms develop or worsen.

serious allergic reactions may occur. see me. see me. see me. on my way. find clear skin... and a clearer path forward. for a different kind of medicine, ask your dermatologist about cosentyx. now to entertainment news. warner brothers confirms that a new standalone "batman" movie is in the works. ben affleck returns to star as the caped crusader and will direct as well. no news on where the movie will fit in the d.c. comics time line. u2 lead singer bono arrived to address the global refugee crisis and violent extremism. though it was a serious call to action, he couldn't help but suggest another unique way to take on isis. >> it's like you speak violence, you speak their language. but you laugh at them when they're stepping down the street and it takes away their power.

so i'm suggesting that the senate send in amy schumer and chris rock and sacha baron co n cohen. thank you. matt damon was spotted in omaha, nebraska. it's been a pet project for him over ten years. damon weighed in on all the attention. >> look, i have a job because people go to the movies. so i'm always really grateful when i see anybody who goes to see the stuff that i'm in. so that allows me to kind of keep doing what i'm doing, and i love what i do. >> and harrison ford has auctioned off his autographed han solo jacket. it sold for $191,000. the money will go toward finding a cure for epilepsy. ford's daughter has been living with the disorder since childhood. this is "early today."

padvil pm gives you the healingu at nsleep you need, it. helping you fall asleep and stay asleep so your body can heal as you rest. advil pm. for a healing night's sleep.

leading the news in "the washington post," fbi paid professional hackers one-time fee to crack san bernardino iphone. sources tell "the post" that the hackers brought a previously unknown iphone flaw to the bureau's attention and used it to unlock the phone. the flaw only affects iphone 5cs running ios 9 according to fbi director james comey. apple said it will not sue the government to reveal the flaw. and on nbcnews.com, controller in deadly german crash was playing game on phone according to prosecutors. a german signal controller admitted tuesday that he was playing a game on his cell phone while in charge of traffic in early february. 11 people were killed in bavaria when two trains collided head on. it's the country's deadliest train crash since 1998. and get used to women who

qualify for combat positions. that is the message navy secretary ray delivered to 1500 marines and sailors in california. he called the integration a positive development that will strengthen the corps. a 72-year-old endured frigid nights in the arizona wilderness for nine days by making bonfires, drinking pond water and eating berries to survive. ann rogers was found when a helicopter crew spotted her distress signal made from sticks after finding her dog wandering a remote area. spelling out "help," she was dehydrated and suffering from exposure but otherwise glad to be rescued. and in texas, a woman is accused of stealing a ring off a corporation. this is a tough one. police say she was caught on a security camera allegedly taking a ring from the body of a recently deceased 88-year-old woman. authorities say the ring was valued at only $10. well, she faces up to two years in jail if convicted. and a south florida dog swam

nine miles in search of her owner. the 14-year-old black lab reportedly had separation anxiety when she entered the water near her owner's home in coral gables. she was spotted in the middle of biscayne bay by a local resident who called 911. the exhausted pup was later reunited with her owner. now, that is absolutely dedication. >> nine miles, like humans can maybe swim a mile in 30, 35 minutes. you're talking almost four hours in the water. >> in that open water? >> and there are sharks. now it's time for a look ahead. president obama meets with his national security council at cia headquarters in langley, virginia. they'll be reviewing u.s. efforts to degrade and destroy isis while discussing ways to advance prospects for peace and stability in syria. and happy birthday to "girls" star allison williams, daughter of brian williams. she's 28. caroline rhea is 52 and al green turns 70 today. now, keep it right here for more news, weather and sports. i'm dara brown. thanks for watching "early today." have a great wednesday. 73....and an entry in the record

oo going for history. the war rors looking for win 73 and entry into the record books. >> a desperate search for a missing toddler and the agency noi joining in to help out. >> what we're learning about a trainer arrested. today in the bay starts right now. >> thank you for joining us. >> they say dress for success, we're dressing for the warriors tonight. >> we're going to make history! >> the game is at 7:30. >> there's a lot more ahead. a lot before 7:30.