this morning new concerns from the secretary of state that if iran's nuclear ambitions go unchecked, the u.s. could be facing a north korea-like imminent threat. >> fox news speaks out after the king of cable news parts ways with the network. bill o'reilly says the claims against him are unfounded. >> 24 million people are in the path of dangerous veer weather today that could produce dangerous tornadoes. >> the last baby killer whale >> seaworld's last baby killer whale born in captive. >> if only sean spicer could have gronk crash every press briefing. >> glad to have you. i'm yasmin vossoughian. >> i'm gigi stone wood. >> the u.s. will be conducting a

comprehensive review of its iran policies. if iran is left unchecked the united states could be facing an imminent threat similar to the one presented by north korea. now ali or rouse si with more. >> reporter: good morning. well, first iran made no public comment on this latest development. the eye rain yan regime doesn't respond well to threats from america. so far tehran hasn't made public comments on the latest developments, but it's sure to infuriate the regime here. no more so than the hardliners who are very against this deal in the first place and said iran should never have embarked on any sort of deal with the united states. renegotiating or trying to renegotiate the jcpoa, especially so close to the may 19th elections is going to rock the apple cart here. hardliners are going to lay into rouhani for making a deal with the united states, and obviously

this does not bode well for president rouhani who favors better relations with the west and is seeking a second term in office. he's invested all his political capital in this deal. if this deal is in trouble, he's in trouble. he could be replaced by an ultra conservative hard liner, making it almost impossible to negotiate with iran further down the road. a lot of elements at play and we have to see what the move mood from both sides will be. >> nbc's ali arouzi in tehran, thank you. after more than two decades including 15 years as the highest rated cable news program, bill o'reilly wakes up this morning without a job. the headlines say it all, "fox news drops long-time host bill o'reilly, cutting ties with the commentator in the wake of sexual harassment accusations and multimillion dollar payouts." dana perino commented on the bombshell news during the prime

time slot. >> it is the end of an era here at the fox news channel. as we mentioned earlier, bill o'reilly is leaving this chair and this network after more than 20 years. bill has been the undisputed king of cable news and for good reason. he is an incredibly talented broadcaster who raised the bar for interviewers everywhere. >> in a statement lisa bloom, an attorney representing three of the women accusing o'reilly of sexual harassment said in part, quote, i am very proud to have stood with my brave clients who stood up for themselves and all the silenced women. fox news should have fired him in 2004 when the first complaint was made, but at least now they did. they did it because we persisted. >> and now 26 years after anita hill ignited a national conversation on workplace sexual harassment, she's speaking out telling usa today, quote, the idea these kinds of behaviors can stay hidden is fading because there are ways to get them out. i think the key is to keep pushing when you deal with someone like roger ailes and

bill o'reilly. it comes less than three weeks since the claims that proved too much from the cable news giant. nbc's cynthia mcfaddens that this report. >> caution, you are about to enter the no spin zone. >> reporter: the no spin zone is no more. bill o'reilly, the controversial face of fox news for 21 years was fired by the network he helped put on the map. following in the footsteps of former boss and mentor roger ailes who was pushed out after an investigation of sexual harassment claims. o'reilly was at the van khan for what he says was a long planned holiday with his family. even a handshake from pop frances didn't save him. the following statement, after a thorough and careful review of the allegations, the company and bill o'reilly have agreed that

bill o'reilly will not be returning to the fox news channel. gabriel sherman has reported about fox news for the past several years. >> without question this is a new era. bill o'reilly was the fixture of the network, the public face of the network. >> the path to the ouster began two weeks ago with a "new york times" investigation revealing five women, including guests and employees of his show, had been paid $13 million in settlements involving sexual harassment claims against him over the yea years. fox hired an outside law firm to investigate. over 15 advisers fled the show. the fox news headquarters were picketed, and leaflets like these were handed out. but the decision was complicated. >> thanks for watching tonight. >> his audience is incredibly loyal. during the sexual harassment scandal his ratings have, in fact, gone up. >> reporter: inside fox news, staff was stunned to hear of his

firing, especially as the network bosses seemed to praise him as they pushed him out the door. by ratings standards, bill o'reilly is one of the most accomplished tv personalities in the history of cable news. his success by any measure is indisputable. >> a generational split. sources say the younger generation wants to move fox news into a more modern era where these type of allegations are not tolerated. >> mr. o'reilly releasing a statement in part, it is tremendously disheartening that we part ways due to completely unfounded claims, but that is the unfortunate reality many of us in the public eye must live with today. we have new information on the attack in syria earlier this month that left up to 87 people dead. an international group, the organization for the prohibition of chemical weapons now says it has what it calls, quote, incontrovert nl test results that show sarin gas, a deadly toxic agent, was used in the

attack against innocent civilians. the syrian military denied using chemical weapons while the ally russia blames and a strike on an alleged rebel munitions dump. the u.s. sent some 59 tomahawk missiles into syria as a response to that deadly attack. >> reaching speeds of over 33 miles per hour, a rocket carrying jack fisher on his first mission. they should be docking at the international space station within the next few hours. hundreds of thousands of venezuelans are taking to the streets protesting against nicholas maduro. the national guard has used teargas against demonstrators who accuse security forces of excessive violence. at least two people died wednesday bringing the death toll to seven since the protest began three weeks ago. general motors says it's now ceasing operations there after

authorities there illegally seized its manufacturing plant and other assets causing the company irreparable damage. the families of two men at the center of separate murder cases against former nfl star aaron hernandez says they're moving forward with wrongful death suits. hernandez was found dead in his cell in an apparent suicide. he was serving a life sentence for the murder of odin lloyd. a lawyer for lloyd's mother says hernandez was convicted. all that's left is for a judge or jury to decide on damages. hernandez was still appealing that conviction. days ago hernandez was acquitted in a double murder case. an attorney for one of those families say they will also seek damages, while expressing sympathy to hernandez's loved ones. >> they take no joy in what's happened to him and more particularly to their families, his family. >> aaron hernandez was 27 years old. the stocking scare for former first daughter malia obama.

law enforcement sources telling wnbc authorities are investigating a man who showed up at her workplace in hand hat tan on three separate days with a sign proposing marriage. secret service agents detained the plan and turned him over to police who then referred him to a hospital for evaluation. reclusive fitness guru richard simmons is breaking his silence after dropping out of public life in recent years. the 68-year-old was hospitalized for severe indigestion earlier this week. on facebook simmons thanked his fans for their concern saying in part, aren't you sick of hearing and reading about me? well, by now you know i'm not missing, just a little under the weather. i'm sure i will be feeling good and back home in a couple of days. tennis superstar serena williams served up a big surprise to her fans on wednesday, revealing she is pregnant with her first child. she posted this picture on snapchat with the caption "20 weeks." he rep confirms she's due in the fall. this means she was expecting when she won her 23rd grand slam title in january.

the 35-year-old is engaged to the co-founder of red it. we do have wicked weather ahead. overnight in iowa, high winds, torrential rains, even hail, severe weather sweeping through the region. today there are more than 24 million people at risk. >> nbc meteorologist bill karins standing by with the details. good morning, bill. >> good morning. we have about three tornadoes, a lot of them are weak. we avoided anything really bad. today we may not be as fortunate. 24 million people, a little sliver in north texas and oklahoma. the greatest concern is the wind damage threat. travel delays in and out of the airports. we're finally watching an end to the soaking rains in the west. we will get showers in the mountainous areas. we have dry weather for much of today and tomorrow. after some showers we'll clear it out, eve

enhancement and clouds, but improvement in the next 36 hours for another chance of showers and rain on saturday. >> here is this story. the florida gators mascot put himself in harm's way to save a kid from a foul ball. the ball flew into the stands toward albert -- look a little closer here, he shielded the kid and took it right off the noggin. gator was right. the kid disresuscitate our green friend. >> so sweet of him, to shield that little baby. >> dramatically falls back in his chair as well. he's like, come on kid, save me really. >> a true performer. >> thanks, bill. just ahead, today's date may be 4/20. for many millions of americans,

420 means marijuana. what time of day are students most alert and ready to learn? that's coming up. the smoother the skin, you are in it. so find a venus smooth that contours to curves, flexes for comfort, and has a disposable made for you. skin smoothing venus razors. venus people spend less time lying awake with aches and pains with advil pm than with tylenol pm. advil pm combines the number one pain reliever with the number one sleep aid. gentle, non-habit forming advil pm. for a healing night's sleep.

lergies with nasal congestion? find fast relief behind the counter with claritin-d. [ upbeat music ] strut past that aisle for the allergy relief that starts working in as little as 30 minutes and contains the best

oral decongestant. live claritin clear, with claritin-d. today is the day everybody, 4/20, an unofficial holiday for marijuana enthusiasts. just in time, colorado is getting its very first drive-through pot shot. tumble weed express. the car wash building, there are a few rules. no one under 21 allowed in the car and no pot can be visible outside of the shop. meanwhile in the nation's capital marijuana activists plan to hand out 1,000 joints to members of congress. better have good snacks around. also congressional staffers and journalists getting some of those joints as long as they have congressional ids. part of an effort to allow d. v. to enact its own marijuana regulations. >> all pretending not to take it home. leading the news this morning, in a dramatic twist of fate, the trump administration will now go head-to-head with a

familiar figure over a dreamer who was deported by federal immigration agents. judge gone sol low curiel, the same district judge then candidate trump accused of bias because of his mexican heritage as he oversaw the lawsuit involving trump university. curiel ultimately approved a $25 million settlement between trump university and students who claim they were wronged by the university. no court date has been set involving the dreamer montez who was deported in february. at it again, for the second day in a row, two russian bombers flew close to the alaskan coast on tuesday afternoon while they stayed in international airspace. the u.s. military didn't send fighter jets to intercept like it did on monday. instead, norad tracked the planes. up until this week russian bombers had not flown in that area since 2015. just ahead, one patriots star crashes sean spicer's white house briefing you're going to want to watch it. this is "early today." 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.

ito become dangerous.d for an everyday item new tide pods child guard pack. helps keep your laundry pacs safe and your child safer. align, press and unzip.

now, let's get to the story. president trump, so what if he plays golf. he needs exercise and fresh air. he's fat. tom brady, why didn't he couldn't make it to the white house? is he gay? and mexicans, enough is enough.

and i'm right, yes, i always right. so, shut up. all this and sexy girls with no pants next on "the guillermo factory." >> it's a joke, but i think that show would do pretty well. >> he's capturing the essence of what they're trying to do. >> the super bowl champion new england patriots were visiting the white house yesterday when the pats' free spirited tight end rob gronkowski made the most of his visit. >> need some help? >> i think i got this, but thank you. >> sure? >> maybe. thanks, man. i'll see you in a minute. >> gronk helping out. good for ratings. how early is too early for your brain to function. new research from the university of nevada finds college undergrads actually learn better later in the day. so sleeping in is not

necessarily the worst idea. it's the same for everyone. most students' brains learn best out of 11:00. people fall into prototypes, night owls or early birds. the rash yeah of night to morning people is two to one. >> i'm a morning bird this sure. i'm not a middle of the night bird. >> we're birds of the wee hours. >> are you more of a night owl? >> no, i like mornings, yes, 8:00 a.m., 7:00 a.m. i'm good. >> basically a night owl for us on the schedule. just ahead, how learning might be contagious. seaworld's last baby killer whale born in captivity. details next.

the bathroom. when things go wrong here, you remember. quilted northern is designed to work so well, you can forget your bathroom trips. but daddy gator can never forget. "i've got to motor out of here. this is no place to raise a child." hey team, i know we're tight on time, but i really need a... "i'v...sick day tomorrow. here. moms don't take sick days. moms take nyquil severe: the... ...nighttime sniffling,sneezing, coughing, aching, fever best... ...sleep with a cold, medicine. - well, these have syrup. - so, we drain it. well, these dole fruit bowls are packed in 100% fruit juice. so, you don't drain it?

no, we drink it. dole. the only national brand that packs its entire line of regular fruit bowls in 100% juice. fromto the wobbling yogis.kers to the stationary race winners, we all need lean protein. and it comes in a jimmy dean's delights breakfast sandwich. stacked with 17 grams of protein. lean into a great day. shine on. if youto treat your tough nasal allergies... ...listen up. unlike pills that don't treat congestion, clarispray covers 100 percent of your nasal allergy symptoms. clarispray. from the makers of claritin. trythe unique formula withched nourishing almond oil...

...leaves skin smoother. moisturized for 24 hours. nivea essentially enriched. for noticeably smoother skin. in today's quick hits, former president george h.w. bush remains in a houston hospital under observation as he recovers from a mild case of pneumonia. the spokesman says his spirits are high and he's looking forward to going home. in san antonio, texas, the last killer whale born in captivity at a seaworld park. still no word on the calf's sex, but seaworld says it appears to be healthy. can running be contagious. a new study by researchers at m.i.t. shows sharing data on apps inspires others in the same network to run faster and more often. >> i think running can be contagious. i run a lot. i love running.

>> share it with me, maybe i'll catch some of your inspiration. >> i'll tweet at you i'm going running and you'll catch it. celebrating birthday's today. oscar, golden globe winner jessica lang is 68, ryan o'neill is 76. george tikea is 80, and john paul stephens is 97 years young today. the way he has said he stayed healthy until 97 is drinking -- i don't know, making this up by now. >> a lifetime appointment, he is no longer on the court, but they live very long lives. >> despite the fact they have a lot of work and probably a pretty stressful job. just ahead, one of the most powerful people in congress calling it quits. >> secret service tightened things up even more around the white house. you're watching "early today." back in two. where's frank? it's league night! 'saved money on motorcycle insurance with geico!

goin' up the country. bowl without me. frank.' i'm going to get nachos. snack bar's closed. gah! ah, ah ah. ♪ ♪ i'm goin' up the country, baby don't you wanna go? ♪ ♪ i'm goin' up the country, baby don't you wanna go? ♪ geico motorcycle, great rates for great rides. i've gotta hit the loo. we can't stay here! why? terrible toilet paper! i'll never get clean! way ahead of you, big daddy. aww. (avo) charmin ultra strong. it's washcloth-like texture helps clean better. it's four times stronger and you can use less. beautiful view. thanks to charmin. and you, honeybear. awwwww. (avo) we all go. why not enjoy the go with charmin?

welcome back. the travel forecast shows improving conditions in the west finally. we'll see intermountain west storms. sacramento should be in the upper 60s, low 70s. phoenix toasty at 93. even the wet weather in the portland and seattle area, overnight you had rain. now more showery in nature. here is your reward. nice friday right up the western coastline with high pressure building, 63 in seattle. a beautiful spring time day. >> why is l.a. always consistently the most beautiful ever this. >> a good reason why it's the second biggest city. chairman of the powerful house oversight committee jason chaffetz abruptly announced his

decision to retire. he still has over a year and a half left in his fifth term. the utah congressman says it's time to call it quits. last year he said he would take a, quote, serious, serious look for running for governor of utah in 2020. but in a facebook post, he said, for those that would speculate otherwise, let me be clear that i have no ulterior motives. >> other changes in washington, you can officially no longer walk along the south side of the white house fence after the secret service cut off access to the sidewalk there. the closure comes after concerns about all the security breaches, the agency planning to build a buffer zone similar to that north of the white house and the buffer will give agents more time to react to any of those potential jumpers. but tourists and residents alike can still get their south lawn pictures along the edge of the park. former florida governor jeb bush didn't win the presidential race but wants to get into sports. "the miami herald" reporting jeb

bush and derek jeter are teaming up to buy the miami marlins. they're not the only ones eyeing the franchise. fox business reported an investment group tide to mitt romney is also pursuing the marlins. bids were due last week. the offers ranging from $1.2 to $1.3 billion. >> good consolation prize if you don't get the presidency. >> exactly. put a monkey in a restaurant, you get chaos. no surprise there. this little guy wandered into an eatery, scaring customers, knocking things over. it took place more than two hours to finally nab that monkey. he was taken to a local wildlife shelter to be set free. two hours? they don't have a banana lying around. >> i'm gigi stone wood.

>> i'm yasmin vossghian. we'loul ♪ five-second rule protection. new lysol kitchen pro eliminates 99.9% of bacteria without any harsh chemical residue. ♪ lysol. what it takes to protect.

start with a live look at our doppler radar: speckles ofr it is thursday morning. we start right now with a live look at our doppler radar and speckles of green out there, mostly in the south bay, but elsewhere, too, and that is a trend that's about to turn. "today in the bay" starts right now. >> thanks for joining us. i'm kris sanchez in for laura garcia-cannon. >> and i'm sam brock. could this be the last morning of the drizzling going on for the next few days? >> no. it's been so wet over the past few days. yeah, it's still soggy right now, but tomorrow's going to be all clear and dry, and the roads are still wet with some light spotty showers around parts of the bay as we get a look at what's going on out there right now, not a whole lot. heavier showers move through within the past three