that's what's happening "today in the bay." we're back at 7:25 with a live local news update. >> we'll follow what's going on weatherwise. good morning. breaking news. the new cold war. in an address to his nation, vladimir putin touts russia's new nuclear weapons, including a powerful missile and underwater drone he claims cannot be stopped by the u.s. what these new military capabilities could mean for the growing rift between the two countries. turmoil in the west wing. hope hicks, a key member of president trump's inner circle, abruptly resigns. her decision just one day after testifying in the russia investigation, and admitting that sometimes telling white lies for the president. the dramatic departure that now has the president searching for a new communications director for the fifth time in just over a year. we're live at the white house. corporations, not congress. walmart joins a growing list of

stores announcing tougher sales on guns as president trump takes on the nra and his own party. >> we've got to stop this nonsense, it's time. that's because you're afraid of the nra, right? >> the powerful gun lobby not holding back this morning. those stories, plus dangerous nor'easter. tens of millions gearing up for a powerful storm. nearly two feet of snow, heavy rain and 70-mile-an-hour winds. wells fargo under fire again. one of the nation's largest banks accused of harming its own customers. >> wells fargo was closing accounts that should not have been closed. and first chicken, now gravy. the new kfc shortage leaving fast food lovers high and dry. today, thursday, march 1st, 2018. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with savannah guthrie and hoda kotb, live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza.

and welcome to "today" on this thursday morning. we appreciate you joining us today. >> we want to get right to this breaking news. vladimir putin making some very disturbing comments overnight about nuclear weapons and raising these new cold war concerns. >> overnight he used his annual state of the nation address to flex russia's military might and reveal some alarming new weapons to the rest of the world. we have two reports, beginning with nbc's lucy kavanof. lucy, good morning. >> reporter: good morning. as evidence of russia's interference in u.s. elections continues to mount, the russian president used his annual state of the union address to warn washington against militarily messing with russia, revealing a range of new weapons, and threatening to turn brewing tensions with washington into a new cold war that could get hot. russia this morning is flexing its military muscle, unveiling a new line of nuclear weapons that it claims can reach almost

anywhere in the world and would render american defense systems useless. saying nobody listened to us, so listen to us now. in his marathon state of the union speech ahead of this month's presidential election, president vladimir putin's message to washington was loud and clear. and i am not bluffing. the new weapons include a nuclear-powered underwater drone and a nuclear-powered cruise missile, difficult to detect and russia claims impossible to interpret. but putin says that russia is not the aaggressor. blaming the new arm's race on america's decision to pull out of the 1972 anti-ballistic missile treaty and for building new bases close to russia's borders. now, putin also said that moscow would regard a nuclear attack on its allies as an attack on russia itself and would immediately respond.

and, savannah, this comes as president donald trump set the date for his military parade for next veterans day, november 11th. both sides seemingly set on flexing their military muscle as tensions continue to mount. >> all right, lucy, thank you so much. let's turn to jeremy bash, nbc's national security analyst. jeremy, before we get to the technical side of these new weapons vladimir putin is talking about, what's going on here? because it doesn't feel like we've heard this kind of language, this hot rhetoric, from russia, in a very long time. what's putin's angle here? >> yeah, savannah, but nobody should be surprised because russia has been building these major weapons systems for a long time. they want to build up their nuclear arsenal. they effectively have pulled out of international arms agreements but more fundamentally they see a message from washington, from donald trump, where we recency said we're going to build nuclear weapons and, hey, it's back to the battle days of moscow and washington, trying to one-up each other.

>> let's talk about these weapons. i read he wants to have a naming contest throughout russia to name these weapons. are they as terrifying and ominous as putin makes them out to be? >> for many years the defense department has been concerned about russia's development. effectively if you have a cruise missile that can fly low and fast, it cannot be hit by our missile defense systems in our coastal cities, boston, new york, washington are definitely at risk. >> jeremy bash, thank you so much with the disturbing story this morning. appreciate it. let's turn now to the white house. there is a lot to cover there. hope hicks, president trump's long-time aide, has announced her resignation. that news coming as her soon-to-be former boss stunned both sides of the aisle by going against members of his own party and the nra to embrace stronger gun control measures. and there's some major developments more on the russia investigation as well. we'll get to all of that starting with nbc national correspondent peter alexander and that shake-up in the west wing. peter, good morning. >> reporter: hoda, good morning to you.

this really was a stunning announcement. the resignation of communications director hope hicks, certainly one of the most important people inside this white house, because of her closeness to the president. what it means with the exception of the trump family, almost all of the president's original inner circle is now gone, with hicks said to be physically and emotionally drained by a chaotic several months. >> thank you, donald trump. >> reporter: for the fifth time in just 15 months, president trump is looking for a communications director. the latest dramatic departure one of the president's most loyal and longest serving aides, hope hicks. >> now, hope hicks is a tremendously talented person. >> reporter: hicks, part of mr. trump's inner circle even before the campaign, personally informed the president wednesday, less than 24 hours after testifying on capitol hill in the russia investigation. members of that committee confirming to nbc news hicks acknowledged that she sometimes tells white lies as part of her job. but according to lawmakers, she says none of them related to russia.

hicks has faced scrutiny for her role last summer helping the president draft donald trump jr.'s misleading initial statement dismissing that 2016 trump tower meeting with russian operatives. white house officials insist the timing of hicks' testimony this week has nothing to do with her resignation, nor does the rob porter scandal, aides say. hicks crafted the white house's initial statements in defense of porter, who she was reportedly dating at the time, before porter resigned amid accusations he abused his ex-wives, allegations he denied. the president praising the former model and political newcomer writing hope is outstanding and has done great work for the last three years. she is as smart and thoughtful as they come, a truly great person, adding he totally understood her decision to leave. the latest round of white house turmoil comes as special counsel robert mueller is reportedly looking into president trump's war of words with attorney

general jeff sessions last summer. >> i am disappointed in the attorney general. >> reporter: according to "the washington post" mueller is examining whether the president's attacks were part of a months-long pattern of attempted obstruction of justice in order to drive sessions from his job. on wednesday, the president and his attorney general involved in another very public face-off, this time over alleged surveillance abuses by the fbi. mr. trump taking aim, tweeting why is a.g. jeff sessions asking the inspector general to investigate potentially massive fisa abuse? why not use justice department lawyers? disgraceful. sessions, who usually avoids responding to mr. trump, pushing back at a statement insisting he would continue to discharge my duties with integrity and honor. meanwhile mueller appears to be zeroing in on the question of collusion between the trump campaign and russia that the president has repeatedly denied. >> no collusion, no collusion. >> reporter: multiple people familiar with the russia inquiry tell nbc news mueller's team is asking witnesses whether mr. trump was aware before the public that democratic e-mails had been stolen, and whether then candidate trump was

involved in their release by wikileaks right in the heart of the campaign. mr. trump name-dropping wikileaks 145 times in the final month before election day. >> this wikileaks, it's like a treasure trove. wikileaks, i love wikileaks. >> reporter: as for that clash between the president and his attorney general, check out this picture. it's from overnight. jeff sessions there dining side by side with his deputy, rod rosenstein, and the solicitor general, the symbolism here hard to miss. the three top-ranking justice department officials in this country with a show of solidarity the very same day the president again publicly attacked sessions. hoda and savannah. >> peter alexander at the white house, peter, thanks. now to that surprising new stance from the president on guns. in a move that's already shaking up an already heated debate, the president has voiced support for several ideas that democrats like and that put him at odds with fellow republicans and the nra. nbc's chief white house

correspondent hallie jackson is on the hill with that part of the story this morning. hallie, good morning to you. >> reporter: hey, good morning. that school safety discussion will continue today, a white house official telling me the president is set to meet again with family members of those affected by gun violence. it comes as he is tweeting now about that discussion in the west wing you mentioned, the president saying that many ideas, some good and some not so good emerged from those talks. that talk, by the way, stunned lawmakers in both parties, had the nra calling it good tv but bad policy and left many doubtful that any sweeping changes could actually get done in congress. and now, as yet another business weighs in on all this, it's becoming clear that most of the action in the gun debate at this moment is less about the political world and more about the private sector. this morning the biggest moves to stop gun violence aren't coming from capitol hill but corporate america, and companies like walmart, the world's biggest business, now says it will not sell any gun to anyone

under the age of 21. the surprise announcement drawing opposition overnight from the nra. >> the people that it's going to affect are the 19-year-old law-abiding american who just wants to go and deer hunt or the person who maybe wants to do a three-gun competition with hopes of competing. we're punishing law-abiding americans. >> reporter: walmart stopped selling guns similar to the ar-15 a few years ago but now it will also end sales of toy guns and bb guns that look like assault-style rifles. that move coming hours after a similar policy pivot from dick's sporting goods. no assault-style rifles and no one under 21 allowed to purchase a gun in the aftermath of the parkland school shooting. dick's ceo with nbc's kate snow. >> it's a big decision to make as a corporation. why? >> if these kids can be brave enough to do this, then we should be brave enough to make a stand ourself. >> reporter: president trump agrees about raising the minimum age to buy semiautomatics, even, he says, if it pits him against the nra.

>> so good afternoon. >> reporter: he made that clear in an hour-long televised meeting with lawmakers. >> it doesn't make sense that i have to wait until i'm 21 to get a handgun but i can get this weapon at 18. i don't know. i was just curious as to what you did in your bill. >> we didn't address it, mr. president. >> you know why? because you're afraid of the nra. >> reporter: the president at times offering olive branches. >> i see some folks that don't say nice things about me and that's okay. because if you turn that into this energy, i'll love you. >> reporter: and at times, going further than even some democrats, like when it comes to confiscating firearms from those deemed a danger to society. >> take the guns first, go through due process second. >> reporter: but despite the president's promises, skepticism still from democrats. >> if he's such a good deal maker, then go out and find 10 or 15 republicans who will support it. >> reporter: and from republicans. >> i wouldn't confuse what he said with what can actually pass.

>> reporter: now listen, we have seen this movie before, remember. think about that immigration meeting that happened back in january where it seemed like the president wanted something bipartisan to come out of it but ultimately nothing really ever did. that due process comment you heard him make, by the way, is drawing a lot of heat from inside the gop this morning. listen to this blistering statement from nebraska senator ben sasse. he says we're not ditching any constitutional protections simply because the last person the president talked to today didn't like them. certainly something to watch today, savannah. >> hallie jackson on capitol hill, thank you. of course the debate over guns come in the wake of that tragic school shooting in florida. classes did resume there on wednesday with emotions still running high. nbc's kerry sanders is back on campus with the very latest. hey, kerry, good morning. >> reporter: well, good morning, hoda. this morning school administrators and teachers say that while life here will never be the same for the returning students, this second day of school here this morning is important to re-establishing a

routine in the students' lives. this morning they have added to the 40 therapy dogs to help the students, to help them as they come back to school. this morning a sigh of relief in parkland. students, parents and staff all thankful the first day back at school went smoothly. >> very upsetting but at the same time it was just so nice to see all the students. >> everyone was really supportive to each other because this brought us together as a family. >> reporter: to give the school family a sense of security, a highly visible armed police presence. and for emotional security, grief counselors and more than 40 therapy dogs. >> i mean it's scary going back, but i'm excited. i'm excited to see all my friends and my teachers and kind of get back to some sort of normalcy. >> reporter: 17-year-old taren and her brother, zach, both returned. she shot this video diary.

>> so, i just finished my fourth period class. it was really good to be with everybody and to be with the teacher. >> reporter: their mother tracy. >> my biggest question to them was did you feel safe? yes, they felt safe. it was okay today, mom. that's what they said. >> reporter: school administrators made the decision to start the day with fourth period, turning back the clock to the moment two weeks ago when time stopped. but for 17 families, there was no going back. >> you couldn't go back to the campus? >> i was there during orientation. i went back to the building that alex was in and it's just -- i cried. i couldn't save him. and that i will never forgive myself. >> reporter: for the students, it was their first day of school in this new normal. >> we were just trying to reinstill the sense of normalcy that we all had before this. at the end of the day life has to go on. it doesn't mean that we forget the people that we knew before, you know what i mean?

>> reporter: school administrators say 95% of the students who are part of the 3,000-plus student body here showed up to school yesterday and they expect the same today. 15 students have told the school here they don't think they can ever come back. meantime, the grand jury will begin hearing testimony in this case next week. hoda, savannah. >> kerry sanders. kerry in parkland, florida, thanks. we turn now to the weather and the storm that brought heavy rain to the midwest and south this week is getting stronger and now taking aim at tens of millions on the east coast. al has got his eye on it. what are we expecting? >> guys, first of all, we still have massive flooding going on. this is owensboro, kentucky, where they have seen their worst flooding in 20 years and with more rain coming, it's going to cause more problems. rivers continue to rise. we continue to have flash flood watches and warnings for more than 10 million people. a flood threat ends later today into tomorrow and rainfall amounts fortunately a little

less. we're looking maybe half an inch to an inch of rain there. but now the big story and all eyes shift to the northeast and new england. we have winter weather advisories for 16 million people, coastal advisories for 22 million people as a powerful nor'easter starts getting itself together. here are the impacts. first of all, heavy rain. we're looking at soaking rain through thursday into early saturday, potential for localized flooding upwards of 3 to 5 inches in some spots. the winds are going to be a big problem. wind gusts of 65 miles per hour in boston, 60 here in new york city, 65 atlantic city, washington, d.c., looking at this, and then coastal flood watches and coastal flood warnings. boston, the storm surge could be tides of 3 to 5 feet, new york, storm surges of 1 to 3 feet so that could be a real mess. and then we've got snow to talk about. this is going to be a very prodigious snow maker. we're talking about anywhere from snowfall rates of 1 to 3

feet per hour. snowfall amounts when all said and done we're talking about roughly 12 to 18 inches in the southern catskills and locally in some of the higher elevations up to 2 feet of snow. if you're traveling, it's a big problem if you're flying in the northeast. we are talking about airport delays up and down the east coast, along i-95 from d.c. to boston and back west to buffalo for heavy snow. we're going to get to your local forecast coming up in the next 30 seconds. this looks better than 99% of the suvs out there. it's very modern... sleek. maybe the most impressive part of the all-new traverse... is what's on the inside. surprise! what are you doing here? i've missed you guys. i haven't seen you guys in so long! what's happening? we flew her out. it's a family car, we had to put your family in it! yeah, it gets 7 thumbs up!

and a very rainy and breezy morning around the bay area. you can see also on our storm ranger pinpointing an area of heavy downpours right over san mateo moving off to the south and east at about 20 to 30 miles an hour letting up at least a little bit in san jose and more steady around the santa cruz mountains. we'll be watching the next batch of moisture coming on in keeping rain changing over to scattered showers as we move through the afternoon. unstable air could lead to a slight chance of thundershowers by saturday close to 2,000 to 3,000 feet. got a big storm that's going to be hitting the west coast as well with rain and snow. we'll detail that coming up in the next half hour. >> thank you. coming up, the head of the u.s. olympic committee stepping down amid new fallout over the gymnastics abuse scandal. this morning how dr. larry nassar's victims are reacting. and new allegations against wells fargo. what the bank is accused of doing to some of its own customers. first, this is "today" on nbc. coming up, the fairy tale ending to chip and joe anna

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and visit farxiga.com for savings. if you can't afford your medication, astrazeneca may be able to help. we )re in a microclimate w good morning. it's 7:26. i'm marcus washington. of course we're in a micro climate weather alert. rain rolling in from the bane area. "today in the bay's" pete suratos is live in marin county in one of those areas. good morning, pete. >> reporter: that's right, marcus. drivers have to be very careful here. you can see this is lucky drive. that rain has been on and off. it's a little bit off now but the rain was coming down not long ago. you can see it's important for folks to keep their distance, drive carefully with the rain coming down on and off. we've seen it all morning long. also you saw it over on 880 across the bay area. you want to be careful as the

rain comes down. we'll send it back to rob in the studio to let our viewers know how it's looking across all of the bay area. right now you see the ponding on the roadways. three-quarters to an inch of rain in parts of marin county. our radar showing you the high-definition scan in the north bay. the central bay and south bay we continue to have these batches of showers come on through. the worst of the rain happening this morning. we'll transition to scattered showers later today which will set us up for possibly lowering snow levels as we approach the start of the weekend. flooding but not related to the storm in south san francisco. this picture comes in from airport boulevard. meanwhile wet roads around the bay. the sig alert at bernal blocking two left lanes. another crash blocks one lane and that leaves both directions slow. south away from the bay bridge.

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7:30 now, thursday morning. it is the 1st day of march, 2018. >> we're going to begin this half hour with today's headlines, including a troubling new warning from vladimir putin. >> breaking news. russian president vladimir putin shows off his country's new nuclear arsenal in an overnight address to the nation, including a powerful missile and an underwater drone he claims cannot be stopped by the u.s. putin in a show of force telling the world i am not bluffing. revolving door. >> thank you, donald trump. >> white house communications director and trump confidant hope hicks stepping down only hours after testifying she told white lies on behalf of the president. this as president trump once again takes on his own attorney general, calling jeff sessions'

approach to alleged surveillance abuses disgraceful. devastating storms. the midwest crippled by heavy rains and floods, leaving towns around the ohio river underwater. the northeast now bracing for a wet and windy impact as the storm gains strength. >> we're anticipating major coastal flooding. this will be a damaging storm that's going to have long-lasting impact right into the weekend. lying in honor. mourners flock to the u.s. capitol rotunda to pay their respects to the late reverend billy graham. >> here lies america's pastor. a man made great not by who he was but who he served. and plane huge. the world's largest airplane with a wing span longer than a football field rolls down the runway, now one step closer to takeoff, today, thursday, march 1st, 2018. i bet you get the whole can of coke on that airline. lots to get to including a

big shake-up at the u.s. olympic committee in the wake of the gymnastics abuse scandal. stephanie gosk is on the story for us again. good morning. >> good morning. the united states olympic committee says long-time ceo scott blackman is stepping down because of health issues. the announcement comes amid widespread criticism of the usoc's response to allegations against former gymnastics doctor larry nassar and growing calls for blackman to resign. form former doctor larry nassar who was accused of abusing hundreds of girls in his care windchill spend the rest of his life in jail. while the reckoning over how his case was handled at the highest level of sports is only just beginning. this morning the head of the u.s. olympic committee, a target of some of the fiercest kprit sichl is stepping down. the usoc announced scott blackman is resigning related to health concerns related to prostate cancer. at the same time, the organization outlined its new plans to protect athletes from sexual abuse. in addition to providing more

resources to nassar's victims, new reforms will be made to better protect athletes and respond to accusations of abuse. >> i think there needs to be a huge shift in the culture of amateur shifts. >> two of nassar's accusers, gold medal winner jordan weaver and jeanette antolin say more needs to be done. >> it's nice to hear people are starting to acknowledge their wrongdoings and acknowledge the fact that they didn't care in the moment. >> the usoc publicly defended blackman in south korea, just as the winter olympics were set to kick off. >> he has served the usoc with distinction, and we think that he did what he was supposed to do and did the right thing. >> according to the usoc, the head of usa gymnastics contacted blackman about the sexual abuse allegations against larry nassar in the summer of 2015 and told blackman the fbi had been alerted. but critics say someone dropped the ball, because nassar continued seeing patients at michigan state university for roughly a year, and the school

was never notified that he was under investigation. gold medalist aly raisman, who says she was abused by nassar as well, called for an independent investigation of the usoc in an interview with hoda. >> this is bigger than larry nassar. we have to get to the bottom of how this disaster happened. >> following pressure from raisman and others, the usoc launched the investigation. >> we want to see that those changes that they say they're going to make are actually being made and actually being implemented and it's protecting children, because that's the number one thing that's going on here that needs to change. >> jordan weber and jeanette antolin are part of a group that urged senators on capitol hill to hold hearings on nassar's case and discuss ways to better protect young athletes in the future. guys. >> stephanie, thank you. we're going to move over to mr. roker and get a check of the weather. >> we've got a lot going on out west for our friends out there. you can see already heavy rain and mountain snows firing up from seattle all the way down to just north of los angeles as

this system pushes in. we're looking for a rapid spread of rain and snow into the west and it will continue into next week as the storm system pushes on, we'll have a couple coming onshore. so rainfall amounts we are talking about anywhere from 3 to 5 inches in some spots, especially as you get into the mountains of california. flash flood watches tonight anywhere, again, coastal valleys, coast and the valleys about 0.75 to 1.5 inches. there's snowfall as well in the cascade, the sierra and also in the rockies. we are looking at upwards of 15 inches of and the day is starting with wind and rain around san jose right now. temperatures not too cold for a change this morning. 50 degrees wind speeds at 14 miles an hour. storm radar mobile doppler around san jose. steadier rain from the peninsula over to hayward and san mateo. that line is marching to the santa clara valley the next half

hour. behind this scattered showers and cooler air aloft which will keep the showers going and possibly help to drop our snow levels down as we go into the start of the weekend. could see snow levels as low as 2,000 to 3,000 feet by saturday morning. that is your latest weather. hoda. >> all right, al, thanks so much. still to come, what a way to make a living. is dolly parton's dream of a "9 to 5" reunion actually happening? plus the vatican's controversial new plan to deal with a sudden and surprising demand for more exorcists. then the hidden dangers to watch for when you book vacation excursions. jeff rossen is undercover to keep you safe. but one of the nation's largest banks under fire again. ♪ seresto, seresto, seresto jake... ♪ seresto, seresto, seresto whatever your dog brings home to you, it shouldn't be fleas and ticks. seresto gives your dog 8 continuous months of flea and tick protection in an easy-to-use,

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ling kent has all of the details. hey, jo, good morning. >> hey, guys, good morning. wells fargo is under fire once again facing a new lawsuit for questionable activity affecting customers' bank accounts. a former employee now speaking out to us this morning, alleging bad behavior when it came to investigating possible fraudulent activity. >> i'm saying that wells fargo was closing accounts that should not have been closed. >> reporter: this morning, wells fargo facing new fraud allegations of abusing customers. a former employee accusing the bank of mishandling thousands of consumer account investigations. matthew valez was a fraud investigator at wells fargo in portland, oregon, for seven years. he says instead of looking into counterfeit checks, unauthorized withdrawals and other suspicious activities, the bank had a much simpler solution. vallez allege this simply dropped or froze the account. a federal regulator is currently investigating the bank's handling of fraud investigations

based on the claims and complaints from dozens of customers. >> it could have been atm debit card fraud, check fraud, online fraud, any type of fraud, they would rush through their cases and make certain decisions that didn't justify closure. >> reporter: vallez filed suit for wrongful termination, saying the bank fired him when he tried to blow the whistle. nbc news reached out to wells fargo, which disclosed six months ago regulators were investigating whether customers had been harmed by the practice. a spokesperson says they take the concerns seriously and will investigate thoroughly, adding our goal is to protect our customers and the bank from fraud and we want to do so in ways that minimize the risk and impact on our customers. these new revelations come as wells fargo is currently under fire and facing regulatory backlash. last month the federal reserve blasted the bank for what it called widespread consumer abuses, forbidding wells fargo from growing any larger until

they drastically improve business practices under strict guidelines. back in 2016 the banking giant was fined $185 million after it was exposed for secretly opening millions of phony accounts without its customers' knowledge or consent. those illegal practices going as far back as 2011. the scandal costing the bank's long-time ceo, john stumpf his job. he was forced to resign last year, the bank clawing back $28 million of his bonus money. >> it's on wells fargo and their management. they're the ones making the calls and they're the ones putting people in certain positions that have them in leadership, and they're the ones that need to be held responsible for it. >> if wells fargo is found guilty of these latest allegations of customer abuse, this could push the bank's total penalty and refund amounts even higher. credit experts are warning that closing and opening bank accounts could negatively impact your credit score too. guys.

>> all right, jo. thank you so much. coming up next, why the vatican is suddenly training exorcists at a record rate. first, these messages. ... ♪ i've always wanted to share a special moment with my mom. i think surprising her with a night ski trip would just be the biggest gift i could give her. let's make that happen. she's gonna be so excited. ♪ take me where i want to be. ♪ ♪ let me dream, oh, let me dream... ♪ mazola corn oil has moree only cholesterol-blockingg oil? plant sterols than olive oil. and a clinical study showed it can help lower cholesterol 2x more. when it comes to heart-health, mazola is a smart choice.

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if you're using artificial tears a lot and your eyes still feel dry. next question. guys, it's time for some eyelove! - there's a common thread i see every time i'm in the field. while this was burning, you were saving other homes. neighbors helping neighbors and strangers alike. - this is what america's about. - sometimes it's nice to see all the good that's out there. bringing folks out, we have seen it in community after community. and we are back with a surprising demand facing the catholic church. >> apparently there are growing requests for exorcism so now the vatican is set to train more priests in how to do it. keir simmons has that story. keir, good morning. >> reporter: hey, guys, good morning. it is deeply controversial and yet word from a conference in italy is that more priests are to be trained in exorcism. in the past, nbc news has spoken to practicing exorcists to try to understand this ancient ritual.

exorcism, according to the catholic church, it's the eviction of demons and other evil spirits from a person's body. in 2013, pope francis laid hands on a man in a wheelchair who claimed to be possessed by demons. father trukey is one of the priests trained to expel the devil. >> one person coming for a week telling me that they had problems. >> reporter: he's an exorcist, like the 1970s horror movie of the same name. now reports say there are plans to train even more priests after a threefold increase in the demand for exorcisms in italy alone. 500,000 per year. >> what's unquestionable is that more people are asking for it. more people are diagnosing themselves as possessed. >> reporter: just outside of madrid, father jose fortia used to be the only exorcist in spain. he spoke to nbc news back in

2015 to explain his practice. he says he would see the tortured like this woman from dawn to dusk, reading scriptures and praying over them. while all the while, he says, the devil fights to stay in control. >> i pray for somebody and he begin to vomit, to have a terrible pain in his chest or something in his head, something is there. something that is not ordinary, something that is extraordinary. >> reporter: some say extraordinary characteristics like supernatural strength, make it possible to separate the mentally ill from the possessed. but skeptics say the two have been confused through the years. >> the vast, vast majority of people who believe they are possessed are medically or mentally ill, the vast, vast majority. >> reporter: while others question the whole idea. >> it can be advantageous to take on the role of being

possessed. one is then kind of not held responsible for any acts that you caused in the past. it wasn't you, it was the demon, it was the spirit. >> reporter: for those who believe exorcism skills have declined and those who do not believe say there are more modern and more appropriate ways of treating those who need help. more exorcism training is planned very soon for a practice that still divides people, divides them between science and religion and understanding what's really going on in the human mind. back to you guys. >> fascinating, keir, thank you. coming up, the brick layer with an unbelievable new way to get his work done. and our pal carson in the orange room. >> hey, guys, coming up here a new debate over cigarettes. should nonsmokers possibly get more vacation days? we'll explain right after your local news. [burke] at farmers, we've seen almost everything so we know how to cover almost anything. even a "red-hot mascot." [mascot] hey-oooo!

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and we're under a microclimate weather alert for wind and rain. at times we may see thundershowers as we head into the night into friday. wind speeds calming down. rain to the north of san jose and some outright downpours where we positioned our storm ranger mobile doppler radar atop san bruno mountain. we're seeing the downpours showing up in yellow and orange here on your peninsula drive leaving san mateo into palo alto. we'll continue to see the bands of showers moving on through. may get a sunny break this afternoon. there's all the cold air that will follow the widespread rain that will power up a chance of those thundershowers late today into friday. mid-50s, breezy. a wind advisory up through 10:00 tonight and there's a look at your seven-day forecast. notice we'll see less rain but cooler air aloft which will bring down snow levels to start the weekend, maybe into the higher hill tops around the bay

area. mike? rob, we're looking here at rain. obviously all the roadways are wet and puddling. san mateo and hayward, that's the blue we see. the red north 280 may get better soon. approaching 85, a disabled vehicle cleared. still slick. the silicon valley has your build. north 680 still waiting for the tow truck to clear the crash, the truck at bernal, jammed in both directions. recovery in oakland at 29th. slow westbound. the crash just cleared. thanks, mike. happening now wet conditions farther east means so much needed snow in the sierra. that's where a blizzard warning is now in effect. the snowfall is expected to get heavier between now and tomorrow. it's possible some roads may have to be closed if the conditions indeed worsen. chain requirements are already in effect. and at the same time the latest storm is providing excitement for local skiers and those people who are already in tahoe. to see those conditions for yourself go to our twitter feed where we're posting the images of the sierra snowfall.

i'm marcus washington. the ry morning. overnight - we )ll survey any new damage or issues the storm may bring. and - we )ll help you start your weekend with live updates on the roads. plus: a fresh look at rain and snow totals. team coverage - tomorrow - on today in the bay.

it is 8:00. coming up on "today," breaking news. vladimir putin touts russia's new nuclear arsenal in an overnight address, including a powerful missile and underwater drone they say cannot be so was this a sign that the cold war is heating up? plus give me a break. jeff rossen reveals the hidden dangers of popular cruise excursions. >> he just said hang on to this bar when i land. >> so how can you tell if it's safe or if you're at risk? and fixed up. >> we hope this kickstarts the rest of your life. >> moments after unveiling their latest project, chip and joanna gaines stand by as a u.s. marine makes a renovation to remember.

>> i think this marks the beginning of our greatest adventure. >> today, march 1st, 2018. [ cheers ] >> we came from minnesota. >> to meet savannah and hoda! >> i'm here today because i love to meet my friend. >> we're from wisconsin. >> and it's our first time in nyc! >> turning 65 and feeling alive on the plaza. >> we're from maryland and we're 80 today. >> at the "today" show from dallas, georgia, celebrating our five-year anniversary. >> oh. >> love that. >> margaritaville out on the plaza this morning. >> jimmy buffet is out there. we'll be out with him in just a little bit. thank you for being with us today.

we want to get right to your news at 8:00 because we do have a lot going on. an alarming speech by russian president vladimir putin is raising questions about his intentions and his motives. putin boasted about his country's new breed of nuclear weapons. let's get right to nbc's lucy kavanof in london. >> reporter: hoda, good morning. talk about a dramatic show of force, the russian president using his state of the union address this morning to warn washington against militarily messing with russia. revealing a range of new nuclear weapons that could threaten to spark a new arms race and threatening to turn those tensions with washington into a new cold war that could get hot. russia this morning is flexing its military muscle, threatening washington with a new line of nuclear weapons that it claims can reach almost anywhere in the world and would render american defense systems useless. saying nobody listened to us, so listen to us now.

in his marathon state of the union speech ahead of this month's presidential election, president vladimir putin's message to washington was loud and clear. "i am not bluffing." speaking for nearly two hours to an enthusiastic audience, putin unveiled an impressive array of new military hardware, difficult to detect and, russia claims, impossible to intercept. the speech was aimed at russian voters ahead of this month's presidential election. a vote that putin is expected to easily win. the 65-year-old former kgb agent has been in power since 2000, the longest serving russian leader since joseph stalin. and putin is now expected to stay at the helm until 2024. in his defiant speech, the russian leader also said that moscow would consider a nuclear attack on any of its allies on an attack on russia, that they would immediately respond.

this comes at president donald trump set the day for his military parade for next veterans day, november 11th. both sides seemingly set on flexing their military muscle, as tensions mount. hoda? >> all right, lucy, thank you. there are surprising new developments in the renewed debate over gun control, which has been spurred by the florida high school shooting. the president stunned members of both parties on wednesday when he seemed to defy the gun lobby. during a discussion on school safety, the president said police should be able to confiscate guns from people who have been flagged as being potentially dangerous. he also repeated his support for raising the minimum age for buying semiautomatic weapons. on wednesday retail giant walmart drew criticism from the nra when it announced it will no longer sell guns or ammo to anyone younger than 21 years old. police across the country are warning about a disturbing pattern of rapes and other sex crimes blamed on phony ride-share drivers. gadi schwartz is in los angeles with what women can do to protect themselves.

hey, gadi, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, hoda. police say many of these rape cases follow a very troubling pattern. they happen late at night with predators pretending to be an uber or lyft driver. they target women who have been drinking in an effort to try to lure them into their cars. and police here in los angeles just arrested one man linked to seven different cases of sexual assault. investigators believe there may be more victims out there. in los angeles, police say a serial rapist is finally behind bars. a man prosecutors say posed as a ride-share driver convincing women in front of bars and nightclubs that he was there to pick them up, but instead kidnapping them, threatening them with a knife and sexually assaulting them. >> i literally woke up to him in the seat with me in a park somewhere and he was banging my head against the seat. >> reporter: carla telling jeff rossen it happened to her. >> your instinct is to say stop, get off me. you're fighting and then you realize, wow, this is not

changing anything. he's still overpowering me. well, what's next. >> and he sexually assaulted you? >> yes. >> for hours? >> for three hours, yeah. >> reporter: her attorney says dna has linked that same suspect to carla's assault. other cases just like this are on the rise. in chicago police say dna linked another ride-share imposter to the assaults of five women. at the university of south carolina, investigators issuing campus warnings about this man. attacks happening in large cities, in small towns at alarming rates. los angeles county sheriff's captain says rapists search for the vulnerable. >> when it's someone by themselves, someone who appears to have been drinking and has that appearance about them, they're out there and maybe their guard is down. >> we reached out to lyft and uber for comment. lyft did not respond but uber says they vet and track their drivers and offered safety tips online, asking riders to check license plate and drivers' pictures to make sure they

aren't someone else. a quick glance at a phone, the captain says, does not happen enough. >> this is someone you do not know. you don't know what their background is. you don't know if they have a criminal history, if they have a violent criminal history. you're putting your faith in this person's hands when you get in that car. >> now, there are a few things you might be able to do with your phone. detectives say in cities like los angeles, let's say you're in the back seat and need to call police but don't want to alert the driver. you can text 911 and send messages directly to a dispatcher. also this is something i learned covering this story, you can actually hit the power button on your phone five times like this and it prompts this screen right here on iphones. you can swipe right there and that sends out an emergency sos. you can program that to alert your loved ones as to where you are at that moment. hoda, back to you. >> good advice, gadi. the sanctuary city's feud between oakland's democratic mayor and the trump administration is escalating this morning. the mayor, libby schaaf, said

she had a moral obligation to warn undocumented families about impending federal immigration raids. i.c.e. agents did detain 150 people but the mayor's warning helped some of the 850 others who are still wanted elude capture and they say her actions endangered i.c.e. officers and the public. first there was a chicken shortage and now kfc says it's running out of gravy. it's in the uk, not in the u.s. they are blaming the shortage on a supply chain problem after it started using a new distribution company. they ran out of chicken a few weeks back closing hundreds of stores in england. parent company yum brand says it's working hard to get the gravy flowing again. >> just don't touch the biscuits is all i'm saying. let's do the "morning boost." >> you're going to like this one. jacksonville state university basketball player, has not seen his family in five years. he moved to the u.s. from lithuania and they haven't been able to come and see him play.

it's a long flight, very expensive. the senior forward was called into a meeting with his coaches for what was supposed to be a film session. one of his coaches started joking that he needed some good old-fashioned discipline and he had the perfect person for the job. we get the real thing for you. [ laughter ] >> no, no, no, no. >> aww. >> that's giga's mom. when he saw her he couldn't believe his eyes. it took him a couple of minutes to compose himself and he did what he was meant to do, gave her a big ole hug. she's going to watch him play college basketball, very first game, that is tonight. >> i can't bear it, it's so sweet. there's a lot more to get to this morning, including what could be chip and joanna gaines' ultimate fixer upper. we will explain. plus a cure for your winter blues. we have jimmy buffet on our plaza. also a live performance from his brand new broadway musical. first, what could be hidden dangers on your next trip.

>> reporter: hi, good morning, i'm jeff rossen. coming up, cruise excursions wildly popular but also dangerous with accidents caught on camera. what are you supposed to do to protect yourself? what are the red flags? we're out here to show you, spring break confidential, next. ? ? what are the red flags? enamel is the strong, white, ? what are the red flags? outer layer of your tooth surface. the thing that's really important to dentists is to make sure that that enamel stays strong and resilient for a lifetime the more that we can strengthen and re-harden that tooth surface, the whiter their patients' teeth are going to be. dentists are going to really want to recommend pronamel strong and bright. it helps to strengthen and re-harden the enamel. it also has stain lifting action. it's going to give their patients the protection that they need and the whiter teeth that they want. ♪ hnew litter?lled this no. nobody has! it's unscented! (vo) new tidy cats free & clean unscented. powerful odor control with activated charcoal. free of dyes. free of fragrances. tidy cats free & clean. when no scents makes sense.

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this is food made to sit down for. slow down for. put the phone away, and use a knife and fork for. and with panera catering, it's food worth sharing. panera. food as it should be. and we're back with our special rossen reports series, spring break confidential. this morning the potential hidden danger on some cruise excursions as you plan your next trip. >> today national investigative correspondent jeff rossen is here to show us how to protect ourselves. >> good morning to you guys. look, it's an easy way to travel, cruising from island to island, exploring new places. when you get to each port, you get off the ship, you want to hit the town and maybe try some

activities, but there are recent cases of americans injured, even killed when things go wrong. this morning, the rossen reports team is going undercover, booking popular excursions online and trying them out, showing you exactly what to look for on your spring break. you're cruising in the caribbean, hitting all the islands, and you want activities. but excursions can go bad fast. this woman crashing at the end of a zip line. unable to brake, her head whipping back. and this 6-year-old boy slamming into a hotel balcony while parasailing. incredibly he survived. so how can you prevent this from happening to you? to find out, we're coming here to some of the most popular cruise ship ports in the caribbean, and we are booking excursions just like you would to see how safe they are. let's go. my adventurous producer,

lindsay, loves these activities and volunteered to do them and i know what to look for so i'm watching like a hawk. first stop, jamaica, where lindsay signs up for scuba. they ask for her medical history, and experts say that's what they should do. >> locked and loaded. >> and before going into the ocean, they make lindsay practice skills in a shallow pool. you want to make sure they do this for you too before you go scuba diving. another good sign underwater, lindsay's instructor is certified and stays close by the whole time. but our luck is about to turn when we head into the mountains for a zip lining tour. as we watch, these american tourists go up in a big zip line swing. i walk around and see this, frayed ropes attached to the pulley raising the swing high into the air. >> i don't think you should do it. >> i'm going to skip it. >> just feet away on a different zip line, she gets no real

safety believing. >> so what am i supposed to do, though, i just go? >> yes. >> that's it? >> that's it. >> do i brake or anything? >> no brakes on these? >> no, this is zip line. >> so are they going to catch me? >> yes, they're going to catch you down there. >> luckily they have guides on both ends of each zip line. and on another one, they call out to make sure the line is clear before sending lindsay off. the zip line company telling nbc news the type of zip line it operates is one of the safest and does not require the same detailed safety briefing as most of the others. also saying you don't need brakes because it's your body weight that takes you across, adding the equipment undergoes regular safety inspections. we have never had a zip wire accident in the 14 years of operation. yes, accidents will happen, but they have been few and far between and all have been on the ground and rarely as a result of negligence on the part of my

staff. but things are about to get really dicey when lindsay goes parasailing in the bahamas. i spot trouble right away, frayed ropes on the boat and this tattered harness. but that's not all. >> good luck, lindsay. >> no real safety briefing here either. >> he just said hang on to this bar when island. i'm really high up right now. it's windy and experts say at this height the boat operators can't hear me if there's an emergency. >> but most disturbing of all, the spotter is barely paying attention, mostly staring at his phone or toward the front of the boat. lindsay is behind him. the parasailing company declined to comment. rossen reports taking a mediocre vacation so yours -- >> woo-hoo. >> -- doesn't become a nightmare. experts say you should always book excursions through the cruise lines. they vet the companies for safety the best they can. there is still a risk but that

gives you an added layer of security and safety versus finding some random guy on the beach walking up skag do you want to go scuba? also read reviews from other travelers online and trust your gut. if you feel like something is a little off with the boat, the people, get out of dodge. >> hats off to lindsay. >> notice jeff didn't show. you're like marlon perkins. >> it's always lindsay. >> try this out, lindsay. >> tomorrow we're sending lindsay into more danger. no, tomorrow morning we're talking more about our series spring break confidential and hotel wi-fi. turns out hackers have new tricks to steal your personal information while you're poolside at your favorite resorts. we tested it out. your not going to believe the results. the results are pretty scary. we'll show you and give you the tips to protect yourself before your next vacation. you can't go anywhere anymore. >> jeff, thank you so much. mr. roker. >> lindsay needs a raise. i'm just going to tell you right

now, okay? well, as we look at what's going on down south, the flooding continues. we have 10 million people at risk for flood watches and warnings as more heavy rain moves across. the good news is the heaviest rain is just about done, it's coming to an end, but those rivers are going to continue to rise. now, this nor'easter, though, we're watching this system as it comes across. we've got winter weather advisories for 16 million people, coastal flood advisories for 22 million people as this system comes across. we're looking at these winds. this is going to be a twofold event in that the wind gusts of 50 to 60 miles per hour from boston all the way down to norfolk will cause a lot of airport delays, but also going to cause a lot of beach erosion. a real mess there. and then the rainfall amounts, anywhere from 2 to 3 inches of rain. and snow on the back side of this thing, snowfall rates 1 to 3 inches per hour. totals could be up to 2 that's what's going on around the country. here's what's happening in your

neck of the woods. >> we are still seeing plenty of rain here in the bay area. we've seen the storm system really make its way through. if you're heading out right now for work, this is what you can expect. we've actually got our storm ranger up and running. it's scanning. that radar showcasing how much rain we're seeing. in the east bay, near oakland, heavy downpours. san mateo seeing pretty strong downpours. it is expected to stay on the breezy to windy side, at least true the early morning into the afternoon. we'll see a decrease in the wind speeds but you can expect to see a lot of ponding water. so everybody please be safe. us out on our sirius xm channel 108. >> mr. carson is in the orange room with what could be a new reason for smokers to kick the habit. >> that's right, guys. there's a new study from halo cigs says the average smoker spends the equivalent of six days per year on work smoke breaks. that stat has people wondering if nonsmokers should get more

time off to compensate. they think they should get 3 to 5 vacation days. social media users all weighing in. one post says seems like a fair trade, if smokers can be paid to stoke their habit and not work, what does a nonsmoker do? good question here. stephanie thinks it's already fair saying smokers take the same breaks nonsmokers do, they just choose to smoke. so we took it to our viewers. we asked you on twitter should nonsmokers get extra vacation days. what do you think they said? 69% saying yes. we've got to even this out. 31% saying no. what do you think about that? >> i don't know. i shop online sometimes at work. we all have our own little thing that we do on the side. >> i do that too, but while i'm smoking. >> maybe it would encourage people to quit smoking. one extra reason, i get more vacation days. >> the average smoker if they were given 11 days off, that's what the study also found, they'd be more inclined to stop smoking. >> that's an interesting

incentive. >> what have you got for popstart. >> you remember "9 to 5." is a movie reboot potentially in the works? according to deadline, you've got dolly parton, jane fonda and lily tomlin. 20th century fox is said to be in the stages of a new version. they're going to follow three young women facing challenges in a male-dominated workplace with the original cast offering advice. fans are excited for a reunion after deseeing dolly, jane and lily at last year's awards. next chip and joanna gaines always have surprises in store but this might have been one of their best ones yet. on their hgtv show they renovated a home for t.j. and stephanie but after the home t.j. had just one more question to ask. we hope you love the house and hope this kickstarts the rest of your life. >> i appreciate it. you know, i just love you so

much. if i can get it out. and i know we've been on a lot of great adventures and i think this marks the beginning of our greatest adventure. so would you marry me? >> yes. >> how about that? >> sweet. >> you've got chip and joanna gaines. they bring the magic. of course he's got a marine, he's got a proposal. that's the trifecta of loveliness right there. congratulations to them. finally, chadwick bozeman, star of the movie "black panther" which has taken the box office by storm, jimmy fallon decided to give fans the ultimate surprise. he asked them to record thank you messages to chadwick. boy, were they in for a surprise. take a look. >> thank you from the very bottom of my heart for all that you've done, for really being a hero that we really need in a time like this. thank you so much. >> derrick, i think there's something wrong with your microphone. >> oh!

>> i cannot tell you how much it means to have you step into the roll as our king. >> that was so great. >> i've seep the movie twice in theaters already and once on bootleg. it was incredible. thank you. >> wait, you go bootleg my movie? >> surprised he didn't come out as plaque panther on the bootleg comment. you can watch willie's interview on "sunday today." that is your popstart. so glad we have time for the daily quick take. do we have time? it's a good one today. it's a brick layer. hoda, you're going to love this. he's building a wall for a client. he decides to get creative, so look at that. so what he did is he laid out all these stone slabs, they extend the sboentire length of wall and he goes through the domino effect. it's worth the wait. they do the domino effect. it goes all the way down to the end. how is he going to get these things to lay flat?

watch this. hi there. >> that is brilliant. >> i don't know how this is working. the reverse effect took place. so it stops there at the end but isn't that unbelievable? >> that's crazy. >> how does that work? >> i don't know. i don't know. >> wow, science. because of science. >> because it does. >> i hope it's real too. if that's fake, no one tell me. >> that was awesome. coming up, what are blurred lips. the latest beauty trends you need to jumpi )m ...

we are in a microclimate weather alert. a live look in dublin .. where wet roads are making for . good morning. it is 8:26. i'm marcus washington. a life look in dublin where those wet roads are making it difficult for drivers. viena, really when you think about it, all around, we're going to see those same conditions. >> we are because that system is really wide spread. it was moving from north to south, and outside the window right now, whether you're in the north bay or even the south bay, you're going to see those dark clouds. and of course a lot of that rain. it's 52 in san jose. we've got that mobile doppler radar. look how beautiful it scans this rain pushing its way through. we've got some showers, pockets, moving through san jose. we've got heavy downpours in oakland and san mateo where you

see the red and yellow highli t highlighted. let's get a check of the roads. >> a look at the maps. the blue, san mateo, hayward, that rain causing puddling there. we also have this sig alert that continues northbound 680. they got that truck back on its wheels but they won't clear that until possibly 9 ooflt 30. the toe truck can't clear it. your alternate might be 580 but now there's a crash at canyon complicating that alternate as well. all roads heading towards the bay branch on either side of the bay very slow. back to you. >> i'll have another local news update coming up in half an hour.

♪ (door bell rings) (cell phone vibrating) hello. hello. hello. hello. hello. hello. hello. hello. hello, i got your package. you can just leave it, thanks. (cell phone vibrating) hello, can i help you? hello. hello. hello. hello. hello.

♪ ♪ it's 8:30 now thursday morning. it's the 1st of march, 2018. it's a beautiful day out on our plaza. nice and warm, it feels like spring, but we are setting the mood. grab a cheeseburger, grab a drink because we are about to escape to margaritaville with jimmy buffet and the cast of his new broadway musical. >> they are about to perform for us live. since they're here, we thought we'd do something pretty cool. we thought we were going to give a giveaway on this plaza. i'm going to show you what it is. is it under here? two people on the plaza are going to get tickets to that broadway show.

it's going to be big, major. we have two -- >> who should we give them to? >> you know what i think would be better if we gave tickets to the broadway show to everyone out here on the plaza. >> wow! >> whoa! >> what do you think? >> that is an awesome idea. every single person is getting a pair of tickets. >> every person out here is getting a pair. >> that's amazing. >> to "escape to margaritaville," the musical on broadway. >> pretty cool. >> look at that. >> sonny still gets a little freaked out by the crowd. >> that's an awesome gift. >> so weather. weather is good too. >> do we get to go? well, you're going to need a little margaritaville after you

see this weather. the weekend outlook, a lot of snow out west. wet weather stretching down into southern california. a nor'easter here in the northeast with plenty of snow, drying out thankfully for our friends in the midsection of the country. above normal temperatures on saturday. wind and coastal flooding in the northeast. more snow through the west and wet weather along the coast. sunday, sunday the eastern half of the country looking pretty good. plenty of sunshine. chillier out west with snow in the plains. that's what's going a that's what's going on around the country. here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> widespread rain continues, which is why we remain under a microclimate weather alert this morning. 54 degrees in san francisco. we've got that rain coming in but we've also got some pretty good wind coming up there. 20 miles per hour now in san francisco. this is a live look. storm ranger is up and running. we can really get a good idea and good picture of exactly what we're dealing with here. look at how high resolution this radar is. san mateo as well and even through san ramon as that storm system makes its way through.

>> hey, that's your latest weather. don't forget, whenever you need to check us out, you can get on your car and go on channel 108 sirius 108. >> your team was here yesterday. >> i know, i'm so excited. >> now let's head back inside. >> all right, al, thanks so much. every year in this country, about 70,000 teenagers or young people are diagnosed with cancer. >> oftentimes those teens are actually sent to pediatric wards or adult cancer units where they just don't feel like they fit in. now there's a movement, and we've been following, it's supposed to change all that. nbc senior national correspondent kate snow is here with the story. >> good morning, guys. three years ago we reported about a group called teen cancer america. they're trying to convince hospitals to build special cancer units just for teenagers who have been given that devastating diagnosis.

back then there were just three. now there are 13 hospitals developing special teen units across the country, and through that story we met an incredible guy who had cancer as a teen and survived. he was right in the middle of making a powerful movie back then. that's now completed, traveling all across the country to meet young people fighting cancer. >> the plan is to go to all 50 states. i want to weave all these teen cancer stories into every region and make a film that's about their experience from their eyes. >> so 50 states? >> yeah. all 50. >> how is that? >> well, it was a beautiful experience. >> he spent the past few years crisscrossing the u.s., documenting what it's like to be a young person with cancer, from getting the diagnosis -- >> we were lifting weights and i thought i pulled a muscle in my neck. >> one day i got hurt at work and my pain just kept getting worse. >> to the isolation of losing

your high school friends. >> that was really hard. just seeing my friends not be able to look me in the eye anymore. >> i've lost like -- basically like almost all my friends. >> and the guilt a lot of teens feel. >> as difficult as it was on me, ten times harder on your family. who's there every second and not on any drugs. >> i felt like i was dragging them all down with me. it's just a frightening thing, that guilt not only am i possibly dying, i'm doing this to everybody around me, you know. through no fault of my own. >> the biggest message from survivors, they were put in hospitals with little kids or adults. they didn't have each other. >> even in big metropolitan cities, i kept running into young people, young patients who would say, you know, i've never, ever -- you're the first person i've met in our age group. >> who was a cancer survivor? >> who was a cancer survivor. >> that's pretty stunning.

>> yeah, absolutely. >> but hernon is working with big star power to change that. roger daltry, lead singer of the who, produced his documentary. for decades he raised money for britain to build specialized cancer units for just teens and young adults. >> they support each other, they talk each other through what they're going through and it gives them a spirit that is wonderful to behold. it really is fantastic. >> so in 2011, daltry and his bandmate pete townsend brought a teen cancer unit to los angeles and teen cancer america was born, bringing 12 more teen cancer units to the u.s. last summer daltry visited angie's institute at university hospitals in cleveland. >> it just feels warm and inviting. you've got game rooms, you've got interactive walls, you've got cool, funky-shaped chairs. there's a garden upstairs that

we can go to. >> teens and young adults can hang out or even get treatment alongside a friend, and that, doctors say, can actually help them beat cancer. >> anything we can do to support our patients, anything we can do to connect them with other individuals, teens and young adults going through the same experience, the better their psychological health will be. in the long run, the healthier they'll be as survivors of cancer. >> talking to somebody else just makes you feel -- it definitely just makes you feel a lot better. >> i want to be friends with other people that have gone through this and figure out the next step in my life. >> steps beyond the words "cancer free." >> cancer is a blessing, i think. i mean really i wouldn't -- i wouldn't want to do it again, but i'm happy i went through it. >> i'm excited. i feel really excited to see what i can do now. >> looking back, it really did make me who i am. it's everything about me. and i'm in a wheelchair, but

hey, at the same time, my path is mine, and i'll own it. >> as we said, there are now 13 hospitals working with teen cancer america on units like the one in cleveland, focused not just on making teens and young adults more comfortable, but also enhancing and developing medical protocols, specifically designed for the teenage body. makes sense, right? and 60 more hospitals, guys, have expressed interest in bringing in some kind of a teen cancer unit. >> it's amazing. >> that emotional component of healing is so important for those kids. for everybody, but for them. >> what a stunning fact they hadn't seen anybody in their own age bracket that survived. >> you don't think about it but they step up and met a need. that's awesome. thank you. if you want to find out more about this, go to our website, today.com. up next, affordable ways for you to pull off five of the hottest beauty trends right now, but first, this is "today" on nbc. yes, carson. >> finally! >> finally!

we are back with "today's

style." if you're looking to get with the beauty trends making their way on the runway, we have you covered. emily is here to show you five things that you should try. emily, we have affordable things on this table too. >> we do. we have from luxe to affordable, so every price range. >> let's start with gold highlighter. >> yes. >> what is that for exactly? >> it's a great way to put it on your cheekbones but really wherever you want. that's the fun part of it. it looks great on every skin tone. >> what do you do? >> rihanna has this beauty line. there's a beauty line she's brought her it girl, cool factor to beauty and it's called trophy wife. >> where do you put it? >> anywhere, but a little on your cheekbone or orbital bone to add this cool touch. >> i love. >> and milk beauty has a stick version. color pop is a great affordable version. all of them are very beautiful. >> let's talk eye shadows. i always go for earthy tones but you say bright is the way to go. >> bright is in. we saw this on haley stein field

at the grammys. she wore a shock of blue eye shadow across her lid. >> that seems so old-fashioned. >> you can go with a runway version like pat mcgrath, the makeup artist for all runways. urban decay is known for their eye shadows. they have the most amazing colors. even nyx has a drugstore version that has bright shocks of color. you can do something kind of fun, they call it upside down liner. so you pick a color and do one streak underneath your eye. we've seen ja nel mo nay where this look. >> do you have to be hip to do that? >> it's pretty out there but you can definitely try it. >> so bold eyeliners, on top, on bottom, everywhere? >> everywhere. we saw lady gaga wear this at the grammys and it was really a striking look and just beautiful. marc jacobs has this shimmer stick, this twinkle stick. it's just a nice chunky version >> it's like a pencil. >> and a little bit of a shimmer there so you can go for it.

this loreal version is water proof. so go crazy. and joanna gaines shows us how wearable it is. she calls this revlon eyeliner and says she can't live without it. >> that's her go-to? >> that's her go-to. >> you say sometimes people want perfect lips but you think it's better for a blurred thing. >> lip kits are super complicated. if you make a mistake, it's like a tattoo so these are like lip tints. you can see this ysl version. it's so pretty and has a little lip on it. >> just a little shimmer? >> it's like your lip color but better. >> i love that. >> first of all, these are great. but burt's bees has lipstick? >> that's right. glossier is a hip, trendy brand. there's generation g lipsticks as well. >> lastly, we're going to class your hair up. you saw ribbons and bows are in. >> that's right. we have christine modeling for us. just a simple braid, add a black velvet bow and it adds something special and pretty.

it's romantic and perfect for spring. >> you look adorable by the way. thank you for coming to see us. emily, thanks so much. for more on what you've seen like us on facebook.com/todaysstyle. up next, we have warm vibes on the plaza. jimmy buffet is here with the cast of his broadway musical. he'll have a live performance for us. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

♪ how beautiful, ♪ when seeds we sow ♪ give free their fruit ♪ to hands below ♪ as thank you for ♪ the chance to grow pick your free yogurt at chobani.com

>> announcer: the citi concert series on "today" is proudly presented to you by citi. >> it is march 1st, so i have a question. who's sick of winter, raise your hand? >> i have a question. where's carson's margarita? >> he's pretending. >> jimmy buffet is here to help us escape to margaritaville. that's the name of his new broadway musical that is about to officially open on the great white way. >> it features all aof your

favorites and some new songs as well. first we say good morning, jimmy. >> get out of here, winter. >> i know, exactly. so this is your baby. you've been working on this for five years. >> yes. >> what does it feel like to have it finally coming to fruition? >> well, i feel like everybody in the cast and the crew have so much more talent than i even thought about having. it's a pleasure to watch and work with them. they're great. >> we were watching your cast and crew do its thing. you have a bunch of great actresses and singers, but your leads are incredible. >> i know, and they're acting like it's warm out here too. they're professionals. >> you also had a famous face join you onstage. who was that? >> let's see, mr. lin manuel? >> that's not too shabby. >> he might be lurking here. >> that hamilton vibe going. >> are you serving margaritas at the theater? >> well, let's just say we broke the house record the first night for the bar. >> i love that. all the parrotheads are there.

>> we can't wait to see it. let's get out of the way for the cast of "escape to margaritaville." ♪ i don't know ♪ i don't know ♪ i don't know where i'm gonna go when the volcano blows ♪ ♪ i don't know ♪ i don't know ♪ i don't know where i'm a gonna go when the volcano blows ♪ ♪ ground is moving under me >> i can feel the ground shaking, this can't be good. >> everything is going to be

fine, i promise. ♪ sulphur smoke up in the sky ♪ pretty soon we all might die i don't know ♪ ♪ i don't know ♪ i don't know where i'm a gonna go bht volcano blows ♪ ♪ girl quickly say to me. >> i'm not your girl. ♪ lava come down soft and hot >> there they are. ♪ you better love me now or love me not ♪ >> absolutely not. >> let me hear it now. ♪ i don't know ♪ i don't know ♪ i don't know where i'm a gonna go when the volcano blows ♪ >> you're going the wrong way, mr. utley. it's this way. ♪ i don't know ♪ i don't know ♪ he don't know ♪ i don't know where i'm a gonna

go when the volcano blows ♪ >> i don't know if you've been listening but i'm a tad bit uncertain where i'm going to go when the volcano goes. >> we're just going to get on that boat and sail somewhere safe. >> but there are a few places i prefer not to go. i have a couple ex-girlfriends i'd like not to bump into. >> i don't think we have the luxury of being picky. ♪ i don't want to land in no new york city ♪ ♪ i don't want to land in no mexico ♪ ♪ i don't want to see my -- ♪ i don't want to land in the san juan airport or the territory ♪ ♪ don't want to land in san diego ♪ ♪ don't want to land in spain ♪ don't want to land in mar-a-lago ♪ ♪ i got nothing more to say ♪ i don't know ♪ he don't know ♪ i don't know ♪ he don't snow ♪ he where he's going to go when

the volcano blows ♪ ♪ we don't know ♪ i don't know ♪ we don't know where we're gonna go ♪ ♪ when the volcano blows ♪ we don't know >> all right. the cast of "escape to margaritaville." awesome, well done. we are officially in the mood for spring. jimmy buffet, thank you so much. the show opens march 15th at broadway's marquee theater. where are the margaritas? we're back in a moment. this is "today" on nbc.

at at&t, we believe in access. the opportunity for everyone to explore a digital world.

connecting with the things that matter most. and because nothing keeps us more connected than the internet, we've created access from at&t. california households with at least one resident who receives snap or ssi benefits may qualify for home internet at a discounted rate of $10 a month. no commitment, deposit, or installation fee. visit att.com/accessnow to learn more. we're still on a natural high with jimmy buffet we're still on a natural high with jimmy buffet but let's do some birthday celebrating. >> absolutely. put some margaritas in the smuckers jar. first up, happy 100th birthday to frank kozak of encinitas,

california. when he's not working out at the gym with his personal trainer, you're going to catch frank soaking up some of that warm california sun. erlin clement is 101 years old. receiving the city spirit award on his 100th birthday. happy 100th birthday to betty lee mott, a world traveler from santa monica, california. ran her own preschool many years. lillian thomas of washington, d.c., is at the 100-year mark. says the secret to longevity, never hold a grudge. instead hold a margarita. gale doherty is 100 years old, a world war ii vet from nashville, tennessee. in addition to this milestone birthday, he and his wife celebrating 70 years of marriage. god bless. and we salute you for your service, sir. last but not least, happy 100th birthday to marie neff a retired schoolteacher from virginia.

raked her own leaves until she was 95 and put them on her neighbor's lawn. if you know someone celebrating a milestone birthday or anniversary, send it to us. >> when is opening day again? >> march 15th. >> you can't forget that. >> you've got more music coming up in the fourth hour. >> we'll be here all day. >> you're going to sing another one for us. >> and it's ambush makeover day. >> we're going to peek behind the scenes of the show. we've got a lot coming up. >> first, megyn kelly is coming up next after a check of your local news, your weather and these messages. thank you, jimmy. local news, your weather and these messages. thank you, jimmy. - when you wake up, it's where you turn... - welcome to "today." and it's the start of a big and busy day. - to find understanding... [child yells] ...hope, a smile. [woman laughs] welcome to all the possibilities the morning can bring. welcome to "today."

we've been tracking the storm since it's made its way in. you know who's been working real hard, storm ranger. a live look right now. on top of san bruno mountain. it's gusting 40, 50 mile per hour-plus winds up in that area. this is where the storm ranger is tracking for us. look at how fantastic this detail is on this radar. we've got some pretty strong downpours now moving through

menmo park. we've got the second band and that is expected to bring some pretty good downpours to san francisco yet again. let's go to mike. >> we're looking at a slow drive in many parts because of those conditions. be careful out there. i may have just seen a chp report clear from an incident. they may have cleared north brand 680 at bruinal. there's a slow drive east on 580 heading out to castro valley way, which would be your u alternate. >> snow is picking up in the sierra. this is video from a crew shot in the last hour. this is tahoe. those chains are required on eastbound i-8 from gold run in plasero county. sign up to are that weather app, nbc bay area. >> stay connected to your world wherever the world takes you. get the nbc bay area app. the ray

morning. overnight - we )ll survey any new damage or issues the storm may bring. and - we )ll help you start your weekend with live updates on the roads. plus: a fresh look at rain and snow totals. team coverage - tomorrow - on today in the bay.

[ cheers and applause ] good morning, everyone. good morning, everybody, and welcome. i'm megyn kelly. would you consider an open marriage? or any sort of consensual nonmonogamous relationship? some might call it mogamish. a term used to describe couples that are together, committed but not sexually exclusive. there are different types of these relationships, open marriages, swinging and polyamry and today we are going in depth on a few. first up i spoke to one texas-based family who defined their relationship as a committed partnership between three people. watch. >> me and brooke met in a nightclub in