we will be back here at 7:25 with a live local news update. >> anything that happens after that we will have it for you at nbc bay area news at 11:00. have a great day. it's a wet one out there so be prepared. >> i actually got along well with rex, really it was a different mindset. i think rex will be much happier. >> cia director mike pompeo tapped to fill that role. the agency director to become the first woman ever to lead the cia. mystery bomber. the desperate search for a bomber. three packages left on door steps. exploding when touched. two people killed. two other hurt.

investigators issuing an emergency warning to residents. >> we have an individual that has the ability to construct these bombs and to have them successfully detonate. controversial conclusion. house republicans end their russia investigation saying they found no evidence of collusion with the trump campaign. the president tweeting the news in all-caps overnight. democrats outraged. where does it all go from here? those stories, plus new video taken moments before the deadly new york city helicopter crash. the pilot reveals what he thinks caused it. a man of his word. a rare and candid look inside the life of pope francis. we're live at the vatican with that exclusive. and amazon bungle? jeff bezos causes a stir after pictures show him eating an iguana. today, tuesday, march 13th, 2018.

>> from nbc news, this is "today," with savannah guthrie and hoda kotb, live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. and welcome to "today." >> good morning everybody. 7:00 a.m. on the west coast. 10:00 a.m. at the white house where there's breaking news. >> it's major. rex tillerson is out as secretary of state after what was a rocky tenure. tillers tillerson's departure is leading to a shake-up at the cia. peter what can you tell us. >> this another stunning announcement from the president just hours after rex tillerson landed back here in the u.s. from a five country african trip. the president only moments ago on the white house south lawn acknowledging publicly what we have been reporting at nbc news for month.

he and tillerson has significant differences on policy issues. why now? the president wants the best team in place for talks with north korea and he sees eye to eye with his new pick mike pompeo. >> reporter: the president leaving the white house for california. >> i've worked with mike pompeo for quite sometime. tremendous energy. tremendous intellect. we're always on the same wave length. the relationship has been very good. that's what i need as secretary of state. i wish rex tillerson well. i'm really at a point where we're getting really close to having the cabinet and other things that i want. >> reporter: after announcing a major stake up at the state department. president trump tweeting before 9:00 a.m. eastern mike pompeo director of the cia will become our new secretary of state.

he will do a fantastic job. thank you to rex tillerson for his service. "the washington post" reports the president asked him to step down on friday while he was on a trip to africa. ahead of a new round of u.s. talks with north korea. on sunday the incoming secretary of state was asked about the president's meeting with kim jong-un. >> this is a level of discussion the president is going to drive this effort, this negotiation. it will be a team to build the picture so we put the president in the best position. >> reporter: tillerson and president trump have had a tense relationship from the start coming to a head after reports that tillerson called the president a moron during a july 2017 meeting at the pentagon. tillerson forced to address his comments to reporters. >> i'm not going to deal with petty stuff. >> reporter: as for the new secretary of state mike pompeo releasing a statement this morning saying in part if confirmed i look forward to

guiding the world's finest diplomatic core in formulating and executing the president's foreign policy. how does this shake out? the president announcing his nominee for the new cia director. she would be the first female director. as for tillerson abrupt firing, the under secretary of state emphasized the rapid nature saying the secretary did not speak to the president and is unaware of the reason, but he is grateful for the opportunity to serve. this all comes amid reports that the president's personal assistant, was escorted out of the white house on monday after an unspecified security issue. we're told he will be joining the president's 2020 campaign. president trump lands in san diego this afternoon. he'll be visiting proto types of his border wall.

this is his first trip to california as president. >> a lot going on at the white house. we want to get to andrea mitchell. boy, washington is a tough town. to hear the secretary of state's official saying he didn't know the reason for his firing and he was hoping to hang on. really? after all the reports of turmoil? >> you know that he hung on after the president tweeted don't waste your time, rex on dip ma si with north korea last fall when tillerson was on his way back about to land at andrews. completely humiliating him. he never regained his footing international. he felt at least he was part of the moderating influence on the president in terms of foreign policy. then he was blind sighted on thursday with the north korea announcement by the president without tillerson knowing and

with tillerson being in africa. ironically on a lengthy quote apology tour of the african continent after the president's startling and, you know, terrible comments about africa. the notable "s" hole comments. he was always doing damage control. there were differences over iran and most importantly with russia. rex tillerson was a terrible manager ironically coming from the private sector with vacancies everywhere in the state department. in terms of policies he was more in line with the traditional policy and last night issued a very strong statement agreeing with theresa may that russia was likely responsible for the terrible nerve gas poisoning of a russian spy. this was in contrast to the white house briefing.

>> obviously these two never clicked. it was our reporting that rex tillerson called the president a moron. yet as you mentioned he survived several different dust ups with the white house. now mike pompeo takes over. he's the cia director someone the president appears to be close to, but someone who takes a pretty hard line on russia, perhaps harder than rex tillerson. >> what's really interesting is he takes a softer line on iran than tillerson. in other words, a tougher line on iran and a much less accommodating line on whether the iran deal should be preserved. that was a very important piece for the president. he wants to bust out of that iran deal as early as may. with pompeo at his side it's more likely that will happen and will be much less accommodating to the european critics.

>> thandrea, thank you so much. we turn, now, to a terrifying mystery in austin, texas. police are warning residents not to open any unexpected packages after a series of deadly package bomb explosions. and investigators now believe all the cases are related. gabe gutierrez is in austin for us. gabe, good morning. >> reporter: good morning. two people have been killed. this is the scene of the latest explosion. police are urging residents to report any suspicious packages delivered overnight. so far, no arrests and no motive. this morning, after three mysterious explosions in less than two weeks, austin, texas, is on high alert. >> we don't know if there's more bombs out there. that's why we're asking the community not to panic but to be vigilant. >> reporter: a third package bomb exploding on monday, leaving a 75-year-old woman in critical condition. >> very scary. there was glass inside the box. when she picked up the package, as soon as she picked it up, it detonated. boom, exploded. >> reporter: it came hours after

another blast five miles away. >> there was a package that exploded inside of the home. >> there's going to be two patients. >> reporter: police say a 17-year-old boy was killed and a woman wounded inside their kitchen. neighbors, stunned. >> it's pretty wild. it's crazy. >> reporter: police are now linking the latest bombings to another one 11 miles away on march 2nd. it killed 39-year-old anthony house. initially police called it a suspicious death. now, it's being investigated as a homicide. >> given we had multiple incidents occur over a ten-day period and the similarities between these incidents make us believe they are all related. >> we believe it's a package that was on the porch. >> reporter: investigators say none of the three packages were mailed or sent by an official delivery service. the boxes left quietly on the victims' doorsteps. >> i called my mother and told her if you get a package, don't

open it. >> reporter: police say they have found a pattern but not a motive. and it's unclear if any of the victims were specifically targeted. >> it's personal because this is our city. this is our town. this is our home. this is unacceptable. >> reporter: parts of the city are on-edge. police have gotten about 150 calls about suspicious packages over the past 24 hours. thankfully, false alarms. savannah. >> gabe, thank you. stormy daniels, the porn star who claims she had an affair with president trump, now offering to return the money she was paid to end the secret deal that bought her silence. hallie jackson is on this story. good morning. >> reporter: hey, hoda. good morning to you. stormy daniels' attorney says he wants a response from the president's lawyer today on this offer. another twist in a controversy that's not going away. this morning, a new proposition from the porn star to the president. stormy daniels' attorney saying

she will refund an alleged hush moan -- money payment for the president, in return, she would be freed up to share her story, something she's only alluded to on shows like jimmy kimmel's. >> do you have a nondisclosure agreement? >> do i? >> reporter: her attorney says she was ordered to keep quiet about a relationship a decade ago. >> wouldn't she have to return the money pursuant to this agreement? >> i think she may have to and she's prepared to do that. >> reporter: now, her lawyers sending this to michael cohen, who has acknowledged facilitating the payment, offering to return the money. in return they want daniels to be released from the so-called hush agreement and be allowed to talk on "60 minutes," an interview she's already taped. >> they would consider the white house getting a prior restraint, a gag order on "60 minutes" on whatever did transpire on the interview you attended. >> i have to believe that that's not going to happen.

i have to believe that at some point an adult in the room is going to raise his or her voice and say something along the lines of are you crazy? >> reporter: cohen nor his lawyer responded to a request for comment. the white house has vehemently denied allegations of an affair. that $130,000 payout to daniels, just a week and a half before the 2016 election, is creating new questions for the white house. one watchdog group filed a complaint with the fec, saying the payout broke campaign finance law. daniels is suing, arguing the nondisclosure agreement is not valid. if that suit moves forward, the president may have to answer questions under oath. outside observers see parallels to bill clinton, a lawsuit that could put this president in legal limbo. >> if the president is forced to sit for a deposition, he will be asked about the wide array of

sexual misconduct charges from other women, just as bill clinton was asked about the other women in that case. >> reporter: the president has long denied the accusations of sexual misconduct. and the white house is referring any comment on this offer to the president's outside attorney. stormy daniels' lawyer insists the offer is genuine and not a publicity stunt. hoda? savannah? >> hallie, thanks. new warnings for russia after the poisoning of a former spy in great britain. and the british government is demanding answers from the kremlin by the end of the day. nbc's chief global before leaving the white house president trump weighed in. correspondent, bill neely, in london with this. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, hoda. theresa may met her ministers this morning. she'll talk to president trump later today. she is giving russia until midnight tonight, a midnight deadline to explain how a lethal nerve agent only it produced

ended up in britain. an ultimatum, tough talk, tough likely to follow. the search deepens. police sealing off new sites, hunting for traces of a chemical weapon. a trail to whoever poisoned exspy sergei skripal. britain's prime minister publicly pointing at russia. >> it's clear that mr. skripal and his daughter were poisoned with a military grade nerve agent of a type developed by russia. >> reporter: it's part of a group called novichok, developed by russia in the '70s. used as a fine powder, can cause heart failure in a minute. one strain, eight-times more deadly than vx, the nerve agent used to kill kim jong-un's half-brother. >> the government has concluded that it is highly likely that russia was responsible. >> reporter: either russia used it she said or allowed someone else to. >> it's possible they lost some of it. if they have, that's hugely

serious. i would have thought unlikely. >> reporter: russia denies any involvement, although exkgb spy, now president putin told russia tv there's one thing he can't forgive, betrayal he said. sergei skripal worked for british intelligence. revenge, a clear motive. the white house backing britain but unwilling to blame russia. >> we stand by our closest ally and the special relationship we have. >> reporter: but in the last few minutes president trump hinted russia may have been responsible. >> it sounds to me it would be russia based on the evidence they have. >> reporter: one former soef yet spy is in no way doubting who did it. >> secret service, specifically. >> reporter: skripal and his daughter are still fighting for their lives. and in the last few minutes,

russia has summoned the british ambassador in moscow for talks. britain is considering expelling russian diplomats. president trump lending his support. this may have been the last issue that secretary of state rex tillerson commented on before he was fired. frank without strong american support britain's actions won't have much effect on president putin or russia. >> we'll have to see what the u.s. does, as well. thank you very much. jim mattis made an unannounced visit to afghanistan to take stock of the 16-year-old war. mattis says there's signs that some taliban fighters are interested in reconciling with the afghan government. but mattis says he doesn't believe the entire taliban is onboard yet. western diplomats say the talks are underway with the aim of degreeing on ground rules and potential areas of discussion. it's 17 minutes after the hour.

big picture weather day on both coasts. >> we've got this pineapple express from hawaii and this wide area of moisture into california and parts of the pacific northwest as well. we'll watch this system push rain along the entire coast and the mountains of sierra. we could see another one to two feet of snow by tomorrow. rain fall in the mountains, 2 to 3 inches of rain. rain fall rates up to three quarter of an inch per hour. look at the snow. the sierra mountain 30 inches of snow. here in the northeast we have a nor'easter pounding new england. strong winds and he snow from providence to boston snow fall 1 to 3 inches per hour.

we're talking about snow fall rates and amounts generally up to a foot as you get into new england we're talking about a foot to foot a mercedes-benz glc... ...with its high-tech cameras and radar... ...contemporary cockpit... ...three hundred and sixty degree network of driver-assist technologies... ...and sporty performance... ...what's most impressive about the glc? all depends on your point of view. lease the glc300 for just $449 a month at your local mercedes-benz dealer. mercedes-benz. the best or nothing. good morning. we are off to a very soggy start. storm ranger is up and scanning on top of san bruno mountain. you can see we've still got widespread scattered showers here and there. right now the santa cruz mountains catching a bit of a break, we're not seeing too much rain falling over that area.

as it zoom in closer along the peninsula we've still got rain moving through redwood city, seeing light rain over there. down towards the south bay you can see areas of san jose can expect to keep seeing some rain. >> and that's your latest weather. savannah? >> all right, al, thank you so much. just ahead, new video taken moments before that deadly helicopter crash in new york. the pilot is telling investigators what he thinks went wrong. on this fifth anniversary of his election, an exclusive first look at a vatican-backed documentary on the life of pope francis. we'll have that, live from vatican city. first, this is "today" on nbc. francis. we'll have

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♪this circle of good. makes the whole world better too.♪ ♪ good goes around and around and arou♪d ♪good goes around and around. we are in a microclimate a very good tuesday morning to you. it's 7:26. i'm laura garcia. we are in that microclimate weather alert as rain is rolling into the bay area. a live look at the san mateo bridge this morning, drivers dealing with wet and windy conditions. let's get the very latest from vianey. she's in for kari. >> it is muggy out there. >> look at it behind. >> you this camera overlooking woodside, it's so muggy, temperatures in the 50s and 60s, pair that up with the rain and it's feeling sticky out there. let's take a look at storm ranger because it is actively tracking that system that's been moving through, you can see the heavier pockets of those showers kind of trekking off to the north/northeast. we've still got rain moving through redwood city at this hour. down towards the south bay you can see areas of south san jose seeing rain, saratoga, sunnyvale

catches a couple pockets and the santa cruz mountains seems to be catching a bit of a break, but these showers that moved through early this morning we are expect to go keep moderate or light to moderate showers, rather, throughout the day. into the afternoon. so really just keep that umbrella on hand. temperatures right now as i mentioned in the 60s and the 50s. over on my maps i'm showing you its road weather index. green is where it's going to be wet. everywhere. red is where it's going to be slow, north 101 for the 85 split, that was an earlier crash making its way to the shoulder as you're a crouching capital expressway, 87 and 85 slowed down quite a bit. we just lose our san jose camera. we will take you toward oakland where we see the weather effects on the roadway, sloppy conditions north past high street with the taillights all hitting their brakes. southbound with headlights slow towards the san mateo bridge, westbound folks heading to the peninsula from the nimitz the

head lights slow a bit. >> bet after allow extra time. another update is half an hour. does this map show the

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♪ good morning, everybody. we're back. 7:30 on a tuesday morning, the 13th of march, 2018. there it is. the commute out on long island. that's a story repeated all across the northeast, as yet another winter storm slams this region. >> yeah. the third one, we're going to get to al's forecast in a minute. first, that storm begins, with a check of today's headlines. >> march madness. >> i'm so plowed out. the last storm was about all i could take. >> the third brutal winter storm in less than two weeks, bringing snow, ice and heavy winds to 50 million people up and down the east coast. >> i'm not ready for it. i just want it to end. >> this is a major storm. we haven't seen this type of

storm since 2015. >> breaking news changing of the guard. president trump removes rex tillerson as secretary of state naming cia director mike pompeo as his replacement. >> the president wanted his new team in place because of the likely negotiations with north korea. scary situation. >> it's pretty wild. it's crazy. >> police in austin, texas, issue an emergency warning to residents after a string of package bombings leaves two people dead and two others hurt. investigators say they believe the bombings are connected. >> that's why we're asking the community not to panic, but to be vigilant. cold-blooded. jeff bezos under fire after a photo emerges of the billionaire eating an iguana while accepting an award over the weekend. and sibling rivalry. >> that's too good. >> venus williams beat serena in straight sets, her first victory over her younger sister in four

years. >> it's a vintage venus performance. >> today, tuesday, march 13th, 2018. i like she did the little twirl. >> the venus twirl. we're going to get back to the nasty nor'easter. the city of boston is under a snow emergency this morning. morgan radford is there. good morning, morgan. >> reporter: good morning, hoda. uks you can see the snow is coming down. we're among the 3 million people across the state of massachusetts in a blizzard warning. that means like cities like boston are shut down. schools are closed. libraries are closed. 800 flights coming in and out of boston are already delayed. there's 700 vehicles carrying 26,000 tons of salt, trying to clear the streets today. but families have gone to the grocery stores just to get what's left on the shelves. many of them telling us, they're surprised they have to do this so late in the season, especially after a third nor'easter. that's why the emergency

management crews said their biggest concern today is coastal floodings and power out anyones. you remember what happened earlier in the week when hundreds of thousands of people lost power. this morning 7,000 people all across new england waking up with no alec tris si. that means things could be getting worse. we're expecting 12 to 16 inches of snow. wind gusts up to 65 miles an hour. that's why authorities are telling people it's the visibility they need to be careful of on the road. they're asking people to stay home and stay off the roads. if they absolutely must drive, they advise them to go on the main highways and not get caught on the back streets where anything can happen. finally they're asking them to drive slowly. hoda. >> good advise. thank you. >> let's get to mr. roker.

>> a quick look of what we've seen already. some of the accumulations west gren witch 5 inches. in new jersey 2 inches of snow. on the other side of the country a big storm system making its way. it's effects felt from seattle to san diego. rain along the entire coast and mountain snow. 1 to 2 more feet of snow before it's all over tormorrow evening. we're talking about a flood risk up to cam bring i can't and dangerous mud and debris flows. snow fall amounts anywhere from and that system that al is talk being is exactly what we've been seeing all morning long. you can see our storm ranger mobile doppler radar is up and working showing widespread rain. we're seeing some pockets of

moderate to heavy downpours but overall we will keep this rain throughout the entire day. keep that umbrella handy. seeing light showers pushing through san jose right now. the temperatures are on the warmer side so it is feeling very hot and muggy. your temperatures trend for this afternoon is expected to climb into the 60s. >> and that's your latest weather. savannah? savannah? >> al, thank you so much. ntsb investigators are here in new york, trying to decide what caused a helicopter to plunge into the east river. this, as we learn more about the five victims, and what the only survivor, the pilot, is saying about what caused this crash. tom costello covers aviation for us. he's been fol wloe -- following this story. tom, what's the latest? >> reporter: ntsb investigators are looking at what might have caused the engine failure that the pilot reported seconds before the crash. why weren't the passengers

unable to swim free? the divers found them still strapped into their harnesses. were they unable to get out of their harnesses? this morning, the investigation into this deadly helicopter crash caught on camera, is now focusing on what happened inside the chopper just before it went down. this video shot by one of the five people who died, shows the passengers onboard, shortly after takeoff. on monday, the euro copter was pulled from new york's icy east river. now, a team of ntsb investigators is looking for clues. >> the ntsb will analyze the facts, determine the probable cause of the accident and we will issue a report of those determinations. >> reporter: among the questions this morning, did a strap from a passenger's bag wrap around and pull a fuel cutoff level like this one, as the pilot has suggested to police. and were the five passengers wearing complicated harnesses that allowed them to snap photos safely, but made it nearly impossible to escape as the chopper began to sink?

>> you get disoriented. because of the fear, the panic, the anxiety, you may not have the presence of mind to be able to operate that seat belt/shoulder harness combination effectively or timely. >> mayday, engine failure. >> reporter: investigators will examine every frame of video shot by witnesses. >> we just look out the window and notice a helicopter descending at full speed towards the river. >> reporter: if one or both doors were open to allow for better photography, did that allow water to flood the chopper even faster, dooming the passengers? the five victims, trevor cadigan who shot the video and posted it on instagram. his friend, dallas firefighter, brian mcdaniel. carla vallejos blanco, daniel thompson and tristan hill. sunday's incident, the third crash for liberty helicopters in 11 years. >> i don't think liberty should

be flying until we get to the bottom of this. >> reporter: in a statement, the company says it's cooperating with the faa and ntsb investigations. liberty helicopter says its focus is on helping the families of those who died. it says it's referring all questions to the authorities. but these helicopters, which allow tourists to be harnessed in and lean out of the door to take those incredible photographs, they're very popular. but the question this morning is whether this set of tragic events may have created a death trap inside that helicopter. guys, back to you. >> tom, thank you so much. coming up, two major failures, what you need to know if you're considering using a fertility clinic. >> then from new treatments to lowering your risk, dr. oz has important information for men and women about colon cancer. and beyonce and jay-z about to go on the run again.

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7:43. five years ago today, pope francis was chosen as the leader of the catholic church. >> he is one of the most well-loved popes in history. now, a new documentary backed by the vatican will teach the world more about him. keir simmons is at the vatican

with an exclusive first look. keir, good morning. >> reporter: good morning. it seems hard to believe five years ago i was standing here amongst the crowd seeing pope francis emerge for the first time as pope. a pope with such an impactful message and pretty good jokes. we're about to see some excerpts from a new documentary that is quite extraordinary. the vatican in a statement to us just this morning saying, we hope it brings people closer to understanding pope francis' humanity. it's the first time that the pope had any such personal dialogue in a film. it's as if pope francis is speaking just to you. the pontiff, directly addressing the camera in this rare and unique documentary. >> for the first time in history, the pope opens his doors to address the questions and issues we face together, as

a leader whose faith inspires the world. >> reporter: five years since white smoke rose over the vatican, symbolizing the selection of a new pope, with a common touch, paying his own hotel bill. pope francis tackles tough sugge subjects in this film. life, death, and the role of the family. he has not lost his sense of humor. the award-winneing director sai he wanted to make a movie about him. the pope favorability rates have approached those of john paul ii. despite his humble character,

francis drew huge crowds on his 2015 trip to the u.s. >> we're smiling here at the studio, at the looks of this car. we are used to the big american limousines. and this is a mr. bean car by comparison. and yet, it's going the take him around town. >> reporter: but some politically conservative catholics are less impressed, by a pope that's prioritized climate change, and accepted homosexuality, who am i to judge? other critics question his hanling of the long-running clai clerical abuse scandal. millions have been inspired by his championing of nepal. a man of his word is how the documentary describes pope francis, impacting people around the world, with his faith and now famous smile.

pope francis, a man of his word, will be released by nbc universal subsidiary focus films on may 8th. pope francis hasn't watched television since 1990. although, i hear he turns on the "today" show every once in a while. >> maybe there isn't anything good on. >> keir, you can check out the trailer at today.com. still ahead, the new fallout over the heartbreaking fertility clinic vo: gopi has built her business with her own two hands. each unique piece comes to life in the same way...

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good morning. it is 7:55. it's still raining out there. our storm ranger mobile doppler radar is still scanning on top of san bruno mountain. you can see it's picking up some of those showers. now we're starting to see some of the heavier downpours off to the far east bay. hayward seeing a couple areas of not so much in terms of showers, but if you look down through redwood city, los altos hills also catching some of that rain. here it is through san jose, we are expect to go keep the chance of these scattered showers through the early afternoon. we have a little bit of a break through sunnyvale and then we will catch more showers in the next couple of hours. now, another thing aside from the rain that we're looking at are the temperatures. it's fairly muggy out there, it's very warm, the temperatures in the 60s right now, 61 degrees for san jose, 58 degrees for palo alto, san francisco 59. so it is feeling very tropical. now, over the next couple of hours, here it is, there's a look in san jose, the temperature trend will stay in the 60s, but keep the rain.

mike? here is the north bay, san rafael, superior conditions and some driving. over in emeryville very slow for westbound 80 starting back at san pablo. 880 also slow in san francisco, in the south bay north routes for 87, 101 gum up towards capital expressway. there is that live shot vianey showed you. happening now the latest rain is welcome relief for south bay water agencies with a chance to fill lower than normal reservoirs. on our twitter feed you can link to details and images from today's rain. another stunning development in the white house, rex tillerson out as secretary of state. president trump wants cia director mike pompeo to replace him. for the first time the cia would then be led by a female director, gina haspel. president trump on his way to california right now, it's his first visit since before being

elected. on our homepage more details. inm across america. plus: a )groupon gripe. ) our consumer investigator steps up after a deal gone wrong. what you should know before your next purchase. )today in the bay ) - 4:30 to .

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it's 8:00. coming up, breaking news, secretary of state rex tillerson fired by president trump. >> i actually got along well with rex. but really, it was a different mindset. it was a different thinking. and you know, i wish rex a lot of good things. i think he's going to do -- i think he's going to be very happy. i think rex will be much happier now. >> a sudden end to a rocky tenure. we're live at the white house. plus, fertility clin jic fa injury. thousands of frozen eggs and embryos now at risk of being lost. >> we do want to extend the family. if it doesn't work in the

traditional means, that was going to be our wbackup plan. >> how did this happen? and what's being done to stop it from happening again. what couples need to know. ♪ it had to be you when harry met meghan, the first look at the couple as their high-profile romance gets the made-for-tv treatment, today, march 13th, 2018. ♪ >> we're from texas. >> shoutout to grandma back in indiana. >> it's our snowy spring break. >> new york city. >> mother/daughter trip. >> from mississippi. ♪ >> we're bringing the heat. >> hey, mom, dad, alex. >> from toronto to the "today" show. >> good morning to all of our friends and family back in --

>> memphis, tennessee. >> what a dedicated crowd we have outside on this tuesday morning. we appreciate everyone standing out in that. it's kind of a mix of snow and rain. >> they're wearing our top story this morning. >> they certainly are. we have a lot going on. we're going to get right to your news at 8:00. we begipp wigin with a majo shakeup in the trump administration. the president tweeting he is replacing rex tillerson with cia director mike pompeo. peter alexander is at the white house. tell us what you can. >> reporter: a wild one here at the white house. this stunning announcement from the president just hours after rex tillerson landed back in the u.s. from a five-country african trip. senior state department officials telling nbc news while there had been longstanding tensions between the two, tillerson found out he was fired from a trump tweet this morning. so, why fire him now? a white house official telling us the president wants the best team in place for talks with

north korea and he sees eye-to-eye with his new pick, mike pompeo. the president leaving the white house for california this morning. >> i've worked with mike pompeo now for quite some time. tremendous energy, tremendous intellect. we're always on the same wavelength. the relationship has been very good and that's what i need as secretary of state. i wish rex tillerson well. i'm really at a point where we're getting very close to having the cabinet and other things that i want. >> reporter: after announcing a major shakeup at the state department, president trump tweeting before 9:00 eastern, mike pompeo, director of the cia, will become our new secretary of state. he will do a fantastic job. thanks to rex tillerson for his service. "the washington post" says he was asked to step down on friday, while tillerson was in africa.

and ahead of a new round of u.s. talks with north korea. on sunday, the in coming secretary of state was asked about the president's meeting with kim jong-un. >> this is a conversation that the president is going to drive, this effort, this negotiation. but it will take a team to build out the picture, so we put the president in the best position, so he can achieve that outcome. >> reporter: tillerson and president trump have had a tense relationship from the start, coming to an head where hillerton cahill e tillerson called the president a moron, with the national security team and cabinet officials. tillerson forced to address his comments to reporters. >> i'm not going to deal with petty stuff like that. >> reporter: as for the new secretary of state, mike pompo i saying, if confirmed i look forward to guiding the world's finest diplomatic corps and formulating and executing foreign policy. the president announcing gina

haspel for the new cia director. haspel would be the cia's first-ever female director. a new report that the president's personal assistant, was escorted out of the white house, after an unspecified security issue monday. he will be joining the trump 2020 campaign. the president lands in san diego this afternoon to visit prototypes of his border wall. his first trip to california as president. and the house intelligence committee, the republicans will share the draft report from their russia investigation with democrats, insisting they found no evidence that president trump and his associates colluded. hoda, back to you. these are nervous times in austin, texas, where someone is delivering deadly package bombs to people's doorsteps. two of the bombs went off monday, just hours apart. the first one killed a 17-year-old boy in his own kitchen and injured his mom. later, a 75-year-old woman was injured when she picked up a package bomb left outside of her home. monday's explosions are being linked to a similar incident earlier this month. police say the packages were not

left by any official delivery service. they are urging the public to be calm and to be vigilant. >> you are up to date on the news. let's get a "morning boost." >> here's a tribute to anyone who has gone out of their way to help someone. a man with a walker was struggling to cross the street in georgia. a driver pulls over his white pickup truck and gently walks the man across the road. he puts himself in the way of oncoming traffic. the other drivers, when they see what's happening, they slow down. everyone is patient, doing their part. it shows you that one, small random act of kindness is all it takes. >> yeah. take a moment, look around, see who needs a hand. i like that. coming up, what you need to know about your fertility options after malfunctions at two clinics have put thousands of eggs and embryos at risk. how about a mom who saw a need, turned her big idea into a booming beauty business. first, let's see what's coming up on "megyn kelly

today." >> good morning, ladies. today, the points guy is here to tell us how to get that spring break trip for less. and then, dorit from "real housewives of beverly hills." love the show, love her. see you at the top of the hour. and dr. oz with what you should be doing to lower your cancer risk. first, these messages. way to test everything. but do they test their baby's soap? this paper represents proteins in your baby's skin.

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i try to take care of my teeth, but there's acid in what i eat and drink everyday that can do damage over a lifetime. so my dentist told me to go-pro with crest pro-health. crest pro-health protects against acids in everyday food and drinks better than regular toothpaste. that's how you nail a checkup. crest. hello. - hi. how's it going? - alright, how ya doing? - welcome! so, this is the all-new chevy traverse. what do ya think? 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! ♪ we're back. 8:10, with new fallout after not

one but two fertility clinics experienced major failures involving tanks that contain frozen eggs and embryos. >> kate snow has been following this story for us. >> reporter: let's start with good news this morning. many couples who undergo fertility treatments will have no problem. these two clinics, where thousands of eggs and embryos are exceedingly rare and causing specialists to take a hard look at their practices and equipment. and this morning, more legal action coming, this time, against the san francisco clinic. two clinics, two heartbreaking mishaps affecting hundreds of patients. >> we can't replace the embryos. for some clients, they may never have a chance to go through the process again. >> reporter: lydia floyd is an attorney for one of two class-action suits filed against university hospitals fertility clinic in cleveland. according to their legal filing, alarms did go off when a holding

tank became too warm on saturday night, march 3rd, but that nobody was at the clinic to hear or answer those alarms. by the time the clinic staff returned the next day, it was too late. >> this just can't happen. it should never happen again. >> reporter: an independent investigation is under way in cleveland and at san francisco's pacific fertility center, where liquid nitrogen levels in a tank dipped dangerously low on the same day. both clinics have apologized to their patients, expressing their commitment to them. they've begun contacting those possibly affected by the mishaps, including rosyln, who received this e-mail from the fertility center. >> we want to extend the family. if it doesn't work in the traditional means, that was our backup plan. >> reporter: this morning, an attorney who represents patients from pacific fertility center, telling us, just like in cleveland, patients plan to file a lawsuit against the clinic in the coming days.

>> one of the biggest questions on everybody's mind are these two separate events linked in any way? for example, was it a particular make and model of a tank? are there other examples of that tank may have failed? we don't have those answers right now. >> reporter: the fda does spot-check of the clinics. but the industry is self-regulated. labs go through an accreditation process and are expecting on average every two years. the clinic in cleveland didn't tell the organization about its malfunction until after an nbc news report. the san francisco clinic told the group on sunday, a week after discovering the accident. for those preparing to spend $12,000 or more on each attempt to get pregnant, there are questions to ask. >> does the equipment have alarm sensors that are independent? are the alarms checked on a very frequent basis? are there backup generators? is there a backup power source in case there's a power failure? are there tanks to transfer the

embryos that may have been in a tank that malfunctioned? >> reporter: there's a trade industry group, the society for reproductive technologies. experts recommend searching for clinics in that group. we'll put a link on today.com for that. note that the two clinics with the malfunctions were part of that organizations. so, mistakes can happen any place, even those that are part of a trade group. >> i hope other clinics are looking hard at their own policies and procedures. >> reporter: it is all the talk in that community. >> kate, thank you. now, let's get a check of the weather from mr. roker. >> thank you. you look outside our window here at 30 rock. it's snowing. but it's not really sticking. now, let's head up to boston and take a look at this. we're starting to see snowfall rates 1 to 3 inches per hour. we have to worry about high tide that comes in at 9:15. that could be some flooding going on there. rest of the country, it's chilly through the southeast.

morning freezes. and sunshine from texas up into the plains and more wet weather moving into the northwest and into california. that that's what's going on aaron the country. here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> we continue to track that system that's bringing some widespread rain. here it is. storm ranger up and scanning on top of san bruno mountain. we've got rain all the way from north bay down to the south bay right now. some right to moderate showers pushing through the bay area. we're seeing heavier pockets starting to trek east. but throughout the day, our latest model runs do show the chance of seeing scattered showers all through the afternoon. right now the temperatures remain in the 50s and 60s. >> if you're heading out the door, take us with you. check us out on siriusxm 108. now, to our series called "meet the boss." >> this morning, the ceo behind a skin care company and she started it in her kitchen.

natalie joins us with this story. nat, good morning. >> reporter: good morning. anyone with kids has probably heard of california baby skin care products. they're all-organic and free from harmful chemicals. it started with jessica, a mother of two, who turned her quest for baby shampoo into a booming empire. inside this high-tech facility, california baby makes some of the safest skin care products. the name, smynonymous with kid safe and pure. and the mogul behind this brand is a former stay-at-home mom, who had a great idea. >> some people start their companies from inspiration. and i started my company with outrage. >> reporter: it was the early '90s. she had left her job as a fashion buyer to be a full-time mom. wanting to use safe products on her son, she decided to research the ingredients in his baby shampoo and got the shock of her life.

>> i found a chemical dictionary at the library and started to look up the ingredients in this shampoo and found a lot of them were listed as carcinogens. fragrances, and harsh cleansing agents. >> reporter: you were ahead of your time. this was the early '90s. >> yes. >> reporter: the organic baby cleansers and all that became a market. did you see a need in the marketplace right away? >> i saw a need in my life and i saw a need in the lives of my friends. >> reporter: with no background in chemistry, she cold called a scientist, who helped her create an organic shampoo in her kitchen. with that. california baby was born. you borrowed about $2,000, is that right? >> i did. i wanted autonomy. i didn't want anybody telling me what to do. >> reporter: how what does mom

say? >> she said, i knew you could. >> reporter: she started selling her shampoo in a chain of health stores in los angeles. when that chain was bought by whole foods, she went national. now, she has over 90 products sold everywhere from target to walmart. and they're all made here in this solar-powered fda-certified organic factory near her home in l.a. why was that important to you? >> it was important because i wanted to have control. and i wanted to up the quality. >> reporter: you have no science background. no mba or anything. >> nothing. you know what's better than a science background and an mba? >> reporter: what is that? >> a momma bear instinct. that's what i had. that's what led me and drove me. >> reporter: as ceo, she is involved in every step, from manufacturing to marketing, to r&d, testing her products for

purity and safety. she started her own nonprofit to push for stricter government regulation of skin care products. >> i didn't start this to start a business. i started it to make change. and it's a movement for me. that's why i love it. >> you are one of the most successful female ceos in the country. how do you think being a woman helped you? >> i didn't try to be a man. we have a lot of gifts i don't think we tap into. i use my instinct a lot. i use my power of observation a lot. i use my communication skills a lot. a lot of what i do is about saying no. no. it's not good enough. >> reporter: and it's probably a hard thing to learn. i have a hard time saying no. >> it's something you have to learn. it's not something that comes naturally. i realized i needed to have a sense of entitlement. nobody gives it to you. you really have to take it.

claim it. that's how women can help each other, share in their experience. >> reporter: great advise here. running california baby is a family affair. her husband is the ceo and her son is a project manager. she is unwilling to compromise the values that made california baby a success. i have some california baby on the way to you, too. >> she was ahead of her time. >> she cornered that market. >> she did. natalie, thank you so much. tomorrow, on "meet the boss," a woman whose love for her rescue dog inspired her to create a pet food company. it's time for the orange room. are we talking texts? >> a dark hypothetical scenario going viral on social media this morning. it was initiated by this tweet by dan. he wrote, bad news, the last text you sent is what's going on your headstone. he kicked it off by adding, mine

is, i'll be up shortly, optimistic to say the least. twitter users jumped in. it was liked more than 6,000 times. they started sharing their last text messages. melin melinda's is see you soon. karens is, did you eat my chicken enchiladas. and chrissy teigen shared her text, i'm moving to oregon where i can euthanize myself. your last text was to hoda, night, night, snore. >> that sizes up my life. >> hoda, you have to explain yours. you wrote -- i don't know to who. what does it say? please have anyone, someone, send home my suitcase. what happened to your suitcase? >> hi suitcase has been floating around for different offices. i need it for a trip. i need it and i wrote that. someone, anyone. >> that's the last trip. >> that's profound.

send my suitcase. >> al has the profound one. >> profound. i sent it to nick. hey, bud, have a great day at school. and don't forget, you be you. >> what is yours? >> mine is lame. it's snowing outside. are you going to school today? it would be me yelling on a gravestone forever. that's not good. if you would like to send us yours, put it on twitter and #orangeroom. we'll read them on the show. "pop start," with taylor swift. the new video for "delicate" was released. but a lot of fans were upset. there's similarities between someone else's work. in 2016, a fragrance commercial directed by spike jones. the video on the right features the actress when -- you see the scenes side-by-side. they're making goofy faces. they have crazy dance sequences

down some hallways. they are wearing similar dresses. it caused people to question the originality behind taylor's video. some are arguing that the ad isn't that original. spike jones put out the fatboy slim video in 2000 with christopher walken. he was doing a dance sequence. >> maybe she was imitating it on purpose. an homage. >> that is entirely possible. that's what people are talking about. the debate goes on. >> did spike jones direct the commercial? >> he did. spike jones did fatboy slim and the ad. >> he's riffing on his own stuff. >> he didn't do the taylor. >> oh. >> yes. >> oh, my gosh. hi, ricky. let's get to beyonce and jay-z. ricky gervais over there. it's official, the pair is going to tour together again.

in instagram posts, beyonce announced their tour. it's called on the run two. the tour will start in europe. the first on the run tour happened in 2014. the announcement comes week after ticketmaster announced presale tickets. they deleted that post. many are wondering if the new tour means new music will be on the way, as well. fans are anticipating a joint album to be released soon. prince harry and meghan markle, lifetime is working on a movie about the couple. now, they release new photos of a peek. here's an image of the couple. another image shows the pair along prince william and duchess kate. the movie is centered around how prince harry and meghan met, their courtship and the media's attention on the couple, on their engagement and the world premiere of "harry and meghan,"

comes out may 13th, a few days before the royal wedding which is when? >> may 19th. >> you can see the real thing. i have a "daly click." when stevie shot she was the only passenger in her subway car, she was making up stuff about being alone in a subway car. but then, it went south pretty quick. ♪ i'm on a train all by myself going to pick up my bag ♪ ♪ sitting in a seat in a train car just me ♪ oh, my god. i just realized there's another person on this train. ♪ you have a good day >> there you go. >> wow. >> after a minute into her solo, she realized she wasn't alone on that train. there was a dude in the back of the car enjoying that

performance. he did not turn his train car around. >> this is not "the voice." >> embarrassed. as the train pulled away, i )m we are in a microclimate good morning. it's 8:26. i'm marcus washington. we're in a my crow climate weather alert as that rain rolls in. here's a live look in san rafal where drivers are dealing with the wet conditions there. let's get the latest on what's happening and how long can we expect this? >> this is the scene we've seen all morning long, muggy conditions, i mean, not only is it raining, but it's also warm outside which makes it sticky and humid. mobile doppler radar is on top of san bruno mountain, you can see it scanning. some of the heavier pockets of rain, right now, decent showers moving through the santa cruz mountains, squaw valley. seeing some of those heavy

downpours, expecting to keep scattered showers through the afternoon. >> we're looking at san jose for our live camera. expect slick roadways. i heard further south 152 a traffic alert. one way traffic control. headed over to 101 and watsonville if that's your direction. trees are down there. we're looking at a crash at 101 at 680. it looks like it's cleared to the shoulder. just generally slow as you get to oakland. we're looking at 880 and 580 both heading up towards the maze. >> another local news update in half an hour.

hi, everybody. we're back. it's 8:30. it's tuesday morning, the 13th of march, 2018. and look at this great crowd. i mean, this is a crowd. they're out here, it's snowing, it's sleeting and raining, all at the same time here in our plaza. little bit of something for everybody. >> we got a great crowd here. awesome crowd. i'm going to find my "crowd moment." hold on. first of all, hi from mississippi. i have a question, where is

savannah? >> right here. >> where? hi, you guys. >> hello. >> you're savannah? >> i'm savannah. >> you are. and where are you from? >> austin, texas. >> i understand you have a dog named -- >> guthrie. >> no. >> is this just because? >> just a coincidence. >> it is? >> savannah guthrie, meet savannah and guthrie. >> you should get a cat and name him clark, that is my middle name. >> thank you for coming from mississippi. we love you right back. >> amazing if her husband was al and the cat was roker. dr. oz is here to make sure you don't leave things to chance when it comes to your health. important stuff on that. and clear our space for viewing ricky gervais' brand-new special. >> hide the children on that one. >> we didn't let them. >> it's a family special.

>> not really, though. this woman started an internet sensation with a simple but unique cookie recipe. people cannot stop making it, eating it, talking about it. we're going to do all of those things right here. and mr. roker is in his element with all of the people. a check of the weather. >> let's see what we have for you, starting with today. we have a freeze warning, the freezes through the southeast. mild and dry along the western plains. but the west coast is going to be on the wet side. heavy snow in the northeast and new england. it continues tomorrow. the storm moves inland out west. a warming trend and the gulf that's what's going and around the country. here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> and we're still seeing a very wet community out there. storm ranger right now showcases that rain all the way from the north bay down towards the south bay. we're seeing showers over san francisco. some heavier downpours right now over the santa cruz mountains and scotts valley as well also seeing some heavier downpours along san roman near the oakland

area, light to moderate rain. we are expecting scattered showers through the afternoon. temperatures will remain on the milder side in the upper 50s, low 60s. >> just in case you didn't realize, we got some nice folks over here. wish a happy birthday to kevin? kevin's over there. hi, kevin. how are you? kevin's not with everybody. and girls' week, first time in new york. where are you from? >> ontario, canada. >> oh, from canada. we love that. all right. one more group over here, these nice folks. [ cheers ] where are you guys all from? >> we're from the university of georgia. >> oh. >> my wife, deborah roberts, is a uga graduate. >> thank you. march is colon cancer awareness month. and according to the american cancer society, 97,000 new cases

will be diagnosed in the united states just this year. >> with awareness of the symptoms and the right screenings, you can take charge of your health. here with what you need to know is dr. oz, from "the dr. oz show." a lot of people watching this, think of men. it's not just a man's disease. >> 1 in 23 women get it. it hits both genders. we both have collme colons. i know you don't want to talk about colon stuff in the morning. but if your car is putting out a weird exhaust, you want to know about it. part of the beauty of the human body tells you that things aren't working correctly. >> that's memorable. >> let's talk in an adult way with what's going on in your colon. the tragedy of the cases, a it's preventable. colonoscopy is so good. >> but some people dread it so make your pitch. why should you get a colonoscopy every ten years?

>> starting with age 50, if you have a family history, around the time your relative. >> just colon cancer. >> colon cancer specifically. someone that had a colon cancer at 40, you have to get your colonoscopy then and get ahead of it. unlike a lot of screening tests, like mammography that doesn't treat or cure the problem. colonoscopy does both. usually, that's a pretty good tradeoff. let's go over what tests you go. >> okay. >> if you go more than three times a day, that's not normal. if you can get in between those, the rule of threes, that's good. if that changes, your norm changes, something might be wrong with your gut. a thinning of the caliber of what's coming out of your body, if there's blood involved. if you're feeling bloated or losing weight unexpectedly, lost your appetite, these are signs you might have a problem with your colon. you want to intervene before

that. the colonoscopy becomes the gold standard. if you can't get it because you won't or if you have lots of stickiness in your intestines from surgery. or if you have diverticuli, most people don't have them, there's a step, too, a virtual colonoscopy. it's called a ct colonoscopy. you have to go through the prep. everyone complains about the prep. >> why don't they make the prep better? >> they knock you out, though? >> they do knock you out. that's what you like. the prep is the hard part. the prep has been made better. the prep is miserable. but it's better than chemotherapy. >> right. >> if you got a choice, get the prep and deal with the one day of discomfort. the ct colonoscopy, they put a tube up your bottom and blow air in there. they blow air in there for the c.a.t. scan, too. it's not pleasant. it's also more radiation. i don't think it's the best test. it was a great test when we didn't have colonoscopy. most people say do a fecal blood test.

that means you take a little swab of your poop and put it on a card and see if there's blood in there. there's tests that look at your blood, not some protein you may have eaten. that looks like blood. and there's a dna test that look for cells that may have cancer that are being sloughed off your intestinal track. if you do the fecal blood tests, you need to do them fairly frequently. you can't just do them in the doctor's office. and you have to get couple different samples. >> if you see this menu of items you put up this morning, do you know which one to do? >> i want to be on top of my health. this is simple. number one on colonoscopy. unless there's a good reason you can't get it done, that's the test to get. if you're young, unfortunately the rate of colon cancer in young people is going up and we think because of bad lifestyle habits. the things that people can do right now, so you're not fearful of this process. >> diet? >> specifically fiber, this

powerful nutrient seems to protect the lining of the wall of the intestines and it lets less time for the things in your diet to touch the intestinal wall. and avoid the process that the w.h.o. is increasing colon cancer up to 18%. leafy green vegetables are great. calcium is a good idea. it pulls out some of the junk from your intestines. it turn into a soap. soap comes out of you. >> given that people want to do it at 50, they can change their diet now. >> yeah. >> leafy vegetables. >> start now. >> dr. oz, thank you so much. you can catch him on "the dr. oz show," weekdays. coming up next, he's been listening to this last segment with a lot of attention, ricky gervais. >> ricky gets one live on the air with dr. oz, next. ♪

♪ we're back. 8:41, with the one and only ricky gervais. >> the creator of "the office," wrapped up his first standup tour in seven years. he named it "humanity." he doesn't like humanity and he's the focus of a new netflix special. hello, ricky. >> hello. >> why the name, humanity? >> i suppose it's me thinking about the world in the most privileged position imaginable, how spoiled i am. but actually, it started off like that. but after going around the world places, all the places in the world, it's not that bad. it's a nice play, the world, and people are really nice. >> what made you think that? the people you met? >> it's not like i don't like people. they're just not my favorite animal.

so issue that still good, but not as good as dogs. you see, people they're all right. well, i like dogs, people are rubbish. if you take dogs out of the equation, then people are all right. >> yeah. it's all relative. >> exactly. >> we have a clip from the special. let's roll it. >> a lovely welcome. just for that, i'm going to try my hardest tonight. i know what you're thinking, rick, relax, we had our money's worth, just seeing you. what? you're a legend, shut up. huh? i'm not a god. i'm just an ordinary guy, you know? going around talking to people. sort of like jesus. [ laughter ] in a way. but better. well, i've actually turned up. so -- >> i like how you just called yourself rick. do people call you rick ever? >> no. i don't think anyone calls me rick. exactly. the familiar. like that. like i know the 10,000 people that turn up. like they're friends. >> tell me about -- you have

done standup in several -- seven years or something? >> seven years was the last tour. >> so, what was it like to go back to the stage? were you nervous? >> honestly, i wasn't. i mean, i wasn't -- it wasn't planned. you know? i've always thought that standup was the second or third thing i do. so, things kind of had a series. i did a couple of movies. so it was pushed back. when i started doing it, i fell in love with it. now, it's the favorite thing i do. i can give everything else up and do standup until i'm too old to stand up. i'll do sitdown. >> relax. >> yeah. probably better chairs than this. >> you're not digging our chairs? >> they're the worst. they're slidey. standee-uppee. they're like stools. i can't lean back. they're slopey and slidey. the money you guys make and you give me -- i'm not making any money for this. i come on to plug the show. it's on netflix. i don't need to plug it. >> would you like a pillow or something? >> yeah. i'm going to get one. >> we have one in the dog area.

>> i'm watching lady jane, your life partner of 30-plus years. >> she's probably ashamed. >> she's right here. looking adorable. >> hi, jane. >> does jane watch the standups? >> she does. she does. >> thumbs up or thumbs down? >> thumbs up. >> i play lots of places the and jane comes to the most exotic places. she doesn't want to ipswich and leeds and luten. she comes to copenhagen, new york, l.a., san francisco. she chooses the gigs. >> you troll her online. >> i know. we go out walking every day just to meet dogs. and i get ahead of me and i take a picture of her. >> and you will say, there's jane with all her friends. that's so mean. >> how did you caption this one? >> where is that? >> i don't know. on some bridge. >> it's ipswich. >> exactly.

>> jane out with her new york gang. look, maybe i got a text. nope. you're so bad. >> you guys have been together a long time. >> yes. >> what's the secret to that? >> well, larry hagman was asked that, he had been married for 50 years. and he said separate bathrooms. >> is that the truth? >> i think, you know, she puts up with me. that's good, isn't it? that's good. that's all i can ask, really. >> and a decent chair. >> yeah. >> that would be good. >> we love you. >> thank you. >> "humanity" is streaming right now. >> i have some advil in my office if your back is hurting. >> there we go again. offering me pills again. carson, over to you. >> guys, get ready. we have the creator of the hottest recipe on the internet. she's going to share her secrets. of her wildest popular signature cookie. first, this is "today" on nbc. ♪

♪ all right. we're back here with "today food." this morning we are talking about the cookie that's taken over instagram. hundreds of enthusiasts are sharing their own version of the cookie. allison is the mastermind behind it. you can get the recipe in her cookbook "dining in." and the cookie, no knock on you, allison, has become the celebrity. "the new york times," "eater," "bon appetit." everybody is making these cookies, you should, too. my wife made these for some of our co-workers here. we were like, this is amazing. you wrote, the world has so many cookies, why would we do another

one. and you did it. >> why would i make another chocolate chip cookie. >> what were you think organize drinking? >> drinking a lot. i didn't want to enter the race of competing for the best cookie. i wanted to create something different. this is a shortbread cookie with chocolate in it. it reminds you of a chocolate chip cookie but it's also a shortbread. people like their chocolate chip cookies chewy, sweet. >> what are the ingredients? >> typical stuff. we have salted butter, unique here. >> why salted versus unsalted? >> it has a depth of flavor that regular butter doesn't have. it has a little funkyness. it's richer. >> what's the benefit of unsalted butter? >> you control the salt. when baking with unsalted, you add salt later. you don't add salt later. butter, brown sugar, regular

sugar, flour and vanilla extract. afterwards, we brush it with some egg and sugar and salt. >> why does the butter look cubed up? >> i like to start with a colder butter. it creams a lot better. this is a recipe you should have an electric mixer for. people have done it by hand. to varying degrees of success. >> you're telling me, if i took a big thing of soft butter and through it in there, the end result would be different than cold butter that was cubed? >> yeah. it will happen a little faster. i'm going to add the light brown sugar. a lot of people said, there's three types of sugar in this cookie recipe. are they all necessary? yes. if you notice in any classic chocolate chip cookie recipe, there's at least two. i like to have three. >> vanilla. >> it's yours. is there a variation of chocolate? you do milk or dark? >> i love the dark bittersweet

chocolate. 72% is a good place to start. >> can i see that? >> you can. >> a rule of thumb, if you don't want to eat it like a bar, you don't want to be baking with it. >> excellent. >> this butter and sugar has been creaming for a bit. and you see, it's s ee's super and fluffy. it's pale and creamy. >> looks like frosting almost. >> we'll scrape down the sides of the bowl. >> one minute left. >> cool. that's not a lot of time. add the flour. and then, you can mix. >> that going, as well. when it's done, you put it in a mold and put it in the freeze center. >> you use your hands. you make that into a log. it doesn't have to perfect. >> we couldn't wait. i mean, we could not wait. >> but for people at home, we're following along. do this and go in the fridge? justi justi >> yes. >> how long? >> at least two hours. >> we're moving things along

here. my goodness. we're going to brush the edges with egg wash. i've done it with my hands. no wrong way to do it. >> you're not going to roll it in the sugar? >> i am. >> the real test is how does the cookie dough taste? >> wow. you'll be happy to know, there's no egg in there. >> that's great. that wouldn't have stopped me anyway. >> oh, cut that. >> yeah. and these, depending on how big your log is, i like to cut them half-inch to a quarter-inch. >> do they raise much? >> there's no leavening in this. and then, from there -- >> a little sea salt before you cook them, too. >> yeah. >> that's cakes in. >> crunchy on the outside from sugar, crunchy on the top from sugar. >> i've had eight this morning. >> allison, thank you. you can find this recipe. and to learn more about allison's cookbook, go to today.com/shop. we're back in a minute. bon appetit. allison, appreciate it. >> come on. >> winner. >> this is "today" on nbc.

>> cheers.

what do you have coming up? >> a lot coming up. we have alan cumming coming up. and our guys tell all. we have a group of guys and we field questions. >> bring them some cookies. >> yeah, they'll like them. first, we have "megyn kelly today" after your local news. you guys have a great one. >> don't you have crispy fish

good morning, it is 8:56. i'm gloomy, it's raining and it's muggy out there. this is a shot overlooking wood side. you can't even make out the mountains. radar right now is scanning and picking up that widespread rain all the way from the north bay down to the south bay. but some spots are catching a bit of a break from the rain. although right now san francisco still seeing some showers. redwood city, haywood, through

freemont. rain hit or myseiss. santa cruz not seeing too much rain. but scott valley seeing rain, especially driving through highway 17. oakland seeing light to moderate showers and temperatures remain in the 60s. >> happening now, the latest rain is the welcome relief for some south bay water agencies with lower than normal reservoir levels. link to the details and images from today's rain. and development from the white house, rex tillerson is out as secretary of state. president trump wants cia director pompeo to replace him. for the first time, the cia would be led by a female direct, gina haspel. for president trump, he should arrive in california in a little more than two hours. this is his first visit since becoming the president of the united states. more information on our homepage. i'm marcus washington. >> stay connected to your world, wherever the world takes you, get the nbc bay area app. in them

across america. plus: a )groupon gripe. ) our consumer investigator steps up after a deal gone wrong. what you should know before your next purchase. )today in the bay ) - 4:30 to .

[ applause ] good morning, everyone. good morning. and welcome. welcome to the program. i'm megyn kelly. the question we start with today, is how do we keep our children safe at school? everyone is having this talk, at the dinner table across the country. we're having it right here as tomorrow marks one month after the trabgedy in parkland, florida. students are prepared to walk out of their schools to honor the lives lost and press for change on this one-month mark. one of those voices pushing for change is laurie alhadef. her daughter was one of the