no one is really safe in this country with the kind of gun laws that we have. >> changes needed. we need to increase school safety. well can't continue to let this happening. >> across the nation, thousands of students demanding changes to gun laws, one month to the date when 17 students in parknd, florida were gunned down. national outrage over a dog that died aboard a united airlines flight, even after the travelers did all the right things. now united is making changes. republican political candidates have been put on notice after pennsylvania voters sent a stunning message to the nation. former porn star stormy daniels' war chest is growing as she prepares for a potential legal battle against the president. and forget about being

productive at work today. the ncaa tournament officially begins this afternoon. "early today" starts right now. good thursday morning to you. i'm frances rivera. it was an unprecedented day of powerful protests exactly one month after a gunman murdered 17 in a deadly school shooting in florida, students at marjory stoneman douglas high school took a stand. but they weren't alone. thousands of young people across the country walked out of class wednesday honoring those lost to gun violence and calling for reform. this was their message in their own words. >> we can't stand gun violence anymore! >> enough is enough! >> no more! >> policy not prayers! >> enough is enough! >> i consider this school a home. but this home isn't safe. >> no one is really safe in this country with the kind of gun laws that we have. >> change is needed. we need to increase school safety. we can't let this keep on happening. >> it's important for us to speak up as the youth and make sure this change actually

occurs. >> we all deserve to be safe at school. >> 17 lives lost in six minutes. i don't want to go through what they went through. >> we are together. we are one. we are with florida. that's why we say never again. >> 17 years old. >> this for helena ramsey. >> what do we want? >> gun reform! >> when do we want it? >> now! >> young and powerful voices were sounded around the nation this week. their voices are part of a movement that hopes to bring real change. nbc's gabriel gutierr gabe gutir coverage from parkland, florida. >> reporter: across the country, the loudest lesson was outside the classroom. >> i won't die saying nothing. >> reporter: in parkland, florida, where exactly one month ago, a gunman's rampage changed everything, an incredible exodus. 17 minutes to honor the 17 victims and calls to tighten gun restrictions. >> we're strong and we need to

make a change. so we're not going to stop until it happens. >> reporter: at 10:00 a.m., students streamed on to the football field, but then the walkout lasted much longer than 17 minutes. students flooded out of the school and then walked to a nearby park. where they had once fled in terror, they now marched, defiant. what effect do you think this will have? >> a lot. >> reporter: sam zeif lost his best friend, joaquin oliver in the shooting. he made this emotional plea to president trump to ban ar-15 rifles. >> and i don't understand why i can still go in a store and buy a weapon of war. >> it's hard to go to class and bring up an argument and just sit quiet. and that's what it's all about. because we're not going to sit quiet anymore. >> reporter: not quiet in chicago. ron mott is there. >> so these students are not only marching against school gun violence, they're also marching against daily gun violence here, especially on the south side. >> it's really personal to me, especially when i hear about the other kids dying every day. >> let's stop talking about the change and actually make one.

>> reporter: not quiet in los angeles either. here is jacob soboroff. >> despite the fact california already has some of the most stringent gun control laws in the nation, all of these students here to call for gun control. >> reporter: the historic walkouts fueled by social media. powerful images. 17 empty desk, students spelling out #enough on their football field. but not everyone thought this was a teachable moment. some schools threatened to discipline students who walked out. >> i would rather my kids be in school safe. and i don't believe this demonstration is going to change anything. >> reporter: for many back in parkland, this was much more than a school absence. >> shame, shame, shame! >> reporter: it is a generation sitting silent no more. organizers say more than 3500 schools throughout all 50 states participated. student activists are now planning a national march on washington for later this month. frances? >> all right. nbc's gabe gutierrez, thank you.

the white house says it is standing in solidarity with the united kingdom's decision to expel nearly two dozen russian diplomats. this after an ex-russia spy and his daughter were poisoned on british soil. the u.s. ambassador to the united nations nikki haley emphasizing the country's stance and calling on the u.n. to take action. nbc's tracie potts joins us now with more from washington. tracie, good morning. >> frances, good morning. nikki haley told the united nations security council they will have no credibility at all if they stand by and do nothing about this. those russian diplomats expelled after russia missed a deadline to explain to great britain what happened here. russia denies any involvement in the attack on its former military officer in great britain. but the united states not wanting to let this go. haley told the u.n. that this attack last week must have a response. >> let me make one thing clear from the very beginning. the united states stands in

absolute solidarity with great britain. the united states believes that russia is responsible for the attack on two people in the united kingdom using a military-grade nerve agent. >> reporter: now, outgoing secretary of state rex tillerson also said that it was clearly russia behind this, although president trump has said we've got to get the facts straight first before assigning blame. meantime, theresa may of great britain is also saying that it appears that russia was behind this. but again, russia denies any involvement. frances? >> all right, tracie, thank you. united airlines is facing growing outrage following a heartbreaking incident in the sky that left a family devastated. a family's new puppy died after a flight attendant allegedly instructed the family to place the carrier in one of its overhead bins for the duration of the flight. in a new statement, united airlines says the flight attendant did not understand when the family tried to explain that a dog was inside the bag because of the owner's accent. last year, united flew 138,000

pets as cargo. 18 died, making it 3/4 of total pet deaths with major airlines. that's according to the department of transportation. and in an unrelated incident, united is also investigating a mix-up that sent a 10-year-old dog to japan rather than kansas city, leaving the owner shocked and confused. >> i instantly burst into tears, just wondering where my dog was. now civil rights groups are banding together to try to stop the nomination of trump pick gina haspel. organizations like the american civil liberties union, human rights watch, and amnesty international oppose haspel's nomination because of her links to torture. they plan on asking the senate to declassify information around the extent of haspel's involvement in the water board twofg m ing of two men at a black site in thailand. the group says if perpetrators of torture do not face

prosecution, the tactic could once again be used by the united states. after a democratic win in the heart of trump country in tuesday's pennsylvania special election, some gop lawmakers say it should be a wake-up call to the party. conor lamb will be the next congressman for the district which voted heavily for mr. trump in 2016. and we are now learning president trump told attendees at a private event lamb won because of similarities to the president himself, saying he said, oh, i'm like trump. second amendment, i love the tax cuts. i guess when you're popular in a certain area, that's probably a good tactic. still, worries remain this could be a sign to come in november. nbc's kasie hunt has more. >> you did it! you did it. >> reporter: in a district president trump won by 20 points in 2016 -- >> we followed what i learned in the marines. leave no one behind. >> reporter: democrat conor lamb with a stunning upset. what should democrats take away from your victory here in pennsylvania?

>> probably just that you got to work really hard and every single vote really does count. >> reporter: it's an embarrassing loss for president trump, who rallied against lamb. >> conor lamb, lamb the sham, right? lamb the sham. >> reporter: opposition to the president has motivated democrats and made it harder for republicans. >> it's a bit of a wake-up call. and i think that you can't deny that and if you do, you're lying. >> reporter: there are more than 100 republicans in congress whose districts are more competitive than pennsylvania's 18th. a huge warning sign. >> you're a republican in a safe seat, you better be ready. >> reporter: lamb was also able to win over voters like retired steelworker anthony ross, who had abandoned the democratic party. and why did you leave? >> the democratic party? because they forgot the working people. they forgot the people that they buttered our bread. >> reporter: democrats need to flip 23 seats to take back the house. and whether they can depends on taking the lessons from pennsylvania to heart. what do you think democrats in

washington should learn from conor lamb? >> they should come back to the grassroots and go up and down these streets and come in these diners and find out what reality really is. >> reporter: republicans are likely to demand a recount, but they're fighting over a district that not even going to exist in november because the lines are being redrawn. the result here shows just how much republicans have to be nervous about this fall and how much democrats have to hope for. frances? >> all right, kasie hunt for us, kasie, thanks. let's turn to the weather. and nbc meteorologist bill karins. i have a question for you. where is spring? we're a week away there. >> are kids on spring break that headed down to florida. and this morning it's 34 windchill from tallahassee to jacksonville. and that's not fun. that's not spring break. at least this afternoon it will warm up. but it's cold. we have freeze warnings from meridian, mississippi all the way to wilmington, back down to gainesville, florida. and the temperatures, they'll continue to fall as we go throughout the overnight hours

here. 34 in tallahassee. we expect 34 in birmingham and gainesville right around 36. so there is warm air out there. there is spring to be found. it's all through the middle of the country. we're chilly in areas of the west with below average temperatures, and we're below average in the northeast. you really need to get to oklahoma city, to areas in missouri today for above average temperatures. and highs this weekend, it's a struggle. buffalo low 30s right through sunday. ouch.d you got plenty of snow o the last two weeks there is the southeast recovering nicely after a cold morning. well, there is a new roar in town. unlike the traditional greenish glow we show you all the time with the northern lights, meet steve. a shimmering thin arc. it's only visible for about an hour at a time. in addition to its color, it has another unique characteristics.

it's located closer to the equator. researchers discovered it thanks to citizen photographers who posted about the unusual cites in subpolar skies worldwide. >> it's amazing we're only discovering that now. wow. bill, thanks. still ahead, caught in the act. surveillance video captures a horrible act of domestic violence. and then breaking overnight involving two naval aviators an an f-18 super hornet that went down. at walgreens, how we care will change over time, but why we care remains the same treating everyone with the care and attention they deserve. walgreens. trusted since 1901. brushing only reaches 25% of your mouth. listerine® cleans virtually 100%. helping to prevent gum disease and bad breath.

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violent domestic assault led to his firing. an attorney for danry vazquez told kris tv his client is ashamed of the recently released video. first a warning. some may find this video disturbing. vazquez was recorded assaulting his girlfriend inside a stadium stairwell in corpus christi more than a year ago. that assault happened while vazquez was playing for a minor league affiliation of the houston astros. the case was dismissed as part of a plea agreement. but vazquez was terminated within days of incident. he has since been playing for a pennsylvania team which severed ties with the outfielder after the video's release this week. a former black liberation army member behind bars for nearly 45 years for killing two nypd officers will soon be a free man. a new york state patrol board approved herman bell's release following his eighth parole hearing. he and two other members of the radical group were sentenced to 25 years to life for killing officers joseph piagentini and

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people are still talking about how trump fired his secretary of state rex tillerson this week. trump himself has been talking about it a lot. watch this. ♪ let's talk about rex, baby, let's talk about his doing terribly, and let's talk about a lot of good things and plenty of bad things ♪ >> it wasn't done properly. so let's talk about rex and move on to the next. that's the way life is. >> we have a great show tonight. >> brilliant! well done. the ncaa tournament kicks off a full year later today from sports bars to office break rooms, sports fans will be

giving in to march madness. nbc's dan schenamen reports and has more on this annual rite of spring. >> the country is gripped by madness, march madness. >> unc, i went to uva. number one in the country right now. >> reporter: the hoops hysteria is not limited to sports bars and living rooms. it can also take over the workplace. >> people spend about 25 minutes per day during march madness talking about either the sports scores or taking a look at the scores on their computer. >> reporter: and of course filling out brackets. the staffing term office team estimates nearly half of all professionals are big fans of march madness and other sporting events. >> at work, people will be gathering in break rooms around tvs and wearing their school colors. it's a lot of fun. >> reporter: a lot of fun that can benefit employers. >> companies who are taking advantage of it can boost

productivity, boost morale, and really focus on retention efforts in a employment environment where it's very competitive for good employees. >> reporter: and following a favorite basketball team can lead to team building. >> when there is an event to pull everybody together, a lot more camaraderie. >> and that's a slam-dunk for employers. dan schenamen, nbc news. >> i like that. all the positive parts when people are slacking off at work. still ahead, president trump admits to making up facts at a meeting with one of our closest allies. plus we revealed the happiest place on earth. and here is a hint. it's not disneyland. you're watching "early today." that'll crack this case wide open! turns out the prints at the crime scene- awwwww...did mcgruffy wuffy get a tippy wippy? i'm serious! we gotta move fast before- who's a good boy? is him a good boy? erg...i'm just gonna go. oh, you wanna go outside? you gotta go tinky poo-poo? i already went, ok? in the bathroom! as long as people talk baby-talk to dogs,

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they release medicine fast, for fast pain relief. tylenol® welcome back to "early today." yesterday we mentioned the possibility at least of another coastal storm for new england by the time we get to tuesday of next week. you're looking at the trends. it's still wishy washy. nothing definite at this point. a storm heading through the ohio valley. once it redevelops there is still a lot of questions where a rain/snow line would be, how strong, if it's one storm, if it's two? unfortunately more questions than answers with the storm. but there is still going to be a storm in the region even as we linger probably into wednesday. so again, too early to give specific. >> all right, bill, thank you. still ahead, the crowd funding effort to help out adult film star stormy daniels here on "early today." new olay whips powerful skincare, now light-as-air

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some of the top stories we're following. a trump organization lawyer has now been linked to efforts to silence adult film star stormy daniels. new documents showed jill a. martin signed a restraining order against the actress last month to stop her from speaking about an alleged intimate relationship with donald trump part of the conditions of a nondisclosure agreement. the white house has denied the allegations made against the president. still, daniels is suing for the freedom to speak openly about the alleged relationship from over a decade ago. her lawyers say the nda is invalid because trump never signed it. and just yesterday daniels launched a crowd funding campaign for her legal fees under her given name, stephanie clifford. the campaign has already raised more than $100,000. in a recent fundraising

speech, president trump said he made claims in a trade meeting with canadian prime minister justin trudeau without knowing whether or not they were true. in audio from speech obtained by "the washington post" and confirmed by nbc news, trump says, "trudeau comes in. donald, we have no trade deficit. i said wrong, justin, you do. i didn't even know. i had no idea. i just said you're wrong. an aide later confirmed to the president there is no deficit with canada. all right, women, this is for you. a story can make you reconsider skipping your workout this morning. a new study finds that highly fit middle aged women are less likely to develop dementia. this study from sweden followed nearly 200 women for more than four decades. the findings don't prove that exercise prevents dementia, but of the women studied, those who stayed in shape in mid life were 90% less likely to develop symptoms. astronaut scott kelly came back from a year in space with altered dna. according to nasa, the stresses

of orbit created brand-new molecules and activated space genes affecting 7% of his dna, and also leaving kelly completely different from his twin, astronaut mark kelly who stayed on earth. no longer identical, kelly tweeted, right after finding out. they're like all right, bro, the guy i knew all along we're not the same after all. >> weird. they go into outer space and it changes your -- >> it's fascinating to compare the two. they did all the testing and they did all the comparisons after the year in space, and they found not only are they different in other ways but with the dna too. >> what about twins born in space? >> ooh, that's now that's something for you right there. >> a reality show. >> you could head the research on that one. it turns out the happiest place on earth isn't even in the united states. finland has been named the happiest country on the planet, according to the united nations world happiness report. the report ranked 156 countries based on factors like income and life expectancy. if you're looking for happiest city in the united states, head to the west coast.

according to wallet hub, the happiest city in the u.s. is fremont, california based on community and environment. thanks for waking up with us. i'm fraes rivera ncand more rai.

a live look outside in san jose on the right-- it )s dry thursday morning and guess what, more rain is on the way. a live look outside in san jose right now. dry for now. we can see from the radar rain off the coast. it's good, though. we need it. >> marcus sounds thrilled. >> i am. >> carry his umbrella way up high. good morning, i'm laura garcia. >> and i'm marcus washington. one thing i did note, it is colder outside. >> oh, yes, it's cold and damp, too. that makes it feel even colder. it gets right to your bones. that's the chill you'll have. it's still dry as we look at storm ranger. you can see the red beam and the rain still well to the n