this is a special night for these three really great people. and congratulations on being -- >> breaking news at this moment. a hero's welcome for three americans held in north korea. the president and first lady greeting them in the middle of the night just moments ago. a joyful home coming at andrews for the family and friends. a special edition of "early today" starts right now. >> good morning. i'm phillip mena. >> good to be with you on this thursday. i'm frances rivera. we begin with breaking news this morning. three american detained in north korea for up to two years are now on american soil.

a lachl lo a live look as the president emerges with detainees coming out and again here in america for the first time since being detained in north korea. who you're seeing right now live are kim dong-chul, kim hack sung, and tony kim, landing at joint base andrews right now. you can see peace signs right there, applause from the president and the first lady. also being greeted by vice-president mike pence. the release came after secretary of state mike pompeo again met with north korean leader kim jong-un in pyongyang. telling reporters on a plane the form he detainees appear in good health. >> the release now paves the wait for historic come it between kim jong-un and president trump which secretary pompeo says could be announced in the next few days. we do not know yet where that meeting will be, although many people have said trump has indicated it could be singapore and we know that that is -- this

release here, this monumental release, historic release comes ahead of those talks that are expected sometime in the next month or two. >> word of the visit of the secretary of state mike pompeo came really when president trump was having his press conference about pulling out of the iran nuclear deal when he was asked at the end of that. he did, in fact, just say mike pompeo is on his way as we speak to north korea. he was there 13 hours. he did meet with top officials including kim jong-un for 90 minutes and, of course, during that time finalized the time and location for the leaders' summit. it wasn't until the president's tweet where he said yes, these detainees are on a plane headed home. big smiles here, very symbolic and significant moment here for the president when it comes to foreign policy, when it comes to relations with north korea and this upcoming meeting with kim jong-un. what is significant here, though, is as we are watching this live, and you can see the

president and again more peace signs from these detainees, let's call them returnees now that they are here at home, their families are not with them. we understand that these men will be taken to walter reed as they will be evaluated medically even more. we do know that they appear in good health, but that was the indication also as they made their way here to the united states. they were on a separate plane from mike pompeo, one that had medical facilities on it if they needed. >> we know this was pompeo's second visit to north korea, of course the first coming before he was confirmed as secretary of state over easter weekend. perhaps laying the groundwork for this historic release. mike pompeo now confirmed as secretary of state. let's listen in on president trump as he makes his remarks. >> there is a certain process that is taking place right now. that process is very important. so, we will see what happens. we have a meeting scheduled in a very short period of time. you'll be hearing about it soon. we have the location set, and we will see if we can do something

that people did not think was going to happen for many, many years, and a lot of bad things could have happened in between. so, i just want to say this is a special night for these three really great people and congratulations on being in this country. thank you. >> thank you very much. [ applause ] >> how does it feel to be home? >> how does it feel to be home? >> translator: it's like a dream and we are very, very happy. >> how were you treated? you have to give an answer. >> translator: yes, we were

treated in many different ways. for me, i had to do a lot of labor. but when i got sick, i was also treated by them. >> -- >> my proud est achievement will be -- this is a part of it, but will be when we denuclearize that entire peninsula. this is what people have been waiting for for a long time. nobody thought we could be on this track in terms of speed. so, i'm very honored to have helped the three folks. they're great people. you know, i got, i got to speak to them on the plane. these are great people. they've been through a lot. but it's a great honor. but the great -- the true honor is going to be if we have a

victory in getting rid of nuclear weapons. >> -- >> no, not at all. we very much appreciate that he allowed them to go before the meeting. it was sort of understood that we'd be able to get these three terrific people during the meeting and bring them home after the meeting, and he was nice in letting them go before the meeting. i mean, frankly, we didn't think this was going to happen and it did. so, you could say we're a little bit -- it was a very important thing to all of us to be able to get these three great people out. and i must tell you, i want to pay my warmest respects to the parents of otto warmbier, who is a great young man who, who really suffered. and his parents have become friends of ours. they are spectacular people.

and i just want to pay my respects. i actually called them the other day, and mike called them also, mike pence. and they are really incredible people. >> -- >> i think our secretary of state, despite the fact that "the new york times" said he was missing, he was in north korea. but i think our secretary of state has done a fantastic job. mike, did you know that you were missing? they couldn't find you. they couldn't find him. >> -- >> they couldn't find him bauds because he was in north korea. >> -- >> i don't want to comment on whether or not i spoke to him. >> -- >> we are starting off on a new footing. this is a wonderful thing that he released the folks early. that was a big thing, very

important to me. and i really think we have a very good chance of doing something very meaningful. and if anybody would have said that five years ago, ten years ago, even a year ago, you would have said that's not possible. so, a lot -- i will say this. a lot of very good things have happened. >> -- >> say it? >> -- >> i really think he wants to do something. i think he did this because i really think he wants to do something and bring the country into the real world. i really believe that, john. and i think, i think that we're going to have a success. i think this will be a very big success. it's never been taken this far. there's never been a relationship like this, and we're starting from here. but i really think a lot of progress has been made. and we'll see what happens. we're talking about a few weeks. i guess many of you will be with

us, but some great things can happen and that's what we hope. so, i want to thank you all. it's very early in the morning. i think you probably broke the all-time in history television rating for 3:00 in the morning. that i would say. but i want to just congratulate -- these are three great people and congratulations. [ applause ] >> some impromptu words there from president trump along with the three americans who just returned home after being detained in north korea. there they are live look at joint base andrews where they just arrived moments ago. and in those impromptu words, the president said that he didn't think that this would happen, meaning that these men would be returned home. but it did. he said his proudest moment isn't necessarily this part. it would be to denuclearize north korea. and, of course, this leading up to the summit that the time and

the place have been determined. we know it's supposed to be sometime at the end of june, likely in singapore. the president did not confirm that. but certainly a very significant moment for this president and his administration here, and with foreign relations with the return of these three detainees ahead of the summit with kim jong-un. >> president trump also, it's important to mention, he made mention that he had reached out and talked to the parents of otto warmbier who, of course, he was released just days before he eventually died after being held for 17 months in north korea. we'll get back to more of that in a little bit later. for right now we want to toss it over to bill karins with a check of our forecast today. good morning, bill. >> hey, good morning, guys. we are watching severe storms today marching through the ohio valley into areas of the northeast. right now they have weakened a little bit ohio getting hit pretty good. later today from areas of nebraska and then a huge slice from virginia all the way to new york state, 28 million people at risk of severe weather today. tornado threat is on the low side. but wind damage will be popular with the strongest storms and

here's a closer zoomed in view of areas from new york state, did not include new york city. it ends right there. but areas from newark to philadelphia to baltimore, washington, d.c. and richmond, those line of storms will come through between about 4:00 p.m. and about 8:00 p.m. this evening with wind damage being the up around areas of wichita south wards to colorado. there is the cool air in nod ed in. airport delays also likely in the northeast with those storms this afternoon. >> oh, boy, we had it nice so time for that to change. bill, thank you. want to bring you a warning here if anyone of your family is in danger of life-threatening allergic reactions. . fda has declared a short term shortage of epipen across many parts of the country due to manufacturing delays. you can still get them but you might have to look harder or

find an alternative. >> just ahead the hunt is on for the culprits of a brazen smash-and-grab. this you have to see. plus the fire heats up over the president's pick to lead the cia. the details of their report next on "early today." party's over, 'six legs', she's got simparica now. simpari-what? simparica is what kills tick and fleas, like us. kills? kills! studies show at the end of the month, it kills more ticks in less time than frontline plus and nexgard. guess we should mosey on. see ya never, roxy! use simparica with caution in dogs with a history of seizures or neurologic disorders. the most common side effects are vomiting, diarrhea, and lethargy. say goodbye to ticks and fleas... with monthly simparica chewables. give mom the perfect gift and get kohl's cash! give her a designer fragrance or nike sneakers and get kohl's cash! help mom clean up with a roomba and you'll get $70 kohl's cash! plus shop other great gifts storewide the more you spend

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a group of house republicans are defying party leaders and pushing ahead in an effort to force a floor vote on the deferred action for childhood arrivals program or daca. they hope to pressure president trump and gop leaders into working with democrats to save the program and protect young undocumented immigrants from deportation. if all democrats back this petition, republicans need at least 25 signatures from their 236 members. they already have more than 15. >> this morning the president is putting his full faith and support behind his nominee to lead the cia. tweeting overnight gina haspel did a spectacular job.

there is nobody even close to run the cia. with haspel's predecessor current secretary of state mike pompeo also tweeting i'm looking forward to receiving intelligence as secretary of state from this amazing leader. win, gina. 9 confirmation fight got harder overnight after a key senator came out swinging against her nomination. following her hours' long hearing before the senate intelligence committee, let's go straight to nbc's tracie pots for more. the issue here is torture in that hearing. >> reporter: exactly. they talked a lot about that and whether or not it was immoral. we can tell you support for haspel is not breaking down along party lines. republican john mccain now saying he is a no vote on gina haspel and here's why. he says her role in overseeing the use of torture by americans is disturbing, but her refusal to acknowledge the immorality of torture is, in his words, disqualifying. and then there was this exchange between gina haspel and california's kamala harris.

>> do you believe that the previous interrogation techniques were immoral? >> senator, i believe that cia officers to whom you referred -- >> it's a yes or no answer. >> senator, what i believe sitting here today is that i support the higher moral standard we have decided to hold ourselves to. >> can you please answer the question? >> senator, i think i've answered the question. >> no, you have not. >> reporter: so, we have a no vote from john mccain, also from maine independent senator angus king announcing he is a no vote on haspel. but picking up yes votes from democrat joe manchin out of west virginia and susan collins, the republican from maine. frances? >> tracie, thank you. >> police in texas are searching for two suspects who they say used a truck to smash through a convenience store and then stole the atm inside. surveillance footage from the store shows one suspect hopping out of the vehicle and then

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a lot of you know all too well it is that sneezy and wheezy time of the year again. according to the american

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>> warmer temperatures caused by climate change really are causing longer growing seasons so more intense release of pollen. >> reporter: doctors say if you're battling symptoms you should take an allergy skin test to find out what's triggering them. then develop a treatment plan that may include over the counter medications or nasal spray. if symptoms are more serious, you might consider allergy shots. >> this year has been worse. >> reporter: pauline glenn just hopes the worst of it ends soon. gabe gutierrez, nbc news, atlanta. >> we all hope it ends soon. >> uh-huh, it does. it's one thing to be uncomfortable, but when you're really, really suffering from it, man, you just want to rip your eyeballs out. >> a bad time of year. i don't even have allergies that bad. but even i suffer. just ahead, a look at the day's forecast. plus a chocolate lover's worst nightmare. you're watching "early today." ot are where the people you love the most hang out the most. and make you laugh the most.

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in today's top stories, three u.s. citizens detained in north korea for up to two years are now on u.s. soil. kim dong-chul, kim hack sung and tony kim landing there at joint base andrews overnight where they were greeted by president trump and first lady melania trump. in a statement, the men expressed, quote, our deep appreciation to the united states government. president trump, secretary pompeo and the people of the united states for bringing us home. their release came shortly after secretary of state mike pompeo net with north korean leader kim jong-un in pyongyang to finalize details of a final summit between kim and president trump. pompeo telling reporters he expects an announcement on the date, time and location of the summit to come in the next few days. >> lawmakers in connecticut have made their state the latest to ban the use of bump stocks.

a bill banning the use of the device passed the connecticut general assembly with bipartisan support. the legislation now heads to the governor who plans to sign it. bump stocks allow semi-automatic weapons to fire like auto matt i cans. the device gained national attention after the las vegas mass chuting. six states have adopted similar bans. >> chris brown faces more legal trouble. the singer is being sued by a woman who claims she was raped at his home. the accuser's attorney gloria allred said the client was assaulted multiple times by associates at a drug fueled party hosted by the singer in 2017. court papers say brown and his associates are actually -- brown's associates barricaded the victim inside the bedroom. the client has spoken to the police but no charges have been filed. nbc has reached out to brown's management but received no response. brown is no stranger to legal troubles.

most notably in 2009 following the beating of his then girlfriend pop star rihanna. >> a polish highway was shutdown by a sticky situation. a tanker carrying 12 tons of liquid chocolate flipped over. you see the sugary mess covered all four lanes of the highway. officials reportedly described the slippery surface as a worse hazard than snow. firefighters cleaned it for hours. they had to use steams of hot water to melt all that stuff off. it remains unclear what caused the accident. the driver was treated for a broken arm, fortunately no one else was hurt. >> break out the fondue with the chocolate. there is a panda reminding us no matter how you fall, you always get back up. this is bay-bay. watch as the branch snaps. right there sending the animal crashing down. bay-bay is okay, just like a kid the 2-year-old climbs right back up. >> yeah. >> don't worry, handlers say. they are built to withstand --

again, again. >> some cute and inspiring footage to kickoff your thursday. i'm phillip mena. >> i'm frances rivera. your news continues right here. cholula hot sauce is teaming up with jack in the box for the cholula buttery jack. a little hot sauce there... woah. what's happening? jack i'm trying to film this commercial! oh my gosh, sorry. with delicious cholula hot sauce and crispy jalapenos on a signature bun. the new cholula buttery jack. part of the buttery jack family. made with delicious cholula hot sauce,ack. crispy jalapenos and pepper jack cheese on a signature bun.

yep, this is my third one today. the new cholula buttery jack. part of the buttery jack family. only at jack in the box. ad lib live picture-- san francisco good thursday morning to you. we take a look outside in san francisco. 4:30 as we get started with this friday eve. thanks for beginning your morning with us. >> a delicious cup of coffee. good morning to you. let's check that morning for you. >> once again, we enjoyed the breezy winds through yesterday afternoon and slightly warmer temperatures and then we are going to see another morning where we are cool to start and it will warm up nicely. here is a look. it is in the as humid as it was yesterday morning. skies are clearing. in the mid-50s through about