we come back in half an hour at 7:25. in the meantime, we're off to the "today" show >> join us for "nbc bay area news" at midday. see you then. just four years in prison. a small fraction of what federal guidelines recommended. >> it's an extraordinarily lenient sentence. >> i think i spent more days in detention in high school. >> what his lawyer said on the courthouse steps. is manafort angling for a presidential pardon? the house versus hate. capitol hill looking to fight bigotry versus the comments

thought to be anti-semitic. five years, few answers. a somber anniversary for the world's greatest aviation mystery. the disappearance of malaysia airlines flight 370. still no sign of the plane or the 239 people on board. this morning the new technology to make sure it never happens again. all that plus lucky times two. the incredible story of the $273 million mega millions jackpot winner who lost his winning ticket. >> walked away. >> and the good samaritan who returned it. >> my parents raised me to be a good person. honest, sincere. "today" exclusive. music and movie icon olivia newton john talking about her bout with cancer. >> you can be a victim or be a winner. and first, fierce, and female. >> dedication and focus.

>> it's international women's day and we're marking the big occasion in a big way with awe-inspiring ground breakers and a live concert on the plaza with marin morris. today, friday, march 8th, 2019. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with savannah guthrie and hoda kotb live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. hi, everybody. welcome to "today." not just any day. it's friday but it's international women's day. how do you celebrate? well, out here on the plaza. >> i tell you, i rolled up at like 4:30 this morning and there was already a line out the door. marin morris is going to be singing and we'll meet some incredible women. >> they're going to get a rock star's welcome this morning. let's start with the news and the backlash this morning against that four-year prison sentence for tax and bank fraud given to former trump campaign

chairman paul manafort. critics are calling it disrespective, outrageous. we've got two reports starting with kristen welker. hey, good morning. . >> reporter: this morning president trump is responding to the sentencing of paul manafort saying he feels very bad by for him and calling it a tough time for his former campaign chairman. the president added the judge in the manafort case said it has nothing to do with collusion in russia. the judge didn't say there wasn't collusion but manafort wasn't sentenced for crimes related to that. democrats are calling out at what acall a lenient sentence today. a stunning fall from grace. paul manafort now a convicted felony sentenced to nearly four years in prison. wearing a green jump suit and in a wheelchair due to complications from gout, he's asking for compassion. the last two years have been the most difficult for my family and i.

to say i have been humiliated and shamed would be a gross understatement. his attorney speaking out overnight. >> what you saw today is the same thing that we had said from day one. there is absolutely no evidence that paul manafort was involved with any collusion with any government official from russia. >> reporter: how intelligence committee chairman adam schiff calling that a deliberate appea. manafort had been facing up to 24 years in prison, but the judge calling that excessive. >> it's an extraordinarily lenient sentence. >> i think i spent more days in detention in high school. >> i'm really ticked off about this. my friend says you are treated better if you're rich and guilty than if you're poor and innocent. >> reporter: manafort convicted of financial crimes served on the trump campaign for only five months, stepping down because of growing questions about his business dealings in russia. since then, president trump has tried to distance himself. >> you know, he worked for me for a short period of time.

>> reporter: but recently praising manafort for not flipping on him. >> it's very sad what's happened to pall, the way he's being treated. >> reporter: the president taking a different outlook at michael cohen calling him a liar and a rat because he did flip. cohen suing the trump administration for $1.9 million in legal fees saying the organization failed to pay his legal bills once he started cooperating. >> i have never asked for nor would i accept a pardon from president trump. >> reporter: cohen's lawyer lanny davis acknowledging to nbc news cohen did at one point direct his former attorney to explore possibilities of a pardon with president trump's attorney. but davis insists that does not conflict with his congressional testimony because cohen is no longer cooperating with the president's legal team. >> michael cohen lied like a dog. it's what he did.

>> well, kristen, we're on the subject of pardons and a lot of people are wondering if paul manafort is potentially going to get a pardon from the president. >> reporter: yeah, they are wondering, savannah. because a lot of people have also noted that president trump has spoken so positively about manafort. that's really fueled the speculation that he may be considering a pardon. in the past, the president hasn't ruled one out. i asked his attorney rudy giuliani again overnight. giuliani telling me the president isn't ruling one in or out but adding he is not considering one right now. as for manafort, this isn't over yet. next week he'll be sentenced in a separate case and could face an additional seven years in prison. >> thank you. >> also this morning, the house is overwhelmingly passed a resolution condemning anti-semitism and other bigotry as they try to put comments about a freshman congresswoman behind them.

hallie jackson has the latest on this story. good morning. >> reporter: hi, hoda. good morning to you. today the house is set to vote on a big anticorruption bill that's a top democratic priority. but that has been overshadowed this week by frustration, by division over that anti-bigotry resolution. a resolution that was broadened out at the last minute to include condemnation of all forms of hate. >> the resolution is agreed to and without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. >> reporter: the house passing a sweeping resolution condemning not just anti-semitism, but anti-muslim discrimination and bigotry against minorities as hateful expressions of intolerance. >> three times, then this body must condemn that anti-semitism. >> reporter: all of it a response to the response to the comments from ilan omar when she

said this. >> talk about the political influence in this country that says it is okay for people to push for allegiance to a foreign country. >> reporter: while the resolution did not name omar specifically, it was a direct rebuke. the congresswoman again ignoring questions overnight. >> no comments about the resolution passing. >> reporter: but she did release a joint statement with two other lawmakers highlighting their support for the resolution saying we are tremendously proud to be part of a body that has put forth condemnation of all forms of bigty. omar a somali american and one of the first muslim women lektsed to congress has been targeted herself for her faith. but has come under fire for comments being called anti-semitic. lawmakers have been divided over how to respond to one of their own. many jewish blasting her remarks.

>> i don't think that the congresswoman is perhaps appreciate the full weight of how it was heard by other people although i don't believe it was intended in an anti-semitic way. >> democrats may be divided on that issue as well as other ones. >> reporter: yeah. especially when you look at that divide between the more progressive wing of the party and the more establishment wing of the party. impeachment is one example, right? you have many members of leadership saying that should not be the focus of democrats right now. others say it should. you had a similar disagreement over the green new deal. so expect some of that to come at a sharper focus as we get closer to the 2020 democratic primary, an issue not just on capitol hill but potentially on the campaign trail as well. >> hallie, thank you. craig joins the table. another big story we're keeping an eye on. >> today marks five years since malaysia airlines flight 370 vanished on an overnight flight

to beijing. while pieces of the plane have washed ashore, there still have been no sign of the plane itself or the 239 people on board. nbc's tom costello has covered the story since day one. who would have thought we'd still be talking about this missing plane five years later? >> reporter: nobody would have expected that. this is the greatest aviation mystery eclipsing the amelia earhart mystery. and now five years later, there is technology to ensure another plane doesn't disappear without a trace. the mystery began five years ago this morning. malaysia air flight 370, the red eye from kuala lumpur to beijing. at 1:17 a.m., the last contact with controllers. but radar and satellite data

suggests the plane made a sudden, unexpected u-turn flying back over malaysia, cutting north. then flying south and disappearing into the indian ocean. over the years, only pieces of wreckage have washed up. no sign of the plane or passengers. >> i can't help but wonder where is my mother. >> reporter: the official search called off in 2017. a second search led by u.s. technology firm ocean infinity also ended without success. as the mystery spawned multiple theories that one of the pilots committed suicide crashing the plane with everyone on board. that the plane suffered an on-board fire or oxygen failure. even suggestions of a cyberattack or a hijacking. but could it happen again? >> you can see right now we're tracking over 10,000 aircraft realtime. >> reporter: at the command center in virginia, a new global tracking system is watching nearly every plane in the world. 70% of the planet has no radar coverage. for decades planes flying out of

radar range over oceans could only check in by radio. in 2014, malaysia airlines had not paid for a gps tracking service. now international rules require every airliner to be gps tracked by mid-2020. the system goes live at the end of this month. 66 satellites all linked together providing 24/7 coverage of every plane in the air equipped with next gen tracking. every flight over the atlantic, the pacific, the indian ocean identified and tracked. >> so we're talking about anywhere in the world now getting an update twice a second on where its location is. >> reporter: if mh-370 had gps tracking, search crews would have found the wreckage within hours. >> some experts believe that the pilot actually turned off his radio transponder. is that a concern with this new technology as well? >> it is. and many aviation experts believe that these gps transponders should be fixed in

the on position so nobody can turn them off and disable the gps tracking, not even a pilot. under international rules by 2021, new planes must be equipped with tracking that cannot be disabled if the plane goes into an abnormal flight condition. >> hard to fathom why anyone would want that turned off. tom costello, thank you. also this morning, the man charged with kidnapping 13-year-old jayme closs is speaking out from behind bars in a jailhouse letter to a reporting at nbc's minneapolis station. jake patterson writes about why he committed the terrible crime and why he plans to plead guilty. here's nbc's ron mott. >> reporter: this morning the man accused of kidnapping 13-year-old jayme closs and holding her captive for months is speaking out in a jailhouse letter. 21-year-old jake patterson is charged with killing jayme's parents before taking off with the teenager. three months later, jayme

managed to escape. now patterson who authorities say confessed to the crimes tells a reporter from nbc's minneapolis affiliate he's ready to plead guilty. >> he claims in the letter he plans on pleading guilty. of course that doesn't mean it's going to happen as attorneys could convince him otherwise. >> reporter: in a letter sent from a wisconsin jail where he's awaiting trial, patterson writes, i want jayme and her relatives to know that. don't want them to worry about a trial. patterson also scrawling an apology writing in bubble letters, i'm sorry jayme for everything. i know it doesn't mean much. the reporter asked patterson for details that weren't in the record. >> i didn't do anything that's talking about what he's feeling or anything like that. i kept it all fact based primarily with just questions that people have asked me that i don't have an answer to. >> reporter: his response to if he had any remorse or regrets, huge amounts. i can't believe i did this.

asked what goes through the mind of someone who commits a crime like this, he said the reason i did this is complicated. and to the question when he realized he was capable of doing something like this, patterson responds in part, this was mostly on impulse. i don't think like a serial killer. he ends by saying no one will believe or can even imagine how sorry i am for hurting jayme this much. can't express it. since her escape, jayme has been living with her aunt jennifer smith. the family saying they knew about the letter but did not want to comment on it. ron mott, nbc news. >> and as for patterson's attorneys, they have not commented on his letter. now to a story we've been following this week surrounding vaccinations and the effort to clear up misinformation on a bunch of social media sites. facebook announced new policies on thursday to reduce the visibility of false information on its platform. searches for topics like vaccine controversy will no longer yield results for pages or groups

known to spread misinformation. facebook says it will also reject ads that include deceptive or false vaccine material. that announcement came just two days afs an ohio teen testified before a senate committee that he got vaccinated against his mom's wishes telling congress she received bad information on social media sites. might be a good time to check in with our guy al roker. what better place to spend the weekend than charleston, south carolina. the charleston wine and food festival. how's it going buddy? >> reporter: it's going great. we have a great crowd. we'll show you them in a bit. our "today" food booth is behind us. it's going to be exciting. and i'm doing the 10:00 with kathie lee from here. so it's going to be a good time here in charleston. let's take a look. some of our weather not such good -- not such a good time for folks. especially back through the plains where we got winter storm warnings, winter storm watches and advisories. light snow through the upper ohio river valley into the mid-atlantic later today. what we're really concerned

about is this area of severe weather from texas on into arkansas. 10 million people at risk. and tomorrow it moves into that same area that got hit last weekend with an enhanced area of severe storms. 17 million people at risk, the risk of tornadoes as well. this system has two parts to it. snow to the north. so that makes the storm moving into the plains bringing rain for the midwest and the south. snow to the north. a severe storm risk into the south late tomorrow afternoon into tomorrow night and sunday. and a round of snow for new england. right into the center of that system. we're looking at heavy rain from 2 to 4 inches of rain. severe storms possible into the northeast we're looking anywhere from 4 to 12 inches of snow. especially upstate new york and northern new england and back through the plains. we're going to see again, anywhere from 4 to 12 inches of snow into especially parts of central minnesota. we're going to get to your local forecasts coming up in the next 30 seconds.

♪ yes, ma'am excuse me, miss. ♪ does this heart belong to you? ♪ ♪ would you like it anyway? [ scatting ] good friday morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. we do still have some lingering rain on storm ranger this morning, especially for the peninsula, and then also into the tri-valley. we're going to keep the rain chances in the forecast, even though most of us will be drying out, and we'll get some more sunshine today. as we go hour by hour, there are a few spotty showers possible today and a new storm arrives early tomorrow morning that brings us some more scattered showers throughout the day on saturday, moving out by early sunday, and we'll keep it dry in the forecast on monday.

here in the heart of marion square in charleston. i didn't wear purple but i did wear my charleston pink pants. >> you are just rocking those pants, thank you. coming up, the lottery win that almost wasn't. we're going to hear from the lucky guy who actually lost the winning ticket for $273 million and the good samaritan who found it and returned it. >> i hope that person gets a piece of the action. >> plus a "today" exclusive. >> they were telling me i was dying. i thought i don't feel like it. i feel pretty good. >> what a legend. olivia newton-john sitting down with natalie this morning. what she says is helping her thrive with cancer as she fights the disease for a third time. first this is "today" on nbc.

straight ahead, it is international women's day.

we're going all out. we cannot wait to introduce you to this incredible bunch of amazing women. we're going to tell you about their remarkable firsts and all that they have accomplished. >> that is a tour deforce of awesome right una mesa para dos personas. so again, using "para," you're talking about something that is for someone. pretty good. could listening to audible inspire you to start something new? download audible and listen for a change. and stack the savings... with an extra 20% off!

save on men's dress shirts - just $19.99... nike shoes for the family... and samsonite luggage. plus - take $10 off your $50 or more men's style event purchase... plus - get kohl's cash! right now... at kohl's. let's see, aleve is than tylenol extra strength. and last longer with fewer pills. so why am i still thinking about this? i'll take aleve. aleve. proven better on pain. we all care about amazing taste. that's why we've been making the best mayonnaise for over 100 years. best foods. we're on the side of food. it's for breakfast.rning introducing thmmy deans breadless egg'wich. we got rid of the bread, and replaced it with two egg fritatas. for a protein packed start to your day. and that is something else. kinda makes you hungry don't it? ♪ life is measured in moments.

securian financial offers solutions that give you the confidence to enjoy the here and now. oh, honey... so you can make every moment count. ♪ no matter how much you clean, does your house still smell stuffy? that's because your home is filled with soft surfaces that trap odors and release them back into the room. so, try febreze fabric refresher. febreze finds odors trapped in fabrics and cleans them away as it dries. use febreze every time you tidy up to keep your whole house smelling fresh air clean. fabric refresher even works for clothes you want to wear another day. make febreze part of your clean routine for whole home freshness. mazola corn oil has moree only cholesterol-blockingg oil? plant sterols than olive oil. and a clinical study showed it can help lower cholesterol 2x more. when it comes to heart-health, mazola is a smart choice. ♪ you got your own car, with your own insurance.

thanks, stef! no more driving that old hand-me-down. surprise! no. i'm not gonna get a date in this! we had a lot of great dates in this car. ugh, no. no, ew. you wouldn't accept an incomplete job from any one else. why accept it from your allergy pills? flonase sensimist relieves all your worst symptoms, including nasal congestion, which most pills don't. and all from a gentle mist you can barely feel. flonase sensimist. you can barely feel. a lot will happen in your life. wrinkles just won't. neutrogena® rapid wrinkle repair's derm-proven retinol works so fast, it takes only one week to reveal younger looking skin.

making wrinkles look so last week. rapid wrinkle repair® pair with new retinol oil for 2x the wrinkle fighting power. neutrogena® i )m - -... a little later this morning - a very good morning to you. it is 7:26. i'm laura garcia. a little later this morning, the start of a major project meant to improve the bay area commute, but until it's done, it may cause some headaches for the commute. today, leaders break ground on 32 miles of express lanes on highway 101. the lanes run north and south between highway 380 and san bruno and 237 in sunnyvale. the job won't be completed any time soon. it is expected to take three years to complete at a cost of more than $500 million. today's groundbreaking takes place in san mateo at 10:00 a.m. a little break from the rain that we've been having.

scattered showers out there? >> yes, still some scattered showers and then we are also getting some sunshine, so a mixed bag of weather today. we're still going to keep the rain chances in there, because we may still see some quick-moving showers moving through into the afternoon, and then a new storm arrives early tomorrow morning, bringing some rain first to the north bay by 8:00 a.m., and into the rest of the bay area, going into early afternoon, and still some scattered showers into early sunday morning before that storm system moves out, and we get more sun. we are going to see mostly sunny skies on sunday into monday, and then another rainmaker in the forecast on tuesday. let's get an update on the commute now from mike. >> much better than we did about 40 minutes ago. we had crashes that have cleared, although it's slow west 580 coming through castro valley, the crash at the 238 castro valley "y" split cleared about a half our ago. this crash west 80 at cutting boulevard, a little slow through

richmond. the bay bridge toll plaza has a backup, it is sunny, better conditions that means drying out all over the bay. our next update is in half an hour. i'll see you then.

♪ ♪ with the chase mobile app, jason wu could pay practically anyone, at any bank, all while putting on a runway show for new york fashion week. ♪ ♪ he could. or, he could make it even easier - and set up recurring payments to his neighbor. for cat sitting. (meow) whoa. you've groomed her, too.

(cell phone vibrating) and now she's ready for the catwalk. life, lived jason's way. chase. make more of what's yours. ♪ >> buckle up, you guys. it is 7:30 on this friday morning, march the 8th, 2019. we are celebrating international women's day. we've got a packed plaza. we have some incredible women who we just got a chns ance to t a few minutes ago, we'll introduce to you. and you hear that song, "the middle," well, we've got maren morris. >> she'll sing that song and a lot of others. you're going to be chock a block with inspiration by the time we get through this day. former trump campaign chairman paul manafort was sentenced on thursday to nearly four years in prison for tax and bank fraud charges, but it's far

less than what federal sentencing guidelines had recommended. manafort had no visible reaction as he heard the 47-month sentence. guidelines called for up to 24 years in federal prison. the judge called that excessive. many legal analysts said they were surprised over the judge's leniency. manafort still faces the pb possibility of additional time. he'll be sentenced in a sfrepare case next week. engineers are trying to figure out what caused the roof of a fitness center to collapse at montana state university. thankfully it happened in the middle of the night and no one was hurt. maintenance workers say several feet of snow had built up on the roof after a winter of heavy snowfall there. investigators say it's still too early to tell exactly what caused the collapse. a tennessee man says he thought he was done for after getting trapped up to his chest in mud. phillip denny said the only road leading to his neighborhood turned into this giant mud pit

due to a lot of flooding there. when he tried to repair it, he ended up sinking in and got stuck. he was there for several hours until rescuers pulled him out. he was treated at the hospital for hypothermia. otherwise he's doing aok. now to that incredible story behind this country's newest multimillionaire. a new jersey man hit the $273 million megamillions jackpot, but he says his good fortune would not have happened without a good samaritan. nbc's kathy park is here with more. this is a great story. >> what an incredible story. mike wursky said he forgot his tickets and forgot them on the store counter. when he returned to the store, his luck paid off not once but twice. >> it's megamillions. >> six lucky numbers made a new jersey man a multimillionaire overnight. >> i'm pleased to introduce you to mike wursky of alpha, new

jersey. >> but hitting the $273 million jackpot almost didn't happen. >> i figured when i woke up friday morning, i was like, well, just another thing i lost. >> recently divorce skpd ed and unemployed for a year he took a shot at changing his luck when he bought a few megamillions tickets last week. his cell phone got in the way. >> i put the tickets down to put my money away and did something with my phone and walked away. >> he realized his mistake and went back to the store the next day to pick them up but didn't check them until after the drawing. >> i said to my mother, hey, that just said i was the jackpot winner and she's like what's that mean. i said i won $273 million, and she was like get the hell out of here. >> now thanks to the luck of the draw, he'll take home a lump sum of 162.5 million. so how was the winning ticket still there at the store after he'd left it behind? as luck would have it, a store

employee held onto it for him. >> i got to find him and thank him. i'm going to give him something, yes, but i'm going to keep that private. >> good luck. >> we found him. turns out wursky's good samaritan is store clerk phil campolo who noticed the tickets that were left behind and made sure they were kept safe. >> my parents raised me to be a good person, honest, sincere, and i try to take that with me everywhere i go. >> i wouldn't have $273 million if it wasn't for them. >> for mike it could have been a case of finders keepers. lottery officials say to remember to always sign your winning ticket. his big payday is set to happen in two weeks. he plans to use his new fortune to travel, get his mom a new car and take the whole family on vacation. >> and still have about a gazillion dollars left. >> that could have gone another way. >> welcome to the set. >> out of the snow. >> i know. we always have you freezing. p. >> we're happy you're here. >> your probation is over.

>> thanks, kathy. let us get a check of the weather. al and his pink pants are down in charleston with the forecast. i just love your look. >> hey, well, everybody's ready for spring here, guys, and in fact, spring is coming earlier and warming up, getting warmer. take a look at the latest temperatures from 1970 to now. we've actually seen spring temperatures warming on average anywhere from one to three degrees, and while that may not seem like a lot, in fact, last spring's freeze is earlier by one week in the northeast and more significant in the desert southwest. when you have an earlier spring and warmer temperatures, longer growing season but pests come out earlier. we're seeing effects of climate change with that. you'll see for today warming in dallas, still chilly in the northeast and the plains. as we move into tomorrow, we're going to watch those temperatures warming up in the east, but nashville, jacksonville, all the way to san antonio and by sunday the warmth makes its way from new york all the way down t

good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. we still have some spotty showers across the region, but overall, it's nice to see the sunshine, and we will keep the rain chances in the forecast today, until this system really starts to move out, and as we go hour by hour, it does still keep some rain chances in the forecast for today, and then we'll see some more rain going into tomorrow. off and on rain in your saturday forecast, as a new storm approaches. that will wind down on sunday. as we spring forward, we'll see our skies clearing on sunday afternoon. >> i can tell you from experience right here, the bugs are out early. [ laughter ] >> in charleston. i sent my assistant andy to go get some bug spray. it's rough out here. >> oh, man. >> all right, al, thank you. coming up on this international women's day, a woman we really admire, olivia after months of wearing only a tiger costume,

we're finally going on the trip i've been promising. because with expedia, i saved when i added a hotel to our flight. ♪ so even when she outgrows her costume, we'll never outgrow the memory of our adventure together. unlock savings when you add select hotels to your existing trip. only when you book with expedia. think only specialty stores have what's new? olay has the hottest debut. new olay clay stick masks, hydrating facial mist, and brightening eye cream. only by olay. molly got dressed for a big night out with her closest friends.

john got dressed for his first first date in what feels like a really long time. john! hi! >>hi. sasha got dressed to crush her job interview. it looks good! and millions of other americans got dressed for millions of other personal moments. that's why at stitch fix we don't just see your size or your style. sasha greene? we see you. sasha greene? i was thinking...d clot could there be another around the corner? or could it turn out differently? i wanted to help protect myself. my doctor recommended eliquis. eliquis is proven to treat and help prevent another dvt or pe blood clot... almost 98 percent of patients on eliquis didn't experience another. ...and eliquis has significantly less major bleeding than the standard treatment. eliquis is fda approved and has both. don't stop eliquis unless your doctor tells you to. eliquis can cause serious and in rare cases fatal bleeding. don't take eliquis if you have an artificial heart valve

or abnormal bleeding. if you had a spinal injection while on eliquis call your doctor right away if you have tingling, numbness, or muscle weakness. while taking eliquis, you may bruise more easily... and it may take longer than usual for bleeding to stop. seek immediate medical care for sudden signs of bleeding, like unusual bruising. eliquis may increase your bleeding risk if you take certain medicines. tell your doctor about all planned medical or dental procedures. what's around the corner could be surprising. ask your doctor about eliquis. but allstate actually helps you drive safely... with drivewise. it lets you know when you go too fast... ...and brake too hard. with feedback to help you drive safer. giving you the power to actually lower your cost. unfortunately, it can't do anything about that. now that you know the truth... are you in good hands? thyou know what i do instead?eny your cravings. i snack on blue diamond almonds.

wasabi & soy sauce?! mmm! don't deny your cravings. eat 'em! all the flavors you crave, in a superfood. blue diamond almonds. crave victoriously. if your mouth is made to amaze, let philips sonicare give its care a raise. if your teeth chew beyond their limit, then they've earned 62,000 movements a minute. if your mouth's used to a manual clean, treat it to microbubbles that feel great in between. if your amazing mouth does more than its share, give it philips sonicare. next level clean, next level care. there's always a way to make life better. philips sonicare.

we are back, happy carson is joining the table. famed actress and singer olivia newton-john has written a new memo memoir. >> it's a candid look at everything from her career, and music and movies and television and her ongoing battle with breast cancer. she recently sat down with natalie. you've talked to olivia so many times, i know you guys are tight. >> we are tight. i absolutely adore her. what a perfect way to secelebra her life. oliv olivi olivia newton-john's songs were the sound track to life. i've followed her career for decades. i consider her a good friend. after reading her new memoir "don't stop believing" you will too. we met at her home outside los angeles to talk about her life, her health, and why this was the right time to put her story in writing. >> i didn't plan on writing a book, but then when i heard that they were going to do a maw vee abo

movie about my life, i thought i'm going to write my version so if they come out with anything that's not right or true, i have my own version. when i actually got going with it, it was an interesting and cathartic experience for me. >> while olivia newton jon was writing about her life at the time he was fighting for it. she was battling breast cancer for the second time. in reality there had been another occurrence in 2013 that until now she had never discussed. >> what a lot of people don't realize ask you reveal in the book this is actually the third time you've had to deal with cancer. >> yes. >> there was a time before which you managed to keep private. >> yes. >> why did you want to keep that away from the public eye? >> because of the speculation, which happened the third time, so i just decided i wanted to go through it myself. i don't know, it was just a decision that i'd keep it to myself that time. >> how is your health? you've had to deal with rumors.

you posted the most beautiful instagram message, and you were glowing. >> the rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated. >> it was like, you know, they were telling me i was dying. i thought, well, i don't feel like it. i feel pretty good. but you know, rumors start and then it gets out of control and i decided, no, i'm going to come out and talk about it. i have many of friends and family around the world. i can't call everyone. i need to let them know i'm okay. >> when you talk about cancer, it's always in such a positive way. you don't say you're battling cancer or fighting cancer. you say you are thriving and you are a cancer thriver and winning cancer. >> winning over. i think what you think creates your reality. so it's a decision. you have to make that decision. you know, you can be a victim or you can be a winner and enjoy your life. it hasn't been easy, of course, i mean, i'm human. and i go through fear and all the things everyone going through cancer or any other difficult diagnosis, but it's a

choice how you deal with it. so i try to always deal with it in a positive way. >> reporter: today newton john is managing her cancer with eastern and western treatment, that includes herbs, supplements and medical cannabis created for her by her husband john easterling, as well as hormone therapy, radiation and injections to strengthen her bones. she even recently received treatment at the cancer wellness and research center that bears her name in melbourne, australia after discovering she fractured her sacrum. >> i got to spend the first month of that treatment in my own center, which was just the most wonderful gift i could imagine. >> you said that you -- >> yes. >> got a chance to just check in on everyone and you were in disguise some of the time? >> yeah, i was in disguise all the time. i had a beanie on, glasses and i wore a surgical mask, and it was really kind of interesting to be unnoticed and i was just one of

the patients shuffling around in my gown hoping the back wasn't open like jack nil cholson. >> helping others on their own cancer journey and through the happiness of her only daughter, chloe lattanzi. >> do you have any fear? >> of course, everyone does. we're all going to die. that's probably the hardest thing to accept as a human being is that we know that, so i kind of consider i've had a gift of extra time. i've lost people younger than me, so i'm very grateful. i'm 70 and i've had the most amazing life, and i have extra time, so whatever that is i'm grateful for it, and i'll just enjoy every day, and that's all you can do. >> she is such an inspiration. her whole perspective on. i mean, it just really gets you. >> it really does. >> i have extra time. >> absolutely.

she considers every day a gift. >> she looks amazing. you've talked to her so many times, you're friends: does she feel as good as she looks? >> you know, she looks and she feels good. of course she did fracture her sacrum last fall, so she's still recovering from that. she's managing the pain right now, but she says she feels good. she has so much energy. we were with her for several hours shooting this interview with her and just experiencing a little bit of her life out there in california, and she's strong. like she is one of the strongest people i know, and i'm just so blessed to know her, and i just am so glad she's sharing her story with so many people in this book, "don't stop believing". >> i love what she said about thriving. >> i think that's so important. it's that positive attitude. so often when you have an illness, when it's often a fatal illness people do get stuck in that rut thinking it's the end. instead her outlook is it's all a gift. >> it takes work to have that outlet. >> this is just part one. i got a lot more coming up on

monday. she's sharing some secrets with us on the set of grease and what she thought she would never talk about sitting down with us. there's a tease for you. >> good to see you. >> thank you. >> you're here. >> still ahead, another famed singer we love, we're talking at maren morris. maren morris. she's gearing up for a live if you have postmenopausal osteoporosis and a high risk for fracture now might not be the best time to ask yourself are my bones strong? test. y it's so important to help reduce your risk of fracture with prolia®. only prolia® is proven to help strengthen and protect bones from fracture with 1 shot every 6 months. do not take prolia® if you have low blood calcium, are pregnant, are allergic to it, or take xgeva®. serious allergic reactions, like low blood pressure; trouble breathing; throat tightness; face, lip, or tongue swelling; rash; itching; or hives have happened. tell your doctor about dental problems as severe jaw bone problems may happen

or new or unusual pain in your hip groin, or thigh, as unusual thigh bone fractures have occurred. speak to your doctor before stopping prolia® as spine and other bone fractures have occurred. prolia® can cause serious side effects, like low blood calcium, serious infections, which could need hospitalization, skin problems, and severe bone, joint, or muscle pain. are you ready? ask your doctor how prolia® can help strengthen your bones. from our crazy delicious family to yours. crave those crazy squares. i'm dying. oh... we're dying. if you can hear us honey, your father and i are dying.

i'm dying. i'm dying. i'm dying. does anyone have a charger? yeah, just down here. ♪ sorry i'm dying. i'm dying. ♪ tremfya® is for adults with remoderate. to severe plaque psoriasis. with tremfya®, you can get clearer. and stay clearer. in fact, most patients who saw 90% clearer skin at 28 weeks stayed clearer through 48 weeks. tremfya® works better than humira® at providing clearer skin and more patients were symptom free with tremfya®. tremfya® may lower your ability to fight infections and may increase your risk of infections. before treatment, your doctor should check you for infections and tuberculosis. tell your doctor if you have an infection or have symptoms such as: fever, sweats, chills, muscle aches or cough. before starting tremfya® tell your doctor if you plan to or have recently received a vaccine. ask your doctor about tremfya®.

tremfya®. because you deserve to stay clearer. janssen wants to help you explore cost support options. little on the big screen... she's here! take cover everyone! move! ding dong! ding dong! you can't be all mean. you going to check me boo. i wish you were little. [ screaming ] you went to bed grown, and then you woke up a child again. where are my boobs? paid fifteen g's for those things. to everyone you are a child. so start acting keline o. think you're the boss of me. requesting backup. we have a black momma whoopin'. who's the boss now! remind me of my mama. new tide pods 2.0 with upgraded 4-in-1 technology. your detergent, stain removers, and odor fighters

all fit, in the palm of your hand. #1 stain and odor fighter, #1 trusted. it's got to be tide. ♪ ♪ international women's day on "today" is presented to you by citi. and welcome back, yes, it is international women's day, and sheinelle's outside to get the party started with just some of our very special guests. sheinelle. >> good morning, there's so much positive energy outside here on the plaza. we've assembled this group of aspiring singers who wrote into "today." we have big news for artists just like them. we are teaming up with citi to launch a new digital series where up and coming musicians will be mentored by superstars like maren morris. maren, come on over.

also joining me this morning is citi global consumer cmo jennifer breithaupt. jennifer, come on in. really quickly tell us about this series we're launching. >> we are really excited to kick off see her, hear her today, and really what that is is a platform to advance gender equality in the music industry, and we're super excited to have maren signed on to help citi with this initiative and help shine a light on it. >> it's so important. you can almost feel the power with all of these girls here today. >> i know. >> why did you feel like it was important to get involved? >> well, i am a woman in the industry, and anytime i can help kind of share some of my light with someone else, i feel like it's all about paying it forward. so many women have helped pave the way for me to get to be here today, so i feel like i need to reciprocate, and i am such a girl's girl. this day is already so inspiring. >> you can feel it. >> yes, you can. >> it's incredible, and we've got these beautiful ladies behind us that are amazing musicians.

>> you mentioned paying it forward. for our artists, we have another big announcement today. our sponsor citi is providing each of you with $5,000 to help you on your musical journey! >> the $5,000 will be yours. so congratulations. >> thank you! >> they had no idea that was coming. so we're going to talk about that coming up in just a minute. your smile is everything. >> i can't wait. >> we're back with our international women's day celebration, and maren's live concert. ♪ meet me in the middle right after your local news. it's a reminder of your struggles with psoriasis. but what if your psoriasis symptoms didn't follow you around? that's why there's ilumya. with just 2 doses, a majority of people were clear or almost clear. and over time, even more people were clear or almost clear. all with dosing 4 times a year... after 2 initial doses. plus, ilumya was shown to have similar risks of infections

compared to placebo. don't use if you are allergic to ilumya or any of its ingredients. before starting treatment, your doctor should check for tuberculosis and infections. after checking there is no need for routine lab monitoring unless your doctor advises it. ilumya may increase your risk of infections and lower your ability to fight them. tell your doctor if you have an infection or have symptoms, or if you plan to or have recently received a vaccine. this could be your chance to leave your psoriasis symptoms behind. ask your doctor for ilumya today, for a clearer tomorrow. we all care about amazing taste.

that's why we've been making the best mayonnaise for over 100 years. best foods. we're on the side of food. seaonly abreva cany to help it in... cold sore? ...as little as 2 1/2 days when used at the first sign. abreva starts to work immediately to block the virus and protect healthy cells. abreva acts on it. so you can too. [indistinct conversation] [friend] i've never seen that before. ♪ ♪ i have... ♪

good friday morning. right now at 7:56, skies are clearing across the bay area, and it is so nice to see the sunshine. we have showers close by but most of it off the coast and over the santa cruz mountains, we will still keep some rain chances in the forecast today, as the system lingers across the bay area, and then a new storm approaches early tomorrow morning. our hour by hour outlook shows we may have isolated showers today, but mostly some clearing, and then by early tomorrow morning, at about 7:00 to 8:00, that rain approaches the coast and the north bay, and then spreads its way inland with some scattered showers throughout saturday, and moving out by sunday morning. our seven-day forecast shows that as we spring forward and set our clocks forward one hour on sunday, we'll start to see our weather calming down but it will still be chilly and another round of rain in the forecast

tuesday. let's head over to mike for an update on the commute. >> we take a look at the bay no, major problems. one that i'm worried about for drivers southbound 280, we have a report of a car fire. no injuries but there will be a smoking vehicle at the very least and a distraction. we look at kenyatta road is moving smoothly it but you might see smoke. dublin a crash reported at the interchange but no slowing and no problems there. eastbound we'll get slow as folks head out of the area early. happening now, $500 million three-year contract kicks off to improve the commute on highway 101, adding up to 32 miles of express lanes north and south between interstate 380 and highway 237 in the south bay. yes, the project will cause commute issues along the way. we have more details on our home page. a tecapsule returned the go old-fashioned way, plopping down by parachute in the atlantic

ocean. this is something that hasn't happened in 50 years. on our facebook page, a link to the full story and video. we )re the next work week. we )ll be tracking any breaking stories as they develop. and: an online fashion purchase going wrong. our responds team goes straight to the company c-e-o to get results! today in the bay. monday morning from 4:30 to 7.

what's better than having fast, reliable wifi with coverage throughout your home? how about having internet that can help you save on wireless phone service? xfinity gives you the fastest speeds for all your devices. plus, now that xfinity mobile is included, you can switch your wireless carrier and save hundreds of dollars a year. talk and text as much as much as you want and only pay for data. now that's simple, easy, awesome.

click, call or visit a store today. >> announcer: international >> announcer: international women's day on "today" is presented to you by citi. see her hear her. today we celebrate. a year when women have stepped up. >> history is being made in washington. >> a first female cia director. >> the new york stock exchange is about to get its first woman leader. >> 17 black women sworn in as judges. >> we have to say i can do that. and i should be allowed to do

that. >> feminism is about fairness. >> broken their silence. >> the tables have turned, larry. we are here. we have our voices, and we are not going anywhere. >> blasted through boundaries. >> women hit the road for the first time. >> and pushed the limits. >> united states! >> yes! >> from across the planet to our own back yards, we celebrate a year of firsts. first in flight. >> the navy hornets streaked through the tennessee skies. >> we'll meet the female pilots and ground crew behind this historic flyover. first in space. first woman to leave the flight center. first to respond. joining us, members of the largest group of female fighters in new york history. and performing for the first time on our plaza, an artist helping young women in music find their voices. today we celebrate female firsts. friday, march 8th, international women's day.

♪ >> women are -- >> ground breakers. >> trail blazers. >> spending the morning with maren! ♪ >> here to celebrate from georgia. >> florida. >> cape coral, florida. >> and ft. mill, south carolina. >> happy international bwomen's day! >> okay. are you ready to be inspired? this is an incredible crowd and we have such a special morning planned. we can't stop smiling. we are celebrating international women's day here on "today." we want to say this crowd is amazing. we are going to meet women from all walks of life. we just saw some pilots, women

from the fdny, women from nasa. >> we are going to set our sights high literally this morning. and of course maren morris is going to perform for us. let's get to craig first. >> good morning. there is strong, even angry reaction this morning to the prison sentence given to paul manafort. we get the latest on that from kristen welker. krist kristen, good morning. >> reporter: craig, good morning. this morning president trump says he feels bad for for paul manafort calling it a tough time for him. the judge in the case had nothing to do with collusion with russia, trump said. actually the judge didn't say that, he said that he wasn't related to crimes with that. for his part, president trump also lashing out at his former attorney michael cohen saying cohen stone cold lied about asking for a pardon.

while cohen testified to congress that he never asked for a pardon, his attorney later acknowledged there was some discussion about one, but only during the period that cohen cooperated with the president's legal team. craig, back to you. >> kristen welker from the white house this morning, thank you. thousae house has passed a sweeping resolution that condemns anti-semitism and other forms of bigotry. it came in spans to controversial comments by freshman congress woman ilhan omar. some viewed her statements as anti-semitic. one of omar's jewish colleagues says she has apologized. after years of searching, scientists believe they have found a new type of killer whale. they live in the waters off the tip of south america. their heads are rounder and their trademark dorsal fins are

more pointed than those of other orcas. biologists took dna samples to see if they may relate to a whole new species. local fishermen have complained that a mystery whale were stealing 200 pound fish from their lines. let's go down to charleston, south carolina. al roker is standing by with a check of the weekend weather. >> i am in your state and we are being treated so well here at the charleston wine and food festival here. let me show you what we've got going on today. we've got some snow now making its way into the mid-atlantic states. also some snow, a storm system coming out of the rockies. and that's going to be causing some problems. and we've got tonight an area of severe weather possible. 10 million people stretching from texas into arkansas. and then tonight where -- tomorrow we're concerned about this other area where we've got

an enhanced risk, tornadoes possible for 17 million people. heavy good morning, i'm meteorologist kari hall, very nice sunrise with a mix of clouds over the south bay. as we go into the rest of the day, there still will be slight rain chances, over all it's our day to dry out before a new storm approaches the bay area tomorrow starting in the morning and continuing on and off throughout the afternoon with some waves of showers that will be moving out by sunday morning. our seven-day forecast shows that as we spring forward, we will get some sun sunday afternoon and monday is looking dry and more rain on tuesday. >> hey, guys, in keeping with the international day of the woman, there are a lot of great female chefs here. we're going to introduce you to them including one who's going to be bringing a biscuit bomb. oh, my gosh. don't call the bomb squad. >> i love everything about that. >> biscuit bomb. >> thank you, mr. roker. just ahead, let our international women's day

celebration begin. >> that's right, we've got people sharing messages of support and inspiration right inside that booth. we encourage you to do the same. just use #womensdaytoday. >> we're going to introduce you to some of new york city's fiercest firefighters saving lives every day, and we're going to get to our live concert from maren morris coming up right after this! ♪ >> we celebrate the women of the citi concert series on "today," the biggest names share their music here. >> she sounds beautiful, she is beautiful. >> empowering women around the world to raise their voices and break barriers. >> i believe in you so much. >> i believe in you so much. >> the citi concert ♪

♪ a lot will happen in your life. wrinkles just won't. neutrogena® rapid wrinkle repair's derm-proven retinol works so fast, it takes only one week to reveal younger looking skin. making wrinkles look so last week. rapid wrinkle repair® pair with new retinol oil for 2x the wrinkle fighting power. neutrogena® and stack the savings... with an extra 20% off! save on men's dress shirts - just $19.99... nike shoes for the family... and samsonite luggage. plus - take $10 off your $50 or more men's style event purchase... plus - get kohl's cash! right now... at kohl's. did you know you can save money by using dish soap to clean grease on more than dishes? using multiple cleaners on grease can be expensive,

and sometimes ineffective. for better value, tackle grease with dawn ultra. dawn is for more than just dishes. it provides 3x more grease cleaning power per drop, which cuts through tough kitchen messes, pre-treats laundry stains, and even tackles grease build-up on car rims. tackle tough greasy messes around your home, and save money with dawn ultra. brand power. helping you better. seresto, serjake...eresto. seresto, seresto, seresto. whatever your dog brings home to you, it shouldn't be fleas and ticks. seresto gives your dog 8 continuous months of flea and tick protection in an easy-to-use, non-greasy collar. seresto, seresto, seresto. ohh no, jake. seresto. 8-month. seresto, seresto, seresto. start the day slow-roasting turkey for incredible flavor. then, they double seal every slice for freshness.

the results, well, they speak for themselves. ♪ ♪ can i eucrisa is an fda approved prescription ointment for mild-to-moderate eczema. and it's 100% steroid free. eligible patients may pay as little as $10 per prescription. text save to 47500. do not use if you are allergic to eucrisa or its ingredients. allergic reactions may occur at or near the application site. the most common side effect is application site pain. ask your doctor about eucrisa and visit eucrisa.com to learn about savings. mazola corn oil has moree only cholesterol-blockingg oil? plant sterols than olive oil. and a clinical study showed it can help lower cholesterol 2x more.

when it comes to heart-health, mazola is a smart choice. ♪ yeah, had a pretty big fender bender here. state farm's got you covered, mike. [helium voice] ahhh, that's great to hear...robyn? [helium voice] everybody remain calm! [helium voice] we have this situation under control, [helium voice] we'll be out of here in a jiffy. ♪ and stack the savings... with an extra 20% off! save on men's dress shirts - just $19.99... nike shoes for the family... and samsonite luggage. plus - take $10 off your $50 or more men's style event purchase... plus - get kohl's cash! right now... at kohl's. new johnson's cottontouch™ a wholwash and lotionre for newborns is born made with real cotton and enhances your gentle touch a new soft a new touch

a new gentle new johnson's cottontouch™ (baby cooing) choose gentle welcome back on this friday morning, and what a beautiful friday morning it is. it's time to kick off our international women's day celebration into high gear. you guys, we are about to introduce you to three groups of ground breakers behind some really big firsts. >> get ready to get inspired. we're going to start with women each accomplished in their own right, and together watch out. it a's group of all female pilots and ground crew from naval air station oceania. they're making history one flight at a time. >> reporter: they are some of this country's finest, bravest, and fastest.

>> some misconceptions that folks may have about women serving in the military is maybe they're not as tough. that definitely is not the case. >> reporter: and now they've been history makers, too. four super hornet jets streaked across the sky last month as the u.s. navy conducted the time honored missing man flyover, but for the first time ever, all of its pilots were women honoring a woman. >> i think there was a lot of excitement from all of us, just wanted to make the navy and everyone proud. >> reporter: nearly 40 female members from naval air station oceania assembled on the ground and in the air, their aerial tribute honoring the life of the woman who made it possible for them to take flight. >> when i joined the navy, no one told me i couldn't fly in jets. it's women like captain mariner and her colleagues that paved the way for me to be able to do what i wanted to do without being told no. >> captain rosemary mare anywhere wner was

the first female jet pilot and a fierce advocate. the progress she made for women on full display as she was laid to rest. the poetry of the moment not lost on the lead pilot commander stacy uttecht. >> it just kind of hit me the gravity of the flyover, but in a good way. >> today the navy boasts more than 52,000 women in uniform, many of them making strides in aviation. >> as a mom, i want to show my daughters that they can do anything and grow up to be anything they want to be as they put their mind to it. >> i felt just like everybody else. i had a lot of female examples around me to show me i'm not different than any of the guys. >> these women are determined to break barrier as they live out captain mariner's legacy proving the sky is the limit. >> just being here and able to lead women today and show them that they can do anything equally without any barriers is truly exciting.

>> and now joining us live on the plaza all the way from naval air station oceania in virginia, the naval aviators and sailors from the first all female flyover team. they are commander stacy uttecht, commander leslie miss, lieutenant commander -- lieutenant amanda lee, petty officer courtney mohammad, lieutenant commander paige lock, lieutenant commander daniel theriot and lieutenant kristy talise, ladies welcome, we salute you and thank you for your service to our country. you are incredible. >> that is an awesome picture, you guys. we're so happy that you are here. okay, we are going to go from the sky to outer space, nasa has a long history of ground breaking achievements, and we are about to meet a woman who's made it where no woman has gone before. >> to me being the first woman

director at marshal space flight center means inspiration. >> jody singer first fell in love with space exploration when she was just 8 years old and her parents turned on the tv. >> that's one small step for man. >> watching neil armstrong land on the moon 50 years ago, that made a difference. i've always loved looking up into the stars and thinking about what's out there. >> reporter: singer began her career as an intern at nasa in 1985. >> one of the things that was a turning point in my career is in 1986 when the challenger incident happened, when you're lifting astronauts and their safety and their lives depend on you, it really means a lot to be able to put your heart and soul into it. >> reporter: singer worked on the return to flight program. >> americans return to space. >> reporter: and later the international space station with a career spanning 34 years at nasa. >> being in many instances the only woman that walked into a meeting and, you know, at first it can be intimidating when you're the only person that

looks like you do, but it also taught me to be comfortable in my skin. >> reporter: and now as director, she oversees the largest rocket being built, the space launch system. >> my secret sauce for being a leader is taking care of the people. i think it's important that you inspire people, that you give them a sense of purpose, that they know what their mission is. >> under singer, 33% of marshal space flight center's work force are women. >> women at nasa have a very unique position where really your work speaks for itself. >> nasa recognizes great leadership irrespective of your background or your gender or anything. >> reporter: singer owns her legacy as the first female director. >> we're empowering the next generation, so i think it's up to us to tell the story, to show the positives, and to give the hope. because i think that's what makes us who we are as americans and a nation. >> and joining us now from huntsville, alabama, director of

the marshal space flight center jody singer and joining her are nasa engineers tiffany lockett and sheila nash stevens, lisa wattson morgan, tonya laughinghouse, roslyn hicks, julie bassler, kathy byers, erica alvarez, and michelle rudd, the ladies of nasa! >> how are you? >> got you. awesome. >> take a look at these incredible women. we're going to talk to them in just a moment: but we are not done here. >> we are not done yet. we are going from space to ms. jenna bush hager. where are you jenna? >> talk about riding in style. i'm here with these female first responders from the new york city fire department, and you all, they're making history every day on the job.

>> first on the scene, first to respond, first time in the new york fire department's history 96 women have earned their place across all fire ranks. it is the highest number of female firefighters the city has ever seen. >> the women on this job, we're growing. that's a great thing. >> reporter: jackie michelle martinez has been on the job for 13 years. she's the fdny's first ever women's outreach coordinator, recruiting female first responders. >> what do women bring to this job? >> we bring the same thing that men bring to the job. we bring passion. we bring commitment, dedication, and focus. >> reporter: last year, the fdny marked a historic first with an all female crew to staff engine company 503, assigned to the united nations general assembly in manhattan. in october the department proudly graduated 15 women firefighters, the largest number since 1982 when women were first admitted. >> so i need you to be in a mind-set to push yourself past

your breaking point. >> reporter: the united women firefighters organization helps women prepare for the fdny's rigorous physical exam. aneola brown, a firefighter for nearly three years knows the importance of training as a candidate. >> i had just given birth to a baby, and so i had a lot of training i needed to get to where i needed to be to get to the fire academy. these women helped me through, and i'm just paying it forward. on the job you have to be mentally tough. that's something that i try to bring to this training is getting these women mentally where they need to be. >> reporter: the goal, to build muscle, stamina, and confidence. >> like they've done it. they're strong, beautiful, courageous women, and i can do it too. >> reporter: the dream to become future faces of new york's bravest. >> what do you hope little girls watching and seeing your face think right now? >> if there's a little girl who's watching the "today" show and she doesn't think that she could be a firefighter, i'm here to tell her be like me.

be one. >> all right, ladies, let's go, fdny! here we have walking in eniola brown, tenisha forbes, ryan coletti, here they come making a big entrance, tyesha pugh, jasmine barell, helen davetic, laura savistano and arianna jackson, the ladies of the fdny, new york's finest and bravest right here on our plaza. >> wow. >> and we welcome you. we thank you for being here. ladies, come on over and take your place among some really incredible women. good morning, welcome, thank you. >> that was awesome. >> come on down. >> oh, my god, this is so fun. >> i have eniola brown right

here. what do you want little girls, there's lots of little girls out there watching, what do you hope they see when they see all of you all running together? >> that we break barriers. we want women to know you can aspire to be anything you want to be. it doesn't matter what size you are. we have a free training program that will get you in shape to become a new york city firefighter. >> yes, i love it. they are fierce. i want to introduce you to stacy uttecht, you did that incredible flight, the missing woman formation. i can't even say it without a tear. i know you all are all business when it was time for the flight, but when did it hit you what it meant? >> i think really whenever the actual missing man portion of the flyover happened, when the third jet pulled up into the sky it really hit us that, you know, symbolizing the spirit of lifting from the earth, and that's really when it hit us. >> it's incredible what you all do. you're a pilot. we've got some of the ground crew here. what do you say to a little girl who's watching this, wait, could i do that? what does it take?

>> first of all, be good in school. listen to your parents. i always have to say that. but honestly, you know, just work hard and set your mind to it, and don't let anyone tell you no. >> yes. can i just say, danielle come over here, danielle ferriot is one of the pilots and her father is one of our favorite camera men here at nbc, paul, and you should be so proud because we are too. your family, thank you. >> jody singer is here. she's the first director of the marshal space flight center. hello. can we just focus in just one second on jody's incredible kicks? >> aren't they cool? >> she said she had to wear them. >> you still have a little bit of the little girl in you obviously. >> absolutely. >> what do you tell little girls who are looking at this incredible group of women and wondering could that ever be me? >> i would tell them don't give up on your dreams. they are there. you've just got to go for them. you could be working with nasa and launching vehicles further than they've ever gone before.

we're going back to the moon, and you can be a part of it. >> did people ever tell you when you were going along the way, oh, jody, no, i don't think that's for you. >> no, they said we want you to go as far as you can out of here. [ laughter ] >> there's an astronaut, and you know her name, her name is ann mcclain. she happens to be aboard the international space station as we speak, and she has a message to those of us down on earth. take a look. >> i think that my career and perhaps me being up on the international space station can really show women and girls and everybody that, hey, we're not just sitting at the table. we're leading the table, and there's no excuses. you can accomplish whatever you want to. you just got to throw your hat in the ring. you've got to get out there and do it. >> how cool is she, huh? >> she is real cool. she is fantastic. >> savannah, how cool is this group? >> i know. >> i don't want to block anybody. i want to make sure everybody gets their time. >> what made you feel like this is something i can do?

i'm going to be a member of the ground crew for an f-18. here you are, you're tiny but mighty. what made you think i can do this? >> pretty much everybody around me that's encouraged me and i've just had so many good role models to follow, and i know like just them being such a good role model to me, i know i could do it too. >> what's your name? >> simone clements. >> simone. >> i have to come back to eniola, she says and they say women can do it just as well as men, is that right? >> absolutely. women persevere, women are strong. women get it done. >> women get it done. >> yes, they do. we're going to get it done in a big way. are you guys ready to dance, hear some music have some fun. music superstar marengood morni.

i )m ... the man charged in a shocking and apparently random deadly stabbing on an oakland bart rchgs good morning, everyone, it's 8:26. the man charged in a shocking and apparently random deadly stabbing on an oakland b.a.r.t. platform returns to court today. authorities say john lee cowell stabbed 18-year-old nia to death, seriously injuring her sister as well last july at the b.a.r.t. station. the suspect and victims had just exited a train. in court today, doctors are expected to present the judge a report on cowell's mental health. it will likely determine if he is competent to stand trial. he has yet to enter a plea. we have one tough drive.

most of the bay is moving nicely. actually, no, let's strike that. it is where we typically see slowing any way about this time of day. it's much more focussed, eastbound 580 approaching san ramon road. we have a big jam right there. much heavier than typical on a friday. we had a crash there approaching the interchange. it does look like everything is moving off to the shoulder. expect that one section of eastbound 580 tough. castro valley, to be dublin. things very light making the final approach toward the w interchange, westbound your commute out of the the altamont is holding lightly now. we'll have more local news coming up in a half hour.

even if no one in your home smokes, secondhand smoke can be closer than you think. secondhand smoke from a neighbor's apartment can enter your home through air vents, through light fixtures and even through cracks in the walls and the floors. secondhand smoke is toxic.

especially to children. protect your family. visit tobaccofreeca.com. ♪ all right, you guys. it's 8:30 on this friday morning. march 8, 2019. it's international women's day. incredible women from all walks of life, including one of the biggest names in music right now, we're, of course, talking about mary morris. >> it's a big day. she has a brand-new album. already number one on itunes. not too shabby. in just a moment she will treat us to a full half hour of music. >> we want to see your messages of inspiration, messages of support for the strong women in your life as well.

we got folks who are doing the same right here on the plaza few feet behind me. share yours by usin using #women'sdaytoday. >> guys, al is down in charleston. even he's feeling the good feeling. you got some ladies with you? >> yes, i absolutely do. amazing female chef and restaurant owners that will be here at the charleston food and wine festival. we have kelly who is executive chef at magnolia. rudy who is owner of another restaurant. ashley, the chef of pool's diner. you got 100 restaurants. orchid is the chef and own of one hot mama's in standard or care. and carey of cally's biscuits is here. hometown favorite. we got biscuit mavens here ready

to biscuit bomb the crowd, which is pretty incredible. that's great. let's show you what the forecast is going to be for the charleston wine and food festival which is pretty cool. we are looking at sunshine today, some clouds this morning and afternoon sunshine and 66. tomorrow partly sunny and 71. afternoon storms on sunday and 75 degrees. they are giving out those biscuit, baby. oh, yeah. there's your weekend outlook. tomorrow snow in the plains. severe storms in the mid-section of the country. on sunday northeast. sunday being sunday, chill in new england. drying out in the mid-sections of the country. how are those biscuits? all right. they are giving them away. just some of the fine female chefs and all the chefs here at the charleston wine and food festival. we have to mention today is the broadcast sponsor for the charleston wine and food festival, charleston food and wine is providing today's

production costs. we'll have more from here a little bit later. good morning, i'm meteorologist kari hall. we're seeing a little bit more sunshine today. it's nice to get that sun but we'll also have a few spotty showers in the mix. overall the bay area stays dry until the next storm system tomorrow morning bringing rain off and on throughout the day on saturday and gradually tapering off on sunday. our seven-day forecast shows as we spring forward on sunday, we'll get some more sun during the afternoon, and another round of rain in the forecast on tuesday. >> and that is your latest weather, guys. >> announcer: the citi concert series on "today" is proudly presented to you by citi. >> okay. who is ready to get things started? >> it's international women's day. maren morris, she's incredible. you know what, it wasn't long ago she was playing in bars and

writing songs for other people, but now she is taking center stage as one of music's hottest acts. >> she's an established song writer and country music sensation. ♪ so why don't you just meet me in the middle ♪ >> but last year's massive hit "the middle" made maren morris a super star. the song breaking the record for number one on billboard's dance songs chart. her success didn't come easy. after hitting roadblocks with performing, she started writing music for artists like tim mcgraw and kelly clarkson before taking a bold step ♪ can i get a hallelujah >> in 2015 she self-released her single "my church" on spotty. >> once i had written "my church" i realized i don't want anyone to sing this except for me. >> reporter: that song landed maren a record deal and a number one debut album one year

laterment even winning her a grammy. >> this is so crazy. we don't want more than anyone else. we want the same as everyone else. >> reporter: today maren is out with her highly anticipated sophomore album, girl. and in an industrial dominated by men. >> they're really pretty. >> reporter: maren is doing her part working with and mentoring other female musicians. this morning for international women's day, maren morris is celebrating with girls around the world right here on our citi concert stage. >> so without further adieu, here she is performing her latest hit with a fitting title on a day like this, "girl," can you give it up for maren morris! ♪ man this is unflattering, all up in my head again ♪ i don't feel myself right now, maybe i should just lay down ♪ ♪ if vanity's my vitamin, well,

i don't feel the difference ♪ ♪ i don't like myself right now, got to find a way out ♪ ♪ what you feel is natural ♪ but i don't want to feel this anymore ♪ ♪ pick yourself up off the kitchen floor, what you waiting for ♪ ♪ girl, won't you stop your crying, i know that you're trying ♪ ♪ everything's going to be okay, baby girl, don't you hang your head low ♪ ♪ don't you lose your halo, everyone's going to be okay, baby girl ♪ ♪ draw your comparisons, trying

to find who's lesser than ♪ ♪ well, i don't want to wear your crown, there's enough to go around ♪ ♪ what you feel is natural, but you don't got to put up with this anymore ♪ ♪ pick yourself up off the kitchen floor, tell me what you waiting for ♪ ♪ girl, won't you stop your crying ♪ ♪ i know that you're trying, everything's going to be okay ♪ ♪ baby girl, don't you hang your head low, don't you lose your halo ♪ ♪ everyone's going to be okay, baby girl ♪ ♪

♪ girl, don't hang your head low, don't lose your halo, don't lose your halo ♪ ♪ girl, don't hang your head low, don't lose your halo, oh ♪ ♪ girl, won't you stop your crying, i know that you're trying ♪ ♪ everything's going to be okay, baby girl, don't you hang your head low ♪ ♪ don't you lose your halo, everyone's going to be okay, baby girl ♪ ♪ won't you stop your crying, won't you stop your crying ♪ ♪ i know that you're trying, because everything's going to be okay ♪ ♪ girl, don't you hang your head

low, don't you lose your halo ♪ ♪ everyone is going to be okay, baby girl ♪ ♪ because everyone is going to be okay, baby ♪ [ cheers and applause ] >> don't go anywhere, maren is just getting started, but first this is "today" on nbc.

♪ >> we are back on this international women's day with a sea of wonderful women on the plaza. we've got some great guys here as well. >> craig and i are thrilled to be here with you guys, and we're so happy to have maren morris with us as well.

her second album girl is out today. it's number one on itunes, congratulations. >> and we should point out maren is kicking off her girl world tour tomorrow. maren, good morning. >> good morning! >> you are speaking to these women out here. i saw you out here mingling. what does it mean to be out here on this day? >> it makes me emotional. there's so many amazing men and women out here celebrating international women's day. to be a part of this really special thing is amazing. >> i think you're such an inspiration, maren. you were someone doing well in nashville doing some song writing, but you found something in yourself, and you're like you know what, i'm going to be the singer. >> someone's got to say it. >> what was it inside you that allowed you to get out there, take that risk and go for your dream. >> i wasn't seeing enough women in the landscape of the industry, and i felt like i had something special and unique to say and maybe others would be inspired by the message. that's when i put "my church" out and everything that's happened since then has been so

life changing. >> you've been vocal about that in the past, laabout the lack o women represented in the country music industry in nashville. why do you think that is? >> there's no this right or wrong reason. i just think the more that we stay silent the more we're complicit and the fact that there's a problem and nothing's happening about it. i try to use my platform and call on my sisters and give them the opportunities i was given by others, and so that's all you can really do is take action and not just keep talking about. >> what are you going to sing for us, maren? i'm going to sing a new song of mine that came out today. it's called "the bones."

♪ we're in the home stretch of the hard times, we took a hard left, but we're all right ♪ ♪ yeah, life sure can try to t put, we built this right ♪ ♪ with the bones are good, the rest don't matter ♪ ♪ because you and i we'll be the same ♪ ♪ when there ain't a crack in the foundation ♪ ♪ baby i know any storm we're facing will blow right over while we stay put ♪ ♪ the house don't fall when the bones are good ♪ ♪ call it dumb luck, but baby you and i can't even mess it up,

although we both try ♪ ♪ no, it don't always go the way we planned it ♪ ♪ but the wolves came and went, and we're still standing ♪ ♪ when the bones are good, the rest don't matter ♪ ♪ yeah, the paint could peel, the glass could shatter ♪ ♪ let it rain because you and i remain the same ♪ ♪ when there ain't a crack in the foundation, baby i know any storm we're facing ♪ ♪ will blow right over while we stay put, the house don't fall when the bones are good ♪ ♪ when the bones are good ♪ the bones are good, the rest,

baby, it don't really matter ♪ ♪ the paint could peel, the glass could shatter ooh, ♪ ♪ the rest don't matter. the paint could peel, the glass could shatter ♪ ♪ when the bones are good, the rest don't matter, the paint could peel, the glass could shatter ♪ ♪ let it rain, let it rain ♪ when there ain't a crack in the foundation ♪ ♪ baby the house don't fall when the bones are good ♪

[ cheers and applause ] >> thank you so much. >> the amazing maren morris. she'll be back with even more music straight ahead, but first this is "today" on

♪ welcome back to "today" on this international women's day. we cannot thank maren morris enough for being with us this morning. what a show, but we cannot let her go without just one more song, her smash hit, "the middle," maren take it away. [ cheers and applause ] ♪ take a seat right over there, sat on the stairs ♪ ♪ stay or leave, the cabinets are bare, and i'm unaware of just how we got into this mess ♪ ♪ got so aggressive, i know we meant all good intentions ♪ ♪ so pull me closer, why don't you pull me close ♪

♪ why don't you come on over, i can't just let you go ♪ ♪ come on, oh, baby, why don't you just meet me in the middle ♪ ♪ i'm losing my mind just a little ♪ ♪ so why don't you just meet me in the middle, in the middle ♪ ♪ baby, why don't you just meet me in the middle, i'm losing my mind just a little ♪ ♪ so why don't you just meet me in the middle, in the middle, oh ♪ ♪ take a step back for a minute into the kitchen ♪ ♪ floors are wet and taps are still running, dishes are broken ♪ ♪ how did we get into this mess, got so aggressive, ♪ ♪ i know we meant all good intentions, so pull me closer ♪

♪ why don't you pull me close, why don't you come on over, i can't just let you go ♪ ♪ oh, baby, why don't you just meet me in the middle ♪ ♪ i'm losing my mind just a little ♪ ♪ so why don't you just meet me in the middle, in the middle ♪ ♪ looking at you i can't lie, just pouring out admission ♪ ♪ regardless of my objection, oh, and it's not about my pride ♪ ♪ i need you on my skin, just come over, pull me ne just ♪ ♪ oh, baby, why don't you just meet me in the middle ♪ ♪ i'm losing my mind just a little ♪ ♪ so why don't you just meet me in the middle, in the middle,

no, no ♪ ♪ baby, why don't you just meet me in the middle, i'm losing my mind just a little ♪ ♪ so why don't you just meet me in the middle, in the middle ♪ ♪ oh, baby, why don't you just meet me in the middle, baby, i'm losing my mind just a little ♪ ♪ so why don't you just meet me in the middle, middle, in the middle, middle ♪ ♪ >> thank you so much. >> yes, yes! >> maren morris, you are amazing, what a way to celebrate. the new album is called "girl" and maren's going to be back with us on our third hour, but first on an excellent friday morning, this is "today" on nbc. [ cheers and applause ]

♪ no hormones! ♪ i found a birth control ♪ with no hormones! ♪ paragard's 100% hormone free ♪ and over 99% effective, ♪ that's key! ♪ no hormones! ♪ not an ounce, ♪ with an ingredient ♪ i can pronounce. paragard is a hormone-free iud that's over 99% effective at preventing pregnancy. if you experience pain, pelvic infection, or miss a period, call your healthcare provider. pregnancy is rare but serious and can cause infertility or loss of pregnancy. rarely, paragard may attach to or go through the uterus. want hormone free? ask for paragard by name.

first of all you guys, we just want to give a big thank you to maren morris, we're so happy, and we want to thank all the wonderful ladies who have been here today to celebrate international women's day right here on "today." >> our heroes right here. >> for sure. so many. >> thank you so much for inspiring our girls. >> we should also mention maren's tour starts tomorrow in chicago, i believe. so if you get a chance, get out and see her on the road. >> come and see us. >> yes indeed. >> how perfect is it that your new album is called girl. >> we kind of planned it that way. >> it works, right? >> by the way, this party is far from over. we've got a lot coming up in our next hour. will you stick around, maren and we'll be inside. >> it's a cold one. >> it is a party indeed, we're going to introduce you to a mom literally balancing work and family life because she's raising her kids in the circus. >> oh, wow. >> also, five women breaking into barbecues boys clubs with

their very own smoking team. it's a cool story. that and more today.com/allday, much more coming up on the third hour. good morning, it )s 8:56... i )m - -... a 500-million dollar, 3-year project kicks off today .. to improve the commute on good morning, everyone, it's 8:56. i'm scott mcgrew, a 500 merchandise three- -- 500 merchandise three year project kicks off today. it may cause headaches for your commute. leaders break ground on 32 miles of express lanes on that highway, they will run north and

south. the job won't be completed anytime soon. it will take three years to complete at the cost of again, more than $500 million. happening now, leaders gathering for the ground breaking, scheduled to get underway in an hour in san mateo. kris sanchez will have a live report in our midday newscast. also there oakland leaders want to make telegraph avenue sacher for bicyclists -- safer for bicyclists. it's an overhaul they may cover 20 blocks. teams this morning safely recovered a spacex capsule that landed the old fashioned way by splashing down by parachute in the atlantic ocean. it was unmanned but manned missions coming soon. we )re get

the next work week. we )ll be tracking any breaking stories as they develop. and: an online fashion we're getting you ready for the next workweek. we'll be tracking any breaking stories as they develop. online fashion purchase gone wrong, our fashion teams goes straight to get results. >> today in l.a.

mondays a 4:30. sarah's last tuition payment, sent off. feeling good? oh yeah. now i'm ready to focus on my project. ♪ ♪ this is why we plan. ♪ ♪ you never cease to amaze me, maya. see how investing with a j.p. morgan advisor can help you. visit your local chase branch.

>> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. oh, fri-yay. >> good morning, everyone, craig melvin here. >> you like that? >> i don't know what that was. >> fri-yay. >> i thought you were going to say something like rose all day. >> i learned what that was recently. i thought it was a kanye reference, seriously because of the yay part of it. >> he just took over fridays globally. >> willie, jenna, sheinelle. dylan's off. dylan's on vacation. al roker on the road. he is down in god's country. he is in s