bridge, disabled vehicle. >> okay. we'll have more on this new class action lawsuit that's been filed on the college admissions scandal with two stanford students on our midday newscast. >> back with more at 7:25. have a great morning. good morning. good morning. grounded. the faa and boeing facing tough questions after waiting more than three days to pull 737 max planes out of the sky in the wake of that deadly second crash. >> safety of the american people and all people is our paramount concern. >> so why the delay, and what new red flags is the investigation raising? this morning we'll ask the head of the faa in a live interview. breaking overnight, state of emergency. >> oh, my god. oh, my god. >> heavy snow and powerful winds shutting down interstates and airports. those of drivers and passengers

stranded in colorado. the national guard called in overnight as the storm moves east. gaming the system? acstress laurie loughlin out on bond after appearing in court to face charges in that sweeping college bribery scandal. new details on how the alleged scheme worked and an inside look at the admissions process. is it really rigged? those stories plus breaking news. it's official. the highway profile democrat announcing his presidential bid this morning. mob hit? the reputed boss of the gambino crime family shot and killed outside of his home. and social media meltdown. the global outage that gave millions an unwanted taste of life before facebook and instagram. >> thursday, march 14th, 2019. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with savannah guthrie and hoda kotb live from

studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. hey, everybody welcome to "today". thank you for joining us on this busy thursday morning. >> it's busy at airports across the country after a major grounding of u.s. flights. >> indeed. that's our topper to. the decision to ground boeing 737 max planes that critics say took way too long to make. >> the faa has joined the rest of the world in grounding the u.s. fleet in the wake of two plane crashes overseas. the move affects more than 70 planes used by american airlines, southwest and united airlines. >> in just a moment we'll talk to the acting head of the faa but first nbc's tom costello joins us from reagan national airport with the very latest on what the u.s. has done. good morning, tom. >> reporter: good morning. if you're flying today be prepared for cancellations and it's not just because of the mamax 8 and max 9 we have a messy snowstorm messing things up.

hundreds of flights cancelled already between those two events. the u.s. was the last in the world to ground the max 8 and max 9 and did so after developing new information from that crash in ethiopia. the order caught thousands of americans by surprise mid-flight. the faa grounding the very plane they were boarding or already on. some flights ordered to turn around and return to the gate before evening taking off. >> the pilot gave us a call and said we weren't going to orlando and we're headed back to the gate. >> reporter: for the kids on board disney would have to wait. >> they are very upset. everyone was crying. >> reporter: president trump made the announcement himself. >> any plane currently in the air will go to its destination and thereafter be grounded until further notice. >> reporter: after the faa reviewed satellite data from ethiopian airlines flight 302 tracked at this command center in. virginia. showing it experienced wild and

erratic vertical takeoff speeds before crashing. the pilots radioed they struggled to control the plane similar to the lion air crash in indonesia last october. >> the evidence we discovered on the ground actually was even further evidence that the flight was very similar to lion air. >> reporter: the possibility that two 737 max 8 crashes in fire months could be connected had already convinced the rest of the world including canada to ground the plane. boeing initially resisted but now says it supports temporarily grounding the max fleet out of an abundance ever caution and in order to reassure the flying public of the aircraft safety. >> safety first. i'm glad precautions are being taken. >> reporter: in the u.s., southwest, american and united fly the 737 max. 275 flights a day roughly. now those airlines are substituting other planes and dropping change fees. >> if the rest of the world is doing it we may as well do it.

>> reporter: it's not clear before how the best selling in the plane in the world flies again. so, we can tell you that the ethiopians have sent the black boxes that were damaged to france to be read out. how long will this take? it could take weeks. this is a long process. if they determine there's a fix that's needed that could take weeks or even longer. no idea how long this will go on. >> tom, thank you. that sets us up nicely for the faa administrator. a lot of people have the timing about the decision. we're joined by the faa's acting administrator. sir, good morning to you. >> good morning, savannah. >> as i under it the faa received new information, satellite information yesterday. is there evidence now, in your hands, that suggest possibly that lion air, the indonesian crash and the ethiopian airline were brought down by the same

cause? >> we are much closer to that possibility. and that's why we grounded the airplanes. we got new information yesterday, and we acted on it. and it is, in our minds now, a link that is close enough to ground the airplanes. >> as you well know the faa was literally last in the world to ground the u.s. airplanes. my question to you is why? what took so long you have two plane crashes. the exact same plane. the crash happens in the first few minutes of flight. you know that the planes are losing altitude. why not in an abundance of caution did the u.s. ground these planes when literally every other country did? >> because when the faa makes a decision like grounding airplanes, any safety decision of that magnitude, we do it based on data. we're a data-driven organization. it's why u.s. aviation has been so incredibly safe and, frankly,

why aviation has been safe around the world. you have to establish at least more than a gut feeling that two crashes related before you ground an entire fleet. >> of course. but did all those other countries go on gut feeling, not data? >> you would have to talk to the other countries and their decision makers. i know that canada and the u.s. made our decisions based on new data and the data is what drove it. i really don't know what drove the decisions of the other countries. >> i know we're early in the investigations, certainly at the ethiopian airline crash but also italy on air crash but there has been information made publicly available that one of the issues with regard to the lion air crash had to do with this new software program put on this 737 max called m cast. my question is why 737 pilots

were not trained on that system, have still not been trained on that system, and, in fact, did not even know this software system was on this plane. how does the faa explain that? >> well, the m cast system is explained in the manuals. it kicks in for a pilot and on the airplane at a regime of flight that's a very, very narrow regime of flight. and many of the pilots who have been trained on the max have, if they did stall work, they worked with the m cast system. today's airplanes fly by wire computerized airplanes. there's much happening with the controls, not the flight controls but many, many computers, and they are very complex as the president has pointed out. >> but as i under it, and please correct me if i'm wrong, one of the selling points of this new aircraft, is that it was an

innovation that did not require new training for the pilots which made it a lot cheaper for the airlines. but wasn't that a case of boeing and the airline putting cost savings over the safety of the pilots, the crew and the people flying those planes? >> well, the 737 max, when the accident occurred in ethiopia, we did a scrub of all of the technical data that we collected, that we gathered. for who ever 40,000 flights in the united states and total over 50,000 when you add canada for the 737 8 and 9 and there was not a single incident in our examination of this m cast system being activated or pilots having to work with it or to deal with it. so it has not, in the u.s. and with our pilots in the max, it's not been an issue.

>> there are pilots who have said they would not have been adequately trained on the m cast system and, in fact, one of kwufted as saying it was criminally inadequate the flight training manual in regard to that. finally the president tweeted quote, airplanes are becoming far too complex to fly. pilots are no longer needed but rather computer scientists from m.i.t.. old and simpler is far better. i don't know about you but i don't want albert einstein to be my pilot i want great flying professionals. what do you think of this analysis? does he have it right? >> the president and i have talked about that very thing. and i will tell you this. planes are far more complex. he's right about that. but i think most aviation experts would tell you that since we have automated aircraft, since the dawn of automation, safety has improved dramatically. while they are more complex, they are definitely safer. >> faa administrator, thank you

so much for your time this morning. you're doing important work and we appreciate you coming on and answering questions. g questions. >> thank you, savannah. also leading to grounded flights, this morning, the major winter storm slamming the rockies in the midwest with blinding snow, dangerous winds. conditions so bad in colorado, a state of emergency has been declared. al is tracking that storm. first, dylan has the latest on the problems it is all causing. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, hoda. the word of the day is bombogenesis. it is a funny word that describes a very serious phenomenon. it occurs when the central pressure of a storm drops 24 millibars or more within 24 hours. this storm dropped 31 millibars. it intensified so rapidly, it basically exploded moving east and caused destruction along the way. an epic winter cyclone slamming the middle of the country. millions hit with blizzard conditions and wind gusts. >> visibility is impossible.

>> reporter: blinding snow creatie ining treacherous condi on the roads and causing massive pileups. the weather service warning, do not even attempt to drive in this storm. despite the warnings, first responders were called into action. firefighters rescuing this stranded driver after a multi-vehicle accident that totaled his car. >> it was scary. it was just like couldn't see and boom. >> reporter: colorado, one of the hardest hit. governor gard polis calling in national guard to help with search and rescue of ratiperati with 1,000 drivers stuck on the roads overnight. highways turning deadly. officer groves killed by a sliding car responding to a stranded vehicle. denver shutting down its runways, leading to the cancellation of almost 1,400 flights. airport employees handed out blankets to stranded passengers spending the night at the airport. the wreaking havoc.

in new mexico, a trail derailed due to the winds. luckily, no one was injured. 80-mile-per-hour winds blowing over a semi struck and ripping off the roof of an amazon warehouse. with spring weeks away, the wicked winter weather not letting up. the snow won't pack as much of a punch today, but we have a line of severe storms, which could lead to the potential of very damaging winds. guys? >> dylan, thank you. that leads us to al. he'll let us know where the storm is headed. don't say east. >> it is, unfortunately. you can see right now, we've got these wind advisories for 77 million people. look at some of the wind gusts we've recorded in the last hour. denver, 36 miles per hour. that's the fourth time only they've shut down that airport. 43 miles in kansas city. chicago, 35. nashville, 35. we'll be looking at airport delays today because of the winds. we've also got a lot going on today as far as storm alerts are

concerned. take a look. we have blizzard warnings now still in effect for much of the plains. we've also got severe thunderstorm watches and tornado watches down to the south. we're seeing tornado warnings popping up now and severe thunderstorm warnings. we also have this risk of severe weather for 38 million people today. damaging winds, hail, potential for tornadoes as this system pushes to the east. snow will taper off in the upper midwest. we look for severe storms from the midwest all the way into the southeast today. for tomorrow, that rain makes its way into the east coast, losing some of its oomph, maybe severe thunderstorms, but nothing quite like what we saw back to the east. the storm moves on by saturday. rainfall through friday. the heaviest amounts will be down through the lower mississippi river valley with locally upwards of 2 inches of rain. behind the system, the good news, as dylan mentioned, the snow is going to taper off, but those blowing winds are going to make for very low visibility. guys, back to you. >> al, thank you. craig is here now with a

story that everybody cannot stop talking about, this college admissions scandal. >> good morning to you. we are learning a lot more about it this morning, as well as the wealthy, high-profile families and eight universities tied to this scheme. actress lori loughlin among those charged to appear in court. she appeared yesterday. miguel almaguer is in los angeles with the very latest. miguel, good morning. >> reporter: craig, good morning. in court documents, the man who allegedly told investigators he orchestrated the scam said he helped nearly 800 families cheat their way into college over the course of several years. william singer said he raked in some $25 million. cash coming from wealthy parents, some of whom are celebrities. normally comfortable in front of cameras, actress lori loughlin sidestepped the press, offering no comment after facing a judge and posting a $1 million bond. along with her husband, a fashion designer, the couple stands accused of paying

$500,000 in brides to get their daughters into usc. their youngest child blogging about going to college. >> i don't know how much of school i'm going to attend. >> reporter: the list of 33 parents, who investigators say rigged the system, includes a stunning roster of wealthy professionals, some who have taken leaves from their companies after being charged. >> the makeup is going forward to the future. >> reporter: also on the list, tv lifestyle expert jane buckingham who posted last may, don't cheat. apply to all aspects of life, and you'll be okay. she paid $50,000 for a ringer to take the s.a.t. test for her son. also sending singer, the mastermind, a handwriting sample from her son so the ringer could try to match it. buckingham, who has no comment, appear appeared as a job coach on "job

or no job." >> when your friends tell you to lie on your resume, you 100% do not do it. >> reporter: the man prosecutors say took the exam for buckingham's son and others was mark riddell, a former harvard tennis player. riddell was reportedly paid $10,000 per test. he's cooperating with investigators and issued this apology. i am profoundly sorry for the damage i have done and grief i kau caused those as a result of my needless actions. william singer is also cooperating with investigates. tmz obtaining this video of his pitch for a reality show about the pressures of college. >> mom and dad go to a dinner party. they hear about every kid who is getting into this school. sunday morning, my phone rings off the hook. >> reporter: this morning, the rich and famous accused of using their influence to benefit their own children at the cost of someone else's. with the 50 people arrested expected back in court in boston

at the end of the month, we're learning more about what could happen to those students. each university may take a different approach but, for example, usc says anyone involved in the scandal still applying for college will be denied admissions. for those already enrolled, the students will be dealt with on a case by case basis. guys, back to you. >> all right. >> miguel almaguer. investigators say there could be more charges on the way. >> ahead, we'll speak with the attorney for one of the college coaches accused of accepting bribes. we'll examine the dark side of college admissions. this case is exploding. >> apparently, perhaps, just getting started. let us go to al for the rest of the forecast. >> all right. >> when is spring coming? >> it is just around the corner. >> knocking on the door. >> march 20th. in the meantime, we're looking at strong winds. the strong winds blowing around the snow, making for blizzard like conditions. like conditions. up and down the east co today, 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. . how is this for a clear thursday morning view of san francisco. that is a live look right now. enjoy those sunny skies. we are expecting to keep this dry, warmer weather as we head into the weekend into the start of next week as well. 61 in san francisco for today. by friday we'll start to notice a slight increase in that cloud cover. notice upper 60s and even some 70s on the map on the way for inland areas expect mid to upper 70s by monday.

>> that's your latest weather. guys? >> al, thank you so much. coming up, the many ways that students are gaming the system to get into college. it's really being focused on in the wake of this stunning admissions scandal. plus, we'll talk to this man, the attorney for one of the college coaches accused of accepting a bribe. and the head of the notorious gambino crime family shot and killed outside his home. we're live with the very latest on the investigation. first, this is "today" on nbc.

just ahead, harry smith sits down with actor gary sinise for a touching interview on his work with military families and the profound way it's changed his life. plus, the facebook and plus, the facebook and instagram outage that seventh generation gets the ingredients in their plus, the facebook and instagram outage that laundry detergent from plants, not petroleum. and this stuff beets stains. its kind of a big dill. lemon tell ya. it squashes sixty of your toughest stains. and leaves your clothes looking raddishing.

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all right. now get you caught up with what you need to know before you go out the door. vianey ar rana with the forecast. >> look at this gorgeous shot. san jose 41 degrees, winds are calm. can you expect to see a nice climb into the 60s this afternoon. let's take a look at microclimate highs for today. 65, 62 in los gatos. take a look at east bay temperatures, 63 for oakland. tri-valley 66 for oakland, we don't have to worry too much about the winds today we do -- we will notice an increase in cloud cover but that's not until tonight. over the next seven days we'll set up with nice dry weather pattern. >> 680 smooth walnut creek, smooth at the top of the screen, right where the arrow is, that's the jam. highway 4 coming through the area, a trailer blocking and slowing.

out of antioch, predictable drive. crash north 85 off the split there may be another problem. looks like crews may be clearing hopefully shortly. back to you. >> more local news coming up in half an hour.

we're back now, 7:30, thursday morning, 14th of march 2019. that is statin island, new york, and the place where police are investigating the murder of a notorious mob boss. police say it happened right there. we are live on the scene with the details coming up. >> we will get a check of the headlines right now. the faa acknowledging earlier on "today" that new information it received yesterday linking two recently deadly plane crashes led to the decision to ground the boeing 737 max jets. president trump actually made the announcement himself wednesday after the faa reviewed satellite data from ethiopian airlines flight 302.

it showed the plane experienced wild and erratic vertical takeoff speeds before crashing. the pilots said they struggled to control the plane similar to that lion air crash in indonesia. boeing supports temporarily grounding the fleet in the u.s., southwest, united and american fly those planes. they are swapping out those planes and tropg the change fee for passengers. a new push from the fda in the fight against e-cigarette use especially among teenagers. guidance are designed to limit the sale of flavor tobacco products. the fda says there has been an epidemic rise in e-cigarette use among young people. most recent data showing 3.6 middle and high school students used e-cigarettes in the last year in the u.s. that is up 1.5 million from the years previous. millions are waking up in the path of a dangerous storm. in colorado treacherous road conditions causing massive

pileups. the governor calling in the national guard to help in rescue operations with more than 1,000 drivers stranded on the roads overnight. the so-called bomb cyclone shut down denver international airport leading to the cancellations of nearly 1,400 flights. as many as 74 million people are facing severe weather as the storm moves east. al is going to have the latest forecast in a few moments. now more on that college admissions scandal involving more than 750 families accused of buying their way in top colleges. >> we will talk to the lawyer for one of the coaches who is accused of accepting a bribe. first, nbc's senior national correspondent kate snow has more. >> they tell me that athletes get a huge advantage when it comes to getting into some of the most prestigious schools. this putting a spotlight on the coaches and managers who allegedly used that advantage for their own financial gain. >> reporter: the dark side of

college admissions now under a microscope after what's being called the biggest college admissions scandal ever. at the center william rick singer, founder of a for-profit college counseling service for what he called the world's most respected families. he is accused of accepting millions of dollars to bribe college coaches and test proctors to get well off kids into schools. one of the 50 people charged michael center, the long time head coach of the austin men's tennis team. prosecutors say he accepted $100,000 from singer in exchange for saying a student was a recruit for the team, even though the student didn't play competitive tennis. last october federal agents directed center to place a phone call to get him to confess to his role. according to the transcript of the call included in the criminal complaint center confirmed he was paid more than $90,000 to get a prospective

student admitted, saying i think the total amount was in the 90s. center stated that some of the money was put towards the tennis facilities. he had his initial appearance at the federal courthouse in austin tuesday afternoon where bail was set at $50,000. the university, which has placed center on administrative leave, said integrity in admissions is vital to the academic and ethical standards of our university. ut officials have declined to release the name of the student the coach allegedly helped and whether or not that student is still enrolled at ut, signed to a scholarship citing privacy laws. center is scheduled to appear in federal courtroom in boston on march 2 a. he is expected to plead not guilty. >> thank you. now back to this current scandal. we are joined by dan cogdell, the attorney for michael center, tennis coach at the university of texas who was fired after

being charged with this bribery scheme. good morning to you. >> good morning. >> as you know, sir, your client, michael center, is accused of accepting a bribe of nearly $90,000 to admit a student who otherwise would not have been admitted to the university of texas. does your client deny accepting a bribe? >> my client certainly does. michael center is a wonderful man. he has been a top 5-10is coach for 20 years. he has been hit by a tidal wave. this has been devastating to him and he absolutely denies going guilty of the offense. >> as you say, your client is one of the top tennis coaches in the country, has one of the top programs in the country. that begs the question, why would your client recruit a young high school kid, these are the allegations by the u.s. attorney's office, who played like one year of tennis in high school as a freshman and give him what he called sort of a book scholarship? >> well, keep in mind, hoda,

that the accusations stem from the cooperation with this singer fellow who is the head of the organization. he is the kingpin. it's like making a deal with john gadi to go to the -- >> the u.s. attorney has an email from your client to the father of a high school student saying there was a letter of intent. that leaves mr. singer out of it. well, it doesn't leave mr. singer out of it because he is the center of gravity of these charges. again, these prosecutors are skilled, thorough, and competent. i am not accusing them of misconduct. i am saying that i haven't reviewed the evidence. i don't know what the evidence is. and this an accusation. last i checked the presumption of innocence still means something. >> of course. as you well know, i am certain that you have read the information, the charging document. it contains a transcript of a recorded call between your client and the defendant mr.

singer where he appears to acknowledge giving the student a book scholarship, refers to payments of approximately $90,000, some of which he says he gave to the tennis program. so assuming the transcript and the charging document is correct, isn't he essentially admitting to the basic facts here? >> i am not assuming the transcript is correct. i haven't seen it. i haven't read it. i haven't -- >> wait a minute. wouldn't it be highly irregular for a professional prosecutor to put an erroneous transcript into a court record? >> it certainly would be. but prosecutors aren't perfect, and no prosecutor, no lawyer is. so until i see the evidence, i am not going to sit there and speculate on what's right and what's wrong in the acquisition. >> assuming the transcript is correct, wouldn't it contain an admission from your client? >> hypothetically, if that transcript is correct, it would be damaging document. it would be a damaging take. but again i haven't listened to

the tape. i haven't seen the transcript. i don't know the context. so let's move on from speculation. >> we appreciate your time this morning. i know it's early in the case and early in the morning as well. appreciate it. >> thank you. >> thank you y'all. it is time for another check of the weather. >> hey, all right. well, this winter has been a wet one. extreme rainfall well above average in the eastern half of the country, above average out west, and in fact if you look, 19 states had their top ten wettest winters on record. in fact, wisconsin their second wettest. iowa the third wettest. kentucky fourth wettest. tennessee seeing the wettest on record as well. in fact, since 1958, the eastern half of the country you see a massive increase in these extreme downpours. so we are going to be watching that. expanding cold is what we are watching out west. nice and warm here in the east. chicago you will be near 70 degrees today. 80 new orleans. 64 buffalo. raleigh 73.

look at that cold air making east. dallas at 55. by the weekend boston 42 degrees for your high. 36 on saturday in cleveland. 50 in nashville. bring on the sunshine. 41 degrees right now in san jose. wind speeds are calm. here is a check of what you can expect not just for today but also the next several days. we will continue to see this dry kind of warming pattern as we head in towards the weekend. by tomorrow morning, increase in cloud cover, combination of sun and clouds. st. patrick's day our temperatures will climb spot upper 60s for san francisco with warmest days in the weekend for inland areas and showers expected into wednesday. >> that's your l >> that's your latest weather. >> all right. still ahead this morning, a first look at a controversial new netflix documentary on the unsolved disappearance of madeleine mccann.

why her parents say it could hurt their 12-year search for answers. harry smith sharing a powerful conversation with gary sinise as the actor opens up about his greatest role, helping america's veterans. also ahead, you won't believe who made a surprise appearance on "the tonight show." first though, the big became in the democratic party making his white house run official this morning. so what's with all the buzz behind beto o'rourke? right after this.

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attention and broke fundraising records during his losing campaign to senator ted cruz. now the el paso native says he is ready to run for the white house. >> amy and i happy to share that i am running to serve you as the next president of the united states of america. >> reporter: this morning beto o'rourke making it official. the former texas congressman announcing he is running for president in this video message posted on social media. >> this is a defining moment of truth for this country and for every single one of us. >> reporter: and speaking out this morning in iowa. >> how does it feel to be in? >> wonderful. looking forward to meeting the folks here and having a cup of coffee. >> reporter: rthe latest hint i a glossy vanity fair spread overnight. o'rourke saying, i'm just born to do this, after recently teg oprah -- >> i have been thinking about

running for president. >> reporter: in his last political fight the 46-year-old father of three tried but failed to unseat senator ted cruz. it was these remarks that went viral during that campaign the divisive issue of nfl players taking a knee to protest police brew it willty that helped catapult him to national fame. >> i could think of nothing more american. >> reporter: o'rourke is known for drawing big money and big names. but he has faced criticism for struggling in a recent "washington post" interview to say where he stands on important poli poli policy issues lick immigration. he sponsored three bills signed into law and this recent "new york times" profile painted the former entrepreneur and rock musician as still searching to define who is he. the president recently took aim at him in his hometown, el paso.

>> beto o'rourke had a wonderful rally of about 15 people. >> reporter: o'rourke faces a tough primary field filled with a diverse array of candidates and steeper competition if former vice president joe biden enters the rice. despite the challenges, o'rourke signaling he is ready for the fight. >> the only way to live up to the promise of america is to give it all our and to give it for all of us. we are truly now more than ever the last great hope of earth. >> and o'rourke's first stop today the critical state of ohio. he will hold several events there the next few days. he is aiming to have a crossover appeal to moderates and progressives. can he turn his defeat in texas into a national victory? we will have to see. >> beto is in. now there are 23. >> how many candidates, kristen? >> i think that makes it 13. i think? i think?

>> don't put money on charges. >> fact check. >> the internet will tell us. >> thanks. coming up, the investigation into what could be the first major mob hit in new york city in decades. we will be live at the scene after these messages. 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. neutrogena®

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good morning. it is 7:55. it's still a little chilly in san jose. 41 degrees. you're going to notice a beautiful day ahead. thanks to some high pressure that's going to keep us dry and start to warm us up right in time for the weekend. predicted highs low 60s for san francisco, 65 by tomorrow. we'll notice an increase in that cloud cover. again, since we are dreeg out, we will warm up into the weekend. by saturday 66, st. patrick's day, 68 degrees. yes, we've got 70s on the map now. our next chance of rain looking more like late tuesday into wednesday. for now look at 70s we get to enjoy. by saturday 70 for inland areas. by sunday 73. our warmest day will be 74 as we

head towards monday. overall we've got plenty of sunshine in store so plan plenty of outdoor activities with it. mike, how are the roads? >> looking pretty good. south bay north 85. i've circled the crash at the bottom. we were watching that. on the map north 101 and 87 felt a little more traffic diverting to them. that crash should be clear. we'll clear it for the next report. the rest of the bay, a pretty smooth drive. typical pattern, lighter than typical. the bay bridge with back-up for fasttrack. cash lanes looking good to the left. back to you. >> thanks, mike. happening now, new legal fallout from right here in the bay area. this is tied to fbi's college cheating scandal. a first class action lawsuit has been filed. the plaintiffs, stanford students. you can check that out. menlo park at the center of a probe. prosecutors are looking into data deals made by social media networking giant.

it involves electronics manufacturers. go to our twitter feed to view that full story. i'm marcus washington. we'll have more news in 30 minutes. following the largest c admissions scandal in u-s history. plus- our consumer investigative team takes you behind-the-scenes. on some cases it )s actively workig to resolve! today in the bay. tomorrow morning from 4:30 to 7.

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that's super important. i just want to get it right now. call today. comcast business. beyond fast. it's 8:00 on "today." coming up, grounded. after facing days of mounting pressure, the faa declares an emergency order, grounding 737 max jets. >> any plane currently in the air will go to its destination, and thereafter be grounded until further notice. >> the united states, the last country to ground the planes. so what's behind the decision, and how will it affect flights this morning? we're live with the latest. plus, under fire. >> i'm here with my mom. >> in the wake of the college admissions scheme, a look at the growing backlash targeting lori loughlin's daughter. and youtube star olivia j. >> we're going to get ready for

a college party together. >> she's becoming the face of the scandal. from self to service. harry smith sits down with actor gary sinise to talk about his mission to help out the military families. >> my heart broke for the military families. i didn't want it to happen again, the people serving in iraq and afghanistan. >> why the forerest gump star says it is his greatest work yet. today, march 14th, 2019. >> we're here from tcu. >> go frogs. >> good morning to my kindergartners in mississippi. ♪ i'm an animal, animal >> from texas. >> peach tree city, georgia. >> columbus, ohio. >> and anchorage, alaska. >> hi, i'm from colorado springs, colorado. after two years, two months, and six days, i'm all done with

chemo and cancer free. >> might be the best one. >> wow. welcome back to "today." thank you for being with us on this thursday morning. all right, y'all, the crowds keep building. we have a lot of hugs and a lot of handshakes. >> we've got spring fever out there. >> it's happening. we do want to get to your news because there's a lot going on at 8:00. the u.s. has joined the rest of the world in grounding all boeing 737 max-8 jet liners after new data revealed similarities between two catastrophic crashes. nbc's tom costello covers aviation for us and has the very latest. hey, tom. >> reporter: hoda, good morning. so if you are flying today, tomorrow, or next week, you will not be on a max-8 or max-9. but if you're flying today, you may be facing big cancellations nationwide. not only is that huge snowstorm rolling across the country that's affecting travel, but then this entire fleet of max jets now grounded. so the airlines are trying to move planes around to cover that.

it's all because of the connection, the possible connection, between the plane crash in ethiopia on sunday and a plane crash in indonesia last october. earlier today on "today," savannah asked the faa chief about evidence suggesting these two max-8 crashes may be related. >> as i understand it, the faa received new information, satellite information yesterday. is there evidence now, in your hands, that suggests, possibly, that lion air, the indonesian crash, and the ethiopian airline were brought down by the same cause? >> we are much closer to that possibility, and that's why we grounded the airplanes. we got new information yesterday, and we acted on it. it is, in our minds now, a link that is close enough to ground the airplanes. >> reporter: he's talking about evidence on the ground and also data from the satellite, suggesting both planes had very erratic takeoff speeds and

performance issues. the black boxes are now in paris for a readout. savannah and hoda, back to you. >> all right. tom costello, nbc, thank you. the president is remaining defiant in the face of what could be a major setback today in a vote in congress. the republican-controlled senate is expected to pass a bill that would block the president's emergency declaration, which he used to go around congress so that he could fund his border wall. this would be a sharp rejection of one of the president's signature initiatives. but this morning, the president tweeted, i am prepared to veto, if necessary. the southern border is a national security and humanitarian nightmare, but it can be easily fixed, he wrote. also this morning, what appears to be the first major new york city mob hit in decades is under information. nbc's kathy park is at the scene on staten island with the latest on the investigation. good morning. >> reporter: craig, good morning.

the shooting happened shortly after 9:00 last night, but it is still very much an active crime scene in this neighborhood. investigators are trying to figure out if this was in any way linked to the mob. in a brazen shooting straight out of a crime drama, 53-year-old francisco "frankie" cali was found with multiple gunshot wounds to his torso outside his home. according to police, cali was having dinner with his family around 9:00 p.m., when he stepped outside to talk to someone and was shot and killed. law enforcement sources tell wnbc that officials are investigating the attack at a possible mob hit. cali was believed to be the acting boss of the gambino crime family. the shooting took place in the affluent todt hill neighborhood of staten island, well-known for its crime connections. it was used as a location for the fictional crime boss dom corleone in "the godfather." >> i'm going to make an offer he can't refuse.

>> reporter: federal prosecutor reserved to cali as the mob boss. cali's only mob-related criminal conviction came a decade ago when he pleaded guilty in a failed attempt to build a nascar track on staten island. he was sentenced to 16 months in federal prison and released in 2009. the gambino family was once among the most powerful criminal organizations in the u.s. federal prosecutions in the 1980s and '90s sent its top leaders to prison, including john gotti, often referred to as dapper don. unlike the well-dressed gotti, cali kept a low profile. now police are working to solve his-profile murder. now, police have not made any arrests, but witnesses describe seeing a suspect fleeing the scene in a blue pickup truck. now, it's been decades since a mob boss was killed in new york. the last time being paul casillano in 1985 outside a manhattan steakhouse. guys, back to you.

>> all right, kathy park there on staten island, kathy, thank you. got the news covered, guys. how about a boost for you? a maryland father is really proud of his 8-year-old daughter, savannah. she's deaf. she learned to perform the carrie underwood song "the champion" in sign language. her dad thought it was really cool and shared it on twitter. take a look. ♪ and now it's do or die ♪ i am invincible, unbreakable, unstoppable, unshakable ♪ ♪ they knock me down, get up again ♪ ♪ i am a champion >> wow. >> how about that? >> richard, by the way, is asking others to re-tweet the video. he is trying to get carrie underwood's attention. >> done. >> i think we may have helped a little. >> i hope so. i'm sure carrie would love to meet her. >> absolutely. >> a doll. >> keep you posted on that one. ahead, the big surprise guest who showed up with jimmy last night on "the tonight show."

first, though, the 19-year-old face of that admissions scam. lori loughlin's daughter olivia jade, how the college scandal could impact her growing brand on social media. that's right after this. ♪ you better get moving ♪ ready or not ♪ it's about to go down here it comes now ♪ ♪ get ready ♪ oh oh oh oh ♪ oh oh oh oh ♪ get ready ♪ moving ♪ ready or not ♪ get ready ♪ oh oh oh oh oh ♪ hey i couldn't catch my breath. it was the last song of the night. it felt like my heart was skipping beats. they said i had afib. what's afib? i knew that meant i was at a greater risk of stroke. i needed answers.

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this morning on today's talker, the student facing the largest backlash in the wake of the college admissions cheating scandal. >> olivia jade giannulli is daughter of lori loughlin and fashion designer giannulli, who are accused of cheating the system to get into the university of southern california. natalie has more. good morning. >> the big question, not just what happens to the parents but also the children who benefitted from the cheating scandal. well before the scandal broke, olivia giannulli was famous for her work on social media. >> welcome back to my youtube channel. >> reporter: from social media darling. >> amazon is coming to shoot some of my room because they hooked me up with basically everything in my dorm. >> reporter: to poster child for entitled rich kids. >> i do want the experience of game days, partying. i don't really care about school. >> reporter: 19-year-old olivia

giannulli, known as olivia jade on youtube and has 2 million followers. >> we're going to get ready for a college party together. >> reporter: is facing backlash. >> she is sitting with money, doesn't even want college, then to know she's paying to get into a school she doesn't want to go to, it is irritating. >> here with my mom. >> reporter: her parents are charged with spending $500,000 in bribes to get their daughters into usc. >> i didn't mean it that way. >> reporter: last year, she posted an apology for coming off as spoiled. >> i'm really sorry to anyone i offended by saying i wasn't excited to do like schoolwork and for anything else i said that made me sound kind of like an idiot. >> reporter: this week during spring break, nbc news has confirmed olivia vacationed on this mega-yacht owned by the chairman of usc's board of trustees. his daughter is trends with o

live friends with olivia. >> it is the coolest things, getting dms from girls, i'm applying for college. what'd you do? >> reporter: no students face charges in the scandal, and officials say it is unclear if any knew what their parents were doing. the list of 33 wealthy parents who investigators say rigged the system includes a stunning roster of wealthy executives, a doctor, and a lawyer. critics say their kids, who ben fritt ben benefitted from the fraud, should be held accountable. >> it should be looked at. >> even in situations where they were unaware of what was going on, they should be removed. >> reporter: in 2016, lori loughlin appeared on "access" with older daughter bella, talking about her education. >> i want her to have the experience and an opportunity to have a degree, have something to fall back on. i think it is important. >> reporter: according to court documents, she and bella's father resorted to bribes because bella's academic

qualifications were at or just below the low end of usc's admissions standards. in a statement, usc says it is conducting a case by case review for current students and graduates that may be connected to the scheme. >> i got an assistant, which has been a really awesome thing. >> reporter: the social media influencer's future may already be in jeopardy. olivia has had sponsorship deals with major brands. >> this shade is my absolute favorite shade. >> reporter: now, hp pulled her content, and critics are pressuring other companies to do the same, as more blame falls on the parents who, instead of helping their kids, may have hurt their futures. >> reps for the giannulli family didn't respond to our request for comment. unsure what will happen to olivia's future at usc. about her visit to the yacht, the board member said the young

woman decided it'd be in her best interest to return home. guys? >> boy. >> natalie, thank you. >> stay tuned. mr. roker, how about a check of the forecast. >> let's show you what we have going on. still have the winds that caused all those problems, stretching from the rockies all the way to the midsection of the country. 75 million people under high wind warning or wind advisories. denver, 38-mile-per-hour winds will cause problems at the airport there. chicago, 33. st. louis, 28. kansas city, 41-mile-per-hour winds. we've also got blizzard warnings, as we still have snow spinning around this low pressure system. down to the south, we are looking right now at tornado watches, as a line of strong storms push in. part of this system, a risk for 38 million people for damaging winds, hail, and potential tornadoes. that's what's going on around beautiful live view of san francisco right now. we've got those sunny skies and that will continue to dominate in our forecast. not just for today but also the

next several days. expect our temperatures to climb into those mid- to upper 60s through the afternoon. we will continue with this dry and sunny weather pattern through the weekend into st. patrick's day, and the start of the workweek as well, not just for san francisco but also for inland areas where the warmest days of the week will be on sunday and monday with showers expected into wednesday. >> if you're heading out the door, make sure you catch us on "today" sirius kxm channel 108. >> happy pi day. al, thank you. what would you do without social media to occupy your time? >> i don't know. >> a lot of folks found out yesterday. carson is in the orange room with that story. a lot of upset people. >> yes, there was. on wednesday, facebook experienced one of its longest outages in history for much of the day. not only were users unable to access the social media, but also facebook-owned apps like instagram and what's app. they experienced issues, as well. let's go through it.

just before 2:00 p.m. eastern, facebook turned to twitter and wrote this, we're aware that some people are currently having trouble accessing the facebook family of apps. we're working to resolve the issue as soon as possible. during the outage, social media users also turned to twitter. they were using the hashtag facebook down. that became a top trend. here's a few. mindy kaling writing, instagram and facebook are down. here we are, crossing my fingers, this is my best performing tweet yet. josh peck wrote, with facebook and instagram down, 250 models just became dental high jygenis. eric said, hey, try turning it off and back on again. facebook was restored around 2:00 a.m. eastern time. facebook posted, it is good to be back. facebook said the outage was not the result of any attack, but they have yet to confirm exactly what the issue was. the issues were all over the place. i was trying to post something on instagram yesterday, last

night, and it wasn't working. it wasn't posting. pictures weren't going to it. >> your life went on. >> very much so. my quality of life improved actually. >> i know, right? >> exactly. >> good for the soul. how about pop start? >> quick pop start. there was a surprise return last night to "the tonight show." take a look who stopped by during jimmy fallon's monologue. >> an angry man was yelling about all this stuff and wouldn't stop yelling. i thought, if he has something to say, let's bring him on the show. here's the angry guy i saw on the street. here he is. >> amazon announced they're going to be opening stores nationwide with no sales clerks of any kind. first of all, that's not new, okay? sears had that 20 years ago. you ever try to buy something in sears? hello, i'm trying to pay for this kenmore. hello, anybody here? hello? remember when sears was amazon?

remember those days? you got that catalog. you found what you wanted and, boom, eight weeks later, it was right there. i am out of here! >> jay leno there. >> he's still got it. >> millenials going, sears? >> former host of "the tonight show." saw him yesterday in studio 1a yesterday, as well. good to see mr. leno. that's your pop start. look who is is here at the table this morning. >> morning, kids. good to see you all. >> you, too. >> you talked to actor gary sinise about what he considers his greatest role. >> he started a theater in chicago, then a great movie role in "forrest gump." years on cbs on "csi." this is his greatest role as a gre grateful american. >> reporter: the lieutenant dan band is smoking at the air station. leading the crew is actor gary

sinise. while playing the hits for service members and their family is not his day job, it may very well be his calling. how many concerts do you think you've done? >> 400 something concerts, man. it's excessive. i mean, it's crazy, but it is good excessive, you know? i don't make a living doing this. this is what i do for -- to help. >> reporter: 400 concerts at more than 150 bases and outposts all over the world. the hours, the days, the miles, uncountable. sinise is most famous for his signature role in "forrest gump." >> thought i'd try out my sea legs. >> you ain't got no legs, lieutenant dan. >> reporter: his devotion to the military and america's vets first came when he got to know the vietnam vets in his wife's family. >> they really opened my eyes. i started to support vietnam veterans groups in various ways

in the chicago area in the early '80s. >> reporter: my hometown. >> your hometown. >> reporter: years later, when america had a new war to fight, sinise knew he would not, he could not stand on the sidelines. >> my heart broke for our vietnam veterans. i didn't want that to happen again to people that were volunteering to serve in iraq and afghanistan. so i just went full on. >> reporter: full on has meant the gary sinise foundation, building user-friendly smart homes for dozens of disabled vets. marine sean adams and retired sergeant john each survived encounters with ieds. their new homes are welcome homes. >> we're proud to celebrate the bravery of master sergeant. >> he'd get down every hallway. you can turn around in the wheelchair. get through every doorway, inside and out. everything is built to my height in my wheelchair.

>> reporter: what was your reaction when you found out that you were going to get one of these houses? >> it was great relief. >> sir, i'd like to present you with the flags, raised for the first time. >> gary sinise is the most humble human being i've ever been around. he loves you, and he loves his family. he sets the bar, the mark, of what being a man is. >> reporter: the sinise foundation also sponsors the snowball express, which sends families of the fallen to disney world each year. especially vital retreat for the guinns, after 14 proud years in the navy. husband and father of four, marcus, took his own life. >> you kind of forget reality and forget the real reason you're here. at the same time, you have that bond. >> reporter: our wars are no longer front page news, but that matters not to gary sinise. the needs are still great. >> these are our freedom providers. i don't take that for granted, you know. the military families don't get

a lot of attention. they don't have a lot. >> reporter: especially not anymore. >> no, no. we have people down range that are deployed and serving and in harm's way each and every day. they get hurt, and their families struggle. ♪ >> reporter: that night at the concert in jacksonville, gold star families lined up just to spend a little time with sinise. there were tears and hugs and thank yous for his service. >> oh, thanks, gary. >> i sat on the floor and just watched this line of people. couples and parents and spouses and person after person after person. gold star families. for a lot of people in america, say what's that? that's when you have lost a service member. >> yeah. >> to watch those people respond to him because they know that, as a civilian, he is maybe the guy who gets it. >> yeah. >> wow. >> he has -- his book is, what, four weeks on the best seller

list. >> terrific book. >> "grateful american." >> coming out of the role he plays, then to make a commitment, and it is a decades long commitment to our service members, that he's just living every day with no one knowing it. >> right. >> no one watching. >> yeah. >> it is just incredible. >> so you see him walk around jacksonvil jacksonville, the naval air base there, and people just respond. he actually is the man. he's the man. he's the guy. you hear people talk the talk. this guy talks the talk and walks the walk. >> the book really is all about the incredible things he overcame in his life. >> not so easy. >> it's got a lot we didn't know about gary. >> for sure. >> thank you, harry. >> if we could take one page out of his book, do one thing. >> exactly right. >> for sure. straight ahead, new shoes for any and all occasions. we are revealing the winner -- >> today? >> yeah, you're here on the right day. >> today? >> what size shoe do you wear, harry? >> oh, my gosh. micha, it )s 8-26...

i )m ... the undocumented transient accused in a murder that shocked a south . good morning to you, it's 8:26. i'm laura garcia. the undocumented transient accused in a murder that shocked a south bay neighborhood is scheduled. police arrested eduardo, accused of stabbing bam by larson to death. he had stalked larson for some time before killing her. i.c.e. tried several times to deport him. in each case, local authorities did not cooperate. let's check that morning commute with mike. how is it looking? >> it's cooperating for the most part.

south bay, a couple of crashes sorted out to a typical thursday commute. one issue northbound 280 at john daily boulevard, around the benld. i don't know any other details. it is hidden in the chp reports. we have that adding to a little bit more slowing. the east bay shows a smoother drive. west highway 4 the trailer that may have come up the tractor that's pulling it. extra slowing from bay point to concord. approaching the bay bridge, slower for oakland, and walnut creek, 680 splits off there. the caldecott tunnel moving slowly, laura. >> thank you very much. another update in a half hour.

hi, everybody. good morning. it's 8:30 now. it is thursday, march 14th, 2019. as we say hello to a great crowd out on the plaza, happy to have so many folks here. lots of spring breakers out here getting a jump on spring, actually. we love saying hello to all of you. thank you for being here. it's nice and warm out here, al. >> yes, it is. >> feels good. >> just getting better. >> spring is here.

>> where's the class from fleming high school in colorado? where are you guys? this is the senior class. where are you, right here? who is the senior class? >> we are, us four. >> the four of you, in the whole high school? >> yeah. >> you're all here? >> yeah. >> this is your graduation. what are your names? >> emma. >> i'm jenna. >> brooke. >> garrett. >> welcome to new york. >> thank you. >> what are you doing? >> it is our senior class trip. >> this is it, huh? what do you have planned? >> a lot. >> we're trying to cram in everything. >> we went to the 9/11 museum. it was cool. >> ate good food. >> anybody has plans, college, life, work, getting a job? >> i'm going to unc for nursing. it is a college in colorado. >> awesome. who is the valedictorian? >> good question. >> all right. welcome. congratulations. >> thank you. >> there you have it. >> are you sisters in the front? are you related? >> no. >> okay. >> i love it. >> how many in your graduating

class? >> like 600. >> yeah. >> i was not distinguished. that's for sure. coming up, you are in luck if you are in the market for a new pair of kicks. we're about to reveal the top picks from "shape" magazine's annual sneaker awards. everything from the gym to fashionable choices you can wear to work. >> cool. we have the great michael simon here. we'll be doing some cooking. he's been on the show before but never cooked for us. >> wow. >> we'll learn secrets behind his chicken recipe. >> brining involved. top of the hour, literally, the biggest guest we've ever had on the third hour of "today." there he is. shaquille o'neal. >> the largest. >> we'll have a lot of fun with shaq, the basketball and business legend dropping by studio 1a. we has an important, new cause to talk about. >> you know what size sneaker he wears? >> 16, 17. >> nope. >> 18. >> nope. >> 20. >> 22. >> 22?

>> that's a thing. >> you put a motor on it, take it out on the lake, it's great. fantastic. feeling springy, al. >> let's see what we have around the rest of the country for our weekend outlook. mild with showers along the east coast. chilly down through the south and southern plains. sunny skies out west. on saturday, we're looking for some snow showers around the eastern great lakes. cool weather continues, texas all the way to the plains. dry and cold through the rockies. sunny along the west coast. sunday, sunday, cold weather returns to the northeast. mild in the south. nice and warm along the west coast. that's a scary picture. you were here 20 years ago? >> yes, i was. >> wow. you look better than i do. anyway it's going to be anot spring day around here. i know it's not officially spring but the temperatures are certainly feeling that way. clear skies this morning. your temperature trend into the afternoon, eventually will warm up from all those 30s and 40s

into upper 50s, low to mid-60s throughout the bay area, and our dry, nice weather stretch will continue into the weekend. in fact, look at st. patrick's day. 68 degrees. as we head in towards monday we're tracking 70s on the map, and yes, those are showers way up ahead into tuesday and wednesday, but expect a very pleasant day ahead. >> and that is your latest weather. mr. melvin? >> mr. roker, thank you, sir. now to a controversial, new documentary heading to netflix. the documentary explores the mysterious case of madeleine mccann, 12 years after her still unsolved disappearance. today, keir simmons has the story. good morning. >> reporter: hey, craig. good morning. this netflix documentary has a senior former police officer saying that he still believes we will discover what happened to madeleine mccann. you guys will not be able to watch this without thinking about your own children. i have my heart in my mouth, and i have reported on this story from the beginning.

what happened is every parent's worst nightmare. her name, madeleine, was heard around the world. a little girl, just 3 when she disappeared, vanishing from her family's vacation apartment. a horrifying prospect for any parent. then worse. her mom and dad themselves accused and questioned. >> what's happened to madeleine mccann? >> reporter: a new netflix documentary shining the light on the case, interviewing witnesses, former suspects, and law enforcement officials. the eight-part series re-creating the moments madeleine's mother, while che checking on her while with friends, finds a window open. a neighbor speaking out about the events she witnessed. >> i heard that terrible noise. it was like howling. i could hear kate howling.

it was an animal sound. it's horrible. it's so destroying. >> reporter: today, portuguese police were searching fields around the resorts. i covered the investigation in portugal from the day madeleine disappeared in may 2007. are you sure this is the man you saw? >> yes, sir. this is, as i remember, the man. >> reporter: this documentary pours over the evidence from potential witnesses, offering fresh insights more than ten years on. >> it was here that we saw the two men. >> reporter: someone seen carrying madeleine. >> it is easy to move children to other countries. >> reporter: it examines the media frenzy, the police under pressure. >> i really had deep concerns about the approach of the portuguese police. >> reporter: and talks to those who fell under suspicion. their reputations damaged, lives changed forever. >> we had nobody. >> reporter: one had his car set

alight. >> pretty much ruined ten years of my life. >> reporter: it charts the mccann's journey, from sympathy to villainry. the documentary facing criticism from madeleine's parents. we don't see how this could help the search for her, they say. it could hinder a police investigation. it raises new questions about the many mistakes made. >> the police leaked information to the press. >> reporter: and about how the media and the new questiphenome social media, fueled poisonous conspiracy theories. >> one, it is unfair to the parents. two, it goes against, you know, justice, proven until guilty. three, critically, it stops other people from looking. >> reporter: more than a decade later, madeleine is still missing. her case still a mystery. it really makes you think, this

documentary, about what happens when a case has so much attention. you know, we journalists like to think of ourselves as a force for good. we very often are. but in in case, a lot of misinformation was reported. on a positive note, guys, there is still hope for madeleine mccann. remember, duguard was found at 18 years. >> it's haunting. when we come back, we'll switch gears and reveal the winners of "shape" magazine's sneakers awards. first, this is " to

welcome back, everybody. we're back with the latest trend in footwear. if you haven't noticed, sneakers happen to be the new stilettos. >> good to know. from the gym to the runways of fashion week, they are the must-have item this spring.

"shape" magazine narrowed down the lengthy list of options to the latest and greatest styles. we have the lifestyle director, brooke. >> thanks for having me. >> rocking sneakers yourself. >> these are my favorites, which we'll get to in the segment. >> we have a meter, and you'll know us what the hottest ones are. craig will start, and i'll pick up halfway through. >> we're going to start here. when i think of a sneaker, this is what i think of. >> ultimate gym shoe. this is the nike free tr-8. it retails at $100. it is the ultimate gym shoe, great for cross-frtraining and lunges. it fits like a sock or glove. >> you make it look good, too. >> yes. >> what do we have here, looks like a skechers shoe. >> it is solomon, retails at $100. it is the amphib bold. this is the summer sneaker to have. you can go into the ocean. >> i like that. >> you can lace up and hit the road. from creek to ocean to road, this does it all. they dry really quickly.

>> are they comfortable? >> very. >> what's the sticker on that? >> $100 by salomon. >> yes. >> we'll start with girard. he is always fashionable. fashion meets function. >> we have the same sneaker by allbirds. it is machine washable. it has a wool, odor resistant in-sole. derived from eucalyptus, so it is eco-friendly. you're helping the planet. >> super comfy? >> i'm walking on a cloud. >> your moment in the sun, baby. >> walking on a cloud. >> thank you. people would love to wear a sneaker to work. that's what tiffany is doing. >> the hope is sneakers appropriate for work. this is a metallic by keds. it retails at $70. it is a dream sole, so you can walk in it all day and go out at

night. >> some think sneakers aren't right for work, but that's the cool, new thing. it's okay? >> i think it is the cool, new thing. i'm not everyone's boss so i can't make the decision. >> some may like the sneakers but not the metallic. >> it comes in a variety of colors. black, white, red, blue. they have it all at keds.com. >> how much? >> $70. >> how much are the allbirds again? >> $95. >> i have two pairs of the allbirds. they're great. >> apparently, this is the perfect shoe. the perfect sneaker. >> perfect shoe. who doesn't love a white sneaker that stands the test of time? from aldo, retails at $70. it has an embroidered upper, so this is a fresh take on the white sneaker. detail makes it fun. i love this for summer, spring, and even winter white, too. >> do they make a men's version? >> this is female only, as are the keds. >> brooke, you rocked it. >> thank you. >> brooke, thank you. the models, thank you, as well. thank you. walking on a cloud.

you can find more on the sneakers and the rest of "shape's" shoe winners at today.com/shop. up next. >> best segment of the day. >> we're eating, hoda kotb. we have renowned chef michael simon. first, this is "today" on nb >> greatc.

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welcome back. this morning on today food, celebrated chef michael simon, the author of, count them, five best-selling cookbooks with another on the way, is also chef and owner of award-winning restaurants, including the crown jewel of cleveland, lola's, as well as maybel's. chef, great to have you here. >> good to be here. >> big fan, brother. >> thank you. >> can we talk before getting into the cooking? >> yes. >> cleveland. the cleveland browns. >> we have obj. i don't know if anybody knows it. we got obj. >> you went from 30-1 to win the super bowl to 14-1. your team didn't win a game two

years ago. you're the hottest thing in the nfl. >> we were 400-1 to win the super bowl. >> lost lebron. >> we have baker. happy we got obj.i i'm a long-time suffering browns fan. >> you're also a granddad. >> emerson. december 8th, kyle and his wonderful wife welcomed emerson into the world. we could not be -- oh, there she is. cute as a button. that was the day she was born. three months now. she's, you know, talking in full sentences and running. she's going to be an olympic, i'm sure. >> good stuff. we have fried chicken today. ingredients look -- >> simple. chicken. i normally never brine food i'm roasting, but when i'm frying, i brine. we have ckoshur salt and brown sugar. you can do it from four hours to

the night before. dissolve that in the warm water, and i add it to cold water so we're at the right temperature. we don't want to put the chicken in hot water. then the other ingredients. thyme, rosemary, garlic. >> pretty easy. >> basic flavors. take your chicken. you know, i like the organic chicken, if you can. i'm a fan of when you're frying chicken, the bone should be in, and the skin should be on. >> right. you need those. >> that's where the goodness is. people go, i don't want skin on my fried chicken. it's fried chicken. you're already frying the chicken. >> good fried chicken. >> it is going in the saltwater. >> right, with the herbs. what happens when you brine it is then liquid goes in and out. all the flavors of the thyme, the rosemary, garlic, going into the chicken. >> after the brining, you pull it out. you want to dry it off? >> yeah. we let it dry a little bit. this is a two-step. this will be, i promise you, carson, the crunchiest fried

chicken. >> talk slower. i love it. >> you will hear this chicken in cleveland when you bite into it. in cleveland, you'll hear the chicken. >> come on. >> the way we do it, here, i have cornstarch and baking powder. i take the chicken after it has been brined. >> sorry. is baking powder -- it's not flour. >> no. no flour yet. this goes in here, and this stays on the chicken. >> no egg wash? >> no egg wash yet. >> okay. >> stays on a couple hours. this is going to form like a little skin around the chicken that will help the batter sit. >> this sits? >> for an hour to three hours. >> got it. >> now, flour, cornstarch, and a little baking powder again. >> cool. >> to this, i add water. here's the very secret, special, important ingredient, vodka. >> whoa. >> yes. >> i'm not crazy after all. >> not to get us goosed up. >> why vodka though? why? >> it helps the glutens not form completely, and it evaporates

quick. when we put the vodka in this batter, it makes the glutens not form, which makes the chicken incredibly crunchy. >> you're doing science over there. >> just call me alton brown. i am going crazy right now. >> that's it. this is next level. almost like a tempura. >> this is almost a korean styled fried chicken. >> heaven. >> it goes into the batter. we pull it out. 360 degree oil in until your chicken reaches 160 degrees. >> carson, you're going to die. >> unbelievable. >> is there a glaze or something on it? >> i hit it -- it comes out. it is sarah's in vegas. when it comes out, we hit it with the honey and fresh truffles. we're fancy there. this is just, i hit it with a little bit of the honey on top. >> mm-hmm. >> parmesan and chili flakes. >> really good. >> insane. >> you get this salt, a little

chili. >> it is not oily or overly salty. it is light and fresh. >> this is the healthiest fried chicken you've ever had. i actually lost 4 pounds. look at me. >> incredible. >> what do you pair it with? >> because, you know, my mother is -- everyone heard this story. my mother is sicilian and greek, making her an incredibly calm person, but it makes her a wonderful cook. so this is ripini and sicilian flour i grew up with. blanch it for 45 seconds. once it comes out of the water, i like to throw it in an ice bath to stop the cooking. now, when i have friends over, i'm ready to finish it at the end. i do this early in the day. i don't want to mess around when friends get there. >> this is the same thing, rapini? >> broccolini. they rename it every year to try to sell more of it. it is delicious. if you like broccoli, you'll

like it. >> after the bath, what do you do here? >> i have sliced garlic. >> the chicken is ridiculous. the meat itself. >> outrage. >> oh, my gosh. >> we put a little sliced garlic in the pan. we let that start to kind of brown. i put a pinch of salt in with the garlic because it pushes the bitterness back and pulls the sweetness out of the garlic. we add our rapini, broccolini. you like spice? >> i sure do. >> put it in. i ask first. butter, which i mother didn't did, but i'll do it. lemon zest. we toss it. >> comen o, w on, hoda. how does it taste? >> michael, awesome. >> hit it again with a little parm. >> chef, all the restaurants come and go. there's so many restaurants all over the country. celebrity chefs. you've been like a mainstay for so long. your restaurants are revered. what's the key? >> i have great partners. my wife, liz, who designs the restaurants, does the beverage program. my other partner, named a

restaurant after his mom. katie has been with me 13 years. corporate chef, 15. assistant, 22 yo 2 years. we were in cleveland 22 years ago. still there. >> finally got you on the show to cook. cooking again in the fourth hour. stick around. today.com/food. we're back in a moment. this is "today" on nbc. >> i honestly want m

want more stories you'll love? head to today.com/. >> all day! >> with meghan markle's due date approaching, we're looking at the role of pregnancy helpers. they're called d eed doulas. what do they do, and how much do they cost? plus, it is pie day. national chains have big deals in honor of the mathematical holiday.

today.com/all day. sheinelle sitting down in the third hour, getting a surprise dance lesson. >> plus shaq. >> to celebrate pi day, we'llgo. i )m - -... new legal fallout this morning .. tied to the fbi )s "varsity blues" investigation. good morning to you, it is 8:56. i'm laura garcia. new legal fallout tied to the fbi's varsity blues investigation. stanford university among the defendants named in what may be the first class action lawsuit filed here in northern california. the plaintiffs, two women who currently attend stanford, several school investigators linked to admissions cheating.

it names others as well. including the suspected master mind, william rick singer. the claim is being filed on behalf of anyone who believes they were impacted by the scandal. happening now, our bob redell is at stanford university this morning talking to students there, and educators. we'll have a live report at midday. you can link more right now on the top of our home page. menlo park's facebook page at the target of a criminal probe. it involves electronic manufacturers, head to our twitter feed for the full story there. a lot of buzz brewing this morning as well over betrourk throwing his hat in the ring. you can link to his full announcement. a local weather update for you in an hour. following the larges

admissions scandal in u-s history. plus- our consumer investigative team takes you behind-the-scenes. on we'll be keeping an eye on the largest college admission scandal? history. and some of the cases it's actively working to resolve. today in the bay.

on california live, it's prom season, and we've got the guy who can help you say yes to the prom dress. >> and what you need to know if the big one hits. it's all happening on california live this morning at 11:30 on nbc bay area.

>> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today," live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> that is not a pie. >> good morning, everybody. welcome. i'm al with sheinelle, craig, dylan. of course, it's thursday, so sweet willie geist. >> i got some sweet pie. >> thursday, march 14th, 3/14, pia pi day. >> 3.14, for those of you who may not get it. >> why did you assume they didn't get it. >> valedictorian, thank you. >> you don't know what pi is because i'm a meteorologist. >> i walked in on a family fight.