i said general, come here, give me a kiss. i felt like joe biden. but i meant it. see, i meant it. big difference. >> president trump takes swipes at former vice president joe den as "the new york times" reports two more women have come forward telling the "times" biden touched them in ways that made them uncomfortable. legal fireworks ahead today involving famous actresses and other parents involved in the college cheating scandal as they face the judge today. history is made in chicago, where the city just elected the first black woman and first op mayor. a white house whistleblower speaks exclusively to nbc washi

brought out boo birds. but who got the last laugh? "early today" starts right now. good wednesday morning. i'm phillip mena. >> good to be with you. i'm frances rivera. mounting allegations are turning things into a nightmare for joe biden with two new women coming forward in the "new york times." caitlyn caruso says he had she was 19 when the former vp rested his hand on her thigh and hugged her just a little bit too long at a sexual assault event in las vegas. the second woman r.j. hill says she was with her husband when the vp touched her inappropriately during a photo op. >> mr. biden's hand went from my shoulder and started to descend down my back. and it was one of those things is making me feel uncomfortable. >> so far four women have come forward publicly accusing the former vp of inappropriate touching. with lucy flores and

cla claiming the behavior was inappropriate but not ovely sexual. with some opinions of his own. >> our former vice president, he's -- i was going to call him. i don't know him well. i was going to say welcome to the world, joe. you having a good time, joe? >> joe biden has yet to address the latest accusations. he's previously said it was never his intention to act inappropriately. a dramatic scene is set to play out in a federal courtroom in boston. actresses lori loughlin and felicity huffman are among 13 parents caught up in that massive college admissions scandal. and they're about to face a judge. at least one parent, the ceo of a water company, has now requested to move his appearance to a later date, citing ongoing discussions with the government to resolve the matter without a trial. for more on what's ahead today here's nbc's miguel alma >> reporter: lori loughlin and felicity huffman will soon trade in the red carpet for the steps

of federal court charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud, both actresses seen this weekend out on bail. >> lori, do you regret the way you handled your kids' educations? >> i'm sorry, i can't talk to you. >> reporter: accused of paying top dollar to cheat their children's way into prestigious universities. loughlin and her fashion designer husband accused of shelling out more than half a million dollars in bribes so their daughters could attend usc. loughlin's future with "fuller house" unclear as one co-star speaks out. >> we stand by each other and pray for each other and we'll always be there for each other. >> reporter: the alleged mastermind behind the scandal rick singer, telling investigators he took massive payouts to guarantee admission into at least eight elite typ a fraud case if a defendant pleads early and waives their preliminary hearing they've got a shot at a probation-only sentence. a cheating scandal making its way to boston.

as many await the nextlywo twist. neither of the actresses has entered a plea. legal experts say many of the parents will try to work out a deal to avoid prison time. if they went to trial and were convicted, many of these parents could face years behind bars. frances? >> miguel almaguer for us, thanks. mar-a-lago is on high alert this morning after an alarming security breach. a chinese woman is facing charges after reportedly wandering into restricted areas at president trump's florida resort over the weekend and all while the president was agolfing on the property. the secret service addressed the breach in a statement overnight saying it is not determined who is invited or welcomed at mar-a-lago but that agents and officers conduct physical screenings which is what later led to the arrest. nbc's pete williams has more. a chinese : on saturday the woman walked up to a security checkpoint at president trump's mar-a-lago resort in florida and said she was there to go to the swimming pool. the secret service says she presented two chinesespyung zha.

mar-a-lago security said zhang was the name a club member and allowed her to enter the compound. but when a resort shuttle picked her up court documents say she didn't know where she wanted to go so she was taken to the reception area according to investigators she changed her story and said she was there for a u.n. chinese-american association meeting. but no such meeting was scheduled, and she was promptly arrested. the charging documents say she claimed a chinese friend named charles sent her there to speak way member of the president's family about american policy toward china. but the secret service says it could not find any record of that. and investigators want to know if it was a spy mission. she was carrying four cell phones, a laptop computer, an externalmalware. they also note that although she said she was there to go to the pool she was not c a swimsuit. while all this was happening president trump was playing golf at his separate course nearby. an making false statements and

entering a restricted area and is in jail pending further hearings. law enforcement officials say more charges may be filed. phillip? >> all right, pete, thank you. time's up for attorney general william barr. this morning the house judiciary committee is expected to authorize a subpoena for special counsel robert mueller's full report without redactions. committee chairman jerry nadler demanded the attorney general deliver the report no later than yesterday. nbc's tracie potts has the latest from d.c. >> reporter: we now know that did not happen. the attorney general had said it would not happen because he's working on those redactions, blocking out, removing some things from the report that cannot be seen publicly. grand jury information, information about ongoing investigations, classified information. but the house judiciary committee today expected to vote to give its chair the power subpoena that full report without any redactions. >> we'll use the subpoenas as

necessary to make sure we get the whole report and all the underlying documents. the special prosecutor said that he couldn't rule in or out, he couldn't exonerate the president of obstruction of justice. so barr took it upon himself to do that. but that's not the job of the attorney general. >> reporter: today's vote if it passes would give nadler the power to subpoena. it wouldn't say specifically when or if that subpoena happens. frances? >> all right, tracie, thank you. a rare reversal for president trump. after taking heat from his own party for trying to revive the fight over hasow backed down. at least for now. >> he says the gop's health care plan will now have to wait until after the 2020 election. nbc's hallie jackson has more. >> reporter: promise made. >> we are going to fix health care. >> reporter: promise punted as the president pushes off a plan to replace obamacare until after 2020. >> i wanted to delay it myself.

i want to put it after the election because we don't have the house. so when the planu' c see it. >> reporter: top aides promised something different just last week. >> the president will be putting forward plans this year that w . >> reporter: why the reversal? the president's under pressure to drop his renewed health care push from republican leaders like senator mitch mcconnell. >> i made it clear to him we were not going to be doing that in the senate. >> reporter: after all, republicans controlled both chambers of congress up until this year and still didn't have the votes to overhaul obamacare, ending the law without an immediate replacement would leave tens of millions of people without coverage. people like the patients angie settle sees at the free clinic she runs in west virginia. >> i'm not here to say that it's perfect, but we can't afford to repeal that part where, you know, they expanded medicaid. i know for this state it would be catastrophic. >> reporter: while some in the white house see health care as potentially politically advantageous for president trump come 2020, democrats point to their midterm wins in 2018 as proof it may not be.

frances, back to you. >> hallie jackson for us. hallie, thanks. a historic mayoral race in chicago now has a wifrn. windy city voters elected lori lightfoot as its first african-american female mayor in history. she'll also be the first openly gay person to lead the city. according to the associated press, lightfoot defeated toni preckwinkle in a runoff election with 74% of the vote. and n. her victory speech the 56-year-old former federal prosecutor promised to work for the interest of the people. >> together we can and will make chicago a place where your zip code doesn't determine your destiny. >> lightfoot will be sworn in on may 20th. a candlelight vigil was held in nmg university of south carolina student police believe was killed after she got into the wrong car thinking it was her uber. her father shared an emotional message. >> you don't want your -- to go

through this. we want something to change. and if it can change, and if we can force change, then great. that's what we want to do. >> changes are already coming. south carolina lawmakers are fast-tracking a bill that requires all rideshare services to have illuminated signs on their vehicles. uber also announced they will be partnering with usc for a nationwide check your ride awareness campaign, urging users to verify the driver and car before starting a trip. if bryce harper though the might get a hero's welcome in his first game back in d.c., he was in for a rude awakening. >> 3. bryce harper. [ boos ] >> they booed him. but it was actually harper and the phillies that got the last laugh in this one. check out that bomb. the star outfielder proving he's worth the team's $330 million investment. and then look, the big bat flip. so disrespectful. true harper theatrics there. he's stoking the flames of a

budding phil yuz-nationals rivalry. thefills take game one. >> let's check in with nbc meteorologist janessa webb to see what's in store for us. >> good morning, everyone. we have this coastal low we're watching here. not going to cause significant precipitation. but unfortunately, behind the cold front is very gusty weather. sustained winds. 15 to 20 miles per hour. but it continues to veer offshore. marine warnings throughout the afternoon. behind that front you're going to see gusts to 35 but today pr across southern texas with highs lucky with this it's just going to cause some storm system. gusty weather. so hold on to your hat this afternoon. >> all right. we'll do that. thank you, janessa. in honor of world autism awareness day across the globe

major landmarks including the white house were bathed in blue overnight. the day marks a celebration of people living with the disorder and the importance of speak out against discrimination. in new york the lights of the empire state building were lit up blue in solidarity. first lady melania trump also tweeted out this photo from inside the white house showing her support. straight ahead, a white house whistleblower speaks exclusively to nbc news about her concerns over top secret security clearances. we'll have that for you next. what patients don't realize is what they eat and drink is likely acidic and then what's happening is the weakening of enamel. now is the perfect time for a toothpaste like the new pronamel repair. this toothpaste takes it to the next level. so that we can actively help repair weakened enamel. i do think dentists are going to want to recommend the new pronamel repair toothpaste. it's such an easy answer and it will do exactly what their patients need. friends & family sale - the savings add up!... with an extra 20% off!

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nbc's peter alexander has the exclusive interview. >> reporter: the stunning charge comes from trisha newbold, an 18-year career white house security specialist who told congress 25 officials in the trump administration had their top secret security clearances granted by the white house even though she and her colleagues recommended they be denied. why is this issue so important you that felt the need to speak out? >> the protection of national security is not a democratic issue or a republican issue. it's an american issue. >> reporter: newbold, who's filed a discrimination complaint against her white house superior, told lawmakers about those officials' serious disqualifying issues includingt. her explosive allegations ll. >> you issue a press release, hand-pick, cherry-pick parts of her testimony. >> i willtect whistleblowers. period. >> reporter: nbc news first reported jared kushner was among those whose security denial was overruled. and according to the "new york times" the president personally

ordered it. but the president has denied it. legally he has the power to grant clearances to anyone he chooses. kushner on fox news dismissed newbold's concerns. >> i've been accused of all different types of things and all of those things have turned out to be false. >> reporter: newbold now fears losing her job. >> i'm always concerned. but it's important that we stand up to do the right thing no matter what. >> reporter: peter alexander, nbc news, the white house. just ahead, "game of thrones" mania is reaching new heights. plus, "avengers: endgame" is already setting some box office records. and a marvel maniac enough to watch 59 straight hours? 59 straight hours of superhero movies? how about that?

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♪ yes. that's the latest teaser for season 8 of lenz tl"game of thr" it looks like a battle in winterfell didn't end up going so well. with 11 days until the show's premiere the hype is reaching an all-time high. for mountain dew their can has no name. this cold-activated can is a tribute to aria stark and it reveals her kill list and her remaining targets. pretty cool. the lred two years ago. you're trying to binge watch the episodes online you may want to be careful. security company "game of thrones" is the number malware. they're disguised as downloadable episodes but they could turn your computer into white walkers. >> that's a risk a lot of people

are going to be willing to take, especially to watch those episodes to catch up. >> just get hbo. come on. for a month. tickets to marvel's upcoming "avengers: endgame" finally went on sale and nearly broke the internet. we're talking about for real. the demand was so high it crashed amc's website. some people who did get their hands on tickets are selling them on e bay. a single ticket for a first day imax screening is being offered for $500. and if that doesn't get you all hyped up, on april 23rd amc theaters is showing all of the marvel superhero movies in a 59-hour marathon all leading up to the release of "avengers: endgame." the 22-film marathon covers every movie in the marvel cinematic universe dating back to 2008's "iron man." tickets will cost you $125. i don't know how you're going to sleep, unless you want some marvel superhero dreams and you just stay in the theater. hale that.erhero stamina to that's a lot of marvel movies in a row there.

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and i like that. i guess i am pretty smart. don't let that go to your head, gary. what's in your wallet? good morning, everyone. exiting storm system across watching oursout n daytime highs, though, new york 65 today. >> we'llahead, what's in a name? a lot of money when it comes to the royals. you're watching "early today." (vo) the communal feast. potluck. this parade of dishes will soon be yours to scrub. and they're not even yours. dawn ultra can finish off this buffet. each drop has even more grease-cleaning power. so you can scrub 50% less and get done faster. next month, their place!

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2-year-old boy in minnesota. a high school robotic team put their skills to work to help get him moving. nbc's kevin tibbles has more. >> come say hi. >> reporter: meet 2-year-old cillian jackson, born with a genetic condition that makes getting around tough. >> yeah. >> yeah. >> reporter: so dad tyler shopped an idea to farmington, minnesota's high school robotics team. >> we're like you know what? that would be a very good idea. >> reporter: they took a power wheels toy and started tinkering. >> we added two motor controllers. we added this bredboard. >> styrofoam. >> reporter: they custom fit a bike carrier seat and even replaced andysck. >> everything was built in that 3-d printer over there. >> reporter: that controls cillian's -- >> we'll seeiving is today. >> reporter: -- new hot wheels. s now mobile.an't believe her >> hi. >> they've helped so much. i mean, this really helps him explore like he's never been able to before.

>> it was really cool being able to do such an amazing project. >> reporter: as for the prize-winning robotics club? >> i think we won here more than we do at our competitions. >> should we go again? >> reporter: they were at the controls when it comes to acts of kindness. kevin tibbles, nbc news. >> that's it. they're using their powers for good. >> yeah. police in arkansas responded to a very unique call, arresting two men for reportedly taking turns testing out a bulletproof vest on each other. authorities say the men shot at each other after a night of drinking while trying out the protective gear. the pair was arrested on suspicion of aggravated assault and issued a no contact order when they were released on bond. they're not allowed to hang out anymore. >> i don't blame them. an exciting update for royal baby watchers and fans. this week uk bookies lad broekz have announced a new name as the top contender ahead of the arrival of meghan markle and prince harry' first child. the duchess of sussex is

expected to give birth this month and the switch from diana to the new front-runner elizabeth is said to be related to queen elizabeth's birthday. either one i could see happening. or maybe elizabeth diana putting both of them. >> could be. they could switch it up it could be neither. sure to make a splash this morning, this. >> i think that part of it is everybody is dealing with something in their own way, shape or form, whether it's the business or life or stresses at work or trying to find personal time, all that type of stuff. like driving in chaos is something we try to do the best and we wanted to share that. >> warriors superstar steph curry sitting down with our own craig melvin on the "today" show talking about family, faith, and of course basketball. full interview coming up later today. one of the g nothreing says spring like fresh flowers, so let's promote our spring travel deal on choicehotels.com like this: (sneezes) earn one free night when you stay just twice this spring. allergies. or.. badda book. badda boom.

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especially gate bridge on this wednesday morning. not a lot of traffic. at least it's clear. the lens as well. the rain washed away. thanks for joining us. i'm laura garcia. >> i'm marcus washington. >> kari is back. >> it starts out with spotty showers. a mostly clean sweep on storm ranger. we're watching not only one but two storm systems. it brings us shors system will be here on friday. that could bring us heavier rain.