>> sun is out. making way for a great day. hope it's a great weekend for you as well. that's what's happening in "today in the bay". a live log news update at 7:25. have a great friday. thanks for starting your morning right here with us. good morning. breaking overnight, taking revenge? a stunning report claiming the trump administration wanted to release migrants into democratic strong holds, including the congressional district of house speaker nancy pelosi. we'll have the latest on a live report. gearing up for a fight? wikileaks founder julian assange vowing to fight extradition to the u.s. will he ever see the inside of an american courtroom? ready to run. democratic presidential hopeful keith buttiegieg surging in the polls as he gets set to make it official. >> we're going to be making some big news this sunday. [ cheers and applause ] >> why the mayor of a midwest town could shake up the race for the white house.

those stories, plus saying good-bye. family, friends and stars come together to celebrate the life of nipsey hussle. ♪ love you, nipsey >> the latest rocket launch. and game on. millions around the globe set for the long awaited return of "game of thrones" this weekend as winter is coming for the last time. today, friday, april 12, 2019. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with savannah guthrie and hoda kotb live from studio 1 a in rockefeller plaza. >> hi, everybody. welcome to "today." nice to have you with us on a friday morning. hoda is off. craig is here and made a request we play the "game of thrones" music for the entire show. >> do you hear that? >> you got excited. >> we talked about what makes

the show special besides the n cinematography. >> i'm hoping to binge watch. let's get to the top story. the white house reportedly pushing a plan that would have released migrants detained at the border to sanctuary cities. the to have was said to be retribution against the president's adversaries. hallie jackson is on the story this morning. halle, good morning. >> reporter: hi, savannah, good morning. a white house official said this was meant to be revenge against political rivals. they say it is outrageous. this proposal has since been dropped. this morning a stunning new proposal in the ongoing immigration battle. the "washington post" reporting the trump administration officials sought to bus detained immigrants to so-called

sanctuary cities as a way to retaliate against the president's adversaries. the post which first reported the news said lawyers for i.c.e. rejected the idea as inappropriate. the newspaper said it emailed messages in interviews. it said in a statement overnight, this was a suggestion that was float and had rejected which ended any further discussion. according to the post, the white house proposed the measure at least twice in the past six months. once back in november in an email from a top white house policy advisor at a time when the president was furiously condemning migrant caravans from central america approaching the u.s. southern border. >> we're sending a clear message to the caravans and to the trespassers. turn around. go back home. >> reporter: and again in february during a standoff with democrats over funding for president trump's border wall. house speaker nancy pelosi's district in san francisco was one of those areas the white house considered targeting, the post says. a spokeswoman for pelosi

denouncing the administration for its cynicism and cruelty over the plan. president trump, who has made immigration a central aspect of his administration, has often railed against liberal sanctuary city policies which tend to protect undocumented immigrants from deportation or prosecution. >> these outrageous sanctuary cities are grave threats to public safety and national security. >> reporter: a white house official tells nbc news the idea the administration wanted to retaliate politically is absolutely ridiculous and the white house never pressured i.c.e. on the proposal, but simply asked if it would be possible. >> so, halle, as you mentioned, the white house said it was not about revenge. what was the thinking behind doing this? >> reporter: i'm told by an official the idea was to relieve the burden on communities at the border. that is being taken very differently by democrats, for example, speaker pelosi, who had that fiery statement released via a spokesperson. the post is also reporting that immigration hard liner stephen miller, a white house official, one of the president's top

advisors on this topic, was a big part of the push behind this plan. i'm sure we'll be hearing much more about it from congress, lawmakers as the day goes on. savannah? >> halle, thank you. >> now to julian assange over his dramatic arrest. the wikileaks founder now behind bars awaiting extradition to the united states. kelley, good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you. the first time in seven years, julian assange is waking up in british custody. his lawyers telling us that this massive prison complex here in london will be his home for the foreseeable future as he battles extradition to the u.s. this morning, julian assange is gearing up for a fight, waiting to find out if he'll be sent to the u.s. to face charges. on thursday, the handcuffed assange giving a thumbs up and winking at cameras as he entered a london courtroom.

dee spie despite a not guilty plea, a judge convicted him of skipping bail, a nar cyst who cannot get past his own selfish interests. shouting and struggling as he was dragged out of the ecuadorian embassy where he had hold up seven years after that country revoked his asylum. accusing assange of discourteous and aggressive behavior, the move clearing the way for a u.s. extradition request. the justice department unsealing an indictment thursday accusing assange of conspiracy with former army intelligence analyst chelsea manning to hack into a pentagon computer. a advantage's lawyers are vowing to fight. >> it is unacceptable that a publisher be extradited to face prosecution in the united states for publishing truthful information and no democratic government should be seeking to prosecute a publisher for that nor should any government extradite a publisher for doing that. >> reporter: wikileaks released

classified documents on the wars in iraq and afghanistan embarrassing the u.s. government. the group behind the release of emails hacked from the democratic national committee in 2016. >> the bottom line is he has to answer for what he has done, at least as it's been charged. >> reporter: then candidate trump praised wikileaks on the campaign trail. >> wikileaks, i love wikileaks. >> reporter: but now the president saying? >> i know nothing about wikileaks. it's not my thing. >> reporter: assange's supporters say he's a journalist and whistleblower, calling his arrest an attack on free speech. >> so, kell ill, if he does actually at some point end up here in the u.s. courtroom, what could he be charged with and what sort of time could he be facing? >> reporter: right now, craig, he's charged with one count. a basic computer hacking charge.

not for publishing documents. it carries a maximum sentence of five years. but assange's lawyers believe the u.s. is planning to file more charges, that he could face much harsher charges than that and much more prison time. we'll find out in the coming weeks, months perhaps. the extradition case itself, the first hearing in that extradition case is set for a couple weeks from now, may 2nd. assange will appear via video link from prison. craig? >> kelly kobe a a for us, thank you. >> now a slew of charges, 36 facing high profile attorney michael avenatti, accused of embezzling from his own clients. miguel almaguer has the details. good morning. >> reporter: avenatti became a star and briefly weighing a presidential bid is in serious trouble. while avenatti denies all the charges. if convicted, he could face life

in prison. a's lawyer usually on the attack, this morning michael avenatti is on the defensive. in a new 36-count indictment, the high-profile attorney is accused of fraud, perjury, embezzlement and failure to pay taxes. prosecutors allege avenatti stole some $9 million from his clients, then used the cash to support his lavish life-style, including the purchase of this private jet now seized by the feds. >> it's all disturbing. >> reporter: in one case, prosecutors say avenatti, won a $4 million settlement for a para pleej i can client then funneled the cash to prop up his race team and coffee business using shell businesses, he was running a ponzi like scheme. >> taking money from one client to payoff expenses in other matters, taking money that should have been paid over to the irs. they are all connected. >> reporter: maintaining a

celebrity life-style, prosecutors allege avenatti was hurting for cash when he swindled $2.3 million in taxes his coffee house employees paid and he failed to give to the irs. for years, the feds say he never paid his own taxes. avenatti often criticized the president for not releasing his tax returns. >> where are donald trump's tax returns? >> we allege mr. avenatti was doing essentially in many cases, stealing from peter to pay paul. >> reporter: calling himself a crusader for justice -- >> americans deserve to know the truth. >> reporter: avenatti referred nbc news to his tweet the proclaiming his innocence. i intend to fully fight all charge ands plead not guilty. this high profile attorney in the spotlight again, but now in a battle to save himself. if convicted here in los angeles, avenatti could be sentenced up to a maximum of 335 years in prison, so essentially he could be looking at a life

sentence. this new laundry list of charges is incredibly damaging. craig and savannah, back to you guys. >> miguel almaguer in los angeles, thank you. >> also this morning we are learning more about a stunning arrest in a string of church fires in louisiana. new details are emerging about the suspect who is the son of a local sheriff's deputy. how he was tracked down and how music may have motivated him. nbc's gabe arggutierrez has bee following this one. good morning. >> reporter: craig, good morning. they recently opened the scene back up and the pastor showed us what was left. this church has stood for more than 100 years. now look at these damaged pews and damaged pulpit. investigators say it was a gas can left behind at one of the crime scenes that led them to their suspect. this morning 21-year-old holden mathews is charged request burning three historically black churches in louisiana burned in ten days.

>> it is especially painful because it reminds us of a very dark past of intimidation and fear. >> reporter: investigators have not determined a motive, but are now looking into hate or racial bias and analyzing his social media posts. >> information investigators have uncovered is that matthew had offered through suggestions and connections a relationship with a type of music called black metal. and its association and history with church burnings. >> reporter: atf investigators found a gas can at one of the crime scenes and matched it to similar cans sold at a nearby walmart. then they tracked down surveillance video showing a suspect buying a gas can, towels and lighter hours before the first fire. other surveillance video shows a pickup truck belonging to the suspect's father near the churches. that father is roy mathews, a local sheriff's deputy. >> shocked and hurt as any father would be. he knew nothing, he knew nothing

about his son's activity. >> the deputy actually helped lure his own son away from his home so authorities could safely arrest him. >> still alive. >> reporter: the pastor still preaches at mount baptist. he's thankful for the arrest. >> it's heart breaking. i have to forgive him because how can i ask god to forgive me and i'm not willing to forgive somebody else? >> reporter: court documents allege that cell phone tower data showed matthew in the area of the three fires. investigators say he had no prior criminal history. craig and savannah? >> all right, gabe for us in louisiana. gabe, thank you. >> now to the final farewell for rapper nipsey hussle. >> what a farewell it was. nearly two weeks after the rapper's murder, fellow friends, family and stars gather to say good-bye, honoring his life and work to end violence in a city

he so loved. a moving farewell to a beloved local hero. crowds lining the streets of south los angeles thursday as a hearst carrying nipsey hussle's casket driving through the neighborhood where he was born and reared. at a packed staples center, the same arena where michael jackson was honored following his death a decade ago. >> my is for my 2-year-old. >> reporter: his long-time girlfriend lauren london sharing her emotions. >> i feel you everywhere. i am so grateful that i had you. i love you beyond this earth. and until we meet again, the marathon continues. >> he had nothing but love for every gang member from southern california. i don't care what neighborhood you was from. >> reporter: music stars from snoop dogg to stevie wonder paying tribute. ♪ love you nipsey >> reporter: along with his

older parents, an older brother. >> i try to do as much as i could, lead a good example, and make sure that he was good. ♪ >> reporter: the grammy nominated rapper whose name was ermias asghedom was gunned down march 31st. the suspected killer whom police say had a personal dispute now in custody. the killing set off a wave of mourning throughout los angeles and beyond. rapper and record label owner masterpiece says hussle showed a new generation how to succeed in business while staying connected to the community. >> it's about to be beyond what he even imagined. he is touching people and changing lives and giving people hope. >> reporter: a final celebration for a young artist who inspired so many. later this morning the city council there in los angeles is going to honor hussle officially naming perhaps, if the motion

passes, renaming an intersection after him. an intersection that he talked about and rapped about. you know, it was interesting to watch the service yesterday. so many people remembering his music. so many more people remembering what he meant to the community. >> so many people came back. everyone says he loved the community. guess what? the community loved him. it's that time of the morning. we want to check in with al, see what's happening in the weather. good morning. >> good morning, guys. thank you for getting your first weather from us. blizzard conditions going on in minnesota, parts of the upper midwest there. you can see hard to see, a lot of visibility problems. on the radar you see that snow hanging around the dakotas and minnesota. we are concerned, more severe weather starting to develop. right now a risk of severe weather back through central texas, hail, damaging winds, tornado risk low. then we move into tomorrow and things ramp up. we are looking for a widespread risk of strong tornados, damaging winds, and hail. and on sunday it's 23 million for saturday. on sunday, 45 million people at

risk. now, this is palm sunday. we are not really, you have seen palm sunday outbreaks before, 1920, 1965, '94. a lot of folks in church. the good news is churches are the sturdier buildings. you should designate a weather watcher, somebody to keep an eye on an app like the red cross tornado app from cincinnati, roanoke through atlanta and into the panhandle of florida. this system is coming up out of texas. as it pushes east we will watch it develop, bringing a flood threat in the south. stronger storms from st. louis saturday, cincinnati on sunday. into the east on sunday. we have wet snow from missouri to michigan. heavy rain especially down through the lower mississippi river valley, and in fact for the areas especially the lower mississippi and missouri where there is still river flooding, this could be a major problem. we will be watching this all weekend long. we will get to your local forecast coming up in the next 30 seconds.

good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. nice clear sunshine starting out the day. a live look outside in san francisco with temperatures heading up to 67. we'll reach 73 in napa. inland areas will be very comfortable. breezy winds this afternoon. going into the weekend our temperatures continue to warm up. we'll peak out in the mid-70s saturday. slightly cooler, a stronger ocean please. a slight chance of rain in the

forecast early next week. 1975, johnny carson called. he wants your jacket back. >> i know. you know what? it's crazy. he borrowed it from you. >> ooh! >> i want that jacket. very nice. >> it's kind of awesome. >> it's roker-esque, i would say. coming up, the 37-year-old small town mayor already shaking up the democratic presidential race. guess what? he hasn't even announced plans to run yet. also this morning, a stunning admission from amazon about those alexa devices and who else is listening in on your conversations. first, this is "today" on nbc.

just ahead, what did a year in space do to astronaut scott kelley's body? then, we get you ready for the return and final season you could take the treatment of your ulcerative colitis

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morning. it warms up quickly. it will reach into the upper 60s by early afternoon. 71 in oakland. 70 degrees. 73 in napa. we're looking at even warmer temperatures tomorrow. by sunday, much more of a brisk ocean breeze brings down our temperatures to a comfortable 70 degrees. watch out for a chance of rain monday. a quick warm up going through the middle of next week. overall, a really nice week forecast. a lot of people ready to head out the door. >> some people headed out of the area the last couple of weeks. a lighter friday. this is a problem 880, the exits towards the mall there. earlier crash did indicate that. a shot of palo alto. i'm looking at the traffic coming toward us. a crash at willow. we'll still track that where 280 is clear.

west 92, no real problem. wind advisory is on the sign, but i haven't seen an issue. >> thank you, mike and kari.

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this is beyond wifi. this is xfi. simple. easy. awesome. xfinity. the future of awesome. back now. 7:30 on a friday morning with auburn university gymnast samantha secerio. the video so gruesome we're not even showing it to you. >> we have been telling her story. it's incredible. so many people rooting for that young lady, praising her ku courage. monday on "today" we are very excited. she will join us for an exclusive live interview. 7 thirds. a check of the headlines. a stunning report in the ongoing battle over immigration. "the washington post" reporting that trump administration

officials sought to bust detained immigrants to so-called sanctuary cities and the allegation is that was a way to retaliate against the president's political adversaries. the post said lawyers for i.c.e. rejected the idea as illegal and inappropriate. dhs confirmed the broad outlines of the report to nbc news thursday night saying this was a suggestion that was floated and rejected which ended any further discussion. new developments in the justin fairfax the duke and duchess jace. one week after smollett refused to reimburse the city for $130,000 in police overtime costs. that's the amount authorities say they spent to investigate smollett's claim he was beaten in an anti-racist attack in january. police say the actor staged that attack. he was indicted but prosecutors dropped all charges in march. smollett maintains his innocence. spacex launched the most

pawel rocket on thursday in the world. for the first time successfully landed all three rocket boosters back on earth. >> three, two, one, ignition, liftoff. >> this was the second flight for the falcon heavy. the massive booster carried into orbit a 13,000 pound saudi telecommunication satellite. it severuccessfully landed two the first stage booster rockets at cape canaveral. it touched down on the company's drone ship in the atlantic ocean. >> wow. >> incredible, right? now to the surging moment for democratic presidential hopeful pete buttigieg leading up to the official campaign announcement this weekend. nbc white house correspondent peter alexander has the details on this one. peter, good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you. pete buttigieg is expected to formally kick off his long shot 2020 campaign this sunday. if successful, he will make

histor history certainly as the first openly gay president, the first mayor to move into the white house and america's youngest ever commander in chief. with a weekend announcement expected to make his presidential bid official, pete buttigieg has already vaulted into the category of contender. >> we will be making big news this sunday. >> reporter: a pair of new polls show buttigieg trailing only joe biden and bernie sanders in iowa and new hampshire. not bad for the 37-year-old mayor of south bend, indiana, who jokes about his hard to pronounce last name. >> say that three times fast, it comes out buttigieg. >> reporter: instead billing himself as mayor pete. >> i would stack up my experience against anybody. i know it's not as traditional. i haven't been marinating in washington for a very long time. >> reporter: he boasts an impressive resume as a harvard grad, rhodes scholar and afghanistan war vet who speaks seven languages and taught himself norweigian to read a book. >> there is an appetite for something new. >> reporter: his potential

weaknesses, his youth, limited governing experience and he has never won statewide office or even come close. still, buttigieg made headlines this week with poignant personal comments about his sexuality. >> when i was younger i would have done anything to not be gay. if you had offered me a pill to make me straight, i would have swallowed it before you had time to give me a sip of water. thank god there was no pill. >> reporter: taking on the vice president. the former governor of his home state who opposes same-sex marriage. >> i wish the miles per hourske the world understand if you have a problem is not with me. your quarterly, sir, is with i didn't creator. >> reporter: pence suggesting the criticism was designed to elevate his profile in a crowded democratic field. >> he said some things that are critical of my christian faith and about me personally, and he knows better. >> reporter: buttigieg reacting in a new interview airing today

wi with ellen degeneres. >> i'm critical of bad policies. i'm not interested in feuding with the vice president, but if he wanted to clear this up he could come out today and say he has changed his mind, that it shouldn't be legal to discriminate against anybody in this country for who they are. >> reporter: hours earlier the vice president defended his position on same-sex marriage saying he and his family have a view of marriage that is infield by their faith. but he said that doesn't mean that they are critical of anyone else who has a different point of view. >> so, peter, the democratic field only growing now. what are voters telling you about why this mayor of south bend, indiana, is all of a sudden surging? and can he maintain that momentum? >> reporter: it's a good question. certainly it feels like a buttigieg boom, as some have described it. when you speak to democratic voters in the key early states there is this hunger for fresh, young political faces. it's the same energy that boasted beto o'rourke and kamala

harris. that desire for something new. remember, buttigieg, if he wins, would also be the first millennial president. it would bring the number of 2020 democrats to at least 15. there were 17 republican candidates back in 2016. of course, the democratic field, as you know, likely to grow. the former vice president joe biden among others still unannounced. >> peter alexander. thanks. time to get a check of the weather from al. >> announcer: today's weather is brought to you by non-drowsy 24-hour claritin. live claritin clear. >> and we're taking a look at the sneezing season. tree pollen getting together. high tree pollen from central california all the way across to northern georgia and even along the carolina coastline, and the grass pollen now starting to grow as well. much of texas and through the gulf we are looking at some high pollen numbers. temperatures, well, there is a chill out west. along the east we have got some

warmer conditions. d.c. today 73. detroit 71. jacksonville 85. rapid city 22 degrees cooler than your average at 33. 51 kansas city. that's 13 degrees cooler than average. look at this. that chill spreads to texas on saturday, but boston you are going to be gorgeous, 73 degrees. columbus 84. that's 8 degrees above average. by sunday that warm weather starts to shrink and the cooler air starts to grow with chicago ble 40 degrees. memphis 66. dallas 11 degrees cooler than i'm meteorologist kari hall. it's friday. a lot of events going on around the bay area, including the sharks game tonight. we'll have great weather for that. temperatures reaching into the low 70s in san francisco for the giants game. 67 degrees. it napa, beautiful highs reaching 73. as we go into the weekend, slightly warmer tomorrow. by sunday, a little bit cooler.

still very comfortable. watching out for a slight chance of rain in the forecast monday with highs in the mid-60s. temperatures rebound by the end of the week. >> and that's your latest weather. >> thank you. coming up, oh brother. the results from nasa's twin study revealing how space really does change the human body. also, jon snow himself. kit harington sharing what "game of thrones," what it means to him ahead of the final season's premier. and then mother nature's version of "game of thrones." a firsthand look at how animals in the wild battle for survival. first, alexa, what is eavesdropping? the stunning admission from amazon on just who is listening to your conversations with that feel the clarity of non-drowsy claritin and relief from symptoms caused by over 200 indoor and outdoor allergens. like those from buddy. because stuffed animals are clearly no substitute for real ones. feel the clarity. and live claritin clear.

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talking for sure. or maybe not talking. turns out millions of people who use alexa in their homes every day might be being eavesdropped on by amazon employees. they say, yes, when you talk to the digital assistant humans could be listening. >> good morning. yeah, privacy has been a large concern for users of alexa digital assistant since the device was launched. amazon admits not only is alexa listening, but some employees are listening as well. sfloon awe all know that alexa listens to us. did you know amazon employees sometimes listen in as well? amazon confirms that thousands of employees around the world listen to voice recordings captured by that echo speaker. questions, family discussions, financial matters, even intimate moments. >> i'm still trying to figure

out human love. >> reporter: according to amazon, this information helps us train our speech recognition and natural language understanding systems, so alexa can better understand your requests and ensure the service works well for everyone. alexa, do you know everything? >> no, but i'm always learning. >> reporter: engineered to always be listening, alexa and the echo have been a lightning rod for privacy concerns. >> it only activates when you say it's name, alexa. prettier name. the privacy destroyer spy mic 5,000. >> reporter: in maryland, steve unplugged his echo for good. >> it was really creepy. the idea that somebody could be listening to you all the time. >> reporter: in response to a detailed new report on the issue by bloomberg, an amazon spokesperson says the company reviews an extremely small number of randomly selected recordings saying, in part, employees do not have direct access to information that could

identify the person or account. they add that the device does not record or send any audio or data to the cloud unless you specifically wake it up by speaking your chosen wake word. alexa, amazon, computer, oreck owe. in an interview, amazon's vice president in charge of alexa told us the device is not meant to be invasive. >> privacy and security are first and foremost super important to us. we take it very seriously. we design it into our products from the beginning. >> reporter: if you are still not satisfied, in alexa's privacy settings amazon gives users the option of disabling the use of their voice recordings for the development of new features. okay. so how do you change the setting for voice recordings? you open up the alexa app on your phone, tap on menu and in here go to alexa account. click on the bottom here, alexa privacy, and then scroll down to

manage how your data improves alexa. then you just click these two things off. that's help develop new features and also to use messages to improve tra impro improve transcriptions. >> that should be the default setting. the devices should come like that. if you choose to opt in, then -- >> you could never do that. google had a thing where their net security devices, turns out there was a microphone that they didn't disclose to people. now all of a sudden they are doing it. people say, why does my nest security camera need a microphone? >> if anyone is listening to my conversations at home, they are falling asleep from boredom. >> my wife's name is siri, so siri hears everything. >> good point. >> so many people probably annoyed with us because their alexas have been going off. hear that music? alexa, play "game of thrones." >> natalie explores the "game of

thrones" phenomena ahead of the highly anticipated return of the show this weekend. ♪

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for the premier. hey, nat. >> if you are just starting to watch, guys, you have a lot to catch up on. winter is finally come for fans of "game of thrones" after a year and a half of waiting. the final six episodes of the cultural phenomenon are almost here. there are some pressing questions that need to be answer. who will win the throne? does jon snow truly know nothing? wi will the white walkers take over. fans around the world just can't get enough. drama and dragons. after nearly a decade the battle for the iron throne will soon be decided. >> when you play the "game of thrones," you win. >> the struggle between the lannisters, starks, targaryens and the white walkers has been watched by 30 million people in 207 countries. with 47 emmys, it's created an almost rabid following. >> how excited can a human being be?

>> reporter: it's a mix of character-driven drama and carefully layered fantasy. its return has created a frenzy. a royal showdown at the tower of london, an iron throne outside rockefeller plaza, and dragons taking over the bellagio fountains in las vegas. social media is abuzz. not much longer, #gameofthrones. it's also a marketing juggernaut with tie-ins to food, soft drinks, athletic wear, even alcohol. in a show where good guys don't always come out on top, where women suffer yet persevere, and where dragons, smoke monsters, the undead, soothsayers and queens are reality. the show has made the unthinkable a habit. willie geist spoke with kit harington, who plays jon snow. >> what's it like to be sitting here at the end of this decade

of your life as season 8 is about to be launched and the series will end in a matter of weeks? what are you feeling right now? >> thrones has been my life. it's given me friends for life. a character i love. i will love more than any other character i'll ever play. >> reporter: when it's all said and done, the morally complex, often painfully emotional journey will have taken us through 73 singular chap turs. for many it's appointment viewing, theatrical brilliance bridging the gap between tv and movies. >> this isn't about living in harmony. it's just about living. >> reporter: living and the throne. well, guys, the final season of the series has a reported budget of about 15 million per episode. that's up from 10 million in the past six episodes. so start watching on sunday.

if you are watchicatching up li i have a lot of homework to do over the weekend. >> you can do it. that was great, by the wanchts why is it ending? >> they ran out of books. >> actually, these last six -- by the way, willie's conversation, more of that building a better bank starts with looking at something old, and saying, "really?" so capital one is building something completely new. capital one cafes. inviting places with people here to help you, not sell you. and savings and checking accounts with no fees or minimums. because that's how it should be. you can open one from right here or anywhere in 5 minutes. seriously, 5 minutes... this is banking reimagined. what's in your wallet?

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good friday morning. right now it's 7:56. nice sunshine. a cool start in dublin. already busy before you head out the door. that's a look at the drive. our temperatures in the low 70s. high temperatures feeling very nice. still a breezy wind all across the bay area. the north bay in napa reaching 73 degrees. our seven-day forecast shows we'll be in the mid-70s tomorrow. but then slightly cooler on sunday. still very nice. for early next week, we may be tracking a new round of rain. as of right now, a very slight chance. cool temperatures but warming up quickly throughout the workweek. an update from the commute from mike. >> overall, noticing a typical pattern but lighter than normal volume. even for a friday. this slower spot should recover

soon. debris 237 shy of swrapbg zanker road. recovery 880 past whipple, earlier crash. berkeley curve, westbound 880 jams with traffic. same with the san rafael richmond bridge past the racetrack. >> i'm marcus washington. happening now, leading bay area lawmakers responding to reports. the trump administration twice tried to get i.c.e. on board but i.c.e. refused, calling it illegal. a link on our home page. amazing story of recovery for one oakland boy many believe would die after he accidentally shot himself in the head. this was two weeks ago. he is now out of intensive care. on our home page, the full story including the remarkable new video posted by family members. of course we'll have more local

news in the next 30 minutes. we're always on nbcbayarea.com. c updates and your complete forecast so you are re kickoff a brand-new workweek with us. >> get up to the minute traffic updates and your complete forecast and take on the day. >> plus, the latest headlines from the bay area to capitol hill. join us monday morning tore "today in the bay", 4:30 to 7:00. today on "california live," we're at coachella with rachel zoe. >> lawrence in the middle of a wacky workout. all happening on "california live" at 11:30 on nbc bay area.

coming up, breaking overnight, new reports claiming the white house pressured immigration officials to release detained migrants into sanctuary cities. was that retaliation against the president's political opponents? this morning how the white house is responding. plus, behind bars. wikileaks founder julian assange waking up in jail this morning after a dramatic arrest in london. assange waiting to see if he'll be extradited to the u.s. and vowing to fight. live with the latest. and the rapping cop. a baltimore police officer using his musical talents to change

the way his community views law enforcement. >> all day i'm pretty much in here, and then i'm here. >> how he is making a difference one lyric at a time. today friday, april 12, 2019. ♪ >> we traveled 22 hours and slept two hours to be on "today"! >> part of our 97-year-old great grandma mo. >> celebrating from oklahoma! woo! ♪ >> hi to our mom and dad in roseville, california. >> i'm here at the waterspout with my itsy-bitsy spider. >> to my parents in florida, happy 50th anniversary. woo! >> we recognize that one. >> yes, we do to. alan and connie, 50 years of marriage. we send all of our love and congratulations. >> yes. happy anniversary. >> we know how fruitful that union has been.

good morning. welcome back to "today." it's friday morning. hoda has the morning off. we have craig here. >> always good to be here a little early. by the way, my "today" plaza, the hashtag at the bottom of your screen will, you can always send a video. we will put it on television, twitter, instagram, post it there, we'll catch it. >> we'll find it, put you on tv. the news at 8:00. lots to get to. a bombshell report that the white house considered using detained immigrants to punish president trump's political rivals. nbc's chief white house correspondent hallie jackson. good morning. >> reporter: hey, good morning to you. a lot of developments on this one. nbc news has confirmed trump administration officials did look into this proposal to bust detained immigrants to so-called sanctuary cities. this was first reported by "the washington post" which describes the move as a way to push back against the president's adversaries. a white house official is pushing back this morning on that idea, telling me this was not meant to be retaliation, that that idea is absolutely ridiculous, and notes the controversial plan has since

been dropped. the post says lawyers for i.c.e. rejected this as inappropriate, citing email messages and interviews with the department of homeland security. in a statement to nbc news overnight a dhs spokesperson said this was a suggestion that was floated and rejected, which ended any further discussion. savannah, back to you. >> thank you. this morning lawyers for wikileaks founder julian assange are vowing to fight his extradition to the united states to face computer hacking charges. assange was convicted thursday in london of skipping bail while the subject of a rape investigation in sweden. hours earlier this was the scene at the ecuadorian embassy in london where he was dragged out. he had taken refuge there for seven years. the united states accuses assange of conspiring with former chelsea manning to hack into a pentagon compute sneer southwest airlines has decided to keep its fleet of boeing 737 max 8 jetliners for two months

beyond the original june deadline. they will suspend service until at least august 5th. southwest has 34 of the planes, more than any other airline, and it says passengers who have already booked flights will be contacted about changes. southwest has canceled thousands of flights since max planes were grounded bit faa following those two crashes overseas. boeing has been working on a software fix. police have released dramatic video of a train slamming into an suv in downtown orlando this week. the suv appears to go under the arms of the crossing gate and stalls on the tracks. after a few moments it moves forward just as a train comes through. that driver was seriously injured. nobody on the train was hurt. officials say this was the third accident at that intersection since december. police tweeted the video as a reminder to be cautious and patient at railroad crossings. hoda has the morning off, but the boost goes on. a firefighter who helped res u a

puppy trapped under a pile of rocks has rescued it again. here's how it started. >> he's coming out! ooh! come on, buddy. >> paul bryant and his son heard the dog barking when they were out for a bike ride. after they pulled the dog free they took it to the charleston animal society. it was put up for adoption. guess what? this week it was reunited with captain bryant for good. he said this puppy was meant to be his. how cute is that? i think he likes it. yeah the little puppy's name is rocky. >> of course. ahead on "popstart." kim kardashian is revealing answers to 73 questions from vogue and her surprising hidden talent. first, though, the hip hop cop. we can't wait to introduce you to baltimore's finest rapper. his inspiring story right after this. [zara larsson - "wow"] ♪ ♪ baby i'm not even in a gown

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>> reporter: baltimore police officer joshua jackson is a force on the beat and in the booth. ♪ >> reporter: jackson is better known as saint, the rapping cop. >> freshman year of high school i started rapping and i never stopped. >> reporter: he trolpatrols baltimore's central district while putting albums and a few music videos about his experience in blue. ♪ i am baltimore's finest ♪ baltimore's finest >> reporter: his newest single is "baltimore's finest." ♪ >> it's a mixture between a hobby and a passion. more of a passion. i actually love doing it.

all day i'm pretty riding around in here, and then come here and do magic. >> reporter: you walk in the beat, at the same time thinking about lyrics? >> the stories happen in front of me. >> reporter: every day? >> every single day. i'm writing a story now, i'm going to rap about you. >> reporter: please don't. in a city like baltimore with its past problems and current tensions, jackson says his music helps him bridge a vital gap between the police and the community they serve. >> i think it's a great way to start dialogue between like young kids and the police department. >> it's giving good detail about baltimore city, what the police officers are doing in the community. i love it. >> there are people i am pretty sure i would not be able to communicate with on the regular if i didn't rap. so i have kids now who walk up to me that last week were running from the police. now he is saying, hey, you're the guy that raps, how do you this and that?

then that rap conversation turns into, hey man, how is injuwhy y are life? every time we run into each other, oh man, that's a good cop right there. >> reporter: the music makes what you do more approachable? >> exactly. >> reporter: how do people that you talk to in some of the communities that you patrol, how do they view the police? >> it varies. people like the police and some don't. i try to converse with them more. every time i roll through, yo, you got something new coming out? i'm like, it's coming. >> reporter: what's the end game? >> grammys. >> reporter: really? >> i'm going to win a grammy. >> reporter: beyond jackson's dreams heaviesting the ret carpet he is hoping to make a difference every day. what's a typical day look like? >> there is no typical day. there is no normality to this. every day is an anomaly. >> reporter: how would you describe the city to strangers? >> there is so much potential hidden out here that people

don't see because the media will only show, you know, the murder rate that we have and all that stuff. these owners who own these stores, amazing. amazing people. the kids that run around here, if you are able to actually talk to them and stuff like that, they are good kids. >> reporter: and now that rarely seen side of baltimore is accessible through jackson's rhymes. >> that's cool. >> this is not the last we've heard of joshua jackson. i think he may win a grammy at some point. he is such a nice guy. he was one of those guys that i enjoyed my time in baltimore. >> win a grammy, run for office. >> i was like, we are going to see him go soar. >> that message would fall flat on the streets if he was -- >> yeah. >> he sounds good. >> he is truly a beat cop. >> al roker, thank you for that. >> thank you, joshua, and the police of baltimore as well. al, a check of the weather? >> i do. we have some severe weather to talk about. >> rap it. >> no, no, no.

anyway, we got this line of thunderstorms that's firing up. that's just the tip of the iceberg as far as severe weather. today mostly in west texas we are looking at storm hazards. tomorrow into tomorrow night we are worried. 23 million people at risk for damaging winds, tornados, and speaking of tornados, we are going to see a lot of tornados probably at night if they do form. they are most common in the southeast, twice as likely to cause fatalities. then on sunday it's palm sunday. 45 million people at risk. we've had palm sunday outbreaks before in 1920, '65 and 1994. the good news folks are in church. those are usually the stronger buildings in the community. the bad news is folks are at service so they can't listen. so make sure somebody is a designated weather monitor from cincinnati, roanoke,e

from one to three, even four inches of rain, and that may cause problem for the lower mississippi and . good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. lots of sunshine, beautiful weather today. it will still with breezy, but your temperatures will be warmer, reaching into the low 70s in the inland valleys. by sunday, a bit more of a brisk onshore will bring the temperatures to 70 degrees. early next week we could be tracking a weak storm system moving in. the temperatures warm up for the middle of next week. >> and that's your latest weather. >> thank you. carson, that time of the morning we look forward to. the "popstart." >> thank you. first up, kim kardashian west, we mentioned her recent interview with vogue magazine where she revealed she is studying to become a law.

she took part in the 73-question series, giving us an inside look at her home while spending time to kanye and the kids. >> the secret to good parenting >> just wing it. >> they don't get advice from me. can i get on that chat? >> i will let you sort that out. what is something that your kids taught you? >> how to be patient and just how like what's important in life. >> all right. >> oh, and fortnite. >> can you she me your hidden talent? >> i have a hidden talent in being able to smell when somebody has a cavity. >> how do you really feel about the paparazzi? >> it depends on what i look like that day. >> if you could have dinner with anyone living or not living, who would it be? >> definitely my dad. >> how do you deal with negative feedback on social media or the press? >> i know it's hard, but you have to really ignore it. >> what's a question you generally detest being asked?

>> i really hate when people ask me what i do. >> what's something you thought you would never see yourself doing in a million years? >> go to law school. >> next time somebody should say she smells cavities. >> is that a talent? >> i think it's a burden. i don't want to smell people's cavities. i think that's a lot to bear. >> you smell like decay. >> yeah. >> al hasn't seen his dentist in a while. >> i guess not. >> the cleanest house i have ever seen. >> you could smell the cavities a mile away. >> they don't live there. >> i think they have help. the update on the famous rocker mick jagger. it was reported last week the "rolling stone" singer had heart valve surgery. his treatment was successful and jagger is expected to make a full recovery. now we will see for yourself. he is up and up. he posted a picture to instagram. there he is standing tall, looking strong. he captioned the photo a walk in the park. it appears to be literal, he is

in a park. we are taking that he is recovering well. this is hard to believe. this marks the 30th anniversary of when harry met sally. it became an instant classic as it delved into the complexities of two friends. to celebrate the anniversary a special screening last night on hollywood boulevard in which crystal and ryan attended. "entertainment tonight" got an exclusive interview with crystal and asked the actor if he knew 30 years ago the movie would be such a hit. >> from the moment it opened. even before it opened, kwerp in burbank. the orgasm scene, the laughs were insanely great. when that ended we realized we were holding hands. it was so intense in the theater, the laughter so amazing that we knew that there was something special. and the fact that it's now 30 years later and people are still laughing and new people are discovering it because everybody's had the problem of

falling in and out of love, you know, and so it's still universe am and still the one of everyone who has tried to do it, it's still the one that is the gold standard. >> that is an amazing theme. that film held up 30 years. and that scene, you know. i'll have what she is having. >> the whole thing. >> that's his mom. >> oh, that's right. yeah. interesting tidbit there. thank you, al. finally, jenna hager bush sat down with country legend garth brooks. amazing what's in mr. roker's head. the singer released a limited edition collection of his entire catalog on vinyl. yes, vinyl is back. garth brooks explains why he made the decision. he made it based on popular demand. >> people want too he hear viny again. so now the vinyl package has come out. here comes friends in low places, the thunder rolls, here comes that summer, the change, to make you feel my love, baton rouge. >> i smile at every single one

because i remember being a little girl in athens, texas, at my lake house listening to rodeo. >> and under 48 hours he sold 720,000 copies of that vinyl. give that some perspective. forbes reported that beatles were 2018's number one vinyl artist. they sold 321,000 in sales and that was over a 12-month period. a whole year. you get the idea. you can watch the full interview today in the fourth hour on "today." we need a click. >> we have a click. this was a close call for a couple of dogs in canada. take a look at the video. it was sped up by the dog's owner on the bottom left. you see a tiny chihuahua on the snowy driveway. the car starts to baccam. here comes this, it's a border collie. >> wow! >> grabs him just in time. the driver saw action in the rearview mirror, feared the worst, rushed back and was relieved to see that both dogs are okay.

>> laook at that. >> gives lassie a run. >> thank you. a fascinating update on a story we covered closely on "today." that year-long mission for astronaut scott kelly. >> he has an identical twin brother, mark, who remained on earth that year. that was a golden opportunity for nasa to examine the long-term effects of space on the body. compare one identical twin against the other. the results are in. what did they find? >> a range of changes, including in scott's gut, his immune system, even genetic changes. on earth, mark, a former astronaut, he experienced none of that. the question this morning, what does this tell us about what would happen if we sent humans on a 2 1/2-year mission to mars? >> today is my sixth rep day. >> reporter: from the minute he arrived on the orbiting space station, commander scott kelly was a test subject. over 340 days he took blood and

urine samples, underwent heart, eye, and memory tests. >> we've collected a lot of data on our time here. >> reporter: the tests even continued once he was back on earth. so how did a year in space affect his body? three years later, the results are in. the biggest surprise? >> 7% of my genes, which is dna, rna, and protein, have expressed themselves differently. >> reporter: in space, kelly's genes suddenly became far more active. genes related to immune responses, inflammation and cell growth. perhaps from space radiation exposure, which increases his risk of cancer. and something else. the protective ends on his chromosomes called telomeres suddenly got longer in space. that's good news. longer telomeres help protect against the aging process. but as soon as he was back on earth they shrank. lead researchers susan bailey at

colorado state university says that could be a concern. >> it's the short telomeres that contribute to the aging process and increasing risk of diseases like cardiovascular disease or cancer. >> reporter: other changes in space, scott lost 7% of his body weight. the bacteria living in his gut changed. fluid changes inside his eyes led to blurry vision. his cardiac output and brain function seemed to improve. >> a year in space is a long time. >> reporter: back on earth, twin brother mark experienced none of that. great news for future space travel. critical research if nasa ever hopes to send humans on a 2 1/2-year mission to mars. >> i would go to mars in a second as long as i had the return ticket. or a reasonable expectation. >> so he says a reasonable expectation of coming back is a 50/50 chance. he'd go. but he would not be interested in a one-way mission. he says it took eight months after returning to earth before

he felt normal. >> wow. >> that's because his telomeres had gotten so long. >> they shriank again. >> thank you so much. we covered that story a lot. cool to see how it turned out. >> mark got the better end of that experiment. i'll be the constant on earth. all right. coming up, today in the wild keir is getting an eye-opening look at the animal world's savage kingdom. also, we are grilling upgoo.

i )m ... the white house does not denying a report from the washington post .. clai . goormg, everyone. i'm mike scott. the white house does not deny a report from "the washington post" claiming it twice tried to pressure i.c.e. to bus detained migrants into sanctuary cities. san francisco was one of those cities. i.c.e. twice shot the plan down calling it illegal. in a statement democrat nancy pelosi said the extent of the administration's cynicism cannot be overstated. let's get a check of friday traffic with mike. >> bay bridge, mike, there's going to congestion, but only in the fast track lanes.

look at that feeding in oakland, 580, 880, and east shore freeway all looking pretty good. speeds come down into the 40s at their worst point. recovery northbound lane 880 approaching the industrial area coming up from hayward, an earlier crash there. south bay a smooth drive. san mateo is not so bad, just slowing as you're approaching 101. we know it's going to be there because it's san mateo. back to you. >> we'll have another local news update in a half hour. you can always check the latest news at nbcbayarea.com. have a great friday.

8:30 now on this fine friday morning, april 12, 2019. looks like everybody out here on the plaza is ready for the weekend, huh? and so are we. so good to have you. >> okay. let me tell you something. i got some girls out here on the plaza that are so ready for the weekend. are you ready? i got to introduce you. you want to hang with them. heather, lauren, and ellen. hi, girls. where are you from? >> tennessee. >> is this a girl's trip? >> yes, it is. our first one together after 38

years of friendship. >> wow. who did you leave at home? >> the husbands and the kids. >> my gosh. show us these shirts. >> you are bringing? >> agenda and camera? >> and you are bringing? >> alcohol and bad decisions. >> i'm with all of you. how fun are they? how long are you here? >> until sunday. >> have fun. >> thank you. >> that's a girls trip. >> those t-shirts are amazing. >> those kids are going to show them those shirts when things go bad. >> today is the birthday? 80 years old? wouldn't have guess tit. where are you from? >> florida. >> happy birthday. what's your name? >> alice. >> happy birthday, alice. just ahead on a friday morning, today in the wild. keir simmons sharing his incredible adventure in africa saying how some of nature's most magnificent creatures battle to survive. a real life "game of thrones." how much do you love your dog or cat?

we will take an inside look at the world of pet cloning. >> all right. also coming up, chef matt abdoo is here grilling for a great cause. we will tell you more about that, and this delicious recipe for brisket sandwiches. that holds a special place in his heart. jam packed third hour of "today" coming up. kristen bell, luke hemsworth, t.i. and tiny ahead on the third hour of "today." >> first, a check of the weather. >> announcer: today's weather is brought to you by "missing link," now playing in theaters everywhere. >> let's take a look ahead at your weekend and see how it's shaping up. saturday a mild afternoon. severe storms though down through the lower mississippi river valleys. wet weather in the pacific northwest. then sunday, sunday severe storms move into the southeast. heavy rain in the ohio river valley. spring highs from 0.to the sest

good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. getting ready for the game tonight at the shark tank and we have some beautiful weather all across the bay area. mostly sunny and still breezy with our high temperatures in the inland areas reaching into the low 70s. oakland today reaching 70 degrees. 67 in san francisco. it will be a touch warmer tomorrow, but then cooler on sunday as we get a brisk ocean breeze picking up. there will be a slight chance of rain on monday, but other than that, we have a mostly dry forecast and warming up again for the middle of next week. >> and that is your latest weather. >> thank you, sir. we are wrapping up our today in the wild series this morning. nbc's keir simmons taking us on a trip to the animal kingdom to explore the daily battle to survive. >> reporter: you are going to love this. it's more "game of thrones." this ga"game of thrones" day today, even the animals are

joining in except that, of course, as this new nat geo series savage kingdom points out may be really, it's the animals that invented that competition and that battle for survival. it doesn't get much more "game of thrones" than the animal world. survival is the ultimate skill in the animal world. whether that means protecting their young or tackling an intruder, there is no room for error in this savage kingdom. >> i probably spent about 15, 16,000 hours with the lions. >> reporter: he has spent his life chronicling the trials and triumphs of the animal clans that populate this part of the delta in botswana. stunning pictures of nature. the folks at national geographic think this place is like "game

of thrones" with animals. there are legendary battles and queens that terrorize the land. the resistance armys always on the move. a solitary female ruled by determination alone, and those who will do anything to ensure their dynasty survives. brad takes us along to meet some of the characters from the series up close. wow, there they are. >> this is part of the pride. >> reporter: you are so relaxed being this close to what are killers. >> yeah, i'm very relaxed. to get to know them. every now and then you have a character that sticks out. one young female. there is a good hans the hyenas will push them. >> reporter: on a previous shoot brad managed to capture this dramatic scene.

>> crossing there. >> reporter: he followed this pack of wild dogs for two years. >> they have a new alpha female. this year for some reason they haven't been successful. >> reporter: their eternal enemy, hyenas. in the nat geo series they take on the royal clan led by a cunning immersive matriarch. >> you are following the biographies of several predators. >> reporter: his personal favorite, leopards. >> they tend to be braun. they are very clever and intimate. it's one on one. >> reporter: queen of the forest, a single mother. blue eyes, her mate can't be trusted. he has killed his own cub before. this cheetah mom throws herself in the line of attack and manages to save her young. it's a natural drama all the way as the characters in the series

fight to live another day. >> there is a little of intellect that comes with predators. they will adjust to every circumstance that gives them an opportunity. >> reporter: but unlike "game of thrones," says brad, four-legged predators will kill out of need, not malice. i just love that idea that animals, you know, kill when they kill, not out of malice, but out of need. that they compete because they just need to. it's been an incredible journey for us, guys, from botswana to kenya traveling across africa. what we have all taken away is that we can learn so much from animals. that is honestly one of the reasons why they are worth protecting. >> keir, thanks. you and your crew, by the way, thank you. >> boondoggle is over now, keir. >> back to work. we also have these reports from africa.

included previews from nat geo specials which paid for travel and production costs. it runs on sunday nights. up next, the 3pet owners wh are going to extreme lengths to keep their beloved companions by their side. first, this is "today" on nbc.

(dad) this ice cream cake needs a freezer. (mom) freezer's full. (vo) only frigidaire's custom flex temp drawer can switch from fridge to freezer. (son) nice save! (vo) that's using your frigidaire. happy friday. look who is here. miss sheinelle. >> good morning. >> we are looking at pet cloning. >> i can't wait to hear what you have to say about this. it's a controversial idea. for some pet owners who have the money, cloning their pet is how they choose to keep the beloved animal with them forever. >> he has been part of our family for the last 14 years. >> reporter: for some people there is no greater love than that of their pet. >> come on. >> reporter: a family member,

amy can't imagine living without him. >> he is the love of my life absolutely. >> reporter: after seeing a story on the news about cloning, she and her husband decided they didn't have to live without him. >> i started researching it and there was a place in the united states who started cloning pets. i called them and the rest is history. >> reporter: her decision to clone him came with a hefty price tag, a total of $50,000. she says the procedure was simple. a veterinarian took a small amount of tissue from his abdomen while he was already under for a teeth cleaning. that tissue was sent to viagen pets, the same company that cloned barbra streisand's dogs. >> it's not as weird and sci-fi as people think it is. >> reporter: they have been cloning animals for 15 years. >> the joy that we see in the clients' faces is incredible.

when i get to help deliver a cloned puppy por kitten to the client and see the look on their face. >> reporter: they take a cell from the original animal and fuse it with an egg from a donor animal to make an embryo. that is transferred to a surrogate. she gives birth to a clone of the original pet which is like an identical twin born later. the animals are genetically identical, but don't have exactly the same personalities. >> they are not getting the old dog back. they are getting the closest things. that identical twin is an original. >> reporter: blake russell is the president of viagen. he cloned his prized horse. >> he transfers his genetics to that next generation. >> reporter: amy very happily got two clones. >> i wanted one. if there was ten, i would take ten. it turned out 1,000 times better than i treedreamed.

>> reporter: despite the joy it brings, it has critics. the humane society telling nbc news that the commercial cloning of animals is destructive, needless and an often privilege use enterprise. a highly experimental procedure with an enormous number of failures and they say it should be prohibited by law. peta suggests adopting a pet from a shelter instead of cloning. >> it's not an either/or. there will always be a need for people serious about adoption. >> reporter: while it's not for everyone, amy has no regrets. >> i made a decision to do something that i know seems out there to most, but to me it was the answer to be able to deal with someday losing beuhner. they didn't replace him, but they allowed me to know that there is a piece of him that will always be with me. >> viagen is outside of austin. they are the only u.s.

commercial company that clones pets like cats and dogs. the key is the personality will be different. it's not, you know, the pet with the spunk. >> my knee-jerk reaction is i feel for the pets that are here, dogs that are here. you won't get a dog in need of a home if you are cloning your other pet. >> that seems what the human society was saying. >> i said, do you hear that? it's twitter exploding. everyone has an opinion. we are just bringing you the story. >> must be a heck of a dog. >> right? $50,000. all right. tomorrow, on saturday, we will have more of the "game of thrones" craze. we traveled across the pond to meet some of the show's stars, real-life die wolves. craig, you're. it? >> yes. i don't remember goibeing able go. >> we had to turn up the volume,

craig. >> looking forward to it. let's go outside to mr. roker once again. >> thanks, guys. we got mr. matt abdoo here. we've got the smoker going. the special inspiration behind one of the his all-time favorite recipes. you are going to love it. first, this is "today" on nbc. you buckle up, start the car, put it in gear and take off. next thing you know, the phone is in your hand! stop! we should be holding the wheel, not holding the phone. it's a busy world out there. and we're all in it together. go safely, california.

put it in gear and take off., next thing you know, the phone is in your hand! stop! we should be holding the wheel, not holding the phone. it's a busy world out there. and we're all in it together. go safely, california. hi, guys. this morning on "today" food one of our favorites matt abdoo is here. chef and owner of pig beach, which is fantastic in new york. >> it really is. he cooks some of the best barbecue around. today he is doing it for a cause that is deeply personal. >> pig beach was a barbecue brainchild of me and my business partners. we started barbecuing as a hobby on the weekends. we entered into some local barbecue competitions in long island, staten island, and

starting winning. we are like, oh my god, i can't believe it. maybe we are very good at this. >> his partner in business was his brother-in-law jeff michner. >> we started laughing and hanging out. it was just an incredible connection from the very first thing. it's a rarity to be able to say that your brother-in-law is somebody that you love. kind, big hearted, amazing, sweet, incredible, talented, family oriented. he was just the kind of guy that everybody wanted to be around. >> reporter: but last may life took a tragic turn. jeff died suddenly at the age of 36. >> jeff hpassed away from a bran bleed. i know it happened really quick and there wasn't much time to react to any of it. >> reporter: jeff left more than just a business behind, but a young family, his wife sarah and their daughter hayes. >> his little girl meant the entire world to him. >> reporter: in jeff's honor, abdoo, along with 12 barbecue superstars from around the country, will grill from dawn

until dusk, a fundraiser to help build a future for hayes. >> to be able to keep his memory alive, so that his daughter will be able to know who he is and what he helped us build, that's really what i want to do. >> matt, we love you. >> all right. >> your family here. >> thank you. >> we are so sorry to hear about jeff. i mean, i know this has been a really difficult time for you guys. >> it has. with the love and support of our immediate family and barbecue family and everybody that has been around us, we are doing our best to get through it. losing jeff is just an impossible thing. we are going to do our best to honor him and this incredible event we are putting together tomorrow and hopefully every year to come. >> you always cook with heart. doubly so today. this is one of jeff's favorite recipes? >> yes, when we started off we didn't have brisket on the menu. it's one of the hardest barbecue things to do. jeff perfected it and put the sandwich on the menu.

it's one of our top selling items. you can't beat it. >> i am so intimidated to do this on my green egg or smoke-it. >> the green eggs are great. find a good quality brisket. go to the butcher. ask for the whole packer brisket. that means you have two parts of a brisket, the flat, which is this part here on the grid, then the point, which is this part, which is called the fattier part. >> did you do anything? >> yes. we trimmed off a little bit of the fat on the top. on this side, which you can't really see, there is a wedge cut of fat in that pocket. if you kind of want to wedge cut out because that fat is not going to render in the cooking process. once the brisket is clean, the next thing is we like to take some plain yellow mustard and smear it all over the top. it can be any kind of yellow mustard out there. coat the entirety of the brisket. it's going to help all of your seasoning, which is just salt and pepper. >> all sides? >> top, bottom, all sides. >> do you prefer dijon to

yellow? >> it will give it a more intense flavor. the main is to help this rub stick to it, salt, pepper, garlic and onion. you are going to aggressively season this all over with the mustard all over the top. it. then that goes into the smoker. set the smoker to about 250 degrees. briskets take a long time. if you are doing the briskets, you want to have time set. 12 to 14 hours to cook this bad boy at 250 degrees. we like cooking with cherry wood and oak. >> how do you keep the fuel going for hours? >> that's a great question. wood, charcoal, you have to keep feeding it. >> that's why it's so good. >> one of the components to our sandwich are the quick cured pickles, which are super simple to make. kirby cucumbers, a little bit of sugar, a little bit of salt, some smashed garlic cloves. >> interesting. why the sugar? >> because anything that's pickled, add sugar to help the

preservation and flavor of it. rice wine vinegar and white wine vinegar. the cool thing is you can do it and they are ready to eat in a couple of hours or put them in the fridge to overnight. >> you have plenty of time to make the pickles. >> let them sit in this solution. the cucumbers will leach out their own juices and moisture and it creates a crisp, lightly pickled flavor. so this goes in. it will be cooking low and slow, 250 degrees. we wrap it in butcher paper to hold off the moisture. >> what is butcher paper? >> it's a white colored -- >> aluminum fuel? >> you can buspar much. . ask for butcher paper at the butcher department. they will give it to you. >> we have 30 seconds. >> we will slice this bad boy open. >> craig is going for seconds. >> oh, my gosh, look at this.

>> that is beautiful. >> can't go wrong with that. burnt ends, guys. here are the burnt ends. >> here! >> that's the best part. >> slice this all up. >> matt, while you are cutting that, remind everybody about tomorrow's benefit, we are doing a benefit at pig beach. in brooklyn to benefit jeff's daughter hayes and wife sarah who are here with us somewhere. where did they go? >> they are here. we saw them. they are so adorable. >> here they could come. we love you. please, help support them. >> say hi to uncle matt. >> this is mr. roker and mrs. guthrie. can you say hi? >> she is like, not brisket again. i was raised on brisket. >> dad, all our love. best of luck. you can help. go to today.com/food. even if you can't go, you can still help. a great cause. >> we are back in a moment. this is "today" on nbc. >> can i get a bag for this?

coming up in a few minutes on the third hour of "today," a parade of stars, including t.i., kristen bell and one final sibling surprise for the week. >> that's right. that would be sheinelle's. >> exactly. all right. >> matt, thank you. thank you, little hayes. we smell like thegood morning, . i )m - -... sentencing is scheduled for good morning. 8:56, i'm scott mcgrew. sentencing scheduled for the dui driver who filled four members of the same family two years ago on 880 in 2017. fred low faces 125 years in prison. he's a repeat dui offender, driving with a suspended license

when he killed two fathers and their sons. the boys, just 13 and 15. the only person in that car to survive, you saw a picture of him early, cal bears baseball pitcher, jared horn. a jury last month convicted low of four counts of murder. happening now, our pete certi is at the courthouse. leading bay area lawmakers nancy pelosi responding to reports the white house considered bussing migrants to sanctuary cities like san francisco. ice refused, calling it illegal. we have information at nbcbayarea.com. good news, that little oakland boy who many thought would die after being shot is out of the hospital. get up to tc

updates and your complete forecast s kick off a brand-new work week with us. >> get up-to-the-minute traffic updates and your complete forecast and you're ready to get out the door and take on the day. plus the latest headlines from the bay area to capitol hill. join us monday morning for "today in the bay" 4:30 to 7:00.

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gig-fueled apps that exceed expectations. comcast business. beyond fast. rockefeller plaza this is the third hour of "today." >> good morning. i'm dylan dreyer here with al and sheinelle. craig had to leave a little early this morning. don't worry. our good friend nbc news correspondent jacob soboroff is here. >> i smell like smoke. >> his odor is strong with this one. >> you just left the camp fire. >> with brisket, right. >> really, the smell is strong. and you washed your eyeglasses and it's straight up alcohol. >> a lot going o