92 east clear. >> a local news updatkaeudate 7 every half hour after that. >> we will see you midday. thank you for starting your morning with us. good morning. the world watches in helpless horror as notre dame cathedral burns. firefighters battling for 12 hours to save the 850-year-old church. >> oh, my god. >> this morning, the full scale of the destruction revead as the sunrises in paris. tears, prayers and hope among the rubble. just ahead, the race to save priceless artifacts and to find out what started the fire. we're there live. the countdown. the mueller report set to be released thursday. how much will we actually see? fighting back. actress lori loughlin facing up

to 40 years in prison, pleading not guilty in that college bribery scheme. why she's decided against cutting a deal. those stories plus dash for freedom. the north korean defector shot while fleeing the country shares his story for the first time. nbc news exclusive, our investigation of facebook. did mark zuckerberg push to sell your private data? never surrender. the u.s. marine who crawled across the finish line of the boston marathon and the heroic reason he refused to give up, today, tuesday, april 16, 2019. >> from nbc news, this is "today," with savannah guthrie and hoda kotb. live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> good morning. welcome to "today." it's tuesday morning. nice to have you with us. good to have you with us, willie. it felt like the whole world was

watching through tears as notre dame, the symbol of the catholic church, the center of paris, france, so many visitors have come to this space. here it is, that's a live look having been destroyed, part of it by flames. >> and the people of paris, the people of france, stood there helpless as they watched their beloved cathedral beloved around the world burn. i guess we can wake up this morning and be thankful that part of it is still standing and some of the treasured and priceless relics have been preserved and saved from the fire. >> this is a morning about finding out what was lost and what was saved. let's get to the latest. officials announcing the fire is fully extinguished. now they are working to figure out what started the fire in the first place. just how much of the nearly 900-year-old cathedral has been damaged. >> good news as i said. much of the priceless artwork and relics inside have been saved. including its famed 8,000 pipe

organ. >> a fund ri-raising drive star. it received more than $300 million in commitments. we have a lot to get in. we will talk to cardinal timothy dolan in a moment. let's start in paris. craig, good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you. the speed and scope with which the people and folks from around the world have responded astonishing. i can tell you that so far, north of $400 million has now been pledged to rebuild notre dame. i want to show you precisely what's happening right now. you notice there, the right tower, which we're told is still very much intact, there's a yellow cherry picker, you see individuals there atop that right tower, we're told that they are making sure that the stones are solid. that the stones are going to stay in place. the wood, as you know, has burned sufficiently.

the wooden roof destroyed. they're going stone by stone to make sure the structure is safe so investigators can get inside and figure out precisely what triggered the massive fire. daybreak, over a new and diminished paris skyline. the cathedral of notre dame still stands, but without her elegant spire, burned away by a devastating fire. >> for me, notre dame is probably as many as for americans, it's a mother. suddenly, you feel your mother has been hurt by the fire. >> reporter: while an investigation is still ongoing, french officials are calling the blaze unintentional. they suspect it started around 6:30 monday night among scaffolding at the base of the spire. the flames spread quickly across the roof made of so many timbers, it was nicknamed the forest. the heat kept building and rising until -- >> the steeple just fell inside the church. >> oh, my god.

>> reporter: the spire came crashing down into the church's interior, fanning the flames. for hours, it felt like days. it seemed like notre dame, our lady of paris, might be lost. french officials telling the nation to brace, that she may not be saved. that this gothic masterpiece visited by 13 million every year and full of priceless art and sacred relics would be reduced to ash. around 400 firefighters contained the flames enough to go inside and saw this. the interior badly damaged but not a charred shell. firefighters announced, they managed to save the structure. notre dame would survive. they said major art and relics, including the holy crown of thorns, were saved.

people came out to sing hymns and praise the firefighters. macron said the worst has been avoided. notre dame will be rebuilt because it is what the french expect and what their history deserves. it's so much more than just the heart of catholic life here in paris, as you know. >> cardinal, it's good to see you. i wish it were under better circumstances. it feels like a loss in the family. i know you love this place. it's one of the most revered places in catholicism. >> you put it well. nice to be with you both. thanks for the invitation. there does seem to be a death in the family. not just the catholic family, but the world family. i was taking a walk last night. people would just stop me to i thought i was at a wake. as people garther and look at te charred remains, it's almost

like we're in a funeral parlor. we see a loved one who has died. what moves me -- i don't know if you would agree. what moves me is the spirit of resurrection, new life, revival. it strikes me as, if a tragedy like this has to happen, during holy week and passover, not bad. the sacred message of both of those is from dieing comes rising. maybe this is going to bring about a great revival. you see it in the french people. >> on a personal level, what did you feel as you watched yesterday? so many of us around the world were horrified as we watched the flames. we felt helpless, sad. we watched the spire fall into the church. what were you feeling? >> it was personal. my first thoughts went to my brother, the archbishop of paris and his predecessor who had begun -- noert datre dame was u

repair and restoration. i thought of them personally, tried to call. couldn't get through. sent an e-mail. i have to tell you, this may have been a bit preserving, but i thought of st. patrick's. are we safe? >> your own cathedral down the road? >> we had that repaired. thank god, the fdny has been extraordinarily vigilant and helpful. we got a wooden roof, too. i don't know what major strucks don't. a wooden roof. i remember the fire department saying, we have to get the mist system. we have to get the fire retardant in there. thank god, we got it. it was personal. i thought, what would i be doing now if st. patrick's was burning? that's the suffering that the french people are going through. my heart went out to them. >> i keep thinking this morning about what i was taught that when two or more christians gather in jesus' name, that's a church. >> well said. >> of course, that's what the church is. however, this place means so much to so many people. >> doesn't it?

the church building, all right, so church with a small c, is extraordinarily important. what you said, what goes on inside is the church with a capital c. community, faith, prayer, worship, charity, hope, art, nobility, lifting up of the mind and heart to god through jesus. that's what goes on within the church with a capital c. that can never be destroyed. that act of faith is inspired by this destruction. >> you may be able to put in words better than we the significance of that cathedral. i was thinking about the span of world history that that cathedral has watched from joan of arc to the french revolution the nazis and the americans liberating paris. why is that such an important place? >> it's become an icon not only of faith. it's a church. it's a house of prayer and community. it's also an icon of art,

poetry, literature, french pride and gratitude, french identity. it almost becomes -- it's almost the icon of what we call civilization. everything that is best, most uplifting, inspiring in the human project, seems to go up with those spires that are now damaged. it really is an icon for what's best in human nature. because what's best in human nature comes from god and goes back to him. >> cardinal, you said it well. it's a week of loss and rebuilding. >> dieing and rising. >> we will see what happens here. thank you for being here. >> it's a joy to be on, even for a somber topic. a blessed holy week and easter and passover. >> to you as well. more from paris later this morning. richard engel will join us with the way americans are reacting to the fire. we turn to washington and the countdown to thursday's public release of the mueller report. a heavily redacted version of the special counsel's investigation.

nbc white house kristen welker joins us with the latest. >> reporter: the president and his top advisers are bracing for thursday's release of the mueller report. mr. trump's outside lawyers have been huddling to map out their response plans. it comes as some of the more than one dozen current and former officials who cooperated with mueller are expressing concerns that the release could expose them as the source of damaging information about the president. one person close to the white house even saying there is a breakdown level anxiety among some former and current staffers. another former official saying the million dollar question is how much of the report will be redacted. the other key focus, what will the report say about the issue of obstruction? you will recall when bill barr released his summary of the mueller report last month, he said there was not enough evidence to charge the president with obstruction. mueller himself didn't make a determination about whether the president had obstructed justice. separately, barr was criticized by democrats for testifying last

week that he believes u.s. intelligence officials spied on the trump campaign. all of that fuelling democrats' demands to see the full un-redacted report. president trump has declared total exoneration. we will be watching closely. >> we will learn thursday morning how much of that report we actually get to see. thank you. we move to an nbc news exclusive. a north korean defector whose dash for freedom was caught on camera and went viral, he is speaking out for the first time. keir is in south korea. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. it's incredible when you watch this interview to think this is the defeshctor watched by millis as he dashed across the world's most dangerous border. he tells us, it was a spur of the moment decision. a north korean defector fleeing across the border.

collapsing in a bullets. dragged to safety by south korean soldiers. pictures seen around the world. we showed them to the former north korean soldier who made that escape. this is you running for your life. i still can't believe it's me, he said. the son of a general in north korea, he lived on $100. now he lives in a small apartment without his family but with his freedom. >> we heard two bursts of about 40 rounds. >> reporter: this lieutenant commander was the joint duty officer that day at the dmz. >> he had been shot twice in the shoulder, twice in the stomach and went in and hit a bone and went up into his lung. so he was shot five times. >> reporter: the man wounded seemed unlikely to live. >> he looked done. what's that like to have your friends, the people that you have served with, firing at you

as you run for freedom? if i were in their shoes, i would have done the same, he says. we showed him savannah's exclusive 2018 report retracing his steps. your story was told on american television. i would love to visit the u.s. one day, he says. he wanted to say thank you to the american medics who helped save his life as he was hillary copt helicoptered to the hospital. every time i watch the video, he says, i realize that i am alive is a miracle. the diplomacy here growing. kim jong-un warning of rising tensions. president trump would be open to a third summit. this defector says he is having to deal with feelings of loneliness and guilt and says he would just like to see the two koreas reunited. >> how fascinating to hear the

story from his perspective after seeing that video so many times. thank you very much. this morning, that massive college admission scandal back in the spotlight. lori loughlin, one of the most high profile parents to be indicted, entered a not guilt plea. miguel has the latest. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. prosecutors turned up the heat on lori loughlin last week, charging with her an additional felony, conspiracy to commit money laundering. that carries more prison time. it was meant to send a message. now she's showing she may be ready for a fight. lori loughlin and her fashion designer husband pleading not guilty to two felony counts, bringing the celebrity couple one step closer to trial while the possibility of a plea deal dwindles. facing a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison, investigators say they have a trove of evidence, including wiretaps,

proving the power couple paid half a million dollars in bribes to get their daughters into usc. it comes just a week after actress felicity huffman and a dozen other parents agreed to plead guilty to one felony count. with lori loughlin waving her right to appear at her arraignment, she has become fodder for comedians. >> you paid 500 grand for usc? >> that's not including the 300 grand i blew on tuition. >> my god. what did your daughter major in? >> communication. >> reporter: this morning, with jokes aside, the stakes are getting higher as a college scandal involving the rich and famous takes another hollywood twist. with four other parents also entering not guilty pleas, legal experts because lori loughlin faces two felony counts, she will likely get some prison time if convicted.

it may be one reason why she has not reached a deal, say experts, with prosecutors. >> miguel, thank you very much. let's get a check of the weather. mr. roker is over at the wall. good morning. >> good morning. thanks for getting your first weather from us. we have this system now coming into the west. this one is going to be another coast to coaster bringing rain and snow out west. today, rain and mountain snow across the west. by tomorrow, this system starts to strengthen over the plains. thunderstorms by the afternoon. a plume of moisture coming out of the gulf is going to slow this thing down. heaviest in the mississippi valley. as we get toward friday, not a lot of great news for the east co coast. that's going to last into the weekend. here are the impacts we are seeing. for wednesday, we have damaging and severe thunderstorms. greatest risk is large hail, a hurricane threat and strong winds in the lower plains. then as we move on into thursday, we are looking at

again a wide area of damaging winds, small hail and a few tornadoes. we will watch that. rain is a big problem, too. especially down through the south, anywhere from one to three inches. locally, could be four inches or more. a slow movement of this system is going to increase the flood risk. we will get to your local forecast coming up in the next 30 seconds. good tuesday morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. a live look at san jose. we start out with clouds here. but we will get more sunshine.

it's not going to be as warm as we have seen with temperatures in the low 50s to start. low 60s throughout the day. we're going to reach the upper 60s in parts of the delta and also in east bay. but most of the inland areas reaching the mid-60s as we go into the rest of the forecast. a big warmup on the way. we'll reach 83 on thursday. slightly cooler in time for easter. . and that is your latest weather. savannah. >> all right, al, thank you. coming up, the reaction pouring in from around the world this morning. the destruction we're seeing in paris and how the notre dame cathedral came to symbolize so much to so many. and facebook's new privacy problem, the nbc news investigates reveals shocking ways the company used and tried to use your personal data. but

just ahead, more of our trip to the holy land and visits to the so called land monasteries,

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♪ oooooh bring color to life with the very best paint, only at your sherwin-williams store. and good morning to you. 7:26 right now. i'm marcus washington. breaking news to tell you about this morning. this is nbc bay area sky ranger flying over the dumbarton bridge a few minutes ago. all lines eastbound are closed because of a jackknifed big rig. mike inouye has been monitoring this. >> do listen to chp and abide by whatever they guide you to do. this is over on the peninsula side. someone turned around, decided to go the wrong way on 684. chp took notice and had a little conversation there. we want to make sure everybody is safe. i hear caltrans will start

cutting the fencing by the crash. it is jammed up. traffic being turned around, back down to university. slowing you toward the 101, on willow and marsh. it is jamming up traffic in the area. it is unusual for that portion of your commute. in fact, san mateo east bound is completely clear right now. it is fine for the peninsula side. east bay showing slowing. everything else, though, moves pretty smoothly. we are seeing our weather clearing out this morning. the rain we had yesterday. now we are seeing mostly sunny skies across the bay area. a beautiful look at san francisco. our temperature heading up to 59 degrees today. it will be in the upper 50s for the inland areas. concord reaching 59. 69, rather. we will see mid-60s for the inland areas. mid-70s tomorrow. and very warm on thursday with a high of 83. as an ocean breeze kicks in, we will bring you back closer to

normal into the weekend. we'll continue to watch the weather situation here, marcus. >> thanks, kari. we'll have another local news update in 30 minutes. (dad) this ice cream cake needs a freezer.

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fridge to freezer. (son) nice save! (vo) that's using your frigidaire. 7:30. a live look at notre dame cathedral in paris on a sad morning. the skies kind of match the mood there. a devastating fire dress stroig so much. the vatican calling it the beating heart of france, a place of beauty that attracts believers and nonbelievers. you seat before and after. again, a lot lost, but much is saved. >> that picture on the right will be perhaps the iconic one of this fire. it's been so beautiful to see the outpouring of support from around the world and, frankly, money from inside france and around the world. >> it's not even answering the

call. they answered before the call th had time to come. our check of the morning's headlines. french president emmanuel macron is launching a national fundraising campaign now to rebuild notre dame. that massive fire gutted the gothic masterpiece monday evening. it wasn't fully out until this morning. investigators believe the fire was an accident, possibly related to renovation work. officials say the towers have been saved along with many religious relics and priceless works of art. architects plan to meet at the 850-year-old landmark today and determine how stable the building is. there has been another surge in the number of confirmed cases of measles in the united states. federal health officials reported 555 cases on monday. an increase of 90 from one week ago. the highly contagious disease is now active in at least 20 states. iowa just confirmed its first case since 2011. and the world health organization reported monday that globally there are now four times as many cases of measles

as there were at this time last year. we learned sad news overnight. actress george a engle when played georget on the mary tyler moore show died. she was the wife of anchorman ted baxter. >> you would do ted's laundry? >> yeah, he likes the way i fluff and fold. >> she also guest starred on "everybody loves raymond" and appeared in mellow dolly. she was 70 years old. the impact of the fire at notre dame cathedral is being felt far beyond france. it's visited by millions each year, including many americans who are now paying tribute to the church. let's go back to nbc's richard engle in paris for more on that. richard, good morning again. >> reporter: good morning, willie. the french interior and culture ministers just gave a briefing. they had a mix of good and bad news. the bad news is, they say while

the overall integ tig of the building is intact, it is structurally unsound. they are concerned about one place. the north tran sept. they need to reinforce that area. they have evacuated five residential building. concern there could be a collapse. the partial good news is that since most of this fire was focused on the roof of the building, the majority of the religious and artistic works of art and icons were saved. notre dame cathedral, an iconic symbol of the beauty and history of paris, and a pilgrimage site for christians worldwide. now scorched and scarred, its majestic spire collapsing into ashes as a fiery enfeinferno ra

underneath. >> paris is crying now, not just me. >> reporter: napoleon famously gramd the crown from pope pius seventh in 1804. also home of quasi moto of the hunch back of notre dame. over 800 years of history incinerated in a matter of hours. nbc's keir simmons gave us an inside look last year. >> 13 million pilgrims and tourists visit in majestic medieval church every year. >> reporter: taking us into the cathedral's famous bell tower. >> here we are. >> liberation of paris was celebrated with the bells ringing. >> reporter: then climbing the 500 steps to the top of the towering spire. >> wow. >> reporter: that now lays in ruins. feelings of loss and heartache crossing oceans. in america, president trump was somber.

>> it's one of the great treasures of the world, but it's a terrible sight to behold. >> reporter: the archbishop of new york expressing his sadness in the shadow of america's greatest cathedral, st. patrick's. >> my god, for the world, notre dame cathedral represents what's most noble, what's most uplifting. to see that reduced to ashes, that makes our sorrow particularly intense. >> reporter: for many new yorkers the reaction was the same. >> i can't even imagine it. just a loss to humanity. >> reporter: many americans taking to twitter to share their own personal stories of visiting the stunning structure. back in paris, outside notre dame, which translates to "our lady" a haunting scene at twilight. singing "hail mary" as the structure continued to burn. an emotional reminder of the

power of faith in the face of adversity. some of the smaller artistic works were taken to city hall. others will be taken to the louvre. the big rose windows appear to be undamaged and intact. back to you. >> thank you. we'll be back to you in just a bit. let's turn to al. another check of the weather. we will have a soggy easter out east? >> it's looking like it. but let's 12 on the positives. warmer weather coming in. the jet stream moving up to the north in the eastern two-thirds of the country. chicago today up to 66 degrees. wichita almost touching 80. new orleans close to 80, one degree above average. nashville 79. then that warmth makes its way east, columbus 775, tulsa 78. albuquerque 79 degrees. 59 degrees p. and stays nice and mild from washington, 73 friday, 82 in jacksonville on friday. a little on the cool side in indianapolis, 57 degrees. and omaha warming up

good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. still hazy in the tri-valley after starting out with patches of fog earlier this morning. skies clearing as temperatures head into the mid-60s. 69 in antioch and concord. north bay, 67. 59 the high in san francisco. going into the forecast, we're about to heat up the next few days. going from 65 to 83 on thursday. but then slightly cooler in time for eastern sunday leading into early next week. >> that's your latest weather. >> thank you, al, very much. coming up, more of our journey to the frontiers of faith. this morning the difficult and painstaking work being done near jerusalem to preserve one of the world's holiest sites closed to the public for five decades. does practice really make perfect? we will find out when savannah and jenna perform their get fit

today dance routine live. everybody is still talking about kim kardashian, planning to become a lawyer. what she is saying about her path to getting there. first, an nbc news exclusive investigation that anyone with a facebook account needs to see. the documents we've obtained revealing the company's efforts to sell your data. this is not a bed... it's a revolution in sleep. the sleep number 360 smart bed, from $999, intelligently senses your movement and automatically adjusts... so you wake up rested and ready for anything.

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this morning on "in depth today," an eye-opening and eg exclusive nbc investigation. >> documents we obtained showed that facebook used data as a bargaining chip despite saying that privacy is a prior it i. nbc's stephanie gosk with the details. >> good morning. you know, we know facebook gathers information on us. all the likes and shares, photos and friends. now documents obtained by nbc news reveal in new detail how the company used and planned to use that data. with very little discussion of people's privacy.

facebook under new scrutiny this morning. more than 4,000 documents obtained by nbc news from a court case against the company lift the curtain on facebook's business practices between 2011 and 2015. one employee even comparing the company to villains in "game of thrones" as the social media giant looked for ways to grow its business and cut losses. top executives at the company including ceo mark zuckerberg and coo sheryl sandberg discussed ways to sell user data. in 2012, documents show zuckerberg wanted to figure out the real market value of user data to set up public rate. a plan seemingly at odds with zuckerberg's public message. >> we offer these extremely robust privacy controls where, i mean, literally any piece of information that you share, you control exactly who sees it. >> reporter: ultimately, facebook says it never sold data, but it did trade information with other

companies. >> facebook is being strategic in terms of trading user data in order to get, you know, stuff in return. >> reporter: the documents show that facebook allowed special access to data for companies described as friends of zuckerberg, like amazon, which received special treatment in june of 2013 because it was a facebook advertiser. while another messaging app seen as a competitor to facebook messenger was restricted from accessing facebook's data. facebook says the documents were cherry-picked from a court case involving a little known startup, writing, the sets of documents by zdesign tells only one side of the story and omits important context. we still stand by the platform changes we made in 2014, 2013. facebook has made a greater push to address privacy issues, like the data of 87 million users that was improperly shared with political consulting firm cambridge analytica.

to put zuckerberg in the hot seat on capitol hill. >> it was my mistake and i'm sorry. i started facebook. i run it, and at the end of the day i'm responsible for what happens here. >> reporter: still some say facebook's past attempts to trade and sell user data raise more questions. >> it is complicated. it sounds like allegation is that facebook was willing to give data on users to companies it was friendly with, had a good relationship with. what kind of data? what did the companies do with it if they got it? >> there are different tiers of data. the perm information that you share. your email address, your real address, maybe your phone number. but then it's your behavior. and that's the stuff that you do when you are on facebook. what do you like? what do you share? what information do you share about vacations, places that you go? all of that behavioral information is hugely important to companies that want to try to sell you stuff. so it ends up being this

currency for facebook and other companies like it to trade with. but now facebook says they are not. >> not doing it. and that those documents are from a while back it sounds like? >> that's right. a time that facebook was struggling to make profits. they were trying to figure out a way to monetize this incredible creation that they had come up with and that was one of the original ideas. >> all right. stephanie, thank you very much. if you want to learn more about this investigation, we've got it on our website nbcnews.com. coming up next, the inspiring story of the united states marine who crawled to the finish line of yesterday's boston marathon. that's right after this. the third stair always creaked. and your mother told me all her life that i should fix it. now it reminds me of her. i'm just glad i never fixed it. listen, you don't need to go anywhere dad. meet christine, she's going to help you around the house. the best home to be in is your own. from personal care and memory care, to help around the house,

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a 31-year-old u.s. marine veteran who ran to honor the lives of three men he knew while serving in afghanistan. simply put, there was no way he wasn't going to finish. >> reporter: a marathon moment going viral overnight. video of micah herndon crawling over the finish line in the 123rd boston marathon monday. >> you got this! >> reporter: herndon, an ohio native, competing as a tribute to the memories of three marines he served alongside. those three men didn't survive an attack in afghanistan in 2010. their last names mark juarez, rupert hamer, and matthew ballard, attached to the laces of his running shoes. along the route the runner says the repetition of their names again and again serving as the fuel to keep him pushing through the pain. finally that pain becoming too much to bear. herndon dropping to his hands and knees. painstakingly crossing the finish line after three hours

and 38 minutes. a marine on a mission to honor his fellow fallen soldiers. really just an incredible sight. he actually did it very quickly, 3:38. he said the pain he felt during the marathon was nothing compared to the pain he felt losing those servicemen. >> what a way to honor them with every step and every mile. incredible. >> chills. thank you, dylan. still ahead, we have got more of our holy week series. we are calling it frontiers of faith. a special and spiritual jou i'm blue and i'm an ironworker. work is really rewarding... ...and brutal on my skin... ...but knowing how i earned all that dirt... ...is pretty empowering. when i get home, the first thing... ...i have to do is use the dove beauty bar... ...to get rid of all the junk. it helps me retain my... ...natural beauty by making it... ...soft and nourished and clean. and then on the weekend... ...i get to dress up. as a woman ironworker, i feel like i can do anything, i can conquer the world. i feel both strong... ...and beautiful at the same time.

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(announcer) for free help, dumbarton bridge toward fremont closed. traffic being turned around, or actually getting off the bridge from the peninsula toward the radio towers. that's how far it is. you saw westbound build up. more off 880 past the scene. a big distraction. a jack tphaoeufed double trailer big rig still blocking the lanes. they should have another hour or so until they can get another report. eastbound 92, lighter traffic there. second traffic alert toward castle wood, that crash has cleared from the middle lane. you should see good recovery off the dublin interchange. fortunately for both of those areas, we have a lighter overall commute. kari? we are starting out with our

skies clearing across the bay area. so we are going to see that sunshine continuing today. that's a live look outside in dublin. a lot more people are heading out the door. our temperatures reach into the upper 50s near the coast. upper 60s for some of your rain land valleys. a warming trend will start the next few days. high of 65 today. 75 tomorrow. 83 degrees on thursday. so a little snap of summer before we head back to spring in time for easter. cooler breezes kicking in with sunshine. san francisco also looking at a little bit of a spike in the temperatures going into thursday. we'll be watching that and more updates throughout the morning. marcus. thanks, kari. firefighters in paris are surveying the damage at the notre dame cathedral. the latest on our home page, including how the bay area is responding. and san francisco's lyft rolls out a new plan to boost rider

safety. the company will more closely monitor drivers and conduct continuous daily background checks. smart )s plan to lower fr some riders-- and how you can weigh in on the proposal tomorrow. plus-- a bay area couple )s cancelled flight leads to a long debate with the airline. our consumer team gets the gears turning towards a refund. join us tomorrow from 4:30 to 7. good morning, it )s

coming up, devastating. >> oh, my god. >> firefighters picking up the pieces this morning after a massive inferno tears through the iconic notre dame cathedral. france's president vowing to rebuild wh rebuild. what was lost and what were first responders able to save? live in paris with the latest. plus, inside the moley land. a firsthand look at the work being done to restore one of the world's holiest sites. and we'll visit a meaningful place for both christians and jews. >> when you have your feet in the river jordan as we do now, what do you think about?

>> it's a reminder of to whom we belong and our own baptism. and time to shine. back in january, we made our new year's resolutions to get in shape. >> dancing into the new year. >> the big whammy. you will be performing a routine. >> we will check in on our results and jenna and i will show off our dance moves. today tuesday, april 16, 2019. ♪ >> sisters from north dakota. >> hi, raleigh, north carolina. >> celebrating our seventh anniversary. >> high to our kids in bakersfield. >> my first grade teacher, miss berkeley. >> celebrating springtime in the rockies from wyoming. good morning. >> mother/daughter trip from omaha, nebraska. >> hi, everybody. good morning. happy crowd. cute babies. what a wonderful day.

happy to have you with us on a tuesday morning. so good to have willie here while hoda is not here. craig is on the road this morning. >> great to be with you. we love those shout-outs. if you want to join the fun record your message and share it using #mytodayplaza on twitter and instagram. let's get to the news at 8:00. a massive worldwide fundraising campaign is on to rebuild notre dame cathedral after it was partially destroyed in a catastrophic fire. craig has made his way it paris this morning. craig, a long night of travel for you. what can you tell us? >> reporter: savannah, good morning. so far that fundraising campaign has netted more than $300 million. there is also a ministers' meeting underway right now to talk about the rebuilding effort. i am going to step out of the way and actually show you a little bit of notre dame here. this is, of course, the back side of that famed cathedral. you can see the scorched

scaffolding. that is where that 300-foot spire stood until a few hours ago. if you look to the left there you'll see two men in front of the left side of the tower. right now we are told that they are not as concerned about that side of the cathedral. the right tower, if you look to the right you'll see a crane there. there is some concern that there may be some structural instability there. so much concern, in fact, they have evacuated five residential buildings. meanwhile, this morning the fire is, thankfully, finally out as investigators continue to search for a cause while coming to grips with what's been lost behind us and precisely how it was those flames were sparked. this morning daybreak over a new and diminished paris skyline. the gothic cathedral of notre dame still stands, but without her elegant spire, burned away by a devastating fire. >> for me, notre dame is

probably as many as for americans, it's a mother. and suddenly you feel your mother has been hurt by the fire. >> reporter: french officials are so far calling the blaze unintentional. they suspect it started around 6:30 monday might among the scaffolding at the base of the spire, spreading rapidly through the medieval roof. >> the people just fell inside the church. oh, my god. >> reporter: the spire came crashing down into the church's interior, fanning the flames even further. french officials told the nation to brace, that this gothic masterpiece visited by 13 million a year may be reduced to ash. but around 400 firefighters finally contained the flames enough to go inside and saw this. the interior badly damaged, but not a charred shell. firefighters announced they had managed to save the structure. notre dame would survive. and they said major art and relics, including the holy crown of thorns, were saved.

parisians came out to sing hymns for their beloved cathedral and praise the firefighters. french president emmanuel macron told the nation, quote, notre dame will be rebuilt because it is what the french expect and what their history deserves. as if to protect notre dame from further devastation, parisians came out in groups to sing again and to pray for an icon of this city, of france, of the world. i can tell you so many of those parisians, hundreds if not thousands, are still here this afternoon with their camera phones, just taking a look, snapping pictures of what's left of the cathedral. what a lot of folks think about notre dame, by the way, they think of those famous facades naturally. we wanted to show you a little bit more about what else this wonder of the world has inside.

the 300 foot tall spire, that spire used to sit in the middle of the structure. those famous rose windows are a trio of immense stained glass. glass windows dating back to the 13th century. and then if you look, of course, in the front there, i should say the rear of the cathedral, what you are seeing behind me, those twin bell towers. they make up part of the famous facade. they were, in fact, the tallest structures here in paris until the eiffel tower was completed in the late 19th century. then that system supporting the outside walls and the high altar in the back, con he is crated in the 1180s. and for all of us who have had an opportunity to traipse through the sacred cathedral, it is one of those few places here on earth that, as soon as you walk in, the magic and majesty, it really is breathtaking. this is me back in 2001.

i did what a lot of college students do. at this point i was just out of college. i decided to backpack through europe. our first stop, our first order of business here in paris was, of course, notre dame. savannah. >> yeah, so much history there. craig, thank you so much. we appreciate it. meanwhile, congress and the public soon will get its first look at the mueller report. the justice department says attorney general william barr will release the report on russian election meddling thursday. many reports expected to be blacked out or redacted, including secret grand jury testimony, classified information, and other delicate information. democrats though demanding barr release the full unedited version. president trump railing against those efforts and repeating his view that the report exonerates him of any wrongdoing. the president is rewarding tiger woods for his victory at the masters with a presidential medal of freedom. the president said on twitter he would bestow that award because

of tiger's incredible success and comeback in sports, and more important life. he did not say when the award would be given. the presidential medal of freedom is our nation's highest civilian honor. the morning boost. >> crying babies, they know how to get our attention. one father in philadelphia got his little baby to stop crying by simply turning the tables on this 1-month-old boy. >> you don't know what to say, do you?

that storm has cleared the bay area so now we're seeing sunshine as we look live outside in san francisco. as we go throughout the day it will be very nice, still breezy with our inland valleys reaching into the upper 60s and upper 50s for the coast and in san francisco. our seven-day forecast warms up over the next few days.

we go from 65 today to 75 on wednesday, and by thursday we're up to 83 degrees. but those temperatures come down a few degrees just in time for easter. and that's your latest weather. >> thank you very much. we have a packed house for pop star. >> we have lots to get to in pop start today. let us start with kim kardashian. >> i'm so sorry. i have never done this before. i'm sorry. i think i have a really good pop start story to share with you guys. it's an exclusive. i have someone i think you are going to want to hear this. it's someone on the phone right now. i think she's there. hoda, are you there? >> i'm here. hi. >> do you have something to tell us? >> yes, i do. it's a girl! it's a girl! >> oh, my gosh.

>> wow. >> her name is hope. >> my goodness. congratulations. i'm so happy for you. >> hoda! >> you keep a secret. >> i know. i'm crying and i knew. >> right when savannah said, i burst into tears. how is life with two? >> my god, you guys, first of all, she's laying on the pillow right now. i'm feeding her. i can't believe it. i'm sitting here and -- i mean, look, in your life, maybe you've gotten what you deserve. but man, i'm so happy she's here. >> so many questions. how is haley liking having a little sis? is she helping?

>> she was trying to feed her her raspberries. i was like, not yet. she was literally marching around saying, i'm a big sister. i mean, she did try to crawl into her bassinet. weird. it's so much fun. >> did you ever think your heart could give even more love than you already have given? >> you know what's funny? you think that you are full. you think that you are full. that's exactly how i felt with haley and joel and everything. joel and i were standing there when they hand you the baby. it's the closest thing to a live birth i think you will ever see. anyway, in that moment i was like, my god, my heart just grew ten times. it's amazing. anyway, i just -- i can't believe it's happening. i can't. >> so happy for you. >> i've been giving out kleenex.

but i think i will need a mop for the set. kleenex aren't going do it around here. i will never forget the moment where my daughter first walked into the room and saw my son and realized, there are two of us now. i get to be a big sister. can you describe that moment and what it felt like? >> well, we had haley downstairs. joel and i said, wait, we have a present. we have a present. and we came down holding her. we had been telling her, baby hope is coming. she walked up to her and goes -- looked at her and she goes, hope. i just -- it was like one of those moments that -- first of all, i can't imagine any of this is happening. i feel like i'm going to wake up and god is going to say, remember how you were before all this? that's the way it is. and i mean, you hope, you pray and you dream about things. we thought about hope. we named her middle name

catherine after my best friend who her daughter -- i think you know that her husband passed a little while ago. catherine is so super strong. just so happens she was here this weekend with karen. i was like, you know what? there are no accidents in life. everything is supposed to happen in this moment the way it's happening. anyway, hope catherine kotbe. >> just before easter, it's so wonderful. that is so perfect. >> so special. >> you know what, craig, he is in paris. he is covering the news for us. he has to get in on this. i think he is crying, too. >> hi, craig. >> hoda, sweetie, i know this has been quite the journey. i am so, so happy for you. as a parent of two, buckle up. you are going from that zone defense to a man to man. how is joel? how excited is that guy?

>> let me tell you something. joel, i see him cry on occasion. he cried when tiger woods won the masters. he cried when hope was carried into the room. i was like, man, it's like tiger winning and hope in the room and rudy. his trifecta. >> we talked this weekend. so excited. she facetimed. i got to meet hope. i saw your instagram on monday morning. it said, choose hope. boy, we did. you did. we just can't wait to love her and just wrap our arms around you. we're so happy. our joy is overflowing for you. >> think about how many people you are giving hope to. >> you are. >> by the way, when you facetimed me, i was in a starbucks. i had to go into the women's room and weep. we're so happy.

>> you were made up for your cher interview. >> they are givinggood morning,. i )m ... this is nbc skyranger flying over the good morning to you. 8:26 right now, i'm laura garcia. i have some better news this morning concerning the morning commute. nbc bay area sky ranger was flying over the dumbarton bridge capturing these images. 5:30 all lanes were closed from the jack knifed big rig. share with us the good news. >> well, it is open now. the jack knifed big rig is no longer blocking the entire bridge getting over to the fremont bridge. we have some repair work that needs to be done to the chain link fence and we have recovery that will have to go on the peninsula side. folks can now get to eastbound

92 has been smooth moving as an alternate. now, southbound 880 shows a slow drive. the earlier crash there, that cleared up about 45 minutes ago but still slow heading down and in and through dublin and traveling through san ramon. 880 and 580 through oakland are jamming up. an earlier crash has cleared there. 280 north into cupertino, the rash there i believe is moving its way to the shoulder as well. back to you. >> all right. we will be back with another update in half an hour. living joyfully.

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♪ we are back at 8:30 on a tuesday morning. the 16th of april, 2019. another packed plaza on a beautiful morning. some cheers and smiles. and we are still getting over the news of baby hope. join the party.

>> hope is here. >> how long have you been keeping the secret? >> since sunday. you know i have a big mouth, too. >> you're good. >> i received a cryptic phone call sunday night. we need you to come in for a couple of days with no explanation. now i'm so glad to hear why. >> i love hailey's face. >> so happy. >> yesterday we kicked off this doppelganger thing because someone looked like carson. that was chris from texas. we found another one. does this look like anyone you guys know? >> yes! >> she has the same moves. >> yes. and i get a lot that i look like you. >> that's so cute. >> i think it's a compliment. >> tell me your name again. >> denise. >> all right. i totally see this. we are bringing back doppelganger week. >> i love it. where are you from? >> maryland. >> nice to meet you. >> nice to meet you.

>> okay. let's be twins. sounds good. >> you have good sheinelle energy, too. just dance around everywhere. >> she has the exact same moves. this is crazy. >> do the kicks. >> i always say something about that. >> do the dance moves, too? >> i try. tina turner, no. >> we will do a duet. >> nice to meet you guys. >> funny. she does look like you. that's so cute. >> stand by me here. >> coming up, everybody knows that 50 shades series. now author e.l. james is telling a love story. her newest novel. she is here to tell us about it. we will find out how it dpars to the other hit books. we have been stlg, planking, dancing our hearts out in the name of our get fit challenge. which teams reached their goals

and savannah and jenna will be showing off their hard work with a special live dance routine. >> yes. >> that's what everybody is out here for. >> then on the third hour we are talking family, faith, and life after football with legendary coach tony dungy and his wife lauren. >> they are great. >> first, with mother's day on the way, on the lookout for deserving moms. a special mother's day brunch friday, may 10th on the plaza. if you and your mom will be in the area head to today.com and tell us why she is so special to we can toast her right here. >> let's get a look at the weather. first, today we have that storm system coming into the west. warmth of the spring making its way from the gulf to the plains and some gusty winds in new england. for tomorrow, well, we have severe storms in the mid-plains making its way with rain in the northern plains. mountain snow in the rockies. sunshine in the eastern third of the u.s. looking a little bit better. and sunshine returns to the west coast as well.

good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. our high temperatures for the inland areas will reach the upper 60s. morgan hill seeing a high of 67. 69 in antioch. in oakland today, expect a high of 64 degrees. our temperatures in the mid 60s today and the showers have now moved out but we'll be warming up over the next few days, looking at highs up to 75 tomorrow, 83 on thursday. it will be very warm then but cooling down in time for the hole i day weekend. >> and let's head back inside. savannah. >> all right. al, thank you so much. just ahead, no surprises this time. we will get back to "popstart" after sharing hoda's exciting news. first, this is "today" on nbc.

all right. welcome back. take two on "popstart." >> yes. >> i liked the other one. >> no. it's so rude to interrupt,

but -- >> jenna is so excited. she is ready for the workout. >> i love it. >> i thought i had something significant on my face or there was some reason you were interrupting me. best news ever. back to "popstart." kim kardashian west has taken up a cause near and dear to her. she is letting her fans and critics know just how serious she is about it. guess who is here? pop star correspondent sheinelle jones with more on that. >> good morning. yes, indeed. hitting the law books in the hopes that all the hard work will one day earn the reality star and social media icon another title. that of lawyer. it's not the typical social media post that reality star kim kardashian is known for. the selfie queen posting about study time in her quest to become a lawyer. on instagram monday the 38-year-old wife of rapper kanye west writes in part, last year i registered with the california state bar to study law.

for the next four years a minimum of 18 hours a week is required. i will take written and multiple choice tests monthly. although kardashian doesn't have a college degree, the state of california allows aspiring lawyers to skip law school, provided they study for four years in a law office under the watch of a practicing attorney. kardashian has completed a year and says she is looking forward to the challenge, writing, i am preparing for the baby bar. a mini version of the bar. the so-called baby bar is notoriously difficult with a very low pass rate. despite the naysayers, the mother of three, soon to be four, says it's tough but she is determined. her voice helped alice marie johnson, imprisoned for more than two decades on a non-violent drug charge, successfully lobbying president trump to free her, telling hoda about her commitment to the case. >> it became this mission that i just didn't want to give up. >> reporter: kim's attorney believes she has the drive and the smarts to make it happen.

>> i would not be surprised if she were to use her powers, continue to use her powers for good, which can only be enhanced by her having a law degree and becoming a lawyer. >> reporter: and a new show of altruism for a reality star known more for her glitz and glamour. she even disconnected from friends to focus on making this dream happen. it obviously runs in the family. her late father robert was one of o.j. simpson's attorneys. people are saying, she can pass the bar. the california bar. >> it's really hard. it's all memorization. so i say if you can do it, go for it. you earned it. >> and use that platform she has for good. >> exactly. >> have you ever heard of this mini bar? i was like, the mini bar, gentlemen. >> $8 snickers is worth it at midnight. >> good stuff. all right. back to you. >> thank you so much.

up next, we have got more exciting news. a brand new digital series called woman who rock with our sponsor citi. it features music superstars mentoring aspiring artists. we brought in maren morris. she sat down with brown and they discussed finding their voice in a male-dominated industry. >> when i do sessions it's all guys. so like what were some of your like techniques when you were in the studios with all those guys? like how did you like kind of stand, hold your own? >> at the beginning i was really timid. i didn't know how to voice an opinion because i felt like i was going to either sound uneducated or like i was being too aggressive. when it's your music, it's your song, you wrote the song, your voice is going to be on the song. you have complete creative umbrage to voice any opinion. it took me a few years to realize, like this is my music. i ultimately have to be the final say. and that's okay. >> so obviously they had very

interesting discussions. for the full video and more on women who rock go to today.com/concertseries. finally, sweet willie g. last night he was on the seth meyers show. >> willie is pregnant! >> that's big news. >> just looks that way. >> you opened with your recent interview with tracy morgan. he has some interesting things in his home office. >> as we are talking, there is a trophy case between us. i look and i'm like, there is an emmy in there. i have done my homework. i know he was nominated. i look down. there is an emmy, an oscar, and a heisman trophy. and i'm like, what's going on? he is like, willie, it's america. money talks, baby. you can buy a heisman trophy. >> is it true that his office is also modeled after the

godfather? >> that's correct. ve vito corleone's office, he has it in his home. the shades and everything. that's where we did the interview. >> does he have a horse's head in his bed? >> no. a fantasy world. >> everybody loves willie. they are like, come on inside my home. it's amazing. >> i'm surprised he didn't give you the heisman. >> he asked for it. he didn't give it to me. he is a blast. >> that was awesome. >> dylan, great job. thank you. coming up next, e.l. james is here to tell us about "the mister." first, this is "today" on nbc.

we are back with best-selling author e.l. james, the mastermind behind the "fifty shades of grey" fem on nphenome

>> they have sod 150 million copies. it's raked in more than $1 billion at the box office. >> now e.l. james is introducing us to two new characters in a brand new love story in the latest novel "the mister." >> this is very elaborate. >> yes. we really set up the whole table here for you because your new book actually takes place across england? >> it does. it does, indeed. it's probably tea time in england. this is perfect. >> we have some finger sandwiches. >> yes. maybe i'll have a snack. >> this is separate from shades of gray? >> yes. >> these are new characters? >> well, it's a boy meets girl and shenanigans kind of thing. he is from the upper crust in society and she isn't. she is a woman with mystery behind her. and, you know, they fall in love and stuff happens. >> how does it work? how long do you have these

characters in your mind before you can really put them on paper and tell the story? >> these two have been in my mind for a long, long time. a long time. i wrote a rough draft way back in the day. they have slowly come into focus over time. i had to go to albania to really get a sense of this young woman because that's where she is from. and it wasn't until i went there last march that she really, really came into focus for me. he has been with me for longer. so, yeah, it takes a while. >> you have lived a christian and anastasia for a decade. they made you a star around the world. 150 million copies. >> staggering, isn't it? >> it is. >> i don't get it. >> was it nice to step into something a little bit different? >> it was refreshing to have a go and have other people. i mean, they have been in my head so long. it was great to get them down on the page. christian and ana are still in my head. they haven't gone away.

but i have other characters in there as well. it's good to get them out of my head so they are no longer in there. it makes you a bit crazy. >> how would you best compare "the mister" to "fifty shades"? >> i think it's more of a cinderella story. "fifty shades" is beauty and the beast, is how i have always seen it. and there are similarities in the sense that both christian and max are wealthy. christian has made his money. max hasn't. >> and i think what dylan is really asking is will she have to take a cold shower after reading these books as she did the others? >> hopefully. we'll see. there are some very intimate morning. i think i can say that on morning television. so, yes, that hasn't gone away. >> do you think there will be a movie as well? >> we'll see. >> i suspect there may be, right? >> we'll see. we'll see. >> we get to -- how do you get into the mindset when you write?

>> i have music that i listen to. i have some various bits of music that will get me in the mood. >> who do you listen to? >> black-eyed peas, a song called "sexy." and a version of dolby theatn't reaper. that's all i'm going to say. >> wow, that gets you in the mood. we have lernarned so much from e.l. james. the book is called "the mister." find out more on today.com/shop. plus, at today.com e.l. takes keir simmons on a special tour of some of the locations in the book. great to see you. congratulations on the book. >> thank you for having me. >> we should mention the "fifty shades" movies are produced by our sister company universal. >> jenna, out to you. we have trainer to the stars tracy anderson, plus savannah and i are about to amaze with our get fit cardio dance routine we hope.

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. mousse ♪ we're back with our get fit today series. we all made new year's resolutions to get in shape. >> at the beginning. year we divided into teams. remember that? we were tackling specific fitness goals. then we broke a sweat, felt the burn and tracked our progress along the way. >> hi hopes for the new year. >> hoda and i are going to bike 1,000 miles. >> our goal is to increase our core strength and our flexibility. >> going to dance for 45 minutes. it's not going to be pretty. >> our track record was far from stellar. >> some are just a mom dancer. >> especially if we have had a few cocktails. >> i can't touch my toes. can you? >> not in this jacket. >> but we were motivated to get moving. >> there they are.

>> whoa! >> we kicked off the challenge in full force. >> yes! >> dancing into the new year. >> here is the big whammy. you will be performing a routine. >> yes. >> okay. so far the big money is on hoda and al. >> our trainers put us right to work. >> dude, that is hard. >> ow, it really hurts. >> al, nobody is sweating but us. >> we tracked our progress. some of us more than others. >> get fit today, let's do it. >> hours of practice. >> five, six, seven, eight. good job. you got that one. >> early wakeups. >> well, 4:40 and i'm walking to the gym. it's early. >> and some friendly competition. >> she is going to win this. make no mistake about it. >> we work towards one common goal. getting in shape for spring. >> okay. well, quick reminder. the experts at men's health and women's health created our training plan. how did we do?

good morning. so cold it's hard to talk. how did we do, liz? >> amazing. i am so impressed. i know that two of you did exceptionally well. >> really? >> there is one special team, right? >> tracy anderson, our teacher this year, as well. >> what kind of students are they? >> they came in wanting to challenge themselves, not believing they could do it. they had belief in themselves and positivity and they did it. >> i feel like it's the day of the recital. >> i'm a proud mom. >> the only difference is there are several million people watching. good luck with that. should we get off to dance then? >> let's do it. >> thank you so much. >> ready? ♪ don't think about it ♪ just move your body

♪ listen to the music sing oh ♪ just move those left feet ♪ go ahead you're crazy ♪ anyone can do it, sing oh ♪ show the world you have that fight ♪ ♪ feel the rhythm getting louder ♪ ♪ show the world what you can do ♪ ♪ prove to them you got the moves ♪ ♪ i don't know about you but i feel better when i'm dancing ♪ ♪ yahya ♪ better when i'm dancing yeah, yeah ♪ ♪ we can do this together ♪ i bet you feel better when you're dancing yeah, yeah ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ when you finally let go ♪ you say that's all ♪ because you listen to the music sake oh ♪ ♪ you're confident babe ♪ you make your hips sway

♪ we knew you could do it sing oh ♪ ♪ show the world you got that fire ♪ ♪ feel the rhythm getting louder ♪ ♪ show the world that you can do it ♪ ♪ you got the moves ♪ i don't know about you but i feel better when i'm dancing ♪ ♪ yeah, yeah ♪ better when i'm dancing ♪ yeah, yeah ♪ oh, oh, we can do this together ♪ ♪ i bet you feel better when you're dancing ♪ ♪ yeah, yeah ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ i feel better when i'm dancing ♪ ♪ better when i'm dancing

♪ oh-a-oh ♪ i feel better when i'm dancing, yeah, yeah ♪ ♪ better when i'm dancing, yeah, yeah ♪ ♪ don't you know ♪ we can do this together ♪ bet you feel better when you're dancing, yeah ♪ ♪ you've got to move, happening now... we have folks dancing in the streets but slowing in the streets. this is in palo alto, still jammed up a bit. recovering because folks were trying to figure out what to do about the dumbarton bridge. you travel eastbound. all lanes have been open for a half hour now, and the bridge is moving smoothly from the earlier traffic alert which has cleared on the fremont side but

westbound is still slow. we had the buildup there. we are feeling the ripple effect on the peninsula side, but, again, the bridge is fine slowing on north 101. also highway 13, but really 101 is the tough drive past sfo. earlier crash at oyster point. back to you. surveying the damage in the wake of the fire that destroyed the notre dame. it was put out 12 hours after it began. now the bay area is responding. san francisco's lyft rolls out a new plan to boost rider safety. they plan to closely monitor drivers and conduct continuous daily background checks. head to the local section of our home page and link to the full details. nbc bay area, we investigate. "curiouser and curiouser,"

said alice. "the rabbit-hole went straight on like a tunnel for some way." "i've seen a cat without a gri, but a grin without a cat." hey, mercedes, end audio. change lighting to soft blue. the completely reimagined 2020 gle. with intelligent voice control and available third row. your adventure awaits at the mercedes-benz spring event but hurry the event ends april 30th. some riders-- and how you can weigh in on the proposal tomorrow. plus-- a bay area couple )s cancelled flight leads to a long debate with the airline. our consumer team gets the gears turning towards a refund. join us tomorrow fro a bay area's cancelled flight leads

live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza this is the third hour of "today." >> and good morning everybody. i'm al along with sheinelle, dylan. we also have our friend nbc news correspondent anne thompson here. we will be talking about the news out of paris. historic notre dame cathedral. drag is there. we will talk to him as well. before that, we just got some great news in our "today" show family. our colleague hoda kotb has a new addition to her family. take a look. >> are you there? >> oh, i'm here. hi, guys! >> to you have something to