not really a lot of activity on the roads. >> thank you for joining us as well. coming up next on the "today" show surgeon general jerome adams live and our coverage continues online at nbcbayarea.com. good morning breaking news. show of force. president trump activates the national guard as the number of coronavirus cases skyrockets. >> it's a different kind of a war than we've ever had. >> doctors and nurses on the front lines desperate for critical medical supplies. >> very low. >> we're all talking about buying the right mask on ebay. >> is help really on the way and how soon just ahead, we'll ask the nation's top doctor surgeon general jerome adams. stalemate overnight. democrats block the nearly $2

trillion coronavirus aid package saying it has a slush fund for big business republicans warning their rivals are playing with fire as the economy tanks. at risk, new warnings from health officials on the virus's toll on younger americans. >> we have to really examine why we're seeing it here but we didn't see it in china. >> what the cdc is saying straight ahead. plus olympics in jeopardy. the first nations announce they won't send athletes to tokyo and the debate intensifies this morning over whether the games should really happen today monday, march 23rd, 2020 >> announcer: from nbc news, this is a special edition of "today: the coronavirus pandemic" with savannah guthrie and hoda kotb. and good morning, everybody. welcome to "today" on monday morning. it's good to have you along with

us once again we are separated but together in our hearts, hoda i'm working from home this week and you're back in the studio. >> indeed, savannah. it's great, great to see your face on this monday morning. we do have a lot to get to when it comes to the coronavirus pandemic overnight, president trump authorized the activation of the national guard in the nation's three hardest hit states, new york, washington, and california meantime there's a new case of coronavirus on capitol hill where negotiations on that massive economic rescue package have suddenly stalled. also this morning the international olympic committee for the first time says it will consider postponing tokyo 2020 word of that came after canada and australia announced they would not send athletes if the games are not delayed. all this as u.s. cases of the virus have soared above 34,000 and 446 deaths our team has every aspect.

coverage starting with gabe gutierrez. he's at a hospital in brooklyn, new york hey, gabe, good morning. >> reporter: hoda, good morning. new york city is now an epicenter of the growing pandemic the state has about 5% of the world's confirmed cases. the prescreening tent behind me has seen long lines since last week, and now the numbers are soaring. this morning doctors and nurses coast-to-coast tell us it's critical. >> in some areas like masks, we're down to zero. >> despite government promises they are desperate for protective gear and say time is running out. >> we're about 10 days away from our public health system not being able to support coronavirus patients sufficiently for lack of equipment and supplies. >> in new york governor andrew cuomo asking hospitals to expand their capacity by 50%. the state is turning four sites, including massive javits convention center in manhattan into temporary medical

facilities to deal with the surge of new patients. governor cuomo i also calling on the federal government to use the defense production act to order companies to make more ventilators and masks. right now he says there's rampant price gouging. >> there are masks we were paying $0.85 for we're now paying $7. why? because i'm competing against every other state, and in some cases against other countries around the world. >> on the front lines health care workers say they are in dire need. >> we just did another national survey of our nurses as of march 20th 55% still say they don't have access to n95 respirators on their unit. >> fear of contagion they are doing their best to protect themselves this virus is crazy contagious. >> the doctor from alabama is among those who have already tested positive for covid-19.

>> there's a fear and everyone is trying to do the right thing. if we don't control in the next three or four weeks, our health care workers will be overwhelmed and burning at both ends. >> the president said the preference is not to use the act but hoping private companies will step up. >> concept of nationalizing our business is not a good concept >> gm and tesla offering to make ventilators. gm tim cook said they are donating masks and retro if he -- retrofitting facilities to make them. 3m is ramping up production of the masks. governor cuomo said the state might need more than 30,000 icu beds right now we have only about 3,000. savannah. >> all right gabe overnight $2 trillion aid

package was blocked by senate democrats on capitol hill. there's also a new case of the virus there. tom costello has that part of the story. tom, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning. the senate is going to try again to vote on its version of the $2 trillion stimulus package. however, they have a problem because now a u.s. senator tested positive for the virus. house democrats say they want to have their own bill which really focuses they say more on families and workers than on big business the administration's focus, it says, is right now on pushing critical supplies, medical supplies to cities in need but as some of the hardest hit cities like new york, city officials say the federal response so far has been insufficient >> on capitol hill this morning, republicans and democrats remain at odds over spending. senate majority leader mitch mcconnell blame house democrats after a procedural vote on the senate measure failed sunday evening. >> the speaker of the house shows up, and we're back to

square one. >> nancy pelosi firing back democrats want more money and better protections for affected workers and their families. >> we'll be introducing our own bill and hopefully it will be compatible with what they discuss in the senate. >> but mcconnell faces another major hurdle with rand paul becoming the first senator to test positive for the virus. several other republican senators now in self-quarantine. all this adding to the debate over whether members of congress, many of whom are in the high-risk category for coronavirus, should be allowed to vote remotely, which is currently not allowed. >> i think it may be a constitutional reason why you should but we could be in a position where i would certainly be in favor of it, where they could vote from a certain outside location. >> with growing concerns about a deepening recession, treasury secretary mnuchin says it could be june before things start to normalize.

the president stimulus package hoping demand for services like eating out will lead to a speedy economic recovery. >> our goal is to get relief to americans as quickly as possible so that families can get by and small businesses can keep workers on the payroll this will help our economy, and you will see our economy skyrocket once this is over. >> this morning the message to more than a quarter of the u.s. population, stay home. it all comes as more governors issue restrictions in an effort to contain the spread of the virus. the most recent, ohio. the new epicenter of the outbreak, new york, which has seen a dramatic spike in cases due in part to increased testing. >> new york state has 15 times more cases than any other state right now. >> governor cuomo issuing a stern warning to young people who defied social distancing guidelines. >> it's self-destructive, it's disrespectful to other people, and it has to stop, and it has to stop now.

>> the administration says so far a quarter of a million americans have been tested but the administration is now telling labs prioritize people who are already in the hospital when you're processing these in addition, the administration says it's now working on a test that it says should be able to provide results within 45 minutes. it's hoping that test will be out by the end of the month. hoda, back to you. >> all right, tom, thank you governor cuomo underscoring this point that health officials are now out with new warnings about the virus for younger americans. the question is why is the toll here more severe than it has been in other parts of the world. nbc's sam brock in houston with more on that part of the story hey, sam. >> hoda, good morning. as this pandemic continues to unfold, doctors here in the u.s. still trying to figure this disease out. this morning we're in houston on the site of the biggest medical center in the world where they are not providing details on hospitalizations but we do know, hoda, in the houston metro alone, there are

at least 40 cases involving people who are 30 or younger two of those cases involving kids under the age of 10 this morning, the coronavirus proving to be unpredictable as the nation's top health experts try to pin down who is most at risk. >> now as we're seeing weeks move into months with this crisis we know a lot of our initial thoughts are not accurate we are seeing younger folks who can get hospitalized and also very sick. >> information out of china initially pointed to older people being hit the hardest but the latest cdc data paints a different picture. patients between the ages of 20 and 54 make up nearly 40% of covid-19 hospitalizations in the u.s. with 12% of intensive care patients between the ages of 20 and 44 what's not clear is how many of the young patients had underlying conditions, making them more vulnerable the death rate among the younger

group remains far lower still compared to those 65 and older. >> no matter how young you are, if you have an underlying serious medical condition, you're going to potentially get into trouble if they don't have underlying conditions, that will be something we have to really examine as to why we're seeing it here but we didn't see it in china. >> he's fighting for his life. >> zachary's husband david was hospitalized after he became sick a week later, the 44-year-old who has asthma, is now on a ventilator. >> just taking it day by day, hour by hour >> college students who packed beaches and bars over spring break widely criticized. now a florida university says five of its students have tested positive after returning from vacation. >> young people can get it you will get sick. >> new york's governor andrew cuomo noting more than half the cases in the state are people

between 18 and 49. a country relying on a younger generation being responsible reeling at the prospect they, too, could be at risk. as a doctor told me, there is no textbook for the coronavirus and how to handle it they are figuring this all out in realtime. in texas, dallas has issued what they call shelter-in-place order. that takes place later tonight so far the state's governor has yet to extend that order for the entire state savannah, back to you. >> all right, sam brock in houston for us thank you. and we're joined now live by u.s. surgeon general dr. jerome adams. good to see you again, sir. >> good morning. i really didn't expect that i'd be on the "today" show for such a somber occasion. i want america to understand, this week it's going to get bad. we really need to come together as a nation. i've heard the story you were just playing

young people out on beaches. we see here in d.c. that the district set up a cam for people to watch cherry blossoms you look on the cam, you see more people walking around than you see cherry blossoms. this is how the spread is occurring. we really, really -- >> you don't think people are taking it seriously? >> i think there are a lot of people who are doing the right things, but i think that unfortunately we are finding out a lot of people think this can't happen to them when you look at what's going on in new york, we said this at the beginning of 15 days to stop the spread initiative, the numbers happened two weeks ago. we don't want dallas or new orleans or chicago to turn into the next new york. it means everyone needs to be taking the right steps right now at home. >> i hear the urgency in your voice, sir i wanted to ask you, actually, because the president tweeted just last night around midnight. and he said -- and i can put it up on the screen -- we cannot let the cure be worse than the disease. at the end of the 15-day period,

we will decide which way what he want to go what does that mean? >> well, it means that our 15 days to stop the spread initiative really was based on the fact when it came out a week ago, we were about two weeks behind italy and we really hoped to instill a sense of urgency across america that includes pulling down elective surgery cases i have an op-ed about that that includes social distancing measures stay at home, don't take unnecessary travel, avoid groups of larger than 10. that includes teleworking. there are parts of the country that are doing it. these work preventively. they work best the earlier you do it an people are waiting to see the spread before they get serious. >> we talked last week, dr. adams, you acknowledged it's likely going to have to be more than 15 days we take these measures again, this is the hazard of trying to interpret a tweet, but it sounded like the president

was at least considering ending these measures after the 15-day period when he says at the end of the 15 day period w will decide which way we want to go we don't want the cure to be worse than the disease that sounds like he's worried that what we're doing to stop it is worse than the virus itself where do you come down on that >> well, savannah, as the nation's doctor, i'm here to help america understand how we need to respond to this. where i come down is that every single day counts, every single second counts. right now there are not enough people out there who are taking this seriously you see it looking in california, people on the beaches. you see it in washington, d.c., people out looking at the cherry blossoms we need to take this seriously >> we've talked a lot about that graphic. everybody has seen it now. flattening the curve this is the effort we're all collectively involved in right now. if we're not testing as much as

we could be, how will we know? what's your progress report on where we are on flattening the curve when you have places like new york state saying we're not testing you anymore unless you come in here to the hospital so if you're not testing, how will we know if these measures are working? >> that's a great question i had a tweet out yesterday where i pointed out last week if you look at monday to friday, testing increased by ten fold. testing is definitely significantly increased across the country. here is the problem. we aren't testing the people who are at highest risk right now, and it's why yesterday you heard the vice president say and you heard me say, we need to make sure we're prioritizing for health care workers. we need to take care of the people who take care of people in hospitals and people at highest risk right now as tony fauci said many times and people have heard me say this, too. people need to act as if they have the virus right now so test or no test, we need you to understand, you could be spreading it to someone else or you could be getting it from someone else

stay at home >> in new york the governor -- new york is the place where they have the most cases in the country. more than half the cases they have right now, 53% were actually young people between the ages of 18 and 49, which, of course, is very different than the earlier understandings of this virus are young people more at risk than previously thought? >> well, so far the demography definitely seems to be very different in the united states versus in other countries that saw this hit earlier we're looking into that. there are theories that it could be because we know we have a higher proportion of people in the united states and also in italy who vape we don't know if that's the only cause. but it's important for young people to know you can get this disease. you can be hospitalized from this disease, you can die from this disease but most importantly you can spread it to your loved ones we need you to really lean in.

it's why i reached out i want to give a shout out to kylie jenner who stepped up and sent out a message my daughter and son said, dad, make sure you call out layer engray, roman atwood, reaching ou to social media influencers who don't listen to surgeon general but are on youtube and tiktok but say, hey, this is serious, and this includes you. >> i hope we're getting the message out. doctors, nurses, hospital staff have a message, too. they are begging for protective equipment. so far the president has resisted invoking defense production act he's activated but not using it yet. he's resisted that, not sure from where you established as a medical professional that's the right thing to do from where you stand as a medical professional yourself, if doctors and nurses are begging for these kinds of equipment, is it time to ask companies -- not ask, tell companies to start helping in the manufacture of this lifesaving equipment >> well, a couple of things there. these are my colleagues. these are my friends

i'm getting texts all through the night every minute from people i want you all to know as surgeon general and as your colleague, i will not rest, i have not rested, i won't rest until we make sure the people taking care of the people get what they need to stay safe. now, you asked about the defense production act here is the thing people don't understand you don't need to compel someone to do something they are already doing. we talked to 3m, and honeywell, they are at max production we spoke with hanes. we never would have thought if you invoke the defense production act to go to hanes. you don't need to compel people to do what they are already doing. the other important point. we're not going to ventilate our way out of this problem. we're not going to treat the way out of this problem. the way you stop the infectious disease like this is mitigation measures and preventing people from getting it in the first place. wile we're focusing on supply, we need to focus on driving down demand this week we need more people talking

about, hey, stay at home. >> all right dr. jerome adams, thank you. i would mention organizations like the american hospital association are asking for the defense production act to be invoked. so we'll see where that shakes out quickly. >> real quickly. we're making sure supplies are available. if you're healthy, you still can go out and donate blood. don't forget that. >> yes always a good reminder, sir. thank you so much in these busy times. i appreciate your time this morning. hoda, we'll send it to you. >> all right, savannah, thank you. we figure it's a good time in the morning to hit pause again and check in with our friend mr. roker. he's got some storms he's looking at working from home again. hey, al, good to see your face, hon. >> hey, good to see you, too we're talking about right now maybe a little bit of a winter storm even though it's spring. as we look on the radar, we've got 6 million people impacted by winter weather advisories,

winter storm warnings as the system pushes up along the coast. rain from new york all way up into boston but snow above 1500 feet as we move into tomorrow and wednesday this thing pushes out. we're talking anywhere from 1 to 9" of snow interior new york and new england with up to an inch of rain along the coast. we've got a second storm coming tuesday with heavy rain in the ohio and tennessee river valleys. by wednesday it reforms off the northeast coast and that could bring a little more snow but rain more likely, stretching from the ohio river valley into the northeastern atlantic coast the northeastern coast your local forecast in the next on 30 seconds. we're going to get to your local news in the next 30 seconds. onstar crisis assist services and wifi data. if you need a new chevy, interest-free financing for 84 months - with deferred payments for 120 days

on many of our most popular models. you may even shop online and take delivery at home. it's just our way of doing our part... good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. we're going to see a mostly sunny sky to start. a live look outside in san francisco and then as we go into the rest of the day a few more clouds moving in but it will be mostly for the south bay where we see our chance of showers moving through for this afternoon. so as we go into the next several days, we'll reach up to 60 degrees and then we're looking at highs in the upper 50s for san francisco as rain moves in midweek. coming up in the next half hour, we're going to be talking about severe weather down in the south. hoda. >> al, thank you still ahead with everybody staying home, delivery services like amazon are being flooded with orders. but the question is how safe are those packages that are arriving

at your door vicky nguyen has an eye-opening look at that >> plus a live interview with the governor of illinois we're going to talk about his state's response to the outbreak and why he says the federal government should be doing even more to help first, this is "today" on nbc. for over 75 years people have saved money with...ohhh... ...with geico... ohhh...sorry! director's voice: here we go. from the top. and action for over 75 years people have saved money with gecko so.... director's voice: cut it! ...what...what did i say? gecko? i said gecko? aw...

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coming up, we'll take a moment to remember music icon kenn coming up, we are going to take a moment to remember music icon kenny rogers through his many visits with us through the years right here on the "today" show that song that you're hearing, "old friends." and leave you with a lincoln loaner. that's the power of sanctuary. nall dogs descend from wolves, or the age, and for thousands of years they've shared a love for meat. blue wilderness is made to satisfy that desire. feed the wolf that lives inside your dog

with blue wilderness. that's why lincoln offers complimentary pickup and delivery servicing. we'll pick up your vehicle and leave you with a lincoln loaner. that's the power of sanctuary. good morning. 7:26. i'm laura garcia. the first set run coronavirus testing center will open less than two hours from now in the east bay. it is located in hayward across the street from fire department number 7. it's free to the public no matter where you live or immigration status. if you show symptoms like fever, cough, and shortness of breath, a firefighter on paramedic will take a sample interest your nose or throat. the lab will provide between 200 and 350 test kits per day. it opens at 9:00.

time to check the forecast. meteorologist kari hall working from home this morning. how are we looking? it looks pretty good, laura. we saw some rain over the weekend and will see showers moving through today. a live look outside with some clouds rolling by. once again a chance of some of those showers. our i think it will be more widespread from the morning to the afternoon as well as wednesday. the rest of the week will start to dry out with seasonable temperatures. how is the morning commute, mike? it's rolling. it's rolling well. we do have a good number of folks keeping the bay area going. crashes on either side of the bay have cleared up from whipple on the peninsula and 880. 580 around 14th i'm watching because there are reports of a

fire underneath the freeway. the rest of the bay an easy flow of traffic. thank you very much. another local news update in half an hour. have a good morning.

hey, everybody welcome back to monday, 7:30, march 23rd, 2020 we're so happy you're joining us this morning hi, miss guthrie. >> hello, good morning good to see you. we're starting our new week of temporary new normal i'm working from my basement hoda is back in the studio good to see you from afar. >> it is good to see you we're so happy you're joining us we'll get right to headlines overnight a vote to advance a $2 trillion stimulus bill failed. democrats argue the economic rescue package is tilted towards corporations and does too littl

to help workers and health care providers. senate majority leader mitch mcconnell accused democrats of obstruction. 12 states under stay at home orders 12 state disgraced movie producer harvey weinstein has tested positive for the coronavirus. weinstein serving a prison sentence for sexual assault. he's been placed in isolation at the facility in western new york savannah, over to you. illinois has over a thousand cases of coronavirus, the state issued a stay at home order. joining us the governor of illinois, j.b. pritzker. good to see you this morning. >> great to see you. >> how is it going so far. do you feel like the residents of your state are listening to and adhering to the stay at home order? they are. i'm very proud of the

>> they are. i'm very proud of the people of illinois this is a difficult period in all of our lives but people are doing what they are supposed to be doing as we work through this thing, what i'm seeing is an enormous amount of volunteerism, people caring for one another in the communities, taking care of elderly and our first responders. >> we've talked just in the last half hour about the shortage of protective equipment, ventilators, those medical supplies so needed in the battle against this virus the surgeon general was pointing out you don't need to invoke defense production act because companies are coming forward and voluntarily meeting that need. i know you feel that it should be invoked what do you say to that argument >> well, with all due respect to the surgeon general, the truth is that i was on the phone yesterday talking to companies and here is what i ran into.

in one cases we're competing with ventilators with fema and the federal government so illinois is bidding for ventilators against the federal government in another case we were bidding against foreign countries and other states so what's happening to not just on ventilators but all the ppe we need, prices are being ratcheted up, and we're competin against each other on what should be a national crisis where we should be coming together and the federal government should be leading, helping us look, we're willing to pay reasonable retail prices for the things that we need, but the federal government needs to say to all the companies in the united states that produce these goods that they are going to buy them all together and distribute them across the states. >> how would the defense production act alleviate that particular concern about, for lack of a better way to put it, the price gouging or feeling prices are getting jacked up as you're competing with all these different entities. >> it allows the federal government to, first of all, be a single purchaser for everybody

to bring down prices, first of all. second of all, it allows the federal government to put the united states first. when i'm competing with foreign countries for my state's needs to keep the people of the united states alive, that's just wrong. the president, although he says he's invoked the production act, the national defense production act, he signed something but then he hasn't actually invoked it with regard to companies. he says he wants to be partners with those companies well, that's great i want them to get a fair price for their goods but we need ventilators. we need n95 masks. the government isn't getting those to the states. we're out there competing gett those to the states. we're against each other it shouldn't work that way. >> last night democrats in congress blocked the latest almost $2 trillion aid package on the basis, according to

democrats, it had slush fund, pejorative term, too much to corporations, not enough to regular folks. my question to you, though, people are desperate they need this money they need this help. is this the time to have these kinds of arguments or should it be fast tracked, essentially >> we certainly need another stimulus put in place. i think some of the lessons of 2008 need to be learned, though. the money needs to get in the hands of the middle class, the working class, and people who really need it and states, by the way, who are providing services to people now out of work and those who are developmentally disabled and others remember, our revenues in the states are dropping precipitously because people are out of work and businesses have closed, and we're increasing our expenditures in order to take care of people across the united states so we need another stimulus, no doubt about it there shouldn't be an argument . but the truth is that this but the truth is that this stimulus should be about average people. >> how long --

>> say it again? >> i said how long, though, do you want your colleagues in the senate to hold this line, you know, and make this point? >> how long? look, they should resolve this today. there's no doubt about it. needlessly handing billions of dollars to companies when you could put it in the hands of average folks or into the hands of states that are providing >> illinois governor j.b. pritzker thank you very much for your time this morning. i really appreciate it. >> thank you. >> all right hoda, i'll send it back to you in the studio. >> all right, savannah, thank you. still to come, just how safe are those amazon, ups deliveries when they arrive at your front door wait until you hear what one worker is telling us plus how to safely open and clean your packages. that's coming up after this.

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the highest level of safety you can earn. (avo female) get 0.9% apr financing on the 2020 subaru outback through march 31st. we are back with in-depth to we are back with in-depth today with tens of millions of americans sheltering in place. we're relying on things to be delivered now more than ever what was once a convenience is now considered essential but are warehouse workers and delivery drivers being protected, and could those packages actually be exposing your family to the coronavirus nbc consumer investigative correspondent vicky nguyen joins us, got some importance answers. we got so many packages this weekend and as we were slashing them open i was thinking about this. >> i hope you were taking the precautions we're going to talk about. the need is never higher your risk of infection from delivered packages is likely very low with so many workers handling your packages before they show up at your home, what kind of

precautions are companies like amazon taking to protect their workers and you, the customer. this morning what you need to know to stay safe. in an open letter, amazon's jeff bezos reassuring his workers and 100 million workers that safety -- customers that safety from covid-19 is his top priority writing in part, we've implemented a series of preventive health measures from employees and contractors from increasing frequency and intensity of cleaning to adjusting our practices in fulfillment centers to ensure the social distancing guidelines to meet exploding demand, amazon is also hiring 100,000 new workers, ordering millions of face masks, and offering any employee who tests positive two weeks of paid leave. with a million delivery drivers on the job across dozens of companies, how safe are those packages arriving at your door >> there's no cleanliness at all. we're essential. they are telling us we're

essential. >> philadelphia worker says his company is prioritizing delivery speed over sanitation. >> no soap, no hand sanitizer. could someone have it? is the package contaminated. >> ups stressing disinfecting daily, stressing sanitizing to -- providing sanitizer to al drivers and telling sick employees to stay home fedex and u.s. postal service. while cdc says the risk of infection from delivered packages is likely very low, a recent study published in the new england journal of medicine found the virus was detectable up to 24 hours on cardboard. the researchers say no covid-19 cases have been linked to contact with packages even so, infectious disease experts recommend leaving packages outside for a day if you can. >> we leave our mail overnight. >> the roman family, who are related to nbc news producer,

also disinfect their groceries and delivered food packages before opening, then always wash their hands. >> we want to do everything that we can do that's thoughtful and sensible to protect our family. >> they are doing the right thing. this morning amazon tells nbc news they established the amazon relief fund with $25 million initial contribution to support the independent delivery service partners and their drivers to help with social distancing, ups and fedex have stopped requiring in-person signatures for most of their package deliveries. >> that's great advice a lot of people need that. that you so much, vicky. let's bring in nbc correspondent stephanie ruhle. steph, organizations are learning how to navigate the waters in these unbelievable times. jeff bezos wrote this letter why was that why do you think that was important? >> it was so important, hoda good morning think about this amazon has become one of the

most important companies, honestly, in our nation's history. with all of these shelter-in-place orders around the country, we have become dependent on these packages. that leaves people starting to ask, if it's not safe for me to go to school, if i can't go to work or go to my normal shopping center, can i trust these things coming into my home. it's essential for someone like jeff bezos to assure people. >> there are steps that other companies that aren't amazon are trying to take i've been talking to people in the business world, too, and they are wondering what they should be doing with sick leave and hazard pay what do you know about that? >> listen, it's gotten more and more complicated for companies, they are desperate for congress to figure out this fiscal plan because they want to support their employees but they just don't know they don't know what their future is. think about this for a moment. the retail industry was already suffering because of what we call the amazon effect at this point 42 million retail,

jobs are at risk, because now that we're not going out, we might not go back to the shopping mall. this last weekend, the american dream mall, a 3 million square feet mall, was set to be opened, that's on delay. for retail companies out there, they are panicked they might not open again. >> stephanie, you're going to be joining us a little later on the show and talk about people who are out of work, small businesses, a lot of people losing their jobs. we're going to discuss this a little bit later yes? >> i would say one more thing. we do want to say thank you to all of those people working in those warehouses, shipping, stocking shelves i know we want to get all of our stuff quickly. those people are heroes on the frontline every day. >> agreed. all right, steph, thank you so much savannah, over to you. >> all right let's get a check of the weather from mr. roker guess what, al, it's snowing in my neck of the woods how about you? >> oh, my gosh no snow. a little cloudy, windy, but no

big problems there will be some problems in the midsection of the country today. take a look, we've got a severe risk today of weather stretching its way late tonight into tomorrow for the mid plains with tornado threat low that's the good news damaging winds hail and heavy rain coming then tomorrow afternoon and evening, it moves into the mid mississippi river valley, including nashville, florence, jackson, and chattanooga for dangerous winds and tornadoes possible today this low pressure organizes, develops overnight with some severe storms making their way through the gulf tomorrow with numerous showers and storms moisture coming up out of the gulf then as we move into tomorrow, look for rainfall amounts anywhere from 1 to 4" of rain in the mid mississippi river valley with strong storms, thunderstorms, and the possibility of tornadoes that's what going on good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. as we take a live look outside in san francisco we're starting out with some mostly sunny skies. we're going to see a few clouds with a chance of scattered showers especially this

afternoon mostly in the south bay as well as the south county. the rest of the forecast we'll see the rain chances tomorrow into wednesday as a cold front moves through bringing in waves of rain. we'll be tracking that but will be drying out by the the end of the workweek. >> that is your latest weather hoda. >> all right, al roker thank you so much. just ahead harry smith joins us with a special look back at the incredible legacy of music legend kenny rogers. up next, a reason to smile we cannot wait to tell you about our hero of the day. that's coming up right after this ouch, okay. huh, boring, boring, you don't need to see that. oh, here we go. can you believe my client steig had never heard of a home and auto bundle or that renters could bundle? wait, you're a lawyer? only licensed in stockholm. what is happening? jamie: anyway, game show,

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♪and have faith, or pandemonium it's okay ♪liable to walk upon the scene so you can trust us to be here for you... ...as we remain committed to supporting our community. because the toyota family is stronger together. this is our pledge. we are here for you now, and in all the better days ahead. we are back with our hero of the day for monday morning hoda, who have you found this morning? >> we're going to show some love, savannah, to a group of heroes in california members of the california national guard dozens came out over the weekend to prepare deliveries for sacramento food bank

they packed boxes with fruit and produce and canned goods the mission serves about 150,000 people each month. as you can imagine, demand skyrocketed. the food bank seeing 70% drop in regular volunteers because many of them are older. we want to say hats off to heroes on the screen and so many of those around the country. all right, guys. we have a lot more ahead. >> it feels so good to see them. >> including guess who is going to talk with us, archbishop of new york, timothy dolan, he'll be here with words of comfort and reassurance during these trying times we'll talk with him coming up after your local news. earn unlimited 5% back on everything you buy at walmart online, including things for your new puppy. no no no no. we need a mop! and bleach. when you want all that, you need the capital one walmart rewards card. earn unlimited 5% back at walmart online

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before a car can be a certified carmax car. the way it should be. carmax. good monday morning. 7:56 we are starting out with sunshine across the bay area. a slight chance of some rain especially into the afternoon. we will start out with upper 40s to low 50s and only reaching the low 60s today. looking hour by hour a mix of sun and clouds and a chance of showers moving through the south county going into the rest of today. and then i think by tomorrow we'll see more widespread rain starting in the morning and continuing off and on as we go into the rest of the day. some of that rain may briefly be heavy but we'll see it lingering into the wednesday forecast and moving out on thursday. we do have some cool

temperatures ahead. cooler than normal reaching the upper 50s through thursday and then going into the weekend some low 60s in the forecast. it's dry for the commute, mike. how is it rolling? it's rolling nicely because the traffic flow is only what's essential out there. green all over but the peninsula and tracking for the last half hour. an earlier crash, one lane might be affected. use caution if you're heading south down the peninsula. have circled on the right, a crash there as well. if you saw something, call it in. happening now the bay area's first city run testing clinic is getting set to open its doors in hayward. it's free to the public. results should come back within 6 to 12 hours. link to more details on our home page. marin county is closing all of

its public parks. public open space preserves are included in the closures which cover places like mt. tamm and mt. reyes.

♪ it's 8:00 on "today. coming up, breaking overnight on it's 8:00 on "today. coming up, breaking overnight, on the move. the president deploys national guard to areas hit hard by coronavirus as health care workers in hospitals sound the alarm. >> but if we don't get control of this quickly, like in the next two to three to four weeks, our hospital systems will be overwhelmed. >> we're live with the three things you need to know today. plus words of comfort. the archbishop of new york timothy dolan will join us with a message of hope during difficult times. and feeling better tom hanks and rita wilson update us on how they are doing as

other celebrities share their own motivating messages. ♪ reaching out don't touch me i won't touch you sweet caroline ♪ >> today monday, march 23rd, 2020 and good morning, everybody. welcome back to "today." good to have you with us on a monday morning it's good to smile that's a rendition of "sweet caroline" that seems very appropriate to the time. >> okay. that song was pretty much perfect. at first i was looking and said is that neil diamond that's neil diamond all right. >> he's got the name of the game i'm working from home. craig and al are working from home, carson at home waiting for baby daly. that leaves you, hoda, doing heavy lift with production crew, control room

man, my hat is off to you. >> my crew is one, jimmy by the camera, that's all in the studio. but good to see your face. >> jimmy, just nod up and down with the camera. >> just the two of us. >> all right let's get right to the headlines at 8:00. this massive coronavirus stimulus bill hit a roadblock in congress overnight the president has also activated the national guard now and hospitals are struggling with the surge of patients just as was expected nbc's tom costello joins us with the three things to watch today on the story tom, good morning. >> reporter: good morning. yeah, a lot of headlines that $2 trillion emergency stimulus package stalled and a partisan battle on capitol hill. the bill failed to move last night when democrats blocked a procedural vote. house democrats say the current republican plan they say is focused too much on big business they plan to submit their own

package as families slip into serious decline. meanwhile hospitals in hard hit states report being overwhelmed now with critically sick patients yet they don't have enough protective equipment, goggles and masks and gowns and equipment like ventilators a hospital in washington state says it will run out of ventilators by early next month. new york is the hardest hit city right now and state. 15,000 cases the mayor warning april will be worse than march and may will be worse than april nationwide johns hopkins reports 35,000 confirmed cases right now, 471 deaths. the surgeon general warning things, in fact, will get much worse in the coming week in the united states. president trump has activated, as you said, the national guard in three states, new york, washington state, and california the white house stresses that the governors are in charge of these guard units, which will be really helping the emergency response deploying food and the like meanwhile more states are

ordering some or all nonessential to stay home. ohio, delaware, louisiana, kentucky and colorado now joining that list. hoda, back to you. >> all right, tom, thank you the pandemic continues to take a staggering toll in europe. there is some new hope for a medical breakthrough but even that is a long way off today senior correspondent keir simmons joins from london with the latest keir, good morning. >> we have a lot of tough news around the world as johns hopkins puts the total number of global infections 341,722, but you're about to hear an exclusive interview from the leader of a team at oxford university in the uk they have been on the forefront of fighting ebola and even hiv they think they could have a vaccine breakthrough within months it's not guaranteed they say, but it's a glimmer of hope

some of the world's most iconic cities desolate, and the devastating global milestone international cases surpassing 300,000. now the olympics, symbol of unity and human achievement, under threat a decision to come within a month. canada and australia already italy suffering it's deadliest day. its death toll 5,500 italys hospitals a pulling out. italy suffering it's deadliest day. its death toll 5,500 hospitals, a battlefield. >> a disaster, a tsunami. >> reporter: the worst crisis since world war ii says its prime minister italian nurses posting pictures of their exhausted faces scarred by masks in spain, more than 2,000 have died its leader warning the worst is yet to come. german's chancellor angela merkel in quarantine after her doctor tested positive this morning, hope from britain's oxford university telling nbc news they may have a

vaccine within six months. >> the target is to be able to say that you've got a working vaccine as early as july. >> that's the ambition absolutely not guaranteed but i think we have a fair chance of doing that because we're using a vaccine type that has been in thousands of people before. >> other vaccines are in development in the u.s., germany, and china. >> we are aiming to make not millions, probably not tens of millions but ideally hundreds of millions of this vaccine. >> billions of people around the world now staying home in australia, people are gathering. lines at unemployment offices a chilling echo of the great depression the pope praying above an empty saint peters square and by video urging companies to resist layoffs, saying every man for

himself is not a solution. many athletes when it comes to olympics worrying even if there weren't spectators, it would be hard to compete amidst this coronavirus outbreak president trump just tweeting, savannah, saying we will be guided by the wishes of prime minister abe of japan, a great friend of the united states, and a man who has done a magnificent job on the olympic venue as to attending the olympic games in japan, he'll make the proper decision. you know, savannah, if it is delayed, if it's tokyo 2021, what a feat it would be to have the olympic games as we put this crisis behind us savannah. >> we all want to put this crisis behind us, keir thank you. secretary of state mike pompeo arrived in afghanistan overnight on a mission to salvage a peace deal the u.s. signed with the taliban next month the next step called for taliban to negotiate with the afghan government but that has not happened yet because two different men claimed to be afghanistan's leader, the current president and his main rival in last year's contested

election pompeo planned to meet with each man separately today and then together find a way forward. that's the news. we need a boost from you, hoda. >> girl, i've got you covered with the morning boost a new york couple did not let social distancing ban a gathering that was really their special day. rylie jennings and amanda wheeler originally planned on getting married in the fall. they were worried venue closures and travel restrictions would get in the way they tied the knot on the sidewalk with their friend officiating from the fourth floor apartment. >> do you promise to love, honor, cherish as long as you both shall live. say i do. >> i do. >> i pronounce you married >> there you go. jennings said afterwards it was perfect. it was classic new york. everything i love about the city

was encompassed in that moment i thought that was brilliant. >> especially the yelling, hoda. the yelling was very new york. okay i've got a bonus boost for you today. we've been remarking how amazing technology has been, how it helped us stay close when we have to remain apart physically. take a look at 9-year-old james in dublin. he just learned a new song on his guitar his grandfather paul plays piano. they can't be together but they pulled off a digital duet. ♪ ♪ ♪ i want to break free from you lies so self-satisfied i don't need you ♪ >> okay. grandpa recorded hisorti they put it up on the screen and james ay

taking guitar lessons each week. he facetimes with his teacher. >> brilliant i love it. >> it's cute coming up next, i know we all could use a little comfort right now, whether it's videos that make you smile or something deeper cardinal dolan will be here in a few moments with some inspiring words on finding faith in challenging times. >> we look forward to speaking with cardinal dolan. plus the tributes still pouring in for kenny rodgers harry smith looks back at the legend's remarkable life and his many appearances right here on "today." but first these messages come my way ♪ ♪ a-hey, a-hey-hey ♪ ♪ ♪love like yours will surely come my way♪

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feed the wolf that lives inside your dog with blue wilderness. hey allergy muddlers... achoo! do your sneezes turn heads? ♪ try zyrtec. zyrtec starts working hard at hour one and works twice as hard when you take it again the next day. zyrtec. muddle no more. and try zyrtec-d for proven relief of your allergies, sinus pressure, and congestion. welcome back we know during uncertain times a lot of people are struggling and scared, and we think they are looking for words of comfort that's why we asked archbishop of new york cardinal timothy dolan. he's with us by skype in new york city. you are so close to me, cardinal dolan but far away

how are you this morning >> hoda, fine. thanks for the invite. i'm tempted to walk across rockefeller center and st. patrick's to be with you but there are a lot of constraints, aren't there >> there are a lot of people waking up and feeling lost, afraid, asking god why is this happening. what's your message to them? >> yeah, you know, i have to be honest with you, hoda, sometimes i'm tempted to some apprehension and a little bit of confusion and fear so i turn to the bible be not afraid. be not afraid. i remember the words of jesus his son, fear is useless what is needed is trust. i remember the prophets of hebrew scriptures who say, you know, it's easy to have trust

and to skip through life when things are prosperous and healthy, we need to exercise the faith muscle in times of adversity, which is what we're going through. so god is with us. our jewish brothers and sisters have that beautiful word emanuel, god is with us. it's necessary to remember that, hoda don't you hear a lot of people say that given the tribulations all around, they still dig deep down and they find strength internally that they didn't know they had they find strength through other people and most of all, they find confidence and peace through god. those three sources of strength are coming through in abundance these days we might not have enough face masks. we might not have enough ventilators, unfortunately, we do have faith and trust and confidence. >> we do have that i know people are trying to take their focus away from gloom and doom and every day news events and turn them to faith and love. i think one of the obstacles for

some folks is they can't actually get to church on sunday, or they can't get to their services they would normally get to. how are you kind of advising clergy and how do you advise your flock when they all can't d sacraments. that's a real tribute to be together? >> well, you know, i'm not surprised at all that people say they really find it a sacrifice not to be in church for mass and sacraments that's a real tribute to what we in the church have i also want to remind them of the whole element of faith faith, as the bible tells us, is confidence in things that we really can't see promises made that we trust are going to be fulfilled. so even in the best of times, hoda, when we're in church, when we're participating in the sacraments, we're trusting in something that cannot be seen.

okay that's the essence of faith. remember what jesus said to st. thomas, the doubting thomas. thomas blessed are those who cannot see but still believe and jesus is saying that to us today. actually our faith is more pleasing to him. our faith is more radiant because we don't have those beautiful consolations of religion and faith and the church upon which we usually count and yet we're till persevering. >> this is a global crisis, archbishop, and it encompasses all religions. is there a universal prayer that you think we as a globe could collectively say in this time? >> i think so, hoda, and thanks. this is another good consequence. god can bring good from evil he is bringing us all together, isn't he what's a prayer we can all say i don't know of any religion that would take exception to

this prayer. dear god, you are our father we are your children we trust you to take care of us and help us take care of one another. i don't know who would have an objection to that simple prayer. >> i think that prayer is beautiful. lastly, here at nbc, we lost a loved one here, larry edgeworth. i know a lot of people have lost loved ones i wonder if there's a prayer for larry and his family, crystal and kids and others out there. >> you bet, hoda, thanks for asking eternal rest for larry, oh lord and let your light shine upon him and consolation on his him and family may his soul and all the souls of the faithful departed during this crisis rest in peace. amen thanks for asking, hoda.

where is al and savannah >> al is at his home savannah is at her home. >> are they drinking bloody marys? >> probably on the weekend i think that's probably a given. timothy cardinal dolan, thank you for everything you do lifting us up. >> love and prayers to all our listeners. >> we love you we should mention cardinal dolan has written a special essay on faith during these times you can find it on our website, today.com. all right, mr. roker, he was asking about you he wanted to know if you're having bloody marys. >> it's noontime somewhere, so i will take a rain check from the cardinal as you can see we're getting some snow. it's starting to come down and starting to stick. we've also got severe weather. let's show you the radar right now. a lot of the action is taking place in the northeast and the south where you can see severe storms starting to fire up as they push their way through. we are going to be watching also some wet weather out on the west coast as well, especially through southern california. for today it stays warm down through the gulf with temperatures in the 70s and 80s

but 30s from the northern plains all the way across into the northeast and new england where we could be looking at upwards of 8" of snow in upstate new york and northern new england. record highs, though, down in florida. mountain snows through the rockies. look for some morning fog in the mid plains and more heavy showers and thunderstorms making their way through the southeast and the lower mississippi river valley that's what going on around the country, h >> this is where we will have a chance of rain as we go into the rest of today. we are going to see some pop-up showers, but overall, we're looking at a partly cloudy sky and cool temperatures. rain chances for the south bay and south county especially this afternoon. most of the rest of the bay area will see the rain moving in by tomorrow morning into the afternoon. and then the rest of the forecast, we'll see some scattered showers through at least the middle of the

workweek. w savannah has failed me so i had to raise her one and bring up my man, nick roker. >> is nick your sound man? he's doing great, though. >> he's my i.t. tech guy. >> good to see you bye, nick. good to see your face, too, honey. >> hi. >> still ahead, a tribute from harry smith for the icon kenny rogers and his many visits with us but first your local news

good morning. starting today a group of los gatos businesses are taking social distancing to a new level. it's starting a no-touch drive-through market. it will operate in the market of flights restaurant which is among the many restaurants forced to close their dining rooms. several neighboring restaurants and coffee shops are also taking part offering meals, prurks eggs and such. also other essentials including toilet paper. my drive in, there were very few cars on the road. mike, seeing the same thing? >> yeah, except for a lot of folks are trying to get toilet paper and paper towels. we're look at green sensors all around through contra costa and

north bay down peninsula and east bay side. all green sensors. a note crossing on those bridges, they're cashless now. no cash. bill. no delays across those spans and we have mass transit changing the service. b.a.r.t. ends its service tonight at 9:00 their service is so light. other adjustments as well. back to you. >> thank you, mike. i'll have another local news update for you in half an hour. for now, though, back to new york.

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yeah! (sarcastically) fantastic. earn 1.5% cash back on everything you buy with freedom unlimited. chase. make more of what's yours. it is 8:30 on monday morning. it is march 23rd, 2020 we are so happy that you are here with savannah and myself. the start of a new week. tens of millions working from home kids are going to school at home hailey starting her first day of school at home today i know your kids are in it, too. >> yeah. that's always fun when the preschoolers get on the video conference that's an entertaining thing. >> we'll be ready for that. >> we say good morning to everybody. we're happy to be with you, aren't we, hoda, keep company with everyone at home. we feel really grateful people are watching and hope they are

getting what they need, because it feels really important right now, doesn't it? >> yeah. it sure does i know for a lot of people at home, you need something to do at each hour and we are going to be with you throughout. >> we are. we are just ahead, actually we're going to change topics for a moment because kenny rogers was so loved. just his history, the music he had. he came on the show many, many times. we're going to remember him fondly with help from harry smith. >> we heard a version of "sweet caroline" from neil diamond. he's trying to raise awareness about an important issue when it comes to the coronavirus, handwashing. >> yes let's first get a check of the weather from mr. roker good morning again, al. >> hey, good morning, guys again, a little light snow out here let's show you what we're looking at ahead as far as our week ahead is concerned. as you can see it's going to be snowy with this coastal storm.

mountain snows out through the rockies. wet weather in the pacific northwest. as we get into the midweek period, we've got another storm in the northeast, record highs through the gulf a western chill making its way with wet weather from the pacific northwest all the way into northern california then by the end of the week more wet weather in the northeast, more rain for the great lakes, record highs in the southeast and florida, a chill and more wet weather along the pacific coast. >> good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. we'll have some cooler temperatures today with a mix of sun and clouds. also a chance of some rain especially in the south bay today. high temperatures only reaching to about 60 degrees. some low 60s for the east bay. the seven-day forecast shows we'll see rain off and on, especially tomorrow as well as wednesday. and it will start to move out on thursday. our temperatures drop to the upper 50s for highs, and it will get milder for the weekend with

mostly sunny sky leading into saturday as well as sunday. >> that's your latest weather craig, melvin and i will see you at the top of the "3rd hour today" with the latest on the coronavirus. >> we look forward to that, al thank you so much. now we want to take time to celebrate the remarkable life and legacy of kenny rogers he was a multi-talented crossover star he was also a really good friend of ours at "today. harry smith joins us with a tribute. good morning, harry. >> morning, hoda this is a little bit of an okay moment for us. i was just out of college, working in radio, way back in the 1970s. i'll tell you what, every time a kenny rogers record, had 45 rpm, mind you, came sliding under the

door, a new ouase got to know w hold 'em know when to fold 'em ♪ >> kenny rogers knew how to carry a tune not just sing, mind you, but make every note and every word sound like they were his ♪ everyone considered him the coward of the county ♪ >> rogers didn't write many of his hits, but he sure knew how to pick the songs that fit him like a glove. ♪ took a fine time to leave me lucille ♪ >> we didn't quite know what to make of him back in the '60s. >> i just dropped in to see what condition my condition was in ♪ >> he found his calling in story songs. ♪ you touched my soul with your beautiful song ♪ >> i try to find songs that say what every man would like to say and every woman would like to hear. >> duets, two-part harmonies that could make you smile one minute and cry the next.

♪ >> his chemistry with dolly parton was undeniable. ♪ islands in the stream that is what we are ♪" once he did that with me. ♪ i will always love you >> through the years, he was certainly a friend of the "today" show ♪ and she believes in me ♪ know when to hold 'em know when to followed 'em know when to walk away know when to run ♪ ♪ and we rely on each other >> dolly, i'm so sorry. >> i'm sorry, dolly. >> kenny rogers was the through line to people's lives, selling millions of albums and singles over decades.

time ♪ >> and befriending other artists who themselves become giants. >> the greatest thing that ever happened in my life is i met that crazy man. >> lionel, he's a very special person that's where we became good friends. >> his kinship with lionel richie documented in this forthcoming kenny rogers biography on a&e. >> my mom told me find a job you love and you'll never work a day in your life i think that's so important. >> pop stations, even top 40, everyone played kenny rogers because like few others, he could reach most any audience. >> going to be talking to god sometime today, if he ain't already, and he's going to be asking him to spread some light on a bunch of this darkness going on here. god bless you, kenny fly high, straight into the arms of god. >> i have watched that dolly post over and over and over

again. every time you look at it, it just brings tears to your eyes as the okay boomer in this group, i've got to tell you what you go all the way back to a group, new minstrels, a late pop, folk thing. that fell apart. that's when first edition came along. you have the song "just dropped in" which the cohen brothers used in the big lebowski you think, who are these guys? what are they going to do? next thing you know, hit after hit after hit. >> it's amazing. harry, i was just listening to the song "old friends" the one he sings with dolly parton and i was literally on the verge of a breakdown. it was so incredibly beautiful one of the great things about kenny is he covered other artists. if you were to list your favorites. >> it's kind of amazing. other people would try to have hit songs with some of the ones that became monster hits for him as they languished on the

charts, kenny would go and record them. like the gambler, believe it or not, originally recorded by a guy named bobby bare and johnny cash cash. there's another one, there's another one, "ruby," a song ♪ o ruby don't take your love to town ♪ that was recorded by mel tillis, went nowhere he recorded it and went straight to the top of the charts. >> it's crazy kenny didn't hit the charts until his late 30s. that's when he exploded. >> you think about a guy like this who has spent so much time learning his craft, honing his craft. you know what, there was a sense i think we all had that he appreciated where he ended up in his life with so many hit records. >> all right harry, thank you if you guys get a chance at home, download "old friends" and maybe call one, too. it's a beautiful, beautiful,

beautiful song "old friends" with dolly parton. thanks again, honey. just ahead vicky nguyen joining us with questions online including ways to help older neighbors. but first this is "today" on [sfx: doorbell]

hello, i saw you move in, and i wanted to welcome you to the neighborhood with some homemade biscuits! >>oh, that's so nice! and a little tip, geico could help you save on homeowners insurance. >>hmm! >>cookies! uhh, biscuits. >>mmmm, is there a little nutmeg in there? oh it's my mum's secret recipe. >>you can tell me. it's a secret. >>is it cinnamon? it's my mum's secret recipe. call geico and see how easy saving on homeowners and condo insurance can be. i'll come back for the plate.

we are back now 8:41 with our with you today campaign. we're answering questions about coronavirus. we're doing it in collaboration with facebook and instagram. this morning we're focusing on ways that help others. we have nbc's vicky nguyen joining us here is a question from facebook take a listen. >> my name is seena kenner, i'm from alvin, texas. i'm 64 years old and i have high blood pressure should i continue volunteering at the food bank and should i continue to leave the house for

groceries and gas? >> a lot of people have that question, too. >> groceries and gas, absolutely as far as volunteering for the food bank, the answer is no. at 64 with high blood pressure you're in a higher risk category for complications if you contract covid-19. it's good you're volunteering. call and ask if there's things you can do. >> when you go to the grocery store, you have to get your goods. again, there's a lot of people in there. >> if you can get delivery, the safer way to get essentials. go early in the morning. a lot opened up senior citizens early hours. that will help you stay away from people. >> i've got deb on instagram she says is the stimulus payment per household or per person working when that money does get there? >> at this point we just don't know over the weekend republicans and democrats stalled. they came to a stalemate they can't agree how much money should go to big business, small business, individuals. at this point we don't have a

plan treasury secretary steve mnuchin said once there is an agreement the checks can come out in the next two to thee weeks. >> they have to agree first. >> chop chop. >> this is crystal from facebook my family went from two paychecks to one how do we pay our bills. i know they won't pay now. >> a lot aren't turning off utilities but they will come due at some point. what she should do is take stock of finances. see if there's any subscriptions she can cancel next step, call all the money -- companies you do owe money to, can you defer payments without penalty. >> if you call amex or con ed, do they sometimes say yes? >> they do you have to be your own best advocate, be proactive about it. ask the question don't take no for an answer. things change daily. they understand we're all in this together now. >> we have a question from tracy from facebook.

take a listen. >> hi, my name is tracy. i'm a self-employed artist living in northeastern pennsylvania and i rely on events for my income i make jewelry and we do events anywhere from 100 people up to thousands of people. all of my shows haves been canceled or postponed, so i absolutely have no income coming in and i'm wondering where do i turn for help. >> that is a good question. >> tracy, you are among 57 million people in this country who are self-employed or considered a microbusiness now, the president did sign the families for coronavirus act wednesday as part of that folks self police department, entitled to paid leave, it will come in the form of a tax credit these are new tax laws right now. >> it's a tax credit but she needs money. >> she needs money right now so that stimulus check can't come soon enough. >> she can file her taxes asap to get that credit if you have a mortgage backed by

fannie mae or freddie mac or on federal housing administration loan, fha loan, the government announced 60 day moratorium on evictions and foreclosures, even the ones already in progress that gives you a break if you don't have one of those government backed loans or mortgages, call your mortgage company anyway and say what are my options, can i defer payment without penalty, 60 days, 90 days you don't get it if you don't ask. >> that's the rule of thumb for everybody. get on the phone, call companies and see if you can get relief as you wait for the check hopefully it will be here. >> congress needs to act. >> thank you just ahead, a new update from tom hanks and rita wilson. what they are doing to fight quarantine boredom but first this is "today" on nbc. make your yard the envy of the block this spring at lowe'.

with saving on craftsman, scotts and honda. so, you stay ahead of the pack. ♪ we are back. it's now 8:47 with the latest on

several high-profile coronavirus cases we've been following. >> that's right. overnight we got several updates from hollywood stars who are in quarantine after they tested positive here is nbc's joe fryer with the latest. >> reporter: this morning some good news from tom hanks and his wife rita wilson battling coronavirus in australia the star updated his fans tweeting two weeks after our first symptoms and we feel better, hanks wrote sunday sheltering in place works like this you don't give it to anyone. you don't get it from anyone wilson captured some of what she called quarantine stir crazy rapping to nature's 1992 hit, "hip-hop parade ♪ hip-hop parade ♪ >> it comes as other stars battling coronavirus are sharing their stories. bravo's andy cohen posted this on instagram after a few days of self-quarantine and not feeling great, i have tested positive

for coronavirus. actress idris elba who tested positive last week got slammed on social media for not isolates him away from his wife now she's tested positive with the virus the two with oprah winfrey. >> i caught it in that time as well i think people were -- are right to have highlighted that spatial distance is important. we weren't thinking about that specifically. >> meanwhile, helping spread the message through music, singer neil diamond, who does not have covid-19, he performed an acoustic version of his version "sweet caroline" with new

lyrics ♪ hands washing hands >> motivating the masses to do the right thing. ♪ reaching out don't touch me i won't touch you ♪ >> reporter: for today, joe fryer, nbc news. ♪ sweet caroline >> bum bum bum you've got to have the bum bum bum no matter what version. >> we need a laugh, a smile, good music and we need that message. thank you, neil diamond. >> we love it. we'll be back in a moment but first this is "today" on nbc with this one little nexgard chew comes power, confidence, reassurance you're doing what's right, to protect your dog from fleas and ticks

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(vo)electric, it doesn't i knhave enough range.nking. it can't handle the elements. and, there is nowhere to charge up. well, think again. ♪ >> welcome back on a monday morning. like so many communities this coronavirus has impacted our nbc news family. late last week we told you that a beloved member of our team passed away from complications of the virus his name was larry edgeworth he was one of our best and brightest.

when larry edgeworth said he had when larry edgeworth said he had your back, you knew you were covered. it wasn't just knowing he'd deliver on the sound, it was that in any situation he was on guard to make sure you are okay, mentally, physically he was a protector he was a bear of a man and a teddy bear at the same time. larry complained if you snapped his picture, hardly cracking a smile. but that was a front his real smile was infectious and his voice echoed across the newsroom you always knew when larry was in the house with a hello and a hug. he'd ask about your family and proudly share tales of his own son, alex, miles, and his wife, crystal. for "today," larry lugged his gear across the planet and up

the highest peaks recording sounds of war, national disasters, presidential campaigns, olympic games, connecting with those he met along the way. so after 25 years at nbc, a moment of silence, clear audio, for the man who would appreciate it most. >> that was a beautiful tribute, savannah. >> yeah. well, he was a very, very loved person at nbc. everybody has a story about larry. he was just so loved we were on the campaign together back in 2008, and we traveled for two solid months together. every morning, every night we were all together, and he was unfailingly kind and professional and loving. he just had this way of feeling like he had your back, like you were safe in his hands in every way. i just -- my heart goes out to his family and to all our colleagues

we really, really loved larry, and he loved us. i think that's why it feels -- why it hurts that's why it's so hard. >> i was thinking about seeing him in the hallways around here and how he always made -- it was never about larry. like whenever anyone else was around, it was always about them i remembered thinking, wow, what a guy. in a world where people are constantly talking about how they are doing and how they are feeling, he's always asking how everyone was doing and feeling and he did he made you feel safe. savannah, those words were beautiful, beautiful. >> you know, i just -- a colleague, somebody who doesn't work at nbc sent me a note and said i was so sorry to hear about larry. i said, yes, it's sad. he's so beloved. she wrote me back, then he made a difference in this world, and he did >> okay. we'll be back after your local news

good morning. it's 8:56. the bay area's first city-run coronavirus testing center is getting set to open in the east bay. it's located in hayward across from fire station number 7 on huntwood avenue. it's free to the public no matter where you live or your immigration status. anyone with symptoms like fever,

cough, shortness of breath will be able to provide a sample from their nose or throat. results should come back within 6 to 12 hours. the lab is expected to provide between 200 and 350 test kits per day. the center is scheduled to open a few minutes from now at 9:00 and run each night until 6:00. happening now, our bob rydell is in haywood and will have a live report. tloi link to the story on our home page. marin county is closing all of its public parks. public open preserve spaces are included in the closures which cover mt. tam and reyes. they urge everyone to exercise close to their homes as long as the shelter at home directive remains in effect. there are nearly 800 cases of coronavirus in the bay area and 13 deaths. go to our home page for full coronavirus coverage.

my money should work as hard as i do. so i use my freedom unlimited card to buy all the latest tech stuff. today, i'm earning on a charger. so, just the charger then? ummm... ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ yeah! (sarcastically) fantastic. earn 1.5% cash back on everything you buy with freedom unlimited. chase. make more of what's yours. we find a way through it. it's about taking care of each other. it's the small parts that make a big difference. at chevy, we promise to do ours. we're offering chevy owners complimentary onstar crisis assist services and wifi data. if you need a new chevy, interest-free financing for 84 months -

with deferred payments for 120 days on many of our most popular models. you may even shop online and take delivery at home. it's just our way of doing our part... hi, everybody. welcome to the third hour of "today." craig and al are with us they are in their homes. guys, here we are. it's monday. how was the weekend? >> here we are good to see you. >> kind of hanging out. >> yeah. got to go to church virtually. how about you? >> yeah. we had a good weekend. we celebrated joel's birthday. he turned -- i can't remember what the number is we had a cake. my mom facetimed in. thank you for the well wishes. craig, you and al wished joel a happ