making waves. millions hoping to head to the beach this holiday weekend. the unofficial start of summer. but officials in coastal towns worried visitors bring the virus with them. >> this is a whole different viefrmt, a whole different memorial day. a whole different world, really, that we're in. >> meantime, thenation's highways largely empty, airports deserted. the tsa is issuing new travel rules. one of the biggest car rental agencies declares bankruptcy. we're live with all of it. bully pulpit. president trump demands houses of worship be allowed to open this weekend, telling governors

to lift their restrictions or else. >> if they don't dot i will override the governors. in america, we need more prayer, not less. >> the president's edict, a direct appeal to his base while legal experts say he does not have that authority. this as former vice president joe biden apologizes for comments he made about african american voters. pulled from the wreckage. the incredible survival story of two men who survived a plane crash. what's believed to be the final moments caught on camera. how those two survivors are doing this morning. all that, plus going to graceland. elvis presley's famed tennessee home opening his doors once again after being shut down because of coronavirus. even with new guidelines in effect, it's still a move that has the king's fans all shook up. today is saturday, may 23rd, 2020.

>> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with peter alexander, kristen welker and dylan dreyer. welcome to "today." we thank you for joining us on this saturday morning. as long as we're speaking about elvis, i think the alexander family weekend will feel like jailhouse rock where everybody stays home and maybe we try to entertain one another. >> that's one way to put it. my husband said let's barbecue. that's what we've been doing for the past four saturdays. good times. dylan, do you have any big plans? >> our new thing is just finding a patch of grass and having a picnic. i think we'll be doing that again too. not much else to do. >> a good option for a lot of folks this weekend. we'll have the memorial day forecast for you in a moment. first, we want to get to the latest on the coronavirus. yet another sign of these times. hertz filed for bankruptcy protection overnight. the rental car giant saying this

pandemic dealt it a rapid, sudden and dramatic blow. >> the justice department is warning the mayor of los angeles and the governor of illinois about their extended stay-at-home orders. the doj saying federal prosecutors might have to intervene if they believe the local and state authorities are going too far and infringing on constitutional protections. in the meantime, there are more than 1.6 million coronavirus cases and nearly 97,000 deaths. our correspondents are covering the stories across the country. kathy park is in long beach, new york. one of the areas telling out of town residents to stay away. kathy, good morning. >> reporter: peter, good morning to you. people all across the country are looking to beat the quarantine fatigue, so the beach might be on their list. here in long beach, they are responding to the pandemic with a new set of rules. that includes keeping nonresidents away. this morning, more beaches are back open just in time for

memorial day. but with restrictions. in nassau county outside of new york city, some beaches are limiting capacity at 50%. and to residents only. >> there are 8 million residents in the city of new york. if a small fraction of those residents come to nassau county to our beaches, they will inundate the beaches. >> reporter: new york city beaches are closed as well for the weekend. so officials in long island and new jersey worry their shores will be packed with new yorkers seeking relief after months at home. there's also fear that outsiders could bring the virus with them. >> this is a whole different environment. a whole different memorial day. a whole different world, really, that we're in. >> reporter: some towns reducing parking, asking social distancing ambassadors to step in when needed and requiring passes to get in. in sea bright, new jersey, people waited in line to claim a spot in the sand. >> i was here pretty early.

i was here about 7:00 a.m. pretty much towards the end at that point. >> all across the country, popular vacation destinations are reopening for the unofficial start to summer. the grand canyon is welcoming visitors again, but hotels and restaurants remain closed. a phased reopening at joshua tree national park means access to the trails with precautions. >> a lot of our trails are one-way trails. they're no longer two-way loops. we're doing that so folks will not potentially touch each other. >> in indiana, raceways got the green light to reopen without fans and kentucky can start serving dine-in customers at one-third capacity. >> we'll have people up front to guide customers through the process. >> the virus won't be taking a holiday as millions venture out for a taste of normalcy. >> reporter: back here on the beach, we're already getting a light drizzle and temperatures are supposed to stay in the 60s. we might not see the large crowds, but regardless, we're

seeing social distancing signs practically everywhere. there's one behind me. officers will be patrolling the beach so folks are following the rules. guys, back to you. >> this weekend, the first big test for a lot of americans. kathy, thanks very much. >> sure is. normally we'd see tens of millions taking to the roads and skies. things are different with people staying closer to home. nbc's blayne alexander is inside atlanta's hartsfield jackson international airport. it's the world's busiest. it looks eye lot like a virtual ghost town. good morning, blayne. anything going on there? >> reporter: kristen, good morning to you. you're right. the world's busiest airport, especially on a holiday weekend typically it is hard to even walk through here. but take a look behind me. you see a precious few amount of people scattered here, just a few people in line on the other side it's emptier. if you are in the airports, you're in thing new additions. these partitions in front of the counters.

i want you to walk you over this way. this is where the security checkpoints begin. two out of the three are closed. these are some of the many changes that you'll see if you do fly this weekend. you would never know by the looks of it, but this is typically one of the busiest travel weekends of the year. >> i was kind of glad and relieved that it wasn't full. >> from the world's busiest airport in atlanta to new york laguardia, covid-19 is bringing the holiday rush to a slow trickle. >> this only puts me about 15 minutes to check in. that was pretty cool. >> a similar story at airports across the country dealing a crushing blow to airlines with passenger travel down 91%. many seeing an average of just 39 passengers per flight. but if you are among the few passengers passing through security, you will notice some changes. fewer tsa checkpoints open, all with social distancing rules and enhanced cleaning. each passenger allowed to bring a bottle of hand sanitizer, up to 12 ounces in a carry-on bag.

licenses and i.d.'s that expire starting in march will be accepted for up to a year. from the skies to the streets, more of the same. >> i have no plans. i'm not going anywhere. >> reporter: aaa is expecting travel this year to hit a record low. >> for the first time in 20 years, aaa is not releasing the memorial day travel forecast. that's due to economic data. it's grounded in economic data that's not available to put the forecast out this year. >> but for the few choosing to venture out, there are a few perks. >> it's been amazing. 20 bucks has been filling me up. i love that. >> reporter: you heard her talk about those low gas prices. if you've been driving around, you've likely seen it as well. gas is down nearly a dollar from this time last year. in 2019, prices of $2.85 a gallon, today down to >> remarkable drop there. blayne, we woke up to the

stunning news that overnight, hertz filed for bankruptcy protection. what more do we know about that? >> reporter: you know, hertz is one of the biggest henl car companies around. it's a kind of a double blow. one, rentals are certainly down dramatically. fewer people are renting cars. for those who are, the prices of the rental cars are going down as well. that's only driving them further into debt, kristen. it's another sign that this pain is extending across all aspects of the travel industry. kristen? >> sure is. blayne alexander in atlanta. thank you. what's the weather looking like for this memorial day weekend? we want to get the forecast from our friend dylan. good morning. >> good morning again guys. for most areas, not the best start to memorial day weekend. it makes it less tempting to go outside, especially across the northeast where today the temperatures will be significantly colder than yesterday by about 20 degrees up across parts of new england. we're also looking at off and on rain, heavy at times across the

southeast. we'll see scattered showers, same through the appalachians. we could see severe storms today, especially across the northern plains and near chicago too. mountain snow through the northern rockies. out west, though, it's beautiful as you start off your memorial day weekend. lot of sunshine. temperatures in the 70s. same for tomorrow. more wet weather through the middle of the country. severe storms, a possible downpour in texas. it will dry out in the northeast but still cool, especially at the beaches. that could keep people away as well. same for memorial day as well. a sea breeze cooler along the coast. inland areas could get into the 80s. a chance of more severe weather possible through the middle of the country. certainly a lot going on through memorial day weekend with a lot of wet weather. hopefully that keeps folks inside into this memorial day weekend. peter? >> dylan x thank you very much. we'll get the rest of the forecast in a few minutes. that's right.

places of worship could be open as early as this weekend after president trump declared them all essential and said they should open immediately. kelly o'donnell at the white house with more on that part of our coverage. kelly, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, kristen. the president made his wishes known. it will be up to governors and congregations, especially in places where the virus is still active to determine if this weekend is the right time or too soon to bring worshippers together. using the presidency's bully pulpit, donald trump demanded religious services resume this weekend. >> some governors deemed liquor stores and abortion clinics as essential but have left out churches and other houses of worship. not right. so i'm correcting this injustice. >> a political prescription for his evangelical base of ardent supporters. the president urged governors to lift restrictions on church gatherings immediately but also threatened action beyond his own

power. >> if they don't do it, i will override the governors. in america, we need more prayer, not less. >> reporter: the president did order the cdc to provide direction. friday posting interim guidance that suggests places of worship encourage face coverings, limit the size of gatherings, consider suspending choirs and singing which can transmit the virus. hold services outside if possible. and increase cleaning and disinfecting. friday the president was also in campaign gear. >> november 3rd is a big day. >> seizing on his democratic's rival's controversy tweeting criticism of joe biden for racially offensive comments in an interview. >> if you have a problem figuring out if you're for me or trump, then you ain't black. >> but he later expressed regret. >> i shouldn't have been such a wise guy. i shouldn't have been so

cavalier. >> biden speaking on a call with the u.s. black chamber of commerce. >> i know the comments have come off like i was taking the african american vote for granted. but nothing could be further from the truth. >> reporter: and back to president trump and check this out. as he has done every quarter, president trump is giving his salary to the treasury, this time to the department of health and human services. what is different is the press secretary showed the actual check with the president's personal information, bank account number, routing number, we're blocking it there. the white house says, instead of focusing on that reveal, we should focus on the donation. peter, kristen. >> that's why they sometimes show those displayed checks, not the real thing in moments like that. a new development in the former national security adviser, michael flynn. the fbi now initiating a review. what more do we know? >> christopher wray, the fbi director says the bureau will

examine what happened in the investigation to see if any current employees are responsible for any misconduct. they only have control over current employees and to see if there should be policy changes. flynn, the former national security adviser withdrew his guilty plea, the department justice is not going to pursue the case and a judge is still trying to decide if that will go forward. there was more that relates to the russia investigation. president trump again pounding his former attorney general, jeff sessions, who is running for his old senate seat in alabama. more twitter batter bat -- battle but jeff sessions responded this time. that's unusual. the former senator, form every attorney general says, look, i know your anger but recusal was required by law and you're damn fortunate, writes jeff sessions, that i did that. it protected you and the rule of law and led to your exoneration. that senate seat is a battle. the president endorsed another candidate, not his former attorney general. peter, kristen. >> plenty of politics heading into the holiday week yechbd.

kelly o'donnell, thank you. we want to head overseas and till you about a major step forward. the country where the coronavirus is believed to have originated is now reporting for the first time no new cases of the virus and no deaths as well. this as cases in brazil skyrocket. set to become the second hardest hit nation in the world behind in the world behind the u.s. nbc's chief global correspondent bill neely is in sow paao paulo us. >> reporter: the virus hit this city of more than 20 million people harder thn anywhere in brazil. brazil has the second highest number of cases in the world now after the u.s. more than a thousand new deaths here in the last 24 hours. the world health organization declaring brazil and south america the new global epicenter. coronavirus now spreading faster here in brazil than anywhere on

earth. on brazil's front line, the casualties are mounting horrifically. tens of thousands of new cases every day. this intensive care unit, like most, full. >> what's striking is how young people are in here. >> yeah. it's incredible. because most of people is around 40 years old. >> 40? >> 40. >> some are in their 30s. is doo fast, they can't dig the graves quickly enough. these are the most vulnerable. living in latin america's most densely populated areas. their poverty turbo charging brazil's death toll. >> reporter: people live here sometimes six or seven to a room. so social distancing is impossible. if they don't go out to work, they don't eat. >> you're worried. it's difficult. >> reporter: and they're scared. most people don't wear masks. they can't get them. they've lost jobs so they're fed by aid groups. in the center of brazil's

richest city, the newly jobless line up for food. their president announced billions in aid. but he wants lockdowns to end and brazil to get back to work. at a soccer stadium, a new field hospital ready for the next wave. brazil, say experts, still weeks away from its peak of infections. so brazil now setting records for all the wrong reasons. of course, china once did. this morning, it's reported that china has recorded zero deaths and zero cases for the first time since the outbreak began in wuhan in december. in fact, china has reported no deaths at all this month. so it's true that it's one small glimmer of hope amid all the darkness this holiday weekend. kristen, peter, back to you >> small glimmer of hope with all eyes on brazil now.

bill neely, thank you. patrick of famer and georgetown ewing tested positive for the news on social media friday. ewing said this virus is serious and should not be taken lightly. according to georgetown, patrick ewing is currently isolated and under care at a local hospital. no other members of the georgetown basketball team have tested positive. also this morning, an unbelievable story of survival after a horrific plane crash in pakistan. incredib incredibly, two people were pulled from the burning wreckage and this morning, we're learning more about their story. nbc's sara harman has the latest from london. good morning to you. >> reporter: kristen, good morning. when you look at the images of this wreckage, it's incredible to think that not one but two people survived this crash. this morning, plane maker, airbus is assisting with the investigation and one survivor is speaking out.

talking about the final moments aboard flight 8303. this morning, investigators are combing the scene for clues after an airbus a-320 slammed into a busy karachi neighborhood friday afternoon while approaching a nearby airport. emergency crews racing to the scene through packed narrow streets. the meckage so bad, the mayor of karachi initially said everyone on board had been killed. but incredibly, two people were pulled alive from the debris. the ceo of a bank was hoisted from the flaming wreck and taken to the hospital. this morning, his family says they're blessed. >> it's such a miracle and you never think that a miracle will happen to you in that way. so it just was -- it was unbelievable. >> reporter: another survivor told reporters he jumped from the burning plane. pakistan's army says 99 people

were on board the pakistan international airline's flight from lahore when it crashed two miles from the karachi airport. many traveling to celebrate the end of ramadan with family. local tv stations say this ccta footage captured the doomed plane's final moments. >> the pilot signaling plane trouble, telling air traffic control -- >> we have lost engine. >> the state department confirming one u.s. citizen was on board. secretary of state mike pompeo tweeting his condolences, saying the u.s. stands with pakistan during this difficult time. >> reporter: rescuers are still sifting through the debris. right now, the death toll stands at 97. but it's unclear if that includes the people who were on the ground where the plane hit. sadly, it's thought that number could still rise. kristen, peter? >> sarah harman in london. thank you.

also today, actress lori loughlin and her fashion designer husband pleaded guilty. they entered pleas through a zoom teleconference on friday due to the virus pandemic. if the judge accepts, loughlin could face two months in prison and her husband expected to serve five months. the couple admits to paying $500,000 to get their two daughters into the university of southern california as fake athletic recruits. meanwhile, the question on everyone's mind this morning. what is the weather going to be like on this holiday weekend? we want to check back in with dylan for the rest of the forecast. hey, dylan. >> good morningnee a lot of raie radar. especially for the northeast. this was connected to some of the severe storms we saw in the southeast yesterday.

good saturday morning to you. i'm kira klapper. this is when we would normally be bringing you your local weather but breaking news out of san francisco. a four alarm fire is burning at wisher man's wharf. the fire is at pier 45. it ignited just around 4:15 this morning. at this point we know in about eight minutes from now sf fire will be holding a press conference for us to learn more information. but take a look at this video. just unprecedented flames and smoke coming from this historic part of san francisco. we have learned that the boat is docked right there and is currently trying to be saved. it is a world war ii era ship. the fire boat saint francis is working to protect it. we don't know at this point if there has been anyone injured or

inside. we don't want to speculate the cause of the fire, but the cause of the fire is unknown at this point. we have a photographer there live at the scene and we want to bring him in right now. hi, brian. how are you? >> good morning. >> what are you seeing out there? this is unbelievable. >> so i got here at about 4:30. it was a second alarm at that time. we have as you said bum upped up to a fourth to line. jeremiah o'brian has been saved. the pier 45 is comprised of four buildings and the northeast building is the building that's on fire. the jeremiah o'brian literally sits feet away from that, probably 15 feet away from the building that was on fire. the entire building has collapsed. there was a may day at one point. no firefighters have been reported injured. i just checked in with the fire department on that, but part of

the building collapsed and came very close so some firefighters. also we have two fire boats working this fire. we have fire boat three and rescue boat one. rescue boat one is normally a boat that does ocean and bay rescues, but they also have fire fighting capabilities, so a fire like this it is very important that these boats were involved it is it is an unlimited water supply to pour on to this fire. >> with that four alarm fire also, how many firefighters have responded? >> that i don't know. the chief of the department is here. i have seen every division chief is also here. we've got pretty much an all hands situation. part of the difficulties in fighting this fire is getting

water here which again is why these boats are so important. that happened almost immediately where you don't want to risk firefighters lives by unnecessarily sending them inside, so this is a big fire. we can actually see it from about four miles away from almost basically where the golden gate bridge is on the way in. >> wow. we do want to point out that these are brian's pieces of photo and video that he shot within the last hour. again, he is there with the very latest on this four alarm fire burning at fisherman's wharf, pier 45. we expect to get the latest from sf fire. brian, we want to thank you so much and please stay safe out there. >> thank you, guys. good morning. >> have a good morning. we will continue to follow this

breaking news as the morning progresses. again as brian just told us, there are two fire boats currently fighting this fire and what advantage that brings the sf fire department is it gives an unlimited water supply. usually those sf fire boats work on ocean rescues but having them at their disposal right now is helping the sf fire department in a remarkable way. there are -- it is a four alarm fire, so that means that it is a huge response right now. about an hour and a half sf fire has been battling this fire now. of course this is a popular tourist destination in san francisco, but it seems at this point that it is an unoccupied warehouse that has burned. our photographer working for us this morning pointed out that the building did collapse. there were firefighters within

just feet of its collapse and fortunately no firefighters have been hurt. it seems at this point the building that was lost perhaps had no one inside. we're still working to find out that information. it is still unclear how this fire ignited. but again that building has collapsed at pier 45. no one has been injured at this point, but these historic jeremiah o'brian boat is feet away from the building that collapsed and it appears at this point to have been saved. i believes that one of just a few world war ii era boats that still exist. here is a live look. wow, that plume of smoke over san francisco, just a thick dark cloud and as our photographer brian pointed out from four miles away as far as the golden gate bridge all of this smoke could be seen.

we will continue to follow this breaking news for you as the morning progresses. again, here is a look at the flames and just the very scarey reality the san francisco fire department awoke to this morning. if you are just joining us, this is a four alarm fire at fisherman's wharf, pier 45, typically a heavily populated area, surely in the last three months not populated at all. it is unclear if anyone was around, how this fire ignited. we will hear from sf fire in the next two minutes. they're planning for a press conference at 6:00 a.m. when we hope to find out more information. again, in case you are just joining us, we have a photographer who brought us all this video from this breaking news out of san francisco, this blazing four alarm fire at

fisherman's wharf burning at pier 45. that building did collapse. unclear what was inside, if anything, if anyone was inside. the good news we have so far is that sf fire has no injuries reported even though that building collapsed mere feet away from those responding. of course in this day and age we want to salute all of our first responders. we will continue to bring you this breaking news as the morning progresses, this four alarm fire in fisherman's what are ch san francisco. we will have a full forecast with your weather coming up at 7:00.

♪ ♪ ♪ that is a spicy video. we're back on this saturday morning may 23rd, 2020. that might just be the song of this very weird summer. it's the new ariana grande call rain on me. less than 24 hours,et online. it hasn't quite stuck in my head yet peter, but i like it. >> great song, good beat. i like the sentiment.

honing the rain can -- hoping the rain can stay away for this weekend. let's begin the half an hour with the check of the headlines and millions hoping to get outside to enjoy this memorial day weekend as beaches and popular tourist destinations slowly reopen amid lingering concerns about the spread of coronavirus. still, some beach towns are not happy about having visitors, trying to find a way to restrict out of towners from showing up. on what's normally one of the busiest travel weekends of the year, highways are largely empty. airports are virtually deserted. >> also this morning, the first of florida's major theme parks announced a reopening date after shutting down in march due to the coronavirus pandemic. universal studios orlando is set to open to the public on june 5th with new safety measures in place. the park will limit attendance to ensure social distancing and visitors will have their temperatures checked upon arrival. face masks will be required for. universal orlando is owned by

comca comcast, the parent company of nbc news. spacex is ready for liftoff. nasa officials have given the final go ahead for the company's historic launch of the falcon 9 rocket to the international space station. that mission will be the first launch of astronauts from the kennedy space center in nine years. the first on a private spacecraft. president trump and the vice president, mike pence, are set to attend the liftoff. scheduled for 4:30 eastern on wednesday. >> lot of people will be looking forward to that. also this morning, some people will be putting on their blue suede shoes and heading to graceland. that's elvis presley's iconic home which was shut down beus dk it out. >> i'm in love ♪ ♪ i'm all shook up elvis presley fans far and wide are all shook up, finally allowed back to his beloved graceland. more than 600,000 visitors a year usually show up at his memphis homecoming to explore

the perfectly preserved rooms and memorabilia awash in the american dream. for the last two months, the suit, the cars, the jungle room have all been lonesome after the property shut down due to covid-19. >> nobody knew what was going to happen. no one knew how the country would reopen there was that anticipation at any moment now, they can say you can bring people back. >> but the graceland experience is a little different now. everyone who comes through here has to get their temperature checked. if it's above 100.4, there's no entry. masks are required for employees, suggested for guests. but the biggest difference is pretty obvious. this place is normally packed with people. but there are no crowds here today. crowd capacity is tapped at 25%. restaurants at 50%. opening day didn't come close to reaching that with only around 200 tickets sold. but those who did make it came ready to rock with the king. >> we're stoked.

it's going to be awesome. >> i riley want to see his outfits and the music, everything. >> elvis spottings in all shapes and sizes. >> time to have some fun for the first time in a while. >> what do you think elvis would say if he were here today to witness all of this? >> elvis would be right here at the front door welcoming everybody through the front door. >> would he be wearing a graceland mask? >> probably with a curled lip. >> iconic landmark and a half dpating a new normal. for "today," dasha burns, nbc news, memphis, tennessee. crazy to see it so empty there. you noelle advice is dancing, saying come on back. >> one of the quarantine rabbit holes where we introduced our daughters to elvis to see their expression. the early years. >> i read that was a fun family activity. >> dylan, you might have pay road trip on your hands. how is the weather looking? >> road trip with a four-month-old doesn't sound like a great time right now.

let's take a look at what's going on in the northeast. we're going to see some of the heavier rain continue to rotate through, especially through southern new jersey. right now atlantic city dealing with some thunderstorms. that will move through new york city and eventually across new england, too. temperatures about 20 degrees colder than it was yesterday. we also have a chance of some heavy rain that's already falling through arkansas, back into parts of eastern texas and also up near the chicago area later this afternoon and into this evening. that area of low pressure, you see that swirl in the radar there, that's the storm system that's going to continue to spread east. we could see larger hail, winds in excess of 60 miles per hour in the chicago area. also through the northern plains we could see hail in excess of 2 inches in diameter and down south across texas and into oklahoma, there's a chance we could see up to 5 inches of rain. a lot going on, especially through the middle of the

that's your latest forecast. peter? >> all right, dylan. thanks so much. just ahead right here, how to keep your family safe before you head out the door for your memorial chic dago! "ok, so, magnificent mile for me!" i thought i was managing... ...my moderate to severe crohn's disease. yes! until i realized something was missing... ...me. you ok, sis? my symptoms kept me- -from being there for my sisters. "...flight boarding for flight 2007 to chicago..." so i talked to my doctor and learned- ...humira is for people who still have symptoms of crohn's disease after trying other medications. and the majority of people on humira saw significant symptom relief...

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♪ life is better with you however, there is one thing you can be certain of. the men and women of the united states postal service. we're here to deliver cards and packages from loved ones and also deliver the peace of mind of knowing that essentials like prescriptions are on their way. every day, all across america, we deliver for you. and we always will. we're back now with our countdown to summer. memorial day weekend, the official -- unofficial start to summer. we're probably itching to get outside and have a little bit of fun. >> that is for sure. how can you do it safely? vicky nguyen and nbc news medical correspondent, dr. john

torres are both here with great advice. good morning. good to see both of you guys. >> good morning. good to see you too. >> good morning. >> guys, let's get right to it. vicki, it feels like the holiday caught up quickly. folks are looking for safe ways to be with their families, maybe get outside. what are the best and safest suggestions? >> it's great to spend this time isolating with the same people. ideally, that you've been at home with. but if you are going to get out, think great outdoors. this is really important for two reasons. one, you're going to get some physical activity and the air circulation is better. you're less likely to come in contact with people on a lake or a beach. you want to keep your mask and wipes handy especially if masks are required where you're going. swimming, hiking, big open spaces like a park. this is a great way to get in that physical activity. i also want to say x a recent study came out of the journal of

infectious diseases showing that this virus behaves a lot like other viruses, like the flu where sunlight is effective in inactivating the virus. that's another bit of good news. get outside, get the fresh air and sunshine. >> we're hoping for lots of sun this holiday weekend. that's for sure. dr. torres, if you do want to get together with the neighbors or your friends, how can you do that safely? what are good tips? >> kristen, the name of the game is circle of trust. to be honest, we're getting a little bored with the people we've been with over the last couple of months. it's okay to expand that circle of trust a little bit. make sure they're the people that have protected themselves to protect you. no more than ten people maximum. if they're people you trust and done the right things and masks are optional. you can invite them. social distance and masks. put things part from each other. people aren't in close contact. at the same time, don't share certain things, the utensils, the water bottles, the sunscreen. you don't share things that

people could be touching and you touch and you get the virus that way. again, you can expand that circle of trust. you have to be careful to make sure there are people you do trust to keep you and your family safe, kristen. >> vicky, some folks are beginning the process of returning to airlines, flying to their destinations, even for this holiday weekend. what's the best guidance for folks to get where they're going and back safely sf. >> the key is to pack patience and give yourself extra time. not so much because the airports will be crowded. it's because the reduction o could cause longer layovers. the other key, wash your hands as often as possible. pack disinfectant wipes if you can. bring hand sanitizer. the tsa is allowing folks to bring up to 12 ounces of hand sanitizer. you can request the agent put on a freyou. tsa is trying to be transparent abning at the airports. if you did to

tsa.gov/coronavirus, we're able to see if you're traveling to or from an area with a rise in infections and if it's a hotspot, you want to take maximum precaution. >> dr. torres, quickly, the cdc says that the virus is not transmitting easily in water. what are some safety tips if you want to get into the pool or go into the ocean? >> exactly, kristen. you're more likely to get coronavirus from the people than the water. if you're in the water, whether at a lake, pool or beach, stay six feet away. make sure you do that social distancing. wipe down high contact items. if you're out there, lounge chairs, water toys, anything out there, make sure you wipe them down and wash your hands many, many times during the event to keep yourself and your family safe. dr. j., vicky, we appreciate you both. have a good holiday weekend. >> you too. one good way to keep social distance. go to a drive-in powerful sunscreen?

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with so many of us social distancing, it might be a while before you feel comfortable going to a crowded movie theater again. >> but you can still catch a movie these days thanks to the return of an american original that many thought was a relic of the past. here's kerry sanders. >> reporter: what's old is new again. the nation's drive-ins, once relics of a bygone era, now the featured attraction. from sacramento, california, to ocala, florida. >> the big screen behind you. >> some drive-ins reporting a 60% jump in business. >> we think it's very cool. >> you've never been to a drive-in. >> never been. >> we've never been. >> to ensure social distancing, cars now park every other spot. >> it's for social distance. >> the drive-in may be the perfect escape from the realities of coronavirus. >> i've had three friends who passed away from this.

one of two family members who also succumbed to covid-19 and we both are from -- just two hours away. we came up here to get away. >> drive away your worries. >> drive-ins in america date back to the 1930s, this one built in 1948 in ocala, florida was in ruins until it was revived a decade ago. it was in his blood. his father and his grandfather were both projectionists. >> a lot of people have been in their homes and shag what would i do without netflix, also trapped inside their houses. what is it that the drive-in has changed? >> well, it gives them the opportunity to get out of their house. to take a road trip so to speak and spend hours with their family watching movies in the safety of their own vehicle as if they were in their homes, but yet out in the fresh air and enjoying something. >> in the 1950s. they had a similar probably. back then it was polio when they eventually had a vaccine, they

even gave moviegoers shot when they came to the drive-in. in a nod to nostalgia the $6 per person double features are always preceded by this. >> the show starts in nine minutes. >> but in a sign of the times, folks are kept apart by ordering snacks on an app. >> when was the lais time you went to a drive-in? >> almost 40 years ago. >> for others, this is a new experience. >> i like it because you get to chill in your car. >> something different? >> yes. >> a night at the movies in the age of coronavirus. now playing at a drive-in theater near you. for "today," kerry sanders, nbc news. ocala, florida. >> i have not been to a drive-in movie in so long. that would be so much fun to introduce your kids to something that they probably never heard of before. >> for sure. peter, i think your girls would

absolutely love that. dylan, i think your kids might be a little young still. i have to admit, i've never been. >> i've been when i was younger. but if you want a pickup truck. i like the idea of blankets and pillows in the back of the truck. got a lot on my list of things to do. >> i'd be asleep in the bed in the back for a couple days if we did that. still to come, one of the sweetest reunions you'll ever see. we're back after thi

still to come, the latest on reopening plans and travel on a bu couples are rethinking their weddings and getting creative when it comes to planning their happily ever after. and dylan? >> those stories and b

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that could mean an increase byin energy bills.. you can save by using a fan to cool off... unplugging and turning off devices when not in use... or closing your shades during the day. stay well and keep it golden. we have breaking news out of san . good morning. it is 6:26. thanks so much for joining us. we have breaking ns san francisco. as you can see here a large plume of dark thick smoke over the city because of a four alarm

fire burning at fisherman's wharf. the fire is burning at pier 45 between taylor and jones street. it ignited about two hours ago. if you are familiar, most of the warehouses around this area are seafood warehouses. what we know at this point is that one structure has collapsed. this is video just as our photographer arrived on the scene in the last hour and a half when the skies were still dark. thick, thick plumes of smoke as the sf fire department realized the fire was growing, they expanded their response to a four alarm fire. they also had the ability to use two fire boats, and that has given them the impressive ability to have unli unfortunately at this point it sounds like one warehouse has

collapsed, but the great news is if you are familiar with this area, it is close to a lot of famous seafood restaurants. this is heavily populated tourist destination, of course not in the time of covid in the last eight to twelve weeks. but there are two world war ii era ships in this area. at this point the fire is burning close to one. the ss jeremiah o'brian, it has been saved. it is about 77 years old. sf fire's quick andhelped save . apparently this fire is not burning as closely to it. again, this four alarm fire burning at pier 45 right next to fisherman's wharf. heavily populated tourist destination in a time not

containing coronavirus. perhaps these warehouses would have been filled with workers, fishermen loading supplies, but in this time where everything is practically a ghost town, perhaps lives have been saved because no one was there. we don't know the cause of the fire, but we do know that people are seeing smoke from as far as away as daily city i'm seeing on twitter. we want to bring in vianey arana with a look at the weather and how the winds may be playing a factor in there. good morning. >> hi there, good morning. you're right. one of the biggest concerns whenever we have any sort of fire is how the wind will impact it. right now the wind is fairly calm. we are expecting a breezy afternoon, but if you have any sort of conditions or health concerns, definitely not something you want to be arouju

quality for today, we're expecting good air quality, now that we have this fire in san francisco, you said probably even into the east bay and the south bay, we will see how this progresses for the afternoon. for those neighboring bays around there, watch for that smoke. we're already all wearing face masks. of course smoke is a different thing. just be careful of that. be mindful through the afternoon we will see breezy winds and we're talking about a warmup in our temperature. we're seeing those calm winds, but that air quality, we will see how that number changes through the afternoon, especially for san francisco as this fire begins to burn. thanks to the great weather, it will certainly help in that fight. your microclimate high, again, it will be a warm afternoon. we will start to notice that

warmup. we're tracking the excessive heat watch heading into monday. this has been a warn, especially when you're talking about hot, dry conditions. we're not sure of what caused this hire, but as we head into memorial day, we will be tracking 90s in the forecast, and that will always raise a concern. as far as that air quality goes, the air quality index number lets us know if the air quality is good, moderate or unhealthy. even though the air quality was predicted to be good for today, you need to be careful, especially for those sensitive groups. so something we'll have to be mindful of, keep a close eye on that. >> thanks so much. if you are just joining us at 6:31 on this saturday morning, we are following breaking news out of san francisco. a four alarm fire burning. this is right in the heart of

fisherman's wharf, a tourist destination. people from all over the world come to san francisco to come to fisherman's wharf. of course in the last two to three months this has been a ghost town. perhaps this is a lucky chance that maybe a lot of workers, a lot of fishermen who would have been in that area at this time were not there and therefore there have been no reported injuries as that fire is saying that one warehouse has collapsed. again, this fire ignited around 4:30 this morning. they have been battling it for two hours now. it is escalated to a four alarm response. they are also using two ships in fighting this fire, and that has given them the ability to use a lot of water and save everything around that warehouse that has already collapsed. we don't know which warehouse has collapsed, but we do know if you are familiar with this area, it is between taylor and jones

and there are some seafood warehouses on this historic pier 45. if you frequent the area, you know aleoto's is not far away. at last check, no historic famous restaurants are in any changer becau danger because of this incredible response by sf fire. we want to show you a new image from twitter. look at that, plume of thick black and glowing orange smoke. this appears to be from probably about an hour and a half ago when the fire first ignited because now the skies are lig lighting as the sunrises. this impressive footage from the

fire department. they have a fast, swift and massive response. four alarms responding. hundreds of firefighters responding. at this point in injuries. the great news there, one warehouse lost. more great news the ss jeremiah o'brian is a world war ii era ship right next to the warehouse that was lost. well, the jeremiah o'brian has been saved. 77-year-old world war ii era ship typically opened for tours for tourists and the uss pomponedo not far away. it does make one wonder what ignited this fire, if it was empty, if the warehouse was empty, what caused that fire? at this point it is too early to tell. but what we do know is one warehouse has collapsed. the ss jeremiah o'brian has been

saved and san francisco fire continues to fight the fire. we're seeing reports all over twitter that people as far away as daily city are seeing this smoke. so if you are just waking up as the sun is rising and concerned as you looked to some dark skies, it is due to this fire, a four alarm fire burning at pier 45 right at the heart of fisherman's wharf, a historic pier with two world war era ships, fortunately saved at this point, but a seafood restaurant has been lost. san francisco fire continues to tweet. they did give a press conference within the last half hour, and we are working on getting the latest information on our website and all of our social media pages. but be sure to stick with us as the morning progresses as we continue to give you the latest on this fire.

i believe we want to bring it h. okay, my mistake. but vianey arana a few minutes ago was detailing a calm forecast for this memorial day weekend, and that could help in this fire fight. as you might imagine, the traffic in and around taylor street is blocked off at this point. taylor and jefferson is completely shut down. i think the good news is at this point so many people are sheltering at home already. hopefully no one further will be impacted by this. we were able to speak with the chief of the sf fire department.

take a listen. >> we got a fourth alarm going. right now we're doing what's called a surround and drowned. it's too dangerous for our members to be in there because we've had a lot of collapse on all the exterior walls. now on the interior you can see as well. we officially went offensive and immediately pulled back out because the fire had been so far advanced by the time we got here because it likely started in the warehouse. the warehouse is big. you can get a lot of smoke in there before anything could see anything. nobody is living here, so it had a pretty good start on us before we got here and it quickly went to a fourth alarm. we got our fire boat operating. our fire boat is operating on the other side. we protected the jeremiah

o'brian from being impacted but this warehouse back here is going to be a total loss. >> that was chief jeanine nir e nickelson explaining the fire to us. around 4:25 this morning the fire had already advanced to the point where they had to surround and drown. they had to back off and then discover that the interior was collapsing in on itself as well. the chief also pointing out that because no one is out during this time of covid-19 the warehouse was empty, so they had no clue as to how that fire ignited but it's ka late sescal

quickly. the fire boat has unlimited water in helping fight this fire. this is a historic pier for san francisco. history buffs from around the world love to, you know, tourists from around the world love to come to fisherman's wharf. but history buffs love it because it contains two world war ii era ships. the fire burned right next to the uss jeremiah o'brian. it's farther out on the pier. the uss pompomnedo is closer. a lot of the famed restaurants that people head to in this area are not near the fire. but warehouses that these

seafood restaurants operate out of are in danger of this fire. we now want to turn to new video from our viewer jack hutton who just sent in this video. wow. i wasn't sure if he was going to talk here. you can just see massive plumes of smoke. that fire just a shocking thing to wake up to for the city of san francisco, especially on this memorial day weekend when i think so many of us were looking forward to taking a break from the grim realities of coronavirus and sheltering at home. now for our city to wake up to this. if you are just waking up, this is a four alarm fire in the heart of fisherman's wharf in san francisco. jones and taylor completely shut down. don't try to drive there right

now. sf fire is responding in full force. they are also using a fire boat. they are fighting this thing with every asset they have. one warehouse is a total loss, but the great news is the ss jeremiah o'brian world war ii ship has been saved. we will continue to bring you the very latest. we will be back with the news at 7:00 a.m. between the blades that helps protect skin. the gillette skinguard. no uh uh, no way come on, no no n-n-n-no-no only discover has no annual fee on any card.

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the nine-episode series will be called man in the arena and will feature his accounts of the most iconic moments of his nfl career, including his nine super bowl appearances as a new england patriot. the series which brady is co-producing will debut next year. you can watch him play golf on sunday if you don't want to wait that long. the battle song of the summer has begun. last week we told you a collaboration between the superstars was in the works. they're out with a song and new video. here's a look at "rain on me." >> ♪ ♪ ♪ >> all right. it's catchy, right? the pop powerhouses have been praising one another on social media. gaga felt like a sister to her. gaga tweeting i love you for

your strength and friendship,su. william and kate may have found a new calling. the duke and duchess of cambridge hosted bingo for the residents of a nursing home in wales. never ones to take duties lightly, the royals put their own spin on the game, which wasn't received well by all the residents. >> one little guy. number 2. >> six and 2, tickety-boo. yea. >> won the bingo. >> hi jo. >> hello, jo. >> how are you? >> we're very well. thanks. how did we do at bingo? okay? >> very good. it wasn't as good as the -- >> you won the bingo. the game was for a good cause in honor of health care workers across the uk. that is your pop start. i'll let them host bingo night here. >> i was going to royal twist o

>> i'd like an invite to that zoom game. that looks like so much fun. good for them. still ahead, the wedding dreams that are now looking a lot different for engaged couples. >> it is the one day that you always think about when you're growing up. >> it's been taken away from you, that experience of planning it. >> yeah. >> i talked to some couples putting their weddings on hold as others rethink their perfect day.

we are back with the new normal and a reality that many engaged couples are facing. the weddings that they dreamed of are most likely not going to happen the way they planned. >> that's right. more than half a million weddings for april, may and june.

covid-19 has forced couples to make tough choices and figure out how to get hitched in the middle of a pandemic. some are postponing and others have found that socially distant weddings can be a blessing of their own. >> this was not the wedding elizabeth johnson always dreamed of, but nothing was going to stop her from marrying her love, jonathan. with bouquet in one hand and cell phone in the other, elizabeth's california parents were able to give her away virtually. >> who gives this woman to be mad do. >> but canceling >> it kind of felt like grief changing, this was kind of the one constant we were able to keep. >> on april 25th, loved ones celebrated online as neighbors pitched in with flowers, readings and one performed the ceremony.

>> the moment that they accepted your offer to officiate their wedding, what did that feel like? >> if you could see the smile underneath this mask. they're never going to forget and i won't either. >> couple finding ways to get social distancing from getting in the way their i dos. >> shift weddings where small groups of guests attend at different times. socially distant seating, masks and hand sanitizer. >> we definitely tell couples, take the moment to be sad about it. but also know that there is hope and there is joy to come. and that weddings are going to>a of postponing her september wedding to eric sibley has been a painful process. >> at the end of the day, what matters to us is you're with the person that you love. >> chelsea says she'll likely lose money already paid to vendors and thinks the only dates available next year will be midweek. adding to all of it, she got

sick with coronavirus weeks ago. >> how were you twrirying to preserve some of the joy of wedding planning? >> every day is a different emotion. i get upset when i start talking about it. >> this is really tough for you. >> it is the one day that you always think about when you're growing up. >> it's been taken away from you. that experience of planning it. >> yeah. >> despite the sadness, these couples are finding more meaning in their creative weddings than they ever anticipated. >> stripping away all of that and focusing on just getting married and spending time with each other was really amazing. >> so wonderful to hear their stories and to get to meet those couples. like so many brides and grooms, they dreamed about their weddings from when they were little boys. what was amazing, they're getting creative. >> i was struck by the dad giving away his daughter by

zoom. his voice was cracking. you can imagine how hard that was. >> my cousin was supposed to be getting married the end of june and they're pushing it back a month at a time. we still don't know what's going to happen. we live in uncertain times. however, there is one thing you can be certain of. the men and women of the united states postal service. we're here to deliver cards and packages from loved ones and also deliver the peace of mind of knowing that essentials like prescriptions are on their way. every day, all across america, we deliver for you. and we always will.

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the geico giveback. helping riders focus on the road ahead. good saturday morning. it is may 23rd. we open this show with breaking news out of san francisco, a four alarm fire burning at fisherman's wharf in san francisco. this is happening at pier 45, the historic pier 45 with two world war ii ships docked just off the side of pier 45, an entire warehouse is a complete loss this morning. thanks so much for joining us. i'm kira klapper. we have a look from our sky ranger as you just saw. we want to give you the bullet points of this breaking news. the fire ignited about 4:20 this morning. when sf fire responded, they

said that they realized very quickly that this fire had progressed. they had to escalate their response to a four alarm fire. hundreds of sf fire department firefighters responded, and they are also using a fire boat. that is giving them the accessibility to unlimited water to fight this very powerful fire. smoke and flames can be seen as far away as the golden gate bridge. some people even tweeting from daily city that they can see the smoke. take a look at this video now sent in from firefighters this morning. we have a look at the firsthand look. wow. that incredible look of smoke and those plumes. again, this is pier 45 in the heart of fisherman's wharf. there are unknown warehouses damaged at this point, but if you are familiar with the area,

we know that there are multiple seafood restaurant warehouses, so the assumption is that one of them is a total loss this morning. this is right here aloha seafood. we want to take you to our sky ranger video as the sun has risen and new light is shed on this. pier 45 engulfed in flames. as of a few minutes ago, the sf fire department tweeted that the fire is still active. it is still at four alarm status. firefighters were able to save the "ss jeremiah o'brian" museum from flames and that the museum is no longer in danger of spreading. we're going to send it over now to today in the bay's sergio contana. he is live at pier 45 with what he's seeing now.

good morning, sergio. >> reporter: good morning. i can tell you that in just arriving a few minutes ago, i was able to give you an idea as to the extent of the fire. if you have been down to fisherman's wharf here in san francisco, you will note a lot of these warehouses extend out into the water like if i thifino the water. this fire is at the end of pier 45. you can see right now there are actually still several fire trucks that have their ladders extended. as you mentioned a little bit earlier, the fire department said they believe they had it contained to one area. what they mean is that this fire is contained to the end of the pier, the end of the pier warehouse. you did mention