conversation going. we'll see you tomorrow morning starting at 4:30. make it a great thursday. on high alert. an urgent new warning of another potential attack on the u.s. capitol today. security stepped up. the house of representatives cancelling today's session. this morning inside the new intelligence pointing to a potential plot by extremists and why today's date is so important to them. we're live with the very latest. making strides. one in ten u.s. adults, nearly 27 million people, now fully vaccinated. with more shots being shipped and getting into arms each day.

this as president biden blasts the governors of texas and mississippi for lifting restrictions at such a crucial time. the battle playing out across the nation over how and when to reopen. not going anywhere. a defiant new york governor andrew cuomo brushing off calls to step down. >> i wasn't elected by politicians. i was elected by the people of the state of new york. i'm not going to resign. >> but issuing his first on camera apology to the women accusing him of sexual harassment. >> i feel awful about it. quite frankly, i am embarrassed. >> the swift reaction from his accusers just ahead. meghan versus the firm. meghan markle accuses the royal family of actively lying about her and prince harry.

>> i don't know how they could expect that after all of this time we would still just be silent. >> the explosive new look from her upcoming interview and the investigation now launched into bullying complaints against the duchess herself. we're live at buckingham palace. search warrant. investigators make a new move to obtain new information from the black box of tiger woods' suv. what it could reveal about the crash and the legendary golfer's recovery. those stories plus blaze of glory. miles after a liftoff and landing, a rocket explodes. why the mission was actually a breakthrough in the quest to put people on mars. today, thursday, march 4th, 2021. from nbc news, this is "today" with savannah guthrie

and hoda kotb live from studi 1a in rockefeller plaza. welcome to "today." so happy you are joining us on this thursday morning. >> happy thursday, everybody. i have to say imagine being an engineer for spacex. so happy. the thing lands but then a few minutes later it explodes. i mean, i definitely have some questions about what went on there and i'm sure they do too. >> they say in spite of all that stuff, they're calling the whole mission a success. we're looking at the u.s. capitol right now where police are not taking any chances. >> extra security brought in after getting intelligence that extremist groups could try to stage another attack today on the capitol nearly two months after the january 6th siege. pete williams has the latest on this. pete, good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you. the capitol police say they're acting on an intelligence warning that something could

happen today, march 4th. congress isn't sure what to make of session today because of the security concerns but the senate will be open for business. >> capitol police say they're aware of potential threats and prepared for them today as a capitol complex already surround bid a fence topped with razor wire. in a joint intelligence bulletin, the fbi and homeland security side violent extremists have a continued perception of election fraud. and that some groups have even talked about the idea of taking control of the capitol and removing removing democratic lawmakers s march 4th which they consider, march 4th which they consider, quote, the true inaugural. but federal law enforcement ina. but f officials emphasize that the ed officials emphasize that the intelligen intelligence is strictly based on on talk, not any concrete steps to actually carry out such an to actually carry out such an attack. attack. march 4th used march 4th used to be the to bee inauguration day until the 1930 inauguration day until the 1930s when the 20th amendment shifted

into when the 20th amendment shiftedr it to january.y. meantime, congress continues es looking for answers about what happened on looking for answers about what y happened on january 6th. 6th. the commander of the washington d.c. national guard told a d.c. national guard told a hearing wednesday that he asked hearing wednesday that he asked for permission for permission to deploy guard members on the 6th at members on the 6th at 1:49 p.m. just after the just after the rioting began. r. he said chris miller didn't he said the acting defense secretary chris miller didn't approve it until 4:32. and it wasn't until 4:08 approve it until 4:32. and it wasn't until 5:08 until the green light was given. congressman roy blunt found that hard to believe. >> how is that possible? >> that's an issue.en. there were decisions being made? >> that's an there were decisionshat needed to take place and then there were actions that had to be and communicationshat needed to take place and then there were actions that had to be taken. taken. . >> by then the >> reporter: by then the guard commander said he had 155 troops loaded on buses at the d.c. nde said he. he said he was frustrated he 5 n buses at couldn't deploy them earlier. >> i've been involved in civil . he said he was frustrated he couldn't deploy them earlier. >> i've been involved in civil disturbances. i believe that number could hav. i believe we could have helped made a difference. extend the perimeter and helped push back the

we could have helped extend the perimeter and helped push back . still the crowd. a lot of questions. any word o >> still a lot of questions. any word on whether we're going to hear from officials in the defense department about the allegations by the national guard commander? >> reporter: that is the big s guard commander? >> reporter: that is the big questions. questions. the senator the senators said they want to hear directly from the army and defense department officials actually involve defense department officials d h who were actually involved in the decision to find out why it took so long to send the guard k so l up in the middle of a riot. hoda?rd up in >> yeah. the m all right.iddle of a riot. >> yeah. all right. pete williams, thank you. also this morning, there isl new progress to report in the also this morning, there is new progress to report in the vaccin vaccination push.atio nearly 27 million americans now. nearly 27 million americans now fully fully vaccinated.vaccinated. that's one out of every ten adults. that's 1 out of every 10 adults. 10%. and for the fir and for the first time, the st , 7-day average of daily shots administered has topped 2 2 7-day average of daily shots administered has topped 2 million. it's million.along signs it's among signs like that we'rt getting a fiery reaction this h' morning from the president and health officials to the ion thi mo governors of texas and m the pr health officials to the governors of texas and mississippi. mississippi. announcing they're rolling back re restrictions completely andstris lifting mask mandates. we've got two reports. we'll start with nbc's tom k ma. we've got two reports. costello.we'll start with nbc's costello. good tom, good morning. >> reporter: savannah, good mo

morning.g.>> good morning. one concern here is that we havn new variants spreading quickly.i we have new cases and more e new variants spreading quickly. we have new c deaths.ases and more deaths. importan now, importantly, we know that testing has declined 30% in tly testing has recent weeks. declined 30% in recent we may not have a very good we. we may not have a handle on how many new cases ar handle on how many new really out there, but health ce really out there, but health experts say that right now experts say that right now in lifting restrictions could, in fact, endanger fact, endanger lives. lives. this morning strong pushback to this morning strong pushback to mississippi mississippi and texas defying the cdc and lifting covid and the cdc and lifting covid restrictions. restrictions. >> it is now time >> it is now time to open texas 100%. 100%. >> reporter: from president biden.n. >> the last thing we need is a neanderthal thinking everything. >> the last thing we need is fine. >> reporter: and dr. fauci. is kne >> it is really quite risky nea is fine. >> it's risky to do that. >> after do that.defining for sev >> reporter: after defining for several months, cases are er climbing again.al texas and mississippi among the again. texas and states with the biggest up mis states wit ticks.h the biggest up ticks. meanwhile, other states are meanwhile, other states are

partially rolling back other partially rolling back other restrictions. restrictions the >> fatigue is looming. >> reporter: the cdc director urging all americans to continue urging all americans to continue wearing m distancing.asks and social >> every individual has the dis. >> every individual has the power to do the power to do the right thing here regardless of what the states decide for personal and public regardless of of what the states decide for health. personal and >> reporter: many national chains are still requiring hea. >> many national masks. chains are still requiring masks. meanwhile, the vaccine rollout >> the vaccine rollout is picking up is picking up pace with johnsone & johnsont's vaccine now going vaccine going into into americans' arms. american's >> three, two, one. arms. >> three, two, one. vaccinated.. >> but like millions of seniors, paul in florida i >> reporter: but like millions of seniors, pauline in florida and disc is frustrated and discouraged.o. she and her husband ron are both cancer survivors. while he got his first shot, she spent two months on the phone r cancer survivors. trying to get hers. while he got his first shot, she spent two months so far no luck. on the phone trying to get hers. >> they're opening it up to even so far no more younger people to get it and i haven't even gotten mine >> they're opening it up to yet. even younger people and i haven't gotten mine yet. it's very frustrating.

it's very frustrating. >> reporter: meanwhile, from the president, a plea to wear the i president, a plea to mask. wear the >> i hope everybody has realized by now these masks make a a mas. >> i hope everybody has realized by now these masks make a difference. >> a p difference.articular concern, tn >> reporter: a particular concern, the new variants.ew variants.riant, brazil, south africa, and california.the all of them have shown up in u houston. afr dr. fauci said it's going to b africa, and california critical to develop a new vaccine that addresses all the houston. dr. fauci said it's going to be critical to variants. savannah? develop a new vaccine that addresses all the >> one other note, tom. variants. >> the j&j vaccine the johnson & johnson vaccine i particular has raised a concern particular, has raised a concern for for some in the religious. somee >> reporter: the u.s. council o. >> catholics are urged to avoid bishops is urging catholics to avoid the j&j vaccine if they y can because it is derived by f because it is derived by using cells of aborted fetuses decades ago. using cells decades ago. johnson & johnson is making thod point no fetal tissue is insides ale.r vaccine.e. the council of bishops is

the council of bishops is saying if you can choose the pfizer if you can choose the moderna or pfizer vaccine catholics should moderna, do that. catholics should do that. if you if you can't you should take the johnson & johnson vaccine because it is important to joh& protect yourself and others.s. johnson vaccine because it's there's a lot of nuances here.i. there's it is important to read exactly what the catholic church is saying. >> i think the pope had some words on it as well. thank you, tom.ad some meantime, debate is set to . thank you, tom. meantime, debate is begin in the senate on the s president's nearly $2 trillion begin in the senate on the nearly $2 trillion covid relief package. covid rel package. and a last-minute deal couldit a mean fewer americans will n few will receive receive the stimulus checks. thu nbc washington correspondentlus kristen welker joins us now. a lot of people are wondering . kristen welker joins us now. a lot of people are who will get it and who won't. what do you know?ondering >> reporter: that's a big question, hoda.t and w good morning.ho won't. >> that's a big qu president biden struck a deal e. president biden struck a with moderate democrats to dea with moderate democrats to change who gets those direct change who gets those direct payments, meaning some people payments. meaning some people who received who received checks in december under former president trump will not get them now.p will no them now. so individuals so individuals making more than $80,000 or couples $80,000 or couples making more than $160,000 won't receive a check.k. than 160,000 won't receive a according to one estimate, that

check. according to one estimate, that is 7 million fewer in the original bill. families n in biden gave into demands targeted because he cannot thae relief should be narrowl afford to lose a single y targeted because he cannot democratic vote since no republicans are expected to bac afford to lose a single democratic vote since no the bill.. republicans hoda and savannah? are expectedk the bill. >> how >> how does this effect the do timeline of final pass damage? timeline of final pass damage. >> reporter: >> reporter: preliminary votes start tod are going to start today and ha a good chance of passing both h chance of passing both chambers chambers but only if, and i but only if, and i stress this e point, only if there are no other major changes. democrats are aiming to finalize this by march 14th democrats are aiming to finalize this by march 14th th when the covid unemployment benefits run covid unemployment benefits run out. out. >> thank you. >> kristen, thank you. now to the latest on andrew cuomo in his first on camera appearance since we move now to the latest on andrew cuomo in his first on camera appearance since being accused of sexual harassment by three women.assment by three the governor issued a new the governor issue apology.d a new apolicy. but also rejected calls for his but also r resignation.ejected c anne thompson has more on the a resignation. an story this morning.n anne, good morning. thompson ha story thi >> reporter: good morning.s mor. ann, good morning. governor cuomo says he supports >> reporter: good morning. governor cuo a woman's right to come forward

a woman's right to come de forward and he is sorry if he anyone feel uncomfortable, but anyone feel uncomfortable, but this this morning he remains defiant saying he saying he does not believe he'ss done anything in his public no done anything in his public career to be career to be ashamed of. andrew cuomo, unusually ashamed. andrew cuomo, unusually contrite. >> contrite. i now understand thatd in a >> i now understand that i acted in a way that made people feel uncomfortable. uncomfortable. it was unintentional. and i truly am it was unintentional. and i truly and deeply apologize for it. deeply >> reporter: publicly and emotionally apologizing after e three younger women accused him emotionally apologizing after three younger women accused him of sexual of sexual harassment.harassment. >> i feel awful about it. and >> i feel awful about it. and frankly, i am embarrassed bm it.barrassed by it. that's not easy that's not easy to say. >> reporter: the governor sayina he never touched anyone y. >> reporter: the governor saying he never touched anyone

inappropriately. inappropriately. offering a offering an explanation for n e picture picture published by "the new york times" of one accuser anna york times" o ruch.f one she says the governor asked if ruk. she says the governo he could kiss her at a 2019 r a he could kiss her at a 2019 wedding after just meeting her. wedding after just meeting her. >> you can g >> you can go find hundreds of pictures of me pictures of me kissing people. . men, women. men, women. it is my usual and customary way it is my usual and customary way of greeting. >> cuomo says he has no intention of of greeting. ste >> reporter: cuomo says he has no intention of stepping down.d. >> i'm not going to resign. loot i work for the people of the he- state of new york. i work for the peopl they elected me and i'm going to work for the people of the stat new york. they of new york. elected me. >> reporter: it did nothing to change the demands for him to >> reporter: the apology did nothing to change the demands s for him to go.o.go. >> this is a right and wrong issue.ht and wrong issue. this should rise above politics. >> reporter: andrea stuart bove. >> reporter: cousins is cautious. >> it's more about what actuall cousins is cautious. >> it's abo happened. that's what the investigation will let us know.hat actua >> reporter: the attorney general has yet to appoint the independent investigator.generay

once she does, cuomo says he o independent investigator. once she does, cuo will cooperate if mpresses the will cooperate fully. none of it governor's accusers.impresses t governor's an attorney for charlotte accu. an attorney for charlot bennett slammed the governor's event as full of falsehoods and inaccurate information anna ruch did not respond to our request for comment to the governor's remarks and lindsay boylan says who says the governor pervasively harassed her says how can we trust you to lead our state if you don't know when you've been inappropriate with your own staff? savannah >> all right anne thompson, thank you very much craig joins us looking at the growing tension in the middle east hey, craig good morning >> good morning. the biden administration is now considering a military response to wednesday's rocket attack on a u.s. air base in iraq believed to be retaliation for a recent u.s. air strike. nbc's chief foreign

correspondent richard engel is in baghdad for us. richard, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, craig. from baghdad, this is one of the churches that pope francis is going to visit when he arrives in this city tomorrow. they are making the last-minute preparations you can smell here that they just recently repaved these streets to make them look better they are repainting the curbs. you can see some of the extra security that has been brought in there are many other security steps that you cannot see. the pope will be traveling in an armored car, not the mostly highly visible pope mobile that he normally is in. because this is a time of increased tension. baghdad this morning is preparing to make history with its first-ever papal visit at a time of increased tension. pictures line many streets of pope francis next to the shiite grand ayatollah he's scheduled to meet but mostly the pope's visit is aimed at supporting iraqi

christians who have been leaving the country where they've lived for nearly two millenia in droves because of war and persecution by islamic extremists including isis. at baghdad st. joseph's church, this visit is seen as recognition of the hardships the sons he will come to all iraqis, not just for christians. >> reporter: but this is an especially dangerous time. rockets have been flying the pentagon suspects shiite militias fired ten rockets at a u.s. air base in western iraq yesterday. the ap reports they were launched from this truck no u.s. troops were killed, but an american contractor died of a heart attack while sheltering. >> we're identifying who is responsible and will make judgments from that point. >> reporter: the rocket attack is widely believed to be revenge

by iranian-backed militias for an air strike president bide ordered on them last week. the militias have recently intensified their attacks on u.s. personnel the pentagon didn't rule out further strikes. >> i'm not prepared to speak to potential future responses no one here wants to see this >> reporter: certainly notpande tit for tat iranian violence and preparing for a visit like never before. iraqis now facing a pandemic, tit-for-tat u.s. and iranian violence and preparing for a visit like never before. it's unclear how many christians still remain in iraq there's not been a census in many years there used to be around 1.5 million. but the number is more like 200,000 to 300,000 it is the pope's four-day visi will encourage christians in iraq and throughout the middle east to stay >> richard, thank you. about that time to get a check of the weather mr. roker, what's shaking, eggs

and bacon? >> i like that i'm hungry we're hungry for warm weather. let's see if we can get it in the northeast, the great lakes, this cold low is parked over the maritimes that's bringing down a brisk blustery flow of northerly winds. look at what we're faced with tomorrow morning windchills, feeling like 9 in new york 18 in d.c. 11 in detroit. as we head into the weekend, not a lot of great news. temperatures anywhere from 10 to 20 degrees below average from burlington down to charlotte wait, there's more good news. that's right low moves out. high moves in. jetstream up to the north. yes, baby! and look at the temperatures 10 to 20 degrees above average you're welcome wednesday 57 in new york same in louisville chicago up to 59

and 69 degrees in memphis on wednesday. we're going to get to your local forecast coming up in the next ♪ this is the first day of my life♪ ♪ i was born right in the doorway♪ ♪ i don't know where i am, ♪ ♪ i don't know where i've been♪ ♪ but i know where i wanna go♪ good thursday morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. as we go through the timeline of when the rain will arrive of course we are dry and warm today and dry for the most part tomorrow as well. then by tomorrow night, late we'll start to see some of the showers moving into parts of the north bay and then spreading across the rest of the bay area early on saturday morning. the rest of the weekend is clear so we will have that quick shot of some showers and then more rain in the forecast by early next week.

30 seconds >> and that is your latest weather. hoda >> thank you straight ahead buckingham palace launches an investigation into bullying allegations against meghan markle while the duchess takes a shot at the royal family claiming they have an active role in lies about her and prince harry keir simmons live at the palace with a lot to talk about plus, there's only a few months left in the school year kids are getting another chance at in-person learning. is it too little too late? what does it mean for parents and teachers the new concerns being raised the new concerns being raised from each side

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so you can kiss wrinkles, and other wrinkle creams goodbye. rapid wrinkle repair® pair with our most concentrated retinol ever for 2x the power. neutrogena® a very good morning to you. it is 7:26. i'm laura garcia. a look at our top stories including the efforts to get more bay area teachers vaccinated. >> i'm kris sanchez with the push to vaccinate teachers and school staff in santa clarita the fairgrounds are set aside for educators and getting vaccinated here at levi stadium today. every shot at the oakland coliseum mass vaccination site is set aside for teachers and school staff and san francisco teachers have state access codes to book their appointments for a shot. also today lawmakers in sacramento will vote on two funding measures for schools to reopen $6.6 billion.

good morning, everyone. i'm scott mcgrew. 745,000 americans applied for first-time jobless claims last week that was slightly less than expected. tomorrow the labor department gives us thing big jobs number, the unemploymen growth for the month of february. all right. let's check the forecast on this thursday morning. sun has arrived over the bay area. nice day ahead, kari? >> yes it will be another nice day. kind of a repeat of yesterday except we'll get more sunshine today. looking at our temperatures we'll reach into the mid to upper 60s and we'll have more of the same tomorrow, but early on friday in the friday -- saturday morning i should say when our next round of rain comes in and we'll see a big drop in our temperatures with that cold front passing by and then the rest of the weekend is looking dry before we get more rain in the forecast and much cooler temperatures for the beginning of next week with our highs in the mid 50s. we will see off and on rain so

we have a little while longer of this sunny and warm weather. laura? >> that's good. we really need the rain as well. thanks,

♪ we're working on our harmony. high and low 7:30, thursday morning al was saying how cold it's going to be tomorrow we decided a point, counter point. by showing this warm summer vibe, hollywood, florida a beautiful day. sunshine why not? >> doesn't that make you want to exhale oh, beautiful. >> hopefully we can all get going somewhere. let's start your 7:30 with a headline the house passed a sweeping police reform bill last night that would ban chokeholds and

no-knock warrants. it's called the george floyd justice in policing act. named after the man who died in minneapolis police custody last may. the wild ranging legislation would also prohibit racial and religious profiling. and eliminate some immunity protections for police officers. the bill now goes to the senate where it will need at least 10 republican votes to pass we go to texas now the state's power grid manager has been fired following last month's blackouts that left millions of people without electricity for days bill magnas was terminated from his contract after an emergency meeting last night five board members have also resigned in the wake of one of the worst blackouts in u.s. history. a spacex starship landing made a landing for the first time on wednesday only to explode on the landing pad a few minutes later. check it out >> whoa. whoa >> oh, my god. there you go >> whoa. whoa whoa >> that didn't sound planned

>> no. thankfully no passengers on board that prototype rocket. the rocket just completed a high altitude test when it burst into flames two previous test flights also ended with a fiery explosion spacex is developing the starship with the goal of launching people on missions to the moon and mars. the company says it remains confident it will be safe enough for human transport by 2023. >> okay. >> okay. >> not getting on one now. also this morning, the drama surrounding the royal family is growing by the day >> buckingham palace is opening an investigation into allegations of bullying made against meghan markle by former members of her staff in a new look at the upcoming interview, meghan makes a serious accusation against the royal family >> "today" senior corresponden keir simmons is standing by for us and is at buckingham palace keir, good morning >> reporter: good morning to you. i have to tell you this is a

nightmare for the palace just take a look at this front page all out-war at palace. monarchy in crisis here's what's happening. a long simmering feud between harry and meghan and palace staff, people princess diana called the men in gray suits is boiling over with this explosive interview with oprah winfrey in a new snippet overnight meghan markle accusing officials of perpetuating falsehoods >> how do you feel about the palace hearing you speak your truth today? >> i don't know how they could expect that after all this time we would be silent if there's an active role the firm is playing in perpetuating falsehoods about us if that comes with risk of losing things, i'm -- there's a lot that's been lost already >> reporter: buckingham palace ordering a inquiry into

allegations meghan bullied staff while she was a working royal at buckingham palace. harry and meghan will not be asked to take part in the probe. we are clearly very concerned the palace statement says. members of staff will be invited to participate to see if lessons can be learned harry and meghan's team say the allegations are a calculated smear. a report in "the london times" newspaper quoted a 2018 email by senior aide jason, not seen by nbc news, said to claim royal aides were driven out saying the duchess seems intent on always having someone in her sights the duke and duchess married less than six months earlier, but behind the scenes life was not easy and it was showing. during their successful pacifi tour in 2018, a tense moment, pregnant meghan rushed away from a crowd. and a fashion snafu, a label left on a dress. and from late 2018 to january 2020 according to

multiple reports at the time, a string of royal courtiers left the sussex team including communication secretaries, a personal assistant, and a private secretary. but some reports lay to claims staff had unpleasant nicknames for meghan including megain and duchess difficult. now the royal family preparing for harry and meghan's latest interview with oprah winfrey >> they've been unbelievably tough for the two of us, but at least we have each other >> reporter: oprah this morning promising a wide ranging interview covering everything from stepping into life as a royal, marriage and motherhood, but perhaps most importantly, how meghan is handling life under intense public pressure. >> and, keir, beyond that, meghan and palace drama, news this morning on prince phili ua him? >> reporter: that's right. all this happening amid difficult days for prince harry's grandfather.

we're hearing he's had a successful procedure for a preexisting heart condition that he will remain in the hospital for a number of days prince philip has an amazing story. a great, great grandson of queen victoria, married to queen elizabeth for more than 70 years. fought in the second world war in the royal navy. he's fighting his own personal health battle now. he is famously stubborn, craig you bet he is determined to make it to his 100th birthday this year >> all right keir simmons our royal history expert as well keir, thank you. all right. coming up next, parents eager to see their kids back in the classroom. teachers worried about their own health and safety clashing over the push to finish out the school year in person. >> what both groups had to say to our stephanie gosk right after this morgan, and there's me to me than hiv. more love,... more adventure,... more community. but with my hiv treatment,... there's not more medicines in my pill. i talked to my doctor... and switched to... fewer medicines with dovato.

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♪ in person or virtually. ♪ ♪ block has your back. ♪ pain hits fast. so get relief fast. only tylenol rapid release gels have laser-drilled holes. they release medicine fast for fast pain relief. tylenol rapid release gels. we are back with our week-long series "life after lockdown." this morning we're focusing on the push to reopen schools >> yeah. as cases of covid-19 spread nationwide last spring, as you know, students, parents and teachers were forced to quickly figure out remote learning as schools are beginning to open now a host of new concerns as schools are reopening. >> stephanie gosk has been talking to teachers and parents. hey, steph, good morning >> reporter: good morning. the good news is there's roughly four months left of school and

there are more students getting back into classrooms in person the bad news there's roughly four months left of school and parents and teachers are worried the students are way behind. for so many children, this is what school has looked like. a photo project in north andover, massachusetts captures a year of struggle >> sleepless nights, anxiety filled days. it runs the gamut. >> reporter: which is why the push to get into classrooms hasn't stopped more than 75% of k through 12 schools are offering some kind of in-person or hybrid learning. in chicago, alexa's daughter had her first day of in person kindergarten this week >> i was packing her lunch and i started crying from the feeling of joy and relief. >> reporter: but alexis can't go back to work yet her son, a freshman in high school, is still fully remote. you're stuck in a middle position while it's great your daughter

gets to go, your son still doesn't. >> yes see my it was very sad. i see my son and his peers completely disengaged. the camera is always off i can see how it's easy for kids to fall through the cracks >> reporter: studies show transmission rates at k-12 rates are low if precautions are stick but that's a sticking point. the biden administration has now directed pharmacies taking part in the federal program to start vaccinating teachers even if they don't qualify where they live in philadelphia, where teachers can get vaccines, 53 elementary schools are opening next week for pre-k through second grade >> i definitely had some concerns over the past couple months as far as the safety of the schools now. i think that now i feel confident. >> reporter: first grade teacher anna has one dose of the vaccine and her classroom now has an air

purifier for her students, their parents and for her, remote learning has been really hard >> today i was like sitting in my room and i was like i'm going to get this now. i'm like -- this is -- >> reporter: i see you're getting emotional. it's because they matter to you. right? that's what this is about. >> yeah. it's been a year it was just like, you know, setting up the room and i'm putting up the calendar, and it was still march. i'm like, oh, i just have to change the year. >> reporter: a full year gone. the focus now on a brighter future >> wow change in the year one of the most difficult parts for schools to reopen is there has to be money so they can upgrade the school funding is there financial help on the way? >> reporter: yeah. possibly, hoda the federal government is going to try to help with the new covid relief bill out there. it has $130 billion for schools to do things like improve ventilation and bring down class sizes. the problem, that still hasn't

passed even if it were to pass today, which it will not, that money might not get to school districts in time for this school year, hopefully it will on time for next school year >> steph, thank you. let's go to al did you like our summer breeze >> yes wow. >> point, counterpoint >> that's the official song of the summer and our show. as we look, unfortunately, it's been very dry out west nearly 80% of the west in drought. these are the worst drought conditions in more than 20 years but there's a little help on the way. two storms one right now in the rockies and the southern plains bringing snow and rain. a second storm coming onshore, as that moves in friday, washington to california as we put the maps into motion, heavy rain for coastal oregon and washington today it's a soaker. snow develops in the cascades. moving to tomorrow, a secondary front brings in more moisture, rain, and snow moves into

northern california. and as we look at all of this, the good news is it's bringing some rain. the bad news is not enough for right now. rocky snow today colder in the northeast. sunshine through the gulf. and we're looking at sunny skies up through the plains and the upper midwest. that's what's going on around the country. >> good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. taking a look at our forecast we are still dry today with more sunshine and we'll gradually start to see more clouds moving in tomorrow with a cold front moving in that's going to pass fairly quickly bringing a quick round of rain. the rest of the weekend is dry but early next week we'll be watching out for more showers coming in and it will be off and on from monday through wednesday and we could see temperatures reaching into the mid 50s next week. >> that is your latest weather all right. thank you. up next, the latest on tiger woods' crash and recovery. what investigators could be signaling by getting a new

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hi, miguel good morning >> reporter: good morning. this morning tiger woods' medical condition is guarded there's been no update on the specifics. last week, his team did announce he is recovering and in good spirits from surgeries to repair multiple open fractures in his right leg suffered in the solo vehicle crash that could have taken his life >> just look at that vehicle literally broke apart there. >> reporter: the critical seconds just before impact are the focus of sheriff's investigators working to determine what caused tiger woods' suv to cross over the median, two lanes of traffic and end up in this condition on a sunny southern california morning. the department has issued a search warrant to extract data from the vehicle's data recorder >> and they're going to go through it and see if they can find out what was the what was happening at the time of impact? >> reporter: the so-called black box similar to this one is expected to contain the vehicle's speed, lane positioning and driver actions

for up to five seconds before the accident the 2021 hyundai genesis woods this vehicle end up going nearly 400 feet down the opposite lane and crashing into a berm with all the advanced systems were they activated or turned off? >> reporter: experts say investigators will also look into driver distraction as a potential cause. >> if the driver is to link their cell phone into that vehicle's info-tainment center, yes, that can be recovered from the car itself if the driver's texting on their phone, the phone itself can also be friendsically examined. >> reporter: with no sign of impairment, the sheriff's department is not seeking a warrant to obtain a sample of woods' blood which might indicate if he was under the influence of medication. >> the first step in obtaining a search warrant is you have to

have evidence of impairment. without it, you don't get the search warrant >> reporter: officials say woods has no memory of the crash increasing the importance of data analysis to find the final missing pieces of this tragic puzzle >> experts say it should take no more than a few days to analyze the so-called black box. while other investigators may be doing a follow-up interview and looking for surveillance video along the routes they are under pressure to solve this high puzzle case. back to you. >> indeed. all right. >> miguel, thank you all right. carson, carson, what you got ahead on pop start >> well, thanks for asking we have a lot. did you know tom cruise is huge on tiktok? neither did he that is not tom cruise not the actor. that's what we call a deep fake. i'm going to break it down after your local news. >> oh, my gosh >> wow >> it's complicated. of dunkin' cold brew? with the perfect top of sweet cold foam.

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good morning to you. it is 7:56. i'm laura garcia. a look at what's happening now. >> i'm bob redell in san ramon. here in contra costa county the supply of the covid-19 vaccine is so tight that 34,000 people are now on the waiting list for their first dose. the county says that's because allocations from the state have been, quote, flat for the past few weeks. the county is encouraging people to sign up, even double book at different sites because they believe enough vaccines will be arriving. the county's also adding a new vaccine site coming soon to the diablo valley college campus in san ramon. i'm cierra johnson in san francisco with covid numbers fa counties and shifting from the purple to the less restrictive red tier. some folks are looking forward to what we can see in the only tier and that would mean getting

fans back into the stadiums here at the park across the state. oakland a's selling tickets in anticipation of getting fans back in the stands. they're selling them in pods to ensure social distancing. as for the giants, they're saying they're excited about the news, it's encouraging but they're waiting for more guidance. let's get straight to kari with the forecast. >> yeah. we're starting out with some sunshine and we will see rain in the forecast going into the weekend. especially friday night into saturday morning. we'll be watching out for more showers in the forecast by early next week as our temperatures only reach into the mid 50s. it's going to cool off significantly. we'll have more updates throughout "today." today on california live -- >> ross is taking us soaring with the mighty california condor. brooklyn is sharing secrets about going from super model to super mom. this morning at 11:30 on nbc bay area.

it's 8:00 on "today. coming up, on alert. extra security this morning on capitol hill why extremist groups could try to stage another attack on the capitol today as congress looks for answers about that january 6th attack why did it take so long for help to arrive? >> what would have been the impact of sending those 155 right around that 2:00 timeframe? >> i believe that number could have made a difference >> we're live with the latest. then planning in the pandemic how coronavirus restrictions have affected couples who struggle with infertility as clinics deal with a backlog of

patients >> there's some clinics with over 100 patients in line to do treatments >> just ahead the proactive steps you can take at home if you're looking to start a family plus, risky business how deep fake technology has convinced people tom cruise is a tiktok star. >> i want to show you some magic. >> believe it or not, that is not him. so can you spot the clues without even watching the clips? and parting ways inside the growing generational debate over middle versus side part >> side parts are actually atrocious. no thank you >> not today, satan. >> left side, strong side. >> time to choose sides as we get to the root of the issue today thursday, march 4th, 2021. ♪ my my my ♪ >> hoda and savannah make us smile every day.

>> we hope our son will make you smile on his first birthday! >> in poland, maine, after 4 years working in hr, i'm finally retiring >> every morning with al roker >> a cute one-year-old >> al makes everybody smile. we're back welcome in it's thursday morning. we're so happy you're starting your day with us >> yes we're really glad about it craig, you went down to south carolina on assignment a few weeks ago. tomorrow we're going to learn why. >> yes i recently lost my brother lawrence to colon cancer it's changed how my younger brother ryan and i looked at our health we decided to make a few changes. you know what? this is the first time i've seen this video wow. my younger brother was putting it off for years, and he got a colonoscopy.

>> good for him. >> he got a colonoscopy. we'll talk about that and other steps to take. our goal is to save one life so we're going to have that for you tomorrow >> i think you'll do that and more >> look forward to that, craig thank you. let's move now to your news at 8:00. it is a tense day in the nation's capitol where the fear of a potential extremist attack today has brought out extra security and shut down part of congress nbc's justice corresponden pete williams joins us with a look at what's we hind the concerns pete, good morning >> reporter: hoda, the capitol police say they're acting on an intelligence warning that something could happen today a date important to followers some conspiracy theories the capitol complex has been surrounded by a fence top with razor wire with more than 5,000 national guard members on duty since the inauguration and today police are conducting extra i.d. checks this follows a joint intelligence bulletin from the fbi and homeland security that said violent extremists have a continued perception of election fraud and that some groups have even talked about the idea of taking control of the capitol

and removing democratic lawmakers on march 4th which they consider the true inaugural. it used to be inauguration day until the 1930s. but federal law enforcement officials emphasized that this intelligence is strictly based on talk. not any concrete steps to carry out such an attack the house will not be in session today because of security concerns the senate is open for business. >> all right pete williams for us at the capitol. thank you. now to the ongoing impact of the severe winter storms across the south. thousands of families in jackson, mississippi, are still without clean, running water morgan radford has more for us morgan, good morning >> reporter: good morning. they're dealing with it hour by hour we're standing inside of aouse these bottles of water are being distributed to families in jackson to get through the day, the basic necessities like washing their hands or brushing

their teeth. but the reality is they're waking up this morning to another boil water advisory. which means they can't trust the water that's coming out of their pipes if they have any running water at all this morning, a city in crisis >> my faucet, nada >> stores don't have water >> we're suffering in the city of jackson >> reporter: nearly 200,000 residents in jackson, mississippi surviving without drinkable water for more than two weeks. thousands have no running water at all after a sudden freeze wreaked havoc on the city's aging water pipes. >> that's all the way up. >> reporter: this man is struggling to keep his entire family how are you with this family of five getting by? >> we don't know what's coming out of the water i don't feel comfortable bathing in it. i definitely don't feel comfortable cooking or brushing our teeth. >> reporter: he's not alone. the city now under a boil water

advisory >> i use bottled water to wash my hands and brush my teeth. >> reporter: many relying on tanker trucks brought in by the national guard and donations of plastic bottles at distribution centers like these you are taking these cases of water to anyone who pulls up >> anyone who pulls up, this is available for them >> no water. >> reporter: the shortage also a bust for local businesses. struggling to stay open during that's a whole payroll. i have 65 e the pandemic do you guys think as a business you can recover from this? >> that's tough. two weeks. that's a whole payroll i have 6 >> reporter: it's a crisis decades in the making. the city's outdated water system finally pushed to a breaking point by last month's deep freeze a problem the mayor says he'll need state funding to fix. why has it taken so long to fix?

>> we're looking at more than a billion dollars worth of problems we live in a legacy city with aging infrastructure we need the federal and state government to understand the time is now. >> reporter: in the meantime, nbc news reached out several times to the mississippi governor's office. he has not returned our calls or our emails meanwhile, the residents in

we got the news covered. kids, it is 8:07 how about the boost? >> boost us. >> you've probably heard the advice don't work harder, work smarter. this future hockey star shows us how. he skates up to the puck, gives it a couple one-handed nudges. not enough progress. this is what he's going to do. he's going to problem solve. if the puck won't come to the net, bring the net to the puck okay good work there. this is not an nhl thing it won't work for them, but it works for him and it works right now. >> goal! >> that's a problem solver still ahead, an unspoken toll of the pandemic the impact it's had on couples dreaming of a family and relying on fertility treatments to get there. >> i felt like it was never going to happen. i was never going to be a mom. we were never going to have a baby that was really scary for me >> and they're far from alone. we'll hear stories of hurdles and hope coming up right after this after my dvt blood clot...

i was uncertain... was another around the corner? or could things take a different turn? i wanted to help protect myself. my doctor recommended eliquis. eliquis is proven to treat and help prevent another dvt or pe blood clot. almost 98 percent of patients on eliquis didn't experience another. ...and eliquis has significantly less major bleeding than the standard treatment. eliquis is fda-approved and has both. don't stop eliquis unless your doctor tells you to. eliquis can cause serious and in rare cases fatal bleeding. don't take eliquis if you have an artificial heart valve or abnormal bleeding. if you had a spinal injection while on eliquis call your doctor right away if you have tingling, numbness, or muscle weakness. while taking eliquis, you may bruise more easily... and it may take longer than usual for bleeding to stop. seek immediate medical care for sudden signs of bleeding, like unusual bruising. eliquis may increase your bleeding risk if you take certain medicines. tell your doctor about all planned medical or dental procedures. what's around the corner could be worth waiting for. ask your doctor about eliquis. hi. so you're the scientist here.

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we're back 8:13 with your health this morning. a closer look at the pandemic's impact on couples struggle with infertility. >> with the last year, the fertility industry has been hit hard with delays and devastating thousands of women and men with hopes of growing a family. nbc's erin mclaughlin has more on that. good morning, erin >> reporter: good morning. we've talked about the heart wrenching delays covid has caused for medical procedures like cancer care and surgery it's also taken a toll on another sector of health care, fertility treatments with treatments being canceled and clinics shut down nationwide leaving many women desperate to conceive anxious and waiting today 1 out of 10 couples in the u.s. struggles with infertility. a struggle made even harder by covid. while there's no hard data on covid's impact on fertility

treatments, we spoke to multiple clinics nationwide who told us covid restrictions have forced them to cut back appointments. >> there are some clinics with over 100 people in line for treatments that was supposed to be done before the pandemic. >> reporter: and can the delays impact a patient's chance of getting pregnant >> it impacts the chances depending on their age. >> reporter: meaning, they could miss their window of enough healthy eggs >> infertility is so many hurdles anyway, and then we threw in a virus that kept adding more hurdles. >> reporter: dara and andy truax have been trying to get pregnant for four years the kansas city couple was supposed to start fertility treatments last march. but when the pandemic shut down their clinic, everything was delayed for months dara was scheduled for ivf in september, but then more delays when she tested positive for covid. >> i felt like it was never going to happen.

like i was never going to be a mom. we were never going to have a baby it was really scary for me >> reporter: on top of these delays, many centers at seattle sperm bank, one o the largest in the country, sales have skyrocketed 20% since the pandemic while sperm donations have plummeted. this on top of the mandatory infectious disease quarantine. >> what does that mean for practical terms? >> currently the average waiting time is three to six months. three to six months from now that could be even worse >> reporter: now there's new hope for patients who want to be proactive from home and avoid this backlog altogether. >> it's as simple as you can identify if you have a problem with ovulation >> reporter: after enduring multiple rounds of ivf to have her son, this doctor discovere her infertility was caused by ovulation problems a common issue easily treatable

and eliminates the need for ivf, but is often missed by doctors >> this is where proof can help. >> reporter: she designed proov, the first fda cleared home test for ovulation problems >> you take it and have the results and have this powerful information that you can share with your doctor over a virtual visit. >> reporter: for this couple whose only option was ivf, they say faith and patience hav gotten them through. their embryos were recently transferred bringing them one step closer to their dream >> i just want to have a houseful of kids we had to decide every day that this was worth fighting for. >> reporter: the couple says because of covid, getting to this point has taken them over a year twice the time it would have taken without the delays savannah >> it is so emotional to go through that whole process and, erin, for folks who are struggling right now with infertility, do you have any other tips to make this process a little easier during the pandemic >> reporter: yeah. because clinics are so busy,

experts say try to do as many home fertility tests as you can and consultant with your doctor virtually. they also recommend men get tested too since 50% of all fertility issues are related to male infertility issues. and diet and exercise, getting enough sleep and decreasing stress all can impact your ability to get pregnant. guys >> yeah. it's so hard, though i remember people would be like don't stress out about getting pregnant you're like, that stresses me out! it's an important story. thank you, erin. mr. roker, how about another mr. roker, how about another check? >> let's show you what's going on for today wet weather coming into the pacific northwest around the rockies and light snow through the northeast as a back door cold front pushes through. teens and 20s into the northeast. 30s around the great lakes nice and warm texas into the southwest and also down into florida. colder into the northeast. the rockies, next storm into the west plenty of sunshine for the gulf all the way up into the

beautiful great lakes. that's what's going on around . good morning, i'm meteorologist kari hall. we will continue to enjoy sunshine today. after this chilly start it warms up, and turns out to be another nice one, reaching into the mid to upper 60s inland and some low 60s near the coastline. we do have a lot of changes ahead. by tomorrow we're still looking at some pleasant weather and some much needed rain comes in early on saturday morning. the rest of the weekend is dry. but then some heavier downpours and cooler temperatures arrive next week. enough of that take us with you as you leave your house with siriusxm radio you know what time it is >> "pop start. >> this tom cruise thing is crazy. entertaining and quickly becomes alarming is it tom cruise or not? this week it seemed like the actor joined tiktok.

that's what we thoughtdeep fakee special effects like a likenessk are being called some of the best and most unsettling of deep fakes yet. >> let me show you some magic. the real thing i mean, it's all real. >> listen up sports and tiktok fans if you like what you're seeing, wait until what's coming next. >> wait. >> right >> what are you talking about? >> these tom cruise tiktoks were viewed 11 million times before being made private fortune.com seems to have discovered the guy behind them an artist has done some of the impressive deep fake videos before including of tom cruise of an impersonator of miles fisher that was posted in january that one looking even more polished

a behind the scenes video from him shows how the impersonator has turned into cruise using digital effects. some people are saying the technology could have eventually some serious implications for what's real and what's not >> wow >> that's crazy. >> think about where we are in the news world of already trying to figure out what's real or not. what if that was a political figure? >> terrifying. >> and the voice was perfect and the technology is only going to get better. >> right right. >> are you really carson daly? >> i wish i was a deep fake. in my next life, i will be wanda vision, i am hooked. i think this is the most creative, innovative show ever on television. it's a marvel tv series that features olson and betney. olson's character is creating different sitcom realities in each episode that's putting it simply

they did the "dick van dyke "the brady bunch" and "modern family" and on and on. ahead of the show's finale tomorrow, at the jimmy fallon show, they got creative. mimicking talk shows watch this >> how are you doing are you comfortable? i see they got you a water >> water well, that's an odd way to pronounce rum punch. >> i'm glad you swung by and brought your own cigarette >> oh, sure, yeah. this is a cigarette. >> need a chill pill >> as if >> al, you want to jump in here? >> it's really -- well, first that was brilliant the great thing about the showat is meticulously an homage to the genera from the laugh tracks to

the jokes to the way the jokes are written. the other side is just mind blowing. >> you don't have to be a marvel fan. >> i'm not and there's a lot going on with it it's great >> the finale is -- series finale >> yes tomorrow tim mcgraw, he's a proud dad of three girls ranging in age of 19 to 23 in a recent interview, mcgraw got honest about fatherhood and what it's like seeing his daughters grow up. mcgraw saying you think you're giving them good life lessons as a parent you're going to get half of everything wrong that's the nature of it. there's no handbook with it. they grow up so fast a sad thing at the same time went onto say a lot of things, but it sounds like a dad who maybe sent the youngest off to college. really sweet stuff, though as a father of three, i love

reading that >> we're not done with pop start. one more >> mr. carson daly is our final "pop start" item he's featured in this week's issue of "people." he opened up about mental health and how he hopes his story is going to help others carson, you talk about a new project using technology to make it easier to find metal health resources. you have been on a one-man mission. >> i've been a lot of talk, and now i'm trying to walk the walk. i had the opportunity to join the board of directors of a startup mental health nonprofit, called project healthy minds a wide ranging group of leaders doing good work. i'm honored to be a part of that and have a chance to dig in on the topic. i think it's the most important topic of my lifetime i'm grateful for that opportunity. >> and you have a digital series >> yeah. "mind matters. i was on the 9:00 with al and did a piece there. it's a digital series. we have to break the stigma of mental health. get people talking about it. that's what we do, and then create technology that helps give people access to help >> so important.

>> yeah. >> the new issue of "people" hits stands nationwide tomorrow. >> thank you for that. >> a beautiful picture, too. >> jumping in on my pop start. how dare you hijacked >> for a good cause. vicky is coming up to help us with staying connecte with older family members and if they need help with the feck no long she has that covered, as well first, your local news

good morning, 8:26, i'm marcus washington. a minor quake northeastern saint helena hit about 30 minutes ago. san jose's plan to redevelop an area around dirdan station got larger. the planned 80 acre downtown west neighborhood is now being 262 acres of space. this is up from 250 acres. city leaders are also now promising more new residential units over the next two decades, three times as many hotel rooms and more than 14 million square

feet of office space. the final blueprint is expected some time this spring. here we go today on this thursday, look at that forecast, meteorologist kari hall has that. we're getting ready for some rain but it doesn't get here until late tomorrow night but we can see the storm off the coast. as we time it out for you, we'll start to see some of the showers moving in through the north bay, late tomorrow night, and quickly passing by by early saturday morning. the rest of the weekend is dry. then we'll see more rain and chilly temperatures arriving in the bay area early next week. keep checking in for updates. >> we'll have another local news update coming up in 30 minutes.

vicky. that's hoda's song >> 8:30, thursday morning, march 4th, 2021. >> like so many of us separated from our moms and dads, loved ones in the pandemic, it's a heart breaker. without regular visits, you know, we're looking for ways to stay connected and make sure they're staying safe this morning we're hoping to get help with that >> yes vicky nguyen has practical tips to giving everyone peace of mind from helping with technology to creative ways you can check in on their daily activities as well >> and then the great debate, people, is it a side part or a

middle part? >> is it a great debate? >> it is >> to some people. >> it's raging across the internet >> it might be a great divide. >> i get it. >> so many hair puns we could do >> the question is is this a generational war i think younger people go middle part >> really? >> i don't know. it's the opposite. they say that if you part to the side, you're younger and if you're middle part you're old. >> no. >> yes >> we have a hollywood stylist breaking it down we'll look at how we look differently. >> yes exactly. >> vie -- viva the middle part phil donahue is coming along. >> that's right. in the third hour of today, sharing advice on something they know well, making relationships last >> you've been friends for years. >> we're both very old coming up tomorrow, our restaurant week on "today.

a series with a trip to flavortown with guy fieri joining us first, let's get a check of the weather. >> let's look at the weekend and see what's shaping up starting off with tomorrow, a northeast chill in the air wet weather in the mississippi river valley a pacific storm onshore. saturday we're looking for chilly weather continuing through the northeast in new warm for the plains to the gulf. sunday, sunday, the chil continues in the northeast and new england. a nice stretch of mild weather for march from the great lakes to the gulf and a few snow good morning, i'm meteorologist kari hall. as we take a look at our seven-day forecast, it's going to be another nice day after this cold start we're heading towards the mid-60s and some upper 60s tomorrow. but then we'll see some clouds moving in and some rain by late tomorrow night into early

saturday morning. the rest of the forecast is dry. as that rain moves through fairly quickly and then we'll see some more showers in the forecast early next week and much cooler temperatures, highs only in the mid-50s. est weather. >> al, thank you just ahead, new ways to connect until it's safe to visit loved ones that can be a source of anxiety. i'm vicky nguyen from tracking your family's activities to helping them navigate technology from a far, i have tools that will make a difference that's all next on "today. >> first, this is "t

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we we are back. 8:35 on this thursday morning with our search for solutions series this morning we're talking about staying connected with older parents and loved ones until it's safe for those face to face meetings at home

>> nbc's investigative and consumer correspondent vicky you can't just pop in and check on why the computer is not working or what's going on with the internet connection. this morning new technology to help us all stay connected and also to help you care for your loved ones even if they're not tech savvy as the weeks turn into months, the pandemic is taking a toll an all of us. especially when you can't visit your parents or grandparents my family can relate we haven't seen my in-laws in more than a year we're in new york and they're in california communication and technology can give us both peace of mind and new ways to stay connected start by making sure your parents have the right technology my in-laws are good on that front.

but if your loved ones need help, for a fee, pop-up pals can link up seniors with experts to set up and troubleshoot. >> this is where you need the password >> reporter: they can also show them how to order groceries online and secure vaccine appointments nonprofit senior planet can help with the next step, free technology courses geared for seniors. tom camber is the ceo. >> social engagement, it's good for everybody when older people are more connected to everybody and the rest of us >> reporter: courses include how tablet, create an email accoun and video conferencing helping anyone with technology over the phone is such an exercise in patience what tips do you have for people so they can do it? >> we talk about the frustration threshold. that's the moment when you're working with technology when you can't stand it anymore and something goes wrong and you want to throw it out the window. >> reporter: been there. >> right we've all been there make sure your sessions are shorter. a half hour. let's come back to it tomorrow >> reporter: senior planet offers free assistance over the

phone as well. 920-666-1959 when it comes to communication amazon recently unveiled alexa care hub my in-laws are in california but i can still drop in on them. alexa, drop in on grandpa and grandma. >> okay. dropping in. >> hello. >> reporter: hi, gary. can you hear me? >> i can >> reporter: how's the weather there in california? >> it's starting to cloud up but we've had some beautiful sunny days >> reporter: i can even check in on their alexa activity using my phone. it might seem like i'm snooping, but it doesn't give me specifics. it just tells me they played music, checked the weather this is just a nice way to know they're up, active, and everything is okay users can designate an emergency contact. today for gary, that's me. you ready to try this out? >> sure. >> reporter: you ask for help and see if it calls me >> alexa, call for help. >> reaching out to your

emergency contact. so my phone is ringing gary, are you there? >> yep >> reporter: fantastic i can hear you loud and clear. and it also sent me a text notification that says emergency alert, gary or someone in their home asked for help. if you're worried about mobility, ride share companies made it earlier. uber and lyft offer assistance for those who need extra help. scroll to the bottom and select the option with the wheelchair ic 0 n the driver is expected to get out and make sure they help someone with a walker or wheelchair and socialization is important experts say whenever possible use a video call instead of a phone call it's more engaging and easier if you're talking with someone hard of hearing which you are not >> he's hard of hearing. >> a little bit. >> reporter: aarp has friendly voice for volunteers calling seniors who sign up to chat with them >> when would you like another call what day is good for you >> surprise me >> okay. we'll surprise you and give you

a call next week okay >> thanks very much. >> reporter: new ways to keep us all connected, engaged and less anxious. anxious. and i should say my i-nlaws did like the alexa but thought it was a little intrusive they said if they had loss of mobility, it would be useful that's shotgun -- something to consider >> what if your family doesn't have access to internet or wi-fi? >> reporter: yeah. senior planet has that number you can call to get set up over the phone. this is cool they just launched a new website called aging connected and it can help you find subsidized internet in your area enter your zip code and see if you qualify. >> that's great. i always learn a ton of stuff. every time vic i can does a piece. thank you. coming up next, really the most important story of the day. how do you part it

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we are back with what's being called a fierce day. >> yes, it is. and just for our viewers, every time we make a hair pun, just -- i don't know, take a drink >> coffee shot. >> espresso. >> the hair raising controversy with two entire generations. >> good morning. >> good morning. >> so this is the thing. i need you to hold my hand are you? >> yes >> okay. suspend your thoughts about world peace and go with me for a moment we've all heard the age old feud between the montagues and the capulets and sharks and the jets they have nothing on gen-z and millennials. taking sides on jeans to harry potter to emojis the latest divisive topic?

which hair part is passe >> welcome to "today's" social commentary prize fight the opponent gen-z and millennials. the battleground tiktok the drama. both have strong feelings about >> the side part debate. let's talk about it. the way we part our hair >> the side part debate, side part let's talk about it. >> young adults under 25, against the millennial peers is a favorite past time on social media. >> i personally don't want to be associated with people who still think harry potter movies are a personality trait. >> their latest claim? the middle part is the future and the side part favored by millennials looks old and out of touch. the millennials are hopping on tiktok to clap back >> i'm so sorry, gen-z could never. >> you can't convince me that this looks better than this. >> millennial men are giving the middle part a chance

>> show me the side part and then please do me the favor and part the right down the middle of your skull. >> this millennial mom is ing to need us one day. how do they identify that we have the mom energy? side parts and skinny jeans. >> all of this beg it is question is one style more flattering than the other >> it comes down to age and we all have our preferences. we all have our go-tos but i think changing the part on your hair can change things. >> would either generation ever be open to a side swap >> side parts are atrocious. no thank you >> i wouldn't be caught dead with a side part. >> i think middle part would look pretty ridiculous on me so no thanks. >> that's a no for me. not today, satan >> left side, strong side.

>> i know. this is a thing. at least they all agree on something. the points were made, but it's important to note that this is far from the first frontier of hair we can't forget -- take a look at this as you're holding my hand the feathery foster. the '80s perm and mullet the '90s bowl cut. and most recently, the 2000s poof as they call it there you go looking back at the photos, if we have to argue about hair, we're doing much better if that's all we have to argue about. >> it's a sign things are maybe getting better in the world. >> exactly, exactly. >> let's bring in a true pro rihanna capri the co-owner of 901 salon in los angeles and a middle parter, it looks like she's responsible for some of hollywood's most famous parts, side and middle. rihanna, so this debate is really tearing people apart. i mean, where do you come down

on it? >> i mean, since when do we let what to do >> thank you >> preach. >> and things really come down to so many other elements. face shape, forehead size, cheekbones, how big is your nose if you have a long face. do you have a cowlick? >> i have one. >> yeah. >> i have one. i don't have a side or a middle. >> does one part make you look younger or older or is there anything to that >> i'm not -- it really all comes down to different elements honestly, if you have a really big nose and you part in the middle, you're only accentuating your nose. do you want to do that >> we all tried it >> you tried it? >> all three of us tried it. >> the four of us. we have pictures >> all right >> one step at a time. the first picture we have. savannah >> the side part >> go side

>> side. >> i like that >> that's the side part. >> you've got to go side >> it falls in my face >> it doesn't matter side >> we have hairspray for that. >> what does rihanna think >> i do like the side part on you. i like the center as well. on the side part, the poof in the back might be a little high. to start dating that >> i agree i'm not snookie. for crying out loud. >> really? >> next. >> hoda. >> oh. >> okay. i'm going to go on record. those are bad, in my defense i just came back from the gym and was like get your picture. it was video it's all horrible. and rihanna, i want to apologize on behalf of myself. >> you think the side part >> hideous >> stop. you look amazing >> okay. next

>> okay. i actually think that little middle part is cute. >> rihanna, let's get the pro here >> the grays at the top, i embrace those. >> i love those. little sparkles. on your side part, it's not bad. what you are doing is opening up your forehead versus having more -- >> like zhuzh. on your middle part, not your side on your middle part, having more of a curtain create a shape with your forehead >> i see >> what about carson did carson do it >> for the record -- for the record, i wanted no part in this whole thing. but i'm a side parter. and you see me down the middle what do you like >> i mean, you're doing the right thing, carson. >> be honest >> i'm proud of you. >> i think me and carson are a tossup >> down the middle part a little -- >> roker has been talking about this whole parting business for a while. >> i don't have a dog in this

fight. but my thing is, let your flag fly. enjoy it who cares what the other people think? >> yes >> exactly >> don't split hairs >> oh! >> it all comes down to how do you feel confident and the most powerful and whatever that is, you do you, honestly. >> right >> thanks for waking up early for us >> thank you so much >> it's all just so we can show the silly pictures >> she does everybody's hair in hollywood, by the way >> she does? >> everybody >> i'll never look at you the same never look at you the same >> how about me? >> gosh. coming up next, tips for a happy and long marriage from two people who know, marlo thomas and phil donahue and phil donahue share the advice that they have ♪ ♪ ♪ and phil donahue share the advice that they have ♪ ♪ ♪

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sit down sit down we're on we're back

our good friends are here marlo thomas and her husband of 40 years he could dare talk show host phil donahue. >> they're teaming up for a podcast called "double date. it's inspired by their best-selling book "what makes a marriage last. marlo and phil, welcome. your book was a huge success we learned a lot tell us about the podcast. >> well, it's called "double date." >> yeah. we asked 40 couples to join us on a kind of double date and we ask them, what makes a marriage last. >> and the thing is it was really a double date it was two couples sitting across having drinks and snacks and talking about all the things that challenge a marriage, and also, that make it exciting. and some of it was sexy and funny and sad and all the things you can imagine. and we learned a lot >> the common theme seems to be both partners have to want the

>> and that sounds simple. >> it sounds simple. >> it sounds simple, but a lot of times one person is carrying the marriage and making the relationship work. in these marriages that last a long time, over 20 years, they really both are committed to it. and when something bad happened or something scary happened, they didn't run for the exit sign and that really is the different in what makes a marriage work. no matter what happens, like with jesse jackson, he was unfaithful and had a child out of wedlock kira sedgwick and kevin bacon lost all their money to bernie madoff and michael j. fox and his wife, he got a lifelong diagnose with parkinson's disease. all these things people lost children, had addiction like jamie lee curtis. all kinds of things, but they didn't run they didn't run for the exit sign and they went to marriage

counseling and wanted it they wanted to keep that person. >> that is really an act of love engaging a marriage counselor really says i love you >> especially for this irish guy who would rather do anything but talk about himself it was really -- we really found that very interesting. >> and was there one piece of advice or some mantra that even you experienced happy married people picked up and have been liking and using >> well, you know, they talked a lot about having a sense of humor, being able to laugh being able to say to each other this isn't the end of the line to really look at each other and communicate. i mean, it's interesting we hear these words like communicate and trust each other. but people don't really do it. they don't really listen it took me ten years to learn how to really listen to phil, and he had to say to me, don't

do anything. don't jump for the phone just listen to what i have to say. >> good advice >> and many -- more than one couple said they -- their habit is to say i love you every night before you go to sleep. every night. and that's -- that's -- how do you argue with that? that's a good idea >> again, the podcast is called "double date." it's on today.com, the first episode. we're not done with you yet. take a break come back in a few minutes third hour of "today." more phil and marlo right after your local news. >> we love you >> good morning, 8:56, i'm marcus washington, authorities are investigating this crash which happened earlier this morning in the north bay. this is actually -- the car smashed through the doors of that gun store in novato. it happened about 5:00 a.m. on

alameda south of ignacio, multiple patrol cars responded. we don't know if anyone was injured or if it was a smash and grab. we do know police are calling this a crime scene. a crew on the way to novato and we're going to check out what's happening there. live report during the midday newscast and check our pages for updates. at midday the latest on the push to open more schools, including today's teacher vaccinations in the bay area and a vote for school funding in sacramento.

today on "california live" -- >> taking us soaring with a mighty california condor. >> sharing secrets going from supermodel to supermom. >> this morning at 11:30. among our top stories this week, maybe the most important one yet, a response team is breaking down how to avoid an audit. >> catching a flick has more bay area counties loosening restrictions, theaters set to open tomorrow. ness insurance usually doesn't cover everything you need. it's long on pages. short on coverage. that's why three was created. it covers your entire business in just one policy. because small business owners have enough on their hands. so go with three and leave those old policies

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live from studio 1a, this is the third hour of "today." good morning. it is the third hour of "today." it's thursday, march 4th. >> what day is it? >> it's parade day. >> parade day. >> you guys get it yet? >> we, we got it. >> it's the morning phone i didn't get it for about ten minutes. >> it's march 4th. you march forth. >> parade day. >> get it? parade day. >> nothing like a joke you have to explain. >> our floor director just got it. i'm here with al,