that does it for "today in the bay" this thursday morning for you. we need a big, juicy storm so i can wash off my car. walnut creek this morning. try to stay dry and stay with nbc bay area. the "today" show starts now. driven by hate. new questions over the motivation behind that shooting spree at georgia spas that killed eight people, six of asian descent. >> this was a tragic day with many victims. >> i think it's -- it is a very, very troublesome. >> the lone suspect now charged with murder and due in court, a police captain facing outrage for appearing to dismiss it as a hate crime. >> yesterday was a really bad day for him, and this is what he did. >> but officers in atlanta saying those charges could be

brought. this morning the very latest on the investigation and a closer look at the disturbing rise in violent crimes against asian americans. breaking overnight, tornado outbreak, more than two dozen cutting a path of destruction through the south. >> if it would have lasted a little bit longer, i probably wouldn't be here. >> injuries and damage reported across the region, that storm threat now on the move set to bring snow to the northeast. al's tracking it all. fears and frustration, health officials voicing new concerns as the drop in covid cases stalls and fatalities remain high. >> the average daily death rate is still more than twice that seen last september. >> this as the cdc considers moving kids closer together in the classroom to make it easier for schools to reopen. straight ahead, a live interview with dr. anthony fauci. yes, they did. tributes to a devoted dad and beloved boston marathon legend

dick hoyt who pushed his wheelchair bound son across the finish line for decades. >> everybody thought that we would just go up to the corner and turn around and come back, well, we didn't. we finished the whole five miles coming in next to last, and not last. >> the legacy of the inspiration he brought to millions. those stories, plus, bracket fever, the men's college basketball tournament ready to tip off, all of the games being held in indiana. and after last year's cancellation, fans are eager for the madness to begin. today, thursday, march 18th, 2021. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with savannah guthrie and hoda kotb from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. hey, guys, welcome to "today" on this thursday morning. so happy that you're joining us. >> yeah, good morning, everybody. >> we do have a lot to cover this morning, and we're going to start with today by the numbers.

>> yeah, well, the first number to think about today, three. a new study suggesting three feet of separation, not six might be a safe enough distance for kids in school. it's one of the topics that dr. fauci is expected to testify about before the senate today. but first, he'll be our live guest. and the next number we're talking about, 60 million, that's how many americans have been impacted by the severe weather outbreak in the south. new tornados reported across the region overnight. sam brock is live in alabama, and al is standing by with the forecast. and 150%, that is how much anti-asian hate crimes have increased in the u.s. last year, now heightening concern, of course, that deadly rampage at three atlanta area spas. >> and overnight, police say they are not ruling out hate as motivation in those attacks. nbc's blayne alexander joins us. >> reporter: good morning to you. that suspect was set to have his first appearance before a judge today, but that has since been postponed.

now, officials say that he did accept responsibility for the shootings, even gave some clue as to why, according to police, but for so many people in the asian american community, the pain and the fear is inescapable. this morning the man police say embarked on a deadly shooting spree at three atlanta area spas is facing murder charges. the scene unfolded over a stunning nearly 200 mile stretch. authorities say within an hour 21-year-old robert long shot and killed eight people. he is now charged with eight counts of murder and one count of aggravated assault. >> this is was a tragic day with many victims. >> reporter: of the eight victims, six were asian women. police say the suspect did take responsibility for the shootings and told cherokee county officials this was his motivation. >> it's still early but he does claim that it was not racially motivated. he apparently has an issue, what he considers a sex addiction and sees these locations as

something that allows him to go to these places and it's a temptation for him that he wanted to eliminate. and yesterday was a really bad day for him, and this is what he did. >> reporter: in a new statement overnight atlanta police made it clear they are not ruling out a hate crime noting officials are taking a hard look at what motivated the shooter, adding our investigation is far from over. all of it comes as hate crimes against the asian-american community are seeing a startling spike nationwide. >> it is very, very troublesome. >> reporter: regardless of the motive, why is this so troubling for you and for so many people in the aapi community today? >> we know that at the root of it is deep-seated unconscious bias internalized, like systemic racism and white supremacy. >> reporter: and guys, one of the officials that you heard from during that news conference captain jay baker of the cherokee county sheriff's office is coming under some scrutiny of his own for a couple of reasons.

one, for something that he said during the news conference suggesting that the suspect was having a bad day but also for a facebook post sharing anti-asian and racist images of a t-shirt related to the coronavirus. it appears that post has since been deleted. we've reached out to him multiple times for comment but have not heard back. hoda. >> all right, blayne alexander for us in atlanta, thanks. another major story this morning, the severe weather sweeping through the south. we're going to get to al in a moment, but first let's look at the damage. nbc's sam brock is in billingsey, alabama, for us where residents are really picking up the pieces this morning. sam, good morning to you. >> reporter: savannah, good morning. you know, it's pretty rare to hear about a pds event, a particularly dangerous situation, but we've seen three here since wednesday including in billingsey where i am. despite the extent of the damage that you see littering this field over my shoulder, we are not aware at this point of any

storm-related fatalities. in birmingham, meantime, a half dozen tornados to the city's south, a half dozen to the north, and yet it split the uprights potentially saving lives. coming face-to-face with the stunning sight of a tornado. >> it's right there. >> reporter: residents awed by the freakish and potentially fatal funnel clouds. >> oh, boy. >> reporter: chunks of roof swirling in the sky. >> that's it. that's it, man. >> reporter: as mississippi and alabama hit first and hardest. overnight in billingsey, homes reduced to wreckage, residents searching through rain-soaked debris. in clark county, alabama, a mother says she and her toddler were in this now shredded home when a tornado struck. 70 miles an hour wind gusts, rain and lightning striking an alabama football complex. students at one point cramming into a storm shelter on campus.

the stretch of the severe weather front expansive, impacting more than 60 million people over two days hovering around the i-20 corridor between jackson and birmingham, but also pulling cities like memphis, montgomery, and new orleans into its risk zone. more than two dozen tornados have already been reported, noaa designating the storm a rare level 5, the highest severity risk. >> ten seconds, would have lasted a little bit longer i probably wouldn't be here. >> reporter: in wayne county, mississippi, a chicken farm now fanned out in pieces while this tuscaloosa county suburb of moundville is littered with sobering scenes of overturned rvs and homes for blocks taking damage. a severe weather outbreak that's flexed its might, but one that is also far from over. forecasters are going to be out here a little bit later today assessing the damage and potentially rating the tornados, a process, guys, that really in the age of covid has gone on

without the presence of the media. certainly worth noting these storms now are going to be heading to the southeast and mid-atlantic areas that are expected to get pummelled. savannah, back to you. >> sam brock on the scene, thank you, sam. let's bring in al now and just figure out exactly where that storm is going and how bad it's going to be. hey, al. >> good morning. as with e look at the radar, you'll see we still have a tornado watch down through the southeast down into the gulf, and in fact, tornado warnings now expanding into the panhandle of florida, including panama city, and on into alabama as well. as this system moves to the east, 26 million people at risk, tornados still likely. damaging winds, hail possible stretching from salisbury all the way down into the southeast, strongest storms into the carolinas today, then heavy rain stretching into new york from minneapolis. as this system moves to the east, the rain will end as some wet snow and then colder air. wind gusts of 40 to 45 miles per

hour causing airport delays and travel delays along the i-95 corridor. we're looking at isolated three inches of rain or more, some flooding possible, especially in the mid-northeast. and as it finishes up, maybe some light snow stretching from pennsylvania all t the way to boston guys >> all right, al, thank you. and turning now to the coronavirus. with more states reopening restaurants, bars, movie theaters and gyms, new concern that covid numbers are trending in the wrong direction in many areas. this as the federal government announces new support to help schools reopen safely. dr. anthony fauci will join us live in just a moment, but first nbc national correspondent miguel almaguer has more on all of it. miguel, good morning >> savannah, good morning. on wednesday members of the covid task force appeared virtually before congress giving both good and bad news the government formally ordering states to open vaccines to all adults starting may 1st and designating another $10 billion for testing in schools, but with

more states loosening restrictions, there's alarm this pandemic is far from over. this morning as big gatherings spread across the country, a dire new warning about the spread of the virus. >> we plateaued at around 50,000 cases a day, an unacceptably high level. >> the average daily death rate is tragically still more than twice that seen last september. >> reporter: 17 states and washington, d.c., now reporting an increase in cases in the last two weeks. michigan seeing a spike of 56% this as the number of vaccinations is climbing, roughly 28% of all adults and 65% of seniors have received at least one shot as states reopen, there's also new guidance for schools with studies showing a social distance of three feet between students and teachers is just as effective as six feet, and with vaccine trials on kids ramping

up, dr. fauci predicts 12 to 16-year-olds will start getting shots this fall with kids under 12 by the first quarter of next year but there's growing concern vaccines aren't going to the most vulnerable like black and hispanic communities and the poor. >> underserved communities with higher rates of infections have disproportionately low inoculation rates despite the fact they are more likely to contract covid-19, transmit covid-19, and die from covid-19. >> reporter: many americans are still hesitant to be inoculated, but 111-year-old bernice bohannon who survived the pandemic of 1918 says people shouldn't wait >> tell them come on and get it. >> reporter: even with vaccines, doctors still urge caution edmond rigby got his first shot last month, but before he could get his second dose, he caught covid and died leaving his family in shock. >> it all happened so quickly that i feel like it's not real

it's just not real >> reporter: the covid task force says any leftover surplus of vaccines could be stockpiled for use as booster shots later on drug companies and the government are also setting those emerging virus variants so the next round of vaccines can be more effective against them savannah. >> all right, miguel, thank you, and that brings us to dr. anthony fauci. good morning, it's good to see you. >> good morning, good to be with you. >> well, we've heard that many, many states are now seeing unfortunately an uptick in cases. the majority of states are kind of plateauing, in other words they stopped declining what do you attribute that to? >> well, i think it's pretty clear that there are some states now that are pulling back, i believe, a bit more prematurely than they should on the public health measures. we've been talking about this now for a couple of weeks. the very sharp decline that we had, which was really good news has now over the last few weeks

plateaued at around 50, 55,000 new cases per day. that's much too high to be declaring victory, and that's the concern i and my public health colleagues have that if you pull back on public health measures when you have a high background dynamics of virus in the community, there is the risk that you are going to rebound. this is exactly what happened in europe they're generally three or four weeks ahead of us in the dynamics of their outbreak, and they saw the same thing. they plateaued, and then they started to take off, and we're seeing that in a few of the states, not all the states, but a few of them are starting to have increases, which is very disturbing >> are you worried that what we've seen in europe where they are having a big surge, having to shut down again, that that could be a preview of coming attractions, that it could happen here, another surge like that >> you know, i am, savannah. i don't want to just, you know, be a worry wort as it were, and we have to take this very coldly and examine it in a very scientific way, but this is what

happens when you plateau and start to inch up history has shown us through three surges that we've had that that's what happens. that's the dynamics of the virus in the community, that it starts to go down, then plateaus. it inches up, and then you get a surge. it really is going to be a race between the vaccine and the potential surge, so the more people we get vaccinated, that's the reason why the good part of this equation is that every day we're getting 2 to 3 million people vaccinated in this country, which is the good news about all of this. >> e yeah, real quickly before e leave the topic, the other x factor here is the uk variant, b 117 as it's known being more contagious many studies showing it is more deadly, and it is massively on the march here is that also something that's a contributing factor >> oh, it is when you have a virus that's dominant in the community that has a better capability of spreading from person to person

it makes the likelihood of a surge even greater thank goodness the vaccines that we have work very well against 117, and that's the reason why i keep saying it's a race between the vaccine and the virus. let's get as many people vaccinated as quickly as we possibly can >> before i let you go, i want to talk about kids and schools the cdc now looking into whether three feet of distance instead of six feet of distance would be okay in a school setting what's your thought on that? >> you know, i think that likely will happen. there was a good study in the state of massachusetts in which kids who were wearing masks, they looked at three feet versus six feet, and they really found no difference, so the cdc is analyzing that data very carefully right now. they very well may change. i don't want to get ahead of them, but they are very much on top of this and looking at that data, so they will reconsider about that distance.

>> real quickly, could there be broader implications could three feet be okay for the rest of us because i'd like to sit three feet closer to hoda. >> it might be, savannah hang on. we'll let you know. >> keep me posted. yeah, i'll be the first to know, right, doctor? thank you very much. >> you bet. >> we appreciate your time. >> i was just about to scoot over i was two seconds. >> i'm ready to inch closer like the good old day, al. >> i do like hearing dr. fauci laugh. >> me too. >> that kind of makes us feel a little bit better. and maybe the weather will make you feel a little bit better if you're not in the eastern half of the country heavy rain stretching across the upper mississippi, ohio river valleys into the northeast, also down into the southeast as well. clearer weather from texas into the plains, but it's a little chillier and we've got a new storm coming on to the west coast. we're going to be watching that very closely as well we're going to get to your local forecast coming up in the next 30 seconds

good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. as we take a look at storm ranger, mobile doppler radar. it's right now mostly in the north bay while the rest of the bay area is taking a break from some showers moving through but expect more rain as we go into today and we're also going to see some more activity going into late morning as well as the afternoon and into the evening hours. but this will all start to taper off by tonight and moving out for the weekend. . and that is your latest weather. guys?

>> all right, al. thank you so much. just ahead, new finger pointing over who's to blame for crisis at the southern border. a surge of unaccompanied children. was the biden administration caught off guard. >> and then . later the ultimate story of a father's love for his son. we are going to pause and remember dick hoyt, the marathon legend who guided his son in a wheelchair through races for decades with the motto, yes, you can. their incredle bond that will ib

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prosecutor for donald trump's impeachment hearing. >> reporter: i'm bob redell at oakland international. as more people get their covid vaccines, more people are heading to the airport. the tsa has screened more people in the past week than any other week the past year. new numbers just released show seven straight days of over a million screenings per day, the longest streak of a million plus screenings this year. this bump in the number of air passengers comes as restrictions loosen around the country. however, the cdc is still advising against leisure travel. kari has her eyes on the sky as rain is coming into the bay area. how are we looking? we're starting to see another wave of rain move through santa rosa. the bay area hasn't seen a lot of it but it will be off and on as the storm system comes through and looks to bring us anywhere from a quarter to half an inch of rain as it continues today but moving out tomorrow

and a dry weekend ahead. laura? thanks so much. we'll be back with another local news update in half an hour. hope to see you then.

♪ we're going back to indiana ♪ >> that's right. look at that, all up in lights, too, 7:30 thursday morning, and through the fog, well, the eyes of the sports world will be focusing right there it's here, guys, the return of march madness, the ncaa tournament back in action today, a mini bubble of sorts in the hoosier state. last year's brackets were busted by covid we got a bracket. >> i filled mine out already. >> i was like why is corned beef and cabbage not on this.

>> gonzaga i go with heart and sometimes you win that way. >> that's going to be a bracket that's busted early. >> you think >> probably. >> let's check out our 7:30 headlines, guys. americans are getting some extra time to file their taxes this year the irs says it is postponing the tax filing deadline by about a month from april 15th until may the 17th the move provides more breathing room for taxpayers and the irs to deal with the changes brought on by the pandemic the extended deadline applies to federal income taxes only. state tax deadlines vary from state to state. a special recognition for the police officers who helped protect the capitol during the january 6th riots. the house voted yesterday to award capitol police, metropolitan police and other law enforcement agencies with the congressional gold medal about 140 police officers were injured during that attack, three officers later died. house speaker nancy pelosi called their efforts a moment of extraordinary heroism. the measure now heads to the

senate where it is expected to pass. a photo snapped on a commercial flight is sparking quite the controversy this morning. the picture shows john kerry, president biden's climate czar not wearing a mask onboard that plane. he appeared to be reading, not eating or drinking that photo was taken wednesday on an american airlines flight from boston to washington. masks are required on american flights, but the airline says the crew did not catch that violation. meanwhile john kerry responded in a tweet that read in part, let's be clear, if i dropped my mask to one ear on a flight, it was momentary. i wear my mask because it saves lives and stops the spread it's what the science tells us to do. and now we turn to the passing of boston marathon legend dick hoyt who inspired millions as he and his wheelchair-bound son rick ran race after race for those who cannot >> best person to do this story is natalie morales she spent a lot of time with the dynamic duo over the years good morning. >> good morning, guys, let me tell you, they were something.

their motto was yes, you can, and over the course of 40-plus years step by step, mile after mile the incredible father and son team showed us just that breaking barriers and proving that love and determination can overcome any obstacle. theirs was a bond beyond father and son. it was a relationship formed over countless miles, over a road less traveled. >> why did you take up running with rick? >> rick wrote on his computer, dad, when i'm running, it feels like my disability disappears, which was a very powerful message to me. >> when we first started running, i used to run for rick, but now i'm out there running because we run together as a team >> reporter: their motto was yes, you can, and it defined the lives of dick and rick hoyt. rick was the boy a spastic quadriplegic with cerebral

palsy. he has never walked or talked out loud early on he was told to put him in an institution. instead, dick and his wife did the opposite raised at home with his two brothers, rick did everything they did then when rick was a teen, they started running together to support another young man who was paralyzed. dick was 40 years old at the time. >> everybody thaulgt that we would just go up to the corner and turn around and come back. we didn't, we finished the whole five miles, coming in next to last but not last. >> reporter: it continued for more than 40 years dick pushing his son so he could soar across each finish line. >> when my dad and i run, the adrenaline rush is unbelievable. >> reporter: team hoyt completed more than 1,100 races including 257 triathlons, six iron mans, 72 marathons, including 32 in boston their last in 2014 in honor of those injured in the tragic 2013 bombing.

a boston marathon legend, hoyt was named grand marshal of the event in 2015, a bronze statue of him and rick now sits at the starting line. tributes have poured in from the running community using words like icon, legend, and one of a kind dick battled heart issues for years including multiple heart attacks, but he was undaunted. >> eight or nine years ago he was actually in a race, and he called me after the race and said something doesn't feel right, but two weeks and two more races went by, and he finally went to his doctor and they said, oh, two weeks ago you had a heart attack. >> russ and rob hoyt shared the news with their older brother rick >> when we first told him it looked and felt like we had hit him, and that's kind of how it was for all of us. it just felt like being hit. >> i am the motor, and his legs. >> my dad is my hands and feet he is the wind beneath my wings.

>> reporter: a father's love and determination proving it is possible to overcome any obstacles. and we were unable to speak with rick, but he wanted us to share this message that he loves his dad. he misses his dad, but he wants to make sure that the world remembers their message of you can, and with the strength of a bond between father and son can do to move the world toward. again, guys, one of the most inspirational people i think i've ever met. back to you. >> and they will be remembered. >> personified sacrifices. >> absolutely. >> for years >> gosh. >> that's love right there. >> yes, it is. >> natalie, thank you. >> thank you. >> when we come back here on a thursday morning, vicky nguyen is going to take a closer look at the rise in violence against asian americans. what is driving it, the anxiety it's causing for an entire community, and the important conversations we all need to be having right after this.

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questions about the suspect's motives, the mass shootings have triggered a lot of emotion in the asian-american community, sadness, anger, disbelief. this mortgning, how to cope and what you can do to help someone who may be struggling. this morning, eight grieving families and countless communities reeling after tuesday night's deadly shooting spree in georgia. >> we just heard numerous gunshots. >> reporter: authorities have not ruled out whether the crimes were racially motivated, but the shooter has denied race being a factor. >> whether it's explicitly called a hate incident is irrelevant six of the eight people murdered were asian americans seven of eight were women. this man targeted places where asian americans were working >> reporter: actor and activist daniel dae kim will be testifying later this morning before the house judiciary panel on discrimination and violence against asian americans during covid. >> i'm going to talk about our history here and how we are american and how we are at a crucial point where our government can decide to see us

or invisiblize us, and what will it be? >> i know you've had conversations with your parents as well about their safety what are you telling them? >> this is happening to our elderly and to asian women this is what's heartbreaking to me many of us are not born here, so we don't take it for granted, and to see, you know, people like my parents who have given their lives to this country and to see that this is the reward for their hard work, for putting their heads down and believing in the american dream is hard. >> reporter: it comes in a year where china was closely linked to the spread of the coronavirus. >> the china virus. >> while asian americans did not bring coronavirus to the u.s., they have been a frequent target a new report from stop aapi hate shows over the past 12 months nearly 4,000 anti-asian incidents were reported from all 50 states. 68% were verbal assaults, 11% physical attacks women reported twice as many incidents as men.

>> we need to recognize that we are in a collective trauma experience. >> reporter: dr. jenny wang is a clinical psychologist. >> what wcan we do right now to help cope? >> we are in what's called a stress response cycle. we need to engage with the people we love we need to embrace them. we need them to hold us because that is a way that our body re-regulates and says i'm still safe in the midst of this cha chaotic. >> dr. wang, my friend's daughter who is 9 years old said to her, mom, why do they hate us why do they hate asians? how do you respond to a child that young and how do you provide comfort? >> i think when we talk toroadl about racism, i think one of the most important things children about what's going on currently or even just broadly about racism, i think one of the most important things we need to emphasize is safety. that you are safe. >> reporter: in addition to kim, a growing list of celebrities like lebron james, ellen degeneres and wanda sykes speaking out against violence

twa against asian americans. >> there are more of us who do care, and i think those people are in the african-american community, the latinx community, the white community, and the asian community, but i really do believe we are stronger together. >> what happened in georgia has been traumatic for many in and outside the asian american community. dr. wang says two more things can help us cope we need to exercise. she says that actually gives the body a way to discharge all of the emotional and psychological stress and to cry. she says crying has a biological function that allows your body to recalibrate and to reset itself, and i have to say those are actually two things i found myself doing i walked home from work yesterday, and i had a good cry, and i had to get it out. >> we saw you in here yesterday, i've never seen you like that. it was really heartbreaking, and i thought to myself, like, this hurts in a way that we did not, you know, that's tough for you >> you know, for -- and you and i had this conversation yesterday, but for folks who were watching or listening and they want to be there for, you

know, an asian american friend, what can we do what can people do >> i think first -- and dr. wang encourages people to do this -- reach out and just say i see what's happening i'm here for you and if you ask someone how they're doing, recognize they midnight want to talk. more broadly, reading and educating yourself so you can provide compassion and understanding if and when your friends need it. we do want to mention, we had a long conversation with daniel dae kim, he's very well-researched on this, we posted more on that. thank you for everything that you've said, the messages that you've sent. they truly do make a difference and they mean a lot. >> we love you so much. >> we're going to continue this conversation as well we're going to have much more coming up on the third hour including a live conversation with actress olivia munn on the fears in the asian community and how she is taking a stand. >> okay. deep breath and let's switch gears, vicky, we're going to go to al roker with a check of the forecast. >> we're watching this line of thunderstorms and we now have

tornado warnings and this tornado watch may actually be extended a little later we're getting guidance from the severe storm center that may be bringing that the 2021 tornado season got off to a slow start. only 27 tornado reports january and february, 49, thoth, thoughn march. it's least active january and february since 2004. back then only nine tornado reports in january and february. look at the rest of the year back in 2004, 1,800 tornado reports, that was a slower start but second most active year. we're going to be watching this closely. as far as temperatures concerned, cooler conditions behind this front that's triggering these storms, but ahead of it, warm 68 at atlanta, 88 in orlando today, but then by tomorrow temperatures take a tumble new york 11 degrees below average at 39, montgomery 62, tulsa, 62 degrees, but temperatures do start to get warmer as we get into early next week by monday, chicago you'll be at 64, 60 in cleveland, 62 raleigh,

good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. taking a look at some rain now moving closer to the bay area especially for the north bay as we've seen the off and on showers passing by. this is all a part of a storm system that will bring waves of rain today and it's going to stay with us pretty much into the afternoon into the evening but moving out by early tomorrow morning. the rest of the forecast is dry as we welcome in spring on saturday. it starts to warm up into early next week. >> ask that's your latest weather. guys. all right, al, thank you, coming up we are with one of the first critical covid patients in new york as he returns one year later to the hospital where he nearly lost his battle. >> does it feel strange to be back here? >> yes, what almost happened here would have been my last time >> his touching reunion with the

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visit sunosi.com and talk to your doctor about sunosi today. . coming up, of course we all remember tom brady's trophy talk during that super bowl parade. just wait until you hear gronk's new take on that carson's going to have that and a whole lot more. plus, the one, the only chip gaines he's live. he's got a new book out. we're going to talk about that his family, what he's learned about fame, a lot to cover after your local news. thank you! hey, hey, no, no, limu, no limu! only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty. liberty. liberty. liberty. ♪

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a very good morning to you. it is 7:56. i'm laura garcia. a look at what is happening now. >> reporter: good morning, everyone. i'm scott mcgrew. 770,000 americans applied for first-time jobless claims last week. that is more than the week before and far more than economists had expected. it's an odd number considering each week more and more of the economy is opening back up. >> reporter: i'm bob redell in oakland international as more people get their covid vaccines more people are heading to the airport. the tsa has screened more people in the past week than any other week the past year. new numbers just released show seven straight days of over a million screenings per day of that's the longest streak this

year. this bump in the number of air passengers comes as restrictions loosen around the country. however, the cdc is still advising against leisure travel. a quick look at the forecast, kari hall. we are under a microclimate weather alert and we are seeing waves of rain coming in around much of sonoma county and moving into northern napa county as we go into the rest of today, we're going to see the rain off and on, and at that time times it may be quite heavy. we're taking a break in parts of the east bay with the nice sunrise and then dry out for the weekend into early next week. laura? all right, thank you very much. we're just getting word of an amber alert on the east bay. i will tweet out a link.

it's 8:00 on "today," coming up, wicked weather. overnight, more than two dozen tornados reported across the south. >> ten seconds it was gone, but if it would have lasted a little bit longer, i probably wouldn't be here. >> residents there picking up the pieces this morning as the storm moves east with snow for the northeast. al's tracking it all. plus, together again. after surviving three weeks in a coma from the coronavirus, a new york city teacher reunites with the health care heroes who saved his life.

>> you gave us hope by your recovery in those dark moments where we were having so many losses, you gave us hope that what we were doing made a difference. >> just ahead, the heartwarming moment you wouldn't want to miss. and no pain, no gaines. we'll catch up with the one, the only chip gaines about his journey to stardom and what he's learned along the way today, thursday, march 18th, 2021. today we're shouting out our wonderful mom. she's a nurse. >> along with over 100 others deployed to queens to vaccinate new york. >> thank you for rolling up your sleeves. >> from jacksonville, florida. >> georgia's turning ten on his favorite morning show. >> hi, "today"! ♪ i could be happy anywhere ♪ >> happy 70th anniversary. >> to our wonderful parents pat and fern. >> the sweetest people you'll ever meet. >> today we're celebrating the five-year anniversary of ronan's last chemo dose.

>> thank you "today" show for being there with us every morning. >> yay! >> i mean, best viewers ever. i love that. >> hats off. welcome back to "today," guys. so happy you're with us on a thursday morning. nice to be sitting here with all of you today. >> friday eve. >> exactly. >> friday eve. >> exactly. coming up tomorrow on "today," does this sound familiar? you have trouble focusing. maybe you completely lose your train of thought in the middle of -- >> huh? >> you might be experiencing what's being called pandemic brain fog. >> turns out we're all using our brains very differently right now. we're going to get into the why and we'll also share some simple things that you can do to clear that fog and get your mind back in shape again. that's tomorrow on "today." what we probably will not address, though, is for folks like me who were having that problem before the pandemic. >> exactly. >> now we have something new to -- right? >> new excuse. >> let's get right to our news at 8:00, the damage widespread this morning after some two dozen tornados swept across parts of the south overnight, and the violent weather not

letting up. al's got the forecast coming up. first let's check in with nbc's sam brock in billingsey, alabama, hey, sam, good morning. >> reporter: hoda, good morning. i'm in billingsey, that's about 40 miles outside of montgomery. if there's a saving grace to any of this, it's the fact that a lot of these reported tornados came through rural areas that are not major metropolitan regions. as you can see from just this community in billingsey, the level of devastation in the light of day, trees that are uprooted, siding and aluminum that's bent. homes that were standing here in good condition 24 hours ago, that is no longer the case. we saw people coming out here and actually combing through the piles looking for their possessions. as you mentioned, hoda, two dozen reported tornados in five different states. over in tuscaloosa there is lightning strikes at the football complex there for a university of alabama that cares an awful lot about its football team. students crammed into a shelter

until it was safe to come out. amazingly we are not hearing at this point anyway, any reports of storm-related fatalities. that is good news as well. this as the system is now pivoting to other parts of the southeast and mid-atlantic like virginia and the carolinas. hoda, back to you. >> all right, sam brock for us, and we'll have al's forecast coming up in just a little bit. meanwhile this morning, the head of the homeland security department denied on wednesday that the surge of migrants at the u.s./mexico border -- denied it's a crisis. however, emergency officials are taking drastic steps to deal with the backlog, especially of unaccompanied minors. nbc's morgan chesky is in dallas with more on what's being done. morgan, good morning. >> reporter: yeah, craig, good morning. and federal officials doing everything they can to try to keep up with those overcrowded conditions we're seeing at those facilities up and down the border. here in dallas, this convention center is being prepared to house upwards of 3,000 migrantees. this morning there's no official word on their arrival but there is a growing amount of law

enforcement and attention on this rising issue. facing a surge of unaccompanied children at the southern border, the u.s. government's now preparing to move thousands to the dallas convention center. an immigrant mother from el salvador tells us she fled her home country with her daughter leslie fearing for their lives. today nearly 4,300 children are being held in border patrol custody in the u.s., and nearly 3,000 are held longer than the 72-hour legal limit. on capitol hill wednesday, homeland security secretary alejandro mayorkas acknowledged the situation is undoubtedly difficult, but down played talk of a crisis. >> congresswoman, the border is secure, and the border is not open. i think the message is, in fact, not to come to the border. >> reporter: but republicans say the biden administration is making matters worse with policies they argue only encourage more border crossings. >> i'm very concerned that the administration's rhetoric and policies are encouraging more to

attempt this dangerous journey. >> reporter: mayorkas pushing back pointing to the trump administration's family separation policy. >> a crisis is when a nation is willing to rip a 9-year-old child out of the hands of his or her parent and separate that family. >> reporter: texas governor greg abbott arguing the biden administration was caught unprepared. >> texas is willing to step up and help out, but this is the biden administration's responsibility. >> reporter: the controversy is complicating the president's push for comprehensive immigration reform as officials consider other ways to address the current situation including speeding up processing of asylum cases, increasing the number of immigration judges and establishing processing centers for asylum seekers in their home countries. >> what has to happen to alleviate this immediate issue? >> in the short-term, we've got to stop the flow of the people coming in. that's just -- and make them realize the door is not open yet.

this is not the way we operate. >> reporter: and texas governor greg abbott raising questions about the covid protocols these migrant teens will face upon arriving at the convention center. all will undergo a cdc protocol health screening upon arrival. they could be here up to 90 days before hopefully being reunited with a family member or a foster family. craig. >> all right, >> all right, morgan chesky for us there in dallas thank you. seven minutes after the hour, you guys ready for a boost? >> we need it. >> a boy in louisiana named patrick thought he was in trouble when his mom called him over as he was heading out to play basketball, but that was all part of the surprise his grandparents had come for a visit for the first time in eight months after they got their covid shots. >> come here come here, somebody special is here to see you. >> oh. >> long time no see, how you been

>> oh, are you crying? >> oh. >> my boy. >> what about that surprise, patrick? >> yes, better than christmas? >> oh, yeah, grandparents moved away to florida during the pandemic so they had to do some driving just to spend a couple of days with patrick again, how about my boy. >> well worth it >> yes. >> the drive i love it. >> better than christmas for sure >> you've got another emotional reunion to share >> yes, get the tissues out, i think it's a two or three-tissue story. i really think you're going to enjoy this a new york city teacher returning to the hospital to say thank you to the front line heroes who saved his life. but guess what, they say thank you, too we'll tell you why right after th these messages we've pledged to make our most iconic vehicles electric, and to use 100% renewable energy across all global manufacturing plants by 2035,

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beginning of the nation's very first coronavirus surge. >> yeah, tieyrone john became t first to be intubated with severe covid-19 at the long island jewish forest hospital. he remained in a coma for three weeks. >> during that time, the whole world changed. >> for the first time in a year, tyrone is returning to the hospital to reunite with the medical team that fought for his life >> does it feel strange to be back here? >> yes, it still gives me a little bit of shudders that what almost happened here would have been my last time. >> reporter: a little over a year ago 39-year-old tyrone john was living and loving his life, teaching high school math, traveling the world, volunteering in his church, and even learning to salsa dance he was blissfully unaware, as

many of us were, of the nightmare to come. >> it still seemed as if it was a far away thing >> reporter: but on the night of march 11th, something that seemed so far away arrived on his doorstep after developing a cough over the weekend, tyrone couldn't get out of bed an alarmed friend drove him to the hospital dr. teresa amato was on duty that night at the long island jewish forest hills hospital. >> i remember being very struck by what a kind, very nice man that he was, but i was also struck by how incredibly sick he looked >> reporter: tyrone would become their very first critically ill covid-19 patient, the first of almost 2,000 patients that would eventually come through that same emergency room door >> we really didn't know who would or would not survive intubation and being put on a ventilator we knew from the stories we were hearing from italy that once you were put on a ventilator, the chances of getting off were not great.

>> reporter: it was a heavy decision for everyone. >> all the people you'd like to call and let them know what's going on, so i text my boss at work to let him know that i may need to have off tomorrow, and then before i knew it they put me to sleep, and i woke up three weeks later. >> i remember him not because he was sick but because he was so young. >> reporter: icu nurse michelle parcells cared for tyrone while he was in his medically induced coma when he woke up, she was tasked with telling him how covid-19 had not only shut down the city but the world. >> for me to tell him how the world had changed was a heavy load, and i let him know what's going on in the world, keep him up to date don't be worried don't be scared. you are not alone. this building is full of a lot of people that care about you. >> reporter: one of those many people was dr. armando castro who oversaw tyrone's care in the icu. >> word spread quickly that something we were doing was getting better and his ox je nation was improving.

>> he was not the first critically sick patient but the first to get better. >> i think that was incredibly powerful for us because we'd had so many losses that we really had to celebrate the wins to get him back to being a teacher and doing what he loves, that's an incredible journey >> there we go tyrone. there are a lot of people who want to meet you and remember you. >> reporter: and that journey led tyrone back to where it started exactly one year ago to reunite with the health care heroes who saved him [ applause ] >> come closer, tyrone you all are vaccinated we're wearing our masks just to be careful, but do you remember these faces? >> yes >> what do you remember? >> the hope that they gave me when i was waking up and not knowing what was going on and just that little bit of hope to fight for myself. >> what does it feel like to see

him walk in here after a year? >> you were one of our first sickest patients, and so you gave us hope by your recovery in those dark moments where we were having so many losses, you gave us hope that what we were doing made a difference. so thank you for recovering and looking so good today. >> thank you >> well, i think it does everyone's heart good to see you together, to see, you know, the sun is shining and hope is coming around the corner, and tyrone, you really embodied that i'm glad you guys could all get together [ applause ] >> hugs are back >> so good >> thank you >> thank you >> it's good to see you. >> thank you. >> you know what's just really -- there's so much to say about tyrone he was like a mini celebrity in the hospital they would say -- and the doctors and nurses in those dark days would say but the teacher

in brooklyn, you know, he's doing better he's really turning around it gave them so much hope. we just invited a couple of the doctors and the nurse to come. all those other health care professionals came out because they remembered tyrone, too. they wanted to be there, too, and wrap their arms around him they're all vaccinated so hugs were allowed. >> hugs are back. >> it's all those little details about how he called his boss i won't be in tomorrow, hang up and you have no idea what's ahead. >> the whole world changed. >> and nurse michelle and tyrone, still -- i mean, they immediately had a connection and remembered that conversation when he first came to. for him that was a lifeline, and she was so gentle with him to tell him i need to tell you a few things about what's happened in the world while you were sleeping. >> it's hard to fathom -- >> they talked for a good long time, long after we were gone. >> you know, that was before we know so much more about the virus, but back then, my gosh, can you imagine? >> great story glad he's okay. >> beautiful

all right, mr. roker, how about a check of the weather. >> all right, guys, we are tracking that line of storms that caused the tornados earlier last night, and now we're watching we've got tornado watches extending all the way into georgia and the panhandle of florida. these will continue to move to the east 26 million people at risk for severe weather tornados still likely, damaging winds and hail as well rest of the country today, again, the eastern third of the country is where we're seeing all the action sunshine from texas all the way into the plains with the spring chill, and there's another storm coming i good morning, i'm meteorologist kari hall. looking at stormranger, we can see off-and-on showers. right now we are seeing waves of rain moving through the north bay but elsewhere it is dry and we're going to see times of showers thought today, even into the evening commute. but a lot of this should start to taper off later on tonight.

the rest of the forecast is going to be dry going into the weekend, as our temperatures gradually warm up going into early next week. >> don't forget you can check us out on today show radio, sirius xm channel 108 "today," today show confidential. >> what you going to talk about? >> with liz, mazz and the brain ster. >> i was like you guys know this is going out in the world, right? they tell all the "today" show secrets. >> yeah. >> they don't care. >> they're all our producers, our senior producers. >> libby >> competition -- >> can't forget pete. >> pete won't let you forget >> he just sits at his desk and works during the show, barely talks. pete, get in there, buddy. >> pop start, we're going to start with another bracket another bracket, this one is not made up by the bracket department of pop start. the men's tournament is back

after being canceled last year people are excited and they should be. it started tonight, seven rounds, this time one location in indiana for the first time ever. so who will go down and win the national championship? now, we've filled out our brackets al, you were doing it moments over there. >> i was. >> we'll be following along. i know gonzaga is popular. >> lsu. >> corned beef >> corned beef. >> the team that wore shorts. >> short shorts. >> corned beef going all the way to the final four. >> yeah. >> next up, we've got goldie and kurt, one of hollywood's favorite couples they've been together for 38 years. famously they've never tied the knot in a sweet post for kurt's 70th birthday, goldie wrote what a wild ride, no, we never got married but one thing that continues to grow is our love. she shared this funny throwback video of them joking about marriage. >> because we are co-stars, we are cam padres, we are

companions and we're a couple. >> there's only one thing we're not. >> what? >> married [ laughter ] >> is that a proposal? >> putting me on the spot. i guess now is as good a time as in to answer that? oh, they want us to speed things up listen, we'll talk about it later. >> well played >> that's a good clip. that. >> kate hudson also wrote a cute post about her dad. >> who did >> kate hudson, about pop as she calls him. rob gronkowski recently celebrated his super bowl victory of course with tom brady during that wild boat ride where maybe brady had a little too much he then tossed the lombardi trophy from one boat to the other. his teammate catching the iconic trophy before it sank to the bottom now on the podcast ten questions, gronk defending brady from people saying he never

should have thrown that trophy explaining here's what he said he said he's held that trophy many times, and he's like, man, i wanted my teammates to hold the trophy they've never held it before that's why he wanted to toss it. he looked at me and said rob's held it many times, too, so he threw it to cam, and cam made that amazing chatch brady was just spreading the wealth of the trophy for the record gronk said brady celebrated even more finally, ryan reynolds, like every other actor he's been in some maybe not so great movies one of the most famous bombs, the 2011 "green lantern," remember that one? apparently for the first time ever ryan reynolds has seen that movie. he kicked off his viewing on twitter writing tonight at 6:00 p.m. i'll do something i've never done, actually watch "green lantern," happy st. patrick's day. he then proceeded to live tweet his reactions to the film. at the beginning he joked i only ever read my parts of the

script, so this is genuinely exciting to watch. i hope he's joking about that. green lantern is where he met his now wife blake lively. this was not bad foreshadowing for my life as a dad, but it wasn't all bad as "green lantern" ended, hundreds of incredible crew and cast member to did amazing work, and while it's not perfect, it ain't a tragedy next time i won't wait a decade to watch. coming up, no pain, no gains, fixer up star chip gaines is here. he's going to share what he learned on his journey to success. but first, your local news and weather.

good morning, 8:26. i'm marcus washington. breaking news right now, chp issuing an amber alert for a 2-year-old child abducted in oakland. here's a picture of the missing chide, michael hamilton. investigators say someone took him tuesday night around 8:00 p.m. police say that a 30-year-old woman, a family friend whose first name is tanasha, took the child. she was driving a 2020 black nissan versa. the child was wearing a blue sweater, blue pants and blue

shoes. this amber alert is in effect for alameda, contra costa and san francisco counties. if you have information, you're asked to call 911. let's look at the forecast, starting off to a west start today. kari hall is tracking it now. >> we see west parts of the rain making its way into the north bay. make sure you have the nbcbayarea.com app so you can see the next push of rain coming in. with the rain today, we will dry out in time for the weekend. marcus? >> thanks. ms we're going to have another local news update in 30 minutes. see you back here then.

8:30 now thursday morning. it is the 18th of march 2021 we are excited we have a good one coming up chip gaines, he's got a new book, terrific time. no pain, no game that's right >> good morning, chip. >> he is ready to chat about his path to fame and success, regrets, hopes, dreams >> there you go. >> very nice very nice. >> he could be a spoeks model, chip. >> looks like he's at a bank a lot of safe deposit boxes in the background. next we're going to highlight very special small businesses

these are owned and operated by children >> wow. >> they actually use some of their profits to give back in really remarkable ways. >> looking forward to that. then could a so-called covid passport make travel easier and sa safer, you know, with more americans getting the vaccine and of course the itch to travel, we're going to show you how it could simplify things. >> coming up on the third hour of "today," we got the true story of buried treasure that inspired the new netflix movie "the dig." and then tomorrow here on "today," what's sure to be a can't miss conversation between harry smith and two comedy legends, mel brooks and rob rob. >> al will have a check of the weather after this today's weather is brought to you by new dove care and protect, the antibacterial clean you want that also protects your skin from dryness. and let's look at our weekend ahead so that you don't get any high anxiety

early snow in the northeast so tomorrow sunny and cool throughout the gulf into the plains, some mountain snows out west, saturday chilly here in the northeast, below average temperatures into the southeast, but plenty of sunshine into the plains and the gulf. some mountain snows move into the interior sections of the inner mountain regions, and then sunday, sunday, not quite as cold in the northeast and great lakes. down into the gulf it's mild and breezy some mountai good morning, i'm meteorologist kari hall taking a look at the radar. we are seeing off-and-on showers moving through and it will get a little heavier late morning and heading into the south bay by the afternoon. we will see the rain chances continue through very early tomorrow morning. rest of the day is dry and dry weather continues in the weekend, especially as we welcome in spring on saturday and temperatures warm up by the middle of next week with a lot of sunshine.

>> and that is your latest weather. >> all right, al, thanks. coming up, guys, we're going to catch up with chip gaines on a recent milestone in his family and he's got a new book. and he's got a new book. he's offerg his fans ain covid has made clear that having health insurance is more important than ever. at covered california, every plan is comprehensive, covering everything from preventive care to mental health. and it's the only place that offers financial help for health insurance.

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all right, everybody, we are back with a man that we have been looking forward to talking to all morning, of course the one and only chip gaines. >> before we dive in, though, here's a little bit more about the man behind magnolia. we know him as half of one of television's most popular duos, chip and joanna gaines rose to fame with their hit tv show "fixer upper" racking upwards of 19 million viewers each week now chip is turning inward and sharing his story in a new book, "no pain, no gaines.

born in albuquerque, new mexico, and raised this dallas, chip dreamed of a career in baseball, but that was not meant to be and then he met joanna, which changed everything the gaines' family now a party of seven, settled in waco preparing to launch their own magnolia network, which chip says feels like coming home. and chip gaines joins us this morning. >> hello. >> good morning, chip. >> what's up, chip >> i mean, you know what, i have to say something about this book, chip, that you wrote i wasn't sure what it was going to be, but you really go deep, and you talk about there was like a tipping point, a moment for you when you made a change in your head about fame, and you talk about it. describe the moment you were walking through like a flea market with your 7-year-old son, and then he kind of wanders off. pick up the story. what happened there? >> gosh, this is -- yeah, you jumped right into the deep end i feel like i need a couch and maybe a cigar or something here this morning, but yeah, i -- it was a bit of a sad moment where

i realized that fame had sort of overwhelmed and taken over my entire life. and i was at this flea market the way you described it exactly, and jo and i had gotten accustomed to where we were kind of regulars at this flea market. we loved it. we would take our family, and it was this big event this particular day my youngest boy at the time, we've now got crew, but at the time little duke was our youngest, and he kind of had wandered off i could kind of see him, he was only about ten yards ahead of me i felt pretty comfortable but about that moment a group of people kind of surrounded me and were like, oh, my gosh, and they were really kind of freaking out, and the experience of that had become a little bit normal for us because we definitely had gotten to that position in our careers to where we were recognizable in public, but in that exact second i sort of lost contact with duke. and so i was basically on my way to kind of gobble him up and get

him back into a safe place, and in about that same second i was surrounded by this group of people who were -- can we get a picture and can you sign this thing? and where's your wife? one of the ladies squeezed me on the cheek like maybe a grandmother might, so i'm kind of like half in, half out of this element it was sort of a disturbing series of events only because i realized in that moment i was incapable of communicating accurately that i was actually a desperate father trying to get my son into a safe place but also at the same time kind of trying to resonate with these people and trying to not be rude and all the things that we struggle with in a typical situation, but it was a bit of a shock to my system, and i sort of -- i would honestly say it sort of sent me into somewhat of a spiral that who i was in this famous situation really

superseded who i was as a father and as a person and it sort of forced me to reconcile with whether or not all of this was worth it and some of those big life decisions you have to make in these occasions. >> yeah, hoda went deep. let me go shallow. let's get the book cover up. chip, you've never looked better it looks like you might even have the wind machine going. you look fabulous. >> oh, my gosh >> there's actually a lot of good life lessons. you talked about how like 20 years of your life was all about a bat and a glove. you had a dream. you thought it was baseball, and then you had to part with that dream, and what you learned from that >> that was another one. i mean, you know, i've always -- you know, i say always -- generally upbeat and pretty positive, you know, certainly a glass half full individual and have been since i was a kid, but that was another one of those big life moments to where i remember it was sophomore year in college

i played junior college baseball for a year and transferred to baylor university where i was going to play baseball and basically continue my career and just like a light switch it was just over. i was there and ready to go advance my career, and then a light switch happened and baseball was over, and my options were either to transfer to another school, which is somewhat common and not that big of a deal really, or to kind of realize that it was maybe something beyond baseball for me and for me that season of really learning how to listen to that inner voice inside each of our heads, and that voice was telling me, i think it's time to move on, but yet, my dad and obviously some people that i really cared about that were in my inner circle were saying, hey, son, you know, gainesnever quit, and the next step is obviously going to be baseball so to kind of learn how to deal with those conflicting thoughts and opinions was a real

opportunity for me to grow as a young man, and looking back, i'm so thankful that obviously i made the decision that i made. i think sometimes even as i've gotten to where i am now, friends with some big league baseball players and some kind of athletes in different sports, you kind of wonder what would it have been like had i made other decision, and i can clearly say that i'm really happy that i landed on my feet and decided to turn the page. >> i'd say it definitely worked out well for you, chip by the way, i've got baylor going pretty far in the south in my bracket in the ncaa. >> come on baylor. >> fixer upper back in production you guys launched new network. the question here for you is how do you balance the kids, being a dad, being a husband, the business side? not just the show in production, but now the network, your mental health, all of these things that are orbiting in the gaines' life, how do you nav that?

>> i appreciate all these amazing questions this morning you guys are definitely like a splash of cold water in my face. >> it's the "today" show, man. >> well, they're wrapping us, so you might get saved by the bell. >> email me your answer. >> all right, i'll catch you on that one next time. >> all right >> by the way, i think you're going to learn a lot about chip gain gaines you didn't know in this boom, a a lot about his family and the love he has for them we look forward to that book, it's called "no pain, no gaines". >> if you're going to write a me memoir, go deep. good for you, it takes courage by the way, your wi-fi, the wireless signal might be a bit of a fixer upper. >> she went there. >> snag a copy add today.com/shop. >> by craig, by team when we come back on this thursday morning, our future of travel series. the new so-called covid passport that could streamline how we get

around in this post-pandemic world. dat first, this is "to

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we are back with more of our week long series on the future of travel. >> yeah, more and more americans are really starting to dream about finally taking that summer vacation, the one they were planning for last year. >> airlines are working to make it easier and safer to navigate complex and ever changing requirements. >> one solution that we've been talking about here is the so-called covid passport nbc's sarah harmon has an exclusive look this morning at what might be in store for you the next time you travel sarah. >> reporter: hi guys, good morning, the next time you travel overseas you may find things look a little different than you remember. this morning, more than a dozen airlines are trialing a new app called travel pass the idea is to take all of this paperwork that you currently need to travel internationally and put it in a single app that's linked to your boarding pass

this week as air travel hits new records since the pandemic began, passengers are struggling to make sense of the ever-changing requirements chant >> i sat in my office and spent a half a day printing out forms. >> it seems to be changing about every month or two, whatever it takes i guess we'll weave through the process. >> reporter: the first travelers are taking off testing a new travel pasz app created by the international air transport association that could make the process much smoother. >> if we stay in this manual mold, it will be complete chaos when international borders open, so we need a digital process >> reporter: here's how it works. you download the travel pass app on your iphone, then snap a selfie and scan your passport to verify your identity if you're vaccinated you can upload a copy of your certificate. if your destination requires a covid test. >> time for the pcr test. >> reporter: you can book in at a participating lab. the results will automatically upload in the app.

a green check mark means you're clear to travel. travel pass is currently being trialed by more than a dozen airlines with plans to expand. u.s.-based companies american and united have recently signed on, too. but not everyone may be comfortable sharing their health information through an app >> there's some things that needs to be private, you know. >> is this safe? >> absolutely safe there are no databases all the information resides on the consumer's electronic device, and the consumer decides who to share it with. >> reporter: even on board a lot has changed because of covid uv robots disinfect seats before boarding at some airports staff in futuristic thermal imaging helmets scan for fever the airline industry is in crisis last year demand was down 65%. >> it's extremely important that we have a system that is internationally recognized similar to your passport >> reporter: and equally key for

all of us who just need a break. >> reporter: to be clear, these restrictions are not from the airlines, they're actually from the countries themselves the airlines are a bit reluctant to add any barriers to travelers, and we don't expect to see covid passports for domestic travel anytime soon but if you are planning a trip overseas this summer, this app is likely something you're going to need to get familiar with sooner rather than later guys. >> sarah harmon for us, thank you so much. we're going to have much more in the third hour on the summer travel outlook including a few outside the box vacation ideas >> you always have a lot of stuff on the third hour. >> yes, we do. all right, first up, jill martin's introducing us to the very young entrepreneurs behind very young entrepreneurs behind soi'm morgan, and there's more to me than hiv.

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including hepatitis b or c,... or if you are, may be, or plan to be pregnant. your doctor may prescribe a different medicine... than dovato if you plan to be pregnant or if pregnancy is confirmed during the first trimester. dovato may harm your unborn baby. use effective birth control... while taking dovato. most common side effects are headache, nausea,... diarrhea, trouble sleeping, tiredness, and anxiety. so much goes... into who i am. hiv medicine is one part of it. ask your doctor about dovato—i did. we're back, 8:50 with an extra special edition of our small business spotlight >> that's right.

this time we're going to shine a light on some incredible kids who are paving their way into the business world today lifestyle and commerce contributor jill martin is here with more. good morning >> good morning, and they're watching from schools some of them, so hi, guys, this has been a challenging time for so many, but especially for kids. today we wanted to highlight those young people who are shaping our future the young entrepreneurs who are passionate and willing to do whatever it takes to make his or her business idea work excited about this one, guys >> yeah, so let's start with the small business you got two brothers they've sold over 100,000 pairs of socks tell us more about them. >> yep, this company will knock your socks off brothers sebastian martinez. thanks for the laugh, al are the founders of are you kidding socks. sebastian has always had a passion for colorful and fun socks. by age 7 he had collected over 100 pairs. his mom encouraged him to start

creating his own designs, and with the help of his big brother brandon, they started their business in 2014 the duo quickly realized they wanted to give back to those in need and started partnering with charities designing socks for different causes they've donated get this over $300,000 to important causes like autism, diabetes, and more. they even donated 5,000 pairs to those recently affected by the national disasters in texas. with in-person events canceled due to the pandemic, they had to change their strategy to focus to online sales. there's great options here, guys i know you could rock some of these, all different themes, and we have them on today.com so you can see them. >> i'm blown away by these kids just how they're giving away their profits. bath bombs are huge right now. you've got a teenager who loved bath bombs and turned those into a business. >> they're super trending right now, and we have a beautiful product for you, a bath bomb

business run by an ambitious 13-year-old hannah walsh she loves bath bombs in 2017 when she and her dad were on their way to get a few from the store, he challenged her to make and sell them. she gladly accepted his challenge and asked for a $50 loan for ingredients for her first batch. within weeks with selling them at a local gift shop, she now sells her products on her website and in local stores. been closed during the pandemic, though, so she's been focusing as well on her online sales. she needs your help, and she's also a type 1 diabetic which inspired her to give a portion of her online sales to charity to help fight for a cure she says her favorite thing about being a small business owner is being able to be a role model to other young entrepreneurs and being able to give back to charities the hardest part for her, she says, focusing on virtual school when she's so passionate about her business. >> what's really cool about these kids is that they're not

just entrepreneurs they're philanthropists as well. you've got another one here, a mission-driven company that's fighting plastic pollution >> i know, it's really incredible in 2017, 14-year-old nabile hamden was shocked by the number of plastic straws on his local beaches in madison, wisconsin. he was inspired to help the environment so founded his company, the world of bamboo three years ago. h hamden now 18 years old and a senior in high school carefully makes all of his products by hand. >> wow >> he uses bamboo to make sustainable everyday products. i know, incredible, right? the first product he started selling were bamboo straws which are reusable, biodegradable and dishwasher safe. later adding more bamboo products to his line like toothbrushes, and soap dish holders, the pandemic has been difficult for his business because most of the local conventions and fairs where he sold his product have been canceled he's hopeful for the future and

excited fsor the day where he ca meet his customers face-to-face again, and we're so proud of these kiddos, but please be patient with the shipping, and we want you to order because they are doing everything they can to make these products work and to get them to you during these difficult times, guys. >> they've got school, too >> yeah, exactly >> thank you so much that's great stuff and to shop these biparrands an support other kid-run businesses, head to today.com/shop. >> thank you for that jill, don't go far. >> guess what. >> she's going to be in the third hour. >> that darn third hour. >> jill's got a great she made it coming up in the third hour featuring the founders of a swim company that's really just taken over instagram. >> what about the fourth hour? can we get some fourth hour love. >> here we go. spring cleaning, that sounds fun. the outdoors edition, easy ways to get your backyard ready for spring and summertime. you guys, we'll have a great show for you

we'll see you at 10:00 >> we're going to start moving into the fourth hour good morning, it's 8:56. i'm marcus washington. that breaking news right now, chp issuing an amber alert for a 2-year-old child they said was abducted in oakland. here's a picture, michael hamilton. police say a 30-year-old woman,

family friend with the fist name tinasha took the child. this is the image of the car she was last seen driving. it's a 2021 black nissan versa, california license plate 8tyx94. the amber alert is in effect for alameda, contra costa and san francisco counties. if you have any information, you're asked to call 911. walter, did you know geico could save you hundreds on car insurance and a whole lot more? so what are you waiting for? world's strongest man martins licis to help you break down boxes? arrrggh! what am i gonna do to you box? let me “break it down” for you... arrgggh!

you're going down! down to the recycling center! >>hey, thanks martins! yeah, you're welcome. geico. switch today and see all the ways you could save.

live from studio 1 a in rockefeller plaza. this is the third hour of today. >> good morning and welcome to the third hour of "today." it is thursday march 18th. we have so much to get to in this hour. in just a few minutes. anne thompson joins was a really great story. look bing back at the role women have played in history. all the way back to the founding off our country and a new effort to recognize their contributions. >> and you have probably seen their swim suits all over