it for us. happy friday. >> yes, a live look for you at walnut creek, gloomy, but hey, it's friday. enjoy the last day of winter. and look, we'll see you back here monday. don't forget to have a good weekend. "today" show is next. congress taking on the issue for the first time in more than 30 years. >> a bull's eye on the back of asian-americans across this country, on our grandparents, on our kids. we will not let you take our voice away from us. >> straight ahead this morning, where the investigation stands, as new video emerges of the suspect lying in wait just

before the deadly attacks. major milestone. the white house marking more than 100 million shots given. >> way ahead of schedule. we've got a long way to go. >> experts sounding the alarm this morning over a fourth potential covid wave. more than a dozen states seeing a rise in cases. and on capitol hill, a tussle over the importance of masks. >> want to get rid of vaccine hesitancy? wearing their mask after getting the vaccine. >> let me state for the record that masks are not theater. masks are protective. >> we will have the very latest. most wanted. chilling new video from the siege at the u.s. capitol, as the fbi searches for ten rioters behind the day's most brutal attacks on police. this morning, the calls for help to track down those suspects. path to citizenship. house democrats pushing through two controversial immigration bills, even as the border surge crisis grows. hundreds of unaccompanied children crossing into the u.s.

and being detained every day. straight ahead, our firsthand look at the fight over what should be done. disturbing accusations. a woman comes forward saying she was violently assaulted and abused by actor armie hammer. >> i tried to get away, but he wouldn't let me. i thought that he was going to kill me. >> just ahead, the criminal investigation into those allegations, and how he is responding this morning. all that, plus, sensational start. the ncaa tournament begins with nail-biting finishes. >> this is for the win. oh! off the front iron. >> and an overtime thriller. >> ucla, a comeback win. >> there are 16 more games coming your way today, as march madness kicks into high gear today, friday, march 19th, 2021.

>> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with savannah guthrie and hoda kotb, live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. good morning, everybody. welcome to "today." it is a good friday morning. we've got the sun shining and a lot of stuff to cover. >> a lot of stuff. we're going coast to coast, guys, including that exciting start to march madness. a lot of people in l.a. celebrating. ucla had a huge comeback. overnight, they were down at halftime. we're going to get you ready for today's games. that's all coming up. plus, we'll be live along the southern border in texas, where officials are facing what some say is the biggest migrant surge in 20 years. of course, the situation has quickly become a flash point in washington. meantime, there's mixed news from the white house on the coronavirus this morning. the u.s. reaching the goal of 100 million vaccinations, but infections now on the rise in 13 states. we'll have more on that in a live report just ahead.

our top story this morning, flags flying at half-staff in the wake of that shooting rampage in georgia. those attacks and the violence against asian-americans recently have the president and vice president shifting the focus of their trip to atlanta today. nbc's blayne alexander is on the story again for us this morning. hi, blayne. good morning. >> reporter: savannah, good morning to you. this president's trip has been planned for days now, but today's visit will certainly take on a much different tone. we won't see any political events, but, instead, he and the vice president will meet with members of asian-american community and honor the eight lives lost. this morning, as the community searches for peace -- >> this was a hate crime. >> reporter: -- investigators say they are just starting their search for answers. including what caused the alleged shooter to walk into three separate georgia spas tuesday and open fire. this chilling, new video obtained by nbc news shows him walking inside one of those businesses. >> our investigation is looking at everything, so nothing is off

the table. >> reporter: that includes a potential hate crime. of the eight people killed, six were asian women. only four victims have been publicly named. for investigators, a big hurdle, finding family. >> we're work, with the consulate office of the republic of korea also to make that verification. but as soon as we are 100% sure and notifications have been made, we will definitely release those names. >> reporter: meanwhile, outside of atlanta, the cherokee county sheriff is apologizing, after his department spokesman said this regarding the alleged shooter. >> really bad day for him, and this is what he did. >> reporter: the sheriff writes, in part, his words were not intended to disrespect any of the victims. the gravity of this tragedy or express empathy or sympathy for the suspect. it comes as acts of violence against asian-americans are seeing a disturbing spike. >> what do we want? >> justice. >> reporter: the emotional toll on display during yesterday's heated hearing on the discrimination. >> this hearing was to address

the hurt and pain of our community and to find solutions. we will not let you take our voice away from us. >> reporter: in atlanta's korean community -- >> my sincere, we don't have these kind of incidents anymore, no longer here in our society. >> reporter: as the tributes continue to grow for eight families the pain is just beginning. >> she didn't deserve. what happened to her. >> reporter: yaun was a rock, mother of two, leaving behind a 13-year-old and a baby girl, just 8 months old. >> what do you want her children to remember about their mom? >> how happy she was. that's what's beginning to keep them going, thinking about their mom and the memories she left behind. >> blayne, i guess tensions, obviously, are very high. have there been any changes or an increase in security for

asian-owned businesses in atlanta? >> reporter: savannah, in fact, there have. keisha lance bottoms says they've stepped up patrols in areas around the city that have a higher number of asian-owned businesses. they're reaching out to leaders, community leaders to make sure there aren't any threats out there that they're not aware of in hopes of keeping people safe. >> all right, blayne alexander ahead of the president's visit, thank you very much. now let's move on to the coronavirus, and there's a lot to cover there. despite weeks of progress and a key milestone now reached in the vaccine rollout, a troubling sign is emerging. new covid cases are beginning to grow again across the u.s. and health officials, they're sounding the alarm. miguel almaguer has more from l.a. >> reporter: good morning, vaccine supply will quadruple within the next 90 days. soon, they say, supply will no longer be the issue. it could be a turning point for

the nation as new variants fuel new concerns and cases. this morning less than 60 days since taking office, president biden says the country is reaching a major milestone, 100 million vaccine doses and counting. >> behind these 100 million shots are millions of lives changed when people receive that dose of hope. >> reporter: even as the rollout continues to expand, the white house says it will send millions of doses of the astrazeneca vaccine, which has not been approved for use in the u.s. to mexico and canada. today at least 12 states say everyone 16 and older will be eligible for vaccinations before may 1st, but with the highly contagious uk strain now possibly making up to 30% of new cases, new infections are on the rise in more than a dozen states including michigan where cases have spiked 64%. >> it's not over yet.

it is no time to spike the football. >> reporter: with more americans vaccinated and recovering from the virus, republican senator rand paul accused dr. fauci of alarmism and wearing a mask for show. >> let me just state for the record that masks are not theater. masks are protective, and we have -- >> that's community theater, if you already have immunity, you're wearing a mask to give comfort to others. you're not wearing a mask because of any science. >> i totally disagree with you. >> reporter: meantime in florida governor ron desantis defended his state's hands off. with spring break revelers crowding south beach, public health officials say to declare victory too soon could fuel yet another spring surge. while vaccine distribution has ramped up, vaccine equity remains a national problem. the cdc says only two states, arizona and montana, have done a

good job at vaccinating the poor and underserved. most states are not vaccinating those most in need. hoda. >> all right, miguel almaguer for us. thank you. meanwhile, the fbi has released dramatic new video from the riot at the u.s. capitol as agents try to track down more of the people involved in that violence siege. nbc's capitol hill correspondent kasie hunt joins us with the story. kasie, good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you. for the past two months, the fbi has been combing through hundreds of thousands of tips, images, videos, and they've already arrested more than 300 people. now investigators are putting the spotlight on a group of ten men who they say committed some of the most violent assaults against police officers. those attacks captured on camera and as we've said, a warning this new evidence is disturbing. swinging bats, throwing punches, poles, and even crutches. in one case, even using what

appears to be an electric prod. the fbi releasing edited and enhanced videos to put the spotlight on a group of men who they say committed some of the most brutal attacks against law enforcement during january's insurrection at the capitol. police officers overpowered by a violent mob of trump supporters who forced their way into the halls of congress as lawmakers worked to certify the results of the 2020 election, the bureau revealing clear images of ten people they hope to identify. one of those clips shows a man appearing to bash an officer in the head with a bat. another man spraying a group of officers with what looks like a fire extinguisher. an officer's body camera showing the direct threat they faced. one of them repeatedly taking punches to the head. the attackers at times using officers' own gear against them. >> we absolutely fought tooth and nail to keep the capitol safe. >> reporter: d.c. police officer daniel hodges told nbc news in january he feared for his own life, video from the day showing him pinned in the doorway as he

tried desperately to keep people from entering. >> they were waving the thin blue line flag while telling us they were traitors. >> reporter: new fbi video appears to show the moments just before with one of the attackers repeatedly trying to rip off officer hodges mask. one capital police officer brian sicknick died a day after the insurrection. two others who worked to protect lawmakers and capitol hill staffers later died by suicide. after january 6th, national guard troops and razor wire fencing surrounding the capitol complex as u.s. intelligence agencies warn of an ongoing threat. >> domestic violence extremism is one of our most urgent threats to the homeland. >> reporter: former president bush discussing the insurrection thursday during the annual south by southwest conference. >> i'm still disturbed when i think about it. it undermines rule of law and, you know, the ability to express yourself in peaceful ways in the public square. this was an expression that was not peaceful. >> reporter: there were hundreds of people who entered the capitol january 6th, so in

addition to those ten men that the fbi is highlighting now, there's still a potential for many more arrests. two men facing charges for assaulting officer sicknick, but so far have not been charged in his death. earlier this week, the house overwhelmingly passed legislation to honor both capitol police and d.c. police officers who responded that day. there were a dozen republican members who opposed that bill over the use of the phrase insurrection. meanwhile lawmakers are separately working to create a 9/11 style commission to look into the january 6th attack and how it happened. savannah. >> kasie hunt on capitol hill. thank you. let's move to the deepening tensions between washington and two other world powers, russia and china. kristen welker joins us. let's start off with china. there was some kind of dust-up yesterday about that. what happened? >> reporter: well, hoda, good morning it was pretty remarkable. some private tensions became

unusually public. this happened on thursday when the secretary of state was traveling in alaska and sharply criticized china over its undemocratic practices in a face-to-face meeting with top chinese officials. those officials responded with a lengthy public scolding of the u.s. including over the black lives matter protests. the two sides then fought over u.s. cameras being in the room sending reporters out, then calling them back again, and it's really all a sign the white house is struggling over how to handle china, which of course it needs to work with on trade, north korea, and to help control the pandemic. hoda, savannah. >> pretty stunning how it all kind of spilled into public view. that usually doesn't happen in that situation. in the meantime, the tensions with russia are really ramp ing up in this pretty brutal war of words between the two countries. >> it is brutal, and it's striking this war of words skpshs it started when president biden was asked if he considers president vladimir putin to be a killer. mr. biden responded, yes, i do. the president also promised

russia will pay for interfering in the last two elections. russia has now erupted in anger, frankly, with putin hitting back saying of those killer comments, the russian version of it takes one to know one, and then in a seemingly sarcastic moment, putin saying he hopes for mr. biden's health. so those comments seen as sarcastic. russia has pulled its ambassador from the u.s. and breaking just this morning, russia is now responding yet again saying president biden's comments are impossible to ignore and like with china, savannah, the u.s. and russia rely on each other for some key treaties, and the question now is whether the president's tough talk will backfire. the white house says the president does not regret his remarks. >> kristen welker for us at the white house, thanks. another big issue facing the president right now is along the border and craig has the story on that this morning. hi, craig, good morning. >> good morning, good morning to you as well. democrats in the house just passed two immigration bills, including one that would create a pathway to citizenship for

millions including those young so-called dreamers, but amid a growing surge at the southern border they face a stiff fight from republicans who blame the new white house. nbc's gabe gutierrez is at the border for us. he's in brownsville, texas. gabe, good morning. >> reporter: craig, good morning. customs and border protection says it is detaining on average more than 500 unaccompanied minors each day. in washington, the debate is raging over whether to call this a crisis, but here semantics is secondary. at the southern border each night, they finish their long journey by crossing the rio grande. >> these children just came through the brush. they tell me they're exhausted, and that they've spent weeks trying to get here from guatemala. they're 15, 16, 17 years old, and they don't know what's next. some say their families paid smugglers to bring them here because of violence in central america. they claim to know little about u.s. politics. >> did you decide to cross

because of president biden? >> no. >> no? >> no. >> but some law enforcement officials at the border attribute the surge to the biden administration's policy shift allowing unaccompanied minors to stay in the u.s. >> it just seems like we just went through this not too long ago, and here we go again. >> reporter: there are nearly 10,000 migrant children in federal care, and according to new data obtained by nbc news, more than 500 migrant children have been in border control custody for over ten days, far longer than the 72-hour legal limit. many republicans are calling it a crisis, though the white house insists it's not. still, despite the biden administration's stated policy of sending migrants who arrive to the u.s. as part of a family back across the border into mexico, customs and border protection is now releasing more families into the u.s. because neither mexico nor the u.s. has space for them. >> families who are apprehended at the border are also

immediately expelled unless we confront at times a limitation on mexico's capacity to receive them. >> reporter: as the white house urges mexico to help limit the flow of migrants it also announced thursday that it was sending 2.5 million doses of the astrazeneca covid vaccine to mexico raising questions of a quid pro quo. >> i wouldn't read into it more than our ability to provide, to lend vaccine doses of a vaccine that we have some available supply on to a neighboring country. >> reporter: the battle at the border comes as the house just passed two immigration bills, including a pathway to citizenship for young undocumented immigrants known as dreamers. >> we have a broken immigration system, and it's been that way for decades, and it's time we get about the work of fixing it. >> reporter: but those bills are expected to hit a wall in the senate where republican votes are needed to avoid a filibuster. meanwhile, here at the border, resources are stretched thinner every day, guys. >> gabe gutierrez there in

brownsville for us, gabe, thank you. all right, it's 18 minutes after the hour. time to get a first check of the weather including a lingering threat from that storm system that tore through the south, al, tell us. >> over two days 30 hurricanes out of this thing, but now it is leaving a little wet weather down through the southeast with a little snow, making its way off the coast. you can see those winds picking up early rain and showers in the northeast. then we get cold, windy conditions behind this front. in fact, right now it feels like three in burlington, 32 in washington, d.c. it feels like 19 in detroit. look at today's temperatures. the departures, seven degrees below average in boston with 39, birmingham, 13 degrees cooler than average at 55, memphis is at 50. the good news is as we head into next week, temperatures start warming up. by monday it's 60 in binghamton, 62 in raleigh, 68 in louisville, 64 in chicago, 66 in st. louis. as far as today's weather is

concerned, it's a sunshine sandwich. we've got soggy bread in the northeast and the pacific northwest, but everywhere in between lots of sunshine, sunny and mild down in texas, all the way up into the upper plains and the great lakes.r r plains and the great lakes. we're going to get to your local forecast coming up in the next 30 seconds ments. there will never be too many stories to write... or too many memories to make. but when it comes to a vehicle that will be there for it all. there's only one. jeep. good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. rain is starting to clear the bay area. but if you will be traveling to the sierra, there will still be snow coming down and some slick road conditions. as we take a look at the east bay, walnut creek seeing some

fog as well as clouds above, and as we gee into today, all of this starts to clear out on this last day of winter. tomorrow, we welcome spring. and our temperatures warm up and feel more spring-like by next week. >> i meant instead of hurricanes. >> we understood. >> we're going to be talking hurricanes in the next half hour a rose by any other name would still be a rose, and hurricanes the same way >> well, you know what you rarely make a mistake, al, so every now and then -- >> a broken clock's right twice a day. >> all right, coming up, the criminal investigation just launched against actor armie hammer accused of a violent assault. this morning his alleged victim's disturbing claims and how he's responding. and then six feet or just three? the new debate over social distancing as we take you inside a school that made a successful switch the potential impact on all of

hoo here's a question, have you been feeling a little out of it during the pandemic? >> yeah, before as well. vicky nguyen's going to explain that brain fog and what we can start doing today it clear that up right after your local news okay, he seems interested. i think he likes it. real tuna is the first ingredient... this is not something my food has right now. i have a new cat food...tastefuls. one taste is all it takes. this is what i have been looking for. psoriatic arthritis, made my joints stiff, swollen, painful. tremfya® is approved to help reduce joint symptoms in adults with active psoriatic arthritis. some patients even felt less fatigued. serious allergic reactions may occur.

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tell your doctor if you develop any of these, as your dose may need to be adjusted or stopped. amazing things happen during the day. sunosi can help you stay awake for whatever amazes you. visit sunosi.com and talk to your doctor about sunosi today. a very good morning to you. it's 7:26. i'm laura garcia. here's a look at today's top stories including new questions about distancing in the classroom. >> i'm bob redell in dublin. your child's classroom could become a little more crowded. the cdc expected to allow students to be three feet instead of six feet apart. the cdc is pointing to a new study published in clinical infectious diseases which compared infection rates of covid-19 in massachusetts public schools with different physical distancing requirements. that research suggests that three feet may be as safe as six feet if everyone is masked.

>> i'm cierra johnson in san francisco, we're hearing from the family of a 76-year-old woman attacked on market street. the family of the woman says it will be a while before she feels safe even going outside. that woman not the only individual attacked on market street. 83-year-old was also attacked by 39-year-old steven jenkins. jenkins faced two charges of assault likely to produce great body energy as well as two charges of elder abuse. >> let's check in with meteorologist kari hall. that rain moving out of the bay area. just as spring is on its doorstep. >> yes. so we're going to have a bright and sunny weekend. but we're still seeing the lingering clouds this morning. looking out there right now in san jose, temperatures in it low 50s and a slow warmup as we make it into the upper 50s later today. but then look at the rest of the forecast. not bad at all. we do, of course, need some rain. but we're at least going to feel

some milder air, more like spring by the middle of next week. laura. >> and we'll be in it. thanks so much. thank you for joining us as well. another local news update in half an hour. i'll see you then. majestic mountains... scenic coastal highways... fertile farmlands... there's lots to love about california. so put off those chores

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♪ we didn't start the fire it was always burning since the world's been turning ♪ ♪ we didn't start the fire ♪ back now, 7:30. it's friday. that's a big moment for the future of u.s. missions to the moon. you're looking at what's called a hot fire test of the engines that will be used, igniting for a full eight minutes. that's a long time. nasa declaring the test a success. it is a major milestone in the mission in the plan for 2024. set your calendars. that's 50 years after the launch. >> remember when 2024 seemed far away? >> exactly.

>> it's three years. public service announcement there. here are your 7:30 headlines. the president is considering keeping u.s. troops in afghanistan until november, six months longer than expected. that according to two people familiar with those discussions. this all comes weeks before a may 1st deadline that the trump administration negotiated with the taliban. a source says president biden pushed back against defense officials who want to keep u.s. troops in afghanistan beyond may, but they say he has been persuaded to consider a six-month extension. no final decision has been made. paris and other regions of france go into a month-long lockdown today amid fears of a third wave of the coronavirus. under the new measures, non-essential businesses will be forced to close. schools, though, will remain open. people will not be allowed to travel to other parts of the country. france has recorded more than 35,000 new covid-19 infections this past day alone.

the situation in paris is especially worrying, with 1,200 people already in intensive care. march madness is off to an exciting start with the first four rounds getting underway last night in indiana. >> well, he missed it. wichita state, a chance. at the final shot, they're down one. this is for the win! oh, off the front iron! oh, my goodness. >> there you have it. drake holding on to win after wichita state's buzzer-beater attempt comes up just short there. other winners last night, ucla, norfolk state, texas southern, and thursday night's matchups unofficially referred to as play-in games. the first round tips off today just after noon eastern. that means you have just over four hours to finish up the brackets. >> i have mine here. i thought you were giving me the winners. i was going to write it down. that's not allowed though, is it? >> no. >> i can't believe the first four were that good. >> signs of what's to come. >> i hope so. we have more to get to this

morning, including these disturbing, new allegations made against actor armie hammer. >> a woman has now come forward accusing hammer of violently assaulting her, and this morning sex crimes detectives with lapd are on the case. >> erin mclaughlin is in los angeles with the details on this. it's a disturbing one, erin. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. a hollywood a-lister is under investigation. armie hammer is known for leading roles in movies such as "the social network" and "call me by your name," now facing a rape allegation. this morning in los angeles, armie hammer is facing a criminal investigation, as his alleged victim speaks out, claiming the hollywood actor raped her nearly four years ago. >> armie hammer violently raped me for over four hours in los angeles. >> reporter: the 24-year-old, who asked to be referred to only as effie, alleges she had an

intimate on and off relationship with hammer who was married at the time, between 2016 and 2020. while she says many encounters were consensual, she alleges what happened in april 2017 was not. >> during those four hours, i tried to get away, but he wouldn't let me. i thought that he was going to kill me. >> reporter: armie hammer denies the allegations. his lawyer calling them outrageous. releasing a lengthy statement, saying, in part, all of his interactions with effie and every other sexual partner had been completely consensual, discussed and agreed upon in advance, and mutually participatory. pointing to effie's correspondence, including graphic texts she sent the actor in july 2020 in which hammer seemingly declines her advances. attorney gloria allred is representing effie.

>> what she wants to see in general is accountability from mr. hammer. >> reporter: this year, unverified yet alarming allegations about hammer emerged on social media including posts featured on an account called house of effie. though allred declined to confirm whether the account belonged to her client. other women made allegations of physical and emotional abuse, allegations that hammer strongly denied. last month, his talent agency dropped him. hammer also announced he was stepping away from an upcoming film project. >> women who allege that they are victims of rich, powerful, famous men are not going to be intimidated into silence. >> erin, have we heard from armie hammer or any family members or any close friends? >> reporter: savannah, we have not. his lawyers denied our on-camera interview request, instead, providing that statement and unverified screen-shots of alleged correspondence between n

the two. >> erin, thank you very much. still ahead, is three feet of social distancing as safe as six? the schools that made the change and it is working, and what it could mean for all of us moving forward. but first, these messages. my sub will help you put points on the board, unlike some other subs. why would you say that, jayson? hey man, i'm just talkin' about subs here. oh c'mon. my sub is gonna throw down on your... my sub has more rings than your sub. my sub has bacon. choose better, be better. and now buy one sub, get one fifty percent off in the app. subway eat fresh. but not jayson's sub. subway eat fresh.

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including the covid-19 virus. once dry microban forms a shield that keeps killing bacteria for 24 hours. touch after touch. don't just sanitize. keep killing bacteria for 24 hours with microban 24 we're back now, 7:40 on this friday morning with in-depth today. this morning the new debate over social distancing. >> yeah, we've been living with this six-foot rule for the past year, of course to do our part to prevent the spread of covid now health officials are considering a major change it could have a big impact on our daily lives. >> we're all ears. kerry sanders is in miami where some have already made that switch, and they say it's working. hey, kerry >> well, good morning. look, we've had it hammered into our heads by now that with social distancing we need to be six feet apart, but here at the miami-dade schools they've used something called the one meter

rule, which is folks being three feet apart, and now as you mentioned, there is a new study that the cdc is examining that three feet may be just fine, not only in schools but perhaps it could impact in the offices where we all used to work. >> just about everywhere we go from grocery stores to theme parks to stadiums the rule is well-established, keep six feet apart, but now a new study published in the journal of clinical infectious diseases compared covid rates at three feet of separation instead of six, and the authors concluded lower physical distancing policies can be adopted in school settings with masking mandates without negatively impacting student or staff safety >> we asked the question provided everybody is wearing masks, is three feet as safe as six feet. >> and >> and the answer was yes. >> as we saw here thursday on

"today," getting closer than six feet apart would be a welcomed change. >> 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. >> does this mean we could do three feet where we work or at least where we used to work in an office? >> so our study was pretty narrowly focused on schools, but i think that's an open question. >> reporter: across the country with now 100 million shots in arms and exhaustion with covid restrictions, cutting the awkward six foot apart conversations in half would be a welcome change >> six feet, five feet, four feet, what's the difference? >> reporter: but for miami-dade schools, a warning this morning as we've seen in simulations, particles spread quickly indoors, so going from six feet to three feet or the one meter rule as they call it here requires rigid adherence to mask wearing.

none of that below the nose nonsense and hand washing must be constant >> it's three feet in addition to a whole host of measures, preventative measures, mitigation strategies and protocols all based on science >> reporter: it's important to note that the six foot rule is still the standard, what they use here, this one meter rule, that's a world health organization standard. to give you an idea how it's been working in miami-dade in the schools versus the public, in the schools the positivity rate's been slightly over 3% while out in the general public of florida it's about 9% one thing that they note, guys, and this is important for you guys who want to sit a little bit closer on the set, they say in schools that there are teachers around to make sure if kids take their mask off they put them back on, if they walk one way in a hallway they don't across each other. in a studio, i'm not sure who

that would be, maybe it would be the ep. >> savannah just moved four inches closer. >> i felt it. >> i'm encroaching on her space, her personal space, but you got to wear your masks if you're going to do that three feet. that's just for schools, which makes a big difference because that six feet is an obstacle to a lot of schools opening >> thank you for that visual, too, kerry. >> good to get into it with you, kerry, thank you mr. roker who is our, what, the principal of the school? >> i don't know. >> i think so. >> he would be the superintendent of the district. >> i like to think of myself as the custodian, making sure everything's nice and clean. let's show you, we do know 2020 was a record breaking year when it came to hurricanes. we even got into the greek alphabet it's all greek to me well, guess what, again, we got all the way to 30 storms well, this year there's a chang by the world meteorological association or organization that we're getting rid of the greek alphabet it will be discontinued similar sounding greek letters can be confusing. they weren't in order. it was just a mess

so there just now is -- if we get past our alphabet, we're going to have a supplemental list of regular names. that's right so there will be a second alphabet of names, but again, names starting with q, u, x, y, z are not used in any of them. they say they don't have any good names with these letters. i think you should send us in some and we'll forward them to the world meteorological organization but in the meantime, that's going to be the new thing. and again, we're looking at weather wise for today, cold and windy, a little wet in the northeast, beautiful weather gulf coast, texas, up into the plains, and this storm coming into the pacific northwest is going to be making its way cross good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. we're starting out with low clouds. even some misting and drizzling, but we'll see some clearing and temperatures heading to the 50s

and 60s. a nice start to the weekend. tomorrow is the start to spring, and then from that point on, we'll start to warm up. by the middle ofthex week, we'll sear our inland valleys seeing temperatures reach the low 70s, and san francisco will be in the upper 60s. and that is your latest weather. guys >> thanks, al. >> thank you, mr. roker. coming up next, would you hail a taxi with no driver? >> good morning. this car is all yours with no one up front >> really? all right, well, gadi just did that to give us a firsthand look at the future of travel. guess what, it's already on the streets of one major city in america. we'll tell you about it right after this one dose can quickly stop migraine in its tracks within two hours. unlike older medicines, ubrelvy is a pill that directly blocks cgrp protein, believed to be a cause of migraine. do not take with strong cyp3a4 inhibitors.

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this is what it looks like, a lot like an uber or a lyft, except for the glaring difference there is no driver here sitting behind the wheel before we start this ride, we're i want to show you a little bit of what we're getting into take a look. looks like this is our ride. it's hard to describe what it is like when you hail a car, and it pulls up with no one behind the wheel. >> morning, gadi this car is all yours with no one up front >> reporter: in the middle of the suburban desert, the future has arrived. along with it, what waymo hope it is a pandemic selling point it's just me and the steering wheel here not having to get into the car with a stranger. to accelerate confidence, increased sanitizing waymo is spraying, wiping, and after every ride, flushing their vehicles clean >> within a few minutes, we recirculate over 99% of the air. so it is fresh and ready for the next rider >> reporter: this isn't just a

test drive every day, the waymo fleet picks up real passengers in a 100 square mile area near phoenix. think uber and lyft, but with an invisible driver these aren't exactly your typical soccer mom vans here >> no. you may notice they have some sensors you don't see out on the roads every day. >> reporter: the sensors are the eyes of the waymo driver, a computer that uses 19 cameras, radar to see what's happening 360 degrees around the car and up to three football fields away wow, it flagged a person that's way over there >> it is always paying attention, day and night, 360 degrees. it's never drunk it's never tired it is never texting. >> reporter: this is an experience, and it requires a little bit of trust. which might be one of the biggest speed bumps waymo faces. aaa's automated annual survey found 14% of drivers would trust riding in a car driving itself,

with a larger number saying covid would not influence their decision but waymo says this is all the culmination of over 20 billion miles of testing with computer simulations showing their cars make more life-saving decisions than human drivers what makes you more nervous here in your city, human drivers or some of these autonomous vehicles >> easily, human drivers. >> reporter: really? >> beyond a shadow of a doubt. >> it changed lanes. >> reporter: for some, it is a different kind of safety that matters most. >> wouldn't be for covid purposes it'd be more driving alone as a woman late at night safety that would be my go-to for it. >> reporter: waymo hoping to prove safety is its biggest selling point. okay, we're accelerating even if no one is behind the wheel. >> pedal to the metal, waymo. >> reporter: this is the real-life test we are cruising right now. take a look. >> wow >> reporter: not sure if you can

see the steering wheel, but it is going 40 miles per hour. >> crazy. >> reporter: we are cruising down the road. the biggest question you have when you get in this car is, have waymos ever been in accidents? last year, they released some data they showed that they had been in some accidents, 18 accidents, but most of them were the fault of human drivers, which means the other driver on the road you have people passing us here. no one behind the wheel. >> i would feel out of control. >> i know. >> thank you so much >> thank you, gadi coming up on "pop start," if you've been missing "game of thrones," we have good news. thrones," we have good news. first, a quick check of your local news and weather and an integrated dual exhaust. when you have all that, the last thing you'll need... is a road. the chevy silverado trail boss. ready to off-road, right from the factory.

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a very good morning to you. 7:56. i'm laura garcia. >> i'm scott mcgrew. the senate is expected to take up a house bill that would give a path to citizenship for so-called dreamers, the kids who came over with their parents, not knowing necessarily that they were here illegally. it passed the house with all democrats and nine republicans voting yes. it's going to be a tough sell in the senate. >> i'm cierra johnson in san francisco. we're hearing from the family of a 76-year-old woman attacked on market street. the family of the woman says it will be a while before she feels safe even going outside. that woman not the only individual attacked on market street. an 83-year-old was also attacked

by 39-year-old steven jenkins. jenkins faces two charges of assault likely to produce great bodily injury as well as two charges of elder abuse. >> let's check the forecast with meteorologist kari hall. >> starting to clear out. we had rain very early this morning. but the storm system is moving away. today, temperatures will reach into the low 60s for the inland valley. then we have a lot more sunshine in the forecast. and it will feel more like spring next week. laura. >> all right. sounds good. thank you for joining us. enjoy your friday morning. another local news update in half an hour.

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it's 8:00 on it's 8:00 on "today." coming up, in the spotlight. the rise in anti-asian violence takes center stage on capitol hill. >> this hearing was to address the hurt and pain of our community and to find solutions, and we will not let you take our voice away from us. >> it comes just days after six asian women were killed by the gunman in atlanta. investigators still searching for answers, as president biden gets ready to visit the grieving city today. we're live with everything you need to know. then tragic accident. the new warning from peloton, after the death of a child involving one of its treadmills.

what the company is saying this morning. plus, out of it? we'll take a closer look at the science behind pandemic brain fog. >> isolation, anxiety, lack of sleep, decreased level of exercise, all these factors can affect the way we think and function. >> what you can do right now to get back on track. honoring a comedy legend. we'll celebrate the life of carl reiner with two people who knew him best. >> he was just a good guy. he was a good person. he set the best possible example for how to live a life. that's what he taught. >> harry smith talks to rob reiner and mel brooks about what they want you to remember about the man who made us all laugh. today, friday, march 19th, 2021. ♪ i said ♪ >> we have two teens in the family. >> i'm turning 13. >> i'm turning 16. >> thank you to all the athletic

trainers for stepping up in the fight against covid-19. ♪ i'm blinded ♪ >> middle school. >> in orlando, florida. >> we love the "today" show. >> we strive to be somebody for someone else. >> good morning, everybody. welcome back to "today" on this friday morning. glad to have you with us. >> we certainly are. >> fri-yay. >> i don't know if you were eagle eyed, but s.g. wore a different dress, hair-do, and did a change moments before air. >> four minutes before air because i decided i didn't like -- i thought that dress didn't look good on me, and then i took my hair down. >> i voted for dress one. >> it was lickity-split. the president and vice president are meeting in atlanta with leaders saddened and outraged by this week's spa shooting rampage. the previously scheduled trip is one day after congress addressed the alarming spike of anti-asian

hate crimes. jo-ling kent has more. >> reporter: good morning. as vigils and rallies are being held across the country, congress held its first hearing on anti-asian violence and discrimination in more than 30 years. prominent activists and law make irs making their voices heard, perhaps this comes as no surprise, it was partisan fast. less than two days after six women of asian descent were killed by a white gunman in atlanta, and still with no motive determined, lawmakers speaking out forcefully against anti-asian hate. >> blaming the aapi community for a public health crisis is racist and wrong. >>. >> reporter: the house judiciary hearing scheduled prior to the fatal attacks was supposed to focus on the disturbing rise in violence against asian americans since covid-19 hit last year. with experts testifying the attacks have risen 150% since the pandemic began, but the discussion quickly turned

political. >> my concern about this hearing is that it seems to want to venture into the policing of rhetoric in a free society, free speech, and away from the rule of law and taking out bad guys. >> your president and your party and your colleagues can talk about issues with any other country that you want, but you don't have to do it by putting a bull's-eye on the back of asian americans across this country, on our grandparents, on our kids. this hearing was to address the hurt and pain of our community and to find solutions, and we will not let you take our voice away from us. >> reporter: earlier in the day congresswoman grace meng shared on cnn some of the racist voice mails she says she received after passing anti-discrimination last year. >> the kung fu virus or whatever came from asia, it's not racist.

it's the truth. >> reporter: at the hearing, many lawmakers also sharing their personal experiences with bigotry. >> i am not a virus, and when you say things like that, it hurts the asian american community. >> reporter: congresswoman doris mat suey who was born in an internment camp for japanese americans during world war ii delivered a warning. >> my family has lived through these consequences. this is what we are working to root out. >> reporter: as advocates like actor daniel dae kim looks towards the future. >> what happens right now and over the course of the coming months will send a message for generations to come as to whether we matter, whether the country we call home chooses to erase us or include us. we are 23 million strong. we are united, and we are waking up. >> reporter: as for what's going to happen next to democratic lawmakers including representative judy chu tell me there's two pieces of legislation on the table to make

it more possible and easier to report hate crimes, but we're still not sure how much bipartisan support this kind of legislation will ultimately receive. savannah. >> all right, jo, thank you very much. appreciate it. this morning the popular fitness equipment company peloton is out with a critical warning for customers who have kids in their homes. it follows the death of a child that involved a peloton treadmill. nbc's stephanie gosk has more. >> reporter: when the gyms shuttered because of covid, our homes turned into gyms. >> stay with me peloton, you got it. >> reporter: now one of the fitness company that has benefitted the most in the last year, peloton says its tread plus treadmill was involved in a child's death. a spokesperson for peloton telling nbc news there are no words to express the shock and sadness everyone at peloton feels as a result of this terrible tragedy. without providing any details about the incident, ceo john foley told customers who own peloton bikes and treadmills to

review and follow all safety warnings and instructions. keep children and pets away from peloton exercise equipment at all times. remove the safety key from the treadmill and store it out of reach of children. there have been other injuries with peloton equipment as well. the consumer product safety commission reports that a 3-year-old suffered a significant brain injury after getting trapped under a peloton treadmill last month. a peloton spokesperson says the child is expected to make a full recovery the company also recalled pedals for nearly 30,000 bikes last fall for an issue. the cpsc says it's investigating this latest report of a child dying. but it isn't just peloton treadmills that have caused accidents. there were more than 22,000 treadmill related injuries in 2019 2,000 of them were children under the age of 8 in 2009 mike tyson's 4-year-old daughter died after an accident on a treadmill after a year of covid, sales of treadmills and stationary bikes have exploded, exercise habits

potentially changing for good. >> the last quarter we've -- we announced 130% year on year growth. >> reporter: john foley speaking earlier this month before learning about the tragic accident. >> i honestly pinch myself, i feel like i've got the best job, and we're creating one of the great brands of our generation. >> reporter: for so many, exercise equipment has made life in lockdown bearable now an important reminder that gyms can be dangerous, even the ones in our own homes. for "today," stephanie gosk, nbc news the nfl has signed a new long-term tv and streaming contract worth more than $110 billion that's nearly twice as much as previous deals the agreements with the major broadcast networks and amazon start with a 2023 season and run through 2033 nfl commissioner roger goodell said they will hep bring an unprecedented era of stability to the league. under the deelts, sunday night football will stay here on nbc

nbc will also be getting three super bowls. amazon prime video now has a lock on thursday night games >> look at amazon prime video. >> i know. >> right in there. >> look at sunday night football, though, baby. >> that's right. >> now look at the boost >> okay. i got you. this one is a little bit of a tear jerker. an adorable little girl cami loves spending time with her best friend who also happens to be her grandpa of course there's always that part where you have to say bye until next time. >> i golt it. >> i got it. >> i got it. >> see you later, baby. >> see you later >> you're going to see him soon, i promise. you don't have to cry. you'll see him soon, okay? >> she didn't want to cry in front of grandpa, but like her mom said, they'll see each other again soon anyway, how about catching those kisses with his little fist and her little fist, sweet. vicky nguyen on one of the

stranger side effects of the pandemic >> good morning, have you been distracted, lost your train of thought, maybe forgotten a thing or two well, there's actually a term for it it's commonly referred to as pandemic brain fog i'm going to tell you what it is and also three simple things you can do to get your brain back in shape. that's next on "today. [sneezes] stick with zyrtec. zyrtec starts working hard at hour one and works twice as hard when you take it again the next day. zyrtec. muddle no more. and try zyrtec-d for proven relief of your allergies, sinus pressure and congestion. and try zyrtec-d for proven relief of your allergies, good morning more treatment? we're going to try something different today. hi! awwww, so pretty. dogs bring out the good in us. pedigree® brings out the good in them.

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been feeling, and there's actually some science to back it up the pandemic brain fog it is an umbrella term that covers a lot of things happening in our heads whether you can't seem to focus, are losing sleep, feel unproductive or negative the good news this morning, we can actually take some simple steps to clear the fog >> reporter: we've lost our routines no more commuting or in-person collaborating with co-workers. seeing friends and family, sporadic add in the stress from covid-19, and it turns out, we're using our brains in a very different way. >> isolation, anxiety, lack of sleep, decreased level of exercise, really all these factors can affect the way we think and then we function. >> reporter: the doctor is at is an assistant professor of nurj at northwestern university's feinburg school of medicine he says when you remove social and physical stimulation, you also remove mental stimulation

basically, our brain is like a muscle don't use it, and it's not as strong stress, isolation, and lack of exercise can all fatigue the brain, especially the frontal network. the same part that also contributes to memory, recall, and attention. >> haven't been going out as much we are not getting enough light. our daily structures have changed. our environments have changed. we are distracted more we have to work, for example, in our houses there are kids around for some people >> reporter: we're talking about people who didn't suffer from covid. >> that's right. >> reporter: pandemic brain even trending on social media this user blaming the fog for him showing up to meetings a week early, and this person saying she searched disney mermaid movie just to remember "the little mermaid. >> something is not right here >> reporter: tyce williams can relate earning his doctorate at u.c. berkeley, he says the fog made it hard to think. >> there is this kind of staggered delay in performance for me, in my day to day activities, and i can physically feel it. i can cognitively realize it in myself

i feel there is kind of like this lull that kind of holds me back a little bit. >> reporter: something penn state assistant professor sees in her classroom she says last semester many of her students were absent mentally >> what i saw was the inability to focus forgetting deadlines hazy thoughts. >> reporter: she says students wrote in their school journals they couldn't focus and absorb class material to help, she's now teaching a course to exercise their minds and relieve stress how are you getting students to exercise their brains? >> so we start each of the classes with a meditation. one of the exercises they said they enjoyed the most, there is just -- it is called tear it up exercise you're writing down all the stresses that are in your life right now, and then you're tearing it up into small, little pieces >> reporter: are you noticing a difference >> the students said that they felt that they had good tools for managing stress. they felt a little bit more relaxed. >> reporter: other ways to help get your brain back in shape safely socialize outdoors with friends and family challenge your brain with

puzzles and reading, and use music as medicine. listen to it more often. what does it stimulate your brain to do? >> music is very close to our memory music that we are familiar with and we identify, that brings back memories. it taps into our attention it can stimulate the brain it actually creates a feeling that you are with someone and you're not alone. >> reporter: music, movement, and mental exercises to clear the fog and get our minds back in shape >> experts say movement matters to your mind, too. we're mostly at home, not walking around the office between meetings you should try to add some short bouts of movement and exercise throughout the day and getting outside for a walk and absorbing sunlight is important. add that music in, and you get a double whammy effect >> music heals how real is the concern, vicky, that after this pandemic is over, that some of these affects

in our brain is going to be long lasting? is that a concern? >> i asked that. brains are resilient experts don't think the fog is permanent. as long as we can go back routines and interactions, we'll be good. the same for kids, too important to keep in mind. these tips apply to young people, too. >> that was fascinating. >> thank you, vi good morning. we're starting out with clouds. the rain is moving out. we will get peaks of sunshine later on today. as our temperatures head into the upper 50s and low 60s, this is still a little bit cooler than normal. tomorrow is the first day of spring. after that point, we will start to warm up. take a look at our temperatures for the inland areas for next week, going from the low 60s to the low 70s by wednesday. while san francisco will have some upper 60s. >> guys? >> mr. roker, the best weather forecast ever. let's get to "pop start. >> i didn't get the weather. i got nothing out of it.

>> i know, just love >> lots on "pop start. first up, "father of the bride." 1991 film starring steve martin, which was a remake from the film of the '60s, was a bona fide classic. get ready for yet another "father of the bride" remake this time andy garcia just closed the deal. this time, it'll center around a cuban-american family. garcia saying, i'm excited to join the "father of the bride. a beloved film that has brought so much joy to so many over the years, and represent my culture and heritage in this story this will be more of a romcom than the steve martin memory if memory serves me correct, that one was still pretty funny. >> welcome to the '90s. >> not only did i not understand a syllable this guy was saying, now i had the feeling he was putting me down. >> there you go. i don't think we'll get enough of the big family wedding movies for sure. next up, it's been a while, i bet, since you've heard this theme song

♪ >> never heard it. >> it's one of the best theme sop songs in the history --. >> i always skip it, but i still love it. >> hands down. >> "game of thrones. let's go down the worm hole and geek out for a while there is already a prequel in production hbo is developing not one, not two, but three more prequels to the emmy-winning series. one of the shows is from the co-creator of the hbo rome series one is titled either "nine voyages" or "sea snake." reportedly will center on a character known as the lord of tide that's one another prequel will be in the slums of king's landing. the third will reportedly follow the warrior queen of dorn. if you've seen "game of thrones," you're excited maybe a little bit much. if you haven't, you think i'm a crazy person >> actually, even if you have seen the series, still sounds a little wacky >> a lot going on. next up, another tv series

people should be excited for 25 years after matthew mcconaughey starred in "a time to kill," the movie helped make him a star, he is going to be reprising his role for a limited series called "a time for mercy. it is based on the sequel, a novel to the original john grisham story, following a lawyer defending a black man accused of murdering two white men in mississippi he was joined in "a time to kill" with that all star cast of sandra bullock, jackson, and keefer sutherland. that's all the time we have for pop start, have a good weekend peace out. don't miss the hilarious and touching conversation with harry smith, mel brooks, and rob reiner, after your local news.

good morning. 8:26. i'm marcus washington. parents in oakland counting down the minutes until a cherished family hangout reopens. it reopens its doors. it is morning, afternoon or visiting slot. limited capacity is what they are dealing with right now. but you know what, some of the play areas will be available and some of the popular animals will be in their pens. a fun time for a lot of people. if you are able to go, maybe the rain won't stick around. it will be nice and clear,

kerry? possibly? >> yeah. we have taken great pictures there at fairy land. we'll have a chance to clear out as we go into today. a lot of sunshine in the forecast for the weekend. today we are in transition, i'll say. we'll reach into the low 60s for the inland areas. much more sunshine tomorrow and the first day of spring. and sunday will be a touch warmer. that warming trend continues into next week with temperatures reaching into the low 70s for the inland areas by wednesday. and we will cee lo 70s while san francisco will make it into the upper 60s next week, marcus. >> all right. another local news update in 30 minutes. i'll see you back here then.

8:30. it's it's 8:30. it's friday, guys. it's march 19th, 2021. can you hear that sound? st that the -- that's the weekend. it's knocking on the door. it wants you to open it and let it in. >> let him >> hello before you start with the weekend, we have a busy half hour ahead, including harry smith. harry was lucky enough to sit down with carl reiner's son, rob, and carl reiner's best friend, mel brooks, to celebrate his legacy looking forward to that. also ahead this morning, martha, martha, martha, she's helping us revive our homes and our spirits just in time for

spring >> looking forward to that then we're giving you a peek inside what we have been doing to take care of our physical and mental health during the pandemic >> wow, background. >> craig. >> i don't remember giving anyone that video. okay. >> go, al, go. >> look forward to that. >> this is a story we're doing >> apparently. surprise to all of us. >> yeah. in a few minutes on the "3rd hour of today," guys, jill martin has an entire half hour of deals to get you organized, have a little fun, and to treat yourself, as well. >> okay, good. we'll have really big things next week on "today. hoda is sitting down with george clooney. >> oh, nothing oh, nothing. oh, my gosh, it's going to be a flirt-a-thon family, fatherhood, approaching a milestone birthday, the big 6-0. hoda is just chitchatting with george carrie underwood is going to perform. for our women's history month series, special stories about granddaughters jenna and i talked to lucille

ball's and eleanor roosevelt's -- you did why did i say i? i have the pandemic -- >> it's friday >> because you are hoda. >> it is hoda. >> were you supposed to read that >> i don't know. jenna sat down with eleanor roosevelt's granddaughter, and i sat down with lucille ball's granddaughter. >> okay. >> it is cool, the legacy. >> i recall that dr. vicky was just talking about, i have the fog, the pandemic fog. >> it's the friday fog. >> exactly we all got that. speaking of friday, how about a little weekend weather >> i'm going home to take care of carson's kids that'll be good. >> what? >> we're all switching around. >> okay. >> never mind. >> okay. >> they're not all going to live anyway -- >> they're not all -- >> show is over. >> hey, saturday oh, i guess we're done am i throwing to the local wait, cool in the east up and down the eastern seaboard, dry and windy tomorrow in the plains mountain snows out west, sunday, sunday, look for coastal showers

in the southeast, sunshine elsewhere, a little rain in the good morning. i'm meteorologist kerry hall. we're starting out with clouds right now. it will clear up in the arch, into the evening hours. temperatures in the low 60s in the inland valleys. tomorrow is the first day of spring. it will be a little bit cool. the warming trend is on the way. by early next week, low 70s in the valleys. san francisco will see those temperatures in the 50s through the weekend. 60s are on the way. >> and that's your latest weather. >> how was eleanor roosevelt's granddaughter? >> it didn't say hoda on the script, so i kept reading. >> i do it all the time. >> it is only rehearsal. we'll get it right when we're live don't worry about it. coming up next, the celebration of the late, great, carl reiner

with his s

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we're back we took a reset, and now we're going to honor a comedy legend. >> that's right. carl reiner would have turned 99 tomorrow now, the creator of the dick van dyke show, an 11 time emmy winner is getting memorialized for generations to come. >> harry smith has the story. >> reporter: there's a place in james town, new york called the national comedy center it's known as the smithsonian of comedy it is going to get the entire carl reiner archive. that means the scripts from the old "dick van dyke show," the emmys, the whole everything. it is a huge deal. they're even going to name the archive in a wing after carl reiner so in honor to talk about that and to reminisce a little bit,

we got together with his son, rob, and his best friend, mel brooks >> get out and get out fast. >> reporter: it seemed, and we were pretty sure, carl reiner would always be with us. >> you come here to give me a physical >> reporter: reiner passed away early last summer. he was 98. >> he had a great life he didn't have any emotional ends, loose ends to tie up you know, i talked to him that day, told him how much i love him. he told me he even said to me that day, "you know, i've done everything i've ever wanted to do in my life." >> reporter: at his side that day his best friend, mel brooks. they met in the 1950s, working on the "show of shows," a tv classic. their chemistry created a routine called "the 2,000-year-old man." >> he is 2,000 years old >> is that true, sir >> yes, want to see my driver's license?

>> who was your favorite wife? you know, i said i think my 111th, shirley shirley. he wouldn't let up he'd say, why? i go, every time she came over to the house, she brought her friend, lila oh, and lila was -- and he really lost it >> ahhh. >> did you see that? >> yes, what'd you do? >> natural reaction. >> oh, my real joy in doing that was to break up carl when he lost it, i was the happiest jew in the world. >> reporter: reiner was a star who knew how to make others shine even brighter. >> he'd always let me take the spotlight. he was one of the funniest guys that ever lived and, yet, he stepped back, graciously stepped back, and he said, "you're the comic. i'm the straight man." i said, carl, first of all, you're much taller than i am, and you deserve, you know -- just for that, you deserve a

round of applause. i mean, he was so good, so giving, so loving. >> reporter: rob reiner who directed "princess bride" and "when harry met sally," did not fall far from his father's tree. what do you think the most important thing was that your father gave you or you took from him? >> just who he was i watched the way he conducted his life, the way he treated other people, the way he handled himself in his show business world, the way he handled his fame i never met anybody who said anything mean or nasty about him. he was just a good guy he was a good person he set the best possible example for how to live a life, and that's what he taught me >> reporter: and that spirit of generosity will now be on display in western new york. >> it's called the national comedy center, and it's in jamestown. the reason it's there is because that is lucille ball's hometown.

that's where she was born. they were going to do something to commemorate the fact that she was there. she said, why should this just be about me? why don't you build something to celebrate all of comedy? so it became the national comedy center >> reporter: think of it as the cooperstown of comedy. >> i mean, if you want to learn anything about mel, my dad, george carlin, richie pryor, anybody, you go to this museum it is interactive, and it is an incredible experience. >> reporter: a fitting repository for reiner's decades of achievement. >> we're giving a ton of stuff for my dad, his emmys, script, all his memorabilia, we're archives named giving to the museum they're creating a wing of archives named after my father it's very exciting >> reporter: as we wrapped, i asked both now vaccinated stars who they hugged first. >> i'm waiting to hug henry, who

is going to be 16 this month, my grandson he's just a beautiful child. i can't wait to hug him. that was a good question >> i was happy to hug my children you know, i have older children, and they've come into the house. they'd be wearing masks. to feel free to just go up and hug them, you know, that, to me, was the best i love to hug people i didn't get to do that. now, i'm hugging everybody i don't even know them, i hug them i'm happy. >> reporter: what a blast to talk to those guys here's one more little piece of remembrance about carl reiner, and it came from steve martin, who wrote this after carl died he says, because he worked on several movies, "the jerk," several movies they did together he said his interaction with people gave me a template of how to be better, nicer, how to lead with kindness. >> beautiful that's beautiful harry, who was the first person

you hugged >> reporter: a guy i ride bikes with up here in the country. got his shots. i got my shots what was it, a sunday ago, he comes over and says, "you know, we have to hug." it was great it was terrific. >> a bro hug >> that was really fun. >> harry, thank you. >> roker, you spent time with carl reiner. >> five years ago, i interviewed carl in his home there was a plastic bag full of feathers he said, well, mel would come over, and we'd pick feathers out of the pillows of my couch sure enough, feathers came out he picks them out and gives me some feathers. he was doing yoga. he was so delightful. >> i remember that post that story again. it was a great one. >> i'll put it on today.com. >> do it. coming up next, martha will be here. all things spring. we'll talk cleaning, refreshing we'll talk cleaning, refreshing dri'm morgan, and there's more to me than hiv.

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we're back 8:44 on this friday morning with "today" celebrates spring. if your home has become the combination of an office, a school, and a gym, you're probably ready for a deep clean. >> yeah. >> indeed. who better to show us the way than one of our favorites, martha stewart >> martha is not the only one joining us oh, no we have rounded up three of her super fans who have their own questions about getting ready for the new season we say good morning to you and good morning to martha let's go, craig. >> let's start with mateise brown. you were actually the honorary speaker for her 2012 graduation from the university of phoenix it is a reunion of sorts what would you like to ask ms. stewart? >> good morning. so i'm looking to jump into spring cleaning, but i'm not sure where to start. so what would you recommend? >> well, that's easy for me to

say, and a little bit more difficult for you to do. but get yourself a tote, some sort of tote a basket, a pail, a tote like this, meant for homekeeping, cleaning, and fill it with all the essentials it is really important to have good brushes very important to have some rags rubber glovers, of course, to save those manicures some squeegees some cleaner i suggest making your own really good organic home cleaner for all surfaces, which is just basically water, 1/2 cup vinegar, 2 cups water. just put the vinegar right in. use white distilled vinegar, not balsamic or red wine vinegar you don't want any stains on anything wiping just make that into a spray bottle this is great for all your kitchen counters, for wiping down your stove. it cleans.

it sort of purifies. it smells good, too. in your basket or tote, you'll have baking soda, a little toothbrush for hard to reach places i use -- my kitchen is so much stainless steel, i use windex. that's my secret, for a nice, shiny, stainless surface use a soft rag don't use anything abrasive on stainless steel. i hope -- and rags and sponges. >> you have a cutting board there, too >> what's the cutting board for? >> if you have a dirty cutting board, don't throw it away use some salt and some lemon, and just rub it down first see if that works, taking off any stains if that doesn't work, use a little bit of sandpaper, a little bit of mineral oil, and you'll have a new surface on that old cutting board i actually cherish my old cutting boards i don't throw them away. i have some that are probably a couple hundred years old they're so beautiful

i keep them clean. i also put them outside in the sun when there is a nice, sunny day. just to let the sun bleach them a little bit more. >> get a shot of tequila, too. you're there with the lemon and the salt. >> oh, yeah. >> martha, we've got rashoda pratt from, as craig says, god's country. take it away hi, everyone, i'm running out of ideas to create new experiences in my home how can i make my home pop for the spring >> well, i love to put all my fruits and lemons and limes on my counter for great color it's so pretty to have a counter in your kitchen, colorful eggs, your fruits, vegetables, onions, potatoes, all in bowls right out. it is very bright, very pretty, and it reminds you to use them up in your cooking another thing, of course, is fresh flowers. you can buy these at the local bodega

i love daffodils so much just gather the heads like this, like i'm doing, right all together like that use a little bit of a -- these are very cute little rubber bands that are made for floral arrangements they're transparent, so you can't even see them. gather the stems put this right under the flower blooms themselves. let's get this on there. >> looks good. hilary, you have a question for martha >> yes, good morning, everyone martha, i'm a big fan. i actually have a bunch of your books right behind me. >> oh, you do? wow. >> yeah, i do. i'm curious if you have any ideas for a refreshing spring drink or cocktail. >> i love to serve iced tea. we have a lot of garden tours here at the farm people come, and they always ask for my recipe for iced tea, which is basically red zinger tea brewed make a big pot of it put it into iced pitchers.

lots of citrus slices. use some of the citrus slices there, lemons, limes, oranges. makes it colorful. the secret ingredient is pomegranate extract. just a couple tablespoons. stir that in, and serve that over ice. >> what about vodka? >> with fresh mint it's. very good. and if you want to spike it, it can be spiked. >> there you go. >> who's talking about vodka over there >> carson is. >> center square. >> oh, yeah. this is a delectable drink no sugar >> it's really good, lovely. >> delicious thank you, martha. ladies, we love you. you are springy with your yellow >> i love hearing from my fans. >> they're awesome check out the recipe at today.com/food if you want more tips and tricks, pick up martha's book, it's called "very good things. today.com/shop.

ming up next from yogaco t

we'r we're back with today wellness. >> so recently we had an in-hour nbc seminar on wellness. we all pulled out our phones and recorded tips on how we've been managing during this pandemic? >> we thought it might be kind of cool to share those with you. take a look. >> what have i been doing for wellness well, this year, this. i've been getting into yoga. i have even started doing yoga in my office every single morning. i'm not very good at it. i'm still not really that strong i can't do all those bendy poses, but i try to do a little bit every day, and it makes me feel good. i guess that's my mantra for this year. just do a little something every day that's positive. >> each morning when i open my

eyes to try to feel hopeful and o optimistic like when i started day, i immediately try to write down three things i'm grateful for and what incredible thing that happened the day before, and if you do that, it's weird it's almost like your brain chemistry switches from like, omg i have a million things to do and i don't feel right to oh, wait, that happened. oh, wait, hailey jumped 5'9" into my arm when i walked in. >> i always read a poem from a book that hoda gave to me. it's called "love poems from god. i like to read this or mary oliver's "a way to start my day" and i also read a daily devotional, the same daily devotional that my dad, sister, and aunt read, and then we text each other our favorite part of the devotional a lot of times after i read the poetry, i do some meditation >> i find that walking really helps me in a number of ways

first of all, physically, you know, it helps your cardio it gets those endorphins going it just is one of those things that makes you feel better i like the solitude. you get to think you get to, you know, visually connect with nature, see what's going on out there for some reason, five or six miles doesn't seem the same as it does on a treadmill as it does when you're out, actually outside and enjoying nature. i just find i feel so much better both physically, emotionally, and mentally after doing a few miles outside. >> for my mental wellness, i have really relied on an app called head space, it helps with mindfulness, i use it every other day almost religiously over the past year s, and it has really helped center my spirit and keep some semblance of sanity >> if you have candles, that's calming. music, i've listened to bob marley, reggae music really calms me

church, i've been watching my catholic mass on youtube my faith is a big source of calming and perspective. >> whether you're doing yoga or not, don't forget to take time to just rest and say thank you namaste. >> namaste >> if i'd have known that was going to be on tv, i would have cleaned my office. >> that was fun, though. >> we are coming up here on 9:00 that means the start of the third hour of "today." we've got a full half hour of deals from jill martin to he sonoma's county setting a reopening day. the press democrat reporting santa rosa schools agreed to an april 1st return date for students. they will use a hybrid learning

model. secondary students will return next month. the cdc has issued new tkphraoeups. this is closing the physical distance between children in the classroom. the new guidance suggests it can be cut from six feet to three. this comes as more bay area campuses reopen. some teachers are concerned. we will have a live report in our newscast. president biden heading to atlanta. on the home page the latest postings.

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live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza, this is the "3rd hour of today." >> good morning. welcome to the "3rd hour of today" on this friday, march 19th. >> what is it? >> fri-yay. >> have you not wondered why he doesn't do that live every day? >> what? >> welcome to the third. just do itlive. >> that's our open. >> i didn't realize it was al's voice. >> it's al roker. >> it is. >> that's our voiceover guy. that's all we could get. >> it's true. >> no good deed goes unpunished. >> we should do it live. >> thank you for being our voice live. >> thank you. >> can you do it live for once? >> sure. >>