this morning, researchers in california are racing to get a handle on a new, double-mutant coronavirus variant, that is, understandably, creating new fears. the man who fired officer derek chauvin, minneapolis's chief of police, took the witness stand. saying chain, absolutely, violated department policy, when he kneeled on george floyd's neck our gabe gutierrez is there. breaking overnight coors field will now host this year's major league baseball all-star game, according to sources speaking to espn late details, ahead. a new warning, for college students and university staff.

cnbc's karen cho, with the details from the irs about a new scam and meet the 16-year-old that bagged a 450-pound shark after a two-hour battle. "early today" starts right now good, tuesday morning. i'm phillip mena. >> and i'm lindsey reiser. it's the case that has captivated the country and yesterday the chief of police cracked the blue wall of silence. testifying, at the murder trial of derek chauvin condemning his former officer, for holding george floyd down with a knee to his neck. gabe gutierrez is following the latest, for us >> reporter: lindsey, good morning. in an extremely rare bit of testimony, the police chief here, in minneapolis, went before jurors and testified that derek chauvin violated policy. >> thank you, sir. >> reporter: he is the most high-profile witness of the trial, so far. minneapolis-police chief, medaria arradondo, did not mince words. >> i, absolutely, agree that

violates our policy. >> arradondo, the city's first black police chief, eviscerated derek chauvin. the officer he fired for kneeling on george floyd's neck for about-nine-and-a-half minutes. >> once there was no longer any resistance and clearly, when mr. floyd was no longer responsive, and even motionless, to continue to apply that level of force to a person, proned out handcuffed, behind their back. that, in no way, shape, or form, is anything that is by policy. is not part of our training. and it is, certainly, not part of our ethics or our values. >> reporter: during that testimony, chauvin took notes and only looked up briefly arradondo also revealed he had first gotten a call about the incident, that night, around 9:00 p.m., before floyd had been pronounced dead. he told jurors, he initially viewed this video from across the street and nothing jumped out at him.

it wasn't, until around midnight, that a community member told him about the bystander-cellphone video, that soon went viral. arradondo had been blunt when we spoke with him last summer. >> if you could look, and be in the same room with derek chauvin. what would you say to him? >> i would not be in the same room with him. and i refuse to mention his name >> reporter: the testimony, extremely rare. >> i've been in and out of policing for over-40 years and this is the first time in history, of my career, that i have ever seen a chief to take the stand as a witness against one of his or her police officers >> reporter: chauvin's defense team has argued that an angry crowd of bystanders distracted the officers and that floyd died because of his drug use and underlying-health conditions. >> would you agree that the use of force is not an attractive notion >> i would say that, use of force is something that, most officers would rather not use, yes. >> the er doctor, who pronounced floyd dead, told the jury that

he believed floyd died, not from drugs but, from a lack of oxygen. >> is there another name for death by oxygen deficiency >> asphyxia. >> reporter: a crucial debate in this trial, that both sides will keep arguing when the county-medical examiner testifies, possibly later this week the defense team, also, wants jurors to see more of chauvin's body-camera video. the judge agreed to allow some, but not all. lindsey. >> gabe, thank you let's turn, now, to the latest in the coronavirus pandemic in some states, crowds are growing to pre-pandemic levels even, as cases trend in the wrong direction. and concern grows over threats from new variants. here's nbc's miguel almaguer >> reporter: new signs of trouble are on the horizon, as air travelers and covid cases are, both, on the rise leading up to the easter holiday, travel spiking more than 1,300%, compared to last year many americans, ignoring cdc guidance to avoid nonessential

travel after the agency just said, those who are fully vaccinated can fly, at lower risk. >> i'm not sure of what the guidelines are, specifically >> reporter: the confusion over travel comes, amid mixed messaging over a fourth surge. as the u.s. surpasses 550,000 deaths, there is growing debate over, if the nation has, or hasn't, entered another, crippling wave. >> we're just at the beginning of this surge. >> you are not going to see a true-fourth wave of infection. >> reporter: covid cases are rising in well-over half the nation variants, spreading fast, in parts of massachusetts and ohio. while, a new, double-mutant strain is now in california. lester, asking dr. fauci, if the u.s. could face another lockdown. >> i do not think we're going to have to go there where you're going to want to lock down if we get surges i think we can avoid those surges >> reporter: but even as the cdc

advises americans to wear two masks, if possible, more states are eliminating that-very mandate. also, fueling the rise in cases? the young. the cdc, now, says they are seeing new clusters of outbreaks, among youth sports. and just as more americans return to the office, authorities say, the chances of catching covid through a contaminated object, like a doorhandle, is low still, they recommend using a hand sanitizer, and washing your hands, when you can. even as the nation averages 3-million vaccinations, a day, americans are being told to exercise caution and avoid large gatherings like, this near -- >> all right the nation's vaccination campaign is firing on all sillenen ders this morning and today, president biden will get a firsthand look at the effort touring a vaccine site in virginia let's bring in our capitol hill correspondent, tracie potts. tracie, good morning we will get, also, a progress report from the white house today. >> hi, lindsey good morning

yes, so, today, we will hear an update from the president, at the white house. before that, he is going to alexandria not far from the white house to see what it's like for ordinary americans to get this shot he is visiting one of the vaccine sites. and by the way, the federal government is opening three-more mass-vaccination sites, this week, as they try to expand vaccinations across america. right now, among adults, nearly-a-quarter have had the full dose, both shots or one shot if it's johnson & johnson and, about-four-in-ten have had at least one shot. but, there are still concerns, with the number of cases rising. >> nearly, one-in-three americans, and over 40% of adults, have at-least-one shot and nearly, one-in-four adults are, now, fully vaccinated. >> i am a republican man i want to say, to everyone, we

need to take this vaccine. these reservations need to be put aside. >> but there are concerns. as i said, the cases are rising. that double-mutant strain, that you mentioned, that started in india. and it's now found in california yes, there are some areas, like texas, where they're not wearing masks, anymore not required to. and the numbers are going down but those numbers are uneven, across america and nationwide, right now, cases, in partmore than halfour states, are going up. >> bad reminder this is not over tracie, thank you. president biden is pulling a page from his predecessor, to stem the rise in migrants crossing the country's southern border he is continuing the use of a controversial, trump-era immigration policy nbc's cal perry is in el paso, with the latest. cal, good morning. >> phillip, we are getting one of our first looks at the effect

of title 42. now, this video was shot, at our request, by the hope border institute in juarez, mexico. and what it shows is families being escorted back across the bridge into juarez these are migrant families that had recently crossed into the u.s. title 42, an obscure law trump put on the books, still in effect on the biden administration it basically allows customs and border protection to, immediately, expel folks that are trying to come to the u.s., with the exception of unaccompanied minors which brings up the issue of unaccompanied minors and families making the impossible choice to send them across the border alone in hopes they will make it to the united states the other concern is when you turn so many families around, it is only a matter of time before people take matters into their own hands and try to cross at more dangerous parts of the border phillip. >> only human, especially when you are desperate. all right. cal, thanks. this year's mlab all-star game is reportedly being moved to denver. this according to espn, who

cites multiple sources nbc news reached out to major league baseball overnight. we are awaiting confirmation last week, the league opted to move the game out of atlanta due to the voting law passed in george george last month a matchup for the ages undefeated gonzaga took on a streaking-baylor team with a national championship, and a perfect season on the line baylor would come out of the gates, on fire running out to a nine-nothing lead to start the game the bears, they shot the lights out, from beyond the arc they hit more-than-40% from deep gonzaga's chance at an undefeated season looked to be in jeopardy. the zags would keep fighting down 10, at the half the bulldogs tried to will their way back into the game but the bears were just too much they were the better team on monday night they take the title, and perfection from the zags 86-70 was the final. in their first championship game appearance since 1948, the bears capture the first men's basketball national championship in their school's history. >> and while baylor was preparing for the game of a

lifetime, really, the stanford women's team was celebrating their monumental accomplishment, in style wouldn't you want to do this, phillip? in a convertible they flocked palo alto for a championship parade there. the team, cruising around in convertibles through the campus and the city stanford, of course, winning its first women's hoops title since 1992 and despite losing the tieltd game, arizona head coach, adia barnes won over fans as a mother and leader. she pumped breast milk for her 6-month-old daughter capri team staff used heat pads on the sideline to warm the milk up and barnes says she is the only head coach of a top-25 team taking care of a baby, under the age of 2. that is multitasking. >> it is and years later she can blame the kid for that loss. if i weren't breastfeeding you during that. you know >> no. janessa, can you believe that?

>> good morning, janessa. >> can't believe it but you got to love -- you got to love march madness. i'm sad that it is over. some great basketball being played over the month of march now, weather wise, across the nation we have been seeing great conditions, across the east coast. and today will be another, fabulous day but for the high plains, the central plains, we are watching a severe-weather threat. right now, it is going across the great lakes. it is a slight risk. i do think, damaging-wind gusts are going to be the main threat for today, with a few tornados then, things start to really spark up, by tomorrow afternoon, across the southern plains, all the way into the deep south. cos near-triple digit territory.

spring has finally arrived we'll take a look at temperatures coming up, guys. >> all right, janessa, talk to you in a bit thank you. up next. the iron anniversary game of thrones celebrates ten years with some pretty big plans in store plus, he is the real deal. a teen takes on a shark and pulls off the catch of a lifetime my psoriatic arthritis, made my joints stiff, swollen... painful. emerge tremfyant™ with tremfya®, adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis... ...can uncover clearer skin and improve symptoms at 16 weeks. tremfya® is also approved for adults with active psoriatic arthritis. serious allergic reactions may occur. tremfya® may increase your risk of infections and lower your ability to fight them. tell your doctor if you have an infection or symptoms or if you had a vaccine or plan to. tremfya®. emerge tremfyant™

janssen can help you explore cost support options. you try to stay ahead of the mess but scrubbing still takes time. now there's dawn powerwash dish spray. it's the faster way to clean as you go. just spray, wipe and rinse. it cleans grease five times faster. dawn powerwash now available in free & clear. family meeting! ♪ we have big news. new kellogg's cinnamon roll frosted mini wheats. bakery fresh cinnamon roll flavor in every bite,

you're going to love 'em. tide pods ultra oxi one ups the cleaning power of liquid. bakery fresh cinnamon roll flavor in every bite, can it one up whatever they're doing? for sure. seriously? one up the power of liquid, one up the toughest stains. any further questions? uh uh! one up the power of liquid with tide pods ultra oxi. leading the news hundreds gather for a prayer vigil for rapper, dmx. >> i'm not looking back from nothing. this is the latest show of support for the rapper, who is fighting for his life. he remains on life support, at white plains hospital, in new york, after suffering a heart attack, friday the north carolina tar heels have found their new head coach. after the retirement of

hall- hall-of-famer roy williams unc turned to assistant coach hubert davis to fill that role davis who played for the tar heels will be the first in history. >> congrats. now, to a massive catch in destin, floer flor managed to catch a 450-pound mako shark after trying to reel it in for more than two hours it came in at a whopping-75 inches long it was so big, another boat was needed to help bring it in and, of course, you know what they said when they saw it we're going to need a bigger boat. >> great movie all right. hbo. speaking of great shows here hbo is celebrating a decade atop the iron throne. game of thrones, if you can believe it, turns ten this year. the net work is marking that anniversary with a marathon of the first season they got themed beers, as well as new toys. or you can channel your inner

danarius you may need to rob the iron bank, though the piece costs more-than-$2 million. >> there are a lot of words in there that i did not understand. i've never seen it. >> oh you haven't seen "game of thrones," right? it took me a while three sittings to get through the first episode. but after that. >> i definitely felt fomo when it was on. but i still -- i haven't watched it one day. >> now, i have my chance. >> perfect. >> when "early today" returns, a fetching reporter is standing by with barking news as a live a adcast goes to the dogs. >>nd scam alert. the new-irs warning for college students and staff that's no joke by inventing a revolutionary pad, that's incredibly thin. because it protects differently. with two rapiddry layers that overlap, where you need it most. for strong protection, that's always discreet.

it's time to question your protection. it's time for always discreet. ♪ ♪ for those of us who secretly like when the syrup touches all the other food... we humbly offer... the sausage, egg and cheese mcgriddles. ba da ba ba ba 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. ♪look at what's happened to me.♪ >>hey, thanks martins! yeah, you're welcome. ♪i can't believe it myself.♪

♪suddenly i'm up on top of the world...♪ maybe it is dirtier than it looks. ♪should've been somebody else...♪ it is dirtier than it looks. try new tide hygienic clean.

[ speaking foreign language some people say that animals and live television don't mix. but, how could you say that, after seeing something like this a weather report, in moscow, has gone viral after a golden retriever stole the reporter's m microphone and ran off you saw, the reporter wasn't having it. tracking down the furry, little thief. she got her microphone back. look at that all is forgiven. >> there were some skeptics online, that said the cameraman panned the camera down it seemed too convenient it was a setup. >> russian hoax, huh >> i don't know. the newsanchor's reaction seemed

authentic. vladimir putin still clinging to power. putin signed a law, enabling him to serve two-more terms. that means he could poe tebl ten shlly remain in power, until 2036 if he wins re-election both times. he was elected in 2000, and so far, has served four terms former-president trump is re-branding, ditching his iconic-last name for a number, at least politically unlike his predecessors who use their names for their websites the 45th president named his 45office.com he has made a similar shift, across all of his political properties espn reportedly parted ways with one of their analysts over a pretty wild instagram live session. sources told the associated press that paul pierce has been let go, over a video we've chosen not to show here. pierce, who played 19 seasons in the nba, posted a video that showed him playing poker and smoking, while scantily-clad women danced in the background after the news broke, pierce

said on twitter that big things are coming soon. >> like, a bigger party? >> brush it off. >> there you go. a man that doesn't need that job. after a quick break, lil nas x rides a wave of controversy to the top of the charts. plus, the incredible story of a massachusetts woman, who, ddly, discovered she was nine-months pregnant. >> what? r own paths. i wasn't going to just back down from moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis. psoriatic arthritis wasn't going to change who i am. when i learned that my joint pain could mean permanent joint damage, i asked about enbrel. enbrel helps relieve joint pain, and helps stop permanent joint damage. plus enbrel helps skin get clearer in psoriatic arthritis. ask your doctor about enbrel, so you can get back to your true self. -play ball! enbrel may lower your ability to fight infections. serious, sometimes fatal events including infections, tuberculosis, lymphoma, other cancers, nervous system and blood disorders and allergic reactions have occurred. tell your doctor if you've been someplace where fungal infections are common. or if you're prone to infections, have cuts or sores,

have had hepatitis b, have been treated for heart failure, or if you have persistent fever, bruising, bleeding or paleness. don't start enbrel if you have an infection like the flu. visit enbrel.com to see how your joint damage could progress. enbrel. eligible patients may pay as little as $5 per month. [music: "i swear"] jaycee tried gain flings for the first time the other day... and forgot where she was. you can always spot a first time gain flings user. ♪ family meeting! ♪ we have big news. new kellogg's cinnamon roll frosted mini wheats. bakery fresh cinnamon roll flavor in every bite, you're going to love 'em. i thought i was getting my floors clean. and then i learned my mop could be loaded with bacteria. roll flavor in every bite, so, i got a swiffer wetjet to get a cleaner... clean the spray breaks down dirt and the pad absorbs it deep inside. buh bye. try wetjet with a money-back guarantee.

meet jeff. in his life, he's been to the bottom of the ocean. the tops of mountains. the er... twice. and all the places this guy runs off to. like jeff's, a life well lived should continue at home. home instead offers customized services from personal care to memory care, so older adults can stay home, stay safe, and stay happy. home instead. to us, it's personal. - oh. - what's going on? - oh, darn! - let me help. home instead. lift and push and push! there... it's up there. hey joshie... wrinkles send the wrong message. help prevent them before they start with downy wrinkleguard. good morning, friends. man, you got to love it. temperatures, upper 70s to the

lower 80s with sunshine invading the east coast, all the way down to the deep south. you are watching "early today. we'll be right back. e t. can you spare a few seconds to learn about cold water washing with tide? hi my name is steve. did you know washing in cold can save you $100 a year on your energy bill. why wouldn't you turn to cold? it helps the environment. what? because stone cold said so. plus, tide cleans great in cold. ♪ this was a cold call! ♪ ♪ ♪ for those of us who secretly like when the syrup touches all the other food... we humbly offer... the sausage, egg and cheese mcgriddles. ba da ba ba ba does scrubbing grease feel like a workout? scrub less with dawn ultra it's superior grease-cleaning formula gets to work faster, making easy work of tough messes dawn takes care of tough grease, wherever it shows up. scrub less, save more...with dawn

♪ call me when you want, call m when you need ♪ ♪ call me in the morning, i'll be on the way ♪ >> rapper lil nas x knows a thing or two about riding to the top of the charts, that is his new single, "montero call me by your name" hit the number-one spot on the billboard hot 100. it's his second hot 100 number one after his mega-hit "old town road" led for a record-19 weeks in 2019. you know, he just got sued by

nike for his satanic-blood shoes. and now -- now, here he is you know no publicity is bad publicity. >> exactly. >> not a bad day a couple in massachusetts, just got the shock of a lifetime a new addition to their family arrived as a complete surprise alicia with our nbc boston station, wbts, has their story. >> called 911 because we thought she was passing a kidney stone >> reporter: it was a 9-1-1 call that would lead to a life-changing surprise. >> it was shock. it was fear. it was uncertainty >> reporter: the couple has been together for seven years through health fiissues and melissa's multiple sclerosis, after their 2020 wedding was delayed, they put off starting a family or so they thought. >> we always wanted our ducks in a row. we wanted to, you know, get married. at the point we wanted to move out. we wanted to have the right jobs. >> >> reporter: but little liam had other plans. >> we had no idea she was

pregnant >> reporter: turns out, melissa wasn't passing kidney stones, at all. >> we were just kind of in shock, not expecting it. >> the emts came and they were -- they were looking for this kidney stone and it ended up being a by by >> reporter: melissa was just as shocked as anyone how she could have been pregnant for nine months and not known in hindsight, she felt fluttered, and gained a little weight. >> we thought it was medication because i had just chajed to a new multiple sclerosis medications. >> after initial shock wore off and family members showered them with diapers ask clothes, donnie and melissa say they are getting the hang of this parenting thing, even if it wasn't in their plans. >> what a blessing our thanks to alysha palumbo for that report. liam, so cute. >> i couldn't imagine that, though. >> think you are passing a kidney stone. >> you're what

pregnant wow. >> thank you for waking up with us i'm lindsey reiser. >> and i am phillip mena before we go, we want to show you the lava floe from that volcano. began erupting in iceland last month. it's getting bigger. so much so, they have told everybody to get out hikers and everyone, really. we hope you have areat g

now at 4:30, on the verge of easing more covid restrictions. the bay area counties that could soon be rolling forward with reopenings, also what it all means for you. plus -- >> we're a ways away still and i think for the next couple of months, we're going to have this kind of awkward situation. >> a positive sign in the fight against the pandemic. however, doctors are warning californians not to ease up on taking precautions just yet. and the minneapolis police chief takes a stand during the derek chauvin trial. what he said about the former officer's actions in the death of george