north america on the brink of a fourth covid surge. president biden moves up the goalpost to get more shots into the arms of americans, as well as a shot in the arm to the economy with this $2 trillion infrastructure plan. desperation at the border. a migrant boy's heartbreaking plea to a patrol agent, saying that he was abandoned while trying to cross into the u.s clearing the cobwebs off the cubicles what to expect when you return to the office post pandemic. the royal binge. netflix announces the first big

project from prince harry and meghan markle. "early today" starts right now >> hi, everyone. good wednesday morning i'm kendis gibson. >> and i'm phillip mena. the push to get americans vaccinated against covid is growing more urgent this morning. infects are now on the rise in more than half of the country, fueling fears of a fourth wave like the surge hitting the european union brazil is also struggling with a highly contagious variant. officials there just reported over 4,000 covid-related deaths in this hours. their deadliest day on record. >> our hope is that we can fight off another wave using vaccines. at least seven universities, including brown and northeastern have announced covid vaccinations will be required for students return fog interest fall semester. but we're seeing states take vastly different approaches. here is nbc's miguel almaguer. >> reporter: it was the state hit hardest by the deadly winter surge. now california, the world's

fifth largest economy, plans to fully reopen by june 15th if all goes well. >> we're seeing a bright light at the end of the tunnel in striking defiance of cdc guidance, the rangers hosted a sellout crowd of 38,000, making social distancing nearly impossible and though masks were required, they were often not worn >> the team holding a moment of silence for covid victims and health worker, though experts say it's events exactly like this that can jeopardize lives >> right now the problem is we still have a chunk of americans who are high risk who have not gotten vaccinated. >> reporter: though texas has seen a 19% drop in covid cases, states in over half the country are reporting a rise in infections minnesota's hospitalizations doubling in five weeks in michigan, the situation

growing critical >> the hospital is filling up and the emergency department is filling up as well >> reporter: hoping to quickly reach herd immunity, states should open all vaccines new research suggesting moderna's vaccine, like pfizer's, remains effective for at least six months. but even as the u.s. averages 3 million vaccinations a day with 69 shots into arms so far, variants are fueling new worries. still, states like new jersey with rising cases and hospitalizations are already loosening more restrictions. the country eager to move forward while still facing the threat of its deadly past. miguel almaguer, nbc news. president biden is paving the way for his infrastructure bill today he is set to speak about his $2 trillion plan this afternoon and what it would mean for

americans. but the proposal could hit a wall in congress nbc's tracie potts joins us now with the latest. tracie, good morning this plan is coming under fire from both sides of the aisle >> right, phillip. too little, too much, is it the i don't think focus. republicans are questioning whether things like housing and child care should be part of an frukz bill president bush criticizing them saying some things like internet they had supported before that they're now chaining their definition of infrastructure whatever it is, what the president is pinching may end up looking different if it ever lands back on his desk the democrat in the middle joe manchin says they may end up breaking this up into several different bills. that 28% corporate contacts rate runs on don't like he thinks will probably come down. and he doubts that they will use the reconciliation process to make this a democrat-only bill he says he is not the only democrat who feels strongly about that the white house response

that's fine. tinker balm to play aren't with it but they don't want congress to either day or i can nor this plan >> at the end of the day, the president's red line is inaction we he won't tolerate inaction on rebuilding our nation's infrastructure, something that has long been outdated >> just since the recent covid bill had very little to do with covid. this infrastructure bill has way too little to do with real infrastructure >> this bill will not be in the same form you've seen it introduced or seen people talking about it final vote to get on and it's not going anywhere so who is going to have some leverage it's more than just me there are six or seven other democrats who feel very strongly about this >> now the world's richest man, amazon founder jeff bezos says he supports both the bill and the increase in the corporate

tax rate in a statement, he said she is looking forward to the congress and the administration coming together to find the right and balanced solution. phillip? >> that's generous of amazon offering to chip in. how about that thanks it's pretty clear in this second week of the derek chauvin trial that police training is now taking the focal point the very experts who teach police how to use force and possibly deadly force, telling the sure this was a case of excessive force. >> is this an mpd-trained neck restraint? >> no, sir >> has it ever been? >> not -- not -- >> say for example, the suggest was under control and handcuffed, would this be authorized >> i would say no. >> nbc's ch shaquille brewster minneapolis with some of the takeaways from illnesses

>>. >> reporter: as the prosecution continues to lay out its case against derek chauvin. yesterday we heard from the three officials who lead different elements of the training one over use of force. the other over medical assistance and medical training for officers and the other four crisis intervention, and how officers are to respond during different situations each of them talked about their training experience and what they tell new recruits and officers who come back for that regular annual training. it's very clear the prosecution is trying to lay out the fact that they believe derek chauvin did not follow that training when he was dealing with george floyd last year. with the size of the crowd that was a threat and a does extraction to the officers that is the reason why we saw derek chauvin possibly deviate from some of that training. but it's one of the things we're continuing to watch. the prosecution making the case

it's not the amount of time the knee was on the neck >> our thanks to shaquille barrister. the early morning incident happened at a navy office in frederick, maryland, about an hour outside washington, d.c police shot and killed the 38-year-old suspect in a parking lot at fort detrick military base after they led him on a chase. one was released and the other remains in critical condition. police and military investigators are trying to figure out a motive, but say it is unclear whether the suspect and victims knew each other. >> it does seem as each day we're learning telephone devastating fact, the dramatic surge of unaccompanied minors. the u.s. border patrol shared this heartbreaking video of a migrant boy found abandoned near the border nbc's andrea mitchell has an update on this situation

>> reporter: it's heartbreaking to watch a young boy approaching a u.s. border patrol agent last thursday in the middle of the desert, alone and sobbing. "can you help me," he says "i was coming with a group and they abandoned me and i don't know where they are. "they left you alone," the agent ask? "they abandoned me, he adds, his parents were not with him and he was afraid of being kidnapped. it is just the latest shocking video of unaccompanied migrant children crossing the border last week surveillance cameras capturing a smuggler tossing 3 and 5-year-old toddler girls from ecuador over a 14-foot border fence then running away. incredibly, the two sisters were uninjured. part of the record migrant surge after president biden changed border policy, allowing unaccompanied children to stay in the u.s >> we are encountering so many children, about 100 a day here in the el paso region that are just turning themselves in >> reporter: there are currently more than 19,000 unaccompanied migrant children in u.s. custody. more than 4,000 held by the border patrol in severely

overcrowded detention facilities like this one in donna, texas, where they are packed shoulder to shoulder in a pandemic. the border patrol is telling telemundo that the boy is safe at one of their facilities the next step would be trying to reach his parents as the record breaking number of unaccompanied children continued to cross the border >> sad watching that kid kind of roam the desert area all by himself with no idea if anybody is going to pull up on him >> yeah, that's a real look at what it's like out there >> our thanks to andrea mitchell going to turn to weather right now. janessa webb joins us right now with the midweek forecast. hopefully it's looking good. >> yeah. i have the positive news of the day. a ton of sunshine continues for the east coast and you will not need that coat. we have the deep south that remains above average. today i am watching a little bit of severe weather that's sparking up across wisconsin into the great lakes and then it starts to linger

more into the gulf coast communities for louisiana all the way into arkansas. we have nine million people that are under that enhanced risk i think damaging winds and als o a ton of sunshine from the carolinas all the way down to the florida coast. we're seeing highs about 10 to 15 degrees above average finally, some consistency with these temperatures we'll take a look at that coming up, guys >> not many things in this country that the majority of us -- >> that you can smile on >> enjoy at once janessa, thanks. still to come here on "early today," why the pandemic has heinz plinayg ketchup with production an working out the future of work what you need to know before returning to the office.

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we're back with our series the american worker. as vaccinations rise, a growing number of employees are returning to the office. but what will your workplace look like? and can your company require you to get vaccinated? nbc's jo ling kent joins us with more jo, good morning >> reporter: phillip, good morning. there are so many questions when it comes to returning to work. a lot of companies saying they're going to start welcoming employees back over the next several months and into the fall and we wanted to know what it might be like if you set foot back in the office as companies plan to bring employees back to the office, the reality of returning is setting in >> it is a little nerve-racking. >> if my company forces me to go back, i'm going look for another job. >> reporter: and the questions are piling up. >> how you going keep us safe? >> have people been vaccinated >> can an employer require you to come back to work if you're

getting the job done at home >> there is no reason that a employer can't require employees to rusheturn back to work even employees working productively and efficiently. >> reporter: while reduced capacities will likely be required, what about vaccines? three have been authorized by the fda for emergency use, and full approvals are expected. but can private companies mandate them >> the law does permit an employer to require employees to receive even a vaccine that only has an eua, whether fully approved or not you have to make reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities or seriously held religious beliefs. >> reporter: when the doors do reopen, things will look very different. >> we installed uvc lights which basically has air comes into the building, it kills all airborne pathogens and brings fresher air into the building. >> reporter: at rios, a design firm in los angeles, they're also installing massive fans, spacing out desks, and opening garage doors what was your number one

priority >> our primary priority was to really find a genuine way to do it for ourselves safety as a baseline but then we started to implement bigger ideas of really understanding what to do in the office when you're coming in two days a week. what are we prioritizing in our work process >> reporter: one popular new strategy, no more personal desk. instead, reserve an empty desk ahead of time on an app. your first stop at the office is actually a locker where you pick up your own keyboard and mouse then you head to the already sanitized desk and get to work and these changes will last far beyond the pandemic. >> it definitely was a long-term investment you know, i think for us, we really wanted to embrace the future of redefining what work could be >> reporter: as for what you can do ahead of returning to the office, a lot of experts tell us you definitely want to be participating in the employee surveys, talking with your supervisor, and making your voice heard when it comes to feeling safe at the office

a lot of decisions haven't been made yet so speak up before it's too late phillip? >> all right, jo, thanks going to be quite an adjustment. got to keep wearing mask, got to start wearing pants. >> the pants thing is the most important part it's really awkward when you're here in studio. >> yeah, it is when "early today" returns, you can soon smile at the happiest place on earth. the big changes at disney world. >> i was trying the show guess not. king of the stream the first netflix show from prince harry and meghan markle for the best did you know certified dishwashers... ...use less than four gallons per cycle, while a running sink uses that, every two minutes. so, do it with cascade. the surprising way to save water. (host) welcome to blue buffalo's one taste is all it takes. you want healthy ingredients. your cat is all about the the flavor. tastefuls has it all...how do you think this is gonna go? (molly) we'll see if he likes the flavor of it. i really want him to eat well but he's just really picky.

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in today's quick hits, as restaurants rely heavily on takeout orders in the wake of the pandemic, we're starting to see shortages of the single-serve ketchup pacts around the country heinz says they're racking up production by 25%. disney world starting tomorrow guests will still be required to wear mask, even if they're been vaccinated, but they can temporarily remove them to eat, drink, or of course to take photos. and new team, same celebration for super bowl mvp tom brady. the seven-time champion made that famous trip to walt disney world where he toured the "star wars" attractions and even came face-to-face with kylo ren >> after what? >> after signing a multimillion-dollar deal with netflix, prince harry and meghan markle finally revealing the first series to hit the streaming service.

it is called "heart of invictus," and it will follow harry's work with the invictus games. and here with the royal details is chapman bell. he joins us live now from london chapman, this is a cause that is very close to harry's heart. he has been doing it for several years now. >> that's right, kendis. the show is called "heart of invictus," and it is near and dear to harry's heart. the games that he started for injured servicemen and women from multiple countries around the world. and it's a docuseries being backed by a pair of oscar winning documentary makers aimed to follow service members as they prepare to compete in the next invictus games being held in the hague in the netherlands next year, delayed two years because of the coronavirus harry himself saying i couldn't be more excited for the journey ahead or prouder of the invictus community for continuously inspiring global healing, human potential and continued service. the games of course have been a part of harry and meghan's life.

that's where they first came out as a couple officially at the toronto games, and of course the sydney games forming the backbone of their tour down under several years ago. so i couldn't think of a better way for them to start their new life together. aigis >>ll rht, kevin, thank you coming up, the moment a home in philadelphia explodes is caught on camera wn 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,

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in today's top story, we're learning now details about the man who rammed his car into the capitol last week four days after that deadly car attack on u.s. capitol police officers, new video shows the suspect buying the knife he waved at police before he was shot and killed the store owner says the knife seen in police photos matches the one the suspect purchased. meanwhile, the capitol police officer killed in the attack will be honored at the very place he worked for past 18 years. evans will lie in honor. officer evans will lie in honor in u.s. capitol rotunda on april

13th he will only be the sixth person in history to receive that honor. the nra bankruptcy trial started this week, and some interesting stuff we're learning from it. several top officials are expected to testify about the alleged spending abuses, including the ceo wayne lapierre he allegedly spent $39,000 on suits, $200,000 on private jets, and was even treated to a free stay on a fancy 100-foot yacht as part of the deposition filed with the court, lapierre was asked why he needed to stay there as part of official nra business he told the court he went there after the sandy hook shooting in 2012 because he felt that his life was in danger he was the head of the nra, so he fled to his friend's yacht for safety >> as one does a neighborhood in philadelphia was rocked by a house explosion. the front of the home collapsed from the blast yesterday afternoon. philadelphia police say one man was injured and another was treated for smoke inhalation the cause of that explosion is still under investigation.

well, with so many people separated by the pandemic for so long, we want to show you what it was like for one couple in colorado together again at last. here is nbc's kristen dahlgren >> reporter: for the past year -- >> i'm here for you, honey. >> reporter: this was as close as carl and his wife donna could get. >> we'll try to get through this. >> reporter: donna has late stage alzheimer's and has been confined to a long-term care facility. >> she is the love of my life. >> reporter: carl has dutifully visited three times a week, working hard to bring her a smile. >> there you go! >> reporter: so when colorado announced it would allow visitors -- >> ready >> i'm ready >> reporter: carl was giddy, waiting to see his high school sweetheart and wife of 55 years. >> i get to give you a hug >> reporter: our denver affiliate kusa with cameras rolling for their first hug in a year. >> schell held my hand the whole time. >> reporter: donna is now nonverbal, but she hummed along

as her husband sang. ♪ you make me happy ♪ >> reporter: even a pandemic no match for true love. kristen dahlgren, nbc news ♪ please don't take my sunshine away ♪ >>learly trying cto

right now at 4:30, new overnight a peninsula deputy involved in a deadly crash. the string of events that led up to it all. plus rolling back restrictions. the bay area counties set to ease covid rules starting today. we're going to break down what you'll finally be able to do again. plus -- >> the more people who get vaccinated, the less chance of those variants to spread within the community. >> have you received that covid-19 vaccine? doctors weighing in on just how long the protection will last as "today in the bay" starts right now. a very good wednesday morning to you. thanks for joining us. i'm laura garcia. >> and i'm