>> yeah, it is going to warm up, and turn into a nice day and head into the upper 60s for the inland areas. mike, what is happening with the commute? >> the bridge tells the commute. expect lighter, i guess. that is good. >> all right that is going to do it for us. the "today" show is starting now, and we will leave you with a glorious sunrise. have a great day. taking executive action. today president biden sets to unveil his plan to tackle gun violence in america after a recent string of high profile mass shootings the weapons he's focusing on and the fight he's facing on capitol hill republicans already pushing back. >> i'm not interested in taking away the second amendment rights of any american. >> we're live at the white house with what to expect. new epicenter, coronavirus cases exploding across the north. in one state alone, a 104% spike

in just two weeks. hospitals filling up fast. >> it was like a three-hour wait, and it was all young people. >> as the cdc warns the uk strain, more contagious and possibly deadlier is now dominant across the u.s. but on the vaccine front, new optimism with nearly one in four adults now fully vaccinated. we'll have the very latest. war over words, a fierce debate at the derek chauvin murder trial, what did george floyd say to police about drugs during that deadly encounter just ahead, why the answer could be crucial to both prosecutors and the defense. acceptexcessive speed, investigators finally go public with the cause of triger woods' crash. he was driving at almost twice the posted speed. >> the final speed was 75 miles per hour >> the other mistake police believe the golf legend made behind the wheel and what tiger

is saying this morning. jungle jack, beloved zoo keeper jack hanna retiring from public life after being diagnosed with dementia. the emotional announcement from his family and the love of animals that he shared with the world for decades. >> look at these things. >> oh, lord. >> look at this. >> oh, my god. jeez >> those stories, plus, pocket full of sunshine, an adorable 1st grader asked old navy to make girl jeans with real pockets and gets results she'll join us live with her lesson on the power of persuasion, today, thursday, from nbc april 8th, 2021. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with savannah guthrie and hoda kotb from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. hey, everybody, welcome to "today." so happy you are joining us. >> good morning, sg. >> good morning, hk.

we've got you covered coast to coast. we've got new reaction this morning to the tiger woods' accident report happening of course on the same day as the masters is getting underway. to texas, where there is new controversy surrounding border facilities and the treatment of children being held in them. we're going to have more on that straight ahead. plus, al is tracking yet another threat of severe weather and possible tornados across the south, the timing and al's full forecast in just a moment. but we do start in d.c. where in the wake of recent mass shootings president biden will announce a series of executive actions on guns. nbc's chief white house correspondent peter alexander has details. hey, peter, good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you. that announcement to take place in the rose garden this morning. president biden is going to detail what he's doing without congress to prevent gun violence, not just mass shootings but violence in communities and domestic violence as well of course the president is limited in what he can do without lawmakers on board still top aides here describe

today as a first step. following a string of high profile mass shootings including in colorado and georgia, president biden is poised to unveil a series of new gun restrictions among the six executive actions today, aides say the president will direct the justice department to require background checks for buyers of ghost guns, firearms assembled from kits that do not have serial numbers making them untraceable. he'll also announce tighter regulations on stabilize bracements, attachments that the one used by the shooter in boulder who killed ten people. another executive action will focus on funding programs designed to reduce violence, especially in black and brown communities. president biden vowing to act quickly after the recent shootings. >> i don't need to wait another minute, let alone an hour to take common sense steps to that will save the lives in the future >> reporter: still, critics including some who support him, complain he has not made gun

legislation a top priority like he promised as a candidate. >> my first day of office i'm going to send a bill to congress repealing the liability protection for gun manufacturers, closing the background check loopholes, and waiting period >> reporter: but he did not do so, and any legislation faces stiff opposition in congress two bills that would expand background checks passed in the democratic-led house, but have stalled in the evenly divided senate, with many republicans arguing against proposals they say would infringe on second amendment rights >> and every time there's a shooting we play this ridiculous theater where this committee gets together and proposes a bunch of laws that would do nothing to stop these murders. >> nicole hockley's son dylan was one of 20 children killed at sandy hook she says she hopes the president's new actions will help break the political stalemate. >> this is direction for congress to say this is what we

are doing, and you need to get in line and support this and do the right thing for all of our families across the country. >> peter, the president is also expected to make a nomination today to the agency in charge of enforcing gun laws, the atf, but it looks like this one might be an uphill battle what can you tell us >> reporter: you've right, president biden is going to announce david chipman as the nominee to head up the bureau of alcohol, tobacco and firearms. he's a fierce gun control advocate, serve z a senior adviser to gabby gifford's group, the congressman who was shot in 2011 he spent decades as an a it, f federal agent. there has not been a permanent atf director in six years, and he's going to face strong opposition, especially from republican lawmakers for moping ot among other things his past support. now to the immigration crisis and new developments after that video of a crying

child surfaced asking for help at the southern border nbc's senior washington correspondent hallie jackson is on the story this morning. good morning to you. >> savannah, good morning, and even just this morning we are learning yet another child has been found abandoned in the desert in new mexico, according to the border patrol, and in fact, more children are coming across the border alone than ever before with that now viral video of that 10-year-old boy putting a spotlight on what happens to those kids once they get here >> reporter: new reaction this morning to this heart wrenching video making headlines across the country, a lost boy by himself just 10 years old telling a border patrol agent in texas the group he came with left him i don't know where they are, he says explaining he's scared and seeking asylum. >> for any of us who have seen that video, it is heartbreaking. >> reporter: it comes as the u.s. sees a spike in children trying to cross the border alone. more than 20,000 unaccompanied

minors are in the hands of the federal government right now, despite the white house trying to make clear the border is closed. >> we've made a decision that we will not expel young, vulnerable children. >> reporter: when this boy was found, for example, a customs and border protection official says he was taken to a border patrol facility where he was fed and medically screened. in fact, all children crossing the border by themselves are supposed to be taken to a cbp facility like this one, packed in donna, texas. they should be transferred out within 72 hours, but not all of them are. next stop, health and human services, which takes the kids under their care and into their facilities, including places offered up by local governments. in long beach, california, that's a convention center now opening its doors to as many as a thousand kids. one facility in san antonio coming under scrutiny. texas governor greg abbott saying state agencies had received complaints of child abuse at the freeman coliseum facility, which houses more than

1,600 teens. >> in short, this facility is a health and safety nightmare. the administration failed to plan for the influx of children that they invited to come. >> reporter: local authorities telling our dallas station they received three complaints of abuse or neglect including one involving sexual abuse. hhs saying in a statement it could not comment on specific cases, but has a zero tolerance policy for all forms of sexual abuse, sexual harassment, and inappropriate sexual behavior. ultimately, unaccompanied children should be placed with a sponsor like a vetted family member already in the u.s. that's likely the case for the two sisters just 3 and 5 years old dropped over a border fence by a smuggler, a border patrol official told nbc news last week they were confident the girls could be reyoounted with their parents in new york. others, the very youngest, still waiting for a harrowing journey's final step. the issue of immigration

remaining front and center in politics, and in many ways for the biden administration. later today, actually, the secretary of homeland security will visit texas in his third trip to the border since taking office. savannah. >> all right, hallie jackson, thank you very much. at the murder trial of derek chauvin, the defense is ramping up its questioning as a fierce debate exploded in court yesterday over exactly what george floyd is heard saying on police body cam video. nbc's gabe gutierrez is covering the trial for us, good morning, gabe. >> reporter: hoda, good morning. the prosecution is trying to keep the focus on that video of derek chauvin kneeling on george floyd's neck for more than nine minutes, but now the defense is rolling out its main argument. this morning the debate over what george floyd said on this body camera video is intensifying. listen closely, the defense has won theory. >> did it appear that mr. floyd said i ate too many drugs? >> yes.

>> but when prosecutors played a longer clip, they had a dramatically different interpretation. >> having heard it in context, you're able to tell what mr. floyd is saying there? >> yes, i believe mr. floyd was saying i ain't do no drugs. >> derek chauvin's defense team is raising more questions about floyd's drug use arguing that's why he died, not chauvin's knee on his neck. forensic scientist testified about drugs recovered from the scene, including two pills found in floyd's suv. >> the tablets contained methamphetamine and fentanyl. >> reporter: investigators also found pill fragments with floyd's dna in the back of the police squad car during a second search of the vehicle months later, after a request from the defense. attorney eric nelson is also arging that a crowd of bystanders distracted chauvin. >> a reasonable officer could perceive the words that people are saying and the tone that it is being said in as a threat or a risk to their officer's safety. agreed?

>> a risk, possibly, but officers are typically trained that when it comes to verbal threats in and of themselves, that you can't use that to justify force. >> sergeant jody styger of the lapd, a use of force expert testified that chauvin's 866 hours of training should have prepared him for the crowd. >> to say, oh, it's the crowd's fault, these angry people, which i think is a suggestive way of trying to say these angry black people. >> reporter: at the courthouse this week, rodney floyd is reliving his brother's death. >> and most of that -- just get through it. >> there's also new controversy in court yesterday over exactly how chauvin was restraining floyd's hands. what do you know about that? >> reporter: yeah, hoda, that use of force expert from the lapd testified that in addition to the knee on the neck, that derek chauvin used a pain compliance technique on george

floyd's hands by squeezing his fingers. today and tomorrow we're likely to hear from medical experts about exactly how floyd died, hoda. >> all right, gabe gutierrez there at the courthouse. thank you. 13 minutes after the hour. let's get to craig who's got the latest on where things stand on the coronavirus battle. hi craig, good morning. >> good morning to you as well nearly 25% of all u.s. adults are now fully vaccinated that's an important milestone, but it's one that comes as covid cases and hospitalizations are increasing once again, being driven this time by the more contagious uk variant. now the nation's most dominant strain, nbc's tom costello is following all of it for us tom, good morning. >> reporter: hey, craig, good morning. so listen, total number of cases per day now, 65,000. that's down from a quarter million in early january, but we are seeing an explosion of cases in the upper midwest, especially in michigan and now the cdc is surging personnel into the state

to try to stem the tide. this morning the cdc says the dangerous fast spreading uk variant is now the dominant covid-19 strain in the u.s., racing against the speed of an all-out push to vaccinate. in michigan, the cdc is on the ground with cases up 104% over the last two weeks >> nothing is off the table in those conversations in terms of the kind of support that we can provide. >> reporter: michigan now surging its supplies to areas experiencing outbreaks, as spreading variants packed icus with patients in their 30s and 40s. >> it was like a three-hour wait, and it was all young people that was coming in. >> reporter: 40-year-old chrissy dancey is at beaumont hospital in detroit. >> have you ever been this sick before >> i've never been this sick before covid is nothing to play with. this is not your average cold or your average flu. >> reporter: veteran hospital workers like critical care nurse

carol st. henry are frustrated. >> it's like oh, my god will we catch a break from this? you know, do we really need to go into a fourth wave. >> reporter: the nation's leading health experts are now sounding the alarm about the covid clusters around the country impacting young americans, day care centers, and youth sports >> in areas of substantial or high community transmission, cdc guidance specifically suggests refraining from youth sports that are not outside and cannot be conducted at least six feet apart. >> reporter: but there is some reassuring news, as cases and hospitalizations are increasing, deaths in the u.s. have decreased nearly 20% with 3 million vaccinations every day, the white house is now urging americans to not let their guards down yet. >> if we -- if all of us do our part, we can help save lives >> reporter: some encouraging news about vaccinations. if you've been vaccinated, the latest data suggests you're

protected for at least 209 days, nearly seven months, but dr. fauci says probably much longer than that that's just what the data shows thus far it's likely we're all going to need a booster shot at some point to extend that protection quite a bit more savannah, back to you. >> let me ask you a question, tom, about the astrazeneca vaccine, because it seems to be facing more setbacks, new concerns from europe over possible links to blood clots. what's the latest on all of that >> reporter: it's a rare blood clot issue, but in europe they now believe that they have tied the astrazeneca vaccine to a handful of cases there, 18 known deaths so as a result, the uk is now suggesting that people under the age of 30 should not get that version of the vaccine, the astrazeneca vaccine. they specifically are thinking the risk is greater among women 60 and under now, this is not a vaccine that's approved in the united states it is in canada. it is in about 100 countries worldwide. it's a critical, critical

vaccine worldwide, but now this concern about these rare blood clots in europe, they're not stopping the use of it they're just curtailing it among that certain age group, savannah. >> thank you for the update, tom costello, appreciate it. 16 minutes after 7:00, what do you say we get our first check of the weather. >> good morning, guys, we are looking at severe weather starting up. we already see this strong storm firing up in the midsection of the country, bringing showers all the way down to the gulf coast. we've got a risk of severe weather from detroit all the way down to panama city and new orleans today into this evening. tomorrow it ebs pands, 24 million people at risk golf ball to baseball sized hail, dallas, shreveport all the way into jackson as we move into saturday, we're looking at 7 million people as the risk moves into the central and southern gulf including the florida panhandle. here's what we're looking at rounds of rain for the upper midwest, scattered storms, detroit into the gulf. heavy rain tomorrow and late day storms in the south.

as a lot more moisture comes up out of the gulf. saturday storms move into the southeast. more rain makes its way into the midwest and the mid-atlantic states here's what we're looking at rainfall wise from chicago all the way down to the gulf, we're looking at generally an inch, but some places could pick up anywhere from two to three inches of rain again, that dangerous hail and the possibility of tornados, we're going to watch this very closely over the next 48 hours we're going to get to your local forecast coming up in the next 30 seconds (whispers) come on greg. ♪ ♪ that's why carmax gives you an instant online offer for your car. it's real, good for 7 days and we'll buy your car, even if you don't buy one of ours. the way it should be. carmax. good morning.

i'm meteorologist kari hall. we get a live look out there in walnut creek. the temperatures are cooler and slightly warmer today and not adds warm as yesterday. we will reach 72 today and in concord 72 and in morgan hill and upper 60s for san jose. lower 60s for san francisco. we are going to see more weather like this tomorrow, and then a slight warmup in time for the weekend into early next week. and that's and that's your latest weather, savannah. >> all right, al, thank you, and coming up, tiger woods speaking out after investigators reveal he was speeding up to 87 miles an hour, nearly twice the legal limit at the time of his accident just ahead, why he is not facing any charges. plus, why are covid cases dropping in states that have eased restrictions, yet climbing in ones with tight restrictions still in place we'll dig into that trend that has some health experts

still ahead this morning, jack hanna, the celebrated zoo keeper and animal expert stepping away from public life. >> we are going to hear from his family, and we're also going to highlight the joy he's brought the world for decades on television and at his beloved columbus zoo but first, your local news and weather. people were afraid i was contagious. i felt gross. it was kind of a shock after i started cosentyx. four years clear. real people with psoriasis look and feel better with cosentyx. don't use if you're allergic to cosentyx. before starting, get checked for tuberculosis.

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given after the april 15th. va hayward and those zip codes there. and president biden is looking to crackdown on gun kits. and also, the ability of the courts to take guns away from people they consider dangerous before they use the guns. let's switch gears right now and talk about the weather. kari has a look at the forecast for today. >> it has been pretty nice with a nice little breeze and the temperatures reaching into the upper 60s, and that what we will see today for the inland valleys. more of the same tomorrow, but then we begin a warming trend for the weekend into early next week. you can see that there is no rain here over the next several days and that may continue

through the end of next week. laura? >> thank you very much, and we will be back with another local update in about a half hour. we will see you then.

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did it hurt? does it not hurt? you got the j&j. after you get the shot there's only one complication. >> how do you feel? >> i feel fine. >> you feel good? >> i've been walking around, close, talking, no mask. i'm joking, i'm joking. >> all right. >> you can close talk again soon, those days are coming. >> of course we want to see everyone get their shots, so we've got this helpful tool loaded with information that you can use. it's planyourvaccine.com. there it is on your screen. you can also scan the qr code. let's check out your 7:30 headlines, guys, breaking overnight, one person is missing, eight others hurt after an explosion and fire at a columbus, ohio, paint factory. most of the victims were able to escape the building on their own, but two people were trapped and had to be rescued by emergency crews. there is no word this morning on what caused that explosion. five people including a prominent doctor, his wife, and their two young grandchildren were killed yesterday.

it happened during a shooting at a home in york county, south carolina. a man working at the home also was killed. a sixth person was taken to the hospital with gunshot wounds, and police say they have located the suspected gunman who lives on the same road as the victims. they have not provided any further details about a possible motive. now to a photo that is getting a lot of attention on social media and has some people chasing rainbows all the way to mars. check this out. the photo appeared on nasa's perseverance mars rover twitter account. it appears to show a rainbow on the left side of your screen there, but nasa says, not so fast. it says rainbows are not possible on the red planet apparently because of the lack of water there. nasa says the arc is actually just a lens flare. >> i choose to see a rainbow. >> so do i. the final report on the tiger woods' crash is out now. investigators have determined that excessive speed caused him

to lose control of the vehicle. >> nbc national correspondent miguel almaguer has been on the story since the beginning. he joining us with some new details on what tiger woods himself is saying this morning. >> reporter: good morning, the l.a. county sheriff's department says tiger woods was driving between 84 and 87 miles per hour when his suv flew off the road putting his life and the golfer's career in serious jeopardy. it was excessive speed that nearly killed tiger woods. >> you just look at that vehicle. >> reporter: investigators say the golfing great was traveling nearly 90 miles per hour in a 45 miles per hour zone when he lost control. at 75 miles per hour woods struck a tree sending his suv airborne, the accident leaving woods with life-threatening injuries including multiple open fractures to his right leg and ankle. >> it is speculated and believed that tiger woods inadvertently hit the accelerator instead of the brake pedal. >> reporter: the sheriff's department says as woods' suv

headed downhill on hawthorn boulevard it reached speeds approaching 87 miles per hour. within seconds, the vehicle traveled over the center median crossing two lanes of traffic, hit a tree, went airborne, and pirouetted to a stop landing on its side about 71 feet from the curb. evidence from the vehicle's data recorder shows no attempt to brake. still unknown, whether woods might have been distracted. >> captain, wouldn't it seem to be logical to check to see if tiger woods was perhaps distracted, using his cell phone or texting before the accident? >> well, i mean, it's not going to change anything. the cause of the collision was the speed and the inability to maintain the roadway, and so all it would have been is an associated factor, which wouldn't cause the collision. >> reporter: with woods seriously injured and showing no signs of impairment, officers say they had no probable cause to obtain a blood sample to test for drugs or alcohol. neither his previous accident

nor his dui arrest were a factor in this case. >> do you think you asked enough questions and got enough answers from tiger woods? >> absolutely. >> reporter: woods has not spoken publicly about the accident, but posted a statement thanking first responders and good samaritans who called 911 writing, i will continue to focus on my recovery and family. this morning we now know how fast woods was traveling. what remains unknown is why. >> so miguel, as you just mentioned there, tiger driving nearly double the speed limit. so why have official s ruled out any charges? >> the sheriff said in order to be cited for reckless driving, there would have to be evidence of multiple violations and not simply speeding, and there's no evidence of anything like that. also, there were no witnesses so unless tiger woods decides to talk about it, we may never know why he was driving at such a high speed. craig. >> all right, miguel almaguer this morning. thank you.

all of this of course happening as the masters kicks off today. >> exactly. coming up next, guys, an inside look at the nation's confounding trends, when it comes to the coronavirus. >> we're going to go behind the numbers and find out why there's a surge in certain states and a decline in others and why people in those states could be getting a false sense of security. we'll dig into it right after this still singing. just more in tune. still hard to find a spot. just easier to park. still the gangs all here. just less “are we there yet?” the chevy family of suvs. making life's journey just better. ♪♪♪ (christine) what you're doing making life's journey just better. is not just hurting you. if you can't make up your mind to quit for yourself, do it for those who love you.

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of cases so far it's only been a modest uptick and from georgia and mississippi and texas and arkansas, those states with lax rules on covid protocols have all seen double-digit drops in cases. we wanted to find out what's going on behind the case count call it a covid ka numb drum in states with the strictest measures in the country like michigan, pennsylvania, and much of new england, cases are on the rise, while in the south, states like arkansas and texas that have reopened businesses and ripped away mask mandates are seeing their numbers drop. >> i'm announcing today that the statewide mask mandate will be lifted >> people and businesses don't need the state telling them how to operate. >> reporter: so what might explain the apparent contradiction? one theory, differences in testing rates. alabama has experienced one of the biggest dips in reported infections, more than 50% in two weeks, but it's also dead last in the u.s. for covid testing,

only 56 tests per 100,000 people that's a fraction of what you'll find in places like vermont, massachusetts, and new york where numbers are surging. how much does lack of adequate testing have to do with the numbers that we're seeing right now? >> when you don't test, you're blind, and when you're not testing you have a false sense of what the real problem is in your community >> reporter: another theory, covid fatigue. in michigan where people are just coming out of lockdown for the first time in months, cases are up more than 100% as demographics shift >> what's different in this wave is these are younger individuals between the ages of 30 and 60. the vast majority of which are not currently vaccinated. >> reporter: texas on the other hand, began reopening its doors months ago, and just jammed 40,000 people into the rangers' ballpark, many without masks >> a lot of individuals in the southern part of the u.s. and especially here in texas have already been exposed to the coronavirus, so many individuals already have coronavirus antibodies >> that leads us to the risky

behavior we've seen in places like miami beach, florida, where numbers have only increased slightly, and near rtheory threg people are acting as carriers, saying they're returning to other states taking the virus with them. >> those are the least likely to show up for testing, and when those younger individuals infect older individuals or more vulnerable individuals, that takes time. >> reporter: bottom line, health experts say the falling figures in the south might be giving a false sense of security. >> do medical experts worry emboldening those leaders who said this is a good idea to loosen restrictions. >> we worry if there's a perfect storm brewing. if we remember, this virus always takes 10 to 14 to 21 days to develop we might just be seeing the early effects of that right now. >> a lot of those southern states are quite a bit warmer too, so people are outside might be a little safer. what about the variance, that's got to play a role here too, sam. >> reporter: a significant role,

michigan, for example, savannah, has a very high prevalence of the uk strain. that's also true of states like minnesota. both of them have seen cases skyrocket, but savannah, there are outliers as well in florida where i am, there are more documented cases of the uk strain here than any other state in the country by far, and yet, so far a 17% increase in the last two weeks very small compared to some of these other states savannah >> all right, sam, thank you >> all right >> we get a check of the weather? >> that's right. spring has sprung. it's feeling really good around much of the country. in fact, we're starting to see the leaves on the tree earlier and earlier. the first leaf day, when we start to see those buds, new york on average 11 days earlier, atlanta five days earlier, colorado springs 17, reno 17 days earlier that's because we're getting warmer and warmer. that causes more problems, more pollen, longer growing seasons means longer allergy seasons higher numbers of mosquitos, they love temperatures between 50 and 95, and we're seeing more

of those in fact, spring temperature changes since 1970, we are seeing the greatest spring warming out through texas, the mid-atlantic states into the west we are looking at warmer and warmer conditions. and in fact, for today we're looking at really warm conditions 27 degrees above average in rochester. it's 78, austin, 93, phoenix, ten degrees above average at 93, and tomorrow we're looking for more warmth, san angelo, 16 degrees above average at 94, memphis 81 albany, 69, although things will cool down as we get into next week by monday billings, 48, 53 i'm kari hall. let's take a look at the temperatures today. we will reach upper 60s in a lot of spots like san jose and palo alto and inland east bay and the north bay as warm as 73 degrees today in santa rosa. as we are going through forecast.

expects the temperatures to warm up going from the widespread upper 60s to the mid-70s as the warmer temperatures come back next week. savannah. all right, al, thank you coming up, the diagnosis that has beloved zoo keeper jack hanna stepping away from public life after decades of sharing his love of animals with the world, but first these messages. but could your medication do more to lower your heart risk? jardiance can reduce the risk of cardiovascular death for adults who also have known heart disease. so, it could help save your life from a heart attack or stroke. and jardiance lowers a1c. jardiance can cause serious side effects including dehydration, genital yeast or urinary tract infections, and sudden kidney problems. ketoacidosis is a serious side effect that may be fatal. a rare but life-threatening bacterial infection in the skin of the perineum could occur.

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jack hanna is an icon and a hero to generations of people including to me, for his incredible work, including as we take a look here, trying to help save asian elephants as well as other animals. his work as an animal advocate, conservationalist and zoo director define a man who has done so much to make our world a better place. >> that's beautiful. that scene there was absolutely out of the books. >> reporter: this morning the family of the jungle jack hanna revealing the long-time zoo director is battling dementia. in a statement, hanna's loved ones writing that his condition has progressed much faster in the last few months than any of us could have anticipated and that the 74-year-old is no lol longer able to participate in public life as he used to where people all over the world watched, laughed and learned alongside of him. >> wild things are always happening to me, and the reason for that probably is because i spent my entire life working with animals. >> reporter: he was named

director of the columbus zoo and aquarium in 1978, a facility he helped revitalize and still serves as a director emeritus. >> educating people in a fun way, and that's what we do at our zoo. >> reporter: for decades hanna brought his animal adventures right into our living rooms. >> good girl. >> reporter: helping generations discover the world around them >> i ain't going to stat crying, but i'm close. >> reporter: including on his emmy award winning show jack hanna into the wild. >> oh! >> reporter: producer guy nickerson has worked with hanna for decades traveling with him all over the world >> i think that he's been the inspiration to so many other people to get involved in conservation, to care about wildlife. >> it's our friend jungle jack hanna. >> reporter: his on-screen charisma also making him a late night favorite. >> that's a porcupine dave. >> that's a porcupine. >> already -- everybody look at this, this is an albino porcupine.

it was born in africa. >> reporter: for decades he and his friends hung out with david letterman, the laughs always close by. >> look at these things. >> oh, lord. >> look at that. >> watch this. >> oh, my fgod, jeez. >> reporter: a proud family, his advocacy and innate ability to connect people with animals are what friends say will always p set him apart. >> there's an old saying that says in the end we protect what we love, we love what we understand, and we understand what we're taught. jack is a masterful teacher. >> reporter: jack hanna's family writing that despite his diagnosis, he still has a sense of humor and is wearing his trademark khakis around the house. guys >> of course >> still has some animals close by too. >> yeah. >> those letterman spots >> unbelievable. >> some of the best late night tv i've ever seen. >> thank you, kerry. >> kerry, thanks. guys, we still have a lot more coming up, including uncle

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tremfya®. emerge tremfyant™ janssen can help you explore cost support options. a very good morning. i'm laura gonzalez and this is what is happening now. >> the johnson & johnson vaccine was a very good alternative when it was approved but now the "mercury news" is saying that we could see a drastic drop in the johnson & johnson vaccine as much as a 90% drop in availability. the state expects it to drop from 575,000 to just 68,000 vaccines next week. santa barbara county is allowing people ages 16 to 49 to schedule your vaccine

appointment beyond april 15th and beyond. alameda county is opening up the eligibility a week ahead for ages 16 to 49 only if you live in 12 specific zip codes that you see in the tv screen, and including east oakland and parts of hayward and san leandro and others. meteorologist kari hall has a look at the forecast. a nice day ahead? >> absolutely. we still see this nice weather continuing today. we are going to see the clouds clear out today and this weekend we will warm up today with low 70s in the inland area, and some 70s, but notice no rain here in next seven days and we will see the dry conditions continue in san francisco and along the coastline. laura? >> thank you very much, kari. thank you for joining us as well.

another local news update is come up in half an hour. enjoy the thursday morning. we will see you midday as well. authentic giants' fans we are back in full swing. we have waited a long time. giants' fans, we are back in oracle, kruk and kuip are back calling the games, so join us on your home of the authentic giant fan. this california family is on the job

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♪ coming up, executive actions, president biden set to reveal a series of new gun restrictions just weeks after those mass shootings in colorado and georgia. this morning the reaction on capitol hill and across the country. we're live with the latest plus, without a safety net, our firsthand look at how the pandemic has affected the so-called underground economy. >> you don't qualify for federal housing assistance you don't qualify for the pandemic unemployment assistance. >> no. >> so you're essentially living without a safety net

>> we'll hear from two mothers chasing their american dreams. and then pocket of inspiration, how a first grader used her new writing skills to voice her frustration about the pockets in girls jeans, that letter gaining the attention of the company and the pocket princess will join us live to talk about her mission, today, thursday, april 8th, 2021. ♪ >> our farm in minnesota. >> i'm turning 13. >> it's time to go hog wild! happy birthday, bruce. >> our son ellis is a fourth generation "today" show viewer. >> and i'm celebrating my 7th birthday on "today" todayi, ho hooray >> to our friends and family across the country, we've got big news, we're engaged! >> all right pop that champagne, baby i love when people share their big news with us first i feel kind of privileges.

>> i always like to imagine the family members at home with their jaws dropping. >> put a ring on it, take a video, send it to us. >> love it >> welcome back, guys, it's thursday we're so happy that you're starting your morning with us. >> yeah, good morning, everybody. coming up tomorrow morning on "today," the critical role covid testing is going to play as americans return to work. >> vicky nguyen is going to take a look at how one company in particular is trying to keep a covid free workplace and why it could become a model for other companies to follow as well. let's get right to your news at 8:00, the latest string of mass shootings in this country has president biden promising concrete steps today to reduce gun violence "weekend today" co-host peter alexander has a preview of the executive actions. hey, peter, good morning. >> reporter: after those cent shootings president biden has been facing intense pressure to act to do something to crack down on gun violence today aides tell us he's going to sign six executive actions

including one that deals with what are called ghost guns they're usually sold online in kits, no background checks required because they do not have serial number they're effectively untraceable. the president is going to direct the justice department to issue a proposed rule aimed at restricting those guns he'll push the doj to tighten regulations on stabilizing braces that can make pistol more accurate the shooter in the boulder massacre last month used one of those. president biden promising to roll out gun control legislation on his first day in auoffice that obviously did not happen. aides call these executive actions first steps and today he's also expected to nominate david chipman to head the atf. he's a gun control advocate. works with the former congresswoman gabby giffords group. he's going to face a tough confirmation in a divided senate >> we'll see what happens here, thank you. the coronavirus pandemic in the u.s. has taken a new turn with a highly contagious variant now the dominant strain here younger americans are being hit

hard adding to the urgent push for vaccinations nbc's tom costello joins us again. he's got the latest on it. tom, good morning. >> reporter: we've got competing headlines here so one good headline is that a quarter of the entire adult population is now fully vacc vaccinated, but that means 75% of the population is not, and the concern right now is as you mentioned what's happening with the younger population, the 30 and 40s somethings, we are seeing a surge in cases, especially in the upper midwest, michigan in particular, up 104% in two weeks, and again, it's the 30s and 40 somethings that are in the icus right now. keep in mind that the older population seniors have by and large already been vaccinated. on the vaccination front right now, we are now looking at about 100 million, 110 million americans who have received at least one dose now, 65,000 cases per day is where we're at right now that's a big improvement from a quarter million cases back in january, but it's because of the

surge we're seeing in the midwest that the cdc is now urging that if you have sports, keep them outside. indoor sports are not a good idea, especially for the youth population and also urging that more people get vaccinated as quickly as possible, continue wearing masks and continue social distancing. and the goal is in three months, we could have a normal 4th of july says the white house task force, but that is all dependent upon vaccinations and continuing to mask up and keep our distance back to you. >> all right, tom costello on the covid beat this morning. thank you very much. folks, you can see some pretty wild things in a 24-hour convenience store, but this, this would be hard to top. check it out that's as mai massive monitor lizard it frightened shoppers at a store in thailand when it wandew wandered in. the lizard stretched out, the lizard took a rest there are some folks who think the lizard came in to get a

break from the heat and humidity outside. what's even more striking is the number of people like laughing in the background shooting the video. i would have seen a lizard right out the front door. >> he's next to the ice. >> when does it stop being a lizard and being a dragon. >> a dragon, that's probably a dragon. >> that was a dragon. >> i think when it's taller than you. >> yeah. we got the news covered. here's a little morning boost for you. the beloved cafeteria manager at an oklahoma grade school surprised everyone this week yanet lopez revealed that she had been secretly studying for her u.s. citizenship test, and she passed so the next day the school had a surprise for her [ applause ] u usa! >> the students and staff lined the halls. they applauded, they chanted yanet started crying she says she thought there was a

problem. she didn't know what was going on because she got called to the principal's office, but that was just a trick gave the kids a chance to get out of their classrooms and celebrate her. by the way, talk about a moment you'll never ever forget in your lifetime passing the test was the first one. that's the second one right there. >> and even with the mask, you can kind of see that big smile >> a moment for those kids, too. just ahead here on a thursday morning, an eye opening look at the pandemic's impact on the american worker through the eyes of two mothers who live without a safety net, and they're struggling mightily to make ends meet cynthia mcfadden is going to share their stories right after this (clicking) do you like doing things in and around the water? great. go there. (clicking) the all-new, adventure-ready bronco sport. with seven available g.o.a.t. modes built to go over any type of terrain.

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learn more at cosentyx.com. we are back, 8:11 now with our series "american worker," a week-long network wide look at how the coronavirus has forever changed the u.s. work force. >> this morning we focus on a group that often goes uncounted, working people who are part of the underground economy, and they're living without a safety net. >> cynthia mcfadden joins us with a story about two mothers here in new york just across the river for us in queens chasing their american dream cynthia, good morning. >> good morning. well, you know, covid hit queens harder than just about anyplace else, and one queen's zip code, 50% of the residents got the virus. now, many of the people living in queens are those front line workers we've talked a lot about, and some of them are undocumented we wanted to take a look at

folks who were barely holding on before the pandemic and see how they're doing now. >> reporter: first light in sunnyside, queens, as the 7 train ferries largely unseen work force to and from manhattan. some are returning home from a night of scrubbing office buildings, others just starting their day. adriana up at 5:00 and on her way to clean a manhattan apartment. she lives in the shadows, undocumented >> it's like living a double life >> reporter: she asked us not to show her face because she feels many americans hate her. >> do you feel that way? do you feel that there is a group of americans who -- >> oh, yeah. >> -- hate you >> yeah. >> reporter: she came alone from mexico as a teenager, now 44 she has no path to citizenship a couple of months shy of qualifying as a dreamer. her husband works in the back of

a fancy manhattan restaurant, also undocumented. they live in a single bedroom apartment with their two kids who are american citizens. the whole family got the virus, quickly burning through their small savings, worried they'd be thrown out of their apartment, their income cut in half by the pandemic, and while they pay taxes. >> you don't qualify for snap food care benefits >> no. >> you don't qualify for federal housing assistance >> no. >> you don't qualify for the pandemic unemployment assistance >> no. >> so you're essentially living without a safety net >> yes yes. >> reporter: which makes sunnyside community services, which has been providing help to all regardless of immigration status critical. j judy zangwill has been running this place for 30 years. >> i've never had a crisis of this magnitude. >> reporter: even opening a food

pantry, but for adriana, accepting the help is hard. >> it was very shameful to go to the pantry >> shameful? >> yeah, like i was embarrassed to go. >> it's just a band-aid, right i mean, it's just a band-aid, but it helps carry people through for a period of time. >> but a necessary band-aid. >> yes, absolutely >> this social net is very frayed. >> it's tattered. >> it is tattered. it's absolutely tattered. >> reporter: three miles and eight stops to the east under the 7 train, myra's food cart buzzing in yet another queen's neighborhood, corona plaza 29-year-old myra came from ecuador as a child she is a dreamer, and that gives her hope >> this is for you >> it looks delicious, $3 lunch. >> reporter: the family business went dark for three months

during the pandemic, loosening their already shaky financial grip her dreamer status meant she got pandemic relief checks and other government help. her family is back on track. not so for adriana despite paying cash for college and getting a degree in psychology, her immigration status means the only job she can find is cleaning up other people's messes. sacrificing for the dream has long been part of the immigrant expe experience, and she's willing, but these days her dreams are fragile. >> you know, everyone has a dream. i'm wondering if you have an american dream for yourself? >> not for myself. i think my dream is frozen my dream was to do something else with my life, study, get a job, get my papers but i wasn't able to make it.

>> her eyes pool with tears, her dreams now for her children, while myra's dreams which include citizenship are very much alive. >> my american dream would be to have my own truck. >> your own food truck >> yes that's my dream. >> reporter: her 13-year-old daughter an american citizen and straight a student has a dream inside of her, too. >> i want to be a lawyer and help people with their cases. >> reporter: two mothers, both of whom want better lives for their children trying to hold on until they get there >> what a difference that dreamer status makes you know, there are over 2 million people who live in queens, and 50% of them were born in a foreign country. you know, i just want to say it took a lot of courage for both of these women to talk to us, and we want to thank them for that and as for that bright spot in the community, the sunnyside community center, they gave 600

people about a thousand dollars each to help them through this there's now a waiting line of 700 more people who are really facing economic ruin if you want to do something to help, you can go to our website. back to you guys. >> to think she's got that degree in psychology and she's cleaning houses and just trying to make ends meet is mind blowing. >> those people -- cities collapse without those folks. >> she did have haa lot of coure to tell her story. she feels like people hate her that's just -- it breaks your heart. even when it's hard to hear, thank you for bringing that story. 18 minutes after the hour, mr. roker wh, what you got >> we got some severe weather to talk about we look right now at the radar, we can see storms firing up through the lower gulf all the way up into the minneapolis. for today we've got a risk of severe weather from detroit all the way down to new orleans and panama city. then tomorrow that risk expands,

golf ball-sized so baseball-sized hail, for 24 million people damaging winds, tornados likely, especially overnight, and then saturday that risk moves into the panhandle of florida and the southeast, with 7 million folks at risk. isolated winds, hail, and good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall, as we take a live look outside, we're starting to see those clouds clear away and we're in for sunshine the rest of today. expect the high temperature in san jose up to 68 degrees. low 60s for oakland and low 70s for napa as well as in the tri-valley. going through the forecast, our weather stays on repeat but starts to get a little bit warmer going into the weekend as early next week, as the sunshine continues through the middle of next week. as you head out the door, take us with you, "today" show radio, sirius xm channel 108, today at 1:00, today show confidential with mass, pete and

green. >> by the way, hoda, you did the mystic marley piece yesterday. >> yes >> sirius xm has bob marley channel now. new to me. >> it is terrific. >> it is awesome >> i know what you have on 24/7. >> what you got? i got a bill "pop start. it's thick, it's wool, ready to go first up, cher, we have an exclusive first look at the trailer for her latest project it's called cher and the loneliest elephant the documentary follows her as she travels to pakistan to help save kaavan, a four-ton elephant who lit up social media for ebs p posing mistreatment in cap captivity. >> you have to walk up the long road into the zoo, and i could see him from the distance. he was shackled. he was suffering elephants are just like we are they're so family-oriented and

emotional, and so i wanted to free him we just didn't stop fighting >> and you can watch the full rescue operation of kaavan unfold when the world premiere of the smithsonian channel's cher and the loneliest elephant starting streaming earth day april 22nd over on paramount plus. up next, up uncle al, you ready, the original ghostbusters series continues with a third film starring paul rudd, kerry coop and stranger thing's fin wolfheart. now we're getting a look at one of the characters from the original who's coming back, just coming back a little smaller this time. >> move, elvis

♪ >> oh, yeah. >> i think it's going over well in the room. >> nobody steps on -- in my town. >> who's cuter gizmo, or the little stay puff -- >> stay puff >> cutest thing on tv. that's really funny. they're not the only ones returning to the movie, there's a couple of other people from the original series including bill murray is going to be reprising his role "ghostbusters: afterlife" hits theaters in november. the crown is gearing up for season five, set to dayebut in july claire foye and olivia colman who portrayaled her royal highness in previous seasons jonathan price is going to stand beside her as prince philip taking on the role of the queen's sister, lesley manville,

and the new season is set to take place in the '90s we'll see the continuation and eventual end to diana's relationship with prince charles who's going to be played by dominick west. no release date yet for "the crown. we'll let you know. next up on pop start, joanna gaines, an exclusive sneak peek of season two. we learn there are a couple of things around the home that even expert joanna gaines doesn't know the answer to >> the gaines, we all say carmel, i think it's caramel. >> how do you spell carmel. c-a-r-a. >> caramel, i've been saying carmel wrong my whole life that is caramel, carmel, it doesn't matter how you say it. it smells really good. >> what do you guys go with? caramel? >> caramel. >> i say coupon.

>> carmel. >> caramel i think i'm not sure what i say. >> now i can't remember. >> well, you were saying catsup up until yesterday. >> let's not read -- >> off the rails, season two of "magnolia table" premiers tomorrow april 9th on discovery plus. ryan reynolds, you might remember the hilarious commercial he released in september in which satan found his perfect match, and it was the year 2020 on match.com this time satan has landed a job at a quote, big wireless company in a new ad for mint mobile. >> inspired me to look for other ways to be happy, so i took a new job at big wireless. these guys torture people on a whole other level. is this customer service >> the guy could get a job anywhere he wants, dmv, irs, congress, we were really lucky to get him here.

>> the ad is produced by reynolds production company, maximum effort no word on where satan is headed next it's a really funny ad >> i love it just ahead, guys, the 7-year-old who wanted pockets in her jeans, so she wrote to old navy, and guess what well, she got what she asked for. we're going to chat with her in just a few. >> she's up early, she's up early. also, our friend jill martin is helping you make this the best mother's day ever, and she's going to do it with a brand new batch of steals and deals. we'll do it all after your local news. >> and she's got a camera person whoa

good morning, i'm kris sanchez. new this morning, all seats are now reportedly filled again on the oakley school board. according to "the east day times" they selected two teachers and retiree to fill three open positions all after the teachers were caught mocking parents pushing for in-school learning. and four trustees poked fun at text messages being caught making disparaging remarks. the superintendent is not commenting on the new revelation and we want to get a look at

our forecast. we know some kids are on spring break. kari's, yours included, i think. >> yes, spring break is going on and maybe that's why we're not seeing as many people out but we will enjoy sunshine and great weather as temperatures reach into the low 50s. we will see the highs climbing back into the upper 60s heefr and over the next couple days. we warm up a few more degrees with our inland valleys reaching into the mid-70s and still more dry weather in the forecast through next week. kris? >> thank you. more local news coming up in just a half hour. we hope to see you then.

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.

♪ welcome back, everybody. 8:30 now on a thursday morning, april 8 of 2021. not just any day. >> no, no. >> a special day because on this day in history, jim gaines, director of the "today" show -- >> jimmy g. >> happy birthday. >> the birthday boy. >> you thought we forgot, but we were just saving all of our love for 8:30 >> we don't have that much time this half hour >> let's do it by tens >> he looks good for a 40 something, but he's really only 27. >> he's 30 and flirty.

>> happy birthday. >> happy birthday. >> we love you. coming up, for our green series, we're going to take you to a dairy farm, not just any dairy farm, no, no, no, this is a dairy farm that's helping heal the planet while making a product that's easier to digest as well. gadi schwartz is going to have the story behind some very special cows. >> all right, cool, and then with mother's day right around the corner, jill martin is going to be here with a very special steals and deals, fab finds, savannah you're going to love this. you can show and show your prees appreciation for all those special women in your lives. we've got a 1st grader from arkansas who took a lesson on persuasive writing to heart. she sent old navy a letter about her jeans, and guess what, she got results. we're going to talk to her about all of it. we can't wait to talk to cameron and also her mom and dad who look real proud. >> that's right. just ahead on the third hour of "today," a beauty influencer

whose most powerful message lies behind the makeup and an incredible story of survival >> all right, and guys, remember those thousands of sea turtles. >> in texas. >> yes, they were rescued during that historic cold in texas, exactly. kerry sanders brought us the story, and tomorrow he's going to be live in texas again as some of those turtles are released back into the ocean >> very cool. >> beautiful. mr. roker, how about a check of the weather. >> let's look ahead to your weekend, see what we've got for you starting off with tomorrow, clouding up in the northeast, severe storms down in the gulf beautiful spring highs out west with rain in the upper mississippi river valley saturday, severe storms through the gulf, into the mid-mississippi river valley, some spring snow out west. sunshine in the northeast, mild through the gulf coast, and then sunday sunday, a little on the wet side here in the northeast, some mountain snows in the central plains dry along the west coast, plenty good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall.

we will see our sky continuing to clear out. our temperatures today will reach the upper 60s and it will repeat tomorrow. but then we start a warming trend going into the weekend, a little bit more sunshine and dry, breezy wind picking up. by next week we will see temperatures reaching into the upper 70s and san francisco will go from the low 60s today to the upper 60s for the weekend. and that's your late egs weather. craig. >> all right, mr. roker, thank you good sir when we come back, "today" goes green. gadi schwartz is taking us to a dairy farm that's doing things a little different, and the result could be a game changer for anyone who's been told to avoid milk milk it could mom needs help but,

she doesn't want to move. we're mostly concerned about her safety. she's already had a couple of falls. we had this joke, 'oh, that's a senior moment, right?' but it wasn't. home care with an entire support team. she could live independently and do her own thing. and get really good, specialized care. and i could just be her daughter again.

month-long series today goes

green, oftentimes cows and dairy farmers may get a little bit of a bad rap because of greenhouse gas emissions. >> but this morning we're highlighting a farm that's rethinking the way that we get milk, and in the process they might be helping people who say they're lactose intolerant. >> nbc's gadi schwartz took a trip to visit some really special cows, we understand. >> >> reporter: good morning, guys, a lot of people who think i love dairy but dairy doesn't love me will be surprised to hear this. some studies are showing drinking a specific kind of cow's milk mightlessen symptoms of lactose intolerance we headed down to this milk farm to try it firsthand, and by firsthand, i literally mean firsthand. take a look. on a picturesque dairy farm in a corner of california, happy cows are chewing and producing an old school kind of plant-based milk. >> we're primarily grass farmers, and these cows are simply the tool to take that

grass and convert it into, you know, products that we can then put on the shelf. >> >> reporter: this is the alexander family farm, all organic and using what are called regenerative practices. >> we're sequestering carbon, we're taking carbon out of the air, and we are doing our share to heal the planet in the sense of greenhouse gases. >> reporter: that means focusing first on soil that produces thousands of acres of carbon capturing fields and grass grown with a mix of nutrients from healthy manure and helpful, free roaming chickens the alexander family has been farming for five generations it wasn't until they had five kids that they started to realize massive modern dairy production just wasn't for them. >> i think what we saw was that that system and that style, or business approach probably didn't have a long-term future skb >> reporter: and as they pivoted to organic farming, they also started to learn more about special cows that produced milk that could be easier on some humans' stomachs.

>> we knew we could be the alternative to dairy alternatives. >> 50 million americans experience lactose intolerances thafs giving rise to soy, almond ask all types of other alternatives more studies are showing it might not be the lactose causing the bloating, gas, for some. but rather a specific protein found in cow milk called a1. thousands of years ago, most cows made milk that had a protein called a2 similar to human breast milk. somewhere along the way there was a mutation and now most modern dairy cows produce milk with the a1 solution >> did this seem like a no-brainer >> yes it seemed like an obvious choice >> reporter: now the alexanders are raised three herds producing 100% a2 milk making them the first farm to sell organic a2 milk across the country with a protein much closer to what

humans drank thousands of years ago. i always assumed i was lactose intolerant but after two glasses, a couple more handfuls, my stomach was still feeling fine >> we meet people that haven't had dairy in 20 years and they can eat our dairy products again, so it's really rewarding to be able to bring this option to people in an organic a2 version. >> while a2 milk and regular milk have the same amount of lactose, some nutritionists say a2 might be easier to process. >> there are some studying showing people drinking milk that only contains a2 form of that protein can reduce some of those symptoms. >> reporter: now the alexanders hope the future will be a return to their cow's ancient past. >> while a2 milk might be good for some people, if you think you have a lactose intolerance consult with your doctor, and this would not help if you have an allergy to milk or dairy. guys >> where can you get it, gadi?

>> you can get it all across the country. right now they're selling it at whole foods. there's a bunch of other retailers, but the best way they say to make sure that it's on the shelves is to just ask your local grocer that smaller farm up in northern california, so right now they're trying to get into more stores whole foods definitely carries them nationwide, but it really comes down to you going up to your grocer and asking for them to stock that on their shelf. >> could you ask them to make ice cream, gadi? >> ice cream, yogurt, get on it. >> half and half. >> they do those things. >> look for a2, that's it? >> a2, an2, those are the two pro protein s. it's what you see on the milk carton, and that tells you you're using that protein. >> thank you gadi, also for the visual we enjoyed seeing you. >> wild, right total bucket list. >> get it, bucket list i see what you did there. >> yep, there you go. >> you can learn more about that

milk, you can also see gadi milk it once again by going -- >> stop. >> -- to today.com all right, guys, coming up, it is never too early to start shopping for mother's day, am i right, ladies? >> right >> jill martin is here with steals and deals filled with amazing gift ideas f

[ sfx: bzzz bzzz bzzz ] [ sfx: ping ping beep beep bloop bloop ] [ sfx: honk ] [ sfx: pop pop pop pop ] [ sfx: pop ping bloop pop ping bloop ] the day can wait. enter the golden state with real california dairy.

drive safe. what'll we do with our son gone off to college? what you'll do is claim a tuition tax credit for him. which, i can help file. file with the help of an expert. or, let an expert file for you. intuit turbotax live back now, it's 8:43 with a special mother's day edition of steals ask deals >> and after a year like no other we're more grateful than other for all the mothers out there and the tireless work they do day in and day out. >> with the big day just a few weeks away, time to start shopping, folks. we turn to our lifestyle and commerce contributor jill martin to get us started. >> remember, by the way, for instant access pull out your smartphone, scan the qr code at the bottom of your screen, we'll tell you the details at the end. jill, good morning

>> good morning, guys, and happy early mother's day to our "today" moms you said it, it seems like every day these days should be mother's day, right, but the official holiday is coming up, and although a hug for most of us is the biggest trending item on our "it" list right now, here are some other treats to make the day extra special. we brought back all the all stars for this one first up, something that you always love, the beryll cashmere wrap and ponchos the retail 698 these are super fun with the pompoms and tassels, these best selling wraps are available in vibrant fun colors just in time for spring it's designed in beryll's signature triangle shape and the wrap scarves are incredibly versatile. all pieces are spun from luxurious cashmere and come with your choice of classic fringe or trimmed fun color tassels or pompoms, so many styles to choose from. head to today.com. these are so yummy

the retail 698, the deal 89. that's 87% off so again, it's either, if you come back out here live, either the poncho or this great scarf wrap two choices. today.com has all the options. up next, we have the nissa letter zodiac lariat necklace. this 14 carat gold lariat features three charms. it sort of does the layering for you, like savannah's ear game, this is kind of a necklace game. a heart initial, a zodiac medallion. select from letters a to z and all zodiac signs to create a custom piece your loved one can wear close to her heart. this is a great layering piece to style with your existing jewelry, layering is so on trend. the retail 198, the deal is $34. that's 83% off >> moving on, these are always a favorite, the aun ya onna

ehrlich handbag. this versatile tote is big, spacious, it's made of textured cow hide leather and features an interior pocket, a zipper pouch and a removable tassel, although i don't know why you would remove it. it's so adorable it's big enough to stash a laptop or tablet, makeup bag or more, perfect for travel or everyday the east coast silhouette super popular right now. comes in nine neutral or go with a fun color, something for everyone check out all the options on today.com. the retail $498, the deal $99. that's 80% off next up, this is great, and i have for all our "today" moms, too, the popular stationary studio gift set, the retail are $100 we have several "today" exclusive gift sets, each one features 60 personalized cards in three different sizes each design is customizable with mom's name or initials these are ideal for thank you cards, everyday correspondence, to send jim a happy birthday

card or cards to accompany gifts. sets also include 60 blank white envelopes and arrive in a beautiful gift box happy birthday, our director jim. you won't even need the gift wrap, hoda the retail is $100 the deal is $39, 61% off hoda, i know that you love a gift that you don't have to gift wrap, right? >> i love a gift i can re-gift, as you well know, jill i re-gifted jill her own purse once i gave her back her purse that she gave me. >> but you got a good deal on it. >> you're welcome. yeah, no, we actually did a segment, and you had to bring in something that you gifted and she re-gifted something i gave her not realizing. so that was a wonderful tv moment. next up, another great find that goes fast the seda france candles, these are awesome. the brand is known for richly scented candles that come in their trademark pagoda box another great find that doesn't need wrapping, guys.

we have several scents to choose from including prima rose, jasmine, grapefruit, lavender and for more head to today.com to see all the options this really comes in a beautiful box that you can reuse the retail $39.95, the deal $15. that's a great deal. 62% off. and finally, we have a sweet treat, a huge celebrity favorite, the coolest candy around with such fun names the sugarfina eight-piece candy ben to boxes we're offering two mother's day gift boxes, the bubbly bento box or xoxo bento box. they feature fan favorite gummies and chocolates including their best selling and iconic champagne bears. these are the perfect way to toast mom from near or far or even treat yourself. this really is an awesome gift, the retail is 70, the deal is 30 $. that's 57% off pink flamingo, rainbow bears, champagne bears. look at all the names, really super fun.

that wraps up our momma's day steal as and deals. happy mother's day to my beautiful mom george tte we're all wishing our moms happy mother's day this was our first hug, we had seen each other but after a while. so super grateful and i hope to be out of the basement soon. basement, we need you right here >> soon, soon. >> craig wants to close talk. >> i do. and steal some of those deals. >> that's right. >> looking forward to it >> all right, let's go through those products one more time we've got the cashmere wrap frog beryll, the nissa initial and zodiac necklace, onna ehrlich handbag, the seda france candle and how about those candy bento boxes from sugarfina. >> those are delicious they need bourbon bears. >> thank you, jill, to shop these steals and deals, scan the qr code, head to today.com/deals.

coming up next, the adorable first grader who persuaded a major retailer to address a yeah, it bothered wo yeah, it bothered wo me

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and we're back now with one of our favorite stories of the day, of course on the power of persuasion. >> yes, 7-year-old cameron gardner, she was learning how to write persuasive letters in her 1st grade class, which is actually kind of amazing the idea came to address a problem that a lot of women have complained about over the years. how come there aren't pockets in so many jeans? >> yeah. >> so what did cameron do? well, she decided to put pencil to paper and wrote to her favorite store old navy and asked them to consider making girls' jeans with front pockets that are, as she writes, not fake so she can actually put her hands and other things in those pockets. >> so she sent the company the letter, and guess what old navy responded they didn't just thank cameron for her feedback, they gifted

her four pairs of jeans, pants, and shorts, with what else pockets. her story has resonated with so many girls across the country, and cameron joins us now from evening star elementary in bentonville, arkansas, alongside her mom kimberly and her dad brandon. >> good morning. >> i mean, good morning, cameron. good morning okay, so explain to us the very beginning stage. why were pockets such an issue for you? why did you need them? >> well, i use my pockets to keep my hands warm and put things. >> and so you were learning about how to write a letter and try to convince people of things, so you decided to write old navy did you ever think they'd actually write you back? >> i didn't think they were going to write me back because it took them a while >> so cameron, when they did

finally not just write you back, they include this box of jeans with pockets and shorts with pockets, and you open the box, what did you think >> i was very excited and i got it like as soon as we got back from our spring break vacation, the box was there. i thought it was a birthday present. >> so mom and dad, you have got to be so proud of cameron. i mean, what a great thing for her to do. >> absolutely. we're very proud of her. she is a persuasive person, she loves the talk she's always excited and i think you guys are just experiencing this for the first time, but we know this all the time. >> she's passionate about learning, and she just took this up on her own, and we are super proud of her for using her voice

and speaking up. >> that's so cool. it was kind of a school assignment, but mom, you kind of encouraged her to go ahead and send the letter. did you think, look, this may be one of those lessons where we say, look, sweetie, not everybody responds when you reach out. were you surprised as well when the company came back? >> definitely. i did not know that they were going to write back, and they reached out by email first, and i was super surprised when i got that email, and then i was just thankful and grateful for them to give her a handwritten letter back, and the icing on the cake was the four jeans with pockets that they sent her. >> hey, cameron, have you thought about since this worked so well writing maybe other companies of stuff that you really like hoping that maybe >> announcer: this is an nbc news special report. here's kate snow. report.d day.

we're coming on the air because president biden is set to announce new gun control measures in a rose garden speech. these will be executive orders, which don't need congressional approval. they come, of course, following several high-profile mass shootings. vice president harris is speaking first. let's listen. >> by the loss of a parent or sibling. and i have fought my entire career to end this violence and to pass reasonable gun safety laws. time and again, as progress has stalled, we have all asked, what are we waiting for? because we aren't waiting for a tragedy. i know that. we've had more tragedy than we can bear. we aren't waiting for solutions either, because the solutions exist. they already exist. people on both sides of the aisle want action, real people on both sides of the aisle want action.

so all that is left is the will and the courage to act. [ applause ] and president joe biden has the will and the courage to act. [ applause ] as a united states senator, joe biden took on the gun lobby, not once, but twice, and he won. in 1993, he worked to pass the brady hand gun violation prevention act. this law established a background check system and has kept more than 3 million firearms out of the hands of dangerous people. a year later he worked to pass another law, to ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines for ten years.

and as vice president, joe biden led the obama/biden administration's efforts to reduce gun violence. in fact, he and i were reminiscing we talked about then about his work because i was attorney general at the time of california. and his work resulted in nearly two dozen actions from narrowing the gun shell loophole to expanding funding for mental health services. and as you will hear in a moment, president joe biden is a leader with great will, great determination, and even greater empathy. he has seen the grief of all of those who have lost a loved one to gun violence. it is for them, for all of us, that he will never, ever give up on this fight. and it is now my great honor to

introduce the president of the united states, joe biden. [ applause ] >> thank you, kamala, madam vice president. thank you very much. you know, we're joined today by the attorney general, merrick garland who i asked to prioritize gun violence. it's good to see the second gentleman and the first lady jill biden who cares deeply about these issues as well. and i see so many members of congress who led in this fight, so many of you who have never given up. so many of you are absolutely determined as others are to get this done.

we've got a long way to go. it seems like we always have a long way to go. but also today we're taking steps to confront not just the gun crisis, but what is actually a public health crisis. nothing, nothing i'm about to recommend in any way impinges on the second amendment. their phoney arguments suggesting these are second amendment rights at stake in what we're talking about. but no amendment, no amendment to the constitution is absolute. you can't yell "fire" in a crowded movie theater and call it a freedom of speech. from the very beginning you couldn't own any weapon you wanted to own. from the very beginning the second amendment existed, certain people weren't allowed to have weapons. so the idea is just bizarre to suggest that some of the things we're recommending are contrary to the constitution. gun violence in this country is an epidemic. let me say it again. gun violence in this country is