mike, what's happening with the commute? >> quick check of that richmond bridge. kris, you know what we'll say this, typical slowing, no surprises. i think that's good. >> that's right. have a great day. >> a live look at the golden gate bridge, have a great morning. the "today" show is next. nation on edge. demonstrators gathering at the courthouse in minneapolis and across the country awaiting a verdict in the derek chauvin trial. major security in place, with the jury's decision possible as early as today, after both sides make their closing arguments. >> believe your eyes. you saw what you saw. this wasn't policing. this was murder. >> this was unauthorized use of force, as unattractive as it may be. >> this morning, the tense waiting game from coast to coast

and our live conversation with george floyd's brother. new covid concern amid an alarming spike in cases across the country. many vaccination appointments now going unclaimed. >> we have thousands of appointments available and no takers. >> has the country hit a so-called vaccine wall? what could that mean for the push to reopen america? we'll have the very latest. new twist. officials reveal the capitol police officer who confronted rioters in the january 6th siege died of natural causes. so did the events of the day play any role in his death, and what could that mean for the case against two men charged with assaulting the officer? remembering walter mondale. tributes pour in for the former vice president, who transformed that role and made history as a presidential nominee. this morning, how his remarkable life of public service is being honored. those stories, plus, first flight.

the remarkable new images from nasa's groundbreaking helicopter mission on mars. >> it's the start of a whole new kind of planetary exploration. and "today" exclusive. president george w. bush joining us in studio 1a for his first live interview in three years. and while he's here, he'll lend a hand with a very special event. dozens of candidates taking the oath to become u.s. citizens live on the plaza as they begin their new chapters in their american dream, today, tuesday, april 20, 2021. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with savannah guthrie and hoda kotb. from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. hey, guys, welcome to "today," so happy that you're joining us on this tuesday morning. craig is in for savannah. craig, when you walked up, i bet you saw this, outside on the plaza.

30 u.s. citizenship candidates. it is a really important moment in their life. they're all taking their positions. their lives are about to change. >> right now they're finishing up the paperwork, which is of course one of the last steps in their journey to become u.s. citizens. this is an extra special group this morning, because many of them are frontline workers, who have been hard at work on the ground throughout this pandemic. >> i was just thinking it's rare that you get to actually watch someone's life change. it's like a wedding or getting an olympic medal or graduation. we're about to witness one this morning, and their naturalization ceremony, not only is it taking place right here in the heart of manhattan, but former president george w. bush is here to speak to this remarkable group. his new book is all about the journeys of american immigrants and we're going to speak to him about that. of course there's a lot of news of the day. >> his first live conversation in three years. minneapolis and the nation anxiously awaiting a verdict in

the derek chauvin trial after a dramatic day of closing arguments. in a moment we'll speak to george floyd's brother and the family's attorney. first nbc's gabe gutierrez joins us from the courthouse this morning. hi, gabe. good morning. >> reporter: hoda, good morning. the governor of minnesota has declared a state of emergency and has requested law enforcement personnel to help keep the peace following a verdict. this morning derek chauvin's fate is in the hands of the jury. deliberations are set to resume after monday's high stakes closing arguments. >> this wasn't policing. this was murder. >> reporter: prosecutors reminded jurors that george floyd was pinned under chauvin's knee for 9 minutes and 29 seconds. >> when he was unable to speak, the defendant continued. when he was unable to breathe, the defendant continued, beyond the point that he had a pulse. beyond the point that he had a pulse. >> reporter: after the

prosecution's nearly two-hour presentation, chauvin took off his mask and his attorney presented his case for almost three hours. >> do not let yourselves be misled. 9 minutes and 29 seconds ignores the previous 16 minutes and 59 seconds. this was an authorized use of force. as unattractive as it may be. and this is reasonable doubt. >> reporter: the defense insisted floyd died from many factors including drug use and underlying heart condition. but the prosecution had the final word in its rebuttal. >> you were told, for example, that mr. floyd died, that mr. floyd died because his heart was too big. the truth of the matter is that the reason george floyd is dead is because mr. chauvin's heart was too small. >> reporter: after almost a year

of anguish and anxiety here over a potential verdict that's growing. >> there is no sentence that is going to bring him back. we need change. we need to find reform. >> reporter: demonstrators have gathered outside the courthouse. across the country, cities are on edge awaiting a verdict. the national guard deployed in chicago and d.c. the oakland police department surrounded by barricades. storefronts in philadelphia boarded up. >> god forbid this decision goes wrong. people are going to be angry. >> reporter: for the floyd family, it's gut-wrenching. they spoke with craig right after closing arguments. >> when the verdict comes down, what becomes of the floyd name? >> when the verdict comes down, that will determine it, honestly. but we won't stop fighting. it's bigger than george floyd at the end of the day. we still have to be in america, we still have to be black men and black women hoping to not get killed.

it's simply being black. >> reporter: also, inside the courtroom, when the jury had left, the judge said the defense might have grounds for appeal because of what a congresswoman said. representative maxine waters of california over the weekend said that protesters should get more confrontational if there's a not guilty verdict. the judge said that comments from elected officials that were disrespectful to the judicial process were abhorrent. >> gabe gutierrez outside the courthouse in minneapolis, thank you. joining us, george floyd's brother, philonise and ben crump, the floyd family attorney. good morning to both of you. >> good morning. >> i want to talk about maxine waters and her comments in just a moment, ben. let's start with the phone call you got yesterday, when president biden called. what did the president say to you, what did you say to him, and what was that like in general? >> he was just calling, he knows

how it is to lose a family member. he knows the process of what we're going through. he was just letting us know that he was praying for us and hoping that everything will come out to be okay. that's basically it. >> philonise, before the trial started, we had a conversation here on "today" and you told me that you thought this was a slam dunk. after being in that courtroom, after testifying before the jury, do you still feel that way? what do you make of the prosecution's case, what do you make of the defense's case? >> well, i'm optimistic about everything. me and my family, we pray about it every day. i just feel that in america, if a black man can't get justice for this, what can a black man get justice for? it's just a pivotal point in life. i think a case of this magnitude

and for people all around the country that are waiting on this verdict, and hopefully it will be a way that the world wants to see it. because the video is facts and it's proof of what happened. we just need minnesota to make the right decision. >> to that point, philonise, as we all await this verdict, not just there in minneapolis but around the country, around the world, do you have a message for folks? as you know, there's a lot of concern that there could be more violence, regardless of the verdict. >> i just want everybody to understand that it has never been anything like this in life. this has been emotional, everybody watching around the world. we just want everybody to be peaceful. but at the same time i can't stop people from doing the things they're doing because people are in pain. they're hurt.

they're looking. daunte wright was just killed ten miles away from where we were in the courtroom. can live with each other in unity and we stand in solidarity with everybody across america. >> mr. crump, i wanted to get your take on the reporting out of the courtroom after the closing yesterday. judge cahill chastising congresswoman maxine waters and other public officials for their comments on the case. when you heard that, what was your reaction, ben? >> well, i thought it was the defense's desperate attempt to distract us further. the jurors have been given instructions to only pay attention to the evidence that happens in the court of law and not to watch tv and watch the news. and i believe the jurors are following the instructions of

the court. the only thing i will say is, it further demonstrates this notion of two americas, because i have never seen when a black person is on trial for murder, anybody cares about whether or not they can get a fair trial or what people are saying in public. it's only when there's a black person killed by police that we come up with all these distractions, craig, to say, oh, we want to give every opportunity for the officer to be exonerated. and that's why the whole world is on edge, because history has said people will do anything to justify the killings of unarmed black people by the police. and we can't continue to have that. >> ben crump, thank you, sir. philonise floyd, we continue to think about your family, thank you as well. a reminder, folks, as soon as there is word of a verdict, nbc news will bring you live coverage from the courthouse there in minneapolis. meantime, the race to vaccinate americans has entered a new phase. everybody 16 and older in all 50

states now officially eligible for a shot. but this morning, there's mounting concern over vaccine hesitancy. the number of cities that are seeing appointments go unfilled, as cases of the virus surge. miguel almaguer joins us with more. >> reporter: hoda, good morning. the white house says it will continue its current pace of 3 million doses a day even with the johnson & johnson vaccine on pause. 70% of the u.s. population could be vaccinated by mid-june. but in many parts of the country, cases are headed in the wrong direction. this morning, as fewer americans are being tested for the coronavirus, the number of infections is rising at a worrisome pace across the country. compared to last month, new covid infections have jumped nearly 30% nationally. in 11 states, cases are climbing by at least 25%. yet in some places, people are

still hesitant to get vaccinated despite plenty of availability. in lebanon county, pennsylvania, covid cases have shot up 44% in the past two weeks. >> appointments are going unfilled. we've got thousands of appointments available over the next few weeks and no takers this morning. >> reporter: the biden administration is recruiting a chorus of voices to get word out vaccines are safe and up to 90% effective. >> we have enough of it. you need to be protected and you need in turn to protect your neighbors and your families. so please get the vaccine. >> hopefully i can see family. i've stayed away, so yeah, that's exciting. >> reporter: but while nearly half of all adults in the u.s. have received at least one shot, vaccinating the other half may not happen as quickly. visiting north carolina, vice president kamala harris urged patients and outreach to those who were reluctant. >> in terms of the hesitancy issue, it's real. so that is about continuing to do the work of reminding folks

that it is safe, that it is effective, that it will save their lives. >> reporter: the stakes in the global pandemic couldn't be higher, with covid-19 surging around the world for an eighth week in a row, according to the w.h.o. in the u.s., the state department announcing its do not travel guidance will extend to about 80% of countries in the world, citing unprecedented risk to travelers from covid-19. this morning, growing worry abroad and here at home over a virus that won't go away. as for that testing slowdown, it could get easier and quicker to do. both walgreens and cvs announcing they'll start carrying at-home covid tests that will be sold for about $25. you get the results in 15 minutes, hoda. >> all right, miguel, thank you so much. a lot more to get to this morning, including overnight tributes to a pioneering figure in american politics. sheinelle joins us with that.

>> craig, hoda, good morning. walter mondale passed away. the liberal icon from minnesota served as jimmy carter's vice president and as a u.s. senator, and he made history in the 1984 presidential race, becoming the first nominee from either party to select a woman as his running mate. nbc's chief washington correspondent, andrea mitchell, looks back at his trailblazing career. good morning. >> good morning, sheinelle. he is widely credited with reinventing the modern vice presidency. walter mondale was the embodiment of decency in american politics. walter mondale, known to many as fritz, was a leading senator when he became jimmy carter's vice president. a job mondale said used to be just going to funerals. he transformed it into a real partnership, as he recounted on "today" in 2010.

>> i worked with the president around the clock. >> reporter: five years later, then vice president joe biden told mondale he was his role model for how to do the job. >> you really did modernize the vice presidency. >> reporter: mondale's own bid for the presidency in 1984 was an uphill battle. >> i picked someone who i thought would make a superb vice president, or, if necessary, a president. >> reporter: an historic choice, but congresswoman geraldine ferraro tripped over her family's taxes. >> mr. reagan will raise taxes, and so will i. he won't tell you. i just did. >> reporter: in their second debate, ronald reagan diffused criticism of his age with a classic one-liner. >> i am not going to exploit for political purposes my opponent's

youth and inexperience >> all the states colored in blue are ronald reagan's. >> reporter: walter mondale lost in a landslide, with tributes pouring in, who wrote, quote, i mourn the passing of walter mondale, who i considered the best vice president in our country's history. president biden spoke with mondale over the weekend, writing he may have been modest and unassuming in manner, but he was unwavering in his pursuit of progress walter mondale left a final letter for all of his former aides, writing, well, my time has come but before i go, i wanted to let you know how much you mean to me, and i know you will keep up the good fight one of those aides, senamy klobuchar klobuchar, served in his office. >> what a trailblazer.

thank you. it is 17 minutes after the hour time for a first check of the weather. good morning, mr. roker. >> not a great morning in the rockies. we're talking snow some places picking up to 14 inches of snow this is denver folks actually were stranded along i-70 and had to get out of their cars they had snowplows going, trucks and cars off the roads we're going to be looking at snow making its way across the country. we've got winter weather advise is stretching from kansas to western new york snow from denver, into des moines and it's going to be making its way into chicago over the next 24 hours, pushing to the south from cleveland all the way down to western memphis. then moves tomorrow into western new york, up into the northeast, and along this front, strong storms will start firing up. storms likely for coastal areas, rain and wet snow for maine. strong winds, colder temperatures coming into the northeast. snowfall total, still another couple of inches out through denver but look from cleveland on into western new york, parts of the

northeast and new england up to 8 inches of snow, and to our friends down to the south, heavy rain continuing down through florida, for another 24 hours. we're talking some areas picking up to 2 inches of rain, but could be 3 to 5 inches, causing some local flooding. we'll get to your local forecast coming up in the next 30 seconds. you should get one! but you don't need it for this. just download capital one shopping to your computer. it's free! ooooo, save me some cheddar! so... when's the party? i love fondue. really? i never joke about hot cheese, susan. me neither. capital one shopping. it's kinda genius. what's in your wallet? good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. time to drop off the kids in martinez and our temperatures start out cool with some low 50s but by the time you pick them up, it's going to be so much

more comfortable with sunshine, temperatures in the 60s. we're headed into the 70s for today for our inland areas and spots like concord, as well as livermore, it's going to be nice, and more of this very comfortably warm weather for the weekend, we'll be watching for rain chances and cooler temperatures. hoda >> thank you coming up, the death of a hero officer from the capitol siege back in the spotlight. officials saying he died of natural causes how that could affect the case against his attackers. also, the safety of those self-driving cars after that fatal and fiery tesla crash over the weekend. this morning the latest on the investigation as we hear from

coming up, former president

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increased cholesterol; weight gain; high blood sugar; decreased white blood cells; unusual urges; dizziness on standing; seizures; trouble swallowing may occur. when depression sets you back, keep moving forward. talk to your doctor about adding rexulti to your antidepressant. a very good morning to you. it is 7:26. i'm laura garcia. the bay area is waiting for a verdict in minneapolis. >> reporter: i'm bob redell. businesses throughout the area are boarding up in the anticipation of the trial of former minneapolis plaintiff derek chauvin. one restaurant owner in oakland tells us while he supports the protest against police brutality, don't break our property. that's what happened this past friday, about protested in oakland and some

shattered windows, destroyed cars at a dealership and threw rocks and bottles at police. >> pete suratos in marin county. a vote will take place to determine if the area should have water restrictions. this comes as the county deals with ongoing drought conditions. some of the restrictions being proposed would include limiting outdoor watering, washing cars and refilling pools. in the past the restrictions would go into effect on may 1st, if passed. let's check the forecast right now meteorologist kari hall. nice day ahead? >> yes, and it's been so dry, we are seeing those very low reservoir levels and it's going to be dry over the next few days but at least our temperatures cool down. those winds will pick up today. notice the weekend, we will be cooler and there will be a chance of rain. we'll be watching out for that sunday into monday, as we can see some scattered showers moving in. we'll continue to optimistically watch out for that, as we go

through the forecast for the weekend in the near term our beautiful spring weather continues. laura? >> sounds lovely. thanks so much, kari. we'll be back with another local news update for new half an which shows will you be getting into tonight? how about all of 'em.

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we are back at 7:30. it's a tuesday morning. this just happened a couple moments ago. two very special guests arrived right here to studio 1a, former president george w. bush. his lovely wife, laura bush, they are here. this is a big day around here. i can't wait to catch up with him. actually, weirdly, i've never met him. first time meeting him. >> really? >> we'll have a great conversation.

one of the main reasons he's here is because of what's going on on our plaza out there. look at it, there is going to be a before and after moment. this is the before moment. these are people who are going to be u.s. citizens within like an hour or so. their lives are about to change on the spot on our plaza. >> i love that. you said that earlier this morning. there aren't many moments in life where you have a moment like this. you get to witness someone change right in front of your eyes. >> this is a special day. >> we are looking forward to that coming up in our next hour. we'll start with our new development of this half hour of the death of capitol police officer brian sicknick. he was attacked while defending the capitol during the january 6th siege. kasie hunt has the latest on this. >> reporter: good morning to you. officer sicknick's death was devastating for the capitol community.

there have been so many questions about whether anyone would be charged in connection with his death. the new findings make it less likely. capitol police emphasize he died in the line of duty. this morning, capitol police officer brian sicknick's death revealed to be natural causes. the autopsy revealing the veteran officer who died one day after the january 6th insurrection, suffered two strokes caused by a blood clot. two men were charged last month spraying bear spray at him. but they found no evidence that he suffered from chemical irritants. the defendants were charged with assaulting sicknick but not charged in his death. they were arrested after the fbi looked at digital evidence, including this video posted to youtube, which federal prosecutors shows the two men

working in concert and they had a plan to use the spray against aiming the canister at officers, including sicknick, only 5 to 8 feet away. after the riot, sicknick, returned to his office, collapsed and was taken to the hospital where he died about eight hours later. according to the "washington post," the medical examiner did note that all that transpired played a role in his condition. >> the multitude of events i've worked in my nearly 19-year career in the department, this was by far the worst of the worst. >> reporter: sicknick's death sent shockwaves through the capitol police the department writing in a statement this does not change the fact that officer brian sicknick died in the line of duty, courageously defending congress and the capitol the department denies to mourn the loss of our beloved colleague. weeks after his death, sicknick lay in honor at the capitol, the same building he served to protect for 13 years. >> so could those two guys face

any charges as a result of this? >> reporter: so experts who spoke to the "washington post," hoda, about the ruling say that it's going to make it more difficult to prosecute anyone for homicide in sicknick's death because it raises reasonable doubt as to why he died. but, of course, it is possible that more evidence could emerge independently. the two men who are charged with assaulting sicknick are slated to appear in court next tuesday to argue that they should be freed on bail while they await trial. >> kasie hunt for us at the capitol. thank you. a new twist tied to the fiery tesla crash in texas and the questions being raised about the safety of driverless cars. >> we'll have the latest on the federal investigation as elon musk weighs in overnight first, these messages. shouldn't something, you know, wacky be happening right now? we thought people could use a break. we've all been through a lot this year. -that makes sense. -yeah.

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insulin raises low blood sugar risk. side effects include nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, which can lead to dehydration, and may worsen kidney problems. show your world what's truly inside. ask your doctor about once-weekly trulicity. back, coming up on 7:39 with in-depth today concerns about driverless car technology in the wake of the fatal tesla crash in texas over the weekend. >> authorities say at the time no one was behind the wheel, but now elon musk is mushing back. >> nbc's sam brock joins us with new details about the investigation. good morning. >> caller: guys, good morning. you now have two federal agencies that are investigating this deadly crash. on the one hand, elon musk tweeting out that recovered logs show the autopilot on the car was never enabled, but on the other hand, local law

enforcement insisting no one was behind the wheel of the car. this morning, conflicting information as investigators dig into the cause of a deadly tesla crash in texas that claimed the lives of two people. >> the position of the bodies, the trajectory of the impact, they are 100% certain that no one was in the driver's seat driving that vehicle at the time of impact. they're positive >> reporter: tesla's founder and ceo, elon musk, pushing back overnight, tweeting in part, data logs recovered so far show autopilot was not enabled, adding standard autopilot would require lane lines to turn on, which this street did not have so far, neither local nor federal agencies have confirmed musk's claim about the logs. the national transportation safety board has joined the probe, noting its investigation will focus on the vehicle's operation, and the post-crash fire. >> our office has never experienced a crash scene like this

this went on for close to four ho hours. >> reporter: to douse the car, firefighters unloaded some 30,000 gallons of water. >> the water looked as bad as batteries kept re-igniting. >> reporter: t questions for years about the potential danger of lithium batteries. the government is overseeing two dozen cases of tesla crashes, a driver falling asleep at the wheel near boston. >> the guy was head between his legs, completely asleep. >> reporter: and a devastating crash in california in 2018. the ntsb found the driver in that case was likely distracted by playing a game on his smartphone tesla did not immediately respond about the latest accident, but does state on its website while using autopilot it is your responsibility to stay alert, keep your hands on the steering wheel at all times and maintain control of your car

>> sam, back to that post-crash fire, do we know if this was an isolated incident or have authorities seen similar fires with these kinds of cars. >> reporter: craig, we know that tesla certainly has had other examples in the past of batteries that have burned for hours. the ntsb did conduct an independent investigation into the lithium ion batteries that you'll find in electric cars in general and found they pose a risk for thermal runaway, but tesla published its own report that found that their batteries prevent fires. >> sam, thank you. 7:42 mr. roker, do you have a check of the weather >> a lot of us are awfully chilly we've got 71 million people, stretching from texas all the way into the northeast under some sort of freeze watch or warning. frost advisory in fact, the average date of the last frost, march 15th back in texas. as you get to oklahoma, april 15th but we are seeing that frost

stretching over a wide range denver, 25 degrees, average of 39 little rock, 71. tomorrow we're going to see those chilly temperatures. pittsburgh, 41 degrees but as we get toward the end of the week, temperatures warm up new york city will be up to 68 little rock by saturday, 69. denver will see 66 and we're also talking about our climate. the state of the climate by the world meteorological association, this year one of the three warmest year on record 1.2 degrees above the industrial average. greenhouse gases, april 3rd of this year, we had the highest level of co2 in human history. and, unfortunately, that causes big problems, our human impact, 50 million people hit globally by extreme weather and pandemics and that means also 600 million people are food insecure due to climate events

it is still a big problem, and this week we've got our climate challenge. we are looking at this all good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. let's take a look at these temperatures. we'll reach into the low 70s today. it's going to be really nice, but also very windy, especially near the coastline. we'll see the winds calming down, temperatures going up a few more degrees over the next couple of days but then check out the weekend. it's going to be much cooler, and we'll see a chance of rain starting on sunday into monday. highs only reaching into the low 60s, and we are really hoping the rain pans out. >> and that's your latest weather. hoda? >> al, thank you. just ahead, incredible new images from the historic helicopter flight on mars. images of that historic helicopter flight on mars. tom costello tells you how the lift-off will pave the way for

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the most serious side effects are angioedema, low blood pressure kidney problems, or high blood potassium. ask your doctor about prescription entresto. big day around here with former president george w. bush and his wife laura they are coming into studio 1 a. we are about to do a naturalization ceremony for several frontline workers. their lives are going to change today. he is going to conduct the ceremony and we also get to sit down and speak with him about the issues of the day, also immigration, which is what his book is about. we're looking forward to a special morning around here. meanwhile, space enthusiasts around the world are still buzzes over monday's pioneering mini helicopter flight on mars, and the newest images that are being beamed back to earth.

>> the photos and videos are really extraordinary nbc's tom costello covers space and aviation tom, this is historic on both front. >> reporter: yeah, we have a nice intersection and there's a reason they call this a wright brothers moment on mars. never before has an aircraft taken off and flown on another planet, that we know of. but going forward, nasa thinks that this probe is going to help them explore mars and many other planets with new modes of exploration. this morning, space geeks the world over, myself included, are savoring these stunning images this video taken from the nearby rover "perseverance" captured all 30 seconds of it the lift-off, a steady climb, then hovering 10 feet above the surface before gently touching down and this very cool still photo

from "ingenuity's" own camera, captured its shadow as it hovered above. the drone is so far from earth, it must fly itself, making 500 calculations every second. >> "ingenuity" has performed its first flight, first flight >> reporter: for the team who dared to dream big and pulled off a challenge, all the reason to celebrate. >> this is the first time i've been able to say we've done it. >> reporter: "ingenuity" carries a tiny piece of the wright brothers 1903 kitty hawk flyer nasa has named the landing zone wright brothers field. >> we are so excited to have these two stories, the story of "ingenuity," and related to the wright brothers. >> reporter: even earning its

own international airport code, igy, and of course the required logbooks to record future flights. the biggest challenge, the martian atmosphere is 90% thinner than earth's four more flights are planned. >> we're going to go further, faster, especially towards the end of the experimental window, we will be pushing the envelope and really stretching and understanding how well we can fly. >> reporter: what's next look at this cool video. nasa is planning to use a drone to explore titan, the biggest ot saturn's 82 moons. dragonfly will buzz over 100 miles of sand dunes and canyons, arriving in 2034 >> reporter: if you're not a space geek yet, those images will turn you into one for sure. guys, back to you. >> that's so great. >> yeah. >> thank you, tom. all right, we are back with former president bush, a special naturalization ceremony for

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a teish crash that killed two people was at on autopilot at the time. police on the crash scene say there was no driver in the driver's seat, there was a man in a passenger seat and in the back seat. it took nearly four hours to put out the fire. i'm kris sanchez, a new survey shows that a lot of folks are enjoying working from home. take a look at these numbers. 53% of workers surveyed said they prefer to spend some or all of their time working from home in the future. 18% o they'd prefer to return in person full time. two-thirds of students 18 and

older who took classes online say they'll continue distance learning giving the opportunity, survey conducted by usc and california emerging technology fund but of course we know the digital divide is very real and communities have to address that. all right, let's address the weather right now. how should we dress for today? nice spring day ahead, kari? >> yes, but it's going to be very windy, so maybe tie the hair back. we are going to see the winds really picking up later today in morgan hill. as you head out for the park it's nice in the mid-50s and will make it into the mid-60s for an afternoon high. cooler with some of our warmest spots inland only reaching into the low 70s today. some upper 70s with sunshine in the forecast through the end of the week and then check out the changes this weekend, more clouds and even some scattered showers possible on sunday into monday. big changes with our highs only reaching into the low 60s in the valleys in san francisco, will also get in on the rain chances as our temperatures drop back to

the mid-50s by sunday. laura? >> all right, thank you very much. thank you for joining us as well. another local news update for you in about half an hour. hope to see you then. have a great morning. this is a no-nonsense message from three. small business insurance usually forces you to piece together multiple policies. that's why three was created. it's one policy that covers everything you need... leaving those old policies in the dust. three. no nonsense. just common sense.

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contribution to our strength of our nation in his first live television interview in three years -- >> your classic examples of what americans need to know, about people who risk everything and come to america. >> then, leading an official naturalization ceremony on rockefeller plaza. >> i can't even begin to express my gratitude it feels like an honor to be a citizen. >> as dozens of essential workers, heroes of the pandemic, vow faith and allegiance to the united states. >> this is what the american dream is the u.s. allowed me to become a physician and now i can give back to the country. >> we embrace them with open arms, and the gifts our country has to offer america, a nation built by immigrants, welcomes them. today, april 20th, 2021. >> come on, this is a very special tuesday morning. look what's happening right here in studio 1a

we are delighted to have former president bush here. he's going to oversee a beautiful ceremony that we've been waiting for on our plaza. we're going to have a live interview, his first in three years. he's surrounded by his portraits. we're going to talk about that and so much more it's a pretty special day. you can feel it around here. >> also, pleased to report that the president came to play this morning. >> yes, of course. always does. we have a lot of great things, but let's begin this half hour with your news at 8:00. >> the jury returning for its first full day of deliberations in the trial of derek chauvin. gabe gutierrez has been on the ground from the beginning in minneapolis and he has dramatic moments from monday's closing arguments. gabe, good morning >> reporter: hi, craig, good morning. now, the governor of minnesota has declared a state of emergency and he has requested that other states send in extra law enforcement personnel to help keep the peace following a

verdict. this morning, derek chauvin's fate is in the hands of the jury deliberations are set to resume after monday's high-stakes closing arguments. >> this wasn't policing. this was murder. >> reporter: prosecutors reminded jurors that george floyd was pinned under chauvin's knee for 9 minutes and 29 seconds. >> when he was unable to breathe, he continued after the point he had a pulse. >> reporter: after the nearly two-hour presentation, chauvin took off his mask and his attorney presented his case for nearly three hours. >> this was an authorized use of force, as unattractive as it may be and this is reasonable doubt. >> reporter: the defense insisted floyd died from many factors, including drug use and underlying heart condition the prosecution had the final word in its rebuttal. that mr. floyd died, that mr. floyd died because his heart was too big.

and the truth of the matter is, that the reason george floyd is dead is because mr. chauvin's heart was too small. >> reporter: after almost a year of anguish, the anxiety over a potential verdict is growing demonstrators gathered outside the courthouse and across the country cities are on edge awaiting a verdict the national guard deployed in chicago and dc, the oakland police department surrounded by barricades storefronts in philadelphia boarded up. >> god forbid, this decision goes wrong >> reporter: for the family, the decision has been gut-wrenching. they spoke with craig after closing arguments. >> what was it like to be that close to officer chauvin, former officer chauvin? >> for me, it was emotional. afg you have to watch the video and listen to the defense put george

on trial after killing him >> reporter: there was also controversy inside the courthouse after the jury left the courtroom, the judge says the defense might have grounds for an appeal because of what maxine waters of california said over the weekend. she said protesters need to get more con confrontational. the judge said comments by elected officials that were disrespectful of the judicial process were abhorrent. >> gabe, thank you. the cdc cleared the way yesterday for everyone in the u.s. age 16 and over to get vaccinated for covid-19. more than half of american adults have now received at least one dose but health officials are increasingly worried about the other half vaccine appointments are going unfilled, even with new covid cases jumping to nearly 30% last month. the biden administration is spreading the word on social media, the shots are safe, they're effective, and he's urging more outreach to those who are still hesitant >> that's the news, hoda

it's time for a morning boost. can i get it out >> here we go. okay, junior, zach sanders, is the football team manager at conway high school in arkansas every six weeks team members try to set new personal records. zach tries to top his own record in the vertical jump so last week on his first try, zach matched his own best jump of 17 inches, then with his coaches and his team's encouragement, he decided to try for 1 inch higher. it would be a personal best. [ cheers and applause >> zach nailed it! even better, look at the reaction of the players. st they're mobbing him it's a moment, zach says, he'll never, ever forget >> speaking of moments folks will never forget.

we're going to naturalize 30 folks and go one-on-one with former president george w. bush. >> he's got a new book featuring p portraits of american immigrants we're looking forward to a great conversation first time i'm meeting the president. and then the big event this markable group, they will be u.s. citizens before you know it it's going to happen live on our plaza, life-changing moments but, first, these messages ♪ a-hey, a-hey-hey ♪ ♪ ♪ love like yours will surely come my way ♪ [sfx: psst psst] allergies don't have to be scary.

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welcome back. what an honor to have former president george w. bush right here with us in studio 1-a we'll get to his first live television interview in three years in just a moment mr. roker needs a moment, too. a quick check of the weather >> a nice day here in the east heavy rain down through florida. snowy conditions stretching from the great lakes, plenty of sunshine along the west coast and we've got good morning. we will see sunshine today and it will be windy near the coastline, upper 70s over the next couple of days.

this weekend will be much cooler as we watch out for a chance of rain sunday. approval of my forecast. >> he said you did pretty good >> all right, now to our special guest, former president george w. bush, he's back in the spotlight as he releases his new book "out of many one." portraits of america's immigrants it is a project he's passionate about. he's been working on this for the last two years and it tells the stories of 40 men and women who have immigrated to the united states. he panlted them all. it comes at a time when immigration is in the spot light. there are 11 million undocumented immigrants in the u.s. and a surge of 20,000 unaccompanied minors looking for refuge at the southern border. we are going to speak to president bush about that in a minute a look at the people who inspired this president. >> i think every journey is

unique and different and separate i come from the eastern part of turkey >> i was a homeless kid after the genocide because many orphanages did not take in kids. they were full >> as a kid, imagine sleeping at 3:00 in the morning and then the whole building would shake, glass broken, lights, sirens >> these faces are three of the 43 immigrants featured in president bush's new book. some faces you may recognize part of our history books, like former secretary of state henry kissinger, and madeleine albright most you will not. the people the former president says make up the spirit of america. >> welcome >> and today their journey brings them here to the george w. bush presidential center in dallas to not only meet with the president, but to see the portraits he has painted in their honor for the very first

time come over here, celine >> celine became one of the 1 million people who fled lebanon civil war when he was just 13. he would go on to find the largest brazilian steakhouse chain, texas to brazil, with just the money in his pocket >> ta-da >> at just 9 years old, jean watched her family slaughteredg. she now before her eyes during the genocide she now provides education to people around the world. >> wow >> he grew up as a kurdish nomad before traveling to america with

only the knowledge of how to make cheese and yogurt he's now the founder of chobani. the top greek yogurt brand in the united states. >> they give back a lot. now, you had a childhood in rwanda i guess the natural attend aens wo tendency would be to have hate in your hart how were you able to convert hate to love >> my mother used to say that when you have a heavy heart or bitterness in your heart, god cannot listen to your prayers. >> here's what i hope americans take away from the discussions and your stories we're all god's children, every life is precious if you start with that, with love in your heart as opposed to anger in your heart or suspicion in your heart, then all of a sudden these problems are more easy to solve, and that by welcoming people, obviousl within the law, but welcoming people really makes it a better nation

and here's three citizens that have made us a better nation and we're very grateful. >> if that doesn't make you feel good, i'm not sure what will mr. president, it's great to see you. >> it's about time we've met. >> i cannot believe it i feel like every time you've come to the studio, i haven't been here. it's my pleasure i want to talk about the book and these wonderful people i think we should begin with what is in the news today. there are american cities boarding up and schools that are closing. everyone is awaiting the derek chauvin verdict. i was reading what you said after george floyd died, and you said laura and i are anguished over the brutal suffocation of george floyd, disturbed byk wil justice and fear that will suffocate our country. i was thinking about this verdict. what do you think will be the impact on the racial reckoning in this country? >> i think the first thing, is that people know that the trial has been conducted fairly, and

that rule of law reigns supreme in our judiciary we'll see what a jury of his peers says i think a lot of people have already made up their mind what the verdict ought to be. all i can tell you is that, if the trial is not conducted fairly, there is an appeal process. one of the things that we learned after the storming of the capitol is our institutions held, and one of the institutions that's really important for the confidence of the american people is a fair judicial system. i think that's what's playing out on our tvs right now. >> i do want to talk about the capitol. we'll talk about that in a second let's talk immigration for a second i'm looking at these beautiful portraits of these immigrants and then i'm thinking about other images that are so disturbing to me remember the little 10-year-old boy who was wandering, crying? you can picture him. or the 2 and 3-year-olds who were dropped right over the fence. i was just thinking about those

images and i just keep thinking, like why can't we get this right? >> well, you know, it's hard for americans to understand, and i can't really understand why a mother becomes so desperate or how a mother becomes so desperate that she's willing to put her children in the hands of a coyote, a smuggler there's been a lot of upheaval, gangs and drug records and people are totally intimidated, so they're streaming to our border it needs to be reformed and fixed. two things i think will help alleviate that one is an asylum process that is more robust, in other words, the border is being overwhelmed right now and there needs to be more judges and more courts, so people can have a fair hearing and secondly, we need to change the work visas there's a lot of jobs that are empty, and there's a lot of jobs

that need to be filled and yet they're people that are willing to work hard to do so. so i think a combination of those two would help alleviate some of the border i talked to a border patrol down there in the southern sector, and one of the problems we have right now is that many of the law enforcement, the border patrol agents, are pulled off duty to deal with children and guard hospitals, and it just goes to show there's a real shortage of manpower and focus down there. >> you're so passionate about this >> i am posiassionate. >> by this book, you're lobbying for it i thought you said something interesting in an interview a few days ago as you talk about immigration reform, you're not so sure your republican colleagues are listening. >> some of of the politics and some of the democrats weren't listening when i was president, because you can score political points with the issue. part of the purpose of the book is to elevate the discourse and

remind our fellow citizens about the beauty of america, that it attracts people who are escaping tyranny or fleeing oppression or just want an opportunity to provide a better life. and today we're swearing in a group of citizens who were on the front line of the pandemic, many of them, and they weren't even citizens of the united states >> yeah. >> it's a beautiful country we have, and yet it's not beautiful when we condemn, call people names and scare people about immigration. it's an easy issue to frighten some of the electorate and i'm trying to have a different kind of voice. >> okay, if you were to describe the republican party, as you see it today, how would you describe it >> i would describe it as isolationist, protectionist, and to a certain extent, nativist. >> are you disappointed? >> well, it's not exactly my vision, but i'm just an old guy they put out to pasture. just a simple painter.

>> let me give you a hypothetical candidate for 2024. >> okay. >> this hypothetical republican is pro-immigration, pro a path to citizenship for undocumented workers, pro daca, pro reasonable gun control, pro education funding for public schools. does that person have a shot, would that republican have a shot in 2024 >> sure, yeah. >> do you think? >> i think so. i think that it depends upon the emphasis i think if the emphasis is integrity and decency and trying to work to get problems solved, i think the proper person has a shot, yeah. >> it seems like -- >> i think pro immigration isn't the right way to put it. i think border enforcement, with a compassionate touch. >> okay. >> that's how i would put it pro immigration basically means let's open up the borders and nobody is for that you can't have a country with open borders. >> i feel like you've made it a point not to criticize your

predecessors. >> that's true. >> have you ever been tempted? >> i guess step one is have i ever been tempted to defend thyself publicly, and the answer is no. look, i'm out. and -- yeah, i guess i have been, sure anyone in particular no, i think i'm fine if i did, michelle obama might not be my friend >> that friendship, by the way, has just captivated people isn't that so funny that something to simple can be so weird to people? >> it points out how bitter we've become and i'll never forget, after mccain's funeral when i gave her the candy, jenna said, hey, dad, you're trending. i said, i'm not sure what that means. >> what did i do >> and michelle obama and i being friendly to each other. >> you talk about people being friendly, but we know that politics can get ugly. >> sure. >> but i don't know when it's been uglier than january 6th and i didn't get a chance to ask

you, but when you were watching that unfold, as the president and the son of one, what was going on in your mind? >> it kind of made me sick it did make me sick. i felt ill i just couldn't believe it you know, but the truth of the matter is, i was optimistic that we would survive that, because i believe so strongly in the institutional stability of our country. and it did survive the congress met, ratified the election, the courts met and are still meeting today to hold people to account for storming the capitol. you know, what is really troubling is how much misinformation there is and the capacity of people to spread all kinds of untruth. >> yeah. >> and i don't know what we're going to do about that i know what i'm doing about it i don't do twitter, facebook or any of that stuff. >> you're off of it now? you've never done it >> no. >> president biden came to you a few days ago and explained to you that he was going to pull

troops out of afghanistan. >> yeah. >> did you think that was the right decision >> well, when he told me that i thought about roya, who is over your left shoulder, and roya has been helping afghan women and girls, as has laura, as have people at the bush center, and my first reaction was, wow, these girls are going to have real trouble with the taliban. a lot of gains have been made and so i'm deeply concerned about the polilight of women and girls in that country. held off on that decision? >> we'll see time will tell i think the administration hopes that the girls are going to be okay through diplomacy we'll find out all i know, when the taliban had the run of the place, they were brutal. >> can you believe it's been 20 years since we went in there >> you know, we went into korea in '52

we went into germany in '44. so, yeah, no, i mean -- yeah say, can you believe you've been out of office? you were in there 20 years ago yeah, time flies. >> i want to talk about your paintings. i feel like you paint two groups, mainly you paint a lot of people, but you paint veterans and you paint immigrants why those two groups >> first of all, i have a kinship with veterans. i've got great empathy with immigrants you know, we were all raised, mainly, by a woman who came from mexico with nothing. >> i loved reading her story. >> oh, she was awesome and she was nearly as tough on us as mother. >> she was >> pretty damn tough yeah, she was great. but she taught us about family values she cared deeply about her as a matter of fact, two days

ago two of her daughters came up from houston to see the portrait this woman is a boater, she cared deeply, and had two families, one of which was ours. and it opened up my heart. good morning. people are celebrating all things marijuana related on 4/20. but they're making sure crowds do not gather and citations may be issued by those who do not comply. in another way though, it's going to be a nice day to get outdoors. kari's got a look at the

forecast for this tuesday morning. >> good morning, yes, it's going to be beautiful today but a little bit on the windy side. but our temperatures are coming down. our inland areas will reach into the low 70s and we will see supper 70s tomorrow as well as thursday. notice the cooling heading our way for the weekend with our inland areas in spots like antioch as well as santa rosa. will only reach into the 60s and we will see a chance of showers moving in by sunday. san francisco is still nice and mild with temperatures in the upper 50s and sunshine. but we will get even cooler once those clouds arrive this weekend. laura? >> we will keep the jacket handy. thank you. thank you for joining us as well. another update in half an hour.

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welcome back at 8:30 on a one-of-a-kind tuesday morning here the plaza, as you can see, filled with american flags, in honor of a very special group gathered here for a very special event. >> we're getting chills here you're about to watch 30 citizenship candidates become the next united states citizens. we are so honored to host their naturalization ceremony. it is happening live and we have

the president and first lady here, former president and first lady this is a thrill. >> yes. >> i'm getting chills out here. >> we've never done anything like this. that was a fantastic conversation, by the way, as well we've got carson, al, sheinelle. as you can see, they're ready to go down there. >> we're joined, once again, by former president george bush and former first lady, laura bush. they are going to help us honor this group and to lead the candidates as they take the oath they're going to become citizens we talk about how every now and then you watch someone's life change, you see it when they get an olympic medal or get married. we're about to see the exact thing right here we have the acting director of the u.s. citizenship and immigration service, and new york district's director with us we've got the officials in place, too. >> by the way, this is a really inspiring group. they worked hard to get here, making their way to america from some 17 countries.

many of them doctors, nurses, essential workers. we can't wait to share their stories across all four hours of "today" this morning. first, mr. roker has a check of the forecast. >> it's really inspiring let's show you quickly what's happening as far as your weather is concerned the east coast looking fantastic, lots of sunshine. heavy rain in florida. below average temperatures in the plains sunshine from seattle all the way to san diego snowy conditions from eastern good morning, i'm meteorologist kari hall. as we get a live look outside in dublin and go around the bay with a look at our high temperatures this afternoon, san mateo will reach 61. you will notice it will be windy 66. in santa rosa though, also dusty as our high temperatures reach into the mid-70s with sunshine and our forecast over the next few days will stay in the 70s but notice we will be changing for the weekend with clouds and rain moving in by the end of the weekend.

that is your latest weathe coming up next is go time to the journey of citizenship a new exciting chapter begins for these amazing folks. for these amazing folks. first, thi this couple is working hard

on our state's recovery. you see, they live in california and keeping their vacation in california supports our small businesses and communities. which means that beautiful baby gherkin atop this charcuterie masterpiece is like another brick in the rebuilding of our economy. job well done friends. calling all californians. keep your vacation here and help our state get back to work. and please travel responsibly.

we are back and how excited are we a very special naturalization ceremony right here on our plaza. >> look at this fantastic group. 30 citizenship candidates from 17 different countries, including australia, ghana, india. many of these folks are essential workers. they have taken care of their communities over the past year in the midst of this pandemic. >> we are so fortunate to be part of their journey. >> let's meet some of the candidates >> becoming the united states citizen means that i am a part

of the system and my family gets to be a part of its endless opportunities. >> i was 19 years old when my parents started their business and me becoming a physician in the u.s. is a tribute to their hard work. >> feels like a dream come true to be an american. >> i look forward to officially joining my friends and adopted family down here and doing our civic duty to try and make this country a better place >> having become a citizen in the middle of this pandemic has been an honor and i am grateful for it i can't express my gratitude >> i bought a house, i got married. i wanted to vote, i wanted to demonstrate that i was committed. it felt right. this was my home and i want to be part of this country. >> i am looking forward to my naturalization ceremony. i may be tearful at times.

>> i came here from denmark almost 20 years, working from the bottom up. today i am in a leadership position in the icu of a large hospital and becoming a u.s. citizen today, marking this exciting end to my long journey, my own american dream. >> i have three children and they all went to college and now are successful young adults. they came to me one day and said, mommy, it's about time you become a united states citizen, just like us, so here i am >> mommy, it's about time. we are not going to wait any longer please welcome t citizenship and immigration service, the director timothy houghton i'll turn it over to you >> thank you, hoda >> good morning, it is my honor to welcome you to this exciting and important days in your lives.

i will call out every country that's represented here today. please stand and remain standing as your country is called. you come from many backgrounds but soon you will stand as one australia, canada, costa rica, denmark, dominican republic, ghana, india, ireland, israel, jamaica, mexico, napal, the philippines, taiwan, trinidad and the united kingdom >> woo [ applause ] acting director renault, each of these 30 candidates have been personally examined under oath

by a designated officer. each has demonstrated an understanding of english, unless exempt, and a knowledge of the fundamentals of history and the principles and the form of government of the united states. each has been found to be a person of good moral character attached to the principles of the constitution of the united states and well disposed to the good order and happiness of the united states. the investigations of the government had been completed in their cases and each has been requirements of the law to be naturalized. and now, ladies and gentlemen, i would like to introduce the acting director of u.s. citizenship and immigration services, tracy renault, who will administer the oath of allegiance >> thank you ladies and gentlemen, it is my privilege and pleasure to administer the oath of allegiance to these 30 candidates today

please raise your right hand and repeat after me. i hereby declare on oath that i absolutely and entirely renounce all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, state or sovereignty, of whom or which i have heretofore been a subject or citizen that i will support and defend the constitution and laws of the united states of america against all enemies, foreign and domestic that i will bear true faith and allegiance to the same that i will bare arms on behalf of the united states when

required by law. that i will perform noncombative services in the armed forces of the united states when required by the law. i will perform work of national importance under civilian direction when required by the law. that i take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion. so help me god congratulations. you are now citizens of the united states of america [ cheers and applause >> please be seated. it is my distinct honor to call you by your new title, american citizen. i am proud to be your fellow citizen and know that you will use your new rights and responsibilities in ways that will leave a lasting impression on our country thank you for your commitment to the united states, and

congratulations, again, to you all. ladies and gentlemen, it is now my privilege to introduce the 43rd president of the united states, george w. bush president bush exemplifies the ideals of a service and commitment to our country, and are at the heart of our great nation this is evidenced by his distinguished history of public service as a two-term president and governor of texas, and as a pilot in the texas air national guard. as our nation's president, he worked to expand freedom, opportunity and security at home and abroad after his presidency, he and former first lady, laura bush, founded the george w. bush presidential center in dallas, texas, which is home to the george w. bush presidential library and museum and the george w. bush institute throughout his life, president bush has demonstrated his deep commitment to making his community, his state and his country better and stronger. it's an honor to have the president and mrs. bush here today. mr. president. >> thank you if you could tell, i couldn't

wait to get up here. [ laughter ] >> laura and i are honored to be here tracy, thank you for being here. timothy as well. welcome, our fellow citizens you and i share the same rights and the same title you know, in one of my inauguration speeches, which a lot of people have already forgotten, i said it's important for us to be citizens, not spectators it's a responsibility of citizenship. the amazing thing about this ceremony is that most of you were already citizens before you became a citizen, on the front line of helping america deal with a severe pandemic it really speaks to your soul and your spirit, and it reminds me of how fortunate we are to have you as citizens "out

of many one," it e plur abus is a motto out of many one it means that we've all come from different backgrounds and it's important for you to honor the traditions from which you have come, but it's also important to recognize the beauty of america, is that out of many backgrounds comes one nation under god so today you're a citizen, and we're sure proud of you. god bless you. [ applause ] >> my goodness. >> that was beautiful. by the way, we did it. you guys did it. congratulations. what a beautiful, beautiful moment we are going to take a quick break and we have a little bit more ahead i think you're going to lead us i think you're going to lead us ini'm morgan, and there's more to me than hiv.

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morning. we're here, we're proud, proud to be with 30 brand new u.s. citizens, along with former president george w. bush and former first lady, laura bush. what a morning. >> oh, what a morning. also, new york district director and u.s. citizenship and immigration services, timothy houghton with us i believe you're going to lead them in their first pledge of allegiance. >> terrific. thank you. my fellow americans, please stand. please join me in the pledge of allegiance please place your right hand over our heart and repeat after me bye bye. i pledge allegianc to the fla of the united states of americ and to the republi for which it stand one nation under go indivisibl

with liberty and justice for all. my fellow americans, this concludes our ceremony new u.s. citizens, please stand by to receive your certificates of naturalization, and congratulations to all of you. >> congratulations you guys don't go anywhere we have a lot more ahead with our newest citizens and the former president and first lady. but, first, this is "today" on nbc.

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we are back on the plaza on this tuesday morning proud to be standing alongside president bush and first lady, laura bush and 30 new american citizens. >> as craig pointed out, it's so

fun to look out at the sea of beautiful new faces, new citizens carson, you're with one of them. >> i am. i've got dr. smith here. you came over to the unite >> thank you. >> what does it feel like today? >> it's so amazing it's so exciting. >> tell me a little bit about what you do. you're in the bronx, you're in the health care system you're a doctor and thank you for all your efforts during the pandemic. >> i'm a psychiatry resident, and brooklyn is where i work it's been a tremendous experience and really interesting during this pandemic. >> what does it mean to you to be an american citizen >> it means everything it means freedom and the opportunity to have opportunities for my family. it means a lot. >> speaking of the family, you know you've got to say hi to somebody at home. >> i would like to say hi to my daughter and my husband and my sister hi, guys. >> are you going to celebrate tonight? >> i am. >> you should be partying.

welcome to citizenship sheinelle, how are you >> i'm so great. how are you feeling this morning? >> i'm real pretty good. >> you are a nurse practitioner in new jersey and this has been a long time coming for you, hasn't it? >> yes, i've been here almost 20 years. >> how has it been for you >> it's been a long journey. it's been hard. >> when you got your sfikcertift and looked at it for just a second, does it feel real yet? >> no, it doesn't feel real yet. >> when you stand on the plaza and look at all these beautiful men and women and former president bush a addressing you with his wife, does it feel surreal? >> yes, but it's also a proud moment. >> i'll just leave it right there, a proud moment. hoda, craig, you can feel the energy here. >> there are so many wearing-in ceremonies and i think it's so cool that this happens to be before the president and first lady

you could have been at a courthouse you say it never gets old for you, mr. president. >> it's one of the beautiful moments in our country, to see people who -- you know, the guy from denmark was here for 20 years trying to fight through the system it's complex, it's difficult, it can be very costly to some and, yet, these citizens have stayed with it and had hope. and our country is better off because of moments like this. >> mr. president, i thought you made an excellent point earlier when you noted that a lot of these folks, they've been practicing citizenship long before they were sworn in this morning. >> that's why we're happy to have them as citizens. and the key thing now is they know, now that i'm out of government, you're allowed to criticize your government. [ laughter ] >> but one of the key things is to vote and make sure you participate in the process

a vote matters and elections have consequences. and you can be a part of this process. >> yeah, i think that -- i mean, i love how you're shining a light on immigration this is not a book tour, this is a calling. this is something that you're going to continue to do. >> it's a little bit of a book tour. >> you want folks to buy the book. >> there's that part, too. >> the proceeds from the book go to the programs that have helped people assimilate or people, you know, find refuge. one of the beautiful things about america is there's a lot of people who really want to help refugees and asylum seekers. and i bet these citizens have got some great stories about people who have helped them in a strange land now the question is, will they continue to help others, and i'm convinced they will. >> i'm sure they will. your book, by the way, is full of beautiful stories, people who came to the country with a suitcase and a couple hundred bucks and a dream. >> it kind of reminds me of your parents. >> thank you

that means a lot. >> thank you, mr. president. thank you, all of you. speaking of those stories, we're going to have much more of those stories from the newest u.s. citizens on the third and fourth hour we're going to hear about their paths to this life-changing moment. >> and former president bush and mrs. bush are coming back to join jenna. >> uh-oh. >> i'm just buckling up. thank you so much for a beautiful sun-splashed day at rockefeller plaza. congratulations to our new citizens now your local news and weather.

a very good morning to you. i'm laura garcia. today is the day state health leaders update county covid tier levels. marin may be the first in the bay area to slide into the least restrictive yellow tier. every county but solano is

currently in the orange tier. yellow means gyms can increase their capacity to 50%. bars can start allowing people back indoors in limited numbers, and to get yellow, counties need fewer than 2 new cases than 100,000 people and positivity rate lower than 2%. happening now, we're talking with business owners in the north bay for what they hope is the next step in return to normal. we'll have a live update on our newscast. and once we get the tier levels, we will post it too our twitter feed so you know. we're watching for a verdict that could come at any time in minneapolis in derek chauvin's murder trial. once the judge notifies about a verdict, we will break into nbc with a live special report. you can also check our page for the latest investments. and now they're bracing for the outcome and possible response from protesters. we'll have a live update on our newscast.

. a good tuesday morning to you, welcome to the third hour of "today," it is tuesday april citizens. >> a round of applause. these 30 people took the oath of

allegiance