tomorrow and rain this weekend. how is it moving on the commute, mike? >> things are pretty calm right now. >> sounds good, all right. that is great. that's going to do it for us this morning. >> we take a live look at the oakland coliseum. the "today" show up next. . good morning. push and pull. as the vaccination effort reaches a new milestone, president biden now pushing more americans to get their shot. >> put it simply, if you've been waiting for your turn, wait no longer. >> the mounting concern over the number of unfilled appointments across the country, while the effort to pull back covid restrictions gains steam. some now saying masks outside no longer necessary. just ahead, the director of the cdc weighs in live. sweeping investigation, less

than 24 hours after the derek chauvin verdict, the minneapolis police department now facing a federal probe. >> public safety requires public trust. the tough questions the justice department wants answered about police training and the use of excessive force as officers across the country react to one of their own being found guilty of murder. >> i think he really steamed -- all the law officers that are out there on a daily basis. >> we'll have the very latest. breaking overnight, new demonstrations in ohio over the fatal police shooting of a 16-year-old girl, the new body cam video just released by police as officials call for calm while the investigation unfolds. wild weather, whiteout conditions, and freezing temperatures blamed for this massive pileup in the midwest. and overnight, springtime frost warnings stretches from the

south all the way to new england. we've got your full forecast. those stories, plus, palm readers, the new way for you to pay for in-store purchases being rolled out by amazon. and a walk to remember, al is hitting the road for a firsthand look at the many ways we can all make a difference and help the environment, today earth day, thursday, april 22nd, 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" on this thursday morning. so happy that you're joining us on this earth day. >> earth day and a pretty day but a chilly one, too. let's get started and we're going to do it today by the numbers. the first number we're watching this morning, earth day, 2,500 -- that's how many official cleanup events are happening today all around the world.

al's "today" goes green all morning long. >> the next number is 23, that's how many hours each day derek chauvin will be spending in solitary confinement following his conviction in the murder of george floyd. gabe gutierrez will have the very latest and new details on that federal investigation that's now facing the minneapolis police department. we will begin with the coronavirus and the number 32 million. that is how many covid cases have now been reported in the u.s. since the start of the pandemic, and there's a new milestone in the vaccine rollout as well. there's also concern that the progress is starting to slow. >> we're going to talk about that and a lot more with cdc director rochelle wawalensky. but first miguel almaguer brings us the latest. >> reporter: in just under 100 days, the president says the nation has now met the goal of 200 million shots given, more than half of all adults in this country have at least one dose, but vaccinating the other half is unlikely to happen nearly as fast. this morning as our nation

shatters another vaccine milestone, 200 million shots administered, the president is now turning his focus to americans who are hesitant or lack access and time to be vaccinated. >> i'm calling on every employer, large and small in every state to give employees the time off they need with pay to get vaccinated. >> reporter: but the race to reach herd immunity could be derailed by those unwilling to be vaccinated. a new poll shows 20% of americans are not at all likely to get a vaccine as soon as it's available, and today at many super sites and local pharmacies, hundreds of thousands of appointments are wide open across the country. >> i just look at it like this, i think just being vaccinated, i'd rather be safe than sorry. >> reporter: with a decision about whether to resume the johnson & johnson vaccine to be addressed by cdc advisers tomorrow, a new snapshot shows

despite the pause, vaccine confidence is rising, but there are new details about the baltimore plant where millions of j&j doses were ruined last month. an fda report obtained by nbc news found serious violations at this emergent facility with basic missteps over sanitation, training, and improper storage of ingredients. johnson & johnson says quality and safety are paramount, adding the company will increase its oversight. >> are you ready? >> reporter: meanwhile, focus is also shifting to inoculating the young, teenagers who qualify now getting their shot at a vaccine. >> i'm just really glad i'm finally able to get it done and over with and, you know, just claim victory. >> reporter: this morning as states across the country face the threat of a fourth surge, the critical push to vaccinate continues, and for some americans so does their defiance. as more americans get vaccinated

and seek protection, the los angeles dodgers have announced this weekend they'll offer a section for fully vaccinated fans. for those who want tickets in this area of the ballpark, they'll have to provide documentation that they're fully vaccinated. masks will still be required. savannah. >> all right, miguel, thank you very much. lots of issues to discuss with dr. rochelle walensky, the director of the cdc. dr. walensky, good morning, it's good to see you again. >> good morning, savannah, glad to be with you. >> let's talk about the j&j vaccine first because tomorrow that advisory panel meets. do you expect the j&j vaccine to resume in this country, and how soon if so? >> it's a really good question. i don't want to get ahead of the advisory committee tomorrow's meeting, they're meeting from 11:00 to 5:00, and they will see data on the new cases that may have come in since the six cases that were initially reported. they're also going to review data that we will be providing them on the risks and benefit analysis, the benefits of having

the j&j vaccine versus the very, very rare events that we have detected. so i will look to their guidance. i believe it's really important to make a swift decision as i believe does the fda, so we'll see what they have to say and we'll be forward with the guidance soon thereafter. >> one thing real quickly. european regulators have already resumed j&j or recommended resuming j&j in europe. do you feel an urgency here? >> yes, i do. we need to make a decision quickly, and i'm really hopeful that we'll be able to use the vaccine soon. >> all right, let's talk about the vaccine rollout. we hit a major milestone, 200 million shots in arms, 25% of the country is vaccinated. that's the good news. but the experts are warning now that we are about to hit this moment where demand is no longer outstripping supply. in other words you're going to have people who don't really want the vaccine and you've got about half the population vaccinated at that point. so what is the plan to try to get the other half of the country vaccinated?

i almost think about it as a race where like the last half of the marathon is all uphill. >> yeah, you know, we've been planning for this. we knew at some point -- and i would consider it good news that we have enough vaccine out there, and it's accessible enough. we have vaccine now within five miles of 90% of americans, and we knew we were going to hit this point. we thought it would be around the late part of april, and here we are. and now comes the hard work of working with our community core, trying to understand why people might be hesitant. is it the science that they feel was rushed? we know 100,000 people were enrolled in these clinical trials for these vaccines. is it that they just haven't reached messaging from a trusted messenger, so that's the work that we have ongoing. that's the work that we're doing, and we know we have it ahead. >> and the goal here is herd immunity, and experts differ at what point we reach herd immunity, 70% of the population, 80%, 90%, whatever it is, the

goal is if you have herd immunity the virus can't continue to spread and mutate, which of course poses a big danger. do you have any concern that we simply won't be able to achieve herd immunity in this country? >> you know, this value of herd immunity is very much dependent on how transmissible the virus is, and with these variants that may, in fact, be a moving target. here's what i do know. i know the more the population gets vaccinated, the more people we have vaccinated the less transmission will happen. i'm rather looking towards a singular numerical target. my job now is to make sure that every american knows that this vaccine is available to them, that it is safe, that it is effective, and that they should go and get vaccinated. >> let me pick up on that, because that issue of transmission, whether vaccinated people can nevertheless still transmit the virus is one of the big open questions of the pandemic right now, and it's a key one. that's why vaccinated people are still wearing masks because we

just don't know if they're able to transmit the virus. so my question is, what is the science telling you now? i know the cdc and researchers are studying it. when might we have an answer? it seems like a particularly key questions. >> it is a really important question that we're following, and there are numerous studies now that are starting to emerge that give us important data, so we know that the vaccine in real world studies is somewhere between 85, 95% effective, and some of the questions are does that mean that you're not getting sick or you're not getting the virus, and people -- the mmwr released data about a month ago that demonstrated that we're screening, we're actually finding that people are not getting the virus at all. so what about those people that are breakthrough, who do get the virus, and increasingly data suggests that about a third of them, even if they get the virus are completely asymptomatic and many of them have sup low virus

they can't transmit to others. we still need more data in this area, but increasingly, we're getting more and more data to suggest that even those breakthrough infections may be less symptomatic and less likely to transmit. >> which is good news, but just to bottom line it, when might you really have a definitive answer so you could tell people, hey, if you have the vaccine you don't really need to wear that mask anymore. >> what i will say is no vaccine is perfect, and so ultimately this is going to be a matter of risk. a 95% effective vaccine is extraordinarily effective. if we can have a 95% effective vaccine and we can get our case loads down then we'll be in really good shape in the country. >> real quickly, there's a growing debate now about to mask or not to mask when you're outside. i looked at the cdc guidance this morning, and forgive me, i choose this word carefully, it's a little mushy. do you think that if you are outside and not close to people you still need to wear a mask? >> you know, this is a question

that we're looking at. one of the things i think that's really important to understand is while there's wonderful news and we're getting more and more people vaccinated every day, we still have 57,000 cases of covid yesterday. we still had 733 deaths, and so while we are really trying to scale up vaccination, we have this complex message that we industrial have hot spots in this country, and we will be looking at the outdoor masking question, but it's also in the context of the fact that we industrial have people who are dying of covid. >> and really quickly, and i understand this is really complicated, but if people are getting vaccinated but they still have to wear masks, they're outside in the fresh air and the warm weather but the cdc is still saying, well, you should probably wear your mask, what's the incentive? i mean, isn't part of this sort of a reward thing. do the right thing and you'll be rewarded. do you balance that at all when you're making these decisions about the guidance you give? >> we absolutely do, and as we look at this guidance to revise the guidance of what you can do

when you're vaccinated, that will be easier and easier to do as more and more people get vaccinated, absolutely. >> cdc director dr. rochelle walensky, appreciate it as always. >> thanks for having me. craig is back in minneapolis with new developments tied to the george floyd case. hey, craig. >> good morning to both of you. good morning to you as well. less than 24 hours after former officer derek chauvin was convicted on all counts in the murder of george floyd, the justice department has now launched a new investigation into the minneapolis police department. nbc's gabe gutierrez is in minneapolis. he has more on all of that. gabe, good morning to you. >> reporter: craig, good morning. this police precinct is still heavily fortified as the country grapples with the future of law enforcement post-george floyd. this morning the minneapolis police department is facing new scrutiny in the wake of former officer derek chauvin's murder conviction. >> yesterday's verdict in the state criminal trial does not address potentially systemic

policing issues in minne >> reporter: attorney general merrick garland launching a re the department operates from usa health problems to trust. >> reporter: the city's first black police chief medaria arradondo says he welcomes the investigation vowing to cooperate fully. he fired chauvin after the officer kneeled on george floyd's neck for more than nine minutes last may and later testified for the prosecution during the trial. >> i absolutely agree that violating our policy. >> reporter: chauvin seen here in a new mug shot is in solitary confinement at the state's only maximum security prison, 23 hours of his day will now be spent in a small cell like this one, monitored by cameras and corrections officers. he'll get one hour outside for exercise, but no interaction with any other inmates out of concern for his safety. >> find the defendant guilty. >> reporter: chauvin was taken

away in handcuffs tuesday after a jury found him guilty of second and third degree murder and second degree manslaughter, a rare moment of accountability that minnesota attorney general keith ellison said he thought might not come. >> i was never convinced we were going to win this case until we heard the verdicts of guilty, particularly when the victim is a person of color, it's just rare that there's any accountability. >> reporter: some in this community now hope it will lead to lasting change. >> what's beautiful is we will not go back. we can't go back to the status quo. >> reporter: but today another sign that change won't come overnight. in nearby brooklyn center, the funeral for daunte wright killed in a police shooting just days ago. and craig, as you know from when you were here, many businesses in downtown minneapolis are still boarded up, but now authorities say that some national guard troops will start to be moved out of the city,

perhaps a sign of some sense of normalcy here, craig. >> yeah, that would be certainly a good sign indeed. gabe gutierrez for us there in minneapolis. thank you. now to another police shooting in the spotlight, overnight demonstrators took to the streets in columbus, ohio, staging a protest over the death of a 16-year-old girl. this as officials released new body cam footage of that shooting. nbc's megan fitzgerald is with us in columbus with more. hi, megan. >> reporter: hoda, good morning, columbus's police department and mayor say they've never released police body camera video so quickly, but they wanted to be transparent here. even still there's growing outrage here and across the nation, a warning here that the video you're about to see is disturbing. >> overnight, anger and anguish after another police shooting, this time 16-year-old makiyah bryant in columbus, ohio. >> get down! >> reporter: on wednesday the city released more body cam video capturing bryant's final moments.

>> regardless of the circumstances, a 16-year-old girl lost her life yesterday. >> reporter: police say the teen was threatening two other girls with a knife. officer nicholas rear don with the force since december 2019 was responding to a 911 call about an altercation. >> we got these grown girls over here trying to fight us, trying to stab us, trying to put their hands on our grandma. >> reporter: when officer reardon arrives he sees a group of young people, bryant appearing to hold a knife lungs at another girl who falls to the ground before confronting a second person near a car that's when reardon fires four shots and collapses. >> she had a knife, she just went at her. >> reporter: officers performed cpr on bryant. >> come on, stay with us, makiyah. >> reporter: she was pronounced dead at the hospital the state has launched an independent investigation. >> we have to ask ourselves what information did the officer have and what would have happened if

he had taken no action at all? we don't yet have those answers. >> reporter: franklin county children's services says bryant was a foster child under their care unfolding just before the derek chauvin verdict was released, the incident gaining national attention. lebron james tweeting a photo of reardon saying you're next the nba star later deleting the tweet explaining gathering all the facts is important, but adding my anger is still here. scrutiny on columbus as officials there call for calm as the investigation unfolds.as be taken off the street investigators are still interviewing witnesses in this case as for the two females that were confronted by bryant, we're told they have minor injuries hoda >> all right, thank you. now to wisconsin where a massive highway pileup left at least one person dead, several others injured it happened on interstate 41

during a big snowstorm there, and a dash cam captured the moment a semitruck slams into several other vehicles, even knocking a large commercial truck onto its side. the highway had to be closed for hours and this is just one of several pileups in the state in all. for more on that springtime snow, the unseasonably chilly temps, we're going to get our first check of weather from al, but al is not with us, no, he's on the move. hey, roker. >> hey, guys, we did a take a walk today now we're walking on roosevelt island here in the east river, new york city. we are going to be celebrating earth day. it is the 51st earth day, and we're going to be joined by bill nye the science guy, we'll talk about that in a bit. let's talk about this unseasonably cold weather. ooh, it is brisk baby. you can even see lake effect snow making its way from the great lakes to the mountains of west virginia, even to the northeast parts of new england we also look for those bitterly cold temperatures.

we've got frost and freeze warnings for 89 million people from the midwest down into the mid-atlantic we have temperatures, some record breakers this morning this system bringing in that cold air, we are looking at windchills that feel anywhere from the low teens to the upper 20s. and as we move into the day today, temperatures anywhere from 5 to 20 degrees below average. the good news is we are going to start to see a warmup as we get on into the weekend. temperatures warming up to more seasonal conditions. that's what's going on, we're going to get to your local forecast coming up in the next 30 seconds (vo) through our love promise, subaru and our retailers are proud to be replanting 500,000 trees... ...in areas devastated by wildfires. subaru. more than a car company.

good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. as we take a live look outside in san francisco and go around the bay, we'll see it staying cool here with some upper 50s and clouds throughout the day. inland areas like antioch and morgan hill will get some sunshine and highs near 70 degrees. going into the weekend more changes ahead. we cool off on saturday with some spotty showers. more widespread rain on sunday. and we will see it clearing out by early next week. hey, guys, it's a little chilly out, but the good news is we're trying to goose the temperatures over here >> oh, roker >> but we're socially distant, so it's okay. >> you're all okay i can't believe roker's got on ear muffs and a hat. >> i know. >> all right, al, thank you. from george floyd's family and from protesters.

police across the country to get their take on the derek chauvin verdict. cracks in the blue wall of silence during that trial and how it will impact all of their jobs. plus, we touched on it with the cdc director a moment ago, but just ahead, we're going to have a lot more on this new mask debate are masks really still needed outside if you're fully vaccinated tom costello is taking a closer look but first this is "today" on nbc. i'm morgan, and there's more to me than hiv. more love,... more adventure,... more community. but with my hiv treatment,... there's not more medicines in my pill. i talked to my doctor... and switched to... fewer medicines with dovato. prescription dovato is for some adults who are starting hiv-1 treatment or replacing their current hiv-1 regimen. with... just 2 medicines... in 1 pill,... dovato is as effective as a 3-drug regimen... to help you reach and stay undetectable. research shows people who take hiv treatment as prescribed... and get to and stay undetectable... can no longer transmit hiv through sex.

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serious allergic reactions may occur. tremfya® may increase your risk of infections and lower your ability to fight them. tell your doctor if you have an infection or symptoms or if you had a vaccine or plan to. tremfya®. emerge tremfyant™. janssen can help you explore cost support options. good morning. it's 7:26. i'm marcus washington. here are today's top stories including developments in a highly charged deadly police shooting. >> reporter: i'm bob redell in danville. the contra costa county district attorney's office has announced it will be filing felony manslaughter charges against danville police officer andrew hall for shooting and killing a man back in 2018. i want to warn you the video you are about to see graphic this is dash cam video showing hall firing several shots into the car. laudemer arboleda was driving as he moved past hall during a pursuit back in 2018. the danville police chief said

arboleda was driving towards hall and that hall fired in self-defense. >> reporter: i'm cierra johnson in mill valley. marin county will soon be under a mandatory water restriction. that means no power washing your home, no washing your car or filling pools. this will begin may 1st which is next saturday. for folks who don't want to comply they can face a $250 fine. >> that restriction brought on from the dry conditions we're experiencing. meteorologist kari hall and what we can expect in the forecast. kari? we have a couple more dry days in the forecast with highs in the low 70s for inland areas for today and tomorrow. by saturday we'll start to see some spotty showers moving in but more widespread rain and much cooler temperatures on sunday. we will see the rain moving out and back to dry conditions as temperatures get milder through the middle of next week.

for san francisco mostly cloudy skies, cool temperatures here. it does get cooler for the weekend as the rain moves in, marcus. >> i'll have another local news update in 30 minutes. which shows will you be getting into tonight? how about all of 'em.

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7:30 7:30 now it is earth day 2021, and there's a beautiful shot of al out there. he's helping to do his part this morning. come on, al, let's get going here he's part of the group that's cleaning up new york's roosevelt island alongside a host of volunteers, and al is leading a fun morning. listen, things that all of us can do to help out our planet, always a good reminder al is always first in line to lend a hand. >> there's a lot of litter pickup going on in new york city happening today. >> it is

a lot of kids are getting in on the action first something tied to earth day begins our check of the headlines. the biden administration is pledging to slash u.s. greenhouse gas emissions by 50 to 52% by the year 2030. that goal was unveiled at the start of the two-day climate summit hosted by president biden, the target more than doubles the country's prior commitment under the 2015 paris cli climate agreement. the emissions cuts are expected to come from power plants, automobiles and other sectors, but the white house did not announce individual targets for those particular industries. the house is set to vote again today on a bill that would make washington, d.c., the nation's 51st state. they passed that bill last year but it did not advance to the senate which was controlled by republicans at the time. so they're trying again, though the legislation still faces quite the uphill climb in an evenly divided upper chamber. how about this, paying for groceries with the swipe of your hand

that could be coming soon to whole foods stores near you. the technology is called amazon 1, and it's almost in use in about a dozen amazon stores. it allows shoppers to pay for items by placing their palm over the scanning device. first time shoppers use a kiosk to link that to a credit card and a palm print the technology debuted at a whole foods store in seattle yesterday, but will expand to seven other stores in the coming movants. >> high five. >> i know. >> brave new world, oh, no, i just bought something. let's go back to the newest wrinkle in this pandemic long debate over masks. we touched on it earlier with the director of the cdc. >> as more americans become vaccinated, questions are growing about whether masks are still needed or necessary when you are outside, and people certainly have very strong opinions on both sides >> it's all a little confusing, too. nbc's tom costello is in florida. he's taking a closer look at that debate and what the science actually says, hey, tom. >> reporter: yeah, we got an earful on this yesterday

listen, 26 states, plus d.c. still have some sort of mask mandate in place, not florida, no statewide mandate here. it's up to individual jurisdictions and then businesses on whether they require a mask but what about when you are outside. does this make any sense especially on a windy day like this it's an issue that states nationwide are grappling with. from dining to exercising to just walking about, there's a growing national debate, sometimes polite, sometimes heated. >> i have a breathing problem. >> reporter: over the need to mask up when you're doing those activities outside the reason for that, dr. asheesh sa says is fresh air >> we know that the virus largely spreads indoors, that there's very little transmission outdoors, except in very specific circumstances. >> reporter: researchers at oxford say while the data is limited, indoor covid transmission is nearly 19 times as likely as outdoors. experts at northwestern argue keeping masks on when you're

outside, even after you've been vaccinated, is not only a social courtesy but helps model the behavior for kids who can't get the shot yet. >> we've worn ours since the very beginning. >> reporter: for both sides of the debate, look no further than r rusty's seafood and oyster bar, where the owners have their own rule but the state doesn't. >> we ask the guests to wear masks inside the building, and once they're at their table they can take them off. >> reporter: guests enjoying rusty's waterside deck are divided. >> it's not that hard to wear a mask i don't understand why people are so resistant. >> do you wear a mask when you're outside for a walk? >> no, no, no. >> but you have it red dwi. >> >> i have it ready always. >> the family from iowa doesn't believe. >> as far as the mandate goes, burn the masks. >> burn the masks? >> burn the masks. get rid of them. >> reporter: dr. hillary fairbrother is an emergency

physician in texas, one of the first states to lift its mask mandate. >> hospital admissions did not rise, icu admissions did not rise overall, the consequences of the mask mandate have not been increasing cases as some people were concerned about >> reporter: dr. fairbrother says whether you're required to wear one or not, everyone should have a mask when they're out in public >> i put my mask on for those encounters where i come into closer contact with people >> tom, so we heard that in texas where they don't have a mask mandate they didn't actually see a rise in cases, so why do you think that is. >> reporter: yeah, it's interesting, listen to these numbers, daily cases down 58% since they dropped the mask mandate, hospitalizationings down about 48%, and the thinking is it's a combination of factors. first of all, it's warmer in texas. more people are going to be outside. you've had so many people who have had covid they've got antibodies, you've got a lot of

people who have been vaccinated now, so resistance is building, but also individual cities may require them, specifically businesses are saying you can't come in without a mask, so a lot of people are still wearing the masks trying to do the right thing, especially when they're inside, and all of that contributes to the lowering of the cases. >> all right tom costello for us, thank you just ahead, the cracks in the blue wall of silence exposed by the derek chauvin trial. >> this morning we're getting reaction from officers all across the country and what it could mean for their work on a daily basis and the push for police reform. right after this altered dna in your stool to find 92% of colon cancers even in early stages. tell me more. it's for people 45 plus at average risk for colon cancer, not high risk. false positive and negative results may occur. ask your prescriber or an online prescriber if cologuard is right for you. i'm on it.

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with the drop that's right for you. available everywhere welcome back this morning on in-depth today, blue wall of silence. ranks and protect their own. but if the derek chauvin trial and conviction showed anything, it's that that wall may be starting to crack. >> nbc's gabe gutierrez is back with us again from minneapolis hey, gabe, good morning. >> reporter: hoda, good morning, earlier we mentioned that the justice department had opened a new investigation into the practices of the minneapolis police department, but will this trial where so many officers testified against derek chauvin help change the culture of policing before derek chauvin was taken away in handcuffs, prosecutors stressed their case was about one police officer >> this is not an anti-police

prosecution. it's a pro-police prosecution. >> reporter: but outside the courtroom, the stakes seemed much higher. >> chauvin is in the courtroom, but america is on trial on how it will deal with police accountability >> reporter: during chauvin's trial, a rare sight, cop after cop after cop testifying against one of their own >> it's just uncalled for. >> reporter: including the minneapolis police chief who had fired chauvin. >> and it is certainly not part of our ethics or our values. >> was the american policing system on trial here >> i believe it was. >> reporter: officer jeremy bohanon has been a cop in austin, texas, for more than a decade. >> seeing that guilty verdict really just provided relief because everybody felt the same way. there's a lot of officers in this country that also feel the same way >> reporter: in new jersey, gabe rodriguez once worked for camden city police department which disbanded in 2013.

>> i think he really stained all the officers that are out there on a daily basis. >> reporter: he's now the chief of the camden county force that replaced it. >> reporter: what do you think this trial signified for police departments across the country >> it sent a strong message. you're not above the law, and you will be held accountable like anyone else in that situation regardless if you wear a badge or not. >> reporter: is the blue wall of silence real >> you know, when i first became a police officer i believe it was real, and i believe that wall is starting to be broken down in different agencies. have been trying to break it for years. in new orleans, a city reeling from a painful history of police killings, officers started a program, ethical policing is courageous or epic it uses peer pressure to stop misconduct >> we train our police officers to become active bystanders, so if they see a fellow police officer about to make a mistake, about to lose their cool, about to do something stupid, or about

to actually commit some form of misconduct, they step up, they say something. >> reporter: the historic verdict in minneapolis now renewing calls for change nationwide >> gabe, it was good to see and hear those perspectives from the men and women in blue, but all of this comes as you know, after a year of protests that put police in the spotlight again. what do we know about how that has impacted the effort to reform departments from the inside >> reporter: well, craig, according to one survey, about 36% of police departments have reported a wave of resignations and retirements. it's also getting harder to recruit police officers. another report found that the l.a.p.d. morale is at an all-time low of course, you know, this all comes as the debate over police reform at the federal level intensifies in congress, craig. >> indeed it does, gabe gutierrez there for us once again in minneapolis. we're going to switch gears

now, get another check of the weather from al who's on the road, on the move. it's today goes green for earth day. he's on roosevelt island here in new york good morning >> hey, good morning, guys, we're about to show you some great cleanups going on, part of a worldwide effort first, we've got a lot of wet weather to talk about around parts of the country, and in fact, we've got severe weather to talk about. we are looking at for tomorrow afternoon into the evening, 26 million people down around texas and the gulf coast we move into saturday, we've got another risk of severe weather, hail, damaging winds, and tornados possible. this system is going to be pushing across bringing heavy rain friday severe storms in texas, oklahoma, a flood threat is possible then we move into saturday strong storms into the southeast with rain across the midwest, and that rain continues into the northeast pushing its way off the coast, steady rain for new england as we move on into sunday rainfall amounts anywhere from one to three inches of rain from st. louis all the way down to

the gulf, some places could see good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. we're starting out with some clouds in the south bay and across much of the bay area. but this will clear out for a lot of our valleys and our temperatures in spots like morgan hill and concord will reach into the low 70s. we'll see more of the same tomorrow, but saturday clouds move in and a few of us will get some rain as we head to sunday, more widespread showers in the forecast. kind of raining off and on throughout the day. it clears out on monday and the rest of the forecast is steady as we warm up. weather. like we said, it is earth day and this is -- these are volunteers from the great global cleanup. it's a worldwide effort from earthday.org they are helping clean up the parks here, and in fact, it's one of -- you can take a look, look at all of these cleanups

going on all around the country, all around the world, and it goes to show, small efforts make big, big changes, and we are also going to try doing a little tree planting. my good buddy bill nye the science guy. >> good to see you. >> how are you, sir? >> good morning, sir >> good morning, happy earth day. you went to the original earth day celebration. >> i grew up in washington, d.c., i rode my bicycle in the washington monument, and it was the first earth day. everybody was concerned about pollution, wu now we're worried about climate change and al, i noticed this just a moment ago, this is just the kind of plastic that's ending up in our waterways, and was part of the tree. now, al, grab a shovel >> okay. >> what we want to do, everything, when you plant -- we plant a tree, you want it a little above the level of the soil around it. >> uh-huh. bill's going to be joining us all morning as we take a walk, make a change, we're talking

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good morning. it's 7:56. i'm marcus washington. here's what's happening now. >> reporter: i'm kris sanchez in santa clara county where there are so many vaccine appointments available you could get one the same day. take a look at the locations that have appointments available today. fairgrounds expo hall, berger auditorium where the registrar of voters is, levi's stadium, valley special center and gilroy high school. the county did get more vaccines for the state and a boost of 100,000 from the government. the next few weeks may transition to offering doses at night. >> reporter: i'm cierra johnson in mill valley. marin county will soon be under a mandatory water revix. that means no power washing your home, no washing cars and no

refilling pools this will impact about 200,000 people and will begin may 1st, which is next saturday. for folks that don't want to comply they can face a $250 fine. now time to get a look at the forecast for you. meteorologist kari hall is tracking those temps. kari? we are going to be cooling off over the next few days as rain moves in. much needed. we are still dry today and tomorrow. saturday we start to see scattered showers popping up and a look at high temperatures going from the low 70s for today into the upper 50s for the weekend. our inland valleys and going into next week the rain moves out and we'll gradually start to see our temperatures warming up but it stays cool and cloudy in san francisco today and even cooler this weekend when the rain gets here. we'll only see our highs in the mid-50s. most of us could see some of the rainfall continuing off on and throughout the day sunday. we could get close to a half inch of rain in parts of the north bay. that would be much needed and

beneficial, marcus. thanks, kari. another local news update coming up in a half hour. i'll see you back here then.

. ♪ it's 8:00 on "today." coming up, masking the issue, the cdc director weighs in this morning here on "today" over whether or not masks are needed outside. >> no vaccine is perfect, and so ultimately this is going to be a matter of risk. >> and as vaccinations are reaching a new milestone, new concerns over the number of unfilled appointments across the country. what does that mean for the push towards herd immunity. rising prices, from paper products to pantry staples, the major changes you may be

noticing at the grocery store. >> we're going to see price increases like we've never seen before. >> just ahead, how you can save on your shopping list plus the gift of life, the new mission from the parents of a young boy killed during an alligator attack at disney. >> the vision of the foundation is that no child dies waiting for an organ. >> how they are finding strength by saving lives. and walking on sunshine, al is kicking off earth day with a special adventure to show us how we can all help clean up the air, land, and sea. today, thursday, april 22nd, 2021. ♪♪ celebrating earth day from sea to shining sea. >> in albuquerque, new mexico. >> naperville, illinois! >> from louisiana! >> north carolina.

>> and happy earth day "today" show. >> ain't america beautiful? >> yes. >> isn't that beautiful? how beautiful to see all those different backyards. it's a thursday morning. thank you to sheryl crow, and for spending your earth day morning with us. i love those images, on the bayou, too. >> getting us in the right frame of mind as is al. he's got an adventure out on roosevelt island, bill nye the science guy is riding shotgun with al. we will catch up with them in just a few. let's get right to the news at 8:00. the marathon effort to vaccinate americans against covid has hit a milestone and maybe even a wall. 200 million shots have been given, but nearly half of the adult population has not yet been vaccinated and many by choice. nbc national correspondent miguel almaguer joins us now with the very latest. hey, miguel, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, the biden administration reached that goal of 200 million shots in just under 100 days. it means more than half of all adults in this country have

received at least one shot as the focus now turns to many who may be hesitant. to help speed up inoculations the president is calling on all employers to give employees paid time off to get vaccinated or if they're feeling side effects after vaccination, but the race to reach herd immunity could be stalled by those who simply don't want a shot. according to a new poll, 20% of americans are not at all likely to get a vaccine as soon as it's available, and this morning, there's growing debate over the need to wear masks outdoors, especially for those who are vaccinated. today savannah asked the cdc director about that as more states end their mask mandate. >> do you think that if you are outside and not close to people you still need to wear a mask? >> you know, this is a question that we're looking at. one of the things i think that's really important to understand is while there's wonderful news and we're getting more and more people vaccinated every day, we

still had 57,000 cases of covid yesterday. we still had 733 deaths. >> reporter: as more states still face the threat of a fourth surge, experts insist this is not the time to ease restrictions too quickly. the u.s. has now surpassed 32 million covid infections. the country is still averaging 57,000 infections a day. hoda, back to you. >> miguel, thank you. and just remember, if you need help making your vaccine appointment, we encourage you to check out our planyourvaccine.com site. just head to that address or scan that qr code right there on the screen. the pandemic has had a major impact on the way americans shop. first, there were shortages and now some of the biggest price hikes in nearly a decade, and experts say it's about to get worse. nbc's kristen dahlgren is looking at what's driving it. >> reporter: the prices of the pandemic may be coming to a store near you. two of the nation's biggest consumer products manufacturers announcing a nearly 10% price

increase on everything from paper and packaged goods to personal care items. procter & gamble, which owns charmin, bounty, pampers and tampax will start charging 4 to 9d % more for its baby care and feminine care brands in september, and kimberly clark home to huggies, poise, depend and scott is raising prices on baby care, adult care, and toilet paper in late june. >> we're going to see price increases like we've never seen before. now we're seeing it on packaging, on transportation, just about everything. >> reporter: everything includes groceries. the prices of popular pantry staples from countries like j.m. smucker, general mills and coca-cola is already rising. >> the last time that we saw prices go up, especially on food prices, was well over 20 years ago to this extreme. >> reporter: the factors, higher commodity costs, surging freight and transportation prices, and the stress on the entire supply chain because of the pandemic.

experts say last year's hoarding may have also played a role. cautioning consumers against over buying when trying to save money. >> reporter: the key is real simple look for your great prices online, shop around, go to the discount outlets go to the dollar stores. go to the warehouse clubs. >> reporter: one silver lining, those bare store shell ves may e a thing of the past as pandemic supplies finally catch up with the increased consumer demand. for "today," kristen dahlgren nbc news. one of the more unusual rights of springtime drew a record crowd this week to the foothills near boise, idaho. check this out, a flock of more than 2,500 sheep, that's right, all of them sheep there in the middle of the street, they were guided across the main highway that's how they get from their ranch to the high country where they will spend the rest of the spring and summer grazing. about 500 spectators lined the way to enjoy that spectacle. sheep dogs actually run

alongside the herd to keep it together and moving in the right direction. >> they're not social distancing >> or wearing their masks, not wearing masks. you guys ready for a little morning boost? here we go grandparents kim and brad hadn't seen their granddaughter rose in eight months because of the pandemic so they got vaccinated they planned a reunion, but there was one big question, and it is this would the toddler recognize them well, here's how it went sweetie ♪ >> how's >> kim, brad >> how's that? how's that for priceless reaction

didn't take long for rose to recognize both of those friendly people once grandpa took his mask off i love how they got right on the floor. >> i know. no hug like a toddler hug. >> don't forget, guys, we want to see those really cool special reunions and first hugs, just do this the #backtogethertoday on your social media, and we'll maybe feature it on our show it's kind of fun to see those. >> can't get enough of your hugs. coming up next, we'll take a turn and talk about parents who are still coping with the loss of their son in an alligator attack that happened at disney world. you probably remember the story. they're now finding a new purpose and hoping to save other young lives. and keir simmons is going to take a look at the message of hope they want every parent to see, that's right after this pepcid works in minutes. nexium 24 hour and prilosec otc

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we're back at 8:13 with a story about finding strength and reaching out to those in need in the midst of deep personal tragedy. >> yeah, the incredible families you're about to meet are doing just that in an effort to raise awareness about a critical need for children. >> nbc's terry sanders joins us now with the story kerry, good morning. >> well, good morning, right now there are close to 2,000 children that are waiting for

organ donations, understandably the parents of healthy children are reluctant to sign their kids up but you're about to hear from some families that hope after listening to them it starts a conversation >> i can hear your heart beating. oh, my goodness. thank you. >> reporter: that is the remarkable gift of life, the kind of moment matt and melissa graves hope to give families nationwide. >> the vision of the foundation is that no child dies waiting for an organ >> reporter: the lane thomas foundation bringing attention to the life saving cause of pediatric organ donation, in a new psa, a mission rooted in a deeply personal tragedy. the foundation created in memory of matt and melissa's son lane, world resort in 2016 at home in nebraska, lane is a constant presence in the lives

of his siblings, 9-year-old ella and 2-year-old christian, born two years after his brother passed they laugh and play outside in the yard alongside tributes to their brother, his memory a guiding light for matt and melissa who hope more parents consider this life saving cause. parents like larissa gill ock wh chose to donate her daughter's organs after the precious 3-year-old passed from an untreatable and uncurable brain tumor. >> i've always been an organ donor, but i didn't ever process making that decision for a child. i knew i was going to lose her, and i knew we could help others, so i thought past my grief and we were able to do organ donation. >> reporter: olivia's organs dramatically changing the lives of five children and in the case of kevon, it saved his young life he was gifted olivia's heart larissa recently given the rare

opportunity to meet kevon and his mother who says their families will always be connected. >> she lives on through my son forever and always she will be a part of him. >> reporter: dr. allen lagness >> this is a really tough conversation because no parent wants to think about a child dying much less then having to make that decision to donate organs >> it's a dark place that no parent ever wants to have to go to it just takes an enormous amount of courage for these families to confront the current situation, the courage to think beyond themselves and how they can turn this terrible event in their personal lives into an opportunity for hope for people they don't even know. >> i imagine there's not a person who would look at that psa and not feel connected to it, if in no other way because of the strength that it took for olivia's mother to make that donation and save a life. >> i think it gives them some

sense of maybe there was some purpose to this short life that their child had. maybe there is some greater purpose to their child's life that, you know, was not apparent until that moment. >> reporter: lane's memory alive at home and in the work the graves family does for others, as is olivia's who forever changed the lives of children she never met. >> olivia's touched more lives in her short time that she was here than i'll ever, but i'm going to keep trying to spread the word in her honor. >> reporter: the lane thomas foundation has helped 93 families undergoing organ transplants since the foundation began in 2016. they're hoping that their campaign, keep love alive, gets parents to have this very hard conversation but have it now rather than it would be so much more difficult if there was ever a crisis guys >> kerry sanders, thank you.

my word, listening to olivia's mom is -- to be able to think beyond your grief and feel beyond your grief is just -- >> strength and nobility come to mind. >> yeah, yeah. and the graves family for keeping lane's memory alive in this way by starting this difficult conversation, but it's important, too all right, it is earth day, and al is on the road celebrating with his buddy, bill nye the science guy. there he is, look, see, i love that we're showing the map there's roosevelt island right down the street from us across the river. >> that's right, we're going to be talking with bill a little bit more, but first let's get to your weather and we've got another coast to coast system that's going to cause big problems, especially in the midsection of the country. it starts out in california, the pacific northwest. not a lot of help for their long-term drought, but then this system pushes further to the east and south, and that's going to be bringing heavy rain, potential for storm damage, and storm warnings on tuesday into tuesday night. it's rare to have a severe

outlook issued so far in advance, but there's a severe risk from texas all the way to kansas for strong storms this could be a high impact event. we're going to be watching this very closely into early next week that's what's going on around the country, here's what's happening -- oh, wait, wait, wait, don't do it yet. good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. that's going to be the same system that's going to bring us much-needed rain on sunday. up to that point we're mostly dry with temperatures in the low 70s for today and tomorrow and sunshine, a few of us will see spotty showers saturday but the more widespread rain and much cooler temperatures will get here sunday. most of it moving out by monday, and we go back to dry weather as our temperatures gradually warm up in the valleys next week. and that is your latest weather.

it's such a thrill to have you, bill nye, join us on this earth day. you were there for the first one in washington, d.c. >> yes, i was a very young man, and i rode my bicycle, my schwinn bicycle to the washington monument. in those days we were very concerned about pollution, a river on fire in cleveland and nowadays, pollution's a big concern. >> so much more. how has the movement changed in these 51 years >> just that we have a presidential summit today about climate change that's indicated slowly we've gotten the word out, you know. it's taken years and years for people to get their head around it, and look, it's a scary thing. climate change and losing our environment, you know. when i was here at the world's fair in 1964, there were fewer than 3 billion people in the world or right around 3 billion. now there's almost 8 and there's no more extra planet, you know. >> but we can all do -- we can all do one small thing that adds up to a big thing.

>> it adds up to a big thing we were just standing here, and i found this piece of plastic. this is just the kind of thing that no one anticipated. this was used for soil, i guess, for the sod, and this plastic is ending up in the water, and that ends up in ecosystems, and the marine ecosystems just aren't set up for this stuff. it doesn't go away very fast this is a solvable problem. >> and we're going to talk about more as we continue to talk about land, sea, and air here as "today" goes green guys >> i love that why do i think bill nye was at woodstock, too, he was there, right? >> you know he was there >> try burning man. >> were you at woodstock >> i don't remember, man [ laughter ] >> exactly thanks, guys >> mr. daly, you would have been at woodstock. >> you remember world's fair but not woodstock. hmm. that's some good stuff.

let's take a break for "pop start. make us laugh, billy crystal and tiffany haddish are starring in a movie together it's called "here today. crystal plays a veteran comedy writer who meets haddish's character a new york singer. the two form an unlikely friendship just as he needs it most here's an exclusive look at the trailer. >> thank you for bidding on me at the auction i'm so. >> my exwanted to meet you so he bid. >> how much? >> 22. >> $2,200? >> that's fantastic. >> $22 it started at 20, and then it went up in $0.50 increments. >> who are they? >> that's my family. >> if they're your family, why do you have their names written down >> charlie you can't be alone anymore if you ever need my help, i'm here. >> i'm writing something, and i have to finish before my words run out. >> i'll take care of him. >> may i ask what your relationship is? >> i don't know. >> i don't know. >> this is no time for jokes >> it's the perfect time for jokes.

>> you're funny, old man. ♪ everybody needs somebody sometime ♪ >> i want to have fun. i want to laugh. i want to not be scared, and i want to write the book, and i want to do all of that with you. >> hell yes. ♪ everybody needs somebody sometime ♪ >> a good couple right there, a good pairing "here today" is the name of that it's out may 7th you'll have a chance to talk with billy and tiffany ahead of that release john travolta showing off his moves in movies like greece, saturday night fever and pulp fiction. one of his most famous dances was in real life when he swept princess diana onto the dance floor at the white house in 1985 it became an instantly iconic moment in pop culture. now talking to esquire mexico, travolta reveals what that moment was like and how he was nervous even to approach princess di, he said saying just the fact of greeting diana appropriately, being confident

and asking her to dwans was a complicated task i approached her, touched her el elbow, invited her to dance. she gives me that captivating smile, and there we were dancing together as if it were a fairy tale nice quote. next up, "how i met your mother" is making a comeback the fan favorite sill sitcom that followed a guy telling his kids the very long story about how he eventually met their mother ran for nine seasons. it ended back in 2013. but instead of a reunion or revival of the original show, we're getting a sequel series called "how i met your father. it stars hilary duff and it's going to be airing on hulu it's not clear how or if it ties to the original series, people were very excited to hear about this new series being released duff posting a photo of her sleeping 1-year-old daughter writing may is the most excited about the news i got time for one more. let's see if we can get to it. kiss looks like it will be the next band getting the bio pic treatment. netflix is nearing a deal for

the film titled "shout it out loud." paul stanley confirming the news himself by quoting the article and writing true there was a bidding war for the project with netflix close to tieing it all up hoping to give kiss the "bohemian rhapsody" treatment that queen received. it's going to follow band leaders gene simmons and paul stanley from their childhood, starting kiss, and going into full makeup and pyrotechnics they're e probably going to be getting big names to lead that film. one more, here we go it's happening head coach sean payton is making headlines, but not for anything on the football field. he took part in the zurich classic of new orleans pro am golf tournament joined by pace and hill and actor new orleans native anthony mackie, and after shooting a tee shot into the grand stand, he was able to make an impressive recovery right off

the deck >> wow nice save there. it was a stroke hold there was a press on the bet, and he sunk a ten-foot putt to make it. >> sean payton, of course he did that right. good morning, it's 8:26. i'm marcus washington. heads up if you're outdoors in the east bay over the next three days. pg&e conducted aerial patrols of its gas pipelines be you may notice or even hear the low-flying helicopters. those flights will be conducted in concord, hayward, richard and oakland area from 8:00 a.m. each day until 4:00 p.m. how you are the temperatures out there, kari? >> we're going to have a day with cool temperatures near the coast but warming inland.

we are seeing clouds over san francisco and that's where we only reach into the upper 50s today but sunshine for our inland valleys in spots like antioch and morgan hill. we're up to 70 today. we will see low 70s in the forecast today and tomorrow. saturday we start to see scattered showers moving in and some much-needed rain arriving on sunday. look at how cool it's going to be, upper 50s for the inland areas. next week we start to see that rain moving out and temperatures warming up while san francisco may be cooler than today, only reaching the mid-50s by sunday with that rain moving through, up to a half inch possible, marcus. >> thanks, kari. we'll have another local news update in 30 minutes. see you back here then.

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♪ do your hair toss ♪ >> they're playing our song. we're back, 8:30 earth day, thursday morning i like this duo. >> yeah, al. >> this is a sitcom waiting to happen. >> oh, they got a little pep in their step bill nye the science guy that's right they're going to woodstock

>> walking isn't the only way to make -- a bit more friendly. mr. roker and mr. nye are going to show us a few more options in just a few moments as well >> we look forward to that. check this out, guys, we've got some very special friends filling our virtual plaza. you guys, these are folks from our affiliates across the country, austin, detroit, miami, got getting their hands dirty, volunteering for earth day, cleaning up, helping out their communities. coming up in a bit, we're actually going to meet them. >> maybe al and bill should remake bosom buddies. walking down the street. also ahead, would you dare to take a guess where that cup of water that jacob soboroff is drinking from, where it came f from he's going to be here to share his eye opening journey. >> i'm nervous about that. we've got jill martin, she's going to shine the light on ecofriendly small businesses you

can feel good about supporting today on earth day or any day. >> let's go back to al roker and get a check of the weather hey, al. >> you're on >> we're here. we're here we're just getting ready live tv, we're just getting ready. we're going to be biking, if you didn't know why we're putting on these helmets. let me show you what we're talking about as far as your weekend is concerned, if you're going to be biking, we're doing some outdoor activities. we start off tomorrow, friday, turning milder in the east thank goodness, look for some snow in the rockies, severe storms down through the gulf, plenty of sunshine out west. saturday more severe storms through the southeast on into the mid-atlantic states. afternoon highs going to be warm out west, northwest rain moves in, and then sunday-sunday, rainy in the northeast, milder highs in the mid plains. the west is looking rainy. we're looking for lots of snow up through the northern plains sunshine through the gulf.

good morning, i'm meteorologist kari hall. enjoy the sunshine and mild weather the next couple of days. today and tomorrow get out there. by saturday we see more clouds moving in and a few of us will get some showers. more widespread rain in our sunday forecast with cooler temperatures. we're only reaching into the upper 50s. we do get back to our spring weather next week with our temperatures warming up and sunshine returning. for san francisco it will be chilly, with highs staying in the 50s. need help making a difference hey, siri, how can i reduce my carbon footprint >> all right, there you go so bill and i are finding different ways to do a little different kind of transportation >> i took a city bike to the tram station this morning. i really did i'm a big city bike advocate.

>> i took the subway over here >> did you put it back ha ha. stop it. stop it. that's comedy. that's earth day comedy. bicycle is the most efficient machine known. >> and in fact, one of the ways that people need to bike, think about biking, it's that last mile of transportation getting to and from work >> to and from the public transportation it really is easier, guys. people say to me, big fancy tv show to the "today" show, we'll send a car for you, mr. nye. no i'll take the bike and the train because it's faster. >> i love it all right. >> kids on these cars. >> that's it i love -- i bike to work here and there. i love doing it. it's a great way, and you get connected to nature, especially on earth day it's very important. so guys -- go ahead, bill. >> i just notice smells with you're on your bicycle, you pick up the world in a new way. you were going to say? >> i was just going to say, you

know, as cars go ev, go more electric, but the bicycle still the best way to get around >> and you guys, when you're riding, you've got to be careful of potholes. riding a bicycle is a skill. no, it's an important thing, so another thing, innovation that's happened to me, we have a lot of things to talk about, but this helmet collapses >> i've got one of those love it. >> so anyway, these are details, solvable problems, but the longest journey starts with a single pedal stroke. >> boom, there you have. >> let's change the world. >> all righty, well, guys, get ready, we're about to debut the tram cam >> oh, yes, the tram cam yes. >> it's coming >> uh-oh, okay safe travels. >> yeah. >> good luck >> i could watch them all day. >> i like that helmet. >> it's awesome. >> you can watch us all day, really >> yeah, i could >> we could. >> i could bill nye. >> very unpredictable. >> bye >> watch out for potholes.

>> get to the chopper! >> get to the chopper! >> heit was when she started forgetting things. i didn't know how much mom was struggling. when i pictured us growing old together. i didn't envision this. i did think of it, but i also thought of her happiness, and i would never put my mom into a facility. i love caring for him. we've been together for so many years, he's my best friend. but i can't do it alone anymore.

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back at 8:37, and our special earth day edition of today goes green continues mr. roker, how's it going? al >> hey, guys, we are on the roosevelt island tram. >> cool. >> this is the only way to fly we are -- it's one of the greatest views ever to see new york city. >> it was $2.75. it's the price of riding a subway >> it's a bargain, and we thought, you know, it's earth day so what better way than to head to the skies to talk about the importance of clean air. we're on our tram cam now, bill. >> and i love the tram cam, so everybody if you haven't been on this tram to roosevelt island, it's really remarkable it's part of the city public transportation system.

>> but we're in the air, clean air we take for granted. >> see, so here's the fundamental thing that's hard for all of us. every single thing everybody does affects everybody in the whole world because we all share the air. nobody you're going to meet and have a conversation with is not breathing. we all use air, and so a tram like this is a way to cross the bridge you go across the river without using the bridge, without driving a car. it's the price of the subway amazing thing. if you ever come to new york and haven't ridden this, it's really spectacular. >> what's the one thing we can each do maybe to help keep our air as clean as possible >> so it's the same old things you guys just don't leave the lights on we're not kidding. anytime you're using electricity that you don't need, you're going to almost always in this country pollute the air a little

bit because we get so much from possible fuels it's a solvable problem. but these incremental things are clean water, renew bli produce electricity, access to the internet and information for everybody in the world let's get out there and change the world. >> big earth summit today, climate summit at the white house. president biden announcing the u.s. will reduce carbon by half. >> half, at least 50% going forward. >> it's really visionary, you guys and it's scary, but we can do this let's all work together. we all share the air. >> there you go, bill nye thank you for helping us on earth day. happy earth day to you, my friend. >> happy earth day. >> guys from the tram cam back to you >> i love it >> happy earth day >> that's good information, too. thank you very much. as al makes his way back to studio 1a, we've got jacob soboroff getting ready to dive soboroff getting ready to dive into our next topic.

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we're back with more of our special earth day look at the world around you and how climate change is impacting the air, our land and our sea. >> here's an example of how dire it is. in the city of los angeles, engineers and scientists are working to prevent the city from actually running out, and with the southwest continuing to feel the effects of a mega drought. >> nbc's jacob soboroff joins us with more on that from a modern marvel rare access insides los angeles aqueduct good morning >> reporter: good morning, you guys honestly, it is extraordinary to be up here, and l.a. would not exist as we know it today without this place it's a little bit noisy. because what you are looking at is tens of millions of gallons of water flowing behind me from hundreds of miles outside of the city of l.a. into los angeles. it's hundreds of billions of gallons of water every single year, more than half of all of l.a.'s water

and now with climate change, the reliance on all of that imported water is a huge problem. the city's got an ambitious plan to change that and sustain our most precious resource as long as, get this, guys, residents are not grossed out by drinking recycled toilet water. >> look straight up, and straight back and straigh straightforward. just like that, there you go. >> angler leno has been fly fishing here for over 30 years, and he invited me to join him. >> you're a natural. >> reporter: soaking your line in the los angeles river makes you almost forget where you are. a former concrete drainage ditch next to an interstate. >> the freeway, you can hear it. >> yeah. >> it sounds likes rushing river actually. >> reporter: while it doesn't often rush, the river's restoration was made possible by clean water from a local source. >> there hasn't been any rain, so basically all this water that's coming in right now from treatment plants. >> that's where it's coming from >> it's all from the treatment plants. >> reporter: as in wastewater treatment plants

toilet water >> you're lucky this is not smellivision. >> reporter: he runs the water reclamation plant one of the main sources of l.a. river water. >> what is it exactly? >> in scientific term it's called mixed liquor suspended solids. >> mixed liquor suspended solids >> yes. >> reporter: sounds pretty gross, but mike and the city are able to treat the sewage so it's clean enough to release into the river. most of it doesn't end up anywhere for people to enjoy the dolphins on the other hand. >> we're five miles into the pacific ocean to see where the city of los angeles is currently discharging hundreds of millions of gallons of treated wastewater every single day whoa >> reporter: these l.a. city scientists want to change that and they're part of an ambitious plan to recycle all of l.a.'s wastewater by 2035 >> reporter: given climate change, this is a pretty critical infrastructure project. >> yes we're wasting less when it can

be reused for other things >> reporter: those other things include turning the treated wastewater being discharged from this pipe on the ocean floor into drinking water. l.a. mayor eric garcetti couldn't be more confident in his city's plan to protect the city's water supply from climate change by going toilet to tap or showers to flowers as he likes to call it >> yesterday we went five miles directly out that way to where this facility is pumping 250 million gallons of wastewater treated every day out of the pacific. >> yep >> we think by 2035, we can take about 216 million of those 250 million gallons instead of piping it that way, we'll be piping it back this way. >> reporter: but first he'll have to convince squeemmy l.a. residents. >> want to be super clear that by 2025, the residents of the city hopefully will be drinking this stuff that started hours ago in our homes and showers and toilets. >> absolutely, you'll have the sweetest, cleanest e clear

water, and it's going to be right here from l.a. >> reporter: garcetti's 2035 plan is already in motion in terminal island. fernando gonzalez the plant manager there offered me a taste. >> this is water that started how many hours ago as somebody's toilet water. >> about a day about a day ago what i flush down my toilet has ended up with this >> yeah. >> that is delicious that's good. >> refreshing, tasty, a taste of the future, you might say, you guys, and i have to tell you that under l.a.'s 2035 plan, the water that's imported right here to the aqueduct, it wouldn't stop flowing, but they've stopped buying water from other sources including the colorado river, which is a major source and has continued to suffer due to climate change. if this plan works, by 2035, 70% of the water in los angeles will

be local and i don't know if you're thirsty now, but the water is delicious i promise you. >> all right i mean, once you get your head around it, you know, showers to flowers, man, catch the wave is this happening anywhere else in the country >>. >> reporter: that's right. it's happening all over the country from atlanta to here in southern california, savannah, 4 million residents across the u.s. drink some form of recycled water. so l.a. would actually double that number. it has amassed that big of a plan. >> you sold it to us, bro. >> yeah, we're into it. >> let's go drink it. >> cheers. coming up next, whether you are decorating your home or putting on sunscreen, jill

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when someone burns for someone who does not feel the same. oh, daphne. let's switch. from live tv to sports on the go. felix at the finish! you can even watch your dvr from anywhere. okay, that's just showing off. you get all of this with x1. so go on, get really into your shows. you need a breath mint. xfinity. it's a way better way to watch. welcome back, and this morning even our small business spotlight is going green for earth day, hoping to shine a light this morning on ecofriendly businesses. >> there she is, today's lifestyle and commerce contributor jill martin joining us with some great products and companies to consider.

hey, jill, what's up good morning to you. >> hi, guys. good morning i'm so excited about this because i have small businesses for you, each one of them rooted in sustainability and dedicated to doing their part to protect our earth. and my first product is going to blow your minds. >> get to it >> okay. personalized products, right personal products. >> so the first one, right, we have is ecoroot, and it's a company that sells zero waste alternatives for everyday personal care products founder husband and wife were inspired to start their business after seeing how many plastic bags were actually piling up in their home after trips to the store. they wanted to find a better solution for themselves and others to live a more sustainable lifestyle. so they started eco roots, starting at just $3, every product is made from recyclable compostable material and ships plastic free

one of their best selling item is a reusable safety razor that's an ecofriendly solution to disposables over 2 billion are discarded a year they also sell, get this, shampoo and conditioner bars which eliminate the need for plastic bottles. they're homemade, vegan, and come in lots of great scents i'm holding them right now this is your new shampoo and conditioner. >> cool. >> what about the small business in philadelphia that focuses on some sustainable screen printing >> yeah, this is a great story the friendship began when julia, and her job coach came to work at emily's store when julia turned 21, the women teamed up to start their own sustainable screen printing studio called dance happy designs. julia designs the patterns, emily sews and handles business logistics. starting at $18, their best selling product is the canvas binge that comes in tons of

different patterns and colors, great for home organization which you know i love or even potting a plant. how cool is that they believe it's their responsibility to do whatever they can to minimize their impact on the environment. hay use nontoxic ecofriendly ink on cotton canvas everything is made by hand and in small batches extra fabric is reused for future products to reduce waste. their products are all produced locally to reduce their carbon footprint. >> what if you're decorating your home and you want to do it in kind of an ecofriendly way. >> i wish this was smellivision. it's a family operated business by husband and wife and their kids ecovibe is a small business in portland that offers everything e ecovib from home decor to ecofriendly candles, homemade planters and apparel starting at $8 they hand select their products with sustainability in mind.

this is just an unbelievable product considering where and how everything is made so they are members of the 1% for the planet and donate 1% of online sales every year to environmental causes >> wow, that is great you memorized all that jill, carson here, sunscreen, we need it. is there one in particular that's both good for your skin and for the environment? >> yeah, this is a great one, and the founder loves to be outside, but couldn't find a sunscreen that wouldn't leave a white residue after putting it on she went on a mission to find a solution, which is how black girl sunscreen was created starting at $9.99, black girl sunscreen has a sheer, lightweight coverage that dries completely without residue on any skin tone. it's good for the environment, especially the reeves. it's free of harmful toxins that are damaging to the oceans, and they're working to do their part as a company to contribute to

the sustainability of the planet and recycling is top of mind all of the bottles and packaging materials are recyclable the company also has a program in place free and they'll dispose of it for you. how cool is that and we hope you'll support these ecofriendly small businesses and of course they are small businesses, so please be patient with shipping. they want to get the orders out to you. >> some great stuff. thanks so much, earth day, we're better off for it. we appreciate it to shop these brands and support more sustainable small businesses, we invite you to head to today.com/shop. what do you say we wrap up this half hour with some friends on our virtual plaza let's just say hey. >> hey, nick, from our detroit affiliate local 4, we see you kristin from our austin affiliate, kxan, all of them out serving their communities on earth day. a big thank you to all of you. and we're going to hear what

they're up to on the 9:00 hour, you're going to really get to visit with them a little bit more. >> all right, good thanks to everybody. we really want to thank bill nye and he and al, the bill and al show, their excellent adventure. oh, yeah woodstock, guys. >> the media department came through big time >> maybe that was just this past weekend. >> be sure to check out his podcast, science rules and instagram page, bill's got the bonus earth day tips on how we can all do our part. >> third hour coming up next after your local news. i i ing hou up next, after your local news good morning, it's 8:56. i'm marcus washington. new help may soon come for people trying to make it in the bay and it may be especially good news for people seeking housing in the tri-valley. dublin leaders have approved a new 100% affordable housing prong, and it will include more

than 300 apartments near west dublin pleasant and b.a.r.t. station. here's a look at some renderings on your screen, council approving $10 million for the project. there's no timeline just yet for construction. happening now our bob redell is speaking with east bay leaders who passed through that area. will he have the full story during our live report in the midday newscast. you can link to more under the home section of our homepage. in some cases covid spots are wide open, and we found some places are mostly empty. go to the homepage to see how easy it might be to get your shot as soon as today. earth day events happening today, taking place in the bay area and nation, for that matter, including a special summit at the white house including president biden. the team monitoring that event. go on our twitter feed for the if you details. we'll have a local update in an hour.

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you need to be a lawyer to understand it. that's why three was created. if you own it, three covers it. got a cheese slice for “spokesperson?" that's me. i don't even need to see what's happening behind me to know it's covered. three. no nonsense. just common sense. live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. this is third hour of "today." >> april 22nd, earth day. i'm al. craig. good to all be together. >> any slang terms for earth day. we've got friday eve. >> i don't. i should have come up with some. >> yeah. >> earth day. >> earth