>> all right, that will do it for us. have a good weekend. >> yes, so nice to have you on the team this morning, cierra, filling in for marcus. look at this, who is lucky enough to go to the chase center tonight in san francisco? go warriors! we'll be cheering them on. the "today" show coming up next. woo! good morning decision day good morning. decision day. a key meeting getting under way just hours from now on the fate of johnson & johnson's vaccine, as yet another case of the deadly blood clot comes to light. >> her symptoms did present within two weeks of vaccination. >> just ahead, why doctors say the risk is still exceedingly low. what will the cdc decide? the very latest straight ahead. saying good-bye. >> he was loved by so many. he's going to be so missed. >> a heart-wrenching funeral held for daunte wright, the 20-year-old shot and killed by

police near minneapolis. george floyd's relatives come to pay respects. as the alternate juror in the chauvin trial speaks out. this morning, what she believes was the key to the case. breaking overnight, race against time. the u.s. military now joining the hunt to find a missing submarine off the coast of bali and save its 53 crew members before it runs out of oxygen. we're live with new details on the desperate search. the 51st state. a divided house votes to grant washington, d.c., statehood, a major step in a decades long movement. now facing a tough fight in the senate. >> anybody who knows a lawbook from a j. crew catalog knows it is unconstitutional. >> ahead, the heated debate in washington over washington. all that, plus, baby boom. >> i had pictures fall off my walls. >> a mysterious explosion rattled neighborhoods across two states.

>> the ground starts shaking, we hear this huge boom. >> police saying it was caused by an over the top gender reveal. what the happy couple is now facing. and spectacular sight. >> and lift-off. spacex blasting four astronauts to the international space station just a short time ago. tom costello live from cape canaveral with a firsthand look inside that groundbreaking launch today, friday, april 23rd, 2021. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with savannah guthrie and hoda kotb, from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. good morning, everybody. it is a friday morning. a lot happening while you were sleeping, while we were sleeping. >> already a busy morning, including the 5:49 a.m. lift-off from cape canaveral of the

spacex endeavor. >> a crew of four astron making their way now to the international space station as we speak. tom costello was there, and he'll bring us the very latest. also this morning, the white house is wrapping up its two-day climate summit, as president biden approaches his 100th day in office. chuck todd will join us live in just a moment. first, all eyes on the cdc and today's emergency meeting to decide whether to resume the use of the johnson & johnson covid vaccine. we're now learning of a new case of rare blood clots. it happened in a woman who received the shot and later died. it's now under investigation. and that's where we'll start with nbc's sam brock. sam, good morning. >> reporter: savannah, good morning. health officials in oregon saying that woman in her 50s receiving the johnson & johnson vaccine. she developed rare blood clots similar to a half dozen other women. johnson & johnson is responding this morning that the safety and the well-being of those who they

serve is their utmost priority. overnight, the cdc investigating the death of an oregon woman who developed a serious blood clot within two weeks of getting the johnson & johnson vaccine. the woman in her 50s was vaccinated before the cdc recommended a national pause on the j&j shot after six other women developed the rare and dangerous blood clot, and one also died. oregon authorities saying the case has not yet been officially linked to the vaccine. >> symptoms were consistent with all the cases so far. this is still extremely rare. only about seven cases in a total of 7.5 million vaccinated across the country. >> reporter: a cdc advisory board is set to decide whether to lift the pause on the vaccine today. it comes as health officials across the country are trying to help overcome vaccine hesitancy. >> well, i did it. >> i did it. >> i did it! >> reporter: in south florida, the hope that campaigns like this can combat reluctance that's partially fueling a spring surge. >> we are currently in the middle of a surge in south

florida. the only way out of that is by getting everybody vaccinated. we need to reach herd immunity. >> reporter: statewide, hospitalizations are up 22% over the last four weeks, with new infections also rising in florida across all age groups. but a lack of recent demand for vaccine shots has prompted some large public hospitals to suspend community vaccine programs in favor of pop-up sites and mobile units like this one. >> we younger people, we tend to think, oh, since we have a better immune system, i don't need to get vaccinated. it's not the same for your family members. >> reporter: in fact, doctors say young children are far from immune to covid-19. in hard-hit michigan, 70 children were hospitalized this week with severe covid symptoms. that i the worst days of that state's fall surge. children under 16 aren't yet eligible for vaccines. the white house is hoping to persuade adults, with the help of a new social media

initiative, featuring athletes and celebrities like ryan seacrest and eva longoria. hoping americans continue to sign up and stop a fourth wave. while all eyes remain on the j&j decision in hours. >> another item, sam, a growing number of colleges starting to require vaccines for students to return to campus this fall. what's the latest on that, and how widespread is it? >> reporter: yeah, savannah, the nation's largest public university system, the university of california, and cal state university, are now requiring not just students but faculty and staff to be vaccinated if they want to be back on campus this fall. savannah, that is contingent upon the fact that the vaccine goes from emergency use authorization to full approval. savannah, this could affect a million plus people, many dozens of colleges now have this policy implemented. back to you. >> big deal, sam. thank you. now to minnesota, where an emotional funeral was held for daunte wright. he is the 20-year-old fatally shot by police near minneapolis. his family joined at that

service by members of george floyd's family. the calls for justice growing louder, as we also hear from an alternate juror in the derek chauvin trial for the first time. nbc's gabe gutierrez joins us now with more. gabe, good morning. >> reporter: hoda, good morning. for these two families, their stories of anguish are converging as the trial verdict from this courthouse sinks in, an emotional good-bye. ♪♪ after yet another painful funeral, this morning, activists are renewing their calls for justice. >> it's time to bring a new day, where we don't have to video tape when we see a badge. >> reporter: at this emotional service thursday in minneapolis. >> daunte wright's life mattered. >> reporter: 20-year-old daunte wright was remembered as a former high school star athlete who made people laugh and loved his young son, daunte jr. when police pulled him over for an expired tag, he called his

mother. >> he was loved by so many. he is going to be so missed. >> reporter: police say former officer kimberly potter accidentally shot wright with her gun instead of her taser. >> [ bleep ] i just shot him. >> reporter: she's due in court next month. as they grieve, many here want the charge against her upgraded from second degree manslaughter to murder. relatives of george floyd, they're supporting the wright family just days after the verdict in the murder trial of derek chauvin. >> it is really sad. how did a $20 bill in question end up in somebody's death? it boggles my mind. >> lisa christianson was an alternate juror in the case, there for the trial in case a juror had to be replaced, but dismissed before deliberations. were you disappointed before dismissed from the jury? >> absolutely, i was. >> reporter: you would have voted guilty? >> i would have. >> reporter: she showed the

extensive notes she took. for her the prosecution's key witness was the world renowned pulmonologist who testified george floyd died due it a lack of oxygen, not drugs or a heart condition. >> what was so powerful to me is he pointed out when mr. floyd actually lost his life. >> reporter: also crews showed the powerful testimony from bystanders, including darnella frazier whose video of the incident started a national reckoning. >> i was close to the witness stand and her words of apologizing, and she was sorry that she couldn't do more to save his life, that was pretty impactful to me. it hurt me. >> gabe, another key moment in the trial was when derek chauvin decided that he was not going to testify. did that have any effect on that alternate juror you spoke with? >> reporter: yeah, hoda, christianson says she did not want to hear chauvin testify because it wouldn't have helped him, and that he probably would have incriminated himself. and by the way, she lives in

brooklyn center, the defense even referenced that during the trial. she says that she heard the police helicopters and flash bangs during the protests following the death of daunte wright, but she says that did not impact her thoughts on this trial, hoda. >> gabe gutierrez for us, gabe, thank you. and now to the debate playing out in washington over the fate of the nation's capitol. craig joins us with that story tomorrow. hi, craig. >> hey, hoda, savannah, good morning. the house has now passed a bill to make the district this country's 51st state, but a major fight now looms in the senate. nbc's senior washington correspondent hallie jackson joins us from washington with more. hallie, good morning. >> reporter: craig, good morning to you. you know this city well. you know that d.c. is more than the national mall and the monuments. it is full of regular neighborhoods like this one, all of them a little bit different but with one thing in common, so common it's been on a license plate, taxation without representation.

democrats want to change that they say to give people a voice. republicans paint it as a political power grab, all of it a statehood standoff. for 50 years, 50 states, but congress is one step closer to adding another. >> d.c. statehood is an idea whose time has come. >> reporter: the house passing a bill that would make washington, district of columbia, the state of washington douglas commonwealth honoring abolitionist frederick douglass. the mayor would become the new governor and the 700,000 plus people living in d.c., would get several new voting rights including two new senators. that would almost certainly give two more democrats given d.c.'s political leanings. >> democrat support is really about of hr 51, democratic partisanship, democrat power. >> reporter: some republicans argue d.c. is too small. >> d.c. wouldn't even qualify as a singular congressional district. >> reporter: it does have more

people than vermont or wyoming. some have argued d.c. is not wyoming. >> wyoming is a well-rounded working class state. >> reporter: democrats blast that as thinly veiled racism. >> i had no idea there were so many sill bms in the word white. >> d.c. would be the only state, the only state without an airport, without a car dealership. >> reporter: d.c. does have car dealerships and the constitution doesn't mention those anyway. as for the founding fathers some conservatives say they never intended that the nation's capitol become a state. >> anybody who knows a law book from a j. crew catalog knows it's unconstitution. >> there's nothing in the tugts that says the district cannot become a state. >> reporter: if that happened d.c. would have the highest percentage of black residents in the country. top democrats frame statehood as a civil rights issue and supporters include the biden administration, about half of all voters nationwide and a lot of folks who call the district home. >> it makes me feel as if i am

being robbed of a right that i should have. >> it feels that my voice in congress is not represented. >> reporter: there's also the guard, something that came up in particular after the capitol siege on january 6th. the bottom line, because of the opposition, because of the fight in the senate, unless there is some kind of rules change in that chamber, you probably don't have to run out to buy a redesigned american flag anytime soon. >> thank you for that. the other big political headlines in washington, let's bring in chuck todd. it's good to see you. how about it with this movement towards statehood, does it have momentum? where do you see it going from here? >> reporter: look, it has momentum. not this year, but i call it momentum this decade. i do think the path to d.c. statehood goes through the caribbean. it goes through puerto rico, and in fact, the movement for puerto

rico statehood has been gaining momentum, and that actually has some republican allies. i've talked with actually the governor of puerto rico a couple of months ago in my podcast about this. he wants to work with the district, if you will, the same people organizing because in many ways there is a more openness on the right, particularly with florida's republican senators for puerto rico statehood. so look, it ain't going to happen this year, but i think we're going to see a new flag probably with two more stars on it probably by the end of this decade. i do think the momentum is there, an all latino -- a majority latino state in puerto rico, a majority african-american state in the district. i think it's going to happen. >> we'll check in with you next decade then, chuck. >> appreciate that. >> let's talk momentum. the george floyd justice in policing act obviously with the chauvin trial supporters of that it.islation are hoping this is >> the key is a republican

senator from south carolina named tim scott. right now, he has got essentially the blessing of republican senator mitch mcconnell to continue to talk to democrats on this issue. on this issue, the point person on the democratic side is karen bass of california. two of them are talking. tim scott said optimistic words. if tim scott signs off on a deal, there will be 10 to 12 republican senators that will follow him. this will happen. look, he is the key here. i think he has running room to get this done. there's public opinion on the side of getting some police reform done. the debate over this so-called qualified immunity is going to be the sticking point. the fact is, tim scott himself is offering compromises. i'm cautiously pessimistic, savannah. you can't be optimistic that anything gets done in washington on a bipartisan basis, but there actually is momentum here. >> let's talk about that symbolic headline -- or deadline, excuse me, the first 100 days in office, which president biden will cross next week.

where does his public approval stand? where does the public see him at this point in his presidency? >> look, he is doing pretty well. mostly, it is because of one issue, handling of the virus. what's interesting, he came in here and had one major promise, right? the vaccinations, essentially get it going, uplift it, get kids into schools, right? on the vaccination front, not only is he at 100 million, he'll hit the 200 million in the first 100 days. he's kept that promise, and that has basically given him political capital. what is interesting, in all the polling i've seen, and we have our own coming out sunday and next week, it is all consistent. he gets very good marks overall for his job because he gets very good marks for the virus. public is not happy on certain things, taxes, spending, and immigration, on those specific issues, they don't like how he's handling it. it's not impacted his job overall. >> all right. >> overall, they're happy with

his tone and, of course, the shots in the arm. >> real quickly. chuck, as if you don't have enough going on with your cable show and sunday show, you now have "meet the press reports." tell me about that real quick. >> very quick, we do a single issue every week. it's seasonal. we're in season two now. our third episode, we did a deep dive on water security, not just the impact from climate change, but our rotting infrastructure and environmental justice. anyway, last week, cybersecurity, this week, water, next week, immigration. deep dives. binge away on peacock. >> i was going to say, a streaming show, the new frontier chuck, thank you very much we'll see you sunday for "meet the press," the old fashioned way. "meet the press reports" is streaming now on peacock >> hardest working guy we know time for our first check of the weather. mr. roker, what you got? >> well, we have severe weather to talk about. let's show you what we see right now some showers and thunderstorms from minneapolis all the way down to memphis, and

we also have a risk of severe weather a little further south we're talking 27 million people from oklahoma city to new tornados possible, hail two into saturday into the southeast take a look at this hail possibility. we're talking on friday, severe, significant hail from austin to oklahoma city, back to alexandria and on saturday it moves into the southeast from tuscaloosa to hall hastallahass, here's what we see this low pressure has a lot of moisture from the gulf, downpours with a risk of flooding on saturday the rain moves from the midwest into the mid-atlantic states. severe storms for the southeast, and then on sunday it pushes up into the northeast and new england bringing soaking rains for new england. here's the rainfall totals about a half an inch to a quarter of an inch in the northeast, but here's where the heavy rain is stretching from houston all the way to atlanta to jackson locally up to five inches of rain flooding is a possibility we're going to get to your local forecast coming up in the next

30 seconds i love that click. this is the ipad keyboard. it's a lot heavier. with the surface, you have all kinds of ports. ipad has one. you want to be this guy? ipad pro is just a tablet. surface is a full computer and a tablet. and now, the price. mm-hmm. good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. as we are waking up and head willing out the door on this friday morning, looks beautiful the south bay, and it's going to be another comfortable day. take it in and enjoy it, because we have a lot of changes coming our way for the weekend, with today our high temperatures mostly in the upper 60s for the inland areas, as we check out our forecast, it's going to get much cooler, with some upper 50s by the end of the weekend.

that sunshine returns early next week. >> that's your latest weather. hodanst time to find a missing submarine. 53 people aboard and running desperately low on oxygen. the u.s. military now joining that frantic search. we will have the very latest in a live report. another major event breaking just this morning. >> three, two, one, zero mission and liftoff. >> there we go inside that historic spacex launch carrying astronauts to the international space station. they're on their way tom costello was there, and tom costello was there, and hei'm morgan, and there's more to me than hiv.

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that means we need care without limits. care like a parent with a newborn. care like we took an oath. care that's strong, fast and safe. that's care without limits. good morning. it's 7:26. i'm cierra johnson. here's today's top stories including what may be a make or break day for the johnson & johnson covid vaccine. >> reporter: i'm kris sanchez in mountain view. today the cdc decides whether to resume use of the johnson & johnson vaccine. 7 cases of blood clotting in 7.5 million. the case of an oregon woman in her 50s died two weeks after getting a shot is not yet linked but similar to reported in seven other women under the age of 50, one died. we got some doses here in the

bay area. . pete suratos here in san francisco, warriors fans are finally returning to the chase center. the arena is reopening the fans for tonight's game against the nuggets at 35% capacity. you must show proof of full vaccination or negative covid test administered within 48 hours of the game. tip-off tonight at the chase center is set for 7:00 p.m. and it is officially friday and some folks looking to the weekend. will they be able to get outside and enjoy nature or should they probably prepare to stay inside and watch some netflix? >> well, you can watch netflix i think a little bit more on sunday. saturday it's going to be cloudy, but still a pretty good day for getting outside, as we are seeing some clouds and some haze over parts of the east bay, as you're making your way out the door. we'll see our high temperatures in some of our warmest spots reach the low 70s. cooler tomorrow, with some mid-60s, clouds, slight chance of rain, better chance of rain on sunday, and look at the highs only reaching the upper 50s.

we are going to get some much needed showers, but then we're back to the dry weather by early next week. cierra? we'll have another local news update in half an hour. have a good day.

watch the fan go after the suarez homer. >> oh, no! oh, man down. >> you know, it's just mean that we're playing that again. it's 7:30. guys in the control room can't see this video enough. a baseball highlight that i'm sure this guy is wishing was not caught on camera. here's how one headline described it, fan loses nachos, shoes, and dignity in effort to catch that home run. >> loses all of that and still doesn't get the ball. >> or the nachos. >> by the way, we had another nachos story. remember when the ball fell?

maybe it is a nacho problem. >> get a hot dog. >> poor guy. meantime, we have a lot to get to. a lot going on. we're going to start with your 7:30 headlines. breaking news, a shooting in san diego's gas lamp district left one person dead, four others hurt. police say they do have a suspect in custody. it's unclear at this point what led to the shootings. according to witnesses, the gunman was instigating confrontations with strangers at random. police say they expect to be on the scene for several hours as they piece together what happened. sad news from the music world this morning, the rapper shock g, the front man for the group digital underground has died. ♪ do the humpty hump check me out, y'all do the humpty hump watch me do the humpty hump ♪ >> the group found fame in 1990. with that hit single. the group's former head of security says the rapper was found unresponsive in a hotel

room in tampa, florida, yesterday. he was just 57 years old. now to the mystery explosion that rocked a southern new hampshire town. a blast so loud, it was picked up by a doorbell camera in a neighboring town. turns out that blast came from an over the top gender reveal party. a couple apparently using explosives to announce the sex of their baby. some neighbors say they thought there was an earthquake. >> the ground starts shaking. we hear this huge boom. >> this was no notice. it was one of the loudest -- i had pictures fall off my walls. are you kidding me? i'm all up for silliness and whatnot, but, i mean, that was extreme. >> yeah. police say they are investigating possible property damage due to the explosion, and there could be charges in the case. remember when people just used balloons? >> yeah. >> i remember. >> cake was pink or blue inside. >> yeah.

all right. we do have a lot more to get to, including a desperate search that's unfolding as we speak this morning. >> yeah. an indonesian navy submarine with 53 people on board vanished off the coast of bali earlier this week. with the oxygen supply depleting quickly, time is running out to find and save the crew. >> "today" senior international correspondent keir simmons is standing by with an update for us this morning. keir, what do we know? >> reporter: craig, savannah, hoda, good morning to you. imagine being one of the family of the sailors who are on board this missing submarine. in a news conference, craig, that just wrapped up, officials saying that search and rescue vessels are still arriving in the region. meanwhile, indonesia's military saying it is determined to, quote, bring our brothers back. this morning, a search and rescue operation that now includes the u.s. navy, has found an object underwater. could it be the missing indonesian submarine? the indonesian navy says an unidentified object with a high

magnetic force has been found at a depth between 164 and 328 feet. one sailor was apparently married just two months ago. his worried bride posting on tiktok pictures of them together. with the words, "hurry home. your wife is waiting." hope is fading of finding the 53 sailors on board alive. overnight the pentagon saying we are deeply saddened by the news of indonesia's lost submarine, and our thoughts are with the indonesian sailors and their families. we are sending airborne assets to assist the search. rescuers have been told the submarine's oxygen may run out tomorrow. experts say the sailors need a miracle. >> 53 people on board a submarine designed for 34. that means that whatever oxygen supplies they have, and they may have packed more before they left, will be used more quickly. >> reporter: the indonesian navy submarine vanished off the coast

of bali early wednesday during a training exercise. the german-made, diesel-powered vessel was built in 1977 and joined the indonesian fleet in 1981. the refit chs was completed in 2012. warships, helicopters, and 400 people helping search this morning. close to where the submarine disappeared, an oil spill, maybe a sign of mechanical issues or a signal from the missing sailors. as desperate families wait for news. >> keir, obviously, it's early, but do officials at this point have any idea what may have caused the incident to happen during the training exercise? >> reporter: well, craig, there may have been an electrical failure during a dive that would have caused the submarine to lose control. if that happened, then it would not have been able to take emergency measures and been able to resurface. craig, i think there are going to be a lot of questions over what happened here, but first,

this search and rescue mission while there's still a glimmer of hope, craig. >> hope they find them. thank you, keir. >> thanks, keir. just ahead, our front row seat this morning to that historic launch by spacex and nasa, carrying the next four-member crew to the international space station. >> it featured a remarkable full circle moment for one family of astronauts tom costello is standing by, live at cape canaveral we'll have that for you right after this ♪ ♪ (whispers) come on greg. that's why carmax gives you an instant online offer for your car. it's real, good for 7 days and we'll buy your car, even if you don't buy one of ours. the way it should be. carmax. depression makes it hard for me to follow through with my plans. my antidepressant helps,

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back now 7:40 with in-depth today. right now at this moment, the spacex spaceship endeavor safely in orbit after an earth rumbling early morning liftoff. if you got up early, a little after 5:30, you probably saw it at the kennedy space center or on tv. >> third time spacex has carried astronauts to the international space station. >> tom costello is at the cape tom, this mission is carrying four astronauts. another launch you didn't get a ride, but my hope is with you. pretty cool. >> reporter: it always is spectacular. this mission is cool one of the astronauts is the wife of an astronaut who flew a year ago she is sitting in the same seat in the same space capsule that he rode in in a year ago this is all part of elon musk and spacex trying to make space flight that much more cost-effective

>> three, two, one, zero ignition and lift-off. >> reporter: roaring off one of the most historic launch pads at the kennedy space center, another spacex rocket headed for the space station. >> hearing good calls in the first stage of performance so far. >> reporter: accelerating into the pre-dawn sky, and making a beeline up the east coast. >> copy to alpha. >> reporter: before first stage separation on board the dragon capsule, commander shane kimbrough. japanese astronaut akihiko hoshide. european p space agency astronaut thomas pesquet, and pilot megan mcarthur sitting in the same seat in the same dragon spaceship that her husband bob benhken flew in last may when she and their son watched from the ground >> your whole heart and soul is on that rocket, watching the person you love. i was thinking, i will be so happy to see his face when they reach orbit, we can see him and know everything has gone well.

>> reporter: dragon and her cree i.s.s. early saturday. there is one small complication. when the dragon space capsule arrives with four astronauts on board, that brings to 11 the number of people on board the station. they've got three toilets for 11 people, but they don't have enough sleeping quarters acting nasa administrator says two astronauts will simply have to float sleep their sleeping bags tied to a wall >> the station is the size of a football field, but the interior is more like a four or five-bedroom house they have the third dimension where they can sleep anywhere and tether themselves. >> reporter: the tight quarters won't last long. the four astronauts who arrived at the station last november will return to earth next week this is the third crewed flight. the third crewed flight in a year it's the first time they've reused the rocket as well as the capsule. so this is all part of the elon musk vision of how to make all of this that much more

cost-effective, guys. >> by the way, spacex, elon musk just won a major contract to land astronauts on the moon. what can you tell us about that? >> reporter: yeah, this is part of the artimus program nasa is running, and eventually they want to have nasa astronauts landing on the moon and spacex has now landed that contract to put the lunar lander together to essentially come out of lunar orbit, down to the surface of the moon now, that is probably not going to happen until beyond 2024. they've got to run some test flights. they've got to fly around the moon first that's likely to happen in 2023 or so. a crewed mission to the moon probably after that, but it'll be the first time they put a woman on the planet -- on the surface of the moon in nasa history. the first return flight since 1972 >> wow >> pretty cool >> tom, we know you've been up all night. >> yeah. >> excitement will power you through the dark hours pretty cool. thank you, tom.

let's head over to mr. roker he's got the forecast. hey, al. >> let's stay up in the stars, shall we >> okay. >> we have a big geomagnetic this is huge, and it is sending down all this energy we may see the aurora borealis along the northern tiered states of new england into montana. the only problem is the cloud cover. the only real place we could see, maybe the u.p. of michigan and parts of minnesota if the skies do clear, look up to the skies late at night, you may see the aurora borealis. the other thing you'll see, warmer temperatures. first, we have to get through the frost and freeze advisories in the northeast and on into new england, parts of the mid-atlantic states. temperatures are warming up. we are having a below average temperature in atlanta, columbus, kansas city. we have to go out west for the 80 in oklahoma city. 53 in chicago. down into atlanta, you'll be up to 73.

look what happens next week. oh, baby >> yeah. >> come to papa. all right. 79, maybe 80 on thursday in new york 84 in d.c. on thursday 77 in knoxville. 84 in cleveland on wednesday 83 in memphis by wednesday, as well good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. taking a live look outside in san francisco, those low clouds lingering and it's going to continue throughout much of the day here along the immediate coastline. keeping temperatures in the 50s, but then as you head across the bay, oakland will reach 61 degrees as the sky will clear and we'll see much more sunshine for our inland areas with some upper 60s and low 70s for today. enjoy the warmth, because we to have a much cooler weekend headed our way. we'll see rain headed into saturday and sunday, but warming up next week. >> thank you, mr. roker. coming up here, would it

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good morning. it's 7:56. i'm cierra johnson. here's what's happening right now. >> reporter: pete suratos here at san francisco. warriors fans are finally returning to the chase center. the arena is reopening the fans for tonight's game against the denver nug et cetera at 35% capacity. you must show full vaccination or negative covid test administered within 48 hours of the game. tip-off tonight at its chase center is set for 7:00 p.m. i'm kris sanchez in mountain view. today the cdc will decide whether to resume use of that johnson & johnson vaccine. here's what they're looking at, seven confirmed clotting 7.5 mi got the vaccine across the country. the case of an oregon who died r getting her shot is not linked. the

are similar to what was reported in seven other women under the age of 50, one died. we did get some doses here in the bay area. and meteorologist kari hall with us here this morning, all morning you've been talking about a little bit of rain which is some good news because of the rain deficits. >> right, and it's been so dry recently, this will help give a little bit more moisture to our vegetation that we've seen recently just really drying out. as you get ready to head out in the tri-valley, right now we're starting out with clouds. temperatures in the low 50s and our dry weather conditions today as we head into the mid-60s, that rain starts to come in with some spotty showers tomorrow, more widespread rain on sunday, and look at how cool it's going to be, we're only going to be in the upper 50s and that rain doesn't stick around too long because next week we're seeing sunshine and our temperatures gradually getting milder, we'll start out the week with a high of 62 in the valleys and spots like antioch and concord, but look at the end of the week, some low 80s. so we'll take owl the rain we

can get before we go back to the warmer temperatures we'll have another local news update for you in about a half an hour. have a good morning.

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

it's 8:00 on "today. coming up, getting another shot? the cdc set to make a key decision about the johnson & johnson vaccine one week after pausing the rollout over health concerns making things more difficult this morning, news that a second woman who got the shot has died from blood clots >> this time, i'm not aware of other cases being actively monitored. >> we're live with the latest. then sharing their stories kristen welker and her husband will join us to break some news of their own, and share a deeply personal journey that many

families will relate to. plus, moving ahead how this rare bird is sounding the alarm about climate change. >> this bird disappears, it's because we've destroyed an entire ecosystem. >> why it is so important for us to protect this species. and the show must go on. after a two-month delay, the red carpet is rolling out for the oscars this weekend. we'll have a preview of the top contenders, and the long-awaited surprises you can expect to see today. friday, april 23rd, 2021 ♪ keep dancing ♪ ♪ oh ♪ >> from glendale, maryland. >> here to kick off your weekend. >> i'm thrilled to be ringing in a new year with my amazing family >> happy 40th, leslie. >> celebrated 20 years of love on the 22nd. >> now, we're sending our love to you in studio 1a.

>> happy 40th anniversary, mom and dad. since we can't go to hawaii this summer. >> we're bringing the luau to you. happy anniversary. ♪ your touch ♪ >> good morning, everybody welcome back to "today." it is good to have you with us friday is feeling really good, isn't it good weekend coming up, and we have good stuff coming up on the show i want to tell you about some special conversations for our inspiring america series that's all next week on "today. you guys are catching up with two of the honorees on our twunt inspiration list >> we are all doing something here i chatted with becky hammond, the first woman to hold a full-time coaching position in the nba. she was actually head coach for a day, and the first to lead a team as acting head coach. she had a lot to say about adversity and victories on and she went to college, played in the wnba, and now is coaching. >> and we know you love basketball did you try to go a little one on one

>> please, that embarrassing moment is not to be seen. >> after becky, i'll catch up with another trailblazer in sports, a fellow named bubba wallace. the only full-time black driver in nascar. he's inspired a lot of other folks to get involved on the track and behind the scenes, as well, in that sport. we'll have the inspiring interviews for you next week on "today." >> we have a lot to tell you about. let's get to the news at 8:00 top u.s. health officials meeting today to decide if the pause on the johnson & johnson covid vaccine should be lifted in the meantime, the push has intensified to have americans get other available shots to stay ahead of the rapidly spreading variants sam brock joins us now with the latest on the covid crisis sam, good morning. >> reporter: savannah, good morning. pivotal hours ahead here with the cdc planning on meeting at 11:00 eastern. there is no doubt that one of the subject matters that's going to come up is an oregon woman who died, in her mid 50s, and she received the covid vaccine for johnson & johnson within two weeks of her death officials in the state have not officially linked it to a vaccine yet.

it is an ongoing investigation johnson & johnson is responding, saying in part that there is no greater priority than the safety and well-being of the people we serve, and we carefully review reports of adverse events inours the woman, savannah, developed a rare blood clot in addition to low platelets. that's a combination we've seen with a handful of women now. it comes, as you suggest, as there is mounting battles over covid vaccine hesitancy. we've seen it in miami one of the largest regional providers is going to be ending its first dose of administrations in the coming days partly due to lack of demand at the federally run site here, they were going to end the shots here until the j&j pause, at which point they continued it. in a country with a third of all adults vaccinated, it's trying to get to the finish line. it is so important to get americans vaccinated. savannah, back to you. >> sam brock leading us off at 8:00 thank you. in minnesota, the family of daunte wright held a funeral yesterday for the young man fatally shot by a police officer

during a traffic stop. they were joined by members of george floyd's family. nbc's gabe gutierrez is in minneapolis with that story. hey, gabe, good morning. >> reporter: hoda, good morning. it was an emotional service for daunte wright. as you said, police say he was shot and killed less than two weeks ago by a brooklyn center police officer who authority viesa reached for her gun instead of her taser. during the emotional service, he was remembered as a loving father, former high school athlete who loved to make people laugh, and his mother gave a moving tribute at the service, as well, the family of george floyd and other families who lost loved ones at the hands of police. activists are demanding justice. this all comes just days aft the derek chauvin murder trial came back with a guilty verdict here at this courthouse. for the first time now, we're hearing from one of the alternate jurors in that trial

>> it's really sad how did a $20 bill in question end up in somebody's death it boggles my mind. >> reporter: were you disappointed when you were dismissed from the jury? >> absolutely. i was. >> reporter: you wanted to vote. you would have voted guilty? >> reporter: that alternate juror, lisa christianson, says she didn't want to hear derek chauvin testify because it probably wouldn't have helped him. she says that the key witness in that trial was that pulmonologist who testified that george floyd died due to lack of oxygen, not drugs or an underlying condition >> gabe, thank you. a new study minds the massive shift to working from home is boosting employee productivity by as much as 5%. much of that increase apparently comes from all the time saved on commuting. researchers at stanford, university of chicago, and others estimate that even after the pandemic, 20% of workdays will be done from home

they warn, however, that the practice benefits highly educated, well-paid workers the most that's because many lower paying jobs can't be done remotely. >> what about the kid factor anyone factor that in? >> that's a separate study let's get the boost. >> all right got one for you. you may expect your family dog to do the usual things, bark at strangers, hide your slippers. one couple walked into a bedroom, and they saw something you have to see to believe their dog was up on the bed, tucking in the infant daughter pushing up each side of the blanket to make sure she was cozy the most important part is, she did the whole thing without waking the baby. >> that's impressive. >> pretty cool >> man >> that's sweet. coming up next, i think we have a boost for you kristen welker is here, and her husband, john. they've come up from washington to share a very personal story with us. one that is going to resonate with a lot of families grab your tissues and be ready to smile and cheer first, these messages.

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because when caught in early stages, it's more treatable. i'm cologuard. i'm noninvasive and detect 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'll do it. good plan. (grandma)'ll do it. "have you tried the 'rugby hold?" let me show you. so this is baby. so, it's like this. (young mum) [half-laughing, half crying] i'll get there. oh, you're doing a great job love. welcome back this is national infertility awareness week a time to open the conversation so couples and individuals feel less alone and more empowered in their journey to build a family.

>> okay. it's in that spirit, and i'm already crying, that our kristen welker and her husband, john hughes, are here to share a really personal story. some good news just a lot of love kristen and john, good morning to you >> morning. >> savannah, hoda, craig, good morning to you guys. you're going to make me cry, as well so here's our news john and i have struggled with infertility for years, and we're so excited to be able to announce that we, with the help of a surrogate, are expecting a baby girl in june. >> oh! >> kristen, wow. >> you guys have been so supportive as you said, it is a lonely journey. you guys have been so supportive and helped us along the way. we wanted to share our journey with others, to help other families, too. one of my dreams has always been to be a mom. i wanted very much to be a journalist >> there is new fallout this morning.

>> i always said to myself, the one thing i don't want to do is sacrifice having a family. i just didn't meet the right person until i was in my late 30s. my husband, john. >> i think it was our second date, i shared that i very much wanted kids. she just opened up and talked about how much she wanted to be a mother >> i was 40 years old when i married johnd to start having a. it didn't work immediately, so we thought, let's go to a in march of 2017, we immediately started to try to have a baby. it didn't work immediately, so we thought, let's go to a doctor as a precaution. a number of friends recommended a doctor. >> she fell in the average category of patients who are about 40 years old it was reasonably optimistic. >> the doctor ran some tests and determined that, in fact, she thought my best course of action to have a baby would be to do ivf, which i did the first round of ivf, it went really well. i thought, i'm going to be

pregnant within the next few months no problem i went in to start the process of being able to carry a baby, and the doctor determined that the lining of my uterus was too thin to carry a child. i thought, okay, well, let's fix it there has to be something that we can do to fix this. i tried for months, and it was really just some of the most difficult months that i can remember i was going into the doctor in between live shots at work and just feeling like, you're a failure, frankly. >> it was clear there were days she was getting bad news she'd sort of break down >> after two years of trying to carry my own baby, and after

having consulted with four different doctors, they all agreed that i wasn't going to be able to carry a child. it was that fourth doctor who called me when i was walking into work for one of the busiest days i was going to cover the michael cohen hearing. it was probably the lowest moment and realization that i've ever had >> i was sure that we had tried most every protocol there is available. >> john and i considered surrogacy and adoption surrogacy felt like the right first steps for us being matched with a surrogate is one of the most extraordinary experiences i have ever had. >> our surrogate has been amazing. i can't explain just how wonderful she's been sorry. for her, this was about giving

something to us that she felt a deep connection to >> she was going to try to carry our baby, and that first try didn't work. i'll never forget when that call came in. i just the united shutdown of america. >> all of a sudden, covid hit. like so many couples all across the country who are struggling with infertility, everything stopped. initially, i was devastated by that it took a lot for john and i to put our heart on the line again. after years and years of trying, i'm having a baby girl with john, and we are so excited. it's with the help of a surrogate. >> smiling, ah

>> it's been astounding. the courage that she has shown through all of this, the endurance, the resilience. she has managed to perform on so many levels. >> i'd like the follow up with you. >> that's not true. >> knowing we were expecting our first child as i moderated the presidential debates with this little secret that i was holding. i can't wait to tell my daughter that, that i credit her with the fact that i remained calm that night. >> i want to compliment kristen and john because it took some courage to try this process. >> what i advised kristen was that kristen was a miracle and she'd also have a miracle, and she has. >> i wasn't expecting to feel such a strong connection to her already, just from seeing her in a monitor. all of the tears and the sadness and the setbacks were worth it because she's worth it

and we cannot wait for that day, when we can actually meet her and hug her and hold her >> cheers. >> we can't. >> i mean, i think we're all overwhelmed. >> yeah. >> with just gratitude for you, kristen. you are my hero. you are my hero. i can't believe how hard you have worked for this baby. when she finds out all that you did for her, to bring her into this world, both of you, you're wonderful. >> thank you. so happy for you >> thank you, savannah i have to say, part of the reason that we were able to keep going, and part of the reason we wanted to share our stories was because you, savannah, you, hoda, talked about your paths to motherhood that gave us so much strength. craig, you've talked so much about the role of being a father i think every tough day, when you guys would speak out, when someone would share their story, it makes you feel a little less alone. whether it's infertility or anything that someone is struggling with, i think that when you know you're not alone,

it helps you to wake up and put one foot in front of the other. >> to know that this can be what's at the end. there were so many beautiful, touching parts of that listening to your dad saying you were a miracle, so it was no surprise you were having one what was it like telling your mom and dad? >> we told them the second after we found out we were driving to new york, and we pulled over we told them it was just screams and tears. >> yeah. it's just something naturally that they've been waiting many, many years for, as well. it was a wonderful moment to share with them. >> first grandchild on both sides. >> oh, my gosh she won't be spoiled. >> not at all. >> john, you're about to become part of the most, i would say, the most impressive club in the world. not only are going to be a dad, but a girl dad that's really special. what are you most looking forward to >> well, it's a long list. i'm so excited, you know, one just to hold her in our arms i think that's most important. but there's a long road to come after that i'm sure she'll be feisty just like her mother.

>> oh, she will. oh, she will >> but we couldn't be more excited. >> kristen, i mean, just a word. there are people watching right now, and you are giving so much hope to them just by looking at you. you never gave up. you just kept the faith that your baby would come and your dreams would come true what would you say to others who might be feeling a little lost right now and thinking, when is it going to be my turn >> thank you for that opportunity to say that. i would say, do not give up. never give up. everyone sitting here is a reminder that if you want a family, you can have one just to keep the faith whatever it is you're struggling with, not to give up we feel so blessed that we have this opportunity we know that a lot of people wish and want to know about the resources that are out there there are resources that are out there to help with infertility more over the years. i think there can even be more still. that's some of the things we're

going to be talking about in the coming weeks on "weekend today." >> you know what i love about kristen? look what she's doing. >> everything. >> everything in the world but as someone told me when i adopted a baby in my 50s, she said, you know what the baby is? i said, what the baby is right on time. congratulations for having your baby right on time, you guys. >> she feels on time thank you. >> congrats. >> kristen, we'd also say when doing your debate prep, i would say, you're born for this. you know what? you were born for this you were born to be a mama. >> thank you. >> we cannot wait to meet her. john and kristen, congratulations. >> that was awesome. thanks, guys. >> love you guys. >> thank you for the love and support. thank you. couldn't have done it without you. let's move over to mr. roker for a check of the weather. >> we are so happy for you both. muah wonderful. we've gone the adoption route and the ivf route. doesn't matter there is a baby there. somebody to love that's so wonderful. let's look what we have going on right now. some snow back through the western plains sunshine along the eastern seaboard toasty temperatures down in

southern florida southern texas, temperatures in the 90s, 80s as you get out to the west, here's what we're looking at today as far as your weather is concerned, a fire risk continues out west with sunshine stretching all the way from san diego to seattle severe storms developing down in the plains, a morning freeze in the ohio river valley, sunshine here in the northeast, new good morning, i'm meteorologist kari hall, as we take a live look outside in walnut creek. we're starting out with a hazy sky. it's going to be sun kwlier later today and really nice one as we reach into the upper 60s. oakland today high 61 and clouds linger near the coast with san francisco staying in the mid-50s today. our north bay highs near 70. we better take in the sunshine while we have it because we have a lot of changes heading our way. more clouds tomorrow and rain moving in by sunday. >> that's your latest weather. best time of the morning. >> yes, sir. >> it's not that time yet. >> what? >> pause. >> what do you mean? >> go to promo you'll see.

>> keep going. >> carson, you're back though. you have "pop start" in a bit. >> a bit. >> oscars. >> oh. >> can we get tissues for everybody? >> yeah. >> is that not -- >> tears of joy all over the place. great to see the 93rd academy awards is on sunday pushed back two months because of the pandemic. what kind of surprises can we expect at this year's ceremony our own natalie morales is out in l.a. with a preview >> reporter: good morning, carson we've seen the award shows go from lavished, packed galas to nearly all virtual ceremonies with nominees accepting awards remotely finally good news. with covid cases dropping here in southern california, the academy awards will return to tradition with all the nominees showing up somewhere in person to see who takes home oscar gold it's hollywood's biggest night, and like the rest of us, the oscars are easing back to normal unlike other award shows this

year, no zooming in from home. most oscar nominees will appear in person with appropriate safety measures at the show's new location, the historic union station in los angeles nominees unable to attend will appear via satellite from locations around the world as in recent past, there will be no host. instead, a cast of a-list presenters will carry the show in a return to fashion, the attire will be all glam. no pajamas and hoodies like we saw at the golden globes and there will be a red carpet, but on a much smaller scale. >> what if an award show was actually a movie >> reporter: organizers say the ceremony itself, produced by sotoburg oscar-winning director steven sotoburg will be as senmatic as the best picture nominees. >> we'll present it like you're watching a film, from the opening titles of the show the way it looks and feels, it's not going to be the standard cookie-cutter award show. >> reporter: this year's nominees are already making history.

in the wake of 2015's oscars so white controversy, nearly half of the actor nominees are people of color there's power. >> reporter: including favorites like daniel kaluuya for best supporting actor in "judas and the black messiah" and the late chadwick boseman for best actor in "ma rainey's black bottom." >> get the people's attention. >> reporter: another oscar first, two women are nominated for best director. emerald fennell for "promising young woman" and chloe zhao for "nomad land. also a favored film to take home the grand prize of all, best picture of the year. because of covid, oscar producers say just presenters, nominees, and guests will sit in the audience in socially distanced pods of two. the pandemic also meant pre-taping performances for the best song nominees now for all of you who are going to be watching sunday night from home, you can look for those unexpected moments

we've created a really fun way to celebrate along with the winners, with oscar bingo. a game made just for you go to today.com. download it, and play along. i know i will be guys >> is it a drinking game >> reporter: or you can make it a drinking game. >> drink when they say "the oscar goes to. that's be a real long night. >> you'll make it past the first two awards. >> natalie, thanks for that, appreciate it. should be a good oscar's show. almost like a film still ahead, al's favorite time of the morning. we've got "pop start." highlight from "er's" cast reunion. if you missed it, some good stuff. we'll have it for you. but first, your local news

good morning, it's 8 kwlon 26. i'm cierra johnson. oakland police are asking for help solving a shooting that left an innocent young man dead from a stray bullet. demetrius fleming died in oakland. he would have been celebrating his 19th birthday this week. police say he was in a car with friends when a shooting happened nearby. he was the only one struck by gunfire. a $15,000 reward is being offered to find the gunman. the weekend is officially upon us. many folks deciding whether to go outside or inside or maybe watch movies because of the chance of rain. >> yeah, we will see that rain

moving in by sunday. as of now just heading out the door, we're going to take in today and enjoy the sunshine of the heading out for your commute, temperatures start out in the mid-50s in parts of the east bay. we will get up to 70 here, and that's perfect. tomorrow more clouds move in and some get rain but i think we can make plans to get outside. by sunday rain off and on throughout the day so that may be the day to stay inside with temperatures reaching into the upper 50s. we will get outside next week after much-needed rain and temperatures will warm up as well. >> thank you. we'll have another update for you in about a half hour.

♪ ♪ feeling good like i should ♪ oh, yeah. >> friday morning, the 23rd day of april, 2021 we have a fun-filled half hour, including, mr. daly, your "pop start. >> that's right. also, today goes green coverage continues as kerry sanders gets up close and very personal with an extremely rare bird it's like bird week on the "today" show we'll check in with kerry in a bit. from bird watching to gardening, we have your quarantine hobbies i have pointers that i picked up to help our gardens grow. >> is that your garden >> yeah.

>> wow coming up, "3rd hour of today", one of our hall of fame favorite guests here at the show, olympic super star simone biles is going to stop practicing in texas this morning. she's going to interrupt her practice to talk to us to give us an update on her training for tokyo. >> she's also got a new haircut. >> and a new clothing line. >> and a new business to talk about. >> she's very busy and important. >> she's a mogul next week on "today," we have lined up a parade of amazing singers to join us we have thomas rhett. >> yes. >> julia michaels. >> yes. >> jessica simpson. >> all right. >> yes. mr. roker, how about a check of the weather >> a dip there now after all that, and me let's show what we have for your weekend. see if we can perk you up a bit. through the southeast, mississippi river valley, severe storms tomorrow. nice day in the northeast. unsettled in the pacific northwest. then on sunday, sunday, more rain in the northeast. warm and sunny stretching from

the southwest, gulf coast, into the ohio river valley. rain and mountain snow makes its way into the central california and the pacific northwest and the inner mountain region, as well that's what's going on around good morning, i'm meteorologist kari hall. as we take a look at our seven-day forecast, a lot of changes heading our way. we're still enjoying sunshine in our inland spots like santa rosa down to gilroy and reaching into the low 70s. then as we go into the weekend, more clouds moving in and some of us will see spotty showers. all of the bay area will see rain on sunday as our temperatures cool off and it will be off-and-on throughout the day but it moves out by monday and we are seeing temperatures warming up by the middle of next week. >> it's almost the best time of the year. >> almost! >> what a tease. >> we'll have to take a break, and then carson has "pop start." >> there is a carrot out there start. hoda, coming up, one of our topics to discuss is the dress that you wore on the show

yesterday that viewers picke out for you.d

>> oh, my. is it time i hear the music >> finally time. >> are we going to tease it again? i'm not going to wait one second long >> one of the great actors, we're just good at teasing them, coming up next string the viewers along i feel honored i have to get to it. night. they had a reunion george clooney, noah wiley the group reminiscing about the show's staying power, and talking about the immense success in the ratings get this, 40 million people a week were tuning in at its height one point, the cast talked about how the show's executive producer, steven spielberg, gave them each a cell phone, which turned out not to be the best gift they got that year.

>> i mean, but think about it, the shows that we were being compared to, you guys remember, we'd get these ratings and they'd send them to us, and they'd say you've tied with "charlie's angels. remember that? oh, you tied "charlie's angels." the truth is, the shows we were tying is when they were three networks, and there were 100 some channels by the time we got on the air it was different it was a real sort of appointment television we were -- >> what, what? we were what, george >> is that a george prank? >> it froze. >> yeah. >> i don't think that's the soundbite they had planned >> they got a cell phone maybe with so much success, they got something else check it out. next up, rita moreno, the west side story actress is the subject of a new documentary it's called "rita moreno: just a gifr girl who decided to go for it. features lin-manuel miranda and gloria estefan

what she encountered professionally and personally in hollywood. >> there are wounds that simply don't heal well. >> she made herself into somebody she wasn't for a very long time. >> it really hurt her soul, to have to play those characters in that way >> for the very first time in my life, i felt very useful. >> we thought there was no place for us in the world of the arts we wanted to get into. skpekd we could look up and say rita, okay, well, she could do it how close can i get? how close can i get? >> how good is that? lin-manuel miranda "rita moreno, a girl who decided to go for it," hitting theaters june 18th. next up, happy birthday to prince louis, the little royal turns 3 years old today, and to mark the occasion, prince william and duchess kate released a new photo of him on his very first day of preschool, all smiles in the photo taken

outside of kensington palace earlier this week. fans commenting how much he looks like older brother george. others say he is mom, kate's, twin what do you think? >> oh, yeah. >> i think george. >> both. >> nice mix. nice picture, too, duchess kate. >> there you go. hoda, you're next on "pop start. in the fourth hour yesterday for earth day, hoda and jenna had viewers vote on three sustainably sourced outfits for them to wear on the air. and it's safe to say the fans chose a dress for hoda that she wasn't exactly crazy about >> it's really pretty on you >> it's not -- i would never wear this. i don't know i just wouldn't. >> how do you feel >> i feel like you >> that's appropriate. >> that's kind of how -- this is like how you dress i don't usually dress in these kinds of things. but it is fun to wear something else. you look pretty, and savannah evidently voted for this one because she says she's literally never seen you wear a print. >> you look great. what are you talking about, hoda >> savannah texted me and said, i retract my vote. >> after you saw her in the dress.

>> i felt like i was in a halloween costume. >> you looked beautiful. it was not the greatest dress. >> if you were going to teach elementary school, you were ready. >> yeah. on >> it's not for me >> i thought you looked great. finally. justin theroux is willie's guest for this weekend, talking about his new show, earlier roles, and the sudden fame that came with dating and marrying jennifer aniston. he told willie the advice he got from a fellow actor. >> was it a shock to your system, ten years ago when you started dating jennifer and got married, all the attention you got? >> yeah. a part of me was like, i'm essentially sort of a character actor and a writing. there's not much there jason bateman actually once gave me one of the most sage pieces of advice ever he said, look, in that side of the entertainment industry, a character is about to be born. that character is you, but it's not you. it is just this little soap opera that gets written in the

margins. mydvice is, don't follow that guy' that's the only way you can sort of keep sane in all that. >> there you go. watch more of that, in fact the entire interview, this weekend on "sunday today" with willie geist. that's your "pop start." >> thanks, carson. coming up next, a very interesting story, shall we say, well, from carkerry sanders. >> he just landed on my head it's crazy >> it was a little crazy why that little guy perched on kerry's head has a lot to teach kerry's head has a lot to teach us about the world around us

kerry's head has a lot to teach us about thsome days,ound us you just don't have it. not my uncle, though. he's taking trulicity for his type 2 diabetes and now, he's really on his game. once-weekly trulicity lowers your a1c by helping your body release the insulin it's already making. most people reached an a1c under 7%. plus, trulicity can lower your risk of cardiovascular events. it can also help you lose up to 10 pounds. trulicity is for type 2 diabetes. it isn't for people with type 1 diabetes. it's not approved for use in children. don't take trulicity if you're allergic to it, you or your family have medullary thyroid cancer, or have multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2. stop trulicity and call your doctor

right away if you have an allergic reaction, a lump or swelling in your neck, severe stomach pain, changes in vision, or diabetic retinopathy. serious side effects may include pancreatitis. taking trulicity with sulfonylurea or 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. we're back, 8:40 on this friday morning with "today goes earth day. >> kerry sanders has the story of a special bird in florida that a lot of people are watching to learn more about the impact of climate change

hey, kerry >> reporter: guys, you're looking at a florida scrub jay, one of the most unusual birds. as you'll see, they're not afraid of people i put a peanut on my head, there he is. scientists tell us that the de indication of the complex nature of climate change the florida scrub jays are squawking, but scientists fear we may not be listening to their warnings about climate change. >> he just landed on my head that's crazy and this is not like a trained bird at the circus here. >> it's a wild bird. this is an 11-year-old breeding male this guy knows exactly what he's doing. he's a really remarkable bird. he's one of the rarest birds in north america. >> reporter: 150,000 scrub jays once called florida home today, cornell university says if this bird disappears, why should we care, other than the

fact this is hilarious >> this bird disappears, it is because we've destroyed an entire ecosystem that's what endangered species are about. the endangered species are telling us there is a whole system that we want to protect >> reporter: their home is fast disappearing because, increasingly, king tides driven by climate change are forcing us to move inland to higher, drier ground we are now competing for the same inland areas where the scrub jays live. >> that's a huge effect of climate change they're coming in from the coast. what's happening even right now, the realization that the coastal zone is getting inundated by the tide, people are moving into the inland where are they going to move in florida that's the safest of all? 100 feet above sea level here. we're on 400 feet thick pile of >> reporter: we joined him on sand here, old sand dunes. >> reporter: we joined d dr. fitzpatrick on 20,000

protected acres near florida's lake okeechobee. the jays stay in a 400-yard radius, which is why when the complex impacts of climate change take their habitat, their numbers dwindle. that's the nest right there. she's going to come back down and show you where it is >> reporter: only about 30% of florida's scrub jay eggs that hatch survive the predators, like snakes. >> they're so tiny i'm not sure i could tell it was a bird >> ever heard the phrase, naked as a jay bird? >> that's where it comes from. >> it's so true. can barely tell it's a bird. >> yeah. >> reporter: there was a time coal miners took birds underground to detect deadly, poisonous air. is this any kind of canary in our coal mine? >> absolutely. all these birds, especially the ones that are so dependent on specific kinds of habitats, they are telling us of the things that we're doing right and all the things we're doing wrong >> reporter: biologists say they never expected the florida scrub jay to become the poster child for earth's problems, but it's this unusual picture that helps.

they'll take it as a win guys >> wow >> right on cue. >> impressive he could keep the bird on the head that long. a lot of peanuts in your pocket for that >> he's trained kerry well. >> thank you appreciate it.pe give yourself a break. ♪ it's the circle of life ♪ >> totally >> totally >> samin nosrat helping us get attention, california. new federal funding of $3 billion is available to help more people pay for health insurance — no matter what your income. how much is yours? julie and bob are paying $700 less, every month. dee got comprehensive coverage for only $1 a month. and the navarros are paying less than $100 a month.

check coveredca.com to see your new, lower price. the sooner you sign up the more you save. only at covered california. this way to health insurance.

we are back with more of our today goes green series. gardening is a springtime pastime. a lot of people enjoy it mr. roker, you had a chance to take part. >> i sure did. one of the things you have to make sure you do, you have to get in there you have to get dirty. the good news is, you don't need a lot of space, experience, or a green thumb. i got to start my backyard garden with the help of one of the best

chef samin nosrat. who shared her tips for making your plants thrive she's known for traveling the world to study the elements of good cooking. >> this is salty >> reporter: her favorite ingredients are in her backyard. gardening and food are intertwined, a philosophy she shared with kids on netflix's "waffles and mochi." >> want to see the other tomatoes i picked? there is so much satisfaction in growing something yourself this day and age, there are so few opportunities for us to do things where we get to do them from start to finish >> reporter: if there were a silver lining to the pandemic, i think one of them was a lot of us, me included, got into gardening. >> i think we all got a little bit more motivated and educated about where our food comes from. for me it's really calming i spend a lot of my day on the computer and on the phone. i just come outside. it really gets me grounded it feels good to get the dirt under my nails >> reporter: what are some of

the benefits you love about gardening? >> it's just economical. if you have an herb garden, you can just go and pick a sprig or two. you're eating the most locally you possibly can literally inches away from your plate. >> reporter: a lot of folks are intimidated. can you get by without a green thumb? >> i had the blackest thumb when i started. one of the best pieces of advice i ever received is you are going to kill a lot of stuff along the way. the gardening is the learning. you learn, you know, which plants need more sun, which plants need less water stuff dies it just happens. give yourself a break. ♪ it's the circle of life ♪ >> totally >> reporter: with samin's guidance, i'm ready to plant my. own backyard garden. begin by prepping the seeds the day before, pouring each packet into a cup and adding room temperature water. >> i always soak my seeds overnight.

it really increases the amount of germination you can get fill it with potting soil. look on the back of the seed packet, and it'll tell you how deeply to sow your seeds a good rule of thumb is to go twice as deep as the size of the seed i like two seeds per hole, just so i have a little insurance >> reporter: doing some beets. >> i have cucumbers. >> reporter: plastic bins holding the seeds until they sprout most of us think, let's water from the top you like to water from the bottom >> just put a bunch of water in your tray, the seedling trays are going to absorb that from the bottom what that does, it won't disturb the seedlings. >> reporter: after a few weeks, our little seedlings have started to grow up how do you know when it is time to be able to plant them >> when it is about 4 inches tall or has at least four sort of vibrant, strong leaves, that's a good rule of thumb. >> reporter: rather than beginning from seeds, you can buy starter plants at your local nursery.

i have rosemary, lettuce i got different kinds of tomatoes, basil, and thyme how do you take it out >> the most sort of freshest part of the plant really is the roots, so you really want to be as delicate as you possibly can. you could also use a butter knife along the sides. sometimes you do need to loosen the roots. when it is planted, the top of your root ball is even with the being able to walk top of the soil. being able to walk, you know, a few steps and pick something out of the yard and put it directly into a plate of food you're cooking, it feels super gratifying it is so rewarding. >> reporter: there is something very elemental about putting your hands into dirt and just -- and then when you step back and realize in a month or two you're going to be enjoying literally

the fruits of your labor >> and vegetables of your labor. >> exactly i planted some strawberries. >> you did >> we have fruit, as well. this is the garden today this was last night. it's really -- everything's kind of really -- in about a week, week and a half really things have really taken off. we had some rain everything works out good. pay attention to your local climate, which plants can succeed. you can also check with your local cooperatives, a lot of your counties can tell you what time you can plant what. like we just had a big frost over the last couple of days, so you want to be careful and you don't need a lot of space. you can start those containers inside you just put them into a sunny spot samin's also got some bonus tips for us you can find those on our "today" instagram. >> we all just learned a lot >> did you do all seeds or starters >> i did some seeds, but most of those i did with plants. i wanted to get things started there's no shame in your game if you start on plants. >> have you put anything in a salad or a dish yet? >> not yet. >> i could

some of the lettuces grow very fast. >> they do >> did you do herbs too like thyme? >> what kind of herbs are you talking about? radio yesterday. let's spin the smucker's >> i thought the same thing, al. >> i know you were thinking about bob marley radio. >> let's spin those smucker's jars happy 100th birthday to mary of marlboro, massachusetts. she says the secret to longevity, just stay active. j joe sipia we salute you for your service during world war ii and the navy, sir, thank you so much happy 100th birthday to francis gaspar a proud grandma from hollywood, florida she stays young by keeping up with her seven grandkids and ten great grandkids. mary of norwalk, connecticut, celebrating 101 years. secret to her longevity, she says yeah, glass of red wine every night with dinner.

mary disteefano of tinton falls graduating in the top 5% of her high school class. happy 100th birthday to julien, his mom got a shoutout from willard back in 1985 for her 102nd birthday how about that. >> great genes. >> as willie used to say if you have a loved one celebrating a milestone birthday, tell us all about it, go to today.com/celebrate. >> glass of red wine gets you to 100, that's why you have two a little insurance >> exactly >> third and fourth hours just ahead. kri kri kristen welker and her husband are going to be back with more on their beautiful news. if you're looking for information about surrogacy, other infertility issues we have a lot of resources for you to check out on today.com, and also kristen wrote a beautiful letter to her new daughter. >> that was like the best part

of our week, that chat with kristen. >> i know, right >> we are back with news and a check of your local weather. good morning, it's 8:56. i'm cierra johnson. this is the night warriors' fans have been waiting for. for the first time in more than a year, dub nation will be on hand when the warriors take on denver. seating is limited to 35% capacity.

fans must be vaccinated or show proof of a negative covid test. we checked with stubhub and there are no tickets available. right now we're at the chase center talking with team personnel about what you can expect if you have plans to go. we'll have a live report on our midday newscast. and there's a new contender throwing her hat into the ring if governor newsom indeed faces recall. caitlyn jenner plans to run as a republican. she apparently filed paperwork this morning saying, quote, i'm in. california is worth fighting for. folks point out jenner only voerted in about one third of the elections held including missing the 2000 recall vote won by arnold schwarzenegger and a police officer crossed the line during a tense altercation with his son. the department believeseo captu incident. we'll have more at midday and you can go to our home page for more details.

oh, you think this is just a community center? no. it's way more than that. cause when you hook our community up with the internet... boom! look at ariana, crushing virtual class. jamol, chasing that college dream. michael, doing something crazy. this is the place where we can show the world what we can do. comcast is partnering with 1000 community centers to create wifi-enabled lift zones, so students from low-income families can get the tools they need to be ready for anything. oh we're ready. ♪ ♪ this california family is on the job helping our state's recovery. you see by keeping their vacation in california they're supporting our local businesses and communities. so you could say every juice box enjoyed on our beaches is also bringing nourishment to our state's economy.

that's the taste of recovery. calling all californians. keep your vacation here and help our state get back to work. and please travel responsibly. live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza, this is the "3rd hour of today." >> good morning. welcome to the "3rd hour of today." what day is it, craig? >> fri-yay. >> fri-yay. >> yes. >> you said this is the longest day of, like, the year. >> yeah. >> we've been waiting for this friday because it is the longest week of the year. >> oh, my gosh. >> is it really the longest week of the year? >> no, but it feels like it. >> we're going to end with a really good thing. >> we are. this is the day where you get a phone call from your 11-year-old 20 seconds before you're on the air. i forgot to print