. breaking news on this friday a stampede involving thousands at a religious gathering resulting in dozens of deaths and hundreds of injuries a live report is next. president biden takes his multi-trillion dollar infrastructure plan on the road to georgia where he meets with the former first family as he promotes a massive investment. a parents' nightmare their child died while away at college. now eight people are indicted after the hazing death the incredible details ahead. if you are seeing a gas shortage, this may just be the

beginning as prices are also on the rise we'll tell you what to expect with memorial day just a month away. what are the odds of a person hitting a golf ball and having it land on a moving car some 303 yards away? "early today" starts right now good friday morning. i'm frances rivera. >> i'm phillip mena. that breaking news this morning. a religious celebration turned tragic in israel this was a chaotic scene as emergency crews tried to rescue the dozens injured more than 40 people were trampled to death. this was one of the largest gatherings since the country's reopening. joining us live from rome is claudio. how did this happen? >> reporter: good morning, phillip and frances. what we know is tens of thousands of people were attending the popular jewish religious festival in the north of israel when the festivities turned into tragedy.

people died by being asphyxiated or stampeded to death. we don't know what caused the stampede, what we know is overcrowding played a role in it we've seen some disturbing videos on social media that showed how jam packed the festival was in one we saw people jumping up and down and a river of people moving slowly through a very narrow corridor. it must be said it caused controversy before it caused death or people being injured. this was the largest crowd gathering as you said in israel since the start of the pandemic. our sources fear it will become a super spreader event instead that became a deadly tragedy phillip, frances >> just a surreal scene especially when you consider we're still in the middle of this pandemic. claudio, thank you. the first batch of life saving medical supplies from the

united states has landed in india. a medical plane carried over 400 oxygen cylinders this is the first of several shipments of part of a larger global effort to get more help to india the covid surge still growing with over 380,000 new cases reported today that's another global record the hospitals are at a breaking point running out of beds and oxygen and the crematoriums are overwhelmed. the coronavirus pandemic is far from over. the race to reopen the nation amid the coronavirus pandemic is speeding up. this is covid cases or hospitalizations declining as of today, more than 32 million americans have been infected there are more than 579,000 covid-related deaths on the vaccine front, nationally almost 144 million have now received at least one dose of the vaccine and in new york city, over 6.4 million people have been vaccinated

that has had the mayor open s, more. businesses, gyms, music july 1st, full capacity if the state signs off. meanwhile, a new survey conducted by arizona state university has found 60% of u.s. companies will require vaccinations from their employees. it found 42% of businesses won't allow employees to come back to work without being vaccinated. that comes as disneyland and california adventure are set to reopen today with limited capacity and restrictions. a grand jury in ohio has indicted eight people in the death of a hazing incident nbc's kristin dahlgren has the story. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, frances. in a statement the family of the victim says that hazing is abuse, plain and simple.

a prosecutor agrees and now eight young men are facing charges. his parents clushd hands as charges were announced in the death of stone fultz after a fraternity initiation. >> the new members almost all being under abled were provided a bottle of high alcohol content liquor. >> reporter: eight members now facing charges from felony involuntary manslaughter to misdemeanor hazing after they encouraged fultz and others to drink the entire bottle. >> hi. someone that we know is nonresponsive. he drank alcohol, like a lot of alcohol. >> the prosecutor says the sophomore business major had a blood alcohol level almost five times the legal limit and was found by roommates after fraternity brothers dropped him off. he died three days later the most serious charges could mean up to 11 years in prison if convicted. an attorney for the family calling it a step in the right

direction asking how many injuries and deaths will it take for people in positions of power to do the right thing? 44 states including ohio do have anti-hazing laws but they can vary greatly. >> this tragic and senseless death should remind us all of the moral imperative for us to drive hazing out of the state of ohio >> reporter: tougher laws too late for fultz but -- >> please, god, let it be the last time it's prosecuted in the united states. >> now hoping his death can save others. >> reporter: in that press conference the prosecutor said this may not be over and there may be even more charges they are looking at others who were at that event, frances. >> kristin, thank you. some of the strongest response to president biden's address came from republicans with senator tim scott declaring that america is not a racist country. our kristin welker has that story. >> reporter: he's a rising

republican star and potential presidential candidate tim scott who grew up poor in south carolina, then became a senator. >> good evening. >> reporter: grabbing headlines with this response to president biden's address. >> hear me clearly, america is not a racist country it's backwards to fight discrimination with different types of discrimination. >> reporter: while many praised scott, others called him naive for hours #uncletim trended. uncle tom used to describe black americans who were too differential to white people scott slamming the comments. >> intolerance so often comes from the left with words like uncle tim and the n word being used against me. >> reporter: craig melvin pressed president biden on scott's comments. >> he said among other things, america isn't racist

is it? >> no, i don't think the american people are racist, but i think after 400 years african-americans have been left in a position where they are so far behind the 8 ball in terms of education, health, in terms of opportunity i think the overhang from all of the jim crow and before that slavery have had a cost. >> reporter: meanwhile, george floyd's brother and other advocates met with top white house officials on police reform late thursday. president biden called on congress to pass a bill by the first anniversary of floyd's death, may 25th. phillip. >> that will be significant. kristin, thank you. amtrak joe is living up to his nickname today he will celebrate his decades of ridership with a trip to philadelphia to mark the 5h anniversary of amtrak. in his latest stop people on his infrastructure plan. tracie potts joins us with the

latest tracie, the president faces an uphill battle with republicans in congress. >> reporter: right, frances. republicans think it's too expensive. $4 trillion in new spending for jobs and families. they also think it's not targeted that the jobs bill isn't just about infrastructure but what they call a liberal wish list. the president will talk about the jobs plan and the family plan today as he makes those remarks about amtrak in philadelphia he also, we expect, will talk about achievements in his first 100 days >> as much as we've done, we've got a lot more to do that's why i proposed the american jobs plan it is a once in a generation investment in america. it's the biggest jobs plan in this country since world war ii. >> the the biden administration seems to have given up on selling actual unity in favor of catnip

to their liberal base covered with a hefty coat of false advertising. >> reporter: the president's also pushing congress to approve the justice in policing act named after george floyd by may 25th, the first anniversary of his death. but the president said that he's going to be hands off with the negotiations for now because it's happening behind closed doors between democrats and republicans. >> tracie, thank you this is the final day of april, and that means 1/3 of 2021 is now behind us. >> mind blowing. >> let's check in on the weather with nbc meteorologist janessa webb good morning. >> that's hard to believe. we really want the weather to finally transition we just haven't had that happen yet. i do think after tomorrow morning it will be the last time i talk about snow for northern new england and then we go into kind of a rainy pattern.

cooler temperatures this morning. light showers continue to push off shore but the theme for today is these high winds. they will be brutal from the mid-atlantic from southern to northern new england 59 million people going to be impacted we're talking about wind gusts locally up to 40 to 50 miles per hour this will last and if you ar few stornls even for texas this afternoon. you know the pacific northwest has been left out with the heat. we'll talk about tha, janessa. talk to you in a bit thanks marcus armitege may not have won

a major but he landed a golf ball in a moving car 303 yards away >> money money. money paul money paul go, go >> yeah! >> that is a world record! >> got it in there >> yes >> it is money the 33-year-old who plays on the european tour beat the previous world record of 273 yards which was set in 2012. army tej and his driver celebrated by doing donuts on the runway can you imagine if he does win a major what his reaction will be if he's this excited now. >> the driver nailed it. even the wide receiver there had to adjust for that pretty impressive all the way around. after a quick break, we have

the biggest shockers from night one of the nfl draft. don't map out th ratoad trip just yet why america could be running on empty this summer. one wash, sta. daughter: slurping don't pay for water. pay for clean. it's got to be tide. don't settle for products that give you a sort of white smile. try new crest whitening emulsions for 100% whiter teeth. its highly active peroxide droplets swipe on in seconds. better. faster. 100% whiter teeth. crestwhitesmile.com if your dry eye symptoms keep coming back, inflammation in your eye might be to blame. looks like a great day for achy, burning eyes! over-the-counter eye drops typically work by lubricating your eyes and may provide temporary relief. ha! these drops probably won't touch me. xiidra works differently, targeting inflammation that can cause dry eye disease. what is that? xiidra, noooo!

it can provide lasting relief. xiidra is the only fda-approved non-steroid treatment specifically for the signs and symptoms of dry eye disease. one drop in each eye, twice a day. don't use if you're allergic to xiidra. common side effects include eye irritation, discomfort or blurred vision when applied to the eye, and unusual taste sensation. don't touch container tip to your eye or any surface. after using xiidra, wait 15 minutes before reinserting contacts. got any room in your eye? talk to an eye doctor about twice-daily xiidra. i prefer you didn't! xiidra. not today, dry eye. dawn antibacterial cuts through tough grease xii with 50% less scrubbing. it also removes 99% of bacteria from your hands. dawn antibacterial. an easy way to clean your dishes... a smart way to wash your hands. darrell's family uses gain flings now so their laundry smells more amazing than ever. isn't that the dog's towel? hey, me towel su towel.

more gain scent plus oxi boost and febreze in every gain fling. leading the news as more americans hit the road this summer, it may be harder to fill up the gas tank. vicky nguyen explains why. >> here we are. >> reporter: they took their three boys out of school in 2019 to travel. we caught up with them in florida. >> why was it important for you to take your kids on the road? >> traveling has become the new way to educate your kids. >> we're going to work our way all the way up to part land, oregon. >> reporter: this month they may hit a speed bump there's plenty of fuel but there's a shortage of tanker truck drivers to deliver it. 35% fewer drivers after the pandemic forced some to retire or change jobs. >> in the summer we may see a few gas stations that have low

to no fuel for a number of days. >> reporter: it happened in las vegas. tourists were waiting to fill up for a day or two. >> you don't need to hoard gasoline it won't be at every station there will be gas if you drive down the street. >> reporter: with normal summer demand, expect cries creep up to 3 bucks a gallon on average. the knapp family says they'll take any gas delays in stride. >> we won't run below half a tank >> reporter: use an app to fill up before your destination. >> it will take extra plan joog round one is in the books. the winners and losers from the first day of the nfl draft. stirring the coffee pot. how starbucks plans to instantly improve your morning ere... it's.

hey joshie... wrinkles send the wrong message. help prevent them before they start with downy wrinkleguard. hey! bud. hey, pop pop! so you won't get caught with wrinkles again. [woman laughs] never run dry of... killer attitude. or hydration. neutrogena® hydro boost. the #1 hyaluronic acid moisturizer delivers 2x the hydration for supple, bouncy skin. neutrogena®. gillette proglide. five blades and a pivoting flexball designed to get virtually every hair on the first stroke. so you're ready for the day with a fresh face for a fresh start. for a limited time get a 5th cartridge free. how did kellogg's combine crunchy oat clusters with a touch of honey... plump, juicy raisins and tasty fiber into one delicious cereal?

it took a lot of bran-storming. get it? kellogg's raisin bran crunch. two scoops of delicious. rinsing the dishes before they go in the dishwasher? well, new cascade platinum has 50% more cleaning power, get it? so you don't have to. its food-seeking enzymes break down food into particles so small they can flow right down the drain. plus, it's powerful enough for the quick-wash cycle. new cascade platinum with 50% more cleaning power!

with the first pick in the 2021 nfl draft, the jacksonville jaguars select trevor lawrence, quarterback, clemson >> no surprise there new jacksonville jaguars coach urban myers tapped trevor lawrence as the future of the franchise. and they picked travis etienne for the first time since 1999, the first three picks of the draft were all quarterbacks.

atlanta broke the streak kyle picks at 4 jamar chase will be reunited in cincinnati with joe burrow three alabama players were picked davonte smith with the eagles at number 10. in other nfl news, aaron rodgers relationship with the packers has reportedly crumbled. citing sources, espn has said the quarterback does not want to return to green bay this season. wall street is still in awe over the latest earnings from amazon that smashed all expectations heads up, mother's day is fast approaching. don't procrastinate. let's bring in krooek's cnbc's steve sedgwick. >> reporter: good morning. amazon numbers were enormous sales surged 44% to 108 $108.5

billion. that's the first quarter the amazon prime day historically has been july last year it was in october. it will be in june this year here's the important number. sunday, may 9th. it seems that americans got the idea they're going to spend 120 bucks per mother on mother's day this year. that's a big increase from $97 this year. we've already had our mother's day, that was on the 14th of march. yours is may 9th starbucks picking up on a big trend. people drinking more coffee and better coffee. they're introducing a premium range. $9.99 per canister it's available in the arabica coffee it will elevate the option with a new premium instant. frances, i'm told a certain colleague of yours has a very special day. phillip, many, many happy returns. i'm sorry i can't celebrate it

with you from this side of the atlantic. >> i appreciate it >> raise a pint for him, steve. >> thank you so much have a good weekend, buddy. still to come, janessa has your weekend weather forecast. and a forecast for the travel iusndtry looking pretty strong what you need to know about the summer travel rush taking align. align contains a quality probiotic to naturally help soothe digestive upsets 24/7. try align, the pros in digestive health. mommy, i won a medal. that's amazing! ♪ your radiance comes alive ♪ i got in! ♪ i don't need the rain ♪ celebrate all the moms in your life with sparkling gifts from pandora jewelry.

microban 24 doesn't with sparkling gifts just sanitize and stop. it keeps killing bacteria for 24 hours. just spray and let dry to form a shield that's proven to keep killing bacteria for 24 hours. touch after touch. microban 24 how did kellogg's combine crunchy oat clusters with a touch of honey... plump, juicy raisins and tasty fiber into one delicious cereal? it took a lot of bran-storming. get it? kellogg's raisin bran crunch. two scoops of delicious. [music: "i swear"] jaycee tried gain flings for the first time the other day... get it? and forgot where she was. you can always spot a first time gain flings user. ♪ is now a good time for a flare-up? enough, crohn's! for adults with moderate to severe crohn's or ulcerative colitis... stelara® can provide relief and is the only approved medication to reduce inflammation on and below the surface of the intestine in uc.

you, getting on that flight? back off, uc! stelara® may increase your risk of infections, some serious, and cancer. before treatment, get tested for tb. tell your doctor if you have an infection... flu-like symptoms, sores, new skin growths, have had cancer, or if you need a vaccine. pres, a rare, potentially fatal brain condition, may be possible. some serious allergic reactions and lung inflammation can occur. lasting remission can start with stelara®. if you've been financially impacted by covid-19, janssen may be able to help. you try to stay ahead of the mess but scrubbing still takes time. impacted by covid-19, now there's dawn powerwash dish spray. it's the faster way to clean as you go. just spray, wipe and rinse. it cleans grease five times faster. dawn powerwash now available in free & clear. happy friday, everyone we're going to see cooler temperatures across the northeast this afternoon with temperatures upper 60s in some spots. so below average for your

saturday lots of sunshine and heat building across the west we'll be right back. tons of ses and sharing them on something called the internet. moms know best. that's why they trust crest. the #1 toothpaste brand in america. mommy, i won a medal. that's amazing! ♪ your radiance comes alive ♪ i got in! ♪ i don't need the rain ♪ celebrate all the moms in your life with sparkling gifts from pandora jewelry. hi sabrina! >>hi jen! so this aveeno® moisturizer goes beyond just soothing sensitive skin? exactly jen! calm + restore oat gel is formulated with prebiotic oat. and strengthens skin's moisture barrier. uh! i love it! aveeno® healthy. it's our nature.™ aveeno® it only takes a second for an everyday item to become dangerous. tide pods child-guard pack helps keep your laundry pacs in a safe place and your child safer. to close, twist until it clicks. tide pods child-guard packaging.

los angeles police have arrested five people in connection with the shooting of lady gaga's dog walker four of those arrested were alleged to be known gang members. they are charged with attempted murder the woman who returned the dogs after lady gaga offered a $500,000 reward were among those who were arrested. ryan fischer survived and is still recovering. more people are ready to start traveling again. last month's flight bookings shot up 111% hotel bookings by 50%. that's compared to early december last year

christmas flight bookings are up 17% compared to 2019 this rise in travel comes as some covid restrictions are easing today is the last day delta will be blocking the middle seats for more on the summer travel rush, here's nbc's liz mclaughlin. >> reporter: airports are getting busier many travelers ready for a trip abroad. >> i think people are definitely desperate to get out of the country. >> reporter: international flight searches surged after they said fully vaccinated people can visit europe. >> with the vaccine rollout we've seen the pent-up demand translate into more bookings for late spring and summer. >> greece and iceland which have already opened individually are in the top three travel destinations this summer according to hopper, but as countries reopen, demand and prices are expected to surge >> we're expecting flight prices to increase about 15% going into the summer. >> reporter: many covid era

wavers granting flexibility to travelers have expired you can still get free cancellations and changes on delta, united, alaska, or hawaiian if you buy your ticket by the endof the month may 31st if you fly jetblue. on some travel sites including hopper you can purchase a flexible date booking option. >> that's a really good way to lock into low prices now and then upon the country reopening you can actually take that trip. >> reporter: in the race back to normalcy, some are hesitant. >> i do feel weird about things opening up just because you can't really tell when we're ready for that. >> reporter: the travel industry's ready for those who are. liz mclaughlin, nbc news before we say good-bye, a surprise for this guy. >> oh, wow. >> happy birthday, milestone birthday for phillip. >> wow birthdays were the worst days and now -- >> surprise. it's going to be a whole

celebration. >> open it here? >> yes, go ahead there's some that, you know, nsfw for morning tv. you'll have some fun with some of those of those other times when we run ou jack, toss me the frisbee. i can do you one better... with cheddar. everything's better with cheddar. like my new cheddar biscuit breakfast sandwiches with cheddar baked right in. only at jack in the box.

make breakfast better with cheddar. my new cheddar biscuit breakfast sandwiches. with cheese baked right into the biscuit, hickory-smoked bacon or grilled sausage, and a freshly-cracked egg. try'em today. only at jack in the box. right now at 4:30, breaking news, a car slammed into a south bay home overnight, damage done. investigation now under way and the ongoing search for the person who was behind the wheel. plus -- >> let them know that it happened to me but i think i'm very fortunate. >> all new outrage boiling over as the head of oakland's chinatown chamber of commerce revealed he was assaulted downtown, at rest made in the case and the anti hate rally planned this weekend. making progress in the pandemic, the two bay area counties days