good morning. breaking news escalating violence. israel's military launching more air strikes into gaza overnight attacking sites hamas has used to fire rockets at israeli communities. richard engel is live in the region with the latest. confusion amid the celebration. more americans ditching their masks after that cdc guidance that fully vaccinated people could go maskless both indoors and out. >> i've been walking down the sidewalk, no mask.

>> with different rules in different retailers and states across the country, many people are still figuring out what to do. this morning what you need to know. running on empty. gas stations across the southeast still short on fuel even after the operators of that massive pipeline paid a multidollar million ransom. ready to run. medina spirit cleared the race in the second leg of the triple crown. the preakness despite getting caught up in a drug controversy. his trainer is facing a big lawsuit. all that plus touching tribute. vanessa bryant gives a sneak peek at the exhibit she helped to create for her husband kobe bryant. saturday, may 15th, 2021. from nbc news, this is "today" with peter alexander,

kristen welker and dylan dreyer. >> welcome to "today." thanks for joining us on this saturday morning. something is a little bit different. i don't need binoculars you. you're real. >> dylan, we're sitting closer together after that new cdc guidance and of course we're all fully vaccinated. >> i love it. now i feel extra far away from you guys. >> you have to come on down. >> we'll be fighting for elbow room. we'll get to more on that in a second. first we start with the escalating violence in the middle east. israeli forces launching more attacks against hamas overnight as new rocket attacks this morning are targeting one of israel's largest cities. richard engel is in tel aviv this morning. richard, good morning to you. we know you just heard air raid

sirens there. what's the latest? >> reporter: rocket attacks are continuing on israeli cities. in the last few moments we heard two sets of air raid sirens. our nbc producer witnessed a rocket crashing in to the sea off of tel aviv. what happened, what we saw, you hear the air raid sirens and shortly after you hear the israeli missile defense system the iron dome going into effect. you hear lots of explosions and see lots of small explosions in the sky as the missile defense system is trying to counter and stop the incoming rockets. people on the street immediately began to scatter. this happened twice in just the last few moments, going into their homes, heading towards bomb shelters. going into safe rooms that many israelis have in their own buildings or apartments. so far according to the military, three locations around

tel aviv were targeted, including near the airport. this is why israel says it is continuing its campaign against the gaza strip. it was another sleepless and deadly night for the people in gaza as they were attacked by artillery and air strikes. the israeli military said it targeted sites hamas has been using to launch around 2300 rockets at israel over the last several days killing israeli civilians. the israel military released images showing precision strikes destroying hamas tunnels and what it described as hamas commanders apartments. medical officials in gaza say palestinian civilians were also killed. this man said he lost six members of his family in an air strike including three grandchildren and his pregnant daughter-in-law. and this round of fighting isn't limited to gaza any more.

deadly clashes have spread to the west bank. a separate palestinian area disconnected from the gaza strip. it's even spread into israel itself. israel is known as the jewish state but it's not all jewish. 20% of its citizens are arab palestinians, mostly muslim with arab citizenship. this footage shows men placing molotov cocktails in front of a home, a mixed arab and jewish neighborhood. the men light them up and run. at least one arab boy was burned. arab israelis say this is part of campaign of intimidation, hard-line jews are using to drive arabs out of their homes in israel. palestinian-israelis have also ambushed jews and this internal citizen on citizen, sectarian

violence seems to be growing. police here in tel aviv say they are investigating that alleged arson attack, and ill officials say they are treating israeli on israeli arab against jew, jew against arab attacks as acts of terrorism. >> richard engel in tel aviv this morning. thank you very much. also this morning there is still a lot of confusion after the cdc said fully vaccinated people could go without masks. many are celebrating the news but others say they are not ready to go without the face coverings just yet as states and major retailers say they are still reviewing the recommendations. we go to los angeles for more on all of this. >> reporter: good morning. it's been somewhat confusing because the announcement is not a change in rules per se. we must keep in mind it is guidance from the cdc but the actual change in mask rules will be implemented by local

authorities and businesses around the country. around the country masks are coming off. following the cdc's recommendation this week that vaccinated people don't need them. >> today is the first time i've been walking down the sidewalk with no mask. it feels great. >> i've always been against masks. >> i'm ready for anything. i'm vaccinated. i feel pretty confident. >> reporter: major retailers now allowing vaccinated customers to shop without a mask provided local authorities allow it. but some shoppers still have doubts. >> no one will go around and holding a piece of paper and say show me your vaccine. >> reporter: masks are still required on public transportation or wherever it's required. across the nation some taking extra precaution. new york, new jersey and l.a.

county first reviewing changes before taking action. >> the realities we have to acknowledge ite possible to lift where people are going the. >> i'm confused. >> reporter: for parents with children too young for the vaccine experts say masks are still needed. >> doesn't change anything. they still need to continue those prevention measures. >> reporter: the change is likely to cause anxiety for those who gotten used to masks after 14 months of mandates. >> so used to having it on. i feel it's part of my identity. >> reporter: uncovering a new normal we used to take for granted. now the key here is the difficulty in knowing if others are vaccinated or not but according to dr. fauci those who take out their masksg fully vac posing

increasing their own chance of getting or spreading the virus. all right. thank you so much for that. we want to bring in our infectious disease expert. doctor, good morning. nice to see you. the cdc has now said if you're vaccinated you can tear off that mask. but it's not as simple as that because different businesses, different states have their own rules. so it's the first weekend of this new routine. how do we navigate our daily lives? >> peter, it is a good step forward. a lot of people will be welcoming the fact that they no longer have to wear the mask. other people will be a little bit more cautious. they will take the belt and suspenders approach, people who are older or immune compromised. they will keep wearing their masks. we'll work this out as we go along.

let's not get too uptight about it. we'll go with the flow. >> i think part of the confusion is that this is all based on the honor system. so what is your message to people who are not yet vaccinated and could this be a motivating factor for them? >> i hope it is a motivating factor. if you're not vaccinated you're susceptible to the virus and the virus can get in you, multiply and create a variant. that's the last thing we want. there's lots of people out there who haven't been victoriaed. we have oodles of vaccine to go into arms. come on folks. we can do this together. then we can all take off our masks the. >> for a lot much families including mine where we have kids who are under 12, not eligible for the vaccine, there are questions about what they can do. is it safe for them to be

unmasked or to be around adults who are unmavericked if you don't know who has been vaccinated. beyond that should we be wearing our masks to model that behavior for them? >> well, clearly when we go out of doors, we should be careful and those children should continue to wear their masks. that will have to be ongoing. within family circumstances, of course, we haven't been wearing masks at home and we can continue to do that. >> doctor, we appreciate your being with us this morning. thank you very much. >> appreciate it. back here in d.c. there appears to be no question that president trump still has an iron grip on the republican party. on friday house republicans elected trump supporter elise stefanik to their leadership. it happened after theyho voted

twists and turns this week and we go to the white house for more. monica, good morning. >> reporter: house republicans are waking up with a new conference chair but the former president's influence on the party that drove this shift in power as they try to win back a majority in next year's mid terms. it's clearer than ever the gop tied its fate to donald trump. a new chair, loyal to a past president. an overwhelming vote elevating congresswoman stefanik to the third ranking pot in the gop. days after liz cheney was purged from the same leadership role for calling out donald trump's election lies. stefanik fully embracing the former president. >> i want to thank president trump for ther: the new york republican who has a less conservative voting record than the woman she replaced insisted the party is unified. mentioning trump by name repeatedly after winning the

job. >> i believe that voters determine the leader of the republican party and president trump is the leader they look to. i support president trump. voters support president trump. he's an important voice in our republican party. >> reporter: an assured outcome for stefanik after his endorsement. the president wrote the house gop is united and the make america great movement is strong after being booted from her high ranking pose congresswoman cheney said she would work overtime to prevent the 45th president to get back to the oval office and weighed in on the bipartisan commission investigating the insurrection of january 6th. >> i wouldn't be surprised if he were subpoenaed. >> reporter: that independent commission which is built to emulate the 911 report will be made up of democrats and five republicans.

they would have subpoenote is e house next week to advance the review making it possible we would see the final product by the end of the year. making those comments by liz cheney all the more fascinating. thank you. a week after that mass jive pipeline cyber attack gas stations across the southeast and mid-atlantic are still facing shortages this morning. many completely without gas, with no clarity exactly when their pumps will be full again. we go to atlanta for more. >> reporter: well peter, good morning. actually i want to start off by showing you what is a very welcomed sight here at this gas station in atlanta. when we pulled up they only had unleaded gas. this truck has pulled up and now refueling. a welcome sight for this station in atlanta and others around the country. experts say we'll start to see more of this in the coming days. the pipeline is back up and

running but going to take some time before that trickles down to fumble. here in georgia, 45% of gas stations are out of fuel. when you go up to d.c. it's higher up to 80%. experts have one word of advice for people who are going into this weekend. stop panicking. all week long we have seen the scramble. >> i have been here now for 0 an hour and 15 minutes and this is my fifth gas station. >> reporter: everybody is panicking. >> reporter: across the southeast and up the east coast gas prices are going up and pumps are going dry. in north carolina where at one point more than 70% of stations were out of gas the shortage led five school systems to switch to remote learning. now the bulk of the pain has moved up north to d.c. where friday outages were still at a whopping 81%. all areas along the colonial pipeline the nation's largest fuel supplier forced to shut down after a ransomware hack.

it's now back online. the $5 million ransom paid. experts say it will take a bit longer for that relief to trickle down to the pump. >> it will take one or two weeks to get eat down enough where drivers won't have to think where to fill up. >> reporter: national average topping $3 a gallon. are the issues driven by the pipeline or panic. miami where at one point more than 40% of stations were out of gas despite the fact that south florida is not even served by the pipeline. >> essentially it came down to people panic buying. that's what was causing the majority of the problem not the pipeline itself. >> that appears to be the case. definitely the concern played a big role. >> reporter: and back here live in atlanta this is the sign that's been greeting a lot of peopl up their pumps. because truck is here hacking.

fbi says it was carried out by a criminal hacking group called dark side. the group said it claims it is going to be shutting down after receiving what they called pressure from the u.s. earlier this week biden said he's not ruling out a retaliatory strike against the group. >> our gas stations in d.c. many out of gas for the last several days. thanks so much. time now to get a first check of the forecast. for that we turn to dylan in new york. we wish you were here sitting right next to us. it's starting to feel like spring. >> you can get outside and enjoy the nice weather. it's really what you would expect for mid-may. we do have the chance for stronger storms in the same areas whereay especially back through texas and parts of oklahoma into kansas the too where we do have the chance of seeing most likely damaging wind

gusts and large hail. threat of tornadoes is low. unfortunately this is a system that will stick around for several days. cloud-to-ground lightning across southeastern kansas and northeastern oklahoma and because of the stationary front that's sitting in this part of the country we're going see more showers and thunderstorms likely throughout the night, throughout sunday in the same general area and monday as well. slowly move from the plains over to the midwest. not just the damaging winds and large hail and isolated tornado it's really the risk of flooding because we could see as much as three to five inches of rain in some areas over and over again and we've got a mild start right now. 53 degrees. the hour-by-hour outlook does show cooler weather today compared to what we've seen earlier this week. we're going to see a combination of sun and clouds in san francisco, 61. but the bigger story for today that's going to bring the

possibility of seeing somerm ac our north the chance of lightning heading into the afternoon. >> and that's your latest forecast. back to you guys. >> dylan, thanks so much. still to come, we've got some big baby news from you. and after a week of controversy, medina spirit has the green light to run in today's preakness stakes. >> plus, a look at the covid vaccine and its impact on women. plus that and other important women's health news. we're back after this. california phones offers free specialized phones... like cordless phones. - ( phone ringing ) - big button, and volume-enhanced phones. get details on this state program. visit right now or call during business hours.

now california phones offers free devices and accessories for your mobile phone. like this device to increase volume on your cell phone. - ( phone ringing ) - get details on this state program visit right now or call during business hours. we're back on a saturday morning with the weekly download. our look at the weeks other big stories. >> a shocking discovery at the u.s. border with mexico.

>> heartbreaking new image from the u.s. border with mexico. >> all of a sudden i see them there. >> five undocumented girls ranging in age from 11 months to 7 years old were found by a farmer in texas. but officials say the number of children crossing without parents has fallen by 12% in the last month. brown's jr. family and their attorney were able to see what went down when he was shot and killed by deputies in north carolina three weeks ago. it happened while they were serving a warrant for his arrest on felony drug charges. >> his hands were visible. at all times you could see that he was not a threat. >> the fbi has opened a federal civil rights investigation. a georgia district attorney announced she will seek the death penalty and hate crime charges against the man accused in the atlanta area spa shootings back in march.

22-year-old robert aaron long was indicted on murder charges by two separate grand juries. he's accused of killing eight people, six of them women of asian descent. >> this is my last season. >> ellen degeneres announced her show will come to an end. degeneres told savannah guthrie that it did not factor into her decision. >> there will be people who think oh, ellen is leaving now because of everything that went on. >> if it was while i was quitting, i would not have come back this year. 22-year-old amy, known as amazing amy made history as the first person with down syndrome to compete in a national college championship. amy went viral back in 2019 when she parred a hole while playing

with gary woodlanded. some of the week's wildest moments caught on camera. this dramatic video showed the terrifying moment a deck collapsed in southern california during a birthday party. dropping guests 15 feet on to the boulders below. nine people were injured. this tiger of spotted wandering around a houston neighborhood. a man seen driving off with the big cat was arrested but authorities are still on the hunt for the tiger. and this new mom and a gorilla bonded over their baby at a zoo in boston. and finally -- >> check this. >> dylan surprised us with the wonderful news that she and her husband bryant are expecting a baby boy, joining big brothers calvin and oliver. best news of all, dylan. >> check this bun in the oven. >> three boys, dylan. are you ready for that?

>> i don't think my couch is ready. it's already acting as a trampoline in the house. calvin wanted another boy because he wanted somebody else to run around the house with. i don't think the house will last but we'll be just fine. >> another boy on the way. you'll be hearing from the patriots. you have a farm system you're building there. >> that's fine. bryant will be on board with that. >> congratulations. we love you. what a full house. >> peter, your next. whole weekend baby thing. >> let's get it going. >> okay. a conversation for another time. still to come the finances of

good saturday morning. it is 5:26, taking a live look outside, cloudy skies over san jose as we begin our weekend. thank you so much for starting it with us. i'm kira klapper. vianey arana has a quick look at our microclimate forecast. welcome back, girl. >> thanks! hey, kira. today will be interesting. we'll start out with cloudy conditions, get some gradual clearing, but the temperatures will be cooler. check out the temperature trend for san jose. by about 1:00, 2:00, temperatures will be in the 60s. but the big concern for today is going to be mainly for the north

and east portions and the counties of the bay area, because we're watching the possibility for some thunderstorm activity thanks to an upper level low that is pushing down, dropping down into california. as that continues to drop down, there is a possibility that we could even see some lightning. there's a slight risk for that. the full forecast coming up. >> we'll see you for that in 7:00. and in case you missed it, the cdc says if you're fully vaccinated, you don't need a mask indoors or outdoors, but state and county leaders in california haven't given the green light to follow the cdc's new guidelines. when it comes to indoor mask mandates, there's a lot to consider. the government's office and state health leaders say the decision will be imminent. ucsf covid-19 expert dr. monica gandhi says it's time for california to end mask mandates, because research shows vaccines works. even after the state issues its new guidance, each county still has to decide what to do and those are the rules you will need to follow.

if you're still looking for a place to get your vaccine or the latest on the mask mandate, head to nbcbayarea.com for tips and the easiest ways to gets a vaccine appointment. happening today, muni is bringing back its historic street cars, and that's not all. all light rail stations are back in action for the first time since being closed last august. at the time of the closure, the plan was to shut down service for just three days. also, new bus routes are debuting, as well as upgraded wi-fi service. it is 5:28 right now. coming up this morning on "today in the bay", if you've received your two shots, as we just said, the cdc says no more masks for you. some major retailers are following suit. we'll tell you about the places allowing you to go maskless if you are fully vaccinated. we will have that plus all your top stories and vianey's full forecast coming up at 7:00. we hope to see you then. right now, we'll send you back to the "today" show.

in all seriousness, i'm the luckiest man in the world to have worked for a company like nbc for 58 years and still working for them i have covered all the astronauts flight, lucky to have married the woman that i married and to have a family and i'm just a very, very lucky boy. more luck than i should have gotten >> we're back on this saturday morning, may 15th, 2021 and that's jay barker.

nbc's legendary television space journalist who died on friday at 87 jay set the standard in adjournism space coverage. >> he joined nbc news in 1958, only retired in 2017 no journalist covered more man space flights taking off the from u.s. soil than jay. 166 in all he was there in 1962 when john glen first orbited the earth >> he was also part of nbc's coverage with neil armstrong and buzz aldrin first walked on the moon imagine that he broke the news in 1986 that faulty o rings were to blame in the space shuttle challenger >> jay had an incredible career. he leaves behind his wife and three children all of us here at nbc news send our deepest condolences to jay's family he was one special man >> he was. we grew up watching him. he will be missed. all right. also this morning, it is full speed ahead for kentucky

derby winner medina spirit, ready to run today in the second leg of the triple crown, the preakness stakes kathy park is at pimlico in maryland in good morning to you. >> hey, good morning to you. so the gates will be opening up in a few hours and when they do, organizers anticipate up to 10,000 fans to fill the stands a cap due to covid while there's excitement in the air, it's all mixed in with horse racing drama ♪ >> reporter: just hours away from the preakness stakes, and the spotlight is back on this year's kentucky derby winner of medina spirit. after a week of controversy, the colt has been cleared to race in the second leg of the triple crown after passing all drug tests.

>> you know, illustrate adds more drama >> reporter: noticeably absent from the tracks, his hall of fame trainer, bob baffert. under fire after a post-derby drug test found elevated levels of an anti-inflammatory steroid in medina spirit he said he had no idea how the drug got in the horse but later released a statement saying it was my veterinarian who recommended the use of an anti-fungal ointment the medication contained steroids >> how rare is it to not have bob baffert here this weekend? >> almost every trainer is at the triple crown race if they have a horse. it's odd >> reporter: the fallout was swift and it may not be over a group of kentucky derby betters filed a class action lawsuit accusing him of rakteering and fraud while churchill downs suspended him from entering any horses and launched an investigation which includes a second test the results could take weeks or

even longer to get back. test c out and it's positive after the preakness? >> the last >> what happened, say, that the test comes out and it's positive after the preakness? >> the last time that a horse was disqualified for the kentucky derby victory was 1968. it took four years to adjudicate that i don't know if this will take four years but it will take quite some time. >> reporter: even with this win under review, medina spirit is still a top contender as he tries to clinch another victory. so, who will cross the finish line first we asked nbc's numbers guru steve kornacki he said the numbers will change throughout the day even up to race time. the favorite is still me incidenta spirit so concertour >> gearing up to be an exciting day. looks like a gorgeous one, too

kathy park in baltimore. thank you so much. you can watch nbc sports coverage of the preakness later today starting at 5 p.m. eastern. >> that shot from baltimore was spectacular. literally not a cloud in the sky there. a lot of folks hoping for a gorgeous weekend >> yeah, absolutely beautiful. it looks like by race time today we're looking for the nice weather to continue. we've got a lot of sunshine in the forecast all day lodge temperatures in the lower 70s by the time we get to this evening. there could be an isolated storm and it seems with horse racing the storm happens right before the race just enough to makefec sunny for the race. the track muddy and then perfectly sunny for the race usually affects odds we'll see what happens just isolated storms in the forecast sunny skies. the rest of the weather map looks kind of undramatic i would say for the rest of the weekend. we're looking for temperatures to sort of be right around average in the midwest chicago about 66 branson, missouri, 75.

temperatures are running about 5 to 15 degrees above average. portland, 82 degrees sunday, still very hot out west. boise 85 degrees minneapolis 77 louisville about 73. dallas 77. a little bit below average further south you go into next week it will stay on the hotter side. in vegas, up to 93 on tuesday. memphis will stay into the 80s going into the week. philly gets in the 80s by wednesday. really warm weather heading in to the east coast i would say as we go through this weekend that's a loo expect a cooler and breezy saturday ahead. right now, 53 degrees in san jose. and we're going to see a mix of sun and clouds into the afternoon. temperatures will be topping out in the upper 60s for the south bay. here's what we're looking at, as far as the afternoon goes. we've got a system that is dropping that's going to bring the possibility of seeing some thunderstorm activity to our north and our east, which could bring a chance of lightning and our temperatures are going top out in the 70s out through the

north bay and also in through the interior valley. >> that's your latest forecast. back to you guys. >> just ahead, checking in on those checkups. why it's important this year for why it's important this year for women to syta o is your cleanser doing enough for your sensitive skin? cetaphil gentle skin cleanser defends against 5 signs of skin sensitivity, and actively hydrates as it cleanses. cetaphil. dermatologist recommended. complete care for your sensitive skin. ♪

♪ everyday it's a-getting closer ♪ogist recommended. ♪ going faster than a rollercoaster ♪ ♪ love like yours will surely come my way ♪ ♪ a-hey, a-hey-hey ♪ ♪ ill surely come my way ♪ could i get 10-piece chicken mcnuggets? wait, no. big mac - hmmm. [car honk sound] - sir? - i'm still here. uhhhh. get it at mcdonald's when you buy one of your faves like 10-piece chicken mcnuggets or a big mac and get the other for just a dollar.

♪ when i was young ♪ no-no-no-no-no please please no. ♪ i never needed anyone. ♪ front desk. yes, hello... i'm so... please hold. ♪ those days are done. ♪ i got you. ♪ all by yourself. ♪ go with us and find millions of flexible options. all in our app. expedia. it matters who you travel with. - hi sabrina! - hi jen! hi. so you're the scientist here. i just have to ask. does my aveeno® daily moisturizer really make my dry skin healthier in one day? - it's true jen. - really?! this nourishing prebiotic oat formula moisturizes to help prevent dry skin.

wow! aveeno®. healthy. it's our nature.™ and for twice the moisture, try the prebiotic oat body wash, too. i gotta say i'm still impressed. very impressed. dear ms, from day one you've tried to define me. but i never invited you in. it's my life and this is my journey. i've found a way to do things differently with ocrevus, an infusion treatment that's 2-times-a-year. for adults with relapsing or primary progressive forms of multiple sclerosis, ocrevus is proven effective in reducing relapses in rms and slowing disability progression in rms and ppms. don't take ocrevus if you've had a life-threatening allergic reaction to it, or have hepatitis b. tell your doctor about vaccinations or if you've had hep b, as it could come back. a common side effect of ocrevus is infusion reactions, and some may require hospitalization. it can increase your risk of infections, which can be serious, and may decrease certain types of immunoglobulins. while pml was not reported in clinical trials, it could happen.

including breast cancer, may exist. sorry, ms. you don't get to control every part of me. ms can't own us. ask your doctor about two-times-a-year ocrevus. this morning on your health during this national women's health week we want to highlight how important it is to get those regular health screenings again. >> over the past year the pandemic has kept a lot of men and women from heading to the doctor. but you shouldn't wait any longer. our doctor is here with some great tips. it's so great to see you. thanks for b the impact the covid-19 vaccine has on women's health. should women be concerned it will impact their fertility or anything else? >> there are, you know, relevant

concerns for all populations, but there are some unique issues that have been raised for women, particularly women in their child bearing years. let's list them. we talked about concern for fertility. both the cdc and american college of obstetrics and gynecology said there's no concern that the covid-19 vaccine affects fertility. we also been hearing stories that women who received a vaccine have experienced some irregular menstrual cycles following that. it wasn't investigated in the vaccine trials but will beimpor. experts have weighed in and concerned about. of course if it persist as woman should seek guidance from her health care provider. it's important to emphasize that it's not a reason to not get

vaccinated and it has no impact on this whole fertility issue. finally the concern about the blood clots related to the johnson & johnson vaccine, we have 28 total cases in over 8 million women. in the vast majority of women the benefit will outweigh the risk however women should be counselled particularly in their 30s or 40s regarding potential side effects and association of this. >> doctor specifically on the topic of >> doctor specifically on the topic of mammograms, what do women need to be aware >> another interesting thing that's emerged in the last couple of weeks, peter, is that women have been reporting that in the arm that they received the covid vaccine they were experiencing some swelling in the lymph nodes in the armpit. this is a normal immune response to vaccination however, it can also give rise to false positives or abnormal imaging if you're about to get a mammogram or an ultrasound

for this reason right now the recommendation is that if you're scheduled for your regular mammogram, do so before you get a vaccine. if you have received a covid-19 vaccine the recommendation is to wait about four to six weeks after before you do your row the in the screening so you don't get stuck with these false positives that could be very distressing. >> a lot of good advice. thank you so much. by the way we have a lot more on this topic, women's health on our website today.com. taking a turn. dylan what do you have coming up >> we're going talk about why rocket de niro had to leave the production of his latest project. we'll get into that after these messages , whoa. the capital one quicksilver card does not need a dog-and-pony show. quicksilver is simple. it's unlimited 1.5 percent cash back on every purchase with no annual fee.

no need to jump through any crazy hoops. will someone tell fido he can cool it with the hoops? the capital one quicksilver card. what's in your wallet? they're dropping balloons. pain hits fast. so get relief fast. only tylenol rapid release gels have laser-drilled holes. they release medicine fast for fast pain relief. tylenol rapid release gels. - do you want anything? - no, i'm good, babe. can i get a quarter pounder with cheese? make that two? thank you. aye! but i thought you said... - but you got two... - mm-hm. get it at mcdonald's when you buy one of your faves like quarter pounder with cheese and get another item for just a dollar. (host) you want healthy ingredients. your cat is all about the the flavor. quarter pounder with cheese tastefuls has it all. (molly) i really want him to eat well but he's just really picky. okay, he seems interested. i think he likes it. i have a new cat food...blue tastefuls. one taste is all it takes.

♪ ♪ [ birds chirping ] [ river flowing ] [ dragonfly wings ] ♪ ♪ surprise! a toy gorilla! and now you can bring their kinder joy toys to life with the applaydu app and discover a universe filled with mini games so they can imagine, play, and explore. bring their kinder joy toys to life in applaydu. download the free app today. never run dry of... bring killer attitude. toys to or hydration.ydu. neutrogena® hydro boost. the #1 hyaluronic acid moisturizer delivers 2x the hydration for supple, bouncy skin. neutrogena®. my heart failure diagnosis changed my priorities. i want time for the people i love. my heart doesn't pump enough blood so my doctor gave me farxiga. it helps my heart do its job better. farxiga helps keep me living life

and out of the hospital for heart failure. do not take if allergic to farxiga. sympto f breathing or swallowing. stop taking and seek medical help right away. tell your doctor right away if you have red color in urine or pain while you urinate, or a genital area infection since a rare but serious genital infection may be life-threatening. do not take farxiga if you have severe kidney problems or are on dialysis. other serious side effects include dehydration, sudden kidney problems, genital yeast and bacterial infections in women and men, urinary tract infections, and low blood sugar. stop taking farxiga and call your doctor right away if you have symptoms of ketoacidosis which is serious and may lead to death. more time with her? sounds good to me. ♪far-xi-ga♪ if you can't afford your medication, astrazeneca may be able to help. . and we're back on a saturday morning with pop start. dylan what have you got? >> so much to get to.

let's start with vanessa bryant the widow of kobe bryant is honoring her late husband ahead of his induction into the basketball hall of fame this weekend. she posted this photo of herself leaning on a important traft her husband with a caption "love you always." she gave fans of the new hall of fame exhibit dedicated to kobe. she shared this picture of her 4-year-old daughter bianca in front of kobe's jersey and shared this photo of her posing with her dad. na the talia honored his dad by accepts his blazer at a celebration on friday. it will air live tonight on espn. robert de niro, the oscar win certificate recovering after suffering a leg injury while on location in oklahoma for his latest film. he was filming "killers of the

flower moon". the film stars leonardo dicaprio also. his injury will not impact production. he's got some time to recover. he's back in new york city for treatment and, of course, we're wishing him a very speedy recovery. finally some exciting news for our good friend and colleague, lester holt. lester is a grand dude to two adorable grandsons and now there's a third on the way. lester's son stefan and anchor at our affiliate in chicago are expecting their third baby boy. >> where is the baby now? >> in my mom's belly. >> that's another boy. you're going to be a big brother again. >> yes.

i'm going to name him popcorn. >> popcorn? >> popcorn. >> popcorn. i haven't thought of that one yet. how excited are they had to just continue to grow their family. congratulations lester, grand dude himself. >> they are so adorable, dylan. congratulations to lester and his whole family. lots of boys. we have boys. >> can't wait to welcome baby popcorn. feels like you and are in a crowd. still to come the wonderful surpriserom f

cdc guidance on mask wearing, welcome news to many but confusing for others. >> plus we're shining the light on struggles for families

dealing with infertility. reall y lately, it's been hard to think about the future. but thinking about the future, is human nature. ♪♪ at edward jones, our 19,000 financial advisors listen and work with you to create personalized investment strategies to help you get back to drafting dreams and building your future. edward jones. it is time for investing to feel individual. my plaque psoriasis... ...the itching ...the burning. the stinging. my skin was no longer mine. my psoriatic arthritis, made my joints stiff, swollen... painful. emerge tremfyant™. with tremfya®, adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis... ...can uncover clearer skin and improve symptoms at 16 weeks. tremfya® is the only medication of its kind also approved for adults with active psoriatic arthritis.

serious allergic reactions may occur. tremfya® may increase your risk of infections and lower your ability to fight them. tell your doctor if you have an infection or symptoms or if you had a vaccine or plan to. tremfya®. emerge tremfyant™. janssen can help you explore cost support options. ♪ i've got nothing to eat. nothing. [crying] hold on, i can do something. ♪turning nothing into something♪ ♪i turned nothing into something♪ it's amazing what you can do with nothing, and a little best foods. to redirect the course of a family's future or alter the direction of a childhood- to change the way a mother feeds her children and if she tucks them into bed at night. it doesn't take much. in fact, for families hit hardest by the pandemic, all it takes is a little help. when you give, you support those working tirelessly to keep a roof overhead. $25 a month can be the difference

between homeless and home. start your day with crest 3d white and from mochaccinos to merlot, $25 a month can be the difference your smile will always be brilliant. crest 3d white brilliance. the #1 toothpaste brand in america. for the russell rate on my insurance. do you mean surprisingly great rates from state farm? i don't believe in accepting help. but i'll make an exception. here's the deal russell, there's no special rate. these prices are for everyone. with the oak and the eagle as witness, consider us square. i made that from memory, i know your face that well. when you want the real deal... like a good neighbor, state farm is there. could i get 10-piece chicken mcnuggets? wait, no. big mac - hmmm. [car honk sound] - sir? - i'm still here. uhhhh. get it at mcdonald's when you buy one of your faves

like 10-piece chicken mcnuggets or a big mac and get the other for just a dollar. your heart is at the heart of everything you do. and if you have heart failure, there's entresto. like 10-piece chicken mcnuggets or a big mac entresto was proven superior at helping people stay alive and out of the hospital. don't take entresto if pregnant, it can cause harm or death to an unborn baby. don't take entresto with an ace inhibitor or aliskiren, or if you've had angioedema with an ace or arb. the most serious side effects are angioedema, low blood pressure, kidney problems, or high blood potassium. ask your doctor about entresto. good saturday morning. it is 5:56 as we take a live look outside.

hazy skies over walnut creek, much the same across the bay area. i even saw a little drizzle on the way in this morning. thank you so much for starting your weekend with us. i'm kira klapper. vianey arana joins us with a quick look at your microclimate forecast. hey, vianey. unfortunately, it sounds like we're having some problems with vianey's microphone. hopefully she'll be back in studio any week now. she'll have your full forecast coming up at 7:00 a.m., which includes temperatures across the 50s by the coast and 60s around the bay, even some 70s inland. now to the news. the cdc says if you are fully vaccinated, you don't need a mask indoors, nor outdoors. but here in the bay area, county and state health leaders aren't giving the green light just yet to go mask free indoors. health experts say they need to weigh many variables, including case numbers and vaccination

rates in counties across regions and across the state. governor gavin newsom's office and state health leaders say an announcement is imminent. a covid-19 expert from ux csf tells nbc bay area that it's time for california to end mask mandates, because research shows that vaccines work. even after the state issues new guidance, each county still has to decide what to do and those are the rules you will need to end up following. if you're still looking for a place or time to get your vaccine or need more information on the latest mask mandates, head to nbcbayarea.com for tips and the easiest ways to get your vaccine appointment. happening today, if you're a b.a.r.t. rider, you might see some delays. the transit service is set to begin work today between the south hayward and union city stations, causing part of the track to be shut down. crews will replace parts of the track, which have been in use since 1972.

it's the first of scheduled work to take place through october. b.a.r.t. will offer free shuttle buses to passengers. you should expect to add 20 to 25 minutes to your work trip. well, coming up this morning on "today in the bay" at 7:00 a.m., a plea to major league baseball. the message oakland and city leaders made to try to keep the as in the city. we'll have that plus all your top stories and vianey's full forecast coming up at 7:00. we hope to see you then. right now, we'll send you back to the "today" show.

>> good morning. breaking news. escalating violence. israel's military launching more air strikes into gaza overnight attacking sites hamas used to fire thousands of rockets at israeli communities over the last few days. richard engel is live in the region with the latest. confusion amid the celebration. more americans ditching their masks after that cdc guidance that fully vaccinated people can go maskless both indoors and

out. i've been walking down the sidewalk, no mask and it feels great. >> but with different rules in different retailers and states across the country, many people are still figuring out what to do. and journey to parenthood. after struggling with infertility for years and the massive costs associated with it, three families share the ups and downs, the challenges and the joys of finally bringing a baby home. >> you talked about all of the emotional set backs, the financial set backs. but when you hold her, do you remember any of that? >> everything vanished right away. >> the messages of hope they are sharing today, saturday, may 15th, 2021. we're celebrating jesse's first birthday today. >> happy birthday.

>> hi. i'm pete. >> i'm laura. today we're celebrating our 50th wedding anniversary. and the adventure continues. >> meme is turning 90. happy birthday, meme. >> monumental birthdays and nerves. congratulations all around. welcome back today on a saturday morning where we're adjusting to our new normal. we get to sit together again. >> no need to adjust your screens. we're turning back the clock 14 or 15 months. >> feels good. more on those new cdc guidelines coming up. first i want to get to today's top story the ongoing and escalating violence in the middle east. israeli forces launched new attack against hamas as new rocket attacks are targeting one of israel's largest cities. richard engel is in tel aviv where air raid sirens have been

going off. richard, good morning. >> reporter: justin last hour and a half or so we've been hearing the air raid sirens going off here in tel aviv as hamas and gaza continues to fire salvos of rockets. we saw the missile defense system here, the iron dome, go into action, firing projectiles up into the air to intercept these incoming rockets. nbc producer saw a rocket impact into the sea and there has been at least one significant impact in a town about four miles from the center of tel aviv a rocket exploded in a street near an older apartment building, an apartment building that did not have a bomb shelter in it and according to man of killed in t

attack. this kind of attack, which has been intensifying over the last several days, according to the israelis, about 2300 rockets have been fired from gaza towards israel, many of them shot down by the iron dome system. to stop these attacks israel is attacking gaza, is attacking hamas and more than 120 palestinians have been killed so far, including eight children overnight and that barrage against gaza seems likely to continue now because we saw hamas launching yet more rockets again today in and around tel aviv. >> and the images we're seeing this morning just devastating. thank you. also this morning closer to home while many people are celebrating the news from the cdc, the fully confused over th

new guidance as well. we go to los angeles for more. >> reporter: good morning. lots of changes just like you guys in the studio. there's a lot of confusion because most people don't know or understand how and when these changes are going to take place. now the first thing to keep in mind is that the cdc doesn't change the facemask rules, they issued guidelines. it's up to local authorities or businesses to implement them and decide when it is time to do so. now the changes are expected on a daily basis and for now we already know walmart, costco and trader joes have decided to move forward and allow vaccinated customers to take off the mask. walmart announcing that vaccinated employees are eventually going to be able to do the same. now just like businesses, states are also making their own decisions as well. we know kansas and minnesota li new jersey and parts of

california are still reviewing these possible changes to navg rules but nothing has been announced yet. so keep in mind one of the key things here is the possibility of people taking off their masks when they are not fully vaccinated. now to reassure everyone, dr. fauci has said that those individuals who take off the masks mainly pose a risk to themselves because once vaccinated it is very unlikely for people to get the virus and even more unlikely to get sick from it. peter. >> thank you very much. appreciate it. another spacecraft is now on mars. chinese state media said china landed its rover on the red planet over night becoming the second country to successfully do so. chinese scientists celebrated. it will join the american rover that arrived on mars in fehb. the family of andre hill

will receive $10 million over his death at the hands of police. city of columbus, ohio reached that settlement with the family on friday. hill was fatally shot by a former police officer as he walked out of the garage of his home. the city also said a gym will be renamed after hill. now to a scary collision during the royal-white sox game on friday. take a look. >> this is popped up. he runs into the runner dozier and the catch is made. >> tough to watch. that was kansas city hunter dozier with a pop up to right. he was running with his head down and slammed into chicago's first baseman. both players were helped off the field. dozier was placed on the seven day injure list.

>> that first baseman has his eye on the ball. bad scene. dylan has the morning boost. >> we have an inspiring story for you this morning from a woman who just wouldn't give up. meet deborah. she has a lot of drive. she won a championship for body building five years ago but in december she felt a shooting pain in her right leg while working out. she was rushed to the er. there she was diagnosed with a rare disorder with immune system that attacks the nerves. after several long months in rehab, she dressed up as wonder woman and surprised her family by finally coming home. >> hi. >> what a surprise. lots of hugs. get this. doctors gave deborah only a 10% chance of recovery and she beat the odds and came home in half the time of most patients. she certainly worked hard for

that one and very inspiring. >> true wonder woman. >> i was going to say she's a real life superhero. dylan, another check of the forecast too? >> let's take a look what's going on. we got very dry conditions out west where the dry weather has been exceptional and continue to stay that way with the drought conditions really on the higher side. then the eastern half of the country where things have been more typical, like what you would see in the spring and right through the middle of the country where we're looking at most of our rainfall especially going through today, tomorrow inmonday to with a stalled front that will produce heavy rain up to three to five inches of rain. here's that front. we could see severe storms across western oklahoma, kansas and texas. it's warm and sunny out west. that continues. really nice on the eastern third of the country with temperatures, i'd say fairly seasonable if not a degree or two above average. tomorrow the rain continues with

chance of strong storms across the showers spread to the midwest. more out west. very warm. areas like boise, idaho up to 80s and 90s in parts of oregon. the east coast here lots of sunshine. temperatures nice and comfortable too with highs topping out in the mid-70 and it is cloudy to start. we're also going to be cooler today. take a look at your microclimate forecast for this afternoon. temperatures will be in the upper 60s, low 70s. and we are monitoring it and watching for the possibility of thunderstorm activity, mainly to the north and to the east, into the afternoon. so we're seeing that morning fog around the coastline. in san francisco, take a look at the live look over san francisco again. cooler, breezy, chance for some showers this afternoon. full forecast at 7:00. >> that's your latest forecast, guys. >> dylan, thanks.

one beautiful weekend. appreciate it. sure is. coming up next. the emotional and financial struggles that so many people face to start a family. we're we're i think the sketchy website i bought this turtle from stole all of my info. ooh, have you looked on the bright side? disc for unauthorizd purchases on your card. (giggling) that's my turtle. fraud protection. discover. something brighter. frank is a fan of fast. he's a fast talker. a fast walker. thanks, gary. and for unexpected heartburn... frank is a fan of pepcid. it works in minutes. nexium 24 hour and prilosec otc can take one to four days to fully work. pepcid. strong relief for fans of fast. start your day with secret. secret stops sweat 3x more than ordinary antiperspirants.rk. the new provitamin b5 formula is gentle on skin. with secret, outlast anything! no sweat. secret (host) you want healthy ingredients. your cat is all about the the flavor. tastefuls has it all. (molly) i really want him to eat well but he's just really picky.

okay, he seems interested. i think he likes it. i have a new cat food...blue tastefuls. one taste is all it takes. people everywhere living with type 2 diabetes are waking up to what's possible with rybelsus®. ♪ you are my sunshine ♪ ♪ my only sunshine... ♪ rybelsus® works differently than any other diabetes pill to lower blood sugar in all 3 of these ways... increases insulin... decreases sugar... and slows food. the majority of people taking rybelsus® lowered their blood sugar and reached an a1c of less than 7. people taking rybelsus® lost up to 8 pounds. rybelsus® isn't for people with type 1 diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis. don't take rybelsus® if you or your family ever had medullary thyroid cancer, or have multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2, or if allergic to it. stop rybelsus® and get medical help right away

if you get a lump or swelling in your neck, severe stomach pain, or an allergic reaction. serious side effects may include pancreatitis. tell your provider about vision problems or changes. taking rybelsus® with a sulfonylurea or insulin increases low blood sugar risk. side effects like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea may lead to dehydration which may worsen kidney problems. wake up to what's possible with rybelsus®. ♪ please don't take my sunshine away ♪ you may pay as little as $10 per prescription. ask your healthcare provider about rybelsus® today. ♪ (intense music) ♪ ♪ ♪ guys...i have another box ah that's great get it at mcdonald's when you buy one of your faves like a 10-piece chicken mcnuggets and get another item for just a dollar. whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. the capital one quicksilver card does not need a dog-and-pony show.

it's simple. unlimited 1.5 percent cash back on every purchase with no annual fee. no need to jump through any crazy hoops. what's in your wallet? we're back right now on a saturday morning and we're so looking forward to kristen's baby girl being born in a few weeks, days maybe. we want to shine a light on challenges that many people face trying to start a family. >> one in eight couples and individuals struggle with infertility and for many of them finances can be a major road block. >> that's right. that can add up to the headache and heartbreak of an already grueling process. the desire to become parents leads many to do whatever it takes. >> physically, emotionally and financially, the hardest thing we've gone through. >> i feel everyone should have a right to have a choice to start a family.

>> i was very overwhelmed by the money they required for me to go through with it. >> these three families found each a different path to in denver, abby and sean are parents to twins. two miracles via the process known as in vitro fertilization. >> very expensive. we want to start family. we prioritize that above the dollar. >> the average cost for one cycle of ivf is around $25,000. most families need multiple cycles to get pregnant. but ivf is not typically covered by health insurance so many have to get creative. for this family that meant taking out a second mortgage. >> how hard of that decision to take out a second mortgage? >> it wasn't hard because this is what we wanted. >> in brooklyn, julian, a single dad, decided to pursue surrogacy

to start his family. a process that can top $100,000. >> a big sacrifice personally. like working a lot. taking every job possible. saving money every where i could. >> after saving for ten years, he found a nonprofit organization, baby quest which provides surrogacy grants. the extra money making all the difference the. >> you talked about all of the emotional set backs, the financial set backs, but when you hold her, do you remember any of that? >> everything vanished right away. as soon as she was born, all the heartache, all the anxiety, the sacrifices were worth it. >> in michigan, thomas and katey struggled with infertility for five long years. >> you just reach a point where we can't just keep spending this money. we're going to go under. >> finally they decided to adopt a process that can cost tens of

thousands of dollars. >> why wouldn't we want to pursue adoption and start a family like my parents adopted me when i was a baby. >> when they met lily they thought their lives were complete until a surprise call two years later. lily had a ew biological baby sister. >> there was no hesitation. can we afford to pay for another adoption. >> they received a grant called gift of adoption. these parents all speaking out because they want to see more resources for those struggling to build family the. >> hopefully in the future people will not have to sacrifice so much to become parents. >> may not have been that family that you envision. this is our family. these girls are our daughters. >> my world was black and white before. looking at them makes my world

colorful. >> i so enjoyed meeting and talking to those families and i salute them for speak out. going through this process was so life changing that abby started company called there's help. we want to bring in claire tompkins from future family a group dedicated to help with the stress of fertility finances. claire, thank you for being here this morning. it means so much. let's dif in. for 12% of families struggling with infertility and finances of it, where can you start to look for help? >> thanks for talking about this important topic. so the first place to go look for help is to turn to your employer and connect with your

hr department. you want to check and see if you have employer coverage. it's the case more and more employers are starting to offer coverage around fertility and infertility just for the reasons we heard in those stories. after you talk to your employer reach out directly to your insurance company and see what type of coverage you have directly. get that information. then last but not least depending where you live we're seeing a slow but steady trend of more and more mandated coverage at the state level. now only about five states do offer coverage today around ivf cycles which is the most expensive, that 25 k ticket price you talked about. but it is trending that way. you have that on the screen now. i would say that it is the case that about 10% of americans or 10% of consumers have coverage today ander to 90% as you mentioned are looking for other needs.

>> claire we just heard from one family that's been saving for a decade, another that took out a mortgage in order to afford becoming parents the. what financing options are available? >> yeah. thank you for asking that. future family we hear a lot of stories. unfortunately the last thing you really want to do when you're facing a fertility struggle is to delay treatment. right? you want for emotional reasons but also it turns out biological reasons you want to get access to care. so for financing options i would say that there are grants and you heard about that. from several of the stories. there are more people returning to fertility as a family fair. now rising categories of personal loans that you can access, low interest rate loans that are designed around fertility to really help you start that journey. so there are more financial resources and as you highlighted, results.org, it's a

good jumping off point for grants. >> claire tompkins, such important information. we really appreciate it and we appreciate you joining us this morning. thank you. we'll have all of this information and more up on our website at today.com. >> affects

it's time for sleep number's memorial day sale on the new sleep number 360 smart bed. it's the most comfortable, body-sensing, automatically-responding, energy-building, dually-adjustable, dad-powering, wellness-boosting, foot-warming, temperature-balancing, recovery-assisting, effortlessly life-changing... proven quality night sleep we've ever made.

and now, save $1,000 on the new sleep number 360 special edition smart bed now $1799 plus, 0% interest for 36 months. ends monday it's my 5:52 woke-up-like-this migraine medicine. it's ubrelvy. for anytime, anywhere migraine strikes, without worrying if it's too late, or where i am. one dose can quickly stop my migraine in its tracks within two hours. unlike older medicines, ubrelvy is a pill that directly blocks cgrp protein, believed to be a cause of migraine. do not take with strong cyp3a4 inhibitors. most common side effects were nausea and tiredness. ask about ubrelvy. the anytime, anywhere migraine medicine. ♪ ask about ubrelvy. ♪ everyday it's a-getting closer ♪ ♪ going faster than a rollercoaster ♪

♪ love like yours will surely come my way ♪ ♪ a-hey, a-hey-hey ♪ ♪ ♪ love like yours will surely come my way ♪ in our home, we trust dawn antibacterial. it cuts through tough grease with 50% less scrubbing... so our dishes get cleaner, faster. even better, dawn antibacterial removes 99% of bacteria from your hands. we're cleaning now more than ever. and that's why we trust dawn. dawn antibacterial. an easy way to clean your dishes... a smart way to wash your hands. enjoy the scents of orange and apple blossom. ♪ ♪ [sneezes] hey allergy muddlers. [sneezes] are your sneezes putting your friends in awkward positions?

[sneezes] stick with zyrtec. zyrtec starts working hard at hour one and works twice as hard when you take it again the next day. zyrtec. muddle no more. and try children's zyrtec for consistently powerful relief of your kids' allergies. welcome! it's time to see which chew is best in show for long-lasting flea and tick protection. we may be here for weeks, or even months! holy smokes, a rejection in protection at week 5! but bravecto just won't quit! let's hear from our veterinarian expert. bravecto's our clear winner. 12 weeks of powerful protection, nearly 3 times longer than any other chew. now that's what i'm talking about! bravo, bravecto! bravo!

brand-new "nightly news" kids edition. dylan with a great story on rainbows. check your local listings. >> that's going to do it for us on a saturday morning. dylan have a great weekend. >> i'll tell you all about how

this unplugged device is protecting

our beautiful coastlines and more. put off chores and use less energy from 4 to 9 pm to help keep our state golden.

>> i'm really excited to be able to hang out with my friends. >> the nation's top health agencies, the cdc and fda give the green light for kids age 12 to 15 years old to get the pfizer vaccine for the coronavirus. >> will kids get the same vaccines as adults >> we'll answer your questions also ahead, pipelines. what exactly are they and why are they so important? details ahead. then, rainbol explain. plus, shark adventure. we'll head out with some junior

scientists to learn