good morning. breaking overflight, tropical trouble. this morning ana becoming the first named storm of this year's hurricane season, as it swirls off the coast of bermuda. while another storm in the gulf of mexico is making landfall, bringing heavy rain and flooding to a water-logged south. we're tracking both storms. fragile peace, the cease-fire still holding this morning as residents in gaza and israel pick up the pieces and

mourn the dead. tensions still high with a clash in the holy city of jerusalem. hopeful, covid cases dropping to a level not seen in nearly a year. people enjoying the great outdoors without a mask, but there could be trouble on the horizon with the vaccination rate dropping sharply. this morning, the unique incentives from free money to hot dates health officials are using to encourage americans to get the shot. royal revelations, prince harry opening up to oprah winfrey once again about his despair after the death of his mother and how he used drugs and alcohol to cope. >> from 20 to probably 32 was a nightmare time in my life his f prince charles. will the royal rift ever heal?

all that, plus super simone. simone biles pulls off an incredible vault in training. one that a woman has never landed in an official event as she prepares to compete this afternoon for the first time in more than a year. her fans are hoping she'll do it again and make history, today, saturday, may 22nd, 2021. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today," with peter alexander, kristen welker and dylan dreyer. and welcome to "today." thank you so much for joining us on this saturday morning. dylan is enjoying the weekend off. peter, good to be with you. that move by simone biles, that will wake you up on a saturday morning. it's called the yurchenko double pike, tough to pronounce and tougher to pull off. >> i feel like i did that once

while skiing, but that was not on purpose. no woman has ever done this in competition. this is going to be her first competition in 18 months today in indianapolis. there will be tons of people watching to see if she can make it happen. >> a lot of people getting excited for the olympics as they watch. we'll have more on that. first let's get to our top story, double trouble on the weather front. the first named storm of the season in the atlantic and another system drenching the gulf coast this morning. nbc's blayne alexander is following both of them for us. good morning. what's the latest on the ground there? >> reporter: good morning to you. this morning all eyes are on the gulf. for hours we've been watching that storm inch closer and closer to land, bringing with it heavy rain and the potential for flooding. unfortunately, experts predict this is just a preview of what's to come, forecasting that this hurricane season will be especially busy. this morning it's a one-two punch from mother nature, with

storms brewing in both in atlantic ocean and the gulf of mexico. the atlantic system this morning became the first named storm of 2021, ana. but it's the storm in the gulf making landfall this morning that's got millions bracing for potential flooding in parts of texas, louisiana and arkansas. just this week, heavy storms dumped as many as 15 inches of rain on parts of louisiana. >> we cannot go to work, kids can't go to school. >> reporter: all of it leading to devastating floods and this dam break near baton rouge, forcing mandatory evacuations and flooding hundreds of homes. all of it in a state still struggling to recover from last year's hurricane season. >> i've lived here all my life and we've never had water this high. >> reporter: also causing potential trouble in texas, where some parts of the state saw nearly 40% of their average annual rainfall over just the last month. the official start to hurricane season is still more than a week away, but already noaa is

predicting above average activity for a record sixth season. warm waters providing for hurricanes, coasting communities are bracing. >> hurricane season is basically upon us. i know they say june 1st, but in reality i think they're going to start saying you need to think about it at this point in may going forward. >> reporter: and guys, let's get back to that newly named storm in the atlantic, ana. this makes it the seventh straight year that we have seen a hurricane, or rather seen a storm named before june 1st. of course, that's the official start of hurricane season and that's another reason that experts say we will likely see a lot of activity this season. back to you. >> it's going to be a busy one. blayne alexander, thank you. we will get the rest of your fork for both storms in just a few minutes. >> to the middle east where after scattered clashes in jerusalem, it was mild last night, still holding.

can the peace last? nbc's chief foreign correspondent richard engel is in gaza. good morning. >> reporter: the cease-fire is holding for now and it might hold for a little while. both sides, israel and hamas, are declaring victory. here in gaza some much needed humanitarian supplies began to arrive, including food and medicine. the world health organization is calling for the creation of a corridor to allow the evacuation of the gazans this morning are still picking up the pieces. aid is finally arriving. thousands of families are returning to their homes they had been living in schools to hide from israeli air strikes. from above, the scale of what happens here is clear. 8,000 homes damaged or destroyed. 156 holes where buildings once stood. hamas didn't win this war militarily, but the group is

more popular than ever because hamas kept firing rockets until the end. more than 4,000 rockets launched towards israeli cities most were shot down by israeli air defenses some flipped through, killing at least 13 israelis, more than 240 died in gaza mohammed al hadidi is greeting mourners he lost ten members of his extended family in an israeli air strike, including his wife and all but one of his five children i asked him if he thinks the cease-fire the will last this is a criminal enemy that can't be trusted maybe in one hour, they will resume their bombardment of children sleeping in their homes. but kids, what have they done, he asked and it's this seething anger in gaza sealed off israel like a prison that makes another round of fighting all but inevitable in israel, they expect that and many wanted the air strikes to

continue >> i'm against this air strike with gaza. i think we should continue the fighting, continue the fighting until hamas will collapse totally. >> but hamas is being strengthened by tensions that remain in the disputed stil city of jerusalem there were more clashes yesterday. it was battles just like these that started this latest round two weeks ago want so far, we're not seeing any indications that hamas is interested in firing any more rockets at this stage, re-igniting this conflict. it seems like both israel and hamas are taking a pause and assessing the situation. peter. >> richard engle in gaza for us this morning, thank you. meanwhile, the biden administration is watching the situation in the middle east hoping the cease-fire will stick. nbc has been tracking all the overnight developments monica, good mor >> good morning.

president biden cautiously optimistic about the fragile peace, defending his, quote, quiet relentless strategy with those in the region saying he trusts israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu while pledging humanitarian aid to gaza while some in the leftist party more supportive of gaza. >> there is no shift in my commitment, the commitment to the security of israel, period no shift, not at all but i'll tell you what there is a shift in the shift is that we have to -- we still need a two-state solution until the region says unequivocally they acknowledge the right of israel tont jewish, there will be no peaced center here as the president

hosted south korean president moon jae-in on friday. but it was a key day domestically with the white house offering its counter proposal on an infrastructure bill to republicans, slashing the original $2.25 trillion to $1.7 trillion by making some concessions. gop senators immediately rejected it, dimming the president's prospect of, quote, major movement on the jobs plan by memorial day. and the united states has seen a rise in anti semantic attacks in the middle east one of the latest happening in the new york of new york's times square stephanie gosk has the latest from there >> this morning, tensions are high as new york police continue looking for as many as six people involved in the attack of a jewish man, the victim of an alleged hate crime this video appears to show the

moment 29-year-old joseph morgan was attacked >> i was surrounded by a whole mob, crowd of people they proceeded to hit me, kick me, punch me >> one man is facing multiple charges. he says he yelled anti semantic slurs as he was being beaten >> this assault taking place as pro palestinian protesters and pro gaza protesters confronted each other the anti-defamation league found more than 17,000 tweets with a variation of the phrase hitler was right. witnessed anti-semitism in the feel feel less safe. >> this isn't america. >> the adl reports an increase in anti-sympathy timp since the

breakouts started. >> people committing these crimes needs to be brought to y justice. >> on tuesday, people were attacked and yelling slurs against jews, a conflict thousands of miles away triggering anti semantic violence on new york city streets. well, there is some encouraging news in the battle against the coronavirus, where, for us first time in nearly a year, the daily number of covid cases has dropped below 30,000 now, it comes as more states lift their mask mandates and others try to use new incentives to get people vaccinated, everything from lotteries to helping with theirs. cathy, good morning. officials are getting creative >> good morning. yeah, one of those incentives

right here in new york is a chance to win $5 million just for getting vaccinated meanwhile, across the country, key covid indicators are trending in the right direction as we try and put this pandemic behind us. this morning, a major turning point i with covid cases in the u.s. dropping to levels not seen in nearly a year >> our seven-day average is about 27,700 cases per day the last time the seven-day average of cases per day was this low was june 18th, 2020 >> more states lifting mask mandates this week, but iowa and texas, they're going a step further, banning local governments in schools from requiring phase coverings. in a statement, texas governor greg abbott writing in part, texans, not governments, should decide their best health practices. those defying the executive order could face a fine of up to $1,000 this weekend, the push towards normalcy will be on full display

in florida with the return of the wine and food festival, using a variety of protocols including dogs that can sniff out covid. >> if a dog sits in front of you, it doesn't mean that you're positive it means we need to pull you out of line and do a rapid test. >> the pace of vaccinations is trending down, dropping almost 50% from its april peak. to give these shots a boost, other states are giving an opportunity to win a cash prize. >> you could win up to $5 million if you get vaccinated next week. >> if you need luck with love, dating apps are offering incentives, too. tinder, okcupid and hinge among others are launching new features to encourage vaccinated singles to swipe right >> we have finally found the one thing that makes us all more

attractive, a vaccination. >> and in an effort to reach those who still haven't been vaccinated, people are actually going door to door, promoting vaccine awareness and we're seeing this play out in cities like detroit, san diego, as well as right here in new york city >> cathy park in new york, that you can thank you. a louisiana man struggling to stay alive as police restrain him. a warning, this footage is very disturbing >> don't you turn over >> all right >> don't you turn over lay on your belly. lay on your belly. >> yes, sir. okay, okay, sir. >> the video from may 2019 shows the final moments of ronald green's life as the handcuffed man repeatedly tried to roll on to his side in what may have been an effort to breathe. officers punched him, they tased him and one forced him down with his shoe this incident happened after

green led louisiana state police on a high speed chase. his family says they were told a car crash was to blame for his death. that incident is now under federal investigation. we want to take a bit of a turn now and talk about some sports, some big plays on the diamond last night the atlanta fwrafs set a new major league record hitting 7 home runs, including two grand slams in their 20-1 route of the pirates. austin riley hit two of those homers and the yankees pulled off a rare triple play last night against the chicago white sox, naching a hard hit ball at third and just beating out the runners at second and first. new york shortstop torres snatched a game winning single in the bottom of the ninth topping chicago 2-1. >> i feel like you have a future in sports center >> yeah. i nailed all of that i'm very excited

>> a look> samarat the nation's they'reodore isrning. e with some weather. >> so the atlantic is waking up. june 1st is the official start of hurricane season, but per usual, we are getting started early. come with me to the gulf of mexico where we are tracking ins have 91-l. this storm had a small window of time to work with to strengthen and define it did not but we will see copious amounts of rain pushing on to the texas coastline just north of corpus christi and impacted parts of southwest he louisiana, as well. we're we talking about high bands of rain moving through not only saturday but into sunday. we're talking saturated soil so we are looking at the threat for flooding also, we have our first named storm of the season that is subtropical storm anna it is impacting areas in

and we're at about 50 degrees now in san jose. we have fog around the coastline but expect to see a warmup as high pressure continues to build in over the region. dublin, 48, temperatures in the 50s, eventually climbing into the 70s. let's take a look at how your microclimate highs will shape out for today. slightly warmer and less windy than the past couple of days, 73 in srng, 66 oakland, 74 in martinez. that's your local forecast. peter, kris f yor that. and still to come, prince harry opens up about how he dealt with his mother's death, what his father has said, and how he has struggled and why he and meaghan ultimately decided to leave england and the royal family. >> with america reopening, you're probably ready to get out of the house and hit the road,

of the house and hit the road, so we' gotveving unintentional body movements called tardive dyskinesia... ... i ignored them. but when the movements in my hands and feet started throwing me off at work... i finally had to say, 'it's not ok.' it was time to talk to my doctor about austedo. she said that austedo helps reduce td movements in adults... ...while i continue with most of my mental health medications. (vo) austedo can cause depression, suicidal thoughts, or actions in patients with huntington's disease. pay close attention to and call your doctor if you become depressed, have sudden changes in mood, behaviors, feelings, or have suicidal thoughts. common side effects include inflammation of the nose and throat, insomnia and sleepiness. don't take austedo if you have liver problems, are taking reserpine, tetrabenazine, or valbenazine. austedo may cause irregular or fast heartbeat, restlessness, movements mimicking parkinson's disease, fever, stiff muscles, problems thinking, and sweating. (man) talk to your doctor about austedo... it's time to treat td.

td is not ok. visit askforaustedo.com

♪♪ the ups and downs of frequent mood swings can take you to deep, depressive lows. or, give you unusually high energy, even when depressed. overwhelmed by bipolar i? ask about vraylar. some medicines only treat the lows or highs. vraylar effectively treats depression, acute manic and mixed episodes of bipolar i in adults. full-spectrum relief for all bipolar i symptoms, with just one pill, once a day. elderly patients with dementia-related psychosis have an increased risk of death or stroke. call your doctor about unusual changes in behavior or suicidal thoughts. antidepressants can increase these in children and young adults. report fever, stiff muscles, or confusion, which may mean a life-threatening reaction, or uncontrollable muscle movements, which may be permanent.

side effects may not appear for several weeks. high cholesterol and weight gain, high blood sugar, which can lead to coma or death, may occur. movement dysfunction, sleepiness, and stomach issues are common side effects. when bipolar i overwhelms, vraylar helps smooth the ups and downs. when bipolar i overwhelms, when sending a text at 3am... ...is something you won't regret. craving pizza. personal assistance, 24/7. one of the many things you could expect when you're with amex. frank is a fan of fast. he's a fast talker. a fast walker. thanks, gary. and for unexpected heartburn... ksn minutes. thanks, gary. nexium 24 hour and prilosec otc can take one to four days to fully work. pepcid. strong relief for fans of fast. when we really, really want something,

can take one to four days to fully work. (whispers) come on greg. it's hard to wait. ♪ ♪ that's why carmax gives you an instant online offer for your car. the way it should be. carmax. cranky-pated: a bad mood related to a sluggish gut. miralax is different. it works naturally with the water in your body to unblock your gut. free your gut, and your mood will follow. still to come on "today," the honor of a lifetime for a korean war veteran who risked his life to save the men in his command. >> plus, simone biles proves once again why s's thehe 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 create personalized investment strategies to help you get back to your future.

edward jones. 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, free premium delivery when you add a base. ends monday we do it every night. like clockwork. do it! run your dishwasher with cascade platinum. and save water. did you know certified dishwashers... ...use less than four gallons per cycle, while a running sink uses that, every two minutes. so, do it with cascade. the surprising way to save water. a capsule a day visibly fades the dark spots away. new neutrogena® rapid tone repair 20 percent pure vitamin c. a serum so powerful dark spots don't stand a chance. see what i mean?

neutrogena® it's your home and wayfair has the appliances you need. to make homemade taste so much better. make your to-do list disappear. with help from the brands you trust. make picky-eaters master chefs and make your life simpler with flexible financing and installation services. however you make it, make it work for you. wayfair, way more than furniture. ♪ wayfair you've got just what i need ♪ i'll be observing your safe-driving abilities. play your cards right, and you could be in for a tasty discount. [ clicks pen] let's roll. hey, check it out. one time i tripped on the sidewalk over here. [ heavy-metal music playing ] -[ snoring ] -and a high of 89 degrees. [ electronic music playing ] ooh! ooh! who just gives away wood? the snapshot app from progressive rewards you for driving safe and driving less. there's an app? -[ chuckles ] beth. -save money with progressive. [ tires screech ]

well, that came out of nowhere. 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! now that's what who goes right back to sleep after getting an alert of an unusual charge on their credit card? you do. round the clock fraud protection. one of the many things you can expect when you're with amex. 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, free premium delivery when you add a base. ends monday good morning, it is saturday, may 22. a live look outside. sunny skies over san jose. a little bit of shade there as we begin our weekend, and we appreciate you starting yours with us. i'm cara clapper. we have a look at your microclimate forecast, hey, vianey. >> good morning. there's some fog around the coastline but we're going to get sunshine and less wind compared to what we've seen. let's look at the temperature trend in dublin. it is about 48. notice by the 1:00 hour, we will be in the 70s and it will be

warmer, especially for inland areas compared to the past couple of days. take a look at san jose, 73, livermore 75, concord 76. san francisco and half moon bay will be in the upper 50s. low-to-mid-60s and expect to keep this sunshine for the next couple of days as high pressure begins to dominate. heil have the full forecast at 7:00 a.m. >> we look forward to that, vianey. see you at 7:00. california will officially open june 15th when the state moves into the green tier. that means restaurants and other stores can open at full capacity. the state will not require vaccine passports to prove vaccination status and people will no longer have to self-quarantine after traveling outside of california. for large gatherings like concerts, sporting events and conventions, if that event has more than 10,000 people and is outdoors, california will not require proof of vaccination nor a negative covid test. but it is recommended. for indoor events with more than

5,000 people, proof of vaccination or a negative covid test is required. and 49ers' fans will soon be able to return to levi stadium. the 49ers announced they will be back to full capacity this coming season. the home opener on "sunday night football" here on nbc. it's california's largest vaccination site and will remain so until further notice. it is 6:29. coming up this morning on "today in the bay" at 7:00 a.m., we'll have the windsor mayor stepping down, and an accusing speaking out. that exclusive interview and more.

♪♪ we are back on a saturday morning, may 22nd, 2021, and that, of course, is k-pop sensation bts with their newest single "butter". it is breaking records this morning and we can tell you how coming up iny are very popular, particularly with younger folks. we want to begin with a check of the headlines, beginning with a one-two weather

punch with storms brewing in both in atlantic ocean and the gulf of mexico. this morning ana became the first named storm of this year's hurricane season, swirling off the coast of bermuda. it's not a threat to the u.s. mainland. meantime, millions across the south are under flood alerts as another major system makes landfall in the gulf coast. it's bringing heavy rain and flooding to already water-logged louisiana, texas and arkansas. the star of "that 70s show" will stand trial on three counts of rape. there was an emotional pretrial hearing and three women said masterson attacked them nearly 20 years ago. the judge said she found their statements credible. the actor denies the charges. masterson says he had consensual sex with the women. it will represent a rare prosecution of a hollywood figure in the me too era, despite dozens of investigations. we want to tell you about some remarkable news.

nine premature babies were born to one woman and they're being closely monitored in morocco this morning. a 25-year-old woman gave birth to five girls and four boys. that happened earlier this month. the babies each weighed between 1 and 2 pounds at birth. reports show that only two other sets have been recorded since the 1970s. also this morning, prince harry is revealing new personal details about his life, how he dealt with his mother's death and how meaghan helped him get through it all. the new docuseries, "the me you can't see". creating turmoil for the family. we have the very latest. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. this is a blow for the british royals who have chosen to keep family matters private, harry

speaking publicly to oprah, this time sharing details about his mental health. >> from 28 to probably 32 was a nightmare time in my life. >> reporter: a royal life of public traumas and the long journey to recovery with years of therapy. in the new apple tv plus docuseries "the me you can't see" prince harry telling oprah he felt helpless and lonely after the death of his mother. leading him to drugs and alcohol to cope with the pain and struggling with the burdens of royal life, something his father told him he knew well and had to accept. >> just because you suffered, that doesn't mean your kids have to suffer. to make sure that whatevece you make it right for your kids. >> the duke of sussex shared the moment he knew he had to leave the royal family shortly before the birth of his first child. >> meaghan decided to share with

me the suicidal thoughts and the practicalities of how she was going to end her life. the scariest thing was her clarity of thought. she hadn't lost it. she wasn't crazy. >> reporter: the docuseries co-produced by oprah and prince harry features other interviews, including lady gaga sharing struggles with mental health. >> it's a very real thing to feel like there's a black cloud that is following you wherever you go, telling you that you're worthless and should die. >> reporter: estimated one in five u.s. adults suffer from mental illness. raising awareness has been a long-term project for both harry and oprah. >> i'm still the person that i was, but i'm just a better version of that. >> reporter: and this docuseries, as we mentioned, is a partnership between oprah and prince harry. it was made to remind people that speaking up and seeking

help is essential to recovery from anyone suffering from mental illness and that it can affect anyone in any circumstance. peter, kristen. >> so important, so meaningful that both of them are speaking up, lady gaga and prince harry, about mental illness to help remove the stigma. >> you have to think it will help millions. we want to get another check of the forecast. i know you're tracking the storms, but also the heat in some parts, right? >> it is getting hot out there. we've got temperatures that will be back to the 90s again, this july-like weather for much of the northeast. you can see all the way to the mid-atlantic and out to parts of the midwest, we are talking temperatures above average, well above average. 91 today in washington, d.c., 14 above the average. even in boston, 22 degrees above their norm for this time of year, in the upper 80s. we are g as we head through the

second half of your weekend. towards charleston, 88 degrees. mid-80s toward pittsburgh. it looks like we'll be hotter in new york city than nashville. we are going to cool things down as we head into the top of the week. we get a little bit of a reprieve as we head through the top of the week. monday and tuesday, into the 70s as we head into midweek we're looking at temperatures in 90s. what else is going on across the country? we are tracking heavy rain in texas, as well as the threat for severe right now we're at about 51 degrees. it is a little hazy. we've got patchy fog around the coast but it's going to be a sunny day ahead. along with warmer temperatures in the 70s. excuse me. take a look by 1:00, we're about 73 in walnut creek and your daytime highs throughout the bay area, comfortable in the upper 50s, low 60s around the

coastline. expect to see an afternoon breeze begin to pick up today but things will warm up and we will remain dry tomorrow. >> that's your local forecast. kristen, peter, back to you both. >> looking good out there. just ahead, summer travel just ahead, summer travel ideas now that life is final ly ♪ ♪ [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 zyrtec-d for proven relief of your allergies, sinus pressure and congestion. (host) you want healthy ingredients. and try zyrtec-d for proven relief of your allergies, 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. do lotion and jeans go together? a nivea breathable experiment. now they do. moisturizes deeply with no sticky feel. the game changing nivea breathable. ♪ ♪ everyday it's a-getting closer ♪no sticky feel. ♪ 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 ♪ metastatic breast cancer is relentless, but i'm relentless every day.

and having more days is possible with verzenio, proven to help you live significantly longer when taken with fulvestrant. verzenio + fulvestrant is for women with hr+, her2- metastatic breast cancer that has progressed after hormone therapy. diarrhea is common, may be severe, or cause dehydration or infection. at the first sign, call your doctor, start an anti-diarrheal, and drink fluids. before taking verzenio, tell your doctor about any fever, chills, or other signs of infection. verzenio may cause low white blood cell counts, which may cause serious infection that can lead to death. life-threatening lung inflammation can occur. tell your doctor about any new or worsening trouble breathing, cough, or chest pain. serious liver problems can happen. symptoms include fatigue, appetite loss, stomach pain, and bleeding or bruising. blood clots that can lead to death have occurred. tell your doctor if you have pain or swelling in your arms or legs, shortness of breath, chest pain and rapid breathing or heart rate, or if you are nursing, pregnant or plan to be. every day matters. and i want more of them. ask your doctor about verzenio.

we are back now on a saturday morning with our series "reopening america". with the unofficial start to summer just one week away and mask mandates lifting, you're probably ready to finally start traveling again. >> we've been waiting more than a year for this. where should you go and what should you do if you don't want to jump on a plane right away. we have a podcast travel genius. mark, it's good to see you. if you're finally coming up with travel plans, what advice do you give folks? >> look, here's the thing, we've got three key things to make about as you make any plans. remember to be flexible. things are in flux, the airline schedules. you might need to change plans. so when you book, read the small print and make sure you can change our reservation, which is usually totally fine these days. also, you need to book now.

americans saved $$2 trillion and loads of vacation days during the pandemic, so bookings are ramping up. people are also booking much closer travel, so you're going to see fewer last-minute deals. so plan ahead, but be flexible, a bit of both. >> good advice, mark. for those who are not quite ready to get on a plane, who might want to take a car, what advice do you have for them? >> most people live within a drive of an amazing national park. you can go hiking. there's terrific accommodation in most of those. i would also say think about camping or glamping. there's a company called collective retreats which lets you camp in new york city and there's one in austin and vail as well. i would also say what about getting out on the water? there's a company called

getmyboat.com, which is like the uber of boats. if you don't have a boat but you want to get>> you're speaking k language. she exclusively glamps. >> if you're getting back on a plane, give us recommendations. one is the finger lakes region in new york. ithaca is gorgeous. >> i think it's one of the most beautiful parts of the country, often overlooked. great for booze. i know it's early in the morning, but think about 100 wineries, cheese, there's a dozen cheese tasting creamerie >> 5:00 p.m. somewhere, right? what about lexington, kentucky? that's also on your list, mark. tell us about that. >> also a party town. i feel like all i'm doing is

boozing at breakfast. bourbon central, you can visit 14 distilleries. great place to try some of those. if you love horses, there are more than 400 horse farms in the area, you can ride, go and see them. there's an amazing converted bus station with a farmer's market, cafes, shops. lexington has got everything. >> my first tv job, lexington, kentucky. finally, eugene, oregon, just in time for the olympics. track down usa. >> thank you so much. so we're crossing our fingers about the olympics, but no matter what, the track and field trials for the u.s. will take place in eugene, oregon. this is where nike started, it's a fitness town, 42 miles of trails, and there's a nike store, one in new york, one in

l.a., one in tokyo, and one in eugene, oregon. really worth going there. >> always so good to have you and particularly good to be talking about vacations, finally. thank you for being with us. if you want great ideas about terrific places to see across the country, you can find them on our website, today.com. >> what a great way to start the weekend. coming up next, "saturday coming up next, "saturday night ♪♪ i've got nothing to eat. nothing? nothing. nothing. nothing. [ baby cries ] hold on, i can do something. ♪ turning nothing into something. ♪ ♪ turning nothing into something. ♪ ♪ i thought i had nothing, but i turned it into something. ♪ ♪ i turned nothing into something! ♪ ♪♪ it's amazing what you can do with nothing, and a little best foods. make taste, not waste.

from prom dresto workous and a little best foods. and new adventures you hope the more you give the less they'll miss. but even if your teen was vaccinated against meningitis in the past they may be missing vaccination for meningitis b. although uncommon, up to 1 in 5 survivors of meningitis will have long term consequences. now as you're thinking about all the vaccines your teen might need make sure you ask your doctor if your teen is missing meningitis b vaccination. ah, she thought that squirrel on your brand-new flat screen tv was an actual squirrel... leave it. purchase protection for what you didn't see coming. one of the many things you can expect when you're with amex. 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.™ (host) you want healthy ingredients.

your cat is all about the the flavor. aveeno® 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. dawn antibacterial cuts through tough grease 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. jake from state farm, i'd like to formally extend my gratitude 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. we're back now with today's "pop start" with dylan off, our friend, joe fryer is all set. good morning. and he's decked out. >> he's set. >> hey, there, good morning. i've got my team usa gear, got my sporty headband, and of course i have an olympic torch. that's because i'm gearing up for the tokyo olympics, and so is gymnastics superstar simone biles. the gold medalist is blowing minds with her latest vault move that she showed off while training on friday.

she made that look easy. that jaw-dropping move is called the yurchenko double pike and it's known for being one of the most challenging vaults. biles was practicing for the u.s. classic in indianapolis, which kicks off this afternoon. if she decides to pull out that move today, she'll be the first woman to ever perform it in competition. no problem for the greatest of all time. peter, kristen, how about you guys? you want to give that a shot? >> i think i'm going to hold off. i'll let you pull that one off, peter. >> that's how she enters the studio every weekend. i mean, that is insane what he's accomplishing. i want to see it in competition. >> jaw-dropping. we can't wait to watch today. incredible. >> absolutely. next up, i've got butter. we've got land o lakes, blue bonne, but the butter everybody is talking about is made by bts, the latest single from the

biggest boys band. it's literally called "butter" and the catchy tune is an early contender for song of the summer. ♪♪ ♪♪ >> the bts army turned out in force for the music premiere, shattering several youtube records. 3.9 people were watching live and it reached 10 million views in just 13 minutes. it broke the record with single-day views with 113 million people watching in the first 24 hours., which they set with last summer's hit "dynamite". for "saturday night live" it's checkmate, wrapping up the 24th

season and they'll have musical guest little noz x. >> man, i'm going to miss you guys over the summer. >> you've never met us before this week. >> we don't work here. >> see, that's why i'm going to miss you guys. y'all so funny. >> tonight's show will mark the real life snl debut for taylor joy. taylor joy's appearance, a snap of her looking studious. i'm also looking serious. back to you guys. >> joy, i'm going to give you the gold medal for an awesome "pop start." >> if you need joe for your daughter's birthday, we can probably contract him out these days. >> we certainly can. and if you want to wait, you can catch joe every weekday co-anchoring "morning news now"

on any streaming device. coming up next, an incredible story of survival, bravery and heroism from this 94-year-old veteran who just ceived the re

american hero who just received the medal of honor. >> nbc's courtney kube has more. >> ralph puckett showed his men how to be a leader. >> if you made a mistake under ralph puckett, you did pushups, but he would get down and do 50 pushups. he was a fair man. >> did you do a lot of pushups, too? >> i did my share. >> reporter: on a frigid november day in 1950, puckett's men followed him without question as he led his ranger company on a daylight attack to

seize hill 205 in korea. >> puckett missed his life by running across the area to draw fire. he did it once, he did it again. it took three runs intentionally exposing himself to the enemy. >> reporter: seriously wounded and low on ammunition, puckett ordered a retreat and for his men to leave him behind in the foxhole. they refused, dragging him to safety. >> when i asked him if he was scared, he said, yes, you would be crazy not to be scared. your life is in danger, your men's lives are in danger, but he said you have to have the courage to go beyond your fear and that's what he did. >> reporter: 70 years later, at the presidents of two grateful nations thanked him, ralph puckett accepted the award not for himself, but for his soldiers. insisting on standing on his own two feet, but accepting a helping hand from his commander in chief. >> here we are hosting a true

american hero. >> if there ever was one, he's the one, to me, that is a hero. >> he's definitely a hero. he's my hero. he's my family's hero. i think he's many soldiers' hero and i think he's a national [ heavy breathing ] allergies with nasal congestion overwhelming you? breathe more freely with powerful claritin-d. claritin-d improves nasal airflow two times more than the leading allergy spray at hour one. [ deep inhale ] claritin-d. get more airflow. claritin-d. get more airflow. you did it. a steakhouse with a vegan menu... that serves dinner at 4:30. personal assistance just a text away. one of the many things you could expect when you're with amex. more protection, more sun, more joy. beach defense® from neutrogena® the suncare brand used most by dermatologists and their families,

neutrogena® for people with skin. when we really, really want something, neutrogena® (whispers) come on greg. it's hard to wait. ♪ ♪ that's why carmax gives you an instant online offer for your car. the way it should be. carmax. ♪♪ for deb, living with constipation with belly pain was the same old story for years. trying this. doing that. spending countless days right here. still came the belly pain, discomfort, and bloating. awful feelings she kept sugar-coating. finally, with the help of her doctor, it came to be. that her symptoms were all signs of ibs-c. and that's why she said yes to adding linzess. linzess is not a laxative. it helps you have more frequent and complete bowel movements. and is proven to help relieve overall abdominal symptoms-belly pain, discomfort, and bloating. do not give linzess to children less than six and it should not be given to children six to less than 18, it may harm them. do not take linzess if you have a bowel blockage. get immediate help if you develop unusual

or severe stomach pain, especially with bloody or black stools. the most common side effect is diarrhea, sometimes severe. if it's severe, stop taking linzess and call your doctor right away. other side effects include gas, stomach area pain, and swelling. could your story also be... about ibs-c? talk to your doctor and say yes to linzess. good morning, i'm cara clapper. coming up next on "today in the bay," a return to normal in just a few weeks. the new covid guidelines just

released after california's reopening june 15th. plus, climate change devastating california's wine industry. coming up -- the impact recent wildfires have had on the grapes and how it could impact your next bottle of wine. plus, sun across most of the bay area today, and less winds we've seen in recent days. vianey has your micro climate forecast coming up at 7:00.

it's the memorial day sale on the new sleep number 360 smart bed. it's the most comfortable, dually-adjustable, foot-warming, temperature-balancing... proven quality night sleep we've ever made. and now, save $1,000 on the new sleep number 360 special edition smart bed, plus free premium delivery when you add a base. ends monday

good day morning. it is may 22, 7:00 on the dot, as we take a live look outside in downtown san jose. the sun shining on those palm trees. and that's indicative of what we're going to see today. thank you very much for starting your weekend with