that will not clear until at least after 7:30. the traffic shifts toward castro valley. i'm tracking two more alerts and tweeting about them right now. >> that does it for us for "today in the bay." we'll be back at 7:25 with more local news updates. good morning. breaking overnight. closing in. russians forces edging nearer to kyiv and growing more brutal by the day. escalating deadly attacks on civilians across ukraine. just ahead, where the invasion stands and the number of refugees desperate to flee now in the millions. this mning, lester holt on the ground in ukraine and growing pressure on world leaders including president biden to do more. pain at the pumps. that volatility of coast to coast surge in gas prices now topping $4 a gallon for the first time in nearly 15 years. and all time record in the u.s. expected to be shattered this week.

why the situation may only grow worst. and deadly tornados rip lew iowa. wild fires in florida. just ahead threat of more severe storms and record warmth up and down the east coast. center of the storm. forearm attorney general william barr speaking out live for the first time about his volatile time in the trump administration. the controversies under his watch at the justice department. and his dismantling of the president's lies about the 2020 election. our live one on one interview straight ahead. all that plus facing the future. starting this morning, masks optional for millions of students, including those in the nation's largest school

districts. with covid cases declining and mandates being lifted across the country. inside the move leading to both celebration and some concerns. and riddle me this. >> justice. >> "the batman"'s box office debut over the weekend. today monday, march 7, 2022. >> from nbc news, this is "today" with savannah guthrie and hoda kotb. live from the studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. and good morning everybody. welcome to "today" on a monday morning. it is good to have you with us. >> it sure is. a lot of breaking news out of ukraine this morning, including a russian cease fire offer to help evacuate desperate refugee. but ukrainian leaders are slamming that idea saying it would lead citizens straight to

russia or its ally, belarus. >> in the meantime russian forces are gaining new territory pushing north and north east of kyiv. but many are being met by heavy resistance from ukrainian forces, as well as civilians. some directly facing the on coming troops. >> as for the economic impact. beyond government sanctions, more companies are suspending goods and services in russia. netflix, fedex and tiktok joining the growing numbers of businesses pulling out of the region. >> all of this as gas prices in the u.s. quick approach an all-time high. this morning's average $4.07. that's up 6 cents in a single day. 46 cents in a week. more than 60 cents higher than just a month ago. covering all from the pain at the pump to the humanitarian crisis and the u.s. troops now stationed close to the conflict. richard engel is in the capital city this morning. good morning to you.

>> reporter: good morning, savannah. we are now in a situation where russian forces have advanced right to the edge of kyiv. we're now in the northwest corner of kyiv. and if you go down this road about three miles, there is a bridge, a bridge that's been blown up and just beyond the bridge is a small suburb, a contested area right now. russian troops and tanks have moved in to irpin. and this is heavy fighting and amid, civilians are trying to evacuate trying to come down this road. they are being assisted by ukrainian forces and they are heading deep entire the city, opening that they can find refuge among the buildings, among the population deep here in kyiv. but even as they leave they are still being shot at. russian troops on the doorstep of kyiv. so ukrainians are escaping from the bombardment of the suburbs to go deep entire the heart of the city. and even though they are fleeing, russian troops are

firing on them. ukrainians say at least four escaping civilians, including a family were killed in this attack. ukrainian troops and volunteers are helping civilians cross under a downed bridge, walking across the only slippery planks to safety. russians have taken over this suburb which is on the northern edge of kyiv. they are bombarding it heavily. the ukrainians blew up this bridge in order to slow down the russian advance but it's also made it extremely difficult for people to evacuate these areas that are hotly contested as russian forces try and consolidate their positions and the ukrainians try to keep on that side of the river. those who make it across are river are in shot. "i was bombed" this woman said. we were trying to escape and we were bombed while walking. but in areas russia does now control, ukrainians aren't submitting to their will.

pouring into the streets. shouting down russian occupiers. laying down in front of their vehicles. in one case of bravery and balance, riding on top of one waving a ukrainian flag. volunteers cooking donated food at this soup kitchen for 500 people a day. not far away closer to the front, two new army recruits got married. a drone fitted to drop explosives dropped rose petals instead. >> how you feeling like now? >> i'm happy but cry browse of -- >> reporter: while down in the shelters where ukrainians are spending long and lonely nights. ♪♪ a young girl put on a show, singing the theme from "frozen"

and lifted worried souls. the russians have proposed a humanitarian corridor of sorts to allow civilians to leave major cities but the routes they are proposing would take evacuees to russia or belarus. that was quick rejected out of hand by the ukrainian government saying why would people possibly go to hostile territory? they said they are not even considering it. savannah. >> richard, it is just heartbreaking. thank you very much. unsure of what is to come as a precaution, the pentagon deployed some 12,000 troops to nato member nations near ukraine. josh letterman is on the ground with some of those american service members. hey josh, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, hoda. these are the front lines of nato's eastern flank. the 30 members of nato have pledged to defend every inch of territory in the alliance. but if putin succeeds in overtaking ukraine, baltic

nations like latvia fear they could be next. this morning american troops far from home, training in latvia alongside nato allies. the last frontier between russia and the west. the battlefield scenarios these war games are simulating are entirely real. brigadier general joseph hibbert oversees the seventh army training command. what message do you think exercises like this accepted to our anniversaries. >> i think thai send we are ready. and a 30 member alliance based on common values and freedoms. >> reporter: what president putin says nato's expansion into eastern europe threatens russia, this is what he's talking about. but nato says it is a defensive alliance and these troops pose no threat. last month the u.s. sent an additional 7,000 u.s. troops to europe to be ready to assist nato's response foster. activated the first time in its history to defend nato

territory. the u.s. deployed about 800 troops to the baltic nations of latvia, estonia and lithuania as russia moved into ukraine. and apache attack helicopters made in the u.s. this morning us troops are playing the attackers. italian troops on the other side playing the defender. they switch sides regularly to ensure they are ready for everything. >> we are training together in case any nation or other alliance were to impede upon nato. >> reporter: secretary of state antony blinken landed here a few minutes ago working to shore up alliances as tensions rise with russia. the latest diplomatic issue, news over the weekend that russia has detained american wnba star brittney griner for according to the russians, hash petition. blinken saying the u.s. is ready to help. in the meantime the refugee

crisis in ukraine is deepening by the day. many families hoping to flee the violence are now stuck in limbo and trying to figure out where to go next. nbc's senior national correspondent tom llamas has been covering that part of the story more than a week and spoken to american families also trying to get children out of o orphanages there. >> reporter: good morning. we have been in touch with those families. the they're so worried. this is a train station. you may remember we were live inside there last week. now the line are so long you can't get in. they're as far as the eye can see. today is one of the coldest dys of the year. >> the mass exodus, the fastest growing refugee crisis since world war ii. >> i just lift my home to nowhere. i have no plan. i just want to save my child. >> protecting children, it is fueling the migration from the fighting in the east to safe

havens in the west. these third down are orphans. they have no families. they are in limbo, being taken care of and fed but like everyone else in ukraine, no one knows what's going to happen tomorrow. last friday we introduced you to a group of ukrainian orphans evacuated from the war zone. what do you want the world to know about ukraine? he told me he wants the war to stop. anything you want to say to anybody? friends back in -- region? demetrius's answer shook me because it is the reality of this war. our story hit close to home for several families back in the u.s. because they recognize children they were trying to adopt. >> i said oh my gosh. look, this is viceh is what we call him. and he was eating. >> reporter: he spent summers and winters in iowa. this family who wants to adopt him and his two siblings. >> he's so special and wants to be with us so bad and we have to say we can't come today and we're waiting.

>> they tell us there are at least 300 american families in the same boat. >> kind of like -- reach but you can't get to them. >> reporter: the romeros also recognized a child they are trying to adopt. the couple is now in poland on the border helping refugees, but also trying to move along the adoption of their child, who they say texts them every day that he's afraid of the war. >> for the last two years in my heart he's been my son and doesn't matter what's on paper, he's my son. and i just want to hug him. >> reporter: we feel for all those families trying to get the children they hope to adopt out of ukraine. we spoke to people who are taking care of the orphans you saw in our story. and should mention they look like they are being well taken care of. but they have made the decision to keep the children here in western ukraine. not toe vaccinate them to poland just yet. and that is what is crushing those american families because right now the adoption process has been put to a halt because of this war.

and they don't know when a the war is going to end. we should mention they look like the orphans are being well taken care of. they made the decision to keep the children here in western ukraine, no the to evacuate to poland just yet. that is what is crushing the american families. right now the adoption process has been fought a halt because of this war. they don't know when the war is going to end. the other tough part about this is the rules are different with russia. russia doesn't allow u.s. citizens to adopt russian children. it could be devastating for those families. back to you. >> thank you for highlighting the story, tom. stay on it. we'll have a lot more from ukraine including a riff report from lester holt who's travelled to that region coming up in our next hour. let's move now to the impact of the war being felt here in the u.s. already. high gas prices now reaching jaw dropping levels from coast to coast. prices not seen in 14 years. nbc's business and tech correspondent, jo ling kent in los angeles where the prices are pretty shocking.

hey jo. >> hoda, good morning. you almost have to see it to believe it. here a gallon of regular is nearly $7. the national average over $4. and that is an average. and this has so many people feeling the pain of the pump really. and they understand why it is happening with the invasion of ukraine. but it doesn't make it any less expensive. pain at the pump is off the charts. >> if it is going to be seven now. it is going to be nine pretty soon. >> reporter: $7 a gallon a reality at some gas stations in los angeles. the unbelievable prices are reverberating nationwide. the national average for a gallon of regular is now $4.07. that is 46 cents more than just a week ago. >> if they keep fighting this war, i believe it competes $5 in less than a month. >> reporter: russia's invasion of ukraine is driving prices higher. in fact they have jumped every day since the war began. although the u.s. does not rely

as heavily on russian oil as many other countries do, expected sanctions here and abroad will make the market even tighter, sending prices even higher. >> the oil market reacts much like the stock market. and unfortunately drivers are paying for that at the gas pump. >> reporter: with inflation spiking 7.5 percent, and hourly wages only growing about 5%. many already stretched budgets have been shattered. >> the last time i put gas in my car, when it got to $40 i quit. and it still wasn't full. >> reporter: in georgia, 73 year old carolin heart field relies on her social security check and her positive attitude. >> i do not do unnecessary trips. >> reporter: how much are you looking forward to the day the gas costs less? >> oh my gosh, i'm really looking forward to that. >> reporter: with the national average where it is, americans are going spend more than half a

trillion dollars on gas this year alone. that of course has interest in electric vehicles going way up. one bay area dealership here in california says they are seeing interests skyrocket. ten times more than usual. guys. >> jo ling kent for us in l.a. thanks. more schools across the country are rolling back mask a mandates while that is welcome news for some students, parents and teachers others are braces for a rocky transition stephanie gosk joins was the story. >> reporter: kids here in d.c. are heading to their first day of class without a mask requirement in more than two years. a big change especially those with immunocompromised children are very concerned about mask or no mask?

that is the biggest question now tasing parent, teachers and millions of children as states and cities drop their school mask requirements. >> it was cool to actually see all my friends, like, faces. >> reporter: starting today masks are optional for k-12 public schools in new york city. a major milestone for the biggest school system in america. the mayor assuring parents it is okay to take it one day at a time i know there are some who say they still want their children to wear the masks. you can. we are not going to get in the way of your discretion. >> reporter: nearly 60% of the nation's largest school districts have now made mosques optional with more on the way when california, oregon and washington lift their school mandates at the end of the week. the great roll back following news from the cdc that more than 90% of americans live in an area face masks are no longer needed. but for parents whose children are at risk of severe disease or death the requirements are con concerning

mother of two immunocompromised kids in connecticut. masks became optional just last week there she's still choose choosing to keep her kids masked >> they keep them on at all times. they wear the n 95 months. >> reporter: experts warn fear could extend to children and teenagers with greater social anxiety too, who have become used to wearing masks. >> it is okay for parents to reach out to the school board and talk about your choices. it is okay to go to your pediatrician and say what should by saying to my kids >> reporter: pediatric psychologists say during the transition period, the key is to look for signs of distress or withdrawing from friends or activities during the transition also it is important to note that new york city's mask mandate is still in place for students under 5, as parents across the country still wait for that approval for the vaccine of that age group. sheinelle.

>> taking it one day at a time, stephanie. thank you. our first check of the weather. parts of the country with destructive storms over the weekend. >> and more potential for that today. 95 million people under winter weather advisories, wind advisory, tornado watches and flood watches. a big system developing pushing to the east. snow to the north. we're looking at flood watches possible also heavy thunderstorms we've got right now a tornado watch. tornado watches stretching all the way from mississippi up into kentucky, as this line of thunderstorms pushes further to the east and in fact we do have a severe risk today 48 million people, pittsburgh, philadelphia, d.c., roanoke, asheville, atlanta down to birmingham gusts over of miles per hour potential for small hail

and few tornados likely. heavy rain one to three inches but locally up to four inches of rain up into roanoke light snow to the north but for the most part the heavy rain and severe weather will be the big problem this afternoon good monday morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. we're stag out with near freezing temperatures in many of we're just 1 degree above freezing in santa rosa and in livermore, and it's 40 now in san jose. as you're getting the kids ready for school, you need a warm coat for the drop-off, but the pick-up is going to be so nice and comfortable.

nice recovery in concord, as we head for the mid-60s. we'll see more days like this as our temperatures still kind of go up and down, but the sunshine continues. weather. straight ahead our live interview with former attorney general william barr his controversial place in the trump white house, confronts the lies, and who shouldelection lies, and who shouldelection b [bushes rustling] [door opening] ♪dramatic music♪ yes! hon! the weathertech's here. ♪ weathertech is the ultimate protection for your vehicle. laser-measured floorliners... no drill mudflaps...

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for all the sniffles, sneezes, and super dad snack times... ...choose kleenex® ultra soft tissues. made for extra comfort 3 layers strong. kleenex®. for all the moments. good morning. it is 7:26. i'm marcus washington. here's today's top stories. first, our mike inouye is tracking big traffic headaches in the tri-valley. >> this is a big problem. south 680 down to one lane. we don't know when they're going to reopen. we hoped before 8:00, but i haven't heard about progress. the traffic is backing up approaching the dublin interchange. 17 southbound is blocked because of an overturned mail truck. again, southbound 17 blocked there.

the third a better, b.a.r.t. we have no service between richmond and downtown berkeley, so ac transit is giving mutual aid as an alternate. >> reporter: good morning. i'm cierra johnson in san francisco. today is a big day for those who work for the city and county of san francisco because they will return to the workplace. this is part of mayor london breed's welcome back to sf pledge. according to a statement from the mayor's office, the welcome back pledge signifies a critical milestone in resuming economic activity in the city. some of the other largers companies have vowed to bring their folks back this month as well. >> time to get a look at that forecast. meteorologist kari hall is tracking that. >> we're waking up to cold temperatures heading out in some spots freezing temperatures. take a look at our highs this afternoon, reaching into the upper 60s. on wednesday and thursday temperatures come down slightly. it will be windy during the afternoons. dry weather continues into the

weekend with more comfortable weather with highs reaching into the low 70s. >> we're going to have another local news update coming up in 30 minutes. i'll meet you back here then.

back now it is 7:30 it is monday morning, march 7th, 2022 people have jackets on it's warm! we're going outside in our next hour we'll say hello, give the folks a proper hello sfwl we dressed up as ketchup and mustard sfwlchlt jelly doesn't work >> let's get to your headlines joint base andrews went into lockdown after two intruders

stormed the base they fled the vehicle. one suspect armed was apprehended. a second person got away this happened moments afrter vie president harris left. >> homes are under evacuation orders due to several fast moving wildfires in the florida panhandle. it scorched 12,000 acres high winds and dry weather are fanning the flames >> and group of truckers protesting covid-19 mandates expected back on the road in washington, d.c., again today. yesterday the convoy did two loops around the beltway surrounding the nation's capitol. it lez to some congestion but no major tieups d.c. officials say commuters should be ready for possible traffic disruptions over the next several days. >> now to a man who stood at the center of many firestorms that surrounded the trump presidency, former attorney general william barr he is telling his story in a new memoir, comes out tomorrow and this morning mr. barr is joining us live. we'll talk to him in a moment.

first, a closer look at his time in the trump administration. >> as attorney general, william barr is one of the most powerful members of president trump's cabinet and at the heart of key legal battles. but critics say he politicized the justice department from the beginning. pointing to his decision to clear the former president of obstruction of justice, following robert mueller's investigation into russia's attempts to disrupt 2016 election >> it was a complete and total exoneration. >> the president was frustrated and angered by his sincere belief that the investigation was undermining his presidency, propelled by his political opponents, and fueled by illegal leaks. nonetheless, the white house fully cooperated with the special counsel's investigation. >> barr also faced criticism over his involvement in some court cases of key trump allies. >> i'm supposedly punishing the president's enemies and helping his friends.

what enemies have i indicted. >> and as trump continued to make baseless claims of widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election. >> we were getting ready to win this election. frankly, we did win this election. >> after the election, barr broke with the president, telling the associated press the justice department had not seen fraud on a scale that could have affected a different outcome in the election his unwillingness to see there were irregularities infuriated trump and barr soon resumed. and the former attorney general joins us now his first live interview since the resignation on the eve of release of his new book "one damn thing after another." good morning we got a three page letter single spaced from president trump about your book. i can't read the whole thing but it is mostly personal insults. he called you slow and lethargic. he said you were so lazy and cowardly he never quite understood what was going on

he didn't want to stand up to the radical left democrats because he thought the repercussions to him personally in the form of impeachment would be too severe. in other words, bill barr what a coward do you have any reaction for that >> it is par for the course. the president is a man who when he's told something he doesn't want to hear, he immediately throws a tantrum and attacks the person personally. so i thought the letter was childish. >> you don't pull any punches in this book either your book really details the good, the bad and the ugly of working for this president and you conclude with them a pretty damning indictment. in the final months of his administration trump cared only about one thing. himself. country and principle took second place and you go on to say he had no concern with ideology or political principle. his motive is revenge and it is entirely personal. >> i was pretty content with the

administration up until the election i supported his policies he was always hard to work with and resistant to advice. but you could usually keep things on track. but after the election he went off the rails. he wouldn't listen to anybody except a little codery of sycophants telling what he wanted to hear and i think he did lot of damage after the election, both with this idea that the election was stolen and also by him sort of rallying this group on the capitol hill where the clear purpose was to intimidate the vice president and congress. >> and before we go any further for those who say e oh here comes bill barr. he's real estate has been -- he's rehabilitating his image. a day late a dollar short. you say? >> people who know me. i don't really care what people think about me and i think that was one of the reasons i was persuaded to take the attorney general job because i wasn't looking for

anything i don't have a future career i'm retired. and i felt i could just call them as i see them and anyone who tries to win the approval of others is going to be compromised very quick. >> let's call it as we see it on election fraud mr. trump in the letter says you failed to investigate election fraud despite massive amounts of evidence point of fact you did investigate. once and for all, did the president lose the election or was it stolen or rigged by massive fraud. >> stolen and rigged are two different things but there was no stealing of the election through fraud. which means, you know, that people who were not qualified to vote or didn't exist, their county votes were counties or good votes were sub subtracted

the the votes reflected the decision of the people you can talk all you want about the playing field and the gaming of the system. and there are things to be looked into like the facebook payments but that does not mean the election was stolen or anything was invalid there was no evidence. >> -- only 21% of republicans believe biden was legitimately elected u. you have an opportunity to address them. you may have some credibility with them. how would you explain? how do you know this election was not stolen by a fraud and that thump lost it legitimately. >> first all the examples that were thrown you have early were vapor ware there was nothing to them. they was just false. for example, one the president repeatedly recently saying that more people voted in philadelphia than there were voter. nonsense

it was nonsense. second, no evidence has come on since then but third, you look at the vote, the actual vote and there is no mystery as to why he lost. he lost to the reason he was told for all year he was going to lose. which he alienated independent and republican voters in the suburbs. that is why he lost. >> let me talk to you about something you write in your book you say you actually confronted the president on december 1st with this and told him point blank you looked at the fraud allegations and there was nothing to them. can you tell me about that conversation >> yes i felt i had to address these claims and avenue i looked into them and sort of got sure of the facts, i talked to the ap reporter and he asked me about it, and i told him and the president was lived and called me into the oval office, which i knew he would do and we met in this little dining room in the rear and i told him that what he was saying was bs. and that there was no basis for it and he was livid and long story short i said look. you're disappointed with me. i'm perfectly content to resign. and he said accepted >> after that december 1st meeting when you told the president it was bs. you went out with mike pompeo, secretary of state and you wrote in your book, i felt trump had taken a dangerous turn since the

election it was always difficult to keep him on track after the election he was beyond restraint. why didn't you speak out more forcefully right then and there having told the president it's bs why didn't you say more right then and there to the american people about it? >> well, i did as a member of the cabinet say that to the press. and that was invoked all the way across the country that i was taking that position and then on the press conference on the 22nd of december, my last full day at the department, i held a press conference and reiterated it. >> you said there is no evidence of widespread fraud. you didn't say i think the president is dangerous in fact in your resignation letter you wrote "i appreciate the opportunity to update you this afternoon on the department's review of voter fraud allegations. now here you know the claims are bs your words not mine. why wouldn't you have said something -- how do you write a

letter like that leaves the impression that there might be is something there. >> as you remember, there was basically an allegation dujour it was like playing whack a mole and, you know, there was -- there were questions being raised. >> yeah but does that letter really reflect the spirit of what you knew to be true it is dangerous and it is bs. >> i said he was acting in a dangerous way because he -- you know, he was not listening to advice from his advisors and in the past you could keep things on track and now i felt he was sort of off the rails. >> and you write in this letter, this resignation letter, i'm proud to have played role in your many successes and go on and say your record is even more iz historic because you accomplished it in the resistance you -- worried about the peaceful transition of power hi accomplished it in the you even had national security concerns that you voice in your book none of this is present in the

resignation letter didn't the american people deserve to know what you knew? >> you know, i think on december 14th that's when the state certified the vote and that's the day i tendered my resignation. the election was over for all intents and purposes the idea that something could be done later on january 6 was nonsense and once the election was locked in, on december 14th, i tendered my resignation and i knew trump was, you know, going to be leaving office. >> let's talk about january 6. you write that trump orchestrated the mob he was not ultimately successful in overturning the election but do you believe that was his aim to intimidate and pressure congress >> yeah. i think the aim was to pressure congress and to pressure the vice president and i said that regardless of whether laws were broken, regardless of that, it was a shameful thing because one branch of government shouldn't be trying to use a mob to pressure another branch.

>> you said the chicago tribune before the election, you know how liberals reject all this bs about how the president is going stay in office and seize power there projecting they are creating an incendiary situation. did you underestimate the lengths the president was willing to go to. >> yes. >> you did >> well i was surprised. i thought it was a farce because there was no substance to it there was no legal support for it. >> in a few moments we have, we cannot get into the russia investigation completely but let me ask you you decided when robert mueller chose not to analyze whether there was criminality on obstruction. you decided i'm attorney general, i'm going make the decision now why did you do that when the whole point of the special counsel was to take it out of the political chain of command and to remove either the conflict or appearance of conflict and you acknowledge in the book you thought it was a phony scandal. so you took that decision upon yourself why did to you that?

>> well it is a phony scandal. and people in talking about the big lie after the election forget that there was a big lie before -- you know, at the beginning -- >> i'm more focused on the issue, you're attorney general, you believe it to be a phony scandal before you even had any facts and the special counsel is appointed to take it out of the political arm -- >> he found the facts and he did it as a special counsel. >> yeah. >> he used working for the attorney general by the way. and he used the compulsory power, grand juries and so forth to extract evidence. that -- that process is permitted precisely to make the decision. >> here is the thing you could have said mueller, i don't like your approach you did this investigation, you make the decision. could have ordered him to do that couldn't you instead of taking it upon yourself >> he indicated he did not want to make that decision. >> but you could have said it is better if i don't. i'm the attorney general i've got, you know -- i want to

protect the department of justice and its reputation for impartiality you could have told him, you know, you make the decision. >> that's another -- critical of bob. i'm not sure it was that impartial. when you look at the way it was handled, the reason he was selected by rob rosenstein was to give appearance that there was no partisanship and then he went out and hired a lot of partisan democrats so half the country didn't have confidence in what was going on. >> after the russia affair was over and the mueller testimony was complete you write about getting together in your office you said we felt we finally pu russiagate behind us felt like a great way to taken off our shoulders now the president can focus on his positive agenda. now this does not sound like the independent attorney general you say that you were in this decision making. >> well that was during the summer.

>> it was in july after the testimony. >> long after i made the decision, when he was testifying >> yes do you see why somebody see -- >> no it was -- >> -- defense lawyer's party. >> i don't think so. i think the department had worked very hard on this and i had certainly taken a lot of guf about it. it was a lie it was a lie which the media pushed it was a feeding frenzy that hobbled the administration and was unfair to the presiden and i dealt with accordingly. >> you finally say it is time for the party to move on from trump. liz cheney said he's not fit to serve and should not be ever near the oval office again do you agree with that >> i've certainly made it clear, i don't think he should be our nominee, and i'm going to support somebody else for the nominee. >> but if he is the nominee and your choice is trump or whoever is running on the democratic side, would you vote for him. >> because i believe the greatest threat for the country is if progressive agenda pushed

by the democratic party, it is inconceivable to me that i wouldn't vote for the republican nominee. >> even if he lied about the election and threatened democracy, better than aeatened democrat. >> it's hard to project what the facts are going to be three years hence. but as of now it is hard to conceive i wouldn't vote for the republican nominee. >> william barr, always good to see you. thank you so much for being here once again the book is called "one damn thing after another. it is out tomorrow we're back after these messages. it comes with different symptoms... a whole grocery list of them. yeah...enough! and your doctor tells you about trintellix, a prescription medicine for adults with depression. and you feel this relief...from your overall symptoms. with—get this—no significant impact on weight in clinical trials. trintellix may increase suicidal thoughts and actions in people 24 and younger. call a doctor right away if you have these, or new or worsening depression, or new or sudden changes in mood, behavior, thoughts, or feelings. do not take with maois.

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we'll really feel it in the morning. our dry weather continues into the weekend as temperatures warm up slightly. >> and that's your latest weather. >> thank you, al still ahead. cynthia mcfadden introduces us to a group of amazing children who had to grow up fast after losing their mother from covid and they are far from alone. >> we'll shine a light on their story and the guardian angels stepping in to help look, and feel better... by treating the multiple symptoms of psoriatic arthritis. don't use if you're allergic to cosentyx. before starting...get checked for tuberculosis. an increased risk of infections some serious... and the lowered ability to fight them may occur. tell your doctor about an infection or symptoms... or if you've had a vaccine or plan to. tell your doctor if your crohn's disease symptoms... develop or worsen. serious allergic reactions may occur. watch me. ask your rheumatologist about cosentyx. one prilosec otc in the morning blocks heartburn all day watch me. and all night.

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tell your doctor about your medicines, and if you're pregnant or planning to be. otezla. show more of you. . good morning. it is 7:56. i'm marcus washington. here's a look at what's happening now. >> three alerts continue here. the first one south 680 still jammed into sunol because of this crash. 680 is jammed from the dublin interchange, which jams 580. some folks with taking 84. others are heading toward castro valley. that's alert number one for the tri-valley. and that ripples around. alert number 20, south 17 still blocked at laurel road. postal material is scattered across. and the third alert is for the b.a.r.t. system. we have trains stopped, no service between richmond and berkeley. ac transit is your alternate. >> a lot going on there. at least it's quiet in the

weather department. it's just cold as you're heading out this morning and our temperatures headed for the upper 60s for this afternoon. tomorrow it will be slightly warmer, reaching 70 degrees. but notice all of the sunshine we'll see throughout the week. and by the middle of the week we'll see gusty winds picking up and that may dry out everything even more. but we are going to continue to have comfortable temperatures, gusty winds midweek in san francisco as well, as our temperatures will continue to reach into the mid-60s. we're still not, unfortunately, seeing any rain on the horizon. nothing decent here as we go sbu the next week. >> thanks, kari. we're going to have another local news update coming up in 30 minutes. remember, we're always on at nbcbayarea.com.

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it is 8:00 on today. coming up mass exodus. ukrainian citizens fleeing for their lives as russian soldiers close in on major cities some fighting back with images of citizens defending their cities now going viral lester holt is live in ukraine with the very latest then family matters. >> some days where i'm perfectly fine and then others, want to hide under a blanket. >> we'll introduce to you four siblings who lost their mother to covid

the challenges they face and how they are working to keep their family together. >> how have these two been doing? stepping up? >> she's impressed me actually. plus holy box office, batman the caped crusader keeps in to take the weekend's top spot. the highest grossing opening of the year nearly $130 million. inside the good day for the dark knight and hollywood and star studded studio 1a the one and only ryan reynolds is here live to talk about his new film, "the atom project. and renee zellweger ahead of her new series "the thing about pam." now getting the hollywood treatment. today, monday, march 7th, 2022 >> to my mom watching in memphis, tennessee. >> we love you grandma. >> in new york.

>> from florida. >> we're celebrating my 17th birthday >> visiting from allen, texas. >> massachusetts >> and kansas. >> and virginia tech go hokeys. >> on spring break from. >> the university of georgia welcome back to "today." it is good to have you with us on a monday morning. -- >> well -- we know it by heart now. >> we're gearing up for a special event on the plaza tomorrow >> going to be celebrating international women's day. we'll fill our plaza with remarkable women from all walks of life. you guys it is going to be inspiring. you do not want to miss it. >> let's get to your news here at 8:00. it was a weekend of escalating violence across ukraine with intense missile fire and attempts to evacuate civilians

that turned deadly lester holt has made his way inside ukraine he joins us from lviv. good morning >> reporter: savannah, good morning. good to see you. concerns growing this morning as more civilians are getting caught in the cross-fire of this conflict russia has consistently denied targeting civilians. but even here in lviv, in the west, a city farther away from the front lines of violence, the people are on edge i have to warn you some of the video you are about to see is quite graphic. a weekend of deadly violence across ukraine officials say at least eight civilians were killed sunday, including in this attack a family including two children now dead efforts to escape nearly impossible for civilians in cities like irpin and mariupol this weekend after earlier ceased fire

attempts failed. uncertainty growing by the minute even in cities like lviv, now a destination for so many fleeing the conflict zones are you afraid to stay here? >> of course >> reporter: president zelenskyy calling on world leaders to help, saying sanctions are not enough and amplifying his push for a no-fly zone over his country a move the secretary of state warns could put nato forces in direct conflict with russia. >> what we're trying to do is end this war in ukraine, not start a larger one >> reporter: our journey to ukraine started in poland as we approach the ukrainian border. a glimpse of the growing humanitarian crisis. a small fraction of the one and a half million people who have fled their home country so far. >> there is quite a crunch here on this side this is inbound to poland. all the relief agencies have set up and we see families making your way across now. the western region of ukraine avoided the missile strikes but

the impact is still deeply felt. >> the mood is tense >> reporter: what about your future everything you know has changed now suddenly. >> yeah dramatically so our future is, we wait until tomorrow. >> reporter: the russian defense ministry says it is holding fire and opening several humanitarian corridors this morning ukraine's vice prime minister is pushing back against the routes russia has chosen saying it's presented their own proposed evacuation routes. >> reporter: lester is going to have a lot more from ukraine tonight and throughout the week on nbc "nightly news." iowa's governor issued a disaster declaration after a deadly tornado over the weekend. the worst of the tornado sliced right through central iowa near des moines on sunday seven people were killed, including two children the twisters destroyed or damaged more than 50 homes. >> that is the news.

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>> -- over cannot be clawed back we feel you ladies up next we're going to shine a light on some children who had their entire lives turned upside down when covid hit their families hard. >> cynthia mcfadden shares one family's emotional story and the struggle finding support that can make a world of difference that's right after this. is now a good time for a flare-up? enough, crohn's! for adults with moderate to severe crohn's or ulcerative colitis, stelara® can provide relief, and is the first approved medication to reduce inflammation on and below the surface of the intestine in uc. you, getting on that flight? back off, uc! stelara® may increase your risk of infections, some serious, and cancer. before treatment, get tested for tb. tell your doctor if you have an infection, flu-like symptoms, sores, new skin growths, have had cancer, or if you need a vaccine. pres, a rare, potentially fatal brain condition, may be possible. some serious allergic reactions

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we are back. 8:13 our network-wide series "the new normal". nearly two years into the pandemic, where do we go from here and strategies for coping this new reality. >> covid's come at at terrible cost and this morning we're focussing on a grewing group of often forgotten children the hundreds of thousands who have lost a parent or primary caregiver to the parent. >> nbc senior legal and investigative correspondent, cynthia mcfadden is here with our report. >> experts have analyzed the data of those who have died from covid and painted the painful profile of the kids left behind. they are mostly children of color. mostly poor. and overwhelmingly young 70% 13 or younger. and two years into the pandemic, there is still no coordinated system to identify who these kids are or how to get help to them this morning, meet four truly amazing kids finding a way

forward. >> reporter: a staggering number of kids have lost a parent or primary caregiver to covid estimated 200,000 and growing. most are under 13. some have a surviving parent but in many families, only the children remain. >> some days i'm perfectly fine. and then others just want to hide under a blanket >> reporter: 15 year old zoey and her three siblings lost their single mother in august. jenny is 24. you have gone from a big sister, to, well do you think of yourself as a mother. >> i don't think i'll ever say that but i'm more of a parental figure but mom, i don't thinky put that on my shoulders yet. >> reporter: brother trey is 20 and helps in every way he can. contributing his full-time salary while he goes to school at night >> how is life with three women?

>> certainly not easy. sometimes you need a break from, can you help me do my hair, stuff like that. >> reporter: is he any good at that by the way? >> no. >> reporter: but it is jenny who put her own school on hold and works as a dental assistant and shoulders the greatest responsibility so i know one of the first priorities was making sure you got guardianship of your little sisters. >> definitely. i didn't want to take a chance of losing them. >> reporter: separated in the foster care system or something. >> oh my gosh. i don't even want to think about that. >> reporter: how are these two doing? have they been stepping up. >> she's impressed me actually i wasn't expecting. >> reporter: tell me why. >> she gives like a motherry

vibe all the time now. >> awe. >> like she's filling in that little hole of wanting a mother now but she's like there so i'm like thank you. >> oh my gosh. i never heard that you're welcome >> reporter: their mother cindy dawkins worked two jobs. the kids were everything to her. sierra is only 12 and still desperately misses her. >> i always used to sleep in her room. >> ju just like being with her she made you feel safe after cindy's death, they had no idea what to do. so they called a mom from trey's high school who helped them in the past >> i'm looking at these two kids who are like deer in headlights and all they said was we just want to make sure we stay together >> reporter: they stepped? to help pay the rent the next six months. >> safety net. >> yeah. not easy but i don't know what would have happened. >> reporter: anyone from the hospital ever call you guys and

say hey your mother died, what can we do? >> no. >> anybody from town >> no. >> nobody. >> if it wasn't for miss janie we wouldn't know what to do at all. there is no one calling and saying okay this is what agency you should get in touch with. >> we were like, how about food? i said oh my gosh, do the girls have health insurance? we need to make sure they are going to be able to go to the doctors and. so i made a list >> i'm not sure where we go from here we've been trying to get the fema funeral assistance. and it still says pending. to think that two young people are going to navigate this by themselves that's -- i've barely been able to navigate it. >> reporter: sadly there are many families like theirs. in my line it is a national health emergency. >> dr. charles nelson was among the first to study these deaths from covid. >> if a child lost a parent, somebody needs to be there right away the. >> and there is no system for that right now.

>> that's the problem. >> this loss is our loss these children are our children. and it seems to me that we in positions of responsibility ought to start acting like it. >> reporter: he co-chairs a coalition that's urged the white house to make these kids a priority >> there are resources available that are going unutilized. but there is so little transparency and clarity about how to access those programs that they might as well not exist. how to access those programs that they might as well not >> reporter: miss janie knows that is true she found it so hard to access services for the kids, she was relieved she created a gofundme page. >> they never say why me and these four kids get up every day with whatever challenge is ahead of them and still do it. >> reporter: a truly remarkable family

and as jenny said to me. every family needs a miss janie. and one other thing. we reached out to fema about that benefit jenny applied for and they said they had made a mistake. they apologized. they told us they are sending the money to the family. and as of this morning, the covid collaborative is launching a first of its kind clearing house, including direct links to services like that fema benefit. and that should help for more info go to our website at today.com. >> the fact that money was sitting on the table these people need going unused was unbelievable. >> if you can't access the help what is the point of having the help >> -- need an advocate to help them. >> -- kids remarkable. >> what a family and most of these kids are under 13 they need someone to be their voice.

>> and you started with that piece with 200,000 children. i had no idea. >> and growing. >> and growing and here is the thing. we nope the number we don't know who the they are. >> when the dies, how many no one reaches out. >> thank you cynthia al let's get a check of the weather. >> tlets let's take a look really warm here in the eastern sea board. southern air flowing into the mid atlantic records possible in 14 different states today possible record this is key west, tampa, jacksonville, new orleans, up to atlanta and even as far south as allentown, cape hatteras, into the washington, d.c. for today then temperatures drop with a but then temperatures drop with a cold front moving through, and by midweek we'll be back down to more seasonable conditions. that's what's going on around the country. here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. it is a cold start this morning, but it's going to be a nice and comfortable afternoon. a lot of our inland temperatures will head for the upper 60s and

reaching 70 tomorrow. imoosz going to be windy midweek as our morning temperatures cool down, but only a slight cooldown for our afternoon highs. by the weekend, we're still seeing more dry weather, highs in the low 70s, and san francisco will see temperatures in the upper 60s today but cooling down on wednesday as a cold front comes in with some gusty winds and the dry weather continues into the weekend. weather. i guess we're going to have to wait for the best time of the morning. just a little bit. >> we're going push it just a little further down in the next half hour. we're going to talk about the bathman. right now more exciting news hoda's original pod cast is getting the sequel treatment back for season 2 on making space. congratulations. >> it is amazing by the way i interview ad guy you interviewed, reverend whit li -- >> the man. >> -- an amazing person. guess who else i've got coming. >> who.

>> amy schumer viola davis. emmanuel acho. by the way every single episode, i've done a bunch of them. i leave -- i feel like they are already out there in the universe so we're excited. every one of them is about overcoming so if you are having a crummy day. >> and if you don't know where to go that, follow making space with hoda kotb or skn the qr code right now and the preview of the new season is available now. and get ready for the new season because those new episodes start monday. >> monday. if you want to just feel good -- >> -- food for the soul. >> get the headphones on take a walk. >> congratulations. >> oh my gosh, speaking of one-two punch. ryan reynolds is on his way to 1a he's got a new sci-fi family adventure. and renee zellweger. but first your local news and weather.

good morning. it's 8:26. i'm kris sanchez. former mma star velasquez is scheduled to appear in a courtroom. he's accused of trying to shoot a man who allegedly abused a relative. gunfire ended up hitting his intended target's father. cell phone video shows what appears to be velazquez in a truck chasing after a car that he rammed. today he is expected to be formally charged with attempted murder and a judge will likely also determine bail. let's get a look at our

forecast with meteorologist kari hall. >> it's a clear start to our morning as we're waking up and heading out. we can see that there's no fog here at the golden gate bridge or elsewhere across the bay area. our temperatures startled out near freezing in parts of the north bay and the tri-valley. we're starting to make some progress here towards some warmer temperatures. in fact, we'll see our valley temperatures reaching into the upper 60s. tomorrow, 70 degrees and with some gusty winds, our temperatures drop slightly by the middle of the week. we'll see those temperatures rebounding into the weekend but still no rain in our seven-day forecast. san francisco's also looking at 60s throughout the week and those gusty winds. more updates on that. another local news update in half an hour.

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♪ hey everybody. welcome back. >> it is 8:30. it is monday morning it is the 7th day of march, 2022 you guy, if you look at the crowd for one second a it's huge. right al. >> yeah. >> and b, as far as we see any winter coat.

>> i see hokey hats. >> i see too star set half hour for you and tridelts too what is happening over there >> -- live in our studio lot to discuss with him. a new family friendly time-traveling movie we'll chat about his family, about life and something surprisingly ryan recently revealed about himself. >> more to that. and also live is renee zellweger. two-time oscar winner going to open up about transforming into a pretty unforgettable character for a new true crime series here on nbc and some of the unexpected chargerss with the role. >> and eric stone street is live in studio to tell u.s. about his fun new competition show. >> mr. roker you got a big plaza ready for you. >> let's see get me ready get me ready let's show you what he sw have happening for today.

week had severe storms in the plains. windy out west with santa ana winds. midweek we're looking at more heavy rain in the atlantic and southeast. arctic cold back in the plains southwest looking good by tend of the week we're talking about beautiful sunshine more rain through the southeast, and looking at winter continuing in the great lakes all the way into texas with sunshine out west. that's what's going on around the country. here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. after this cold start, sunshine and a nice afternoon. and for our inland areas we'll reach into the upper 60s, a little warmer tomorrow. on wednesday, the cold front drops in and it will make it really windy and our temperatures just come down slightly. but then we do see a rebound as our temperatures head back for the low 70s for the weekend. and notice still no rain in the forecast for the next week. and those winds are going to dry out the vegetation even more. we'll watch out for that

especially on wednesday. i think we start the week off by going around the horn look at this crowd what a good looking group today. woo! there we go. and we almost ended up with our nate dog right over there. all right back to you guys >> only one thing to do now. "pop start." >> let's get to it start with the "batman." robert pattinson's take dominated the weekend. "batman" marks the second biggest opening weekend since the pandemic coming in behind spiderman no way home. currently available in theaters. i saw it this weekend. fantastic. next up. dolly parton, queen of country sit downing if a special international we'll's day episode. and opening up on keeping boundaries dolly revealed how she learned

to maintain a level of privacy over the years while still being an open book with fans. >> my mama told me when i was young, always keep something back for you you can give what you have got to give. but don't give it all. always keep something for you. and i've known how to do that because i think god has directed that i pr t me share everything i can. but let me keep me >> that whole conversation airs tomorrow on the kelly bannon show on apple music country. next up. will smith and michael b. jordan are teaming up for a sequel to smith's smash hit from 2007 "aem legend."

co-starring on screen together details still under wraps but this marks the first time these two hollywood heavy hitters will be working together on a movie sounds great keenan thompson our buddy at snl scored a major milestone this weekend a his 1500th sketch. what's up with that. family feud. black jeopardy the hit the historic number playing a wanna be diy expert. a big congratulations to our friend keenan on a job well done and finally luke combs one young fan mifing the country music stinger a run for his own -- singing combs hit song "beer never broke my heart." ♪ >> solo cup. raisin' hell right there cute way to go. >> coming up next we're going to

sit down with the always turning always hilarious, the man who has perfected the casual lean. ryan reynolds. a mission to save the future hi ryan. but first this is "today" on nbc. hi, i'm mike holmes and i'm here ivan from agm renovations

america's number one kitchen and bathroom renovators i'm super excited to introduce agm's 3d creator. it allows you to create your new kitchen or bathroom online, and get an exact quote in minutes. [ivan] that's right mike! design your kitchen or bathroom in 3d, choose your fixtures and finishes, without leaving your home or inviting strangers in. visit agmrenovations.com and create your new kitchen or bathroom today! ♪ agmrenovations.com ♪ [announcer] call now and get $3,000 off!

we are back.

8:38 with the one and only ryan reynolds. >> he started a new sci-fi movie called "the adam project." playing a time traveling pilot who teams up with his 12 year old self take a look. >> -- to save your life. >> zip it! >> how do you know my dog's name >> because i named him boom so cute. ryan, good morning >> good morning. >> you know here you are acting with your 12 year old self in this. >> yeah. >> the time traveling thing is intriguing. >> yeah. >> if you could travel back to any time in your life, like what era is like the best ryan reynolds era

>> you know i wouldn't mind -- i wouldn't mind going back and seeing my childhood home which has since been bulldozed and i think given an exorcism over the rubble i wouldn't mind that. >> what would you like as at 12. >> i was much more introverted >> i love the concept of this movie. almost like if you could have a do over in life. if you could go back if you could go back. >> well this like real spectacle driven -- >> something i love about et and stand by me. and those are steeped in nostalgia. and fourth movie free guy and the latter two i was lucky enough to make with my friend sean levy and engineered for audiences to like i don't want to make movies that contribute to any of the weight people are already carrying

around the last two years and these movies remind me of when i was a kid and i would watch with my dad. like "back to the future" and we would both think it is the coolest movie we've ever seen. they really hit both kids and adults equally and my kids saw "the adam project" and absolutely flipped. i think "the adam project" and "house of gucci" are two favorites. i don't prove they have seen "house of gucci. but they have been speaking in heavy italian accents around the house the last couple ofs we're. >> how old are the kids? >> 7, 5 and 2. and our house, there is a real era of revenge, betrayal, decadence and murder so i know they have seen that movie. like me. when i was a kid used to watch all the movies you weren't supposed to watch. >> like what what was --

>> well the first rated r movie i saw was "stand by me." and i was blown away and i saw "dune" which, i know i shouldn't have seen. at like 5. >> where were your parents. >> absolutely failures >> -- introverted. because i don't see that about you. when did you become extroverted, if you are. >> i'm not as extroverted as one might guess. >> -- some of that aviation gin this morning >> yeah. just a little nip in the coffee and we're good to go i'll walk the kids to school no yeah, i was sboefrted as a kid i was youngest of four boys. it was mayhem in our house i was this little moving target. it wasn't -- you know, i had to get by with my wit instead of my muscle it was essentially all an act, something i put on so i could stay alive for the day. >> i like that -- well it hasn't completely gone away i was reading or listening to where you talked about, even recently, when you used to accept out on the set of david letterman. should would happen in inside of you. almost stage fright.

i just don't picture you having stage fright. >> yeah. sort of paralyzing in a way and when you hear them calling your way. there is no way to avoid it. you are going out there. and for me at least, someone kind of takes over like this little guy in my brain takes over and runs the show and makes it all great and off we -- and i'm not -- so many people deal with this it is normal to experience this to a certain degree. and other versions of it that i've experienced that are probably not as normal and little bit of a struck toll get through i'm not complaining it feel like on the other side lot of gifts with it as well. >> you are such an entrepreneur. you have a gin company which i asked you about. >> i think you will. as the real vodka killer in a sense -- >> well i wonder if i -- wanted to open my heart up to your gin. >> it is not super juniperry some are this one is much mellow, sm

that's why i fell in love with it. >> and you do the marketing, super bowl commercial. >> oh yeah. >> and you have that soccer team. >> football club in wales. >> what are you doing? why don't you just rest? why are you working all the time. >> you'd be surprised. >> be a bigger loser >> yeah. thank you. i have -- i work amazing people so able to do -- i can bite off more than i can chew because there are several mouths chewing. >> you did take a pause from making movies because you didn't want to spend more time at home. have you -- >> -- oh it's been hell, hoda. right back i'm taking the first movie i can fine find. it's been great. i'm still busy as you can imagine but i get to be there for my kids in the morning and at night and i get to put everyone to bed. i love that. i'm no less busy i'm just home more. >> we all have little kids that age. just raw human nature. >> oh my gosh. >> unbridled, yeah. >> -- humanity absolutely

and morning routine is just so unpredictable. i lay awake at light anxiety. sometimes and what is going happen in the morning? are one of those children going to strike me >> we adore you. can't wait you are going come back on the fourth hour with me and jenna to talk more. >> very excited about it yes. >> -- co-star -- >> so great. >> "the adam project" out this friday on netflix. from one mega star to another. step aside ryan reynolds we get renee zellweger here. >> what? >> she is. she's going to give us our true crime fix. a new series inspired by one of "dateline"'s most popular stories. stories. "the thing about pam."

oh, wow, barbara corcoran! good morning. sorry, we don't need any business help now. we're gigillionaires. what? we're gigillionaires now. i don't get it we have at&t business fiber with hyper-gig speeds. but i just... so thanks, but, we're doing great. i'm so happy for you! but i'm just here for my order. oh. entre-pin-eurs? yeah, my bowling team. i like it there's money in puns. do business like a gigillionaire at&t business fiber, now with speeds up to 5-gigs. limited availability welcome back legend in the house. renee zellweger, two-time oscar winner known for her dramatic roles on the big screen. now she's taking her challenge to the small screen. star and executive producer of "the thing about pam."

>> the limited series based on that popular "dateline" storyline and pod cast foltz the 2011 murder of betsy faria and her husband's conviction turned exoneration and pam's heavy involvement in all of it take a look. >> she ever violent with betsy >> i was at their place a lot. and, umm, he's not the most, umm, he was kind of not nice for a bully to her you know the type. real aggressive. creeping us out. renee zellweger. good morning by the way ryan reynolds was just on and he said, you know, i saw the clip on your show. he was like wait, is that renee? that was a real transformation it took hours, huh >> you know, just wearing a lot of peoples jobs.

yeah, i really didn't do anything i sat there and ar yen, the genius musician who creates them and builds them and paints them right down to the freckle. very talented people. >> did it get you in the mood to play this character? like when you pat costume on and you get in that place. >> well it is an excellent place to high behind two pounds of latex. >> what was it like to step into pam? what is the thing about pam? for those who don't know she's a real character >> yeah. an interesting person i thought. fascinating because you just keep asking yourself how it is possible when there is this mountain of evidence and people just willfully look past and how does that happen i thought it would be a really interesting thing to explore so, yeah, we dug into that.

>> and what was it about her though you know, so many people obviously believed her when she was accusing the husband of murder she was the kind of person you would believe. what was it inside of her that you had to tap into. >> you know what's interesting is she doesn't really fit the prototype of a person that you would suspect of any wrong doing. she's friendly and blends into the community. she looks like someone all of us know the school pickup. at church. it is fascinating when someone's behavior deviates so dramatically from what you might expect that was sort of what fascinated me about it. >> there was a time you kind of took a break from acting how, we'll -- you know like the

period where you -- to come back now, how do you think about it how do you approach it does it feel better? worse? more confident -- how did that period of time shape you and how you are now? >> that's a really good question i don't know that i've reflected on it that much, but i do know that it is different i needed to step away and grow as a person, learn some things that were not related to work. that's one of my favorite things about the work is that you have opportunity to learn things you wouldn't otherwise have occasion to explore went to school and, you know, just took some time out and decided i maybe want to participate in a different way. >> went to school? >> i did. >> what school did you. >> i stuck into ucla and did some public policy. >> you did what did you study i didn't know that did we -- >> yeah. international law. just. >> wow. >> interested in politics and fascinated bumping into the mr. barr backstage this morning. >> the "today" show, you can run into the attorney general or

ryan reynolds. is this an angle or something you wanted to do in the interim? >> you know, i'm not sure. i'm not sure >> wow. >> but it is one of my favorite things i'll bore you to death at a dinner party i really will. don't e get me started >> i don't think that's possible. >> no no it's true. ask any of my friends. >> were you a "dateline" fan were you someone who watched it? >> yes aren't you guys? >> yes. >> she used to be "dateline" hoda look at her. >> you know what, that was unfair >> tell her the truth. she's going to get it out of you. >> i knew this because yeah, we go back >> how about the little keith morrison ad. >> isn't he the greatest >> yeah. >> really is. >> i don't think anybody ever had a better voice for true crime what do you think. >> i know. >> he's a legend i tried to get him to record my outgoing voice message on my phone and then i blew it and didn't press record. >> we're so happy.

thank you for coming to see us and thank you for sharing. "the thing about pam," it is tomorrow knight an nbc 10:00/9:00 central. >> can we go have dinner and talk about international law we need to pick your brain renee zellweger. >> i'd love nothing more as a small business owner, your bottom line is always top of mind. so start saving with comcast business mobile. flexible data plans mean you can get unlimited data or pay by the gig. all on the most reliable 5g network. with no line activation fees or term contracts. saving you up to $500 a year. so boost your bottom line by switching today. get the new samsung galaxy s22 series on comcast business mobile and for a limited time save up to $750 on a new samsung device with eligible trade-in.

coming on hoda and jenna a touching new children's book. it's her first >> and first on the third hour, a special cooking with cal to give us a jump start on our st. patrick's day celebration. first your local news. great show so far. >> right let's keep it going. >> all right >> let's get a fifth hour of "today," shall we?

good morning. it's 8:56. i'm kris sanchez. new signs of the return to normal in the bay area. a lot of san francisco city workers are set to return to in-person work for the first time in nearly two years. this is part of mayor london's

welcome back sf pledge. several of the city's largest companies are also pledging to bring workers back to the office this month. happening now, cierra johnson will have a live report in our midday news at 11:00. link to more at the tom of our home page. russia and ukraine leaders are expected to hold another round of talks, but so far there has been no letup in the russian invasion. you can follow the latest updates on our twitter feed. ( ♪♪ )

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♪♪ this morning on the third hour of "today," mind matters. a professor on a personal mission. what she wants us to know about adhd, not in kids but adults. then later, the hilarious eric stone street from modern family here in studio 1a talking about his search for domino masters. and it is our lucky day. dylan is docking with cal and making a st. patrick's day classic. irish soda bread. today, monday, march 7, 2022. >> live from studio 1a in