breaking overnight, a severe weather threat continues for multiple states with major damage report over a wide area power outages hitting hundreds of thousands we are live in ukraine with the latest on russia's promise to draw down even as new attacks are reported near kyiv there are also reports vladimir putin is being misled by his advisers about progress. to an nbc news exclusive our tom costello phose inside space force and reveals the threats to our planet above america

and bruce willis announces he's battling ephasia it impacts nearly 2 million americans. >> chris rock fans react to his first comments on the infamous oscar slap as the academy says they asked will smith to leave the oscars right after but he refused. much more ahead as we kick off a busy thursday. "early today" starts right now good morning and thanks for waking up with us. i'm vinita nair. >> i'm francis rivera. powerful winds whipped across louisiana overnight. possible tornado damage seen here in the town of big branch a twister touched down in the same area just one week ago. now there are numerous reports of downed trees and power lines. in new orleans tourists on

boshen street were sent scrambling wind gust reached up to 60 miles per hour and a tornado was spotted northeast of the city, i the big easy is also facing a flooding risk >> there are more than 150,000 power outages being reported this morning many of those ipmississippi and alabama where there's been multiple sightings of tornados. this all comes after two ef-2 tornados sent several people to the hospital on wednesday. nbc meteorologist bills has been up all night tracking the severe weather is it over is it done in. >> i think we're past it but still not done

it doesn't look like any of those were the big huge ones, the ones that take out a whole town we haven't had any reports of fatalities gar we see the blue dots was high wind reports or wind damage so here's what we're looking at right now. we still have a tornado watch. the worst of the storms rolling in from panama city up towards dothan we still have areas at risk today. about 57 million people from new york city all the way down to north florida. so we're not done yet, but the most dangerous portion of the storm does appear over >> we'll check in with you in a bit. the brutal war on ukraine is now in day 36 and russian forces are continuing their assaults on the russian capital despite processes to pull back and

withdraw some troops from the area we turn to molly hunter live iplviv, and the number of refugees has exceeded the u.n.'s worst case predictions >> reporter: that is shocking. the first day of the war the u.n. talked about how many people they think may be driven from their homes and we're now at 4 million people, far beyond what many people thought was possible in the last 4 1/2 weeks, 36 days as you mentioned. 4 million people out of the country, and that does not include all the idps both of those numbers likely wild underestimates, just so many people are moving around, very hard for the u.n. actually to register people and keep track of people. the other number i want to share wii also just got this morning, 148 children have been killed according to the ukrainian side. >> really tough number to try and digest and given that, molly, the dire situation hasn't gotten any better in mariupol with over

100,000 still trapped there. >> reporter: that's exactly right. and, again, that is the number we've been running with for the last week or so. that is what we believe from city council, city officials there. we're not exactly sure how many people are there because they're hiding out in church basements and friends basements. no one at home readily able to be registered or no one has communication, of course we just learned from the ukrainian side there are agreed humanitarian corridors between russia and ukraine this morning. so what we've just learned there are 45 buses on route to mariupol in order to get out of mariupol, though, people must take private convoys to kind of the outskirts of the city. we also learned in the nearby city humanitarian aid is supposed to go in. it's been agreed it can go in, people can come out. and if people get out of mariupol in their own cars there are a cup of drop off and pick

up points they can then join those 45 buses, that larger humanitarian corridor. the goal for them to get to zaporizhzhia and they can get on trains to head to lviv >> hope circumstances change so we can see that come to fruition to help them molly, thank you here at home president biden is vowing to provide even more support for ukraine. the white house announcing a new aid package and relief in the refugee crisis nbc's brie jackson is in d.c. with the latest. so, brie what does this new announcement mean? >> reporter: good morning, vinita well, president biden held a call with his ukrainian counterpart yesterday promising zelenskyy the u.s. will send an additional $5 million in aid to fortify against russia's violent assault. and announced plans to allow 100,000 ukrainian refugees to enter the u.s. along with

billions in lumanitarian aid a group of women lawmakers from ukraine vizzed with members of congress making an impassioned plea for more military equipment, tougher sanctions against russia and more financial assistance >> they're targeting home cities we need to close our skies with the fighter jets we need to close the skies from these missiles hitting our cities every day >> reporter: while the weapons president biden promised in a colossal weapons package earlier this month will soon make share way into the hands of pentagon fighters a specs person confirms the u.s. has spent 100 killer drones to ukraine. nbc got a look at the single use drones launched last year. the pentagon says the drones will be arriving some time soon. an action superstar is calling it quits after a tough diagnosis. bruce willis says he's stepping

away from acting and revealed he's fighting a devastating cognitive disease. here's stephanie gosk. >> reporter: few actors delivered a line like bruce willis delivers a line the star behind some of the biggest block busters in the late '80s and '90s stepping back from acting to manage his health in a statement willis' family writes the 67-year-old has recently been diagnosed with aphaseia which is impacting his cognitive abilities going onto say this is really challenging time for our family and we're so appreciative of your continued love it results from damage to portions of of the brain responsible for language-touch it can affect all aspects of communication including speaking and understanding. >> one is the acute aphasia which happens very slowly and

the other is a progressive aphasia that typically happens with dementia and those over the age of 65. >> reporter: the family provided no further medical details but wrote as bruce always says, live it up and together we plan to do just that. house minority leader kevin mccarthy has rebuked congressman madison cawthern over his eye popping claims about sex and drugs. the 26-year-old claimed older colleagues had invited him to orgies cawthorn said he also witnessed cocaine use among lawmakers. a source with knowledge of the meeting told nbc news that cawthorn had no evidence backing up his allegations and that mccarthy warned him he'd have to earn his trust back. cawthorn's office has not responded to requests for comment. the white house has issued a

proclamation to mark international transgender day visibility, which is today in it the president addressed the community saying to everyone celebrating transgender day visibility, i want you to know your president sees you. he also addressed the level of violence trans women and women of color face saying each of these lives lost is precious and president biden called out hundreds of anti-transgender bills calling the bills wrong. a lot of us waking up without power today, huh, bill >> yeah, about a quarter of a million people from east texas, arkansas through louisiana and mississippi and still have a couple new people losing power with these storms as they continue to roll through the florida panhandle, around pensacola, panama city about 50 million people at risk. we really have two areas of concern. one is going to be from roughly about the north carolina, south

carolina border southward. and very strong storms along the i-95 corridor. that could have some isolated tornados with it further to the north we're going to watch the threat of severe storms to philadelphia, washington, d.c. i paused this at 7:00 p.m. that looks like the worst of it for the end storms yesterday. and those storms will arrive in areas of midatlantic this afternoon into early this evening. now, the good news is this storm will be all gone by the time we get to friday and we'll have that weekend forecast coming upch. >> i like it already looking ahead for that still ahead president biden's short-term plan to lower prices

at the pump. >> and our tom costello goes inside space force and reaevls just how dangerous the threats from above our planet really are to america night! that's when we started using swiffer. in just a few minutes, duster captures dust before it gets airborne. it traps and locks dust in one swipe. yes! for our floors, sweeper's heavy duty cloths easily trap dust, dirt and hair... locking it in. see ya, dust! and swiffer partners with the american lung association to support clean air. ♪ rich, indulgent chocolate with a luscious caramel filling. with love from san francisco.

ghirardelli caramel squares. makes life a bite better. nbc news is getting an exclusive first look inside america's space force, fighting in the final frontier against potential russian or chinese aggression our tom costello has the story >> reporter: behind this razor wire fence in colorado, a highly classified space force asset under heavy armed guard this 18 wheeler packed with high value satellite coms is one of several mobile command centers poised to rollout in the event of a doomsday attack that would target u.s. military satellite control. if you need to, how fast can you move these trucks out? >> the specific time lines are classified, but what i can say is a matter of hours >> thank you at the main space force

satellite ops center our cameras were the first ever let inside it's here that they keep watch over america's military satellites and the world's gps network operating in an increasingly hostile environment. >> our adversaries are fielding specific weapon systems in the domain, so we need to view it as such >> reporter: the pentagon says russia and chine raw are the chief adversaries. in november a russian satellite targeted and blew up another russian satellite creating a massive orbiting debris field. china conducted a similar test in 2007. u.s. commanders believe china has deployed a satellite with a robotic arm to reach out and grab other satellites. and russia has nesting satellites loaded with offensive weapons. >> and liftoff >> reporter: the head of space force says u.s. commercial and military satellites are routinely harassed >> whether it's jamming or

harmful interference in the rf spectrum, laser dazzling, cyber attacks, cyber probing, cyber attacks. >> reporter: those attacks monitored 24/7 in this classified command center. more than 70% of satellite communications come through here everything from nuclear command and control orders to presidential communications down to a coast guard cutter, a submarine and even tactical units on the ground. >> if they don't have the communications when they need it, things can go wrong. >> reporter: many with engineering degrees and now training for the new battlefield. the concern, the pentagon says china is now outpacing the u.s. in launches and modernizing its own space capabilities, building a remote robotic post on the far side of the moon invisible to u.s. satellites. >> if we don't start accelerating our development and capabilities they will exceed. >> reporter: commander here worry beijing and mouse cucould

one day deploy offensive military weapons in space between the area of moon and earth. >> we don't want there to be a war in space we want all of humanity to tin to use the benefits of space for all our good, but if others choose to start a war there we'll be ready >> reporter: and you believe the threat is growing exponentially and by the day >> absolutely. we've seen the public testing of china and russia >> our thanks for tom costello for that eye opening report. still to come on this thursday, kicking a path to qatar. the u.s. men's team punches their ticket to the world cup. a. platinum's upgraded, more powerful formula breaks down and removes grease 4 times faster. nice! no flip, no mess.

plat faster. easier. new dawn platinum ez-squeeze. flip the way you clean dishes. inner voice (design studio owner): i'm over here waiting... ... looking intensely for a print that i never actually printed... ... so i don't have to deal with that terrifying pile of invoices. intuit quickbooks helps you easily send your first invoice in 3 steps. simple. for people who are a little intense about hydration. neutrogena® hydro boost lightweight. fragrance-free. 48 hour hydration. for that healthy skin glow. neutrogena®. for people with skin. ready to shine from the inside out? say "yes" to nature's bounty. the number one brand for hair, skin and nails.

with our signature blend of health and beauty nutrients to bring out more of your inner beauty. nature's bounty. live bountifully. need long-lasting freshness? try febreze unstopables touch nfabric spray.y. it doesn't just eliminate odors... simply shake and spray to unlock the breakthrough power of touch-activated scent technology. that lasts, even hours later! that's because febreze touch stores scent in your fabrics so you get bursts of freshness with every touch. your whole world will come alive. welcome home to fresh with febreze touch. la, la, la, la, la

-come on! come on! ready? -all: universal! announcer: from the magical... to the jurassic... to our newest ride, the secret life of pets. picture the best day ever at universal studios hollywood. soccer fans get ready to make some noise inasmuch the u.s. men's national team qualified for their first world cup since 2014 despite losing

2-0 to costa rica in the final matchup. they have a 4-point lead last weekend as thanks for helping secure them the spot now to the economy and president biden's short-term fix to help lower gas prices at the pump here with all the details is cnbc's karen tso a lot of folks want to hear how those prices can go down >> we're watching some developments state side, and president biden is set to release more oil reserves. this would be the third time in six months effectively a bid to tackle those high oil prices the president is preparing to order release up to 1 million barrels per day from the strategic petroleum reserve. in the past high oil prices have been met with high production, but this time we've got an energy transition occurring and also investors demanding more discipline and of course a buyer strike around russian oil so

crude prices around six times higher than they were a year ago. elsewhere lawmakers are working to remove the pension plan for workers, now heads to the senate it's basically designed to help all americans have secure retirement funds by expanding coverage, increasing fund and simplifying the system and protecting >> let's start planning the weekend. bill have an early look at your forecast and rirochs ck speaks out for the first time since the slap heard around the world. t. right after dinner. definitely after meatloaf. like clockwork. do it! run your dishwasher with cascade platinum and save water. did you know an energy star certified dishwasher uses less than four gallons per cycle? while a running sink uses that, every two minutes. that means even small loads can save water. so why not do it? run your dishwasher every night with cascade platinum. the surprising way to save water.

people with moderate to severe psoriasis, test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test. pe the way they exaggerate the surprises they initiate. otezla. it's a choice you can make. otezla is not an injection or a cream it's a pill that treats differently. for psoriasis, 75% clearer skin is achievable, with reduced redness, thickness, and scaliness of plaques. for psoriatic arthritis, otezla is proven to reduce joint swelling, tenderness, and pain. and the otezla prescribing information has no requirement for routine lab monitoring. don't use if you're allergic to otezla. it may cause severe diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting. otezla is associated with an increased risk of depression. tell your doctor if you have a history of depression or suicidal thoughts or if these feelings develop. some people taking otezla reported weight loss. your doctor should monitor your weight and may stop treatment. upper respiratory tract infection and headache may occur. tell your doctor about your medicines and if you're pregnant or planning to be. otezla. show more of you.

why burn a candle when you can switch and if you're pregnant or planning to be. to air wick essential mist? it's the modern way to transform fragrance infused with natural essential oils into a mist. air wick essential mist. connect to nature. lactaid is 100% real milk, just without the lactose. so you can enjoy it even if you're sensitive to dairy. so anyone who says lactaid isn't real milk is also saying mabel here isn't a real cow. and she really hates that. be ready for whatever life throws your way. dial's skin smart formula mabel herebalances real cow. moisturizing conditioners and gentle cleansers leaving a fresh scent and clean, soft skin. dial. count on clean. want more restful sleep? nature's bounty gives you more with sleep3. the first ever triple action sleep supplement with 3 unique nighttime benefits to help you get a great night's sleep and wake feeling refreshed. live bountifully. nature's bounty.

i love my hardwood floors. and wake feeling refreshed. but honestly, i didn't really know how to take care of them. that's until i found swiffer wetjet wood. it's specially made for wood floors with a microfiber-like pad that's really soft. and it sprays with a light mist that dries in half the time. that dirt and grime gets absorbed and locked away. the coolest part... it prevents streaks and haze better than my old mop. yeah, this is definitely the way to go. wetjet wood with a money-back guarantee. also try new sweeper wood cloths. welcome back to "early today. i think we all could use a quiet weekend after the severe weather outbreaks over the last two days and likely more today. friday we watch the storms clear over the east coast, snow showers over the great lakes but overall pretty quiet no big storms coast to coast as we go throughout the weekend still a little chilly and unsettled in the great lakes than we'd like, a little bit of

rain in florida and finally we end sunday with a nice spring day in the heartland we'll be right back with more news let's end this habit. skip the rinse... with finish quantum. its activelift technology has the power to tackle 24 hour dried on food stains- without pre-rinsing- for an unbeatable clean. together we can help save america 150 billion gallons of water in just one year. skip the rinse with finish to save our water. skip the rinse with finish ♪ rich, indulgent chocolate with a luscious caramel filling. with love from san francisco. ghirardelli caramel squares. makes life a bite better.

in today's news by the numbers amazon is going to double its cash back rewards for a few purchases for amazon flex debit card holders these cards are only available to amazon flex delivery partners drivers will be able to earn up to 12% back on fuel costs. new research from berkeley found secondhand bong smoke to be at least four times worse than cigarette smoke the study found the air quality levels did not meet epa safety standards. dakota wallen took his 92-year-old great grandmother to his prom she said she felt like the bell

of the ball. this was the first time either had attended a prom. millions watched will smith slap comedian chris rock at the oscars on wednesday the organization revealed smith was asked to leave after hitting rock but he refused. the academy's board of governors also said it initiated disciplinary proceedings against smith which could include suspension, expulsion or other sanctions. chris rock spoke out on his first show last night from nbc boston reporter eli rosenberg had more. >> reporter: after they finished laughing fans leaving chris rock's sold out show reacting. >> oh, my gosh, yes, i love chris rock it was so good >> reporter: this first show since sunday night's oscars started with a loud andstandin ovation and then rock asking the crowd, quote, how was your weekend? that got a huge laugh and, then saying, quote, i don't have a

bunch of bleep about what happened if you came to hear that i had a whole show i wrote before this weekend. >> he touched upon that but in a very light way i expected him to defend his comedy a little bit. >> he didn't bring the news we wanted to hear we wanted that punch line. >> reporter: other fans glad rock stuck to his script >> i was so glad he didn't talk about the slap he just went on with the show he had prepared and it was fantastic. >> i was expecting chris to say a lot more than he did, so a little bit disappointed. >> you ready for tonight, chris? >> reporter: it has been a wurl wind 24 hours in boston for rock, and fans say the show was worth the price of admission >> i thought i saw will smith in the wings, but i guess was -- i guess i was hallucinating. >> reporter: that would have ben something. >> great night, great show

yeah, stand up comedian. beautiful. >> our thanks to eli rosenberg for that story and we're just waiting when he'll save all that material because he's got a all of it >> oh, yeah, he'

right now at 4:30 a turning point on the war in ukraine. the reason russian president vladimir putin may not be on the same page as his military. prices at the pump keep increasing in the u.s. the action president biden is about to take. plus, living in the bay is about to be difficult. people looking for rent relief. this is "today in the bay." >> good morning