pledging support until the fight is done. nancy pelosi's promise during a secret trip to ukraine alongside a presidential delegation as civilians finally escape the war-torn remai of mariupol a tornado rips through the south. three meteorology students killed after chasing that storm. plus, stunning new footage of a twister tearing through a kansas town massive manhunt in alabama the desperate search for an accused murderer and a corrections officer tasked with

transporting him why investigators believe she could be in on the escape. a celebration takes a tragic turn in atlanta. the chaotic party bike crash that left more than a dozen injured. and a piece of baseball history hits a home run at the auction block. how much a bat used by jackie robinson sold for. it's monday, may 2nd "early today" starts right now thanks for starting your week with us. i'm frances rivera >> and i'm steven romo jill biden will see a firsthand impact of the war in ukraine dr. biden is scheduled to make a 5-day trip to romania and s slovakia as well she'll meet with teachers and other humanitarian aid workers this comes after house speaker nancy pelosi made a visit to meet with volodymyr zelenskyy. >> reporter: a surprise show of support for ukraine. house speaker nancy pelosi leading a delegation to kyiv,

meeting with president zelenskyy. the visit under wraps for security reasons speaker pelosi telling the ukraine leader the u.s. is with you. >> we are visiting you to say thank you for your fight to freedom and so our commitment is to be there for you until the fight is done. >> reporter: zelenskyy grateful for the visit, saying this is a signal of strong support for ukraine. the war is intensifying by the day. the russian defense ministry says they've hit 800 targets in the past 24 hours, including a hangar storing u.s. and western supplied weapons in odesa. meantime, civilians are finally escaping the besieged city of mariupol the united nations coordinating with russian and ukrainian forces new video shows civilians helped out of the rubble by ukrainian soldiers nbc news has not been able to verify the video or when it was recorded president zelenskyy announced the first group of 100 civilians

are out of that infamous steel plant, and they're working on more evacuations mariupol's mayor says conditions grow worse by the day. in two months, the russians killed 20,000 people, the mayor says in russia, they celebrated the war, which moscow calls a special military operation, waving flags, while in ukraine, a somber day, the first sunday after orthodox easter, the day families here remember their loved ones this year children missing their fathers and wives mourning husbands who died fighting for ukraine's freedom. "they bravely defended our city," this woman, "so that we can breathe and carry on living." nato has begun a massive preplanned military exercise in poland nato says that exercise is not aimed at any one country and not connected to the war in ukraine. >> kelly cobiella reporting for us, thank you. in kansas, severe damage

after an ef-3 tornado barreled through andover friday drone video captured these images of debris sucked skyward before it to through homes one family hid in a closet while another man's home was destroyed. >> the door was trying to pull open so i had to pull it in while everything was happening we could hear the glass shattering out there so i had no idea what was happening. >> there was just breaking windows. i thought it was going to be minor, clean up a little bit but half the house is gone in the back, and we managed to save one bedroom. >> nearly one thousand buildings were damaged meanwhile, three students who were storm chasing lost their lives. gavin short, nicholas nayer andre brooks were driving walk to campus after following that storm. their car hydroplaned, putting them in the path of a semitruck. they decied at the scene

there is more severe weather in the forecast michelle is tracking that ahead. the nation's battle against covid looks or the far from over new infections and hospitalizations are rising in nearly every state new cases are increasing in all but three state, and more than 30 states and territories have seen their hospitalization rates tick up in the past two weeks. meanwhile, a new report by the florida hospital association estimates 70% of the state's hospitals are facing a critical staffing shortage, and the state will be short 60,000 nurses by 2035, signaling that the sunshine state is not prepared for the next wave. this as italy and greece have relaxed some covid restrictions ahead of tourist season. greece has lifted rules for international and domestic flights except for mask-wearing. and italy did away with the health pass and eu passenger locator form now the intense manhunt under way this morning u.s. marshals are offering a $10,000 reward for an escaped inmate and a corrections officer

who went missing right alongside of him authorities say both may have been in on this escape, but maggie vespa explains. >> reporter: warnings from coast-to-coast and a $10,000 reward alabama authorities are working with the fbi, atf, secret service, and u.s. marshals to find missing corrections officer vicky white, and accused killer casey white. >> it's definitely scary to see someone like that on the loose >> reporter: the pair, who are not related, walked out of a jail west of huntsville friday morning. deputy white said she was taking the inmate for a mental health evaluation, an appointment the sheriff now says was not schedule after investigators found her patrol car parked at this shopping center, they're asking for tips about what car the pair may now be driving >> she had an outstanding reputation among the staff and the deputies that's why we're concerned there is a possibility she may have been coerced or threatened from someone outside. >> reporter: authorities warn that a staggering 6'9", 260

pound, casey white often changes his appearance here he is in 2019, and here earlier this year. and what authorities say are the most recent photos they have from jail surveillance cameras serving time for a previous violent crime spree, white is charged in the 2015 murder of connie ridgway he has pleaded not guilty. ridgway's son learned of the escape within hours. how did that hit you >> completely shocking they have the guy. they have him. he just gets out to easily >> reporter: the question, did he have help the sheriff says deputy white, a 56-year-old widow with no children has been with the department for 17 years, with staff voting her corrections employee of the year four times. she'd recently filed retirement papers and talked about life at the beach. do you think someone out there knows where they are >> i really in my heart of heart don't believe anyone knows where they are i could be wrong if they do, they need to come forward and assist us in

locating them before someone gets hurt. >> reporter: adding pressure to the manhunt. maggie vespa, nbc news a party bike driver is facing charges after a dangerous crash in atlanta according to the fire department, the pedal pub overturned, injuring 15 people, including two critically these party bikes which are found in most major cities usually involve cycling while drinking alcohol police say the riders in atlanta were trying to navigate a turn before the bike flipped. the driver was charged with dui. a busy weather week. michelle grossman tracking more severe storms. good morning, michelle >> good morning to you both. we had an active weekend we're going see that active weather continuing not only today, tomorrow, wednesday, and thursday so let's take a look at what we expect for today, because we're looking at a severe weather risk once again in the central and southern plains. so 8 million at risk today we're looking at the possibility of some hail it could be large. also tornadoes possible. some could be strong and large and we're looking at winds

gusting over 60 miles per hour so where this is likely where you see the orange, the enhance. oklahoma city, fayetteville you are involved in that the slight stretches from northern texas all the way to parts of missouri and kansas once again unfortunately, where you see the yellow there springfield, wichita, and also wichita falls in texas so that severe threat moves off to the east and also to the north. by tuesday, six million at risk. it looks like tomorrow, wind damage and also damaging hail will be the biggest threat that better news for tuesday but we're looking at that threat, stretching from parts of missouri to the ohio we're going to continue to watch that arethunderstorm also looking at really warm weather in the southeast 90 in tampa. >> all right, guys

when i come back, we'll talk about the week ahead, and that includes a critical fire threat once again we'll do that in a few minutes. >> see you in a bit. michelle, thank you. it was home run auction for a piece of mlb history over the weekend. the bat jackie robinson used at the 1949 all-star game sold for $1.8 million at auction. it includes a letter of authenticity from robinson's wife robinson played in his first all-star game in 1949, the same year he won his lone most valuable player award. >> very cool up next, the biggest laughs from the white house correspondents dinner. and turning a page on book bans we'll hear from the national teach other telephone year on the controversial topic. ♪ rich, indulgent chocolate with a luscious caramel filling.

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>> mr. president, thank you for being here thank you for having me here i was a little confused about why me but then i was told that you get your highest approval ratings when a biracial african guy is standing next to you >> the president also took to the podium and tried his hand at stand-up, making fun of former president trump, the republican party, fox news, and to balance it out, his own low approval ratings. well, american classrooms are the latest major battleground in the so-called culture wars at an event honoring educators, president biden criticized what he calls a republican effort to target teachers. targets like race, gay rights and gender identities are being deemed divisive and increasingly republican-led states are banning certain books from school libraries our brie jackson spoke to america's teacher of the year about the controversy that doesn't seem to be fading any time soon.

>> national teacher of the year kirk russell >> reporter: ohio history teacher kurt russell is the national 2022 teacher of the year his long list of contributions in the classroom include creating a race, gender, and oppression course. why did you feel it was important for your students to themselves in the curriculum there is many units that we study from women's rights to the gay rights movement. >> reporter: reed's recognition by the white house comes amid a nationwide movement to stifle instruction on subjects like racism and gender identity subject matter that is now at the center of debate others public education >> issues i think we'll see addressed is the issue of parents' rights in schools that seems to have been a winner. >> reporter: researchers tracked book bans aimed at more than 1100 books across 26 states, with republican-led states like florida leading the way.

>> we are not going to use your tax dollars to teach our kids to hate this country or to hate each other >> parents are saying that's not what i want for my children. and so the republicans are saying parents, mothers, we hear you. >> reporter: president biden criticized confidents, saying they're targeting educators in an effort to score political points >> american teachers have dedicated their lives to teaching og them up. target o going. >> reporter: russell says his goal is to empower young people from all backgrounds >> he has this ability like just say something and it just sticks with you. >> reporter: he also stresses the importance of covering specialized topics, making them mainstream >> we normalize these courses like african american history, women's studies, and put that a part of our curriculum, i think we could go a long way within education. >> reporter: a message this year's teacher of the year hopes

goes beyond the classroom. in washington, brie jackson, for nbc news still to come, a nail-biter in the nba play-offs after the grizzlies take on golden state plus new york steps up its support for aapi groups as we kick off asian american and pacific islander heritage month. inflammation in your eye might be to blame. time for ache and burn! over-the-counter eye drops typically work by lubricating your eyes and may provide temporary relief. those'll probably pass by me. xiidra works differently, targeting inflammation that can cause dry eye disease. xiidra? no! it can provide lasting relief. xiidra is approved to treat the signs and symptoms of dry eye disease. don't use if you're allergic to xiidra. common side effects include eye irritation, discomfort or blurred vision when applied to the eye, and unusual taste sensation. got any room in your eye? ask your doctor if a 90-day prescription is right for you. and pay as little as $0. i prefer you didn't! xiidra. not today, dry eye.

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inside was fouled. and they're going to look at that tries again and gets inside. shot blocked melton with the rejection. alley-oop. >> after draymond green was ejected for a flagrant foul in the first half, the grizzlies took the fight to the warriors but in crunchtime, klay thompson came up clutch for golden state. a golden go ahead three-pointer gave the warriors the win in game one, 117-116. and giannis antetokounmpo had a

monster game the greek freak posted a triple double on the road 101-9 may is asian american and pacific islander month in response to an alarming wave of hate crimes in new york, the state has doubled its funding for aapi groups. richard lui spoke about building a progress that has been made. >> on april 29th, the president issued a proclamation that may 2022 is asian american and pacific islander appreciation month. he said, quote, hatred has no safe hasher in america's future. we must confront shameful chapters in our history. now these chapters have certainly tested us all, latino, black, asian, native, and white american communities all there is no lack of resolve, though but maybe there is a lack of muscle tone. even as an asian pastor and social worker, my dad was a bit

flabby as well but then he started to question himself. he would ask when do i explore what is not me when do i randomly say hello who is not me? and when do i eat with somebody who is not me? there has been occasional progress the last two years. and today the opportunity might be to build on the occasional, to move past the transactional, to make the coming month and year for that matter one of building new muscle tone >> he always has such great insight. we say thank you to richard lui for sharing his perspective. >> absolutely. and up next, our michelle grossman is tracking some dangerous fire conditions in the south. and still ahead, a school principal av binleesehd a lasting legacy the touching tributes in the wake of his passing. taking align can help. align contains a quality probiotic to naturally help soothe digestive upsets 24/7. try align, the pros in digestive health. and join the align healthy gut team up

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weekend. the two fires merged almost a week ago fire officials say more residents were forced to evacuate 6,000 people were already under orders to leave. the fire is about 30% contained. >> nbc meteorologist michelle grossman joins us with more on those persistent fire dangers. good morning, michelle >> good morning to you both. it's such a sad situation. we're going see this persisting through not only today, but also tomorrow and wednesday we have such dry terrain they're in a drought gusty winds today along with low relative humidity. that combo is going to flare some fires as we go throughout the afternoon. here is a look at the fire danger where you see the pink. that is the highest threat residents that any spark could start a fire we're also watching for severe storms today in the central and southern plains. snow showers on the back of that low where we're seeing that cold air. that fire danger continues into wednesday. storms also once again in the southern plains. back to you guys >> thank you, michelle when we come back, the touching story of a school principal who

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enjoy the go with charmin. before the pandemic, we introduce you to an inspiring school principal in delaware his impact on his students was clear then sorry to say he passed away earlier this year. but as kate snow report, his legacy has only grown. >> reporter: we first met dr. terrance newton in january 2020. >> i want you guys to be successful, and you got to have a plan. >> reporter: the school principal had created an on campus barbershop for his students >> how many feel you get a

haircut? >> i feel seen. >> reporter: in this at-risk community, a rising crime rate -- >> when you guys are successful, my life is successful. >> reporter: it was a safe place for swapping stories, sharing laugh, and building confidence and was one of the many ways he showed students how much he cared. >> i tell the students i love them and i want the students to know whatever situation you are in, i love them. whether you make a bad decision or a good decision, i still love you. >> reporter: that legacy of love now helping this community grieve dr. newton's death following a motorcycle crash this march thousands attended his funeral, honoring his life and impact as an educator. governor john carney recognizing dr. newton's outstanding dedication, with the highest civilian award for service >> dr. terrance newton is hereby presented this order of the first date. >> reporter: and last week, in front of the school he called home, warner elementary's

beloved principal was celebrated with a road named in his honor for acts principal kimberly brewington, dr. newton was a friend and mentor. >> we know physically he is gone, but he is here spiritually. he has given us all the pieces to the puzzle. we just have to continue to put the puzzle together. . >> reporter: this simple street sign a symbol for a man who went above and beyond to lead students down the right path his kindness something kids here say they'll never forget >> he was the best guy you could ever -- you could ever dream of. >> we love you we miss you. >> you changed my life >> reporter: life-changing educator, letting students know just how much they matter. >> these kids are reminding me, when i see them, i see me. we can change the world. if we work together, we can change the world >> it is such an enormous loss the barbershop that dr. newton started at the school, it's

still there, starting up again this week with local barbers and stylists stepping in to be there for the kids back to you. >> kate, thank you whata heartbreaking loss, but so good to know that he is literally changed the lives of so many of those kids. >> absolutely has. and thanks i'm greg, i'm 68 years old. i do motivational speaking in addition to the substitute teaching. i honestly feel that that's my calling-- to give back to younger people. i think most adults will start realizing that they don't recall things as quickly as they used to or they don't remember things as vividly as they once did. i've been taking prevagen for about three years now. people say to me periodically, "man, you've got a memory like an elephant." it's really, really helped me tremendously. prevagen. healthier brain. better life.

your fight is a fight for everyone and so our commitment is to be there for you until the fight is done >> from the u.s. capitol all the way to kyiv, house speaker nancy pelosi leads the highest profile delegation yet to ukraine, meeting with president volodymyr zelenskyy while evacuations begin in the war-torn city of mariupol severe weather sweeps the south, tragically claiming the lives of three meteorology students and ripping apart neighborhoods in oklahoma and kansas we'll track where the storms are