this morning, national crisis is escalating the baby formula shortage stressing out parents from coast-to-coast our gabe gutierrez reports from the border. multi-million dollar mansions destroyed in southern california as fire conditions worsen for much of the west coast. and one of russia's neighbors is pushing to join nato and we'll tell but the milky

way black hole that is 4 million times more massive than our sun. a busy friday ahead. "early today" starts right now >> good morning. i'm cori coffin. >> i'm frances rivera. america's baby formula shortage has hit crisis more than half the formula is sold out in store. joining us with the latest from d.c. is chris pollone. how is the white house taking action >> reporter: the white house insists it's been working on this problem for months, but with an out-of-stock average of more than 40%, parents are feeling the crunch the white house says it's necessary to import baby formula from europe and south america and skis considering the defense production act

a major manufacturer took a plant offline. president biden spent time meeting with several companies to sort out manufacturing and distribution issue >> president biden spoke with retailers and manufacturers, including the ceos of walmart, target and gerber. >> reporter: there's been more formula made in the past four weeks h weeks than in the month leading up to the shortage, but it may be some time before parents see that formula on shelves. >> chris, thank you. kfrgets . today is a big day for titl 42 a hearing comes as the u.s.-mexico border is seeing a record surge in migrant

crossings. >> reporter: it is utter desperation. crossing the rio grande, child in tow >> the currents are up quite a bill especially with the two little kids >> reporter: over eagle pass, we're riding along with the texas department of public safety to see what it call as record-breaking influx. >> this is something you see day in, day out around the clock >> this is non-stop, yeah. we're sieg the most border crossings in 20 year what's different now more cuban migrants. you once or twice a day they'll push a big group like that >> reporter: lately the number of cubans trying to cross the border on foot has skyrocketed now more than 1300 a day eduardo tells us he was desperate to escape the conditions in cuba and it took him two months to get here what impact would title 42 have?

>> it's going to increase the numbers much more. >> reporter: title 42 is a trump- trump-era policy that excluded many over covid concerns but it is facing growing bipartisan criticism, including 21 state attorneys general who say lifting title 42 will trigger an even bigger surge at the border >> is it working 100%? no >> reporter: a democrat agrees >> title 42 needs to remain as is we don't have the infrastructure we don't have the facilities >> reporter: we are told 170,000 migrants are waiting in mexico, planning to cross when title 42 shifted. but joanna from eckuador, who's

pregnant, could not wait russia's war in ukraine may be pushing finland to go from neutral to nato member it wants to join the alliance without delay, which drew an immediate reaction from the kremlin. here's kelly cobiella. >> reporter: as russia intensifies its assault on eastern ukraine, the kremlin now vowing retaliatory steps, after finland's announcement it hwill seek to join nato with sweden promising to follow. finland share more than 800 miles of border with russia and has been neutral for decades >> if that would be the choice that we take, my response would be that you caused russia previy demanded that ukraine not join nato, using it as justification for its invasion ukraine's president conceding back this march it was no longer

possible because nato would not likely let them in in a speech, president zelinsky sai said if ukraine had been a member there would be no war >> reporter: a rocket hit our house. it blew up our home, but we, by a miracle survived she says russian forces are stealing everything. furniture, cars and sending the locals to russia the u.n. human rights chief said they found a thousand bodies o

civilians in the kyiv kroregion alone. the january 6 committee has issued to sitting members. mccarthy is accusing the committee of going after political opponents. a laguna beach neighborhood is under evacuation orders after the coastal fire burned at least 20 homes it has burned at least 200 acres. >> reporter: jaw dropping, nightmarish aftermath in a neighborhood that was pinnacle of the southern california lifestyle. fire in the canyon on a not especially hot, not especially dry, not especially windy spring

day was able to explode uphill in dry vegetation. in a gated ocean view community overlooking the idyllic laguna beach to an unfortunately familiar conclusion. it has become routine work for firefighters here. >> that sound. >> reporter: each home's inferno became the next home's threat, as strike teams on the ground work to combat the flames. >> seems like a war zone out here >> reporter: the neighborhood disappeared behind a wall of fire >> i'm in disbelief right now. and things can happen in an instant. it's unbelievable. >> they immediately respond to that order, got out of harm's way, which allowed us to get our r resources in there >> reporter: one firefighter was taken to the hospital with injuries, but no loss of life here these homes with the enviable

views, the first to see this major fire event in drought-parched california this year nbc news, los angeles. let's turn to nbc meteorologist michelle grossmann who's been watching those dry conditions and elsewhere in the country. >> it was a very typical day there, a cool wind it wasn't especially strong wind, but we so drier that we expect we had the driest january to april period throughout the state of california just so, so dry. we had one spark and then we saw that wildfire. so we'll continue to watch that. the fire season doesn't get started until late summer, early fall we had a very active day yesterday. 256 wind reports, winds gusting to 97 miles per hour in some spots. we are watching storms this

morning. >> we do expect a quieter day. but we seeing lightning, hearing thunder for many as they're sleeping this morning. 9 million people at risk from the great lakes to parts of the central to southern plains 9 million at risk where we see winds near 50 miles per hour, and a tornado threat is very low. cool along the coast with the area of low pressure still warm in the great lakes. could see storms there as well all right, guys, it's friday we're going to look ahead to the weekend in just a bit. >> i can't wait, thank you, michelle early today is back in a minute with a big swing for charity and tragedy at sea a grmiant boat capsizes off the

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new this morning the search for survivors is still ongoing after a suspected migrant boat capsized off the coast of puerto rico at least 11 people have died and 31 rescued eight haitians are in the hospital there's recently been a surge of migrants from haiti to the u.s. by sea in a statement posted to twitter, the coast guard says they are searching for survivors with all available assets. with several u.s. agencies involved at least 17,000 people are expected to attend an abortion rights rally in d.c. on saturday the event known as the bans off our bodies demonstration will take place in the national mall and is organized in part by the women's march. it is set to start at noon and followed by a march to the supreme court at 2:00 p.m.

the events come in the wake of a leaked supreme court opinion a piece of rare sports memorabilia is helping relief efforts. a rare baseball, signed by president zelenskyy was up for auction. a portion of the proceeds will go to ukrainian relief kendrick lamar is back with his first album in five years. and spring into spring with the hottest toys of the season but when she gets on her bike, she becomes rebel renee. (motor revving) rebel renee is the most outspoken member of her book club. and she didn't even read the book. it's rumored she once used her phone at trivia night. cleveland. and she isn't above greasing some palms to get things done. and rebel renee rides with geico. because savings and great service

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the 14-time grammy winner released his fifth studio album overnight. it's his first new album in five years after the 2017 release of his pulitzer-winning album as families get ready to make up for time lost in the pandemic, i spoke with experts at toy insider for the list of the hottest toys of 2022, and they have something for every age. joining us is toy insider editor in chief ali, good morning. let me dive right in to the techie go bouncer. this is a toy i wish i had when i was a kid. >> this bundle comes with a video game console and a mini junior trampoline. it holds up to 77 pounds of kids

a aged 1 and up. it's so much fun >> i'm picturing when your toddler is running you in circles around the house it's a perfect thing to put him on, get all the zoomies out. >> definitely. >> i love the price tag on this next one it is under $20 and it is interactive. >> this is sunny, the bright li light chameleon. it has suction cups on its feet and it lights up to the beat of music. >> this is a perfect first pet for a child who wants a pet and they learn to care for the animal the animal >> definitely, and no mess for parents, which makes it the perfect pet. >> that truly is the perfect pet. disney and pixar fans are going love this, it is the red panda

from "turning red. >> this is the many moons of panda red. when you squeeze the tummy, she'll get -- kids can calm down with her this is super cute >> this is a great thing to teach emotional intelligence as the kids start to get older, plus that movie looks super fun. this next one is really, really cool a hand-controlled troen. i didn't even know that was possible >> this is a sneak peek of what's to come it's from skyrocket. kids can toss it in the air.

it has sensors they can use this hands to push it, guide it, send it back and forth to each other, create their own games and obstacle courses. they fly it with the palm of their hand >> and this last one takes classic games like twister and adds water this will be perfect for summer. >> this is hasbro splash games a full line of gaugesmes like twister and operation. they are inflatable, perfect for outdoor fun. >> lot of fun toys coming up fo 2022 make please want to be more interactive with my kids thank you for being with us this morning. >> >> aand it makes you ready fr summer michelle will have your forecast up next and the mavs force a game

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more style. more savings. kohl's . the mavericks and 76ers tried to fend off elimination in the nba. >> for the suns. and they give it away again. bullock, thought about it. fires. butter >> they came out of the gate ready to eclipse the suns. luka doncic grabbed 11 boards. the mavericks even the series with a win 113-86. and the heat are off their

second conference finals in several years. and the nfl is out with its 2022 season schedule r lots of big games on the gridiron. >> the buccaneers battle the cowboys in the first sunday night football game of the season, and russell wilson heads back to seattle as a member of the broncos. tom brady and patrick mahomes match up on new year's day we knew it was out there, a black hole in our own galaxy, but for the first time we're finally seeing it with our own eyes >> reporter: take a deep look into what scientists call the gentle giant in the milky way. a massive black hole called sagittarius a, around super heated gases, dust and chunks of

old stars, 4 million times the size of the sun. >> it was swirling around so quickly that its appearance could change from minute to minute >> reporter: and just like a sci-fi movie, the hole itself represents the warping of time precisely what albert einstein predicted. so what's on the other side of that black hole? >> as you fall into the black hole, you're actually going into the future if you get close to the black hole and miss it and come back out, you'll discover that an hour has passed for you but ten years for everyone else. >> reporter: the event horizon collaboration used 11 telescopes with 300 researchers around the world to capture the image a trapdoor in space and time, just as einstein predicted, more than 100 years ago tom costello, nbc news, washington >> i've seen the story three

times, and so many questions and mind still blown every time. >> if you have more questions, watch "interstellar. have a great weekend i'm frances rivera >> i'm cori coffin meethe t

breaking now at 4:30, the twitter deal on hold. new overnight demand from elon musk and what he wants before the $44 billion deal gets a green light. all new information on alexis surge. and connections with her disappearance. families desperate to find baby formula. at the all new demand to try to