good morning. thanks for starting your weekend with us. a deadly storm system that spawned tornados in the south is now wreaking havoc in the northeast. >> and some areas will see up to a foot of snow. it's march 4th. this is "today." snow day. 17 million in the northeast gearing up for another day of winter weather, as the storm responsible for multiple deadly tornados in the south is now dropping snow and heavy rain up nort we're tracking all of it. > life in prison. former attorney alex murdaugh

now with a saved head waking up hi bars this morning, after learning he'll spend the rt of his life in prison. murdaugh maintaining his innocence, even in the moments before he was sentenced. >> i'm innocent. i would never under any circumstances hurt my wife, maggie, and i would never under any circumstances hurt my son, paul paul. >> the judge calling him a monster. we're live. sick to our stomachs. the cdc reporting a big increase in the number of stomach bugs nationwide. the pain so pad for some kids and adults they're headed to the e.r. >> it was so intense. i was like i don't know how to function right now. >> how you can keep your family safe, and why you might not want to rely on just hand sanitizer to keep clean. all that, plus into the wild. a moose charges at a snowmobiler

in idaho who manages to get away with seconds to spare. how he's doing today, saturday, march 4th, 2023. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with peter alexander and kristen welker. welcome to "today" and thank you so much for joining us on this saturday morning. how about that moose video? it's a reminder it is still winter. you've got to be careful where you snowmobile. >> i just went online and checked it out. if you encounter a moose, they tell you stay calm and don't run away. easy for them to say. this guy was lucky he got away from that situation. we've got a lot to cover as we get started including former president trump. he's going to take the stage tonight at the conservative conference called cpac with some other top republicans, ron desantis among them, skipping the gathering altogether. we'll have the very latest on divisions within the gop. and this morning we're remembering actor tom sizemore

who passed away at the age of 61 after suffering a brain aneurysm. we'll look back on his life and career. we're going to begin with our top story and that's millions of americans waking up to nasty weather, snow and punishing rain, after deadly tornados slammed the south over the last couple of days. this morning that system is pounding the northeast. >> we'll have the full forecast in just a moment. but we do want to begin with nbc's george solis who is in new york central park. george, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, peter and kristen. yeah, a real gamut of weather. more than 27 million waking up under some wind alerts this morning as the threat of rain, snow and heavy winds really impacts people across the country. this is a real concern after that rash of deadly storms and tornados slammed the south on friday. at least nine people that were reported dead, three of them in kentucky where at least one tornado was confirmed. now, more than a million at this point are confirmed to be

without power between illinois and georgia. in north central california there is still a winter storm warning. governor gavin newsom declaring a state of emergency there as more snow is expected to move across the sierras. now, the national weather service says that 17 million are under winter weather alerts here in the boston area and new york, i should say. worcester is expected to see somewhere between 6 to 8 inches of powder. here in new york city where we're under a coastal flood advisory, as heavy rain pretty much downpoured all through the night. right now you may not be able to see it but we are getting a little misting. so probably a good day to stay indoors. guys. >> good advice and those images in the wake of those tornados just stunning. george, thank you so much. we want to bring in nbc meteorologist angie lassman for a look at what more we can expect from this storm today. angie, what's it looking like? >> it's looking like this last

hurrah for this storm system. it's going to impact the northeast and the mid-atlantic. you see the radar still draped with heavy snow in parts of those higher elevations of new england. and 17 million of us are waking up under these winter weather alerts. we have the winter weather advisory and in the bright pink the winter storm warnings. we've already seen in parts of upstate new york about a foot of snow. just outside of boston maybe 2 inches of snow. and still more as you can see on the radar, more to come. here's the snowfall totals that we'll expect here as we go through the rest of your day today, your saturday in places like burlington, manchester will see additional snow maybe 2 to 4 inches. again, the higher elevations will see up to 6, even 8 inches. i think we'll ending up with the highest totals in places like southern maine, vermont, new hampshire. as far as new york city is concerned, we'll see just some rain working through and that will start to work out and some nicer conditions are on the way.

pleasant conditions for parts of the midsection of the country and another system on the way for the west coast, guys. >> angie, thanks so much. we'll check back in with you for the rest of the country's forecast. we do want to turn to our other top story. former high-profile attorney alex murdaugh is waking up this morning behind bars where he will be for the rest of his life. he was sentenced to two life sentences for the murders of his wife and son. priscilla thompson is outside the correctional facility where murdaugh is being held this morning. priscilla, good morning to you. dramatic events. >> reporter: kristen, good morning. dramatic indeed. murdaugh spent his first night of a life sentence here at the kirkland reception and evaluation center where he'll remain for the next several weeks. this morning the first image of alex murdaugh, his head shaved, as he begins a new life behind bars. the once powerful attorney is bowing processed at the kirkland

reception and evaluation center where the south carolina department of corrections says he'll spend about 45 days, undergoing medical tests, mental health evaluations and education assessments. the results, along with murdaugh's crimes and sentence, will determine which maximum security prison he'll be assigned to live out his remaining days. meanwhile murdaugh's defense team is planning his appeal. >> i'm innocent. i would never under any circumstances hurt my wife, maggie. and i would never under any circumstances hurt my son, paul paul. >> the judge unmoved, handing down two life sentences. >> and it might not have been you. it might have been the monster you become when you take 15, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 opioid pills. >> reporter: it's the culmination of six weeks of testimony and evidence in the brutal double murder case, that included a rare trip to the crime scene. jurors walked the kennel and feed areas where maggie and paul

were gunned down and where perhaps the most damning evidence in the case was captured. murdaugh's voice overheard in his son paul's snapchat video placing him at the scene of the crime minutes before the murders, after he told investigators he wasn't there. >> and i lied about being down there. and i'm so sorry that i did. >> reporter: in the end the jury returned a verdict in just under three hours. >> guilty verdict. >> reporter: the case coming to a close, as investigations into other possible crimes move forward. murdaugh faces a slew of additional charges for financial crimes, including fraud, money laundering and tax evasion. as he begins his first full day of a life sentence behind bars. >> i know you have to see paul and maggie during the nighttimes when you're attempting to go to sleep. i'm sure they come and visit you. >> all day and every night.

>> reporter: alex murdaugh is not allowed any visitors for now other than his attorneys. he remains under evaluation before likely being sent to another maximum security prison to serve out his time. kristen, peter. >> all right, priscilla thompson, thank you so much. >> we want to bring in nbc news legal analyst danny cevalos, he is also a defense attorney. danny, good morning. this was obviously such a captivating trial. we're already hearing from the defense saying they plan to appeal this verdict. but on what grounds, and do they have a case there? >> two possible grounds. one is the introduction of the financial crimes evidence as what's called prior bad act. was that evidence of bad character, which is usually not allowed. the second issue will be the prosecution's reference to why didn't alex murdaugh come forward and volunteer information. and that's called post arrest silence. it may be prohibited by the fifth amendment. but alex murdaugh wasn't exactly silent. he didn't remain silent as

miranda says, he talked to police sometimes, he took the stand, he explained what happened, talked about some things, talked about other things. that's called selective silence and that's not as protected under the fifth amendment. likely whether they'll win on appeal, generally speaking, appeal is always a long shot. >> danny, let me ask you about this because murdaugh is serving two life sentences but he is accused of some 99 financial crimes. you mentioned some of them, and there are also two deaths connected to the family. so what happens in those cases? >> the 99 or so crimes will move forward. the prosecutors in that case were handed a gift because alex murdaugh took the stand and essentially admitted to some if not all of those crimes when he testified in his own defense. as to the other investigations, those will continue and probably are even getting more of a renewed look in light of the conviction now that the world knows that alex murdaugh is in fact a killer. they will look at those other cases i'm sure with plenty more

eyes. >> danny, as we look back at this case now, the defense obviously made one key decision. they decided to put alex murdaugh on the stand in his own defense. as we look back at it, was that decision ultimately a mistake? >> yes and no. it was a mistake for alex murdaugh to testify the way he did. but i don't think it would have changed the outcome. i think he still would have been found guilty. this was probably the nail in an already mostly nailed shut coffin when he took the stand. it really was in a sense an act of desperation. the state had found him, caught him in a lie with their data, with the onstar evidence and snapchat evidence, so he had to take the stand. his explanation of why the data differed from his explanation was that he was lying. so things were not looking good by that point. >> yeah, we heard a lot of anecdotes like the jury had been moved by murdaugh, perhaps by his tears, even passing tissues to him during some of his testimony but clearly not moved

enough to find him not guilty. danny, we appreciate your time this morning. thank you. we want to head to the white house now and a health concern for president biden. the president's doctor revealing he had a cancerous skin lesion removed recently. monica alba is at the white house with the very latest on all of this. good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning. president biden had that skin lesion removed from his chest during a routine physical last month. the white house shared it was basal cell carcinomaa, more commonly known as skin cancer. a biopsy had been done in mid-february when the president's doctor said he is a healthy, vigorous 80-year-old male who is fit to serve. no further treatment is expected according to dr. kevin o'connell who said all cancerous tissue was successfully removed. the president will keep having regular skin screenings just like the first lady who had similar lesions successfully removed from her eye and chest earlier this year.

kristen. >> monica, i want to follow up with you about what we saw at the white house on friday, this incredibly special day for a vietnam war veteran who was awarded the medal of honor after so many delays and so many years. talk about why this was so significant. >> reporter: so significant and so moving, kristen. that's right, the president awarded retired army colonel paris davis with the medal of honor, the nation's highest military decoration, for his heroism during the vietnam war. then captain davis saved the lives of fellow americans incapacitated during combat going back several times to ensure their safety despite being gravely injured himself. the president acknowledged the racism captain davis faced, including the fact that the paperwork to process his medal was delayed not once but twice as the country was still segregated back in 1965, which the veteran spoke about in an interview with our own lester holt. >> it took a while.

it took a long while. but it's here, and i'm really proud to be an american. >> did you fear that it would never happen? >> i forgot that it could happen. >> reporter: now six decades later when he learned he was finally going to receive this honor, the hero simply said america was behind me. kristen, peter. >> monica, such a great report. so powerful to hear him say he forgot that it could happen. thanks, monica. now to the race for the white house. the republicans who hope to unseat president biden in 2024, many of the party faithful gather today at the conservative political action conference better none as cpac. former president trump is tonight's keynote speaker, but some of his potential rivals are taking a pass on this gop weekend. nbc's vaughn hillyard is there for us this morning. vaughn, good morning. >> reporter: yeah, good morning, peter, that's right. there are several potential republican presidential candidates who are not appearing

at this annual conservative gathering, but nikki haley, the first declared challenger to donald trump, she did step into the arena here. donald trump's stronghold on the conservative movement unclear this weekend. >> if you're tired of losing, put your trust in a new generation. i'm here to ask for your vote. >> reporter: republican presidential candidate nikki haley appearing on friday in front of a very pro-trump crowd. cpac, the annual conservative gathering, increasingly a base of support for trump. >> that says trump won. >> who do you have in 2024. >> trump. >> trump again. >> yep. >> why are we at cpac. >> donald trump! >> ron desantis and mike pence avoiding the affair, but haley, the only republican to announce a direct challenge to trump, entered the arena as trump in polling remains the favorite to hold on to the top of the party's mantle.

>> we have an obligation -- >> reporter: other speakers, close allies of trump, including marjorie taylor greene, who sources have said is interested in being named trump's number two. >> have you talked to the former president about being the vp? >> i'm going to keep that off the record. >> reporter: the scene full of republicans eager to appeal to the party support. >> how has cpac changed since the rise of donald trump? >> look, cpac is always raucous and wonderful. there's an electricity to it. i think there's been more of an electricity. >> reporter: desantis making stops in alabama, texas, california and for the first time this year, he will visit iowa next week. these trips as he defends himself from trump's increasing attacks. >> he used to say how great of a governor i was and then i win a big victory and all of a sudden, you know, he had a different opinion. >> reporter: now, i'm told that desantis on that trip to iowa

next week will be joined by governor kim reynolds. but to note, donald trump just days later will also make his first stop to the hawkeye state of the year. peter and kristen. >> vaughn hillyard with a 5:00 a.m. wake-up on his birthday morning. we wish you a very happy birthday. >> reporter: appreciate it. angie, let's get the rest of the country's forecast now. hoping you can give vaughn a little bit of some nice weather in his gift basket. >> guys, i don't know where he is, it's just not going to be very spring-like but if he goes a little farther to the south temperatures are well above average so that's what your birthday plans should be, vaughn. here's what we're looking at as far as conditions across much of the southeast where we remain above normal. places like dallas today, 77 degrees. st. louis, we're not leaving you out of this spring-like weather. we'll see temperatures in the low 60s. you're running about 10 degrees above what you should be this time of year. it extends all the way out to the east coast too where we'll

see temperatures running way warm. this is not just a saturday thing, this is a sunday and even into the beginning of our workweek kind of thing with kansas city ending up at 71 >> and it's 5:48. we're waking up here overlooking this beautiful shot of the bay bridge and salesforce tower. temperatures right now, we aren't under any freeze warnings like we have been the last couple days. 40s on the board with just one 37 degrees that i'm seeing in los gatos. things are changing as we go into the middle of the morning. as we get ready for some more rain. right now, it is lingering to the north and off and that is your local forecast. guys, back over to you. >> angie, thank you very much. still to come, the stomach bug that has knocked out plenty of families. what you need to know about the

latest norovirus and how to protect yourself and your loved ones. plus if you haven't booked your spring break travel, what are you waiting for? we'll have some last-minut we'll have some last-minut e ♪ ♪ whether someone is across the neighborhood, across the street, or across the room, you have the power to make them feel right at home. ♪ ♪ ritz. a taste of welcome. 7 day old tuna casserole! how'd you know that?! even my nose is strong! you need hefty ultra strong! it has arm & hammer continuous odor control! hefty! hefty! hefty! oh, and uhhh... toby needs a bath! stay one step ahead of stinky.

we are back on saturday morning and joe fryer is here at the desk with us again this morning. >> joe, good morning. good to see you. you have the week's other big stories. >> the weekly download. a horrific train crash in europe. at least 57 people were killed in greece when a freight train and passenger train collided head on. >> reporter: we were being burned said this survivor. they said temperatures in the burning cars reached more than

2,300 degrees. a string of incidents on airplanes and at airports across the country. a lufthansa flight was forced to make an emergency landing at washington dulles airport after hitting heavy turbulence. at least seven people were hospitalized. a battery fire aboard a spirit airlines flight sent ten people to the hospital. >> all of a sudden a ton of smoke yelled out. i yelled fire a few times. >> the plane made an emergency landing in jacksonville, florida. and a pennsylvania man was arrested after tsa agents found an explosive device inside his suitcase at the lehigh valley international airport. the fbi says an incident at a lab in wuhan, china, was most likely the source of the covid-19 virus. the chinese government denies that but fbi director chris wray says they have tried to hide evidence from the world. >> the chinese government it seems to me has been doing its best to try to thwart and

obfuscate the work here, the work that we're doing. >> other u.s. agencies believe the virus emerged naturally. across the pond, prince harry and meghan markle have been kicked out of their windsor home, telling nbc news the duke and dutchess of sussex have been requested to vacate their residence. >> the cottage, owned by the crown and just minutes from windsor castle was a gift to the couple from queen elizabeth. >> it was a place where we had so many memories. from our courtship, our engagement, our wedding, our walks. >> buckingham palace has not issued a comment. some of the week's most dramatic moments caught on camera. the new jersey body cam footage captured this house explosion. firefighters who were inside when it happened survived the blast. in florida, a spacex rocket blasted into orbit, sending a fresh crew to the international space station for a six-month

stay. and a pilot turned a plane midflight so passengers on both sides could see the incredible northern lights. finally, a world class act of sportsmanship during a college softball game. caitlin moses hit a go ahead grand slam. as she was rounding the bases, she injured her leg and was unable to walk. the rules state that her teammates are not allowed to help her around the bases, so her opponents from southeastern university stepped in, carrying her all the way to home plate to make the grand slam official. >> isn't that amazing? southeastern did end up losing the game, even though they did that. in the end they're winners when it comes to sportsmanship. >> they sure are. that is such a great lesson for everyone who is playing any sport frankly. >> that was an awesome moment just to watch. the whole team, we can't touch

her. congratulations to both teams for their role in that moment. still to come on "today," what exactly will chris rock say about that infamous slap tonight in his first-ever live comedy special on netflix? plus, a big announcement from rachael ray about the future of her long-time hit talk show. is she hanging up her apron? >> good question. first, these messages. in order for small businesses to thrive, they need to be smart... efficient... agile... and that's never been more important than it is right now. so for a limited time, comcast business is introducing small business savings. call now to get powerful internet

for just $39 a month, with no contract, and a money back guarantee. all on the largest, fastest, reliable network. from the company that powers more businesses than anyone else. call and start saving today. comcast business. powering possibilities. good morning. thanks for joining us on this saturday, march 4th. i'm kira klapper. the city of oakland is the latest victim of a ransomware attack. it's confirming that files were stolen by hackers and have been leaked. in a statement, the city said, quote, an unauthorized third party acquired files from the city's network and released some of the information. oakland went on to say it is working with specialists and law enforcement to figure out whether personal information was involved. the city says it will notify people impacted, but we still don't know what kind of data was leaked. the attack happened nearly a

month ago, freezing all online services. computer systems have been put back online. they're still frozen. there are reports the known hacker group, play, is claiming responsibility, though oakland has not named any person nor organization. we're going to check in with cinthia pimentel for a look at our microclimate forecast. >> good morning, kira, everyone. it is 5:57 on this saturday, first saturday of march. i wanted to show you this glamorous picture overlooking the bay bridge and salesforce tower right now. all calm, but there are changes ahead. i'll get to that in a moment. temperatures have been running warmer than the last couple days. no freeze warnings or advisories in place. 46 in san francisco. 47 in oakland. a lot of 40s on the board. the only 30s i'm looking at are 37 in los gatos. the changes ahead are still lingering to the north. on satellite and radar, that moisture, the snow level overlooking right now over the

eureka coastline. of course, the sierra, and staying off to the bay coastline. it'll move in during the morning for petaluma. 39 degrees. 9:00, 10:00 a.m., storm ranger will be tracking all the rain. i will be, too, at 7:00 a.m. i'll walk you through the rain hour by hour. the snow chance, where it'll be best on the bay area mountaintops and what is ahead for the weekend. >> thanks. reminder, you can download our free bay area app. we'll send weather alerts straight to your phone minutes before the rain falls in your neighborhood. when it does come down, send us your pictures or videos of the weather. tag nbc bay area on your social post to share them with us on twitter, facebook and instagram. coming up this morning on "today in the bay," he is back on the job after a brutal attack. this street vendor has some backup outside of the s.a.t. center. you'll hear from the people volunteering to be his security detail.

we'll have that plus all your other top stories and cinthia's full forecast, tracking the rain coming up at 7:00. we hope to see you then. right now, back to "today."

mike, are you all right? >> i just got the wind knocked out of he. >> get out of here, take cover! >> man, is that a classic. we are back on this saturday morning, march 4th, 2023, with a scene from "saving private ryan," the movie that helped make tom sizemore a hollywood store. sizemore sadly passed away overnight after suffering a stroke a few weeks ago. this morning we'll look back on his turbulent life and career a little bit later in this half hour. >> he will always be remembered for that film. pretty powerful. we do want to begin with a check of the headlines starting with the very latest on the war

in ukraine. attorney general merrick garland made a surprise trip to ukraine on friday. the justice department saying garland met with president volodymyr zelenskyy at the united for justice conference. the u.s. announced an additional $400 million in military aid to ukraine. the package will include armored vehicles which can launch bridges or river crossings. a suspect is in custody after leading officers on a dangerous freeway chase and firing a weapon on them. the pursuit of the black pickup truck began southeast of l.a. after a road rage call. then a dash cam video shows someone firing what appears to be a rifle or long gun out of the window of the truck. nearby drivers there ducking for cover. the driver eventually slammed into a police car, as you can see, slams into a light pole. he jumps out of the truck, runs, tries to get away. even attempts tojack anoth vehicle before police ultimately

tackled him. now to another frightening scene, this one a close call in the wild. an idaho famy was out snowmobiling a few days ag when a moose stepped onto the trail between the man taking this video and his brother ahead of him. the moos trapped, begins to charge toward the brother who hops on his snowmobile to flee. but the vehicle's engine dies when he revs it up. he jumps out of the moose's way as you can see there just in time. >> so glad everybody is okay. the lesson there, don't mess with moose. also this morning, if you haven't gotten the dreaded stomach bug this winter you likely know somebody who has. this thing has been awful. there's been a dramatic surge in the number of severe cases and one strain of the stomach flu so bad the cdc is warning that this one could be drug resistant. maggie vespa has more on that and what you can do to try to keep your family healthy. >> reporter: this morning, the latest chapter in america's monster cold and flu season

making stomachs churn from coast to coast. >> mama's got a house full of sick babies. >> reporter: the cdc flagg stunni surges in multiple debilitating stomach bugs, namely norovirus. the rates of test coming back positive nearly doubling since january, now at a staggering 17%. the ultra con taejous virus which can cause days of vomiting, diarrhea and fever clobbering adults and kids alike. >> i'm traumatized. >> reporter: emily said the bug hit 4-year-old hanna and swept through the family, hitting her and her 2-year-old, levi, at the same time. >> i'm texting my husband. you need to come homerom work, it was so intense. i was like i don'tno how to function right w. >> reporter: many families rushingo emergency rooms. >> does th mean you've been throwing up some period of time? >> yes. some people say i've been miting several days and can't keep anything down. the treatment is supportive care. things like staying hydrated,

resting when you can. >> reporter: this as a new battle looms. this week t cdc sounding a separate alarm about shigella, another stomach bug that has increasingly become drug resistant. 5% of cases last year deemed almost untreatable. the agency calling the bacteria a serious public health threat. one thing stunning patients here is that hand sanitizer does not kill norovirus. doctors stress washing your hands with soap and water. >> i brought out some hand sanitizer thinking it would help but the lesson is this isn't enough. >> back to the basics, right. angie lassman, let's get back to the basics with the weather. what have you got? >> i've got another storm for the west coast. they just cannot catch a break out there and they're going to be gearing up for more rain and snow. let's take a peek at what's happening. through the day today stretching from the pacific northwest into parts of northern california, rain, snow working through. additional amounts of snow for parts of the sierras which have just had quite a winter out

there. we had that heavy rain focused mostly along the coast so be aware of that. as we move into parts of your saturday, we'll start to see that wrap up and the system work a little farther to the east. sunday will look a little better for folks in that area. again, the system continues tracking to the east and will add on some additional snowfall for parts of the upper midwest. here's that rain for parts of california. anywhere from maybe an inch to an inch and a half will be the highest totals you'll see. again, those are focused more towards parts of the coastal region there. then as we look at the snow, ample amounts of snow for parts of the northern sierras. you could have a good morning. it's 6:05. you're looking at satellite and radar, and the rain is still to our north, waking up people in the eureka county area, as well as off to the coast here in san francisco. that rain is still lingering, but it will start to move in in the middle of the morning. here's what you can expect and

what we're going to go over in our full forecast. we have the rain, the snow moving down to 1,000 to 2,000 feet in the bay area. of course, we'll also take you >> and that is a look at the forecast. peter, kristen, back over to you. >> angie lassman, thank you so much. just ahead, some last-minute spring break deals that are too good for you to miss. vicky nguyen is joining us for some super savings that are not some super savings that are not too late tnjthe real covid-19, i would be in real trouble. 'cause i have asthma. and i have depression. i have diabetes. and i struggle with my weight. for us, covid is a whole different ballgame. in fact, you could be t 200 million americans with a hig factor that makes covid... even rer which is why y need to be ready, and have a plan.

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if you haven't booked your upcoming spring break trip, you shouldn't wait any longer. >> this is probably the last chance you have to book a relatively good price before flights, rentals and skyrocket. >> really like what you did with the place. vicky nguyen has some last-minute travel tips to help you find those good deals before it is too late. vicky, we're set for spring. >> we are excited and we want to head to where the palm trees are behind us. the hardest part is just booking the trip. so how should you go about booking? how do you find the best deals? and how flexible do you need to be? >> hi, good morning. my best piece of advice for you this morning, as soon as this

show is over, jump online and start looking around. you want to book today. hopper is reporting if you're flying, average round trip airfare is $264, but as you get to even three weeks out of a destination departure date, that number could double or go even higher. so don't hesitate. nerd wallet says if you don't need the whole nine days off, consider leaving on a tuesday or a wednesday. that can certainly help you save. same with looking at alternate airports. maybe not the biggest airport in your area but check the nearby airports to get a lower airfare. finally, march 10th through the 14th if you're not quite ready, go to the website retailmenot.com and check out their spring staycation event. they have deals with hotels, with rental cars, travel packages, to help you save on that spring getaway. >> once you need there, you'll need a place to stay. i'm fine just sleeping on the beach but i realize other people may want a place with fun amenities or fun activities. what can you find? >> if you want to lay your head

on a pillow, joe, the number one thing i would say is a lot of times people go and look on third-party websites firstust to get an idea of what's out there, what kinds of packages. before you book that hotel, go directly to the hotel's website. see if they can match the deal or do even better. the reason i say that is because you have more flexibility. it's easier to change your plans directly when you book with a hotel. if you're traveling to a big city, a los angeles, miami, new york city, where they have a lot of hotel room inventory, maybe go the last-minute route. it depends, obviously you need to be exible, but there's an app called hotel tonight that can find you rooms on the same day. that cave you big because hotels would rather have someone in the bed than no one in the bed. and then finally, nonhotel options. have you ever considered sharing a hom share? vrbo, airbnb, lot of people wanting to travel in groups with friends. you get more bang for your buck. you can rent a nicer place with friends or another family than

you could on your own. th k here, you want to iron out the details ahead of time. does kristen get the big room with the balcony, does peter get the other big room. joe, where are you going to stay, on the hammock? who's going to do the chores? >> i get the biggest room. >> really important to figure it out. you get the big ro. >> if you've ever traveled with kristen, you know the way that goes. let me ask you, if i can -- >> you go as friends, come back as friends. >> let's talk destinations here, some of the best spots to go that may be off the trail, so to speak. any hidden gems that you recommend for us? >> listen, if you've ever opinion thinking about going on a cruise, crank up the yacht rock. the demand is through the roof. royal caribbean and select had their biggest booking days on record this black friday. we're still in wave season, the time you get the best discounts on cruises. it goes through the end of march. get a travel agent. they can really help you narrow

down what kind of cruise would work best for you. tons of new amenities on these ships. roller coasters, go-cart racing. there is something for everyone, but it really helps to have a travelgent to help you get the best deal as well as the best cruise to fit you. finally, airbnb says try some places off the beaten path, especially for a fun family getaway. here are the top five places they recommend. newnan, georgia, rockwall, texas. port st. lucie, florida. on the west coast lancaster, california. if beachy is not for you, palm trees is not something you want, boise, idaho. these are some places. there are so many fantastic places to visit in this country that aren't the name brand cities and you can get a wonderful experience. >> boise is beautiful. >> yes, it's awesome advice, vicky. i'm going to take your tip at the top which is to start working on this after the show. vicky, awesome. >> see you on the beach, vick, thanks. joe has our popstart coming up next. >> coming back, we'll look at

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actor one of the most sincere, kind, and generous human beings he's ever known. nbc's janis mackey frayer takes a look back at sizemore's tumultuous life and career. >> reporter: one of hollywood's heavy-hitting tough guys, tom sizemore was best known for portraying the rugged and the brave. >> mike, areou all right? >> i just got the wind knocked out of me. >> reporter: the actor suffered a brain aneurysm as a result of a stroke two weeks ago. he had been in a coma since. he was larger than life, said his brother, paul, in a statement. adding i am devastated he is gone and will miss him always. >> stop talking, okay? >> reporter: over three decades sizemore worked with some of the biggest names in hollywood, but it was the off-screen drama in his life that defined his fame too. years of substance abuse and repeated arrests, derailing his career. in 2003 he was convicted of assaulting a former girlfriend, then spent six months in jail on charges of assaulting then

girlfriend heidi fleiss who ran an upscale prostitution ring in the 1990s. >> and i don't want you to feel sorry for me. do not shed a tear. >> reporter: sizemore got his start with a bit part in oliver stone's "born on the fourth of july." other gritty roles would follow. >> for me, the action is the juice. >> reporter: but sizemore's drug addiction lingered. by his own account using cocaine, then heroin and crystal meth before actor robert de niro took him to rehab. >> what's your longest period of time without doing -- >> doing drugs at all? >> yeah. >> from '95 to 2001. that's not a coincidence. those are the most prolific careers my career was building. sizemore continued to act. he never regained the same success but left an indelible mark in hollywood history. >> do that and we all earn the right to go home. >> reporter: janis mackey

frayer, nbc news, los angeles. up next, rachael ray after nearly two decades as a daytime television mainstay, the celeity che is saying good-bye to her show, announcing that the current season of the rachael ray show will be the last. ray said in a statement that it's time for her to move on to the next exciting chapter in her broadcast career. she says she'll be focusing her energy on her newly announced production company but is also said to be inducted into the broaasting and cable hall of fame in may. final episodes of the rachael ray show will air later this year. my goodness, what a legacy she has. >> say it ain't so. i can't imagine daytime many tv without her. >> we've got enough of her cookbooks to last a lifetime. >> her legacy lives on in your kitchen. finally this morning, michelle yeoh caught up with our friend willie fresh off her wins at the golden globes and the

s.a.g. awards. it looks likhe odds are in her favor heang into next weekend's oscars. win or lose, michelle opened up about how much it has meant just to be nominated. >> how much would it mean to you holding that trophy? >> it's beyond me. just the nomination has shined a light on a lot of people. it was being seen. people around the world will say give us a seat at the bl it's a gift for me to be able to say, look at me. >> look at her. you can catch willie's full conversation with michelle yeoh tomorrow morning on "sunday today." i love when an icon, someone who's been ad for so long has this awardshow moment where suddenly they get all the praise ty deserve. >> i was just going to say the fact that she's not new at th this is somethihe's been working on for her fe. good for her. still to come, the strangers who came togr afterdñ

still to come, we are finally going to hear from chris rock about the oscar ap.sl as the world keeps changing, so does covid-19. how recent is your booster? there are updated boosters designed to better protect against recent omicron variants. schedule yours now.

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california is living the mask and vaccine requirements in health care settings, and the state's nurses union is pushing back on that decision. state health leaders say the change will take effect april 1st. it is now up to counties to decide whether to implement these kind of requirements. statewide, hospitalizations and deaths from covid have gone down, though they are still high. the current 14-day average for hospitalizations is more than 2,500 people with an average of 18 deaths per day. in a statement, the executive director of the california nurse's association says, quote, in no uncertain terms, this is a failure of public health leadership. abandoning these standards is counterproductive and unscientific approach to curbing the spread and evolution of covid-19. we're going to check in with cinthia pimentel for a look at the forecast. >> good morning, everyone. activity ramping up, especially in the northern part of the state. right now, if we take a closer

look on satellite and radar, not only the rain and the snow piling up there along eureka, but also some lightning strikes being detected off the coast. this activity definitely picking up at 6:27 in the morning f. the rain isn't here yet, those winds will start howling in the next hour or two. by 10:00, if you notice there, our hour by hour wind guests going to be felt along the coast. very intense, 20 to 30 plus mile an hour winds out there. napa, interior winds running from 25 to 30 miles an hour. this will continue as we get through the storm system, so coming up at 7:00 a.m., i'm going to walk you through hour by hour. notice by 8:00, we already see some rain in the north bay, some spotty, light range along the peninsula. only going to intensify as we go through the middle part of the day. maybe bringing the possibility of some thunderstorms. all of that coming up at 7:003) >> cinthia, see you then. reminder, download our free bay area app.

we'll send weather alerts straight to your phone minutes before rain falls in your neighborhood. when the weather does come to you, please send us pictures or videos of it. just tag nbc bay area on your social posts to share them with us on twitter, facebook and instagram. coming up on "today in the bay," the south bay woman known as the party mom was attacked in jail and taken to the hospital. what our investigative unit has learned about what happened. we'll have that plus all your top stories and cinthia's full forecast coming up at 7:00. we hope you join us. right now, back to "today." in order for small businesses to thrive, they need to be smart... efficient... agile... and that's never been more important than it is right now. so for a limited time, comcast business is introducing small business savings. call now to get powerful internet for just $39 a month, with no contract, and a money back guarantee.

all on the largest, fastest, reliable network. from the company that powers more businesses than anyone else. call and start saving today. comcast business. powering possibilities. good morning. punishing storm. another major winter system moving into the northeast after spawning deadly tornados in the south. today heavy rains, flooding and up to a foot of snow expected. we're tracking it all. slapping back. >> chris, ready for you. >> chris rock finally set to tell his story about that slap from will smith at last year's oscars. the comedian expected to break down the infamous event during a first of its kind live comedy special tonight on netflix. what will he say, and does he accept smith's apology?

and an open book. a personal trainer and motivational speaker gaining hundreds of thousands of followers on tiktok as he shares his struggles with reading. >> what's up? i can't read that well. and to tell you the truth, until recently i could barely read at all. >> why he's learning to read for all to see today, saturday, march 4th, 2023. hi, it's alyssa and the pups from winter garden, florida. hi to all my family and friends in missouri, kansas and new york. gram and greta, i'll see you soon at spring break. bye! good morning today from minneapolis, minnesota. good morning, welcome back to "today" on a saturday morning. another day that we are celebrating, which is the anniversary of margo welker hughes parents. >> thank you. we are excited to celebrate. hopefully i'll make it home for

dinner. >> a 4:00 p.m. dinner, right? >> thank you. that is very sweet of you. we look forward to that. we do want to get right to today's news. a new round of winter weather impacting more than 50 million people in the northeast. the same system producing deadly tornados that killed ten people on thursday and friday in the south. >> nbc meteorologist angie lassman is following it all for us from new york again this morning. angie, what are we expecting today? >> we're expecting another busy day with the same system that has impacted so many across the country. today it's going to be focused for folks in the northeast and we'll eventually see this move out. you'll see snow draped across much of this area stretching from buffalo all the way into portions of maine. these are the same areas continuing these winter weather alerts at this hour. still 17 million people included in this. again, buffalo, syracuse, albany, burlington all included in these and extending a little farther to the north and out towards boston too. so the winter weather is something you'll have to deal with if you live in these areas

a little while longer. you're also going to notice if you move a little farther to the south just how gusty these winds are. 27 million people are waking up to wind alerts, wind advisories and high wind warnings. it includes parts of the boston area and near the coast near nantucket. you can see why these alerts are up. pittsburgh, 46-mile-an-hour peak gusts. washington 50-mile-an-hour. and in nantucket these numbers are well into the 50s so it will we a gusty kind of day. one day you don't want to leave the trash can at the end of the driveway. how about the snowfall totals? we've already seen up to 16 inches just north of albany. as we get into the next couple of hours, we'll likely add on to some of those totals, but you can see the highest amounts are going to be focused in places that have higher elevations. so the mountains, stretching from new york, new hampshire, vermont, into parts of maine, guys. i'll send it back to you. >> thanks so much. we'll check back with you in a few minutes for the rest of your forecast. now we want to get to alex murdaugh who is making up this morning, as he will for the rest

of his life, behind bars after he was sentenced to life on friday for the murder of his wife and son. nbc's priscilla thompson is outside the facility where murdaugh is being held. priscilla, good morning to you. >> reporter: kristen, good morning. alex murdaugh spent the first night of that life sentence here at the kirkland reception and evaluation center where he's expected to remain for the next several weeks. this morning the first image of alex murdaugh, his head shaved, as he begins a new life behind bars. the once powerful attorney is being processed at the kirkland reception and evaluation center, where the south carolina department of corrections says he'll spend about 45 days undergoing medical tests, mental health evaluations, and education assessments. the results, along with murdaugh's crimes and sentence, will determine which maximum security prison he'll be assigned to live out his remaining days. meanwhile, murdaugh's defense team is planning his appeal.

>> but i'm innocent. i would never under any circumstances hurt my wife, maggie, and i would never under any circumstances hurt my son, paul paul. >> reporter: the judge unmoved, handing down two life sentences. >> and it might not have been you. it might have been the monster you become when you take 15, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 opioid pills. >> reporter: it's the culmination of six weeks of testimony and evidence in the brutal double murder case that included a rare trip to the crime scene. jurors walked the kennel and feed areas where maggie and paul were gunned down and where perhaps the most damning evidence in the case was captured. murdaugh's voice overheard in his son paul's snapchat video placing him at the scene of the crime minutes before the murders after he told investigators he wasn't there. >> and i lied about being down there.

and i'm so sorry that i did. >> reporter: in the end, the jury returned a verdict in just under three hours. >> guilty verdict. >> reporter: the case coming to a close, as investigations into other possible crimes move forward. murdaugh faces a slew of additional charges for financial crimes, including fraud, money laundering and tax evasion. as he begins his first full day of a life sentence behind bars. >> i know you have to see paul and maggie during the nighttime when you're attempting to go to sleep. i'm sure they come and visit you. >> all day and every night. >> reporter: for now murdaugh is not allowed any visitors other than his aorneys who are planning his appeal. he'll remain under evaluation here for around the next 45 days before being sent to another maximum security prison where he'll likely serve the remainder of his term. kristen, peter, joe. >> the entire country captivated by this trial.

priscilla, thank you so much. also thismorning, a former memphis emt says police kept him from treating tyre nichols after the officers there brutally beat the 29-year-old black man in january. in video testimony on friday, robert long said police, quote, impeded patient care by refusing his handcuffs so medics could check his vital signs. long was one of three memphis emts on the scene. all have since been fired. the five officers seen on video beating nichols have been fired and charged with second-degree murder. they have pleaded not guilty. we are going to take a little bit of a turn and getting our morning boost. >> this is weekend boost style edition. even if you are not into fashion, you may have noticed the trend in red and black checked shirts lately, the so-called buffalo check or buffalo plaid pattern is so popular when one dad was out shopping with his family, his

daughter noticed an entire group of people wearing basically the same. everyone had a good laugh. i have to say in our household we just bought shoes naerjt. >> you did? >> we literally have buffalo checked shoes. we want to go and party with those people. >> i can't believe that wasn't planned. that's incredible. >> his people. >> joe will be there soon. still ahead right here, chris rock ready to spill it. what he'll say about that what he'll say about that infamous oscars she found it. the feeling of finding the psoriasis treatment she's been looking for. sotyktu is the first-of-its-kind, once-daily pill for moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis for the chance at clear or almost clear skin. it's like the feeling of finding that outfit psoriasis tried to hide from you. or finding your swimsuit

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we are back with today's talker and boy is this a big one. the anticipation is growing for tonight's live comedy special on netflix with chris rock. >> the comedian is expected to talk about that oscar slap at last year's oscars. but how much or what exactly he'll say about it is anyone's guess. >> nbc's miguel almaguer has a look at what we might expect.

>> chris, we're ready for you. >> reporter: set to take center stage and hit back on his own terms, tonight chris rock is expected to dive into the details of the infamous slap seen around the world. >> oh, wow! will smith just smacked the [ bleep ] out of me. >> reporter: in a netflix special, all eyes will be on the comedian to see what he shares. >> i'm still kind of processing. >> reporter: though he has joked briefly about the incident during a worldwide tour, his stand-up special comes a week before this year's oscars. >> i can't get slapped, i cry a lot. >> reporter: rock remains at the center of attention and intrigue. >> i do think we should expect some commentary and obviously a bunch of jokes and perspective of what went down at the oscars last year. >> reporter: taking the stage in baltimore, rock will make history as netflix streams live for the first time ever. millions are expected to be watching at home. after his apology --

>> my behavior was unacceptable. >> reporter: -- will smith accepted his first public award this week. now later today, we may learn if rock and smith have spoken and just how hard the comedian will punch back. for "today," miguel almaguer, nbc news, los angeles. >> so many people are going to be tuning into this and it's hard to believe it's been a year. >> i know. >> and we're about to have another oscars. >> you look at the pictures around us and you realize how long these two have known each other which makes it all the more striking that he struck him in that manner. >> they're going to have a pregame and post game show on netflix. >> be prepared to stay up late. let's get another check of the forecast from angie lassman in new york. >> hey, guys, it's a perfect day to stay indoors and watch that if you're in the northeast or even in the west. there is rain and additional snow for places in california and the pacific northwest through the day today.

midsection of the country just a couple of showers your waking up to. if you live in kansas city and central parts of kansas. downright warm conditions through parts of the south and it's not just today. even tomorrow it's going to be really nice conditions for basically the whole eastern half >> good morning. it is 6:45 on this saturday. i'm cinthia pimentel. we are waiting on the rain to get to the bay area. right now, it is still staying to the north. if i take it on a little closer with satellite and radar, we are seeing some of the instability already off the coast with some lightning strikes. winds are going to start to pick up. if the rain isn't here yet, you might be woken up by the winds, 20 to 30 miles per hour. winds or more as we go through the middle of the morning. we have a lot to talk about. >> and that is your local forecast. guys, back over to you. >> angie, thank you very much. still ahead, one man's incredible journey as he learns

how to read in front of hundreds of thousands of followers. >> hisemarkable story is r r

we're back on a saturday morning. your kids like mine may have told you that this week was read across america day, a time to recognize the value of literacy. >> yeah, it's a topic that is especially important to 34-year-old oliver james, a personal trainer who's going viral on tiktok. >> his social media followers are not looking for exercise tips, they are watching oliver's inspiring journey as he candidly shares his struggles with reading. >> you know how you've been changed? by doing the things that you want to do. >> reporter: on tiktok oliver james is a personal trainer, inspiring motivational speaker. >> i'm here to motivate you. >> reporter: and an open book. >> i started reading. >> reporter: especially when it

comes to books. >> i pretty much just said five words, what's up, i can't read and started a whole entire journey on tiktok. >> were you scared to share that with people? >> 100%. that was probably if not at that time the scariest thing i could ever put out. because i was finally this is it. this is who you are. you know, whatever job comes with it, whatever friend, whatever relationship, whatever happens in your life, you have to deal with it because everyone is going to know exactly who you are. it kind of was freeing. >> reporter: now oliver is learning to read. >> he'd have enough to get to the other shore of the street, i think that word is. >> reporter: and he's sharing that, even the emotional moments, with his new friends online. the book talk community, racking up more than 130,000 followers and nearly a million likes. >> honestly, it's sometimes some of the reasons i get up every day. even though i don't get paid for

it or things i do, it feels like the best job in the entire world. >> reporter: oliver is one of 8 million americans who are functionally illiterate, which means he had some reading skills but not enough to manage daily tasks at home or work. he realizes now his traumatic childhood is to blame. >> it was just, you know, a seed being planted in bad soil. my surroundings were a little bit more chaotic and more in survival mode. i didn't have time to think about a book at all. >> reporter: now oliver is digging into the good soil, working out his body and mind. >> life is full of -- >> reporter: sometimes at the same time, all while motivating his followers. >> i didn't know i could help that many people with me just doing the one thing that was hard for me. >> reporter: the power of an open book. >> thank you so much, books. you're amazing. i love y'all. >> wow. >> thank you, books. oliver gave himself a rather

colossal challenge to read 100 books this year. at last check when we checked up with him yesterday, he's up to 15 already this year. >> he is incredible, joe. what a great story. just the fact that he is so honest about his journey. it's not easy. you see him in tears. >> i love that he said it was liberating to share his story. also he's doing things -- >> doing a hand stand while reading.

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so you can have a bit more money, to do even less. because you've got a whole lot of nothing to do and absolutely nowhere to be. good morning. i'm kira klapper. coming up next on "today in the bay," back on the job after a brutal attack. the street vendor has some backup. hear from the people volunteering to be his security detail. and the south bay woman known as the party mom was attacked in jail and taken to the hospital. we'll tell you what our investigative unit learned about what happened. and we have a couple daybreak, but this weekend, the rain and cold pimentel has the for your city in our microclimate forecast, coming microclimate forecast, coming at 7:00.up

oh ms. flores, what would we do without you? leader of many, and pet wrangler too. you report to your boss, every afternoon. so beautiful. so becoming a student again might seem impossible. hello, mi amor. but what if a school could be there for all of you? career, family, finances and mental health. well, it can. national university. supporting the whole you.

good morning. it is saturdays, march 4th. 7:00 on the dot as we take a live look outside at the bay