spring storms sweep the country. millions of americans bracing for another round of severe weather, just days after

devastating twisters an unprecedented unprecen o country's history as former president trump gets ready to surr surrender. a historic day for the country of finland and autism month and did we mention he draws upside down? it's tuesday april 4th , "early today" starts right now. >> good morning, i'm phillip mena >> i'm frances rivera. residents across much of the country have started to pick up the pieces from that massive and deadly storm system that wreaked havoc over the weekend at least 32 people were killed after more than 50 tornados tore through some 14 states so far this year there have been 385 tornado reports. the average at this point of the

year is 224. and the potential danger isn't over of at least 42 million remain under a severe threat as more volatile weather is poised to strike today across mucnd thh many of those regions were just battered by the deadly storms. president biden declared a major disaster in california this meant to supplement local recovery evidents in areas affected by severe winter storms that began on february 21st of. turning now to today's historic legal proceedings in new york city. former president trump is set to be arraigned in manhattan criminal court and become the first u.s. president to face criminal charges garrett hake has more on mr. trump's return to his hometown and the musseseasures being taky the city to make sure today's events go off as smoothly as possible >> reporter: former president trump touching down in new york city, walking off his plane into

a waiting vehicle at laguardia airport. escorted by the nypd and secret service through manhattan, waving as he walked into trump tower, all ahead of a history-making appearance before a new york state judge, the first former president to face criminal charges the mayor with this warning to any protesters outside mr. trump's arraignment. >> control yourselves. new york city's our home, not a playground for your misplaced anger. >> reporter: president biden was asked if he's worried about unrest >> no, i have faith in the new york police department >> reporter: the nypd now koording with the secret service to keep the former president's visibility low during his processing at the court hours in manhattan. he will likely be fingerprinted. he's set to be arraigned on some

30 counts of his attorneys vowing a not guilty plea >> he's gearing up for a battle, you know, had is something that obviously we believe is a political persecution. >> reporter: alvin bragg's investigation has centered around 2016 hush money payments m made by former trump fixer michael cohen to stormy daniels. falsifying business records could be a misdemeanor but in an untested legal gamble, bragg may charge mr. trump with a low-level felony mr. trump blasting bragg on social media as quote, corrupt, and his case as election interference the charges from a democratic d.a. largely uniting republicans. >> i watch it happen all the time in the third world and developing countries they use prosecutors to go after candidates >> reporter: even those expected to challenge mr. trump for the gop nomination are slamming the progressive prosecutor >> he doesn't want to charge

people with felonies so now he turns around purely for political purposes and indicts a former president on misdemeanor offenses that they're straining to try to convert into felonies. that is when you know that the law has been weaponized for political purposes >> our thanks to garrett for that report. a former maryland state official is dead after a confrontation with the fbi roy mcgrath served as former governor larry hogan's chief of staff, and he was facing wire fraud charges and theft. he was considered a fugitive officials says a the fbi moved in on him at a gym in knoxville, tennessee a shot was fired the feds fired back, but it's not clear yet if they struck mcgrath or if he killed himself. today nato welcomes finland as its 31st member state in a setback for putin, nato's

border with russia is now twice as long as before. t >> nato says it has no immediate plans to send equipment there. it is seen as a direct result of the invasion of ukraine. sweden also wants to join, but turkey has demanded they crackdown on kurdish terrorists first. now a nbc news exclusive new reports show that chinese spy balloon that traveled across the u.s. was gathering sensitive military intelligence. here's kelly o'donnell >> reporter: new insights about china's covert mission high above the u.s. in exclusive reporting from nbc news, the chinese spy balloon that traveled across the country for several days was able to gather intelligence, passing over sensitive american military sites before it was shot down in february on president biden's

order. that's according to two current and one former senior official amongs new findings, china steered the ploon in a figure eight pattern at times and detected electronic stigignals o bases and weapons. it's unclear if one system failed or they didn't tuesday. >> it had a propeller and a rudder, the ability to speed up, slow down and turn it had maneuverability >> reporter: sources also told nbc news the balloon was able to send back intelligence to beijing in real time >> as of right now we're still doing an assessment of what exactly the intel was that china was able to gather >> reporter: china claims it was a commercial weather balloon >> part of it is a test to see whether they can penetrate our airspace part of it is frankly collecting intelligence in real time. >> reporter: national security officials say once the chinese

spy plooballoon was spotted over u.s. airspace, u.s. officials took efforts to mitigate the gathered data. new details in the death of ivo otieno a medical examiner has ruled his death a homicide saying he died by asphyxiation. video showed police and hospital staff piling on top of him as he plaid of laid shackled on the floor. officers and hospital workers are charged with his death his family says he was having a mental health crisis to weather now millions of americans are under severe weather alerts. for the latest, let's get to michelle grossmann

>> great to he sasee you. we have the potential for more dangerous weather as we go throughout the day here. we have a cold side where we are winter alerts. 7 million americans impacted this morning blizzard warnings where you wah t see purple also wind alerts and then this is the big concern from portions of the mississippi valley into the south. same places that saw severe storms over the weekend, h42 million at risk for strong, long-tracking tornados, also really 90s

92 in san antonio. 87 in houston. rt l lrt, /* all right, guys, we'll look at tuesday's temperatures in just a minute we're back with alarming data about the dangers of distracted driving and d parents of a murderer idaho o student keep t their s s memory alilive son's memory alive to daily digestiveve support.. to more e wellness s solutios every y day. getet more withth nature's s b. "look atat this skinin, baby. she is glolowing. she is 1 1 of 1." withth new ololay hyaluroronic body w wh 95% of women had visiblbly-better s skin. "my skskin is so much momore moistururized" see the didifference w with ol. dr. . z! we love e your skincncare vide. thanksks! my dauaughter has s sensitive e.

sameme. try ususing all™ free cleaear as p part of youour family's launundry routinine. it tacklkles impuritities without leleaving irritatingng residue for a clclean thatat's gentntle on skinin. all™ free cleaear. the numbmber one dococtor rerecommended d brand for r sensitive e skin. do you struggle with occasional nerve aches in your hands or feet? the numbmber one dococtor rerecommended d brand try nervivenerve relief from the world's #1 selling nerve care company. nervive contains alpha lipoic acid to relieve occasional nerve aches, weakness and discomfort. try nervivenerve relief. the family of one of the murdered idaho college students is speaking out for the first time ethan chapin's parents are remembering their son's smile by planting tulips. our gadi schwartz has their story. >> ethan's smiling on us, right? >> reporter: in ethan chapin's community a new hope is blooming from spring that his memory won't be forgotten

>> he's a one of a kind. >> reporter: stacy and jim chapin are volunteering at the tulip f tulip farm where their son once worked >> ethan loved people, and he loved, he was an inclusive kid and loved a great adventure. he was a kid that the rest of the kids would call and find out when he was on the work schedule, because everybody wanted to work with ethan. when this happened, the kids decided that they needed a way to honor him >> reporter: ethan's fellow farmers dedicating a yellow and white tulip mix to him named "ethan's smile." >> he had the best smile you couldn't see and not just instantly smile back >> reporter: the proceeds from the bulbs going to a foundation that ethan's parents started in his name it aims to provide scholarships to go to the university of 5

idaho. >> until it became something tangible and people grasped onto, we realized by creating a foundation we can give scholarships back to kiddos to follow their dreams. that's the best thing we could do in his honor. >> reporter: the victims' families waiting for the next day in court in the in the glas aga allegation against bryan kohberger. one of the officer on the case has been the subject of an internal affairs investigation one family sowing seeds to make sure their son's legacy will flourish >> i miss him. i miss him a lot >> if we touch as many lives as he did in his 20 years, this world would be a better place. he was an amazing kid. alarming new data from the national highway traffic safety administration shows that impaired and distracted driving contributed to a 16-year high in

traffic deaths in 2021, 43,000 people in the u.s. died in car crashes the data showed a 12% jump compared to fatal crashes in 2020 involving at least one distracted driver which resulted in over 3500 deaths. now to a heartwarming reunion nearly two months after the tragedy in turkey. a baby who had been trapped under rubble for 128 thundershowers following the february 6 earthquake that devastated the nation is finally back with her mother of the three and a half-year old was named "mystery", while officials searched for survivaling family. the father and brothers died in the earthquake but the baby was returned to her mother over the weekend. april is world autism month, devoted to raising awareness and support for people with autism we have the story of a 9-year-old whose amazing art is

going viral. >> reporter: tiger isn't your typical 9-year-old in art class. he was drawing before most kids his age had even finished kindergarten >> i got him a big whiteboard, a bunch of markers, and he never stopped drawing. >> reporter: he has been drawing since he was 5, wowing his 56,000 instagram followers with colorful caricatures, and now even drawing upside down >> mickey mouse upside down on the whiteboard, and i thought there's no way he's going to do their. this we've pushed his boundaries a lot. but i looked back and he was almost done. >> reporter: he is a fan favorite at conventions, like last year's new york comic-con where he was among the youngest artist featured. who would you say is your favorite character to draw

>> i like to draw stitch >> reporter: but his dad says drawing is not a self-taught artist's only skill. >> his two skills, it's hyperfocus and hard work >> reporter: the hyperfocus his tad says has become an art therapy of sorts, to help tiger manage his autism. >> we really feel that tiger draw has had an incredible impact on him, you know, people are shocked when they see him, how calm he is they see him at the comic-cons and are like, he can handle all the people and all the noise >> reporter: and his art is changing his life. >> when tiger was referred to the regional center for testing for autism, i fell down to my knees, and i cried when he was younger, all we wanted him to do was grow up and have a normal life and now we still just want him to have a normal life. but obviously, that expectation's changed a little bit. >> reporter: but in tiger's art,

his father also sees an important message for kids on the spectrum avenue where. >> these kids are going to be capable of doing something incredible, okay now not everychild is going to grow up and be a great artist like tiger, but they're capable of something >> that was steven romo reporting. he's on his way to celebrity status at the rate he's going. >> he's got extraordinary talent that is undeniable still l to come, d.c. cocoms is s smashing babarriers smashis . . and starart crunchining a ys worth ofof transactitions against t thousandss ofof compliancnce controls w with the hehelp of. now you're m making smararter decisionons faster.. operating g costs are low. anand everyonene fromom your audiditors toto your banknkers feelels like a m million bucu. let't's create s smarter ways of pututting your r data to wo. ibm. let's's create

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the college grad trans forms into the blue beetle it will feet you're predominantly latino cast. it will debut in theaters on august 18. if encanto and bad bunny are any indication, people will show up. >> i'm surprised it's happened only now we say it all the time it is about time good to see. michelle is back after the break with a look into tuesday's forecast >> later, we'll have a live look as former president trump is expected t to make thahat court apappearance i in his histstoric indictmentnt pearancece in his hc indictmement okokay i did i it. is h he looking g at my hairir? okokay i did i it. mymy joint paiain isn't totoo. okokay i did i it. well, itit wasn't ththis morn. i hopepe i can getet through t. is p plaque psororiasis or psoriatic c arthritiss making youou rethink yourur everyday y choices? is p plaque psororiasis or psoriatic c arthritiss ototezla is a a pill, not t a m or injectition that c can help pepeople with plalaque psoriaiasis acachieve cleaearer skin..

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we love e your skincncare vide. thanksks! my dauaughter has s sensitive e. sameme. try ususing all™ free cleaear as p part of youour family's launundry routinine. it tacklkles impuritities without leleaving irritatingng residue for a clclean thatat's gentntle on skinin. all™ free cleaear. the numbmber one dococtor recommended brand for sensitive skin. do you struggle with occasional nerve aches in your hands or feet? the numbmber one dococtor recommended brand try nervivenerve relief from the world's #1 selling nerve care company. nervive contains alpha lipoic acid to relieve occasional nerve aches, weakness and discomfort. try nervivenerve relief. in a matter of hours, donald trump will become the first former u.s. president to be arraigned on criminal charges. for more, wego to nbc's jay

gray who is outside the manhattan courthouse where trump will appear before a judge, and jay, certainly a controversial day ahead, what can we expect? >> reporter: yeah, a historic. this will all begin with former president trump being processed and read his rights like anyone else, charged with a felony here in new york. clearly he is not like any other defendant, just one of the reasons al35,000 new york city police officers are on high alert right now. lower manhattan on lockdown. streets blocked. an army of federal agents and police on the ground and a warning from new york's mayor about anyone who plans to protest. >> our message is clear and simple control yourselves new york city is our home, not a playground for your misplaced anger. >> reporter: after arriving late

yesterday, former president trump expected to make the short drive from trump tower to the courthouse later today where he will formally be placed under arrest during processing, mr. trump will the not be handcuffed. it's unclear if a mug shot will be taken we do know he will be fingerprinted. next he will be taken for arraignment, the first time someone in the oval office will stand before a judge to face criminal charges trump's legal team says he will plead not guilty to what sources indicate will be roughly 30 counts >> he's gearing up for a battle. this is something obviously we believe is a political persecution. >> reporter: the court hearing is expected to last only a few minutes and he is expected to return immediately to florida after the proceedings. and the former president says he will talk publicly about the day's events from mar-a-lago this evening while district attorney alvin

bragg is scheduled to discuss the case during a press briefing just after the arraignment frances? >> jay, thank you so much. >> so many things that are unknown about this the charges and, you know, what lays ahead and protesters that will show up >> and the millions of dollars adding up as far as campaign in a completely unrelated story, the corpse flower has begun gl begun br begun blooming for the first time in four years it only lasts for 24 to 36 hours. you can watch it on th

heklina was sometimes polarizing, but hilarious and always the golde