miss out. i'm just letting you know. you sure do. all right, let's get a look at that forecast. if you don't go outside today, you just might miss out on a clear day. you're going to miss out on the warm weather, because the rest of the forecast doesn't look like what we'll see again this afternoon. headed for the mid 70s for a lot of our inland areas. temperatures drop tomorrow with more clouds. rain chances increase late and off and on. showers in our sunday forecast with also cooler weather headed to san francisco. now look at this picture. i wouldn't say we're missing the traffic, it's just not there. it's not so heavy. it's friday, of course, that's pretty good there as we approach the 7:00 hour. but a smooth flow of traffic through the south bay as well. a gentle build for freeways like 87, 101 and 85. where's everyone? i know you're watching us. hey, thanks for staying on. yeah, look, that's what's happening today in the bay. stick around. today's show the deaths of gene hackman and his wife. >> as powerful tributes to the

legendary star pour in. good morning. it's february 28th. this is "today." deepening mystery. new details emerge overnight on the deaths of gene hackman and his wife, found in separate rooms in their room, an open pill bottle near her bottle, a scene investigators are calling suspicious this morning. >> all i can see is they have been deceased for quite a while. >> the officials join us live. face to face. president trump sitting down with ukraine's president at the white house today after trump called him a dictator. and the major ruling from a judge overnight blocking the mass firings of federal workers. we're live in washington. on the rise. even more states reporting cases of the measles. the outbreak continuing to spread today. this morning what's being done to slow that surge. legacy on ice. some of figure skating's biggest

stars set to honor the victims that plane crash in the nation's capitol with families of the fallen there to seet. >> seeing them all performing and honoring him is really going to be special. inside that touching tribute straight ahead. those stories, plus, lights, camera, awards. we're counting down to this weekend's oscars with the stars set to shine and the races closer than ever. and putting on a show. >> half court feed. curry knocks it in! >> steph curry pours in a season best 56 points in a g win for the warriors. >> back to curry. it's good. what a night for curry. and what a day on the greens as an unwanted guest hits the fairway.

>> no thank you, chris. i don't know about you. >> oh, a little snap. >> today, friday, february 28th, 2025. ♪♪ from nbc news, this is "today" with savannah guthrie and craig melvin. and craig melvin. from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> hi, everybody. good morning. welcome to "today." peter is here for craig. craig is in new orleans having a grand old time for the 3rd hour. >> craig is thinking, you know what, we will start the pre-party off right now. >> yeah, he's down there doing research. we want to get to our top story this morning. we have new details on the sudden and mysterious death of big screen legend gene hackman and his wife. >> the 95-year-old oscar winner and his 65-year-old wife as well as one of their german shepherds all found dead in their home in santa fe, new mexico. officials say there were no obvious signs of foul play. but detectives are calling the circumstances suspicious. >> in a moment we will talk to

the top officials involved in this investigation life from sante fe. first, liz kreutz joins us from the scene. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. yes. there are so many questions here. we know this couple died inside this gated community in santa fe. an urgent 911 call from the maintenance worker that spotted the bodies and called the police. investigators say while there are so many questions about how and when they passed away, it appeared they had been deceased for quite some time. the sheriff says there is no immediate indication of a crime but admits it is too soon to rule anything out. >> there was no immediate sign of foul play. this is an investigation, so we're keeping everything on the table. >> reporter: authorities later

saying an autopsy was performed and there was no exrnal trauma, but the cause of death hasn't been determined and officials results are still to come. the couple's bodies were funds wednesday afternoon. a maintenance worker calling 911 after seeing them through a window. >> are they moving at all? >> no, they're not moving. just send somebody out here really quick. >> in a search warrant affidavit, a detective called the deaths suspicious, writing the front door of the residence was found unsecured and open. the body of hackman's 65-yeaold wife was inside a bathroom, according to deputies, with a space heater nearby and an open prescription pill bottle on the counter. >> all i can say is they have been deceased for quite a while. >> hackman's body was found in a mud room. deputies say it appeared he had suddenly fallen with a pair of sunglasses near his body. the couple's dog found dead. >> a dog that was in the kennel that was also found decreased. >> while two other dogs were found alive on the property. neither the fire department nor the gas company found any signs

of a gas leak. meanwhile, tributes are pouring in for the two-time cadacademy award winner. clint eastwood, hackman's costar writing, there was no finer actor than gene. he was also a dear friend who i will miss very much. and bill murray speaking out. >> the guy was really, really good. so good-bye, gene. i hope you're well, wherever you are. >> according to the search warrant, deputies say there's no signs of forced entry into the home, and while there's also no sign of trauma to the bodies, investigators are collecting any kind of blunt or sharp objects in the home that could have been use as a weapon. as for medical examiners, they're doing a full autopsy to determine a cause of death in the next few weeks. >> liz, thank you. joining us now is the sante fe county sheriff department and the first to arrive at hackman's home. good morning to both of you. sheriff, let me start with you.

do you have any more insight this morning on what may have led to these deaths? >> right now we don't. of course, we executed the search warrant yesterday, starting on the evening of the 26th, all into yesterday afternoon. and one of our investigators attended the autopsy yesterday. we don't have more information. we're trying to put things together, put together a time line of when the decedents were last seen or were spoken to. of course, we understand that was a challenge because e they were very private individuals and a private family. so we're trying to put that information together right now. >> officers did conclude the two had been deceased for some time. any sense of the time line? are we talking days? are we talking weeks? >> yeah. it is difficult to put a time line together even with the office of the medical investigator, just based on their body and other evidence on the body. it appears several days, possibly even up to a couple

weeks. >> any insight in terms of the two of them? two of them? did it appear they had passed at the same time or had one passed before the other? >> i think that's very difficult to determine. i think it's going to be pretty close. you know, the -- there was no indication that anybody was moving about the house or doing anything different. so it's very hard to determine if they both passed at the same time or how close they passed together. we're trying to put that information together and obviously with the assistance of the office of the medical investigator. and i think the autopsy report will be key to this investigation. >> let me bring in the fire chief here. is carbon monoxide poisoning or a gas leak, has that been ruled out definitively or ishat still a potential cause here? >> yeah, good morning. we -- at the time of the incident, we did not determine anything that was in the house with our meters that was

concerning towards our guys doing the searches. so at the time of the incident, home at the time.nything in the >> but there have been some time that had passed, it appears, from when they passed to when they were found. does that complicate the question at all in terms of if there had been some kind of leak, would it have dissipated, perchance. >> it possibly could. that was a home with natural gas in it. so it could have. yeah, there is a lot of unanswered questions there. we made sure our people as well as the sheriff were safe, and there was nothing we found. we also went back again yesterday to do another round of searches with the sheriff department, and we didn't find anything as well. >> well, i understand that this is a very large property. can you give us a little more on the layout? and were the bodies in close proximity to each other or far apart? >> so when my paramedics

arrived, we found one of the deceased's bodies in the living ro area. i'm sorry, in one of the areas of the house and the other was a little farther apart. yes, it was a very large home. it took a while for all of us to locate. >> sheriff, let me get back to you. the front door was open and not secured. that was in the search warrant affidavit. was it just unlocked or was it just ajar, wide open? >> well, the information i gathered from the investigators was there were several doors that were unlocked at the residence. i believe the front door was closed but unlocked, unsecured. there was one door that was ajar, and that was towards the rear of the residence that two of the dogs that survived were coming in and out of the residence. there is a little bit of convicting stories. based on emergency response and things, we're not sure if that door was open upon the arrival of emergency personnel or if it was open upon industry of emergency personnel. so that's another question and something that we just need to answer.

>> sheriff, another fact that was in the affidavit was that there was an opened prescription bottle potentially with pills splayed out. i understand medical privacy, you are not at liberty to say what that profession was. but let me get at it a different way. do you believe that prescription could be related in any way to the deaths that we have seen here? >> that's obviously very important evidence at the scene. that information was collected. that information was passed to the office of the medical examiner to help them make a determination. yes, we're looking at that specifically and other medications, of course, that were possibly in the residence. so that is something of concern. >> yeah, and the toxicology report, which will look at t th, that is when? what's the time line on that? i assume that will help answer some of these questions. >> based on my experience, a toxicology report could take some time. it could take up to three months or possibly longer. it just depends on how busy the laboratory is. but we're hoping it comes sooner

rather than later so we can answer these questions, and hopefully it will help us in our investigation to determine and determine the manner and cause of death. >> i mean, bottom line, is there a working theory here? are you still confident there is no foul play? what is your sense of what may have happened? >> i think i'm pretty confident that there is no foul play just based on the lack of evidence of foul play. but, you know, of course, we're not ruling that out. i think the autopsy results, the official results are going to help us steer us in the right directioion. that could change, obviously, and we're not ruling that out. this is an open investigation. it is a couple days old. so we're putting together the time line. we're trying to figure out all the evidence and the autopsy is key. that is going to take some time. so i hope, you know, a little bit of patience on the family's part, on everybody's part so we could have some answers to these deaths.

>> the paramedics first on the scene there, is it still your belief there was some wording in the search warrant affidavit that it looked as though the two may have fallen. is that still your belief? >> yeah, we -- when we arrived on scene, my paramedics did do an evaluation. it was obvious. we didn't do any life-saving measures. so at the time we didn't need to get any closer due to the fact that it was an obvious sign of death. >> thank you for your time this morning, and i appreciate you being with us. thank you. >> thank you. >> thank you. another major story that we're following this morning, the push to end the years' long war in ukraine. an important step in that process will play out in washington today where president trump will mean meet one on one

with ukraine's president, volodymyr zelenskyy. garrett haake joins us from there with the latest. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. yeah, that this meeting would take place today wasn't always a given after president trump called ukraine's president a dictator last week. but trump yesterday softened his tone significantly towards the ukrainian leader who will today hand the president a major victory in the form of signing a deal to share ukraine's mineral wealth with the u.s. ukraine's hope is that will help the u.s. to continue to help them with russia. something president trump has yet to commit to. president trump set to meet face to face with ukraine's president volodymyr zelenskyy this morning as he tries to broker a deal to end the war in ukraine. >> i think it's moving along pretty rapidly. it will either be fairly soon, or it won't be at all. >> the two presidents giving u.s. access to ukraine's rare earth minerals, designed to pay back billions of aid to ukraine. in recent days, president trump making combative comments about

zelenskyy, including calling him a dictator. meeting with keir starmer on thursday, back pedaling when t really well. we have a lot of respect -- i have a lot of respect for him. asked if he stands by that attack on volodymyr zelenskyy. >> did i say that? i can't believe i said that. >> reporter: later raising expectations for today's sitdown. >> i have a lot of respect for him. >> reporter: praising the president's efforts, while urging him not to reward russia in any deal. >> there can't be peace that rewards the aggressor. >> reporter: saying if there is a deal, they will bolster ukraine's security. including with british troops if necessary. >> i do think that it's important that european countries play a leading part in any security guarantees. >> meanwhile, president trump's effort to slash the federal workforce is meeting new resistance. late thursday a federal judge ordered the office of personnel management to rescind its memo calling on agencies to fire probationary employees but not calling for the reinstatement of workers.

the latest cuts at noaa which includes the national weather service and works on everything from forecasts and farmers to monitoring dangerous weather like fires and hurricanes. an administration official says the agency has laid off around 600 people while spare staffers with, quote, mission critical functions. at usaid, an emotional exodus. recently fired workers given 15 minutes to clear out their desk, including ben thompson who blasted the cuts spearheaded by elon musk. >> he's tearing down our institutions for fun. it is a game. it's not public service. >> reporter: the president also said yesterday he will impose another 10% tariff on imports from chi and that the 25% on imports from canada and mexico will go into effect next tuesday. those costs ultimately born by american consumers. the president says all three of those countries need to stop fentanyl trafficking into the u.s.

bhu but of note, only two-tenths of fentanyl crossings were found at the border with canada with just 43 pounds from canada in total. >> garrett, thank you. there are growing concerns this morning over the measles outbreak we have been following in texas and other parts of the country. kentucky and washington now just the latest to announce infections. nearly 150 cases spread across 10 states. sam brock has been following this for us this week. >> good morning. health officials say right now this is a critical juncture because parents with unvaccinated kids can still take action and stop this surge. experts say if you are unvaccinated, the likelihood you will contract this virus, 90%. texas the epicenter of the worst outbreak is expected to update their numbers there. >> u.s. officials declared measles eliminated years ago, but there is a new race to contain a new spread. 10 states reported cases, most of them in texas.

new jersey announced it has three infections, all of them related to one person's travel abroad with the virus then spreading to two household contracts. all three were unvaccinated. >> it is a highly contagious disease. >> reporter: new jersey's health commissioner telling us when it comes to the measles vaccine, it is better late than never. >> if somebody was not vaccinated and they came in contact with measles it is important to know right away because if we get them vaccinated within 72 hours, it can help. >> reporter: the most recent infections reported in washington state and kentucky. the worst spread in western texas where there are more than 120 cases, including 20 plus hospitalizations, all children. one of whom has died. this woman in texas is racing to get her young daughter vaccinated. >> i got measles as a kid because there was no vaccine. there was no availability. but here in america, it's free and accessible and, yet, people choose to, you know, ignore it. >> reporter: many pediatricians

like dr. tim jax of arizona pleading with parents to vaccinate their children. his daughter was exposed at two years old while receiving cancer treatments. >> it is affecting the families around them and the kids that the immunosuppressed or too young to be vaccinated. >> reporter: health and human services secretary recently making assertions about the texas cases that needed to be corrected by local doctors. health experts want parents to trust the science. >> vaccines are safe and effective. this is not up for debate. >> reporter: and there is another issue here as well, guys. because the measles hasn't been present for a long period of time, many doctors are not always familiar with the symptoms. it always comes with a fever and a very specific kind of rash. she says it is important for health care officials to review how the disease presents and for parents to remain extremely vigilant.

>> thank you, sam. we will pivot to weather as we head to al who is on the road in new orleans for our 3rd hour this morning. >> good to see you. it is a picture perfect morning. i'm going to show you a little meteorological phenomenon here. take a look at this. this is a boundary cloud. it is a boundary layer. dry air coming in to warmer moisture air. and that -- that creates that real delineation you can see there. it is gorgeous. and take a look at it now, right now live. you can see just beautiful, beautiful clouds. oh, that is fantastic. and we've got some beautiful weather. if you like warm temperatures, you have come to the right place, my friends. look at this. we're stretching from coast to coast with temperares above average. we're looking at a high in phoenix. 81 reading today. 84 detroit.

you're 14 degrees warmer. houston 75 degrees. tomorrow we will see some places getting warmer. as that colder air comes in green bay, st. louis, lexington, you are cooler than average. as we head into the next few days going into early next week, you can see temperatures warm up in boston. 45. 62 in st. louis. little rock 69. and charlotte 64 degrees. wind alerts right now in the midwest. we will get to your local forecast coming up in the next 30 seconds.

temperatures head for the mid 70s, and this will be the last day of having a little taste of spring before winter arrives. and that means a drop in temperatures for the weekend. rain chances increase late tomorrow night and we will only make it into the upper 50s on sunday, with clouds and waves of rain coming through, although we're not expecting this to be a significant storm. we'll have another hour, guys, we have a real harbinger of spring. we'll talk about that coming up. >> love that. coming up, our emotional conversation with a man who lost his wife and son, a rising star in figure skating, in that fatal crash in washington. this morning how he's honoring their legacies and the touching tribute planned for this weekend. also ahead, we will get you ready for a huge night in hollywood, sunday's academy

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good morning. it is 726. i'm laura garcia. here's a look at our top stories. you see, workers in one of two striking unions are walking off the job today for the third and final day. some 60,000 workers in two unions, afscme and upt, first went on strike wednesday. it's impacting uc campuses statewide in areas including health services, labs, mental health counseling and service work. only up two workers are back on strike today. the unions are citing issues including pay, benefits and bargaining strategies. uc says emergency services are not impacted. i'm kris sanchez. today is a callo action for people to not spend any money in order to send messages to companies that have rolled back their dei policies. the call is to not spend in person or online, or, if you have to, to frequent businesses that have retained their dei policies. you can find more information about which companies are doing what at

latino frees.com or goods unite us dot com. let's get a look at our forecast for this friday. should be a nice day today but change is coming. yeah, we had such a beautiful sunrise this morning. take a look at the clouds over san francisco and we are still headed for some warm weather today. feeling spring like with highs in the mid to upper 70. but we'll see a drop in temperatures this weekend with also some rain arriving by late saturday night and off and on rain in sunday's forecast, with highs staying in the 50s. laura. thanks, kari. don't forget to join us for today in the bay live streaming newscast at 8 a.m. who says you have to go to hollywood to experience film's biggest night of the year? we lay out some of the best bay area bets for celebrating sunday's oscars. join us on roku, amazon fire tv and

an alligator with his friends in the middle of the

fairway. >> back 7:30. gator versus gator yesterday. a former university of florida gator against a real life scaly reptile. this round to the golfer. but don't try it at home. i guess he didn't care that much about the -- what is that, his putter? >> no, that is not his putter, savannah. that is actually his 60-degree sand wedge. he used that club because he had multiples in his locker. had the gator ate it, he had extras. >> the gator didn't take the ball into the drink. that could happen. >> i don't know what the ruling is on that, but that was fun. he's from florida, so he knew what he was doing there. the countdown to the oscars. >> sunday night will mark the crews are racing to put the

finatouches on the theater. as to who will take home the statue is anyone's guess. it's the most wide open award season in years. >> nbc's joe fryer is here now with a look ahead. good morning. >> it is a surreal moment in hollywood right now. the community is still dealing with the aftermath of the wild fires right now. something the academy and conan o'brien plan to make a focus of the show in a year when many categories, including best picture, are truly up for grabs. >> not my flame. >> it's hollywood's golden finale, the 97th oscscars with first-time host conan o'brian. >> seriously? >> he will be joined by a star studded list of presenters including oprah winfrey, harrison ford, and samuel l. jackson, and some spell-binding musical performances with

cynthia e-rivo and ariana grand taking the stage. also reporting there may be a tribute to the iconic bond music in the works. >> mr.? >> bond, james bond. >> the academy teased other performances from doja cat to queen latifah. and hollywood with pay tribute to gene hackman, while behind the scenes the race heats up, especially for best picture. >> $15, cash upfront. >> the race for best picture is between "anora" and "conclave," but i think you can't count out "the brutalist," and even "a complete unknown." >> emilia perez had a lot of nominations. anand the fit openly trans actor up for on oscar. the hopes faded after old offensive tweets were uncovered. the actress later apologized. >> the only sin is to accept.

>> despite the controversy, her costar, zoe saldana, is poised to win supporting actress after sweeping every major award this season. it would be her first oscar. kieran caulkin also appears to be up for an award. >> reporter: movies tend to scare away oscar voters, demi moore's performance in "the substance" could bring home her first oscar trophy. though a young rising star, "anora"'s madison offers stiff competition. best actor. adrian brodie picked up a golden globe for "the brutalist." but timothee chalamet surging after winning the screen actors guild award for his portrayal of

bob dylan. >> i put myself in another place. >> that would make the 29-year-old the youngest best actor winner of all time, a record currently held by brody. so who will win? right now the answer is "a complete unknown." >> that's all i got so far. >> now there are a couple of format changes for the oscars this year. unlike previous years, the original song nominees will not be performed, but as you heard, you can expect some fun. they're looking to recapture the music from "i'm just ken." choreographers say you will like everything they are doing this year because it is in the same vain of joy and celebration, which we could all use right now. >> yeah, love that. >> there are so many movies that could win best picture. >> there are literally three movies that could win best picture. i wouldn't be surprised. >> i haven't seen any of them. >> you have got a couple days. >> thank you, joe. by the way, we will have all

the winners, the highlights, the fashion covered for you when we come back here on monday. coming up on "popstart," we told you about the spinoff of "the office." it is happening. we have news, including an original star who is set to join the cast. first, we'll look ahead to this weekend's powerful tribute to the figure skating communities. emilie ikeda has the story. good morning. >> good morning. welcome. skating royalty will be taking to the ice to honor the victims of the plane crash. coming up, hear from one of the victims' families who will be tuning in on what this tribute means to them. stay with us. one amazing theme park our universe will never be the same

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welcome back. some of the biggest names in figure skating will be coming together this weekend at a special and emotional event. this is being called legacy on ice, set to honor the lives lost in last month's tragic plane crash in washington, d.c., while offering support to their loved ones. >> nbc's emilie ikeda spoke exclusively to one of those families who joins us now. good morning. >> good morning. on january 29th, doug lost both his wife christine and 16-year-old son spencer, a rising star in the world of figure skating. now he's opening up about their legacy and how he and his younger son are navigating this new, unfathomable normal. a month after the devastating plane crash over the potomac, a community coming together again. skating legends hosting the legacy on ice tribute, which will include stars like max nomoff and nathan chen, honoring the lives lost in the crash, including the nearly 30 people connected to figure skating. many of the victims young skaters returning from a prestigious training camp with

olympic dreams. >> to see that list of skaters participating, what does that mean to you? >> it means a lot seeing them all performing and honoring him is really going to be special for me >> doug lost his wife christine and older adopted son spencer, pictured here in one of his favorite photos. >> that's real life to me. i mean, because i think anyone who is a parent knows it's not picture perfect every day. it is always a little bit chaotic. >> that chaos now a treasured memory. >> these are his medals. >> in providence, rhode island, we walked through a memorial remembering the lanes. spencer's fearlessness showed. >> and christine's vibrant personality was reflecd in her creative projects. >> photography and needle point. >> this is -- let's see. >> and blogging along the way. >> she f felt thisrive to share what she was doing and, you know, encourage others to try new things. >> same for spencer, who documented his meteoric rise in

figure skating on social media. on the day of the thrash, he posted these photos from national development camp writing, it has been my goal alst ever since i became aware that it was a thing. i learned so much and met so many amazing people. are you able to find any solace in the fact that spencer's last week was doing what he loved? >> yes, 100%. he was with some of his best friends in the world. he was with his coaches, all three of them. he was with his mom. and doing, yeah, just absolutely at an event doinwhat he loved. >> legacy on ice is raising money to support the victims' families along with the first responders and aviation officials that responded to the scene. max will also be skating. he lost both his parents in the

crash. we can watch this moving tribute at 3:00 p.m. on sunday on peacock, guys. >> thank you very much. we want to get a check of the weather right now from al who is down in beautiful new orleans. al, good morning. >> hey, guys. good morning. peter and savannah, you both worked down there in washington, d.c., so you know the cherry blossoms are harbingers of spring. that's right, it is time to talk cherry blossoms. the peak bloom forecast march 28th through the 31st. average bloom march 29th. earliest bloom was march 15th in 1990. 1958 april was the latest bloom. and 65 years ago, the average peak bloom date. since then, we have moveved tha up eight days earlier thanks to climate change. we're also talking about spring. here is the spring outlook from the national weather service. from boston all the way to phoenix, warmer than average temperatures. unfortunately, the other harbinger of spring is severe

weather. already for tuesday, 20 million people at risk. wind gusts, strong tornadoes in memphis and hail. wednesday that moves to the southeastern coast from d.c. down to tallahassee. 33 million people. it is really unusual to have severe outlooks this far in advance. so that gives you an idea of how potent this could be. a lot of our inland areas are headed back to the mid 70s. but then those temperatures drop off tomorrow and will only make it into the low 60s, with more clouds and a chance of rain late. by sunday we're seeing waves of showers kind of off and on throughout the day, but a high of only 59 degrees. more cool and wet weather through the middle of next week. with our high and that is your latest

weather. guys? >> all right. it is preview time. a little sneak peek. >> yeah. but that sunrise in new orleans beautiful. love to see that guys. all right. casting news coming up here for the reboot of "the office," and it's pretty -- >> unbelievable! >> unbelievable! >> that's right. it is unbelievable. that's oscar, the accountant. he is coming back. "variety" confirming he will return to his desk job in the upcoming reboot, the sitcom's next chapter will be set at a dying newspaper company in the midwest. the reporters volunteers. no word yet if anybody from the original office will make that move from scranton. we don't want to jinx it because -- well, let's let michael say it. >> i'm not superstitious, but i am a little stitious. >> someone in the control room had a blast this morning finding those little clips. >> which is always dicey when you set them up so close.

>> we know that. >> "popstart" preview is pretty good. also, yo morning boost is on the way. it is a good one to end the week. but, first, these quick messages and local news. oh, a car?! are you sure you can afford this? let me see... alright. that's a big purchase! relax! i got pre-qualified and shopped by my monthly budget so i know it's a good decision. unlike jenny's new piercing... [gasps] get pre-qualified. shop within your budget. carmax. (♪♪) (phone dings) for the acute treatment of migraine with or without aura in adults, nurtec odt can provide relief in 2 hours which can last up to 2 days. (♪♪) don't take if allergic to nurtec odt. allergic reactions can occur even days after use, like trouble breathing and rash. get help if you have trouble breathing, swelling of the face, mouth, tongue, or throat.

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and weight gain were not common. caplyta can cause serious side effects. call your doctor about sudden mood changes, behaviors, or suicidal thoughts right away. anti-depressants may increase these risks in young adults. elderly dementia patients have increased risk of death or stroke. caplyta is not approved for dementia-related psychosis. report fever, confusion, or stiff muscles, which may be life threatening, or uncontrolled muscle movements which may be permanent. common side effects include sleepiness, dizziness, nausea, and dry mouth. these aren't all the side effects. in the darkness of bipolar i & ii depression, caplyta can help you let in the lyte. ask your doctor about caplyta. find savings and support at caplyta.com. we're back now just about 7:50. savannah, you are covering the morning boost. >> i know. this was a pinch me moment and it's going viral. alex rodriguez showing this video on social media yesterday revealing the moment when a little slugger approaches him at

a restaurant to show him some of his own baseball highlights, ask for a few tips on his swing. and here is what he said. >> come get some. you want to be a future yankee. you'd be like aaron judge. you know you're going to be a future big leaguer, right? i'm calling it right now. that is my prediction. >> i love that. >> so cute. >> i love his uniform, too. it's right there. >> and he's getting tips from the legend. seeing the passion in kids, a-rod said it makes me fall in love with the game of baseball over and over. >> look at how far we've come from a kid seeing an icon. now it is like, i have my tablet on me. can you review my swing? >> love it. >> just ahead, could "the hunger games" be coming to broadway? i'm not sure how that would work. but, first, your local news and weather and these quick messages.

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oppose what they call excessive influence from billionaires and leading political parties. a group called the people's union usa is behind the campaign. it cites recent dei rollbacks as one of its inspirations. organizers are telling everyone to avoid spending for 24 hours starting today, especially at some of the largest retail and food chains. the same group is promising more action in the weeks and months to come. i'm ginger conejero saab this morning. global health leaders are making their recommendations for next season's flu vaccine. this comes in the wake of one of the most severe flu seasons in more than a decade. the cdc estimates 33 million flu illnesses and around 19,000 deaths in the 2425 flu season. adding another layer of concern the ongoing bird flu outbreak. now, the united states was part of today's w.h.o. meeting, despite president trump previously saying the u.s. will leave the organization. let's get a look at that forecast for you. kari, how are things

looking out there? it's looking nice. and we had a beautiful sunrise. now we're seeing a few clouds moving in. but overall, a really nice day with a mix of sun and clouds and milder temperatures. we're in the low 50s now, but headed for the mid to upper 70. and this will be the last day that we'll have a nice little taste of spring, because tomorrow those temperatures drop and we'll stay in the 60s with more clouds and rain chances increasing late. we'll see off and on showers and cloudy skies on sunday and then next week. we're still looking at some rain chances, and cooler than normal weather extends into next thursday. back to you. all right. thanks, gary. and make sure you watch our today in the bay live streaming newscast at minutes at 8 a.m. when it comes to sunday's bay area

new details surrounding the mysterious deaths of gene

hackman and his wife. officials calling the circumstances suspicious. >> we're trying to put things together, put together our time line when the decedents were last seen. >> there is a lot of unanswereds there. >> what the sheriff leading the investigation is telling. then needing a tow? the warning all drivers need to see. >> everything to know about so-called predatory towing and how to stay protected. and cooking up greatness. we w will intruce you to an extraordinary chef. >> we want to celebrate our culture, honor it, but do it in a new flavor. >> on a mission to give back to his community and honor his culture one delicious meal at a time. >> all of that, plus -- >> in the morning, i'm going to get waffles. >> shrek back from the swamp.

>> and the need for speed. >> our sneak peek at the fast-moving new season of formula 1, all ahead today, february 28th, 2025. ♪♪ >> it's our first time in new york. >> from north carolina. >> girls' trip from kansas! >> hi to my team at woai in san antonio! >> happy friday! from tennessee. >> mississippi. >> ask louisiana. >> auclair, wisconsin. >> and virginia. ♪♪ >> can here for jilli's 18th birthday. >> shout-out to our high school back in alabama.

whoo! >> all right, everybody. welcome ck to "today." great crowd out there. i mean, are you fired up or what? it's friday morning. peter alexander is in for craig this morning. he's getting a jump on the weekend. they're having a blast. we will check in with them in a little bit. i feel confident if he were here, peter, he would say happy fri-yeah. >> high energy crowd as we head into the weekend. we are celebrating across america with jenna. she will introduce us to a remarkable teacher going above and beyond with incredible results. >> we want to get right to your news at 8:00 on a friday morning and the new details emerging overnight on the deaths of gene hackman and his wife. now calling the circumstances surrounding those deaths suspicious. liz kreutz joins us from the scene with the very latest. >> good morning, yeah. they're calling it suspicious

but saying there is no crime committed here. we know it did happen at the couple's estate here in sante fe. when authorities arrived, they found the bodies in two separate parts of the home. it appeared they had both fallen. as officials told you this morning, it appeared they had been there for several days, popotentiallseveral weeks. there was no indication of trauma to the bodies. hackman was found fallen by a mud room with a door to the outside slightly open. his wife was found in the bathroom with an open prescription pill bottle there. one of their dogs also found deceased. here is what officials are saying. >> i think i'm pretty confident that there is no foul play just based on the lack of evidence of foul play just based on the lack of evidence of foul play, but we, of course, we're not ruling that out. again, i think the autopsy results, the official results are going to help us -- steer us

in the right direction. >> and, again, those initial results saying no trauma to the body, but a full autopsy is being conducted. that could take several weeks or months. tributes pouring in for gene hackman. savannah? >> liz, so many questions there. thank you for the reports, yeah. president trump set to meet with president volodymyr zelenskyy this morning as he tries to broker a deal to end russia's invasion of ukraine. the two set to sign a deal giving the u.s. access to ukraine's rare earth minerals designed to help pay back tens of billions of dollars in american aid to the country. meantime president trump's efforts to slash the federal workforce is meeting new resistance. yesterday a federal judge ordered what is the hr department, the office of personnel management, to rescind its memo, calling on agencies to fire probationary employees. a lot to talk about this week on

"meet the press." kristin welker will be joined by senator bernie sanders, mike johnson and senator james lankford. and the new secretary of transportation says the rececen string of aviation crashes and close calls appears to have one thing in common in his view, pilot error. nbc's tom costello caught up with the secretary of the air traffic control academy in oklahoma city. tom, good mornin >> reporter: savannah, good morning. so the transportation secretary sean duffy has only been on the job for a month, but already he has had to deal with significant aviation incidents. there does appear to be a common thread. in the national spotlight this morning, aviation safety, after a series of crashes and close calls. on tuesday in chicago, a business jet crossed in front of the southwest 737, attempting to land, forcing it to climb fast.

>> going around. >> the ntsb chair says the pilot failed to follow controller instructions to hold. flex jet tells nbc news it's investigating. your message after the midway incident was if you don't listen to or don't adhere to air traffic control, your pilot's license should be yanked? >> hell yes. listen, if air traffic control is telling you to st and you roll across a runway and thank god you have an airliner pilot paying attention, that could have been catastrophic. >> the close call comes after an army helicopter crashed into a jet in washington, after a commuter plane crashed in alaska and a commuter plane crashed in toronto. is there anything that connects them or is it the possibility of human error? >> listen, they're a all very unique. but i do think in all of them, again, not exclusively, not 100%, but a majority probably of the errors go to the pilots,

right? there is some pilot error at play in each of these incidents. >> runway 28 right, clear to land. >> duffy saw firsthand the intense training at the air traffic control academy where the wash-out rate is 35%. with the faa short thousands of controllers and many working mandatory overtime, duffy announced steps to recruit more students and pay them more. >> we want to take the top-scoring students and fast track them into the first seats that are available at the academy. >> reporter: and duffy says controllers are not part of the administration's government layoffs. yeah, duffy is also calling on congress to go big, spend billions of dollars now to upgrade the nation's antiquated air traffic control systems, some of which, by the way, date back 50 years. delta airlines very much the focus of the investigation in toronto. and because of that, they're not allowed to speak to the ongoing

investigation. savannah? >> tom, thank you very much. to the nba now and what a night for golden state warriors superstar seth curry. watch. >> steph from three-quarter court. curry hits a three from beyond mid court to end the half. >> i love the walkoff like it is a layup. curry with a three-quarter court shot just before halftime. 56 points. that included 12 three-pointers, the most threes by any player this season. curry putting on a show for the orlando crowd. the warriors' head c coach ste kerr said after the game, you know, we're used to it, but it never gets old. how could you? >> i mean, he's just a one man highlight reel. incredible. over to carson. what you got? >> travis kelce just made a big decision. no, it is not about taylor

swift. it is about his future in the nfl. what he's saying, what's confirmed and more coming up on "popstart". first, an eye-opening warning all drivers need to see. it is about what we call predatory towing. it's playing out in real-time and vicky nguyen has it for us. >> i want to tell you about this predatory towing scheme. we will show you how it happens and everything you need to know in case you are in a crash. that's next right here on "today." oh... stuffed up again? so congested! you need sinex saline from vicks. just sinex,

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side effects include nausea and sleepiness. migraine pain relief starts with you. learn how abbvie could help you save on ubrelvy. back now at 8:14 with "today's consumer." this morning a new warning about predatory schemes by towing companies. >> obviously drivers rely on towers for emergencies, after a car cident, of course a breakdown. officials say that's when these companies might try to rip you off. >> well, that's just despicable. nbc's correspondent vicky nguyen is looking into it. hi, vicky. good morning. >> good morning. this one is wild and people don't know this happens. officials say while most toe companies are reputable, they are seeing an increase in rogue towers who prey on you when you are vulnerable. our affiliates across the country, catching towers in the act. this morning i have everything you need to know to avoid being taken for a ride.

authorities say you're watching a rogue towing scheme in progress. these drivers were just in car crashes when suddenly a tow truck shows up to help. but instead of being the answer to their prayers, police say these toe operators wind up causing a new headache. >> you have these rogue towers that are showing up on scene and oftentimes taking advantage of people for 10, $ 15,000, $ 16,000. >> they are holding these cars hostage. they're known as predatory towers. complaints about them have skyrocketed 89% in the last three years. >> the scammers are following the money. we're seeing this in major cities from chicago to new york and d.c. but we're also seeing it in smaller communities like des moines, iowa. >> our nbc station in los angeles went out with police to expose how they do it. at this accident, watch the guy in the official looking reflective vest. police say he's actually a spotter for rogue towers,

tracking accidents on a police scammer. he tells victims he will work with their insurance company or aaa to arrange a toe. but what he really does is call his buddy, an unlicensed tower, who hauls the car away, then charges the owner thousands to get it back. police say that's way above the typical tow fee of several hundred dollars depending on distance. >> these people are professionals in what they can do. they can gain your confidenc just like a typical con man. >> once the victim okays the tow, the lapd says all they can do is slap the company for a small fine for not having a permit. they say in 90% of l.a. crashes, it is these bandit towers that show up first. >> theiss company -- these companies are just robbing you. >> this man said it happened to his teen son after being in a hit-and-run. a tower showed up saying he would haul away his car for free. but when he went to get the car, the new charge was $2,300 in cash. the tower even threatening to place a lean on the car.

desperate, nigel paid. >> it was a complete nightmare for us because we weren't sure if we were ever going to see the car again. >> across the country, our nbc stations uncovered more predatory towing schemes. in raleigh, exorbitant towing charges. >> the towing company has you by the neck. >> elderly victims targeted. >> i'm on social security and a pension. i can't afford this. >> and in chicago catching rogue companies towing cars away illegally. believe it or not, in many areas this is legal. most states have few, if any, laws against predatory towing. the best way to protect yourself, if you didn't request it, then reject it. >> if you just been in a car accident and a towing company shows up on scene, don't do anything until law enforcement arrives first. wait for them to give you a list of pre-approroved towi vendors. >> yeah. and they say get all of those towing fees upfront in writing before they hook up your car.

take photos of the company name, the license plate, even the driver's face. and if they only accept cash, that is a big red flag. legit towing companies should take your credit card. that should give you protection in case you have problems later on. >> what a scam. broad daylight, you know. >> in a person's moment of need. does insurance play into this at all? >> most insurance companies will cover these tows. that's why the nicb is all up in arms about this, because then we end up getting those costs passed along to us in higher premiums. they set up a national hotline for all of this stuff. you can report these complaints. we put all of that on today.com. >> thank you, vicky nguyen. >> all right. let's check in with the forecast. al is in new orleans. >> uncle al. >> good morning! >> hey, good morning, guys. we guarantee you are going to lovato day's weather, especially if you are down south. take a look at what we got. enjoying the warmth into the gulf coast.

windy conditions in the northern plains and plenty of sunshine out west. that's what's going on around the countr best time of the morning! >> pretty good down there, uncle al. >> we just noticed that tie. that might be the best moment of the morning. >> of the week. >> it's very mardi gras forward. i like it. >> it looks good. all right. anyway, let's get to your "popstart."

let's start with shrek and big news for this trio. >> you look awful. do you want to sit down? >> you know what? i'll make you some tea. >> well, i didn't want to say nothing, but i got this twinge in anymy neck, and look. ah! see? >> who's hungry? i'll find us some dinner. >> i'll get the firewood. >> hey, where are you going? oh, man. i can't feel my toes. i don't have any toes! >> a new movie is on the way. the swamp family is growing. zendaya set to join the all-star cast of "shrek 5" with mike myers, cameron driaz, and eddie murphy. >> hey, magic mirror, who is the fairest of them all. >> why, shrek, of course. >> can eh, dad! >> momma like. >> who is making this stuff? >> just in time to celebrate the franchise's 25th anniversary, "shrek 5" will hit theaters

december 2026. next up, we have formula 1 "drive to survive." a new season taking racing fans behind the scenes as teams prepare to battle it out for the formula 1 world championship and another "popstart" exclusive sneak peek. >> our biggest rival. it's ourself. >> after 12 years together, i'm going to ferrari. oh, really? >> good for his bank account. >> every time i see a clip of that, and i don't know anything about formula 1, i want to watch it. they're in season 7 now. so fast. "drive to survive." season 7 already. might be too far for me to dive in. >> never too late.

>> you could catch up. >> that's what i keep saying about "severance". next up is benson boone. it's been a big year for benson. his breakout hit song hit number two. now a new song is out today from benson called "sorry, i'm here for someone else." let's take a listen. ♪ i'm sorry i'm here for someone else ♪ ♪ i wish that i could stay ♪ ♪ i talk at the bar all by myself ♪ ♪ but i'm here for someone else ♪ >> play a little bit of a new song and you have to decide do you like it or not? >> do you? >> you have to give it a shot for benson boone. he's so talented. listen to a song three times before you pass judgment. yes, beginning to end. benson has been teasing more

music on social media, changing his instagram bio to album two but with a question mark. "the hunger games." the best-selling books hit massive. susan collins' story set to become a play opening in london this october. yesterday the team shared a behind the scenes look at the rehearsals. >> i think what we're trying to do is make something that is unique. theatrically. people know the story. it would be great if people could come along and not just be reenergized by the story being told theatrically, but actually being blown away by the piece of art that we're making. >> tickets presale start later next month. who knows? perhaps one day it will come to broadway. >> wait a minute, pump or dump it? would you like to see the broadway show. >> can you pump broadway? >> if it's on broadway, i will

definitely see it. next up, finally travis kelce, as mentioned, a few weeks have passed since the chiefs super bowl loss. now thdust has settled, travis opening up about the retirement rumors. radio host pat mcafee revealing he texted his buddy to ask if he's coming back next season, and here's what he had to say. >> the message was, my dog! i'm coming back for sure. gonna try and get to the best shape i have been this off season and get back to the mountain top. got a real bad taste in my mouth with how i played in that last game and how i got the guys ready for battle. i can't go out like that! >>i love it. you heard it right there. pat mcafee show. what a great show. shout-out to them. breaking news happens in sports. number 87 coming back for year 13. the team celebrating on social media there, giving kansas a hope for another season, maybe

another ring. >> yeah. he has vengeance on his mind. straight ahead, we are answering your most asked skin care questions like how long should you try a product to see if it's really working. do you pump it or do you dump it? it works for skin care, too. you pump it or you dump it. we'll find out.

i'm not happy with the way that pg&e handled the wildfires. yeah. yeah. i totally, totally understand. we're adding a ton of sensors. as soon as something comes in contact with the power line, it'll turn off so that there's not a risk that it's gonna fall to the ground and start a fire. okay. and i want you to be able to feel the improvements. we've been able to reduce wildfire risk from our equipment by over 90%. that's something i want to believe. [skateboard sounds]

8:30, and this is what we like to see on a friday morning. our plaza filled up with smiling faces, ready to go into the weekend. i guess that was february, huh? we're heading into march right quick. we have earned our spring, and it looks like it might be coming real soon. >> oh, my gosh. we're starting to get that spring break crowd. people are feeling good. ahead on this half hour, we have dr. michelle henry standing by to answer our big skin care questions. the main one, pump it or dump it? from doctors' visits to dark spots and more. you know all the serums and stuff that you use to keep your beautiful face. how long can you keep them? >> is there an expiration date on them? >> yeah, there is. >> i didn't know that. also coming up, i want to share my trip through chinatown with you right here through new york. we went to their neighborhood, sat down for an awesome meal and had a great conversation about the importance of giving back to

the community that raised them. >> oh, and i think they're cooking for us. this will be amazing. check out the line of stars we have next week. parker posey, mindy kaling, reggae jean page, and many, many more. you will definitely want to tune in. >> and "zero day" star angela bassett opening up. you can catch that. always a great conversation with willie on "sunday today." that's streaming on netflix. that looks great. >> just finished six episodes. it is good and intense. it is a fun watch. we want to check in and say hi to al, joining us from new orleans with a mardi gras edition of the 3rd hour. good morning, guys? >> savannah, carson, new orleans, are we ready? you ready? >> hello from the big easy. we are having quite the fantastic time, as you can see. we round out the best parts of

mardi gras. this morning we will give you a preview. we have a marching band here. >> the marching 100. >> we have a whole lot of beads. >> plus, we went on one of our famed buddy up adventures all around new orleans. we had crawfish, a peeling contest. we checked out some of the haunted history in this town. and, of course, we also got to check out one of those famous parades. >> with the beads. >> a lot of beads, yes. >> craig took his shirt off. people were giving me beads. >> we can't go to new orleans without talking about the food. after the show today, we're choosing a first of its kind food event. we're calling it the taste of new orleans. we're going to be cooking alongside some of the biggest chefs in the area, and of course, we have to thank our sponsors, new orleans and company. they sponsored the show, and the food event. th

thanks to them, we're going to be able to celebrate in style. >> it will be a good time. >> are we ready new orleans? >> they're on the float, having a blast. you have to work a little bit, though. can you get a check of the weather? >> oh, all right. first we will give you the forecast for right here in new orleans over the next weekend. we are looking at a decent day today. partly sunny, 71 degrees. then as we move on into the weekend, it will be better. sunny and mild on sunday, 66. monday partly sunny and 70. there is a threat for some strong storms on tuesday. the rest of the weekend forecast for you for the rest of the country, briefly milder here in the east. winter chill in the plains. spring fever in the southwest. out west as well. sunday, sunday freezing cold in the northeast, great lakes mid atlantic states, mild in the rockies and much needed rain out in california. that's what's going on around the country. here's what's happening in your good friday morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. today

it will still be nice and warm. temperatures headed back to the mid to upper 70s. from the south bay to the inland east bay to the north bay. tomorrow is when things change. more clouds, temperatures drop, and we'll see highs in the mid 60s into the afternoon, with rain chances increasing late tomorrow night and continuing off and on through sunday. the rest of our forecast feels a little bit more all right. let's see if you can throw a ring around the camera. oh, so close. back to you guys. we will bring you back a king cake. >> please do. coming up next, guys, do you really need to wash your face every day? dr. henry -- carson says no. we will answer the top skin care questions. but, first, this is "today" on nbc.

we are back at 8:37 with your health. the internet and social media are saturated with skin care advice, but a lot of it could make you even more confused. we gathered five questions that people are asking and we brought in dr. michelle henry, a new york-based dermatologist for some answers. this is the million dollar question. how long are these products gogd for? >> yeah. so many skin care products, similar to food, will have an expiration date. so a month and a year. if you don't see that, look for an open jar label. that's the period for opening. you will see 6, 12, 24. that's how long you can keep it. a good rule of them is two to three years something unopened and one year for something that's been opened. >> okay. how long should you give a product to see if it's working. that's our next question. >> yeah. it depends on the product and what you are looking to treat. something like a moisturizer and

maybe an exfoliant, about a week. you are treating acne, four to six weeks. if you are looking for something antiaging, like a retinol or a peptide, two to four months. check your before and afters so you know you are spending your money in the right place. >> do i really need to watch my face daily? this comes from c. daley from new york. >> an emphatic yes and yeah. the nighttime is not controversial. but the morning is when people get a little fussy. you are sleeping. you are sweating. you are getting oil. i'm a fan of cleansing in the if you are sensitive, choose the right cleanser. >> what about taking a shower? does it sort of get cleaned that way? >> you are getting steamed. but if you are sensitive, you get moisture from the right cleanser. >> okay. the next one, what is the best way to deal with those dark spots? >> yeah. so dark spots are very tough. it is the vain of my patient's existence. broad spectrum sunscreen will

prevent new spots and keep the old ones from getting worse. vitamin c, niacinimide, professional treatments, chemical treatments. those things help as well. >> for some of those serums like a vitamin c, how long do those generally take to start working? >> i would say four to six weeks for vitamin c. you want to give it time. >> i try something and i'm like, it doesn't work. you have to give it a little time. okay. then finally, what should i be asking my dermatologist at my annual visit. >> first ask do you see any concerning changes in my skin from the fire year. what is the best skin care routine for my skin type? what is the latest and greatest for my skin concern. last but not least how do i minimize my risk for skin cancer. wear your hair loose. take off your nail polish

because you can have nail melanoma. that's a big question. prepare your questions. if you do self-examines at home, prepare your photos. >> how often should the average person do that head-to-toe skin check with the dermatologist? >> after the age of 18, we expect everyone that has not had a cancer to come in annually. if you have had a skin cancer, it changes depending on how severe and the type of cancer. >> wow, okay. dr. henry, thank you so much. coming up next, carson's efn

we are back with everyone's favorite "today food" series,

yes chef. >> carson paid a visit to a popular spot right here in new york. >> local chinatowns are starting to shrink, unfortunately. but five friends are doing everything they can to preserve a taste of their culture through their restaurant pot luck club. they're celebrating and honoring chinese culture in a fresh new way. so, yes, i went to lower manhattan's east side to check it out. it feels like we're right in the heart of chinatown. >> yeah, people buying produce, getting stuff they will look tonight. >> how long has a place like this been here? >> 30-something years right now. >> wow. 37-year-old corey ing is passionate about preserving and investing in chinatown, the place where he was born and raised. and to honor this corner of new york city, corey, his wife kimberly and friends opened pot luck club in 2022, a hip, modern take on chinese-american food. they even received a michelin

nod. right when you walk in here, you can see it. it looks like a cool vibe. almost like a museum. >> i'm happy you said that. we want to honor our culture, but do it in a way that's crazy, sexy cool. >> what kind of food do you do? >> we call it cantonese american food. in this very space where potluck club lives, we had a business for over 40 years seselling produce and chinese sausage. >> do you guys play music in here? >> absolutely. we're playing the greatest hits. >> i heard. juvenile "back that thing up." >> that's my favorite song of all time. >> it's the best. >> the best. we weren't born in hong kong.

we were born here. a lot of what we learned about our culture was through movies and film. >> and the room's decor reflects that with a nod to the films corey and his friends grew up watching. it is that vibe that helps attract a younger crowd to the restaurant. >> you are looked at as the torch bearers of chinatown. >> chinatown raised us. this is our community. we want to continue staying here. if these condos and hotels see a future here in our neighborhood, why don't we see a future. >> chinatown's landscape has changed by real estate developments. as many of his peers move out of the neighborhood, corey is concerned about the future of his community. >> where are the other millennials? your peers? what is the other side of that coin? >> very, very people get a college degree, come back and make noodles. they're all in the corporate offices right now. but they do come back and support when they can.

>> why is it so entrenched in you that it's so important to hang on to your culture? >> it is just in our heart and in our brain. my grandma, all the seniors that are coming in now, like that's what was instilled in us. >> corey and his team are giving back in other ways. monthly free meals and groceries to 250 neighborhood seniors. you are literally giving back. >> oh, absolutely. >> talk about giving back by the culture being here and now you are actually giving back in the food. what are you giving them? >> we give them groceries, produce, fruit, and we give them hot meals, but not only is it that. it's a space for hethem to hang out, meet their friends. some of them go on dates. >> little speed dating happening at the potluck club. you have the ogs coming here? >> maybe. maybe. it is just a good time. >> the nonprofit partners with potluck club to provide the food. local volunteers pack and distributet, and i was lucky enough to be able to help out. >> how is it going? >> i'm rocking it, bro. i'm rocking it. >> you are rocking it.

you are rocking it. >> of course, i also had to sample some of potluck's signature dishes. >> just walk me through some of the classic dishes. if i come here to eat, what are the must haves? >> the salt and pepper chicken and biscuits. that's the epitome of what i think is convenience. it's cantonese-american. >> that looks incredible, man. >> so this is the salt and pepper shaker and the biscuits. >> okay. >> we have the jelly fish salad and the mushroom rice bowl. >> this would be better with juvenile playing in the back court. that's delicious. what's the future? >> to continue building in our community and being unapologetically proud of being here and staying here and do what we need to do to maintain this. >> beautiful spot. thank you. congratulations. >> there you go. corey is here. come on in. corey and the crew came up early this morning. we got potluck's famous salt and you look good on tv, bro.

>> i wish everyone at home could smell this right now. >> everyone will be talking about this all morning long, corey. tell us what we can taste here. >> we have chili plum jam, all made by one of my great friends and chefs. >> it is not just you. it is your friends and wife. you grew up in chinatown. so much of what we love about food is communities coming together through the food. the food is great. what you are doing in chinatown, it is so cool, man. and feeding them, too. >> i appreciate the kind words. we're just super proud of our culture and we see it changing. so we want to kind of keep our flag planted in the ground, represent our culture. and bring it in. >> feeding those people is not something you just did for this piece. >> we do that every month. it started since the pandemic when things were shaky in chinatown. we want to keep that energy. it is not out of scarcity. it is out of a place of

happiness where they can gather. >> it's a community center. it's about food, and culture and community. all the things that matter. >> is this a new dish or a new spin? >> i was going to ask you what some of the older folks in the community think. >> i like to call this cantonese american food. chicken and biscuits is one of the most southern american items, but we did it with cantonese flavor. >> this is the bite. you have to get the biscuit and the chicken and make a mini chicken. you have sweet jam in there. >> okay, wow. >> and you have another spot, too, down there. >> oh, yes. we have phoenix palace where we just opened kind of recently at six months old. we kind of named it after my son. his name is rider phoenix. >> oh, cool. >> we want to ntinue building in our neighborhood and our community. >> the preservation of culture is such a great culture. >> enjoy it. that's a good time. >> he fed literally our whole team, our whole crew. so thank you for that. we appreciate that.

>> potluck club, what a blast. >> if you are in new york, go over to christy's street and check it out. we appreciate you, man. thank you, guys. thank you so much. we're back in a moment. this is "today" on nbc.

we're just chowing down here. i'm glad the 3rd hour is having fun in new orleans. but, al, you might have more fun. what we're tasting from the potluck club, chef's kiss. >> i know, wow. that looks good, i will tell you. do you know what would be perfect on that? just a little smucker's jam. let's spin the jars and see who we are honoring today. happy 100th birthday to john schalles of ohio. this world war ii navy veteran loves playing a nice round of golf. we celebrate you for your service, sir.

and anice brodie walker is 100. love that hat. she spent 37 years working at the department of defense with the air force at the pentagon. happy 100th birthday to mary happy 100th birthday to mary helen donohue. cross word puzzle lover. her secret to longevity, keep active and stay interested in world news. alfred martello is 100. loves playing the harmonica and the drums with his family. happy 105th birthday to janie grant from rich square, north carolina. her best piece of advice? give peace and strength to all. love her for that. happy 100th birthday to dallas stephens. his faith and love for champagne and celebration. i'll drink to that. guys, back to you. >> all right. thank you, uncle al. and you will be back with craig, dylan. the 3rd hour will have a lot of fun in new orleans. >> no doubt. >> first, your local news. >> bye, everybody!

good morning. it is 856. i'm marcus washington. activists today staging a national day of action. they're calling an economic blackout. it's all purpose is what they call excessive influence from billionaires in leading political parties. the group, called the people's union usa, is behind the campaign, and it cites recent dei rollbacks as one of its inspirations. organizers are telling everyone to avoid spending for 24 hours today, especially at some of the largest retail and food chains. that same group is promising more action in the weeks and months to come, with many bay area health facilities still in the midst of weathering the current flu season. on a global level, health leaders are already pivoting ahead. within the last few hours, the world health organization began finalizing plans for the next

flu vaccine for the 20 2526 season. this all comes in the wake of one of the most severe flu seasons in more than a decade. while the united states is taking part in the world health meeting, the fda recently backed out of that meeting next month to select which strains should be included in that next vaccine.

craig, dylan, we made it! >> fri-yeah in the big easy. >> i cannot wait to kick