see you next time, folks. it's thursday, march 17th. it's "early today." and nike may be changing the way we wear shoes forever plus old blew eyes son, frank sinatra jr. has died. president obama reveals his ncaa bracket busters. "early today" starts right now. good morning everybody and thanks for joining us today.

president obama has picked merrick garland. >> he's not only one of america's sharpest legal minds and brings to his work, modesty, integrity and even handedness and excellence. >> he's known for his more moderate views. he was confirmed in 1997 and has the support of seven c nt gop senators even hatch who says his intelligence cannot be questioned. and he led the prosecution of timothy mcva bombing and nbc news justice correspondent pete williams with the details. >> reporter: the president

decent, and even handed. >> he's earned the respect and admiration of leaders from both sides of the aisle. >> garland was emotional. >> this is the greatest honor of my life, other than lynn agreeing to marry me 28 years ago. >> reporter: one of his daughters missed the moment out in the mountmountains. he grew up in chicago. as a federal prosecutor, he led that team that brought oklahoma city bomber to trial and often tough on criminals. >> ideologically, he's min middle and maybe a little to the left. >> reporter: at 63, he's the oldest supreme court nominee in nearly 50 years but when

appeals court in 1997, he was confirmed 76-23 with 32 republican votes. a point the administration now emphasizes. >> i simply ask republicans in the senate to give him a fair hearing. >> reporter: but senate republicans continue to say they won't even consider it because the next president should make that choice. >> the decision the senate announced weeks ago remains about a principal, not a person. >> reporter: so far even a few republicans have said they would meet with garland. >> i would not feel comfortable refusing to meet with the president's nominee to the high highest court in the land. and with hillary clinton and donald trump edging closer to securing the nominations, they're now setting their sights on each other. >> racist, torture. >> reporter: game on.

they were already their party's nominees. and trump ridiculing clinton as a weak commander and chief, showing her barking like a dog as she told a joke on the campaign trail. after clinton ridiculed trump in her victory speech. >> our commander and chief has to be able to defend our country, not embarrass it. >> reporter: clinton's strategy, don't get in the mud with trumps a some of his republican rivals did. go after him on policy, immigration, the ban on muslims, embracing torture, highlight how he dodges questions about foreign policy on "morning joe." >> i'm speaking with myself, number one, because i have a very good brain and have said a lot of things. my primary consultant is myself. >> reporter: campaign spokesman --

general election match up, the option will be clear. who supports defending the president's executive actions. >> reporter: he's ready to keep hitting clinton hard. >> frankly, hillary's a disaster, by the way. you know that. >> look, you know she's guilty. we have numerous polls showing me beating her easily. >> reporter: that was andrea mitchell reporting. is it hillary clinton needs 35% of the remaining delegates and trump needs 55%. if it does come down to a contested convention, former speak of the house, john boehner said he would support current speaker paul ryan.

meanwhile, south carolina governor nikki haley has switched her allegiance to ted cruz. she called him a strong leader who's action minded. another rubio indorser, oklahoma senator has now switched his indorsement to john kasich. this is kasich's second indorsement from a senator and first from outside his home state of ohio. and donald trump picked up the support of rick scott who said it's time to coles behind trump. we have sad news to report this morning. frank sinatra, jr. has died. start spreading the news i'm leaving today i want to be a part of it new

>> sinatra followed in his father's foot steps and eventually worked for old blue eyes when sinatra jr. was 19, he was kidnapped at gun point. his family paid $230,000 ransom. and later in life he performed his father's songs. he died of cardiac arrest while on tour in daytona, florida. and his daughter, nancy sinatra said "sleep warm, frankie." dead at the age of 72. a colorado convenience store clerk is being called a hero. the woman checking out with her infant. she talks to the cashier and then appears disoriented. >> i grabbed the baby's arms. she start stood sway and was lost in space.

something doesn't feel right and right then she started to fall. >> after calling 911 for the woman's seizure, she says she was just following her instingts cts and feels bad about not catching the woman. at a naval air force base in san diego and a german shepherd who fell off a fishing boat two miles off the coast of san clemente clemente. she was presumed dead but somehow luna made it to shore and was spotted boo ithe navy on tuesday. other than being undernourished, she's said to be in good spirits. and time to get a check of the weather on this st. patrick's day. you're wearing green. i forgot mine. >> you have other things on your mind. >> baby on the brain.

yesterday in areas of the midwest. the storm itself is over lake superior. and upper peninsula, michigan and we're watching a little bit of snow from cadillac northwest and the rainfall here that's going to be down along the gulf coast. and stationary front is going to stay here. pensacola, that area's going to deal with rain. and the new york city parade looks great, 54. boston looks fantastic too. 59. we may deal with a little bit of rain in mobile, about 72 degrees and if you've nervl ver had a st. patrick's day in savannah, it's fun. there is some cold air out there. colder air to the north and warmer air to the south, 80s and 70s are pretty widespread.

seasonable from kansas city. chicago has a cold air on saturday, warm up on sunday. and maybe a little bit of snow. now a closer look at your day ahead. well, there's no showers and storms along the gulf coast into the new orleans area and as we mentioned, maybe with the parade in mobile. and looks good in tampa. a lot of fun to be had on this st. patrick's day. >> oh, st. paddy's day is always fun. and the shocking scene at a medical marijuana dispensary. y. see me. see me. don't stare at me. see me. see me. see me to know that psoriasis is just something that i have. i'm not contagious. see me to know that... ...i won't stop until i find what works.

medicine for moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. proven to help the majority of people find clear or almost clear skin. 8 out of 10 people saw 75% skin clearance at 3 months. while the majority saw 90% clearance. do not use if you are allergic to cosentyx. before starting, you should be tested for tuberculosis. an increased risk of infections and lowered ability to fight them may occur... ...tell your doctor if you have an infection or symptoms... ...such as fever, sweats, chills, muscle aches or cough. or if you have received a vaccine or plan to. if you have inflammatory bowel disease, tell your doctor if symptoms develop or worsen. serious allergic reactions may occur. see me. see me. see me. on my way. find clear skin... and a clearer path forward. for a different kind of medicine, ask your dermatologist about cosentyx. bleeding gums? you may think it's a result of brushing too hard. it's not. it's a sign of early gum disease... listerine(r) can help reverse... early gum disease in just two weeks. listerine(r). power to your mouth !

smart phone does... ...it reminded him of his magic eraser. it's not just for marks on walls... it's tough on kitchen grease... and bathroom grime too. he's your... ...all around-tough-cleaner, mr. clean. what's going on? toaster's broken. which means no eggo waffles. something smells delicious. eggo! l'eggo my eggo breakfast sandwich. it's sweet, it's savory, it's in your microwave. l'eggo my eggo breakfast sandwich. welcome back everybody. we have shocking video that may be hard to watch.

medical marijuana dispensary. one worker had to run through the blaze. the video appears to show the workers extracting thc using bu tain to make cannibis oil. oceanau au anglen elina jolie speak to several children, telling one to stay strong and had sharp words for the rush of reporters. >> i'm asking you to be more thoughtful. >> she later met with the greek prime minister to discuss migrants and the crisis there. at south by southwest, first lady michelle obama ruled out one career possibility. >> i'm going to continue to work with our young people all over the world.

for president. nope, nope, not going to do it. >> mrs. obama says her daughters have already had to deal with being the children of a president. check out this video released by a canadian court. and two prisoners escaped via a helicopter. the prisoners were unable to climb up and eventually flew off with the men dangling from it and dropping them off at a get away car. they were recaptured just hours later. time to get down to business. friskies is auctioning off what they call the holy grail of publishing. they'll auction the first of william shakespeare's plays and asking price between 1.1 and

and it's the latest technology in self tying or adaptive lacing. you step into the shoe and when your heel hits a sensor, the laces automatically tighten. but they'll be available only to members of nike plus beginning around the holidays later this year. and these three female royal brunei crew and their maiden flight went to saudi arabia where women aren't even allowed to drive. and president obama's ncaa bracket busters. and steph curry the reign of dominance as the warriors' winning streak rolls on. soup and sandwich and cannonballs and clean and real and looking good and sandwich and soup and a new personal best. and a little help and soup and sandwich and study group.

with anything. try the clean pairings menu. at panera. food as it should be. covering is caring because covering heals faster. for a bandage that moves with you and stays on all day, cover with a band-aid brand flexible fabric adhesive bandage. quilted northern works their bathroom experience. just like they forgot conductor randy, who sees all and forgets nothing. at least he's not constable bob. allergies with nasal congestion? find fast relief behind the counter with claritin-d. [ upbeat music ]

that starts working in as little as 30 minutes and contains the best oral decongestant. live claritin clear, with claritin-d. there's moving... and there's moving with move free ultra. it has triple-action support for your joints, cartilage and bones. and unlike the big osteo-bi flex pills, it's all in one tiny pill. move free ultra.

this morning on "today," the end of an era. after intense criticism, seaworld announces a major change to its killer whale breeding program. find out what it is later on "today." now to sports, we're down to 64 after the final first four. the cinderella team so far is 15-19 holy cross. they managed to hold off southern university. and they will advance in their 63 years. and then it was michigan taking on tulsa for the last spot.

on notre dame on friday night in brooklyn. president obama fills in his annual ncaa. [ ets. >> 2009, first year of your presidency, picked north carolina and win. two other times they did not win -- >> that is the third kansas pick of his presidency and they didn't win either time. so, we shall see if it works this year. and golden state warriors just earned their 50th consecutive home win against the lowly nicks and they crushed them. and a heart throb to millions becomes an american citizen. can you guess who it is?

here's a little healthy advice. take care of what makes you...you. aveeno daily moisturizing body wash and lotion with active naturals oat. used together, they provide 2x the nourishment for beautiful healthier looking skin. aveeno pnaturally beautiful results get to kohl's super saturday - this saturday! and save on early birds 'till 1pm. like 40 to 60% off dresses. save on sport shirts and knit tops for him. and on all cookware and food prep. everyone get kohl's cash too!

whatcha doin? just prepping for my boss' party in a couple weeks. what are those? crest whitestrips. they whiten way better than paste. crest 3d white whitestrips... whiten 25 times better than the leading whitening toothpaste. i'd say... ...someone's making quite an impression. crest 3d white whitestrips. the way to whiten. what's going on? toaster's broken. which means no eggo waffles. something smells delicious. eggo! l'eggo my eggo breakfast sandwich. it's sweet, it's savory, it's in your microwave. l'eggo my eggo breakfast sandwich. [music] no, no, no, no, people are both soft and strong... yey! which is why our products are too.

this is my retirement. retiring retired tires. and i never get tired of it. are you entirely prepared to retire? plan your never tiring retiring retired tires retirement with e trade. now to entertainment news. chelsea handler is getting a new talk show on netflix. it will be on three times a week, wednesday, thursday, and friday. it premiers the 11th. and our sister station e is reporting they're being sued. the tough guy stars said they were stolen from them.

told howard stern she was turned down in "the wolf of wall street" because she wasn't old enough. and tv land has announced a tv series based on "heathers". it will take place in the present day. model and romance novel coverman, fabio. where has he been? she's finally a u.s. citizen. he was one of more than 6,000 immigrants who took the oath of allegiance yesterday. he said it was one of the happiest days of his life. his hair still looks good, right? and the legendary music studio called magic shop is closing its doors after almost

they hosted top names like david bowie and cold play. and jimmy fallon had things to say about donald trump's recent primary victory. >> actually, he gained a lot of delegates and looks like he hit a really significant number. yeah. when trump said he was good at making deals, i didn't know he was that good. >> i did notice that number, the 666. >> you did notice it. i said wow, that's kind of interesting, although i didn't think to wear green. >> but you did think about that instead. >> the things that go through my mind. >> are you taking your son to new york city parade? >> are you kidding me? he's three months old. i'm betty nguyen.

(baseball on tv in background) with heart failure, danger is always on the rise. symptoms worsen because your heart isn't pumping well. (water filling room) about 50 percent of people die (dog whimpering) within 5 years of getting diagnosed. but there's something you can do. talk to your doctor about heart failure treatment options. because the more you know, the more likely you are...v (dog whimpering) to keep it pumping. soup and sandwich and clean and real and inside jokes and school night. good, clean food pairs well with anything. try the clean pairings menu.

leading the news in u.s.a. today, pennsylvania man pleads guilty to celebgate nude-photo hack. he's just one of the hackers who got 92 actors personal email a accounts accounts. and plit co names donald trump as one of the top 10 global risks. it could lead to political chaos

a 12 out of 25. that is the same as that of the rising threat of jihadi terrorism. well, the washington d.c. metro system is reopening. and the unprecedented day long shut down, and inspectors worked overnight to repair over a dozen damaged cable lines in an efrt effort to present fires like on monday. and it was revealed this week that one of the guns found is tied to operations fast and furious. that is a botched u.s. operation that enabled the flow of illegally purchased guns into the hands of known criminals. and a bazar crash put an suv right on top of a car. after it ran a red light and hit

were injured but expected to be okay, thankfully. and boy, do they have a story to tell. and speaking of story and videos, this little piggy went to work. the little guy is on camera twerking to re ihanna rihanna's latest hit song "twerk". he's twerking. don't down play it. i mean, that's a professional twerker. >> they hit the button -- >> you know you're going to watch this over and over today. i love this video. let's get you a look ahead, shall we. president obama's nominee, merrick garland will meet with harry reed and the ranking democratic on the judiciary committee.

the st. patrick's day parade. and happy birthday to rob lowe. and gary suniece, and kurt russell. thank today, the first tests in newark.

will be screened for lead poisoning. new information overnight about a stabbing at a subway station. what police say happened just before that violence. the barricades are up. the crowds will be coming soon. what you need to know about the st. patrick's day parade. "today in new york" starts now. good morning everyone. it's thursday morning, it's march 17th. i'm darlene rodriguez. i'm michael gargiulo. storm team 4's chris cimino is here on st. patrick's day with the forecast. >> it looks okay so far. there might be a little blip. don't get that sad leprechaun face. it's too early for that. >> he can't help it. >> he's frozen. warming up a little bit. 40 to 45 current temperatures. in the mid-40s. it's 33 with a clear sky in the pine barrens. it's cool. you'll need the jackets early on. you won't need them later. it gets into the 60s this afternoon. yesterday showers in the evening hours. there's another batch out in