because i'm on your side. it is thursday, april 14th. coming up on "early today," it's a game of military chicken between the super powers but why are the russians getting a little too close for comfort. and the donald stirs the pot and a secret meeting with fox's megyn kelly. and steph curry nailed over 400 three pointers as his warriors win 73. plus, who earned what? we'll show you. "early today" starts right now. good morning everyone and thanks for joining us today. i'm betty nguyen. we begin with a risky encounter. russian fighter jets flying dangerously close to a u.s.

destroyer in the international waters of the baltic sea. peter alexander has more. >> below the bridge wing. >> reporter: a pair of russian fighter jets rushing the uss donald cook. and once within 30 feet of the navy destroyer. so low, the plane caused a wake in the water. these photos revealing how close they came. the fly byes, more than 30 in all. they say the cook was in international waters 70 miles off the russian coast. and condemning russia's behavior. watch them swooping over the deck, simulating a maneuver that would be used

department of defense officials taking note. >> i hear the rushz russians aro their old tricks again. >> for the russian military, including russian military aircraft has come close enough to other air and sea traffic to raise serious safety concerns. >> reporter: the u.s. european command warned the russian jets as could raise tensions and cause serious injure or death. just last october, two jets intercepted a pair of russian jets and a jet rushing a uss destroyer in the black sea. it's happened before but not like this. now to politics and new york city where bernie sanders held a massive rally for 10s of thousands last night. >> jane and i left new york city when we were ki

thank you. [ applause ] and when i look at an unbelievable crowd like this, i believe we're going to win here in new york next thursday. >> the campaign estimates 27,000 showed up. and the busy vermont senator also appeared on the nightly show where the native new yorker stood by his new york values. >> it's me, bernie brooklyn-born sanders and guess what, ted cruz, i have new york values. [ applause ] and when you say having new york values is a bad thing, you insult my city, my state, my culture, and my heritage. and the truth is new york values are american values. there is no difference. [ appl ]

>> earlier in the day, sanders and democratic rival, hillary clinton both took the picket line showing solidarity with verizon's union workers who had just walked off the job to strike. they have their last debate tonight before new york's primary. and chris matthews will have full post-bait analysis on msnbc. and it appears donald trump and fox host, megyn kelly have buried the hatchet. they met at trump tower presumably as part of her desire to have trump on her fox network special airing in may. and politico is reporting that his campaign manager won't be prosecuted relating to reporter michelle fields. an official announcement is

pected later this afternoon. this comes as hundreds protest a trump rally in pennsylvania. the protests were reportedly mostly peaceful and senator ted cruz says he's not ruling out marco rubio as a possible running mate. >> look, anyone would naturally look at marco as a terrific person for vp and we're in the process of considering a number of different options. he would be someone you would be a fool not to look at seriously. >> senator cruz and governor john kasich will appear in back to back town halls on msnbc at 7:00 p.m. eastern. did you see it? the end of an era in the nba? where even the president was as excited as everyone else, tweeting big night of basketball warriors chasing 73 and a fair well for an all-timer, kobe

first to l.a. after a 20-year career, scoring the third most points in league history, kobe bryant scored 60 points on 50 shots and sticking it to the utah jazz in a 101-96 victory that even some of the world 's biggest stars were speechless. kobe is just the fifth player in nba history to play 20 seasons and the first to do it with just one team. he has five championship rings, 18 all-star selections and 33,643 career points. he said this after the game. >> this has been absolutely beautiful, guys. i can't believe it's come to an end. you will always be in my heart and i sincerely, sincerely appreciate it. no words can describe how i feel about you guys and thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart. god, i love you guys. i love you guys. >> wow. what a

bank for the memories, kobe. well, just across the street, the other hottest ticket in the nation, the feeling was electric in oakland where the warriors were chasing history. and steph curry led golden state all season in their quest to beat a 20-year record many thought was unbreakable. and curry also became the first player to nail over 400 three pointers in a single year. getting 10 on the night and finishing the season with 402 to be exact. they defeated the grizzlies to rewrite the record books with 73 wins and just nine losses and excited president obama tweeted congrats to the warriors, a great group of guys on and off the court. if somebody had to break the bulls' record, i'm glad it's them. the so-called affluenza tine has been sentenced to two years in

jail time for each of the four people he killed in a drunk driving crash. >> you will remain in the county jail at this time. you're not getting out of jail today. >> you may recall couch received 10 years probation in juvenile court after they argued his life of privilege left him with no life of responsibility. he fled to mexico and was found and returned to texas in january. new details in the shooting death of former nfl star, will smith. we're getting information on the preliminary autopsy report and for the first time, his wife's report. >> reporter: through her attorney, raquel smith still recovering in the hospital gave her first account of the shooting death of her husband, former nfl star, will smith. >> that night as

was protecting her. >> reporter: they say the car stopped suddenly. >> they slammed on their brakes on magazine street. >> reporter: so they drove off. >> suddenly this hummer drove up at great speed behind them and rammed the back of their car. >> reporter: police say an argument between the two men es escalated and hayes opened fire. >> he actually stood over will smith's dead body. >> reporter: did mr. smith ever threaten to go get his gun inside the car? >> i'm not aware of any threats by mr. smith to go get a gun. >> reporter: but police confirmed they found a fully loaded gun in smith's car, raising more questions, including why it took investigators more than two days to find it. the coroner said smith was shot eight times. seven in the back and

and we're hearing from the attorney of hayes's passenger who called it justifiable homicide. a public viewing for smith now scheduled for friday as the investigation into his final moments intensifies. nbc news, new orleans. now something much lighter. a california man arrived home from mexico with an unusual surprise, pulling into his driveway, he heard meowing coming from his car. he found a cat stuck inside his front fender. the local fire department arrived to free the furry stow away. it's not clear how he was able to get the bumper. they took the whiskerred tag along to the local humane society. >> that's a name. tag along. >> is

tagging along? >> we have a little bit of light rain, little rock and atlanta. just showers. the only real heavy stuff is southern louisiana. you could get more down pours in new orleans just like yesterday. not as bad today but not that picturesque blue sky. all the way through north florida. atlanta northwards, dry throughout the day. and the warmth all the way to the canadian border. spring fever taking over. as we go into friday, the warmth does arrive. we're going to start to turn our attention to the middle of the country. looks like two or three days of severe weather. and just east of there, of course into colorado, including garden city kansas and only about a million people at risk of severe storms. now a closer lk

so far today, again, it's not going to rain all day long. definitely not a beach day in northern gulf coast or florida for that matter. and a beautiful spring afternoon. enjoy. that's the theme. if you're in the eastern half of the country, the warmth is heading your way. >> bring it. one of the world's biggest musicians just canceled a concert in response to north carolina's bathroom bill. and airlines speak out against unbearably long lines. you're watching "early today" 347 it was serious. fortunately, my doctor had a game plan. treatment with xarelto®. hey guys! hey, finally, somebody i can look up to... ...besides arnie. xarelto® is proven to treat and help reduce the risk of dvt and pe blood clots. xarelto® is also proven to reduce the risk of stroke in people with afib, not caused by a heart valve problem. for people with afib currently well managed on warfarin, there's limited information

and warfarin compare in reducing the risk of stroke. you know, i tried warfarin, but the blood testing and dietary restrictions... don't get me started on that. i didn't have to. we started on xarelto®. nice pass. safety first. like all blood thinners, don't stop taking xarelto® without talking to your doctor, as ts hiy maincrease your risk of a blood clot or stroke. while taking, you may bruise more easily and it may take longer for bleeding to stop. xarelto® may increase your sk of bleeding if you take certain medicines. xarelto® can cause serious, and in rare cases, fatal bleeding. get help right away for unexpected bleeding, unusual bruising, or tingling. if you have had spinal anesthesia while on xarelto®, watch for back pain or any nerve or muscle related signs or symptoms. do not take xarelto® if you have an artificial heart valve or abnormal bleeding. tell your doctor before all planned medical or dental procedures. before starting xarelto®, tell your doctor about any kidney, liver, or bleeding problems. you know xarelto® is the #1 prescribed blood thinner in its class. that's a big win. it is for me. with xarelto® there is no regular blood monitoring and no known dietary strictions. treatment with xarelto®.

ask your doctor about xarelto®. no, no, no, no, [music] people are both soft and strong... yey! which is why our products are too. angel soft. ♪ welcome back everybody. if you think wait time at airport security is bad now, just wait until the summer. that is the warning from american airlines after nearly 700,000 people missed their flight over spring break because of check point delays. the

understaffed. airports across the nation now threatening the tsa, telling them to replace their missing staff or be replaced by private contractors. meanwhile, the fight over lgbt rights raged on in the south. the latest fight in south carolina. a majority of critics slammed the bill saying it mimic's north carolina's antitransgender law. and even beatle ringo star canceling a june performance in north carolina over the state's ba bathroom bill. stating bathroom bill. stating louisiana's lgbt community did earn protections after the governor barred discrimination against state residents. and the royal couple fed a p

and rhinos using adorable oversized bottles of milk. and just ahead, the inside scoop on how much money celebrities are really making. did oscar winner leo dicaprio come out on top or did singer turned actress, lady gaga? and mouthwash. but she's a dentist so...i kind of have to listen. she said "jen, go pro with crest pro-health advanced." advance to healthier gums... ...and stronger teeth from day one. using crest toothpaste and mouthwash makes my... ...whole mouth feel awesome. and my teeth are stronger too. crest-pro health advanced... ...is superior to colgate total... ...in these 5 areas dentists check. this check up? so good. go pro with crest pro-health advanced. mom's right...again!

people can forget their quiltbathroom experience. well but sir froggy can never forget. "what's worse", he thinks... "that my arms can never relax or my eyes can never look away?" ♪ it's easy to love your laxative when that lax loves your body back. only miralax hydrates, eases and softens to unblock naturally, so you have peace of mind om start to finish. love your laxative. miralax.

♪

roker visits the set of the "ghostbusters reboot" and sits down with the stars. can't wait to see that. it is something we all love to know-how much money is sitting in your favorite celebri celebrity's bank account? wait no more. nbc's mike wilbur reports. >> reporter: thanks to parade magazine's what people earn issue, we're finding out just how much cash the stars are pulling in. both lady gaga and leonardo dicaprio have had a successful year. lady gaga on the hit "american horror story. and leo with an oscar win with the "revenant" but it's actually lady gaga who's estimated to rake in more cash, 59

but don't feel bad for leo, he's bringing in 29 mill. between taylor swift and rapper jay-z it's taylor swift, estimated at a cool 80 million. and jay-z an estimated 56 million bucks. mike wilbur, nbc news. >> the rest of us are in the wrong business. all right, well, winter is coming to the white house. we'll explain. plus the newest spiderman villain. you're watching "early today." of bad breath germs. this is 100% useful for a 100% fresh mouth. what's it like to not feel 100% fresh? we don't know. we swish listerine®. as do listerine® users. the very people we studied in the study of bold. people who are statistically more likely to stand up to a bully. do a yoga handstand. and be in a magician's act. listerine® kills 99% of bad breath germs

can feel 100% in life. bring out the bold™. 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. discover cosentyx, a different kind of medicine for moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. proven to help the majority of people find clear or almost clear skin.

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. 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.

♪ now to entertainment news. "game of thrones" has one very powerful fan and that is that guy right there, president obama. he requested advanced copies of the series, highly anticipated. and guess what, they quickly obliged, saying -- >> it's not fair. >> it was ana ha moment for them where they knew they had made it. actress elizabeth banks is confirmed to direct the new "charley's angels" reboot. and michael keaton is slated to become the next

villain, in 2017. bono, from u2 spoke before a yoou u.s. senate committee and he suggested that the best way to stop violent extremists is comedy. he suggested that we send comedians like chris rock and amy schumer and sasha barren cohen to the middle east. maybe we start with bill cosby and see how that goes. >> oh, he had to go there. >> i was going to say. obviously no comedians are lining up. >> i never thought of sasha barren cohen with his "borat" that could be hilarious. just a thought. i'm betty nguyen. and this is "early today." tootho everything well? this clean was like pow! it added this other level of clean to it.

my teeth are glowing. they are so white. 6x whitening i actually really like the 2 steps. step 1, cleans step 2, whitens. every time i use this together, it felt like... ...leaving the dentist office. crest hd. 6x cleaning, 6x whitening i would switch to crest hd over what i was using before.

. good morning. i'm aaron gilchrist. >> and i'm eun yang. we're just hours away from early vote increase heing in maryland. we're breaking down the races and the rules you need to know. and workers are pushing more pay, where workers are asking for $15 an hour. and we could see more frost this morning. but is there a warm-up on the way? >> we'll check in with chuck bell in a minute. first erika gonzalez with breaking news. >> we do have breaking news from the hardwood this morning. the associated press says randy whitt map will not be back as the head coach of the wizards. thp.

was familiar with the decision confirmed the news, but as of yesterday, the move had not been announced to the team yet. washington finished tenth in the eastern conference. at the live desk, i'm erika gonzalez. let's check our forecast. we are talking about more cool weather to start your day. >> y >> another morning with frost advisories for howard county, montgomery, fairfax, loudoun, stafford, as well. freeze warnings north of there. the darker shading, those are freeze warnings. will goes until 9:00 this morning. mostly because of a clear sky and a light wind, the sheltered valleys are coldest, looking at a maximum of maybe two or three hours below freezing, but a big warm-up coming. we're 44 downtown, but 36 now in leesburg and 32 in frederick. by later this afternoon, cool sunshine once again with temperatures getting in to the upper 50s and low 60s.

we'll break out some of your activity forecast coming up in just a few minutes. that includes an afternoon nats game. right now we have a little bit of construction still hanging around this morning. inner loop after can gw parkway, the two left lanes getting by that work seep and then the inner loop after little river turnpike, the right lane getting by that zone. again, both should be out of the way here in a little bit. shouldn't hang around for too long. 66 and 95, everything rolling along just fine northbound and southbound there on 95. east and west there on 66, live picture 270 at shady grove road, just fine there. and then here top of the beltway, also looking nice and green. 4:28. to decision 2016 now. it will be a busy day in politics. in the presidential race, democrats will faceoff for a debate ahead of tuesday's primary in new york. >> locally early voting begins in maryland in the eighth district, three people are rubbing for chris van hn'

money for your vote. in the at some race, representative van hollen and representative donna edwards are locked in a close battle for barbara mikulski's senate seat. here's what you need to know. early voting start takes and runs through thursday april 21. the hours are 10:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. we have a list of early voting sites on our nbc washington app. anyone registered to vote can vote early. the senate race we mentioned between van hollen and edwards is tight. a new nbc 4 maris maryland poll that came out this week gives chris van hollen a six point edge over donna edwards. he is leading with 44% of likely democratic voters. edwards hats 38% of voters. >> van hollen currently holds a seat in the eighth district. three candidates are leading the pack and spending big bucks to get your vote. jamie raskin says he's the candidate with th

record of legislative experience. kathleen matthews is campaigning as a well-known former news anchor and business executive who will work for the working class families. david trone is spending more than $9 million on his campaign. his ads stress his independence. there are session other democrats in the race. >> in the fourth district, ten candidates are running for donna edwards' congressional seat. the three frontrunners are former attorney general anthony brown, glenn ivey and state delegate jocelyn pain i can't medica pain in a medical nick. coming up, we'll take a look at the race for the president and how democrats are preparing for tonight's crew sham debate. happening today, we're expecting to hear from the patient of an alzheimer's patient who died after he went missing. he was at a park with other residents