good morning. military might. good morning. military might. north korea showing off its arsenal this morning in celebration of the country's founding ruler. this comes as vice president mike pence gets set to head to the region where intentions are extremely high after an ominous warning from the rogue nation saying they are ready for the all-out war with the u.s. we are live in seoul. executions halted. >> what do we want? >> protesters including actor johnny depp asking to spare the lives of 11 inmates. but the legal battle isn't over yet. panic at penn

massive hysteria at one of the biggest train stations after an incident involving a taser sends commuters fleeing fearing a terror attack. the stampede leaving scores injured and shaken this morning. and the last jedi. the force is strong for "star wars" fans celebrating 40 years of the franchise. a bittersweet celebration as fans remember one of their favorite princesses, "today," saturday, april 15, 2017. >> from nbc news, this is "today" live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> and good morning and welcome to "today" on this saturday morning. i'm sheinelle jones. >> glad to have you with melvin. dylan dreyer is here with us as many people are concerned for easter. >> this year across the country, it looks pretty nice. >> good news.

the top story this morning, in north korea where a show of military force was on full display during a parade celebrating the birthday of that nation's founding ruler this morning. it comes as tensions rise across the region and jitters grow over the rogue nation's nuclear plans. nbc's janice mackey fryer is live in seoul. good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning. there is still mounting tension here after north korea had promised to mark the most important day on its calendar with a big event. and today it delivered. with anxiety simmering, the weaponry rolled out in pyongyang. a showcase of missiles and military hard wings. some according to military experts, not seen before. looking on with delight, kim jong u.n. cheing thu.n.,

sprent. and the u.s. is facing an all-out war if north korea is attacked. for weeks the concern that north korea will carry out another missile test or six nuclear tests. or make good on a threat to launch the intercontinental b ballistic missile capable of hitting the united states. >> china has been working hard. >> reporter: china is cautioning it could spiral out of control. with an aircraft carrier strike group heading to the korean peninsula and other missile-equipped destroyers said to already be in place. that uncertainty loomed at this 105th anniversary of kim il-song's birth at a most crucial time for security. experts say some of the military dw

new, some of it had just been modified or repainted. but on the whole, it shows how committed the regime is to building its arsenal. >> janice, thank you. just as north korea displayed its military might this morning, president trump is promising action after a string of military strikes overseas. this morning we're learning new details about the massive attack on isis fighters in afghanistan with the death toll rising. this as president trump wakes up to the backlash over another controversial move reversing a white house policy put in place by president obama. nbc's kelly o'donnell is live in west palm beach with that. good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, craig. the president has talked about the advantages of unpredictability when it comes to foreign policy. today the white house is projecting caution and reassurance when it comes to north korea. kim jong-un's ambitions could pose a threat to president trump. d

for mike pence comes at a critical time. today the vice president heads to seoul, south korea, part of the four-country trip. pence delivers a message of unwavering support to the ally most vulnerable to a nuclear strike. >> really, the president's message, the vice president's message, is to show our support with our allies and the fact that we are there with them and we'll confront this threat together. >> reporter: while president trump had a new friendship with his chinese counterparts, the chinese foreign minister urged caution saying the u.s. and north korea have their swords drawn. in less than two week, president trump deployed american fire power against syria and isis in afghanistan. with the pentagon's first-ever use of what it calls the mother of all bombs. >> we are so proud of our military. and it was another successful event. >> reporter: the white house made use of an old washington play, releasing a

controversy-stirring document on a holiday weekend. this time the trump administration announced visitor logs, secret service records showing who gets inside the white house, and therefore who might have influence, will be kept secret, citing grave national security risks and privacy concerns of the hundreds of thousands of visitors annually. critics argued the decision undercuts transparency and the president's pledge to drain the swamp. but what is clearly visible, the president's d.c. to palm beach commute. this easter holiday marks the seventh of 13 weekends in office, trump has spent in florida at his mar-a-lago home. and while the trips to palm beach have become routine, what is different this weekend is the president does not have his most senior staffers with him during this easter holiday. also new today, updated figures on the results of that u.s. strike on afghanistan. afghan officials now put the number of isis fighters killed at 94.

craig? >> kelly o'donnell for us, thank you. as we just saw, today is an important day in north korea's history and the weapons test could come this weekend in a show of military might. it's just one of the string of critical international issues facing the trump white house this morning. journey bash is an nbc national security analyst and former chief of staff at the cia and pentagon under president obama. jeremy, good morning to you. >> good morning, sheinelle. >> we'll talk about the military parade. did you see anything surprising and why we didn't see a launch, do we expect one in the 13-day celebration period? >> well, what's much more important than a nuclear test, which they have done five time previously going all the way back to 2006, what's more important are the capabilities of their missiles. their missiles that could hit japan, south korea and, of course, the united states. at this parade today, we saw a couple of familiar weapons that we have seen before, some paint jobs on old weapons, and

only thing that potentially could standout are their ability to launch from a road mobile launcher, drive a misis around so we isn't predict where it comes out from. and also they showcased some of their cold launch, the solid fuel capabilities. that means they can launch in a hurry. that is destabilizing, sheinelle. >> a lot of tough talk, jeremy, between washington and pyongyang. president trump saying north korea is a problem to deal with. we heard from north korea two days ago saying they would ruthlessly ravage the united states should we launch a preemptive attack. where are we, on the scale of one to ten, where are we in terms of tensions? >> i would say about an eight, craig. this is a very heightened state. and these things have a cycle. sometimes it's provocation, sometimes it's accommodation. but we are in a prosovocative state right now. what i worry about the most, craig, is if we threaten

their facilities, which would be a terrible stabilizing idea, they can retaliate by raining artillery down on seoul just 40 mimes away. there are 10 million people who live in the seoul area. we have 28,500 troops on that area. it's a tinderbox and intense situation. that's what i worry most about. >> trump is trying to leverage his budding relationship with china's president. and they are saying, we need both sides to reel it in and put their swords back in, so to speak. do you think trump will be successful in convincing the chinese to intervene? >> i think he'll be successful, sheinelle, but he'll do it through quiet diplomatic channels. i worry about the destabilizing effect of his own thumb. using twitter to call out the chinese, saying if you don't do it, we'll take care of business ourselves. that's a very dangerous move. >> jeremy, really quickly on this visitor log story, the whiteus

national concerns, privacy concerns in trying to explain why they are no longer going to make that information public. should those concerns outweigh concerns about transparency? you have dealt with a lot of our secrets in this country. >> i'm not aware of any national security concerns that will prevent transparency of the visitor logs. i'm aware of no intelligence and no national security information to justify a move. >> good information. thank you, jeremy. let's take a look at some of the other stories making headlines on this saturday morning. thousands of protesters will take to the streets in nearly 200 cities from coast to coast. demonstrators want to show president trump that people do care about his refusal to release his tax returns and demand he do so. today is april 15th, traditionally the last day for filing your taxes, but this year you have until tuesday the 18th. the debate over capitol punishment is heating up in arkansas. beginning monday, seven inmates were set to be executve

has temporarily halted all executions frustrating officials and delighting protesters, including big names in hollywood. nbc's jacob rascon has the story. >> reporter: the fate of seven executions in arkansas are in doubt this morning after a busy day for activists and attorneys. protesters gathered at the state capitol and governor's mansion asking for mercy, including wendell griffin, seen here on a cot attempting to portray a death row inmate. later the ruling to temporarily block one of the drugs used in arkansas's lethal injection halting all planned executions. arkansas's attorney general promising to file an emergency request to overturn the order. in a separate decision, the arkansas supreme court granted bruce ward, the first of seven men scheduled to be executed over 11 days, a stay of execution. for damion eckels, these

are more than killers. >> these people have been in jail for more than 24 year. >> reporter: damion eckels is accused of killing three boys before evidence released him in 2011. documentaries had support from big names in hollywood. >> i'm proud to be here and proud to stand in solidarity. >> reporter: arkansas governor's asa hutchinson is set to schedule out the executions together before the drug used expires at the end of the month. now both sides await for possible last-minute developments. for "today," jay kocob rascon, news, arkansas. chaos and commute during friday's busy rush hour in new york city. a power failure left a train stuck inside a hudson river with more th

trapped for nearly three hours. then an incident involving a taser at new york's penn station erupted in panic as people feared a terror attack. >> reporter: mass hysteria in new york's penn station last night at the start of the evening rush hour. a stampede broke out after tourists and commuters heard popping sounds which they mistakingly took to be gunfire. >> people were chucking luggage, kids were running. i am happy right now. i can tell you it is a false alarm, but everyone is really nervous. >> reporter: the panic started when the police used a taser on a man who had become belligerent in an amtrak waiting area. that man was led out in handcuffs. >> we were able to quickly review all of the 911 calls and determine that there were no actual shots fired. >> reporter: the commuters dove behind pillars, hit behind garbage cans and ran for their lives

>> my heart is still racing, like, i'm sweaty, i'm shaking. it was just, like, no one knew what was going on. >> some ran down the street to a nearby macy's fearing an active shooter was on a rampage. >> i guess people started running out of the store, running out of the floor again like crazy. >> reporter: 16 people had to be treated for minor injury. a frightening start to the holiday weekend. for today, morgan ratford, nbc news, new york. a heartbreaking story out of at land louisiana this morning. a 5-year-old boy killed at a popular tourist attraction. the boy and his family were visiting a rotating restaurant with 360-degree views of the city when he got caught in the tiny space between the moving floor and the wall. staff and diners at the westin hotel's restaurant jumped to the boy's aid but couldn't save him. and an apple commuter is out this morning. the tech giant will start to test t

the california dmv issued a permit on friday to put three autonomous lexus cars, cars like this one on the road, with backup drivers on board. apple has never-before confirmed they are working on this technology, but it's long been suspected. as of today, if you get bumped from a delta flight, your compensation just jumped. now it's up to $10,000. passengers on the united flight this week where the screaming man was dragged off the plane, they were only offered $800 to give up their seats. delta's new rule as of friday, gate agents can offer you $2,000, but a supervisor can go to just short of $10,000 to satisfy a bumped passenger. this morning we're getting a first look at the highly anticipated next installment of the "star wars" story during the 40th year of celebration in florida. they came face-to-face with the biggest stars and got a glimpse at the trailer for the new movie

maya rodriguez brings us a preview. >> reporter: it won't come out until december. but for fans, the force is already strong for the new "star wars" movie, "the last jedi." star wars fans giddy, the movie trailer unveiled during a four-day celebration of the film franchise's 40th anniversary. the event drawing stars from the most recent films, as well as icons from the series original cast, including mark hamell, who plays luke skywalker. >> i'm always just stunned at the passion that has lasted all these years. >> reporter: and fan favorite harrison ford, otherwise known as han solo. >> a brilliant invention of a mythology that has

interest for over 40 years. >> reporter: the celebration, bittersweet, as co-stars and fans alike paid tribute to the late actress carrie fisher, who embodied princess lea. >> when carrie came in, she was that character. she was very strong, very smart, very funny, very bold, very tough. >> reporter: t"the last jedi" i the first movie since fisher's unexpected death in september. and it would be her last appearance as princess lea. >> sadly, carrie will not be in this one, but we'll see a lot of her in eight, which is great. >> reporter: her daughter in costume honoring her mother's iconic role. >> nothing about her was a performance. she loved you, she loved these movies. >> reporter: movies that will carry on with a new generation of actors to the delight of fans of all generations. maya rodriguez,

you know, my husband is one step away from going to one of those things. >> really? dressing up and everything? >> he was very excited the trailer is out. >> who would he dress up as? >> that's a really good question. i don't know about that. it >> it's not surprising the fans are taking the trailer and the dissecting of every piece to figure it out. >> they know all the fans will go to the trailer. >> quite often, they can put things in the trailer that don't make the cut in the movie. >> there are a couple scenes i've seen in trailers that do not make it into the movie. >> so people try to figure out the plot before the movie ever comes out. >> we should talk about the weather, i guess. moving on from "star wars," we saw pretty significant storms yesterday. this is castro county, texas, just to the southwest of amarillo. there was a funnel cloud in the sky. we did eventually see some of

ground making them tornadoes. and they stayed on the ground for quite some time. it was a very slow-moving system that produced several inches of rain in some areas across northwestern texas. and, of course, we also saw the tornadoes, too. there were no injuries but there were reports of two of those causing some building damage. so we are going to see more storms today, although not that widespread, most of the activity we're seeing this morning is up near sioux city and stretching into minneapolis. if you have early morning flights, check with your ails. that could slow down a little bit. with the cold front moving to the east, it will trigger the storms. but you can see it hanging out through the plains today and tomorrow. we'll see scattered showers and isolated stronger storms, but the largest threat will be for golf ball sized hail and straight-line winds. tornadoes shouldn't be all that widespread with this system at all. and here you see on easter sunday, the small area across texas and into oklahoma, where we could see isolated stronger storms. that's a look at the weather across the country, now here's a

>> good morning, cloudy and cool in the 50s throughout the region. the clouds are not producing any rain. reagan national at 56 degrees. later today, we aught to get sunshine breaking out later this morning into the afternoon. that's when we'll jump into the mid to upper 70s. there's the possibility of the isolated thundershower this afternoon. likely not severe and it's a small chance. then on sunday, tomorrow, we'll be feeling like summertime. the mid-80s in the afternoon. after that, a chance of sprinkles on monday morning, but a greater chance of rain on wednesday. and that's your latest forecast. >> that's a good-looking forecast. >> i know. still ahead this morning, a man who survived being shot at point-blank range. he speaks out exclusively to nbc. what it was like to stare down the barrel of a gun. and queen b and jay-z are not the only ones talking about naming their babies. a well-known scientist has some names for them.

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♪ ♪ still to come here on "today," a touching photo melting hearts this morning. how an expecting mom managed to keep her husband in the picture while being worlds away. >> this is a heartwarming story. >> how beautiful is that? we'll talk about that. plus, prom season is here. and for the ladies, it is all about the dress. but beware, if you are looking for a bargain, they are not always the real deal. jeff rossen has important tips on how to escape the scammers. we'll get into that. but first, these messages. ♪

good morning. the time now is 7:26 on this saturday, april 15th. i'm molette green. we'll get a check on the stories we are following this morning. portsmouth say the two little boys at the center of the amber alert were found safe and unharmed. their mother, asia jarvis, abducted them and threatened to shoot her sons if she didn't get money from their father. according to the nbc station in portsmouth, jarvis dropped off the boys with a family member around midnight this morning and then took off. and this is something that may affect your weekend plans a bit. metro safetrack work moves to the green line today. that

in college park is closed until april 29th for the first phase of work. shuttle buses replace the trains. we'll have more on this inside our nbc washington app. a look at the holiday weekend forecast when we come back. we e looking for something that's comfortable but yet durable, and that's going to last us a really long time. i don't want to buy new furniture every couple of years. it's custom made so you know it's good quality. i'm just speechless because it's perfect.

good morning. cloudy throughout the metro area and much of the region. we're in the 50s at reagan national, 57. but sunshine in the whennen doe shenandoah valley. a summer-like day on sunday with a partly sunny sky. mid-80s tomorrow. then monday, back to work and school, maybe a sprinkle in the morning with sun back in the afternoon with highs in the mid-70s. some much-needed rain to wash

that's the way it looks. thank you so much, tom. back in about 25 minutes with more local headlines and breaking news. for now, back to the "today" show. ♪ we are back on this beautiful saturday morning, april 15, 2017. the lovely easter crowd joining us on the plaza outside, enjoying the warmer weather. we're going to hop out there and join them in just a bit. >> hop, nice. >> back here in studio 1a, we'll take a look at what is making headlines this saturday morning. vice president mike pence getting set to head to south korea tomorrow where tensions are extremely high after north korea gave an ominous warning saying they are ready for the all-out war with the u.s. that after the rogue nation put on a massive display of its military arsenal this morning while celebrating the country's founding ruler. plus, protesters are delight

two judges ruled in favor of seven inmates to die in 11 days, spearing their lives for now. and the chaotic commute leaving a lot of folks shaken this morning after an incident involving a taser at one of the biggest train stations. the scene caused mass hysteria with people fearing a terror attack. scores of people were hurt in the stampede. and we'll begin with the download, the biggest recap of the biggest headlines. >> the p.r. scandal for united airlines to this special baby, these are some of the stories that caught our attention. the white house starting the week on a high. officially swearing in judge neil gorsuch and filling the final seat of the supreme court. but then white house press secretary sean spicer created a firestorm by comparing syrian leader bashar al assad to adolph hitler. >> somebody as despicable as

use chemical weapons. >> then the swift apology. >> obviously, i hope that everyone understands we make mistakes and ask for forgiveness. the u.s. tensions in syria playing out on the international stage with president trump turning the page on putin. >> right now we're not getting along with russia at all. >> reporter: that was followed by head-snapping reversals on long-held positions candidate trump touted on the campaign trail. >> nato in my opinion is obsolete. >> it's no longer obsolete. >> chi in, a currency manipulator. >> they are not currency ma n manipulato manipulators. >> reporter: the pentagon confirms the most powerful non-nuclear bomb in the american arsenal was dropped on an isis target in afghanistan. but the president refusing to say if he personally approved its use. >> i authorize my military. we have the greatest military in the world and they have done the job as usual. >> let me kiss that left ear, okay? a

official to step down after uncovered an affair with a top aide. a shocking video and public relations disaster for one of the nation's biggest airlines. >> oh, my good, look at what you did to him. >> a doctor forcibly removed from the united airlines flight simply for refusing to give up his seat. >> after being dragged from the plane, he suddenly returned appearing disoriented and distraught. >> i have to go home. i have to go home. >> the video of dr. dao appearing unconscious and bloody quickly went viral. >> and it was the ceo's response initially blaming dr. dao and apologizing on behalf of the airline to send the airline's stock into freefall. an exclusive interview with a real life hero. >> i saw a man having a girl in a chokehold. the next thing i knew, i was out of the car. >> peter gold recalling a night

began with him saving a woman's life and ended with him staring down the barrel of a gun. >> he told me point-blank, i'm going to kill you. a gunman shooting again and again aiming for his head, but the weapon jammed. more actously, he survived. his shooter sentenced to 50 years in prison. and gold now giving back as a program founder for serving underserved youth. and the on-air day dream that went viral. >> now to sports with marin shin. >> it led to users sharing their own embarrassing moments on air. and a surprise visit onset had sheinelle gushing. >> oh, my, you have no idea, i was going to marry you. enjoying an early birthday

♪ because i plan to be a cool kitty. ♪ >> oh, my goodness. when you surprise someone, you never know their reaction. that was the most priceless reaction i have ever seen. >> because i want everyone right now, everybody listening, think about who, when you were in like sixth, seventh grade, if there was a celebrity that you just adored, right? so that was it for me. >> we could tell. >> on the "today" facebook page, there was somebody who responded from my seventh grade class, who i am not in touch with anymore, she said, i signed her middle school yearbook, mrs. campbell, in seventh grade. >> we didn't want you to go uncelebrated on this saturday morning. so we have some treats. these are from brett's bakery. >> my actual birthday the not until wednesday. but i'll be 3

>> you just put it out there, good for you. >> i'm all about that. women are like -- oh, i'm 39. it is what it is. thank you. >> happy birthday. >> thank you. >> happy birthday. >> and you have the forecast. >> i just have to taste it. i can't put food in front of me and not taste it. >> you do the forecast. we're going to eat. i won't touch this one but i'll touch the rest. >> hands off the buns, melvin. we'll look at the weather coming this way. we are looking at the really warm temperatures. temperatures running 10 to 20 degrees above average going throughout the next several days. so it's going to be a really nice, mild easter across most of the country. we'll get through today, first. st. louis, 82 degrees today. charleston, 82. myrtle beach, 78. gainesville, down to northern florida, 85 degrees. then on sunday, 84 in new york. and raleigh, knoxville, 81 degrees. cools off a bit in st. louis, but still very pleas.

temperatures in the mid-70s. we are still going to see some cooler air try to settle in going into the end of next week. but enjoy it while it lasts. that's a look at weather across the country, now here's a peek out your window. good morning. the pollen count and the tree pollen is in the high range. mostly oak tree pollen. it will stay that way over the weekend, but still low grass and weed pollen, mold spores are low. it's been dry. we do need the rain. we won't get much of any rain at all, maybe until next wednesday. there's a small chance of an isolated shower or thundershower this afternoon. otherwise, sunshine is breaking out in the upper 70s. then summer-like tomorrow in the mid-80s. then a bit cooler monday and tuesday. then the chance of needed rain comes in on wednesday with highs in the 60s. >> that's your latest forecast. >> these are really good. >> can you do that with food in your cheek? >> it was a small bite, but i have mastered eating and doing my job. thank you. as we mentioned, it is easter weekend, and for many that means lots and lots of candy. especially if you are chocolate in my

not all candy is created equal. some better than others. we'll tell you which ones. and prom night. the glitz and galamour that hav girls reeling with excitement. but how do you match these up with the real thing? but first, these messages. , so . go ahead, do a google search for "that place where coke tastes so good." yeah, right now. i'll wait. ♪ got it? it's crazy right? when's the last time anyone on the internet agreed on anything? that was a rhetorical question. the answer is never. ♪ statake an extra 20% offl's easter looks for you and your family. that's an extra 20% off girls' dresses an extra 20% off spring polos for him and an extra 20% off

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i had a wonderful time tonight. me too! call me tomorrow? i'm gonna send a vague text in a couple of days, that leaves you confused about my level of interest. i'll wait a full two days before responding. perfect! we're never gonna see each other again, will we? no-no. wouldn't it be great if everyone said what they meant? the citi double cash card does. it lets you earn double cash back. 1% when you buy and 1% as you pay. the citi double cash card. double means double. the toothpaste that helps new parodontax. prevent bleeding gums. if you spit blood when you brush or floss you may have gum problems and could be on the journey to much worse. help stop the journey of gum disease. try new parodontax toothpaste. ♪

>> this morning on rossen reports, a new warning for high school girls and their parents. >> with prom season here, there are scammers targeting teens and ruining their big night. the national investigative correspondent jeff rossen is here on how to protect yourself. jeff, good morning. >> reporter: hey, guys, good morning to you. we have told you about scam artists selling fake electronics and handbags, the list goes on. now the scammers are targeting the prom. there's nothing sacred. the prom, fooling teenager girls with fake designer dresses, charging hundreds of dollars for gowns that literally fall apart in

years ago, but experts say it's still happening today. so we wanted to get back on the air and issue the new warning. so before your kids go dress shopping, you have to see what we found. it's prom season. and for the girls, it's all about the dress. >> prom is the oscars to a high school kid. >> reporter: high-end labels sell for hundreds of dollars. a ton of money for most high school kids and their parents. >> yeah, i like it. >> reporter: which is why they are always looking for the best deal. >> is this your dress? >> yes! >> whoo! >> reporter: now brazen scammers are cashing in on their excitement. check out these websites. a teen girl's dream. designer gowns at deep discounts. these sites sure look real but designers say it's all a scam. >> at least three to four times a week we're faced with girls who have been scammed by online

these teenagers. one of them looking for this gorgeous red ball gown online. she found it on a site for 75% off. but take a look at what showed up. a red hot nightmare. the other teenager thought she was buying this stunning pink prom dress scoring a huge discount on a website offering big bargains on designer names. but here's what she got, a sad imitation, not at all what she was expecting. >> the dress is a hot mess. >> reporter: and that is alexandra, she just wanted a cherie hill dress, one of the hottest labels in prom dresses today. >> i was working to save up for months. >> reporter: this dress cost $400. alexandra found it online for 25% off. and ordered it on the spot. >> my immediate reaction was, oh, my gosh, this is awesome. the dress i loved, it's beautiful, and it's at a great price so it will make mom happy,

too. so here's the dress. >> reporter: but just a week before prom, what she got in the mail was misery in a box. a cheap knockoff mailed from china. remember, this is what the real dress looks like. and this is what she got. wrong color. >> it was supposed to be all blue. >> reporter: wrong fabric. >> the lining is so itchy. >> reporter: sloppy stitching and way too big. >> the dress feels cheap and i feel like i look cheap in it. >> reporter: in the photo, look at all the pretty beads. instead, her dress came with a baggy of beads and a sewing kit. >> i took a step back and said, did they expect me to sew this on? i am a teenager girl. i do not know how to sew. >> reporter: all her money gone. now scam artists are shipping imposter prom gowns to girls across the country. look at this stitching. the dress is falling apart. and this beading looks like an

dusty hill is the son of the real cherie hill and president of the company trying to interception the fakes. >> it's a huge problem and growing. >> reporter: so huge the company hired investigators to hunt down the counterfeit sites. this is a fake website? >> this is a fake website where they are using authentic pictures. they take it off google and put it up as our dresses. >> reporter: these are like whack-a-mole. is this something you can fix? >> this is an ongoing fight. >> reporter: the federal government has shut down several fights, but the scammers are tough to catch. many of them based overseas. good luck getting your money back and the priceless prom memories. >> when i put the dress on, i didn't feel beautiful. and you're supposed to feel beautiful at prom. >> alexandra never got her money back. a the last

buy a new dress and spend hundreds more. call the company and say, i'm on the website, is this an authorized dealer. they are happy to tell you. and many of the top prom retailers have published a list of those who have their items. happy prom to all the kids out there. >> happy prom. >> thank you for that information for all the young ladies going prom dress shopping. dylan is in the orange room with a preview of what is coming up. >> hey, guys. we have a story behind this touching photo melting hearts around the world. how this expectant mom managed to pull this off while being worlds away. i have the story coming up right after these messages. toza® a better moment of proof. victoza lowers my a1c and blood sugar better than the leading branded pill, which didn't get me to my goal. victoza® works with your body to lower blood sugar in three ways:

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h may cause kidney problems. now's the time for a better moment of proof. ask your doctor about victoza®. humpty dumpty: i've unforeseen medical expenses. can i get a tax deduction for the hospital bills? turbotax agent: in your case, yes! humpty dumpty: ooh aren't you helpful. it's so difficult to find good help these days. ♪ready. set. go. go. go. ♪ ♪ one way or another, i'm gonna find ya' ♪ ♪ i'm gonna get ya', get ya', get ya', get ya' ♪ ♪ one way or another,♪

♪ one way or another, i wanna ♪ ya', get ya', get ya', get ya' ♪ ♪ ♪ one way or another, we' we're back on a saturday morning with a special story for you with a spouse in the military. if you're missing your partner in one of life's pivotal moments -- >> one woman decided that distance wasn't going to stop her from sharing a beautiful moment with her husband and their unborn child. >> one month after nicole bedwell found out she was pregnant, her husband was deployed overseas. wesley bedwell had missed his wife's entire pregnancy. so nicole wanted to capture it for him so she hired a photographer. but with a special request, she wanted to get wesley in a maternity photo with her from 7,000 miles away. her pho

photo of nicole among the blue bout on the flowers and married it with a photo of wesley abroad. she used blue bonnets to show how they were mile ace way but waiting for the baby piper together. they responded on social media, absolutely breathtaking. i so love this pic. another said the photo brought her to tears. and one woman added, this is the best maternity picture i've ever seen. we have an update on the baby, nicole had the baby and wesley came home for the delivery. we wish them all for the best with baby piper. >> a great story. wait until you see this, coming up, the james bond-style escape that the clever canine pulled off. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

it's custom made so you know it's good quality. i'm just speechless because it's perfect.

sti ll to come on janet jackson

baby boy. and this skilled stunt that these pilots pull off that make you not want to blink. >> but first, these messages. if you've got a life, you gotta swiffer make it sweet. make it savory. make it creamy. make it crunch. make it overnight. ♪ make it yours with quaker. lergies with nasal congestion? find fast relief behind the counter with claritin-d. [ upbeat music ] strut past that aisle for the allergy relief

and contains the best oral decongestant. live claritin clear, with claritin-d. everyone wants to be (cthe cadbury bunny because only he brings delicious cadbury creme eggs. while others may keep trying, nobunny knows easter better than cadbury. sbut an employee of that place wcan tell you why it's so good, as long as we protect their employer's identity. there are a number of reasons but it starts with the water that is perfectly chilled. we actually have a custom-made straw. wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. oh my gosh, it's super fun to talk like this. say my name! mindy. min-deeee! wait say it again! mindy! should we prank call somebody? yes! hi, it's min-deee! hohoho how clean do you feel after(laughter)the bathroom? let's ask the experts. i feel as clean as a shimmering mermaid.

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zero alcohol™. also try listerine® pocketpaks for fresh breath on the go. for fresh breath on the go. welcome to maxx you. you are whimsical, vibrant, statement making. we see what makes you unique. so we have something for everyone, at a price that's just right for you. maxx you. maxx life. t.j.maxx it's 7:56 on this saturday, april 15th. good morning to you, i'm david culver. we'll get a check on the headlines and start in the district where demonstrators will be marching on the national

rallies being organized by the group called tax march. you're looking at the route to start at noon. demonstrators are urging president trump to release his tax returns. and metro's safetrack work moves to the green line. that means the greenbelt line is closed until april 29 for the first phase of work. shuttle buses will replace the trains. more on this in our nbc washington app. we'll have more on your easter weekend forecast with tom kierein right after this.

a lot of kids will be outside for the easter egg hunts. tom kierein is here with nice weather to go along with it. >> cloudy and cool. temperatures are in the 50s just about everywhere from the blue ridge to the bay. reagan national at 57. but it is all sunshine in the shenandoah valley and out in the mountain regions. we are climbing into the low 50s there. later today, partly sunny in the mid to upper 70s. might get an isolated thundershower this afternoon, likely not a severe storm, but it's a small chance tomorrow. then summer temperatures into the mid-80s. certainly summer-like on easter sunday and a few clouds coming and going. maybe a few sprinkles monday morning with highs in the mid-70s. after that, cooler on tuesday and wednesday. much-needed rain on wednesday. wash some of

the area and drying out thursday. maybe a few showers toward the end of the week, david? we are preparing for 90 minutes of news and weather starting at 8:30. see you then. good morning. military might. north korea showing off its arsenal this morning in celebration of that country's founding ruler. it comes as vice president mike pence takes a trip to the ridge where tensions are extremely high after the ominous warning from the rogue nation. this morning they are ready for the all-out war with the united states. we're live in seoul. execution, politics and protests including actor johnny depp delighted this morning after the lives of seven inmates scheduled to die within 11 days are speared after two judges rule in favor of the condemned. but the legal battle is not over yet.

flythrough. a spectacular sight for the san diego skies today as some of the wor world's best pilots compete in the red bull air championship. what is it like to fly the planes through the obstacle course? we'll take you aboard "today," saturday, april 15, 2017. ♪ >> sorry, casper college. we're not coming in today. >> hi, mimi. hi, papa. we made it to "today." >> happy birthday, mallry. >> hey, d.c., what's going on? >> hey! a good saturday morning to you. welcome back on "today." what a fantastic crowd we have here on the plaza. >> yes! >> it's easter weekend. they have dropped by t

thank you, guys. thank you for stopping by. the sun is upside down, man. we have an upside down sign. >> that's a good move this morning. thank you for coming. we'll start this hour with our top story. north korea is having their forces on full display following a celebration for the nation's ruler. this comes as jitters grow over the rogue nation's nuclear plan. janice mackey frayer is live in seoul. good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning. with tension extremely high here, there was a massive military show in pyongyang of missiles and military hardware. the regime promised a big event to mark an important holiday. and it certainly delivered. experts believe the showcase might have included as many as three new types of intercontinental ballistic missiles. kim jong-un threatened them having a missile capable of reaching the united states. kim was

regime, that the u.s. faces all-out war and annihilation if north korea is attacked. there has been speculation for weeks that north korea may be carrying out a sixth nuclear test or missile test. there have been provocations in the last couple of months. what is different from this escalation from past crises is the emergence of china as a broker. china has influence with north korea as the main ally in economic lifeline. china urged both sides to back down before this spirals out of control. neither side for now appears willing to end the standoff. and there is another important anniversary being marked in north korea at the end of the month. craig, back to you. >> janis, thank you. just as north korea displayed its military might, this morning president trump is promising to deal with the rogue nation he calls, quote, a problem. kelly o'donnell is live in west palm beach with the

that. kelly, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, craig. so far no reaction from the white house after that display of military pageantry in north korea and the reports about potentially new weaponry in its arsenal. today we expect that the president is still looking to shake north korea with the u.s. power, but also looking to china for health. and the president has raised the stakes by suggesting that if china does not work in partnership with the u.s., that the u.s. will handle its on its own. also critical now, vice president mike pence is headed on a four-country, ten-day trip to take him to seoul, south korea, today. that's critical as he delivers in person the show of u.s. solidarity and to discuss strategy with respect to north korea at a time when it is such a critical issue in that part of the world. as we talked about the u.s. may not be within the range of north korea's capability to send a nuclear payload hee,

certainly within range, which makes it even more critical. for the president today, he's here celebrating the easter weekend. and so far no public events on his schedule for the day. craig? >> kelly o'donnell this morning down in florida. thank you. and now to stories making headlines this morning, new word on the damage from a massive bomb dropped on the isis position in afghanistan. an afghan official on the ground says 94 isis fighters were killed. four of them important commanders. no civilians died, but the so-called mother of all bombs is the largest non-nuclear weapon to issue the mile-wide area of destruction. a highly controversial plan to put seven inmates to death in 11 days is on hold this morning. an arkansas judge issued a temporary restraining order on friday to stop the state from using one of the lethal injection drugs. and the anti-death

experts said arkansas plans to file an emergency request to overturn the ruling. the state was trying to rush through the executions before the lethal drug expires at the end of the month. a scary scene on the baseball scene last night in toronto. a fouled tip hit the umpire dale scott in his face mask. the 95-mile-an-hour pitch knocked that mask off the 57-year-old. he stumbled, fell to the ground and after being taken off the field, was diagnosed with a concussion. the baseball officials announced scott will be unavailable for the rest of the weekend's series between the orioles and blue jays. >> we hope he's okay. dylan dreyer hanging outside with the crowd with another check of the forecast on this easter weekend. >> while it is a little chilly now, it will warm up nicely are. you guys ready for easter? yea, a fun crowd out here this morning. we'll take a look at what to expect this morning starting down in florida where we don't have a lot of rain, but we have drought conditions. and we have this onshore flow that is going to continue to produce dangerous rip currents. so if you're

living down in the florida area, especially eastern beaches, that's where we could see just dangerous rip currents with wind gusts up near 30 miles per hour. something to keep in mind. that's a look at the weather across the country, now here's a peek out your window. cloudy and coole this morning. our temperatures are hovering in the 50s from the blue ridge to the bay. but west of there, we have sunshine into the shenandoah valley and the panhandle of west virginia in the low 50s later today. we'll get the sunshine break out around much of the region climbing into the mid to upper 70s. and perhaps an isolated thundershower as a small chance. then tomorrow, summertime on eastern sunder. we'll be in the mid-80s in the afternoon. partly sunny. then needed rain on wednesday, we'll be in the high of 60s. still ahead this saturday morning, if you thought chocolate was the only way to eat an easter egg, you have another thing coming. we're going to taste some delicious egg concoctions for easter right after the break. plus, your favorite friends are hitting the br

in "pop start" after these messages. before fibromyalgia, i was a doer. i was active. then the chronic, widespread pain drained my energy. my doctor said moving more helps ease fibromyalgia pain. she also prescribed lyrica. fibromyalgia is thought to be the result of overactive nerves. lyrica is believed to calm these nerves. woman: for some, lyrica can significantly relieve fibromyalgia pain and improve function, so i feel better. lyrica may cause serious allergic reactions or suicidal thoughts or actions. tell your doctor right away if you have these, new or worsening depression, or unusual changes in mood or behavior. or swelling, trouble breathing, rash, hives, blisters, muscle pain with fever, tired feeling, or blurry vision. common side effects are dizziness, sleepiness, weight gain and swelling of hands, legs and feet. don't drink alcohol while taking lyrica. don't drive or use machinery until you know how lyrica affects you. those who have had a drug or alcohol problem may be more likely to misuse lyrica.

with less pain, i can be more active. ask your doctor about lyrica. i can be more active. [phhello.ng] hi, it's anne from edward jones. i'm glad i caught you. well i'm just leaving the office so for once i've got plenty of time. what's going on? so those financial regulations being talked about? they could affect your accounts, so let's get together and talk, and make sure everything's clear. thanks. yeah. that would be great. we've grown to over $900 billion in assets under care... by being proactive, not reactive. it's how edward jones makes sense of investing. mastering the enchantment just in time for easter, the lindt master chocolatier is stirring up our finest chocolate... and bringing back our dearest friend... the one and only lindt gold bunny. and when everything is just right... the magic begins. this year, make the magic of easter come alive.

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we are back on a saturday we are back on a saturday morning and it is time to trend. we have a special treat in our studio. take a look at this. >> i love it. >> you see this come from the american egg board who is obviously excited about easter. what is it? it's

you look at what is on the bottom of the deviled eggs. it's a hard-boiled egg on a pretzel stick. pull it out. >> i'm trying. >> we have deviled eggs, blue cheese and bacon. smoked salmon with cream cheese and wasabi caviar. if you want to try these, head to incredibleeggs.org. >> these are good. >> this is really good. >> very hard to talk with egg in the mouth. >> that's smart, craig. eat an egg and then talk. nbc news has you covered. we'll look at your healthier candy options. number one, the crowd favorite, reese's peanut butter eggs. the least amount of sugar. >> i'm surprised. >> me too. i'm stunned by that. number two, tootsie pops.

coconut cream eggs. >> coconut anything is more fattening, i think. >> nbc found out what to stay away from. brach's tiny bird eggs, lindt's chocolate bunnies and the m&m eggs. >> i'm not surprised that jelly beans are the worst. >> they are pure sugar. >> sure. >> the peanut butter is moderation. my advice is to enjoy all the candy you want. just not the whole bag. >> thank you, dr. melvin. >> that's what i'm here for. and the intelligence of a dog, everybody is talking about this video. look at this. you may want to show your dog this video. this is general, a 10-year-old pyrrenese who pulled off this escape. general opens his cell door and looks around to see the coast clear. then he opens the door with his mouth, walks down the

the exit and walks out of the hospital right into the parking lot. this all happens in the middle of the night after 15 hours of freedom, he was spotted safe and sound in the yard nearby lounging. and animal control found him and brought him back. he was unharmed. >> did you know danny devito has a broadway show where he eats a hard-boiled egg and has to talk after he eats it. >> thank you for that. >> maybe you should get to the "pop start". >> that was a "pop start" appetizer. we'll kick things off with janet jackson in five, four, three, two, one. i thought i could do it more smoothly. as you know, the rhythm nation singer announced she was pregnant for the first time at age 50. and we're finally getting a look at her baby. this is her

with a caption, my baby and me after a nap. so cute. the little boy was born in january. speaking of babies, you know how it is, everyone has an opinion when you're expecting, like it or not. and that includes the astrophysicist who wanted to give them baby names for their twins. the internet can't get enough. naturally, his tweets are taking an interesting turn. terra and luna, for earth and moon. and castor and pollux. and perigee and apoge. >> the newest and farthest points from earth in orbit. >> and my favorite, aster and roid. >> i wouldn't want my name to be roid. >> t

stop there. >> that's a good idea. >> #namesforbeyonce. >> you should give names. >> blue ivy. it can't be james. >> it has to be funky. and 13 years after saying good-bye to ross, chandler, monica, joey and phoebe, the friends will finally be there for you again, but not the actual cast. this time it will be on stage. there's an off-broadway show "friends" in the debut. it will be a parody of the tv show. there will be a janet, fat monica and original songs included in the production. not only do they poke fun of the show, but they promise to get jokes in including their hefty salaries. the question is, will we catch the real actors in the anc

attended and went for coffee afterwards. >> too much there. thank you, dylan. still ahead, the red bull air race. say that 20 times. it's finally here. we'll get you a front-row seat at some of the unbelievable stunts these pilots pull off to win the world championship. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

it's custom made so you know it's good quality. i'm just speechless because it's perfect. so for the first time in eight years, the red bull for the first time in eight years, the red bull race has returned to san diego. >> as part of the world championship series across the globe, it is what some call nascar in the sky as pilots rip through the track twisting and turning and racing against the track over open water. no uh three americans hope to clench the win at home. gadi schwartz has the story. >> reporter: a full-throttle fly-through. these are practice

diego bay. and life couldn't be better for kevin coleman. >> blue skies, ready to pull some g. >> reporter: pulling g's is his job description. he's the youngest pilot to be flying in the red bull air race. and kirby challace is his rival who is revered. he zips through the course pulling as many as 12 g's. this race director -- >> a plane will go through that. >> hopefully and not hit the pylons. >> reporter: when the pylons are hit, there's a three-second penalty. precision in a sport where the racetrack is 3-d. >> it's a little bit different than, say, a formula

or something where they have to stay on the pavement. i just have to go between the gates. >> reporter: kirby will tell you the only way to fully understand what they do is to climb on board and try to keep your breakfast down. >> this is for the omelet this morning, right? all right, here we go. whoo! you think, oh, my god, i hope i don't hit that thing. >> how fast did we hit that? >> 200 knots. >> 200 knots. >> reporter: ah! whoo! beautiful! for "today," gadi schwartz, nbc news, san diego. >> he had a great time. >> that sounds like pure joy for him. >> could you ever do it? >> i have flown a couple of times, not wth

in circumstances, thunderbirds, things like that. >> he's not throwing up, so that is good. >> well, they didn't show it. >> for him, it's a thrill. >> would you do it? >> no. >> i don't like roller coasters, though. >> i have sky dived a couple times. >> i know. that surprises me. >> thank you so much for coming today. and thank you. that will do it for us on this saturday morning. tomorrow on sunday "today," louis sits down with julia louis-dreyfus and what it is like to do a political satire during the trumper rar. and hoda returns from maternity leave on monday. we very much look forward to her returning and hearing all the beautiful stories about haley joy. >> so sweet. enjoy your weekend. happy easter! se, comelose. i like that. [ music stops suddenly ] ah. when your pain reliever stops working,

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good morning, i'm david culver. >> and i'm molette green. straight ahead on "news4 today" -- >> reporter: safetrack surge number 14 is underway. we'll tell you what it is all about coming up on news4. and we've got clouds now, sun back later today, and a summer-lightning sund summer-like sunday on the way in ouav tbe al y tv or phone. the alert may be over, but we'll explain why this is far from over. plus, it is free for now but not for long. the major change along the national mall. we'll

to start digging into your wallet. all that and join us behind the scenes on facebook live. >> are you ready for that? >> not really, but that is when we start "news4 today." we are back on air in 60 secondes.

and we start with getting around safetrack. right now on new"news4 today," next big disruption you'll feel even if you don't ride metro. the show of force. the military display in north korea as growing tensions put world leaders on alert. and virginia tech ten years later. how the campus is reflecting this weekend on the dark moment in history and pushing forward together. a lot to get to on this saturday morning. welcome in to "news4 today" on this saturday, april 15, 2017. i'm david culver. >> and i'm molette green in

easter weekend. the forecast is looking really nice. i want it to get warm. i'm waiting. >> i think we might have the answer in the storm team 4 weather center with tom kierein. patience is a virtue, molette. hang in there. we'll get sunshine hanging on into the afternoon. right now, cloudy and cool in the 50s just about everywhere. way off in the horizon, a live view from the reston camera, you can see the sunshine way off in the shenandoah valley with temperatures in the mid-50s. under the cloud cover, we're in the 50s. reagan national at 57 degrees. hour by hour with the sunshine breaking out by noontime, we aught to stay in the near 50s and will rise to the lower 70s. we'll see a chance for a shower mainly south of the metro area, and a small chance at that. then mild andry