good morning. fired. bill o'reilly let go by fox news amid the storm of sexual harassment allegations. his name already wiped from his show. this morning what finally tipped the scales against him and what the now former anchor is saying about the scandal that led to his down fall. >> talking tough on the heels on the war of words with north korea. the trump administration fixes the fire power on another adversary. >> iran spends its treasure and time disrupting peace. >> what action is the white house ready to take to back up those words? >> why some close to aaron hernandez say there's no chance he took his own life. as new repo

verse written on his forehead when he was found hanged in his prison cell. and what a drag. a bizarre scene in california. a car lodged in the back of a big rig barrelling down a highway. the driver desperate for help. giving the term truck stop a whole new meaning today. thursday, april 20th, 2017. from nbc news, this is "today" with matt lauer and savannah guthrie live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. good morning. welcome to "today" on a thursday morning. we have willie in for matt this morning. i've been playing my greatest hits for you this morning from barry manilow. >> a light rain not keeping him

on the plaza. >> there's a huge crowd. let's get to our top story. it is the stunning fall for one of the biggest stars in cable news. amid sexual harassment allegations fox news cut ties with bill o'reilly and his popular show has a new look and name. cynthia mcfadden has been following this. >> viewers pushing into fox saw a new factor. now new questions about what's next for o'reilly as the former king of cable news speaks out, even if he face more accusation. this morning the king of cable news is dethroned. >> it's the end of an era here at fox news. bill o'reilly is leaving this chair and network after over 20 years. >> the top rated table show now once bearing his name, now ju

sexual harassment allegations. says it's disheartening that we part ways due to unfounded claims but that's the unfortunate reality many of us in the public eye must live with today. the reality is more than a half dozen women have accused o'reilly of sexual harassment. "the new york times" reports that o'reilly and fox news have paid a total of $13 million to five women and more than 50 companies pulled their ads from the o'reilly factor. he repeatedly denied all allegations against him. but it's a stunning downfall for the man who anchored the most lucrative broadcast on fox news. they generated $178 million in ad revenue in 2015. five people have left fox news in a devastating year for fox

news. among them, roger ailes. he resigned after gretchen carlson filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against him. the first domino in this dramatic turn of events. they settled for a reported $20 million. ailes has denied the allegations. fox may have been trying to get ahead of other possible alleged accusers with the ousting on o'reilly. >> i know some of the accusers. some of them have told me there's no point in coming forward now. he's been fired. others may have lawsuits against him, and they may file them. >> reporter: o'reilly shock hands tuesday with pope francis at the van ttican. a stunning contrast to his allegations. the this morn

done is no more. >> this morning henley holt says they have no plan to sever ties with o'reilly who has projects in the works. fox news the staff was stunned to hear of the fires especially as the bosses seemed to praise them even as they pushed him out the door. >> thank you very much. gabe sherman broke the story of o'reilly's exit for new york magazine. we got news earlier this month of the settlement paid out to women in claims of sexual harassment against bill o'reilly. the advertisers were fleeing. there's a pending deal that rue pert murdoch is looking at. what brought this to a head? >> this was a storm they wanted to weather, but they realized they couldn't. i learned yesterday morning a law firm presented their findings to the law firm. they

more extensive than we know and realized they could not save him and had to push him out. >> that was the big question. your reporting suggesting there was a shoe to drop. >> and there was a board meeting for the parent company of fox taking place today. they wanted this resolved before that. this was a fast-moving story. >> was there inside fox until the end a pro o'reilly camp? >> i didn't hear a big ground swell of rank and file people. the it's important to note that bill shined the current co-president tried to save him. rupert murdoch was inclined to save him. he was a difficult person to work with. >> fox viewers probably don't support this move. he's exceedingly popular. >> of course. and this is going to be in some ways more complicated than the ousting of

summer because of his personal connection to the audience. it will be interesting to see if there's erosion in the ratings. >> what does the future of fox look like now? you can take>óleñ it back to grn carlson leaving, bill o'reilly, roger ailes. is this a different network now? >> in the short term, no, because of their pro trump coverage. they aligned themselves with the trump white house. long term, yes. because the network was closely tied to roger ailes' vision, he's no longer in the picture. megyn kelly is no longer in their prime time. this is going to be a new network. it's too early to tell what it will be. the murdoch younger son would like to have it a more moderate position. this is more of a family struggle than a television one. >> roger ailes got a big payout. does bill o'reilly get the same thin

settlement. he had two and a half years on his contract. he earns upwards of $25 million a year. there was a provision now. i think they signed this contract knowing the allegations out there so there was a clause that allowed them to have an exit, but he did receive money. >> gabe has been working this story for years and broke the last chapter of it. thank you. we'll have more on the departure in the last half hour including a claim from his attorney that he has evidence of a smear campaign against o'reilly. now to the white house and a new faux for the trump administration to focus on. iran. rex tillerson now warning it could become the next north korea. we have two reports. let's start with andrea mitchel. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. the new administration, the president, facing multiple crises from north korea to aggressive maneuvers by russian jets off the coast of alaska. now the u.s. opening a new front with iran.

stark warning to iran. >> an unchecked iran has the potential to travel the same path as north korea. and take the world along with it. >> reporter: secretary of state rex tillerson blasting the nuclear deal negotiated by the barack obama administration. >> they threaten the united states, the region, and the world. >> reporter: while the nuclear deal is in place for now, president trump has vowed to rip it up. >> the iran deal made by the previous administration is one of the worst deals i have ever witnessed. and i've witnessed some beauties. >> reporter: after acknowledging iran is complying with the deal, tillerson accused them of testing and developing missiles in defiance of u.n. resolutionr. arresting u.s. s

with five other powers decided the nuclear deal was still worth doing. others said scrapping it would give iran the a permission slip of developing a nuclear missile. the tillerson disagrees. >> won't it send a message that the u.s. can't be trusted to keep its end of the bargain? >> it's another example of buying off a power who has nuclear ambitions. we buy them off for a short period of time and someone has to deal with it later. >> reporter: tillerson says they may put north korea back on the list of state terror. all this as james mattis trying to clear up confusion over the aus carrier. they said the ship was heading to north korea as a show of force, even though it was heading toward australia. >> we are

very powerful. >> reporter: mattis now clarifying. >> we don't generally give out ship schedules in advance. i didn't want to play a game and say we were not changing a schedule when we had. >> reporter: the it's a confusing signal to adversaries and allies. now moscow seems to be testing this administration. twice this week russian jets flew too close to the coast of alaska, once norad scrambled fighter jets. president trump is facing off again against the u.s. district judge he accused of being biassed last year. kristen welker has more on this story for us. good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you. the first time president trump clashed this the judge was over a trump university lawsuit when he was a candidate. this time the judge will preside over an immigration case involving

who was deported. the case putting him in mr. trump's cross hairs again. he's back in the spotlight in a new legal case involving president trump. he the is the judge who candidate trump thrust into the headlines. >> he's a hater. his name is gonzolo. kureol. >> reporter: he became the target of trump's scathing and frequent attacks. >> the judge was appointed by bra barack obama, federal judge. he should recuse himself. i believe he happens to be spanish. that's fine. he's hispanic, which is fine, and we haven't asked for a recusal.

>> reporter: arguing he was bias because of his mexican heritage. he was born in indiana. >> he's a mexican. the answer is he is giving us very unfair ruling. >> reporter: ultimately this march the judge approved a $25 million settlement between trump university and students who claimed they overpaid for seminars. mr. trump never admitted any wrong doing. as for the judge's current case, a 23-year-old says back in february he was arrested and deported from a southern california city for no reason when he tried to reenter the country again, he says he was deported back the to mexico. he has daca status. the department of homeland security says he violated it by leaving the country without getting the government's approval. in an interview with nbc overnight, his lawyer wouldn't respond to the flap over the judge but stressed her cli

>> to this day he doesn't understand why he was deported even though he had permission to be in the country. >> reporter: the question now will president trump take aim at the judge again in a case that's already become a legal flash point. how did the judge wind up overseeing the case in the first known dream tore get deported. the it was totally ranrandom. so far no reaction from the white house. no court date has been set yet. all right. we are learning more this morning about the apparent prison cell suicide of former informal star aaron hernandez. an investigation is underway as people close to him are raising questions about what exactly happened. nbc national correspondent miguel almaguer is outside the prison. >> reporter: prison officials believe he hanged himself inside his single unit cell. they say he was not on suicide watch and showed no indion

that is why some are asking was this really a suicide. aaron hernandez was discovered hanging from a bed sheet tied to a window inside his maximum security cell. this morning multiple news outlets say john 3:16 was on his head. it references eternal life. prison officials call the death a suicide. but this morning friends and members of his legal team are raising questions about that. >> it's very hard for me to accept the fact that he may have committed suicide. we are keeping an open mind. >> not. >> reporter: just six days ago the former football superstar already serving a life sentence for the execution of a friend in 2013 was acquitted of a double murder in 2012. wiping away tears as the verdict was read. the victim's family did the same.

stoic during the trial, he blew kisses to his foins and daughter. they say there's absolutely no chance he took his own life. now they say they'll conduct their own investigation into hernand hernandez's death. for the families of those he w accused of killing, there is no justice. >> they take no joy in what's happened to him and to his family. >> reporter: on social media nfl players shared their condolences for a man who once scored a super bowl touchdown and a $40 million contract with the patriots inspe patriots. his former teammates were celebrating their most recent super bowl win at the white house. just a few years ago, aaron hernandez seemed to have it all. fame, money, incredible success. but his life now coming to an end in a

with state police now launching their own investigation, we now know his pension says his family would like it to go to his daughter. as for his criminal record, his lawyers say because they were repealing his conviction, they're asking that his record be wiped clean. >> all right. miguel, thank you very much. now back to the wild video from the top of the show. this incident happened on the 15th freeway in los angeles. a big rig dragging a car up the freeway path after the car somehow becomes wedged into the side of the truck. the witness who was recording the video pulls up alongside of him. the driver waves his hand out the window and pleads for help. the truck dragged that car for about four miles. eventually it came to a stop. that's when the witness confronted the truck driver.

>> so far? >> there's a guy on your car. >> i didn't know it. >> what do you mean you didn't know it, dude? he's on your truck. >> he said what do you mean you didn't know it, dude? the california highway said the it's not clear if anybody faces any charges. >> how do you go four miles dragging a car and not notice? >> that's amazing. apparently nobody hurt. >> mr. roker, what is shaking? >> a lot of severe weather to talk about. in fact, look at what happened yesterday outside of cleveland. they got dumped on with tons of rain, and they had to do water rescues from parking lots getting people out of their cars. look at the burger king. the it's under water. it is a mess out there. and there's more on tap for today for the same area. it's our top weather story as these systems push across the

heavy thunderstorms. in fact, we have a threat of severe weather from cleveland to indianapolis up to detroit. 25 million people at risk for this system. as it pushes to the east, strong storms, wind, heavy rain, another round of heavy showers and thunderstorms through cleveland, and the southern part of this storm brings in a more overnight storms with the warm front. the risk of heavy rain through tomorrow into parts of the central plains. look at the rainfall amounts we're talking about. anywhere from three to five inches of rain. this system moves into the east by saturday. from oklahoma city into nashville, 3 to 5 inches with flash flooding possible through saturday afternoon. we'll get to your local forecast coming up in the next 30 seconds.

good morning. a little thunder shower moving into parts of far western montgomery county headed toward gaithersburg. those rain drops are getting closer and closer to the topside of the capital beltway. likely to have another round of rain showers maybe thunderstorms between 4:00 and 8:00 this afternoon into this evening. two chances for rain today. rain likely saturday night and sunday as well. >> that's your latest weather. >> al, thank you. >> coming up, marketing the munchies. why a lot of companies are rolls out deals just for today, 4/20. >> and prince ll

he says still lingers 20 years later. first, this is today on nbc.

okay. barry manilow is here. one of my favorites. he was not planning to do koe pa cabana. can we convince him to sing it? >> we want you go to the get on twitter. we're going to pressure him into singing it. the hash tag "sing kopa today". we're back after your local news. then you're a couple. think of all you'll share... like snoring. does your bed do that? the dual adjustability of a sleep number bed allows you each to choose the firmness and comfort you want. so every couple can get the best sleep ever. does your bed do that?

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thursday morning. good morning. >> in the news this morning today is april 20th or 4/20. today marijuana advocates are protesting interference. and they plan to hand out free joipts to congressional staffers. they're calling it a joint session. the rally is not happening on federal grounds. >> right now police are looking for the same man in two sexual assault cases. first they say he groped a man twice on april 6th. the second incident was a few blocked away on april 15th.

this happened to a different woman who says the man had a knife. if you know anything about the cases, call d.c. police. now let's check the traffic. >> a big problem here. inner loop after 4. we are now having two left lanes getting by. this is a five mile backup this morning. you can see highlighted how bad it is. the rest of the beltway is looking normal here this morning. taking a look here as well. 66 and 95, no problem. southbound 234 crash with a tractor trailer there. southbound lane shut down. >> we'll check your forecast next.

a round of thundershowers and more showers across

north western virginia. another chance for rain late this afternoon and this evening. lots of rain saturday night and sunday. >> another local news update in 25 minutes. >> back to the "today" show.

♪ it's 7:30, it's thursday morning, the 20th of april, 2017. there is our plaza there's the crowd. barry manilow is here. he's singing this morning. this is a great song, but there is no greater song than copacabana. ♪ she was a show girl . >> we're trying to get him to sing it so they'll stop. tweet us with a hash tag "sing copa today ♪ . >> it's already trending. that means he has to sing it. >> he doesn't have to do

he's barry manilow. keep the pressure on. >> i know. tell barry, if you don't sing it, we will, and that's the terrifying. >> do it for me. here's a look at what's making headlines this morning. rex tillerson is talking tough when it comes to iran saying the provacative actions are a threat to the united states and the world. he announced the trump administration's plan to review the u.s. policy toward iran. >> overnight a space capsule blasted off carrying an american an russian to the international space station. the it's the first flight for jack fisher. >> and officials at sea world say the last killer whale has been born in captivity at one of the parks in san antonio. the birth comes months after a decision by the florida-based company to some breeding killer whales. sea world says the it was a smooth delivery and mother and calf appear to be healthy. reaction of all kinds pouring into the newha

o'reilly is out after 21 years at fox news following explosive sexual allegations against him. what you think may depend on your politics. stephanie g stephan stephanie gosk has more on that. the recent allegations turned into a battle between the left and the right. some are calling it the politics of sexual harassment. this morning the political pitch forks are out. the firing of controversial fox commentator bill o'reilly over sexual harassment allegations unleashing a fire storm. o'reilly's attorney says he has evidence of a smear campaign being orchestrated by far left organizations bent on destroying o'reilly for political and financial reasons. the conservative website breitbart also picking up on the theme with the headline activist left gets monster scalp.

of the accusers pushed back saying he's a trump supporter and fox watcher, but -- >> when somebody commits sexual harassment, it doesn't matter what they are, they're going to be held accountable. >> reporter: the popular anchor's undoing follows reports o'reilly and fox paid $13 million to settle sexual harassment claims by several women. claims that o'reilly has strongly denied. recently president trump jumped to a riley's defense in an interview with the new york times. >> he's a good person. i think he shouldn't have settled, personally. >> reporter: that defense follows last year's campaign bomb shell. sexual allegations against trump which he denies. it stirs up memories of anita hill in the 90s. >> he began to use work situations to discuss sex. >> reporter: and her

sexual harassment allegations against supreme court justice, clarence thomas. >> it's a high-tech lynching. >> reporter: today's scandal with people split down party lines, a reminder little has changed. it's sad we're living in an era where we don't take the facts of the face as seriously because it conflicts with our own political biases. o'reilly's attorney says that evidence his client is a victim of a leftist campaign will be in his words, put forth shortly and is irrefutable. this fight is not nearly over. >> as we said, his millions of fans are not happy about fox's decision to drop him. >> and expressing a ton of support on their website. >> for many people, this is a question of sexual harassment, not about politics. >> stephanie, thank you. >> thank you. over to al and see what he has. what's behind you? >> well, i'm giving

we have our first kind of tropical system. label number one, 35 miles per hour winds moving north at 14. not going to really effect anybody. it's the first. if it became a tropical system, it would be arlene. here are the names. as we look right now for today, severe storms making their way across the ohio valley. high fire danger in the southwest. it is dry and breezy. we could be looking at a lot of wildfires there. plenty of sunshine in l.a. today with a high of 83 degrees. that's what's going on around the country. here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> good morning. it is cloudy right now. we have showers throughout. 58 degrees. it's mild. the rain is mostly north and west of the district. you see the motion. we expect rain moving into the district and around the beltway

leesburg, thunderstorms with the cluster. 9:00 this morning showers through the district. clearing by lunchtime. but later on this afternoon, we expect another round of scattered showers. maybe another thunderstorm. low 80s. >> i get that weather any time you need it. check out the weather channel on cable. >> all right. thank you, al. now 2017 marks 20 years since the death of princess dianna. this week her sons are speaking out about the loss of their mother like never before. tammy lightener is at buckingham palace for us. >> reporter: this has been quite the week. the royal family doesn't normally speak act their emotions. this week both the princes spoke about their mother's death and the struggle that followed. >> i still feel 20 years about my mother, i still have shock within me. >> reporter: candid words from prince william on his mother's death. >> y n

the it's a big moment in your life that it never leaves you. you just learn to deal with it. >> reporter: the prince speaking to a mom worried about a mom who lost their children. >> they'll be okay? >> with a mom like you, they'll be fine. >> reporter: prince william not the only royal opening up. this week prince harry reveal heg shut down emotionally for years following the death of his mother. only in the last few years sought help. >> it was 20 years of not thinking about it, and then two years of total chaos. i didn't know what was wrong with me. >> reporter: the royal brothers using this opportunity to spread the word about their charity which fights mental health st stigma. >> reporter: prince harry is here talking to runners about his charity, heads together. kate also encouraging runners wearing gear with the charity's logo. >> nice to meet you. how old are you? >> eig.

want to do is try to break the stigma and get everyone talking. and this concept is sort of more heads together better than being alone. >> hello, prince william. >> reporter: lady gaga talking to prince william this week about that loneliness. >> it was the best thing that could come out of my mental illness was to share it with other people. >> reporter: and the woman who was the catalyst for this new openness? never far from anyone's mind. >> i think she would be proud of the campaign, proud of everybody involved, proud of us. >> reporter: princess dianna was never scared of breaking taboos and it seems her boys are following in her footsteps, speaking about their own struggles to help others. >> they're doing good by trying to remove the stigma and being open. >> there's something about this generatio r

love. coming up, is he planning a return to the spotlight. richard simmons speaking out for the first time since we talked to him about a year ago. >> first, what your favorite brands are doing to cash in for the high demand for munchies. we'll explain right after this. >> what's the date? is that ice cream? no, it's, uh, breyers gelato indulgences. you really wouldn't like it. it's got caramel and crunchy stuff. i like caramel and crunchy stuff. breyers gelato indulgences. it's way beyond ice cream.

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barry manilow is here. "sing copa today". we have to get to number one. >> you think if we get number one, we'll sing it? >> you want to know the number one trend? >> it is 4/20. for those of you who don't know, the it's today's date, but it is also a high holiday for marijuana supporters. >> yes, and i guess we had a different high school experience. anyway, whether you are for or against legalized marijuana, there's ways for you to benefit today. joe fryer explaining -- >> i had the same high school experience. to many this is just april 20th. to some it's 4/20, when some product discounts will trend on social media will some brands hoping to cash in. >> it's a tongue and cheek holiday for

420. a day when some users celebrate their love for bud and when market herbs try to target them with a case of the munchies. today ben and jerry's introduced a new product. >> one of our most popular favors was cherry garcia. half baked has taken the top spot. >> reporter: critics say it perpetuates old fans of stoners. millions including kids use pot for medical uses. many brands do it with a wink hoping in a hungry haze you'll reach for their product. pepsi once tweeted this on 420 showing a pair of relaxed pepsi cans with a list of today's

pizza rolls also campaign. this year, no exception. >> does the store still have pizza rolls? >> of course. it is 420. >> companies that dabble in the marketing don't directly use words like weed in their adds ads, but the it's no coincidence. marketing the munchies doesn't come with the same risk as burning bridges with pot users as it used to. in 1969, only 12% wanting to legalize pot. 60% in 2016. it's nearly as mainstream as the brands trying to capitalize on the 420 blaze. >> some companies behind the ads may be more blunt, but regardless of how you feel, even if you're not a fan, there's a potential bright side. some of your favorite brands might be offering discounts today and those are

back to you guys. >> doritos. >> thank you. >> cool ranch or regular? >> regular. >> look who's back in the orange room. carson. >> more blunt, i got it. >> a look at the world's most influential people. >> carson, did you know what 425 was? >> i did. >> enough said. roadside assistanceur helped him to fix his flat so he could get home safely. my dad says our insurance doesn't have that. don't worry - i know what a lug wrench is, dad. is this a lug wrench? maybe? you can leave worry behind when liberty stands with you™. liberty stands with you™. liberty mutual insurance.

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we are so happy, carson is here. we are so happy. >> remember me, buddy? sing kcopa today. >> also time magazine released its list of the most influential people in the world. their get guest contributors to write about all of them. here are the five covers they've released. include up here, vie oola davis. some other people inside there, president trump with speaker paul ryan writing he is a driven hands on leader. senator elizabeth warren

warren's battles with the big banks. we also have a specialist inside the magazine. simone biles. she's called extraordinary and inspiring. leslie, russell crow writing act about her. a new other notables, john legend, tom brady, ivanka trump and jared kushner. it's the time 100 list at today.com. >> i like to see what people -- celebrities write about other celebrities. >> we need the hash tag number one "sing copa today". do it for the children. >> barry manilow coming up. we're back after your local news. and markets continue to rise and fall...

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♪

7:56 is your time on this thursday, april 20th, 2017. good morning. we still have big problems on the road. let's check on your traffic. >> good morning. inner loop after 4, a five mile backup here. two left lanes are getting by. still have the overturned tractor-trailer on the right side of the roadway. rest of the beltway okay. inner loop at georgetown pike, blocking two left lanes. southbound 301 at dyson. crash may have one overturned. they have been tweeting about this. sounds like no major injuries but it involved a car fire. >> thank you. a quick break now and we'll check your forecast when we come back. stay with us.

good morning. mid to upper 50s right now. showers moving through aproeching the district moving into parts of the beltway with heavier rain around gaithersburg. that will continue to move through, and then dry for most of the day. low 80s with a chance for afternoon showers. >> thank you. we'll see you in 25 minutes.

♪ it's 8:00 on coming up, serena's secret. she has fans everywhere cheering after announcing she's pregnant with her first child, and managed to win a grand slam while expecting. plus breaking his silence. in the wake of a new health scare, richard simmons speaks out for the first time since speaking to us nearly a year ago. we'll tell you what he's saying and not saying as he remaining out of the public eye. and he writes the songs. ♪ >> the legendary barry manilow hits

concert as we talk to him about new music, marriage, and milestones today. >> how many times have you seen him? >> 500 times. >> and today? >> this is my first barry manilow concert. >> where do you want to go? >> take me to copacabana. ♪ >> good morning, everybody. welcome back to "today." the man of the hour, barry manilow. what beautiful weather for your show. >> terrible. i'm so sorry, and all the

wonderful people are still there. they're all going to catch pneumonia. >> there are so many people here. >> i know. >> it's incredible. >> i know. it's a miracle. the jewish guilt is killing me. >> does guilt work? we've been trying to pressure you into playing copacabana. >> i heard. >> are you thinking about it? >> of course. >> it's a yes. >> copacabana. >> you aim the to please, and you're a busy guy. you were just at a concert last night? >> yes. >> who were you singing for? >> clive davis had his documentary. wonderful film. >> he's out late at night, here early in the morning. that's love. >> we haven't slept. we just went from there to here. >> you never sleep, barry. you did it, america, you're going to get copacabana. first, a check of the day's top stories. it's time for your news at

i'm kristen welker from the white house. president trump and his new administration facing crises on multiple foreign policy fronts. rex tillerson is sending a stark warning to iran saying their actions threaten the united states while also blasting the obama administration for that nuclear deal they made with that country. take a listen. >> it is another example of buying off a power who has nuclear ambitions. we buy them off for a short period of time and someone has to deal with it later. >> now, while tillerson acknowledged iran is complying with the nuclear agreement, he accused them of sponsoring terrorism throughout the middle east, testing nuclear weapons. all of this comess a james mattis is trying to clear up confusion over the

that u.s. aircraft carrier that both mattis and president trump said was heading to north korea as a show of force. this is creating somewhat of a controversy. it was actually the u.s.s. karl vincent headed toward australia. the administration getting a lot of questions essentially calling it an effort that went awry. >> we'll be watching for that. thank you. and breaking overnight. an aggressive effort by the state of arkansas to carry out the first execution since 2005 stalled for the second time this week. a circuit court judge issued a restraining order on a key lethal injection drug. the state faces an up hill battle to execute ane

lethal injection drugs expires. serena william gave her fans an extra reason to share. morgan is here. >> there's a happy story here. good morning. the tennis superstar will add another role to her already impressive list of accomplishments and that's mother hood. serena williams confirmed she is expecting her first child head third down way this fall. >> the it's love off the court for serena williams and her fiance. williams posting this selfie on wednesday showing a very small pregnancy bump with the caption, 20 weeks. the snap was soon deleted sparking confusion, even speculation that the tennis star posted the picture by accident. but her reps happily confirming later in the day that she is, indeed, expecting a baby this .

their congrats. tweeting there's going to be a baby goat. we are so happy. serena will be a great mother. a baby and a wedding? a very special year ahead for serena williams. happy for her new journey. also from fans. many pointing out the tennis super star was in the early months of pregnancy when she beat her older sister to win the australian open in january. don't mind me. i'm just over here reveling in the fact that serena williams won the australian open without losing a single set while pregnant. serena hasn't played a match since that record-breaking 23rd grand slam singles title. at the peak of her career, they might wonder how she'll bounce back on the court after having a baby. >> if she has the motivation, she can come back strong. >> her spokesperson saying she'll be back on the circu

make sure if anyone asks that that is clear. match point for williams, both personally, and professionally. >> all right. according to our mart, williams is likely due during the u.s. open right here in new york in the fall. so she may be watching from the sidelines with a brand new little tennis fan. >> just say again, she won the australian open while she was pregnant. >> and never dropped a set. >> she's the greatest of all time. >> coming up next, richards simmons breaks his silence. what he wants his fans to know. >> we'll sit down with the legendary barry manilow as he gets set to wow us with a live concert out in the rain. we're back right after this. this salad? at panera, a good salad is so much more than a bowl of something green.

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simmons has been wondered about lately. >> he is speaking out. he's telling his fans he hopes to see you all soon. >> nice and tall. >> with speculation swirling around richard simmons, he's breaking his silence. according to his manager, simmons was admitted to a los angeles hospital earlier this week for severe indigestion is expected to make a recovery. he posted a message on his facebook page along with this 2014 photo saying hello to everyone who has shown concern for me and sent their good wishes. joking aren't you sick of hearing and reading about me? by now you know i'm not missing, just a little under the weather. i'm sure i'll be feeling good and back home in a couple of days. adding this reminded me when you need help, you can't be afraid to reach out and ask for it.

able to solve our problems all by ourselves and sometimes the it's just bigger than we are. the sweating with the oldies star stayed out of the public eye since february of 2014. known for his comedic nature and high energy, simmons spoke to savannah by phone. >> it's richard sillens. how are you? revealing he sustained a knee injury. i hurt my knee, and i had some problems with it. and then the other knee started to give me trouble. because i've taught thousands and thousands of classes. and right now i just want to sort of just take care of me. >> a renewed interest in him picked up in february with the release of the hit podcast, missing richard simmons. >> where is he? >> i have no idea. >> he says i reached out and i hope you will

your life who love and care for you and would do anything to help you with the challenges you face. knowing you care makes me feel better. hope to see you again soon, love richard. >> there are new rumors that suggests he may be making a comeback earlier this month. he signed a business deal for merchandising, endorsement and licensing opportunities. we love this guy. hopefully he'll emerge. >> i know. he wants to be in solitude, and i think leave him in peace, but everybody misses him. >> take care of yourself, richmond. >> trending, carson is back. >> what's up? >> first, trending before we can have the mighty pop start. do you guys love cold pressed juice around here or what? >> what? >> i have no idea. >> is that fresh squeezed juice? >> here's an innovative new product. the startup that's already raised $118 million. it's

some say. >> it uses four tons of force in that machine. the machine costs $400. the pacts run between $5 and $8. here's what gets interesting. bloomberg tested it. you can just squeeze the bag for free using your bear hands and apparently according to bloomberg, it works just as well as your $400 machine. >> exposed. >> yes. isn't that funny. >> wow. >> you're a juicer. >> yeah. you are. >> you get your juicy juice. >> that's why i looked it up. >> i make a tea more than a juice. >> can't you just open the welchs for $3? >> a swig of tropic

>> if you're looking for a proposal idea, here's one you may not want to try at home unless you're flexible. a yoga enthusiasts on vacation in hawaii practicing an intricate pose when he posed the question to her right there midair. the couple is from pennsylvania. they've spent their entire relationship practicing yoga. >> look at the kiss. >> she's going to pass out. >> she has core strength. >> she sticks the landing. >> nice dismount. >> there's the proposal. luckily they had a professional photographer on hand. >> that's exactly how siri and i got engaged. i can't even touch my toes. >> if there's anything we've learned in trending, it's that denim is anything but ordinary these days. first we told you about the clear kneed jeans. those were big. then jeans with a full zipper at the rear end. >>

>> yeah. >> i never wore them. >> and now the latest trend? it's the one-legged jean. an actress sporting that half jean look putting the trend in the spotlight. >> she wears it well. >> carson? what do you think of those? >> i think she looks lovely in it, and -- >> they asked carson to wear it. >> i said no. >> carson, yesterday we talked about cargo shorts and how they're out. >> i love them. they're never out. they're a man's best friend. it's our purse. my daughters are into shopkins. i can put a binky in there, my iphone. it holds all my things, and any time my kids say hey, dad, i got it. i got my shorts on. >> have you ever considered a man purse like what willie carries? >> why when god gave m

pants? >> it's a messenger bag. >> carson. >> our favorite celebrity funny couple, it was the premier of "guardians of the galaxy". they tweeted it all, the whole day. and finally the car ride. then they stole the show on the red carpet looking picture perfect. they were goofing off a little bit including their awkward prom pose there. there it is, there, and a good old fashioned photo bomb. those guys are the best. congratulations to them. also rob gronkowski, if you thought the gronk was going to sit on the sidelines you were mistaken. first he crashed the daily press briefing. >> well, see what pans out in the negotiations, but i think there's an opportunity -- >> you need s

>> i think i got this, but thank you. maybe. thanks, man. i'll see you in a minute. >> that was the get out of here, gronk. >> that was cool. >> he also went to the oval office and shared this photo giving president trump a fist bump. >> i love gronk. >> he's funny. >> al? >> he's funny. >> let's show you what's happening around the country. we have some severe weather. we're watching rough stuff through the great lakes and on into the midwest. we're also going to see a risk of severe weather from indianapolis to cleveland. 25 million at risk. possible tornadoes through southern michigan. that's what's going on around the country. here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> good morning. at home we have pockets of light to moderate rain through the heart of the d.c. metro area. rain showers moving into to rout 50 and prince george's county. showers north of fair fax.

beltway will be wet. a rumble of thunder. and another chance for thundershowers between 4:00 and 8:00 this afternoon into this evening. keep the umbrellas handy. >> al, thank you. >> we're just chatting with barry manilow. we're so excited. he has a whopping 50 top hits in his career. >> he's been nominated far gr grammy in every decade. >> his new album comes out tomorrow. we're so happy to have him here today. good morning. we have to do the we're not worthy thing. >> no. thank you for having me. >> this album is a love letter to new york. >> it is. >> you're a new york kid? >> yes, i am. >>

taxi drivers wouldn't take me back there. it was too dangerous. that's where i come from. pover poverty, immigrants and dangerous, that's where i come from. not anymore. >> the new york you think about, which songs did you choose? >> half of it is original songs, and half is great standards. i had no many ideas there were that many great standards written by new york, that took the longest. and then to arrange them so it made sense for me to sing them. it was great. i loved it. it took over a year to do this one, because i wanted it to be right. >> you made headlines because you came out for the first time. the reaction has been incredible. what's it been like for you? >> it's been great. it's no news to me, and no news to everybody around me. family, friends, fans. i think even fans, i don't think it was news at all. but the inquirer kind

us getting married, so we were stuck. so we let "people" magazine come in. i'm a private guy. i'm a musician. i never really wanted to go on that ride. so i kept my dogs to myself. i kept my home to myself. and so this part is uncomfortable, but not the topic. no, i'm not unconfidentable abo -- uncomfortable about that. gary and i have been together for 40 years? >> you've always let the music speak for you. >> yes. >> we pressured you into singing copacabana. is that the number one song people want to hear? >> i think so. >> it's kind of my number one karaoke song. >> do you sing it? >> i don't think we'd call it sings. >> that's a lot of lyrics. >> it is, but that's why it's such a show stopper in karaoke. the

>> great. >> do you still enjoy singing it? >> i do. how could i not? we didn't expect it to be a hit record. it's a novelty song. we thought the it's a wonderful piece, but it will just be on the album. it just exploded by itself on the dance charts and stuff. it was the biggest surprise. and now it's wound up to be -- you mention my name, people say copacabana. after all those records, that's what it is. >> 47 songs in the top 40. >> what a ride it's been. it's been a crazy ride, wonderful. >> you're going to sing for us this morning. do you still love connecting with the fans like that? >> i do. they're just great people. you should walk down the street with me some day. these strangers say the most beautiful things to me. >> what do they say? >> they thank me for helping

the impact i've had on people, the it's just -- sorry. >> i read bob dylan grabbed you at one point. >> keep doing what you're doing. you're inspiring us all. >> he may have been stoned. i'm not sure. >> it's 420. >> i believed it. >> i don't know if you saw the shot, but your fans are waiting in the rain. they can't wait to hear from you. we're going to get this started just about now. thank you so much for chatting with us. >> he will be outside for his live concert, some new and old hits and he'll sing copa today. but first your local news and weather. let's go, she's a dog. [ whimpers ] find ping-pong. find your awesome with the xfinity x1 voice remote. that's amazing!

let's start with a check on the commute. >> good morning. inner loop after 4 still had just two left lanes getting by that problem here this morning. you can see the big backups. the rest of the crash blocking the two right lanes this morning. top of the beltway is slow, and a new problem in bound 14th street bridge with a new crash. >> we'll get a check on the forecast when we come back.

♪ [doorbell] ♪ ♪ when you have doctors working as a team for your health, you get the care you need to help you thrive. ♪

kaiser permanente. thrive. ♪ zbloorng. a little batch of rain rushing through d.c. right now. this is in and out quickly. not going to rain all day. the first chance of rain in the next hour.

and 7:00 into this evening. temperatures back up close to 80 degrees today. >> chuck, thank you. another update in 25 minutes.

>> we're back. it's thursday morning. it's the 20th of april. there's so much enthusiasm on our plaza. right now barry manilow is moments away from taking the stage and starting to sing. we're so kmiet excite. have we mentioned copacabana? >> the it's happening. >> he's singing it. >> it seems like they don't care if it's rain organizatig or not. >> also ahead, our next batch of today's next big thing make their case for your vote to earn a spot

>> first, can we have a check on the weather. >> let's look toward the weekend. we'll show you for friday the possible record heat in the southeast. wet weather along the east coast. strong storms in the mid mississippi river valley. cooler through the plains on saturday. . along the mid atlantic coast, strong storms and wet weather into the southeast. we're looking at wet weather through the western plains into the pacific northwest. that's what's going on around the country. here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> still watching the showers moving through the district right now. and into parts of prince george's county. near annapolis. the showers will continue for a while longer. then things will clear out. we'll be dry most of the day until the afternoon when there's another chance for scattered showers and thunderstorms.

district. 56 in manassas. low 80s this afternoon. the weekend a little cooler with more rain. that music just gets us excited. it's day four of our search for today's next big thing. let's review the winner will head to qvc this weekend to sell their product on tuesday you voted to send the splatter guard f frywall. now we're ready to reveal wednesday's winner. it is kevin bunn of north carolina. he's invention, the clever sock dock. there's one more spot to vote on on the finale. who are the judges? anna baker, qvc's director of global merchandising. "today" contribute jill martin. and

repose al roker ready to judge. now, let's meet today's first semi finalist. >> my name is krista barnett. i'm from queens new york. my product is boot band. it's today's next big thing because it is the only removable boot expander in the world. boot band makes any boot with a zipper a wide calf boot. you can go from frustrated to fabulous in four steps. >> come on out. let's hear it. >> good morning. >> hello. how are you? tell us about your product. >> i'm so excited to tell you about the boot band. i have larger calves, and every time i would go into a shoe store, or even order wide calf boots online, i would get so frustrated. every time i'd put on that boot, i could never zip it over my calf. and that's what led me to invent

the boot band. this boot band gives us options back. so now boots with zippers are no longer off limits for the millions of women who have larger calves. it's so simple. you pull this back, pop this open. clip it right over the zipper and zip it up. pull it, pop it, zip it, clip it, zip it. >> wow. >> i hear from so many women who have this problem. how does the sizing work? >> this boot band comes in ten sizes and the smallest size expands up to one inch, and the largest size expands up to eight inches. let me put that in perspective. i have a size 21-inch calf. most boots are 15 inches. so i need six inches extra. but the great news is i'm wearing dsi

are women who have size 28 -inch calves. >> thank you very much. let's go to our next semi finalist. >> hi. i am from new jersey. my product is natural nail polish remover. i think it will be today's next big thing. it will transform your belief how nail polish works and smells. >> good morning. >> good morning. my product is natural nail polish remover. it's going to be today's next big thing. i used to wait tables in new jersey for several years, then i used to get a ped kooicure, but hated the smell of the nail polish, so i opened a lo

now i created a nail polish and nail polish remover. they're free of chemicals. they come in lavender, and unscent. you have to smell it to believe it. >> does it doesn't have alcohol in it, is it as effective on every type of nail polish. glitter is hard to get off. >> it works with all the nail polish. >> it smells good. >> thank you so much. and last but not least, our final semi finalist. >> hi. i'm from california. our product is the swillow. it's today's next big thing because a functional and fashionable organization system beautifully designed to support the way you live today. >> all right. come on out. >> good morning. >> good morning. >> my sister came up with the idea for the swillow afte

her items close to her. we worked together to create the swillow. it will amaze you. the unique design, swirls to create a surface for a book or a bowl, and the it holds your things. like your drinks, remote control, your phone, pens, glasses, so many options. the ring acts to stabilize it on different surfaces. it's great for keeping the things you need close to you, organized and in place. it's washable, easy to use, and looks great lying around. >> and how many different colors does it come in? >> we have 25 colors. we have all different patterns. we circulate the patterns or find new ones to go with your decor and what you like and your style for your house. it looks good even with stuff in it. >> nice. >> thank you so much.

>> who will you send to tomorrow's finale? come on. let's have all our finalists from today. cast your votes on today.com. do it and join us tomorrow. we will be crowning "today's" next big thing. straight ahead, barry manilow performs live on the plaza. first this is "today" on nbc.

>> the citi concert series on "today" is proudly presented to you by citi. >> it is happening. welcome back. we talked about barry manilow. now you guys, finally, it is time for the grammy, emmy and tony winner to do his thing on our citi concert stage. ladies and gentlemen,

manilow. ♪ >> let it come on in. ♪ i'm singing to the world everybody's caught in a spin look at where we've been ♪ ♪ we've been running around year after year blinded with pride ♪ ♪ blinded with fear ♪ not here ♪ it's daybreak if you want to believe it can be daybreak ♪ ♪ it's daybreak ♪ you can only believe and let it shine shine shine all around the world ♪

the point of putting it down ♪ ♪ there's so much love to share ♪ ♪ i'm singing to the world don't you think it's coming around ♪ the feeling is everywhere ♪ ♪ we've been closing our eyes day after day ♪ ♪ covered in clouds ♪ losing our way ♪ but it's daybreak if you want to believe ♪ ♪ it can be daybreak in no time ♪ ♪ it's daybreak if you'll only believe and let it shine shine shine all around the world ♪ ♪ it's daybreak if you want to believe ♪ ♪

♪ ain't no time to breathe ♪ it's daybreak if you only believe and let it shine shine shine ♪ ♪ all around the world ♪ let it shine shine shine all around the world ♪ ♪ around the world >> oh, yes, baby. that was barry manilow. outstanding. he's back with more music, but first this is "today" on nbc.

we have more music from the one and only barry manilow. his new album comes out tomorrow. i want to say welcome to my fourth grade bedroom. this is the record i had. and a lovely fan of yours, nancy, was hoping you'd sign it quick. and you look hot in this picture. ♪ this is my town this fabulous city ♪ ♪ this inspirational town ♪ this is my town where gritty is pretty ♪ ♪ this just

♪ new york all that i dreamed i'd be ♪ ♪ everything i call me ♪ really it's nyc ♪ this is my town this town is the city ♪ ♪ this big, tall towering town ♪ this is my town where way or thes are witty ♪ ♪ this towering town ♪ the skyline here is unmistakable and the spirit is unbreakable ♪ ♪ this is new york ♪ this is my town

♪ don't mess with me and my town ♪ ♪ new york you've always seen me through ♪ ♪ no other place but you ♪ knows me the way you do ♪ this is my town, the fast talking city, the loud but lyrical town ♪ ♪ this is my town note this fast walking city ♪ ♪ this manmade miracle town ♪ you are the rightest and the cleverest ♪ ♪ this is the place ♪ this w

♪ this is my home ♪ and this is my heart ♪ this is new york ♪ this is my town ♪ ♪ [ cheers and applause ] >> hear more from barry manilow and all our "today" concert artists at applemusic.com/today. >> barry manilow with sing copa coming up next. first this is "today" on nbc.

all right. we've got time for one more song from barry manilow. and by popular demand, america, song from barry manilow. and here it is, america, "copacabana" ♪ ♪ ♪ her name was lol

show girl ♪ ♪ with yellow feathers in her hair and a dress cut down to there ♪ ♪ she would merengue and do the cha cha ♪ ♪ and while she tried to be a star tony always tended bar ♪ ♪ across the crowded floor they worked from 8 until 4 ♪ ♪ they were young and they had each other who could ask for more ♪ ♪ at the copa copacabana the hottest spot north of havana ♪ ♪ at the copa copacabana ♪ music and passion were always the fashion ♪ ♪ at the copa -- they fell in love ♪ ♪ his name was rico ♪ he wore a diamond ♪ he was

he saw lola dancing there ♪ ♪ and when she finished he called her over ♪ ♪ but ree koe went a bit too far tony sailed across the bar ♪ ♪ and then the punches flew and chairs were smashed in two ♪ ♪ there was blood and a single gunshot but just who shot who ♪ ♪ at the copa she lost her love ♪ ♪ ♪ her name is lola she was a show girl ♪ ♪ but that was many years ago when they used to have a show ♪ ♪ now it's a disco but not for lola ♪ ♪ still in dress she used to wear faded feathers in her

♪ she sits there so refined and drinks herself half blind ♪ ♪ she lost her youth and she lost her tony now she's lost her mind ♪ ♪ at the copa copacabana ♪ at the copa don't fall in love ♪ ♪ don't fall in love. ♪ don't fall in love >> yes. that's how you do it. >> barry manilow, you make us so happy. >> by the way, his new album is called this is my town. songs of new york. we are so excited to have you. >> one

♪ at the copa copacabana ♪ >> we're back after your local news.

8:56 is your time on this thursday, april 20th, 2017. good morning. we want to check on the traffic right now with your first 4 traffic. >> good news here. inner loop after 4 finally has cleared out of the way. that's looking much better than it was. outer loop of connecticut, crash on the right

before brad dock, crash. 270 south after shady grove, left lane blocked. >> stay with us.

good morning. we saw the showers moving through most of the area getting rid of them. a few light showers around the district. annapolis and parts of prince george's county. otherwise we're cloudy. 60 degrees outside. later on today we'll be dry. another chance for afternoon and evening showers maybe a couple thunderstorms. temperatures in the low 80s. cooler with rain this weekend. >> thank you. get the latest news and weather any time in the nbc washington app.

this morning on "today's" take, a bird, a plane, dean cane. ron howard on his genius new project. and we head into the wild right now. >> from nbc news, this is today's take, live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> it is thursday morning, april 20th, 2017. listening to copacabana by barry manilow who has put on a spectacular show on our plaza even though it was raining out there. his fans didn't care. they were th

>> are you a fan of him? >> i am. i admit it openly. >> proudly. >> yeah. we love barry manilow. and he sounds great. >> he does. i was listening to him. if you don't watch him and you're just listening, it takes you back in time, and it sounds like he did 40 years ago. >> did you have fun dancing to it? >> i did. it's probably i would think one of the -- if not the number one, one of the top five karaoke songs. >> you don't want me to karaoke. not something that's good. >> he's timeless, although, about 11 years ago we did the "today" show from a cruise ship, and barry performed on the cruise ship. so we got his great concert. although, the interesting thing, he doesn't like boats. he was -- we were so thrilled that he actually got on a ship

sickness? >> i'm a little nervous an boats. >> i agree. i'm not a big fan. >> love boats, but a ship? >> i saw the titanic. i know how that turned out. it didn't work out well. >> not okay. >> it is throwback thursday. we have a good one. this is your first imdb credit, a movie called "elmer". do you remember that? >> i do. i was nine. >> bike? you don't even bark. he just likes to get a good look at people. you don't have to worry about elmer. >> that's kind of cool. >> i was nine. eight? >> you were one cute kid. >> i'll take it. >> you turned into one cute adult. >> oh, my gosh. my dad directed that. i didn't know i was going to be an actor. my brr

see who got to be the actor and who got the stunt man. he won and got to be the stunt man. >> is he still? >> he's a guitar player. >> safer. >> there's my dad. >> that's so neat. >> oh, yeah. that was a long time ago, and my voice was so high. >> well, you changed since then. >> you were ten. >> things have happened since then. >> you've become a man. >> you put on a cape and now you're super man. >> things happen. >> good things happen. speaking of which, we don't have a throwback photo for you but we got a nice photo. >> she's beautiful. >> you and your family in the "people" most beautiful issue. >> it's really cute. >> that is amazing. >> look at poppy. she's the ham of the family, if you can believe that. what's such an honor, and it was one of those things where in high school talking about

likely to be on the cover of vogue. my boyfriend got most likely to be on the cover of gq, and i got most likely to trip across the stage at graduation. when people came calling, i said okay. >> who's laughing now? >> they're not in the issue, right? >> no. is the boyfriend in the issue? i don't think so. but it was fun to do it with my girls. they are beauties, particularly on the inside. they're kind. >> and your husband is one of the nicest guys? >> he's cute as a button. >> i've never seen buttons as cute. >> they're round and shiny. i think that's what's cute. >> i don't know. the kids are gorgeous. >> thank you. >> mom's not too bad either. >> mom's rocking it. >> tell me some more. tell me some more. >> you've worn red capes, but last night you and your son hit

time? >> there was a film called "the promise". it was last week. it comes out tomorrow. it's an important film. i'm really proud to be out talking about it. it takes place during the amine yan genocide. it comes out tomorrow. it's a great film, a timeless piece. but having my son on the red carpet with me was very odd, because they were talking to him and calling his name and taking pictures. >> how does he react to that? >> he was great. look at him. he's a good looking kid. he's taller than me now. >> isn't that a weird feeling? >> the it's not cool. >> my 14 is taller than me. >> will he go into acting? >> i don't know. he's looking at colleges. if he wants to go to college, great. if he wants to be an actor, great. i encourage him to do what he wants to do. >> i've seen the trailer for the e.

>> see it tomorrow. it's great. all the money that's made from this goes to charity. i've never heard of that. >> 100%? >> yeah. never heard of that before in my life. >> that's amazing. we were talking about "people" most beautiful. yesterday they revealed that julia roberts is on the cover of the new issue. >> inside she shared secrets including where she keeps her famous valentino dress she wore to the oscars when she won for eri n brocovich. she said it's under her bed. and what about hazel. i guess that's her daughter. that's what she wants to keep for her daughter. >> that's pretty cool. >> which led us to think where is that cape of yours, dean? we can't h

superman? >> well, we were picked up -- >> look how good you look in those -- >> you still look good now. >> thank you for saving her, al. >> no, no, i just mean not everybody could look good in those red underpants. >> that was a thing. they were just tights. we were picked up for season five. at the end of season four --. >> everybody but al roker. >> i didn't steal anything from the show. we got cancelled between season four and five. we didn't get to end the show in a correct fashion. maybe we'll get to come back and do a middle aged version. >> yes. we have an idea. when i say we, dean has an idea i'm jumping on that we need to bring this series back. >> it was terrific. >> there was no ending. people are still wondering. people like me are still wondering what happened to those characters. >> i'm still wondering. >> did they get into middle age, what's their life like? >> superman is not supposed to age, so maybe they

younger me. >> you haven't aged. >> i wasn't fishing for that. >> do you think anything in the white house? >> no. >> really? >> as you know, you've been there several times. did you ever steal from the white house? >> absolutely. >> you did? >> no. >> i didn't. i kept my wedding dress. you think about passing things onto your daughter. i'll try topaz that along, but they won't want it. >> you never know. >> no. i didn't steal anything, but too bad. it's the memories. the it's the memories and the stories that i have to tell. just wait. >> i took extra napkins with the embossed logo. >> you did? >> that's fair. >> the paper ones. >> i did take the presidential m&ms. >> al might as well have been the president. >> coming up -- you don't want that. would you let your friends set you up on a date? let's talk to dean's mom right after these messages. >> let's not.

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we're back. our guest co-host dean cane. there's a new dating app that tests out your friend's match making abilities. it's called wing man. it allows friends to set up friends. >> single people can't connect themselves with people. their friends have to do it. their friends create their profiles. which, by the way, could be risky. you get the final approval of your profile your friends set up. >> that takes the fun out of it. >> it can't be for pure pranks alone. would you trust your friends to set you up, dean? >> no. not a chance. my friends would try and prank me and do something crazy. >> how did you meet deborah? >> here at nbc. >> not through friends? >> the nbc dating app? >> at the navy babc dating app. it's

that's where she works. >> who would you rather, your mother set you up, a friend, dean, or a dating app? >> i think i'd go for the dating app. my friends have tried in the past not well. the worst person in the world to set me up is my mom. no offense, mom, but no. >> we have her on the line. >> no. >> yes, we do. sharon, how are you? >> hi, darling. i'm fine. >> good morning, mom. >> good morning. >> sorry to wake you up so early. >> what do you think dean needs in a woman? who do you see setting him up with? >> wow, beautiful blonde, young, and smart. >> okay. all right. go ahead, mom. that's good. >> that's good. >> have you tried setting him up at all, sharon? >> a few times. >> how did that work yout, mom? >> i've never set you up with an ugly girl. >>

get the five second thing. she'll say anything. >> sharon, when you've set dean up with these young women -- >> these beautiful young women. these senator smart, beautiful, young women, where do you blame the failure of the relationship? is it the women or on perhaps dean? >> mom. >> that's a good one. dean's not an easy guy to live with. >> oh. >> and there it goes. >> what about him is so difficult. >> don't push this. >> he's kind of a control freak like his mother. >> so you're a control freak? he gets it naturally? >> yeah. >> he needs somebody laid back. >> i'm good with that. >> do you think it would be helpful if you went on the date with him? >> oh, absolutely. >> as a chaperon, perhaps? >> that's the worst thing that could happen. >> i think we need to set this up. >> why am i sweating? >> weow

>> thank you, dean. i was at dinner the other night with some friends, and i do have someone for you. >> thanks, mom. >> can we tag along? >> sharon, let's give that lady a call. >> there's somebody at the door, mom. you have to go. >> there is somebody at the door who's an expert at this. >> oh, yeah. >> barry manilow. >> hi. how are you? good to see you. >> barry, thank you. >> here we are again. how are you? nice to see you. >> your number one fanilow is dean cane. >> i'm going to leave. you have to sit. >> barry is not my date, though, right? i love you. you're phenomenal. >> and so are you. what are you here for? >> he's co-hosting. >> we're trying to set him up on a date. >> everybody. >> i like that better. i like that better. it's wide

>> someone told me you had an app. did you invent it? >> i didn't. but i wish i would have. >> that people do your own bio and they -- >> your friends do it for you. >> sounds cool. >> you've been in a committed relationship for over 40 years, but if you were on the market, would you trust your friends? >> i don't know. no, i don't know. >> i feel the same way. who knows? >> would you? >> i've been with my husband too long. >> i can't even figure it out. it's beyond me. >> you know what would make far great date? for people to play your new album. >> that's right. >> people have fallen in love to your music for a long time. >> that's what i've heard. i love being involved. >> you're involved somehow for sure. >> in fact, my wedding song was "it's a miracle". >> it was? >> no. barry, it was such a great performance.

that was fun out there. you should have seen what went on in the soaking rain. it was wonderful. >> it was a huge audience. >> wonderful. >> barry manilow, again, "this is my town songs of new york". >> thank you, barry. >> let's check your weather. severe stuff to talk about. we have wet weather in the pacific northwest. strong storms firing up making their way through the great lakes. a few showers through the northeast as well. gulf coast looking good. from oklahoma all the way into the upper midwest, 25 million people at risk. possible tornadoes later this evening in southern michigan. that's what's going on around the country. here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> good morning. the rain gradually coming to an end here. we should be dry within the next hour or so and dry well out through the remainder of the morning and into the afternoon hours as well. there goes that first area of rain out on future weather. by 2:00 showers likely to be brubling up in the s

metro by 4:00 this afternoon. maybe another round of rain between 4:00 and 7:00 p.m. it will be a warm one. back up to around 80 today and tomorrow. >> here's your latest weather. >> coming up, we're going to help you figure out what to eat and skip on a trip in a fast food faceoff coming up next.

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and the longer i use it, the better it works. retinol correxion® from roc methods, not miracles.™ spring break may be winding down but we bet you're making summer plans. >> it's hard to eat healthy when you're on the go. >> we're going to help you make better choices in a food faceoff we're calling travel this or that. ja jackie london is our nutrition director for "good housekeeping". >> we are going to have two food faceoffs. you'll tell me which one is better. first we have this hot dog versus that slice of pizza. >> this. it's actually that nice of pizza. think of it as a vehicle for veggies. extra

processed meats have been linked to disease. >> is there a paddle that says both? >> that's coming. >> soon we get a dessert break. we have this va nil innilla mil versus that vanilla cone. it's the cone. a milk shake has for calories and sugar. better with the cone and getting that delicious flavor without so much sacrifice. let's go to the airport. >> i just got back from the airport. there's the return fee for the rental car. >> okay. now we have our -- you're reading in the terminal and you want a bite. is it going to be this sandwich

or that wrap? >> this. >> that wrap. >> it is going to be that sandwich. this sandwich. because fred is going to be higher in nutrients and. wraps are made with shortening and higher in calories. >> it guess it depends on what type of wrap it's wrapped in? >> don't be swayed by super foods. always the bread is better. >> okay. >> bread is always better. >> next we're on the plane taking off. we have the beverage cart. >> the bloody mary? >> no. this tomato juice or that orange juice. this tomato juice. neither one is your best choice. you want water and certainly on planes we tend to get a little bit extra dehydrated. go with the tomato juice because you can ask for that to be lo

sodium or no added salt. it will give you extra nutrition without sacrificing the delicious flavor. >> what about a bloody mary? >> get the mix. >> we're not talking about the mix. >> going to get a little more serious. >> okay. is it going to be this pretzel versus the peanuts. >> that. >> the it's going to be salted peanuts. they are heart healthier. they will give you a little bit of protein. and you've got all the antioxidants. it's only a small 70 calorie packet. it will fill you up. >> ask for two? and then you won't eat the rolls or biscuits. >> right. no cookies. >> thank you. to find out more about this and these foods on the go, head to that

ron howard is up next with his new series. we'll catch up with ron after your local news and weather. r. hey girlfriend, how's your cafe au lait? oh, it's actually... sfx: (short balloon squeal) it's ver... sfx: (balloon squeals) ok can we... sfx: (balloon squeals) i'm being so serious right now... i really want to know how your coffee is. it's... sfx: (balloon squeals) hahahaha, i had a 2nd balloon goodbye! oof, that milk in your coffee was messing with you, wasn't it? yeah. happens to more people than you think. try lactaid, it's real milk, without that annoying lactose.

mmm. good right? yeah. lactaid. it's the milk that doesn't mess with you. newsbreak. >> good morning. it's 9:26 on this thursday, april 20th. in the news this morning right now d.c. police are looking for one man in two sexual assault cases. first police say a man groped a woman twice on kenilworth avenue northeast. the second was two blocks away to a different woman who says the man had a knife. we know that metro wants $15.5 billion over the next ten years to improve reliability. a look at the forecast when we come back. stay with us.

good morning. first round of rain coming to an end. might have another chance for showers between 4:00 and 7:00 today. otherwise it will be a warm one. most areas above 80 degrees for today. and another day in the 80s coming your way for tomorrow. another chance for a few showers and tomorrow afternoon and evening plans. no washout on your friday. sunday might be a different

>> thank you. you can get the latest news and weather any time in the nbc washington app. another update for you in about 25 minutes. fios is not cable. we're wired differently. maybe that's why we've been ranked highest in customer satisfaction by jd power 4 years in a row. and now you can love fios too. get 150 meg internet, tv and phone. all for $79.99 per month, for the first year with a two-year agreement. it's the only internet with equal upload and download speeds. cable only offers upload speeds that are a fraction of the download speeds. plus get hbo for a year and free multi-room dvr service for two years. and verizon wireless customers can stream tv on the fios mobile app, data-free. get the best. go to getfios.com

he's a legendary film maker who has directed acclaimed movies in hollywood. he was best director and best picture for "beautiful mind ". >> now he's telling the story of albert einstein in a national geographic series called "genius". >> what is it? a simple question, yet it is the key to understanding relativity. it is also the reason why hair is going gray. when we describe motion, we do it as a perception of time. but the

of velocity is moot, unless we can define time. >> good morning. >> good morning. >> on the outside you would think albert einstein as a series, we're not really -- but you said television was the perfect place to tell this story. >> it turns out to be such a complicated, interesting, dramatic live with a lot of surprises and twists and turns. and the opportunity to delve into not only what he created, what he gave human kind, but his relationships which were fascinating and complicated and kind of wild. and he was -- and also the political tension of the time where he found himself in the gun sights of some very heavy players between jay edgar hoover in this country didn't want to let him in.

he was targeted. >> such a beautifully shot show. it looks like a movie. it really looks like a movie. there's ten of them? >> ten episodes which is the only way you could tell this story because of the twists and turns and surprises. almost everything you look at in terms of the history of the 20th century, he was either a witness to or influence in some way, and there's so much drama around that. but also i've looked at movie scripts over the years about him. they were always insufficient. they didn't feel like they were going to be a great movie experience. when we started looking at this as a -- based on a great biography, we thought, wow, this is the way to actually deal with man in a very dramatic, powerful, entertaining and surprising way. >> growing up, were you a fan of albert einstein? >> no. i didn't know as muchun

reading the pilot episode of this. and as i said, i looked at screen plays in the past, thought i knew the story. his relationships with women are the probably the biggest surprise. first of all, that albert einstein was a lady's man. >> a lover. >> he was a player. >> he was. but he was attracted to very powerful intelligent women. first majrriage, she was a physicist as well. also emily watson playing his second wife, elsa. she's a powerful actress, and another strong woman. these relationships play an important role in the way the stories unfold along with the politics, along with the drama and a bit of the science. not too much. just enough to give you a little understanding if you care. >> it's a recipe for a great show. >> it's so smart, but you ca

i knew his math and knew he taught at prin ston. that's all i knew. i had no clue he was a player or had all these relationships. >> i really didn't know how much drama there was around him. between his own maverick sort of academic lifestyle, how much pressure there was being a jewish scientist in nazi germany and the fact that americans weren't sure about letting him in because they thought he was a communist. >> it sounds crazy now. >> we came this close to not benefitting from his genius. >> do you have any advice for dean about relationships? >> show up. >> show up? >> yeah. show up. >> thank you, ron. genius premiers on national geographic next

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all right. i like to ride my bike to work, but if you do too, there's a new study out that finds biking is linked to a substantial decrease in the risk of several diseases. >> it makes sense. whether you bike to work or take a spin with your kids around the neighborhood, we'll help you figure out which bikes are best. >> we have clint carter here. >> they want to find the perfect bike and cool accessories with it. >> let's get started. >> first of all, helmets. >> you have to have a helmet for sure. when you're looking for a bike that maybe does everything, you want a bike that kind of forward leaning a little bit. something where the handlebars are out there to get a little bit of a workout in. and that's kind of what you're looking for. when you get kids involved, this is another thing that's important. you need a helmet early on, and what i like about this one from nut case is it has a

clasp. they can't pinch their fingers in it. >> you're supposed to change them out every five years? >> they wear out over time. accident or not. >> yes. >> you have a small child, we have gavin, our producer, and something, and his daughter is very, very excited. >> the it's a very challenging cargo. >> you notice it's forward leaning a little bit. you can carry children, happy or sad. sometimes the kids don't always love being in the trailer, but -- anyway, also for kids, a couple other cool things. fisher price has a stationary bike they can play games on the bike child they pelgtdal, and at 18 months get a balance bike. >> what about training wheels? >> a bike with training wheels is perfect, but keep in mind with this, eventually the wheels are going to come off. make

silly things. training wheels come off. >> no children have been harmed in the making of this segment, just angered. >> okay. commuters. i have one of these. i love it. >> these are great. if you don't have a place to store your bike and you want a bike commute, this bike folds up. you can carry it on public transportation, slide it under yo your desk. and then this one, this commuting bike, the handlebars are higher up. you're less likely to sweat. >> and you should have lights? >> yes, especially if you ride at night. the steel frame is great, and you get a cup holder for the morning. >> very cool. mountain biking? >> yes. these are the really intense bikes. this is if you want that adrenaline rush. you want to go out

the thing you're looking for with a mountain bike is the wide tires, the deep tread. that's what you're looking for. and then we have a really intense one from specialized, a beautiful bike that, i think we're about to ride out on it. >> he has a helmet on. >> this is the stump jumper. this is a fantastic bike. it's really a technical bike with a carbon frame and the seat can rise and lower as you ride. technical features. an awesome bike. >> and to get to the trails, you need a bike rack. >> you'll want one -- you don't have to have a truck. you can put it on the back of a car. this one is great. it goes right onto whatever the trunk. and then to film your ride, you can get something, get an awesome drone. this one is from zero tech. it takes high definition video, and you can set to it follow you as you ride so you can get

all cool stunts and falls and everything uploaded to youtube. >> i was going to say and a haircut at the same time. >> crazy. >> thank you so much. >> of course. always a pleasure. >> okay. here we go. i'm not going over to the map. i'm not going over there yet. let's just go do the weather. your weekend outlook, looking like this. for tomorrow possible records through the southeast. strong storms in the mid mississip mississippi river valley. for saturday snow showers in northern new england. severe storms through the lower mississippi river valley. we're looking at strong storms through the ohio river valley. heavier weather to the mid atlantic coast. hot and dry through the southwest with a high fire danger. that's what's going on around the country. here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> the showers have moved through. they're starting to clear out annapolis. left with a few sprinkles, but s

temperatures are going to slowly start warming up. 61 leesburg. 6 1 winchester. some areas starting to see sun shooin. if you're west of the district where clouds were breaking, 60 in the district. temperatures in the low 80s this afternoon. dry most of the day. early evening, chance for showers. maybe thunderstorms. more rain and cooler this weekend. the queen okay? >> she's not crying. >> you're going to like this next thing. we have wild animals for a house party with some of the most incredible creatures right after these messages. messages. oh, yeah.

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exploration, jarod. >> how beautiful is this? >> that's amazing. >> we're celebrating earth day. every year everyone celebrates it. it's brought to the forefront of our environment and how we as humans and even our pollution will affect the environment. look at this guy. this is a superman of animals. >> jenna is a little scared. >> luckily i have the real superman in front of me. >> a falcon. >> they've been clocked at 280 miles per hour. the fastest animal on earth. they do that in a big dive. they do that pretty much to get pigeons. >> there are a lot of pigeons. >> yes. these guys were almost extinct or became endangered in the 70s because of a pesticide that made their eggs

but once it was controlled and banned, now these birds are off the endangered species list, and you can see them circling in the city. new york city and other cities like buffalo, new york, you have birds eating pigeons and breeding at the top of skyscrapers. >> that's good. and the next one is my favorite. >> this is my favorite. >> talk about pollution. i brought an animal that creates his own pollution. >> we hope he doesn't do it today. >> he's loaded. >> could he spray? >> don't worry. he's pointing the barrel at me at the moment. this is a beautiful -- >> could he spray in here? >> they can spray anywhere. >> would he? >> let's hope not. we'll keep the tail down. a skunk like this, you might think it's an unconventional animal. they're important to our environment. they eat all types -- they're like the garbage man of the environment. they can live among people and

civilization. they're amazing. when you look at a skunk like this, stay away from them for a number of reasons, but unless he's stamping his feet, we're okay. that's the first indication. when the tail goes up. >> leave it down. >> and he aims for the eyes. >> that's like pointing a gun at yourself. >> let's put this guy back. you guys might want to see these closer these are my favorite tree forogs. they're beautiful. check that out. >> look at the colors. >> isn't that unbelievable. what's amazing, they stick to any surface. look at that. >> it's like a toy. >> these are red eyed tree frogs from costa rica. they are perfect indicator species for how an environment is doing. they breathe through their

he might jump on you. >> never look a frog in the eye. >> there we go. if they're poisonous, i'm in trouble. >> aren't they awesome? >> he's giving me side eye. it's making me nervous. >> look at him walking. that's what's amazing. >> they look like a toy. >> look at the color. >> here he comes. okay, i've had enough. okay. >> i would take it off, but it's too good. >> he's going up my shirt. >> it's fun to watch. >> is he gone? >> look at how beautiful. >> you notice the big red eyes? the reason they have them is it startl startles a bird. >> it was startling jenna. >> let's get to the dingo. >> this isn't your average dog. >> no. >> he's awesome. look how beautiful he is. now, it's amazing when it comes to affecting the environment, h

the dingo, they're one of the top predators. >> he's a wild k-9. >> as much as we love having you, we have to go. >> we're back in a moment, but first, this is "today" on nbc. y2c5py y16fy

well, well, well, well, well, well. >> lovely. >> you're such a part of the family. you know that? >> i love that. thank you. >> you speak perfectly. >> speaking of family, you, mama. >> i've got -- he knows, i'm working on it. it's not whitney couplings, but she's coming up nec.

9:57 is your time on this thursday, april 20th. good morning to you. today is april 20th. or 420. today marijuana advocates are gathering near capitol hill. they're protesting federal interference with states that have legalized marijuana use. they plan to hand out free joints to members of congress. they're calling it the joint session. the rally is not happening on federal grounds. now let's check

forecast with gina. good morning. >> good morning. we have the rain around earlier. now it's leaving. we've looking at clouds. currently 62 degrees in the district. we'll see developing sunshine in a while here. mostly west of the district. we have sun peeking through. the rain has already moved through. and then the temperatures will jump up into the low 80s. this afternoon, showers and storms. tomorrow low 80s. into the weekend with more rain likely on sunday. up on midday, how an old metro car is being repurposed as we approach earth day.

kath from nbc news, this is "today" with kathie lee gifford and hoda kotb. >> let's do it. >> ho da mama. it's thirsty thursday. we are so happy on this drenched cold day in new york. we have the one, the only, the master, the maestro himself, mr. barry manilow. he's been the busiest guy. he's been in new york all week. >> he's been everywhere. this morning it was funny. everyone wanted to hear