that make mealtime easy, so you have more time with the people you love. good morning. breaking overni one-two punch. a majorr winte storm dumping heavy snow across this morning.st tens of millions in its path. now, another storm is hitting the west coast today before it racesoss the country. this morning, dylan has everything you need to know. mission to space. >> three, two, one, zero. >> a successful and history-making launch overnight for the spacex rocket. the dragon capsule on top, now headed for the international space station. and it could mean that private companies will be sending astronauts into orbit as early as this summer. we're live at the kennedy space center. damage cont president trump set to appear

before a friendly conservative audience today after what's been a tough week. the president trying to clarify his comments after an angry of theh from parents american student who died shortly after he was released from north korean custody. the president blaming the north koreans for otto warmbier's gdeath, but not point the finger at kim jong an. we're liv the white house. all that, plus, confrontation on camera. hours after the san francisco giant's ceo was caught on video ripping a cell phone out of his wife's hands, causing her to tumble, she releases a statement, saying all is well between the t of them. taking on amazon. california congressman accusest thel giant of not doing enough to take promoting the anti-vaccination mohament. ce of heart. after a public outcry, walmart reverses the decision, affecting disabled employees who once held

e role of greeter. the move being applauded everywhere. today, saturday, march 2, 2019. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with sheinelle jones, peteralexander, and dylan dreyer, live from studio in rockefeller plaza. >> good morning. welcome to "today." thank you for joining us on this saturday morning. welcome back to you. >> 24-hour commute each way to vietnam >> you don't look tired. >> well, okay. glad i don't look tired. it was a long trek. it is colder here than it was in vietnam, for sure. that's where we start. the weather is our top story. we are now in the middle of this one, two, three punch from mother ture. take a look at the snow falling >> hartford, connecticut, right now. imilar scene in new york. slick, snow-coved roads making slow going for lots of people. dylan, you're following all of it for us this morning. >> the snow were seeing h has nothing to do with the snow we're going to see tomorrow night. we have a lot of storms moving through. this is now the second of three storms that's going tos hit t

week. 80 million people are under some sort of winter storm rning/winter weather advisories. those stretch from the nevada mountains to new england. these are separate storms at this point, but t snow is coming down in lake tahoe and it's got a rainier side, where we've seen heavier i rainthe southeast through kentucky, mississippi. we have been dealing with just days rain. this storm is going to bring more rain to that area. you.et's break it down for we have winter weather alerts extending from the west to the east. 80 million people are under o se so warning right now. in the northeast though, we are going to lose this sysm by the time we go into this afternoon. we have seen some areas of heavier abrain. t 1 to 3 inches of snow on the ground, making things very dangerous on the roads this morning. at least it is a saturday. this will continue across southern new england as we continue into this afternoon. this will start to pull away as e go into this afternoon and thisevening. then we're clear as we go into tonight and tomorrow morning.

then we're g sng the the next storm system begin to move in as w go into sunday later in the day and into monday morning. these are sto totals. it is a widespread 1 to 3 inchea with the snows out there right now. north and west of new york will see closer to 4. parts of southeastern massachusetts could see 4 to 6 inches again, just because the storm system is going to last all through the afternoon. this next storm is producing really heavy rain through california. a very, very heavy rain and heavy snow in the mountains. this will coce across the try tonight and tomorrow. snow in st. louis, the ohio river valley, and arrives here sunday night with heavy rain affecting the southeast. monday morning, most of this will move up into new england. little e on that in a bit. peter? >> dylan, thank you very much. and this morning, a space rocket is headed toward the international space station. just hours aer it took off from cape canaveral. this is historic because it could mark a major step toward

getting private companies to send americanstnauts back into space. perhaps as soon as this summer. nbc's tom costello wasni up all t watching the launch at the kennedy space center in florida. tom, quite a sight. >> reporter: quite a sight. i have to tell you, itorth staying up all night for it. it was a cture-perfect, start to bottom. 2:49 in the morning, we had this rocket, taln 9 rocket, lifting off the p. on top of the rocket, the dragon vehicle. this took off from29a, where they lifted apollo and shuttle missions. as i mentioned, from top to bottom, it was picture perfect. >> five, four, the, two, one, zero. ignition, liftoff. >> reporter: spacex mission control calling the flight, as the rocket cut through the night sky. a few minutes later, main engine cut off, as the first stage separated and fell back to earth. in a signaremove, the spacex

seems to have perfected, stage one landed back on earth, on a ship 300 miles out into the ocean. absolutely credible. on board the dragon crew vehicle, a mannequin named ripley, wired up with sensors to monitor theg-rces and stresses a real astronaut might face someday. if thisrip goes ll, a manned test could come as soon as july. nasa has to be 100%onfident before any astronaut climbs on boar spacex founder and ceo elon musk talked to reporters at 4:00 this morning. >> a little emotionally exhausted. stressfusuper it's been 17 years. we still haven't launched anyone yet, but hopully we will later this year. >> reporter: he looked a little exhausted, didn't he, peter? he is aery happy man. >> my thoughts are with ripley up there, all by myself on that

thing. tomorrow.s set for spacex isn't alone in this effort. boeing developed its own astronaut spacecraft. >> reporter: yeah, absolutely right. unmanneds running its test next month. if all goes as anned, if both of these tests go well, spacex would like to have ane m mission in july. boeing is aiming for august. listen, guyshis would be the first time american astronauts haveifted off from american soil on an american rocket sincs the shuttere retired in 2011. a lot of people view this a a very american and patriotic seeing as we now are american rockets starting to prepare to bring americans back into space. >> root for success. tom, thank you ver much. reporting at cape canaveral today. president trump is speaking at the cpac conference in maryland later this morning. it is a group of conservatives, and the president will be given a warm welcome after a turbulent week, from north korea to his

former personal attorney testifying before congress. geoff bennett is following for us. >> reporter: good morning. president trump is coming off a week that included a collapsed second summit with nth korea akorea's kim jong-un, damaging testimony from his former lawyernd objections by security officials. the president will try to bounce back today byo appealing his base at a gathering of conservative activists. after a rou week, a guaranteed warm welcome today for president trump at the conservative political action conference. it is an annual ultraconservatives, which doubles as a pep rally for tpr ident. >> in our first two years, president trump has cut more federal red tape than any president in american history. >> w already have the most pro-life president in american history. >> the left hates donald trump ch more than the love america. they would rather see failed

nuclear peace talks than give bnald trump even a littl of a win. >> reporter: some respite for president trump, as he confronts the fallout from michael cohen's damaging congressional testimony th h week. is a racist. he is aon c man. he is at. chea >> reporter: mr. trump's former lawyer also claiming the president committed criminal activity while in office. the presidentng hitack in a friday morning tweet storm, accusing his former fixer of going rogue, and committing perjury on a scale not seen before. >> we've got a number of m figures that we still have to see. >> reporter: cmogressional ats emboldened by cohen's kmoent comments, pushing hard from testimony by trump insiders, and threaening to subpoen white house documents. over reports donald trump personally ordered officials to give a top secret securityra cle to his son-in-law and adviser jared kushner, li over the advice of

securit feshofficials, first reported by the "s.w york time" prompting the then chief of staff and white house councilo white memos outlining concerns. the special treatment f kushner contradicts what mr. trump told the "times" in january. >> i'm not sure i have the authority to do that. i wouldn't do it. i was never involved with his security. >> reporter: a spokesperson for jared kushner's attorney they were not aware of nor told of any request for or action by the president to be involved in the security clearanceoc s. and there's yet another political headache on the president.r the nbc news has learned house democrats are preparing to formly ask the irs for president's tax returns, possibly within the next few weeks. they say they're willing to take legal action to obtain them. >> geoff bennett, thank you. speaking of the present, he'slso defending himself this morning after coming under fire for comments that he made aut th death of an american student, otto warmbier, who died

after being brutalized while in capt in north korea. warmbier's parents expressing t outrage after president trump wouldn't say kim jong-un is responsible for their son's death. kathy park has more on that. >>fter the swift criticism, the president pushed back, condemning north korea, saying his response at the hanoi summit was misinterpreted. >> reporter: late friday, president trump clarifying his comments in viet warmbier, with a two-part tweet. remember, i got otto out along with thr others. the previous administration did nothing, and he was taken on their watch. of course, i hold north korea responsible for otto's mistreatment and death. most important, otto warmbier will not have died in vain. bu m the presidenting no mention of kim jong-un, who he defended in vietnam on thursday. >> some really bad things happened to otto. some really, really badth gs. >> why are you -- >> but he tells me that he

didn't know about it, and i will take him at his word. >> reporter: prompting otto warmbier's parents to issue this scathing statement friday. we have been respectful during the smit proces now, we must speak out. kim and his evil regimesp are sible for the death of our son otto. kim and his evil regime are responsible for unimaginable cruelty and inhumanity. no excuses or lavish praise can change that. the university of virginia student was arrested in north korea back in january 2016, accused of taking a propaganda poster from his hote he was released after 17 months in a lay poor camp, only to return home on a stretcher, blind and af. warmbier died days later. during his statedrf the union s last year, the president acknowledged the grieving parents in the gallery,ng condem the north korean regime. >> you're powerful witnesses to a menace that threatens our world. >> reporter: critics on capitol hill demanding an apology,

including new york senator chuck schumer.te while w house counselor kellyanne conway doubled down. saying that ent is there's no indication chairman kim knew what happened to otto warmbier when i happened. >> reporter: a political back and forth with the familyn mourning caught in the middle. >> this isn't the firhe time president has been criticized for showing deference to dictators. he told reporters last july he believed putin when he denied russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election. president trump has refused to condemn the saudi crown prince for the death of journalist jamal khashoggi. >>kathy, park, thank you. senior writer for "politico," and nbc news contributor, jake, good morning. >> the presint will speak before a friendly crowd at a conservative conference at the end of what was a week, right? you have the failed north korea summit. you have michael cohen's damning testimony this week. youhe also have revelations that the president intervened to

give his son-in-law, jared kushner, security clearance. i want to ask you specifically about thes backlash it relates to his comments, that he takes kim jong-un at hit word, t he knew nothing about the brutal treatment of otto wabier. we've seen the president side in the past wh autocrats. putin, bin salman of saudi arabia. now, is this moment significant? >> it is. it is significant in kindfif ing out the outlines of a president that we know likes dictators. when i say likes dictators, i mean, he warms to hethem. understands their power. he looks at them longingly. i don't think this is a moment where the presidency is going to change in any way. the president has kind of wide berth to conduct policy without intervention from congress. we'veeen this week alone, kevin mccarthy, the republican leader in the house of representatives, said north korea is not our friend. kim jong-un is not our friend. that's from a very close ally of

the presidt. i donxpect any sort of change when it comes to republicans' relationship with comes to ent when it the korea comments. >> michael cohen's testimony captivated the nation. i was traveli through an airport during the testimony, and people were glued to the monitors, to the point wrere there announcements to board flights, and people were waiting until the last moment to listen to the testimon cohen gave a list of names. he himself is scheduled to be back on the hill nextweek. what is about to happen here? are we seeing early stages of ao impeachmentss. >> we're seeing an investigation into a sitting president, unlike anything we've seen probably since avwatergate. to the president's former attorney captivate capitol hill and the nation like that with such searing testimony about a sitting president bais basicall this is the first phase of a wide-ranging investigation into donald trump that is, again,

only begi michael cohen was the first person. he has named people in the trump organization, perhaps the trump family, the trump children, trump's countant, that will have to come to capitol hill and testify. not in close session only. they may testify behind closed doors, but in public, on camera, under oath. again, we're entering this phase of donald trump's presidency, divided government. the white house thought the president could cut deals withc des afterse the has lost -- after republicans lost the house. we're seeecg what is unented. >> quite the week. jake sherman, thank you for your time. >> the u.s. is offering a bounty to help find one of the world's most wanted terrorists. the son of osama bin laden. sarah harman is in london with more this morning. good morning. >> reporter: peter, good morning. bin lade a terrorist according to the u.s.en gover since 2016. now, they're upping the ante,

offering money for information his whereabouts. his father was the world's most infamous terrorist, responsible for the 9/11 attacks on the united states. now, the son of osama bin laden has a bounty on his own head. this morning, the u.s. state department ising up to $1 million reward for anyone who can reveal hamsa bin laden's whereabouts. according to the state department, hamsa is a leader of al qaeda and has released video, calng for attacks on the u.s. revenge for his father's death. >> i can reportme to thecan people and to the world that the united states hasn conducted operation that killed osama bin laden. >> reporter: his father and brothe killed by u.s. navy s.e.a.l.s. in 2011. little is known about hamsa. he's thought to be around 3s yeld and was recently seen at his wedding, in video

released by the cia several year ac s ago. he may have married the daughter of the lead hijacker and mastermind of the terror attacks. he was named especially designated global terrorist byat the united . on friday, saudi arabia announced it had revoked his citizenship. his whereabouts remain a mystery. guys, it is not just a cash reward. the u.s. government is also promising absolute confidentiality a even relocation for anyone who comes forward withinrmation. peter, sheinelle? >> sarah in london for us, very much. dylan is back with a look at the rest of the country's forecastst >> meteorolo across the country, get ready. that's a look at what's going on across the country. utw, here's a peek your window. >> we've got temperatures out there right nowel that freezing mark. we are headed into the 40s for daytime highs today.

except more clou expect more clos and sunshine. sunday, temperatures will be in the mid to upper 30s. we're looking at the rain/snow mix to start in the middle part of t morningnd continue into the early afternoon. that'll push in hereainly as snow. d.c. is going to be on the rain/snow line. south and east, just rain but could have hefty totals north and west. up to possibly 5 inches. >> that's your forecast. >> thank you for that. still to come, what the san francisco giants ceo and his wife are saying about an altercation over a phone that was entirely caughtn camera. plus, a look at the hard times for weight watchers and its famous spokesperson, oprah. our weekly download, right after this.

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♪vacuum] introducing fresh step clean paws, with low tracking litter. your vacuum becomes a cat toy. let's make litter less of a mess. let's start fresh. we are back on a saturday morning with the weekly download. our look back at teek that was. >> this week was dominated by the north korean summit, awell as the testimony on capitol hill from president trump's former personal attorney, michael

cohen. but there were a lot of other stories that wcovered right re, starting with the deadly plane crash in texas. >> final moments. video emerged of an amazon.com cargo plane plummeting from the sky near houston. investigators trying to figure out why it went down, killing all three crew members. >> using airboats and cadaver dogs, the urgent search for clues. atlas airline3591, swallowed up by thelackness of trinity bay. >> we think anywhere in this area here is where it went in. nearly 200 passengers stranded on anra amtrak in oregon. >> it was unfolding live from inside a train, with no way out after a blizzardoppled a tree onto the tracks. >> it is dark. there is more snow on the way, and we are stranded for another night. >> after nearly 36 hours, the train returned tost the clo station.

record rains caused widespread flooding in northern california, forcing thousands to evacuate. >> along california's surging russian river, the town of guerneville is cut off. >> this morning, we had a backya n backyard, aow we don't. that's how quick it's rising. new developments in the sexual abuse case against r. kelly. >> r kelly, a free man. the singer posting $100,000 cash bail monday, walking into a crush of media. his release coming hours after the r&b star, wearing an orange jumpsuit and surrounded by armed sheriff's deputies, pleaded not guilty to counts of criminal sexual abuse. a rough week for oprah and weight watchers, as the company's shares plunged. >> the company known for decades as weight watchers is struggling. oprah losingearly $58 million herself. their strategy now, put their most famous investor and diet success story back in the spotlight. hoping to shrink waistlines and

boost the bottom line. >> the weight watchers ceo blaming the keto diet for hurting sales. travis kaffman, who survived a mountain lion attack, visited "today." re you? >> feeling great, pretty much 100%. >> sharing his remarkable story of survival. >> so he got a c w through my lip, and then a claw on my face. that's kind of when i really hth instinct to fight back. some of the week's most memorable moments can camera. a group of young skiers rescued a boy danglin from a chair lift near vancouver. he walked away with no injuries. shocking video of a floda teen falling 40 feet through a high school gym's skylight. friends he suffered serious ck injuries but is recovering well. and a century old bridge collapsed during a live tv broadcast in greece. fortunately, no one was hurt. finally, in south carolina,

after a five-month recovery from spinal surgery, a 91-year-old woman celebrates with a special dance. >> cheers to that. >> right out of spinal surgery. she looks good. >> you'd be nervous to go into h surgery likeat. if that's the result. >> perfect dance, just stay still. move the feet. >> wish her well. savor the cup of joe you'reg drinki. thw climate change could make it harder to get in e years to come. plus, the uber driver who is giving his passengers the ride of a lifetime. later, why this trumpeteer is playing with the jazz band from the sidewalk. first, these messages.

. >> announcer: this is a "news 4 day" news break. >> 7:26 on this saturday, march 2nd, 2019.or goodng to you. i'm david culver. let's get a check of your top stories. we'll start you in prince george's county. a tragic story there. an 11-year-old is charged in the death of a baby boy. paxton davis was dropped off at his babysitter's home on pearl drive in suitland last weekend police say the babysitter left the little boy with her young aughter to go run errand. it was later determined that paxton was assaulted.tl the lit girl left in charge admitted to hurting him and custody.in happening today on the bw parkway, crews are lowering the speed limit one part of th road because of those right there,th poes. they are everywhere. starting today, the speed limit between route 197 and route 32 holl be lowered from 55 to 40

miles per . the idea is to make the area safer for drivers and road crews who are still patching potholes. e permanent remains aren't set to happen until the fall. we have a check of the forecast with lauryn ricketts, who is tracking some snow, right after this.

watch out for icy patches early on this saturday morning, especially out towardshe-81 corrid corridor. bridges, ramps, overpasses, slk traffic this rning. temperatures today manage to make it to near 50 degrees. more clouds and sunshine, a few weeks f afternoon. we have a winter storm watch beginning at 7:00 a.m. tomorrow morning for areas north a west. we could have heavy snow and delays as we get into your monday morning. what are we expecting? snow moving in throughout the middle part of the day tomorrow, but there is going to be a fine neetween rain and snow, and d.c. is right on the rain. north and west,snow.

it'll be out by the monday morning commute. david? >> lauryn, we'll get a fresh update of the forecast i 25 minutes. we'll also bring you more headlines. w, back to the "today" show. we are back on this saturdah morning, marnd, 2019. folks, this is not the base camp at everest. these are t brave souls who camped out overnight outside our studio for standby tickets to saturday night lie "saturday night live." >> i didn't realize they' standby, no guarantee. >> nouarantee they get in. >> let's hope they all get in. can someby make a phone call? >> hot ticket. >> heavy snow up and down the east coast. these folks aren't sleeping outside, b they're here to se us. we appreciate that. >> grateful to that. >> we'll get to dylan's forecast in a moment. we're going to begin there this morning wh a check of the rest of this morning's headlines. history was made a few hours ago with the successful launch of a

spacex rocket, on its way tnathe internat space station. it is expected to dock tomorrow morning. the only passenger in the gh takes flight is a life-sized test dummy, ripley, in honor of the "alien"movies. if spacex nails this mission, it may be able to carry real astronauts into space later this year. >>ernie sanders is returning to brooklyn today, his birthplace, to launch his 2020 presidential campaign. he is expected to share more of his personal story than he did in 2016. sanders is facing a growing, crowded field of democrats looking for the presidential nomination. > walmart is now saying that it will make every effort to find a place within the company fo disabled workers who have been threatened with losing their jobs when thent retail g chose to cut the role of people stores.s at 1,000 of its the roles mostly filled by employees with disabilities.lm wat faced backlash after making that announcement aeek ago. and just moments ago,

mikaela shiffrin clinched a world cup title. the skier was already assured of winning the title in sochi, with neither her norer rival in this weekend's event. the super-g didn't go ahead because of heavy snowfall. th race w be rescheduled, leaving mikaela shiffrin with a point lead. >> congratulations t her. the husband and wife at the center of a caught on camera cell phone over a are defending themselves. this confrontation drawing national attention because the man at the center of it is the ceo for the san francisco giants. nbc's molly hunter is here with more. this was quite a scene. good morning. >> good morning to you. he is not theirst powerful man in sports to behave badly. larry baer said the squabble, as resolved. it, has been questions remain about what the league and his team will do about it. >> reporter: in video clips posted by "tmz sports" watch

larry baer reach for the phone in his wife, pam's, hand. he's overpowering her, grabbing it. >> oh, mygod! >> reporter: it happened at a public park in o san francis friday. it is not clear what happened before or after this clip. two witnesses told the int intervened to separate the pair. pam released a statement saying, my husband and i had aliargument in p about which we are embarrassed. i took his cell phone. he wanted it back. she aradded, and i always have been and still are happily married. larry baer released a statement saying, i'm truly sorry for the pain i have brought to my wife, children, and to the organization. it is not reflective of the kind of person that i aspire to be. san francisco police say they're instigating, and the ml says they're gathering the facts. it's been a rotten week for powerful men in the sports

world. patriots owner robert kraft in serious legal trouble, charged with soliciting prostitution. he's pled not guilty, and he awaits his court date later this month. for now, he's still in the top job. >> baer is also still in his job. meantime, there's nothing new from the mlb, and we're waiting to hear from the san francisco giants. >> a badmo scene. y, thank you very much. let's go toylan wit another check of the weather. >> coast to coast storm, starting in california, where we have reallyeavy rain. this is farther south from the last round of rain. san francisco to la, and eventually into san diego, we'll see the heavier rain and snow in s.e mounta it does look like we are going to see significant amount of rainfall and snowfall for this area. utr the rain, a 1 to 3 inches, especially across the higher orevations. ashe snow, we could see about 1 to 2 feet of snow. this is very important snow though. as it melts into there rvoirs, it is keeping them at or even

above normal stage at this point. that is goodnonews. as we go into tomorrow, this is a very fast-moving storm system, so we are already going to see the severe weather threat in the southeast for parts of the gulf coast with damaging wi can't rule out tornadoes. large hail a possibility, as well. rainfall amounts could be up to about 2 to 3en inches, leading flash flooitng. it is ae early because the storm is still out in the west coast. as far as snow is concerned, the middle of the country could end up with 2 to 6 inchesinches. outside of denver, 2 feet. ohioiver valley, we could see more. ew england, as much as 6 inches. that's a look at the weather across the country. now, a peek out your window. >> i do belie some areasre going to see snow, especially north and west of d.c. we could hav significant snowfall. this is all going to be out by monday morning. no snow, no rain out there today. a little fog out there this morning and some icy patches wi temperatures in the 3s right now. we'll climb to near 50 today,

but is going to be quiet. peeks of sun possible this afternoon. winter storm watch to the north and westecause we have heavy snow. here's the latest snow totals. north and west could see upwards of maybe 6 or more. >> thank you, dylan. still to come, big news for "a star is born" fans. how you can see a brand-new song and 10 extra minutes of the movie this ekend. up next, why dr.ors is wiping these pigs' noses, and how that could help fight oth flu. first, these messages. >> whatever works. who said kids can't cook? who said men can't bake? who said that women can't grill? there are a lot of cooking misconceptions out there... like that one that says olive oil is the only 'heart-healthy' cooking oil. mazola corn oil has significantly more cholesterol-blocking plant sterols than olive oil... and a clinical study showed it can help lower cholesterol 2x more than extra virgin olive oil. when it comes to heart-health, one thing is clear... mazola is a smart choice.

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♪ this morning in today's fights the flu, march has just begun, and we still have a while before flu season is over. so far, it's been anoth rough year. cdh just came out new numbers, showing widespread activity this year in every state except hawaii. >> the flu shot, of course,s your best defense, but it is not always effective. now, scientist are going o to some unusual places to try to get ahead of the next strains of the flu. here's nbc medical correspondent dr. john torres. >> reporter: at this ohio county fair, funnel cakes, ferris wheels, and good old family fun. there is a potential killer on the loe here, and these pigs might be guilty. checking these pigs, ishis the

coal mine? >> we can assess animals and see what viruses they have. >> reporter: the deadly virus the experts are looking for is the flu. c pian get it, just like people, and they can spread i to us, to >> just like us, we have runny noses. pigs with flu have funny noses, cough, nasal discharge, fever. >> reporter: the only way to know for sure if pigs h te the flu is swab them, like i'm doing. this flu ason, andrew bowman and his team travel to nearly 100 county fairs, swabbing 3,000 pigs, searching for any new flu viruses the animals might be carrying. >> if you can identify new flu strains that are ising, it means you can develop a vaccine for it. >> reporter: swine flu, particularly a new strain, terrifies health experts. the deadliest flu in history, the pandemic of 1918, is believed to have started on a kans farm when airus jumped

from animals to human. that virus s wead likedfire across the world, killing 50 million people. >> trying to prevent the nex 1918 flu, the next pig flu that circulates. to understand how we can prevent the virus transmission from animals to humans because that's how every pandemic virus has originated. >> reporter: a mission to create a betr flu vaccine to protect people and save lives. >> i h no idea. dr. john torres is with us live good morningu. >> good morning. >> talk to us about this detective work, if you will, then tell me this, are flu viruses that other animals carry more dangerous for humans? >> what was is the flu virus is always changing throughout the year. ad have to stay one step a of it. that's where the flu hunters come in. they go to fairs looking for pigs, orses, birder animals. they look at other flus around the world in humans and try to find out what's affecting us next year. they start making the vaccine now. the world health organization came out with e recommendations for next year's

vaccine. as far as jumps from animals to humans, if it is something we've never seen, it can be devastating because our immune systems can't handle it. >> swabbing the noses out there with theer ran and farmers. a lot of families dealing with the flunow. what is the season looking like? we're not out of the woods until may. >> 49 s wtes haveespread activity. what happens is, there's t typically two peaks. h1n1 was in february. then the h3n squn2. influenza b is throughout the whole year. protect yourself. vaccine, number one. >> even now, it's not too late? >> it is not too late to get the vaccine. on top of that, wash your hands. don't touch your face ytil you war hands. stay home until you're or fever-free 24 hours. >> awful to deal with.

thank you, doctor, for coming up. coffee in your hand soon be a thing of the past? why some scientists are sending the alarm, after these messages. an thks for calling unitedhealthcare, an mrs. murphy. hi, i need help getting an appointment with my podiatrist. how's wednesday at 2? i can't. dog agility. tuesday at 11? nope. robot cage match. how about the 28th at 3? done. with unitedhealthcare medicare advantage plans, including the only plans with the aarp name, there's so much to take advantage of. from scheduling appointments to finding specialists, it's easier to get the care you need when you need it. we all care about amazing taste. that's why we've been making the best mayonnaise for over 100 years. hellmann's. 're on the side of food. ♪

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we hope you're enjoying the cup of coffee this saturday morning because somsoon, it could be more of a luxury than everyday necessy, as it is for most folks. >> there is a real concern that imate change could affect coffee plants around the world. >> lucy kafanov has more. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. for morn st of us, the dayoesn' start without one of these. scientists in the uk are ringing

the alarm about client change, and how it could put your cuff cup of coffee at risk. it is a ritual for many aroun the world. >> drinking coffee is something for everyone around the world. >> reporter: enjoy the cup while you can. more than halfthe world's coffee plants are at risk of going extinct. that's according to british botanist aaron davis, who spent decades trekking through forests and farms, documenting how the warming planet is making it harder to grow coffee. fancy meeting you in the tropics. should we walk? >> let's go. lasteporter: we're at a living laboratory on the grounds of a former royal residence. could we lose coffee? >> if we don't take ction, yes, could. >> reporter: this is the coffee t ant. this is the type m us drink. wow, those are the beans.

>> if we factor in climate change, land usechange, by the end of the century, if we don't do anything, coffee could be tinct. >> reporter: the area where coffee can grow are shrinking. 60% of the 124 species soft coffee could disappear for good. >> critically endangered. >> reporter: some in the next 10 s. 20 year it is not just a threat to usllions ofe farmers, the whole indy is alarmed. from the people who roast nt. >> signifi worried. whoeporter: to the baristas brew it. >> terrified. >> reporter: can we save coffee? the answer took me fro the tropical heat to one of the ldest spots in britain. it is really cold in here. negative 4 degrees fahrheit. a bomb-proof, undergroundunker housing the most diverse seed collection in the world, including coffee. this is humanity's insurance policy. >> it is. >> reporter: scientists are rang against the clock to

preserve plants for future generations. coffeed is ho store, so they're experimenting with deep freezing at ultra temperatures. >> looks like the climate is changing at an accelerating rate. it looks like we're moving toward the tipping point. we're certainly in the battle, if iis not a war. >> reporter: a stark warning to wake up and smell the coffee before it' too late. there is some hope through technology, but everyone we've spoken to says we have to save cofft in the places where grows. otherwise, our morning routines could start looking pretty different. guys? >> interesting. i didn't realize that. >> what would people do? >> maybe -- >> if you don't have access to coffee -- >> it's going attention. >> if you're notng talki abouth climatee and this is what it takes, we'll take it. harry smith hits the slopes to show us the t technologyo help a paralyzed man get on skis

once again. look forrd withward to sharing . we're back after this.

still to come ontoday," the lawmaker now taking on amazon for the company's sale of anti-vaccition books and movies. we'll remember one of the stars of "who's the boss," as we honor the life of actress catheri catherine helmond. >> first, these mess. ♪ ♪ 'cos i know what it means ♪ to walk along the lonely street of dreams ♪ ♪ here i go again on my--- you realize your vows are a whitesnake song? i do. if you ride, you get it. geico motorcycle. 15 minutes could save you 15% or more.

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>> announcer: this is a "news 4 today" news break. >> 7:56 on this saturday, march 2nd, 2019. good morning to you. i'm david culver. let's get to the headlines. heads up i you have plans to use metro today. several stations in our area are shut down. the blue and yellow lines south at reagannal will not have rail service today or tomorrow.l instead, theave buses running between the huntington and franconia stations all the way u reagan national. the closures are to prepareaor much longerth closure of e stations set for this >>summer. good night for capitals fa. d.c. topping the new york islanders o the road, 3-1. boys were laser focused on the ice as they faced off against their old head coach, barry trotz. both teams are tied for first in

this tig division eyrace. re going to stay up in new york to take on the rangers tomorrow afternoon. from ice on the rink to i on the road, slick spots out there this morning. lauryn ricketts tracking snow.

we've got a dry day, but it is going to be a cloudy day out there through the remaier of your saturday. maybe a new peek few peeks of . there could be i patches north and west of d.c., where the temperatures are at the freezing mark. we're going t t warm upay to right around 50 degrees. again, some peeks of ternoon sun. we're mainly going to be dry until tomorrow. mid-morning torrow, between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., snow pushing in from the south andst it'll be light to start. we are looking at 2 inches of snow or greater north and west of d.c. around d.c., mainly rain/snow event, which is light, then south and east, talking about rain. we are weather alert for tomorrow. monday looking breezy.

we'll dry out on monday. >> lauryn anks. we'll have a fresh update of your news and weather in 25 minutes. for now, back to the "today" show. good morning. breaking overnight, one-two punch. tens ofillions of people up and down the east cst feeling winter's wrath. several inches falling in major cities like boston and new york. anothertormakes its way to the west coast. dylan is tracking it all. mission to space. >> three, two, one, zero. >> a history-making launch overnight for the spacex rocket at the kennedy space center. the successful mission sending a dragon capsule to the international space astation. it i test that will hopefully lead the way to astronauts going to space as early as thi summer. taking onam on. a california