scariest was hearing m doctor say to me you do realize how we are currently dealing with an unprecedented situation in new zealand. it's verygrave, it's very serious. we have dealt with a active shooter situation. we have multiple fatalities at this point i can't say how geny, but it is significant. >> t in new zealand. a mass shooting at two mosques. multiple people are in custody. we'll have the latest for you. in like a lion for sure, but march is still roaring big-time in many parts of the country. airline operations disrupted fromoast to coast with the boeing's of one of most popular planes. new details this the morning

involving the supposed mob hit of a reputed boss of a powerful organized crime family. beto mania sweeping the astion as the failed senate candidate from sets his sights on 1600 pennsylvania avenue. get ready for teen students to skip school to protest a lack of action to combat climate change. "early today" starts right now. >> good friday morning. i'm philip mena. >> i'm frances rivera. arific mass shooting at two mosques in christchurch, new zealand. >> i tell you that as of 7:00 p.m. tonight, we believe that 40 people have lost their lives in this act of extreme violence. ten have died at linwood avenue mosque, three of which were outside the mosque itself. >> f w more ont we've learned in the past hour, a

arouzi joins us from london. >> good morning. it's a massacre in new zealand. prime minister jacinda arden who ve a press conference said 40 were killed and more than 20 seriously wounded in what seems to best new zealand's mass shooting. arden described the attack of ec unpredented violence as one of thetr y's darkest days. let's take a listen to more of what she had to say. >> it is clear that this can now escribed as a terrorist attack. from what we know, it does appear to have been well planned. two explosive devices attached to suspects' vehicle have now been found, and they have been disarmed. >> the shootings occurre at two mosques in the christchurch area during friday afternoon prayers. the busiest time for muslim worshippers. now witnesses describ multiple

deaths at the al noor mosque in central christchurch with bodies being bught out on stretchers. four are in custody, three men and one woman. they're nd police say not aware of other suspects beyond the four who have been arrested but they can't be certain. one witness described a gunman as white, aged in his 30s or 40s, and wearing aor unm. we also know a man claimed responsibility for the shootings and left a 74-page anti-immigrant manifesto where explained his actions for the mass shooting. frances? >> horrific to hear those detail. ali, thank u. investigators in france are looking for clues as they examine the heavily damaged black boxes from the mysterious plane crash in ethiopia that took 157 lives, leave nothing survivors. orning the boeing max 737 models remain groundedwi wor as critical new evidence in the latest crash emerges. nbc's tom costello hasore.

>> reporter: at airports nationwide today, every 737 max sat out the day after one last nonpassenger trip. withouthe max in their fleet, southwest had to cancel 39 flights, american 85. 20,000 passengers potentially affected. >> when i heard that it was canceled, oh, great, you know. we're going to still be able to get on a plane but a different plane that should be safer. >> reporter: meanwhile in paris investigatve now received the black boxes, badly damaged, from the ethiopian airliner thas d. ethiopia chose france as a neutral third-party since boeinm is aican company. the faa says there are milarities with the lion air max 8 crash in indonesia last october. satellite data shows that plane experienced erratic vertic speed readings after taking off, up and down for seven minutes, climbing at 1,500 feet per ce minute, then ding at 1,500 feet per minute. data from the ethiopian ane is similar, up and down, then up again over a volatile two nutes. the faa also says it found new

evidence in the ethiopian wreckage. investigators looking closely noat the position of the jackscrew that moves the stabilizer on the tail which could indicate if the nose of the planwas being forced down, much like lion air. >> the flighrecorder and the cockpit voice recorder data is absolutely critical to hederstanding what happened in ethiopia, and if is commonalitwith the lion air tragedy. >> reporter: still, the faa reins under fire for only grounding the plane after every other country in the world acted first. did your close relationship with boeing and with the airlines in any way lead you to delay the cision to ground these planes? >> absolutely not. we're linked to them for safety. 100%, we're linked to them for safety. and that's the conversations that i had with boeing and with the carriers since sunda but other than that, there is no linkage. >> reporter: meanwhile, at the crash scene, anguished families gathered again today to remember the 157 lives lost.

a team of investigators from the ntsb, three of them, arriving in paris this morning. they will assist the french in cracking open those black boxes. they're very concerned about how damaged the data may be. they want to be careful retrieving that data. however, every expert i've talked to says, t listen,ing to get the data out, analyzing the data, theneciding if there is a common problem and what the fekds may be, this could take weeks ors which means those planes could sit idle for weeks or months. some airlines now talking about sending boeing a bill for those planes sitting idle. meanwhile boeing is pausing deliveries of all new planes coming off the max line. >> all right, tom, thank you for your report. millions of people have been impacted by a massive storm that has brought blizzard warnings and spawned rtornados. maamage was reported in kentucky where a tornado just missed hitting the national service forecast office in paducah. here's nbc's gabe gutierrez. >> that's a funnel cloud.

>> reporter: this tornado in west paducah one of several slicing through kentuc >> spun my car to the side. ju kind of put my head dow and covered my head and just kind of prayed for the best. >> reporter: the twister tore the roof off this church and damaged this preschool, about 40 children inside. >> we took a the kids from the nursery, played games, kept them distracted. >> reporter: all escaped safely. >> the almighty hand of god has provided safety to our community and these children. >> reporter: the severe weather part of a massive system known as the bomb cyclone, also bringing flooding to the midwest where roads have turned into rivers, rising creekcutting off towns and forcing evacuations in nebraska. >> oh my goodness! >> reporter: in 24 hours the national weather svice logged 0 about nd gust reports of more than 50 miles an hour. cancelations and delays building at airports across the country.o denver wit punishing blizzard conditions for six straight hours. in mnesota the roof of this barn collapsed under the weight of all that snow. an >> snowater in general

weighs roughly eight pounds per gallon. >> reporter: while in texas -- >> oh my god. >> reporter: wind gusts violently blew over a semi truck. the fast-moving system now threatening moreommunities as marches east. gabe gutierrez, nbc news. to a murder involving one of the most notorious organized crime families in new york. gambino mob boss francesco "frankie boy cali" gunned down outsid his home in new york wednesday. the shooting has sparked a massivehunt with police searching for the gunman. with the latest is anne thompson. >> reporter: this suv with bloody handprints is where authorits say francesco "frankie boy" cali tried to hide while being shot at least six times outside his house last night. >> units respond to shots fired. >> confirmed. >> reporter: the brazen crime caught on surveillance video, starting authorities say when cali's suv was rammed by a pickupruck. >> his car is involved in an h accident we individual that winds up shooting him. >> reporter: cali, police

say, was a leader in the gambino crime family. left to die as a blue pickup truck fled. >> mafia was in his dna. >> reporter: selwyn raab wrote about the new york underworld's five famils. does the nature of the murder tell you anything about who did it? >> well, it tells you one thing, itas done so viciously tha normally mob murders are done more quietly. a bulletn the back of the head. >> reporter: it's been more than three decades since the last mob boss was assassinated. paul castellano of the gambino family, a t organized by the flamboyant cme boss john gotti, the so-called dapper don. cali was the complete opposite say workers at his staten island neighborhood deli. e didn't come in and say i'm the boss of a mafia family. he came in and said, i want a sandwich.te >> rep cali's only mob-related conviction more than a decade ago for an extortion conspiracy. he served 16 month what does frank cali's death mark? >> it marks -- cali's death obviously markthe end of an

era of peace and harmony. >> reporter: now the question is, wh does it start? anne thompson, nbc news, new york. in chicago cameras were rollings act jussie smollett pleaded not guilty to 16 felony charges. the "empire" star is accused of staging a racist and homophobic attack in january to drum up publicity for himself. smollett is due back in court in april. the largest case of college admissions fraud in u.s. history has now snowballed with the fallout trickling down to students who were denied admission. they are filing a class action lawsuit against some of those universities involved allegg thoschools didn't take the proper steps to safeguard against fraud. ts nwhile the 50 par involved are facing their own set of troubles with disintegrating tv deals and disappearing sponsorships. miguel almaguer.t from nbc >> reporter: new fallout from eg the massive e cheating scam.es acs lori loughlin dumped by

hallmark aft being accused of paying $500,000 in bribes to get her daughters in usc. >> highlight palette with sephora collection. >> reporter: her youngest child, youtube star olivia jade, also dropped by cosmetic company phora. as the scandal unfolded, the freshman happened to be in the bahamas on this yacht,wned by billionaire rick caruso, the usc board of tstees chairman. >> she doesn't even need college, to find out she's veying to get into a selec school she doesn't even want to go to is kind of irritating. >> reporter: outrage growing, a lawsuit filed comes from a at studentanford university. kyliyah wood says her degree from the prestigious college won't be worth as much as it wae behe cheating scandal, suing the eight universities involved and william singer, the alleged mastermind behind the heme. wood says she never knew the admiions system was an unfai rigged process in which parents could buy their way into the university through bribery and c dishonesmes. it could become a class action

suit involving more than 1 million students. >> i'm jane buckingham. >>eporter: among those indicted tv career coach jane buckingham, who isn't camera sho but has made nent. last may on instagram she wrote, don't cheat, apply it to all aspects of life. about a month later, prosecutors say she agreed to pay a harvard grad $50,000 to take the a.c.t. test for her son. 0 vestigators fear nearly parents with deep pockets triede to cat the system. perhaps a disturbing lesson on the real price of higher education for some of the ultra-rich and famous. miguel almaguer, nbc news, los angeles. >> looks like it's going to be butchy friday weather-wise before we get into hopefully a >> yeah, you kind of have to decide, northeast, if you would rather warmer conditions but clouds? they're going to be in place today. a f showers also still

tracking a few cells making their way from alabama to jackson. showers will continue throughout the afternoon leading ning hours. we could see a little bit of lake enhancement for saturday across the great lakes here into the northeast. that's look at the big weather story for today. here's a closer look at your daa so warmer air making its way across the northeast. we're bac in the upper 60s some spots, lower 70s, still- making tracking that rain for the south and southeast throughout the afternoon. here's been a rough wee but change is on the way for the weekend. >> like to hear that, thank you so much. congrats are in order for our own "snl's" adi bryant. the comedienne will star in a comedy series "shrill," based on the memoir of activist lindie

west. "shrill" is available to stream starting today on hulu. still to come, details on president trump's first veto straight ahead. teens by the thousands will be walking out of class today. why? to protest a lack of on climate change. stay with us here on a very busy friday morning on "early today." family vacation on a travel site? at hilton.com, i get the price match guarantee. and i can choose from their 14 different hotel brands, so i get the right hotel for every member of my family. like a doubletree for my cousins who love their warm chocolate chip cookies. a homewood suites for my uncle who likes a long stay. a hampton for my sister and her kids. that's a lot of syrup and the waldorf astoria beverly hills for me. but i thought your family vacation was in miami? it is. i hear they're having a great time. book at hilton.com and get the hilton price match guarantee. if you find a lower rate, we match it and give you 25% off that stay. ♪ when you have nausea, ♪ heartburn, ♪ indigestion, ♪ upset stomach, ♪ diarrhea... girl, pepto ultra coating will treat your stomach right. ♪nausea, heartburn, ♪ indigestion, upset stomach,

♪ diarrhea... try pepto with ultra coating. but one blows them all out of the water. hydro boost from neutrogena®. with hyaluronic acid to plump skin cells so it bounces back. neutrogena® nivea essentially enriched body lotion, with two times the almond oil. it deeply nourishes skin for 48 hours. ♪ one, two ♪ three, whoo! nivea essentially enriched. deeply nourishes for 48 hours. nivea essentially enriched. do i use a toothpaste that whitens my teeth? or one that's good for my teeth? now i don't have to choose. from crest 3d white. the whitening therapy collection. now with charcoal or coconut oil. it gently whitens. plus, it has a fortifying formula

to protect your enamel. crest. healthy, beautiful smiles for life. you won't find relief here. congestion and pressure? go to the pharmacy counter for powerful claritin-d. while the leading allergy spray only relieves 6 symptoms, claritin-d relieves 8, including sinus congestion and pressure. claritin-d relieves more. today students across the world are taking to the streets to protest inaction on climate change. there are over 1,500 strikes planned today spanning or 100 countries and many are under way. here in the u.s. 100,000 young people are expected to march this morning demanding change for their fuoire. the vce behind the movement, swedish 16-year-oldreta thunberg, has been nominated for the nobel peace prize for her work fighting climate change. presidentrump is expecte to use his first veto in the coming days after a dozen senate republicans join democrats in a

vote to block his emergencycl ation over the border wall. the vote marked the first major division in congress. >> yeas 59 -- >> reporter: a republican rebellion, embarrassing blow to president trump on histu sig issue. 12 senators in his own party joining with democrats to try to block the national ergency he declared to get more money for the bored are wall he wants. >> reporter: for republicans it's about reining in unfettered presidential per and swinging the pendulum back toward congress. >> it's a question about the balance of power that is core t nstitution. this is not about the president or about border security. >> no president's ever used what's called the national emergencies act in this way. >> i think tt we can be very supportive of border security and the president's priorities withouceding our authorities under the constitution. >> reporter: still, for all the talk, there's no teeth since the resolution's set to die on the president's desk with a, as he put it, to.

for the first time ever president trp will be forced to use that power to kill something congress wants, since there aren't enough votes to override him. >> it doesn't matter, i'll probably have to veto. and it's not going to be overturned and we're going to have our whole thing. >> reporter: the president also priewing a 2020 strategy. fire up his base by arguing he's fighting t establishment on border security. >> and i think it's going to be a great election issue. >> reporter: president trump will have ten days to veto that measure once it makes it to his desk t here at white house. >> hallie, thank u. jus ahead, big things going on right now at the internatnal space station. plus your weekend weather coming up on "early today." ust lovely. i'm here to let all these folks know how easy it is to save money on their car insurance with geico- oi oi oi set the pick! kick it outside!! shoot the three! shoot the three!! yessssssss!!!!!!

are you...ok? no, no i'm not. i think i pulled a hammy. could we get some ice? just one cube of ice? geico®. proud partner of ncaa march madness®. wit looks like george having are busy day.? ♪ the beat goes on george has entresto, a heart failure medicine that helps his heart... so he can keep on doing what he loves. in the largest heart failure study ever, entresto was proven superior at helping people stay alive and out of the hospital. it helps improve your heart's ability to pump blood to the body. don't take entresto if pregnant; it can cause harm or death to an unborn baby. don't take entresto with an ace inhibitor or aliskiren, or if you've had angioedema with an ace or arb. the most serious side effects are angioedema, low blood pressure, kidney problems,

or high blood potassium. ♪ the beat goes on ask your doctor about entresto for heart failure. that was great! entrust your heart to entresto. ♪ the beat goes on

and liftoff. we have liftof >> a russian-made soyuz rocket lifted off from kazn thursday. on board two american astronauts along with a russian after a six-hour journey they successfully landed and will be docked on the international space station for the next 6 1/2 months. they'll be cducting the first-ever all-female space walk later this month.t perf timing, march is women's history month. >> space walk like a girl, i'll do it. >> can beto o'rourke spin a senate loss into a white house win? it's the same as having wings.

to the stars beyond the blue. there's a never land waiting for you. when you leave the world behind, you can fly. you can fly. you can fly. to care for newborns is born. johnson's cottontouch™ wash and lotion, made with real cotton, and enhances your gentle touch. a new soft, a new touch, a new gentle. johnson's cottontouch™. choose gentle. johnson's cottontouch™. whatever their sensitive skin get it out, with all free clear. only all is the number one recommended brand by dermatologists. and a 100% free of perfumes and dyes. now, try all free clear odor relief! attacks odors, gentle on skin.

if your mouth is made to amaze, let philips sonicare give its care a raise. if your teeth chew beyond their limit, then they've earned 62,000 movements a minute. if your mouth's used to a manual clean, treat it to microbubbles that feel great in between. if your amazing mouth does more than its share, give it philips sonicare. next level clean, next level care. there's always a way to make life better. philips sonicare. forget injections and look up to 5 years younger in 12 weeks with no7 laboratories new line correcting booster serum.

it works so well, 76% of women said injections can wait. exclusively at walgreens, target and ulta. with advil liqui-gels, what stiff joints? what bad back? advil is... relief that's fast. strength that lasts. you'll ask... what pain? with advil liqui-gels. let's get ready for the weekend. better conditions across theco try. things are going to start to dry out. sunny and cool for the south for your saturday here. look at all these icons. invaded by sunshine but the oler air from west to east. winter coat, keep it. >> all right, tha you, janessa. up next, beto mania is breaking out as a rising democratic star enters the race for 2020. potluck. this parade of dishes will soon be yours to scrub.

and they're not even... yours. new and improved dawn ultra can finish off this buffet. each drop now has even more grease-cleaning power. so you can scrub 50% less, and get done faster. next month, their place! a drop of dawn and grease is gone. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ walgreens... battle beautifully

about the colonial penn progra here to tell you walgreens... if you're age 50-85 and looking to buy life insurance on a fixed budget, remember the three p's. the three what? the three p's? what are the three p's? rathe three p's of life ine on a fixed budget are price, price, and price. , a price you can affoa price t, and a pricethat fits your . i'm 54 and i was a smoker but quit. alex, what's my price? i'you can get coverage a for $9.95 a month. i'm 65, retired, and take medications. what's my price? also $9.95 a month. i just twhat's my price? and i'm on a fixed income. $9.95 a month for you, too. if you're age 50 to 85,

call now about the number one most popular whole life insurance plan available through the colonial penn program. it has an affordable rate starting at $9.95 a mont that's less than 35 cents a day. you cannot be turned down because of your health. no medical exam, no health questions. your acceptance is guaranteed, and is plan has a guaranteedfe, so your rate can never go up for any reason. and with this plan, you can pick your payment date,m so you can your premium due date to work with your budget. options start at $9.95 a month, plus, you get a 30-day money back guarantee. so call now for free information. and you'll also get nethis free beneficiary pl and it's yours just for calling. so call now.

d morning. i'm aaron gilchrist. >> i'm eun yang. terror in new zealand. >> ounow, people are in custody. we're taking you to the scene for the latestn the investigation that's under way. chuck? >> good morning, everyb

news 4 today, starts now. >> we begin this friday mning with live look outside. did i say it's friday, aaron? >> yeah, you did. >> spring may not have arrived quite yet. it's a gorgeous day.

the temperatures had a lot of people outside. i saw people wearingor . a little taste of warm weather and people go all the way. >> a little too far. >> i'm un yaeun yang. >> i'm aaron gilchrist.wi the warm temperatures, the question today is will they stick around for the weekend? let's start with chuck bell and see how warm it will again. >> i love it. >>supermild. temperatures this morning, this is the 24-hour temperature change. 2 15 to degrees warmer this morning than yesterday morning. a big improvement. two mornings ago, the temperatures were in the mid-20s. we're in the mid to low 60s on a friday morning. that little area of rain showers coming in from the west, that is associated with a cild front thatbring more web-like weather coming in for the weekend. not february-like snow. but temperatures in the ghs, like 40 and 50. just a few drops