good morning, good morning. dual disaoders. new fg fears in the already averaged midwest. >> it's an island. literallyla an nd. >> milen texas, that massive inferno at a chemical plant intensifies over'rght. live with the latest on both. the president and his rivals. president trump targets joe biden after theorr vice president hints at a white house run. while meghan mccain blasts him about the late late senator. how the "national enquirer" got the private text messages

between billionaire jeff bezos and his girlfriend. the family member behind it and the staggering amount of money he was reportedly paid. those stories plus a bizarre courtroom message from the man accused of murdering a mob boss. unexpected twist. why the eren caught on ca shoveling her friend off a bridgeuddenly changed her plea. ne let the m begin.g millions racin to finish their brackets, the ncaa tournament tips off. today tuesday, march 19, 2019. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with savannah guthrie and hoda kotb live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. welcome to yooday," thank for joining us on this tuesday morning. we'll start with the dueling disasters. th pfeiffers and floods, crews battling that massive chemical

fire in houston, facing new challenges this morning. further north, millions remain threaten by historic flooding. we'll start with nbc's kathy park in omaha, nebraska. hey, kathy, good morning. hoda, good morning to you.'v seen these disasters having a big impact in this behind me is the missouri river. the devastation has been widespread in themidwest. later today vice president mike pens will be in the area to take a closer look at the damage. this morning parts of the midwest still under water, devastated by historic flooding that has still not receded. >>here are still places fully submerged, no access. s people stilltuck in their homes. >> entire communities in nebraska cut offy lie rhigh riv. >>tiasically sit ducks.

it's an island, literally an island. >> in iowa,heandbagging hasn't stopped. a desperate race against time to hold back melting ice jams. >> as it's progressively breaking up and movir, down rive we'll have air yoos like this. stranded animals are getting to higher ground. livestockad to be ferried out after days trapped in cold waut zble these poor guys don't know what's going on. they know they're on dry land. happy about that. >> sunnier skies helped bring down the water, allowing some evacuees to get back home. >> looks like the race is in yourus >> russ zee returned to find his entire basement flooded. > the sad thing is the famil ssirlooms and stuff like that. they're price and can't be replaced. >> reporter: america's heart labd making history with record water levels. >> how bad was it? >> saturday morning it was waist

deep. >> unbelievable the catastrophic destruction wetn sed. communities are coming together as a massive cleanup begins strangers choosing to donate their time and supplies. >> i decided to volunteer because i had been in a place where we needed help. this is what nebraskans do. we pull up our btches andou hp e days revealing the scope of this disaster and this lasting impact. >> at least three deathsave been confirmed so far, but the concern is communitiesst doam of the missouri and mississii rivers as all the waters head that way. communities there brace for potential flooding in the coming weeks. >> all ght. kathy parks, thank you. a massive inferno at a chemical facility near houston. it started two days ago.

look at this. it is still burning this morning. nbc's gabe gutierrez is at the scene. good morning. reporter: good morning. this inferno is raging and grew more intenni ovt. authorities insist that the air quality is safe, but bringing in more contractors this morning to help fight the flames. at this point they're just planning on letting it burn itself out. >> overnight, smoke and fire still billows into the night sky after multiple tks caught fire at a prochemical plant. emergency crews scrambling to suppress the fire using water and foam to stop it from spreading. it started sunday imorning. >> ts the worst i've seen in the last 12 years. >> reporter: and moved quickly throughout the plant. the fumes can cause nausea,

breathing problems and skin . irritation >> i've seen nothing like this for this longer. >> reporter: public health officials say the plume is high enough so it's not affecting us o n the ground rig now. but they're monitoring the wind conditions very closely and are on standby in case this smoke descends. >> weontinue monitoring the air quality around the area in several locations. >> reporter: schools have reopened after officials lifted a shelter-in-place order. some residents are still concerned about the smoke and the air quality. >> i hope they put it out soon. it's very, very concerning. >> reporter: this massive fire is expected to continue to burn until at least tomorrow and the massive plume can be seen even in austin several hours away. back to you. >> gabe, thank you very much. now tohe 2020 presidential race. president trump is lashing out in a potential democratic challenger while another

democr democrat, beto o'rourke is hosting another fund-raiser. we'll start with nbc's kristen welker she's at the white house this morning. kristen, good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you. the battle to take on president trump is heatinget up again today. beto o'rourke has fresh momentum after that major fund-raising haul. for his part president trump isn increasingly t aim at his potential 2020 opponents. >> president trump showered with chants o four more years at the white house overnight as he previewed his message against a potential ri taking aim at joe biden after a slip of tongue by the former vice president. >> the mostes prove record of anybody for the -- anybody who would run. >> reporter: tweeting monday, bride den was unable to deliver a very simple line about his

decision, another low iq individual. for his part, biden isn't holding his punches either. a key question for biden, can the political veteran convince the democratic base that he's the candidate of the future >> think we need fresh face. we need somebody young. >> reporter: it comes after beto o'rourke is aiming to build momentum, vowing ton campaign all ten new hampshire counties this week after raising $6 million in his first 24 hours of campaigning and meetinggh over with david green, leader of the auto workers union who the presint tweeted ought to get his act together and gmoduce over the closing of a plant in lords town, ohio. o'rourke looking to gain ground with key messed earn voters pressed bynbc's garrett headache. >> what do you make of the president taking shots overme e like dave over the plant close? >> the president with his actions added insult to injury. not only has he done nothing to

prevent the job loss, he blames e workers and their leadership. >> reporter: as the pmocratic baushes issues of racial and gender equality, new jersey senator cory booker asked tough questions about president trump. >> is he racist? >> he's a guy. >> is he a racist >> racists think he's racist. his language hurts people. his language is causing pain, fear. the way he's talking is making people afraid. >> s back to t former vice president for a second, kristen. he's been hinting aboutto jumpi he race. is he going to make it official. >> here is what we knowhoda. biden has been telling friends that he's all but certain to eye a presidential bid. biden has been huddling with advisers, even meeting with other tough democrats like stacy abrams, considering her ownti presid run. for his past, president trump will have a chance to weigh in

on all of this when he holds a joint press conference with the president of brazil laiter today. >> the president in the headlines for another story. craig is here with that one. >> good morning. john mccain's daughter meghan escalating her attacks on president trump. not the only one going t after president this morning. peter alexander has the latest on this one. peter, good morning.d >> reporter: gorning to you. seven months aft john mccain's passing, the feud is raging on. the latest from meghan mccain, rebutting the president's recent .ttacks on her fathefath >> delivering a stinging rebuke. >> that tells you everything you need to know about his pathetic life. >> the daughter of late senator john mccain on "the view" not mincingrds. >> he spends his weekend obsessing over great men because he knows it, i know, you all

know it. he will never be a great man. >> >> reporter: mccain remembering how her father's death from brain cancer, her family would spend time together cooking, hiking and fishing, comping that to the president's weekend activities. >> your life is spent on the weekends not with your family, not with your friends, but obsessing over great men you coul never livep to. >> reporter: that blistering rebuttal a dirt response to iee president's weekend tweets. allegedlyg mr. trump to the russian government. >> this is v ay dark stain. >> reporter: the president tweeting mccain had far worse stains than this. democrats blasting his attacks as repulsive. >> it'shero. >> among the president's most

persistent critics, george conway, the husband of kellyanne conway, the respected lawyer escalating fierce criticism of the president. his latest comwant ing, quote, all americans should be thinking seriously now about his mental condition and psychological state, even raising concern about er narcissistic psonality disorder adding quotis condition is getting worse. kellyanne conway's take on the tweets? i haveour kids and i was getting out of the house this drning so in't talk to the president about substance so i may not be up to speed on all of them. >> reporter: president trump's 2020 campaign manager, brad paidcale we all know president trump turned down mr. kellyanne conway for a job he wanted. now he hurts his wife because's jealous of her success.

the president doesn't even know them. t>> peter alexander fromhe white house. peter, thank you. in the meantime there's a range new twist tied to the murder of a norious mob boss. morgan radford is following this story. >> reputed crime boss was gunned down, a 24-year-old was arrested for theer mu law enforcement sources still haven't so sure the mafia had anything to do with it. 24-year-old anthony camel low who authorities say shot and killed al alleged new york mob underboss. smirking at times. scribbling on his left hand phrases like maga forever united we stand. >> is it true you're waiving your right toexpedition? >> yes, sir. >> camelo agreeing to be expedited to new york city where he'll face charges t the high profile slaying .

>> while we believe we have the shooter in custody for this incident, the investigation is far, at thist, po from over. >> reporter: detectives believe camelo shot kelly ten times outside his home. securityge camera foo shows camelo pulling into cally's driveway on wednesday night and moments later opening fire. initially his murder spread fears the gambino family which was once run by john gotti w in the throes of a violent new power struggle. there hadn't been arime boss killed in new york city since the mid '80s. >>e thought those days were over. very surprising, but i guessld habits diehard. sources, law to enforcement officials are looking into several theories including the psibility camel low had a romantic interest in on of mr. cally's nieces.

sammy "the bull" was a former member of the gambino family who helped bring down dozens of mobsters including his own boss john gotti asnm a govt informant. he says he doesn't think it was a mob hit. >> bng done in front of his house, in front of his family like that, that's not something we actually do. >> morgan, i understand police areakg special precautions for him in jail? >> authorities believe his life may be threatened while behd bars he's been placed in protective kuft difficult. he says thiss something very wrong, they're vowing to get to the bottom of it. >> chrgan, thank you very the ceo of boeing is speaking out about two deadly vi crashes inv the company's 737 max jets. in a statement dennis mullen

berg joined the world with heavy hearts and grieving. he says the company understands lives depend on the work they do and they're focused on finding out why those planes crash. >> as the facts from the accident becom available and we understand the necessary next steps, we're taking action toll reassure airlines and their passengers of the safety of the 737 max. >> he said aar sof upgrade for the 737 max aircraft has been in the works since october's lion air crash was coming soon. all righ 7:16. let's say good morning to al. a round of applause for great yesterday. >> thank you very much, guys. unfortunately another slow motion disaster going on here im thewest from omaha, waterloo, madison, down to st. louis. we have flood warnings and advisories, heavy rain and snowmelt. wednesday 900 millions of gallon per hour, today 5

billion, a five times increase. that the amount of water falls over the niagara river every hour. crazy amounts of water all for this area. it's not a lot. it's a weak front. because the ground is already saturated, any little bit can cause an increase in that flooding. this is going to be a long duration event. take a look. we've got 33 areas, rivers in major 136 in minor. as we go through the weekend, the numbers in some places go up. moderate flooding up to 67 locations by friday. this isrm going to be a long-te deal we'll be dealing with. that's what's going on. we'll get to your local forecast coming up in the nt 30 second

good morning. i'm storm team 4 meemt chuck bell. clear s skies, the coming up to get our tuesday started. it is another freezing cold start. all of our western suburbs are way below freezing this morning, in the mid 20s, mid 30s in town and by the way. you'll need your warm coat early this odmorning. ews is it will be a quick warmup. temperatures will be in the low 50s for afteron high over the next couple days, milder weather but rain on thursday. >> comingup, the leaker revealed. the family member who reportedly sold those intimate textet messagesen amazon's jeff bezos and his girlfriend to the "national enquirer." the last-min tewist in the

idge pusher case. why the teen involved suddenly changed her plea. first this is "today" on nbc. but first this is "today" on nbc. ♪ find a world of inspiration. find something you love today.

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thank you bob! ♪ 7:26 is your time on this tuesday, march 19, 2019. good morning. m eun yang. >> i'm aaron gilchrist. today the d.c.nc c will vote whether to rep vant councilman jack evans, accused of seeking business opportunities with law firms that lobby d.c. government. today astatewide tornado drill in virginia. the goal is to help residen prepare i the event one ever touche down. it is scheduled to begin this morning around 9:45. let's check on your commute with melissa mollet and your first 4 traffic. good morning. eastbound 66 at 123, showing some delays.

it was in thehe middle of road. on the side of the road now. but still slowdowns. eastbound constitution at 7th, a crash in northwest. northbound 270 after montgomery village, a work zone, southbound pretty slow. later today, identity theft is a big problem, one of the best ways to p yourself is y freezing or locking your credit. susan hogan is working for you and will explain which options isest for you. we'll take a break and check your weather when we come back.

good morning. the sun is shining but a freezing cold start f most of the area. mid 20s as you start the day. afternoon highs in the low 50s. good news, bright and sunny a day long. another bright sunshine-filled day tomorrow. 70% chance of rain showers that are likely to affect all parts of your thursday.ld

she drying a little bit friday afternoon windy fridayvery and a chilly start to the weekend. >> chuck, thank you. another local news updat in 25 minutes. >> we're now back to the "today" show after this short break. have a great day.

curry three-pointer, good! off the>>glass. we're ckba7:30. one of the most amazingy shots b nba superstrr steph a 61-foot buzzer beater. >> eed the first quarter. it would go on to win the game. we'll sit down with him coming up. ng>> getti people primed for basketball. a we've got march madness. >> let's get check of today's headlines. vice president mike pence wilel tr to nebraska today to survey damage from the historic flooding in the midwest. recentai heavy combined with

the melting snow and ice pushed the rivers in nebraska and iowa to record highs. that water swamping homes and si sses, three people confirmed dead from the flooding. two others have been reported missing. it is expected to take days for those communities to dry out. >> a fire at a chemica facility houston is still raging this morning. officials say the flames intensified because of a low water pressure issuing,th bringg total number to eight tanks now. expected to burn for two more days. public health officials say the plume is high enough so it's not affecting folks on the ground. this morning localighways and schools are back open. as mentioned, talking about ncaa basketball? do you have your bracket filled out yet? get busy. two games in the first four rounds tonight. the first game isaieigh dickinson taking on prairie view a&m, and then tem and

belmont. the round of 64 gets under way on thursday. >> all right. also this morning, we are learning how the "national enquirer" apparently got i hands on those intimate text messages between amazon's jeff bezos and his now girlfriend. stephanie gos is at the table with the latest. >> the world's richest thing has learned, there's one thing money can't buy. jeff bezos is going head-to-head with the "national enquirer" over the tab loitd's publishing of his private text messages. someone responsible to bezos is responsible for the leak. >> this morning we're new details about the messages sent between jeff bez and his girlfriend, lauren sanchez. according to the "wall street

journal" who cites people matter, theyh the were sold to the tabloid by sanch sanchez's brother michael for $200,000. nbc news not able to corroborate that. saying the report o was bas old rumors. last month in an interew with ""vanity ir"" writer, sanchez denied he was involved in the leaks. >> michael sanchez says his sister lauren frequently showed the pictures to people include himself and perhaps one of gifrl friends leaked the picture. >> in additio to below-the-belt photos, bezos also sent s flirtatious teo sanchez. i love you alive girl. i will show you with my body, my ps and my eyes very soon.

the source of the leak ignited a battle between him and the tabloid. bezos revealed he had his own curity team trying to determine the source of the leaked messages. he also claimed the tabloid attempted to extort and blackmail him by threatening to release private photos unless he stopped investigating how they were obtained. bezos writing i part, of course, i don't want personal photos published, but i also won't participate in their well-known practice of blackmail, political favors, political attacks and corruption adding, i prefer to stand up, roll this log over and see what crawls out. an attorney for american media ceo davidli pecker t abc news last month that the bezos story was based on good journalism. >> it absolutely is not extortion and not blackmail. >> reporter:he day before the article, bezos announced he was splitting from his wife of 25

years. since then bezos and sanchez have kept a ratively low profile, not appearing together in public. the world watching as this very public battle unfolds over very private affair. nbc news has reached out to all those involved and we have not heard back from any of them. now to an update on a story we've been following for months. ar teena seriously hurt when she was shoved off a tall bridge in washington state. nbc'stz gadi schw has been following this one. good morning. >> good morning, craig. inthat terri video is hard to watch. after months of prepping for trial, we've seen an about face from 19-year-old taylor smith after pushing her friend joan, she's pleading guilty to reckless endangerment. >> ready? >> whoo! >> the violent push watched over a million times online.

19-year-old taylor smith shoving her friend off a 60-foot bridge. taylor changing her plea on the day her trial was set to begin. pleading guilty to reckless endangerment in exchange to a recommendation for house arrest, community service and a work detail. >> if she had pled guty, it would have shown responsi slity, maybehow up to the hospital, something to show she cared. >> jordan hit the water chest first, he wasd hospitali punctured lung and broken ribs and says she still suffers from debilitating anxiety >> the first one i had, i thought i was dying. they've tak over my life. >> the case was expected to focus on taylor taunting jordan. >> jordan i'm going to push you. >> jordan reactingn fear. >> three, two -- i'm so scared.

>> others telling jordan shedn have to jump. last year taylor appeared remorseful for her actions on neabc . >> i never intended to hurt her. >> jordan says she never apologized to her and she wants to see justice served. >> she won't be able to go out and do whathe's been doing which is partying and not being responsible. she'll be able to t sitre and think about how to better people's lives and not hurt them. >> gadi, could smith still serve jail time? >> that's aes good on, craig. the answer is yes, she could. right now those recommendations are just from state prosecutors for house arrest and for community service. ultimately the decision will be up to a judge next week. taylor actually says -- jordan says she does want to see taylor serve some time in jail for the time she spe in the hospital. >> all right. gadi schwartz in l.a., tyonk we turn now to al for the weathe >> are you okay?

>> she's moved by your forecast. >> moved by that forecast. i usually have that effect. thlot of wet w through florida, unfortunately. a stationary front that's going to sit there andngain is g to come along these train trac. prop cal moisture is going to keep coming in. localized flooding is by wednesday the front will push to the south and finally get out of there, buteot bef we see anywhere from two to three inches, fours inc from central to southern florida. along the eastern seaboard on thursday, a strong system that looks like i going to start developing bringing heavy rain, gusty winds, airportro delays d.c. into new england and lake-effect snow behind it, from an incho three inches back through western new york. along the coast, one tohree inches of rain. that's what's going on around the country, here is what's ckhappening in your f the woods. good morning. e

i'm storm team 4 meteorobegist chuck. 25 at dulles airport. 28 in frederick, maryla, 27 in stafford this morning. somewhat milder 36 in wash ggton. we wil to keep the sunshine all day and a nearly cloudless sky. highs today will be in the low 50s. like al mentioned. a high chance for rain on thursday and a blustery friday to follow. >> that's your latest wealth ever.gu ys? >> al, thank you so much. a revealing look at addiction in amera. he'll share his message o hope. we'll meet the 8-year-old homeless refugee living here in new yorkaking the chess world by stormg. then what luke perry's "riverdale" co-star is saying about the show's future without its star. >> first we're going in depth on the college bribery scandal. how the admitted ringleader managed to get away with the

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. this morning on in-depth charity at the center of that college cheating scandal. >> it allowed the admitted mastermind to funnel large sums of money. but how dihe get away with it for so long? joe fryer joins us with that part of the heory. >> charity william singer set up to facilitate his scheme should he raised lots of red

flags, the biggest, millions of dollars were coming in, but none of it went out to help programs for underprivilege kids like it was supposed to. >> what is my game plan as far m as schools going to apply to. >> reporter: for many clients, that game plan came with a hefty price tag, wealthy parents intent on getting their kids into the bestny schools at a cost, money given to corrupt coaches, crooked test proctors and others, all from the key worldwidefoundation, a charity that was supposed to benefit underprivileged kids, parents structured payment as purported donations to f. >> utilizing this charitable business facade, he was able to tnceal the true source and nature ofhe bribe payments. >> singerold some parents including tv personality jane buckingham, not only could they buy higher test scores, but deductib ents would be tax

deductible. gse foundation's tax fil show minimal documentation, this one from 2014 declares singer's compensation was zero and says he worked zero hours per week. it also listed gordon ernest, a former georgetown tennis coach as an independent contractor paid $231,000, ernest who is accused of accepting prescribes has not commented on this case. before pleading guilty to racket tearing and other charges, he was actively promoting himself and his services. tmz obtained this clip of him pitching a reality show about college admissions. many wondering how he was ablee to g away with it for so long. experts say the irs doesn't have the resources tocrutinize how most charities spend their

money. according to the agency's data in 2017, a tax-exempt organization stood a less than one percent chance of beingse lected for an audit. the scandal causing outrage online with celebrities likeim carrey tweeting in, tweeting this caricature of lori loughlin says all cheaters will eventually receive a failing grade. scolette sheridan also speaking out withoutngver mentio huffman by name. >> i mean we don't know the facts, but we could be extremele dist by the entitlement, the power and money that can take away fromess privileged, and that to me is disgraceful. >> late last night usc announced it's placing holds on all the

student accounts associated with the aeged scheme following all the universities taking steps after the massive sndal was revealed. singer and others could face additional penalties related to tax fraud oras tax n. >> joe fryer, thank you. >> hard to believe so few charies are being scrutinized by the irs. still ahead this morning, california's stunning super bloom of wil flower take a look at that, and what people that live nearby, what they say is ruining it. first, these messages. ersation] ♪ [friend] i've never seen that before. ♪ ♪ i have... ♪

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results we rarely saw five years ago. (avo) in a clinical trial, significantly more patients lived longer and saw their tumors shrink than on chemotherapy alone. (dr. kloecker) it's changed my approach to treating patients. (avo) keytruda may be used with certain chemotherapies as your first treatment if you have advanced nonsquamous, non-small cell lung cancer and you do not have an abnormal "egfr" or "alk" gene. keytruda helps your immune system fight cancer, but can also cause your immune system to attack healthy parts of your body. this can happen during or after treatment and may be severe and lead to death. see your doctor right away if you have new or worse cough, chest pain, shortness of breath, diarrhea, severe stomach pain or tenderness, nausea or vomiting, rapid heartbeat, increased hunger or thirst, constipation, dizziness or fainting, changes in urine or eyesight, muscle pain or weakness, joint pain, confusion or memory problems, fever, rash, itching, or flushing. these are not all the possible side effects. tell your doctor about all your medical conditions, including immune system problems, if you've had an organ transplant, had or plan to have a stem cell transplant,

or have lung, breathing, or liver problems. (katy vo) where i am now compared to a year ago, it's a story worth sharing. (avo) living longer is possible. it's tru. keytruda, from merck. with more fda-approved uses for advanced lung cancer than any other immunotherapy. we are back. happy when carson joins the table. coming up, theuccessful chef who almost lost everything to addiction is now on the other side of thele ba he's speaking out to help other people. how one of hour favorite morning boosts ended up on "the voi voice." you know about this? >> yep. by that i mean nope. >> see you in a minute. and migraines a month?

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7:56 is your time on this tuesday, march 19, 2019. good morning everyone. i'm eun ya. ght now let's check on your commute with melissa mollet and your first 4 traffic. >> good morning. 66 inbound on 123, loo a lot better than earlier this morning after a crash in the middle of the roady at thend of the 6 clom a.m. ow beltway slow in a couple of different spots. nothing mmajor, but want to add time there. laurel northbound bw parkway, the ramp to 197, an accident there. southbound is slow, too. >> we'll take a break and check your forecast next. stay with us. >>

good morning. off to a cold and sun any start. most of the suburbs in the 20s it will be a while before you can shed that layer of warmth. highs today 50 to 52 degrees. mid.0s tomorr rain likely on thursday. a blustery day on friday. the weekend will be dry, but will start on the chilly side. >> chuck, thank you. another local news update for you in 25 minutes. for now back to the "today" show. have a good y.

0 it's 8:0 on "today." devastation and destruction. parts of the m uwest stillnder water this morning after heavy rains caused historic and deadly flooding. >> i can't believe how much water came in. it's insane. >> while in the south, a massive fire at a chemical plant near houston enters its third day zbl i've seen nothing like this for this >> live from nebraska and texas with the latest. recipe for recovery, how a young chef addicted to drugs and alcohol turned his life around and became a risingstar. >> the straw that broke a camel'sox is when i broke in here, took $4,000 out of the a

sand went home and got high. >> he'll be here to sharing his inspiring story. io> the homeless 8-year-old chess chan whose family is getting a fairy tale ending. >> i'm so phiud of >> joining us live to talk about his next move, today tuesday, march 19, 2019. ♪ >> from austin, texas. >> celebrating my sweetheart's birthday. >> shout-out to my brother and sisters in green field, indiana. >> it's christy's birthday today. >> hi to my friends and family. >> in wichita falls, texas. >> sweet 16 in nyc. >>ll we are betty and bill from blairstown, new mexico, living here and celebrating 74 years of marriage. >> wow. anwesome milestone.

welcome back on this beautiful tuesday morning. outside. but our crowd is packed again, you guys. >> that's one for the my today plaza hall o fame. >> we love seeing those messages. seors us using #mytodayplaza. >> we'll start this half hour with your news at 8:00. twin disasters are tting the endurance of first responders and families living in those live coverage of the historic flooding in the midwest and that massive chemical fire i texas. we'll start with nbc's kathy park on that flooddevastation. good morning. >> reporter: hoda, good morning over the last few days, these floodwaters have turned dangerous and deadly. at least three deaths confirmed so far. behind mehe missouri river has swallowed this entire park. the waters are slowly starting recede. residentsngre getack home for the first time and returning to see extensive property

damage. some people have lost everything. later today vice president mike pence is expected to be in the area to tak cser look at thedevaation. theuner ds has helped with the drying out process but rain is in the forecast today. downstream of the missouri and mississippi rivers, as most of the water hds that way. >> that think park, thanks. to the inferno at a chemical storage site in houston that's been burning since the weekend, gabe gutierrez has the latest from the scene. good morning. >> reporter: the fire is still raging, growing inntensity overnight. the company is bringing in more contractors to help fight the flames. at this pointht firefs are letting this thing burn itself out. it start sunday morning. burning at this point for about 48 hours. authorities insis that the air quality is safe and schools have reopened today. some residents still have

concerns. again, it continues to burn at this point. the plume can be seen not just in nearby houston, but several hours away, even in austin. this fire is expected to continue to burn through at least tomorrow. savannah. >> gabe, thank you. top democrats in congress want t fbi to investigate t founder of a florida spa chain who was photographed ater s bowl party with president trump. a letter reased monday asks investigators to look into cindy ties to her possible the president. it raises concerns that one of her businesses reportedly offered access to president trump for clients from china. yang first made headlines after new england priots owner robert kraft was accused of paying for sex at a spa shence owned. a lawyer who says she's representing yang says her clie denies t allegations. former president george w. bush is lurjin lawmakers in washington to, quote, dial down the rhetoric and update thena on's immigration laws. mr. bush and his wife welcomed

50 new citizens at a naturalization ceremony in dallas. saying immigration is, quote, a blessing and a strength. >> whatever the opinion of one retired politician might be, i believe we w ol see way clear to immigration policies nd in the ust fair interest of the whole nation. o mr. bush a encouraged the group to take part in what he called our boierous democracy by voting. police in las vegas released dramatic surveillance video of a deadly shooting outside the bellagio hotel and casino. the suspect tried to car jack a black ftbmwer robbing the bshier in theker room. officers arrive and order him oo ge the ground. the suspect fires on the officers, hitting one saved by his bulletproof vest.

they believe it' the same suspect that robbed the bellagio in 2015as also two bank robbery convictions. ready for a little boost? this is the evidence of the power of the "morning boost." not every day one of our boos tsz makes it to the bright of hollywood. we first met 16-year-old cecile on the boost last summer. she's taken the next big step in her career. >> south carolina teen can't believe all the attention she's getting after singing her way through a mcdonald's drive through. she says it's something she wanted to do, she memorized the drive-through song she heard online. >> ♪ i want a number six super size with a sprite and large fries ♪ ♪ mustard and ketchup only please ♪ >> i wish carson were here every

day, but especially today. >> guess what? that was on "the voice" last night. she appeared during the blind audience wowed the with her cover of "jewel's foolish games" ♪ always crazy like that >> you got to be kidding me. >> cecile now a member of tea blake. i have a feeling we'll be hearing about her in the weeks reead. >> weam cecile. that's incredible. "the voice" played your whole boost? >> is thatou how they her? >> i don't know. but we do know it caught their eye. >> i love that. much more ahead this morning

including the poppy mania. the wild fwerxplosion that has folks racing to california. first, athough, eye-opening look at addiction. >> i was failing everyone around me. i had lost the respect of lose to me. >> the young chef who hit rock bottom and turned his life around and is now a rising food star. he's going to share his story tp others. that's right after this. ♪ baby i'm not even in a gown ♪ and the only thing u have to say is wow ♪ ♪ make you're jaw drop drop say oh my drop drop drop ♪ ♪ make u say oh my god my drop drop ♪ ♪ make you're jaw drop make u say oh my god ♪ ♪ and you never felt this type of emotion ♪ ♪ make you're jaw drop drop say oh my drop drop drop ♪ ♪ make u say oh my god my drop drop ♪ ♪ make you're jaw drop make u say oh my god ♪ tremfya® is for adults with remoderate. to severe plaque psoriasis.

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heeeeey. hey! ah, control. (vo) go natial. go like a pro. we are back now at 8:11 launching a new series called battling addiction today to shine the light o we're sning a light today on a situation happening all over the country. >> the number of people impacted by alcohol and drug addiction is about 20 million americans over the age of 12 are living with addiction. if you were tout that in perspective, that is more than the population of the entire state of new york. >> fewse diseases c more deaths. each day more than 100 people die from drugoverdoses,n increase of more than 300% in the past two decades. >> we'llighlight the dangers of addiction and the warning signs, but also talk about the success st >> we start with chef ashish

alfred. today he is a rising star in the washington, d.c. area food scene. five years ago the guy was literally waking up in a gutter, battling the demons of addiction. he hopes by sharing his story, he can show other addicts out there there is life beyond the disease. >> is it fair to say this is one of those spots you'll always remember? >> me and my dentist will always remember this spot. i got really high in my apartm wt. i thought running, and i fell. hit my face really hard and i spent out a bunch of my teeth, about five. >> if you met chef ashish alfred today, what you would seehe is t intensity, passi and focus required of a rising culinary star. owner of not one, but three celebrated restaurants, a man be loved by his a famil friends. just five years ago he almost

threw it allaway, including his own life. >> the straw that broke the camel's back was when i broke in here and took $4,000 in cash out of the safe, went home and got high. >> reporter: ashish was an addict, first alcohol, then cocaine, then heroin. his rock bottom, stealing from his own restaurant. >> you wanted to commit suicide? >> oh, yes. >> why? >> why stick around?ai i wasng everyone around me. i had lost the respect of anybody close to me the one person who i did really care about, my mother, she at one point couldn't stand the sight of me. >> reporter: hisother and father, an alcoholic himself, immigrated from indiabe shortly re ashish was born. >> were you bullied?

>> yes. >> because you were indian? >> for a lot of reasons. i was small. i came off ase insec because i felt iecure at home. >> reporter: at 13, ashish discovered alcohol as a way to fit in. >> when does the drinking become drugs? >>he drinking became drugs probably around 15 or 16. i haditallen in a group of guys, the more vial i could act around them, the moring accepted i would be. cocaine came quick, around 17. >> how did it make you feel? >> on top of the world. it gave me a sense of confidence i didn't find before then. >> did your parents suspect anything? >> no. >> reporter: barely graduating high school, ashish convinced his parntsds to send him to new york city, to the french culinary institute. >> i got settled into my apartment and that night i went out and got hammered. my mother bought me a krcross a

i sold it for cocaine. >> reporter: despite his addictions, ashish excelled in culinary school, moved back to bethesda, maryland, opened his first restaurant. >> 25-year-oldish chef, two years out of culinary school, has no busins opening a restaurant. it was my addict's ego telling me, you got, th hold my beer. >> reporter: two years later, the same day he stole from his restaurant's safe, his67 ear-old mother showed up at his or. >> i said you will go to rehab or you will not s me again. i'm not your mother. you're not my son. >> reporter: the next day ashish checked into a 28-day inpatient hab program. sober for the first time in a decade, he returned to his bethesda neighborhood to rebuild his restaurant and reputation. >> i was not going to be sober and then spend the rest of my

life walking on egg shells. for me, my sobriety had to mean i could go wherever i wanted to go and do whatever i wanted to do, i just wouldn't drink or use. so that's how i live my life today. >> here is the money, chef. butter, butter, butter. rs ashish has been clone and sober five years, cooking at new york's famed james beard he's hoping his story can help other addicts get to the other >> what did you discover about yourself? >> i discovered it's okay t not always feel okay. i have bad days. my worst dayer s is still better than my best day messed up. >> get in there camera guy. there you go. >> wow, powerful >> happy to have chef ashish alfred with us in studi 1a. >> happy to be here. >> my father got outf rehab about six months ago. you've been out about five

years. talk to me about the good days and the bad days. how do you get through those days? >> i meant what i said. my worst day sober is still better than my best day messed up. i think just keeping it simple is what makes itor me. you don't have to be sober for the rest of your life, just for the rest of altoday. i've got to do is wake up, try to be a good person all day, go to bed and wake up and do it the next day. >> they talk about people making a stepdi like you you have to make the decision on your own. your mom came to the door and said it's either this or that. did you make your own decision after she went that far? >> as i told craig when we met, i was ready to kill myself. iidn't have theourage to do it outright, but i wg slowly killself. while i might not have taken the initial step, i was ready. i think that's what kind of made it a little easier on me. hen i was done, i was just

done. >> ashish, could you even have imagined all that you have attained since then? in your darkest moment when you thought you were iving up on life, if i said no, no, no, my child, you b will here in five years, cooking at the james beard institute, you would have three restaurants? >> i would want some of what you're sming. >> savannah doesn't share. >> you did it. >> three huge restaurants in the baltimore, d.c. edea, accompliincredible. did you ever worry then or do u you still worry, the pressure io takeseep up those thr restaurants, the restaurant business not necessarily a healthy environment, would possibly jeopardize your sobriety? how do you deal with that? >> if i wasn't doing this, i would be someone who ranhree marathons a week or a lawyer that worked 100 hours a week. yes, it was a lot ofre pres >> are you a better chef today ikan five years ago? >> i'd to think so.

>> by the way, duck duck goose just named as one of the best restaurants in the south. congrats. >> thank you. >> i can attest, your food is as remarkable. ren't you going to cook? >> it's online, by the way. the two of us did someco ing. >> what did you make? >> fillet. >> where is it now? >> not just any steak. craig did most of the work. i stood theros craig did of the work. >> thank you. so proud of you. >> great story.li thanks for t it. >> thank you for having me. >> today.com/food for the cooking. al, over to you. >> let's take a look. out west they had a record warm day in seattle. 76 degrees. daily record, warmest winter day on record, not only that, the earliest in the calendar year. so far the third warmest march on record. the other end of it, we've got a lot of heavy rain still, snowmelt, ice jams causing flooding throughout the midwest and the southern ivplains.

to you an idea how much water they've got, 900 million gallons flowing past omaha, now 5 billion gallons per hour, that's twice the amount of water that falls over the niagara falls at that point. we're going t continue to see these flood stages lastingriight throughy and probably right on into the weekend. that's what's going on around the country. here is what's happening in your neck of the woods. good morning. i hope your tuesday is getting off to a pleasant enoug start. certainly cold outside. still in the mid to upper 20s for most of the suburbs. low 30s around town.m sunshine ftart to finish today with an afternoon high just above 50 degrees. not a bad day to be ottside. r bright and sunny one comes your way tomorrow. not quite as cold morning.w a little milder tomorrow afternoon as well. first look at the weekend, it wille dry both days, a little cool on saturday. nice and mild by sunn y afternoon,e 60s. >> if you're heading out, don't

forget we're on serus xm today at 1:00, "off the rails." for the so-called poppy apocalypse. carson is in the orange room with this one. >> let me break it down. thanks to an unusually wet winter, the city of lake elsinore in cifornia is experiencing this super bloom. the hillside of walke canyons filled with these golden poppies. what started as a gorgeous spring time trip is turning into a beautiful disaster. officials say that disney land-sized crowds have flocked to their city of 66,000, causing traffic to back u for miles, putting people and the poppies in harm's way to capre the perfect social media. we've already had an injury. this is a public safety crisis. so we ask you for your support. kend they shut down the area saying the situation has escalated beyond ourla

ave resources. we know it's been miserable and caused unnecessary hardshi for our entire community. on monday the city did reopene canyon, not because -- they reopened because the resources -- ty don't have it. they didn't have the resources to keep it shut down. they're trying t figure out alternate ways. whatever they g can to get the pictures. meantime #superbloom and poppy apocalypse online. you can see the photos. one person writing, iad to check out what all the fuss was about. there you , guys. the city says they'rein evalua e the situation and exploring solutions before larger crowds could arrive this weekend. i guess if you want to see it, look online, maybe avoid going to the lake elsine area of

california. >> poppy start. we'll start with miley cyrus. sh attended our previous contestant janice freean m memorial service. she was on team miley during season 14 of the show. unfortunately she passed due to complications ofnd lupus a bronchial infection. miley honored her with a few words and a special tribute with the help of her dad, billy ray cyrus. >> before we sing this song for janice, i want to clear up a rumor. i was never her coach. she was always mine. i planned on singing a song for her, but ling her is too much for me. my dad is going to take care of this. i'm here for you and your family. janice, i'll miss you more than i cld everay.

♪ amazing grace ♪ how seat the sound ♪ thataved a retch like me >> beautiful performance. midway through miley was able to compose hersel sang with her dad. you can see janice clearly made an impact on everyon she met. very nice moment for miley yesterday. up next, in a new preview o car pool karaoke. t aron edgerton. >> i said this the whole time. it's not going to work. why is it you always get to look cool, smooth and winning and i look like a bigorulti c

chicken. >> a handsome chicken. >> along with his co-star, he eventually does bust out "bny and t jets." "rocketman" hits theaters on friday. "once a time in hollywood." the story line includes the infamous charles manson murders. tthe all-star c arranged for the film. margot robbie, dakota fanning. hihiing theaters summer, july 26. that's all we have time for today. we're excited about this next one. 8-year-old chess whiz is on a quest to being the youngest grand master in the world. >> he'sexcited. >> we're excited about this, too. there theyare.

life saefrs. the team is here and have a brand new bthk out today. will organize you top to bottom. that sounded ird, didn't it, after your local ns and weathe good morning. it's 8:26 on this tuesday, march 19, 2019. let's get right to melissa mollet. >> northbound lee highway before fairfax county parkway, all lanes shut down because of a crash involving four vee cles. the injuries. we'll keep you updated on twitter. inner loop of t beltway crossing the woodrow wilson bridge is slow. 270 at democracy not looadng northbound and southbound. >> thanks so much. we'll check the forecast when we come back. stay with us.

s> good morning. a sunnyrt to the day. it's going to be bright and sunny all day long today. we are still cold. most of the suburbs below freezing here as of 8:28 in the

morning. high today aroun 50 to 52 degrees. milder tomorrow. nice and mild for the second half of the weekend after a thursday rain chance and friday blustery windyday. >> all right, chuck. get the latest news and weather in the nbc washingoon app. have aone. it is 8:30 now.

it's tuesday morning, march19 , 2019. got a great crowd out on our plaza. break.sprin if it's not your spring break thweek, it will fw soon. come to our plaza. we love having folks here. >> yes, we do. >> i have a new friend i want to make here. where isan curntly a member ofe

cast of the "today" show? does ithyme with hoda kotb? >> yes, we knew her as hodie. >> i call her hodie. >> i'm a hokey, hokey, hokey, so is a hoda. >> there's the picture. >> could you please prove it? she actually brought this awesome sorority picture. get over here, hodie. >> were you guys right next t each other. >> k.l. you look awesome, by the way.et >> justen us, can you tell us any stories about hodie? a girl was sh >> she was pledge class president. ea of course she was. >> she wasy good encoag thetri deltas. she was awesome. i do remember one time we had a

roach problem in our building, and i remember walking in and hodie was scrubbing the floors, the kitchen floor because we all had to get rid of the roaches. >> i remember it was weird and gross, but id didn't remember that. >> debra, good to see you. >> oh, my god, throw back. coming up, you guys, we have this cute little boy in our studith an iredible skill. tani is an 8-year-old chess prod gentlemen. e'll spend a little time with him in a bit. the new feature on instagram th can revolutionize the way you shop. creative storage tricks for your kitchen and bathroom. >> coming up on the third hour

of "today," a guy who will change the w you look at your dinner plate. he's a self-proclaimed dumpster diver who uses food that others throw away to cook. >> coming up on the fourth hour, guess who is filling in for kathie lee? we have mr. andy cohen. isn't that cool? >> i hope he brings the baby. >> savannah, did you do this. my senior tri want to meet savannah. >> hi. >> what's your name? >> lydia. d nice to meet you. >> where you go, greenville center innv greele, indiana. my kind of a little glitter emon. >> rember my fiek cass tree thatas dying? it's dead now. if you followed me on instag wm, thatt happened. it's dead now. the digital team is noto ready give up on me. they decided to give me a

different tree that will that's my pal, a horticulturali. if you go to today.com, for those of us who don't have a green thumb, apparently this is the way. >> it's not fake. it's real. >> what' the over/under on the tree living? >> i don't know. >> i thought the fiekre cass was making a comeback? >> no, dead as a door nail. he has a lot of tips. if you want to follow this knew true. >> let's get a check of the >> go with a kk tuss. >> today we are looking at sunshine up and down the east coast, lake-effect snow. look for high surf warnings along the southern california coast. reco highs in t pacific northwest. turning milder through the plains as the warm air makes its way frohe pacific northwest. wet weather getting itselfge er, great lakes into the

mid mississippi river valley. drying out through florida. here is what's happening in your neck of the good morning everybody. bright sunshine. i'm storm team 4 meteorologist chuck bell. it will be a pleasant day once we get rid of the morning chill. afternoon highs today wil just above the 50-degree mark. it will be sunny day tomorrow, not quite a cold in the morning or as chilly in the afternoon. mid 50s for tomorrow after rain thursday and early friday, the weekend looks dry. >> that is your latest weather. you can always take us with you. after the "today" show is over, why not tune in to "today" show radio onir ss xm channel 108. want to get everybody in. there you go t ba you guys. the roker run. al, thank you. straigh t ahead,s guy, this inspiring 8-year-old chess

master in the making. he's over come a lot to be a champion. going to show me some of your go-to moves, share some of your secrets? we'll work on it. >> that's not real. >> just doing that for tv. got it.

we are back no w, 8:38 we are back with the chess champion making headlines. >> that's right. 8 years old, tani adewumi is well on his way towards mastering chess. that is an impressive feet. even more remarkable when y hear his story. >> he's a chess champion capturing . tami adewumi beat out 73 other children t win the new york or nderrthrou t ptgre fe.mp hanot ohinly dioid hens win, he undefeated. an unlikely outcome since he learned the game just a year ago. getting here wasn't easy.

the third grader, his older brother and parents had been living in aew york city homeless shelter since fleeing nigeria t yearsago. the family is seeking religious asylum. tani enrolled in the local elementary school where chess coaches taughtim how to play. the young refugee's story has gone viral. cos ski set up a gofundme page. within three days, thousands of strangers donated over $100,000. they head into an apartment today. >> so proud of him. >> the family overwhelmed, thankful and t ready forir next move. we're so happy to hav tani with us along with coach russell and coach sean. thank you so much. tani, this must be so overwhelming. how did you feel when you won that championship? >> i felt surprised.

>> did you? couldn't believe you were that good that fast? >> when did you learn how to play omess? is ithing you played before? no a little bit over a year ago. >> why did y start? how did you get into it? >> i got into it when my brother, he started teaching me chess, but he didn't teach me the right rule until coach sean came t andn he taught me the right rules. >> what do your coaches mean to you? >> they mean a lot. they're really supportive. >> when you meet a young boy like this and he's never taken chess for real, how did you go about teaching him? did he i just pick up like that? >> every kid deserves t opportunity to learn chess and tani was no different.

he wanted to play and we wanted to have him. his acceration, his progress, his interest and enthusiasm took him from first learning how to move the pieces, he was competitive very quickly. it was something he did. we didn't give him extra opportunity. it was all him. >> coach sean, when did you know this is potentially prod gentlemen, someone who really has a gift. >> i started seeing him performing at tournaments really well and consistently. that's part of being a really good competitor, being consistent with it. athe just showed a lot ofal talent, especially at the state championships, in his fourth roundho he sacrificed the b which in my opinion was a master level idea. >> for a pawn? >> for apawn, yeah. he really impressed me. i had to plug it into computer because i wanted to make sure she was completely accurate. he went -- if you go plus, whi is better.

if you go negative, black is better. he went plus 80 at that point. i wamind-blown. >> does that mean -- >> it was a great >> can you show us one of your good -- how would you start a match? what would be yourirstmove? >> don't give away all your secrets.'m >> ifhite or black? >> white since you're on that side. >> is it always the same first move? >> no. >> you see h he answered that? >> done. >>heck mate. >> carson wants to know, does this help youith fortnite? >> are you good at other games like checkers or monopoly. >> check mate. >> check mate?

it's over. >> on the second move? you're impressive. >> another part of this story. tani and hisil famy moved here from nigeria fleeing terror group boka haram. while he's excelling at chess, they're living in a homeless oushelter. when found out their backstory, what did you think? doesimt this make even more extraordinary? >> when he won the championship and went back to the early communication between her and them reference of her being in a homeless shelter, many anudents, the fact that it might have slipped my mind at that point. when i followed up and she confirmed that she was still there, broke my heart. not on our watch, not in this n community, not this city. it's not happening. >> they happen to be in our studio, mom and dad, your brother is there. u must be so proud of your son? is this genetic? are you guys gat at chess,

too? >> my brother is also good. >> there's good news. a gofundme page was set up and i believe a generous donorco has forward and said there's an apartment that the family can use. >> i'd like to say to everybo thank you. people are kind and people are good. i've been in the forefront. love is deep, love is real. tani is moving into a home after we leave here, getting his bags and moving into home. no longer homeless and has a home. thank thyou. k you. >> thank you, honey. we love you. we're happy you're here. >> you got a big trophy, right? >> yeah. >> how big is it? >> half of my size. >> how far can he go in chesoe what the future hold? >> right now he's rated at about 1500 which is above average for his age pretty much. he he gains another 500 points

he could be next youngest expert. the way he's moving right now and the acceleration he's ing, i think he can shoot for the stars. >> this sounds like a story we should watch and have you back. thank you to both of y coaches for what you're doing on the board and off the board of yourse. >> precool. thanks, guys. >> congratulations. much more ahead this morning including creative new approaches to spring cleaning. but first this is "today" on nbc. >> ♪ldirator fi a wnd find something you love today. unique selection. unbelievable prices. homegoods. go finding.

we're we're o kicking a special series "spring clean today." all week we'll help you spruce up your home and your life. we have called in the best of the best to get us arted. the home edit. joanna and c lnchtea have worke with celebrities. no big deal.

they're herwith organizing hacks from their new book called "the home edit." we are super fans o you here. >> likewise. >> you've already cleaned up hoda's act and you're going to visit my house, too. let's start with the entryway. it's always a mess. i never think about cleaning it up. it doesn't have to a mess. here is the trick. first we like to start with a bench. it's like a silent invitation for people to take your shoes off or if you're likeus, you're like, take your shoes off. >> most people have an empty wall when you walk in. >> you get this cubby really speaks to me. >> it really helps, too. >> if you have a flat top surface this is for mail, keys, whatnot. below it a great option for storage. >> come see this.

very organized in there. this is a little grabu and go n go with your sunglasses, sunscreen, right before you walk out the otor. r option is to have an activities bin. here is b myeball mitt. here it is. >> shoes go on the bottom. >> let's go to bathroom. i can't wait to see what you do with the bathroom. >> it's the way you start your f day. ou have a medicine cabinet, you know it's like prime real estate. a few ways to organize it. >> oh, this makes me happy. >> we like to do itay byme and nighttime routines, but you can also do it by >> where do you get these cutel ls? >> we did them by hand. but y get t containers at the container store. if you're short on space, you can use these cute stackable acrylic drawers. >> i read some bf yourk and categories are huge in your

world. >> we love categories. put the prettiest ones on top because that's what you're going to see. this is our favorite, the daily drawer. >> what is the daily drawer? >> your bathroomt great hits. >> the things you use every skinni single day. have a special trick for the daily drawer. everyone asks us how do i keep these from rattling around. you stick a little piece at the bottom and then nothing moves around. >> magic. >> i know you love a lazy susan. >> this is perfect for underhr your bm sink, for hair products. >> you can use it throughout the whole place, anyplace. >> if you opened my refrigerator right now,ou things come

flying at you. >> i want you to see how aau ful fridge can look. >> wow. >> most people think an organized fridge is impossible. you'll notice at first are labels. we love fridge labels so much, we included them in our book. >> you mean stickers? >> yes. >> t stickers are really helpful. it keeps everything organized and designates a spot. >> if you start top to bottom, beverages on top, obviously a spot for leftovers, we don't cook. you see what you have and end up eating ihealthier. s incredible. it makes me happy. i follow you on instagram to see how normal people live. i love it. thank you so much. >> tha >> we'll have a lot more with the home edit girls in the

coming weeks including the transformation of hoda's closet. you know that was not easy. >> you'll do my play area next. you can find the book and organize the essentials at today.com/shop. carson, over to you. >> hoda, i heard they used a chainsaw for your closet. coming up, what you need to know about the new feature that instagram is launchi this morning that could change the way youshop. first this is "today" on nbc.

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bring your challenges. we're back with something we're back with something new from instagram. ko . ut check out while you scroll. here is nbc's morgan radford. >> it's a retailon revolu today instagram launching its latest feature, checkout, hoping to change wt and how we buy. >> you're just going to be able instantly. check out the path from being inspired to

actually owning the item will be than everialia antow >> p roctnteer singep withorhers like adidas, zara and color pomp, registering a debit or credit card to your profile. >> younger consumers have beent ained by these companies to expect incredible convenience. if instagram is a feel-good social media experience becomes a place that's only about selling you stuff, peoplet may notick around. >> right now there are roughly 80 million millennials in the united states. ach year they spend about $600 billion. by next year, some experts estimate they'll represent 30% of total retail sales. that's a whopping $1.4 trillion annually. >> this has the potential to be big money, right? for instagram and other people in businesses who follow you lead. >> i think this is huge potential for businesses especially, for the brands on

instagram. >> which is why some brands are merging technology and fashi to sho how their products will look on a prospective buyer, as companies like boxed and brandless are sending food and home goods straight to your doors, no stores, no in-person shopping. >> you can get in front of people you know will be interested in your product. third hour straight ahead. >> plus c andyen is going to be here. pour the drinks. s8:56 your time now on this tuesday,arch 19, 2019. good morning everyone. i'm eun yang let's get right to melissa mollet for a look at your unmmute. >> laurel south 95 after 216, a crash with theight lane blocked. northbound and sound southbound you can see on bw parkway, still slow near 197 both directions

because of an earlier issue. fairfax northund lee highway before fairfax county parkway, crash with all northbound lanes blocked. the belted way looking a bit >> melissa, thank you. we'll take a break and check your forecast when we come back. stay with us. we're going to comcast. it's ahead of the game, ahead of the curve. it's going to add to the productivity of our business. it's switch and save days at comcast business. right now, get fast, reliable internet for $49.95 a month and save $600 a year. just one more way we take your business beyond. but hurry, switch and save days ends april 7th. internet that's reliable. internet that's fast. that's super important. i just want to get it right now. call today. comcast business. beyond fast.

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sunshine, still plenty of chill. temperatures right around the freezing mark. 32 in manassas and leesburg, 42 in washington. highs today in the low 50s, about 52 for a high in the city, 55 tomorrow. rain likely on your thursda and a gusty northwest wind on your friday. we'll watch how we may have to put a rain chance into your friday. the weekend will be dry. > chuck, thank you. get the latest news and weather any time in the nbc washington app. have a great day.

fr >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" live from studio 1an rockefeller plaza. and a good tuesday morning, welcome, everyone. craig melvinon here ide mr. roker back from alabama. >> welcome back. >> good work downhethere, by way. >> thank you, thank you. >> sheinelle jones,er dylan dr >> you're back too. down torday i shot south carolina really quickly. >> special sm. >> yeah, yeah, a lot of folks racing to finish thoses brack in time. >> done? >> done, done. >> march madness, by the way, those games tip off later today before t real flurry starts on thursday. >> it's always fun. >> i wan to start by apologizing to kansas fans.

>> whoop wh