. g morning. chicago shocker. questions mounting this morning after all charges arepe suddenl d against just see smo let, accused of staging his own hate crime. >> i've been truthful and consistent on every level since day one. prosecutors standing by their case saying is not innocent. top chicago officials confused and up in arms. >> this is without a doubt a whitewash of justice. >> do i think justice w served no. >> could smol let still face federal charges. the battle over health ca has the justice department

pushing a judge t toss out baemcare entirely. grilled onapitol hill. education secretary betsy devos slammed over hero proposal eliminate all federal funding for the special olympics. >> why you would go after disabled children in your budget. you zero that out. it's appalling. >> the high-stakes showdown fore congress that turned veryon persal. those stories plus boeing's new problem, a 737 jet making an emergency landing. barbara bush unfiltered. the new insider account that claimshe former first lady blames trump for tack her l hineaert them the powerball jackpot hits $750 million. today march 27th, 2019.

>> announcer: from nbc news this is "today" with savannah guthe and hoda kotb live from studio 1a infe rocer plaza. good morning and welcome to today. we have craig here.n hoda out assignment. that news from chicago was ar. stun >> a story that captivated this country for weeks now. no one seeming to understand what happened. >> a combination of outrage, confusion and a lot of unanswered questions this morning, surrounding theove to suddenly drop the criminalase entirely against "empire" star just s jussie smollet. >> his case wiped clean. he won't face any cal charges after he was just indicted on 1o es. plus say they have a mountain of evidence. while the actor walksway clean. prosecutors, the very ones that

let him go say his claims of being a hate crime victim are bogus. nawalking out court no longer facing crimil charges, jussie smollett maintaining his innocence. while cook county dropped the 16 felony counts of lying to police, they say the "empire" actorot has been exonerated. >> he's not a victim of a hate crime. >> reporter: it comes after cook countyrs prosecugree to a deal, charges dropped in exchange for two days of communityervice and $10,000 in court costs. the prosecutor calling the controversial move standard procedure. >> it's not something that is unique. it's not the first time this has happened. >> this has been an incredibly difficult time, lon evidently one of the worst of my life. >> reporter: while the prosecutor sayse stands b the police investigation and calls her case chicago, o'chic top

fp says he was blind-sided. >> if someonesely accused me, i would never hide behind a ndokered deal secrecy. >> reporter: chicago's mayor actor was sure to be k reeb convict convicted. >> this is without a doubt a whitewash ofdsustice and s a clear message that if you're in a positionf influence and power you'll get treated one way. other people will be treated another way. wa >> reporter: i just three weeks ago smollett was indicted by a grand jury after saying he was beaten on s theeet by twos magga country, poured a chemical on him and left a noose around his neck. police say he hired these two brothers to stage the attack. >> we have nothing to say to the police department except to investigate charges and notasry theires in the press, but to allow matters to be

investigated. >> reporter: with the case now sealed, the public may never see the evidence gathered by investigators after this last month. smollett left court monday, stopping to take a selfie with a fan. >> i'd lik nothingore than just to get back to work and move on with my life. >> is there noecency in this man. this is a person now let off scot-free with no sense of accountability of the moral and ethical wrong of his actions. >> this is no doubt a major victory for jussie smollett. he could face a federal charge of mai fraud after police say he mailed himself a fake death threat. back to you. >> lots to unpack here. i thi we need a lawyer. i think we've got one. nbc legal analyst ari melber trying to help make sense of all

this. we go from 16 felonies to zero. so muchbout this case just doesn't smell right. what happened yesterday? >> ink the plot twist in season two here is none of this makes any sense. i think there's going to be a lot moreutiny as we saw from a very unusual press conference there by the police and mayor. the restf the lawmaker system of chicago. this looks like something went sideways. we don't know why. did thenderlying evidenc go sideways or is this special treatment for a celebrity. >> that's what'so weird, first of all, the fact that theay blin y the decision to drop all charges.el as you wl know, sometimes plea deals areso reached. times somebody doesn't plead to all 16 counts, they plead the one and there's some kind of arrangement. here is the situation where there's no deal like that.s prosecutismiss all charges but then say their case was

solid and they on't believe he was innocent. itakes no sense. >> somebody is covering for something. as you say, savannah, in a traditional deal where you say andthing is non-violent someone will take responsibility and you have toelt agreement, that can ppen. is isn't that because jussie smollett's lawyers are claiming total vindication which is at odds with the arrangement that was apparently just reached. >> the prosecutor willsay, and it's true, you can do sometimes a pretrial defensive version program and not be charged. he's saying that happens every day of the week, there's nothing funny about this situation. >> what doesn't happen every day of the week is a national campaign, according to the evidence and the other witnesses, to fake aate crime to inflate one's own career. this was a serious casee given resources, the nature of the deceit and given how long it. we i don't think this is a natural disposition, which doesn't tell you whether or not after a fuller cause, a fullertr l, there would necessarily be jail

time. this looks really, really suspicious. ultimately there may be an investigation after the investigation. >> how common is it in the case d so this to seal the rec the public never findsedut what happ why? >> for example, when police and prosecutors say we're not going to take this to trial, so you're not going to have that public process if you take responsibility, we'reoing you asolid. >> did he take responsibility? th>> he did not. much we know. that's why they're at odds. it looks like there was some effort where, okay, people want this to aoy and the mayor and the police were not in agreement. whoand it to go away? it was a big strong case with eyewitness testimony and a motive. >> and text messages and chrveillance video. >> thank you very ari. in washington new battles erupting between the trump administration and democrats in the wake of the mueller rt.

health care and cuts to special olympics. we'll start with hallie jackson at the white house for us. reporter: good morning to you. this morning democrats seem very red difficult to turn t conversation from robert mueller's report to health care in this pivot to policy, focusing intsely now on something that affects tens of millions of americans and something they see politically as a winning issue against president ctrump. heale back in the headlines this morning after thi trump administ asked the courts to scrap the entire affordable care act, not just arts of the ls they've been arguing before. if that happens, more than 28 million people could lose health insurance. >> the gop will never stop trying to afford the affordable health care ofamerica's families. >> reporter: a popular provision guaranties that people with pre-existing conditions are protected. even some republicans acknowledge there's no clear

alternative if the law goes . aw >> many republicans didn't have a good answer to how you're going to deal with the very real problem of people withis pre-ng health problems. >> reporter: the president promising the gop will be the party of health care. >> if that is true, god help middle class americans. >> reporter: it's an issuehat helped propel democrats to control of the house in november. republican whip steve scalise. >> democrats see this as a winning issue and pointo the midterms as proof of that. aren't they right? >> democrats und nancy pelosi want government control. >> reporter: democrats making the pivot t policy after the attorney general's summary of robert mueller's report found no the trumpbetween administration and russia. >> the mueller report was great. it could not have bn better. >> reporter: according to a justice department official, it will now be a matter of weeks, not nths, for attorney general william barr to shar mueller's report victory. a confident chandler in chief

down plays impeachment. >> i don't think they're talking about hmpeachment. e the greatest economy we've ever had. >> reporter: some are talking impeachment, asking for backup to investigate potential impeachableof nses. house leaders dismiss it. >> we didn't win the house of representatives on impeachment. we're not focused on impeachmtet. >> repor thwe've reached out to both agencies but have not heard back. a spokesperson tells politico he fully supports the administration's litigation position in the eaca chich bears his name. this is certainly a legal fight to wah. programming note tonight on nightly news, lester holt with

have anh interview w james comey. now to t citol hill grilling education secretary betsy devos faced over her department's budget costs, including a call to slash all federal funding from the special olympics. kristin welker joins us with that story. >> reporter: the special olympics is the world's largest sports organization for people with disabilities. now the education secretary is under fire for aiming to slashi fu in an exchange that's now gone viral. betsy devos in the hot seat after getting grilled by lawmers for proposing to cut funding for special ol'tpics. >> i c understand why you would go after disabled children in your budget. you zero it rout. orter: a wealthy former republican committee chairwoman called before a democratic-led panel to go over the president's ending prioritiless

wisconsin mark kopan asking how many children would be affected. >> we had to make some difficult decisions with this budget. >> this is a question. how many kids. >> i don't know the number of kids. it's 272,000 kids. i'll answer it for you. 272,000 kids. >> i think special olympics is an awesome organization, one th is well supported by the fill tlop ib sector as well. >> the conversation growing more intense. i have two nephews with autism. what is it that we have a problem with with cldren who are in special education? why are we cutting all theseog ms over and over within this budget? >> sir, we have continued to retain the fundi f levels i.d.e.a. and held that level. >> i don't think i brought up i.d.e.a.

i woke up special, olympi special education grants for the state, the national institute for the blind. >> i will address the question i asked. >> answer the question i asked. >> supporting students with special needs, we've continued toold the funding at a level amount and in the context of a budget proposal that is a 10% reduction -- >> te exchaoing viral. this tweet from 2017 resurfacing, devos saying it was great spending time with special olympic athletes. this isn't the first time devos has been in the spotlight, the billionaire philanthropist sparked controversy by saying that guns may have a p ce in some schools due to the threat from grizzly bears. did reach out to the education department as well as olympics.l so far, no response. >> kristen welker at the white house, thank unu. hdreds of airline

exec pives andilots are arriving in seattle to see firsthand thergentoftware fix for boeing's 737 max planesj it cust one day after an emergency landing solving one of the planes. tom costello is in position at boeing headquarters for us. >> reporter: the timing couldno have been worse. on the very day that all of pilotsairline execs and exec ane coming to seattle, an emergencyng in orlando. today they'll be talking to the department ofransportation and the faa, putting them on the hot seat about certifying the73 max and faa oversight. two weeks after the 737 max w grounded worldwide, an ergency landing in orlando tuesday. >> we just lost our riggi en. need to clear emergency. >> reporter: a southwest

airlines max 8 flying with two pilots and nrs passen, forced becausen to the airport of an engine problem. the pla f wasing legally to a maintenance base in california. importantl i the enginessue is not related to the software issue suspected of bringing down a plane in indonesia last october and possibly an ethiopian jetliner two weeks o. together those crashes killed 346 people. this morning 200 airline execs, pilots and regulators will get a firsthand briefing from boeing on the urgent software fix to the system called mc. boeing proposed a preliminary upgrade on january 21st, but it wasn't finalized andd appro two months later. in a statement the company says boeing has been continuously requiring the required documentation to show compliance to faa regulations with the final submission expected at the end of this week. >> boeing is making a very

conscientious effort to impeve th transparency of the process. >> reporter: boeing pilotsbe ha test flying the max with the new software and letting airlineilots fly it in simulators. without enough simulators to retrainpilots, boeing wants to use an ipad program instead. a former ntsb chairman says that may not be good enough. >> i would want to train mew pilots to that new information, not actually have them read it, but have them hands on do it before they fly the plane again. >> reporter: congressill mand answers from transportation secretary elaine chao and the acting faa chief about h w the max originally certified for flying and the program congress itself approved that gives boeing the authority totify itself. >> these two accidts occurring within a five-month period of time has alarmedhe traveling public and alarm politicians and airworthiness authorities and it's causing them to prompt these intense investigations.

>> here in seattle, some of the boeing 737 maxes stacking up on the runway behind me because they're all grounded worldwide. this entire episode has wiped off $28 bilon in market value off of boeing. meanwhile, there's no evidence this plane is going to fly any time soon. >> tom costello in yoattle, than seems like this might be a nice time to check on the weather. for that we turn to mr. roker. our friends in the midwest can't catch a break. >> unfortunately. thank you forgetting your first weather from us. we've got temperatures that will be from five do 20rees above average today. as we move into the weekend, it's going to bewa er. from denver to minneapolis, temperatures upper 60s to mid 70s. that's anywhere from 15 to 20 degrees above average. of course, tou addse warm temperatures to already henier-than-usual snowpack the upper midwest. we would see six inches of snowmelt going into the missouri and mississippi rivers.

a one-two punch of another system, a front that stalls out d allows rounds of showers and thunderstorms tomorrow into friday. flash floodatches are likely. moisture moving east along the front. anywhere from two to three inches of rain causing river floodw be. we'll watching this closely over the next 72 hours. we'll get to your local forecast coming up in the next 30 seconds. good morning everybody. wednesday off to a beautiful star clear skies and pa nice golden

glow in our eastern sky as we're ten, 15 minutes pastsunrise. temperatures well below freezing in most of the western suburbs. degrees in manassas and warrenton, only 25 in montgomery county. your forecast for today, after a cold start, we'll end up with plenty of sunshine t afternoon. highs in the mid 50s. then milder weather returns for tomorrow and 70s friday and saturday. ght ahead, the new move by patriots owner robert kraft to fight the prostitution case against him and what the nfl's commissioner is now saying about all of . a new look at the life of barbara bush through her own words, including why she reportedly blamed president trump for her heart .attack first, this is "today" on nbc.

coming up on wednesday morning, the dramatic moment

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good morning everybody. it's 7:26 on this wednesday, march 27th. i' aaron gilchrist. >> i'm mol one person is dead and another injured after a late night crash in brandywine. this is chopper 4 video of the scene. the name of the driver who has killed has not been released. get ready to have to slow down in parts of mon omery county. the speed limit is about to drop on three stretches of georgia avenue that are known for deadln pedest crashes. you see locations on your screen. we also have them in the nbc washington app. let's turn to melissa mollet for a inner loop of the beltway at

braddock, earlier crash showing a lot of people slowing do. centreville northbound 29 after 66, crash in the two right lanes. eastbound toll road after wiehle, crash on the left side. all right, melissa. thank you. h we'le look at your crash right after this with this one little

nexgard chew comes the confidence you're doing what's right to protect your dog from fleas and ticks for a full month. it's the #1 vet recommended protection. and it's safe for puppies. nexgard. what one little chew can do. a. it' good looking day to be outside. temperatures are still below tfreezing for most of suburbs. you'll certainly need your extra layer of fleece to get youray going. shedable layers, though. plenty of nsne. nowhere as much of a breeze as yesterday. light wind out of the east today. afternoon highs will reach the mid 50s. opening day for the nationals tomorrow, perfect day for baseball. a little milder in the afternoon with highs in the low to mid 60s. in the 70s to finish out the week. about 73 degrees coming up on your friday.

all right, chuck. thank you. another local news update in about 25 minutes. >> for now back to the "today" show after this break.

we're ck, 7:30. do you feel, it craig? it's powerball fever. jackpot is at an eye popping -- i can't even say it. $750 million. >> if somne here win it, we'll have to do the show ourselves. half the flocrew, they're in. >> they're in. we have to get in the pool. then it will be an empty space. >>e hoda will here. let's start with the check of the headlines. more on jackpot in just a moment. there is growing backlash this morning after authorities decided to drop all chargesai t actor jussie smollett. prosecutors insisting the "empire" star faked the racist

attack on himself. 16 felony counts were dropped in exchange for two days of community service and $10,000 in court costs. chicago's mor rahm emanuel strongly condemning that decision. >> this is witho a doubt a whitewash of justice and sends a clear i message that you're in a position ofce influennd power, you'll get treated one way. other people will be treated another way. >> smollett could still face a federal charge of mail fraud after police say he mailed himself a fake death threat. a suburban new york county is taking unprecedented step to control a measles outbreak. a record 153 measles cases just in the last six months. now thaw ear banning unvaccinated children under 18 from all public indoor places including stores, restaurants and schools. that ban is going to last 30 days or until the children eeceive the mmr vaccine. the outbreak has concentrated in jewish orthodox

communities where some have religious objections to the vaccine. big news froms the nfl t morning. on tuesday team owners approved an expansion of the league's replay review system to include pass interferencena ies, all stemming from the controversial non-call at the nfc championship. you remember that play. officials missing anbvious pass interference call in the fourth quarter in the rams 26-23 win over the saints. new orleans saints insisting it cost them a trip to the super bowl. now pass interfere wel be reviewable, both offensive and defensive. coaches will be able to challenge both calls and non-calls. sean payton reacting saying, i think we got it righ >> i thi that's the reason hoda is off, couldn't bear to watch it one more ertime. r kraft, the owner of

the new england patriots says he going to fight the charges and go to trial rather than take a plea deal. gabe gutierrez is at the palm beach county courthouse for us. good mornr:g. >> report appears robert kraft is not backing down. he was supposed to be arraign at this courthouse tomorrow. he's waived that hearing and his attorneys are asking for a jury trial. this as overnight the nfl commissioner spoke out about the scandal. this morning robert kraft is in phoenix for the nfl's annual meeting. commissioner roger goodell won't say whether the league will punish them. >> the personal conduct policy applies toeverybody, commissioners, owners, coaches,s, players, and it will be applied to everybody. but it will be done after we get all the facts. >> reporter: in florida kraft's attorneys are signaling the new england patriots owner is not interested in the plea deal palm beach county officialsm. offere

waiving his arraignment tomorrow and asking for a jury trial. the billionaire and two dozen other men have been charged witi solion of prostitution afteruthorities set up hidden cameras in this day spa as part of a t humanfficking investigation. >> the video that we obtained, it shows the acts that took place. >> reporter: over the weekend kraft responding personally for the first time since being charged, publiclylo azing in a written statement but not admitting any wrongdoing. i a truly sorry, he wrote. i know i've heard and disappointed my family, close friends, fco-workers, ourans and many others who rightfully hold me to a higher standard. a spokesperson previously kraft did anything illegal. prosecutors offered 77-year-old and other suspects a plea deal. but so far kraft isn't taking it and instead will have his day court. >> gabe, depending on what happens here, whether he goes to

trial, whether he'svi ced or not, does that at all implicate what the nfl can do? can they punish him or censure him either way? >> reporter: the nfl could still punish him if they rule he did violatehe nfl public policy. he's due back april 9thif. convicted, he faces up to a year in jail. >> gabe, thank you. in addition to hosting the show, you're our legal analyst. it goes to trial, will we see the video? >> i think you could, unless the defense lawyers could get the video thrownut on legal basis. if it went to trial, yeah, the video would be a matter of public record. >> we turnr now to mr. rokefor a check of the forecast. >> thanks for that. messer't kill the >> seems a long way from deflate-gate. a low pressure system pusng in

from the west. it's going to bring rain and snow, nthern california int parts of the pacific northwest. this is just going to be a te slow-moving s as it drifts do the east. rain and heavy snow throughout the sierra. we're looking at this lasting i righo friday, generally one to two inches. there could be rainfall, hourly rates at .75 inch which could cause flash flooding. snowfall in the sierra, looking at nine to 18 inches of snow and there are winter srnrm gs. that's what's going on around the country. here is what's happening in your neck t of woods. good morning everybody. it's a bright and sunny start. plenty chilly this morning. mid 30s around town. most of the suburbs inhe mid to upper 20s. you'll certainly need your warm coat this morning. good news is, it will be a litt less of a breeze to contend with. plenty of sunshine.to y's high 55 degrees. milder day comes our way, opening day tomorrow. perfect wea for baseball. ros on friday and saturday.

chilly rai for your sunday. a chilly start to next week. >> just going to say it. i like when you talk legal. >> i'm just going to say i love your glasses. >> thank you. >> and i would like to steal them. >> coming up, we'll talk more about those glasses, also, one of the world's highest paidhl atetes reportedly under investigation after being accused of sexual assault. we'll have the latest in a live we'll hear from the family of an s army staffgeant who died in iraq as they prepare to accept the highest military honor on his behalf. >> jackpot now worth an eye popping $750 million. >> new book revealing barbara bu's dislike of president trump and her dismissal of the republican party. first these messages. walk it off look. one more mile look. reply all look.

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♪ thi this morning on "in-depth today," a former firad unfiltered. >> barbara bush known to be outspoken. now there's a newook filled with more of her candid thoughts that are nowust coming to light. details.tchell has the >> a new biography entitled "tha matriarc offering rare insights into the wife of the 41st president and the mothe of the 43rd,ng remindi us she was never afraid to speak her mind. this morning the former first lady in the last months of life revealing to her biographer, "usa today's" susan paige, her strong dislikeor donald trump. mrs. bush suffering from congestive heart disease blamed

trump for what he called a heart attack after comments like this about her son jeb. >> this guy is 1% in nevada. why doesn't he just give up, go home t mom. >> reporter: candidate trump famously mocking jeb bush and belittling him in the primarie >> bush, this guy bush, he's low energy. >> reporter: mrs bush said she was originally hesitant for jeb tonter the 2016 race,sh feelings e shared on "today" in 2013. people out other there very qualified and we've had enough bushes. >> reporter: she said she was so alarmed by trump but eventually agreed jeb should run and campaigned for him in new hampshire. >> he's decent and honest. he's everything we need in a president. >> reporter: according to the book, her dlike for trump went back decades. in her diaries from the 1990s which she made available for the book, bush t describesmp as greedy, selfish and ugly. by 2016 theookeveals mrs.

bush was, quote, dismayed by the nation's divisions and bydihe ction of the party she worked for and for so long, n telling paige one interview, i don't understand why people are for him and in another, she expressed astonishment that womenould support him. mrs. bush confiding to paige she no longer considered herself a fapublican. in, when the bushes went to wrote that november, she wte in her son jeb's name and her husband voted for hillary clinton, the firstime inis life he voted for a democrat. despite mrs. bush's harsh feelings for donald trump, she wrote melania trump, welcoming her to f thest ladies very exclusive club. in fact, mrs. bush had eve earlier written a congratulatory letter to bill clinton and jokingly, welcome to the first ladies club. she never mailed that. mr bush nev got over her distaste for president trump.

a friend even ge her a trump u countdown clock marking the days remainin in his term, a clock she kept at her bedside until the day she died. >> andrea mitchell, thank you. a lhe of boms in that book. a lot more ahead this morning for us including our odds ofin winn tonight's historic powerball drawing and its $750 million jackpot. first, these messages. seresto, seresto, seresto. jake... seresto, seresto, seresto. whatever your dog brings home to you, it shouldn't be fleas and ticks. seresto gives your dog 8 continuous months of flea and tick protection in an easy-to-use, non-greasy collar. seresto, seresto, seresto. ohh no, jake. seresto. 8-month. seresto, seresto, seresto. (woman)f(man) should we do with? road trip.

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john got dressed for his first first date in what feels like a really long time. john! hi! >>hi. sasha got dressed to crush her job interview. it looks good! and millions of other americans got dressed for millions of other personal moments. that's why at stitch fix we don't just see your size or your style. sasha greene? we see you. we're back, carson we're back, carson daly joining the table. the latest case of lottery fever sweeping the nation. >>bsurdly high, $750 million.

gadi schwartz is one of those hoping to get rich later today. good luck. >> good morning from liberty bagel here. $750 million. that's the re hon. it is ae jackpot. the chances of somebody winning tonight, i hate to tell you, are not very great. 292 mlion to e. it's likely we'll see that lottery grow possibly into the llions of dollars. that's what we've seen in the past. thank you so much. we're going to be filling this out here. another thing to consider, if you're wondering what the lump summon50 million looks like, it looks like $465 million. the dollar of today is probably going to be a lot stronger than the dollar of the future. of course, the most important, most fiscally responsible

question to ask before you buy one of these lottery tickets, what are you going to win if you win t >> i'm a simple guy. i want an island in the bahama possibly a helicopter, maybe a submarine. need help where some of these numbers. if you have any numbers, what do you think? >> roker, hre old you? >> 64. >> so a 364, -- >> we're doing ages? 25. >> i'll give you a ride in the submarine. >> goo luck, gadi. >> you don't think it's going to happen to you. in january there was a $425 million lotto ticket, powerball, sold five minutes down the road fr my hou in long island. >> it didn't happen to you. >> it didn't happen to me, but it's enough. >> real clos guys, just ahead this morning, a pair of classes

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7:56 is your time on this wednesday, march 27th. good morning to you. i'm molette green. let's get right to melissa nollet in first 4 traffic. >> two problems the beltway, inner loop after central avenue, here is why we're slow. inner loop, a crash blocking two left lanes. you can see majorslowdowns. outer loop at river road crash on the right side and gainesville northbound 29 at a crash blocking all northbound lanes. thanks so much. a check of your forecast coming up next. stay with us.

good morning. bright sunshine on a wednesday re. a nice warmup coming. we need it because it's a cold start to the day.f most the parts of northern virginia down below the freezing mark, 30 at dulles airport, 29 in fredricksburg. even ssurb maryland plenty cold into the mid and upper 20s. but afternoon high temps should reach 55 degrees. milder weather to finish the week and get the weekend started afore raindropsive on sunday and bring a chill back for early next week. >> thank you, chuck. another local news update in 25 minutes. ck to the "tod

da it's 8:00 o" coming up, smollett shocker, the bomb shell decisio by prosecutors to drop all charges against jussie smollett, blind siding clicago ce and city officials. >> this is aow person n who's been let off scot-free with no sense of accountability af the mora ethical wrong of his actions. this morning the decision under fire amid new calls for an investigation. plus, lucky to be alive,ar 3-ld boy nearly drowns in a hotel hot tub unnoticed until two employees sprin into action. >> i radioed to maintenance, i said get over to the hot tub. there's a little boy drowning. >> that baby is alive today because of her and the maintenance man.

>> police praising the heroes, the mother now facing charges. we're live with the latest. and reigng supreme, diana ross celebrates her 75th birthday with a star-studded celebration including ♪ happy birthday ms. ross >> an inside look at the party that will have youtopped in the name of love today wednesday, march 27, 2019. ♪ >> hi to our family in illinois. >> from colorado. >> my last official spring break because i'm retiring. >> family spring break from south carolina. >> from maryland celebrating 35 years of service to the community, today. >> shout-out to our students in

bloomington, illinois. >> hope you're having a great vacation. >> welcome back to "today."it wednesday morning. hoda is on assignment. we've got craig here and a grear d. >> how great are the shotouts.g we love seein those. we'd love for you to join inn the phone. record a quick video on your phone, use #my today plaza right there on your screen and we'll snag it off instagram or twitter and put you on tv. let's get right to the news 8:00. the curus case against jussie smollett. police still believe he lied about being the victim of a 9/11 hate crime. crosecutors say their case was solid. ational correspondent miguel almaguer joins us with the latest. g. good morn the decision came as a shock to police and chicago's mayor who cre notsulted beforehand and are outraged, a conviction they say was a slam dunk, now

the actor walks away without an si criminal charge walking out of court no longer facing criminal charges, jussie smollett claiming victory and maintaining his innocence. while cook county prosecutors dropped the 16 felony counts of lying to police, they say the "empire" actor has not been exonerated. >> he is not the vi hate crime. >> reporter: thede bombshell sion comes after cook county prosecutors agreed to a deal, charges dropped in exchange for o days o community service and $10,000 in court costs. >> this has been an incredibly difficult time, one of the worst of my entirelife. >> reporter: the prosecutor calling the controversial move standard procedure. chicago's top cop says he was blind-sid blind-sided. i someone falsely me, i would never hide behind a

brokered deal and secrecy. >> reporter: chicago's mayor saying the actor was sure to be convicted. >> this is without a doubt a whitewash of justice and sends a clear message that if you're in a positionf influence and power, you get treated one way. other people treated another way. >> reporter:t was just three weeks ago smollett was indicted by a grandury after the actor told police he was beaten on this street by two masked men who yelled this is maga country and left a noose around his neck. policeet say smo hired these two brothers to stage the attack and looking to cash in on the publicity. >> we have nothing to sayhe to police department except to investigate charges and not try their cases in the press. >> roworter: with the case n seeed, the public may never the evidence gathered by investigators after this perp walked last month, smollett left

court stopping to take a with a fan. >> i'd like nothing more than to get back to work and move on with mylife. >> is tre no decency in this man. th is person let off scotree with no sense of accountability of the moral and ethical wrong of his actions. >> make no mistake. this was huge win for jussie smollett. he's not out of the woods yet. the feds are investigatingaihe claim hed himself a fake death threat. if convicted, he could still face afelony. congress gearing up over a major battle over theffordable care act. democrats unv led a bill yesterday designed to improve the law. at bill seeks to lower insurance premiums and bolster protections for peopleith pre-existing conditions. the issue took on new urgency monday when the trump administration asked the courts to eliminate obamacare entirely. if that happens, moremi than 28

ion people would lose their benefits. betsy devos came under fire while defending proposed funding cuts for the special olympics. the trump admintration wants cut $18 million in federal money for the program. one dsocrat said it appalling to go after disabled children in the budget. devo responded that the special olympics is an awesome organizapoon but well sed by private philanthropy. new trouble for ufc car conor mcgregor, hours after announcing his retirement cam t wot he's reportedly under investigation for sexual assaul nbc global correspondent bill neely joins us with the latest on this stor goodmorning. >> good morning, craig. he earned $99 million lastear according to forbes, making him one of the world's highest earning sports stars. now he's eitting. it c as a surprise, though it's not the first time he's nounced his retirement. it comes after reports of a cal

investigation into him at home in ireland. liss fists have madeim a fortun conor gregor, brutal inside the ring, brash outside it and it seems never far from trouble. arrested this month for smashing a fan's phone in miami. but now he says he's givin up fighting or at least the mixed martial arts wevariety, teting hey, guys, quick announcement. i've decided to retire from the sport. wish all o my colleagues well. his announcement came hours after appearing o "the tonight show" with jimmy fallon, hinting at a possibl fight in july. >> to my fans, i am in shape and i'm ready.nd >> reporter: outlining his values growing up in ireland. >> where i learned the values of hard work, where i learned loyalty, where i learned how to fight. >> reporter: with his trade and s temper cametrouble. he attacked a bus carrying fellow fighters in nework last

year. and now "the new york times" is reporting that mcgregor is under investigation over an allegation of sexual assault in ireland. his spokeswoman saying this story has been circulating f some time and it's unclear why it is being reported now. the assumptio that the conor retirement announcement today is related to this rumor is absolutely false. irish police have neither named nor charged mcgregor. they say investigationsre on going into the case, but the file hasn't yet been rwarded for decision on prosecution. as for mcgregor retiring, we've been here before. he did it threego years and then changed his mind. >> i came back for the love of fighting. >> reporter: he lost that last fight, a match that famously ended with aild brawl and his si month suspension from the sport. his global fans now u ture

whethey've really seen the last of the man who calls himself notorious. >> what do we think here, bill? is mcgregor serious about retiring this timeor, a some critics have suggested, is it all another publicity stunt? >> craig, how cynical. how could you suggest -- i think you're absolutely right. look, many of his fs don't believe this either and his last retirement lasted just a few days, it was a ruse to give himself a better deal. his spokeswoman is hinting heht might fgain if he's shown more respect. i don't think we've heard the last from him at all. >> i think you're probably right. chief global correondent bill neely. dramatic video from florida, four cousinsnarom ind were filling up at a gas station near mi a man from another car runs over and points a gun at them. lice say he demanded money and other the cousins, they were no easy

marks. they pushed back, wrapped their arms around the gunman. that's when the alleged getaway driver jumps ain. policerrested the driver a short while late hoda is on assignment. this is usually when we do the boost. we'll give it a shot here. reminder this morning a little help can go a long way. jacob sanders lriving ining when he sees a blind man wandering between cars. jacob stops his car to help. but before he could, a woman got out of her car and escorted the blind man sely across the street. wcob whose brother is blind said the scene so touching, that he recorded it and shared it online to inspire .othe mission accomplished. hotel workers hailed as

heroes for saving a drowning toddler. the mother under arrest this morning. > kobe bryant answering the nba's g.o.a.t. question. who is the greatest player of all time? first, these messages. don't worry, state farm's got you covered. [helium voice] ahhh, that's great to hear...robyn? what's going on? are you sure you're okay? yeah, yeah, i think so. ahhhh... ahhhhhh... we're gonna get you a tow truck, mike. thank you. real fender bender going on. fender bender. ♪ fender bender everybody remain calm! there's no reason to panic! go with the one that's here to help life go right. state farm. [zara larsson - "wow"] ♪ ♪ 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 ♪

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happen one morning and one cup at a time. ♪ ♪ we'reback. it's wednesday morning. rescue t a dramatic ught on camera. >> a toddler playing in a hot tub slipped beneath the water.mo an radford is here with more. >> it was aom dramatict all caught on camera. that boy is waking up in the hospital this morning after a swim with his twin brother went terribly, terribly wrong. but thanks to one good watchful samaritan who saw it all unlding, that little boy is alive and his mother is behind bars. >> reporter: this morning a young boy is lucky to be alive and hhe m is in trouble with the law after the toddler nearly drowned in hotel hot tub. >> it was pretty obvious she was highntoxicated and she wasn't watching and o of the

children slipped right into the t tub and went under immediately. >> it happened sunday night at e perry's ocee resort in daytona beach. while their father was packing up thely fa belongings, surveillance footages shows the couple's 3-year-old twin boys entering the hot tub, one with arm floats,he other without. the one without the safety device slipped under the water. l this is a 3-year-old child who can'tk after themselves. this is a parent withtwins. someone should have been watching that child at all times. >> th pkfully, oneerson was watching, desk clerk wanda was monitoring the hotel security camera. >> i radioed to maintenance. i said get over to the hot tub, there's a little boy drowning. >> reporter: hen the maintenance man got to the boy, the child had been under for two minutes. he immediately started cpr. >> we got him breathing but barry.he >> reporter: mother, 36-year-old april connelly was sitting at a table.

>> i was definitely watching my son. i turne around for two seconds. i have twins. >> reporter: connelly admitted she was under the influence of alcohol, marijuana and prescription drugs. she's now facing a charge of felony child neglect and destruction of evidence. police are callingotel wctkers who tookn heroes. >> he's alive today because of thm fort. >> i was watching. i could see that little boy today, he'slways going to be in my mind and my heart. >> that little boy's mother made her first appearance in court on tuesday where a judge agreed to releer under pretrial supervision with several conditions, including no unsupervised contact with her 3-ildren. thear-old is in stable condition and expected to be released from the hospital today. >> thank goodness for the hotel worker watching the surveillance. >> she said the second she saw his head go down, she knew immediately something was wrong. >> morgan radford, thank you.

>> we'll switch gears and go ta forecast. good mornin you're wearing my glasses. >> seem to be communies gla now. looking at wet weather in northern and central florida. wet weather making its way into the pacific northwest and parts of northern california. we've got rainfall forecatt throughday for the missouri and mississippi rivers. you can see from one to three inches of rain, isolated some four-inch amounts may fall we'll be watching that for the river cresting. chill in, a morning the northeast, high surf advisories along the eastern florida coast. idwest warmth building in. ernorthwest. gorgeous weathnt from texas the southwest. that's what's going on around the country. here is what's happening in your neck of the woods. it is going to be a bright and sunny day here in washington from start to finish. but it's a chilly start for sure. 27 in montgomery county, 27 in manassasin vi, 38 in washington.

high today 55 degrees. it will be sunny all day long today with a light east wind. for omorrow, opening day the nats, perfect weather for first pitch temperatures in the upper 50s. highs in the low to mid 60s. and then we've got a couple of days in the 70s to finish the week. >> that's your latest weather. craig. >> mr. roker, thank you. it is st"pt" time. >> it is. we'll cover the phenomenon that is alglroker's s, saving the best for last. diana ross celebrating her 75th birthday last night. many stars were in attendutce. check o who had the honor of singing happybirthday. ♪ happy birthday to you ♪ happy birthday to you pyhappy birthday ms. ross

♪ hap birthday to you >> wow. >> beyonce not the only one who sang during thenight. diana ross taking the stage to perform some of her classic hits front of all of her guests. then stevie wonder joined her on stage. celebration came on the day the state of california declare march 26th diana ross day. john legend yesterdayhared a photo of him and luna on the daddy-daughter date. notice the print on his shirt where this might be headed. >> baby shark. >> luna, do you know what's on my shirt? >> yeah. >> wha is it? >> daddy shark. >> ♪ daddy shark doo doo doo. >> she's standing up. making a little n too muchoise at lunch, but he brought it on

himself. once you start that song, you can't stop. now, kobe bryant, former nba star was on the late late showp ing a game with james cordon. spill your guts or fill your guts. they either had to answer the question at hand or eg someth disgusting. kobe was faced with eating a s co song. >> oh. >> i would like you to rankes legendary basketball players from best to worst. lebron james, michael jordan and kobe bryant. [ cheers>>nd applause ] ou know what i'm going answer, but i'm not going to answer it because everybody is going to debate. i'm just going to take a bite. >> you can answer. it's pretty straightforward i ink. >> fine.

i'm the best, michael is second best. lebron i third. >> wow. >> he said it with a straight face. better tha jordan? come on. >> cow's tongue. >> if h dsn't think so, who will? >> bold move. sports radio tode will all over that. finally, uncle al, your glasses have bfn the talk the internet. since debuting them on monday's show, the periwinkle glasses gar energy many costents. sssed weather man on tv. ot wrote, you are classy, trend setter. many news outlets. savannah, craig, myself, we've all been donninghe blue frame glasses. >> they look good on you guthrie. >> what are you think? >> i think people were over the muellerreport. >> they really look great on you. dthink they look good on everyone who hased them on. did you tell me debra, your

wife,oesn't care for them? >> she's not crazy about them. >> they're adorable. i just e-mailed your eyeglasses person. i'm going to copy you. >> when i find a pair of pants that fit well, a style that i like. will you buy these -- >> i think i g will a couple other colors. i'm thinking maybe purple, something else. >> they are perfect for your face. >> i think red, too. >> might go with red. >> we'll be twinsies. we've got time for a click. >> this woman recording a rthday message for her friend when the greeting came to a surprising end. >> for your rthday, you g the famous birthday song. ♪ happy birthday to you ♪ happyirday to you ♪ happy birthday dear margaret ♪ happy birthday to you ♪ and mandy moore >> love you. oh my god, somebody just hit me. i got in a car wreck.

call youback. >> she's remarkably calm. >> love you.>> as everyone okay? >> everybody is fine. >> i don't know. she was driving and doing a birthday video. >> the good news is >> she was in a parking lot. >> that doesn't make it better. >> she had stopped and started to go. >> she thought the video is over, i can start driving now. >> wow. >> nobody was hurt. we've got a magicalf h hour ahead, really, very magical. the magician dan white is here. he's going to baffle and amaze. >> this is going to be good. first a check of your local news.

good morning everybody. 8:26 now on this wednesday, march 27th. i'm aaron gilchrist. let's begin with a check on your commute. melissa mollet is in first 4 traffic. >> taking lookouthbound 270 before the lane divide, take a look. a crash in the mdle of the road. folks trying to get by left and right. college park, inner loo after 95, a crash blocking the l lane. capitol heights, inner loop at central avenue, crash has cleared.gi delays h around. same situation, outer loop at river road. delays remain. >> we'll have a checkre on your st when we come back.

good morning. it is a cold tstart, buthe sun is out and the winds are not as much of an issue today as they . were yester it will turn out to be a nice enough day today. afternoon high near 55degrees. for tomorrow, opening hoday, th

opener for the nats, it will be 64 degrees during the middle of the afternoon tomorrow. nice and mild. >> chuck, thank you. you can get thend latest news a weather any time. open the nbc washington app. why are all these business owners so excited? 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. and we are back. we are back, and which are back on this wednesday morng, march 27th, w 2019 ase say hello to another fantastic crowd. >> holy spring break, >>baby. hi, y'all. >> hey ms. guthrie. >> guy, remember las night? we raised a glass to kathie lee. it was so much fun. >> a great time. >> a great party. hoda and kathie lee had us all crying with our eeches. an epic one from kathie lee. it was so nice to toast her. everybody turned out. it was a really special night. >> i think the real point of uss andt so much about saying good-bye.

kathie lee is going on tohe next chapter of her career, probably will come back and promote her movie. >> and her music and her musical. >> we love her. it was a good night. coming up, magician d white is going to do a few tricks for us. i thought, if we could, since e're on the plaza, come over this way. where is eva? want t say good morning to anybody? >> good morning to my mom and dad and my. grandparents >> where are you from? >> indiana. >> do you like ma>>c? yes. >> i have a treat for you. this is dan white, one of the best on ea i'm going to get out of the way. >> you can help me out. hold that box. check it out and make sure it's a normal box. >> eva take any card you out want. don't show it to anybody. i'll place this in the middle of the pack, right aerut about half the deck. eva, i want you to hd this box, and i want you to hold all

the cars and your cd into the box. i want you to hold the cards out, t. just relax and think of the card. as you relael just a little bit more. watch what happens. one card pops up. >> eva for the first time say your card out loud. >> 4 of hearts. >> how did i move up? my god. >> unbelievable. >> eva, there you go. thanks for being here. we'll get more from dan in just a little bit. >> were you in o the jok -- on the trick? >> nothing, nothing. >> it's magic. >> unbelievable. wow. speaking of magic, magic happening on third hour of "today," laila ali is stopping by. have a guy that went from 300 pounds to the toughest man

alive. he'll share the lessons he learned by pushing his body and mind to the max. >> david goggin a "new york times" best-selling author as well. by the way, graduation season rig aund the corner. we have a big announcement this morning. this one, savannah guthrie, invited to be the commencement speaker at george washington university. the big day is on may 19th. somelp you get read members of the graduating class of gw, they wanted tohare a few fun facts about their school. take a look. >> hey, savannah. did you know that past gw commencement speakers have included michelle obama and kerry washington. >> did y know thr ten gw in ni currently serving congress. >> gw is the only university to hold its commencement on the national mall. >> no pressure. >> now i'm nervous. >> they also sent this. there you go. >> i'm ready.

actually i'm not ready. i wrote som thoughts. i haven't done it yet. i'll be ready. it can't wait. such an honor. >> so cool. >> see you in may. let's get a check ofhe weather. showing what we have today, chilly conditions in the id northeast, atlantic into new england. nice and warm in the midwest. we do have high surf advisories along the florida coastline. we're looking for wet weather and sierra snow in the pacific northwest and northern . californ that's what's going on around the country. here is what's happening in your neck of the woods. yb good morning evy. it is going to be a pretty day, but we have to burn off the rest ll firs morning c temperatures are still in the 20s and 30s now. but it will turn into a nice enough day to be outside. sunshine today with highs in the mid 50s. average high is 60 degrees. about five degrees cooler than average today and almost five degrees w than average tomorrow. friday and saturday in ts low rain showers are likely for your sunday and a chilly start to next week.

>> don't forget you can always check us out when youtravel. go to "today" sho sirius xm channel 108. medal of honor is the u.s. military's highest honor. todayil the president bestow it posthumously to travis adki l. he gave he fighting in iraq and saved three of his kllow soldiers. nbc'ssten welker is at the white house. kristen, good morning. >> reporter: good rning. 22-year-old trevor oliver says he's filled with emotion andpr e as he prepares to accept the medal of honor on behalf of his father, army staff travis adkins who was 31 when he was killed. trevor's w grandparentsl also be by his side, honoring a man trevor calls his personal role model and a hero to the country. forhe family of army staff sergeant travis adkins, this

cemetery in bozeman, montana, is where they come to be close to fatheron and >> he was my icon, my hero, big man in my life. >> reporter: trevor oliver was just 10 years old when his father left to serve his second tour of duty in iraq. >> i never wanted him to leave. but he had th. 's what he wanted me to do. that's what made it easier t let him go. >> reporter: his parents say he felt called to serve his countr his mom elena knew it from the start. >> when we want to thead tion ceremonies for completing basic training, he said it was the most fun he had ever had in his life. >> reporter: his father jack, a f,vietnam veteran hims urged his son to ask for a less dangerousnm asst this time. >> i said you paid your dues, change your mls to something less risky. he h wouldn'tr of it. >> reporter: on june 1st, 2007, atkins was with his squad when

theywo encountered t insurgents. hand to hand combat bro out with one of hem. the man wasri w explkiives. atns threw himself on top of the suicide bomber, saving three fellow soldiers making the ultimate sacrifice. >> what do you remember about that day? >> first of all -- >> it's like a hole that will never be illed. >>s very hard to take in as a young kid, but understanding what happened, it made me realize it was such an extreme act of courage. >> reporter: tod the atkins family is here in washington with trevor now 22 years old. >> it means the world. to >> reporter: poised to accept the medal of honor, the nation's highest recognition, on behalf of his dad. for adkins' parents, the pride is palpable. >> he wasn't all about medals and honors, he was about doing his b job and he did it well. >> how souuld we remember

dad? >> as the greatest father and soldier anyone can be at the same time. >> reporter: really emotional there. trevor says what means even more to him than the medal of honor, hearing from the soldiers whose live b were saved his father, many making it clear they wouldn't be here if it weren't for that brave act. the ceremony gets under way here at the white house this afternoon. savannah, craig, carson. >> kristen welker at the white house. >> sergeant atkins. >> he'll be remembered today in the ceremony. you can check it out in our broadcast. we'll be back with more on a wednesday morning. first this is "today" on nbc.

what better way to live venn up your midweek morning than with some magic, some illusion. that's what dan white has in store. sost, what makes him

magical? he's the master of jaw dropping magic. >> that is howou do it right there. >> 37-year-old dan white, once dubbed the smolderg magician has been thrilng audiences with his smingly psychic abilities, incredible slight o hand. >> did you feel that? >> andte masrful illusions. >> turn it over. whoa. regrowingp inphiladelphia, he becamed enamore with tricks and illusions workings in a magic shop, eventually making a name for himself byat creg acts for luminary magicians like david copperfield. white's big break came whe jimmy fallon booke himor "the tonight show" putting him face-to-face with hollywood's biggest celebs. white continueso mesmerize sold-out audiences at his residency.

this morning he's bringing that magic here to studio . >> good morning again. first of all, before we get to the magic, congratulations, happy anniversary. today is four years since the day you started at the hotel. >> that's right. >> when folks come, what do they expect? >> intimate experience. only about 80 people a lot of drinks served. dark and mysterious, but all fun. a two-hour show. good. l >> let's have some fun. bring over my frs.ie fan of magic. >> i am, yes. >> f congrats onr years. >> thank you. >> let try somethi interesting. carson, you want to help out? >> i'm scary. >> we'llh do something w numbers and coincidences. i want you to think of a number between 35 and 100. i want you to change your mind a few times so everybody knows wet haven't talked.

really inour mind there's a number that's formed at this moment. you got one? >> yes. >> betwe 35 and 100. >> i want you to imagine that number is wtten on this post-it note. you see that in your mind? >> i see it. >> if you wouldn't temind, back so nobody can see what you write. write your number rea big on the post-it note. i don't want anybody to see what the number is. don't show it to the k camera. let w when you've done that. give me the pen back. fold that pece ofer in half and fold it in half again. place tt piece of paper in one of your pockets. you're thinking of a nber that nobody knows. also check out the deck of cards,'s no ink bled through or anything like that. i'll take out two very important cards. we're going to use, let's see, this one and this one. cathese two s. savannah, if you would president mind, could you place your hand on top of those two cards. >> right there? >> keep it there.

that's going to be yourob for now. >> here is the interesting part. i'm going tory to deduceour number by asking a series of questions. i'm going to time this.oi i'm to try to get it underneath a mint. i've got my timerncut here i can get it open. al, you're going to be in charge of themi . you'll be the timekeeper. you tosay start i want hit start. when i say stop, you hit stop. that's alldo we'll carson, i'll ask you a few questions. think ofhe last two digits of your phone number. >> cell phone number? >> cell phoneer nu >> okay. >> what are they? >> 00. >> the rest of your phone number? >> google it. >> hit start now.. >> uh-huh. carson what month were you born in? >>june. >> so six. okay.

hmm. what day of the month? 22. >> okay. and done. i think i'm do. , not yet. almost. how old you when y had you first kiss? >> oh, gosh. i don't know if i can accurately rememberthat. >> the were so many. >> yeah. i would say maybe 12. >> perfect. >> hit stop. i think i'm done. >> carson, i just wrote some numbers down. yes or no did i write your number on this board, anywhere here? >> no, you did not. >> are you sure? >> yes, i'm >> carson, what was your number. >> you want me to tell you? >> 70. >> ch70. k this out. you could have thought of any number. we haven't set anything up. >> savannah, can you name a number between one and four?

>> three. >> there are four row on this board. row three, one, two, three. this is the thi row. five plus ten is 15, plus three is 18, plus 52 is 70. >> what if she said row one, one, plus 12 plus 7s 20.. >> what? >> not only that, what if we went down, 50 plus 11 is 61, plus 5, plus 4 is 70. but more than that, i what we went diagonally, 50, 8, 3 is 70. >> stop it. >> what if we just did the corners? what if he we did the outside 9.rners, 50 plus 7 is 57 plus 4

plus these two numbers, these two numbers, these two numbers, these two numbers add up to 70, the number. you thought remember, this was a coincidence. at the beginning i put down two prds. lift u your hand. cards.ver those two seven times ten is70 you timed this whole thing, you hit stop yourself. look at the timer. yo said it was 41 seconds and 29,seconds. 41lus 29 >> are you kidding? >> you cou have thought of any numb. you had to pick 70 because on this board the whole time -- i don't know if you c >> he knew you were going to pick 70. >> he knew youere going to pick 70. >> i'm out. >> can you do my >>taxes. are you kidding me? >> by the way, i have switched

numbers. my mom would have been 75 in a couple days.os i was a there. when you said switch numbers, i was going to do 40 and i just landed on 70. >> did you plant 70 in his head somehow. >> we've never met until a second ago. >> that's crazy. >> i'm kind of creeped out. >> thank you so much for having us. >> nomadl. ho >> i meant 60. >> you can catch himth a nomad hotel. >> that's incredible. >> thank you. go to the nomad hotel and see this show. up next two magicians on the golf course. they're about to take their talents to famed augusta national. we are excited to talk to them about it. it is indeed historic. we'll have that. but first, thi is "today" on nbc. >> how did you do it? >> the craziest thing. with this one little

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welcome back. ugeta national women's amateur kicks off next week, making history asir the women's tournament to take place on golf's grandest stage. sarah brooks and maria fosse are two golfers set to compete at this groaking event. great to have you here. being the r identgolfer, let me just say congratulations. what does it feel ike to be among some of the first ladies to play in a tournament at augusta. >> so exciting. it's a dream that's become reality for all of us. >> how did you gnto it? how did the invites go out? who is goingth to be e? the best in the world i would imagine. >> there were certain things that you had to have. so based on worldmaur rankings and collegiate golf. the usa has a certain number of players they getve to n the tournament. basically the top 72 players in the world. >> the best of the best. >> augusta, this hisric

course. what does that mean to you to play there? >> it means so much. like i sd before, it's always been a dream, and to be a part of history and the historic moment is more special. >> are you nervous? >> yes. >> you had an injury. i had a couple years ago, my wrist. that was my first round of gbaf after surgery. i got to go - it was heaven out there. exceeded all my expectations. >>ma a, you've watched the tournament on tv, the masters. dire you ever you would get to play on the course? >> i never thought about being able to compete there. it was never i don't think in any of our heads to have the opportunity to do that. ave thet w actual sly chance to play not only in the practice round but in the competition, it's going to be unreal. i'm super excited for it. >> what is it about that course that makes it so itecial? what ibout augusta

national? >> i think it's the historic moments with the past players and champions and the green jacket, l everythingding up to that. it's the biggest week in golf. to b h -- toe that chance for women now to compete there, it's going to really inspire the next generation. by the way, look at it. you don't want to hit your ball over here, you don't want to hit it too long on this hole in particular. >> look at the trophy. our first look at the actual trophy. >> if one of you wins this, will you drink champagne out of it? >> for sure. i'm 21already, so i can do that. you have to wait a little more. >> i have a coupl months. >> guy, congratulations, play well and that is truly awesome. a beautiful trophy. thank you so much. again, theugusta national women's amateur begins one week from today. you can catch the liveinal und coverage on saturday, april 6th. i know i'll be right here

watching it on nbc. ladies good luck. we or back in a moment. first this is "today" on nbc. so with xfinity mobile i can customize each line for each family member? yup. and since it comes with your internet, you can switch wireless carriers, and save hundreds of dollars a year. are you pullin' my leg? nope. you sure you're not pullin' my leg? i think it's your dog. oh it's him. good call. customize each line and choose to pay by the gig or getunlimited. do you guys sell other dogs? now that's simple, easy, awesome. and since xfinity mobile comes with xfinity internet, you can save hundreds a year. get $250 back when you buy a new samsung galaxy. click, call, or visit a store today. i can customize each line for soeach family member?e yup. and since it comes with your internet, you can switch wireless carriers, and save hundreds of dollars a year. are you pullin' my leg? nope.

you sure you're not pullin' my leg? i think it's your dog. oh it's him. good call. customize each line and choose to pay by the gig or getunlimited. do you guys sell other dogs? now that's simple, easy, awesome. and since xfinity mobile comes with xfinity internet, you can save hundreds a year. get $250 back when you buy a new samsung galaxy. click, call, or visit a store today. ♪ are you ready? ♪ are you ready for some fun? ♪ ♪ ♪ are you ready? ♪ we can't stop, we've only just begun. ♪ ♪ ♪ oooooooooo... ♪ i'll show you something ♪ neeeeeewwww. ♪ i'll show you something, i'll show you something... ♪ ♪ neeeeeewwww.

♪ if you're a local trying to ou if lear looking for more stories today, check out today.com/allday o >> third hou "today," things get personal. we reveal how we distress at the end of the day. >> craig gives me a foot massage. >> first, your local news. 8:56 on this wednesday. olod morning everyone. i'mte green. let's get a check on the commute with melissa mollet in first 4 traffic. >> good morning, molette. taking a look at the roads. college park inner loop of the beltway after 95, crash on the shoulder. still seeing delays inner loop and outer loop. that's causing a little bit of a

slowdown. ou take a look elsewhere, we have a couple of other things happening. central avenue at enterprise drive, fire department activity there. right now d.c.-295 before eastern avenue, heavy delays. let's find out when it will warm up. the forecast coming up next.

good morning everybody. it is a bright and sunnymo ing. still plenty chilly outside. most areas still in the 30s to near 40 degrees now. but it will turn into a pleasant enough day to be outside. afternoon highs to the low to mid 50s, into the 6 for tomorrow. first game -- holy cow. i can't get it out. opening day for t nats. perfect weather for baseball tomorrow. >> no tproblem. ge latest news and weather any time in the nbc washington app.

live from studio 1a inr rockefelaza, this is the third hour of "today." a good wednesday morning, everyone. craig melvin here along side dylan dreyer, al roker. sheinelle continues to enjoy her well-deserved vacation. >> i don't know was it really well-deserved? >> she wks a lot. >> she does. i'm just kidding. >> a lot of important stuff to get to. before we get to any of that, we need to talk about this phenomenon sweepinght thcountry. al's glasses. i didn't know they were periwinkle. >> i thought they were bright blue. >> these are just a few of the headownes. i don't f you've seen these. we've got them behind us here. there's some