i sai c general,e here, give me a kiss i felt like joe biden. but i mea it. see, i meant it. big difference. >> president trump takes swipes at former vice president joe bide "the new york times" reports two more women have come "times" elling the biden touched them in ways that made them uncomfortable. legal firewor ahead today involving famous actresses and other parents involved in the college cheating scandal as they fa the judge today. history is made in chicago, where the city just elected first black woman and first openly gay person to be mayor. a white house whistleblower

speaks exclusively toew nbc about widespread mismanagement of security clearances. and baseball star bryce harper's return to washington birds.t out the boo but who got the last laugh? "early today" starts right now. good wednesday morning. i'm phillip mena. >> good to be with you. i'm frances rivera. mounting allegations are turning things into a nightmare for joe biden wenh two new w coming forward in the "new york times." caitlyn caruso says he had she was 19 when the former vp rested his hand on her thigh and hugged her just a little biton too at a sexual assault event in las vegas. omthe second r.j. hill says she was with her husband when the vp touched her inappropriately during a photo op. >> mr. biden's hand went from my shoulder and started to descend down my back. and it was one of those things where i'm going,oh, okay, this is making me feel uncomforble. >> so far four women have come forward publicly accusing the former vp ofe inappropri

touching. with lucy flores and amy lappos cla claiming the behavior was inappropriate but not overtly sexual. and president trump chimed in with some opinions of his own. >> our former vice president, he's -- i was going to callhim. i don't know him well. i was going to say welcome to the world, joe. you having a good time, joe? >> joe biden has yet to address the latest accusations. he's previously said it was never hisntention to act inappropriately. a dramatic scene is set to play out in a federal courtroo in boston. actresses lori loughlin and felicity huffm a among 13 parents caught up in that massive college admissions scandal. andhey're about to face a judge. at least one parent, the ceo of a water company, has now requested to move his appearance to a later date, citing ongowig discussion the government to resolve the matter without a trial. for more on what's ahead today here's nbc's migueler almagu.

>> reporter: lori loughlin and felicity huffman t will sode in the red carpet for the steps of federal court charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud, both actresses seen this weekend out on bail. ed lori, do you regret the way you handl your kids' educations? >> i'm sorry, i can't talk to you. >> reporter: accused of paying top dollar to cheat their children's way into prestigious universities. loughlin and her fashion designer husband accusedel of ling out more than half a million dollars in bribes so their daughters could attend usc. loughlin's future with "fuller eause" un as one co-star speaks out. >> we stand by each other and pray for each other and we'll always be there for each other. >> reporter: thelleged mastermind behind the scandal rick singer, telling investigators he took massive payouts to guarantee admission into at least eight elite universities. in the typical white-collar fraud case if a defendant pleads early and waives their

preliminary hearing they've got a shot at a probation-only ndntence. a cheating sca making its way to boston. as many await the next hollywood twist. neither of the actresses has entered a plea. legal experts sayy of the parents will try to work out a to avoid prison time. if they went to trial and were convicted, many of tcose parents d face years behind bars. frances? >> miguel almaguer for us, thanks. mar-a-lago is on high alert this morning after an alarming security breach. a chinese woman is facing chges after reportedly wandering into restricted areas at president trump's florida resort over the weekend and all while the president was agolfing on the property the secret service addressed the breach in a statement overnight saying it is not determined who is invited or welcomed at mar-a-lago but that agents and officers conductl physica screenings which is what later led to the arrest. urc's pete williams has more. >> reporter: on sy the secret service says a chinese woman walked up to a security checkpoint at president trump's mar-a-lago resort in florida and

said she was there to go to the swimmith pool. secret service says she presented two chinese passports in the ne of yujing zhang. mar-a-lago security said zhang was the name a club member and allowed her to enter the compound. but when a resort shuttle picked her up court documents say she didn't know where she wanted to go so she was taken to the reception area according to investigators she changed her story and said she was there for a u.n. chinese-american association meeting. but no such meeting was scheduled, and she was promptly arrested. the charging documents say she claimed a chinese friend named charles sent her there to speak way member of the president's family about american policy toward china. t bu secret service says it could not find any record of that. and investigators want to know if it was asspy n. she was carrying four cell phones, a laptop computer, an external hard drive and a thumb drive that contained malware. they also note that although she said she was there to go to the pool n she was carrying a swimsuit. while all this was happening

president trump was playing golf atis separate cours nearby. zhang has been charged with statements and entering a restricted area and is in jail pending further hearings. law enforcement officials say more charges may be filed. phillip? >> all right, peu., thank time's up for attorney general william barr. this morning the houseudiary committee is expected to authorize a subpoena for special counsel roberr'muel full report without redactions. committee chairman jerry nadler demanded the attorney general liver the report no later than yesterday. nbc's tracie potts has the latest fromte d.c. >> rep we now know that did not happen. the attorney general had said it would not happen becae he's rking on those redactions, blocking out, removing some things from the report tt cannot be seen publicly. grand jury information, information about ongoing investigations, classified information. but the housery judic committee today expected to vote to give its chair the power to

subpoena that full report without anyredactions. >> we'll use the subpoenas as necessary to make sure we getep the wholet and all the underlying documents. the special prosecutor said that he couldn't rule in or out, he couldn't exonerate the president of obstruction of justice. so barr took it upon himself to do that. but that's not the job of the attorney general.>> eporter: today's vote if it passes would give nadler the power to subpoena. it wouldn't say specifically when or if that subpoena happens. ances? >> all right, tracie, thank you. a rare reversal for president trump. after taking heat from his own party for trying to revive the fight over obamacare the president has now backed down. at least for now. >> he says the gop's health care plan will now have to wait until after the el2020 tion. nbc's hallie jackson has more.r: >> reporromise made. >> we are going to fix health care. >> reporter: promise punte as the president pushes off a plan

to replace obamacare until after 2020. >> i wanted to delay it myself. i want to put it after the election becau the house.have so when the plan comes out, you'll see it. >> reporter: top aides promised something different just last week. >> the president will be putting forward plans this year that we hope to introduce into congress. >> reporter: why the reversal? the president's under pressure to drop his renewed health care push fromn republi leaders like senator mitch mcconnell. >> i made it clear to him w g were notoing to be doing that in the senate. >> reporter: after all, republicans controlled both chambers of congress up until this year and still didn't have the votes to overhaul obamacare, ending the law without an replacement would leave tens of millions of people without coverage. people like the patients angie settle sees at the free cliunc she in west virginia. >> i'm not here to say that it's perfect, but we can'td aff to repeal that part where, you know, they expanded medicaid. i know f this state it would be catastrophic. >> reporter: while some in the white hoe see healthare as potentially politically advantageous for president trump

come 2020, democrats point to their midterm wins in 2018 as proof it may not be. frances, bac>> to you. hallie jackson for us. hallie, thanks. a historic mayoral race in icago now has a wifrn. windy city ters elected lori lightfoot as its first african-american female mayor in fstory. she'll also be tst openly gay person to lead the city. according to the associated press, lightfoot defeated toni preckwinkle in a runoff election with 74% of the vote. and n. her victory speech the 56-year-old former federal prosecutor promised to the interest of the people. >> together we can and will make chicago a place where your zip code doesn't determine your destiny. >> lightfoot will be sworn in on may 20th. a candlelightig was held in nmg nj for samantha josephson. she is the university of south carolina student police belied was kille after she got into the wrong car thinking it was her uber. her father shared an emotional

message. >> you don't want your -- to go through this. we want something to change. and if it can change, and if we can force change, then great. that's what we want to do. >> changes are already ngco south carolina lawmakers are fast-tracking a bill that requir all rideshare services to have illuminated signs onei vehicles. uber also announced they will be artnering with usc for nationwide check your ride awareness campaign, urgiy users to verhe driver and car before starting a trip. if bryceug harper tthe might get a hero's welcome in his first game back in d.c., he was in for a rude awakening. >> 3. bryce harper. [ boos>> ] hey booed him. but it was actually harper and the phillies that got the lht boug in this one. check out that . the star outfielder proving he's worth the team's $330 million investme. and then look, the big bat flip.

so disrespectful. true harper theatrics there. he's stoking the flames of budding phil yuz-nationals rivalry. thefills take game one. >> let's check in with nbc meteorologist janessa webb to see what's in store for us. >> good morning, everyone. we have this coastal low we're watching here. not going to cause significant precipitation. but unfortunately, behind the cold front is very gus weather. sustained winds. 15 to 20 miles per hour. but it continues to veer offshore. marine warnings throughout the ndafternoon. behat front you're going to see gusts to 35 miles per hour. that's a look at the big weather story for today. here's a closer look atour day iead. still mild airn place across th great lakes into the northeast. ytime highs in theid 50s to lower 60s. we're watching our next storm system, but today pretty wet across southern texas with highs in the 80s. so really got lucky with this storm system. it's just goingo cause some gusty weather. so hold on to your hat this

afternoon. >> all right. we'll do anthat. you, janessa. in honor of world autism awarenessay acrosshe globe marjo landmarks including the white house were bathed in blue overnight. the day marks a celebration of people living with the disorder and the importance of speak out against discrimination. in new york the lights of the empire state building were lit up blue in solidarity. first lady melania trump also tweeted out this photo from inside the white house showing her support. straight ahead, a white house whistleblower speaks exclusively to nbc news about r concerns over top secret security clearances. we'll have that for you next. what patients don't realize is what they eat and drink is likely acidic and then what's happening is the weakening of enamel. now is the perfect time for a toothpaste like the new pronamel repair. this toothpaste takes it to the next level. it takes minerals and it drives deep into the tooth surface so that we can actively help repair weakened enamel. i do think dentists are going want to recommend the new pronamel repair toothpaste.

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despsqualifying issues. she also alleges her boss retaliated against her for coming forward. nbc's peter alexander has theiv excl interview. >> reporter: the stunning charge comes from trisha newbold, an 18-year career white house pecurityalist who told congress 25 officials in the trump administration had their top secret security clearances granted by the white house even though she and her colleagues recommended they b denied. why is this issue so important you that felt the need to sak out? >> the protection of national security is not a democratic issue or a republican issume it's an acan issue. >> reporter: newbold, who's filed a discrimination complaint against her white house superior, told lawmakersbo those officials' serious disqualifying issues including foreign influence and conflict of interest. her explosive allegations sparking a showdown on hill.tol >> you issue a press release, hand-pick, cherry-pick parts of sther ony. >> i will protect whistleblowers. period. >> reporter: nbc news first

reported jared kushner was among those whose security denial wasv ruled. and according to the "new york times" the president personally ordered it. but the president has denied it. legally he has the power t grant clearances to anyone he chooses. kushner on fox news dismissed newbold's concerns. >> i've been accused of all different types of th and all of those things have turned out to be false. >> reporter:ewbold now fears losing her job. >> i'm always concerned. but it's important that we stand up to do the n right thi matter what. >> reporter: peter alexander, nbc news, t white hous just ahead, "game of thrones" mania is reaching new heights. plus, "avengers: endgame" is already setting some box office records. and a marvel maniac enough to watch 59 straight hours? 59 straight hours of superhero movies? how about that?

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♪ yes. that's the latest teaser for season 8 of lenz tl"game of thr" it looks like a battle in winterfell didn't end up going so well. with 11 days until the show's premiere the hype is reaching an all-time high. for mountain dew their can has no name. this cold-activated can is a tribute to aria stark and it reveals her kill list and her remaining targets.

pretty cool. the last episode of the sdw ai two years ago. you're trying to binge watch t episodes online you may wanto t be careful. security company kapersky says "game of thrones" is the number one show most likely to contain malware. they're disguised as downloadable episodes but they could turn your computer into white walkers. >> that's a rk a lot of people are going to be willing to take, especially to watch those episodes to catch up. >> jus get hbo. come on. for a month. ar> tickets tol's upcoming "avengers: endgame" finally went on sale and nearly broke the utternet. we're talking aor real. the demand was so high it crashed amc's website. some people who did get their hands on tickets a selling them on e bay. a single ticket for a first day eing offered g is for $500. and if that doesn't get you all hyd up, on april 23rd amc theaters is showing all of the marvel superhero mies in a 59-hour marathon all leang up to the release of "avengers: endgame." the 22-film marathon covers

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fwhood morning, i'm eun etng. >> a store is under investigation where employees you norah cuesed of letting animal die without seeking treatment. how about a weather check? all right, all right, all right, after clouds and dro>>

good morning, i'm aaron gilchrist. >> i'm eun yang. bryce harper came back.

guess again. did you read tse words? trader? snake? >> wow. >> yeah. >> tperature may be slowly getting warmer, but it was a chilly reception for harper.ng we're g to have more details on the game coming up. >> we will beginck with a c on your commute and forecast. melissa mollet is standingby. g> storm team 4 meteorologist chuck bell standy with the forecast. >> that was not a very nice welcome backor bryce harper. win or lose, he's still got the 300 million. temperatures have fallen down to below freezing. downtown temperatures close to 40. tplan on low mid 30s for most on your way out the door on your wednesday morning. it will be a nice looking day today. if you are looking for something to complain about, it will be rather breezy, blustery, windy. winds out of the west at 20 to as much as 30 miles