good morning. breaking overnight. taking reveng a stunning report claimumg the p administration wanted to releaseig mrants into democratic strongholds including the congressional district of house speaker nanpelosi. we'll have the latest on the lye report. gearing up for a fight. julian assange vowing to fight extradition to the u.s. will he ever see the inside of an american courtroom? ready to run. democratic presidential hopeful puth buttigieg surging in the polls ase gets set to make it official. >> we're going to be making some . >> why the mayor of a midwest town could shake up the race for the white house. those stories, plus saying good-bye. family friends, and stars come

together to celebrate the life of nipsey hussle. ♪ love you nipsey liftoff. spacex making history overnight with its latest launch. and game o millions around the globe set for the long awaited return of "game of thrones" this weekend as winr is comin for the last time. "todpr," friday, ail 12th, 2019. >> announcer: from nbc news this is "today" with savannahut gie from studio 1live a in rockefeller plaza. >> hi, everybody. welcome to "today." ce to have you with us on a friday morning. hoda's off. craig is here and made the request we play the "game of thrones" music for the entire show? >> did? you hear th we were talking about what makes this show so special besid the perfect cast, the acting, then costumes. it's the best theme in the

history of television. >> i've never watched. i might binge all seven seasons before sunday. >> you could do that if you ignore your children and don't sleep. release to sanctuary cities across the u.s. it was said to be retribution against the democratic aed ver sars. hallie jackson is on the story this morning. d od morning. >> reporter: hi, gmorning. a white house official is pushing back on the idea that this was meant to be retaliation toward political rivals telling me this morning that ite abso ridiculous. but they are confirming the broad outlines of this controversial immigration proposal which has m thisorning a stunning new proposal in the ongoing immigration battle. "the washington post" reporng that trump administration officials sought to bus detained immigrants to so-called sanctuary cities to retaliate against the president's adversaries. the post which first reported

the inews, said.e. rejected the idea as inappropriate. dhs confirmedhe broad outlines of the report to nbc news saying in a statement overnight, this was a suggestion that was floated and rected which ended any further discussion. according to the post, the white mouse proposed the measure at least . once back in november in an email from topolicy adviser at a time when the presi was furiously condemning migrant caravans approaching the u.s. southern border. >> we're sending a clear message to the caravans, turn around go back home. >> reporter: and again in february duringst a doff with democrats during funding over the border wall.nc pelosi's district in san francisco was one of the areas he white house considered targeting, the post says. a spokeswoman for pelosi the administration over the cynicism and cruelty of

the plan. president trump has often railed against liberal sanctuary city policies which tds to protect undocumented immigrants from deportation. >> tse are gra threats to public safety and national security. >> reporter: a whifi house al tells nbc news, the idea the administration wanted to retaliate politically is absolutely ridiculous and that the white house never pressured edc.e. on the proposal but simply a if it would be possible. >> so hallie as you mentioned there, the white house said it's t about revenge. what was the thinking behind doing this? >> reporter: so i'm told by an official this morning the idea was to try to relieve some of the bden on mustn'ts along the border. that said, this was being taken differently by democrats, for example nancy pelosi who had that statement via spokesperson. steven miller a white house official, one of the president's top advisers wasar a big of the push behind this an

i'm sure we'll hear more about it from congress d as theay goes on. >> thank you. now to the fight over julian assange in the wake of his dramatic arrest. the wikileaks founder now behind bars in london but vowing to fight eradition to the united states. nbc's kelly cobiella joins us live once again from london. >> reporter: to you.good morning for the first time in nearly seven years, julian assange lawyers telling t uss massive prison complex here in london will be his home for the foreseeable future as he battles extradition to the u.s. this morning julian assange is gearing up for a fight waiting to find out if he'll be sent to the u.s. to face charges. on thursday the handcuffed assange winking at cameras as he entered a courtroom. a judge quickly convicted him of skipping bail calling him a narcissist who cannot get beyond his own selfish

wikileaks founder shouting and struggling as he was dragged out of therimbassy in bin where he had holed up for seven years after that country revoked his asylum. ecuador's president accusing assange of scrteous and aggressive behavior. theep justicetment unsealing an indictment thursday accusing assange of conspiracy theorists to hack into a pentagon computer. >> it is unacceptable that a publisher be extradited to face prosecution in the united states forfuublishing tru information and no democratic government should be seeking to prosecute a publisher for doing epat. >>ter: wikileaks released hundreds of thousands of classified documents on the wars in iraq and afghanistan in 2010. embarrassing the u.s.

government. theroup also behind the release of emails hacked from the democratic national committee in 2016. >> he has to answer for what he has done at leasts it's been charged. >> reporter: then-candidate trump praised wis on the campaign trl. >> i love wikileaks. >> reporter: but now the president sayin -- >> i know nothing about wikileaks. it's not my thing. >> reporter: assange's supporters say he's j arnalist and whistle-blower calling his arrest an attack on free speech. >> so if he does at some point end up here in a u.s. courtroom, what will -- could he be charged with what sort of time could he be facing? >> right now he's cha one count. it's a basic computer hacking charge. there's no reference to publishing any sort of classified documents. it a maximum sentence of five yeart assange's lawyers believe that the u.s. is planning to

file more charges that he face much harsher charges than that and much more. prison ti we'll find out in the coming weeks, months, perhaps. the extradition case itself, the first issue in that extradition case. >> kcobiella for us there in london. nhe to new slew of charges fac michael avenatti. he's accused of embezzling from his own clients. migu almaguer has the details for us. >> reporter: good morning. michael avenatti who became a household name for aggressively repres porn star stormy daniels and weighing a presidential bid is now in serious legal trouble. while he denies all the charges, if convicted he could face life in prison. a lawyer usually on the attack, thisorning michael avenatti is on the defensive in a new

36-count indictment, the gh-profile attorney is accused of fraud, percentage, embezzlement, failure to pay taxes. it's alleged he stole $9 million from his clients and used the cash to support his laish style including the purchase of this private jet now seized by the feds. >> it's all disturbing. >> reporter: in one case, prosecutors say avenatti won a $4 million settlement for a paraplegic t client andhen took the money torop up h struggling race team and coffee business. using shell companies toth move money. prosecutors say avenatti was running aponzi-like scheme. >> taking money from one client, using it to pay off other matters. taking money that should have been paid over to theirs. they're all connected. >> reporter: maintaining a celebrity lifestyle, prosecutors allege avenatti was hurting for cash when he swindle2 37b$2.3

million in taxes his coffee employees paid and he failed to give to the irs. y fors he never paid his own taxes. avenatti often criticized the president for not releasing his tax returns. >> where are donald trump's tax >> we allege mi was ssentially in many cases stealing from pete tore pay paul. >> reporter: calling himself a crusader of justice, avenatti referred nbc news to his tweet proclaiming his nns. i fully intend to fight allnd chargeslead not guilty. this phigh-profile attorney in the spotlight again now in a t. if convicted, he could bed sentenp to a maximum of 335 years in prison. so essentily he could be looking at a life sentence. this n laundry list of charges is incredibly damaging.

>> miguel almaguer, thank you. also we are learning more about that stunning arrest in a string of churches f in louisiana. new details now emerging about the susct who's the son of a local sheriff's deputy. how he was tracked downnd how music may have motivated him. gabe gutierrez has been following this one.oo gabe,morning. >> reporter: craig, good morning. this was the last church to burn and investigators just recently opened tne back up. the pastor showed us what was left of this building that sreod or well over a hundred years. d pews and a damaged pulpit. investigators now say a gas can left behind at one the scenes led them to their suspect. this morning 21-year holden matthews is in custody charged with arson after tee historically black churches in southern louisiana burned in ten days. >> i been especially painful because it reminds us of a very dark past of intimidation and fear.

>> reporter: not determined the motive, but are now looking into hate or racial bias and analyzing his social media posts. >> information investigators have uncovered ishat matthews had offered through suggestions andio conne a relationship with a type of musicalled black metal. and its association in history with church >> reporter: according to new court documents, a gas can was found at one of the crime scenes and matched it to cans sold at a nearby walmart. then theyed tra down surveillance showing a suspect ying gas can, towels, and a lighter. another veo shows a pickup truck belonging to the father near the churches. that father is roy matthewsa local sheriff's deputy. >> he was shocked and hurt as any father would nebe. he nothing of his son's activity. >> reporter: the deputy actually helped lure his own son away from their home so authorities

could safely aest him. >> still alive. >> reporter: the pastor still preaches. and this morning he's thankful for the arrest. >> it's hearki br. i have to forgive him. how could i ask god to forgive me and i'm not willing to forgive so else? >> reporter: court documents also allege that cell phone tower data showed that matthews was in the area of all three fires. investigators say he had no prior criminal history. >> gabe there in louisiana for us. thank you. now to the final farewell for rapper nipsey hussle. >> nearly two a weeksfter the murder, family, friends, and stars gathered in los angeles to say good-bye honoring his life and his work to end violence in a city that he so loved. a moving farewell to a beloved loca hero. crowds lining the streets of

south los angeles thursday as a hearse carrying nipsey hussle's casket drovehrough the neighborhood where he was born and reared. the procession following the service at the staples center. the same where michael jackson waslo remembered fng his death. >> my pain is for my 2-year-old that probably w't remember how much his dad loved him. >> reporter: hussle's long-time girlfriend lauren london sharing her emotions.ee >> i you everywhere. i'm so grateful that i had you. i love yd bey this earth.nt and uil we meet again, the marathon continues.>> eferee: he had nothing but f l every gang member of southern california. >>. >> repor music stars paying tribute. along with hussle's parents and older brother - >> that was my little bro, man. i just try to do a as mu i

could to lead a good example and make sure that he was good. >> reporter: the grammy nominated rapper was gunned down in front of his clothing store march 31st. the suspected killer whom police say had a personal dispute with hussle now in custody. hussle's killing set off a wave of mourning throughout los angeles and beyond. rapper and record label owner master p says hussle showed a new generation how to succeed in business while staying connected to the community. >> i think it's about to be imagined.at he even he's touching people and changing lives and p givingple hope. >> reporter: a final celebration for a young artist who inspired so many. later this morning, the city council the in los angeles is going to honor hussle officially penaming, aps, if the motion passes, renaming an intersection after nhim, intersection he talked about and rapped about.

you know, it was interesting to watch the service yesterday. so many people rembering his music. so many more people remembering what he meant to that community as a business >> when i look at the pictures and so many people came back, everyone says hehe loved community. guess what. the community loved him. you could see it. the t's that time of morning. we want to check in with al, see what's happening in the weather. good morning. >> good morning,th guys. k you for getting your first weather from us. blizzard conditions going on in minnesota and parts of the upper midwest they're going to start to subside. hard to see. a lot of visibility problems. look on the radar, you can t stl set sticking around. more severe weather starting to develop. right now we've a risk through central texas, il, damaging winds, tornado risk low. then into tom srow thingsrt to ramp up. we're looking at a risk of damaging winds and hail and on sunday, it's 23or million saturday. on sunday 45 million people at risk. now, this is palm sunday. we're not really -- you've seen

palm suny outbreaks before. 1920, 1965, a4. ot of folks in church. the goodrc news is cs are sturdier buildings. b you should have somebod kp an eye on it all the wau down through atlanta and into panhandle of florida. this system is coming out of texas. i pushes east, we're going to watch it develop bringing a flood threat in the south. stronger storms on saturday into memphis, cincinnati on sunday. it makes its way into the east on sunday. we got some wet snow from missouri to michigan. heavy rain especially down through the lower mississippi river valley. t in fact, f areas especially the lower mississippi and missouri where there's still ver flooding, this could be a major problem. we're going to be watching this all weekend long. we're going to get to your local .orecast coming up in

well, temperatures out there right now 4 and 50s. not feeling too bad. on our way to 70 it'll become breezy. dry through the morng but rain and storms later on this afternoon. again, dry this morning. after lunch could see a few light showers up until that evening commute. after the evening commute, that's when we'll start to s some storms rolling through. best chance of severe weather is going to stay west of us. rain chances last into tomorrow morning. we dry outy tomorrow afternoon, but isolated shower possible tomorrow night. >> oh. johnny carson called, he wants

his jacket back. >> it's crazy that he borrowed it from iyou. know. i want that jacket. very nice. >> it's kind of aw ome. >> thau. >> it's roker-esque i would say. >> that's high praise. coming up, the 37-year-old small town mayor already shaking up the democratic presidential race. guess what, he hasn'tven announced his plans to run yet. also this morning, a stunning admissionrom amazon about those alexa devices. and who else is listening in on your coersations. but first this

just ahead, wt did a year in space do to scott kelly's body? the fascinatingm results f nasa's study comparing him to his twin brother back. ho and we'll get you ready for the return of the final season of "game of thrones." catching up with kit harington. talk to your doctor about xeljanz, a pill, not an injection or infusion,

for adults with moderate to severe ulcerative colitis. xeljanz is the first and only fda-approved pill for moderate to severe uc. it can reduce symptoms in as early as two weeks, improve the appearance of the intestinal lining, and provide lasting steroid-free remission. xeljanz can lower your ability to fight infections including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal infections and cancers, including lymphoma, have happened. as have tears in the stomach or intestines, serious allergic reactions, low blood cell counts, higher liver tests and cholesterol levels. don't start xeljanz if you have an infection. your doctor should perform blood tests before and while taking xeljanz, and monitor certain liver tests. tell your doctor if you've been somewhere fungal infections are common and if you've had tb, hepatitis b or c, or are prone to infections. you could take your uc treatment in a different direction. ask your gastroenterologist about xeljanz. everyone needs a little oh my god.ht out. yes. critics are callin"little" big fun. thank you.

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(vo) snap and sort your expenses to save over $4,600 at tax time. quickbooks. backing you. 7:26 is your time now on this friday, april 12th 2019. good morning to you. i'm eun yang. >> and i'm aaron gilchrist. students at georgetown university for slavery reparations. a fund would help descendents of the slaves sol by the university. the university has made a commitment to further ours effort in dialogue and partnership with the descendant community. the ca won last nig as they defend the stanley cup. theye play gam two tomorrow afternoon. you can watch it all right here on nbc 4. our coverage starts with a spciial 2:30 sal followed byga the .

now let's go to melissa >>llet and check your first 4 traffic. ood morning. this is a big delay here. the inner loop local lanes crash blocking the lt lanes. those delays stretching back inbound on 295 is quite slow as well because of a crm x avenue. ltway overall is ay. but inner loop express lanes,h crn the left lane. >> thank you. we'll take a break now. forecast up next.

well, temperatures right now around 50 degrees. we'll continue to warm up as that wind shifts out of the so nh from theth and west. rain headed our way. most likely for later on this n. aftern after lunchtime, have that umbrella handy. after the evening commute, then you'll have storms to deal with. we'll keep the rain chance through early tomorrow morning and then we do have rain through nhe day on sunday.

drying out monday. >> thanks, lauren. coming up on tonight's harris' heroes, we'll introduce u to a police officer going above and beyond for her community. >> don't miss the story today on news

back now 7:30 on a friday morning with auburn university gymnast samantha cerio continuing her receery after injuries in a recent competition. the video soruome we aren't showing it to you. >> we have been telling her story. it's incredible. many pe rooting for that young lady. monday ontoday," we're excited because she will jn us for an exclusive live interview. we look forward to that. >> can't wait for that. 30, let's get a check of the headlines. stunning around this morning in the battle over immigration. "the washington post" repting o bus detainedinistration immigrants to so-called sanctuary cities. the allegation was that was a

way t retaliate against the president's political adversaries. the pos said i.c.e. rejected the idea as illegal and inapproprise. confirmed to nbc news saying this was a subject that was floated and rejected which end any furth discussion. new developments this morning in the jussie smollett case. the city filed a civil complaint oragainst the a on thursday. one week after smollett refused to reimburse the city for $130,000 in the police overtime costs. that's the amount they spent to investigate the claim he was beat nn a racist anti-gay attack in january. police say the actor staged that attack. prosecutors dropped all charges against him in march. smollett maintains his innocence. spacex launched its falcon heavy rocket on thursday. the ost powerful rocket in world. and for the first time successfully landed all three rocket boosters back onearth.

>> three, two, one. ignition. liftoff. >> this was the second flight for the falcon heavy. ed car a saudi telecommunications satellite. about eight minutes aer liftoff, spacex successfully landed two of the first stager boos rockets back at cape canaveral. look at that picte. the center core touched down on the drone ship in the atlantiea >> wow. >> incredible, right? >> yeah. now to theurging moment for democratic presidential hopeful pete buttigieg leading up to his official campaignnt announcehis weekend. peter alexander has details on this one.d peter, gmorning. >> reporter: hey, craig, savannah.or goodng to you. pete buttigieg is expected to kick off his long shot 2020 campaign this sunday. if successful, he will make history, certainly, as the first openly gay president, the first mayor to move into the white house, and america's

youngest-ever commander in with a weekend announcement expected to make his bid official, pete btigieg has vaulted into the category of contender. >> we're going to be making big news this sunday. >> reporter: a pair of new polls show him trailing only biden and sanders in iowa. not bad for the m of south bend, indiana. >> say that three times fast, it'stt ieg. i would stack up my experience against anybody. i know it' not as traditional. i haven't been marinating in washington here for a long time. >> reporter: but he boasts an pressive resume as a harvard grad, rhodes scholar,nd afghanistan war veteran. >> there's an appetite for something new. >> reporter: his potential weaknesses?s youth, limited gov experience, and that he's never won statewide office or even come close.

still,ut btigieg made headlines this week with poignant personal comments about h sexuality. >> when i was younger i wouldth have done ag to not be gay. if you had offered me aill to make my straight, i would have swallowed it before i had time for a sip of water. >> reporter: evenaking on t vice president who opposes same-sex marriage. >> m wish thee pences of the world would understand. i am, your problem i em with who creato >> he said some tngs that are critical of my christian faith and about me personally. ae knows better. he knows me. >> reporter: buttigieg reacting in a new interview airing today with ellen degeneres. >> i'm not critical of his faith. i'm critil of bad policies.

i'm not interested in feuding with the vice president. but if he wanted to clear this up, he cld come o today and say he's changed his mind, that it shouldn't be leg to discriminate against anybody in this country for who they are. >> reporter: hours earlier, the vice president defended his position on same-sex marriage saying he and his fily have a view of marriage that is informed by their faith. but he said that doesn't mean that they can critical of anyone else who has a different point view. >> s peter, the democratic field only growing now. what are voters telling you f indiana this mayor is all of a sudden surging and can he maintain that momentum?ep >>ter: it's a good question. it certainly feels like it's a buttigieg boom as some describe it. when he speaks to democratic voters in those early states, there is a hunger for fresh young politis.l fa it's the same energy that boasted beto o'rourke and kamala harris. remember, buttigieg if he wins would also be the first

millennial president. his entering the race would bring the number of 2020 democrats to at least 15. there were 17 republican candidates back in 2016 and of course the democratic field as you know likely to grow. the forme vice presidentoe biden among others still unannounced. >> peter alexander from the white house this friday, thanks. 7:36. time to get ahe check of weather from al. >> announcer: "today's" weather is brought to you by nondrou see 24-hour claritin. live claritin clear. >> we're looking at the sneezing season. everything starting to move north. e're looking at high tree pollen from central california all the way across to georgia and even alonghe carolina coastline. and the grass pollen now starting to grow as well. much of texas a through the gulf. we're looking at some high pollen numbers. temperatures as well, there's a chill out west. but alo the east,e've got some warmer conditions. d.c. today 73. detroit, 71. jacksonville, 85.

rapid city, 22 deges coole than the average. that's 13 degrees cooler than ag av and look at this. that chill spreads all the way down to texas on. saturd but boston, you're going to be gorgeous. degrees. that's 8 degrees above average. by sunday, that warm weather starts to shrink and the cooler airs to grow with chicago below 40 degrees. memphis, 66 dallas, 11 degrees cooler than average at 66 degrees. woods. what's going >> well, temperares in the 40s and 50s right now. we're drive dry the morning. maybe a few light showers. and then later on tonight, we're going to s some storms develop all from this system that's moving rather slowly but headed from the west to the east. many ask me abt the game with the pirates. i think the game may be able to get started but through the later innings, we'll have to watch for storms moving through

the area. >> and that's your latest llweather. >> ariyot, al. thank u. k0coming up, oh, brother. theesults from nasa's twin study revealing how space changes the humanbody. also john snow himself kit harington sharing what "game of throne means to him ahead of the final season's premiere. then mother nature'siew o "game of thrones." the look at the battle for survival. but first, alexa, what isro eavesdpping? the stunning admission this morning from o amazon just who's listening to your conversations with that popular smart speaker. that's right after this. aused by over 200 indoor and outdoor allergens. like those from buddy. because stuffed animals are clearly no substitute for real ones. feel the clarity. and live claritin clear.

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day might be being eavesdropped on by company employees. the company ys, yes, when you talk to the digital assistant, humans could also be listening. kristen dahlgren is here with story. >> reporter: privacy has been a large concern for users of amazon's alexa a digitalistant almost since the device was launched. now amazon admits n only is aluta listening, bome employees are listenings well. we all know amazon's digital sistant alexa listens to us. >> alexa, add eggs to my shopping list. >> i've put eggs on yourli shopping. >> reporter: but did you know amazon employees sometimes listen in as well? amazon confirms that thousands ofun employees arod the world listen to voices recording captured by that echo speaker. questions, family discussions, financial matters, even intimate moments. >> i'm still trying to figure out humanlove. >> reporter: according to amazon, this information helps us train our speec recognition and natural language

understanding systems. so alexaan bet understand your requests and t ensure service works well for everyone. >> alexa, d you know ng everythi? >> no. but i'm always rlearning. orter: engineered to always be listening, alexa and the echo have been a light fringe rod for privacy concerns. >> it only activates when you say its name.'s pretty name. much like privacy destroyerpy 5,000. >> reporter: in maryland, steve unplugged his eo for good. >> it was just really creepy. the idea that somebody could be time.ing to you all the >> reporter: in response to a detailed new report on the issue by bloomberg, an amazon spokesperson says the company reviews an extremely small number of randomly selected recordings saying in part, employees do not have direct access to information that can identify the perso or account. they add that the device does not record or send any audio or

data to the cloud unless you specifically wake it up by spking your chosen wake word. alexa, amazon, computer, or echo. in an inrview last fall, amazon's vice president in charge of alexa told us the device is not meant to be . invasi >> privacy and security are first and foremost super important tus. we take we design it into our products from the beginning. >> reporter: if you're still not satisfied, in alexa's privacy settings, there is the option of disabling. how do you chae theettings for voice recordings? open up the alexa app on y phone, tap on menu, and then in here go toco alexa t. you click on the bottom here alexa privacy. and then scroll down to manage how yourata improves alexa. click these just two things off.

that's help develop neweatures and also to use messages to improve transcriptions. once those are off, they won't be able to use your recordings, guys. >> that should be tdefault setting. >> yeah. >> it should come to you like that. if you choose to opt in -- >> but they never do that. oogle had this situation with theirs. there was a microphone in it they didn't disclose to people. now they're doing it people are saying why does my next security camera need a phone. >> if they're listening to my conversations a home, they're falling awasleep from boredom. >> and so many people this morning probably annoyedh w us because there are alexas everywhere. >> it jus happened again. >> hear that music again? >> hey, alexa, play "game of thrones." natalie explores the "game of thrones" phenonon ahead of the high anticipated return this weekend. also we're hear from john snow

himsel ♪

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because winter has finally come for" fans of "game of thron after there's some pressing questions that need to beanswered. who will win the throne? does jon snownow nothing? will the white walkers take over? the buzz is tremendofa. around the world just c dram and dragon. fter nearly a decade, the battle for the iron throne will soon be decided. >> when you play the game of trones, you win. >> reporter: struggle between the lanisters, the starks, and the wte walkers has been watched in over 207 countries. and with 47 emmys, thrones has created an almost rabid following. >> how excited can a human being about anything? >> reporter: the brilliantly sh character driven drama and fantasy. its return has created a frenzy.

a royal showdown at the tow of london. ion iron throne outsidef rockefeller plaza. and dragons taking over the bellagio fountains in lasvegas. social media is abuzz. not much longer. and it's more than just tv fandom. it's also a marketing juggernaut with tie-ins to food, soft drinks, athletic wear, even alcohol. in a show where good guys don't always come out on top. where women suffer yet persevere. and where s dragons,moke monsters, the undead, soothe sayers, andofire pro queens are reality.as the show made the unthinkable a habit. willie geist recently spoke with kit harington who plays jon snow. >> what's it like tbe sitting here at the end of this decade of your life as season eight is about to be launched and the series will endatn a mr of

weeks? what are you feeling right w? >> thrones has given me my wife. it's given me friends for life. a character i love, i will love more than any o er character i'll ever play. >> rorter: when it'sll said and done, the morally complex often painfully emotional journey will have taken us through 73 singur chapters. for many, it's a poignant viewing. its theatrical brilliance bridging the gap between tv and movies. >> this isn't about living in harmony. it's just about living. >> reporter: living andhe throne. well, guys, the final season of the series has a reporteudt of about $15 million pere. epis that's up from $10 million in the past six episodes. so start watching on sunday. if you're catching up like me, well, i got a lot of homework to do over the weekend. >> you can do it, nat. you can do it. >> reporter: power through. >> why is it ending if it's so

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7:56 is your time now on this 1friday, aprilth, 2019. good morning, everyone. i'm eun yang. let's get right to a check on your commute with melissa in your first 4 traffic. good morning, melissa. >> good morning. inner loop before 295, look at all the delays. slow through the area. crash blocking the left lane. delays from branchvenue all the way to 295. now, on 295 northbound at malcolm x, have a crash there. ter loop at romville pike and middle brook, crash in the right center lane. >> all right. thank you. we'll take a break now and check your forecast next. stay with this one little nexgard chew comes power, confidence, reassurance you're doing what's right to protect your dog from fleas and ticks for a full month. this one little nexgard chew

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well, it's a mild day out there today with temperature the 40s and 50s. but we will quickly warm to right around 70 degrees today with the southerly flow. becoming breezy. most of the t morning goingo be dry, but by the middle part of the day, a few rain showers and storms b this evening. could impact the later innings of the nats game a t >> all right, lauren. thank you. another loca update in 25 minutes. back to the "today" show after this short break. have a great day.

it'sto:00 onday." coming up, breaking overnight. new reports claiming the white house pressured immigration officials to e detained migrants into sanctuary cities. was thatti retaliaon against the president's political opponents? white house how t is responding. plus, behind bars. wikileaks founder julian assange waking up in jail this morning after a dramatic arrest in london. assange now waiting to see if he'll be extradited to the u.s. and vowing tlifight. we're with the latest. and theco rapping p. we'll meet a baltimore pole officer his musical talents to change the way his community views law enforcement. >> all day i'm pretty much writing lines in here and then

come here and do magic. >> how he's making a difference one lyric at a time. "today," april 12th, 2019. ♪ > we traveled 22 hours and slept 2 hours to be on -- >> "today"! >> hi to my 97-year-old great grandma mo. >> celebrating ally's birthday from okloma! ♪ >> hi to our m and dad in vi roe, south carolina. >> i'm here at the water spout withsy-bitsy spider. >> happy 50th anniversary! >> we rik nice that one. we do. 50 years of marriage. we sent send all of ourove and congratulations. >> happy good mornieverybody. "today.back to we got craig here today.

>> always good to be here early. the hashtag, my today plaza. send us a video, we'll put it on television. >> we'll find it. n'll put you o tv. let's get to the news at 8:00. lots to get to this morning. a bombshell report that the white house considered using detained immigrants to punish president trump's political rivals. llie jackson on how this all went down. hallie, good morning. >> reporter: hey, good morning to you. a lot of developments on this one. officials did nfirm trump look into this pposal to bus detained immigrant to so-called sanctuary cities. this was first reporte which des the move as a way to push back against the president's adversaries. a white house official is pushing back this morning on thdea telling me this was not meant to be thtaliation. that idea is absolutely ridiculous. and notes the controversial plan has since been dropped. the post says lawyers for i.c.e. rejectedhis as inappropriate

citing email messages with officials of the department of homeland security. in a statement overnight, a dhs spokesperson said this was a suggestion that was floated and rejected which a ended further discussion. back to you. >> all right. hallie, thank you. this morning, lawyers for wikileaks founder julian assange are vowing to fight his extradition to the united states to face computer hacking charges. assange was convicted thursday in london of skippingl bai while he was the investigation of a rape in sweden. this isid v where he was dragged out in.london the united statescces assange of conspireing wita man computer southwest airlines has decided to keep its fleet of boeing 737 max 8 jets grounded for an additional two months. until at least august 5th.

they have 34 of the planes,an me ny other airline. they say passengers who already booked flights will be contacted about changes. southwest has canceled thousands of flights since max planes were grounded by the faa last month followin the two crashes overseas. boeing has been working on a software fix for the planes. p >>ice have released dramatic video of a tntin slamming an suv in downtown orlando. the suv appears to gonder the arms of the crossing gate and stalls on the tracks. after a few moments, it moves forward just as a train comes through. nobody on the train was hurt. officials say this was the third accident at that intersection since december. police fweeted the video as a reminder to be cautious and patient at railroad crossings. hoda has the morning offut the boost goes firefighters rescue a puppye o

again. here's how it started. >> come on, buddy. he north charleston fire captain and his son heardog for ng while they were out a bike ride. once free, they took it to the charleston animal society. it was put up for adoption. this week it was reunited with the captain this time for good. how c is that? i think he likes it. >> yeah. >> and the puppy's name is rocky. just ahead on pop start, kim kardashian's revealing answers to 73 questions from vogue and her surprising hidden talent. first, though, the hip hop cop. we can't wait to introduce you to baltimore's finest rapper. .is inspiring story right after [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 ♪

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. ♪ >> reporter: jackson is betowr as saint. the rapping cop. >> freshman year of high school, started rapping and i never stoppe a >> reporter: decade later, he patrols baltimore's central district while putting out multiple albums and a few music videos about his experie ♪ baltimore's finest ♪ baltimore's finest >> reporter: his newest is "baltimore's finest. ♪ 16 houor of wk is so repetitive ♪ ♪ i pray for my brothers and ♪sters in blue ♪ i see you with the lights >> it's a mixture between a hobby and a passion. more of a passion. i actually love doing it. all day i'm pretty muc writing lines in here and then come here and do magic.

>> reporter: so you' walking the beat and at the same time thinking about lyrics. >> it happens in front of me. every day. i'm write a story now. writing a rap about you. >> uh-oh. please don't. pleao it. >> reporter: in a city like baltimore ih wtsnstio p,as jack alys his music helps him bridge a v gap between the police and the community they serve. >> i think it's a gre way to start dialogue between, like, yog kids and police department. >> it's giving good detail about baltimore city, what the police officers doing in the mmunity. i love it. >> there are people i'm pretty sure i would not be able to communicate withe regular if i didn't rap. so i have kids now w walk up to me that last week were rug frono the police. he's walking up to me saying you're the guy that raps. how do you do this and howu do yoo that. and that rap conversation turns into, hey, man.w s your life? then every time you run into

each r, it's, that's a good cop right there. >> repter: the music makes what you do more approachable. >> exactly. >> reporter: how do people youom talk to in of the communities you patrol, how do they view the police? >> it you run into people who like the police and you run into people who don' all right? but the people who don't, i try converse with them more. every time i roll through, hey, you gething new coming out. and i'm like, it's coming. >> reporter: what's t end game? >> grammy. >> reporter: greally? >> ing to win a grammy. >> reporter: beyond jackson's dreams of hitting the red carpet he's hoping toake a difference every day he reports for work. what's a typical day look like for you?he >> is no typical day. there's no normality to this. a every day is anomaly. >> reporter: how would you describe the city to strangers? >> there's so much potential that's hidden o t heret most people don't see because the media will only show,ou know, the murder rate that we have and all that stuff. but we have so much goodhat

comes from here. amazing people. the kids that run around here, if you're able to actually talk to them and stuff like that, they're good kids.or >> rr: and now that rarely seen side of baltimore is accessible through jackson's rhymes. >> wow. that's cool. >> this is not the last we've heard of joshua jackson. >>nkno. >> i t at some point he may win a grammy. he's such a niy. he's one of those guys i enjoyed my time there with. win a grammy? run for office. >> we're going to see him >> that message would fall flat on the street ifs he was whack. but he sounds good. >> he's truly a beat cop. >> thank you for that. >> you're welcome. all right, al. got a check of the weather? >> ido. we've got some severe weatherlko about. no. anyway. we've got this line of

understorms wrapping up. that's just the tip of the iceberg as far as severe weather. r today we've got mostly in west texas where we're looking at some storm hazards. row into tomorrow night, that is where we're really worried. 23 million people at risk for damaging winds, tornadoes, and speaking of tornadoes, we're going to see anaot of tes probably at night if they do form. they're most common in the southeast. twice as likely to cause fatalities. we'll watch that. then on sunday, it's palm sunday 45 million people at risk. we've had palm sunday outbreaks before 1920, '65, and 1994. the good news is folks are i church and those are usually the stronger buildings in a admmunity. the news is folks are at service so they can't listen. so make sure somebody is a designated weather monitor especially from cincinnati, roanoke, knoxvilleoatlant downhe panhandle of florida. rainfall out of this system by sunday. we'reng tal anywhere from 1 to 3 even 4 inches of rain. that may cause proems for the

lower mississippi and missouri rivers where flooding is still an issue.in woods. and the system that al just talking about is going to reach our area on sunday night into monday. could have storms. i don't think they're going to be that severe though. norain. 40s and 50s. we will have some showers through the middle part of the day after lunchtime. and then rain and storms moving in after that evening commute. so again, the first part of the nats game may get off, b we do have some pretty strong storms celling through. we'll keep the chf rain >> that's your latest weather. >> all right. carson, it's that time of the morning we all look forward to. >> thank you, thank you. first up, kim kardashianwe . we mentioned yesterday her interview with vogue magazine is whic revealed she's studying to become a lawyer. while he took time in vogue's o3 questi series, giving a look at her home while spending time

with khan ya i and the kids. >> can you share your secret to go parenting? >> you will have to wing it. my sisters and are on a family chat to talk about things. >> what's the best thing your kids taught you? >> my kids taught me how to be patient and what's important in life. yeah, one second. oh, and fortnite. >> can you show me a hidden talent? >> i have a hidden talent of being able to smell when somebody has a cavity. >> how do you really feel about the paparazzi? >> it depends what i look li day. >> dinner with anyone living or not living, who would it be? >> definitely my dad. >> how do you deal with negative feed back on social media or the press? >> it's hard but you have to ignore it. >> what's a question you detest being asked? >> i really hate when people ask me what i do. >> what's something you thought you'd never see yourself doing

in a million years? >> go toaw school. >> next time somebody asks her what she does, she smells cavities on people. is that a thing? >> i think it's a burden. i don't want top smell 's cavities. i think that's a lot to bear. >> you smell like decay. wow. >> al hasn't seen his dentist in awhile. >> no. >> also the cleanest house i've ever seen. >> you could smell a cavities a mile away there. >> i think they have some help with that house too. update on mick jagger. it was reported last week the singer had heart valve surgery. his rep confirming for us his ted to make a full ssf recovery. he is up and up. he posted a picture to instagram standing tall and looking strong. he captioned it,n a walk the park. it does appear to be quite literal. he's in a epark. we taking that that is a sign he's recovering well. up next, this one'sard to believe. this marks the 30th anniversary

of "when harry met sally." great film, classic. became an instant classic as it delved into the relationship of two friends fophe celebrate anniversary, turner crassic movie festival held a celebrion which they intended. crystal was asked if he knet would be such a hit? >> from the moment it opened and actually before then. rob and i were in burbank testing the movie. the orgasm scene, the laughs great.nsanely and when that scene ended, we realized he and i were holding t hands because is so intense the theater, the laughter so amazing that we knew tre was something special. and the fact it's now 30 years later andple are still laughing and new people are discovering it, because everybody's had theroblem of falling in and out of love, you know? and so it's stillniversal and it's still the one of everyone

who has tried to do it, it's still the one that i the gold standard. >> that is an amazing thing. that film has held up over 30 years. and the i'll have what she's having. thas his mom. >> oh, that's right. interesting tidbit thne. fact. thank you, al. jenna bush hager sat down with garth brooks. the singer recently released a cmited editionlection of his entire catalog on vinyl. yes, vin is back. garth brooks explains why he made the decision. he made it based on popular demand. >> because peopler want to h vinyl again. it became the number one question for us. when are you going to putst you f on final. now the vinyl package has come out. here comes ds"frien in low places." "thunder rolls" "ain't going up."until the sun comes >> i smiled at every one because i remember being a little girl in athens, texas, at my lake house listening to "rodeo."

>> in under 48 hours, sold 127,000 copies. the beatles were number one vinyl artist but onlyold 321,000 over a 12-month period. so you get the id watch jenna's full interview with the star coming up today in the fourth hour on "today." well, we need a click, don't we? >> we have a click for you. >>his was close call far couple of dogs in canada. take a look at this here. you'll see the dog grab the chihuahua the driver saw some action and rushed back there and was dogs ed to see that both are okay. >> look at that. >> gives lassie a run. >> thank you for that. now to a fascinating update.

that siyear-long m for astronaut scott kelly. >> he has an identical twin ed oner mark who rema earth that year. that was atu golden opporty for nasa to examine the long-term effects of space on the human body. simply compare one identic t twin again other. well, the results are in and tom costello has got th d. wh they find? >> they found a whole range of changes including in scott's gut. in his immune system. even genetic chans. back onearth, mark a former astronaut, he experienced none of that. the question what would happen if we went on a two and a half noigs mars? >> today is my six rep day. >> reporter: from the minute he arrived on the space station, scott kelly was a test. >> we've collected a of data

on our time here. >> reporter: t tests continued back on earth. how did a year s inpace affect his body? three years later, the results are in. the biggest surprise? >> 7% of my genes which is dna, rna, and h proteine now expressed themselves differently. >> reporter: in space,s kell genes suddenly became far mar active. gened related t immune responses, infla nation, and cell growth. perhaps frompace radiation exposure which increases his risk of cancer. and something else. the protective ends on his chromosomes suddenly got longer in that's good news. longer telomeres help protect against the aging but as soon as he was back on earth, they shrank. susan bailey at colorado state university says that could be a concern. >> it's the short telomeres that

relate to the aging process and increase of risks to deases like cancer. >> reporter: other changes in space, scot lost 7% of his body weight. the bacteria living in his gut changed. flui changes inside his eyes led to blurry vision. out his cardiac output and brain function continued improve. on earth, twin brother mark peerned none of that. critical research for those ing to mars. >> i would go to mars in a second. as long as i had the return ticket. or aeasonable expectation. >> reporter: so he says a reasonable expectation of coming back is a 50/50 chance. he'd go but iot intereste a one-way mission. it took eights month after returning to earth before he felt normal. >> tt's because his telomeres had gotten so lo.

they shrank again. a that was fascinating. thank you so much. it's cool to see how it turned out. apparently space has an effect on you. >> and his twin brother got the better end of that experiment.he i'll be t constant at earth. today in thewi . keir is getting a look at the animal world's savage kingdom. also, we're grilling up some special brisket sandwiches. first your local

good morning, everybody. 8:26 n this friday, april 12th.now i'm aaron gilchrist. let's check inith melissa mollet. she haa look at our first 4 traffic. >> good morning. take a look at these delays because of an earlier crash. right now really stretching back to branch avenue and then up 295 if that's the way you're going to be heading that's because of a problem northbound at malcolm x avenue. germantown southbound 270 after middlebrook cra still blocking a lane. we're seeing some delay there is. rest of 270 not so bad. >> thank you. we'll check on the forecast when we come back. st.

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start maximizing today! maxx life at t.j.maxx well, temperatures will climb out of the 40s and 50s to the low 70s dry through the morning, but we'll have some rain showers, light stuff between lunchtime and about 3:00, 4:00. then storms later on tonight. some of those storms could last

until tomorrow morningy saturda increasg chances of rain on sunday. warm this weekend. dry through next week. >> thank you. you can get the latest news and weather any time. just open the nbc washington

8:30 now! on this finemo friday rning. april 12th,2019. looks like everybody on the pla is ready for the weekend, huh? and so are we. so good to have you. >> okay. let me tell y something. i got some girls out here on the plaza who are so ready for the weekend. are you ready? >> who are they? >> this is heather, lauren, and ellen. hi, girls. now, where are you>>from? tennessee. >> and is this a girls trip? feels like a girls trip. >> it is. our fit one together after 38 eaars of friendship. >> who'd you lve at home? >> the husbands and the kids. >> oh, my gosh. show us these shirts.

you're bringing the alibi and bill money. >> you are bringing? >> agenda and camera. bringing?u are >> alcohol. >> how long are you here? >> until sunday. >> all right. have fun. >> thank you! >> that's a girls trip. >> know. those t-shirts are amazing. >> of course the kids will showe them t shirts when things go bad. >> also behind us, is today the actual birthday? 80 years old. wouldn't have guessed it. where are you from? >> florida. >> well, happy atbirthday. your name? >> alice. >> happy birthday, alice. 80 years old. i hope i look that good at 80. just ahead on a friday morning, "day" in the wild. keir simmons sharing his story. a real life "game of thrones." >> here's a question. how much do you love your dog or cat? well, we're going to take an inside look at the world of pet cloning. coming up, chef abdo is

here. weell you more about that and the delicious recipe for brisket sandwiches. jam packed third hourf "today." kristen belle, luke hemsworth,a ti and but first a check of the weather. >> announcer: "today's" weather is brought to you by "missing link" now playing in theaters everywhere. >> let's take a look ahead at your weekend and see how it'ssh ing up starting off with saturday. we expect to see a mild afternoon in new england. severe storms down through the lower mississippi valley river y va then sunday, sunday! the severe storms move io the southeast. heavy rain up into the ohio river valleys. spring highs that will dominate into the southwest. and some wet weather into the oncifi northwest.

that's what's goinroun'swood we that cy chances after lunch. light showers through commute. then storms after the evening commute. those will lead into your saturday. most of saturday going to be dry. rain for sunday though. current temperatures out there right now in the 50s.'r on our way to right around 70 degrees. wed start our series off with the piratelo s like the first part will be a-okay. but storm chances increase as that game goes on. >> and that is your latest weather. >> thank you. we are wrapping up our "today" in the wild series this morning. exploring the daily battle to survive. hey, keir. >> reporter: y, craig. you're going to love this. it's more "game of thrones." thisame of thrones day today. inen the animals are joining except that, of course, there's this new nat gee owe series

savage kingdom pointing out, maybe it's the animals that invented that competition and battle for suival. because it doesn't get much more "game of thrones" than the animal world. surviv is the ultimate skill in the animal world. whether that means protecting their young or tackling an intruder. there's n room for error in this savage kingdom. >> i've probably spent about $15,000, $16,000 withli s. >> reporter: he has spent his life chronicling the trials of those that populate this area in botswana. you can see why the folks at national geographic think this place is like "game of thrones" . there are legendary battles. and queens.

that terrorize the land. the resistance armies always on the prowl.se and tho who will do anything to ensure their dynasty survives. >> so this is part of the pride. >> reporter: you're so relaxed eing thislose to what are killers. >> yeah. i'm very relaxed. you get to know them. every now and then you have a character that sticks out. it's a group of females and one young female. there's a good chance the cheetahs will push him. >> reporter: the matata pride, he was able to capture this dramaticscene. >> he must have been cross. >> reporter: he's followed this pack of wild dogs for over two

ars. >> they've got a new alpfe male here. this year they haven't been successful. >> reporter: their eternal enemy, hyenas. they take on the ruling hyena clan led by a may tree yark. >> it's a tough one. you are following the biography of severalpredators. >> reporter: his personal favorite, leopards. >> lions tend to be brawn.d leop isyer timate. >> reporter: the queen of the forest is a single mother.ue bl eyes her mate can't be trusted. 's killed his own cub before. this cheetah momow thr herself in the line of attack. and manages to save her young.it a natural drama all the way as the characters in the series flirt and fight to live another day. >> there's a level ifellect that comes with the predators

and thewill adjust to every circumstance. >> reporter: but unlikes,game of thro four legged predators will kill out of need. not malice. i just love that idea that animals kill when they kill not out of malice but out of need. they compete because they just need to. it's been an incredible journey for us, guys, from botswana to africa.aveling across i think what i have learned and what we all have taken away is at we canearn so much from animals. and that is honestly one of the reasonshey're worth protecting. >> keir, thanks. you and four crew bringing the amazing images. >> boondogglboondo over now. >> back to work. >> we also have to mention that "today" produced these reports from africa and included previews from nat geo specials which paid for production sts.

it runs on the nationalog phic channel on sunday night. up next, the pet owners who are going to extreme lengths to keep their beloved companions by their side. firsnbthis is "today" . o

happy friday. look who here. misheinelle. >> morning, guys. ai we got a look at pet cloning? >> i can't to hear what you guys are going to say about this one. it's a conhaoversial idea for some pet owners who have the money, cloning their pet is how they choose to keep the beloved animal with them forever. >> go get it.ee he's just part of our family for the last 14 years. >> reporter: for some people, there's no greater love than for that of theirpet. >> come on. >> reporter: a family member amy can't imagine living without. >> he's the love of m life.

>> reporter: after seeing a story on the new about cloning, she and her husband decided they didn't have t live without him. >> i started researching it and there was a pce in thenited states who started cloning pets. viogen pets. i immedtely picked up the phone and called them. the rest is history. >>eporter: amy's decision to clone came with a hefty price tag. af total $50,000. she says thsiprocedure was le. a veterinarian took a small amount of tissue fm his abdomen while he was already under for a teeth cleaning. that tich was sent to viagen pets. the same company that cloned barbara streisand's dogs. >> it's not as weird and sci-fii like people it is. >> reporter: viagen has been cloning pets for 15 years. >> the joy we see on the credible faces is when we get to help deliver one of the clonedes pupr kittens

to theie . >> reporter: today take a cell and fuses it with an egg from an embryo. s transferred to a surrogate. she gives birtho a clone of the pet which is like an identical twin born later. they are genetically identical but have different al persies. >> it's an identical twin. and that identical twin is an individual. >> reporter: blake russell int the presif viagen. he cloned his prizee. hors >> he's able to transmit his genes, his powerful genetics to that net generation. >> look at him. he's a doll. >> reporter: amy, very happi got two clones. >> i wanted one. if there was ten, i would take ten. turned out a thousand times better than i ever dreamed it would. reporter: despite the joy it brings, cloning has its critics. the humane society telling nbc news in part that the commercial droning of animals is

destructive, needness, and an often frivolous enterprise. a highly experimental procedure with anrm es number of failures. and they say it should be law.bited by other critics like p.e.t.a. suggest adopting a pet from ate sh instead of cloning. >> it's defini not an either/or. there's always going to be a pe oroption. >> rr: while it's not for everyone, amy has no regrets. >> i made a decision to do something i know seems out there to most. t to me it was the answebl to be to deal with some day losing him. they didn't replace him. but they allowed me to know that there's a piece of him that will always be with me. >> viagen pets is the only u.s. commercial company that clonesi pets cats and dogs. the key is the personality no matter whatou do will be

different. it's not, you know, the pet with the spunk you may remember. >> my knee jerk reaction is i feel bad for the pets that are here. like the dogs u'here. not going to get a dog in need of a home if you're cloning your own pet. >> selike what the humane socie was saying. >> when i said you heard twitt exploding? that's because everyone has an opinion. >> that's a lot for a dog. >> right? $50,000. you want to talk about whatg up? >> which e? >> on saturday. camera.the >> this weekend we traveled across the pond to meet some of the "game of thrones" stars. real life dyerwolves. >> we're on an animal kick today. >> it is animal plan>>. i did saturday "today." i don't remember ever being able to go -- >> we had to tn up the volume a little bit, craig. >> all right. thank u, sheinelle. let's go out to mr. roque for once again. >> tnk you.

we got mr. matt abdo here. we got the smoker going. the special inspiration behind one of his all-time favorite recipes. you're going t. love but first this is "today" on nbc.

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because we don't just want your kids to grow up. we want them to grow up stronger. hi, guys. this morning on "today" food, one of our favorites matt abdo is here. chef and owner of pigic beach is fantastic here in new york. >> he cooks some of the best barbecue around. we know that. but today east doing it for a cause that is deeply personal. >> big pig beach, we started barbecuing as a hobby on the weekends. we entering ourselves into ome competitions and started winning. and we're like, oh, my god. i can't believe it. maybe we're pretty good at this. >> reporter: matt abdo partn

in business was his brother-in-law. >> the first time we broke brea, togethe started laughing and hanging out. it was just an incredible connection from the very first day. it's a rarity to say your brother-in-law is somebody you love. kind, big hearted, amazing, sweet, incredible, talented, family oriented. he was just the kind of guy that everybody wanted to be aro >> reporter: but last may, life took a tragic turn. jeff died suddenly at the age of 36. >> jeff passed away from a brain bleed. i just know that it happened really quick and there wasn't really much time t react to any of it. >> reporter: jeff left more than just a business behind but a young family. his wife sarah and their daughter haye >> his little girl meant the t entire world him. >> reporter: in jeff's honor, abdo along with 12 barbecue superstars from around the country will grill from dawn until dusk, a fund raiser to help buildut a fe for hayes. >> to be ableo t keep his memory

around so w his daughterl be able to know who he is and what he helped us build, that's really what iant to do. >> matt, we love you and we feel like you're family here. >> thank you. >> we're so sorry to hear about jeff. >> i know this has been a really difficult time for you guys. >> it has. but, you know, lith thee and support of our immediate family and our barbecue family and everybody that's just been around us, you know, we're doing our best to get through . losing jeff is -- it's just an impossible thing. but we're going to do our best to honor him and thi incredible event we're putting together tomorrow and hopefully every year to come. >> well, y always cook with heart. it's doubly so today. this is one of jeff's favorite recipes, right? >> it was. when we started at pig beach, we didn't have brisket on the menu. he perfected it and put it on th mean yaw. it's one of our top selling items every week. >> how do you do it? i'm so intimidated to do o this

my green egg or smoke it. >> green eggs are great for brisket. find a qualitybrisket. ask for what's called the whole packer brisket. that meansou have two parts of a brisket. the flat which is this part here on then then point which is also called the fattier or the moist brisket. >> did you do anhing to this? we trimmed off a little bit of the fat on top. then this other side here, there's a wedge cut of fat in that pocket. you want to cut that out. once you have the brisket lean , clea what you're going to doak is t plain yellow mustard and smear it or the top. can be any kind of yellow mustard out there. coat t entirety of the brisket. this will help all the seasoning which is just salt and pepper. >> all sides of it? >> could you use adijon? >> you could. it will give an intenser flavor. the main purpose of it is to

help thi rub stick to it. you're going to aggressively season this with theustard all over top of it. that's going to go in your smoker. set your smoker a about 250 degrees. briskets take a long time. if you're doing the brisket, yak want to sure you have time set. it's going to take 12 to 14 hours at around 250 degrees. we like cooki our briskets with cherry wood and oak. >> how do you keep your fuel going f 12 urs? >> well, it's a great question. you got to stay on it. >> the wood's gotngo keep g on in. >> wood, charcoal, got to keep feeding it. c>> itomes out 12 hours and it's there. one o the components to the sandwich is the quick cured pickles. super simple to make. cucumbers. gets sugar. salt. some smash garlic cloves. >> interesting. nyy the sugar? >> becauseing that's pickled always has a little bit of in it to help wehe preservation and flavor. rice wine vinegar and white

vinegar. you can do this in a couple of hours or let it sit overnight. you have plenty of time to make these pickle you're going to let them sit in this solution. the cucumbers will leechut additional moisture and juices. it will create light pickled flavor. so this goes in. it's going to be cooking slow and slo 250 grees. about 12 hours later, comes out of the smoker. we like to wrap itn butcher paper to hold off all the moisture. >> what is that? >> it's a- a whi color, peach color, get it at the lstcher shop. you could use parchment paper. if you ask the butcher, they'll give it tu. just don't use xed. >> all right. we got about 30 seconds. slice that . >> craig's going in for >> oh, my god. look at that. >> that is beautiful. >> wow. > burnt ends? ever hear of urthat?

>> bnt ends over here! >> we slice this all up. >> while cutting that, remind everybody atto home about rrow's benef. tomorrow april 13th we're doing a benefit atig beach in brooklyn to benefit dajeff's ughter hayes and his wife sarah. >> they're here. >> they're with us somewhere. where'd they go? hayes, sarah? >>hey're here. we saw them. >> here they come. we love you. and please if you could come, we'd loveifo have you. not, we have links on our website. >> want to say hi to uncle matt. >> this is mr. roker. and mrs. guthrie. >> she's like, not brisket again. >> best.f lu all our love. go to if you can't go tomorrow, you can still help out. >> have a great event e'tomorro. >>re back in a moment. this is "today" on nbc. >> can i get a bag for t so with xfinity mobile

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coming up in aew minutes on the third hour of "today," a parade of stars including ti, kristen bell, and one final sibling surprise for the week. >> that's right. that would be sheinelle. >> exactly. all right. matt, thank thu. k you, little hayes. >> thank you, guys. >> we all smell like the w. campfire no have a good weekend. first your local news. 8:56 is your time now on this thiday, april 12, 2019. good morning, everyone. i'm eun yang. right now let's che onour commute with melissa mollet and your first 4 traffic. >> good morning. so some crashes h cleared but we have a lot of backups hanging around. northbound 295 at malcolm x and the inner loop local lanes before 295.zo ing out, beltway is looking good overall with exception of the problem at the bottom there.

rockville southbound 355 there at gude drivelocking the left side of the car dealers. we'll take a break now. check your forecast when we come back. ay w

r> well, we've got cloudy conditions out theht now. dry until about lunchtime. then we'll start to see lighte showers mnto our area. storms after that evening commute. ng soratve some earlyni m da y night and sunday morning. o en it's going humid with storms there u the day on sunday. ext ry out monday through week. next chance of rain an friday. >> thank you. get the latest news and weather any time in the nbc washington app. have a great day.

rockefeller plaza this is the third hour of "today." >> good morning. 'm dylan dreyer here with al and sheinelle. craig had to leave a little early this morning. don't worry. our good friend nbc news correspondent jacob soboroff is >> i smell like smoke. >> his odor is song with this one. >> you just left the camp fire. with brisket, right. >> really, the smell is strong. and you washed your eyeglasses and it's straight up alcohol. >> a lot going on right now. >> okay. so it's beeig aeek here. how are you feeling?