♪ . good morning. breakingnews. massive man hunt. the fbi on a search far aded an dangerous woman said to be infatuated with the columbine shooting massacre. columbine and dozens of denver area schools closed today. who is that woman? what we out of bounds? new documents inhe jussie smollett case revealing the prosecutor was still weighing in the case. the explosive texts and emails . lost and found. new images inside notre dame cathedral and what was saved.

now the questions dogging investigators. why did it take 23 minutes just to find the fire. this morning, craig live from paris with the rebuil. all that plus ree-day threat. the powerful storms bearing down on tens of millions from tex no confidence? why some pilots may be hesitant to fly those 737 max planes and the massive impact to yourmm .uer travel plan ♪ w while youere sleeping, beyonce was released an al db and a netflix special. "today," wednesday 1 hi, everybody.

glad to have you with us. willie is in for hoda. if you haven't heard, hoda's got a new baby girl at home. little hope. >> i just finay closed my mouth from the surprise on the air yesterday. we're so thrilled for anthem. you had an audience with hope yesterday. >> we did. jenna and i did. we went right over aft the show. we went in and saw the baby. she's adorable. hoda is doing greathand is so in y an we'll have more on that in abi we want to officials shutting down schools in the denver area this morning. there's an ongoing search for a womaho w flew to colorado and purchased a gun ahead of the tragedy at callum bien. good morning, joe fryer. >> reporter: good morning. half a million students in the w denver areaon't be going to school today. the call to cancel classes was

made overnight hours after the fba released mor details about a wan who authorities say is extremely dangerous andoses a credible threat. this morning communities in the denver area are on edge. authities on the hunt asking everyone to be on the lookout for the 18-year-old. >> this has become a massive man hupt. >> reporter: they consider her to be a credible threat to the community and potentially to scho >> she has expreed an infatuation with columbine. >> reporter: she was able to buy pump action shotgun and ammunition when she arrived in colorado monday. student safety is the top priority as more than a dozen public school districts keep their doors closed t ed today. >> we want our schools to be a safe place for kids to learn and where .

that's why we take this threat seriously today. >> reporter: more thanmi2,000 s away, investigators were seen at a home where it was said she lived. concerns in the area led to a chilling reminder of the the reality the country faces just days before the 20th anniversa of theass shooting at columbine high that killed >> these threats have ramped up over the last couple of weeks. >> this must have the entire community on edge. do we know more about this woman who' >> reporter: well, authorities say that she was last seen

monday in the foothills here in jefferson county. so far she has not been charged with anything, but authorities sayhe tare working with the u.s. attorney's office to come up with the appropriate charges in this case. >> thank you. the jeussie smollett case i back in headlines. we're now seeing texts that took place after the state's attorney recused herself from the case. miguel almaguer has more. good morning. >> reporter: overnight we got our first look at textessages and emails cook county prosecutors were sending about the jussie smollett case. the document dump had to be released under open record laws. and now it's putting chicago's p prosecutor back in the spotligh is this morning kim fox making .

1300 pages of newly released documents including tex the top prosecutor in chicago told deputies i'm recused. but when people accuse us of overcharging cases. becomes exhibit "a."ce po say smollett staged a hate crime and lied about it. when the charges were dropped, it ignited am.ire st >> i've been truthful and consistent on every level since day one. f zblx went on to call smollett a washed up celeb who lied to cops. but turns out singer r. kelly in a case her office is also handling was whargedh fewer felonies. pedophile with four victims, ten counts, she writes. then referring tosmollett, just because we can charge something does. police and the mayor blasted

cook county prosecutors. >> this w isithout a doubt a whitewash of justice. >> reporter: the attorneys caught off guard by the media storm that followed. one writing, just wish i could have anticipated the magnitude of this response and ped in a t statement, state's attorneys office said they couldn't comment on the messages as the case is under independent review ordered by kim fo herself. but for top cops in the chicago area, it's not enough. calling for foxx to step down. >> she needs to resign and sheo should d it quickly. >> reporter: flanked by supporrs,foxx has said she won't leave office. >> i appreciate the support. . will tell you that i'm no >> as you know, chicago police believe they have overwhelming evidence againnd smollett a the city of chicago recently sued jussie smollett.

>> reporter: the city did sue him for $130,000. but it looks like he has no plans to repay that money. smollett's attorneys have said the suit is ridiculous and the actor is now being victimize t again thie by the city. >> miguel almaguer, thank you very much. another big story we're foowing, thee devastating f ate cathedral. today investigators are searching for the cause and we are lee about what was saved and what was lost inside that 850-year-oldchurch. craig is in paris for us again this morn craig, good morning to you. >> reporter: savannah, good morning. france's primeinister a short time ago announcing an intel architects co tetition to desire new spire that will sit atop the cathedral behind me. meanwhile, this morning a police source iselling nbc news that a computer glitch may have initially sent security officers to the wrong part of the cathedral when that fire first

broke out. perhing some time. nonetheless, firefighters are being f praised their herculean efforts to save notre dame. a look inside at whas left ase thresident sets a timetable to rebuild it. rising from the ashes but still st. the damagm only visible fro the air. most of the roof very gone. leaving the bare ribs of the building beneath. firefighters apparently had just 30 minutes to save the towers from the blaze. battling very close to the flames to save the structure. precious statues sawed away to reduce stress on the northern corner of the building. th looked before tuesday's inferno. one of the most iconic and well loved building the world. just 24 hours ago, folks from all over the world would stoer and stare h in wonder and

amazement. now it's become a bit of a solemn spectacle. all of them looking upondering how long is it going to take to rebuilt notre dame? >> it will be back. back.ully we'll be >> reporter: this couple is visiting for their first time tr denver. >> there wer relics because they were doing all the renovations. but i really wanted to see, you know, things from back when >> reporter: miracles as well this easter week. no loss of the cathedral's main structure remaining largely intact including those iconic stone towers. and the three stained glass rose windows. also the incredible organ all safe. and the priceless relics including the crown of thorns and the nail and splinter of fwood said to bem the cross that carried jesot fosafety.

macronts wan the cathedral rebuilt in five years. >> there are thousands of donations coming >>in. eporter: everyone wants to yeahnotre dame. >> craig, there is, of course, a lot of speculation about what actually caused the fire. is there any >> reporter: no. there's not. officials here stillnsist that it's -- it was an accident, just a terrible accident. they have interviewed about 30 people so faro try to get to the bottom. you wow, theree some questions yesterday asell about the structure. i can tell you thatia offic believe that it is for the most part structurally souner thare some in what's left of the roof. i've spaent lot of time talking to folks on the ground here not just a notre dame but all over paris. parisians, folks from america as well. it is so hard to understate how

much this cathedral means to the people of the world. france's president macron last night in that address, when he said that they would rebuild this cathedral in five year no one here disbelieves that. everyone believes that notre dame will be rebuilt if not in five years, soon. >> where there's a will, there's a way. craig, good to have you there. thank you. there is a lot more to get to this morning presidenp weighing in on who he might face in the 2020 electi. we're also hearing from several of his pal opponents holding rallies and town halls across the country. hallie jackson has more. hallie, good morg to you. and yeah, a president turned pundit, you could say, is now predicting who he thinks will be 20. front runners come president trump tweeting overnight believes it will be in his woshds, crazy bernie sanders and sleepy joe biden coming out

as finalists against the greatest econo in perhaps the history of the koun kri adding, may god rest their souls. the 2020 contenders are hitting the trail coast to coast with one of the newest official contenders handling heck >> it's all right. it's all right. >> reporter: interrupted in iowa. millennial mayor pete buttigieg facing s anti-gay protesters getting personal about same-sex marriage. >> it's just a basic personal right that we ought to have. and we shouldn't be afraid to. >> you know, the good news is the condition of my soul is in the hands ofgod, but the iowa caucuses a. >> reporter: buttigieg, a 37-year-old rhodes scholar and navy veteran would be the first

openly gay commander in chief. in an interview with rachel maddowng shari how he realized it was time to come out after returning home from afghanistan. n this earth.t know how y and by the time i came back, i realized, like, i got to do something. >> reporter: and as buttigieg makes waves for his war of words with the vice president who opposes same-sex m youarrel, sia crr. >> reporter: his 2020 rivals arg makiheadlines for their attacks on president trump. senator bernie sanders calling out the president on what's typically considered his tux, news hours after releasing his tax returns showing sanders made me than a million dollars in 2016 and . >> hey, president tr my wife and i just released ten years. please do the same. let thameric. >> reporter: the president firing back his own criticism tweeting, he is always complaining about these big tax cuts except when it benefits

him. the president's not just facing challenges from the democratic side but from inside his own party now too. former massachusetts governor bill weld has announced he will go up against the president in the republican primary. that is a long st to be sure given the approval ratings among gop voters. >> thanks so got an update now on the still-grounded boeing 737 max planes. the faa now saying it will require pilots to undergo additional training before they're allowed to fly those jets again. coversom costello aviation for us. he's at reagan national for us this morning. go morning. >> reporter: good morning. to underscore the max remains grounded. the faa says the software grade that boeing has been working on looks like it will be suitable, their words. butin boe hasn't still formally approval.that for airlines have taken the max

fleet out of their service well through the summer. the faa says it will require pilots to undergo additional computer or ipad training on the mcas system. but they will not be required to simulator. thatst mcas sy thought to be the cause of the two fatal crashes. the faa would have to aerove th fix. is there going to be a public confidence problem with passengers not willing to get on that plane? >> absolutely. it's natural. we have a pilot confidence issue right w. the aircraft is grounded so we got to rebuild that. >> reporter: the wa meth airline pilots last week asking for feedback on the steps to eventually approve the max for ight once again. >> we have the safety level we have today because of that ts parn transparency, that open ge and take. >> reporter: wit ut the max in

their fleets, u.s. airlines are canceling flights well into the summer rush. united canceling flights through early july. southwest and american canceling more than 200 flights a day into august. american emailing customers, we can plan more reliably for the peak travel season by adjusting our schedule now. with theirlineslying fewer aircraft, you may find fewer options for your summer travel plans, prices could be higher m and you have a make a connection rather than flying direct. a expertsdvise booking early and checking reservations in case the airline reschedules your fl cancels. boeing has cut the max by 20% and now there are predictions that could actually cut into the nation's economic activity for the second quarter. >> huge impact in a lot of different yoways. than very much.

now for our first check of the weather. dylan is in today for al. >> hey, good morning, guys. we are going to see a very active afternoon and evening through the middle of the country. s up the ground and things are unsettled, we'll see the risk of strong storms. nches or see hail 2 more in diameter. that's the size of an egg. that could be falling from the sky.ld that create some significant damage. wind gusts also up to 60 miles per hour possible along with some tornadoesec esplly through oklahoma and texas. tomorrow it shifts along the gulf coast. alabama, mississippi, louisiana, panhandle of orida. we still could see wind gusts in excess of 60 miles per hour and hail 1 inch or more in diamet. on friday, we'll see that heavy rain and storms affect the east coast especially inhisrea from virginia into north and south carolina. damaging winds, large hail, and still some fast-ming spinup tornadoes are a possibility. it's going to be an active day today and tout lasts thrgh friday. that's a look at the weather across the country.

we'll get to your forecast in battery charging. ♪ ♪ thank you so much. battery charging. ♪ well, if you're north of d.c., you're going to have a little b c more clouder than our friends to. but everybo more clouds this afternoon and through this evening. maybe an isolated shor if you're in northern maryland. otherwise a big spread in temperatures. maryla in the 60s, southern maryland and closer to central virginia in the 70s. lue door cold front th sag to the south. that's why areas north will be a little cooler. here in d.c., upper 60s. lower south in the 70s.

maryland 60shis afternoon. >> and that's your latest forecast. just ahead, an outpouring of support for the little boy fighting for his life after he was thrown off a balcony at the mall of america. f his family. and later, more of our eyep opening tri to jerusalem for our frontiers of faith series. the birds eye view we were given of the holy city. but first this is with this one little

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oh no, no, no, no, no, no, no... only pay for what u need. liberty. liberty. liberty. liberty. ♪ 7:26 is your time now on ais wednesday,il 17th, 2019. goodmorning, everyone. i'm eun yang. >> and i'm aaron gilchrist. developing this morning, d.c. police say a woman is dead after an early morning fire at a gas ation. this is video from the scene on benning road in northeast. no word yet on how that fire may have started. mt. rainier police -- now let's check o your commute with melissa mollet and your first 4 traffic. good morning. >> good morning. benning road derted to oklahoma there in northeast because of that gasti staon fire. are blocdd.

eastboopen, but that investigation could be some time. rthbound 95, live look there. not so bad. southbound wisconsin at old georgetown, two right lanes blocked by th accident. >> thank you. we've been investigating proble hospital in d.c. for more than two years now. now there are new c of vets turned away or forgotten. >> the news4ti i-team getng answers and working to protect our heroes today at 5:00. we'll take a break and c

temperatures out there right now in the 50s. we're going to have a spread in temperatures today. north of d.c., in the 60s. south of d.c., temperatures in the 70s. d.c. will fall somewhere in between. clouds increase for everybody later on this afternoon. maybe a few sprinkles north, b that's not going to be the exception, not the rule. passinghower tomorrow morning with a bit of drizzle. dry tomorrow aftendoon. hot a humid.

severe weather alert on friday specificallyoo friday afternup eastern seaboard but dry for easter. >> all right. thank you. nother local news update in 25 minutes. >> for now back to the "today" show after this sh.

we're back at 7:30. this was such a remarkable momente bosn marathon. so many people were moved toee the united states marine veteran micah herndon persevering h the pain finishing the race on his hands and knees. >> he did it to honor two fallen service members and a journalist he served alongside. and this morning micah is joining us fore a l interview. we're looking forward to talking to him. we said hello to him a bit do. he sai don't know what the fuss is about. i'm just a guy from ohio who ran the marathon. ed >> he touch lot of people and he was honoring the fallen. we're reallyo looking forward t talking to micah this morning.

>> honored he's here. let's get a check of this morning's headlines. the fbi is searching this morning for what they say is an armed and dangerous woman making credible threats to commit acts of violence.sh e is said to be infatd with the 1999 columbine shooting massacre. the sheve trad from miami on monday night, boug shotgun and ammunition. schools in the denver area will be closed tod as a precaution. president trump vetoed a bill that woue ended u.s. military assistance in saudi arabia's war in yemen. he said it would put american citizens and military forces in danger. the veto had been expected in recent months. congress has grown uneasy with the president's clo relationship with sa killing of jamal khashoggi. some asylum seekers who have

shown they have a credible fear of returning to thent cou will no longer be releasedhi on bond w their pending. instead, they will have to wait in a detention center while they await a decisionn their status. an attorney for the aclu said io his organizatn and others are preparing to sue the trump administration over that new policy. now to the latest on a s tragry out of minnesota. a 5-year-old boy still in critical condition after a man legedly threw the boy over a railing at the mall of america. the suspect now has made his first court appearance. nbc's ron mott has details. good morning. >> reporter: willie, good morn g to you. police say the suspect in this case told him he came here to the mall of america last week, quote, looking for someone to kill. he not go through with that plan on thursday so he came back here this morning the man accused of tossing a young boy over a railing at the mall of america

remains behind bars bail set at $2 million. he was charged withtt aempted first degree murder. s court-appointed attorney telling nbc news it's too soon to know what his defense strategy will be noting he did not ask for a competency hearing for his client. >> i can tell you he appeared sober, lucid, clear thinesng, and rnded to the court's directions. the boy name ed landen -- >> someone just fell from the third floor to the first floor. >> r detailing the defendan picked up the victim and threw him off the third floor balcony. defendant then took off running. he was caught by police at aar transit station. the complaint says he admitted to police he was the one who had thrown the 5-year-old vict. he said he planned to kill an

adult but he chose the victim instead. the boy plunging 40 feet to the ground. the family's attorney. on the child is currently in critical conditiut with the grace of god and the excellent support and care is beginning a long, long journey to recovery. >> reporter: he suffered multiple a fractures what's described as massive head trauma. on a page for online donations which has surpassed $700,000, a family frevealing his condition has very little change at this int, but we are hoping to get some good news back from upcoming tests in the next few days. >> the family appreciates the outpouring of support from across the count reassuring them of the overall . >> reporter: we're told landen loves playingnd soccer hockey which is something obviously you do here in minnesota. the family's attorney says that every new day is a good day and there are people praying all over the world that this little boy hasew many more n days in his future. back to you. >> that's right. he's got the world sending love

and prayers his way. thank you. take a turn now andet a check of the weather from dylan who's in for al this morning. good to see you. you got the caribbean there? >> weve got moisturrom the caribbean. those severe storms i was talking about, they are going to produce some torrential down pours. we have the tropical moisture from the south. whenever you have tropical moisture like that, it means the clouds hold a lot of water and that water is going to come pouring down. that could lead to a flood threat for parts of the ohio and tennessee ris by the time we get to friday. here's what's happening today. this cold front will me st. it combines with that moisture. through kansas, oklahoma, texas. tomorrow we're going to see it move into kentucky and tennessee and especially strong s down near mississippi and into louisiana. then on friday especially later in the day, we are goinge to se that heaviern from new england and new york state all the way down through jacksonville, florida. so we are soing to seee of that heavier rain affect the

entire east coast by friday night. we are looking at a widespread 2 to 3 inches of rain. keep in mind when you get stuck in some of those tropical down pours, you could end up with re rain. at's why we do have that threat of flash floding. even across the northeast as we continue into early saturday. we are looking at 2 to 3 inches of rain. th's a look athe weather across the country. now here's a peek out your window. t>> again,t system is coming at us for friday. if you're traveling on friday for this holiday weekend, keep that in mind because it's going to be a system that encompasses a lot of the eastern portion of the united states.at temperes in the 50s right now. and if you're headed out to nats park, it's another wonderful night for baeball. few clouds tonight as we take on the second game of the giants in the series. temperatures will be falling through the 60s. so again, not that bad. .ew sprinkles possible in >> that's your latest forecast. coming up, the jeopardy co in the middle of a remarkable winning streak.

could he top the record of theg leary ken jennings? plus the perfect mother's day gifts at perfect prices. jill's here with a special steals and deals. and hoda and hope.ea the rction to hoda's big baby news. >> we are still so overjoyed. t first on o frontiers of faith series this morning, a stunning new look at the ancient and holy city of jerusalem. once in a lifetime views from a the streetsnd from the sky right after this. (mom vo) it's easy to shrink into your own little world. especially these days. (dad) i think it's here. (mom vo) especially at this age. (big sister) where are we going? (mom vo)rlt's a big, beautiful out there. (little sister) woah... (big sister) wow. see that? (mom vo) sometimes you just need a little elp seeing it. o) presenting the all-new three-row subaru ascent. love is now bigger than ever.

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♪ baby watch me werk it like, woo ♪ ♪ baby, baby, baby ♪ baby watch me werk it now i've gwith the capital onehing. venture card you earn unlimited double miles on every purchase, ejury day. not airline purchases? everything. hey, how'd you get in here? cross-checking nice. what's in youwallet... oh, c'mon! we are back at 7:41 with more of savannah's holy week series frontiers o for thousands of years jerusalem has been the scene of both deep spirituality and also strife. located between the mediterranean a the dead se it's a city holy to jews, muslims, and christians.ar there sacred sit steps of one a. there is no place on earth

>> reporter: to millions, jerusalem is the holiest place on earth. by land israel is mystical and magical. by air, majestic. about the size of new jersey, the landscape is asse diver as its people. from the dead sea -- we're at the lowest point on earth right now. >>absolutely. >> reporter: to a jewish symbol of freedom and resilience. hard to imagine a pce moret hard to . m.oly city of jerusa there's the dome right in front of us. the hy mple. you can really see the city walls from this vantage point. every step you take in the o city of jerusalem is like slipping back in time.

being up close to sites held sacred by the devoted. >> for many people this is a symbol of the jewish people for generations. >> rep for jews, it's the place where the temple stood before its destruction. the western wall holy because it once surrounded the temple. >> this place has a very special asory. it h spirituality. >> it's aho ness. it's a beauty. >> reporter: for muslims, it's ascendedhere mohamed to heaven during a miraculous night journey. >> mohamed ascended to heaven from jerusalem, from behind us from the rock. >> reporter: for christians, it'sre wesus rose again. n jerusalem, you find the spirit of jesus.

>> everybody feels like jerusalem is a holy place. >> reporter: israeli guide takes me through the old city. this is the center of the spiritual universe for so many different faiths. >> it's holy to the christians, holy to the muslims, holy to the jews. all within these city walls. >> reporter: and this is the holiest site in the jewish faith. they call it the western wall. some remember itd the wailing wall. >> 2,000 years of weeping over the destruction of the temple. >> reporter: this wall is a vace of worship for jews. >> it's ay emotional spot here, no doubt. the long tradition of placing notes there at the western wall, aca direct comon with god. >> reporter: can anyone come and

write a note or any faith? .for re >> reporter: and here we have the moue. >> and that's really the main prayer hall of the muslim population here in jerusalem. >> welcome savannah. >> reporter: the temple mount where the jewish temple once stood is home to islam's thirde holit site and the dome where iot a rare look inside. so this where we're standing right now, this is where mohamed rose to heaven? >> it means the whole area is holy. >> reporter: just a few from the mosque is the church of the site of jesus' crucifixion and resurrection. would you consider this the holiest site? >> for me holy is holy. you're at the center, the tomb

of jesus. jesus rose and is alive. more holy than this would be difficult to find. >> reporter: jesus walked these very steps to the temple located at the south where i met notre dame juniors spending a semester abroad. why did you want to come tole jerusa to study? >> to be in this land where this is kin the founding of the faiths. >> reporter: have you learned abouown? >> absolutely. >> it's need to see the trd holiest site in muslim sitting on top of it. >> people come from all over the world to pray and to search for meaninnd for spirituality in the city together. >> everybody's welcome to pray here. >> andpe holly to pray above all for peace.

>> i was so moved by my time there. one thing i kept thinking about were all the prayers that have risen up from jerusalem. nden you're standing at the western wall a see the tiny piecesf paper in the crevices prayers ll and all the put there over the years and the candle have be lit and all the prayers from this one plaz, i was so touched. >> people of so many diffeitnt fa gathering in one place. it fwufl see. as a person of faith which you are, what was that experience like? just that entire week of being there? >> i was just -- i was just try moved. and i actually was surprised at how moving it was. because jerusalem is a busy city. it's a bustling city and there are honking horns and people coming around and yet as you're in that bustle, it is still possible to feel the presencegof and obviously so many people of different faiths feel exactly that. and by the way, if you lik our helicopter tour, you can find more of it at today.com. tomorrow we're going to take you on an archaeogical dig in

jerusalem of over 3,000 years ago. the city of david. we'll show you what they're finding there tomorrow. >> can't wait for tomorrow. morning, to come thi we cannot get enough of hoda's news welcoming hope to her family. a look at the well wishes she's getting this mornin. every day, visionaries are creating the future. so, every day, we put our latest technology and unrivaled network to work. the united states postal service makes more e-commerce deleries to homes than anyone else in the country.

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and reellief symptoms caused by from over 200 indoor and outdoor allergens. like those from buddy. [ dog whimpering ] s already won three cars, two motorcycles, a boat, and an r.v. i would nonswant to pay thatance bill. [ ding ] -oh, i have progressive, so i just bundled everything with my home insurance. saved me a ton of money. -love you, gary! -you don't have to buzz in. it's not a question, gary. on march 1, 1810 -- [ ding ] on m-frédéric chopin. [ ding ] -collapsing in 226 -- [ ding ] -the colossus of rhodes. -[ sighs ] louise dustnn -- [ ding ] -brahms' "lullaby," or "wiegenlied." -when will it end? [ ding ] -not today, ron. molly got dressed for a big night out with her closest friends. john got dressed for his first first date in what feels like a really long me. john! hi! >>hi. sasha got dressed to crush her job interview.

it looks good! and millions of other americans got dressed for millions of othepersonal moments. thhy at stitch fix we don't just see your size or your style. sasha greene? we see you. straightai strt ahead, our friend michael phelps is here. >> we will catch up with the greatest olympfn o all time to talk about the many things he's working on during his idea of reti. every day, visionaries are creating the future. ♪ so, every day, we put our lateschnology and unrivaled network to work. ♪ the united states postal service makes more e-commerce deliveries to homes than anyone else in the country. ♪ cause the future only happens with people who really know how to deliver it.

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7:56 is your time now on this wednesday, april 17th, 2019. good morning, everybody. i'm eun yang. developing this morning, d.c. police say woman is dead after an early morning fire at a gas station. take a look. this is video of that scene near g road in northeast. no word yet on how the fire started. let's check on your commute with melissa mollet and first 4 traffic. >> good morning. westbound benning road diverted eat oklahoma avenu because of that gas station fire. all westbound lanes shut down because of the fire investigation. eastbound, open. silver sp, outer loop before georgia, we have a crash there. southbound wisconsin at old georgetown road, two right lanes blocked by that crash. and eastbound 66 before sudley road, do have an accident blocking part of the right side. >> all right. thank you. we'll take a break now and check your forecast next. stay with us. i'

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>> o those temperatures there

right now in the 50s. if you're in maryland, you're a ttle cooler. south into the 70s. we have a chance of the sprinkle. north in baltimore right now. the chanc for a few isolatedow shers mainly through maryland. 69 degrees heren d.c. wereplit the diffence increasing clouds for everybody as weead through the afternoon. tomorrow we see 80 degrees. decreasing clouds in the afternoonnd increasing humanity. no frida weather alert. n seaboard.ms all up and down we're dry for easter sunday. >> all right. thank you. another local news update for you in 25 minutes. for now back to the "today" show after this short break.

it's 8:00 on "today." coming up,si masve manhunt. schools across the denver area closed this morning afterit authors say a woman infatuated with the mass shooting at columbine made credible threats just days before the 20thnniversary of the massacre. the fbi warning she's considered armed and dangerous. so where does the inv ftigation gorom here? we're live with the latest. plus,se refu to quit. we'll talk to the marine behind this finish at the boston marathon h how pushed through the pain to honor his fallenmrades. and hope is here. >> do you have something to tell us? i a girl.

>> hoda sred the exciting news that she's now a mother of two ater adoptingther baby girl. >> her name is hope. >> we'll take a look at the well wishes pouring in for hoda and her family "today," wednesday, april 17th, 2019. ♪ >> on spring break from maine. >> with our mom from chicag illinois. >> family vacation. >> from ashburn, virginia. ♪ >> ut longhorns love "today." hook 'em horns! >> hi to my sister lizzy and my dad. >> i'm turning 9. >> happy birthday,em y! >> we got a lot to be thankful for and happy for. great crowd on our plaza. nice day. i thin the sun really wants to

come out this morning. and willie's in for hoda. our sunshinis bonding with her new baby at home. i just love saying that. >> baby hope is at home with sister hley and mom hoda. we're going to get much more on the reaction to the big announcement, our big news with hoda yesterday. don't forget you can always say hello to us by sding in a message by recording your message and sharing it on instagram and twitter with #my toda plaza. schools across the denver arealo cd today because polic s aende armed infatuated with the columbine massacre which took place 20go years a this very week. 18-year- sal pies pes a credible threat. they say she flew from florida to colorado and immediately bought a shotgun and ammunition. she did not make specific threats but her comments and actions raid serious concerns. more than a hundred schools including columbine itself

placed on lock outstatuswhuesday officials first learned of the potential danger. this morning we are getting a more extensive look at the damage caused bymonday's fire at notre dame cathedral in paris. we're also hearing oe h sforts that saved much inside. craig, good morning. >> reporter: so many priceless ar tifact indeed. over my left shoulder here, literally a few moments ago, firefighters -- we presumeir they're fighters -- atop the left portion of the tower there. we saw them hosing down the mifle portion o the cathedral once again first time we've see any of that sort of activity since we've been here the past few days. it would seem as if there are l concerns about the stability of the structure itself. in fact,otre dame's director telling us a short time ago telling the associated press that there was some weakness

there inside the facility. meantime, one of the papers of record here in paris really capturing the sentiment of everyone we tked to on t ground. notre dame will be reborn. rising from the ashes but still stunning in april sunshine. ully visible ly from the air. most of the roof completely gone.in leavg the bare ribs of the building beneath. firefighters apparently had just 30 minutes to save the from the blaze. battling very close to the flames to save the structure. to reduce sawed away stress on the northern corner of the building. looked before tuesday's destructiveon inferno. of the most iconic and well loved buildings in the world. now it'sa bit of a lemn spectacle. folks stopping and looking up wondering how long is it going rebuild notre dame.

france's president emmanuelcr maon telling the nation last night he wants the cathedral rebuilt in five yeils. wh donations have been pouring in, it's thought france no longer has the forest it did hundreds of years ago to provide the oak timbers for the roof. >> we'retill counting on the generosity of the americans who saved versailles once and hopefully will come and help us again. >> reporter: there's also hope, detailed laser can 3d models by historian andrew talon could be key. even thoughts that the detailed raphics of notre dame in the game "assassins creed" could be useful. and today many of t artistic and religious treasures are now safe. statues on the roof removed for restoration days before giving them a lucky escape. with firefighters saving many others inside including the crown of thorns, a nail, a piece

of wood said to be from christ'f crucion cross. and the tunic of st. louis. some being moved to the louvre where they can be safely stored and restored if necessary. with regards to the restoration here, it would seem as if money would not be the problem. more than a billion dollars has been pledged so far to rebuild notre dame. we can also tel you it was announced a short time ago that this evening at roughly the same time fire broke out here, bells, church bells all over france tonight they will ring. willie? >> some grieving, some mourning, yes. s notre dame.itude for what was craig in paris, thanks so many up. newly released texts and emails in the jussie smollett case showed that k prosecutorim foxx was still weighing in on the case even after she said she recused herself from it. in one text to a top assistant,

foxx called smollett a wash ud up celeb who lied to cops but expressed he was being overcharged. smollett faced many more felony counts than the singer r. kelly who's charged with sexual abuse in a case her office is also handling. smollett had been indicted for staging a hate crime attack on himself the prosecutors caused a fire storm when that office dropped all charges several weeks later. all right. that is the news. now the boost. a father who's recovering from e anything stop him from seeing his daughter's final college theater performance of the year. so he traveled 400 mil from scotland to london to surprise her before the show. >> do you want my present? >> yeah. >> is the dad told his daughter not to cry so she wouldn't ruir

hemakeup. she went on to smash her performance with her proud father in the audice. >> sorry, dad. impossible not to >cry. >> still ahead, the greatest olympian of all time michael phelps on the projects keeping him busy. plus his take on tiger woods after watching him win the masters up close. >> he had a good spot. but first the marine who has touched so many hearts. we saw him crawling to the finish line of the boston mara look f to talking to him, sharing his story, rightr afteis. [ "werk it" by mama haze ]

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♪ make you're jaw drop drop say oh my drop drop drop ♪ ♪ make u say oh my god my drop drop ♪ m ♪ake you're jaw drop make u say oh my god ♪ this morning . this morning on today's talker, the marine who completed the boston marathon in inspiring fashion. >> who could forget these images? micah herndon exhausted and in obvious pain, but determined to honor the legacies of his fallen c co. crawled across the finish line. 're happy to have him with us. >> good morning. >> morning. >> i know that was very painful. the first question has to be how do your legs feel this morning? >> i really feel like a baby deer walking. can't really move to. any little step i take, you know, it's trying to steady

myself. >> you were on a pace, micah, to hit your goal. you were going fast. >> yeah, yeah. >> so tell us what happened about four milesrom the finish line? >> around mile 20, that's when my right leg staed to lock up. and then, you know, pushed throh that. hen mile 22, that's when both legs started locking up. that last 4.2 miles i ran,hat was the hardest, longest 4.2 miles i've ever ran in my life. >> you know, micah, that is the point that many, many people would have stopped or gotten help. but you d not do that because you had a very important purpose. can you tell us about why you n? >> it's not just running, you know, races and whatnot. it's everyday life for me. i train, i run every day. people back home know. you know, it's therapy for me. it's what i go to.

it's my getaway. it helps me cope with, you know, me being deployed over in iraq and afghanistan. it's my release. i just get up and go and it's how i get away from everything. you know, i do have ptsd and survivor's guilt. those are my battle wounds and my scars. i'm not afraid to say that and i know countless veterans all over the world, they have those issues too. and i'm not ashamed of that. i'm not. names on got three your shoes, if we can get a shot and also on your bib. ballard, juarez, and hammer. all you had to do was look at them for motivation. >> i even wrote their names on my hands. my bib, my shoes. my wif got me those tags just to be able to look down there and know that's the only reason

why i run. obviously it's, you know, to clear m mind of everything, o deal with everything back home. dailylife, being back in civi world. i got out of the marine corps active duty 2011. you know, getting -- coming back home, it's a hard transition for all veterans. so, you know, you got to find a. releas and my release was running. i just hope that other people, civilians and vets can find their release and, you know, figure it out. >> what you've done has had such an impact. you and i were talking. you said you were so surprised at the response. w t t you wanted to do which was bring attention to your fallen friends and the va has been amplified beyond your

yeagination. >> . i just -- to honor their legacies, ballard, juarez, and hamer, their families as well. that's a big thing that goes forgotten. when we're over there, all the attention is on us. but it's the famil ts thate tolls, too, you know? and i saw it first hand when ballard passed haway, family. how bad it was. and how hurtful it wasnd how devastating it was to that community in kentucky. i just hope that what everyone gets out of this whole message is that, you kn, bring awareness to ptsd and other issues that come from war. not to be ashamed of it if you're a veteran. i know i'm not. those are my battle scars and

i'm not afraid of that. and i'm not -- you know, people will -- they hide a lot of stuff and they say, no, no, i'm good. and that doesn't make you any weaker admitting, you know? i'm actually proud of, you know, se ptsd. i'm proud becauhat's who i am. you know? and that's what i -- that's what fuels me in my workouts isac looking b at that and, you know, realizing -- and also it benefits me too. because when i think times are getting tougher, i'm thinking it's too hot. it ain't hot. you know? in kuwait it's 140 degrees. that ain't nothing. >> the world is inspired by what you did on monday. we understand you want to move on and run the new york city marathon. we hope that happens for you too. >> yeah, yeah, yeah. and that -- and, you know, i'm just goingo learn what i learned from boston. you know, i'm new to this running game. i'm still a rookie. >> micah, when you see the image of you crawling across the

finish line, do you see what we all see? >> no. not at all. the competitor in me, i'm still very itupset w i didn't get my goal time. but once i realized i wasn't- it wasn't attnable, i had had one goal in mind and that was to finish on my own. whatever it may be. it was around 75 to 100 yards from the finish because i saw the tickers. i believe that was the finish line. but it was my first time running boston, so i really wasn't familiar with the course. but my ls really stopped moving forward. and so next option is to crawl. and because as marines right from the get go, is instilled to adapt and overcome. and whatever the, you know, doing,er adversity you're adapt and overcome. so i was crawling. right hamstring locked up.

,next optionow crawl. so i low crawled until the right hamstring loosened up a little bit. >> well, homicah, the w world knows the names you want them to know and they saw you, not your legs but your heart. >> that's go. d that's really what i want to come out of this. i'mot hereor all this stuff. there's plenty other veterans out there, countless other veterans that deserve this more than i do. >> it'sn honor to meet you. thank you for all you've given the country. >> thank you, sir. >> thank you so much. just honored to have you here. let's head over now to dylan with a check of the forecast. n,>> good morning agai everyone. we are looking at the chance of severe storms developing late this afternoon into this evenines cially across oklahoma down through texas. large hail, damaging nds, isolated tornadoes are all a possibility. north of that we're looking at strong storms and heavier rain up acrosser the u midwest. the west witn e 60s and 70s. now here's a peek o your

window. >> well, we'll be in the 60s and 70s today. 60s north of d.c., s 70sth of d.c. the reason? we've got a frontal system that's going to back right into our area from the north. d.c., we'reo going t right around 70 degrees, upper 60s. again, through maryland you could see a spotty sprinkle. clouds will increase throughout the day especially south.he here's t back door cold front right now. slowly sagging to the south. again, temperatures around d.c. in the 60s. but increasing clouds throughout the day for everybody. >> and that's your latest ca forest. >> dylan, thank you. it is a gold medal worthy morning today because look who's here. michael phel. >> always nice when the greatest athlete of all timetops by. he is the most decorated olympic athlete in history. 28 medals. 23 of them gold. now he's raising a family and spreading awareness for causes save the watern campaig

where he works as a paid spokesperson for colgate. >> good morning. good to see you. t good morning. >> word on street is you are so excited because you witnesso the end t the masters and saw tiger win. >> my first time going to the masters this year and we had some amazing seats. we had nice people who offered us a chair in coolspot. that was one of probably the coolest shots and coolest things i've ever seen live in sports and def.itely in golf just watching tiger come back. watching him be able to do that, get backhen top of mountain. it's so cool. >> this video we're looking at there went viral. that's on 16 when tiger sticks it to about a foot and you're shot.ng with tiger on that >> yeah. we were both trying to get that extra inch to make it fall in. >> is there, like, a g.o.a.t. club where you guys all hang out together? you, serena, tiger. >> that'd be a cool club to be

part of.ar >> you are p of it. >> we need a place like that. >> definitel need a clubhouse. >> only a couple people wtld gein. >> when did you first hear you were a prominent part of the masters broadcast? >> i mea -- i think that was probably the most exciting part, about not having your phone. you know what i mean? you really get to truly enjoy where you are and see g what you're seeing. so i had a couple texts when i got back to the house. >> nicole was home with boomer who also had a good seat in front of the tv. she putta an insam up. he's watching. >> she needed to get that one quick. and you're expecting a they should. >> we are. >> congretulations. the kids under 4 in the phelps household. >> it is. th one of the super exciting things about this coming year with the boys getting olderike you heard. being our third year as a colgate am bba for the family, boomer's now in the why phase so he's understanding a lot pmore. it'stty interesting to watch

how much he's really taken to, you kn, being super cautious about how much water he's using. he's adamant about brushing his teeth every day twice a day and always making sure i the water off. now going from a family of four to a family of five -- yeah. it's crazy, right? it's exciting for us to have the opportunity to share the importance o c waterservation and how much we really do waste. you know, it's just really important to -ay with earth d coming up -- to keep spreading the message and let people know if you're beingri nonchalant to 900 cups. that's a lot of water. in the u.s., we ar n very good as a country. and i think that's something we can all do better at. >> the toothbrushing tip is a great one. i'm embarrassed to say i learned later. you decent need to run the water. shshower.n the theow that's what do. don't leave it in the shower. >> why is that?

>> you just don't want -- >> mildew. >> k it'sd of gross. >> yeah. >> so you have two boys. are you hoping -- >> i'm hoping for a girl. i would love agirl. >> are you going to be surprised? >> i think so. i think we're going to be. but i mean, i guess i should be rooting for a boy because if it was a girl i'd go through the roof. but the odds are already not in our favor. looking forward to it. and honestly,heust watching two of them together is epic. just seeing how much they really help each other, play with each other, learn from each other and watching booms kind of go through the counting phase and his brain really is a sponge. it's fun for me as a dad. going from two to three.ncerns >> everyone says one to two is the hardest thing. two to threee shouldn't b that bad. >> come back and let us know. >> seriously. we need advice. >> we'll be here next year hopefully and let you know. so let's talk about the pool. it's been since the 2000

olympics you were there.l this wil the first time we don't see you there. is there any chance you'll be in the pool? >> no. and if i did wt to do it, it's -- i mean, i'm working against time at this point. you know? so for me, there's no way. b justause i don't have any goals. i have no goals i want to accomplish in this if i did, it would be fun to come back, but it's time to keep turning the page and, you know, like i said, we have another child on the way, a ton of stuff being on and stuff i'm excited about. g able to talk about water conservation and talking about mental health.ar ther so many things that are big passions of mine that keep me going. >> do you think you have any little swimmers on your hands though? >> i mean, it's so bad. my coach sends me a video of boomer -- i saw a video of boomer the other day and i was like his stroke just isn't as good as it was. it's jt me being me, i guess. it's so bad. but he does have a good kick. the boys are fearless in the water.

they love being in the water. swthey love ming. so who knows. you're going to have a relay too many still. >> i'd rather have somebody winning the masters. >> good to see you. >> great to see you. thanks for stopping by. just ahead, a live performa good morning,yb every. 8:26 now on this wednesday, april 17th. i'm aaron gilchrist. let's get a check of your morning commute here. >> benning road still being pushed on to oklahoma because of the gas station fire. earlier we had a construction barrel there. been a weird day on the american legion bridge. before the crash on the left side of the road and eastbound 66 at cedar lane east and west looking good. >> thank you. we'll get a check on the forecast whe

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nexgard chew comes the confidence you're doing what's right to protectour dog from fleas and ticks for a full month. it's the #1 vet recommended protection. and it's safe for ppies. nexgard. what one little chew can do. good morning. i'm lae ricketts. passing shower tomorrow morning. drizzle will dry out in the afternoon. weather alert on friday and showers on saturday. temperatures in the 50s right now. u're going to be a little cooler with more clouds in maryland. a little warmer in the south of d.c. with some more sun. and again, here's a few sprinkles that we cou see in maryland but for the most part we're going to stay dry. temperatures tomorroight

around 80 zrees. eas seaboard.ather showers on saturday. dry for sunday andst ea. >> thank you. you can get the latest news and we

♪ 8:30 now on a beautiful wednesday morning. the 17th of april, 2019 as we give some well deserved camera time to our big, happy crowd here on rockefeller plaza. >> we have such a happy crowd. it's feelingwa . i want to meet a new friend out here. is anna carolinearound? hi. how are you? >> i'm well. how are you? >> good. where you from?

>> i'm from south carolina. >> ishis your first time on our plaza? >> it is. >> did you come for any particular reason today? >> i came because this is my last spring break of high school and i'm gng to converse which is next door to watford which is where craig went. >> i know. i wish craig was here. t would love meet you. you know who else would love to meet you? i hear you aren andy grammer fan. >> i am. i love all his music and i from south carolina to arizona. >> well, look who's here. >> how you doing? >> good morning, andy. >> it's awesome to be here. >> will this make up for missing him that first time? >> so sweet. hi, mom. mom.to see you, >> andy's going to be singing for us in a little while. you want to come in and listen? >> so good. i think thatould be arranged, right? >> awesome. happy to see you guys. thank you, sweetheart. hu it again. >> hug it out. we'll see you guys in a couple

of minutes. thank you. how awesome is that? are you getting girl scout cookies? >> yeah. we got she got thin mints. >> i got some peanut butter patties. >> we're going to switch. >> okay. also ahead this morning, mother's day will jill martin has you covered with steals and deals. >> and jessica chastain is here. then on the fourth hour we have savannah to talk about maternity leave. and then we have "ora te is new black" star taylor schilling. but first let's get a check of the weather. >> and we are going to see some severe storms. that's going to be the big story today and tomorrow. going into easter weekend, though, the heaviest of the rain ould clear out across the southeast.

we'll start off with heavy then thunderstorms back through the ohio area. and then on easter sunday, it's kind of just unsettled. we'll see a lotf clouds on the east coast especially in the northeast. a few scattered showers. but you'll sll get some showers too. some mountain snows working in. highs get into the 70s. and the west coast looks beautiful for your easter ay. lots of sunshine. temperatures comfortable in the mid-60s, 70s across california. mi upper 80s in the desert southwest. now here's a peek out yournd wi. >> well, out our window, if you're south you have a little friends to the north where they have mr.e cloud cove if you're north, you may want to grab the umbrella. likely you're not going to needt tomorrow some drizzle. all the rain gear for friday and then you will need that umbrella for saturday. again, this frontal system is sinking down to the south. and again, maybe a few showers sparking out of it. currently those temperatures are

in the mid-50s. 60s north of d.c., 70s to the south. >> and i got my cookie thank you. guys? >> dylan, thank you so much. just ahead, we're going to do poptart and talk about the surprise album beyonce released overnight. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

we're back a 8:36. dylan, carson is off. time to put on your pop start hat. >> first up, beyonce. overnight the queen bey releasen her docry homecoming on netflix. it features her 2018 coachella performance. take a look. ♪

>> that's amazing. both back-to-back weekend performances were featured in the documentary as well as behind the scenes footage of beyonce preparing for the concert. in another clip, we hear her explain her approach to the music festival. >> when i decided to do coachella, instead of me pullint my flower crown, m it wase important that i brought our culture to coachella. up about also opened her pregna twins in the documentar she revealed that her pregnancy was a difficulthe one as s suffered from high blood pressure, preeclampsia and had an emeency c-section. she was 218 pounds when she

delivered the twins forcing her to quickly get back in shape and prepare for coachella. last night she also proved she is still the queen of surprises. simultaneously leasing with the film a brand new live album of the performances giving the bey hive plenty tobo buzz a today. up next, alex rodriguez back in march the former yankees player got down on one knee and proposed to long-time girlfriend lopez. last night on the tonight show,d she reveal that the proposal was six months in the making as he wanted the moment to be absolutely perfect. take a look. >> what was interesting is the threeays prior to me going down on one knee and getting engaged and asking i rehearsed three days in a row. because i wanted the sunset to be perfect. >> so you rehearsed by? yourself >> i had my assistant with me. >> you proposed to your assiant three times?

>> so one time the sunset was at 6:27. the next day it was like 6:29. >> oh, my gosh. >> and the third day it was raining. so i was like, oh. so i kind of came out around 6:29. i said this is the time where i'm going to do it and it worked out well. >> and the assistant actually never said yes. from those pictures you can see hele naid it. and we are still hoda's bab. yesterdaynk tha for interrupting me, savannah. hoda phoned in to say she adopted another baby girl. shortly after the big reveal, hoda's name one of the top u.s. trends on twitter. many friends and stars also reacted to the news. carson daly who's in l.a. working on "the voice" tweeted, best pop start ever. friend of the andy cen recently adopted of his own wrote hoda mazel.

and zell ma blair said happy everything to you. all around,f lots o lovely words for hoda and baby hope. >> it's so exciting. we got to see her yesterda i ju. so happy. that baby is so beautiful. >> i know she's got a newborn because i got a text from hoda at3:35 a.m. a.m. yes. >> exactly. just ahead, get ready to shop. hi, jill. >> big news in steals and deals land. we've gotpr a sure for all those moms out there. first this isy" "toda on nbc.

we're we're back. steels and daels time, guys. today is a special mother's day secision. jill martin i here with gifts moms will enjoy at prices you will love.an we've called in moms will help us out

with this one. good mornimornin we even have our special mom at now. hoda, congratulations. this is the perfect time for this. we're excited. we have breaking news snals and deals land. we wanted to make shopping easier for you because we want everything to be fabulous y if go on your tv and open your phone and your camera, in the corner of the screen, you'll see a "today" par code. to ou hold your phone up that, it will take you straight to the "today" show steals and deals page. >> you take a picture? >> you just hold up your phone. it will take you straight to the page. myother could doit. if she could do it k >> our first item is? our first item is pamper your mom.

so go on today.com and then it comes with the mug. it comes with a rose scented bar soap. it comes with nail polish. everything very neutral to get you into a mini makeover. so the iretail 120. the deal is $30. that's 75% off. >> i like it. >> and it comes giftwr ped. everything will arrive by mother's day, obviously. >> okay, great. that's fun. spa, i feel ke this is a spa in a room just bec the smell of these candles fill up the whole space. >> it's a set of two. the retail is $55. they're 100% soy oil candles. you get two. you can get one form, mo one for grand mom. >> and one finish yourself. because it's amazing. >> the retail 0, deal is $20. >> jjenna, smell this. is this good? >> not as good as the queso. >> this isn't your queso. >> listen, my queso was a long

recipe. but i think this wasic hand pd for me. the cheese does not come with the platters right? >> the nambe servers. they rarely mark down their platters. $89 to $175. you could put th the refrigerator or oven. and there's also these beautiful platters which are beautiful. the retail $89 to $175 the deal $35 to $5 up to 70% off. happy birthday to your daughter. >> happy birthday to you, >>ll. he shas a birthday with me. >> yes. >> i've always wanted to layer necklaces much like savannah does. now is my opportunity. >> savannah's a good and her fa mothers islaye represented on t so this is a great way to start that. the retail, $80. it's a choice of three

necklaces. you e disk, the heart, or the star. at this price, that is aood way if you wanted to for a mom or get something for yourself, the deal $29.99. happy mother's day. this was going to be hoda's but i'm here to stand in for her with this cool bag she would have loved. . >> everything canust go in. >> throw it in there. >> and she can see everything and her zip lock would fit in here. e mila tote bag is $398. it's metallic leather and handles. it's all about mixing andhi matc medium. the fans of the brand include jennifer lopez. the deal $89. 78% off. if you still see the code in the corner of the screen, again, if you hold your phone up to it will take you right to the steals and deal. >> open yoa app, put it in front. moms, come on over. this is one of my favorite mom gifts. >> yes.

and atpecial gif for everyone. one of the things kathie lee taught meas always still write a handwritten note and how heportant that is. so for all t moms here, the ationary studio personalized stationary studio. what a great gift.th retail is a hundred dollars. the deal is $37.95. 62% off. >> that's a ideal. love it. >> great products. the gift sets from purebe fi the candles from aqua desoi. server ware from nambe, tote bags from mila and stationary studio >> find them all on today.com/dealha >> jill, t you so much. >> happy mother's day. >> guys, when we come back, we're going to get some great music from andy grammer. but first this is "today" on nbc.

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announcer: the citi concert series on "today" is proudly prented to you by citi. multiplatinum singer/song writer andy grammer knows how to make a hit record. he's got a new one on his hands for sure. >> his latest single don't give up on me has cracked the top ch 15 million streams and 20io mill views on youtube. >>hanks for having me. >> what doeso it mean t hear those numbers a song youot wre? >> so cool. and to be a song that' like about not giving up on yourself or o. >> you always give us such a lift love it. i remember hearing you wrote, ed like, a h songs for your album "the goo parts." did some make it o? this

>> a ceoupl >> how does it work? the movie wants the song or do they come to you and say they want a song for the movie? >> this is t c thing ever. the director sent me a text and said, do you have anything for this movie and i just wrote thio . so i watched -- and in the hotel i watched the movie. it's one of those ugly cry movies. i don't know if you got to see it yet. it's awese. and iust knew i had the song. o do that with a friend is so cool. >> we've got another album co. >> yeah. very excited. t can we expec on? >> this is a cool one to everybody into. it's a little more organic and hopefully more great songs. >> well, you're about to play us ceur song. proeds of this song goes to claire's foundaon. >> she had cystic fibrosis.

which is cool because i think ao this. she was incredible all the way to the d she passed away from this disease. she set up a noun dags called claire's place. a portion of the proceeds go to that. >> ready to pl. ♪ . you ♪ ♪ i always do until my heart is black and blue ♪ ♪ and i will stay ♪ will stay with you ♪ we'll make it to the othe side lik lovers do ♪

♪ i'lleach my hands oute in th dark ♪ ♪ and wait for yours to interlock ♪ ♪ i'll wait forou ♪ i'll wait for you cause i'm not giving up ♪ ♪ i'm not giving up, giving u ♪ no, not yet ♪ ♪ even when i'm my last breathn♪ ♪ eve when they say there's nothing left ♪ ♪ so don't give up on ♪ i'm not giving up ♪ i'm not giving up, giveing up ♪ ♪ no, not me ♪ even whe nobody else believes ♪ ♪ i'm not going down thaly easi ♪ ♪ so don't give up on me ♪ and i will holdl

♪ i hold onto you ♪ no matter what this world will throw ♪ ♪ it won't shake me loose ♪ and i'll reach my hands out in thendark ♪ wait for yours to interlock ♪ ♪ i'll wait for ♪ i'll wait for you ♪ cause i'm not giving up ♪ i'm not givinup u ♪ no not yet ♪ even when i'm down to my last breath ♪ ♪ even when they sayre the nothingeft ♪ ♪ so don't give u on ♪ i'm not giving up ♪ i'm not giving up, giving up ♪ no not me ♪ even when nobody else believes ♪ ♪ i'm not going down that

easily ♪ ♪ so don't give up on me ♪ whoa whoa ♪ ♪ whoa whoa ♪ yeah yeah yeah ♪ yeah yeah yeah ♪ i will fight ♪ i will fight for you black and blue ♪il my heart is >> wow. andy grammer, what a song. i can see why at is such hit already. >> thank you so much. >> it's beautiful. >> thank you, thank you. >> we were about having an ugly cry back there. >> it's incredible, i just got this video the other day of a little girl leaving her cancer

treatmt and she was in the back belting it out. it's just like aweet one. i feel like people are going herough some stuff in t world right now. and for it to be a song to nudge them forward is cool. >> thank you, andy. great to see you. >> you'll be back in the fourth hour. first a check of your local news and weather. third hour coming up. 8:56 is your time now on this wednesday, april 17th, 2019. good morning, everyo. i'm eun yang. let's check on your commute right now with melissa mollet in your first 4 trtbfic. >> wesnd benning road in northeast, still right lane blocked because of that fire investigation. the gas station from overnight.g gaithersbu, southbound 270 at

370. crash reported there. and northbound 395 at seminaryr slow f an earlier issue. >> we'll take a break now and check your forecast when we come back. stay with

well, we have a few isolated showers. that's with the frontal system that's going to sag to the south throughout the day. that's why c more clouder and 60s in maryland. 70s with a little bit more sunshine in central virginia. but we'll all eventually have some clouds increasing throughout the day. passing shower tomorrow. friday alert for you with severe thunderstorms in the afternoon and evening throughout the eastern .seaboard and then easter we're looking dry. .> all right, law ruryn. ectric, it's not for you. and, you're probably right. electric just doesn't have enough range. it will ne.r survive the winter charging stations? good luck finding one . so, maybe an electric car isn't for you after all. or, is it?

rockefeller plaza this is the third hour of "today." >> good morning to you.sh i'm einelle here with dylan and our friend jill martin is sitting in with us today. al is in l.a. a working on few stories and craig is making his way back from paris. how are you? >> good morning. thank you for havg me. >> and love the pink and the red. i would never think of pairing pink and red today, but you nailed it. >> thank you. navy and black. i'm really trying more unusual combinations. >> we try to emulate it. well, speaking of paris since craig is making his way back, we want to start with the latest on the aftermath ha