morgan radford, nbc news, new york >>> so incredible on so many levels if you are going to harvard, things to be okay for you, too if people are going to community college, it's a real struggle, it really is. >> the amazing part about that story, the more you read about it, if you can, do, it's so amazing >>> right now at 4:30, mask confusion continues to grow as cal osha changes its tune on masks in the work place. what this decision means for you right before the state reopens in five days. >>> and a violent attack puts a san francisco shopkeeper in the hospital. now his daughter is speaking out about how his life will be forever changed. "today in the bay" starts right now. >>> good thursday m

morgan radford, nbc news, new york >> what a terrific story. >>> up next for us, talent and perseverance inspiring america.s okay, it's okay ♪ >>> finally tonight, the remarkable thing that happened on the stage of "america's got talent," something powerful and authentic that no one will forget if you had told jane marczewski a year ago that she would step onto the stage of "america's got talent," chances are she wouldn't have believed you ♪ i was a stick of dynamite ♪ ♪ and it just was a matter of time yeah ♪ >> a little more than a year ago i was diagnosed with terminal cancer and given three to six months to live based on the chance of survival >> reporteo performs under the name nightbirde, sang an original song that chronicled her tumultuous journey this past year ♪ it's okay, it's okay ♪ that song brought the normally stoic simon cowell to tears. ♪ and it's all right ♪ >> there was something about that song, the way you just almost casually told us what you're going through and -- you know. >> reporter: it prompted him to hit the golden buzzer. sending nightbirde straight to the li

here's nbc's morgan radford. >> reporter: this year reginald adams wanted to do something special for >> it's absolutely critical that these moments in time are spoken out loud. >> reporter: he created a mural to honor the day the last american slaves were freed more than 150 years ago right here in galveston, texas why now? why is this so important to share? >> i say why not now for decades people in galveston didn't know about the history of their own city. >> reporter: he created an interactive digital code visitors can scan to learn more. >> we looked at this as a classroom. >> even somebody who doesn't know what juneteenth is, they're like, wow, what is this? >> reporter: many now say now is a time to honor history too often overlooked samuel collins is an historian with juneteenth. where are we now >> we're here at pier 21 where many enslaved africans would have arrived june 19th, 1865, mostly black union soldiers rode into texas to tell slave holders they had to respect the emancipation proclamation two years earlier >> if they had not arrived here in galveston, i don't think t

morgan radford, nbc news, galveston, texas. >>> china took a leap forward today in the new space racews was the only international broadcaster at today's historic launch. janis mackey frayer with an inside look. >> reporter: tonight a first. china sending astronauts to its new space station, blasting off from the gobi desert. 6 1/2 hours later docking 242 miles above the earth. this is a milestone for china. it's poured billions into becoming a space power, and it's getting there fast. the chinese station, called tiang-gong, or heavenly palace, is a quarter the size of the international space station but a rival. china frozen out of the iss by u.s. security concerns. but with the iss getting old china could have the only space outpost. >> this phase of the chinese space program is something they've been champing at the bit to do for a decade now. >> reporter: the unusually public fanfare, timed for the communist party's 100th anniversary next month, shows china's growing confidence, having also just landed a rover on mars. are china and the u.s. now technical equals? "the u.s. is more

. >> morgan radford traveled to galveston, texas, where folks are working hard to preserve the legacy. this is really a celebration of freedom. it's a way to honor this historic day in our past. so they're doing it in an interesting way through art in galveston, texas. it's the place where those federal soldiers came in to let the last slaves know that they were, in fact, free. one man decided that he is going to share this message and this legacy with the world. take a listen. this year, reginald adams wanted to do something special for juneteenth. >> it's critical that these moments in time are spoken out loud. >> reporter: he created a mural to honor the day the last american slaves were freed, more than 150 years ago right here in galveston, texas. why now? why is the message of this mural to important? >> why not now? for decades people didn't know about the history of their own city. >> reporter: he created an interactive digital code that visitors can scan to learn more. >> we looked at this project as an outdoor classroom. >> reporter: and got student involved in the project.

morgan radford, nbc news, new york. >> incredible.ing with us. i'm alicia menendez. i will see you next weekend for more "american voices." now it is time for "the mehdi hasan show." big news out of israel tonight.

morgan radford sat down with her. >> reporter: this moment was a lifetime in the making.ed by the kennedy center this week. >> it's coming at a time we are starting to be able to become part of life. it's a special time, a special award. >> reporter: born in osaka, japan, she picked up her first violin at age 4. >> it's very organic, quickly became a part of my life. >> reporter: her star rose quickly. debuting with the new york philharmonic at 11 years old. >> the feeling of the first step out on the stage, it's that special something that really inspires me. >> reporter: her path to stardom wasn't without hardship. she dropped out of juilliard as a teenager and was hospitalized for anorexia. what did you learn from that experience? >> once i came to the decision that i needed help, i wanted help and i would accept help, that's a big decision. it's not about being public. i think being accepting of yourself. as a whole. >> reporter: it was an experience she says that made her who she is, an undeterred performer ready to rise to any occasion. ♪♪ what does that feel like t

. >> morgan radford is in miami, florida, where there's an effort to boost vaccinations specifically unity. morgan, is this effort to combat vaccine hesitancy, is it working among latinos there? >> reporter: craig, bottom line is that it's working but it's not quite working as well as some officials had hoped. for example, as you mentioned earlier, 28% of latinos across the country have received at least one dose of their covid vaccine. here in miami, that number is a little higher, about 43% of latinos have received that vaccine. the issue, craig, is that's compared to nearly double, 80%, of their white counterparts here. that's the issue. while we see progress in states that have huge latino populations like texas, california, here in florida, they have seen a 10% increase in the last month. the issue again is that it is lagging behind the vaccination rates of their majority counterparts. the issue is not only access but a lot of the hesitation because of rumors that have been spreading right here in this community. take a listen to something that this woman told me yesterday. she's

here is morgan radford. >> reporter: tonight, temporary relief for supora sosa packing up everything she owns after receiving an eviction notice. all of this will go into the street? today, the cdc extended its federal moratorium on housing evictions that was set to expire june 30th. that means tenants like sosa, who are among the more than 6 million households behind on rent, now have one more month before their landlords can evict them >> lot of nerves, a lot of tension you're always anxious. >> reporter: black and latino residents are most at risk, facing rates of potential eviction almost four times higher than white renters. housing advocates say the extension is essential. >> keeping tens of millions of people who would otherwis lose their homes during a global pandemic stably housed >> reporter: congress allocated $46 billion to assist renters and landlords. this moratorium extension expected to be the last buys more time to get the funds distributed. lester >>> up next, the huge outpouring for britney spears >>> back with a massive show of support for britney spears after she

morgan radford, nbc news, new york. >>> incredible.ia menendez. see you next weekend for "american voices." time for the mehdi hasan show. big news out of israel tonight. a tight vote there. >> indeed. benjamin netanyahu looks like he's gone. when people say voting doesn't matter, my vote doesn't count yet american and israel have both gotten rid of benjamin netanyahu and donald trump in pretty tight voights. have a great rest of your sunday, aleisurea. we'll see you soon. >>> american democracy is in crisis. is the white house taking it seriously enough? my one on one with beto o'rourke. >>> what's behind the surge of maya? i'll ask her. >> mike pompeo said the trump administration was the toughest on russia. really, he said that. >>> leading to real-world violence and murder. i'll talk about it.

nbc news correspondent morgan radford reporting on disinformation surrounding vaccinations in miami, us to disinformation during the election that in many ways had us focus on the issue. morgan, what have you found? >> reporter: i have to say, it has been striking, the numbers, chuck. 29% of latinos across the country according to the cdc have become vaccinated, but the issue is discrepancy between latinos and white counterparts. in miami, only 40% received a dose of covid vaccine, compared to 80% of white counterparts. the issue in miami, chuck, across the state of florida seems to be the politicization of the vaccine and mis and disinformation around that. one woman is waiting on papers. so many rumors made her hesitant to take it and hasn't gotten it yet. listen to what she told me. >> what are the people saying, are they ready for the vaccine? some said -- wow. you heard rumors that by taking the vaccine, people would turn into zombies? >> uh-huh. >> so people thought by taking vaccines they would have a chip injected. so chuck, in states with heavy latino populations like califo

we are happy to have morgan radford. kristen still on baby watch, as soon as we know, we will tell you. you're in d.c. in time to cook. >> i heard some sizzling weather is headed this way. >> making up for next weekend tenfold. >> we'll get to the forecast in a second. the other top story, former president trump preparing for high profile return to the political battlefield. speaking at the republican state convention in north carolina tonight. it comes a day after facebook announced it was banning him from its social media platforms for two years. ali vitale in greenville for us this morning. good morning. >> reporter: hey, peter, good morning. former president donald trump in the spotlight afterff theirlatf. former president donald trump blocked from facebook for at least two years, tying the ban to his role in the deadly riot at the capitol january 6, saying we believe his actions constitute severe violation of our rules. the decision keeps him off facebook and instagram through midterm elections, deeming the two year

you're about to meet a chef who is marking it in a very special way. >> nbc's morgan radford is heredition, story-telling and food that's why one chef in wisconsin decided that this juneteenth she was going to do something special and fulfill a promise made more than a century ago a big idea finally come to life. >> how does this feel? just a year ago, this was all just a dream >> yeah. it's very surreal that this is mine >> this is your corn. >> yeah. >> reporter: here on 39 acres of land in st. helena, south carolina, chef adrienne lipscomb is creating a sanctuary for black farmers. >> the welcoming center is over there. >> reporter: where they can grow their own produce and learn about the history of an industry that currently is less than 2% black. >> we were cooking at slaves as the cooks in these kitchens. we want to re-create those kitchens we want to celebrate but also explain to others and to the public we want the community to come to this land. we want them to be able to come celebrate on this land >> reporter: opening up a new world of possibility, that all started with a

>> morgan radford, much appreciated on that. thank you all for being with us this hour. station. we have a good one for you. >>> geoff bennet will take over after this break. r this break hi, i'm debra. i'm from colorado. i've been married to my high school sweetheart for 35 years. i'm a mother of four-- always busy. i was starting to feel a little foggy. just didn't feel like things were as sharp as i knew they once were. i heard about prevagen and then i started taking it about two years now. started noticing things a little sharper, a little clearer. i feel like it's kept me on my game. i'm able to remember things. i'd say give it a try. prevagen. healthier brain. better life. [lazer beam and sizzling sounds] ♪♪ this is the sound of change. the sound of a thousand sighs of relief. and the sound of a company watching out for you. this is the sound of low cash mode from pnc bank, giving you multiple options and at least 24 hours to help you avoid an overdraft fee. because we believe how you handle overdrafts should be in your control, not just your bank's. low cash mode

morgan radford joins us with the crazy details. not this year. >> you nailed it, stephanie. they're creating quite the buzz and quite the stir because as you mentioned, not only have they managed to ground the white house press corps, they've also been responsible for a car crash and the president swiping one away. take a look. this morning, brood x is breaking news, cicadas grounding the white house press corps flight as they attempted to fly to europe for president biden's first foreign trip. the pesky insects apparently to blame for mechanical problems. a minor inconvenience for some, a major headache for others. this car accident in cincinnati caused by a cicada that flew straight through an open window and into the driver's face. also in ohio, the usual quiet of golf disrupted by a noisy cicada symphony at this year's memorial tournament and it comes as golf is set to kick off in maryland, a major cicada center. >> the cicadas so bad in some places, the national weather service's radar is spotting giant swarms. >> i've never s

morgan radford, nbc news, new york. >> incredible. that is where we will leave it on this sunday and for this weekend. thank you for being with us. i'm alicia menendez. i will see you next weekend for more "american voices." now it is time for "the mehdi hasan show." big news out of israel tonight. a really tight vote there. >> indeed. benjamin netanyahu looks like he's gone. isn't it interesting. people say voting doesn't matter, my vote doesn't count, yet america and israel have both gotten rid of benjamin netanyahu and donald trump in some pretty tight votes. have a great rest of your sunday. we'll see you soon. >>> this week made it clear, american democracy is in crisis. the latest assault happening in texas. is the white house taking it seriously enough? my one on one with beto o'rourke. >>> plus, why maya is soaring to the top of the new york mayoral race. what's behind the surge of maya? i'll ask her. >>> mike pompeo said the trump administration was the toughest on russia. really, he said that. >>> and islamophobia, leading t

emergence of those cicadas and now those noisy bugs are out in force and becoming a real pest morgan radford >> good morning. pests might be an understatement because they're mostly harmless nuisances. recently cicadas have been creating quite a stir, from causing car accidents to crashing sports events, even grounding the white house press corps. this morning brood x is breaking news cicadas grounding the white house press corps flight as they attempted to fly to europe for president biden's first foreign trip the pesky insects apparently to blame for mechanical issues on the plane. the bugs break out from underground every 17 years by the billions a minor inconvenience for some, a major headache for others. this car accident in cincinnati caused by a cicada that flew straight through an open window and into the driver's face also in ohio, the usual quiet of golf disrupted by a noisy cicada symphony at this year's memorial tournament it comes as the u.s. open of golf is set to kick off in maryland major cicada epicenter. >> it's definitely going to be a mental toughness challenge for player