states in the nation still have a mask mandate in place so how will you know when to wear one as blayne alexander reports, it's not so simple. >> i've been walking just down the sidewalk with no mask and it feels great. >> reporter: from joy to concern -- >> we still need to be a little bit cautious. >> reporter: -- to downright confusion. >> everybody is skeptic or a little scared. >> reporter: response is a mixed bag after this week's cdc guidance saying that fully vaccinated americans can safely remove their masks both outdoors and inside, not including planes or public transportation today the cdc director defended the decision. >> there's no need for everybody to start ripping off their mask. what we're saying is now this is safe, work at your own speed work with your own family and your own businesses to remove them when necessary. >> reporter: she says the decision was driven by science and will now be the basis for future guidance. >> the cdc is hard at work now saying what does this mean for schools, for travel, for camps, for businesses >> reporter: ngznationwide, just 37% of americans

blayne alexander, nbc news >>> let's turn to the pandemic now and the question, are we going too far too soon while the numbers are trending in the right direction, there is concern and plenty of confusion. miguel almaguer explains >> reporter: with new covid cases at their lowest level in nearly a year and more than 60% of americans at least partially vaccinated, today the cdc revealed these maps, capturing covid hot spots across our nation five months ago and what it now looks like today but some doctors worry the unvaccinated may also go maskless when americans head back to the office >> i think it's very safe for vaccinated americans to go back into the office. my concern comes with the 40% of america that's still not vaccinated >> reporter: but more states are banning mask mandates for businesses and schools as scenes like these emerge from nashville in a state where only 32% are fully inoculated tonight our nation eager to move forward but anxious for what lies ahead >> and miguel joining us now we have seen you many a time reporting from that mass vaccination site over at dodg

blayne alexander on how high those prices may go. >> reporter: this holiday weekend, as you prepare tore grill, know that your memorial day barbecue may cost you more. grocery prices are up across the board from 2020. meat is seeing a sharp rise. according to the usda, beef prices are up almost 10% over last year. bacon now averaging $6.22 per pound. steak, $6.64, almost a dollar more than 2020. costco is reporting a 20% spike. will people notice? >> they will notice. it's like gas prices. people tend to notice what their favorite cut of beef costs. >> reporter: experts point to a snowball affect set in motion by the pandemic, from supply chain shortages on farms to fewer workers in meat plants, even a shortage of truck drivers to move meat across the country. >> consumer demand is really strong as the economy opens back up. folks go back to restaurants and travel and hotels. >> reporter: leaving butchers like anthony in a tough spot. >> we have to raise prices every day. every day a truck comes in, the price is higher. >> reporter: he has been a butcher since he was 14 and says these pr

go get yourself something good in the store and send the farmers a signal to produce more. >> blayne alexandervery single bite with these prices. >> another example of how the pandemic has and will continue to affect us >> we thank you for starting your memorial day with "early today. i'm frances rivera. >> and i'm phillip mena. before we go, we want to give a heartfelt thank you from all of us here at "early today" to all of those who have served and sacrificed for our country thank you. we'll see you tomorrow >>> breaking overnight a lone star state battle texas democrats stage a walkout to stop debate on a restrictive voting bill. but the gop-backed legislation will be added to a special session. >> crews pulled several components from the aircraft from the waters, including human remains. at this time the rutherford county medical examiner's office is working with the immediate family members to help identify the victims. >> this morning, we're learning more about the seven victims of a tragic private plane crash

jose >> blayne alexander in atlanta. thank you. you can make a plan for when and where to get vaccinated visit planyourvaccine.com for more >>> with more people going out, there were terrifying moments today in new york city's times square. streets were shut down after a shootout that injured a toddler. kathy park is following that, and another shooting in a mall in florida that sent people running. kathy, what's the latest >> reporter: jose, as the country reopens and more people are out, we are following two separate shootings happening within just an hour of each other. one happened in times square, where two people have been taken to the hospital. and according to our affiliate in new york, wnbc, one of the victims is a toddler so far police have not released any more details on the shooter. the other incident happened outside of miami, florida shots were fired inside the aventura mall police say four people were taken to the hospital, and several have been detained and they are being questioned at this hour authorities say the

>> blayne alexander in atlanta, thank you. >>> despite the bad weather in some parts of the country,ew feeling of optimism this weekend as more states fully open up and businesses are ready for the rush. megan fitzgerald is on the jersey shore. >> reporter: it's finally looking a lot like summer. from myrtle beach, virginia beach -- >> i'm very positive about 2021. >> reporter: to jacksonville and miami, the holiday festivities are in full swing and anxious tourists are ready for it. >> i am fully vaccinated. i feel i'm out here protecting myself. >> i'm super excited to be around people. everybody, there's an energy now, everybody's so excited to be out. >> reporter: but perhaps the biggest sign that america is racing back, the indy 500 getting under way sunday. 135,000 people expected in the stands, marking the largest gathering since the pandemic began. america's favorite pastime in full swing. cdc director rochelle walensky stepping outside and into fenway park to throw out the first pitch. the city had opened at full capacity as mask restrictions statewide are lifted. and a retu

blayne alexander at the busiest airport in atlanta. how is it looking? this, they're expecting to welcome 1.5 million passengers over the holiday weekend. just at this airport alone. that's a portion of what we expect around the country. 37 million americans traveling by plane, car, some other mode of transportation. while a good number travel by plane, a couple things to remember, masks are required in airports and airplanes. vast majority of people are going by car, some 90%. you want to keep in mind that gas prices are higher than they've been in seven years. they're urging you to plan ahead. don't wait until the tank is too low before you fill up. getting back to air travel, despite weather dylan was talking about, we're not seeing too much trouble in the sky as far as delays. where people need to make sure to plan, allow for time is when it comes to security lines. here at hartsfield-jackson, they're urging people to get here two hours ahead of time. clearly, guys, gone are the days of breezing through lines during the pandemic light crowds. crowds

jose. >> blayne alexander in atlanta, thank you. >>> now to our big the northeast.oding and evacuations in the south. the first named storm of the atlantic hurricane season is already churning out at sea. it is a busy day on the weather front. kathy park reports from scorching new york city. >> reporter: tonight more storms churning in the gulf of mexico threatening parts of texas and louisiana. trying to dry out after an historic week dam failed friday forcing hundreds to evacuate as emergency responders moved in. the wet weather also filling streets and homes with water in central arkansas. the damage piling up each day. >> you are fighting a losing battle. no matter what you do, water is unforgiving. they call it the most destructive natural force for a reason. >> reporter: mother nature unleashing another blow in the atlantic with strong winds, high surf and heavy rain near bermuda forming overnight ana is now the first named storm of the hurricane season. >> we have had seven years in a row of a tropical storm or a subtropical storm forming before the beginning

yourself something good at the store and send the farmers a signal to produce more. >> reporter: blayne alexander memorial day bring warmer weather our michelle grossman has the answer next. n> and rocking out in theame of science inside the french covid experiment still fresh unstopables in-wash scent booster downy unstopables how did kellogg's combine crunchy oat clusters with a touch of honey... plump, juicy raisins and tasty fiber into one delicious cereal? it took a lot of bran-storming. get it? kellogg's raisin bran crunch. two scoops of delicious. brushing only reaches 25% of your mouth. get it? listerine® cleans virtually 100%. helping to prevent gum disease and bad breath. never settle for 25%. always go for 100. bring out the bold™ ♪♪ [music and sound effects played in reverse] this...is our shot. the covid-19 vaccines are ready. and so is walgreens, with pharmacy experts ready to make it easy for you to get it safely, for free. because this is our shot... ...at getting back together. your heart is at the heart of everything you do. because this is our shot... and if you have heart fail

our blayne alexander with the important details parents should hear >>> it was a weekend filled with at least 12 killed and dozens wounded as gun violence rises. >>> we're live in italy where a cable car plunged to the ground, killing at least 14. >>> the gravity defying, record setting gymnastics abilities of simone biles with a move she landed that no woman has ever done before. >>> and we've got the big winners from last night's star-studded billboard music awards plus, phil mickelson rewrites history at the pga a busy monday ahead. good morning i'm frances rivera. >> and i'm phillip mena. new concerns about the covid amongst teenagers. the cdc is investigating an extremely rare heart condition linked to teenagers who have gotten the vaccine our blayne alexander has the details. good morning. >> reporter: phillip, the cdc has made it clear there is no connection between getting the vaccine and this mild heart condition. and experts are sending a message to parents essentially saying if your child is over the age of 12, they should get the vaccine. with covid vaccines now approved

we've got it all covered, starting with nbc's blayne alexander at atlanta's airport, the country's busiest. blayne, good morning. >> reporter: craig, good morning to you. it has been more than a year since we've seen scenes like these here at the nation's busiest airport, something that was almost unthinkable just a year ago. but over the weekend, the tsa set a new single day record for pandemic travelers. all of this, of course, is coming as americans, by the millions, are getting back to traveling. this morning, it's a long-awaited sight. the chaotic return of holiday travel. >> it's great to see everybody out and about and getting back to normal life and enjoying life. >> reporter: for tsa, a new pandemic record, topping 1.9 million travelers friday. in america's first major holiday weekend since the vaccine. tsa's three-day total for thursday through saturday, more than five times the memorial day traffic in 2020. >> to know that we can travel and be with family and hug a little better without being scared is a great feeling. >> reporter: at the nation's busiest airport, last year, a g

we have it all covered we'll start with nbc's blayne alexander. joins us from atlanta's truist park. good morning >> reporter: hoda, good morning to you in just a matter of hours, the atlanta braves will open the gates here at truist park, where they expect to welcome a crowd at nearly 100% capacity. it's the first time in more than a year they've seen a crowd of that magnitude today, they're handing out more than peanuts and cracker jacks at the ballpark. they're also giving out a covid front. this morning, a major step for vaccine, with pfizer filing for full fda authorization previously, it had been authorized on an emergency basis. full approval would mean the vaccine goes directly to americans through doctors' offices, like any other shot, rather than being distributed by the government it comes as we are seeing more signs of reopening. >> 0 for 3. >> reporter: from playing ball to playing at the symphony, these stands are slowly coming back to life >> we're beginning the return to live concerts, which i know we are terribly excited about. >>

blayne alexander is outside cdc headquarters in atlanta.d morning. >> reporter: willie, good morning. for the past few months, any time we talked about large crowds, it's been with a tone of concern in the context of them potentially become superspreaders. as more people get the vaccine, slowly but surely scenes like these are once again becoming the norm. this morning, it's the sweet sound of sports arenas roaring back to life. the nba playoffs are back. so are the fans. in sharp contrast to last year's bubble, stadiums are allowing spectators inside. >> masks and sanitizer. >> reporter: in miami, it's the food and wine festival filling south beach. for first time since the start of the pandemic, large-scale pride parades are coming back, with tampa pride drawing some 40,000 people to celebrate. >> this is so awesome just to be outside and all of us able to gather and have a parade and have the celebration. it's wonderful. >> reporter: all signs of the nation turning a major corner on covid. >> as more and more people roll up their sleeves

blayne alexander joins us. >> i got an alert myself on my cell phone.ning coming through. we're in the city of atlanta. the warning came through at 10:20 this morning that there was a tornado warning and later the national weather service was able to confirm that a tornado did touchdown on the ground. we are still waiting to get reports or understanding of just exactly what sort of damage was caused by the storm, but as you see right there, atlanta is a place where there are a lot of trees where when winds come through it's not unlikely and you see a number of trees blown down and that's certainly something that we can expect. to tell you a little bit about the area that where this tornado warning was called. this was a populated place in atlanta, we know that it was headed toward peach tree street headed toward midtown atlanta and those were the places where people were being told to take cover immediately and what we are waiting to see right now, craig, is just how much, if any, damage was done. >> blayne alexander for us there in atlanta. thank you.

blayne alexander, thank you. we will get the rest of your fork for both storms in just a few minutes. >> to the middle east where after scattered clashes in jerusalem, it was mild last night, still holding. can the peace last? nbc's chief foreign correspondent richard engel is in gaza. good morning. >> reporter: the cease-fire is holding for now and it might hold for a little while. both sides, israel and hamas, are declaring victory. here in gaza some much needed humanitarian supplies began to arrive, including food and medicine. the world health organization is calling for the creation of a corridor to allow the evacuation of the gazans this morning are still picking up the pieces. aid is finally arriving. thousands of families are returning to their homes they had been living in schools to hide from israeli air strikes. from above, the scale of what happens here is clear. 8,000 homes damaged or destroyed. 156 holes where buildings once stood. hamas didn't win this war militarily, but the group is more popular

blayne alexander at the airport in atlanta and in arizona.we start to return to normal on this holiday, the local parade in doylestown is so important to that community. what are you hearing from residents and small business owners there? >> it really is, jeff. i've spent the better part of last year plus reporting on empty streets as people stay safe and quarantined and today the streets were filled with color guard members, band members and just this overarching sense of joy and relief from thousands of community members that came out to celebrate the parade and last year it was cancelled and it would have been the 150th anniversary of the parade and it was a sense of community here today and along these streets, the community relies on its small businesses and independently owned restaurants, bars and cafes and the reason why the parade was able to happen, these businesses can fully re-open is because pennsylvania is lifting its capacity limits and everything will happen with 100% with the exception of pennsylvania and business owners feel

and blayne alexander live at atlanta airport, the busiest.nnon, at the white house, president biden at last check is on his way to virginia. short trip there. first one is about how far we have come in the fight against covid. what's the president's message heading into this weekend? >> reporter: this visit coming hours after virginia lifted restrictions on social distancing and capacity limits. the white house says the president is going there to talk about the progress that state has made. they say that cases are down about 13% over the past week on average. this is all part of a bigger effort by the white house, by president biden, to emphasize the country's getting back to normal, to try and start moving people past this pandemic, talking about this reopening of the country and hopes it's going to stimulate more. the white house and administration officials say they are not necessarily concerned about a surge of cases after memorial day. you see those numbers and those ill an images of people traveling. the cdc director said unlike other

blayne alexander joins us from atlanta. blayne, good day to you.to the decision, right? >> reporter: absolutely, alex. we're talking about this disturbing trend we're seeing, since january 1, in fact according to the faa, we've now seen more than 2,500 incidents of passengers behaving badly while in flight or on board. more than 75% of the incidents have to do with people who just don't want to abide by mask requirements. the latest of course is what we saw on southwest airlines, a flight attendant had two of her teeth knocked out. one of those passengers is now facing charges for that incident. we saw this during the pandemic, the airlines essentially said they were going to limit the service or limit sales of alcohol because they wanted to limit interactions between passengers and flight attendants. but now southwest and american airlines have decided to extend that ban because of this unruly behavior. here is some new reaction from the head of the flight attendants union who says this is ridiculous and needs to stop. >> what we are saying is tha

nbc's blayne alexander joins us from the cdc in atlanta with more on all this. wds like this starting to gather again. it's been this lost year, so you take note of it. >> reporter: absolutely. you know, for the past year plus, alex, any time we've talked about large crowds, it's been almost with this tone of concern, talking about them in the context of potentially being super spreaders or dangerous gatherings. now as more and more people are rolling up their sleeves and getting that vaccine, slowly but surely we're seeing scenes like this once again becoming the norm. it's the sweet sound of sports arenas rolling back to life. the nba playoffs are back. so are the fans, in sharp contrast to last year's bubble. stadiums are now allowing spectators inside. >> we have masks and sanitizers. >> reporter: in miami, it's the food and wine festival filling the streets of south beach. for the first time since the start of the pandemic -- [ cheering ] -- large scale pride parades are coming back with tampa pride drawing 40,000 people to celebrate. >> this is so awesome,

to convince those skeptical of the vaccine that they are safe to take we begin tonight with blayne alexander. >> reporter: these are the mother's day moments we have been desperately awaiting. >> are you serious >> reporter: after months and miles of distance -- >> happy mother's day. >> reporter: finally, this. >> it's something to hug you. >> i know. >> reporter: america's first major holiday with a vaccine. >> i would say we are turning the corner we have, as of this morning, 58% of adult americans with at least one shot, over 110 million americans fully vaccinated. >> reporter: we've seen the signs almost everywhere. across the country, more and more states are loosening restrictions in los angeles, a one-time epicenter, crowds shopping for mother's day flowers experts say it all hinges on vaccines this weekend, connecticut's governor announced 70% of adults in the state have received at least one shot, among the first to reach the major milestone it's a race president biden is pushing to see nationwide by the fourth of july with the pace of vaccinations down, nearly 40% since last month

. >> joining me now is blayne alexander. so difficult to watch that footage, to hear the sounds.wo years later? what is greene's family saying about it? >> reporter: greene's family has a lot to say about it. what you saw there is essentially the end of a high speed chase that played out more than two years ago in monroe, louisiana, a rural part of the state. it also happens to be, as we know, the final moments of ronald greene's life. in this video that was released by the associated press, we can see a number of things happened. there are several officers involved in ultimately making the stop. during the video, you can see and hear officers repeatedly punching him, pun officer picks him up by ankle shackles and drags him. as you watch the video, you hear greene telling officers, i'm scared and apologizing for leading them on the high speed chase. we need to know the associated press says that of the people that were there, not all cameras were activated. that makes it difficult to see what was going on. louisiana state police not commenting beyond saying the release of the vid

here's nbc's blayne alexander. >> reporter: all week long, we have seen the scramble. >> i have beenking, just like the toilet paper supply. >> reporter: across the southeast and up the east coast, gas prices are going up and pumps are going dry. in north carolina, where at one point more than 70% of stations were out of gas, the shortage led five school systems to switch to remote learning. now the bulk of the pain has moved up north to d.c., where friday, outages were still at a whopping 81%. >> i don't know how i'm going to make it home. >> reporter: all areas along the colonial pipeline, the nation's largest fuel supplier forced to shutdown after a ransomware attack. it is now back online, the $5 million ransom paid. but experts say that it will take a bit longer for that relief to trickle down to the pump. >> it's going to take one or two weeks to get it down enough where motorist is no longer have to think about where to fill up. >> reporter: and it's doing a number of on prices, too. the national average topping $3 per gallon for the first time since 2014. but are the issues d

blayne alexander, nbc news. >> with us now, alana odoms, executive director of the aclu of louisiana.ny footage to be made public. police initially told greene's family he died after his car hit a tree in a car chase. what does accountability look like in a case like this? >> accountability looks like holding law enforcement accountable by way of prosecution. and we suggest, at the aclu, of course, that every individual is entitled to due process of law. is entitled to their day in court. is entitled to a constitutional defense. but these officers. they are entitled to that. but, guess who else was entitled to that? mr. ronald greene. whether or not they perceived that he had committed a crime. he was entitled to his constitutional protections. he was entitled to counsel. he should have been able to obtain his rightful day in court. he should have had the presumption of innocence, until proven guilty but they took that away by becoming judge, jury, and executioner. >> i want to play some more sound from greene's mother speaking earlier today with nbc's priscilla thompson. take a liste

blayne alexander tells us more about that >> reporter: when riley o'keefe and zoe iannone got their bartram trail high school yearbooks, they flipped straight to their pictures and were shocked by what they saw >> it's the first thing you notice i felt very uncomfortable. >> reporter: these are the original photos and here's what appeared in the yearbook the images edited to cover up more of their chest. and they weren't the only ones. at least 80 female students at the high school in saint john's county, florida found their outfits altered, deemed dress code violations after the pictures were taken. >> now their body parts are of additional focus and attention that never would have been there in the first place if the school hadn't called attention to it >> immediately i -- my blood started to boil. >> reporter: these families say the dress code needs to change, calling it a double standard >> when the school goes and edits out my cleavage in a photo but decides that a swim team photo is okay in speedos, it just sends the message that my body is inappropriate. >> reporter: the superintende

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nearly 2 million passed through tsa checkpoints on thursday alone nbc's blayne alexander is at the nation's busiest airport. >> here in atlanta airport officials expect to see 1.5 million people travel through this holiday weekend. that's the busiest it's been since december of 2019 >> reporter: and at the nation's premier weekend auto race spectators will be back in the stands nbc's tom llamas is in indianapolis >> here at the indy 500 they're expecting more than 130,000 fans on race day, which is sunday it's going to be the largest sporting event anywhere on the planet since the onset of the pandemic organizers feel they can keep the event safe, but they want to make sure fans follow the rules. >> reporter: but with most international travel still off limits the summer's hottest ticket may be the great outdoors the national parks already seeing record-breaking numbers. >> we know that many of the most popular national parks both campgrounds and lodging in and around parks are fully booked or nearly fully booked through labor day weekend. >> reporter: at colorado's cherry creek state park

our blayne alexander has the latest >> reporter: phil, the cdchas made it clear there is no connectionetween getting the vaccine and the mild heart condition. and the cdc sending a message to parents saying iffy your child is over the age of 12, they should get the vaccine with health officials urges parents to take advantage, the cdc isses of a heart condition possibly linked to the vaccine in adolescents. in a statement, the agency votes rare cases of myocarditis, found more likely in adolescents than adults, more often in males and typically two days after the shots. with this important caveat that the rates after the vaccine have not delivered from expected baseline rates. >> there's no evidence to discontinue the vaccine at this time it's possible these could be related to other underlying causes, other viral infections or other causes. >> reporter: still, for some parents already hesitant to get their child vaccinated, it's not welcome news >> scary, not knowing what can happen and how their bodies are going to adjust to it. >> reporter: a shows nearly a quarter of 12 to 15 will

we begin tonight with blayne alexander. >> reporter: with covid vaccines now approved for those as young as age 12 and health officials urging parents to take advantage, cdc is looking into cases of a heart condition possibly linked to the vaccine in adolescents. relatively few reported cases of myocarditis, a condition that caus inflammation of the heart. the cdc notes they appear to be mild cases with this important caveat. the rates after vaccine have not differed from expected baseline dates. >> there's no evidence that this condition is linked to the vaccine at this time and it's possible these could be related to other viral infections or other causes. >> reporter: still for some parents already hesitant to get their child vaccinated, it's not welcomed news. >> scary. we don't know what could happen and how their bodies are going to adjust to it. >> reporter: a recent poll conducted before the cdc findings show nearly a quarter will definitely not get their child vaccinated. another 26% plan to wait and see zblom line, should parents be concerned about this? >> the risk of this con

for more on the signs of progress, we're joined by blayne alexander. good morning >> reporter: frances, good morning to you for so many people mother's day is indeed a special holiday. but after months and months of loved ones being celebrated, this year was especially major that's why we saw so many reunions but now health officials are warning as vaccination numbers and the pace is starting to slow down, that in order to make scenes like those the norm, it's important that people roll up their sleeves. these interest mother's day moments we have been desperately awaiting >> are you kidding me? >> reporter: after months and miles of distance. >> happy mother's day! >> reporter: finally, this >> it's so good to hug you >> i know. >> reporter: america's first major holiday with the vaccine >> i would say we are turning the corner we now have as of this morning 58% of adult americans with at least one shot over 110 million americans fully vaccinated >> reporter: we have seen the signs almost everywhere. across the country, more and more states are loosen

blayne alexander is at hartsfield jackson atlanta airport,s country's busiest by the way. >> reporter: good morning to you. as covid cases are going down, travel is going up it is something we're seeing at atlanta's hartsfield-jackson airport. they're expecting to process 1.5 million travelers this holiday weekend. now, with the cdc having given the clear for vaccinated americans to travel safely, millions of people are doing just that. this morning, with the lockdown finally lifting -- >> like we've been hibernating, you know, for so long, so we're excited. >> reporter: -- the summer travel season is officially taking flight. >> you know, i think i'm just ready to go. >> reporter: more than 37 million americans are expected to hit the skies and the streets for memorial day travel. a whopping 60% jump from last year, though still not as high as pre-pandemic numbers. >> i have spent the last year plus saying, "stay safe, stay home." today, i'm telling ya, "get out of the damn house. >> reporter: in airports where masks are still a must, if you're among the expected among the expected 2

not need to wear masks or maintain social distancing if you're still unsure what to do, our blayne alexander helps break ite sidewalk, no mask andt feels great. >> reporter: from joy to concern. >> we still need to be a little bit cautious. >> reporter: to downright confusion. >> everyone is skeptic or a little bit scared. >> reporter: response is a mixed bag after cdc guidance saying that fully vaccinated americans can safely remove their masks both outdoors inside, not including planes or public transportation the cdc director defended the decision, there is no need for everybody to start ripping off their masks. what we're saying is now there that it's safe, work with your own speed and own family and businesses to remove them when necessary. >> reporter: she says the decision was driven by science and now will be the basis for future guidance. >> cdc is hard at work now saying what does this mean for schools, for travel, for camps, for businesses >> reporter: nationwide, just 37% of americans are fully vaccinated, even as health experts continue to out to the benefits >> you become a dea

blayne alexander is in atlanta with that story. >>> we begin with the crisis in the middle east. new israeli air strikes overnight. the latest round of violence now entering its second week after the deadliest day so far in the fighting we've got two reports, starting with nbc's chief foreign correspondent richard engel. he's on the ground in tel-aviv richard, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, savannah it was another long and difficult night for palestinians living in the gaza strip israel carried out some of its most intense air strikes yet after an especially deadly weekend. the israeli bombings in gaza are by now the most intense of the conflict overnight the israeli military said 54 fighter jets, mostly customized american f-16s attacked nearly ten miles of tunnels. it says hamas is using to launch rockets at israeli cities, more than 3,000 rockets in the past seven days alone but as precise as the israeli strikes can be, palestinian civilians are dying. the air strikes have destroyed three apartment buildings in gaza city this weekend in the deadliest attack so far. g

. >> peter alexander and blayne alexander, thank you both. >>> before we go, we want to acknowledge aors of the 1921 tulsa rape massacre, each of them more than 100 years old, came to washington to till their stories. the oldest living survivor, 107-year-old fiola fletcher testified how the event impacted her life every day, even a century later. >> the night of the massacre, i was awaken by my family, parents and five siblings were there. i was told we have to leave and that was it. i will never forget the violence of the mob when we left our home. i still seeing black men being shot, black bodies lying in the street. i still smell smoke and see black businesses being burned, i still hear airplanes flying overhead. i hear the screams. i have lived through the massacre every day. i try to forget this history but i cannot, i will not and other survivors will not and our descendants do not. >> as many as 300 black people were killed during those two days in 1921. some 10,000 were left homeless. survivors of the massacre are suing the state of oklahoma and city of tulsa for reparations.

nbc's blayne alexander joins us with this one. ou open it up, you flip to the page, and you find your picture. well, for dozens of young ladies at one florida high school, they did exactly that, but they got a very big surprise. now, they're demanding an it wae perfect moment they expected when riley o'keeffe and zoe, boelt freshman at barnam trail high school at st. john's county, florida, opened their brand new yearbook, they immediately noticed something was off. rather, added on their photos had been edited to cover their chests >> initial reaction was to be surprised and shocked. as it goes on, you feel gross and, like, embarrassed and very objectified. >> reporter: as the girls kept flipping through the pages, they realized they were not alone. >> i got very upset and i was uncomfortable, that that's how they were looking at our photos. >> immediately, my blood started to boil. . >> reporter: in all, at least 80 photos were edited, all female students deemed to be in dress code violation after the pictures were taken. for the

first, let's get to nbc's blayne alexander. she joins us from atlanta with the damage we have already seen there. blayne, good morning. >> reporter: well, savannah, good morning to you. certainly, the storm left its mark across metro atlanta. at this industrial office complex, we see a number of trees scattered and the roof has been blown into this pile over here. now, this storm system has already proven deadly, taking at least one life in west georgia. but today, officials are turning their attention to damage like this. the national weather center is going to be on the ground surveying the damage as people across the south are now bracing for round two. across the south, sounds of an unforgiving storm. >> i just heard whoo, whoo, then boom, boom, boom. >> reporter: a powerful system producing at least four tornadoes from mississippi to georgia. in tupelo, an ef-1 tore a 12-mile path through the city. across the state, more heavy winds tossing trucks like toys. >> i looked out there, and it was behind me. it was in front of me

blayne alexander for us there in atlanta. blayne, a big thanks to you. >>> we're also keeping a close eye on capitol hill this tuesday. attorney general merrick garland testifying right now. so far the attorney general is asking for more money for things primarily including community policing. we'll check in with our capitol hill team. >>> the secretary of state has a big meeting with other foreign leaders this hour on afghanistan. there's antony blinken right there. we'll check in with richard engel, our foreign correspondent, in kabul. how the u.s. troop withdrawal is affecting the afghan people especially women and girls. and the ceo of a company that makes high-end luggage and the ceo of a company that makes a tool many of us use at work every day. they just so happen to be married and they just made a huge splash in the fight to vaccinate the world. they're going to join me to talk about their big ask of other corporate leaders. we welcome? we can make emergency medicine possible at 40,000 feet. instead of burning our pa

blayne alexander, thank you for that. >>> speaking of flying there and the airports, those across then travelers as more americans are getting vaccinated. according to the travel association, 72% of americans are planning summer trips this year and that's compared to 37% last summer in 2020. corey is in queens, new york. welcome. what are you seeing there? is it busy? >> reporter: anecdotally, alex, yes. it is much busier versus what i saw last year and a couple of months ago when we were reporting an increase for travel for the holiday season. the tsa reporting that they have had a million passengers screened every single day since march 11th and almost two months now straight and some of the travelers that i spoke with out here said the crux of this and the theme of this feeling more comfortable is getting the vaccine. listen to what one family told me. >> we are definitely planning to travel, and we are definitely looking forward to it considering what we've been for the last year and a half and it will be a great bonding experience for the family. >> we will travel and stay at a h

blayne alexander joining us from hartsfield-jackson. thank you, blayne. you. >>> joining us is sarah nelson, president of the association of flight attendants good morning. >> good morning. >> to kendis' point, will it curb incidents if some of it happens before liftoff. >> it's going to be helpful. safety and security is a layer of procedures we put in place. alcohol sales were paused because people will be more likely to move their mask down, to take a sip. they become a little bit more sloppy about keeping that mask in place. it's not just about the u unruly passenger events, although in every one of these incidents, usually alcohol is also a contributor. what we're seeing is the federal government should step in and pause alcohol sales in the airports and on the airplanes for a period of time because the number of reports we have so far, just five months into the year are 20 times more than we've seen in a normal year's time. on that scale, talking a about 50 times more for the whole year. this is a really a problem -- an epidemic and flight attendant

nbc's blayne alexander is at the nation's busiest airport. >> reporter: here in atlanta, airport officialsxpect to see 1.5 million people travel through this holiday weekend. that's the busiest it's been since december of 2019. >> reporter: and at the nation's premiere weekend auto race, spectators will be back in the stands. nbc's tom llamas is in indianapolis. >> reporter: here at the indy 500, they're expecting more than 130,000 fans on race day, which is sunday. it's going to be the largest sporting event anywhere on the planet since the onset of the pandemic. organizers feel they can keep the event safe, but they want to make sure fans follow the rules. >> reporter: but with most international travel still offlimits, the summer's hottest ticket may be the great outdoors. the national parks already seeing record-breaking numbers. >> we know that many of the most popular national parks, both campgrounds and lodging in and around parks are fully booked, nearly fully booked through labor day weekend. >> reporter: at colorado's cherry creek state park, campers and rvs have been showing up

nbc's blayne alexander is there with all. hello to you. >> hello to you from the nation's busiest airport that is starting to look like the nation's busiest airport in atlanta. the crowds are certainly coming back in a major way, but consider this, we are still in between the busiest days. the crowds will pick up even more on monday, but let's look at the numbers last year. they're the lowest on record when it comes to memorial day holiday travel, but now with nearly 40% of americans traveling, travel is bouncing back in a big way. >> with vaccines ticking up, summer travel is officially taking off. >> 2020 was a really bad year and we're just looking for a break. >> an estimated 37 million people will travel this holiday weekend, up 60% from last year. >> i think we're fairly safe as long as we keep our masks on. >> as airports across the country, the crowds are coming back included in atlanta's hartsfield jackson's busiest. >> when was the last time we saw it this biz. >> it was christmas 2019 when we saw this many people h

let's go to nbc's blayne alexander for more on this. welcome to you.what's been the reaction to drivers there in atlanta? >> reporter: well, alex, the answer that we're getting from experts is that we are now in recovery mode. it is better than what we saw earlier this week and it will take a week, possibly another two weeks before drivers can be confident before they will go to the pump and get gas. this is the scene at one gas station in metro, atlanta. it is certainly much more crowded now than it was earlier today, but this is one of the lucky stations here in atlanta. this is one of the stations that actually has gas, but in the state of georgia, about 45% of stations are completely out of gas and when you move further up north to d.c., that number jumps up about 80% or so, and experts do have advice for you if you're ready to go out this weekend, stop panicking. all week long, we have seen the scramble. >> i have been here now for an hour and 15 minutes and this is my fifth gas station. >> it's a panic. everyone's panicking just like the toilet p

blayne alexander has more. >> hello to you from what is a busy gas station. traffic has certainly picked up from earlier this morning. cars lining up in some cases three deep to get gas. but this is one of the lucky stations here in the state of georgia, when you consider that statewide outages are right at about 45%, 46%. that means about 46% of stations do not have gas. when you go up further north to d.c. that number jumps to about 81%. the experts i have been speaking with say essentially we're in recovery mode right now. of course, the colonel pipeline is back up and running but it's going to take another week, possibly two weeks before we see that trickle down to the pump where drivers can just pull into any gas station and trust that they'll be able to get the fuel they need. the other thing that i've been speaking with experts about is the question over whether this was a supply issue with the pipeline, if the issue was caused by the pipeline or more so people essentially panicking and going out and purchasing gas and they said because so many people

let's start with blayne alexander at hartsfield-jackson airport in atlanta. this is going to be the first time many americans have flown in more than a year. what do they need to know before heading to the airport? >> steph, the first thing they need to know is the wait is back. crowds are once again coming back to the airport. so the long tsa lines and tsa checkpoints, you can expect those to return so make sure to plan ahead. let's talk about the numbers. triple a is expecting some 37 million americans will travel at some point over memorial day weekend. in fact, tsa has already put out numbers for thursday. they processed about 1.85 million passengers through checkpoint. that's the highest number we've seen since the start of the pandemic so we're talking about a 60% boost from last year. a lot of traffic at the airports including here at the world's busiest. but the vast majority of people are actually going to be going by car. so that's part of the story. let's go to cal perry. cal? >> hey, blayne, from the air to trains to on the ground, one of the weak

made a good point, the people of georgia get smarter and her constituents and my colleague, blayne alexanderith people in a cult-like fashion. >> go ahead, congressman. >> from my experience, she's not the first of her kind. congress has seen her type come and go and she thinks she's special. she's not. congress will spit her out at some point and she'll be forgotten and at the same time never do anything for her district and not pass a bill or do anything and at the end of the day her constituents end up suffering because of it. >> a lot of people said that about donald trump, and he elevated on the backs of white supremacists to the white house. so you know, knowing this country like i do, i'm not so convinced that she's as inconsequential as you say. >> professor, i'll turn to you on this because i think something that's dangerous about these social media platforms, you say january 6th, they were planning that live in the open and it was in plain sight and people weren't paying attention and i'm curious now because there are trumpisms congregating in spaces and what's being discussed now

relief at the gas pump this morning, as those widespread fuel outages begin to ease up nbc's blayne alexanderbottom line, the outages are getting better, but we do still have a way to go you know, it's something that even i experienced when i was trying to fill up. the first gas station i stopped at was completely out of gas the second one i came to had a $20 cap on all customers so it's just another sign that not only drivers but gas statio way up managers are all trying to make do during this outage. it's one we could feel all the way up until memorial day. it's enough to drive frustrations to a new high >> there were literally no gas pumps. >> reporter: from city to city, pump to pump, millions of drivers are finding scenes like this limits on gasoline or simply no fuel at all. >> it's a problem. it's definitely a problem. >> reporter: now, more than a week after the colonial pipeline was hacked, and days into it being fully operational, for much of the southeast and east coast, there are simply no guarantees when it comes to gas. georgia is under a state of emergency. the governor has upp