soledad: bubba wallace ignited a culture shift in nascar when he pushed the sport to rethk its ties toonfederate flag. it banned the flag amid nationwide protests against racial discrimination and police brutality. while wallace won the support of many fellow drivers, not all of the sport's fans went along. and recently when bill lester made his return to the sport, he was apparently booed. something lester said happened often as one of the few black drivers in the sport. raising this question -- can nascar keep up with social change? our special correspondent joie chen reports. joie: on the speedway, someone tagged him "the youngster." and thousand he's now in his eighth season with plenty of podium finishes -- the nickname stuck. blake: i'm blake lothian. i'm a nascar driver diversity driver with the rev racing and i drive the number 16 car for a.k. performance. joie: he's trying to set the pace in nascar's drive for diversity campaign. a decade-long effort that's so far produced only the second top tier racer in nascar's 72-year history -- bubba wallace. in a sport that just this su

everything that happened over last year, two years, it's been a lot >> you will hear more from bubba wallace and many other incredible people on inspiring america, the 2021 inspiration c.st airing saturday may 1st on nb and here on sunday on cnbc at 3:00 p.m. eastern time "the exchange" is back after this did you know that petco, is now a health and wellness company? their groomers work wonders for my confidence. i trust their vets, and i'm known to have trust issues. they deliver high quality food the same day. i was outside digging, what'd i miss? just everything regarding our physical, social, and mental health. exciting. i'm gonna take a spin around the room. great idea. ♪ ♪ petco. the health and wellness company. front desk. yes, hello... i'm so... please hold. ♪♪ i got you. ♪ all by yourself. ♪ go with us and get millions of flexible booking options. expedia. it matters who you travel with. keeping your oysters business growing expedia. has you swamped. you need to hire. i need indeed indeed you do. the moment you sponsor a job on indeed you get a shortlist of quality candidates from a

he scraped off bubba wallace's car. they are going 205 miles an hour and bumping and bumping.don't like that kind of racing thank goodness joey walked away. frances, thank you >> sure thing. >>> it is not only that. oscars were last night the overall night was still majorly scaled back. it was still a night of historic wins no surprise. netflix reigned king taking home the most awards of any studio this year jennifer bjorkland join us now good evening, i should say, to you. we appreciate it for us who missed it, tell us the winners and surprises last night. >> reporter: oh, there was so much that was so different about this ceremony. it was a different kind of oscars minus the bits and musical performances the stars were out and we saw a glimpse of hollywood that was determined to shine. >> "nomadland. >> reporter: low budget film of life on the road scored big sunday night at the academy awards including best picture >> we give this one to our wolf. >> reporter: frances mcdormand made her way back on stage just minutes later. claiming her third career win as best actress >> i

. >>> and in nascar, joey logano's car went airborne over bubba wallace's.f. more importantly, logano able to walk away from the wreck uninjured. >>> final the ufc put on its first event with a full capacity crowd since the pandemic started last march. more than 15,000 fans packing into the arena in jacksonville on saturday night without social distancing. not many masks being worn. many fight fans were excited about the atmosphere while critics are concerned it might become a potential supercoronavirus spreader. >>> three of california's major league baseball teams setting a new trend into the year of the pandemic setting sections for vaccinated fans only. >> reporter: john and brianna, coming to you from a rather empty oracle park as the san francisco giants take on the florida marlins. team officials hope they start getting more fans in the stands in what they call vaccinated-only stands. the dodgers and padres doing it as well. what is a vaccinated-only stand? it's basically what it sounds like piechlts people who have been vaccinated. they'll have to sh

taking san diego everybody in the garage area knew it wasn't put there for bubba wallace because i wasnd right after that noose was found. but they jumped on it and they didn't take a breath and they didn't let calm heads prevail. same thing happened with major league baseball and rob manfred, he moved that game to denver based on a lie. and do you know what? i generally like nascar, football, basketball baseball, hockey, golf, i will even wash a fishing tournament. i hate baseball but just to stick it to rob manfred and the leadership, i will go to atlanta to a braves became and i will stay down there and eat until i have gained another 20 pounds. [laughter] >> harold: let's hope whatever you want to happen i happen i hope that does not happen. but the fastest is up next. ♪ you'll always be my baby ♪ ♪ not everybody wants the same thing. that's why i go with liberty mutual — they customize my car insurance so i only pay for what i need. 'cause i do things a little differently. hey, i'll take one, please! wait, this isn't a hot-dog stand? no, can't you see the sign? wet. teddy. bears.

his car going toward bubba wallace but goes over the top. you'll see it there.o walk away from the wreck uninjured. >>> after 21 seasons at baylor, hall of fame winner basketball coach is leaving for lsu. she won three national championships with the bears. the third most as a coach in history. she was announced as a member of the 2020 basketball hall of fame class and set to be inducted next month. >>> finally, yesterday was a very good day to be kevin durant. the super star returned after a leg injury to score 33 points in a win. how about winning an oscar? the movie he coexecutive produced called "two distant strangers" won the academy award. they joined kobe bryant as the only nba players to win an oscar. he won back in 2018. >> yeah. ""dear basketball."" nice to see you. thank you, coy. >>> twitter had a field day with the news that the tesla billionaire will host snl may 8th. musk has faced real criticism for treatment of employees. yesterday he joked about people dying in his mission to put a man on mars. even some reaction from inside snl. aidy bryant pr

nascar superstar bubba wallace is speaking up and speaking out about covid-19 vaccine hesitancy. is black is partnering with the north carolina health system which calls vaccine hesitancy the biggest barrier to ending the pandemic. wallace played a major role in getting the confederate monuments flag removed from the sport of nascar, he hopes to play a big role in also getting people vaccinated. >> thanks to nick and our other correspondents for those updates. >>> in a blow to california moviegoers and concession workers 300 movie screens are fading to black for good. after struggling during the pandemic pacific theaters and arch light theaters will close their doors. many in hollywood mourning the the theater's closure on social media. the company thaungd it's employees, guests and members of the film industry for the years of support saying, quote, it has been an honor and flesh tour to serve you. >>> connecticut making a push to get students back in classrooms. the state sin vesting $10 million of federal funding into a new effort to fight absenteeism. the program focuses on 1

. >> more this weekend other honorees include the late alex trebek, bubba wallace and the teachers of 3:00 eastern sunday afternoon, right here cnbc >>> astronaut michael collins has died collins piloted "apollo 11" spacecraft in orbit while neal armstrong and buzz aldrin took their small steps. collins is referred to as the forgotten astronaut of the historic mission buzz aldrin is the last surviving member of "apollo 11". he wrote dear make wherever you have been or will be you always have the fire to carry us to new heights and to future. his family said michael kol lynx died of cancer he was 90 years old. >>> stay with us here on the news in about an hourhe t president makes his first joint address to congress the first survivor of alzheimer's disease is out there. and the alzheimer's association is going to make it happen. but we won't get there without you. join the fight with the alzheimer's association. ♪♪ [sfx: revving trucks] pilot over radio: here we go, let's do this. ♪♪ pilot over radio: right there, right there. [sfx: revving trucks] pilot over radio: g complete. how do

i had a chance to sit down with bubba wallace. my full interview this saturday 8:00 p.m.he things i have enjoyed about you is you seem to really enjoy what you are doing right now. you seem to be really enjoying being one of the faces of nascar. is that an accurate assessment? >> you gotta enjoy where you are at. if you don't, find something else to do. right? am i set out to be the face of nascar? no. i'm set out just to be another driver trying to find his way and make his way into the sport. with everything that's happened over the last year, two years, it's been a lot. [ crowd cheering ] [ engine revving ] [ race light countdown ] ♪♪ ♪♪ when you save money with allstate you feel like you're winning. safe drivers save 40% saving is easy when you're in good hands. allstate. click or call for a quote today. ♪ when i was young ♪ no-no-no-no-no please please no. ♪ i never needed anyone. ♪ front desk. yes, hello... i'm so... please hold. ♪ those days are done. ♪ i got you. ♪ all by yourself. ♪ go with us and find millions of flexible options. all in our app. expedia. it mat

nascar driver bubba wallace and a whole lot more. >>> from eliminating the use of drop boxes to addingtee ballots, florida is now becoming the next state to restrict voting. >>> one of the biggest theme parks has opened today, but only for some. we're going to sold-out disneyland to tell you about the qualifications to get in. aboute qualifications to get in that's why i use the freestyle libre 14 day system. with a painless, onesecond scan i can check my glucose without fingersticks. now i'm managing my diabetes better and i've lowered my a1c from 8.2 to 6.7. you can do it without fingersticks, too. ask your doctor for a prescription for the freestyle libre 14 day system. and visit freestyle libre.us to try it for free. nicorette knows, quitting smoking is freaking hard. foyou get advice like:e 14 day system. try hypnosis... or... quit cold turkey. kidding me?! instead, start small. with nicorette. which can lead to something big. start stopping with nicorette plant-based surfactants like the ones in seventh generation detergent trap stains at the molecular level and flush them away.

america, the list of honorees includes the late alex trebek and his wife jean lynn manuel miranda, bubba wallacecivilian crew heading to space >> i think it helps that i've gone to spacex several time. i've gotten to know the lead engineers for every mission. i trust them and i trust our commander. i know we're in really good hands. i think i'll have some butterflies but i'm not nervous. >> so you're still human >> oh, yeah. >> no butterflies would be pretty weird >> they're going to be the fun kind of butterflies. >> this crew has had weeks of training not months, certainly not years. do you think you're ready? are you concerned about a lack have experience? >> so i know we will be ready when we get to the launch. so there's an awful lot we have to accomplish from now until then i've looked at the training curriculum no one made this up, right so when nasa has a rocket, they're drawing on 60 years of history and lessons learned. that's what spacex did in collaboration with nasa, with dragon and falcon 9. so that i know the training plan that we're going to be adhering to is correct and reviewed

. >> yep, and on the first list of honorees we've got nascar driver bubba wallace, becca hammond, the really wanted to talk about all the charitable causes, all the things that he does, as he said part of his childhood about giving back. >> so cool. >> i just never feel cool enough in his presence. >> until you get like a man bun. >> that ain't going to happen. [ laughter ] >> you inspiring -- you've inspired us because this is becoming a network wide initiative, but inspiring america is like the heartbeat of "nightly news. >> we've been doing this for years on "nightly news," even before the pandemic. a lot of news days are heavy you guys know what it's like to come out here and like, wow, these stories lift us up they remind us that no matter what else is going on in the world, there are still a lot of good people in this country. >> absolutely. >> and they're looking out for other people and finding ways to give back and to be able to extend this now across the platforms of nbc is gratifying. >> best part about your show we're excited about this because, again, this begins with ins

. >> i caught up with nascar's bubba wallace. made when he called for the removal of the confederate flag at racetracks, and his fight for social justice in the racing world and beyond safe to say, nascar is a fairly white sport, drivers, crew and fans how has that been for a guy like you? >> it's been okay. i don't think about it it's never affected me i didn't need representation to become a part of the spothe nex moving up the rank and you're here, at the cup level you know, the whole black/white deal, i've never seen it i still don't. it's just drivers, you know? >> reporter: there was never a point where you looked around, coming up through the ranks, and you were like, huh, i'm the only one that kind of looks like me. >> never did that in racing or outside of racing. i grew up in a neighborhood where, you know, i had a couple black friends, majority white. we're all friends. >> it was fascinating to hear how bubba talks about, reluctantly, sort of becoming this ambassador for social justice in the sport and beyond. but he w

shortly after bubba wallace urged a ban on confederate flags at the tracks, they did just that >> you'rethere's others that follow behind me. >> this incredible ride is just getting started for toni she's gearing up to race at talladega in a few weeks when she is not training, she's staying busy with modeling she's already worked with brands like tory burch and kim kardashian's skin line guys, just to set the record straight, i am a good driver >> you were far back there >> are you, kathy? >> all relative. >> you're careful. >> i don't have a car in new york, so i'm a little out of practice. >> fair enough. >> you did a good job. thank you, kathy. >> thanks. appreciate it. >>> coming up, guys, we're going to do a little shopping. how about that we have some of the best sellers for spring, including a must-have item that is never available when you want it to be online we'll tell you about it. >> announcer: today best sellers is created by "today" and promoted by amazon >> welcome back. this morning on today best sell e, some of the season's top trends in fashion, beauty, and the kitchen

. >> after becky, i'll catch up with another trailblazer in sports, a fellow named bubba wallace.d behind the scenes, as well, in that sport. we'll have the inspiring interviews for you next week on "today." >> we have a lot to tell you about. >>> let's get to the news at 8:00 top u.s. health officials meeting today to decide if the pause on the johnson & johnson covid vaccine should be lifted in the meantime, the push has intensified to have americans get other available shots to stay ahead of the rapidly spreading variants sam brock joins us now with the latest on the covid crisis sam, good morning. >> reporter: savannah, good morning. pivotal hours ahead here with the cdc planning on meeting at 11:00 eastern. there is no doubt that one of the subject matters that's going to come up is an oregon woman who died, in her mid 50s, and she received the covid vaccine for johnson & johnson within two weeks of her death officials in the state have not officially linked it to a vaccine yet. it is an ongoing investigation johnson & johnson is responding, saying in part that there is no gr

nascar driver bubba wallace. she's the ceo of feeding america. may 7th >> we've got a lot more. >>> new tech versus old tech and, yes, the rise of crypto squawk returns right after this shorbrk.t ea will there be an ev for me? what about me? one for me? you mean us? what about me? and me? how about us? yeah, how about us? great question. wait, can i get one in green? got one for me?! hey, what about me? what about us? is there an ev for me? ev for me? us? what about me? me? for me? ♪ ♪ (dog whimpers) >>> coming up. we have something else the s&p 500. did you know that petco, is now a health and wellness company? their groomers work wonders for my confidence. i trust their vets, and i'm known to have trust issues. they deliver high quality food the same day. i was outside digging, what'd i miss? just everything regarding our physical, social, and mental health. exciting. i'm gonna take a spin around the room. great idea. ♪ ♪ petco. the health and wellness company. >>> the nasdaq pulled back yesterday. big tech weighing over ann windblad it's alway

voices and stories of inspiring individuals like playwright lin-manuel miranda, nascar driver bubba wallace and telemundo. and may 2 on nbc, nbc news now and msnbc. that does it for us this morning. stephanie ruhle picks up the coverage right now. >>> hi, there, i'm stephanie ruhle. it's thursday, april 15th. here's what's happening on this very busy morning. we're covering several breaking news stories. on the covid front, no decision yet on the johnson & johnson vaccine. a cdc advisory panel announcing it needs more time to decide what to do after the fda ask states to temporarily pause using the vaccine over a possible link to extremely rare cases of blood clots. >>> meanwhile, breaking news in the last hour, the biden administration announced new sanctions on russia, specifically on 32 groups and individuals who tried to interfere in the 2020 election. secretary of state blinken overseas right now and we're monitoring that. >>> in the state of minnesota, 24 more people were arrested during a fourth night of protests in brooklyn center over the killing of daunte wright. this comes after