. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with matt lauer and savannah guthrie from studio 1a. captions paid for by nbc-universal television

matt lauer is in west texas.ome to you, this has been la costa oeste estÁ matt lauer a morning full of breaking news en la zona de west texas. out of boston. you are covering a breaking ya tenemos noticias importantes en boston y tÚ estÁs descubriendo una hess ristoria story, as well. >> following the massive importante Ísima tambiÉn. explosion, they say now that 12 >>> esta explosiÓn nos dicen que people have been killed, 200 injured and some are still missing. they are handing out flyers like hay doce personas que murieron 200 heridos y hay personas this, looking for people who haven't been seen since the blast on wednesday night. pÉrdidas con volantes, estÁn >> it is a terrible story in west texas. hablando de personas que no han visto despuÉs explosiÓn. we will check in with you often throughout the morning. >>> es una historia tremenda en we are following breaking news west texas, tenemos las noticias out of boston. de Último minuto de boston. we want to bring everybody up to con lo que sabemos en este date

but president bush told matt lauer this morning on "today" the exhibit is factual. >> do you think you will convince people that was an unjust war, the wrong war at the wrong time that perhaps you were right? >> look, the whole purpose is to lay out the facts as i saw them at the time. people will make their own judgments. >> reporter: today was not a day for disagreements. it was, instead, a day for family and country. a day to see a former leader, however divisive as a man. >> it was the honor of a lifetime to lead a country as brave and as noble as the united states. whatever challenges come before us, i will always believe our nation's best days lie ahead. god bless. [ applause ] >> reporter: understandable emotion from the former president. i had a chance to speak with with former british prime minister tony blair in an interview that will air on sunday on "meet the press." he said after taking that in with the great accent, he said what a wonderful "add-ver-tiss-ment" for america. >> david gregory at smu campus in dallas. summer vacation season, it occurs to me, almost upon us. i

is scared to check instagram day. [ laughter ] some tv news, there's talk that "today" show host matt lauer is the top choice to replace alex trebek when he leaves "jeopardy." [ light laughter ] or, as alex trebek put it, "who is matt lauer?" [ laughter ] he doesn't know who he is? [ scattered applause ] this is crazy. last night a woman in new york gave birth to a healthy baby girl inside a walmart. [ light laughter ] obviously, it's a little embarrassing to give birth in a walmart, which is why she plans on telling her daughter she was born in a target. [ cheers and applause ] tell her the truth when she's old enough. >> steve: exactly, don't tell her. >> jimmy: yeah. did you hear about this? nevada law makers are considering a bill to legalize marijuana. [ cheers and applause ] which explains that new las vegas slogan, "what happens in vegas stays -- wait, what happened in vegas?" [ laughter and applause ] are we in vegas, man? and finally, u.s. officials have revealed that america is ready to launch cyber attacks of its own. that's right. we have a program that can totally crash someone

. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with matt lauer and savannah gurthrie, live from studio plaza. >>> and good morning, welcome to "today" on a thursday morning, i'm matt lauer. >> and i'm natalie morales in for savannah this morning. you've waited 17 years for this moment. the cicadas ready to hatch. >> when the ground temperature gets to 64 degrees, these things crawl out and invade. they're going to be people sticking thermometers in the ground waiting for this to happen. >> the east coast getting ready for the invasion. >>> but first, we are following the breaking news this morning. the damaging storms across the south. >> a state of emergency is in effect for parts of missouri and thousands in arkansas are without power this morning. let's get right to marcy from kark, the nbc affiliate in little rock. >> sounded like literally a freight train. >> reporter: terrifying moments wednesday for residents in arkansas where storms ripped through the town destroying homes and ripping vehicles. frederick brown says he was headed north on highway 65 when the storm hit. toppling

>>> from nbc news, this is "today" with matt lauer and savannah guthrie.tudio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> good morning. welcome to "today." 7 a.m. on the west coast on a monday. i'm matt lauer. >> i'm hoe da kotb b n /* /- in for savannah. >> she was one of the most influential figures of the 20th century and known as the iron lady for her uncompromising style. michelle is in london. good morning to you. >> reporter: david cameron said that margaret thatcher didn't only lead britain she saved it. she was the country's only female prime minister, longest serving in the 20th century. the family says she passed away following a stroke peacefully this morning. known as the iron lady, her influence was unmistakably strong. some would say toughing unwaiveringly conservative. >> we lost a great prime minister a great leader. a great britain. >> reporter: among a divided economic struggle in britain, protests and union strikes she was the leader from 1979 to 1990. >> the iron lady of the western world. >> reporter: ronald reagan's counterpart and partner in

i'm matt lauer. >> and i'm hoda kotb. what a game if you could stay up that late. >> like 11:45.ally cool. we'll have a lot more. i'm in for savannah this morning. take a look at this picture. the snow coming down in aurora, colorado, just outside of denver this morning. they can see nearly a foot by the time this storm gets through. it's amazing. >> and consider this. it was 71 degrees there on monday. today, it's expected to be about 25 for the high. that's not the only major concern, by the way. this morning, there's also the threat of tornadoes in the middle part of the country so let's go right to al roker who has the forecast. >> that's right. schools closed. flights delayed or canceled out of denver. right now, mike seidel is in aurora, colorado. >> reporter: good morning, al. we were in the low 70s at dinnertime last night. that cold air ushered in with thunderstorms. the wind chills have dropped to 5 below degree. the cold may be the bigger story than the snow, 5 to 8 inches.

matt lauer is covering another breaking story in the town of west, texas. that huge explosion of a fertilizer plant there. we'll check in with matt for the latest on that in a moment. as i turn to al and natalie as we watch this extraordinary moment. i know you are tracking developments. >> we're trying to obviously an abundance of caution because there's so much information on the internet right now and until we know more, pete williams has shown us that you have to be very careful with all of the information you see on the social networks out there right now. >> one thing that's always reliable is al's forecast. let's do the weather. >> we have had a lot of changeable weather going on. in fact, we were telling you about the rain yesterday. parts of the midwest, chicago, over 5.5 inches of rain in one day. that's more than they usually get for the month of april. right now we have flood warnings. river flood warnings and flash flood warnings in effect for much of the midwest and there's more rain going on. you can see it pushing toward the east and so we ar

i'm matt lauer. >> good morning, everyone. i'm savannah guthrie., dzhokhar tsarnaev cannot use his voice to respond because of the gunshot wound to the throat, but we're told he is responding to some questioning in writing but that questioning is being kept very brief. >> we can tell you authorities are pressing him for information on the attack. of course, the primary concern right now, did he and his brother have any help. >> of course, this is one week after the bomb blasts at the boston marathon. massachusetts governor deval patrick is calling for a moment of silence today at 2:50, the time of that first explosion, and a private funeral will be held tonight for 29-year-old krystle campbell. while a memorial service is planned on the campus of boston university tonight for 23-year-old graduate student lingzi lu. >> so where does the investigation stand? let's get right to nbc's justice correspondent, pete williams. he has new information on that investigation. pete, good morning. >> matt, good morning. law enforcement officials say they have beg

not flower well anchor live from boston -- not flower -- matt lauer will anchor live from boston. arrested johnson was in baltimore late this afternoon. >> johnny johnson has a lengthy criminal record that includes jobs, robbery. investigators say he was on drugs when he crossed in front of city hall and killed matthew hersl. ande are deeply soorowed hurting very badly over this tragedy. >> i cannot even express it. >> he and his family have experienced a wide range of emotion since the death of his beloved brother. police announced the arrest of 43-year-old johnny johnson. johnson was high on drugs and driving with carolyn and cocaine in his car when hit and killed -- and heroin and cocaine in his car when he hit and killed matthew hersl. >> i think proper justice will prevail. not not wish any -- i would want anybody to go with the pain that my family is going through. >> johnson was initially released from police custody after the crash, but state police said the investigation that followed revealed that he had drugs in his system. he was arrested on monday near his west baltim

i'm savannah guthrie. >> i'm matt lauer. first time we're hearing about a possible motive behind the deadly attacks. >> that's right. dzhokhar tsarnaev are telling authorities that they acted out of religious fervor and that they learned how to make the bombs from the internet. we'll have all the latest overnight developments beginning with nbc's anne thompson. she's in boston this morning. anne, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, savannah. the charge is using a weapon of mass destruction. the 19-year-old is hospitalized with wounds to his head, neck, legs and hands. the criminal complaint against dzhokhar tsarnaev is from surveillance video. at 2:38 they say tsarnaev and his older brother tamerlan are seen turning on to boylston street. he stays and uses his cell phone after he drops his backpack. when the first bomb goes off the complaint says every head turns towards the explosion except tsarnaev's. he alone appears calm and then he walks away without his knapsack having left it on the ground where he had been stand

defending matt lauer. >> we weren't petitioning for anything. it was a proclamation of our -- of our affection and our support for our friend and our colleague, matt. >> today kathie lee gifford has said enough is enough. >> i think some people might be wary of some corporate orchestration here. but that's not kathie lee. kathie lee goes rogue all the time. there is no containing that woman. she did it all on her own. >> now, what -- >> i love that billy. he should know. >> let's talk about what they're discussing. >> so what happened was probably a couple of weeks ago, kath started a -- i guess you could call it a petition. >> it wasn't, though. it was, because we didn't -- we just wanted -- it's a proclamation. >> a proclamation. >> it was about support for matt in this -- at the "today" show. and matt has worked with all of us here at the "today" show for a long, long time. cameramen and people in the sound division and everywhere. >> drivers. everybody. >> so kath started circulating this proclamation and people were dying to sign it. >> thi

coming up later this morning on a special edition of the "today" matt lauer and lester holt are live in boston with all the late-breaking details on yesterday's deadly explosions. hear from a doctor who jumped in to help the wounded while waiting for his wife to cross the finish line. now keep it right here for more news, weather and sports. i'm richard lui. thanks for watching this special edition of "early today," just your first stop of the day today on your nbc station. have a good one. . . >>> as soon as that second one went off, it was complete mayhem at that moment. >> it is a criminal investigation that has the potential, is a potential terrorist investigation. >> we will find out who did this and we will hold them accountable. >> we are going to get through this. >>> we will get through it together. looking live at san francisco. flags across the country at half-staff today. a sombre reminder of the terror at the boston marathon, less than 24 hours ago. good morning to you. i'm laura garcia cannon. >>> i'm jon kelley. a terrifying scene out there. more than 100 were hurt. at

this time the network of brian williams and matt lauer, they give us another gem. in a new promo on the peacock network, she claims the community opens your children. not ygaa">w)w7ég break through our kind of private idea that kids belong to their parents, or kids belong to their families and recognize that kids belong to whole communities. once it's everybody's responsibility and not just the household, then we start making better investment. >> sean: so the left is claiming you are not responsible for your own children what, are you responsible for? anything? earlier today, after the widespread backlash harris perry responded in an article she wrote, quote, those of you who are alarmed by the ad can relax. i have no designs on taking your children. please keep your kids. but i understand the fear. we do live in a nation where slave holders took the infants from the arms of their mothers and sold them for their own profit. we live in a nation where the government snatched american indian children from their families and reeducated them by forbidding them to speak

i'm matt lauer. >> i'm savannah guthrie.rning after pill and breaking news including the federal judge's ruling as we mentioned and a story out of mumbai and north korea that took more provocative action. >> let's go to pete williams in washington. pete, this ruling from a federal judge in new york is a case that pitted the fda against reproductive rights groups. take me through it. >> reporter: only to girls who were only 18 and then over 17 and now the federal judge said it has to be available to girls 16 years and younger. the federal government had opposed this move, but this is his ruling this morning from federal judge edward corewin who in the eastern district of new york that is brooklyn. at the end of the ruling he says the fda has tried to stall this as long as possible by seeking public comment on whether or not it needed to have more rule making to make a final decision about this. he says, and i'm quoting, after eating up 11 months, 47,000

tod "today" show co-host matt lauer is there for coverage of the library dedication. matt, i think we have our unexpected news of the day from mama bush in what barbara bush said about -- about -- about jeb bush about no more bushes. i want to start with, you've been through this museum. what is the one thing that you would be spending the most time on if you were just going through as an average american? >> well, i think david will agree with this. because we were both in a bit of a run-through yesterday afternoon. there is this decision points theater, chuck. in that the visitor gets to go -- there's an enormous hd screen on the wall. you stand at individual screens as well. and what they want you to do is they want to take a look back at some of the most difficult and controversial decisions of the bush presidency. namely, whether you send federal troops into new orleans after katrina. whether you invade iraq. whether you do the troop surge in iraq. then the bank bailout. it's a multimedia situation where you use the latest technology and they give you information

we want to let you know tomorrow morning on "today" matt lauer will have an exclusive live interviewresident bush. we'll get the first tour through the new bush presidential library. >>> still ahead for us tonight, four years for the price of one. facing a mountain of debt, a growing number of american families are turning to the neighbors for a top tier education. later, the emotional reunion for the woman in one of the most iconic images from boston and the strangers who saved her life. >>> the numbers are staggering. the total amount of student loans owed went over a trillion dollar mark late last year, surpassing total credit card debt in this country for the first time. more and more american families are finding a solution to the high cost of higher ed but looking to our north. our chief education correspondent rehema ellis has our report. >> reporter: eric andriesen applied to several american colleges but ended up at a school just north of the u.s. border. >> the deciding factor for coming to mcgill was the tuition. >> reporter: 6% of mcgill's student body is american. and th

i'm matt lauer alongside savannah guthrie on this special edition of "today" on this saturday morningolt and erica hill are in watertown, massachusetts, where that suspect was caught. >> this drama played out on television screens across the country, around the world and then residents who had finally been allowed to come out of their homes gathered on the streets last night. a spontaneous celebration. they cheered as dozens of police vehicles, first responders drove by them just moments after that capture. >> we cannot forget dozens of victims from monday's bombing at the marathon remain in hospitals around boston. we'll get an update on how they're doing coming up. first, let's go back to watertown. lester and erica are anchoring our coverage from there. good morning. >> over the course of this week thousands of federal, state and local police officers have responded converging on this area all with one goal in mind. that of course was to get those suspected terrorists. >> this all really began thursday night at least in terms of the last flurry of activity. it was 5:00 thursday whe

here's a review -- revealing interview i think with matt lauer back in 2010. >> there's a lot of psychobabble out there he and i compete. and w's trying to overshadow his father. look, i wanted to run. i had an agenda. i had a team of people. the truth of the matter is the final motivating factor was my admiration for george bush and i wondered whether or not i had what it took to get in the arena like he did. chris: so interesting use of the third person, george bush. proper nouns. >> talking about how he wanted see if he can do as well as dad did. he got from his father a great name, supreme sense of confidence. certainly an understanding you could not ignore the right wing of your party. that was the manifest lesson of the first bush's term. and there have been books wriven about how this is one gigantic, you know, freudian -- chris: what about the scene of the driveway when he comes home one night blasted. his old man confronts him. he said i will take you on here mano a mano, dad. >> having three sons, this sounds totally normal. nothing unusual about that. chris: what about the actual f

stay with us for continues coverage for the terror coverage and matt lauer will have more on today. president will discuss economic and security issues with the public. secretary of state john kerry met with him on his recent trip to asia. new threats with north korea after the country quietly celebra celebrated the birthday of the country's birth. the april 15th holiday in the north came and went without threat. venezuela is in protest. they certified nicholas moduro as the winner. he won the election by less than 1% but the government refuses to conp duct a recall. a proposal may be in jeopardy. several republicans say they will not vote for it. supporters need republicans onboard if the bill has any chance of passing. they say they may be abouting to accept changes to their plan if it will help passage. >> former congresswoman giffords is here in washington for the unveiling of a cheommemorative plaque. she was critically injured in that shooting and resigned last year to focus on her recovery. >> we go to the storm team 4 weather center with tom klerein. >> hey tom. >> good morn

i'm matt lauer in new york and savannah is in washington. always nice to start the show with happy news and nice pictures. >> exactly. so excited about little baby mila and just like her mom she's in a hurry, she came about two weeks early. >> when jenna was here on thursday on the show she was over it, ready to go. we congratulate them this morning. you're in washington, meanwhile, to interview the president. >> we'll sit down with president obama later today at the white house. we'll talk about everything from this crucial gun control vote this week to the economy, north korea, the escalating tension there is and we'll have that exclusive interview for you tomorrow on "today". >> we look forward to that, savannah. >>> we have new information on how the obama administration is handling the latest threats from north korea. nbc's chief foreign affairs correspondent andrea mitchell talked to secretary of state john kerry overnight. andrea, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, matt. john kerry wrapped up his six-nation tour with an o

i'm matt lauer in boston.s morning, savannah is back in studio 1a in new york city. >> we were both in boston recently, we know what a special time this is for the people there. you lived in boston for a short time. i imagine this is a city whose heart is breaking today. >> it is. this is such an important and iconic event to this city, 500,000 or so people come here for the boston marathon every year, it's held on patriots day, it's a celebration, a chance for the people of boston to show off their best side and this happens and yes, savannah, the people here are still in shock this morning and there are so many heartbreaking stories and also some really touching moments as well. from what we have heard this morning from so many people, personnel from the race came streaming out of tents and volunteer areas to treat and help the victims, runners crossing the finish line then continued on jogging or walking to area hospitals saying can i donate blood to help the people who were injured in these blasts? coming

. >> matt lauer will live in boston. you can see that starting at 7:00 p.m. right here on tv 11. for the latest on the boston explosions, visit our website, wbaltv.com. just click the breaking news bar at the top of the news page. >> 6:09. >> now weather and traffic together on the 1's. >> good morning. sarah caldwell checking on your morning commute. we have an accident right here in the live camera, southbound 895 at 95. you can see the arrow taking you over to the right lane. we still have a left lane closure. you can see how traffic is on 95 getting off at 895. southbound 95 showing some yellow, 26 miles per hour down to the accident scene. just past white marsh is where you'll start to see the backup developing. northbound 295, we have a right lane closure at powder mill road. light, at 65 miles per hour at 29. everything looking good on the rest of the major roadways leading up to the beltway. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. we check in live with ava marie. she is in fells point this morning. >> it is not a bad start to the day. temperatures in the 50's right now. w

. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with matt lauer and savannah guthrie from studio 1a. captions paid for by nbc-universal television >>> a pretty picture on a monday morning. we welcome you to "today" on this monday morning. i'm matt lauer. >> i'm savannah guthrie. >>> right to the developments of the attack in the boston mayor a. new scrutiny of the suspect's mother. >> you'll remember that she has defended her sons from the very start and this morning, we learn that she too has been part of investigations in her own country. national correspondent jeff rossen is here with more on this. >>> this morning a source briefed on the case tells nbc news russian authorities say they caught the mother and the older brother. the older suspect on a wiretap discussing jihad. this as the younger suspect starts his first week behind bars. dzhokhar tsarnaev is waking up in a federal inmate with medical needs. he's in a small cell with a sink, a shower, and a small window. his bed is bolted to the floor and the door made of solid steel with a small food slot. he is allowed one hour of

i'm savannah guthrie alongside matt lauer. seen you, that side since you were wearing spandex. >>> the duchess of cambridge is revealing new details about her pregnancy. does the royal couple have some names in mind? we'll get a full report live from buckingham palace. >>> and the entire team from "america's got talent" will be here live, howard stern, heidi klum and we'll get a chance to ask her about rescuing her son and howie mandel, nick cannon and the cast live on monday. >>> we begin this half hour with magic johnson opening up for the first time about the fact that he has a son who is gay. willie is here with more on that story. >> matt, good morning. it was more two decades ago magic johnson suddenly became the public face of hiv/aids and changed the way the diseases are viewed around the world now talking publicly and lovingly about his son. he hopes can he push away the attitude towards gays and lesbians, too. magic johnson, lakers legend, dodgers co-owner, advocate, and this morning, supportive father. >> what's up,

plea from matt lauer don't vote for this one.nt to go for a walk? >> the simple joys of a four-legged friend, just the proposal by the owner they might go outside prompts this reaction. look at the spring had his legs. >> he's got hop. >> it might be a dog versus dog competition this week. it is starting to feel that way. the top click choices, the dog who can't catch, reigning champ, the human chair trick hitting the road, gollum's take on taylor swift and the dog who jumps for joy. vote for your favorite as always, head to today.com, we'll reveal a new winner or perhaps a repeat winner next week at this time. >> thanks, willie. >>> coming up next the caribbean cruise at a discount of just $149. if you go on it, is the offer too good to be true? but first this is "today" on nbc. >>> it's been a rough year for carnival cruise lines highlighted by february's disaster on the "triumph" that stranded thousands of passengers at sea for several days. now carnival is offering a four-night cruise to the caribbean for $149. neila motamed

just this morning chris brown went on the today show and told matt lauer how much he respects women. he would never lip-sync again and then matt said how hard he fought to keep ann. it's april fool's day. the number one complaint about the g.o.p. was that they were too inflexible and unwilling to compromise. come on, gallup, nice joke. the g.o.p. inflexible? are you kidding me? they came up with the healthcare mandate and cheered when mitt romney did it in massachusetts. but when problem did it president obama proposed it, they proved inflexible enough to oppose it. how can you call a party inflexible to an idea that they were for. they were for it but then refused to fix it when president obama was for it. they were against guns whenned ronald reagan was for it. and then now they're flexible enough to change their position. when it comes to integrity some republicans always have the safety off. and speaking of reagan, he never balanced a budget. he banned torture. he raise the taxes 11 times. he negotiated with our enemies and gave amnesty to illegal immigrants. today's republicans

tracy: nobody is crying over matt lauer. ashley: i am.hour left in the trading day let's head back to nicole petallides at new york stock exchange we are recovering off a low of the day 100 points below this it was 14,434 many points of where we are now and we have recovered a lot of losses but we are still to the down side. looking over at the telecom company giving guidance that is very weak and below analyst estimates taking cisco systems down with it a lot of the analysts have jumped on board all cutting the numbers but you never and riverbed those that are in the same industry you can see it the others to the down side. but they all have down arrows. tracy: we'll keep watching the markets in tow the last minute we have one hour 15 minutes left in the trading day. ashley: pennsylvania and the control over liquor sales will help the economy and governor corbett is here next. look at the winners and losers on the nasdaq. we will be right back. tracy: and down 80 points the s&p 500 have cut the losses for the day but still headed for a l

matt lauer had a comment.s see what she says when asked about whether jeb should run. >> he is by far the best qualified man, but no. i really don't. i think it is a great country, there are a lot of great families. and it is not just four families or whatever. there are other people out there that are very qualified. and we have had enough bushes. >> that is a qualified man, well, that only narrows it down to one potential of the gender, we have to look at hillary clinton. anyway, thanks a lot, mom, what he said, priceless. that is one of the great commercials. he is co-author of bush's brain. howard fein is the political director, howard, i got to start with you. this barbara bush is really like -- i was trying to think -- have to go all the way back to mitchell. martha mitchell. i mean, this woman has something to say here. >> she is nothing like martha mitchell. because everything barbara bush says is said deliberately and for effect. she is the queen -- she is the queen mother of the presidency. and she h

i'm savannah guthrie alongside matt lauer.ng to get rid of her children's castoffs. she makes a little extra money and helping other families as well so it's a win, win, win situation. >> i like that. then where to find some products old and new that give you the most bang for your buck. we're talking about jeans and get this, workout sneakers for less than 30 bucks. good sneakers. >> and a nine-in-one moisture cream, has nine different functions. >> and also a furniture polish. of course with the warm weather think being getting out into the garden, martha stewart wants you to fill that garden up with good things for your table. she's going to show us how easy it is to make a guarden grow. >> all right, let answer get a check of the weather. >> here's what we have for you starting with today, we are looking at the a risk of strong storms from texas into illinois, wet weather up into the mississippi river valley, showers in the pacific northwest, sunshine returns to the northeast, a little bit cooler there, then for tomorrow t

i'm matt lauer along with hoda kotb.>> the most important story in the history of mystery. jenna wolfe takes a look at why we are a nation of exaggerators, and you've never looked better, matt. >> oh, thank you. >> uh-huh. >>> also a little later, we'll introduce you to one of the hottest authors of reads for teens now, and she signed a multibook deal. she is only 17. >> wow. >>> first, we learned that former british prime minister margaret thatcher died of a stroke overnight. she was a forceful leader who helped reshape her country. nbc's martin fletcher has more on her life and her legacy. >> reporter: she was known as the "iron lady" both loved and loathed, but leaves a legacy beyond dispute. margaret thatcher was one of britain's most influential politicians of the 20th century. the daughter of a grocer and dressmaker, she was taught never to follow the crowd, and she didn't. elected at 34, a no-nonsense style and fierce ambition quickly led her up the ladder of britain's conservative party. by age 50, she was leader

or matt lauer who had just signed a huge contract as king of the morning show hill about a year ago.gs all until it all went kaput. i guess such is the ladder of life. the same ladder my dad used to advise me to remember who i was passing on the way up because i sure as heck would be bumping into them on the way down. he was right about my staying humble. one of the qualities i most admire about myself by the way. humble. one of the qualities i admire about myself. never forget they don't guarantee you won't get whacked in the bottom. enjoy the good times while they last but leave time to appreciate things like family and friends that i suspect are more lasting. lasting. five and dime lesson in life. five and dime lesson in life. ronald reagan budget director, the guy who was reagan's budget director, taken to the woodshed. ronald reagan ripped him a new

matt lauer was not a team player. >> you're wrong. this show is his show.e wanted to do everything possible to make it work. sometimes, there are things that just aren't working, in business and in television. and in marriages. >> but shouldn't he have made more of an effort? >> i was there. he made a long effort. and it was not his call. and he's one of the best guys around. the fact that he's getting kicked around is ridiculous. >> all right. with that, we're going to take it to opening day. today is opening day in america. we're going to get to the point of opening day when we get back. >> announcer: you never know when, but thieves can steal your identity and turn your life upside down. >> hi. >> hi. you know, i can save you 15% today if you open up a charge card account with us. >> you just read my mind. >> announcer: just one little piece of information and they can open bogus accounts, stealing your credit, your money and ruining your reputation. that's why you need lifelock to relentlessly protect what matters most... [beeping...] helping stop crook

. >> and i'm matt lauer.ing we are following an awful lot of breaking news this morning. we're going to take you through these stories one at a time, including the tragic scene in west texas, a town about 20 miles to the north of waco. >>> there's been a news conference just moments ago. police said survivors are being found. >> the other major stories, a search for a potential suspect in the bombing. investigators may have pinpointed an image of a man they are now looking for, and the president, as you may have heard, is on his way with the first lady, to boston for an interfate service. that would take place later today. >>> in washington. fallout over the defeat of new gun laws in the u.s. senate. a visibly angry president obama declaring it shameful. >>> we'll start with the deadly explosion in west, texas.

. >> but in the interview with matt lauer, bush said he's still willing to defend what he did in iraq and is not trying to rewrite history. >> the purpose here is not to defend or to argue or -- >> so, you're not being defensive here. >> not at all. l we're being factual. if somebody said to me you're never going to disclose weapons of mass destruction were found, heck, yeah. that's a fact and we also disclosed the fact that saddam hussein had the capacity to make weapons. >> bush was asked yesterday in a fox afternoon if regime change can still be used as a tool for american foreign policy. >> regime change has taken place since iraq. egypt and tunisa and obviously there's a situation in syria and the question is not whether or not people will want to get rid of tyranny. the question is what do we do when they do? >> where does that leave president obama? in a bloomberg column, jeffrey goldberg said -- but he did so by reminding the president of a conversation goldberg had when the president was still a senator. quote, this is what then senator obama said to him. what i don't want to

pro -- matt lauer will host a one-hour special dedicated to green tips. seacrest will host a one-hour special dedicated to frosted tips. [ laughter ] >> steve: hey! >> jimmy: good tv. >> steve: good tv. >> jimmy: pro -- a recycling plant can store millions of bottles. con -- so can hoda and kathie lee's wine fridge. [ laughter ] they do enjoy their wine. >> steve: they do. and it's all organic. >> jimmy: they're good, yep. pro -- earth day falls two days after 4/20. [ cheers ] con -- you can go green right after going green. there you go. that's very convenient. very convenient. >> steve: very convenient. >> jimmy: pro -- nbc will post energy-saving tips on twitter using the hashtag, "one small act." con -- if that doesn't trend, they'll switch to "signs mother earth be a skank." [ laughter ] that's something that probably would trend. >> steve: yeah, that would trend. >> jimmy: be a skank. >> steve: be a skank. one small act. >> jimmy: pro -- donald trump's board room is now 100% green. con -- his hair is now 100% hemp. [ laughter ] i didn't know what it

. >> "extra" with matt lauer reporting from the scene today. >> the chaos was very disturbing. >> the man who captured the first blast on camera. >> this is not an accident. this is something that's gone horribly wrong. >> i was here in boston near the finish line when i heard the explosion. i will tell you what it was like in the middle of all of that chaos. >> everyone from conan to ben affleck to mark wahlberg. > tom bergeron in tears, his wife and daughter in boston when the bombs went off. now from boston here is maria menounos. >> i am back in my hometown where a massive search is underway for the terrorist behind the attack. people are in total shock today. >> i can't get this video out of my mind, the moment the bomb went off. today we will talk to the man that shot it. first we have to talk about the im. ing herois >> so many more could have lost their live it is without the elpers and e.m.t. workers. >> the face of heart drth break. the face of determination. the president vow to hunt down the killers. >> we will take time to follow every lead, but we will find out. >> "extr

. >> from nbc news, this is "today" with matt lauer and savannah guthrie.e from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> good morning. welcome to "today" on a friday morning. >> we will have more on the masters coming up. i know you will be watching that all weekend long. >> no question. >> let's talk about the trip to seoul. this is the first for secretary of state john kerry and comes at a time of great tension in the region. >> he met with south korean president and foreign minister this morning and then at a news conference he labelled the r rhetoric from north korea as unacceptable. andrea mitchell is in seoul. good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, matt. that pentagon assess you spoke of is the first assessment from an official source that north korea might have a nuclear armed missile it could launch but has not been fully tested. it raises tension as secretary kerry is aarriving here. the secretary of state is in state to tell south korea the u.s. will defend it against any attack. hoping this country's new president is its first woman leader won

matt lauer locked it down. it's the first interview he has done since getting back with rihanna.e set the record straight they're together. and the entrance on the plaza was amazing. >> what do you think's going to happen with him? do you think he'll stay on the straight and narrow? >> i think he is. when you sit down and do that kind of interview and are that thoughtful and say the stuff you that really believe, we all hope that he means it. he's had a long time to think about it. it didn't just happen and he blurted this out. he really thought about this. so i believe him. >> what's up with justin bieber? the monkey? what's going on? >> it really is -- stuff that's happening there that is quite scary. he had his monkey confiscated in germany, very unusual. >> they don't want you running around with monkeys. >> you need a permit. he was a couple of hours late for a concert. >> that's just unprofessional. he knows better. >> people are really worried about him. and now a big manager in london who represents metallica, a huge rock band, said that if he's not careful his career is

. >> from nbc news, this is "today" with matt lauer and savannah guthrie.efeller plaza. >> good morning. welcome to "today" on monday morning. >> everybody here is asking the same question, did you see it. during the louisville duke game yesterday, one of the players badly injured on the court. i couldn't believe my eyes. >> if you did see it you will not soon for get it. the injury was so severe, we're not going to show the injury. the emotion on the court, the fans, the coaches, basically tells the story. willie has more on his condition. good morning. i have covered sports and not a seen anything like it. not because of the injury but the reaction. well wishes are pouring in as he begins his recovery and his team moves to the final four. an encouraging image of the louisville sophomore posted overnight with his team's pro fi in his hospital bed. >> kevin ware just took a shot, oh, my goodness. it i was the break seernd the world. images too disturbing to show this morning. >> t

the network of matt lauer, brian williams, nbc news that operates under the guys of journalism is putting melissa harris perry to tout the leftist agenda. watch this. >> america will always want some level of -- people who work hard, sacrifice and saab their money and make major contributions, we think they should earn a little more and have more resources and that's fine. but we also, however; to have a floor under which nobody falls. if you are below that, especially if you are a child and you are below that, we are not going to accept that. you do have the right to healthcare and to education and to decent housing and to quality food at all times. >> obama phones, obama food, obama housing. only hardworking people. you just get a little teensy, and also bit more. and the promo we heard last night, let's remind our audience of the linecy that's being pro no, sirred by nbc news. >> we have never invested as much in public education as we should have because we've had a private notion of children. your kid is yours and totally your responsibility. we haven't had a very collective notion o

. >> i'm matt lauer.ncement it's stepping up its enrichment of uranium. which will only serve to escalate tensions. >> richard engel is monitoring the situation from seoul, richard, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, savannah. north korea says it will reopen those closed nuclear facilities just days after promising to never give up its nuclear weapons, to never bargain them. as the u.s. deploys more military hardware, including a navy missile destroyer diverted in case of a launch from north korea, the secretive government in pyongyang isn't backing down but escalating. north korea's young leader kim jong-un has abolished an armistice with south korea, celebrated his country's nuclear weapons and today vowed to overturn diplomacy by reopening a facility used to make fuel for

i'm matt lauer in new york and savannah is in washington.happy news and nice pictures. >> exactly. so excited about little baby mila and just like her mom she's in a hurry, she came about two weeks early. >> when jenna was here on thursday on the show she was over it, ready to go. we congratulate them this morning. you're in washington, meanwhile, to interview the president. >> we'll sit down with president obama later today at the white house. we'll talk about everything from this crucial gun control vote this week to the economy, north korea, the escalating tension there is and we'll have that exclusive interview for you tomorrow on "today". >> we look forward to that, savannah. >>> we have new information on how the obama administration is handling the latest threats from north korea. nbc's chief foreign affairs correspondent andrea mitchell talked to secretary of state john kerry overnight. andrea, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, matt. john kerry wrapped up his six-nation tour with an offer for direct talks with north kor

i'm matt lauer. >> and i'm savannah guththy. and a.j., we're turning on your mike right now. >> what have the last few days been like for you? >> well, a busy couple of days. >> but you have a good attitude. >> keep smiling. >>> we're going to begin with that strange twist tied to the ricin-laced letters in washington. andrea has the latest. >> reporter: good morning. a lot of questions about that ricin investigation. it appears that the fbi had the wrong man and still looking for whoever sent those toxic letters to president obama and senator roger wicker. >> why like to thank all my family, friends and fans for their love and support. >> reporter: in mississippi a federal magistrate released carl kevin curtis after prosecutors dropped all charges against him in connection with those letters containing ricin. they went to president obama and mississippi senator roger wicker last week. >> i respect president obama. i love my country. and would never do anything to pose a threat to him or any other u.s. official. >> reporter: cur

i say to matt lauer, are you proud of the things that are being said under the brand name that you tryild? tom brokaw. i can't imagine he would be. speaking of nbc, jay leno is my favorite late night host. i think he's the funniest, an equal opportunity comedian and he's out. and he's the highest rated. let's roll the tape. >> over the weekend, president obama, you know president obama played golf with tiger woods and tiger said the president was a very good golfer for a guy who only plays five days a week, you know. that's pretty good. [ laughter ] actually you mow what the president's handicap is in doesn't understand economics. [ laughter ] that's the handicap. ground breaking move, the associated press, the largest news gathering outlet will no longer use the term illegal immigrant. that is out. no longer illegal immigrants. they will use the frame. undocumented democrat. that is the new term, undocumented democrat. >> sean: he's funny. he's rated number one. this is the second time they've tried this. why? and he's fair. letterman is a bitter, angry old liberal now. >> he really i

the former first lady was on the "today" show and matt lauer got himself today.omment about her she made a comment when asked about whether jeb should run. >> he's by far the best qualified man, but, no, i really don't. i think it's a great country. there are a lot of good families. it's not just four families or whatever. there are other people out there that are very qualified. wave had enough bushes. >> best qualified man. that only narrows it down to one potential of the gender we know in politics today. you have to look at hillary. thanks a lot, mom, he must be saying, the one word reaction. what must be saying to john king of cnn, priceless. and howard is the editorial director of the media group. i have to start with you. this barbara bush is really like -- i have to go back to mitchell in the nixon administration, martha mitchell. this woman has something to say here. >> she's nothing like martha mitchell because everything barbara bush says is said deliberately and for effect. she this is queen mother of the presidency. and she has been both the wife and