it is a brilliant story. >> reporter: natalie morales, nbc news, london. >> six days and counting. that is "nbc nightly news" for this saturday. i'm kate snow reporting from new york. for lester holt and for all of us at nbc news, thanks for watching. us at nbc news, thanks for watching. good night. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com >>> good evening. i'm diane dwyer. the giants fan brutally beaten outside dodgers stadium last month remains in critical

. >> i'm natalie morales sitting in for meredith vieira today. that ferocious storm system may be gone but it will be a long time for people to recover. >> at least 45 people were killed across six states in the worst twister outbreak in a generation. as many as 35 tornadoes touched down in north carolina alone. that's the hardest hit state. north carolina's governor declared a state of emergency. she says that her tour of the damaged areas nearly left her in tears. we'll speak to her live in a few minutes. >> and the tragedy could have been worse because a twister slammed into a lowe's home improvement store in sanford, north carolina, but more than 100 employees and customers raced to the back of the store just in the nick of time. we'll meet three of them including an assistant manager who risked his life to save others. >> also ahead, an interview with lane garrison. he starred on "prison break" and then was sent to prison for real after he was involved in a fatal car accident. he'll share a cautionary tale today. >> and we head to london whe

natalie morales in trafalgar square. >> yes, with the mayor of london boris johnson. natalie?e were 20,000 people here today. >> that's a fraction. there are hundreds of thousands in hyde park. >> huge crowds everywhere. you, in fact, were inside westminster. what was it like in there? >> lovely. it was a very, very happy atmosphere. what you've got here is two young people who have known each other for a long time, eight years. i think everybody is genuinely intoxicated with happiness because they think this thing is going to work. >> we hope so. >> this is so huge for us because this is the institution, whether you like it or not, that incarnates the continuity of the system of the society. they got married on the very spot where william the conquerer was crowned king almost 1,000 years ago. >> amazing. was there a favorite moment for you? >> you saw the bride walk down the aisle -- >> she was a knockout, stunning. >> were you as blown as way as everybody? >> the greatest moment actually was when they had done the vows and the archbishop wrapped the thing around -- no man pu

i'm al roquer. >> i'm natalie morales.ery happy that lester is covering what's a terrible story there in the south for thus morning. again the devastation now is much worse than we thought, lester. good morning to you. >> natalie, natalie, al, good morning from tuscaloosa, alabama. we wish we could start with joyous news here. things in the south got even worse today. here is where things stand. death toll from the historic onslaught of tornadoes across seven states climbed to at least 343. majority of the deaths were here in alabama. stunned survivors are picking up the physical pieces of their lives as others are still desperately trying to reconnect with missing loved ones. across alabama sounds of heavy equipment and work could barely mass the sounds of grief. >> homes leveled. >> reporter: from the air, over alabama, it is a clear, almost surgical path of destruction. from the ground where president obama met survivors, a nightmarish landscape. >> i have never seen devastation like this. >> reporter: cadaver dogs snif

natalie morales lived there as a child. >> reporter: she's now there to see if things have changed orreign language ] you know, i lived here 30 years ago and this country was struggling. it was on the brink of disaster. it was so full of promise and beauty, but then again that was then and this is now. ♪ >> reporter: its beaches the most famous on the planet. its cities, the most dazzling. and its women -- ♪ >> reporter: often called the most beautiful in the world. everything about brazil is impressive. the largest country in south america, it could fit 12 states of texas and with the population nearing 200 million and growing. and so, too, is its economy, exploding at a fast and furious pace, projected to be the fifth largest economy in the next decade. on his first trip to brazil just last month, president obama signalled to the world the importance of this emerging global power. >> we seek a deeper partnership with your government and a closer friendship with your people. >> reporter: now this land of opportunity is also ready for the world stage. they will host the world cup in 2

natalie morales joins us from london again with more. ing. >>> reporting on the royal family has been a competitive business here. but the upcoming wedding of william and kate has upped the ante so to speak. so we decided to ask one correspondent who's been on the forefront of reporting on the royal family in the last two decades to give us the royal scoop on his job. >>> robert johnson is considered by many to be king of his world. >> good morning to you. are you going towards buckingham palace. the world of royal reporting, that is. >> i phoned that woman and left several messages for her. >> the 47-year-old has been keeping tabs on the british monarchy for 47 years, but don't call him a royal watcher. >> it sounds like a royal stalker. but it's a royal correspondent, royal journalist, you have a specific role to cover the events of the royal family. >> he's had plenty of dealings with the royal family over the years, both on the record and off -- like when he first met princess diana, shall we say, unofficially. >> i was at a hotel in

natalie morales is standing in for ann at news desk. good morning. >> good morning.does for the southern plains. meanwhile another step to recovery after the devastating tornados in north carolina. kerry sanders is in colerain, north carolina, with the latest. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, natalie. officials in north carolina are still calculating the costs associated with the tornadoes. 22 dead in this state alone. more than 800 homes damaged or destroyed. the costs will go into the tens of millions of dollars. again today, schools are closed as families try to figure out what to do next. survivors say the shock is starting to wear off and strength is taking over. not only physical might but the determination to stay put and rebuild. in bertie county, kids cut class from the schools that were open monday to lend a hand. in raleigh, ronald and joyce who moved here from new york say they are overwhelmed by the generosity of neighbors. >> oh, it's been a blessing. >> reporter: north carolina governor beverly perdue toured the devastation. >> it's the most po

natalie morales is reporting from westminster abbey in london.. i know one thing we have been talk about is how gorgeous the weather has been here and how warm and amazing for london. now things seem to be changing a little bit. there is some concern that there will be rain here on friday. i'm telling you guys so you are well prepared and pack accordingly. but here outside westminster abbey we have a tent city growing. people staking their claim, trying to find a good vantage point for the royal wedding on friday. it's getting exciting. we are ramping things up. media is here from all over the world. it's going to be great, guys. >> we'll check in with you in a little while. >> also, what else to see if you happen to be traveling to london for the wedding. meantime, kate's dress will fit her to a tee but for a lot of women the question is are you a 4, 10 or a 14? we could be all three depending on where we shop. for many women it's a big self-esteem issue when we measure by the dress size. we'll talk about why this is. is there something called v

we'll talk to them. >> natalie morales made her way across the atlantic.here to give us the low-down on the last-minute preparations. just a week to go until the royal wedding. nat looking springlike herself. >> the weather there is so beautiful. here, not as nice. it's okay, but cold. >> right now the long-range forecast is looking nice. >> for us? >> upper 60s, low 70s. here, not so much. let's show you what's going on as far as easter weekend. sunshine in the pacific north west. rain in the northeast on saturday. a risk of strong storms through texas. sunny and warm through the southeast. easter sunday, egg harbor maine, 75. virginia, 85. egg harbor, wisconsin, 56. cotton city, 79 where the rain in the pacific northwest from texas into the mississippi river valley. wet in the northeast. >>> good morning. our neck of the woods we're looking pretty good today. high pressure is building in, keeping thins nice and dry for today, but we've got some low clouds overhead this morning so make sure you give yourself plenty of time. 50 degrees oakland, 44 santa cr

natalie morales is in kate middleton's hometown. she'll be reporting from there. ann? to natalie now. she's in bucklebury, as i understand. hey, natalie. >> reporter: hey, yes! i just missed them apparently. kate and william were here enjoying a little bit of easter brunch with the middleton family. we got there and saw a little bit of the convoy that was sort of arriving. but i guess they were enjoying private time before the big day. meredith makes a good point. it shows the significance and also the relationship -- the close relationship that william has with the middleton family which will no doubt grow stronger once he becomes their son-in-law. >> we'll hear more in a little bit. >> we're in the countdown. i can't believe it's already here. >> i was thinking of the days leading up to my own wedding and how much the trepidation rose and the excitement, too. i think it will be nice to give america something happy. >> the world. we're going to shift gears though and help you save money in your household with couponing tips to help you save some serious cash on everyt

natalie morales is back from rio with a tan to match. in for ann at the news desk. >> it was all work. good morning, everyone. good morning to you. a new united front from the leaders of france, britain and the u.s. after days of public disagreement over the future of nato's role in libya. the three published a joint opinion piece today and stephanie gosk has the latest from benghazi. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, natalie. obama, nicolas sarkozy and cameron meeting in berlin in an attempt to repair public disagreement over the level of military intervention here. as the alliance bickers over how to force gadhafi out, the leader himself made an animated appearance on state tv to show he isn't going anywhere. the week began with talks of a possible road map to peace, but government forces continue to pound the western city of misrata with tanks and artillery. rebels fight daily gun battles with loyalists. civilians are caught in the cross fire. injuries that doctors there aren't trained to deal with. >> we are not qualified to b

"today" natalie morales has details from westminster abbey. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, meredith. we're getting perhaps the final glimpse of the bride and groom, making their way to london for the final rounds before walking down the aisle on friday. meantime earlier today, as you said, we saw that full rehearsal of the military procession. it was the full royal treatment right before the wedding. at westminster abbey, streets were blocked off this morning so the horses and karnls could rehearse the ceremonial procession. members of the military practiced marching the entire route but without the massive crowds expected on friday. thousands of trees and flowers that will adorn the abbey have been delivered, many chosen by kate middleton herself. >> i suggested from the beginning that we would use things from the royal estates and prince william spoke with her majesty, who was delighted to supply these things. >> reporter: a quick glimpse of the bride to be, kate middleton, leaving her family home with her sister pippa. kate behind

. >> while you practice your curtsy, natalie morales is along the procession route. ie. >> good morning, meredith. it was a huge party here. the emotions of the crowd, still massive. they estimate 20,000 people showed up here at trafalgar square. really the heart and soul of celebrations here in london. but also at hyde park they had some 70,000 people who were there as well. it truly was a moment to watch here. i think from the moment you saw catherine emerge -- princess catherine emerge from the goring hotel in the dress there were gasps in the crowd, people cheering, loud applause. as she worked her way into the rolls royce over to westminster abbey, again, the crowds were just going crazy. as she entered into westminster abbey itself, when we saw prince william and her have that moment -- again, wild applause here and such emotion. we saw some tears, lots of laughter when prince harry apparently made a joke to prince william saying something to the effect that, oh, yes, she's just right here. people seem to love prince harry as much as prince william. of course th

inside studio 1a i'm matt lauer along with al roker and natalie morales.close call for the first lady michelle obama when her plane got too close to a militarile plane and her plane was forced to abort landing. we'll have the latest on the story. >> and coming up, do you know when to go to the emergency room? when your kids have broken a bone or you have chest pains it's easy when it comes to things like that. what about unexplained fever or a burn when you're cooking? we'll help you sort out common health emergencies. >> going from health emergencies to financial ones. this morning on money 911 our panel has answers to questions from long-term financial planning for young kids to coping with high medical bills after retirement. >> and selling your house during tough times from the colors to the closet, what you need to know to get your house ready and stage the house to get offers flowing in. >> a nice candle. >> chocolate chip cookies. >> comfort foods. >> don't cook fish. >> a nice brisket. natalie has the headlines. >> the f.a.a. is investigating anoth

including natalie morales. good morning, natalie. >> good morning, matt. you're right. it's a party for the people. a wedding for the people. they have shown up in masses. right outside the steps of the national gallery, a lot of people staked claim to good real estate here. they're watching the screens right there. the jumbotron set up. they're watching the procession. everything you're seeing they're seeing. you can see everybody is dressed for the occasion. this gentleman here, handsome in his top hat and morning tails. ladies wearing their hats. i'm partaking in the tradition. they want everyone to feel like they're a wedding guest for the day. that's what people are doing. taking part in the great celebration. they're expecting 20,000 people to show up here today at the square. activities aplenty. making hats here. there's going to be wedding cake served. champagne, and the traditional pims. it wouldn't be a party here without it. it's a great day. the weather is turns out. fingers crossed -- to be pretty good. all making for a perfect day. it's a national holiday.

al roker is here as well as natalie morales.hey have a new reality show coming up. and they have a new line of work. they will fill us in. >> and puppies that may save your life. they are given special names. we'll explain. a family will meet the puppy named after their loved one. >> a little bit later on we head up to the kitchen with todd english. he's got the perfect root beer float. it's root beer that's used to glaze pork. mm. >> i like that. sounds great. >> that works. >> before that, can we please say hello to dame helen mirren? >> >> she stars opposite russell brand in "arthur" a remake about a billionaire who refuses to grow up. so a little modification here. back in the original, it was john gilgood originally. >> he won an oscar for his performance. big shoes to step into. terrifying. >> their relationship was kind of love-hate. he had a warm spot for arthur but treated him with disdain. >> we parallel that story. i think being a woman it shifts it into a slightly softer relationship. i think if you're the nanny to s

i just mentioned outside buckingham palace i'm matt lauer joined by meredith vee ieira an natalie moralesmericans. but you know what? get used to it. >> i'm glad you guys finally showed up. you're going to be surprised when you hear who's among the campers. current prime minister david cameron was then 14 years old at the time. just ahead, he's going to share his memories of that day with matt. >>> we're going to get an early sample of the chocolate cookie cake. i can't wait for that. that prince william has picked to serve tomorrow. his personal chef since he was a child is going to be here and talk more about what it was like in the kitchen. >> it's better than the fruitcake that they have. >> we tasted a piece of it. not so bad. anyway, my grandmother used to make it, so don't knock it. also the reception will be very big. we've been working the facebook to be part of the conversation. we used the key word like royal wedding, kate middleton and prince william have doubled in the last 24 hours, look at that. >> a lot of people are saying how they'll celebrate the morning. gabrielle says

natalie morales gets to head down to rio where the movie is shooting.is and jordana brewster next week on "today." it's just like a merchant ivory film but faster. >> nice assignment for natalie. >> that's so cool. coming up, sick of your walls? from the entry way to the kids' rooms we have options for adding unique options to dress up the walls in your home. >> when you take your children to the pediatrician you walk out with facts and figures about weight and percentiles. when should you be kconcerned? >> and we catch up with harlen cobin. his book "live wire" is number one on the best seller list. i will be interviewing his new york times advertisement. >> that's a nice set-up there. >> there he is. >> the tallest mystery writer in the world har lynn coben. first, lester holt -- we raised the studio to get him in here. lester holt and amy robach will tell us about the weekend. >> we're watching for whether the government will shut down. the latest on that tomorrow morning. then we'll talk about the nuclear fallout shelterer, an under ground bunker bu

i'm matt lauer along with natalie morales and al roker.of times in 2007 suffering from a case of hiccups that wouldn't go away. a lot has happened in her life, none of it good. she's in jail now on charges of first-degree must remember. a -- murder. amy robach conducted a jailhouse interview. >> and a look at your diet dilemmas. joy bauer is here with diet s.o.s. from living with diabetes to questions about what's an appropriate chip substitute and what are the pros and cons of switching from skim milk to soy milk? >> hm, must know. and it's another bargain hunter's dream day. jill martin is back with her very popular steals & deals opportunities. we have everything from great jewelry to tea sets. something for every mom out there. mother's day is coming up soon and these are guaranteed delivery before mother's day. just a reminder. >> thanks for the tip. let us know get a check of the news. ann curry is at the news desk. >> okay. thanks a lot, matt. good morning, everybody. in the news, water samples taken in the ocean near the crippled n

. >> out on the plaza i'm matt lauer along with natalie morales and al roker.a post meltdown economy about your retirement strategy. also, what to do with your nest egg if you have already retired. our 911 money team is on hand to answer those questions. >> how many times have you been driving along the highway and a stone is flipped up by a struck or something. imagine driving along and this hits your windshield. >> you timed that perfectly. >> i couldn't have done it again if i planned it. it happened to a woman on a north carolina road. she caught the whole thing on tape. we'll talk to her and her husband. she survived with just a cut. >> that thing came close. >> unbelievable. that's a scary video to watch. that family may need a vacation, and if you want to get away from it all. >> smooth transition. >> if you are thinking about an island getaway we have great deals on lesser known destinations. travel & leisure will be by to share hidden gems that are affordable. >> nice. >> great. before we talk about that let's go inside. ann is at the news desk with al