coming up next, the "today" show. good wednesday morn, and it begins with breaking news overnight. a high-speed train collision in greece and a desperate search for survivors that's now under way. it's march 1st this is "today." head on. a fiery crash between a passenger and fright train north of athens. more than 30 people killed, dozens more hurt, some passengers still trapped inside those damaged cars this morning. we'll have the very latest on this developing story. covid cover-up the head of the fbi saying his agency now believes the virus did leak from a wuhan lab while

accusing china of trying to hide the evidence >> the chinese government seems to me has been doing its best to try to thwart an obfuscate the work here. >> we're live on capitol hill amidst escalating tensions between washington and beijing in limbo millions of americans and thousand of college loans at the center of a supreme court showdown >> it definitely weighs on my mind >> does the white house have the power to erase that debt to the tune of $400 billion which many of the justices appear to be leaning. just ahead jurors in the trial of alex murdaugh visiting the crime scene this morning what the defense wants them to see ahead of closing arguments expected to start today. all that plus here it comes. the next cross-country storm burying parts of california before heading east while

millions in the south brace for severe storms and possible tornados al's got the timing and the track. and say it ain't joe starbucks and duncan donuts making some big changes to those reward programs. what it all means for your coffee run today wednesday, march 1, 2023 >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with savannah guthrie and hoda kotb. from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. and a good morning to you. welcome to "today. thank you so much for joining us on this wednesday morning. craig and melvin alongside chanel jones in for savannah and hoda out this morning but they'll be back soon we want to get more to that breaking news overnight. a major rail disaster. two trains colliding north of athens, greece, one of them packed with hundreds of people >> survivors are saying the

impact was so intense that a number of passengers were thrown through windows. the death toll rising in passenger train with about 350 people onboard and a freight train colliding on the same track. the passenger train traveling from the capital of athens to the northern city of thessaloniki. we heard a big bang, this

passenger says, ten nightmarish seconds. he continues, there was panic, it was chaos, people screaming, people trapped. this passenger was in the fourth carriage. we broke the window with our backs and saw sparks and flames on the sides of the window. the first four cars of the passenger train derailed. the first two catching fire almost completely destroyed. working through the night, greek media reports more than 150 firefighters and 40 ambulances, even cranes were on the scene. it comes as the railway safety in the country has been under scrutiny. the 2022 european union report showing that greece had the highest overall railway fatality rate among the 29 countries studied, the seventh highest for passengers. this latest accident bringing the issue back into the

spotlight as first responders continue to search for governm there ha survivors.s declared t now the prime minister has beenf mourning >> molly hunte to the scene of the crash this g news there i morning, vowing a thorough n gre investigation. a final number of victims at this time is still unknown.othes they are still searching for rn. new comments from the head of the fbi adding to the debate over covid-19 origins and whether the chinese go survivors. >> molly hunter on that breaking news there in greece, molly, thank you. another major story this morning, new comments from the head of the fbi adding to the debate over covid-19's origin, and whether the chinese government tried to cover it up. it comes as a bipartisan congressional committee sets its sights on what they call china's threat to the u.s. national security we have complete coverage starting with nbc's senior capitol hill correspondent garrett haake. garrett, good morning. >> reporter: hey, sheinelle, good morning those comments in a rare interview by fbi director chris wray are only adding fuel to the growing debate over where the covid-19 virus which has willed 1.1 million americans and counting actually originated and now congress is demanding answers. a blunt new assessment from the

head of the fbi about the origins of covid-19. deepening the debate this morning over what triggered the global pandemic. >> the fbi has, for quite some time now, assessed that the origins of the pandemic are most likely a potential lab incident. >> reporter: the fbi's agents, analysts, and biological threat experts, assessing that a lab in wuhan, china, was the virus's likely source. the chinese government denies. that the fbi director chris wray says they have tried to hide evidence from the world. >> the observation that the chinese government seems to me has been doing its best to try to thwart and obfuscate the work here, the work that we're doing. >> reporter: wray's comments coming just days after news broke that the u.s. department of energy also concluded with low confidence that the virus, which has killed more than 1.1

million americans, had likely originated from a laboratory leak, and described it as an accident other u.s. agencies believe the virus emerged naturally, a view which had been the mainstream scientific consensus for much of the pandemic >> the evidence strongly points to this being a natural occurrence of a jumping of a virus from the bat to the animal species to human. >> reporter: the renewed debate over the pandemic's origin among the topics explored in the first prime time hearing of a new bipartisan select committee in congress, focusing on competition between china and the united states. >> do you believe china has taken the necessary steps to make a future lab leak less likely >> i think the system that is in place in china does not permit for serious safety. >> the republican chairman telling nbc news he hopes his work serves as a national wakeup call. >> i hope people understand why they should care about the threat posed by the chinese communist party and not a distant over there program but an increasing problem that affects all americans right here at home. >> reporter: now the chinese

foreign ministry responded to director wray's comments overnight pushing back against the lab leak theory and accusing the u.s. of politicizing the pandemic >> capitol hill correspondent garrett haake for us, thank you. let's bring in john brennan, who served as cia director under president obama. director brennan, good morning to you, sir. let's start with the fbi director's comments there, that he believed since 2021, with a medium level of confidence that the virus did in fact start in that wuhan lab coming on the heels of that department of energy report that said pretty much the same thing, but with a low level of confidence director, based on what you've read, what you've heard from the intelligence community, where do you think this virus started have right now in the intelligence community is basically a hung jury, where the members of the jury have received the intelligence and they have different perspective, expertise about what the origins it were and i think it is important for us to understand as much as possible about how

this pandemic originated, but i think also, the most important point is to try to strengthen the security and safety procedures at these bio labs whether they be in china or around the world, because there is a very plausible explanation as the department of energy and fbi believes, that it did originate from a leak from the wuhan lab. >> do you think, again, to garrett's point in the story there, there's still a number of folks who believe that it occurred naturally, perhaps started in a bat, and somehow transferred to a human and now you have these conflicting reports from various government agencies, do you think we'll ever know for certain how the virus started? >> well, i think the chinese are making it very difficult for us to know with any type of certainty about how the virus started. but it's my impression that there is a lot of circumstantial evidence that all the different agencies are trying to understand and analyze, and that's why they come out with

different bottom lines but again, i think almost irrespective of whether or not we can be certain about it, we need to take the appropriate measures and the chinese and others to take these measures, to prevent any future leak of these viruss from these research laboratories that i think is the most important aspect of this. >> on a macro level here, director, the origins of the virus, china's attempts to cover it up, the spy balloon incident, reports that china wants to perhaps help the russians in ukraine, now you have these prime time hearings that are being supported by both republicans and democrats en masse there, in washington, regarding the threat that china poses to the united states, as we sit here right now this morning, how would you characterize the threat that china poses to the u.s.? >> i'd say it is multidimensional you didn't even mention tiktok there have become tremendous developments in china, typically on the technological front that pose a security threat and risk to the united states and the rest of the world. it is clear that china is not in the mood to cooperate on a number of these issues and is

being rather provocative in terms of whether it is intelligence collection activities as well as refusing to cooperate on things as important as the pandemic. so i do think that it is quite fraught, i am glad there is a bipartisan effort to find out what we can do to mitigate these threats but i think the challenge will be a long-term one with china >> former cia director john brennan, thank you. now to the uncertainty of more than 40 million student loan borrowers in america. the supreme court heard two cases yesterday against president biden's debt relief plan, on hold, after the court ruling it would cancel up to $20,000 in student loans for eligible borrowers and several conservative justices questioned whether the biden administration overstepped its authority by not first going through congress nbc's senior legal correspondent laura jarrett is with us now you heard the judges yesterday any indication on how they're leaning? >> this one is tricky. i think for folks who might be waking up this morning, the headlines saying the

conservative justices on the court are skeptical of the plan, that's true, but it's not the full story right? so there is a question about whether the biden administration had congressional authority. that's a question about the merits, you heard the justices saying this is so expensive, this is so big, maybe this is really something that should have been left up to congress. but there is a question on a basic legal level that you have to enter, before you even get to the merits, which is were the people who brought this suit the proper plaintiffs, were they harmed, we have a bunch of states and we have borrowers who brought this suit, but it's not clear that they were actually injured. that's what is known as standing and if they don't have standing, then the biden administration wins, and this whole case goes away so it is hard to know exactly how it is going to come out because those two are in conflict. >> if the high court does rule against the biden administration, what does that mean perhaps for the relief plan moving forward >> so it is important to note there is about 26 million people who had applied for relief before the lower courts blocked it it's at the supreme court because the courts blocked it below.

those 26 million people are just in a holding pattern right now if the high court strikes this student loan payments right away. i think that's important for people at home to know. you will get 60 days from the time the court rules to have to start making those payments again. and even if the court strikes a deal, the biden administration can get a second bite at the apple. they can go back to the regulatory classes. but it is going to take a lot longer because what they did right here, going through the secretary of education, is sort of a speedy process. it will take a lot longer. >> thank you. an important day at the alex murdaugh trial, closing arguments are expected to start perhaps later today. and that will happen after the jury takes a field trip of sorts. traveling to the scene of murdaugh's wife and son's double murder. nbc's catie beck has been covering the story for us from the very beginning, she joins us once again from outside that courthouse in walterboro, south carolina. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, guys. that's right, craig, when the

jury arrives here at the courthouse today, they will board a bus and take it about 25 minutes down the road from here to murdaugh's property. that property we've heard so much about. so that they can get a first-hand look, and really spatially understand where these murders occurred. this comes just one day after prosecutors rested their case with final forensic witnesses. be warned, the testimony you are about to hear can be both graphic and disturbing. in a rare move, this morning, jurors are taking a trip outside the courthouse. to visit the sprawling hunting property of disgraced attorney alex murdaugh. the defense successfully arguing the jury view of the crime scene where murdaugh's wife maggie and son paul were murdered will help them understand the layout of the area near the dog kennels. the 1,700-acre property, known as moselle, is now up for sale. in court tuesday, prosecutors calling half a dozen rebuttal witnesses. >> i cannot include or exclude. >> reporter: including forensics expert kinsey, who said he could not endorse or rule out the

theory raised by the defense that two shooters were involved in the murders. while taking direct issue with the defense witness who used bullet trajectories to conclude the shooter likely would have been between 5'2" and 5'4". a foot shorter than alex murdaugh. hinting arguing multiple variables make it impossible to determine the shooter's height or gun position with any certain. >> it could be 5'4", 6'4" as i demonstrated. >> the firearms have never been recovered and alex murdaugh has repeatedly maintained we never hurt his wife or son >> i didn't shoot my wife or my son any time ever >> murdaugh emotional as the court heard graphic details about the manner of paul's shooting. >> this is terrible, and i know it's terrible, probably the worst thing you ever saw. >> the state also reviving the issue of the dozen of alleged financial crimes murdaugh is separately facing which they

have argued is part of his motive murdaugh's long-time friend and former colleague, ronnie crosby, taking the stand a second time >> not only the trauma of losing people we love in a double homicide, seeing the aftermath and learning that someone you worked with for more than 20 years had been stealing and deceiving us, there's a lot of emotion there. >> reporter: jury views like this one are rarely granted because they're logistical nightmare. jurors have been specifically instructed they are not to be talking about the case on the way there or asking any questions when they're at the property the judge says he himself will be going there to the property to make sure everything goes as planned. and then they'll be taking the bus back here to court to hear closing arguments this afternoon. guys

>> all right, catie beck for us there in south carolina, thank you. also, a quick programming note here. we are going to have much more on the murdaugh and trial, and perhaps even those jury deliberations coming up on a special two-hour edition of "dateline" friday night 9:00 eastern, 8:00 central, on nbc. we have more to get to, including even more wild weather, in the wake of the heaviest snowfall of the season, for parts of the northeast the next massive coast to coast system is already brewing. dumping record snow in parts of the west al is tracking it all for us good morning to you. >> buckle up it is going to be literally a bumpy ride 15 million people right now from the plains all the way to the southwest and west coast under winter storm watch, advisories, blizzard warnings for the cascades or the sierra, i should say. here is what we're looking at, with this dangerous winter storm. we've got a tornado risk for much of the south. heavy rains in the mid south, into the mid mississippi river valley and significant snow is stretching from kansas city, icing conditions into the northeast, and snow as well. so we'll start with the severe storm threat, this afternoon, and tonight, from just outside

dallas, huntsville, memphis, a few tornadoes possible, with this, and tomorrow, the threat really ramps up, this area right here, in deep red, shreveport, down to houston, we are looking at the possibility of very strong tornados. and then we move into friday, we are looking at a severe threat, stretching from nashville, knoxville, all the way down to albany and atlanta, heavy rain, rainfall rates of up to two inches per hour, we're talking flash flood threat h-threat, saturday, from little rock, to indianapolis, icing condition, dangerous conditions from chicago, albany, hartford, down into elkins, west virginia, and significant snow, we can't put numbers on it yet, but from friday to saturday, from iowa, detroit, syracuse, on into bangor, even new york city, may see a mix of rain and snow it is going to be a very, very difficult next 72 hours. we're going to get to your local forecast in the next 30 seconds. ♪

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and >> and that's your latest weather. >> thanks. still ahead on a wednesday morning, the idaho college murders are back in the headlines, this morning, what a newly-unsealed search warrant has revealed about the suspect and the evidence against him. plus, do you rely on loyalty programs to save on everything from your morning coffee to airline tickets? >> yup. >>ell, some big changes war

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the money he says is needed to be spent on retaining teachers. >> reporter: i'm kris sanchez in san francisco where the advocacy group together sf is going to pressure local leaders to shut down open air drug markets. they want addicts and dealers to be treated differently. they say addicts should be guided toward recovery services and dealers should go to jail. the mayor says she introduced a $26 million supplemental to help fund overtime caused by the staffing shortage. they added the district attorney is taking a more aggressive stance toward repeat offenders. >> meteorologist kari hall is standing by. >> we are seeing sunshine around the bay area, but it is a cold start here. this is a live look outside in san rafael. the temperature in the north bay in the low to mid-30s, upper 30s for san jose. as we go through the forecast, a break from the rain but it will be returning for the weekend with colder temperatures headed our way. >> thanks, kari.

we're going to have another local news update in 30 minutes. i'll see you back here then.

we are back at 7:30 on this wednesday morning. giving a little camera time to our friends in rockefeller plaza. >> yes, we'll get outside in just a bit. meanwhile, we mentioned savannah and hoda are both off savannah is at home, after a positive covid test yesterday. we are wishing our friend a speedy recovery. and as for hoda, a lot of you have been wondering how she is doing, we can tell you that hoda is okay, she's got a family health matter that she's been dealing with, so we look forward to seeing hoda and savannah back here at the desk very, very soon. >> that's right. we love you both.

meanwhile, here on a wednesday morning, we've got a busy half hour ahead, starting with new details on a case we've been following very closely. the murders of four university of idaho students. >> nbc's gadi schwartz has the latest what's happening >> reporter: suspect bryan kohberger is still being held without bail ahead of the next court appearance and now in a newly unsealed search warrant from the morning he was arrested late last year, we're learning a little bit more about the evidence that prosecutors might use against him. in a surprise pre-dawn raid in late december, law enforcement arresting bryan kohberger, at his parent's pennsylvania home, taking the suspect into custody after a six-week man hunt. in a newly unsealed search warrant we are learning what the police took from his family home that morning among the items a flashlight and medical gloves and aassortment of clothing black sweatshirt and black and white nikes and a cheek swab presumably for the

suspect's dna. according to those familiar with the investigation, they used forensic genealogy to zero in on bryan kohberger, possibly dna on a knife shield found near the body of one of the victims in the previous apartment in washington state, investigators gathered possible hair strands, customer resistant gloves, items with red or brown stains and a computer tablet. in december, bryan kohberger had driven home with his father to pennsylvania from washington state university where he was pursuing his ph.d. in criminal justice. on that trip, the pair were pulled over twice in indiana weeks before the arrest. they were driving a white hyundai elantra the same type of car captured on surveillance video near the scene of the murders. bryan kohberger's school less than ten miles from the university of idaho, the off campus home where four students, xana kernodle, kaylee goncalves, ethan chapin, and maddie mogen, were found stabbed to death on november 13th. found stabbed to death on

the survivor telling authorities she saw a figure dressed in black entering the home that night. now bryan kohberger is awaiting trial for four counts of first-degree murder and has not formally entered a plea but tells the attorney he believes he will be exonerated. meanwhile the community in idaho is trying to move forward. >> i feel better knowing that they have the suspect in custody, that there is a chance that this might be all behind us soon enough. >> reporter: the university announcing the house where the murders happened will be demolished, calling it a healing garden and a way to stop efforts to further sensationalize the crime scene. now, authorities still haven't publicly released a motive for the attack but alleged bryan kohberger stalked the victim's house at least a dozen times before the killings and say he went back to the crime scene hours after the murders. guys >> gadi, thank you. let's get more perspective on the latest developments from legal analyst danny cevallos good to see you back thanks for being here. let's start with some of the items that were seized at bryan kohberger's family's house anything jump out to you on that list >> yes, what's compelling and

what people are focused on is the nine items that were actually seized. but that only tells half of the story. what is also interesting is the long list, i think it is on page six, of items that law enforcement were looking for, and that's a much broader list, so in a sense, the fact that those nine items don't include electronic devices, which were on the search warrant, other items, there were a limited number of clothing items taken from the residence, so there is something telling in the fact that there were only nine items, clothing, a flashlight, no electronic devices, a lot of the things they were looking for in the search warrant were not recovered. so that is very interesting to me and maybe not that surprising, because you might not expect a lot of evidence at his parents' home. >> still this morning one of the biggest outstanding questions in this case seems to be motive what do you make of that and what are we hearing. >> motive is not an element of a crime. prosecutors love to inject motive because it can be

evidence of somebody's intent. but you don't need a lot of motive for intent evidence here, because it's obvious that these killings were done intentionally. so while motive is a helpful thing for prosecutors, it's not essential. if they're in closing argument on trial in this case, they can basically say, the prosecutors, look, we don't know why he did it, he's maybe a serial killer, who knows, motive is not important, what's important is the evidence before you, and the evidence shows that mr. bryan kohberger was here, he was the only one that could have done it something like that. how did i do, craig? >> great, a future lawyer. bryan kohberger, we will see him for the preliminary hearing? >> yes. >> are you surprised at all that there has been such a chasm, such a gap between the arrest and the initial preliminary hearing? >> yes and no. under idaho procedure and similar procedure in many state, the preliminary hearing has to happen within 14 days unless the parties agree otherwise. and generally speaking, in high

profile cases, you take the rules of procedure, you ball them up and you throw them out the window there seem to be different rules for high profile cases yes, many months out is a long time for a preliminary hearing but if both parties want it, if both parties want the time, then it is permitted under idaho rules. >> and to be clear, he is still yet to enter a plea. >> very strange, but not considering how far out the preliminary hearing is like many states, idaho bifurcates, they have a lower court, kind of a triage court that handles this, with the magistrate, it's not even to the final court it will be in, which is district court, in idaho. so that's why he hasn't yet entered a plea it will come at or around the time of the preliminary hearing. >> thank you danny. coming up, tiktok rolling out new changes aimed at protecting the mental health of its many users but will it be enough to stop calls for a ban on the app here in the u.s.? we'll break it all down. first though, sam brock is standing by to take a closer look at some other high profile changes, and these are catching the eyes of loyal customers to

know those rewards members lot of popular brands. >> yes, craig, you know those rewards members programs, where you use points to get free stuff, it's one of the true pleasures of having one in the first place, for dunkin or starbucks whatever the company may be, free stuff and things like that, but it has changed and the companies argued there is new value to be explored we'll explain next and you love the natural, healthy ingredients. it's a shared joy that can only be descried as 'bluephoria'. (dad) uh...ready to go? (vo) treat them well and you'll feel it too with naturally delicious blue buffalo treats. let's go, lockdown's over... bye sawyer. mwah! ♪ [sentimental music plays] ♪ ♪ ♪ [paper tears, glass breaks]

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get $1500 purchase allowance on a 2023 cadillac xt5 and xt6. ♪♪ visit your local cadillac dealer today. you're still trying to get that free stuff? >> hey, i just spent a lot of time and i have eaten a lot of crap to get to where i am today. and i'm not throwing it all away >> is there a captain's hat involved in this >> maybe. >> we're become with a classic seinfeld moment, elaine going above and beyond to get that free stuff. >> like elaine, a lot of folks enjoy taking advantage of those wildly-popular rewards program, fair warning, folks, popular chains like chipotle, dunkin' donuts, starbucks, they're making some changes that are brewing up some new deals.

>> sam brock has a look at new ways you can maximize your savings. hi, sam. >> reporter: sheinelle, craig, good morning, more proof in fact that seinfeld is relatable to everything as far as the rewards programs, there have been a lot of changes in recent month, many companies offering consumers a tradeoff of sorts, dunkin' donuts, $50 not $40 to get a coffee like this but use the same parts for delicious doughnuts or other food items like hash browns as well and for starbucks, they just changed their program a matter of weeks ago and consumers haven't even started digging into details and crunching numbers. americans' caffeine addiction and the thrill of a free drink has made loyalty programs for starbucks and dunkin' donuts fan favorites. each as the entry level for earning a basic coffee has crept up a bit in october, dunkin' donuts

raised the points needed for a free regular coffee from 40 to 50 bucks spent on premium sips, on lattes, $40 to $90. >> honestly, i spent $50 then if you're going to do something in return, and show your appreciation, that's why it is worth it i think this is kind of pushing it. >> still less than a brewed hot starbucks coffee just went from 50 stars to 100. >> that is basically 100 dollars for a free cup of coffee does that surprise you >> it doesn't surprise me. just the way that inflation is happening in america >> starbucks pointed out their iced coffee and tea are actually fewer stars now adding in a statement to nbc news, we occasionally need to make changes to ensure the long-term sustainability of the starbucks rewards program. to meet the changing needs of our members. dunkin's president likewise says reshaping the awards program is a way to keep reward sentiment strong and added the ability to redeem points for more than just beverages. >> you actually have more options now. you can get doughnuts, you can get munchkins, you can get sandwiches >> the tweaks can go a long way

for the corporate bottom line. >> to you these points might be only worth a couple of dollars but inning a grat across all of the customers, it can be worth millions and millions of dollars. >> for years, airlines have been trimming the purchase power of miles and now even some department stores are using clever tricks, offering points that can only be redeemed when the shopper returns to the store another day, and not during the same sale. here's a few things that can help you maximize your rewards for flights and hotels, comparison shop first. because the better deals often save you more money than using points check the terms. in some programs, points expire after six months and do the math. don't go out of your way to spend $250 to earn 250 points and the reality is worth $2.50 >> it's not a necessity. it's one thing, it's the staples, but just exceedingly soaring prices, these are perks. >> sam, with these deals getting tighter, does that mean fewer people are expected to sign up for them

>> reporter: yes, sheinelle, actually, the opposite is kind of what's happening, chipotle is a great example of that. that company raised the threshold for a free entree from $125 to $140 to $162.50 last fall and according to the company's ceo, they actually saw an increase in reward memberships by 20% chili's is another example where they started to get rid of their free give-aways and yet revenues continued to rise. so sheinelle, really there is a psychology to all of this, which is we like to be part of something that shows our loyalty, it's a club, and we're getting extra value even if that value is a little bit less than what it used to be. >> full circle right back to that seinfeld click. >> psychology, it's crazy. >> everybody likes to feel they are getting a good deal. >> that's true. mr. roker, a busy few days >> oh, my gosh here is the interesting thing. we talk about temperatures, this country is divided by basically where you live, as far as temperatures for the winter,

much warmer than average east of the mississippi, and you go west of the mississippi, temperatures for the winter have been colder. take a look here in the east top three warmest winters ever recorded so far, from burlington, concord, williamsport, cleveland, lexington, tupelo, raleigh, even out to columbia, missouri, and then, for example, cleveland, third warmest winter in 144 years of records washington, d.c., third warmest in 151 years of records. here in new york city, it is the second warmest winter in 154 years of record keeping. so it is warm. record highs today, indianapolis, 70 we may hit a record. nashville, 79. houston, 85 degrees. charleston, 77 we move into tomorrow, that warmth remains it moves east. new york city may see 57 degrees. 12 degrees above the average, atlanta, flirting with 80 degrees. and then during the week, as we head into the weekend, the temperatures level off but still mild look at that, detroit, in the upper 30s, low 40s same in chicago, and buffalo, mid-30s.

and pittsburgh, low to mid 40s and down in st. louis, by sunday, you're seeing temperatures about 57 degrees. that's what's going on around good wednesday morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. that puts things in perspective for us, as we're talking about how cold it is with upper 50s out east, upper 50s is record warmth. now we're also going to have a break from all of the wet weather we've seen recently for a few days. but as we go into the weekend, the rain will be coming back, scattered showers, as well as low elevation snow starting on sunday. that continues into monday, but enjoy the break from weather. >> thank you, al. still ahead, they became fast friends through our "start today" facebook group, inspiring and supporting each other. and this morning, we are bringing them to studio 1-a to meet in person for the very first time >> that's going to be cool. first though, there's the

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tell your doctor if you have an infection or symptoms or if you had a vaccine or plan to. emerge tremfyant®. with tremfya®. ask your doctor about tremfya® today. we are back with carson. good morning to good morning to you. ♪ >> listen to that music. >> it's time for your "morning boost. look out, sylvester stallone, your replacement just arrived, he is only one year old, check out this toddler, he is going step for step, rocky balboa and the training workout, this is from the 1979 "rocky" movie, from the pushups, to the situps. he has it down pat while most have seen it, this one appears to be a netflix kind of guy not to worry, his boxing, he

didn't have to take on apollo 3 at the end of the training season >> he does look like he is carrying a little extra weight there. >> right there, whoo? >> how many times has that kid had to watch that movie to do that? >> he has the moves, too >> it must be on repeat on nickelodeon. coming up on "popstart," ed sheeran news, we are excited to tell you about that and more on the star's message to his many fans. and an exclusive conversation with amy grant, having to re-learn song lyrics and even her family's names after a bike accident.su buy t first yocour local noews. with the bank of america customized cash rewards card, you just can't stop getting rewarded. (bridget) with thyroid eye disease i hid from the camera. and i wanted to hide from the world. for years, i thought my t.e.d. was beyond help... but then i asked my doctor about tepezza.

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. a very good morning to you. it is 7:56 right now. i'm laura garcia. here is a look at what's happening now. good morning, i'm scott mcgrew. tiktok earlier announced it would warn children under 18 after they spend more than an hour per day on the app. the company says if kids want to continue past 60 minutes, they'll have to enter a pass code which can set by their parents. parents can allow less time on weekdays or more time on weekends. adults can even set their own limits for themselves. >> let's look at the forecast right now with meteorologist kari hall. >> so nice to see the sunshine out there, as we take a live look outside in san jose. but it is a chilly start, most of us in the upper 30s right now.

but the rain is moving away and we'll have a couple of days with some cool but sunny weather. we'll see that continue through friday and for the weekend we'll see rain coming right back. scattered showers off and on through saturday and seeing snow once again for elevations above 2,000 feet, starting on sunday, continuing into monday. and then the showers may linger a little longer in san francisco into tuesday. but in the near term we're going to enjoy the break in the wet weather because we do have more on the way. >> we sure are. thank you. we'll be back with another local news update in about half an hour.

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it's 8:00 on "today." coming up, deadly crash. coming up, deadly crash. one of the trains packed with hundreds of people, a desperate search for survivors now under way. we are live with the latest.t an plus, a tiktok time-out. what does it mean for teenagers, parents and how much time people

spend on that app. and then after the accident. amy grant speaking out after a horrific bike accident >> i feel like i am emerging, like, i went, oh, man, i feel like a classic now >> the singer opening up about what life is like now, and her first music in ten years >> even in the worst awful -- worst trauma, beauty and goodness are still present the joke is on him tom brady reportedly set to get roasted. what is being build as the greatest roast of all-time is the seven-time super bowl champ ready? >> celebrating 35 years of friendship.

>> from lexington, kentucky. >> my parents watching in allentown, pa. >> for jack's ninth birthday >> my friends and professors at baylor university. >> from maryland brought mum to the "today" show. >> i turn 85 todaywhoo >> welcome back to today we appreciate you g with us on this wednesday morning. happy hump day to you. >> yes >> sheinelle and i are here while hoda and savannah are out. we will try to get outside in a minute. it is a little chilly outside but folks are still braving the cold we're happy they're here. let's get to your news at 8:00, rescue teams are still searching for victims and survivors following a catastrophic train crash in greece overnight at least three dozen people have been killed after a crowded passenger train collided head-on with a freight train molly hunter has been following the story overnight. she joins us now with the latest

molly, good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you. we have new details since we spoke in the last hour we now understand there has been an arrest. greek police say the station master has been arrested they have also detained two others for questioning the crash happened overnight just before midnight in tempi valley, a big george, 255 miles north of athens, it was a freight train and a packed passenger train. on board the passenger train going from athens to the northern city of thessaloniki about, 350 people, 350 passengers, many college students returning from a festival weekend the death toll is still unknown right now. more than 30 people right now, 36 right now, more than 80 people have been injured, many of those people are now in the hospital this morning, search and rescue teams though on the ground are still looking for survivors. and the prime minister has just visited the site this morning, vowing a thorough investigation. the government has declared three days of mourning the big question of course for

investigators, how could this happen how could two trains be running towards each other at such high speeds >> molly hunter with new developments on that breaking news, molly, thank you. lori lightfoot has become the first chicago mayor in 40 years to lose a re-election bid. she conceded to pete last night, after failing to get enough votes to move on to next month's runoff lightfoot is the first black woman and first openly gay person to serve as the city's mayor. her term was marked by a spike in gun violence, a teacher strike and clashes with the rank and file of the police department the april runoff will pit "law and order" candidate paul vallas against progressive brandon johnson. vanessa bryant, the widow of the kobe bryant has agreed to a $29 million settlement fro the county of los angeles. bryant sued over the grisly photos shared by the sheriff's department and fire department employees of the helicopter

crash that killed her husband and her daughter gianna, along with several others. bryant argued that the pictures caused emotional distress and violated her privacy her attorneys said that the proceeds from the judgment will go to the youth sports foundation set up in memory of kobe and gianna. tiktok has unveiled new features that promise to work with the well-being of teenagers and it follows a rough week free the app which was banned from all employee phones issued by the federal government and a push from congress to ban it all together in the u.s. over privacy concerns jacob ward is here to break it all down for us. what are they rolling out? >> what they're rolling out here guys is a new set of features that is intent to allow teenagers according to the companies to better take control of their use of the app and to allow families to get involved it includes a 60-minute time limit what is gog to be the default for anybody under the age of 18. and after you go after that, you will have to enter a password in order to keep going. you could get a weekly usage recap and family parent options, that allows parents to look at things like the hash tags kids are using, and you can limit

certain hash tag, and what tiktok says is that in internal studies, when they had the option of adding this password in order to keep going, about 200% more teens began using that trying to impose some sort of limit on themselves. >> and timing seems a bit curious. >> yes. >> rolling out these new features at the same time there is so much talk about perhaps banning the app here in the united states. what do you make of the timing >> i talked to a policy head at tiktok yesterday and asked that very question, the first thing that i asked, and you know, they didn't really blink at me, they basically said we are just interested in keeping things as safe as possible for teens but obviously tiktok is feeling the pressure both from these congressional ban moves that we're talking about, and you know, the state of the union, the president talked about a mental health crisis among teenagers right now, we've seen that rise with the arrival of social media in this world, we're seeing all of

these companies try to prepare for that and respond to that and this seems to be tiktok's response. >> if i'm not on it, my kids would be on it all day i have to constantly monitor. >> appreciate it. buffalo bills safety damar hamlin has a few more doctor's visits to determine whether he can play football again, following the cardiac arrest back in january. an update was set out yesterday at the nfl combine in indianapolis, quote, all is well with hamlin's test results as well, after visiting numerous specialists but he still has two or three more appointments still scheduled. >> we'll continue to support damar through this whole thing and again, i would love to give the story book ending that he is definitely going to play, but we just don't know that yet but if he does, we'll all be very happy for him. >> and he went on to say that members of the bills medical staff are traveling with hamlin to keep a very close eye on his progress. all right, coming up, jamie lee curtis is racking up awards

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back at 8:12 with a "today" exclusive. amy grant has been performing music for nearly 50 years but her career was suddenly put on hold this past summer after a bicycle accident left her unable to remember her own songs. >> now, the grammy winner is finally ready to hit the road again, offering her first new music in a decade, and craig, you got to go to tennessee and sit down with her. >> i did i went down to nashville i sat down with amy grant at her home studio there. there's this kindness and sincerity that really come through from the moment you meet amy grant. a lot of folks are worried when she had that bike accident, but she has worked hard to recover, and amy's ready to get back to her music and her fans amy grant's career in music is like a dream discovered at the age of 15, she became a crossover star, winning over fans in christian and pop music, with smash hits like "baby baby." ♪ ♪ baby, baby ♪ >> she sold more than 30 million albums, one six grammys, and

earned a star on the hollywood walk of fame that dream was nearly shattered by a serious bicycle crash this past summer here near her nashville home, she hit a pothole and slammed into the pavement and she was unconscious for ten minutes. doctors say her melt saved her life but she suffered a traumatic brain injury and memory loss. >> i had this long notebook, this spiral notebook and writing to remember, writing, making sure i could remember everybody's name in my family, which i couldn't at first. >> song lyrics, were you able to remember all of your song lyrics >> oh, gosh, no. >> amy grant couldn't remember her songs? >> yes so the first night o the christmas tour, back on tour, teleprompter, and i was on wheels, i was holding on to the piano, before the show, i'm so scared, i'm so scared, and i worked with so many great singers, we got you, we got you. >> she made a lot of progress but she is told it could take 18

months to make a full recovery from cognitive issues. >> how are we feeling as we sit here >> i feel fantastic. i mean really, from 2020 on, i feel like i have, if i were a car, i've made a lot of trips to the shop and i feel like i'm emerging like oh, man, i feel like a classic now and actually, sort of re-revved up, in a really beautiful way. >> in addition to the crash, and heart surgery in 2020, grant revealed to us that she had throat surgery to remove a cyst this past january. >> working with a vocalist and she said what is happening in your throat leaning your head back and i said i know, it's like i have an adam's apple, it keeps getting bigger, unbeknownst to me i had a thyroglossal duct cyst. >> after a quick recovery, grant retreated to a small trailer in her driveway to practice singing and doing that, she says, something amazing happened her voice is better than it has been in years.

>> you have a woman of great faith. how has that helped you deal with all of this >> it has helped me not be afraid and just to go however this turns out, it's i believe i'm helped by love, just like i believe that about you and everybody i meet. >> with faith, love and the support of her family including husband vince gill, grant is returning to the stage set to kick off a 70-date tour she is also going back into the studio to record her firstew music in ten years she even played one of two new songs for us, called "trees will never see. ♪ ♪ trees will never see ♪ >> grant will be playing her new songs for fans before they are released this spring, and she is

hoping to write more while on tour amy grant may have fallen, but it seems that she has landed in a better place. the bike wreck has led t this reinvention of amy grant. >> to me, it has been a great reminder that life is dynamic, people are dynamic, nobody is all good, nobody is all bad, a circumstance is not all bad or all good, even in the worst awful, worst trauma, beauty and goodness are still present >> wow >> only after a heart procedure and a bike accident that nearly kills her, and the throat surgery, only amy grant would be able to find the silver lining in all that and use it as an inspiration and use it to create new music. >> and she has been at it, like you said, for decades. >> and the gratitude is so palpable you can just see it. >> she has a spirit about her. >> i didn't realize how bad the accident was. >> yes >> a lot of folks didn't.

>> they didn't really talk about it >> they didn't read about it. >> unconscious for ten minutes, a couple of days in the hospital as well. we will have much more from our interview coming up in the third hour, including what it was like for amy to be honored by the kennedy center she was honored alongside gladys knight and u2, bono from u2 and she tells a great story about getting there and feet her tied and sat down with gladys knight and shot the breeze for 15, 20 minutes. >> that's awesome. >> of course they did. >> that's awesome. >> al, how about a check of the weather? let's look ahead and show you what we have got going on. record highs in th midsection of the country. severe storms in the lower mississippi river valley next big storm coming into the west, into the rockies, with heavy snow there we've got the march outlook to show you, we are looking at again, well, maybe today, we will just show you today, we will show you the march outlook a little bit later that's what we're going to do. that's all i was supposed to do. i just had a little brain freeze i'm meteorologist kari hall.

we are back to the sunshine, but it is a cold day and we'll only see our high temperatures for the in land areas reaching into the mid to upper 50s. slightly milder the next few days, but cold mornings. only a brief break from the rain before it returns this weekend. scattered showers continuing into sunday. san francisco, expect highs to continue to reach into the 50s. >> i do know time of the morning. right now. yes, because it's "popstart." >> that's right. >> how we stack up in march. >> do your feet hurt >> that's right. >> take a seat >> yes. first up, "popstart," today's ed sheeran, overnight the grammy winner announcing the next album, the latest installment from the decade long mathematical album error and previous records, plus, multiply, divide and equals and

in a post on social media, ed opening up about his emotional journey butting this particular album together and chronicling an extremely difficult month including losing a close friend and finding out his then pregnant wife was sick and adding his song writing as therapy and for the first time i'm not trying to craft an album people will like, i'm merely putting something out that's honest and true where i number my adult life. the track is out may 5th one day before the mathematics tour in north america. maybe since you're state side, you want to swing over once you do the march forecast and come over here and check us out on the plaza. >> that would be a big plus. >> yes, that would be a plus that's right very good. very good. you're back. >> brain fog just like that it lifted. >> thank god.

next up, tom brady, the g.o.a.t. to the groat. tmz reporting that he is about to face a lot of jokes about his own expense, and jokes about the unretirement moment in his life and he has already gotten a nice heart on the second retirement for the quarterback, recently appearing in "850 for brady" the film and the $10-year $375 million contract with fox sports. next up, jamie lee curtis, this year marks the 20-year anniversary of the curtis and lohan's movie "freaky friday" and apparently the internet has been buzzing with excitement about a possible sequel and jamie lee curtis told "variety," even though there is no official word yeta sequel will definitely happen and she stopped by the james corden show with an update. >> what you can tell us, when is this happening >> i can tell you that we're talking about it. >> is this you and lindsey lohan. >> i think lindsey lohan might -- [ cheering ]. >> i think the mouse that roared

with the big hair is in on it. >> oh, okay. >> there you go. >> everything is happening. >> jamie lee curtis is having a year. >> yes she is. >> "freaky friday 2". >> craig has never seen "freaky friday". >> have you? >> i've heard of it. i don't know if i've seen it or not. >> you've seen it. >> okay. >> probably because my kids are of a certain age >> let's move on. john williams. >> has anybody in the studio seen "freaky friday" i've seen it >> and make the most of the film in the next half hour. our buddy lester holt sat down with john williams the composer for steven spielberg's films, and during the conversation, williams opening up about the many appearances, and surprisingly rare wins at the academy awards. >> i think most people would think you would win more because your music is so familiar. >> my wife thinks i should win more, and samantha, why do you always wear black dresses to the oscars and she says because we

lose every year. and how many losses is that? 48 or so but it couldn't be more wonderful. i couldn't be happier but it is a recognition from one's peers and one's colleagues that is always very gratifying >> he is going to win. he is the greatest. >> no question. >> have you ever gotten to see him conduct on the movie nights tanglewood, unbelievable >> awesome. >> star wars jurassic park. raiders. next up, pedro pascal appears on sarah michelle geller's instagram feed in a photo when they worked together in "buffy" and then "entertainment tonight" caught up with pascal sharing some sweet memories working together. >> i remember she had ice cream and she had ice cream in her trailer and she gave me some, she went back to her trailer and got me some ice cream and she shared, and it was a night shoot, the middle of the night,

on the ucla campus, they hadn't built their college sets yet, she was incredibly kind, she taught me how to use a sandbag to hit my mark, she was the best >> sandbag >> you feel it >> you feel it, like a speed bump. >> he has figured it out, though, right? what a great actor. >> bingo. >> new season of "mandalorian" starts streaming on disney plus today. you can watch that >> pascal. >> the best show on television right now. >> i just started watching it. >> but he is good. >> wait until you get to episode three. >> stop with the spoilers. "ted lasso" speaking of ice cream, a new flavor with these iconic biscuits. >> where did you get these >> i'm glad you like them. i will start bringing them to you every morning. biscuits with the boss >> and that is unnecessary. >> mark this down as the first time we disagree then. >> starting thursday, you can get your own biscuits with the boss, in a pint of buttery sweet creamy ice cream a few scoops here for the gang

to try "ted lasso," ted gives biscuits to hannah waddingham's character rebecca, the boss. and it wins her over every time. >> oh, my goodness. >> i figured it was taped. >> wait a minute >> wait a minute >> i love it. >> this is like a march outlook in your mouth. >> imagine the buttery - >> it reminds me of butter pecan. >> without the pecans. >> cookie crumbles in here. >> and the base. the base is fantastic. >> this is going to be the next thing. i'm telling you. >> this is not in everybody's diet. >> where do you get this >> i don't know. >> wherever they sell jeni's ice cream. >> love jeni's ice cream. >> and we're sitting down with the whole cast of "ted lasso" to talk about the new season that starts streaming march 15th on apple tv plus. >> march 15th. "mandalorian" out today.

"ted lasso" coming out >> this is so good. >> a reunion with our "start today" family, we'll have that in just a moment but first, your local news good stuff there they are >> i love it we'll be right back. good morning to you. 8:26. i'm marcus washington. a live look in oakland where today, city leaders helped kick off the annual pothole blitz. the effort is to continue through the end of april where the storms have left roads in the worst conditions. the mayor's office says the transportation department will address the damage. this is about focusing the entirety of its maintenance effort on potholes and those minor repairs. time to get a look at the forecast today. kari hall is tracking what's going on across the bay. >> finally some sunshine.

it is also very chilly as you're stepping out the door. we still have a lot of upper 30s for parts of the inland valleys and low 40s for inner bay and the coastline. today, we'll reach into the mid to upper 50s for our inland valleys. we're close to freezing tonight. more sunshine through the end of the week and the rain will be back for the weekend as our temperatures drop. highs in the low 50s. overall, we only have a few days of a break from this rain with the sunny skies. marcus? >> thanks so much. we'll have another update in 30 minutes. we're always on an nbcbayarea.com.

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♪ ♪ walking on sunshine ♪ >> 8:30 now on a wednesday morning. the first of march, march already, and we're kicking off the new month with a great sound. and it's freezing out here you guys are great sports here this morning we have some amazing ladies who are not afraid of new

beginnings these three, met in our "start today" walking club and became virtual besties. we're about to take their friendship to the next level first time in person. for the >> that will be good. >> nice coat. >> thank you. >> i like that. >> also ahead this half hour, adriana brock will help us prepare for spring break, folks, right around the corner, don't look at the thermometer right now, best-selling travel items, like the backpk, that you can take everywhere, there is a portable charger that is really going to come in h no matter where you go, roker says a, b, c, always be charging. >> three brothers. i like that. >> the same coat. >> brothers from a different camel mama >> i love it d can you really hack ur way to being healthyault don't worry about it

she says she will show you how to get around those cravings and best of all, no dieting required >> i'll hear. that and ahead often the third hour, we have our good buddy, two friends who met in business school and now they have their own fashion brand get this they actually want you to buy less of course, when you do buy, they want you to buy their stuff. buy less the secret to their success. we'll explain that. in the meantime, tomorrow is read across america day and jenna will be marking it with an inspiring story, introducing us to a school bus driver who spends his spare time as a reading tutor for kids in his community and she helped him pull off a heart-warming surprise to say thank you. wait until you see it. you don't want to miss it. tomorrow on "today." >> looking forward to that. >> before we do anything else, mr. roker, how about one more check of the weather >> it's coming i want to introduce you to a lady who is only 15 years from a smuckers jar yeah >> and happy birthday. >> thank you. >> where are you from?

>> maryland. >> i'll have what you're having because you look fantastic >> thank you. >> happy birthday. >> we love that. let's show you what we've got going on let's show you the march outlook, ladies and gentlemen. all right, for march, warmer than average down through the south, colder than average from the west across the great lakes, into the north east, and as far as precipitation is concerned, we are looking at drier than average around the great lakes, out west, and we're looking at wetter than average conditions, and into the mid mississippi and ohio river valleys, it looks a little on the damp side as well. and just want to introduce to you our "today" show weather intern josiah, you've been doing a great job. >> thank you so much it has been a pleasure working with you so far. good wednesday morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. nice to see that sunshine out there and our temperatures today for inland areas head for the mid-50s. slightly warmer tomorrow. the warming trend continues into friday, although these numbers are still cooler than what we typically see for early march. into the weekend, cold again as

the rain returns. scattered showers saturday into sunday that will linger into monday with highs in the low 50s and san francisco in the birthdays here how old are you? your >> you're nine >> i'm nine. >> what's your name? >> jack. >> jack. >> who is holding the sign >> it has an arrow here. >> there you go. >> hey, by the way, don't forget, you can stream all four hours of "today" and your local nbc station live on peacock. for all of the details, head to peacocktv.com. coming up next, three superstars from our "start today" walking club, supporting each other from afar, but now they're ready to meet in person for the very first time. we're marking that moment

because it's goingo be a t

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♪ oh, yeah. ♪ ♪ oh, yeah welcome back march is here. that means we're kicking off our next "start today" walking challenge. a reminder scan that qr code for details. we will have more in a bit but right now let's focus on an azing story of friendship that began in our facebook group. >> they have formed an incredible bond online but guess what, they have never met in real life. we've about to change all about that with a long overdue get-together right here in studio 1-a but first, more on their one-of-a-kind connection. >> i don't call them my "start today" friends anymore they are just my friends. >> you have made me so much better >> we can tell each other secrets we know they won't go

anywhere. >> they live hundreds of miles from each other. and they have never met. at least not in person, that is they each joined our start today facebook group last summer looking to make a change in their lives. >> i knew that i wanted to be a happier, healthier pam >> a massive transformation that started with just one little walk out my door >> i'm more positive about myself. >> after connecting through the comment section in the group, they have come to lean on each other, while carving thewn special needs. like pam's daily posts of encouragement. >> pam is the sunshine rock star of the group >> happy day happy day! >> she sings her messages. and just lights up your day. >> and when pam took a break from social media, during a bout

with covid, christie stepped up, and sent one of her infamous care packages. >> i call it my happy mail because when i see it, i am like, christie sent me some happy mail. >> when i'm having a bad day, she gets a card right out to me. >> when a caring voice is needed, that's the call to doreen. >> doreen is an incredible friend she probably is the reason why i was able to change my life, because she saw me when i couldn't see myself. >> that is how she motivates and inspires >> from strangers to a circle of friends, this "start today" group, now coming together for the first time in studio 1-a we told each other, no mascara that day because we will be crying. >> that is so beautiful. >> christie, we made you guys wait in separate places. are you ready? >> yes >> pam, doreen, come on in here they come. >> there is one coming from one direct >> and there's the other coming from the other direction. >> there's pam over here >> come on in. one more >> good job. >> i can't believe it. >> it's true

>> come on take a seat. careful. >> this is amazing >> this is amazing >> we don't separate you anymore. >> this is it. >> what are you thinking >> what does it feel like to be together for the first time. >> we feel like family already >> yes >> to see you in person, and to be able to touch >> you kept us apart. >> tell me something, where do the tears come from, you come from different parts of the country, you just met over walking. where are the tears from >> our hearts. >> yes. >> great wonderful people. where we've come from. what we struggled through. and where we are now, thanks to the "start today" program. >> what has it meant to be part

of this group? you guys obviously have formed this bond, but it is such a bigger group, i go on, i'm scrolling, i'm seeing these messages and these encouragements - >> sorry. >> i've watched you. >> when you commented on me the first time, i was like oh, my god. al knows me, i'm famous. >> and even my dog, the other day, patricia, my pictures up there, and my husband and i are watching, oh, my gosh, the lives that we've changed just by posting our positive attitudes with each other. >> yes. >> you guys have done it that's the amazing thing >> amazing >> i think we want to make sh morning even better. we want to bring in another "start today" member you might recognize, our leader, stephanie -- >> come on in. >> yes >> hi. >> getting up again. [ laughter ] >> come on in, stephanie >> come on over here >> did i not get the pink memo >> is there anything you want to say to these women >> i am so incredibly proud of

all three of you and not only for transforming your lives but you have encouraged thousands of other members, other today show viewers to encourage and change their own lives and your trainer and coach. and we could never ask for more than that. and not only making the change for yourself, but once you take that time and put yourself first, that ripple effect. i'm so excited to meet you in person >> oh, my gosh >> this is amazing >> i love it >> you guys are channeling each other. >> it is interesting, because you didn't know each other at first, you're almost more vulnerable and open and no judgment and you fell in love with each other and became genuine friends. >> i know america is smiling right now. and hopefully inspired and i know you guys have a lot to catch up on, so we talked to our friends over at five acres, a great restaurant here at rockefeller plaza about you guys, so they want you to catch up properly, so they've got a table waiting for you. that long-awaited brunch date. and then you can walk around >> that's great. >> all right

>> love it >> hey, don't forget, these guy join want to welcome you into our "start today" facebook group join the fun, download the walking challenge for march and sign up for the daily newsletter, you can scan the qr code on the screen or head to today.com/starttoday we have more on the "start today" walking challenge in march on the "third hour of today." >> i love that i was just about to say that, so you will be back >> i can say, mom, look, people are making friends >> yes >> i'm telling you >> we're almost at 134,000 >> 134,000 >> wow >> okay, so you're going to be back in the third hour, but the key, we will talk about maintaining your workout schedule, no matter the weather. just keep it going congratulations, guys. >> thank you >> such an honor to be here. >> oh, my goodness. >> all right, craig, over to you. >> start today walking challenge, sweeping the nation

we need for that coming up, look hoe w.h.o.'s

with a travel edition of "today," best sellers and it comes just in time for that spring break get-away. "shop today" editorial director adriana brock is here with some great picks and folks, you know what to do you can scan the qr code right there on your screen, you can scan it to shop along with us, good to see you again, my friend. >> great to see you. thanks for having me we will kick it off with a little bit of fashion for the ladies. >> is it already time to start looking at bathing suits >> it is already time. you know what, some of the best ones always sell out over and over again and i keep saying this to everybody, get your bathing suits now so you have them for spring and summer season

so bathing suit, check and the most versatile dress you will ever want, also check these are the two anchor pieces that all women should have out there for their travel this season let me tell you, this dress is like a shop "today" mvp. because everybody on the team loved it super affordable comes in 40 different colors and patterns and it's one of my favorite pieces because you can roll it up and pack it up and not have to worry about ironing it, too this dress right here, so flattering, under $35. and it looks like the higher end design on a budget. >> looks fancy. >> it looks fancy. >> what do you love about these backpacks? >> so this backpack, the airlines are charging so much money these days for even carry-ons, and of course, checked luggage, so the shop today team loves this back back, because it is so roomy, we also read that a lot of nurses and teachers also like this, just like every day for commuters so even if you're not traveling anywhere, it is a good piece to. have it has 19 different pockets and i mean if you guys could look in here, you guys really did a nice job of packing it up, and i mean - >> my hair clip is in there. >> hair clips. >> and this thing on the side?

>> it has a usb charger. >> oh, that's what that is >> you can bring your battery pack and have an easy charging situation there, too >> i love a collapsible water bottle >> this is my new favorite thing. my husband got me on to this because i used to be notorious for spending so much money on bottled water at the airport when we're traveling look how small this. it is 12 bucks. >> that's great. >> and not only will you save money by refilling your own water bottle, but like you're not wasting either. >> dishwasher safe, too. >> dishwasher safe look how collapsible it is so small you can get one for everybody in the family when traveling. >> this is my favorite item of the morning. >> you are super excited about this some people aren't into the manual toothbrushes at hotels or when they're traveling and this is really great because it comes

from phillips, by sonic care, which is a really well-known trusted brand, and it's under $25, for this electric toothbrush, battery operated, pretty substantial, too, when you use it, and what's really great is you can put it in your toiletry bag and just keep it in there all season, not have to worry about lugging back and forth your electric toothbrush that you might have at home. my biggest fear is i am going to lose my nest expensive toothbrush in a hotel and then have to buy a new one. get this one and pack it and go and. >> and it doesn't look like it takes up a whole lot of space. >> it doesn't at all. >> and al roker is famous for a, b, c, always be charging >> that's right. this is a battery pack everybody needs to travel with a battery pack this. one is great because it is affordable and my favorite part, not only is it slim, it comes in built-in charging cords. which we all forget. all the time when we bring a battery pack i have a battery but who's got the cable. this one has built-in. lightning. usb.

everything you need. right then and there and it has a digital display so you know how much juice you've got left. so power up everyone's device. >> always good to have you thank you, thank you to see these products once again scan that qr code, or do it the old-fashioned way, today.com/shop we should mention that today does earn a commission on purchases made from the segment, which solely features products available on amazon. oh, sheinelle. >> oh, craig up next, easy hunger hacks to keep you feeling full longer we have dr. amy shaw with us

it's wellness wednesday. today, we are helping you kick the late night food cravings experts say sticking to a healthy diet is about far more than will power. we know that and here with ways we can hack our way healthy is dr. amy shaw. she is a nutrition expert and author of "i'm so f-ing hungry, why we crave what we crave and what to do about it. dr. shaw, good morning to you. >> thanks for having me. >> i read these tips in advance and i have to tell you there are some new things.

>> based on science. >> and hunger hack, to help us rewire our brain and the first hunger hack, you talk about feeling full with more sunlight. >> sunlight, i love sunny day, right? but even if it is not sunny, this natural light releases a hormone in our brain called alpha msh that keeps us full all day long so you really can feel fuller just by getting like two minutes of sunlight, you go outside, look outside, and alpha msh will help you all day long. so it is a really great hack. >> i love that you have science behind this one. this next hunger hack is all about the order in which you eat your food. so quite often if we have a bunch of things on the plate, you kind of you do your bread or your protein talk to me about the order and how that can help. >> usually when we go to restaurants, it is the bread, and the chips first. >> should he would not eat that. >> that's the wrong way if you really want to control your hunger and cravings.

in a study where they looked at type two diabetics, they said keep that at the end and they found their blood sugar and their cravings were better regulated, so eat your salad, your soup, your protein, and then the carbs at the end. >> really? you know, the bread is right there in front of your face. you're hungry, waiting for your meal and you chow down on bread. you have to let that go. >> if you really want to control your hunger and cravings, leave it to the end. keep it on the side. eat it after >> i like that so the next one, if you're somebody who likes to snack, your next hunger hack is to reach for high water foods which makes sense. >> yes high water foods are foods that have 90% or more water we actually stretch your stomach receptors and help you release hunger hormones, and satiation hormones, the ozempic that anyone is taking, it is released and your thirst is quenched, so a lot of people mistake thirst for hunger so these high water foods help >> looking at these, these are great foods. >> easy foods that you can be eating every day. >> these should be accessible. >> yes

>> really easy accessible cool foods, remember they're not processed in a package, and super easy to find >> so listen to this next one this one grabbed my attention you call this a cravings crusher. apparently sniffing peppermint can help with your cravings. here, give me that. >> try it. try it >> so what is this supposed to do. >> very interesting study, sniffed peppermint oil every two hours. >> essential oil >> essential oil. >> you can put it on your wrist. you can sniff it you can eat a peppermint dark chocolate. and what they found is that those people had better hunger and cravings control, and they ate 360 calories less per day. >> really? >> it is calming maybe it centers you so you try to make better decisions >> it lights up part of your brain that makes you more satisfied. >> super easy. and dark chocolate who doesn't want peppermint, or hot cocoa or dark chocolate. >> the final hack, this has

benefits the entire day, you say timing your meals, which makes sense and your workouts. >> so if you time your workouts with your meals, you can actually get added benefits some of the working out is a great way to control your hunger and cravings you work out early in the morning, so some people love to work out early, and this one has all day benefits, so it will help you choose better foods, feel more full, all day. and then there are other options, it is to work out two to three hours before a meal and that one will help the belly fat. >> dr. shaw, this is great i'm going to take my peppermint with me. again the book is called "i'm f-ing hungry" find out more on today.com/books. good morning. supporters joining family members in san francisco to protest an inspected decision from the d.a. to officially drop manslaughter charges against a former police officer. last month, jenkins announced charges would be dropped at a

hearing today. she's also asking state prosecutors to handle the case instead. the 2017 officer shot and killed a carjacking suspect during a police chase. in a letter, jenkins called the charges politically motivated and part of a policy tied to chase mu dune. we'll have more details during our midday newscast. see you at midday.

this morning on the "third hour of today," joe no, big changes to popular loyalty programs but are you really spending a latte to get more for that free coffee? we'll break down what you need to know. plus, in "she made it," the fashion brand where less is more. >> i know there is a better way to sell to customers. >> how they went from investors on pinterest to major celebrity following. later, "daisy jones & the six" star camilla moreone with the best-selling book to the screen. and