ditch. hopefully no injuries. we'll track that. >> a lot of slick roads. be careful as you head out the door. we'll be back in about half an hour with a local news update. >> you can catch the midday news at 11:00. have a great day. good wednesday morning. the survivors of that kidnapping in mexico now back in the u.s. >> we are hearing from the families for the very first time. it's march 8th. this is "today." dramatic rescue. two americans held hostage in mexico, now safe and being treated at a texas hospital and this morning what we are learning about their violent abductions. the two members of the group who were killed. and the search for suspects in the case. we're live at the border. growing fallout. fox news host tucker carlson ridiculed and condemned by democrats and republicans alike

for cherry-picking january 6th surveillance footage he was exclusively given to falsely portray the attack. >> i think it was [ bleep ]. >> it was not just some rowdy peaceful protest of boy scouts. >> just ahead, what carlson's own private messages are now revealing about what he actually thought about dona his election lies, even as he pushed those claims to viewers. stamp of approval. the white house throwing its support behind a new bill paving the way for a ban on tiktok. for good step closer to that here in the u.s.? midair scare, new details emerging. behind the violent attack by a fellow flight attendant. fellow passengers sharing their harrowing accounts. >> he was standing next us to and charged. >> as airline workers sound the alarm, demanding more help to keep the skies safe. in the spotlight, buster murdaugh, facing an uncertain future without his mother and brother and his father behind

bars for life. >> i cannot even imagine to lose everything in your life. >> inside, the investigations he could face in the wake of his father's closely-watched trial. those stories, plus girl power. it's international women's day. and we're marking it with a big celebration, welcoming trailblazers from the military to the worlds of fashion and football, as we honor the ladies, today, wednesday, march 8th, 2023. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today," with savannah guthrie and hoda kotb, from studio 1-a in rockefeller plaza. hi, everybody. good morning. welcome to "today." thank you for being with us on a special wednesday morning. >> they were playing every woman. and we get it. international women's day. we're celebrating. we have surprises. we have wonderful folks from the

military, from all different professions, we have a good crowd out there ready to celebrate with us. >> lots to look forward to this morning. let's get to our top story, new information this morning on that kidnapping ordeal in mexico, the state department confirming two americans were killed after cartel gunmen opened fire on their vehicle in the border city of matamoros. two family members survived and back home in the united states and their family members are opening up with new details about why they were taken. morgan chesky is along the border of brownsville, texas, with the very latest. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. it has been an incredibly active 24 hours here in south texas. we learned that the two americans who survived are recovering inside this south texas hospital after they rushed here in an ambulance. details surrounding this incredible rescue are still few, but with those two lives lost,

authorities say the search to find those responsible is more thence than ever. this morning, two surviving americans back on u.s. soil, four days after a nightmare on the streets of matamoros, mexico. >> the bodies of two other u.s. citizens killed in the same incident were also recovered. >> reporter: a terrifying kidnapping where videos showed gunmen dragging the victims to a pickup after releasing a barrage of bullets on a van with four u.s. citizens inside. their whereabouts unknown publicly until tuesday, where officials found them in this small wooden house in a village 15 miles away. mexican authorities say they were taken to various places to create confusion and to interrupt the rescue work. the survivors identified by family as latavia washington mcgee, seen here in an ambulance after being rescued. eric james williams whose older brother described him as fun loving but tough. >> you didn't know where your little brother was.

>> it was very hard. y'all, just want answers and had a lot of anxiety. >> reporter: the family sharing eric suffering a gunshot wound to his leg but now recovering in a hospital. williams was joined by mcgee, her cousin shaeed woodard and friend zindell brown, on the days-long trip from their home in south carolina to mexico. >> they have known each other all their lives. they're childhood friends. >> reporter: a law enforcement official telling nbc news the trip was for a cosmetic medical procedure, and they were likely attacked for being mistakenly identified as haitian smugglers encroaching on the cartel's turf. mexican officials are investigating but say their leading theory is that was a result of confusion. on tuesday, the governor of tamaulipas said one person who was shooting at the victims was arrested. in washington, the two lives lost, a grim reminder of likely cartel violence. >> the d.e.a. and the fbi are

doing everything possible to dismantle and disrupt and ultimately prosecute the leaders of the cartels. >> how confident are american authorities that they're going to be able to track down whoever did this? >> reporter: yeah, hoda, we've heard from attorney general merrick garland who said they are going to use anything within their power to track down these individuals or group responsible. in the meantime, though, we know all the attention will go to the ongoing investigation, and we know that the fbi while not on the ground in mexico says they were in constant communication with mexican authorities as they pulled off that incredible rescue, and it could lead to an arrest, hoda. >> morgan chesky for us there, morgan, thank you. also this morning, tiktok is facing new scrutiny. the white house throwing its support behind a bipartisan bill that could be used to ban the popular app. nbc's senior washington

correspondent hallie jackson on this story. how significant is this for tiktok? >> reporter: well, significant, right? we don't know if it is going to pass congress but it is certainly the newest, latest threat of a national ban for this really popular platform. there's this bipartisan push for a plan that would give the biden administration via the commerce secretary more power to make moves against tech platforms like tiktok, potentially blocking them from operating here all together. it focuses on tech companies based in six countries considered adversaries, that includes china, remember tiktok is owned by a chinese-based parent company byte dance. lawmakers are worried about national security and as you mentioned the white house does support the new bill but tiktok has said, listen, they work to protect u.s. user data they tell nbc news in a new statement, the u.s. ban on tiktok would be a ban on the export of american culture and values to the billion-plus people who use our service worldwide. now, keep in mind, there has been momentum against tiktok here in washington you've already got tiktok getting kicked off government-owned phones. it sets up what is expected to be, savannah, a blockbuster hearing in a few weeks, when the head of tiktok is said to appear in front of congress. >> and hallie, put it in context

with us because this is coming at a time of rising tensions with china, just yesterday a top official there making pretty threatening comments. >> yes, accusing the u.s. of leading both countries into basically conflict and confrontation, saying that the u.s. is speeding down the wrong path we are hearing now from the biden administration about that, saying hey, the u.s. is not looking for conflict competition, yes but not conflict you know there are flash points in this relationship think about that spy balloon that was shot down just recently you've got china being, you know, very sensitive about taiwan, which is that self ruling island that beijing sees as its own, there is also concern about the possibility that china could give russia ammunition and artillery to help in the russian invasion of ukraine. that is something that beijing denies and the pandemic has also been an issue china has threatened counter-measure, they call it, on countries like the u.s. that have put covid testing requirement on travelers from china, but there is an update on

that this morning. a source familiar with the matter tells nbc news that the u.s. government is planning to lift that restriction. savannah >> all right, hallie jackson with the latest there, thank you. also, on capitol hill, there is growing pushback from both sides of the i'll against fox news tucker carlson, and his portrayal of the january 6th insurrection, the host using security footage given to him by house speaker kevin mccarthy to make even more false claims about the violent attack nbc's capitol hill correspondent ryan nobles has a closer look. hey, ryan, good morning. >> reporter: good morning. democrats have already raised serious concern about the release of thousands of hours of footage to the fox news host and after seeing tucker carlson's presentation, many republicans are just as upset. for the second night in a row, fox news host tucker carlson used his exclusive access to more than 40,000 hours of video from january 6th to create an alternative reality of what many witnessed and experienced on that day >> capitol hill police in some cases escorted protesters

through the capitol as if they were given a tour. >> reporter: more than 100 officers were hurt during the riot five people died and at least a thousand people arrested but carlson chose to use the footage to down play the violence while accusing the january 6th select committee of lying about what happened. >> in free countries government does not lie about protests as pretext to gain more power. >> reporter: some republicans taking issue with how the host framed the violence. >> i think it was [ bleep ], >> that it was not just some rowdy peaceful protest of boy scouts >> reporter: the fox news host also accusing capitol police of willfully ignoring some of the attacks. and even claimed without evidence the federal government had operatives in the crowd to fuel the violence. capitol police chief tom major calling the report, quote, filled with offensive and misleading conclusions about the january 6th attack >> it was a mistake in my view for fox news to depict this in a

way that is completely at variance with what our chief law enforcement official here at the capitol thinks. >> reporter: house speaker kevin mccarthy, who gave carlson access to the footage doubling down on his decision >> i said at the very beginning, transparency, and so what i want to produce for everybody is exactly what i said. >> reporter: it all comes as more internal communications has been part of a dominion voting defamation lawsuit against the network. they revealed fox hosts including tucker carlson, were increasingly uncomfortable with the way that trump was lying about the 2020 election. we are very, very close to being able to ignore trump most nights i truly can't wait, carlson texted an unknown person, on january 4th, 2021, adding, i hate him passionately. >> reporter: back to that 40,000 hours of video that tucker carlson was given access to, very little of which actually made it into his broadcast, the

house speaker kevin mccarthy saying that he will give all of us in the media access to that material, but he hasn't said how or when that will happen hoda >> ryan nobles there for us at the capitol, thank you. we're learning more this morning about the suspect behind that alarming incident on a united plane a man violently attacking a flight attendant and trying to open an emergency door mid flight that rampage leading to renewed calls to improve airline safety. nbc's tom costello is here us with for that this morning good morning. >> reporter: the man charged in the case appeared in court monday after prosecutors say he attempted to stab a flight attendant during that flight if convicted, those federal charges could put him in prison for the rest of his life the new details about that terrifying attack on board a cross-country united flight are both chilling and disturbing >> i will kill every man on this plane. >> reporter: on monday, the defendant, 32-year-old francisco torres pled not guilty to a

federal charge of interfering with a flight crew while using a dangerous weapon >> tell them to bring s.w.a.t. here, they will have to shoot me down. >> reporter: prosecutors say his incoherent rant began 45 minutes before landing on united flight 2609 from l.a. to boston >> he was standing up to us, charged. >> reporter: fellow passenger lisa olsen was seated just feet away with her teenaged daughter and husband. after torres tried opening one of the plane's emergency exits, he rushed and stabbed a flight attendant with a spoon he had broken in the lavatory >> as soon as he started running, a bunch of men just got up from their seats and formed, you know, chasing him down the aisle and there was four to six guys on him, on the ground

>> reporter: nice attendants and passengers bound his hands and feet with zip ties while incidents like this are rare, in 2022, there were more than 2,300 reports of unruly passengers, many have involving physical and verbal assaults, but the flight attendants union says recent staffing cuts are impacting their safety. >> we are dealing with more passengers than ever before, because our planes are full, and we have fewer of us to be able to contain any issues that arise. >> reporter: the flight attendant who was attacked suffering nonlife-threatening injuries, he had been on the job for just four months united airlines says it's banned torres from all flights pending an investigation but those on the front lines say what's really needed now is a federal no fly list for unruly passengers on any airline at any time >> they could be banned somewhere and get on another airline and dot same thing and that's not a good thing. >> reporter: we reached out to torres's attorney for comment. we have not heard back as for that federal no fly list, there is a bill in congress right now pending and it has the support of the d.o.t. and also president biden. savannah >> that would mean all of the issues in the spotlight, the faa acting chief set to testify on

aircraft safety. what you are expecting there >> congress is going to drill down today on how the faa certifies planes after the two fatal 737 max crashes overseas but we expect questions about a series of close calls on the nation's runways that we've been reporting. six so far, and whether the air system has reached max capacity with planes and passengers and whether that's really stressing and testing the safety margins savannah >> just a question there tom, thank you. news in california, there is growing desperation this morning to reach residents who are stranded after a record-breaking snowfall volunteers navigate a maze o icy roads in the mountains outside of l.a., to reach anyone who may be trapped they carry supplies. they conduct welfare checks on neighbors. and there is also concern for people who lost power. gas leaks have led to some explosions leaving some without heat for days. meantime, up north in mendocino

county, a woman was rescued after spending three nights trapped in her car during the snowstorm. >> wow >> tough times there. we want to turn in to dylan in for al this week, tracking some of the coast to coast storms >> yes, we have more wet weather about to make its way onshore in the california area. so here's what you need for a big rain or snow event you need a storm and you need moisture so here's the storm, well out into the pacific ocean this is going to strengthen as it approaches the west coast and then look down near hawaii you see all of this yellow here, that is our atmospheric river as we have been calling it. there is your moisture source it will plume that right up into western california, up near san francisco, and into sacramento, so we do have flood watches in effect even some flood warnings even in effect at this time. and conditions are going to get worse as we could end up with about six to eight inches of rain that rain will fall in higher elevations, elevations that are coated in snow, so that means as the rain goes into the snow, it makes the weight of the snow even heavier and it also means

that we could see runoff we could see avalanches. we could see more and more concern with the flooding rainfall the foothills of the sierra nevada mountain range picking up about six to eight inches of rain and go up higher in the elevation, we could see 12 to 18 inches of additional snow. so this is going to be the next storm system that we watch mostly i would say into the thursday, friday, time frame that's a look at the weather across the country we'll get to your local forecast in the next 30 seconds just because they can navigate the obstacles doesn't mean they should have to. citi is committed to investing in opportunities for 10 million women globally by 2025. ♪ ♪ good wednesday morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. we have spotty showers moving through the bay area right now. and this is going to continue to push from north to south as we

go into the next couple of hours. this is moving ahead of some cooler air, but we're getting ready for an atmospheric river and that's what we've been talking a lot about. that's going to move in by tomorrow afternoon. in the near term, we have a little time to prepare for the possibility of fl forecast. >> dylan, thank you very much. still ahead this morning, what's next for buster murdaugh, with his father now serving a life sentence for the murders of his own mother and brother stephanie gosk has that story for us. >> you know, savannah, there were a lot of dramatic moments in that six-week-long murder trial of alex murdaugh, but perhaps one of the most striking is when buster murdaugh took the stand in his father's defense. coming up, i'll have an update on buster and what the future looks like for him back to you guys. plus, have you gotten them the robo calls, the spam texts >> that's all i get. >> how do you stop them? vicky nguyen will join us with some hopeful answers but first, this is "today" on

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for 6:00 p.m. >> reporter: i'm bob redell in the east bay where we're getting a little sampling of what we can expect when the atmospheric river hits the bay area starting late tomorrow, thursday. we spoke with the division chief for the santa rosa fire department, who is urging anyone with property to check the trees on your property, that if they are leaning or look like they're about to fall, call ann arborist before the storm comes in. they're asking residents to adopt a drain to clear the storm drains before the storm comes in so the water has to place to go. now is the time to prepare for this storm that's coming in and even though we're seeing a wave of rain coming through this morning, this will clear quickly and give us that opportunity by this afternoon. here is the atmospheric river that's well off the coast and will arrive in the bay area tomorrow, with some widespread rain. it looks like some spotty showers for the morning, but some of the heavier rain moving in during the afternoon. it's going to continue in waves

as we head into friday, as well as saturday. we'll see this continue into next week. kris? >> we have more local news coming up in just a half hour. have a great morning.

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international women's day, which we will reveal in just a little bit. >> looking forward to that we rolled out the lavender carpet today. >> it is going to be fun. a lot to get to this half hour. we are going to start with the fallout from the conviction of alex murdaugh. >> a lot of uncertainty surrounding the future of alex murdaugh's son stephanie gosk has more on that. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. buster murdaugh is 26 years old. his entire immediate family is gone his mother and brother murdered by a father who will be in prison for the rest of his life. the murdaugh name once powerful and influential is now just infamous the impact of alex murdaugh's crimes stretches wide but few would deny buster is the one who shouldered the worst of it buster murdaugh was at his father's trial every day, the unmistakable red hair hard to miss. >> guilty verdict. >> reporter: now that alex murdaugh has been sent away for life for killing his wife maggie and youngest son paul, his oldest son is the only family

member left. but he's not entirely alone. >> his world will never be the same he had a loving family and i can't even imagine to lose everything in your life. but you've lost everything in your life, everything that you've ever known. >> reporter: all happening under a relentless spotlight on sunday, according to a police report, buster murdaugh called the sheriff's office after seeing this photo published in an article, telling police he observed a suspicious grey dodge challenger outside the residence. buster's girlfriend says the couple were being followed by the media. >> how does buster feel about your guilt >> police can do little about it during the six week long style especially after buster took the stand in his father's defense. >> describing the moment he learned maggie and paul were dead. >> he was in shock >> what kind of condition was he in what was his demeanor? >> his demeanor was destroyed,

heart broken, i walked in the door and saw him, and gave him a hug, and just, just broken down. >> when the verdict was announced, buster put his head in his hands but a bystander outside the court said there was even more trouble ahead as alex murdaugh was escorted away by police. he was apparently referring to the 2015 death of buster's high school classmate stephen smith smith's body was found on a rural road two miles from the murdaugh's sprawling property. it was ruled a hit-and-run according to the pathology report but smith's mother doesn't believe it >> it was more than one person that done this and somebody knows and they set him up on that road to look like a hit-and-run i think he was beaten to death >> reporter: authorities reopened the case in 2021 while investigating the murders of maggie and paul, although they have not officially murdered anyone in the murdaugh family as

a suspect. looking forward, there are signs the murdaugh family is not a united front one of alex's brother's randy recently spoke with the "new york times," telling a reporter his brother, quote, knows more than what he's saying, that in his opinion, he, quote, is not telling the truth. guys >> i mean layers and layers here alex murdaugh still faces all of those charges on the financial crimes but what happens there could affect buster as well presumably >> it could potentially. and it is a little unclear what buster's financial situation is going forward, but if it is any indication, we know that alex murdaugh had that staged murder of himself that failed, that he also faces charges, according to his attorney, his hope was that after his death, his son would get those $10 million from a life insurance policy. obviously, he had some concerns about the financial future for his oldest son >> all right stephanie, thank you very much >> all right. coming up, as we mark international women's day, we'r

going to meet a remarkableitbiqu woman, a bunch of them, blazcai new trails in the u.s. military as the commanding officer of the world's largest naval base. but first, if you are getting more spam calls and texts lately, you're not alone vicky nguyen is here to rescue us >> you are certainly not alone good morning, ladies happy international women's day. the ftc estimates those spam texts and robo calls have cost consumers a billion in fraud coming up next, i will show you what to do right now to stop it all. that's next right here on "today." did you just block me? i was protecting your credit score. pre-qualifying with carmax has no impact to your credit score. sorry. force of habit. anyway, then folks can shop by personalized results to see how each car fits their budget. (phone clattering) it feels really good. (laugh) you just blocked me again. come on... get pre-qualified with no impact to your credit score. carmax. moderate-to-severe eczema.

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we are back, 7:38, with our "consumer confidential" series this morning, a daily annoyance. it's on the rise unwanted spam on your phone. >> it is not only annoying, it can actually lead to you getting ripped off senior investigative correspondent vicky nguyen is lear what you can do to make the ringing stop. >> good morning, hoda and how many car warranty offers do you need or the irs emergency calls you are getting this time of the year but the thing is, it is not just robo calls anymore robo texts are now the new scam threat are some really sneaky ways these fraudsters are trying to get to your personal information and ultimately your money. here are the steps you can take right now to stop the noise. >> there was a fraud and misconduct on your tax which you are hiding from the federal government. >> reporter: consumers bombarded with unwanted communication. >> i recently got a message from this person, hey, is this simon, it is amanda.

>> a true test of patience >> are you a robot >> you're talking to a real person. >> and the first sign someone is trying to scam you >> at this point, i thought the conversation was over, but sure enough, it wasn't. >> reporter: according to the ftc, fraudulent texts are on the rise last year, people reported 321,000 texts, and 294,000 phone calls. leading to a loss of more than a billion. >> we get calls from 18-year-olds, to 100 years old so do not think that you're invincible to these scams. >> reporter: amy nofziger is the victim of victim support at aarp's fraud watch network. >> what can we do to stop these robo calls and robo texts. >> first we need to know that they're even happening, right? and then we need to use the technology that is already set up in our devices. it starts on your smartphone first organize your contact list make sure everyone you know is in there, including your doctor, and your pharmacy. and that way, if you get a call or a text from a number you

don't recognize, you can ignore it next, use your filters on an iphone, go to settings, in your messages, turn on filter unknown senders, this way, you'll only see texts from people you know. for robo calls, turn on silence unknown calls, that means any call that comes from an unknown number goes straight to voice mail on an android, it is a little different. for texts, you want to go into your messages app and turn on enable spam protection for robo calls, go to your phone app and turn on block calls from unknown numbers. for even more fraud protection there are lots of apps designed specifically to protect you and your phone. >> our complaint data from last year showed that for the first time, text was the primary method that fraudsters contacted consumers. >> ben davidson the ftc's acting do not call coordinator. he says reports of robo calls are down 50% over the last six years. thanks in part to stepped-up enforcement. >> you see the software

companies that create the software that robo callers use to blast the calls and spread them between networks. >> long gone are the days of rooms filled with tele marketers. today, it's mostly automated computers programmed to make internet-based phone calls, hundreds, even thousands at a time and the latest technology can be deceiving. davidson points to sound board, where people monitor automated calls, then tailor the responses based on what the recipient says, and watch out for ringing-less voice mail where you don't get a call, just a voice mail on your phone, tricking new calling back. >> what's your advice to consumers? >> well, the advice for robo calls is don't answer. if you have any suspicion, don't reply. don't click on a link. >> new rules of engagement, to avoid modern phone scams >> all right, so what should you do if you get one of those texts and you respond, and you know it is one of these robo calls >> especially if you lose money,

you do want to report that to your local police and the ftc. they want to know about it authorities say that these scams can actually be a form of organized crime. and also, no matter your age, call aarp's fraud watch help line they have tons of really useful advice sometimes to help you get your money back and just remember the four don'ts don't know, don't respond, don't answer, and don't click. >> that's good i like that. >> don't know, don't respond, don't answer, don't click. >> thank you. >> i like it. 7:43 let's send it over to dylan for a check of the weather we have a storm system across the upper midwest that is going to move through the great lakes and into the northeast this week. for sunday, winter weather advisories we will see the snow gather on thursday through the upper midwest and wisconsin and northwestern parts of illinois we could see some snow in the chicago area severe storms possible on the southern side of this. friday night, new york and pennsylvania will likely see some snow. but then this storm sort of moves out to sea and while we'll see some accumulating snowfall across new

york and pennsylvania most of the big bulk of this snow storm, rainstorm would stay out over the waters here is your snowfall forecast especially back through minneapolis and southern wisconsin, where we co good wednesday morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. the rain that most of us saw earlier this morning is going to be tapering off. we're in for sunshine the rest of today. and then the big storm comes in tomorrow that we've been talking about, that atmospheric river, arriving during the afternoon. rounds of heavy rein in the forecast throughout the weekend and the compounding effects of that will be flooding as we go into the weekend, as well as another storm arriving on monday into tuesday. an >> that's your latest forecast. >> dylan, thank you. still ahead,ce a man who do it alíista he really doesn , ha idris elba will stop by live with a sneak peek at his long-awaited return to one of his most popular rolls. but first, mike tirico

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million piece. we have joined by mike tirico and rickie fowler, and the three birdies that you made in an hours time in 2015, giving us some of the greatest moments in golf great to see you, pal. mike, let's start with you what makes the players so special aside from the gargantuan purpose. >> dylan, you're a pretty good golfer, and all of us today, no shot ricky, it would be tough it is breezy down here today that is the joy. it comes down to 17 and 18, holes with water all around. it is the players championship and this one has so much meaning and you can best describe it for the folks. why is this one one of the special ones for you guys? >> it is special this is our event. it's the strongest feeling golf, these are all of the guys we play against throughout the year, top players, guys that

play the well last year, are currently playing well, and we're home at tpc sawgrass, this is a proper test, you haven't seen necessarily guys that are, you know, long hitters win, or short hitters, there's been a good variety, the golf course does a great job of whoever is playing well, those guys are going to have a chance, so i'm glad i'm not playing, turning around right now, this is a little breezy, and i might stick to the range and practice today. >> good idea >> hey, mike, i promise i'm not asking for my golf pick league but let's put your analyst head on, jon rahm, scottie scheffler, rory in the running, what do you expect to see this weekend >> all of the above. jordan spieth. justin thomas. rickie fowler, don't forget rickie has a second place finish this season and three top 20s in the last five and rickie alluded to, as you're watching the event on nbc over the weekend, a long hitter can win, a short hitter can win. there is not one guy who comes in and say he is the heavy favorite here. you mentioned the names the guys on the road, jon rahm is playing

great, scottie scheffler, the big names will show up big time in this event. >> rickie, so good to see you playing so well again and you're doing it despite the fact where one member of your immediate family is making it very difficult for you to practice i saw, little baby maya, and you're trying to hit a tee shot, how are you getting the work in when your daughter just wants to play >> yeah, it's, it makes you folks when you need to focus you know, time is a little differently spent now with, obviously, still practicing, but you know, spending time with the family is what it is all about so a little more efficient on time to, you know, make sure i'm taking care of what i need to do to be out here playing, but you know, got to get as much time with her as i can, too. >> baby allison was there to save the bay, right? >> ponte vedra beach is a special place for all of the tour players, with their families down here

a big weekend for everyone. >> rickie, congrats on big swing on netflix, a second season pickup, i know you had a lot to do with getting that off the ground it is incredible what is happening in the game of golf right now, so congrats on that. >> thank you, guys. >> thank you. >> they brought a lot. didn't they, hoda? >> i feel like i learned a lot >> guys, tomorrow on the golf channel, nbc golf geeks streaming on peacock, you know where to find it we're back with international women's day, after this. ♪ you make me feel ♪ you make me feel ♪ you make me feel like a natural woman ♪ and here. not so much here. if you've been diagnosed with chronic kidney disease farxiga reduces the risk of kidney failure which can lead to dialysis. farxiga can cause serious side effects including dehydration, urinary tract or genital yeast infections in women and men, and low blood sugar.

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good morning. it is 7:55. i'm kris sanchez. and we are watching that weather forecast closely because what we're getting today isn't even the worst of it. we have an atmospheric river headed our way. we are also tracking a big rig crash on 680. a big rig went off the shoulder there this morning. we are hoping to hear that there were no injuries. but we do know that all lanes are open on southbound interstate 680 once again. mike has been tracking that. here is what else is happening now. good morning, everyone. san francisco-based sofi is suing the biden administration wanting to force the federal government to start taking up student loan payments again. sofi says it's losing money because nobody seems to want to

refinance their student loan. this becomes academic, if you will, in about 60 days when the supreme court decides the future of student loans. kari, about that forecast. >> we are going to see rain quickly clearing the bay area as we get ready for the bigger storm that's going to be arriving tomorrow afternoon. it's in the pacific but will be moving in for tomorrow afternoon. we do have sunshine in the forecast today and time to prepare for high winds and heavy rain that gets going tomorrow afternoon and continues throughout the weekend in waves. we'll continue to follow those impacts. >> thank you, kari. and we have more local news coming up for you in just a half hour. have a good morning.

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♪ coming up, back home the survivors of that kidnapping in mexico now back in the u.s., after two other members of the group were killed. this morning, the search for answers. plus, an in-depth look at potential dangers surrounding the growing trend of medical tourism. >> so what becomes the cheap thing becomes the real expensive and dangerous thing sometimes. >> the details straight ahead. then, idris elba live. the plan who does it all actor, dj, entrepreneur, joinsón us in studio 1-a to talk about a new movie based on one of his best-known characters. >> they need to stop this now.e

>> he's coming up in just a bit. and celebrating women. it's international women's day, and we're going big, by ps celebrating the incrediblen el stories of female trailblazers from the military. >> what does it mean to be the first? >> it means that i'm not the last >> to the grid iron. >> i get so emotional over all of this, i've been a part of this since i was a little girl. >> and an icon, making it her mission to uplift women around the world. special stories you won't want to miss, today, wednesday, march 8th, 2023. >> visiting from philly >> canada. >> tucson, arizona >> maryland. >> naples, florida ♪ >> hello to our parents

watching in indiana. >> go rams >> hello from orlando, florida. >> today is our 15th anniversary. >> happy international women's day. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >> i mean strike up the bands. it's wednesday morning we're so glad to have you along us with. craig is off this morning. we're going to go out there on the lavender carpet in a moment, as we celebrate international women's day. we have a lot to celebrate we'll be shining a light on all kinds of pioneers, people we admire, and it doesn't stop there, because tomorrow, we have an amazing actress here, kerry washington, she will join us live.

>> all right. let get to your news at 8:00 two of the four americans kidnapped during a trip to mexico last friday have been rescued, but their companions did not survive. officials believe the group was captured bid a drug cartel after crossing the border for a medical procedure. nbc's gabe gutierrez joins us for the very latest on the case. and the growth of what's called medical tourism by some. gabe, good morning. >> reporter: savannah, good morning. one suspect is in custody, in mexico, and meanwhile, we're learning more about those four americans, and what took them from this small town in south carolina, on a road trip, south of the border, for a medical procedure. something that's becoming more common among american patients a trip to mexico turned tragic four americans caught in the cross-fire of cartel violence. this morning, two survivors back on u.s. soil

escorted by the security convoy. relatives of latavia washington mcgee, and eric williams, confirming to nbc news their loved ones are alive but authorities say two others with them were killed on friday, the four long-time friends drove a white minivan from south carolina into northeast mexico a law enforcement source said they went there for a cosmetic procedure. but instead, were mistakenly targeted by cartel gunmen. video showing the violent abduction, the group forced into a pick-up truck. so-called medical tourism is on the rise with americans heading across the border for access to cheaper health care. experts say it comes with a variety of risks, but a kidnapping like this is rare pre-pandemic, an estimated 1.2 million americans traveled to mexico each year for elective medical treatments, mostly cosmetic procedures, and complex dentistry. but there can be serious medical risks. >> the most common thing they call us about are people who have had plastic surgery, usually medical tourism, and had

a complication so what becomes the cheap thing becomes the real, real expensive and dangerous thing sometimes. >> for one medical tourist, jeff somberveld, sky high health care prices in the u.s. made the trek worth it he says he replaced all his teeth for $7,000 >> the cost to me, probably 30 to 50,000 dollars here to get it done but he warns others to do their homework before heading south of the boarder. >> do your research. don't just go to the first place that you read about. >> meanwhile the south carolina community is stunned we've spoken with several family members who say they are grateful that those two americans were rescued but they're also mourning the loss of the two others who have lost their lives. savannah >> absolutely, gabe, thank you. the national transportation safety board has launched a special investigation of norfolk southern railroad after a string of serious accidents in justin over a year. those include that major derailment of the chemical tank car in east palestine, ohio,

last month, another derailment in ohio, just on saturday, and the death of a train conductor who was hit by a dump truck yesterday in cleveland the ntsb also urged the railroad to take immediate action on its own to review its own safety practices and make any necessary changes. a nationwide shortage of the acc asthma drug albuterol is likely to get worse. the supply has been tight since last fall and now one of the u.s. manufacturers has shut down as a part of bankruptcy proceedings. emergency rooms are preparing to see more patients who cannot get those rescue inhalers, and the american college of allergy, asthma and immunology is advising patients to ask their doctors for alternatives and if necessary, to use expired inhalers that might still be partially effective. >> wow. all right, it is 8:06. what do you say we boost >> let's do it. >> a mom and dad from california, they really wanted to do something special for their young son who had been missing his favorite cousin.

so they brought him to a krispy kreme shop, which would be good enough right there, a lot of excitement, but then mom surprised him with an airline ticket revealing that they were heading across the country to orlando, and they were leaving for the airport at that very moment >> your stuff is in the car. >> right now >> right now >> right now >> mom packed your bag it's in the car. >> enough with the emotion, and that amazing news but the surprise didn't end there, when they got to orlando, and his boy's cousin who is his very best friend didn't know he was coming until he showed up in his trampoline in the backyard. >> oh, my gosh. >> i am glad they recorded it but these kids will never forget those moments. that is adorable. coming up next, our plaza is lel ed for international women's ac lmoancihispne dayí , riroene ribratiou n in store

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♪ this girl is on fire. international women's day today, is sponsored by citi. this international women's day, join citi, and a 15% pledge in supporting black women-owned businesses >> we are back it's 8:116789 all morning long, we are marking international women's day. right now, we've got an incredible story, and a military trail blazer >> we do indeed. sheinelle got to catch up with the first-ever black woman to become commanding officer of naval station norfolk in its 106-year history. >> it is so great. good morning to you. good morning to all of you such a beautiful day here today. i spoke with commanding officer janet days from the emergency

operations center, and as you can imagine, overseeing this whole operation is certainly a 24/7 job ♪ >> so this is the world's largest naval base. >> right. >> and you are the first african american woman to be made commanding officer of this base. what does it mean to be the first? >> it means that i'm not the last always the first, and after that, it's game on. >> game on is right. as commanding officer of naval station norfolk, captain jenna days manages nearly every aspect of the base, home to the u.s. atlantic fleet with over 56,000 military personnel, 63 ships and submarines, 18 squadrons, and an average of 1,150 ship movements per year. >> it almost feels like a small city think about it as being a mayor. everything from managing the infrastructure, with supplies and utilities, all of the support services, not to mention the operational component and

the personnel that comes to this base >> see you tomorrow. >> one of the people who inspired you to pursue a career in the military is your dad. >> absolutely. >> growing up, your dad is an army man, i saw how people responded to him, and my dad had a huge influence on me join can the military. >> raised by a single father when he was deployed to vietnam, captain days and her siblings were temporarily placed in foster care until he returned. >> and you realized, even for me as a parent, the love that he had. >> oh, without a doubt the sacrifice that he took and being in the army was a means and a way for him to provide for us >> all right thank you. >> your served as the destroyer squad ron and aboard uss dwight d. eisenhower, two tours for operation enduring freedom including a deployment to afghanistan. >> i served on destroys when it was unheard of back in the early '90s, because these ships, they go to combat today, 30 years later, women serve in most of the capacities in the navy. >> captain days gave me a tour of norfolk's naval ships from the patrol boat. >> put it in perspective for me. this is the world's largest

naval bails. >> never, ever is there not action and activity here, 24/7, ships come in, we supply ships, we do upkeep, training, our reach is wide. >> how do you move forward and navigate in a world like this when do you see anybody else blazing those trails >> i had wonderful mentors, they just weren't women, and they said you would be great at this. >> do you ever wonder why you're the only one who looks like you in the room. >> no you get used to. >> whatever my purpose is for being there, i want to do my job. >> her impressive resume includes being the commanding officer of the uss mcfall, a war ship, and says there were challenges along the way >> you've had moments where people would question and say who is in charge here and you said i am.

>> i did have an incident where the pilot boarded the ship, went over to my executive officer and said captain, are we ready to get under way, and i heard that and i said we absolutely are, we are ready to get under way let's do it. he turned beet red i think it is not intentional but not the norm. >> captain days is still getting used to to the attention and, s. young african american sailors often ask to shake her hand. >> they want to shake my hand la and super proud of you, and itrm takes a little bit for that to sink in, and women, women of all duties, they shake your hand and they say they want to make my family proud, and also let ladies know that you can do it >> ladies, you can do it >> we are so pleased to have you here today >> here on the plaza what an honor it is for us to be with you sheinelle, what a great interview you had with her will you just put your finger on the moment when you knew that your life was about to change? you are about to be in charge? >> it was absolutely amazing i have a fantastic team at naval station norfolk, and due just

get there overnight. you know, it's a path that you take, as you go through various tours, and advocates, people that are rooting for you, and the amazing team that works you with, it is absolutely a team sport. but taking command of the naval station norfolk is probably the epitome of my command, aside from commanding a war ship. >> i wanted to ask you about that you truly have risen through the ranks and commanding a war ship, we were just talking, you are saying in a lot of ways that is the highlight, the pinnacle. >> absolutely. absolutely the navy puts an enormous amount of just the responsibility on you, but trust, and not only are you going to execute the mission, but you're going to bring those sailors home and you're going to take care of them and that right there means absolutely everything to me and commanders that are in float, commander thats are on squadrons, commanders that are on submarine, the nation, our children are our responsibility.

we can go out and accomplish that mission and take care of them, that's absolutely, it's something i will never forget. >> amazing on that note, there were so many young girls, beautiful yong girls and women here in our plaza and women no doubt watching at home what advice do you have for someone who may be in a deal that's predominantly men but they still want to break barriers and trail blaze >> absolutely. first of all, always sit on the front row. don't sit in the back row. have your questions. get comfortable being uncomfortable. because oftentimes you're going to be uncomfortable. if that is your passion, stick with it, have the voice to be bold, and don't stop >> wow you know, i was curious about your leadership style, some people lead from the front of the boat, because they want everyone to see them, some people stay in the back and sort of watch what's going on, what's your style >> it's all about people this is a people business. we are war fighters, absolutely, but we cannot do our mission if we do not understand and know, we can't grasp the complexities of what every individual brings to the table

navy is so exceptionally diverse. so harnessing that and ensuring that we take that on board, might leadership style is people business, understanding my team, working through them, tools that the navy provides to me to be able to do that for them, so that they can go away from home and be deployed for weeks and months on end, and their families can know that we've taken care of them, and that we're going to bring them back safely. >> captain days, wherever you're leading, we'll follow. >> sign up sign up. >> thank you so much. >> absolutely. >> thank you, sheinelle. >> that was great. >> awesome. we're just getting started out here, okay dylan's got a check of the weather before we go any further. >> good morning, again, guys we are keeping an eye on more wet weather to the west coast. that means coastal rain, mountain snow, but it is really thursday, friday, where we're going to see the next storm system really ramp up and produce several inches of rain and feet of snow also, a little bit of light snow across the upper midwest as we go into tonight, and into tomorrow as well, and some

good wednesday morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. we've had some quick-moving showers moving through parts of the bay area. it's tapering off to spotty activity, but we'll continue to clear as we go into today. we're gearing up for an atmospheric river, a very strong storm that's going to bring in heavy rain starting tomorrow afternoon and continuing over the next several days. we will have time to prepare between now and then as we get ready for widespread rain that will continue to s >> and that is your latest forecast savannah >> i'm idris elba. >> dj. >> influencer. rapper comedian kick boxer >> i'm idris elba. i'm idris elba. >> it's so good. that is the parody but it is just making the point that we all know, idris elba is a modern day renaissance man. the latest, starring in the film

"luther: the fallen sun" and for the past year, john luther on the hit bbc show, now luther is a movie. let's roll a clip of that. >> subject one standing by >> move! >> okay, over >> move! >> okay, we're in. idris elba, good morning so good to see you >> good morning. that clip gets me every time come on. i'm idris elba >> it's so good. we're talking about, we're not talking about "luther," we're

talking about the bbc parody. >> yes. >> you've seen it then >> i've seen it. >> it is so funny. >> i try to stop it, like hey. >> they are making the point that you kind of do it all, actor, director, philanthropist, an activist, a dj, you're idris elba >> i know. i'm an only child, you know, i had an active imagination as a child so here i am. >> and a fashion designer. >> well, that's a stretch. i did design something i wore. >> let's roll it i'm glad you brought it up this is the "luther" premiere. you were wearing idris elba. there he is. you designed this suit that's really cool >> so my mom's name is eve, my dad's name is winston, and this collection is called eve of winston. and i'm looking at it. >> you do it all and you sew your own clothes >> i didn't sew it i promise it i just sketched it. >> what does it mean, with "luther" on the big screen >> it is really sort of dreams come true. i have been working that character for ten years. i love that character. it is the one character i keep coming back to. >> yes.

>> and we always wanted to take it to a much larger scale, you know, we wanted to take it to the movies and here we are, i'm so proud of it. >> you know, there's really the sky's the limit where this can be it can be a franchise, can it not? luther >> i mean luther's always been in london. what we call luther land but now, i think we can transpose him to new york maybe, to africa, to chile, who knows >> you have the tweed coat, the iconic tweed coat. is it just one or how did they do that? >> there is probably about 20 of them >> okay. fair enough. >> just because of the stunts. >> and you sewed them all, didn't you >> i did not. >> constantly at that sewing machine. [ laughter ] >> what's going on with life how are the kids how is everybody >> everyone is good. my kids are great. my daughter is living in london with me now, finishing her last year at school it has been a busy time. i was just here. >> i know. >> are you sick of me yet? >> we have to stop meeting like this people will talk

you've got the skin care line with your wife. >> sable. >> i read an interview and i loved how you talked about your parents speaking of winston and eve and your background and the influence that sierra leone has had on you tell me about that. >> i went back to sierra leone three years ago for the first time, i say back, it was the first time, and it was such a homecoming my dad is from sierra and my mom from ghana and i have been to the continent many, many times, but sierra leone the first time, and it was a real welcoming, the president made me afternoon ambassador of the country. >> oh, wow. >> and you know, it's always been one of the poorest countries and countries that has faced a lot of adversity, from ebola to civil war, but the people are really good people, there is a lot of love there, there is a lot of welcoming there, and so i've been trying to bring projects there, i've been working on this sort of tourism project, it is an island off the coast of syria leone, beautiful, 90 miles of beach front, and generating a film studio there, and tourism there and eco-tourism. >> you really do it all. i did not know this about you

but apparently everyone does, maybe not our viewers, you got your start as a grant from the princess trust. >> i did. >> from prince charles, tell me about that. >> i was 18, 19 years old and i was auditioning for this thing called the music, what was it called, national music theater, and it was for kids, it was a professional show, but you needed to pay for, it you know, subsidize it and i didn't have the money, my parents didn't have the money and someone said, you know what the princess trust is, prince charles has this trust, i auditioned for it and five weeks later, i got a check in the post for that 1500 pounds and that put me into that national youth music theater and that literally was the beginning, you know. >> when you think about something like that, i mean it's pretty incredible how like the road, one change like that sets you off on this path. >> that's why, i spend a lot of time trying to give back in that same potential, like my wife and i now have the elba foundation, where we sort of focus on youth empowerment and kind of give people an opportunity, just like i was given an opportunity >> we have, i just have to show you, we have, i think she was the first person here, hoda, is

it kelly kelly? >> all you have to do is wave, they're right over there >> how are you >> she was here at what, 4:00 in the morning. >> really? >> yes to see you. >> you came this morning to see me. >> yes [ laughter ] >> and does she not have the greatest husband in the world. >> yes >> i want to give you a hug. is that possible >> yes, it is. >> come on let's do this. let's do this. are you really cold or -- what's up how are you? so nice to meet you. >> what's up, brother. >> how are you >> doing good. how are you? >> wow >> we'll get a picture in a

little bit >> it was worth coming this early, right >> oh. >> he you're a good husband. >> nice to meet you, happy international women's day as well. >> thank you i love your work so much you're the bes good morning. it is 8:26. i'm kris sanchez. firefighters now in san jose are investigating an early morning strip mall fire in the south part of the county. it happened about 3:00 this morning on silver creek road near aborn in san jose. it damaged a chiropractic business, but surrounding businesses also have smoke and water damage. firefighters now trying to figure out if this fire was set on purpose. they say they found windows smashed in when they arrived on the scene. meteorologist kari hall is tracking a storm for today and an atmospheric river for tomorrow. >> yeah. we've got a lot going on.

the break in between these systems will be very short. we are starting to see a lot of this rain tapering off and pushing toward the south and east. we turn our attention to the bigger storm that's going to be coming in tomorrow. it's really going to pump in subtropical moisture into the bay area over the next few days, increasing our threat of not only flooding but we could see some wind damage and power outages as that rain continues over the next several days. and another storm coming in early next week. want to make sure that you're checking in for all of the latest on what we're expecting. we have the nbc bay area app to prepare because we are going to see a lot of changes throughout the next several days. >> and you will be tracking them all, we know. more local news comin

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♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >> yes welcome back, guys 8:30 welcome to our plaza it is international women's day. it's good to see everybody here. this is the united states fleet forces ceremonial band being conducted today by chief musician jennifer lang jennifer, good morning to you. >> good morning. >> i feel like we got to interview a little bit of history this morning, what does it feel like for you in this moment >> it has been amazing to see what captain days has achieved it is highly inspirational, not only to women, but to everyone she exemplifies that women not only serve but lead with distinction, in today's navy it is important for our young people across america to know that there are tremendous opportunities in our armed forces for them to achieve whatever they put their minds to, just like captain days

>> wow excellent. well said. >> and you're part of, you're one of those examples as well. thank you so much. >> thank you so much we appreciate it >> you all did great. our celebration rolls on just ahead with the one and only iman, she has dedicated herself to helping women around the world and it all started with a life lesson from her mother so we'll sit down with her in just a bit. and glamour's editor in chief is here to shine a light on remarkable female entrepreneurs, women who are breaking new ground in the world of food, fashion and beauty. before we throw it over to sheinelle, if you notice the pink hats on the plaza, this is the girl's club from hampton rhodes virginia, 103 young ladies took buses to new york just for this event, so we want to say thank you, guys, for coming to see us awesome. >> they were up bright and early this morning. dylan, you've got a little bit more for us. what's going on. >> we certainly do

we're warming up with a nice cup of coffee here because we're joined now by an inspiring woman and business owner who started her own coffee company, it is called kahala 1893. >> i love this story i can't wait to tell you more about it this is margaret, and she's brought her coffee truck with her, which roast do we have here today? >> we have the kenya this is actually from my family's farm in kenya. >> so i can't wait to tell you guys about her story, coming up in the 9:00 hour she grew up on a family farm in kenya, worked in wall street and now her life is full circle and she has this coffee company where everyone can give back, on the back of the package, to women and farmers in kenya it is so wonderful so we want to mention our sponsor citi is working with a 15% pledge to close the racial wealth gap by encouraging major retailers all around the country to reserve 15% of their shelf space for black-owned businesses just like margaret and again, we

will have much more of her remarkable story coming up in the third hour can we cheer with coffee >> yes, cheers. >> so beautiful. folks here on the plaza here this morning >> this is delicious >> thank you. >> i love it >> all right, dylan, a little weather? >> you need a warm cup of coffee on a day like this. pretty chilly temperatures back into the northeast. it is also windy, too. we will see the chance of some wet weather move through parts of the lower plains, we've got gooded with morning. i'm -- good wednesday morning. the last bits of spotty showers moving through the bay area clearing for the rest of the day. that will be our time to prepare for an atmospheric river that is continuing to build out in the pacific and will be targeting us with heavy rain and flooding starting tomorrow afternoon with waves of rain in the forecast over the next several days. also some high winds expected, and we may have some big impacts, especially

all >> all right, guys, you know what we have besides a little cheer behind us we have a huge announcement we will share this morning. at the end of april, sorry, guys, but we're taking the third hour on a road trip. we're going to sonoma county, california. >> seriously, wine country >> how dare i? >> i can't wait.os it is an ideal spot, obviously, to re-set, to re-charge andóre we're inviting you guys to be part of our live audience. we will host our first ever "start today" event, focused on wellness, along with jill martin brooks, and sponsored by sonoma county tourism scan the qr code, or head to today.com/starttodayevent. >> i'm going today to set up. >> we are into wellness, aren't we >> it is going to be very cool. coming up next, let's continue our celebration of

international women's day. kaylee hartung will show us why the future of football just might be female. but first, this is "today" on

♪ ♪ >> we are back with much more on this international women's day. >> the nfl has long been a male-dominated industry. in fact, it wasn't too long ago that a woman working in the league was almost unheard of but now there is a group leading the charge to diversify, the faces that you see on the field. >> nbc's kaylee hartung is here with details >> good morning, thanks for having me here in new york if you ask those leading the nfl, they say the future of football will look a lot more female the league is betting big on a program that is designed to give young women a shot at earning their dream job and making history. and it's with winning is everything, teams are coming

together with one shared goal, to find the best talent. >> steps away from the nfl combine, it is conversations in this room that are shaping the future of football >> don't let someone tell you, you can't. >> 41 young women, all rising stars in college football programs, were invited to the ultimate networking event. >> the room is magic everyone in the nfl who cares is coming together for one cause, and that is to make us better. >> we actually see history being made for women right there >> being in charge, for the nfl women's forum. commissioner roger goodell's wife, and lead executive sam rapaport. >> what challenges do you see for women looking to get jobs in the nfl? >> the biggest challenge is they're not hanging out in places where they could get these jobs they're as qualified they want it as badly as men do. and so we built a bridge between that disconnect, between the women themselves, and the people that we hire

>> 22-year-old isabel diaz and 25-year-old hunter carson have grown up with a love of the game now, they're a step closer to their dreams of working in the nfl. >> what did it feel like to walk into that room >> it was surreal. >> you have to help us here. if i'm being completely honest, i get so emotional because i wanted this since i was a little girl, i didn't see a woman in position until i was 15 years and seeing where the women were in this program and now they are in these roles that i hope to be in one day, there are no words to describe it. >> coach jennifer king is one of those trailblazers she said she had a shot of her now boss, washington head coach ron rivera at the forum in 2018. >> at that time, i had been playing football for many years. i wasn't playing football at the time but i was a successful coach, sports is sports, coaching is teaching, and i think you saw that >> in 2021, rivera hired king at his assistant running backs

coach, making her the first black female full-time coach in nfl history. >> have you received pushback from when in this world who question, why are you qualified? >> i'm sure i have, but you know, i don't ever read the comments know one that i've worked has ever questioned anything i was just their coach and that's all you want to be. >> dorothy glaser is at the forefront of gender equality on and off the field. >> almost half of our fan base is female. if we're going to do things for our fans in the best, smartest way possible, we need to reflect our fans in the best way within our organization >> in the forum's first year, just seven teams participated. since then, the event has led to more than 200 women being hired. the cleveland browns and head coach kevin stefanski have hired more women from the forum than any other team. >> when we are trying to hire a position, we all all the best candidate, and for us to say, let's eliminate 50% of the population from the jump really makes no sense so for us, we don't care male or

female, but until we close that gap, i do think it is important to raise awareness. >> this year, all 32 teams took advantage of the opportunity to meet the future. >> we truly deserve to have a seat at this table right now and to be that next wave of women making it in this industry i'm so excited to see where we go >> they have gotten feedback on the women's forum directly from team owners and coaches and gms, and one gm told them bringing the women into the organization made men better at their job, changing the culture for the benefit of everyone. >> are they looking to grow this >> i asked where they see the event in another seven years and their answer might surprise you, they said they want this event to become obsolete because they want women working in the nfl to become the status quo where you don't need to orchestrate this kind of networking event. >> they're doing great work. thank you. >> a huge shout-out for ron rivera and kevin stefanski for the hires. >> walking the walk.

coming up next, she is an icon, our friend, she is iman, looking forward to sitting down with her with the many ways she is inspiring women but first, this is "today" on

♪ ♪ >> we >> we are back it's international women's day i'm sitting here with one of the women i love, one of the strongest women we know, supermodel entrepreneur and our friend iman, also an advocate for care, a humanitarian group working to fight poverty and uplifting women and girls all around the world international women's day. you're just where you should be, sitting here talking with me i'm so happy to see you. iman, i mean let's just talk about you are an inspiration, but your your inspiration came from somewhere i always say behind every strong woman, there's a stronger woman. >> yes. >> your mom. >> yes >> what were some, what advice, or what did she put into, or instill in you that made you the strong woman that you are today?

>> as much as i love my dad, i'm very close to my dad, my mom, being a muslim woman, and me being a muslim girl, in a muslim country, she really fought hard for me to be educated. she sold all her jewelry so that she could afford the best education for me the boy's education was free, but the girls you had to pay for. and she's instilled in me, my worth, and that there is no glass ceiling. absolutely, that i can be better she used to say, you can be better than my sons. >> that's what she said. because self worth is something that most women do struggle with am i good enough do i belong in this room do i deserve this? did you ever have those feelings as you were growing up >> because she instilled it in me, i've always known my worth from early on. and that is what has sustained me through the years

and the most important thing that we can do for girls, is not women that don't think about their self worth, it is because it starts as a young girl. so instill in the young girls to be able to walk away from things that have not served them well whether it's in love, in careers, in friendship, in anything in life to be able -- work is not but monetary, it's about self-esteem. >> it's always been that way for you. >> yes. >> i feel like you've broke son many barriers and sitting with you, i want to know, if you put the finger on the biggest barrier broken, what would it be >> the biggest barrier it was a simple act of me asking to be paid the same amount of money that caucasian models were being paid in 1975 so for me, it was a simple act because i was able to walk away from it. i didn't work for three months until they came to the table to pay me the same amount and if i didn't have that self worth that my mom instilled in

me, i don't think i would be able to do that at 18. >> you got to know your worth. >> you worked with care, which is a great organization, it lifts up children who are in need, and this is important to you, for so many reason, but you yourself was a refugee, you know that feeling. >> oh, absolutely. i became a refugee in 1972 and went from an ambassador's daughter to really becoming homeless and a refugee but there was nongovernment organizations like care on the ground that have really took me under their wings, 16-year-old girl, and in a country that she doesn't know anybody susceptible to being raped, trafficked, anything could happen to you. but those ngos literally took me to work, took me to school, checked on me every day, so that has really left an impact on me. i wouldn't be here, the trajectory of my life would not be, if those people did not help me, and protect me and so for international women's day, what we really want is to be empowered, young girls and women to give them the opportunity, the education that they can take care of themselves, because most of the

time, what happens with women is that if you really empower them, they're not go -- they're not only going to take care of their families but take care of their whole community. >> i love you. have i told you that today >> i love you, too. >> you're amazing. care is a great organization and i'm so glad you're a part of it. thank you so much. happy international women's day. savannah, over to you. coming up next, sam berry is here with glamour, an amazing roundup of women-owned businesses, we are going to shop and feel good about it and feel good about it but first this is "today" on - life is uncertain.

everyday pressures can feel overwhelming

it's okay to feel stressed, anxious, worried, or frustrated. it's normal. with calhope's free and secure mental health resources, it's easy to get the help you and your loved ones need when you need it the most. call our warm line at (833) 317-4673 or live chat at calhope.org today. welcome back, on this welcome back, on this special wednesday morning.

we're marking international women's day. we're going to keep it going >> some women-owned brands making waves in their industries and here with highlights from their by women roundup, is samantha berry i love highlighting women-owned businesses we will start with jewelry this is bonbon wins. is this a y2k style? >> it is they are all majority owne by women or a group of women and a lot of them were started during covid so this was launched in the summer of 2020 it is an api brand and it's got that real y2k inspiration. >> yes, started as a passion project but it has become a darling of the celebrities, we've seen bella hadid and doja cat wear them, and the woman who owns it immigrated from hong kong in 2016 to study journalism and has taken a passion for fashion. >> i really love it. every single one of these brands has a great story.

tell me about ceremonia. >> it is a latinx brand, all about scalp and hair care and taken that ritual from the latinx community in terms of hair care. this is the shampoo, scall. >> what do you do with this? >> it is pre-shampoo. >> i don't know what to do with it. >> this is the duo it is the best thing, before you shampoo, do you this, and then you use that for yourself, as a duo. >> great. >> this next brand is, is it juvia's place. >> this is makeup for melanated skin the owner of this started in 2016 because she could not find the makeup for the dark tones of her skin and she said i'll make it. >> i'll just do it myself. >> highly popular. it is this blush, this blush sells out all the time it is a beautiful shade for darker melanated skin. >> i love the pop of eye shadows, it is a whole line. >> i like the pink we're leaning into it. >> the next one is a sister

venture, omsom tell me about this. >> i am obsessed with this two sisters came together, the daughters of vietnamese refugees and grew up in a house where food is the love language and the mother would make the meals from scratch, with the amazing flavors and they said let's bring that to every american country, again, launched during covid, may 2020, and they have these starter kits basically to help you create, and people are obsessed omsom is a vietnamese phrase that means righteous and rebellious kids, basically. >> cool. finally, i see you saved the best for last. we will do a little morning drinking here. this is individual servings of wine >> it's genius. >> i feel seen >> because who wants to open and waste a whole bottle. >> totally so i just want one glass that's all >> so we have the opportunity here

is sommelier previously worked in finance and i don't want to waste all of those bottles of wine let me create this foolproof single serving glasses of wine so you don't have to feel guilty about it. >> shall we taste? >> it seems wrong not to. >> with international women's day. >> cheers and the entire leadership team is also female. >> totally. >> cheers. >> lovely. >> shall we? why not. we've been up since the middle of the night >> a lot more ahead on our third and fourth hours today as we celebrate international women's day. but first, your local news and weather.

good morning. it is 8:56. i'm kris sanchez. showers are rolling through parts of the bay area this morning. but it's about to get a little more hectic with an atmospheric river taking aim starting tomorrow. ahead of the arrival, utility crews are preparing, and pg&e

tells us they used a drone over the weekend to restore power to homes in the santa cruz mountains. the drone is large enough to move power lines midair and reconnect lines to the grid. happening in some neighborhoods, there are big concerns about possible flooding. in our midday news at 11:00, we'll take you to one east bay city where people are sandbagging today to avoid potential problems over the coming days. you can always stay current with the arriving storm any time of y with ourda

this morning, on the "third hour of today," answering the call, cracking down on those irritating robo calls. >> do not think that you're invincible to these scams. >> the new way some scammers are trying to get your information. and the simple steps to protect yourself. then later, a special food for thought, in celebration of international women's day. a coffee company that's changing lives. >> i didn't want to just start a coffee brand just to sell coffee, i wanted to have a bigger mission. >> how one woman went from wall street to creating her own