a pivotal day for the gjury panel. seven jurors seated in the first-ever trial of a former

american president. we're live with what's next in donald trump's historic hush money trial. a tragic update in the case of two missing moms. both women were found dead in rural oklahoma. what's next for the case and the four murder suspects. powerful storms ripped through the plains, packing hail, thunderstorms and even tornados. our meteorologist angie lassman is tracking where the severe weather is heading next. new trouble taking off for united. why the boeing crisis is costing the airline hundreds of millions of dollars. and we are officially 100 days to the olympics in paris. we're live as the world's top athletes get ready to say bonjour to the summer games. it's wednesday, april 17. "early today" starts right now. good morning. >> thanks for being up early with me. i'm frances rivera. we begin with the hush money trial of donald trump. much more progress made in day two of jury selection, with seven jurors selected for the

former president's criminal trial here in new york. nbc's brie jackson joins us now. hi, brie, this trial is just getting started, but the judge already had to scold mr. trump. >> reporter: that's right, good morning, frances. there were tense exchanges on day two. judge juan merchan saying that he wanted to make it crystal clear that he will not have any jurors intimidated in his courtroom. now, he said that he could not tell what mr. trump was saying but accused the former president of mutsertering and gesturing a potential juror who was only 12 feet away. this happened when the jury pool was questioned about their social media activity and their views on trump. one potential juror was removed because of a 2017 tweet that said "lock him up". seven people were selected. ultimately, there will need to be 12 jurorsand six alternates. after leaving court, mr. trump

campaigned at a manhattan bodega where he spoke about inflation and crime. trump is required to be in court every day, and he has repeatedly condemned this case as election interference. president biden is spending three days campaigning across battleground pennsylvania, returning tuesday to the house in scranton where he grew up, while speaking at events. the president has not held back when criticizing or joking about his republican rival. >> just the other day, a defeated-looking guy came up to me and asked if i could help. he was drowning in debt. i said, i'm sorry, donald, but i can't help you. >> reporter: and donald trump will have a break from the courtroom today. jury selection will not pick up until tomorrow morning. >> brie, thank you. new overnight, investigators confirming that the bodies found in rural oklahoma on sunday are the two women from kansas who vanished last month. court papers revealed that a

custody battle may have led to the deaths of 27-year-old veronica butler and 39-year-old jillian kelly. four people were arrested over the weekend in connection to their disappearance. they are charged on first degree murder, kidnapping and conspiracy. now to capitol hill where house speaker mike johnson is pushing ahead with his plan for passing foreign aid. johnson wants to hold separate votes on aid for ukraine and israel. the text of his plan has not yet been released, making it less likely that any vote will happen this week. but members of his own party are revolting over the strategy. thomas massie says he will co-sponsor a resolution to remove johnson as speaker. johnson called the move absurd and that he would not resign. some democrats said they would vote to keep him in office to avoid a search for another speaker. eyes are on israel as it mulls over how to respond to

iran's military attack. richard engel has the latest. >> reporter: israel's pllts is vowing that iran will pay for its attack. >> iran will not get off scot-free. >> reporter: four iniofficials expect them to be limited but caution israel's plans may change. the unprecedented iranian attack included more than 100 ballistic missiles. we visited a military base where weapons recently used against israel are collected and analyzed. what iran fired was in a different league. this is the tail end of one of the ballistic missiles that iran fired at tlisrael over the weekend. where the engine was, it broke off when this missile was intersented. and it's only when you're standing right up next to these that you understand how big they are. that's where the warhead was.

it also broke oftf,e oftf, ca 8 pounds of explosives. our film crew filmed a strike on a market. at least 11 people were killed and more than 20 jr.ed in gaza. israel accuses hamas of hiding monday civilians. a senior diplomat with direct knowledge of the negotiations to free hostages and reach a cease-fire in gaza tells nbc news, the talks are almost frozen. >> and our thanks to richard for that report. the tension in the middle east has caused controversy at the university of southern california. usc has canceled their valedictorian's commencement speech. at least two pro-israel groups complained about her of because

of a slide show that called for the abolishment of israel. she says she is disappointed the school is succumbing to a campaign of hate meant to silence her voice. usc says the decision is about campus safety and not freedom of speech. the country is remembering a giant of florida politics. bob graham has died. the statement did not provide a cause. the life-long democrat served as governor of the ssh state from 1state. he is known for his harsh criticism of president george w. bush and the iraq war. bob menendez could be

looking to point the finger at his wife in his upcoming bribery trial. newly run newl newly-unsealed filings reveal that he could point the finger at his wife. they have each pleaded not guilty and are due to be tried separately. attorneys for nadine menendez did not comment on the filing. thunderstorms swept across the center of the country yesterday. 60 mile-per-hour wind gusts and power outages left a path of destruction through the region. in parts of the midwest, they are recovering after 20 reported tornados across the plains. here's nbc's priya sridhar.

>> reporter: the severe storms ripped across the plains with at least 22 reported tornados across four states, kansas, iowa, nebraska and missouri. residents capturing these terrifying images as menacing funnel clouds approached, leaving a trail of damage in their wake. scary moments for drivers in iowa who filmed the moment a possible tornado crossed a highway. near smithville, missouri, debris scattered throughout the town. at least two people have been injured in the storms. the area was also hit by strong thunderstorms with golf ball-sized hail and wind gus ts of up to 60 miles per hour. now let's bring in angie lassman, who is tracking where those storms are headed today. >> we've got another round of

those strong storms, thanks to that same system that we're going to watch move through the east today. then we're going to gear up for another threat from a secondary system. let's track all of that for you. here's the first system. it works across parts of the great lakes. severe storms will be possible across southern michigan, indiana and ohio. that's the bull's eye into pennsylvania and kansas city. the hail, wind gusts and isolated tornado that we'll watch for. then we watch the next system work its way into the same kind of section of the country. we'll see it dive into parts of the plains and bring us the once-again chance of strong storms. dallas is included in those chance areas as well as st. louis to evansville and down to poplar bluff. the same impacts will remain tomorrow for 14 million people. up to incan mid-80s.

85 degrees for shreveport. plenty of sunshine for tampa today with highs into the mid-80s as well. and that's a look at your forecast, frances, back to you. nearly 165,000 runners were rejected from the 2024 new york marathon lottery. but it was a smiling runner who was pictured in the disappointing e-mail, nick parise became known as negative nick. >> oh, gosh, i'm the most-hated person in running? i didn't ask for this. my friends were saying you realize that image is not just your e-mail, everyone's getting that. >> last week members of the new york roadrunners showed up at parisi's running group.

they are offering a new nickname, positive parisi. a feverish debate over caitlin clark's wnba salary and why one of the biggest airlines is facing big headwinds over boeing's production troubles. boeing's production troubles. u'! i'm trying! this cheap stuff is too thin! i told you not to get the other toilet paper. here's charmin ultra strong. ahhh! my bottom's been saved! woooo! with its diamond weave texture, charmin ultra strong cleans better with fewer sheets and less effort. what's everybody waiting for? this? ok hon, we know you're clean. we all go, why not enjoy the go with charmin. (oven ding audio mnemonic) tyson boneless buffalo bites and hot wings have that tasty kick of flavor... ...so they're perfect for any get-together ...if there are any left when your guests arrive. tyson any'tizers® chicken. more kicks of flavor. more smiling snackers. more to love. tyson. ugh, when is my allergy spray going to kick in?

-you need astepro. -astepro? it's faster, bro. 8x faster than flonase. it's faster, bro! it's faster, bro! it's faster, bro! it's mom to you. astepro starts working in 30 minutes. astepro and go! the fed is throwing cold water on hopes for interest rate cuts. but first the crisis at boeing is creating new turbulence for united airlines. charlotte reed is live in london with those details. good morning, charlotte. >> good morning, frances. indeed, it has been a challenging start of the year for united airlines. it had to ground its 737 max 9 fleet after the alaska airlines incident which fostered a net loss of $124 million for the first quarter. a little smaller than expected. but the issue at boeing will continue to impact american airlines going floored.

it's had to slash the number of new jets they expected to receive this year. now they will only receive 61 new jets instead of 101 expected. they have to adjust their seat plan according to what the manufacturer was able to deliver. now, on to inflation, the chair of the fed, jay powell said inflation may take longer than expected to slow down and move toward the 2% target. it may take longer than expected to start cutting interest rates. now last night, powell said that the current level may have to stay in place as long as needed, frances. >> sharcharlotte, thank you. the growth continues for women's basketball. monday's wnba draft pulled in record viewership with 2.45 million tuning in to see the indiana fever take caitlin clark first overall. but it's only exposing the

glaring disparities between women's and men's hoops. many expressed disbelief that clark will make just over $76,000 during her rookie year at indy. by comparison, victor wembanyama made $12 million in his first season with the spurs. even priesident biden chimed in calling for equal pay. tony soprano tries to c conving king james to come to new york. g king james to come t new york. (♪♪) king james to come to new york. n convinc king james to come to new york. e king james to come t new york. e king james to come t new york. nooooo... nooooooo... quick, the quicker picker upper! only bounty absorbs spills like a sponge. and bounty is 2x more absorbent so you can use less and get the job done with one. this works. [thud] kind of. bounty, the quicker picker upper.

and get four rolls in one with the bounty mega roll. our longest lastng roll. ( ♪♪ ) feel the power of osteo bi-flex®. taken every day, it's clinically shown to improve joint comfort in 7 days, with significant improvement over time. ( ♪♪ ) infused with vitamin b3 and hyaluronic acid, oh... stuffed up again? so congested! you need sinex saline from vicks. just sinex, breathe, ahhhh! what is — wow! sinex. breathe. ahhhhhh! lactaid is 100% real milk, just without the lactose. delicious too. just ask my old friend, kevin. nothing like enjoying a cold one while watching the game.

who's winning? we are, my friend. we are. my life is full of questions... mom, is yellow a light or a dark? how do i clean an aioli stain? thankfully, tide's the answer to almost all of them. why do we even buy napkins? use tide. can cold water clean white socks? it can with tide. do i need to pretreat guacamole? not with tide. this is chocolate, right? -just use... -tide...yeah. no matter who's doing it, on what cycle, or in what temperature, tide works. so i can focus on all the other questions. do crabs have eyebrows? ahh... for all of life's laundry questions, it's got to be tide.

tony, i'm so glad we moved to new york. life is so much better now. >> yeah, life's good here. even if we are in the witness protection program. >> now we've just got to find a place for your friend lebron to live. >> oh, yeah. yeah, that's it. that's got to be perfect for him. >> so what's this all about?

tony tony soprano's story not ending with a cut to black. on tuesday, pablo torre finds out about a mythical finale, attempting to convince then-free agent lebron james to take his talents to the big apple and play for the knicks. as we know, lebron ended up playing for the miami heat, but finding that video is priceless. and word is james gandolfini loved doing this. >> i love that we've unearthed this. it gives us a little something to hold onto. travis kelce is taking a break from catching passes to catch some knowledge. amazon announced that the chiefs' tight end will host a show "are you smarter than a celebrity". it will feature contestants

relying on a panel of celebrities to help them answer questions for a $100,000 prize. this follows reports from last month that the champ was champ a show. i mean, he has a lot of celebrity friends. so it seems like a perfect fit for him. >> it will be great to see how quick he is on his feet. >> that wittiness. >> we see it on his podcast. while travis kelce is gearing up for his game show era, someone close to him is gearing up for their tortured poets era. a pop-up event is a collaboration with spotify and features a curated poetry library as well as visual surprises for fans to enjoy. the exhibit is open until thursday, ahead of the album's release on friday.

so, guess what swifties are going to be doing friday and the entire weekend. listening to it. by the end of the weekend, they'll memorize all the words. >> and find all the easter eggs. i'll sure they're doing that with that exhibit as well. when we come back, endless shrimp may end for good as red lobster considers bankruptcy. and the "let it be" documentary returns. it be" documentary returns. his risk of a second attack hasn't. mike is still living in the red. with a very high risk of another heart attack or stroke. he doesn't know with his risk factors his ldl-c (bad cholesterol) is still too high - the recommended level is below 55. are you living in the red? get in the know. learn how to get a free ldl-c test at attackheartdisease.com. try killing bugs the worry-free way. not the other way. zevo traps use light to attract and trap flying insects with no odor and no mess.

they work continuously, so you don't have to. zevo. people-friendly. bug-deadly. i love that my daughter still needs me. but sometimes i can't help due to burning and stabbing pain in my hands, so i use nervive. nervive's clinical dose of ala reduces nerve discomfort in as little as 14 days. now i can help again. feel the difference with nervive. i'm jimmy dean and uh, isn't that sunrise somthin'? i honestly feel that way about jimmy dean sausage. get yourself a large chunk of that good morning feeling. boy, that smells good. mmm. this charmin ultra soft smooth tear is soooo soft and soo smooth. charmin ultra soft smooth tear has wavy perforations that tear so much better for a smooth more enjoyable go. charmin, enjoy the go. this is not just a stop for allergy meds. this is a great price on what you need... to survive the season. quick question.

backed by an expert. right in your neighborhood. thanks so much. walgreens. it ain't my dad's razor, dad. ay watch it! it's from gillettelabs. this green bar releases trapped hairs from my face... gamechanga! ...while the flexdisc contours to it. so the five blades can get virtually every hair in one stroke. for the ultimate gillette shaving experience. the best a man can get is gillettelabs. ahh. it's a good day to cough. oh no. bye, bye cough. later chest congestion. hello 12 hours of relief. 12 hours!! not coughing at the movies!? hashtag still not coughing?! ahh! mucinex dm 12 hour doesn't just quiet coughs, it treats coughs caused by excess mucus at the source and controls them for 12 hours. it's comeback season. stubborn chest congestion? try mucinex 12 hour. so i didn't think i needed swiffer, until, i saw how easily it picked up my hair every time i dried it! only takes a minute.

look at that! the heavy duty cloths are extra thick, for amazing trap & lock. even for his hair. wow. and for dust, i love my heavy duty duster. the fluffy fibers trap dust on contact, up high and all around without having to lift a thing. i'm so hooked. you'll love swiffer. or your money back! welcome back with what you need to know "early today." red lobster is considering filing for chapter 11 bankruptcy, according to a bloomberg report. the seafood chain is trying to renegotiate leases and costs. by filing for bankruptcy, it would remain in business while creditors work out a debt reduction plans. a company tests four-day

workweek, reducing exhaustion and disconnect. the beatles' 1970 documentary will be ravailable o stream on may 8. ariana grande's grandmother is making music history for be the oldest person to chart on the hot 100. "early today" will be right back. e right ck ba. nature's bounty hair growth. clinically shown to help grow thicker, fuller hair with just one capsule a day of advanced hair complex. conquer hair thinning... ...and fall in love with your hair all over again. only from nature's bounty. you wanna know how i get this glow? i get ready with new olay indulgent moisture body wash. it smells amazing and gives my skin over the top moisture. from dull to visibly glowing in 14 days. ♪♪ see the difference with olay. ugh, when is my allergy spray going to kick in?

-you need astepro. -astepro? it's faster, bro. 8x faster than flonase. it's faster, bro! it's faster, bro! it's faster, bro! it's mom to you. astepro starts working in 30 minutes. astepro and go! try killing bugs the worry-free way. not the other way. zevo traps use light to attract and trap flying insects with no odor and no mess. they work continuously, so you don't have to. zevo. people-friendly. bug-deadly. the olympic flame is lit and on its way to paris. today marks 100 days until the games of the 33 olympiad begins. and athletes from around the

country are coming to new york to preview what they've been working toward for their entire lives. for more, we go to jay gray, live on the "today" show plaza. what do we expect from team usa this year? >> reporter: we should expect big things. and look at what the "today" show's doing out here. it's a street in paris set up right here on the plaza. should be an exciting show with a lot of those athletes. when you're around members of team usa you can't help but get hyped up. they certainly are. now 100 days ahead of the games. many are sharing a mix of that excitement, along with the veili realization that their final months of training are about to give way to living out their lifetime dreams. in just a hundred days, the city of lights will become the city of tights, cleats, swimming, skate boarding, boxing, even

breaking. paris hosting the 2024 summer games, and team usa is ready. >> this is my time. this is my time to shine. >> reporter: perhaps the brightest shine right now comes from the olympic flame, the torch beginning its journey from olympia to the louvre, as the athletes continue their path toward paris. >> every day is planned out avenu every day. it's going to be the element of how much success we're going to have at the olympics. >> reporter: and while the focus is on bringing home the gold, silver or bronze, the competitors are looking forward to being, well, fans, too. >> i already know i'm going to be looking at my fellow olympians, like i'm here, too. lebron, hey. so, yeah, i'm just excited. like i'm excited to see the olympians, and i'm an olympian too. >> reporter: olympian, a title

that brings with it so many say overwhelming pride. >> a moment to give gratitude. >> reporter: representing a nation that gives thanks for their hard work, dedication and unwavering competitive spirit. yeah, and look, it's really just an amazing group of men and women who, by the way, frances, also happen to be world class athletes. can't wait to see them make a run through the summer games. that's the latest from down here in the plaza. a lot more on the today show. back to you. >> can't wait to see you, loving your american red, white and blue. thanks to you for watching "early today." i'm fran i'cem aline and i live in castle valley, california. my husband, barney, and i have been married for 32 years. i think the most important thing in life is to stay healthy. i noticed i was having some memory losses. i discovered prevagen. since i've been on prevagen, i've noticed more clarity,

more sharpness. the recall mechanism is a lot more concise. i've been taking prevagen for almost 10 years. it's wonderful. prevagen. at stores everywhere without a prescription. a big day for jury selection in donald trump's hush money trial. what we know about seven jurors already seated, and the question