looking at the weekend, comfortable for the middle of the afternoon and slightly cooler early next week. up to 70 today in san francisco. and although the commute is building, the number in the middle, vasco road under half an hour. that's not bad. the build for the south bay continues. the "today" show is just moments away. we continue "today in the bay" on roku and other platforms. ahead at 8:00, the key hearing happening on capitol hill about boeing's safety culture. plus, we're highlighting even more bay area athletes lucky enough to head to paris. that's what's happening here on "today in the bay." thanks so much for making us a part of your morning as we take a live look in paris good wednesday morning. we're following a dangerous storm system. it's on the move. >> good morning. it's april 17th. this is "today".

outbreak. >> it's coming our way. >> that's a big old tornado. >> a string of tornadoes tears through the midwest, causing damage in multiple states. millions of people at risk for more severe weather today. al is tracking the threat. 7 down. the first set of jurors seated at donald trump's criminal trial. the process moving faster than expected with 11 more yet to be picked. just ahead, when the trial is expected to start. and what happened inside the courtroom that led the judge to dress down the former president? sounding the alarm. >> i think it's as serious as i have ever seen in my lifetime. >> our exclusive interview with a boeing whistleblower. he's set to testify on capitol hill today. his explosive claims of a

potentially fatal flaw that he says could break apart. here they come. trillions of noisy cicadas emerging inside the country. inside the once in a 200-year invasion. those stories, plus, on the run. >> elephant walking down the road. >> wild video of an elephant loose on a busy city street, racing through traffic, even by a casino. how that chaotic chase finally came to an end. and the countdown to paris hits 100 days. the city of light preparing to host the world. >> this is all where it's going to happen. >> and we will bring paris to the plaza for a party with team usa hopefuls as we say bonjour, today, wednesday, april 17th, 2024. from nbc news, this is "today" with savannah guthrie and hoda kotb, in studio 1a

in rockefeller plaza. >> should we say bonjour? >> i knew you were going to do that. >> i can't stop speaking franglais. it's a mix of french and english. >> look as these guys. our plaza looks amazing, doesn't it? >> we have the nbc. can't stop with the french words. let's get to our news story. people across the midwest cleaning up after severe weather slams the area, spawning a string of destructive tornadoes, but first, shaq brewster is where one of those tornadoes touched down. >> reporter: good morning. as the sun begins to rise, seems

like the ones behind me come more and more clear. now this building is a pile of rubble, the result of nearly one of two dozen tornadoes to sweep their way across the region. it is a threat now heading east with millions of people under new weather alerts. overnight alarms sounding as a dangerous tornado outbreak spread through the plains and midwest. >> not looking good. >> reporter: reports of more than 20 tornadoes tearing roofs off buildings, snapping traedz and leaving homes in tatters. final clouds from kansas to nebraska to illinois where a tornado in smith people injured two people when it toppled their camper. tornadoes across the region turning buildings into rubble, with with wind gusts in some areas reaching up to 70 miles per hour. >> the roof just got picked up

and it flipped over on itself. >> reporter: in iowa, a tornado took the roof off this church. >> i don't know if we will end up fixing the building or it will be a total loss. >> reporter: in the quad cities, even forecasters at the national weather service forced to hunker down, posting on social media, we took cover at the office. a sioux county sheriff taking a photo of this mangled play set. the severe weather also impacting air travel across the northwest with 600 flights delayed out of chicago's mid-way airport alone. all part of a system moving east with more rain, hail and tornadoes possible. and the national weather service this morning says it is going to deploy storm survey damage and

problems like you see behind me. it is not just the threat of tornadoes. yesterday there were thousands of iowans without power. >> shaq brewster leading us off. thank you. >> that's right. in fact, we have a one-two punch of storms. good morning, everybody. you can see this one line starting to develop. low pressure, heavy thunderstorms from the dakotas all the way down into ohio. here are the first two storms. the first storm is for today that will give us big problems. the second storm with snow back through the rockies will bring a severe threat for tomorrow. for today into tonight, a line of severe storms, wet weather. moving into the northeast today. we have two areas from detroit, cleveland, club columbus, joplin, missouri, as well, can't rule out tornadoes there either. now, tomorrow, this next front dives down from the south, from the plains. showers and thunderstorms from texas to the midwest. we have a two-tiered area of

risks, from waco, dallas and t texarkana. wind gusts of 14 million people. st. louis, evansville, strong storms and damaging hail as well. guys? >> al, thank you very much. we'll get back to you. the jury that will decide donald trump's fate is now taking shape. the jurors have been chosen at his criminal trial here in new york. laura jarett is here with more from the court root. >> good morning to you. what started as a painful process became a more revealing look. their digital footprints laid bare. a remarkable moment as several were forced to explain things they said about the former president years ago online, now directly to his face. seven people now officially sworn in as jurors to hear the people of the state of new york versus donald j. trump.

a cross section of manhattan residents revealing their views of the likely gop nominee, as mr. trump sat in court listening to lawyers spar over who could be fair and impartial. >> everything is screwed up in new york, and the whole world is watching. >> reporter: whittled down to o. two attorneys an oncology nurse, a teacher, a contsultant and software an effort, prosecutors say, to bury evidence of engineer. something mr. trump has repeatedly denied. the final panel of 1 the foreman, a 28-year-old in o bury evidence of a payment to an adult film actress on the eve of the 2018 election. 5 jurors and 6 alternates will stay anonymous, but some perspective jurors were confronted tuesday with old social media posts, covered by the defense team. one man who wrote, quote, lock him up, on facebook removed by the judge. the tedious nature of the

process turning into an impromptu focus group. one woman saying, he stirs the pot. one man saying he was a big fan of "the apprentice" in middle school. one saying he enjoys the way mr. trump walks into the room. >> you get the sense that it's like, oh, this is just another guy and also he sees he talking about him, which is bizarre. >> reporter: but day two of trial was also marked by a flash of anger from the judge, appearing disturbed by something inaudible mr. trump apparently muttered as a juror was questioned about facebook posts, scolding the former president, i will not have any jurors intimidated in this courtroom. >> laura, jury selection, which is going so slow, how does this affect the time line? >> i think it will move a lot faster now.

remember, they only have a certain number of strikes for any reason they want, and you can't use race or gender or anything like that, but you can strike them for any reason you want. now both sides are only down to four strikes left. they still have a ways to go. so court will start up again with a new batch of people on thursday. >> all right, laura. thank you very much. meantime, a boeing whistleblower will appear before congress today claiming one of the company's most widely flown planes has a serious flaw, one that could potentially bring it down. he spoke exclusively to nbc senior correspondent, tom costello. tom, good morning. this is a current boeing engineer, right? >> reporter: that's right. he says he's already gone to the faa. the faa is investigating. today he will go to congress, and he will claim that the 787 dreamliner is the issue here. this is a plane that has safely flown hundreds of millions of passengers nationwide. he says it has a flaw that could lead to catastrophe if it's not

addressed. boeing says that's simply inaccurate and false. it is one of boeing's best-selling aircrafts, trance over the past 12 and a half years. he's concerned the dream liner may have a dangerous flaw. >> right now, to me, i see we have real problem on our hands. >> reporter: 15-year boeing engineer, sam, ses the gaps between the big pieces of the fuselage are too big. and even though the fuselage pieces are fastened together, it could lead to failure and disaster after thousands of flights. >> then the plane can break apart in altitude and drop to the ground. i think that's a safety issue. >> reporter: you really think that's what's at stake here? >> that's exactly at stake here. i think failure has no mercy on anybody. >> reporter: but boeing is

pushing back hard telling nbc news we are fully confident because of the comprehensive work done. these claims about the structural integrity of the 787 are inaccurate. since 2020, boeing has been under faa supervision as a tight, paper thin gaps. stress testing the plane through 165 takeoffs and landings, more than three times a typical 878s life span. of the 1,100 planes in service, 689 have already gone through various inspections. so far zero evidence of fatigue. >> this whistleblower's concern, while i'm sure are very sincere, i don't think matches what boeing is saying is happening out in the fleet. >> reporter: he admits he doesn't have full access to all of boeing's data since he moved off the 787 project in 2022.

boeing says it does not tolerate retaliation. would you put your family on a 787 right now? >> i would not. >> reporter: boeing will be in senate crosshairs today after two crashes overseas, the door blowout and admitted quality control lapses at boeing. if we have another crash, i am not sure that boeing can survive that or not. and that's what i'm trying to prevent. >> reporter: he tells me he is coming forward now because he has tried for three years to bring these issues up internally within boeing but says he got nowhere, nobody was listening to him. so he will tell his story today to congress. the faa says it's already investigating, and to reiterate, boeing insists this is a very safe aircraft that has been stress tested robustly for years. >> thank you, tom. capitol hill now. support appears to be growing to potentially oust mike johnson as speaker of the house. this drama is playing out after he unveiled a new plan that

isn't sitting well with republicans or the white house. ryan nobles is on the story this morning. is this a real threat to speaker johnson's job? >> reporter: yes. it is certainly the biggest threat he's facing since taking over the gavel six months ago. but it depends on whether more republicans sign on. so far there are only two. it stems in part from the speaker's plan to introduce four separate bills for funding for ukraine and israel, something he stalled on in part because of gop opposition to ukraine aid. so this was a strategy to get around that and give members the choice on what bill to vote on. but it does seem to have backfired, at least for now. if the vote to oust him comes to the floor, he may need to depend on democrats to save his job because of the razor-thin majority that he currently has. johnson stepped into the job

after former speaker kevin mccarthy was ousted for advancing a bill with support from democrats. all of it revealing the deep divisions within the gop, impacting their ability to govern. savannah. >> and it only takes one member of congress to get that motion to vacate the speakership. let's talk about another item. the house impeached mayorkas. the articles of impeachment now go to the senate for a trial, but what is expected to happen there? >> reporter: that's right. the senate is expected to swear in senators as jurors. it is expected to be an incredibly short trial against phoeu mayorkas. democrats argue this is nothing more than a political stunt. they plan to dismiss or table the trial as soon as this week. >> ryan nobles on the hill for us, thank you. now let's move to escalating tensions in the middle east.

israel's war cabinet meeting and discussing how best to respond to iran's weekend drone and missile strikes. we're learning in the wake of that attack, the u.s. will impose new sanctions against iran. richard engel joins us now from tel aviv. hey, richard. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, hoda. so israel, yes, is still trying to calibrate its expected response to iran's attack this weekend. and iran this morning made it clear it will not hesitate to strike back. iran's president this morning couldn't have been more clear, with a message to israel, don't attack. speaking at an army parade, he said that even the tiniest invasion by israel would bring a massive and harsh response. we visited an israeli military base where weapons are collected and analyzed. the hamas weapons are deadly but mostly small. grenades and rockets with ranges of 50 miles or less. what iran launched was in a different league.

this is the tail end of one of the ballistic missiles that iran fired over the weekend where the engine was. it broke off when this was intercepted. it is only when you are standing right up next to these that you understand how big they are. that's where the warhead was. it also broke off carrying 800 pounds of explosives. had these gotten through, it would have been catastrophic. thousands are now living in a constant catastrophe. our crew filmed the casualties from an israeli air strike on a market in central gaza. medical officials say at least 12 people were killed with many injured. israel accuses the militants of hiding among civilians. the war here is polarizing, triggering protests and hatred on both sides, in part because of false information, often deliberately planted.

this morning we visited a private tel aviv-based company that tracks disinformation. the company is releasing its findings this morning on iran's weekend attack. its results show that 26% of the social media accounts discussing the attack were fake, created to sway opinions. they pushed three main narratives, sewing panic that world war 3 is imminent, that israel is a terrorist state and that iran is a powerful nation. it is disturbing our polluted our social media feeds always are. and it gets much worse during a time of crisis when you look ahead. and also today, the treasury department is preparing new sanctions against iran. hoda? >> richard engel for us there in tel aviv.

richard, thanks. now to a dramatic rescue from a cruise ship. 180 miles off the coast of puerto rico. a pregnant passenger had a medical emergency, needed to be evacuated from that ship. so the u.s. coast guard was called in on monday, using a jayhawk helicopter to hoist the 35-year-old woman along with the cruise's onboard doctor. she was flown to the san juan hospital for treatment. >> all right. let's turn back to mr. roker for a check on the forecast. >> rain moving in to the northeast. sunshine making its way from texas into the mid plains. showers around the great lakes. look for heavy snow in the northern rockies and part of the cascades. fire risks in the southwest and up and down the west coast, gorgeous weather. we're going to get to your local forecast in the next 30 seconds. of a situation here. ♪♪ uh-huh. uh-huh.

♪♪ [ metal groans] sure, i can hold. only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty liberty liberty liberty ♪ ghostbusters: frozen empire. in theaters now. good wednesday morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. today we're starting out mild and we'll see a lot of sunshine today, with slightly warmer temperatures for the inland valleys. it's still going to be very nice tomorrow, and even into the weekend we're looking at upper 70s. there will be a slight cooldown early next week, but that's normal for this time of year with highs in the 60s and low 70s. san francisco will have warmer and that's your latest weather. guys? >> just ahead, some are calling it the cicada-pocalypse hundreds

of years in the making. it is just getting started. maggi vespa with the story. >> reporter: yeah. this is a once-in-a-lifetime event that admittedly a lot of people might be okay with skipping. nevertheless, scientists say the first signs are upon us with trillions more of those bugs expected to crawl up out of the soil. brace yourselves, guys, that's coming up. >> ew. all right. have you heard of eldest daughter syndrome? we're going to take a closer

until the paris olympics with a plaza.

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for a state bill that may change robotaxi regulations. >> reporter: i'm kris sanchez in mountain view. driverless cars will be a hot topic today in sacramento as state senator cortese introduced a bill that could protect public safety and jobs as well. he'll introduce a law that would force companies like waymo to follow local traffic laws and allow local police to ticket them if they don't. this bill is endorsed by the teamsters union which says it will protect jobs. the lineup is out for the latest dream team and it may provide a boost to warriors fans feeling blue. steph curry will be shooting for gold, making his olympic debut. he'll have time to rest after the warriors bowed out last night. the roster also includes lebron james and former warrior kevin durant. want to get a look at our forecast with meteorologist kari hall. >> and we're starting out with a

lot of sunshine around the bay area, and it will be slightly warmer in some spots, up to 80 degrees for the south bay, east bay as well as the north bay. and then tonight we're down to 50 degrees and back up to the upper 70s. so a wide range from where where we start to the way we end. noing but sunshine in the seven-day forecast. don't forget to watch your "today in the bay" live streaming newscast at 8:00 a.m. we'll tell you about the key hearing happening on capitol hill about boeing's safety culture. you can join us on roku, amazon fire, and streaming platforms, including nbcbayarea.com, and, of course, our nbc bay area app.

back now at 7:30. what an exciting morning on our plaza. that's our beautiful tower. that's the olympic countdown

clock. as you can see, 100 days to go until the paris olympics, and we are marking that moment in style. guess what we did? we transformed our plaza into the city of light with a bunch of usa hopefuls. going to be so much fun. >> we will spend the whole hour out there next hour. lots to look forward to. >> before we dive into the paris olympics today, let's talk about another event underway in the u.s., billions, potentially trillions of cicadas set to swarm the country. >> thanks to a rare double emergence that hasn't happened in 200 years. hi, maggie, good morning. >> reporter: it is shocking that no one fought me for this assignment. nevertheless, here we are. they say, indeed, it has begun. with cicada heads spotting the

bugs on leaves and trees in just a couple of states. they say that is just the beginning because this invasion across the midwest and south is expected to be unlike anything seen or heard in centuries. this morning, the cicadas are coming. >> there will be a record amount of bugs bursting from the ground in the next few months. >> and americans are bracing. >> there are these massive loud bugs that fly everywhere. >> reporter: for a double dose of creepy, crawly impact. >> if i see one -- ah! i'm not going outside. >> reporter: it is all thanks to a once-in-a-lifetime double emergence with two cicada broods with one that lived underground, and then others crawling out of the soil across the midwest and south, overlapping in multiple states, including illinois and iowa. some of the first spotted this week in the carolinas. how many cicadas are we talking?

>> some where in the hundreds of billions to trillions. >> reporter: trillions plural? >> trillions plural, yes. >> reporter: the last double emergence, 1803 when thomas jefferson was president. anticipation sparking nicknames like cicadageddon and in chicago painting giant plastic versions for a giant cicada parade? why do you want to add more in. >> why wouldn't we? why wouldn't we? so this moment is magical. >> reporter: some even sharing old viral videos. >> have you ever wanted to eat tempura battered cicadas. visitors are buzzing. >> do you think that looks cool or is it gross? >> it looks like both. >> reporter: it's both? scientists excited to educate people about these winged

plant-eating insects with that sound, synonymous with the start of summer. >> billions of them is kind of like a really big loud chain saw. >> reporter: what is billions or trillions going to sound like? >> many, many chain saws going at the same time. it is the coolest thing ever. >> reporter: cool to some people. it definitely depends on your take. i have to point out, by the way, this is not anatomically correct, they are not this large. consider this the mutant version of what you are going to see. scientists stress they are completely harmless to humans and mostly harmless to the environment or plants. the only time it is an issue is if they completely cover a small young plant that you have and then maybe you want to brush it off and try to cover these plants. they only live about a short, but it will be short-lived, but it will be epic. hence, the rock concert-like t-shirts already available

online. >> i thought you said cicada tempura, and then i blacked out. i just want to make sure i heard that right. >> reporter: we did. we did. >> maggie, chief cicada correspondent, congrats on the promotion. we will check back in. still ahead, we'll turn from a bug invasion to an escaped elephant. the story behind its dash for freedom and the chaos it caused. but, first, we can't hit 100 days at the olympics without going straight to paris. that's where keir simmons is taking us. >> reporter: hey there. good morning. the opening ceremony at the seine. and the seating for the beach volleyball. we'll take you there coming up. dupixent can cause allergic reactions that can be severe.

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and there's still so much to see. if you are on eylea or a similar type of treatment, ask your retina specialist about eylea hd today, for the potential for fewer injections. our countdown to the paris olympics is on. just 100 days away now. >> we couldn't wait. we decided to bring a touch of paris to our plaza right now. keir simmons is in paris with a behind the scenes look at how the city is getting ready to host the world. >> reporter: bonjour to you. how spectacular is this? picture it, the opening ceremony on the river seine. 160 boats, more than 300,000

people lining the banks of the river, kicking off one of the biggest events paris has ever held. this morning, the olympic flame en route from greece to paris. just 100 days from the city of lights first olympics in 100 years. now look a look at the stunning venues built at the city's most famous sites. under the eiffel tower, nbc news showed around the beach volleyball. this is really exciting to see it like this. you get a real feeling for how it's going to be. >> yeah, indeed, it is really exciting. you can almost feel the atmosphere of the 13,000 people? >> reporter: the centerpiece set to be the river seine hosting the opening ceremony. president macrone saying for the first time that france has backup locations if security

threats arrive. my guide, paris podcaster. >> this is where it's all going to happen. this is a really famous bridge. on both sides we are having olympic events. >> reporter: that side and this side? >> both. >> reporter: wow. in total, 24 venues scattered in and around paris. skateboarding. and for the first time, break dancing, archery, tae kwon do and fencing. outside paris, home of louie the 14th who had a passion for horses who staged the olympic equestrian event. >> we have a backdrop of versailles. >> reporter: they will watch competing riders encircle the fountains. then a different kind of gold.

at a french jewelry house, the paris 2024 medals set with tiny fragments of the eiffel tower. and louie vuitton trunks. heightened security means every apartment overlooking events will be searched. this boston native shows us around her magnificent paris home. look at this! she volunteered to greet athletes when the games begin. >> it is such a beautiful city, and i want everyone who comes here to have a wonderful experience, walk away and fall in love with it like i have. >> reporter: and here we are live again. later today, the french will unveil their outfits for the opening ceremony. tuxedos, tre chic. i can't wait for you guys to be here and bring the sunshine with you. >> we can't wait either, keir. it will be fun. >> you know who else is in paris this morning? >> who? >> our friend, mike tirico.

apparently you are going solo today. tell us about the excitement there and the mood this morning. >> i know. keir and i are hanging out. we miss you, savannah. keir started without his rain jacket. i couldn't be out toughed by keir so had to lose my jacket as well. i was walking around yesterday. from when we're here in june, july and now, huge difference. the venues are getting ready, the venues that will incorporate the iconic sites in paris. you come back to paris three, four months from when it was last year and you say you can feel the olympics starting to come alive. i think it will be a terrific summer. >> a lot of people are looking forward, mike, to the opening ceremony. it will be one like no other. there are so many cool, unique and interesting things. what do you know so far? >> reporter: yeah. as you both know, you will be a part of it with us. the opening ceremony down the river seine will be something like we have never seen before.

the athletes walking into a stadium and the flags and the placards. that will be some scene in a temporary area where they will come to with a procession. and the start of the ceremony is set up with a backdrop of the eiffel tower as well. as the planning continues for that, we find out more and more and we are excited for what truly could be a one-of-a-kind kickoff to the games. >> let us not forget the competition. one of the biggest sports to watch, gymnastics. we're crossing our fingers simone biles will come back. i guess it will be her third olympics, right? what are you hearing? >> reporter: exactly. yeah, it will be her third olympics. we saw when she came back and won there. there is a reality to the simone biles comeback. it will be a stunning chapter, if it is the final chapter to her stunning career. i have enjoyed hearing her open up about everything that happened in tokyo and how excited she is to try to make it

happen again in paris to win the all-around for a second time. and that's never happened before. katie ledecky is in there. she has three medals to win to become the most decorated female in olympic history. and obviously basketball. we all have basketball fever, basketball playoffs starting, march madness ending. the caitlin clark comet that's going across the sky right now. all the basketball teams, mens and womens with the u.s. with a great opportunity to bring back gold. for the women, it will be 8 which would be an all-time record for a team. for the men's team, we will hear the teams coming up. >> like you call the caitlin clark comet, we like that. let's talk track and field for a second. noah lyles is big. what do we expect there? >> reporter: so you have to go back to 1988, hoda, the last time that the u.s. had the fastest man and the fastest woman. that's usually the unofficial title that the winner of the 100 meters gets.

we could see that with lyles and richardson. it is not easy. there is competition, even from american athletes as well, especially on the men's side. but there is a chance after we watched them both in the worlds last year. there could be stars and stripes representing the fastest man and woman in the world come late -- or early, i should say, august of 2024. >> wow. and what about break dancing, mike? i'm just kidding, but it is the newest olympic sport. >> crazy. >> we have a potential olympian out on our plaza. we're just getting started. tirico, thank you. >> reporter: great to see you all. can't wait for you all to get here and join us. >> can't wait either. >> reporter: we will head out to the plaza to check out its french makeover and chat with some of the hopeful stars of team usa in just a moment. >> do you know who is already out there enjoying it? mr. roker. hey, al. >> bonjour! and this is actually built to size. that's how tall these guys are for the men's basketball team.

welcome, guys, to our plaza. good to see you. guys, this hat -- so our team they accidentally ordered these, so it is pretty good. the good news, hoda, this will fit your hair. it's fantastic. i love this. as far as your weather is anyway, let's show you what we've got going on as far as your weather is concerned. look at these temperatures. denver 72 degrees today. raleigh, 83. 9 degrees above average. baton rouge 86 degrees tomorrow. d.c. near 80. nashville mid-80s. augusta 91. and then front moves through. we will watch those temperatures get a little bit cooler. here you are in the 40s. d.c. in the 60s. temperatures cool down even down to nashville. i'm meteorologist kari hall. today we're going to see those temperatures in the inland areas up to 80 degrees. a nice warm-up we'll see continue into tomorrow as well. just slightly cooler on friday, with a high of 75 degrees in san

jose, and livermore as well as santa rosa. and we'll see upper 70s for the weekend as the sunshine continues. it will be slightly cooler early next week, and san francisco will go from and that's your latest weather. look at all the things. we got macarons here. we got cheese. we got bread. it's fantastic, guys. can't wait for you to get out here. >> we can't see it because your hat is blocking the view. >> that's right. i have been told i have a big head, but this just about proves it. >> that is amazing. they thought they were ordering normal hats. >> thank you, al. >> coming up, the debate heating up the internet. it's pitting siblings against each other. how does birth order impact who you are and what exactly is eldest daughter syndrome? >> we'll get into that and we have a morning boost as well, coming up right after this.

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take into consideration the billions of dollars the state has spent on wildfire mit mitigation, and all the work homeowners have done, like creating defensible space around their property. becker says the insurance companies are not taking those facts into consideration when calculating insurance coverage and cost to homeowners. let's get a look at the forecast with meteorologist kari hall. >> we're starting with beautiful views and a clear sky across much of the bay area. this is looking from our sutro tower camera, which was earlier covered with fog. it is now clear and we're looking at clear skies and much warmer temperatures for the south bay, up to 80 today, compared to the coast where we'll be in the upper 60s and low 70s. 79 in concord today, and this weather repeats not only tomorrow, but into much of the weekend. >> looks so nice. make sure you watch our "today in the bay" live streaming newscast in minutes. we'll tell you about the key hearing happening on capitol hill about boeing's safety

culture. you can watch on roku, amazon fire tv, streaming platforms, including nbcbayarea.com, as well as from our app.

it's cal it's 8:00 on "today." coming up, on alert. damaging tornadoes touching down across the u.s. and there is more severe weather on the way.

that system moving east. al is live with a full forecast. also ahead, breaking free. >> elephant walking down the road! oh, my god! >> an elephant running loose on a busy street in montana. so how did it manage to run away from the circus? we've got the full story straight ahead. plus, family matters. >> if you know an oldest daughter or an oldest sibling, give them a hug and say thank you. >> so-called eldest daughter syndrome sparking a big debate online. can birth order really affect your entire life? and the final countdown. we're just 100 days away from the paris olympics, and we are celebrating with a host of team usa hopefuls. the party on the plaza you do not want to miss, today, april 17th, 2024. here to cheer on team usa. >> from california, celebrating 40 years of friendship. >> from lincoln high school in

california. >> visiting from cumberland, maine. >> flower mound, texas. >> kentucky. >> ashburn. >> and white cross, georgia. >> we love you, nana and popop! >> celebrating lucy's sweet 16. >> the countdown is on, 100 days to paris! all right. can you feel it? welcome back to "today." this is a really special wednesday morning. we come outside because we couldn't wait one more minute. 100 days away from the paris olympics, and this is a plaza transformed. we have a cafe. we have the arc de triomphe and a very special day in history.

don't we, hoda? >> we do. you guys, it is my mom's birthday today! we love you! that was the whole family. so happy birthday, mom. >> happy birthday to a special lady. let's get to your news at 8:00. this dangerous tornado outbreak. in all 17 reports of tornadoes tearing roofs off homes and leaves homes in tatters. in northeast kansas, two people were injured when an rv flipped over in the storm. this severe weather of course also impacting air travel with over 600 flights delayed out of chicago's o'hare airport alone. this system is moving east this morning. al has a look at who's in the storm's path this morning. >> good morning to you. we are looking at the showers and thunderstorms stretching from the great lakes down to the appalachians. we are looking at severe weather again today, two areas.

25 million people at risk. detroit, indianapolis, pittsburgh, huntington, damaging winds, possibility of tornadoes in and around kansas city. then tomorrow it moves further east. 14 million people at risk. from st. louis into the plains and also down to dallas. again, looking at wind gusts, damaging hail and a few possible tornadoes making their way into the region. as far as rain fall is concerned, we are looking at wet weather generally a half an inch. some of that rain a little heavier as we make our way down through the mississippi river valley. for the most part, all in all we will see lighter rain but heavier storms moving on in. again for today, we expect to see plenty of sunshine in the east coast. again, for right now, we're looking at this massive area of showers and thunder storms pushing on in. hoda? >> all right. let's move now to -- sorry. sorry. we were trying to -- >> sorry.

>> i just ran out. i need more maps. >> how was the transition, good? >> let's move to donald trump's hush money trial where 7 people have officially been sworn in as jurors. lawyers grilling members of the jury room about their social media posts, political views and personal lives. 5 more jurors and 6 alternates still need to be picked. trump was accused of falsifying business records in an effort to bury evidence of a payout to an adult film actress before the 2016 ae shrek election. mr. trump has repeatedly denied the charges. why did the elephant cross the road? in montana tuesday, it was no laughing matter when a full-size elephant escaped from a traveling circus decided to take a stroll around town. sam brock has the details on the escape. sam, good morning. >> reporter: yeah, just a casual stroll. we're all familiar with the expression, sheinelle, there is an elephant in the room.

in this case, it is more like there is an elephant on the road. there was a traveling circus going through butte, montana yesterday. disbelief. that comes it appears viola, the elephant, managed to shake loose, but the circus won't confirm it. the rest was mayhem in montana. there is a certain quality of disbelief that comes with seeing things that don't belong in every day life. >> oh, my god! >> reporter: and for residents of butte, montana, tuesday, like mataya smith who was driving with her husband, an elephant strolling down the street definitely hit the bill. >> he was like, oh, my gosh. there's an elephant. i was joking with him, and i thought it was in the parking lot. he was like, no, there is an elephant. i looked up and i was like, oh, there is an elephant on the road. >> reporter: confirming to nbc affiliate kdci, the giant animal apparently got spooked by the sound of a truck firing during a bath and bolted. you see the elephant coming down

the street. and then how long after are her handlers also pursuing viola? >> i'd say 30 seconds behind her. the problem is an elephant is much faster than a human. you see the elephant get to the road. by the time she's over by the casinos, her handlers are running out as fast as they can. >> once viola popped up on the gas station security camera -- >> my coworker here pointed out, there's an elephant, started jumping up and down, pointing out the window. >> reporter: and then trotted right by the casino. all bets were off. the whole circus-like scene lasted around 20 minutes before it was safely recaptured. jordan world circus did not respond to nbc news request for comment, but their web cited website showed a stop -- now it's a tall tale for a town of 35,000, accustomed to seeing plenty of animals. >> typically you see moose and

coyotes, lots of bear. >> reporter: but nothing quite like this. >> i will never forget this. it's not every day you get to see an elephant just wander through your home. >> reporter: and the chase, if complex with the she you want to call it that, ended outside of someone's apartment complex. the local sheriff telling us that they were able to resolve the situation, the circus staff was, without law enforcement getting involved. guys, they say an elephant never forgets. and in this case, the town will never forget its elephant. >> i can't even imagine. can you imagine a little kid, mommy, there's an elephant. she's like, yeah, right. >> exactly. all right. let's get a morning boost. >> i got one for you that's super cute. a bride-to-be was on her way to boston. a flight attendant got on the intercom and made a special announcement. >> in case you were wondering, there is a bride-to-be. she's on her way to austin for a

bachelorette trip. anybody on bachelorette trip. everybody on the plane that is married or has been married, write a note or piece of advice, something that you would like to know when you became a bride. >> all right. so they asked anyone who is married to write on a napkin some advice. first they gave her a sash they made from items onboard. look at this. in a few minutes, here came all the notes pouring in by the dozens. keep going on weekly dates to enjoy the little things and it's okay to go to bed angry. she posted this on social media with the caption, my heart is full. social shout-out to the southwest airlines flight attendant who made that all happen. >> that is a really good idea. she'll have that forever. that was sweet. >> all right. coming up, a treat for music fans. the rare beatles film about to be available for the first time in 30 years. behind a viral video viewed

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well, all i hear all day long is how great marsha is at this. marsha, marsha, marsha. >> honestly, right? i'm still mad about it. we're bad with one of tv's most iconic sibling rivalries. january, the middle child, saying everything came easier for her older sister. >> is that the case in real life? a recent new york times article on birth order caught our attention. it says it shapes who we are and how we interact with others. >> whether you fall -- wherever you fall in your family, we're sure you may have thoughts, too. >> birth order is something that's been discussed and dissected for decades. >> birth order theory. >> but thanks to what some say are spot-on takes, birth-born girls are having a moment. >> if you know an oldest daughter or an oldest sibling, give them a hug and say thank you. >> why your older sister resents you asks, are you happy or are s

you asks, are you happy or are you the oldest sibling and also a girl? the comments section becoming something of a support group. >> it is not an official diagnosis. it is a term coined to describe the you the oldest sibling and also >> this tiktok video has been viewed more than 6.5 million times. >> one, you have an intense feeling of responsibility. two, you are an over achiever, type a and very driven. >> the topic has been discussed at length on podcasts. >> we're bonus parents. >> this family therapist has had an overwhelming response for a support group she created for fellow oldest daughters. >> when you are in a room of people that absolutely understand it, hearing each other's stories and also being heard, what that's really telling you is you're not

abnormal. >> middle children are often described as having big personalities. the research on birth order personality traits is mixed. experts say it may not matter. >> if it matters to you, then it matters. >> all right. the woman behind that viral video is with us, katie morton. good morning. you touched a nerve, didn't you, with this one. and you outlined certain criteria that the eldest child has. what are they? >> the main component is the sense of intense responsibility, right? like the weight of the family is on your shoulders. there is also like people pleasing. we want to make sure everybody is happy first. we can struggle with boundaries. >> are they having a moment, or are these monday morning quarterbacks. do you look back on your life and say, i had all these things? >> hey happen in the moment.

we might think it is the norm. >> why do you think this post touched a nerve the way it did? >> i think because it spoke to people about a specific issue they couldn't put their finger on. to let it be known and to see millions of other people saying, me, too. they're like, oh, i'm not alone. oh, it's not me being crazy. i'm just the oldest daughter. i had a lot of pressure. >> mine is a little -- a lot of us are from blended families, so that makes it a little complicated. but i think it struck a nerve. >> first of all, i think you should guess. >> do you want to guess? okay. >> based on the people watching us on television? >> yes. >> best time of the morning on this program. >> i would assume the youngest. >> that is correct. >> what about me? >> i would assume middle. >> why would you assume that? >> because you have a big personality and middle children know how to make space for themselves. >> is that true? >> okay. i'd guess middle as well.

>> really? >> yes. >> what are the traits of the youngest. >> youngest are more gregarious. i'm the youngest, but also the oldest daughter. we can be a good time, but we also sometimes feel like we're not taken seriously or heard. >> that's not true at all, no. >> we have later curfews. the oldest had an earlier curfew. what do you think about sheinelle? >> you said blended, but i would guess youngest. >> that's funny. no, i'm the middle. >> it feels real. but is there research on this or is this just more of a fun thing that we like to talk about but it is not actually like a psychological phenomenon? >> it is mixed as best. a tricky thing is there is not always a number you can put to something and have quantitative metrics to say youngest is always this or middle is always that. it is really dependent on the person and the family dynamics and how involved the parents were, do both parents work? >> what would you guess for al

roker? >> i would go youngest. >> roker, what are you? >> i'm the oldest. >> good try. >> and that's why my mom loved me best. >> all right, al. take it away. >> anyway, let's show you what we got going on as far as today is concerned. southern warmth severe storms through the mississippi and ohio river valleys. heavy snow back through the plains. fire risk in the southwest. gorgus along the west coaseot. as we take a look at our seven-day forecast, we are starting out with sunshine and we will see that continue today. our high temperatures above normal, up to 80 degrees for the inland valleys. and we'll see about the same weather tomorrow with the slight cooldown for the end of the week. but still looking very pleasant, and the cooldown continues into early next week, with highs in the low 70s, while san francisco will go from 70 today to upper 60s for the weekend, and 6

>> and that's your latest weather. best time of the morning. >> we're going to start with the beatles today. a documentary following the iconic band is getting some new life on streaming. disney announcing a 1970 film. of course, it will be restored and re-released next month. you know who's doing it? peter jackson following the success of his beatles docuseries. it used special technology to revitalize the vintage footage. the film was initially received with sadness by fans at the time because it premiered during the band's breakup. it will drop next month on disney+. rachel ziegler made her big screen debut in this iconic role. ♪ ♪ tonight ♪ ♪ tonight ♪ ♪ there's only you tonight ♪

♪ >> so talented, right? that sounds like timeless, but it's modern. now she's geared up for another legendary character, the one that inspired "west side story"'s maria. making her broadway debut as one of shakespeare's star crossed lovers. she will help bring a fresh take to the classic tail. will be in charge of some of the music. we don't know if it's just the score or some of the songs. tickets go on sale next month. next up, simone biles recently sat down for the latest episode of a podcast. getting candid about battling the twisties at the tokyo games. >> you get lost in the air during your vault and everyone was shocked. take me to the moment when you land on the matt.

what is going through your mind? >> i open landed like that. as soon as i land, i kind of grin and i'm like, america hates me. the world is going to hate me. i can only see what they're saying on twitter right now. and i salute. and i want to run. if i could have got on a plane and fly home, i would have. i thought i was going to be banned from america. gold or bust, don't come back. >> wow. the episode currently available wherever you get your podcast. don't forget, she will host live interactive watch parties from paris on peacock. you guys have a quick change. celebrating the olympics 100 days out. that's what we are busy doing right now. all things, paris. of course, we hope to see a lot of team usa athletes taking home medals. the question is what are they wearing on the podium. we have an exclusive sneak peek at the official team usa gear,

thanks to these two all-star athletes. sonny choi and shotput star ryan. >> take a turn. let's see. >> oh, i like those! >> it's got a classic almost '80s throwback feel to it. >> i love it. what do you all think? >> i like it. i like it a lot. >> come on and sit. >> yeah. >> hi. >> you hope to be wearing this this summer. how does it feel and how is training going for you? >> it's super comfortable. i love it. i feel really chic in it. and also like this right here, the wind runner, for me i'm like, this is breaking. >> it does have a nice breaking vibe. >> and ryan's has a shotput vibe to it, doesn't it? >> it does. it's an upgrade over our past medal ceremony attire. they're referring to it more of a tuxedo vibe.

>> try to zip yours up. you snap. there is like a magnetic snappy thing, and then it zips up. you don't have to do it. >> you look like an astronaut, bro. >> you have that apollo feel to you. >> yeah, a bit of it. i threw it on. a little futuristic. ready to go to the moon. >> at the last olympic games, we're so proud of you. how do you feel about this coming up? >> i'm very excited for it. for me, it is an opportunity to be the first person ever to win three consecutive gold medals in the shotput. >> come on. let's go. >> is it more pressure since you won in tokyo? or are you like, eh, i have two under my belt. >> i'd say a little more on this one. if nothing else, just me personally knowing the possibility is there and have a bit of a target on my back in the sport simply because, yeah,

there's been a select number that have won two. no one had ever won three. >> everyone is gunning for you. >> we'll catch up with you after the break. we are about to head out there. the plaza has been totally transformed, and we've got even more team usa hopefuls to get to. but, first, a check of your local news and weather. it is 8:26. i'm marcus washington. south bay water leaders are weighing a new rate hike. valley water proposing a hike

that would add more than $8 to average monthly bills. the increase would impact customers who use local water companies like san jose water, and this is a separate increase from the one san jose water is now considering, which would raise rates by 22% over three years, starting in 2025. valley water says that its rate increase would cover current projects for the anderson and pacheco dams. the vote is scheduled for may 14th, and so far there's no timeline. let's get a look at the forecast. a beautiful start to the day. >> we've had a lot of sunshine, milder temperatures, and it will be warmer this afternoon. we'll still see upper 70s for the east bay, but there will be a few spots like san jose and san martin, a high of 80 for today. in san francisco, we're looking at upper 60s and upper 70s for the north bay. and this repeats tomorrow and into the weekend, but eventually we're going to see a cooldown for early next week as the sunshine continues. >> thanks, kari. we'll have another local news

update in 30 minutes. i'll see you back here then.

♪ welcome to paris on the plaza. we transformed our corner of rockefeller center.

and we're celebrating, you guys, because we have 100 days until the olympics and paris. we have our own landmarks here. we will give these athletes a taste of what to come. >> some are olympic veterans. others are hopeful. they want to make paris their first olympic experience. we cannot wait to hear from all of them. we have a legend right here, grant hill. >> wow! >> big news about usa hoops. psyched to have grant hill here. >> of course, we're psyched about the new sports that will be debuting in paris, including surfing. and this morning, we're going to meet one of the guys hanging ten who will bring us that action. nbc's first ever surfing correspondent dude. >> dude! >> there is like a nationwide search for this. >> and, of course, no talk of paris is complete without some french word. our friend will be our very personal guide to our own nbc kitchen. >> but first the weather from

al. >> that's right.h accent. for friday, strong storms in the mid-atlantic. record highs to the south. a cold blast coming soon. and then sunny out west we're looking on saturday much of the day, flood risk down to texas. and then let's see what happened as i use looking at saturday, a nice day for much of the country, and a flood risk down to texas. good wednesday morning. today, we'll see temperatures in the inland areas up to 80 degrees. it's going to be well above normal with our temperatures coming down just a few degrees for the end of the week but the weekend is still looking very nice. upper 60s and low 70s for the start of next week while san francisco today will reach a high of 70 but then into the weekend, still seasonable with a

mostly sunny sky 100 days to paris is sponsored by delta airlines. official airline of team usa. >> all right. we brought a taste of paris to our plaza thanks to our sponsor delta. and we are so happy to have ceo ed. >> and we have brooke who hopes to represent team usa after its debut in tokyo. >> good morning. brooke, you have dedicated your life to this sport. what does it mean to you? it is a relatively new sport. wait. >> totally normal. >> coming right down. >> what does it mean to you this

moment and the hope of going to the olympics? >> yeah. it was incredible to be 1 of 20 athletes there and represent our sport. but this time feels very different, to have the support from the crowd and it not be a covid year so we get to celebrate with everybody. it is really special. >> we're so happy to have you here. delta is not committed. delta is super committed. tell us about it. >> we are happy to be one of the official sponsors to team usa. we look forward to brooke going over to paris on their way to the gold. keep climbing. no better place for delta to be than breaking the team usa odds. >> head's up. head's up. all right. we're pumped up. now we have something extremely special that's about to happen in this moment. i am looking for somebody special in this audience. everybody looks special. but where is -- is it lucia from louisville?

is that you? >> yeah. >> well, hello. how are you? is today your birthday? >> it is my birthday. >> how old are you today? >> 55. >> and this is big for a lot of reasons. >> my mom's birthday, too. and you used to be a principal and you are now? >> i'm retired. >> wow! this is really, really cool. we think we should celebrate this retirement. where's al? >> hey, lucia. happy birthday. we have this nice delta suitcase bag all filled with all kinds of delta swag for you. what do you think? >> that's amazing. >> i mean, that's kind of cool. it is nice to have a bag. it is nice to have swag. but, al, can't you do better than that? >> maybe something more. how about this? here's the deal. for your birthday, we are giving our friends from delta giving you two tickets to the olympics. plus -- plus -- yes. [ applause ]

>> not only that, you are getting two delta one tickets on delta airlines to fly to and from paris, and you are going to access to the usa house. >> i can't believe it! >> how is that double nickels birthday? >> it's wonderful. >> you cannot decide who you are taking. are you with your kids right now? >> somebody will have to flip a coin. >> we hope you have a great time in paris. enjoy. guess what? we'll see you there. >> happy birthday. >> thank you! >> happy birthday! >> isn't that crazy? oh, my god. all right, s.g. is that pretty crazy? >> happy birthday. nice job, ed. all right. guys, coming up next -- >> wow. >> watch out. these climbers will just descend right on you. more athletes have their sites set on paris from swimming, track and field, basketball and

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♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ welcome back to paris on the plaza. we earmarking 100 days until the olympics, and we can't wait. it is the perfect day to get to know some of the athletes. we are joined by the stars of swimming, of track and field. with me, an nba hall of famer hoping to lead team usa basketball to gold, grant hill. what a pleasure it is to see you. y'all, grant hill is here. you are the managing director of team usa basketball. that means you are instrumental in selecting the team. how are you feeling about our team? >> i feel great. it is very exciting. we have a great team. experienced guys. 7 former olympic gold medalists.

so we give ourselves a chance to win with the talent we have. and it will be exciting. it will be tough. it won't be easy. we have great respect for all the other teams. but certainly this will be an iconic roster. >> we put together a sizzle reel to take a look, so let's check it out. >> what if. >> what if. >> what if everyone could come together. what if dreams came true? what if america's greatest basketball players were all stacked on one team, lebron, k.d. and tatum making jaws drop. stef making it rain. embiid ruling the paint. what if you add a.d., booker, kawhi, haliburton, holiday -- bam, this summer the dream comes true at the paris olympics. >> oh, my word. come on, y'all. you have got lebron. you have got stef. you have an incredible roster. we know they're all good individually, but how do you make it so they work well as a

cohesive team? >> well, that's the challenge. but these guys are up to the challenge. they know what's at stake. no one cares who is the leading scorer, who has the most minutes. the goal is to win a gold. they know that. they want that. and they're fired up. >> we have won four golds in a row. we have won five. >> ask grant if we could get some tickets. that's going to be awesome. i'm here at team usa cafe. good morning. >> good morning. so you guys are the veterans. you are gold medalists. you have been there. how are you feeling about everything? >> i'm so excited. it is funny to think of myself as a veteran. i'm only 20. >> bobby, how are you feeling? you come from a family of swimmers. >> yeah. no, i feel great. i agree. it is definitely weird to be called a veteran now just

because i looked up to a bunch of swimmers that have been on the scene since i was little. to be with them is kind of amazing. >> we all remember you not just because of what you did in winning the gold medal but all of your super fans in alaska and the crowd just going crazy in your hometown when you won. what does it mean to be going back? now it will be different because tokyo there were really no fans to cheer you on. it is a different vibe. >> yeah. i mean, hopefully tokyo was like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and experience. paris will be completely different. i'm excited to experience the whole thing with my family and friends and just everyone back home supporting me, too. >> how about you? are you going to have fans in the stands? >> yeah. my lovely girlfriend has been taking charge of family that's coming for me, so i'm really excited to see it and hopefully be there with them. >> paris is not a hard sell. by the way, you are quite fashionable. you have a flare for fashion. what are you thinking about the team usa outfits you saw debuted today? >> yeah. i'm excited. i love navy blue.

they're actually cool. >> two names we know from tokyo and hopefully we will know in paris as well. good luck and we'll see you there. sheinelle, over to you. >> thank you, savannah. i am happy to be joined by gabby thomas and sensational skater jagger eaton. give them a round of applause. you guys are hyped. we were just talking about this. you took silver and you took bronze in tokyo. talk to me about getting a gold. you think about it when you are practicing. but when it comes to game time? >> exactly. we have been training for it and i have been trying to get a good direction. i know it will take a lot of hard work to get that gold, but i think i'm ready for it. >> you have been on a roll. you have had a secret broken ankle last time around and you still nabbed a bronze in tokyo. where does that determination come from? >> you know, i think that when you get in that environment and when you are around all these amazing athletes, you kind of just get inspired. >> with a broken ankle?

>> yeah. it's time. if your dreams don't scare you, it is not worth going for it. i was going for the gold then and going for the gold now. i feel great. >> cheers to that. here's another thing a lot of people don't realize. i just read since the tokyo games, you recently earned a masters in epidemiology. >> yes, yes. >> give her a round of applause for that. how did you balance studies and athletics, gabby? >> it is just something that i love. i love public health and i love track. so doing both and making that time for both is really easy for me. >> both of you guys are beyond impressive. thanks to all of you and all of our athletes. good luck at trials. i'm excited. are you excited? we're all hyped. up next, we are going to hang ten and dive into one of the newest olympic sports, surfing. but, first, this is "today" on

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into the first wave. it's john john florence. free falls. lets go of the rail. the wave unlocks. john john florence starts with an insane one. >> we are back. american surfer john john florence qualifying for the paris games. but you may be surprised to hear that the competition will not be happening in the french capital. >> well, where would you surf in paris? >> well, it is going to be taking place nearly 10,000 miles away in tahiti, which has some of the largest waves in the world. >> nbc partnered with visa to give a content creator the chance of a lifetime to cover all the surfing action in tahiti, and we are here to reveal that person. for the first time on the plaza, cj. congratulations. >> thank you. >> you are the man of the hour. first of all, how do you feel about this? and just describe it. >> yeah. it is absolutely unreal. this is clearly a once in a lifetime opportunity.

so i'm so blessed and so thankful to be here. >> what did you do, send in a video? >> sent in a submission video and went to puerto rico to show i was the man for the job. in puerto rico, i did what i would be doing in tahiti, recapping my story and shining the story of the athletes there and just trying to explain what surfing is and just keep them in the know. >> it's helpful because it is a newish olympic sport. you can help people understand what it takes, especially when you're talking about waves, getting the right waves and what the scale is. how do you think you will bring a unique perspective? >> well, my main goal is to just explain what surfing is, make it as accessible as possible. like you said, it is a new sport and it could be a very intimidating sport when you are watching the athletes surfing these huge waves. when people tune in, i want them to know it doesn't have to be that crazy.

i want them to know what the surfers are looking for when they're out there. what the judges are looking for to score the waves. and just, like i said, making surfing accessible to everyone. there is a lot to offer from the world of surfing. >> you get to go to tahiti! >> that's so cool. i watched some of your reporting. what is it about surfing that you love? >> when i was a little kid, i was absolutely afraid of the ocean. i watched "jaws" and decided it was not for me. then in 2019, my best friend convinced me to go surfing, and i just fell in love with it. my fear of the water was overcome by my love of being on top of the water. san diego. super cool and super blessed to be there. i have been chasing that wave every since. it's been so much fun. >> i'm from santa monica. >> nice. >> nice waves, long boarding.

how are the waves in tahiti? >> they're big. they're big waves. you can expect some fun competition out there, some barrels, hopefully. and athletes will bring their best. >> all right. i'd like to volunteer to go to tahiti. i've always wanted to go. >> he didn't make it this olympic trial. but i think he just -- am i correct he just retired? he's amazing. >> thank you so much. guys, coming up next, the perfect finish. eric repair will prepare us to eat our way through paris. he is going to share -- >> french fries. >> i know. the ultimate french food. but, first, this is "today" on nbc.

welcome back with our special olympic countdown. we cannot forget about arguably the most important part, the cuisine. and, of course, you want to eat and drink like they do in paris. we have to call in our famous

french expert. chef, always great to see you. thank you for being here. >> great to be here. >> when you get to france, what is the number one food to eat for the olympics? >> you are going to eat some cheese. a dry sausage. we have a blue cheese. brie. >> and the baguettes. >> the baguettes with butter. >> butter and then cheese. >> or just the baguette with butter is perfect. >> how is that cheese, pungent? >> you see. >> i do butter with the jam. >> yes. >> marmalade? >> yes. you can have the jam as well. look at that.

>> that's my jam. >> this is the perfect breakfast. >> i love it. >> it's good. >> you're welcome. >> we're used to french fries. >> what is the dip with the french fries. >> but with mayo. >> we serve it with mayonnaise. we serve it with mayonnaise. it's french mayonnaise. it is basically a snack you find in many places in paris. >> okay. >> who knew? >> bring your own ketchup. >> and we have the macarons. >> they are gluten free, and they are made with flour. inside we have some different toppings. foods, chocolate. it is very good. i see you're going to the fries,

huh? >> i love it with mayo. >> french fries, they're not really french? >> some say it is from belgium. the french say if you call it french fries, they're french. >> they're french now. >> is this champagne? >> this is champagne. >> yes, okay. >> and rose, my favorite. >> i've got one. thank you. >> do people just drink rose in the afternoon in paris? >> in paris, you can do it at 12:00 and all afternoon. >> guess what time our show comes on? >> 12:00! >> everyone has a glass. so what is a good toast in france? what does that mean? >> to your health. >> to your health. >> to your health. >> put this on your bill. >> cheers to all the athletes, guys. we can't wait.

>> cheers to all the athletes on the plaza. it's official. good luck to you all. >> we are so excited. chef, are you going to come over to paris for the olympics? >> absolutely. >> all the olympic action will be this summer on nbc and peacock. we are back with more fun, more food and team usa hopefuls after checking your local news and weather. cheers! cheers!

good morning, it is 8:56. just into our news room, did you feel it? a 2.5 magnitude earthquake and so far, there are no reports of damage or injuries. you can see here from this map where it was centered near santa rosa. now, of course, there arno injuries or anything to report but if we find out any information, we will pass that along on our website as well as during our midday newscast at 11:00. a push to control over robo taxis faces its first big hurdle in sacramento. that's where a bill will be

this morning on the 3rd hour of "today," it is our countdown to paris. the olympics jus