Episode: TODAY Show - March 26

[0:01] Good Thursday morning. The ongoing airport chaos reaching new heights fueling even more frustrations from travelers all across the country. It is March 26. This is today. Times at the nation's airports now the longest in history. In some cases more than four hours leaving angry flyers demanding answers. Absolutely crazy. Catastrophic. The TSA now warning its staffing crisis. [0:34] Could soon shut down entire airports. This level of disruption is unprecedented and unacceptable and significantly undermines the security of U.S. transportation systems. While lawmakers race to reach a funding deal before tomorrow's deadline. We'll have the very latest. Breaking overnight escalating attacks. The U.S. and Israel stepping up airstrikes across Iran. That country responding with missiles and drones. While President Trump pushes [1:05] peace and declares victory over Iran's nuclear threat. We had to cut out the cancer. The cancer was Iran with a nuclear weapon. We've cut it out. So where does it all go from here. We're live in the Middle East. Watershed moment. A second major verdict against the giants of social media this week. A jury deciding meta and YouTube designed their apps to be addictive to children with no concern for their mental health. [1:36] Roulette. [1:37] How many kids died that ruling. And the floodgates it could open in other cases. Sharing her story. Savannah sitting down with her in her first interview since her mother's disappearance revealing the moment she knew something was wrong. And my sister called me and I said is everything okay. And she said no. She said mom's missing. The agonizing search for answers now entering its 54th death. We cannot be at peace. [2:09] without knowing. Plus the lessons, strength, and faith learned from Nancy [2:17] that are now guiding her. She showed us how to survive the unimaginable. This [2:23] morning, the emotional and deeply personal conversation in the push to [2:27] bring her mom home. Those stories, plus on alert, millions waking up to a new risk of [2:33] severe storms, rain, wind, potential tornadoes, and brutal heat on tap from [2:40] California to Kentucky. Al's tracking it all. And take me out to the ballgame. It's [2:48] opening day for Major League Baseball fans set to pack stadiums across the [2:53] country after a big win for the Yankees in their first game of the season. [2:58] And that's going to get through and drive in a couple of the runs. As America [3:02] welcomes back the boys of summer today, Thursday, March 26, 2026. From NBC News, [3:13] this is Today with Savannah Guthrie and Greg Melvin, live from Studio 1A in [3:21] Rockefeller Plaza. And a very good morning to you. Welcome to Today on this [3:27] Thursday morning. Thank you for starting with us. Hoda, of course, with us this [3:30] week. Wow. Savannah spends time with her family. And speaking of SG, you got to [3:34] spend some time with her this week. Yeah, I got to sit down with her. It was a very [3:39] emotional conversation with Savannah, but there's really one goal here, and it's to [3:44] bring Nancy home, that someone must know something. But Savannah describes a lot [3:49] that went on that a lot of us didn't know about. And it's an important [3:53] conversation to have. And she was really brave to sit down and do it. We are all [3:57] very much looking forward to seeing and hearing that in just a few minutes. First [4:01] though, we are going to begin once again with the chaos at airports from coast to [4:06] coast and that new warning from the acting TSA director. Yeah, she's now [4:10] saying that some smaller airports may have to shut down if the funding standoff [4:14] goes on and on, adding that TSA officers working without paychecks have had their [4:20] utilities shut off, been evicted, some even sleeping in their cars. And it all comes [4:26] as the Senate again failed to move a funding bill forward overnight, with Congress about [4:31] to start a two week recess tomorrow night. We've got it all covered from the battle on [4:36] Capitol Hill to those long, long lines at airports across the country. NBC's Priscilla [4:41] Thompson is back at a packed George Bush [4:44] International Airport in Houston for us. Priscilla, good morning. Craig, good [4:50] morning. Another day of long lines here. I just was speaking to folks here who said [4:54] they'd been in line about two hours. But look at this. They still need to make it all the [4:59] way around this before they even make it to the entrance of screening. And look down [5:04] below. That is the line that they had to get through to even make it up here. That line [5:10] now stretching out onto the curb at airports across the country. More crowds and [5:19] chaos. This line wraps around three times before it gets out of this spot. Absolutely [5:28] crazy. Hours long lines snaking through terminals and beyond yet again as the partial government [5:35] shutdown drags into a 40th day. The TSA saying wait times are the longest in its history. [5:42] We got here about 10 o'clock. Oh, it's about 945. Wow. For a two o'clock flight. As Department [5:47] of Homeland Security officers who are being paid are on the ground helping to make sure [5:50] that they don't get caught up in the crowd. The TSA says they're working with crowd control. [5:55] TSA officers brace for another missed paycheck, marking a full month without any pay. The [6:01] acting TSA administrator saying many officers are struggling. Some are sleeping in their [6:06] cars, selling their blood and plasma and taking on jobs, second jobs to make ends meet, all [6:11] while being expected to perform at the highest level when in uniform. Transportation Secretary [6:16] Sean Duffy warning another missed paycheck could mean even more turbulence for travelers. [6:20] You're going to see way longer lines. More than 480 officers have quit since the start [6:27] of the shutdown. And this week, more than a third missed a shift in New York, Atlanta, [6:32] New Orleans and Houston. At Hobby Airport, nearly half of officers are calling out. Pressure [6:37] on lawmakers to reach a deal mounting from airline execs. It is unconscionable that our [6:44] government officials are leaving them without paychecks when they're doing a vital security [6:49] service. [6:50] We're going to have to make sure that they're not going to have to pay a fine. [6:51] We're going to have to make sure that they're not going to have to pay a fine. [6:52] Open up the government. [6:53] At Houston's George Bush Intercontinental. [6:54] One word to describe what you've experienced? [6:57] Catastrophic. [6:58] Traveler Elizabeth Hardiman says she shelled out $1,000 rebooking an international flight [7:05] and hotels. [7:06] We were at the airport for nine hours yesterday and still didn't make our flight. [7:09] Passengers waiting out this rocky ride with no smooth air in sight. [7:15] And one of the questions here is why is Houston so bad? Some of that has to do with this airport [7:21] being under construction. [7:22] And so there are only two general security checkpoints that are open that all of these [7:26] people are trying to funnel through right now. [7:28] Craig. [7:29] All right. [7:30] Priscilla Thompson for us there at Houston. [7:31] Priscilla, thank you. [7:32] All right. [7:33] Let's take a closer look at those massive wait times, how much they can vary from airport [7:37] to airport and the overall passenger frustration they're creating. [7:40] So let's turn to NBC's Aaron Gilchrist. [7:42] He's at the world's busiest airport in Atlanta, Hartsfield, Jackson. [7:46] Aaron, good morning. [7:47] How's it looking there? [7:48] Hey, Hoda. [7:50] Good morning. [7:51] The busiest airport in the world. [7:52] We've been watching this line outside the terminal that had doubled up on itself at [7:59] one point this morning. [8:00] Right now it's down to a single line, but we think it's about two football fields long [8:04] before you get to the door to get inside. [8:07] Can I ask how long have you folks been in line? [8:09] We've been in line only about 10 minutes so far. [8:12] About 10 minutes from here and then another football field length in front of her before [8:15] she gets to the door where there is another line inside that snakes through the airport [8:20] before you get to the TSA checkpoint. [8:21] I can tell you. [8:22] This is the worst that I've seen it in the two weeks that I've been back and forth to [8:26] this airport watching these lines where we know that TSA officers are not they're not [8:31] staffed in the way that they normally are for people to be able to get through here. [8:35] And the reality is folks are showing up early. [8:37] One lady told me she came and couldn't drop off her luggage because she was too early [8:41] to drop her bags. [8:43] But they're trying to get here early just in case so they don't miss their flights. [8:46] Hoda. [8:47] All right. [8:48] Aaron Gilchrist for us there in Atlanta. [8:49] Aaron, thank you. [8:50] So as for the root of the problem. [8:51] Yeah. [8:52] The Democrats have hit yet another roadblock in the battle over funding the Department [8:56] of Homeland Security. [8:58] The standoff now in danger of stretching into the looming Easter recess. [9:03] NBC's chief Capitol Hill correspondent Ryan Nobles picks up that part of the story. [9:07] Ryan, first of all, good morning. [9:09] Where do those talks stand right now? [9:11] Well, Greg, good morning to you. [9:13] And it's not good news. [9:14] They're still at a standstill again with another failed Senate vote, despite a glimpse of momentum [9:19] earlier this week. [9:21] Democrats latest counteroffer. [9:23] It's resoundingly rejected by Republicans. [9:25] The GOP Senate leader, John Thune, slamming it as, quote, not even close to real and said [9:30] they're going in circles. [9:32] Now Republicans want to fund DHS without ICE immigration enforcement in order to separate [9:37] those talks over reforms, which Democrats continue to push for. [9:41] Meantime, with airport lines increasing every day, President Trump showing frustration this [9:46] morning, calling on the Senate to eliminate the filibuster that requires 60 votes to pass [9:52] most legislation in the Senate. [9:53] But that's something most Senate Republicans still oppose. [9:56] Now, it's still up in the air if senators will leave for their two week recess tomorrow. [10:02] And Senator Thune went as far to say that there's no point in submitting another Republican [10:07] counteroffer to Democrats. [10:08] OK, Ryan. [10:09] Well, we're 40 days in. [10:10] No end in sight. [10:11] I mean, we hear these workers are selling their plasma and sleeping in their cars. [10:14] So how much longer can they go on without paychecks? [10:17] Well, Hoda, you know, we've been talking about this for a long time. [10:20] We've been talking about this for a long time. [10:21] We've been talking about this for a long time. [10:22] We've been talking about this for a long time. [10:23] We've been talking about this for a long time. [10:24] We've been talking about this for a long time. [10:25] We've been talking about this for a long time. [10:26] We've been talking about this for a long time. [10:27] Well, Hoda, you heard the numbers. [10:28] There's nearly 500 TSA officers who have resigned. [10:29] More than 3000 are calling out daily to work other paying jobs, gig jobs like Uber and [10:33] things like that. [10:35] Among the fallout is growing also with the Coast Guard, saying that it can no longer [10:40] pay utility bills for critical infrastructure and mission readiness for upcoming events [10:45] like the FIFA World Cup. [10:47] Now, even after a deal is made, it's still going to take time to get all these DHS workers [10:51] their back pay. [10:53] It could be between five to 10 days to process it and get it into their bank accounts. [10:57] One House chairman suggesting a radical move, closing Washington Dulles and Reagan National [11:02] Airport to keep senators grounded in D.C. until they can reach an agreement. [11:07] Guys. [11:08] All right. [11:09] Ryan Nobles for us there in D.C. [11:10] Ryan, thank you. [11:11] Now, meantime, breaking overnight, no let up in the Middle East with Israel and Iran [11:15] launching new strikes. [11:17] While here at home, President Trump's doubling down on his claim that Iran wants to make [11:21] a deal to end the war. [11:23] NBC's chief foreign correspondent Richard Engel is there on the ground, has the very [11:27] latest. [11:28] Hey, Richard. [11:31] Good morning. [11:32] Good morning, Hoda. [11:33] This morning, I am in an Arab village inside Israel that was hit just a short while ago [11:36] by an Iranian attack as President Trump just issued a new threat, saying that Iran better [11:42] get serious, better make a deal soon before it's too late and it won't be pretty. [11:50] Iranian missiles and drones are exploding this morning across the Middle East, including [11:56] in the United States. [11:57] Arab Emirates and in central Israel, several missiles detonated and caused injuries. [12:02] As the U.S. and Israel continue to attack Iran, gas prices are rising sharply worldwide, [12:09] with Iran blocking oil through the Strait of Hormuz. [12:12] President Trump says Iran is desperate for a deal. [12:15] They're afraid to say it because they figure they'll be killed by their own people. [12:21] They're also afraid they'll be killed by us. [12:23] The U.S. has presented Iran a 15-point plan through Pakistan. [12:27] The intermediary, according to Israel's public broadcaster, which says it reviewed a copy. [12:33] The 15 points include that Iran have no nuclear weapons or uranium enrichment, no long-range [12:40] missiles, no support for militant groups, and that Iran must open and keep open the [12:46] Strait of Hormuz in exchange for sanctions relief and ending the war, which President [12:52] Trump says he's avoiding calling a war because it could limit him legally. [12:57] I like the word war because you're supposed to get approval. [13:01] In Congress, Republicans and Democrats both complained of a lack of clarity about Trump's [13:06] military plans and endgame following a closed-door briefing yesterday. [13:11] While Iran's foreign minister says his country is not negotiating with the U.S., Iran has [13:16] nonetheless responded to Trump's 15 points with its own demands broadcast on Iranian [13:22] TV. [13:23] They include reparations for being attacked. [13:26] Recognition of Iran's sovereignty over Hormuz. [13:30] And guarantees that Iran will not be attacked again, as more than 6,000 American ground [13:35] troops, including Marines, sailors, and paratroopers, are en route to the region. [13:42] Israel's defense minister this morning said that Israeli forces have killed the head of [13:46] Iran's naval brigade that is responsible for the Strait of Hormuz. [13:50] All right, Richard Engel for us there. [13:53] Richard, thank you. [13:54] Lots we're going to get to this morning, including the second-largest U.S. military operation [13:55] in the history of the United States. [13:56] I'm Richard Engel. [13:57] I'm sorry to interrupt, but I'm going to get to the first question. [13:58] The U.S. is facing a landmark ruling this week at a closely watched social media trial, [14:02] this time a jury in Los Angeles finding Meta and YouTube negligent, in a case that accused [14:07] the companies of designing their apps to be addictive and harmful to children. [14:13] NBC's senior legal correspondent, Laura Jarrett, has all of the details on this one. [14:16] Laura, good morning. [14:17] Craig, good morning to you. [14:18] At times, this jury appeared deadlocked, asking multiple questions as deliberations stretched [14:24] on for nine days. [14:27] there are mounting questions about where things go from here, [14:30] especially for kids using these popular platforms. [14:34] This morning, a moment of reckoning for social media giant Meta, [14:40] a jury in Los Angeles finding the parent company of Instagram, [14:43] along with Google's YouTube, negligent for the first time, [14:47] accused of making their platforms intentionally addictive to children and teens. [14:52] It's not fair what they're doing to our kids. [14:55] Families who say their children fell down the online rabbit hole [14:58] gathering at the courthouse to watch the verdict. [15:01] Jurors awarding $6 million, including punitive damages, [15:05] to a now 20-year-old woman who says she became depressed [15:08] after using Instagram since the age of nine. [15:12] Her attorney telling us it's the hardest case he's ever tried. [15:16] This is not a case where someone lost a leg. [15:20] This is not a case where someone is dead. [15:22] This is a case where someone has, [15:25] social anxiety, social media took a bad condition in her life and made it worse. [15:30] The jury hearing strong pushback, though, from not only Meta boss Mark Zuckerberg, [15:35] but the head of Instagram as well, who emphasized safety features the company has added. [15:40] Teen mental health is profoundly complex and cannot be linked to a single app. [15:45] Both Meta and Google, the parent company of YouTube, which has denied it even operates [15:50] as a social media site, now vowing to appeal. [15:54] The civil verdict? [15:55] In Los Angeles, the second this week, after a New Mexico jury awarded the state $375 million [16:01] against Meta on Tuesday, accused there of failing to warn users about the platform's dangers. [16:08] Dangers, Lori Schott says, she wished she'd understood better. [16:13] Her daughter, Ana Lee, died by suicide in 2020, [16:16] after Schott says she, too, became addicted to social media. [16:20] Schott, now one of many others with similar lawsuits, [16:25] says she's not the only one. [16:25] To me, it's more validation that they knew what they were doing, [16:29] because a victory means we won. [16:30] And when we as parents have lost kids, that's not winning. [16:35] So right now, there are more than 1,500 other similar cases pending against Meta and other [16:40] tech companies. [16:41] But this verdict in L.A. doesn't automatically mean all of those win. [16:45] To be clear, these are hard cases, but it does show, guys, [16:48] how these jurors can be receptive to these types of novel claims. [16:51] And just the anguish of the parents, even in the win there. [16:53] You see them huddled around the phone. [16:55] Yeah, all right. [16:56] Thank you, Lori. [16:57] All right, what do you say we check on the weather? [16:59] We got Mr. Roker at the board. [17:00] Hey, Al. [17:00] Good morning, guys, and good morning to you. [17:02] We've got a very consequential cold front coming in, [17:04] going to cause different kinds of problems. [17:06] Right now, heavy showers and thunderstorms stretching from the Great Lakes [17:09] all the way into the Midwest. [17:10] 28 million people at risk for damaging hail, [17:13] wind gusts of over 75 miles per hour. [17:15] And in this enhanced area, we could be talking about some tornadoes [17:19] that are likely could be severe tornadoes as well. [17:22] We're going to watch that. [17:23] Now, also behind that system, [17:25] conditions, 8 million at risk for strong winds, [17:28] extreme fire behavior possible from Lubbock, Texas, to Rock Springs. [17:32] We're looking at 15 to 35 degree above average temperatures [17:36] ahead of this front. [17:37] Dozens of new records are possible from Yuma to D.C. to Daytona Beach tomorrow. [17:42] Front moves through, temperatures drop, [17:44] and we're going to see much cooler temperatures, [17:46] the plains all the way into the northeast. [17:49] We're going to get to your local forecast coming up in the next 30 seconds. [17:52] We're back 730 on this Thursday morning. [17:57] We'll be right back. [17:58] We'll be right back. [17:59] We'll be right back. [17:59] Good morning, guys. [18:00] Today marks 54 days since Nancy Guthrie was taken from her home in Tucson, Arizona. [18:04] And this morning, with the search about to enter its third month, [18:08] Savannah, Savannah's opening up to Hoda in her first interview [18:11] about her mom's abduction and all that's followed. [18:15] Yeah, what Savannah has shown in these past 54 days [18:18] is the most remarkable grace I've ever witnessed. [18:21] Our conversation was deeply personal, deeply emotional. [18:25] Savannah shared it all. [18:26] Her family's pain, their strength. [18:27] And most of all, the love for their mom. [18:31] Take me back to the day. [18:33] It was, I guess, a normal weekend for you. [18:35] Yeah. [18:36] The weekend your mom went missing. [18:38] Tell me what you were doing and what happened. [18:40] Well, we just, Mike, I had given Mike for Christmas a boys' trip to go play tennis. [18:45] And so he had been gone for the weekend. [18:47] So I took my kids actually to Carson's. [18:49] So we had a beautiful, fun night together. [18:54] And then I came home. [18:55] And really, it just got home at the same time that Mike came home. [18:58] And we were just saying, [18:59] hi, putting down our stuff. [19:01] And the kids were running around. [19:02] And my sister called me. [19:06] And I said, is everything OK? [19:09] And she said, no. [19:11] She said, mom's missing. [19:14] And I said, what? [19:15] What are you talking about? [19:18] She said, she's gone. [19:21] And she was in a panic. [19:25] I was in a panic. [19:26] I'm like, call 911. [19:28] She's like, I did. [19:29] We called them. [19:30] They're here. [19:31] And we thought that she must have had, like, [19:35] some kind of medical episode in the night [19:38] and that somehow, you know, the paramedics had come [19:41] because the back doors were propped open, you know? [19:47] And that didn't make any sense. [19:50] We thought maybe they came and there was a stretcher [19:52] and they took her out the back. [19:54] But her phone was there and her purse was there [19:57] and all her things. [19:59] And it just didn't make any sense. [20:01] So, you know, Annie and Tommy had already called all the hospitals. [20:06] But they didn't make any sense. [20:07] But then I'm like, I'm going to call the hospital. [20:09] So then I started calling the hospitals. [20:11] And the police were there and talking to her at the same time. [20:15] And it was just chaos and disbelief. [20:18] Within hours, Savannah was making the long journey home to Tucson. [20:23] You saw Annie and Kim when you got to their house. [20:28] Tell me about that moment. [20:30] Just disbelief and hugging each other. [20:33] And I think we were on the phone with the sheriff [20:36] and trying to talk to her. [20:37] And I think we were trying to, you know, really make clear as, [20:41] I mean, from the very early moments, you know, [20:44] Annie and Tommy were saying this isn't, this isn't that case [20:48] that you are used to where someone wanders off. [20:51] She can't wander off. [20:53] My mom, her, she was in tremendous pain. [20:57] Her back was very bad, you know. [21:00] She was trying to, on a good day, she could walk down [21:04] to the mailbox and get the mail, but most days not. [21:06] So there was no way. [21:08] There was no wander off. [21:11] And the doors were popped open. [21:12] Yeah. [21:13] And there was blood on the front doorstep. [21:17] And the ring camera had been yanked off. [21:20] Yeah. [21:21] And so we were saying, this is. [21:22] Yeah, do something. [21:24] This is not okay. [21:26] Yeah. [21:26] This isn't, something is very wrong here. [21:31] Yeah. [21:31] Did you guys talk about what possibly could have happened? [21:37] Like, what could have happened? [21:39] What went down? [21:40] Did you? [21:41] I think my brother. [21:45] I mean, my siblings are so amazing. [21:47] Mm-hmm. [21:50] My brother, you know, he spent his career in the military [21:56] and worked in intelligence and is a fighter pilot [22:01] and is brilliant. [22:03] And he saw very clearly right away what this was. [22:08] Yeah. [22:10] And even on the phone, when I called him, he knew. [22:15] He knew. [22:17] And he said, I think she's been kidnapped for ransom. [22:22] And I said, what? [22:23] Yeah. [22:25] Well, why? [22:25] What? [22:26] And then, I mean, it sounds. [22:27] So, like, how dumb could I be? [22:32] But I just, I didn't want to believe. [22:34] I just said, do you think because of me? [22:47] Sorry, sweetie, but that may be. [22:53] You did. [22:54] I hope not. [22:57] I mean, we still don't know. [22:59] Honestly, we don't know anything. [23:01] We don't know anything. [23:03] So I don't know that it's because she's my mom. [23:12] And somebody thought, oh, that girl, that lady has money. [23:18] We can make a quick buck. [23:20] I mean. [23:21] Yeah. [23:21] That would make sense. [23:22] But we don't know. [23:23] But yeah, that's probably. [23:26] Which is to think that I this to her bedside, [23:39] that it's because of me. [23:46] And I just say, I'm so sorry, Mommy. [23:48] I'm so sorry. [23:52] I'm sorry to my sister and my brother and my kids [23:56] and my nephew and Tommy, their loves. [24:02] I'm, like, so sorry. [24:03] I'm so sorry. [24:05] If it is me, I'm so sorry. [24:12] We want to thank all of you for the prayers for our beloved. [24:15] Mom. [24:16] In the initial days, you and your sister and brother [24:21] sat together. [24:22] In all the despair, you sat and managed [24:24] to think of words to say. [24:27] Were you able to do that in that moment? [24:31] Well, my siblings are amazing, and we are a unit. [24:43] And I talked about how brilliant my brother is, [24:45] but my sister is equally brilliant [24:48] and also has special powers of intuition and faith. [24:55] Mm-hmm. [24:57] And language and depth and heart. [25:02] And I feel like we came together with all these beautiful gifts [25:12] that came from our mom and dad and from God. [25:15] And somehow, together, we did our best [25:21] to come up with the words to say. [25:27] And I haven't posted one thing or said one thing [25:31] that the three of us haven't decided together. [25:37] It is surreal. [25:38] It's how is it possible that we are having to make a video [25:46] speaking to a kidnapper who took an 84-year-old woman [25:57] in the dead of night in her pajamas with no shoes, [26:05] without her medicine, this little person, [26:10] and to beg for mercy. [26:13] In the days that followed, multiple notes [26:16] demanding payment were sent to various media outlets. [26:20] The ransom note notes are ransom. [26:22] Mm-hmm. [26:22] Request. [26:23] Did you believe those to be real? [26:26] There are a lot of different notes, I think, that came. [26:30] And I think most of them, it's my understanding, are not real. [26:35] And I didn't see them. [26:38] But a person that would send a fake ransom note [26:47] really has to look deeply at themselves to a family in pain. [26:52] I believe the two notes that we received, that we responded to, [27:02] I tend to believe those are real. [27:06] Really? [27:11] The ring camera video surfaced. [27:14] And you could see who that person was. [27:20] Just tell me what you thought when [27:22] you saw those images of the person who took your mother. [27:30] I mean, it's just absolutely terrifying. [27:34] It's just totally terrifying. [27:41] And I can't imagine that that is who [27:46] she saw standing over her bed. [27:54] Yeah. [27:58] And I'm glad and grateful to the investigators, [28:02] and the technology companies that [28:05] were able to find that video to, I hope, [28:11] at least with people of good heart and compassion, [28:15] stop the irresponsible and cruel speculation [28:25] that had started to swirl. [28:28] Let's talk about that for a minute. [28:30] I'm glad that people saw what came to our door. [28:42] When you talk about the cruel speculation, [28:44] the whispers, the innuendo, that it was somebody in your family, [28:49] how did you weather that? [28:51] It's unbearable. [28:54] Yeah. [28:59] And it piles pain upon pain. [29:01] There are no words. [29:10] There are no words. [29:11] I don't understand. [29:14] I'll never understand. [29:19] And no one took better care of my mom and my sister [29:26] and brother-in-law. [29:29] And no one protected my mom more than my brother. [29:31] And we love her. [29:36] And she is our shining light. [29:38] She's our matriarch. [29:39] She's all we have. [29:42] Savannah and her family stayed together in Arizona [29:44] for weeks as the media coverage grew more intense. [29:47] We had to move houses many times because people came. [29:53] And not everyone is respectful, unfortunately, you know? [30:01] There was a night we had to leave in the dark, [30:06] in the desert, holding hands, me and my sister and brother [30:10] and I, get into a car waiting for us because the people [30:20] outside were closing in. [30:22] So we found a place that was safe. [30:27] And then we couldn't really get out. [30:31] We couldn't really leave too much. [30:33] So, like, those days are a blur, crying and praying. [30:38] How did your family feel about the way [30:40] the investigation was conducted? [30:44] Well, it's still going. [30:46] Yeah. [30:48] And people have worked tirelessly, tirelessly. [30:57] And we see that. [31:01] But we need answers. [31:06] We cannot be at peace without knowing. [31:12] And someone can do the right thing. [31:15] And it is never too late to do the right thing. [31:19] We're focused on that. [31:27] I think where Savannah ended that, [31:30] it's not too late to do the right thing, [31:32] is really, I think, the intent from the beginning. [31:35] I think she was, a fantasy was that someone sees it. [31:40] Someone who saw someone, who knows someone, [31:43] who will say something. [31:45] Because, you know, I think she really, [31:47] this is all about bringing Nancy home. [31:50] Well, it's still an open case. [31:51] We're 54 days in. [31:52] The bravery that she's showing in this interview [31:54] is not to shine a light on herself, [31:55] Right. [31:56] but to remind people that if you have anything [31:58] to do with this, if you know anything, [32:00] we firmly believe that somebody does know something, [32:02] it's not too late. [32:03] Yes. [32:04] We can still bring Nancy home if you call the number. [32:06] And one of the things Savannah actually said to me, [32:08] she said, please remind everybody [32:10] that there are lots of people who are missing. [32:13] And that's why her family has donated [32:16] to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. [32:18] And she wanted me to underscore that. [32:20] Because she, you know, she wanted [32:22] to be clear, like, this is also about a lot of people who [32:25] are missing. [32:26] But you guys know how strong Savannah is. [32:28] I have never, I mean, I knew she was strong, but not, [32:32] I didn't know how much until yesterday. [32:35] Yeah, when I sat with her. [32:36] Just of the takeaways there, the fact that our dear friend [32:41] would blame herself. [32:42] Oh, that was the hardest. [32:44] That was the hardest part. [32:45] Would blame herself for any of this [32:46] when it was some sicko or sickos out there who kidnapped [32:50] a woman in the middle of the night. [32:52] But the only SG could sit there and, you know, [32:56] and do that. [32:57] Yeah. [32:58] Because of the faiths that she has. [32:59] Yes. [32:59] That Nancy instilled in her. [33:01] And I think we're going to talk about that, Al. [33:03] In fact, in the next hour, we're going [33:04] to talk a little bit more about Nancy [33:05] and the faith that kind of brought her to this point. [33:08] So our love and prayers to Savannah. [33:11] Again, we want to mention, again, the phone number [33:15] to call. [33:16] If you have any information about this case, [33:18] that phone number is right there on your screen, 1-800-CALL-FBI. [33:25] We'll be right back. [33:26] Guys, coming up, a lot of sports fan. [33:31] We'll be breaking out the Peanuts and Cracker Jacks. [33:33] That's because it's MLB opening day. [33:36] It's finally here. [33:36] And eager fans ready to fill stadiums once again. [33:39] We're going to get you ready for all the excitement. [33:41] Coming up after a quick check of your local news. [33:43] It's 8 o'clock on today. [33:48] Coming up, hope and faith. [33:50] More from Hoda's emotional conversation with Savannah. [33:54] I'm trying to decide and do. [33:57] Let's get up and decide and do every day. [34:00] You know, I've felt terrible grief. [34:06] And I felt love. [34:07] I felt love. [34:10] I felt love. [34:10] And comfort. [34:13] As she opens up for the first time [34:15] since her mom's disappearance. [34:17] She's a noble creature. [34:19] She does what's right. [34:21] She walks in faith, but not fake as put on, [34:29] but like grounded, earthy. [34:34] She fought for it in faith. [34:38] In her own words, just a hand. [34:41] Then more TSA troubles, even bigger crowds and chaos [34:46] at airports coast to coast this morning. [34:49] This line wraps around. [34:51] Three times before he gets out of this spot. [34:56] Absolutely crazy. [34:59] Passengers now waiting in the longest lines in history. [35:03] And workers bracing for another missed paycheck. [35:07] We're live with the latest. [35:10] And Amanda P. Live. [35:12] The actress stopping by Studio 1A to talk about the new movie Fantasy Life. [35:17] Her first film in a decade. [35:19] I feel like I got it. [35:20] Good, good, good. [35:21] I wasn't recording it though. [35:22] Let me do it one more time. [35:23] Along with return of her hit series, [35:26] Your Friends and Neighbors. [35:28] It's all coming up. [35:29] All that plus play ball. [35:31] Major League Baseball is officially back. [35:34] And that's going to get through and drive in a couple of the runs. [35:37] And we're celebrating live on our plaza [35:40] with a special surprise for some lucky fans. [35:43] Today, Thursday, March 26, 2026. [35:49] Girls trip from Dallas, Texas. [35:53] Celebrating our anniversary. [35:55] From Jacksonville, Florida. [35:56] Hi, Dad. [35:57] I'm Joseph. [35:58] Go. [36:08] In Oregon. [36:11] Senior trip. [36:18] Oh, we love a senior trip. [36:19] Thank you so much for stopping by the plaza. [36:22] Cannot wait to get outside to say hello to those folks in just a few minutes. [36:26] Thank you for starting your Thursday morning with us here today. [36:29] Hoda in for Savannah, who you will actually hear from in just a bit. [36:33] Let's get right to your news at 8, though. [36:35] We're going to begin once again with that mounting chaos and frustration at our nation's airports. [36:39] Wait times at security checkpoints now the longest in history. [36:44] And with the partial government shutdown dragging on, the problem could actually get even worse. [36:50] NBC's Priscilla Thompson is at Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport with the very latest. [36:55] Priscilla, good morning. [36:56] Yeah, Craig, good morning. [37:00] Four hours is the estimated wait here right now. [37:02] We've been speaking to folks at this point in the line who have been waiting about an hour 45, two hours. [37:07] But they still need to make it all the way around and snake out. [37:10] They need to make it all the way around and snake through all of those lines before they even get to the screening entrance. [37:16] And look at what's happening down below. [37:19] They first had to get through this entire bottom floor that is just full of people waiting in these lines. [37:25] And we know that that is because Houston in particular is experiencing some of the highest rates of callouts at 40% at the other airport here. [37:33] But around 30% here at Bush and also in places like Atlanta, New Orleans, even New York's JFK. [37:39] These workers, CSA officers, are now in their sixth week without a paycheck, about to miss another paycheck on Friday. [37:47] And I do want to give just a little pro tip because I'm seeing a lot of families in line with small children who are standing and waiting for all of these hours. [37:55] Here at Bush, there is a terminal where people with mobility issues and small children can go and kind of get away from some of these extensive lines. [38:03] That may be something for folks to look into at their airports as well. [38:06] Craig? [38:07] Priscilla Thompson there in Houston. [38:08] Priscilla, thank you. [38:09] Thank you for having me. [38:10] I appreciate it. [38:11] Thank you, too. [38:12] Thank you, too. [38:13] So the New York State military says it carried out another strike yesterday against an alleged drug smuggling boat in the Caribbean Sea. [38:18] Officials say four people were killed in the strike as the Trump administration pushes forward with a monthslong campaign against alleged traffickers in Latin America. [38:27] Critics have questioned the legality of these boat strikes as well as their effectiveness. [38:31] To the world of sports we go. [38:34] It is opening day in Major League Baseball. [38:37] But. [38:38] facing the Giants in San Francisco. [38:40] And it didn't take long for those Yankee bats to heat up. [38:44] First and second with three runs in and still only one away. [38:47] First pitch to Trent Grisham. [38:49] Cracked up and sent into the right center field. [38:53] McMahon going to score easily. [38:56] There's a wrap. [39:02] So the New York Yankees would score five runs in that second inning. [39:06] They went on to win it 7-zip. [39:08] 22 more games starting today. [39:11] Season starts today. [39:12] Rest of the league will play tomorrow. [39:14] A lot of happy New Yorkers today. [39:16] All right, big day in the weather, too. [39:18] Hey, Al. [39:18] That's right, guys. [39:19] Good morning and good morning to you. [39:20] We've got severe weather today. [39:21] 28 million people at risk. [39:23] Damaging hail. [39:24] Tornadoes possible, especially from Springfield, Fort Wayne, Columbus, on into Cleveland. [39:28] That's what's going on around the country. [39:30] Here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. [39:34] We are back at 8-12 with more of Hoda's emotional one-on-one interview with Savannah. [39:39] Yeah, and this is part of our conversation. [39:40] Savannah opens up about her mom, Nancy, and what she means to the family. [39:45] And Savannah also told us about something deeply personal that she's never really talked about publicly. [39:50] An inspiring moment during her darkest hour. [39:54] You speak about your mom always in the present tense. [39:59] Yeah. [40:05] I mean, she is present tense to me. [40:08] Do you feel her or have you heard her any moments? [40:13] A little bit. [40:18] Tell me about your mommy. [40:20] Just tell me about her. [40:22] My mom is, she's incredible. [40:25] She's resolute and strong. [40:30] Quiet strength. [40:32] Quiet faith. [40:38] She's funny. [40:42] A little stribus, I would say, in her humor. [40:48] She's a noble creature. [40:51] She does what's right. [40:52] She walks in faith, but not fake, pious, put on faith, but like a grounded, earthy, she fought for it faith. [41:09] When you posted, please pray, in the beginning, the ocean of love and prayers, [41:19] did you feel that? [41:21] Did you sense what was happening? [41:24] I do feel prayers, you know? [41:26] I do. [41:27] I believe that. [41:28] I think she would have been just amazed. [41:31] Just truly amazed. [41:33] One of the images that stayed with me through all of this was you and Annie and Tommaso [41:39] walking up and looking at the flowers and at the notes. [41:45] As I saw that, I thought, I wonder if Savannah's going inside and what that must have felt like [41:52] for you to go. [41:53] To go inside of your mom's, your child at home, your mom's house. [41:58] Yeah, I mean, this is the house that we grew up in. [42:04] It's really the only house I've ever known and remember. [42:07] We moved there when I was about four, I think. [42:11] It's the house where I came home on a Friday night at 16, and my mom and sister were on the couch praying [42:19] and told me that my father had died. [42:22] It's the house where all of our memories are, good and bad. [42:29] So it's hallowed. [42:31] My mom loved and treasured that house in good years and lean years. [42:42] They were able to hold on to that house. [42:46] It's my mom's safe haven. [42:50] It's really hard to see that highlighted terror, terror that she must have felt. [43:05] It's unbearable. [43:06] It's unbearable. [43:12] Tell me, while you were spending all this time in Tucson, your kids were home. [43:21] What do they know? [43:27] It's so hard with kids because, you know, you want to protect them. [43:32] They all would write me all the time. [43:36] Mama, any leads? [43:38] Any leads? [43:39] Do you hear anything? [43:41] You know, any hope? [43:44] You know, we tried to talk to them and try to give them a little more certainty than we have to let them grieve. [44:07] And for my little nephew, Olmo, too, you know, he's, there's just a way in which this is even so much harder. [44:18] And Annie and Tommy and Olmo, because they're there. [44:21] They're there. [44:22] And they were there every day for my mom. [44:29] They made it possible for her to stay in the house we grew up in that she loved so much. [44:34] I think she always stayed in that house because I think she still felt my father there. [44:42] All our memories, you know, let her have her space. [44:49] And it's just a way in which this is just even more excruciating for them and all that they've been through. [45:02] I know it was a hard decision for you. [45:03] And I know you. [45:04] You told me about this was coming back here, leaving, leaving Arizona to come back to New York. [45:11] Why was that so difficult, that choice? [45:14] I looked out the window of the airplane and just thought, where? [45:21] Yeah. [45:21] Desert, that beautiful desert that she loves. [45:30] Where are you? [45:31] Could I leave you? [45:35] My mom taught me a lot about grief. [45:41] Our family knows grief. [45:44] My father passed when I was 16 years old. [45:47] He was only 49. [45:48] It was a shock. [45:53] And I remember my mom saying, [45:55] In those early days when Daddy died, like, you have to get up and decide and do. [46:06] Just decide and do. [46:09] She had read that in a book that meant a lot to her and her grief. [46:16] And so I remember, I always remember that. [46:20] So I'm trying to decide and do. [46:22] Decide and do. [46:23] Just get up and decide and do every day. [46:25] You know, I've felt terrible grief. [46:32] And I felt unbathable love. [46:37] And comfort. [46:38] The goodness and kindness of God is remarkable. [46:49] And in equal measure to my sorrow. [46:51] She showed us how to survive the unimaginable. [46:57] When she lost my dad, she was 46 years old. [47:01] She had three kids. [47:04] She had never worked outside the home. [47:07] She had to get up. [47:09] She had to find a job. [47:11] She had to mother two teenagers and one young adult. [47:16] Just starting making his way into the world. [47:19] She took care of her mother, her brother, who had Down syndrome. [47:28] She invited to come live with us. [47:33] She worked part time to make ends kind of meet. [47:44] She found a way, another job. [47:48] A job she turned into a full time job. [47:51] A job she turned into a career. [47:53] She had a second life of purpose and meaning. [48:01] She had a million friends. [48:06] She stayed strong for us. [48:08] She was resolute. [48:13] She was real. [48:15] She grieved. [48:19] I remember moments in my childhood and those days after my dad died. [48:24] She was so strong. [48:28] But some mornings, before dawn, when she thought we were still sleeping, [48:33] I would hear her crying at my door to not be alone in her grief. [48:43] She taught me to be strong. [48:51] Taught me to be true. [49:00] My faith is strong and resolute. [49:03] Early on, I heard one of the very few times in my life I did hear God speak to me. [49:24] As I said to myself, [49:26] I can handle anything, God. [49:29] I can handle anything. [49:30] I just can't handle not knowing. [49:32] I can't handle not knowing. [49:35] I have to know. [49:38] And I heard a voice that said, [49:46] You do know where she is. [49:48] She's with me. [49:50] She's with me. [49:58] So whether she is on this earth still, [50:02] or whether she is in heaven, [50:04] I know where she is. [50:09] I know who she's with. [50:15] We need to know. [50:18] I mean, Savannah's faith has been on display over the years, [50:27] but never. [50:28] I don't know if people realize that none of us have had much correspondence with her [50:33] over this whole 54-day ordeal. [50:35] So as we're watching this with the world, [50:38] we're learning and unpacking so much about our dear friend. [50:41] And it's hard to process here in live TV in the moment. [50:46] But what's amazing is the very source of her pain [50:50] is the very source of her faith. [50:52] And Nancy showing her the path, which is just amazing. [50:55] You get the sense by watching that, obviously, [50:58] the grief is just unfathomable. [51:01] It's hard to watch. [51:02] It seems like she's found some peace. [51:05] I think she's found some peace. [51:06] I think she has found some, [51:08] but I think she wants the answers, too. [51:10] She says that no one will steal the joy. [51:14] No one can walk into their lives and steal that joy. [51:17] But when she talked about the equal parts, [51:20] like she's seen the best of humanity and the worst of it. [51:22] She's seen the best of faith that's carried her through. [51:26] And her mom taught her that. [51:28] Like, still teaching her lessons to this day. [51:31] I learned so many things that I did not know about Savannah [51:34] in that moment, myself and Nancy, especially. [51:37] And the thing about Nancy, too, was she had this wicked sense of humor. [51:40] I remember saying something to her about a school in Arizona [51:43] that did not accept Savannah. [51:45] And she had a pithy remark. [51:46] Did she? [51:47] That's not repeatable, but with a smile on her face. [51:50] I have to say, and since we've all met and known Nancy, [51:53] to really understand who she is, is really special. [51:58] But we're going to hear. [51:58] Yeah. [51:58] We're going to hear a lot more from Savannah. [52:01] She actually revealed what her plans are, [52:05] not just returning home here to New York, [52:07] but returning home here to today. [52:10] So we're going to talk about that, her future. [52:13] And then tomorrow night, I'm going [52:14] to have more from our conversation. [52:16] It's a special edition of Dateline. [52:18] It's at 9 to 8 Central. [52:20] We'll learn even more. [52:22] We know you're watching us, G. We love you. [52:24] Can't wait to have you back. [52:26] Again, if you know anything, [52:29] that could help bring Nancy home, [52:31] we urge you to call that number on your screen, [52:33] 1-800-CALL-FBI. [52:36] We are back after a quick check of your local news, [52:39] weather, and these messages. [52:49] Special Thursday morning on the plaza all across the country. [52:53] You know why? [52:54] It's MFB. [53:00] We've got Mr. and Mrs. Met. [53:02] I mean, we're pro- [53:03] Wow, look at them. [53:04] Look, oh my god. [53:05] Mr. and Mrs. Met are on fire. [53:06] Everybody ready for another exciting season? [53:08] They're one of the happiest couples ever. [53:09] Yeah. [53:09] Well, you know, he gave her a big baseball diamond. [53:13] All right. [53:15] Major League Baseball, by the way, [53:16] returning to NBC and Peacock today. [53:19] This is great. [53:20] NBC's got all the sports we had back in the night. [53:22] We got it all. [53:23] We got it all. [53:23] And we also have a lot of fun ahead, [53:25] including the remarkable journey of the new lead voice [53:28] on Sunday Night Baseball on NBC, Jason Bonetti, [53:32] talking to Anne Thompson. [53:33] Can't wait. [53:34] But first, let's head over to Craig and Carson. [53:36] They're across the street. [53:37] Hey, guys. [53:39] All right, guys. [53:40] We're over here at the MLB opening day [53:42] activation in Rockefeller Center. [53:44] Joined by NBC Sports MLB analyst Adam Ottavino. [53:48] Congratulations on your gig, buddy. [53:49] Thank you. [53:49] Good to see you, Adam. [53:50] Thanks so much. [53:51] We've got this rising young star from Connecticut, Craig Melvin, [53:54] back here in the cage, Adam. [53:56] Yeah. [53:56] I actually heard him strike out. [53:58] Well, I just heard some contact right now, [54:00] so it must be improving. [54:01] I just heard the ball whizzing straight by and air, [54:03] like that. [54:04] Is that where the wind's coming from? [54:05] I don't know what's happening over there. [54:07] Let's talk about tonight's opening game. [54:09] You know, you played in over 700 games, 15 MLB seasons. [54:12] What's it like for a player tonight? [54:13] It's a big day. [54:14] You know? [54:14] You've been waiting for it. [54:15] You've been in spring training for about 45 days [54:17] leading into this. [54:18] So this is the moment you've been waiting for. [54:20] Obviously, it's just day one of 162, [54:22] but you want to get off to a good start today [54:23] and get the ball rolling here. [54:24] We're psyched to have you at NBC Sports. [54:26] What is the new season for you? [54:28] Tell me a little bit about where you're [54:29] at on the broadcasting front. [54:30] How are you going to work this as a former player? [54:31] I'm excited. [54:32] You know, this is a great opportunity for me. [54:34] I'm going to get to kind of bring my expertise out [54:37] a little bit, talk about some complicated topics, [54:39] make them simple for the fans, watch a lot of baseball, [54:41] have a lot of fun. [54:42] Make it sound simple, Adam. [54:43] Let's talk about the big matchup. [54:44] Opening day, we'll talk about last year's Cy Young winner. [54:48] Paul Skeen's going against the Mets here in New York. [54:50] That's a tough assignment for every Met [54:51] who comes up to the plate. [54:53] Oh, my god. [54:53] I mean, he's honestly one of the most promising young pitchers [54:56] we've seen in a really long time. [54:57] Wouldn't be surprising if he went out there and went [54:59] back-to-back Cy Youngs. [55:01] But a great starter on the other side, too. [55:02] Freddy Peralta making his Mets debut. [55:04] Should be a great pitching matchup. [55:05] You got the world champ Dodgers going against Arizona tonight. [55:09] Yeah. [55:10] Shohei Ohtani, what are we looking [55:11] forward to in that matchup? [55:12] Oh, man. [55:13] Any time Shohei's on the field, you [55:14] expect something great. [55:14] The Dodgers going for the three-peat. [55:17] They have the best team on paper I've maybe ever seen. [55:19] So I'm really excited to watch them kick it off tonight [55:20] as well. [55:21] Thanks, Adam. [55:21] Good to see you, man. [55:22] Congratulations on opening day. [55:23] Be sure and catch the start of the big games. [55:25] The Mets and Pirates are at 1 PM Eastern. [55:28] And come on back at 8 PM, Diamondbacks [55:30] will be facing off against those World Series champs, [55:33] the LA Dodgers. [55:34] All that action, of course, right here on NBC. [55:36] And Peacock, Uncle Al will pitch it right back to you. [55:39] All right. [55:40] I'm catching what you're pitching, Carson. [55:41] As mentioned, our crowd obviously ready [55:44] for opening night. [55:44] It's opening day. [55:45] Oh, my gosh. [55:46] This has got to be the New York Mets' number one fan. [55:48] What's your name, young man? [55:49] Patrick. [55:50] Patrick. [55:51] And where are you from? [55:52] New Jersey. [55:52] New Jersey. [55:53] And you're a big Mr. Met fan. [55:55] Did you see me? [55:56] Did you meet Mr. Met? [55:57] All right. [55:57] And Mrs. Met? [55:58] Well, you know, guess what? [56:00] Mr. And Mrs. Met, over this way, I [56:02] think you've got a little something here. [56:05] So Patrick, Mr. And Mrs. Met, you got to meet them. [56:08] Mrs. Met, you have a little something for Patrick? [56:10] I think so. [56:11] Look at this. [56:12] We've got opening day game tickets. [56:14] It's for you today. [56:19] Citi Field, how many did you get? [56:24] Are they going all the way this year? [56:25] I don't know. [56:26] I don't know. [56:28] You could be a weatherman. [56:29] Yeah. [56:30] All right, Patrick. [56:31] Very good. [56:35] 838. [56:36] We are back with beloved actress Amanda Peet. [56:39] Beloved indeed. [56:40] She first broke onto the scene next to Bruce Willis and Matthew [56:43] Perry and the whole nine yards and followed that up [56:47] with her iconic role in Something's Gotta Give. [56:49] Most recently, she's kept us coming back for more [56:52] in the hit drama series. [56:53] Your favorite? [56:53] Friends and Neighbors. [56:54] And now, now Amanda's returning to the big screen [56:57] for her first feature film in more than a decade. [57:00] So it's called Fantasy Life. [57:02] And it follows her character's unexpected relationship [57:05] with the man hired to babysit her kids. [57:08] Take a look. [57:09] Hey, it's me. [57:12] Do you know where a turkey neck is? [57:13] The area where the tapes are to be placed [57:15] must be dry and free of oil. [57:17] Oh my god. [57:17] Are you free of oil? [57:18] Over your ear? [57:19] Yeah, over the top of my ear. [57:20] Am I hurting you? [57:21] No, that's fine. [57:22] Maybe try to go up a little more so it's like up. [57:25] I love it. [57:26] Love it, Amanda. [57:27] I was just doing that. [57:28] Just now in the back, that was a whole thing. [57:30] OK, by the way, we've been waiting [57:32] for you to come back to film. [57:34] We've been waiting for you here, but also 10 years. [57:36] So this had to be a good one for you to come back. [57:39] Someone told me it was 10 years, and I was really devastated. [57:42] What? [57:42] So what was it about this script that brought you back? [57:46] I just loved the story. [57:48] I loved the sense of humor and this idea [57:51] that there was kind of this affair between a manny [57:56] and this woman. [57:56] This rich, you know, Brooklyn mom. [57:59] I mean, it's, you know, it's a little dicey, but, uh. [58:02] I like it. [58:02] You love the story. [58:04] You love the script, and people are loving it, too. [58:06] Just a few of the reviews floating around. [58:08] Quote, Amanda Peete gives the performance of a lifetime. [58:12] Quote, her range is off the charts. [58:14] Easily the best work of her career. [58:16] Wait. [58:17] I mean. [58:18] Come on. [58:18] Yeah, I don't know. [58:19] Yeah, I don't know what happened. [58:21] 54 years old. [58:23] I mean, as you were filming this, did you know? [58:25] You're like, oh, this is special. [58:26] This is different. [58:27] I mean, I really loved the writing. [58:29] And like I said, it's kind of an unusual romantic comedy, [58:33] as you can probably imagine. [58:35] Did you say 54 years old? [58:36] Yes. [58:37] Is that what you just blurted out? [58:38] Yes. [58:39] God, this is awesome. [58:40] I'm so into where your career is, where your life is. [58:44] Thank you. [58:45] And you actually just, you revealed something [58:49] a little while ago that you are now, you have breast cancer. [58:54] And what made you decide you wanted [58:56] to talk about it? [58:56] What made you talk about that publicly, even in that essay? [59:01] You know, I didn't really have an agenda. [59:05] I just, it just, neither of my parents are religious. [59:10] So I wondered if it was kind of, because my parents [59:12] were in hospice at the time. [59:15] And maybe it was kind of a way to just kind of cope [59:18] and contain what was insanity, this kind of intersection [59:26] between the two of us. [59:27] And I think that was a big, big life moment. [59:29] So yeah, but I didn't have a plan. [59:32] When you hear the words breast cancer, and I mean, [59:35] it happened to me a while ago, but I do know the feeling [59:38] of hearing the words. [59:40] But now I feel like it's sort of different, [59:42] you know, that there is a clear path forward. [59:45] Yes. [59:46] Yes. [59:46] I was extremely lucky. [59:49] And obviously, you know, I have great health insurance [59:53] because of SAG, and my husband, and I have a nanny. [59:56] And I have a lot of people around to take care of me, [59:59] but not everybody has that. [1:00:01] So I've also been giving that a lot of thought. [1:00:04] And you know, the other thing that's really worrisome [1:00:07] is I have lobular cancer, which is understudied. [1:00:11] And so yeah, we need more research. [1:00:14] And I think that's going to be a critical thing [1:00:17] as we go forward. [1:00:19] We cannot let you go before we talk [1:00:21] about one of my favorite shows, season two, [1:00:24] your friends and neighbors. [1:00:25] It's about to drop. [1:00:26] So first of all, what can fans expect, [1:00:28] fans of the show in this new season? [1:00:30] And by the way, congratulations. [1:00:31] It was announced. [1:00:32] They've already picked it up for season three. [1:00:34] I don't understand. [1:00:35] What's going on with you right now? [1:00:36] Yeah, I don't know. [1:00:37] I don't know. [1:00:38] Hot streak. [1:00:39] Hot streak. [1:00:40] You're in a moment. [1:00:41] Yes, you're on fire. [1:00:42] Yeah, I think the exciting thing is that one, [1:00:48] too many people maybe are finding out what Coop is up to. [1:00:52] Oh. [1:00:53] So it's going to get a little dicey and more [1:00:56] and more suspenseful. [1:00:58] And yeah. [1:00:59] And you're introducing a new character this season, too. [1:01:02] Yes, the gorgeous James Marsden. [1:01:05] OK. [1:01:06] Who had in his wake as he would walk onto the set, [1:01:09] fainting women behind him. [1:01:13] He is a handsome man. [1:01:14] He is a handsome man. [1:01:15] So now we have two gorgeous men. [1:01:16] You're such a lovely person. [1:01:17] I feel like I want to be friends with you right now [1:01:19] while you're talking. [1:01:20] I want to be friends with you, too. [1:01:22] I can feel it happening. [1:01:23] It's happening here. [1:01:24] You are a delight. [1:01:25] Excuse us. [1:01:26] I know. [1:01:27] I'm fine. [1:01:28] I'm fine. [1:01:29] All right. [1:01:30] You can catch Fantasy Life in theaters nationwide [1:01:32] and season two of Your Friends and Neighbors on Apple TV, [1:01:35] both out on April 3. [1:01:37] Both out on April 3, too. [1:01:39] So again, in three years. [1:01:40] It's all happening. [1:01:41] Just ahead, the new play-by-play voice [1:01:44] of Sunday Night Baseball on NBC and Peacock, [1:01:47] sharing his remarkable journey to his dream job [1:01:50] ahead of that opening day debut. [1:01:52] Anne Thompson's going to have that story. [1:01:54] But first, this is Today on NBC. [1:01:56] We're back now with an unforgettable moment [1:02:38] when fans were able to run on the field. [1:02:40] In that, the history of Major League Baseball, [1:02:42] of course, legendary Hank Aaron there, [1:02:44] belting his 715th career home run [1:02:46] to break Babe Ruth's long-standing record [1:02:48] that was during that 1974 broadcast here on the network. [1:02:51] I don't think I ever actually knew it was on NBC, that call. [1:02:54] Wow. [1:02:55] It's fitting because in a year that we're celebrating [1:02:57] 100 years of this network, baseball back on NBC. [1:03:01] That's right. [1:03:02] Baseball back on NBC. [1:03:03] That's right. [1:03:04] Baseball back on NBC. [1:03:05] That's right. [1:03:06] Baseball is literally in our DNA. [1:03:08] We've been sharing must-see moments [1:03:10] since the very first televised game on NBC back in 1939. [1:03:16] NBC's Anne Thompson joins us. [1:03:17] She's got the latest. [1:03:18] Hey, Anne. [1:03:19] Good morning. [1:03:20] It's so fun to see you. [1:03:21] I got to go to spring training, so this was great. [1:03:23] Tonight, Jason Benetti makes his debut [1:03:25] as the play-by-play voice of baseball on NBC, [1:03:28] following in the footsteps of Hall of Fame broadcasters [1:03:31] Kirk Dowdy, Tony Kubik, Joe Garagiola, Vin Scully, [1:03:34] and Bob Costas. [1:03:35] Now, that may make you think that Benetti is an underdog, [1:03:38] and that's okay with him because, [1:03:40] as he told me at spring training, [1:03:42] he just loves underdogs. [1:03:45] This baseball season, [1:03:46] the best seat in the house is next to Jason Benetti. [1:03:49] First of all, somebody lets me sit here, [1:03:51] and then somebody pays me to sit here. [1:03:53] They're both ridiculous. [1:03:54] Paris gets... [1:03:57] The voice of the Detroit Tigers. [1:03:59] A city that doesn't care about the odds [1:04:03] has a baseball team today. [1:04:05] The match. [1:04:06] Is now also the voice of Sunday Night Baseball on NBC. [1:04:10] If you said to people in high school, [1:04:13] we're going to pick one of your classmates, [1:04:15] and we are going to put them in between two athletes [1:04:18] that are new every week, [1:04:20] and it's going to be their job [1:04:22] to get the most out of those athletes, [1:04:24] who would you pick? [1:04:27] I don't think I would have been on the medal stand. [1:04:30] It would not be because of talent. [1:04:33] Benetti ascends to that metaphorical medal stand [1:04:35] with two decades of experience, [1:04:37] including ten years in the minors [1:04:39] and eight years with the Chicago White Sox, [1:04:42] perfecting a style delivering fun... [1:04:45] I'm 60 feet, 6 inches. [1:04:46] Just off the edge of the green. [1:04:48] ...and humor... [1:04:49] We like to stay on topic here, but squirrel. [1:04:51] ...to America's game. [1:04:53] So what could have held him back? [1:04:55] Cerebral palsy. [1:04:56] I was always fearful of two things. [1:05:00] Not getting a job because of how I look [1:05:02] and getting a job because of how I look. [1:05:06] CP gave Benetti a drifting eye and an unusual gait, [1:05:10] dashing his childhood dream [1:05:12] of playing the tuba in the marching band. [1:05:15] The high school band director made Benetti the announcer. [1:05:18] I have no idea what made Bill Jastrow think, [1:05:22] like, he could do this, [1:05:24] but I am so unbelievably thankful that he did it. [1:05:27] Revealing Benetti's skill and determination [1:05:30] that's leveling the playing field. [1:05:33] He's a favorite of Tigers manager A.J. Hinton, [1:05:36] and he's a huge fan of baseball. [1:05:38] I'm just happy that you give a little bit of time [1:05:40] to baseball, given that you're an expert [1:05:42] in baseball, basketball, football, hockey, and travel. [1:05:45] Teasing rooted in respect. [1:05:47] We talk baseball a lot. [1:05:49] He respects my job. [1:05:50] He knows a lot of what goes into my job, [1:05:52] and just the way we break down the game is similar. [1:05:55] In the booth, Benetti's score sheet is a tablet. [1:05:58] I'm a chronic color coder. [1:06:00] So, like, walks are green and strikeouts are orange [1:06:03] and run scoring plays are blue. [1:06:05] Has there ever been a moment [1:06:07] when you were at a loss for words? [1:06:10] Some people wish. [1:06:12] That's actually my favorite part of games, [1:06:16] is when I just have to take a second [1:06:18] and say, what is this? [1:06:20] He lives in the moment. [1:06:22] No pre-scripted lines, no signature call. [1:06:25] Winning a legion of fans in Michigan, [1:06:27] including NBC Sports' Mike Tirico. [1:06:30] I get to hear Jason on a night-in, night-out basis, [1:06:32] because it feels like you've got a friend [1:06:34] who's coming over to tell you about the baseball game. [1:06:36] Long summer nights are what baseball's all about, [1:06:39] and Jason is the perfect companion for that. [1:06:42] This new gig will have Benetti [1:06:44] paired with different baseball legends every week. [1:06:46] People always talk about, like, [1:06:48] okay, if you could go to dinner with three people, [1:06:50] who would you pick? [1:06:53] And I get to have that kind of dinner every week. [1:06:58] A feast for the viewer and Benetti. [1:07:01] Why is being the best so important to you? [1:07:04] Yeah, it's the only answer. [1:07:06] The only way for this career to happen, [1:07:11] no matter what you look like, [1:07:13] no matter who you are, [1:07:16] do the work. [1:07:17] Not they'll put you in it because of, [1:07:20] or they won't put you in it because of. [1:07:23] Just do the work. [1:07:27] Now, Benetti is a big fan of The Voice. [1:07:30] Carson, he loves your show, [1:07:32] because that first connection that the coaches make [1:07:35] is just on pure talent. [1:07:37] That all they hear, they don't know how you move, [1:07:39] they don't know what you look like. [1:07:41] It's just that talent, [1:07:42] and he loves that show for that reason. [1:07:44] How refreshing is it? [1:07:45] First of all, what a great hire by this message. [1:07:47] What a great hire. [1:07:49] And he's beloved in Detroit. [1:07:51] He's funny and smart. [1:07:52] Got his message. [1:07:54] All those great baseball announcers [1:07:56] that you talked about in the beginning, [1:07:57] they all had that character, [1:07:59] that spark and that humor. [1:08:01] Able to bring the game to non-fans. [1:08:04] I mean, that's the real test. [1:08:05] And I think when you think of Bob Costas, [1:08:07] especially getting that pop up, [1:08:09] that's what Benetti does. [1:08:11] Squirrel! [1:08:12] Squirrel! [1:08:13] So good. [1:08:14] Wow, that was great, Anne. [1:08:15] Thank you so much. [1:08:16] Don't forget, there are two big games [1:08:17] on NBC and Peacock tonight. [1:08:19] We got the Mets and Pirates at 1 Eastern, [1:08:21] and come on back for the Diamondbacks [1:08:22] and World Champs, the Dodgers at 8. [1:08:24] All right, we're back in a moment, [1:08:25] but first, this is Today on NBC. [1:08:28] Welcome back, Al. [1:08:31] How about some birthdays? [1:08:32] I love that idea. [1:08:33] Let's spin those Smucker's jars [1:08:35] and see who we've got up. [1:08:37] First up, a happy 100th birthday [1:08:39] to Frida Esquivel. [1:08:41] She's from Brooklyn, New York. [1:08:43] She loves to crochet. [1:08:44] Potholders are her signature creation. [1:08:46] And a 100th happy birthday [1:08:48] to Victoria Belzano of Utica, New York. [1:08:51] Her secret to longevity, daily prayer, [1:08:54] gratitude, and, of course, chocolate. [1:08:56] Lowell Wendland of Topeka, Kansas is 100. [1:09:00] He had a long career as a pastor [1:09:02] and loved sharing God's love with so many. [1:09:05] Happy 100th birthday to Teresa Matthews [1:09:08] of Maui, Hawaii. [1:09:10] Oh. [1:09:11] She loves figure skating [1:09:12] and her favorite hobby, [1:09:13] completing 1,000-piece puzzles. [1:09:16] Frances Hayes of Marco Island, Florida, is 100. [1:09:19] She's also an avid golfer, [1:09:20] loves playing bridge, [1:09:21] and never passes up a trip to the casino. [1:09:24] All right. [1:09:25] And happy 100th birthday [1:09:26] to Frederick Brown of Lebanon, Pennsylvania. [1:09:28] A World War II vet, [1:09:29] served as a radio man [1:09:30] during Battle of the Bulge, [1:09:32] earning a Bronze Star for his heroism, [1:09:34] and we thank you for your service. [1:09:36] Now, look who joined the conversation. [1:09:38] Good luck, guys. [1:09:40] This is Matt. [1:09:41] Big opening day there, guys. [1:09:42] Wow. [1:09:43] Always had a crush on Mrs. Matt. [1:09:45] All right, guys. [1:09:46] Good luck to the Mets and Pirates. [1:09:48] All right, guys. [1:09:49] Hey, guess what, guys? [1:09:50] Who? [1:09:51] Jenna and Chanel are in Jamaica [1:09:52] for the fourth hour. [1:09:53] They're gonna take us on a fun tour [1:09:54] of the island, [1:09:55] enjoying their party, [1:09:56] some big stars, [1:09:57] Cheryl Lee Ralph and Shaggy. [1:09:59] Wow. [1:10:00] Nice. [1:10:01] All right. [1:10:02] Well, Citi Field's right near Jamaica. [1:10:04] Jamaica, please. [1:10:05] All right. [1:10:06] But first, [1:10:07] a check of your local news [1:10:08] and weather. [1:10:09] Hey, thanks for watching. [1:10:10] And don't forget, [1:10:11] you can catch The Today Show [1:10:12] every morning on NBC [1:10:14] or take today [1:10:15] when you're on the go. [1:10:16] Just follow The Today Podcast [1:10:18] on Apple Podcasts, [1:10:19] Spotify, [1:10:20] or wherever you listen.