Morning News NOW Full Episode – April 1

[0:06] Breaking right now on Morning News Now, all systems go. This morning, history unfolding [0:12] at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA's historic Artemis II moon mission, [0:18] now less than 12 hours away. Liftoff is set for 6-24 tonight. Right now, four astronauts [0:25] preparing for liftoff, including the first woman and the first black astronauts to go [0:30] on a lunar mission. Their epic 10-day journey, taking them around the Earth and the moon, [0:36] for the first crude lunar orbit in more than five decades. It's about human history. It's [0:43] the story of humanity, not black history, not women's history, but that it becomes human [0:47] history. Tonight's launch coming after years of preparation and months of delays. The goal, [0:54] to test technology meant to establish a long-term presence on the moon and beyond. [1:00] We finally arrived. I mean, the next chapter in America's journey to the moon is about to begin. [1:05] You got America's moon rocket out on the launch pad. You got [1:08] four astronauts that are about to make history. We're about to make our return to the moon, [1:12] and this time, to stay. Good morning. Thanks for joining us. We are orbiting the moon this [1:18] morning here. Yeah, look at how cool that is. Our team going all out with the graphics on [1:22] this big day. I'm Joe Fryer. Yeah, and look at me. I'm in my space shirt. I'm Savannah Sellers. [1:26] Let's get right to it. Meteorologist Angie Lassman will have a look at the weather ahead [1:30] of the launch window. But let's start with NBC News senior correspondent Tom Costello [1:35] at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Tom, good morning. [1:40] Good morning. So this may be the biggest mission for NASA since Apollo 17 in 1972, [1:46] sending astronauts back around the moon. That's the first time that we've had astronauts [1:51] on a lunar trajectory, if you will, since the early 70s. Tanking, fueling begins in the 730 [1:58] half hour, 730,000 gallons of fuel. The four astronauts who are going to be on board, [2:04] they've been in seclusion or quarantine. That's a necessary procedure to make sure that they don't [2:10] get a germ or something before they start heading off on a 10-day mission with just the four of them. [2:15] And as you know, they are Reid Weissman, the commander, Victor Glover, the pilot, [2:19] also Christina Cook, the mission specialist, and finally Jeremy Hansen, a mission specialist, [2:24] and the Canadian on board. This is the mission that NASA has been planning for, [2:29] and it sets the stage now for actually landing astronauts on the moon as soon as [2:34] 2028. And the big change here at NASA in the last few weeks is that NASA is now prioritizing [2:40] that with two missions to land on the moon as soon as 2028. Next year, Artemis 3 will be in a [2:46] Earth orbit in which they are going to be testing all of their docking procedures, [2:52] everything that they will need to fully vet that spacecraft, the Orion spacecraft, before [2:56] they in fact go to the moon and put astronauts on the moon. So far, weather here today, 80% chance [3:03] of a go condition, no serious technical issues working. And so right now, very much everybody [3:10] at Kennedy Space Center is ready for this very big day. Joe and Savannah, back to you. [3:15] All right, Tom, thank you. [3:16] All right, as we get closer to liftoff, we will be keeping a very close eye, of course, [3:19] on this Artemis 2 mission. So stay with us. We're going to bring you an update on all of [3:23] the launch preparations with in-depth analysis from a panel of experts later in the hour. [3:28] And be sure to watch the start of this 10-day journey around the moon during our special [3:32] coverage right here on NBC News Now. It's going to start at 4 p.m. Eastern time. [3:35] Let's bring in meteorologist Angie Lassman for a check of the conditions for today's lunar launch. [3:40] Angie, this is so important. What can NASA and the crew of Artemis to expect? [3:43] So important indeed. And we've got a couple of things that we're looking at right now, [3:47] along with, of course, those NASA meteorologists. Here's the current lay of the land for [3:51] Cape Canaveral and Kennedy Space Center, where 39B launch pad is. We've got southeast winds just [3:57] two miles per hour, temperatures hovering into those mid to upper 60s, and wind gusts coming [4:01] in at about five miles per hour. Notice that we've got a couple of these little showers that we're [4:05] tracking right now. And there is a potential to see some of those showers kind of centered [4:10] across the state as we get into the middle part of our day. The good news is once we get to the [4:14] launch window of 6.24 p.m. to 8.24 p.m. tonight, it looks like most of that rain will have died [4:20] down. We've got just a light sea breeze that we're looking at anywhere from five to ten miles per [4:24] hour out of the east. Right now, NASA looking at mainly cloud conditions and some elevated wind [4:31] speeds at the surface. Those are the two things they're kind of honing in on for tonight's launch. [4:35] But as you heard Tom say, 80 percent favorable. This is actually pretty ideal for, [4:40] for launch. Now, if it doesn't happen tonight and we look ahead to tomorrow, not quite as good when [4:44] it comes to the weather. We've got thunderstorms possible for your day tomorrow. And really, [4:48] the cloudy conditions and the elevated winds will be there as well. So multiple other things that [4:53] we'll have to watch for. If we look ahead to Friday, that next launch window, 8 to 10 p.m. [4:57] on Friday, still the cloud cover, the isolated showers and storms. So hopefully, fingers crossed, [5:03] everything is a go for tonight. We'll keep an eye on that. We're also watching an area of some kind [5:10] of weather across parts of the Midwest stretching to the northeast. Late afternoon, we've got some of [5:14] these stronger storms developing. And this kind of ramps up the potential for some severe storms [5:19] centered across the middle of the country. There is an enhanced risk for places like Oklahoma City. [5:23] So damaging hail, wind gusts and a couple of tornadoes will be likely. And we're not done [5:28] with our severe potential as we get through the day today. Instead, tomorrow, we're kind of looking [5:32] at that intensifying storm across the upper Midwest. The snow, the freezing rain, the rain [5:36] and the potential for thunderstorms will all be there. And guys, it's going to be [5:40] Chicago, Detroit, Indianapolis that have to watch for the potential for some of those stronger [5:43] storms with hail, wind gusts and tornadoes on the table. Back over to you. All right. Thanks, Angie. [5:48] As if a voyage to the moon wasn't a big enough story for one day. This morning, the Supreme [5:53] Court is also going to hear arguments in the high stakes case over President Trump's executive order [5:57] challenging what has long been believed to be the constitutional right to birthright citizenship. [6:02] Trump issued the order last year on the first day of his second term. It declares that children [6:07] born to parents who are in the U.S. [6:10] legally or temporarily are not American citizens. The justices will hear the Trump administration's [6:15] appeal of a lower court ruling, which struck down those restrictions. The American Civil [6:20] Liberties Union, the ACLU, is leading the challenge to Mr. Trump's order, calling it [6:24] unconstitutional and just out of step with American values. In an unprecedented move, [6:29] President Trump says he plans to personally attend today's hearing. He also weighed in on the case. [6:35] Everything having to do with birthright citizenship, [6:39] it was at the end of the [6:41] Civil War. The reason was it had to do with the babies of slaves and the protection of the babies [6:48] of slaves. It didn't have to do with the protection of multi-millionaires and billionaires wanting to [6:55] have their children get an American citizenship. More on this, let's bring in NBC News legal [7:01] affairs reporter Gary Grumbach. Gary, good morning. So tell us who the plaintiffs are in this case [7:05] and what the key legal arguments the justices will be hearing from both sides are. [7:10] So Savannah, this was a class action lawsuit, [7:12] originally brought by a woman who lives in New Hampshire. She's a Honduran woman. And it was [7:16] brought by her on behalf of thousands of women that are similarly situated to her. And their [7:21] argument was that they need to, the court needs to look at the tradition and the history of the [7:26] 14th Amendment and its corresponding congressional statute, specifically five words, subject to the [7:31] jurisdiction thereof. Their argument was, if you're subject to U.S. law and you live here in [7:36] the United States, you are subject to the jurisdiction thereof, the United States, and [7:41] therefore you should have birthright. [7:42] The Trump administration is arguing that if you are urging, they're urging the justices to look at the [7:48] history too, but in a little bit of a different way. They're saying the citizenship clause, which was [7:53] debated back in 1866 and then passed into law in 1868, applied to the children of freed slaves only [8:01] and not the thousands and thousands of people that we're seeing it applied to today. [8:05] So Gary, we heard President Trump there a moment ago saying this is going to impact [8:08] wealthy foreigners who are essentially trying to buy citizenship for their children. [8:12] What does the ACLU have to say about who this executive order will impact most and what we'll see happen if this is upheld? [8:20] So the ACLU who was arguing this case says it's going to be impacting thousands and thousands, hundreds of thousands potentially of people. [8:28] Of course, they're very confident they're going to succeed in their arguments today. [8:32] But they said if they don't, the results could be cataclysmic. Here's what they said. [8:36] Tens of thousands of babies being born every month were targeted by this executive order for them. [8:44] It means. [8:45] Losing their constitutional right to birthright citizenship, as well as being exposed to arrest, detention and deportation from the only country they've ever known. [8:54] Questioning whether other Americans are real Americans would be supercharged. [9:03] Now, we do expect a decision here by the Supreme Court's end of the term, which is end of June, early July, guys. [9:09] Back in the fall, Gary, President Trump had said he would go to the Supreme Court hearing about the legality of his tariffs. [9:15] In the end, he did not. [9:17] How unusual would it be for him to actually attend today's hearing? [9:20] So there is no record of a sitting U.S. president ever attending Supreme Court arguments. [9:25] And that's not by accident here. [9:26] It's not like anybody didn't have this idea before. [9:29] There's a long history and tradition of the separation of powers between the three three branches of government. [9:34] And this is a man who has said some frankly pretty nasty things about the justices that he will currently be watching at 10 a.m. [9:41] as they take take on this argument on an executive order that he wants to be put across the line. [9:43] as they take take on this argument on an executive order that he wants to be put across the line. [9:45] as they take take on this argument on an executive order that he wants to be put across the line. [9:47] And so certainly this is going to be something of a little bit of an intimidation factor of him sitting in one of the first rows of the Supreme Court looking at three of the justices that he has appointed, two of which he's not too happy right now because of the tariff decision. [10:01] Gary, thank you so much. [10:03] Let's move now to the latest out of the Middle East. [10:05] President Trump told the British newspaper The Telegraph in a new interview that he is strongly considering pulling out of NATO. [10:11] He remains angry. [10:12] He was unable to convince NATO allies to use military force to help open that critical area. [10:16] He's saying a war is certainly a critical strait of Hormuz. [10:19] As a result, global gas prices are skyrocketing and yesterday Mr. Trump said the U.S. will be wrapping up the war with Iran quote very soon. [10:27] Here's more of what he told reporters in the Oval Office yesterday. [10:30] I would say that within two weeks, maybe two weeks, maybe three. [10:34] I think two or three weeks we'll leave. [10:38] There's no reason for us to do this. [10:40] We are finishing the job and I think within maybe two weeks, maybe a couple days longer to do the job. [10:45] Maybe to was maybe a couple days longer to do the job. [10:47] Maybe to was maybe a couple days longer to do the job. [10:48] We want to knock out every single thing there. [10:51] Financial markets rallied at the prospect of an end to the war. [10:55] President Trump said no when he was asked if Iran has to make a deal [10:58] for the U.S. to end this military operation. [11:01] He told reporters the U.S. will leave the war [11:02] once Iran is no longer able to develop a nuclear weapon. [11:06] Tonight, President Trump is scheduled to deliver [11:08] what the White House is calling an important update on Iran [11:11] in an address to the nation at 9 p.m. Eastern. [11:14] And this all comes as Iran's president says he is willing to end the war [11:17] if the U.S. and Israel meet certain conditions. [11:20] That's according to Iran's state media. [11:22] NBC News international correspondent Matt Bradley [11:24] joins us now from Tel Aviv, Israel, with the latest. [11:26] Matt, good morning. [11:27] So what guarantees does Iran need to reach any sort of deal [11:31] with the U.S. to end the war? [11:32] And where does Israel then fit into all this? [11:37] Yeah, I mean, the Iranians have been very clear from the beginning [11:39] when President Trump gave Iran that 15-point plan [11:43] that he said could resolve the war. [11:45] This was through Pakistani intermediaries. [11:48] The Israelis fired back, [11:49] with five points of their own. [11:51] Specifically, they want to see the end of attacks on Iran. [11:54] They want full control or sovereignty, they said, [11:57] over the Strait of Hormuz, [11:58] which they have been blocking for the past several weeks. [12:02] So these are things that we heard again yesterday, [12:05] but it wasn't quite as specific. [12:07] The Iranian, basically, agenda here has not changed. [12:11] They're essentially in a position where they win by simply surviving. [12:15] And that's why we've been seeing the Trump administration [12:17] on their side moderating. [12:19] That's their message. [12:20] Now, the Trump administration seems to be defining [12:23] or redefining the notion of regime change [12:25] as change within the regime. [12:28] So they say they've already met that goal. [12:31] And we also heard from President Trump saying [12:32] that so many of the goals that they may or may not have set out [12:35] at the outset of this war have now been resolved. [12:39] Now, as far as the Israelis are concerned, [12:41] they've said that they only have, [12:42] according to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, [12:44] about half of their targets that have been met. [12:47] We have continued to hear. [12:49] We've heard about the parade sirens here in central Israel [12:51] over the past 48 hours, [12:53] now well more than a month into this war. [12:55] So the Israelis, while certainly a very vital role [12:58] in attacking Iran alongside the U.S., [13:01] they are not done yet. [13:02] And it's unlikely that they're going to be very excited [13:05] about the notion of a quick resolution to this conflict [13:07] with so many of their war games, war gains, left unmet. [13:12] Matt, yesterday, an Iranian drone struck a Kuwaiti oil tanker [13:15] that was near Dubai. [13:16] And this morning, Qatar Energy says there was a missile attack, [13:19] on one of their fuel oil tankers. [13:22] Tell us about this, these latest strikes [13:23] near the Strait of Hormuz. [13:27] This feeds into exactly what I was just saying, [13:29] which is basically that the Iranians have kept up their fire, [13:32] now more than a month into this fight. [13:34] Despite what we're hearing from the Trump administration [13:36] about how most of America's goals have been met, [13:38] about how Iran's ballistic missile campaign, [13:42] how its ballistic missile industry [13:43] has now been almost completely destroyed, [13:45] we've heard now those goals somewhat moderated as well. [13:49] We've heard from President-elect Marco Rubio [13:50] saying that there, [13:51] our goal is to not entirely obliterate [13:54] Iran's ballistic missile capability, [13:56] but to take it back several years, it sounds like, [13:59] to almost entirely destroy it. [14:01] So that goal from the White House [14:03] has now been kind of dialed back [14:05] as this war stretches into its second month, [14:08] apparently to the surprise of the Trump administration. [14:11] Matt, we've been talking about journalists [14:13] in the region this week, [14:14] and we're learning now an American journalist [14:15] named Shelley Kittleson was kidnapped in Baghdad, Iraq. [14:18] That's according to the outlet Al Monitor, [14:21] where she's a contributor. [14:22] What all do we know? [14:26] Yeah, this is, according to the FBI [14:27] and according to the United States, [14:29] likely the work of Qata'ib Hezbollah. [14:32] That is an Iran-backed militia in Iraq. [14:35] It is thought to be the same group [14:37] who kidnapped a Russian-Israeli researcher [14:40] for two years, only a couple of years ago, [14:42] her name, Elizabeth Surkov. [14:45] So there is actually some pretty shocking video [14:47] of this young journalist, Shelley Kittleson, [14:50] being kidnapped, snatched off the streets of Baghdad, [14:53] our understanding from officials [14:55] is that there was a car chase [14:56] and that the car she was in flipped over. [14:59] One of the other cars that the kidnappers were in [15:01] came and recovered her from the street [15:03] and dragged her off to, well, we don't know where. [15:07] So the FBI had said, according to, excuse me, [15:09] according to the White House, Dylan Johnson, [15:12] tweeting that the State Department [15:13] previously fulfilled our duty [15:15] to warn this individual of threats against them, [15:18] and we will continue to coordinate with the FBI [15:20] to ensure their release as quickly as possible. [15:23] So in other words, we're not going to be able to do that. [15:23] We're not going to be able to do that. [15:23] We're not going to be able to do that. [15:23] We're not going to be able to do that. [15:23] In other words, it sounds as though [15:25] American law enforcement had an idea [15:27] that this journalist faced danger [15:29] and that they did warn her, maybe not in time. [15:33] Matt Bradley in Tel Aviv. [15:34] Matt, thank you so much. [15:35] We have NBC News senior national politics reporter [15:37] Jonathan Allen joining us now from Washington [15:39] with more. [15:40] John, good morning. [15:40] I want to go back to this headline from The Telegraph [15:43] with this interview from the president. [15:45] Why does President Trump say [15:46] he's strongly considering pulling out of NATO? [15:50] Good morning, Savannah. [15:50] Good morning, Joe. [15:52] The president says that he's strongly considering [15:54] pulling out of NATO because he doesn't feel like NATO [15:56] is reciprocating toward the United States. [16:00] There is a mutual self-defense pact among these nations. [16:03] He believes that the refusal of some of these countries [16:05] to aid the United States, including, as he said [16:08] in a Truth Social post yesterday, France, [16:12] which he's upset with for not refueling planes, [16:16] I'm sorry, not allowing planes to fly over his airspace [16:18] in the UK, for not engaging more directly [16:21] in the war with Iran. [16:23] Basically, his opinion is that the United States [16:24] has been there for these countries [16:28] and that they have not been there [16:30] in return for the United States. [16:32] Of course, many of these countries [16:34] were there for the United States after 9-11, [16:37] after the United States was attacked [16:38] as part of that mutual self-defense pact. [16:41] John, back home yesterday, gas prices here in the U.S. [16:43] passed $4 a gallon for the first time since 2022. [16:47] Now, President Trump is telling allies in his own words, [16:50] get your own oil from the Strait of Hormuz. [16:52] How much is this? [16:54] How much is this going to change America's relationship [16:57] with its allies? [16:59] I think it's at least temporarily significantly changing [17:03] America's relationship with its allies. [17:06] You see things like France saying that the United States [17:08] can't fly over its airspace. [17:10] You see the United Kingdom not joining with the United States [17:13] where it has in recent wars, whether it is post-9-11 [17:18] or with regard to various other military activities [17:22] in the United States across the globe. [17:24] I think there is a change going on there [17:26] where Europe basically said, no, by the way, Joe, [17:29] not just Europe. [17:31] Let's remember that the White House was asking Congress [17:34] for $200 billion to keep this war going. [17:37] Congress left town without giving $200 billion [17:39] to the administration to do that. [17:42] So the president is running into guardrails, [17:44] not only internationally, but domestically. [17:48] John, we mentioned this earlier. [17:49] President Trump's scheduled to deliver an address [17:51] to the nation. [17:52] It's tonight at 9 p.m. Eastern. [17:54] They're saying that. [17:55] This will be an important update on Iran. [17:57] Any idea what to expect? [17:59] What's on your bingo card, guys? [18:02] You never know exactly what to expect [18:04] with one of the president's addresses. [18:07] But I think he's been previewing it. [18:10] I mean, unless he does a 180, he's basically been saying [18:12] that we are going to leave Iran. [18:14] The United States is going to leave Iran [18:15] within the next two weeks or so. [18:17] That the goals do not include reopening [18:21] the Strait of Hormuz. [18:22] In fact, he said in the Truth Social post yesterday, [18:25] that the U.K., if they want Hormuz reopened, [18:28] will go to seize the Strait itself. [18:31] So I think we're likely to hear him talk about [18:34] winding down the war and try to present the war [18:38] in the most favorable terms possible [18:40] to the mission that he had laid out. [18:44] Thank you very much, John Allen. [18:46] All right, we mentioned gas, [18:47] and we have been following the steady climb of gas prices [18:50] since the war with Iran began just over a month ago. [18:52] For the first time since 2022, [18:54] the average price of a gallon, [18:56] a gallon of gas here in the U.S., [18:58] it has crossed over that $4 mark. [19:00] Joining us now is Patrick DeHaan. [19:01] He's the head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy. [19:04] Patrick, good to have you with us. [19:06] How big of a deal is this $4 a gallon milestone? [19:09] Just what does it mean for our wallets? [19:12] Yeah, good morning, Savannah and Joe. [19:14] It's something we have not seen for more than 200 days [19:17] going back to 2009. [19:19] So we're getting to an uncomfortable level [19:22] for many Americans who look at that $4 sign. [19:24] And again, we haven't seen that. [19:26] For a whole lot of days going back almost two decades. [19:29] So it's certainly a rarity. [19:31] And you're seeing it in some of the nation's [19:33] most populous states. [19:34] Florida recently joining that club with prices [19:36] now in Florida averaging above $4.20 a gallon. [19:40] California pressing very close to $6. [19:43] Diesel prices also in most states [19:46] above the $5 a gallon mark. [19:48] So Americans generally start to reduce [19:50] their discretionary spending as their gas bill goes up. [19:54] In fact, today alone, [19:56] in new calculations I just did, [19:58] Americans are going to be spending [19:59] roughly $411 million more on gasoline just today [20:04] than they did about a month ago. [20:05] That is huge. [20:07] And that's being siphoned out of the rest of the U.S. economy. [20:09] Just how high do you think these prices could go? [20:13] Well, I think to the point later tonight, [20:15] I'm going to be watching [20:16] what President Trump says about Iran. [20:18] It's all really contingent on the Strait of Hormuz. [20:20] We could continue to go up the national average [20:23] unless something is solidly done [20:26] to address the price of gas. [20:27] And reopen the Strait of Hormuz. [20:28] Even if the U.S. leaves the Middle East, [20:30] I don't think the Strait is going to reopen overnight. [20:33] Iran has developed muscle memory [20:34] on how to control this area. [20:36] And that's worrisome. [20:37] So we could continue to head northward. [20:40] $4.50 a gallon isn't out of reach. [20:42] And $5 is not an impossibility. [20:45] All the details tonight, [20:46] I'm going to be looking, [20:48] would be focused on the Strait of Hormuz [20:50] and what the status will be. [20:51] Will the U.S. leave it alone? [20:53] If it's unaddressed, [20:54] that is problematic for the price of gasoline. [20:56] And when we talk about the Strait, [20:58] it looks like Iran's imposing this toll system [21:01] on vessels wanting to get through [21:02] the Strait of Hormuz, [21:04] though countries aligned with the U.S. and Israel [21:06] will likely still be banned from passing through. [21:09] If this is the new normal, [21:10] just what could it mean for oil prices? [21:13] Yeah, Joe, any restriction on the Strait, [21:16] whether tolls, [21:17] whether a lack of confidence on sailing through, [21:19] is problematic for oil. [21:21] Oil is used to the free flow of oil [21:24] through the Strait of Hormuz. [21:25] So even tolls, [21:26] any restriction, [21:27] through the Strait, [21:28] are going to be problematic [21:29] and really restrict all of that oil [21:31] from flowing to the market. [21:33] So that could be problematic. [21:34] If the U.S. leaves the Strait unaddressed, [21:37] I would likely look to other partners in Europe [21:40] and certainly China and India [21:42] would have a very significant impact here [21:45] on wanting to resume this. [21:47] But it's all going to be in the details [21:49] of what the president says tonight. [21:50] If the Strait remains restricted, [21:52] it's going to be problematic still for many Americans, [21:54] really the global economy, [21:56] as gas, [21:57] diesel and jet fuel prices [21:58] could continue to go up. [21:59] Patrick DeHaan, [22:00] thank you so much. [22:02] We have much more to come here on Morning News Now [22:04] later this hour. [22:05] Ready for liftoff, [22:06] T-minus 11 hours [22:08] to NASA's historic lunar launch. [22:10] We'll have continuing coverage [22:11] from the Kennedy Space Center. [22:13] Up first after the break, [22:14] royal diplomacy, [22:15] what we're learning about King Charles' [22:17] planned state visit to the U.S. [22:19] That's next. [22:20] Stay with us. [22:20] Welcome back. [22:27] Lawyers for Luigi Mangione [22:28] are heading back to court today. [22:30] They're hoping to untie [22:31] some of the legal and scheduling knots. [22:33] surrounding his two trials. [22:35] Mangione is accused of killing [22:36] former UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson [22:39] in front of a Manhattan hotel [22:40] in December of 2024. [22:43] In a hearing today, [22:43] his defense team will ask the judge [22:45] to delay his federal trial until 2027. [22:48] Right now, jury selection in that trial [22:51] is scheduled to start in September. [22:53] For more on Mangione's trials, [22:54] let's bring in NBC News legal analyst [22:56] Danny Savalos. [22:56] Danny, good to have you with us. [22:57] So Mangione's New York state trial, [22:59] that's scheduled to start June 8th, [23:01] about three months before [23:03] the scheduled start of his federal trial. [23:05] We know in a letter to the federal judge [23:07] two weeks ago, [23:07] his defense team asked to postpone [23:09] the federal trial, [23:09] as we mentioned, until 2027, [23:11] arguing they didn't have enough time [23:12] to prepare for both cases. [23:14] They claim the timing's a violation [23:16] of his constitutional rights. [23:17] So what's the likelihood [23:18] the federal trial gets rescheduled? [23:21] And I guess help us understand [23:22] how Harvey Weinstein fits into all this. [23:26] So the challenge for the defense [23:27] isn't so much that they have [23:29] the federal trial in the fall. [23:31] It's that they're going to start [23:31] doing jury selection. [23:33] No ordinary jury selection. [23:35] They're going to be looking at [23:36] 800 or more jury questionnaires. [23:39] So the defense is arguing, [23:41] look, while this trial's going on in June, [23:44] we are also going to be [23:46] going through these jury questionnaires. [23:48] And we just can't be in two places at once. [23:50] We can't prepare for the federal trial. [23:52] And by the way, [23:53] jury selection, judge, [23:54] is a part of trial. [23:56] It's a part of the proceeding. [23:58] So if you're going to have us [23:59] going through that process in June [24:01] while he's simultaneously, [24:03] simultaneously on trial [24:05] in the state court case, [24:07] that's going to be a huge problem for us. [24:10] And we literally can't be [24:11] in two places at once. [24:12] So even though the federal judge [24:14] has indicated in hearings [24:16] that, look, I'm not going to, [24:18] I'm going to pretend [24:18] this other case isn't going on. [24:20] We're going to treat this [24:20] as the only case before me [24:22] because it is. [24:23] The reality is the judge [24:24] is going to have to consider [24:26] whether this really impedes [24:28] his ability to defend himself [24:29] in both cases. [24:30] And Danny, I mean, [24:31] these are just such serious charges here, [24:33] Manjuni. [24:33] Manjuni facing nine felony charges. [24:35] That's in his New York state case, [24:37] including second degree murder [24:38] and then two counts of stalking [24:39] in the federal case. [24:41] Both carry possible sentences [24:43] of life in prison. [24:45] Does the fact that they are [24:46] such severe charges there [24:49] impact prosecutors' decision [24:51] to want to delay or not? [24:54] Yes, they do. [24:55] I mean, both of these [24:56] are very serious charges. [24:57] But here's an interesting point [24:59] is that if Manjuni, [25:01] right now he's trying to delay [25:02] the federal trial [25:03] until after the state trial. [25:04] But if for some strange reason [25:06] the state trial were to get delayed [25:08] after the federal trial, [25:09] Manjuni's attorneys will argue [25:11] that double jeopardy applies. [25:13] Not the federal constitutional [25:14] double jeopardy, [25:15] but actually New York state [25:17] has its own double jeopardy clause. [25:19] So it wouldn't apply [25:20] if the state case went first [25:23] because there's no subsequent state case [25:25] and the state law can't have any effect [25:27] on the federal trial. [25:28] However, if the federal trial [25:29] does go forward first [25:30] for some strange reason, [25:32] then Manjuni might have [25:34] a New York state [25:35] double jeopardy argument. [25:37] And when you look at [25:38] where the defense is today, [25:39] they've gotten the first degree murder [25:40] in the state case [25:41] down to second degree. [25:43] And also in the federal case, [25:44] they've gotten a death penalty [25:45] off the table. [25:46] Little by little, [25:47] they have chipped away [25:48] at a case that I would call [25:50] in defense terms, [25:51] otherwise a dead bang loser, [25:53] a really, really tough case to win. [25:55] If you get your flow chart out here, [25:57] we also have a pretrial hearing [25:58] that's set for May 18th. [26:00] That is for the state case. [26:01] It's going to determine [26:02] what evidence state prosecutors [26:03] are allowed. [26:04] We know we've talked about this. [26:05] The key evidence includes [26:06] a handgun, a silencer, [26:08] a notebook that authorities found [26:09] in Manjuni's backpack [26:10] after his initial arrest. [26:12] We talked about the federal case [26:14] and a judge admitting [26:15] all that evidence for that. [26:16] Does that mean anything [26:17] for the state trial? [26:19] Yeah, very interesting [26:20] because a slightly different [26:22] procedural rules apply [26:24] in the federal and state cases. [26:26] But you really have largely [26:27] the same analysis involved, [26:29] which is were his federal [26:32] or his constitutional rights violated, [26:35] by these searches? [26:36] And if so, what is the remedy? [26:38] It's usually to exclude [26:40] those things that were seized. [26:42] It doesn't mean the case [26:42] gets thrown out, [26:43] just means the evidence [26:44] that was in that backpack [26:45] gets excluded. [26:47] It's called the fruit [26:47] of the poisonous tree. [26:49] So, I mean, the same argument [26:50] could be made. [26:51] It would be strange [26:52] if in one case it was excluded [26:53] and in the other case it was not. [26:55] But even if this evidence [26:57] is excluded, [26:58] they still have a lot [26:59] of really damning evidence [27:00] against Mangione. [27:01] For example, Exhibit A [27:03] will be the video of somebody [27:04] shooting the health care CEO. [27:06] Now, Mangione might argue, [27:08] well, that's not me, [27:09] and it's somebody else. [27:11] Some other dude did it, [27:12] which is a common phrase [27:13] in defense parlance. [27:14] But the reality is there's [27:16] a lot of video of Mangione [27:17] all over New York [27:18] during that time, allegedly. [27:20] So it's still a very difficult case, [27:22] even if this evidence [27:23] gets excluded. [27:24] All right, Danny Savalas, [27:25] thank you so much. [27:26] In news from overseas, [27:27] Buckingham Palace has confirmed [27:29] that King Charles' state visit [27:30] to the US will go ahead [27:31] later this month. [27:32] Well, the focus of the trip [27:33] is to celebrate America's [27:34] 250th anniversary. [27:36] Mounting tensions between the US [27:38] and UK over the war with Iran [27:39] are threatening to overshadow [27:41] the visit. [27:42] NBC News international [27:43] correspondent Danielle Hamamjian [27:44] joins us with more on this. [27:45] Danielle, good morning. [27:46] What more can you tell us [27:47] about the purpose of this visit [27:49] and the King's expected agenda? [27:51] Good morning, guys. [27:52] As you just mentioned, [27:53] this is all about the 250th [27:55] anniversary of US independence. [27:58] The US president confirming [27:59] there will be a banquet held [28:01] at the White House. [28:02] Who will make it on that guest [28:04] list will be very interesting [28:05] to see. [28:06] The president saying, [28:07] I look forward to spending time [28:08] with the King, who I greatly [28:10] respect. [28:10] It will be terrific, all caps. [28:14] The King is expected to address [28:15] Congress. [28:16] What exactly he'll be saying [28:17] in that speech, many will be [28:19] paying very close attention. [28:20] In the past, he's talked [28:21] about the environment, [28:22] sustainability, [28:23] international relations. [28:25] The last monarch to address [28:26] Congress was, of course, [28:28] his mother, the late Queen [28:29] Elizabeth II. [28:30] That was back in 1991. [28:32] Now, worth reminding viewers [28:34] that this is not [28:35] up to the King to decide [28:37] which country he visits [28:38] or on a state visit. [28:40] This is a decision taken [28:42] by the government of the day [28:43] in the UK, and it's meant [28:45] to reflect the priorities [28:46] of the prime minister. [28:47] It doesn't matter what King [28:49] Charles' personal views are, [28:51] not that we'll ever know. [28:52] What matters is what the UK [28:53] government wants [28:54] and what Keir Starmer wants. [28:56] And what he wants now is [28:57] for the King to go ahead [28:58] with the state visit, [29:00] regardless of whether the war [29:01] in Iran is still ongoing. [29:03] Danielle, as we've discussed, [29:05] US-UK relations are strained [29:07] right now. [29:07] Help us to understand a little [29:08] more about why that is [29:09] and why some British politicians [29:11] worry this visit could be [29:13] potentially challenging [29:14] or even embarrassing [29:15] for the King. [29:16] Oh, absolutely. [29:17] Some have said that this will be [29:18] humiliating for the King. [29:21] Many are worried about the optics [29:23] of this state visit [29:24] because the war here is very [29:27] unpopular. [29:28] And some politicians had called [29:30] for the visit to be delayed, [29:32] given that some polls are showing [29:33] that 49% of the British [29:35] public are opposed to this visit. [29:38] Now, why is that? [29:39] Because the president and some [29:40] members of his administration [29:42] have been quite critical [29:43] of the prime minister of the UK [29:45] in reaction to the war in Iran. [29:47] For example, Donald Trump [29:49] dismissed the British aircraft [29:51] carriers as toys. [29:53] In an interview with The [29:54] Telegraph, he is quoted this [29:55] morning as saying, quote, [29:57] you don't even have a navy. [29:58] You're too old and had aircraft [30:00] carriers that didn't work. [30:02] And yesterday, Pete Hexeth, [30:03] within an hour of Buckingham, [30:05] Palace confirming that the state [30:06] visit was going to go ahead, [30:08] he said the last time I checked, [30:09] there was supposed to be a big, [30:11] bad Royal Navy. [30:12] So these are awkward, [30:14] uncomfortable comments to be [30:15] making next to the King. [30:17] Whether or not that will happen [30:18] is unclear, unlikely. [30:19] It's one thing to be making these [30:21] remarks online in front of a [30:23] group of friendly journalists or [30:25] an interview, but in person, [30:26] it's unlikely. [30:27] We know the president is a fan of [30:29] the King, and for the UK, [30:31] it's unlikely that he will be [30:32] making these remarks online. [30:33] So I think it's very, very [30:35] important for us to make sure [30:36] that the King is not the only [30:38] person who is going to be [30:39] making these remarks online. [30:40] And today, the King, of course, [30:42] remains the ultimate diplomatic [30:43] weapon. [30:44] Guys, back to you. [30:53] All right, Danielle, thank [30:54] you so much. [30:55] And stay with us. [30:56] Morning News Now will be back [30:57] after the break. [30:58] We're back now with your weekly [30:59] medical checkup. [31:00] This morning, we're taking a [31:01] closer look at new research [31:02] that's focused on the link [31:03] between exposure to everyday [31:04] plastic products and birth [31:05] outcomes. [31:06] Plus how eating the same [31:07] meals on repeat can help you [31:08] lose weight. [31:09] NBC News medical contributor [31:10] Dr. Kavita Patel joins us now [31:11] with more on all this. [31:12] Dr. Patel, good morning. [31:13] We've found this alarming [31:14] connection between a chemical [31:15] and common plastic products and [31:16] then preterm births. [31:17] So what did researchers find [31:18] here, and what should people do [31:19] if they actually have these [31:20] products that carry this [31:21] chemical? [31:22] Yeah, great question. [31:23] Good morning to both of you. [31:25] So looking at global data from [31:26] 2018, researchers from NYU [31:27] Langone linked something called [31:28] DITU ethylhexyl phthalate, or [31:29] otherwise simply known as DEHP, [31:30] which is often found in [31:31] plastics. [31:32] They linked that exposure to a [31:33] staggering 1.97 million [31:34] preterm births. [31:35] So that's something that we're [31:36] going to be looking at. [31:37] We're also going to be looking [31:38] at some of these products that [31:39] carry this chemical. [31:40] We're also going to be looking [31:41] at some of these products that [31:42] carry this chemical. [31:43] We're also going to be looking [31:44] at some of these products that [31:45] carry this chemical. [31:46] We're also going to be looking [31:47] at some of these products that [31:48] carry this chemical. [31:49] We're also going to be looking [31:50] at some of these products that [31:51] carry this chemical. [31:52] So this is the first study of [31:53] its kind to really look at this [31:54] linkage with premature births [31:55] worldwide. [31:56] That's 8% of all premature [31:57] births. [31:58] So unfortunately it was also [31:59] connected to 74,000 newborn [32:00] deaths, which is also deeply [32:01] troubling. [32:02] So what are these substances? [32:03] Phthalates are found in [32:04] everyday plastics, Joe and [32:05] Savannah. [32:06] They're everything in that [32:07] plastic containers that we use [32:08] for food all the way to toys, [32:09] PVC piping, things that are just [32:10] so ubiquitous in our society [32:11] that you don't even think about [32:12] it. [32:13] But the doctors' orders here [32:14] are very clear. [32:15] We've been talking about [32:16] swapping out plastics, [32:17] especially in food containers, [32:18] to not microwave, to try to not [32:20] use them for storage, put down [32:21] those plastics in many forms, [32:23] and even try to shop for [32:25] phthalate-free. [32:26] The P-H is silent, so look for [32:28] something that says P-H, [32:29] phthalate, phthalate-free [32:31] products. [32:32] They're starting to market [32:33] these products, especially for [32:34] things that you know that you [32:35] or your household are going to [32:36] use a lot in your immediate [32:38] vicinity. [32:39] And here's something even more [32:40] troubling. [32:41] We know that these phthalate [32:42] free products are going to be [32:43] going to be going into the [32:44] environment. [32:45] So it's up to us kind of [32:46] globally to make sure that we [32:47] monitor this. [32:48] And that's exactly what [32:49] scientists are trying to do, [32:50] that this was a good study. [32:52] Certainly a topic of [32:53] conversation for the last [32:54] couple of years. [32:55] Dr. Patel, this next study we [32:56] just mentioned, it's from the [32:57] American Psychological [32:58] Association. [32:59] It says eating the same meals [33:01] consistently can help with [33:02] weight loss. [33:03] What do you think? [33:04] I'm going to take this with a [33:05] bit of a grain of salt, [33:06] literally. [33:07] But we often talk about food [33:08] and variety being the spice of [33:09] life. [33:10] But what researchers found, [33:11] it's a small study, but it's [33:12] important. [33:13] It's important for some [33:14] takeaways. [33:15] That when it comes to weight [33:16] loss, consistency and being [33:17] boring might actually be [33:18] better. [33:19] This was a small study, 100 [33:20] people, 12 weeks. [33:21] It was really to look at [33:22] kind of behaviors around weight [33:23] loss. [33:24] That is, if you took an app and [33:25] tracked your meals and you [33:26] really just paid attention to [33:27] what you eat, could you really [33:28] have weight loss from just [33:29] measuring your meals and taking [33:30] some simple advice? [33:31] Lo and behold, when you repeat [33:32] the same meals on average, study [33:33] participants lost about 5.9% of [33:34] their weight. [33:35] That's not nothing. [33:36] That's important. [33:37] Comparatively, it's important [33:38] to measure your weight. [33:39] It's important to measure your [33:40] weight. [33:41] It's important to measure your [33:42] weight. [33:43] Compared to about people who [33:44] lost 4.3%. [33:45] So, to be clear, people lost [33:46] weight from just thinking about [33:47] their diet even more [33:48] consciously, whether it was [33:49] variable or consistent. [33:50] But the takeaways here is that [33:51] keeping your calories steady, [33:52] even a daily fluctuation of 100 [33:53] calories, Savannah, could [33:54] actually make a difference in [33:55] disrupting that weight loss [33:56] pattern. [33:57] So, the doctor's orders here, [33:58] consistency is key. [33:59] Meal planning. [34:00] Meal planning is good for a lot [34:01] of things, not just keeping [34:02] things simple, but to make sure [34:03] that you don't cheat, not [34:04] necessarily on those days when [34:05] you allow yourself to cheat, [34:06] but to make sure that you don't [34:07] cheat, not necessarily on those [34:08] days when you allow yourself to [34:09] cheat, but to make sure that [34:10] you don't cheat, not necessarily [34:11] on those days when you allow [34:12] yourself to cheat, but that you [34:13] don't necessarily go to those [34:14] places where you could actually [34:15] take in two to three times the [34:16] calories. [34:17] So, that's the big takeaway from [34:18] here. [34:19] That's a tough one. [34:20] But variety still of your [34:21] foods is important, I think. [34:22] Just to have as much as possible [34:23] to get fruits and vegetables, [34:24] variety can be okay in that [34:25] setting. [34:26] I hate eating the same [34:27] thing. [34:28] Don't repeat the [34:29] cheating days. [34:30] That's the key, too. [34:31] The cheating days, don't [34:32] repeat them. [34:33] Yeah, how about [34:34] consistency with pizza? [34:35] All right. [34:36] We want to quickly get through [34:37] one more here. [34:38] A lot of it has to do with [34:39] consistency. [34:40] We want to quickly get [34:41] through one more here. [34:42] A lot of adults sit down at [34:43] work for long periods of time, [34:44] as we've discussed. [34:45] That's not good for your [34:46] health. [34:47] So, Swedish researchers [34:48] suggested instead of what we [34:49] would consider regular sitting, [34:50] you should try something called [34:51] mentally active sitting. [34:52] What's that? [34:53] Right, right. [34:54] So, not all sitting is [34:55] created equal. [34:56] This was a huge 19-year study [34:57] that they did looking at 20,000 [34:59] adults. [35:00] So, this is to just tell us. [35:01] We know that sedentary, sitting [35:03] is a risk factor for dementia [35:05] and other neurocognitive [35:06] issues. [35:07] What researchers found is that [35:08] it depends on what you do when [35:09] you're sitting. [35:10] If you're sitting, you're [35:11] participating in, for example, [35:13] work office meetings, I'm [35:14] looking at you people on Zoom, [35:16] and then also thinking about [35:17] just reading a book or creating [35:19] a list or doing something active [35:21] with your brain when you're [35:22] sitting, that actually was [35:23] better than when you're sitting [35:25] and doing, unfortunately, what I [35:26] tend to do where I sit and I [35:27] listen to music, which I thought [35:28] was good, but it turns out [35:30] researchers show that listening [35:31] to music, watching TV, or just [35:34] sitting and doing nothing was [35:36] not as protective as sitting [35:38] with an active task. [35:39] So, the doctor's orders here [35:40] are simple. [35:41] If you can, try to do something [35:43] you love when you're sitting. [35:44] If you can, avoid sitting. [35:45] I say sitting is the new smoking, [35:47] but try to do something with [35:48] your brain and then use your [35:49] brain as much as possible even [35:50] when you're in a sitting [35:51] position. [35:52] And don't worry, we'll [35:53] have a study next week that says [35:54] sitting and listening to music is [35:55] good for something, and so then [35:57] you can... [35:58] I think so. [35:59] Give it time. [36:00] And consistent pizza. [36:01] Maybe we'll all get a study on [36:02] that. [36:03] Dr. Patel, thank you so much. [36:04] Appreciate it. [36:05] Coming up, the Countdown to [36:06] Liftoff continues. [36:08] NASA's first manned moon [36:09] mission in decades. [36:10] It's now less than 11 hours away. [36:12] We're going to go back to the [36:13] Kennedy Space Center in Florida [36:14] for an update. [36:15] That is next on [36:16] Morning News Now. [36:17] We are back with a live look [36:26] from the Kennedy Center in [36:27] Florida where NASA is preparing [36:29] Artemis II for its historic [36:31] mission to the moon. [36:32] They're more than 300 foot tall [36:34] and get this 11 million pound [36:36] rocket is fueling up ahead of [36:38] its planned launch later today. [36:40] A four-person crew is set to [36:42] take off later today. [36:43] It's going to be a 10-day [36:44] mission. [36:45] We'll be right back. [36:46] We'll be right back. [36:47] We'll be right back. [36:48] A 600,000 mile trip to orbit [36:50] the moon. [36:51] Their path through space could [36:53] send the group farther from [36:54] Earth than any human has ever [36:56] gone before. [36:57] We're joined now by a team of [36:58] experts to walk us through what [36:59] we can expect from this historic [37:01] mission. [37:02] We're going to start with [37:03] NBC News senior correspondent [37:04] Tom Costello at the Kennedy [37:05] Space Center. [37:06] He's covered NASA for more than [37:07] 20 years. [37:08] Tom, I was thinking about it [37:09] this morning. [37:10] I think you might be the other [37:11] person that works here that [37:12] I've said I'm so jealous of your [37:13] assignment to the most because [37:15] this is awesome. [37:16] It's a huge mission. [37:17] It's a huge day where you are. [37:18] Tell us what you've seen so far [37:20] and what we can expect. [37:21] Yeah, listen, this is the day [37:24] that NASA has been waiting for [37:26] and building for for years, [37:28] really, right? [37:29] So this is the biggest mission [37:31] since Apollo in 1972. [37:33] Apollo was 17, landed on the [37:35] moon, and then returned in [37:37] December of 72. [37:38] So now we're, you know, what is [37:40] that now, 27, 28 years later, [37:42] and here we go again for yet [37:44] another, sorry, let's start [37:46] that again, 53 years later. [37:47] I can do math for you. [37:48] I can do that much faster than [37:49] that. [37:50] So we are 53 years after [37:51] Apollo, and here we go. [37:52] So at this very hour, they are [37:54] now starting to fuel this core [37:56] here. [37:57] So this is 730,000 gallons of [37:59] liquid hydrogen and liquid [38:01] oxygen. [38:02] That's critical. [38:03] It's going to take them about [38:04] five hours to completely fuel [38:05] up. [38:06] These here on the side, that [38:07] looks familiar, right? [38:08] These are the solid rocket [38:10] boosters borrowed from the Apollo [38:12] days. [38:13] And in the words of Mike [38:14] Massimino, the former astronaut, [38:16] these are like sticks of [38:17] dynamite, right? [38:18] These things, you're going [38:19] somewhere, so you better make [38:20] sure that everything else is [38:22] working well. [38:23] And then the idea is that at [38:25] about 2 o'clock or so, the crew [38:27] will walk out to the pad, or go [38:29] out to the pad, walk out of [38:30] their suit-up rooms, if you [38:32] will, and then head on a vehicle [38:34] out to the pad. [38:35] Launch time window, two-hour [38:37] window, opens at 624 p.m. [38:39] Eastern time. [38:40] So far, guys, the weather is [38:42] phenomenal. [38:43] We're at about an 80% chance of [38:45] go on this weather. [38:46] So hopefully, hey, Al Roker, [38:47] come on in. [38:48] Come over here real fast. [38:49] I got a guest, guys. [38:51] I'm bringing over the one and [38:52] only Mr. Al Roker. [38:53] Hey, hey, hey. [38:54] He doesn't have an IFB. [38:55] He can't hear you. [38:56] Tell him we say hi. [38:57] But give us the weather [38:58] forecast. [38:59] How are we looking? [39:00] It's looking good. [39:01] I mean, right now, beautiful [39:02] weather. [39:03] But tonight, we're talking [39:04] about temperatures in the low [39:05] 70s, low winds, really nothing [39:06] to speak of as far as any [39:07] precipitation, certainly within [39:08] the launch radius. [39:09] And then... [39:10] I think we're great. [39:11] And if they have to scrub [39:12] and go tomorrow... [39:13] Tomorrow's more [39:14] problematic. [39:15] A better chance of some showers [39:16] and thunderstorms. [39:17] Not widespread, but some [39:18] showers are still close enough [39:19] to be concerned about. [39:20] And then if that is a problem, [39:22] Friday looks much like tonight. [39:24] Okay. [39:25] So we're okay. [39:26] Okay. [39:27] Crossing our fingers. [39:28] You know, this thing, it [39:29] looks so much bigger on TV. [39:30] Well, no, you and I are [39:31] shorter than... [39:33] There you go. [39:34] By the way, I'm not this [39:35] much taller than Al. [39:36] I'm on a box, and he's not. [39:37] Excuse me. [39:39] Now, Scott. [39:40] All right, Al. [39:41] We don't need that anymore. [39:42] We're done with that. [39:43] So that was not a cardboard [39:44] cutout of Al Roker. [39:45] That was the real Al Roker [39:46] there standing next to Tom. [39:47] That's right. [39:48] Todd, this crew, [39:49] you know them well. [39:50] It's a historic crew. [39:51] What should we know about them? [39:52] And just what, like, today [39:53] and, like, the next 24 hours [39:55] or so is gonna look like [39:56] for them? [39:57] Yeah. [39:59] So, listen, the first 24 hours [40:00] for that crew... [40:01] Al's bringing back my prop. [40:02] Thank you very much. [40:03] The first 24... [40:04] Of course, now, listen, [40:05] the crew... [40:06] Let's remind you, the crew [40:07] is way up here, right? [40:08] They're up in the Orion [40:09] space capsule. [40:10] The rest of this, [40:11] the entire SLS, [40:12] that drops away [40:13] once they're in space. [40:14] So the first 24 hours, [40:15] they're gonna be in [40:16] the Orion capsule, [40:18] I should say, [40:19] orbiting the Earth, [40:20] checking out their systems, [40:22] and going to [40:23] 17,000 miles per hour [40:24] when they lift off [40:25] out of here. [40:26] After 24 hours in space, [40:28] then they will light [40:29] the fire again, [40:30] and now they will accelerate [40:31] to more than 24,000 [40:32] miles per hour, [40:33] again, in Orion, [40:34] headed for the Moon. [40:35] That's a four-day trip [40:36] to the Moon. [40:37] A reminder, [40:38] they're not landing [40:39] on the Moon. [40:40] They're looping [40:41] around the Moon, [40:42] a huge Circle 8, [40:43] but that will take them [40:44] farther from Earth [40:45] than any humans ever. [40:47] And then, of course, [40:48] they're gonna be [40:49] back in space. [40:50] It's the return, [40:51] and they're not gonna [40:52] have to light any fire [40:53] to come back. [40:54] They're using the Moon's [40:55] gravitational pull, [40:56] if you will, [40:57] to kind of slingshot them [40:58] back to Earth. [40:59] So ten days, [41:00] hopefully, [41:01] if all goes perfectly, [41:02] landing in the Pacific [41:03] ten days after [41:04] they lift off. [41:05] And we're all hoping [41:06] that they go today. [41:07] Wow. [41:08] Let's bring in [41:09] Dr. Emily Rice. [41:10] She's here on set with us. [41:11] She's an astrophysicist [41:12] at the City University [41:13] of New York. [41:14] Dr. Rice, [41:15] thank you so much [41:16] for being here. [41:17] I want to pick up [41:18] on a thread that Tom laid out [41:19] for us. [41:20] It's been 53 years [41:21] since Apollo. [41:22] But put in perspective [41:23] for us, [41:24] from just a research [41:25] perspective, [41:26] from what you're watching [41:27] all the time [41:28] as an astrophysicist, [41:29] how big of a deal [41:30] it is to get back [41:31] to the Moon, [41:32] to go further [41:33] than humans have gone. [41:34] Why is that so significant? [41:35] This is huge. [41:36] I cannot understate [41:37] how amazing this is. [41:38] I do want to emphasize [41:39] that, of course, [41:40] there's a difference. [41:41] You know, there's a lot [41:42] of robotic spacecraft [41:43] that we have. [41:44] We've sent things [41:45] to other planets. [41:46] We've sent things [41:47] to the edge [41:48] of the solar system. [41:49] But there's still [41:50] something amazing [41:51] when we see humans [41:52] in space. [41:53] And, you know, [41:54] there's a long history [41:55] also of the [41:56] human space program [41:57] enabling astrophysics. [41:58] Like, our space telescopes [41:59] were put into space [42:00] by astronauts. [42:01] And Mike Mantismeno, [42:02] he's beloved [42:03] among the astronomers [42:04] because he's been [42:05] on the Hubble [42:06] servicing missions. [42:07] And so Hubble [42:08] has lasted for so long [42:09] because it was [42:10] serviced by astronauts. [42:11] And so there's a lot [42:12] of us in the community [42:13] that, like, [42:14] would go to space [42:15] if we had the chance. [42:16] I might not be one of them, [42:17] but I will fully support [42:18] everybody in the space [42:19] that does. [42:20] And we're still [42:21] learning things [42:22] from the Apollo mission. [42:23] And the things [42:24] that we can learn [42:25] from the moon [42:26] when we put people [42:27] back there [42:28] are also going [42:29] to be amazing. [42:30] And in case [42:31] you're wondering, [42:32] yes, Dr. Rice [42:33] is wearing [42:34] a moon shirt [42:35] right now. [42:36] Those are craters [42:37] along with the spaceship. [42:38] So very good. [42:39] You're following [42:40] the assignment. [42:41] We won't ask you [42:42] to show us [42:43] your NASA socks [42:44] on air. [42:45] But she's wearing [42:46] NASA socks [42:47] in case you're wondering. [42:48] I can't help but think [42:49] about how big [42:50] of a deal [42:51] this is. [42:52] I mean, [42:53] we've seen this [42:54] before. [42:55] How big [42:56] of a deal [42:57] is that? [42:58] What's the kind [42:59] of testing [43:00] and experiments [43:01] they can do? [43:02] And what will [43:03] that mean [43:04] for all of us? [43:05] It's going [43:06] to be amazing. [43:07] So Pink Floyd lied [43:08] to you. [43:09] There is no dark [43:10] side of the moon. [43:11] There's the far [43:12] side of the moon [43:13] that does get [43:14] illuminated [43:15] when we don't [43:16] see the full moon. [43:17] But they will [43:18] be able [43:19] to do [43:20] decisions [43:21] like that [43:22] in nearly [43:23] real time. [43:24] It's only [43:25] like a very [43:26] brief time delay [43:27] in communication [43:28] between the Earth [43:29] and the moon. [43:30] And so having [43:31] people be able [43:32] to do that [43:33] is going [43:34] to be huge. [43:35] And so even [43:36] though this test, [43:37] it's really [43:38] a test flight [43:39] mostly for [43:40] the crew capsule [43:41] and getting [43:42] everything working [43:43] in there to make [43:44] sure it's safe [43:45] for humans [43:46] to spend [43:47] the rest of their [43:48] lives. [43:49] So we're [43:50] going to see [43:51] a lot of [43:52] things going [43:53] on in the [43:54] future. [43:55] And so it's [43:56] going to be [43:57] a lot [43:58] of [43:59] things [44:00] that we [44:01] haven't [44:02] done [44:03] in [44:04] generations [44:05] is amazing. [44:06] I have my [44:07] space shuttle [44:08] necklace. [44:09] So the space [44:10] shuttle did [44:11] not go to [44:12] the moon, [44:13] but that's [44:14] to remind [44:15] us that we [44:16] are going [44:17] to be [44:18] able to [44:19] go to [44:20] the moon. [44:21] So it's [44:22] going to be [44:23] just phenomenal. [44:24] It's so awesome. [44:25] Everyone's going [44:26] to stay with [44:27] us. [44:28] We're going [44:29] to go back [44:31] to our Tom [44:32] Costello, [44:33] who, as you [44:34] know, [44:35] is there on [44:36] the ground. [44:37] I think he's [44:38] got a model [44:39] for us of [44:40] Orion. [44:41] This is the [44:42] actual capsule [44:43] that the [44:44] astronauts will [44:45] be in. [44:46] There's more room [44:47] than Apollo. [44:48] A reminder, [44:49] Apollo had [44:50] three astronauts. [44:51] There will be [44:52] four astronauts [44:53] inside Orion. [44:54] And at the risk [44:55] of repeating [44:56] myself, [44:57] Canadian Jeremy [44:58] Hanson is [44:59] about six [45:00] foot two. [45:01] And he has [45:02] joked that [45:03] Canada is [45:04] getting more [45:05] than their [45:06] fair share [45:07] of space [45:08] because he's [45:09] so tall. [45:10] But regardless, [45:11] they've got [45:12] to kind [45:13] of elbow [45:14] each other [45:15] because that's [45:16] what they're [45:17] going to do. [45:18] You know, [45:19] I said that, [45:20] in fact, [45:21] in that first [45:22] 24 hours, [45:23] they got to [45:24] test out the [45:25] new toilet. [45:26] That's not a [45:27] joke. [45:28] In fact, [45:29] it's one of the [45:30] first things [45:31] that the [45:32] astronauts [45:33] talked about [45:34] when they [45:35] said what [45:36] they're going [45:37] to do in [45:38] that first [45:39] 24-hour period. [45:40] You don't [45:41] want to be [45:42] going on a [45:43] 10-day mission [45:44] around the [45:45] moon. [45:46] That's why nobody [45:47] has ever flown [45:48] in this before, [45:49] ever. [45:50] This is the [45:51] first time humans [45:52] have been in it, [45:53] and they're [45:54] going on a [45:55] very long [45:56] journey, [45:57] 600,000 miles [45:58] round trip in [45:59] total. [46:00] So they've got [46:01] to make sure [46:02] everything's [46:03] working properly [46:04] before they then [46:05] begin that [46:06] long trip [46:07] when they light [46:08] the torch [46:09] and they go [46:10] at 24,000 miles [46:11] per hour [46:12] headed straight [46:13] for the moon. [46:14] And that's [46:15] what's [46:16] happening [46:17] right now. [46:18] We're [46:19] going to [46:20] finish [46:21] that last [46:22] little bit [46:23] that is needed [46:24] to get us [46:25] to 100% [46:26] level [46:27] in those [46:28] tanks. [46:29] Now, [46:30] because these [46:31] are gases, [46:32] these are [46:34] liquid gases, [46:35] as the [46:36] temperatures [46:37] start warming [46:38] up, [46:39] those gases, [46:40] that liquid [46:41] oxygen and [46:42] liquid hydrogen [46:43] will start [46:44] venting off [46:45] into what [46:46] is called [46:47] replenish [46:48] mode. [46:49] Replenish [46:50] means just [46:51] that. [46:52] They're just [46:53] going to constantly [46:54] be replenishing [46:55] these tanks [46:56] so that we [46:57] make sure [46:58] we're at 100% [46:59] level and [47:00] we are at [47:01] that flight [47:05] ready level [47:06] for when we [47:07] enter terminal [47:08] count. [47:09] Now, [47:11] I'll be [47:12] reporting out [47:13] as each of [47:14] these operations [47:15] and milestones [47:16] are underway. [47:17] Our Artemis [47:19] will make sure [47:20] to relay [47:21] as that information [47:22] gets underway [47:23] and they report [47:24] those milestones [47:28] and call-outs [47:29] out. [47:30] Now, [47:31] while we wait [47:32] for slow fill [47:33] to get underway, [47:34] let's do a little bit [47:35] of a recap [47:36] of the entire [47:37] countdown. [47:39] Again, [47:40] we said we started [47:41] on Monday [47:42] at 4.44 p.m. [47:43] We'll keep [47:44] coming back [47:45] to this [47:46] as we're getting [47:47] more information [47:48] from NASA. [47:49] We do want to [47:50] bring in now [47:51] former NASA [47:52] astronauts [47:53] who have been [47:54] in this position [47:55] where you're [47:56] getting ready [47:57] to head to space. [47:58] Tell us what [47:59] the crew might [48:00] be feeling [48:01] right now. [48:02] Like, [48:03] are you nervous [48:04] in the hours [48:05] before launch [48:06] the way that [48:07] most of us [48:08] regular non-astronaut [48:09] people would be? [48:10] Well, [48:11] good morning. [48:12] It's good [48:13] to be with you. [48:15] I would say, [48:16] yeah, [48:17] you're nervous. [48:18] You want to be [48:19] a little nervous. [48:20] But also, [48:21] you know, [48:22] you're thinking, [48:23] you know, [48:24] you've been [48:25] preparing for [48:26] and you're really [48:27] looking forward [48:28] to the mission [48:29] and putting [48:30] your training [48:31] to use. [48:32] What is some [48:33] of the training [48:34] the crew has been [48:35] going through [48:36] to get ready [48:37] for something [48:38] like this? [48:39] Well, [48:40] of course, [48:41] they'll practice [48:42] all phases [48:43] of the mission. [48:44] Usually, [48:45] in the training, [48:46] of course, [48:47] you're confronted [48:48] with a number [48:49] of problems [48:50] you have to deal [48:51] with, [48:52] and you have to [48:54] deal with [48:55] a number [48:56] of things. [48:57] And so, [48:58] the first thing [48:59] that would give [49:00] me confidence [49:01] is that, [49:02] although this [49:03] is only the [49:04] second flight [49:05] of the SLS, [49:06] most of the [49:07] components [49:08] are quite [49:09] proven. [49:10] As Tom [49:11] was reporting [49:12] earlier, [49:13] the solid [49:14] rocket boosters [49:15] were basically [49:16] the shuttle [49:17] solid rocket [49:18] boosters. [49:19] We flew [49:20] four segments [49:21] of the mission [49:22] and the crew [49:23] is similar [49:24] in many ways [49:25] to the core [49:26] stage. [49:27] So, [49:28] there's a lot [49:29] of flight [49:30] history [49:31] in the hardware [49:32] which I think [49:34] would give [49:35] the crew [49:36] confidence [49:37] that they [49:38] will perform [49:39] as they expect. [49:40] Dr. [49:41] Holley, [49:42] we just heard [49:43] our Tom [49:44] Costello [49:45] describing [49:46] Orion, [49:47] and he showed [49:48] us that little [49:49] model, [49:50] but I think [49:51] four people there together the size of two minivans let's hope they brought snacks exactly [49:55] and let's hope as he mentioned the toilet works but i think it sounds hard for some people to [49:59] imagine just a process like that but there's this greater mission going on tell us what it's like um [50:05] to be in close quarters with some people and just how you get through that yeah well i was on a [50:12] second hubble servicing mission for example and we flew discovery and we were a crew of seven so i [50:19] had six crewmates in the volume of the crew module on the discovery and one thing that works in your [50:25] favor in space is is you have weightlessness and so it's volume more than square feet that [50:33] that counts but you get used to it and of course you've been training with these people [50:40] in confined spaces you know for years so i didn't actually find that adjustment too difficult [50:47] that is just incredible and amazing and [50:50] i think that speaks to you guys are just different and cooler than the rest of us um stay with us i'm [50:54] going to now bring in dr paul sutter he's a cosmologist at johns hopkins university and [51:00] the author of how to die in space and a friend of our show with us all the time i'm great to have [51:03] you with us on such an exciting morning um walk us through right now on on the left side of our [51:08] screen our viewers are seeing and and hearing this a little bit in the background of nasa talking [51:13] through this process right now as they're preparing for launch we know they're sort of fueling up [51:17] but tell us what it is that nasa is doing right now as they're preparing for launch we know they're sort of fueling up but tell us what it is that nasa is doing right now [51:20] now also what they're looking for because we know that this was scrubbed once before when [51:25] um it was essentially like a helium blockage i think was the the terminology there but i'm not [51:29] exactly sure what that means so tell us like what could go wrong that they're looking for right now [51:34] to make sure all systems are a go yeah we have to remember that these rockets are amongst the most [51:41] complex machines ever devised in the history of humanity so the list of things that could go wrong [51:48] is extremely long [51:51] and so this is a moment a time of intense activity of intense focus all of this has been dress [52:00] rehearsaled all this has been choreographed all of this has been rehearsed and practiced and [52:06] workshopped and written through for years as tom mentioned like the artemis program is we're decades [52:13] now into the artemis program and so now is the time for activation to go from the theoretical [52:19] ideas on that [52:21] we've written down and procedures and put them into practice we are looking for [52:25] everything uh the the fuels that we're using are extremely volatile and if there's a leak [52:31] you know it's not like having a tiny little leak in in your car and you can just drive it to the [52:37] shop that's not exactly an option with the space launch system in the artemis program here so [52:42] everything has to be right up until the moment of launch and then through the moment of launch [52:48] so as they are fueling this they are continually [52:51] running checks on the main systems, the backup systems, the tertiary backup systems. They're [52:56] preparing the astronauts for all of the emergency procedures. They are preparing, they're walking [53:02] through all their engineering teams for the emergency procedures, the playbook, the plans [53:08] for every single possibility to get us to that moment of launch. [53:13] Dr. Quigley, just tell us a little bit about this fueling process, [53:16] since that's what we're watching right now. [53:17] So the fueling process is incredibly delicate. We are talking about millions of pounds of fuel. [53:26] This takes a little bit longer than the fuel up at your local gas station. And these are highly [53:32] volatile, highly reactive compounds. This is rocket fuel, literally, that they need to be [53:39] isolated. They need to be chilled until the moment of combustion in the rocket nozzle itself. [53:45] So this is a very delicate procedure, [53:47] but also a very high volume procedure. So it's something that has to happen very, very quickly [53:54] and very seamlessly, which is a difficult balance to achieve. [54:01] All right. Dr. Paul Sutter, thank you so much. You're staying with us. All of our [54:04] super smart space friends are staying with us who we've been talking to all morning. [54:08] And you should stay with us at home because throughout the morning, [54:10] we are bringing you this special coverage continuing right now. [54:13] Right now on Morning News Now, Countdown to Mission. You are looking live right now at [54:28] Kennedy Space Center, where in just a matter of hours, the astronauts aboard NASA's Artemis II [54:32] will head thousands of miles into space for a mission around the moon. The four-person crew [54:38] will embark on the first manned flight to the moon in more than half a century. Among the astronauts, [54:43] the first woman, also the first person of color to take part in a NASA lunar mission. [54:49] It's expected to be a 10-day trip orbiting the moon. One of the priorities for the mission is [54:54] to test out systems to eventually support astronauts on future missions. [54:58] To the moon, landing on the moon. Tonight's launch is scheduled for 6.24 p.m. Eastern time. [55:05] This is the second of three prep missions that will lead up to that first crew to land on the [55:10] moon that is scheduled for 2028. We begin this hour in this countdown mode with just hours until [55:16] the launch of NASA's Artemis II mission, sending astronauts around the moon. We're going to show [55:21] you this live look at the launch pad before that launch window opens at 6.24 p.m. tonight. That [55:26] right there, that's a live picture. [55:28] If all systems are a go, we will see the four astronauts head to the pad this afternoon. [55:33] NBC News senior correspondent Tom Costello, he's been with us all morning. He's coming to us from [55:37] Kennedy Space Center and covered NASA for more than 20 years. Tom, good morning. A big day where [55:42] you are. Hey, guys. Right now, they are beginning to fuel this giant rocket, 730,000 gallons of [55:51] liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen right here in this orange core fuel tank. And then on the sides, [55:56] you've got these two SRB, solid rocket boosters, [55:59] these are like sticks of dynamite. You like this thing, you're going somewhere regardless. So this [56:06] is the priority this morning. And you know, this is kind of feeling a little bit like the 1970s [56:12] vibe here at the KSC. You might say NASA's going back to the future. The last time astronauts [56:19] visited the moon, Apollo 17, 1972. Now Artemis, the twin Greek god of Apollo, is poised to send [56:29] four astronauts around the moon. That's right. That's right. That's right. That's right. That's [56:30] right. That's right. That's right. That's right. That's right. That's right. That's right. That's [56:30] right. That's right. That's right. That's right. That's right. That's right. That's right. That's [56:30] right. That's right. That's right. That's right. That's right. That's right. That's right. That's [56:31] right. That's right. That's right. That's right. That's right. That's right. That's right. So [56:32] we're excited, and this is what will be the first time the astronauts have been on a lunar flyby. [56:33] People are excited and ready to go on this first chapter on our way back to the moon since the 1970s. [56:37] So we're very excited. [56:38] A staggering 8.8 million pounds of thrust will lift the Orion capsule and its crew to 17,000 miles [56:45] per hour. NASA Chief Jared Isaacman. [56:50] No humans have ever flown on that rocket before. Our four astronauts will go out, put the [56:55] put the spacecraft through its paces but what comes next artemis 3 in 2027 we're going to get [57:00] in a cadence of launching moon rockets in months not years anymore for the crew weisman glover [57:05] cook and hansen the first 24 hours will be spent in earth orbit testing critical systems including [57:12] a new onboard toilet before accelerating to 24 000 miles per hour aiming for the moon and this [57:20] is the simulator that the orion crew has been practicing in it is very very real this the left [57:26] hand seat is where commander reid weisman will sit on the right hand seat that's where victor glover [57:31] the pilot will sit now the ship itself is going to fly in an automated mode and largely controlled [57:37] remote control from the ground but they need to be able to take over manually in the event of an [57:42] emergency so the right hand control here will control the pitch and also the role of the [57:48] spaceship a 10-day flight from the moon to earth is a 10-day flight from the moon to earth and [57:50] we're going to test this capsule we're going to lay the groundwork for artemis 3 and 4 and we're [58:01] going to try and get back safely and land in the pacific ocean that's what really matters to us and [58:05] that's what we should be focused on so artemis 3 that you heard there that will be a mission [58:10] orbiting the earth that's coming next year to test out all of the systems try docking procedures [58:16] and then artemis 4 and 5 landing on the moon they hope [58:20] as soon as 2028 however they still don't have a lunar lander spaceship so right now we've got [58:27] the titans of space competing for that job we've got spacex elon musk jeff bezos with blue origin [58:34] those companies right now competing to see who can come up with the best lunar lander first back to [58:40] you all right tom thank you so much well let's bring in our a plus team of experts for more on [58:46] these hours leading up to this historic mission to the moon we're going to start with our friend [58:50] astronaut mike massimino he is there at the kennedy space center in florida mike i'm so excited [58:55] to see you i'm so excited for you that you are there i'm loving your outfit right now um we just [59:01] love talking to you about every single space story all the time always of course um walk us through [59:05] what you're seeing right now this morning what's exciting you about what you're seeing well uh it's [59:12] a it's a beautiful morning and i'm excited thank you for noticing the jacket i only wear it down [59:17] here at the kennedy by the way you probably can't see me but i'm in like a spacey shirt that i think [59:22] you were here on set with us oh oh excellent excellent it gets us all in the mood so what [59:28] we're seeing right now is a gigantic rocket the biggest rocket ever to take people anywhere [59:32] is on the launch pad to my uh to my left over here so very excited to see that but i'm really [59:38] excited for my friends who get to go when the crew the crew when they first announced they [59:43] were on the today show the day after they announced and i got to see him in new york city [59:46] and i went to my as soon as i saw him i gave him big hugs and said i'm so excited i was more excited [59:52] about my mission than when i got assigned to my own missions and reed wiseman the commander said [59:57] i i understand mike because he's going to be even more excited for the crew that gets to land [1:00:01] so this is something that all everyone in nasa all the astronauts maybe the whole world's been [1:00:06] waiting for leaving the planet this time not just to to to go for a visit and unfortunately wait for [1:00:12] another 50 years to go back but to go there and start laying the groundwork so that we can live [1:00:17] off the planet settle up there have a research station and learn everything we can to do that's [1:00:22] what we can learn from being on the moon and this is that step number one but very exciting day [1:00:27] huge rocket and remember when you're watching this later there are four people on top of this [1:00:32] gigantic rocket going on quite an adventure oh my gosh what a great point um by the way we've got [1:00:36] dr emily rice here on set mike who name checked you a little bit ago and said we all love mike [1:00:41] massimino and i think part of it is at least because of exactly what you just said right there [1:00:45] how you're more excited for them than you were for yourself um mike i think like it's just so hard for [1:00:52] me to be able to see what it must feel like just moments before they're going on the ride that you [1:00:57] just described you have done this before you spent nearly 600 hours in space you spent more than 30 [1:01:02] hours space of walking which is a whole other conversation and crazy thing to even imagine [1:01:07] but i mean what are they feeling right now i'm sure it's excitement i know they've worked so [1:01:11] hard for this for their whole life it's sort of like the culmination of a dream and a goal [1:01:15] achieved but yeah are you nervous right now what does this feel like chill down refers to getting [1:01:22] so excited with the first you know my first time going into space it's like uh my commanders [1:01:26] describe it like waking up on christmas morning that kind of feeling something you've anticipated [1:01:31] for a long time as a little kid and now the big day is here i was feeling pretty good about it [1:01:35] you know you go through uh you practice before you have rehearsals so you know what you're gonna uh [1:01:40] you're gonna feel but the thing that got me savannah was getting out to the launch pad it [1:01:45] was uh my first launch was a very early morning launcher we were out there in the middle of the [1:01:48] night and looking up at that rocket ready to go it becomes a lot [1:01:52] more of a good idea because the rocket is going to be alive once they fuel it you start hearing [1:01:57] sounds and and you see a water vapor coming off of it and it looks like it's alive it looks like a [1:02:02] beast and thought went through my mind at that moment looking up at that rocket ship in the night [1:02:07] i thought to myself maybe this wasn't such a good idea but luckily i didn't dwell on that and i just [1:02:13] kind of trusted the system and my training and move forward once i got inside i was fine you [1:02:19] know thinking about stuff can be a lot worse than doing it but once i got inside the spaceship we had [1:02:22] things to do we had a little bit of fun the pilot's responsibility is to tell jokes i played [1:02:27] rock paper scissors with the guy next to me you know stuff like that and then the countdown just [1:02:32] keeps going and you hit all these little check marks you know boom boom boom boom and before you [1:02:36] know it it gets like within a minute and you're like we actually may go somewhere someday because [1:02:40] you don't really know you're going anywhere until the solid rocket's light that's when you know [1:02:44] you're on your way and so until then they still have a you know still a chance you might get you [1:02:48] know go another day but you get closer and closer and closer and then you [1:02:52] start thinking this is really happening and it's uh it's an amazing experience the thought that [1:02:57] went through my mind right after the lift off my first time was i cannot believe that people built [1:03:01] this wow people built this this this such a such a power powerful vehicle that we're able to do [1:03:08] things like this um so it's going to be an amazing ride for my friends it's the most powerful rocket [1:03:13] ever that we've put people on and uh i i'm just so happy for them and happy for the whole nasa team [1:03:18] and happy for the whole world i feel like for us regular people the feeling you described is like [1:03:22] when you are like yeah i'm totally doing that giant roller coaster that goes upside down and [1:03:26] then you get to the front of the line you're like what am i thinking however we have the option to [1:03:29] be like you know what never mind and that's not the case for you astronauts um mike stay with us [1:03:35] we're going to keep talking to you i want to bring in dr emily rice astrophysicist who i just mentioned [1:03:39] a moment ago and i'm really excited because we're like going to kind of demo some stuff for you so [1:03:42] you have tell us what this is i have scale model marbles so tom we see your cardboard models and i [1:03:50] have a literal blue marble for the sky and i'm going to show you what this is so i'm going to [1:03:52] earth uh and then a moon marble two scale in size scale yeah i didn't realize how [1:03:58] much bigger earth is yeah earth is actually relatively big i didn't realize that yeah [1:04:03] this is we see pictures of them all the time but when we see pictures them usually we do some nice [1:04:07] you know and they put them really close together but in space the distance between these two is [1:04:12] something more like this kind of um about either end of a pillow okay a scale okay um yeah and so [1:04:18] when you think about it like this it's actually pretty far yeah i'm kidding [1:04:22] And so they, so I know from the, some of the simulations that we've created here at NBC, [1:04:27] they're going to launch and that's in what's called lower earth orbit. Is that right? [1:04:31] Yeah. They're going to start out in low earth orbit for just a little bit. That's where the [1:04:34] international space station is. That's where things like Hubble are. So it's only really a [1:04:39] few hundred miles off the surface of the earth. So at a scale like this, um, it's just off the [1:04:44] surface, like barely at all, you know, which is crazy. Cause you're like, that's not the [1:04:48] international space station so far away. We think about it in space, but it's, you know, [1:04:51] it's, it's really like just outside the atmosphere, not really too far away. [1:04:56] Okay. So then they're going to boost into outer higher, higher, higher earth orbit, [1:05:02] take them further away. They're going to test out the capsule. They're going to test out their [1:05:06] spacesuits. They're going to test out their drinkable water, the toilets and things like [1:05:09] that. Um, because this is what they're going to need in order to eventually leave earth orbit. [1:05:14] And how long is all that testing going on? This is just the first couple of days. So the first [1:05:17] day is a very busy day. So I read their schedule. Um, the first day they, [1:05:21] don't get to sleep a full eight hours. They get to, they work, they sleep four hours. They're [1:05:25] going to get woken up again. They're going to sleep another four hours. Who wakes them up? [1:05:28] What do you mean they get woken up? They're going to get woken up by, they're going to have [1:05:30] headsets and things like that to be able to wake up to mission control. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. Um, [1:05:35] and so then they're going to get boosted into a higher orbit when everything checks out. [1:05:39] They're going to actually, um, one of the propulsion stages is going to disconnect [1:05:42] and they're going to practice docking with that. So they're going to be controlling the capsule [1:05:47] in this earth orbit and practice docking with, um, [1:05:51] stage because that's what they're going to have to do in space eventually. Cause this, [1:05:54] um, the Orion capsule that they're on, that they're going to travel to the moon in [1:05:57] is not going to land on the moon, right? Like at the later stages of the Artemis mission, [1:06:02] they're going to dock with other things in earth or in lunar orbit, which is going to be very, [1:06:06] very cool. Um, but once everything checks out, they're basically practicing like for research [1:06:10] for the future. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Make sure everything works to, to check all the systems. [1:06:13] Like, you know, things have been tested. Like Mike said, people built these things. They have [1:06:17] been very, very thoroughly tested, but not in orbit. Right. Like, you know, [1:06:21] just once with the Artemis one mission and no people on board. Okay. Um, and so they're going [1:06:25] to test on, you know, manual controls and spacesuits and things like that. Things that we [1:06:28] didn't need to worry about when there was no people in there. And let's just say, hopefully [1:06:33] this is not the case, but something, something minor, let's say like the toilets not work. I [1:06:36] mean, that's not minor, but you know what I mean? It's not like a catastrophe. If something like [1:06:40] that happens, they come back. I believe so. Yes. Okay. Yes. They do have, they have backup systems [1:06:44] for the toilets. Right. Okay. Um, they're a little bit more manual, a little bit more like [1:06:48] the Apollo missions. Um, but I do believe they're taking their time. So [1:06:51] they can come back to earth if they need to. Okay. Got it. Before they do the, uh, the lunar [1:06:56] injection burn with the rockets. And so once they get to the higher earth orbit and then they're [1:07:01] ready to go to the moon, that's going to be a lunar injection burn to get them away from the [1:07:05] earth's gravity closer to the moon. Um, and so there is going to be a point where they, the, [1:07:11] the gravity influence shifts over from being more towards the earth than towards the moon. And so [1:07:18] that's going to be a very cool moment as I don't know if they're, I don't think they're [1:07:21] really feel anything different, but I'm sure mission control is going to tell them like now [1:07:24] you're in the moon's gravitational. Wow. Again, we haven't done in over 50 years, which is going [1:07:29] to be amazing. Um, and then when they finally get to the moon, they're going to, they're not [1:07:35] going to orbit the moon. So it's not going to be like Apollo eight. So Apollo eight, when we saw [1:07:39] that moon rise or the gorgeous earth rise picture, um, they were orbiting the moon. And so we're not [1:07:44] going to have that. They're going to be a little bit further away from the moon. They're just going [1:07:47] to do kind of one pass around the far side of the moon. So they really only have one shot to take [1:07:51] to look at surface features and things. And the moon is still going to be relatively far away from [1:07:55] them, like several thousand miles. And so it'll look like a basketball held at arm's length. So [1:08:01] still pretty small, still pretty far away. And then they're going to come back to earth. [1:08:06] They do get a rest day in this 10 day mission. I was excited to read the day seven. They don't [1:08:10] really have anything scheduled. They don't have anything planned. And so they get a rest day in [1:08:13] space, which I think is very fun. I was loving looking at, I actually got to interview Christina [1:08:18] Cook, who's on this mission, the female astronaut and get in the Orion. [1:08:21] Capsule, which was very cool. It is very small. I can't believe they're all going to be in there [1:08:25] for 10 days. But when I spoke with her, she just stressed so much of what you just said, [1:08:30] which was really so neat. I want to bring Mike back in for a moment and pick up on something [1:08:34] that you just said there, which is this idea about how a couple of things that you mentioned [1:08:39] that are different from Apollo. Mike, tell us about what is different here than Apollo missions [1:08:45] and what that means for the astronauts. Well, if you can see this Lego I have here, [1:08:51] I'm trying not to break it. They're making me nervous. [1:08:53] You can see on the side. Yeah. You see these two white, white rockets that Tom had talked about [1:08:59] earlier. Those are solid rocket boosters. So one major difference is that the, this spacecraft, [1:09:05] the space launch system, the rocket has both liquid and solid rockets. So it has [1:09:11] liquid fueled rockets with a liquid hydrogen and oxygen that fuel the four rockets at the bottom [1:09:18] of the stack there. But the two rockets on the side, those are, those are solid rocket boosters. [1:09:22] They're like giant sticks of dynamite. So once you light those things, you can't throttle them. [1:09:27] You're on your way. You're going to go somewhere. It may not be where you want to be going, [1:09:30] but you're headed in that direction. Hopefully they all, they work. They're going to work fine [1:09:33] today, but they shake you up a lot too. They run rough. So you get a lot of commotion, [1:09:37] a lot of shaking going on on those first couple of minutes. And then those rockets will leave [1:09:43] the vehicle to land in the ocean. And then you're going to continue using the main engines that are [1:09:48] at the bottom of the stack. Those four at the bottom of the stack that are liquid fueled. [1:09:52] And the ride smooths out. And then the G forces start to build up. You get a max of about three [1:09:56] G's for the last couple of minutes. So three times your body weight is what you're feeling in your [1:10:00] chest. That's like, I felt like there were three big dudes sitting on me. That's what, that's what [1:10:04] it felt like. So, so the difference between answer your question is that the Saturn five was another [1:10:09] huge rocket. This one actually has a bit more thrust than the Saturn five. And it's using a [1:10:14] combination of liquid and solid rockets, as opposed to the liquid fueled rockets that they [1:10:19] had on the Saturn five. So a smoother ride for the Apollo guys, a little bit, [1:10:22] a little bit rougher for my friends today. [1:10:24] Mike, the other thing I was going to mention about Christina, who's on this mission that, that I was just [1:10:28] talking about with Dr. Rice here was, um, she posted on Instagram and I think kind of like in layman's [1:10:33] terms for us all to understand, she wrote her to-do list over the next day or so. Two things that just [1:10:39] stuck out to me. Cause you're like, whoa, really? She said, one of the things is they'll, she gets to [1:10:43] change into comfy clothes. And she also talked about taking these naps. So like once you're up there, [1:10:48] you're just kind of like living. [1:10:52] Yeah. Yeah. You're, you're, you're going through your daily routines. Uh, the comfy clothes, getting your, your [1:10:57] launch suit, take that, take that off and put on clothes similar to what you're going to wear around, uh, you [1:11:03] know, around earth, except the shoe, you don't need real shoes. So you typically wear like, you know, like [1:11:07] slipper socks or socks, kind of fun socks. You can have fun with your socks, your, your clothes, you know, your [1:11:12] shirts are pretty much the same. Your pants are kind of cool. They have Velcro on them. So just like regular [1:11:17] pants, but Velcro on them. So you can attach your checklist or your spoon or your snack to the, to your [1:11:22] pants so they don't float away. And then, uh, she mentioned naps. Yeah. Every once in a while, you know, you [1:11:27] might need a nap. I actually took a nap before my second spacewalk. I fell asleep in the airlock, which made me feel [1:11:33] good because not only was a nap, but I was calm. The first, I was no sleeping going on before my, before my, yeah, you [1:11:39] kind of get used to it and, you know, you have a few minutes to close your eyes and, and, uh, take a little nap [1:11:43] before you're going to do a big event. You know, why, why not? So yeah, it is, it is still strange. You think about [1:11:49] it, about doing it and it seems so overwhelming. [1:11:52] It kind of is, but once you get into it, you're so well trained, it seems normal. And maybe that's what Christina was [1:11:58] trying to share. [1:11:58] Yeah. It was so cool. Um, Mike, we need to do a whole astronaut fashion segment with you another time, because that was [1:12:03] fascinating. Stay with us. Um, we are going to now bring in Andrew Fazekas. He is a science writer and broadcaster known as [1:12:10] the night sky guy. Um, Andrew, good morning. I want to talk with you about something that you put up on your website [1:12:14] because I just think it's so cool and such a great little note for viewers. It's how sky watchers. And by that, I mean [1:12:19] like people with telescopes in their backyards. [1:12:22] So you can in some ways observe this mission from home. Tell us about this and some tips for people. [1:12:27] Yeah, I mean, definitely there is a possibility and no guarantee this is a quite a challenge to be able to imagine [1:12:36] seeing the Orion capsule on its way to the moon. I mean, uh, you know, once after it's launched during the launch phase, [1:12:44] you know, there's obviously the ability to see the rocket go up into, into earth orbit. So that there's this ability with [1:12:52] the naked eye. [1:12:53] To see around the launch site. So, uh, for a few hundred miles around the launch site, there is this, uh, concentric bullseye, [1:13:02] um, that it's probably about two to 400 miles across where you could visually have the opportunity to catch sight of the rocket [1:13:12] as it's going up into earth orbit. But after that, imagine the ability not even having to use a giant observatory or a super big professional [1:13:23] telescope, but perhaps a backyard telescope as small as, uh, maybe with a six inch mirror, very, very common, or maybe even [1:13:31] something like binoculars to be able to see the, uh, the capsule as it's still orbiting the earth before it's, uh, before the capsule [1:13:41] Orion capsule is going on its journey to the, to the moon. It can be bright enough to be seen by backyard equipment that, uh, a lot of us may have. [1:13:51] The trick is. [1:13:53] Is being able to spot it. Now there are coordinates that, uh, the jet propulsion laboratory, NASA's, uh, uh, facility has the ability to generate these coordinates of pointing you to where in the sky you need to look. [1:14:08] And, uh, so I, I encourage people to, to go on my website. I've got the link there at the night sky guide.com. You punch in where you are, wherever you're located and it'll generate coordinates for you. [1:14:19] And then you'll know where to point your telescope or. [1:14:23] The binoculars and try to see it. But the point is it's basically the day after launch. So if we launch today, so tomorrow, uh, Thursday is a great opportunity to try to catch sight with binoculars and telescopes in your backyard. [1:14:38] And then again on its return on April 10th, 11th, um, when it's coming back to around the earth orbit is another opportunity where you can, you know, train your binoculars or telescopes. [1:14:49] And what you're looking for is a bright, what looks like a star-like dot. [1:14:52] That's right. [1:14:52] That's right. [1:14:52] That's right. [1:14:52] That's right. [1:14:53] That's right. [1:14:53] That's right. [1:14:53] That's right. [1:14:53] And it's a very, very bright dot moving across your, uh, view, and it's going to be going at quite a, quite a speed. [1:14:59] We're talking about over 17,000 miles per hour. [1:15:03] So it'll look like something that's just quickly going across your field of view. [1:15:07] It's so cool. [1:15:08] I feel like we're inspiring a run on binoculars and telescopes today. [1:15:13] So everybody get out there and get them if you want them. [1:15:15] Um, also if you've been watching our show, very cool that when you see it in this, um, near earth now, you know, thanks to Dr. [1:15:21] Rice, they're doing all these different kinds of tests, testing. [1:15:23] And they're suits, testing the toilet, um, important stuff. [1:15:25] Andrew, what are you most excited about, um, the prospect of learning about from this mission? [1:15:31] Well, obviously this whole, uh, the, the whole notion of humans returning to the moon, uh, that this is, you know, the really, uh, the, the first step of seeing human presence back in moon's vicinity. [1:15:45] Yes, we're not, this mission isn't about those, uh, those, uh, the moments that we're talking about, the, the first boot prints coming, going back to the moon. [1:15:53] But we're going to get close up views. [1:15:56] So what I'm looking for in this mission, mostly, and I think a lot of us around the world, and this is not just, you know, it's not just remember, it's not just, uh, an American mission. [1:16:06] It's, uh, it's the world that's go along for this ride. [1:16:09] The entire humanity. [1:16:10] I'm looking for those human moments, those moments of when the astronauts are going to be looking out their windows and seeing the moon close up, especially on the far side of the moon. [1:16:22] So little has been ever. [1:16:23] Seen by human eye, not since the Apollo mission. [1:16:26] Have we had those views and to see, of course, the iconic views of the earth in the distance, I'm looking for those, those precious iconic moments where, uh, it really brings that human perspective to this mission. [1:16:40] We're all along for this ride. [1:16:42] All of humanity also over 6 billion people are, are going to be, you know, have the opportunity to, to see this. [1:16:49] It belongs to entire world's heritage. [1:16:52] Uh. [1:16:53] Space is, is part of nature. [1:16:55] It's just like trees and clouds and birds and all the things that we see around us. [1:17:00] The universe and the cosmos is also part of nature, and we're exploring some of the most exciting parts of that. [1:17:07] Okay, Andrew, gorgeous. [1:17:09] That was very amazing and moving. [1:17:11] Thank you stay with us, Mike. [1:17:12] I'm going to bring you back in here because I want to talk about these moments right now where they're preparing, but then also I'm so curious about as Andrew just beautifully walked us through thinking about those moments when we all see them take off. [1:17:22] when we all see them take off. [1:17:23] We're all watching it. [1:17:24] We're all watching it. [1:17:25] What are you watching for? [1:17:27] What is NASA watching for? [1:17:28] How do we know, Hey, this went great. [1:17:33] Yeah, well, uh, I think the thing to pay attention to, uh, Savannah is what they're saying. [1:17:39] If you can hear the dialogue, the calls from the control center to the crew and the crew responding to those calls that things are working well, you go at this looking all the, just that there's no anomaly. [1:17:51] There's nothing, no leak, no anything. [1:17:54] That would give the indication that there's something wrong. [1:17:56] And hopefully once they like those, those solid rockets and they start moving, that everything goes according to plan. [1:18:02] That's when the, that's when the business has taken place for those eight and a half minutes or so, uh, where you're under what we call powered flight. [1:18:09] That's when the rocket is burning below you. [1:18:12] That's powered flight. [1:18:13] And that's when you're pretty vulnerable. [1:18:15] You're, you're, you're hoping that everything's going to work well. [1:18:18] So for that, that time, from the time, the solids light until the main engine cut off at, at the end of those eight and a half minutes. [1:18:24] So, and they're in orbit, that's, uh, that's the time to really pay attention and pray and, and hope for the best and just listen to what's going on. [1:18:34] And hopefully there's nothing, nothing out of the ordinary happening. [1:18:37] Okay, good, great tips. [1:18:38] Let's bring in Dr. [1:18:39] Rice one more time. [1:18:40] What are you singularly, if you could name it most excited about the two going back? [1:18:47] Just go. [1:18:47] I'm, I'm super excited. [1:18:49] I think I'm going to say the pictures. [1:18:50] I think I'm going to say the pictures because this is a different view of the moon that we've had before. [1:18:56] The. [1:18:56] The technology is hugely different. [1:18:57] I mean, the astronauts, uh, Apollo eight through Apollo 17 film cameras, they were taking pictures, but they didn't know what they were going to get. [1:19:04] You know, Apollo eight, I think he, he very famously like grabbed the color film right away. [1:19:08] You know, they had to choose between the color film and the black and white film, for example. [1:19:12] And now in our digital age, we have four different humans going around the moon, this different view. [1:19:18] Um, I love the, so we haven't talked about it at all, but hopefully we can later the, um, their gravity indicator. [1:19:25] It masks. [1:19:26] Scott is a little moon with a little earth cap named rise big after the Apollo, um, eight earth rise photo. [1:19:33] And they won't quite get that, but I'm sure they're going to get something. [1:19:37] And I'm sure that it is going to be as kind of, uh, culture shifting as the Apollo eight. [1:19:43] Can we have you back when we get the photos? [1:19:45] Absolutely. [1:19:46] Oh my gosh. [1:19:46] I'll put them on a t-shirt so that we can wear them. [1:19:48] Yeah. [1:19:49] Oh, a new shirts, new moon shirts. [1:19:51] I love it. [1:19:51] Dr. [1:19:52] Rice. [1:19:52] Thank you so much, Mike, our friend Massimino. [1:19:54] Enjoy yourself. [1:19:55] Thank you so much. [1:19:56] Andrew physique is, thank you so much. [1:19:57] Um, we appreciate you all joining us and you can watch a live coverage of the start of this 10 day journey around the moon during our special coverage. [1:20:04] It's right here on NBC news. [1:20:06] Now join us. [1:20:07] It starts at 4 PM Eastern time, and now we're actually going to get a check in with meteorologist, Andrew Lastman for our launch day forecast, a huge piece of this. [1:20:14] And Angie, you are really in space weather, which I love about you. [1:20:17] Yes, I, I totally am. [1:20:19] I went to school in Melbourne, which is right by the Cape Savannah. [1:20:22] So I am all in on this. [1:20:23] I covered the previous Artemis. [1:20:26] So I, I'm, I'm going to be right there with everybody else tonight, hoping that this launch happens. [1:20:30] The good news is weather is really cooperating. [1:20:33] We know how fickle it can be, especially on the space coast. [1:20:36] And it looks like at least right now, we're seeing those winds kind of light Southeast three miles per hour, wind gusting up to six miles per hour. [1:20:43] You can see a couple of these little tiny showers that we're tracking. [1:20:46] Those are going to be around at least through the midday and maybe even into early afternoon, but it does look by the time we get into that launch window, that most of that will be out of the picture. [1:20:55] And we'll look really. [1:20:56] Just be looking at some scattered clouds, a light breeze and temperatures around 70, maybe 70 to 75 degrees. [1:21:04] Otherwise, if we're looking ahead to tomorrow or even Friday, it does look like we have kind of more of an active pattern setting up with some more rain chances and some, uh, some more cloud cover. [1:21:13] So those will be things that we'll have to watch if we get into the Thursday and Friday launch windows. [1:21:16] But again, hopefully we can get through today and have that launch happening. [1:21:20] Here's what, uh, you know, if you think it's stressful to be an engineer for NASA at this time, when we're talking about. [1:21:26] Launch, this is what weather meteorologists are really watching when it comes to the weather. [1:21:30] We've got multiple things, lightning clouds, precipitation, temperature, wind, and solar activity. [1:21:34] All of that is really important when it comes to the launch criteria. [1:21:37] So if we see any lightning 30 minutes after that, we can, within a 12 mile radius, you cannot launch. [1:21:45] So we'll get the do not go for that. [1:21:47] Also, we can't go through a cloud layers. [1:21:49] If you didn't know, of course, this, this rocket has, you know, millions of pounds of propellant. [1:21:56] On it. [1:21:56] And so we don't want to be anywhere near lightning. [1:21:58] So of course, mother nature's light at lightning is something we're trying to avoid. [1:22:02] But on top of that rockets, when they enter through these clouds can potentially create their own lightning. [1:22:07] So that's another thing that we're watching and that's why we're really keeping a close eye on the cloud cover ahead of the launch. [1:22:13] And then of course, precipitation, you can't go through any precipitation or if the temperature exceeds 94.5 degrees, we'll keep an eye on that severe or even extreme solar activity. [1:22:23] That's something that doesn't work. [1:22:24] And those surface level winds. [1:22:26] So it's the clouds and the surface level winds that specifically today, the meteorologists at NASA are going to be watching closely. [1:22:31] But it looks like our weather is pretty favorable, not so favorable if we switch gears and talk about what's going on across the Midwest and stretching into the Northeast. [1:22:38] We've got rain. [1:22:39] We've got another potential day of severe weather. [1:22:42] But the severe shifts over really parts of the central plains, 8 million people at risk from Kansas City down to Sonora. [1:22:48] We do have Wichita Falls and Oklahoma City in that enhanced risk. [1:22:51] We're mainly going to be watching for the hail, the damaging winds and those tornadoes, guys. [1:22:55] So not so great of a forecast for folks across the middle of the country, but the launch looks pretty good. [1:23:00] That's good news. [1:23:01] That is good news. [1:23:02] Excited about that. [1:23:03] Thanks, Angie. [1:23:04] Coming up in Hawaii, the trial of that doctor accused of attempting to murder his wife on a cliffside hike is rolling on. [1:23:11] When we come back, we'll hear from his son who testified in court. [1:23:14] We're going to bring you his stunning admission. [1:23:16] That's next. [1:23:17] You're watching Morning News Now. [1:23:19] Welcome back. [1:23:25] We're following new testimony in a shocking case out of Hawaii. [1:23:28] Dr. Gerhard Koenig is accused of trying to kill. [1:23:31] His wife during a birthday hike near Honolulu last year. [1:23:36] Prosecutors say he pushed her toward a cliff, then attacked her with a syringe and a rock. [1:23:41] Now his own son is taking the stand, testifying his father told him during a FaceTime call that he tried to kill his wife and planned to take his own life. [1:23:51] Koenig has pleaded not guilty to second degree attempted murder. [1:23:55] NBC reporter Mahi Alani Richardson from our affiliate in Honolulu has more. [1:24:00] Good afternoon. [1:24:01] Emil Koenig, Gerhard Koenig's then 19-year-old son from a previous marriage, took the stand. [1:24:07] Last March, he was living with his father and his stepmother, Ariel, in Kahului, Maui. [1:24:12] Emil testified that after the alleged attack at the Palipuka Trail on Oahu, Gerhard video called him on FaceTime. [1:24:20] He saw blood on his father's shirt. [1:24:23] What did the defendant tell you during that call, as close to word for word as you can remember? [1:24:28] That he would not be making it back to Maui. [1:24:30] And to take good care of the younger kids, and that he had, that Ariel, my stepmom, had been cheating on him, and that he tried to kill her. [1:24:42] Emil described emotional moments where his father wanted to kill himself. [1:24:46] During that call, the next plan that he said was to jump off the cliff. [1:24:53] And how did you react to hearing that? [1:24:58] Told him not to. [1:24:59] He testified his father did not say anything about self-defense. [1:25:03] The defense had said Ariel attacked first. [1:25:07] You see blood on your dad's shirt, yes? [1:25:10] Correct. [1:25:10] And he tells you that this was Ariel's blood, yes? [1:25:14] Yes. [1:25:15] And he told you that, he was explaining to you about how Ariel had been cheating on him for a couple of months, yes? [1:25:22] Yes. [1:25:23] And he told you that the blood was from her head, correct? [1:25:27] Correct. [1:25:29] And half an hour earlier, everything seemed fine to you, right? [1:25:32] Yes. [1:25:32] During testimony, Gerhard sat in the courtroom showing no emotion. [1:25:37] Emil's grandparents also watched. [1:25:40] Mahe Alani Richardson, thank you for that report. [1:25:43] Well, Gerhard Koenig is expected to testify later today with closing arguments slated for Thursday. [1:25:48] The state has rested its case. [1:25:50] The defense team for Luigi Mangione is back in court today, [1:25:53] expected to ask the judge to delay his federal trial until 2027. [1:25:57] Right now, jury selection is scheduled to start on September 8th. [1:26:01] That's just three months after Mangione's New York state trial is set to begin in June. [1:26:06] His lawyers argue they don't have adequate time to prepare for both cases. [1:26:10] They claim the timing scenario is a violation of Mangione's constitutional rights. [1:26:14] He's accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in front of a Manhattan hotel in December of 2024. [1:26:20] He's charged with nine counts in the state case, including second-degree murder and various weapons-related charges. [1:26:26] In the federal case, two counts of stalking. [1:26:28] He faces the possibility of life in prison in both trials. [1:26:33] Coming up, Apple celebrating a major milestone this morning. [1:26:36] Today is the company's 50th birthday. [1:26:39] After the break, we'll be back with more. [1:26:39] We'll be right back. [1:26:39] We'll be right back. [1:26:40] Joe's got a lookbook at the history, the culture, and the products that have shaped our lives for half a century. [1:26:45] We'll be right back. [1:26:47] We are back with a look at one of the most influential tech titans in history, Apple. [1:26:57] The company turns 50 today. [1:26:59] From computers to the iPhone, Apple has left an extraordinary mark on our lives. [1:27:03] I know I got my first taste of Apple back in elementary school. [1:27:06] Our computer lab filled with Apple II computers where we played Oregon Trail. [1:27:10] After that, we upgraded to the Macintosh, went from the bigger floppy disks to the smaller ones. [1:27:15] So many memories from a company that officially got its start on this day, April 1st, 1976. [1:27:22] It's clear the founders were not fooling around. [1:27:25] Odds are good that today you'll use an app. [1:27:28] There's an app for that. [1:27:30] Listen to a podcast. [1:27:32] Hello, everyone. [1:27:32] Welcome to another episode of Good Hang. [1:27:35] FaceTime a friend and read an email with the seminal signature, sent from my iPhone. [1:27:41] Just some of the ways Apple has redefined our lexicon. [1:27:44] Hello, I'm a Mac. [1:27:45] And I'm a PC. [1:27:46] While reshaping the world. [1:27:49] This is the new MacBook Air. [1:27:52] That history is now on display at the Long Island Museum, [1:27:55] where Kevin Linane is sharing his wide-ranging collection of Apple products spanning all 50 years. [1:28:01] Everything about them, they're just intertwined with our own cultural history. [1:28:05] The company was famously founded in a garage started by two college dropouts named Steve, [1:28:10] Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, plus a third co-founder, Ronald Wayne. [1:28:15] Their first product. [1:28:17] This is the Apple one. [1:28:19] Yep. [1:28:19] It was bare bones, no monitor, no keyboard, just the internal guts. [1:28:23] We usually don't see, and it was up to you to add your own peripherals, keyboard power. [1:28:28] Linane discovered that jobs actually numbered his device. [1:28:32] The 50th Apple one ever produced. [1:28:34] A year later came the far more popular Apple two. [1:28:38] I hopped on his Apple two E. [1:28:40] Oh, it sunk to play a game of Frogger as the company. [1:28:46] Looked to grow in 1983, Jobs convinced a businessman named John Scully to leave Pepsi-Cola and become Apple's CEO. [1:28:53] He gets up close to me, maybe 18 inches away, and he said, [1:28:57] you want to sell sugar water for the rest of your life? [1:29:00] Or do you want to come with me and change the world? [1:29:03] But the two men had a falling out at odds over whether to prioritize the Apple computer or the Macintosh. [1:29:10] In 1985, Jobs departed the company only to return 12 years later. [1:29:15] Steve Jobs. [1:29:16] Two points. [1:29:16] You know, was obviously far more mature, had learned a lot. [1:29:20] And so Steve ended up being not only the brilliant visionary that I knew when I met him, but he also had grown up. [1:29:29] Jobs focused on revolutionizing design, paving the way for groundbreaking innovations like the iPod and, of course, iPhone. [1:29:39] What we're going to do is get rid of all these buttons and just make a giant screen. [1:29:45] Experts will tell you the biggest change to the mobile revolution. [1:29:48] One. [1:29:48] Two. [1:29:48] Three. [1:29:48] Four. [1:29:48] Five. [1:29:48] Six. [1:29:48] Seven. [1:29:48] Eight. [1:29:48] Nine. [1:29:48] Ten. [1:29:48] And it's not just the iPhone. [1:29:48] It wasn't the phone. [1:29:49] It was the app store. [1:29:51] The fact that you could easily get apps and change your phone into whatever you wanted. [1:29:56] A map, a camera, a way to order a car and scroll social media. [1:30:01] It really unlocked what the phone could be and led to all of the massive tech companies we see today. [1:30:08] There were many more cutting edge products, the iPad in 2010. [1:30:11] And after Jobs' death, the Apple Watch in 2015, AirPods in 2016. [1:30:17] The 10 last words. [1:30:18] That's a welcome wagon has arrived. [1:30:20] Even a streaming platform. [1:30:22] Every bit of it soaked into our culture. [1:30:24] We shall prevail. [1:30:28] From this iconic 1984 Super Bowl ad to the shimmying silhouettes sporting those white headphones. [1:30:35] Which led me to wonder. [1:30:36] To the laptops used by Carrie Bradshaw in Sex and the City. [1:30:40] One of them even sat in the Smithsonian. [1:30:43] Far sleeker than Apple's first attempt at the portable computer. [1:30:47] It is quite a bit. [1:30:49] Heavier as you will find out that a normal laptop. [1:30:52] Oh my goodness. [1:30:53] Yeah. [1:30:54] A reminder. [1:30:54] Not every product was a hit. [1:30:56] I mean, ever heard of the Lisa computer. [1:30:59] Yet Apple's story is one of progress. [1:31:02] 50 years of growth from the garage to the globe. [1:31:08] Let's keep the conversation going with David Pogue, former tech columnist at The New York Times and author of Apple. [1:31:14] The first 50 years it is on store shelves. [1:31:17] Now, David, good to have you with us. [1:31:19] I'm a huge fan of you. [1:31:20] So I'm excited to have this conversation. [1:31:22] I am sure you have seen a lot of trends come and go in your years of covering technology. [1:31:27] So what is it about Apple that made you want to write this book? [1:31:30] I mean, I've been covering Apple for most of those 50 years and most of the existing books about Apple were written by business reporters, which is a valid approach. [1:31:40] But I was more interested in the origin stories of the products and the technologies and how they affected all of us. [1:31:46] There is already a lot of content out there that touches on Apple's history and culture. [1:31:50] As you mentioned, many of them written by business people. [1:31:52] But what do you want to tell us that maybe not a lot of folks already know? [1:31:57] You know, the amazing thing about Apple is that there are these through lines from April 1st, 1976 to today that have never changed. [1:32:05] It was Steve Jobs who first considered computers something that could be beautiful. [1:32:11] At the time, they were industrial metal boxes with blinking lights. [1:32:14] They were equipment. [1:32:16] But he thought they should be beautiful. [1:32:18] And Steve Wozniak's plan was to take something complicated. [1:32:21] And technical and powerful, that is, computers in corporations and governments and make them usable by everybody. [1:32:29] And I feel like those two things, beauty and simplicity, are still what powers Apple today. [1:32:36] It's pretty rare for a company 50 years old to have the same exact mission statement. [1:32:40] And to still be producing the products it does that are so widely popular. [1:32:43] I think Apple said earlier this year more than 2.5 billion active devices worldwide right now. [1:32:48] That's something. [1:32:49] Many of them mobile. [1:32:50] When we talk about the mobile. [1:32:51] The mobile revolution of the early 2000s and the App Store, which I mentioned in the piece there. [1:32:56] I know in your book you say Steve Jobs maybe wanted Apple to operate under more of a closed system model, resisting products from third parties. [1:33:03] Give us some of the story there. [1:33:06] Yeah. [1:33:06] Woz and Jobs had their first fight when they were developing the Apple II over whether or not it should have slots for expansion cards. [1:33:14] Jobs wanted closed systems. [1:33:16] That way amateurs can't muck it up or make it soiled or diluted somehow. [1:33:22] And this was a theme throughout Jobs' life. [1:33:25] The Macintosh, when it came out in 1984, was not a big hit because it was completely closed. [1:33:31] You couldn't even expand the memory. [1:33:33] The iPod, when it came out, was not a hit in its first year because it was for Mac only. [1:33:39] It wouldn't run on Windows. [1:33:40] And then the iPhone itself was only an eh seller in the first year because there was no App Store. [1:33:47] You got 16 apps and you liked it. [1:33:50] Only when these things were overruled. [1:33:52] Did these products became giant mega hits. [1:33:55] So you've written a book about the first 50 years. [1:33:57] When we look ahead, what do you think is in store for Apple in the next 50 years, especially considering how quickly AI is changing things? [1:34:05] And Apple maybe isn't exactly seen as a top leader in AI right now. [1:34:09] AI caught Apple by surprise a couple of years ago. [1:34:12] But we understand that in June they have some big announcements to make. [1:34:15] And we know they've struck a deal with Google to use its Gemini AI to power Siri. [1:34:22] So, man. [1:34:22] If Siri were that good and that smart, I'm all for that. [1:34:25] And we know they're also trying to get rid of faces in screens, which, of course, the iPhone launched. [1:34:31] So they're working on smart glasses or smart earpieces that will give you the same power of the iPhone, but without needing your eyes or without needing your hands. [1:34:40] Incredible stuff. [1:34:41] David Pogue, great to have you with us. [1:34:42] Book is out now. [1:34:43] Thanks so much for joining us. [1:34:44] Thank you. [1:34:46] Let's take a look now. [1:34:46] Let's make a financial headlines. [1:34:47] Oracle is set to begin another round of layoffs. [1:34:50] NBC News business and economy reporter Ali Canal is here with your Money Minute. [1:34:53] Ali, good morning. [1:34:54] Good morning, Joe. [1:34:55] That's right. [1:34:55] The U.S. [1:34:56] cloud company is reportedly cutting thousands of jobs. [1:34:58] That's according to CNBC. [1:35:00] The move comes as it ramps up spending on AI infrastructure, including the data centers needed to power those systems. [1:35:07] Oracle has faced pressure from investors over the cost of those investments, with its stock down around 25 percent since the start of the year. [1:35:15] NBC News has reached out for comment, but we haven't heard back. [1:35:18] And speaking of big bets, U.S. [1:35:20] drugmaker Eli Lilly is spending up to seven point eight bucks. [1:35:23] That's a million dollars to acquire Santessa Pharmaceuticals, which is developing and experimental drugs to treat sleep disorders like narcolepsy. [1:35:31] The drugs could also be used to treat other neurological conditions, including Alzheimer's and depression. [1:35:37] The deal is the latest sign that Lilly is using its windfall from weight loss drugs to expand into new areas. [1:35:43] Meanwhile, Calvin Klein is getting a sales boost to thanks in part to a surge in demand for 90s inspired styles driven by the popular FX series Love Story about John F. [1:35:53] Kennedy Jr. [1:35:54] and Carolyn Bessette. [1:35:55] Calvin Klein's parent company, PVH Corp, said in an interview with Bloomberg that interest has translated from searches into actual sales with purchases increasing so far this spring versus last year. [1:36:06] And he didn't give an exact number there, but we should learn more next earnings season. [1:36:10] Carolyn Bessette, love. [1:36:11] It's real. [1:36:12] My mom keeps sending me Instagram saying, I am seeing links to so many things everywhere for better advertising. [1:36:20] You're Calvin Klein. [1:36:21] No kidding. [1:36:22] Thank you. [1:36:22] Of course. [1:36:23] Well, spring break is in full swing across the U.S. [1:36:25] More Americans are exploring all inclusive options, but in some unexpected places like in Las Vegas. [1:36:31] The trend has been a mainstay at beach resorts. [1:36:33] But this year, it's gaining popularity with budget conscious travelers on all types of trips. [1:36:38] And some major hotel brands are launching new bundle deals to entice those eager jet setters. [1:36:43] NBC News correspondent Emily Akata has the details here. [1:36:45] Emily, good morning. [1:36:48] Hey there. [1:36:48] Look, no one likes costly financial surprises on vacation. [1:36:52] Thirty dollar cocktails. [1:36:53] Forty dollars for parking. [1:36:54] A fifty dollar resort fee. [1:36:56] And with travelers complaining they are being priced out, some hotels in places like Las Vegas are trying to lower them back as all inclusive pricing goes mainstream. [1:37:05] At a time when the cost of travel is soaring. [1:37:10] The prices here are actually insane. [1:37:13] Some hotels are rolling the dice in the all inclusive space in an effort to win over price conscious consumers. [1:37:20] This is how you do make. [1:37:22] Including MGM Resorts International in Las Vegas. [1:37:25] Offering a package for two people starting at three hundred thirty dollars. [1:37:29] It covers a two night stay at the Excalibur Luxor hotels, breakfast, lunch and dinner, one beer or wine per meal, parking tickets to a show and even resort fees. [1:37:41] Plus, they're throwing in a ride on the famed Big Apple coaster. [1:37:45] Do you all realize how inexpensive that is for Vegas? [1:37:52] While some question the quality, others say it sounds promising. [1:37:56] You know that it's just the price that you pay includes everything and that's easier. [1:38:02] Travel bloggers Tanya and David Vernelli are no strangers to all inclusive deals. [1:38:07] It's kind of what you see, what you get approached. [1:38:08] The fees are such a big thing in Vegas now. [1:38:11] So just knowing what you're paying up front is very helpful. [1:38:14] Searches using the all inclusive filter jump 60 percent on hotels.com in 2024. [1:38:19] Such offerings have long been popular at beach resorts in Mexico and cruises in the Caribbean. [1:38:25] Where travelers continue to set records. [1:38:28] But now they're making waves among mainstream brands, too, including Hyatt, Hilton and Marriott, who are expanding their all inclusive options. [1:38:37] The W Punta Cana marked the brand's first all inclusive when it opened its doors last year. [1:38:42] While the Conrad complete will roll out at Resorts World Las Vegas this summer, promising an inclusive experience worth over eight hundred dollars with dining amenities and exclusive access for one hundred fifty dollars per guest. [1:38:55] For more information, visit www.conrad.com. [1:38:55] Brands hoping to improve their luck among travelers weary of resort fees, inflated drink prices and exorbitant parking costs. [1:39:05] This bottle of water was ten dollars at this hotel. [1:39:10] The number of visitors to Las Vegas was down every month in 2025 compared to the year before, dipping as much as 12 percent last July. [1:39:19] Do you think we're going to continue to see all inclusive offerings expand with unpredictability in terms of the economy? [1:39:26] As well as just a general temperature out there, we wouldn't be surprised if people look towards more predictability in the type of travel that they choose to purchase, like an all inclusive. [1:39:37] So how do you know if it really is a good deal? [1:39:41] Look at recent hotel reviews to gauge the quality of a place. [1:39:44] Familiarize yourself with cancellation policies and most importantly, do the math. [1:39:49] Are you going to be taking advantage of three meals a day? [1:39:51] What are the prices like at other restaurants? [1:39:54] If you buy the all inclusive, you want to make sure that you are fully. [1:39:57] Taking advantage back to you. [1:39:58] All right, Emily, thank you. [1:40:00] Coming up, NASA's next giant leap is upon us with the launch of Artemis two later today. [1:40:06] Up next, we're going to tell you how this landmark mission could shape the next generation of space exploration. [1:40:13] Stay with us. [1:40:21] Welcome back. [1:40:21] Just hours away from the launch of NASA's Artemis two mission, sending a squad of four astronauts around the moon. [1:40:27] So as a countdown to liftoff, let's take a look at why this mission matters, not just for the crew, but for the future of space. [1:40:34] Space exploration. [1:40:36] NBC News correspondent Gotti Schwartz looks back at how we got here and what could come next. [1:40:43] NASA's set to make history as it launches astronauts around the moon for the first time in more than 50 years. [1:40:49] We will return Americans to the moon before the end of President Trump's term. [1:40:53] Artemis two, the next big stride in a modern day space race against China to the moon and beyond. [1:40:59] The difference between success and failure will be measured in months, not years. [1:41:03] Phase two of the Artemis program won't see Americans land on the lunar. [1:41:06] Surface instead, the 10 day mission will prove the space worthiness of NASA's Orion capsule and SLS rocket. [1:41:13] The primary mission, it's to ensure that you could get to the moon, go around it, come back safely, no issues. [1:41:20] The goal over time, building a sustained base on the moon. [1:41:23] The Kennedy Space Center says it's all to pave the way for long term exploration and science on the lunar surface. [1:41:29] But NASA also has its sights on a bigger target, our planetary next door neighbor. [1:41:34] It's a stepping stone to Mars where we might have the most. [1:41:37] Likelihood of finding evidence of past life. [1:41:39] This is humanity's next step to getting us off the planet and maybe into that final frontier. [1:41:46] The Artemis two launch is not just one small step for man. [1:41:50] The Artemis two mission has a female astronaut on board that will go farther than any woman has ever gone before. [1:41:56] A historic achievement in a storied history of NASA's moon missions. [1:42:00] America's first voyage to the moon kicked off in the 1960s. [1:42:03] We choose to go to the moon in this decade. [1:42:07] And do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard. [1:42:11] The space race defines scientific competition between the world's two superpowers against the backdrop of the Cold War. [1:42:18] The U.S. claiming victory when Apollo 11 landed the first humans on the moon in 1969. [1:42:23] That's one for man. [1:42:33] Along with a generation of kids, former NASA astronaut Mike Massimino says that moment changed his life. [1:42:39] I remember Apollo 11 really well. [1:42:41] I was six years old. [1:42:43] It really touched me down in my heart and my soul. [1:42:45] It made me want to be like Neil Armstrong. [1:42:48] But just three years later, American astronauts would visit the moon for the last time. [1:42:52] With a symbolic victory won, NASA's priorities shifted to projects like Skylab, the first space station. [1:42:58] Four, we've gone for main engine start. [1:43:00] We have. [1:43:01] Then came the space shuttle, a reusable craft that launched the Hubble Space Telescope and helped build the International Space Station. [1:43:09] And more than three decades after watching Neil Armstrong take his small step, Massimino achieved his childhood dream. [1:43:15] Flying two missions aboard the space shuttle. [1:43:18] But as robotic technology advanced in the 21st century, NASA focused on landing remote rovers on the surface of Mars. [1:43:25] Spirit is expected to roam the Martian surface for about 90 days. [1:43:29] Then the private space flight boom of the 2010s, making trips to Earth's orbit cheaper and more common. [1:43:35] Falcon 9 rocket as NASA turns to the private sector. [1:43:43] Allowing NASA to once again set its sights a little bit higher. [1:43:46] But Artemis' road to the moon hasn't been smooth. [1:43:49] The program has been delayed, gone over budget and faced criticisms that it's a waste of money and resources. [1:43:55] But to Massimino, the value of returning to the moon is incalculable. [1:43:59] I think this is a real opportunity for for young people to see what's possible and may change the direction of their life. [1:44:05] Just like the Apollo 11 mission did for me. [1:44:07] And with the prospect of humanity taking that giant leap yet again, all eyes are on the skies as Artemis blasts off. [1:44:15] Gotti Schwartz, NBC News. [1:44:18] I was so excited. [1:44:19] Stay with us for the start of this 10 day journey around the moon. [1:44:22] We're going to have special coverage all morning and then also right here on NBC News. [1:44:26] Now, starting at 4 p.m. [1:44:28] Eastern Time, that's going to do it for this hour of morning news. [1:44:31] Now, stay with us, though. [1:44:32] The news continues in just a moment. [1:44:37] We thank you for watching. [1:44:38] And remember, stay updated on breaking news and top stories on the NBC News app or watch live on our YouTube channel.