Mississippi, where mandatory evacuations are under way. And the record rain is far from over under fire more than 1,100 former Justice Department officials from multiple administrations call for the resignation of attorney general william barr over the roger stone sentencing scandal but the nations highest Law Enforcement official doesnt seem to be backing down. Were live at the white house with the very latest those stories, plus, to recline or not to recline . The surprising suggestion from an airline official on what you should do on your next flight. Royal realities. Kate middleton getting candid about mom guilt, as prince harry and Meghan Markle are seen together for the First Time Since the royal split. And allstar tribute nba legends gather to honor kobe bryant at the nba allstar game, as Team Lebron Wins a game for the ages today, monday, february 17th, 2020 announcer from nbc news, this is today with Savannah Guthrie and hoda kotb, live from studio 1a in Rockefeller Plaza and welcome to today. Thanks for joining us on this monday morning Kristen Welker with us because its president s day savannah and hoda have the day off. Were honored to have you. Great to be here. The allstar game last night, it was not a defensive struggle. But the tributes to kobe were fantastic. So emotional. Kobe bryants legacy hung over the entire game. It was a great game. Well have more on that coming up in a few minutes we start this morning with a longawaited homecoming for americans onboard that cruise ship, quarantined off of the coast of japan two chartered planes arriving back on u. S. Soil overnight. While thats the good news, some of the passengers did receive some bad news from medical personnel. Nrk nbcs sarah harman is at the Travis Air Force base where evacuated passengers will be quarantined in the states. Reporter good morning. 14 of the passengers who traveled back to the u. S. Last night tested positive for coronavirus. They were allowed to travel back anyway in special isolation units. Their arrival nearly doubles the number of confirmed cases of coronavirus now in the United States this morning, hundreds of americans who were quarantined on the diamond princess cruise ship are back on u. S. Soil two charter flights from japan, touching down overnight at air force bases in texas and california the flights were not supposed to include any passengers affected by the coronavirus but the state department has now revealed 14 people who tested positive were allowed to travel. Those positive diagnoses not coming until they were already off the ship they spent the more than 12hour flight in isolation chambers, seen here, filmed by a passenger. After two weeks in quarantine, she and her husband decided it was time for their extended vacation to come to an end honestly, youre much safer getting off this ship. Okay. I would not stay on the ship if i were you. I have to put my mask on and get going. By American Teams in hazmat suits. A carefully orchestrated operation. The bus will take you to the airplane airplane takes you to the United States then you get the passport. All good with that reporter to avoid exposure before getting on the flight well, were exhausted but on the plane. Reporter nbcs Janis Mackey Frayer is in yokohama, japan, where many people remain on the diamond princess. There are some americans who chose not to get on the flight there are some 3,000 passenger and crew who will remain under caron teen until wednesday only when they test negative for the virus will they be allowed off the ship reporter among the americans who chose to stay on board, matthew smith. Break this quarantine early, get into a bus with a bunch of other people who we dont know how theyve been doing with quarantine, get into a plane and fly back to the u. S. With those same people. So, sarah, these americans who landed in texas and california, whats next for them reporter craig, what happens next depends on whether or not you have coronavirus infected passengers will be treated at a hospital. Everyone else is facing a mandatory 14day quarantine, with frequent health checks. Craig, keep in mind, its been nearly a month since these folks first set sail on their cruise and home is still pretty far away craig . Sarah harman for us in california thank you. We turn to a dangerous situation across the south a state of emergency has been declared in mississippi after days of heavy rain the pearl river in jackson is rising to dangerous levels, forcing residents to flee their homes. Nbcs blayne alexander is there for us this morning with the very latest. Good morning to you. Reporter kristen, good morning. These are some of the homes in the mandatory evacuation zone. You can see why. Back there behind me, you have a car partially under water. The water is creeping up to front doors. The river itself is more than half a mile away, but the water has still made it here, and its still rising this morning, residents of jackson, mississippi, are weathering some of the states worst flooding in decades. The pearl river is flowing well beyond its banks, turning streets into waterways, creeping into homes and leaving entire softball fields under water. And the river is not done rising if you have not evacuated yet, we urge you to do so. Reporter boats from the Mississippi Department of wild life spent the weekend floating from doortodoor, urging residents to get out and a group searching for pets left behind. Were here to help you. Reporter scooped up one very lucky dog. Come on, baby reporter with nearly 1,000 homes in harms way, many people scrambled to save what they could, hoping sandbags would salvage the rest we lived in houston we lived in harvey i dont want to be rescued in the middle of the night with water coming in your house reporter with days of heavy rain across the south and more to come this week, 10 Million People are under Flood Warning in parts of georgia, louisiana, kentucky and the carolinas intense storms in florida, forced nascar to postpone the daytona 500 after 20 laps. A wall of water swept across this racetrack jest a deluge. Reporter official ace nounsed tnouns announced the race will resume later today. Nnounced the race will resume later today. A landslide swept away two homes, leaving a pile of debris. Back in mississippi, it could be a week before many could return to their houses. For [ barbara and jerry beavers, pictures from afar will have to do want to remember this, how high it really got never seen it this bad . Huhuh. Reporter the river is expected to crest at 37 1 2 feet Officials Say theres only been a handful of rescues people are heeding the warnings to get out kristen . Thats encouraging news there. Blayne alexander, thank you for that report. To washington, where calls are growing for attorney general barr to step down. This is after 1,000 former justice officials from democratic and republican administrations are demanding his resignation. At issue, his departments handling of the sentencing of President Trumps ally, roger stone. Democratic president ial candidates are also weighing in on the controversy we have two reports this morning. We start with nbc white house correspondent, Kelly Odonnell good morning to you. Reporter good morning, craig. A new round of pressure aimed at the president and his attorney general. The former d. O. J. Employees are taking a stand and calling out what they say is improper influence that could shake public confidence. The president is back at the white house this morning after taking one of the symbols of his office for a spin. The president s flair for big, patriotic spectacles, like his lap around the track in daytona, in his limo known as the beast gentlemen, start your engines. Reporter not putting the brakes on the ongoing drama in washington, including allegations of interference at the department of justice. This open letter signed by more than 900 d. O. J. Officials reads in part, each of us condemns President Trumps and attorney general barrs interference in the Fair Administration of justice. Its the latest fallout in the roger stone case the president s longtime friend, convicted of lying and witness tampering. The attorney general overruled career prosecutors who then quit in protest, after barr lowered the recommended prison sentence for stone. Some suggest barr caved to political pressure from the president. Barr denying that in an interview with abc news. Instead, blasting the president s twitter attacks. Public statements and tweets made about the department, about cases pending in the department, and about judges before whom we have cases, mack it impossible for me to do my job. Reporter still, the former d. O. J. Officials demand barr step down. Those actions and the damage they have done to the department of justices reputation for integrity and the rule of law, require mr. Barr to resign a call echoed by democratic president ial candidate Elizabeth Warren bill barr should resign he should leave and leave right now. Reporter but the white house insists that President Trumps tweets that called stones initial recommended sentence horrible and very unfair do not equal interference its different to pick up the phone and ask your attorney general to do something in a criminal case. The president hasnt done that he said he hasnt done it. Barr said he hasnt done it. He hasnt done it. Reporter this morning, the department of justice is declining to comment on this open letter. But they do say the attorney general will agree to testify next month on capitol hill, where a lot of the issues will be under scrutiny. Craig . In addition to calling for his resignation, this also called on current Department Justice employees to potentially take action, as well, right . Reporter very much so. They acknowledge that it is unlikely that barr would step down theyre saying that federal employees who each take an oath across the government should stand up and refuse to carry out any legal or improper orders if necessary, to resign in protest. And to make their concerns public theyre trying to instill a sense of broad responsibility across the federal government as they question whether the white house and the department of justice are doing enough craig . Kelly odonnell from the white house. Thank you. Turning to our other big political story this morning the race to face President Trump in november, among the narrowing field of president ial candidates, the gloves are coming off ahead of wednesday highstakes debate in los los angeles. Michael bloomberg, finding himself under growing pressure as he surges in the polls. Andrea mitchell has the latest great to see you good morning reporter good morning. It is getting nasty out there with the campaign heating up Bernie Sanders, the front runner for now. This weeks nbc debate in nevada could reset the leaderboard and be the first real test, if he qualifies by tomorrow night, as is expected, for Mike Bloomberg. They are ready. Lets stand up and take it back. Reporter with the next democratic debate in las vegas, two days from now, the 2020 contenders are ramping up their attacks on each other. Pete buttigieg slamming bernies medicare for all one of my competitors has a plan that could require 50 trillion in spending thats bigger than the u. S. Economy. Reporter joe biden on meet the press, questioning sanders record in congress he was talking about health care, medicare for all, universal health care for 35 years. Nothing has happened reporter biden also calling on sanders to rein in his supporters for their attack on nevadas culinary union, which refused to endorse him the masochistic, vicious things they said, the threats they put out, and to say i disassociate is one thing. Find out who the hell they are fire them. Reporter all of the candidates taking on bloomberg for skipping the early states but pouring millions of dollars into ads democracy is not spending billionaires spending hundreds of millions of dollars trying to get elected. Reporter bloombergs rise in the polls making him an easy target for new scrutiny of his past the latest, a Washington Post summary of alleged sexi isist comments and lawsuits against his company from women employees going back decades bloomberg featured an ad of women who used to work for him praising him no one i felt more supported by reporter also, the racial profiling when he was mayor of new york city. Hell have to answer for that and speak to it. You cant hide behind the airwaves he has to answer questions of course, i think he should be on that debate stage reporter today, a first. A new bloomberg digital ad challenging Bernie Sanders for not restraining some of his supporters aggressive social media attacks against bashers of the other candidates andrea, theres been buzz about the reports hinting at the person bloomberg may be considering as a possible running mate, Hillary Clinton . What do you know about this . Reporter this is a new report that bloomberg is considering clinton as a running mate if he gets the nomination it could be, in fact, an effort to recruit clinton loyalists as part of bloombergs stop sanders campai campaign or it could be an effort to distract attention from the weekend reports of alleged sexist comments in his workplace over the years in response, bloombergs campaign saying they are focused on the primary and the debate, not Vice President speculation theyre not knocking it down fascinating wait to see if he makes the debate stage thank you for that. You bet now, to the emotional night at the nba allstar game on sunday, with moving tributes to kobe bryant, his daughter, gianna, and the others who los their lives in that fatal Helicopter Crash last month. Miguel almaguer joins us now with more on that. Good morning reporter the allstar game in chicago was the first big meeting of the nba family since that tragic crash. On sunday night, basketballs greatest players honored their friend and icon, kobe bryant, in a moving tribute that brough the packed crowd to tears. Goodbye reporter a legendary voice, honoring a legendary player, gone too soon. At sundays nba allstar game, grammy winner Jennifer Hudson performing a musical tribute to kobe bryant and the eight others who lost their lives in januarys Helicopter Crash we all are hurting. Reporter another iconic laker, magic johnson, leading an eightsecond moment of silence for his late friend. Come together, love each other. Kobe would have wanted that. Kobe, kobe, kobe. Reporter the allstars led by captains lebron james and Giannis Antetokounmpo all wearing jerseys doned with nine stars. One for each victim. Every time you see giannis team, he was on the floor. Reporter their team numbers, 24 and 2, in honor of bryant, and his daughter, gianna for kobe, the allstars were personal he was the youngest player to ever compete in an allstar game, named mvp four times the allstar game mvp reporter in his honor, the league now renaming the trophy, the kobe bryant mvp award. The first winner of the award, kawhi leonard. Want to thank kobe for everything hes done for me. The long talks and workouts. You know, thank you. This one is for him. Reporter at an nba allstar breakfast, president obama paying tribute to bryant as a fellow girl dad. Nothing is more heartbreaking. I want to offer the nba family, michelle and my deepest con dow joness reporter Shaquille Oneil who won three championships with bryant as a laker expressed his heartbreak over losing his friend in an interview with craig last week. Hes done a lot for my career, and we will always be forever linked this is going to hurt forever. Reporter at last nights game, the league paid tribute to late nba commissioner, david stern. Also sunday, Funeral Services were held for christina mauser, the youth basketball coach killed in the crash. A public memorial for all of the victims will be held february 24th at Staples Center here in l. A. Proceeds will be donated to bryants youth charity, the mamba and Mambacita Sports Foundation back to you. Miguel almaguer, thank you. I watched most of the game last night. Kobes spirit, his presence so obviously in the place it always will be thats the remarkable thing about him. You look forward to the memorial next week, a week from today, in fact already, so many tickets being sold it is going to be packed we should probably take a turn to weather right now. Wnbcs dave price is in for al this morning. Hes got a first look at the forecast dave, good morning to you. Good morning to you lets get to it and see whats happening across the country mid mississippi valley, a rain and a wintry mix into the upper midwest, across wisconsin and to northern new york, were talking about snow as we head to atlanta this morning, visibility down to 1 8th of a mile. We have a ground stop at atlantas hartsfield airport youll see delays in that direction. What happens as we head through the week it is an unsettled start as this front begins to push on through. Winter weather advisories up from iowa all the way up to the adirondack watch for delays at ohare and midway, along the kennedy and the eisenhower keep in mind, this front continues to move toward the southeast, and thats going to bring some rain. Lots of it 2 to 3 inches from jackson, mississippi, all the way back to sections of texas. Flooding is a concern. Snow, a good bit, as we head into northern new england. Your local forecast now comes up in just about 30 seconds [sounds] kazoo sound good morning, im meteorologist kari hall. As we take a live look at the golden gate bridge, some fog drifts just under the bridge but it does block drivers view through the fog. And weve seen fog in ot