Concealed the outbreaks. Like it said, the u. S. Is taking the two nations to the brink of a new cold war. Storm alert. Millions in the south facing the risk of Severe Weather and flooding today while dozens of cities out west set to bake under recordbreaking heat. We will have your full holiday forecast. Letting his guard down Prince William getting candid about the challenges of fatherhood and facing them without the help of his mother, princess diana. The emotions come back in leaps and bounds, because its a very different phase of life and theres no one there to kind of help you just ahead. Our first look at the powerful documentary on the future king. All that, plus champions for charity. Four of sports biggest stars, tiger woods, Peyton Manning, tom brady and Phil Mickelson come together for a special round of golf you made it the big money they raised and the big fun that was had. I split my pants. You got so excited you split your pants after making that. Today monday, may 25th, 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 on this memorial day, monday morning. Thank you so much for joining us craig melvin in studio 1a with Kristen Welker from washington savannah and hoda both have the morning off. This is, of course, my friend, the annual reminder somber reminder of the sacrifice so many men and women have made for your country. It certainly is, craig. This is, of course, a memorial day like none other underscoring the importance of time with family and honoring those who have made the ultimate sacrifice. That is our top story this morning, memorial day and those large holiday gatherings were seeing from coasttocoast. After months of staying inside, millions of americans choosing to head out, not necessarily what Health Officials were hoping for on this unofficial start of summer. Nbc kathy parks starts us off. Shes at Point Pleasant beach, new jersey kathy, good morning to you. Reporter craig, good morning. Due to crowd and staffing concerns, this part of the beach is closed, but other parts of the country, people packed bars, restaurants and beaches ignoring social distancing guidelines and officials worry there could be a surge in coronavirus cases after the Holiday Weekend. From a packed pool party in the ozarks teeming with people to shoulder to shoulder river rafting in arizona. Enjoy the sunshine, vitamin d is crucial. Folks coasttocoast are risking covid exposure, flocking outdoors to overcrowded areas, seeking sun and fun this memorial day weekend. We got slammed. Everything is closed so where did of everybody come on the first warm day with 50 opening . Everybody came to the beach. Some gatherings even turning violent. Six people hurt after gunfire erupted along a crowded beach side road in daytona beach, florida. Some were attempting to enforce social distancing where they could. At californias manhattan beach, parking lots closed to limit the number of visitors with safety officers actively encouraging people to wear masks. When you get to the beach, remove them but right now please have them on. Reporter at similar scenes of packed beaches across the nation, the dangerous threat of Community Spread remains. We need to be aware of that as we go about our daily activities and not be casual. Reporter in arkansas, where Officials Say they are monitoring a second peak, a month after the first wave, Governor Asa Hutchinson announcing an outbreak of cases after a swim party. A High School Swim party im sure everybody thought were harmless, positive cases result freddie that. Reporter in North Carolina where many businesses, including restaurants are now open, the state recording more than 1100 new cases from friday to saturday. The highest single day spike dr. Deborah birx urging people to take precautions as restrictions are loosened. We have to have masks on and we have to maintain that 6 feet distance. Reporter today as Arlington National cemetery remains closed to the public, the country approaches a grim milestone of 100,000 covid19 deaths. The New York Times turning its sunday cover into a powerful memorial for the victims a striking tribute and a reminder that the war isnt over and here in new jersey, the numbers are trending downward but the state still reported more than 1,000 new coronavirus cases. The governor said people should enjoy the Holiday Weekend, just dont get complacent craig. Kathy park from Point Pleasant beach kathy, thank you so much lets bring in nbc medical correspondent dr. John torres. Dr. John, good to see you this morning. So, you see the pictures out of missouri, ozark lake there, and the pictures out of california and florida and you think what its a little disheartening you see the pictures here, because i get it ive been locked inside a couple of months and i want to get outside as well. At the same time we have to remember, its not gone. Coronavirus is still here. In fact, there are some models in half the country they arent quite ready to open up even though they are, which means we have to be very careful. As kathy was talking about, there are areas they are seeing a rise in cases because they have had gatherings together i think one thing a lot of people forget are those small groups thats what youre seeing in the pictures people not getting in the small groups, getting in large groups. Five days, two weeks later, we find were going to have spikes in cases i think over the next week or two, were going to see cases rise what will matter is how they get treated and controlled so we dont have outbreaks the big concern even for today,t of folks head out on this memorial day its that small group you need to be 10 or less small group of people you trust. Tell people all the time, if somebody is in your group, youre not just bringing that person in, youre bringing everybody they have been in contact with over the last few weeks and all their germs as well you want to make sure you trust they have done the right things over the last couple of weeks to stay safe and that means social distancing and wearing the masks like you are talking about and stay in small groups and dont share items like water bottles, sunscreen. Like that one person said in the one video, vitamin d is good but at the same time you need social distancing, masks, small group mentality. Were going to get through this, its just opening up incrementally slowly make sure you do that so we dont have to keep closing things down. Can you have a good time you can stay 6 feet away from somebody and still have a conversation thats easy to do. Last question really quickly, and i think that you just alluded to it, dr. John. Theres a study that came out of london over the weekend, raised a lot of eyebrows out of Imperial College it concluded that in 24 states the virus may very well be at epidemic levels. How could that be . How did they reach that conclusion they actually reached it using cell phone data and tracking how people move around and how they group together. Other models have shown something similar. What this one particularly is showing that 24 states that are not number how many people get infected from the person who have it is more than one so that means it is still spreading in those states and the fact that people are still getting together is concerning for outbreaks. Dr. John torres for us. Dr. John, thank you so much, sir. Kristen. Some good information from dr. Torres despite coronavirus restrictions, President Trump is set to make several memorial day appearances. But the mayor of one city on his list is asking the president to stay away. Nbcs Kelly Odonnell joins us now from the white house kelly, good morning to you good to see you. Good to see you, kristen. The president is taking new steps to try to slow the spread and taking part in this somber holiday to honor those who gave their lives in battle. Because of restrictions still happening in this area, those ceremonies wont look the same one key local official says that the president s visit is going to cause more people to gather and send the wrong message. Reporter a president ial duty, remembering the bravest sacrifice. They laid down their lyes to ensure the american freedom. Reporter this holiday, american tradition and tension, honoring valor at lington National Cemetery, still closed to the general public. The president is also expect at baltimores fort mchenry despite the citys travel restrictions. Mayor Bernard Young says that the president should not go. Were in the midst of a pandemic theres a stayathome order in baltimore and his travel is nonessential. The president said he wont shut down again if infections here spikes. Dr. Birx was not as certain. How do we maintain openness and safety i think thats what were going to be learning through may, june, and july. But you dont see the country closing down again its difficult to tell. Reporter back on course this weekend, the president ended an 11week absence from golf with two visits to his trumpbranded virginia property. But democrat joe bidens campaign seized on his outing to make a new ad pairing his game against Health Care Workers and rising deaths. But biden has his own damage to control, fallout from this interview blunder. If you have a problem figuring out whether youre for me or trump, you aint black. Reporter biden later apologized calling his remarks calf leer. Sunday florida congresswoman val demings who is being vetted as a potential biden running mate reacted. We have to hold everybody accountable, even those that we do support. Expressing his regret, biden said he did not want to give the idea he was taking africanamerican voters for granted, an idea the president s campaign quickly tried to amplify. And on this holiday, the Vice President and first lady are expected to join the president in arlington for that wreath laying. Kelly odonnell at the white house, and another major headline out of the white house this morning, a new travel ban for brazil. Thats where cases of the coronavirue u. S. Against sparking a new cold war. We have two reports this morning starting with chief correspondent bill neely in rio de janeiro. Good morning, bill. Good morning, craig. Brazil has the largest outbreak in the world after the u. S. In fact, coronavirus is spreading faster here than anywhere with a third of a milliohsncvery day. The white house says the travel ban is to protect the person people from new sources of infection. It says between 1500 and 1800 people come from brazil every week. Brazils president has been openly dismissive of the virus. In fact, yesterday he joined antilockdown protesters. Millions in brazil follow his lead in ignoring social distancing. Now, he is an ally of President Trump. But remember last week President Trump said he didnt want people coming from brazil and, as he put it, infecting our people. The u. S. Blocked entry from places like china, the u. K. , and much of europe to nonu. S. Citizens. Brazils travel ban begins on friday. Kristen. Bill neely reporting from brazil. Bill, thank you for that. Now to that overnight warning from china to the u. S. That it is pushing the two nations to the brink of a new cold war as the white house continues to insist china downplayed the threat of the coronavirus. That claim now also being challenged by the director of the Wuhan Institute of virology. Nbcs Janis Mackey Frayer joins us from beijing. Good morning to you. Kristen, good morning. For the first time the head of the lab is saying that were hearing from the head of the lab, some u. S. Politicians were hearing from the lab that some u. S. Politicians point to as the potential source of the pandemic here as chinas government is warning the u. S. To back down. The foreign minister raising the spector of a new cold war. Reporter this morning in wuhan, the worlds widest search for the coronavirus. Officials are attempting to test everyone, all 11 Million People in every neighborhood. The chinese city hardest hit by the virus that remains at the center of the allegations. The virus causing covid19 didnt come from a market here but a lab known to be doing coronavirus research. And for the first time the director of the Wuhan Institute of virology told state media that the lab has three live strains of bat coronavirus on site, but none of them match the one sweeping dozens of countries. This is pure fabrication, she says, that the virus somehow got out of the lab, and adding, quote, like everyone else we didnt know that the virus existed and how could it have leaked from our lab when we never had it. And the leading researcher here known as bat woman appeared on state tv saying it is regrettable that science and politics are being mixed together when cooperation is needed. For months theories have swirled about how and when the pandemic started, wrapping up a u. S. china blame game. Even President Trump and secretary of state pompeo pointing to the wuhan lab. They unleashed a virus on the world thats destroyed trillions of dollars in American Economic wealth. Reporter four months after the lockdown of wuhan, much of the city, and the rest of china are showing a sign of return to normal with new facts of life like thermal imaging at office buildings, disinfecting factories and restrictions on travel. And the countrys most important political event the Peoples National congress is now under way having been postponed but with no social distancing and even the journalists were tested before going inside. The wide scale testing here is a sign of how worried the government is about a second wave of infection. More than 100 countries urging independent International Investigation here but china is resisting a probe saying it cant agree to anything that begins with the presumption that its guilty. Kristen. Tensions mounting between the u. S. And china. All right. Janis, thank you for that report. Craig. A lot more to get to including new zealands prime minister, unshakeable when a sizable earthquake struck her country right in the middle of a live tv interview. Take a look. The last thing we need is another were just having a bit of an earthquake here, right . Quite a decent shake here. If you see things moving behind me the beehive moved a little more than most. Unflappable ardern speaking from new zealand complex, and it is knowned as the beehive. She was speaking when 5. 2 earthquake hit no reports of major damage or injuries wow. Lets get that first check of your memorial day forecast, including, in fact, some trouble spots when it comes to potential storms and potential flooding. Dylan is in for al. Good to see you, ms. Dryer. Nice to see you guys, too good morning on this memorial day. Yes, we do have heavy rain in florida but we also have heavy rain expected down across texas today where severe storms are possible as well you can see the heaviest rain this morning back in houston, some of that rain moving in as well to dallas. As the cold front moves eastward, were going to see the increased threat of large hail keep in mind on friday this large area picked up hail 5 in diameter that is mammothsized hail as described by the National Weather service. We could see more of that hail today and a spinup of a tornado and possible wind gusts as well. We will see much of the threat across texas. That cold front is going to continue to move east tonight and tomorrow, and the threat is going to move to areas like arkansas, but it should diminish moving to the east, and still an area to keep an eye on. We could see as much as five inches of rain stuck in the downpours, but in general 1 to 3 inches of rain expected. That is the rain across the country and we will get to your local forecast in 30 seconds. Were able to invest through. The same exact platform. I got approved for a loan and it was a gamechanger. Truly sofi, thank you for helping me prepare for whatever the future has in store. Good morning. Im meteorologist kari hall. We are going to have a heat advisory in effect for much of the bay area. For the inland valleys, a few of our bay area counties included in an excessive heat warning. Our temperatures will reach into the mid to upper 90s today. Dangerous heat for spending long periods of time outside. Were going to see more weather like this as we go throughout the week and gradually cooling off in time for the weekend. Thats your latest forecast. Kristen thats your latest forecast. Kristen and craig, ill send it back to you. All right, dylan. I know you were watching this last night champions for charity. That big money raised. The bigger thrill for sports hungry fans with a round of golf between tiger woods, Peyton Manning, tom brady and Phil Mickelson. Even i was watching this, craig. I think we all were. The future of noncontact shopping to heat Mapping Technology vicky nguyen explores what stores are rolling out to keep customers safe but first, this is today on there are times when our need to connect really matters. To keep customers and employees in the know. Powered by the nations largest gigspeed network. Reability, and security you need. Tools to manage your business from any device, anywhere. And a team of experts here for you 24 7. Weve always believed in the power of working together. Thats why, when every connection counts. You can count on us. An inspiring world war ii veteran that knows exactly what memorial day is all about. Harry smith is going to join us to share this incredible story, but first your local news. The addon treatment for specific types of moderatetosevere asthma.