this hearing seems to divide us as americans. >> the first congressional hearing in more than three decades on violence and discrimination against the asian american community. many say that it's reached a crisis and the question is, what are we prepared to do about it? plus, the fbi releases a whole slew of new videos that officials say are the egregious assaults on police officers during the capitol riot. the question is, will it help them identify more suspects? and the biden administration now says it will send doses of the covid vaccine to mexico and canada. the question is, when will the u.s. approve the vaccine that it has just agreed to share? it's "way too early" for this. good morning! and welcome to "way too early," the show that apparently missed the memo that today is world sleep day! thanks for the reminder, "associated press." i am kasie hunt on this friday, march 19th. we'll start with the news. president biden and vice president harris will travel to atlanta today in the wake of the spa shootings that left eight people dead on tuesday, including six women of asian descent. it's the president and vice president's first joint trip since taking office. the visit was initially scheduled as part of the administration's tour to promote the covid relief package. the white house says the president and vice president will meet with representatives of the asian american and pacific islander community, lawmakers, and advocates to offer support after the attack and to get their perspective on the rise of incidents of anti-asian hate. to honor the victims, president biden yesterday ordered flags be lowered to half-staff at the white house and at federal buildings throughout the country. fbi director chris wray says while the motive is still under investigation, the attack does not appear to be racially motivated. the suspect, who officials say blamed a sex addiction for the crimes, waived his right to initial court appearance later yesterday morning. asian american lawmakers and academic experts testified yesterday about the recent spike in targeted hate crimes across the united states. the hearing, which had been scheduled weeks before the mass shooting in georgia, focused on the anti-asian rhetoric has been amplified around the coronavirus pandemic. >> last year, when i heard at the highest levels of government, people used racist slurs like china virus to spread xenophobia and cast blame on innocent communities, it was all too familiar. comments like these only build upon a legacy of racism, anti-asian sentiment, and insensitivity that seeks to divide our nation. >> blaming the aapi community for a public health crisis is racist and wrong. >> asian americans must not be used as scapegoats in times of crisis. >> i'm asking you to please, stop using racist terms like kung flu, wuhan virus or other descriptions of this virus. i am not a virus. and now this. congressman chip roy has, quote, no apologies, following his controversial comments during yesterday's hearing on anti-asian american violence. the texas republican appeared to make a pro lynching remark, which upset many of those who testified. watch. >> we believe in justice, all right? there's old sayings in texas about, you know, find all the rope in texas and get a tall oak tree. you know, we take justice very seriously, and we ought to do that, round up the bad guys. my concern about this hearing is that it seems to want to venture into the policing of rhetoric in a free society. now we're talking about whether talking about china, the chi-coms, the chinese communist party, whatever phrasing we want to use, and if people are saying, hey, we think those guys are the bad guys. >> i want to go back to something mr. roy said earlier. your president and your party and your colleagues can talk about issues with any other country that you want, but you don't have to do it by putting a bull's eye on the back of asian americans across this country, on our grandparents, on our kids! this hearing was to address the hurt and pain of our community and to find solutions, and we will not let you take our voice away from us! >> wow. in response, roy released a statement to nbc news reading in part, "apparently, some folks are freaking out i used an old expression about finding all the rope in texas and a tall oak tree about carrying out justice against bad guys. i meant it. we need more justice and less thought policing. no apologies." okay. minority leader kevin mccarthy denounced the mass shootings in georgia but stopped short of condemning his own use of the term "chinese virus." >> do you regret using terms like chinese coronavirus and -- >> i would wait to see why the shooter did what he did. but the virus came from china, and i think the knowledge we had at the time is exactly that. i don't think people, from the standpoint to go after any asian from any shape or form, and i condemn every action to that. >> and joining us now, reporter for the "washington post," eugene scott. eugene, good morning. it's great to see you. >> good morning. >> a little bit of a difficult start to this friday, quite frankly, listing through all of those stories about the rhetoric and where we've come. why the lack of acknowledgement from republicans of the difficulties that are clearly facing the asian american community? i mean, our reporting, the motive in georgia is clearly under investigation, but there is no question that asian americans across the country are feeling on edge, are feeling worried, are feeling scared because of what's happened. >> well, the reality is that's where the republican party is right now in terms of not being willing to alter their language or their rhetoric or their ideas when it comes to issues affecting other communities negatively, despite members of these communities, often in their own districts, saying that your words actually do hurt us and actually do cause harm. this is something that started before the trump era, but this is something that we certainly have seen those on the right double down on after the most recent president used words and rhetoric to connect to voters, his base, but also to lose so many voters to get his points across. and when you think about what many of these asian american lawmakers are asking, it's relatively simple. they're asking to be treated with respect, stop being used as scapegoats for something that has absolutely nothing to do with their ethnic identity, and for those on the right who are using this opportunity to stoke this type of anti-asian sentiment, to back away. and we saw two very influential republican lawmakers say, actually, that's not something we're going to be able to do, despite what happened this week. >> and eugene, the president and vice president had been already planning to visit georgia to promote the american rescue plan, before this tragedy happened. do you think we're still going to see them focus on that somewhat in their visit today or has everything just simply been overshadowed by this horrible tragedy? >> well, as of now, they still have very three clear objectives about this trip, for this trip. they really want to meet with members of this community to address issues of anti-asian violence that have been happening for weeks, since we know the coronavirus pandemic really took over this country. but even before that. this is a continuation of biden, as you'll recall in his most recent speech, speaking out from the white house about anti-asian violence, but they also have two other focuses. he wants an update on the coronavirus pandemic and where this country currently is and making sure that enough americans have access to vaccine. so he's going to meet with the cdc. but also you know that he's actually going to meet with stacey abrams from fair fight to discuss, you know, this voting rights bill that's happening in georgia. and more than 250 across the country that many americans are saying makes it much more difficult for members of marginalized communities, like asian americans and like black americans to cast a ballot in upcoming elections, if they all pass. >> so many of the major trends in our politics all on display in georgia lately. the "washington post's" eugene scott, thank you very much, as always, for getting up early, and hope you had a great weekend. now to coronavirus. the oxford astrazeneca covid-19 vaccine has now been deemed safe for use by the european union after over a dozen nations halted its rollout after several reports that it caused blood clots. yesterday, the european medicines agency affirmed that the vaccine was not associated with an increase in blood clots and that, quote, the committee has come to a clear scientific conclusion, this is a safe and effective vaccine. its benefits in protecting people from covid-19 with the associated risks of death and hospitalization outweigh the possible risks. several european nations have in the past signaled they would allow the use of the vaccine again with an approval from this european agency. and the leading nations top infectious disease expert, dr. anthony fauci, fiercely rebuked a claim made by senator rand paul that wearing masks after receiving the vaccine is, quote, theater. >> no, it's not -- >> you have the vaccine and you're wearing two masks. isn't that theater? >> no, that's not -- here we go again with the theater. let's get down to the facts. when you talk about reinfection and you don't keep in the concept of variants, that's an entire different ball game. that's a good reason for a mask. let me just state for the record that masks are not theater. masks are protective, and -- >> if you have immunity, they're theater. if you already have immunity, you're wearing a mask to give comfort to others. you're not wearing masks because of any science. >> i totally disagree with you. >> okay. this is not the first time paul, who is an ophthalmologist, and dr. fauci, have sparred over the facts surrounding covid. here is the pair back in september. >> how can we possibly be jumping up and down and saying, oh, governor cuomo did a great job? he had the worst death rate in the world! >> no, you misconstrued that, senator, and you've done that repetitively in the past. they got hit very badly. they made some mistakes. right now, if you look at what's going on right now, the things that are going on in new york to get their test positiity 1% or less is because they are looking at the guidelines that we have put together from the task force of the four or five things -- of masks, social distancing, outdoors more than indoors, avoiding crowds and washing hands. >> or they've developed enough community immunity that they're no longer having the pandemic because they have enough immunity in new york city to actually stop it. >> i challenge that, senator. >> i'm afraid -- >> because i want to -- please, sir, i would like to be able to do this, because this happens with senator rand all the time. you are not listening to what the director of the cdc said, that in new york, it's about 22%. if you believe 22% is herd immunity, i believe you're alone in that. >> who to trust on this question, dr. fauci or senator rand paul? i think it answers itself. all right, still ahead here, new york prepares to welcome baseball fans back into stadiums, but will the stands be packed? i know mike barnicle's going to be really excited again. he can have a couple days out at fenway. plus, new reporting that the president may extend his first deadline for bringing u.s. troops home from afghanistan. nbc's carol lee joins us with her new reporting. we'll have those stories and a check your weather. g. we'll have those stories and a check your weather psst! psst! allergies don't have to be scary. spraying flonase daily stops your body from overreacting to allergens all season long. psst! psst! you're good. did you know prilosec otc can stop frequent heartburn before it begins? heartburn happens when stomach acid refluxes into the esophagus. prilosec otc uses a unique delayed-release formula that helps it pass through the tough stomach acid. it then works to turn down acid production, blocking heartburn at the source. with just one pill a day, you get 24-hour heartburn protection. prilosec otc. one pill a day, 24 hours, zero heartburn. it all starts with an invitation... ...to experience lexus. the invitation to lexus sales event. get 0% apr financing on the 2021 is 300. experience amazing at your lexus dealer. plaque psoriasis, the burning, itching. the pain. with tremfya®, adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis can uncover clearer skin and improve symptoms at 16 weeks. serious allergic reactions may occur. tremfya® may increase your risk of infections and lower your ability to fight them. tell your doctor if you have an infection or symptoms or if you had a vaccine or plan to. tremfya®. emerge tremfyant™. janssen can help you explore cost support options. well, he missed it. and wichita state, a chance at the final shot. they're down one and this is for the win! oh! off the front iron! oh, my goodness! the drake bulldogs survive! >> wow. welcome back. the men's ncaa basketball tournament now officially under way with the tip-off of the first four games yesterday. drake university earns its first tournament victory in exactly 50 years, surviving that would-be buzzer beater to win the matchup of number 11 seeds. making free throws, kids. both ucla and michigan state showed fight in other matchups of 11 seeds, but the spartans, it was among themselves. coach tom izzo and one of his players carried a shouting match into halftime. and michigan state would blow a double-digit lead in the second half and fall in overtime, 86-80. in the pair of matchups between number 16 seeds, texas southern defeated mount st. mary's in the tournament opener, and norfolk state advances to face top overall seed gonzaga on saturday after edging appalachian state by a point last night. the round of 64 tips off just after noon in today's action, featuring all 16 teams from the south and midwest regions. now you really do have to have your bracket in by noon today. all right, because of the pandemic, when not practicing or playing said tournament teams are quarantined at their hotels, where they eat at least two meals a day. and the ncaa's senior vice president tells espn that teams have taken advantage of the late-night food delivery options with the organization's partners. according to the network, as of yesterday, wendy's brought a food truck to deliver more than 1,500 burgers and chicken sandwiches. buffalo wild wings served 61 teams over the past three days, dishing out more than 19,000 wings on its busiest night. and pizza hut has delivered 665 pizzas, 208 family-style pastas, and 465 breadsticks. i don't know, guys. are they sending any salad? these kids need some vegetables, too, for this tournament. anyway, new yorkers, apparently, are going to continue this food trend, are going to be able to enjoy a hot dog at the ballpark on opening day as the yankees and the mets get the green light to operate their stadiums at 20% capacity when the major league season starts next month. >> the crowd makes the ball game, said ty cobb. i believe that. so, we're going to play ball and we're going to play ball with a crowd, which i tell you is just so good for the psyche. going to a game and getting outside and seeing a new season start and just hope springs eternal, right? it's the beginning of the season. >> it means that almost 11,000 fans at yankee stadium for their opening day game against the blue jays on april 1st. the mets will be allowed to host just under 8,500 fans at citi field for their home opener against the marlins on april 8th. i could not be more excited about going to a baseball game. all right, time now for weather. let's go to meteorologist bill karins for a check on the weekend forecast. bill, how's it looking? >> it's looking pretty good, kasie. i'm excited for baseball season for you, because you're so excited for it. i think it's going to be great. and when we turn the corner here, we have a couple more days of getting the kind of cool, springlike weather in the east, and then spring next week is going to feel fantastic. so, let's get into this. the big storm that gave us all the severe weather, the tornadoes, the nasty storms yesterday through the carolinas, is all exiting. we have a little bit of rain left over in virginia and also a tiny bit of snow there on areas like cape cod. we have another storm coming into the pacific northwest, and that storm will plague us over the weekend. it's not a huge ordeal, but it will leave us a little unsettled in areas like seattle and portland. so, today's forecast, look at the middle of the country. congratulations. beautiful from texas all the way to minneapolis. a little chilly and raw as that storm exits the mid-atlantic, especially around new york and d.c. and areas of virginia. on saturday, lots of sunshine east of the rockies, a chilly start, but a beautiful afternoon. there is that storm in the northwest i talked about, a little bit of mountain snow. and finally, we end on sunday, a little raw right along the carolina coast, but except for that, kasie, it is a beautiful, beautiful end to the weekend from texas to florida, all the way back up into the northeast. so, after kind of a nasty middle to end of this week, i think we'll take a pretty nice weekend. >> shots in arms, spring weather, baseball. things are finally looking up. bill karins, thank you so much. we'll see you next week. have a great weekend. and still ahead here, the fbi releases new videos and photos, hoping to identify suspects in what they call the most egregious attack on capitol police officers during the january 6th riot. we'll be back in just a moment. t ♪ freshness and softness you never forget, with downy. if you have postmenopausal osteoporosis and a high risk for fracture, now might not be the best time to ask yourself, 'are my bones strong?' life is full of make or break moments. that's why it's so important to help reduce your risk of fracture with prolia®. only prolia® is proven to help strengthen and protect bones from fracture with 1 shot every 6 months. do not take prolia® if you have low blood calcium, are pregnant, are allergic to it, or take xgeva®. serious allergic reactions like low blood pressure, trouble breathing, throat tightness, face, lip or tongue swelling, rash, itching or hives have happened. tell your doctor about dental problems, as severe jaw bone problems may happen. or new or unusual pain in your hip, groin, or thigh, as unusual thigh bone fractures have occurred. speak to your doctor before stopping, skipping or delaying prolia®, as spine and other bone fractures have occurred. prolia® can cause serious side effects, like low blood calcium, serious infections, which could need hospitalization, skin problems, and severe bone, joint, or muscle pain. don't wait for a break, call your doctor today, and ask about prolia®. facing leaks takes strength, so here's to the strong, who trust in our performance and comfortable, long-lasting protection. because your strength is supported by ours. depend. the only thing stronger than us, is you. this is how you become the best! ♪“you're the best” by joe esposito♪ ♪ [triumphantly yells] [ding] don't get mad. get e*trade. start your day with secret. secret stops sweat 3x more than ordinary antiperspirants. the new provitamin b5 formula is gentle on skin. with secret, outlast anything! no sweat. secret this is the sound of an asthma attack... that doesn't happen. this is the sound of better breathing. fasenra is a different kind of asthma medication. it's not a steroid or inhaler. fasenra is an add-on treatment for asthma driven by eosinophils. it's one maintenance dose every 8 weeks. it hel