Transcripts For KNTV Today 20140413 : vimarsana.com

When you see why theyre playing youll see why no one is quitting soon. Today, sunday, april 13th, 2014. Announcer from nbc news, this is today with lester holt and erica hill. Live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. Welcome to today on this sunday morning p. Im erica hill. Im carson daly alongside jenna wolfe and dylan dryer. Lester has the morning off. You just saw there, soccer match going on since thursday. Raising money for pediatric cancer. Well have the whole story later. Same players . They swap in and out. Theyre on a rotating schedule. When its all said and done, if you can imagine, a 73 hour soccer game. Same balls . Lots of different rotating balls. Watch your newscast to get all the details in 36 minutes from right now. Well actually also speak with the little boy whos at the center o f this and his parents. I know youll talk with them coming up in the next half hour. Absolutely. Great story. We begin, though, with this mo mornings top story. Wild weather hitting the countrys midsection. A tough night throughout michigan. Heavy winds bringing down trees. They caused damage in several neighborhoods. Where could this storm be headed now . We know the girl with the answers. Dylan is tracking it for us. Good morning. It is going to hit the plain states today. But snow in denver. Yesterday in denver it was 72 degrees. And we are going to see several inches of snow. Weve got this setup here with this area of low pressure sitting right through the middle of the country. You have the warm air out ahead of this system. Then you have the cold air back behind it. And its the clash of these two air masses that will create the potential for some Severe Weather. Specially as we go a little bit later on into this afternoon. Now, we are looking at the threat from kansas city all the way down into texas, east over into louisiana for isolated tornadoes, large hail is the biggest threat, and damaging wind gusts. Right in here through tulsa where its orange here, thats where we have a moderate risk of seeing our best chance of tornadoes. But on the flip side of that, again, 72 in denver yesterday. But we could see four to ten inches of snow. 12 to 15 inches possible in the mountains. Its an area where its going to get very messy into the day today and into tonight. Keep an eye out for that Severe Weather right through the plain states. We are just getting into this tornado season here so it could be a busy day. Carson . Now to a tense situation in nevada that may be showing signs of easing up this morning. It pitted the federal government against a ranch owner in a fight over grazing cattle. Authorities had seized some of them and it led hundreds of angry supporters to race to the scene. Leanne greg is live in bunkerville, nevada, with more. Leanne, good morning. Reporter good morning, carson. The dispute over states rights and land use is still undecided. But protesters who supported the family are celebrating today after the federal government backed down. This morning about 400 head of cattle from Cliven Bundys ranch are once again free to roam. After nevadas bureau of Land Management stopped its roundup of the animals on saturday. Citing serious safety concerns. The agency had been corralling the cattle for the past week, saying they were grazing illegally on public land. But the bundys claim they own the land and call it a range war. Get off our land. Period. Give us back our property. Reporter hundreds of protesters, many of them armed, rallied in support of the family. Captured on video and posted to youtube, the dispute escalated. Agency police fired a taser that struck bundys son. They had the tasers. They had the weapons. They had the dogs. And we had nothing except us. We were almost equally numbered. And then they were the aggressors. Reporter the federal government says protesters were blocking a road. Assaulting authorities and their dogs. But the video prompted a call to arms from selfdescribed militia leaders and those fighting for states rights. One arrived carrying an ak 47 as the crowds grew. Im willing to lay my life down. Reporter federal Authorities Say the issue is clear. The bundys stopped paying federal grazing fees more than 20 years ago. The courts have ruled that these cattle are in trespass. Reporter but for now the government is backing off. A temporary victory for the bundy family. But the conflict far from over. I have my dad in heaven. But he fought for this. My grandpa fought for this. Im going to fight for this. Reporter the blm says it will work to try and continue to resolve this issue judiciously and administratively. Nevadas government said a peaceful resolution was the best outcome he could have hoped for. Carson . Thank you very much for that. Want to get you caught up on some of the other mornings top stories. Jenna is following those for us. We begin this morning in ukraine where the countrys interior minister today launched whats being called an antiterrorist operation. Residents in the eastern city of slovyansk. A raging wildfire in chile has killed at least four people and consumed hundreds of homes. Officials say the flames have spread into vina del mar and port city of valparaiso. The countrys government has declared the city a catastrophe zone evacuating thousands of people already. A new United Nations report on Climate Change is out this morning and it calls on governments to act quickly to drastically reduce Carbon Emissions. Nbcs chief Environmental Affairs correspondent Anne Thompson has those details. This report outlines how we can avoid the worst impacts of Climate Change. And the u. N. Report says we have to dramatically cut our Carbon Emissions 40 to 70 by the year 2050 and to near zero by 2100. How do we do that . We have to move to a low Carbon Energy supply, it says. That means moving away from burning coal and oil to create power and to get ourselves from place to place. Instead, it says, we have to increase our dependence on Renewable Energy such as solar, wind, geothermal. We have to increase nuclear energy. When we burn coal, we need to use something called Carbon Capture and storage technology. It also addresses natural gas which is undergoing such a huge boom in this country. It says that natural gas could actually be a bridge to that low carbon future because it creates fewer emissions. Now, the panel says theres no time to waste. Our emissions are rising despite all our talking. And that the longer we wait, the harder and more things out. A wing on the boutonniere. Right now were told no sides. Theyre just doing the chicken. But this is actually true. What about cuff links that are little mcnuggets. Really an idea. Mcnuggets are great. Throwing the ideas out there. And theyre good. She has been a lightning rod for criticism ever since the rollout of obamacare turned into a huge mess. Health and Human Services secretary Kathleen Sebelius announcing on friday she is stepping down from that post. The next day she spoke exclusively to Andrea Mitchell about her troubled time in washington. Well, i think theres no question. And ive said this many times. That the launch of the website was terribly flawed and terribly difficult. The good news was that we said it would be fixed in eight weeks. It was fixed in eight weeks. Could we have used more time and testing . You bet. And ive said that from the start. And the great thing is, theres a market behind the site that works even better. People have Competitive Choices and real information for the First Time Ever in this insurance market. Did the white house oversell it . I dont think they did. I think what we said from the outset was, you know, this was fixing a very broken market. Where individuals really were on their own. If you were healthy and wealthy, you could get coverage. If you werent, you were pretty much on your own. Do you have any regrets . I dont. I i have i mean, if i had a a magic wand and could go back to midseptember and ask different questions based on what i know now, i thought i was getting the best information from the best experts having outside and inside people come report and look, measure, but clearly that didnt go well. David gregory is moderator of meet the press. David, good morning. Good morning, erica. This has been a big focus in the days since Kathleen Sebelius announced her resignation. A lot of people asking, though, why now . So what is the thinking behind the timing . Well, i think from a political point of view its a way to say to democrats, look, were taking some of the accountability in the administration. Go out, try to win this debate over obamacare. You have better news to work with here. Were going to remove one of the impediments. The fact that Kathleen Sebelius who is criticized as running the department overseeing this and implementing it is now gone. I think the president made a decision at the time when all of the rollout was happening so poorly that he didnt want to fire her then, force her resignation because, a, they were in a bit of a panic about how to fix things. Two, to replace her and get somebody confirmed on capitol hill would have exacerbated those problems. So he made the decision to stand fast at the moment. Take responsibility for it and try to get the problems fixed. Which they did. It doesnt mean that obamacare is going to roll out completely smoothly or that all of the impacts of it are going to be fully known. Thats what republicans are going to keep arguing about. Well be hearing more about that obviously. The president having to name a replacement, siylvia matthews borrel. She is more of a budget person. Why was she the best choice moving forward . I think just viewed as a confident manager. Going to be able to deal with execution going forward. They wanted someone more than anything not the kind of target Kathleen Sebelius has become because she was associated with the rollout in the way she was. I think the administration did not use sebelius as effectively as they could have in terms of making her an outspoken advocate for and spokesperson for the law. Maybe they didnt feel she was up to that task. And that her successor will be. This is something obviously were going to continue to hear about. By that i mean obamacare and health care. So over the weekend in new hampshire, was the freedom summit. Which is sponsored by conservative groups. We saw senators ted cruz, rand paul there. Really, too, doubling down on health care. Is this the beginning of or maybe we should say resumption as we resume speculation for 2016 . Theres no question about that. And theyre also teeing up 2014. You know, this midterm race has got to be from the Republican Point of view about health care, and its got to be about president obama and the democratic grand. Go back to 2006. The iraq war and big gains for democrats because of president bush and the republican brand. Once they get to 2016 i think they want to turn the corner. Its got to be about a Republican Party that is moving forward with a different theory. And a different way to govern. Theyve got to be in that place by 2016. They dont want it to still be about president obama by then. Well check in with you in just a bit for a look on whats coming up on meet the press. Now to the wild speculation bubbling overseas this morning. Could will and kate be getting close to adding baby number two . Rumors have been swirling since saturday after the prince, who is said to have made a very interesting comment to the word in the crowd, during the trip to new zealand. Reporter as the duke and duchess of cambridge wowed the crowds across new zealand, its clear whos the center of attention. And while Prince George is winning hearts on his first royal tour, now theres speculation about baby number two. According to british papers, Prince William may have tipped his hand this weekend. Reportedly telling a woman who knit a shawl for Prince George, you might need to make another one soon. Prince william, did he mention he might want another shawl in the future . He may have. And did he say there was any urgency to it . He said sometime. Theres no doubt theyre going to have more children. But not just yet. Reporter meanwhile, its been an actionpacked few days for the royals. Today a game of touch rugby with local children. Plus an adrenaline inducing jet boat ride on a river. Following a race of dueling yachts late last week. So while another baby will likely be in the young royals future, it doesnt look like that future is now. Its very unlikely given the sort of program thats been going on on this new zealand tour that she is pregnant. Sailing around upton harbor. Going over the river. Quite an active tour. Reporter further dispelling the pregnancy rumors the duchess was seen sipping wine at a vineyard. For today, chapman bell, nbc news, christchurch, new zealand. Dylan is back with another check of the forecast. Could be a very busy day today. Weve got the showers and storms starting to fire up. Itll take until a it willle bit this afternoon before we see some of the stronger storms. Right in red there from the midwest into texas and louisiana. Then we have snow on the backside of this system. Especially back toward denver and some of the ski resorts out that way. That could end up with about 6 to 12 that is your latest forecast. Dylan, thanks very much. Coming up next, the remarkable high schooler who was the bell of the ball when she showed up at the prom with a super bowl champion on her arm. The heartwarming story right after this. I jbut they blacked me out. Ht these miles are useless thats turrible. And all the other dates are triple the miles triple the miles . Thats as useless as chuck at a golf tournament. Or you at the three point line. Or you in a spelling bee. You gotta switch to the venture card from capital one. You can fly any airline. No blackouts. Thats what i did. I dont say this often but listen to the ref. I cant believe i said that. Dont get blacked out, get the capital one venture card. Earn unlimited double miles on every purchase, every day. Good on any airline or hotel. Whats in your wallet . Turn to roc® retinol correxion®. One week, fine lines appear to fade. One month, deep wrinkles look smoother. After one year, skin looks ageless. High performance skincare™ only from roc®. thunder rumbling thunderclap bellowing fire steaming and chugging thunderclap cheering rollercoaster rumbling the world youve been waiting for is here. The Wizarding World of harry potter, featuring the all new diagon alley and the hogwarts express. thunderclap come and live it. Universal orlando resort. We are back now on a sunday morning with a story that is sure to leave you with a smile on your face. It was a dream night last night for one very special High School Senior who showed up at the prom with a super bowl champion by her side. Ron allen has more. Lets go look for your dress. Reporter a mother and daughter story as heartwarming as any fairytale. That is just pink. Thats beautiful. Reporter chandler kirkland, 18, and mom stacy holmes in search of the perfect ensemble for taylors senior prom. Shes going to have a hard time walking in those shoes. Reporter chandler will graduate this spring despite battles with autism which limits her ability to speak. She was named homecoming queen because of her determination. Yes, yes we found the dress reporter so for the prom, mom thought taylor should have a very special date. I wanted something to be, like, over the top. Extra special. I knew my cousin knew Christian Michaels and he played for seattle seahawks. Reporter thats right. She asked her cousin to just call up a big time football player. Christian michael. For the super bowl champions. And ask if he would take taylor to the prom. I would just like to see what happens. I know, you know, hes really busy. She showed me the picture. My eyes light up. Your eyes was lighting up. Oh, my gosh. Are you going to kiss him . Yes. Reporter a mothers love made her daughters dream come true saturday night. When michael, inspired by taylors story, escorted her to the prom. I said yes on the dot. Without thinking about it. She looks beautiful. Outstanding. I dont want to be anywhere else but here. Reporter he was the perfect gentleman. She the bell of the ball. And mom enjoyed every moment. Im totally over the moon about everything. Im ecstatic. Its been like a fairytale. Reporter and they danced the night away. For today, ron allen, nbc news. Still to come, well take you to a marathon soccer match where the players have been on the field since thursday. The reason is a great one. A little boy with a great spirit who needs a helping hand. Well introduce you to him. First these messages. A day at the spa is essential for rejuvenating your spirit. You owe me this cause i clean your tushy. But ill settle for a toddler yogurt facial any day. All done, mommy. Hey, love that yogurt. Its good stuff. You uh, you got a little something. Hmm, it happens. Yogurt is number 14 of my 20. The new amex everyday credit card with no annual fee. Still good. Make 20 or more purchases in a Monthly Billing period, and earn 20 more rewards. Its membership that rewards you for the things you already buy, everyday. Whats your 20 . Back on a sunday morning with todays update. We couldnt be happier to share this one with you. You might remember our story from yesterday about a young girl who was one of the best players on her basketball team. A Boys Basketball team. 10yearold jayliyn base and her team were set to play in on upcoming tournament. They said they couldnt play if she remained on the team. Today we have an update, they will be able to play in the tournament. Great news. Fantastic. Tournament officials changed their minds on saturday saying that the original decision caused a divide within the Youth Basketball Community and that it was in the best interest of everyone involved to let the team play. A divide in the Youth Basketball Community and some outrage across the country. Shes the best one on the team. Of course. She is. We actually had a fair amount of response to that. We had asked people to write in yesterday. Majority of people really felt she should be allowed to play. There were some people who didnt. One person actually tweeted something to the effect of i wonder how it would be if the tables were turned and it was a boy who wanted to play on a girls team. Which is an interesting thing to think about. You hope people would say let that kid play, too. She started on the team. They went to the tournament. Shes responsible for a good amount of that success. Go jaylynn. Still to come this morning, the power of the human spirit. Were going to take you along on one young womans road to recovery. She was seriously wounded in the Boston Marathon bombing and almost lost her leg. Soof our new bushs bakednk beans video game . I think im getting the hang of it. Okay, now pick up the specially cured bacon hit it with the brown sugar now roll that beautiful bean footage yes bushs baked beans are slowcooked according to our secret family recipe for a big flavor. High score you get to put your name on the wall of fame whoa game over. Aww, youre no fun. Enjoy bushs baked beans. Still made from our secret family recipe. Safeway gets that staying on budget can be a real bear. Thats why theyve got lots of ways to save. Real big club card deals, the safeway app and gas rewards. For easter, get a safeway spiral sliced ham, for just 1. 99 a pound. Cadbury mini eggs are only 2. 69. Talk about a sweet deal. And arrowhead water is just 3. 33 a case. Theres more savings to love at safeway. Ingredients for life. Good morning to you. Looking live at a bit of a gray start to the day in San Francisco, but what does the forecast have in store . Youre wondering . Well, lets check in with our meteorologist. He has a look at the weekend forecast. This morning, were seeing kind of a repeat of yesterday. Low clouds. West of San Francisco and in san jose. 54 degrees right now. Mostly cloudy skies, but were starting to see am changes a bit higher up in that break up the low clouds sooner. As we head to the afternoon, our temperatures moly in the 70s, but a few spots, upper 70s, close to 80s, and temperatures in the mid70s around an soezy. As the onshore winds show signs of backing off a bit. The marine layer gets compressed down, that means the temperatures will be climbing up higher than yesterday. 75 in san jose around the peninsula. Upper 60s and low 70s around 11 00 to noon. Well start to see the low clouds break up inland,nd winds shifting direction out of the north should provide clearing down the coast as we head through the afternoon. San francisco, mid to upper 60s, and north bay, highs near 76. Santa rosy, 78. One more warm day toorment, and then cooler, breezy changes coming tuesday into wednesday. Thanks. Were following a developing story this morning and the rising financial toll of a fire that ripped through four businesses in berkeley. Right now, the tally is expected to be in the millions of the dollars. It started in the wooden duck Furniture Store not far from the university exit. The foor was reported around 8 00 last night and quickly went to six alarms. Someone in a neighboring business saw the flames and called 911. The Property Owner tells us the fire spread from that Furniture Store to three other businesses, import tiles, joshua tree, and thrivering lifestyles and theres no cause of the fire just yet and no reports of injuries. Investigators are trying to figure out what let to the death of a peninsula hiker whose body was found yesterday. Magdalena glinkowski went missing two weeks go after going out for a hike. An allout search last weekend turned up nothing, but Surveillance Video and a tip from a jogger caused the search team to zero in on that area and thats where they discovered the womans body yesterday morning. Turning to a story you will only see on nbc bay area. A statewide sting on unlicensed auto dealers and theyre cited people who are dealing cars who could be unsafe to drive. There are only 3 of 20 cars that had for sale signs were legitimate on one street targeted yesterday. According to investigators, unliceanted car deals will purchase lowend cars with salvage titles and sell them for profit. At 7 00 on today in the bay, baseball is back in the bay area. That means new ballpark fare. Were going to take you to at t park to see the new gourmet treats and the rest of the days news coming up in just 30 minutes. On the today show cheers from wisconsin. We brought cheese hey, dad, love you were all celebrating our birthday with the today show were back on this sunday morning, april 13th, 2014. And we need con ga lessons, apparently. We want to thank you all of them coming out. Taking some great pictures which you can see on our plaza wall. I cant believe i saw what i just saw from the corner of my eye. We have a lot coming up this half hour. First lets get you caught up on this mornings headlines. A strong storm system that caused big problems in michigan is set to bring even more damage to the middle of the country. Tornadoes and flash flooding are both possible. A tense standoff between the supporters of a cattle ranch in nevada is over. The government has since backed down. Baby makes four . Rumors swirl from the down under after Prince William made a comment that has some people speculating that the royal family could be expecting another child soon. Let the speculation begin. And the betting in vegas. Still to come this half hour, a teenager who isnt letting anything stop her as she recovers from a terrible injury from the Boston Marathon bombing. She nearly lost her leg. When you hear her story, youll really understand that phrase boston strong. Also ahead, two brothers from texas who are masters of the rodeo. And these kids are little, and theyre adorable. So good they took some time out to give me a little lesson. Really cute. We had a good time. Lets begin this half hour with a marathon soccer match that started on thursday and is still going strong this morning. Its all because of the a 2yearold boy facing a tough battle with brain cancer. Were going to meet Young Jackson and his parents in just a moment. First the story and inspiration behind the game. Reporter its a soccer marathon thats been running since thursday afternoon. All inspired by 2yearold jackson steinkuehler who today is cheering from the sidelines. Last summer jackson was fighting for his life. Diagnosed with a rare form of brain cancer. Doctors at st. Louis Childrens Hospital removed a golfballsized tumor from his brain. The first of four surgeries during his jackson suffered complications, including meningitis. I dont know if i could have even imagined the kind of fear wed feel, that we felt, especially in the past ten months or so. Reporter after doctors successfully removed the tumor, radiation and chemotherapy followed. I never broke down in front of people so many times. I really cant describe to you how difficult it was. Reporter but jackson is now doing better and his prognosis looks good. So to thank the hospital, jacksons dad, rob, a College Soccer coach, and some of his players rallied for a good cause. A 73hour soccer match to raise money for pediatric cancer research. This is our way of saying, you know what . Were going to take charge now. Were going to do everything in our power to raise money so parents dont have to go through what we did. The whole idea behind doing this is just to pay it forward. Reporter while dozens of players have been going back and forth for more than three days now and a few have dropped out due to injuries the game continues to give kids with cancer, children like jackson, a fighting chance. Young jackson and his parents, rob and kelly steinkuehler, are all at the soccer match this morning. Good morning, guys. How are you . Were doing good. How are you . Good to have you here. Kelly, lets start with you. Well get to the soccer match details in just a second. Tell us a little bit about how jacksons doing. I understand he got some pretty good news in march. We did. He had a scan in march. It was clean. As long as we keep having clean scans things are going to continue to improve for him. Hes doing great. Hes running around like little kids should. Great to hear. Rob, when you think of college kids, i know youre a soccer coach, you dont think about college kids raising money for pediatric cancer. Tell us a little bit about your guys whove been on that field since thursday, what that must mean to you and how theyre holding up. I really cant be any more proud of the guys that are my players. This is an unbelievable journey that were all on. And everybodys in high spirits. Everybodys real excited to get on camera this morning. Hopes are really high right now. Kelly, youve got an entire Community Just rallying around you and your family. What has that support meant to you . Everything. We wouldnt have gotten through this without everyones support. I mean, thats just the simple fact. We wouldnt have made it through all the difficult i mean, we just bad news after bad news. Having everybody behind us is what kept us going. We say all the time were Still Standing because of the People Holding us up. Right. Hey, rob i understand jacksons been a big motivator for the players out there. Do you have a future Soccer Player on your hands . Oh, absolutely. He loves soccer. Every time he sees a soccer ball he points and kicks it around and says dada. Hes going to be a Soccer Player for life. Make his daddy proud. Tell us a little bit about that game going on since thursday. Is there a score . Yeah. The score right now is 274304, the good guys. Which is my team. 274. Wow. I guess after a normal soccer game you might go out for some pizza. Wheres everybody going to go after this marathon . I dont think were going anywhere. We may hit the grass and stay there for a few hours. I dont know. Yeah. All right. Awesome. Well, it was great to see you guys. Thank you so much for the inspiration. Jackson, i have a son named jackson as well. He shares your same name. I hope he shares the same bravery that youve shown, buddy. Good to see you guys this morning. Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you. All right. Lets get a final check of the weather from dylan. Shes outside on the plaza. Dylan . Good morning, guys. Were having poster issues. But theres a lot of red and blue on the plaza here. Youre all down from maine. Whats the special occasion . Heritage tour. You traveled to other places, too . We went to washington, d. C. , and pennsylvania. Now you made it to the today show. Part of the american heritage, right . We are going to see a big change in temperatures over the course of the next couple of days. Today we should still be in the 80s down in texas. We are looking at temps today at about 10 to 15 degrees above average in chicago. But look at the cold air thats moving in tomorrow. We are going to be about 22 degrees below average. 44 for a high in kansas city after being in the 70s and 80s just yesterday. 57 for a high tomorrow in dallas. We do have to keep an eye out for severe storms out ahead of the cold front. The reason why temperatures are dropping and we could see large hail, damaging wind gusts and even an isolated tornado, and we are heading west to cleveland for todays top spot. Its the ix indoor Amusement Park in cleveland. Thanks to our affiliate wkyc. Adrenaline junkies look no further for action. 20 acres built. A soring zip line. Racetrack. Even a water ride. Probably a little too cold for that right now, especially tomorrow. Again, its mostly indoors. Anything goes. Temperatures in cleveland should be in the 70s today. Not too bad. Up next, shes defied expectations in the weeks and months after the Boston Marathon bombing. One survivor looks back at how far shes come. That is right after these messages. [ male announcer ] this is kevin. To prove to you that aleve is the better choice for him, hes agreed to give it up. Thats today . [ male announcer ] well be with him all day as he goes back to taking tylenol. I was okay, but after lunch my knee started to hurt again. And now ive got to take more pills. Yup. Another pill stop. Can i get my aleve back yet . For my pain, i want my aleve. [ male announcer ] look for the easyopen red arthritis cap. So why do they often act so naughty . Shoes should feel nice. Grrr. Ooh its time to tame the shoe with dreamwalk ultraslim insoles. Grrr. So you can wear the shoes youre in the mood for. Without them changing your mood. Dreamwalk by dr. Scholls. As we approach the oneyear anniversary of the Boston Marathon bombings, we are reminded of Amazing Stories of strength reasoned sill yens of survivors. It has been a painful year and a year of healing. Despite is it all, one young victim decided she would never let any of this stop her from achieving her dreams. 25 minutes after the first bomb blast, 18yearold jillian ready was in triage at boston bringing ham and womens hospital. I was fully conscious until we reached the energy room. I definitely understood how grave the situation was. Reporter the blast tore through her lower leg. Initially we were thinking the fragmented bone was going to turn this into an amputation situation. Reporter a key nerve and blood vessels, however, were intact. And three days later surgeries were ready to try to save jillians leg. When we got to the hospital, we really just had no idea what would happen. It became very clear very quickly that we were so fortunate to have landed where we landed. Reporter from the beginning, jillian defied expectations. Within about two weeks, we could not believe what she was doing at rehab. Jillian set the tone by moving forward and not sort of looking back. Reporter while doctors advised she take a year off from school to focus on her recovery, jillian had other plans. It was a terrible thing that happened. But it wasnt something that i wanted to derail my life. And i really, really wanted to go to college on time. And i really wanted to graduate high school on time. So it pushed me to push myself. Reporter jillian did graduate on time. And just four months after the bombing, jillian took her first steps on her own. First day walking. Here she goes reporter what was it like for you folks the first time you saw jillian walk again . Unbelievable. We knew she was going to get there. It was very touching to see it happen. Reporter inspired by their daughters remarkable recovery, jillians family launched the Gillian Reny Stepping Strong Fund to further Critical Research here including this work on bone regeneration hoping to offer more patients the same chance gillian had. How are you . Good. Reporter nearly a year later, gillian is pushing herself every day. Gillian was near the finish line last year waiting for her older sister, danielle, who was running her first marathon. This year, danielle is running again. With more than a dozen family, friends, even some of gillians doctors as part of the stepping strong team. Its been amazing to see my family try to make something great out of something terrible. Reporter what is your goal at this point and your dream . This is always going to be a part of my life. But have it not be the center of my life as it has been for the past year. Reporter gillian hasnt decided whether shell be at the finish line this year. But she will be with her team. Every step of the way. Were all running this together. Shes done so well. Were so proud of her. Shell be with us as we cross the line one way or the other. Gillian currently has physical therapy three times a week. She does daily exercises on her own. She said to me, i walk to class. Thats great therapy for me. The family is an incredible family. No way around it. Theyre so positive. Both her parents were also injured in the bombing. They were tireless advocates for their daughter and for the care that she received. Its incredible to look at how they are so focused on moving forward. And graduating on time. Just continuing with her life. Amazing. Its really impressive. This was really important to them that they find a way to give back and say thank you to all the doctors at the hospital that did so much for them. Thats why they wanted to help try to fund this research so that other people can have the chance like gillian did to not face an amputation. Thaesz cool the doctors are going to be running too with the family. Its a really nice race. So many stories like this about the strength of the people in boston who were affected. You have to be so grounded and understanding what happened and be able to make that next move to the next chapter in your life. Thats true. It personifies boston strong. Thats what it is, that story right there. Yeah. Just ahead this morning, four rowers dealing with terrifying circumstances in the middle of the oceasomehow managed to survive. Well share their story with you as well. But first these messages. [ children yelling ] [ telephone rings ] [ shirley ] edward jones. This is shirley speaking. How may i help you . Oh hey, neill, how are you . How was the trip . [ male announcer ] with nearly 7 million investors. [ shirley ] hes right here. Hold on one sec. [ male announcer ]. Youd expect us to have a highly skilled call center. Kevin, neill holleys on line one. Ok, great. [ male announcer ] and we do. Its how edward jones makes sense of investing. [ male announcer ] our story begins here. Where we get our milk. And our inspiration, to keep things simple. So now kraft singles have no artificial preservatives. Because simple is simply. Better. Hey have you ever tried honey nut cheerios . Love em. Neat now you on the other hand. You need some help. Why . Look atchya. What is that . You mean my honey wand . [ shouting ] [ splat ] come on. Matter of fact. [ rustling ] shirt. Shoes. Shades. Ah wow now that voice. My voice . [ autotuned ] whats wrong with my voice . Yeah man, bee got swag be happy be healthy thats gotta go too. Hey must be the honey [ sparkle ] sweet. Four rowers were ready for the experience of a lifetime when they set off on a transatlantic Mission Never attempted before. Their trip did not go the way they planned and ended with a dramatic rescue. This morning for the first time were seeing video recovered from the ocean. Keith morrison of dateline has more. Reporter the crew of the tiny 29foot row boat, the james robert hansen, had been fighting the elements for weeks on end. There were storms. Broken oars. Power problems. All seemed to be conspiring against the four rowers. Its adam calling from the ocean. Reporter and in these recovered videos, its clear that along the way from africa to north america, the journey was proving tougher than any of them imagined. Olympic Gold Medalist adam kreek was missing his pregnant wife and young son. I yearned for land more than i thought i would out here. Reporter then one day, back home in british columbia, his wife rebecca received a happy surprise on her computer. Its this awesome video that adam was able to send near the end of him talking to jefferson saying, hi, jefferson, its daddy. What did you do today . Then pause. Then jefferson would watch it over and over and over and answer him. Hed be like, i went to day care. I was wondering, have you been to the park recently . Yeah. Have you been playing with your lego and tinker toys . Spending lots of time outside . Reporter a father and son interacting with each other separated by days of lag time and thousands of miles. I look forward to hearing back from you. I love you lots and im going to give you a big squeeze when i see you in miami. Then were going to go see the elephants at the miami zoo. Yeah. Love you a ton. Reporter in the Early Morning hours of april 6th, 2013, day 73 in the expedition, land based coordinator greg spooner got a call from the san juan, puerto rico, coast guard station. Officials had received signals from three emergency beacons. About 350 miles off the puerto rican coast. Im just standing here trying to figure out whats going on and why only three beacons have gone off. Wheres the fourth . Reporter back home their families were frantic awaiting word of their loved ones fate. Then in an amazing maritime rescue played out over ten hours with two different airplanes, the u. S. Coast guard saved the day and four lives. We were really lucky. There is no fairness with the sea. It doesnt have to give back anything. But we tried. In this case, it did. Reporter keith morrison, nbc news, los angeles. Wow. See more of this story tonight on dateline at 7 00, 6 00 central here on nbc. Over to dylan on the plaza. Just a moment ago i was on the plaza with the heritage crew. This is samuel white from water view, maine. Still to come on today, riding and roping. Two kids show jenna what it takes to be champion at the rodeo. But first these messages. And come on in. Before using her new bank of america credit card, which rewards her for responsibly managing her card balance. Before receiving 25 toward her balance each quarter for making more than her minimum payment on time each month. Tracey got the bankamericard better balance rewards credit card, which fits nicely with Everything Else in life she has to balance. Thats the benefit of responsibility. Apply online or visit a bank of america near you. But do you really . [ female announcer ] neutrogena® makeup remover erases 99 of your most stubborn makeup with one towelette. Can your makeup remover do that . [ female announcer ] neutrogena® makeup remover. We are back on a sunday morning with a story of two brothers who keep themselves busy with maybe a fairly unusual after school and weekend activity. With years of practice and training, they are champions at the rodeo, and believe it or not, they taught jenna a few things as well. Called rodeoing. It runs in the family. No surprise the brothers picked it up at a very young age. In matador, texas, the only thing the brothers love more than riding their animals is roping them. Between the two of them, 13yearold brody and 9yearold brogan, theyve entered and won hundreds of rodeos. So these are what we call your trophies . Yes, maam. All our winnings weve won over the years. Are you proud of what youve done here . Yes. Reporter their buckles and saddles on display as badges of honor. Most kids your age right now are out playing ball or inside playing video games. This is exactly where you guys want to be, isnt it . Yes, maam. Reporter and theres nothing more prestigious. Every year more than 15,000 youth rodeo members compete in close to 2,000 rodeos with thousands of dollars in prison money at stake. Do you guys ever get nervous when youre out here, out on a horse . Practicing is sort of like laid back. When its for thousands of dollars, you get nervous. Reporter the boys are Third Generation ropers. Their father, a modern day cowboy. Mom, shes an allaround junior rodeo champion. Their success is a mix of genetics and practice. Lots of practice. What is the hardest thing about what you guys do out here . Fundamentals of roping. You miss one, you have to think back on what you did on that run and fix it. Reporter the skills and techniques practiced inside the arena, all a foundation of whats needed to run a working cattle ranch and take it from me. Lets start with the basics. You wrap it around your leg and wrap, wrap, wrap. Reporter from tying to riding. What do you think im doing, 30, 40 miles an hour here . No. Probably three. Reporter to roping. Turn your wrist. There you go. Reporter none of those skills are easy. But im just a city girl. Brody and brogan live this life. For them, its the very essence of who they are. Because they know the competitions today will make them cowboys tomorrow. I was nowhere near that fake cow. You overshot it a little bit. I get it. I was terrible. But these kids werent. Thanks to brody and brogan for showing me the ropes. You guys are absolutely fantastic and adorable. Just a few weeks ago brody qualified for state finals where hell compete in tying and team roping. These kids, they practice every day after school. They love it. They have to. What about you . Did this unlooeeash your inner cowboy . I used to practice every day after school. Now i stopped. Lets check in with David Gregory for a look at whats coming up on meet the press. David, good morning again. Good morning, erica. The politics of health care. What does the resignation of Kathleen Sebelius mean for the president S Health Care law. Particularly the midterms. Kathleen sebelius will be a guest of our program exclusively coming up this morning. One year after the Boston Marathon bombings, i went to the city for a special discussion on how boston is recovering from tragedy. All coming up this morning on meet the press. See you then, david. Thanks. Thats going to do it for us this sunday morning. Thank you for watching. Ill see you guys. Stop by any time. Well make sure there are snacks for you. Thank you. That was the highlight. Thanks to all of you for joining us. Have a great day among the stories we are working on, a Great American city looks back to the day and for boston, a big day to look forward to. Nbc nightly news with Brian Williams this week. Hey, thats the last crescent oh, did you want it . Yeah. Well split it. [ female announcer ] made fresh, so light, buttery and flakey. Thats half. Thats not half guys, i have more. Thanks, mom. [ female announcer ] do you have enough pillsbury crescents . So i should probably get the last roll. Yeah but i practiced my bassoon. [ mom ] and i listened. [ brother ] i can do this. [ imitates robot ] everyone deserves ooey, gooey, pillsbury cinnamon rolls. Make the weekend pop. Good morning. Im kris sanchez. Today on today in the bay, a large fire breaks out in berkel berkeley, sending smoke across the area. Several businesses and more than a Million Dollars worth of inventory up in flames. Also, the latest from the tour bus trash. And only on nbc, our cameras were rolling on a statewide sting, how its going to keep drivers a bit safer. This is today in the bay. Good morning. Looking live at san jose this morning. And a nice, cool start to what is otherwise going to be a pretty warm afternoon. Thanks so much for joining