House and Savannah Guthrie live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. And good morning. Well to a special splet edition of today on this very important wednesday morning. Im matt lauer here at the white house. Savannah is back at studio 1a. I have to tell you its excited to be here. Were on the south lawn. Quiet around here until 6 00 this morning and then we opened up the gates to the public and all those people who have been waiting at the ellipse overnight and they sprinted, a mad dash into this area to try to get to the front of the fencing to get a glimpse of the pope. Hes expected to get here at around 9 00. Hell be welcomed again by the president , along with thousands of invited guests. Thousands more, by the way, just beyond the white house gates hoping to get a glimpse of the honored guest, and we expect him to speak, the pope, that is, briefly in english this morning, but his major speech will come tomorrow. That will happen on capitol hill, savannah. Meantime, matt, as you know, he touched down in this country about 4 00 on tuesday. When he landed though, there was a slight delay. Pope francis left waiting at the top of the stairs for more than two minutes while the press pool got into place, but, matt, we know, he is hat spiritual gift of patience. Thats for sure, and by the way, savannah, do you own stock in fiat. If not, buy it. He was all smiles as he got greeted by the first families. We had the bidens and obamas and from there he was taken away in that tiny little fiat 500 sedan. The windows were down. He made his way to the apostolic nuncia church and well get to all of that in a moment. Even as we celebration this event in the Nations Capital our hearts are heavy because of sad news coming out of new york overnight. New york yankees legend hall of famer yogi berra has died. He was 90 years old, one of the icons of baseball, beloved for his play on the field and his energetic personality off the field. In a moment well remember his legendary career and yes his famous yoeg iisms. Loved how the times put it saying he was one of baseballs great catchers and characters. Yeah. Well share some Great Stories about yogi coming up a little bit later. Let us begin with the popes first full day here in america. Weve spread out all across the Nations Capital and beyond to bring it to you live. Lets start with nbc National Correspondent peter alexander. Hes along what will be todays parade route just south of the white house. Peter, good morning to you. Reporter good morning, matt. This is really going to be a remarkable day as some people here have described it. It feels kind of like a pep real and kind of like a prayer gathering, a unique and historic moment, the first opportunity for so Many Americans to see this pope in person. This is the only place in washington where you dont need a ticket to see the pope as he arrives. Of course, pope francis has worn the worlds affection had his gestures of empathy, of warmth. He has also shown multiple signs of solidarity with the suffering, and in many ways this is both a spiritual and political journey for this pope who will be hitting the centers of u. S. Government, of power and of history, of course, finishing his trip in philadelphia later this week. When he arrived yesterday he was greeted at joint base andrews and what was really a remarkable moment by president obama and the first family as well as the bidens. One of only two times that the president has gone there as a show of respect to greet a foreign dignitary arriving here in this country. Today pope francis will have that welcome ceremony on the south lawn. 20,000 people expected there. His remarks for the first time will be in english, only brief remarks before the two men meet together in private. They have shared concerns publicly about things like Climate Change and income inequality, but behind the smiles there are some real issues of substance like the topic of religious freedom. There will be midday prayers said at st. Matthews cathedral and the pope will head to the basilica where he will canonize junipero serra, the man who brought christianity to california, the first time a canonization will take place on u. S. Soil. Matt, whats struck me so far this morning is just the energy among the people we met here. We met one man who isnt even catholic who said to me im here because this pope is different. He speaks to all of us, and as the father of Young Children i can tell you never wake a sleeping baby. We met another family who brought their 1monthold. We got up at 4 30 in the morning because we wanted our son to be blessed. Matt. Yeah, yeah, peter, a lot of parents with their children here at the white house as well. Peter, thanks very much. Nbcs tom costello is at the apostolic nunciature here in washington where the pope is staying. Tom, whats the mood like there . Reporter ill tell you, the energy in the crowd is so well, its exciting, and its also really contagious. Behind me is the nunciature. You can see the concrete blocks for the security. Massachusetts avenue, the main thoroughfare through washington, d. C. Now lets pan over here because were being serenaded or more precisely the pope is being serenaded this morning. Weve had music and crowds gathering. They started about 4 00, 4 30 this morning and just a sense of perspective. Behind that metal fence right there, thats the Vice President s residence so as you can see hes in good company. This pope has been greeted by crowds very excited about his message since he arrived yesterday and more about that fiat because that really spoke to i think this message of humility, and as you know this pope has really talked about his views of the excesses of capitalism. His fiat was really dwarfed by the security details, suvs, so really this message has resonated with this crowd. Ill tell you, matt, as i was here yesterday, an awful lot of spanishspeaking people who has come to see this pope. They feel he directly speaks to them. Tom, thanks very much. Lets bring in nbcs special anchor Maria Shriver helping out with our coverage all week long. Good morning to you. Good morning, matt. Weve known each other a long time and covered a lot of stories and issues relating to the church here and in rome. I know youve been very excited about this visit. What do you want to hear the pope say to the American People in his first remarks today . I think like tom said, i think all of us are interested in what he has to say. I hope hell encourage us to look out for our fellow man and woman. I hope he will continue, like he said in cuba, to encourage us to go out of our homes and to be of service. I hope he will continue about his talk about less judgment on people of different sexual genders and also just men and women in particular, and i think he talked about a revolution of tenderness and kindness and compassion, and i think that thats what were all hoping for, and i think that thats what the world needs and i think thats why hes speaking to people of different faiths because everybody can understand that, and i think everybody thinks we need more of that. Glad to have you here with me, and youll stay with us throughout the popes visit here. Maria, thank you very much. In our next half hour a closer look at the popes simple life and the new tone that he is setting with his papacy, but right now ill head back to new york and give it over to savannah. Matt, thank you very much. Greg burke is a Senior Communications adviser to the vatican and joins us this morning. Greg, good to see you. Good morning. This is popes first visit to the country. A lot of people know how they feel the pope. I guess the question is how does he feel about us . What are his impressions of america . I think the pope is excited seeing a new group of people. Theres no doubt about that. It is totally new for him but not totally. Its totally new landing in the u. S. , but obviously hes met a lot of americans since working in rome and since becoming pope, but key thing hes talked about this. He says i just want to give an embrace to everybody i can. Nobody should be left out of the popes embrace, a bit of the tenderness that maria was talking about. What is his message to americans . I mean, we read about how he feels about capitalism or consumerism. Is there going to be some tough love for his flock during this visit . I think there will be a mention. You know, congress will be the important speech, and i think thats more the state of the union speech. Today is sort of like a warmup, an appetizer is it, drinks before dinner. Congress will be the big speech but everything the pope says is basically goes from one key phrase which is god loves you, and one of his main message is god loves you, god forgive you, and i think more on a social political term the core larry is god loves you, show that love, share that love with somebody else, so i think we will here that. I dont think it will be the strident criticism of capitalism that the pope got in america. The pope is suspicious of wall street, likes main street and recognizes the great good the u. S. Has done in bringing so many people out of poverty but that doesnt mean he wont say, hey, its been good for you. But, you know, be more generous now. There was a provocative cover of newsweek. Im sure you saw it a few weeks ago asking the question is the Pope Catholic . And i guess the point was to say he has emphasized a different kind of tone in terms of immigration or gay rights, a whole host of issues, on the other hand, he hasnt watered down Church Doctrine at all. Whats interesting is people are listening, you know. The bishops are known in the media as opposing to obamacare for some things but they have also been pushing for Affordable Health care and on the edge of immigration, you know, working for that, so its very interesting. The pope is saying the same thing that bishops have been doing but people are listening now that the pope is there. Hes not watering down doctrine. If you listen to the homilies in the morning hes a very oldfashioned parish priest. Thanks so much. Well have a lot more this morning and well bring you his arrival to the white house live. Moving on to other news, Hillary Clintons email controversy back in the headlines with a report now that the fbi has recovered emails thought to be deleted from the private computer server she used as secretary of state. Nbcs Andrea Mitchell has more on that story this morning. Andrea, good morning. Reporter good morning, savannah. Those new reports today that the fbi has indeed recovered both personal and workrelated emails from that private server. The fbi is investigating how classified information was handled by this account. Clinton told her lawyers to turn over the server last month after the Inspector General for intelligence agencies asked for that fbi probe. It had already been reported that the fbi thought they could recover some of the emails from the server, even though they had been deleted. What is new today is that they are actually able to get them and are now sorting through what they believe is personal from what is workrelated. The Justice Department has said that clinton had every right to delete the emails, but this ensures that there will continue to be a drip, drip, drip from this issue as clinton tries to campaign. And theres a new indication today that the campaign is in some trouble. A bloomberg poll just out this morning shows that Vice President joe biden who has yet to decide if hes even running and Bernie Sanders are closing in on clinton, she at 33 , bidened a 24 and sanders 23 . Biden advisers say he is likely to make a decision in the next few weeks in time to be on the stage next month for the first democratic debate on october 13th. If he decides to run. Lots to follow this morning, thank you so much. You bet. On republican side of the race donald trump campaigning in South Carolina today following his appearance on the late show with Stephen Colbert can the and hearing from trumps children showing a different side to the republican frontrunner. Nbcs Hallie Jackson has this story this morning. Hallie, good morning. Reporter good morning, savannah and this morning yet again its something donald trump did not talk about thats making headlines from his kind of subdued appearance on Stephen Colberts show. Between the laughs trump seemed intent on proving hes serious as a candidate. Ladies and gentlemen, donald trump. Reporter republican frontrunner in the late night spotlight. I want to thank you for not only being here but i want to thank you for running for president. Because im not going to say im not going to say this stuff writes itself, but you certainly you certainly do deliver it on time every day. Yeah. Reporter as Stephen Colbert riffed donald trump ducked. This is the last time you ever have to address the question if you hit the ball. Barack obama born in the United States. Go. And you want i dont talk about it anymore. You dont talk about it. I talk about jobs. I talk about our veterans being horribly treated. Reporter even on late night tv trump not able to shake this controversial moment from last weeks town hall. We have a problem in this country. Its called muslim. Reporter now the frontrunner confronted in an interview with cbs news. It was a testing moment for a man running for president. I dont think so. You never know when they are coming. I dont think so. Here you had a bigot. Well, you dont know that. He asked a question. You dont know that he was a bigot. Reporter and trumps children highlighting his softer side telling access hollywood. About their dad. How he instills discipline and focus and passion into us, and i think he was just an amazing father. Reporter his Campaign Says the timing of ivanka and erics comments in the midst of trumps latest controversies is just coincidence. Im incredibly proud of him, right. Hes winning in every single poll, shaking it up. Hes saying what everybody thinks but is afraid to say. Hes kind of the anti politician which is the man i know him to be. Reporter but its another candidate running as antiestablishment who is right on trumps heels. Carly fiorina under fire from the frontrunner and firing back, she is on the campaign trail here in South Carolina hoping to keep up momentum after that debate performance last week. Her town hall tonight, by the way, will be about an hour away from Donald Trumps in columbia. Savannah. All right. So close but so far. Hallie jackson, thank you so much. As we mention the at the top of the show the tributes are pouring in this morning for Baseball Hall of famer yogi berra, one of the games most legendary figures who died at the age of 90. Today National Correspondent craig melvin is outside Yankee Stadium with more on berras remarkable life on and off the field. Craig, good morning. Reporter good morning to you, september 22nd, 1946, that was the day yogi berra made his debut as a new york yankee. It was also the day that he died at age of 90, as you mentioned. He wasnt just arguably one of the best catchers of all time. His folksiness, his quick wit made him legendary. He was truly one of a kind. Yogis blast sails over the right field fence, and the yanks are off and running. Reporter yogi berra, the longtime new york yankees catcher, was one of the greatest players on some of the most storied teams in baseball history. The yankees are back on top. Reporter his hall of fame career numbers among the best ever, 19 seasons, 15 straight allstar games and three league mvp awards. He played in more world series games and had more series hits than anyone else, but most of america knew berras words, not his numbers, his folksy and often contradictory yogiisms like it aint over until its over and in a special meet the press at Yankee Stadium tim russert asked the socalled philosopher of baseball to explain. When you come to a fork in the road, take it. Well, weve got one back home thats why i said take it. Half the things i said i never said. Oh, boy. Itell you the truth, i dont even know i say these things, i really dont. Reporter Lawrence Peter berra was born may 12, 1945 to an immigrant family in a primarily italian neighborhood of st. Louis. He quit school after eighth grade and later served in the navy, a ship gunners mate during the normandy dday invasion. After the war, 1946, he joined the yankees where he would spend his entire playing career ending in 1963. He then went on to coach and manage the yankees and the crosstown mets. Berra retired in 1992 after his last job in baseball, a coach for the houston astros. Yogi berra hits one. I love baseball, i really do. I always told my dad, dad, i aint going to make it working, i like to play ball too much which i do. We played hard. Youve got to work at this game, you really do, and its fun doing it if you do it the right way. Reporter he devoted the later innings of his life to Community Service and charity work. His Yogi Berra Museum and Learning Center are on the campus of Montclair State University in new jersey, not far from Yankee Stadium. In march of 2014 berra lost his wife of 65 years, carmen, often called the woman beside the man behind the plate. They had three sons, 11 grandchildren. The yankee hall of famer, yogi berra. Reporter yogi berra, a yankee legend, one of the most charismatic Baseball Players and sports personalities of all time. My two favorite yogiisms, savannah. Its like deja vu all over again and if you dont know where youre going, youll end up some place else. True. Reporter o