The driver killed. Everyone else scrambling to safety. So, what caused the explosion . And back to the danger zone. I feel the need, the need for speed. Tom cruise makes it official, top gun 2 is cleared for takeoff. Its true. Really . The big revelation thats taken everyones breath away, today, may 24th, 2017. From nbc news, this is today, with matt lauer and savannah guthrie. Live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. Good morning, everyone. Welcome to today on a wednesday morning. Sounds like a broken record. Theres a lot of news to cover. And a lot of news coming out of europe this morning. These images are just in, coming in overnight. The historic meeting between pope francis and the president and the first lady. We go live to the vatican in a few moments. We have major developments on the attack at an Ariana Grande concert in england. As we learn more about the suspected bombers, ties to terrorists. Richard engel, good morning to you. Reporter the race is on to find and arrest anyone connected to the bomber. British Authorities Say they detained three people connected to the bomber, in the same neighborhood where the bomber lived. And a u. S. Intelligence official that yesterday the 23yearold bomber was arrested. And a Third Brother is still on the loose. His whereabouts is still unknown. The first look of the suicide bombing suspect, who killed dozens at the Ariana Grande concert, including children. A neighbor confirmed that it is of salman abadi, 23yearol yea. Frances interior minister said he has known connections to isis and is believed to travel to syria. Isis claimed responsibility for the attack but offered no proof. A u. S. Intelligence official tells nbc news, that abadi received training overseas. But his allegiances remain unclear. Also unclear, was he part of a cell, planning more . Taking no chances, Prime Minister theresa may upped the threat level in the u. K. To critical, meaning another attack could be imminent. Might see personnel deployed at certain events, such as concerts and sports matches, helping the police to keep the public safe. Reporter and today, there was a Strong Police presence at buckingham palace, where the changing of the guard ceremony was canceled. The bomb exploded at 10 30 p. M. On monday, just outside the security perimeter at the arena, in an area where vendors were selling tshirts. It blew up as fans were starting to pass through on their way home. Now, the hunt is on for others linked to the bomber. And with the higher threat level, theyre concerned that the worst may not be over. U. S. Intelligence official told me that the bomber was identified by a bank card that he left in his pocket. He was later his identity was later confirmed by facial recognition. Richard, obviously, isis has claimed responsibility for this. But as youve been reporting, there are potential ties to other terrorist organizations. Reporter that is one of the most confusing and potentially alarming parts of this. Today, the French Interior minister says he has proven ties to isis, that he traveled to syria, the isis stronghold. But a u. S. Intelligence official tells me he has ties to al qaeda, as well. And this is the question. Which group was he part of . Was he part of both groups . His alliances and associations at this stage remain unclear, which is why theres such an effort now to round up as many People Associated with him because they dont know how big this cell might have been. And exactly how where the cell leads back to. Richard engel starting us off. Thank you. Jeremy bash is an Nbc News National Security analyst. Jeremy, good morning to you. Good morning, guys. Let me start where richard just left off. This possibility that this suspected suicide bomber had ties to both isis and al qaeda. A kind of hybrid, if you will. How troubling would that be . Well, matt, the bomber looked like isis. But the bomb looked very much like al qaeda. If you think about the individual, he was recruited, he was britishborn, probably recruited online. Acting principally alone. That is a classic isis m. O. But the device he used was very powerful. Al qaeda has been known for its sophisticated bombmaking capabilities. And this may trace back to other organizations. Thats what investigators will look at in the next 24 to 48 hours. Would that be unusual, for somebody to have allegiance to isis and al qaeda . We heard theres Competition Among these two groups. The organizations are definitely rivals. But, savannah, closer to the front lines, these groups mix and mingle. They interact. And different aspects of his network could have ties to both organizations. Thats something we dont know yet. I want to ask you about the arrests that had just been made. One arrest of a brother of the suspected suicide bomber. Theyre still looking, apparently, for another brother. And then, three arrests made just overnight, our time. So, were starting to see that this, perhaps, is a bigger circle. Yeah, matt. If you look at three aspects, the bomb, the bomber and the network, these Family Member arrests are going to be part of that network. Who else did he communicate with . Who did he talk to in the community . Who did he talk to online . And who are his other ties . Its important to note his travel to libya. You go back and look in january 2017, the American Air Force conducted a b2 strike on a Training Camp in libya, killing about 80 isis terrorists who had fled the city southwest of libya. There was a lot of concern at the time that the secretary of defense, ash carter, said the reason we struck that Training Camp, was because isis was plotting attacks in europe. I want to put an image on our screen. This is a live shot. Investigators are outside the home of the suspect, in manchester, as we speak. Theyre headed back there. Number one. What significance do you make of that theyre going back to the home . That theres more work to be done . And secondly, what about the fact that the u. K. Has raised its terrorist level to critical . Do you do that in abundance of caution . Or is that signaling something more significant . It signals something significant. You look at the bomb and the possibility of other attacks in england. This was a prudent step. They dont do this lightly. As for the raid on the screen, theyre looking for laptops, cell phones, anything else they can exploit to figure out who this individual was connected to. And by the way, theresa mays words were specific. She said based on todays investigations that the threat level should be raised to critical. Its about information they just learned. Yeah. Absolutely. Jeremy, thank you so much. Thanks, guys. Theres remarkable stories of kindness emerging from this tragedy. Were learning more about the victims today. Bill neely has more on that part of the story. Bill, good morning. Reporter good morning, savannah. At the center of this heartbreaking story are the missing and the lost. Parents and children. A mom and dad confirmed dead this morning. They had been waiting to collect their daughter, a 14yearold girl who was so desperate to go to the concert, she went on crutches. She is missing the and dozens of teens in the hospital. Victims, all of them, of a massacre without mercy. This attack was deliberately targeted. At thousands of teenagers and children, attending an Ariana Grande concert. The distraught artist, back home in florida. And among the many faces of the dead and the missing, one stands out, the youngest victim. Saffie rose, just 8 years old. Described by her teacher as simply beautiful, loved by everyone. Her mother and sister were injured. Georgina calendar was 18. She tweeted her excitement at seeing her idol, Ariana Grande, who she met two years ago. Her mother, leslie, struggled to lay a flower for the daughter she has lost forever. 15yearold Olivia Campbell no longer missing, now confirmed among the dead. Her heartbroken mother writing on facebook, rest in peace, my darling, precious, gorgeous girl, taken far too soon. There wasnt a bone in her body that was horrible. And she was never horrible to anybody. Reporter and 32yearold kelly brewster, also killed. The trauma is deep here. The tears flowing at a vigil for the dead. The survivors still horrified by what they saw. It was just absolute carnage. Screaming my babies are in there because i thought the bomb had gone off in the arena. Reporter as thousands of terrified teenagers and their parents fled and the injured were rushed out, help rushed in. Dozens, carrying the wounded. Paula robinson gathered children in a hotel, posted on social media, then had calls all night from desperate parents. I was just shouting for people to make the way that if you cant find your mom and dad if you cant find your way, just make your way with those to the holiday inn. Reporter manchesters defiance in the face of the bomber is loud and clear. What have they done . What have they done . If you look around, what have they done . They brought people together. Reporter Manchester United players, paying tribute to victims with a moment of silence. They play a big european final tonight. Manchester united, a city grieving this morning but strong. Well, this massacre has struck not just the families of the 22 dead or the 21,000 who were at that concert, or even just the city of manchester. It has struck every parent and teenager in this country and beyond. We can all put ourselves in that situation, waiting for your child that night. And for some, waiting for the phone to ring this morning. Matt . Savannah . Breaks your heart. Bill neely, thank you very much. As you might expect, the concert attack has officials here in the United States ramping up security, at a lot of highprofile Public Places across this country. Stephanie gosk is just a few blocks from us here in times square. Steph, good morning to you. Reporter good morning, matt. Theres always a lot of security here in times square. But its become standard, as you say, after the one like we saw in manchester, to see more of it. People here this morning will see more counterterrorism units, more bag checks in the subway and special new explosi explosivesniffing dogs. Around the country overnight, spectators poured into sporting events and concerts, while the threat level in the u. K. Has been raised to critical. Here in the u. S. , police say they remain vigilant, keeping a watchful eye out for trouble. Everybody in every corner. I like. Reporter we have correspondents across the u. S. Im ron mott in chicago, where the weekend is platfoerfo. Canine bombsniffing dogs. Everybody will be handwanded, even children. You never know whats going to happen. You have to put your trust in the authority thats here. Im Steve Patterson in los angeles, where chris brown is performing. And behind me, theres a highsecurity profile. Police in cars, on foot. And with canine units patrolling the area. Reporter in cleveland, there was steppedup security at last nights nba playoffs game between the cavaliers and celtics. Despite the heavy police presence, some fans were concerned. Watch for book bags. Watch for certain things. Im nervous when i see them doing this with phones, yes. Reporter and in atlanta overnight, tense moments at the braves game. An equipment malfunction caused a scoreboard to flash a huge evacuation order. Fire alarm has started ringing at sun trust park. Reporter sirens blared in the ballpark. Leaving fans panicked at first. Then, fuming. One fan tweeting, you think its funny to scare your fans . What was that . After the game, the team said that alarm was probably triggered by a fight in the ballpark restaurant. But you know, securing soft targets like outside that ballpark or here in times square is incredibly difficult because you just cant shut down a place like this. You can provide more security, and have to rely on intelligence and public vigilance. Guys, back to you. All right. Stephanie gosk. Steph, thanks. Back to the milestone meeting at the vatican for trump overnight, sitting down with pope francis. And Kristen Welker is in rome for us this morning. Kristen, good morning to you. Reporter savannah, good morning to you. Moments ago, President Trump was asked about his extraordinary meeting with the pope. His response, he is something. We had a fantastic meeting. These two leaders couldnt be more different. Pope francis lives a modest lifestyle. President trump, more lavish. But today, they tried to find Common Ground with the whole world watching. After the brief initial greeting in front of the cameras, the president and the pope met privately in the Papal Library for half an hour. The two leaders smiling. The pope lit up, when he greeted the first lady who wore a black veil as a sign of suspect. And he asked her if she feeds the president a slovenian dessert. What do you give him to eat . Pizza. Reporter and then, an exchange of gifts. The president presenting the pope with a bronze sculpture, representing a peace of tomorrow. A piece of granite from the Martin Luther king monument. And a First Edition of writings from the civil rights leader. From Martin Luther king. Thank you, mr. President. Reporter the popes gifts, a medallion with an olive that means peace. And three of his cyclicals. One, a view of climate change, that a subtle nudge, as President Trump decides to pull out of the paris climate agreement, the environment is one of several issue wheres the men disagreed openly. The other, a border wall with mexico. The pope said, a person who builds walls and not bridges is not christian, prompting this extraordinary retort. For a religious leader to question a persons faith is disgraceful. Reporter an unprecedented criticism of a beloved world leader. But today, none of those tensions were on display. Instead, the pope was warm. President trump, effusive in his praise. I wont forget what you said. Thank you. Reporter according to the vatican, the two leaders discussed a range of topics including immigration, health care and the persecution of christians. President trumps next stop, brussels for the nato summit. Matt, savannah . Kristen, thank you. We want to go back of the incredible video of a tanker truck exploding into flames. This happened tuesday in atwater, california. You see a wall of fire and smoke shooting into the sky next to a gas station. The tanker was carrying 9,000 gallons of fuel, when it overturned on an offramp. No one else was hurt. The explosion sent workers and customers at a Fast Food Restaurant running for safety. Nearby businesses were evacuated. It could be a couple of days before people are allowed to return to that area. Awful to see that. It could have been a lot worse. Mr. Roker, what have you got on your maps over there . A lot going on. Lets take a look in california. A mudslide, big, big one, closing off about a quartermile section of highway 1 around big sur. And so, it may be a long time before that section gets reopened. Its a real mess. As you can see from this aerial shot. They have a lot of debris and mud to clear. Now, closer to home here in the east, we are looking a lot of wet weather. And in fact, Severe Weather down in florida. Tornado watches in effect, until 3 00 from the panhandle, all the way to central florida, just to the north of orlando. Weve got 38 Million People at risk for Severe Weather, from knoxville, raleigh, to north of miami, for strong storms, damaging winds. This big push of moisture coming through with this cold front. Thats going to cause scattered strong storms for florida. Another day of rain the and that rain will extend up into the northeast, later today into tomorrow. Upwards of three inches in the ban ha panhandle, later today into good morning. Im first alert meteorologist krystal klei. We start with the showers moving out through the Morning Hours. Were left with mostly dry conditions. Mostly cloudy conditions through philadelphia. 68 in summerton. 73 nature city. Looking at upper 60s to low 70s for the suburbs. Mid 70s even for the Lehigh Valley with a little more peeks of sunshine expected in the afternoon. 68 in trenton today. Some low to upper 60s throughout the shore points. 71 in wilmington. And thats your latest weather. Savannah . All right, al. Thank you. After a raid at his home this morning, new information emerging about the suspect in the the manchester terror attack and his ties to potentially al qaeda and isis. And fox news forced to retract a controversial story about the murder of a Democratic National committee staffer, as that mans family speaks out. Well hear from them. First this, is today on nbc. All right. Get ready. Big news on two, big movie sequels. Tom cruise says hes going to hi. And i know that we have phonaccident forgiveness. Gent, so the incredibly minor accident that i had tonight four weeks without the car. Okay, yup. Good night. With accident forgiveness your rates wont go up just because of an accident. Switching to allstate is worth it. What twisted ankle . Ask what muscle strain . Advil makes pain a distant memory nothing works faster stronger or longer what pain . Advil. Whether youre after supreme performance. Advanced intelligence. Or breathtaking style. Theres a cclass just for you. Decisions, decisions, decisions. Lease the c300 sedan for 399 a month at your local mercedesbenz dealer. Mercedesbenz. The best or nothing. Good morning. Im rosemary connors. Its just a few minutes before 7 30 on this wednesday. A cloudy start to our day. Meteorologist krystal klei is keeping an eye on passing showers, as well. Thats right. And theyre almost out of here. So heres our first alert radar. You see little spots of green along the shore. South jersey and delaware, then this one pocket of rain is about to move into philadelphia county. Were going to start to see rain there. But otherwise, this is going to move out in the next hour or so. W