The crime still unsolved. What investigators are now asking the public to do to help them crack that case. All that plus powerful tornadoes slam the midwest. Pharma bros lady gaga defense, and the iphone celebrates a big milestone today thursday june 29th, 2017. Announcer from nbc news, this is today with matt lauer and Savannah Guthrie live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. And good morning, everyone. Welcome to today on this thursday morning. Nice to have hoda back with us as savannah continues on vacation. Life before the iphone. Can you even remember it . No. Like a tiny vague memory of a flip phone maybe. A little blackberry action. A little blackberry. Talk more about the milestone in a couple minutes. Busy news with headlines tied to travel as we head into the long Holiday Weekend. After months of legal fighting the Trump Administration will begin implementing some of the president s travel pan a little later today. U. S. Officials are also announcing new security measures for all flights headed into this country but not that proposed ban on laptops. Our team is covering it all this morning beginning with nbc National Correspondent peter alexander. Peter, good morning. Matt, good morning. You said it. Months after President Trump first signed this, his revised travel ban, or at least large portions of it, will begin being implemented later today. Homeland security confirming that to nbc news overnight. The specifics of the new guidelines are still unknown. Already this morning immigration advocates worry airlines and Border Agents may not be adequately prepared to enforce the new rules. President trumps controversial travel ban expected to take effect today. The restrictions on travel to the u. S. , limiting entry to travelers from six muslim majority countries if they dont have any direct connection to someone here. The rollout following a Supreme Court decision monday clearing the way for now. The travel ban was a major focus of Trumps Campaign which is already gearing up for 2020. President trump driving past protesters outside his Washington Hotel where he rallied supporters at a closed door event, no cameras allowed. Nearly 10 million raised. The reelection kickoff coming barely five months into the president s term. By comparison barack obama debate hold his first reelection event until more than two years into his presidency. Despite a stunning setback for the republican effort this week to repeal obamacare, the president is expressing optimism. Health care is working along very well. We could have a big surprise with a Great Health Care package. But even as the senates Top RepublicanMitch Mcconnell tries to hammer out a bill by tomorrow before lawmakers leave before their fourth of july recess, some republicans are voicing doubts about the likelihood of a friday deal. And pigs could fly. One idea now on the table scrapping proposed tax cuts for the rich. This is policy driven. We really want this to be a good policy change for a lot of people out there. Calling for bipartisan bill is growing even among republicans. Thats what we should have done from the beginning. Still mr. Trump is dismissing Chuck Schumers call to bring democrats to the table. Hed have to be very, very serious. Hes done a lot of talking, bad talking. He just doesnt seem like a serious person. Americans take the issues seriously with three new polls showing overwhelming opposition to the republican plan, support hovering below 20 . That was amid all americans. Senate republican plan is unpopular even among republicans. Its new Approval Rating in the 20s and 30s. Mitch mcconnell working against a new clock hoping to get a revised by tomorrow hoping to get a vote before the next recess in august. Matt and hoda. Peter alexander at the white house. Thanks. To big changes for Airline Passengers and airline themselves. The department of Homeland Security is raising the bar for every flight coming spot u. S. From a foreign airport. This is instead of a ban on personal electronics that weve been telling you to expect. Its all tied to the ongoing threat from isis. Nbcs tom costello is on that part of the story for us. Hey, tom, good morning. Hi, hoda, good morning to you. So to be clear, this does not affect domestic flights in the United States. This is for the 325,000 people who come spot United States every single day. Airlines must meet tough new security requirements. If they dont, they could be banned from flying into the United States or everybody on board would be banned from having any personal electronics either in a cabin or cargo hold. If International Travel is in your immediate future expect heightened security on the return flight home, Homeland Security ordering any airline that flies into u. S. Airport from abroad to meet strict new security protocols. We cannot play international whacamole with each threat, must keep traveling public safe and make it harder for terrorist to succeed. Reporter after isis claimed responsibility for downing a jetliner over egypt and blew a hole in the side of somali ailer. Coming from airports, bag check any Electronic Device larger than cell phone. A plan was shelved after airlines and frequent flyers fought back. More bomb sniffing dogs, more swabbing for explosives and more 3d carryon bag scanners like ones tested in phoenix. Security experts warn every foreign airport at risk. You have returning fighters trained by isis and groups in the middle east returning to locations all around the world. That could increase the possibility of those smaller airports being higher risk. In miami, mixed reaction. I do feel its kind of targeted to certain countries. I feel it should be all countries. I feel the world we live in today is so crazy, you just never know whats going to happen. I feel like were trying to put a bandaid on a flesh wound and call it good. Reporter so 2100 flights being affected every single day and they come from all corners of the world, the middle east, europe, canada, the caribbean, mexico. Everybody treated equally. As a result, the Airline Industry says it wishes there had been more collaboration because it says it prefers a riskbased approach where you focus on the riskiest airports. Instead its going to have to do along with what Homeland Security tells it to do. All right. Tom costello, thanks. On the subject of travel, 44 million americans expected to leave home for the fourth of july weekend. Some good news if youre driving to your destination. Gas prices are plunging. The National Average 2. 24 per gallon. Thats the lowest for this Holiday Weekend in years. Nbcs Gabe Gutierrez at a suburban atlanta area with more on this. Gabe, good morning to you. Reporter matt, good morning. Its a different price gas price story than were used to hearing. Gas at this station down to 1. 89 a gallon. Right now 34 states have at least one station offering regular unleaded for under 2. This morning u. S. Gas prices are at their lowest in 12 years, just in time for the 4th. This is awesome. Youre going to make me get all excited and giddy about it but it really is awesome. Cheapest gas on average South Carolina and oklahoma. In indiana prices plunged as far as 1. 49. Drivers comesing from california to arizona can save 0. 67 a gallon. Im particularly observant with the gas prices because i dont have any money. Im a student. Americans will pay an average of 2. 21 a gallon over the Holiday Weekend, the lowest since 2005. For the first time on record prices are expected to be lower on july 4th than on new years day. We usually dont see such a big plunge before july 4th. National average down 0. 16 a gallon from two months ago. Thats a tremendous decline. Reporter according to gas buddy. Com, the cheapest day to buy gas is monday, most, thursday. Fueling the drop a surplus of crude oil. Analysts predict price hike during hurricane season. Its summertime, well have to see. After fourth of july they might go up. Reporter dramatic turnaround. Analysts say gas closer to 3 after fourth of july. For every cent dropped, americans save a million dollars. 2. 24, pretty good. Gabe gutierrez, thank you. We have a lot more to get to including a stunning decision rocking the vatican. This they have charged a top adviser with multiple accounts of Sexual Assault. This morning were hearing directly from him. Nbcs chief global correspondent bill neely has the development. What can you tell us . Good morning, hoda. The cardinal has defended the Catholic Church in the past against sex charges, the most senior official ever to do so. Now he faces charges himself. Police didnt specify the age of the alleged victims. This will shake the church, not just number three, treasury secretary, he was the man handpicked by pope francis to change the way the whole church operates. Never before has a cardinal been charged with sexual abuse. At the cardinal, he insisted hes innocent. Im looking forward finally to having my day in court. The whole idea of sexual abuse is abhorrent to me. Hes been the victim, he said, of relentless character assassination. Australian police have a different view. The cardinal is facing multiple charges of sexual offenses, and there are multiple complaints relating to those charges. This morning the pope said mass and he regretted the news of charges against his cardinal for decades of actions. He wasnt among those today. Mishandling Sexual Assault charges against priests and he admitted mistakes. A catastrophe. A catastrophe for the victims and a catastrophe for the church. Reporter now he is accused directly. Its going to be difficult to untangle this. It becomes, as you know, his word against their word. Reporter dark clouds at the vatican, it thought sexual scandal had crested. Now its reached inside very corridors of papal power. This will be a huge test for a pope who said there must be zero tolerance for abusers in the church. The test for pell, 76, begins july 18th in an australian court. Matt, hoda. Bill neely, thank you so much. We have new developments to tell you about, fraud trial of pharmaceutical executive Martin Shkreli. From explosive to bizarre. Thomas roberts has been following that case for us. Thomas, good morning. Reporter matt, good morning to you. Day three of the Martin Shkreli trial will begin here shortly in brooklyn. It took over two days to actually seat a jury. 200 potential jurors were dismissed because they had negative impressions of the 34yearold. The prosecution is painting the brooklyn native as a liar. The defense says hes a genius and described him in odd parallel to the musical work of lady gaga. The star of Opening Statements wasnt Martin Shkreli himself, but instead lady gaga. The defense invoking her songs repeatedly. Defense attorney Benjamin Bratman said much like the rock star his client was born this way painting himself as a genius. Shkrelis attorney said they talked about him behind his back, he might be autistic, questioning his sexuality. Reporter also telling the jury, is he strange . Yes. Will you find him weird . Yes. He was charged by s. E. C. Committing a series of frauds over five years. He pleaded not guilty and flee on 5 million bond. These charges had nothing to do with what earned him his name of pharma bro. He hyped the price of a lifesaving hiv drug daraprim by 5,000 from 13. 50 to 500. Purchased wu tang album. He said, you may have a reason to hate Martin Shkreli but thats not a basis to convict. Reporter with all these references to lady gaga, do you wish martins had more of a poker face. Im happy with martins face exactly the way it is. The defense strategy, again, could it be the cure to the prosecutions allegations . Well find out shortly. The trial is expected to take six weeks. Matt and hoda, as we know, shkreli has embraced a romance with headlines from the media. Well see how this day goes. Back to you. Lady gaga, go figure. Thanks so much. Newly released video of a Deadly Police shootout. An officer boards a bus near baltimore to confront an Armed Robbery suspect. The gunman opens fire and orders passengers to get off the bus after shooting from the doorway with two handguns he makes a run for it and ignores an order to surrender. The suspect was killed when an officer and bystander were wounded. The prosecutor said the video backs up the conclusion that the use of deadly force was justified. We have an update now on a story weve been following, the son of a former Major League Baseball player who was seriously injured while playing in the game. According to his families, doctors say the teenager may have now turned a corner after his latest surgery. Nbcs catie beck has more on this. Good morning to you. Reporter good morning, matt. Two weeks ago wen Jason Lockhart was hit in the face with a baseball, it was thought to be just a routine injury. Quickly for the Lockhart Family it turned into a life and death situation. This morning for the first time family and friends of 15yearold Jason Lockhart are breathing a sigh of relief after whats being called a Successful Surgery and a great report from doctors. His sister sydney writing on facebook wednesday night that lockhart is awake and still in recovery and the doctors are confident that this latest surgery resolved the bleeding problem. Its the first piece of good news since this nightmare began for the Lockhart Family nearly two weeks ago when the teen playing in a baseball tournament was hit in the face by a thrown ball. The injury tearing an artery in his nose, doctors unable to stop the bleeding. According to his sisters frequent social media updates on jasons condition, this latest surgery is at least six in ten days. At one point doctors medically sedating and paralyzing him to allow him to heal. We have a lot of arteries around the face f one of those facial bones gets fraud, that fracture bleeding hidden in bones can be hard to find. Reporter the Lockhart Family thankful but asking for mayor prayers as jason begins his road to recovery. Again, doctors saying he is through the worst, really turning a corner after that latest surgery. This is good news for the Lockhart Family who has been enthusiastic so much this week, really sticking together by the bedside, hoping and praying for the recovery. Matt and hoda. Craatie, thank you for that. Love it when theres a followup like that one. Mr. Roker, a tornado in the country. 26 yesterday and more on tap for today. This is near sydney, iowa, in the southwestern part of the state. There you can see another funnel cloud. We had reports of tornadoes from wisconsin all the way into the midwest and Central Plains and weve got more activity firing up this morning. Weve got severe thunderstorm watches, warnings, and flash flood watches along this line of showers and thunderstorms firing up. We have a risk today for 15 Million People, including an enhanced risk throughout parts of iowa, on into missouri and parts of nebraska as well. Tomorrow its from oklahoma all the way into western new york and parts of northeastern ohio. Were watching this line that will develop this afternoon, scattered severe storms make their way across. Well be looking at this moving in, finally spot east coast, by the time we get into friday afternoon some strong storms, heaviest rain, 4 to 6 inches as you get spot midsection of the you get spot midsection of the this is a story about mail and packages. And its also a story about people. People who rely on us every day to deliver their dreams theyre handing us more than mail theyre handing us their business and while we make more ecommerce deliveries to homes than anyone else in the country, we never forget. That your business is our business the United States postal service. Priority you good morning. A typical summer day today. Warm into the upper 80s this afternoon and well see more and more sunshine. You can see the clouds moving through the suburbs. 87 degrees this afternoon. Up to 88 degrees for philadelphia. The wind will be coming out of the southwest which will warm up new jersey and the exception will be the shore. 70s this afternoon. Mostly sunny skies this afternoon for the Lehigh Valley. 87 degrees and 86 the high in delaware. No sign of any showers today. Have a great day. And thats your latest weather. Matt. Thanks, al. Still ahead the push for leads in central park explosion that cost a College Student his leg, as the victims father speaks out. Are you listening . The surprising podcast from unexpected place that is rocketing to the top of the charts, but first this is today on nbc. This summer, journey into the adirondacks where campers carve through stone. And to the thousand islands, where kids can be kings. If you like big adventure, youll love new york state. Its all here. Its only here. Plan your Summer Getaway at iloveny. Com for this dogs cant see