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and welcome to "today" on this thursday morning. i'm ann curry with a special guest. >> i'm carl quintanilla. matt and meredith are on assignment. ready for the storm? >> absolutely not. >> april fool's joke, right? >> it's a terrible joke, one nobody's laughing at. we want people to be careful. >> we won't get the majority of snow expected but it won't be pretty. forecast details straight ahead. >> also ahead, we'll talk to four new york times journalistsle held captive for nearly a week by pro-gadhafi forces. they are here to speak about the ordeal for the first time in a live television interview. >> and a window into the life of a young elizabeth taylor. we have some of the personal love letters she wrote as a teenager. in one, she talked about giving up her promising movie career. we'll have an exclusive first look. >> that sounds interesting. first this morning, let's begin with the big spring storm taking aim at the northeast. maria la rosa is in for al this morning. what can you tell us? >> good morning. we are seeing the storm take shape. if you're waking up in the northeast and seeing precipitation you're seeing one wave. we'll be watching now across the southeast -- it has all the ingredients for a classic nor'easter developing tonight and tomorrow. expect rain, wind, higherer elevation snows though from the poconos into new england. we have a number of winter storm warnings up into maine. winter weather advisories as well. notice who's out of it -- philadelphia, new york and boston should be mostly rain and wind. the totals anywhere from 6 to 9 inches in the hudson valley up to a foot or more in parts of interior new england. back to you. >> thanks. we'll have the rest of the forecast in a little bit. now to libya where the cia has had operatives on the ground for weeks. nbc white house correspondent chuck todd has the latest details. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, carl. here's what we know. while the cia has had operatives on the ground for weeks they have been gathering intelligence, trying to find the rebels you can work with, dealing with helping with air strikes during the run-up to what is now the full enforcement of the no-fly zone. what's happened in the last couple of days is according to intelligence officials the president signed authorizing covert operations on the ground beyond intelligence-gatherering. this is the first step to where the u.s. could be doing covertly arming the rebels in their fight against gadhafi. now, u.s. officials caution that they have not done that yet. this is essentially laying the legal groundwork to do that. once you do, it comes under fairly strict congressional oversight, but done in a classified way, carl. >> chuck, what has the white house said about this? what are they legally able to say if they want to deny it? >> reporter: it's a covert operation and is legally deniable. that's number one. the white house is not confirming anything. obviously a few weeks ago when this crisis began they did announce that the full capabilities of the u.s. intelligence community would be used. now, at the time the implication was this was about the over the air surveillance, things like that in order to try to track gadhafi's movements. it was also at that time that the cia operatives were going into the country to begin gathering intelligence about the operation and gadhafi. one other thing, carl, the u.s. intelligence community is very optimistic about a big development overnight. that is the defection of mous moussa koussa, former head of their intelligence, head of the foreign ministry. they believe he could provide intelligence better than anything the u.s. on the ground now can provide. >> chuck todd, thanks. >> you got it. >> here's ann. >> carl, thanks. nbc's chief foreign correspondent richard engel is in benghazi, libya, again this morning. hey, richard. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, ann. for a while it looked like gadhafi's troops were on the back foot. they have been able to push back rebels to about a hundred miles from here in benghazi. the toll is clear on the front line. the rebels seem dejected, many appear confused, somber. no sign of the spirit that brought them days ago to within striking distance of gadhafi's hometown which now seems far away. the rebels have no communication, no commanders, but they do have weapons. artillery, mortars, even surface to surface rockets, but no idea how to use them. on the front line we met 25-year-old adnano tabal. he was studying in canada but dropped out of school to come fight. he bought his own gun, but doesn't know how to load it. >> we need more weapons. i swear to god there are people with nothing. >> reporter: he left in a car for a week living on steal bread and tuna fish. he was almost killed by a rocket attack. >> are you okay? >> i'm okay. i don't care about the rocket. i don't care. i want to die actually, if i can. >> reporter: why? >> it's honor to us. it's freedom. we want freedom. >> reporter: their enemy is outthinking them. until now it's been easy for western pilots to identify and destroy government tanks, but now that gadhafi is using jeepss that look just like the rebel vehicles, air support is much harderer. on a mission to protect civilians, it's become sieve cult to know who to bomb. the terrain is a decisive factor in the war which gadhafi's forces are using to their advantage. the rebels stay mostly on or near the main tarmac roads. gadhafi's forces, now in that direction, are also on the roads and engaging the rebels, but simultaneously gadhafi's troops are going out in small teams with mortars in jeeps through the open desert to flank the rebels and catch them in the crossfire. the rebels have one invaluable asset. >> it's my country, my people. >> reporter: heart. we have talked about arming the rebels and their capabilities. on the front line we saw some rebels try to fire a mortar without securing it, so it went wildly off in the wrong direction. i couldn't believe it. we saw them aim a rocket, what we thought at gadhafi's forces but it was pointed the wrong way and it went in the opposite direction toward a civilian city. they fired a rocket in the wrong direction. >> that's really unbelievable. richard engel, thank you very much. now to the torment suffered by four journalists at the hands of pro-gadhafi forces. they were pulled from their car along with their libyan driver near ajdabiya and were held for days. they include photographer lindsay adario, photographer tyler hicks, reporter and videographer steven farrell and beirut bureau chief anthony shadih. you have all faced the fear of losing your life in the line of reporting duty. and your instincts are well honed. i wonder, was there ever any clue, sign that you might be taken hostage? anthony? >> the clue came when it was almost too late. lindsay saw there was a government checkpoint and we fell on it within seconds. as soon as we got there it was clear to the soldiers that we were journalists. they pulled us out of the car almost immediately. that's when a gunfight started, one of the most intense any of us had seen. we basically ran for our lives. >> the rebels attacked the pro-gadhafi forces who pulled you out of the car? what happened and what did you do, tyler? >> it all happened very quickly. you have to imagine this is what we describe as you imagine you're about to get into a car accident. you have that second where you realize it's happening but you almost don't think it is. violently pulled out of the car and that exact moment the opposition fighters who we had just been with moments earlier were firing on the government soldiers who were with us. various times we broke away from them, really in a hail of gunfire and ran to cover. we were at that point had two sides against us. we were being fired on by opposition but also had guns poised on us from gadhafi soldiers as well. >> steven, listening and watching this, tyler broke away and ran for better cover. i mean, talk to us about the instincts you were experiencing at this moment. >> there is no rule book. every situation is different. we have been in situations like this before. i distinctly remember, i think i was the first to be pulled from the car. the guard was kicking and punching me. no more than two steps from the car you realize the rebels are firing past you. you can see people running for cover. you're having a bizarre, surreal argument with a guard. we're really going to have a discussion about giving up my camera when this is going on? and there is a guard pointing his weapon in your face and another guy firing from a hundred meters away. you're trying to judge, do i run and get shot by this guy, stay here and get shot by those guys? there is no right answer. >> the shooting stops, you were in captivity, what was your fear, lindsay? >> being taken from my colleagues. i didn't want to be separated because i was the only woman. for me, i wanted to be sure i was always with them. that said we were blindfolded most of the time. it was hard to judge whether -- when they would pick me up and take me away if they were also picking them up. >> you were sexually assaulted? >> i was groped repeatedly. >> how often? >> pretty much every time we changed hands to new men. >> why, do you think? >> i don't know. i think every time we ended up with a new group of men or we were passed off to people i think they wanted to scare us, assert their power over us. i think with the men it was being hit in the back of the head with a rifle butt and with me it was groping. >> a man came into the cell and tried to take you out alone? >> no, we were all together. we were crashed out, sleeping on mattresses next to each other. i don't remember if i had my blindfold on or if i could see from the bottom, but the clanking of the cell opening is the scariest sound because you don't know why they are coming, what they're going to do. he came in and just picked up my leg and started dragging me out. anthony was next to me. i crawled next to anthony and said, no, no. he picked up my leg again, pulled it and i crawled next to anthony and he gave up. >> i understand you held onto her. that's why she's okay to some degree. >> we were all together. we were just together. i think we all tried to stay close to each other. >> we're glad you're safe. the work you have done gives the rest of us clarity about what is happening in this troubled place. for all the suffering you endured, thank you on behalf of the people who enjoy your work. lindsay, tyler, anthony, our best to you. once again, here's carl. >> ann, thanks. now to capitol hill where angry rhetoric over the budget is heating up ahead of next week's shut-down deadline. kelly o'donnell is nbc's capitol hill correspondent and joins us from washington, d.c. good morning. >> reporter: it does feel like the deadline is getting closer. today tea party demonstrators are expected on capitol hill to try to pressure congress to make the deepest cuts possible while vice president biden says he thinks negotiators are making good progress. brash talk is hardly unusual on capitol hill. but speaker boehner's bluntless was a surprise as he challenged senate democrats on budget cuts. >> the senate says we have a plan. well, great. pass the damn thing, all right? send it over here and let's have real negotiations instead of sitting over there rooting for a government shutdown. >> reporter: house republicans armed with a first-term swagger fired off a critical letter to the senate majority leader, the gop freshman with the support of the speaker are taking on harry reid. >> we are asking senator reid one thing, pass the bill, be a leader. >> the biggest barrier between the people and the government is harry reid. >> reporter: reid, the formerer boxer, threw his own punch at the tea party that boosted many republicans into office. >> people who care about the tea party are a very small number. >> reporter: reid tweaked them more urging boehner's team to resist tea party influence that wants deeper budget cuts. >> let me reiterate that they can't don't to be pulled to the right by the radical, unrealistic, unreasonable -- i repeat radical -- and unpopular faction of the tea party. >> reporter: a government shut down like in 1995 would keep several hundred thousand federal workers home, close national parks and museum, halt passport processing but emergency services would continue and it's expected social security checks would keep coming. the white house claims optimism that a government shut down can be averted. >> we have to find middle ground here. we are willing to do more, to cut more, as long as priorities that the president believes are vital to ensuring economic growth in the future and job creation are protected. >> reporter: the white house point man is vice president biden who says the sides have generally agreed to cut $33 billion. republicans say, no, that's a democratic talking point. they say there is no agreement on a target number until everything is settled. carl? >> kelly o'donnell in washington, thanks. >> a check on the top stories from tamron hall in for me at the news desk. >> good morning, everyone. in japan, radiation levels are on the rise in the evacuation zone near the troubled nuclear facility may not be enough. lee cowan has more from tokyo. lee, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, tamron. the latest news comes from the iaea who says there have been high radiation levels found far outside the current evacuation zone prompting fears that perhaps the crisis may widen. foukushima is already a waste land. deserted streets and empty shops that some 70,000 residents may never return to again. new tests done by the international atomic energy commission found dangerous levels of radiation in a vielg 25 miles outside that seclusion zone suggesting that the no-go area for humans may have to be doubled. >> the situation remains very serious. >> reporter: officials say the levels aren't high enough for acute radiation illness but they far exceed the standards for the general public designed to cut the risk of cancer. japan's government spokesman said they are taking the findings under advisement but had no plans to widen the evacuation zone. tamron, we should point out that in the u.s. the epa did find some radioactive iodine in milk products in the u.s. after doing tests in washington state. they say the levels were minute. there is no threat to human health, even children and infants. >> thank you. ohio lawmakers passed an anti-union bill that cuts collective bargaining rights for some 350,000 public workers statewide. the governor is expected to sign the law within days. in wisconsin, governor scott walker may ignore a judge's block on implementing an anti-union bill. ten sailors were injured on an aircraft carrier off the coast of california when a fighter jet's engine exploded during a training exercise wednesday. none of the injuries were life-threatening. fighterers supporting the internationally recognized leader of ivory coast seized the capitol and several other key cities. this as the united nations sanctions the man who has refused to step down following his defeat last fall. a parcel bomb exploded at the offices of swiss northern switzerland land. police believe it could have been carried out by anti-nuclear activists. you might say he'll be back. governor schwarzenegger returns to acting in a new cartoon action series call the governator about a superhero turned family man. my "i'll be back" is really bad. i'm sorry. >> you said it, not us. >> we love you for trying. >> oh, boy. we have a lovely maria back now to give us the rest of the forecast, in for ale this morning. morning. hey, maria. >> i appreciate that, considering we're talking about a big storm that will be heading into the northeast. right now that's beginning as more rain and storms across the southeast. in fact, the slight risk for severe weather in florida. how about record temperatures in the bay raleigh? san francisco into the 80s today. meanwhile, avalanche warnings in western washington as wind and rain continues to batter that part of the world. that's a look at the weather around the country. here's a look at what you can expect. that carolina low will bring us more rain later today. right now, we have some patchy drizzle, a little light fog, and it's chilly, but above freezing, mid and upper 30s throughout the region. 37 at reagan international. for first pitch, 45 degrees, cloudy. a few sprinkles. they'll play most of the game, but toward the end of the game, we'll have more steadier rain, tonight as well. some of the precipitation may ann, back to you. >> all right, maria, thank you so much. prince harry is surrounded by snow as he trains for his daring trek to the north pole. we have ben fogle on the trip as well with him. good morning. how are things going? >> reporter: good morning, ann. prince harry spent another day here learning the skills required as he joins part of a trip to the north pole, this time getting to know the true meaning of sub zero temperatures. after a bone chilling day on the ice training in the life-saving immersion suit there was light relief as well for prince harry and the group of wounded soldiers before the arctic trek. having pulled his possessions behind him, prince harry spent his first night in the snow learning to camp in the arctic conditions that will be his kingdom for the next week or so. after setting the tent his temporary royal residence, the guide brought his dog to stand guard and protect the prince from the threat of polar bears. it was a cold night as temperatures plunged to 25 below zero. how was his first night in the arctic? >> it was good. things happened that i never want to speak of ever again. >> reporter: an early start and he woke to a small audience one last time before he and the team of injured soldiers trek into one of the most remote areas on the planet. >> how was your night? >> we have been here all night waiting for you to wake up. >> you kept quiet. well done. >> we didn't want to disturb you. >> reporter: as the prince packed up, we asked the guide the question everyone wants to know. does he snore? >> he has this cozy little -- mm. this little bass going. it's not snoring. more like a little bass in the background. >> reporter: i'm not sure if that piece of information got the royal seal of approval or not. well, it looks like the team's departure seems delayed up to 24 hours due to poor weather in the north, an indication of just how hostile it is here. so for now at least it looks like prince harry and the team will be stuck here in svalbard. back to you. >> two words, ben. hand warmers. thank you so much. coming up this morning on a more serious note, what is behind a disturbing violent fight caught on tape between young girls. a 13-year-old so severely beaten she had to be hospitalized speaks out this morning. firs just ahead, judge judy rushed to the emergency room. what happened and how she's doing. >> plus, newly revealed love letters written by elizabeth taylor and they are right in our studio. we'll get a glimpse. first your local news and weatherer. sounds like a mini-wheats day to me! and becka's science fair is on the 8th. she's presenting the solar system. hey, i've got just the wholegrain fiber to keep her full so she can stay focused. um, you rock. she'll be ready to rock. 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