charlotte in shock, after a violent shootout. a fourth officer has died after gunfire broke out while a u.s. marshal's task force was serving a warrant. the north carolina governor and president biden both weighing in on the tragedy this morning. breaking overnight,

protesters take over a building on the campus of columbia university. we're live with a dramatic escalation, after the university began suspending students who refused to leave a pro-palestinian encampment on campus. former president trump's hush money trial fires back up in just hours. he's expected to take the stand today as we await a possible ruling on his proposed gag order violation. putting the brakes on pedestrian accidents. here comes the bride, all thanks to a.i. why more couples are choosing chatgpt for something new when it comes to planning their wedding. it's the last day of april. "early today" starts right now. good morning. i'm frances rivera. four law enforcement officers have been shot and killed in charlotte, north carolina. it is a stunning loss for the

community. one of the dead is a deputy u.s. marshal. the other three local officers. they were serving a warrant at a residential address when the suspect opened fire. the suspected shooter also dead. the governor mourned the fallen and offered his support. >> it's tough tonight, but i thought it was important for me to let them know on behalf of the people of north carolina that they are not alone. >> president biden put out a statement late last night, calling the fallen cops heroes, while also calling for gun control. michelle bowden from our sh charlotte affiliate has the whole story. >> reporter: charlotte has video streamed on facebook live capturing the terrifying moments as gunfire erupted. eight officers were struck. >> today we lost some heroes that are out to just simply trying to keep our community safe. >> i asked somebody who was on

the street what happened, and he said they're shooting. somebody's shooting. >> reporter: according to charlotte police, a task force comprised of officers from multiple agencies was serving a residence on galloway drive when they were engaged in active gunfire from a suspect. at least one suspect was found deceased insidethe house, and police queare questioning two or occupants of the home. >> they knew what they were going into, and they still held this own to apprehend the suspect. >> reporter: the mayor saying in a statement she is deeply saddened. local schools went into lockdown. according to a federal official, this is the sixth marshal to be killed since 2011. >> our thanks to michelle bowden for that report. across the country, students are making a stand even as colleges draw a line in the stand over pro-palestinian demonstrations. and a dramatic escalation overnight at columbia university where protesters entered a

building on campus. some demonstrators were seen breaking windows with hammers. it came after the school began suspending students who refused to leave the encampment. let's get to brie jackson in d.c. these protests have only continued to grow. >> reporter: that's right, frances. we've seen protests against the israel-hamas war spread like wildfire at college campuses across the country, even as more universities threaten academic consequences overnight. the demonstrators calling on their universities to divest from israel and companies profiting from the war. at many of the schools, law enforcement have stepped in to break up the protests. so far, more than 1,000 people have been arrested since demonstrations began, including dozens at the university of texas, where the state's governor said yesterday, quote, no encampments will be allowed. instead, arrests are being made. at columbia, which has been the epicenter of the protests, school officials said the

administration would not agree to divest and began suspending students who refused to leave the encampment. we heard from both pro-palestinian and pro-israeli students yesterday. >> they've made an informed decision to remain. they've been informed of the potential risks, and many of them are staying despite that. >> they don't understand what their jewish peers are going through that are afraid to go to campus and have been yelled at. and i don't think they understand how much of a dangerous precedent that sets for the future. >> reporter: in a few hours, congress is wading back into the issue. house speaker mike johnson is planning to announce a krak down crack # /* crackdown on the demonstration. diplomatic pressure is increasing on hamas to accept a cease-fire with israel. secretary of state antony

blinken described the current offer in stark terms. >> hamas has before it a proposal that is extraordinarily, extraordinarily generous. on the part of israel. and, in this moment, the only thing standing between the people of gaza and a cease-fire is hamas. >> and a senior arab diplomat at the talks said this could be the last chance for a deal. for the latest, let's go to claudio lavanga, who's following developments for us. good morning, claudio. what is it in that israeli offer that blinken describes is so generous? >> reporter: good morning, frances, according to an israeli official and arab diplomat that is familiar with the negotiations, as part of the deal, hamas is expected to release 33 hostages, all of them children, women, the elderly and hostages who are in need of urgent medical attention, in exchange for the release of palestinian prisoners. initially, there were talks of the release of 40 hostages, but

hamas made it clear that some of the hostages that meet that criteria that i just mentioned died during captivity. now, but the most important point, the crucial point in the negotiation seems to be the cease-fire, because israel appears to be ready to agree to a six-week truce, which is a major concession on the part of israel, based on a u.s. proposal. but so far, hamas has always demanded a permanent cease-fire, so that will probably be the turning point in the deal. now the final decision from hamas rests with yahya sinwar who is believed to still be behi hiding in the underground network beneath gaza. donald trump will be back in court today as his hush money trial continues. testimony is likely to continue with gary farrow, an executive with first republic bank.

he took the stand friday saying he helped michael cohen set up a bank account for the shell company used to pay stormy daniels. daniels alleges she had an affair with mr. trump. trump is accused of falsifying records to cover up that payment. he has denied the claims and any allegations of an affair. meanwhile, there's another hearing on violations of his gag order set for thursday. and we're still waiting for the judge's ruling on the first gag order hearing. here in new york, a monroe county district attorney is apologizing after a body cam incident in which he appears to berate and harass a police officer who had stopped her for speeding. sandra dorley put out a video statement, and here's some of what she had to say. >> if one of my assistant district attorneys had acted this way, i would have disciplined them. so i'm disciplining myself. i will take ethics training to remind myself that professionalism matters.

i've been humbled by my own stupidity and i am fully to blame. i will make this right. i ask for your forgiveness. >> new york governor kathy hochul condemned dorley in a statement saying it quote, undermined her ability to hold others accountable for violating the law. nbc news has reached out to both dorley and the police for comment. turning to the nation's heartland where a violent tornado outbreak across multiple states has leveled communities. more than 130 tornados were reported from thursday to sunday. the dangerous storms claiming at least four lives in oklahoma and another in iowa. dozens more have been injured. residents are now sifting through the rubble that is left of their homes and businesses. and the threat for the region remains this week with more storms on the way. let's bring in nbc meteorologist angie lassman for a klosser look close cl closer look on that. >> we've got a line of showers and thunderstorms working from

the great lakes to the tennessee valley, working their way east through the day today. we'll likely see isolated flash flooding across parts of the adirondacks and rain for folks along the east coast. this is the next area that we're going to watch for the risk of severe storms today. iowa to kansas is where we'll see the highest possession for the strongest of the storms. the biggest threat is likely going to be the hail. 2 inches or larger. wind gusts could be up to 70 miles per hour. we can't rule out a couple of isolated tornados. we're not done with the severe threat, either, as we get into tomorrow. another system will develop, emerging out of the rockies, bringing the potential for scattered storms that ramp up through the afternoon hours. at risk for seeing some of the storms tomorrow, all h

80s in jackson. and that's a look at your forecast. "early today" is back in a moment with how amazon is delivering your packages faster than ever. paag faster than ever. the things you love, but... green... means... go! ♪♪ cool the pain with biofreeze. and keep on going. biofreeze. green means go. did you know... 80% of women are struggling with hair damage? just like i was. dryness and frizz could be damaged hair that can't retain moisture. new pantene miracle rescue deep conditioner, with first-of-its-kind melting pro-v pearls... locks in moisture to repair 6 months of damage in one wash, without weigh down.

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exclusive. the biden administration gearing up for a big upgrade to the automatic brakes found in so many new cars. an element aimed at cutting down on pedestrian accidents. here's tom costello. >> reporter: the video is hard to watch. a 9-year-old thrown in the air after being hit in the crosswalk by what police say was an unlicensed driver. >> i feel like it really could have been avoided if she was paying attention. >> reporter: in the er, landon's injuries proved minor. in washington, d.c., you have to look closely to see a woman in the crosswalk hit by a delivery van. she suffered serious injuries. >> one of the big challenges we have right now is pedestrian fatalities. >> reporter: pete buttigieg announcing new automatic emergency brake or aeb standards for all cars and light trucks within five years. to reduce the 43,000 people who die on americans' roads each year. aeb works by using radar,video

or infrared sensors to scan for potential collisions. most new cars already come with automatic braking, but the government is telling car makers they need to make the technology even better. current aeb prevents 85% of crashes under 30 miles per hour, with just 30% of crashes at 40 miles per hour. the new standards will require cars it avoid collisions at up to 62 miles per hour. automatically applying the brakes at up to 45 miles per hour. and able to see pidedestrians i both daylight and darkness. >> the data are showing us about 75% of pedestrian and bicycle fatalities happen after dark. >> reporter: the auto industry says auto makers voluntarily committed to install aeb in new vehicles. the d.o.t. hoping to save 360 lives. >> we want to set a high

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and beyonce and introduces blue ivy carter as her daughter k kiara. we should pretty much expect wherever beyonce goes, blue ivy will be following. >> she delivers. her dancing during beyonce's tour was incredible. we were all so excited. so this will be great, and come out right before christmas. perfect to take the family. >> a new promo for jerry seinfeld's netflix movie unfrosted sees him come under attack from heated pop-tarts executives over copyright infringement. despite this, he takes a jab at that other show from the '90s. >> soup nazis. they're my characters. >> they're my characters now.

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netflix. the streaming giant is working on a deal with a script-to-series commitment. details are limited but it will be based on the 1969 cartoon. according to a poll, 92 minutes is the ideal average movie length. we'll be right back. e ng. we'll be right back. the things you love, but... green... means... go! ♪♪ cool the pain with biofreeze. and keep on going. biofreeze. green means go. did you know... 80% of women are struggling with hair damage? just like i was. dryness and frizz could be damaged hair that can't retain moisture. new pantene miracle rescue deep conditioner, with first-of-its-kind melting pro-v pearls... locks in moisture to repair 6 months of damage in one wash, without weigh down. guaranteed or your money back! for resilient, healthy-looking hair...

if you know, you know it's pantene. i love that my daughter still needs me. but sometimes i can't help due to burning and stabbing pain in my hands, so i use nervive. nervive's clinical dose of ala reduces nerve discomfort in as little as seven days. now i can help again feel the difference with nervive. here comes the bride with a little help from a.i. nbc's elwyn lopez looks at why c chatgpt is a hot new wedding accessory. >> reporter: diy weddings are all the rage, but now some

couples are diving into a.i. for their big day. >> i'm having it be like airy, almost like a flowy summer. >> reporter: maria and her fiance planning a beautiful river view ceremony in poughkeepsie, new york. hundreds of guests ready to strai celebrate the couple in august on a day that's come together thanks to chatgpt. >> i said you know what, i'm going to take a gander at this and type in something about a wedding. >> reporter: centerpieces, decorations and so much more, eliminating the need and cost for a wedding planner. >> it was so generalized. when you're typing into chatgpt, it's very specific as to what you're asking. >> reporter: so we gave it a shot. tell me, what is the best spot to get married in the united states. >> the best spot in the united states depends on personal preferences. but destinations like hawaii, napa valley and new york city are popular choices for their

stu stunning scenery and variety of venues. >> reporter: and those save the dates came from a.i., too, everything from the wording to formatting. it also helps out with haggling prices with vendors. >> i found a photographer who did engagement, shower and bridal photography and it cost almost half of what it would to do it on its own. >> reporter: they're saving $5,000 to $10,000 by skipping out on a traditional planning service. in 2024, the average cost for a wedding is more than $30,000. >> who are you? >> i'm the wedding planner. >> reporter: even traditional wedding planners have start the incorporating a.i. into their businesses. >> i've actually used to explain a few things, to be honest, to clients who don't understand what attrition is when you're working with a hotel block. so i use a.i. to help me explain

to people. >> reporter: katie martin has been in the wedding business for decades. she still feels there's no replacement for the real deal, especially on the big day. >> the manpower setting up the tables. >> reporter: even so, a.i.-planned weddings are taking off. more than half of couples who are engaged are eyeing tools like chatgpt to help them tie the knot, to dampen a little of the wedding planning stress. a little help from a.i. could help them get to the altar and ultimately to those i dos. >> our thanks to

four law enforcement officers killed in charlotte, while serving a warrant at a home. among those killed, a deputy u.s. marshal. the message from president biden this morning. columbia university now suspending students who refuse to vacat