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we witnessed a full-on song on reproductive freedom. good morning and welcome to "sunday today" on this may 5th, 2024. i'm joe fryer in for willie this morning. it's a scene of despair down south where flash floods have left neighborhoods in texas, oklahoma, and arkansas under water, forcing residents to flee their homes. the rain has not let up yet. now a round of severe weather, including tornadoes, is set to move across much of the country this week. we'll have the forecast and the latest in a live report from texas just ahead. then, in our "sunday focus," maybe you've heard about this one. as many as a trillion cicadas invading the southeast and midwest. why now? and what should you do if they're crawling all over your backyard. and a "sunday spotlight" where lester holt will take us to the newly opened alabama park that brings visitors on an emotional journey through this country's dark history of slavery.

and later, willie's "sunday sitdown" with chris pine and a long career as a leading man, his latest film, which he not only stars in but wrote and directed, and what his parents, who are also actors, thought about his dream to follow in their footsteps. >> my parents saw me in a play in college, and my mother, i remember -- this is not hyperbole -- said, are you sure you're not interested in becoming a lawyer? and she didn't say it jokingly. i said, no. she took a moment, and she said, okay. she knew what i was going up against. >> yeah. >> potentially going up against. my parents have been nothing but supportive. >> a "sunday sitdown" with chris pine. plus, another life well lived a bit later in the show. but let's begin this morning with the severe weather in the south. nearly 20 million are under flood alerts after days of relentless rain, and more is on the way. nbc's priscilla thompson is in a hard-hit part of houston. priscilla, good morning.

>> reporter: joe, good morning. pockets of rain are still coming down throughout this area, continuing to flood rivers, roads, homes, and businesses like this one. overnight, texas was also hit with a tornado, and the severe weather threat isn't over just yet. this morning, more raging floodwaters expected throughout the south, with 19 million now under flood alerts from texas to oklahoma and arkansas. after another storm system sent severe thunderstorms and damaging wind gusts across south central texas overnight. >> if you're still in your home, prepare to stay there through the weekend. obviously it's too late to evacuate without calling 911. >> reporter: flash flooding still a concern today, amid days of heavy rainfall that dumped more than two feet of water in some areas. hundreds of residents have evacuated as the raging waters destroyed homes and shut down roads throughout the region.

prompting hundreds of dramatic water rescues and evacuations like these, with officials bracing for more today. >> we have firefighters on overtime. we're not letting our guard down. we'll be ready to deal with whatever we're dealt. >> oh, my gosh. >> you don't want to look in here! >> reporter: the relentless rounds of rain come as residents, like erica and frank, struggle to return home to survey the damage. >> the room is destroyed. >> reporter: the newly engaged couple and their two children moved into this rental just two weeks ago and are now faced with starting over again. >> this was going to be our first family home. it was kind of like, you know? super high spirits, you know? and then this happened. hopefully, it will make us stronger as a family, as a couple. >> reporter: residents aren't out of the woods just yet with several major rivers still rising, expected to crest later

today but remain at major flood stage through early next week. and, joe, thankfully there have been no fatalities or major injuries as a result of this severe weather bout, but we are learning that a texas police officer, whose home was hit by a tornado early last week, has now died from those injuries. joe? >> all right, priscilla thompson in houston. priscilla, thank you so much. let's bring in meteorologist michelle grossman. michelle, i know not only is texas in the cross hairs once again today, but there's a dangerous storm system set to move really across the entire country this week. what should we know? >> hi there, joe. great to see you. it's going to be a new week with a new round of severe weather monday, tuesday and wednesday. today, we are talking about heavy rain this morning. you can see that falling on radar. in the hard-hit area of texas and oklahoma, portions of louisiana, also arkansas, where you see the brighter colors, the reds, the oranges and the yellows, we are seeing heavy downpours. we will add to that river flooding. we are flood alerts this morning.

19 million people impacted. where you see the green, that is a flood watch. flash flood warning is in the red. that means that flooding is happening now or it's imminent so that is particularly dangerous. you want to heed any warnings you have locally. we're looking at the chance for more river flooding. this is a big concern here. where you see the dots here, they correspond in gauges. major flooding in the pink, there's lots of that, and also moderate flooding. we'll add to the river totals as we go throughout the day as well. something we'll watch very very, very closely. this is why. we're looking at rain falling and the potential for more rain, 1, 2, 3 inches and some spots have received 6 inches of rain. we look at the severe weather threat. winds gusting. the ground is so soggy, so we're going to bring down some trees, bring down power lines. also looking at the chance for damaging hail. the tornado risk is low today and ramp up tomorrow. a chance for strong storms in parts of texas and into arkansas, louisiana, as well. as we go throughout monday, we're looking at 14 million people at risk. we're looking at a moderate risk that is four out of five on the scale. a really tough week. joe?

>> busy week ahead. michelle grossman, thank you so much. now to a developing story in southern california. a group that's protesting against the war in gaza on the usc campus is being told their encampment must be taken down. the move comes with new arrests on other college campuses over the weekend. nbc adrian adrienne is outside of the usc campus. what are you seeing? >> reporter: the l.a. police department is clearing the campus here. if you take a look from above, this is the view inside, this clearing effort started just a little bit ago this morning. now our nbc crew that is on the ground here with me was at the gate where this encampment has been housed over the last week or so. a member with the lapd opened the gate and about 30 pro-palestinian protesters walked out peacefully. unclear if anyone was arrested, but it doesn't appear that any arrests, at least at this hour, have been made this morning.

this all comes after organizers say they received a notice from university officials yesterday. and, according to annenberg media, organizers of the encampment yesterday were told, quote, the encampment has to go down, that it, quote, violates policy and the law. but no deadline was given. meanwhile, the protesters were also given an alternative free speech area. so, about a week ago, nearly 100 people were arrested here, but this morning, it appears to be peaceful. joe? >> all right, thank you so much. these protests around the country come amid ongoing ire n and new pressure this morning to make a deal. nbc's meghan fitzgerald is following this from london. what's the latest? >> reporter: joe, good morning. a senior u.s. administration official tells nbc news that a deal is close. this comes as hamas said they arrived in cairo with a positive spirit determined to come to an

agreement. hamas says it's committed to a comprehensive ceasefire. they're calling for an end to the war, a complete withdrawal of idf troops, and for people to be able to return to their communities. a senior u.s. official says for the first time, israel indicated it would accept a sustained ceasefire lasting more than six weeks. but israel has also said that under no circumstances will they agree to end the war as part of the deal. now prime minister benjamin netanyahu has already said that deal or no deal, the idf will conduct a ground incursion into rafah. the prime minister this morning doubling down saying, ending the war in gaza would keep hamas in power. but, look, pressure to reach a deal is certainly intensifying. officials warn that parts of gaza are already gripped by famine. on holocaust remembrance day, it was demanded netanyahu bring home the 132 remaining hostages. now egyptian and american negotiators have indicated that

there have been signs of compromise on reaching a deal, even though israeli officials said saturday that there's still a ways to go. joe? >> meagan fitzgerald in london, thanks so much. let's talk more with kristen welker, moderator of "meet the press." good morning. good to see you, my friend. i know you have an interview with u.n. world food program director cindy mccain. it's already making headlines. what is it she's saying about the situation in northern gaza? >> well, joe, good to be with you. that's right. i did have a chance to sit down with cindy mccain, the executive director of the world food program at the mccain institute's sedona forum in izo the humanitarian crisis in gaza, what has she seen, how does she assess what she has seen and what her people have seen on the ground, and, joe, she had a dire warning. here is what she had to say.

>> whenever you have conflict like this and emotions rage high and things happen in a war, famine happens. and so what i can explain to you is there is famine, full-blown famine, in the north, and it's moving its way south. >> now, joe, that is significant, that is the first time that executive director mccain has ever said that it has actually reached the state of a full-blown famine in the north. it's important to point out that samantha power, the head of usaid has said what she has seen is a famine, and this is not an official declaration. the united nations has not made this declaration, for example. they would need to do that. it is significant, and it just adds to the growing pressure on all sides to try to get a ceasefire, which is what mccain says is absolutely necessary. she also talked about the fact that a ground invasion into rafah, would be devastating, would just worsen the

humanitarian crisis on the ground. >> all right, kristen, thank you so much. and we will look for more on "meet the press" when kristen is joined by republican senator and vp hopeful tim scott of south carolina, democratic senator mark kelly of arizona, and, as we just mentioned, cindy mccain. good news this morning for commuters who drive one of the busiest stretches of highway in the country, the northbound lanes of i-95 in norwalk, connecticut, have reopened just days after a fiery tanker crash shut everything down. the southbound lanes do remain closed, but officials say they hope to have the entire interstate reopened in time for the monday morning commute. and the 150th running of the kentucky derby was as thrilling as they come on saturday. here's the final call. >> it is mystik dan down to the inside, with the lead in the final 1/16. forever young, sierra leone is coming. these three coming down to the wire. who's it going to be?

oh, it's a photo at the derby! >> did you catch it? yeah, that was a three-horse photo finish. mystik dan won, literally, by a nose, edging out sierra leone and forever young, the closest derby finish in decades. it actually took five minutes for officials to figure out who did win. and mystik dan's jockey, brian hernandez, says that was the longest few minutes

straight ahead, the highs and lows of the week, including the beekeeper who turned into an american hero at the dodgers/diamondbacks game. plus, the workers at a utility company in colorado who just might become your next favorite boy band. but, up next, our "sunday focus" on a very loud and kind of gross invasion of cicadas that is so bothersome, even has some people calling the police. why now and how long it is going to last, yep, bees and cicadas to last, yep, bees and cicadas all coming up on "sunday today." i have relapsing ms, but i still want to spend my time my way. i chose kesimpta because it works for me and my schedule. kesimpta is a b-cell treatment for rms that had powerful results. a reduced rate of relapses... ...active lesions... ...and slowed disability progression. i take it myself once-a-month, at home, or on the go. when i'm ready, treatment time is less than a minute. so more of my time, is up-to-me time.

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parts of the southeast and midwest over the next month thanks to two different breeds emerging at the same time this year. that's something we have not seen in more than 200 years. lucky us. kathy park has our "sunday focus." >> reporter: cicadas-geddon has arrived and they are not flying quietly under the radar. >> there are thousands. >> reporter: instead, they're causing a stir everywhere they land. >> don't get too creeped out by them. she gets creeped out by them. >> reporter: from georgia -- >> the 13-year cicadases are in. >> reporter: to south carolina. >> is anybody else in the south -- >> reporter: where they're taking over back yards. >> they're everywhere and they seem to really like our gazebo. i'm not sure why. >> reporter: it might seem bad now, but just wait.

two cicadas broods will warm the midwest to the south, one group crawls out from the ground every 13 years. the other, 17 years. this month we're expecting a rare double emergence, something we haven't seen since the days of thomas jefferson. experts predict more than a trillion bugs to emerge, lined end to end, enough cicadas to reach the moon and back 33 times. roughly 75 miles outside of nashville, the nursery capital of the world. >> here we have a target rich environment for them to try to lay their eggs. >> reporter: and these young trees are vulnerable to damage from nesting cicadas. jerry blankenship grows 200,000 trees at his nursery, and these bugs keep him up at night. >> they really like something about this size right here. most of the time they go for something that's relatively soft, but they're looking for a certain size twig or branch to lay their eggs on. >> reporter: homeowners may want

to consider netting as a way to protect branches. >> you can get cheesecloth or tobacco cloth. like i said, you could actually have a sheet and lay it over it. >> reporter: but as they stick around for the next four to six weeks, don't expect the cicadas to turn down the volume as the males use their siren song to find a mate. >> so the males are making the noise, and it's a little bitty buzz like a kid's toy almost. >> reporter: but their collective chorus can be as loud as a lawn mower or passing jet. >> the noise level could potentially be harmful. it can exceed levels that osha would consider safe in some areas. >> reporter: it's already getting so loud in newberry county, south carolina, residents are reporting the noise to the sheriff. >> we had a leap year. we had an eclipse. now we have cicadas everywhere. >> reporter: they might be a nuisance, but they're harmless

to humans and pets. they're crawling all over. does that scare you. >> a little. and it tickles. >> reporter: many will be blanketed with bugs, so get ready for the free concert from your new neighbors. >> and kathy joins me now live and we hope cicada-free. if you do have a bunch of these cicadas in your backyard, beyond ear plugs, what should you do? >> reporter: yeah. hey, joe, good morning to you. that's right. first of all, take a deep breath because it's going to be okay. but experts say that you should probably keep the bug spray away, because cicadas are actually good for the environment and the spray will just be useless because there are way too many cicadas out there, and the chemicals might kill off the good insects. believe it or not, joe, cicadas, as i mentioned, good for our ecosystem because they aerorate the soil when they come out of the ground. when they die off and their

bodies break down, it's actually nutrients for the soil. think of it as free fertilizer. if you haven't had this invasion, this swarm of cicadas just yet, something to keep in mind as you heard in the story, netting is probably a good option for you. i'm holding tulle, ballet tutus are made out of, to cover up young trees. the holes should be small because cicadas can crawl out and keep the trees wrapped up for a couple weeks, probably until mid-june. if you want a quick fix, joe, another great option, a leaf blower, blow it all away. get the job done. >> i love that. all right, kathy. who knew tutus have two purposes. thank you so much. coming up next, willie's new "sunday sitdown" with chris pine on the new film he wrote, directed, and stars in. plus, his leading roles in some of the biggest movies of the last decade. and then "a life well

lived." a woman who burst a movement in a delivery room for soon-to-be mothers and their families. and, as we head to break, our photo of the week. president biden bestowing the presidential medal of freedom to 97-year-old opal lee who was instrumental in getting juneteenth recognized as a national holiday. lee was spurred in activism at an early age after hundreds of white supremacists set fire to her texas home when she was just 12. no arrests were ever made. she was one of 19 recipients of the country's highest civilian honor this year. ♪ ♪ wayfair's biggest sale of the year is finally here. it's way day! right now you can save up to 80% off at wayfair. ooo, yes. plus score free shipping on everything. [ grunting ] [ bell rings ] and surprise flash deals. all way day long! wayday ends soon. shop wayfair's biggest sale now through may 6th.

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this morning. but this is video from uc berkeley, where there is an investigation underway right now into this incident that happened last month at the private home of a uc berkeley professor and the dean of the law school. a student activist interrupted the private dinner. you can see them scuffling over the microphone there just as the student was attempting to give a pro-palestinian speech, that husband is the law dean. law school dean, erwin chemerinsky. the couple opens their home every year to graduating students. they think their event was targeted because chemerinsky is jewish. there is now an investigation underway into a title nine complaint filed by that student. she is a leading organizer of campus protests. cal says it cannot speak on the matter. fisk has not responded to our request for a comment, but previously, chemerinsky said in a statement he strongly defends the right to speak one's

mind in public forums. he wrote of the confrontation, quote, repeatedly we said to her that you are a guest in our home. please stop and leave. our home is not a forum for free speech. he added. even if the private event was held on campus, there would be no first amendment right to disrupt it. okay, we're going to turn now to the forecast. and cinthia pimentel, it is chilly out there this morning. yeah, just as we predicted. good morning kira. good morning everyone. it's chilly. and also that breeze behind this cold front. but overall the skies are looking beautiful. we can see out towards san francisco the golden gate bridge there in the distance and the flag signaling those wind speeds. they are a little bit calm. they will be increasing just a little bit as we go on into this afternoon. beautiful look over downtown san jose and the santa cruz range right there. and as we go on into walnut creek, this one was pretty neat. we can just see that lifting of the clouds right over the peak of the diablo range. and temperatures there are pretty chilly. and not only

there, but also in santa rosa where we're coming down into the 30s. this morning, 39 right there, right now, 43, in novato, as well as over on in orinda as we go on into san francisco. and the peninsula will do 49 in san mateo, 44 as we go on into livermore and the tri-valley and we're doing 43 degrees in saratoga. so overall, it will be a couple of cold mornings today and tomorrow with more of that sunshine, more of a little bit warmer temperatures compared to what we saw yesterday. and as we go on into the first full week of may here, we're going to start to warm things up. actually, it will most likely feel like summer as we go on into some of those inland valleys with the 70s and the 80s. so i'll show you that full forecast coming up at 7 a.m. kira looking forward to that one. cynthia thanks. also coming up this morning at seven on today in the bay, a tow truck up in flames and it wasn't the only one. the investigation now underway in the east bay. it's a story you'll only see on nbc bay area that plus all your top

stories coming up at seven. we hope you join us in the hope you join us in the meanti, enjoy sunday todayme on medicare? have diabetes? with the freestyle libre 3 system you'll know your glucose and where it's headed no fingersticks needed. covered by medicare for more people managing diabetes with insulin. visit freestylelibre.us/medicare if you're struggling with press, you're not alone. i'm talking to you, ryan gosling. when i started doing press, i was like you, funny, good

looking. now look at me. you think this is how i wanted to spend my 26th birthday? >> that is jerry seinfeld making a surprise appearance during "weekend update" on last night's new episode of "saturday night live." dua lipa pulled double duty as both host and musical guest. speaking of hard workers, over the past 20 years, chris pine has been one of the most successful leading men on the big screen. think about it, he's played characters like captain kirk, jack ryan, as well as steve trevor in the "wonder woman" blockbusters. now, as they say, something completely different. pine dreamed up, wrote, produced, directed, and stars in the new independent film, "poolman." shot the movie in 21 days on a modest budget telling the story of one man's life in the city where pine grew up. willie got together with chris in new york for a "sunday sitdown."

chris pine is recognized as a go-to actor in hollywood, even if he's not always recognized on the street. >> in the past week i've gotten jim carrey and jeff daniels. i did get george hamilton -- >> george hamilton? >> george hamilton. it's just the age disparity. it's a little rough for me. my ego isn't super happy with that one. i'm not a tom cruise. i'm not a big mega movie star. >> the 43-year-old has starred as the legendary captain kirk in three "star trek" movies. >> are you okay? >> never better. another day in the fleet. >> played military man steve trevor alongside gal gadot in "wonder woman." and a royal love interest in "the princess diaries 2." >> you can step on my foot anytime. >> in his latest film, "poolman," pine is a much different kind of leading man. his character, darren barrenman,

cleans pools when he's not working righteously to root out corruption in los angeles. >> i'm undercover. can i get back to you? >> believe it or not, pine relates better to darren than to those strong, hunky characters that made him famous. i think people have seen the posters, is that chris pine? that's chris pine. what is he up to? how do you explain what this film is to people? >> it is a note to los angeles, a love letter, but really, ultimately, it's an ode to this part of myself i've carried always, this awkward boy, i've felt for so long. this, in many ways, is closer than anything else i've played. i started getting cast as the leading man and the handsome guy in these films is such a joke to me, deeply ironic.

>> i'm thinking of people watching this saying, what is chris pine talking about, that he was awkward? so who was that kid before we met this movie star? who is the guy you're talking about? >> well, i was a very sensitive child. i classify myself more as an introvert than an extrovert. that's what i'm saying in the beginning of my career getting cast in these parts, the sense of being a fraud was so deep, and i'm in on the joke now but i feel more myself in a character like darren barrenman. >> in his directorial debut pine calls the shots for an a-list cast that has annette bening and danny devito. >> the boy has to move, let him move. >> this is not about you, okay? this is darren's life. >> so if i asked danny orthopedic annette what kind of

director you are, what do you think they would tell me? >> working at that pace you have to be supple -- i like that word -- you can't be rigid, allowing what they want to bring. hopefully they liked it. >> this is my take, a little bit of cinnamon. >> brilliant. >> i'm curious for what you it feels like maybe different than other movies to be sitting here a few days out from the world meeting your baby, and by that i mean you wrote it, directed and produced and starred. >> it's terrifying. after a career of 20 years where you're a hired hand, no, this is my work. deeply vulnerable and it's been terrifying, i would say, a lot of the time, but it's been deeply gratifying. >> it's yours. >> yeah, i can own all of it. that is where the vulnerability comes in. i can't hide behind anything. >> pine was born to a family of actors. his father, robert pine, played the sergeant on the hit show "chips."

his grandmother and mother were actors, too. pine didn't find acting until he went to college at cal berkeley. >> my father was in a really successful tv show. i was born in '80. gigs started not coming around so much and auditions petered out. it was a rough 15 or so years where i saw how absolutely brutal and fickle and really hard the business can be. so i'm very aware of the rarity of my position. i know more often than not it's what my parents went through for a long time. >> none of that deterred you? >> my parents saw me in a play in college, and my mother, i remember -- this is not hyperbole -- are you sure you don't want to become a lawyer? she didn't say it jokingly. i said, no. she took a moment, and she said, okay. she knew what i was going up

against, potentially going up against. my parents have been nothing but supportive. >> pine started with small parts on tv shows like "e.r." and "csi: miami" before landing the role of anne hathaway's love interest in the hit 2004 "princess diaries" sequel. >> i was driving on the freeway at the height of summer, and i got a call from my agent i booked a job. i pulled over on the side of the freeway and he said, you're getting paid $65,000, and it was like they told me i made $50 million. it was earth shattering. i had an overdraft of my bank account like $400 over. i was going to have to ask my parents for money. and i got that 65 and i remember distinctly knowing in that moment my life had changed somehow. even though it translated to

$15,000. i will never forget that and remembering what my folks had to go through. i'm living a dream. >> two decades into a career that has exceeded his dreams, chris pine is grateful and humbled with a little help from the public. >> i had a whole encount wer a woman in washington, d.c. she was convinced i was matt damon. >> did you go with it? >> yes! i didn't want to let her down. >> she's going to get home and someone will finally tell her, that's chris pine. it's been an honor to talk to matt damon. i loved you in "oppenheimer." >> "poolman" hits theaters this friday, may 10th. our thanks to the pebble bar here at rockefeller center for hosting willie and chris. don't forget to subscribe to the "sunday sitdown" podcast to hear the full interview with chris pine. there is much more in there. you can find it on apple podcasts or wherever you get yours. next week willie's "sunday

sitdown" with our nbc neighbor jimmy fallon as he celebrates ten years at "the tonight show" reflecting on his rise from childhood comedy fan to "snl" and the biggest job in late night. willie and jimmy next week on "sunday today." ahead on "sunday today," our "highs and lows" of the week including a very persistent

woodpecker -- who just wanted to know if anyone was home. we'll tell you if it got anyone to answer the door. but, up next, our "sunday spotlight" on the new sculpture park in alabama. it's taking visitors through the same journey that enslaved people were once brought through, the lessons its founders hope to pass along today. ♪(fun music)♪ mom, can i help? camping was fun, but it looks we brought the woods back with us. if you're a mom, then you really need weathertech for mother's day. it's the ultimate way to kid proof your vehicle. from laser-measured floorliners for the front and rear... to cargoliner...seat protector... and seat back protectors... we've got mom's covered. your turn. (hose spraying and laughter) find all these american made gifts, perfect for mother's day, at wt.com [stomach growling] it's nothing... sounds like something. ♪when you have nausea, heartburn, indigestion♪

♪upset stomach, diarrhea♪ pepto bismol coats and soothes for fast relief when you need it most. 100% of dark spots are intensified by the sun. bright reveal daily sunscreen. no whitecast. wear spf every single day, rain or shine. anti-dark spot sunscreen by l'oréal paris. in late march, a first of its kind park opened up in montgomery, alabama, dedicated to those who were enslaved. the idea behind freedom monument sculpture park is not only to enlighten visitors about the past, the goal is to let them experience what it may have been like for enslaved men and women brought through the area hundreds of years ago. lester holt takes us there for this week's "sunday spotlight."

>> reporter: the peaceful river in montgomery, alabama, is undeniable but so is its place in a brutal history. the narrative will begin on this boat. >> absolutely, being sold down the river, being trafficked by boat or by rail was an absolutely terrifying experience for enslaved people. >> reporter: brian stevenson is the founder and ceo of the equal justice initiative, which created the freedom monument sculpture park on these shores where the slave trade once flourished. >> there's not much in the visual record of that era that helps you get a stens of the humanity of these people. >> reporter: and so sculptures and replicas help weave the story from the places they were held. >> they would put them in holding pens where they would wait until the auction. >> reporter: to the places they were whipped. so they would being shackled? >> yes. you can see the metal points here. >> reporter: along the trail, visitors are reminded this human trafficking was not just a

sustain on the south. north carolina, maryland, new jersey. its tentacles reached north. >> it begins in the north. it begins in new england. >> reporter: also posted here, laws that codified brutality against slaves. a license to kill. the monument park joins the recently opened legacy museum which documents the history and impact of the atlantic slave trade, a third site, the national memorial for peace and justice lays bare the raw history of lynching in america. it seems like a direct repudiation of some of the movements we've heard over the last couple of years to not teach some of this history, critical race theory. >> for me, it's been a lifelong ambition to just get people to reckon with the truth. we can't get there if we don't talk honestly about this

history. >> reporter: the centerpiece of the sculpture park, this wall embossed with 122,000 surnames that were adopted by newly emancipated slaves during the 1870 census. >> and these are the names that represent the 4 million people who were emancipated, recorded in 1870, and, you know, we wanted to see them in a place of honor, see them on a wall. >> the urge is to grieve for them. brian stevenson wants us to honor them. he quotes from the inscription at the base of the wall. >> we honor your perseverance in the midst of sorrow. we honor your struggle for freedom. your children love you. >> reporter: and the line that jumps out at me, the country you built must honor you. >> yeah. yeah. >> reporter: and that's what this monument hopes to do. >> absolutely. >> reporter: for "sunday today," lester holt, montgomery, alabama. >> lester, thank you.

this week we highlight another "life well lived." in the 1970s, as more women leaned into the natural childbirth movement, a physical therapist was there to help them. she brought dulas in forever changing the way women are supported during the most important moments of their lives. penny simpkin brought the doula in, speaking the word is greek for female servant, though today the word has evolved. it means one who mothers the mother. doulas are on hand to help women and loved ones during childbirth offering nonmedical, physical and emotional support, words of encouragement, and comfort. simkin received a certificate of physical therapy from the university of pennsylvania. she was with her husband, peter, in britain for his medical studies when she got the chance to shadow other physical therapists helping women through

labor and childbirth. intrigued by their work, she wanted to do the same when she got back to the united states. over the decades simkin helped 15,000 women and their family members during and after childbirth while training thousands of other doulas all across the country. her innovations include the squatting bar. with four other medical professionals, she founded doulas of north america now called dona international. penny became the face of the organization. born in 1938 in portland, maine, she graduated with a degree in english literature. that came in handy when she had trouble finding lit daughter for her own doula students, so she wrote and co-authored six books including "the birth partner," which is fundamental to the birthing care field, the 6th edition is coming this fall.

penny simkin, the mother of the doula movement, died last month in seattle. in seattle. she was 85 years old. ♪ limu emu... ♪ and doug. (bell ringing) limu, someone needs to customize and save hundreds on car insurance with liberty mutual. let's fly! (inaudible sounds) chief! doug. (inaudible sounds) ooooo ah. (elevator doors opening) (inaudible sounds) i thought you were right behind me. only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty, liberty, liberty, ♪ ♪ liberty. ♪ ♪♪ introducing bubly burst, a new sparkling water beverage from bubly. it's bursting with fruit flavor, no added sugar and all smiles. i am obsessed with olay's retinol body wash. with olay retinol body wash, 95% of women had visibly renewed skin.

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time for the "highs and lows" of the week. our first high to this week's baseball mvp, or should we say mv bee. the braves beekeeper stepped up to the plate to tackle a swarm of unexpected opponents. >> we have a swarm of bees that has decided to stock on the backdrop there, the backscreen. we're in a bit of a bee delay maybe. >> this was the scene at chase field in phoenix. the start of the diamondbacks/dodgers game was delayed nearly two hours after a bee colony swarmed the protective netting behind home plate. matt hilton got the call in the middle of his son's final t-ball game of the season. hilton was greeted by a standing ovation. the stadium even blared "holding out for a hero" over the

loudspeakers. funny, i would have picked a song by sting. anyway, he was then lifted up to where the bees were gathered and took care of business. >> what was it like when you rolled into the building and you got a standing ovation? >> i thought i was just here to take care of a bee problem. people were hyped up. pretty cool. >> a save was recorded before the game even started. hilton, like a gladiator, was quickly rewarded with baseball's highest civilian honor, he threw out the first pitch. matt hilton, truly the bees knees. the stinky souvenir one golf fan wittingly went home with after challenging pro bryson dechambeau to make a ten-foot putt. >> if i don't make it, what do you want? you want my sock? >> all right. >> dechambeau's putter put it in

the gutter skirting the putt by a few inches. a man of his word, he removed his sweaty socks and handed them over to the fan and took a shameful ride back to the club. why anyone would want a souvenir like that is beyond me. hopefully that devoted fan socks them away. our next high, finding creative ways at denver water reminding residents to conserve h20 this summer. may i introduce you to the splash street boys. ♪ tell me why tell me why you water when it's raining ♪ don't let your water wash away i want it that way ♪ >> that is the staff of denver water, the water utility

performing "i water that way." a parody of the back street boys classic "i want it that way." the employee said he wanted to make this video for a long time even if it means getting doused with ridicule. they're getting a flood of laughs, praise, and the attention of the boy band it pays homage to. the backstreet boys commented on instagram writing, you guys nailed this. here is hoping their video made enough of an impression for colorado residents to remember to actually conserve water. our final low to the visitor who won't take no one's home for an answer. [ doorbell rings ] ding dong, who is there? a persistent woodpecker mistaking this doorbell for a sturdy spruce. no one answered but someone was home to capture the moment on video which continues like this for at least 30 seconds and the

headache that ensued i'm guessing lasted much longer. nbc news did reach out to woody woodpecker for comment, and he told us, quote, ha-ha-ha-ha, ha-ha-ha-ha, node-positive breast cancer. my fear of recurrence could've held me back. but i'm staying focused. and doing more to prevent recurrence. verzenio is specifically for hr-positive, her2-negative, node-positive early breast cancer with a high chance of returning, as determined by your doctor when added to hormone therapy. verzenio reduces the risk of recurrence versus hormone therapy alone. diarrhea is common, may be severe, or cause dehydration or infection. at the first sign, call your doctor, start an antidiarrheal, and drink fluids. before taking verzenio, tell your doctor about any fever, chills, or other signs of infection. verzenio may cause low white blood cell counts, which may cause serious infection that can lead to death. life-threatening lung inflammation can occur. tell your doctor about any new or worsening trouble breathing, cough, or chest pain. serious liver problems can happen.

symptoms include fatigue, appetite loss, stomach pain, and bleeding or bruising. blood clots that can lead to death have occurred. tell your doctor if you have pain or swelling in your arms or legs, shortness of breath, chest pain and rapid breathing or heart rate, or if you are nursing, pregnant, or plan to be. i'm focusing on what counts. talk to your doctor about reducing your risk. ♪ look at that sweet frosting and filling. that's what makes pop-tarts such a great snack! i sure hope we get eaten soon. we will. i made a sign. [vending machine buzzs] it's working! pop-tarts! crazy good. [customer service rep] discover customer service, this is maya. jennifer: oh, hi maya. you robots are sounding more human every day! [customer service rep] at discover, everyone can talk to a human representative. jennifer: alright, prove it. [customer service rep] wait, are you a robot? 24/7 u.s.-based customer service. jennifer: how would i prove that i'm not?

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we've got more of your "sunday today" mug shots this week. starting across the stop alex and max on spring break vacation with their family and taking the mugs along, too, while visiting cairo, egypt. judy, janice, diane and bonnie from iowa on their second annual

sisters trip visiting the christ the redeemer statue in brazil. happy 60th to pat and jesse in stewart, florida. congratulations, 60, an incredible milestone. how cool is this one, doug and noelle cruising through the rhine river in germany. along the bottom we see sara enjoying a beautiful morning on the coast in italy. look at that view. jorge and janet in iceland with the northern lights in the background. that is incredible. and ron and cheryl celebraing in front of st. george's chapel in windsor castle. happy anniversary. send us a photo of you and your mug with the #sundaytoday and you just might see yourself next week and, remember, you can get the "sunday today" mug online at today.com/shop. and a reminder, you can stream "today" live every morning, including sundays, on peacock.

thank you for spending part of your morning with us. willie will see you right back here next week on "sunday today."

spectacular. look outside at the golden gate bridge from our sutro tower camera, the sun shining