> new overnight, president trump takes aim at high prescription prices, but it will be a tough pill to swallow for the pharmaceutical industry. we're live in d.c. with the details. plus, the growing outrage over the president's plan to accept a luxury jet from qatar

to use as air force one. and breaking news on a trade deal with china. the last living american hostage held by hamas could soon come home. the surprise announcement from the white house, and what the release of edan alexander could mean for the future of the war in gaza. the case against sean "diddy" combs expected to get under way with opening statements in just hours, but first, both sides need to finalize a jury. whiplash for the winner of the kentucky derby. why the jockey is facing a major fine this morning. a mother's day message to the world from pope leo. he calls for peace in his first sunday mass. and the pacers put the cavs on the brink while the thunder strike back against the nuggets. we have the highlights as we tip off the week. "early today" starts right now. good morning. i'm frances rivera. new overnight, president trump is vowing to bring the cost of

medications down. he wrote on his social media site that he will sign an executive order this morning that will reduce prescription drug prices by 30% to 80% almost immediately. nbc's alice barr joins us now from d.c. good morning. the president says the prices will be tied to the rest of the world. >> good morning, frances. that's right. president trump says he will establish a most favored nations policy, meaning the united states will pay the same price as the nation that pays the lowest price. the president did not give more details about how this would work or which drugs would be covered. president trump signed a similar order during the last few weeks of his first rm, but that was later blocked in court. this plan will likely see major pushback from pharmaceutical companies. the health secretary will join the president at a press conference this morning, and we just got new details about the trade deal negotiated this weekend between the u.s. and china. u.s. and china releasing a joint statement announcing a 90-day

pause for most tariffs beginning wednesday. a rate of at least 10% will stay in place for both countries while negotiations continue. meanwhile, president trump leaves today to conduct business in the middle east, starting with saudi arabia tomorrow, and then qatar and the united arab emirates. four sources tell nbc news that president trump is preparing to accept a luxury jet from qatar to use as the new air force one. the sources say the plane would be transferred to the trump presidential library once he ends his second term. democrats are criticizing the plan saying the white house must seek approval from congress to accept a gift this large. senate minority leader chuck schumer said, quote, it's not just bribery. it's premiumoreign influence with extra legroom. overnight, president trump called this a very public and transparent transaction. he says democrats are, quote, world class losers for insisting that the u.s. pay, and we could

get more clarity on all these plans when the president speaks at that press conference later this morning. frances? >> alice barr for us. alice, thank you. ukrainian president volodymyr zelensy proposing a face-to-face meeting with russian president vladimir putin, saying he will wait for putin personally for thursday's talks in turkey. it comes after a late-night address from the kremlin over the weekend where the russian leader said his country is ready for the first direct talks with ukraine in three years. putin refusing to agree to a sustained ceasefire, but saying a truce is possible if talks are successful. the address coming almost immediately after leaders from the uk, france, poland, and germany threatened to increase sanctions against russia if putin didn't accept an unconditional 30-day ceasefire starting today. hamas has said they will release an israeli soldier from captivity. edan alexander who also holds american citizenship was captured from his army base during the october 7th attacks, and has been held in gaza ever

since. hamas says the release is, quote, part of steps being taken to achieve a ceasefire. here's hala gorani. >> reporter: the last american hostage in hamas custody about to be released. 21-year-old edan alexander raised in new jersey, and had volunteered to join the israeli military, 583 days, possibly hours away from being reunited with loved ones. his family saying they're in ongoing contact with the u.s. administration. president trump's envoy, steve witkoff, expected to travel to israel, confirming to nbc news that alexander is set to be freed. hamas issuing a statement. the release of israeli soldier idan alexander will be part of the steps being taken to achieve a ceasefire and allow aid to reach our people. idan alexander was last seen in a video in april and one in november addressing president trump directly. one of several proof of life

videos released since october 7th. >> dear president trump, my name is edan alexander. >> reporter: his mother, yael has spoken to nbc several times. >> we love him, and just be strong, survive, and you're coming back home soon. >> reporter: the announcement did not mention the israeli government's involvement. the u.s. negotiating with hamas through mediators, seemingly bypassing israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu. the families of other captives now waiting for news their loved ones could be released too while any people in the region will be hoping this deal could lead to a lasting truce. >> our thanks to hala for that report. happening today, opening statements and final jury selection in the sex trafficking trial of sean "diddy" combs. the judgstrikes until today. opening statements are set to begin followed by testimony. last week, diddy's attorneys saying the hip-hop mogul admits

to domestic violence in his relationship with an accuser. the judge also denying the rapper's motions to dismiss some counts and to suppress evidence. diddy has pleaded not guilty to five criminal counts and denies accusations of sexual abuse. another travel nightmare at newark liberty international airport after an equipment outage forced a 45-minute ground stop sunday morning. an audio issue caused a popping sound on a few radio frequencies between pilots and air traffic controllers. the telecommunication issue led the faa to use their backup system. the impact felt throughout the day with more than 300 flights delayed or canceled. >> i'm concerned about the whole air space, right? the equipment that we use, much of it we can't buy parts for new. we have to go on ebay and buy parts if one part goes down. >> the latest outage comes after radar screens briefly went black in philadelphia on friday. similar to the situation on

april 28th, but on top of the technical failures, newark has been dealing with runway construction and bad weather. there are growing fears from former leaders that the national weather service that lives could be at risk due to cuts by elon musk and doge that have led to fewer foforecasterwatching the skies and the seas. in a rare move, every former director of the agency has signed a letter to the white house warning president trump against his plan to cut even more funding saying, it will lead to, a quote, needless loss of life. >> we are generating kind of a swiss cheese weather service. we have holes throughout the weather service now that are not well thought out. >> staffing reductions mean less access to realtime data which can predict the paths and intensity of tornadoes, wildfires, and hurricanes. noaa tells nbc news that work is under way to restore services at local forecast offices around the country. and looking at the weather,

it's a stormy start of the week for the southeast. let's turn to michelle grossman tracking that trouble for us. hi, michelle. good morning. >> good morning, frances. it was a soggy weekend and we ended the last week really soggy in the southeast. we'll continue that day as well. we're seeing the rain falling right now. that'll lead to the threat of some flash flooding. so radar showing us where that rain is falling. we're also seeing some rain in the northwest. that will be a story today, but looking at the chance for flash flooding today once again in the southeast, we're seeing a little -- a stormy weather too. although that's dissipating now that the morning hours are happening, and we're going to see that picking up back again this afternoon. flood alerts stretching from the southeast all the way to the carolinas because we'll see this low moving up to the north and to the east and the ohio valley bringing flood potential to the mid-atlantic states. these flood alerts are in effect through tuesday. where you see the red, you see that in portions of georgia. that is a flash flood warning. that means that's happening now or it's imminent. those showers do continue. this is an area of big pressure

bringing lots of rain, and we'll see that from virginia and florida looking for a chance of that flash flooding and that low moves into the ohio valley. then the flood risk extends into the mid-atlantic states. we're talking anywhere from 1 to 3 inches of rain, but locally we could see higher amounts anywhere from 4, 5, even up to 6 inches of rain. where you in the 70s and . temperatures into the 90s. all right. that's your monday forecast. >> thanks so much, michelle. the jockey who won kentucky derby 151 has been fined and suspended for striking the winning horse sovereignty, too many times. the horse racing integrity and safety authority issuing junior

alvarado a two-day suspension and fine for striking sovereignty eight times which is more than the six-strike maximum. alvarado will be suspended at the end of may and has up to 30 days to pay the fine. coming up, the rocky road ahead for the rockies after an abysmal start to the season. and we're back in a minute with pope leo's message to the world on mother's day. what's up, you seem kinda sluggish today. things aren't really movin'. you could use some metamucil. metamucil's psyllium fiber helps keep your digestive system moving. so you can feel lighter and more energetic. metamucil keeps you movin'. and try metamucil's delicious lemonade flavor. resolve! if not, they may re-mark the spot. resolve gets rid of pet messes better than the leading competitor. destroying stains, neutralizing odors, and preventing re-marking. love the love, resolve the mess. listen to me, the hot dog diet got me shredded.

it's time we listen to science. one a day is formulated with key nutrients to support whole body health. one a day. science that matters. with bugs, the struggle—is—real. that's why you need zevo traps. zevo attracts and traps bugs 24/7 using a blue and uv light with no odor and no mess for effortless protection. zevo. people-friendly. bug-deadly. newly elected pope leo xiv delivers his first sunday address at st. peter's square on sunday. in the audience, the pope's brother visiting from chicago. our lester holt reports from the vatican. >> reporter: in a week of firsts at the vatican, pope leo appearing above a jubilant crowd for his first sunday address delivering a prayer and blessing before an estimated 100,000 people. >> i had to come because this is the first american pope.

>> reporter: this american flying in from chicago to be here. what does this time mean for catholics right now? >> i think it's a time of hope. i really believe it's so historic to have the first american pope. he's going to be a bridge. [ speaking in a global language ] >> reporter: in italian, the pope speaking of young people, telling them they can find a home in the church, not to fear, he said, and expressing the hope that ukrainians can find a true and lasting peace telling world leaders, no more war. [ speaking in a global language ] >> reporter: and calling for a ceasefire in gaza, and for the release of hostages. watching the pope's appearance with us from a nearby rooftop, pope leo's brother, john, who arrived from chicago. john, what's it like to look out there and see your brother?

>> unreal, you know? a tremendous sense of pride. >> was he made for this moment? >> you know, after being here, yeah. absolutely. it seems like he fits right in. it seems like it's been doing this for a long time because he's not nervous. he has all the confidence in the world. so yeah. it does seem like he was made nor moment. no question in his mind. what do i need to do? he knows what he's going to do. he knows what he's going to say. >> reporter: traveling by car outside of rome with pope leo, john prevost got a deeper look inside his brother's new world. >> both sides of the road were packed with people screaming, papa, papa. he rolled down the window and would shake hands as the car would drive by, and the people were just in tears as they shook hands with him. >> over these past few weeks, there have been many moments that have brought people flooding to st. peter's square, but for many we've spoken to,

today may feel the most >> reporter: janet traveled from st. louis for the pope's blessings, bringing remembrances from her late mother. do you expect to have something blessed? >> oh, yes. i have my mom's rosary, my mom's cross. i can't even describe what it's like to be here on mother's day, and my mom's things, and remembering ten years ago when we were here together for the first time. >> reporter: the pope noted that mother's day was being celebrated in many places and he offered his own wishes and prayers to moms including those he says, who are in heaven. >> our thanks to lester for that report. still to come, the only team in baseball bad enough to fire their manager after a win, and one of the nba's top teams is one loss away from being st me.n why the pacers continue domination of the cavs right after this.

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it's a clean look. >> cleveland might have lost all hope of keeping pace with indiana. that buzzer-beater, topped off a dominant 80-point first half of the pacers. indy ended up beat ing the cavs pushing them to the top seed of elimination. they'll attempt to prevent the upset of the playoffs on their home court tomorrow night. it could have been a similar story with the top team in the west, but oklahoma city isn't going down without a fight. the thunder fended off a nuggets comeback in their own game four matchup pulling away in the final quarter. okc ties up the series at 2-2 ahead of tomorrow's crucial game five. the rockies star wouldn't even begin to describe how the baseball season has ne for the colorado rockies. on sunday, the team fired manager bud black who had been with the team since 2017. black was dismissed following a

win versus the padres and it came just a day after the team was shut out, 21-0 by san diego on saturday. that loss proved to be the last straw in what has been an historically bad stretch for colorado. they hold the worst record in the majors with just 7-33. it is one of the worst starts for any team since 1988. now to the latest change that could shake up the world of college sports. "sports illustrated" reporting that the ncaa is considering lifting their ban on sports betting. the ncaa athletes and coaches are already prevented from betting on college sports. sources say that ban would remain in place. when we come back, there may be a new alternative to getting a pap smear at the doctor's office. and a new sty udshows promise for weight loss drugs and cancer risk.

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here's what's making headlines this morning. at least ten people have been hospitalized in california and nevada amid a listeria outbreak under investigation by the cdc and fda. more than 80 products from the brand fresh and ready foods are being recalled ranging from snack boxes to sandwiches and pastas. they were also sold under the brand name city point market fresh food to go, and fresh take crave away. the fda has approved the first at-home pap smear alternative, the device made by teal health, used to detect hpv which can cause cervical cancer. the fda approval came after u.s.-based study found the at-home screening was just as effective as an in-doctor's office. researchers find people taking eli lilly's weight loss drug mounjaro lost 50% more weight than those taking its rival, wegovy. the ht loss injectables may

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from olay body wash. it's new super serum with 5 powerful ingredients. 5 benefits in 1! my skin goes from dull to luminous. for me, it's only olay super serum body wash. students in south carolina surprised a loved janitor on his 80th birthday. jose diaz-balart has a little good news to off your week. >> we don't have royalty in the united states, but we sure have something pretty ose. >> reporter: a special honor for gordy momson on a rip to

celebrate his 80th birthday. the survivor of the iwo jima got the recognition he deserved. a gratitude for him. a 12-year-old stole the show in the stands for a recent phillies game. he's mimicking a player right before a strikeout. >> he got him! >> reporter: the video went viral, and just two days later, the phillies invited him to batting practice where he got a huge surprise. 6 meeting his hero right on the field. that moment, the memory of a lifetime. >> ready? one, two, three. ♪ happy birthday to you ♪ >> reporter: and in south carolina, a celebration fit for a king. that's the head custodian

celebrating his 80th birthday with the entire student body. he has worked in the school district since 1987, and is beloved by students and staff alike. >> what does it feel like to have the kids and the teachers and the administrators recognize you for doing such an incredible and such an important job for so many years? >> it filled my heart that day. it's just so enthusing for them to show me that love and i just appreciate everything they did. >> reporter: the surprise was organized by the school principal, elizabeth phillips. >> what do you think, ms. phillips, the bigger message is here? >> don't let time go by without celebrating. the people that you love, he does so much for us and teachers and the staff and the kids every day. he just takes care of all of us and he deserved to be really, really celebrated that day.

♪ happy birthday to you ♪ >> that is so sweet to see. our thanks to jose for that report. coming up on "today," mike tirico is live to announce nbc's biggest matchup of the 2025 nfl season before the full schedule drops on wednesday. so will your team will called up? find out ahead on "today." thanks for waking up with "early today." i'm frances rivera. hope you

president trump's new push to lower prescription drug prices. we're live with how the white house says it would work. plus, the growing scrutiny around the president's plan to accept a luxury plane from qatar's royal family and use it as air force one. a breakthrough in the mideast. hamas says it's releasing the last living american hostage today. how