Happening Today: Tornadoes, Kushner, Gorsuch, Brain Cells, Bob Dylan, Doris Day – NBC New York

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Tornado Kills At Least 2 People, Officials Say

A tornado flipped a mobile home in Louisiana, killing a mother and her 3-year-old daughter as a storm system with hurricane-force winds crawled across the Deep South, damaging homes and businesses. Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards put the entire state on "high alert" and warned residents to stay off the roads. He urged people to keep their cellphones charged and close by so they could get severe weather alerts. Parts of Arkansas and Mississippi were also under a threat of tornadoes, but the bullseye was on much of Louisiana. The system packed heavy rain, large hail and sparked flash flooding. A tornado with peak winds of 110 mph traveled for nearly 1 mile on the ground in a rural community about 50 miles west of Baton Rouge, the National Weather Service reported.

Jared Kushner in Iraq With Joint Chiefs Chairman, U.S. Official Says

Jared Kushner, President Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser, is in Iraq, an administration official told NBC News. The source said Kushner is traveling with Marine Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The visit wasn't announced in advance, and no information on the purpose of the trip was immediately available. But Trump has entrusted Kushner, 36 who is married to his daughter Ivanka with, among other duties, the role of peace envoy to the Middle East. The visit comes as about 275 soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division have been ordered to deploy to northern Iraq as the military ratchets up its efforts to wrest the city of Mosul from ISIS fighters, two U.S. military officials told NBC News.

Third Democrat Breaks With Party to Support Gorsuch Confirmation

Two Democratic senators split over supporting Judge Neil Gorsuch's nomination to the Supreme Court. Sen. Joe Donnelly of Indiana said he would vote in favor of Gorsuch's confirmation while Sen. Jon Tester of Montana announced he would not back the federal appeals court judge based in Denver. Donnelly became the third Democrat to break with the party as Republicans line up behind President Trump's choice for the high court. With 52 Republican senators, eight votes from Democrats or the Senate's two independents would be needed to advance the nomination and prevent a filibuster. So far, only Donnelly of Indiana, Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota and Joe Manchin of West Virginia all representing states Trump won in November and all up for re-election next year have said they will vote to confirm Gorsuch.

Study Finds Link Between Slow Breathing, Brain Cells

One common way to calm down is to breathe slower, and brain researchers say they've figured out how that works, "Today" reported. A Stanford-led study of mice found that cells in the brain stem linked to mood and activity are triggered when the animal breathes slowly. The researchers are hopeful their findings, reported in the journal Science, can lead to therapies for stress, depression and more, even a better way to prevent sudden infant death syndrome. Were hopeful that understanding this centers function will lead to therapies for stress, depression and other negative emotions, a neurobiology professor who worked on the study said.

Dance Is Good for Your Brain, New Study Shows

Can dancing actually help fight off dementia? A new study involving older adults found those who took dance lessons three times per week did better on speed and memory tests. The demands of learning the moves and keeping up with the group improved their brain health. At an activity center in Sarasota, Florida, a group of older ladies are tapping their way to some good, heart-healthy cardio. Hearing about the study proving dance helps fight dementia is not shocking to one instructor. She said memory improvement comes next.

Dylan Finally Gets Hands on Nobel Literature Prize

Bob Dylan finally has his hands on his Nobel Literature diploma and medal. Klas Ostergren, a member of the Swedish Academy, said the 75-year-old American singer-songwriter received his award during a small gathering at a hotel next to the conference center where Dylan was performing a concert later that night. Ostergren told The Associated Press the ceremony was a small, intimate event in line with the singer's wishes, with just academy members and a member of Dylan's staff attending. During his show hours later, Dylan made no reference to the Nobel award, simply performing a set blending old classics with tunes from his more recent albums.

Birthday Surprise for Ageless Doris Day: She's Actually 95

To Doris Day's many admirers, the pert and fresh-faced charmer who starred in "Pillow Talk" and "Move Over Darling" is ageless. But Day turns 95 which is a birthday surprise to even the star herself, who has long pegged her age to a 1924 birthdate that would make her 93. Media outlets have variously reported her as between 93 and 95. A copy of Day's birth certificate, obtained by The Associated Press from Ohio's Office of Vital Statistics, settles the issue: Doris Mary Kappelhoff, her pre-fame name, was born on April 3, 1922, making her 95. Her parents were Alma and William Kappelhoff of Cincinnati. She's in excellent company with other vibrant Hollywood standouts lucky enough to reach that milestone year, including Betty White, a close friend, and Carl Reiner.

Published at 6:54 AM EDT on Apr 3, 2017

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Happening Today: Tornadoes, Kushner, Gorsuch, Brain Cells, Bob Dylan, Doris Day - NBC New York