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is back to normal. it just kicked back up about half an hour ago. a silver suv lost control, hitting a guardrail, setting off a domino effect of crashes that happened most of the stretch of 880 shut down for hours. >> this white car burst into flames after crashing on 880 at marina boulevard in san leandro. it was part of the chain reaction after an suv lost control. a big rig carrying paving equipment tried to avoid a collision. and ended up crossing southbound lanes, crashing through the concrete wall sending debris everywhere through the northbound lanes. firefighters quickly tried to rescue people trapped in their cars. a helicopter landed on the 880 southbound lanes to airlift one victim, the most seriously hurt. >> i've seen what happened on the drive up to it. put them in the chopper. and he took off, and then i seen line four or five ambulance going by and they had somebody in each one of them. >> chp diverted traffic off at washington and marina. but there were hundreds of vehicles stuck in the exit. people spent nearly four hours out of their cars watching the scene, taking pictures, sleeping and counting their blessings. >> crazy. yeah, it's surreal. just like, i don't know, like i said. i wouldn't want to be involved in something like this. and i feel for the families. >> me and my uncle were talking about that. if we were within -- if he picked me up five minutes earlier, we could've either been in the accident or been one of the eyewitnesss of the accident. really, yeah, really kind of scary. >> back here live, you can see caltrans has installed a temporary guardrail where that divide was smashed through. that had to be done before they reopened all of the lanes. chp saying at least ten vehicles involved. but still getting calls from people who say they were involved and they're still filing reports. chp also investigating whether that initial suv may have crashed with another car that left the scene. live in san leandro, nbc bay area news. >> scary stuff. thank you. the hunt is on for two robbery suspects accused of shooting someone in san francisco this morning. happened in the mission terrace neighborhood around 7:45 this morning. the crooks took off in a dark car before police arrived. one person recovering after san francisco general hospital today after that person was shot during the robbery. their condition is not known at this time. now, to a developing story coast of baja california battered by hurricane odile. made landfall near cabo san lucas. >> mexican authorities say more than 30,000 people were told to leave their homes for shelters as odile approached. we'll bring in rob mayeda with more on the details of how those folks are going to deal. >> what we're seeing right now is still a category one hurricane. winds at landfall were up to 125 miles per hour. as it continues to interact with land, it continues to weaken now it's been taken away from the energy source there over the warm waters there on the western area of just off the southern tip of baja california. winds at 90 miles per hour. still expected to track right over baja california as a tropical storm into tuesday. and then notice where it's headed next, you can see the low back out across the gulf of california. a lot of that moisture spins off the storm into southern california. and the areas you see here in purple, red and orange, could see more than 6 inches of rain, even higher amounts. they could see another round of flooding there east of palm springs and southern arizona. some of this moisture may try to get redirected back to the north. we're not seeing any of it here right now, but we do have a system offshore tossing showers up on the north coast. and for the bay area, our own opportunity for rare showers coming our way as we pass the middle part of the week. we'll talk about that in the microclimate forecast in a few minutes. san jose firefighters trying to figure out what caused a playground to catch fire. flames broke out at the intersection of ocala avenue near capital expressway. just before 3:00 this morning, the extent of the damage unclear. a brutal end to the 49ers' first regular season home game in more ways than one. the disappointment of a fourth quarter loss quickly turned to frustration, thousands of fans trying to leave the new levi stadium after the game were stuck. this is the lot next to the stadium. fans were trying to leave, but there was no staff to direct people to the exit and no signs to show them the way, either. our own peggy bunker was there working and saying the fans were actually asking her for directions out of the parking lot. and it was slow and go the whole way. >> we lost the game and now we're sitting in the parking lot and we've been here over 45 minutes. and we were parked three stalls up. >> there's no pedestrian walkway. >> no pedestrian walkway. >> people are darting in and out of this traffic over there. we almost got hit on the way out. >> the doors -- >> tell me about it. >> there's no direction, no signs, no -- directing any traffic. >> very frustrating. got to go to work tomorrow, too. this is not good. >> well, some fans didn't bother waiting for direction or waiting to get out. they took matters into their own hands. driving over curbs to get to the roadways. our crews saw more than one suv driving over the grass and the sidewalk to get out. some fans say they waited as long as three hours to get out of the parking lot. on the flip side, though, fans say they have very smooth sailing. the transit agency says 9,000 people rode the trains out of the stadium area. and on twitter, passengers were complimentary saying it was an orderly scene. football player ray rice is expected to appeal his indefinite suspension from the nfl today. it could be big trouble for league commissioner roger goodell. the league says it suspended rice in part because he lied about what happened in the elevator of an atlantic city casino. rice is expected to say he did not lie about what happened. in fact, he told the league, he says and commissioner goodell, everything that happened in the elevator months ago and admitted to hitting his then fiancee. after that meeting, rice was suspended for two games. now, when video inside the elevator was released by tmz, the baltimore ravens terminated rice's contract and goodell suspended him indefinitely. the commissioner says rice was, quote, ambiguous about what happened in the elevator. today, goodell announced he's hired three senior advisers, all women to shape the nfl's domestic violence and sexual assault policies. goodell was supposed to be at the opening of levi stadium last night but did not show. that did not stop a women's advocacy group to use the game to call for his resignation with the #goodellmustgo. niners dealing with their own controversy. mcdonald was supposed to be in court today to hear accusations. he's not been charged. in fact, the d.a. has postponed that hearing saying he needs more time to review the case. until then, the niners are allowing mcdonald to play. he had two tackles in last night's game. the decision to leave him on the field has led to growing criticism of the team from several high-profile former players and current politicians. before last night's game, lieutenant governor gavin newsom issued this statement saying the 49ers continued insistence on playing ray mcdonald during his investigation is a painful affront to every victim of domestic violence and sends a troubling message to our community. disgraced former supervisor is scheduled to return to a south bay courtroom today. faces charges of false impersonation. he's accused of sending out phoney campaign mailers. he's expected in a courtroom for further trial setting. he has already served jail time for misusing public and campaign funds. >> the two candidates for san jose mayor don't have a ton in common. but turns out, they went to the same high school. and today, they returned to the college for a prep for a forum led by students of their alma mater. live this morning at the school with what happened. good morning, derek. >> reporter: good morning there, scott. the council member and county supervisor dave cortese. back in the '70s, in the '80s, and both thought it was important to come out here and talk to the students despite many of them not being able to vote. >> i think it's important that we engage folks as teenagers to really be involved in the community. >> i certainly learned here that it's all about helping people. and if you do politics that way, i think it's a lot better than any other motivation for it. >> reporter: this was not a debate, rather a forum led by students where surprisingly both candidates had a lot of common ground talking about the importance of addressing human trafficking in our area and allowing illegal immigrants to report crime without fear. the hot topic for this campaign, however, is the current issues going on with the san jose police department and the controversy over the city's pension reforms. that only slightly came up when both candidates talked about homelessness and the fact that it does affect police response in the city. still, both candidates had no problem talking to me about their feelings. saying those reforms went too far and have caused problems keeping officers in the city. council member lecardo saying the city could not afford to not reform. >> we have this other problem with over 400 police officers who have left. and a crime average that's higher than the state of national average. so, you know, we have serious problems when it comes to our crime rate, the frequency of crimes and types of crimes committed out there and all of that needs to be straightened out. >> we lost over 323 officers in this city before pension reform was ever enacted. and we lost all those officers for one reason. because we ran out of money. we had a hiring freeze, we couldn't hire anyone, we had to lay officers off. i don't want to go back to those days. >> and both candidates were asked at one point to say something nice about the other. both said they felt their opponent was in it for the right reasons and wanted to serve the city. back out here live, of course, this being a contentious mayoral election going on where citizens here in san jose, maybe even some of those students in there who turned 18 will be able to vote in november. we're live in san jose, nbc bay area news. >> looks like they did a good job. derek, thank you. running out of places to light up. we'll tell you about a bay area city's plan to snuff out smoking in apartment complexes. and the close call, after encountering a great white shark in the santa cruz area. and we're now seeing clearing skies around san francisco. temperatures still in the 60s for the moment. but as we head through the afternoon, we'll see the highs in the 70s and low 80s. we're tracking cooler changes in the forecast in addition to maybe some midweek showers. a look at that when we come right back. it's the yoplait greek taste-off and we are asking the music city which 100-calorie strawberry greek yogurt is the next big thing. i'm a random lady with a table full of yogurt. want some greek yogurt? can i ask you a question? tell us what tastes best. this one is definitely the winner. that one is good. a is great. yoplait greek 100! that's the stuff right there. you want to see which one yoplait greek beat? chobani yes! yoplait greek wins again. take the taste-off for yourself! it is a beautiful day for yogurt. today, thousands of ferry riders will find out if they will need to find another way to work. set to announce whether they'll go on strike to protest high-rising health care costs. the announcement comes after several meetings ended in a stalemate. the coalition of 13 unions are disputing the terms of a proposed three-year contract. that contract includes an annual 3% wage increase, but the sticking point is that the health care premiums would cost 2% in wages. the coalition includes iron ferry captains, bridge mechanics, steel workers among others. the announcement on whether the strike will happen this week is expected at 4:00 this afternoon. a crackdown on smoking is up for debate in foster city. an ordinance being considered by the city council would ban smoking in apartment complexes and outdoor seating areas at restaurants. the city council has considered these rules before, but this is a proposal with different language to make sure it's consistent with other city ordinances. >> with a single vote today, palo alto city council could approve new punishment for people who waste water. the council is set to vote today on whether to begin fining people and businesses who ignore water restrictions put into place in august. the initial fine would be $100 and would only be issued after three warnings. last week, a city report revealed officials had responded to about 40 reports of people wasting water since those rehave restrictions were put into place. nearly a dozen people are recovering after a deck collapsed at an oakland home. you can see the deck sits about 15 feet below where it once stood. this is on outlook avenue. a small group of friends and family gathering to watch the boxing match on saturday evening, and that's when the deck buckled with no warning. >> we were having a good time, and next thing you know, we were, you know, on the ground. and it was bad because it's like some people landed on some concrete. >> three women were critically injured. those injuries include a broken leg, ankle and broken pelvis. building inspectors will now look at the construction and condition of the deck to try to figure out what caused that collapse. swimming for his life. a surfer is attacked by a 15-foot great white shark. swimming 50 yards from shore saturday evening. he says that's when the shark knocked him off his surf board mid wave. the shark came out of the water, landed on top of his board, he says, splitting it in two and then took a bite out of the board. >> popped into the air probably like 10, 15 feet. and i looked down and saw a shark roll over on my board, and i think took a bite on the way down. >> browning says he was still at the timered to the board, so when the shark began to swim deeper, it pulled him under water for five seconds or so. when the shark finally let go, he was able to get up to the surface. he was not injured in that attack. >> wow. let's check in with rob and the microclimate forecast on this fine morning. >> clear skies around the bay area, including san francisco, but the winds still strongly onshore which is going to help keep places like san francisco likely in the upper 60s to near 70. take a look at our network of stations, courtesy of our partners at the weather underground. you'll notice the numbers here in the 60s and 70s on the west side of the dublin grade. as you head up to the higher hill tops. up by brentwood. now you're already in the upper 70s to low 80s. and you can see some of the reasons why there. the marine layer still pretty shallow. close to 1200 feet thick. yo you can see it there. watch how it disappears as the morning goes on. same perspective around san francisco. and the clouds starting to break away as the drier and warmer air gets mixed down into the marine layer of the skies clear rapidly. the wind's strongly onshore. our temperatures today are going to stay fairly mild. that trend should hold up through about wednesday. this area of low pressure here offshore, we'll see showers moving off to the north of us today. but we'll see more opportunities for showers, probably for places like the sierra, north of lake tahoe. watch out for that, next couple of afternoons. and eventually, more moisture coming to the bay area that could bring us some showers late wednesday into thursday. so mostly mild for now. one of the things we'll have to watch will be this moisture coming up from what will soon be former hurricane odile. still a category 1 storm which will continue to move up the baja peninsula and toss a lot of rain into southern arizona. but some of that may try to get pulled up to the central coast as we head toward wednesday. the chances of september showers will increase. we head towards wednesday as an area of low pressure approaching the coast continues to pull in more moisture from north of hawaii. looks impressive right here. as the system moves a little bit closer wednesday into thursday, looks like most of the action here stays in the north bay. but it's enough to bring us a chance of a few showers. meantime, all that moisture from hurricane odile likely staying in southern california. we hope this pans out. wednesday into thursday. less than 1/10 inch of rain, but it will be something that could possibly wet the ground at times for your thursday morning commute. stay tuned. near 80 degrees today in san jose, saratoga about 86. upper 60s to low 70s around san francisco. and to the north bay, you'll have those highs in the low 80s. and the tri-valley looking pretty comfortable, breezy at times. highs in the mid-80s. and here's a closer look, again, at the chance of perhaps seeing a few showers into thursday. and as the 7-day forecast shows you, friday into next weekend, a warm-up of the temperatures in the tri-valley getting back into the 90s very likely by next saturday and sunday. back to you. >> thank you, rob. well, life lessons from a bay area native who refuse to give up living. the courageous story of a woman living life fully while losing her sight and hearing day by day. what do you do when life throws you lemons? the kind that make your world go dark and all you want to do is to crawl into bed and never surface? it happened to rebecca alexander who grew up here in the bay area. she started to go blind and deaf at the age of 13. and five years after that, she fell from a window, it shattered her body leaving her in a body cast. but that never stopped her from living her life and showing the world when life throws you lemons, you throw them right back. she's the author of her memoir "not fade away." and she's sitting alongside someone who might seem familiar to you, peter alexander and nbc correspondent. thank you so much for joining us, both of you. you're going to be helping us a little bit because, rebecca, you are losing your hearing and it is getting worse. >> i'm losing my hearing. >> you're losing your hearing and it's getting worse, she says. tell her about the state of things. >> well, i was cochlear implanted in my right ear a year ago. and so before i was implanted, i had about, with a hearing aid 20% discrimination. and i was just tested for my annual evaluation and i now have about 92% to 94% discrimination in my right ear. so it's been pretty remarkable to be able to have that. as far as my vision is concerned, if a normally sighted person has 180 degrees, i have just about less than 10. i have more very most central vision. and so far, there's unfortunately, nothing or no cure or treatment for it. >> now, you have been a source of inspiration for a lot of folks in how you have continued to live your life despite what's happening to you. but let's go back to when you were a little girl and you heard you're going to be deaf and you're going to be blind at some point in your life. what was that like as a kid to hear that? >> you know, i think because i was diagnosed with the vision before the hearing, and again, this is more about my memory than the way it actually technically happened. i don't think i understood what it meant. how do you explain to a 12, 13-year-old they're fully sighted but one day they're going to be blind? and so, i think i tried to live my life as normally as anybody else. i was a bit clumsier and it affected my night vision more than anything. but i think later when i was about 19 and i figured out th that -- and finally received the diagnosis i was going blind and deaf, it really sort of sunk in. and it was incredibly overwhelming. >> well, we've mentioned that, you know, people get diagnoses sometimes that make them just want to curl up and die really. but you didn't do that. you did not curl up, and you are charging full force ahead in living your life. what is -- giving you the ability to do that? >> an extreme athlete. you sign now, tell her about what you do now. >> yeah. well, i moved to new york about 12 years ago, it's hard to believe. and i went and got two masters degrees at columbia. and then i went on and became a spin instructor and now i'm a psychotherapist in private practice and i compete in extreme athletic races. i learned sign language when i was in college, i went to the university of michigan. so that was wonderful. and it was never something i would have done if i hadn't had this syndrome. >> wow. give us one bit of advice for the rest of us who maybe hopefully never have a diagnosis like yours but maybe sometimes struggle for inspiration. >> so i don't know that i'm the best person to give advice, but i can tell you what has worked for me. and that is reaching out to reach out and find others who live with the same or similar conditions, whether it's any, you know, terminal illness or debilitating condition. there's a community out there for you. and it's so important to know that you are a part of something bigger that you're not alone. and that would be my biggest suggestion, i think, for others. to reach out to ask for help. it's a difficult thing to do. but it's so imperative in order to be able to live a productive and happy life. >> well, rebecca alexander, i think your brother would agree in saying that you're just being humble. we'll check out your book, as well. "not fade away." thank you so much for joining us, and we're very happy to know that your family here in the bay area is going to get to see you. >> thank you. >> thanks so much. >> appreciate it. >> that was interesting to see, right? you don't know what's going to inspire you. >> wow. wildfires have thousands of firefighters across the state scrambling. we'll take you to the front lines in northern and southern california where many homes are sitting in the fire's path. and hillary clinton returns to hey looking very much like a presidential candidate. find out what she'll need to do differently if she does decide to run in 2016. plus, the royal bash made fit for a king. prince harry throws his own 30th birthday party benefitting charity. and we continue to follow developing news. growing concern over wildfires in california, hundreds of people wondering if their homes are still standing. several wildfires burning at northern and southern california. >> mallory hoff takes us to where many people are being forced to evacuate. >> reporter: as a plume of smoke covers the county, members of a community can't go home. >> number one, the safety of life. >> fire officials provided an update on a fire they say appears to be moving north-northeast away from homes at the south fork of the american river canyon. fire crews say overnight winds have the potential to change that. >> kind of at the mercy of what the weather's going to do. the winds tonight, the temperatures, the relative humidity. as far as a chance for it to jump highway 50, i hate to say this, but your guess is as good as mine. >> a family sat waiting on the side of the road watching the smoke plume rise from a fire burning too close to home. so close, the sheriff deputy told them it was time to evacuate. >> if you want to get out, now is your time. we booked it and we've been sitting here ever since watching the fire. >> reporter: as firefighters battled the blaze from up above, they're preparing to camp out until they can go home. >> and my toys. >> you're worried about them. >> mm-hmm. >> the fire spread quickly. and they left in a hurry not knowing what they would find on their return. >> all we did was grab enough clothes. we didn't even grab her shorts. we grabbed just clothes. i looked at stuff and i just said, get the kids, get the dog -- >> for safety reasons, they're asking people who have been evacuated not to go check on their homes. >> you want to go in and look at your house, please don't ask them to do that because everybody wants to do that. and we're going to hinder the firefighters. and we don't have the resources to do that. >> and meanwhile, crews spent all night battling to contain three other wildfires that have burned at least ten homes in an area still recovering from a previous fire. the largest of the three began yesterday afternoon near bass lake. more than 1,000 people are under evacuation orders. and though some people were allowed to return home, some have no home to return to because this is the same area where the fire burned at least eight homes just last month. so far, the fire has burned more than 300 acres. let's take you to southern california where the news and the front lines of the silverado fire is better. mandatory evacuations were lifted for folks living in the silverado canyon area, that's south of orange county. hundreds of people there had to spend the weekend elsewhere while firefighters protected their homes. it burned about 1,000 acres. crews have got most of it surrounded. mendocino county, two strike teams from the bay area lending a hand on this. this is called the black fire. the fire started late saturday. gusty winds were a big factor in that fire. destroyed three fire trucks and seven buildings. a crew from alameda county and oakland fire left yesterday morning to help. this fire's burned more than 400 acres and is about half contained. the u.s.-led coalition to defeat isis met today in paris. representatives from 30 countries including secretary of state john kerry vowed to fight the extremist group by any means necessary. richard engel has more on the coalition's plan from istanbul. >> the administration is building a war coalition. secretary kerry in paris today. increasingly optimistic that there's now a broad consensus to take military action against isis. the administration's plan is a three-pronged attack. build a coalition, strengthen the iraqi army and syrian rebels. and then, weaken isis with air strikes. isis doesn't seem concerned. in fact, it's goading the world into a fight. releasing a video sunday of the beheading of a british aid worker david haines. his brother michael honored his life. >> my first reaction could be one of hatred. my brother's life wasn't about hatred. it was about love for all men. >> ten arab countries have already pledged support for the u.s. attack plan. and a state department official says some are willing to participate in direct military action. the king of saudi arabia said isis if unchecked could attack the united states in months. some experts say the group's most effective weapons are its thousands of foreign fighters. but not everyone agrees bombing isis is the solution. isis is born of a much larger conflict between shia and sunni muslims. a conflict that u.s.-led air strikes won't resolve. >> this is not a problem of terrorism directed at the u.s. it's a problem of an arab world in total war for religious reasons. >> how much of a threat isis poses to the united states is disputed, so is its size. estimates range from 10,000 to 30,000. >> despite those unanswered questions, this coalition is moving ahead. france says it has flown its first surveillance missions over syria. richard engel, istanbul, turkey. the bodies of two british tourists were found beaten to death in southern thailand. a 24-year-old man and a 23-year-old woman. the man suffering blows to his head, the woman hit in the face, as well. police believe they were killed with a garden tool that was found near the crime scene. police think the tourists traveled separately but met on the island. the island is located on the gulf of thailand, which is a popular diving destination. a powerful typhoon slammed into the northern philippines causing floods and knocking out power. heavy rain along with 81-mile-per-hour winds flooded parts of manila and forced thousands of people to evacuate their homes for temporary shelters. the typhoon made landfall yesterday in isabella province. and there are warnings of flash floods and landslides. nearly 8,000 people headed for shelter higher ground. this storm has moved into the south china sea this morning. hillary clinton returned to iowa sunday for the first time since the 2008 presidential campaign. and she brought her husband along. so many people are asking the question, is she making another run at the white house? andrea mitchell reports. >> hello, iowa! i'm back. >> returning to the state that many say dashed her white house hopes in 2008, hillary clinton came back for an iowa tradition, the harkin steak fry, adding fuel to the speculation that she will run again. >> it is true, i am thinking about it. but -- but for today, that is not why i'm here. i'm here for the steak. >> last time, clinton was tro s trounsed by a freshman senator named barack obama. >> and let me tell you, he sure loves iowa. >> she didn't say she loves iowa. describing her third-place finish in the state's caucuses as excruciating. clinton needs to prove she can run a different kind of campaign say former obama supporters like janet peterson. >> it needs to be more ground up. >> rather than top down? >> yeah. >> this time, clinton organizers say they've learned their lesson. bussing in volunteers from all over the country. >> where are you from? >> california. >> austin, texas. >> clinton knows coming here will make it harder to turn back. >> does it feel great to be back out here? >> it was great. a great day. couldn't have been better. >> her husband is still not making predictions. >> can she do it this time? >> i have nothing to tell you. >> i think i know which way you would -- >> no, you don't. >> you've got like 20 minutes. >> i don't know which way i would vote. >> that's not nice. my husband better vote for me. hillary clinton not expected to make it official until after the new year knowing all too well the risks of being an early front-runner. a photograph found shortly after the september 11th attacks on the world trade center touched off a 13-year-old mystery. and today that mystery is finally solved. elizabeth stringer keefe found this wedding photo. she posted on social media every 9/11, every september 11th trying to find the photo's owner. there was no response until now. fred ma worked in tower two, the photo of his friend's wedding on his desk. fred says everyone in the photo is alive and well. set to meet today to return that wedding photo. princess diana's youngest son and the world's most eligible bachelor celebrated a big birthday today. >> this is how a royal rings in his 30th. >> special thank you to prince harry for putting this together. good job. >> a concert for thousands and a speech. >> i just want to read a short message from granny. >> a message from the queen to 400 wounded warriors invited here to compete. it was prince harry's idea. a huge success. and the start of a legacy. >> slowly starting to feel old. but, no, i don't feel too old. i think i'm always young at heart. >> the little prince once known as the spare to the heir has grown up in front of our eyes. the 12-year-old boy mourning his mother, the teen rebel making headlines for the wrong reasons, the soldier fighting in afghanistan. these days, he's the charming prince promoting charity, an uncle to be for the second time and a little farther down the line of succession. >> great. >> there are rumors prince william and sister-in-law kate planned a birthday bash for harry's 30th. but it was harry who called it off. >> i'm sure he partied with rock stars last night, that's more harry. >> what does the most eligible bachelor in the world want for his birthday? >> he has been looking at his brother's set-up now and thinking that would be quite nice. >> the prince perhaps this year wishing for his princess. >> harry inherits more than $15 million from his mother's estate today on his 30th birthday and there's talk he'd also like a country cottage and a dog. nbc news, london. >> he's really settling down with a dog. >> they always want a dog. the future of driverless cars in the hands of the insurance industry. find out the concerns that are being debated in silicon valley right now. plus, a possible neighborhood development in the south bay is tearing the community apart. we'll look at both sides of that divisive issue. sunshine now in san francisco. highs in the upper 60s close to 70s. san jose not too bad. 80 degrees as we watch cooling and a chance of some midweek showers in the microclimate forecast. a look at that when we come right back. well, happening now, experts say self-driving cars could be on bay area roads in a decade. insurance officials in silicon valley are trying to figure out the best way to cover them. the state insurance commissioner holding an informational hearing at the tech museum in san jose right now to talk about the issues that have come up with robot cars. insurance companies are still trying to figure out how to cover the cars that don't have drivers. asking questions like, if a driverless car gets in an accident, is the car at fault or the person inside? >> speaking of driving, take a spin through the south bay, go through los gatos and you'll see a rare sight. more than 40 acres of undeveloped land. >> but tomorrow, city leaders may approve a major housing village in the open space. maryann favro dives into the polarizing and heated debate. >> this orchard is the last large undeveloped parcel of land in los gatos. and the debate is growing over how the 44 acres known as the north 40 should be developed. for years, the town has been working on the north 40 specific plan, which calls for up to 364 homes to be built on this property along with 580,000 square feet of commercial retail space. if approved, that would mean dozens of people would be forced to move. >> i would rather not have to move, which i would if this went through. when this first came about, they said that the thing they thought was the most important was to maintain the integrity of los gatos. being this is the last big orchard, the orchard is gone, they've compromised the integrity of los gatos. >> but the senior vice president says the north 40 plan will help an underserved population. seniors and young adults just out of college who want to live in los gatos. >> we already mentioned we think there is a need in los gatos for more affordable housing, for the millennials, the empty nesters moving out of larger homes that want to stay in los gatos. >> still, others fear the new housing will add more students to area schools like blossom hill elementary. >> bringing additional students in from a development would definitely have an effect on the school district. the class sizes would be larger, which i would prefer not to see. >> she's also concerned the development will add to traffic congestion in the area. most people agree keeping this an orchard is not likely to happen. >> and that was maryann favro reporting. the town council will discuss the matter tomorrow. well, let's check our weather this morning. good morning. >> good morning. hazy skies, at least right now around san jose, you can see over my shoulder, temperatures in the upper 60s with sunshine now mostly clear around san francisco. low clouds off to the west. and our temperatures here starting to warm up a little bit more. we're seeing 70s out toward the east bay, around the peninsula with the marine layer close to 1200 feet thick. still mid-60s on the santa cruz mountainside. but notice as we get into stanford and menlo park. our weather data from our partners of the weather underground. so things starting to warm up clearing skies. and what's left of the low clouds, starting to break up as some of that drier air moves away the low clouds. if you're going to head out to the beaches today, you will find some sunshine the winds coming in off the water will make things feel chilly at times. mostly mild temperatures. where things will turn interesting, will be later on this week when we're tracking the chance of showers coming in wednesday into thursday. it's a system off to the west that's tapping into tropical moisture here north of hawaii as the system gets closer to the coast during the day wednesday, that's going to increase the clouds. very likely toss at least a few showers. we think, especially across the north bay. meantime, that moisture from what is still hurricane odile likely will stay across parts of southern california. and the latest on that storm, it was category 3. winds of 125 miles per hour as it made landfall around 3:00 a.m. our time this morning. now, 90-mile-per-hour winds and about a category 1 storm, it's going to continue to move up across baja california as long as it stays over land and interacts with those mountain ranges. you're going to see the storm begin to unravel in terms of the wind speed. all that moisture's got to go somewhere and it's going to steer off to the east of los angeles and into the deserts out toward phoenix and tucson. and the rain totals between now and wednesday night, very extreme. we saw that round of flooding around phoenix and tucson and palm springs. courtesy of tropical moisture, we could see a repeat performance. and you could see may pick up another 1 or 2 inches of rain. more of that headed toward the bay area. but for now, all that energy is going to head through the desert southwest. highs near 80s in san jose. los gatos, continuing to see mostly mild temperatures through wednesday and thursday. and as high pressure returns, temperatures will climb on up into the upper 80s as we approach the weekend. and we should see the same trend around san francisco. you'll see the numbers close to 70 degrees and jumping up in the low to mid-70s friday and into the start of next weekend. and north bay highs, comfortable in the mid-80s. pleasanton and livermore, highs and upper 80s today. and that temperature trend staying mild through thursday with a chance of seeing a few showers briefly, especially around santa rosa for thursday and friday and saturday, the 7-day forecast shows highs possibly back in the 90s as we head into the weekend, back to you. >> thank you very much. what do you do when too many people have their heads buried in smartphones. the solution when we return. and an invention created by a california boy all to help families who have loved ones with dementia. and we've got access hollywood live followed by "days of our lives" on nbc bay area. well, a chinese city has come up with a new solution to a growing problem. offering a path for people too engrossed in messaging to watch where they're going. the property manager says the lane is intended to remind people it is dangerous to tweet and text while walking. it's 50 meters long. the pavement marked with two lanes, one that prohibits cell phone use, one that allows pedestrians to use them at their own risk. the property managing company says the idea came from a similar stretch of pavement apparently in washington, d.c. >> who knew? marriott wants guests to leave a little something extra for the hotel help. the hotel chain is placing envelopes in 160,000 rooms this week to encourage guests to leave a tip for the maid. the program is called the envelope please. the hotel chain's ceo is encouraging guests to tip $1 to $5 per night depending on the room rate. and i would encourage that ceo to pay the maids more. >> you can pay the maids more and i've always done that. 5 million americans living with alzheimer's disease. about 60% of them wander at some point. they leave their homes and frightened and disoriented and sometimes get lost. >> it is a problem that's inspired one teenager to find an innovative solution that is getting a lot of attention. here's nbc's joe fryer. >> every day, kenneth makes new memories with a grandfather whose old memories are vanishing. kenneth sings to him the same song his grandpa once taught him. >> what's it like living with your grandfather when he has alzheimer's? >> it's hard. my grandfather lost the capability to eat by himself, walk by himself. >> it first surfaced when kenneth was 4 years old. >> we were woken up by a police officer and knocking on the door. it was, yeah. very real and scary. >> unable to find a device that quickly detects wandering, this curious teenager decided to make his own. >> he wants to help people. he wants to solve problems for people. >> his invention is a sensor, apply pressure and it immediately triggers an alarm on a smartphone that was instant, wasn't it? >> yeah. >> got an internship at the alzheimer's association. he suggested putting a sensor on the sock so it would go off the moment a patient's foot touched the ground. >> incredible for a sock invented by a 15-year-old. >> now, kenneth is testing his technology at a group of assisted living homes called irvine cottages. >> been helping us with a device. >> one of the patients wearing kenneth's socks at night. so far, no false alarms. >> the sensor's discrete. it's a win win for all of us. >> already, earned a science and action award from scientific american magazine. an invention that could some day help millions inspired by one young man's love for his grandfather. nbc news, california. >> wow. that is cool. well, up next, a big national title for a bay area native. we'll be back in a moment. some people think vegetables are boring. but with green giant's delicious seasonings and blends, we just may change their minds. ho ho ho green giant! you say avocado old el paso says... zesty chicken and avocado tacos in our stand 'n stuff tortillas . (record scratch) you say stand n' stuff tortillas old el paso says... start somewhere fresh well, a big congratulations for the new miss america winner. >> it's a three-peat, miss new york. >> miss new york crowned in atlantic city. but despite the new york title, she is a bay area girl. as a teenager, she landed -- well, attended high school in walnut creek. according to the contra costa times, she was student body president and also varsity cheerleader. iffer the talent part of the competition, played red plastic cup to the "happy" song by pharrell williams. >> she played a cup? >> yeah. >> let's check weather with rob. >> seeing sunshine, including san francisco, mid-60s right now, 70 in san jose. should see 70s and 80s inland both today through about wednesday. and then we'll see it, actually a slight chance of some showers, especially for the north bay wednesday night into thursday. >> talent part of the competition. thanks so much for joining us. our next newscast tonight at 5:00. >> the latest information at nbcbayarea.com. have a great day. . >> today on "access hollywood live". wait until you hear charles barkleycly and chris wartier in opposition on the peterson situation. >> beyonce pregnant? i thought they were fighting. i don't know. >> did kendall jenner and more on this. >> martha stewart rips gwynneth paltrow. "access hollywood >> martha stewart rips gwynneth paltrow. "access hollywood live", starts right now >> goodell must go. the banner that feminist group flew over the met life stadium calling for commissioner goodell resignation
IstanbulTurkeyCabo-san-lucasBaja-california-surMexicoBrentwoodCaliforniaUnited-statesAlameda-countyChinaSyriaDublin violence scandals and ray rice gets set to appeal his indefinite suspension. there she is. >> it's a three-peat. >> the title of miss america goes to the empire state for the third year in a row. why people can't stop talking about the winner's talent monday, september 15th, 2014. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with matt lauer and savannah guthrie live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. and good morning. welcome to "today" on monday morning. i'm matt lauer along with hoda ko kotb, al roker. >> hey. >> it's great. how are you? >> excellent. glad to be back. >> you were here last week with kathie lee. we've done this in the past before >> she refused to come back. >> what i love is we do all of this preparation and we have note wees take. and this is what hoda prepares for the show. that is it right there. >> that's all you need. one piece. >> my favorite moment was somebody said frame up on hoda and one of our guys said hoda kotb? like we've got a bunch of them. >> the other one. >> we're happy to have you. also coming up in the next half hour we'll talk with greg norman injured in a chain saw accident. lucky he didn't lose his left hand. we'll talk to him, find out how he is doing. >> hurricane odile lashing the resort area with 125 miles per hour winds overnight. this could bring flash flooding. >> into the southwest especially. odile, category 3 storm. they never had one hit in cabo before so we're watching this. let's look at some of the video. this is folks driving through heavy rain. you can see the winds pushing through. this is before the hurricane hit. then this is the next video we've got is from an nbc audio guy, this is some of his video showing the heavy surf as odile is getting ready to get closer. now there are 30,000 tourists in cabo right now. they are hunkering down in shelters. you're looking at some of this damage. they hunker down, they are pretty safe, however, we've gotten reports that there's a lot of damage and we're going to continue to track this. let's show you where we are right now. there are the folks in shelters. 164 shelters set up currently. right now 65 miles north-northwest of cabo san lucas, 115 miles per hour winds moving north-northwest as it does it hugs the coast. the closer it hugs the worse for the southwest in the united states. you can see it takes this curve heading to the southwest where we've seen flooding from norbert. rainfall amounts generally six to 12 inches of rain, some areas could see 18 inches of rain. that's flash flooding. all this moisture making its way up into the southwest. we could look at from three to five inches of rain over the next 72 to six days. you can see 3 to 5 inches. that doesn't seem like a lot, in this area where we've already seen a lot of moisture from norbert there could be bad flash floods. >> al, thanks. your local forecast in a couple of minutes. the president's plan to take down isis. key allies join the fight. even as that terror group released a new video showing the brutal murder of a british hostage. nbc's chief foreign correspondent richard engel is in istanbul, turkey. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. secretary kerry says dozens of nations are joining a coalition against isis but in many ways bombing isis is the easy part. the hard question which is still unanswered is what happens next? the administration is building a war coalition. secretary kerry in paris today. he is sounding increasingly optimistic there is a broad consensus to take military action against isis. the administration plan is a three-pronged attack. build a coalition, strengthen the iraqi army and syrian rebels, then weaken isis with air strikes. isis doesn't seem concerned. in fact, it is goading the world into a fight releasing a video sunday of the beheading of a british aid worker david hayes. his brother michael honored his life. >> my first reaction could be one of hatred. my brother's life wasn't about hatred. it was about love for all men. >> reporter: ten arab countries pledged support for the u.s. attack plan and a state department official says some are willing to participate in direct military action. the king of saudi arabia said isis if unchecked could attack the united states in months. some experts say the group's most effective weapons are its thousands of foreign fighters. >> with the army it's building inside of iraq and syria it can launch attacks not merely on neighboring countries like saudi arabia and jordan but international targets in europe and the united states. >> reporter: not everyone agrees bombing isis is the solution. isis is born of a much larger conflict between shia and sunni muslims, a conflict that u.s.-led air strikes won't resolve. >> this is not a problem of terrorism directed at the u.s., it's a problem of an arab world in total war for religious reasons. >> reporter: how much of a threat isis poses to the united states is disputed. so is its size. estimates range from 10 to 30,000. also disputed, the long term effectiveness of the administration's plan. despite those unanswered questions as coalition is moving ahead, france said it has flown its first surveillance missions over syria. >> richard engel, thank you very much. >> nfl commissioner roger goodell remains in the hot seat facing more calls to resign as the league deal with a growing number of domestic violence cases. one group flew planes reading goodell must go. peter is here. good morning. >> good morning to you. citing muscle pell sources nbc sport reports that ray rice will appeal his indefinite suspension. there is another game set for tonight and the league is dealing with four high profile domestic abuse cases that are tarnishing the image of an image conscious game. >> he will kick off as the 49ers won the toss. >> with the san francisco 49ers debuting a new billion dollar stadium sunday night. the team stood by ray mcdonald despite being arrested for allegedly beating his pregnant fiancee. he has not been charged with a crime. the nfl's embattled commissioner promised in 2012 he would attend the game but was a no show. nbc news check of the irs filings show the league rewarded goodell with $97 million from 2008-2012. $44 million in 2012 alone. this weekend a reversal by the carolina panthers who benched greg hardy. hardy didn't play but he still got paid $772,000. also out minnesota vikings star adrian peterson accused of injury to a child while disciplining his son. his attorney defended him as a loving fat who deeply regrets unintentionally injuring his child. social media like this image after an ad by cover girl photo shopped on twitter knocking the brand's tag line get your game face on. ray rice who sparked this scandal showed up at his high school football game in suburban new york saturday accompanied by his wife and daughter. among the voices questioning the nfl's integrity in light of the video, espn's hannah storm. >> if the nfl and the ravens had the see that video to be moved to significant action then shouldn't the league demand the same to see action, to see change. before believing. >> the outrage has not received before tonight's game that women's group hired another plane to fly overhead with a banner reading goodell must go. they tell me they will fly more planes next weekend. >> peter, thanks so much. we're going to have more on the adrian peterson case. >> let's turn to politics. hillary clinton returned to iowa sunday for the first time since the 2008 presidential campaign. she brought her husband along so a lot of people asking the question, is she going to make another white house bid? nbc's andrea mitchell was there and joins us. hi, andrea. >> good morning, matt. hillary clinton gave broad hints she is planning to run again. teasing a large crowd of iowa democrats in the first caucus state. >> hello, iowa. i'm back. >> returning to the state that many say dashed her white house hopes in 2008. hillary clinton came back for an iowa tradition, the harkin stack fry adding fuel to the speculation she will run again. >> it is true i am thinking about it. but -- but for today that is not why i'm here. i'm here for the steak. >> last time clinton was trounced by a freshman senator named barack obama. >> let me tell you, he sure loves iowa. >> she didn't say she loves iowa. describing her third place finish in the state's caucuses as excruciating in her new book clinton needs to prove she can run a different kind of campaign. a former obama supporters like senator janice peterson. >> it needs to be more ground up. >> than top down. >> clinton organizers say they learned their lesson. bussing in volunteers from all over the country. >> where are you from? >> california. >> austin, texas. >> washington, d.c. >> clinton knows coming here will make it harder to turn back. >> feel good to be back out here? >> great. it was a great day. couldn't have been better. >> her husband is not making predictions. >> if she wants to can she do it this time? >> i have nothing to say. it's not my decision. >> i think i know which way you would vote. >> no you don't. i don't know which way i would vote. >> so they say. bill clinton is not expected to make it official after the year knowing the political risk of being an early front-runner. >> andrea, nice to see you. >> let's turn to natalie. growing concern over wild fires in california. >> right. good morning. hundreds of people in california are waking up wondering if their home survived new wild fires spreading across the state. and a heat wave isn't making the job easier for firefighters. hally jackson is in silverado, california. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. firefighters here at camp received their morning briefing and are heading out to battle flames carrying heavy equipment with no shade in potentially triple-digit heat. it's the start of another long day for crews here at the silverado fire and beyond. air drops came too late to save this burning building at the courtney fire in central california. but crews hope to keep the flames from spreading today, near one of the gateways to yosemite national park, about 1,000 people have been forced out of their homes here. >> what can you say. what can you do. i'm hoping it's there. i'm praying it's there. it's just too much. it would be too much of a heart to break to lose it. >> reporter: further north residents packed a shelter, just outside smoke billowed from the king fire southwest of tahoe. >> if you want to get out now is the time. >> reporter: flames are threatening 500 homes and torched 2500 acres so far. more than 50 fires are burning in the west right now with no relief in sight. a heat wave and devastating drought have crews battling blistering conditions. >> in the valley we have 100-degree temperatures. >> reporter: the heat smothering the region is making it already dangerous job more difficult. >> what's it like to be in these conditions carrying all of this stuff? >> it's like super hot. the hottest place you've been in and then add another 10, 20 degrees to it. you think you can go faster you're slowing down. >> reporter: there's a concern the wind could pick up today in parts of california. for the heat, firefighters here tell me they are trying to drink plenty of water and take as many breaks as possible but with wild fire season in full swing, crews here still have weeks to go. natalie. >> seems like it's been in full swing all summer long. >> a man hunt is under way for the person who shot two state troopers in pennsylvania friday, killing one and critically wounding the other. police say someone opened fire on the two men outside the barracks in blooming grove during a shift change. troopers set up a check point on sunday, stopping drivers in the search. they also spent part of the day scouring woods. >> they say good things come in threes. >> it's a three-peat. miss new york. >> for the third year in a row miss new york taking the crown in the miss america competition. kira kazantsev received the crown sunday night. in the talent competition she sang "happy" sitting on the stage banging a red plastic cup. you know that routine. snet when i'm gone." >> a whole different thing. break up new york. how about that. a dynasty. >> amazing. three in a row. >> natalie, thank you. mr. roker. >> let's show you what we have going on around the rest of the country today. look for wet weather to the southeast. gorgeous in new england and the northeast. the heat continues, we're going to detail the heat in the southwest and southern california as well. look at all the way into portland oregon, a high of 94 degrees. we'll get to your local forecast in the next 30 seconds. we have some low clouds to start the morning off. to the north bay today, highs in the low 80s. mid 80s closer to polileasanton where we'll see these temperatures throughout the week and then a chance to see stray showers. the numbers warming as high pressure builds in approaching next weekend. weather.3 f2 tiempo. >> thanks so much. carson's here from the orange room. you have information on that photograph from 9/11. >> have you heard the story. touching story about a photo making quite an impression online. elizabeth stringer keith, her friends found this picture at ground zero, gave it to elizabeth, said do something meaningful with it. the past few years every september 11 she has been posting it and writing this. i northeast photo hoping to return to owner found at ground zero world trade center. for the past years maybe she got a couple of comments, retweets, finally this year it went viral and after a day and a half got the return message she has been looking for. i know the people in the picture. i was at that wedding. there's fred, the one on the far left. and he goes on to say it is my picture that was at my desk on the 77th floor tower 2. the picture has been kept safe for the last 13 years. people were following this on twitter. fred didn't go to work that day and confirmed everybody in the photo is alive and well. it was a moving story online that katelynn writes in, so very touched. it's unbelievable what humanity is capable of once we have come together as one. >> love it. >> social media too. how much that caught fire. >> good side of social media. thank you. coming up, golfing legend greg norman recovering from a chain saw accident that could have cost him his left hand. >> plus, a star claiming she was accosted by police and detained for showing her husband affection. first, this is "today" on nbc. her husband affection. first this is "today" on nbc. coming up why a major investor is telling olive guard tune back off the you unlimited bread sticks. no. >> and celebration of friends as the sitcom turns 20. and a peak inside after news and weather. 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[ maa deep ache all over. not you when you're hungry my doctor diagnosed it as fibromyalgia thought to be the result of overactive nerves that cause chronic, widespread pain. lyrica is believed to calm these nerves. i learned lyrica can provide significant relief from fibromyalgia pain. so now, i can do more of what i love. lyrica is not for everyone. it may cause serious allergic reactions or suicidal thoughts or actions. tell your doctor right away if you have these, new or worsening depression, or unusual changes in mood or behavior. or swelling, trouble breathing, rash, hives, blisters, changes in eyesight including blurry vision, muscle pain with fever, or tired feeling. common side effects are dizziness, sleepiness, weight gain and swelling of hands, legs and feet. don't drink alcohol while taking lyrica. don't drive or use machinery until you know how lyrica affects you. those who have had a drug or alcohol problem may be more likely to misuse lyrica. i found answers about fibromyalgia. then i found lyrica. ask your doctor about lyrica today. good morning. 7:26 on your monday. an update to breaking news. some lanes of 880 are both back open after a fiery crash involving a big rig. stephanie chuang has been on this story since it broke. steph, some good news for drivers now. >> reporter: chp reopened a second lane on northbound 880. it is crawling through. southbound lanes all open except for one. we understand it started after 3:00. unclear what started the chain reaction but a big rig crashed through the central divide, ended up in the northbound lane. the driver is at a local hospital. nine injured in all, three critically. two lanes reopened northbound, all but one southbound and everything should be open around 9:30 this morning. >> and now from standstill to a crawl, right, mike? >> it is an improvement. we see the chopper shot just a few feet north of where stephanie is. they reopened the two lanes northbound. just two of your middle lans. and that fire cleared from the area. that will be a while more, maybe another hour we're looking at, maybe more. oakland 830s sourt done, 92 around the san mateo bridge caused a new crash. other than that, relatively light. >> and the sea breeze keeping temperatures in the upper 60s around san francisco, low 80s around the north bay, mid 80s through the tri-valley today and even a slight chance of a few showers, especially in the north bay for thursday. >> so 880 coming back to life. we'll see you again in 25 minutes. . 7:30 now on a 7:30 on a monday morning. there is the sun just coming up in indianapolis. pretty day hopefully on tap there and where you are as well. i'm matt lauer along with hoda kotb, al roker. >> what's making headlinings, hurricane odile made landfall overnight with sustained winds of more than 125 miles an hour. coastal areas were evacuated ahead of the storm and could bring torrential rain to parts of california, arizona and new mexico later on this week. >> new wild fires are raging out of control in california. in all more than 530 homes were evacuated over the weekend including 400 near the resort town of bass lake. >> hillary clinton is stirring speculation she will run for the white house. during an appearance in iowa over the weekend. clinton said she was thinking about it. >> coming up, damaged but not down and out how golfer greg norman describes his current state after he almost cut off his hand. we'll talk to greg and how this happened. >> prince harry is turning 30. we're going to tell you how he marked the occasion and even better, the massive inheritance he is entitled to. it's good to be the prince. >> cha-ching. cha-ching. let's begin this half hour with a troubling complaint against the los angeles police department from an actress who appeared in the movie "django unchained." >> daniel watts claim that an officer mistook her for a prostitute when she was actually with her boyfriend. this morning an investigation is under way but new audio may reveal that there is more to the story. actress danielle watson handcuffed and in tears after police say they were responding to an indecent exposure call on thursday afternoon. watts who had a role in "django unchained" wrote "i was handcuffed and detained by two police officers after refusing to agree that i had done something wrong by showing affection fully clothed in a public place." officials told nbc news that a caller complained that a male and female were engaged in a sexual act with an open door. when police arrived, they located watts and her boyfriend, brian lucas, who they say matched the description. while lucas complied with officers and provided identification, watts refused to show her i.d. and walked away. that's when the couple said officers stopped and cuffed her. overnight tmz posted video unverified of the incident. >> somebody called, which means it gives me the right to be here. gives me the right to identify you. >> do you know how many times i've been called, the cops have been called just for being -- >> who brought up the race card? i said nothing about you being -- >> i have every right to say no. >> the police if they have reasonable suspicion that that person committed a crime could detain that person until they could discover the person's name and identifying information. so, it's a difference between an arrest and detaining someone. >> no arrest was made in this case and police said that upon further investigation it was determined that no crime had been committed. an internal investigation has been launched into this incident. hoda and matt? >> all right, ann, thank you very much. let's take the turn now and get a check of the weather now from al. >> today's weather is brought to you by white house black market and whbm.com, distinctive style. >> well, not only wildfires to worry about in california, we have record heat that's potentially going to be building big massive area of high pressure and excessive heat watches and warnings for much of southern california today. in fact, look at this, los angeles going to see a high of 94, that's 12 degrees above average and san diego at 92. that heat continues and it doesn't really cool off and as we move on into wednesday, more heat, lower humidity. so, fire danger going to be a big problem. we're going to continue to watch this situation. that's . the heat in southern california makes you appreciate the fog and the sea breeze across parts of the bay area this morning. low clouds in san francisco, temperatures in the 50s and 60s as we head toward the afternoon. near 80 in san jose and toward the tri-valley, temperatures staying in the mid 80s, the trend toward the middle part of the week staying fairly cool, a slight chance of showers in the north bay on thursday, warmer for the weekend. . thanks so much. now to more on another troubling case involving an nfl star. minnesota runnings back adrian peterson is out on bail in the wake of child abuse charges. he is accused of using a switch on his young son. craig melvin has the latest on that. >> adrian peterson one of the most proliffic players in the nfl and law enforcement officials say in texas he beat his 4-year-old son with part of a tree branch and now faces charges of injury to a child and reckless and criminal neglect, allegations that are restarting an old debate over corpal punishment. according to law enforcement, adrian peterson's 4-year-old son was left with cut and bruises on his back, buttocks, ankles. peterson admits to using a switch or tree branch to administer what is called a whooping. what his attorney called in a statement the same kind of discipline that peterson experienced himself as a child in east texas. adding, it is important to remember that adrian never intended to harm his son and deeply regrets the unintentional injury. >> i'm from the south. whipping, we do that all the time. every parent in the south is going to be in jail under those circumstances. >> reporter: prompted reaction on both sides of the debate. from forther a former athletes. >> my mom did the best she could, but she was wrong about some of the stuff she did. you can't beat a kid to make them do what they want to do. >> reporter: and from fans like this one who replaced peterson's name on his jersey with a child abuse hotline number. >> there are residual effects in which the ways we were raised and we tend, in a cultural fashion, to gravitate to that which was familiar to us. >> reporter: in 19 states it's actually still legal for teachers and principals to paddle students with much of the divide falling along geographic lines. in a ever state, it's legal to hit a child, as long as the force is reasonable. but what qualifies as reasonable varies from place to place and even murkier is the difference between discipline and abuse. >> the lesson shouldn't be based out of fear, but should be based out of respect. >> again rb i, it's important te that peterson admits he did nothing wrong. depending on race and culture, geography, as we just saw there. but i remember the folks that we talked to, you look at the charges here. if these charges are accurate, it's hard to see how this would be considered discipline. >> look at the photos. >> look at what charles barkley said about sort of blanketing african-american southern parents. >> you leave marks and break the skin on a 4-year-old. >> that goes beyond corporal punishment. >> acknowledged that he may have gone too far. >> all right, thanks a lot. coming up on trending, was it a mistake or intentional. the popular retailer facing a backlash after this vintage kent state sweatshirt. a close call with a chain saw over the weekend that nearly cost greg n nearly cost golfer greg norman his hand. he will tell us about it in a live interview right after this. . no mirrors. everyday they wash with dove beauty bar but can only feel what's happening. on the seventh day beautiful skin is revealed. dove is different. with one quarter moisturizing cream it helps skin feel more firm and elastic. really want to feel the difference? take the dove 7 day test. introducing the leggings studio. more looks than you can imagine. only at white house black market. right here. with a control pad that can read your handwriting, a wide-screen multimedia center, and a head-up display for enhanced driver focus. all inside a newly redesigned cabin of unrivaled style and comfort. ♪ the all-new c-class. at the very touch point of performance and innovation. ♪ sfx: ambient park noise,oint crane engine, music begins.tion. we asked people a question, how much money do you have in your pocket right now? i have $40, $53, $21, do you think the money in your pocket could make an impact on something as big as your retirement? not a chance. i don't think so. it's hard to imagine how something so small can help with something so big. but if you start putting that towards your retirement every week and let it grow over time, for twenty to thirty years, that retirement challenge sfx: crowd cheering might not seem so big after all. ♪ he loves me, he loves me not he loves me, he loves me not he loves me! warm and flaky in fifteen... everyone loves pillsbury grands. make dinner pop. ♪ ♪ introducing made to matter, handpicked by target. exclusive innovations from brands that truly care about how things are made. only at target. carmax is the best place to start your car search.e, great for frank, who's quite particular... russian jazz funk? next to swedish hip hop. when he knows what he wants... - thank you. do you have himalayan toad lilies? spotted, or speckled? speckled. yes. he has to have it. a cubist still life of rye bread... sold. it's perfect. which is why we'll ship a canary yellow jeep with leather seats from dallas to burbank if it's the one frank wants. carmax. start here. 7:42 now. we're back with the battle over one of the country's most popular restaurants, olive garden. blasting the chain in a nearly 300-page document ripping everything from the service to those unlimited breadsticks. kristen dahlgren is outside olive garden here in manhattan. good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, matt. who knew there was such a thing as too many bread stisticks, ri? this major investor in olive garden thinks so, the investor group ripped into the company for everything from soggy salads to tasteless pasta, unlimited soup, salad and breadsticks. >> reporter: olive garden may be known for never-ending salad and all you can eat breadsticks. >> it's delicious. the food is really good. >> reporter: a major investor says what the restaurants really has are endless problems. a hedge fund, starboard value, now trying to take over for its parent company lays out its criticism in a 300-page manifesto. it calls the salad over dressed and often wasted. it compares the breadsticks to hot dog buns, saying servers dole out too many that are never eaten. it claims not enough alcohol is served to push profits and in what would be a dangerous insult to hurl at most italian cooks, it calls the pasta mushy and unappealing. >> an italian restaurant when they say your pasta is terrible, they might as well say we're not even italian. >> reporter: darden restaurants, which owns olive garden along with other chains, like longhorn steakhouse and capital grill say it will carefully review its menu and many of the brand and cost optimization statgys are will be being implemented. darden told investors it was getting back to basics and urged them to vote against starboard's takeover bid. outside olive garden, the chain still has some customers with unlimited loyalty. >> the pasta dishes, all of it is really good. >> the overall experience at olive garden was a plus. and i'm an english teacher, so i know my grades. >> reporter: the question really is, do they have enough of those loyal customers? shareholders vote is next month to see which side will control the board and, matt, what will happen to those unlimited breadstick. >> kristen, thank you very much. unscientific survey here at the desk -- >> we like the breadstick. >> love them. >> warm, delicious and garlicky. >> and in a pinch you can use them to entertain the kids and make lincoln logs. >> there were so many. coming up, could we be any happier? "friends" turns 20, complete with the real-life central perk. we'll take you inside for a sneak peek. and celebratie ining two medium cappuccinos! let's show 'em what a breakfast with whole grain fiber can do. one coffee with room, one large mocha latte, medium macchiato, a light hot chocolate hold the whip, two espressos. make one a double. she's full and focused. [ barista ] i have two cappuccinos, one coffee with room, one large mocha latte, a medium macchiato, a light hot chocolate hold the whip, and two espressos -- one with a double shot. heh, heh. that's not the coffee talkin'. [ female announcer ] start your day with kellogg's frosted mini wheats cereal. with whole wheat goodness on one side and a hint of sweetness on the other, it's a delicious way to get the nutrition you want. over three generations have taught us so is my family. it's a delicious way about growing the best tasting fruit. our grapes ripen on the vine so that the flavors can fully develop. and only the most experienced hands harvest them to bring quality fruit to your table. that's why we work with walmart... ... together we guarantee you only get the freshest grapes available. backed by their 100% money-back guarantee. picked by farmers. guaranteed by us. ♪ a mint flavor that hointensifies as you chew.. 5 ascent gum. stimulate your senses. ♪ this is a woman hesitating on a life-changing decision. at university of phoenix, we know going back to school is a big decision. that's why we offer students new to college a risk-free period, so you can commit to your education with confidence. get started at phoenix.edu 7:48. we're back with a very frightening moment over the weekend for hall of fame golfer greg norman. he is recovering from surgery after injuring his left hand after working with a chainsaw. we'll talk to greg in a few minutes. first a closer look at what happened. greg norman, seen in a picture he posted days ago was cutting trees at his south florida home when he says he was cut by the chainsaw he was using, barely missing an artery. on saturday, norman posted this photo on instagram, seen recovering from the hospital with a message, always be respectful of the unexpected. i was one lucky man today. damaged, but not down and out. still have left hand. norman is one of golf's most recognizable figures. in 2001, he was inducted into the world golf hall of fame and he often dominated the sport in the '80s and early '90s. despite the accident, his sense of humor is shown intact. seen with protective covering all over his bandaged left handwriting thank you for all your concern and good wishes and continuing. at least i can still play tennis. greg is on the phone with us now. greg, how are you doing? >> hey, good morning, matt. pretty good, my friend. pretty good. yeah, an interesting saturday afternoon, to say the least. >> yeah. i mean, you were using this chainsaw, you described it to me on the phone yesterday. you went to grab a limb with with your left hand but the blade or the chain was still running and you were holding it in your right hand. what happened? >> exactly. i was just about finished trimming the trees. i love doing it. i do awe a lot of chainsawing at my ranch in colorado. ta's not like i'm a rookie with this thing but it started to fall straight down instead of falling away from me and i went to grab the limb with my left hand and i took my chainsaw in my right hand, took my finger off the trigger. the weight of the limb was heavier than i anticipated, so as i was pulling the chainsaw away, the limb came, took my arm right down on top of the blade and i could feel it just crunch on threw and said oh, this is not a good situation. >> this hit you like where your watch -- that part of your arm? >> yeah, exactly. just about where you would have your watch on your left hand. i was very, very lucky, you know. number one, the blade was slowing down. number two, i missed my main artery and tendon by micromillimeters. my first phone call is to my wife, kiki, get a towel and tourniquet and meet me in the backyard. she said what's wrong? i said nothing. then i called my son and said get here and get me to the hospital. and i called my doctor friend, call the e.r., i'm going to be there in 15 minutes. i just had a chainsaw accident. >> they patched you up. greg, you told me something interesting. while you were ready to do this, get the saw and gas and oil, you had a premonition about this? >> i did, matt. it was actually very, very scary. not scary, i suppose, but spooky in a way. i was putting my chainsaw on the back of my cart to go down there and do it and this feeling came over me and said something bad is going to happen. and i paused and i said, no, you know what? let's just take our time. i'm a very positive guy. so i said, no, let's just play out through this. lo and behold, moral of the story is trust your premonition. if i ever have that feeling again, i'm not going to be doing what i'm supposed to be doing. >> i guess i don't get strokes on the golf course anymore, but heal well and we'll talk to you soon, okay? >> thanks, matt. >> take care. >> ♪ ♪ altuzarra for target available september 14th. it's not every day that you find yourself at the corner of "a little flu shot" and "a world of difference." when you get any immunization at walgreens, you'll help provide a lifesaving vaccine to a child in a developing country through the un foundation's shot@life campaign. thanks to customers like you, last year we helped supply three million vaccines to children in need. this year, help give even more. it's easy at walgreens. simply get a shot. and give a shot. at the corner of happy and healthy. in the country. we operate just like a city, and that takes a lot of energy. we use natural gas throughout the airport - for heating the entire terminal, generating electricity on-site, and fueling hundreds of vehicles. we're very focused on reducing our environmental impact. and natural gas is a big part of that commitment. introducing the leggings studio. more looks than you can imagine. only at white house black market. suddenly you're a mouthbreather. well, put on a breathe right strip and instantly open your nose up to 38% more than cold medicines alone. so you can breathe and sleep. shut your mouth and sleep right. breathe right. you're watching "today in the bay." good morning, i'm sam brock with an upday now the. a story we've brought to you all morning long. intersaturday -- interstate 880 in san leandro, self lanes are open now. several hours ago all lanes if both directions were closed for hours this morning. traffic backed up and snarled. it all started when an suv t-boned a big rig, causing that truck to crash into the divider. at least two helicopters had to land on the interstation to take the victims to local hospitals. nine were injured and three of them critically. we'll bring you updates as soon as we get them 37. >> i have a piece of video that looked very much like what happened earlier today. let me just take you, northbound we have three of the five lanes open now. look how jammed you are through san mateo. and the traffic shows you the traffic is jammed weekend. what do you have? >> we have low clouds and to the north bay we'll see highs in the low 80s. mid 80s toward the tri-valley. sam? >> we'll have an update for you in 25 minutes. see you then. shopping a new way. start maximizing at the place where you always get more than you pay for. t.j.maxx. brands you love, prices that work for you. you deserve it. maxx life at t.j.maxx. ♪ it's 8:00 on "today." coming up, making sense of it all. >> i need to do everything i can to make up for my loss. it was like a way of fighting back. >> the young woman living life stronger than ever despite her daily battle to keep her sight and hearing. still friends, we celebrate 20 years of that hit sitcom with a fresh take on a familiar place. and this girl is on fire. ♪ this girl is on fire >> grammy winner alicia keys is here to talk motherhood, music and to perform live "today," monday, september 15th, 2014. ♪ >> visiting from mississippi. >> hi, hoda. so excited you're co-hosting today. all i want to do is have a glass of wine with you. >> our 2-year-old back in georgia. >> sisters-in-laws having fun. >> it's my 13th birthday! we're back now, 8:00 on a monday morning. it's the 15th day of september, 2014. i'm matt lauer, alongside hoda kotb, who is here, while savannah continues on maternity leave. we're joined by carson daly and al roker as well. happy monday, everybody. >> bright and early with you guys. getting the hang of it. >> none the worse for wear. you wake up early, come into the studio and one of the things you get to see is alicia keys rehearsing before a performance. out here on the plaza right now, shaking hands with some friends. >> selfies. >> giving a lot of hugs. she's due pretty soon, huh? >> besides everything else, she's here to celebrate the first anniversary of the orange room. >> we're going to blow it out tomorrow, stream live on today.com a big one-year anniversary orange room party tomorrow. take the cameras behind the scenes. you can vote on the concepts for the show. go to today.com and choose that. it's going to be awesome. we'll have musical surprise guests, webcast going on. join in on the celebration. send pictures if you're inspired by orange using the #orange all that and more on "today" tomorrow. >> any more hints? >> food. >> sold millions. >> by the way, my favorite orange room moment was go sleeveless and show us the guns. >> yeah. >> love that. let's head inside and get the top stories from natalie. >> good morning to you guys once again. thousands of tourists took cover overnight as the strongest hurricane to ever hit mexico's baja peninsula made rainfall, hurricane odile came on shore with 125-mile-an-hour winds. tourists spend the night in emergency shelters. it could bring heavy rain and flooding to the american southwest. stopping isis is gaining new momentum this morning. secretary kerry is in paris, where they are plotting a unified strategy. surveillance flights. stoked further outrage by releasing video of british aid worker david haines. the king of saudi arabia warned that isis could attack the u.s. in a matter of months if not stopped. pressure is growing on nfl commissioner roger goodell. he was a no-show sunday night in san francisco, even though he promised two years ago to attend the opening game at the 49ers new stadium. and a women's advocacy group hired planes to fly over stadiums before several games with anti-goodell banners. mean meantime, ray rice, suspended indefinitely, only after incriminating video has surfaced, is planning to appeal his video today. britain's prince harry marking a milestone today, his 30th birthday. where has time gone? kelly cobiella is at kensington palace to show us how the fourth in line is celebrating. good morning. >> reporter: big, lavish dinner parties for harry's 30th, but the truth is harry was playing host to athletes and rock stars. this is how a royal rings in his 30s. >> special thank you to prince harry for putting this together. good job. >> reporter: concert for thousands and a speech. >> i just want to read a short message from granny. >> reporter: a message from the queen to 400 wounded warriors invited here to compete. it was prince harry's idea, a huge success, and the start of a legacy. >> but, no, i don't feel too old. i think i'm always young at heart. >> the little prince, once known as the spare to the heir, the boy mourning his mother, the teen making headlines for all the wrong reasons. today a prince hosting charities. >> prince william and sister-in-law kate planned a birthday bash but it was harry who called it off. >> i'm sure he partied with rock stars last night. that's more harry. >> reporter: what does the most eligible bachelor in the world want? >> i think he has been look at his brother's setup now and thinking that could be quite nice. i'm 30 now. i wouldn't mind settling down. >> reporter: the prince perhaps this year wishing for his princess. harry inherits more than $15 million from his mother's estate today. and there's talk that he would also like a country cottage and a dog. natalie? >> all right. whatever prince harry wants, he can get. kelly cobiella, thank you, at kensington palace. another check of the weather once again with al. >> announcer: "today's" weather is brought to you by jimmy dean. it's not just for breakfast anymore. shine on. i smell -- i smell pringles! somebody's got pringles from racine, wisconsin. oh, yeah. what kind is this? >> wisconsin with cranberries. >> have you ever seen a kringle, folks? i'm here to tell you, it's just the best thing going. >> let me help you out. >> it's the kringle, baby! like the cracken, only tastes much better. oh, it's a cringle. odile, 40 miles west of la paz. it is going to make its way up along the california big is your as we watch this thing make its way inland. a lot of wet weather into the southwest. in fact, between now and friday, we could see up to three to six inches of rain. a lot of it within a few hours. we are watching for flash flooding. the rest of the country today, look for rain in the southeast. beautiful day here in the northeast and new england. plenty of sunshine. 86 in seattle today. 94 in portland. the cringle. that's what's going on around the country. here's what's h san jose right now, overcast skies, some patches of low clouds into the santa clara valley. we'll see temperatures later on close to 80 in san jose. mid-80s south of downtown. mostly the 60s to near 70 closer to san francisco today. low 70s near oakland. and for the north bay, highs in the low 80s. mid-80s for the tri-valley, and the temperature trend through about thursday, slight chance of seeing some showers, too, especially the north bay on thursday and then skies clear into friday and temperatures warm up again heading into next weekend. and that's your latest weather. we are planning for spectacular weather sunday, september 21st for the boston marathon's jimmy fund walk. >> friends from the jimmy fund right over there. >> posse. >> yeah. >> they're a lot of fun. up next on trending, from reservations bringing your kids thing to things you probably shouldn't do at a restaurant. can you believe it's been 20 years since "friends" took us by storm? we'll head inside the central perk and see why the tv phenomenon remains as popular as ever? >> jada a chico's jacket makes a statement -- your statement. fabulous. glamorous. fun-loving. one-of-a-kind. because you have stories to tell. what's your cover story? at chico's and chicos.com. (coffee being poured into a cup.) ♪ save your coffee from the artificial stuff. switch to truvia. great tasting, zero-calorie sweetness from the stevia leaf. are missing out on the milgood things in milk.icans but your small donation will get milk to their local food banks. you'll fill glasses with milk and hearts with hope. donate now at milklife.com/give sweets become salaries. an oven heats up a community la cocina, a small kitchen that kick-starts the careers of 41 entrepreneurs. they bring the talent. we help fund the tools. it's a small way we help that's been huge for the community. little by little we can do a lot. because... small is huge. visit www.wellsfargo.com to see how big small can be. my son is going to wash the family prius. he insisted on using the rain to save water. fourteen years ago, i insisted on buying our first prius. because like toyota, we both know there's a way to do things, and a way to do things even better. the prius. toyota, let's go places. we're back with 8:12 that's trending today. urban outfitters is causing a stir with a new clothing item. according to the urban outfitters website this morning, the now sold-out shirt is a vintage kent state sweatshirt with red splotches that are reminiscent of blood stains. it seems to be in very poor taste, considering the four college students that were killed on the kent state campus on may 4th, 1970, during protests of the vietnam war. >> and this is not the first time urban outfitters have faced backlash with a clothing item, including a depression shirt later pulled from shelves. we reached out for comment but haven't heard back. it's so horrible. you might think some of the kids buying don't remember kent state, they don't remember -- >> they didn't know anything. no link between the two events. >> right. >> they shouldn't have the opportunity because it shouldn't be on the shelves. whoever looked at this -- >> here is a great idea. let's do that. >> no. >> not a good one. we put the kids to bed, get back to work as usual. >> does candy crush count as work? >> in your case, yes. that's research. good news is that that may not be such a bad thing. if you have the choice and decided to logon to make for maybe an easier day tomorrow, your work/life balance may be less impacted. some employees may use these late-night log ins with a trade-off to leave early and finish up that project a little later on that night. however, be warned. looking at e-mail without saying before you go to bed can keep you up later because of the glow of the life but also it gets you going, gets your brain going. >> sometimes i'll be lying in bed and hear the iphone buzz and it's different than deliberately logging on. i'll reach over, say maybe it's important. >> but you're in a unique position. >> always have to kind of be on. >> i figure they'll call if it's really important but to hear a buzzing iphone, you pick it up and then you're done. >> a rule on our show is we don't read anything. >> hasn't hurt you. >> so, you go to a restaurant. bon apetite is out with a list of what not to do at a restaurant. first of all, don't be late. call ahead. you may wouldn't to lie, it's harmless. you're not fooling everybody, because everybody else got there on time. i guess traffic wasn't a problem for them. don't wear out the welcome. if you're sit tlg an hour after you finish your meal and your server comes in packajamas, you know that you probably have been there a little bit too long. it's time to get up and take the party to another location. >> you know you've been there too long when the waiter comes over and tries to do the table cloth trick. >> get out. >> think twice about bringing your -- i did this last night. just because a baby is allowed in restaurants doesn't necessarily mean you should bring them. if you do, give them a courtesy call and say, hey, we're bringing our baby. they said could you put that baby a little further under the table? this is a high-traffic area right here. >> safety tip. >> this one is for you, hoda. don't get intoxicate zblud know what? that was unnecessary. >> tell kathie lee, know your limit. the tequila shots, save those for the dive bar. >> that's not true either. hoda comes drunk to begin with. >> you know what? >> you have two weeks of this. >> all right. and that is what's trending today. meantime, can you believe it's been 20 years since "friends" debuted here on nbc? lifestyle and fitness correspondent, first day at school, jenna wolfe, has made her way to a place that fans of the show will recognize. what are you brewing up? >> oh, hey, good morning, hoda. i'm just going to play a little diddy for you this morning. it's cold here in new york. i thought i would warm you up. it's a complicated song. so bear with me. here we go. ♪ smelly cat smelly cat what are they feeding you ♪ >> perfect. perfect. >> here is the -- thank you. thank you very much. that took all morning to rehearse. we are at central perk. it's a corner coffee shop for six 20 somethings in the late '90s who had so-so jobs but lived in amazing apartments. we'll figure that one out later. it's a replica of central perk. if you were a fan of the show "friends," this is a place to come to. props, memorabilia, scenes on the wall, pictures, everything to relive the show. next month starting wednesday, these guys will be giving away free coffee to celebrate the 20th anniversary -- thanks, gunther, of one of the most popular shows of all time. it all started here, six friends, a runaway bride and a cup of joe. >> can i get you some coffee? >> decaf. >> friends, the sitcom that dominated and helped define the '90s. for a decade, we lived with rachel, ross, chandler, phoebe, monica and joey, as they sang -- ♪ i don't need your charity thank you. >> joked. >> could i be more sorry? >> and joey'd. >> how you doin'? >> how you doin'? >> their way into pop culture history. central to their world? the coffee-scented cocoon of central perk. >> i know! >> the hang out with the orange couch. of course, guchlt nther. >> so i guess rachel had your baby. >> yep. can you believe it? >> nope. >> it's been ten years since "friends" said farewell, but it still strikes a chord in popular culture. >> what is this? what is this? >> this is an exact replica of the kitchen. >> even though they all moved on to other things. >> i can't believe i'm going to be 41 on saturday. >> how can they do this? you're joey. >> right? >> i'm telling you, this could be the san diego zoo. >> we all remember where they started. >> would anybody like more coffee? >> of course we would. >> so, if today, but some chance, if this isn't your day, your month or even your year, this is the place to be, right here at central perk. i am joined by gunther. believe it or not, that's not his name in real life. james, thanks for being here. you can talk now. >> okay. thanks for having me. >> i know you didn't say that much in the ten years. does this bring back memories for you? >> surreal. it looks pretty close. it's bigger than our set. >> bigger? >> yes. >> that's interesting. >> i want you to take a walk over here with me. i heard an interesting story. you only had an opportunity to sit on this iconic orange couch one time, is that right? >> yeah. it was an episode where -- >> have a seat. >> -- phoebe had a cold. so, she had a really raspy voice and wanted her sexy voice back. she lost her cold but gunther caught her cold. she recaught her cold by kissing gunther on this couch. >> highlight for you? >> it actually was. >> i'm sure it was. were these guys friends on the air and off the air as well? >> they were, a tight-knit group. >> you had a good time with these guys? >> fantastic. ten unforgettable years. >> that's so great. so glad to have you here. for the next month, gunther will be here at some point. you can come down to central perk, relive this entire experience. >> our bowl of coffee here. >> i have a fly doing the backstroke in here. >> we should donate our orange couch to that place. up from our extended family. we're back in 15 seconds. family time to go back to peter alexander. a two-fer from peter today. he has a personal and inspiring story to share. >> i'm so proud to share my sister's story today, one of the funniest and most caring people you will ever meet. she's also my best friend. her world is rapidly changing because of a cruel disorder that's causing her to go blind and deaf. to me, becky is the true face of courage. >> don't stop, rebecca. let's go. >> this is my sister, rebecca, 35 now and the most impressive person i know. >> faster. >> reporter: looking at her, you would have no idea she has a disability. >> can you see my hands right here? >> yeah. >> can you see my hands right here? >> no. >> when becky was only 13, she was diagnosed with a rare and devastating genetic disorder called usher syndrome type three. >> it finally hit you in college, i'm going to lose my vision and hearing, go blind and deaf. what does learning that feel like? >> i felt like as soon as i got that diagnosis, well, i need to do everything i can to make up for my loss. it was like my way of fighting back. >> becky is fearless. a tornado of energy. she is an extreme athlete, leaving the rest of us in her dust. >> pick up your speed! >> with her hearing almost gone, last year becky received a cochlear implant, surgically implanted electronic device that provides a sense of sound. >> your outfit is so much cuter than mine. >> only becky passes the time before major surgery like this. i came to see her the day before she got the implant. as you like to joke to me, i'm getting a hole in my head. as i come to terms with this, even as a brother, this is the last time i'll ever look at you without a device on you. do you know what i mean? >> yeah. >> which for me is hard, too. >> yeah. >> does that worry you, in the way people will view you? i'm sorry i'm crying. i love you so much. >> it's nice to know that the people around you do care and have an emotional response to it. >> now a year and a half later, becky hears much better but her vision is limited to this like she's looking through a straw and that window is closing. still, my sister remains upbeat and undeterred. >> it's incredible how in the last, you know, 15 years, how much my life has changed. and it's actually better. i mean, it's funny that i could have a lot less vision and a lot less hearing and be a lot happier. >> and rebecca alexander is with us now. her story is told in the new book "not fade away: a memoir of senses lost and found." peter, good morning to you again. becky, good morning. you said i'm happier now than i was before i got this diagnosis. and i think a lot of people watching say how can that be so? why are you happier now? >> i think when i first got this diagnosis, i was incredibly overwhelmed with the idea of going deaf and blind. and it was all i could think about. and it made me not want to live my life. and, you know, in hopes of not sounding dramatic, i thought i would rather die than be deaf and blind. now in coming to terms with what i have, and being out there and being so much more comfortable with myself, it's made a world of a difference. and i think that more importantly, we focus on so much on all the things we don't have rather than what we do have. and to be so grateful for what i do have now and what i still can use. >> i'm sitting here, listening to you and i'm thinking amy van dyke, who i talked to a few months ago, there are people who find a way to inspire others despite the challenges they are facing. peter, not to embarrass your sister because she's sitting right here, is it in the dna, is there something in her childhood that prepared her for this? what do you think? >> i'm glad it's becky, not me. i don't think i could deal with it. she is beyond impressive. she's blessed to have family that loves her, friends that embrace her. beyond that, the message she has taught us and that i've been inspired by, the people in the community that may feel alone and she's taught them they are not alone and others share those challenges. >> socially, in terms of a social life, you're single. when it comes to dating, is it hard to explain to someone you might want to date or who might want to date you that you do have this challenge facing you? >> you know, there's good things and bad things of social media and the internet. now, as soon as someone knows my first and last name they can google me. the first thing that comes up is deaf, blind. if we make it past that round i probably have a better chance of moving further with it. but, yeah, who wants to have all of their kind of, you know, stuff out there? and we all have something. >> let's be very clear. it's not a question of you moving past the next round. if anybody gets my sister first they have to get through some family members. >> you have a pretty strong wing man over here. >> they will be playing way out of their range. >> the book is " good morning to you. it's 8:26. the flames are now out after an early morning playground fire. it's a fire that started at hill view park at the intersection near capital expressway. fire crews finished mopping up within the last hour or so. right now, the extent of the damage is unclear. but the cause of the fire is still under investigation. meanwhile, another big traffic snarl, a big accident on highway 880. let's go to mike with the latest on that. >> we'll take you over here. first, i want to show you the big crash on the peninsula and we'll give you the update. 101 northbound, there's a big crash going on. not a big crash, a big slowdown. a dog reported running around the freeway. first on the southbound, then on the northbound side. there was an earlier crash just north of the area in toward menlo park, as well, causing more traffic jamming up, adding to the congestion coming off the dunbarton bridge. after an earlier north at hillsdale, as well. from the oakland side where we had a big backup, again, as chris talked about northbound, still had two lanes blocked, north 880 at washington. a residual from the early morning crash continues there, chris. back to you. >> thank you very much, mike. more local news coming up for you in half an hour. ♪ ♪ let's talk about your love israel let's talk nigeria and the mass h hysteria ♪ >> that's a nice image, alicia keys and jada pinkett smith. we get to talk to both of those extremely talented ladies "today," monday, september 15th, 2014. natalie morales, hoda kotb, carson daly and al roker. >> new york before there was batman before there was cat woman before the riddler, the joker. she plays a sneaky, evil character in "gotham." i'll talk to her in a bit. >> alicia keys who has won 15 gr grammys. we'll get a performance from alicia. >> such a great message behind it. she'll tell us how she came up with it. the best of beauty products for under, get this, 30 bucks. >> linda wells there. first, mr. roker, how about a check of the weather? >> first of all for today, we've got a lot of wet weather through the southeast, gulf coast, rain in the upper great lakes, western third of the country going to be very toasty. exception being san francisco. tomorrow, we're going to be watching remnants of odile making its way toward the southwest. the heat continues in southern california. 94 in l.a. cooling down a bit, the pacific northwest. looking at a few scattered showers some low clouds around for this morning. kind of a mild start to the week ahead. those temperatures will hold steady probably through the middle part of the week with the upper 60s out toward san francisco. and 80s closer to saratoga and los gatos. we'll see those numbers warming for the second half of the week as the high pressure begins to build in. highs today in the north bay. mid-80s out toward the tri-valley. and the interesting part of the forecast toward thursday, slight chance of seeing a few showers, especially for the north bay. and seeing those temperatures warming up as we finish the week. that's your latest weather. got north dakota sisters over there! all right. now let's go back inside. >> announcer: small acts, big impact on "today" is brought to you by wells fargo. together, we'll go far. al, thanks so much. guys, quickly, do you know somebody who is helping to make their community better, somebody who does volunteer work at their local hospital or help out the neighbors in time of need or goes above and beyond to help out others? if you do, we want to hear about it. nominate them for our small alcohols, big impact contest sponsored by wells fargo. submit your nominee. you have until thursday. your generous friend could win a trip here to new york to tell their story on the plaza. hoda? >> all right, carson, thanks so much. jada pinkett smith co-stars in one of the most anticipated shows of the fall season. it's a batman prequel and it's called "gotham." take a look. >> where have you been? >> where haven't i been? >> who is the friend? >> detective james gordon, ma'am. >> well, aren't you a cool glass of milk? >> ma'am, was that screaming we heard back there? >> yes. my boys are watching a scary movie. >> really? >> no. actually, one of my staff has been stealing money from me, so we're beating his punk [ bleep ]. >> hello. jada pinkett smith, good morning, girl. >> good morning. >> we've got to set the stage. first of all, i'm terrified of your character. >> good. >> she is scary but she's also a seductress. >> yes. >> you can't figure out whether she's going to devour you. >> devour you. >> kill you, love you. >> exactly. >> tell us about your character in this. >> she's part of the mob world of gotham which really hasn't been explored yet. you'll get to see how all the mob bosses kind of work together during this time of gotham. >> this is before there was batman? >> this is before. >> before the riddler, the joker, all of them. >> this is the beginning. this is the origin of how batman came to be, the joker, riddler and catwoman came to be. >> your character, tell us a little bit about her. who did you take from to come up with this woman? >> you know, it's interesting. i did a combination of griselle deblanco, pretty notorious female gangster. she was pretty bad in a, you know, gangster way and norman desmond from "sunset boulevard." >> that's a good combo. >> yeah. >> you look like you're having fun playing this role. >> i'm having a blast. i am having so much fun i get paid to play evil. that's awesome. >> were you always into batman and that whole genre before this? >> yes. always. always loved batman. the thing i love about this particular project, i've always been intrigued with with gotham, right? even as a fan to come on board and get to know more about gotham and how gotham came to be and about the city itself, i was really excited about it. >> what about the red in the hair, where did that -- >> that's just her signature. >> little style? >> it's red with -- it's usually pretty spiky. it was just to remind you, you know, what these nails can do. >> having a flashback from the show. you're so hot and fashionable. i saw you a little bit at fashion week. >> yes. >> that was so much fun. you went with your mom, whose also a looker. >> thank you. >> your mom is gorgeous. we might have a picture of the two of you. that was us before. that was a great show. >> there's my mommy. >> who is that? >> that's my mommy. >> no, it's not. may i ask how old your mom is or she doesn't like you to say? >> she's 60. >> she looks -- >> amazing. >> gorgeous. >> i told her she better pass that to me, i swear. >> what's your relationship with like with your mom? >> she's my best friend, as you can see. she's a young mom so we're like sisters. we always have been. >> does she watch all of your projects? what will she think of "gotham"? >> she's going to love "gotham." she loves movies, loves television. she named me after one of her favorite soap opera star. >> she did? >> yes, she did. my mother loves hollywood. >> jada, you are so sweet. thank you for coming to see us. >> thank you for having me. >> "gotham" deday bus ne-- debut friday. and a performance from our ♪ at kaiser permanente, everything you need is under one roof. another way care and coverage together makes life easier. okay, a little easier. become a member of kaiser permanente. because together, we thrive. ♪ welcome back to "today." thousands of new beauty products come out every year. how in the world do you know which ones are the right ones for you and which ones are worth the price? our friends at allure did the work for us. linda wells, the magazine's editor in chief is here. how are you? >> i'm really well. >> i love how you break it down. there's nothing more intimidating than walking in a store and seeing thousands of products. i'm going to get my little shopping basket. why not kill two bird with his one stone? >> do shop. >> this is the $10 table. >> the winning mascara is revlon bold lacquer. black shiny fibers. dove makes a great dry shampoo. >> how often should you use it? >> once every three days. it comes out clear. it isn't powdery. it's a really good one. if you want to have a crazy hair color, garnier color styler. you put it on with your finger and it washes out in three -- if you wash it three times, it's gone. >> blues, pinks and purples? >> let me just get one of those. hold on. don't leave me. >> for $20. >> this is a maybelline nudes palette. every single one day, night, weekend, all skin colors. >> this is my palette, by the way. really good one. >> olay and cover girl came together to make this under eye concealer that has skin benefits to make skin depuff and under eye circles get better over time. and this neutrogena sun screen changed my life, my summer. put it on like deodorant. and it goes on. it's not sticky, it's not messy. it's not white. it's perfect. >> is this something you should be using all year round anyway, right? >> spf 70. you may not need that every day but it's a really good one if you're going to be out in the sun. >> so far i spent almost no money. >> that's good. >> getting a little more expensive, the $30 table. what items did you find for 30? >> l'oreal age perfect face oil, put it on under moisturizer or makeup. it smells so good. it has eight essential oils and it is beautiful. face oils are a big thing right now. >> people who like to look dewy, but not oily -- >> it's not too dewy. you look really dewy at the beginning and then it gets right in there. >> by l'oreal. >> clinique makes these blushers, dot them on your cheek and rub them in. it looks like carayons. >> just for cheeks, not for lips, right? >> everything we do to our hair ruins it, the sun, the heat. and this is a deep conditioning mask. you can put it on. it takes five minutes. you suddenly have this beautiful shiny hair. >> linda, these are the breakthroughs. >> this is jergens bb cream for the body. not enough to make it look like you have to put it on carefully. it gives you a perfect looking body. >> look at all the wild color. >> gel manicures you can use at home. you don't need to have a salon. they last two weeks. no special equipment. >> they're safe? >> they're safe. >> is that it? >> that's it. >> wait a minute. let me get these. i'll take that color. lindha great. excellent. you can find all of these on our website if you want to go through them all again. good news. guess who is coming up. alicia keys will be singing a song the first time with us. back with 15-time alicia keys, best selling author, philanthropist back with a brand new single called "we are here." i love the message of this song and the questions it makes you ask yourself. thanks for being back. >> good to be here. >> you're expect iing your seco child in december. how are you feeling? >> i'm feeling so good. i have to say, really strong and also inspired. >> you have a son, egypt, who will will be 4 at the time of this new arrival. is he excited or is he like that boy in the video that says it's exasperating. >> i saw that little boy. >> egypt is cool? >> he's cool. >> why are we here? why are we on the planet? what's your answer? >> it startd with the conversation i had that that question was asked to me. that really opened up a whole conversation and dialogue and with the backdrop of everything that's going on in the world and that frustration that we all are feeling as people, what can we do about it? we all have a voice. how can it be used ? i really want this song to be the dialogue that starts to ask ourselves, why are we here? what are we here to do? >> you are asking people to go on twitter and complete the line. jimmy fallon wrote i'm here to help you forget your problems for an hour and also i'm here to valet park brian williams car. you answer this question how? >> for you. we are here for all of us, to be here for each other. >> you meant for me in the general sense. i was going to say, that's the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me. are you going to sing it for us now? >> i will. >> ladies and gentlemen, alicia keys. ♪ ♪ we are here we are here for all of us we are here for all of us that's why we are here why we are here we are here ♪ ♪ bombs over baghdad tryin' to get something we ain't never had let's start with a good dad so real but it's so sad and while we burnin' this incents we're gonna pray for the innocent cause right now it don't make sense right now it don't make sense ♪ ♪ let's talk about chi town let's talk about gaza let's talk about let's talk about israel try now with israel let's talk about let's talk nigeria in a mass hysteria yeah our souls are brought together so that we could love each other brother ♪ ♪ we are here we are here for all of us we are here for all of us that's why we are here why we are here we are here ♪ ♪ no guns made in harlem but yet crime is a problem he wanna shine they wanna rob him single mother where they come from how we gonna save the nation with no support for education cause right now it don't make sense right now it don't make sense ♪ ♪ let's talk about our part my heart touch your heart let's talk about let's talk about living had enough of dying not what we all about let's do more giving do more forgiving yeah our souls are brought together so that we could love each other sister ♪ ♪ we are here we are here for all of us we are here for all of us that's why we are here why we are here we are here ♪ ♪ oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, ♪ ♪ we are here we are here for all of us we are here for all of us that's why we are here why we are here ♪ >> alicia keys. aleisurea thank you very much. she'll be back in our next hour to talk about this great project. remember, #we are here. we'll be back in a moment. this is "today" on nbc. >> beautiful. love that song. >> we get to listen to alicia keys and now she joins us. you asked us to do the why i am here. >> raise healthy, happy children. >> beautiful. >> i wrote to laugh and love. >> that's nice. >> we'll get you some cards. >> you're going to get a lot of response on this. >> people are just so responsive to this. they want to talk about why they're here. they want to think about it. a lot of people have said man, i never even thought about that. >> so true. >> isn't it nice when you can make music that gets people singing and dancing, but also gets them to think? >> thinking. >> it is the biggest blessing. i think that's what so much of us as artists work so hard to do, is come up with something that connects all of us, you know, in that way. >> you do that so well, though. that line in the song, you need to give and forgive, the way that you work your poetry with your words offers that inspiration to us as fans. >> just the positivity makes such a difference. >> thank you. >> we'll be back at 9:00. alicia, you're sticking around? >> oh, yeah! >> there's more. >> she should be back in prime time on nbc as an adviser on "the voice" this year, which we're thrilled to have. how was that experience? >> really fun. really fun. and those talents, really talents. really good. >> alicia, thank you so much for joining us. we have a few birthday wishes coming from willard scott. ♪ new york new york what a heck of a crowd ♪ you guys are beautiful. beautiful. st. charles, missouri, on the old mississippi. alyce gould is 100 years old today. we wish her a very happy birthday. tilly auerbach, 100 years old today. she swims and does the yoga bear. hey, boo boo. yoga is big with older folks. they love it. this is clifford lee, 108 years old, strawberry plains, tennessee. clifford lea from tennessee. mechanic and farmer. that is his trade. eating strawberries is his past time. and marvin fisher. how about old marv? 100 years old today, philadelphia, pennsylvania. what does he say makes him young? a daily shot of crown royal. for those of you who don't know, that's a town. that's it, folks. we sing, we dance, we have fun. so do they in new york. here they are. >> yes, we do, willard. thanks so much. much more with alicia keys in our next hour. first, a loo good morning, a few minutes before 9:00. with a single vote today, palo alto city council could approve new punishment for people who waste water. the council is set to vote on whether to begin fining people and businesses $100 if they ignore water restrictions put into place in august. meteorologist rob mayeda is here with a look at your forecast. >> close to 80 in san jose, upper 60s closer to san francisco. and notice the temperatures in the north bay, low 80s. mid 80s out toward the tri-valley. and the numbers actually staying mild through about wednesday and a slight chance. we could see a few showers, especially for the north bay. come thursday before those numbers rebound approaching the weekend. we'll have another local news update coming your way in 30 minutes. here's an idea. start shopping a new way. start maximizing. at the place where you always get more than you pay for. t.j.maxx. brands you love, prices that work for you. maxx style. maxx savings. keep you standards high and your spending low. fashion, family, home. maxx what matters most to you. maxx life at t.j.maxx. >> announcer: from nbc from nbc news this is "today's" take with al roker, natalie moralous, willie geist and tamron hall. live from studio 1-a in rockefeller plaza. >> good crowd outside. welcome to "today" on this monday morning, september 15th, 2014. i'm natalie moralous along with tamron hall, al roker. we had alicia keys in here. >> she's going to be coming up. >> she's going to come talk to us a little bit more about her new song, we are here and the great message behind it. we're all encouraged to get on social media and #weareallhere. >> and new baby on the way. >> baby. >> threw her husband an epic birthday party last week. >> that's -- >> i've got to find out how she planned is the coming to america theme party with you know the movie with eddie murphy. >> we'll talk to her about all of that. >> mean time the nfl, boy, just when you thought it couldn't get any worse we've got this story to talk about, as well. the vikings star adrian peterson has been deactivated from the team. he's accused of beating his 4-year-old son with part of a tree branch, a switch. now this happened while the boy was visiting him in may. peterson is facing charges of injury to a child and reckless and criminal negligence. negligence. peterson admits that he used this switch on the child. he said he gave the boy, in a text, a whooping. >> quote. >> as he called it. and his attorney said it was the same kind of discipline that peterson himself had experienced as a child growing up in texas. his attorney also saying, quote, it's important to remember that adrian never intended to harm his son and deeply regrets the unintentional injury. >> you look at the pictures, which we are not going to show. >> yes, we are not going to show. >> they are so deeply disturbing. >> bruising, welting, broken skin. >> blood. >> throughout the legs, buttocks, his back. i mean, there's one thing to discipline your child. it's another thing to?-- >> yeah, injure. >> injury your child. >> that's a weapon. you go out and you get a stick, switch, and whatever you want to call it, that's a weapon. >> yeah. >> that you're using on a 4-year-old child. and it was, according to the reports, over an altercation that the child had with a sibling over a video game. >> it's a 4-year-old. >> it's a 4-year-old. and then you say, this is how i was raised. that is the lamest excuse. >> charles barkley tried to, you know, move that forward yesterday saying that if you arrested him you'd have to arrest every black parent in the south. not true. >> not at all. >> not at all. so, you know, it really is -- just a really disturbing situation. and yet there are those who say well, it may go to culture or how you were raised or whatever. but you don't continue, if, in fact, you were, you don't continue that. >> maya angelou says you do better when you know better. surely by now adrian peterson, a young man who has been exposed to a lot of things, i would think, but apparently not, would know that you don't beat a child where that child is bleeding, and can you imagine the shared custody here with the child. the child goes back home to his mother in minnesota, and she starts to unpack his things, and then -- >> she got a text message saying -- >> it's one thing to get the text message. it's another thing to see it. so she's there with her child. and now there are scars all over his little body. it's -- >> it's tough. >> unbelievable. >> there fact to the point chris carter yesterday gave a just a really raw emotional speech about his own childhood on espn's "sunday's nfl countdown." i mean so moving. take a look at this. >> my mom did the best job she could do, raising seven kids by herself. but there are thousands of things that i have learned since then that my mom was wrong. >> yes. thank you. >> this is the 21st century. my mom was wrong. she did the best she could but she was wrong about some of that stuff she taught me. and i promised my kids i won't teach that mess to them. you can't beat a kid to make them do what they want to do. >> that's correct. thank you. >> thousands of things we have learned since then. and now we're to the point, the only thing i'm proud about is the team that i played for, they did the right thing. >> yes. >> take him off the field! >> i was on my feet when i saw this, clapping for him. i'm happy as a man he spoke up, as a black man. because again there are people who were hiding behind culture with this. that he took that stand, was absolutely -- and i've always been a fan of chris. he's a super good guy. but that was powerful. >> it really was. no matter who you were. you were moved by that. >> that was from the heart. >> absolutely. >> there's a generational question. i know how many of us got hit or -- or you know, but nothing to that extent. >> no. >> again --. >> smack in the butt, that's a legitimate conversation as to whether your child is running out in the middle of the street, you grab them to get their attention, swat on the behind. that's a legitimate -- some people i had a conversation with a friend who has a daughter who is now 19. she said i never touched my daughter, never spanked my daughter ever. i said that's your journey and you can have that conversation. but a weapon, a switch, stick -- >> i could probably count twice my dad may have used the belt, the belt. but never broken the skin. it was a couple of swacks. and it was more the idea of it. >> absolutely. >> and my dad whenever he went for the belt it was the same thing. like i can count maybe three or four times. but at the same time, i can remember those incidents, and the fear that i had. and i don't want my kids -- >> you would never -- >> no, i don't. i have on occasion swatted my own son once because he ran out in front of a -- >> sure, we've all done that. >> in front of a car. so to teach him a lesson. >> in 19 states it's legal in school to paddle? >> they have the paddling in school. >> we talked about this before. my growing up, my school had a paddle with the holes in it. >> oh, yeah. >> perfectly fine. >> it was either the ruler or the paddle. >> times have changed. >> different time. >> my principal, who was a nun, had a paddle that said the rule of law. rule of law. and that was considered -- you know. >> words. you can teach so much more using your word. >> people are going to say what was wrong with that? you know what? you're never going to change minds. >> still can't convince people to wear a seat belt. there are always outliers but i hope renal minds who say that this child and saw the photographs and know that it was a switch not a swat, not the circumstances you've described, i cannot imagine reasonable minds look at a 4-year-old child and say, that's okay. because you can't -- it's a 4-year-old child. you can't say no more video games, go to your room? there's no way to manipulate a child? you're supposed to be the smarter person in addition to being the bigger person. physically. another thing that's caught our eye! we pass with the cover girl? >> greg norman. >> this morning on with matt after a crazy accident with norman over the weekafter a cra norman over the weekend. very close -- i actually saw the pictures online yesterday. had no idea the extent of these injuries. he was injured with a chainsaw accident while working at his florida home t barely missed an artery. this morning he is recovering from surgery. greg called in earlier and told us he had a premonition -- this is so spooky. he had a premonition about this accident. take a listen. >> this feeling came over me and i said something bad is going to happen and i paused and i said, no, you know what? let's just take our time. everything is going to -- i'm a very positive guy. i said oh, no, let's just play out through this and the moral of the story, trust your premonition. if i ever have that feeling again i'm not going to be doing whatever i'm supposed to be doing. >> he is an experienced chainsaw user. >> and you would think very careful, after having that premonition. >> i am so deathly afraid of chainsaws because i've seen them kick back with people, you know. it just -- for him to have that happen, somebody who makes their living, basically, using their hands. >> i have to tell you, my husband once -- >> premonition is crazy. >> yeah. i was going to say, my husband, i went out to the backyard at our house in connecticut and he's out there with the chainsaw on, the motor is going and he's trying to put the chain back on because it came off. i. >> what? >> i was like, are you crazy? thank god i caught him in time. i was like, turn that thing off. >> and that is why you -- >> not smart. >> but that's not a premonition. >> what gets me, have you ever had that feeling, should i go left, should i go right? >> all the time but then i wouldn't go anywhere. i can't go anywhere today. i have a premonition it's going to be a bad day at work. >> natalie has a lot of talk going on in her head. >> that's what i sound like, little voices in my head. >> that sounds like elmo. you're not elmo in your head. >> ventriloquist. >> voices in your head. miss new york, kira kazantsev won the miss america pageant last night. three-peat for new york. she performed that song "happy." remember, from "pitch perfect," she was fantastic. >> let's listen. ♪ clap along if you feel like happiness is the truth clap along ♪ >> amazing. >> you don't have to have a talent? >> that's a talent, to sing and do that at the same time. >> that was her point behind doing it with the cups. >> the performance that caught some people by -- miss ohio's mckenzie bart performed with a ventriloquist dummy. al has a thing for ventriloqu t ventriloquist, they sang supercalifragilist supercalifragilistic- expialidocious. ♪ supercalifragilistic e- expialidocious ♪ >> wants to take my job. >> could she do the weather with her -- >> sure she can. come on in. miss ohio, miss bart, come on over to the show. we would love to have you here. >> actually good. >> you know what it's like to work with a dummy. >> i wasn't going to say it. >> i know. that's why i thought i would say it. i don't know who the contestant was. she was playing piano and the fun fact came up, she was attacked by a cheetah in zambia. >> what? >> that's a fun fact? >> that's a fun fact. >> you've got to be kidding me. >> attacked by a cheetah. no, i don't think so. i think it was in a hotel. >> oh, my gosh. >> escape a situation like that. >> ridiculous. >> all right, mr. roker. >> all right. anyway, let's show you what we've got going on. we've got a big hurricane that's affecting mexico, odile, 40 miles west of la paz, mexico. category 2 storm moving northwest. it will hug the coast all weekend -- i should say week long on into tuesday. wednesday it makes a turn and the gulf of california and starts to head toward the southwest. that will bring a lot of rain to mexico, obviously. anywhere from seven to 12 inches of rain, as much as 18 inches as well. but as that system makes its way in -- look at all this moisture starting to push its way into southeastern california into arizona and new mexico. we're going to be looking not quite like we saw last week with norbert but we could see anywhere from three to five inches of rain and locally two to three inches in a few hours, which could cause major flash and we're seeing hazy sunshine right now in san jose on our way to near 80 degrees this afternoon, mid-80s south of downtown. upper 60s closer to san francisco. and for the north bay, highs today in the low 80s, mid 80s out toward the tri-valley. and oakland, about 72 degrees. these mild temperatures should stick around through about wednesday. notice the slight chance of seeing a few showers early on thursday and high pressure builds in and temperatures will climb up in the mid-80s on friday. and likely low 90s come next weekend in the tri-valley. our producer, adam miller, who watches pageants constantly, say she was robbed. >> the ventriloquist? >> yes. >> we love miss new york, too. >> we do. >> but we want miss ohio to do the weather. >> our producer, adam miller, is from ohio. so, this is a dream come true for him. she may wear her tiara. >> she's going to be here tomorrow, we hope. anyway, coming up next, if there were ever a girl on fire, you all know it's 15-time grammy winner alicia keys. all know it's 15-time grammy winner alicia keys. she has the answer to treating your dog's fleas and ticks is staring you right in the face. nexgard, from the makers of frontline® plus. it's the only soft, beef-flavored 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"fallen" which alicia wrote and produced. >> 13 years later, the 15-time grammy award winner is out with her newest single. we love this. "we are here," spreading an important message. ♪ let's do more giving do more forgiving yeah our souls are brought together so that we could love each other sister we are here ♪ >> thanks for being here. >> thanks for having me. i'm really appreciating y'all support and good energy. >> has it seemed like it's flown by for you as much as it has for us? >> definitely flown by. everything is a new chance, opportunity. i felt like i haven't even really gotten started, to be honest. >> you really have -- it seems like every time we hear you sing, there's always a powerful message behind t i think more so with this song. what inspired you to write the words? >> this song absolutely more than ever have i started to really recognize my purpose and desire to really probe deeper, to find out what it is that we're all going through. i think we're all going through so much. specifically with this song "we are here" like i said before it was a question asked of me. someone said to me why are you here? no one asked me that question before. i started throwing that question to everybody that i came in contact with. what came back was so powerful, the backdrop of everything that's going on in the world, all of us, we just feel -- some of us are frustrated. some of us feel afraid, concerned. we all want to know what we can personally do. this song gives us the opportunity to have that dialogue to talk about what are we here to do for each other? what are we here to offer? i think that dialogue starting alone in ourselves begins the bigger conversation of how we can start to -- >> you mentioned in answer to your al's question, energy. you have a zen. pregnant with your second child. you even asked your son why he was here. his answer was so good, to be a superhero. >> so good, huh? you can say anything that you're feeling. to be a superhero is incredible inside your own self, to find your super human powers and give them. that's a beautiful statement. >> you talk about your son, egypt. you have a baby on the way. has that, in a sense, changed you and the music you make? not that you have to have a child to have the feelings you have. >> no. >> but that it really has changed how you do what you do? >> it has. i mean, it has changed. just because as a mother you start feeling things on a way -- just a level -- i think you start feeling a fierceness, even a more empathetic energy. i've always been an empathetic energy. i've always related to what we've gone through as a humanity. when you start seeing your kids in the mix, what they're going to grow up in, what they're going to be part of or how they're going to change it, you get fiercer about it. >> speaking of fierce, your husband's birthday party, before we go, coming to america. i think we have a picture of t how did you plan this? we want to do this for al's 61st. this is the birthday party. that's alicia in the gown. how long did it take? >> actually, it didn't take that long. the vision was clear. it's one of his favorite films. whose isn't? it's so great to have a good time. >> who had to get all the feathers? alicia keys #we are here. >> we all wrote -- >> hold ours up as we go into the break. #we are here. >> we're back right after ♪ vivofit. gently reminds you to get moving. join the movement. ♪ shield, sneeze, swish ♪ this back to school, there's a new routine ♪ [ female announcer ] kleenex tissues are thick and absorbent. in this lab demo, they help stop moisture better than the leading competitor's everyday tissue. pick some up today. better than the leading competitor's everyday tissue. i let him know everyen i find a time i save a dollar. every time. now there is a tool made for you. introducing savings catcher from walmart. it compares prices to top stores in your area. no more driving all over town. if there's a lower advertised price, walmart will give you the difference on an e-gift card. oh! money! every penny counts! yep! try the savings catcher for yourself. go to walmart.com/savingscatcher and enter your receipt. save money. live better. walmart. righabreva can heal itcold sore, in as few as two and a half days when used at the first sign. without it, the virus spreads from cell to cell. abreva penetrates deep, and starts to work immediately to block the virus and protect healthy cells. you could heal your cold sore fast, as fast as two and a half days when used at the first sign. learn more at abreva.com mara: don't tough it out, knock it out fast. with abreva. if it doesn't work fast... you're on to the next thing. neutrogena® rapid wrinkle repair has the fastest retinol formula to visibly reduce fine lines and wrinkles in just one week. neutrogena®. to visibly reduce fine lines and wrinkles in just one week. mom usually throws a gogurt in there. well mom's not here today so we're doing things dad's way. which means i get... two. (singing) snack time and lunch. (singing) snack time and lunch. gogurt because lunch needs some fun. taking a look at the headlines, president obama plans to boost u.s. efforts in the ebola outbreak. is he expected to unveil the plan tomorrow. among the possible moves, sending additional portable hospitals along with doctors and health care experts and providing medical supplies. a new study reveals antibiotics are overprescribed for kids and teens but it can be difficult for doctors to tell when they are needed. researchers looked at a decade of data and found over 57% of patients were prescribed an antibiotic but it estimated 27% of the illnesses were actually bacterial. experts say there is currently no good solution to the problem. except for strep throat there are no tests to determine if an illness is bacterial or viral. if you're hoping to get your hands on the new iphone 6 plus phone this week, a record number of orders for the bigger iphone is straining supplies. apple's website says a wait time for iphone 6 plus will be up to a month. although you can still get the smaller iphone 6 delivered this friday, verizon, at&t and sprint are showing shipment dpla dela to six weeks on the plus. "no good deed" thriller brought in $24.5 million this weekend, dolphin tale 2 was second and guardians of the galaxy in the top three. second and guardians of the galaxy in the top three. at the dannon creamery,er we've put a fresh twist on classic desserts. making them all new, any day treats. starting with cheesecakes, reinvented using thick and creamy traditional greek yogurt. then delicately topped with delicious fruit sauces. the twist? less than 200 calories. new dannon creamery desserts. cause life's better with a twist. ♪ dannon! also try our dannon creamery pudding range. ifyou may be muddlingble withrough allergies.nger... try zyrtec® for powerful allergy relief. and zyrtec® is different than claritin. because it starts working faster on the first day you take it. zyrtec®. muddle no more™. good morning, 9:26 right now. i'm kris sanchez. new details on that 880 crash that crippled the morning commute. chp says the suv that caused the crash lost control and hit a guardrail. the big rig, which was carrying construction equipment then tried to swerve out of the way and ended up smashing into the center divide. this is new video of the big rig getting ready to be towed away. we were originally told the suv t-boned the big rig causing that crash. at least ten vehicles got caught up in that snarl and one caught fire as you can see right there. nine people were hurt, three of them in critical condition. at one point, all lanes in both directions were shut down, but right now, all but one northbound lane is open again. today, thousands of ferry riders will find out if they will soon need to find another way to work. golden gate bridge unions are set to announce whether they'll go on strike to protest rising health care costs. the unions are disputing the terms of a proposed three-year contract which comes with a nearly 3% raise. the sticking point, the health care premiums that would cost 2% in wages. the coalition includes iron ferry captains, bridge mechanics and steel workers among others. and we have a look at weather and traffic coming up after the break. welcome back. starting to see sunny breaks from the clouds there around san francisco where afternoon temperatures closer to the upper 60s today. all-day sea breeze near 80 in san jose. notice the tri-valley, those temperatures in the mid-80s. and we're going to see this mild trend take us through the middle part of the week. and even a slight chance of seeing a few showers there on thursday, then high pressure builds in and our temperatures climb as we approach next weekend. with an eye on your morning commute, here's mike. >> slow commute on both sides of the bay, rob. we're looking at 101 through palo alto, northbound, up toward menlo park. we have a slower drive. my maps, we'll show you. an issue reported, a signal problem. off of 101, tying up traffic on the southbound side. and it's tying up traffic, perhaps, getting off the northbound side. that's the pattern we see. meanwhile, across the bay, we still have a slower drive as chris told you. all but one northbound lane are open. but that's still enough to be a big distraction. north from basically union city. the commute starting to ease off a bit. well, the traffic flowing a little bit better, but it's still slow there as well as the tri-valley. >> thank you very much, mike. more local news coming up for you in half an hour. welcome back to "today" on a monday morning, september 15th, 2014. i'm natalie morales, along with tamron hall and al roker. willie is taking a long weekend. how many of us text and walk? i've done it. i've come close to smacking into a pillar. >> you haven't learned yet? >> it gets in my way. it just happens. you know it can be dangerous, of course. take a look at what a chinese city is doing. they have separate cell phone lanes for pedestrians, as you see. there's a stretch of sidewalk with signs in chinese and english, warning citizens to walk in the proper lane. >> if they're texting they probably don't know. >> i love the idea. >> i think it's a good idea. >> i consider my body to be a vehicle since i don't have a car. when i'm walking down the street i'm like, let me pull over and text so i don't have any signals but -- >> the person that they wrote, those lyrics -- >> like a cadillac. thank you, al. >> here is the thing -- >> he wasn't even going there. >> oh, no, he was. >> oh, i was. >> exactly. >> here is the thing. there's bad behavior, so let's encourage it. >> no. let's find rules and order. >> but it's not everywhere. so people are going to -- they're just encouraging -- just don't walk and text. >> yeah, but -- >> come on. >> you know what? >> you go walk and text. >> don't trip over the cord. >> or the camera. >> that's not funny. >> it's not the best thing to do. >> no. >> oh, ow! >> your physical humor is so wrong, al. >> it is. >> anyway, as we look at "today" -- ah! >> great. look what we've started. >> showers through the gulf coast. wet weather through the great lakes today. beautiful day in the northeast. look for a gorgeous day, if you like heat in the pacific northwest, 94 in portland today. same as in los angeles. how crazy is that? as we look toward tomorrow, we'll see plenty of sunshine again throughout the northeast. although, a few hit or miss showers, northern new england, wet weather along the gulf. we'll be watching what happens to odile and the moisture that comes out of that. hundred degrees and we're going to see temperatures running a bit more mild inland over the next few days. highs eventually in the mid-80s, closer to saratoga and los gatos, the trend holding steady through about thursday. then the numbers warming up as we approach friday. about the same trend, too, for the peninsula. and san francisco, we'll see temperatures in the upper 60s to near 70. warmer heading towards next weekend. one thing to watch, though, middle part of the week, more clouds start to spill in. that's going to keep our temperatures down, but also bring a slight chance of a few light showers especially in the north bay for thursday. >> and that's your latest weather. >> little bruised? >> i'm okay. >> good? >> you know zachary quinto from his leading roles in "star trek" and "american horror story." but for his latest project he stepped behind the camera. >> zachary served as mentor to a pair of young filmmakers vying to win $250,000. zachary is here with us. good morning. good to see you. >> good morning. >> you were a little impressed with al's physical humor there. >> that was really -- >> is it worth the $250,000 prize? >> no. he's talented but not that talented. >> you're the judge. because this is your idea. this show is amazing. it's not a reality show. it's a documentary series. it's a great idea. what inspired it for you? >> we were approached by chris moore, the creator of the show, who also created project greenlight a few years ago. i was drawn to it for a number of reasons. it's set in my hometown of pittsburgh, p.a. i have a big soft spot for pittsburgh. and i love the concept, giving two first-time feature directors an opportunity to navigate the road of directing their first feature with the same parameters and the same source material and seeing what each of them does with it. i'm a huge supporter of first-time filmmakers. it had a lot of components that spoke to me personally and creatively and my company ecos. it was cool to be involve friday the beginning. >> you really take this producer role very much to heart, as we hear you say. being back home in pittsburgh, what was that like? >> i mean going home, and then going home and bringing jobs to the city, and utilizing the amazing architechitecture of thy and supporting that. the people of pittsburgh are so incredible. it was a huge draw for me to be able to go home in that capacity with something that i believe in and i'm really excited about was even more exciting. yeah. >> the last part of batman was shot there. >> a lot of stuff. >> doing this series, you have been a producer, but has this inspired you to maybe start directing? >> it does. i've got to be honest. watching how each of these directors evolved through the process and being privy to that experience from that perspective, i've been on a lot of sets and certainly have been around enough. to see first-time directors do it, it was pretty inspiring. i definitely want to direct. just need to find the right story. >> al roker, comedy story. compare him to chevy chase. al roker to chevy. >> oh, i knew that -- >> talk about shane and anna, the two filmmakers? >> he has been at it for a while. and shane is a more traditional filmmaker in that she studied screen writing and has her degree in screen writing and has worked a lot on feature projects and film projects. so they come from very different backgrounds. you see that, i think, as you watch them deal with the different obstacles and challenges. how each of them handles it. the tone of each of their films is drastically different. the most interesting thing about the show for me is that it comes from the same original script. so, they were each able to do a rewrite of it and make whatever movie they want. there's a lot of overlap and things about each of the stories that are the same. the voice of the filmmaker is the thing that ultimately determines the journey of the film that gets made. >> the whole premise. it's amazing. got to ask you about "star trek" any new news? >> well, you know, on the horizon. >> nicely put. on the horizon. i have a feeling we'll be back in production sometime in the next six months. >> nice franchise. you guys do such a good job. anthony quinto -- or zachary quinto, thank you. anthony -- anthony --! >> airing now on starz. up next hollywood's number one bachelor, george clooney, gets ready to tie the knot. do we have wedding details? 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♪ we at alcon believe you can. introducing new air optix® colors prescription contact lenses. its unique 3-in-1 color technology blends with your own eye color for a naturally beautiful look with comfort all month long. ♪ virtually try on your perfect color and get a free trial offer at airoptixcolors.com. let's say you're planning on grabbing mexican food at lunch. we want you to make smarter choices. >> some of your favorite dishes pack more than 1,000 calories. here to help us figure out what's healthier, registered dietician and contributing nutrition editor, cynthia seth. we are going to plant our little flags. >> we want to make it clear here, we are not saying either of these are good for you or you should order them -- >> what's the lesser evil? >> beef burrito or taco salad? >> do we know what's in the burrito? >> cheese, beef. >> i'm going to go with the taco. >> one and one here. and the actual answer is the burrito. do you know what kills you? fried taco shell. that's the killer right there. that alone can have at least 400 calorie. >> sour cream. >> if you ate all of this, you would save 200 calories and eight grams of fat. >> shell makes a difference? >> huge difference. >> i did not know that. >> this is a tricky one. chicken pad thai and lo mein. which is the healthier of the two options? >> place say pad thai because i eat it at least once a week. >> unfortunately, this one. the lo mein. it generally has more vegetables, lower calorie sauce, less oil in it. this is a difference of about 450 calories and 55 grams of carbohydrates that you save if you go with the lo mein. these take-out containers hold about three servings. >> oh! >> when you get that, you don't want to sit down and eat the whole thing in one sitting. >> when you take out, you can't get out. >> that's a good one. >> that's great. >> here we have a couple of slices of veggie pizza versus a dish of pasta with sauce and little bit of marinara. >> both pieces? >> both pieces. >> pizza. >> you are correct. it is definitely the pizza. this is automatically portion controlled by having the slices here. this pasta, serving of pasta is half a cup cooked and most restaurants give you at least six time that is amount. the sauce can be a hidden source of extra sugar. you're definitely better off with a pizza. you can load it up with veggies, ask for light cheese, go with thin crust, whole grain crust. definitely go with the pizza. >> pizza sounds good now. >> this is bar food. you're at a bar, had a couple of drinks, looking for something to eat. you guys are right on track. it might be obvious with the portion size here. >> there is that. i mean -- >> chicken wings. >> you could just burrow in there. >> if you had these with the celery and the bleu cheese, 850 calories versus 1440 for the nachos. >> portion is key here. never will you go somewhere where they'll give you six. >> yeah. you can order a dozen with someone else here. now a cobb salad versus a quiche. couple of smarties here. >> bake on, cheese. >> all those toppings will get you. this actually has about twice as much fat as the quiche and double the calories. split that with someone, get a take-out container, take the rest to go home. moderate your portions whenever you're eating this kind of stuff. these little tricks can help you avoid the pitfalls. >> i am so hungry now. thank you so much. we're back in a moment. this is "today" on nbc. can we warm up that pizza since it's the best choice? i'm totally hungry. where is kathie lee? >> she is making her way. we've got jada pinkett smith. >> yes. >> we've got mindy kaling, hot hollywood scoop and it's never been easier to find a dentist. watch. dentist. at 1-800-dentist, we've helped over 8 million people find that right dentist. we can do the same for you. so don't put it off. call 1-800-dentist. good morning, everyone. new this morning, police say one person was shot in san francisco during an early morning robbery in the city's mission terrace neighborhood. happened about 7:45 this morning on camilla avenue between silver and castle manor avenues. investigators say one person hurt, we have not been told how badly. they say there were two suspects who took off in a dark car before police arrived. arson experts will be examining part of a playground burned overnight in san jose, hill view park. now the fire wasn't that big, but crews did have to come and spray the tan bark down with a hose. it caught fire. it's unclear how much damage was done before crews arrive. but you see a lot of it there. well, let's check your weather this morning, good morning. >> we're still watching low clouds around the bay area and cooler temperatures in the forecast, especially inland, close to 80 in san jose, around the north bay, highs in the low 80s. 85 degrees in pleasanton. actually staying mild through the middle part of the weekend. there is that chance that we could see a few showers, perhaps as we head toward thursday, temperatures rebound as high pressure builds in approaching next weekend. now, for another check of your monday morning commute, here's mike. >> and a tough drive it was. for many people. we're looking at the bay bridge toll plaza where there's a good amount of traffic here. i was expecting a bigger burst. let's talk about why. look at the maps, we have the recovery started over. northbound 880 all lanes are open at washington street. that's where we had the earlier crash and fire and all the cleanup that was going on from the earlier crash there. that has cleared all lanes in both directions. that burst of traffic then headed up past the coliseum. but didn't cause much slowing. they were able to disperse up toward that bay bridge toll plaza. nothing dramatic. the rest of your bay looks pretty smooth, though, very slow north 101 and getting off that dunbarton bridge where there's some sort of disabled signal or some problem there on surface streets causing congestion. back to you. >> thanks. we'll have another local news update for you in half an hour. from nbc . >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with kathie lee gifford and hoda kotb live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> hello everybody. by that we mean you. it's fun day monday. i have my hoda now all to myself. matt wouldn't let her go on time this morning. >> it's time for us, baby, where i belong. >> you'll be doing this for two weeks because somebody had a baby. >> somebody had to go and get pregnant, thank you, savannah. >> i want you to know i'm here for you. but don't call me to help. >> we'll talk with jada pinkett smith who is stunningly gorgeous. >> gets more beautiful all the time. >> mindy kalin, a doll, who gets funnier and funnier all the time. all the hollywood buzz is with us. hoda, busy weekend or nice quiet one? >> i had an in-between one. i had some funs. lee bryce is one of my faves. lee bryce was per forming at madison square garden friday night. luke bryan was performing, too. he was getting a huge award. the only country artist to have a platinum single record so far this year. >> good. >> more than luke. >> more than miranda, more than anybody? >> all of them. lee bryce. so i had to do a sneak attack on stage and interrupt his set at the garden. who wants to have some girl giving an award to someone. >> you're not some girl. you're hoda woman. >> anyway, let's see what happened. >> here is what's happening. i'm doing a sneak attack on lee bryce. he's about to get an award. he knows nothing about it. i love surprises. >> i'm hoda from the "today" show. >> listen how they love you. >> i love, love, love me some lee bryce. [ cheers and applause ] >> i came out today because lee bryce is going to get a huge award and what better place to give him this award than right here at madison square garden. >> good girl, you milked it. [ cheers and applause ] >> that's so nice. >> he was totally shocked. >> he was totally -- >> by the way. rarely do people get shocked. he was so surprised. he got teary-eyed because he couldn't believe he was the only guy to win it. >> a labor of love. i'm sure you made up for it. thanks for asking me about mine. i'm kidding you. >> i got on a plane and flew out to the west coast. it's that time of year in a certain business which is known as harvest time. >> when stuff grows. >> when stuff, like my stuff is harvested. i tell you, i went to the schide family place where they grow my stuff and that is heidi. i was picking the grapes that eventually become stuff. >> i love your hair, by the way. >> you have to. it's hot out there. boy, is it gorgeous in monterey county. beautiful this time of year. i was on the tractor -- i was stomping stuff if you know what i'm saying. >> by the way, you looked so cute. you were in the -- >> i was driving. it was fun. >> go on her twitter or my twitter because i always retweet what you tweet. >> frank at the giants game was honored. doing the coin toss. there's frank, number 16. still the record for p the most touchdowns ever of any giant player. the giants didn't win but frank came home a winner f you know what i'm saying. last night my friend sam haskell was a winner because the miss america pageant which he brought back -- all the casinos are closing, but sam -- from vegas he brought it back to atlantic city where it originated. anyway, kirakazensev. >> from new york. the third year ms. new york has won. she freaked out screaming excited. she had such a unique talent. she sang "happy" by playing a cup. if you remember anna kendrick from "pitch perfect," here is her talent playing "happy." >> clap along if you feel like happiness is the truth ♪ ♪ clap along if you know what happiness is to you ♪ ♪ clap along if you feel like that's what you want to do ♪ >> she's adorable. >> she is so cute. i'm sure there were great opera stars and great ball rinnas, but that's a crowd pleaser. >> every now and then they were putting up things like she enjoys hot dogs and different things. >> she's going to be doing that for the next year all over the country. >> that is very catchy. "pitch perfect" is coming out with "pitch perfect 2." >> there was a young lady from idaho that inspired a lot of people. a type i diabetic. she wore her insulin pump during the swimsuit competition. look at this. good for her. >> she's gorgeous. >> that's one of the alternatives to giving yourself multiple daily injections. >> she gets it 24 hours a day through a catheter. that is fantastic. >> that really is great. >> first of all, it takes so much courage to put on a bathing suit and parade around in high heels. but to do it like that is such a statement of strength. >> they inspire a lot of people. jimmy fallon had some fun with glenn close. you know how he can get actresses to do -- >> he can get anything to do anything. he had brad pitt yodeling. >> glenn close wanted to do a face stuffing contest. she wanted to eat on the air. they had to eat different foods but with weird utensils. they ate spaghettis with whisks, nachos with sal long tongues and a blue berry pie with their face. >> take a look. >> go! >> ten seconds, seven. >> she knows what she's doing. >> they're on scale so you know how much they're eating. what is she eating? >> nachos. >> you know what? i'm sorry, but she practiced. >> i bet she practiced for a week. she's very adept with these things. >> oh, no. >> stick it in there. >> eyes and everything. she didn't even care. >> she doesn't come up for air. >> one, two -- >> oh, my gosh. >> it's in his eyes. >> okay. you can't do that if you wear contacts, but wow. >> just so you know, she had to win. jimmy ate the most spaghetti and nachos but glenn ate the most pie. >> that so reminds me of all those summers in nantucket when cassidy, who was about this big, went up against people twice her size and always won the pie ating thing. stuck her face in those pies and did not come up until it was gone. >> she's so teeny. >> you know what that's called? that's called dedication. something that's getting a lot of attention, calling them the ugliest design ever. >> these are the columbian women's cycling team. >> oh, my gosh. >> the middle part looks naked, but it's really like a spanks kind of -- like a flesh colored -- >> it looks -- >> who thought that was a good idea. >> that's a hoochie problem there. wow. >> anyway, cycling fans are all over social media. they call it the worst design ever. >> they have some sort of thing down there, right, in the netherworld. that's for cycling and stuff. >> i can't take my eyes off this man. >> they told us about this drink when he came back from mexico. >> a gentleman walking on right now named alejandro rojas. remember i said i with went to one of my favorite resorts, but they had incredible tequila, but they had a great chaser kind of thing, right, alejandro. >> this is sangrita, is the way you're supposed to drink tequila, with tomatoes, citrus juices, chilies. >> are my eyes gone or is that at an angle. >> take a tiny sip. >> i don't drink anything but -- >> just put lips to it. now the chaser. >> the whole thing? >> no, no. >> just a sip. >> doesn't it have like -- right? >> it's like, this is like a really spicy v8 juice. >> exactly. >> it's like a bloody mary. >> there's something about that, and you don't even taste it. you're not a huge tequila fan. some people are, some people aren't. you take a tiny sip of the tequila and this you don't realize you're drinking tequila which becomes a problem. you can cheers twice, you can go -- i like that. it's friendly. >> alejandro. >> thank you alejandro. very nice of you. i'm going to give this to jerry. >> of course you are. >> thank you so much. >> what have you got? my friend janice dean who is a weather caster, she's written her second children's book "freddy the frogcaster," everybody, it's adorable. lots of people love the weather channel. they just watch it constantly. this is a great idea. and then our friend jill, i'm so excited for her. high performance 400w hand and stick valium, 43 bucks on qvc.com, introducing it tomorrow. it's either a dust buster or it's a little teeny vacuum that you keep in your office. >> or for your apartment. >> you can take that off and put that on and do stuff. i'm so happy for her. >> it's cute and little and compact. >> i'm taking her and you out today to nearry's pub for land alcohols. today is our friend jimmy leery's 84th birthday. on the phone -- i wrote this song on the plane on the way out to california. we were waiting for just the right story. jane anderson from blufton, south carolina, she wants us to honor her husband bill of 33 years. she was diagnosed with pash parkinson's disease, 2003. bill has supported her the entire way. she is on skype with us -- oh, on the phone. hi, jane, how are you? >> hi, ladies, good morning. >> can we hear you? can't hear you, darling. she continued working as a high school speech, drama and english teacher until the symptoms became so bad. i read this letter from her and i sobbed. it's a beautiful, beautiful -- what a man. what a couple. >> can't wait to meet both of them. >> jane, are you there? >> can you hear me. >> you show up late, but when you do, boy. good for you. so excited to honor your husband bill this thursday. i wish you could hear me so i can sayey! >> you're an amazing lady. we have a song for you called grooving the the music oovps. >> i love it. i love you beautiful ladies. hoda, you're probably ready for a nap, aren't you after your morning gig and after alejandro's treat, you're probably ready for a nap. >> she's actually red i do hear a good song. >> safe travels to you. >> thanks, ladies. see you thursday. >> god bless. coming up, another kanye controversy. paris hilton lands herself a mr. amazing. >> something fishy going on with jada pinkett smith. >> find out what it is when we talk to tv's newest naughty girl. age perfect cell renewal with the powerful anti-oxidant natecium dhc. the results are impressive. surface skin renewal is accelerated. every day, millions of new cells rise to the skin surface faster than before. 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>> who's the friend? >> detective james gordon, ma'am. >> aren't you a cool glass of milk. >> ma'am, is that screaming we heard back there? >> yes. my boys are watching a scary movie. >> really? >> no. actually one of my staff has been stealing money from me, so we're beating his punk [ bleep ]. >> that is a role of a lifetime. >> yes, it is. >> good to see you. >> you're so tiny, petite, but you can whoop some -- >> i can whoop some. >> you do some whooping in this show, don't you? >> absolutely. >> you take a swing at this guy. you had a bat in your hand and it looked sort of real. >> that was the penguin. yes, yes. penguin and i are not very good friends. >> you have a friend in this world? >> not really. >> before batman, before catwoman, before the joker, the riddler. >> this is where it all happens. this is where it all takes place. this particular television show is basically the origin story of all of the famous villains we know about, and, of course, the infamous batman. >> you will have bruce wayne there. >> definitely. >> he realizes -- >> young. this is right after the murder of his parents. yes. >> and your character is every way we described it, evil, sneaky, sexy, scary. >> yes. >> you love playing her. >> i do. it gives you -- you feel safe to dance with your shadow a little bit, you know? that's right. >> and still go home to papa. >> that's right. used be to be a bad girl on set, a good girl in life. >> your skkids, are you scaring them? >> oh, no. they've seen worse than that. i'm sure they've seen worse than that. >> mommy plays a nice lady. >> i think of you in that particular role, there is something special about this role. >> i think they're going to be excited. as a family, we love comics. we really do. so, you know, i think they're very excited about it. >> it has meant a big move for you here, in a different kind of gotham here in new york, the big apple. how is that going for you? you're from baltimore, originally. >> i'm from baltimore, maryland. i'm used to being on the east coast. it is always lovely being in new york. >> well, it isn't winter yet. >> i know. i know. trust me, i'm definitely trying to get it together, getting all my coats and hats and scarves. >> taking care of everything. are the kids going to be here in new york. >> everybody is back and forth. >> how do you do school and stuff like that? >> they're home schooled. >> that's right, that's right. >> now, this thing -- there is a lot of hype for gotham. >> great reaction. >> getting terrific reviews. >> of course. >> is that going to make you feel good or does that make you feel a little worried because of expectations and things? >> you know, i've been in this business a long time, you know? and thank goodness i'm here just as a -- as an actress playing a role. it is my job just to do the best i can do. you know. i'm not producing. it is one of those projects that i'm not producing, i'm literally just acting. >> that's a long time since you've just done that. >> a long time. and i'll tell you something, i'm enjoying it. >> people have no idea. my daughter just got off a film set today, been there a month, the most unbelievably hellish conditions. nobody sees that part. >> it is a lot of work, trying to act and produce and especially as a family, producing things with the family. >> you're never off the clock. >> you're never off the clock, never. >> did you have to stay in good shape for this one, jada? >> because she has gone to pot. >> you do your own -- there are stunts that come up in other episodes. >> absolutely. >> you did your own? >> yes, mm-hmm, definitely. unfortunately first episode, the guy i hit with the bat in the alley, i hit him for real. yeah, i did. i felt so bad. >> workers comp. >> i felt so bad. it had been a while, you know. i missed -- i missed. >> oh. >> it happens. it happens. >> he wanted to be in show business. it happens. >> i love doing my own stunts. and i try to stay -- >> life is doing your own stunts. >> honey, keep it real. >> we love you, jada. give our love to the family. give will a smooch for us. gotham premieres september 22nd on fox. >> she's an emmy nominated actress, writer and producer. >> hilarious. >> stick around for fun with mindy i had ongoing pain. a deep ache all over. my doctor diagnosed it as fibromyalgia thought to be the result of overactive nerves that cause chronic, widespread pain. lyrica is believed to calm these nerves. i learned lyrica can provide significant relief from fibromyalgia pain. so now, i can do more of what i love. lyrica is not for everyone. it may cause serious allergic reactions or suicidal thoughts or actions. tell your doctor right away if you have these, new or worsening depression, or unusual changes in mood or behavior. or swelling, trouble breathing, rash, hives, blisters, changes in eyesight including blurry vision, muscle pain with fever, or tired feeling. common side effects are dizziness, sleepiness, weight gain and swelling of hands, legs and feet. don't drink alcohol while taking lyrica. don't drive or use machinery until you know how lyrica affects you. those who have had a drug or alcohol problem may be more likely to misuse lyrica. i found answers about fibromyalgia. then i found lyrica. ask your doctor about lyrica today. don't wait for awesome... totino's pizza rolls... ...gets you there in just 60 seconds. 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take the dove 7 day test. fruit, with a cool finish. fruit on one side. cool on the other. ice breakers duo. a fruity cool way to break the ice. oh, there's an energy crisis happening, alright. a human one. and it's time to fight it. quaker's good energy is just what you want. it's how we help keep go-getters like you, going, and getting. one bite at a time. make it with milk for a boost of protein. quaker up. what are we doing? >> i good morning, everyone. interstate 80 in both directions back open this hour following this scary crash that crippled the morning commute. investigators say an suv lost control, hit a guardrail, a big rig which was carrying construction equipment, tries to swerve out of the way, ends up smashing into the center divider. and then this car caught fire. nine people hurt, three of them critically. all lanes in both directions were closed for hours. but, again, they have since reopened. new this morning, police looking for two people who robbed and shot someone in san francisco, happened about 7:45 this morning on camilla avenue between silver and castle manner avenues in the city's mission terrace neighborhood. investigators say one person was hurt, but we have not been told so far how badly. we'll take a look at weather after the break. seeing some low clouds starting to break up around san francisco with a strong sea breeze which will keep our temperatures down from the heat we had last week. and there you could see the low clouds on the coast. take a wider angle view of this. a weather system offshore that will toss showers toward the north today and another system behind it on wednesday night and thursday that could bring a chance of seeing some showers for parts of the bay area. but today, fairly mild, breezy at times, close to 80 in san jose, upper 60s closer to san francisco, and through the north bay, highs today in the low 80s, mid-80s in the forecast around pleasanton and livermore. and the trend here, next five days, we'll start to keep our temperatures fairly consistent through the middle part of the week. not too mild or not too hot, i should say for the inland spots. but thursday, more clouds, slight chance of showers and high pressure builds in. temperatures rising as we head into the start of next weekend. scott? >> all right, rob. thanks. more local news coming up. the big show in half an hour at 11:00. we'll see you then. we're back with more of "today" on this fun day monday, filling you in on all the hollywood news you may have missed over the weekend in "today's buzz." the editor of koz politan.com, amy o'dell. welcome >> we're going to clear up a few rumors. that's what we do on this program. at beyonce's concert, there was a rumor there was a man in the front row with a sign that said, something like, beyonce can't sing or you can't sing or something. >> this is a very sort of rumory story. this video is old, more than a year old and it resurfaced because the guy in the video posted it on 9/4, beyonce's birthday, 9/4/81, like superfans like myself and cosmopolitan.com readers know. can't sing. beyonce said something amusing, went over to him, held the mike to his face, she does often, to sing. he sang the same ditty, didn't do it very well and she goes, exactly. another version of the story goes, she just went over, held the mic in his face, she does it a lot, let her fans sing to her, and she goes, exactly. >> so what's the truth? no sign. >> we don't know the truth. >> oh, okay. >> if you paid $1500 for a front row seat, would you do that? >> i don't think so. but who knows? now there is all the speculation is beyonce pregnant. jay-z sang some lyrics at his concert that everyone said made it all very clear she is. >> you heard -- >> i heard -- can we listen. i don't know if we have it. let's listen to the video. >> we don't have it. >> because it sounds -- it is muffled. >> what is he supposedly saying? >> so during his song "beach is better," they were on the tour in paris, final show in paris over the weekend, very big deal. he changed the lyrics to say, cuz she's prag nant with another one. >> let's hear if you're right. here's the video. ♪ there it is. clear as day. thank god. so glad we have the video proof. let's move on. >> oh, my gosh. >> let's talk about kanye west. >> every one of these stories is upsetting, i'm telling you. >> kanye was on stage and he wanted a standing o, apparently. tell us what happened. >> when you're at a concert, performers stand up and dance with me. kanye was performing in australia over the weekend. he tried to get everyone on their feet while he was performing. he noticed a section of people sitting down and they were sitting because they're in wheelchairs. >> they're handicapped, in wheelchairs, exactly. >> the rumor has it kanye sent security into the audience to try to get them to stand up and when he found out they were sitting in wheelchairs, he said, okay, fine -- >> how about i'm sorry? >> he said how about you, up there, you in a wheelchair too, okay. if you're asking everyone to stand up, it is not a real -- >> you earn a standing ovation. was it to get people to move? that, too, people should do on their own. >> once you yell to everyone in the crowd, get up, get up, get up, you're in a wheelchair, you're in one too? >> i think he was trying to get the crowd freaked out. i think people on twitter freaked out because that's what people on twitter do. a lot of fans at the concert said it was blown out of proportion. >> we were just at joan rivers funeral and hugh jackman sang and no one had to be told to stand up. that's what the pros do. when you earn a standing ovation. >> as opposed to ask for one. cecily strong, we like her, one of the anchors for "weekend update" and she will not be an anchor but still on "snl." >> yes. love her. so she was replaced by michael che, the first time we'll have two men hosting that segment. >> how do you think that's going to work? two guys? >> it is going to be interesting. it is going to be interesting. we love cecily. our readers love cecily. she's hysterical. she'll still be coming on "weekend update" and doing her impressions. she'll be freed up now to do some other things. >> she sounded like she's happy about it. like this will be cool. >> it will free her up. >> michael che is hilarious. great he's joining the cast. >> paris hilton got a pooch. >> or a man. >> mr. amazing. a dog or a man? >> it might not even be a dog. it is so tiny. the world's smallest pomeranian, right? >> allegedly the world's smallest pomeranian, 10 to 12 ounces in weight. >> my gosh. >> it is only 2 1/2 inches high. so it fits in the palm of your hand. >> we tried to find out if that's true. >> she supposedly paid $13,000 for it. >> that's an hors devour, not a dog. >> thank you so much. speaking of hollywood stars, hers has been rising fast. >> get ready for some laughs. mindy kaling is here, coming up right after this. grapes and so is my family. over three generations have taught us about growing the best tasting fruit. our grapes ripen on the vine so that the flavors can fully develop. and only the most experienced hands harvest them to bring quality fruit to your table. that's why we work with walmart... ... together we guarantee you only get the freshest grapes available. backed by their 100% money-back guarantee. picked by farmers. guaranteed by us. ♪ hello! three grams daily of beta-glucan... a soluable fiber from whole grain oat foods like cheerios can help lower cholesterol. thank you! if there's a way to take corn on the cob, and make it even better with a packet of hidden valley original ranch? 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"time" magazine's one of 100 most influential people in the world. star of "the mindy project," returning for its third season. >> and mindy picks up where she left off, with a drink in her hand and romance with her fellow doctor, with who she shares love and a love of gossip. take a look. >> i saw lauren and jeremy alone in the conference room and he was rubbing her. he was rubbing her neck. >> whoa, nelly. >> there is something going on. peter is not delivering in the bedroom and they're planning this charity thing together. i would never let my woman plan a charity event with some guy. i would never do it. >> i would never plan a charity event. that was really good interpersonal chitchat. >> really good interpersonal chitchat. mindy loves gossip. >> you are so hysterical, by the way. >> you are hysterical and you look gorgeous today. >> thank you. >> you keep slurping your margarita. >> i have a few drinks here. >> wanted her to try the sa sangrita. how you to like it? >> i've never really drunk something and not liked it. >> third season, this show -- tell us why -- >> i feel like the rat pack. how many drinks in a day. i'll do it. >> she's game. she came to play. >> she did come to play. did you think we would be talking about your third season when you first started this show? >> i hoped so. i got a lot of ex-husbands i need to pay for. and a lot of kids. no, kids are enjoying life. i would love to pay for -- >> you do start a project like that, to her point, you have -- you never know. it is a crapshoot and you have so much riding on it, being the producer and the writer and the star. a lot of hats to wear. >> that's how you have job security. put your name on the show. they can't fire you. and then you guys, the illustrations, you're, like, oh, i'm in. >> yeah. you're right. they have made an investment. >> you have to. >> tell us about your love interest, in real life. >> on the show? >> he's so dreamy. he's such a great actor and he has, like, a -- he's italian, has nice -- he's just a great actor. >> were you involved in the casting? >> oh, yeah. that's the perk of the job, yes. we used to be kind of sworn enemies, grew closer as friends and now dating. and it is good, because they're completely different. >> is he your kind of guy if you were to pick somebody if you were on a dating website, would he be your kind of guy? >> he's an old-fashioned guy. he hates e-mail and doesn't know how to use the phone. >> he's perfect for me. >> he rants about stuff. he's very manly and who wouldn't like him? >> what about dating in real life? >> dating in real life? >> now she shuts up. >> it is fun. i like -- who doesn't like going on a nice date. i like guys. it's fun. >> your idea of a perfect date? >> buying a drink, whether it is on your show or going on a date, that's a nice -- >> a good beginning. >> yes. eye candy, like you guys, whether a handsome man. >> you're a happy woman. >> this is a great experience for me. >> it takes very little to make her happy. >> money, good looking people and lqalcohol. that's it. >> so deep and so happy you came to see us. >> thank you, guys. >> i'm a role model. >> you are. you are. do you hear from anybody who says you're taking it too far, missy? >> we're on network, so we can't show -- we can't do the hbo -- >> if you could, would you do all the nude scenes like they do on "girls"? >> no, i like to be covered up and taken care inform those ways, no. yeah, for sure. my whole lifestyle would be different. i would have to get up and run five miles a day and learn how to do push-ups and stuff. network tv helps me a lot. >> you're such a blast. >> thank you. >> i love you. i love seeing you two. >> you're returning with -- >> tomorrow night on fox. >> we're going to meet a remarkable woman. >> she's incredible. she's resilient. we'll meet her, her brother, coming up right after this. oh, there's an energy crisis happening alright. a human one. ♪ and it's time to fight it. quaker's good energy is just what you want. ♪ it's how we help keep go-getters like you... going... and getting. one bite at a time. try quaker warm & crunchy granola for the crunchy side of oatmeal. quaker up. smooth, delicious coffee every day... for free.ch, you're thinking... how do i get that gig? come to mcdonald's during breakfast every morning from september 16th to the 29th. we can always use more taste testers. ♪ every now and then i get a little bit hungry ♪ ♪ and there's nothing good around ♪ ♪ turn around, barry ♪ i finally found the right snack ♪ [ female announcer ] fiber one. ♪ i finally found the right snack ♪ that's why there's a listerine® product for every mouth. one to clean your whole mouth. one for those hard to reach places. one to protect kids mouths from cavities. even one to freshen breath on-the-go. with over 100 years of innovation in oral care... there's a listerine® product for every mouth in your house. for cleaner, healthier mouths go beyond brushing alone. listerine®. power to your mouth ™. all right, get ready to get inspired. you're going it meet an incredible woman. >> she just happens to be the sister of "today's" national correspondent and our pal peter alexander. >> hi, kids. >> thanks for hosting my sister and i here today. i'm so proud to share becky's story. she is one of the funniest and most caring people i promise you'll ever meet. also my best friend. but as you're about to see, her world is rapidly changing because of a cruel disorder causing becky to go blind and deaf. to me, she is the real face of courage. >> don't stop. let's go. >> reporter: this is my sister rebecca, she's 35 now and the most impressive person i know. >> faster! >> reporter: looking at her, you would have no idea she has a disability. can you see my hands right here? >> yeah. >> can you see my hands right here? >> no. >> reporter: when becky was only 13, she was diagnosed with a rare and devastating genetic disorder called usher syndrome type 3. it finally hit you in college. i'm going to lose my vision and my hearing, go blind and deaf. what does learning that feel like? >> i felt like as soon as i got that diagnosis, well, i need to do everything i can to make up for my loss. it was, like, my way of fighting back. >> reporter: becky is fearless, a tornado of energy. she's an extreme athlete, leaving the rest of us in her dust. >> pick up your speed! >> reporter: with her hearing almost gone, last year becky received a cochlear implant that provides a sense of sound. only becky passes the time before major surgery like this. i came to see her the day before she got the implant. you like to joke to me, i'm getting a hole in my head. as i come to terms with this, as a brother is, this is the last time i'll ever look at you without a device on you. you know what i mean? >> yeah. >> which for me is hard too. >> yeah. >> does that worry you in the way people will view you? i'm sorry i'm crying. i love you so much. >> it is nice to know the people around you do care and do have an emotional response to it. >> reporter: now a year and a half later, becky hears much better, but her vision is limited to this. like she's looking through a straw and that window is closing. still, my sister remains upbeat, and undeterred. >> it is incredible how in the last, you know, 15 years how much my life has changed. and it is actually better. i mean, it is funny i could have a lot less vision, and a lot less hearing, and be a lot happier. >> oh, my gosh. >> becky alexander is with us now. her story is in this great book, please go buy this book called "not fade away", a memoir of senses lost and found. >> so nice to welcome you here today. >> my gosh, we're so excited. >> and peter, from the first day i came here and met peter, that's all he talked about was you. >> true. >> he loves you so much. >> i think i met you the first time in a spin class. and i remember you were on that bike leading the class rocking it, and when i heard about your -- some of your disabilities, i had so much trouble believing that that was you. because you don't lead with your disability. some people will tell you right away, i have this and i have that. that's not your way, is it? >> no, it is not. i think that it is something that people sometimes notice about me first, and sometimes they don't notice about me first. but it certainly doesn't define me, yeah. we all have something, we all have -- we're all dealing with something, whether you can see it on the outside or whether it is emotional, physical or psychological. so, you know, most importantly with my book, this is not just to let people know that they're not alone, but to know that we all struggle with something on a daily baseis. >> are there still things yet to do on that list that you have not yet done? >> not a bucket list. >> no, i didn't say that. i didn't say that. you're not going anywhere. >> i hate the idea of a bucket list. >> i didn't say that. >> i know. >> i want you to do everything you can. what is left for you to do? >> i appreciate you making that distinction, but, anyway, so -- well, next summer i'm climbing mount kilimanjaro. >> that's what i wanted to hear you say. >> of course you are. >> i think it is genuinely what i want to do. i'm living my life. >> you learned to sign. >> i learned sign language when i was in college at the university of michigan. so i work with the deaf community. >> did you know -- when -- it started happening at 13? that's when you started knowing it and then did you go right in and diagnosed right away or how -- >> so kind of -- my memory is probably different than how it actually happened. but when i was 12, i went in to get glasses, could see the black board at school and the optometrist saw something some the back of my eye and said i need to see somebody more specific. when i was a sophomore in college, i had a difficult time hearing. when you go to a really loud concert and you leave and your ears are ringing and you're like, that's what it felt like for, like, all the time. so, yeah, i went to an at larut laryngologist. >> you love your sister so much, it is obvious. i'm sure you would rather it was happening to you than to her. >> i said to my wife, i said the day our daughter was born was the happiest day of my life, but right now it is like the proudest time of my life because when it is your own personal story, i tell stories for a living, but when it is your own and you get to do it for an audience like this, you can't afford to screw it up. it matters so much to you and i love her so much. she has -- everybody has something. only about 1500 people in this country have what becky has. it is crazy. it is rare. it is not fair. but i love her to death and i'm just beyond proud of what she's written, but it is not inspiring just to people who love her, it is now inspiring others and that's the biggest -- >> you're an amazing woman. >> you are. >> a great brother. you are terrific. >> thank you. >> get the book. it is so great. and don't go away. we'll be right back. >> first, this is "today." you remember the couples trying to match up last week? >> they'll be back tomorrow with their dates to let us know how it went. >> plus, how to make sure your kids are getting enough sleep. >> who cares? what about you? >> and the runway's hottest fall coats. and what you can get for a fiery crash involving nearly a dozen cars shuts down 880 in san leandro turning the freeway into a parking lot during this morning's busy commute. good morning and thanks for joining us. i'm kris sanchez. >> the crash injured nine people, three of them critically, it happened around 3:00 this morning on 880. but the debris field was so widespread both directions from marina boulevard to washington avenue had to be closed for hours. right now, all lanes are back open. nbc bay area on scene. she's been on scene all morning. and stephanie, walk us through how this happened. >> reporter: yeah, good morning to you, scott. we do have new details on that. but first, you can see
VietnamRepublic-ofCabo-san-lucasBaja-california-surMexicoAustraliaSan-diegoCaliforniaUnited-statesSyriaConnecticutSan-francisco violence scandals and ray rice gets set to appeal his indefinite suspension. and there she is. >> it's a three-peat. >> the coveted title goes to miss new york. why they can't stop talking about her talent "today," monday, september 15th, 2014. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with matt lauer and savannah guthrie from stu o studioa in rockefeller plaza. >> good morning and welcome to "today" on a monday morning. i'm matt lauer, along with hoda kotb, al roker and natalie morales. >> hey. hi, everybody. >> you were here last week with kathie lee. >> yes, i was. >> we've done this before in the past. >> she refused to come back again. >> what i love about having hoda co-host we do all this preparation, we have all these notes we take, meticulous notes. this is what hoda prepares for the entire show. that is it right there. >> that's all you need. >> my favorite moment someone said frame up on hoda and one of our cameramen said hoda kotb? like we have a bunch of them hanging around. also, we're going to talk to greg norman, legendary golfer injured over the weekend in a chainsaw accident. really lucky he didn't lose his left hand. we'll see how he is doing. hurricane has lashed cabo san lucas over the weekend. >> category 3 storm. they've never had one hit in cabo before so we're watching this. let's take a look at some of the video we've got. this is basically folks driving through heavy rain. you can see the winds pushing through. this is before the hurricane hits. then this is -- the next video we've got is from an nbc audio guy, some of his video showing the heavy surf as odile is getting ready to get closer and closer. there are 30,000 tourists in cabo right now. they are hunkering down in shelters. as they hunker down in shelters, they are pretty safe. however, we've gotten reports that there's a lot of damage and we're going to continue to track this. let's show you where we are right now. there are the folks in shelters, 164 shelters being set up currently. right now 65 miles north-northwest at cabo san lucas. 115-mile-per-hour winds moving north-northwest. as it does, it hugs the coast. the closer it hugs the coast, the worse it is for the southwest here in the united states. it takes this curve, heading on toward the southwest where we've already seen flooding from norbert last week. rainfall amounts generally from six to 12 inches of rain. some areas could see 18 inches of rain. that's flash flooding. you can see all this moisture making its way up into the southwest. we could be looking at anywhere from three to five inches of rain over the next 72 to six days, you can see anywhere from three to five inches. why that doesn't seem like a lot in this area where we've seen a lot of moisture already from norbert, there could be bad flash flooding. >> thank you, al. we'll get your local forecast in a couple of minutes. let's get to the president's plan to take down isis. as that terror group released a new video showing the brutal murder of a british hostage. chief foreign correspondent richard engel is in istanbul this morning. good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning. secretary kerry says dozens of nations are joining a coalition against isis. in many ways, bombing isis is the easy part. the hard question, which is still unanswered, is what happens next. the administration is building a war coalition. secretary kerry in paris today, sounding increasingly optimistic that there's now a broad consensus to take military action against isis. the administration's plan is a three-pronged attack, build a coalition, strengthen the iraqi army and syrian rebels and then weaken isis with air strikes. isis doesn't seem concerned. in fact, it's goading the world into a fight, releasing the video of a beheading of a british aid worker. >> my first reaction could be one of hatred. my brother's life wasn't about hatred. it was about love for all men. >> reporter: ten arab countries have already pledged support for the u.s. attack plan and a state department official says some are willing to participate in direct military action. the king of saudi arabia said isis, if unchecked, could attack the united states in months. some experts say the group's most effective weapons are its thousands of foreign fighters. >> with the army it's building inside iraq and syria, it can launch attacks not nearly on neighboring countries like saudi arabia and jordan but international targets like europe and the united states. >> reporter: not everyone agrees bombing isis is the solution, it's born of a much larger conflict between shia and sunni muslims, a conflict that air strikes will not resolve. >> this is not a problem of terrorism directed at the u.s. it's a problem of an arab world in total war for religious reasons. >> reporter: how much of a threat isis poses to the united states is disputed. so is its size, estimates range from 10,000 to 30,000. also disputed, the long-term effectiveness of the administration's plan. despite those unanswered questions, this coalition is moving ahead. france said it has flown its first surveillance mission over syria. matt, hoda, back to you. >> richard engel. sorry about that, richard. in istanbul, turkey, this morning. nfl commissioner roger goodell remains in the hot seat this morning, facing more calls to resign. one women's advocacy group flew planes over several stadiums sunday with banners reading goodell must go. peter alexander is here with the latest. good morning. >> hi, hoda. good morning to you. citing several nfl sources, ray rice will appeal his indefinite suspension today. there is another game set for tonight. the league is now dealing with four high-profile domestic abuse cases that are now tarnishing the image of the very imag image-conscious game. with the san francisco 49ers debuting a brand new stadium sunday night -- >> there to make the tackle. >> ray mcdonald on the field despite being arrested for allegedly beating his pregnant fiance last month. he has not been charged with a crime. roger goodell promised that he would attend the inaugural game but was a no-show sunday night. irs filing shows the league rewarded goodel with $97 million in compensation from 2008 to 2012. $44 million in 2012 alone. this weekend, a reversal by the carolina panthers, who benched their star end, threatening to kill his ex-girlfriend, a decision hardy is appealing. hardy didn't play but still got paid $772,000. also out, minnesota vikings star adrian peterson, accused of injury to a child while disciplining his 4-year-old son. his attorney defended him as a loving father who deeply regrets intentionally injuring his child. social media, nfl sponsor cover girl photo shopped on twitter, mocking the tag line get your game face on. ray rice, who sparked this scandal, showed up at his high school football game, accompanied by his wife and daughter. nfl's integrity in the wake of the video, hannah storm. >> if they had to see that individuvideo to be moved to significant action, shouldn't we demand the same, to see action, to see change before believing? >> that women's advocacy group has hired another plane to fly overhead with a banner reading "goodell must go." they tell me they'll fly more planes next weekend. hoda? >> thank you, peter. to politics now, hillary clinton returned to iowa sunday for the first time since the 2008 presidential campaign. she brought her husband along, so a lot of people are asking the question, is she going to make another white house bid? nbc's andrea mitchell was there and joins us now in the studio. hi, andrea. >> good morning. hi, matt. hillary teased a large crowd of iowa democrats in the first caucus state. >> hello, iowa. i'm back! >> reporter: returning to the state that many say dashed her white house hopes in 2008, hillary clinton came back for an iowa tradition, the harkin steak fry, adding fuel to speculation that she will run again. >> it is true, i am thinking about it. but -- but for today, that is not why i'm here. i'm here for the steak. >> reporter: last time, clinton was trounced by a freshman senator named barack obama. >> let me tell you, he sure loves iowa. >> reporter: she didn't say she loves iowa, describing her third place finish in the state's caucuses as excruciating in her new book. she needs to run a different kind of campaign, state senator janet peterson says. >> it needs to be more ground up. >> rather than top down? >> yeah. >> reporter: this time, clinton organizers say they've learned their lesson, bussing in volunteers from all over the country where are you from? >> california. >> austin, texas. >> washington, d.c. >> reporter: she knows it will be harder to turn back. >> great. it was a great day. couldn't have been better. >> reporter: her husband is still not making predictions. if she wants to, can she do it this time? >> i have nothing to say. it's not my decision. >> reporter: i think i know which way you would go. >> no, you don't. i don't know yet know which way i would vote. >> what? >> he is not yet to make it official, knowing all too well the political risks of being an early front-runner. >> doesn't work out well for a lot of people. andrea, nice to see you. >> nice to see you. natalie has some growing concern over wildfires in california. >> that's right. good morning. once again, hundreds of people in california are waking up, wondering if their home survived new wildfires spreading across the state. a heat wave isn't making the job any easier for firefighters. >> imagine what it's like at noon, no shade, carrying pounds of gear. that's what's facing them here at this fire and beyond. too late to save this building here. crews hope to keep the flames from spreading today near one of the gateways to yosemite national park. 1,000 people have been forced out of their homes here. what can you say? what can you do? i'm hoping it's there. i'm praying it's there. ait it's just too much -- it would be too much of a heartbreak to lose it. >> reporter: packed into an evacuation shelter. just outside, smoke billowed from the king fire southwest of tahoe. >> if you guys want to get out, now is the time. >> reporter: threatening 500 homes and have torched 2,500 acres so far. more than 50 fires are burning in the west right now with no relief in sight. a heat wave and devastating drought have crews battling blistering conditions. >> in the valley we have 100-degree temperatures we've been experiencing all week. >> reporter: triple-digit heat smothering the region is making an already dangerous job more difficult. what's it like to be in these conditions, carrying all the stuff you're carrying? >> it's like super hot. the hottest place you've ever been in, and add another 10, 20 grease to it. even though you're thinking you can go faster, you're just slowing down. >> reporter: there's a concern about wind possibly picking up today, natalie. as for the heat, firefighters tell me they're trying to drink plenty of water and take breaks when they can. remember, wildfire season is just getting into full swing here. crews have weeks to go. >> it feels like it's been in full swing all summer long. hallie jackson, thank you. a manhunt is under way for a man who shot two state troopers in pennsylvania outside the baracks in blooming grove during a shift change. they spent part of the day scouring woods across from the baracks. they say good things come in threes. >> it's a three-peat. miss new york! >> and that's it for the third year in a row. as you heard, miss new york taking the crown in the miss america competition. she received the crown sunday night at boardwalk. in the talent competition, she sang pharrell williams' "happy," while sitting cross legged on the stage inspired by "pitch perfect," "when i'm gone." i love that freeze frame. >> whole different thing. break up new york, how about that? it's a dynasty. >> three in a row. it's incredible. natalie, thank you very much. mr. roker? >> let's show you what we have going on around the rest of the country today. gorgeous day in new england and the northeast. the heat continues. we'll detail the heat in the southwest and southern california as well. look at all the way up into portla portland, oregon, today, a high of 94 degrees. we'll get to your local forecast coming up in the next 30 seconds. good morning. i'm first alert meteorologist brittney shipp. today, fall-like conditions continuing. temperatures ranging between 73 and 76 degrees. although it's a cool start, we'll see mostly sunny skies, but the fall-like conditions will continue for the rest of the workweek. mid-70s tomorrow with a chance of early showers. then take a look. we get even cooler, heading into the end of your workweek. only 70 degrees on friday, but sunday back to the 80s. and that's your latest weather. guys? >> al, thanks so much. carson is here from the orange room. you finally have information on that photograph from 9/11, right? >> touching story about a photo that's making quite an impression online. elizabeth stringer keith, her friends found this picture at ground zero, gave it to elizabeth, said do something meaningful with it. the past few years every september 11th she's been posting it on twitter, every year 9/11, i post this photo, hoping to return to owner. found at ground zero 2001. please retweet. she got a couple of comments, couple of retweets. finally this year it went viral. a day and a half she got the return message she's been hoping for. i know the people in that foet o i was at the wedding. fred is on the far left there. he goes on to say it was my picture at my desk on the 77th floor of world trade center tower two. the picture has been kept safe by elizabeth for the last 13 years. he obviously didn't go to work that day and confirmed everybody in the photo is alive and well. such a moving story online. ton of response. caitlin, so very touched by the 911 photo story. it's unbelievable what humanity is capable of once we have been humbled and come together as one. >> such meaning. carson, thank you. greg norman recovering from a chainsaw accident that could have cost him his left hand. he will join us live to tell us how he is doing this morning. star from django unchained, acosted by police for showing her husband affection. coming up, why a major investor is telling olive garden to back off those unlimited breadsticks. no! no! 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[ maa deep ache all over. not you when you're hungry my doctor diagnosed it as fibromyalgia thought to be the result of overactive nerves that cause chronic, widespread pain. lyrica is believed to calm these nerves. i learned lyrica can provide significant relief from fibromyalgia pain. so now, i can do more of what i love. lyrica is not for everyone. it may cause serious allergic reactions or suicidal thoughts or actions. tell your doctor right away if you have these, new or worsening depression, or unusual changes in mood or behavior. or swelling, trouble breathing, rash, hives, blisters, changes in eyesight including blurry vision, muscle pain with fever, or tired feeling. common side effects are dizziness, sleepiness, weight gain and swelling of hands, legs and feet. don't drink alcohol while taking lyrica. don't drive or use machinery until you know how lyrica affects you. those who have had a drug or alcohol problem may be more likely to misuse lyrica. i found answers about fibromyalgia. then i found lyrica. ask your doctor about lyrica today. good morning. i'm vai sikahema. in case you haven't been out yet, pretty chilly start to the day. let's get our first alert forecast from meteorologist brittney shipp. good morning. >> fall-like temperatures will settle in for the rest of your workweek. it's still going to be really nice as we head into the afternoon. mostly sunny skies right now over philadelphia, and our temperatures today ranging between 73 and 76 degrees. a cool start right now, in the 40s and 50s, but again, mostly sunny. and your seven-day forecast shows that we're actually going to cool down even more as we head into the end of your workweek. only 70 degrees on friday but 80s are back by sunday. >> thank you, brit. now let's get a check on traffic with reporter katy zachry, in the first alert traffic center. katy? >> hi, vai. for drivers on 476 southbound right at ridge pike, you could see a slow-up. in fact, i'm seeing that cars are slowing up around this accident. it's been moved off to the shoulder, but it involved two, possibly three vehicles. there are no emergency cars out there yet to tow it, so it's going to be out there for possibly a while. take a look at your drive times right now. 95 southbound from woodhaven to 676, 37 minutes. it's slow on 76 and 422 as well. and we're following a developing story this morning. a baby delivered after his mother was shot and killed by a stray bullet has died. doctors performed an emergency c-section in an attempt to save the baby boy's life, but he died overnight. his mother, 26-year-old megan doto, was shot in the face yesterday in the frankford section of the city. she died a short time later. doto was eight months pregnant. police say she was an innocent victim. so far, no arrests have been made. we'll be back in 25 minutes. >> announcer: this portion of nbc 10 news is sponsored by del toyota. 7:30 now on a monday morning, 15g9 of september, 2014. there is the sun. >> beautiful. >> just coming up in indianapolis. pretty day, hopefully, on tap there. i'm matt lauer, along with hoda kotb, natalie morales and al roker. hurricane odile made landfall near cabo san lucas last night. coastal areas were evacuated ahead of the storm. it could bring torrential rains for parts of arizona, new mexico later on this week. wildfires are raging out of control in california. 400 homes near the resort town of bass lake were evacuated along with others. during an appearance in iowa over the weekend, her first since the last presidential race, clinton said she was thinking about it. damaged but not down and out, that's how golfer greg norman describes his current state after he almost cut off his hand with a chainsaw over the weekend. we'll talk to greg about his injury and how this all happened. >> scary. prince harry is turning 30. we'll tell you how he marked the occasion and even better, the massive inheritance he is now entitled to. >> is that what happens? >> it is good to be the prince. >> you just go chaching. troubling complaint against the los angeles police department from an actress who appeared in the movie "django unchained." good morning to you. >> good morning, matt. she claims that the officer mistook her for a prs tut when she was actually with her boyfriend. this morning, new audio of the incident may reveal there is more to the story. actress daniele watts in handcuffs and in tears after police in los angeles say they were responding to an indecent exposure call thursday afternoon. >> bonjour. >> reporter: watts wrote on facebook, i was handcuffed and detained by two police officers after refusing to agree that i had done something wrong, by showing affection, fully clothed, in a public place. officials told nbc news a caller complained that a male and female will engaged in a sexual act inside a vehicle with an open door. when police arrived, they located watts and her boyfriend, brian lucas, who they say matched the description. while lucas provided identification, watts refused to show her i.d. and walked away that's when they say officers stopped and cuffed her. >> somebody called, which gives me the right to be here. so it gives me the right to identify you by law. >> do you know how many times i've been called, the cops have been called just for being black, just because we're black and he's white? >> who brought up the race card? >> i'm bringing it up. >> i have every right to ask your i.d. >> and i have every right to say no. >> if police have reasonable suspicion that a person comm committed a crime can detain that person until they can discover their identification. it's the difference between an arrest and detaining someone. >> police said upon further investigation it was determined that no crime had been committed. internal investigation has been launched into this incident. hoda and matt? >> all right. anne, thank you very much. let's take a turn and get a check of the weather now from al. >> announcer: "today's" weather is brought to you by white house, black market and whbm.com, distinctive style. >> we've not only have wildfires to worry about in california, we have record heat that's potentially going to be building big, massive area of high pressure building up. we have heat advisories, excessive heat watches and warnings for much of southern california today. los angeles will see a high of 94, 12 degrees above average, san diego 92. borrego springs, 102 tomorrow. as we move on into wednesday, more heat, lower humidity. fire danger is going to be a big problem. we'll continue to good morning. i'm first alert meteorologist brittney shipp. today we're going to see fall-like conditions continuing. temperatures range between 73 and 76 degrees, although it's a cool start. we'll see mostly sunny skies, but these fall-like conditions are going to continue for the rest of your workweek. mid-70s tomorrow with a chance of early showers and then take a look. we get even cooler, heading into the end of your workweek. only 70 degrees on friday, but sunday back to the 80s. >> and that's your latest weather. >> al, thanks so much. now to more on yet another troubling case involving an nfl star. adrian peterson is out on bail in the wake of child abuse charges, accused of using a switch on his young son. craig melvin has the latest on that. >> adrian peterson, one of the most prolific offensive players in the nfl is on defense this morni morning. they say he beat his son with part of a tree branch. now he faces charge with his injury to a child and reckless and criminal neglect, allegat n allegations that are restarting an old debate over corporal punishment. his 4-year-old son was left with cuts and bruises on his back, buttocks, ankles, legs and scrotum. peterson admits to using a switch or tree branch to administer what he calls a whooping and what his attorney called the same kind of discipline peterson himself experienced as a child in east texas adding, it is important to remember that adrian never intended to harm his son and deeply regrets the unintentional injury. >> i'm from the south. a whooping is -- we do that all the time. every black parent in the south is going to be in jail under those circumstances. >> reporter: the charge has prompted reaction on both sides of the debate. from former athletes -- >> my mom was wrong. she did the best she could, but she was wrong about some of that stuff she taught me and i promised my kids i won't teach that method to them. you can't beat a kid to make them do what you want them to do. >> that is correct. >> reporter: replacing peterson's name on his jersey with a child abuse hotline number. >> there are residual effects in the ways in which we were raised and in a cultural fashion we tend to gravitate to that which was familiar to us. >> reporter: in 19 states it's actually still legal for teachers and principals to paddle students, with much of the divide following along geographic lines. in every state, it's legal to hit a child as long as the force is reasonable. but what qualifies as reasonable varies from place to place and even murkier is the difference between discipline and abuse. >> lessons shouldn't be based out of fear but it should be based out of respect. >> again, it's important to note here that peterson insists that he has done nothing wrong. here is the thing. how you view corporal punishment, it does vary depending on race, culture, geography, as we just saw there. a number of folks we talked to say you look at the charges here, if these charges are accurate, it's hard to see how this would be considered discipline. >> to look at photos. >> look what charles barkley said about blanketing african-american southern parents, that was ridiculous. >> yeah. >> you leave marks and break the skin on a 4-year-old child -- >> that goes beyond discipline. >> he even admitted that. >> he acknowledged that he may have gone too far. >> craig, thanks a lot. coming up on trending, was it a mistake or intentional? popular retailer facing a backlash over this, quote, vintage kent state sweatshirt. close call with a chainsaw this weekend that nearly cost golfer greg norman his hand. he will tell us about it in a live interview right after this. . no mirrors. everyday they wash with dove beauty bar but can only feel what's happening. on the seventh day beautiful skin is revealed. dove is different. with one quarter moisturizing cream it helps skin feel more firm and elastic. really want to feel the difference? take the dove 7 day test. introducing the leggings studio. more looks than you can imagine. only at white house black market. right here. with a control pad that can read your handwriting, a wide-screen multimedia center, and a head-up display for enhanced driver focus. all inside a newly redesigned cabin of unrivaled style and comfort. ♪ the all-new c-class. at the very touch point of performance and innovation. ♪ sfx: ambient park noise,oint crane engine, music begins.tion. we asked people a question, how much money do you have in your pocket right now? i have $40, $53, $21, do you think the money in your pocket could make an impact on something as big as your retirement? not a chance. i don't think so. it's hard to imagine how something so small can help with something so big. but if you start putting that towards your retirement every week and let it grow over time, for twenty to thirty years, that retirement challenge sfx: crowd cheering might not seem so big after all. ♪ he loves me, he loves me not he loves me, he loves me not he loves me! warm and flaky in fifteen... everyone loves pillsbury grands. make dinner pop. ♪ ♪ introducing made to matter, handpicked by target. exclusive innovations from brands that truly care about how things are made. only at target. carmax is the best place to start your car search.e, great for frank, who's quite particular... russian jazz funk? next to swedish hip hop. when he knows what he wants... - thank you. do you have himalayan toad lilies? spotted, or speckled? speckled. yes. he has to have it. a cubist still life of rye bread... sold. it's perfect. which is why we'll ship a canary yellow jeep with leather seats from dallas to burbank if it's the one frank wants. carmax. start here. 7:42 now. we're back with the battle over one of the country's most popular restaurants, olive garden. blasting the chain in a nearly 300-page document ripping everything from the service to those unlimited breadsticks. kristen dahlgren is outside olive garden here in manhattan. good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, matt. who knew there was such a thing as too many bread stisticks, ri? this major investor in olive garden thinks so, the investor group ripped into the company for everything from soggy salads to tasteless pasta, unlimited soup, salad and breadsticks. >> reporter: olive garden may be known for never-ending salad and all you can eat breadsticks. >> it's delicious. the food is really good. >> reporter: a major investor says what the restaurants really has are endless problems. a hedge fund, starboard value, now trying to take over for its parent company lays out its criticism in a 300-page manifesto. it calls the salad over dressed and often wasted. it compares the breadsticks to hot dog buns, saying servers dole out too many that are never eaten. it claims not enough alcohol is served to push profits and in what would be a dangerous insult to hurl at most italian cooks, it calls the pasta mushy and unappealing. >> an italian restaurant when they say your pasta is terrible, they might as well say we're not even italian. >> reporter: darden restaurants, which owns olive garden along with other chains, like longhorn steakhouse and capital grill say it will carefully review its menu and many of the brand and cost optimization statgys are will be being implemented. darden told investors it was getting back to basics and urged them to vote against starboard's takeover bid. outside olive garden, the chain still has some customers with unlimited loyalty. >> the pasta dishes, all of it is really good. >> the overall experience at olive garden was a plus. and i'm an english teacher, so i know my grades. >> reporter: the question really is, do they have enough of those loyal customers? shareholders vote is next month to see which side will control the board and, matt, what will happen to those unlimited breadstick. >> kristen, thank you very much. unscientific survey here at the desk -- >> we like the breadstick. >> love them. >> warm, delicious and garlicky. >> and in a pinch you can use them to entertain the kids and make lincoln logs. >> there were so many. coming up, could we be any happier? "friends" turns 20, complete with the real-life central perk. we'll take you inside for a sneak peek. and celebratie ining two medium cappuccinos! let's show 'em what a breakfast with whole grain fiber can do. one coffee with room, one large mocha latte, medium macchiato, a light hot chocolate hold the whip, two espressos. make one a double. she's full and focused. [ barista ] i have two cappuccinos, one coffee with room, one large mocha latte, a medium macchiato, a light hot chocolate hold the whip, and two espressos -- one with a double shot. heh, heh. that's not the coffee talkin'. [ female announcer ] start your day with kellogg's frosted mini wheats cereal. with whole wheat goodness on one side and a hint of sweetness on the other, it's a delicious way to get the nutrition you want. over three generations have taught us so is my family. it's a delicious way about growing the best tasting fruit. our grapes ripen on the vine so that the flavors can fully develop. and only the most experienced hands harvest them to bring quality fruit to your table. that's why we work with walmart... ... together we guarantee you only get the freshest grapes available. backed by their 100% money-back guarantee. picked by farmers. guaranteed by us. ♪ a mint flavor that hointensifies as you chew.. 5 ascent gum. stimulate your senses. ♪ this is a woman hesitating on a life-changing decision. at university of phoenix, we know going back to school is a big decision. that's why we offer students new to college a risk-free period, so you can commit to your education with confidence. get started at phoenix.edu 7:48. we're back with a very frightening moment over the weekend for hall of fame golfer greg norman. he is recovering from surgery after injuring his left hand after working with a chainsaw. we'll talk to greg in a few minutes. first a closer look at what happened. greg norman, seen in a picture he posted days ago was cutting trees at his south florida home when he says he was cut by the chainsaw he was using, barely missing an artery. on saturday, norman posted this photo on instagram, seen recovering from the hospital with a message, always be respectful of the unexpected. i was one lucky man today. damaged, but not down and out. still have left hand. norman is one of golf's most recognizable figures. in 2001, he was inducted into the world golf hall of fame and he often dominated the sport in the '80s and early '90s. despite the accident, his sense of humor is shown intact. seen with protective covering all over his bandaged left handwriting thank you for all your concern and good wishes and continuing. at least i can still play tennis. greg is on the phone with us now. greg, how are you doing? >> hey, good morning, matt. pretty good, my friend. pretty good. yeah, an interesting saturday afternoon, to say the least. >> yeah. i mean, you were using this chainsaw, you described it to me on the phone yesterday. you went to grab a limb with with your left hand but the blade or the chain was still running and you were holding it in your right hand. what happened? >> exactly. i was just about finished trimming the trees. i love doing it. i do awe a lot of chainsawing at my ranch in colorado. ta's not like i'm a rookie with this thing but it started to fall straight down instead of falling away from me and i went to grab the limb with my left hand and i took my chainsaw in my right hand, took my finger off the trigger. the weight of the limb was heavier than i anticipated, so as i was pulling the chainsaw away, the limb came, took my arm right down on top of the blade and i could feel it just crunch on threw and said oh, this is not a good situation. >> this hit you like where your watch -- that part of your arm? >> yeah, exactly. just about where you would have your watch on your left hand. i was very, very lucky, you know. number one, the blade was slowing down. number two, i missed my main artery and tendon by micromillimeters. my first phone call is to my wife, kiki, get a towel and tourniquet and meet me in the backyard. she said what's wrong? i said nothing. then i called my son and said get here and get me to the hospital. and i called my doctor friend, call the e.r., i'm going to be there in 15 minutes. i just had a chainsaw accident. >> they patched you up. greg, you told me something interesting. while you were ready to do this, get the saw and gas and oil, you had a premonition about this? >> i did, matt. it was actually very, very scary. not scary, i suppose, but spooky in a way. i was putting my chainsaw on the back of my cart to go down there and do it and this feeling came over me and said something bad is going to happen. and i paused and i said, no, you know what? let's just take our time. i'm a very positive guy. so i said, no, let's just play out through this. lo and behold, moral of the story is trust your premonition. if i ever have that feeling again, i'm not going to be doing what i'm supposed to be doing. >> i guess i don't get strokes on the golf course anymore, but heal well and we'll talk to you soon, okay? >> thanks, matt. >> take care. >> okay, ♪ ♪ altuzarra for target available september 14th. it's not every day that you find yourself at the corner of "a little flu shot" and "a world of difference." when you get any immunization at walgreens, you'll help provide a lifesaving vaccine to a child in a developing country through the un foundation's shot@life campaign. thanks to customers like you, last year we helped supply three million vaccines to children in need. this year, help give even more. it's easy at walgreens. simply get a shot. and give a shot. at the corner of happy and healthy. in the country. we operate just like a city, and that takes a lot of energy. we use natural gas throughout the airport - for heating the entire terminal, generating electricity on-site, and fueling hundreds of vehicles. we're very focused on reducing our environmental impact. and natural gas is a big part of that commitment. introducing the leggings studio. more looks than you can imagine. only at white house black market. suddenly you're a mouthbreather. well, put on a breathe right strip and instantly open your nose up to 38% more than cold medicines alone. so you can breathe and sleep. shut your mouth and sleep right. breathe right. good morning, i'm vai sikahema. it's september 14th, but there's a chill in the air. let's get the forecast from meteorologist brittney shipp. good morning. >> temperatures starting off in the 40s and 50s and will stay below average, so it's feeling like fall already with temperatures today pushing into the 70s. here's a live look outside right now. a beautiful shot and start to the morning on this monday. not a cloud in the sky. mostly sunny conditions for us today. 75 degrees our daytime high. take a look at tuesday. early chance of showers in your morning hours, just in time for your commute, unfortunately, tomorrow. and then 75 degrees. we continue to cool down to 70 until friday. but take a look at sunday. the 80s are back. >> thank you, brittney. let's get a check on the roads with katy zachry in the first alert traffic center. >> good morning. traffic is building on many of the majors throughout the area. a update of 476 southbound right near ridge pike. you can see there are three vehicles involved in this accident we told you about, about a half hour ago, that are still off to the right-hand shoulder. it's slowing things a tad around that stretch, but it's really not causing any major delays. also an accident new into our system, route 1 southbound. roosevelt boulevard right near cottman avenue. an accident is reported in the outer lanes. and if we just zoom out, you can see there's a lot of slow-up all throughout our area, just speeds in the teens on many of our majors. today, pennsylvania lawmakers are back after summer break and they are being faced with a hot-button issue, a proposed cigarette tax to help fund philadelphia schools. officials in the district say thez don't have a plan "b" if the legislature fails to act and are hoping for action on the $2-per-pack tax on cigarettes in philadelphia. schools will open on time but could close by christmas if the tax doesn't come through. guess what? the money we need to fund our schools lies right underneath your feet. that's right. down in the ground, pennsylvania has deep deposits of natural gas. but because of governor corbett, we're the only state in the country that doesn't make oil and gas companies pay an extraction tax. as governor, i'll make the gas companies pay up to help fund our schools for a change. tom wolf for governor. a fresh start for pennsylvania. ♪ it's 8:00 on "today." coming up, making sense of it all. >> i need to do everything i can to make up for my loss. it was like a way of fighting back. >> the young woman living life stronger than ever despite her daily battle to keep her sight and hearing. still friends, we celebrate 20 years of that hit sitcom with a fresh take on a familiar place. and this girl is on fire. ♪ this girl is on fire >> grammy winner alicia keys is here to talk motherhood, music and to perform live "today," monday, september 15th, 2014. ♪ >> visiting from mississippi. >> hi, hoda. so excited you're co-hosting today. all i want to do is have a glass of wine with you. >> our 2-year-old back in georgia. >> sisters-in-laws having fun. >> it's my 13th birthday! we're back now, 8:00 on a monday morning. it's the 15th day of september, 2014. i'm matt lauer, alongside hoda kotb, who is here, while savannah continues on maternity leave. we're joined by carson daly and al roker as well. happy monday, everybody. >> bright and early with you guys. getting the hang of it. >> none the worse for wear. you wake up early, come into the studio and one of the things you get to see is alicia keys rehearsing before a performance. out here on the plaza right now, shaking hands with some friends. >> selfies. >> giving a lot of hugs. she's due pretty soon, huh? >> besides everything else, she's here to celebrate the first anniversary of the orange room. >> we're going to blow it out tomorrow, stream live on today.com a big one-year anniversary orange room party tomorrow. take the cameras behind the scenes. you can vote on the concepts for the show. go to today.com and choose that. it's going to be awesome. we'll have musical surprise guests, webcast going on. join in on the celebration. send pictures if you're inspired by orange using the #orange all that and more on "today" tomorrow. >> any more hints? >> food. >> sold millions. >> by the way, my favorite orange room moment was go sleeveless and show us the guns. >> yeah. >> love that. let's head inside and get the top stories from natalie. >> good morning to you guys once again. thousands of tourists took cover overnight as the strongest hurricane to ever hit mexico's baja peninsula made rainfall, hurricane odile came on shore with 125-mile-an-hour winds. tourists spend the night in emergency shelters. it could bring heavy rain and flooding to the american southwest. stopping isis is gaining new momentum this morning. secretary kerry is in paris, where they are plotting a unified strategy. surveillance flights. stoked further outrage by releasing video of british aid worker david haines. the king of saudi arabia warned that isis could attack the u.s. in a matter of months if not stopped. pressure is growing on nfl commissioner roger goodell. he was a no-show sunday night in san francisco, even though he promised two years ago to attend the opening game at the 49ers new stadium. and a women's advocacy group hired planes to fly over stadiums before several games with anti-goodell banners. mean meantime, ray rice, suspended indefinitely, only after incriminating video has surfaced, is planning to appeal his video today. britain's prince harry marking a milestone today, his 30th birthday. where has time gone? kelly cobiella is at kensington palace to show us how the fourth in line is celebrating. good morning. >> reporter: big, lavish dinner parties for harry's 30th, but the truth is harry was playing host to athletes and rock stars. this is how a royal rings in his 30s. >> special thank you to prince harry for putting this together. good job. >> reporter: concert for thousands and a speech. >> i just want to read a short message from granny. >> reporter: a message from the queen to 400 wounded warriors invited here to compete. it was prince harry's idea, a huge success, and the start of a legacy. >> but, no, i don't feel too old. i think i'm always young at heart. >> the little prince, once known as the spare to the heir, the boy mourning his mother, the teen making headlines for all the wrong reasons. today a prince hosting charities. >> prince william and sister-in-law kate planned a birthday bash but it was harry who called it off. >> i'm sure he partied with rock stars last night. that's more harry. >> reporter: what does the most eligible bachelor in the world want? >> i think he has been look at his brother's setup now and thinking that could be quite nice. i'm 30 now. i wouldn't mind settling down. >> reporter: the prince perhaps this year wishing for his princess. harry inherits more than $15 million from his mother's estate today. and there's talk that he would also like a country cottage and a dog. natalie? >> all right. whatever prince harry wants, he can get. kelly cobiella, thank you, at kensington palace. another check of the weather once again with al. >> announcer: "today's" weather is brought to you by jimmy dean. it's not just for breakfast anymore. shine on. i smell -- i smell pringles! somebody's got pringles from racine, wisconsin. oh, yeah. what kind is this? >> wisconsin with cranberries. >> have you ever seen a kringle, folks? i'm here to tell you, it's just the best thing going. >> let me help you out. >> it's the kringle, baby! like the cracken, only tastes much better. oh, it's a cringle. odile, 40 miles west of la paz. it is going to make its way up along the california big is your as we watch this thing make its way inland. a lot of wet weather into the southwest. in fact, between now and friday, we could see up to three to six inches of rain. a lot of it within a few hours. we are watching for flash flooding. the rest of the country today, look for rain in the southeast. beautiful day here in the northeast and new england. plenty of sunshine. 86 in seattle today. 94 in portland. the cringle. that's what's going on around good morning i'm brittney shipp, today we're going to see fall-like conditions continuing. temperatures range between 73 and 76 degrees. a cool start with mostly sunny skies. it will continue for your workweek. mid 70s tomorrow and then look we get even cooler going towards the end of your workweek. sunday back to the 80s. and that's your latest weather. we are planning for spectacular weather sunday, september 21st for the boston marathon's jimmy fund walk. >> friends from the jimmy fund right over there. >> posse. >> yeah. >> they're a lot of fun. up next on trending, from reservations bringing your kids thing to things you probably shouldn't do at a restaurant. can you believe it's been 20 years since "friends" took us by storm? we'll head inside the central perk and see why the tv phenomenon remains as popular as ever? >> jada a chico's jacket makes a statement -- your statement. fabulous. glamorous. fun-loving. one-of-a-kind. because you have stories to tell. what's your cover story? at chico's and chicos.com. (coffee being poured into a cup.) ♪ save your coffee from the artificial stuff. switch to truvia. great tasting, zero-calorie sweetness from the stevia leaf. are missing out on the milgood things in milk.icans but your small donation will get milk to their local food banks. you'll fill glasses with milk and hearts with hope. donate now at milklife.com/give sweets become salaries. an oven heats up a community la cocina, a small kitchen that kick-starts the careers of 41 entrepreneurs. they bring the talent. we help fund the tools. it's a small way we help that's been huge for the community. little by little we can do a lot. because... small is huge. visit www.wellsfargo.com to see how big small can be. my son is going to wash the family prius. he insisted on using the rain to save water. fourteen years ago, i insisted on buying our first prius. because like toyota, we both know there's a way to do things, and a way to do things even better. the prius. toyota, let's go places. we're back with 8:12 that's trending today. urban outfitters is causing a stir with a new clothing item. according to the urban outfitters website this morning, the now sold-out shirt is a vintage kent state sweatshirt with red splotches that are reminiscent of blood stains. it seems to be in very poor taste, considering the four college students that were killed on the kent state campus on may 4th, 1970, during protests of the vietnam war. >> and this is not the first time urban outfitters have faced backlash with a clothing item, including a depression shirt later pulled from shelves. we reached out for comment but haven't heard back. it's so horrible. you might think some of the kids buying don't remember kent state, they don't remember -- >> they didn't know anything. no link between the two events. >> right. >> they shouldn't have the opportunity because it shouldn't be on the shelves. whoever looked at this -- >> here is a great idea. let's do that. >> no. >> not a good one. we put the kids to bed, get back to work as usual. >> does candy crush count as work? >> in your case, yes. that's research. good news is that that may not be such a bad thing. if you have the choice and decided to logon to make for maybe an easier day tomorrow, your work/life balance may be less impacted. some employees may use these late-night log ins with a trade-off to leave early and finish up that project a little later on that night. however, be warned. looking at e-mail without saying before you go to bed can keep you up later because of the glow of the life but also it gets you going, gets your brain going. >> sometimes i'll be lying in bed and hear the iphone buzz and it's different than deliberately logging on. i'll reach over, say maybe it's important. >> but you're in a unique position. >> always have to kind of be on. >> i figure they'll call if it's really important but to hear a buzzing iphone, you pick it up and then you're done. >> a rule on our show is we don't read anything. >> hasn't hurt you. >> so, you go to a restaurant. bon apetite is out with a list of what not to do at a restaurant. first of all, don't be late. call ahead. you may wouldn't to lie, it's harmless. you're not fooling everybody, because everybody else got there on time. i guess traffic wasn't a problem for them. don't wear out the welcome. if you're sit tlg an hour after you finish your meal and your server comes in packajamas, you know that you probably have been there a little bit too long. it's time to get up and take the party to another location. >> you know you've been there too long when the waiter comes over and tries to do the table cloth trick. >> get out. >> think twice about bringing your -- i did this last night. just because a baby is allowed in restaurants doesn't necessarily mean you should bring them. if you do, give them a courtesy call and say, hey, we're bringing our baby. they said could you put that baby a little further under the table? this is a high-traffic area right here. >> safety tip. >> this one is for you, hoda. don't get intoxicate zblud know what? that was unnecessary. >> tell kathie lee, know your limit. the tequila shots, save those for the dive bar. >> that's not true either. hoda comes drunk to begin with. >> you know what? >> you have two weeks of this. >> all right. and that is what's trending today. meantime, can you believe it's been 20 years since "friends" debuted here on nbc? lifestyle and fitness correspondent, first day at school, jenna wolfe, has made her way to a place that fans of the show will recognize. what are you brewing up? >> oh, hey, good morning, hoda. i'm just going to play a little diddy for you this morning. it's cold here in new york. i thought i would warm you up. it's a complicated song. so bear with me. here we go. ♪ smelly cat smelly cat what are they feeding you ♪ >> perfect. perfect. >> here is the -- thank you. thank you very much. that took all morning to rehearse. we are at central perk. it's a corner coffee shop for six 20 somethings in the late '90s who had so-so jobs but lived in amazing apartments. we'll figure that one out later. it's a replica of central perk. if you were a fan of the show "friends," this is a place to come to. props, memorabilia, scenes on the wall, pictures, everything to relive the show. next month starting wednesday, these guys will be giving away free coffee to celebrate the 20th anniversary -- thanks, gunther, of one of the most popular shows of all time. it all started here, six friends, a runaway bride and a cup of joe. >> can i get you some coffee? >> decaf. >> friends, the sitcom that dominated and helped define the '90s. for a decade, we lived with rachel, ross, chandler, phoebe, monica and joey, as they sang -- ♪ i don't need your charity thank you. >> joked. >> could i be more sorry? >> and joey'd. >> how you doin'? >> how you doin'? >> their way into pop culture history. central to their world? the coffee-scented cocoon of central perk. >> i know! >> the hang out with the orange couch. of course, guchlt nther. >> so i guess rachel had your baby. >> yep. can you believe it? >> nope. >> it's been ten years since "friends" said farewell, but it still strikes a chord in popular culture. >> what is this? what is this? >> this is an exact replica of the kitchen. >> even though they all moved on to other things. >> i can't believe i'm going to be 41 on saturday. >> how can they do this? you're joey. >> right? >> i'm telling you, this could be the san diego zoo. >> we all remember where they started. >> would anybody like more coffee? >> of course we would. >> so, if today, but some chance, if this isn't your day, your month or even your year, this is the place to be, right here at central perk. i am joined by gunther. believe it or not, that's not his name in real life. james, thanks for being here. you can talk now. >> okay. thanks for having me. >> i know you didn't say that much in the ten years. does this bring back memories for you? >> surreal. it looks pretty close. it's bigger than our set. >> bigger? >> yes. >> that's interesting. >> i want you to take a walk over here with me. i heard an interesting story. you only had an opportunity to sit on this iconic orange couch one time, is that right? >> yeah. it was an episode where -- >> have a seat. >> -- phoebe had a cold. so, she had a really raspy voice and wanted her sexy voice back. she lost her cold but gunther caught her cold. she recaught her cold by kissing gunther on this couch. >> highlight for you? >> it actually was. >> i'm sure it was. were these guys friends on the air and off the air as well? >> they were, a tight-knit group. >> you had a good time with these guys? >> fantastic. ten unforgettable years. >> that's so great. so glad to have you here. for the next month, gunther will be here at some point. you can come down to central perk, relive this entire experience. >> our bowl of coffee here. >> i have a fly doing the backstroke in here. >> we should donate our orange couch to that place. up next, story of courage from our extended family. time to go back to peter alexander. t two-fechlt r from peter today, personal inspiring story to share. >> i'm so proud to share my sister's story today, one of the funniest and most caring people you will ever meet. she's also my best friend. her world is rapidly changing because of a cruel disorder that's causing her to go blind and deaf. to me, beckcy the true face of courage. >> don't stop, rebecca. let's go. >> this is my sister, rebecca, 35 now and the most impressive person i noechlt looking at her, you would have no idea she has a disability. >> can you see my hands right here? >> yeah. >> can you see my hands right here? >> no. >> when becky was only 13, she was diagnosed with a rare and devastating genetic disorder called usher syndrome type three. >> it finally hit you in college, i'm going to lose my vision and hearing, go blind and deaf. what does that learning that feel like? >> as soon as i got that diagnosis, i felt like i need to do everything i can to make up for my loss. it was like my way of fighting back. >> becky is fearless. a tornado of energy. she is an extreme athlete, leaving the rest of us in her dust. >> pick up your speed! >> with her hearing almost gone, last year becky received a cochlear implant, surgically implanted device that provides a sense of sound. only becky passes the time before major surgery like this. i came to see her the day before she got the implant. you like to joke to me i'm getting a hole in my head. as i come to terms with this, even as a brother, this is the last time i'll ever look at you without a device on you. do you know what i mean? >> yeah. >> which for me is hard, too. >> yeah. >> does that worry you, in the way people will view you? i'm sorry i'm crying. i love you so much. >> it's nice to know that the people around you do care and have an emotional response to it. >> a year and a half later, becky hears much better but her vision is limited to this like she's looking through a straw and that window is closing. still, my sister remains upbeat and undeterred. >> it's incredible how in the last, you know, 15 years, how much my life has changed. and it's actually better. i mean, it's funny that i could have a lot less vision and a lot less hearing and be a lot happier. >> and rebecca alexander is with us now. her story is told in the new book "not fade away:a memoir of senses lost and found." peter, good morning to you again. becky, good morning. you said i'm happier now than i was before i got this diagnosis. and i think a lot of people watching say how can that be so? why are you happier now? >> i think when i first got this diagnosis, i was incredibly overwhelmed with the idea of going deaf and blind. and it was all i could think about. and it made me not want to live my life. and, you know, in hopes of not sounding dramatic, i thought i would rather die than be deaf and blind. now in coming to terms with what i have, and being out there and being so much more comfortable with myself, it's made a world of a difference. and i think that more importantly, whoa focus so much on all the things we don't have rather than what we do have. and to be so grateful for what i do have now and what i still can use. >> i'm sitting here, listening to you and i'm thinking amy van dyke, who i talked to a few months ago, there are people who have a way to inspire. not to embarrass your sister, but is it in the dna, something in her childhood that prepared her for this? >> i'm glad it's becky, not me. i don't think i could deal with it. she is beyond impressive. she's blessed to have family that loves her, friend that is embrace her. beyond that, the message she has taught us and that i've been inspired by, the people in the community that may feel alone and she's taught them they are not alone and others share those challenges. >> in terms of a social life, you're single. when it comes to dating, is it hard to explain to someone you might want to date or who might want to date you that you do have this challenge facing you? >> you know, there's good things and bad things of social media and the internet. now, as soon as someone knows my first and last name they can google me. the first thing that comes up is deaf, blind. if we make it passed that round i probably have a better chance of moving further with it. but, yeah, who wants to have all of their kind of, you know, stuff out there? and we all have something. >> let's be very clear. it's not a question of you moving past the next round. if anybody gets my sister first they have to get through some family members. >> you have a pretty strong wing man over here. >> they will be playing way out of their range. >> the book is "not good morning i'm vai sikahema. it started off cool but it will warm up to be a very nice day, let's find out from brittney shipp. we will stay in the low to mid 70s. look at that sunshining there. a closer look at our right now temperatures in philadelphia. 56, our humidity at 72%. light wind at 10 miles per hour. as we head into the next few hours we will see temperatures pushing into the 60s. the high is 75. let's get a check on the rote with katy zachry. >> there is some police activity on the right-hand shoulder showing things down on i-4676. an accident in mon gtgomery couy on pottstown avenue. look right now at your drive times. things are really building up on 95 southbound. >> a baby delivered during an emergency c section after his mother was shot and killed by a stray bullet yesterday as died. she was eight months pregnant and police believe that she was an innocent bystander. we'll see you in about 25 minutes. ♪ ♪ let's talk about your love israel let's talk nigeria and the mass h hysteria ♪ >> that's a nice image, alicia keys and jada pinkett smith. we get to talk to both of those extremely talented ladies "today," monday, september 15th, 2014. natalie morales, hoda kotb, carson daly and al roker. >> new york before there was batman before there was cat woman before the riddler, the joker. she plays a sneaky, evil character in "gotham." i'll talk to her in a bit. >> alicia keys who has won 15 gr grammys. we'll get a performance from alicia. >> such a great message behind it. she'll tell us how she came up with it. the best of beauty products for under, get this, 30 bucks. >> linda wells there. first, mr. roker, how about a check of the weather? >> first of all for today, we've got a lot of wet weather through the southeast, gulf coast, rain in the upper great lakes, western third of the country going to be very toasty. exception being san francisco. tomorrow, we're going to be watching remnants of odile making its way toward the southwest. the heat continues in southern california. 94 in l.a. cooling down a bit, the pacific northwest. looking at a few scattered showers in the great lake good morning, i'm brittney shipp. today we're going to see fall-like conditions continuing. temperatures range between 73 and 76 degrees. although it's a cool start we'll see mostly sunny skies. they will continue for the res of your workweek. take a look, we get even cooler going into the end of your workweek, only 70 degrees on friday but sunday back to the 80s if that's your latest weather. got north dakota sisters over there! all right. now let's go back inside. >> announcer: small acts, big impact on "today" is brought to you by wells fargo. together, we'll go far. al, thanks so much. guys, quickly, do you know somebody who is helping to make their community better, somebody who does volunteer work at their local hospital or help out the neighbors in time of need or goes above and beyond to help out others? if you do, we want to hear about it. nominate them for our small alcohols, big impact contest sponsored by wells fargo. submit your nominee. you have until thursday. your generous friend could win a trip here to new york to tell their story on the plaza. hoda? >> all right, carson, thanks so much. jada pinkett smith co-stars in one of the most anticipated shows of the fall season. it's a batman prequel and it's called "gotham." take a look. >> where have you been? >> where haven't i been? >> who is the friend? >> detective james gordon, ma'am. >> well, aren't you a cool glass of milk? >> ma'am, was that screaming we heard back there? >> yes. my boys are watching a scary movie. >> really? >> no. actually, one of my staff has been stealing money from me, so we're beating his punk [ bleep ]. >> hello. jada pinkett smith, good morning, girl. >> good morning. >> we've got to set the stage. first of all, i'm terrified of your character. >> good. >> she is scary but she's also a seductress. >> yes. >> you can't figure out whether she's going to devour you. >> devour you. >> kill you, love you. >> exactly. >> tell us about your character in this. >> she's part of the mob world of gotham which really hasn't been explored yet. you'll get to see how all the mob bosses kind of work together during this time of gotham. >> this is before there was batman? >> this is before. >> before the riddler, the joker, all of them. >> this is the beginning. this is the origin of how batman came to be, the joker, riddler and catwoman came to be. >> your character, tell us a little bit about her. who did you take from to come up with this woman? >> you know, it's interesting. i did a combination of griselle deblanco, pretty notorious female gangster. she was pretty bad in a, you know, gangster way and norman desmond from "sunset boulevard." >> that's a good combo. >> yeah. >> you look like you're having fun playing this role. >> i'm having a blast. i am having so much fun i get paid to play evil. that's awesome. >> were you always into batman and that whole genre before this? >> yes. always. always loved batman. the thing i love about this particular project, i've always been intrigued with with gotham, right? even as a fan to come on board and get to know more about gotham and how gotham came to be and about the city itself, i was really excited about it. >> what about the red in the hair, where did that -- >> that's just her signature. >> little style? >> it's red with -- it's usually pretty spiky. it was just to remind you, you know, what these nails can do. >> having a flashback from the show. you're so hot and fashionable. i saw you a little bit at fashion week. >> yes. >> that was so much fun. you went with your mom, whose also a looker. >> thank you. >> your mom is gorgeous. we might have a picture of the two of you. that was us before. that was a great show. >> there's my mommy. >> who is that? >> that's my mommy. >> no, it's not. may i ask how old your mom is or she doesn't like you to say? >> she's 60. >> she looks -- >> amazing. >> gorgeous. >> i told her she better pass that to me, i swear. >> what's your relationship with like with your mom? >> she's my best friend, as you can see. she's a young mom so we're like sisters. we always have been. >> does she watch all of your projects? what will she think of "gotham"? >> she's going to love "gotham." she loves movies, loves television. she named me after one of her favorite soap opera star. >> she did? >> yes, she did. my mother loves hollywood. >> jada, you are so sweet. thank you for coming to see us. >> thank you for having me. >> "gotham" deday bus ne-- debut friday. and a welcome back to "today." thousands of new beauty products come out every year. how in the world do you know which ones are the right ones for you and which ones are worth the price? our friends at allure did the work for us. linda wells, the magazine's editor in chief is here. how are you? >> i'm really well. >> i love how you break it down. there's nothing more intimidating than walking in a store and seeing thousands of products. i'm going to get my little shopping basket. why not kill two bird with his one stone? >> do shop. >> this is the $10 table. >> the winning mascara is revlon bold lacquer. black shiny fibers. dove makes a great dry shampoo. >> how often should you use it? >> once every three days. it comes out clear. it isn't powdery. it's a really good one. if you want to have a crazy hair color, garnier color styler. you put it on with your finger and it washes out in three -- if you wash it three times, it's gone. >> blues, pinks and purples? >> let me just get one of those. hold on. don't leave me. >> for $20. >> this is a maybelline nudes palette. every single one day, night, weekend, all skin colors. >> this is my palette, by the way. really good one. >> olay and cover girl came together to make this under eye concealer that has skin benefits to make skin depuff and under eye circles get better over time. and this neutrogena sun screen changed my life, my summer. put it on like deodorant. and it goes on. it's not sticky, it's not messy. it's not white. it's perfect. >> is this something you should be using all year round anyway, right? >> spf 70. you may not need that every day but it's a really good one if you're going to be out in the sun. >> so far i spent almost no money. >> that's good. >> getting a little more expensive, the $30 table. what items did you find for 30? >> l'oreal age perfect face oil, put it on under moisturizer or makeup. it smells so good. it has eight essential oils and it is beautiful. face oils are a big thing right now. >> people who like to look dewy, but not oily -- >> it's not too dewy. you look really dewy at the beginning and then it gets right in there. >> by l'oreal. >> clinique makes these blushers, dot them on your cheek and rub them in. it looks like carayons. >> just for cheeks, not for lips, right? >> everything we do to our hair ruins it, the sun, the heat. and this is a deep conditioning mask. you can put it on. it takes five minutes. you suddenly have this beautiful shiny hair. >> linda, these are the breakthroughs. >> this is jergens bb cream for the body. not enough to make it look like you have to put it on carefully. it gives you a perfect looking body. >> look at all the wild color. >> gel manicures you can use at home. you don't need to have a salon. they last two weeks. no special equipment. >> they're safe? >> they're safe. >> is that it? >> that's it. >> wait a minute. let me get these. i'll take that color. lindha great. excellent. you can find all of these on our website if you want to go through them all again. good news. guess who is coming up. alicia keys will be singing a song the first time with us. back with 15-time alicia keys, best selling author, philanthropist back with a brand new single called "we are here." i love the message of this song and the questions it makes you ask yourself. thanks for being back. >> good to be here. >> you're expect iing your seco child in december. how are you feeling? >> i'm feeling so good. i have to say, really strong and also inspired. >> you have a son, egypt, who will will be 4 at the time of this new arrival. is he excited or is he like that boy in the video that says it's exasperating. >> i saw that little boy. >> egypt is cool? >> he's cool. >> why are we here? why are we on the planet? what's your answer? >> it startd with the conversation i had that that question was asked to me. that really opened up a whole conversation and dialogue and with the backdrop of everything that's going on in the world and that frustration that we all are feeling as people, what can we do about it? we all have a voice. how can it be used ? i really want this song to be the dialogue that starts to ask ourselves, why are we here? what are we here to do? >> you are asking people to go on twitter and complete the line. jimmy fallon wrote i'm here to help you forget your problems for an hour and also i'm here to valet park brian williams car. you answer this question how? >> for you. we are here for all of us, to be here for each other. >> you meant for me in the general sense. i was going to say, that's the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me. are you going to sing it for us now? >> i will. >> ladies and gentlemen, alicia keys. ♪ ♪ we are here we are here for all of us we are here for all of us that's why we are here why we are here we are here ♪ ♪ bombs over baghdad tryin' to get something we ain't never had let's start with a good dad so real but it's so sad and while we burnin' this incents we're gonna pray for the innocent cause right now it don't make sense right now it don't make sense ♪ ♪ let's talk about chi town let's talk about gaza let's talk about let's talk about israel try now with israel let's talk about let's talk nigeria in a mass hysteria yeah our souls are brought together so that we could love each other brother ♪ ♪ we are here we are here for all of us we are here for all of us that's why we are here why we are here we are here ♪ ♪ no guns made in harlem but yet crime is a problem he wanna shine they wanna rob him single mother where they come from how we gonna save the nation with no support for education cause right now it don't make sense right now it don't make sense ♪ ♪ let's talk about our part my heart touch your heart let's talk about let's talk about living had enough of dying not what we all about let's do more giving do more forgiving yeah our souls are brought together so that we could love each other sister ♪ ♪ we are here we are here for all of us we are here for all of us that's why we are here why we are here we are here ♪ ♪ oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, ♪ ♪ we are here we are here for all of us we are here for all of us that's why we are here why we are here ♪ >> alicia keys. aleisurea thank you very much. she'll be back in our next hour to talk about this great project. remember, #we are here. project. remember, #we are here. we'll be back in a don't believe tom corbett's tv ad. the facts speak for themselves. tom corbett cut a billion dollars from our schools. he took an ax to education. twenty-seven thousand educators were laid-off. class sizes increased. and now almost eighty percent of school districts plan to raise property taxes. tom corbett. can't trust him on education. can't trust him to be for us. >> beautiful. love that song. >> we get to listen to alicia keys and now she joins us. you asked us to do the why i am here. >> raise healthy, happy children. >> beautiful. >> i wrote to laugh and love. >> that's nice. >> we'll get you some cards. >> you're going to get a lot of response on this. >> people are just so responsive to this. they want to talk about why they're here. they want to think about it. a lot of people have said man, i never even thought about that. >> so true. >> isn't it nice when you can make music that gets people singing and dancing, but also gets them to think? >> thinking. >> it is the biggest blessing. i think that's what so much of us as artists work so hard to do, is come up with something that connects all of us, you know, in that way. >> you do that so well, though. that line in the song, you need to give and forgive, the way that you work your poetry with your words offers that inspiration to us as fans. >> just the positivity makes such a difference. >> thank you. >> we'll be back at 9:00. alicia, you're sticking around? >> oh, yeah! >> there's more. >> she should be back in prime time on nbc as an adviser on "the voice" this year, which we're thrilled to have. how was that experience? >> really fun. really fun. and those talents, really talents. really good. >> alicia, thank you so much for joining us. we have a few birthday wishes coming from willard scott. ♪ new york new york what a heck of a crowd ♪ you guys are beautiful. beautiful. st. charles, missouri, on the old mississippi. alyce gould is 100 years old today. we wish her a very happy birthday. tilly auerbach, 100 years old today. she swims and does the yoga bear. hey, boo boo. yoga is big with older folks. they love it. this is clifford lee, 108 years old, strawberry plains, tennessee. clifford lea from tennessee. mechanic and farmer. that is his trade. eating strawberries is his past time. and marvin fisher. how about old marv? 100 years old today, philadelphia, pennsylvania. what does he say makes him young? a daily shot of crown royal. for those of you who don't know, that's a town. that's it, folks. we sing, we dance, we have fun. so do they in new york. here they are. >> yes, we do, willard. thanks so much. much more with alicia keys in our next hour. first, a loo . good morning i'm vai sikahema. what a kbor jous morning this is shaping up to do. let's get our forecast with brittney shipp. >> we will stay below average today. plenty of sunshine, a gorgeous fall-like day. we're technically in the last week of summer. a closer look at temperatures right now. 52 in the poconos. we're at 57 in atlantic city. the poconos will warm to 64 today, the city 75. supporters of medical marijuana will be demonstrating today at the state capitol building. the proposal brought support in the senate and a decision will soon be made if they will move forward on a vote. the money will go towards filling a budget gap in the philadelphia school district. they're hoping for a $2 per pack tax in philadelphia. they say there is no plan b for getting the money needed. and also, the dragons little league team will be recognized on the pennsylvania house floor today. star pitcher mo'ne davis went on to make numerous tv appearances and the dragons were named team of the year. i'm vai sikahema, i'll send you back "the today show" and we'll see you in about half an hour. i'm stanley tucci and i love new york. there's no place like it in the world. one of my favorite fall activities is visiting our world-renowned wineries and craft brewers. and, award-winning distilleries and cider makers. they're located all across our great state. come raise a glass to your favorites. plan your fall getaway at iloveny.com/fall there's something for everyone >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today's" take with al roker, natalie morales, willie geist and tamron hall live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> good crowd outside. welcome to "today" on this monday morning, september 15g t, 2014. i'm natalie morales, along with ta al roker and tamron hall. alicia keys will talk to us more about her new song "we are here," the great message behind it. we're all encouraged to get on social media and #we are here. we'll share those photos in the orange room. >> new baby on the way. threw her husband an epic birthday party this week. that's out of -- i have to find out how she planned. coming to america theme party, the movie with eddie murphy, arsenio hall as well. >> we'll talk to her about all of that. boy, the nfl, when you thought it couldn't get worse, adrian peterson has been deactivated from the team, accused of beating his 4-year-old son with part of a tree branch, a switch. this happened when the boy was visiting him in may. reckless and criminal negligence. peterson admits that he used this switch on the child. he said he gave the boy, in a text, a whooping, as he called it. >> quote. >> his attorney said it was the same kind of discipline that peterson himself experienced as a child growing up in texas. his attorney also saying, quote, it's important to remember that adrian never intended to harm his son and deeply regrets the unintentional injury." >> you look at the pictures, which we are not going to show. >> yes, we are not going to show. >> they are so deeply disturbing. >> bruising, welting, broken skin. >> blood. >> throughout the legs, buttocks, his back. i mean, there's one thing to discipline your child. it's another thing to -- >> yeah, injure. >> -- injure your child. >> that's a weapon. you go out and you get a stick, switch, whatever you want to call it, that's a weapon. >> yeah. >> that you're using on a 4-year-old child. and it was, according to the reports, over an altercation that the child had with a sibling over a video game. >> it's a 4-year-old. >> it's a 4-year-old. and then you say, this is how i was raised. that is the lamest excuse. >> charles barkley tried to, you know, move that forward yesterday saying that if you arrested -- if they arrested every black parent in the south. >> that's not true. >> not true at all. >> absolutely. >> not at all. and it really is -- just a really disturbing situation. and, yes, there are those who say, well, it may go to culture or how you were raised or whatever, but you don't continue. if, in fact, you were, you don't continue that. >> maya angelou says you do better when you know better. surely by now adrian peterson, a young man who has been exposed to a lot of things, i would think -- but apparently not -- would know that you don't beat a child where that child is bleeding. can you imagine the shared custody here with the child, the child goes back home to his mother in minnesota and she starts to unpack his things and then you see all of these -- >> text messages saying hey, be prepared. >> it's one thing to get a text message. it's another thing to see it. she's there with her child and now there are scars all over his little body. >> it's tough. >> unbelievable. >> in fact, to the point chris carter -- >> yeah. >> -- yesterday gave just a really raw, emotional speech about his own childhood on espn's "sunday's nfl countdown." so moving. take a look at this. >> my mom did the best job she could do, raising seven kids by herself. but there are thousands of things that i have learned since then that my mom was wrong. >> yes. thank you. >> this is the 2 1st century. my mom was wrong. she did the best she could but she was wrong about some of that stuff she taught me. and i promised my kids i won't teach that mess to them. you can't beat a kid to make them do what they want to do. >> that's correct. thank you. >> thousands of things we have learned since then. and now we're to the point, the only thing i'm proud about is the team that i played for, they did the right thing. >> yes. >> take him off the field! >> i was on my feet when i saw this, clapping for him. i'm happy as a man he spoke up, as a black man. again, people were hiding behind culture with this, that he took that stand was absolutely -- and i've always been a fan of chris'. he is a super good guy. but that was powerful. >> it was. no matter who you were. >> that was from the heart. >> absolutely. >> there's a generational question. i know how many of us got hit or -- but nothing to that extent. >> no. >> again -- >> smack in the butt, that's a legitimate conversation as to whether your child is running out in the middle of the street, you grab them to get their attention, swat on the behind. that's a legitimate -- i had a conversation with a friend who has a daughter who is now 19. she said i never touched my daughter, never spanked my daughter ever. i said that's your journey and you can have that conversation. but a weapon, a switch, stick -- >> i could probably count twice my dad may have used the belt, the belt. but never broken the skin. it was a couple of swacks. and it was more the idea of it. >> my dad, whenever he went for the belt, it was the same thing. i could counterthree or four times. at the same time i can remember those incidents and the fear that i had. and i don't want my kids -- >> you would never -- >> no. i have, on occasion, swatted my own son once because he ran out -- >> sure, we've aun all done that. >> -- in front of a car. so to teach him a lesson. >> in 19 states it's legal in school to paddle? >> we talked about this before. my growing up, my school had a paddle with the holes in it. >> oh, yeah. i went to school and either the ruler or the paddle. >> times have changed. >> different time. >> my principal, who was a nun, had a paddle that said the rule of law. rule of law. and that was considered -- >> words. you can teach so much more using your word. >> people are going to say what was wrong with that? you're never going to change minds. >> still can't convince people to wear a seat belt. there are always outliers but i hope reasonable minds that saw this child and saw the photographs and that it was a switch, not the circumstances you described, i can't imagine reasonable minds looking at a 4-year-old child and say that's okay. you can't say no more video games? go to your room? there's no way to manipulate a child? >> exactly. >> you're supposed to be the smarter person in addition to being the bigger person physically. another thing that's caught our eye -- we pass with the cover girl? >> greg norman. >> this morning on with matt after a crazy accident with norman over the weekend. very close -- i actually saw the pictures online yesterday. had no idea the extent of these injuries. he was injured with a chainsaw accident while working at his florida home t barely missed an artery. this morning he is recovering from surgery. greg called in earlier and told us he had a premonition -- this is so spooky. he had a premonition about this accident. take a listen. >> this feeling came over me and i said something bad is going to happen and i paused and i said, no, you know what? let's just take our time. everything is going to -- i'm a very positive guy. i said oh, no, let's just play out through this and the moral of the story, trust your premonition. if i ever have that feeling again i'm not going to be doing whatever i'm supposed to be doing. >> he is an experienced chainsaw user. >> and you would think very careful, after having that premonition. >> i am so deathly afraid of chainsaws because i've seen them kick back with people, you know. it just -- for him to have that happen, somebody who makes their living, basically, using their hands. >> i have to tell you, my husband once -- >> premonition is crazy. >> yeah. i was going to say, my husband, i went out to the backyard at our house in connecticut and he's out there with the chainsaw on, the motor is going and he's trying to put the chain back on because it came off. i. >> what? >> i was like, are you crazy? thank god i caught him in time. i was like, turn that thing off. >> and that is why you -- >> not smart. >> but that's not a premonition. >> what gets me, have you ever had that feeling, should i go left, should i go right? >> all the time but then i wouldn't go anywhere. i can't go anywhere today. i have a premonition it's going to be a bad day at work. >> natalie has a lot of talk going on in her head. >> that's what i sound like, little voices in my head. >> that sounds like elmo. you're not elmo in your head. >> ventriloquist. >> voices in your head. miss new york, kira kazantsev won the miss america pageant last night. three-peat for new york. she performed that song "happy." remember, from "pitch perfect," she was fantastic. >> let's listen. ♪ clap along if you feel like happiness is the truth clap along ♪ >> amazing. >> you don't have to have a talent? >> that's a talent, to sing and do that at the same time. >> that was her point behind doing it with the cups. >> the performance that caught some people by -- miss ohio's mckenzie bart performed with a ventriloquist dummy. al has a thing for ventriloqu t ventriloquist, they sang supercalifragilist supercalifragilistic- expialidocious. ♪ supercalifragilistic e- expialidocious ♪ >> wants to take my job. >> could she do the weather with her -- >> sure she can. come on in. miss ohio, miss bart, come on over to the show. we would love to have you here. >> actually good. >> you know what it's like to work with a dummy. >> i wasn't going to say it. >> i know. that's why i thought i would say it. i don't know who the contestant was. she was playing piano and the fun fact came up, she was attacked by a cheetah in zambia. >> what? >> that's a fun fact? >> that's a fun fact. >> you've got to be kidding me. >> attacked by a cheetah. no, i don't think so. i think it was in a hotel. >> oh, my gosh. >> escape a situation like that. >> ridiculous. >> all right, mr. roker. >> all right. anyway, let's show you what we've got going on. we've got a big hurricane that's affecting mexico, odile, 40 miles west of la paz, mexico. category 2 storm moving northwest. it will hug the coast all weekend -- i should say week long on into tuesday. wednesday it makes a turn and the gulf of california and starts to head toward the southwest. that will bring a lot of rain to mexico, obviously. anywhere from seven to 12 inches of rain, as much as 18 inches as well. but as that system makes its way in -- look at all this moisture starting to push its way into southeastern california into arizona and new mexico. we're going to be looking not quite like we saw last week with norbert but we could see anywhere from three to five inches of rain and locally two to three inches in a few hours, which could cause major flash flooding. we' good morning i'm brittney shipp. today we're going to see fall like conditions continuing. temperatures range between 73 and 76 degrees. although it's a cool start we'll see mostly sunny skies. mid 70s tomorrow with a chance of early showers and then take a look, we get even cooler going into the end of your workweek, 70 degrees on friday and sunday back to the 80s. our producer, adam miller, who watches pageants constantly, say she was robbed. >> the ventriloquist? >> yes. >> we love miss new york, too. >> we do. >> but we want miss ohio to do the weather. >> our producer, adam miller, is from ohio. so, this is a dream come true for him. she may wear her tiara. >> she's going to be here tomorrow, we hope. anyway, coming up next, if there were ever a girl on fire, you all know it's 15-time grammy winner alicia keys. all know it's 15-time grammy winner alicia keys. she has the answer to treating your dog's fleas and ticks is staring you right in the 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(yawn) (ding!) toaster strudel! more fruit in the filling, ya? mmm! ya! warm, flaky, gooey, toaster strudel! now, with more fruit! let's show 'em what a breakfast with whole grain fiber can do. one coffee with room, one large mocha latte, medium macchiato, a light hot chocolate hold the whip, two espressos. make one a double. she's full and focused. [ barista ] i have two cappuccinos, one coffee with room, one large mocha latte, a medium macchiato, a light hot chocolate hold the whip, and two espressos -- one with a double shot. heh, heh. that's not the coffee talkin'. [ female announcer ] start your day with kellogg's frosted mini wheats cereal. with whole wheat goodness on one side and a hint of sweetness on the other, it's a delicious way to get the nutrition you want. alicia keys burst on to the music scene "songs in a minor." >> five grammy awards and one of the most successful songs and most covered, i think, ever. "fallen" which alicia wrote and produced. >> 13 years later, the 15-time grammy award winner is out with her newest single. we love this. "we are here," spreading an important message. ♪ let's do more giving do more forgiving yeah our souls are brought together so that we could love each other sister we are here ♪ >> thanks for being here. >> thanks for having me. i'm really appreciating y'all support and good energy. >> has it seemed like it's flown by for you as much as it has for us? >> definitely flown by. everything is a new chance, opportunity. i felt like i haven't even really gotten started, to be honest. >> you really have -- it seems like every time we hear you sing, there's always a powerful message behind t i think more so with this song. what inspired you to write the words? >> this song absolutely more than ever have i started to really recognize my purpose and desire to really probe deeper, to find out what it is that we're all going through. i think we're all going through so much. specifically with this song "we are here" like i said before it was a question asked of me. someone said to me why are you here? no one asked me that question before. i started throwing that question to everybody that i came in contact with. what came back was so powerful, the backdrop of everything that's going on in the world, all of us, we just feel -- some of us are frustrated. some of us feel afraid, concerned. we all want to know what we can personally do. this song gives us the opportunity to have that dialogue to talk about what are we here to do for each other? what are we here to offer? i think that dialogue starting alone in ourselves begins the bigger conversation of how we can start to -- >> you mentioned in answer to your al's question, energy. you have a zen. pregnant with your second child. you even asked your son why he was here. his answer was so good, to be a superhero. >> so good, huh? you can say anything that you're feeling. to be a superhero is incredible inside your own self, to find your super human powers and give them. that's a beautiful statement. >> you talk about your son, egypt. you have a baby on the way. has that, in a sense, changed you and the music you make? not that you have to have a child to have the feelings you have. >> no. >> but that it really has changed how you do what you do? >> it has. i mean, it has changed. just because as a mother you start feeling things on a way -- just a level -- i think you start feeling a fierceness, even a more empathetic energy. i've always been an empathetic energy. i've always related to what we've gone through as a humanity. when you start seeing your kids in the mix, what they're going to grow up in, what they're going to be part of or how they're going to change it, you get fiercer about it. >> speaking of fierce, your husband's birthday party, before we go, coming to america. i think we have a picture of t how did you plan this? we want to do this for al's 61st. this is the birthday party. that's alicia in the gown. how long did it take? >> actually, it didn't take that long. the vision was clear. it's one of his favorite films. whose isn't? it's so great to have a good time. >> who had to get all the feathers? alicia keys #we are here. >> we all wrote -- >> hold ours up as we go into the break. #we are here. >> we're back right after ♪ vivofit. gently reminds you to get moving. join the movement. ♪ shield, sneeze, swish ♪ this back to school, there's a new routine ♪ [ female announcer ] kleenex tissues are thick and absorbent. in this lab demo, they help stop moisture better than the leading competitor's everyday tissue. pick some up today. better than the leading competitor's everyday tissue. i let him know everyen i find a time i save a dollar. every time. now there is a tool made for you. introducing savings catcher from walmart. it compares prices to top stores in your area. no more driving all over town. if there's a lower advertised price, walmart will give you the difference on an e-gift card. oh! money! every penny counts! yep! try the savings catcher for yourself. go to walmart.com/savingscatcher and enter your receipt. save money. live better. walmart. righabreva can heal itcold sore, in as few as two and a half days when used at the first sign. without it, the virus spreads from cell to cell. abreva penetrates deep, and starts to work immediately to block the virus and protect healthy cells. you could heal your cold sore fast, as fast as two and a half days when used at the first sign. learn more at abreva.com mara: don't tough it out, knock it out fast. with abreva. if it doesn't work fast... you're on to the next thing. neutrogena® rapid wrinkle repair has the fastest retinol formula to visibly reduce fine lines and wrinkles in just one week. neutrogena®. to visibly reduce fine lines and wrinkles in just one week. mom usually throws a gogurt in there. well mom's not here today so we're doing things dad's way. which means i get... two. (singing) snack time and lunch. (singing) snack time and lunch. gogurt because lunch needs some fun. taking a look at the headlines, president obama plans to boost u.s. efforts in the ebola outbreak. is he expected to unveil the plan tomorrow. among the possible moves, sending additional portable hospitals along with doctors and health care experts and providing medical supplies. a new study reveals antibiotics are overprescribed for kids and teens but it can be difficult for doctors to tell when they are needed. researchers looked at a decade of data and found over 57% of patients were prescribed an antibiotic but it estimated 27% of the illnesses were actually bacterial. experts say there is currently no good solution to the problem. except for strep throat there are no tests to determine if an illness is bacterial or viral. if you're hoping to get your hands on the new iphone 6 plus phone this week, a record number of orders for the bigger iphone is straining supplies. apple's website says a wait time for iphone 6 plus will be up to a month. although you can still get the smaller iphone 6 delivered this friday, verizon, at&t and sprint are showing shipment dpla dela to six weeks on the plus. "no good deed" thriller brought in $24.5 million this weekend, dolphin tale 2 was second and guardians of the galaxy in the top three. second and guardians of the galaxy in the top three. at the dannon creamery,er we've put a fresh twist on classic desserts. making them all new, any day treats. starting with cheesecakes, reinvented using thick and creamy traditional greek yogurt. then delicately topped with delicious fruit sauces. the twist? less than 200 calories. new dannon creamery desserts. cause life's better with a twist. ♪ dannon! also try our dannon creamery pudding range. ifyou may be muddlingble withrough allergies.nger... try zyrtec® for powerful allergy relief. and zyrtec® is different than claritin. because it starts working faster on the first day you take it. zyrtec®. muddle no more™. good morning, everyone i'm chris cato. let's get your first alert forecast now with brittney shipp. >> it is jacket weather this morning. temperatures are starting in the 50s and 60s. plenty of sunshine expected for us on this monday. 57 in trenton, temperatures closer to the shore already at 60 degrees. 64 in lewis. as we head into the rest of the day by your lunchtime hours, 66. the baby delivered by emergency c-section after his mother was shot and killed yesterday died overnight. the mother was setting outside of her home when she was hit by a bullet. investigators believe the gunman was aiming at someone else. the baby boy was delivered in critical condition last night and he died in the hospital last night. 18-year-old hakeem walls and jermaine jackson got away from a detention center on saturday night. they overpowered a guard and ran away. the juvenile was picked up a short time later, walls and jackson are still on the loose. a fire tore throw a row of homes last night. the fire was contained to the second floor and everyone made it out safely. investigators are looking into what caused the fire. we'll have another update for you in about 25 minutes. i'm chris cato, have a great monday. welcome back to "today" on a monday morning, september 15th, 2014. i'm natalie morales, along with tamron hall and al roker. willie is taking a long weekend. how many of us text and walk? i've done it. i've come close to smacking into a pillar. >> you haven't learned yet? >> it gets in my way. it just happens. you know it can be dangerous, of course. take a look at what a chinese city is doing. they have separate cell phone lanes for pedestrians, as you see. there's a stretch of sidewalk with signs in chinese and english, warning citizens to walk in the proper lane. >> if they're texting they probably don't know. >> i love the idea. >> i think it's a good idea. >> i consider my body to be a vehicle since i don't have a car. when i'm walking down the street i'm like, let me pull over and text so i don't have any signals but -- >> the person that they wrote, those lyrics -- >> like a cadillac. thank you, al. >> here is the thing -- >> he wasn't even going there. >> oh, no, he was. >> oh, i was. >> exactly. >> here is the thing. there's bad behavior, so let's encourage it. >> no. let's find rules and order. >> but it's not everywhere. so people are going to -- they're just encouraging -- just don't walk and text. >> yeah, but -- >> come on. >> you know what? >> you go walk and text. >> don't trip over the cord. >> or the camera. >> that's not funny. >> it's not the best thing to do. >> no. >> oh, ow! >> your physical humor is so wrong, al. >> it is. >> anyway, as we look at "today" -- ah! >> great. look what we've started. >> showers through the gulf coast. wet weather through the great lakes today. beautiful day in the northeast. look for a gorgeous day, if you like heat in the pacific northwest, 94 in portland today. same as in los angeles. how crazy is that? as we look toward tomorrow, we'll see plenty of sunshine again throughout the northeast. although, a few hit or miss showers, northern new england, wet weather along the gulf. we'll be watching what happens to odile and the moisture that comes out of that. hundred degrees good morning i'm first alert meteorologist brittney shipp. today we're going to see fall-like conditions continuing. temperatures between 73 and 76 degrees. a cool start with mostly sunny skies. the conditions will continue for the rest of your workweek. mid 70s tomorrow and then we get even cooler going into the end of your workweek, 70 on friday, at's ynday back to the 80s. latest weather. >> little bruised? >> i'm okay. >> good? >> you know zachary quinto from his leading roles in "star trek" and "american who are story." for the latest project, he stepped behind the camera. >> served as mentor to a pair of young filmmakers vying for $250,000. zachary is here with us. good morning. good to see you. >> good morning. >> you were a little obsessed with al's physical humor. is it worth the $250,000 prize? >> no. he's talented but not that talented. >> you're the judge. this is your -- the show is amazing. it's not a reality show. it's a documentary series. it's a great idea. what inspired it for you? >> we were approached by chris moore, the creator of the show, who also created project greenlight a few years ago. i was drawn to it for a number of reasons. it's set in my hometown of pittsburgh, p.a. and i love the concept, giving two first-time feature directors an opportunity to navigate the road of directing their first feature with the same parameters and the same source material and seeing what each of them does with it. i'm a huge supporter of first-time filmmakers. it had a lot of components that spoke to me personally and creatively and my company ecos. it was cool to be involve friday the beginning. >> you really take this producer role very much to heart, as we hear you say. being back home in pittsburgh, what was that like? >> to go home and then to bring jobs to the city, utilizing the architecture of the city. the people of pittsburgh are so incredible. it was a huge draw for me to be able to go home in that capacity with something that i really believe in and excited about was exciting. >> the last part of batman was shot there. >> a lot of -- >> doing this series, you have been a producer, but has this inspired you to maybe start directing? >> it does. i've got to be honest. watching how each of these directors evolved through the process and being privy to that experience from that perspective, i've been on a lot of sets and certainly have been around enough. to see first-time directors do it, it was pretty inspiring. i definitely want to direct. just need to find the right story. >> al roker, comedy story. compare him to chevy chase. al roker to chevy. >> oh, i knew that -- >> talk about shane and anna, the two filmmakers? >> he has been at it for a while. and shane is a more traditional filmmaker in that she studied screen writing and has her degree in screen writing and has worked a lot on feature projects and film projects. so they come from very different backgrounds. you see that, i think, as you watch them deal with the different obstacles and challenges. how each of them handles it. the tone of each of their films is drastically different. the most interesting thing about the show for me is that it comes from the same original script. so, they were each able to do a rewrite of it and make whatever movie they want. there's a lot of overlap and things about each of the stories that are the same. the voice of the filmmaker is the thing that ultimately determines the journey of the film that gets made. >> the whole premise. it's amazing. got to ask you about "star trek" any new news? >> on the horizon. >> nicely put. >> i have a feeling we'll be back in production the next six months. >> nice franchise. anthony quinto -- zachary quinto, thank you. >> hollywood's number one bachelor, george clooney, gets ready to tie the knot. do we have wedding details? do we have wedding details? >> we've got wedding details. >> maybe. >> hottest google searches. check out all these airline seats. lots of them, right? but when you try to get one by using your travel rewards card miles... those seats mysteriously vanish. why? all the flights you want are blacked out. or they hit you up for some outrageous number of miles. switch to the venture card from capital one. with venture, use your miles on any airline, any flight, any time. no blackout dates. and with every purchase you'll earn unlimited double miles. now we're getting somewhere. what's in your wallet? we think they're the best-fitting pants in fashion. with technology that slims and shapes and five-pocket styling. they'll be the star of your wardrobe. chico's so slimming peyton pants. we're famous for our legs. at chico's and chicos.com. good morning, usher! hey! did you know bees communicate through dance? 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♪ we at alcon believe you can. introducing new air optix® colors prescription contact lenses. its unique 3-in-1 color technology blends with your own eye color for a naturally beautiful look with comfort all month long. ♪ virtually try on your perfect color and get a free trial offer at airoptixcolors.com. let's say you're planning on grabbing mexican food at lunch. we want you to make smarter choices. >> some of your favorite dishes pack more than 1,000 calories. here to help us figure out what's healthier, registered dietician and contributing nutrition editor, cynthia seth. we are going to plant our little flags. >> we want to make it clear here, we are not saying either of these are good for you or you should order them -- >> what's the lesser evil? >> beef burrito or taco salad? >> do we know what's in the burrito? >> cheese, beef. >> i'm going to go with the taco. >> one and one here. and the actual answer is the burrito. do you know what kills you? fried taco shell. that's the killer right there. that alone can have at least 400 calorie. >> sour cream. >> if you ate all of this, you would save 200 calories and eight grams of fat. >> shell makes a difference? >> huge difference. >> i did not know that. >> this is a tricky one. chicken pad thai and lo mein. which is the healthier of the two options? >> place say pad thai because i eat it at least once a week. >> unfortunately, this one. the lo mein. it generally has more vegetables, lower calorie sauce, less oil in it. this is a difference of about 450 calories and 55 grams of carbohydrates that you save if you go with the lo mein. these take-out containers hold about three servings. >> oh! >> when you get that, you don't want to sit down and eat the whole thing in one sitting. >> when you take out, you can't get out. >> that's a good one. >> that's great. >> here we have a couple of slices of veggie pizza versus a dish of pasta with sauce and little bit of marinara. >> both pieces? >> both pieces. >> pizza. >> you are correct. it is definitely the pizza. this is automatically portion controlled by having the slices here. this pasta, serving of pasta is half a cup cooked and most restaurants give you at least six time that is amount. the sauce can be a hidden source of extra sugar. you're definitely better off with a pizza. you can load it up with veggies, ask for light cheese, go with thin crust, whole grain crust. definitely go with the pizza. >> pizza sounds good now. >> this is bar food. you're at a bar, had a couple of drinks, looking for something to eat. you guys are right on track. it might be obvious with the portion size here. >> there is that. i mean -- >> chicken wings. >> you could just burrow in there. >> if you had these with the celery and the bleu cheese, 850 calories versus 1440 for the nachos. >> portion is key here. never will you go somewhere where they'll give you six. >> yeah. you can order a dozen with someone else here. now a cobb salad versus a quiche. couple of smarties here. >> bake on, cheese. >> all those toppings will get you. this actually has about twice as much fat as the quiche and double the calories. split that with someone, get a take-out container, take the rest to go home. moderate your portions whenever you're eating this kind of stuff. these little tricks can help you avoid the pitfalls. >> i am so hungry now. thank you so much. we're back in a moment. this is "today" on nbc. can we warm up that where is kathie lee? >> she is making her way. we've got jada pinkett smith. >> yes. >> we've got mindy kaling, hot hollywood scoop and good morning, everyone. i'm chris cato. time to check in with metologist brittney shipp. >> yes, temperatures are feeling more fall-like. temperatures staying in the mid 70s for us today. plenty of sunshine for us as well. our average typically for this type of year is 79. today it is a high of 75, and 75 tomorrow. pennsylvania lawmakers return to harrisburg this morning facing a familiar issue. the proposed cigarette tax that would help fund schools. they say they don't have a plan b if the legislature fails to act. schools could close as early as christmas if the cigarette tax money doesn't come through. the tax would generate $45 million immediately for schools and $80 million in subsequent years. also in harrisburg, supporters of medical marijuana are holding a rally at the state capital building. soon the decision will be made to move this bill forward for a full vote. another update for you in about 25 minutes, i'm chris cato. remember you can always get your latest news and weather at nbc10.com. have a great day. from nbc news, this is "today" with kathie lee gifford and hoda kotb, live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. hello, everybody. by that,e mean you. it is fun day monday, september 15th. i have my hoda now all to myself. matt didn't let her go for the longest time this morning. >> i'm where i belong. >> you'll be doing this for two weeks because somebody had a baby. >> somebody had to go and get pregnant, okay. thank you, savannah. >> i'm there for you. i want you to know, i'm here for you. don't call me to help. >> all right. >> so we're going to talk with jada pinkett smith, who is -- >> she's adorable. >> stunningly gorgeous. >> she is. she gets more beautiful all the time. mindy callive, a doll, she gets funnier and funnier all the time. >> she said she can't wait. >> all the hollywood buzz is with us. did you have a busy weekend or nice, quiet one? >> i had an in between one. i had some fun. lee bryce, remember lee? lee bryce is one of my faves. so lee bryce was performing at madison square garden on friday night. okay. luke bryant was performing too. so they -- some of the people asked me to give him an award, he was getting a huge award, he's the only country artist to have a platinum single record so far this year. >> oh, good. >> more than luke -- all those -- >> more than miranda. >> all of them. lee bryce. so i had to do a sneak attack on stage and interrupt his set -- >> that's nice. >> who wants that, some girl giving you an award -- >> you're not some girl. you're hoda. >> anyway, let's see what happened. >> okay. i'm doing a sneak attack on lee bryce. he's about to get an award. he knows nothing about it. and i get to surprise him. come on! >> i love, love, love me some lee bryce. i came out today because lee bryce is going to get a huge award. and what better place to give him this award than right here at madison square garden! >> that's so nice. he was so shocked. >> by the way, rarely do people get shocked. he was so surprised. he got teary eyed because he couldn't believe he got -- >> you pulled it off. that was nice. a labor of love when -- a long week and big weekend and -- i'm sure you made up for it. thanks for asking me about mine. i'm kidding you. i got on a plane, boom, boom, flew out to the west coast. it is that time of year, a certain business, known as harvest time. >> yes, stuff grows. >> when stuff, like, my stuff is harvested. and i tell you, i went to the place where they grow my stuff. and that is heidi scheide. i was picking -- >> were you picking grapes? >> i was picking grapes that eventually become stuff. >> i love your hair. >> you have to. it is hot out there. it is gorgeous in monterey county, just beautiful this time of year. i was on the tractor. i was stomping stuff, if you know what i'm saying. >> by the way, you look so cute. you were in the -- >> i was driving the -- >> go on her twitter or my twitter, because i retweet what you tweet. go there and look at it. >> and yesterday at the giants game, frank was honored. the coin toss. there is frank, number 16, still got -- still has the record for the most touchdowns ever of any giants player. >> that is awesome. >> so the giants didn't win, but frank came home a winner, if you know what i'm saying. and last night my friend was a winner as well. miss america pageant, all the casinos are closing. but sam from vegas, brought it back to atlantic city where it originated. so kira kazantsev -- >> anyway, she's from new york. this is her third year that miss new york has won. she freaked out. screaming, excited. and she had such a unique talent. she sang "happy" by playing cups. if you remember anna kendrick from "pitch perfect," when i'm gone, anyway, here is her talent, playing "happy." ♪ clap along if you feel like happiness is the truth ♪ ♪ clap along if you know what happiness is to you ♪ ♪ clap along if you feel like that's what you wanna do ♪ >> she's adorable. >> she is so cute! >> you know, i'm sure there were great opera stars and great ballerina -- but that's a crowd pleaser. >> and every now and then they were putting up little things like she enjoys hot dogs and, you know, different things. anyway -- >> she's going to be doing that for the next year, all over the country, you know? >> that is very catchy. "pitch perfect" is coming out with "pitch perfect 2". >> i know. there was a young lady who -- from idaho, miss idaho that inspired a lot of people. she's a type 1 diabetic. she wore her insulin pump during the swimsuit competition. look at this. good for her had. gorgeous. that's one of the alternatives to giving yourself a multiple daily injections of insulin and she's -- >> she gets it 24 hours a day through a catheter. >> it is under the skin. god love her. that is fantastic. >> that is great. okay. >> it takes so much courage to put on a bathing suit and parade around in high heels like that. but to do it with -- such a statement of strength. good for her. >> inspired a lot of people. so jimmy fallon had some fun with glenn close. >> yes. >> you know how he gets actresses to do anything. >> he can get anybody to do anything. he had brad pitt yodeling. >> so glenn close wanted to do a face stuffing contest. >> that was her idea. >> she wanted to eat on the air. they had to eat different foods but with weird utensils. they ate a blueberry pie with their face. >> get set and go! >> seven, six, five, four, three, two, one! move on. >> on scales, so you know how much they're eating. >> what is she eating? >> that is nachos. >> oh, my gosh. you know what, i'm sorry, she's practiced. i bet she practiced for a week. she's very adept. >> oh, no. he stuffed it right in. >> oh, her eyes and everything. she doesn't even care. >> she doesn't come up for air. >> oh! >> okay. oh, my gosh. >> it's in his eye. >> you can't do that if you wear contacts. but, wow. >> just so you know -- >> she had to win. >> jimmy ate the most spaghettis and nachos. but glenn ate the most pie. okay. >> that so reminds me of all the summers in nantucket when cassidy, who was about this big, went up against people twice her -- and always won the pie eating thing. stuffed her face in those pies and did not come up until it was gone. >> and she's so teeny, hello. >> but you got -- you know what that's called? that's called de eed dedication. something getting a lot of attention, they're calling them the ugliest design ever for a sports uniform. >> the colombian women's cycling team. just take a look. the middle part looks naked, but it is really like a spanx kind of -- like a flesh color thing. >> it looks -- it looks -- >> no, that was -- who thought that was a good idea. >> that's a hoochie problem there. >> that's not good. >> wow. >> anyway, cycling fans are all over social media and call it the worst design ever. >> they have some sort of thing down there, right? in the netherworld. that's a -- >> oh, yes. >> that's for cycling and stuff. >> okay. >> can't take my eyes off of this man. >> about this drink, when we came back from mexico. >> there is a gentleman walking on now called alejandro. i went to the rosewood and i said they had -- one of my favorite resorts, but they had incredible tequila, but they had a great chaser kind of thing, right? tell us about it. >> called sangrita. it is the way you're supposed to g d drink tequila. >> okay. >> you should try one. >> is that at an angle? >> it is at an angle. i had no tequila, i said, okay. it is on the bias. >> take a tiny sip, just itty-bitty. now the chaser. >> salt? >> no. >> just a sip. >> makes you -- >> doesn't it have like a -- right? what is going on? it is like -- isn't that amazing. >> like a really, really spicy v-8 juice. >> exactly. like a bloody mary -- >> but there is something about that. and you don't even taste -- if you're not a huge tequila fan, some people are, some people aren't, take a tiny sip of the tequila and a sip of this, you don't realize you're drinking tequila, which becomes a problem. you can cheers twice. you can go -- i like that. it is friendly. >> alejandro, thank you so much. >> very nice of you. >> cheers. >> i'll give this to jerry. >> of course you are. >> thank you so much. >> what do you have? >> i have two things. my friend janice dean, a weather caster at the fox news network, she's written her second children's book "freddie the frog caster and the big blizzard," her second children's book. >> ella loves this. >> everyone i give this to, it is adorable. lots of kids love the weather channel. they watch it constantly. this is a great idea. >> love her. >> our friend jill -- >> yes, i'm so excited for her. her high performance hand and stick vacuum, 43 bucks on qvc.com, she's introducing it tomorrow. it is either a dust buster, comes in -- or it is a little teeny vacuum you keep in your office or something. >> for your apartment. >> yeah. and you can take that off and put that on it and you can turn it on and hide stuff. i'm so happy for her. >> and it is cute and little and compact. >> i'm taking her and you out today to miri's public for lambchops at lunch because today is our friend's 84th birthday. so put them on. i wrote this song, on the plane, on the way out to california. that's how -- because we were waiting for just the right story. and jane anderson from bluffton, south carolina, we got the story the night before, she wants us to honor her husband bill of 33 years, she was diagnosed with parkinson's disease, 2003 and bill supported her the entire way. she is on skype with us. and -- on the phone. >> hi, jane. >> hi, jane. how are you? >> hi, ladies. good morning. >> can't hear you, darling. anyway, let me tell you, some continued to work as a teacher until the symptoms got so bad. i'm telling you, i read this letter from her and i sobbed. it is just a beautiful, beautiful -- what a man, what a -- >> i can't wait to meet both of them. >> maybe we have them now. are you there? >> can you hear? >> we're so excited to honor your husband bill this thursday. >> oh, boy. c i wish you could hear me so i could say hey. >> hey. >> you're an amazing lady. have a safe trip up here. we have a song for you called "grooving to the music" when you come up on thursday. >> i love it, you beautiful ladies. hoda, you're probably ready for a nap, aren't you? your morning gig and after alejandro. >> oh, baby. >> you're probably ready for a nap. >> she's actually ready to her a good song. >> safe travels to you. >> thanks, ladies. see you thursday. >> god bless. >> coming up, paris hilton lands had herself a mr. amazing. >> we have it all in "today's buzz." >> and jada pinkett smith, we'll talk to tv's newest very bad i want a new lease on life for my skin. 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>> who's the friend? >> detective james gordon, ma'am. >> aren't you a cool glass of milk. >> ma'am, is that screaming we heard back there? >> yes. my boys are watching a scary movie. >> really? >> no. actually one of my staff has been stealing money from me, so we're beating his punk [ bleep ]. >> that is a role of a lifetime. >> yes, it is. >> good to see you. >> you're so tiny, petite, but you can whoop some -- >> i can whoop some. >> you do some whooping in this show, don't you? >> absolutely. >> you take a swing at this guy. you had a bat in your hand and it looked sort of real. >> that was the penguin. yes, yes. penguin and i are not very good friends. >> you have a friend in this world? >> not really. >> before batman, before catwoman, before the joker, the riddler. >> this is where it all happens. this is where it all takes place. this particular television show is basically the origin story of all of the famous villains we know about, and, of course, the infamous batman. >> you will have bruce wayne there. >> definitely. >> he realizes -- >> young. this is right after the murder of his parents. yes. >> and your character is every way we described it, evil, sneaky, sexy, scary. >> yes. >> you love playing her. >> i do. it gives you -- you feel safe to dance with your shadow a little bit, you know? that's right. >> and still go home to papa. >> that's right. used be to be a bad girl on set, a good girl in life. >> your skkids, are you scaring them? >> oh, no. they've seen worse than that. i'm sure they've seen worse than that. >> mommy plays a nice lady. >> i think of you in that particular role, there is something special about this role. >> i think they're going to be excited. as a family, we love comics. we really do. so, you know, i think they're very excited about it. >> it has meant a big move for you here, in a different kind of gotham here in new york, the big apple. how is that going for you? you're from baltimore, originally. >> i'm from baltimore, maryland. i'm used to being on the east coast. it is always lovely being in new york. >> well, it isn't winter yet. >> i know. i know. trust me, i'm definitely trying to get it together, getting all my coats and hats and scarves. >> taking care of everything. are the kids going to be here in new york. >> everybody is back and forth. >> how do you do school and stuff like that? >> they're home schooled. >> that's right, that's right. >> now, this thing -- there is a lot of hype for gotham. >> great reaction. >> getting terrific reviews. >> of course. >> is that going to make you feel good or does that make you feel a little worried because of expectations and things? >> you know, i've been in this business a long time, you know? and thank goodness i'm here just as a -- as an actress playing a role. it is my job just to do the best i can do. you know. i'm not producing. it is one of those projects that i'm not producing, i'm literally just acting. >> that's a long time since you've just done that. >> a long time. and i'll tell you something, i'm enjoying it. >> people have no idea. my daughter just got off a film set today, been there a month, the most unbelievably hellish conditions. nobody sees that part. >> it is a lot of work, trying to act and produce and especially as a family, producing things with the family. >> you're never off the clock. >> you're never off the clock, never. >> did you have to stay in good shape for this one, jada? >> because she has gone to pot. >> you do your own -- there are stunts that come up in other episodes. >> absolutely. >> you did your own? >> yes, mm-hmm, definitely. unfortunately first episode, the guy i hit with the bat in the alley, i hit him for real. yeah, i did. i felt so bad. >> workers comp. >> i felt so bad. it had been a while, you know. i missed -- i missed. >> oh. >> it happens. it happens. >> he wanted to be in show business. it happens. >> i love doing my own stunts. and i try to stay -- >> life is doing your own stunts. >> honey, keep it real. >> we love you, jada. give our love to the family. give will a smooch for us. gotham premieres september 22nd on fox. >> she's an emmy nominated actress, writer and producer. >> hilarious. >> stick around for fun with mindy i had ongoing pain. a deep ache all over. my doctor diagnosed it as fibromyalgia thought to be the result of overactive nerves that cause chronic, widespread pain. lyrica is believed to calm these nerves. i learned lyrica can provide significant relief from fibromyalgia pain. so now, i can do more of what i love. lyrica is not for everyone. it may cause serious allergic reactions or suicidal thoughts or actions. tell your doctor right away if you have these, new or worsening depression, or unusual changes in mood or behavior. or swelling, trouble breathing, rash, hives, blisters, changes in eyesight including blurry vision, muscle pain with fever, or tired feeling. common side effects are dizziness, sleepiness, weight gain and swelling of hands, legs and feet. don't drink alcohol while taking lyrica. don't drive or use machinery until you know how lyrica affects you. those who have had a drug or alcohol problem may be more likely to misuse lyrica. i found answers about fibromyalgia. then i found lyrica. ask your doctor about lyrica today. don't wait for awesome... totino's pizza rolls... ...gets you there in just 60 seconds. 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take the dove 7 day test. fruit, with a cool finish. fruit on one side. cool on the other. ice breakers duo. a fruity cool way to break the ice. oh, there's an energy crisis happening, alright. a human one. and it's time to fight it. quaker's good energy is just what you want. it's how we help keep go-getters like you, going, and getting. one bite at a time. make it with milk for a boost of protein. quaker up. what are we doing? >> i nbc 10 news starts now. >> good morning, everyone. i'm chris cato. it's 10:26. la let's start with the first alert with brittney shipp. it's a picture perfect fall monday. >> very fall-like monday for us. temperatures staying in the mid-70s which is still below average and technically we are still in the last week of summer. right now our conditions in philadelphia, we're mainly in the 60s here. we are going to see temperatures warming into the mid-70s for the city, low 70s if you're closer to the shore, but 63 with plenty of sunshine in philadelphia. winds out of the northeast at 7 miles per hour. today the temperatures will range between 73 and 76. happening today, new jersey governor chris christie will meet with new york governor andrew cuomo, new york city mayor bill de blasio and the department of homeland security in an effort to make the new jersey/new york region safer. numerous law enforcement agencies will be involved in the day-long meeting in new york. we'll let you know what comes out of that. also this morning, we learned the pennsylvania state trooper who was killed in an ambush at the state police barracks in pike county will be laid to rest on thursday. services for corporal brian dixon will be held in scranton. he was ambushed friday night. douglas underwent surgery last night and is said to be alert and talking. police are still looking for the person or people who shot the troopers. they're not discussing a possible motive. brian dixon leaves behind a wife and two children. that's all for now. remember, you can always get the latest news and weather at nbc10.com. in half an hour we're back for a full hour of news and weather starting at 11:00 a.m. for now i'm chris cato. we go back to the "today" show. have a great monday. we're back with more of "today" on this fun day monday, filling you in on all the hollywood news you may have missed other the weekend with the "today's buzz." >> here is amy odel. >> hey, girl. >> we're going to clear up a few rumors. that's what we do on this program. at beyonce's concert, there was a rumor there was a man in the front row with a sign that said, something like, beyonce can't sing or you can't sing or something. >> this is a very sort of rumory story. this video is old, more than a year old and it resurfaced because the guy in the video posted it on 9/4, beyonce's birthday, 9/4/81, like superfans like myself and readers know, he held up a sign that said you can't sing. beyonce said something amusing, went over to him, held the mike to his face, she does often, to sing. he sang the same ditty, didn't do it very well and she goes, exactly. another version of the story goes, she just went over, held the mike in his face, she does it a lot, let her fans sing to her, and then she goes, exactly. >> so what's the truth? no sign. >> we don't know the truth. >> oh, okay. >> but if you paid a few hundred dollars for a front row seat, would you do that? >> i don't think so. but who knows? now there is all the speculation is beyonce pregnant. jay-z sang some lyrics at his concert that everyone said made it all very clear she is. >> you heard -- >> i heard -- can we listen. i don't know if we have it. let's listen to the video. >> we don't have it. >> because it sounds -- it is muffled. >> what is he supposedly saying? >> so during his song "beach is better," they were on the tour in paris, final show in paris over the weekend, very big deal. he changed the lyrics to say, because she's pregnant with another one. >> let's hear if you're right. here's the video. ♪ there it is. clear as day. thank god. there is video proof. let's move on. >> oh, my gosh. >> let's talk about kanye west. >> every one of these stories is upsetting, i'm telling you. >> kanye was on stage and he wanted a standing o, apparently. tell us what happened. >> when you're at a concert, performers stand up and dance with me. he was performing in australia over the weekend. he tried to get everyone on their feet while he was performing. he noticed a section of people sitting down and they were sitting because they're in wheelchairs. >> they're handicapped, in wheelchairs, exactly. >> the rumor has it kanye sent security into the audience to try to get them to stand up and when he found out they were sitting in wheelchairs, he said, okay, fine -- >> how about sorry? >> he said how about you, up there, you in a wheelchair too, okay. if you're asking everyone to stand up, it is not a real -- >> you earn a standing ovation. was it to get people to move? something people should do on their own. >> once you yell to everyone in the crowd, get up, get up, get up, you're in a wheelchair, you're in one too? >> i think people on twitter freaked out. that's what people do. a lot of fans at the concert said it was blown out of proportion. >> we were just at joan rivers funeral and hugh jackman sang and no one had to be told to stand up. that's what the pros do. when you earn an ovation. >> as opposed to ask for one. sicily strong, we like her, one of the anchors for "weekend update" and she will not be an anchor but still on "snl." >> yes. love her. so she was replaced by michael che, two men hosting the segment. >> how do you think that's going to work? two guys? >> it is going to be interesting. it is going to be interesting. we love sicily. our readers love sicily. she's hysterical. she'll still be coming on "weekend update" and doing her impressions. she'll be freed up now to do some other things. >> she sounded like she's happy about it. like this will be cool. >> it will free her up. >> michael che is hilarious. >> paris hilton got a pooch. >> or a man. >> mr. amazing. a dog or a man? >> it might not even be a dog. it is so tiny. the world's smallest pomeranian, right? >> it is 10 to 12 ounces in weight. >> my gosh. >> it is only 2 1/2 inches high. so it fits in the palm of your hand. >> we tried to find out if that's true. >> she supposedly paid $13,000 for it. >> thank you so much. speaking of hollywood stars, hers has been right. >> get ready for some laughs. mindy kaling is here, coming up right after this. california is known for its grapes and so is my family. over three generations have taught us about growing the best tasting fruit. our grapes ripen on the vine so that the flavors can fully develop. and only the most experienced hands harvest them to bring quality fruit to your table. that's why we work with walmart... ... together we guarantee you only get the freshest grapes available. backed by their 100% money-back guarantee. picked by farmers. guaranteed by us. ♪ hello! three grams daily of beta-glucan... a soluable fiber from whole grain oat foods like cheerios can help lower cholesterol. thank you! if there's a way to take corn on the cob, and make it even better with a packet of hidden valley original ranch? 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"time" magazine's one of 100 most influential people in the world. star of "the mindy project," returning for its third season. >> and mindy picks up where she left off, with a drink in her hand and romance with her fellow doctor, with who she shares love and a love of gossip. take a look. >> i saw lauren and jeremy alone in the conference room and he was rubbing her. he was rubbing her neck. >> whoa, nelly. >> there is something going on. peter is not delivering in the bedroom and they're planning this charity thing together. i would never let my woman plan a charity event with some guy. i would never do it. >> i would never plan a charity event. that was really good interpersonal chitchat. >> really good interpersonal chitchat. mindy loves gossip. >> you are so hysterical, by the way. >> you are hysterical and you look gorgeous today. >> thank you. >> you keep slurping your margarita. >> i have a few drinks here. >> wanted her to try the sa sangrita. how you to like it? >> i've never really drunk something and not liked it. >> third season, this show -- tell us why -- >> i feel like the rat pack. how many drinks in a day. i'll do it. >> she's game. she came to play. >> she did come to play. did you think we would be talking about your third season when you first started this show? >> i hoped so. i got a lot of ex-husbands i need to pay for. and a lot of kids. no, kids are enjoying life. i would love to pay for -- >> you do start a project like that, to her point, you have -- you never know. it is a crapshoot and you have so much riding on it, being the producer and the writer and the star. a lot of hats to wear. >> that's how you have job security. put your name on the show. they can't fire you. and then you guys, the illustrations, you're, like, oh, i'm in. >> yeah. you're right. they have made an investment. >> you have to. >> tell us about your love interest, in real life. >> on the show? >> he's so dreamy. he's such a great actor and he has, like, a -- he's italian, has nice -- he's just a great actor. >> were you involved in the casting? >> oh, yeah. that's the perk of the job, yes. we used to be kind of sworn enemies, grew closer as friends and now dating. and it is good, because they're completely different. >> is he your kind of guy if you were to pick somebody if you were on a dating website, would he be your kind of guy? >> he's an old-fashioned guy. he hates e-mail and doesn't know how to use the phone. >> he's perfect for me. >> he rants about stuff. he's very manly and who wouldn't like him? >> what about dating in real life? >> dating in real life? >> now she shuts up. >> it is fun. i like -- who doesn't like going on a nice date. i like guys. it's fun. >> your idea of a perfect date? >> buying a drink, whether it is on your show or going on a date, that's a nice -- >> a good beginning. >> yes. eye candy, like you guys, whether a handsome man. >> you're a happy woman. >> this is a great experience for me. >> it takes very little to make her happy. >> money, good looking people and alcohol. that's it. >> so deep and so happy you came to see us. >> thank you, guys. >> i'm a role model. >> you are. you are. do you hear from anybody who says you're taking it too far, missy? >> we're on network, so we can't show -- we can't do the hbo -- >> if you could, would you do all the nude scenes like they do on "girls"? >> no, i like to be covered up and taken care inform those ways, no. yeah, for sure. my whole lifestyle would be different. i would have to get up and run five miles a day and learn how to do push-ups and stuff. network tv helps me a lot. >> you're such a blast. >> thank you. >> i love you. i love seeing you two. >> you're returning with -- >> tomorrow night on fox. >> we're going to meet a remarkable woman. >> she's incredible. she's resilient. we'll meet her, her brother, coming up right after this. ♪ oh, there's an energy crisis happening alright. a human one. ♪ and it's time to fight it. quaker's good energy is just what you want. ♪ it's how we help keep go-getters like you... going... and getting. one bite at a time. try quaker warm & crunchy granola for the crunchy side of oatmeal. quaker up. smooth, delicious coffee every day... for free.ch, you're thinking... how do i get that gig? come to mcdonald's during breakfast every morning from september 16th to the 29th. we can always use more taste testers. ♪ every now and then i get a little bit hungry ♪ ♪ and there's nothing good around ♪ ♪ turn around, barry ♪ i finally found the right snack ♪ [ female announcer ] fiber one. ♪ i finally found the right snack ♪ that's why there's a listerine® product for every mouth. one to clean your whole mouth. one for those hard to reach places. one to protect kids mouths from cavities. even one to freshen breath on-the-go. with over 100 years of innovation in oral care... there's a listerine® product for every mouth in your house. for cleaner, healthier mouths go beyond brushing alone. listerine®. power to your mouth ™. all right, get ready to get inspired. you're going it meet an incredible woman. >> she just happens to be the sister of "today's" national correspondent and our pal peter alexander. >> hi, kids. >> thanks for hosting my sister and i here today. i'm so proud to share becky's story. she is one of the funniest and most caring people i promise you'll ever meet. also my best friend. but as you're about to see, her world is rapidly changing because of a cruel disorder causing becky to go blind and deaf. to me, she is the real face of courage. >> don't stop. let's go. >> reporter: this is my sister rebecca, she's 35 now and the most impressive person i know. >> faster! >> reporter: looking at her, you would have no idea she has a disability. can you see my hands right here? >> yeah. >> can you see my hands right here? >> no. >> reporter: when becky was only 13, she was diagnosed with a rare and devastating genetic disorder called usher syndrome type 3. it finally hit you in college. i'm going to lose my vision and my hearing, go blind and deaf. what does learning that feel like? >> i felt like as soon as i got that diagnosis, well, i need to do everything i can to make up for my loss. it was, like, my way of fighting back. >> reporter: becky is fearless, a tornado of energy. she's an extreme athlete, leaving the rest of us in her dust. >> pick up your speed! >> reporter: with her hearing almost gone, last year becky received a cochlear implant that provides a sense of sound. only becky passes the time before major surgery like this. i came to see her the day before she got the implant. you like to joke to me, i'm getting a hole in my head. as i come to terms with this, as a brother is, this is the last time i'll ever look at you without a device on you. you know what i mean? >> yeah. >> which for me is hard too. >> yeah. >> does that worry you in the way people will view you? i'm sorry i'm crying. i love you so much. >> it is nice to know the people around you do care and do have an emotional response to it. >> reporter: now a year and a half later, becky hears much better, but her vision is limited to this. like she's looking through a straw and that window is closing. still, my sister remains upbeat, and undeterred. >> it is incredible how in the last, you know, 15 years how much my life has changed. and it is actually better. i mean, it is funny i could have a lot less vision, and a lot less hearing, and be a lot happier. >> oh, my gosh. >> becky alexander is with us now. her story is in this great book, please go buy this book called "not fade away", a memoir of senses lost and found. >> so nice to welcome you here today. >> my gosh, we're so excited. >> and peter, from the first day i came here and met peter, that's all he talked about was you. >> true. >> he loves you so much. >> i think i met you the first time in a spin class. and i remember you were on that bike leading the class rocking it, and when i heard about your -- some of your disabilities, i had so much trouble believing that that was you. because you don't lead with your disability. some people will tell you right away, i have this and i have that. that's not your way, is it? >> no, it is not. i think that it is something that people sometimes notice about me first, and sometimes they don't notice about me first. but it certainly doesn't define me, yeah. we all have something, we all have -- we're all dealing with something, whether you can see it on the outside or whether it is emotional, physical or psychological. so, you know, most importantly with my book, this is not just to let people know that they're not alone, but to know that we all struggle with something on a daily baseis. >> are there still things yet to do on that list that you have not yet done? >> not a bucket list. >> no, i didn't say that. i didn't say that. you're not going anywhere. >> i hate the idea of a bucket list. >> i didn't say that. >> i know. >> i want you to do everything you can. what is left for you to do? >> i appreciate you making that distinction, but, anyway, so -- well, next summer i'm climbing mount kilimanjaro. >> that's what i wanted to hear you say. >> of course you are. >> i think it is genuinely what i want to do. i'm living my life. >> you learned to sign. >> i learned sign language when i was in college at the university of michigan. so i work with the deaf community. >> did you know -- when -- it/. started happening at 13? that's when you started knowing it and then did you go right in and diagnosed right away or how -- >> so kind of -- my memory is probably different than how it actually happened. but when i was 12, i went in to get glasses, could see the black board at school and the optometrist saw something some the back of my eye and said i need to see somebody more specific. when i was a sophomore in college, i had a difficult time hearing. when you go to a really loud concert and you leave and your ears are ringing and you're like, that's what it felt like for, like, all the time. so, yeah, i went to an at larut laryngologist. >> you love your sister so much, it is obvious. i'm sure you would rather it was happening to you than to her. >> i said to my wife, i said the day our daughter was born was the happiest day of my life, but right now it is like the proudest time of my life because when it is your own personal story, i tell stories for a living, but when it is your own and you get to do it for an audience like this, you can't afford to screw it up. it matters so much to you and i love her so much. she has -- everybody has something. only about 1500 people in this country have what becky has. it is crazy. it is rare. it is not fair. but i love her to death and i'm just beyond proud of what she's written, but it is not inspiring just to people who love her, it is now inspiring others and that's the biggest -- >> you're an amazing woman. >> you are. >> a great brother. you are terrific. >> thank you. >> get the book. it is so great. and don't go away. we'll be right back. >> first, this is "today." you remember the couples trying to match up last week? >> they'll be back tomorrow with their dates to let us know how it went. >> plus, how to make sure your kids are getting enough sleep. >> who cares? what about you? >> and the runway's hottest fall coats. and what you can get for nbc 10 news starts now. right now at 11:00, a pregnant woman shot and killed and now we know that her baby did not survive. this morning we're hearing from a man who tried to save both of them. good morning. i'm chris cato. this morning neighbors in philadelphia's frankford neighborhood are demanding justice. matt delucia is live in frankford and you just spoke with a neighbor there who was with the victim when she was shot. tell us what happened. >> reporter: chris, he and others here on this 1500 block of adams avenue have been quite emotional this morning. as we look at the memorial they built, they want an arrest and they want whoever killed this mother and hery
VietnamRepublic-ofCabo-san-lucasBaja-california-surMexicoAustraliaWoodhavenNew-yorkUnited-statesSan-diegoCaliforniaSyria plus, live reports from the ground on devastating wildfires in california. new pictures coming in. we're also focused on the threat of mass ive floods and very dangerous conditions facing big parts of this country. it is wednesday, september 17th, this is "the daily rundown." we begin with the admission from the military's top man that the president's plan may not be enough to win. the congressional hearing that saw lawmakers spent three hours poking holes in the strategy. the chief says the u.s. may be forbesed to send ground forces. he says he's not ready to make that call yet. >> coalition is the appropriate way forward. i believe that will prove true. if it failings to be true, then i of course would go to the president and make a recommendation that includes the use of ground forces. >> later said that dempsey believes the current strategy is appropriate and the administration reiterated president obama has been categorical in taking a ground invasion off the table. >> the president's been very clear. we will not have troops on the ground in cop bmbat roles. >> president obama will be briefed at centcom headquarters on syria. he is expected to speak just been noon. the air campaign will not be a shock and awe style barrage but it could take years. that part of the campaign seems to enjoy broad support on capitol hill. tuesday's hearing revealed serious questions about whether the u.s. plans to train 5,000 syrian rebels and whether that will be enough to counter an isis force more than 30,000 strong. arizona republican senator mccain pressed dempsey on the question of whether the u.s. could keep the rebels focused on fighting isis once they had been trained and equipped. >> you think these people you're training will only go back to fight against isil? >> we can establish dejectives that der that challenge into the future. we do not have to deal with it now. >> that's a fundamental misunderstanding of the entire concept and motivation of the free syrian army. >> lawmakers on both sides said they have their doubts about the strategy. >> the president's strategy to defeat isis is fundamentally detached from the reality on the ground. >> we've got al qaeda, isil, al shabab, al nusra. this is geopolitical whack a mole. >> i'm not confident how this is going to happen without the assistance of our trained special operators on the ground. >> makes no sense to me and i can't sell it. you can't sell this stuff. >> i believe we need to be honest with the american people on what lies ahead. and with the request as it is, we are not being honest with the american people. >> of course this debate is not just defined to washington. isis made it clear they're watching as well. we now have the story cover from all angles across the globe. our justice correspondent pete williams in our washington bureau, nbc's chief global correspondent bill neely is in beirut. bill, we will begin with you. >> yes, peter, isis, rather like the other islamic group, al nusra, affiliated to al qaeda, have a slick propaganda wing and it released a short video called flames of war, fighting has just begun. and in it, you see images of american troops, almost certainly from the iraqi war. you see image, of the white house. president obama and images of isis executing its prisoners. it has been said this is some kind of declaration of war by isis on the united states. i think that's going a little bit too far, but it is clearly a response to president obama's expanded campaign in iraq and a message to the united states. as i said, it's very slick. it almost looks like a hollywood trailer. yes, it's threaten being the united states. but it's doing other things. this is a rallying cry. reminding people of the campaign against american troops in iraq and all about that war. it's also a recruiting tool. it's very slick and it's meant to appeal to young men in the middle east and in the west. of course president obama, even the ground troops are shown in that video, saying ground troops will not be used, martin denmpsy saying they could be used. it would appear air strikes are continuing in iraq. 167 so far. including five new air strikes in iraq in the last couple of days. over in syria, no sign president obama is targeting isis. in fact, he appears to be targeting the free syrian army who are opposed to isis and civilians. 50 dead in one city in one air strike. so in syria, a messy dirty civil war. in iraq, the u.s. campaign deepens. peter. >> bill neely would just left syria, thank you very much. questions have been mostly split down party lines. many democrats are worried about getting in too deep. while republicans say the white house is simply not doing enough. the house could approve a plan to arm syrian rebels this afternoon. that vote scheduled for i think 4:30 today. then it heads to the senate where it could be voted on as early as tomorrow. >> i frankly think the president's request is say sound one. i think there's a lot more we need to be doing. there's no reason for us not to do what the president has asked us to do. >> in the hopes of running up the vote totals, top officials have reached out at least 50 ties to members of congress including a dozen calls by president obama himself. even so, still unclear how many lawmakers, particularly those democrats, will let their doubts keep them from supporting the measure. >> we've trained and equipped iraqi soldiers for over a decade. for what? to watch them shed their uniforms and turn their weapons to isil. is that what we're doing again? >> rejecting the resolution today does not mean that we should do nothing. >> there is a significant difference between confronting the savagery of isis and initiating a multi-year war in the region. >> nbc news white house correspondent kristen welker is joining me now. kristen, is the white house comfortable with this measure as is? >> they are, peter. what they want is to see this legislation pass before congress leaves for recess. they believe the best way, the most expedient way to get this passed is to get it done with the cr. that's of course the spending measure. they think it's a way for democrats to get on board, to have a little bit of cover. because of course they would be spending, authorizing and arming rebels. i spoke with an aide who told me this is expected to pass with bipartisan support today in the house and it is believed it will ultimately pass in the senate as well. as you point out, though, there is still a lot of argument and debate about this legislation. some more hawkish republicans saying it doesn't go far enough. then some democrats say they're concern ed about arming the opposition because ultimately they worry the arms could end up in the hands of isis. as the senator from virginia said there are risks here, but what other alternatives do we have. so they're thinking it will pass today. >> it is not confined to battlefields overseas. we're learning more about a new york man indicted just yesterday for allegedly plotting to kill members of the u.s. military and provide support to isis extremisextremists. nbc's justice correspondent is pete williams. >> this man's been in custody since may, coming to the attention of the fbi after he posted messages on social media saying he wanted to help muslims carry out jihad. 30-year-old mofeed is a naturalized u.s. citizen from yemen. he was arrested in may. accused buying handguns from two men who he did not know were undercover inform ands for the fbi. prosecutors say he told them he wanted to carry out mass shootings, targeting shia muslims in the rochester area. in these new charges, prosecutors say he urged these two men to go to syria and join us with isis. he helped one of them get a passport, unaware they were informants. the fbi says he also sent $600 to a man he knew in yemen and urged him to go to syria too. there's no indication in the court documents that man made it there. >> pete williams reporting from washington. thanks very much for that. we're joined now by the ranking member of the armed services committee, oklahoma republican senator jim inhofe. senator, thank you for being with us. >> nice to be with you. >> you said you believe the current plan is likely to fail. yet dempsey and hagel believe it can work. are they being disingenuous? >> i didn't say it was going to fail, i said that, you know, the president made a speech, he talked about america's safer. we know that isn't the case. i thought yesterday in the hearing the secretary of defense and dempsey did a very good job. they talked about the fact, yeah, there are boots on the ground. all this talk about -- the president's trying to say there's not boots on the ground. the policy of arming the conservatives out there is you don't really know who they are and yet i'm concerned that they have to have a coalition with them. voting on that is not the -- that decision should be made by the military, not a bunch of people worried about what people think at home. >> what you also said the president should admit we already have boots on the ground, that you think sending troops is the right move, even though polls show the public doesn't want that. why is that? >> well, first of all, the general, knows what he's doing. i asked what will happen if we have one of our guys up in the sky have to bail out, are we going to have people on the ground to protect him. said yeah, we are. we're also going to have people directing the war that's taking place down there. so we have boots on the ground now. we're going to continue to have boots on the ground. whether it's popular at home or not. >> that raises the next question. how many boots on the ground would you send. isis, i think the number's believed to be 30,000 numbers by estimates. where do you draw that number? >> i don't make the decisions, in fact -- >> what are you comfortable with? >> i had an amuf authorize the use of force so the military would make the decision how many troops are going to be on the ground. that would be a product of how much cooperation we get from the others that are there. you get into iraq and you have the kurds. you have barzani up there. they are good fighters. they need support. what we should have never done, and we put it down in writing and begged the president not to pull everything out. at least leave the isr there, which is intelligence surveillance -- we don't know and we can't say, that should be a military decision. but this notion we're not having boots on the ground that the president is saying is just not true. we have boots on the ground right now. there's going to be more. >> senator, clearly, that idea of support from arab allies in that region is so significant to the president's plan here. do you expect that the plan being considered in the house will hit any roadblocks in the senate? >> i don't know, but i think when you look at our allies, we have some that really are allies. jordan comes to mind because the prince of jordan was in my office two days ago. he said, yeah, someone has to be the lead. no one else has the capability. >> are they going to show up with the numbers that the u.s. needs for this effort to work? >> well, i'll say this, peter, there's no easy answer to all this stuff. we don't know what exactly is going to work. we just know we're in the middle of the war. for the president to characterize this as some kind of a rag tag group of people, terrorists out there, when it is a giant army now. it's growing every day. they have tanks. they have artillery. this is a war. people are going to have to get that into their minds and understand we have to woin tin war. it does affect the homeland. that's the big issue. all of them admit it, including the two issues yesterday. also, i'm very pleased the polling is showing 70% of people in america have had a wake-up call and they know our homeland is in danger. it's a big deal, it's war. >> senator inhofe, thank you. >> thank you, pete effort. another bombshell in the nfl abuse controversy. adrian peterson now banned from team activities among allegations of child abuse. we'll have new details. first, a lack at today's planner. a lot going on on the hill and so many campaign trail action as well. vice president biden is in iowa with the nuns on the bus. governor christie stumping for scott brown in new hampshire. this is kathleen. setting up the perfect wedding day begins with arthritis pain and two pills. afternoon arrives and feeling good, but her knee pain returns... that's two more pills. the evening's event brings laughter, joy, and more pain... when jamie says... what's that like six pills today? yeah... i can take 2 aleve for all day relief. really, and... and that's it. this is kathleen... for my arthritis pain, i now choose aleve. get all day arthritis 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allow adrian peterson to resolve his personal situation and the vikings to return the focus to the football field. that's a quote just minutes ago. the league's players association has officially appealed the suspension of ray rice and he's foot t not the only one challenging how the nfl handles this. the league's biggest sponsors are now demanding answers and results. overnight, the minnesota vikings reversed their decision for monday, and are now banning the football star from all team activities while allowing him to take cash of his personal situation until the legal proceedings are resolved. the vikings star who admits he disciplined his son with a stick but faces a criminal charge of recklessly injuring the 4-year-old, was set to return to practice and play on sunday. the team, explaining the decision by saying, we've concluded this resolution is best for the vikings and adrian. adding, we want to be sure we get this right. the news just hours after the nfl's players union challenged ray rice's decision. the union singled out nfl commissioner roger goodell, arguing the indefinite suspension wasn't fair or imp impartial. in a game where winning is everything, the nfl may be at risk of losing some key sponsors. mcdonald's, general motors, bridgestone and others all voicing concerns but no pulling support for the nfl. the league's biggest partner anheuser-busch sent a strong message. that so clearly go against our own company culture and moral code. the nfl responded saying, we understand, we are taking action and there will be more to come. >> the average nfl sponsor gets back more than $2 in profits for every dollar they spend on nfl sponsorship. it's really hard for them to give that up. >> meantime, rihanna took to twitter to blast cbs for pulling her song from last week's ravens game. ya'll are sad for penalizing me for this. cbs moved in a different direction and pulled the song permanently. pray and keep moving, god bless. it could be a while until peterson's legal case is resolved. it was supposed to happen today. instead, his arraignment has now been moved to happen october 8th. three weeks from now, the vikings have announced they will hold a press conference at noon eastern time. we of course will be watching. a one-two punch out west. thousands scrambling to contain a dozen firefighters in the north. major flooding to the south. new details on both ahead. first, though, here's your trivia question. which country received the first line of credit from the export import bank. first person to tweet the correct answer @peteralexander or @thedalerundown. what does an apron have to do with car insurance? every time you tie on an apron, you make progress. and we like that. because progress is what we make, too. while a body in motion tends to stay in motion. staying active can ease arthritis symptoms but if you have arthritis, this can be difficult. prescription celebrex can help relieve arthritis pain, so your body can stay in 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here in the community of weed. the damage and destruction stretches so much further than you can see. the families are picking up the pieces of their lives while crews battle the blaze on the front lines. the fire here is at least 20% contained. more than 100 properties have been destroyed. the damage is in the tens of millions of dollars. across california today, they're battling at least 12 major wildfires. the work on the front likes and in the air will continue around the clock. the concern is going to be the winds across california. these 40 mile an hour winds are fabbing blazes all across this state. it will be a long day on the fire line as crews and families here on the ground begin the process of moving on. now back to you. >> yeah, just unbelievable pictures from weed today. now to that crop call storm. it's already battered the ba that peninsula. now it has the southwest bracing for record breaking rain. flash flooding as well. the most concentrated cluster of storms will move through southeastern arkansas today and tomorrow and then hitting new mexico on thursday and friday. nbc's gabe gutierrez is joining us. it's en route. >> hi, peter, it's quit incredible, flash flood wraps and warnings are in effect for five states. here in tucson, the rain has yet to begin but it's expected. the national weather service expected about 3 to 5 inches of rain here. other places could see much more. now, the remnants of hurricane odile are expected to travel through arizona and into new mexico and texas. this after the storm sliced through mexico and made landfall on sunday with winds of more than 125 miles per hour. battering cabo san lucas and destroying, heavily damaging the airport. the mexican military has evacuated some 30,000 stranded tourists. forecasters here in the desert southwest say some areas could see half a year's worth of rainfall in just 24 hours. again, we're here in tucson. this area's expected to see about 3 to 5 inches of rain. >> we appreciate it. coming up, time is running out for the export import bank. plus, president obama calling on the military to combat the spread of ebola in west africa. it is a major humanitarian effort with a lot of obstacles. . his long day of doing it himself starts with back pain... and a choice. take 4 advil in a day or just 2 aleve for all day relief. honey, you did it! baby laughs! ♪ eenie. meenie. miney. go. more adventures await in the seven-passenger lexus gx. see your lexus dealer. when la quinta.com sends sales rep steve hatfield the ready for you alert, the second his room is ready. you know what he brings? any questions? can i get an a, steve? yes! three a's! he brings his a-game! the ready for you alert, only at laquinta.com! with the ebola outbreak now spiraling into a global security threat, president obama says the u.s. intents to step up and do more to combat unprecedented human suffering. the world health organization estimates it has killed 2,500 people, infecting 5,000. mostly in liberia, sierra leone and new guinea. after being briefed by staff, the president announced what he called the largest response in the history of the cdc. >> in west africa, ebola is now an epidemic. the likes of which we have not seen before. it's spiraling out of control. it's getting worse. it's spreading faster and exponentially. it's a potential threat to global security if these countries break down. if their economies break down. if people panic. >> the president has named major general daryl williams to lead operation united assistance. deploying 3,000 american troops to a joint command center in liberia, build 17 new treatment center, adding about 1,700 beds. train health care providers. and this week u.s. aid will airlift 60,000 home health care kits from denmark to liberia. the defense department has requested $500 million to provide urgent humanitarian assistance. a step towards the $5 billion the united nations says is needed to fight this epidemic. critics exsprepressed concerns u.s. is not coordinated enough. >> who would be the person in charge? a i.d.? freedom? dempsey? kerry? >> i take your point, senator. >> american survivor dr. brantly met with the president and testified before the senate where he called the ebola epidemic a fire burning out of control. brantly will testify before a house committee just about 30 minutes from now. he spoke exclusively to nbc's kelly o'donnell, telling her the humanitarian effort may confront obstacles. >> the fear and the superstition that pervades culture in that region of the world and the fear, especially around this disease, makes it hard for people to accept help from anyone and so bringing in foreigners adds another dimension to that. >> democratic senator chris coons of delaware shares the subcommittee on african affairs. so you pushed for the u.s. to take a more aggressive approach to ebola. i guess the question is do you believe the steps the president announced are sufficient. is u.s. help needed. will there be more help needed to satisfy this effort? >> u.s. help is needed to bend the curb of the ebola outbreak in west africa. officials are shocked at how rapidly the transmission, the infection, the fatality rate of this has accelerated. had a depressing and difficult talk with the president of liberia, ellen sirleaf johnson, just two weeks ago, and president sirleaf was desperate for help at that point. we spoke again yesterday. she was grateful for the president's dramatic announcement of significant increase. we need to move quickly. and it needs to be coordinated. we need to have an overall white house appointed civilian coordinator and we need to make sure that the unique dod and public health resources of the united states are delivered swiftly and effectively. >> give us a sense. the researchers suspect this epidemic likely started i believe last december with one case in guinea. now there are newly 5,000 cases and experts predict 55,000 next month if we don't get this crisis under control. so for our understanding, what does a worst case seb facenario like? >> the likely current case scenario includes many other cases that have not been reported. the three countries we're talking about, liberia, sierra leone, guinea, are some of the poorest in the world have virtually no public health infrastructure, no water, power, roads. so a lot of this disease is being born by desperately poor people in very remote places. very close to this are other much more populous countries like nigeria. where if ebola breaks out, it could become dramatically greater in its impact. the worst case scenario is this version of the ebola virus will mutate to being transmissible by air and air transmission means it would threaten, literally, the world. >> you've heard the concerns. three americans overseas with ebola when they were working there as aid workers. now american troops heading in that direction. how do you satisfy those concerns of people who say why are we putting our own people in what's potentially a biological harm's way it. >> well, i do think we can and should have confidence that the united states armed forces know how to deploy our combat engineers, our logistics specialists, our public health personnel going to this region how to do that and keep them safe from infection. there will be special facilities set up to treat for and to care -- any public health worker or d.o.d. personnel infected. it is still not transmissible by means other than direct contact with fluids. i'm optimistic u.s. personnel can be engaged in making a life-saving difference. >> we heard house speaker said the administration should have, in his language, acted more quickly on this threat. even your fellow democrats, including barbara mikulski, were surprised the president had no point man on ebola until yesterday. have we been too slow to act? >> wahat's important is to focu on the path forward. while this has gotten away from us, i think the united states is responding with the president's leadership decisively. the challenge is to further accelerate the engagement of the developed world, of our allies, and of the private sector. there were significant announcements of contributions from the gates foundation, from other private foundations, in the hundreds of millions of dollars. i'm optimistic about the new treatments and potentially a vaccine. a significant amount of funding in the continuing resolution that we will take up here in the senate is dedicated towards accelerating that path forward and the possibility of our having an ebola vaccine. >> while you're with us, i need to ask about the export import bank. you're chairing a meeting of the senate democrats with ceos who will be there, urging congress to reauthorize the export import bank. this has been the sleeper fight. the bank that lends to foreign buyers. has now taken a lot of criticism. from some house republicans who said this is crony capitalism. now it looks like another nine months. is that strategy ultimately to try to strip reauthorization from that must pass legislation and ultimately kill the bank? >> yes, i think it's clear that some in-house republican leadership are opposed to the reauthorization of the export/import bank. i expect we will hear from ceos of businesses large and small. manufacturers who export and help create american jobs. they need the export import bank. on the international playing field, our companies looking to export american products face stiff competition from china, from germany, india, other countries that provide more robust export financing. i think it is shocking republican leaders who claim to care about manufacturing are once again offering just a short-term chip shot reauthorization that will barely get us into next year, rather than the long-term reauthorization and the support for american jobs that our exporters deserve. >> senator, thank you. the export import bank has been around since 1934. it's been reauthorized 16 times with relatively little debate. killing the bank has become the tea party's new celeb. the senator says he will not stand in the way of the spending bill that reauthorizes the bank through june. he says ultimately it must go. house majority leader kevin mccarthy opposes ex-im. not long ago, it was democrats saying the bank had outlived its usefulness. >> i'm not a democrat who believes that we can or should defend every government program just because it's there. there are some programs that have been duplicated by other programs. we just need to cut back. like the bank that's become little more than a fund for corporate welfare. >> joining me now, ambassador kirk, of the safe energy coalition. as we acknowledge, this can be a little esoteric. i'm going to try to boil this down. give us a better understanding of why this bank is important. why the energy industry thinks this is critical. >> at the end of the day this is about jobs. a big part of our growing our economy going forward is that all these new consumers around the world that have looked on with envy at our economy say we want more of that. they now got choices. they're either going to buy from products made in the united states or china or germany or france. so we want to empower our u.s. exporters to have every ability to go out and compete. when you shop for a car, which all americans now are empowered with more knowledge because of the internet. they go into the dealership. if one dealer says, i can get you 2% interest and the other dealer says, i can get you zero, that's a pretty easy choice. it's the same thing in the international market. >> clearly, the opposition to this has grown. there are thousand thoughts the republicans may kill it when it's separated from the cr. give us a better understanding of why you think there's such opposition, specifically, amob the tea party, in the same vein as things like the fed, the imf and others. >> without sounding partisan, i frankly don't understand it. i think the club for growth and tea party sort of key voted this a few years ago and i think frankly stunned -- >> is the president himself said this is corporate welfare. >> well, i think this is one place were i think the pretz's had a, president's had a change of heart. for example, china is buying eight westinghouse nuclear reactors. they can buy them from us or the french or the germans. the four reactors support 15,000 jobs here in the united states. and you can pick an industry, where it's boeing airlines or a high-tech company. 85% of the bank's loans go to small and medium sized businesses that otherwise wouldn't be able to go out and compete in the global marketplace. and one of the pour things for your viewers to know, the xm bank doesn't cost taxpayers one single penny. they're self-financed. they return almost $1 billion to the treasury. i frankly can't understand why we would want to disadvantage american farmers, manufacturers, entrepreneurs, by having them go out and compete in an environment that's stacked against us. >> big companies. give us a sense what sort of companies we focus on. >> i think it's too easy for people to just say, oh, it's all boeing. >> it's only big companies? >> no, it's not just big companies. 90% of u.s. exporters, what we define as small and medium sized businesses. but you can't ignore you know when boeing goes out and sells five new planes at $5 billion a pop, that supports not only thousands of their employees, but all of their suppliers and all of the smaller businesses boeing produced those planes. whether it's boeing or caterpillar or westinghouse or nuclear reactors or technology, they all benefit from having the back stop of the export import bank to help them compete against other countries who all have their own credit agencies. because we understand, if you win those global contracts, then those jobs are created in your country. >> ambassador, nice to visit with you. >> thank you, nice to visit with you. i loved meeting with your sister. >> nice to see you, thanks for being here. a poll ahead of scotland's historical independence vote. just how close is it? we'll have those details next. first, the white house soup of the day. they're sevening up pasta fijoli. we'll be right back. you swore you'd never do it. trading in your sporty little two door for a minivan? but here you are. counting cup holders and captain's chairs. not to worry. allstate can help you save an average of $3,000 on a new car. let an allstate agent surprise you by helping you get a deal on the car you might not want but really need. call 877-279-9200 now. the car seat. the baby booties. and ointments you've never heard of. it all adds up. that's where the good hands can help. now allstate can help you save 20% or more on a new car seat. so you have a little extra for all the extras. talk to an allstate agent and start saving today. and if you call right now you can get 2 safe driving bonus 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3. that's how many polls released just last night show that tomorrow's independence vote in scotland is likely to be a nail biter. polls commissioned by the daily mat mail, the scotsman, and the daily telegraph, all showing the no camp has 52% support. the question camp, the folks would want independence, 46 support. it's going down to the wire. on edge tomorrow waiting for the final results. 4 million eligible voters head to the polls to decide whether scotland so break with england and become an independent country. bill clinton weighed in on the issue urgie ining scots to vote again independence and send a powerful message of unity to the world. the export import bank the first transaction was $3.8 million extended to cuba for the purchase of silver in 1934. congratulations. this was a tough one. kevin mcqueen, you're today's big winner. we'll be right back. she's still the one for you. and cialis for daily use helps you be ready anytime the moment is right. cialis is also the only 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affordability... adaptability... and when the world asked for the future. staying ahead in a constantly evolving world. that's the value of performance. northrop grumman. we're waiting for a trio ever congressional hearings to kick off on capitol hill. homeland security secretary jau johnson will testify on the house hearing on threats to the united states. ebola survivor kent brantly will speak to the house foreign affairs committee, and the house special benghazi meeting is about to hold the first hearing. it comes more than two years after the attacks occurred killing four americans and leading to seven congressional. it's courtesy of the benghazi select committee. created by speaker boehner in may. today's hearings is not designed to get in allegations of the cover-up. it's supposed to look at security recommendations. but republican matters made noise about revisiting some of the old allegations. luke russert is joining us now. >> yesterday house democrats had a press conference. the withins on the committee where they explicitly said they didn't know where this committee was going. they said they had no organizational meetings. they had no long-term timeline. they didn't know where the investigation was headed. if you speak to republicans, they say that's been done purposefully because trey gowdy is taking all the time he needs to do a thorough investigation. it's been investigated seven times by various entities here on capitol hill between senate and the house. there's some disagreement about one thing in particular. whether there's a stand down order issued for those protecting the ambassador. it's a whole plethora of things investigated. the idea of stand down order. talking points that susan rice went on the sunday shows with. were they cooked and favored president obama ahead of an election. everything we've seen so far they were not down for political purposes. the stand down order was not given from the investigations so far. these things they want to be looked at closely through the prism of trey gowdy's prosecutorial experience. we'll see where the committee goes. it's the only one so far today that is open to the press. there's some confusion about whether or not there will be more open ones in the future. but gowdy and folks saying we want to keep them closed because we want to have a thorough investigation. >> the conversation continues. luke is watching. nice to see you. >> take it easy. that's going to do it for this edition of the daily run down. coming up on busy washington wednesday. jose diaz-balart has news on all three of the hearings. a live report from california as another day in the wild fire fight gets underway. 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