Reporter a pass from senator marco rubio to a young fan doesnt go quite as planned. Why the president ial hopeful says the quarterback always gets the blame today, wednesday, august 19th, 2015. From nbc news, this is today with matt lauer and savannah guthrie, live from studio 1a in Rockefeller Plaza. Good morning, welcome to today on a wednesday morning. Quarterback should not get the blame in this case. Rubio clearly told the kid you do a fourstep not the post pattern lets do the slow motion replay. Its much safer if politicians kiss babies, weve established that. More on that in a bit. Well start with a weather related top story, strong storms lash the midwest. New Severe Weather cropping up again. Whats the latest . Well be watching this, about a 24hour to 36hour problem. As we start off wrigley field, look at that rain. Theres wrigley field. You have heavy rain, a bit of a rain delay as you can imagine. All of that pushing through. Then we go to kansas and you can see more strong storms pushing through that area. Heavy rain. We have no reports of tornadoes but there was localized flooding and in nebraska, we had more heavy weather as well and were looking to see this rerepeated throughout the day, heavy lightning and severe thunderstorms pushing through the area. Heres whats going on. We basically got another area stretching from Central Indiana all the way down to oklahoma and Oklahoma City. Strong storms firing up. Weve got the risk of strong weather today, marginal risk from del rio to detroit. Damaging winds mainly the big problem. Super cells through much of michigan. Well be watching that. We also have our fourth tropical named storm. We have danny. Its 1440 miles east of the Lesser Antilles and moving west at 14. This will be over open water for a while. Its not going to be until early monday that it approaches the Leeward Islands but it continues on this path, there is going to be risk for parts of the caribbean and still way too early to tell whether it affects the United States but well continue to watch that as well. All right, al, thank you very much. Three men are presumed dead in alaska this morning where torrential rains triggered landslides that buried part of the coastal town of sitka. Emergency crews raced to the scene but unstable terrain forced them to put the search on hold. They are planning to reassess later this morning. Another story were following overnight, could spell trouble for millions of users of cheating website, Ashley Madison. Hackers are claiming they followed through on their threats and just posted personal information of in of the sites clients online. Justice correspondent Pete Williams is following this. What can you tell us . These hackers call themself the impact team and they appear to have followed through on a threat last month to make this data public if the site didnt shut itself down. Its a kind of dating went called ashleymadison. Com with this slogan, life is short, have an affair. Late tuesday an enormous amount of data was posted on the dark web, that cant be found with conventional browsers like google. And experts who analyzed it say it includes millions of names addresses and credit card numbers and amounts paid, data that stretches back several years. Many users may not have used their real name. In a statement the data dump is an account of criminality and attack on free thinking people who choose to engage in lawful online activities. The company said it is cooperating with canadian and u. S. Authorities who are investigating the computer attack. And is studying the data to satisfy if it was after all, in fact stolen from the website. The hackers say they didnt want money, they wanted to embarrass the users. Savannah. Well see if they have. Thank you. Now to the overnight explosion that leveled part of a motel near seattle. Several people are unaccounted for but one woman is being credited with quick thinking that saved others lives. Jake on rascon has that story. Good morning. It looked as if a bomb had been detonated. The explosion obliterated a large section of the hotel, tossing responding firefighters into the air and shattering windows of nearby businesses and homes as dozens of motel guests escaped just in time and two of them remain unaccounted for. Lets all head on over. Reporter it was a close call for guests crowded together on the street tuesday night evacuateded from their homes minutes from a gas explosion leveled a large part of a motel 6 in washington. The Motel Manager made the split second decision to sound the alarm after getting a call about a gas leak. Okay, this could cause a major pandemonium me pulling this alrm but my gut told me to and im glad i did. Enroute, motel 6. Fires on scene. Engine 2 will be evacuating the motel 6 at 3400 11th street. Guests were immediately evacuated, 30 minutes later the explosion rocked the area blowing firefighters on the scene back 20 feet. Witnesses reporting it felt like a shock wave. The building collapsed on top of each other. My car was pushed out of the way by the force. Reporter most guests were uninjured but crews are searching for two mem who remain unaccounted for. A gas Company Employee was air lifted to a Seattle Medical Center in critical condition. This Morning Police continue to investigate just what caused the explosion. Crews are right now still digging in the rubble looking for those missing guests. Federal investigators meanwhile are on their way to help determine why this gas pipeline apparently failed. Matt and savannah. As we move to politics, Hillary Clinton getting fiery amid new criticism over the emails as secretary of state. This is a controversy she is blaming republicans and media for keeping alive. Kristen welker is on trail this morning. Good morning to you. Reporter savannah, good morning to you. Secretary clinton is about to start a slower week filled with fund raising and little bit of down time. After campaigning here in vegas on tuesday, its clear that email issue isnt going away and could be getting to her. I do want to be the champion for every day americans, to help each and every one of you. Reporter under mounting pressure, Hillary Clinton launched an offense on tuesday, the issue that continues to threaten her second bid for the white house. What i did was legally permitted, number one, first and foremost. I did not send classified material and i did not receive any material that was marked or designated classified. Reporter in exchanges that often became testy, clinton insisted she hasnt done anything wrong. In retrospect this didnt turn out to be convenient at all. I regret this has become such a cause celebre. This doesnt change the facts. No matter what anybody tries to say, the facts are stubborn. Reporter clinton even tried to laugh off a question whether she wiped her public server. What, like with a cloth or something . Well, no. I dont know how it works digitally at all. Reporter this comes as fbi Forensic Experts are now examining clintons private server. Two sources familiar with the process tell nbc news, analysts are optimistic they can recover at least some of the data. Even though theyve determined it was wiped clean as previously reported when the ktd was deactivated. Investigators are working to determine whether any classified information was mishandled. Giving republicans fresh fodder. It shows incompetence on her part to not know this was information she needed to protect. The fact shes not been forthright in explaining the situation is also a problem. Reporter clinton walked away tuesday as questions about her emails were still being shouted out, the nagging political problem she cant turn her back on. Now, according to a new cnn poll, just out, it shows secretary clinton still the strong democratic frontrunner and leads Bernie Sanders by double digits, but for the first time her number has dropped below 50 in that poll. Now, in a general election matchup, donald trump is catching up to her, now just six points behind her. This email issue could be taking a toll. Thank you. Meanwhile in the republican race an interesting scene is going to play out in New Hampshire, dueling town Hall Meetings involving frontrunner donald trump and gop rival jeb bush. Katy tur is in derry where trump is scheduled to speak. Good morning to you. Reporter good morning, trump will get to derry later tonight and it is no accident that hes picked today of all days to come back to New Hampshire, trying to do as he does, which is steal all of the air out of the room and steal the spotlight. Its going to be a big day here in New Hampshire, an Education Summit that will be attended by a number of candidates, including Carly Fiorina and jeb bush and scott walker as well as john kasich. Kasich will have a town hall and so will jeb bush, just 20 minutes away. Trump has been sparring with bush every chance he gets, often unprovoked trying to slam him on immigration and military. Trump seeing and treating bush as his biggest threat right now. All while bush is getting ann annoyed having to answer questions about trump and trying to just refer to him as the Big Personality in the room. Bush is having to respond to him, specifically to his immigration plan on monday, forgsed to comment on it, saying it was unrealistic. Trump is going to try to sell the plan here to voters today and you can bet hes going to try to steal voters and reporters and all. Attention from the other candidates, especially jeb bush. Matt . Katy tur, thanks very much. Members of the media will be jumping county to county. We have an update on something we talked about on tuesday, the fda has approved the first Prescription Drug to boost sexual desire in women. The socalled female version of viagra. The pill will be marketed under a different brand name and it will carry bold warnings about possible side effects. Doctor will be required to talk to patients about this before writing a prescription. Natalie joins us now with more on fires out west. Another grueling day unfortunately for crews battling 95 wildfires burning in Washington State and idaho. A group of fires in Northern Idaho scorched 90 square miles and destroyed 42 homes and in washington flames burned through grass, brush and timber. Air tankers established containment lines to keep the flames from reaching downtown. 1,000 people remain under mandatory evacuations there. The search is intensifying this morning for the man accused of bombing a shrine in bangkok killing 20 people and possible accomplices. Police have released this sketch and they are offering a reward for information leading to the suspect. Hes apparently the same man seen in a video leaving a back pack at the downtown shrine that authorities believe contained an explosive device weighing more than six pounds. Police believe the man did not act alone but is part of a network. Breaking news out of indiana, federal documents were aleased. Prosecutors say foegle will plead guilt when he appears before a federal judge this morning. Subway recently ended its relationship with him. A new mexico hospital left one worker dead and serve others injured, the scaffolding right outside the presbyterian Medical Center buckled and collapsed. Three construction workers now being treated for life threatening injuries. And investigators are still trying to figure out how it happened. Some incredible video to showa Close Encounter between a shark and seal. This happened off the coast of cape cod. Take a look as the shark jumps right out of the water to grab onto the seal but the seal managed to wrigle out of the way. The encounter was captured by the Atlantic White shark conservancy. Videos like this one are important to studies on great white sharks in the atlantic ocean. You want to make sure they are far off the coast of cape cod. The beach is right there. That looked bad. Not good at all. Core strength, very good abs. Doing crunches. Natalie, thank you. Mr. Roker, a quick look whats going on around the rest of the country. We look for wet weather up and down the midatlantic coast through florida. The heat continues out west. Smokey conditions through the Pacific Northwest into the inner Mountain Region because of all of the wildfires going on there. Were going to get to your local forecast coming up in the next 30 seconds. Uffering. Birds hate that. So they came back home. Come home to verizon and now get 12 gigs for 80 a month plus 20 per line. Verizon. Come home to a better network. Into good morning, im meteorology kari hall. In the lower 60s and clouds all across the bay area. But they will be clearing out into the afternoon. And a little bit cooler than yesterday. The south bay will be at 87 degrees. Peninsula 79. In the east bay, expect a high of 80 degrees. Trivalley will be up to 87. Average temperature is returning and it will be 69 degrees in San Francisco. The north bay will be at 81. A warm day. Mostly sunny skies. Keeping this weather the next few days. Coming up at 7 30, we have a rare firenado. Youll have to try and look and see why its rare. All right. Interesting, all right, al. Thank you so much. Olympic sprinter Oscar Pistorius is expected to leave a South African prison on friday, ten months after being convicted in the shooting death of his girlfriend, reeva steenkamp. Today National Investigative correspondent jeff rossen has covered this case from the beginning. Hes in pretoria this morning. Jeff, good morning to you. Reporter hi, there. Good morning. The countdown is on. Oscar pistorius now spending his final 48 hours behind bars right here in this prison behind me in pretoria. On friday, hell be released and placed on house arrest. This morning we are with getting exclusive, new details about his life inside, plus, the prosecutors new push for a new trial. It is one of the most notorious prisons in the world, known for violence and gangs. But Oscar Pistorius is reportedly isolated in the hospital wing, living in a tiny, six by eightfoot cell with only a bed, a sink, a toilet and a cupboard. Pistorius said to be so paranoid, the prison food could be poisoned. He eats canned sardines and baked beans. Hes only allowed outside one hour a day, getting another hour in the weight room. Pistorius was a vip prisoner. Everything was right for him. He can do whatever he wants. Reporter but boswell mohango says pistorius got unusual treatment, beyond the perks for good behavior. He was an inmate there at the same time as pistorius. How can you get your own gym, your own gym alone . Why the cell we were in were never given curtains, but his cell was prepared special. Reporter why do you think this happened. Because hes got money. I mean, hes Oscar Pistorius. Reporter the pistorius families denies hes getting special treatment and prison officials didnt respond to our request for comment. It was a trial that captivated the world. Oscar, any idea when youre going to take the stand . Reporter Oscar Pistorius, the olympic hero, shooting and killing his model girlfriend, reeva steenkamp. Prosecutors say he shot her four times in a fit of rage and jealousy. I did not fire at reeva reporter in court, pistorius claiming it was all an accident. He mistook reeva for an intruder. The judge believed him, convicting him of the lesser charge, involuntary manslaughter. You killed her you shot and killed her. When will you take responsibility for that . Reporter now prosecutors are filing their official appeal, saying the judge made a mistake. In papers filed this week, the court not only approached the circumstantial evidence incorrectly, but also incorrectly excluded relevant evidence, and pistorius should have been convicted of murder, calling it inescapable. Do you think its possible the prosecution could be suggestionful here . Yes, i do think theres a great possibility that appeal can succeed and that will have the effect that he goes back to prison. Reporter when pistorius is released on friday, he will reportedly go straight to his uncles sprawling estate just a few miles away. In fact, here in south africa, many are calling it mansion arrest. Well be here covering it all. Now back to you. All right. Put your lawyers hat on for a second. Are there other systems around the world where a guy can be convicted of a crime, serve time in jail and then be tried again for evidence in the same crime . In other legal systems, the prosecution has the right to appeal. Thats something we dont do in this country. Once the defendant is acquitted or has his appeal, the prosecutor has no right to appeal, meaning you cant go back to jail after that. All right, well keep our eyes on that one. Coming up, emotions running high at the trial of a former student at an elite prep school as the accuser faces her alleged attacker in court. This morning, a representative for her family speaks out in an exclusive, live interview. Plus, delivering on a deadline. Why the post office is getting into the sameday shipping game. But first, this is today on nbc. Im lika small boxer. Ring. You dont expect much. And then, wham i hit em with huge creamy goodness alright round two bring it, girlfriend rich, creamy, 100 natural cheese. Mini babybel. Snack a little bigger. Lanes for stoners. What are you getting to, savannah . Plus, a special live concert on the plaza from breakout stars little mick. But first, on a wednesday morning, your local news and weather. Mix a liv what makes a woman feel beautiful . Its an unstoppable energy, from deep inside. A je ne sais quoi. A youthful aura. Advanced genifique. An only philadelphia®. Drinking having acids. It never dawned on me that it could hurt your teeth. He told me to use pronamel. Its going to he