On. This morning, where the showdown could be headed. Breaking his silence. Scott peterson, speaking out for the first time in nearly 15 years, claiming he did not kill his wife, laci, and their unborn child. This morning one of the most notorious convicted murderers in his own words from death row. Those stories, plus gert strengthens into a hurricane overnight. Swift justice for taylor. And the silent song thats racing up the charts. [ silence ] today, tuesday, august 15th, 2017. From nbc news, this is today, with matt lauer and savannah guthrie. Live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. Good morning, everybody. Welcome to today. Thanks for joining us on this tuesday morning. When you have a chance, you have to explain that silence of music thing to me. Thats over my head. Its a busy morning. We want to start with the protests facing the president , after it took him two days to denounce the hate groups in the car attack in charlottesvillech virginia. Were going to start with kristen welker, outside trump tower in new york city. Good morning. Reporter good morning to you. This is President Trumps first time waking up in trump tower since taking office. It wasnt exactly a warm welcome home, because of the hundreds of protesters lining the streets here. Many fuming after they call inadequate response to the violent clashes in charlottesville overnight. Hundreds of protesters lining the streets around trump tower, greeting him with boos and jeers. The uproar over President Trumps response to charlottesville, not going away, despite following comments after intense preside. Racism is evil. Those that use violence, including the akkk, the neonazis, and other hate groups. Reporter pressed to explain why he didnt call out those groups over the weekend. They have been condemned. Reporter it was his initial response that caused widespread backlash. On many sides. Reporter this is not the ti refudiated hate groups. Asked to rebuke david duke, mr. Trump repeatedly deflected. I dont know what youre talking about with the White Supremecy or reporter while he said he condemned duke, theres other questionable moments since his election. Including waiting a week, to speak out against uptick in raciallycharged events. Im so saddened to hear that. And i say stop it, if it helps. I will say this, and ill say it right to the cameras. Stop it. Reporter as for thent latve are real for the president. The ceos of merck, under armour, and intel, announcing theyre living the president s melania trumping council. Each citing their commitment to diversity and equality. This sparking a new round of fingerpointing inside the west wing. And fresh speculation the top adviser, steve bannon, could soon be out. Overnight, Anthony Scaramucci weighing in. Is he going to be gone in a week . Thats up to the president. What does the mooch think . Itf it was up to me, he woul be gone. Reporter the president may have given his critics more fodder, by retweeting a rightwing conspiracy theorists overnight. Mr. Trump will hold an infrastructuinfrom structure event here at trump tower. As for the suspect in the deadly car attack, he remains behind bars this morning. And in the heated aftermath of the violence, a new movement against racism is under way. Tom costello is in charlottesville with that part of the story. Good morning. Reporter good morning. This is where Heather Heyer died on saturday. We have seen decades of White Nationalists events in this country. With charlottesville, were seeing a public backlash against racial hatred and violence. In north carolina, anger reaching a boiling point overnight, as antihate demonstrators took to the streets. Tearing down this confederate monument. It was another statue of robert e. Lee that was at the heart of the weekend violence in charlottesville. On monday, the man accused of ramming his car into a crowd at that rally, appeared in court. 20yearold james alex fields says he understands the charges against him. Seconddegree murder, malicious woulding, and hit and run. According to police records, he has had previous runins with the law. I dont really understand. Reporter accused of threatening his mother with a knife in 2011, when he was just 14. Fields is now charged with killing 32yearold Heather Heyer, who was protesting the White Supremacists gathered in charlottesville. Her father is standing up for her. She had more courage than i did. Reporter among the 19 people injured in the crash, natalie romero, a student at uva, who suffered a fractured skull. Her mother in texas. We need to be strong. And these kind of crimes has to stop. Reporter james alex fields, now being held without band. And this photo of him standing with White Nationalists, going viral. Online, people have been banding together. Exposing people who attended the White Nationalist rally. Making sure their neighbors and schools and employers know about their associations. Peter said he received Death Threats and calls to be expels. You can call me naugzi, but wouldnt threaten anyone. Reporter saying in part, we remain firm in commitment of denouncing all forms of racism and bigotry. Karl white was identified on twitter and quit his job. His former employer posting this letter saying, white no longer works at top dog. Social media sites have been cracking down on neonazi and White Supremacy groups, saying they will not host them. Facebook is trying to crack down on any site, anybody who posts glorifying the events on saturday. Turning to Pete Williams who has more on the response to this violence in charlottesville. Pete, good morning. We know the suspect here is facing state charges. Seconddegree murder among them. What will the federal government charges be . They are looking at just the attack with the car on saturday. Thats the focus of the question of civil rights investigation. Did that violate civil rights nows that interfered with a federally protected activity. Penalty, ing that charge, it th savannah. What happened in charlottesville will outline the showed. What are they saying about the groups. Are they growing . Are more people following them in the streets or online . What can you tell us . Theres two factors of work. Something of a surge in hate Group Numbers in response to the nationwide efforts to remove or rename the symbols of the con f confederacy. Many did this a roof with the Confederate Flag after killing nine people in north ca groups feel emboldened to come out of the shadows, believing their message is no er how is it that the fed enforcement groups monitor these groups . And keep in mind, a lot of it is protected speech and activity. Ice Pay Attention to the groups. Theyre out on the internet all the time. In hate sites. In rallies. But threats and plots are a different matter. Last year, more than half of the domestic terror events were caused by hate groups. Minor groups and police were often the targets. Pete williams, thank you. Theres a lot more to get to this morning, including breaking news overnight, in the north korea crisis, after reviewing his militarys plans to attack guam. Kim jongun says he will wait and watch, before deciding to launch. Andrea mitchell has more on this. Andr andrea, good morning to you. Reporter good morning, matt. Ive been talking to officials overnight. And theyve been discounting those reports, that come jongki, has blinked, if you will, if the u. S. Pulls back military forces. U. S. Officials say that is a false hope of a speedy way out of this crisis. Kim jongun, north korea says, reviewing plans from his generals for a Missile Launch toward the u. S. Territory of guam. A smiling kim saying he will make a decision about his threat to guam, if the yankees persist. And repeating his demand that is a nonstarter with the u. S. , that it cancel joint military exercises with south korea. At the pentagon, defense secretary mattis warning, if they fire at guam, its the same as firing at the United States. If they fire at the United States, it could escalate into war very quickly. Yes, thats called war. If they do that, its game on. And if they do fire a missile at guam . Well take it out. Reporter this as the chairman of the joint chiefs in beijing, on a fourday tour of the region. In south korea, cutting its economic lifeline to north korea. It will require china to do not only what they did at the United Nations security council, to vote for sanctions, but to enforce sanctions. Reporter critics say trump is undercutting the move, by launching an investigation into trade practices. The president is choosing a bad time to deliver on a Campaign Promise to punish china over trade, when he needs china to help find a way out of this crisis with kim jongun. And u. S. Satellites were watching a mobile Missile Launcher. One if fires could not reach all of the way to guam. Complicated. Also breaking overnight, a tragic story from overseas. Rescue workers have recovered 270 bodice ies after a mudslide free town. Dozens of houses were covered in mud when a mountain collapsed on monday. One of the most deadly natural disasters in africa in years. They are urging residents to evacuate immediately, so military personnel and rescuers can search for survivors. History was made on west point. Simone askcu, is loading the line at the military academy. She was named first captain at west point. As first captain, she is responsible for the overaull performance of the corps of cadets. Taylor swift speaking out after a jury in denver ruled that a former radio deejay touched her inappropriate during a 2013 meet and greet. Joe fryer is at the white house. Or in l. A. Good morning, joe. Reporter it was a clean sweep for taylor swift in court on monday. The pop superstar mouthing thank you to members of the jury, after she said she was assaulted by the former radio host. The deliberations taking just four hours. This morning, taylor swift is vowing to turn her courtroom win into something bigger. Writing in a statement, my hope is to help those whose voices have also been heard. I will be making donations to organizations that help Sexual Assault victims defend themselves. The jury in the pop stars highprofile groping trial against a radio host, awarding her a single, symbolic dollar. It is immeasurable value in this evergoing fight to figure out where the lines are and whats right and whats wrong in tolerance. And whose body is whose. Reporter the case hinged on this 2013 toto, where swift says David Mueller groped her under her skirt. Swift never reported the allegation to police. But her rep told muellers station, kygo. Two days later, he was fired. Mueller filed a suit against swift and her team saying they cost him his career swift countersued for battery. This is a photo of him with his hand up my skirt. Mueller maintained he never groped swift. Saying his closed hand touched her rib cage. The pop star responding, im not going to let you or your client make me feel in any way this is my fault because it isnt. Swifts fan stood by her over the trial, using postit notes to put the lyrics of her songs on windows. To have her stand up for women around the world is really cool and empowering. As for muellers lawsuit, swift was dropped as a defendant by the judge on friday. Then, the jury found her mother and radio promotions rep had not interfered with his contract, getting him fired. An attorney for mueller said his disapointed for his client, but respects the decision. Mr. Roker joins us, now, with a look at the things startn the tropics. Hurricane gert forming. Doesnt look like it is going to hit land directly. 75mileperhour winds. Moving to the north at 12 miles per hour. Threads the needle between the coast of america and bermuda. The only effects we may see are basically some rip currents from jacksonville, all the way up into new england. And theres a chance for some Tropical Storm force winds, around bermuda. And were watching this tropical disturbance. Invest 91l. Well be watching this one closely, as were getting into closely, as were getting into the heart of the Tropical Storm closely, as were getting into the heart of the Tropical Storm so Many Americans struggle with finances. Starting today, state farm is here to help. Giving us all the chance to simply sit down and learn. Visit letsstarttoday. Com or talk to an agent. Good morning. Im meteorologist bill henley. We have some showers this morning. A chance of showers and thunderstorms during the day. And thats all going to limit our warm up today. Up to 80 degrees in new jersey and the Lehigh Valley. 78 degrees with on and off showers in. At the shore, good chance well see some thunderstorms. A high of 78 degrees. Not all day storms. We get some breaks in the rainfall during the day. And philadelphia hits 81 degrees this afternoon. Showers ending this evening. Have a great day. And that is your latest weather. Invest 91l. Mortisha, i love when you talk weather. I dont know what you just said. Scott peterson breaking his silence from death row. How the convicted murderer felt that police failed his family. We showed you how to get your glasses. Now, Everything Else you need to know, as you get ready for that historic total eclipse. But first this, is today o nbc. N just ahead, natalie has a remarkable story of the family heirloom taken during world war ii. 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Enjoy the rich, smooth taste of cold brew you can make at home. Pick some up where you buy groceries. Of cold brew you can make at home. Right. In. Your. Stomach watch this . Yikes, that ice cream was messing with you, wasnt it . Try lactaid, its real ice cream, without that annoying lactose. Lactaid. Its the milk that doesnt mess with you. This is a story about mail and packages. And its also a story about people. People who rely on us every day to deliver their dreams theyre handing us more than mail theyre handing us their business and while we make more ecommerce deliveries to homes than anyone else in the country, we never forget. That your business is our business the United States postal service. Priority you good morning, 7 26 right now. Im tracy davidson. Lets get right to meteorologist bill henley. He has your most accurate neighborhood forecast. Im tracking some showers and for good reason. Look at the rain thats moving into the area. Some rain showers, light showers moving through New Castle County and into Delaware County this morning. Nothing heavy about this rain just yet. But look to the southwest and you can see whats to come. The chance of showers and thunderstorms on and off during the day today. And well finally clear out tonight. Now lets check the roads and see where the backups are with traffic reporter Jessica Boyington. Hardly moving on the expressway westbound side. Look