with the family how we do this. >> as hillary clinton weighs in on her potential new challenger. >> he should have the space and the opportunity to decide what he wants to do. >> what biden says it will take for him to enter the race. in his own defense, owen labrie takes the stand. >> i didn't have sex with her. >> closing arguments set for today. we'll be live at the courthouse. on alert. the southeastern u.s. preparing for erika as the tropical storm strengthens. could florida be in for its first hurricane in ten years? "today" thursday, august 27th, 2015. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with matt lauer and savannah guthrie. live from studio 1-a in rockefeller plaza. good morning, everyone. welcome to "today" on a thursday morning. matt is on assignment. willie is here. i think we're all in shock about what happened and unfolded at the television station in virginia. we have the latest on that shooting. >> tributes pouring in this morning for adam ward and alison parker. they were shot and killed while live on the air. vicki gardner, their guest at the time, is recovering in the hospital after undergoing energy surgery. we will talk to them in a few minutes. we're learning more this morning about the gunman, a self-described human powder keg waiting to explode, who claimed the charleston church shooting was his tipping point. we have got it all covered this morning. we'll talk to the station's general manager in a moment. let us begin with nbc's stephanie gosk in roanoke. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. wdbj was back on the air, live this morning, covering a story about themselves and, at times, holding back tears. overnight, there were candlelight vigils here. this is a tight-night news room. adam ward and alison parker grew up here in virginia and were beloved. now their community and colleagues are heart broken. >> we come to you with this morning with very heavy hearts. two of our own were shot and killed during a live shot yesterday morning. >> reporter: a surreal morning of remembrance on wdbj, just 24 hours after two of their colleagues and friends were killed live on-air their air. >> real estate tourism. >> reporter: the horrific event began yesterday morning at 6:45 a.m., when vester lee flanagan approached alison parker and cameraman adam ward while they were live on air. flanagan, a former station colleague of parker and ward, opened fire killing them both and wounding their guest, vicki gardner. as ward lay dying, his camera captured this image of flanagan. as the police pursued the shooter. >> subject is a black male. suspect is believed to be armed and dangerous. use caution. >> reporter: he began live tweeting. first, citing grievances he had with parker and ward, and then posting two graphic videos of the shooting himself as flanagan took as he approached and killed the victims. we are only showing this image of them. a brief high-speed pursuit of flanagan followed. police finding him in his car severely wounded with a self-inflected gunshot. as he was air-lifted to a hospital, wdbj went back on the air at noon. >> we have determined through the help of the police and our employees that alison and adam died this morning shortly after 6:45 when the shots rang out. >> reporter: in a 23-page documented in faxed in an abc news report back in new york, a man claiming to be flanagan said he had been discriminated against for being gay and motivated by a shooting at a historic black church in charleston. why did i do it? i put down a deposit for a gun on june 19th. the church shooting in charleston happened on june 17th. i've been a human powder keg for a while, he wrote. just waiting to go boom. as the day's surreal and excruciating events settled, those closest began to mourn them, including parker's boifed boyfriend, wdbj's anchor chris hurst. outside the apartment the couple had moved into together. >> i'll carry it with me for the rest of my life. she's made these past nine months i shared with her the best time of her life. >> reporter: her father spoke with megyn kelly late wednesday night. >> she was extremely happy and she loved this guy with all her heart. that's the toughest thing for me that, you know -- everybody she touched, loved her and she loved everybody back. >> reporter: there are so many details about this story that put a point on the tragedy. adam ward was engaged to the morning producer here. melissa ott. last night, one of the anchors at the station tweeted that yesterday her wedding dress arrived in the mail. savannah and willie, back to you. >> unthey. >> just unthinkable. stephanie, thank you so much. as stefanie mentioned, new information has come to light about the gunman and his troubling past. hallie jackson has that part of the story. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, willie. overnight at the crime scene a touching moment as visibly emotional wdbj employees packed up the live truck and drove it off. the shooter's family out with with the new statement and sending thoughts and prayers to the victims as we learn more about who vester flanagan was. today, new details about the man in this chilling image as we hear from vester flanagan's family for the first time since wednesday's shooting. a friend reading this statement. it is with heavy hearts and deep sadness we express our deepest condolences to the families of alison parker and adam ward. we are also praying for the recovery of vicki gardner. >> reporter: the picture i merging of the 41-year-old -- a man who felt under fire, filing complaints of racial discrim nation at jobs he held, including at wdbj 7. flanagan known as bryce williams on air was oldered to contact an employee -- ordered to contact an employee assistance program after confrontations with photographers. he filed a lawsuit after he was fired two years ago, the day he was dismissed station files described how flanagan had to be physically lifted from his chair by management who called 911. parts of his violent outburst recorded. the photographer adam ward who was killed wednesday morning. >> he seemed to have a short fuse. something didn't go his way. he didn't fit in because people found it difficult to work with him. >> reporter: flanagan lived here in roanoke. >> police are look for a four door toyota. >> reporter: posting his resume online, hired and fired at a station in tallahassee in 2000. >> as time went on, he kind of devovled into a difficult guy to work with, to the point he had such conflict going on with the studio crew for instance it became a physical thing. >> reporter: police say it appeared flanagan's life had been spiraling out of control. the local sheriff here who knew both of these young journalists say the police are just in the beginning stages of what will be a very long investigation. willie? >> all right, hallie jackson, thank you. chris hurst was alison park parker's boyfriend and co-worker and we have the general manager. i'm sure you opened your eyes this morning and can't come to grips with what had happened. it seems so surreal. chris and jeff, how are you doing this morning and how are you holding up? >> we're doing okay. the -- my greatest concern is about the news team. and they're doing a marvelous job of holding it together. doing the regular broadcast. choking back some emotion, but but doing what needs to be done. >> the only thing that is helping us is that this is our job. this is what we do. we cover the news and do the news and it's about us and it's about two lives lost that were a part of this family. two people who loved this job and loved their fiancee and boyfriend immensely. two of us died yes ed in this business and we feel a sense of duty to celebrate their life and this arena for us feels more comfortable than others because this is what we do every single day. >> chris, you were more than just co-workers with alison. you were in love and it sounds like you were in the magical moment of your relationship where it was starting out, and i'm sure that loss is so crushing this morning. >> you're absolutely right. and adam and melissa's love was just as white hot as mine is for alison and hers was for me. i am happy to know that yesterday when i sent her off and basically i would come home from doing the 11:00 news and would make her breakfast and pack her a lunch and give her a kiss good-bye as she drove off in her car and that was the last that i saw her and it was a great morning, and before that we celebrated her birthday on the river in north carolina. her favorite place on earth. where she went whitewater rafting with me, a close friend and her parents. it was the best time of her life. and she was just about to get started working on a new long form special report, a series of reports on hospice care in this area that she had just secured interviews for. she was looking forward to life. i was looking forward to a life with her. >> jeff, you have the solemn duty of going on the air and telling viewers what had happened to alison and adam and adam's camera caught a glimpse of the gunman up. were there people who immediately recognized him? how was it that police were so quickly able to identify who this guy was? >> our chief photographer said to me, you have to see this. everybody was gathered around it said that's vester. i wasn't sure but they were. we immediately passed that on to the franklin county sheriff. >> one of the most disturbing aspects of this is that -- as it was unfolding we had learned he actually videotaped this encounter and was posting it on social media. chris, were you aware that that was happening, god forbid did you see it? >> no no no. and -- >> and what does it say that he would do such a thing? >> i don't know. he was obviously in a state of mind that was not reasonable or rational. so for me to speculate on his motivations for why, i think it does a disservice to alison and adam. i think that what we are starting to see is continued boldness from people who want to commit murders in cold blood for notoriety. and he did it to my sweet alison and he did it to adam and i just -- i have no words for him. i have no thoughts for him. my thoughts are of alison and . . . . . . . . . but we had month of anniversaries and here she said we were the cutest, newsiest, prettiest couple ever. and we are. and that's what my intention is today. she has scholarships already in her name at james madison university for the school of media arts and design and for patrick henry community college. she barely even went there but she got college credit because she was a whiz in calculus in high school. she was an excellent dancer, a gymnast, a great daughter and a sister and a boy friend and a lover and we were betrothed to each other. we had moved in at the beginning of august because we wanted to save up money to get a house and to get a ring. >> well, chris, you have given her such a beautiful and eloquent tribute and she deserves all of those words and accolades and more, as does adam. every picture i have seen, they have bright, shining faces and i know they were rising stars and so talented. it breaks our heart to have to share this news. thank you for being here. it takes courage. >> i wouldn't have had these pictures if it wasn't for her. she made us take these pictures even when i didn't want to smile. she brought out a smile in me that i didn't know existed and i'm so >> that's what we'll have forever. >> those are the images we're going to remember. >> chris, jeff, our love and prayers are with you in this terrible time. thank you for being here. >> thank you, savannah. >> and coming up, we're going to talk to the husband of vicky gardener, the woman wounded in the shooting. we'll hear his story as well. >> you listen to chris and jeff. we should pause and salute that station for the way it conducted itself over the last 24 hours with such grace and such professionali professionalism. that's truly a familyabsolutely. he has made her come alive again to everybody. >> we'll have much more on this story throughout the show. there is some other news this morning. we're hearing directly now from vice president joe biden for the first time about his possible entry into the presidential race, and current democratic front-runner hillary clinton is weighing in as well. kristen, good morning. >> good morning. secretary clinton continues her campaign swing through the midwest, democrats are gathering here in minneapolis for the democratic national committee's summer meeting. many of the same members were on a conference call with vice president joe biden on wednesday, who indicated just how much he's wrestling with the decision of whether to run for president. as secretary clinton courts voters in ohio today, new signs that vice president biden may be struggling with whether to make his own bid for the white house. in a conference call with members of the democratic national committee on wednesday, biden said he's still grieving over his son beau's recent death. >> i've been giving this a lot of thought and dealing internally with the family. >> biden also told the dnc members his family was trying to determine whether or not there's the emotional fuel at this time to run. and -- >> if i were to announce to run, i have to be able to commit to all of you that i would be able to give it my whole heart and my whole soul, and right now, both are pretty well banged up. >> this comes after secretary clinton weighed in on the mountain speculation for the first time in iowa on thursday, seeming to get personal. >> i was at his son's funeral. i cannot even imagine the grief and the heartbreak. >> clinton said she had want spoken to biden's team, but added he deserves space to decide. >> he has to do what he has to do, but i'm going to continue with my campaign. >> still, there is a groundswell of democrats who want biden to run, sensing the e-mail scandal could make clinton vulnerable. on wednesday, she again found herself on defense for using a private server as secretary of state, and acknowledged she should have known better. >> i should have used two e-mails, one personal, one for work. and i take responsibility for that decision. >> in a new quinnipiac poll just out today shows secretary clinton is still the democratic front-runner, but it also shows biden does better when matched against top republicans in a top election. take a look at the nps. biden tops donald trump 48% to 40%. clinton tops trump 45% to 41%. biden will undoubtedly be looking at those numbers as he continues to mull a decision, expected some time next month. back to you. >> and the plot continues to thicken for the 2016 race. kristen, thank you. weather is a big story, too. tropical storm erika strengthened overnight, and florida is beginning to prepare what could be its first hurricane in a decade. >> actually, now the whole southeast may be under the gun for this. we're keeping an eye on it. his is the latest on what we see with erika after strengthening overnight. right now, aerika over god uada. it has winds of 55 miles per hour. it's moving west, still pretty quickly at 16 miles per hour. now, it still has challenges. right now, we have tropical storm warnings up in puerto rico, dominican republic looking at this. 4 to 8 inches of rain possible for puerto rico. an upper level shear that's going to tear this thing apart. as it continues its forward motion, can it hold together? then once it does, by the time we get into sunday, it's into the warmer waters. 90 degree waters. that will start to strengthen it, sunday morning, 2:00 a.m., at 60 miles per hour. as it continues its trek to the west, starting to intensify. 70 miept winds by monday, 2:00 a.m. tuesday 2:00 a.m., it's offshore. this cone of uncertainty, day four, 180 miles wide. day five, 240 miles wide. so as you can see, the entire southeastern atlantic coast has ry about erica and will continue to track that. we're going to get to your local forecast coming up in the next 30 seconds. good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. we have a clear sunrise today and clear blue skies and now temperatures in the mid 60s. expect a high of 80 degrees today the in the east bay. the tri-valley will be up to 99 degrees. hot temperatures today. in the south bay 90 degrees, 85 in the peninsula, in san francisco it will be 75, in the north bay look for a high of 92 degrees today and temperatures coming down a lot this weekend. and that's your latest weather. >> al, thank you so much. coming up more more on the journalist murdered on live television. and our conversation with the husband of the woman who survived that attack. he'll tell us how she's doing. and the former prep school student accused of raping a younger classmate. he takes the trial. did he help or hurt his case? closing arguments are the clever toddlers who know what to do when mom catches them. >> you've got this video! >> you've got this video! the feds taking a visa checkout is such an >> you've got this video! the feds taking a easy way to pay online. enter your username and password. a few clicks. and check out. simple as that. ♪ no re-entering payment and billing info. ♪ you feel like you're one-step ahead. say hello to visa checkout. visa. everywhere you want to be. it's easy to love your laxative when that lax loves your body back. only miralax hydrates, eases and softens to unblock naturally, so you have peace of mind from start to finish. love your 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gas meter. investigators are looking at surveillance video for possible clues. a preliminary hearing continues today for the undocumented immigrant accused in last month's deadly pier 14 shooting. yesterday experts postulated the bullet may have ricocheted off the concrete and struck kate steinle in the back. investigators insist the begun was point ped straight at the vic i'm. let's turn to better news with a look it at that forecast. >> it will be a great weekend, but today we have to deal with some heat, especially for the inland areas. in los gatos a high of 89 degrees, palo alto will be up to 86, the embarcadero will be at a 75, 89 if in napa, 82 in oakland, concord 96 degrees, and dublin 98 degrees. some of us up to over 100 degrees like livermore, but we won't have to deal with that heat as we head into a weekend. let's get a look at the morning commute. a tough morning for the nimitz freeway. you're jammed from 238 down past that crash past three earlier ones at the dumbarton bridge all cleared from the roadway. that kicked off had a slow drive for 880. 680 moves smoothly, the nim let's is worst south through hayward and fremont. the worst of the south bay traffic really starting to building for 101 and 280 around 17 and the east shore freeway as well as theals the walnut minut. the maze slows to the bay bridge toll plaza. we will be back with another local news update in half an hour. have a great morning. [female announcer] if the most challenging part of your day is the staying awake part, sleep train has your ticket to a better night's sleep. because when brands compete, you save during mattress price wars. save up to $400 on beautyrest and posturepedic. get interest-free financing until 2018 on tempur-pedic. plus, helpful advice from the sleep experts. don't miss mattress price wars at sleep train. ♪ sleep train ♪ your ticket to a better night's sleep ♪ 7:30 thursday morning, 27th of all, 2013. it's country star darius rucker will be here tomorrow morning. if you're in the area, come on down! he's always putting on a great show. let's get a check of what is making headlines. tropical storm erika is strengthening this morning and will approach puerto rico later today. florida's emergency operation center is being partially activat activated. investors are hoping for another good day on wall street. the dow surged 1619 points yesterday. emotional vigils were held in roanoke for alison parker and adam ward the two journalists gunned down on live television. the gunman who later took himself as a human powder keg. stephanie gosk has the latest on the investigation. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. the exact time of the shooting took place yesterday wdbj anchors sat at their desk, held hands, and had a moment of silence. what we learned here talking to people how tight night the news room is. adam ward and alison parker young 27 and 24 years old just starting out. people in this community and here, their colleagues are completely heart broken. we're learning that the third victim vicki gardener is doing well she's in the hospital. and more details about vester lee flanagan. the shooter who sent the 23-page document to abc news who said he was discriminated against because his race and because he was gay. vicki gardener was the guest injured in that shooting. her husband tim is with us now. tim, good morning. thank you for being with us. how is vicki doing today? >> i'm told she's doing better. they're prepared to do more repairs on her abdomen today. >> what do the doctors say her prognosis is? >> likely recovery but it will take time. >> has she been able to share with you what happened in those moments yesterday morning? >> i spoke with vicki for about three or four minutes while she was being transported to the emergency room at roanoke memorial. she explained what happened to her, and she didn't know how she survived but she did and that she loves me. >> what did she say she remembered in those few split seconds? >> she explained what happened and she remembers everything that happened. >> did she have any inking that something was wrong before the shooting took place. the reports say the man was standing there for perhaps a minute with a gunpointed in their direction. >> they were totally surprised. >> how did you learn about this? were you watching live? >> i was. >> and what was your reaction in those moments? >> well, surprise, obviously, and i immediately tried to call her on her cell phone. there was no response. the next time i spoke to her when she called me from the ambulance. >> how -- >> it was a pretty bad few minutes. >> how soon were you able to find out what exactly had happened? >> it was about 30 minutes after the event that i spoke with her. maybe 15 minutes, i guess. >> we're all thinking about you and your family. please, give vicki our very best. i know, the whole country is thinking about her and praying for her today. tim gardener, thank you very much, sir. >> thank you. if there's any glimmer of good news in the horrific tragedy, it looks like vicki gardener will make a full recovery, according to her husband. >> it's so haunting she remembers everything that happen talked to her. a lot of healing there. >> and that he watched it on live television. a check of the weather now from al. >> all right, guys. thank you very much. let's show you what we have going on. we're watching a lot of wet weather through florida. it has nothing to do with erika. part of a frontal system down there. we are watching some areas picking up to a half an inch to two inches of rain. they needed it. erika could help them get rid of that. we have a risk of a strong area of storms 2 inch sized storms. 50 miles per hour winds. isolated tornados. rainfall amounts from kansas city, omaha, to good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. a sunny start to the day and temperatures around the mid 60s for most of the bay area. a high of 75 degrees can be expected in san francisco, a lot of sunshine, but the inland areas will be heating up. 80 in the east bay, the tri-valley up to 99 degrees, peninsula 85 degrees and the north and south bay will be in the lower 90s. we will have some high heat today, but temperatures come town in time for tomorrow as well as the weekend. >> get the weather any time you need it go to weather dhanl on cable, weatherchannel online. coming up the one thing you can do every morning to change your life for the better. >> all right. and coming up next the suspect takes the stand in the suspect takes the stand in the high profile rape trial. we don't need that many bags. ♪ ♪ eat some more pasta. certainly. low prices. every day. on everything. for whatever you put your heart into. my psoriatic arthritis i'm caused joint pain.o golfer. just like my moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis. and i was worried about joint damage. my doctor said joint pain from ra can be a sign of existing joint damage that could only get worse. he prescribed enbrel to help relieve pain test. test. test test. test. and allergic reactions have occurred. tell your doctor if you've been someplace where fungal infections are common, or if you're prone to infections, have cuts or sores, have had hepatitis b, have been treated for heart failure, or if you have persistent fever, bruising, bleeding, or paleness. don't start enbrel if you have an infection like the flu. joint pain and damage... can go side by side. ask how enbrel can help relieve joint pain and help stop joint damage. enbrel, the number one rheumatologist-prescribed biologic. you ever think about how the cement of your driveway... ...connects to the ends of the earth? 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>> no. >> did she say anything? >> no. >> reporter: labrie said the encounter last year with a 15-year-old freshman was consensual and included kissing but no intercourse. >> it would have been a good move to -- it wouldn't have been a good move to have sex with this girl. >> reporter: he competed with friends at the elite prep school to see who could score with or slay the most girls. >> you were excited about having sex with -- correct? >> i was excited to see her. >> because you wanted to have sex with her? >> no. >> you were excited to see her because you wanted to slay her? >> i wanted to see how the night went. >> reporter: labrie said he deleted 119 facebook messages. >> it was my mom's advice. >> reporter: he said he used every trick in the book to have sex with the girl. he said it was a crude joke. >> it was a joke, but today it's a lie. >> yes, it is a lie. you know, i wanted to boast to my friends. >> reporter: as labrie read other messages he had with the girl, off camera, she left in tears. lara dun is representing her family. >> it was appalling for everyone in the courtroom to hear his attitude and behavior and the way he talked about women on campus. >> reporter: he has pleaded not guilty to all the charges. >> i think he answered all of the questions truthfully and directly and i could not be more pleased that the jury saw the real owen labrie. >> reporter: the girl later returned to the courtroom for the brief cross-examination. after closing arguments today the jury is expected to get the case. savannah and willie, if convicted he faces up to 20 years in prison for each of the felony sexual assault charges. >> all right, gabe gutierrez, thank you so much. let's turn to lisa bloom, our chief legal correspondent. it is how he came across to the jurors that overall demeanor. what did you think? >> well, he had good demeanor, he was calm and answered the questions but i think some of the answers really strained kre dullty. >> he said he was about to have consensual sex with the alleged victim and stopped. was that convincing on the stand? >> that i think is the most difficult issue for him. he paints himself as a paragon of restraint. but his e-mails to his friends show otherwise. for month he was pursuing her and he was bragging about what he did and then the next day he asked if she was on the pill. sure sounds like he is a had sexual intercourse. >> we learned in court yesterday that labrie sent the accuser a couple different messages stating that they didn't have sex. >> right. >> it doesn't sound like she disputed it or said, yes, we did. that's a problem for her. >> it sure is. this is a messy case because on both sides the girl and the boy's side, there are e-mails and messages inconsistent with their position in court now. >> labrie admitted he lied when he was bragging to his friends. was that convincing on the stand, hey, i'm a teenage kid, i didn't do it? >> well, it might be to a predominantly male jury but as a prosecutor said you lie easily, don't you? you lie when under pressure, you lie when you have a problem. that's something they could believe. >> the accuser was in court for this testimony which is -- can be unusual for something like this. but she left at one point in tears. that's something the jury is going to notice, take it into account. >> she's been very emotional throughout the case. while on the stand, during other testimony. i don't know if that will help her. i think it will come down to the e-mails and the dna evidence. >> all right. lisa, we'll be watching the next few days. coming up, we have an nbc exclusive. the federal agent who shot one of the escaped killers from the new york prison opening up to lester holt about that encounter. the story after this. buying a used car can be a scary proposition. you walk onto that lot and immediately you are surrounded, like a guppy in a shark tank. it just feels like, car salesmen want to sell whatever car is best for them, not best for me. there's gotta be a better way. ♪ as long as people drive cars carmax will be the best way to buy them. look more like a tissue box... you may be muddling through allergies. 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™ . what if getting ready was this easy? 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(doorbell) what's that? a package! it's a swiffer wetjet. it almost feels like it's moving itself. this is kind of fun. that comes from my floor? eww! this is deep couch sitting. [jerry bell iii] deep couch sitting! the escape of two convicted murderers in new york state held the nation captive. >> now we're hearing from the federal agent. "nightly news" news anchor lester holt has this exclusive. >> good morning to you. christopher voss is a member of the law enforcement team that few have heard about, it's a special operations unit part of the u.s. border patrol. i sat down with agent voss whose team was dispatched there from texas for the manhunt and hoped up about the moment that the team spotted someone hiding in the dense terrain. >> as i started to work my way back left, i could see, you know, his full face and he w was -- he was motioning something but i couldn't tell what it was yet because i wasn't in the clearing yet. i was in the terrain of the woods there. but when came in the clearing i noticed immediately there was a shotgun pointed at me. at that point i engaged the individual. >> he was facing you. you could see the shotgun pointing in your drebtion. >> when i went in the clearing the shotgun was there so i engaged. >> instinct, training takes over? >> yeah. there are effects that aroused my suspicion. facts coming up w that they aroused my us is suspicion. the first being no response to the challenge. no response of the hands up, no response, period. when i saw him viewing me my movement and i'm telling him to put his hands up absolutely expressionless. the ultimate factor when i came in the clearing and i saw the shotgun and the training kicked in and i responded wi. >> you were in his line of fire. >> correct. >> even though one person was down, the threat was not over. not only two escaped prisoners but voss had no idea who the man in front of him was or if it was one of the escaped prisoners. tonight on nbc nightly news you'll hear how they identified him as 49-year-old richard matt and agent voss took part in the recovery of jessica lynch. >> it's amazing how they keep their composure. then you have the presence of mind to do your job. >> there was so many law enforcement there. they had to be careful of a blue on blue type of engagement. they had a password challenge. are you one of us? are you not? in this case the person didn't respond. >> we look forward to the interview. coming up couples reveal the true keys to a long, happy marriage. it's here kohl's lowest prices of the season! save big throughout the store! for the boys their favorite tees only $7.99 and colorful junior's camis just $4.99 find the lowest prices of the season on jumping beans tops and bottoms $5.99 and on the big one bath towel just $2.99! plus, graphic tees for him $7.99 and esssentials for her $4.99 you'll get kohl's cash too! don't miss kohl's lowest prices of the season! it only happens twice a year! this wednesday through sunday find your yes kohl's to make peanut butter so deliciously creamy. ♪ it always makes the home team cheer. that's why choosy moms and dads choose jif. gives you nexium leveles protection home team cheer. for frequent heartburn all day and all night. try nexium 24hr, the #1 prescribed acid-blocking brand, and get all day, all night protection. nexium level protection. attacking odors cat lovers hate. you. and with glade freshness, that smells just great. every home, every cat. there's a tidy cats for that. time in the service... community college... it matters. it's why we, at university of phoenix, count your relevant work and college experience as credits toward your degree. learn more at phoenix.edu. heart health's important... ...so you may... take an omega-3 supplement... ...but it's the ingredients inside that really matter for heart health. new bayer pro ultra omega-3 has two times the concentration of epa and dha as the leading omega-3 supplement. new bayer pro ultra omega-3. many wbut hope...ms come with high hopes, doesn't work on wrinkles. neutrogena® rapid wrinkle repair has the fastest retinol formula... to work on fine lines and even deep wrinkles in just one week. neutrogena®. a very good thursday morning to you. 7:56. i'm laura garcia-cannon. happening today, a unique tribute from indy car drivers ahead of had this weekend's race in sonoma. they will honor justin wilson who died monday after being struck in the head by debris from a crash. indy drivers today plan to drive across the golden gate bridge. marco andretti will take the wheel of wilson's indy car. he drove for andretti auto sports. turning into a bit of a come back on wall street. taking a live look at the big board this morning. dow jones industrial index up 265 points so far. this after losing close to 2000 points over six sessions ending on tuesday. firefighters quickly put out a small grass fire in the oakland hills, it burned less than an acre. with hot weather and dry brush firefighters took no chances. but the heat, the temperatures are going to take off again, aren't they, kari in. >> it is going to be a hot day again, laura, even hotter than yesterday. a beautiful clear sunrise as we get a look at belvedere, the temperatures already in the low 70s in the east bay, 61 degrees in san francisco, highs reaching over 100 degrees in gilroy, half-moon bay 75, san francisco will be in the mid 70s, u7er 80s and lower 90s for the north bay, the tri-valley up to 101 degrees. let's get a look at that commute with mike. 101 i am as well, highway 101. the bay shore freeway jammed through sblng. 680, 280 above. the entire northbound route through san jose creeping down as far as those speeds go. 87 a a little better than yesterday, that doesn't mean it's great. earlier debris around the art and crash 85 at 237 closed more slowing. build on both sides of the bay especially coming across west wound san mateo and dumbarton bridges and slowing especially at the van had a bridge. >> i will be back in another local news update if this half an hour. hey there fellow californians i know you're staying golden by managing your energy use... which means managing water too, sfx: rawr especially during a drought. learn to save water, energy and money at energyupgradeca.org it's 8:00 on today. can an energy drink make you a millionaire? >> did you get rich? >> no, made my broke. >> why the feds are saying it's all too good to be true. ♪ plus, what are the keys to happy marriage? >> we do everything, everything. >> i love to hold his hand. >> couples share their secrets to wedded bliss. ♪ and taylor swift gets by with a little help from her friends. today, thursday, august 27, 2015. ♪ ♪ wake me up before you go go >> good morning, des moines, iowa! >> first time in new york and we're so excited to be at the "today" show. ♪ >> good morning to all our friends and family back in greenville, illinois. >> we're here for our birthday. >> good morning. >> we're sending you love from the territories. [ cheers and applause ] >> good morning, everyone. welcome back to "today." it's 8:00, it's the 27th of august, 2015. a beautiful day on the plaza. got a beautiful day. and al has picked the perfect morning show song. >> there you go. george michael and wham. 30 years ago this summer. >> my throwback thursday was george michael. it was a double whammy, get it? >> how long have you been planning that one? >> actually that popped into my head. >> she's very good. don't forget darius rucker will be here for a live concert tomorrow on "today." we're told we might even get a little hootie, throw back hootie there. just might be hootie. we have good news about a performer taking over the plaza. doesn't get better than justin bieber. he will be here on this plaza live two weeks from today, september 10th. bring your sleeping bags and start camping out. just kidding, don't do that. >> it's a big day when the biebs is here. let's get inside to tamron. she has a look at the morning's top stories. >> good morning. one day after two colleagues were murdered during a live broadcast a virginia news team was back on the air this morning. nbc's stephanie gosk is in roanoke with the latest on the shooting and the gunman who used his media know how to magnify the horror. good morning. >> reporter: tamron, good morning. there's still a lot of disbelief along with the sadness here in roanoke. like you said, wdbj was back on the air this morning live and they marked that moment 24 hours after the shooting by holding hands at the anchor desk and having a moment of silence for adam ward and alison parker. young and enthusiastic, passionate about their jobs. we're hearing that the third victim, vicki gardner, is doing well according to her husband, but remains in the hospital. and more details about the shooter himself. vester lee flanagan. he was let go or fired from a number of different news affiliates, often for anger issues that were cited. he said after the shooting -- he sent after the shooting a 23-page document, where he said he was discriminated against because of his race and sexuality and that the trigger for at least -- at least in part, the trigger for the shooting yesterday was the shooting at the church in charleston. he had praise for other mass shootings including columbine and the virginia tech massacre. but right now, on the ground here in roanoke, people still just trying to wrap their heads around this. >> all right, earlier, we spoke with her boyfriend and the station manager who was asked for their thoughts on the gunman. >> i think what we're starting to see is continued boldness from people who want to commit murders in cold blood for notoriety. and he did it to my sweet alison. >> chris shared a photo album that she had put together at their six month anniversary. they had been saving up for an engagement ring. a louisiana police officer was shot and killed wednesday after he arrived at the scene of a domestic dispute where three women were stabbed one fatally. the suspect then drove to a nearby minimart and plowed right through the front of the store. the building burst into flames. the man barricaded himself into the office. a s.w.a.t. team moved in with tear gas and arrested 35-year-old harrison riley, jr. authorities say the suspect may have been on drugs. some dramatic surveillance video shows the moment a sinkhole opens up at a bus stop in china. take a look at it as the pavement suddenly gives way. swallowing up five people. at least four of them were injured. one woman clung to pipes to keep from falling any deeper. authorities are investigating the cause of that scary accident. and now a follow-up on a remarkable little boy whose story was shared by so many of our viewers on social media. last month, 8-year-old zion harvey became the first child to have a double hand transplant. he lost both hands and legs to an infection when he was just 2 years old, but he kept his upbeat attitude. on wednesday he will head home from the philadelphia children's hospital. ♪ that lovely sound of that voice, he writes to write a thank you letter to the donors, family, for letting him experience the ordinary joys of childhood like playing with action figures. he was asked, you know, what did he want to do with his hands? i want to hug my little sister when she goes off to school. he is the cutest. you know, the hospital staff fell in love with him. >> think eel miss him. >> along with the rest of us. >> thank you so much. now the federal government is stepping in after one of the investigations. >> an energy drink company, and today jeff rossen has the update. good morning. >> hey, good morning to you. we first exposed the company last summer with the hidden camera investigation. now, with colleges starting up across the country, the feds are taking action. think back to being a student for some of us it's a long time ago. someone walks up to you and says, you can fly in private jets, drive nice cars, just sell an energy drink and get your friends too. this morning it's leaving college students broke. the recruitment videos are flashy. it's the opportunity of a lifetime called vemma. sell the energy drink verve and you could be a millionaire. just ask the ceo. >> $500 a month, $5,000 a month or even $50,000 a month or more. >> reporter: the online videos features private jets and fancy cars. college students are buying in. and signing up. >> they promise you that you have a bmw or a mercedes. they just promised you the world back. >> reporter: peyton said he lost money and more. did you get the nice car? >> no. >> did you get rich? >> nope. did the opposite, i became broke. >> reporter: vemma operates around the world an now they are being sued, saying they're a deceptive act. a federal court shut it down for now. >> we were troubled by the company's recruiting high school and college age students and encouraging them to drop out of college and to enlist in vemma. >> reporter: to check out how they recruit, we went undercover. wearing hidden cameras our young producer met with a top salesman with the company. >> what are the opportunities available for me? >> the goal is simple. that's about $4,000 a month. >> a month? >> residual permanent -- >> reporter: less than 1% of the salespeople made that. then jd explained how aspects of the business work. >> let's say you signed up three friends. then you'd help the three friends sign up three friends. nine people there, right? and the nine people sign up their three friends and then -- kind of get their money back. >> reporter: and what about those bmws or mercedess in the videos? >> they want to give you a car pretty quickly. the cars come into play three to six months in. >> wow. >> hi, there. jeff rossen from nbc news. i met up with jd outside. the way you're describing it, you weren't telling her to sell a drink, but sign up some friends and make money. then those friends make money if they sign up friends. that sounds a little like it, right? >> yeah, but it's not an illegal pyramid scheme. >> is it shaped like a pyramid? >> yes. >> but you're saying it's not illegal? >> it's not an illegal pyramid scheme. >> when we shared the pitch with jd corporate the company suspended him telling nbc news that jd's statements were inaccurate and not representative of the company. at the time, they said that it's an affiliate marketing company that sells high quality products and has a number of models that distinguish from the pyramid schemes. that esaid -- they later said they resolved all the outstanding issues with the customers. as for peyton, they said the accusations weren't true, but are sorry. >> stop enticing the college kids. >> and by the way, we reached out to vemma for comment several times by e-mail and phone never heard back. in fact when we called the headquarters, there's a voice mail saying all of our activities are suspended. >> oh. >> it is shaped like a pyramid. >> shaped like a pyramid. but not an illegal pyramid. >> walks like a duck -- >> right. up next, what did you used to do when you thought your parents were not watching you? the adorable video that's setting the internet ablaze today. plus would you want to know how people feel about you? the pop star will find out. and is your marriage really working? two couples share their secrets. but at my table, i keep the food real. like country crock's new recipe made with real simple ingredients. like delicious oils, purified water, and a pinch of salt. and no artificial flavors or preservatives. just real country fresh taste from real ingredients. imagine that. welcome to crock country. ♪ the new fall collection. white house black market car, i want to be comfortable. when i'mi don't wantr a used an aggressive salesperson breathing down my neck, pressuring me into a decision. when i go to the supermarket there's no one pushing me to buy the more expensive cereal. i just want to shop like i do everywhere else. ♪ as long as people drive cars carmax will be the best way to buy them. imagine - these kids won't have to remember passwords or obsess about security. for them, every screen is meant to be touched. and web pages are meant to be scribbled on, and shared. they'll expect their devices to listen to them. and talk. and sing. and tell a funny joke. and as they grow, and get better at things, their technology will too. they'll do things their parents never even dreamed of. because these kids will grow up with windows 10. the future starts now, for all of us. get started today. windows 10. a more human way to do. 8:14. time for what's trending. what if i told you there's one small thing that you could do every day and it would change your life? >> tell us. >> that would make you more productive and more happier. would you do it? >> yes. >> what if that thing were making your bed? >> i do that every morning, yes. >> do you have another one? >> come on. >> exactly, people, there's a new book coming out and the author says if you make your bed every morning you'll get those real benefits. so it's not just oh it's -- it really changes your life. that said i don't want to make my bed. >> as kids -- >> that excuse works now. i never made my bed. >> when you come home and the bed is made, you feel -- >> you make your bed? >> no, because brian is still in it. >> if he wasn't would you? >> i'm not a neat person. >> i'm not a bed maker. >> all right. maker. >> oh, honey, did i wake you? >> ask your spouse or significant other to make the bed after they get out. >> i don't ask. she does. she's a neat person. >> it may bes her feel good. >> we asked on today.com. do you make your bed in the morning? i want to know. >> look at that. all right how about this one. a new jersey homeowner angering his neighbors with an unusual house. it looks like any other during the day. good looking house. but at night it's a whole different story. the home glows in bright blue lights. shining and flashing until 1:30 in the morning. so neighbors are complaining that the spekctacle makes it had to sleep. one guy said he can't sell his house because of this. the homeowner said he should be thanked for creating the display. >> is this donald trump? >> if this were december we would go oh! >> the most popular guy in the neighborhood. what is a new parent's best friend? has to be the baby monitor with a camera. a mom from seattle learned that recently. her twin daughters were supposed to be sleeping. check out their reaction when mom catches them still playing. >> hi, babies! [ laughter ] hey, babies! [ laughter ] >> they do it in yunsunison. >> and oh! >> all right. now making all of our dreams come true and miley cyrus goes undercover to find out what people think of her. >> first up, jennifer lawrence and amy schumer, we love pointing out they're friends and vacation together. they're working together! writing a screen play and pl plan -- planning to co-star in the movie. jennifer said she and amy are creatively made for each other. that's exciting. we'll see what the movie could possibly be about. speaking of dynamics taylor swift and lisa kudrow on friends lisa played pheebee on "friends." taylor invited lisa up on stage and they sang "smelly cat." if that isn't cool enough. check it out. taylor bringing up justin tim r timberla timberlake. it was justin's first performance since becoming a dad. >> can you imagine being at the concert? that's so awesome. let's talk about ed sheeran. remember the lion tattoo? we breathed a sigh of relief when ed said it was a joke. guess what. it isn't a joke. and now says the prank was a prank. he said is getting that tattoo and only covered it up for a tv show. so it is real. >> it is real. >> yeah. >> he got a lion tattoo. >> he had to wear something over it for a tv show. apparently he's doing something on the back that ties in with the tiger. >> i was like thank goodness! get that hideous lion -- >> now you're telling me -- >> yikes. >> i'm out. >> and finally, miley cyrus is hosting mtv's video music awards this weekend. before that she wanted to find out what people really think of her. on jimmy kimmel live she went undercover to find out. >> do you like her? what is your opinion? >> no. she's not one of my favorites. i think she's stavring for attention. >> i think she loves her -- >> what wouldy say if miley cyrus was your daughter? if your kids were acting like miley cyrus would you have thoughts? no problem. i just like taylor swift better. >> she didn't reveal herself in the end. >> it kind of looks just like her. her voice is unmistakable. >> like a british version. >> yeah. >> dolly parton. >> a dangerous game. >> yeah. >> one of the things i would never do. i wouldn't want to know. dylan, thank you so much. al a check on the weather. the latest on erika. you can see bands of heavy rain coming across san juan, puerto rico, it's going to get worse as the system gets closer. right now it's over guadeloupe. it has winds of 50 miles per hour. it's moving west at 16 miles per hour. right now we've got tropical storm warnings out for puerto rico and the british virgin islands. 4 to 8 inches on in to puerto rico. it wil get an upper level shear and may break up. then we get into the warm over the bahamas and it will start to strengthen and we'll continue to track the path as it gets closer to florida by monday good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. it's warming up out there. we had a warm day yesterday. it will be even warmer this afternoon. 80 degrees in the east bay. the tri-valley will be the hot spot, near 100 degrees today. san francisco, expect a high of 75. north bay, 92. also in the south bay, 90 degrees. the peninsula reaching 85 degrees. after this hot day, we will feel temperatures that will be much cooler and just in time for the weekend. that's your latest weather. >> al, thank you. all this week on the summer of secrets we've been putting marriage in the spotlight. >> that's right. according to research the institution experienced a bit of a decline. half of -- what are the keys to a successful relationship? this morning happy couples are sharing their secrets. ♪ >> we were married september 5th, 2005. >> it was a beautiful day. >> we got married in roxbury, new york in a barn on act 15, 2015. >> we got married in chicago august 26, 2000. >> we were married in november 18, 1949. even though we were very young, we knew it was right. ♪ >> about two years into our marriage, we decided to start a blog called black and married with kids. the number one question we get is how in the world do you work together? >> we do everything as a team. we're a team at work but also at home. you know, with raising the kids. so team work has been instrumental in our marriage. >> we think that stronger families lead to stronger communities and stronger communities lead to a stronger country. >> the supreme court decision meant that i could go home to my family and say this is my husband. it was just a recognition of something that we consider sacred. >> having it be recognized to everyone throughout the country it just makes you feel on the inside that you're equal and that you're important. >> i don't think there's any difference between gay marriage and straight marriage. it's just two people who love each other and are going through life together. marriage is marriage and love is love. >> george and i have three amazing kids. the truth is, though, having children changes everything. >> we decided to start taking vacations without the kids because we knew almost immediately that it was important for us to stay connected. >> the minimum we go away is three weekends a year. the place doesn't matter. it's about being together. it's about being exclusively together. >> we moved 27 times in our marriage. >> we started out in oklahoma. >> we lived in england. >> we lived in houston. if anything it made it much stronger. i love to hold his hand. >> we always reach out to one another. >> it's very much a sign of or a sign. we stayed in love and so it was just worked for us. >> luckily we're celebrating 15 years of marriage this month. we're going to be -- we're celebrating 19 years together. i think it's working. i think that's one of our secrets. >> this september it will be 10 years. >> the greatest thing we can do is leave an example and legacy for our children. they can say i grew up in a home and i know what love looks like. >> it will be two years in october. >> i think the secret to our marriage is to be honest and laugh whenever we can and spend time with each other. >> it's a journey and you get to fall in love all over again every day. >> we've been married 67 years. >> we've gotten richer because of our experiences and because of our children and grandchildren and our great grandchildren. the secret to my happy marriage is my husband. we're very sincere in our love. i only wish it for everyone to have this kind of love. >> oh! >> how sweet is that couple? oh, my gosh! >> oh! >> lessons for all of us in that marriage. >> yeah. >> any secrets for you and mike? >> make the bed every day. [ laughter ] >> how about you and christina? you have one of my favorite marriages. >> christina has a rule, no keeping score. i did this now do you that. trust each other and respect each other and you don't have to keep score. >> you and debra? >> try not to go bed angry. >> dylan, let's head to you. >> thanks. actress and cookbook author ali laterer shares ai'...=too==i a very good morning to you at 8:26 now. the search is on for a hit-and-run driver who triggered a massive south bay strip mall fire yesterday. the fire wiped out five santa clara businesses. authorities say a car driven by a woman struck a gas meter. investigators are now looking at surveillance video for possible clues. a preliminary hearing continues today for the undocumented immigrant accused in last month's deadly pier 14 shooting. yesterday, experts postulated the bullet may have ricocheted off the concrete and struck kate in the back. investigators insist the gun was pointed straight at the victim. let's see how traffic is rolling with mike. >> from time to time, this comes to almost a complete stop. no incidents, just the ebb and flow. because of that volume through san mateo toward palo alto, slow across as folks come over the dumbarton bridge. that's probably adding to the flow. 880 this a tough morning in both directions. down the east shore freeway, a good volume of traffic still heading towards that bay bridge. and northbound routes through san jose looking still very slow here, especially at the 101, 680 interchange. >> gets busy out there. thanks so much. we have another local news update coming up in about half an hour. have great morning. [ cheers and applause ] 8:30 now on a thursday morning, 27th of august, 2015. turn up the radio and get ready for southern style rock. darius rucker taking over for a live concert. looking forward to it. >> we're sitting down -- >> there we go. >> okay. >> something else. the new book the girl with the dragon tattoo series has become a worldwide phenomena. why it touched off a controversy. actress and foodie ali larter is here with a 25 minute meal for your family that is perfect with the start of tailgating season almost here. we've been watching her cook throughout the morning. i just want to dive in. it's like the best -- >> i tried the sauce and -- >> we have an exciting announcement about our friend wrangler there. at the start of the week we challenged you to help us reach 3 million followers on twitter. wrangler is going on a road trip this fall visiting three cities. if you have an idea tweet the hashtag wrangler on the road to let us know. >> we get to go on the road trip with wrangler? i'll go. >> she's earned it. >> she's earned the trip. >> we can be together. i'm excited! let's look ahead at the weekend planner starting with tomorrow. we're going to stay wet in florida and the southeastern atlantic coast. more rain in the pacific northeas northeast. gorgeous in the temperatures. smokey conditions in the interior sections of the pacific northwest. sunday look for more rain along the coast. we're watching to see what erika will do. we have showers in good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. we're already hitting the low 70s in livermore right now. sunnyvale at 68. it will be a hot day, especially for the inland areas. gilroy topping out at 101. san mateo, 82. in napa, 89 degrees. the concord area reaches 96 degrees. in the tri-valley, expect a high of 101 degrees in livermore. but the heat will be coming down in time for the weekend. don't forget get the weather any time go to weather channel on cable. weather.com online. to the special series fuel for school getting your family ready for the new school year. if you want your kids to succeed in the classroom you have to give them a great base. stefanie is here with great creative ideas. good morning. >> i told you this is my wheel house. i've got a can kirnt gardener and third grader. >> we have tips to keep everybody when it comes to study spaces. you want to set it up rem necessary end of their classroom. think bright, bold colors. set things up in zones. we have a reading zone, a crafting zone, and art gallery for them. with the reading zone, books are way more entizing to kids when they can see the covers. set them on a ledge like this with a comfy chair nearby. story time can happen naturally. >> like a bookstore. >> yeah. with crafting you want to make the furniture fit their size. peeling off stickers that will help them as they learn to grow. >> it looks very familiar in our house. let's move on to a big category. going to second grade through high school. >> yes. in second grade homework ramps up. instead of stimulate them, you want to help them focus. keep it very neutral, calm, and stream lined. keep the space relatively clear and lifted everything on a peg board. one of my favorite tips to avoid the distractions of picking out a pen. you never consider them a distractions. but if you give them the same color of pens that won't happen. >> the colors are gone. >> you want to keep it neutral. the focus is on the home rwork. the task light will provide a spotlight. >> you have to get them to sit still for a few minutes. >> let's move on to college. >> when it comes to college-aged kids, really there a few rules you can break from the young ee ones. music may stimulate the brain. set up a wireless speaker, and then we like to say keep it old school. write your to do list on a pad of paper rather than the phone. the phone will provide the distractions of your twitter and instagram and things like that. offer up things that make you happy and excited. so a family photograph or, you know, poster of something you really enjoy. my favorite simple tip is use a timer like this. an analog timer. say you want to write an outline in 20 minutes. set that timer and every time you look up, it'll show you how much time is left. >> i have to say this might be wishful thinking. i've never seen a college desk look like this. >> start out like this and we'll see how long it lasts. >> you are missing the tapestry and black lights. for more ways to organize your child's study space head to today.com/parents. coming up next a controversy surrounding the release of the new book of the wildly popular dragon tattoo series. first, this is "today" on nbc. we're back at 8:38 where the new book in the dragon tattoo series. >> the book sold more than 80 million copies. >> book number four is called the girl in the spider's web. it came out in europe today. greeted by long lines, great reviews, and controversy. keir simmons has the story. >> reporter: good morning. millions of folks will recognize these books. here is the question, what would you think if the new book was not written by the same author? would you still read it? that question generated us is sense and drama and a family feud over the publication. >> sweden's computer hacking he heroin. >> i'm the guy you know better than my closest friends. >> they take on a new enemy righting wrongs, exposing the evil. this time her following is america's own national security agency. and perhaps the biggest twist of all, the girl in the spider's web was not written by stieg larsson but instead by david -- hand picked. >> when i was thinking about the book we had the snowden scandal. so i thought we needed her. >> she is hacking? >> and she does it in a brilliant way then they will come after her. >> you can bet they will. >> yeah. exactly. >> the plot is is released in controversy. stieg larsson died ten years ago, months before his books were published. he never knew his own success. ava was larsson's partner for more than 20 years. he left no will and hissest sta -- estate generated a family feud. stieg's brother and father run the estate. >> is the story the kind of story you think your brother and your son would have wanted to write? >> if he's okay with it and i'm okay with it. what is the problem? >> gabrielson opposes any books without stieg. >> how do you feel about the long-term partner the way she said she doesn't want the book to be published? >> we have invited to speak about this but she didn't want to speak with us. >> security around the book has been called the ring of steel. so closely guarded. he couldn't use the internet. the irony is not lost on the authority. >> i was living in the same words i was writing about, you know. i wrote about the words, i mean, watching us and hacking us. then i was, you know, writing my book on unconnected computer and we were using code words and we didn't e-mail anything. >> i asked david to give me a tour of the stockholm neighborhood hoping for a few more clues. >> what happens here? >> i can't tell you too much. i think maybe there's a bad guy here somewhere. >> yeah. >> the traffic light means more than you could imagine. it's something with the traffic light, actually. >> tell me more. >> no! i will not. >> even fewer answers just down the street and a word of warning, it's amazing, really, that so many bad things happened here in a place that seems so peaceful. >> yeah. yeah. but that's quite normal in science fiction. you find the peaceful places and you imagine the horror coming, you know, from the shadow or the underground. i feel pretty relaxed here pretty and calm and i shouldn't be looking over my shoulder? >> maybe. people are watching. >> he told me what he was terrified of is taking on the assignment. he has such big shoes to fill. this morning the reviews look good. we asked stieg larsson's girlfriend for a comment about the book. she said if you really set out to debase the soul of an author, this is what you do. if you really care about books, write them yourself or find writers who do. that is stunning. it makes you want to buy the book to figure out whose side you're on. >> an open wound, obviously. >> the controversy will not hurt book sales, either. it gets people interested. >> that's right. some of the money is going to a foundation for stieg larsson. >> fascinating. keir, good to have you here. up next a speedy and spicy recipe to satisfy your family from actress and foodie ali larter. first, this is "today" on nbc a new sea chance to tryew look. something different. this summer, challenge your preconceptions and experience a cadillac for yourself. ♪ the 2015 cadillac srx. lease this from around $339 per month, or purchase with 0% apr financing. ♪ back now at 8:46 "today's" food and a new tasty recipe ready in 25 minutes or less. >> sounds good. ali larter had a successful run in hollywood including a starring role in nbc's hit show "heroes." she runs her own food and lifestyle website alilarter.com. >> good to see you guys. >> do you have a cooking philosophy? for me, messy is better. always! it's about having fun when you are cooking and i think you can taste it when you do. >> you have the right partners. >> okay. good. >> you just a baby. >> i did. >> yes! vivian. >> and you have a little one? >> exactly. i see a play date coming up. >> bring it on. >> isn't there a thing on the internet how your husband bears a kind of certain referableance? >> you do. there's a true story. >> there's your husband and there's the two of us. i didn't realize it someone said you look like hayes macarthur. so i looked it up. it's a good thing. >> you married him. i hope it's a good thing. >> this is one of my favorite recipes. it's my sister's greatest hit, too. she's in indiana and she's a third grade teacher. it's buffalo chicken sliders with gorgonzola slaw. >> love the sound of that! >> we have the slaw ingredients apple cider vinegar and then you have the chicken, cheese, and i'll show you how to make it together. >> you'll take half of the cabbage and quarter it. you want it to be thin because, you know, one of my tips i do. if you have time to do the vegetables, great. if not, you can buy precut. chopped slaw. >> you're slicing the celery. >> yeah. on the diagonal. what i like to do is get this. it makes them a little bit longer and a similar shape to the cabbage. >> okay. >> so i do this. >> it takes tailgating to another level. right? >> absolutely. >> fancy tailgating. >> we're coming into that season, too. >> if you don't love the vegetables, can you switch them out for different ones? >> totally. carrots, fennel. whatever is easy. we have the cabbage and the celery. we'll put in the red onion just chopped. >> all right. >> okay. >> you want to toss that for me? >> i'd love to. i love that. >> we have one cup mayo. good mayo. no light stuff. three tablespoons of apple cider vinegar. one tablespoon of whole grain mustard. >> can you do on it ahead of time if you wanted to? >> for sure. the rotisserie chicken, i do it the night before and keep it in my fridge. this is celery salt. it's one might have favorite ingredients in this and really takes it to the next level. >> toss it up. >> well done. >> what you do with this, i love that. if it's a pill too pungent, white cheddar. >> yeah. >> here we go. that's well mixed together. >> that's right in the vegetables. >> yeah. here we go. do that for me. >> i'll take over. >> yeah. >> it looks awesome. >> we have one stick melted butter. we'll add in 2/3 cup of a mild hot sauce. it's touch a big flavor, you don't want it to be too hot. you don't want it to be too hot. >> i wonder if you like spicy food if you can amp it up. >> sure. then you mix in the worcestershire. >> that's how you say it. >> i was impressed. >> i'm putting in the corn starch. this is to chicken it up to is coats all of the chicken. whisk it in. a few minutes to warm it up. >> enough to warm it up. here it is here all warmed and ready to go. your picked chicken. throw it in. >> you sledded rotisserie chicken? >> always. i keep one in my fridge. everyone is so busy! if you have the time, you can definitely bake some skin on with the bone and get good flavor. but the real flavor is in the sauce and slaw. that gets mixed and coated. >> all right. >> so the slaw your way? >> please. >> i hope you like it hot. >> oh! please. >> i hope you like it hot. >> oh! >> it's magic. it's magic on television. i was ready to assemble the slider. >> here we go. >> it's in the oven for the bred. >> -- bread. >> i should have known. it smells so good. >> i have warm buns for you. >> that could be taken out of context. [ laughter ] >> 8:00 a.m.! >> so what we're doing is i like to get it mixed, get it heaped together. it smells amazing. >> oh, my gosh. >> put it in there. one more scoop and you can put some on top. >> a good way to speak in vegetables for kids. >> i'm not scared of fingers. so keep it together like that. >> it looks beautiful. >> oh, my gosh! >> you changed tailgating forever. >> exactly. >> the cameras off so we can take a bite! ali larter thank you so much! if you want the recipe and more go to today.com/food. >> now it's time. it's happen [female announcer] during mattress price wars at sleep train, save up to $400 on beautyrest and posturepedic. get interest-free financing until 2018 on tempur-pedic. plus, helpful advice from the sleep experts. don't miss mattress price wars at sleep train. how did it become absent-mindedly to snacking? eating one after the next? we are a creamy cheese that still believes in savoring our food. the laughing cow. reinvent snacking. worcestershireworcestershire. all right we have mr. willard scott. >> we're happy to announce the wonderful new product out called orchard's finest. i hope you tried it. it's unbelievable. irene nell, happy birthday. she lives in frankfurt, kentucky. she loves to knit. not only they're pretty but practical. geneva palmore in greenville, south carolina. she loves to garden and do all sorts of things outdoors. she does it with spirit. she's 109 years old! philip knight in the great state of texas is 100 years old today. she was he was a coal miner for years. clarence b. johnson from california 100 years old today. he loves to feed humming birds. did you figure out how fast their wings go? new yo >> thank you, mr. willard scott, very much. >> ali, this is incredible. >> i'm like dancing. >> my mouth is watering. you're making that for me, right? >> you're up next. >> go to today.com to get the recipe. trust me. dylan is joining us for the 9:00 hour. >> yeah. >> we have -- they got desperate. >> no. >> al roker is on the road and you can eat. we have owen wilson, jordin sparks and i gaet a chance to play tennis with my boyfriend. >> one of the greatest of all times. >> maybe the greatest of all time. >> one of my favorite tennis players. >> serena -- no, the guy. >> ali, thank you very much. it's really good. >> it's got a little kick to it. i . =opv= aolu good thursday morning. it's 8:56. i'm sam brock. a solution to the drought that might be sitting around in your own backyard. that's one bay area company's pitch. they say forget the idea of filling in your swimming pool because it wastes water. so how about using it to harvest rainwater? today roxy designs in the east bay will roll out its first demonstration of a rain harvesting technology using tanks and otherwise empty swimming pools. the company says it can provide at least three months' worth of irrigation water. in berkeley, city councilmembers are considering a ban on cigarette sales to people under the age of 21. they would join unincorporated santa clara county as another area that recently upped the age. we'll continue to follow that. another update in just 25 minutes. see you then. this morning on take's take. one on one with owen wilson. the actor reveals new details about his family and father. tamron takes on the biggest stars of tennis. was it all love on the court? jord jordin spark at the concert stage with new music. that all and more coming up now. >> announcer: from nbc news this is today's take with al roker, natalie morales, willie geist and tom horamron hall. live from studio 1-a in rockefeller plaza. good crowd outside august, 27, 2015. i'm willie along with tamron and dylan. al had to leave a little bit early. one of the things we're talking about is alison parker and camera man adam ward was shot yesterday during a live news conference. adam was engaged to their producer. her wedding dress arrived just yesterday. earlier savannah interviewed jeff marks and alison park's boyfriend chris hurst. >> you were more than coworkers. you were in love. everything i've heard sound like you were in the magical moment of your relationship where it was just starting out. i'm sure that loss is crushing this morning. >> you're absolutely right. adam and melissa's love was just as white hot as mine is for allison and hers was for me. i am happy to know that yesterday when i sent her off and basically i would come home from doing the 11:00 news and would make her breakfast and pack her a lunch and give her a kiss goodbye as she drove off in her car, and that was the last i saw her and it was a great morning, and before that we celebrated her birthday on the river in north carolina. her favorite place on earth where she went white water rafting with me, a close friend, and her parents. it was the best time of her life. >> you and an i were talking how impressive this group has been throughout this over the last 24 hours, particularly when you learn to the loss from chris hurst how he's been able to express his love for the woman he loves. >> he was holding on to the photo album. i just thought after savannah's interview and we were talking how you can stand -- how you can speak at that point. as chris said, this day is about alison. he wanted to focus on her and not the gunman. he wanted people to know who she was and is. i notice he spoke in the present. he said who she is now and that's why he's had the ability to do these interviews and -- really represent their love and who she was. >> and i think that's what resonating with so many people watching the story because you look at all of those pictures and she just seems like a ray of light. even as she was doing the interview, she was excited about you know what she was talking about. she just has such an energy that comes right through the camera, and i think that's why everyone is understanding how when he said let's just celebrate her life. >> both of their lives. >> yeah. they were so happy. >> absolutely. i was a reporter for 25 years and i used to work the overnight shift. you go in the at 3:00 a.m. and you report on the fair. you become close to the photographer because it's the two of you and back then a scanner in the car. and you bond because you see it all overnight. you see the light from both of them and the partnership between them. >> we talk about family in a professional sense. but literally in this case. melissa losing her fiancée. and chris lost the woman he was probably going to spend the rest of his life with. alison's father spoke to fox news and megyn kelly. >> she was extremely happy and she loved this guy with all her heart, and that's the toughest thing for me. you know, everybody she touched loved her and she loved everybody back. i'm going to do something whatever it takes to get gun legislation to shame people to shame legislators into doing something about closing loop hopes and background checks and making sure crazy people don't get there was a third victim in this, the guest in that segment. earli earlier, i spoke to tim gardner, the husband of chamber of commerce official vicki gardner. tim said that vicki is recovering in the hospital and doctors told him they expect her to make a full recovery. it's going to take some time, but eventually they believe she'll be okay. wdbj also, this morning, held a moment of silence. you can see what a moving tribute there as they hold hands in memory of their colleagues. >> that was a moment i watched a little bit of their broadcast. to see them there holding hands just trying to put up a united front. that's what it's going to take. including as you pointed out, willie and dylan, the community there. we have been in small local news markets and everyone knows you. there's no place you go. you go to the local little, you know, old country buffet and everybody sees you there and says hi. there's a community spirit and they're going to need that. >> yeah. >> this is not a pain that will go away any time soon. >> yeah. we're thinking about our brothers and sisters in roanoke today. >> absolutely. and obviously, a hard transition but in an effort to put a mile on people's face this morning, we have animals and animals tend to do that. imagine getting on a scale and weighing tons or ounces. there are a lot of different measurements in the animal world. here at the zoo -- >> what is that? it looked like tom selleck! >> even the animals need to get weighed at the london zoo. some are heavier than others. it's a whole process trying to get the camel. you have a dog. do you just hold your dog if you weigh her? >> you don't weigh her? she's like 3 pounds. >> she weighs this much. >> this is embarrassing. my dog, believe it or not, don't judge me. or puppy judge me. malo is three pounds when she goes to the vet. 3.4 pounds of pure terror and she has to be muzzled. the other day she went in to get weighed and to, you know, that technician is like we want no part of this. i have to go behind her and trick her. it's a whole -- i'll videotape it and post it one day. it's a challenge. >> the little handlebar tom selleck mustache there in that last picture. something else. i don't know. it will bring a smile to your face or make an eyebrow go up. miley cyrus is hosting the mtv video awards. in an effort to promote it, she is going purely miley. it usually means nudity. miley was a guest on jimmy kimmel. she wore an outfit straight from the willie geist collection. take a look. geist collection. >> my dad is cool because he may not [ expletive ] he would rather me have a good person than have a shirt on and be a [ expletive ] person. >> do you feel more comfortable like that? do you feel more comfortable when other people are -- >> my dad is cool because he may not [ expletive ] he would rather me have a good person than have a shirt on and be a [ expletive ] person. >> do you feel more comfortable like that? do you feel more comfortable when other people are -- >> actually, you know, not that it's sort of this way. i did the rock and roll hall of fame with joan jett. we were talking to paul mccartney and i saw him not knowing how to talk to me. and i don't know how to talk to him. it made me comfortable because it made him more uncomfortable. sometimes it's a nice ice breaker, you know. >> it's definitely an ice breaker. >> you can be like stop staring at my [ expletive ] and the con -- conversation keeps going. >> what a way to break the ice with the lead singer of the beatles. >> you do what you got to do. >> no, you don't. >> it's like -- i was trying to figure it out. liberace. >> when we were younger gem. >> the bedazzling? >> no. the character. >> oh, my. i forget what it was. gem and the holograms. you don't remember that? >> no. she looks like that. >> look it up. >> it was a tv show? >> it was a tv show when i was a kid. it was a cartoon when i was a kid. >> we're going look it up. >> never mind. >> i just wish that -- [ laughter ] >> this is why i don't do this show often. >> no! >> you taught us something. don't say that! you taught us something. >> yes! okay. >> that's two. anybody else? >> it is going to be a -- >> jordin sparks! >> they claim their songs are better. we are the misfits? never mind. but there is going to be a movie coming out. >> we've learned something. see? that's the whole reason you wake up in the morning is to learn something. >> yes. >> that is it. >> look it up. when the preview to this movie comes out, we are going to be doing an interview about it. we're going to go that's what she's talking about! >> miley cyrus and the hair! >> the hair. >> okay. >> i'm going to look up a picture. >> at least it made us forget about miley swearing. up next for you. if you're afraid of heights, we know, for example, natalie morales not afraid of heights. the rest of us chickens. and english daredevil has performed a somersault on the edge of a 23 foot high cliff. kobe seager said the scary part was standing on the edge before you start the actual flip. >> the back flip. that's not a somersault. >> you sound like natalie now. >> you're not impressed? >> no. i'm more impressed. he did a backflip. >> dylan? >> a somersault is when you roll forward. >> you roll forward tuck the head and roll forward. i was worried he was going roll forward and it was game over. he flipped back and i was relieved. >> the man did this thing on top of a cliff. he didn't fall down. and none of us would done that. >> we're going to read about it when we do the weather. >> this is just a picture. you watch this? >> i did this. >> i think i'm a little younger. >> anyway. >> oh! >> i'm just saying. i didn't mean that bad i just meant -- >> you meant you're younger than willie. >> never again. >> were you talking about willie at that age? >> yes. >> thank you. >> we have a tropical storm to talk about. it's erika. it's going to maintain as a tropical storm for a while as it moves through. not so great environment for hurricanes. it is going to contain winds to up to around 50 miles per hour as it continues a slow trek to the west at 16 miles per hour. there are some tropical storm watches and warnings in effect. it is expected to strengthen into a possible category one hurricane as it moves into warmer waters off the east coast of florida and the models are all over the place. where exactly it's going to track? it looks like it will get close enough to bring significant rain to florida and keep an eye on the southeast coast in case it turns into something bigger. good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. a lot of sunshine and temperatures are warming up quickly across the bay area. it's now 74 degrees in the east bay. and san francisco at 67 degrees. expect highs there at 75 degrees. 92 in the north bay. and the south bay will be at 90 degrees. the peninsula at 85. and the east bay today topping out at 80 degrees. the tri-valley near 100 degrees. stay cool, but it will be coming down just in time for the weekend. that's your latest forecast. >> jeb and the hollow gram ran from '85 to '88. i was like, nine. >> why weren't you watching it? >> because it wasn't a show -- >> it looks like miley. >> we established we're grandpa and grandma. rickety old granny over here. >> dylan, thank you. >> coming up next. "american idol" champion jordin sparks is here. she has a new album and she's performing her latest single. we can't wait! that's next. >> glam glamorous. want to survive a crazy busy day? sfx: cell phone chimes start with a positive attitude... and positively radiant skin. aveeno® positively radiant moisturizer... with active naturals® soy. aveeno® naturally beautiful results®. when people say i'm lucky to have this hair, i thank them. then i really thank preference. preference is luminous. fade-defying color that lasts. golden and warm and luminescent. luminous color isn't luck. it's preference. l'oreal. haircolorist. paris. looking for a delicious taste that lifts you up? try lipton sparkling iced tea. the perfect combination of fruit flavors, iced tea, and light carbonation. lipton sparkling iced tea. refreshingly uplifting! i wi want to smell the wayell champagne tastes.ney. i love champagne. infuse your laundry with... ...up to 12 weeks of luxurious long-lasting scents... ...unstopables in wash scent booster. i want my foyer to smell more like a foyer. i want his bedroom to smell like he's away at boarding school. surround yourself with up to 6 hours of luxurious, long-lasting scents... ...introducing new unstopables air refresher. ♪ ♪ all the goodness of milk. all the deliciousness of hershey's syrup. squeeze. stir. share. behold the power of protein in new birds ok. protein blends. they're delicious side dishes with the protein of beans, whole grains... ...and veggies! mmm good. my work here is dooooone! new bird's eye protein blends... so veggie good. singer and actress jordan sparks has come a long way since mooig "american idol" in 2007. >> she's become a true super star and out with her first album in six years. we've missed ya! it's called "right here right now." we're going to talk to jordin in a moment. but, first, a look at her rise to fame. ♪ one step at a time music super star jordin sparks has taken control of the pop and r&b charts. ♪ >> jordin first wowed audiences with her power house vocals on the sixth season of "american idol.." impressing simon and the nation. >> jordin sparks! >> eventually taking home the top title and handing a record deal. ♪ "tattoo." the single from her debut album sold over 2 million copies going platinum. her success continues with the grammy nominated song "no air." ♪ and "battlefield" landed in the top ten of the billboard hot 100. jordin has hit the screen and stage starring? "sparkle" with whitney houston and landing a leading role on broadway. ♪ and now jordin is back heating up the charts with her brand new album "right here right now." >> wow. >> and jordin sparks, good morning! i love watching you watch that piece! >> oh, my gosh. >> you kind of had a little yearbook of your career. >> literally a yearbook of, like, me growing up. it's like everything is documented. it's pretty crazy. it's nice in a way, too. i can look back and go wow. i have grown a lot. >> it's your first album in six years. >> you've been acting, obviously. >> you've been on broadway and you've been busy. it was exciting to make music again for yourself? >> yes. it wasn't for a lack of trying. it seems like every monkey wrench that could be thrown in. but now i look back on the past six years i see the path i took and i'm like i understand. like, i understand why this door was closed and why this one was open. why it was like i felt like i was waiting a lot but i needed to. i needed to grow and learn and experience a lot. now it's just like there's an album. now i can sing the songs having experienced these things instead of imagining what it would feel like. so there's a lot of growth on there, i think you can hear it. >> i think it probably applies to love. >> yeah. >> but it's interesting to watch your style how evolved in the world of some pop stars feeling you should be naked. there's nothing wrong with this. maintaining this glamour. >> thank you! thank you! >> just a little note, you got the tattoo there but you have a beautiful gown. >> thank you. >> this is a part of your image for your young female fans, especially. >> for me, i feel like everybody has their own sexy. my sexy will never be rihanna's sexy and miley's won't be beyoncè. i feel more comfortable in a dress like this. milely feels comfortable with everything hanging out. that's okay. i don't know how i feel if somebody was looking down there all the time. i don't know. it would be like look up here. but, you know, i just feel like i've been able to grow naturally. i feel i haven't had to prove that i'm older. it's kind of naturally happened. i feel lucky, too, sometimes it doesn't happen that way. >> you have grown into an incredible artist. we were talking about "american idol" 14 seasons. it's about to wrap up here. you carried kelly and a group of you have gone to a huge success. was the key to navigating out there have? not everybody who wins on the show is assured of being a star. >> not everybody who doesn't win -- it's reversed. it doesn't matter what place you do. i think it all depends on, you know, your drive and, you know, really, if you want to reach a goal you're going to reach it. like, you're going to do it. if it's something you want to do you're going to do it. for me there was no plan. i've known since i was little i was going to sing. it was either plan a. or plan a. that's it. so i knew i was going to sing. i didn't know it was going to be in this capacity. i had no idea "american idol" was going to be around long enough for me to audition. i was a fan of the show and auditioned. now here i am eight years later. >> we're going it hear your new song "they don't give" later on in the show. >> great to see you. up next throwback thursday all the way back from high school, which would be 1901 for me and willie. can you guess in the yearbook pictures? the answers and more. >> i've got them both. >> do you really? >> do you really? >> easy way to pay online.n enter your username and password. a few clicks. and check out. simple as that. ♪ no re-entering payment and billing info. ♪ you feel like you're one-step ahead. say hello to visa checkout. visa. everywhere you want to be. you know the love you feel for olive garden's fresh baked breadsticks? well multiply that by a million. they're here. new breadstick sandwiches, starting at just $6.99. only at olive garden. new breadstick sandwiches, starting at just $6.99. wiback like it could used to? neutrogena hydro boost water gel. with hyaluronic acid it plumps skin cells with intense hydration and locks it in. for supple, hydrated skin. hydro boost. from neutrogena we don't need that many bags. ♪ ♪ eat some more pasta. certainly. low prices. every day. on everything. for whatever you put your heart into. ♪ you got a masterpiece...yeah ♪ we start with fresh milk from us dairy farms so you can make something amazing kraft natural cheese ♪ when heartburn comes creeping up on you. fight back with relief so smooth and fast. tums smoothies starts dissolving the instant it touches your tongue. and neutralizes stomach acid at the source. tum-tum-tum-tum-tums smoothies, only from tums. you need to eat this special. ♪ start your day... with 150 nourishing calories in a bowl of special k. eat special, feel special. now a high school yearbook edition of throwback thursday. >> yes, the celebrity photos. >> we told you some of the hottest stars of summer. here is the first one. >> amy poehler. >> they look exactly the same. >> look at the hair, by the way. >> okay. that's the rock. >> that's who i couldn't get before. >> look at the mustache. >> i like that. >> melissa mccarthy. >> that's a great cut. haircuts i would wear today. >> that's john cena. >> no it's chris pratt. >> yeah. >> it looks like john. >> yeah. a lot of haircuts. >> that's ice cube. that's easy with the curl which i did have once. >> oh shea. >> is that luke bryant? >> he's adorable! look at the eye brows. they're on fleek. they're on fleek. >> is that luke bryan? ♪ one, two, three o'clock. four o'clock pop. ♪ five, six, seven o'clock. eight o'clock pop. ♪ ♪ nine, ten, eleven o'clock ♪ ♪ twelve o'clock pop ♪ we're gonna pop around the clock tonight. ♪ ♪ put your glad rags on and join me hon' ♪ ♪ we'll have some fun when the clock strikes one. ♪ ♪ we're gonna pop ♪ ...around the clock tonight. we're gonna pop, pop, pop ♪ ... 'till the broad daylight. ♪ ♪ we're gonna pop around the clock tonight. ♪ pop in new tide pods plus febreze a 4 in 1 detergent that cleans, brightens and fights stains. now with 24-hour freshness. dove body wash with a after just breakthrough formula. just one shower gives you softer, smoother skin. my skin is really silky smooth. dove body wash. softer, smoother skin after just one shower. it's 9:26 on your thursday. i'm sam brock. we're following breaking news from oakland. a live look right now from our helicopter. this is where an officer-involved shooting has taken place. our chopper is above the scene in the area of macarthur boulevard and van buren avenue. police are not saying who fired the shots but they do tell us that an officer was involved. and earlier we could see them tending to what looked like a body on the roadway there. now, we have not received any word yet of injuries. streets in the surrounding area are closed at this time. and we are going to continue to monitor the story and bring you updates throughout the day including on our show at 11:00. meantime, the search is on right now for the hit-and-run driver who triggered a massive south bay strip mall fire yesterday. that fire wiped out santa clara businesses. authorities say a car driven by a woman struck a gas meter. investigators are now looking at surveillance video for possible clues to track her down. and a preliminary hearing continues today for the undocumented immigrant accused in last month's deadly pier 14 shooting. yesterday experts supposed that the bullet might have ricochetted off of the concrete wall and struck kate steinle in the back. investigators insist the gun on the other hand was pointed straight at the victim. we're trying to figure out if that case is going to go to trial. coming up after the break a look at weather and traffic. we'll be right back. good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. heating up inland today especially with the south bay making it up to 101 degrees in gilroy, san mateo 82 degrees. san francisco will be in the mid-70s. 89 for napa and concord 96 degrees. livermore also up to 101 today. hot today but not this weekend. it will be cooling off. let's get a look at the commute with mike. good morning, kari. commute should be starting to ease up as far as volume goes. we've had a very active last hour here in the east bay. the police activity just off west grand avenue that offramp may be closed off the nimitz. recovery 880 san mateo and dumbarton still slow south through redwood city and palo alto. and moving up north from san jose into the rest of silicon valley. >> active on the roadways this morning, mike. thank you very much. coming up on 9:30. we'll be back in 25 minutes with another update. we're taking look at the headlines. as many as 12,000 children could be at risk for infection seattle children's hospital admitting that it failed to properly clean surgical tools. the hospital is offering free hepatitis and blood tests to children that underwent surgery at the bell view center. the risk is extremely low. american and british experts say nutrition is more important than counting calories when it comes to your heart and your health. writing in the journal opening heart they say paying attention to the nutritional value of food and not calories could risk of cardiovascular disease. eating more fish, olive oil, and nuts can reduce death. experts say increasing nut consumptions by two servings a week could prevent 90,000 cardiovascular deaths in the u.s. british scientists developed a blood test that may be able to detect if a women's breast cancer will return. the dna test on breast cancer survivors can detect a reoccurrence eight months before they feel a new lump. let's hope it could help save lives. experts say it could be years before the dna test is actually widely used. and thousands of tools are being recalled because of a burn hazard. the recall is on more than 9,000 dremm dremmels. some of the tools may turn on by themselves or may not turn off. for more information go to today.com. and music super star taylor swift reached into the vault of classics thursday night in l.a. >> she was joined on stage with lisa kudrow for a performance by "smelly cat" made famous by lisa's character on "friends." let's get a check of the weather from dylan. they call her the cat lady. >> it works out. it's a catchy song. there's that, too. we are getting closer to the weekend and we're looking at a nice day on friday. a couple of spotty showers in the northwest. it will help firefighters. a couple of storms through the midwest and rain moving through florida. on saturday we could start to see the rain increasing at the outer bands of tropical storm err can make their way into the southeast. this is the area we need to watch closely, especially as we go into monday. for your saturday most of the country is looking all right. still hot in texas. nice in the northeast and mid to upper 80s and heats through the mid atlantic back into the 90s. watch in the southeast for a good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. it is warming up quickly across the bay area. it's 74 degrees in the east bay. and san francisco at 67 degrees. highs will be in the mid-70s in s.f. and in the north bay 92 degrees. in the south bay also in the lower 90 ds, peninsula 85. east bay up to 80 degrees today. and the tri-valley a high of 99 degrees. sizzling temperatures today, but we will feel some cooler air over the next several days. and that's your latest forecast. >> dylan, thank you very much. actor owen wilson starred in classic comedies and family films. >> but his latest role in "no escape" he plays an american businessman who moves his family to southeast asia in the middle of a violent political uprise. he's a father in full defense mode of his wife and two kids. owen and i spoke about his roles, his old roles, his brothers, and his dad. >> lock the door! lock the door. >> the director of this movie told you to bring the dad from marley me and we'll bring southeast asian turmoil. what does that mean? >> i think that meant that you're going play a dad and it's going to be seem like a comfortable role then we're going to stick you in all this kind of insanity and upheaval. >> lucy! lucy! get out of the pool. come here. >> i would say with my dad growing up, you know, the stress of kind of being a parent. somebody is going to get stitched because they fell out of a tree or somebody got lost at the state fair. there's a lot of stress in being a parent. this movie kind of takes some of that and kind of puts it on steroids. >> are you telling me one of the wilson brothers got lost at the state fair? >> yeah. and, you know, there's luke he has cotton candy and he got lost. >> usually luke? >> he's the youngest. he took a wrong turn on the midway. >> are you trying to get crazy? don't you know i'm loco. >> working on the sequel to "zoo la "zooland "zoolander." that adecided to announce the start having ben and i walk out in the paris fashion show. it must be what it feels like to be on rock and roll. >> someone is not a genius. you think i'm especially not a genius? >> any time you and wes anderson get the group together, is it your favorite creative experience because you understand each other so well? >> yeah. i think we kind of grew up together and we were roommates in college. and usually working with wes, maybe my works are working on it also, it feels like family. >> we talked about your family a little bit. there was news that came out just in the last couple of days about your father. >> yeah. >> and alzheimer's. how long have you known? >> it's been years. it started off with my dad and at first it was mild cognitive impairment, but still had good quality of life and able to kind of, you know, joke around and enjoy stuff. then in the past few years it just sort of took a big decline and that's, i guess, the nature of alzheimer's. it's, you know, bad luck and just a really terrible disease, but the good luck is that, you know, he's at home and he's with people that love him. >> he's a giant figure to you and your brothers. i've heard you talk about him before. >> yeah. i didn't study acting. i didn't even finish college, in fact, my dad used to have that joke he was the charter member of the 3970 club which stood for three sons, nine high schools, seven colleges and zero degrees. so i think a lot of our sort of education kind of we're lucky enough to get it from my dad and his sense of humor and my mother and their kind of, you know, very creative friends. >> you might not have a dip ma but i'm sure he's proud of you. >> yeah. he keeps his stub in his wallet to our first movie. my dad was very proud of us. >> so sweet. talking about his dad. so smart, so charming, and so funny. you know, just everything you hope you would be in person. and great in the movie, which is a totally different role for him. "no escape" is in theaters now. >> i love that guy. love him. coming up i had a chance after willie went one on one with owen wilson. i had to step on the court solo with serena! with serena! wait until you see what introducing the first ever with serena! wait until you see what gummy multivitamin from centrum. a complete, and tasty new way to support your energy, immunity and metabolism like never before. centrum multigummies. see gummies in a whole new light. you can help children all around the world grow up strong, thanks to walgreens partnership with vitamin angels. when you get vitamins here... ...you change lives everywhere. walgreens. at the corner of happy and healthy. you know the love you feel for olive garden's fresh baked breadsticks? well multiply that by a million. they're here. new breadstick sandwiches, starting at just $6.99. only at olive garden. >>mine hurt more.. new breadstick sandwiches, starting at just $6.99. >>mine stopped hurting faster! neosporin plus pain relief starts relieving pain faster and kills more types of infectious bacteria neosporin plus pain relief kills the germs. fights the pain. use with band-aid brand. people can forget their quiltbathroom experience. well but sir froggy can never forget. 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build a beautiful website with squarespace. >> hi! hey, y'all. >> the u.s. open. >> you want to read this? >> go ahead. >> next week here in new york city tamron has a chance to hang out with the biggest stars of the game of tennis. >> by hanging out we mean -- i did none of that. >> did you have heels on? >> this week the 90th event here in the city which brought together some of the biggest names in tennis on the planet. take a look! >> whoa! >> who is who is of the tennis world holding court in new york city like the current number one female playerer er iserena wil >> this would be an accomplishment. calendar year grand slam. are you thinking that far ahead. are you in the moment? >> no. i'm in the moment. after i got the serena slam 2.0 you can't get better that that. obviously, it can. but i. >> pete samford making an interest in the iconic nike commercial from 1995. >> obviously the fans are happy to see you. it sounds as if you found a great comfort with what you were able to accomplish and what you are accomplishing now. >> i feel good about my career, my life. i ended it all on my turnterms winner. i'm trying to be a good dad and husband. so far so good. >> there's so many parameters that show you that passage of time. kids wearing 13 shoes. >> how do you stock a fridge with a kid with size 13. >> 13 and 11 they're growing. but, again, you're just always hit with the passage of time. >> then there was my partner for the evening none other than roger federer. >> i won't humiliate you. are you kidding me? >> and with that, the nerve wracking moment had arrived. it was time to make my big tennis debut. >> tamron hall! ♪ >> oh, yeah! >> i was happy with you. i think you did well. >> yes! thank you! >> any time you like to co-host the show with me -- >> yeah, i don't know. i'm still sleeping that the time of the day. >> i think you should come. >> all right. thank you so much! >> so i i invited them to come and co-host. they thought i was dreadful at tenn tennis. >> your form is spot on. >> i didn't read the notes on this. eric and brian said you're going to play tennis and do a quick interview. i thought we were going to be on a tiny court. we get there and the street is shut down and the whole city is watching. i had no idea. thank you very much it was a fun time. and the u.s. open coming up. you got game? >> do you? >> no. >> okay. there you go! >> and jordin sparks who has beautiful new song after this. ♪ in our house, imagination runs wild. but at my table, i keep the food real. like country crock's new recipe made with real simple ingredients. like delicious oils, purified water, and a pinch of salt. and no artificial flavors or preservatives. just real country fresh taste from real ingredients. imagine that. welcome to crock country. seeless firmness?es? 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of our let's find out. it's probably the best sandwich i've ever had. it's super crispy but also really juicy. so would you guys come back? yes. here's our card. it's mcdonald's? get out of here. try some buttermilk crispy chicken. it's right around the corner, at mcdonald's. ♪ the toy ytoyota concert series n "today." >> she skyrocketed since her "american idol" win eight years ago. now jordin sparks is without with her third album called "right here right now." now she's performing her second single off the album called "they don't give." ♪ baby baab they say we ain't going make it but i know they don't give an f about us the way they hating it's clear they just can't take it ♪ ♪ god knows they don't know a thing about love if we're going make it through whatever don't let them hate ♪ ♪ cuz our love was meant to be forever no matter what they say ♪ ♪ the one thing that i know for sure is i know they don't give an f about us so why should we care at all when god knows they don't know a thing about love love love about love ♪ ♪ they just don't understand it the way i understand you i know they don't give an f about us ♪ ♪ i would sacrifice it all for you don't they know how much i love you and i do ♪ ♪ one thing that i know for sure is i know they don't give an eff about us ♪ ♪ why should we care at all when god knows they don't know a thing about love love love love love ♪ ♪ well it really shouldn't matter what they say about us but if i'm going to be honest sometimes it just does cause i'm really in love mmmm ♪ ♪ and it really shouldn't matter but if we get caught up and i'm going to be honest hey sometimes we just want the ones we love to love the ones that we love ♪ ♪ but they don't know a thing about love ♪ ♪ they don't no ♪ why should we care when god knows they don't know a thing about love ♪ ♪ ♪ i know they don't give an eff about us when god knows they don't know a thing about love ♪ [ cheers and applause ] >> we're back in a moment. this is "today" on nbc. coming up next is kathie lee is there an elk in your bed? with sleep number, now there's an adjustment for that. only at a sleep number store. the time is now for the biggest sale of the year, where all beds are on sale! save 50% on the labor day limited edition bed. know better sleep with sleep number. brkinnewin kla: v thursday morning. 9:56. i'm sam brock. we are following breaking news right now from oakland. that's where there's been an officer-involved shooting. here's video our chopper captured about 30 minutes ago above the scene in the area of macarthur boulevard and van buren avenue. police have been relatively tight lipped at this point. they're not saying much about who fired the shots but they do tell us an officer was involved. this transpired about 8:30 this morning. no word yet of any injuries. streets in the surrounding area are closed at this time. we'll keep a close eye on those developments. in the meantime a check of your weather with kari hall. good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. it's going to be a hot day across the bay. up to 90 degrees in the south bay, peninsula 85 degrees. east bay look for a high of 80 degrees. in the tri-valley topping out at 99. wouldn't be surprised to see a few readings over 100 degrees. in san francisco 75. in the north bay 92 degrees. we'll have more clouds moving in tomorrow. and it won't be as hot. and much cooler in time for the weekend. let's go to that morning commute with mike. all right. first we'll talk about what sam mentioned the police activity just off grand avenue and 580. there's some congestion and distraction and little rerouting going on there. the big problem is there's a crash on the bay bridge inklein backing things back up onto 580 and in toward the maze. the rest of the commute easing a bit but still sticking around 880 southbound. fremont jammed frup dumbarton all the way to 237. thank you, mike. that will do it for us. back in 25 minutes with another update. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with kathie lee gifford and hoda kotb. from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. ♪ play it down figure it out ♪ >> i'm going to push pause. >> i don't know that song but i like it. it's thirsty thursday, august 27th. so glad you're with us. we welcome some of our best of ambush show. >> this is what's fun about today. we love ambush, one of our most popular segments. we thought let's bundle it all together and make a

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