firing a gun up there. >> reporter: exclusive reportings the moment the las vegas gunman opened fire on a security guard inside the mandalay bay hotel before shooting on concert-goers below the worker there shares a harrowing story for the first time in an exclusive live interview. those stories, plus harvey weinstein's wife walks out as angelina jolie and gwyneth paltrow claim they were sexually harassed by the movie mogul. the plans for the national anthem protest itself and a world of hurt. >> the united states eliminated. >> after an embeforearrassing u the u.s. men's soccer team won't be headed to the world cup for the first time in more than three decades. >> setting in like a u.s. sledgehammer on the u.s. bench today, november 11ing, 2017. >> from nbc news, this is "today" with matt lauer and savannah guthrie, live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> good morning, everyone, thanks, for joining us on this wednesday morning. >> pleased to have you with us. the latest on that california wildfires. >> as we said the death toll climbed to 17 people, making these fires among the five deadliest in that state's history. the number of homes and businesses destroyed, that's up as well. now, more than 2,000. >> overnight, officials ordered new evacuations in sonoma county adding to the 20,000 already told to flee across northern california. >> here's another concern, at least 77 cellular sites have been damaged or destroyed. officials say that's impossible for the nearly 200 people reported missing to check in with loved ones. miguel almaguer is in santa rosa. good morning to you. >> reporter: the numbers are staggering t. death toll and the drugs is expected to rise, that's in addition to 185 people who were injured. we were given rare access in the air over so much of these devastated neighborhoods and just so many of them looked like an apocalypse. this is now one of the most destructive wildfires in northern california's history. still burning, still exploding, a swarm of small fires becoming an epic out of control firestorm, thousands of structures obliterated. neighborhoods wiped off the map. this is the home of 100-year-old charles rippy and his 98-year-old wife sarah. the elderly couple married 75 years killed in the inferno. >> all the windows started to explode and smoke and heat went out everywhere. she just couldn't find him. >> reporter: from the air, these first responders, showing us the devastation, first hand. >> firefighters tell us how quickly this fire burned. people, this is what many will return to. >> you still feel heat coming off the steps here. everything is warm to touch. >> reporter: with a hotel and restaurant decimated in santa rosa, today the popular wine country is in a state of emergency. two wineries in napa valley torched. but the harvest is still on the vines. >> perhaps the silver lining is the vineyards survived. >> winds are driving nearly 20,000 wildfires, in the northern end of the state they called them deab lo, devil winds. th in south, the santa ana destroying dozens of homes outs los angeles. >> back in northern california, we've seen first hand how deadly these fires can get. in just a few days, so many lives have been lost, and an untold number of homes have burned to the ground. >> spigots of the aftermath are just astonishing. this is the most devastating wildfire in the last quarter century, as many people were trying to leave their homes, cars were exploding. literally tipping upsidedown. some say their cars were on fire as they were trying to escape the burn zone. matt, back to you. >> it's just so scary and sad. thank you very much. >> a lot more to get to, including some exclusive new information this morning about the events that led up to secretary of state rex tillerson calling the president a moron. white house koerptd kristen welker. good morning. >> reporter: hi, savannah, good morning to you. nbc news learned from three officials that the president called for a dramatic increase in the nation's nuclear arsenal, as many as during the cold war, rattling some of his own top advisers. an actual increase would violate nuclear arms control treaties going back to ronald reagan. >> that meeting takes place before the secretary of state called the president a moron. all of this comes as the president is locked in a high stakes standoff with north korea. this morning, nbc news has learned striking new details about the july 20th meeting at the pentagon that preceding secretary of state rex tillerson calling the president a moron. at the time the president said the meeting, which also included the defense secretary and vice president cabinet members and top military advisers was very good. >> i met his people at the pentagon, nothing like it. >> reporter: but three officials present in the room describe a meeting that was at times tense. one key moment, when the president told his national security team, he wanted to expand the u.s. nuclear arsenal to what amounted to nearly ten times its current level. the current number of u.s. nukes is approximately 4,000. according to sources, the president was shown a chart of the history of the u.s. nuclear arsenal, which peaked in the late 1960s at roughly 32,000 weapons. the president told his team, he wanted the u.s. to have about that many. and while some in the meeting didn't take the president literally, according to officials in the room, briefers explained to mr. trump why expanding america's nuclear stockpile isn't feasible, the u.s. is not planning to alter the size of its nuclear arsenal. it would not only break with decades of nuclear doctrine, it would violate a number of international treaties. since his candidacy, mr. trump has been inconsistent with regard to his stance on nuclear weapons, insisting he was against nuclear proliferation, in some instances, he seemed opened to the idea. >> if you say you get weapons and saudi arabia says we want them, too? >> can i be honest with you? it's going to happen anyway, it's a question of time. they have to start having them or we have to get rid of them entirely. >> reporter: mr. trump tweeted the united states must greatly strengthen and expand its nuclear capability until such time as the world comes to its senses, all this amis amidst tensions with north korea. in the sea of japan, president trump meeting with his national security team tuesday to discuss the crisis. the defense secretary stressing diplomacy this week, while cautioning all actions are on the table. >> you have got to be ready to ensure we have military options that our president can employ, if needed. >> reporter: a white house official down played any tensions at the july 20th meeting and the president is tweeting this morning fake nbc news made up a story that i wanted a tenfold increase in our u.s. nuclear ars nam, pure fiction, made up to demean. a spokesperson for the pentagon would only say the defense secretary's conversations with the president are privileged. the trump administration is in the process of modernizing its nuclear arsenal, which does not violate any treaty, savannah, matt. >> thank you. we are also learning more this morning about the response to last week's mass shooting in las vegas. new audio recordings obtai exclusively by nbc news capture the moment a security guard was shot on the 32nd floor of the mandalay bay hotel. in a moment, another hotel worker who was there will share his story for the first time. but first nbc justice correspondent pete pumps has the latest on the investigation. pete, good morning to you. >> reporter: matt, these audio recordings and the revised police time line have raised some new questions about how quickly the las vegas police learned that a man in the mandalay bay hotel was armed and firing shots. >> are you going to make sure you're out of the way? >> reporter: this is the sound of the first shots steven paddock fired from his las vegas hotel room. >> call the police, someone's firing a gun up here. someone's firing a rifle on the 32nd floor down the hallway. >> reporter: las vegas police say before paddock sent down a hail of gunfire, he was shooting inside the hotel a. hotel security guard responding to a problem door elsewhere on that floor was wounded when paddock fired 200 rounds through his room door at the guard. police say a hotel engineer was also outside the room notifying his superiors as paddock fired the barrage of gunshots, heard in this shooting exclusively by nbc news. >> it's at the end of the hallway. u, i can't tell you what room. he looked down the hallway when i got close to the door. >> reporter: according to a revised police time line, that was 9:59, paddock beginning firing at the crowd outside at 10:05 and stopped at 10:15, a police s.w.a.t. team got there at 10:17, a minute later learned a guard was shot and it took las vegas police 19 minutes to find out what the guard and the engineer already knew, where a man was firing a gun on the 32nd floor. >> if they had known about the security guard being wounded earlier, could they have been there even faster? it is always a race against the killer and the clock. >> reporter: officials say the guard told hotel security about the indoor shooting, but when were police notified? mgm resorts, which owns the mandalay bay says it can't comment because of the ongoing investigation. but as for the revised time line, it says in a statement, we believe what is currently being expressed may not be accurate. >> las vegas, please join us -- >> reporter: las vegas is still in mourning, overnight the city's new nhl team the biggest golden knights in a 40-minute pre-game ceremony honored first responders and observed 58 seconds of silence for the 58 who were killed. sheriff joseph lombardo tells the journal mandalay bay did report the shooting to police and says the time line may change again. he commends the hotel staff for the response, matt. >> all right. pete pumps on this, thanks, very much. we are glad to have steven cluck with us, the building engineer that night on the 32nd floor when the first shots were fired. steven, good morning to you. it's good to see you. >> reporter: good morning. thank you. >> we just learned, stephen, about all that you went through in this experience, but i go es the first question is how you are doing right now? >> i'm doing as well as expected. better as the days pass. >> take us through it, steven, there has been a lot of confusion about how this all transpired. what happened? >> my side, my story, i was on a higher floor when i was told to check out a fire exit dhoor wou door that would not open. so i came down the 32nd floor from a different wing and i was walking down. i didn't hear anything. i kept walking. i turned the corner, from what we call the center court into the 100 hallway. i thought i saw someone poke their head out, but you know, nothing set off my radar. unusual yet. and it was silent at this time. and as i kept walking down the hallway, i was about a third of the way down the hallway and i started to hear shots go off. they were not in the hallway yet. and as soon as they stopped, i saw jesus pop out because the doors in the hallway are set back about a foot. he popped out. he yes, ma'amed at me to take cover. as soon as i started to go to a door to my left, the rounds started coming down the hallway. i could feel them pass right behind my head. something hit me in the back and i took cover. i tried to think how i could get to jesus, because i could see he was shot in the leg. and i just told myself, you know, wait for him. he's going to have to shop shooting sometime and it was kind of relentless so i called over the radio what was going on. as soon as the shooting stopped, we made our way down the hallway and took cover again and then the shooting started again. >> hey, steven, let me say, we've heard this audio recording now, first of all, how did you remain so calm? maybe your voice betrays who was going on actually inside of you and, second of all, if the reports are true that there were 200 rounds fired by the gunman into the hall, you must feel incredibly lucky that you weren't hit? >> yeah, i am incredibly blessed that somehow i came out of there alive. when he first started shooting, you know, it was, i was kind of in disbelief, but i just told myself, you know, remain calm, if i freak out right now, it's only going to get me killed or injured. remain calm and you know call it over the radio, so we can get police on their way as soon as possible. >> stephen, you mentioned jesus campos who was the security guard that received gunshot wound. he warned you, he said get down or get out? do you feel he saved your life? >> yes. my whole family and i, we all appreciate him. he, at first, when the first shooting started. i was kind of frozen for a second and then he, he yelled at me, take cover, take cover! and if he yelled a second too late, i would have been shot. so i owe him my life. >> what happened when the police arrived, stephen, were you still there? >> i was still there. yes. we kind of were directing them like this hallway at the end of the hallway. me and jesus, we never saw the door open. so we thought he was shooting from the people in the door. we were just telling the police that and then my supervisors was there he handed me his master keys and i ran down and shut off all the guest elevators and stopped guests on the basement floor to let them know we have an incident upstairs, stay down here and then i made my way back up to the 32nd floor to give him his keys so he could give them to the police so they could use them. >> stephen, after going through something like this, do you see yourself, can you go back to working there? can you ever feel the same way about going back to work at that hotel? >> yeah, it's definitely difficult, but for someone to do something as to cowardly and, you know, despicable, i'm not going to let that change my life. i mean, i'm going to go back to work. i like my career. and i'm not going to let that define me. >> steven, you were incredibly brave in the most unfathomable of circumstances. please give our best to jesus, your colleague, and we appreciate your time this morning, we really do. >> thank you, steven. >> you are welcome. you are welcome. >> it appears, in other news, president trump has scored a victory. in his fight against nfl players protesting during the national anthem t. leak's commissioner has now sent a letter to all 32 teams making it clear, he wants players to stand, roger googe g dell, says the dispute is threatening to erode the unifying power of our game, and is now dividing us and our players from many fans across the countries. good dell adding we believe everyone should stand for the national anthem, the nfl and team owners are set to tackle the issue during meetings next week. >> that brings us back to al. the fire story is a weather story. >> it really s. they are so intertwined. normally, we don't see wildfire threats or red flag warnings put up for more than 24 hours at a time. red flag warnings in northern california now for gusts of 30 to 40 miles per hour, dry conditions and rapid fire spread through thursday. you look down south, santa maria to the north of los angeles, we got red flag warnings, fire watches as well. this is your normal pattern. >> that cool, moist air off the pacific. now we got this high pressure, bringing in the drier air. that drops the humidity and the winds really pick up and that's why we got that fire danger. this wind threat is going to exist right through saturday. and so we have real problems as far as those fires are concerned. we're going to get to your local forecast coming up in the next 30 seconds. ♪ good morning, i'm meteorologist, kari hall. the red flag warning kicks in this evening at 5:00, when winds will increase and we'll have the highest danger of the wildfires in the north bay spreading. some of the higher gusts will be in the hills and that will spread more smoke into the bay area. we are already dealing with very unheld think air quality this morning. through the day, the temperatures is reaching the mid-60s for san francisco and mid-70s for the inland areas. we'll continue to monitor the winds throughout the day. >> and that's your latest weather. >> al, thank you so much. coming up, the harvey weinstein scandal growing. disturbing new allegations from angelina jolie and gwyneth paltrow. and his wife is speaking out for the first time. and roman fair rrrow is her with exclusive information. first, this is "today" on nbc. just ahead, should you really trust those calorie counts on the menus at your favorite restaurants? you're going to be surprised what our rossen reports team han ♪ hey grandpa. hey, kid. really good to see you. you too. you tell grandma you were going fishing again? maybe. 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(wedding bells) ♪ our breaking news coverage good morning. it's 7:26, i'm laura garcia. our breaking news coverage of the north bay fire storm continues. new video posted overnight by firefighters showing how chaotic things were when the fire started sunday night. they were driving toward the fire. look at the embers blowing. new mandatory evacuations were issued for calistoga, north of grant road near moon mountain road. they have been going door-to-door to get people out. there are 17 confirmed fire related deaths in northern california. that includes 11 in sonoma county. authorities are scheduled to provide new updates at 9:00. we will bring it to ewe live on nbc bay area. i want to check the forecast. the red flag warning for torrent. >> that's ahead of all the evacuations you are mentioning now. as we go into this afternoon, we will have the winds picking up in the north bay. at 5 cl:00, the winds will blow. gusts up to 50 miles per hour. as we get a look at what to expect if you have flames to the north of you. it is time to get prepared to possibly move out. let's head over to mike for an update on the roadways. >> looking to the north bay, the continued closures. the change, highway 29 closed because of the new evacuation north of grant tree. keep that in mind. that's more limited access. the fire shifting to napa toward i-80, but not getting there yet. here is the rest of the commute. 92 recovers from the san mateo bridge. >> stay with nbc bay area for the latest. i'll have another news update in a half hour. see you then. this is the new comfort food. grown right here in california, with absolutely no antibiotics ever. a better way to grow, a better way to eat. and it starts with foster farms simply raised chicken. california grown with no antibiotics ever. ♪ good morning, everybody. it's wednesday morning, 7:30. nice to have you along with us. >> it is a busy, busy morning. a lot to get to. including breaking news on the firestorm out in california. fighting the flames. the death toll climbs from the deadly california wildfires. new evacuations under way, as firefighters descend on the region to try to stop the destruction. >> folks did not have a chance. they did not have a chance to escape. escalating tensions. a new show of force by the u.s., flying bombers over the korean peninsula. as an nbc news exclusive reveals president trump called for an increase of our nuclear arsenal, in the meeting that preceded secretary of state rex tillerson calling him a moron. >> the utah cop that dragged a nurse from a hospital for refusing to draw blood from a patient has now been fired. >> stop. i have done nothing wrong. and pitch not so perfect. >> long distance blast. >> after an embarrassing loss to the tiny nation of trinidad and tobago, the u.s. men's soccer team fails to qualify for the world cup for the first time in three decades. >> it's not wait until next year. it's wait four more years. today wednesday, october 11th, 2017. there's more fallout in the scandal surrounding disgraced harvey weinstein. more stars are leveling more accusatio accusations. and weinstein's wife announced she is leaving him. >> reporter: harvey weinstein reportedly left for rehab, seeking treatment, as a flood of allegations against the former film executive has left hollywood up in arms. late tuesday, another bombshell for harvey weinstein. his wife, designer georgina chapman, announced she is leaving her husband. saying my heart breaks. it comes as the allegations against the movie mogul are only growing. two of hollywood's biggest stars say that weinstein sexually harassed them, too. oscar winner angelina jolie told "the new york times," i had a bad experience with harvey weinstein in my youth. as a result, chose never to work with him again. and warn others as they did. gwyneth paltrow says she was stwruft 22 when he put his hands on her telling her to go to the bed ram for massages. telling "the times," i was a kid. i was signed up. i was petrified. paltrow told her then-boyfriend, brad pitt, who confronted weinstein and told him never to touch paltrow again. paltrow was expected to keep it secret, five years later, won an oscar for the weinstein-produced "shakespeare in love." >> i would like to thank harvey weinstein and everyone at miramax films. >> reporter: more allegations. mira sorvino and rosanna arquette also accusing weinstein of sexual harassments and assault. >> this is not how men can act in this country. >> reporter: three other women say they were raped. "the new yorker," the first to release a recording from an nypd sting operation in 2015. after mod lena ambra battilana gutierrez reported weinstein to police. >> why you touch my breast? >> please, i'm sorry. i'm used to that. >> you're used to that? >> yes, come in. >> i'm not used to that. >> reporter: the weinstein company board writing these alleged actions are antithetical to human decency. these allegations come as an utter surprise to the board. any suggest the board had knowledge of this is false. weinste weinstein's spokesperson says any allegations of non-conventional sex are unequivocally denied by weinstein, arguing there were never acts of retaliation for refusing his advances. another woman came forward with attorney gloria allred. >> he led me to his bathroom, pleading that i watch him masturbate. my heart was racing and i was scared. >> reporter: the string of allegations, triggered more condemnation from hollywood a-listers. >> these women were very young. it's difficult to be 21, 22, 23, and feel like you have any personal power. >> reporter: former president obama, who has received political donations from weinstein and whose daughter once interned for the weinstein company, says any man who demeans and degrades women in such fashion needs to be condemned and held accountable, regardless of wealth or status. hillary clinton also spoke out after days of pressure. like obama, she received campaign donations and is friends with weinstein, saying she is shocked and appalled by the allegations. >> steph, thank you very much. ronan farrow, a contributor for "the new yorker" and an nbc news contributing correspondent, as well. >> good to be here. >> you've been working this story for a long time, for nbc news and "the new yorker." i know it's been a long and difficult process to get the actresses to be identified and go on the record with the allegations, after so many people have been chasing this for so long. why do you think they're coming forward? >> each of these sources tore their guts out giving the details. this was a traumatic experience to relive these events. this was a brave and important thing. and they did it because they thought it could prevent future crimes. again and again sources talked about doing that because they thought there was a change in the culture, a culture of accountability now. >> there was a moment for them to tell the story. and you speak to so many women in your story. and it's across decades and different women, and sometimes across continents. and you report a striking m.o., similarities in the story. >> and the women use that phrase. modus operandi. the same details. >> you're hearing about a lot of people accusing him of harassment. there are three actresses who accused him of forcible rape. >> that's right, hoda. and those are allegations that are a new level of seriousness. and those women especially today, very brave and very retraumatizing thing. and i want to highlight something else. the italian actress who had one of the rape allegations is one of several stories where she talked about going back to him afterwards. that's a facet of many sexual assault cases. >> as you track this down, i want to read a statement from a spokesperson for harvey weinstein. sally hofmeister says any allegations of nonconsensual sex are unequivocally denied by mr. weinstein. he said there were never acts of retaliation against any women for refusing his advances. mr. weinstein can't speak to anonymous allegations. but with respect to women that made allegations on the record, mr. weinstein believes that all of these relationships are consensual. >> this is a "new yorker" article. he had a full and fair opportunity to engage in this piece. he says it was consensual. he says he never retaliated against the women. and the women tell a very different story. >> and the story, you see when you read it, there seemed to be this culture of silence around weinstein and this culture of enabling that went on. >> so, there are 16 former and current employees in this article. they talked about feeling guilt and felt they aided and abetted a pattern of company meetings that they thought were little more than cover for predator advances on vulnerable women. >> it's an extraordinary story. we shift gears and go over to al with the weather. >> guys, we're seeing a very unfall-like weather pattern. the jet stream way up to the north. a big high pressure ridge with the warm air. look at the temperatures today. columbus, nine degrees above average at 74. philly, 76. atlanta, 86 degrees. tomorrow, the heat continues from oklahoma city, chicago, nashville, charlotte, all the way down to tallahassee. as we make our way into the weekend, new york city, friday 66. up to 79 degrees on sunday. jacksonville stays in the mid-80s. indianapolis, mid to upper 70s. good morning, i'm meteorologist, kari hall. our winds will be increasing today. that will increase the fire threat as a red flag warning goes up this evening for the north bay. all these areas shaded in red is where we will have the lowest humidity and winds gusting over 50 miles per hour. as our sustained winds will be at 20-25 miles per hour and once again, some of the highest gusts throughout tonight. >> to get weather anytime you need it, check out the weather channel on cable. >> good advice, thank you. >> a lot more eye head including the oscar winner giving rotten tomatoes a very bad review. and kate middleton reviews her baby bump. and a "rossen reports" you need to see if you rely on calorie counts. and the great pierce brosnan will join us in the studio to talk about his brand new movie. first on a wednesday morning, these messages. 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>> all of these items are 590 calories or less. we'll see. >> jeff and his team put some of the most popular restaurants to the test. and british invasion. james bond and the queen in studio 1a. as spears brosnan and claire foy stop by to talk about their projects hitting the silver screen. october 11th, 2017. we have great dancers on the plaza, today, we have pros from chattanooga, tennessee. take it away. ♪ >> you walked the brooklyn bridge. you visited central park. and you are on the "today" show. we have some first-timers. it's your first time in new york from -- >> tennessee. ♪ >> we have a sweet girl. what is your name? >> jolie. >> you have a special sign, what does it say? i am ready for my hug from hoda. ♪ >> she didn't show you the sign beforehand. >> it was a surprise. >> full of cutis. >> welcome back to "today" on this wednesday morning. there's a lot to get to as we mentioned at the top of the show. president trump has approved a major disaster declaration for california. wildfires are burning at both ends of the state. the death toll and destruction increasing overnight. joe fryer is in santa rosa. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, matt. the fires have left behind a trail of damage at vineyards and wineries including here at paradise ridge. behind me, this is the building where they used to make the wine. it's a destructive scene playing out across the state. as fires rage, homeowners mourn. >> our house is gone, guys. oh, my god, our house is gone! it's gone. >> reporter: tabatha washington reported this emotional video as their family returned to the fire-ravaged neighborhood. wildfires in northern california have destroyed more than 2,000 homes and businesses, including some wineries. >> this was our crash pad where we process the fruit. >> reporter: rene's family owns paradise ridge winery. they lost their wine-making building, event center and a thousand cases of wine, but their vineyards are okay. >> i want to say there's hope for the 2017 vintage. from paradise ridge winery, it won't be a lot, but it will be something. >> reporter: they're not alone. this was cinderella estate before the fire. and this is after. >> let's go. >> reporter: the fast-moving flames fueled by strong winds, forced thousands to evacuate with little notice. 17 people lost their lives, including charles and sarah. he was 100. she was 98. in santa rosa, entire neighborhoods are gone. brian gilman lost almost anything. yet in the rubble found a prized possession, his mother's ruby ring. >> there's not another thing in this whole house salvageable except for ashes and scrap metal. these are the things she asked for that are amazingly still here. >> reporter: dozens more structures were damaged or destroyed by another wind-fueled fire that cloaked anaheim in smoke. katherine's neighbors lost their homes. >> i am shivering thinking about it. >> reporter: with 17 fires burning across california, the federal government has declared this a major disaster. >> we are with you. our prayers are with you. and we will be with you every day until we put the fires out and stand with these families to rebuild these communities. >> reporter: this morning, new evacuations are being ordered in parts of northern california. the fire that hit here in sonoma county, still 0% contained and the wind gusts are expected to pick up again later today. matt? >> joe, so hard to listen to that woman's voice as she came back to that scene and saw that her house was gone. we appreciate your reporting. thank you. now, to an nbc news exclusive about president trump. and his request earlier this summer to dramatically boost the nation's nuclear arsenal. was that what caused rex tillerson to make an infamous remark about the president? nbc white house correspondent, kristen welker, joins us with this story. kristen, good morning. >> reporter: hi, savannah. good morning to you. nbc news has learned striking new details about a july 20th meeting at the pentagon, that proceeded secretary of state rex tillerson calling the president a moron. the meeting included the defense secretary, the vice president, and top military advisers. now, one key moment came when the president told his national security team he wanted to expand the u.s. nuclear arsenal to what amounted to nearly ten-times its current level. according to sources, the president was shown a chart of the history of the nuclear arsenal that peaked in the 1960s at roughly 32,000 weapons. the president told his team he wanted the u.s. to have that many. according to officials and briefers in the room, they explained why expanding the stockpile isn't feasible. it violates a number of international treaties. the white house wouldn't comment on the record. but one white house official downplayed any tensions surrounding nuclear weapons at the july 20th meeting saying the nuclear arsenal was not a primary topic of the briefing. savannah? >> kristen welker at the white house. thank you. got some news about the upcoming memoir about vice president joe biden. this morning we can announce biden will also be narrating his story for audible and audio book company. the memoir chronicles a tumultuous year 2015 as the vice president tried to balance duties on the job while his son beau battled brain cancer. we have an exclusive first listen. >> beau would always grab my arm just before i walked onstage and pull me back towards him until i was looking in his eyes. dad, look at me. look at me, dad. remember, dad. home base, dad, home base. what he was saying was, remember who you are. remember what matters. stay true to your ideals, be courageous. >> you can hear joe biden's memoir "promise me dad" on november 14th. for the first time since her pregnancy was announced last month, princess kate made an appearance. she marked world mental health day. kate has been suffering from severe morning sickness, a problem she faced with earlier pregnancies. she's been staying inside kensington palace resting. she was too ill to attend her son's first day of school. but an aide says she is feeling better and better. >> an important issue she was highlighting there. time for "the morning boost," hoda. >> usually when we have security video, it is like a robbery caught on camera or some other crime, but not today. this heartwarming moment is in salt lake city. the office manager tells tanna butzerfield that she's going to be adopted by her foster family. after hearing the news, she had been waiting for, she leapt into the woman's arms and does not let go. turns out the foster parents are also adopting tanna's two younger siblings. >> i'm looking forward to having family time and spending all of our lives together and just being together. i know that having someone to actual lovely. love me. >> tanna was so anxious to hear the news, she called the office manager. they were in court at the time. and said, will you please tell her the news? i know how anxious she is. well, that's all you need to see right there. >> she's got a lot of love to give. that's beautiful. >> you did your job this morning. thanks. >> that was a good one, hoda. a lot more straight ahead, including can we really trust the calorie counts on restaurant menus? the can't-miss "rossen reports" if you're watching your waistline. also, pierce brosnan will stop by to talk about the hidden message in his thriller. and the opening of the rock center rink with meryl davis and charlie white. later on "megyn kelly today," the inspiring story of a dog that saved one man's life by getting him moving. first, on a wednesday morning, these messages. see a real doc. go, know, and take control of your health. it could save your life. doctor poses! dad! cigna. together, all the way. dad! test test test testre ooh, cookies! test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test oh, you brought butch. yeah! 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no objection? >> replace security clearance? how about checking what you have in your bags and your metal detectors? >> you and your details. i assume they're like, your face is fine. >> and keep going to the gate or you have a problem. >> it probably says have a nice day, if you're cleared. >> this would make eye balls a hot commodity on the black market. >> i think it's a little creepy, the facial data base. >> how many -- >> the x-rays, they can see all your stuff. >> that's true, too. >> if they want to look, go for it. >> just get me through the line. nothing to see here. >> privacy? what? >> it's quicker. we got lots to get to. a lot going on with "pop start." we start with chip and joanna gaines. the stars of "fixer upper" opening up to "people" magazine about why they decided to make the fifth season their last. their production schedule required 11 months out of the year filming. they have the booming magnolia business and that began to wear on them. joanna adding, our plan is to press pause, refresh and pour more love into our family and businesses. will the reigning king and queen of home generation ever come back to tv? we're looking forward to what's next. as it relates to tv, you never know. sounds like -- >> it's not a no. >> sounds like a probably. mila kunis, the actress on " "marie claire" talking about her number one priority. motherhood shows how selfless you can get. i'm ragged tired. my kids are healthy. i'm happy. her daughter turned three. and she wants her to learn the value of hard work. and finally, kit harrington, on tuesday, we showed you the prank of the "game of thrones" star. the wedding is in -- it's going to happen. yeah. kit and rose got engaged last month. but "game of thrones" fans, season 8 production may be temporarily put on hold because he plans on inviting the entire cast of the show so their wedding. so, they're all going to have to take a couple days off. he told producers it's their own fault for casting them as love interests. >> that's true. >> how do you get a dragon into the church in. >> good question. speaking of dragons and scary things, your "daly click" we go to school in ireland. take a look at this. some suspicious activity. this is from the overnight security camera. take a look. >> my word. >> mice? >> oh. >> students complaining about noises and missing items. people say the lights go on and off at night. they set up this camera. the principal of the school says, if it is some sort of a prank, a lot of you might be thinking, they spoke to him yesterday, i have no idea how it's being pulled off. you think it's real? >> it's a great prank. >> this is in cork, ireland. been there sings mid-1800s. all sorts of paranormal activity. claim s janitors and students. people crying in the bathroom. >> that slippery when wet sign is creepy. >> somebody invisible kicks that sign. >> they used to say on casper the friendly ghost. >> carson, thank you very much. mr. roker? >> here we go. let's show you what's happening. again, this fire season has been rough. across the country, 2017, 50,000-plus fires. 18 million acres burned. almost a record. and the firefighting cost, a new record. cost so far, $2.4 billion to fight these fires. so, we have a wildfire threat. red flag warnings until thursday evening, from redding to san jose. gusty winds, 30 to 40 miles per hour. we have a fire weather watch from santa maria, just to the north of los angeles, through saturday. that's how long this threat will be in there. and the winds are going to be a big problem starting today, dry northerly winds, bringing in 30 to 40-mile-per-hour gusts. dry northerly winds, and the fire threat continues, through thursday, friday into saturday. and right now as we take a live look outside in san francisco, just really smoky starting out this morning and it will be increasing as we go through the day with those winds rushing in from the north. our high temperatures this afternoon in the north bay near the wildfires will be in the mid to upper 70s. the humidity will be dropping, especially as we go into this evening. san francisco expect a high of 66 degrees and 74 in san jose. some upper 70s for the inland valleys, and the winds at times gusting up to 50 later this evening. >> that's your latest weather. now, we go to our special series "rossen to the rescue." a good one. a look at the calorie count on menus in restaurants. >> how accurate are they? jeff rossen tested them out. jeff, give me good news. >> i'm hitting you where it counts. this is where it matters. we are trying to watch our weight. i did it a couple of years ago, right here on the "today" show. my colleagues were hinting that i was overweight. maybe you should be involved in a weight loss challenge. and i ate differently. and i counted calories. i picked restaurants where they list the calories right there on the menu. i relied on it. i know so many of you do, too. you have to wonder how accurate are the menus really? this morning, we are going undercover at some of the most popular restaurants. and now, one of the biggest chains in the country is actually changing its menu, based on our results. ♪ from sitdown restaurants. can i have the grilled chicken parmesan. to fast food chains. calorie counts are popping up. so many of us watching what we eat, relying on the numbers to be right. thank you very much. in my new book, "rossen to the rescue," i reveal my embarrassing struggle with weight, spilling all my secrets. how i shed nearly 30 pounds but still weigh myself every morning and feel the judgment. like millions of americans, i read the labels closely. let's see how accurate they are. the rossen reports team, fanning out. going to popular spots. when i come here to the cheesecake factory, i order off the skinny cylicious. all these items are 540 calories or less. we'll see. we scan the menus. >> i'm going to do the barbecue chop chicken salad. >> reporter: even dessert. when the food comes out. we dump the food in containers. wish i was eating this right now. and send them off to a certified food testing lab, where these food analysts get to work, weighing and testing each sample. and the results are in. at the cheesecake factory, the menu lists the chicken pot pie at 590 calories or less. our dish, only 460 calories. over at outback, the roasted garlic fillet medallions, listed at 790 on the menu. that's under, too. at california pizza pitchen, the menu with 600 calories. our dish, 384. that's more than 200 calories less. what do you make of the results? >> consumers are being tricked. >> reporter: even though they're low center. >> if they're lower, that means they might be higher in other situations. and the consumer is not getting what they think their getting. >> reporter: that's what we find. at shake shack, the single shack burger, 550 cal roins tories on menu, our berger, 551 calories. at chick-fil-a, 440 calories on the menu. the one we tested, 473 calories. at applebee's, the wonton stir fry. 630 on the menu, 677 calories. but the biggest calorie buster, red lobster's brownie overboard. the calories come in at 1,230 calories. that's 530 calories more. >> that's extreme. that's the amount of calories in a meal for many people. >> reporter: we reached out to the restaurants. shake shack didn't respond but the others did. chick-fil-a telling nbc news, there's some natural variation in calorie based on factors like the exact size of the chicken breast. applebee's says they have robust programs to maintain consistency. they conduct sample testing across the country, in an effort to improve. red lobster saying, they strive for consistency, telling us, we appreciate you bringing it to our attention. red lobster, revising the menu. saying, we have changed our nutritional information on this nutritional information on this item. >> if the calories are going to be there, they should be accurate. >> it's a good news story. >> yes. >> we tested one dish from each restaurant. most of them say they calculate the calories on an average. you may be asking, are they allowed to have any kind of variation? they are. they get serious leeway. there's no regulation on how accurate they have to be. we have information on our website, today.com. >> restores my faith in humanity. >> that's pretty cool. >> if you order the brownie overboard, you have to assume -- >> but 700 to 1,230. >> once you -- >> hoda was cheering the entire time like a cheerleader. >> i was going to say. when there's fewer calories than we thought, i never thought we were going to see that. >> you can have two chicken pot pies. >> that's what i took away. "rossen to the rescue" a book, is available in bookstores and online. check it out. coming up, pierce brosnan paying us a visit. and carson is already here. >> we're starving now. golden globe winner right now, claire foy. we're going to talk about your new movie. you're getting incredible reviews. we'll chat about it in a little bit. first, your local news and weather. first, your local news i )m ... our breaking news coverage good morning. it's 8:26, i'm marcus washington. our breaking news coverage of the north bay firestorm continues. this as new video posted by firefighters this morning showing just how chaotic things were when that fire started sunday night. as for the latest information, new mandatory evacuations are issued overnight for areas including residents in calistoga north of grant road and the area around moon mountain road east of highway 12. there are now 17 confirmed fire-related deaths in northern california. that includes 11 in sonoma county. authorities are scheduled to provide new updates at 9:00 this morning. we will bring you that live on nbc bay area. now we want to go to mike inouye looking at traffic. >> as the fire continues to move around, we're getting updates and it does sound like bigger portions of 128 are closing, heading over towards silverado trail. of course the area will have closures any way. highway 29, we talked about that with mantd tore evacuations. this is the upper and lower green valley area heading in toward fairfield so that's where we expect more closures, but i-80 remains open. look how slow it is toward the bay bridge toll plaza. the san mateo bridge is clear from the earlier crashes, but slow. back to you. i'll have another local update for you in half an hour. good morning. nice to meet you. it's 8:30. it's wednesday. it's the 11th of october, 2017. it's a pretty day on our plaza. it feels a little like fall. this will make it winter olympics-y. as two great stars are on the ice this morning. meryl davis and charlie white will treat us to a performance. we have a couple that's been married for 26 years. their names are brett and erica. brett makes coffee for erica when they watch the show. would you like a mug to make it in? >> thank you so much. >> thank you. thanks, guys. >> happy anniversary. >> 20 years is the mug anniversary, right? okay. also ahead, pierce brosnan is in the action thriller "the foreigner." we're going to talk about that. and claire foy from "the crown." >> she has a new movie, too. are these sprinkles we're feeling? >> some showers will be making their way into our region. let's check your weather across the country and see what we got for you. showers and clouds in the northeast, along the m mid-atlantic states. a chilly start to the central plains. plenty of nine. and tomorrow, lingering average. the fire watch continues throughout california. and some pacific storms move into the pacific northwest. good morning, i'm meteorologist kari hall. a lot of smoke from those north bay wildfires moving into the bay area today. temperatures reaching into the low to mid-70s for much of the inland areas and along the coast in san francisco look for a high of 66 degrees. our winds will be picking up and that will increase the threat of those north bay wildfires spreading. the winds will be picking up later this evening into early tomorrow morning. calming down for a day and increasing once again for the weekend. >> get that weather anytime you need it, go to the weather channel on table. mr. lauer? pierce brosnan, is not a stranger to thrillers. his latest movie "the foreigner" stars jackie chan. he plays an official overlooking a bombing investigation. and dark secrets unfold. >> i haven't been affiliated with the i.r.a. for 30 years. when i was, i fought hard against the violence. i went to prison and paid my debt. now, i serve the politics of both sides, trying to heal the wounds and bridge the divide. again, my sincere con dole lenlss. but there's nothing i can do. >> what if your wife and daughter were killed by bomb? >> i would do everything in my power to get justice. >> pierce, good morning. good to see you. >> good morning, matt. good to see you, too. >> we have known each other for quite a while. probably 25 years or so. in all the time i've known her, i never knew you were a huge, or massive jackie chan fan. >> i love the dude. >> when did that start? >> i manual it started with bruce lee. i was a huge bruce lee fan. and to do this film with him was a kick in the pants. we didn't really get to know each other that well because his character was chasing my character. when jackie wasn't working, it was on a plane to china to make another movie. the man works. >> when you did get to meet him, did you do the fan guy thing? i've always been a fan type thing? >> i did. yeah. i hugged him. i embraced him. my god, jackie. let me touch you. he was so gracious. and he worked hard on this film. his english is good. but it's -- when you do a drama, when you do a comedy, you can get away with blue murder. when you do a drama, you have to be precise. >> you would get up and run lines with him. he appreciated it. it's based on a 1992 novel. and you feel there's a real degree in relevance of what we're going through today. >> it's dealing with terrorism. when you see there's a scene in the movie, where i got up on a sunday morning to watch them do the explosion of the bus on the bridge, it really is powerful. it's potent. it's relevant to what we see in our society today. i play a character who is first minister of northern ireland, who was a terrorist. it's close to the bone in that respect. but it's a thriller. the book was written 25 years ago. the guy who wrote the book wrote the part for me as the young terrorist. but time goes on. and now, i'm playing the aging prime minister. >> while it is an action thriller, there's a lot of violence. if you give it time, there's a message of peace in the movie. >> there is. there's a great ambivalence. that's what you want in drama. you have the audience thrown off-center, so to speak. >> you're about to do the sequel to "mamma mia." >> in the end of this week. in the middle of "dancing queen." >> the bloodshed in that movie. is it as much fun to do a movie like that in singing and dancing as it would appear to the untrained eye? >> it's a joy. it was criminal how much fun we had making that movie. we have the whole cast back. we're known as the legacy cast. and then, underneath this, we have the younger versions of ourselves. so, it's a prequel/sequel, without giving too much away. >> you said to me one time, two times ago, you talked about acting is like a life force for you at this stage in your life and your career. what's a dream project? you have had a great run. you got to do all kinds of things. what's a dream project you would want right now? >> martin campbell who directed this movie "the foreigner" and directed me in "golden eye." we have a dream project, an ernest hemingway story, "across the river into the trees." that's a beautiful love story. that's the closest dream. i never know what's going to happen next. >> family good? >> family are great. that's the main treatment. >> every time i talk to you and i mention family, the broad smile comes on your face. say hello. >> i will. >> "the foreigner" opens in theaters this friday. i'm with claire foy. talking about "the crown" and her powerful new movie. are you ready? breathe. first this, is "today" on nbc. we're back with claire foy, her portrayal of queen elizabeth earned her a golden glove. >> and now, she's in "breathe." when polio left robin on a breathing machine, his wife gave him courage to defy the odds. >> machines like that ventilator, only work in hospitals? >> that's just a machine. you plug it in. it goes. why do you ask? >> when he's going to leave the hospital. >> do you have any idea of the risk? >> yes. yes, i do. the risk is he might day. >> claire foy, good morning. we were watching the trailer this morning. we were getting weepy. >> even matt got a little teary. >> oh, no. >> this is based on a true story, isn't it? >> it is. and it's an unbelievable true story because you can't believe that people did so extraordinary things. it's heartbreaking. and all about their love for each other. and courage over adversity. it's an amazing story. >> and the things we take for granted now, that in this time, you couldn't even leave the hospital room if you had the condition, that robin had. >> he was disabled, yeah. that was what the medical profession thought was the best way of caring for disabled people. robin and diana wanted to live outside of the hospital and furthered that for disabled people around the world. they changed the way people were. >> we heard you were going to take a break from movies. and then, you get this script. and there was something about it that spoke to you. >> i cried the entire time. and i never responded to a script like that, where i read the first page and i couldn't stop. and it got more ridiculous. andy serkis directed it. and the stars aligned. i'm not having a rest. it was amazing. >> obviously, "the crown" has been a huge role for you. it was a two-season deal. how do you feel about moving on from that? >> well, that's the thing. i've known about it the entire time. i'm prepared for it. but i think it's -- i'm really excited for the show. the fact it goes on and just doesn't -- so often with tv, things are canceled and it's sad. but i think the show has been successful. and i've loved doing it. i can't wait to watch it and enjoy it, really. >> you're so humble. i don't want to ask you this question. you were unknown here in the states. right now, you a golden globe. on the covers of magazines. "vanity fair" called you america's new "it" girl. you're in the limelight. >> that's news to me. >> they have. how are you adjusting to all of this? >> you know, i think i've been working for ten years. you know, i'm in my 30s. it's amazing. i'm able to joenjoy it and not take it for granted. and not assume it will be like this forever. i will enjoy it and have a nice time, as opposed to trying to go, that's going on. it's lovely. and the show has gone down so well here. and i really appreciate people watching it. and being nice to me. >> she's so nice. >> yeah. >> thank you so much. >> thank you. >> by the way, "breathe" opens up on friday. coming up next, hollywood legend ed asner, why at 70, he's still dreaming big. this is "today" on nbc. 8:45 on a wednesday. we're back with "today living legends." this morning, the great ed asner. al, once again, we're all jealous. he got to spend time with an 87-year-old going strong. >> it's amazing, this guy's energy. we sat down at the franklin theater, chatting about his time in hollywood, regrets and what he hopes to accomplish. ♪ >> can you hear me? >> it's ed asner. >> and al roker. >> yeah. >> reporter: the 20-time emmy-nominated ed asner, living proof that youth isn't always wasted on the mind. the octogenarian, known as lou grant from "the mary tyler moore show." he's showing no saebs of slowing down, with a two-dozen city tear of his one-man show. a man and his prostate. at 87, you're going strong. touring is not that easy. >> wait until i get to be 88. i'm going to double it. >> and you've got a book coming out? >> "the grouchy historian." >> is that a role you've fallen into? >> i'm fairly well known as a grouch. and according to lou grant on tv, i hate spunk. >> you got spunk. >> well, yes. >> i hate spunk. >> that's a stinking lie. i love spunk. >> why do we love lou grant? >> he's the person we know in life who we cower at first and then learn that he's not such a monster. >> a lot of ed asner in lou grant? i borrowed from lou grant. >> you were known as a bit of a firebra firebrand. >> who do you think you are? >> what do you think you're doing? >> at 87, i mean -- >> you're going to keep harping -- how am i going to get lucky? huh? what are you doing? you're spoiling my chances. >> you're out there looking, huh? >> damn right. naomi watt, i worship her. >> and if she is looking for a seasoned actor. >> yeah. or man, stud. >> stud. >> yeah. seasoned stud. that's an alliteration. >> there's a story. >> what would you say is your greatest accomplishment? >> well, i have a beautiful family. i have a beautiful family. >> do you have any disappointments? >> i'm a greedy bastard. i want to be a bigger star. >> do you really? >> yeah. >> you don't think you're a big star? >> no. i'm a little moon, maybe. >> so long, boys. >> i've been curious about this, if you could choose, which would be better? being in a really great comedy or being in a really great drama? >> that's really hard. i have to say comedy. >> good. there was a line in the movie "my favorite year." >> dying is easy. comedy is hard. >> would you agree? >> i haven't died yet. >> you know. >> he just is the best. i mean, and what's great about him, he really is serious. he intends on taking that play of his out all year long, and to keep going. >> good for him. >> i like what he said about lou grant. i think lou grant is the person we all have a little of inside of us, deep down inside. he says the things we sometimes think. >> absolutely. >> that was cool, al. just ahead, hitting the ice with meryl davis and charlie white. first this, is "today" on nbc. and we're back at the rink. the rink at rockefeller center. it opened in 1936. and to help us kick off the new season, olympic champions and friends of our shows, meryl davis and charlie white. a lot changed with these two. you're engaged. >> i am. >> and you have a basebally on the way. >> yes. we're becoming real people. >> we thought it would be you two. and look at your awesome lives. >> we're lucky to be where we're at. >> we're so thrilled to have you here, opening up the rink for us. are you ready? >> we're ready. >> take it away. >> thank you. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >> meryl and charlie, thank you so much. that was absolutely beautiful. guys, over to you. >> love that music, too. >> wow. let's see what's coming up on "megyn kelly today." megyn? >> hey, guys. today, we're going to introduce you to a man who was a beobese. he was depressed. and told by his doctors to get a cemetery plot. he rescued petey from a shelter. and they rescued each other. >> we are going to have much more ahead. first, a look at local news and weather. happening now, we are tracking a new red flag warning that will be in effect as we go into this evening. the winds will be increasing as we go through the day and that will increase the fire danger and the threat of the current wildfires to spread farther to the south. winds will pick up from the north up to 20 to 30 miles per hour and in some of those hills we may have gusts to 50 miles an hour by tonight. with low humidity, that will cause some of those wildfires to spread in different areas, and that will once again be effective starting at 5:00 this evening. temperaturewise it is going to be cooler today as that cold front moves through. high temperatures reaching into the upper 70s in the north way. elsewhere, some mid-70s and very unhealthy air quality as we go into this evening as well as the next couple of days as those wildfires continue to spread in the north bay. and the look at the north bay forecast, we will only have brief periods when the winds calm down. it is expected to pick up as we go into the weekend. coming up on the other side of this break, we have continuing coverage of the north bay wildfires, including a live press conference and we will have more on what we're seeing as those wildfires continue and we'll have an update coming up in just a couple of minutes. ♪ hey grandpa. hey, kid. really good to see you. you too. you tell grandma you were going fishing again? maybe. (vo) the best things in life keep going. that's why i got a subaru, too. introducing the all-new crosstrek. love is out there. find it in a subaru crosstrek. as the wind picks up overnight our crews will be on the ground, tracking the wildfires - tearing through wine country. for every development, as news breaks, join us (now ( on nbc-bay-area-dot-com. and (tomorrow ( morning on regular programming to bring you updates on the north bay fires. officials in napa and sonoma counties are going to give updates. we will stream both of these press conferences at officials in napa and sonoma counties are giving updates. we'll be streaming these on nbc.com. we're trying to get to the live pictures. sonoma starts at 9:30 and napa in just a moment. >> we learned that the atlas fire burning in napa and falono counties exploded overnight. it is now 42,000 acres. nearly double what it was yesterday. that news coming down in just the last few minutes. we have pete who is there ready for the