>> she brought edith bunker alive on the show "all in the family" dead at the age of 90. we celebrate the life and career of one of the funniest women today on sunday, june 2nd, 2013. from nbc news, this is "today" with lester holt and erei erica hill live from rockefeller plaza. >> welcome to "today" this sunday morning. i'm erica hill. >> i'm lester holt. it is hard to overstate how important "all in the family" back was in the 1970s. ground breaking show. it was number one for a stunning five wreerz. >> while jean stapleton, edith, was naive, she also served as the show's conscience. we talked about earlier this morning about how it would be so difficult to have a show like that today, it seems. >> they've dealt with subjects that were politically encorrect then and maybe more so now, and she was just remarkable in that role of softening the blow of some of these really sharp edge subjects. we'll look back at her life, a remarkable life of jean stapleton coming up. just when you thought it couldn't get any worse, a new headache for the irs. a cringe-worthy video. what are they doing with our money? beyonce headlined a charity concert along with jennifer lopez and madonna. talk about the trifecta there. tonight is airs on nbc. >> sounds like a can't miss. i'll take the stage myself on america's got talent. i thought i had a shot. >> we thought you had a shot. we were pulling for you. >> let's just say i'm going to keep my day job or jobs. >> i said i want to come out and do a newscast. you know what now identify said. you'll see what howard said. >> anyway, you will see that a lot more coming up. we do want to begin with the breaking news. wildfires raging many southern california and new mexico this morning. diana alviar is live on the line. >> reporter: good morning. residents in this area are waking up with air choked with smoke. you can tell that there's an enormous fire right behind us. that would be the powerhouse fire, and indeed it has become a very big problem for firefighters in this area. at last count it has burned 19,500 acres and consumed at least five structures. three reported injuries so far, and at least 1,000 people in this area are threatened by those flames. now, this thing has been going since thursday afternoon. it's been fast-moving and tough for firefighters to contain. precisely because right now we're in the middle of a very steep, rugged terrain, and when the crews are out there, they're working by hand with bulldozers trying to physically cut lines around the fire and that has been very difficult. at last count it was between 15% to 20% contained. we're hoping to learn more later this morning when they have that first light to assess the situation. now there's another big fire that people have their eyes on. that one is in new mexico. it's burning about 25 miles outside of santa fe, and it's also choking the air in that area with thick black smoke. the firefighters are trying to contain at this point birth but right now we know that both are out of control, and they're just doing the best they can. lester. >> diana, thank you very much. elsewhere people in oklahoma are picking up the pieces today after a series of twisters whipped across the state this weekend. many thankful this morning they are alive. mark potter is in oklahoma this morning. mark, good morning. >> reporter: hey, good morning. we're in an area that, ufr, has just seen a lot of storm damage, and there's a story here specifically about a woman who had a very close call. >> she had extensive damage to her home, but kelly says she feels lucky that she'll be surrounded by her family after a bad scare. >> it is pretty surreal. >> reporter: with the latest string of tornadoes formed west of oklahoma city, kelly's town of elreno and her home were in the crosshairs. after taking these pictures of an approaching funnel cloud, she says she and her family ducked into an underground shelter to ride out not one, but three tornadoes or severe storms. when she thought the first one had passed, she left the shelter and was lifted off the ground by powerful winds. her husband saved her. >> he grabbed me and somehow ended up back down in the storm shelter. then it hit again after that. >> reporter: in nearby neighborhoods there are other stories of people trying to cope with dramatic classes. for linda the loss of the house where she raised her kids is devastating. >> what are you going to do now? >> clean it up and try to decide what i need to do. i don't know. whether i'm going to rebuild my house, i don't know. >> wrels in the midwest there are other weather problems. in kentucky heavy rains caused flash flooding. >> this is the second time in about three years that we've had to deal with this. >> reporter: and near st. louis severe storms and possible tornadoes caused extensive home damage. in this neighborhood some of the houses are levelled. now, back here in elreno, oklahoma, kelly wsz her family today she's really not obsessing about the damage to her home. as she puts it, it can all be redone. erica. >> mark, thank you. as we first told you on saturday, weather channel meteorologist mike bettis and his crew were caught up in a twister the day before and tossed 200 yards. we're going to talk to mike live about all this in just a moment, but, first, mike and his crew in their own words. >> i just saw my wife's face, and i thought, you know, that's, you know -- that's my life. i don't want to give that up just yet. >> everybody jump. go, go. >> you can hear mike basically yelling into the radio, faster, faster. >> our lead car got pulled off the road into a ditch. we realized we weren't iffigoin make it. i was just thinking, you know, this is it. i'm done. >> that first window lance, could you hear the pop. >> it blew out right next to me and showered me with glass, and the last thing that i remember is looking over my left shoulder and seeing the bettis mobile pass me and go airborne. >> topple, topple, topple. there was a moment there where there was weightlessness. we were floating. truly felt at that moment i was going heaven. >> i came down kind of hard. i had both hands on the steering wheel. >> the car came to rest right side up. i can see a wrecked vehicle in front of us. maybe one behind us. that's when i couldn't see the bettis mobile. they were 100 yards in the middle of a muddy field. it really makes you think about your own mortality and gives you perspective. >> hold on, brother. hold on. >> it's a moment i'll never forget. >> mike bettis is with us live now. how are you feeling? >> pretty good, lester. a few scrapes. and the rest of the guys? >> most of our guys, believe it or not, escaped without a scratch. one of our producers is still in the hospital. he has a few broken bones, but is he in pretty good spirits. >> you guys have a lot of experience. you have done this before. tell me how this one got away from you or got -- just the opposite. >> it was a difficult circumstance. we ended up being on the north side of the storm, which is generally a portion of the storm we don't want to be on because there's a lot of rain there. you can get a lot of hail as well and a lot of times your view of the tornado can be obscured, and so it's a dangerous place because usually the tornado can come right at you. at that circumstance we were trying to get south of the storm. we were actually trying to get away from the storm, not closer to it. if can you get on the south side of the storm, it's usually an area where there's no rain, no hail. you can get an unoncured view of the tornado, and it's moving away from you. that's what we were trying to get. we just ended up getting overtaken. i think another 30 seconds, it would have been past us. >> these things are often described as being in slow motion. we heard you get emotional talking about the face of your wife. was there a moment where you remember that you realize we're done here, that this is -- that we are in this tornado? >> i think when i saw our lead vehicle get pulled off the road and into a ditch, i think that was the moment that i realized we were just not going to get past it. then as soon as i felt the vehicle tumble you know, i move we were in trouble. >> let me ask you the question i think that's on a lot of people's minds when they hear stories like this, and it's why? people often ask us why do we stand in the faes of hurricanes, and they ask us why do you chase tornadoes? is there a good answer? >> i think that storm spotters have a valuable service. they're giving ground troops to meteorologists and the weather service you see on the radar, and they can give advance warning. things can change very quickly. i think storm spotters can give that advanced warning that you wouldn't otherwise get. at times, yes, i think that, you know, the envelope is being pushed more and more, and more people are being more extreme with their chasing, but i just have situational awareness. know where you are and the irradic nature. always have an escape route. >> you have to ask how will this change the way you continue to do your job? >> well, i think, you know, there are moments where, you know, sometimes you get caught up many the moment and you forget exactly, you know, which road you need to take or what not, but i think, you know, if anything there's a lesson to be learned here, lester, that safety comes first. there's another tornado to chase. there will be another one. >> we always appreciated the work that you and the guys do. we are so thankful that you all got out of this thing. you survived it. thanks so much for joining us this morning, mike bettis. >> thank you. the irs is facing another headache this morning in the wake of the news they charged the tea party group for extra scrutiny. now republican controlled house committee has released this embarrassing training video, which was made by the irs a couple of years ago. it shows employees line dancing. critics say it is a huge waste of money. david gregory is moderator of "meet the press" and joins us this morning. david, good morning. >> good morning, erica. >> this three-minute video of them doing the shuffle, it's going to cost about $1,600, but it comes on the heels of the other two training videos that were released that cost a combined $60,000. what does this do for you nor both the irs and the administration? >> well, you know, this is just a lot of money spent for conferences where people get together and at a time of furlows and the federal government, sequester. it's only going to train more of a spotlight on the irs. that's the difficulty here. there's a bigger point, as i have talked to republicans on capitol hill, they intend to keep these investigations going. numerous committees looking at the irs, not just the targeting of conservative groups, those 501c4's and also other groups. there's been reporting over the weekend of their tax status and tax issues that they face. they're going to keep the pressure on here, and that makes it at least a distraction for the administration. >> how much of a distraction at this point? >> well, look, once we get into the campaigning of 2014, you have seen it from the leader of the republicans and the senate, mitch mcconnell, who wants to make this an obama issue, not just an irs issue, but government out of control, and lay that at the feet of president obama. i think you're going to see a lot of republicans doing that. >> if we head to 2014, we learn this week that congressman michelle bachman will not be seeking re-election. a lot of reaction to that and to the reasoning behind it. what does it do to republicans and the tea party? >> i think the tea party is still pretty energized and all have you to do is look at senator ted cruise from texas and rand paul and kentucky. these are presidential contenders and standard bearers for that tea party sentiment. they're doing it within the senate as lawmakers. i think there's a lot of energy there as they continue to move forward and make the case about government being too big. >> all right. thanks. we'll check in with you in just a little bit. that's coming up on "meet the press." let's get the rest of the morning's top stories, including the new development of a killing of a british soldier on the streets of london. jenna is here with more on that. >> hey, guys. good morning. good morning, every. a second person is facing charges this morning in the killing of a british soldier from last month. police in london charged the 28-year-old man with the murder of drummer lee rigby, a 25-year-old soldier who was killed in broad daylight on london's city streets. new this morning, at least one person is dead after an earthquake shoot taiwan. many residents said they could feel when the 6.5 magnitude quake hit. at least a dozen people were injured as well. costco is warning customers not to eat a certain kind of frozen berry that may be linked hepatitis a outbreak. at least six people in california got sick after eating organic anti-oxidant blend frozen berries. that's a short name. there are 30 cases nationwide. they're from townsend. in minnesota they brought back the light bright. the most fun i had as a kid before i was introduced to tv. check this out. aurora borialis, or the northern lights. to get scientific for just a second, this happens when mily charged electrons interact with the magnetic poles, obviously. to get less scientific, someone up there was playing light bright. finally, where were you 60 years ago today? me here. a certain someone across the pond was about to become the future queen. exactly six years ago on this day a woman named elizabeth seals her future regal fate. today is the anniversary of queen elizabeth's coronation. she won't be doing anything big. at least not today. there will be commemorations on tuesday. if are you in the area, you know -- >> it was a year-long celebration, the jubilee. >> another thing on tuesday. >> they want to scale back because there's a baby coming. i don't know if you heard about it, but kate is pregnant, so there's a baby coming next month, and she wants to scale back on the coronation. >> i thought you meant you. >> a slightly less, less big celebration. >> i think she'll be celebrating the birth of her daughter. >> i can guarantee you -- >> a check of the weather keeping you busy this weekend. >> the cold front is now moving into the northeast ever so slowly. our slight risk today of southeast storms from northern new england right back into parts of virginia and our biggest threat with these storms today will be late today into tonight and it will be for wind gusts. perhaps damaging wind gusts and small hail. this is not a major and our temperatures around the bay area today are running cooler closer to the coast and the inner bay where the fog has returned around the coastline this morning. still around q90 in livermore a1 upper 60s in san francisco andi for the first half of the workweek are really cooling down and ast( we pass wednesday temperatures rebound in the opposite direction as we once again see highsç/ráár'gñ2h!ack into the 9 approaching next weekend.ok e look back at the life of one of tv eights greatest comedians. jean stapleton from all in the family. that's next. ♪ we had it made ♪ those were the days [ male announcer ] this one goes out to all the allergy muddlers. you know who you are. you can part a crowd, without saying a word... if you have yet to master the quiet sneeze... you stash tissues like a squirrel stashes nuts... well muddlers, muddle no more. try zyrtec®. it gives you powerful allergy relief. and zyrtec® is different than claritin® because zyrtec® starts working at hour one on the first day you take it. claritin® doesn't start working until hour three. zyrtec®. love the air. talking about the walmart low price guarantee. charcoal. if someone else advertises a lower price, walmart will match it at the register. i didn't know that. i'm full of good ideas! okay. not so much muscle! wow! that's the walmart low price guarantee! bring your last grocery receipt and see for yourself. that's the walmart low price guarantee! ♪ i'at's the walmart low price guarantee! 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[ female announcer ] charmin ultra soft is made with extra cushions that are soft and more absorbent. plus you can use four times less. charmin ultra soft. her tv husband called her a ding bat on "all in the family," but jean stapleton who played edith bunker was anything but. she passed away friday at 90. the life of a true trail blazer on the small screen. ♪ boy the way glen miller played ♪ ♪ songs that made the hit parade ♪ jean stapleton sang her way into america's home and heart in "all in the family," a '70s sitcom, playing archie bunker's better half. >> archie, you must be hungry. i'll get you something. >> reporter: edith, caring with the portrayal of archie. a role she cherished. >> edith bunker has been so loved and had so much affection that she seems to be quite alive in many people's minds. i bask in that affection. >> during her eight and a half years on the show, jean earned three emmys. but the stage trained actress wanted to return to theater relishing in the role of julia child in bone appetite. >> influenced characters for decades to come. >> rob reiner who played her son in all in the series issued a statement saying, "working with her was one of the greatest experiences of my life." and norman leer who cast her in the role of edith wrote, "no one gave more profound how to be a human being lessons than jean stapleton. good-bye edith, darling. ♪ those were the days >> for today, michelle franzen, nbc news, new york. >> and we're back right after this. mine was earned in djibouti, africa. 2004. vietnam in 1972. 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[ female announcer ] charmin ultra soft is made with extra cushions that are soft and more absorbent. plus you can use four times less. charmin ultra soft. . still ahead, my audition in front of howard stern and the rest of "america's got talent" judges. >> you were robbed. >> robbed. >> plus, is she the hostess with the mostest or should dylan stick to the weather? see what happened when dylan threw a dinner party for the whole game but first these messages. the boys used double miles from their capital one venture card to fly home for the big family reunion. you must be garth's father? hello. mother. mother! traveling is easy with the venture card because you can fly any airline anytime. two words. double miles! this guy can act. wanna play dodge rock? oh, you guys! and with double miles you can actually use, you never miss the fun. beard growing contest and go! ♪ i win! what's in your wallet? >> good morning to you. looking live at san francisco, a very pretty start to the day an] a very warm one though a cooldown in the forecast, as well. thanks for joining us. i'm kris sanchez along with meteorologist rob mayeda with the forecast that may be pleasant for the workweek. will see will couping today as t