>> lardo for short. >> never ever call you lardo. good morning. a new tornado outbreak rips across the midwest as one massive twister levels homes and businesses in south dakota overnight. millions today facing the threat of strong storms from dallas to new york and al is tracking it all. evacuating. two of the world's largest o companies begin pulling staff out of iraq as the violence there rages on. secretary of state john kerry speaks exclusively to nbc news saying u.s. air strikes are not off the table, teaming up with iran is and his message to iraq war veterans who fought so hard. >> there's a disappointment, yes. there's a frustration, yes, but this is not finished. >> our one-on-one this morning. worldwide outage.

facebook, the site that vows never to crash does just that overnight. so what took it off-line? swinging into action, meet the 11-year-old -- yes, 11-year-old golf prot gentlemen making history at the u.s. women's open today, thursday, june 19, 2014. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with matt lauer and savannah guthrie live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. good morning everyone. welcome to "today" on thursday morning. welcome back al and natalie. you look fabulous. >> my bad, i crashed facebook. i signed up last week, i think i hit the wrong thing when i was trying to post a picture yesterday. my apologies. >> did you check "crash the website." >> tried to put up a picture of me and derek jeter.

boom. everything went dark. >> this is what happens when i don't type for you. we'll have more on that, but let's get to our top stories. another round of dangerous tornadoes, more severe weather on the way? >> that's right. about 25 million people will be affected by today's severe weather threat. last night the town of south wesington in south dakota was affected. you look at all of this, it's a miracle nobody was injured and there were no deaths. but it hit very hard, town of alpina not too far from there hit as well. we have another round of storms already going this morning as we show you, we have heavy showers and thunderstorms to the north of new york, heavy activity around chicago, minneapolis looking at heavy thunderstorms there as well. you can see the heavy rain falling. here is what's happening, all along the frontal system we're looking for showers and thunderstorms. heavier thunderstorms rolling through minneapolis into this evening, friday into early friday morning. so we have two areas of severe weather we're watching, one back

through the plains, another, believe it or not, along the mid atlantic states. today washington, roanoke, norfolk, isolated tornadoes can't be ruled out. the bigger area from the plains, fargo, minneapolis, omaha, wichita and on south into oklahoma again. rainfall amounts, some areas in this central area from iowa into minnesota could pick up another two to three inches of rain. so flash flooding is also going to be an issue as well. but after today things calm down, the atmosphere actually starts to get a little calmer. >> al, thank you. meanwhile, new violence in iraq is raging this morning. insurgents targeting the country's key oil fields. in a moment we'll hear from secretary of state john kerry exclusively. first nbc's chief foreign correspondent richard engel is in bagdad. >> as the fighting rages near iraq's key north even oil fields, the government increased

security at the oil facilities it still controls. major foreign companies including exxon and bp are evacuating staff according to iraq's state-run south oil companies. iraq's main oil refinery is no longer working, cut off by islamic militants. in northern iraq there are already fuel shortages, long lines at gas stations in a country with some of the largest reserves in the world. to stop the insurgents' advance, iraq formally requested the u.s. launch air strikes. the iraqi army was supposed to be able to stand on its own. the u.s. spent lives, years and $25 billion to train and equip it. general martin dempsey once ran the training program. general dempsey told congress yesterday he's deeply disappointed two full iraqi army divisions collapsed, some commanders colluding with the militants. >> in the absence of leaders of a military formation, the

soldiers are not going to stick around and wait to see what happens. >> reporter: iraq's prime minister nuri al maliki says generals who retreated would be court-martialed for failing to fight in mow sul even though the arm out numbered the militants 30 to one. now to our exclusive interview with secretary of state john kerry. we were with him on wednesday as he shuttled back and forth to the white house helping the president weigh options in iraq. i began by asking secretary kerry about the reports that the president has take even the option of air strikes in iraq off the table. >> nothing is off the table. all options are still available to the president. >> it seems like the u.s. was totally caught off guard by this. >> look, our people on the ground in iraq have seen the increased intensity. we've been watching this happening. we have been engaged in efforts over the months. we've been beefing up our

assistance, our press tense. >> but did you act too slowly? maliki was asking for help with air strikes in the last few weeks as this was coming, as i.s.i.s. was coming toward this part of iraq. why didn't we act then? >> for a lot of different reasons, not the least of which is we didn't have operational theater capacity at that point in time, partly because prime minister maliki denied the kind of permissions necessary. >> that raises the question why to come to maliki's rescue now. >> this is not about maliki. let me stress, what the united states is doing is about iraq. it is not about maliki. nothing that the president decides to do is going to be focused specifically on prime minister maliki. it is focused on the people of iraq. >> but it may benefit maliki. >> shia, sunni, kurd. that's up to the people of iraq.

the united states is deeply concerned about the islamic state of iran, iceal as we know it. they're more extreme even than al qaeda and they are threatening the united states and western interests. >> you've mentioned that the u.s. is open at least to possibly working with iran as you deal with this situation with i.s.i.s. in northern iraq. >> first of all, i don't know where this comes from that we suggested working with iran in that regard. >> i thought you said it in an interview the other day. >> what i said is we are interested in communicating with iran to make clear that the iranians know what we're thinking and we know what they're thinking and there's a sharing of information so people aren't making mistakes. >> just to be clear, the u.s. isn't considering working hand in hand with iran. i think for a lot of americans that's a head-scratcher. >> it would be a head-scratcher. no. we're not sitting around

contemplating if we're going to do that. that's not on the table. >> dick cheney said rarely has a u.s. president been so wrong about so much affecting so many. >> this is a man that took us directly into iran. please. >> did the president miss the moment, make a huge mistake by not trying to turn the tide in syria then and what's happening in iraq now is the chickens coming home to roost. >> savannah,s plenty of time gog down the road here for people to have post mortems and to make decisions. we are the largest single donor of humanitarian assistance. we are deeply engaged. and working with our allies and friends in the region. we are assisting, training, doing work in terms of providing nonlethal aid and assistance. >> but doesn't the evidence suggest it's not working? instead of things getting better because of our assistance,

groups are on the rise. >> they're on the rise because assad is a magnet for terrorists of all walks who are coming there to try to unseat him. >> didn't you advocate for arming the opposition when you were a senator? didn't you that i was the wrong thing to do? >> i did. >> doesn't it kill you to see what is happening? >> let me make it clear, we are augmenting our assistance in significant ways. >> what do you say to iraq veterans, those who lost so much, or familiar lives those who lost everything in iraq who are looking now and saying what was that for? no sooner have we left than everything goes back to just the way it was? >> that remains to be seen. and the test is in really these next few days and weeks. and we are going to do everything in our power to follow-through and try to get the job done through diplomacy, if we can, in order to honor their sacrifice. >> as the secretary said, the

verdict is still out on what ultimately happens in iraq. >> you spent a lot of time with him yesterday. we'll have more on that tomorrow. >> yeah. we had a behind-the-scenes look at the day of life of john kerry. it was a very busy day. that will be tomorrow. >> i look forward to that. speaking of politics, natalie, there is a key vote on capitol hill. >> that's right. this actually could set the tone for the future of the gop. the house republican leadership will hold elections to replace outgoing majority leader eric kantor. he stepped down after a stunning defeat in the virginia primary. kevin mccarthy of california is the front-runner. if mccarthy wins the post, then republicans will have to vote for a new majority whip. residents in nebraska are still cleaning up this morning from that devastating double tornado on monday. four tornadoes touched down during that storm, destroying nearly 50 homes and killing two people including 5-year-old kaly dixon. dixon's parents had just moved

from alabama in anybody to help her grandparents. her granddaughter was a soft spoken girl who dreamed of becoming a doctor. >> and i said why do you want to be a doctor? she says, so that i can help people. and my husk crippled, she was constantly running back and forth getting things for him and doing things. she even got to the point where she made us call her dr. cally. >> nebraska officials say the two deaths there are the first in ten years caused by a tornado. a brief scare for passengers on a southwest airlines flight out of tampa on wednesday. the plane was forced to turn around shortly after takeoff. it made an emergency landing back in tampa bay. the reason, the plane hit several birds causing significant damage as you can see there to the left wing of the plane. the plane did land safely and passengers were then rebooked on other flights into houston. the washington redskins say they will appeal a ruling wednesday by the u.s. patent and

trade mark office that stripped the team of six trade marks. the rulings of the redskins name is not subject to trade mark protection because it is based on skin color and disparaging to native-americans. dan snyder resisted pressure to drop the name calling it a badge of honor that pays tribute to the strength and courage of native-americans. the man accused of breaking into sandra bullock's home was back in course after police discovered an arsenal in his home. the 39-year-old pleaded n guilty to more than a dozen felony charges including seven counts of possession of a machine gun. spain's new king took part in the first official act of his reign today. king philip vi received the red sash of the captain general of the arms forces from his father juan carlos.

the ceremony took place shortly before he was formally proclaimed monarch. he became king after the stepping down of his father. forget the sand traps, water has orders, golfers were faced with this. the unimaginable danger, there take a look. a police chase several police cruisers chasing a pickup truck right down the fairway. the suspect was wanted on stolen property and drug charges. after the chase, parentally officers are in trouble for not yelling fore! no one was hurt. >> a lot of people would have gone for that one, natalie. >> yeah. >> all is fine. >> even i wouldn't do that one. >> meanwhile, spain's new king philippe, first thing he did after being crowned king is -- fire the soccer team, all of them. can you believe they're done? >> can you believe it? >> defending champs, out. >> unbelievable. all things lead to soccer for

you these days. >> i'm addicted to it, yeah. >> i keep pointing out, maybe this means team usa. >> okay. >> can do you a soccer segue in your weather forecast? >> i can't. >> can you use your head for a soccer ball. >> fore! anyway, we'll show what you is happening as far as your weather is concerned. for today, we're looking at that risk of slight storms, strong storms along the mid-atlantic coast and back through the plains. gorgeous through the southwest. 88 in phoenix today. 103 in phoenix, i should say. 82 in los angeles. and our friends in central and southern florida are looking for a real wet day today. we're going to get to looking fr a real wet day today. we will get to your local forecast coming up. also known as the world's least important ceo. which is precisely why we tied him to this high-speed train. at quirky, our products are invented by real people who submit their ideas to our website.

so whether our ceo makes it or not, quirky will continue to invent incredible new things. products invented by real people like you. quirky. 7:15 now. good thursday morning. we have some wind change to tell you about. wind thousand coming off of the pacific ocean, we will see cooling at the immediate coastline. elsewhere temperatures today will be just about as warm as where we ended up yesterday. 84 on the way to the south bay. 88 in the east bay. 68 for san francisco. today with a little bit of cloud cover over the gold engate bridge. now to the next step in the recovery of six-time olympic gold medalist amy van dyken rouen. two weeks after her spinal cord

was severed in an atv crash, van dyken rouen is beginning her rehabilitation with an incredible spirit. here is nbc's miguel almaguer. >> every day you take a breath is a blessing. sometimes we take it for granted. >> reporter: amy van dyke en has always been a fighter, now from her gurney as she once was in the pool. america's golden girl at the '96 olympics -- >> she's got the gold. >> reporter: show won four gold medals and two more in 2000. once the fastest woman in the water, van dyken rouen will likely never walk again. >> the hardest has been when the doctors come in and poke my legs. that's hard. but i'm going to get through it. it's okay. >> reporter: two weeks ago the hall of fame swimmer severaled her spinal cord, dislocated her

211 and t 12 vertebrae in an atv accident. >> when my husband found me i was face down not breathing. >> reporter: just before surgery doctors told her and her husband she might not survive. >> there's a good chance i was president going to make it out of surgery. it was one of those things where i looked at my husband and basically said i love you, good-bye, please continue on with your life. i allow you to date, which was hard to say. >> reporter: today van dyken rouen begins a new chapter in her life with the same spirit and smile she's always been known for. >> yes, this injury sucks and yes things hurt, but i'm al live and i'm so thankful to be alive. so that's why i can be positive about it. >> reporter: a former olympian who is still a champion. for "today," miguel almaguer, nbc news, los angeles. >> with each day we see more of

her and we're more impressed. >> thinking in that moment she's thinking of her husband, that's incredible. golf's u.s. women's open tees off this morning. the talk of the tournament is just 11 years old. >> it's not a high-speed chase on a golf course. i'll do my best. her name is lucy li, the youngest player ever to qualify for this major tournament. a sixth grader now ready to take on the very best in the world. don't let the braces or pigtails fuel you, lucy li is ready to play with the grown ups. at the age of 11 she's about to compete on golf's biggest stage, younger than other recent venoms like lexi thompson and lydia co-. she's already handling press conferences like a pro. >> what do you think of playing in front of crowds. >> i like crowds. i play better the more people that come watch me. >> is there anything about this week that makes you nervous? >> not really. >> reporter: li spent nearly

half her young life preparing for this. since the age of six, she split her time between her home in california's bay area and a golf course in florida. here is a slow motion drive at the age of 9. michelle lee who turned pro at 16 is already a fan. >> she's so darn cute. >> reporter: her advice? >> go out there, try to learn as much as you can, go up to any pro. we're not scary. we won't bite. ask us anything. >> reporter: there are some critics including world number one stacy lewis, she told "usa today," quote, i just like to see kids learn how to win before they come get beat up out here. if it was my kid, i wouldn't let her play in a u.s. open qualifier at 11. as for li, it's simple, she just likes golf. >> i like golf because it's different from any sports. anybody can play it if you're

tall, short, fast, slow. >> pretty poised 11-year-old. interesting to listen to michelle wie. she played at the u.s. open at the age of 13, had rauf road, went away to college and is playing very well on the lpga tour. interesting to see what this 11-year-old can do. >> fun to see. willy, thank you very much. cameron is busy in the orange room because facebook suffered a little meltdown overnight? >> matt broke facebook, the word on the street. while we were getting our last few minutes of sleep last night in the wee hours of the morning, facebook went down. guess what happened everyone? >> what? >> people went to twitter. true story. facebook went down. this is what was posted. sorry, something went wrong. we are working on getting this fixed as soon as they k. i think they should have put a happy face to make you feel better so

early in the morning. as mentioned, facebook released this statement saying earlier this morning we experienced an issue that prevented people from posting to facebook for a brief period of time. we resolved the issue quickly and we are back to 100%. this is the longest outage since 2010 when facebook suffered a software issue. total number of minutes estimated at 31. anyway, let us know what you think. go to our facebook page and tell us what you did in those 31 minutes of your time. >> where were you when facebook went down? >> oh, my god! i can't get on facebook! >> i couldn't like anything. it was terrible. >> tamron, thank you. coming up, was it just a joke. the two-word tweet that got an honors student suspended from school. now he's suing. imagine being thrown in jail for 27 years for killing your family, a crime you did not commit. this morning a rossen report

investigation on the flawed science used on some arson cases, and it's putting innocent people behind bars. we'll look into that. first, this is nbc. >> this is "today" on nbc. what did i forget?

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wow! isn't it beautiful? your sweet peppers aren't next to your hot peppers. [ gasps ] a very good morning to you. the bay area mom accused of choking a boy at her child's school will be in court in one hour. delia garcia bratcher has not been charged with anything. but she's accused of storming into the campus of the school, grabbing the throat of a boy she thought had been bullying her daughter. a private investigator hired by her attorney says another student saw the alleged victim choke himself to create red marks on his neck. a bay area music teacher faces life in prison for reportedly inappropriately touching three young students. 28-year-old brian butts was arrested last week but investigators just released details. butts was a guest instructor at

music arts studio twhiwhile the studio he 0owner was out of cou. butts pleaded not guilty on monday. the students are between 13 and 15 years old. we have some traffic problems mike has the day off. a multivehicle crash on northbound 101 has cleared, but heavy delays 37 save yourself ten minutes, take northbound 87 over 101 this morning. as we head throughout the next few hours, we're expecting heavy delays to continue due to the jackknifed tractor trailer blocking one lane. it will take a long time to get it cleared out. southbound 680 at mission. and also an incident to tell you about on the bay bridge, westbound two car crash, two lanes blocked. very serious situation. you can see the backup here at the toll plaza, very extensive this morning.

and it will take you about an hour longer to cross that westbound bridge than it normally would. good news is the weather is on our side this morning. your ocean temperature is about 52 degrees, the cool westerly flow will bring the ocean air to the immediate coast and transport it inland. we'll still hit the 80s for today. 84 beautiful, but a little on the warm side out there. we'll be back with another local news update in about half an hour.

7:30 on a thursday morning, the 19th of june, 2014. a nice view from the top of the rock. on a morning starting with clouds and hopefully will get nicer by the end of the day. al is predicting good weather for the concert tomorrow morning. a reminder that the hit band fallout boy will be live in our summer concert stage on our 8:30 half hour tomorrow. here is what's making headlines this morning. a third tornado outbreak in as many days across the midwest. one tornado caused widespread damage in south dakota late last night, injured at least one person. lawyers for boston bombing suspect dzhokhar tsarnaev are asking to have his trial moved to washington, d.c.

the defense team claims their client faces an overwhelming presumes of guilt in the state of massachusetts. the violence in iraq is helping to push u.s. gas prices higher. this morning's national average, $3.68 a gallon. that's the highest for this time of year since 2008. also c . this morning the selfie that may have saved a life, what one woman did. >> also, you build it, they will come. the beloved classic "field of dreams" turns 2005. this morning, bob costas turns being to that iconic farm in iowa interest tail come there. >> okay. speaking of baseball, tomorrow on "today," we go one on one with derek jeter. yank egreat in the middle of his final season. he reflects a bit on his legacy. how cool to be able to sit in the yankee dugout with the captain derek jeter.

>> it is, ehab been there 20 years. that's our exclusive. >> we begin this half hour with a controversial school suspension in minnesota him it started with a simple two-word tweet. now an honor student is suing saying his reputation is suing. nbc's ron mott has the story. >> reporter: in the twitter sphere, trouble can be find in fewer than 1254 characters. the words, yeah, in response to an anonymous question whether he made out with a female student got him suspended, investigated by police, eventually led him to transfer to schools. now he is suing. >> he should understand there are ramifications to making remarks like this online. he should not have been suspended and certainly there was no crime exited here. >> it sturn u turns out he was just yokeing when he answered "yes." officials weren't laughing despite his apology.

police say it was the teacher named in the original tweet whose name and working suffered. >> she was bullied and berated by students. i know this has become difficult for her to gen her teaching career. >> reporter: if lawsuit says reid's post was a mistake. he has since learned sarcasm does not translate well over the internet. he never intended anyone to believe his post. his classmates protested, braving minnesota's winter frost, nearly 5,000 signing an online poet. prosecutors have dropped the case. in a statement wednesday the district said private educational data are involved, and, therefore, it can not disclose or discuss the matter. >> the school should use this as a teachable moment to let all of the kids know what about what is and is not appropriate online. >> yet another cautionary tale about social media and the whiteening grey area it exposes.

for "today," ron mott, nbc news, chicago. >> we want to know what you think should have been done him should that student have been suspended? you can weigh in at today.com. we will give you the results of that less tan scenetistic survey coming up. let's take a turn now, get a check of the weather from al. >> today's weather is brought to you be i the new windows, one experience for everything in your life. >> let's look out your window see what we're expecting. we bought the some warm temperatures making tear way from the southwest all the through the gulf coast and into the mid-atlantic states. the dividing line the front al system. everybody to the south the warm air will continue as you look at these temperatures, we expect to see temperatures dropping 75 degrees, new york city. that's 5 degrees below normal. atlantic city 2 degrees below normal. washington, d.c. 90.

nor folks snemp 97, roanoke 90 degrees above average. we have a risk, though, strong storms along the mid-atlantic coast. strong storms from the planes down into oklahoma, out west, good morning to you. temperatures mostly in the 50s to start. we have a good looking day shaping up, although i have to tell you, it will be warm out there again my friends. everywhere except for the immediate coast, and i can tell you that as we get into the next couple days, temperatures will stay hot. we'll be cooling you down though as we get into this weekend. want to touch on the traffic alert northbound 101 at trimble, watch out the crash has cleared, but they have very backups. . >> and that's your latest weather. >> listen to this one because you love gadgets. now the newest entrance in the

smartphone war, amazon unveiled its fire phone. we are in seattle with joe, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, matt. this is it. the new amazon fire phone starts shipping on july 25th. the price begins at $24u6789, higher than some expected. we got a first-happened look at how the phone works. jeff beso knows for his new fire phone to succeed it has been to be different. it unveiled a die namic perspective which makes it feel leak you are looking through a window. amazon's james gave us a closer look at how the 3d technology works. >> what they're do is to figure out where your head is. >> reporter: based on that, the image on the phone changes as the phone moves. >> it will be interesting to see whether or not consumers grab on to that or whether it's a neat

feature they can show their friend and not need it in the new world. >> forget the new ubiquetous finger swipe, it performs with a fleck of the wrist then there is something called firefly, within seconds, firefly recognizes that product and you can boy it, a link to amazon's core business. >> already some people are saying it's not just a phone, it's a new shopping machine. >> reporter: amazon says firefly can recognize 100 million item, including art and tv shoedz shows down to one episode, one look at the audience reveals a huge challenge getting customers to ditch their iphones and androids. face book is among those that failed. >> what makes you think you can be different? >> well, we wouldn't have done it if we didn't think we could be different. the best thing we can do is create a great product. i think we've done that. >> reporter: so with these new

features, including the dynamic perspective, some are wonder how long the battery lasts? amazon says it's comparable to other smartphones, amazon says its ear buds do not get tangled. back to you. >> that is key. >> sold. >> but the ear buds are so annoying when they get all wrinkled up. >> what are you thinking? you might go for that? >> i'd like to see a few more reviews. >> i like that shopping idea, though, that can work. coming up on trending, are they serious? why days into summer break, some stores are advertiseing back-to-school sales. coming up next, deadly arson cases getting a second look now, a few science that freed a man that spe7 years behind bars for the murder of his own family. we will look into it right after this. .

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arson science. imagine you're thrown in jail for burning your house down and killing your family but you didn't do it. today national correspondent jeff rossen is here with more on this story. jeff, good morning. >> good morning. look, we've all seen the stories, the house catches fire. investigators come and look around and determine a cause, arson. all based on burn patterns inside the house. it's science, but now a huge change. fire experts say they've been wrong all these years. the science is flawed, and so many people sitting in prison today may be innocent. >> 911 what's your emergency? >> i woke up and the house is full of smoke. >> reporter: there is nothing scarier than this, your home on fire. your family trapped inside. so often it ends in death. fire investigators show up, analyzing every burn mark to figure out the cause. >> this is where it all happened and this is where i lost my entire family. >> reporter: that's david gav

vitt, his home caught fire back in 1985. investigators say the fire patterns proved arson, writing in the official report "a flammable liquid was thrown into the middle of the room." david was the sole survivor, his wife angela and daughters katrina and tracy didn't make it. >> i didn't even get a chance to grieve because i had to fight. >> reporter: to prove your innocence. >> yes, to prove my innocence. >> reporter: when the fire investigator said to you this is arson, and we're sure you did it, you killed your family, what went through your mind? >> like a whole ton of bricks hit me. like someone reaching in and taking my heart out. >> reporter: based on the burn patterns alone, david was convicted of murder. >> prosecutors at your trial didn't present a motive for why you would want to try to kill your family? >> huh-uh. >> reporter: no physical evidence tieing you to it? >> no. >> reporter: it was just the science. >> yes.

>> reporter: what did it turn out to be? >> junk science. >> reporter: as he sat behind bars for 27 years, the industry turned on its head. fire experts call this a v pattern, proof they always believed an accelerant was used right there, sure sign of arson. but now investigators have done a complete reversal saying that v pattern and the patterns found in david's house may not be arson after all. could be accidental. >> we need to be more accepting of the fact that some fires are going to be left undetermined. >> reporter: the innocence clinic of michigan took on david's case. prosecutors reinvestigated and guess what? they found no trace of flammable liquid, no evidence of arson at all. >> it simply wasn't possible for us to mount a new trial today, so it remains fire of undetermined cause. >> reporter: david was finally released. his first stop as a free man, the family grave site.

>> reporter: why are you speaking snout. >> so it doesn't happen to any innocent victim. i don't want them going through what i experienced. >> david gavitt is suing the state of michigan for putting him behind bars. he may not be alone. the innocence clinic is looking into scores of other cases. how many other people are sitting in prison right now based on bad science. guys? >> jeff rossen, thank you very much. coming up, we'll shift gears, go to trending and ask what is that? the strange and very curious sea creature caught on camera. from the orange room, talking about our favorite summer jobs. first these messages. look at them. time thieves. with their tiny little bandit hands. stealing a second. a minute. an entire day. that's where your time went. with these creatures. hungry, sleepy, poopy little crooks. but honestly, they wouldn't even have to steal it

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year olds have summer jobs and that includes the first daughter, malia obama. she is interning on the set of halle berry's new show. it is produced by steven spielperispie spielberg. that got us to thinking about our summer jobs. matt, you work at a men's clothing store, richards. savannah worked at a cookie store not to be named. >> it was called cookie incredible. i gained ten pounds. >> pet store, which one? >> doctors rx. i cleaned a lot of doggy poop. >> al bagged and stocked chicken. >> and cleaned up the aisles and lied about my age. i was 13.

i wasn't supposed to be working. >> i was 14 when i worked in the plush section of toys r us. kathie worked at a football league. she met elvis presley and dated elvis for three months. >> that's a cool job. [ laughter ] >> thank you. coming up some magic to get you ready for the weekend. studies prove that fruits and vegetables are kept at their peak by freezing. because freezing is nature's pause button. but do you know what else it keeps at their peak? the just crafted, just baked meals you'll find in your freezer aisle. take a fresh look at frozen. it's how delicious stays delicious. frozen. how fresh stays fresh.

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a very good morning to you. 7:56. investigators trying to figure out if a brush fire in oakland was started on purpose. the fire burned bushes and trees an area the size of half of a football field. several roads were temporarily shut down while crews put water on the flames. it is several miles away from where crews have been firing where five fires broke out. they think three were intentionally set and two others started by embers. investigators say burn pattern suggests someone may have put gasoline on wood just to get the fires going. want to check in with christina loren with a look at the forecast and the morning commute. still have the traffic alert in the south bay. a better day to take 87 northbound at least for the next hour. traffic alert located 101 headed

authority as you approach trinl bell ro trimble road. the crash has cleared , but there are heavy backups. 101 northbound approaching 280, still moving very slow. residual delays will remain at least for the next 45 applicantapplicant minutes. and we have a multivehicle accident just cleared, but i can tell you these delays will go beyond 45 minutes. take a look at the bay bridge toll plaza, backed up heavily. give yourself some patience this morning and extra time if you can. hopefully residual delays will start to clear. 15 minutes to half more to get that cleared. 58 in the east bay. 59 in the peninsula area. today it will be nice out there. a little bit on the warm side, though. we will head up to 88 degrees on the east bay. 68 degrees in san francisco. and peninsula, 82 for today. beautiful conditions in the south bay. we will keep on top of traffic alert 101 northbound.

we'll which can back later. we'll be back in half an hour with another update.

it's 8:00 on "today." coming up diagnosis by selfie. >> i don't know why this is happening to me. >> what this woman captured on her smart phone that may have saved her life. "field of dreams" 25 years later. >> if you build it he will come. >> bob costas reunites the cast of one of the most beloved films. and keeping up with kim. >> hi "today" show it's kim kardashian. >> the reality star opens up to "today" about her wedding, motherhood and more. this is "today," thursday, june

19. [ cheers and applause ] >> good morning, miami! >> we love you! >> we came all the way from kansas city. >> i fell in love with "today" 15 years ago! >> good morning everyone. welcome back to "today" on thursday morning. al, did you see this sign? i want to kiss al roker. i believe that can be arranged. dreams coming true. >> nice throw back thursday song. i love summer time. i didn't know it was sunday. >> takes me back to 1993. >> all those years ago. >> talk about music we have a great concert lined up for tomorrow on "today."

fallout boy will be here. >> and if it is still working check out facebook. savannah answered questions a few weeks ago. matt joined for the first time last week and opened up about his love for pepperoni pizza. and this morning natalie in the hot seat. >> why did you pick that song for throwback thursday? >> because i built this city. >> good morning, you guys. in the news iraq is beefing up security at the country's oil facilities as a battle against rebels for control of the country's biggest oil refinery rages for the sec second day. this morning president obama held a meeting on what actions he may take.

secretary of state john kerry told savannah the military option in iraq is still available to president obama and said the u.s. has a vested interest in topping the rebels. >> they represent a threat to every country in the region. they are more extreme, even than al qaeda and they are threatening the united states and western interests. >> secretary of state kerry said the u.s. is not interested in working with iran to find a solution in iraq but is interested in sharing information with tehran. the selfie can be viewed as a fad but for one woman the selfie was a life saver. >> reporter: she was frustrated two days before she had the same symptoms. >> it is all tingering on the left side. >> reporter: the er doctor sent her home saying it is stress related. >> the doctor said breathe in

and out and manage your stress. i'm trying. >> reporter: now parked on the side of the road she took a selfie to show them what was going on. >> i don't know why this is happening to me. >> reporter: scared about aware enough to do something. >> i needed to do something that i could show somebody what was happening so i took my phone and recorded. >> reporter: using the video the doctors this time determined she had a mini stroke, in fact, they say she had three. >> the fact she is able to make a video and it is public and people know what to look for i think she is helping with awareness for patients. >> reporter: mini strokes happen when the blood supply to the brain temporarily drops depriving it of oxygen. symptoms include weakness or paralysis on one side of the body, confusion, speech or vision difficulties or sudden loss of balance. >> this was instant. >> she is now on medication and

feeling good again after thinking fast to use technology to help doctors help her. there is a real champion on the mound at wednesday's annual softball game between women of congress and rivals at the washington press. before taking the field giffords tweeted a joke. it is 8:05. let's get a check of the weather with al. >> thank you so much. we have a huge crowd here. just enormous for a thursday. look at all of the folks we have. let's see what we have for your weather. we start with our pick city today, indianapolis. nbc 13. showers and thunderstorms thursday, friday and saturday.

chance of an isolated storm or two. as we look today we are looking at more wet weather making its way, pittsburgh showers and thunderstorms right through the day today into the afternoon hours. temperatures in the upper 70s. risk of strong storms along the mid-atlantic coast. strong storms back to oklahoma. beautiful weather in california. 67 in san francisco. 82 l.a. we have some partly cloudy skies in oregon where we have oregon girl scout troop 585. what county are you from? >> roseburg. >> and you brought us short breads. i 8:06. good morning to you! i'm meteorologist christina loren, taking a live look at oakland. nice and clear over the bay here, metering lights are definitely on. we actually have a collision headed westbound over the bay bridge. keep that in mind. otherwise, today is going to be really, really nice. 58 degrees right now in the east

bay. you're at 60 in san francisco, on your way up to the upper 60s for today. meanwhile, hit the 80s. here in the south bay, 82 for the peninsula, 83 in the north bay, and city-by-city microclimate shows you 90 for brentwood today. that's your latest weather. >> troop 585 from oregon, there you go. >> did you pay for these? >> i didn't. >> you have to. >> you will be invoiced. coming up next on trending an incredible vine video has you asking how did they do that? >> bob costas catches up with kevin costner and other cast members of "field of dreams" 25 years after the movie was released. and kim kardashian opens up to us about her lavish wedding, her husband and more. but first these messages. bill have you seen my keys anywhere?

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back to school bargains. many kids are not out of school yet. retailers like wal-mart and j.c. penney are rolling out their back to school campaigns. if you check online right now you will find deals on clothes, backpacks and gadgets. retailers say the early rollout makes for good business. >> is there still back lash from this the same way you still see christmas ads from halloween. >> the summer sales are now. that's to stock up for next year. >> i'm all for books and backpa backpacks. my kids will grow a full size over the summer. >> size up. that's what i do. get the next size up. check this out. this mysterious sea creature was captured 5,000 feet below the surface. scientists say they know what this creepy thing is.

they believe it is a rarely seen jellyfish plotting its way through the gulf of mexico. this video was shot by an under water gulf rig camera. as jellyfish go this is about two feet long. >> it looks bigger. >> it does. >> maybe its mother loves it. it is not an attractive jellyfish. >> usually found about 7,000 miles in antarctica. scientists don't know how this guy ended up where they found it in the gulf. world cup fever, it is time to let you in on a little soccer secret. you may have noticed something funny on the field. players get tapped. falling in agony. here is the deal. they are usually faking.

these are called the flops and are pretty common in soccer around the world except among americans because team usa say it is cheating. >> they do that in basketball, too. >> the world cup these refs have to make split second decisions as to what happened. you have some guy faking it. >> they look at the replay tape and realize i fell for that one. a company that makes condoms out with a new ad spoofing the dives. the ad, don't fake it. [ laughter ] >> i saw a lot of that in the spain/chile game yesterday. >> i'm not -- >> i didn't see the whole condom company. >> how did this get past the censors. >> i had to read it.

imagine my heart just stopped. i'm moving on here. we have seen some pretty creative vine videos. vine user posting a clever video. using vine to get more than 300,000 likes in just a couple of days. that is pretty cool. >> how many times would you want to grab your kid out of mid air when they are about to do something stupid. >> that's great. very cool. up next kevin costner's return to the iconic field of dreams.

we're back with one of the most be loved movies of all times. 25 years ago "field of dreams" captured the hearts of millions. kevin costner and some co-stars recently returned to the farm where the movie was set. it still remains a cherished landmark. here is nbc's bob costas. >> reporter: it was 1989 when a mysterious voice in the iowa sky first spoke the words that would take their place in hollywood history. >> if you build it, he will come. >> reporter: and build it he did. >> is this heaven? >> no. it's iowa. >> i don't know how this film worked. honest to god, we're talking

intellectually about this movie. but you know, movies aren't intellectual. they're emotional. this one rang a bell. >> reporter: that bell still rings today, not just for movie goers, but for costner and his "field of dreams" co-stars dwyer brown and timothy busfield. they've reunited for the film's 25th anniversary here in tiny dirsville, iowa. >> the drought of '88. all the corn everywhere around this field was dead. the grass was painted green. flies everywhere. yet, what came of the movie is so magical. >> what does it mean to be back here? >> i get a chance to bring my three little kids here. it's a really good full circle for me that this movie lives so long. it's a healthy reminder to me, if you start out with what you think a good movie s it might end up that way and it might live forever. >> reporter: one reason it's lived on is the simple love of

the game, as captured by james earl jones portraying writer terrence mann. >> memories will be so thick, they'll have to brush them away from their faces. >> i got home and my wife said, you've got to do the movie. i want to warn you, the long speech about baseball will never be in the film. it will be on the cutting room floor. >> america is ruled by an army of steam bolders, erased like a blackboard, rebuilt and erased again. but baseball is the mark of time. >> even the greatest cynic listened to that and said, my god, that's what this game is all about. >> reporter: this movie has never been about just baseball. >> hey, dad, you want to have a catch? >> i'd like that. >> reporter: dwyer, huchb do people, after they recognize you

say, want to have a catch? >> quite a bit and i always just say i'd like that. sometimes we toss a piece of paperback and forth. usually the people have an amazing story to tell me about how the movie changed their lives. >> reporter: your part is small, but if people recall only one scene, that's the scene. >> that moment is so moving to people. if you have any sort of father issued, it gets imprinted in the back of your line. >> reporter: you know what the line has become in popular culture now. people say "if you build it, they will come." but the actual line is "if you build it, he will come." he is your dad. >> it's part of the language now across the country. movies at their best are about moments that you never, ever forget. >> an estimated 65,000 fans still make the pilgrimage each year to run the bases or just to have a catch free of charge. on this particular night, to celebrate father's day weekend.

>> you don't know if you're in disney land or in iowa. >> reporter: slowly the sun gives way to stadium lights, and soon those lights give way to a movie screen reminiscent of the film's final shot. late into the iowa night, people have come to the "field of dreams." >> a lot of times people go, movies don't mean anything. this one did. this little movie did. >> that is beautiful. >> if you haven't seen the movie in a while, go ahead and rent it. it's fantastic. >> i'm crying at that story. >> bob costas did a great job. thank you so much. there was a celebrity softball game on the morning after on that field. imagine how cool to play in that. >> amazing. now something we talked about on trending, the ult road wheelchair giving the users

freedom to go anywhere. we'll talk to the creators in a moment, but first their inspirational story. between them brad and liz had five children and an active rough-and-trouble lifestyle. then a devastating accident left liz in a wheelchair just months before they were to be married. >> to be so active and then to have nothing, it's hard. and then the world is not set up for wheelchairs at all. >> she was crying one day. she said go on without me. i'm not wired like that. so, we're a family. you go in as familiar lirks come through as a family. >> reporter: for liz who has always loved the outdoors, being in a wheelchair meant missing out on family hikes and field trips. brad started looking for a wheelchair with enough power to handle mountain trails. >> i was talking to an engineer out of minnesota and showed him my designs and he said it's physically impossible. it won't happen. >> reporter: brad is a plumber

and a firefighter, not a trained engineer, but that didn't stop him. >> caused fires, melted stuff. it got pretty expensive. but every time there's a failure, that's just one less thing i don't have to try. >> reporter: eventually the tank chair was born. >> he put me in the first tank chair, my girls and i went hiking for the first time. it was so freeing, after having it take away from you. >> reporter: brad says the tank chairs are tough enough to handle mud, sand, even snow, perfect he says for wounded warriors who can't stand sitting still. >> you best love it because all these guys are type a. these are alpha dogs basically they want to get off the sideline. we're going to help them get off the sideline. >> reporter: a simple goal that's turned into a full-time business. the sodens are trying to bring others the same freedom of movement that liz says changed her life. >> brad put me into this, i

smile all the time. and we just wanted to share that smile with as many people as we can. >> on the plaza with brad and liz soden here with army vet chris sullivan who is about to use the original tank cheer. good morning. >> good morning. >> not an engineer. you're a plumber. you said when you were growing up, people didn't think you were all that smart. are you amazed at what you manage to create. >> you get her to cry, i'm motivated. i'll make it happen. >> you say nothing makes you angrier than if you see her cry because of something she can't do because of her disability. >> roger that. >> you spent a lot of time in the garage tinkering with things. there were failed attempts. >> absolutely. >> how bad were those? >> start add couple fires. we had beer on hand. >> how much further can you take this. the tank chair we're about to see chris use, is that today's version? can you go beyond that. >> within the next year we're

going to be giving a lot of stuff to our veterans coming back home, free of charge to them. they'll be able to come up, whatever ails them, we're going to fix them, do the best we can. >> liz, you are an outdoors person, love to get out there with the family. you say this chair -- by the way, you're in a more conventional chair right now. that tank chair has changed your life. how? >> it made it where i can go hiking and camping. when we went to the snow, i would sit in the car. now i can get out and chase my kids around and go with them. hiking and getting out, i'm not a prisoner anymore in the car or in the house. >> we have chris sullivan who is a vet and is disabled. he is in the original tank chair. he's going to put it through its paces now for us. brad, why don't you talk about it as we watch. chris, go ahead. >> he's just going to come through the cones and hit a bump. he's an incomplete quadriplegic. the chair basically takes all the abuse. >> that what he just did would normally tip over a wheelchair?

>> yes. the chair actually thinks for people. it does haven't the motor controllability. the chair will actually slow itself down and decelebrate so it doesn't hurt anybody. >> chris, come on over. what do you think about this thing? what can it do for your life? >> it's what it's done for my life. it fills in the gaps, i couldn't get out with the family at the beach, i couldn't do some things that now i can. i can really go in and have fun with my family now instead of having to sit back and smile and say, oh, you know, we're all at the beach having a good time, but i can actually be there with them having a good time. >> you started as a plumber. this is now your full-time job. >> yes, sir. >> you've invested everything in this company. >> everything. >> how many of these can you make a year? >> we've got full production, we can pump out about ten a week. >> how long is the waiting list for something like this? >> right now about three months. >> what does something like this cost? i know this is classified as a recreational vehicle so not covered by insurance. what does it cost?

>> $15,000, $12,000 is what they start. >> worth the $15,000 if people can a a very good morning to you. 8:26 now. i'm laura garcia-cannon. the bay area mom accused of choking a boy at her child's school will be in court in a matter of minutes. she has not been charged. she is accused of storming into the campus of olivet elementary school in santa rosa and grabbing the throat of a boy she thought had been bullying her daughter. a private investigator hired by her attorney says another student saw the alleged victim choke himself to create red marks on his necks. garcia bratcher denies assaulting the boy. let's check the commute. christina has been pulling double duty for mike. it's been an active morning. >> the overall drive looking very average. in san jose, we are tracking a couple of things this hour.

northbound crash 280 as you approach the 85 split there. now, we had a multi-vehicle crash which is now clear. a minor fender bender issue, but i can tell you right now, delays are going to be significant. we've got another one just down the road, also on northbound 280 at saratoga, one lane blocked there. and because the two crashes combined, it's going to take you about 15 to 20 minutes longer than usual, just to get to your destination this morning. 101 northbound delayed, all the way from tremble to castle this morning. back to you, laura. >> back with another local news update in half an hour. ♪

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we're back now, 8:30 on a thursday morning. it is the 19th day of june, 2014. big crowd -- actually a huge crowd this morning. enjoying a pretty moderate day. if they come back at this time tomorrow, they'll be just in time to see a concert from one of the most popular bands right now, fall out boy live on our concert stage. >> they put on a great show. meantime, coming up in this

half hour, kim kardashian. from summer sandals to platforms and the birkenstocks, big debate on this one. some of the hottest shoe trends for summer. what do you think about the birkenstocks? >> i love them. not wearing them with cargo pants, you put on a cute skirted, your birkenstocks, you're so in. >> we're doubters. >> this one is pregnant and you don't want to wear birkenstocks. >> i totally believe in their comfort. you're saying they're the hottest most stylish thing. >> fight about to break out. >> you can't wear them with black socks now. >> wear with a cute skirt or dress. >> enter our today's got talent contest. three acts will be chosen to perform live on "today." you, america, will decide which one gets fast-tracked to the top 48 on america's got talent for a shot at the million dollar

prize. >> to learn how to submit your audition video head to today.com/agt. now back to the birk earn stocks -- >> let's find out what's happening weatherwise as we start with today. strong storms along the mid atlantic states. also a look at strong storms from the plains on into oklahoma. wet weather along the west coast of the pacific northwest. gorgeous day in the southeast. tomorrow, more strong storms making their way from the mid atlantic into the great lakes. sizzling from the gulf coast right on into 8:32. good thursday morning. i'm meteorologist christina loren. pretty good-looking day. it's going to be on the toasty side in your inland valley spots. but, hey, san francisco, 68 degrees, comfortable conditions for you. as we head into the afternoon hours, temperatures are going to be warm in places like brentwood and cloverdale, in the low 90s for you. meanwhile, we'll be at 68 degrees in the soma district. looking good there.

palo alto's at 83, and the warm spot in the south bay will be gilroy in the mid- to upper 80s for today. getting into that all-important weekend, temperatures will cool off all the way through sunday. >> announcer: today's plaza moment is brought to you by the new am ex every day credit card. >> we have 50 moms and their best friends on the plaza as part of an epic, everyday getaway that they happened to win. what's your name. >> i'm doray finer. >> how did you get this epic getaway. >> i'm going to say leslie was the reason. i entered the contest at epic everyday getaway through american express. i entered our photo and told them about our everyday moments which is waking up to leslie every morning and her smiling face. >> what's your name? >> my name is amber. >> what a cutie. >> i've got two. >> what are you going to do this weekend? >> we are going to a private maroon 5 concert, getting our

hair and makeup done. going to a broadway show and meeting the cast. >> you're getting your hair and makeup done, too? >> yes. >> very nice. going to be a good looking couple. that's fantastic. i know kathie lee and hoda will share more with you guys later this morning. thank you very much. what's kim kardashian been up to since her wedding and honeymoon. keir simmons caught up with her in cannes, france. keir, good morning to you. >> reporter: let al know it's nice and sunny here in cannes where kim kardashian west boarded this $20 million yacht for a vip posted hosted by demand online and spoke for the first time about her wedding, talked about her little baby girl and talked about kanye. get this, she says it took them four days to perfect their wedding picture before posting it on instagram. >> reporter: kim kardashian pushing a stroller while looking

as sexy as ever in new york this week before flying to cannes for an event, combining work with motherhood and marriage to kanye west. this picture of her wedding has 2 million likes on instagram, a record. >> what were you thinking? >> i was just so happy. we just got married. it was such a magical moment that we have that, that we shared that with the world. >> reporter: was the wedding everything you wanted? >> it really was. it was more, more than what i dreamed of. >> reporter: kim and kanye are well-matched. for both, image is important. >> we sat there and worked on that photo for, you know, like four days. >> reporter: now, that's true love. >> i can't be with any girl but kim because that's the girl that, i look at her pictures the most. >> reporter: kanye says i can't be with any other girl but kim. i look at her pictures -- >> he is so sweet.

>> reporter: north, kim and kanye's little girl was at the wedding. >> you said about this picture, my everything, talking about kanye and baby north. >> he is such a doll. so glad she was able to be in the wedding. >> reporter: their daughter turned 1 just a few days ago. >> there are gorgeous pictures of you and baby north and kanye with baby north. >> they fell asleep there, it was so cute. >> reporter: how sparnting changing you? are you becoming a different woman as a mother? >> yes. it absolutely changes you. it changes your priorities. the things that really mattered in life really don't matter anymore. you really just -- you don't have time for a lot of things. i was really scared. i think as all new moms who haven't experienced it. it turned out to be the most heartwarming experience of my life.

>> reporter: the queen of selfies. she gave me a few tips. she said you have to hold the camera up high, make sure you're in the right light. i don't know what happened, guys, look at the result. she looks fantastic. i think i look a bit sweaty. somehow not looking at the camera properly and i've managed to make my head look twice as big as kim's head. i don't know. >> keir, don't talk like that. don't talk yourself down. you're gorgeous. >> it's only about three-quarters of the size of your head. >> she's had a lot of selfie practice. >> there you have it and she keeps going with the selfies. >> keir, thank you very much. good to see you. by the way, you can keep up with "keeping up with the kardashians" sunday night on our sister station, e. coming up, you'll love this, meat ball madness, putting a new spin on the kitchen classic. up next, the summer's hottest shoe trends. first, this is "today" on nbc. you used to sleep like a champ.

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♪ >> announcer: today's style is brought to you by dove hair care. all right. we are back at 8:40. this morning on today's style sizzling shoes, summer begins this weekend. get your pedicures ready. gal think post is here from guilt.com. good morning. >> good morning. >> we're doing something a little different today. if you go on today.com right now, we have a 360-degree camera, behind the scenes for this entire segment. watch us, but also go online at the same time, and you're going to see how we do this from behind the scenes. >> so cool. like the ultimate shoe closet. >> exactly. it's summertime officially i think tomorrow. your first look i guess is me l metall metallics, really hot this summer. >> it is all about shoes, savannah. that's the best thing about it turning summer. metallics are major this season. we're thinking about the classic

gold, sill very bronze, there's a new one called the colored metallic. nicole is wearing this incredible neo updated disco sandal by nasty gal. it's a great blue metallic, just $34. >> you have her in kind of a neutral outfit, you wear the sparkly, big color. >> you might want to tone it down and go neutrals. we normally think of metallics for dress see looks an evening. not anymore, we're loving it for day. wear it with jeans and a crisp white shirt. >> if you want the more traditional gold, silver kind of thing, these look fun. >> aren't these fabulous? this is a summer booty. what we love is they're actually practical. they act as a neutral and go with everything. we love it when glamour can be track cal. >> absolutely. >> boat shoes, even boat shoes are going glam. this is really fun. it doesn't always have to be about a heel when it comes to mel at that time licks.

you can do a fun colored metallic sandal. >> i love these. these are sassy. >> thank you so much. we stand and our set is going to move. we're going to go to our next -- we just have to march in place. here comes olivia showing off platforms. >> yes. these are actually our sassy sandal trends. as you said, everybody, man, woman, child needs to get a good pedicure. sandals are everywhere. olivia is wearing one of the hottest trends this season, that is the birkenstock sandal. >> birkenstocks are back, and in a way big. here olivia is wearing a sandal by zara, just $99. white is the key color for accessories this season. it's not just about jeans and shorts. with the new birkenstock styles, it's all about wearing it day tonight. >> show me some of these other

sassy sandals. >> look at these gladiator sandals, knee-high, taken to the extreme. and the block heel, a derivative for the '70s. >> everybody hold on to your hats. we have to get to the third trend. this is more the platforms. this is the perfect platform. at guilt, what we love about a platform, they're comfortable and stylish. they make it feel like a sensible two-inch heel. divia is wearing this by lulu, just $49. what's great is the pattern, a stripe. don't be afraid to mix patterns. then, you know, lots of other fun platforms. >> platform pennys. >> remember feels like a pump looks like a sneaker. this is looks like a sneerer, feels like a pump, but in a good way. then the platform, all the rage. this is about extreme height.

it's a flat platform. the taller the better, and then the clog. who doesn't love a clog? they've been around since the 1200s, still around today. >> give us our shoe history, let's do it. we've got some great ideas. thank you so much. check it out on the today.com 360-degree view. appreciate it very much. up next, a very special talent show letting kids shine on the world's most famous stages. this is "today" on nbc.

8:46. a little earlier this morning we told you about the high school student in minnesota who was suspended because of what he says was a sarcastic tweet. we asked -- when asked if he made out with a teacher, he responded "actually yeah." >> this led to a police investigation. now that student is suing claiming his reputation was ruined. we asked you what you thought,

should he have been suspended. the results in torng room are in. 58% of you said yes. >> i think a lot of that has to do because the teacher's reputation was actually clearly damaged because of the sarcastic tweet. >> interesting case for sure. let's take a turn to special performers lighting up the stage down the block at radio city music hall. not talking about the rockettes, talking about the stars of the garden of dreams talent show put on in partnership with madison square garden. here is nbc's jenna wolfe. ♪ i got the eye of the tiger". >> reporter: it's six hours before the show and malcolm and jamal are ready. >> if i'm there, she's there, too. if she's there, i'm there, too. we're there for each other. >> reporter: it's been a long road for the brother-sister pair. 12-year-old malcolm has had sickle cell anemia all his life,

getting bullied in school. tonight on the same stage of radio city music hall, he and his little sister will perform a rap song they wrote. >> i feel like it's a self-empowerment song. not only have i fought off bullying, i feel this song can encourage other people to stand up and make a change. >> is he the coolest brother you've ever had and also only had. >> reporter: best friends who know how to share the spotlight. ♪ put the guns down >> on the big stage just to let you know we're going to rock radio city, come on, let's go. >> reporter: also reporting, 14-year-old fallon vega who at age 12 was diagnosed with hodgkin's lymphoma. >> in remission for two years. >> do you have a message for the people in the audience tonight? >> i hope people aren't afraid to be themselves and just, i don't know, love themselves for

who they are. >> reporter: the garden of dreams talent show gives kids who have suffered in their young lives a chance to do something incredible somewhere incredible. for 12-year-old singer matthew martinez, his inspiration comes from his dad angel, a navy veteran, a 9/11 first responder and a hero to his son. >> he got hurt and then they enrolled him in the wounded warrior project. >> how exciting is all of this? how exciting has it been for you? >> it's so exciting, because knowing that a lot of these people came here to see all of us sing and dance is so amazing. >> reporter: minutes before show time, the celebrities are arriving, the audience is in place, the energy is palpable. true to form, malcolm and gentleman dash yeah bring down the house. ♪ i ain't got time for it bully ♪ >> reporter: fallon is embraced by the crowd when she sings "let it go" from disney's "frozen."

♪ let it go, let it go >> reporter: while matthew singing alicia keys "i ain't got you" has an important message with good friends and support of family, just about anything is possible. ♪ some people want it all, but i don't want nothing at all ♪ >> reporter: and sometimes dreams really do come true. for "today," jenna wolfe, nbc news, new york. ♪ >> a great program. they do that every year. >> they pretty much do that all year long. i've been to that event at radio city. they do a great job. congrats to them. straight ahead, cooking up a crowd-pleasing favorite in the kitchen, meatballs. savannah booked this chef personally. first, this is "today" on nbc. welcome back.

hey really? kiss your abs goodbye. cardiologist to check stand 1. crystal geyser alpine spring water? toucé. crystal geyser. always bottled right at the mountain source. we're back at 8:52. here is what happened. savannah went to a restaurant to eat the other night, started flirting with the chef and decided to book him to make meatballs. >> he makes the meanest meatball ever. i wanted to share it with the world and you, matt lauer -- >> thank you so much for having me. i'm so honored to be here today.

this is magnificent. >> before we get to the meatballs, you'll make the perfect italian dinner. you say antipasti. >> it's plural. it's one of my favorite ways to start any meal: any selection of meets and cheeses are fantastic. what i really love is a big block of parmesan cheese, people can come by and make their own little wedge. >> i like that has the little crystal. >> the cheese proteins in there. it's magnificent. >> these aren't any meatballs. this is your grandmother's meatballs. >> my 92-year-old grandmother. hi grandma, wherever you are. help me pick the bread without of the middle. >> where am i putting it? >> right into the bowl of milk. in this bowel we have one pound of ground beef and one pound of ground pork. growing up my grandmother used whatever scraps she would have. typically it would never have veal in it because it was a more

expensive cut of meat. we had pork and beef. we had four eggs -- for every pound of meet, two eggs. it makes the super delicious. about three cloves of chopped garlic and three tablespoons cheese. >> mix it around? >> let it soak for around ten minutes to absorb the liquid and moisture. we'll bring it off. we'll put all this right in there. this is what makes meatballs really good, all that cheese. >> there's enough liquid in there? >> there is enough liquid in there. it's important when you have the eggs and cheese, the last little thing that brings it together is the bread. you can see our bread is all soaked up. we'll take all that and put it in there. >> it's not supposed to be liquidy like that. >> the bread should absorb it. if it doesn't, give it a ring-out. a pinch of salted because the cheese is salty enough.

black pepper. gently mix it around until it all comes together. it's important that you don't overwork the meat because that will make it dense and tough. >> how do you know when it's right? >> you go -- >> okay. >> basically it starts to come together. after the meatballs are made, let it sit for about ten minutes to let the bread and cheese soak in all that liquid. >> before you form them? >> yes. >> we'll take this and bake them at 360 degrees for around 20 minutes. >> look at that. >> that's the trick. when they come out, they have the gooey cheese that comes out of them. that's all the love. what makes the sauce so delicious, we take the meatballs and all the cheese that comes out, let them simmer in the pot for about 30 minutes. all that cheese and juice and love in the plate to go right into the sauce. that makes it super special. >> you see why i fell in love with the meatballs.

>> this wonderful hearty rich tomato sauce. chopped parsley. >> let this be a lesson for you, if you see savannah in your restaurant, go up and say i demand to be on the "today" show. >> every italian meal is finished with an amazing dessert. a very good morning to you. 8:56 now. i'm laura garcia-cannon. a judge has approved pg&e's plans to raise rates, although not as high as the utility wanted. late last night, a state administrative law judge agreed to law pg&e to hike rates this year and every year through 2016. under the plan, rates would go up enough to increase utilities profit by almost 7% this year. 4.5% in 2015 and 5% in 2016.

since the increases are to reach a profit goal, it's still unclear exactly how much your energy bill might go up. the proposal must still be approved by the state public utilities commission. christina will have a look at your forecast in just a few minutes during the "today" show. i'll be back with another update in half an hour.

welcome to "today" on thursday morn, june 19, 2014. big crowd hangi around for "today's take." i'm willie geist along with al roker, natalie morales and tamron hall. fresh back from universal. look at that, just like that in die gone alley. >> i still have butter beer energy. i feel like the sugar hasn't died down. >> it's because you drank about

three gallons. >> could have used the network getting home. willie and i got stuck for a while. >> you got home quickly? >> we did. mechanical problems. switched to a different plane. >> he left me. >> i said i'm going to hop on this other flight if you guys want to do it. they're like, we're going to ride this out. >> if you made a conscious decision. >> i do have to thank somebody from jetblue who did such a nice thing for me yesterday. i left a bag that i purchased stuff, souvenirs for the kids on my flight. in thaeft to get home, i left it. the most wonderful man, joel at the jetblue counter took care of me. thank you to joel. he ma >> just like when yo-yo man left the cello. this device everybody is talking about, amazon, the fire

phone. they say it's going to change everything. it's got all these new features. tangle-free ear buds. this is the situation, if you reach into a bag or purse, this is what you're dealing with. >> because you don't take the time to wiped them up maybe? >> even when you do it, they separate. >> al roker, i'm going to out you right now. he was sitting mekt to me on our flight yesterday, he's got everything neatly wound up with a rubber band. >> you make that sound like it's a bad thing. >> so he does haven't this. >> that's a bad thing? >> you're an exception to all the rule. you're an exception. >> i'm the felix unger -- >> you are. >> al pulls out his little travel case and he's got his charger, his ear phones. you have like four compartments to your travel case. >> i was pretending not to notice, sipping my water, giving him the side eye. >> again, you make it sound bad. >> the man is prepared. i'm not.

anyway, that's not really the lead story on this phone. >> we digress a lot. graphics in 3d called dynamic perspective. >> like a hologram. >> unlimited free photo storage. nothing worse than trying to snap a picture -- >> it's in a cloud. >> it lives in a cloud, yes. >> if you don't have internet, you can't get those pictures. >> i'm one of those people, i still don't understand -- i get the cloud. it's kind of a scary thing. >> i don't know where my pictures are going and how i can get in my cloud. >> you should always have a physical hard drive backup somewhere other than your home. >> back to the phone. this other cool thing, fire fly features, so it lets you identify -- it's hard to explain. you can identify anything. if i held it up to that mug, it would put it on my phone. >> wasn't it a upc code? >> it also just looks at a picture. >> that i love. >> because it gives you a chance to buy it through amazon and

others as well which is the amazon strategy. the hardware is a portal to buy stuff. >> this would get you in trouble if you're like me and i see somebody wearing something and want to know what it is, and i'm taking a picture of them. wouldn't that be a problem, to identify what they're wearing? >> how much is the phone? >> $199 with a contract at at&t. >> some people are saying they think it's a little more expensive than they were expecting. >> al is the tech guru. i have phone anxiety about this. >> so far i haven't seen anything that says this is better than what i've got already. time will tell. >> other than the ear buds, but that's not your problem. >> still have the music library and all of that. >> if you -- your music is on another -- >> on itunes? >> then what are you going to do? we all flew back from orlando. did anyone have to avail themself of the facility on the

plane. >> don't ask me that on television. >> i'm not asking you what you did. did you go in the little room? >> no, did not. thanks for asking. guy flying from newark to hong kong. it's a 15-hour flight. >> that's a long one. >> the last hour after 15 hours, that's the worst. guy goes into the lew, he gets trapped in the bathroom for the last hour. >> not just trapped. >> he caught his middle finger in the trash area while throwing away garbage. he has to stand there during the landing. talk about sticking the landing. firefighters have to help him. luckily he didn't need hospital treatment. can you imagine? >> he stuck one finger in, he got stuck. >> he's throwing the trash in -- >> it's not just one finger, it's a whole slot. it's not like it's a little hole. >> they kind of compress, right? >> on one finger?

>> i need jeff rosen con /* sen reporting. >> the crew knew he was in there and said you have to stand up for the landing. >> especially that last hour. the line for the bathroom -- >> that's the real problem. >> dude, come on! >> sir, can you scoot over a little bit, i need to get in there. >> why couldn't they get to him before that. >> they got to him, they couldn't get him out. >> still, gees. very bizarre story. >> yes, it is. >> little butter, olive oil. >> i'm sure they came up with those thoughts. you can't travel with a can of wd-40. any way, huge game i was watching on the flight home. >> you can do that on jetblue. >> i was calling out and everybody turns around. >> people love hearing that on planes. >> doing bird calls on the

plane? >> because it was such a complete disaster for spain, the defending champions lost 2-0. they are out. this is historic for world cup. this is a team that everybody expected was going to make it to the end. a lot of people expected spain to win it. anyway, chile came out the victors. what was incredible is there's this great ad. i'm wondering if the chichileans saw this. it's for vananco chile.

>> that is mario sepulveda. do you remember the group of miners rescued in 2010, bottling the soil from the desert and sending to it the players. >> he's the one that came out of the mine pumping his fist. >> exactly. they call him super mario. >> that's a great ad. you can watch the whole thing online. by the way, one of our favorite groups out of nashville, lady antebellum debuting their new music video, exclusively right here. the song is called "bartender." >> what's going on today show? we love you so much and we are

datedly antebellum. >> we are so excited to premier our brand new video "bartender" this morning. >> can't wait to hear what you think. we'll see you this fall. ♪ what i'm really needing now is a double shot of crown, chase the disco ball around till i don't remember ♪ ♪ go until they caught me off, want to get a little lost in the noise, in the lights, hey bartender ♪ >> kate upton in there, tony hale from "veep" and "arrested development." if you want to see the whole video go to today.com. stay tuned, we'll announce their performance date coming up on "today." >> i hope it's not on july 8. that's when -- >> no, they say the fall.

>> one more die gone alley. boom. let's show you what's going on. as we check out what's happening, we've got this meandering frontal system bringing showers and thunderstorms all along from new york on into chicago, minneapolis. it has been a wet one. chicago right now dry. you'll see more showers making their way in. we've had heavy thunderstorms in minneapolis. as you look on the futurecast, you can see those thunderstorms making their way out of iowa, into chicago late tonight, into tomorrow morning. things dry out here in the northeast. we do have a risk of strong storms, though. there are two main areas. the first one right along the southeastern -- mid atlantic coast from salisbury, washington, into roanoke, norfolk. as we move to the 9:10 on a thursday morning. good morning, i'm meteorologist christina loren.

your winds are playing a minor role for us today. it's going to keep the immediate coastline cool, but that onshore flow is not going to do much for us in our inland valley spots. temperatures will be warm today. we're already warming up there as a result of that onshore flow starting s ining to weaken. 61 in san francisco, 64 right now in the south bay, on our way to the upper 80s today for many locations. you'll hit 88 in the extreme east bay, 82 for the peninsula today. >> announcer: today's replay is brought to you by i don't plate greek 100 strawberry. see if you agree. thanks a lot. coming up next, his adoring fans, many seated next to me at this table, know him as mcsteamy. i'm going to use the word hunky, the hunky plastic surgeon from grey's anatomy. now eric dane stars in a really cool new show. we'll talk to him about that and a lot more next.

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for six years actor eric dane burned up the screenplaying dr. mark stone, aka mcsteamy. >> now he's traded in scrubs for a captain's uniform in the new tnt series "the last ship." take a look. >> on board this ship is the hope for our futures, for our families and for all humanity because in that lab in our hilo bay are the ingredients for a cure. this is the safest place on earth for our scientists to do their work. >> charge! >> willie and i have determined that the show is, and we all agree -- can i say it? >> yes. >> bad ass. >> michael baye, executive producer, you are at the helm.

was this a no-brainer for you? >> it was a no-brainer. i met with michael and he had this brilliant visual presentation set up. he told me what he wanted to do. i thought, well, this is a huge undertaking, and the scope of this thing is absolutely enormous. how is that going to translate on television? and i figured if anybody can pull it off, it's michael baye because he's second to none with action. we also take into consideration that the technology in people's living rooms has changed dramatically over the past ten years. you get a real cinematic experience at home and nary a better show to have. >> explain the premise. you're the captain of a ship that has survived a pandemic that has broken out. >> we were in the arctic while the pandemic broke out. we had a scientist on board collecting samples. we didn't know what she was up to. we were up there testing cold weather weapons. while we were out, 80% of the world's population was

disseminated by a virus. we head back to the states, and i'm not going to spoil the rest of it for you. >> you say that so casually, 80% of the world. >> that's right. my crew and i are here to save the world. >> just a little thing. >> just a little thing. >> what is the michael bayh experience? what's it like to be on the set with him? >> michael bayh, first of all, is a terrific guy, a great guy. he commandeers a set like no other. he's really great with a camera. he infuses a fantastic alkhemy on the set. he's a good guy. fun to be around. >> how did you prep for the captain role? >> i put on the uniform. and that was about 90% of the work. you walk a little taller, stand a little straighter in that uniform. i'm getting saluted by

everybody, so you just kind of feel it. >> we've got some other captains, fictional captains to see how you shape up. captain merrill stubing of the love boat. >> another mcsteamy in my opinion. >> he did have julie, the cruise director. >> captain stubing, come on. >> i won't come on in that one. >> how about captain jack spar row from "pirates of the caribbean." >> too much eye makeup. >> i have a bigger ship. >> as the old saying goes. >> your mast is a little taller. >> stop, stop, stop. >> how about the skipper from gilligan's island. >> eric wins. >> alan hale, junior. >> he had gilligan. >> ginger and mary ann. >> i had adam baldwin. >> finally our favorite captain, captain crunch.

>> captain crunch. >> i love we found a picture of captain crunch on the beach. where did you even get that? >> what about the cereal box? is it a legal issue? >> i don't know. how can i compete with captain crunch? >> i don't know. put up the white flag on that one. >> are you ever going to come back after this? >> i would love to come back. this has been the best morning. >> dressed as captain crunch. >> whatever you want. >> keep your fantasies out of it tamron. >> that's right. a big bowl of milk. >> again with you. "the last ship" premiers sunday night on tnt. >> he's saving the world, give the man some credit. >> coming up, all the news you need before you leave the house this morning. a man who likes to work with bosses. tony soprano on tv and the boss, bruce

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i hide in the laundry room. no one ever goes in there. a lawyer that's a monkey? hahahaha. also, the dryer sheets reeeally help my writing. writing supplies. oh. number 7 of my 20. the new amex everyday credit card with no annual fee. thank you. make 20 or more purchases in a monthly billing period, and earn 20% more rewards. it's membership that rewards you for the things you already buy, everyday. what's your 20? looking at the headlines, two senators and a democrat are proposing a 12 cent increase in the federal gas tax to pay for highway and transportation programs. americans are already paying more at the pump because of the crisis in iraq. today the national average hit $3.68 according to aaa, the highest since 2008. analysts expect the price to go even higher in the coming weeks. young women who are

depressed face a significantly increased risk for heart problems. a study published in the journal of the american heart association looked at more than 3,000 adults with suspected heart disease for three years and researchers found women 55 and younger who had moderate or severe depression were two times more likely to suffer a heart attack or require an artery opening procedure. working parents with young children, this is for you. the labor department says on average a working parent living with a child under 6 has about one hour less leisure time than working adults with no children. that comes from the annual american time use survey that found the average american sleeps 8:44 a night and spends almost three hours a day watching tv. an inspirational moment on wednesday as former congresswoman gabrielle giffords threw out the first pitch at the annual congressional women's softball game. the washington press corps took on congress. before the big moment, giffords

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so rich, creamy, and delicious. only philadelphia®. a very good morning to you. 9:26 now. i'm laura garcia-cannon. a man who was killed a few units shy of graduating college in san francisco will be giving a posthumongous day today. steven was shot and killed last month when he accidentally went into the wrong apartment in this building. the 68-year-old man who shot him was arrested, but later released. he will be honored with a ceremony at san francisco state university today. a bay area music teacher faces life in children for reportedly inappropriately touching three young students at a daly city performing arts school. he was a guest instructor while the studio's owner was out of the country. when the owner returned, several students told him about the alleged assault. butz pleaded not guilty on monday.

investigators are trying to figure out what sparked a fire in sunnyvale that burned two homes the to a ground. a tree between them caught fire and those flames quickly spread. it happened on lantana drive near ponderosa elementary school yesterday. homeowners could only watch as their homes just went up into flames. both houses are total losses. one of them was operating as a day care. no injuries, though, there. that was the good news. we'll have a look at weather and traffic right after this break. the answer to treating your dog's fleas and ticks is staring you right in the face. nexgard, from the makers of frontline® plus. it's the only soft, beef-flavored chew that kills both fleas and ticks.

vets recommend it. and dogs, well, they're begging for it. nexgard is for dogs only. and hasn't been evaluated for use in pregnant, breeding or lactating dogs. reported side effects include vomiting, dry flaky skin, diarrhea, lethargy and lack of appetite. use with caution in dogs with a history of seizures. recommended by vets. loved by dogs. from the makers of frontline plus. welcome back, now. the time is 9:28. your temperatures are already climbing into the mid-60s. we're at 61 degrees in the east bay, 61 in san francisco right now and 57 degrees in the north bay, on our way to the 80s in most bay area cities. you'll hit about 88 degrees in the extreme east bay, so it will be warm again, but 68 degrees, not a bad day. in san francisco, breaking it down city by city, via your microclimates, the warm spot along the peninsula today will be palo alto at 83 drivewayegre. we'll cool you off as we slowly get closer to the weekend, by

sunday, 79 degrees. let's track your drive. residual delay southbound 680 at mission. we had a jack knifed tracker trailer earlier. right now they're getting that jack knifed tractor-trailer clear, but you have one lane blocked. give yourself some extra time. that's been an ongoing process this morning. also, northbound 101 at trimble, the crash has cleared and the delays are starting to ease. back up to speed 101 headed northbound as you approach 280. >> thank you so much, christina. another local news update coming up in just half an hour. have a good morning.

♪ welcome back to "today," june 19, 2014. that's the boss you're hearing outside. i'm willie with al, natry and tamron. that's "born to run." apparently steven van zandt didn't like this song. >> we'll tell us about it. >> the orange room he loved from day one. >> with the happy face. i love it. >> by the way, little known fact. stevie van zandt used to where a bowler. i told him to wear the bandana. true story.

>> the thumbs up constantly. >> he doesn't know what he's doing. >> he didn't like the song. he'll explain why. >> we have important breaking news. you've been cutting your cake incorrectly all these years. you know you cut it in triangular little pieces. >> let's watch this youtube video. this guy thinks a lot about cutting cakes. >> he's a mathematician. there is such a thing as overthinking. >> this is alex bellos. >> wonderful man. >> he's saying what happens when you cut it in the triangles like you do, the inside pieces get all old and kind of crusty. >> just eat the cake already. >> if you cut it like this, he says, you cut it like that and like that. you take that first slice out which is a disaster because these plates are not big enough. then he says you've got to merge the two sides together. >> she's doing it. >> then she says you have to

take the sides, put them together. then your hands are disgusting. >> if anybody else. >> rubber band. >> the point is he says you're keeping the inside moist. >> who else is going to eat that? >> no one. >> now you've got a rubber band on the cake. >> a person with an epic sweet tooth, i just died inside. what happened? >> please don't. then you have two more slices. thernl those two sides together and you have a disaster of a cake left. your hands look like this. >> this is the worst birthday party i've ever been to. >> every slice stays moist. >> you're take that with you? bring it back. >> johnny you want a little?

>> very chocolatey. >> sure there's no rouber band in there? >> no. that was the first slice. a risk of strong storms in the mid atlantic, a slight risk from the plains into oklahoma. out west, spectacular, 103 in phoenix. showers in seattle and 73 degrees. tomorrow, more rain in the puget sound area, sizzling through the southwest. hot into oklahoma, things dry out. we have rain around the western great lakes into the mid atlantic states. sunny and mild in the northeast. things finally 9:33. good morning, meteorologist christina loren, taking a live look at the golden gate bridge. a little bit of cloud cover here. lots of foot traffic out here. a lot of people enjoying that bridge. you'll notice, they all have their jackets on. we're only at 61 degrees in san francisco, but we'll be up to about 68 later on today. 87, meanwhile, for the north bay, and 84 degrees, a

comfortable day shaping up right here in san jose. temperatures are going to be warm in the hot spots, whatever microclimate you're living in. brentwood, for example, up to 90 degrees. that's the hot spot today in the east bay. steven van zandt has a long list of career accomplishments, actor, producer, singer, songwriter, long-time collaborator with bruce springsteen. >> now he's back and producing and starring in the first original network series lilly hammer. he writes music for the series which you're listening to right now. beautiful. >> he plays a retired mobster living in the witness protection program in norway. he knows how to set priorities. >> you owe us a ferrari and a brother, please meet us at noon tomorrow or more things will start exploding. >> it will be a warm day in

lilly hammer when i go on the lamb . >> here is a man who has his priorities straight. >> stevie van zandt. we'll get to this in such a moment. such a great show. first of all, congratulations. inducted into the rock and roll hall of fame. you and bruce taking the stage. you're getting this accolades, does it still mean as much? >> yeah, that one does. it's special to be just associated with all your heroes that you grew up with. curtis may field, smoky robinson and bill seger who doesn't belong here in this picture. >> your series, lilly hammer has been around for a long time. it was the first network series before "house of cards" and it's catching fire. people can see how funny it is.

you're winning these awards. you won a best actor award, won best series. people are coming back and finding the show. >> that's the nice thing about netflix having them all back up at once. we won a norwegian emmy for best drama in norway. we won best comedy in monte carlo. we call it a dramedy. i guess that proves the point. best supporting actor for my best partner and i won best actor in monte carlo. people just discovering it now, like you say which is nice. >> your character, frank, the fixer, relocates to norway. why did they pick norway? >> it's a norwegian show created by a norwegian husband and wife writing team that came to me and said we have an idea, gangster goes into the witness protection program and chooses norway. i say gee, that's nice. i just played a gangster for ten years on sopranos.

i really shouldn't do that again. >> type casting. >> not only that, my agent was like, you just came out of one of the biggest shows in history and you're going to do what? it was a local show there. i just couldn't resist the adventure of working in a foreign country and all that. what's it going to be like? >> it's different. the whole working method, we had to come up with our own. in america the writer is the boss on tv and in film the director is the boss. over there they have a film culture, they didn't really have a tv culture. director, they're used to being in charge. the actors are very much used to improvising. coming from hbo "sopranos," we didn't change one single word in that script. the writer is in charge. we had to find a working method that is a little bit of both

which we did which is nice. the artistic process never stops there. >> it's on the screen, you can see it. >> we have to finish off -- >> "born to run." >> i didn't say i didn't like the song. where did you get that from? i think you're talking about the story, bruce played me, i hadn't joined the band yet. we had been friends long before that. i hait to say this, but nex year we're friends 50 years. isn't that scary? must have been somebody else. >> the perfect marriage. >> i know. he played me his new song. he had recorded the riff, the main riff with a bit of echo, and so the riff was not communicating what he thought it was. so i congratulated him on this great minor cord that he put in the riff. he said there's no minor cord in the riff. anyway, long story short, i was

complimenting him on. he said that's not the whiff i wrote. >> wherever we got that from. >> he had to rerecord it and remix it. >> stevie van zandt, thank you for clearing that up. first two seasons of lilly hammer streaming on net flex. the high octane career if hammer streaming on net flex. the high octane career if you like life the answer to treating your dog's fleas and ticks is staring you right in the face. nexgard, from the makers of frontline® plus. it's the only soft, beef-flavored chew that kills both fleas and ticks. vets recommend it. and dogs, well, they're begging for it. nexgard is for dogs only. and hasn't been evaluated for use in pregnant, breeding or lactating dogs. reported side effects include vomiting, dry flaky skin, diarrhea, lethargy and lack of appetite. use with caution in dogs with a history of seizures. recommended by vets. loved by dogs. from the makers of frontline plus. introducing a beauty breakthrough. so bold. revolutionary color. so chic.

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now to our series "tricks of trade school," talking about the high demand for auto mechanics and technicians. >> one school where students are quickly learning the skill to put them on the road to a good career. with more than 133 million cars on the road, these students will be the ones to keep them up and running in the future. at universal technical institute's moorsville, north carolina campus, students in the 51-week program learn the skills to help them get certified by the national institute for automotive service excellence. >> that's the goal that a dealership wants when they're hiring you. the more certifications you have in the industry, the more employable and better technician you are. >> reporter: as newer cars become more and more high tech, students like single father lance stall looked to trade school to help keep up with the changing technology. lance worked previously as a

mechanic in both the mining and golf industry. he wanted fmal training to be able to work on the computers and electronics that are standard in today's cars. >> i'm transitioning from the mechanic to the technician is what i'm doing. >> reporter: this campus is officially called the nascar technical institute because it also offers a high-speed engine and nascar pit crew option. but the curricula was designed with the input of multiple manufacturers like ford, nissan and bmw, to teach students how to handle a variety of cars. 18-year-old brian deyoung has his eyes set on uti's specialized ford program. he originally planned to attend a four-year university, but he felt a trade school would put him on a fast track. >> the main deciding factor for me was when you go to a traditional four-year college they're going to put you through some general education courses, go through extended core subjects like you do in high school, it was time i didn't want to waste.

>> reporter: some students hope the hands-on training of a trade school will help them transition from previous careers that were less technical. >> i chose finance. i was really good with numbers, but i was really unhappy where i was at in my life. i new cars was my passion. that's what i love to do. being here, it's not school to me. it's actually something i get up every day and want to do. >> reporter: graduates of this program can strike off on their own to start private repair businesses. they can work for dealerships or even a manufacturer. top graduate yong yang can look forward to a likely job with a dealership thanks to this training. >> it's a crazy the amount of knowledge you have. it's definitely going to work for me. i've learned so much. >> reporter: this campus graduates a new crop of potential technicians every three weeks. a motivated crew of ought mayive men and women on the road to employment in a booming

industry. >> makes me cry. done, baby. >> i love this series. it's been a fun week highlighting these schools. >> so many options out there now that the job market is tough for kids and they don't know what they want to do. coming up next, their break-out song "rather be" has topped the charts, 68 million views. >> the song of the summer. >> we are very excited because queen bandit is here and will [ male announcer ] your joints... work hard for you. give them the edge they deserve. new edge from osteo bi-flex with joint shield helps strengthen your joints°. it works as hard for your joints, as they do for you. get the added benefits of joint & muscle, and joint & energy. new edge from osteo bi-flex,

so you're always ready for action. find it in your vitamin aisle. so you're always ready for action. fousugar. only six?ns. six grams of sugar? that's really good. . . . mmy! ♪ summer days drifting away to, uh oh, those summer nights ♪ ♪ well-a, well-a, well-a, uh! tell me more, tell me more... ♪ mmy! twizzlerize your summer fun with twizzlers.

the twist you can't resist. she likes to put a.1. on chicken but not shrimp. she also likes the european double-kiss. you don't have to like everything cheryl likes. put a.1. on whatever you want. a.1. for almost everything. almost. ♪ vincent...sharon? did you say bounty is obviously the best brand? ...exclamation point... happy smiley face? yes, i did! did you know that more people prefer viva® vantage over bounty? no... i'm gonna show you why. it stretches... stretch...stretch. it has a stretch. it stretches! oh, i wish my jeans had that kind of stretch. [ laughs ] you use that stretch to get the scrubbing power. i think that's the cleanest spot on my table now. can you do the rest of it?

wow, that's awesome. right? yeah! [ abbey ] new viva® vantage. the towel more people prefer. >> announcer: the toyota concert series on "today," brought to you by toyota. a few months ago we talked about which songs would be the hot song this summer. one of them is "rather be" by clean bandit. >> at the time it had 37 million hits on youtube. now guess what? 68 million and counting. their debut album nch new eyes" is out now. good morning to all of you, clean bandit. good to have you here. grace, i know you guys started out as classical quartets and were mixing music at cambridge. did you ever imagine you'd have a new album out and have this hit single? >> no, never. such a surprise. obviously we made the album, so we knew that would come out. but the fact that so many people are listening to "rather be."

>> 68 million lits, that's incredible. >> yes, it's crazy. we made that video ourselves. jack directed it. >> well done. >> you're going to sing for us "rather be." take it away. ♪ . ♪ oh ♪ we're a thousand miles from comfort, we've traveled land and sea ♪ ♪ but as long as you are with me there's no place i'd rather be ♪ . ♪ i would wait forever exalted in the scene, but as long as i

am with you, my heart continues to beat ♪ ♪ with every step we take, kyoto to the bay strolling so casually ♪ ♪ we're different and the same, gave you another name, switch up the batteries ♪ ♪ if you gave me a chance i would take it ♪ ♪ it's a shot in the dark but i'll make it ♪ ♪ know with all of your heart, you can't shame me ♪ ♪ when i am with you, there's no place i'd rather be ♪ ♪ no, no, no, no, no place i'd rather be ♪ ♪ no, no, no, no, no place i'd rather be ♪ . ♪ we staked out on a mission to find our inner peace, make it

everlasting so nothing is incomplete ♪ ♪ it's easy being with you, sacred simplicity ♪ ♪ as long as we're together there's no place i'd rather be ♪ ♪ with every breath we take kyoto to the bay, strolling so casually ♪ ♪ we're different and the same, gave you another name, switch up the batteries ♪ ♪ if you gave me a chance, i would take it ♪ ♪ it's a shot in the dark but i'll make it ♪ ♪ know with all of your heart, you can't shame me ♪ ♪ when i am with you, there's no place i'd rather be ♪ ♪ no, no, no, no, no place i'd

rather be ♪ ♪ no, no, no, no, no place i'd rather be ♪ ♪ no, no, no, no, no place i'd rather be ♪ ♪ when i'm with you, there's no place i'd rather be ♪ ♪ no, no, no, no, no place i'd rather be ♪ ♪ no, no, no, no, no place i'd rather be ♪ ♪ when i am with you there's no place i'd rather be ♪ [ cheers and applause ] >> clean bandit, thank you. we're back in a moment. this is "today" on nbc. good morning nelly! woah.

hey! have you ever tried honey nut cheerios? love 'em. neat! now you on the other hand... you need some help. why? look atchya. what is that? you mean my honey wand? [ shouting ] [ splat ] come on. matter of fact. [ rustling ] shirt. shoes. shades. ah! wow! now that voice... my voice? [ auto-tuned ] what's wrong with my voice? yeah man, bee got swag! be happy! be healthy! that's gotta go too. ♪ hey! must be the honey! [ sparkle ] sweet.

good news, natalie is hosting a facebook ch

and a good thursday morning to you. it's 9:56. i am sam brock. we are awaiting right now presidential remarks reminding the best course of action in iraq. but before that, first, let's get to your local news. investigators are trying to figure out if a brush fire in oakland was started on purpose. the fire burned bushes and trees

in an area about the size of half a football field. several roads were temporarily shut down while crews put water on those flames. all of this to the intersection of portland and brookedale avenues. that fire is several miles away from where crews have been patrolling the oakland hills. fife separate fires broke out tuesday afternoon, all within a couple of hours of each other. they believe that three were intentionally set and the two others were started by stray emb embers. investigators say burn patterns suggest someone may have put gasoline on the wood to get those fires going. well, we are dangerously close to the weekend here. in fact, just a day and a half or so. beautiful weather patterns already evidenced this week. should give you plenty of options for this week. let's check in with christina and find out what that may be. >> it's going to be a nice one, sam. thank you, good morning to you. a great-looking day shaping up, especially by the water. it is going to be a little warm by our standards here in the bay area. above average by about 5 to 8 degrees. we'll cool you back off as we

head through saturday and sunday, as sam so diligently pointed out. he's had to listen to me all morning long, after all. we've got a good-looking day shaping up at the coast. 68 in san francisco, versus 85 in san jose. you'll notice that temperature separation, starting to lose that significant gap as we head throughout this weekend. we'll be closer together, we'll be in the 70s here in the south bay, you'll be the in mid-60s in san francisco. overall, nice all-around. a couple things to point out when it comes to your drive. we're still dealing with these issues, southbound 680 at mission. jack knifed tractor-trailer, this happened hours ago, still one lane blocked and as a result, delays remain in the area. san jose was backed up on 101 all morning long. right now, you're basically back up to speed on 101 and 87, so you don't have to choose between the two. they're both looking really good. otherwise, look at that drive.

the answer to treating your dog's fleas and ticks is staring you right in the face. nexgard, from the makers of frontline® plus. it's the only soft, beef-flavored chew that kills both fleas and ticks. vets recommend it. and dogs, well, they're begging for it. nexgard is for dogs only. and hasn't been evaluated for use in pregnant, breeding or lactating dogs. reported side effects include vomiting, dry flaky skin, diarrhea, lethargy and lack of appetite. use with caution in dogs with a history of seizures.

recommended by vets. loved by dogs. from the makers of frontline plus. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is this is "today" with kathie lee gifford and hoda kotb, live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. hello, everybody. welcome to thirsty thursday, june 19th. delighted you are here with us today. >> we are thrilled. now, jimmy fallon has been in orlando this week. >> yep. >> so we thought with jimmy in orlando, we're free. why would he pick on us? >> no. >> we aren't even there. okay? >> but apparently we're always on his mind. >>le well, al roker was there so he was part of it. somehow we got tagged on the end. let's look. >> the "today" show was here at universal. kathie lee and hoda would have also come but you need to be

this sober to ride the roller coaster. >> al was the one going "ho! ho!" >> he was egging them on. >> yeah. oh, yeah. >> you know what? not cool. all right. so, celebs are finding new ways to deal with paparazzi. we thought this was kind of a clever one. emma stone and andrew garfie garfield -- >> who are a couple in real life. >> they were having a nice meal, a bunch of paparazzi were swarming around. sometimes people confront the paparazzi, a la alec baldwin. >> we call that baldwinish behavior. >> exactly. but these guys decided to try something different. they left restaurant after having breakfast. they made signs and the signs read, we don't need attention but these wonderful organizations do. and they listed charities like youth mentoring connection, worldwide orphans, gilda's club

of new york city and autism speaks. >> good for them. >> wasn't that kind of clever without being mean? >> yes. yes. because they do make their living from taking pictures of celebrities. it is an industry. and the ones that do it respectfully i don't mind one bit. it is the ones that try to get you into the altercations, stalkers. good for them. okay. what else, hoda woman. >> on the cover of the "rolling stone," is melissa mccarthy. >> fearless, fierce and funny. she is all of those three things. >> did you guys see her do those crazy rants where she flips out and flings her body around, et cetera. she says she shhas black-outs. she doesn't even remember what kind of dialogue she was using because she was going crazy. i like it. >> who knows who taught her how to do that or if that's just -- >> maybe when you're so in the moment -- >> i don't know. but she said she was a

cheerleader in high school but then she turned goth and dyed her hair blue. her new movie "tammy" hits theaters in july. >> speaking of pictures, how about jennifer hudson? >> i haven't seen it yet. >> she posted these photos on instagram. she wrote i work hard, i deserve it, right? plus, i earned it. it is unclear how much weight she lost but some people are speculating 80 pounds. >> over four years that she's been with weight watchers. >> i mean she looks great. >> my mom's always trying to lose weight when i was a little girl growing up and all that. the only thing that ever really worked for her was weight watchers. slimfast for a short time but weight watchers because of the buddy system. you know? and having to be accountable. >> we used to try all the diets in our house, all of them. >> at once? >> no. >> aet ktkins? >> prolean. liquid protein. you drink dinner in a cup.

>> i mean i drink my dinner once in a while, but it isn't -- what hon? >> so we drank for din arer. you looked forward to brushing your teeth because it tasted like something. we were weird. we tried atkins. we did all of them, weight watchers. >> i bet they didn't last for you. >> thanks a lot. >> you say you tried them all. you know what ultimately works for you? >> what. >> getting on the treadmill 5:00 in the morning and running your buns off. then when you became so lactose intolerant, then you couldn't eat pizza, that helps. >> spread my medical issues around. >> everybody knows. >> all right. so there is a new photo out. if you are a "50 shades of grey" fan -- and who isn't? okay. anyway, this is jamie dornin as christian grey. in case you were wondering. that's what he looks like from the front. they've showed pictures of him from the back. they released it yesterday because it is the character's birthday. so happy birthday to christian grey. all right?

the movie is going to be out -- >> you do realize at one time you were an award winning journalist. right? >> what? >> and this is -- >> but i've liked that before when i used to win awards, i still liked that. >> she was a pervert! all right, the movie hits thee he terse on valentine's day 2015. we do have an update about sandra bullock. you heard the story about how a guy broke into her house. they said he was a stalker. they said he had a gun in his house. that's the first we heard. turns out it was a lot worse than that, wasn't it? >> his name is joshua corbett. i don't even like to give him any credit -- or any attention because sometimes they do it just for that. this is him in court yesterday in los angeles county district attorney's office said he had an arsenal of weapons in his home which included a half-a-dozen machine guns. who needs those? so of course he pleaded not guilty, because everybody's got more than -- >> that's what they all do, everyone pleads not guilty. >> up to a dozen felony charges. >> it is one thing to know the

guy's in your house and he is creepy but to know he had he that arsenal of weapons is terrifying. >> he upped his bail an extra $2 million. i hope they stick to that. we do have a couple of guests. we should point them out. people pay good money to watch our show. at home it is free except for your cable. here you have to pay. these two lovely ladies bid on us at an auction. we don't know why. >> we just hope you get your money's worth. >> very doubtful. >> thanks for being with us. >> here's a question. when you meet someone who you don't know well, say your son's girlfriend, your daughter's boyfriend, do you hug they will? do you shake their hand? do you say hello? what do you do? >> well, this all came about because of the "new york times" social cues column that our friend writes. a dad wrote in saying his teenage son -- had is where it gets complicated -- has a girlfriend and the dad isn't sure how to greet her. the wife goes and hugs the boy -- the girl, but he feels a little awkward so he waves.

they say he should greet her the same way he greets his son. but i usually agree with philip. i'm a hugger, you are a hugger. >> do i think it is maybe a little strange for the dad. do you think it is weird for the dood hug the girlfriend? >> depends how he hugs and how long he takes, if you know what i'm saying. what's the problem with that? that's the truth. everybody knows a proper hug when you have one. you know the opposite when you're getting one of those, too. >> what do you do? >> i just push myself away because it happens often. >> but it's weird when the hug is over and -- >> it's over for you but it's not over for him. >> no. he's like this,nyway, really great meeting you. >> it is either from a guy or an older lady -- >> i don't mind the older ladies. >> when you got a bad neck and they've got you in the hold because they love you? ahh! >> when you see kath, hug her! wrap your arms around her around shake her. she loves that.

it is her favorite thing. there don't say that, hoda, because i'm going to california tomorrow and i'm going to be seeing a lot of people. of just be gentle with me, please. yesterday at physical therapy they put me in the rack. >> what's that? >> i've got a severe herniated disk that acts up a lot. i have just been getting pt for two months. yesterday because it was not going well put me in the rack. >> what's that? >> kind of liked it. because it stretches your vertebrae and -- >> it is time for "ihoda." >> when i bore her, i bore ler. i bore myself. >> this is a good one. >> i just didn't want to go to "ihoda." >> this is by someone named ingrid michaelson. it's called girls chase boys, chase girls, chase boys. >> we've heard this. this is not new. ♪ ♪

>> i like this song. >> you do? >> i already told you that. >> when? >> like a year ago when it was a hit. wow, hoda. >> some things that are old are new again. okay? it is not that old. it wasn't a year ago. it must sound like another sound. >> no, i remember girls chase boys chase girls and i thought that was clever. >> where are you going to be? >> i am going out to california. i'm going to be attending on saturday night my pastor when i first got to los angeles, wonderful man named pastor jack, has gone on to be an international leader in the christian world. he has my pastor when i first came out here. he's been honored for his 80th birthday and his 60th wedding anniversary. before i'm with my pastor, we're going to be at high times wine ce cellars in kocosta mesa.

then i'm going to caramel on sunday, on purpose. i'm going looking for doris day. >> do it. >> i am going to try to find doris day in caramel because i miss her especially when i listen to your music most of the time, i miss doris day. a quick shout-out to a couple of people. one of my mom he's dearest friends, his name is gary gristmeyer, also a dear friend of our show. my mom went to coffee with him every morning. gary suddenly passed away and his funeral is tomorrow so i just wanted to know that as his first family and friends we are thinking about him. >> my good friend dee emerson lost her precious daddy yesterday. in his 90s and had had a wonderful blessed life. but still the pain of that is very tough. very tough. >> is it okay or not okay to photograph yourself doing yoga in public. pressing question. here's what we had to say about it. >> seems a little narcissistic.

either that or i'm just jealous. >> nice answer. all right, since there's planking and whaling, then why not yoga? just add it to the list. >> don't you think it is a little narcissistic though? say it three times. narcissisti narcissistic. narcissistic. narcissistic. >> you are. haha. >> two ladies headed down south from you north got ambushed this morning. don't forget our brilliant column in the "daily news." right after this.

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second one. >> take a look. >> oh, my god. >> we can't get across that. >> well, we can't stay here. we have to go across. hey, do you have any rope in there? >> yeah. i've got some tow rope. >> he's going to figure something out. >> we can do it. >> you're going to make me go first, aren't you? >> i love it! >> oh, yes. >> i can't wait. >> "citizen kane," the godfather series and "sharknado.." >> you were here last week. >> you said, are you back already? thanks a lot. >> we're not happy we weren't asked to be in it. >> there was talk you were going to be in it. they got al what's his name. >> al and matt are in it. >> we have a clip of them. they had to stab a shark.

this is a behind-the-scenes thing. >> it wasn't a shark. >> look at that. >> that's good. >> look at al helping out. >> what are you thinking in your head when you're playing the role in "sharknado"? >> i like any daniel day lewis. there are a lot of accents and this wealth of stupidity. it was a lot of fun. i'm on broadway acting with judd hirsch, an academy award nominee. i said, we're doing everything we can to destroy your career. >> what makes it absurd is you shot in new york city in january. the movie is supposed to be in the summer. you see the steam coming out of everybody. >> everybody on the east coast -- >> it was the worst winter. >> at city field where we shot there were eight inches of snow on the ground and we were trying to watch a baseball game. poor vivica fox couldn't get her words out. look up, look up! they had to shoot it eight

times. >> maybe "sharknado" in hawaii. >> were you surprised the second one was so quick? >> not when i saw the social media phenomenon. i was watching on a tour bus at the time. i was blown away. i'm on the twitter, facebook, going, oh, my god, is everybody watching this? i got the call. my friends thought i got a scorcese vi. dude! you're in "sharknado 2." >> yeah. it's more than a cameo. they are trying to destroy this movie by having me in it. >> you're a natural. >> you're a good actor, too. >> you're right. >> they have me jumping off a cab on a string on broadway. tmz is like, oh, this looks great. they put together a fun movie. >> have you seen the final version? >> we all know sequels are -- [ blows raspberry ] >> this one is thinking. >> ian ziering chainsaws his way

out of a shark. >> they swallow people alive. >> i know. >> we're going to play a game. we don't have much time. we have to play this game. we usually play spin the bottle with wine. for you it's spin the baby bottle. >> so much fun. >> ready? >> we need advice. fatherly advice. >> i'm here to give it. >> here you go. >> hoda. >> i'm trying to find it. >> wow. >> what is your favorite game to play with the twins on a rainy day? >> they love dance party. i put on gangnam style and we dance. >> do they like your music? >> no. >> do they like doris day? >> doris day, smashmouth and psi. you see the twins. i have to feed them. blues traveller, smashmouth, sugar ray. we'll be across the this beautiful nation.

if you love number one songs from the '90s, you will have a great time. >> i hear you're awesome in "sharknado 2." >> amazingle. i'm waiting for the academy award. >> coming up, two ladies get ambushed. we'll celebrate their gorgeous new look. >> find out why 50 women and their best friends packed into our studio. >> there you go. our studio. >> there you go. >> it's a party right af a woman who loves to share her passions. grandma! mary has atrial fibrillation, an irregular heartbeat not caused by a heart valve problem. that puts her at a greater risk of stroke. rome? sure! before xarelto®, mary took warfarin, which required monthly trips to get her blood tested. but that's history. back to the museum? not this time! now that her doctor switched her to once-a-day xarelto®, mary can leave those monthly trips behind. domestic flight? not today! like warfarin, xarelto® is proven effective to reduce afib-related stroke risk. but xarelto® is the first and only once-a-day

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>> announcer: this portion of "today" is brought to you by the new amex everyday credit card. >> i use mine every day. we kicked off the epic get away contest when moms were asked to bring in pictureses of their everyday mom moments. >> 50 winners were invited to new york city for a fun-filled three-day get away and they are with us today. [ cheers and applause ] >> all 50 are here. and all of their best friends are outside. [ cheers ] >> here with us first is chantell bore-sheller. br you brought your husband. >> and veronica. >> my best friend is here, too. >> first trip to new york city. >> never been here. live in san diego. this is amazing. >> cultural shock. >> yes, it is. >> what have you been doing? >> we went to -- >> we got in at 6:00 last night.

we just walked around and went to -- >> i think she's the only one with a mic. >> we went to empire state building. went out to drink -- i'm sorry. >> what? hey, we don't judge. >> tell us about your journey here. >> we came from tennessee. first time flying. first time in new york city. >> how was that? >> it's been shocking. >> what's been the biggest shocker? >> did you see the naked cowboy yet? >> we have not seen the naked cowboy yet. we did attempt the subway for the first time. and we did it. >> you survived. >> what train were you on? >> the e train to world trade center. >> you guys have great bonds. why did you choose your best friend? >> she's my best friend. she's been a single mom for a long time, too. now she's getting married next month. so i decided it would be a great trip for her and a present for her wedding. >> you guys are so awesome. >> all kinds of things in new

york. have a ball, everybody. >> all the way. >> all righty. everyone has a story is coming up. >> and the big reveal. our ambush makeovers after your local news. did everybody get on? [ cheers ] ♪ as a mother of two, it's really hard to work at home. when i really need to get stuff done, i hide in the laundry room. no one ever goes in there. a lawyer that's a monkey? hahahaha. also, the dryer sheets reeeally help my writing. writing supplies. oh. number 7 of my 20. the new amex everyday credit card with no annual fee. thank you. make 20 or more purchases in a monthly billing period, and earn 20% more rewards. it's membership that rewards you for the things you already buy, everyday. what's your 20? the bhershey's s'mores, together is hothe unmistakable taste

that reminds us that life is delicious. nice.dget and i didn't always get along. ahh!! but thanks to fingerhut.com we can shop for over 30,000 products with low monthly payments. egyptian cotton. that's what i'm talking about. good morning. 10:26 on your thursday. i'm sam brock. we may get interrupted by the president momentarily. he is expected to be making some remarks on the u.s.'s next course of action in iraq. stay tuned for that. locally, officers have arrested a man they say intentionally set

his truck on fire near the bay bridge toll plaza. this picture ton twitter shows the moments just after it happened around 8:15 this morning. several lanes on the westbound side were closed for 30 minutes until crews could clear that scene. the driver of the truck was hurt and has been taken into custody. thankfully, nobody else was hurt. coming up right after the break, we'll have a look at what your traffic and weather situation will be looking like for today and for the weekend. stay with us.

still waiting on that special report from president barack obama. but in the meantime, let's get your weather and traffic locally, although we could be abruptly stopped for that report. 63 in san francisco right now. we have a gorgeous day shaping up here in the bay area. not too hot. basically, we are the envy of the entire nation right now, because they've got some really hot weather on the east coast. also, they're still dealing with severe weather through the plain states. and we're talking about mid-80s at best. even in the warm spots for today. 79 degrees, located in the south bay, later on. it's going to be really, really nice out there. but by sunday, we're going to cool you off even more so. you just saw that shot of 280 northbound. no delays, still stacked up at the bay bridge toll plaza. the metering lights are back on. we had an earlier serious crash headed westbound, still feeling the effects. san mateo bridge, meanwhile, moving along really nicely. if you're trying to get to the west, this might be a great option for you. up to speed in both directions. back to you, sam. okay, what is the next step in iraq going to be? drone strikes, air strikes, more special ops?

all of this information expected to be covered in the president's address. more information for you at 11:00. ♪ we're back with more of "today" on thirsty thursday. ready to reveal the ambush make overs for two lucky ladies swept off the plaza for a brand new look. >> having their way with two southern belles are today contributor and stylist to the star. >> come on. >> louis licari la la la la la la ♪ >> contributing editor for people style watch and author jill martin. >> hello, kids. >> what happened? >> i was having my way. >> i said that. >> it was a great summer day. we found two great ladies. what can i say? it was

>> announcer: this is an nbc news special report. here's brian williams. good day from new york and washington, and in just a moment, we're standing by for president obama in the white house briefing room. he's going to talk about the unraveling, the crumbling situation in iraq. our chief white house correspondent political direct irchuck todd is there in the front row. the president entering just behind chuck, and before he does, chuck, the rumor all day he would talk about perhaps inserting green berets though he's denied combat ground troops. of course, we've seen that movie already. >> the setting itself tells us this is going to be more of an update of what's happening of the situation. has his thinking is, and also two audiences for this. of course, the american public, that's weary, and maliki himself. the prime minister, basically the road block all week as the united states is considered what

it can do militarily to help iraq, the president himself wanted movement on the political front from maliki. that hasn't happened. phone call did not go well last night with vice president biden. expect a lot of sort of diplomatic straight talk about what maliki needs to do from the president as well, brian. >> chuck, you mentioned vice president biden. 's the kind of -- here comes the president. we'll live to what he has to say. good afternoon, everybody. i just met with my national security team to discuss the situation in iraq. we've been meeting regularly to review the situation, since isil, the terrorist organization that operates in iraq and syria, made advances inside of iraq. as i said last week, isil poses a threat to the iraqi people, to the region, and to u.s. interests. so today i wanted to provide you an update how wee responding to the situation. first, we are working to secure our embassy and personnel operating inside of iraq. as president, i have no greater

priority than the safety of our men and women serving overseas. so i have taken steps to relocate some of our embassy personnel and we've sent reinforcements to better secure our facilities. second, at my direction, we have significantly increased our intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance assets so that we get a better picture of what's taking place inside of iraq, and this will give us a drater understanding of what isil is doing, where it's located and how we might support efforts to counter this threat. third, the united states will continue to increase our support to iraqi security forces. we're prepared to create joint operation centers in baghdad and northern iraq to share intelligence, and coordinate planning to confront the terrorist threat of isil. through our new counterterrorism partnership fund we're prepared to work with congress to provide additional equipment. we have had advisers in iraq

through our embassy and are prepared to send a small number of additional american military advisers, up to 300, to assess how we can bet train, advise and a spo support iraqi security forces going forward. american forceless not be returning to combat in iraq but will help iraqis as they take the fight to the terrorists who threaten the iraqi people, and the american interests as well. fourth, in recent days we've positioned additional u.s. military assets in the region. because of our increased intelligence resources we're developing more information about potential targets associated with isil, and going forward, we will be prepared to take targeted and precise military action, if and when we determine that the situation on the ground requires it. if we do, i will consult closely with congress and leaders in iraq and in the region. i want to emphasize, though, that the best and most effective

response to a threat like isil will ultimately involve partnerships where local forces, like iraqis, take the lead. finally, the united states will lead a diplomatic effort to work with iraqi leaders and the countries in the region, to support stability in iraq. at my direction, secretary kerry will depart this weekend for meetings in the meefrt and europe, where he'll be able to consult with our allies and partners and just as all iraqis, neighbors, must respect iraq's territorial integrity, all of the neighbors have a vital interest ensuring that iraq does not descend into civil war or became a safe haven for terrorists. above all, iraqi leaders must rise above their differences and come together around a political plan for iraq's future. shia, sunni, kurds, all iraqis, must have confidence that they can advance their interests and

aspirations through the political process, rather than through violence. national unity meetings have to go forward to build consensus across iraq's different communities. now that the results of iraq's recent election has been certified, a new parliament should convene as soon as possible. the formation of a new government will be an opportunity to begin a genuine dialogue and forge a government that represents the legitimate interests of all iraqis. now, it's not the place for the united states to choose iraq's leaders. it is clear, though, that only leaders that can govern with an inclusive agenda are going to be able to truly bring the iraqi people together and help them through this crisis. meanwhile, the united states will not pursue military action to support one sect inside of iraq at the expense of another. there's no military solution inside of iraq, certainly not one that is led by the united states. but there is an urgent need for an inclusive political process, a more capable iraqi security

force, and counterterrorism efforts to deny groups like isil a safe haven's in closing, recent days have reminded us of the deep scars left by america's war in iraq. alongside the loss of nearly 4,500 american patriots, many veterans carry the wounds of that war and will for the rest of their lives. here at home, iraq sparked vigorous debates and intense emotions in the past, and we've seen some of those debates resurface. but what's clear from the last decade is the need for the united states to ask hard questions before we take action abroad. particularly military action. the most important question we should all be asking, the issue that we have to keep front and center, the issue that i keep front and center, is what is in the national security interests of the united states of america? as commander in chief, that's what i stay focused on.

as americans, that's what all of us should be focused on, and going forward we will continue to consult closely with congress. we will keep the american people informed. we will remain vigilant, and we will continue to do everything in our power to protect the security of the united states and the safety of the american people. so with that, i'm going to take a couple of questions. i'll start with colleen mccain nelson of the "wall street journal." >> mr. president, you have, do you have any confidence in prime minister maliki at this point, and can maliki bring political security toy iraq? . >> it's not our job to choose iraq's leaders, as i said. part of what our patriots fought for during many years in iraq was the right and the opportunity for iraqis to determine their own destiny and choose their own leaders. but i don't think there's any secret that right now, at least,

there is deep divisions between sunnis, shia and kurdish leaders, and as long as those deep divisions continue or worsen, it's going to be very hard for an iraqi central government to direct an iraqi military to deal with these threats. and so we've consulted with prime minister maliki and we've said that to him privately. we've said it publicly, that whether he is prime minister or any other leader aspires to lead the country, that it has to be an agenda in which sunni, shia and kurd all feel that they have the opportunity to advance their interests through the political process, and the we've seen over the last two years actually dating back to 2008, 2009, but i think worse over the last two years, the sense amongst sunnis

their interests were not being served. that legislation that had been promised around, for example, de-baathification had been stalled. that you hear similar complaints, that the government in baghdad has not sufficiently reached out to some of the tribes, and been able to bring them in to a process that, you know, gives them a sense of being part of -- of a unity government or a single nation state, and that has to be worked through. part of the reason why we saw better equipped iraqi security forces with larger numbers, not be able to hold contested territory against isil, probably reflects that lack of -- a sense

of commitment on the part of sunni communities to, to work with baghdad, and that has to be fixed if we're going to get through this crisis. jim acosta? >> thank you, mr. president. americans may look at this decision that you're making today as a sneak preview of coming attractions, the number of advisers you're planning to send in may just be the beginning of a boots on the ground scenario down the road. why is iraq's civil war and the national security interests of the united states, and are you concerned about potential for mission creed? >> i think we always have to guard against mission creed. so let me repeat. what i've said in the past. american combat troops are not going to be fighting in iraq again. we do not have the ability to simply solve this problem by

sending in tens of thousands of troops, and committing the kinds of blood and treasure that has already been expended in iraq. ultimately, this is something that will have to be solved by the iraqis. it is in our national security interests not to see an all-out civil war inside of iraq. not just for humanitarian reasons, but because that ultimately can be a destabilizing, throughout the reagion and in addition to havig strong allies we are committed to protecting, obviously, issues like energy and global energy markets continues to be important. we also have an interest in making sure that we don't have a safe haven that continues to grow for isil and other extremist jihadist groups, who could use that as a base of operations for planning and

targeting ourselves, our personnel overseas, and eventually the homeland. and, you know, if they accumulate more money, they accumulate more ammunition, more military capability, larger numbers, that poses great dangers, not just to allies of ours like jordan, which is very close by, but it also poses potential great danger to europe and ultimately the united states. we have already seen inside of syria that -- or groups like isil that right now are fighting with other extremist groups, or an assad regime, non-responsive to sunni majority there, that, that has attracted more and more jihadists or would-be jihadists, some from europe, may then start traveling back to europe and

that over time can create a cadre of terrorists that could harm us. so we have humanitarian interests in preventing bloodshed. we have strategic interests in stability in the region. we have counterterrorism interests. all of those have to be addressed. the initial effort foret situational awareness through, you know, the, the reconnaissance and surveillance that we've already done, coupled with some, some of our best people on the ground, doing assessments of exactly what the situation is, starting, by the way, with the perimeter around baghdad and making sure that that's not overrun. that's a good investment for us to make, but what does not put -- that does not foreshadow a larger commitment of troops to actually fight in iraq. that would not be effective in

meeting the core interests that we have. >> quickly, do you wish you had left a residual force in iraq? any regrets about that decision? >> keep in mind, that wasn't a decision made by me but by the iraqi government. we offered a modest residual force to help continue to train and advise iraqi security forces. we had a core requirement, which we require in any situation where we have u.s. troops overseas. has that is, they are provided immunity, since they're being invited by the sovereign government there, so that if, for example, they end up acting in self-defense, if they are attacked and find themselves in a tough situation, that they're not somehow hauled before a foreign court. that's a core requirement that

we have for u.s. troop presence anywhere. the iraqi government and prime minister maliki declined to provide us that immunity. and so i think it is important, though, to recognize that despite that decision, that we have continued to provide them with very intensive advice and support, and have continued throughout this process over the last five years to not only offer them our assistance militarily, but we've also continued to urge the kinds of political compromises that we think are ultimately necessary in order for them to have a functioning multisectarian democracy inside the country. juliette alper?

>> the united states is providing weapons and training directly to the syrian opposition, with the expansion of the syrian war into iraq, does it change your mind about the types of weapons and training you're now willing to give the opposition there? is that what prompted secretary kerry to say in syria, we are augustmenting what we're doing now? >> that assessment of the dangers happening in syria existed since -- since the very beginning of the syrian civil war. the question has never been whether we thought this was a serious problem. the question has always been, is there the capacity of moderate opposition on the ground to absorb and counteract extremists that might have been pouring in, as well as an assad regime supported by iran and russia that outmanned them and was

ruthless? and so we have consistently provided that opposition with support. oftentimes the challenge is, if you have former farmers, or teachers, or pharmacists who now are taking up opposition against a battle-hardened regime, with support from external actors that have a lot at stake, how quickly can you get them trained? how effective are you able to mobilize them? and you know, that continues to be a challenge, and even before the situation that we saw with isil going into iraq, we had already tried to maximize what we could do to support a moderate opposition that not

only can counteract the brutality of assad, but also can make sure that in the minds of sunnis, they don't think their only alternative is either mr. assad or extremist groups like isil or al nusra. >> and what abouted [ inaudible ]. >> i think that the key to both syria and iraq is going to be a combination of what happens inside the country, working with moderate syrian opposition, working with an iraqi government that is inclusive, and us laying down a more effective counterterrorism platform that gets all the countries in the region pulling in the same dreshgz. and dreshgirection.

i alluded to this in the west point speech and talked about it today with respect to the counterterrorism partnership fund. there's going to about long-term problem in this region, in which we have to build and partner with countries that are committed to our interests, our values, and -- and at the same time we have immediate problems with terrorist organizations that may be advancing. and rather than try to play whack a mole wherever these terrorist organizations may pop up what we have to do is to be able to build effective partnerships, make sure that they have capacity, some of the assets that have been devoted solely to afghanistan over the last decade, we've got to shift to make sure that we have coverage in the middle east and north africa. you look at a country like

yemen. a very impoverished country, and one that has its own sectarian or ethnic divisions, we do have a committed partner in the president and his government, and we have been able to help to develop their capacities without putting large numbers of u.s. troops on the ground. at the same time as we've got enough ct, counter terrorism, compacts that we're able to go after folks that might try to hit our embassy or might be trying to export terrorism into europe or the united states. and looking at how we could create more of those models is going to be part of the solution in dealing with both syria and iraq, but in order for us to do that, we still need to have actual governments on the ground that we can partner with, and

that we've got some confidence are going to pursue the political policies, inclusiveness in yemen, for example, a wide-ranging national dialogue that took a long time, but helped to give people a sense that there is a -- a legitimate political outlet for grievances that they may have. peter? >> thank you, sir. going back to where you see prime minister maliki playing a role at this point. you said that at the time to rise above differences, there's a need for a more inclusive government. is he a unifier, and how much clout does the united states ultimately have with any of the leadership in iraq at this point, really? >> well, we still provide them significant assistance. i think they recognize that unlike some other players in the region, we don't have territorial ambitions in their country. we're not looking to control

their assets or their energy. we want to make sure that we're vindicating, the enormous effort and sacrifice that was made by our troops in giving them an opportunity to build a stable, inclusive society. that can prosper and deliver for the basic needs and saaspiratio of the iraqi people, and at the same time, they are a sovereign country. they have their own politics. and what we have tried to do is to give them our best advice about how they can solve their political problems. now that they are in crisis, we are indicating to them that there's no going to be a simple military solution to this issue. if you start saying -- seeing

the various groups inside of iraq simply go to their respective corners, then it is almost certain that baghdad, and the central government, will not be able to control huge chunks of their own country. the only way they can do that is if there are credible sunni leaders, both at the national level and at the local level, who have confidence that a shia majority, that the kurds, that all of those folks are committed to a fair and just governance of the country. right now that doesn't exist. there's too much suspicion, too much mistrust, and the good news is that an election took place in which despite all of this mistrust, despite all of this

frustration, despite all of this anger, you still had millions of iraqis turn out. in some cases in very dangerous circumstanc circumstances. you now have a court that has certified those elections and a constitutional process to advance government formation. so far, at least, the one bit of encouraging news we've seen inside of iraq is that all the parties have said they continue to be committed to choosing a leadership and a government through the existing constitutional order. so what you're seeing, i think, is as, at the prospects of civil war heightened, many iraqi leaders stepping back and saying, let's not plunge back into the abyss. let's see if we can resolve this

politically, but they don't have a lot of time, and you have a group like isil, that is doing everything that it can to descend the country back into chaos. and so one of the messages we had for prime minister maliki, but also for the speaker of the house and, you know, the other leadership inside of iraq is, get going on this government formation. it will make it a lot easier for them to shape a military strategy. it will also make it possible for us to partner much more effectively, than we can currently. >> given the prime minister's track record, is he a unifier? can he play that role after what we've seen play out over the last couple of weeks? >> i think the test is before him, and other iraqi leaders as we speak. right now, they can make a series of decisions. regardless of what happened in the past, right now's the moment where the fate of iraq hangs in

the balance, and the test for all of them is going to be whether they can overcome the mistrust, the deep sectarian divisions, in some cases just the political opportunism, and say, this is bigger than any one of us and we've got to make sure that we do what's right for the iraqi people. and that's a challenge. that's not something that the united states can do for them. that's not something, by the way, that the united states armed forces can do for them. we can provide them the space. we can provide them the tools, but ultimately, they're going to have to make those decisions. in the meantime, my job is to make sure that american personnel there are safe that we are consulting with the iraqi security forces, that we're getting a better assessment of what's on the ground, and that

we're recognizing the dangers of isil over the long term and developing the kinds of comprehensive counterterrorism strategies we're going to need to deal with this issue, and that's going to involve some short-term responses to make sure that isil is not -- obtaining capacity to, to endanger us directly or our allies and partners and also require long-term strategies as pell. part of what we've seen with respect to isil is, you know, a broader trend that i talked about at west point. a -- rather than a single network, a discreet network of terrorists, this fluid combination of hardened

terrorists, diseffected local leadership, and where there's vacuums, they're filling it and creating the potential for, you know, serious danger for all concerned. all right? thank you very much. >> any word on what you are willing to do and work with -- >> you know, our view is that iran can play a constructive role, if it is helping to send the same message to the iraqi government that we're sending, which is that iraqi only holds together if it's inclusive, and that if the interests of sunni, shia and kurd are all respected. if iran is coming in solely as an armed force on behalf of the shia, and if it is framed in that fashion, then that probably

worsens the situation, and the prospect for government formation that would actually be constructed over the long term. >> what do you get a sense of now? >> well, i think just as iraq's leaders have to make decisions, i think iran has heard from us. we've indicated to them that it is important for them to avoid steps that might encourage the kind of sectarian splits that might lead to civil war. and, you know, the one thing that i think is, you know, has to be emphasized. we have deep differences with iran across the board on a whole host of issues. obviously, what happened in syria in part is the result of iran coming in hot and heavy on