tonight's game. i'm amazed it took this long. but it's happening. >> i got a drought busting way to do it too. >> nice. >> ho can you -- how can you resist that? okay, we'll see you later. and nancy writebol have beaten the disease and brantly will an walk out this morning. walk out this morning. a failed rescue attempt, it appears james foley was killed by his captives. tives. lates summer says him, lates summer says temperatures soaring into the h 90s from the deep south to mens mince, ushering a threat of dangerous storms.storms. baby boom. baby boom.

a week after savannah unveiled vale to the world, we have more happy news, this time from e fr carson, we will talk to him o h about hit bundle of joy, today, august 21st, 2013. 2013. >> from nbc news, there is ere "today" with matt lauer and r a savannah guthrie.uthrie. live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. 1plaza. >> good morning, welcome to "today."oday." savannah is enjoying time with vale.joying time with vale. now, this morning, more baby news. >> yay!g, >> yay! >> we have welcomed little litt london rose into the world. wor. lou cute is that?s that? i think a lot of people expected there to happen last week. there to happen last week. london rose comes in, goes right into 2nd grade. grade. congratulation, we will hear l from carson a little later on.e.

>> meanwhile, let's get right to this breaking news, a news a ne conference scheduled for later from morning. dwab gutierrez is in atlanta. >> this is the day dr. kent brantly and his family and people around the world have been waiting for. we are told he is expected to walk out of the hospital later today. as for the other american ebola patients, doctors plan to update us on the status of nancy wherebol's discharge. it has been almost three weeks since dr. kent brantly walked into emory hospital in atlanta, still in grave condition after being diagnosed with ebola in liberia. health officials made the controversial decision to bring him back to the u.s. >> he has been working to maintain the safety of the patients in the hospital as well as the general public. >> three days later, another

missionary, fancy writebol, a nurse, transfers to emory. the two have been in opposite rooms staffed 24/7. their families able to visit separated by glass. last week, his husband says despite the odds her health is improving. >> she tells me she is getting better. >> reporter: in africa the world health organization says the ebola outbreak las no end in sight t. latest physicals show 2500 people have been diagnosed and officials say the death toll is 1350. an increase of hundreds in just the past few days. dr. brantly's recovery is certain to give doctors and other patients renewed hope. >> that news conference is set to begin in about an hour dr. brantly is expected to speak. it's quite an amazing story, here, matt.

>> we have talked to the folks of emory hospital.pital. gave gutierrez, thank you.you. new revelations are emerging ar tied to isis militants, tied to secure a massive ran some. secure a massive ran some. richard engel is in turkey along the syrian border.orde good morning.orning. >> reporter: good morning, rnin tamron, isis is still holding l dozens of foreign hostages for ransom and political pressure.s. now, we are learning new details about a failed u.s. military li operation to free james foley o earlier there summer.summer. isis, the group that executed c american reporter james foley is still holding dozens of foreign hostages for ransom and hostages for ranso political pressure.essure. the pentagon said at least one attempt was recently made to ad rescue foley and the others.the.

officials say special operations forces in helicopters with u.s.r fighter jets swarmed the swarm compound in syria and were d we immediately engaged by enemy e force, after a severe gun e gun battle, the americans determined the hostages were not at the at location and left.tion and left. one senior helicopter pilot lot suffered a minor wound when the helicopter came under enemy fire..fire. the official says there were no other american casualties.ameri. the mission didn't work.ork. it was a risky composition from the start.start. isis controlled parts of syria and iraq. and iraq. it's all hostile territory.rito. the last voice james foley heard was of his executioner.tioner. with what sounded to many like a britishing a sent. britishing a sent. british authorities are british authorities are scrambling to identify him.scra president obama spoke of the mb need for justice.ustice. >> the united states of america

will continue to do what we must do to protect our people.do to . we will be vigilant and relentless. less. >> reporter: james foley's orte mother said her son bravely r s endured the enemy.enemy. >> we are very proud of jimmy m and we are praying for the and strength and love leak he did. >> reporter: she is praying for another american journalist, is isis is threatening to execute him, too,fuls washington stops airstrikes on the militants in t iraq.s in iraq. sources here in turkey tell us isis made repeated multi-million dollar ransom demands to free dr james foley. james foley. they were even asking for they were even asking for hundreds of thousands of dollars for proof of life videos.f of l. the u.s. unlike some european s countries as a rule doesn't pay. matt.matt. >> richard engel in turkey.rkey. thank you very much. much. evan coleman is an nbc terrorist analyst. >> good morning.rning.

>> they said this was about airstrikes in iraq.iraq. i turns out they demanded anded hundreds of millions in ransom.. we don't pay, some european ean countries do pay.do pay. does the fact that they pay th complicate the situation when an american is held captive?aptive? >> absolutely. >> abs it's a question of whether or o not they expect to get paid a a ransom or whether this is simply a way of inducing europeans to pay more, in other words, if you don't pay, this is water going to happen. gappen. in africa, they have been been executed for being an american as an inducement to force the e europeans to pay more.peans to . >> the president launched 14 he airstrikes in iraq just airstrikes in iraq just yesterday, which immediately yesterday, which immediately makes you think of the other ma american being held. held. how complicated was that as a fact?fact? >> look, i think everyone would like to do everything they can to save his life. to save on the other hand, we have a hi on the other hand, we have a grown-up of individuals who are extremely unpredictable and most likely have already made their e

decision of what they're going to do.ly h decision of what they're going to do. i i don't think this directed e relevance of whether we do nce airstrikes or not will make a difference. difference. >> now that it's been released to the public that we attempted back in july, does it make t ma another attempt impossible?ssib? >> they are supposed to be to looking for something like this. it's a question, why are we not streaking headquarters?arters? we're launching free missions to free hostages, why aren't we free hostages, why aren't we staying in the conflict there?e? it's like stabilizeing syria, there is no doubt, this is where isis is based out of..isis is b. >> there is worry based on that isis militant who murdered james foley, a british accent.ccent. some are saying, are they going into western countries, ries, including people, training them, sending them back to attack tta western interests. rests. >> that is already true, they have carried out terrorist rori

attacks in the name of isis and have even called back isis k is commanders looking for how to o set off explosive devices.vices. there is hard evidence over there.there. we have seen in the last few st weeks a 20-year-old, tell us the intent was to go to isis and if they ask you to, to kill americans.kill americans. >> thank you very much. >> than let's go to natalie. >> good morning, everyone. it was another night of protests in ferguson, missouri, wednesday. this as a grand jury begins hearing evidence in the death of michael brown. craig, good morning. >> reporter: natalie, good morning to you, for the second straight night ferguson was relatively quiet. far fewer than the arrests we saw here monday night.

the riots have that consumed the city seem to have subsided for now. overnight the quietest protesters started after dwendling police presence. >> tonight was a very good night in ferguson. >> reporter: at one point, no tear gas, rubber bullets. the federal response many have been demanded arrived on the terms of eric holder, holder is meeting with officer, students and community leaders. >> my hope is that that will have, get people confidence that the appropriate things are being done by their federal government. >> reporter: holder also met with the parents of michael brown, the 18-year-old whose shooting death sparked sometimes violent protests. protesters and police were both present outside the courthouse where a garage investigation

into that shooting started wednesday, authorities stress it could take weeks to determine if officer darren wilson will face criminal charges. >> people are angry, frustrated and they want answers. >> reporter: meanwhile, another officer was relieved of his duty and suspended indefinitely after pushing a spy automatic rifle into the face of a protester's hands screaming threats tuesday night. more evidence that all eyes are on the officer, their actions now constantly on camera. meanwhile, nbc news has learned the ferguson police department was hit with not one but two different lawsuits yesterday over the wrongful death of a man if 2011. the family claims he was killed. that's the latest in ferguson, r back to you.guo you. >> craig in ferguson, missouri, thank you, craig. raig. three senior hamas military

leaders have been killed in the gaza strip. israeli aircraft have carried more than 100 since the cease-fire. the egyptian negotiator said today they will continue to try to brokary long-term cease-fire even though both israeli and palestinian delegations have left cairo. banc of america has reempd a record $17 billion settlement with federal and state authorities. the settlement resolves banc of america's role in the sale of mortgage-backed securities before the 2008 financial crisis. it helped millions of americans lose their homes to foreclosure. officials say the bank will pay $10 billion in cash and provide consumer relief. a million dollar of marijuana goes sky high after drug busts near houston. the pot was growing near a prison.

sheriffs deputies cut the plant and a chopper was sent in to carry them out bundle by bundle. police almost have the suspected growers. but the two men ran off into the woods. the most adorable video of the day a. wlael of a tale a couple of kids won't forget any time soon. tike i take a look. and one more time. the video was shot at the mistic aquarium in connecticut. they were clearly having some fun with the kids, he was playing peek-a-boo. you can see why they're so popular, they're sociable, very intelligent. the kids are obviously loving every minute of that. i have to go to the aquarium. >> wouldn't it be funny if that's not a window but a mirror, he's just having fun with the mirror. >> al roker has our check of the

weather. >> unfortunately, we have more hot weather to talk about. dangerous heat. a big upper level pressure system pushing relief way up to the north. we have heat advisories in effect from texas to the south clone coast into the ohio river valley as well, the feels like temperature the temperature once you combine the humidity and the temperature, it will feel like 103 in memphis. st. louis has 105. friday more of the same. 101 in dallas and on saturday the heat continues feeling like 100 degrees, atlanta 102. this is very, very dangerous heat. make sure you cake care of time outdoors. lots of water, defirst half nated beverages, light weight loose fitting clothing. check on your elderly neighbors.

we're going to get to your local forecast coming up. ♪ oh, good thursday morning to you, we are going to warm up for today, but not by much. three to five degrees at best. this is bodega bay, temperatures looking really comfortable for san francisco. upper 60s coming your way. we'll boost those numbers up in the city even for today. shallow marine layer here over the santa clara valley. the fog will burn off quickly and temperatures jump out to the 60s where we are now into about 83 degrees in the heat of the

day for the south bay, 79 degrees for the peninsula and on the east shore. you guys really turned when i said nonalcoholic beverages. >> i was fine with it. . >> i really turned. >> i was fine with it. >> come on, but in mod iraqis. >> thank you very much, al. former virginia governor bob mcdonald is expected back on the stand at his corruption trial today as he asks tough questions about the state of his marriage and the man he befriended, or who befriended his wife peter alexander is at the house. >> reporter: this is the moment we have been waiting for on the stand, bob mcdonald began distancing himself from his wife. what he says and most importantly whether the jurors believe him will go a long way in determining whether or not he and his wife go to federal prison.

facing a crush of cameras, bob mcdonald is finally taking center stage. the former governor amid accusations he traded the prestige for personal gain, lavish gifts, a vacation, behind the wleels of a ferrari. looking at a lean of dietary supplements. >> my administration did nothing for them other than give them access. his wife couldn't have criminally conspired because the marriage was so badly broken. he described running out of adrenaline, not his wife, she was yelling about something, he says, it clearly exhibited some of the stress of what laid ahead for her in her new role as first lady. >> that fight after a congratulatory call from president obama. they will turn to mcdonald's sister, maureen, who shares the same name as his wife. mcdonald described two sides of his sister-in-law, one sweet,

one tender, the other manipulative and deceptive. the governor's sister said maureen mcdonald texted her to meet before what she called that prison mansion. advisers say it's evidence that maureen mcdonald's crush she had on williams, the businessman. they appeared to be fond of each other, it was flirty, very, very friendly. as uncomfortable and flatingering much of the testimony is, legal analysts say it could be helping their case if they can convince jurors what governor mcdonald knew was nothing he was doing, except accepting gifts. governor mcdonald is expected to testify about his brave relationship with his own wife. >> all right, peter alexander, thank you very much.

>> we know savannah is enjoying home with little vale. carson is getting snappy with hess new bundle of joy. >> today's segment, babies. we have another one, carson, well done. the subject line was the daly baby has left the orange womb. it was from carson and his beautiful wife announcing london rose daly was born happy and healthy. we have mr. daly right here on this nippy facetime. carson, good morning. >> hey, guys, good morning, thank you. thank you very much. >> how is baby and how is seri? >> they are right here. they are doing very well. >> that's incredible. >> we thought this was going to happen on saturday. it didn't. we went home, we did a long

couple days of waiting. yesterday was anxious as well until i got a call. i was with the kids at the house, it was seri calling come on, come on, it's happening right now. like out of a movie i sped to the hospital. they were literally waiting for me to get there she is absolutely beautiful. carson tell us about the name. london rose. >> thank you. we got jackson jamieson, et that rose, rose was my grandma's name, et that was seri's grandma's name. we have a lot of family history of the nachlts we western sure even when little london came out, we were throwing around our short list, london rose daly was the first one. >> we love you guys. we will see you back here soon. >> bye-bye. >> oh. >> we miss you. >> so sweet. >> bye, guys, have fun.

>> congratulations. >> she's picked a great day to be born. >> the "today show" birthday. >> coming up, what a crowd, 34,000 people showed up to see 13-year-old sensation mo'ne' davis pitch at the world series. we'll show you how she did. >> true blue, why the animal rights group pita is buying animal r

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to do thursday morning, 7:26 i'm sam brock. we have breaking news. police are investigating a shooting in east san jose. officers are out at the intersection of thackery lane and gathering evidence. kris sarn chez -- sanchez is live on scene, what's the latest? >> reporter: good morning. we just arrived here at the scene of the shooting that happened about 5:50 this morning. we arrived as officers were putting out the crime scene tape. we did see an officer taking photographs of that green car there behind us. what we can tell you is that the shooting happened at the intersection of the lane and here in san jose, not far from the shopping store.

the victim was transported to an area hospital with at least one gunshot wound. the injuries are serious, but it is expected that that victim will survive. we know that he is an adult male. that's about all that we know about him at this point. san jose police are investigating right now, they're still laying out evidence markers, and we have seen them talking with folks who possibly may have been witnesses in this busy neighborhood. in san jose, kris sanchez, "today in the bay." >> kris, we'll stay on the story, thank you so much. in the men time, more -- meantime, more breaking news. backup on northbound 280. this because of an oil slick on the freeway. mike inouye joins us now, what's the maneuverability. >> wet now, the only update is our live chopper shot shows us the two right lanes are blocked. you see the sign truck there. they're getting ready for them to arrive, but still not there. they have got to clean up the oil slick. highway 85 up past the scene.

we'll see the foothill expressway sl a good alternate from highway 85 all the way up to el monte, christina, we have better news in the weather department, right? we have good news this morning, mike, taking a live look here, mostly clear conditions, temperatures will be comfortable. starting out in the 60s headed towards the 70s. couple 80s out there. 80 degrees for the north bay, 79 in the east shore area. beautiful conditions along the peninsula. 79 degrees for you today and 83 degrees in the south bay. we'll take a closer look at your extended forecast in just a few moments on the "today show." ♪

♪ ♪

7:30 now on a thursday morning. it's the 21st of august, 2014. here's a really pretty morning in fort myers, florida. and you can share your morning photos with us using t the #todaysunrise. by the way, the music in the background, a good reminder that country sensation hunter hayes will be live on our concert stage tomorrow morning in our 8:30 half hour. come on down. meantime, here's what's making headlines. dr. kent brantly and nancy writebol, the two americans who contracted ebola in africa and were rushed to the u.s. force treatment have been cleared for release from emory university hospital. a news conference being held this morning. we've learned that brantly will be there, then walk out of the hospital. the u.s. is moving ahead with more air strikes on isis

militants in iraq following the murder of american journalist james foley. and we've now learned that a secret mission to rescue foley and other u.s. hostages was attempted earlier in the summer, but it failed. and evacuation orders have now been lifted as crews fight a raging wildfire northeast of bakersfield, california. although officials say the fire has been stopped, the danger remains. it's already destroyed eight homes and ten other buildings. and coming up, have we become a nation of work martyrs? according to a recent study, 40% of americans don't take all the vacation they're entitled to, but we found one boss who actually pays his employees to completely unplug during their time off. >> sounds like a really good idea. it's important. let's begin this half hour with the star of this year's little league world series, mo'ne davis. she was back on the mound last night once again striking out the boys, although the result, probably not what she had hoped for.

nbc's katy tur was there. good morning to you. >> reporter: matt, it was such a good and success spentful game last night. although it wasn't quite the outcome they wanted, mo'ne still performed valiantly, especially when you consider the eyes of the nation were all on her. at the packed stadium last night, all eyes were on a 13-year-old girl with a history-making fastball. >> mo'ne davis. >> reporter: from the cover of "sports illustrated" to round-the-clock media coverage, this year's tournament has been all about mo'ne. and if she was nervous before game time, she didn't show it. warming up and signing autographs like a pro. >> go in calm and confident. so that's how i'm going to go into the game. >> reporter: but right off the bat, a run for las vegas. and mo'ne's confidence clearly shaken. >> all right. take a breath. >> you can just feel the fight

in mo'ne davis. >> reporter: still, she fought through it. >> called strike three! >> reporter: she said she came out here to strike boys out. and 34,000 people including these guys right here came out here to see her do just that. in 2 1/2 innings, she struck out 6. mo'ne is just the 18th girl to play in the little league world series. back in 1989, nbc featured the first girl to get a hit on this hallowed field, 12-year-old victoria brucker. >> i just swing. >> reporter: 25 years later, and mo'ne is inspiring a whole new generation. >> girl power. >> reporter: and while the taney dragons may have lost, a lot of fans feel like they've already won. >> it doesn't matter that they lost. they still played as hard as they could. >> reporter: but not to worry. the taney dragons and mo'ne are not out quite yet. they play tonight against chicago. the winner of that game moves on

to saturday where they'll have to beat las vegas to make it to the world series on sunday. cross your fingers, matt. >> yep. no, we will. you know what, a lot of attention on taney and mo'ne davis, but we have to give credit where credit is due. two kids in little leagues, i've seen a lot of games and a lot of teams. that las vegas team, they are really, really good. >> you know i've been obsessed with their pitcher. he's, like, 6 foote and he's 13. >> yeah. >> what is in the water in nevada? drink a little around here, grow up taller. >> okay. >> the kid brings it. let's check in with a 60-year-old. >> thank you. from 16 to 60. thank you very much. all right. >> you hit yourself a little hard there, didn't you. >> that felt good. let's show you what's going on. we've been talking about this ring of fire, the heat down south. it's pushing storms up and over all this. and so we are looking at some

severe weather today in the midwest and the plains. they're already firing up. minnesota, omaha, on into chicago. going to be some airport delays out of this thing. and during the afternoon, as the low pressure moves to the east and pushes this warm front up to the north, more storms will fire up. into friday morning, a lot of rain. anywhere from two to three inches from montana all the way into the great lakes. and we continue on into the east. some areas picking up to three to five inches of rain in central ohio on into the east coast. th 7:356, good thursday morning, i'm meteorologist christina loren. if you enjoyed yesterday, we are going to bring temperatures up just a touch for this. afternoon. live looks at mt. hamilton where you will notice the weather story of the day, and that's the fact that we've cut off that natural ac significantly as a result, temperatures are going to be warmer. 83 degrees in the south bay today. 79 driez on the peninsula. upper 60s in san francisco. looking good in the north bay

through the low 80s. and hey, even on the east shore around room temperature, 72 degrees for today. and that's your latest weather. seaworld is back in the headlines this morning. one of its biggest critics is actually buying into the company. and the park is making a move that will permanently change a key element to their killer whale shows. nbc's joe fryer has the latest. good morning. >> good morning, tamron. peta, the animal rights group that's long opposed seaworld's captivity of orcas is now buying up stock in seaworld. it's an attempt to put pressure on the embattled company. this comes as seaworld itself announced it is dropping its appeal of a ruling that bans trainers from performing in the water with the killer whales ever again. >> reporter: from now on, this is what you can expect to see at one of seaworld's biggest draws. trainers beside the pool, not inside the pool. in a filing with the s.e.c., the company says we have elected to not pursue further appeal of a federal citation which kept

trainers from swimming with or riding on killer whales during shows. last week seaworld ceo told nbc news his company has invested $70 million in safety upgrades since the death of a trainer in orlando four years ago. >> we certainly did make changes. you know, it forced us to really stop and look at everything we do. we stopped and focused on how we train trainers, how we train whales. >> reporter: the trainer's death was highlighted in "blackfish," a documentary aargues orcas should not be kept in captivity. facing negative publicity, the stock tanked last week, and now one of its biggest critics, peta, is for the second time buying shares of the company's stock. enough now to propose resolutions and submit questions at shareholder meetings. >> peta's not taking over seaworld. what it's doing is leveraging the power of its name and its celebrities' name. >> reporter: in june actress jessica biel entered a question on behalf of peta, asking seaworld when it would move the orcas to pens at sea.

something the company does not plan to do. >> you know, it's our responsibility to keep the debate alive. and we will do that until seaworld changes its model and gets rid of its captive animals. >> seaworld says that despite peta's claims its animals are well cared for and their health is a responsibility, the company takes seriously, seaworld just announced plans to build new habitats for its killer whales nearly twice as large as their current environments. tamron? >> thank you very much, joe. take a deep breath and say this. coming up, why you should no longer feel guilty if you relieve yourself in the ocean. >> i never feel guilty. >> i never felt guilty. >> so proud. >> big moment in tv news. and next, no vacation nation? why americans are leaving more than 400 million days of paid vacay on the table every year. and the boss who pays his employees extra to completely unplug right after this.

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♪ you can ring my bell [ male announcer ] sometimes you just need to spice things up. ring my bell. ring my bell. [ male announcer ] new oscar mayer deli fresh bold. made with 100% turkey breast and real cajun spices. [ male announcer ] hurry in for labor day deals. get 10-30% off major appliances $399 or more at lowe's. 7:43. as summer comes to an end, here's a question for the room. will you use all of your vacation days this summer? >> if we're lucky. >> turns out americans are terrible at taking time off. a lot of people refuse to do it or can't unplug from the home office when they're away. well, nbc's tom costello's been hard at work on that.

tom, good morning. >> good morning. how often have you heard somebody in the office boast about not taking all of their vacation or working on the laptop while they're supposed to be taking time off? americans love to dream about vacations, but we're not always so good at actually taking one. ♪ >> reporter: right about now, heading off to work, the beach, the sand, the sun, it all sounds so good. but remarkably, america has become a no-vacation nation. 40% of us don't take all of our hard-earned time. >> i definitely do not take all of my vacation. one of the reasons is just feeling a need to be at work. >> reporter: all of those unused vacation days, they add up to 430 million days each year. >> americans are work martyrs. they think if they take vacation, they're going to be seen as a slacker and the opposite is true. >> reporter: and if we don't disconnect, experts say we don't recharge. at full contact, a tech company in denver, employees are rewarded for taking their time

off as long as they follow a few simple rules. no e-mail, no phones, no checking in with the office. if you can handle that, the company will give you 7,500 bucks. not a bad gig. >> the first rule is that you have to go on vacation to get the money. the second rule is that you must disconnect entirely from devices. and the third rule is that you cannot work while on vacation. >> reporter: so why do so many americans refuse to relax? it turns out many people worry they'd return to a mountain of work or feel like no one else can do the work while they're away. one-third said they can't afford a vacation, and still others don't want to be seen as replaceable. but we all benefit from time away. the u.s. travel association which would love for everyone to travel more says if we all took our vacation days and traveled, it could mean a $67 billion boost to the economy. more jobs for others. >> i think america gains. it's more productivity. it helps the economy.

people shop. they'll go to home depot. it creates jobs. >> reporter: back in denver, bart decided on his company's new vacation policy when he was photographed checking his cell phone while on vacation at the egyptian pyramids. >> and i sort of saw that picture, and i realized, you know, i have to make a change in my own life. it's sort of ridiculous, like this is way too connected. >> yeah, nobody around here has that problem, right? the survey found that managers are big offenders. they all talk about the need for their employees to take time off. yet nearly half said they answer e-mails on vacation. and only one-third of senior managers say they fully unplug from work while they're away. guys? >> it's hard. very hard to unplug. >> that picture of the guy at the pyramids. even the camel looked up and said, "really?" "you're really doing this?" >> be in the moment. >> it's hump day. >> i knew it. i knew it. i did so.

because i was going to do it! >> terrible. willie. >> i can't be a part of this, guys. i cannot be. i cannot endorse that joke, matt. i cannot. >> thank you. >> so we put this question to our viewers on facebook. how many vacation days do you use? every last one? what's vacation? or some of them? let's see. survey says -- 60% say they use every last day of vacation. >> good. >> only 19% say some of them. let's look at some of the responses. from amy on facebook, she uses every single one of. it's so important, she writes, to be rested and refreshed from time to time. makes you a better employee. jennifer, though, takes a different view. "the work just piles up while i'm gone. so you spend the week prior trying to get ahead and the two weeks after trying to catch up." and this one, rosemary says "on our wedding night, my husband got about 25 calls and texts from work! are you kidding me?" on their wedding night. keep the responses coming. #orangeroom. >> man.

willie, thank you very much. coming up, i love this, are fanny packs all right? all right, all right? matthew mcconaughey may have wait, are you running full adobe photoshop on a tablet? yep. but it's not just a tablet, it's really a laptop. it's a surface pro 3, with a touchscreen. well it can't be as fast as my mac. sure, it can. and it is. but you probably can't plug anything into it. i have a usb mini display port. plug away. and this is my favorite -- it's the kickstand. so you're saying it does more than my mac? well technically, you said it. ♪ . . . .

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have breakfast for breakfast. the fresh-made, from our kitchen. the egg mcmuffin. only from mcdonald's. ♪ please choose one based oh, no,on the cover.en that. here we go... whoa, no test rides allowed. i can't show you the inside, but trust me. are you kidding me... at university of phoenix, we think you should be able to try before you buy. that's why we offer students new to college a risk-free period. so you commit to your education with confidence. get started at phoenixtrial.com let's go back to willie in the orange room. he's talking music videos. willie. >> yes, sir. the video music awards on mtv sunday night out in los angeles. these are some of the most famous moments. we've got britney with the burmese python and a few others that we won't get into right now.

but it is throwback thursday. so we're asking you at home, what's your favorite all-time mtv video? here are your choices beginning with matt. he likes robert palmer's -- >> no, no, no. >> "simply irresistible." >> "wind beneath my wings" with bette midler. >> i think i can see why you like this video so much. there it is. fantastic. janet jackson, "rhythm nation" goes to tamron hall. great call. >> that is an outstanding video, right? so good. >> i love that pick. natalie, somebody had to pick it. "thriller." >> yes. >> clearly the greatest of all time, right? >> it sets the bar. >> absolutely. al, i love your choice. lionel richie, "dancing on the ceiling." takes you right back to the '80s, doesn't it? mine's a little bit of a downer. this is "hurt" from johnny cash. a beautiful piece of filmmaking and a great song as well. keep your responses coming. #orangeroom. want to hear your favorite music video of all time. >> willie, thank you so much. coming up, how to stay

healthy at 60 and beyond. al takes you along on his birthday checkup. and the best dog for your home. if your kids are begging you for a puppy, what you need to do in terms of research before you take the plunge. >> have a puppy party? >> we're having a little puppy >> have a puppy party? >> we're having a little puppy part it's our annual clearance event, it only happens once a year. >> have a puppy party? >> we're having a little puppy part super fun. of course you can get a great deal. hold on. 0% apr financing on a bunch of models. annual and it's right now. they're having fun. you can get all kinds of deals. come on down. yeah, you better hurry in. you tell'em jan sent you. during toyota's annual clearance event, get 0% apr financing for 60 months on a 2014.5 camry. offer ends september 2nd. for great deals on other toyota's, visit toyota.com thanks jan. ooh i got it. toyota, let's go places.

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you're watching "today in the bay." and good thursday morning, it's 7:56, i'm sam brock. police in martinez are looking  for a gunman who jumped into the back of the car and robbed two men inside. this happened last night as they were leaving a business a few blocks away from martinez junior high. police say the gunlman jumped in through the back door, ordered the driver to keep going and pistol whipped the passenger. then took their wallets. ten minutes later, the gunman jumped out of the car. while the victims drove away, the suspect shot at them hitting the car twice. thankfully neither men were hurt by the gunfire. mike has been following an oil slick on 280 this morning, how are things looking? >> we had just one lane blocked, then just a couple of minutes ago, we had c dot, big backup

for this oil slick. and now caltrans arrived, but didn't bring the ab sorps si to mop up the oil. all the way back from 101 and 680, that's a horrible drive and also north 101, worse than typical because it's rippling back to that as well. you're going to have to expect a slow drive for the south bay. anywhere north is standard, christina, back over to you. >> that's a tough, tough commute this morning. especially for south bay commuters. good news, we are going to get comfortable conditions. live look at sunol, clear conditions, same over the santa clara valley. we're looking at the mid-80s at best today. about 83 degrees in the south bay. 79 degrees on the peninsula. another comfortable day coming your way in san francisco. mild finish there, wine country, spectacular 84 degrees in 72 degrees straight up on the east shore. that's room temperature, no ac necessary. >> can't get anything by the her, okay, another local news

update for you in 25 minutes, we'll see you then.

♪ it's it's 8:00 on "today." coming up childless by choice. >> you know, i've gotten everything from you're selfish for not wanting children, you're not carrying on your bloodline. >> inside one woman's controversial decision and why she's part of a growing trend. ready for 60. yeah, baby. >> then, taking charge of your health. al takes us along on his birthday checkup and shares what everyone needs to know as they age. ♪ because i'm happy and the dog days are here. we've got important advice on picking the right pet for your family. today, thursday, august 21st, 2014.

♪ >> the hiatt family vacation begins with "today"! >> hello, virginia! >> chicago loves "today"! >> good morning, cleveland! ♪ party till the break of dawn >> just married on saturday! >> al, come give me a hug! >> it's 8:00 now on a thursday morning. it's the 21st day of august, 2014. we've got a big crowd out on the plaza today on a really pretty day in new york city. and by the way, we are ready for some puppy cuteness in our 8:30 half hour. >> yes. but we just had baby cuteness. baby dallas was over. and al and i were taking a picture with him. his dad could not get the camera going. >> way to call him out. >> he's adorable. >> did it work? did you get it? >> dad blew it already? we're going to get that again.

by the way, the song in the background is your throwback thursday song. >> yes. "hey, mr. deejay." they were my roomies in college at temple university. renee and jean. roomies and homeys. would that make them hoomies? >> that's very cool. >> isn't that cool? a live concert right here on our plaza from one of the hottest names in country music right now tomorrow on "today." hunter hayes will be here. >> love him. let's go inside. natalie's standing by at the desk. she has all the top stories of the day. lots of news. >> certainly is. good morning once again. two american aid workers infected with ebola have been cleared to leave the hospital. one of them, dr. kent brantly getting out today. nbc's gabe gutierrez is in atlanta. gabe, good morning. >> reporter: natalie, good morning. a highly anticipated day here at emory, nearly three weeks after arriving here, dr. kent brantly is expected to walk out of this hospital today. and doctors here plan to update us later this morning on the

status of nancy writebol's discharge. now, they were both diagnosed with ebola last month while working as missionaries in liberia. dr. brantly shocked the world by managing to walk into the isolation unit here in atlanta. nancy writebol, a nurse, was transferred here a few days later. and in recent days, her family had been saying that she had been improving. and again, doctors at a news conference later this morning will update us on the status of her discharge. as for brantly, he's expected to speak at that news conference but take no questions. natalie? >> gabe gutierrez in atlanta for us, thank you, gabe. new details are emerging about a failed american effort to rescue journalist james foley and other hostages held by isis. officials say u.s. special operations forces and helicopters swarmed a compound and had a fierce gun battle with isis fighters, but the americans determined that the hostages were not there and left. officials say isis had also tried to ransom foley for millions of dollars. on wednesday president obama

said that despite foley's execution, he will not scale back u.s. military strikes against isis. a grand jury in ferguson, missouri, has started hearing evidence. 3 c3 este es un esreportaje especiale news conference discussing the release of those two american ebola patients kent brantley and nancy writebol were then flown they were then flown to atlanta earlier this month. they've been receiving treatment there for nearly three weeks and apparently they are now being called virus free. we bring in gabe gutierrez, down at emory university hospital. and even before this press conference begins, we've learned of some surprises. >> that's right, matt.

good morning. some truly surprising and remarkable news coming out of here in atlanta. within the past few minutes, the charity that nancy writebol worked for just announced that she was actually discharged from the hospital on tuesday and has gone to an undisclosed location with her husband to spend some time with him. right now we're waiting for dr. kent brantley to come out and speak publicly on camera for the first time. he's expected to only read a brief statement and take no questions, matt. >> this is really remarkable news, when you look at the history of the ebola virus. it has a mortality rate between 70 and 90%. this particular outbreak, which by the way is the largest in history, though, has a higher survivability rate. both of these two american patients were given that experimental serum when they were still in liberia. they were flown from there to atlanta. i believe dr. brantley arrived on the second of august and nancy writebol arrived on the

fifth of august and their conditions were very different when they arrived. >> that's right. as many observer noted, dr. kent brantley was able to walk out of that unit into the isolation unit. three days later, nancy writebol was wheeled into the isolation unit on a stretcher. many thought her condition was more dire than kent brantley, but she was actually discharged on tuesday, before dr. kent brantley. before dr. kent brantly. truly remarkable news. >> i spoke to jeremy, nancy writebol's son, just about a week ago. he said when he saw the images of his mom being carried out on that stretcher from that ambulance at emory university hospital, he fell to the floor and started weeping because he realized just how grave her condition was. but, again, that's just two and a half weeks ago and basically, we'll talk to a doctor in a second, she's made this

miraculous recovery. when it comes right down to it, there is no cure for the ebola virus. doctors, and we should mention some of the hereal heroes in th story, are the doctors and staff at emory university hospital, but their job is to try to keep the body strong enough so that it can fight off the virus on its own. >> reporter: that's exactly right. it's been an emotional journey, not just for these two american patients, but their families. they paid the trip from liberia. there were a lot of questions about health officials' decisions to bring them to the u.s. there was public concern and a lot of controversy. as you can see less than three weeks after they were brought to american soil for them both to be discharged truly speaks to the care that they received here in atlanta. >> we expect to see dr. kent brantly walk into that room in just a moment. he will read a statement. take no questions. we got this statement from the cdc. it says cdc has advised emory university hospital that there

is no public health concern with the release of these patients. they no longer have ebola virus in their blood and, therefore, pose no risk to household contacts or the public. there are no restrictions to the patients' activities or daily living. from the case medical center, specializes in infectious disease, that's a very strong statement, doctor, isn't it? >> very, very strong, and very confident. it tells you that we're very pleased with there's no evidence of transmission that the public should be very -- feel very safe around these individuals as well as, you know, because there's always this concern, can it spread from one person it to the next and will the next spread it to another. >> i was told, doctor, the way they determined that these patients are virus free, they have to pass with flying colors

blood tests in a row about a day apart. is that correct? >> they are looking for the evidence of the virus itself. we actually look for the genome of that virus, any of these fragments circulating in their blood or sometimes in their urine or stool or anywhere. and if they do it two days apart, that tells us it's not around. >> let's go back down to atlanta, emory university hospital. some of the heroes of this story walking in along with that man right it there, that is dr. kent brantly. 33-year-old from indianapolis who is walking and looking extremely healthy. we're expecting to hear from the communications director from the hospital in just a moment. and then he'll introduce the guy who overhe ssees this special isolation unit. it is a remarkable facility, only four like it in the country. it has been so successful.

i am pleased to introduce this morning dr. bruce ribner, medical director of emory's infectious disease unit at the emory university hospital. also pleased to introduce dr. kent brantly, a medical doctor who was serving with samaritans purse in liberia. our run of show is as follows. dr. ribner will make a brief statement, then dr. brantly will make a brief statement, and will take no questions. after that dr. ribner will take questions. we have a moderated call-in line as well. dr. ribner? >> good morning and thank you for coming here today. i'm bruce ribner, the medical direct aror of the infectious university of emory hospital.

i lead the team of doctors, nurses, laboratory technologists, chaplain, and many others who have cared for dr. brantly and mrs. writebol. two patients who were treated at emory university hospital for ebola virus disease. today i am pleased to announce that dr. brantly is being discharged from the hospital. after a rigorous course of treatment and thorough testing, we have determined in conjunction with the centers for disease control and state health departments, that dr. brantly has recovered from the ebola virus infection and that he can return to his family, to his community, and to his life without public health concerns. the second patient, mrs. writebol, was discharged this

past tuesday, august 19. the medical staff here at emory is confident that the discharge from the hospital of both of these patients poses no public health threat. the hospital is respecting mrs. writebol's wishes for privacy at this time so we will not be making any further comments about her clinical course. speaking on behalf of everyone at emory, we are tremendously pleased with dr. brantly and mrs. writebol's recovery, and we are profoundly grateful for the opportunity to have applied our training, our care, and our experience to meeting their needs. all of us who have worked with them have been impressed by their courage and determination. their hope and faith have been an inspiration to all of us.

in addition, both of the patients' families provided tremendous support throughout this treatment process. their dedication and devotion have strengthened us as well as the patients. limited knowledge of the ebola virus, especially in our country, has created understandable anxiety and fear for some patients -- persons. we understand that there are a lot of questions and concerns regarding ebola virus and the infection it causes. houf, we cannot let our fears dictate our actions. we must all care. as grateful as we are today, our work is far from over. we are very find million of all of those in west africa who are

still fighting for their lives against this threat and those caring for them, putting their own lives in danger. it was the right decision to bring these patients back to emory for treatment. what we learned in caring for them will help advance the world's understanding of how to treat ebola virus infections and help, hopefully, to improve survival in parts of the world where patients with this infection are treated. at emory our mission is to heal and to advance knowledge. the team of professionals with me here today has trained for years to treat and contain the most dangerous infectious diseases in the world. we are grateful for the successful outcome in this case. but we are never going to be taking success for granted. three other critically important

partners who have helped us throughout this episode deserve recognition today. our neighbors, the centers for disease control, the food and drug administration, and the state epidemiologists of georgia and north carolina. i will be taking your questions as mr. dallard said. but before doing so, dr. brantly has requested to make a brief statement. and as mr. dallard said, dr. bran brantly will not be taking any questions following his statement. so i ask that you respect his whib wishes and save your questions for me and the other members of our health care team. thank you. >> dr. brantly. >> today is a miraculous day. i am thrilled to be alive, to be

well, and to be reunited with my family. as a medical missionary, i never imagined myself in this position. when my family and i moved to liberia last october to begin a two-year term working with samaritans first, ebolla was not on the radar. we moved to liberia because god called us to serve the people of liberia. in march when we got word that ebola was in guinea and had spread to liberia, we began preparing for the worst. we did not receive our first ebola patient until june. but when she arrived, we were ready. during the course of june and july, the number of ebola patients increased steadily. and our amazing crew at the hospital took care of each patient with great care and compassion. we also took every precaution to protect ourselves from this

dreaded disease by following msf and w.h.o. guidelines for safety. after taking amber and our children to the airport to return to the states on sunday morning, july 20, i poured myself into my work even more than before transferring patients to our new, bigger isolation unit, training and orienting new staff, and working with our human resources officer to still our staffing needs. three days later, on wednesday, july 23, i woke up feeling under the weather. and then my life took an unexpected turn as i was diagnosed with ebola virus disease. as i lay in my bed in liberia for the following nine days getting sicker and weaker each day, i prayed that god would help me be faithful even in my illness, and i prayed that in my life or in my death that he

would be glorified. i did not know then but have learned since that there were thousands, maybe even millions of people around the world pray ing for me throughout that week. and even still today. and i have heard story after story of how this situation has impacted the lives of individuals around the globe, both among my friends and family, and also among complete strangers. i cannot thank you enough for your prayers and your support. but what i can tell you is that i serve a faithful god who answers prayers. through the care of the samaritans missionary team in liberia, the use of an experimental drug and the expertise and resources of the health care team at emory university hospital, god saved my life. a direct answer to thousands and thousands of prayers.

i am incredibly thankful to all those involved in my care from the first day of my illness all the way up to today, the day of my release from emory. if i tried to thank everyone, i would undoubtedly forget many. i would be remiss if i did not say thank you to a few. i want to thank samaritans purse who has taken care of me and my family as if they were their own family. thank you to the liberia community. you cared for me, administered to me during the most difficult experience of my life. and you did so. thank you to emory hospital and the medical staff and the isolation unit. you treated me with expertise

yet with such tenderness and compassion. are for the last three weeks you have been my friends and my family. and so many of you have ministered to me not only physically but also spiritually which has been an important part of my recovery. i will not forget you and all that you have done for me. and thank you to my family, my friends, my church family, and all who lifted me up in prayer asking for my healing and recovery. please do not stop praying for the people of liberia and west africa and for a quick end to this ebola epidemic. my dear friend nancy writebol, upon her release from the hospital, wanted me to share her gratitude for all the prayers on her behalf. as she walked out of her isolation room, all she could say was, to god be the glory. nancy and david are now spending

some much-needed time together. thank you for your support throughout it this whole ordeal. my family and i will now be going away for a period of time to reconnect, decompress, and to continue to recover physically and emotionally. after i have recovered a little more and regained some of my strength, we will look forward to sharing more of our story. we need time together after more than a month apart. we appreciate having the opportunity to spend some time in private before talking to some of you who have he can pressed an interest in hearing more of our journey. thank you for granting us that. again, before we slip out, i want to he can press my deep and sincere gratitude to samaritan's purse, sim, emory, be and all the people involved in my treatment and care. above all, i am forever thankful to god for sparing my life and

i'm glad for any attention my sickness has attracted to the plight of west africa in the midst of this epidemic. please continue to pray for liberia and the people of west africa and encourage those in positions of leadership and influence to do everything possible to bring this ebola outbreak to an end. thank you. >> that is dr. kent brantly with a strong and emotional statement, a medical machineiss is virus free along with nancy writebol. thank iing people all around th world for their prayers and especially thanking the talented staff of emory university hospital. remarkable news from atlanta. we're happy to share it with you. we'll have much more on this story throughout the day on msnbc and, of course, tonight on nbc n"nbc nightly news" with br

williams. i'm matt lauer in new york. for some of you, there's more of "today." for others, you'll return to your regularly scheduled program. this has been an n we met up with exercise physiologist. you don't have to have a big, fancy gym to make sure you're getting the exercise you need. >> no, you can do things in your own home. if you like the gym, by all means be that's great. if you want to do stuff at home there are plenty of ways to get stronger. >> we dan with the squat. >> it's often how you do it. as we get older, form is really key and making sure the joint is aligned right. >> and the ben fit of this? >> the benefit of that is if you just watch all the muscles involved -- your hips are driving you forward, your thighs are working, your calves are working. >> next step-ups for leg strength and sidesteps with rubber tubing to build up my hips. >> you can do for, let's say, 30 seconds or so at a time. are you feeling your hips? >> i am. for balance and are core strength marching on the

stability ball and finally to work out any stiffness. oh, gosh, the foam roller. the foam roller. even a few minutes can help improve mobility. is that a mistake people make, doctor being it hurts when i do that, so don't do it. >> find a way to strengthen muscles. >> exercise is not only good for your health but doctors say that making appointments can be a lifesaver if you're in the habit of putting it off, don't. make an appoint around your birthday so you won't forget. 60 and vibrant trying to get ahead of any problems. stay active. >> i think a good mental attitude as well. people, sometimes you'll meet people, and i'm guilty of this sometimes, you get out of a chair. you don't really need to do that. you get up but you talk yourself into being out of shape or getting old and it's not such a good thing. >> i think it's important to exercise the brain, challenge

yourself, new things. they always say try to learn something new every day. >> good idea. tomorrow the nonretirement retirement at the 60 and beyond. interesting. and coming up, how to pick the perfect puppy for your family. we've got a bunch of cute little puppies about to make their way into our studio. we're going to tell you what you need to do research wise before you bring one home to your family.

good morning. it's 8:26 on your thursday. i'm sam brock. crews right now in the process of recovering the body of a bay area elementary school teacher who died in a hiking accident. rescue crews discovered the body of gregory muck last night in fresno. they believe he fell in steep, rocky terrain, but the accident is still under investigation. muck left nearly two weeks ago to go hiking alone. he was a popular teacher in fremont. he'll be missed by his students. the 46-year-old was an experienced hiker and a friend says he shared his love for nature with his kids. okay, well, mike has been tracking a number of different accidents on the highway today, including one caused by an oil slick. mike, how's that looking? >> that's the big concern right

now. that's rippled back to be traffic problems for the entire south bay. let's look at your maps. northbound 280 approaching magdalena, only the two left lanes are open. the crews are on scene, but they need the absorbent, so they can sweep the absorbent and clear the roadway. 288 is jammed all the way back to 101 and 680. 101 ripples back to 85, where it's slow on the approach. and the interchange and 101, more traffic up towards the airport. anyone north of the dumbarton bridge is were the. >> wow, several highways in the south bay jammed up right now. another look for you coming up in about 25 minutes.

eand this journey will keep you on the edge of your seat all summer long during the emirates airline us open series. don't miss your chance to see some of the top players in the world battle it out to see who's best. 5 weeks. 8 tournaments. 8 cities. which champion will prevail, which new hero will emerge? this is your chance to find out. for complete tv listings go to emiratesusopenseries.com

♪ you are the one i want ♪ honey we are back now, 8:30 on a thursday morning, 21st day of august, 2014. thanks to these people for stopping by this morning. we appreciate it. and the music you hear in the background can only mean one thing. olivia newton-john. >> absolutely. that's right. and natalie became a pink lady over the weekend, performing on stage with the star of "grease." how was it? ♪ >> -- come true.

>> was the microphone on? >> i was going to say for the audience. not sure it's so amazing. you'll get to see that coming up next hour. >> get out the earplugs, with all due respect. >> come on! >> i've got to watch this. tomorrow on "today," one of country's biggest young star, hunter hayes will be right here on our plaza hitting the summer concert stage. that will be a big deal with a big crowd. >> man, he's so good. ahead in this half hour, is this the new kale? hottest new health food trend. we are going to taste some new drinks. >> okay. all right. plus, puppy love. a segment i've been waiting for all morning. and we've got some important pointers if you're thinking of bringing home a new little pet. aww. they're really going at it in there. >> love it. first, though, seth meyers wore a lot of hats, "snl" writer, anchor of "weekend update" and currently host of "late night with seth meyers."

next week he's taking on a new challenge. >> you should know i'm hosting the emmys so i have a lot of tv props in there. do you watch "game of thrones"? >> seth made it through airport security. and when he got to l.a., he helped roll out the red carpet. >> you've never seen a carpet roll out before, it's really something. >> reporter: and after the awards are handed out monday night right here on nbc, seth and about 4,000 guests including winners, nominees and presenters will head over to the governor's ball, a first stop for emmy night parties. catch the emmys on monday night right here on nbc. and by the way, al is going to be live in l.a. monday morning on "today" with an exclusive interview, and he'll have seth meyers as well. and tuesday, carson will join him in hollywood for a full wrap of tv's big night. >> very nice. let's get a check on the forecast. >> all right. let's see what we have for you starting with today. i should say tomorrow. looking ahead to your weekend, wet weather in the northeast,

mid-atlantic states. sunshine along the west coast. look for rain along the mid-atlantic coast. and then for saturday, as we head into the weekend, more rain in the mid-atlantic into the ohio river valley. rain in the western great lakes. out west it's going to stay steamy. gorgeous day in los angeles. 75. but the heat continues in the plains. sunday, sunday! look for more heat in the plains. texas on into the mid-mississippi river valley. upper 70s in the pacific northwest. 103 in las vegas on sunday. th great hat this morning, al. good morning to you. 8:33 now. still mostly cloudy over bodega bay. right by the ocean is where you'll find the coolest temperatures as we get into this afternoon. san francisco, a full deck of clouds still in place, as we head through about lunchtime, you will see the sun for three to four straight hours in the city. and we're already getting plenty of sunshine here. this is from high atop mt. hamilton looking over the santa clara valley. expecting about 83 later on today. 73 on the peninsula, the east

shore, comfortable, hitting those 70s for today. meanwhile, upper 60s in san francisco. and that's your latest weather. tamron? >> al, thank you very much. in the '70s it was tofu and bean sprouts. wheat germ and soy also had a stay. and kale has been the health food rage in recent years. but nbc's kelly cobiella has the new health trend, vinegar. >> mmm, sounds good, doesn't it? can't wait to try, right? that's right. it's not just for your salad anymore. people are actually drinking it and boasting all kinds of health benefits. the thought of it is enough to make you queasy. a big gulp of fermented fruit juice to start your day. heidi klum, miranda kerr and megan fox have been drinking vinegar for years. they say it helps them maintain their glow and trim figure. and it's catching on. at the rawduck in east london -- >> i think i'm going to try one of your drinking vinegars. >> reporter: they cooked up a

whole menu based on vinegar and pickled food. >> i love the vinegary taste of things. i find it can break through sort of the richness of foods. i keep hearing about their probiotics. >> it's good for your skin. >> reporter: rory mckroy makes the drinks themselves. it takes unpasteurized, unfiltered apple cider vinegar, the cloudy kind. >> it's still inside which is basically the culture inside. it's all the good enzymes. >> reporter: the romans used it 2,000 years ago. h hippocrates prescribed it in small doses. >> it can affect your blood sugar level. >> taking apple cider vinegar is a great way to fight off colds, keep your immune system running. >> reporter: but can you stomach

it? the apple vinegar is really harsh. raspberry. a little chewy. strawberry. wow! black cherry. sounds good. it's actually pretty tasty. i could drink a glass of this. i'm not going to, but i could. ooh. at rawduck, they don't stop with the drink. do you do fermented food, too? >> we do. >> reporter: sauerkraut and kimchi, fermented korean cabbage. >> if you got ready for the take on the food you're about to eat and helps digest and absorbs the newt yeutrients a lot better. >> reporter: it can be quite volatile. >> it's like children, they do need a bit of burping. i think these are probably the smelliest. >> reporter: it smells spicy. not for the fainthearted, but when the payoff could be a glowing new you, bring it on. if you're in a hurry to lose weight, don't gulp it down by the bottle. it's a little tough to take.

a couple of spoonfuls in water will do the trick. and guys, lucky you, we found some drinking vinegar in new york. so you guys need to drink to your health. >> what do you have? pomegranate. >> they sell the bottles for about $15. >> this is delicious, actually. >> drink on't drink it straight. always mix it with soda. >> it's very bitter. >> it is. >> mine is honey. i like it. the ginger one tastes like ginger ale. but i get your point about sipping it a little. taking a huge gulp may not be the right thing in the beginning. >> yeah, go slowly and be advised, you might have a little burping action. >> all right. thank you. >> yes! bonus! >> buried the lead there, kel. so nice to have you at nbc. great to have you here. >> the first thing you say. thank you very much. well, coming up, is it that time already? we're going to show you the

hottest shoe trends for the fall. and up next, what to look for when you're picking out a puppy. it may cause you to purpose a little bit. this is "today" on nbc. >> blame the dog.

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"today's pets" is brought to you by petarmor plus igr. >> you know, getting a dog can be rewarding and better yet, it can stop alta begging from your kids. but it also comes with challenges. knowing what to look for when choosing a puppy can help make sure you have the right companion for a long time. andrea arden is an animal pet expert. andrea, good morning. nice to see you. >> good morning. >> your friends here, good to see them. let's talk about the facts here. about 4 million dogs end up in shelters every year, and there are some real reasons behind those numbers. >> yeah, it's believed that about 20 prosecute 6to 60% of t

are surrendered. that shows people aren't taking the time to educate themselves. >> by the way, those aren't always older dogs. i think there are a lot of puppies as well. >> tons of puppies, tons of purebreds. we're going to talk a little bit about some of the things you need to think about when choosing a dog for your family. >> what's the most important piece of research? >> i think the most important thing you need to consider is the temperament of the dog. >> right. >> so for example, we have ryder here who's a toy aussie. this is a relatively new and popular type of dog. they've been downsized from australian shepherds. they are deliciously cute, adorable little, tiny dogs, but i need to make sure that no matter how small a dog is, you consider their temperament. >> let's be honest, size does matter. >> absolutely. >> you have to make sure that the dog you're getting is not going to outgrow your house. >> absolutely. >> these two are really going at it here. >> yeah, they're being a little crazy. >> that's okay. you have to make sure you do research on how big that dog's going to grow. >> yes, absolutely. one of the things that i worry about is something which is we

call a popularity trend. for example, french bulldogs right now are super popular. if you go on instagram, there's all these accounts -- crazy -- there's all these accounts for french bulldogs. >> okay, okay. >> actually, that makes a really good point. hold on one second. i do want to say something about labradors. this is probably one of the most popular breeds in america. they're lovely dogs, can be wonderful companion dogs. i think sometimes people think they're push button and ready to go. they tend to be very high energy and they deserve an education. they deserve training. you don't think you're going to bring home a lab that's known as a family dog. >> you should be prepared to go through the training process because it makes the long-term experience all that much better. >> absolutely. i think sometimes people forget that you really are becoming a puppy parent. and part of that is educating your dog, how to train them, teaching them to be social, to have good manners, that sort of thing. >> what about cost over the lifetime of a dog? does the size of the dog play into that as well? >> absolutely. and i'm going to have bruno come

over here. bruno is a beautiful gray newfoundland. they can grow to be about 100 to 150 pounds. and i think sometimes when they're puppies, they're cute, they forget the cost differential between a puppy like bruno and ryder who's tiny can be a lot just regarding food. so yes. >> you just mentioned temperament again. other breeds that are super kid friendly would be what? >> you know, i'm afraid to say that because i think that's what oftentimes gets people into trouble. >> no generalization? >> there are generalizations that ring true. i said some of them, but i think rather than saying to yourself that breed is going to be good for my dog, stay to yourself i'm going to narrow it down to a few breeds or mixes. look at the history of the dogs and get the sense of what they were bred for and then meet individual dogs and choose the right one for me. >> i'm got a great dog named jules. it can be the most rewarding experience. it's wonderful. but do your homework. thank you so much. appreciate it. >> and thanks for taking care of beasley. >> you know what?

i was called to action. i answered the call. you can catch animal planet's "too cute" saturday nights 8:00 p.m. eastern. up next, the hottest fall fashion trends. we're talking about shoes. but first, this is "today" on nbc. (gnome) instead of hanging out on the couch, you could be hanging ten. what are you waiting for? (announcer) get up to 40% off labor day hotels at travelocity. ♪ ♪ ♪

back now at 8:46 with "today's style," this morning, shoes for fall. it's hard to believe we are nearing the end of summer. whether or not you're ready for the chillier weather, the stores are filling up with the cold weather styles. and chassis post has the insight on the trends to keep your best foot forward. good to see you. >> good morning. >> i have on white heels, so i guess i have to dump these. >> white shoes, believe it or not, are awesome after labor day. we can do it. >> because they're closed toe? >> because they're closed toe. we're seeing tons of white on the runway. you don't have to throw those amazing shoes out.

>> but we do have to close up our sandals and cover our toes? >> yes, we do. and men's styles very popular. >> i love this. >> here we have morgan showing us how it's done. we have her in a lace-up oxford. and so this is a great alternative to sort of the uber feminine ballet flat. these are by sole society, just $59. and notice they're black and white. >> love it. >> you really can do white after labor day. we paired it with a fun little flirty skirt. these are awesome with anything. a jean on the weekends. love it with the skirt. but you can wear it with a trouser and also a blazer. >> i noticed brianna in a lot of the menswear style. >> yes, we've also got sort of the new take on the penny loafer. old navy, just $24. >> fabulous. >> a high heel loafer. love the men's suiting detail here. and of course the smoking slipper. i hear you have a pair of these. >> i love these. they are so cool. >> aren't they fun? instead of the insignia, we've got sort of pop references. these are just $17. >> beautiful.

we're going to take our spin and let's look at the next trend. let's spin it. >> i love it. it's like the ultimate rotating shoe closet. >> imagine walking into your closet and seeing this. for you we're looking at our boots. what's hot this fall? >> she's wearing sort of the trend of the season. and that is the booty. aren't these amazing? >> but those are open toe. >> these are open toe. and the great news about that is we transition with a pair of tights. we are loving tights with open toe. and these have a couple trends, lace-up and also, you know, they've got the peep toe, as you mentioned. and these are by zahra, $59. she looks incredible. >> right now my mother is saying get those for me, tamron. >> a couple of boot trends is the over the knee boot. anything you wear them with, it i have goes them a little downtown edge. >> we saw it last fall. >> it's back. doc martens and grunge are back for the little ones. aren't they funny? and this season instead of, you know, the classic new pump, try

the classic sort of cut-out booty, so elongating and a new take on that. >> and these with tights, too, for example? >> yep. >> love it. >> and to transition. and these are $79. >> let's spin it and see our next trend. here we go. >> now, this is right up your alley, tamron, because it's a statement shoe is the big trend. and so, you know, we say don't be afraid to go bold and let your feet do the talking this season. >> okay. >> so here we have rashem in a fall floral. they're huge not just for spring and summer. >> that's interesting, florals for the fall. >> yes. and what you want to look out for is sort of a dark floral. and that just means with a darker background. and so it's really about florals with attitude this fall. >> and she has attitude. the pants rolled up. >> right? and when you have a major shoe like this, you can go really easy. a little black dress or little navy jumpsuit is the perfect option. another way to make a statement is animal print. why not a little catitude. we love these little slides from

target, just $24. or you know, just like you've got the bejeweled on your white pumps, bling. why not wear it on your shoes? >> when you go bling in your shoes, should you go basic in the outfit or does it matter? >> yeah, i think it's a good idea to sort of balance that out. you don't have to wear as much jewelry. and the color of the season, full-color cobalt. >> i love that. >> isn't that fun? >> you've got us all hooked up for fall. ladies, you look beautiful. thank you. we are back in a moment. this is "today" on nbc. it's all about blue.

♪ we know they look ridiculous ♪ that's why no one will dance with us ♪ ♪ we're wearing christmas jammies ♪ remember this a couple of months ago we introduced you to the holderness family? they made this adorable holiday video that celebrated their christmas jammies. the north carolina family is back. this time with a new video for back to school. ♪ baby i'm going to miss ya ♪ so let me kiss ya ♪ but then go home and try it ♪ it's so quiet ♪ fellas ♪ yeah ♪ fellas ♪ yeah ♪ did mom make a healthy lunch ♪ owe yeah! ♪ make it make it make that healthy lunch ♪ ♪ baby got class >> that is dedicated to the teachers who take care of their kids. and this is clearly a family with a lot of free time on their hands. the entire video on today.com. good for them.

>> the family that has fun together. >> and they are talented. >> good production. >> where did they get the bus? they rented a bus. >> congratulations for carson. stephanie sending carson daly a big congrats on the news of their new baby girl. love the name london rose. carrie tweets, congrats on the birth of your daughter. too cute. you have a beautiful family. shawna tweets, looks like carson looks like vale may have a bff. >> oh. >> she's beautiful. a lot of congratulations on london rose, carson and siri's new baby. >> and some great names. vale and london rose. let's get some birthday wishes from willard scott. hey, willard. >> down on the farm in the summertime. a nice place to have a birthday party. and lou leonard agrees. beautiful lady from bakersfield, california. a wonderful woman. she sews, cooks and knows how to quilt. happy birthday.

william reed smith. how about that, three names. 100 years old today. norcross, georgia. nice town. and he built four playhouses. his four playhouse, are featured in "better homes & gardens." take a look, if you will, herbert and katherine russell. and they are 75 years married. love each other very much. and they are from bath, new york state. and courage, love and devotion. i love it. onetha elliott. i don't know that name. 100 years old from sandy island, south carolina. she has a lovable and witty personality, and everybody loves her. now back to the great state of new york. >> willard, thanks very much. by the way, fun in the next hour, an audience participation hour. we'll show you what you're going to need to do. take both fingers like this and then put them in your ears. >> stop it! not nice. >> because you're going to be singing with olivia newton-john.

>> yes! yes! >> those puppies upstairs. >> you were a pink lady. >> pink lady. she invited me to come out to vegas with her. and she was so wonderful and lovely. >> you got the moves. >> it was really fun. we had a great time. >> and we get to see your jacket? do you have your jacket? >> my pink lady jacket. i'm officially a pink lady. >> that should be fun. we're back after your local news.

a good thursday morning. it's 8:56. i'm sam brock. grounds crews out on the field are trying to get it game ready. 49ers' head coach jim harbaugh ordered his players off the field during yesterday's practice because of poor and unsafe field conditions. this morning, our chopper caught images of crews replacing torn-up parts of that field. always got to be safe when it comes to players and their performance, of course.

eight school districts today are out and back in school, christina. what does the weather look like for all those kids? >> looking really comfortable for today, sam. and you know if you're a parent, you don't want to have to have your kid go to school with really hot temperatures. 74 on the peninsula. 79 on the east shore. 68 in san francisco, and 80 in the north bay.

from nbc news, this is "today's take" with al roker, natalie morales, willie geist and tamron hall live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> welcome to "today" on a beautiful thursday morning here in new york city. it is august 21st, 2014. i' willie along with al, natalie and tamron. i will tell you, it's not a 60th birthday on the show, it's a baby. >> lately. >> last week we met baby vale. and now carson and his fiancee, siri, have a new baby daughter born last night. london rose daly arrived at 6:11 p.m. 8 pounds, 11 pounds. >> she's a big girl. >> a big girl, 22 inches long. rose, by the way, is carson's

grandmother's name. >> love that. >> i love that name. >> savannah just tweeted a minute ago. she writes "we are so glad you're here, london rose. much love to carson daly and siri. vale can't wait to play. #girls." >> i love seeing etta and jack all excited about their little sister. you know they're going to be good siblings. >> she picked a great day to be born. >> al roker's birthday. >> oh, my gosh. >> al roker's birthday. >> carson says he's taken the kids home to kind of chill out because they thought things were slowing down and delayed. and then he got a call. >> get back. >> rushed back to the hospital and he says that they were literally waiting for him. >> hold on. hold on. >> get back in there. >> did you have that with any of your kids? you go to the hospital, we went once and they send you home. as soon as you get home, it all happens. >> yeah. go and get it done. >> isn't that beautiful?

>> the tribute to a family member. my mother's maternal mother's name. >> carson said earlier, etta also a family name as well for their other grandmother. super sweet. look how happy. >> they're a great family. great parents. you see them around their kids, they're so kid. they're the best. >> siri's on maternity leave, who's doing the voice on the iphone? >> ha, ha, ha. you've been waiting for that, haven't you? we did get a tweet from someone, her name is siri? yes. >> congratulations, guys. we're so happy for you. can't wait to meet london rose. >> cannot wait. more exciting news regarding the two americans who were treated for ebola. the two american patients being treated have been cleared for release from the hospital. yeah, this is great news. dr. kent brantly and nancy writebol have been at emory university hospital for almost three weeks. they were diagnosed with ebola while working as missionaries. they were flown to the u.s. for treatment. according to our own dr. nancy

snyderman, it's the first time this serum has been used on humans. and now they have been cleared to go home. obviously, people are wondering what this means globally now that you have some 1300 people who have died as a result of this latest ebola outbreak. but this certainly should give medical professionals, researchers some hope seeing the progress with these two people. >> they kind of put themselves up as guinea pigs to further knowledge. so hats off to them. >> unfortunately getting that serum is not so easy. we've reported that there have been shortages on that. so hopefully they start stepping up production somehow and can get what they need there to africa. >> how about the job emory university hospital does. three weeks ago, what are you doing? >> don't bring them here. >> and now they're walking out of the hospital. big credit to them. >> absolutely. this next one is -- yeah. i don't even know where -- >> do you smell desperation?

>> we found -- well, al pointed this out to us earlier. >> yeah. >> i guess this video has gone viral. >> my kids told me about it. >> this new song "anaconda." and it's causing a lot of controversy. just when you think you saw all on video, you haven't seen it all apparently. >> we're about to see it. >> you only see about 17 seconds that we could actually show you on morning television. >> because the rest you cannot. >> night television. >> take a look. ♪ ♪ he was getting some coin ♪ shootout with the law but he lived in a palace ♪ ♪ alexander mcqueen ♪ he was keeping my stylish ♪ that's real real real >> so i think you get the point there. but it goes on and on. >> i mean, she's twerking, she's gyrating, there are other dancers. >> well, the lyrics, too, are horrible. i mean, these are young kids, i

think, still, you know, they like this music. and they look at her as a pop star, you know, a rap star. and it's just -- it's horrifying. >> it almost seems like nicki minaj has gotten desperate and feels like she needs to do something to get her crown back. >> right. >> from others, iggy azalea and all these other girls that she thinks are honing in on her turf. geez louise. >> she's so talented. she does not need to do that. >> she doesn't need that. >> tamron's not saying anything. nothing to say. >> nothing? >> for once in my life to those who think i talk too much, nothing. >> nothing. >> wow. >> 20 million youtube views already. >> amazing. >> so it's working. >> i guess it is. okay. >> just tell me and then i'll tell them. >> you know what we should do? we should get you on a conference call and see what you think about it. >> this is a nice way to segue. people are able to do these conference calls different

places. they don't have to be at their desk. there's a new survey about where you are when you do these conference calls. 65% do it at work. >> or do other work. >> do other work while they're on the conference call. 55% eat or cook. i have done that. >> i've done that. i do that all the time. >> here's one, 47 are doing it while they're in the restroom. >> in the restroom? like putting your makeup on? >> so if you hear an echo. >> what do you mean? combing your hair? >> you could be. >> i think they meant on the can. yeah. >> but you press the mute button. >> i expect that from him. >> vintage. you're coming back now. >> i'm out of my nicki minaj. >> you're back. >> we've all done this, though, right? you put it on mute. >> yeah. do other things. uh-huh. uh-huh. >> oh, yeah. what do you think of this, willie? >> i didn't get anything out of

that guy. >> mute. >> and then you're afraid you mix it up. >> make sure you hit it and you look over and over. okay, let me double check. hello? hello? you hear me? oh, they don't hear me. >> she's back. she's back! tamron's back. >> i'm out of my nicki minaj coma. i'm back. okay. now you have to take me back. i'm visually seeing that video. >> because we've got some great videos. this is palate cleanser for the mind and soul after the "anaconda" video. this is the nicki minaj sorbet that we need to cleanse. anti-nicki minaj. mystic aquarium in connecticut. the beluga whales are there. they see three children. three children see the beluga whale. then the magic happens. >> mikey, look.

>> wait. >> i could watch this all day. >> it's the best. and then when it goes up to the top, he looks back at them like i've still got my eyes on you. >> like gotch your nose. how amazing is that? i've got my eye on you. >> i see you. >> i've got side eye. >> mystic aquarium is great, by the way. >> it's so fantastic. >> we take long drives to the mystic aquarium. >> not to mention the pizza. >> there is a real mystic pizza? >> from the movie. >> they've got tall ships there. >> fantastic. we should do the whole show from mystic, connecticut.

>> we want to meet the beluga. >> then to mystic. great pizza. >> then we'll go to the manta ray aquarium which is spectacular. >> do they have good pizza? >> i don't know. they have good tuna. >> that's not right. >> monterey. tuna canning. >> oh, i thought you were going to go to the aquarium. >> no! no! what's wrong with you? >> he's got "anaconda" and nicki minaj brain. farmers' almanac, they're spri predicting a super cold winter for much of the nation. much of the northeast going to get more snow than normal. it doesn't matter. >> why do we do it every year? >> because it's a piece of americana that i think -- >> wrong. >> is it always wrong? >> is there science that goes into this? >> but you know what? i love it.

it's a great piece of americana, and i'm glad it's still around. >> it's like punxsutawney phil. >> he annoys me. i'm done with him. >> our road trip has shortened. all right. let's take a check of the weather. but first -- >> "today's weather" is brought to you by yoplait greek. the yoplait greek taste-off is on, and the taste of yoplait greek blueberry. take the taste-off for yourself. >> all right. so we've got this big dome of high pressure. we've got storms riding up over it, but underneath it, we've got the heat to talk about. dangerous heat. we've also got the midwest storms that are firing up with minneapolis all the way to chicago, probably going to be some airport delays during the day today. heavy rain out of this. we've got the risk of strong storms from minneapolis, des moines, chicago, into columbus. we'll be watching this all day.

rainfall amounts anywhere from two to four inches. there could be some flash flooding as well. anywhere from bismarck, minneapolis, green bay all the way into western new york and parts of new jersey as well. we're also looking at strong storms and a lot of heat during the day today. dangerous heat. th 9:11. good thursday morning to you. i'm meteorologist christina loren. watching the very gradual burn off in san francisco. nonetheless, you're going to get about three to four hours of full sunshine today. nice and clear for the most part, over the santa clara valley. we've got a nice, warm day shaping up, but not too hot. 83 in the south bay. 79 on the peninsula. same for the east shore. you're in the upper 60s today in san francisco. we're looking towards about 80 for the north bay. temperatures are going to drop off a touch for tomorrow and a comfortable weekend coming your way. and that's your latest weather. >> al, thanks. good news, we're going to talk more about your 60th birthday. 60 by the numbers now that al has marked the milestone, we're going to look at the important

health information he and you ought to know about like why is the number 126 so important? >> the number of pizzas i've eaten. >> at mystic pizza. eaten. >> at mystic pizza. >> still got it's the yoplait greek taste-off and we're asking this sports town which blueberry greek yogurt is their champion. it's the bottom of the 9th, who's it going to be? get your greek yogurt here! can i ask you a question? which one tastes the best? a tastes better. a. i love. lift it up and see what the winner is. who is it? no way. it's yoplait! i knew it! do you want to see which one yoplait greek beat? chobani. hoorah! yoplait greek wins again. take the taste-off for yourself. go boston! everything life throws my way. except for frown lines. those i'm throwing back. olay total effects nourishing vitamins and seven beautiful benefits in one. for younger-looking skin. olay. your best beautiful. i will never choose between uv protection and beauty again. new olay total effects

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for the moisture you need and the volume you want. so you can enjoy moisture with 95% more volume. dove oxygen moisture. taking care of your health is important at any age, but as we get older, you really need to take all of those numbers into concern. you want to see your doctor more regularly and not put things off which is a philosophy al lives by. >> from blood pressure to blood sugar, dr. rodriguez is here with important numbers to know for all of us who are 60 or older as we approach that all-important decade. dr. rodriguez, good to see you. >> good to see you. >> you, too. thanks for having me. >> we start with blood pressure. you had your blood pressure taken. let's take a look. >> reporter: when it comes to

our health, especially guys, i think we put that on the back burner. >> 118 over 75. >> is that good? >> perfect. >> reporter: you wouldn't reschedule your kid's pediatrician appointment. why would you cheat yourself on that workout or that doctor's appointment? >> dr. rodriguez joining us, as we said. so let's start first with the blood pressure. al seems to be in really good number. 119 over 76. >> that's the blood pressure of a 20-year-old, al. >> fantastic. >> that is fantastic. >> i feel bad for the 20-year-old. >> what we need to know, though, is 150 over 90. >> high. for anybody over 60, anything above 150 over 90 is something that should be treated. recently they increased this because people were being treated a little bit too soon and the medication was causing more danger actually than the blood pressure. >> yeah. >> but this is super important because high blood pressure can lead to strokes, heart disease, kidney failure. so it's a good one. >> you should be checking it how often? >> well, you should be checking it at least twice a year.

you can go to any pharmacy and have it checked. >> and you can also genetically, though -- even at my heaviest, i never had blood pressure checked. >> correct. and a lot of people think that you can cure blood pressure just by losing weight. 80% of the time you can, but sometimes you cannot. so check it and make sure you do something about it. >> very important and interesting in a "today" survey, we found 47% of people in their 60s said they had high blood pressure. >> absolutely. >> you need to be on top of this. >> this next number, 90, flu shots. >> this one is really important and kind of alarming as far as i'm concerned. in the united states, anywhere from 10,000 to 40,000 people die of the flu every year. of those people, 90% are over the age of 65. >> wow. >> i mean, that's a huge number. so getting a flu shot, and now is the time to start getting it, is super important. so if you're a little older and younger, those are the two really high groups that get it. >> this month or next time. >> absolutely. it's never too late. >> moving on to the number 126. and here we're talking about blood sugar, right?

>> correct. >> so how often should you check it, and what does 126 tell us? >> 126, you go to your doctor and they check it. if it's above 126, that, by definition, is diabetes. all right. 80 million americans have diabetes. that can cause things as kidney problems, more heart attacks, impotence. that usually gets the men to have it checked. >> what's the range you should be in? >> anything under 100 is normal. anything between 100 and 125 is pre-diabetes. 126 or above is diabetes. >> next number is 1 every 10, and we're talking about colonoscopy. >> something very dear and near to my heart because i'm a g.i. doctor. >> every ten years. >> you should get a colonoscopy at 50. if everything is normal every year, then you need to do one every ten years. >> i did one at 50. i did one last year. >> congratulations. >> you're ahead of the game. >> now, let me tell you something. if you have blood in your stool, if you have any other symptoms, this may need to be sooner than

ten years. but if everything is normal, every ten years. >> number 30. when it comes to hearing loss. >> correct. listen up. all right. 30% of everyone over 60 to 65 has hearing loss. and that sounds trivial, but it affect your job, emergencies, and now there's so many good things. >> and your quality of life. >> absolutely. you don't have to -- >> and only one out of five people get hearing aids. >> correct. and now they have such great hearing aids that don't even show. so there's no reason not to hear. >> dr. jorge rodriguez, as always, thank you. great information. next, get you caught up on all the news you need before you walk out the door. and a special camp teaching kids all the right moves for a brighter future after this. the activia challenge! there's nothing like leaving home feeling attractive. but too many times i feel bloated, gassy, uncomfortable with gurgling. nothing seems to feel right! and yet another pile of clothes on my bed. so i'm taking the activia challenge.

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ask your doctor about once-a-day xarelto®. no regular blood monitoring; no known dietary restrictions. for information and savings options download the xarelto® patient center app, call 1-888-xarelto, or visit goxarelto.com taking a look at the headlines, another data breach to tell you about. some customers of the u.p.s. store may have had their credit and debit card information exposed by a computer virus. the shipping company says information including names, card numbers and e-mail addresses could be at risk. u.p.s. says 51 stores were affected by the breach. bank of america has reached

a record $17 billion settlement with federal and state authorities. the settlement resolves the investigation into b of a's role in the sale of mortgage-backed securities before the 2008 financial crisis. it is the largest settlement arising from the economic meltdown which saw millions of americans lose their homes. officials say the bank will pay $10 billion in cash and provide $7 billion in consumer relief. a growing number of americans are having trouble making their car payments. the number of loan defaults and delinquent loans surged between the months of april and june. that's according to the credit reporting agency experian. experts say the trend is being driven by loans granted to borrows with spotty credit histories. the average monthly payment is now $474. and take a look at this larger-than-life rubber duck making quite a splash as it sailed into the harbor near los angeles there. the duck's imposing yellow presence could be seen making its way through the channel to kick off the tall ships

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like new creamy citrus chicken, and take home a second entrée free! buy one, take one starting at just $12.99. a good thursday morning. it's 9:26. i'm sam brock. a double homicide investigation in a typically quiet bay area neighborhood. a live image there, around 7:30 last night, deputies got a call of a man shot to death in the backyard of a home in mill valley's strawberry manor neighborhood. that's what you're looking at right now. while checking other homes in the area, deputies found another man dead in the backyard of the house next door. investigators believe the deaths are related, but do not have any information about a possible suspect at this point. we'll have much more on this story in our next newscast, coming up at 11:00. in the meantime, investigators are trying to figure out what sparked a massive fire in oakland overnight. flames tore through a two-story complex near 23rd street and

international boulevard. the red cross is now helping dozens of people who were forced the from their homes the because of that fire. nobody was hurt. and san jose police officers are about to get a much-needed the boost. today, 25 recruits will graduate from a five-week academy and become sworn community service officers. the coss, as they're known, will help police officers with lower priority calls. they will not make arrests or even carry guns. instead, they'll take reports and carry pepper spray. you're probably curious what's going on with your weather and traffic. we'll have a look at that right after the break.

welcome back now. the time is 9:28. another beautiful day in the bay area. remember, your seven-day forecast is always scrolling right here at the bottom of your screen. if you want to take a sneak peek at that beautiful weekend coming our way. san francisco right now, plenty of clouds. you can see we're starting to clear out here, ocean beach. you'll get more sunshine today in the city and at the immediate coast than we did yesterday. and as a result, our temperatures, they're going to be warmer today. 83 degrees in the south bay. 79 degrees on the peninsula. east shore, 79 for you, and 68

degrees in san francisco. a lovely weekend coming your way inland and at the coast. we'll talk about the best places to post up as we head through the 11:00 hour. first, let's check your drive. it's been rough. what are we working, mike? >> traffic still held up. 9:29, just had the clock change, and very slow north 101. the map, the arrow shows you what we have. that live spot jammed. all of your northbound routes, jammed because of this oil spill over there. all lanes have cleared, though. the rest of your bay is okay, sam. >> the bain of drivers this morning. that's rough. thank you very much, mike. we'll be back again with more news, traffic, and weather in 25.

welcome back to "today" on this thursday morning from our cam. it's august 21st, 2014. i'm willie along with al, natalie and tamron. >> bang, bang. >> now you're on team nicki all of a sudden. >> no. >> you've got to pick a side here. >> no, i still like the song. >> "bang bang" he likes. >> it's three women doing the song. arianna grande is going to be here next friday. she's doing the song, but she's not going to have her -- >> that song makes her niece faint. she's trying to get me to bring her, and i can't. >> aunt tamron not going to bring her? >> she has school, man. got to go to school. >> so you never cut school for a concert? >> no. are you kidding me?

>> i'm just asking. >> my dad was in the military. my mother is a southern -- i would have been dragged out of that place where i was hiding from school. no, i was a chicken as a kid. >> okay. >> i was a chicken except for that time -- >> what happened? >> nothing. i'll tell you later. but for clarification for people, you like nicki minaj, some of her work. >> well, her earlier work. >> this song -- >> she's just lost her mind on this song. >> and other things. >> "bang bang." >> yeah. >> you don't appreciate this "anaconda" video. she's better than that is what you're saying. >> yes. she's talented and she's got a lot going for her. she doesn't need to do that. >> fair enough. >> did we end the discussion? >> als ice bucket challenge. we've seen a lot of good ones. president bush did it yesterday. there have been some not-so-good ones. it's time we looked at the bloopers. >> three, two. >> ooh.

>> oh! >> okay, here we go. >> these aren't real, are they? >> what are you doing? >> oh, man! >> that would really hurt. >> oh! >> ow! >> oh, geez. >> a sympathetic laugh. >> that last laugh was just maniacal. >> evil. >> wow. >> how about the whole cooler thrown at you. >> how did that happen? >> as len berman would say, nobody got hurt, but i think a lot of people got hurt. >> tom bergeron was there for all of those. >> how did the whole cooler slip from her hands? >> i don't know, just threw it on him. >> those things are heavy. i was going to have george and lucy do it, but they couldn't lift it. >> oh, gosh.

>> a heavy bucket. >> how about a check of the weather? you're going to need a bucket to cool off down south, right, al? my segue. >> i need a theme song. we started with "bang bang." >> every great superhero has a theme song. >> i'm not a superhero. ♪ there you go. that's the song. thank you very much. look ahead to your weekend. i love it when a plan comes together for your weather. we've got wet weather in the northeast and the ohio river valley tomorrow. rain from the plains into the southwest. west coast looking gorgeous. plenty of sunshine. on saturday, more rain in the ohio river valley into the mid-atlantic states. we're looking at the plains and the southeast. again, record-setting temperatures. 70s along the west coast. sunday, sunday! we've got a gorgeous day here in the northeast and new england, mid-atlantic states. more rain in the mid-mississippi river valley on into florida. we've got more showers in the northern mississippi river valley and look at the sunshine out west. temperatures will be nice and moderate right along the coast.

9:33. good thursday morning to you. still waiting on that sunshine here in san francisco. but we are going to see more sun today than we had out there yesterday. taking a live look now at pleasanton. still have some low clouds here, but a warmer day for you, ending up in the upper 80s out in the tri-valley. and san jose, spectacular day shaping up for us. we will hit the mid-80s as we get into the afternoon. 83 degrees. 68 in san francisco. getting into the next couple of days, temperatures stay steady, gorgeous weekend coming your way. that's your latest weather. >> al, thanks a lot. now to our series "hope to it," and giving some deserving young people a chance to shine. >> it's called ali camp run by a world-famous company credited with pioneering modern american dance. >> it's the performance off the stage that makes them unique. >> reporter: these kids can dance from pops and locks to

arabesque, to moves to frenetic moves, a kind of training any young dancer would envy. but these students are learning much more than counts and choreography. >> it goes beyond dance. it really is about giving these young people something to hope for, giving them a voice where perhaps they otherwise wouldn't have that voice. >> reporter: it's all part of a six-week program serving hundreds of kids ages 11 to 14 in 9 cities across the country. each student facing personal challenges off the dance floor. >> we have children that are in foster families. we have children that are living in shelters. we have children that are dealing with a loss of a parent. we have children who are trying to figure out where they fit in. >> reporter: for 11-year-old jalen, the camp is a welcome relief from the struggles of a broken home. >> it's actually helping me a lot with what i've been through

in life. and when i dance, it gives me the opportunity to let out my emotions. >> reporter: camp director and former professional dancer nasha thomas smith sees herself in the students. >> i grew up raised by a single mother in the projects in queens. i feel it's my duty to be here for these young people. they've been told that they can't. they can't have. they can't do. they can't be. and my question is why. why can't you? yes, you can. >> reporter: in addition to daily sessions in -- >> hip-hop. >> ballet. >> jazz. >> they take creative writing classes and share personal struggles. >> coming from the child of a teen parent, it's not as bad as you think. ignore all those terrible names that people are calling because they don't understand. >> so what if you're different? that is how you make friends because your y're unique in you own way. >> put your mind to it. >> reporter: learning a sense of compassion and self-confidence. >> my friends, i see like all

the hard things that they've went through, and then that helps me think of how i'm not the only one. i'm not the different one. >> reporter: it's that camaraderie that translates to the stage when each camp culminates in a final perfo performan performance. >> i just don't want to trip and fall because we've worked so hard. and i give it up to you guys. you guys make me cry. >> we love you. >> reporter: in front of a packed house of family and friends. >> very excited. >> it's a great experience. >> it's a space that really is made for growing. >> reporter: giving some special kids the chance to take to the stage. >> at the end of the day, they're just kids, you know. and they want to have fun and they want to make friends and they want to learn. and that's what the program is about. >> so the camp is completely free for the families of the kids. they rely on public and private donations. for manager information about all the alvin ailey arts in education program, head to today.com. we applaud them for that effort.

these kids are beautiful and they deserve that opportunity. >> if you're ever coming to new york and you have the chance to see alvin ailey perform, wow! it will take your breath away. it's one of the best things going. next, natalie gives las vegas a taste of her trademark singing chops. >> it will never be the same. >> when she hits the stage with olivia newton-john. how exciting is this. we'll show you how it went right after this.

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grammy award winner olivia newton-john invited our own natalie to take the stage with her at the flamingo hotel in vegas. >> in her show "summer nights," olivia performs a medley of her greatest hits. >> but there was one song she reserved just for natalie. >> yes. this is the stuff of dreams i'm talking here. i'm a child of the '80s, so it was the thrill of a lifetime to be a pink lady for the night singing along with olivia newton-john in front of a live audience. ♪ ever since i was a little girl, i've been a huge fan of olivia newton-john. "grease," "xanadu," "let's get physical," they were the sound track of my generation. if you could go back in time and tell that 8-year-old little girl that someday you're going to be performing with olivia newt newton-john, i would have said you must be dreaming. but guess what? here i am in vegas, and i'm not dreaming! olivia, here i come! >> hello, hello! >> i can't believe it!

>> you made it! >> i made it! this is a dream come true. >> have you been warming up your voice? >> no, no. 35 years since "grease" came out. >> can you believe it? >> i know. does it seem like it was 35 years ago that your life changed forever? >> you know, there's no way i could have possibly dreamt that people would still be loving this movie now. >> to be a pink lady, what do i need to do? >> you just need to get a bit of attitude. >> a little rizzo. >> rid zzo'ed out a little bit. >> are you going to teach me the ropes? >> let's do it. let's go. >> i can't believe i'm doing this! oh, my gosh. >> this is our new pink lady. welcome. >> are you sure you want to hand me a microphone? ♪ uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh ♪ ♪ tell me more ♪ tell me more ♪ tell me more ♪ tell me more >> my gosh, my own dressing room. look at the star. good luck to our own bad sandy.

here's to making your lifelong dream come true. love, your biggest fans, al, willie and tamron. now i've got to go get 'em. i've got to knock 'em dead. it's starting. this is it! the moment i've been waiting for. i'm very nervous. >> two months ago i was on the "today" show. and one of the girls on the "today" show told me that she wanted to be a pink lady. and i'm so excited to invite natalie morales to the stage to be a pink lady for tonight! here she comes. >> oh, my gosh! >> i'm going to give you a jacket, too. hold on. ♪ summer days drifting away ♪ to off to the summer nights ♪ well, well, well ♪ tell me more ♪ tell me more ♪ was it love at first sight ♪ tell me more ♪ tell me more ♪ did she put up a fight ♪ we made out under the dock

♪ summer heat ♪ summer nights ♪ tell me more ♪ tell me more ♪ how much dough did he spend ♪ tell me more ♪ tell me more ♪ could she get me a friend ♪ those summer nights ♪ tell me more ♪ tell me more ♪ yeah >> yeah! >> i'm officially a pink lady now. >> wow! we're officially deaf. >> let's talk about that last high note. >> that was beautiful. >> that one move. by the way, i've got to thank olivia newton-john and her whole band. they're fantastic. what a great show. and by the way, "summer nights"

has been extended through the beginning of january, and she's there throughout the month of august. >> at the flamingo, right? >> at the flamingo in vegas. it is so much fun. it's like reliving your youth all over again. >> when you looked out at the audience and you were singing and dancing with olivia newton-john -- >> i didn't even see the audience. i'm thinking i'm that 8-year-old girl and i'm singing with my idol, and she is better than ever. >> she's good. >> she's incredible. the show was so wonderful. >> well done. >> thank you. you've got to follow now. vegas for you, willie. >> it ain't that. >> "hangover." natalie won't be performing at the vmas, but we know who will. you should. we'll tell you how to jump start the weekend with the best entertainment after this. look at that. look that the. >> mm-hmm. ♪ tell me more ♪ tell m

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and yet another pile of clothes on my bed. so i'm taking the activia challenge. eating activia twice a day for four weeks may help reduce the frequency of minor digestive issues like bloating, gas, discomfort and rumbling. when your tummy smiles, things just feel right! join me and take the activia challenge. it works or it's free. ♪ dannon! it is thursday, which means it's time for your weekend jump starter. if you're looking for something to download, watch or read, we've got a few fun ideas for you. >> a correspondent for "entertainment weekly" is with us. >> thanks for having me. >> taylor swift, first single called "shake it off." and the video is generating some controversy. >> that's right. so she released the video on tuesday. it has over 20 million views on youtube. a lot of people are loving it but there's also been backlash.

taylor is seen shaking her tinge, wearing gold chains. people are saying she's taking on cultural inappropriations that are better left to the black community. getting a little bit of heat, but the song is heating up on the billboard chart and itunes. whether you love it or hate it, that's the song you're going to be hearing this weekend. >> some say like miley cyrus, twerking. >> exactly. those are kind of negative actions. a lot of people are saying don't do that. you're a white girl. do your thing. leave that type of stereotype alone. >> let's move on to the mtv "video music awards." they take place on sunday. taylor swift will be there performing "shake it off." a lot of people are talking about the opening number. >> i'm so excited. so this sunday at 9:00 p.m., "bang bang" is going to be performed live for the first time ever. you've got nicki minaj, arianna grande, jessie j. we don't know what the core f choreography is going to look like. right after they perform their music video is going to go up

live on mtv.com. you're going to get a little bit of a doubleheader. and beyonce's going to be there, too. and there's a lot of buzz about beyonce performing because she could perform old hits or preview new music. or in either case, she could do something that could acknowledge the divorce rumors with jay-z. so it's going to be big. and she was also nominated artist of the night. >> that's cool. >> let's move on to apps. fan cred. >> so this is really cool. it's available on apple devices and also web. you'll get it on android in october. but what it is is like a combination of instagram, twitter and facebook, in that it allows sports fans to talk to each other about their favorite teams. the more you interact, the more points you get, the more cred you receive. and i was playing around with it with my husband yesterday. and in our house, we're all about the minnesota gophers. there isn't much of a following here in new york. but with fan cred, we can see what's going on at home and get

to live the sports games and experiences through other fans. >> let's get one last summer read in before we hit labor day. "we are not ourselves" by matthew thomas. >> this book is beautiful. it's from a former high school english teacher. >> he came from my high school. >> exactly. it's a beautiful epic about an iri irish-american family and how they try to achieve the american dream and the emotional costs. i can't put it down. >> from "entertainment weekly." thank you so much. we're back in a moment. first, this is "today" on nbc.

coming up next, kathie lee and hoda catch up with donnie osmond. >> and "ambush makeover." >> and danny

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manor neighborhood. while checking other homes in the area, deputies found another man dead in the backyard of the house next door. investigators believe the deaths are related, but do not have any information about a possible suspect. we will have more on this story in our next newscast coming up at 11:00. and right now, let's get a look at your forecast with christina loren. >> hey, thank you. beautiful conditions prevail, yet again. 79 degrees on the east shore. 68 degrees in san francisco and 8 degrees, a comfortable day, although it will be noticeably warmer in the south bay for today, where we hit the upper 70s yesterday. getting into this weekend, we're going to bring up that humidity and also two tropical cyclones bring in some unusual bay area waves. we're going to talk about some southwest swells that could be dangerous for beachgoers as we get into this weekend. today at 11:00, the latest on that. but first, let's check your drive. here's mike inouye. >> if you have anyone who drove through the south bay, they may still be on the road. go ahead and look at the maps

and i'll give the sound effect. this circled area 280 northbound, we had an oil spill and that took until 9:00 to clear. still recovering through san jose, very, very tough northbound drive. the rest of your drive looking all right. the bay bridge toll plaza, we have a backup there as folks coming off the maze, a live look at interstate 80 getting over towards the bay bridge toll plaza. only the cash lanes, fastrak greatly recovered and no other major concerns throughout the bay. >> all right. thank you very much, mike. we have another local news update. in fact, coming up in 30 minutes. and all the day's news coming up at 11:00.

♪ ♪

♪ ♪ from nbc news, this is "today" with kathie lee gifford and hoda kotb. from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> hello, everybody. we're so happy you're here with us today. we have a very, very, very special guest with us today. >> mm-hm. >> we love him. our donny osmond is here. >> he is here. >> the same day as lou. >> i'll be right there. >> i knew he was right there. >> and i've got the chance to know her a little bit over the years and she is his wife of 36 years, debbie. can you believe it? he look like he's still 30. >> she does too. >> 36 of years today. >> 36 years today.

>> their anniversary. >> thauchk you for spending your anniversary with us. >> can i give way the news too. >> what's the news? >> what we just found out. >> no, we're going to tell you. >> okay, fine, be like that. >> we are going to give away so much news. there is so much news on kim and kanye's wedding. . >> remember when it was you? remember when it was you on every magazine? >> oh, i remember that. >> they are calling it kim's dream wedding. but that was the last one. right there. that dress is her old dress. my favorite is "in touch." how can you get better than this? wedding from hell. she is trying to squeeze into her wedding dress. >> i don't think that's her rear end. >> maybe it's an artist's rendering. >> my favorite things. >> look. kris drunk all day. kanye throws a fit and walks out. bruce's new look humiliates kim and khloe's men crash the wedding. there's no wedding yet.

>> so, good. >> see, i would buy this one. this is the one i would pick up. i would buy that one. >> she went to twitter yesterday clearing up many of the rumors. >> her impending wedding to kanye -- >> she says the reports are false. they are not married yet and photos released of her wedding dress are also false. >> they aren't filming the wedding for tv. they are filming everything leading up to it and everything after. >> they will only release photos of the ceremony, not videotape. >> and the there won't be 1600 people. that's incorrect. but we didn't hear anything about the pre-nup. i heard a lot of that brewing. >> they should both get a pre-nup. they both have a lot of money. >> right. >> all right. >> the only one who so far seems to have it right is us. it just says cat down to crazy wedding. >> there were reports they were in l.a. getting a marriage

license. but i think you need to get a marriage license where you're getting married. they are supposedly getting married in france. kris did call me the other day and we talked for quite a while. i guess congratulations are in order, she is married. kris said, she lives in my house, i would know if they were married. >> people were asking, when kim and kanye were on vogue, how well would that magazine sell. there was early speculation it was a blockbuster selling half a million copies. but according to the new york post it didn't sell all that well. it sold half of that, 250,000 copies. but compared to beyonce's it wasn't a lot. >> she is leading cover lady so far with 355,000. than mrs. obama with 269. >> and vogue told nbc, they called us back -- >> well, they didn't call us behe they called somebody.

>> they said they don't comment on sales figures. >> neil patrick harris is on the cover of rolling stone. >> oh my god. >> wow! >> wow! >> anyway -- >> everyone is always naked on rolling stone. julia louis-dreyfus was -- >> they are not really naked. he talks about coming out and says that -- >> we don't have that one -- >> we don't have that one, okay. he said coming out helped his career rather than hurt it. he has a huge straight guy following because he played that barney guy all those years on "how i met your mother." he is a terrific actor. he can play anyone. >> by the way, if someone else would have done the exact cover with the top hat covering the strategic part, a lot of people would have been, oh, my god, what are they doing. but because it is neil patrick harris, it is so cute.

he can do no wrong. >> certain people get away with it. just loveable. >> yes. >> and he is among them. and oprah winfrey, by the way, she has her own network and all that stuff, own, you wonder, how did someone start out. what was someone like in the beginning before they were oprah. she has an audition tape that was somehow released on youtube. this is own's youtube channel so they did release it. it is an audition for her trying out if are a chicago show in 1983. check it out. >> my name is oprah win try. oprah, o-p-r-a-h, harpo spelled backwards. my folks didn't particularly like harpo marks. bedidn't seen have a television set for years. i was originally named from the bible, first chapter of the 14th verse but no one knew how to spell in my home, so that's why i ended up being oprah. >> her voice is different. >> yes. >> very interesting to hear,

right? >> even her delivery. >> i wonder how old she was then. >> well, 1983, they say. i remember pretty well because i started working with regis in 1985. and so oprah was doing her chicago show and one day -- regis an i were local at the same in new york and it was an hour and a half show, monday through friday. they came us to and said, you guys mind giving up half of -- one-third of your show, half an hour because there is a new woman in chicago that's just this -- >> named oprah. >> we said, yeah. >> you made room for oprah. >> no, no. they said they were going to take it from us, but it was nice of them to ask. about a year later, it was syndicated. i think a year before that she was in baltimore. that's what my mother remembers. >> there was a great story where she wanted to relax her hair and

it fell out. back then when relaxers -- >> has yours ever -- >> fallen, out, no. but i have put some heavy duty chemicals up in there. and i would risk the consequences. >> so your boyfriend is in the news. >> no. >> your boyfriend in your head. hugh jackman. >> i just love him. >> he decided to do something different to promote x-men days of the future past. sew decided to interview his younger self. >> right. >> you'll get it when you watch. take a look. >> it will sound narcissistic to even ask this, but who is the biggest star in the year 2014? well, hugh, i know you will find this hard to believe, really hard to believe. you are by far and away the biggest star ever, ever, to actually be in motion pictures. >> oh, really? so i've become a huge jackman. >> hugh, you're awesome. i don't know if that's egotistical to say that, but thank you. keep up the good work and keep moisturizing, whatever it is you're doing.

>> and that's why i love the man. he can so make fun of himself. >> he is so terrific. >> adorable. his interview with yahoo! uk. okay, he's all good. >> there is something cute. there is a couple who wanted to get married. and they met on the set of a music video. so they both shared music in common. they were trying to think up their vows. they decided they were stuck so they collaborated together and decided to write a song. michael and carissa alvarado. let's take a look at their wedding. ♪ ♪ ♪

>> sweet. >> it's donnie and marie. oh, my gosh. and here is the good news, too. >> they are adorable. >> they scored a record deal. with public records. >> and they are going to set up on 28-city tour in the u.s. this summer. >> good for them. >> that was awesome. >> speaking of adorable. >> i've got one, i got a hot donny osmond song. >> i was just listening to a donnie and marie song, but this is what i chose today. this one is by pharrell and miley together. it is called, not come get it, babe. "come get it bay." >> ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ come get it, bay ♪ come get it, bay

♪ come get it, bay >> wow. >> here it comes. >> you got to like it. ♪ hey. >> you know it's going to be a hit, right? they need something to rhyme with crush. >> who is that? >> pharrell. pharrell an miley cyrus. >> i love it. >> yes. >> that's a smash. >> if it is pharrell, i love it anyway. >> your motorcycle. >> really? >> yes. >> oh, come on. >> you got to lose -- >> ♪ because girl i like you, hey ♪

>> go stay in your corner. >> all righty. coming up, is your dog talented? >> you sent in crazy pet videos and we will see them. >> and a day with donny osmond. >> right after this. ♪ cereal and milk ♪ k -- e -- double -- l -- o-- double good ♪ ♪ protein to help you rebuild like you should ♪ ♪ great tasting grains to help you recharge ♪ ♪ put a spring in your step ♪ so you keep livin' large ♪ milk and cereal ♪ cereal cereal ♪ milk and cereal cereal cereal .... make your morning shine with delicious kellogg's cereal and milk. it has protein to help you rebuild, and grains to help you recharge. kellogg's cereal and milk. see you at breakfast.

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♪ little bit country >>. ♪ no come on and get it, baby >> he's been in the spotlight since he was 5 years old, performing along side his famous siblings. later becoming a teen idol to millions of fans. >> but the onstage chemistry donny has with his sister, marie, that has kept fans wanting more for 50 years. the two will celebrate their 1,000th show together in vegas. which by the way, has been voted the best show in town, for the last three years. >> it is really pretty remarkable. won't you supposed to stay there for six days first? >> six weeks at the flamingo in 2008. here we are in our sixth year. i was talking to my manager and we were trying to figure out, what are we going to do for the 1,000th show. and he said, let's plan the 2,000th show. >> i know it was hard for marie. she was doing the talk show back and forth in l.a. and sleeping

on the couch. >> and winning "dancing with the stars" while doing that at the same time. >> of course you did. >> you just rubbed that in marie's face. >> she doesn't win. >> we know she didn't. you did well. you broke your knee and something else. >> my neck. that was before. but i still won. still got it. >> still got it, baby. >> what is it about your shows that you think resonates even now? you have been around forever. >> hoda, i don't know. i would like to think it was talent. >> we all know that hugh jackman got all of that. >> true. what does he know. but we just leave it all on stage. we work really, really hard. and the show changes and evolves all the time. people think is that stale dialogue, is that written for you? she'll throw me a zing, i'll throw her one. sometimes it works. you got to go for it. that's why people keep coming back and want to see the show.

we're so fortunate. especially in the entertainment capital of the world. >> and talking to each other, still liking one another. >> let's don't go that far. >> you guys have reinvented yourselves. a lot of people who stayed exactly in their lane, their whole life, wouldn't attract a new viewers that you guys have with new music and stuff. >> hoda, it's important. you can't rest on your laurels. i'm working on my 60th album out in. >> i thought how is that possible? >> i took songs that affected me and influenced me over the 50 years. >> like what? >> michael jackson's "ben." it was written for me. >> michael jackson's bad apple. it was written for the jacksons. it switched. i said, let's get michael to sing it. his number one solo record. >> a little bitter. >> no, no, no. but that -- peter gabriel song, elton john song, every song has a story behind not just me singing a great song, but there

is a story behind why a paul mccartney -- ♪ the long and winding road >> but that was music. >> great music. ♪ come on and get it baby >> that was my own fault. i should not set you up for that. >> people have questions for you. at this point in his life, is donny a little more country or a little more rock 'n' roll. >> rock 'n' roll, baby. >> do you still wear purple socks every now and then? >> perfect case of ocd. next question. >> what annoys you the most about marie? >> this show isn't long enough. we have a competition going about twitter. who can get the most twitter followers. follow me on twitter. @donnyosmond. >> how many do you have? couple hundred thousand or something like that. i need to get some more. follow me @donnyosmond. >> how many does marie have? >> two. >> are we going to bring debbie out? >> debbie, come join us. >> it is their anniversary.

>> come on, sweetheart, please. everybody wants to see donny's beautiful wife. >> you sit down here. >> see? 36 years. >> 36 years. >> you know what's really interesting? she's not just my wife now, she's my business partner. we started donny osmond home home furnishings. we had no idea it would take off. it went from zero to 60 overnight. you're the only person who has done an interview with us in our home. we made a promise with each other that nobody would do an interview in our home. >> such a bad experience, you said never again. >> $20, i needed the 20 bucks. >> it sounds so funny when i did it, at our house, over our fireplace there is a picture of me, a painting, holding cody. over their fireplace is jesus and a lamb. there's the difference right there. >> congratulations on 36 years. >> broadway or go to dinner? >> i don't know. what are we doing? >> i don't know what we're doing.

do you have a suggestion. >> go see "a gentleman's guide to love and murder." it is hysterical. there is lots of good stuff, but that one. >> thank you for the good recommendation. when the new album comes out, come back. >> absolutely. >> put some good music on there. ♪ we're gonna get it baby ♪ get it baby >> time to give frozen's princess a run for her money. >> sick of it. >> what? >>. ♪ best day of my life my budget used to be a real downer,

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♪hey! i found a happy space somewhere to call our own♪ ♪a happy little place and it all starts with you♪ ♪whoa-oh-oh-oh, all this goodness...♪ after-school snacking should be fun and nutritious which is why we put whole grains first in every general mills big g cereal what matters most should always come first general mills. look for the "g," it means goodness first. >> webtastics. time for webtastic where we dig up the next video you'll want to share with all of your friends. >> this one is by two college students at point loma nazarene university in san diego. they did a parody of the song, do you want to build a snowman

from the movie frozen for a school contest. >> olivia mowry created this with her friend. they wrote and sang the lyrics. >> starbucks. ♪ i need some caffeine in my veins ♪ ♪ i'm sure i'm about to go insane ♪ ♪ it gets a little lonely all the studying ♪ ♪ do you want to go to starbucks ♪ ♪ it doesn't have to be a starbucks ♪ >> i don't really like coffee. ♪ okay bye >> cute. they won the school's contest and within a couple of weeks this video went viral. good for them. she's got a good musical theater voice. >> she hasn't seen "frozen" before she made this mini film but janae was a fan. she composed the parody.

they want to be a director and composer. >> all the best to both of them. >> don't go anywhere, we're asking lou, plus "ambush makeovers." >> lou after your local news. moms know that no two mouths are the same. that's why there's a listerine® product for every mouth. one to clean your whole mouth. one for those hard to reach places. one to protect kids mouths from cavities. even one to freshen breath on-the-go. with over 100 years of innovation in oral care... there's a listerine® product for every mouth in your house. for cleaner, healthier mouths go beyond brushing alone. listerine®. power to your mouth ™. we dip it and shake itrld's best seven times. we hand bread it seven times. we rock it seven times. why all of the sevens? because it's a lucky number? jack pot. ♪ with new jolly rancher filled gummy bites?

not today. bites. little greatness. in pampers cruisers. they adapt at the waist, legs and bottom, with up to 12 hours of protection for all the freedom to just play. pampers. curing a yeast infection relieving the itch.... can happen instantly. vagisil max strength anti-itch wipes relieve itch and odor instantly as they cleanse. so why wait to feel comfortable? trust vagisil. the number one wipe for itch. good morning. just a couple minutes before 10:30. i'm kris sanchez. police in san jose are looking for a gunmen who shot another man early this morning. it happened just before 6:00 near the intersection of

sackaray drive and lido way. the victim was rushed to the hospital with serious injuries, but is expected to survive. san jose police officers are about to get a little help today. today, 25 recruits will graduate from a five-week academy and some will be sworn as community service officers. the community service officers or csos, as they'll be known, will help police officer with lower priority calls and filing reports. they will not be able to make arrests or carry guns. instead, they will carry pepper spray. a look at weather and traffic coming up after the break.

welcome back. i'm meteorologist christina loren. a touch warmer for today, but staying nice and comfortable, plenty of 70s to go around the peninsula, 79 degrees. on the east shore, 68 and up to low 80s in san francisco. in the north bay and the same for the south bay. as we head throughout the next couple of days, you'll notice a little bit of a difference. we'll see that humidity creep up. and it will be warmer. more humidity on the way for the weekend, and we also have some unusual bay area waves. we'll detail why, coming up today at 11:00. first, though, here's mike and your drive. >> a very slow drive still for san jose. look at this live look. a crash reported right in this area, but all lanes look like they're clear. they look residual after that happens. the map shows you slow there, but also slow towards the airport. 280 recovering nicely and so is 285. and all those northbound routes, much better, kris, around the rest of the bay.

>> sounds good. well, turf trouble at the brand-new levie stadium. crews are working to replace the beat-upped so after the first nine errs game. that story and the rest of the day's news tonight at 11:00. we're back with more of "today" on this thirsty thursday, which means it is time for "ambush makeovers." >> two lucky ladies found shelter from the rain in the hands of our crack makeover team. "today" contributor and stylist to the stars louis licari and "today" contributor and contributing editor for "people style watch" and author jill martin. >> hi, guys. >> a little damp out there. >> a few sprinkles. at this point, what the hey. >> we have a mother's day theme today. >> good. we like themes. we're into themes. okay. our first lucky lady is cindy raymond, 40 years old from alberta, canada. cindy is a substitute teacher with three young kids of her own, leah, matthew and lucas. she has never colored her hair and doesn't wear makeup. this is her first trip away from home, ever, and she couldn't be

more excited to see the reactions of her husband and kids when she gets back. let's take a listen to her story. >> well, it is pouring, so everyone needs a makeover. but this is very special. bffs for 25 years. i love this little picture. so why do you want this for cindy? >> this is cindy's first trip away from home. it has been 12 years. she has three kids and rarely does anything for herself. a great treat for her. >> a nice gift for mother's day. what do you think? >> i'm overwhelmed. but i'm excited. >> okay. >> thank you. >> how exciting. cindy is here with her best friend kelly. hi, kelly. please keep your blindfold on for a minute. here is cindy's before picture. all right. cindy, let's see the new you. >> whoa. >> wow. are you ready? >> take off your blindfold, kelly. >> oh, my gosh. >> are you ready? >> yes. >> spin right around with your

vogue new haircut. >> put your glasses on. yeah. spin right around. look at camera 12. tell us about the hair. >> it is you. >> you look great. >> it is a dream come true. this is a great haircut, keeping her hair -- keeping it -- some length but great body. i softly highlighted her hair. she lives in a place where she can't color her hair that often, she can maintain it every three or four months. the highlights are warm, not ashy. so it looks young. >> what do you think, kelly? >> gorgeous. >> jill, that's the perfect dress. i'm sorry. perfect. >> darling. >> she picked it out because her son's favorite color is yellow. so this is so sweet. maggie london, we added a thicker belt because look at this little waistband.

>> you look really great. >> congratulations. >> go join your friend. >> our second lady is lisa rockwell, 53 from new orleans. >> new orleans! >> mother of seven kids. ages 14 through 28. she says having kids kept her too busy to really pamper herself. she still rocks a scrunchy almost daily. nothing wrong with that, baby. she's thrilled for a glamorous new look, no scrunchy included. let's listen to her story. >> we shocked you when you were raising the roof, though, when we picked you. so you seem excited. >> i am excited. i just can't believe this is happening. it is just a thrill. and it is a thrill to be here and we're celebrating my friend's 50th birthday, and my seven kids are back at home and my husband too. and so i'm just really, really excited. >> seven kids. so you deserve this. >> well, i'm excited. i'm excited. >> you deserve it. >> thank you very much. >> she's here with her dear

friends, april, ann and margy. now let's take a look at her before. there is lisa before. let's bring out the new lisa rockwell. keep your blindfolds on, ladies. >> oh, my gosh. >> all righty. >> all right, take it off. >> oh, my gosh. >> beautiful. >> turn around. take a look. >> you look beautiful. >> you look so -- >> i love it when everybody's happy. >> oh. >> we didn't do anything. louis, tell us what you did to her hair. >> what i did is i corrected a very common mistake, i softened her hair color. she was covering a few grays and

progressively darker and darker. this is much more appropriate for her coloring. this haircut gave her the volume and of course this all completed with the makeup. >> ladies, please, please get it together. >> new orleans girls everywhere. tell us about the dress. >> she looks totally different. this is cynthia and soma intimates smoothed her out. >> that is nice. >> come back out, cindy. >> jill, as usual -- >> we'll celebrate national pet week with funny dog videos you sent us. you'll like them. first, these messages. [ julie ] the wrinkle cream graveyard. if it doesn't work fast... you're on to the next thing. clinically proven

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all right, time to fix all the problems around the house when we ask lou. >> "today" contributor and host of the syndicated show "house smarts" lou manfredini is here to answer some of the repair questions you have about your home that you sent into us. >> first question, lou, hi, comes from terry. my older hot water heater is making a loud gurgle and popping noises when i use hot water. is this dangerous? could the bottom fall out? how often should i replace the water heater? >> with water heaters, what is important, when it starts to make those sounds, depending on the age, it is probably a good

idea to consider replacing it because the average life of a water heater in the u.s. is about ten years. the way you can know is there is a little guide here, a little stamp, that has the serial number. most of them have a manufacturer's date, this particular one is 2006. then you see that serial number that is to the left, that long geln 06. many don't have the manufacture date, but the last two numbers are the year it was built. this is '06. if it is snap, crackle and popping, better to get it fixed while it doesn't leak, because then it is tuesday morning and you have no hot water and you have to spend twice as much money to have a plumber come out and do it. >> are they under warranty? >> most manufacturers have a warranty of about five years or so. but, remember, it is a manufacturer's warranty on the product, so they'll say, well, hoda, you had this thing for ten years, you spent a thousand dollars, we're going to prorate that over ten years, here is your 100 bucks. still got to get it replaced. >> still 100 bucks. >> susan asks this question. i want to paint -- spray paint my patio furniture. my husband insists we have to

use a brush. is there a spray product i can convince him to use? >> looks like there is. >> i can't spray this on the air because we're in a closed-in area and we have all these hot lights. i really like this product by rustoleum, a universal hammered finish. if you look closely at this light switch, we applied this. there is actually glass beads in the paint. and when you spray it, what you want to do, if it is metal, take a sanding sponge like this, do a little bit of prep work to prepare it. if there is any rust or anything like that, get it as smooth and clean as possible. the beauty part about this is now with spray paints you can spray any angle. so it used to be to hold it like this. the chair would be difficult. and so this universal spray and now they have these triggers on there, much easier to use. when you're spraying, you go left to right or top to bottom. you pull, spray, release.

pull, spray, release. don't get drips. >> oh. >> and do light coats. this stuff looks great, comes in a bunch of different colors and finishes and really holds up well. >> fabulous. >> good people. >> last one, nancy asks this. i have six-panel closet doors and room doors that need to be repainted. what do i have to do to prep the door and what do i have to do to prep the trim around the door and what kind of paint should i use? >> 90% of a good paint job is preparation. the paint part is easy. with the six panel doors, what you want to spend a lot of time on is the detail in the trim work that surrounds it. the sanding sponges. i just did this a little bit, this is a preprimed door. you want to get all of the debris and the gook that gets in those corners and get this as smooth as possible. we don't have to go crazy here. then if you prime it with a product like this bin primer, this, you're going to take -- you're going to work the areas first this is a very watery primer when it goes on. so you have to be careful about how you put it on. it will drip. and you got to pay attention

that it doesn't gather there and leave you big drips. when that drys, once that drys, then you hit it one more time with sandpaper to knock it down and get it smooth and then a paint and primer in one like this valspar product is a heavy bodied paint. you'll do the same thing around the corners. look how nice it brightens up like that and work those areas around, do the squares first, then finish the strokes evenly all the way around, the same goes with your trim. two coats of a paint and primer. it is going to look fantastic. >> thank you, lou. >> only lou has all that information. >> he certainly does. >> if you have questions for lou, go to klgandhoda.com, click on the connect button and maybe he'll answer them next week. >> maybe not, too. a mom with a big family and even bigger heart. >> inspiring >> we're celebrating mothers who inspire us every day. coming up right after this. feel, uncomfortable with gurgling.l,

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with mother's day this sunday, we have been sharing

stories of really inspiring moms and amazing things they do all the time. >> katie troop is the mother of six adopted children. four of whom suffer from a very rare skin disorder called, i hope i get this right, epidermolysis, or eb. you'll meet her in a moment. first, here is a look at katie's story. >> my name is katie troop and i'm a mother of six beautiful children. my husband rob and i both come from large families and we also wanted a large family. after six years of marriage, with no luck conceiving, we decided to create our family through adoption. we found an agency and set up a consultation, but two weeks later a friend connected us to another agency we hadn't even applied to. they had a baby with eb. a very rare disorder that causes the skin to be extremely fragile and blister after even the mildest trauma. we immediately went to see him. i took one look at him and i knew he was mine. we watched hiss dressings get

changed and it was horrifying to see, but the voice in the back of my head kept saying it's okay, you can do this. this baby was our zach. and after 11 years, thousands of dressing changes, dozens of surgeries, and countless sleepless nights, it is absolutely okay. the first few years of zach's life were very rough. but just before he went to kindergarten, we decided being an only child was not a good thing for zach. and our family did not seem complete. so we were blessed with the adoption of our sweet elizabeth and a few years later charlie. but i still felt like i was missing someone. a friend in the eb community knew of two sisters and even though at the time i just wasn't capable of taking two, i knew i had to try to bring jade and ellie home. just last week, we adopted their younger brother who also has eb. life is crazy, but there is nothing better than a house full of kids that are happy and joyful. >> oh, my gosh. wow. >> hello.

>> katie troop is with us with another great mom, jamie silver. jamie's son also has eb. jackson, he's over there, cute as can be. >> jamie and her husband alex started the jackson gabriel silver foundation. they raised more than $2.5 million toward eb research. hi, ladies. >> welcome. happy mother's day. >> thank you. >> wow. by the way, this is incredible. when you adopted originally, that was interesting and fulfilling and to adopt other kids with eb, why did you decide to do that? >> it was a miracle we found him and he found us. we knew we wanted to have more children eventually. and just god's hands came together and found these beautiful children for us. >> tell us, it is rare, but is it forever? this condition? is it curable? >> so eb is a genetic from skin condition. you're born with it. you'll have it for the rest of your life? >> is it manageable? there is wound care we do for our children every day. they're in a lot of pain. and for us, i think, one of the

hardest parts is that in order to care for our children, we need -- we need to inflict some more pain. painful bath and bandage changes everyday. so currently that is the way we care for our children. but we're working really hard, the jackson gabriel silver foundation to advance treatments and cures. >> is it strangely easier with more kids who have it because you're used to it and you know how to do it. >> we're an eb family. it affects every aspect of our lives and means there is a lot of things we can't do and a lot of things we can do. so since there are already so many things we can't do, we might as well bring everybody else in and do that too. >> you want every child to have a childhood and so much of childhood is running around and being active and how do you teach your child to be comfortable in their own skin when they know they're going to get hurt if they fall and -- >> we don't feel like we have to teach them to be kids.

they know and they want to do it our job is to run defense and be there to pick them back up. >> oh, my gosh. well, jamie and katie, we know you have been terrific moms with kids with eb and it can be a huge challenge. we decided to pamper you guys a little. so you get some gift certificates where you can use at 20,000 locations. you get spa treatments, travel, yoga and more. and we couldn't forget about the kids. we heard jackson is into legos. >> where is jackson? hi. >> the hottest models for him and katie and the company store giving all your kids the softest bedding and adorable bath towels for your little ones and beanbags for your oldest kids and all being shipped to your house. >> thank you for everything you're doing. >> thank you for having us. >> have a wonderful mother's day. >> happy mother's day. >> nice to meet you, jackson. >> all right. okay. >> to learn more about eb and the jackson gabriel silver foundation, head to klgandhoda.com.

>> we'll be right back with more. ♪

♪ ♪

it is national pet week and to celebrate we asked you to send us fun videos of your pets doing cool tricks. >> and you did. >> we put a bunch of them together for you all to enjoy. take a look. >> and sit. >> oh, my gosh. >> speak, speak. >> hop up. >> oh. >> roll. wait, roll. >> oh, oh, my god! >> yea. >> oh, wow.

>> i love this. the cat opens the door. >> oh, my gosh. ♪ thanks, everybody. >> tomorrow from the sitcom "alice," linda lavin. >> and how to deal with the annoying neighbors in a nice way. >> and tips for getting enough sleep with all the daylight we've got. >> have an awesome thirsty thursday. >> bye, efb. everybody. have a good one. . everybody. have a good one. everybody. have a good one. everybody. have a good one.

right now at 11:00, a gruesome discovery in a traditionally quiet bay area neighborhood. investigators looking into the death of two men found in neighboring backyards. plus -- >> today is a miraculous day. >> two american doctors infected with ebola are out of the hospital and speaking for the first time. >> and turf troubles for the brand-new levie stadium. crews work fast to replace beaten upped so after the first 49ers' game. and a good thursday morning to you. thanks for joining us. i'm sam brock. >> and i'm kris sanchez. new at 11:00, a mystery in mill valley. this morning, investigators are right to piece together what led to the dea