it's like 18 miles. >> see you in 25 minutes. >> thanks for joining us. good morning. breaking news. new air strikes in syria. while president obama gets set for a major address on the world stage this morning. can he convince more countries to join the fight against isis? wanted, the last person seen with missing college student hannah graham. now formally charged with abduction. an arrest warrant issued but where is he? double standard in the wake of the nfl scandals growing kres around the domestic case involving soccer star hope solo. why is she allowed to play? she is speaking out. >> and in harmony, two big names come together for a song you won't forget. >> oh, my god.

i'm in love. i'm like crying. >> hoda shines a light for special kids today, wednesday, september 24th, 2014. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today." with matt lauer and savannah guthrie, live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> and good morning. welcome to "today" on a wednesday morning. i'm matt lauer along with hoda kotb, al roker and natalie morales. i don't think we're overselling to say that song we'll see is amazing. >> i'm so excited. sarah and cindy agreed to come together, mash up the two songs, their anthems, brave and true colors. it's magic. >> for a great cause. >> a terrific cause. >> that light comes out of your head. what's going on there. >> interesting. we will get to that. let's start on a wednesday

morning with our top story. this is an important day for president obama as he addresses the united nations. on the heels of the first u.s.-led air strikes on isis in syria nbc's chief foreign correspondent richard engel is in turkey. good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, matt. the u.s. military says it is carried out at least five new strikes today against isis, one of them in syria, four in iraq, and this comes just as the president is about to make what could be his most important address of the year, addressing the u.n. general assembly, looking for more support for his strategy and for more people to join him. the u.s. military is pushing ahead with a campaign against extremists in syria that began with dozens of tomahawk cruise missiles. and bombing raids from fighter jets and b-52s. the footage of the launches impacts released by the pentagon

show impressive fire power. and devastating results. >> our initial indication is that these strikes were very successful. >> reporter: the u.s. and allies are bombing isis, the militant group that took over parts of syria and iraq and beheaded two american reporters. but washington is also attacking other groups in syria including the so-called kor 0 san group led by a national described as a confidante of the late osama bin laden. the khorasan group was in the late stages of a plot to bomb american airliners. >> we're still assessing the effects of our strikes. we've been watching this group for some time. we believe the khorasan group was nearing execution of an attack in europe or the homeland. >> reporter: washington isn't acting alone in syria. five ally, saudi arabia, qatar, jordan and the uae joined the air war.

but critics say the white house's plan isn't well thought out. and sets up a war in syria without end. a u.s. official said the war should be viewed not in months but years. there are many critics of the u.s. strategy, we've been speaking to them today. they say that the fundamental problem is that the united states is attacking isis and therefore helping the government of bashar al assad. but at the same time is hurting the government of bashar al assad by supporting rebels so the u.s. is helping both sides in this conflict. >> richard engel, thank you very much. >> as richard mentioned those air strikes included u.s. action against another terror group over fears it was plotting attacks here. pete williams has more on that part of the story. good morning. >> reporter: several u.s. officials say it was not an imminent threat in the sense of a specific attack about to happen, instead they say it was

a growing worry that the terror group was at the stage where it could be ready to carry out an attack. for months the u.s. has been nervously watching as the khorasan group developed a plan to smuggle explosives on planes. >> we were tracking it. we had intelligence suggesting they were moving far along in the plotting. >> reporter: the only public candidate came this summer, new security rules requiring passengers to show that carry-on electronic devices would power on. attention paid to lap top computers because of intelligence indicating the group was testing a bomb design that hid explosives in lap tops. information about the terror group behind that concern was closely guarded. >> i have known about it for several months and it was top secret and classified, basically we're not allowed to talk about it publicly. >> reporter: officials say they do not believe that a specific airline, flight, time or even country had been chosen. but concern about the potential threat was very real.

>> i think it's very possible they could have done this and that's why i'm sure the united states decided to intervene now because it's much better to catch this in the planning stages. >> reporter: as for the terror group isis officials in many of the world's major cities including the u.s. now worry the group's slick propaganda could inspire a low grade attack such as another beheading. >> that's an area we have to spend more time concentrating on. how do we interrupt that, find ways to keep them from spreading the hatred and the venom that they have become known for and the silence they celebrate and praise. >> reporter: homeland security and the fbi are urging local police to be vigilant for home grown attack and retaliation for the military campaign but say there is no specific threat that they know of. matt. >> all right, pete williams in washington, thank you very much. susan rice is president obama's national security adviser. it's always good to see you. >> good to be with you.

>> let's talk about the air strikes against the khorasan group, 36 hours ago based on intelligence how much damage was done? >> we think the strikes had an important impact. obviously this won't be the last of our efforts, but this was a first wave, we'll see subsequent waves. >> can you quantify it? >> can't exactly. we have something we call battle damage assessment which is a rolling assessment of the impact of our strikes, i think the first instance we feel very good about our success but we'll continue to take a look and do more. >> the leader of the group is said to be a guy who knew about the 9/11 attacks before they occurred, said to be the leader of al qaeda in iran. there is a $7 million bounty on his head. was he killed? >> we can't confirm that but we have seen reports on social media to that effect, we'll continue to look for signs as to whether or not that's in fact the case. >> is he the new osama bin laden? >> no.

he was an aide to bin laden back in the early stages of al qaeda. he's obviously a dangerous operative but no, nothing like the cachet of bin laden. >> i know you are aware of the australian reports where law enforcement broke up a ring of isis operatives in the country planning to kidnap australian citizens, and behead them randomly. do you have credible int intelligen intelligence, ambassador, that would tell that you isis operatives, isis-trained operatives are currently on american soil >> matt, we do not have any indications at the present of active concrete plotting by isil against the united states. homeland. so, the answer to that at this stage is no but we do know they are dangerous, have threatened americans, killed americans in the region. they threaten our interests in the region, they threaten europe and they could with time be a threat to the homeland. >> think of the things we're talking about with isis and the

territory they have taken in iraq w the athlete airline travel, internationally with beheadings that we're seeing on camera. what happened to the days when the administration was able to say it felt confident that we dealt a crippling blow to al qaeda and islamic militants? >> understand what we've been saying. we've been focused for many years as you know on al qaeda in afghanistan and pakistan. what we call al qaeda core. and that element of al qaeda which is the one that hatched the 9/11 plot and executed it has been substantially degraded and doesn't at this stage pose nearly the same threat it used to. what has happened over years is al qaeda metastasized. imagine a cancer that had an original tumor. elements of the cells have moved to places like the arabian peninsula, yemen, parts of africa, somalia, and what we call the sahel region mali. and we have to deal with each of these cells.

we've taken action in yemen, in somalia and as necessary in syria. >> the president said there will be no u.s. come bat troops on the ground. marten dempsey says he would recommend ground strikes if air strikes are insufficient. has the president boxed himself in, might he have to go back on that. >> it's important to understand what general dempsey said and i work with him every day. he is giving the president his best advice. and what he said in fact is not that he would recommend large quantities of american ground forces going into combat. he has not recommended any american boots on the ground in combat. what he envisioned is potentially, he hasn't made this recommendation yet, that there could come a point where he could envision a recommendation that there be american advisers, forward deployed on the ground in iraq to advise and assist the iraqis as they go and take the fight on the ground to isil.

he hasn't made that recommendation. what he doesn't envision, none of us think is necessary is a large ground combat operation of the sort we had for many years in iraq. one thing we learned it's important for people to understand is that these fights have to be waged and won by local. if gains are sustained they have to do it. >> we spent the a lot of time training the iraqi military and some of those very people we trained took off uniforms and ran at the first sight of those isis militants. >> some did. others took back mosul dam and held editha dam. what happened in iraq is a tragedy of leadership, matt. we had a leadership that governed on a sectarian basis, that wasn't inclusive. now we have a new government and new prime minister with whom the president met yesterday and will meet again today. and that's why the president waited until a new iraqi government was formed that was inclusive and represented all of the iraqis before we took direct

action in iraq. >> ambassador susan rice, great to have you here. thank you. i know you have a busy day. appreciate you joining us. let's go to natalie. thank you, matt. good morning everyone. police in pennsylvania say they are closing in on suspected killer eric frein. and this morning we have more on the video obtained by nbc news showing frein participating in a military re-enactment a few years ago. producers are speaking out and ron allen has more from holly, pennsylvania. good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you. the producers worked with frein about four years ago and say he was much more intense and focused playing if role of make believe soldiers. >> my name is eric frein. >> the suspected police killer, after taking part in a battlefield re-enactment. >> it's hard to call it a re-enactment and a bunch of guys went out and popped off blanks.

>> reporter: part of a documentary by two who say frein's often took his roles more seriously. they worked with him at least five times 18 two-year period. >> eric and his friends took it to another level. and they were portraying special ops that went behind enemy lines and would go deep in the combat zone. >> reporter: now, hundreds of police are targeting several square miles of dense terrain near frein's home, weapons ready. trying to eliminate places frein could be hiding and they say, finding more evidence of his trail. >> doing exercises in the woods around where eric lives is his whole life. eric lives on the fringes of society. >> we would have never predicted that this would happen. >> reporter: they say frein was aloof, quiet, somewhat disconnected, even from the others playing soldier in the documentary. >> he saw himself very differently.

he wasn't a part of a bigger community of re-enactors. he was rogue. >> reporter: the producers say frein is not the star, he is in the background but of course he is now the sole focus of a real manhunt that police say is in fact closing in. natalie. >> ron allen in holly, pennsylvania, thank you. violence broke out in ferguson, missouri tuesday night more than a month after the deadly shooting of unarmed dean ager michael brown. please responded. gun shots were heard. at least three people were arrested. earlier tuesday a makeshift memorial for brown went up in flames. it's not clear how that started. . it's not clear how that fire started. a man who killed two former u.p.s. co-workers before killing himself is described as troubled over his work and financial situation. birmingham, alabama police say 35-year-old who had just been fired from his job walked into the customers center and started

shooting. they say he shot two of his former bosses to death before turning the gun on himself. tes nechlt y's pastor says he never suspected the problems he was having at work might turn violent. firefighters are starting to get a better handle on that massive wildfire burning in northern california. residents of one neighborhood were allowed to return home to discover what was left behind. for some all they found was a heap of rubble while others found their home still intact. in all, 12 houses were completely destroyed in the fire, about 35% contained. and you're a golfer, you've been there before. you know the overwhelming frustration that the game can bring. the man you're about to see decided to take it out on his clubs like never before. it's epic. take a look. one by one by one. he went through every single club in his bag. matt lauer, does this ring a bell? >> no.

>> disposed of the ones that weren't kind to him in his round. some he broke over his knee, his tantrum playing out in front of that group of small golfers there. >> we all know the frustration. >> it's all about the club. >> hey, can i play today? i say, i don't know. i've never seen you. mr. roker has a check of the weather. al? >> they'll not be playing too much golf along the midatlantic and southeastern coast today. a pretty vigorous low pressure system making its way up the coast. in fact, heavy showers and thunderstorms already just making its way into norfolk. we are looking at heavier rain and showers pushing on through there. in fact, wilmington, you have the rain. it's raining in norfolk. it will continue as this low pressure system makes its way up the coast. it will bring heavy rain, strong winds, possibility of flooding. we already have flood watches in effect for washington and baltimore. gales from north carolina into new jersey. minor coastal flooding and a

decent amount of rain. some areas picking up to three inches right along the north carolina coast. but upwards of four to six inches possible as we get on into the early evening hours. we'll get to your local forecast coming up in the next 30 seconds. [thinking] is it tha? the son picks up the check? [thinking] i'm still working. he's retired. i hope he's saving. i hope he saved enough. who matters most to you says the most about you. at massmutual we're owned by our policyowners, and they matter most to us. whether you're just starting your 401(k) or you are ready for retirement, we'll help you get there. good morning to you. 7:17 now. meteorologist christina loren. hard to believe there's a cold front slated to bring us generous rainfall totals on the way with temperatures like this to kick off the day. mid-60s, it's really mild out there. we're going to stay mild before

the rain arrives. 81 for the south bay. 70s everywhere else. as we head throughout tonight, the front moves in. the bulk of the moisture slated to come through. while we're sleeping for the most part but it will impact your morning drive. all of this moves out as we head throughout tomorrow afternoon. could be measuring an inch in the north. weather. >> all right, al. thank you so much. so, how much soda are you drink in in an effort to cut calories consumed by sugary beverages, a former president is now teaming up with three of the country's leading soda companies. stephanie gosk is here with more. good morning, steph. >> reporter: good morning, hoda. sudden public admission that sugary drinks aren't that great for you or a savvy business move to keep in step with demand? either way, the three largest soda companies say they will help americans reign in that soda habit. a carbonation nation, soda is no further than an arm's length away. the big three, coke, pepsi and dr. pepper, have signed on to

help americans actually drink less of their signature products. an announcement made at the clinton global initiative. >> today, we announce a profoundly important commitment to combat the obesity epidemic. >> reporter: the promise? help americans reduce their calorie intake from drinks by 20% in the next decade by focusing on smaller sizes and low calorie drinks. >> if we can get together and cut down access to the number one source of added sugars in this country, sugary drinks and sodas, then we've made a giant leap. >> reporter: the recommended daily allowance of sugar is six teaspoons. that's one box of apple juice or half a can of most sodas. right now the average american consumes roughly 40 teaspoons a day. >> it's going to take a sort amount of education to bring everybody into the realization that sugar is a drug. it is addictive. >> reporter: former mayor mike bloomberg tried to tackle the

issue in new york city by restricting serving sizes to 16 ounces. the courts shot down the effort while bloomberg was criticized for running a nanny state. still, the message may have resonated with consumers and companies. >> we are all about listening to the consumer. this agreement is much, much more than that. we would not have this kind of calorie reduction in the next ten years without this commitment and coming together. >> reporter: as pepsi, coke and dr. pepper are now hoping to hop on the healthy band wagon. this week, the beverage association is starting an education campaign, targeting teens called mixify. and soon vending machines will post calorie counts. there will be no escaping this message. hoda? >> it's hard to get those drinks when you see the calories on the labels. thank you so much. we'll check in with carson in the orange room in a little while. we were going to check in with him right now. >> where is he? >> carson is stuck in traffic

because the u.n. general assembly is in town and it's been fun getting around the last couple of days. abduction charges filed against the last person seen with missing uva student hannah graham. the question now, where is that suspect? the double standard in the wake of those nfl scandals? star goalie hope solo allowed to play for team u.s.a. while she faces domestic violence charges. what she's saying about the case. first this is "today" on nbc.

coming up, jessica simpson stops by

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>> announcer: you're watching "today in the bay." >> good morning to you. 7:26 now. i'm laura garcia-cannon. very busy south bay intersection back open after closed for hours overnight and throughout the morning. investigators say at 12:30 this morning a person was hit by a car trying to cross tully road near 101. the victim was pronounced dead at the scene, and crews had to keep the intersection closed for several hours to investigate. they say the driver stayed at scene, and they don't think drugs or alcohol were involved. the intersection reopened at about 6:30. also new this morning, cal fire says the king fire burning near lake tahoe grew to 93,000 acres overnight. it's grown more than 3,000 acres since yesterday. crews are bracing for a second

day of high wind and low humidity. so far dozen homes have burned and 12,000 houses have been evacuated. crews did build containment lines around 38% of the fire now and that is up from 35% last night. we'll take any good news we can get from the king fire. precipitation coming our way. >> that could help the firefight, laura. good morning. the same system increasing clouds from mount hamilton, the santa clara valley filled in like a bowl of soup. they'll fill in more so. rain arrive business this evening. totals looking good. i'll shoal you in a second. 67 degrees, san francisco right now on your way to low 70s. low 80s here in the south bay. and this is what we're projecting. by friday, the front arrives in the north bay, bumming of moisture tomorrow through 1:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. you can see here, looks like shy of .3 on the way to san jose.

>> towards the bay bridge toll plaza, but look top of the screen, low clouds hovering around oakland hills as well. system's coming in, so changes over the next 24 hours. smooth drive though. we look at another bridge, san mateo bridge, more traffic volume throwing westbound. you have a slower drive across the flat section. jamming up off of the southbound 880 and the toll plaza. north bay earlier crash south 101, that is over on its shoulder but jammed up on the approach into san rafael. clear south bay. >> thank you. another update in a half hour.

institution? surprising findings on why more americans are choosing to stay single. let's begin with a major development in the case of missing university of virginia student hannah graham. a man who was considered a person of interest has been charged with abduction. today, national correspondent craig melvin has the latest. good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you. this morning, charlottesville police say they know who's

responsible for hannah graham's disappearance, but they still do not know where he is. they also still don't know where the missing 18-year-old uva student is either. so this morning there's a search, a manhunt, and there are still lots of unanswered questions. >> we appeared before -- detective sergeant mooney did, late this afternoon. very late this afternoon. obtained an arrest warrant for jesse leroy matthew jr. >> reporter: 32-year-old jesse matthew, the man last seen with hannah graham, is charged with her disappearance. >> abduction with intent to defile. >> reporter: in other words, intent to commit some type of sexual assault according to virginia law. nbc news has learned matthew was a private football coach at this coach in charlottesville. the headmaster sent this letter to manners saying they put matthew through the normal background process and checked resources. matthew played football at nearby liberty university from

2000 to 2002. a christian dplej virginia. at one point -- college in virginia. at one point, he was also a cab driver in charlottesville. police talked to matthew briefly saturday when he went to the police station, asked for a lawyer, and left before answering any questions. police maintain at that point they did not have enough information to arrest the uva medical center patient technician. now, local, state, and federal officials are involved in an all-out manhunt. >> the authorities will be looking at his cell phone records, his computer records, his bank records. they'll be talking to relatives. there are a lot of electronic fingerprints that people leave that can be a great aid to helping to locate them and, in this case, get this guy in custody. >> reporter: still, several questions remain like what evidence led police to matthew? do police suspect it was a crime of opportunity or preplanned? do they think he could be connected to other crimes in the area? in tuesday's brief news

conference, charlottesville police chief longo answered just one question. are they still looking for hannah. >> we absolutely are continuing our search for hannah even as i speak. and we will continue our search for hannah. >> reporter: hannah grateful has been missing for -- graham has been missing for 12 days now. with regards to the manhunt, jesse matthew has friends in a number of neighboring states. there is a published newspaper report this morning that he has an attorney. but again, police say they're not even sure he's in the area. back to you. >> all right. craig melvin. thank you very much for that report. let's get a check of the weather from al. we've got a lot of rain making its way interest the pacific northwest. in fact, portland, seattle, all the way to northern california, low pressure traveling along with a cold front is going to bring heavy rain. strong winds, as well. you might think it is great news

for around the sacramento area, the king fire. that's true. it is. but this is kind of a double-edged sword because of all the rain, we've got flash flooding possible in and downslope from the wildfire areas because there's no vegetation to year old that rain, to absorb it. we could be looking at mud slides and flash flooding. we're going to continue to watch that, as well. high surf advisories also along the california/oregon coastline. look for sunshine through the southern tier of states. we have that low-pressure system making its way up the mid-atlantic coast, bringing heavier rain. and may cause problems for the captain derek jeter's final home game -- >> no! >> hey! it's not my fault! >> it is your 7:35. good wednesday morning to you. we've got a storm system on the way. as you know, we're in a drought, we need the rain and we could see generous totals. i'll show you those in a second. san francisco, cloudy, overcast out there. clouds increase as we head throughout the day. temperatures will be mild.

72 for the east shore. 81 south bay. 70 for san francisco. front comes through as we head throughout the overnight hours. stop the clock on futurecast 3:00 a.m., clearing out by tomorrow afternoon take a look at totals on the way to the bay area. and that's your latest weather. >> al, thank you very much. as the nfl deals with the fallout of a series of domestic violence scandals, another sport is coming under scrutiny for its handling of a high-profile case. u.s. soccer star hope solo faces accusations of her own. so, why is she being allowed to play? nbc's national correspondent, peter alexander, has more on that. peter, good morning to you. >> matt, good morning to you. it's a good question. a lot of people are talking about these days, the long-time starting goalie for the u.s. women's national team, hope solo has made a career out of stopping opponent's shots. after a bloody fight with two family members last june, solo is now defending herself against domestic violence charges and new public scrutiny.

>> skipped in front of hope solo. >> reporter: alone atop the record books, one of the best goalies in history, recording her 73rd shutout for u.s. women's soccer. one of america's most recognizable female athletes, from the gym to the dance floor. and, most recently, in court, after an arrest for domestic violence. >> solo barely gets a hand on it! >> reporter: still, solo continues to play both for her professional team in seattle and for team u.s.a. while she awaits a november trial. after the ray rice case, the nfl was at first ready to let adrian peterson play. in the face of public outcry, they changed course. some commentators say there's a double standard. >> tell me, is she wearing the symbol of captain of the united states women's soccer team on the arm with which she allegedly committed the child abuse or is

she wearing it on the other arm? >> reporter: some say the comparison is not fair. >> u.s. women's soccer does not have a decades' long problem with domestic violence. it does not have officials who have been routinely ignoring this issue. it doesn't have any of the nfl's baggage. >> reporter: in june, solo pled not guilty to misdemeanor domestic violence charges in washington state. court papers say she was going crazy and hitting people and she allegedly punched her 17-year-old nephew in the face, leaving him bloodied. when her half sister tried to break them up, solo allegedly attacked her, too. she responded on facebook saying, in part, i continue to maintain my innocence against these charges and once all the facts come to light and the legal process is concluded, i'm confident i will be fully exonerated. this week the president of u.s. soccer says the organization stands by our decision to allow solo to play as the court case

unfolds. >> i don't think as they've put solo forward as captain, almost acting as if this other thing isn't happening so much. >> nike, which suspended its contract with adrian peterson has weighed in on the hope solo situation, saying it will remain in the advertising campaigns but that they will continue to monitor her case. the qualifying tournament for the 2015 women's world cup begins next month. solo is expected to play. matt and hoda? >> peter alexander, thank you very much. coming up, how does she juggle marriage, motherhood and a billion dollar fashion brand? say it, billion. >> billion. >> billion. we'll ask jessica simpson when she joins us live. and next, the single life. why americans are foregoing marriage in record numbers. coming up right after this. tim. every time. now there is a tool made for you. introducing savings catcher from walmart. it compares prices to top stores in your area. if there's a lower advertised price, walmart will give you the difference on an egift card.

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>> no, not really. >> no? >> uh -- >> marriage is becoming less and less of a priority and perhaps even less popular. at a church in west falls, virginia. where else would he be? >> this could go wrong. >> reporter: we're at a kiss n ride. get it? virginia is for lovers. we're working it. we're working it. new research shows that one in five adults is now deciding they're not going to get married. at least not now. it seems they're not in any rush to. you know how much fun they all seemed to have on "friends," happy, sexy and single? it turns out a lot of today's 25 and olders aren't in any rush to get hitched. >> i don't feel any rush in particular. like i said, i don't find it all that important. >> getting married so soon, i

think, is an antequated idea. >> i want to finish my masters degree, go for my doctoral degree. >> reporter: in 1960, only 9% of adults were not married. but times have changed. pew research has found today 20% of adults are still single. if you zero in on the 25 to 34-year-olds, half of them have never been married. >> it looks like this generation of adults, by the time they're in their mid 40s or 50s, a quarter of them will probably still never have married. that's a pretty high number. >> reporter: the median age for marriage is 29 for women, 27 for men. >> after we get married. >> married ? >> i think we should get married. >> because that's your answer to everything? >> it's hard to get married when there's no one to marry. >> so many people are in debt coming out of college. >> you want to get house in a good school district. >> reporter: it turns out money

has a lot to do with it. 78% of unmarried women say their spouse has to have a steady job. >> weddings are getting more and more expensive and maerge rriag getting more expensive. 13% say no way. >> 50% of marriages end up in divorces, so what's the point of getting married if you're going to get divorce? >> reporter: that may explain why only 20% of previously married adults say they would like to get married again. only 20%. here is another interesting factoid. about a quarter of all young adults right now are living with somebody and many are raising kids outside of marriage. it really is a sign of the times. >> i wonder if that was the case, a lot more people living together. >> we've just been going over our personal histories here. >> took a long time, first marriages, second -- >> not pretty. the power of music. what happens when i recruited two superstars, cindy lauper and

sarah bareilles to create a very special mash-up of their songs. and up next, carson has finally arrived but he has nothing to talk about because honey, are you ok? (crying) she's being so nice. i'd prefer you didn't watch these when you're pregnant. sweetie. ♪ could it be i'm falling in love... ♪ (in an english accent) with your pea coat and your stomping around with your bobbies. is the audition to play a portuguese guy? no, british. you are really going for it. eyes are muscles too. with the best screen of any tablet, the new samsung galaxy tab s is the world's most entertaining device. get it now at samsung.com. every style's a showstopper! with fabrics that flatter and prints to go wild for. legs look longer, you look leaner. any way you wear them. chico's leggings. we're famous for our legs. at chico's and chicos.com.

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bend there. a little joke here to make it, in their eyes, be a little more accurate. and then there's mr. gray, defending and saying real phones have curves. quit phone shaming. we reached out to apple. they didn't have a comment. this video was online. i don't think you have to be a genius to say don't sit on your iphone and don't i had this deep, radiating pain, everywhere. and i wondered what it was. my doctor diagnosed it as fibromyalgia thought to be the result of overactive nerves that cause chronic, widespread pain. lyrica is believed to calm these nerves. i learned lyrica can provide significant relief from fibromyalgia pain. and less pain means i can do more with the ones i love. lyrica is not for everyone. it may cause serious allergic reactions or suicidal thoughts or actions. tell your doctor right away if you have these, new or worsening depression, or unusual changes in mood or behavior. or swelling, trouble breathing, rash, hives, blisters, changes in eyesight including blurry vision, muscle pain with fever, or tired feeling.

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>> announcer: you're watching "today in the bay." >> a very good wednesday morning to you. 7:55. i'm laura garcia-cannon. homicide detectives spent most of the night trying to figure out who killed two men in san jose. shootings happen as 9:00 on rancho drive near monterey road. officers found two men and a wo woman each shot once's the men dies at scene, the woman taken to the hospital but she should survive. investigators used cruisers and a helicopter to search for the suspect but don't have much to go on. a couple of dogs were taken from the home where murders took place but unclear why. there have been 28 homicides in san jose this year. want to check the forecast with meteorologist christina loren. a nice day to a second day of fall. >> yeah, the calm before the storm that we really need here in the bay area. good morning to you. good morning to you at home. 67 degrees for the east shore. current temperatures, not where we're head today, it's balmy out there.

67 san francisco. 64 south bay heading to 81. here 72 east shore. san francisco getting to 70 before that storm system arrives. expecting widespread rainfall tomorrow morning for the morning driven and then dry you out for the second half of thursday. take a look what's on its way to the bay area. potentially generous rainfall totals up in the north bay and south bay. mike and your drive. >> looking to a live look fremont/880 slow dumbarton bridge toward mission boulevard. look past the truck scales. stevenson reports of bicycle hit. transported the person to the hospital. traffic control in the area to watch that with off-ramp from south 880. looking at maps slow drive south 880 from 238 into the area as well as that slowing we told you to watch for at stevenson. slow across the dumbarton bridge and san mateo bridge. both westbound bridges slower sensor reeds. peninsula, slowing for 101. meanwhile the rest of the bay and south bay, roots building

up. back to you. >> thank you. back with another update. the lightest or nothing. the smartest or nothing. the quietest or nothing. the sleekest... ...sexiest, ...baddest, ...safest, ...tightest, ...quickest, ...harshest... ...or nothing. at mercedes-benz, we do things one way or we don't do them at all. introducing the all-new c-class. the best or nothing.

it's 8:00 on "today." coming up, hoda brings together two pop superstars as she helps shine a light on an important cause. ♪ >> we'll take you inside the studio for a look at their special song. ♪ over my head >> then jessica simpson opens up about her wedding, her weight loss and her work creating a fashion empire. she's live in studio 1a. plus pop super group train stops by to perform their new hit. today wednesday, september 24th, 2014. ♪ ♪

>> hello colorado family. >> i love the bay area, california. >> mike back in minnesota. >> hi to grandkids from the big apple. >> he asked. >> she said yes! >> bracelebrating our 42nd anniversary. >> come to the "today" show. "t. >> and welcome back to the and welcome back to the "today" show, 9:00 on wednesday morning. we're going to get outside and say hi to those people in the next hour. i'm matt lauer. train and music for a great cause. >> cyndi lauper and sarah bareilles. an exclusive look at the latest cover of "people" magazine.

revealing picture of joan lunden. she's undergone chemotherapy. she had surgery to remove the tumor. kate is with us, executive editor of "people" magazine. >> hi, how are you? >> so brave of joan not only to tell her story but to show herself. >> incredibly brave. the resulting image is so powerful. i think women facing chemotherapy who may have fears about what hair loss will mean for them, to look at an image like this, to see joan so bold, so beautiful and most of all so incredibly brave. to take a photo like this, let the world see really what she's going through an undoubtedly be inspired by it. >> talk about brave. she had surgery yesterday, yet she's joining us on the phone this morning. joan, good morning. how are you doing? >> hi, matt. i'm actually doing very well at home recovering. otherwise, i would be there with you guys. >> we're going to see you next

week, which we're thrilled about. i want to ask a question about the decision to use that cover shot. was it scary to you at all? >> it was such a tough decision. as a parent, i worried how my kids would think. it was just, you know, wasn't the comfortable decision knowing you were going to be seen by everyone in such a vulnerable way. i knew it was the right decision. i knew i could be a voice for a quarter of a million women who are diagnosed every year with breast cancer. i wanted to show that your thoughts are more important than your hair. your hair grows back after you stop chemo and then you have your life. >> again, our thoughts are with you. you're great to get up on the morning after surgery. again, we're going to be seeing more of you in the next week or so. >> october is breast cancer awareness month. joan will join us as a special correspondent next week. it's called pink power, how you can be involved in the website

on today.com. i had a chance to sit down with an interview with joan that will run next week. she's amazing. >> thank you so much. >> thanks, guys. >> all right. let's get a check of the morning's top stories from natalie. >> the u.s. military is assessing the damage after a second night of airstrikes against isis targets in syria. nbc's chief foreign correspondent richard engel is near the syrian border in turkey. richard, good morning. >> good morning, natalie. u.s. official told nbc news that today there have been six airstrikes by u.s. aircraft and coalition aircraft against isis militants. those airstrikes taking place. four of them in iraq, two in syria. since this campaign began, the u.s. has mostly been targeting isis militants, the group that took over large parts of iraq and syria earlier this summer. also a much smaller group called the khorasan group. it is an al qaeda splinter group

and u.s. intelligence officials believe that the khorasan group was in the active stages of planning an attack against u.s. aircraft. however, critics of the american strategy say it is not well thought out and only contributes to the ongoing civil wars both in iraq and syria. natalie. >> nbc's richard engel. thank you, richard. just moments ago at the united nations, president obama urged the international community to fight the forces that give rise to extremist groups like isis. >> we have failed to enforce international norms when its inconvenient to do so. and we have not confronted forcefully enough the intolerance sectarianism and hopelessness that feeds violent extremism in too many parts of the globe. >> later today the president will chair a security council meeting on people who travel to foreign countries to fight terrorist groups. the filmmakers who worked years ago with fugitive cop killing suspect eric frein tell

nbc news frein was much more intense than other military re-enactors featured in their documentary. they say frein, who is thought to be hiding in pennsylvania forest there, was aloof and took his pretend role as a special operations soldier to another level. police and the fbi have now spent 12 days trying to pick up frein's trail. passengers had to use evacuation slides to leave a southwest airlines jet that made an emergency landing tuesday in austin, texas. the pilot reported an odor in the cabin shortly after takeoff for dallas and decided to return to austin as a precaution. southwest said there was no fire or smoke. all 112 people on board got out safely. a pennsylvania woman who donated her late husband's clothing to a charity thrift shop didn't realize they had been socking away money in his shoe. they found more than $5,000 stuffed into the toe of the shoe. the charity group had no way to contact the anonymous woman who

donated the shoes. word spread through the small town and eventually the husband's final gift was returned to his grateful widow. great story there. 8:06 there, now let's get a check of the weather. >> a little sole money there. let's check the weather, see what we've got for you. storms making its way up the coast, haven't made it to baltimore yet. later this morning and into the evening commute. afternoon temperatures on the cool side in the northern plains -- i should say northern plains toasty, 90s, hundreds in the southwest, cool wet weather in the pacific northwest, cool and wet along mid-atlantic states as the low makes its way 8:07, good wednesday morning to you. we have a storm system on the way to the bay area, and that is going to drive in clouds today. you'll also notice your wind picking up. temperatures right now mostly in the 60s.

we are still on the warm side of that front and enough sunshine will boost numbers up to 81 degrees in the south bay. 77 degrees for the peninsula. and low 70s on the east shore. in san francisco, we have the clock for you on your future cast, 4:00 a.m. showers, widespread across the bay area. expect the bulk of the moisture 1:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. thursday. >> and that's your latest weather. >> al, thanks very much. coming up the latte salute. have you heard about this? >> yes i have. >> something the president did yesterday get a lot of reaction on social media. >> shining a light on a cause very important to me with the help of two amazing singers and one remarkable song. and jessica simpson is here to open up about motherhood, marriage and so much more. first these messages.

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>> it's 8:12. why don't we start on a wednesday morning with what's sarcastically being called the latte salute? president obama stepping off marine one, saluting marine with his a coffee cup in his hand. some are now calling this disrespectful. they're offended by it. politics being politics, some of the president's defenders are circulating this photo of president george w. bush during his presidency, saluting service members while holding his dog, barney. didn't take long for that photo. >> could have waited to get another hot cup, starbucks along the way. >> it's a little -- >> i would have just --

>> not that coordinated. now to word that airlines have been doing it all wrong all these years, at least when it comes to boarding passengers. normally as you know, they seat passengers from the back to the front. folks at discovery did a little experiment and they say what we've all realized, that is pretty insufficient. this is what they say is better. you'll like this. everyone just gets on the plane and goes to a random seat and that way, apparently, they say it saves about ten minutes. >> really? open seating? >> open seating. >> that's faster than -- >> yes. >> wow! >> the shuttle boards -- >> you're right, the shuttle does that. >> would you want to speed up the process but give up the aisle seat or the window seat? >> or get on first? >> or get on early. >> the shuttle is a shorter flight. so people aren't as picky about where they sit. >> when discovery did this, it increased the dissatisfaction by doing that way. >> it did? >> people were -- >> even grumpier.

>> exit row. one fist fight, that's a bad idea. >> exactly. you're a fist fight away. you guys know the actor, john malkovich, love him. seems to be able to play any role. known for being a little eccentric. you can see why, in his latest project, it's a photo exhibit where malkovich transforms himself into the iconic -- >> wow! >> which is which? >> that is dead on. you really can't tell the difference there. yeah. for others, not so much. >> malkovich morphing. >> marilyn monroe. >> alfred hitchcock here. i think we can figure this one out, too, and the migrant mother apparently. >> wow! >> amazing. >> really amazing and amazing photography there. check out today.com to see more of those photos. >> carson you were on the tonight show last night.

>> which is why you're late this morning. >> stop it. >> talking about the voice but also you guys compared parenting notes. take a look. >> are you more loose with the third baby? >> here is how it works. the first baby they sleep in your room for a while. you don't know. 6 months or something. baby number two, maybe 3 months but you get a monitor. you watch the baby. and by the time number three comes, six weeks, you get them out, take your monitor and you go to your neighbor's house to see if it will work that far so you can -- >> amazing. >> how far away can you get? >> a full mile, al. >> fantastic! >> and that is what's trending today. up next, my day at the recording studio for a very

we are back with more of a shine the light series. september is kids cancer awareness. >> i chose to spotlight pediatric cancer and raise money for that cause. for 15% of kids with cancer, there is no cure. i do not like that statistic. i'm not a doctor or a researcher. i had to find another way to make people listen. >> hi. good afternoon. may i get your last name, please? >> kotb, k-o -- >> seven years ago i was

diagnosed with breast cancer. as i fought through the scariest period of my life, one thing helped to keep the fear at bay. >> i want you to hear a song by jodi mecina. >> when it was happening to me, i was very depressed. ♪ you just get one ride around the sun ♪ >> there's something about music. you put on a song and your mood changed instantly. and it brought me out of some of the darkest holes. >> go, go, go! >> i now know what it feels like to struggle with cancer. what i cannot fathom is what it's like for a little kid to face such a grown-up disease. when i visited pediatric hospitals, all i wanted to do was make it better. and if music helped me, i thought maybe i could give these kids the gift of that perfect song, a song just for them.

i'm calling it project truly brave. and to start, i enlist two incredible women. first, superstar sarah bareilles. i'm a huge fan of hers and i've watched how she has taken young kids struggling with illness and lift them up with her song "brave" ♪ i want to see you be brave >> over margaritas, i believe it was, we chatted about this idea. she's hoda. she's like very direct. she's like, look, this is what i want to do. >> and then i tried to harken back to my youth. i was like, what was the anthem that all the kids love? and it was like, ding! ♪ and i see your true colors shining through ♪ >> "true colors" is one of those songs that when you hear the first note, you close your eyes. it's a close your eyes kind of song. ♪ don't be afraid >> she's like, i want to do a mash-up. >> i went to the gym and put my

ear phones in and started listening to "brave" and then i started to sing "true colors" and i kind of found it and i said oh, i see how this could work. ♪ let them show and we could go to the "brave" tag here. ♪ iow wanna see you i wanna see you ♪ >> and true colors, go to brave. okay. we're taping it and everyone is here. hi. how are you? welcome to our world. >> this summer, cyndi, sarah and their bands teamed up over a grueling two-day session to hammer out the music and blend these two songs. they both warned me it might not work. >> it's definitely a tall order to mash these songs up. hopefully, it just doesn't sound like schizophrenic when we're done with it. >> i thought it sounded like medley, but it didn't. >> we're putting two people, two

virtual strangers, i guess, very talent strangers together. >> how are you doing there, sport? are you okay? >> oh, yeah. do i look pained? >> and seeing what they can cook up. ♪ or you can >> are you hard at work? what is that, a harp? >> no. >> what is it? >> i need a big hug, a big sarah hug. >> i can't even wait one more second. i'm going to go in that secret back room and listen to what you guys have created. i know you're in the creative process. >> what secret back room? >> i don't know. >> you mean the control room? >> i don't know. this is not my wheelhouse. >> that's the control room. >> i'm going to go into the control room and listen, all right? i'm going to put on some cans. ♪ >> the ladies agreed to let me listen to the song before they even finish mashing it up. and though they don't feel it's totally polished -- oh, my

god -- i know from the very first seconds, this is it. an anthem for fighters and survivors, like me. the absolute perfect mash-up. >> that's okay. there's a couple of train wrecks but there was some good there. >> real quick, as you guys are criticizing, i was in there crying. amazing. is my mascara down my face? >> you are crying. >> i'm crying. i'm like -- i'm not going to be the only one. sometimes when you make the sausage, you don't know how awesome it is. just to listen for the very first time, what you guys did is astonishing. >> you make sausages? >> though i am disrupting the creative flow, i force the ladies to try and really hear what just brought me to tears. ♪ see your true colors wanna see let the words come out see your tree colors i wanna see you be brave ♪ >> we'll get there. >> we'll get there.

>> that was -- i'm already crying! come on. >> as they pick apart every note, i wipe my tears and leave them to perfect perfection. >> i hope you guys like it. pressure's on. ♪ don't be afraid >> we got it! >> they got it. >> i want to hear it. >> so you're going to hear the whole song tomorrow. have you heard it yet? >> she brought it in my dressing room and played a little bit. >> tears. >> it's incredible. it really is. >> we were trying to figure out what mash-up to do. we literally were going through itunes and playing songs. once we hit true colors, robin kind of sang it in the gap. i got chills up my arm listening to those two songs together. these two women are amazing. >> i probably have heard this song now -- >> how many times?

>> -- ten times in the makeup room. >> the mash-up version? >> it's hoda's anthem. >> she put it is on her iphone or whatever it is and she plays it and every time i find something else i like in it, some other transition or clb ration that's wonderful. >> it's wonderful. to create a new anthem for people, especially kids, it's incredible what you've just done. >> i want people to get a little taste of it before tomorrow. crowd rise, where we're doing all of our things. go to crowdrise.com/hoda. and there's a little hint of it there. >> amazing. >> we promise you're going to love it. still to come on a wednesday morning, swrejessica simpson, carson's old pal, will be here to talk about a host of subject. >> hi, jessica. >> hey! >> first your local news and all-important weather forecast.

you're watching today in the bay. >> very good morning to you. it is 8:26. i'm laura garcia-cannon. warning for people in a quiet neighborhood this morning after a gunman kidnapped a woman in the middle of the day and robbed her. it happened yesterday just before noon. police say the woman was in front of her home when she was approached by a man wearing a hat, dark glasses, with his face hidden. he pulled out a gun and made her drive him to the bank and drain her account, then drove back to her neighborhood where he ran away. i want to check the morning commute with mike and see how things are rolling out there >> san jose, slow drive northbound 101. look at this north of 680, continued slow on our maps, typical for silicon valley, but 87 moving up to the 50 miles per

hour mark. southbound 880, typical build, easing a bit toward the san mateo bridge. remember, traveling westbound approaching 880, police activity from an earlier crash involving a bicycle. injuries there, activity and watching for the slowdown. meanwhile, slowing, as well, towards the bay bridge. metering lights are on. laura, back to you. >> back in about a half hour or so. we'll check in with the forecast for today and maybe a peek at rain, as well. have a great one.

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8:30 now on a wednesday morning. it's wednesday, september 24th, 2014. back out on our plaza on a day that seems to be clouding up a bit. but not too bad. we thank them for stopping by. >> and a little later, jessica simpson is here. she has a lot to talk about, from her wedding, her family and her incredible business empire. you hear the music there in the background, more incredible music from train. they're here to perform a song off their new album. >> we'll catch up with one of the songs of this year's gre greatest new movies "gone girl." >> we saw that yesterday. >> how was it? >> intense. >> very intense. >> messy, too. >> in parts. how about the weather? rain will wash that all away. midatlantic coast and in florida, showers and thunderstorms all day. wet weather in the pacific

northwest. strong storms, western great lakes into the central plains. tomorrow, we've got windy, wet conditions here in the northeast. more rain down in central and southern florida. southern texas looking wet and more rain hanging around northern california and the pacific northwest. 8:32. good wednesday morning to you. we've got a good looking storm system taking shape and starting to dive towards the bay area. showers on the way as of this evening in san francisco and for the north bay. elsewhere, dry until tomorrow morning and temperatures will be mild, but let me show you a supercast, stop the clock at 4:00 a.m. bulk of the moisture comes through, will maintain organization and bring about rainfall, even here in the south bay. throughout the second half of thursday, clearing you out. friday looks great. >> and that's your latest

weather. m mr. lauer? >> mr. roker, thank you very much. jessica simpson wears a lot of hats, a mother of two under 2, and business owner of a fashion brand. i feel like i haven't seen you in years. how are you doing? >> wonderful. >> you and eric have been together for several years. why was this the right time to get married ? >> we had two babies. we figured why not, you know? >> you were worried about explaining to the kids? >> no, no. we were already engaged. we were engaged and then i got pregnant. oops. >> people say that that piece of paper -- some people say that that little piece of paper changes everything. has it changed your relationship? >> well, eric and i have both been married before. so, we really -- we took our time in finding the right person. i feel like when we found each other, we knew it had to be forever. marriage has changed us in a lot

of ways. >> in what ways? >> i just think we're a little bit more addicted to each other. >> there's nothing wrong with that. >> no. i just think there is like a level of love that has just -- it's just reached the highest of highs. >> are you taking his name? do i know call you jessica johnson? >> when i renew my driver's license, which is very much expired, i will be jessica johnson. >> so you are driving with an expired license? >> i just gave that away. >> talk about the kids. how old are they now? >> i have a son who is 15 months almost. 14 1/2 months, but -- and my daughter is 2. >> looking at some of the pictures, you posted some of these online. you've lived in the spotlight for so long. do you ever worry that by sharing photos of the kids that you're opening a public door that later in life they're going to have a difficult time closing? >> no, because our life is always going to be public.

just -- that is just who i am as their mother. i feel like they will be accepting of it. if they want me to take down all my pictures when they're older, it will -- i'll definitely take them down. >> they'll have that right? i mentioned you lived a lot of your life in the spotlight and i read some things that were written about you not long ago between pregnancies and after pregnancies. >> and before pregnancies. >> and before pregnancies where a lot was made of your weight. >> uh-huh. >> and some of the comments were not at all kind. like a lot of women, you struggled to lose the baby weight. >> there was a lot of baby weight. >> what did you make of the comments? >> i felt like it's just -- if anything, it empowered me to rise above and stand up for all the women out there that do have trouble losing the weight. and it just wasn't really my priority to please the public and make them feel like i'm

supposed to be looking like i did when i was 25. >> do you feel -- you mentioned 25. do you feel you were held to a higher standard because you had been known as a sex symbol for so long? >> i don't think that i wasn't still a sex symbol. to my husband, i was extremely sexy. and i feel like when i started weight watchers, for me, i just -- every week, it was more and more exciting. and then finally when i reached goal not too long ago, i just -- i feel more comfortable in my skin and -- >> but i like what you said, that the comments didn't demoralize you. maybe they did for a little while. but then they inspired you? >> i'm not saying i wasn't hurt. i'm a woman. i have feelings, hormones. i got emotional about it at times. if anything i wanted to be a champion for other women and say you could do this. >> i knew all about the music career and acting career. i was not as aware, until i read

last night, about the business career. and jessica simpson collection is a billion, that is with a "b," a billion dollar business. do you take to the business side of things naturally? and how involved are you? >> i am extremely involved. something that my mother and i actually do together. it's amazing to be able to dress all women of every age at every size and make it affordable for everyone. >> in your professional life, then, between musician, actor, artist, business woman, which title do you like best? >> i'll take them all. >> but if you have to choose one? >> i guess it's all business. i would choose business. it all comes from my heart, so -- >> it's great to catch up with you. >> thank you. >> don't make it so long next time between visits and congratulations on the marriage. >> thank you so much. >> thanks, jessica. and she's going to be back with kathie lee and hoda, if you have

a question for jessica. >> i'm cooking. >> are you a good cook? >> uh -- >> we'll see. tweet it using the #jessicatoday. up next, rosamund pike on her new movie called "gone girl." plus a live performance from train. this is "today" on nbc.

back now at 8:40. rosamund pike is no stranger to the big screen. now she is starring in one of the most highly anticipated movies of the year. it is called "gone girl." take a look. >> amy, who are you? >> i'm an award-winning, b,

moderately influential. c, i write personality quizes for magazines. >> okay. well, your hands are far too delicate for scrimshaw work. so it's c. >> and you, who are you? >> welcome, rosamund. how are you? >> who are you? that's the question. >> there's a huge fan base for this book. i want to raise my hand and say i'm one of the people who read "gone girl" and ate it up. whether it's pressure, responsibility when delivering the movie for something that people have such an idea in their minds of. >> there is but there's this tremendous excitement for revealing the story for people who haven't read the book, the reaction when somebody has no idea where they're being taken to is pretty phenomenal, when you just feel somebody has been literally shaken to their core. coming out of the screening room, it's exciting. >> this had to be -- i guess for

you -- is this the role of a lifetime at this point? >> at this point, i guess so. at this point, yes, it is. it's rare you get to sort of do everything in a way and have the freedom to come up with a crazy idea and it's embraced or, you know -- and you get to be a woman in all her facets, which is compelling, alluring, disturbing, likable, dislikable, you know, all -- everything. >> first of all, i'm listening to you. you have a british accent. now how difficult was that to just wipe that away for this role and use the american accent? >> i was lucky to be surrounded by americans. >> right. >> but also i had a great dialect coach. you work like you're learning a foreign language. it is. we speak the same language but we also really don't. >> the other thing i noticed -- there are parts of this movie. i won't give one single thing away. you're eating a lot of junk food and gaining weight and losing weight and you kind of see it in

the film. >> you do, yeah. >> how much of a part -- how difficult was that for you? >> it was one of the big testing part of getting the role. i flew to st. louis to meet david. he was watching what i ordered. is this girl going to be ready to eat, stuff her face with burgers and gain the weight? i showed him that i was. >> how much weight did you have to gain? >> i had to fluctuate three times because of the way it was scheduled. i had to fluctuate about 12, 13 pounds, gain it, lose it, gain it, lose it, gain it, lose it. very healthy, avocados, macadamia nuts. >> is that how you did it? >> then i started hitting the milkshakes, chocolate, vanilla malt milkshakes. >> did you come into the party late? how did that work? >> i did come to the party a bit late. i was aware of it. i was fascinated by how many different types of people were talking about it. men, women, younger people, older people, teenagers. then i read it when i was

talking to david fincher and i think he was monitoring when i was reading the story and what i was getting from it. i was puzzled by amy. i said i feel like i'm being asked to like this woman and i'm not sure i entirely trust her. >> congrats on the movie and the new baby that's coming. >> there's two of us on the show. >> that's your second child? >> yeah. >> when are you due? >> the end of november. you know, english people here, you say due and what did you do to get pregnant? well, that's quite a question. >> rosamund, thank you. "gone girl" hits theaters october 3rd. train performs, but first this is "today" on nbc.

>> announcer: the toyota concert series on "today" brought to you by toyota. >> award winning band train is back at it again with the release of their seventh studio album. >> "bulletproof picasso" has already reached the top of the itunes chart. pat. >> she's my girl. >> uh-huh. >> we were on a commercial break several years ago and you said i can't imagine being together as a band so long, things are going so freaking well for us. three years later, they're still going well. >> we've been together, have this amazing group of people with us every night and we feel very honored. we have the best fans in the world. >> you are famous. i follow you on instagram and twitter. fans are taking pictures of you, but you have a habit of taking pictures of you and the fans and these great concerts.

tell us about that little part of it. >> i remember the first time i heard the term selfie. this girl in this crowd said would you take a selfie with me? i was like, that sounds funky. yes, i will. now it sou's just a big craze a try to take pictures of me and the crowd or whoever. >> you're in new york city. >> we've never played a train show there. i sang with stevie wonder there. >> what are you going to play for us? >> this is a song called cadillac cadillac. >> ladies and gentlemen, train. ♪ hey baby cadillac cadillac take me home i would rather sit there all alone then watch you run around this

miserable life with everybody but me it just ain't right ♪ ♪ cadillac cadillac take me home i would rather play games on my g4 phone than watch you flirt at the bar all damn night with everybody but me girl it just ain't right ♪ ♪ right what you do to a man falling all over you right right what you say making me dance alone that way now i do what i can but when it comes to women i don't understand so i -- i'm out of here call yourself a cab watch my cadillac disappear ♪ ♪ hey baby

♪ cadillac burn the mac's on the tube think i'm gonna spend my night with you she wouldn't know a good thing like i said if it hit her from behind upside the head ♪ ♪ cadillac do i lack what it takes every time i love seems my heartbreaks i'd rather sit all night staring into outer space than lose another part of me to another pretty face ♪ ♪ right what you do to a man falling all over you right right what you say making me dance alone that way ♪ ♪ now i do what i can but when it comes to women i don't understand so i -- i'm out of here call yourself a cab watch my cadillac disappear ♪

♪ hey baby i'll be all right now baby hey baby ♪ ♪ right right what you do to a man falling all over you right right what you say making me dance alone that way ♪ ♪ now i do what i can but when it comes to women i don't understand so i -- i'm out of here call yourself a cab watch my cadillac disappear ♪ ♪ hey baby i'll be all right now baby hey baby i'll be all right now baby ♪

>> train will also perform music in our next hour. first this is "today" on nbc.

back at 8:53. good time to find out who is

celebrating a birthday today. willard scott knows. hey, willard. >> we're in connecticut at the old cider mill. having a good time. wish you were here. you look good up there but would be better here with us. ercelle chilis is from charleston, south carolina. she is something else. she loves to garden, get outside and do her thing and she does it beautifully. this is francis mccullough, 106, how about that, years old. he loves to do his gardening. rocking out in north carolina. this is norm tyson from marietta, pennsylvania. 100 years old. this is alice thomte from white hall, wisconsin. 100 years old today. one of the great things about alice, she taught music for

years and she loves to sing herself. and that's all from here. we've had fun pressing our apples this morning. now back to new york where they always press their apples. >> yes, we do. >> okay. >> that's for sure. a quick reminder, the sprout network owned by nbc universal is rung its kindest kid contest. if you know a kid that's doing something special for others, head to today.com for details. you guys have a lot coming up in the next hour. >> a lot to talk about in "today's" take. lot happening.

you're watching today in the bay. >> a very good morning to you. 8:56 now. i'm laura garcia-cannon. san jose police hope surveillance video will help find the men behind the heist of a south bay luxury car dealership. the men were caught on a surveillance camera in san jose last friday. they broke into the dealership and drove several cars right off the lot. christina, how are we looking? >> good for now, laura.

rain on the way to the bay area the next 24 hours. in fact, i stop the clock on your future cast and you can see by 4:00 a.m. tomorrow morning, the main front starts to come through the bay area and this could provide us with maybe a half inch of rainfall in the peninsula, quarter in the south bay. more on that in moments. can't hold my breath ♪ ♪ boom, boom, shake the room ♪ the unstoppable offender ♪ boom, boom, shake the room ♪ the unstoppable --

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this is "today's" take, al roker, natalie morales, willie geist and tamron hall from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> good morning. it's wednesday morning, september 24th, 2014. good looking crowd out on our plaza. i'm willie along with al, natalie and tamron. the hannah graham case out of charlottesville, police there say they now know who is responsible for the disappearance of the 18-year-old but they don't know where he is. we're talking about 32-year-old jesse matthew. the man police say was last seen with hannah is now charged with

her disappearance, class two felony of abduction and intent to defile, which basically means intent to commit some sort of sexual assault. police chief timothy longo reiterated that the search for hannah continues. >> absolutely, we are continuing our search for hannah, even as we speak. we will continue our search for hannah. thank you so much for reminding -- >> it's amazing. this guy, jesse matthew, worked at the virginia medical center, went to the police station, runs out to the neighboring county. they're following him. and they lose him. >> went in, asked for an attorney and he was there at the police station but they let him leave. >> no grounds to arrest him. >> they were watching him. >> but he was being surveilled and lost him. >> we also learned that matthew is a volunteer football coach at a private christian school in charlottesville. the school's head master there sent a letter out to parents saying they did put matthew

through normal background check process and checked all of his references and nothing came up at that time. >> if these allegations are true, we were talking earlier -- there was a case in the new york area where a little boy walked to school for the very first time. he was abducted and killed. and i was thinking, you know, what are the odds that when you're lost, as it seems that hannah was, that you wouldn't run into someone who would help you, that you run into a situation like that? i'm not one of those people who wants you to live in fear, not let your kids walk to school or not, as a woman, be able to walk to the parking garage but it is incredible that she didn't run into someone who helped her and said let me call your parent or call your friend and she'll be home safe now. >> good news is that they seemed to have zeroed in -- they believe they know who did it and now you would expect that they could close in on him pretty quickly. it's been a couple of days that he has been m.i.a.

>> focus on her. >> on her. >> yes. all right. there is a question this morning about whether or not it is a double standard surrounding a domestic violence case, involving soccer star hope solo. in june, the u.s. women's team goalie pled not guilty to misdemeanor domestic violence charges after a big family fight. she is accused of, quote, going crazy and hitting people. this is in the allegations against her. she allegedly punched her 17-year-old nephew in the face since her half sister tried to swru jump in and break up the fight. hope solo still out there playing for her professional team in seattle and for team u.s.a., which is headed to qualifying for the world cup matches next month while she is awaiting her november trial. a lot of people saying we're talking about the nfl, what the nfl should have done and all of the signs and what seems to be

an epidemic that was happening and people accusing the nfl of not treating the problem. now the question is, is soccer, u.s. soccer ignoring the situation here as well? overnight hope solo did write on facebook, i continue to maintain my innocence against these charges and once all the facts come to light and the legal process is concluded, i am confident that i will be fully exonerated. a lot of people saying, you know, does this seem to be a double standard here? >> she says she was acting in self-defense. that's her claim. >> right. >> i don't think anyone could credibly say that ray rice or any of these other guys were acting in self-defense. >> but a 17-year-old nephew in the face, the allegation against hope solo -- >> another big thing, let's be honest, talking about the nfl, which is religion in this country, and women's soccer, which is not. that's just the truth. it might not be nice to hear but that's the truth. >> equal treatment. >> title nine, having equal opportunity in sports. same case. there should be equal playing field when it comes to looking

at these case. >> in terms of the attention it's gotten. it's because it was the nfl. >> and with domestic violence there's usually a pattern. it's not a -- i don't know what happened in hope solo's case and, yes, soccer should come out and say a strong statement against violence, in general. there should be, as much as possible, a steer tolerance for violence in our culture, period. with that said, you know, when people -- i've gotten a couple of tweets from people, defending ray rice and they say, what about hope solo? can we discuss one and discuss the other? and if the other is an issue of domestic violence, let's discuss it. and if there's a family fight, discuss that. i don't like that, what about him? what about him? let's have a mature conversation -- that's exactly right. >> how about the coffee cup salute? >> this is another thing that's gotten social media in a buzz. this is the picture. it is a president saluting marines. take a look at it. while holding a cup of coffee after stepping off marine one yesterday.

this spark ed a discussion online. there's no official protocol. president george w. bush saluted as well in a way that was seen as controversial. he was holding barney, the dog, there. so it's interesting as well. you have folks asking, was it disrespectful? as always, they intertwine politics in this. >> yeah. >> you have people who don't care for president obama saying this is so disrespectful. the supporters of obama that show the picture of bush. it goes back and forth. >> he has a lot to deal with, a lot on his mind. there's a lot bigger concerns in the world and we're focusing on a cup of coffee. could he have handed off the coffee to his many people who help him? yes. but i do think, you know, there is a precedent that's been started since ronald reagan. and i do think, you know, it's a rightful thing to do, to honor the military. >> probably was a moment of --

>> just a lapse. >> was that really coffee? it could have been a chai latte. >> i love how they call it the latte salute. you don't know what was in the cup. it certainly would be respectful if that's the tradition. it's not protocol, but -- >> he is a civilian. so he doesn't have to but he's the commander in chief. >> once you do it once -- >> or you keep the coffee cup in your hand the whole time. >> or put your dog on a leash. >> put the dog on the ground. >> the dog can guard the coffee and they both walk out and salute. feel like losing a few pounds? how about the lebron james' diet? >> what? >> this summer supposedly he lost more than ten pounds this summer. look at him. >> he's gaunt. >> a little thin. he post this had on instagram. that's him beforehand. but he looks great, you know. and -- >> when did he not look great? i missed those years.

>> he looks thin. it's not like he's -- >> yes. >> he looks amazing. >> there's the before and after. >> what's the regimen? >> which one is the after? >> the one on the right. >> okay. >> for 67 days he didn't eat any sugar, dairy, cut out all carbs. >> caveman diet. >> meat, fish, veggies and fruit. put some of his meals on instagram. chicken salad. >> that's all good stuff. >> i have the palate of a 7-year-old. >> you want chicken fingers? >> ketchup, fries. >> we asked joy bauer, our fitness expert, nutrition expert. she said it's fine to eat fruits and vegetables. kind of like the paleo diet. that doesn't let you eat a lot of fruits. you can eat berries. >> does it work the same for men and women? there's a commercial i've been obsessed with for years. it shows a woman who wants to

lose weight and she's trying with her husband but there's research that shows men lose more weight. it's a slim quick weight loss commercial. take a look. this is my husband, ted. he stopped drinking soda and lost 12 pounds. i stopped drinking soda and i lost one. he started eating subs and lost 19 pounds and i haven't had bread in two years. then he started jogging. okay, you know what? enough now. just stop. what are you trying for? do you want to weigh zero? >> presenting slim quick, designed to address six physical reasons women have trouble losing weight. >> product. >> we're not saying that. it's a point -- >> those people look weird to begin with. >> i love that little lady. >> but that's so true. that's the truth. you guys decide i'm not going to eat bread and you lose ten pounds. like when you cut the carbs out of your diet. >> what did you just do to her? >> i didn't do anything. >> what did we miss? >> i missed something apparently.

>> no, no. nothing. >> we'll get that story in the break. one more story. football player. this is a kicker from dell rapids high school, south dakota, scoring after the ball bounces an extra point. the ball bounce off the opponent's helmet. watch this. low line drive. then it hits. >> it counted? >> yes. >> wow! >> it went through. if it goes through -- >> that really made all the difference in the score. >> yeah. dell rapids won 51-0. without that, it would have only been 50-0. >> poor other team. >> that was almost like insult to injury. >> hey, you know? we're so good i'm going to hit this one off your head. look at that. >> look at this. >> hey, you, yo, over there this is coming right at. >> you this is rocky meets football? >> that's right. that's how they talk in south dakota. >> that's a classic south dakota action zblent what are you talking about? i'm from south dakota.

what are you looking at? lots of rain making its way up the coast. we are watching this low pressure area that's developing. heavy showers and thunderstors s wilmington. we're expecting anywhere from one to three inches. flash flood watches are in effect around the washington, baltimore area. you could see four to six inches of rain. in the pacific northwest, we're watching some heavy rain make its way into there. look at that. there's the space needle. lots of rain. heavy rain. in fact, we could see some flooding around the burn areas of sacramento because while it might help the fires, because there's no vegetation, there's we're actually fair game for street level flooding up in the north bay from the same system, al, good morning to you. temperatures right now mostly

flt 60s and 70s. 70s just about everywhere. 70 degrees in san francisco, 72 on the east shore, and 81 degrees right here in beautiful san jose. rain on the way. tomorrow, mostly for the morning hours, going to clear out rapidly, but look at the totals that our future cast models are projecting, just under an inch in the north bay. >> and that's your latest weather. tamron? >> hey, look, i just stumbled into an orchard. take a look. guess what, we are calling up all home chefs. do you have a delicious and healthy apple-themed dish you're making this fall? enter joy bauer's too good to be healthy competition. please, make it good. and you could appear on "today." we'll have samples of your slim-sational dish. did i plug that well enough? >> you did. walking, talking and eating. pretty impressive. >> one apple?

>> apple a day. you only need one. >> can you go pick another three? >> are you trying to get rid of me? >> no, i just want to see that trick where you pull it off the monito monitor. >> hey, last time a guy did that, it didn't turn out so well. >> why? >> adam. >> old testament there. >> you know, you can't turn on the radio -- >> you're from texas? >> without hearing award winning train. we're

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...that heals cuts two days faster than store brands. neosporin. buy three johnson & johnson first aid products and get a free bag. ♪ vivofit. gently reminds you to get moving. join the movement. three-time grammy winning band, train, has a penchant for producing songs that you just cannot get out of your head like "soul sister" "drops of jupiter" and "drive by."

new album called "bulletproof picasso." pat moynahan is the band's lead singer. where did that title come from? it's really cool. >> thanks. it's actually a lyric in the song "bulletproof picasso" which when i departed this small town in pennsylvania and moved to san francisco, it was the first moment of like getting in a car with somebody and saying, are you the person that's going to make this trip with me? are you a bulletproof picasso? then i realized we're all kind of artists that have dodged a bunch of bullets whether it's you guys or train. it kind of took on a metaphor. >> very cool. you've been at this for a while. you said this was the hardest record for you to write. what was hard about this one? >> great authors do a lot of revision. i've never been good at it. if i have a good verse in a bad chorus, i'll throw the song out. but everybody is like, no, this is too good. you have to keep going.

i rewrote choruses 30 times on this because it just wasn't good enough. that hurts after a while. so it was that kind of a record. >> and you've got three grammys, more than 30 million copies of your albums sold worldwide. do you feel that kind of pressure that the next one has to be as good or better to keep folks still conneming back? >> it's not about sales, fame or money. after 20 years, it's about fans. and what i want, more than anything, is to make train fans right. that's really the goal, you know. to be like, see? look, they keep getting better. this music is -- that's really the pressure. i want those people to be excited that they're train fans. >> well, they are excited and they were also excited to see you on the finale of america's got talent. you perform with songs of serendip.

our drummer is a lawyer, by the way. so that was lovely. we're asked to go there once in a while and we're really good to us, like you guys. >> you were photographed with niall from one direction. does it kind of amaze you that -- you guys have put in the work. you've done all this traveling around. and today a lot of these kids, you know, they hit the internet, they don't really have to tour really and become superstars overnight, literally overnight. >> well, those guys -- niall has become a friend. he did my podcast called the pat cast. he was one of the first guys on it. we've become friends. he is the sweetest guy of all time. he just turned 21 and we were celebrating a little bit. we were talking about germany and how hard it is to break and he was like, oh, man, so hard for us to break. we played a stadium there.

i was like, that's not having a difficult time breaking. >> you're like, listen, kid. >> reality check. >> yeah. but he is such a sweet guy. >> pat monahan, always great to have you in studio. train will be back with one more song coming up in our next half hour. first all the news you need to start your day. and "the mysteries of laura," ♪

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is recalling indoor gas fireplaces. 20,000 natural gas and propane fireplaces, stove, gas inserts and log sets. they were sold from may through july. walmart is rolling out its new low-cost checking accounts. federally insured accounts will have a monthly membership fee of $8.95. if the customer sets up direct deposits of $500 a month. in addition, walmart says it's checking accounts will not charge for overdrafts or bounced checks. it hasn't even been a week since the release of the new iphone 6 and 6 plus. already a bit of a controversy. it's being called bend gate with pictures of bent iphones flooding social media. the problem, some people are saying, is that the latest version of the popular phone is too long and thin. we reached out to apple and have not heard back yet. coming up, a different kind of horsepower. coming up, a different kind of horsepowe[ julie ] the wrinkle cream graveyard.

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you're watching today in the bay. >> good wednesday morning to you. it's 9:26. i'm sam brock. a busy south bay intersection is back open after being closed for hours overnight and throughout the morning. investigators say about 12:30 this morning a person was hit by a car while trying to cross near 101. the victim was pronounced dead on scene and crews had to keep the intersection closed for several hours to investigate what happened. they say the driver stayed at the scene and they don't think that drugs or alcohol were involved here. the intersection reopened about 6:30 a.m. also new this morning, cal fire says the king fire burning near lake tahoe grew to nearly 93,000 acres overnight, more than 3,000 acres since yesterday after mushrooming the days before that. crews are bracing for a second day now of high winds and low

humidity. so far a dozen homes have burned and about 12,000 evacuated. crews have built containment lines around 38% of that fire right now, that is up from 35% as of last night. some improvement there. a look at traffic and weather coming up after this break.

welcome back now, taking a live look at san francisco, we're right on time, so clouds are increasing. we've got showers moving in. take a look at this, beautiful storm system. this is what we want to see, my friends. this is the kind of system that can bring us some generous rainfall totals. now right now we're starting to see that front push into northern california. we're going to get showers here, very light at first, not until this evening. here in the south bay, a little action overnight, as well. 70 degrees for san francisco. temperatures are still going to be warm. started off nice and mild and still on the warm side of that front. once it comes through, expecting widespread rainfall tomorrow morning. here's mike and your drive.

>> hope the rainfall is generous. looking at a generous flow of traffic, as well. starting to loosen up a bit over the last 15 minutes at high street. remember there's a midday game for the a's, also still slow west 580 and west 80. the folsom street off-ramp still closed, as it will be for six months, but more slowing today than yesterday. the rest looks pretty standard as far as this pattern. back to you. >> mike, was that a bow that you just did a second ago? most excellent. we'll have a most excellent news update again in 25 minutes.

welcome back to "today." it's wednesday morning, september 24th, 2014. i'm willie, along with al, natalie and tamron. did you hear about richard branson's policy on vacation? >> no. >> love this. >> maybe i want to work at virgin. he says people ought to be able to take time off work whenever they want, no limits. whenever. >> these are salaried people? >> yep. >> in his new book "the virgin way: everything i know about leadership." he says employees decide if and when they feel like taking time off. managers don't keep track of their employees' days away from the office. it's about trust. it's about commitment. >> how does that work on his airline? >> that's a good point. >> well, i imagine, you know,

they're going to make sure -- >> i don't know. you can't really run an airline like that. >> made fybe for pilots they do have the same rule. >> or give notice. >> fix the planes? i think it's a great idea in certain places that might work. >> not that everybody is going to disappear. 97% of us aren't taking our vacations and it's paid vacations. we have such a strong work ethic, i could take two weeks off, max, and be like, i've got to get back. >> ooh, no. >> no? >> i've been working since i was 14. i'll take my vacation. i've learned to enjoy the vacation more. >> i took two weeks in july and i could have stayed off another week. and i'm sure dylan dreyer felt the same way. wet weather making its way up

the midatlantic coast. hopefully out of here in time for derek jeter's last game. and a lot of heavy rain in the pacific northwest. tomorrow, we still have that rain hanging out. and it's going to be windy, too, in the northeast. a real mess. lots of sunshine across much of the country. the 9:32. i think you're going to like what's happening in our neck of the woods. a very well defined cold front moving into the bay area, and what's more impressive is this area of low pressure. you can clearly make out that counterclockwise rotation. all these showers will continue to move into the bay area and you can already see the impact of that storm coming in, clouds increasing steadily, temps mild for today because we started out mild. san antonio, showers by 8:00 p.m.

>> and that's your latest weather. >> josh lucas made his film debut more than 20 years ago, has gone on to appear in more than 60 movies, tv shows and broadway productions. josh is star nring in the n nbc series "the mysteries of laura," playing the soon-to-be ex-husband of debra messing, having a hard time signing the papers. >> i had a good woman and i took advantage of it. was i bad enough to get kicked to the curb? i'm genuinely serious. >> captain, i thought this was going to be a work zblunch it is. throw me a bone, billy. does she ever even talk about me? >> she talks about you plenty. >> good. that's good. >> that doesn't sound good. josh lucas, good morning. >> good morning. you're trying to convince debra messing, laura, not to divorce

you. yet you become her boss at your job, you're both working in the police department. this seems very complicated. >> well, like all good, i guess, comedy, it's a mess. that's really what it is. it's the story of these people's -- this story is about these people's very messy lives, how they intertwine and particularly debra trying to handle the problems that her crazy -- or our crazy twin boys bring on a daily basis and then being a homicide detective and her ex-husband is a bit of a rogue, you could say. a guy who definitely really loves her and loves being a father but doesn't necessarily always want to make the right choice. >> i love watching the show, the first one. there is clearly good cop and bad cop when it comes to parenting and debra, laura, gets to be the bad cop. you're giet wthe guy who comes h the pizza and the pop. >> he's a fun character to play.

he doesn't take anything seriously, particularly being a parent, which he think sincere the best philosophy and i'll let her have all the problems and the work. >> you have a 2-year-old at home in real life. >> i do. >> which way do you go? >> i'm trying as much as possible to be good cop. he's 2. discipline at this point is not really an issue. plus we have a remarkably happy, playful kid. if anything, i'm amazed by my son. he wakes up every day, a force of optimism. he is a child -- one of the first times i saw him take a bad fall, he roared with laughter. i was like, wow, if i could take this philosophy, if i could do the same thing and the same thing happened at school the other day. the girl took a bad fall and he was like, ah, that's great! how funny is that? i'm like,o i'm going to follow your philosophy, man. >> that's cute. >> we've got something. >> i have to ask you something. your son, noah, believes that you look like alexander hamilton as he appears on the $10 bill. can we get a shot?

>> it's an exact -- >> we need your profile. >> i'm standing with my son. first of all, he is looting my wallet, as he tends to do. >> i like this kid. >> i know. >> he puts all the credit cards inside the heater, which ruins them immediately. >> nice. >> he pulls out a $10 bill and says, look, it's josh. never call me josh. >> now that you mention it. >> amazing. >> i said josh? y i said who is that? he said josh lucas, which he never said before. i said, noah, who is that? he said it's daddy, come on. you don't know you're on the $10 bill? >> i'm going out there to do a little behind-the scenes. >> nice. >> and they've written in a little scene for me. >> are you a cop? >> i'll just say debra messing takes interest in me. >> don't they all, al? >> she has great taste in men. >> she likes them like she likes her coffee. "the mysteries of laura" airing

tonight at 8:00, 7:00 central here on nbc. it's no ordinary pony ride for these kids. this special therapy program making a big difference in their this special therapy program making a big difference in their lives, right afte wouldn't it be great if hiring plumbers, carpenters shopping online is as easy as it gets. and even piano tuners were just as simple? thanks to angie's list, now it is. we've made hiring anyone from a handyman to a dog walker as simple as a few clicks. buy their services directly at angieslist.com no more calling around. no more hassles. start shopping from a list of top-rated providers today. angie's list is revolutionizing local service again. visit angieslist.com today.

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any flight, any time. no blackout dates. and with every purchase you'll earn unlimited double miles. now we're getting somewhere. what's in your wallet? >> announcer: on "today" brought to you by wells fargo. >> this morning on "hope to it," unique program providing help through horses. >> this is a cool one. i visited a nonprofit organization called pony power where horses provide therapy for a ages ranging in 2 to dixie, cheyenne and red hot are saddled up and ready to serve as four-legged therapists. the horses spend this morning

treating children with special needs, from cerebral palsy to autism. >> on a daily basis i'm inspired and in awe at healing of a horse. a lifelong rider with a masters in social work, dana first discovered what a horse can do for a child when her own daughter, sydney, was diagnosed with a sensory processing disorde disorder. >> right side and left side weren't communicating. when you're sitting on the back of the horse and the horse starts moving, the movement of the horse is exactly the same as a human being. it's something that traditional therapy can't do. >> reporter: sydney improved and decided what was good for her daughter might be good for others. >> this is a big, beautiful operation. tell me about the day you went to your husband and said, i think we should buy a farm. >> my poor, wonderful husband. the first convincing was we

could own a horse that i could have -- >> start small. >> start small. >> sure. >> as the program grew, i think we could own a farm. >> dana got that farm which now serves about 150 clients a week. were you aware prior to this partnership about the healing power of horses? >> no, no. i really wasn't in the physical sense. but also there's the emotional and aesthetic sense that's come through here, too. >> and parents see changes in their children. when you first heard that horses could help your daughter, did you believe it? >> that's why i came, because in order for me to actually see it and believe it. i was happy when i first saw her riding. i could see a difference. it's great. >> he just sneezed on us. >> say bless you. >> he just sneezed on both of us. >> oh, sorry. >> god bless you, tater. >> reporter: i spent time with

this 7-year-old who has a developmental disability. are you going to ride? >> yes. >> i'm going to watch you ride a horse. can i? >> yes. >> she lights up when her horse, bugsy trots. but pony power is not just for kids. tom harrington, an 18-year military veteran, diagnosed with ptsd, brings his entire family. >> what does it do for you to be around the horses? >> they keep me calm and i see my kids affected by these horses in a positive way and say, you know what? this is how it should be. this is how it was before desert storm. it brings me back to a sense of normalcy. >> what do you get out of this on a personal level when you get to stand along that fence and watch the kids ride? >> we're facilitating this interaction that's helping an entire family. i consider myself the luckiest person in the world. >> so often we hear about their limitations of the we come here and we see all of their wonderful abilities come out.

all that comes to us is what wonderful little angels can do. >> little angels with smiling faces thanks to the power of the pony. >> i've got to tell you, guys, it's incredible to see what a horse can do. when you talk to everybody that goes there, the kids or military veteran, they had no idea it could help before they went. sometimes just getting on the back of an animal, feeling the animal it's changed their lives. with some of the parents and kids, it's improved their situations and they are, dare i say, working miracles at pony power. if you want to hear more about it, head to today.com. there are programs like this across the country. we focused on that one in new jersey but there are more of them. the latest hit from gram them. the latest hit from gram grammy-winn my foot was destroyed when my vehicle was hit by an ied. i lost my right eye; damaged my left eye.

so many of these men and women have, have sacrificed so much. through soldiers to summits, wells fargo supports our veterans by working together to climb mount whitney, these heroes begin their journey of healing. the wounds that you can't see, being with a team helps. you know if they can do it you can do it. step by step, little by little, we can do a lot. because small is huge. eat right. not less. gorgeous grains at your service. hi! hi, this looks interesting! what's going on here? would you like to try some hot cereal? special k nourish hot cereal. special k? wow! wow! made with superfoods. superfoods sound good to me. there's uh... quinoa, barley i can definitely taste the quinoa. good! i can't believe that's less than 200 calories. to help you truly shine. this is a way to be good to me. nurturing yourself. what will you gain?

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at our "give a minute. help make-a-wish" event, and help make more wishes come true for children with life-threatening medical conditions. this saturday from 10 to 4 at your local walmart, take a minute to learn more about straight talk wireless and great phones like the samsung galaxy ace style, and we'll donate a dollar toward our goal of $1 million to make-a-wish. straight talk wireless. same phones. same networks. half the cost. available only at walmart. >> announcer: the toyota concert series on "today" brought to you by toyota. >> they may be from san francisco but train has gone on to worldwide fame. >> out with their seventh album called "bulletproof picasso."

that's the name of their single. here is train. ♪ am i made of paper 'cause i tear so easily am i made of vapor because i disappear do i have to have a reason for anything i feel just be fwlad glad i'm here glad i'm real am i real ♪ ♪ are you made of lead paint a bulletproof picasso all the virgin saints put you here to care for me i don't need a reason for anything i feel just be glad i say what i mean and mean what i say to you ♪ ♪ we don't need a reason for anything we feel

we don't need a reason picasso's at the wheel so roll this top down hell with this town leave our bags behind we don't need a reason 'cause i got you and you got me tonight ♪ ♪ did you ever see the waves break into a million pieces or stay awake with someone who was dying you don't need to tell me anything at all just say what you mean and mean what you say to me ♪ ♪ we don't need a reason for anything we feel we don't need a reason picasso's at the wheel

roll this top down hell with this town leave our bags behind ♪ ♪ we don't need a reason cause i got you and you got me tonight ♪ ♪ amber waves of grain fly by highway lanes waited for this change seems like my entire life if only the good die young we'll outlast everyone for some of the things we've done and we've just begun ♪ ♪ oh ♪ we don't need a reason for anything we feel we don't need a reason picasso's at the wheel so roll this top down hell with this town leave our bags behind we don't need a reason 'cause i got you and you got me tonight ♪

♪ oh oh you got me tonight oh oh you got me tonight oh you got me tonight ♪ >> train, thank you so much. we'll be back in a moment. this is "today" on nbc.

kathie lee and hoda are here. >> hello. yes. jessica simpson is with us, too. >> yes, she is. >> i don't know if you missed it earlier, hoda's shine the light is so amazing, with sarah bareillis and cyndi lau

you're watching today in the bay. >> good wednesday morning to you. it's 9:56. i'm sam brock. homicide detectives spend most of the night trying to figure out who killed two men in san jose. when officers arrived to a home on rancho drive near monterey road, they found two men and a

woman shot at least one time. the men died on scene, the woman was taken to the hospital. we are told she should survive. no one to this point has been arrested and police are still investigating. as the drought continues its tightening grip on the state of california, we are in dire need of rain and rain could be on the way. >> yeah, real rain this time, sam, not just the drizzle, we have a very well defined area of low pressure already bringing showers into northern california. we're going to have some of this activity right here in the bay area throughout tonight. let's take it right to your future cast and show what you're expecting. 8:00 p.m., showers moving into the north bay, front arrives through the overnight hours, but watch this, you can see this falling apart, then watch what happens. a resurgence of moisture, the atmosphere, and this is going to bring us generous totals. the whole thing blows out of here through the second half of tomorrow, but overall looking

good. more on this today at 11:00. here's mike an your drive. >> that's a lot of science. that's why she's the forecaster. over here, san mateo bridge, smooth drive from the hayward side. peninsula side, from time to time we do see slowing. there's a pretty nice easy drive, but look at your maps, approach from 92, as well, that's the area that's slowest for the peninsula. dunbar bridge all right, but slowing on the east bay from 880 to mission. the rest of your south bay looking pretty good. not so bad, 101 and 280, usual suspects around the 880 interchange. back to you. >> it would appear you have the science of this whole road mapping down pretty well. thank you very much. see you again in 25 minutes for another check of news, weather, and traffic.

from nbc news, this is "today" with kathie lee gifford and hoda kotb, live from studio 1-a in rockefeller plaza. >> hello, everyone. we're so happy you are with us for wines day wednesday. it's september 24th. i have my hodi. i'm tired of it. i'm losing you to people who shall remain nameless. matt, al and natalie. this is where you belong. >> you got it, sister. jessica simpson is here. >> yes. with those legs. >> and those shoes. she's got great shoes. >> yes, i know.

>> her clothing line is awesome. >> and billy bush will help us play "who knew." >> and cyndi lauper and sara bareilles came together with their two songs mashed up. >> your idea. >> brave. >> from day one. i wasn't quite sure, because the songs are so different. >> yeah. >> if it could work. it works brilliantly. kudos to you. >> thanks so much. >> let's start with some words of wisdom. >> here you go. i love this one. >> i don't like to see it ahead of time. >> here it is. what a wonderful thought it is that some of the best days of our lives haven't happened yet. >> i like that. who said it? oh, my mother's favorite philosopher, anonymous. she used to say to my dad, who is anon? i love it. >> sometimes we feel like our best days are behind us, you know, some people think that, joanne.

the best days are still ahead. >> i hope so. otherwise, what's the point? right? this -- i don't know what he was thinking but john malkovich who is a quirky kind of guy has recreated classic portraits. >> yeah. he melts into roles, you don't realize it's him. he did the same thing kind of in these portraits. >> trying to recreate iconic moments. >> it's crazy. okay, so the photographer's name is sandra miller. here is john malkovich as marilyn monroe. >> all right. >> here he is as albert einstein. >> little bit -- >> look at that. >> yeah. >> that's uncanny. >> yeah. why did albert einstein stick out his tongue to begin with? what's the story behind that? >> i don't know. >> okay. so andy warhol. >> okay. that's darn close. >> that's really close. alfred hitchcock. >> yeah.

>> he needs another chin. >> he needed a prosthetic. >> yes, he did. >> so over 30 recreations. okay. rumer willis, the daughter of bruce willis and demi moore is modeling something. they're called cutout pants and there's -- it's got people talking. i wonder why. oh, my. the son of the famous richard avidon and the designer is francis ka fox. >> these are pants. those are cutouts, not flesh tone, so it's like chaps, but -- >> without the -- >> without the front. >> right. >> anyway, that's unusual. you know what? >> it will not be showing up at my house. >> ever. i wonder what they are in the back. >> even when i had that body i wouldn't have worn them. >> no, no. >> that's not saying look at my pai

pants, look at me. which is fine. >> have you ever worn a plunging, plunging neck line or really short -- yes? >> i have worn real short, but not the plunging neck line. >> not for you. >> it gets vulgar. >> okay. >> so the short shorts. >> i have never gone commando in my life that i can remember. there might have been a time or two, that i wasn't aware. so bizarre. >> never on purpose let's put it this way. you know this -- you know how they have tupperware parties and avon parties, there's a new thing coming out called bra parties. you know how these -- these are parties not in your home. >> no, no. because that wouldn't make sense and be classy. it's at the office. isn't anyone working? it seems the office bra parties are the thing. a lingerie company -- thank you so much, jerry. >> that's a bad one. that's yours. >> and that's hodi's. oh, that's my mother's.

okay. >> so here's the thing though. we have heard this a million times. people never wear the right bra. >> they need to be fitted. we know that. >> sometimes i don't. do you ever wear the wrong bra? >> yes, i do. but i don't care because they're sometimes the most comfortable ones. but if you're going to be on camera, you should wear the right one. because you get the bra goo, you know? >> this company comes to your office, all the women try on bras. i guess you ask people how does it look, how does it feel, would you ever participate? >> no. i think there's a time and a place for everything. have a party like -- have a cocktail party, have a wine party with your friends and do it at your home. >> yes. >> the ladies are putting them on and modeling them -- look at the crew. yeah! >> you know what? popular. >> you know what? of course they're popular around here. >> supporters say they love the bra parties because -- >> supporters?

>> hey, i'm just reading because i don't have time to get to an actual story of fitting. >> who does have time? i have bras so worn out. >> i left an apple for you in your dressing room this morning and hoda, i'm sorry -- >> i know. >> it is time to get a new one. i only have two that i wear over and over. >> oh, that's -- >> don't you? how many do you have? i have two. >> do you wash them all the time? then they fall apart. >> yeah. but you don't wash them all that often. i don't wash them every single time you're wearing it. i'm not work, out, i'm going to work. you wash your bras every time you wear them? >> yes. yes. >> who does that? let's go on our facebook page. who washes their bra -- gently wash your bra. >> supposed to wash them gently. >> in the sink and hang them? >> yeah. >> i don't wash mine every day or every other day. once a week i'll wash them. sometimes longer. but in that realm. i think that's -- you know? i'm not working out.

>> it's a personal choice. >> now i feel dirty. somehow i don't feel good anymore. >> how does leonardo feel about himselves these days? he doesn't care by the way. >> he grew a beard and slicked his hair bang and behind that beard and slicked back hair is a man bun. hard to see. there it is. so a lot of guys -- apparently, he's doing this for a role. but a lot of men -- >> going to play an 1820s frontiersman so that makes sense. i don't think frontiersman wore -- >> buns. buns are hot. everyone is doing it. orlando bloom sported a bun. >> but i thinks he playing a pirate or something. >> no, he was going out to dinner. >> okay. >> chris hemsworth had a bun. gavin rossdale, gwen stefani's husband. harry styles has been known to sport a bun.

brad pitt can rock the bun. russell brand has been known to don the bun. >> they start doing pig tails, you know? >> you know what? there's -- >> only person to get away with that is willie nelson. love him in this picture. >> yeah. >> i don't know. i always think about frank. would frank ever wear a bun? no, no. >> never ever ever. >> all right. so by the way, cosmopolitan started a twitter campaign to get rid of leo's beard, with the #free leo's face. they haven't gotten back to us about comments. >> and forbes has given us the top u.s. cities in which to retire. if you're thinking of retiring -- >> i am. >> no, you're not. okay, they checked on cost of living, taxes, weather, crime rates, doctor availability, walkability, bicycling --

>> and volunteering. and for those who plan to have a working retirement, because people are working longer either by necessity or choice. number three in the country is state college, pennsylvania. >> penn state. i think it's smart to live near a college because there's so much -- you're surrounded by youth. if you want to take courses it's there. like i like that college town. football team. >> with that comes a lot of tailgating. >> yes. >> a lot of sorority parties. fraternity parties. >> yes. >> a lot of craziness. >> yes. >> everything hoda loves. tucson is number two and number one is venice, florida. on the gulf side. >> okay. it's nice. >> that is nice. >> it's beautiful. >> i thought new york city would be a good city to retire in. >> no, not for me. for taxes and for weather. >> i line it because you don't -- i like it because you don't need to drive. if you do something by yourself it's not weird here. like if you go to the restaurant and enjoy a meal there aren't 15 people saying look at this older person eating alone. if you want to go -- >> sure, you're usually at an

early bird special with everybody else. that's what i'm going to do. i'll be first in line for the buffet. only 19% of workers are confident in their retirement savings and that's because -- you know, started savings years ago have no idea what the cost of living will be like now. so the most popular brands in every state. what does that mean? >> i don't know. >> which company -- that is googled the most. a financial company called direct capital looked at brand searches to find out who's googling what. around the country. >> so in different states, people are googling different businesses. >> this is weird. >> people in illinois seem to google mcdonald's the most. >> in nevada, the number one brand that's searched is ferrari. >> south dakota you know what you like to google? kleenex. >> what don't you know about kleenex? in rhode island, duracell. >> texas residents love their facebook. >> and wyoming googles gillette the most. gillette happens to be a city in wyoming. probably confused.

but georgia's is home depot. that makes sense. jose cuervo is oklahoma. >> and this is just weird, jersey's number one brand search -- hellmann's mayonnaise. look at all the guy -- guys from new jersey. why? where you can get hellmann's. west of the rockies hellmann's -- the exact same product with a different name. >> it is? >> yes, called best foods. >> it is? >> yeah. i remember when i moved out to california to start my career, i loved hellmann's mayonnaise, they didn't have it. same thing. >> best foods. nice to know. >> you won't learn that anywhere but at nbc news. >> a big shout o-out for a coup of guys here. >> oh, please. >> you have joel osteen, okay, if you have problems with your

partner, matthew husty will answer your questions. we'll give matthew your question, skype in. >> joel osteen will be here next week. he has a new book out. i was reading it in preparation. it is called "you can, you will." so how to achieve success in your life. we'd like to know your questions for pastor osteen. coming up, two of my favorite, favorite singers, sara bareilles and cyndi lauper. >> they're helping to shine the light on some great kids, don't miss it. and jessica simpson dishes on her bod, her babies and -- >> she does eat! >> that's what we like. >you know, if you play football for a long time like i did, you're gonna learn to deal with alot of pain. but it is nothing like the pain that shingles causes. man when i got shingles it was something awful.

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jessica simpson. >> she's a newly wed, a mom to two women. >> and don't forget that hot post baby bod she worked so hard to get. she is here with us. >> how are you? >> i'm so good. this is first time being with you guys. >> you were with me a few years ago with rege, but since this incarnation. >> you walked in and i was like, oh, my god. >> yeah. >> you look awesome. >> thank you. >> wow. how much weight have you lost? >> a lot. >> okay. >> the answer is which time? right? >> yeah, i had to do it a couple times. >> right. >> but, yeah, the number is very high. >> okay. >> how many pounds i have lost. >> you could still rock your daisy dukes i think. >> oh, yeah, yeah. >> look at the gams. >> yeah. i told her since she covered up her cleavage she had to show some leg. >> i'm inching it up. i need a glass of wine. >> what's the problem, jerry?

>> we usually have it waiting. sorry. >> please don't start your own wine line. no competition. >> how is married life, mom life? >> it's the best. i really do feel like i'm in the best place of my life. really. it's just comfortable, you know? it's like i'm married to the best -- >> does it sound funny? >> it sounds so good. finally. we have been together for four years. >> to the best what? >> well, to the best man i know. >> wow. >> yeah. >> my son might be second. he's not a man yet. >> yeah. >> is motherhood everything you thought it would be, jess? >> yeah, i think that -- >> thank you, jerry. >> it's okay. it's okay. i have to stay on point here. >> he did that for me. go ahead. >> yes. i mean, motherhood is -- i don't think that i expected it to be so much. so amazing.

>> is that the word you were looking for? >> you needed a little help. >> diplomat expect to have kids so close together, but it has been the best joy. you know, i think it's a good thing that they're so close in age. >> how close -- >> they're both still in diapers and teething. if one is sick, the other is sick. you know? >> do they love each other? >> yeah. >> i love my kids but i didn't know how much they'd love each other. >> the first time maxwell held ace, she was so excited because she was anticipating, you know, whatever was going to come out of my belly. she didn't really understand. >> is your husband a doting dad? does he enjoy that? >> he is. my husband is the best father. he's so involved. i mean, he does more than me. >> you know, if you have obviously the financial success to be able to have as much help as you need in your want in your

house, but then you'd miss out on that joy. >> that's the thing. i'm away from my kids for 24 hours and when we went on our honeymoon, it was only like four days. that's the longest i have ever been away. >> wow. >> they're always with me. i can't do it without them. >> in learning about you, we know you as a lot of things. you know, you sing, act, all these different things. your clothing business is a juggernaut. i mean, it's funny, we brought it up in the makeup room. i love her coat, i have her shoes. did you expect that to take off the way it did? >> no, no. that was definitely something that wasn't expected. i love fashion. i love style. you know, but i didn't expect that it would fly the way it has. >> you make it affordable. >> yeah. >> you know what, it's clothes people wanted to wear and stylish and affordable. >> it's for the every day woman. it is accessible. but stays on trend. >> well, the every day woman, what is it -- size 12 or 14. does your stuff go all the way -- >> all the way up.

higher. >> one designer once said why don't you have plus sizes, because i don't design for sofas or something like that. >> oh, gosh. >> my mother is not a sofa, show some respect for ladies that are -- you know what? they're happy -- many of them are happy being what they are. >> absolutely. absolutely. we have -- our plus sizes are adorable. these women are rocking it and feeling hot. >> well, you're not leaving us. that's what we like about you. you're not going anywhere. she's going to stick around and show us some of the treats she eats to stay fit and trim. >> stick around for that. then live from new york it's billy bush helping us celebrate "snl." >> that's right after this. >> ready to sing, guys? ready to sing? you ready? >> yeah! ♪ you are my sunshine, my only sunshine ♪ >> trained very well. sunshine(announcer) are you dealing with hot flashes during menopause? why suffer more than you have to?

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we're getting ready to play "who knew" to celebrate the 40th anniversary of "saturday night live." >> which comedian was not an original "snl" cast member? steve martin, jane curtain, garrett morris or chevy chase? do you know who is going to help us out with the answer? billy bush and ken hoover. what's going on? >> so we test very well, but all the people here are getting fired up to answer your questions. >> were you about to say chevy? you were about to say chevy? >> i grew up in maryland where chevy chase is an actual city. >> so there! >> it's called old age and i don't see too well. >> see you in a bit. >> but coming up the making of our special music video with sara bareilles and cyndi lauper. >> and jessica simpson a what's happened to snacking? how did it become absent-mindedly

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(boys screaming) totino's pizza rolls... ready so fast, it's scary! you're watching today in the bay. >> good morning to you. it is 10:26. i'm kris sanchez. new this morning, san mateo high school will be closed today so crews can make emergency repair. someone smelled gas late last night, so they'll be testing the

system today. the district decided to close the school for today. no word yet on whether it will be back in session tomorrow. also new this morning, a bicyclist taken to the hospital after he was hit by a car in fremont this morning near 880 just before 8:00 this morning. the extent of the injuries are not yet known, but the cyclist was taken to a trauma center. the cause of the crash is under investigation. we have a look at weather and storm headed our way, plus traffic coming up after the break.

welcome back now. 10:29. watching the storm system finally impacting northern california. still out of the bay area, but it's on its way. you can see how close the showers are to ukiah at this point. expecting first showers in the north bay between 5:00 and 7:00 this evening, and then we're going to see the rainfall intensify tomorrow morning, so the clouds will continue to increase. showers by evening, widespread rain tomorrow. we'll tell you who could see more than an inch and a half today at 11:00. it's looking good, mike. >> inch and a half, nothing close to that before the roadways get slippery because of the oil and grease. be careful and change the wiper blades if there's any question about their reliability. fremont, southbound slowing late in the commute, typical towards 227. 101 and 85, again, typical pattern here. atypical, extra slow coming from the bay bridge toll plaza

towards treasure island. >> thank you very much, mike. more on the storm headed our way and the day's local news coming up here at 11:00. we're back with more of "today" on this wines day wednesday. this saturday marks the start of the 40th season of "snl" so we're bringing you fun facts. kathie lee across the street at the nbc experience store. ready to hand out 100 bucks to anybody who gets the question right and to those who don't, they get one of her favorite cds. ♪ everyone has a story >> that's it. we're giving away access hollywood swag too! you guys have swag here to help me out, the hosts billy bush and kid hoover. you have swag? what do you have? >> is it nice swag or bad swag? >> i don't know. bring some back over here.

>> yeah. >> before we went to the break, which asked which comedian was not an original "snl" cast member? billy, what is the correct answer? >> chevy chase. >> steve martin. >> no. >> here's what i said. i'm not going to look at my cards. i'm going to guess. i mean, not chevy chase? >> no, steve martin. steve martin. he hosted many times. king tut. the wild and crazy guy. >> all right. so you're part of -- >> i'm part of the game. >> let's go across to kath. >> this is your swag. this is what you'll get. this lady is from california. who holds the record for hosting the most "snl" episodes. tom hanks, justin timberlake or alec baldwin? >> alec baldwin. >> how many times? >> yeah. how many times? >> a lot. >> 16 and who is second? >> who? >> steve martin. 15. >> really?

>> and hoda, what is your favorite alec baldwin sketch? he lights something around christmas. >> starts with shweatherty. >> that's a good one. >> beautiful lady from seattle. while she was an "snl" cast member tina fey wrote and starred in which film? >> "date night." >> she's going to love this cd. >> you know what? okay. she had a good windup. please inform us on what's the correct answer. >> i want to say wednesday we wear pink. "mean girls." >> yeah. although she was in "date night" she didn't write it though. >> did you love "mean girls?" >> i did. i loved the mom's sweat pants she wore in there. >> scary how true it is, "mean girls" and i have a 14 and a 16-year-old. if you're a girl going into high school you have to see that. >> or the father of girls. >> yeah.

that's hysterical. from maryland, which actor played the church lady? was it chevy chase, dana carvey, gilda radner or dan aykroyd? >> dana carvey. >> love dana carvey. here you go. >> that was his iconic role, wasn't it, guys. >> wasn't that special? >> that lived on, right? >> one of your favorites? >> what a gag, the best. then of course -- well, is that the next question? >> don't give them away. >> we're peeking. >> now i think you'll talk about my favorite dana carvey. >> all right, guess where this lady is from? >> virginia. >> go hokeys. >> that's right. >> you people are driving me crazy here. who holds the record for being an "snl" cast member for the most seasons? >> oh. darrell hammond. >> good for you.

>> they're on fire. now he's the voice. >> for extra swag, i'm talking sweatshirts here, what is his new job? >> good question. >> i don't think she heard it over there. >> do they know the answer to -- >> do you know what darrell hammond's next job is going to be? >> i do not. >> oh. what a shame. >> an announcer? >> yes. >> for? >> "snl." >> yes. >> and he did a mean regis philbin. >> dead on. >> all the announcements as regis. >> all right. over to you. >> all righty. which former "snl" writer/producer -- first of all, where are you from? >> sandwich, illinois. >> okay. i love your food. is currently a u.s. senator from the state of minnesota? norm macdonald, al franken, is a have a silverman or tim meadows? >> al franken. >> yeah. >> wouldn't sarah silverman be fun? >> yeah. tell that man he is good enough, he is smart enough and dog gone

it, people like him. >> back across to kath. >> we have time for one more. where are you from? >> from texas. >> okay. hans and franz were going to pump you up? remember that? were they teens with their own cable access show, weight lifters, the blues brothers or wild and crazy bachelors? >> two wild and crazy bachelors. >> even after i gave you the i'm gonna pump you up? i guess -- >> i think they're two wild and crazy teens living in their mom's basement and weight lifters. >> those guys are back. >> in a commercial. >> they're pumping people up. >> you're taking the show out on the plaza? >> yep. >> getting ready to rock. >> okay, they'll do their show outside. tomorrow, "snl's" keenan thompson has a sneak peek at the season debut. what you see is brilliant, luminous haircolor.

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>> i thought it would be time to bring attention to the cause. for 15% of the children with cancer, there's no cure. so i wanted to help the best way i knew how. and that's through music. >> hi, good afternoon. >> what is your last name, lease? >> kotb. >> seven years ago i was diagnosed with breast cancer. as i fought through the scariest period of my life -- i'm ready for this to happen -- one thing helped to keep the fear at bay. i want you to hear a song. anyone who is going through the illness and when it was happening to me, i was very depressed. i was really in the weeds. ♪ music. you put on a song and your mood changed instantly. it brought me out of some of the darkest holes. go, go, go! i now know what it feels like to

struggle with cancer. but what i cannot fathom is what it's like for a little kid to face such a grown-up disease. when i visited pediatric hospitals all i wanted to do was make it better and if music helped me, i thought maybe i could give these kids the gift of that perfect song. a song just for them. ♪ i'm calling it project truly brave and to start i enlist two incredible women. first, superstar sara bareilles. i'm a huge fan of hers. and i have watched how she's taken young kids who are struggling with illness and lifted them up with the words of her song "brave." ♪ i want to see you be brave >> over margaritas i believe it was, we chatted about this idea. she's hoda. she's like very direct. look, this is what i want to do. >> and then i tried to kind of

harken back to my youth and what was the anthem all the kids loved. it was ding. ♪ to see your true colors shining through ♪ >> "true colors" is one of the songs when you hear the first note, you close your eyes. it's a close your eyes kind of song. ♪ don't be afraid >> she's like i want to do a mashup and a video. >> i went to the gym and put my earphones in and started listening to "brave." then i started to sing "true colors" and i kind of found it. i said, oh, i see how this could work. ♪ let them show >> we could go to the brave tag here. ♪ i want to see, i want to see it ♪ >> that's pretty. >> instead of true colors go to brave. okay. in everyone's ear. hi, how are you? welcome to our world. ♪ >> this summer, the bands teamed up over a grueling two-day

session to hammer out the music and blend these two songs. they both warned me that it might not work. >> it's definitely been a tall order to mash these things up. hopefully it doesn't sound like schizophrenic when we're done with it. >> i kind of thought it sounded like medley, but it didn't. >> we're putting two people, two virtual strangers, i guess, two talented strangers together. >> how you doing? you okay? >> yeah, do i look pained? >> and sing what they can cook up. ♪ >> are you hard at work? what is that, a harp? >> no. >> what is it? >> it's a dulcimer. >> i need a big sara hug. i can't wait one more second. so i'm going to go in that secret back room and listen to what you guys have created. i know you're in the creative process. >> what do you mean, secret

room? oh, the control room. >> i'm going to put in the control room. this is not my wheelhouse, i don't know. i'm going to put on some cans. ♪ >> the ladies agreed to let me listen to the song before they even finished mashing it up. ♪ and though they don't feel it's totally polished -- oh, my god -- i know from the very first seconds this is it. an anthem for fighters and survivors like me. ♪ >> absolute perfect mashup. >> that's okay. just a couple of train wrecks but there was something good there. >> real quick, because you're criticizing, i was in there crying. amazing. is my mascara down my face? >> you are crying. >> i'm crying. i won't be the only one. somebody when you make the sausage you don't know how awesome it is. to listen to what you did for the very first time is amazing.

>> you make sausages? >> though i'm disrupting the creative flow, i forced the ladies to hear what brought me to tears. ♪ ♪ to see your true colors shining through ♪ ♪ you see you true colors, that's why i love you ♪ >> get there. we'll get there. >> that was -- come on. as they pick apart every note, i wipe my tears and leave them to perfect perfection. >> i hope you guys like it. pressure's on. ♪ don't be afraid >> we got it! >> oh, it's so good. remember you played it for me in the dressing room? >> i remember -- >> i'm still like -- oh, my gosh. hoda, i'm so proud of you. >> thank you. >> thank you, ladies, for seeing

the vision and working so hard. two days out of their lives with their schedules, all for pediatric cancer kids. wow. you have to wait until tomorrow to hear it. >> tomorrow you'll hear the song and there's a video that goes along with it. if you want a sneak peek, you want to donate some money, because that's what it is about, not just about making good music, but about making money. go to crowd rise/hoda. >> thank you. >> don't miss jessica simpson in our kitchen right after this. >> thank you for that. i let him know every time every time.llar. now there is a tool made for you. introducing savings catcher from walmart. it compares prices to top stores in your area. if there's a lower advertised price, walmart will give you the difference on an egift card. money! for a limited time get two times the savings catcher reward dollars when you redeem to your bluebird card. every penny counts! yep! join the millions of people saving money with savings catcher. go to walmart.com/savingscatcher. save money. live better. walmart.

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time now to take you into "today's kitchen" where we are getting some healthy meals and snacks from none other than jessica simpson. >> she's got the legs to prove it. and other stuff. >> she is going to let us in on her secrets to beating the afternoon cravings and she is here with weight watchers chef,

ryan hootmacker. we should point out weight watchers is also one of our advertisers. what's up? >> this is all available through weight watchers, right? some regular popcorn but without regular oils. >> this is just store bought. >> okay. >> these are your kind of snacks. >> my kind of snacks. i'm a salty girl. >> me too. >> i'm sweet. >> i'm salty. >> really? >> yeah. >> i like a reduced fat cracker with cheese because i definitely am a cheese person. popcorn is always good. it's called skinny pop. >> yep. yep. it's good. >> i like -- i choose the thin buns. >> so -- >> of course. >> because i want them. >> i think these are really nice though because jessica loves sensible snacks. >> i do. just to know you can eat the things you love. >> and get the crunch. >> absolutely. >> crunch is huge in satisfaction. >> sometimes you need something substantive because i feel like we eat a lot of carrots and

celery and yawnsville. >> seriously. i ate all of this kind of stuff while losing weight. >> you did? >> yeah. >> okay. >> this is kind of -- hey, you get at lot of bulk for this. almost four cups of popcorn and it has fiber. >> do you have any kondmentes on that flat bread? >> i choose miracle whip. >> it's four points right there. >> mustard. >> no points. >> what about in the drink department? we're the most concerned with this. >> this is my cocktail. people think that i'm crazy because i carry around this vitamin water zero. >> yeah. a lot of people do. >> so i'm always taking it to restaurants and pouring it in my drink. >> wow. >> so what's in it? >> vodka. kettle wine -- >> classy. >> yeah. with a little bit of sparkling water. >> this is about four points right here. >> enjoy your points. >> so the vodka -- 1 1/2 ounces

of vodka, 8 ounces of -- >> nice and refreshing. >> a lot of variety. a lot of flavors with this. so you can switch it up a the time. >> ryan is going to demo some cooking here. what are you making for us? >> simple, sensible, fresh food. we'll go with one of jessica's favorite foods. penne pasta with the vodka sauce. >> again with the vodka, i sense a theme. >> nothing is off limits. i'll have you stir in tomato paste. caramelize that. it will add a lot of flavor to this. so you get that all stirred in there. >> blend in the others. >> put in the vodka. >> uh-huh. >> so we're cooking with a little bit of booze which is fun, but it will add a nice flavor. >> it will burn off. most of it. >> yeah. >> i have taken out the bacon element. so we're adding extra flavor with garlic and shallots. i'll add in some cream. >> all right. we have a couple of seconds, sorry. >> counterintuitive for weight, but -- >> you can lighten it up --

>> it's the portion. >> it's the portions. >> it's about being able to eat whatever you want and not feeling like you're on a diet at all. >> while ryan is mixing in the pasta, want to try it? >> remember i gave up pasta. >> that's right. >> you know what? i can suck on one and put it back. >> this is all coming togetheral. >> that's hilarious. >> i'm going to throw up. >> throw some basil around it. >> she's going to suck on it -- she totally gave it. she did. >> the sauce is awesome. >> i'm going to try it. >> always the pasta. >> all right. we'll be right back, but first, this is "today" on nbc. >> thank you.

all right. tomorrow, the music video premiere for the "shine light".

>> and tomorrow big and rich. >> and we'll have kenan thompson here. >> and we'll have kenan thompson here. >> don't forget a some people think vegetables are boring. but with green giant's delicious seasonings and blends, we just may change their minds. ho ho ho green giant! you say avocado old el paso says... zesty chicken and avocado tacos in our stand 'n stuff tortillas . (record scratch) you say stand n' stuff tortillas old el paso says... start somewhere fresh

nbc bay area news starts now. >> only language understood by killers like this is the language of force. >> a rallying cry to the world today, reject violence extremism. good morning and thanks for joining us. >> at the united nations in new york this morning, president obama called on countries to join in the u.s.-led war on isis. he said it would require a look at why young muslim men join groups like isis and requires a sustained military attack. nbc's steve handelsman reports. >> reporter: president obama came to the u.n. general assembly after another set of u.s.-led strikes against isis. four in iraq by u.s. war