live local news update. >> join us for "nbc bay area news" at 11:00 and thank you for starting your morning here with us. make it a great monday, make it a great week. [ music playing ] good morning. searching for answers. >> 20 fatalities is just horrific. >> investigators and the families of the victims asking why, after the deadliest accident in the u.s. in nearly a decade. limo plowing through an intersection in upstate new york killing all 18 people inside and two pedestrians. among the dead, four sisters and their husbands, heading to a birthday party. >> they did the responsible thing, getting limo so that they wouldn't be driving. >> just latest on the investigation and new concerns about the safety of stretch limos. all eyes on michael, the

tropical storm on track to hit the southern u.s. as a powerful hurricane. >> this storm will be life-threatening and extremely dangerous. >> dill wlylan tells us where an the storm could strike. and a ceremony for new supreme court justice brett kavanaugh today after a bruising nomination bralgt nomination battle. what awaits him when he joins the other justices. all that plus mysterious outbreak. at least six children diagnosed with a rare polio-like disease. and bundle of joy. brch bode and morgan miller welcome a new baby boy. and after years of staying out of politics, why taylor swift is weighing in today monday, october 8, 2018. >> from nbc news, this is

"today" with savannah guthrie and hoda kotb live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. morning, welcome to today. it is columbus day, 2018. >> glad that you are with us. >> and unfortunately we start with a really sad story. and an investigation now into an unimaginable tragedy. it happened in up-new york. 20 people were killed in a single accident when an suv limousine taking family and friends to a birthday party went off the road. tom on costello is at the scene for us this morning. tom, good morning. >> reporter: good morning. this is the worst fatal accident involving transportation in nearly ten years since a plane crash in buffalo. behind me, these are the rut marks, the drag marks where they had to pull the suv out of the ravine and the creek. this was a high impact crash. witnesses say they believe in fact that this limo may have been speeding as it blew through you a stop sign and slammed at a high rate of speed right into

that creek and ravine. on a quiet country road in upstate new york, a gut-wrenching tragedy. >> 20 fatalities is horrific. >> reporter: the more horror transmitted in the voice of responders. >> med life on standby. >> reporter: the question everyone here is asking, how did s an suv limousine plow dlu ththr this intersection. it went through the stop sign. there are no skid marks to be seen here on the driveway. he tore right through this cafe's driveway, hitting and killing two pedestrians before careening right into the ravine. >> i wanted to see it and say good by to them. >> reporter: barbara douglas

lost four of her thenieces, all sisters. three of their husbands were also killed. amy seen here at her wedding last june. her husband axl rented the limo. >> they did the sponresponsible thing getting limo. >> and the police chief -- >> this is the most deadly transportation crash or accident that we've seen in this country since 2009. >> reporter: 2009 was the year a flight crashed in to a house near buff lalo killing 50. according to records, the limo was owned by prestige limousine chauffeur service. it was subject to five vehicle inspections, four of them resulting in vehicles being placed out of service. these photos from the company's website showing several suv limos like the one involved in

the crash. now ntsb investigate toiors are examining the are horrific crash. was there is a mechanical failure, how were the road conditions and questions about the driver. whether he was intoxicated, whether the brakes failed, all of that on the table? >> everything is on the table. >> reporter: the biggest question, how you did a day of happiness surn into suturn into tragedy. and to underscore the gravity here, with we believe that now three children have been left orphans because their parents were killed in this horrific crash. back to you. >> just so hard to even fathom. have you had a chance to reach out to limousine company, has it come out with a statement or anything? >> reporter: we did talk to limousine company last night. they declined to comment beyond saying this is a tragedy but that they would refer us to the ntsb. >> and what wiabo what about th

intersection, is it known to be dangerous? >> reporter: it was a "t," if you will. as you come down that hill, you hit this street with which is right behind the camera. if you don't hit the stop sign in time, or if you are not paying attention, you can blow righ right through the stop sign and come right towards me and that is what apparently happened yesterday -- or saturday where the car came barreling into this ravine. and witnesses say this has happened before, but never have they seen fatal injuries like this before. >> just a tragedy. tom, thank you so much. coming up, we'll take a closer look at some of the safety concerns when you are talking about those stretch limos. we'll look into that a little more closely. also this morning a state of machining has been declared in florida ahead of what is expect to become the next hurricane to strike the southern u.s. dylan in forr al tracking the storm. >> and this is becoming more and more of a concern as the storm will move into very ripe environment for it to

strengthen. it is a tropical storm right now with winds at 70 miles an hour. but it is very close to becoming a hurricane. and then as it moves to the north, it runs into very warm water in the gulf of mexico and there is the possibility it could be a category 2 storm by wednesday with winds up to 110 miles per hour. and then most likely making landfall late wednesday into early thursday as it then races up the coast. so we have tropical storm watches and hurricane watches in effect especially across the pan handling of florida. and there is now the possibility that if this does become a category 2 storm, we could be looking at a significant storm surge right along this border of florida as well. so this storm is unlike the last storm unlike hurricane florence in that it is very fast moving, so it will make its way on shore late wednesday and then race up the carolinas thursday into friday and then the cold front will sweep it out to sea. when you but we could end up with a foot of rain in parts. panhandle of florida, especially

panama city toward tallahassee. and we'll have the damaging winds as a possibility and that dangerous storm surge. these are all details that we will virn out iron out as we ge to the storm. >> thank you. meantime brett kavanaugh begins the weeks at newest supreme court justice after a birts fight over h bitter fight over his nomination. you can be sure to hear his name a lot from both democrats and republicans with midterms just a month away. we have two reports starting with kristen welker. good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you. in a matter of just hours, the white house will host a ceremonial swearing in of justice brett kavanaugh in primetime allowing the president to take a very public victory lap ahead of the midterms. kavanaugh was confirmed by the narrowest of margins and thousand both par thousand -- now both parties are looking to capitalize with democrats trying to energy geez women voters and republicans saying dems are an angry mob. this morning brett kavanaugh is

now justice kavanaugh, sworn in over the weekend in a private ceremony with his hand on a family bible. as demonstrators on both sides descended on the nation's capital. inside the senate chamber saturday, the vote for kavanaugh interrupted again. >> are sergeant at arms will restore. >> reporter: and again. >> shame, shame. >> clerk will suspend. >> reporter: kavanaugh was confirmed 50-48, the slimmest margin in more than 100 years. >> the nomination of brett m. kavanaugh of maryland to be an associate justice of the supreme supreme court of the united states is confirmed. ♪ proud to be an american >> reporter: and president trump, it is a monumental win. >> i stand before you today on the heels of a tremendous victory for our nation, our people, and our beloved constitution. >> reporter: the victory capping a strong week for mr. trump who

struck a new trade deal with mexico and canada and saw the unemployment rate drop to 3.7%, its lowest in nearly 50 years. using all of it as leverage to energize republicans in the upcoming midterms. >> on november 6, you will have the chance to stop the radical democrats. >> reporter: but democrats are fired up and firing back. >> i said to the women who were justifiably angry but determined, and i said they should be just focus like a laser beam on the elections. >> reporter: for moderate republican senator susan collins who delivered the decisive yes vote, sticking with her party could have real consequences. she was pressed on "60 minutes" about christine blasey ford's allegations of sexual assault against kavanaugh which he denies. >> i believe that had a sexual assault had happened to her. what i think she is mistaken about is who the perpetrator

was. i do not believe her assailant was both. >> reporter: and heidi heitkamp's no vote could cost her her seat next month, acknowledging voting yes would have been safer. >> this isn't about politics. this is about a lifetime appointment on the supreme court. >> reporter: now, that 50-48 vote occurred would you steve daines was attending his daughter's wedding. as for today, president trump travels to florida for a police chief's convention before returning right here to the white house for that historic swearing in later tonight. >> all right. kristen welker, thanks. beat wipete williams is at supreme court will where justice kavanaugh will begin hearing cases tomorrow. coming through this con fir nation battle, it is probably never 34res answpleasant, but ts

so xwleeemotional. how do you think he will be received when he shows up for work tomorrow? >> reporter: they will all pull together. the justices have long been concerned that this koirt could be perceived as a political institution, but that has more do with their concern about the confirmation process. the justices know him. he's been a judge just a couple blocks away. they have worked with him. and here is the fact, it takes five votes to prevail on a supreme court case. so every justice is a potential ally. they will pull together, witness the fact that some of the liberals were are at his swearing in on sunday. -- or saturday. those that were in town. >> and he is replacing what has long been thought to be a swing vote. so how do you think that will affect the balance? >> reporter: any nominee by donald trump who replayed anthony kennedy would move the court to the right what you kennedy sometimes voted with the liberals in some landmark cases. so kavanaugh's influence will be felt in two ways. we don't have a lot of hot

button cases in this term, but in future years he will vote with the conservatives on issues like abortion, affirmative action, presidential power and the limit of money in politics. but there is a second way that he will be influential on the court. there are some issues that because the justices didn't know where anthony kennedy was going to come out, they were reluctant to take cases if they didn't know how he was going to vote. now that they are pretty sure that brett kavanaugh will be a dependable conservative vote, they may now take up issues that the court has shied away from in the past, issues like gun control. >> all right. pete, thank you very much. and craig is here, another story we're following. >> good morning. health officials in minnesota are on alert, six children there across the state have been diagnosed with a rare polio-like disord disorder. >> yeah, usually minnesota sees maybe one case of this condition each year. they sflnow have six in the las few week all in children under

ten years old. >> can you do 15 this time? >> reporter: this morning 7-year-old quentin is working to get stronger. happy to be home with his family instead of in the hospital undergoing tests. he was recently diagnosed with acute flaccid mileitis, a disorder that impacts the nervous system. >> he started complain thaeg couldn't use his arm very well, his neck froze up to where he really wouldn't turn his head. doctors were perplexed. >> reporter: he was sick for weeks before doctors confirmed he had afm. >> there is no known treatment or cure. >> reporter: quinn continue now quentin now one of six diagnosed with the disorder. a new outbreak that has state health officials concerned. >> it is alarming that we are seeing six cases in a short period of time when usually they see one or none per year.

however, it is still a very, very rare condition. >> reporter: symptoms can include sudden muscle weakness, neck weakness or stiffness, drooping in the eyelids or face. and trouble swallowing or slurred speech in some cases. it can lead to paralysis or even death. according to the cdc, there has been at least 362 afm cases in the u.s. since 2014. when officials saw a spike across the country. investigators believe it was linked to a virus. it is not clear what is behind the new outbreak. >> we're seeing more cases, there will be even are more attention really put to trying to understand what is causing this. >> reporter: as for quentin, doctors are not sure if he will get full use of his arm back, but his family is staying positive. >> we have our son back, he is as happy and playful as ever and we're just grateful that we have that. >> now, unlike polio, there is no vaccine for afm. health officials recommend

families take basic steps such as washing hands, staying up-to-date on vaccinations. and if you see symptoms, go to the doctor as soon as possible. >> all right. thank you. an urgent warning about the dangers of climate change. some of the world's top scientists are providing little hope that the world will be able to limit global warming, that is unless new technologies are developed to remove glean houre gases from atmosphere. they say preventing a single degree could make a life or death difference. 2 pp 2.7 degree increase could have a serious impact. good morning. we've had a lot of rain back through the midwest. this very slow moving front continues to bring rain through the midwest back through the plains and down into texas where we could see some flash flooding. behind it, it is cold and cold enough to proper significant snowfall especially in the

higher elevations. that is a look at the weather. we'll get to your local forecrot in the next 30 seconds. good morning, i'm meteorologist kari hall. it's going to be a warm day. we do still have the high fire danger that continues through part of the morning, as our winds stay breezy and low humidity. today our high temperatures inland reach into the mid 80s and slightly cooler tomorrow. that cooling trend continues through wednesday and then we heat it back up again in time for the end of the week into the weekend.

for san francisco expect highs in the mid-70s today and then turning cooler for tomorrow through thursday. and that's your latest forecast. >> all right. dig contractor dylan. thank you. coming up, how are these popular limos? we will look into that because of that rare innocent in new york. taylor swift swift, what has her jumping into polits? jumping into polits? firsict

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do not take stelara® if you are allergic to any of its ingredients. man: are you fed up with crohn's symptoms following you? talk to your doctor today, and learn how janssen can help you explore cost support options. remission can start with stelara®. police are investigating an apparent deadly shooting in fremont. it happened on charleston way a very good morning to you. police investigating a deadly shooting in fremont on charleston way not far from grimmer elementary school. police so far are saying very little about what happened or who the victim is. witnesses called 911 a little after midnight about shots fired. officers found the victim inside a home. they then cordoned off that area to search for the gunman. so far, there's been no update on the search or even a description of who they're looking for. this is fremont's second homicide this year. the first one happened back in february. let's check the forecast now, meteorologist kari hall, how are wing looking? >> it's still a very warm day and well above normal

temperatures with some of our inland valleys reaching into the mid 80s today. also high fire danger throughout the morning, with some gusty winds. san francisco reaches up to 75 degrees and 82 in san jose. in antioch expect a high of 87 degrees and mid 80s for the north bay as well. up through the week, it cools off slightly as we go toward wednesday and the weekend is going to be heating up, back into the mid 80s, and still that high fire danger will continue. as we look at san francisco, mid-70s today with sunshine, upper 60s through much of the week. how are the roads moving, mike? >> much better. also looking at san francisco, less than ten minutes ago, sig alert canceled. they cleared the lanes crash 101 at candlestick park. recovery 280 sees more traffic building through daly city, we may see the shift over in that direction. notice the lighter traffic flow, the bay bridge metering lights are still on, but still remember a lot of companies and schools get columbus day off for the

holiday. lighter commute around the bay. bottom of the screen 1101 slow toward capital expressway. >> i'll be back with another update in half an hour.

[ music playing ] we are back at 7:30 and that little adorable guy is bode and morgan miller's new bundle of joy. the couple welcoming him just months after a heart breaking loss. we are going to have the latest in the chapter in their family story just ahead. >> so happy for them. first, let's get a check of the headlines. we begin with this tragedy in upstate new york. 24 people were killed when it plowed through an intersection and crashed into an occupied vehicle the group was headed to a birthday party. all 18 people died as did two pedestrians. this is the deadliest accident

in nearly a decade. the ntsb is there on the scene working closely with state police trying to figure out exactly how this all happened. u.s. secretary of state mike pompeo says kim jong-un is ready to allow international inspectors into the north's nuclear missile testing sites. it was one of the main staik sticking points, pompeo revealed it to a short trip on sunday. the secretary of state said both sides were close to an agreement on the details of the second summit. what a day in the world of sports. a lot of dramatic last-minute finishes on the football field and exciting baseball as well. let's start with the nfl. right here on nbc, and in-state rivalry all wrapped up between the cowboys and texans. here it is, making the 36-yard field goal to win it for houston. earlier in the day the browns and ravens also went into

overtime, cleveland's greg joseph lifted a 37-yard field goal. it's the first time cleveland has bonn on a sunday since december of 2015. >> wow! >> that was 37 games ago. . >> but who's counting? >> to the diamond, atlanta pulling off a win against the dodgers, the as come through in a huge way, 2nd inning, grand slam to give atlanta the 5 lead to hold on to win it 6-5. game four tonight, the highlights well into the night after the milwaukee brewers finished off the three-game sweep of the colorado rockies. the final there. onto the nlcs, three more games on the schedule today, including that series we are all keeping a close eye on here in the studio the yankees and red sox that game tied at one game apiece.

>> a nice job on the sports. we return to our big story in new york, the accident is raising a lot of questions about the safety of limousines, gieb ghou gutierrez has that story. >> reporter: there are still so many unanswered questions about what causeed that deadly crash in upstate new york. around the country, regular vehicles are heavily regulated, but stretch limos are not. this morning with 20 people dead in a terrible crash in upstate new york, there is renewed scrutiny of stretch limousines. >> this is the most deadly accident in this country since february of 2009. >> reporter: witnesses say the little morks a 2001 ford excursion sped down the hill into a parking lot and crashed into an suv. two people in the parking lot, all 18 adults in the little morks including the driver were killed. >> the front seat passengers and the driver would be required to

wear a seatbelt. the passengers in the back would not. >> reporter: so far it's not clear if they were wearing seatbelts, what the condition of the vehicle was or exactly how it was modified, but previously, there had been questions about the safety of stretch limos. in 2018, five women celebrating died when their stretch limo died. in 2014, a limo had been cut apart and rebuilt to accommodate more passengers. a grand jury later found that converted stretch limos often don't have security measures, including side impact airbags and rollover protection bars and accessible emergency exits. >> the reality is when these vehicles are changed after market and this stretching occurs, it does change the engineered design of the vehicle. >> reporter: fatal limo crashes are relatively rare. there were two fatal ones in

2017, down from 2015, regulations experts say are not consistent. >> what we have now across the nation is a patchwork system with these vehicles. it's really important to reevaluate where we are and recognize this franken stein system we have across the country isn't serving consumers well. >> gabe, are any states taking steps to protect people who are riding in these limos? >> reporter: well, actually, craig, this year in california, a limo retrofit law went into effect requiring more accessible emergency exits. say federal law requires passenger cars to protect passengers using airbags, stretch limos don't have that same requirement. >> gabe, thank you. let's move over to miss dylan dreyer to get a check of the weather. >> yesterday we had 12 weather

reports, half were tornado reports. look at the sight across norman, oklahoma in fairfax, can you see the smaller structures were tossed and blown around because of the wind causing significant damage. down trees, down power lines. some of these structures coming down crashing on to some cars, too. so it was a pretty wild day across oklahoma. today we're looking at more of the same, more severe storms possible. also torrential downpours. there are 18 million people at risk for flash flooding today, especially in this area across southeastern nebraska through central kansas, extending down into central oklahoma. also down through south central texas. we could see the possibility of some flooding because of the saturated ground and some of these downpours producing rainfall rates of about two inches per hour. we can see an additional two-to-fur inches of rain. >> that could lead to flooding in oklahoma and texas. down to parts of the mid-west, we can see

>> good morning, i'm meteorologist kari hall. it's going to be a warm day especially for the inland valleys. we're heading back into the mid to upper 80s for the afternoon. our fire danger is still continuing for the inland hills, but that should get better as the day goes along. we're reaching up to 82 today in san jose, and 75 today in san francisco and as we go through the next seven days, our inland valleys will cool off just a bit with some upper 70s by wednesday, and then it heats back up again for the end of the work week. and that's your latest forecast. >> coming up a first for taylor swift. why the music star is now wading into politics. then what does the most famous rock climber do to an encore to his most famous crime? he gives savannah a lesson. al, taking the great white wave on shore.

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this morning on "in depth" a little lightness for skier bode miller and his wife morgan. >> the family invited a baby after losing their daughter emmy in an accident drowning. they shared their photo exclusively with us. he doesn't have a name yet, but this is the very first photo of bode and morgan miller's baby boy, born at home in a pool with the mid-life that helped them. he came into the world in the same place as he is sister did years ago. they shared this powerful words about the birth. exactly one month before emmy's second birthday -- the sun rose

and they knew this day would be different. adding, morgan's fingers grasped on to their son who filled such empty arms. the good news coming just four months after the tragic death of their 19-month-old daughter emmy the toddler accidentally drowning into a neighbor's swimming pool, morgan was pregnant with her son when we spoke about that accident. how are you thinking about the new baby the fact that you are going through this and creating life? >> that was my first concern. besides the fact of never being able to see my daughter again, it was every time how am i supposed to bring a new baby into this world without, with just losing my baby? >> emmy was so excited to be a big sister. she walked around all the time with her baby and now we have the opportunity to get to love that baby not only for ourselves

but for emmy. >> last month on instagram, morgan shared this moving message to her precious daughter. i wish i could have one more day to hold you. until that day comes, continue to work through me and give me the strength to bring awareness to my love, awareness to other families about the real dangers of childhood drowning. . >> there is not a day that goes by that i don't play for the opportunity to go back to that day and make it different. but now we have this opportunity to make other parents' days different. >> their friend and mid-wife sharing how the family is feeling now after the birth of their son. while nothing will ever replace the feeling of aching arms to hold emmy again, this baby provided something new this day, joy, inspiration and hope. >> we have been waiting for this day ever since she did that interview. >> it's such beautiful news.

i'm so happy for them. i know they're full of joy and you know i just -- they actually said when we talked this summer that their kids, older kids are helping them and showing them how to move through their grief. because they're so present. you know they know and they miss their baby sister, then they also know how to be present and i think this little baby will continue that and i would be remiss if i didn't say the reason morgan and bode are here and talking about this is they want to make other parents aware about drowning, water safety so we have to continue that push. >> absolutely. >> that's a heart warming picture. coming up next, she stayed on the sidelines for years. the sidelines for years. why is taylor swift breaking h don't forget that the past can speak to the future. ♪ ♪ i'm going to be your substitute teacher. don't assume the substitute teacher has nothing to offer... same goes for a neighborhood. don't forget that friendships last longer than any broadway run. mr. president. (laughing) don't settle for your first draft.

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for the bake sale? hey guys, where are the cookies bake sale? need to bake in a hurry? use country crock buttery sticks with sunflower oil. there's no softening required, so baking is delicious and easy. ohh! cookies! uh-uh-uh. is important to me so father being diagnosed with advanced non-small cell lung cancer made me think of all the things that i wanted to teach my kids. (avo) another tru story with keytruda. (roger) my doctor said i could start on keytruda so i did. with each scan things just got better. (avo) in a clinical study, keytruda offered patients a longer life than chemotherapy. and it could be your first treatment. keytruda is for adults with non-small cell lung cancer that has spread... ...who test positive for pd-l1 and whose tumors do not have an abnormal "egfr" or "alk" gene. it's the immunotherapy with the most fda-approved uses for advanced lung cancer. keytruda can cause your immune system to attack normal organs and tissues in your body and affect how they work. this can happen anytime during or after treatment and may be severe and lead to death.

see your doctor right away if you experience new or worsening cough, chest pain, shortness of breath, diarrhea, severe stomach pain or tenderness, nausea or vomiting, rapid heartbeat, constipation, changes in urine, changes in eyesight, muscle pain or weakness, joint pain, confusion or memory problems, fever, rash, itching or flushing, as this may keep these problems from becoming more serious. these are not all the possible side effects of keytruda. tell your doctor about all your medical conditions including immune system problems, or if you've had an organ transplant or lung, breathing, or liver problems. (roger ) before i'd think of the stuff i might miss. but now with keytruda, we have hope. (avo) living longer is possible. it's tru. keytruda, from merck. ask your doctor about keytruda. we got a larger than usual crowd for a monday morning, because we have a larger than usual announcement coming up in just a bit.

7:48 now. more on that in a moment. first the unexpected announcement from music superstar taylor swift. >> miguel almaguer joins us to explain. >> good morning, swift has face criticism for not speaking out despite having a global platform. now after her own personal experiences, she shares her views as she uses her voice to krein e venture into the political fray. >> overnight, pop superstar taylor swift getting political, declaring her support for two democrats in the upcoming mid-term elections, former governor bredesen and representative jim cooper for the house the gram my award winning writing, in the past, i've been reluctant to publicly voice my political opinions. but due to several events in my life and in the world and in the past two years, i feel differently about that now. for the singer that moved to

tennessee as a teen and got her start in country music before moving over to become a star, one fan posting bad moves, politics just ruined your career. you picked the wrong side, we are never ever getting back together, unfollowed. others backing the bad blood star writing you all can say what you will, this right here is someone i can support. swift's announcement comes one day after the end of the american leg of her world tour and a day after judge brett kavanaugh's narrow confirmation to the supreme court, following accusations of sexual misconduct. swift recently acknowledging the one-year anniversary of her own legal victory against the colorado dj, who she said sexually assaulted her during a 2013 meet and greet. >> this day a year ago was the day that, the day that the jury

decided in my favor and said they will be me. >> reporter: it comes as swift's one-time nemesis kanye west -- >> i'm happy for you, i'm going to let you finish. >> reporter: is also getting political, backing donald trump, recently wearing a "make america great again" hat on "saturday night live." . swift hinting that the kavanaugh confirmation and her own experiences led to her political posts now going viral. >> i just want to say i'm sorry to anyone whoever wasn't believed because i don't know what term my life would have taken if somebody, if people didn't believe me when i said something that happened to me. >> swift has one of the largest followings in the world. her voice she hopes will have an impact. it is a gamble for someone like swift to wade into politics. it's something she says she has to do. guys, back to you.

>> all right. mikel, thank you. . just ahead, savannah learns the ropes of rock climbing from the most famous rock climber on the planet. >> not bad, plus, al's broadway we saved hundreds on our car insurance when we switched to geico. this is how it made me feel. it was like that feeling when you're mowing the lawn on a sunny day... ...and without even trying, you end up with one last strip that's exactly the width of your mower. when you're done, it looks so good you post a picture on social media. and it gets 127 likes. geico. fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more on car insurance. cat's inner voice: look! a door to another dimen... oh, no, just a bag. cat's inner voice: (panting) train insane... or remain the same. whew! we'll never totally figure them out, but we do know what makes them happy. meow mix. 40 years, and still the only one cats ask for by name.

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♪to the good that you live ♪healthy hearts ♪filled with good ♪have more good to give ♪the good goes around and around♪ moving? that's harder now because of psoriatic arthritis. but you're still moved by moments like this. don't let psoriatic arthritis take them away. taltz reduces joint pain and stiffness and helps stop the progression of joint damage. for people with moderate to severe psoriasis, 90% saw significant improvement. taltz even gives you a chance at completely clear skin. don't use if you're allergic to taltz. before starting, you should be checked for tuberculosis. taltz may increase risk of infections and lower your ability to fight them. tell your doctor if you have an infection, symptoms,

or received a vaccine or plan to. inflammatory bowel disease can happen with taltz, including worsening of symptoms. serious allergic reactions can occur. for all the things that move you. ask your doctor about taltz. good monday morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. it's 7:56. we're seeing sunshine across the south bay. live look outside, it's still going to be kind of hazy with some drifts of smoke, due to the nearby wildfires and brush fires. we are going to have some moderate air quality for parts of the bay and the coast. the inlet east bay as well as the south bay in santa clara

valley. high temperatures still well above normal, reaching 82 in san jose. 85 in livermore in and concord, as well as napa and 75 today in san francisco. our temperatures as we go into the inland area for the next few days will be in the upper 70s, cooling down by midweek and going right back up to the mid 80s by the end of the week. san francisco's looking at the return of the clouds and fog, starting tomorrow, and that's going to cool it down just a bit for the next couple of days. let's head over to mike for an update on the morning commute. >> kari, the middle of the screen north 880, a crash may be sticking out into the slow lane and the biggar rows show you the only pronounced slowing 101 and 87, as you pass by capital expressway. the rest of the bay shows slower drive than a half hour ago but not as bad as we often see, a lighter flow of traffic, that columbus day holiday for businesses and schools. smooth drive toward the bay bridge where we have the backup mostly for the fast track lanes.

happening now, police in fremont investigating an apparent deadly shooting not far from grimmer elementary school. it happened a little after midnight. it also prompted an all-out search in the surrounding area. the latest, including the video from the scene, on our twitter feed. people in the north bay today marking a devastating moment one year ago today, the deadly fire storm overwhelmed santa rosa. 22 people lost their lives from the tubs fire. go to our home page for complete coverage including an update on rebuilding efforts. another local news update is coming up in half an hour. have a great morning. all week ws and challenges following the disaster. now- our consumer team examines why it )s taking so log for the rebuilding to begin so families can try to move on. tomorrow morning from

in an emergency, minutes can mean the difference between life and death. proposition 11 saves lives by ensuring medical care is not delayed in an emergency. proposition 11 establishes into law the longstanding industry practice of paying emts and paramedics to remain on-call during breaks and requires they receive fema level training and active shooters and natural disasters. vote yes on 11 to ensure 911 emergency care is there when you or your love one need it.

it's 8:00 on "today." coming up, what went wrong? investigators this morning searching for answers after a limousine on the way to a birthday party crashed into a parked suv and killed all 18 passengers aboard and two pedestrians. officials calling it the deadliest accident in nearly a decade. >> 20 fatalities, it's just more ri -- horrific. >> we're live at the scene. plus out on a limb. >> do you copy? just started climbing. >> i go one-on-one with the world's most famous rock climber and he gives me my own private lesson. >> now what?

how am i going to get down? >> and hangin' tough. the new kids on the block stop by studio 1a with some very special guests and something else you don't want to miss. today, monday, october 8, 2018. celebrating amy's birthday! >> it's her birthday trip. >> from mississippi. >> friends from charlotte, north carolina. >> and houston, texas. >> here from sydney, australia. >> here from berlin, germany. >> we've got a little pep in our step. good morning, everybody, it's monday morning. nice to have you along. i feel like the grapevine coming on, knee lifts. >> when i got up this morning, there was already a line around

the block. >> they're not even playing, they just have a big announcement. we'll get to that in a minute. here's the news at 8:00. the ntsb is now on the scene investigating that weekend limousine crash that happened in upstate new york. 20 people were killed, including four sisters. nbc's tom costello is at the scene for us this morning. tom, good morning. >> reporter: good morning. four sisters, two newlywed couples, several other family members, and several brothers were killed and now three children have been left without parents. and this is the scene here where the suv limo came barreling all the way down this grassy section here into the ravine, into the creek, and everybody onboard died. on a quiet country road in upstate new york, a gut-wrenching tragedy. >> 20 fatalities is just horrific. >> gonna need multiple ambulances. >> reporter: the voices of emergency responders first on the scene.

>> mutt med life on stand by. >> reporter: the question everyone here is asking, how did an suv limousine headed to a birthday party on saturday plow through this intersection taking the lives of 20 people. >> 18 of the victims were in the limousine, including the driver. >> reporter: witnesses say the van came tearing right down that road and blew through that stop sign. there are no skid marks to be seen here on the driveway. he tore right through the apple barrel's driveway, hitting and killing two pedestrians here before careening right into the ravine. >> all of them are great people. >> reporter: new this morning, their friend who was unable to attend the party and would have been in that limo revealing that several of the victims were parents, the children now orphans. >> adam and abby have two little girls that are absolutely adorable. i love those girls. and axl's brother, rich, had a

kid as well. >> reporter: the chief, robert stonewald. >> this is absolutely the most deadly transportation crash or accident that we've seen in this country since 2009. >> reporter: 2009 was the year an air flight crashed into a house killing 50. according to records obtained the limo was owned by prestige limousine chauffeur service. the company was not involved in any crashes over the last two years, but it was subject to five vehicle inspections. four of them resulting in vehicles being placed out of service. these photos from the company's website showing several suv limos like the one involved in the crash. now ntsb investigators are combing through thick underbrush and examining the wreckage of this horrific crash. among the questions, was there a mechanical failure, how were the road conditions, and questions about the driver. >> distracted driving, whether he was intoxicated, whether the brakes failed, all of that is on the table?

>> everything is on the table. >> reporter: the biggest question, how did a day of happiness turn into such a heart-breaking tragedy. we talked to the limo company, prestige limo, in the nearby community and they say they are devastated by this loss. they declined to comment beyond that. they said that the owner is out of the country right now. they referred us to the ntsb. speaking of which, there are ntsb team members on the scene to try to put together exactly what went wrong. savannah, back to you. >> such a tragedy. tom, thank you. new supreme court justice, brett kavanaugh, will start hearing cases before the high court on tuesday. kavanaugh was sworn in late saturday after the senate approved him in a close 50-48 vote. purchas president trump will hold a ceremonial swearing-in tonight. kavanaugh gives the court a solid conservative majority. that could have an impact on abortion, immigration and presidential powers. both republicans and democrats are hoping that anger generated

by the confirmation fight will mobilize voters in midterm elections next month. we've got the news covered. shall we do a little morning boost? you are never too young to show a little style or confidence when you go out for a swim. take a look at these young ladies on their way to a pool party. >> hey, ladies! >> yeah. >> where y'all going to? where y'all going to? >> to the pool. >> what you gonna do at the pool? >> swim. >> what you gonna do they pool? swim. >> come on. that was posted by naomi campbell who knows talent and attitude when she sees it. >> i want to get in line and go to that party. >> let's get your kids in. >> i love it. that's cute. much more ahead this morning. we are going to celebrate al's broadway debut. >> what a night it was. then, up, up and away. >> are you proud of me? >> i am sort of impressed. >> can i come down now? >> i kind of feel like you should rest a minute. >> you were a foot off the ground.

>> your hands-on rock climbing lesson from the most famous climber in the world. first these messages. smile dad. i take medication for high blood pressure and cholesterol. but they might not be enough to protect my heart. adding bayer aspirin can further reduce the risk of another heart attack. because my second chance matters. be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin an aspirin regimen. get your family active with 25% off under armour and get kohl's cash for you! that's 25% off select under armour shoes hoodies for the family girls' tops and bottoms and more! stock up on under armour

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the last thing you want in a disaster is to lose communications. without communications, we have nothing-- people get hurt. when disaster strikes, that is when your communication service can really become your lifeline. ♪ (nicki palmer) we are constantly innovating. from a dedicated lane on our network just for first responders to cell towers on wheels. we can even fly cells in drones so communications stay up. in times of crisis, their calls go through, and they can get their job done. we know what we're getting into when we sign on, to take care of people and make sure everyone comes home safe. that's what my number one goal is. we are back with some exciting news from the bush family. we are so delighted to share this. >> that's right. we received a statement from former president george w. bush and his wife laura announcing their daughter barbara is

married. the lucky guy is craig lewis coyne. they exchanged vows last night. the bride wore an ivory silk vera wang custom gown. we will talk to jenna and get the scoop. first, more on the big day. barbara was married sunday in an intimate ceremony of just family on the rocky coast of maine, a place dear to her and her family. barbara's new husband had proposed in the same spot where barbara's grandparents were engaged more than 70 years ago. their epic love story was an inspiration. on a beautiful fall day, barbara walked down the aisle with her father, as her grandfather watched on. always in their thoughts, her beloved grandmother for whom she was named. it was a big day, too, for the father of the bride. a chance to celebrate his precious little girl. >> when my dad came to texas,

the girls were 3 years old, i think. it was a political rally. he was the vice-president. jenna kept flirting with the crowd. lifting her skirt. >> i think she did. >> trying to get a laugh. barbara was taking it all in. was an observer. jenna was a participant. kind of a reflection. barbara is more reserved. jenna is pretty outgoing. as an indication of their little personalities. >> a big day for jenna, a part of the wedding at every step. matron of honor to her twin sister, older by one minute, and her dearest friend. >> barbara has a huge heart. she was the type of kid that looked after everybody else in our class and wanted to make sure everybody was taken care of. she's gentle. she's creative. she's a great artist. she's brilliant. >> on this day, a celebration of barbara. a life of love, laughter and

joy. >> on the phone with us right now, is the matron of honor, jenna. good morning. >> i'm crying 24 hours later. >> i know. >> i couldn't stop. >> we knew you would cry. we heard every bush family member cried. >> there were so many happy tears. they wanted to get married here, because my grandfather is here. so it was a very secret wedding. a little bit like my elusive sister, but also just family in a place that means family love. it was beautiful. >> describe -- i know you gave a toast. i wish we were there to hear it. what did you say about your sister in your toast? >> it's hard to articulate how much i love her, because 37 years of love. i just told her and everybody how much she means to me. i ended actually with a letter that my grandfather wrote to my

grandmother. because i searched all the romantics and shakespeare wasn't doing it. he was sitting right next to me as i read it. >> let's get to the good stuff. how was the party after? did you dance? >> the party was a lot of fun. my grandfather got to stay through the dinner, which was such a blessing and the reason why they wanted to do it here with him sitting on. actually, barbara wore her something borrowed was a bracelet that my grandfather gave to my grandmother who she is named after on their 70th wedding anniversary. >> wow. >> it's so beautiful. we are looking at the pictures. you both look beautiful. barbara was a stunning bride. how were they? >> poppy was the ring bearer. >> a lot of faith on barbara's

part. >> i know. poppy realized the box was empty. so ran to the front and she kept holding it open, like, this is fake. this is fake. >> of course she did. >> at one point we were praying. poppy ran and almost tackled barbara and gave her a huge hug. pop stole the show. >> give barbara and her new hubby the biggest hug. >> congratulations. >> thank you. >> love you. >> he is now in our "today" extended family, whether he wants to be or not. >> that's the way it works. we have to talk about a potential hurricane. it's a tropical storm. it's michael. it's sitting just to the east cozumel. it's very close to hurricane status. as it moves into a favorable environment, there's the possibility it could be a category 2 hurricane by the time

we get into wednesday morning. that has winds at 110 miles per hour. it looks like it will make its way onshore wednesday and move through the carolinas into friday. it's a quick mover once it approaches the gulf coast. this is also an area that's susceptible to storm surge. we could see a seven to 11 foot storm surge possible within this big bend here. that could lead to sig that's a look at the weather across the country. now here's a peek out your window. >> good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. we have warm and breezy weather for the bay area today. still that high fire darker, especially for the early hours. we should see winds camping down as we go throughout the day. highs for the inland valleys into the mid-80s. cooler tomorrow. the cooler trend continues into wednesday. then we warm it right back up for the end of the week into the weekend. san francisco, mid-70s today. but upper 60s for much of the workweek.

and that's your latest forecast. >> thank you, dylan. carson is in the orange room with new proof about the power of the internet. >> will you love this, hoda. this is like a morning boost here. let me set up a scene for you the new york yankees put an end to the oakland a's season. as if that loss wasn't hard enough for a's fans, check out what happened to this one particularly loyal a's fan in the stands here. there you see the beard, right there with the colored hair. there he s. a yankee fan threw a beer on him, threw the cup, hit him in the head. not a good scene there, this video went viral. sympathy for the a's fan, including a tweet from the a's organization, do you know this a's fan? we'd like to find him and hook him up with more gear that doesn't smell like beer town. in less on that an hour a brooklyn resident. john spencer, he's that a's fan. he says me, never more proud to

be an a's fan, you all are the best. now the support didn't stop here. the very next day, spencer got a message from that yankee fan who threw that beer. he apologized and asked if they can meet in person. not only did they meet up, they ended up hanging out together, they shared their adventures, this one here said, spread the love. that's the brooklyn way. users said, very classy a way to turn it positive, they restored my faith in humanity today the as followed up saying they will send spenceary care package and tickets no next season. so an unfortunate day at the ballpark turned around quickly, social media playing a big part in that. yankee fans. >> the yankees fans stepped up. >> he bought him some drinks doctor, they apologized. >> if they can get along, don't you think anyone can?

sit down and have a beer. >> i love it. >> we will start with buddy al roker. on friday night, al stars as old joe in "waitress." he did an amazing job. every time he came out on stage, the crowd went in an uproar. ♪ if you lack the strength of your own on a holdout ♪ ♪ honey hold out your hand and take it from an old man ♪ [ cheers [ cheers ] >> he sound great, right? he didn't look too nervous. holding a note there, work, hard at it. that's the curtain call there. everybody jumped to their feet, gave him a standing ovachlths i wanted to be there i was with my kids. everybody was there, the whole "today" family, mike, savannah, hoda, kathie lee were there, they brought red wine, which is

weird, craig, libby our executive producer. many of the producers on the show. >> i love that. >> there is the "today" family there. uncle al. >> sonny was there. >> he brought red wine, which is weird, al's daughter came if from paris for the debut. it was a really big night. we're so proud of you, buddy. >> its so nice to see so many of our families there showing support, too. in other news, jennifer garner dealing with drama, chicken drama, she raises chickens in her home. it's an la thing. she was recently asked and said some of the chickens have been fighting especially captain hook and jennifer. we decided to introduce them and our captain hook, one of our older chickens was not nice and she started trying to attack and kill the new chickens,

specificallyhennifer. we got a small coup, i said look here, girl, you have to shape up or it will be solitary isolation. >> right. >> and they're all going to have the run of the coup and watching you in here. >> right, yeah. and did she shape up? >> no are you glad you asked? >> i am, i am. >> the drama hasn't deterred garner from growing her coup. she says she's got some more chickens on the way, oprah henfriday and hemen degeneres. i. >> i like that. >> be sure to check your local listings. >> all right. if you are afraid of heights, you may want to close your eyes for this one the images you will see are literally death defying. >> they are, a national documented profile, that has a man to free solo, no ropes,io sell's el capitan, that means,

scale the wall, no ropes, i caught up with him at our own climbing hot spot in central park. [ music playing ] . >> heying jimmy, do you copy? >> just started climbing. >> everybody who has made free soloing a big part of their life is dead now. i feel like anybody could conceivably die on any given day. soloing makes it feel far more media and much more present. >> in june of 2017, he claims the face of yosemite's el capitan, 3200 feet of sheer granite. >> i can't believe you guys are going to watch. >> one mistake and he'd be dead, no mel e helmet, no ropes. he ascends with nothing but his bare hands and the will to survive. >> you should put someone here, if you lean out, can you see the

whole roof. >> they offer insight into the man behind the feat. >> hey, alex. >> yeah. >> i'm timing you. okay? >> okay. i'm climbing. >> okay. >> hi, you walked up like you're walking down the sidewalk. >> you should try, all timer. >> you will be up here a long time. what is the joy of a free solo climb? >> obviously the big part of the appeal is to be in this position that should be totally scary, crazy, but to feel super comfortable. to be hanging there with air all around you and just feel good. >> we're going to start the task now. >> okay. >> but is there something about alex that makes him uniquely able to tame fear? >> you are not like everybody else. >> it's the same brand, it wasn't showing accusation under certain stimulus which means i have been over sensitized over time. >> you think its more nurture

than nature? >> sure. >> you practiced the fear away? >> i know i have been afraid many, many times for many years, at a certain point, it's not as scary anymore. >> the film captures the human toll for those that care about him. this is also a love story. >> it's really hard for me to grasp why he wants this. but if he doesn't do this jump, he would regret it. what if somebody happens? what if i don't see him again? >> what was more harrowing when you watched the film back the climbing shots or the ones we get to really know you? >> it's much happeneder to watch the relationship and everything unfold for my girlfriends. that's much more challenging for sure. >> as for his mother. >> i feel that's when he feels the most alive, the most everything. how can you even think about taking that away from somebody? >> you guys are riding the

summit? >> at the heart a moral dilemma for the film crew that tracks his every missouri one distraction could end alex's life. >> i have always been conflicted about filming a film about free soloing. because it's so dangerous. it's hard to not imagine your friends falling through the frame to his death. >> alex is living every day with intention. he's living exactly the life he wants to live. so he's thought a lot about. that so we had to make peace with the idea that this is alex's choice. that's terrifying. >> roxanne switched the snaps, the left foot jams. >> what sets you apart is what you are able to do with your mind and how do few calm your fears, how do you get in that mental space? >> it isn't so much as calming my fear so much as preparing to the point where i'm not scary, i'm not afraid. >> part of your train secretary to keep those thoughts at bay.

there is also a part in the film where they go through some of the most famous free climbers and they don't necessarily have a long life span. >> well, my favorite statistic is no free soloist has died doing anything cutting edge. several died like slipping or random things happening. as lon as you slip and you will probably be fine. >> as for my solo career, let's saw say it was short lived. now what? how am i going to get down? >> left hand. >> i will get stuck. >> you are up there. >> are you proud of me? >> i am sort of impressed. >> can i come down now? >> i think you should rest a bit and go to the top. >> is that it? >> he said i think you should go to the top. we need to get the shot. >> my brain is opposite of his. >> he trained two years. he mapped it out. hands here. >> all the moves. what if a bird flies by?

>> or wind gust. >> anything? >> no room for error. >> it's incredible. it's in theaters right now. straight ahead from rock climbing tothe bay area )s red good morning. 8:26. i'm marcus washington. the bay area's red flag warning is due to expire in about half an hour. but a combination of fires over the weeken, especially one major grass fire in the north bay, is still causing serious air quality problems. depending on where you live, you can smell the smoke the second you walk outside. a lot of it is blowing from outside of fisus city. that fire is now mostly contained. other fires around the bay added to poor air quality, including a 60 acre fire in morgan hill. right now, let's get a look at your morning commute. >> overall, a lighter volume of traffic because columbus day is

a federal holiday. over here, we are still seeing a very slow drive north, 17. the chp just gave the all clear for northbounds lanes of 880. it changes numbers just past the transition. a light volume shows through san jose and pushing up through the rest of silicon valley. mild slowing on the peninsula. the east bay, not too bad. typical patterns. over on the peninsula side of the san mateo bridge, we are looking at a disabled vehicle. the flat section moves smoothly. getting closer to foster city boulevard, there may be some activity still. the bay bridge, how light the traffic is. just those fast track lanes showing any pass. >> another local news update in half an hour.

california's public schools rank 44th in the nation. 44th. i'm marshall tuck, i'm a public-school parent, and i know we can do better. in the public schools i led, we got more funding into our classrooms, supported our teachers, and we raised graduation rates by 60%. that's why president obama's education secretary endorses me. we've done it before. now, let's do it for every public-school student in california. i'm marshall tuck. i'm running for state superintendent.

okay. here are the reasons why. new kids on the block, they are here. they have a few surprises. first, they are going to help dylan out with our crowd. hey, dylan. >> you know, it's hard to pick just who remains in the crowd.

you want to do weather. we need to talk about, there is somebody in the crowd. we need jenna rod. jenna rod. you guys are huge new kids fan? >> yes. >> you are getting married in six days. what are you doing with your honeymoon? >> we are going with all our friends. >> i'm standing here, i'm surrounded by my favorite, the new kids on the block. so i'm sure you want nothing to do with me. so i'll let you guys catch up, get to no each other. i'm a little jealous, i want to hang out with new kids right now, i'm a huge fan. >> i know what you were talking about when you said i saw rod. >> it's fun. >> dylan is in her glee. she loves new kids. also, lena dunham is here, she has a new comedy series that

marks jennifer garner's return. good morning. >> first, it's hard to believe this year america is celebrating 20 years of harry potter. in honor of that magical milestone, we went in search of some of the biggest harry potter fans. we found them. they are here. >> they are here, indeed. i love your 8-year-old daughter sofia, good morning. she's very excited to be here so how was the weekend? >> oh my god, it was amazing so good. >> it was so good? >> oh, absolutely w. we had such a great time. >> you were the contest winners. you got to go see the show, right? what else did you do? >> we got to tour new york. it was so cool to see the harry potter stuff hire in new york. it was amazing. >> what was your favorite harry potter thing that you saw? >> goblins, the magical

creatures. >> what was yours, honey? >> the entire weekend? >> the entire weekend. >> when he came out. >> that's so cool, so neat. we had 3,000 people try to win this contest. but you guys are the biggest harry potter fans ever. did it live up to your expectations? >> oh, definitely, it was absolutely amazing, the exhibit was really cool. >> to win, my understanding is you had to like pick a quote out of the first book, right? >> yes. >> and talk about why it was so personal for you. >> yes. >> whoofls yours? >> i now you were going to ask this. it was all kind of courage but it takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to your enemies, but even greater to stand up to your friends. >> why was that personal to you? >> my child is a kind heart and always stands up for her friends and other kids, whether they're friends or not. so that one --

>> sow deserve to win. >> congratulations. >> it looks like you had fun. >> congratulations, guys. can you just give a shout out to all the people here. they literally are taking over the place. i know, these physicians have been here all morning or two. >> awesome. >> dylan dreyer. >> hey, guys, notice i haven't made my way back over there, because the new kids are over here, just sayin', here's a look at what's going on around the country. we are are going to see warm temperatures out west. denver about 42 degrees, salt lake city 55. but kansas city 81. louisville 90 degrees for a high today. tomorrow we're back in the low-to-mid-80s. that's about 10-to-20 degrees above average. nor north that's a look at the weather across the country. now here's a peek out your window. >> good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall.

it's going to be another warm day and it's still pretty breezy with some low humidity. so we still have the fire darker but that should improve as we go through out the day. our high temperatures for the inland valleys reach into the mid to upper 80s. well above normal temperatures. with the south bay reaching 82. san francisco, heading up to 75. and 86 in santa rosa. for inland valleys, slightly cooler weather for middle of the workweek. can i just say my sister-in-law when she found out you guys were here, she was like, oh my god, the new kids are there. can you say hi to nicole? >> hey, my comb. >> we love you, nicole. >> there you go, my comb. guys. >> all right. dylan, thank you so much. we're here chatting with the multi-talented lena dunham, her award winning show wrapped last year. now she is back with a brand-new comedy series on hbo. >> she is the executive producer

about a show "camping" the great outdoors brings out wild fernality clafer personality clashes. jennifer garner is katherine the type a. >> i'm 'place people call, they call me, i'm their place to fall. >> you were so busy planning this trip. i guess she wanted to give you the space to do that. >> i'm organizing it because i'm the touchdom. >> lena, good morning. >> good morning. first of all a show about camping. i thought this was a cool idea. is this something in your wheelhouse? >> no, this is an adaptation of an amazing british series by julie davis, jenny caught on, it was something to do, transposing it on to a california nightmare, but i haven't been camping sense i was 12. i don't plan to ever go ago en. >> i was going to say, when i think of you, i don't think of you going camping.

>> i'm what you call a comfort queen. i want to be in a bed 24 hours a day with a clear divide between me and the out of doors. >> we were talking about jennifer garner who is really good, she managed to make this adorable likable jennifer garner, this character is kind of annoying. >> you want to slap her. >> i feel if that is the one thing this series, we have done the unthinkable. >> was it tough to get her back to tv or something she was looking to do? >> she was so game. i think that something people don't maybe fully insurance about jen is how she, when people know she she's fun, she's charming. she is capable of mixing her mummer with the sort of hard edge and that was something that she was ready to do something that stretched her in this particular way so when we sent her the first two scripts, she signed on a day later. i felt like we were getting

pumped. >> but also having your name attached, are you also an incredible writer. are you the executive producer of this series. so what, did you write some of the scripts, how, what is your involvement? >> i did. i wrote -- i wrote six of the scripts, six of the eight. i wrote some with other amazing writers, jenny connor, trayvon free. there were incredible people on this staff and then i just spent time on set trying to you know help hone the vision and make sure the actors felt comfortable, engaged with their characters. >> you did have to camp. you went to the set. >> yes, we were there on a mountain in california and i have to say like even, you know, the 12 hours a day of very protected outdoors womans time it was too much for me. >> you talk on your instagram bio. it says, writing saved my life,

i think that's dope. what do you mean writing saves your life in. >> i think were i not a writer i would have no way to understand the complexity and the challenges and the darkness of the experience of being human, particularly being a human woman at this time in, you know, in history and this country. there is so much to parce so many challenges of existing in a body, i've always grappled with my physical health, my mental health. and so to have writing as a way to dig deeper, express myself and connecticut to other people, it truly is the reason that i exist. >> and you have been through so much, particularly in the last couple of years. you wrote a beautiful piece for "vogue" about having a hi hysterecto hysterectomy, you struggle with endometriosis. it's been a time for you. >> i can't say the last few

years have been easy. it's been a time and some of that has been because of my own behavior. i've grown up. i've developed in the spotlight for better or worse and i've always dealt with the challenge of my own body turning against me. so it's been a time of tremendous loss and tremendous change and i always thought when people said like you know with loss comes a lot of gain and a lot of power. i always thought that was bs. but it turned out it's true. there was a lot that i've also gone and af gained a great sense of community because i have been able to write about my experience and other women have reached back to me. >> lena, real quick, is there going to be a girl's movie? we're wondering and waiting. >> i always wanted to do a girl's movie. i thought we should establish a jump. i want women to deal with peri menopause. >> lena, thank you. a lovely tip. maybe in their 30s.

>> i personally don't get it anymo anymore. i who want the cast to come with me. >> every time you come here, you leave us with a doozee. >> sunday on-bo. >> just this close. thank you, lena. she just can't help it. just ahead, who better than a presidential historian to weigh in on everything going on in walk. michael beschloss gives us his take.

the president, chief executive, commander-in-chief. whatever term you use the elected leader of the united states has a lot of power. it's a power controlled by our constitution. a system of checks and balances, in his new book, presidential historian michael beschloss issues a warning, too many presidents have used war to expands their own power. yes, it could happen again, michael, good morning.

>> good morning. >> before we get to this book, it's a labor of love. obviously, we have been through a historic supreme court confirmation battle. not totally unprecedented i guess if you think of the clarence thomas/anita hill. i think a lot of people think this time is the most contentious ever. i think it's a great time to get a good historian's.on that. >> the good news is it's not most contentious, 1859 slavery, 1940, the country was torn apart over the idea do you go to war with hitler or not. so compared to moments like this, what we see today is not quite as momentous. we'll get through it. >> you are a historian. of course, i think the lesson is always that what we see in the past could often be repeated and it's such an interesting journey this book. you are talking about something very specific. presidents and the power to declare war. it rests with congress and yet so few modern presidents have used that power. >> that's exactly right. you know what the book does, it

goes through 200 years of these guys so far all presidents who were presidents and how their families give them support. they sometimes have emotional breakdowns, they sometimes lie. but the big thing over 200 years at the beginning they went to congress the public would support a war a president wanted to get into nowadays as we've seen in the last couple of decades, presidents can take us into war almost overnight, almost single handedly, we've got to be vigilant. >> you cite some historical presidents literally lying their way into war. >> sadly. >> or coming one a false provocation. was that president polk who did that? >> polk, 1840 in the 1840s says there was an attack by mexicans against us. we've got to have a big war with mexico. it was really a contrived attack. 1898, the named american ship

suchg into american harbor, mckinley said we have to go to war against spain. it turned out spain had nothing to do with it. nowadays it is possible for a president to say something has happened in the middle east or another area of the world that requires me to take the nation to war. it may be justified, but it may not. >> you spent ten years on this book. it was kind of like writing ten books like understand it? >> that's for sure. >> there are a lot of understandings in it. >> great to see you always. >> the book is called presidents of war, you can learn more about it "today.com/shop. carson, over to you. >> we have new kids on the block coming out, 30 years ahead of time. again, what's happening, brother? look at you. all right, everybody is excited. we have a big announcement. some surprises, all of it right after this first, this is "today" on nbc. this is not a bed.

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we are back on the plaza with the boy band that gave us hits like step by step. of course, we are talking about the new kids on the block for the last three, count them, decades, they have been entertaining audiences all around the world. this morning, they are here with a special announcement. we will get to that. first of all, great to see you guys. it was like a time warp. >> i was young, though. look at how young you look. no time has passed. >> america's teenager. >> that's right. >> it's been 30 years since you were hanging out. you did a show at the apola theater. >> we celebrated our 30th anniversary at the apollo and the 30th anniversary of the day we fell in love with all these amazing fans. these fans are so excited. you are here, they will get the special announcements, incredible. tell me about last night. what did that mean? these fans are quite incredible.

have you the mix tick tour coming. >> you can't forget that actually the ten, this is actually the ten-year i was in of us coming back. it was on the "today" show that first morning in the rain and all of these fans showed up and the crowd just went on forever and ever and kind of showed the world like what we had back in the day was special. the last ten years, we have been having obama, radio it? [ cheers ] >> all right. well let's get to this big announcement. you want to just set it up first without getting into the specific surprises coming around the corner? >> we are excited, but we're bringing special guests, we're creating a mixed tape on tour every night, every city, tears, joy, love, most of all. >> let's do it, 53 cities. let's hear the groups, first up, the all female hip-hop group that still knows how to push it.

i'm talking about salt n peppa. [ music playing [ music playing ] >> whew! >> yeah. >> let's just keep it moving. why don't we? i know we are not alone now. because it wouldn't be the ''80s mixed head tour without pop supertar tiffany! [ cheers [ cheers ] >> next up, she's moving from only our dreams to performing on the streets across the country. give it up, singer/songwriter debbie gibson. >> whew! [ cheers ] >> how are you? >> all right. are you ready for this tour? my goodness. let's give it a big hip-hopp hooray to the group by mitchell.

it's good. all right. here it is the news, is this unbelievable? this is going to be so fun. first of all, all of you, what is it like on this tour to have to go back and play the hits? a lot of groups don't like to play the hits. tell me about playing the songs that are holder now? >> oh, i love it. i think everybodyments to see it. >> how about you, debbie? >> i think it's about giving the fan what is they want the music is from such a happy era and a pure era. we want to take people back. we're vital as well to move people forward. i'm so excited. i couldn't sleep last night. i am so excited about this. >> you got to think about the back tour stage like this. 100 years, new jersey in the

house. naughty by nature. are you guys excited? what is it like back stage with this whole crew here? >> it's like a time machine, taking us back. >> good to have you guys all here. by the way, tell me about the song. you all performed a song towing. tell me about salt n. peppa. >> it's all with '80s, taking you back to the time that you love. we also want to do a vegas special. i love the '90s as well. >> we are warming up. >> congratulations. this will be a lot of fun, ticket for the mix hit tour are available starting this friday. everybody is sticking around. we have a lot of fun and games with hoda, thanks to our group and new kids signed on the plaza. it's just like the old days, ladies and gentlemen, but first, this is "today" on nbc.

so, tracy, i was explaining opp to who do you. >> guess what. you know, it's at 10:00. everybody is with us. live, i know they're excited. guys, it's a mix tour oni )m - in the last hour - an update good morning. 8:56. i'm marcus washington. now, in the last hour, an update from police in freemont investigating the deadly shooting. this happened a little after midnight on charleston way, not far from gemer elementary school. investigators say the victim was a 62-year-old man of south indian descent. he was shot and killed in his bedroom. other tenants who live in that same home called 911.

the man who is believed to be the gunman took off from the scene by bicycle. police closed down the surrounding area and even used a drone but that search came up empty. police do not consider that shooting to be random. happening now, we have a crew in freemont talking with police. we'll have a live report for you in our midday newscast. you can also go to our twitter feed to link to more details. the bay area's red flag warning extended to 5:00 p.m. a series of grass fires yesterday are still leaving parts of the bay area are smoky conditions. go to our homepage for an update on the worst of those fires. and the one that burned 4,700 acres in solano county. in the north bay, marking a devastating moment. one year since the deadly fires overwhelmed santa rosa. on our homepage, coverage of the rebuilding efforts. more news for you in an hour.

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[ music playing ] . hey, good monday morning to you. will come, i'm craig melvin in for megyn kelly. she's enjoying a day off with the family today. i hope you had a fantastic weekend. here to help me around making the rounds this morning. keir simmonds made the ride for us. political analyst noah rothman. perhaps you have heard that there is some history made on saturday, hours after the senate narrowly confirmed him, brett kavanaugh, officially took his place on the supreme court and