bay that is smooth toward the bay bridge toll plaza. >> sounds good. that does it for us for this morning. we'll be back at 7:25 with a live local news update. >> join us for midday news 11:00 to 12:00 every day. have a great one! good morning. . good morning, breaking overnight, rush to judgment. the president suggests saudi arabia may be wrongly accused in the alleged murder of a u.s.-based journalist comparing the saudis to justice brett kavanaugh, guilty until proven innocent as turkeyccuses the king of a coverup and secretary of state mike pompeo landing there just this morning in the center of the storm. we are live with the very latest. state of disaster a deadly flood emergency in texas after a foot of rain in just two days. oh, no. oh my gosh. >> rising water washing out roads and bridges, submerging entire neighborhoods and leading

to dramatic rescues and al says even more rain is on the way. going up! with no winner i don't have night, the mega-million jackpot source going to over a million dollars, powerball climbs to $350 million. with that drawing tonight. those stories, plus a deepening mystery, a sudden spike in cases of that rare polio-like imness in children the virus spreading to 22 states, leaving families frantic and did shes behaoctors. what mary bono is saying about her sudden exit. and o cannabis, this morning, our neighbors to the north become the largest country to legalize pot. will the fumes spread into this country? today, wednesday, october 17th, 20 201 2018. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with savannah

guthrie and hoda kotb live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> good morning, welcome to "today." it's knight nice to have you with us. o canada, is this a neighbor where the moke is coming out from under the door? >> where is this coming from in. >> this is the whole country if irss to legalize marijuana. there may be a ripple effect down here. >> we will talk about that. new twists into that alleged murder of an award winning washington post columnist. >> the president is claiming there may be a rush to judgment against the saudis in the case. we will talk to john brennan that served as the cia station chief for five years. first, let's go to correspondent bill neely. bill, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, savannah, secretary of state mike pompeo has now left turkey after meeting its president and clear signs here that turkish police are being blocked by

saudis from finding the truth, from getting more evidence. president trump, meanwhile, has issued his strongest support yet for the saudis, comparing the accusations against them to the accusations against brett kavanaugh. looking for answers, mike pompeo meeting turkey's president. turkey accusing saudi arabia of murdering a washington post writer. pompeo earlier met the saudi king and crown prince, describing their conversations as candid. >> they told me they were going to conduct a thoroughly transparent investigation and they had a commitment to, to anyone connected to any wrongdoing that may be found accountable for that, whether they are a seniorosis or official. >> reporter: or a member of the royal family, said pyeongchangio. president trump, who suggested road killers may be responsible is delaying denials from saudi arabia rumors that they were involved.

>> let's hope we hear the proper answers. >> reporter: the president comparing the case against the saudis with accusations of sexual assault against supreme court justice kavanaugh. here we go again, he told ap with your guilty until proven innocent. i don't like that. he doesn't like the prospect of killing an arms deal with the saudis. >> so we want to be smart. i don't want to give up a $110 billion order or whatever it is. >> reporter: the search for truth in turkey has stalled. turksh police sealed off the home of a top saudi diplomat. they were refused to search inside by the saudis. next door to the consulate, detectives took away evidence, including says turkey's president, toxic materials. even signs the saudis repainted the walls, literally covering something up the consulate general flew back to riyadh before his home could be searched. as he did, turkey released passport images of the hit

squad. they suspect murder, jamal cash oak. the stakes here remain huge. the long relationship has weathered storms even after 9/11. a close bomb since world war ii over one factor above all oil. an enduring alliance now being battered. >> saudi arabia if you are listening, there are a lot of good people you can choose, but nbs tainted the country and yourself. >> reporter: in the search of a body of a missing journalist. well the body has still not been found and the turks still have yet to make public the evidence they say they have against the saudis remember remember, they are both u.s. allies and the u.s. now literally shuffleing between the two trying to get answers or some agreed 74. satis -- story.

savannah. >> bill brennan was in riyadh for five years, we have a resume right there. let me first ask you what you make of the administration's response so far. first the president said severe punishment against saudi arabia if this turned out to be true. now he's using perhaps people are rushing to judgment, perhaps it's a guilty until innocent situation. then we saw the secretary of state pyeongchangio with the king and crown prince yesterday. how do you grade this response or assess it? >> well, i think donald trump and the white house are trying to protect relationships that we, the united states has with saudi arabia, but also their personal relationship with nbs. i would hope that trump and others are getting daily if not more regular daily briefings about what it is we know. i think it's the challenge for the trump administration, i'm certain that cia has a lot of information about this and this is why i think mohammed salman is trying to figure out what's the story he can provide that will stand up to scrutiny in

light of the u.s. intelligence, turkish intelligence in there you know more about saudi arabia than almost anyone. is from any doubt if your mind that saudi operatives carried this out and is there any doubt that the saudi prince knew about this or authorized this in. >> no and no there is no doubt in my mind. mohammed salman is an extraordinarily powerful original who wields sole power in saudi arabia. going after a u.s. resident, in a saudi-diplomatic mission abroad would require his personal authorization, in my estimation. because this is something that individuals would not carry out open their own volition. >> if that's the case, why did it seem to be so bungled. why was it such a mess this whole thing? >> it's a great question. i don't know what they were thinking. were they just going to go in there and interrogate him and bring him back and this went wrong? i don't know. but the size of the delegation that went there. some of the individuals

involved. it looks as if these are members of the saudi royal guard that come directly under mohammed salman, this is something mohammed salman thought he could get away with because of the close relationship with the white house. he very badly miscalculated the impact of this. >> for folks that don't understand the middle east as well as you do, why is this a complicated six for the u.s.? saudi arabia is our allie. but the president said look if i can sell arm sales and do the things people want me to do, that will hurt american interests. why is this such a dem cat dance in. >> well, first of all, donald trump is not telling the truth when he talks about the arms sales and number of u.s. jobs that rely on. that i think we need to maintain our relationship and it need to be more than a relationship with one person. so i think ba we need to do is have an investigation that has some credibility to it that we can get to the bottom of it so we can continue with this relationship with saudi arabia for our own national security

interests, but we cannot turn a blind eye towards what mbs has done here. i think it's terrible that we have turned a blind eye he initiated in yemen the war that led to thousands of death. so mbs is drunk with power. he has now i think met his real crisis. >> certainly, there are members of congress who seem to have enough. we will see how this plays out with him. thank you as always, appreciate it. now to some pointed and personal attacks from president trump getting extra attention with 20 days to go until the crucial elections. halle jackson joins with us that story in studio. >> hi, go remember to the both of you. with a single word, president trump is setting off a firestorm, not just among his critics but each among some in his own party who find his insult course face indispensable. a president who almost never backs down standing by his attack on the appearance of porn

star stormy daniels after a judaniel's defamation lawsuit against the president, he triumphantly treated great, now i can go after horse face and her third rate lawyer. as for the associated press whether going after a woman's looks is appropriate, president responded, simply, you can take it any way you want. even some of his allies aren't taking it well. i don't think this elevates him. i don't think it does anything good for the country. >> daniels for her part is firing back like she promised to do earlier this year. >> i'm done being bullied. >> now she's tweeting game on, tiny. slamming the president's, quote, hatred of women and lack of self control on twitter again. not clear if this will matter come the midterms, no matter what, president says he will not accept blame in republicans lose the house. after all he points out, he's not on the ballot. over on the east wing, not

re-election, but a rapper in the spotlight. after this fake melania trump created real anger. tweeting just days after kanye west visit, dear 45, i ain't kanye. along with video stripping off clothes. first lady spokeswoman called for boycott of the rapper calls the portrayal disrespectful and disgusting. adding these only further the divisiveness and biasness in our country. it needs to stop. >> when the president is pushing off blame in case republicans do lose the house come the midterms. rally after rally he made it a referendum on himself. a vote for whichever gop candidate is a vote for donald trump. he says if democrats take the house and move to impeach him, he thinks he will handle it

well. >> thank you. see you in the flesh. thank you. craig joins the table. good morning to all of you. in parts of texas this morning, the rain just won't stop. misery there is the far from over. kerry sanders is in central texas for us. good morning. >> good morning, craig. the governor here in texas has declared a state of emergency in 18 counties. state officials warning residents that live along the rivers not to be fooled by the drop in the water levels because they say they're likely to rise again later today. and they say when it happens, it will happen quickly. >> reporter: this morning, residents in central and south texas on high alert. relentless rain over the last couple of days causing intense flash flooding. lakes and rivers choked with debris. overflowing banks.

. forcing hundreds to evacuate. >> incredible rain event. it's still raining. >> the river about an hour north of austin cresting at near record levels. >> oh, no. oh, my god. >> rushing waters ripping apart this bridge in kingsland. also swallowed up pierres and docks. catching some drivers off guard. two dozen people had to be rescued. 20-year-old jackie anderson on way to work when she got trapped. calling 911 in a panic. >> oh, my god. the water is all in my car. >> rescuers using ropes to reach her. >> luckily she got pinned up and got where she could get out. we slip her out the car. told her to go ahead and get on my back and just wrap her arms around me and i was going to get us out. >> school bus driver and middle school student rescued. the bus was swamped when the driver went around a barricade. that driver later arrested. charged with child endangerment

and then fired. texas officials warning residents if they don't have to go out, don't. >> just stay home. watch tv, check on your loved ones, and just stay home. driving these floods, the relentless rain. still raining right now. in a two-day period, it rained more than 12 inches, which is why at one point on the lano river, the waters rose a remarkable 34 feet. that's more than three stories, guys. >> wow. kerry sanders in central texas. we'll go to al's forecast in just a moment. moving now to latest scandal gripping u.s. gymnastics. once again without a leader. interim ceo resigned less than a week in the role. kate snow has details. mary bow know stepped down four days into her new job after intense criticism from top

gymnasts. they said the organization still wasn't doing enough to change after the scandal over substance abuse by former team doctor, larry nassar. >> under pressure to resign, mary bono issued a dramatic statement. tendering her resignation and talking about her own past as a gymnast for the first time publicly. my regret is i would have brought to the organization my anxiety and anger of my story. i young aspiring gymnast who witnessed firsthand the assaulting behavior of a coach. watch watched peers move ahead and those who didn't coach. and perhaps stayed silent, perhaps the norm then, troubling to me this day, adding i would have brought a fire in the belly to ensure no one as taken with gymnastics as i was at that age should have to choose between abuse and am bipgs. olympian aly raisman criticized her for working with a law firm

aware of allegations against nasser and involved in covering it up. on tuesday, she appeared in boston criticizing usag before bono resigned. >> abusers and predators strive with silence. >> tweeting in part overnight, ms. bono, i'm truly sorry for what you experienced in the sport. please know, my objection to your hiring was not personal the stakes are high. bo no says she proudly stands behind her work with that lauchl that refutes a claim of a coverup. usag says bono was in a different division of the firm and not involved with usa gymnastics. the embattled ceo took time to address criticism of biles. over the weekend, biles criticized bono for posting in this september marking her golf cleats to protest collin kaepernick the face of its ad program. biles wrote, mouth drop. don't worry, it's not like we needed a smarter usa gymnastics

president or any sponsors or anything. >> believe in something. even if it means sacrificing everything. ri that you would bono a former congress woman who previously apologized for the tweet now explaining her protest was an emotional reaction to that phrase from kaepernick and says, when she marked her shoes, she was at a tournament for families who lost a member of the armed services who literally sacrificed everything. >> usa gymnastics says bono's resignation is in the best interest of the organization. they say they are committed too action when a change of course is necessary. >> once again, it's an organization without a leader. what happens next in. >> yes, we are two years away from the tokyo olympics. lots of young gymnasts are competing. they say this is unfortunate to put it mildly, also they're facing a lot of lawsuits as well, usa gymnastics.

>> thauchgs. we have an update on that mysterious polio-like illness affecting children across the country. they reported a spike in cases the cdc says at least 62 cases have been confirmed if 22 states and 65 additional illnesses are being investigate. the condition is afm. it appears to be be a viral infection. most of the children suffer from muscle weakness or paralysis. cdc officials say they will dive into this more deeply in our next hour. so we got good news and some bad news about that matterive mega-millions jackpot everybody has been talking about. here's the bad news. you didn't win the big prize. the good news is, no one else did either. >> that means theiac pot is growing once again. get this it is up to a staggering $868 million. that makes it the largest mega-millions jackpot of all time.

and the second largest lottery in u.s. history. the next drawing is friday night. so you have time to get your tickets. the powerballiac pot, it stands at a cool $345 million. that drawing is tonight. >> wait, we bought tickets yesterday. >> you did in. >> all right. thanks for telling us. >> we will get our first check of the weather from mr. roker. hey, al. >> good morning, thank you for getting your first weather from us. we have been telling you all about what's been going on in texas. 9 million people at risk. in fact the rain continues for dallas. second wettest for october on record. we have one a little less than a half a month to go. look at what's happening today. we continue to see off and on showers, more rain of these swollen riffs. it will continue raining and get heavier in fact by tomorrow night. the rain lasts into the overnight hours, rainfall forecast, we look at anywhere from one-to-three inches.

isolated amounts. kerry was talking about, their highest crest in 83 years that secondary crest is expected later today. we will get to your local forecast coming up in the next 30 seconds. as you wake up this wednesday morning, temperatures in the 50s right now in san jose. it's getting cloudier at 52 degrees. your temperature trend into the afternoon will be trending fairly warm, but still above seasonable in some parts of the bay area. let's look by about 11:00 a.m.

67 degrees. we'll quickly climb into the upper 70s by about 1:00 around your lunch hour and about 3:00 we'll start to notice some 80s. we're talking about mid 80s for inland areas. 60s for the co. >> got a big studio pool going for the lotto. >> we're in it. thank you. just ahead, canadian baking. what will the cannabis in canada mean nor the u.s. business. and the group trying to xwe exert its influence on the midterm elections. what parents with kids in college need to know this morning. isrst, this

just ahead, new york's most eye-popping new landmark. just what is the vessel? savannah and i get an exclusive tour. and the touching moment and the touching moment don't forget that the past can speak to the future.

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replace one meal or snack a day with glucerna... made with carbsteady to help manage blood sugar... ...and end the day with a smile. glucerna®. everyday progress. authorities in san francisco - saying little so far .. about a a very good morning to you. it is 7:26. i'm laura garcia. authorities in san francisco saying little so far about a police shooting that critically injured one person at aquatic park last night. it happened near the municipal pier. you probably know the area sits between fisherman's wharf and ft. mason. at around 9:30 last night, san francisco police say officers along with federal park police responded to shots fired. park police officer struck and injured one of two people. that person suffered life-threatening injuries. officers detained the second person. so far, there's been no update on the shooting or word about any officers being injured. we'll continue to monitor. in the meantime, vianey is in for kari this morning.

>> we've got a nice start with sunshine, a couple of clouds here and there. we had patchy fog early on this morning and that will clear out by the afternoon. by 10:00 a.m. we'll be in the 60s for san jose, eventually climbing quite nicely by about 1:00 to about 77 degrees and expect most inland areas to top out into the mid 80s. concord a high of about 85. as far as san francisco goes, we do still have some cloud cover out there. 54 degrees. wind speeds about 9 miles per hour. have no fear, we are expecting clearing into the afternoon. headed out the door, you only need a light sweater. we will be warming up, today tracking highs in the 70s and mid 80s. mike? >> looking toward the richmond-san rafael bridge west 580, we see good company here, a little slowing on the approach, a little extra because the crash is clearing to the shoulder as you approach that bridge coming off the east shore freeway, which is slow, typical slowing through san pablo and richmond. westbound 580 earlier crash cleared the left lanes approaching golf links road and

zoo exit. typical build across the san mateo bridge and the south bay. back to you. >> sounds good. i'll be back with another local news update in half an hour. see you then.

back, now, 7:30, with new york's newest tourist attraction. that thing is called the vessel. it is a series of interconnecting stairs. it's part-monument, part-art. it's an eye-catcher. savannah and i climbed that thing. >> sort of. >> we went up a few stories. >> you're right. with the man behind the marvel. we'll talk about that just ahead. >> you had your hardhats on and everything. >> we went in it, baby. we start with a check of today's headlines. mike pompeo left turkey after meeting with that country's

president. pompeio is searching for answer after the murder of jamal khashoggi at the consulate in istanbul. on tuesday, pompeo met with king salman and the crown prince. they fold pompeo they were going to conduct a complete, transparent investigation. the astronaut who survived a space emergency said he didn't feel he was truly safe until he was holding his wife in his arms. they had the mission cut short when the soyuz rocket failed. alarms were going off and they fell to earth. after touching down, he called his wife on a sat phone. >> she has a voicemail that she can keep as a memento for the rest of her life. >> happily, the couple was reunited within hours of his

landing. russia has suspended all manned flights to the space station as that launch failure is investigated. scary moments in florida after a small plane plunged into the ocean off of daytona beach. the pilot survived the crash. rescuers pulled him to safety. he was flying from his home state of north carolina. he ran out of fuel. they used a jetski to tow that plane back to shore. this is a big day north of the border. canada became the most major industrialized country to legalize pot for recreational use. authorities are working out the kinks, including what it means for u.s. tourists. stephanie gosk has made her way to montreal. >> good morning. they're already in line here at the shops. some have been waiting for hours in the rain, to become among the first canadians to buy marijuana just for the fun of it. but this is not going to be a

free-for-all today. across canada's providences and territories, there's lots of rules and controls. some are saying this rollout is as understated as the canadians themselves. the maple leaf is turning green. starting today, canada, our neighbor to the north, becomes one of two countries in the world to legalize marijuana for recreational use. fulfilling a campaign promise made by prime minister justin trudeau. >> we will soon have a new system in place, one that keeps cannabis out of the hands of our kids and keeps profits away from organized crime. >> reporter: trudeau's government also expected to pardon canadians convicted of marijuana conviction. it is legal coast-to-coast, unlike here in the u.s., where only nine states, along with washington, d.c., have legalized marijuana for recreational use. medical marijuana is legal in 31

states, with 61% of americans saying they support legalized marijuana. >> it's an evolutionary process that will evolve over the next couple years. >> reporter: back in canada, lawmakers have been preparing for today's deadline for two years, with public information campaigns. >> how do we talk about cannabis with our kids? >> reporter: canada's largest bank estimates that legal cannabis could add up to $8 billion to the economy. polls show widespread support for the measure, which parliament passed in june. opposition politicians say it jeopardizes the health andcanad. this is about that theatrics fo prime minister. >> reporter: in ottawa, police will use a new device that tests saliva for the drug. as for foreign visitors, it remain illegal to bring cannabis

across the canadian border. >> don't bring it in, don't take it out. >> steph, what does this mean for the united states? are lawmakers here feeling the pressure at all? >> reporter: they will probably feel the pressure, craig. economists are comparing this to the time in the 1920s when there was prohibition in the u.s. and the canadian alcohol companies carved out their part of the market. they believe these canadian marijuana manufacturers will have an opportunity to do the same thing. back to you. >> all right. stephanie gosk in montreal. thanks. let's get a check of the weather. >> on the upside, though, the exporting of cheetos will go through the roof. we got some cold weather to talk about, stretching from new england all the way into missouri. 38 million people for freeze warnings, freeze watches and frost advisories today. temperatures will be chilly,

stretching from texas to new england. new york, 15 degrees below average. austin, 27 degrees below average. we're looking at a chilly start tomorrow morning to n the northeast. windchills, 32 cleveland, 26, buffalo. boston, 26. it will feel below freezing tomorrow morning in new york city. we've got a couple clouds out in san francisco. it's about 54 degrees right now. you could see our live pictures looking pretty good. as we head in towards the afternoon, expect a lot of that cloud cover to clear out quite nicely and our temperatures will warm into the upper 60s for san francisco with a predicted high of about 68 degrees. check out oakland, 74 and down through the south bay in san jose. 80 degrees. we will warm up into the mid 80s and mostly clear skies into the afternoon. and that's your latest weather. guys?

>> thank you. coming up, cases of the poe owe-like disease, affecting kids and spreading nationwide. dr. john torres will be here and answer questions. we're going to show you what happened when prince harry and meghan markle, and keir simmons, got caught in a downpour in australia overnight. new york's next go-to destination. our exclusive tour of the vessel, as savannah and i try to figure out what is it? and an nbc news investigation, inside a controversial group right here what would it look like... ...if we listened more? could the right voice, the right set of words, bring us all just a little closer, get us to open up, even push us further? it could. if we took the time to listen. the most inspiring minds.

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visit your neighborhood sherwin-williams store today. we are back with "in-depth today" with the midterm elections just 20 days away. we're going to have a rare look with a fringe group that looks to open up divides in our country. >> peter alexander looks at how white nationalists are quietly gaining momentum. >> reporter: good morning to all of you. we're telling this story to pull back the curtain so parents and college students are aware these groups are out there. the southern law center says the groups are clean-cut, conservatively dressed and recruiting on a pcampus near yo. the man with the megaphone is patrick casey, executive director of identity yeuropa, oe

of the groups that would march at charlottesville that turned deadly. its message is pro-white. >> i think that we need to maintain a supermajority in this country. >> reporter: identity europa makes it clear, to join, you have to be european heritage, whites only. why isn't that racist? >> we're trying to move beyond the paradigm that includes buzzwords like racist. >> reporter: what is it? >> identityarian. >> reporter: this is how they disguise white supremists views. in addition to hosting anti-immigration demonstrations, like this one at the mexico border. he is deploying 800 members to

post recruitment signs on college campuses nationwide san diego state to nyu. experts warn these groups are trying to lure students by blending into the mainstream. >> these are very smart, very savvy groups. that's one of the things that differentiates them from groups in the past. you can't just write them off as ignorant thugs. >> reporter: among the goals, casey told us, covertly taking over the gop. >> we encourage our guys to go to young republicans, college republican meetings, local gop meetings, to network with people, and programs disgreetly broaching identityarian and ideals. >> reporter: why discreetly at first? >> we are convinced that the logical conclusion of trump's make america great again agenda, does need to address demographics. >> reporter: why blend in if you don't think these views would be

embraced? >> they're controversial at this point, but that doesn't negate their validity. ideas can be taboo and people have to be careful with them. >> reporter: one example, 23-year-old james alsa, a current member of identity europa, who spoke at a trump rally during the campaign. >> i'm the washington college republican federation chair. >> reporter: he's been elected to a county office. he was supporting trump at the identity europa conference last spring. >> he said there were good people on both sides. >> you had people that were very fine people, on both sides. >> we were defended by the president of the united states because he knew that our ideas are, in fact, normal. >> reporter: identity europa has allies in europe, where fire right nationalist parties are gaining power. >> i'm right-wing and i'm proud

of it. >> reporter: nationalism has been cheered by president trump's former white house chief strategist, steve bannon. >> let them call you racist. wear it as a badge of honor. >> reporter: back at home, casey and others insist, their pro-white movement is gaining steam. >> ethnic diversity has been proouch proven time and time again, it's not a good model for america. >> reporter: isn't it the greatest strength? >> reporter: >> it's a mantra that people repeat because it makes them feel good. >> reporter: what should happen to the families that live on your block? >> again, you're want megato say something really profound here. yes, you are. >> reporter: you are welcome to say something profound. >> they n immigrants. >> reporter: in other words, white immigrants. chilling words for the millions of people who have come to

america to find a better life. >> peter, these are disturbing allegations. it gets us to think about what the republican national committee has to say about this group. >> reporter: they declined to comment. a spokesman said they didn't want to elevate the group, directing us to the party statement after charlottesville, where they condemned racist beliefs of white nazis and other groups. patrick casey is playing the long game here. he's trying to get his members in the college republican clubs early to move up the ranks, he hopes, into positions of power. >> peter alexander in d.c. thank you. much more ahead this morning, straight ahead. >> that's cool. >> what is it? >> it looks like a pine cone. >> is it a pine cone? >> i love the goggles. >> hoda and i try to unlock the mysteries of the vessel. a sneak peek at new york's ♪

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notice clearing in terms of the cloud cover, by about 11:00 a.m. we'll be at 67 degrees in san jose. them we'll climb quite nicely into the upper 70s by 1:00. about 77 degrees eventually climbing into some mid 80s for some inland areas and we'll keep this up for the next several days. >> not a dramatic changeover for the freeways. the dumbarton bridge bridge a heavier volume of traffic. slower volume across the san mateo. the south bay shows a steady build san jose. sunnyvale, cupertino silicon valley commute, crowded getting over toward the crowded san mateo area. back to you. police in san francisco saying little about a shooting by a park police officer that critically injured someone at aquatic park. it happened last night not far from the back entrance to ft. mason. we also understand officers

detained a second person. check our home page for updates. and a bit of a scare this morning for first lady melania trump. her plane was forced to turn around and make an emergency landing. it happened after some kind of mechanical issue. head to our twitter feed for images and a link to the full story. another local news update coming up in half an hour. have a great morning. the safety california is using as it prepares for the next major earthquake. plus bay area students share their emotional stories about how suicide is touching their lives. their role in a new documentary. tomorrow morning from 4:30 to 7.

it's 8:00 on "today." coming up, looking for answers. overnights, president trump saying there may be a rush to judgment against the saudis in the alleged killing of that u.s.-based journalist. >> we're going to conduct a thorough, complete, transparent investigation. >> but others say it's a cover-up. where does it go from here? we're live with the investigation. new cases and new concerns. >> we don't know what causes afm and we don't know the risk factors. >> the cdc reporting more kids suffering from that mysterious polio-like disease across the country. what do parents need to know about afm? dr. john torres is here live

with the answers. and fitting right in. prince harry and meghan markle making their way across australia. the couple spending time with the crowd, rain or shine, and breaking royal protocol for a very sweet moment, today, wednesday, october 17th, 2018. >> hello, virginia. >> that's from the plaza. >> from the best town in minnesota. >> hi to my dad, al, in california. ♪ ♪ i got high, high hopes ♪ snoe ♪ >> came from nashville for my 60th birthday. >> girls' trip from nebraska. >> it's my first trip. >> it's my birthday. >> and happy to be on the "today" show. >> good morning, everybody. welcome back to "today." nice to have you along with us. there's a happy crowd out there.

love it. >> we'll be out in a bit. let's get right to your news at 8:00. the president is warning against any rush to blame saudi arabia for the disappearance of a "washington post" writer overseas. nbc's chief global correspondent, bill neely, is in turkey this morning, where officials there say there's growing evidence of a murder and a cover-up by saudi arabia. bill, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, savannah. secretary of state mike pompeo has left turkey after meeting its president, amid clear signs that turkish police are being blocked by the saudis from gathering more evidence. the saudis won't give police permission to search the home of the consul general, who has now fled back to riyadh. president trump has issued his strongest defense yet of saudi arabia, comparing the accusations against the kingdom to the accusations against supreme court justice brett kavanaugh. he told the a.p., here we go again, with your guilty until proven innocent. i don't like that.

well, earlier, mike pompeo met the saudi king and the saudi crown prince. he said they assured him there would be a complete and transparent investigation, and anybody responsible would be held accountable. and turkey has yet to come up with its own evidence in public against the saudis. there's bad blood between these two countries. they are both u.s. allies. the u.s., now, literally shuttling between the two to try to get answers or at least to try to get some kind of agreed story. savannah? >> all right. bill neely, thank you very much. now, to the mysterious polio-like illness striking children all over this country. health officials report a sharp increase in the number of expected cases. and parents have urgent questions about this condition. we're joined by medical correspondentjohn torres to get answers. how worried should parents be

this morning? >> this is one of the worst nightmares when you think about things. your child gets sick. they seem to be okay. and all of a sudden, they can't move an arm or a leg and get paralyzed. you have to put in perspective, there's millions of people across the country. this year, 127 cases. it's 1 in a million chance that your child will develop this. it's rare. >> this has been going on for several years. this is not the first year. this is the first year we're getting a close look at it? >> it is. it's the first year we're covering it in the media. >> it's increasing, too, isn't it? >> it is increasing. but it spikes every couple years. in 2014, 120 cases. in 2016, 129 cases. between those years, the cases were the 20s and 30s. we're not sure why that is happening. there's a lot of unknowns that's and that one of the scary things. >> if it's a virus and it's something you can catch, how would you know this is different

from the average cold or fever that your kid might get from being at preschool? >> and this is not a subtle disease. this is not a subtle symptom. the child gets sick, seem to have a cold and they recovery a little bit. they wake up and can't move an arm or a leg, their face is d p drooping. these are big, dramatic signs. >> and the prevention is washing your hands and taking care of yourself. >> there's no vaccine for it, no treatment for it. washing your hands, protecting your child from getting the flu as best you can. >> dr. john torres. thank you for covering that. how about a little "morning boos boost"? while lebron james settles into life after being an l.a. laker, being a dad is his most important role. take a listen. ♪ sandwiches ♪ >> just a dad. lebron posted this video, rocking out to the soundtrack of

"frozen" with his daughter. when they ride in the car together, she's the boss. she controls the music. >> if this kid is anything like mine, he heard that soundtrack maybe 2 million times. >> he still loves it. we're going to go inside the vessel. this is new york city's newest and most unique tourist attraction. also, the tender moment shared by harry and meghan overnight in australia. overnight in australia. back home in priso britain, kat 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. or your 10th draft. ♪ ♪ you get to create the room where it happens. ♪ ♪ just don't think you have to do it alone. ♪ ♪

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harry and meghan caught in a downpour on day three of their australian tour. and there's more news tied to the royal family. keir simmons is in sydney with all of them. hey, keir. >> reporter: hey, guys. good morning. evening here in rainy sydney. you're right, the baby news just keeps coming. harry and meghan learning while they've been here that kate's sister, pippa, has had a baby boy, back in london. meanwhile, the soon-to-be parents, seeming royally relaxed. despite this rain, at times, causing chaos. a playful prince harry, swatting away flies on a trip to australia's farming heartland. this 5-year-old boy with down syndrome stole the show, pulling at harry's beard. the duke and duchess, again showing they'll be natural parents. do you think it's going to be a

boy or a girl? >> a girl. >> girl. >> girl. >> maybe boy. maybe girl. >> i think it's a girl. >> might be twins. >> reporter: back home, prince charles, delighted he will be a grandfather again. >> oh, yes. absolutely. several times. >> reporter: meghan's outfits on this tour have been selling out fast. today, she wore a jacket from her friend serena williams' collection, paired with outland jeans and j. crew boots. and the new royal, proving to be a hit with the public down under. they're calling it meg mania. 15,000 people descended to greet harry and meghan. a royal woodstock, complete with rain, meghan holding the umbrella. >> it's all right. i've got it.

>> reporter: this farming region, plagued by a drought for several years, though you wouldn't know it today. a royal visit to a local school, a washout. harry just waved to everyone to come to them. now, they're all crowding around, in the middle of a thunderstorm. inside, meghan supporting another young woman, nervous during a speech. >> you're doing great. >> reporter: and what better in bad weather than banana bread, baked by meghan herself, the palace says, brought for a lunch with a farming family. >> i was lucky to be offered a slice of it. and i have to say, it was delicious. >> reporter: rebecca english from "the daily mail" online, says it tasted of chocolate and ginger. this morning, the palace, keeping meghan's royal recipe a secret. now, let's be honest, one of the challenges of being a royal can be that it can just be boring. you meet person after person,

dignitary after dignitary, shake so many hands. when things go wrong, the queen, for example, kind of likes it because it's different. that said, guys, i'm british, harry's british. this is a long way to fly for rain. we may as well have stayed at home. >> right? >> but you got the banana bread. >> and she bakes, too. >> reporter: got the banana bread. >> all right, keir. carson is at the orange room with what could be an ideal show to binge on halloween. >> netflix debuted their new horror series, "the haunting of hill house." the first ten episodes flash between past and present, showing a fractured family, with haunting memories of their old home and the terrifying events that drove them from it. social media buzzing hardcore about this series. here's the highest compliment we found online. "the haunting of hill house,"

revised and remodeled by mike flanagan. close to the work of genius. jane writing, "the haunting of hill house" is one of the most terrifying, nail-biting, hide behind the couch, don't even breathe, i'm going to pass out from fear, i've seen in my life. who is watching "the haunting of hill house" because i need to talk about it? potentially in the middle of the night because i'm afraid of the dark. when netflix first released this trailer, they had to do it during the daytime. that's how scary the trailer was itself. if you haven't seen it, you have to watch it. shirley jackson's story has been told on the big screen twice. in 1963 and a 1999 version of "the haunting." this is the first time they brought it into homes through a series. "forbes" is calling it a horror home run. and it is absolutely terrifying. this is the right time of the year. >> you like a horror film? >> i like to tempt my fate. >> really? >> so do i.

i love it. >> they're calling from inside the house. i don't like it. how about "pop start"? >> did you check the children? ariana grande and the "snl" cast member, pete davidson, called off their engagement. but it didn't stop her from performing in a wicked concert special. we see grande without her ring. she took to instagram to talk about the performance. i can't believe my anxiety almost ruined this performance. she is going to say bye-bye to the internet for a little bit. she is going through some heartbreak and needing some time to herself. we have a big movie that we're talking about it. "bohemian rhapsody." it stars rami malleck. we get a glimpse of how queen's most iconic songs came together.

>> what's going on? >> i want to give the audience a song they can perform. so, what can they do? ♪ imagine. thousands of people doing this in unison. huh? >> what's the lyric? >> i think we know the rest. "boehehemian rhapsody" hits theaters november 2nd. john krasinski sat down with jimmy kimmel who is doing a show out of brooklyn, new york, this week. they're very good friends. there was a funny moment when they talk about the pranks they have pulled on each other like when jimmy once gift wrapped john's house. the war of pranks has gone on for years. last night proved there is no

end in sight. >> where are you staying in brooklyn? >> come on. >> doesn't matter, i already know. oh, there it is. >> oh, no. >> oh, yes. >> no. >> yeah. yes. >> that is really the place that i'm renting. >> this choir singing that everyone should come into your house. ♪ 87493 >> that's really great. >> no word on whether jimmy's move moved. but odds are, probably. he's in brooklyn this week. >> that's funny. >> the choir was great. do you have a "click" for us? >> i do. two years ago, golfers in florida were surprised to see a giant alligator casually strolling across the course. look at chubs. >> why do they call him chubs? >> shocking golfers, yet again, with his massive size.

seems chubs was wandering the area before he became a social media star, with photos of 2012 the same. >> why don't they call him slim? >> because he's not. >> a "happy gilmore" reference. chubs is not a nuance. but you should keep your distance if you're on that golf course. >> whoever is capturing it is doing it perfectly. >> from afar. al, what have you got? >> we're talking about the flooding in texas. from del rio, just into central texas. we have flash flood watches and warnings going on. heavy rain. and in fact, the llano river, the highest crest in 80 years. a second crest today. and lake travis is just two feet below major flood stage. this could be a developing situation during the day today. kerry sanders is down there. he will continue to track that on msnbc and a complete report on "nightly news" tonight.

mountain snows in the rockies. and sunshine on the west coast. look for the rain to continue through texas. lake-effect snow developing along the great lakes. wet weather in the northeast. hot, humid weather down through much of florida. and this is what it looks like outside in san jose right now. we are starting to notice the temperature trend begin to kind of warm up. but very slowly. at least through the next couple of hours until about the 12:00 hour when we jump into the comfortable 770s, 73 degrees by 2:00. upper 70s. expect temperatures to hit a high of 85 for the interior valleys, including the concord area, san jose a good high of 80 degrees. create a city landmark would attract millions of visitors every year. what would you do? >> you have to go big.

developers gave thomas heatherwork that very mission and his vision was this, the vessel. a promenade overlooking the hudson river. hoda and i were invited for an exclusive tour with the man behind the masterpiece. english designer thomas heatherwick has thought outside of the box. from china to cape town, his work has delighted every city he has touched and delighted the humans within. now, he is taking on manhattan. it's going to be embarrassing. we're wearing the same outfit. >> i feel powerful. >> let's check it out. ♪ >> that is cool. >> what is it? >> it looks like a pine cone. >> it looks like a maze. >> or a rollercoaster. it's so shiny.

what is it? for starters, it's 154 interconnecting staircases, a mile long and 16 stories high. thomas, are you there? >> thomas? >> thomas, what have you made? >> is that thomas? >> hey. >> hey. >> we love what you've done with the place. >> come up? >> he said come up. we don't have to take the stairs, do we? >> how many stairs are there? >> i don't have the thigh strength. >> elevator up. >> it's a long way down. technically the elevators will only be for those who can't climb. >> wow. >> where is thomas? >> the master. >> don't even -- no. i'm not kidding. >> you shouldn't look down. it's a lot higher than i thought. >> don't look down. >> hi. >> hello. >> nice to meet you. >> i'm hoda. >> this is kind of amazing what you've done here. >> thank you for coming to the top of the structure. >> can i ask an obvious question -- what is this?

>> ah. i'm more interested in what you think it is before i tell you what it is. >> i mean, it stands out, in a sea of sameness in manhattan. you literally stop and go, wow. >> it feels like art that we can walk all over. >> great. perfect. i love both of your descriptions. i won't be able to give a better version. >> when you were making this, how did you explain, this is what i want to build in manhattan? >> in general, cities are getting more and more similar to each other. so, the things that we cherish are idiosyncratic. they have particularity. can you imagine presenting this? heatherwick was inspired by the step wells in india. >> they're mesmerizing. but they don't go up. they go down. there was something almost like a meditation or a choreographed dance in how people must move to go down. and so, we wondered, instead of going down, could you do

something like that and lift it up? >> how do you want people to use this? how do you want people to feel when they're in this space? >> we're not going to tell you what you're supposed to do on it. it's for you to do whatever you want. but there's an immediate physicality to walking up 16 stories. all of us like public spaces where you see people and are seen. when you look down here, it's a moment to look up and your gran granny's higher than you and your friends down there. we designed this as a human thing. >> watch your fingers. i'm dangerous. ready? >> yes. >> before heading down, we helped thomas bring his project over the finish line. >> that was awesome. >> under budget. there's been some big ideas tossed around, from rock concerts to a performance by the philharmon philharmonic, with an instrument on every landing. even a motocross event. >> not a downhill motocross

race. but maybe slinkies. do you have slinkies here? this could be the biggest slinky competition. >> i'll race you. >> new yorkers have a nickname for this place. >> wait a minute. >> they call it the stairmaster. as for what to do here once you're in it? more flights. i think we figured it out. i thought we were going to meet at the top. hoda? hoda? >> cut out early. >> i know. >> where did you go? it was really cool. >> it looked cool. >> there will be something in the courtyard, in the center of it? is it a destination? >> it's just a space. you can bring a sandwich, visit with a friend. i love the idea of the philharmonic. >> it will be a whole development. there's shops and restaurants. it will be a destination. but the sculpture itself is supposed to be art you can walk on. >> 350 million bucks. >> i know. neat, right? i didn't know you were afraid of heights. >> just when they're wide-open

like that. >> right. >> a little scary. if you want to take the climb, you can sign up for free vessel tickets. go to today.com for information. "hi )m ... maybe you )ve heard by now: you did not win last night )s megamillions lottery. good morning, 8:26 for you, i'm marcus washington. maybe you heard by now, you did not win last night's megamillions lottery. but if you purchased a ticket at the marina safeway in san francisco, you still may be able to call yourself a big winner there. someone there won a $1.9 million for matching five of the six numbers last night during the drawing. and as for the next megamillions jackpot, friday, it will be the second largest ever. they say 868 million. and if you can't wait that long, tonight's powerball jackpot is worth $345 million. the easiest path to becoming a billionaire. mike, what do you think?

>> i think powerball for $1 tonight? $2 is still a bargain for multiple millions of dollars. next folks like us still going to work today. south bay, we see the typical northbound build. typical patterns almost all over the bay. over the last half-hour a lot of slowing, the crash southbound 280 at westborough boulevard. heading down towards 380. 101 and 280 into san francisco, standard. east bay, standard slow start, better on 580 and 880 getting over towards the bay bridge. and looking at the north bay times, still slow coming into novato, back to you. more local news in 30 minutes.

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. ♪ hey, everybody, welcome back to "today" on this glorious wednesday morning, october 17th, 2018. hey, can i say a quick birthday to my sister today. happy birthday. we want to thank everybody who came to midtown manhattan. we have a nice crowd today. should we check it out? "crowd moment"? i see you.

where are charlotte and sidney? charlotte? are you charlotte? hi. where are you from, sweetie? >> williamsburg. >> where is sidney? are you sidney? how are you? where are you from? >> indiana. >> i have a question for you two. do you like american girl dolls? >> yes. >> you do? how about if we get you guys two american girl dolls right this minute? would you like that? okay. >> jill has got a big "steals & deals" coming up. and we're going to have more american girl dolls for a lot of folks. that's going to be our best "steals & deals" ever. thank you for coming. love you, too. and you, too. >> that was great. >> pretty cool. >> love it. >> guys, the president is here. claire underwood. she is from "house of cards." she is the president this

season. she will tell us what to expect on the final season of that hit netflix show. >> there's an american girls doll store away. the girls can make appointments and get the hair done. >> you can get out of there for under 500 wbucks. >> easy. or watch "steals & deals." martha stewart is here. halloween is two weeks away. she's going to share creative and creepy ideas for the kids. mr. roker, first check of the forecast? >> you can see lake-effect snow around the great lakes. more rain through texas. hot and humid through florida. sunshine along the west coast. plenty mild through the plains. lake-effect snow through the eastern great lakes. more flooding through texas tomorrow. sunshine out west. the sunny skies continue in florida. look for sunshine in mississippi and ohio river valleys.

we're in the 40s and 50s, but your microclimate highs for today will be in the upper 60s for san francisco with a predicted high of 60 degrees, 74 for oakland. in through concord. 85 and through the south bay, about 80 degrees. overall our skies will be clearing out nicely. make sure you're careful if you're heading to the beach. there's a beach hazard statement in effect and this is because we're dealing with our first northwesterly swell of the fall. we're dealing with waves up to six feet. >> hey, as you head out the door, you can take us with you. you can tune into "today" sirius/xm 108 and have "today" show radio with you. >> thank you. now, to our biggest "steals & deals" ever. we're talking about the super bowl of "steals & deals." >> that's right. this is the all-star edition, featuring our best-sellers of all-time. jill martin is here. and you brought back some of the

most-loved items that always sell out in just moments. this is a special edition. >> hi, everybody. these are items that sold out in minutes. we got calls to our front desk asking for them back. so, we're bringing them to you all at once. the olympia luggage, $680. it is a three-piece set. the 21", the 25" and the 29". the retail, $680. the deal, $161.50. that's a good one. >> good deal. what is next? >> moving on. >> what are you eating? >> i'm from the south. a lot of the food, as you know, it's fried. this is a healthier way to eat fried food. >> yeah. it cooks low-fat healthier meals with this technology. last time we tried these, try a fry. these are really healthy. the thin kitchen air fryer. retail is $280.

it's really good, right? >> yeah. >> you can cook foods that would typically be fatty and cook them in a healthy way. delicious fries, right? >> seriously. >> the deal, $89. >> okay. thank you very much for that. >> thank you. enjoy breakfast chicken fingers and french fries for breakfast. >> i was here brushing my teeth. >> no big deal. this is the facial brushes and toothbrushes. it's either or. >> that was my first question. is it your face and your teeth? one or the other. >> one or the other or both and be very clean. this comes with different heads to the brush. >> nice. >> it takes away all of the bacteria. and the toothbrush, the company says it's a patent to kill 99.9% of germs or bacteria. >> this tube is making it clean while you store it in there? >> it cleans it and the brush

with the u.v. light. the deal is $39. >> if i use it, you have to give it to me. that's nice. >> there you go. new toothbrush. >> al said he used this. oh, no. we're related. >> hello. >> hey, there. >> for somebody who loves to cook. >> yes. >> the knife set. >> that's a good brand. >> $255 do not do this at home. a 13-piece or 16-piece set. today.com/deals has everything. cutting them up nice. how do they work? >> very nicely. >> retail, $255 to $265, the deal, $85.50. >> they don't come down glued to the cutting board. >> we have activewear. who doesn't like a nice workout outfit. >> you work out at what time? >> god knows. >> it's a crazy time, right? sometimes like 3:00 a.m. you can use to layer up and to

bundle up and to look great. they're all different it rations of this workout activewear. the deal is $14.50 to $19.50. the pants or the top or the jackets. everything is on today.com/deals. all different colors. really fashionable. now, leisurewear has become the uniform. >> now, we get to the deal that everyone is waiting for. these american girl dolls. when you put them on "steals & deals," they go nuts. >> is haley into these yet? >> i don't know if she knows what it is. >> the american girl dolls, $240 to $340. four sets to choose from. and featuring contemporary, historical characters. they have a different story. really showing women how to make their mark. when you read the stories, they're very inspiring. everything is on today.com/deals. you can see all of the different ones. >> $240 to $340. what does it go for? >> $120, up to 65% off.

and each of the dolls comes from the accessories. so, it's a whole kit. everything is on the website. >> $120 for the american girl doll is incredible. we have luggage from olympia usa. air fryer from thing kitchen. american girl doll bundles. they can be found on tod today.com/shop. how about that? coming up next, hail to the chief. robin wright is here. she opens up about the final season of "house of cards." first, this is "today" on nbc.

we're back. can we say good morning, madame president? robin wright stars in "house of cards" for the sixth and final

season. her character has a new title, president. robin is settling in behind the cameras, as well, as director. good to see you. we got to see you earlier this summer. we talked about this season of "house of cards" moving on after the loss of kevin spacey. now, we can talk about the show. everyone is wondering how this series is going to be wrapped up. we know you will be president. i couldn't drag anything out of you before. are people going to be happy with the way this all ends? >> boy, i hope so. we were pulling out all the stops. how could we top what was going on currently in the news? how can we top that one? just to be, i think, the most operatic and the most dramatic and the most machiavelli we could be for the last season. >> that's saying something for "house of cards" because it is pretty pret

pretty operatic and machiavelli as it is. is it one of the episodes that you think what happened to so and so? or does it tie it up? will we know the end of the story? >> it will shock you beyond belief what happens in the end. >> really? okay. sold. tell me about directing it. i mean, it's one thing -- i know you've fallen in love with directing. that's a lot to carry on your shoulders, a series finale. >> in a sense, yes. you're working more. >> yeah. >> you have more involvement with the different levels and departments. involved more in the writing and being a producer of the show, as well. really and truly, i can't wait to get in back of the camera. i'm doing a take. can i move on? >> like acting is a pain. >> like, robin, you should do another take. i don't want to. it's infectious working together

with everyone, being a director. it's fantastic. >> you caught the bug. you are going to direct again, it sounds like. >> i hope so. >> yeah. what was interesting to me in reading about this is the series had always had in its plans to have claire become president. and season after season, you didn't know if you would be picked up for the next season. it would be, like, all right, do we need to get claire to the oval office this season or next? that was incredible that was always the plan. >> it was always the plan. and everyone has to -- in the writers' room, they have to have three different options. what if we don't continue next year? how do we tie the loose ends in the eight episodes we have left? it was always the arc that she was going to be the first female president. at the end of season five and looking into the camera and saying, it's my turn, we're going to explore all of that world. >> i know. what does that mean? she already was murderous and power-hungry. i know you love her. i know she's your character and

you have to love her. but it's hard to imagine her just being even worse. >> expect it. >> really? okay. okay. well, here's a segue. and i ask you about this every time i see you because claire underwood is probably your most famous role. but i are never forget princess buttercup in "the princess bride." do you love her as much as we all do? >> of course. that's a great film. and it is a classic. it's held its weight. >> and it still holds up. if you watch it, it's part of the culture. >> for every age. that's what i love about it. >> you have a role in the wonder woman movies. there's a second one coming out. that experience must be amazing. first of all, you're told -- i was going to use a word that i can't use. i was going to say you were a bad you know what? bad momma. >> bad momma. >> you're doing martial arts and

stuff. >> we were all doing that. we're completely injured now. never be able to walk again the same. but it was a hoot. a hoot doing it. >> you're at the top of your game, acting and directing. robin wright, thank you so much. it's always a pleasure. you brought binge-watching to us. "house of cards" was the first show you could watch it on your own terms. >> go, netflix. >> thank you. a lot of couch sitting since that. you can stream the final season of "house of cards" on netflix, friday, november 2nd. coming up next, martha stewart's ideas for a fun and frightful bash. first, this is "today" on nbc.

we're back, with one of our favorite halloween traditions. a visit from the one, the only, martha stewart. >> hey. >> this time, we're talking kids with parties, spider-theme parties. no one throws a halloween bash like martha. and you dressed the part. >> i did.

>> you do a deep dive into halloween. you don't just phone it in. >> i love to get dressed up. i love costumes. i love makeup. >> you know what you're going to be? >> can you reveal? >> a pharaohess. a pop goes the pharaoh party. >> all of the cover we're going to cover is in the latest pages of "martha stewart living." >> halloween is fun to decorate. you don't have to fespend a lotf money. this is a tree. you can blacken a tree outside, outside of your house, with water soluble paint. you don't have to ruin the tree. this is just a branch. >> a real tree? >> a real tree. you can use a branch, too. stick it into a pot of sand. >> deck it out. use balloons, use cut-outs. you have a laser cutter. look how cute these are.

>> spiders galore. >> and get inspired by nature. now, we're all decked out. it's time to set the table. >> dirty tea-dipped cheesecloth. >> you dip it in black tea. you know how you get flowers in these cylinders. >> what have you done? >> you put a candle in there. that's a candle that's all those little minilights. >> okay. >> battery-run, so, it's flameless. a piece of paper. i'm going to show you how to make that. and stick some spider imagery on. >> these are cupcakes that is so easy to do. that's the same topping you use on a napoleon. >> what do you want to set on the table? >> all kinds of candies. you can find these in the craft store. a lot of this is all craft store stuff. >> the gum drops, just touched it. >> and if you're going to serve a real dinner, serve spider

soup. >> where did you get that pasta? >> that's a beautiful italian pasta that comes striped like that. this is a carrot. you take a big carrot and take one of the strippers and strip down two strips and cut it into slices. >> a little pumpkin. >> what is this? >> this is eye ball soup. eyes of newts. >> eyes of newts. >> this is grape juice, a little vodka for you. >> all right. >> and pearl tapioca. i'll pour you some. did your mom used to make pearl tapioca for you? >> that's good. >> yeah. >> and the eyeballs are a nice touch. >> this is piper and blake, helping us out. >> they are playing our spider

game. it's a fun game. >> to make the luminaria, you buy it like that. the minilights. >> you pop that in. >> draw a spider web. put it right in the glass. >> what kind of paper did you use? >> villam. >> it's like parchment. >> never heard of that. >> yeah, you did. it's what the bible is written on. these are clings that you get at the craft store. you put them all over. you can do one. >> do you remember the cover of that "martha stewart living" when you had the eye ballballs. the spider web cupcakes. this is chocolate frosting. >> you bought these from a store? >> you make them.

chocolate cupcakes. if you have to, you can buy them. and this is white frosting. so easy, take the frosting and you do a spiral all the way around. you'll be surprised what this does. >> okay. >> and then, take a toothpick -- you take that toothpick and draw from the center-out. >> lightly. >> you are making a web. >> you're making you're own spider web. you're doing a good job. >> don't go backwards. only go one way. >> i got excited when you said i was doing a good job. >> you are, look. >> you can do that one. here is the tapioca. mix up a batch of the pearl tapioca. and this just floats in there.

and it's tasty, too. i love it. >> so, tell us about this game, martha. >> again, you can -- the directions are in the magazine, how to print out your game. >> let's see you do it. you got it, blake. you got it, piper. >> nobody yet. keep throwing. >> you just throw it until you get it. >> nobody. 0-0. >> piper, blake. >> you're throwing too hard. >> martha. >> martha says you're throwing way too hard. >> i got a leg in there. >> thank you. all of the ideas and so much more on today.com. we'll be back in a moment. first, this is "today" on nbc. good job, guys. 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.

a big thank you to our friend, martha, for these halloween ideas.

>> i wish it were tomorrow. you could take this home. >> and you know i would, too. >> kathie lee is back on the fourth hour.i )m - -... authorities in san francisco - good morning, it's 8:56, i'm marcus washington. authorities in san francisco say very little about a police shooting that critically injured one person at aquatic park last night. you probably know this is the area that sits between fisherman's wharf and fort mason. sfp saying that officers

responded to shots fired last night at 9:30 last night along with federal park police, park police officer struck and injured one of two people that person suffered life-threatening injuries, officers detained a second person, so far no update on the shooting or word about any officers being injured. happening now, somewhat in san francisco, one nearly $2 million last night in the megamillions drawing. we'll have an update on the midday newscast. a bit of a scare for first lady melania trump. her plane was forced to turn around and make an emergency landing because of a mechanical issue. well it doesn't get worse than the bay area than it comes to america's worst roadways. san francisco, oakland and san jose finished at the very top or the bottom of the new national survey. the safety strategy

california is using as it prepares for the next major earthquake. plus bay area students share their emotional stories about how suicide is touching their lives. their role in a new documentary. tomorrow morning from 4:30 to 7.

[ applause ] good morning, everyone. welcome to the show. i'm megyn kelly. it is a special day here. we have some moms and dads in the audience because it's take your parents to work day here at nbc. and god help us all, i've done it. linda is here, along with peter. welcome to you both. [ applause ] oh, boy. we'll get to my mom in a minute. also joining me, nbc's own chief white house correspondent, hallie jackson, along with broadway star, jenna bush hager. we will explain that in a minute. along with matt